Connie Ds waterfall

Home again, home again

Amy came to get me at DTW tonight after I almost didn't even get there as I thought my plane left at 5:45 but it was 4:54 (you can see how I would mix up those numbers). I try to kiosk check in and it refused me so I go to the counter and they say Uh oh, here's a boarding pass, run as fast as you can, which wasn't much running as that New Orleans airport is not very big so I throw my bags through the checkpoint and run barefoot to the gate which is about 30 feet from the checkpoint and I can hear the woman calling "Deborah Weiser, last call for boarding to Detroit" and I say "Here I am!" and run down the hallway and still about 12 people have not boarded yet and I get on the plane and someone else has my seat so I get bumped to first class. Tragic. I declined the meal but accepted a glass of the worst red wine I have ever tasted, and that's saying something. I had to have the attendant take it away.

Went to the Louisiana State Museum that had a special exhibit The New Orleans Roots of Rock and Roll. Fairly lame. But I have some pix to post of it. I have been to several state museums. North Dakota wins.

Back to work tomorrow. Plenty more pictures to post here. Working on that. The kids were great, we ate a ton of food, much at fancy restaurants and had some bevs but not too much and saw some music and touristed around. The weather was perfect: 85 and sunny and not humid for NOLA.

We ate at Stanley (website under construction), great breakfasts and sandwiches. MiLa, spent about as much as a house payment for dinner: several appetizers, two bottle of rose, a lackluster red velvet cake dessert, fab entrees: snapper, tuna, pork chops. Iris: started at the bar with fancy cocktails then a cheese plate then two desserts: coffee sambuca ice cream sandwich and poached pear stuffed with mascarpone with salted caramel ice cream on the side and THEN we sit for dinner and have oysters and mussels and chicken for Anne and lamb for Tom. and wine. And another big bill. Had drinks at the revolving bar at the Hotel Monteleone. Lunch at Crabby Jack's (no website) the day we got there.

Went to Ryan's Irish Pub to watch the second half of the Cavs/Magic last game which was sad. Tried to eat at Cafe Amelie this morning but the wait was too long but by the time we doodled around, we should have just waited.

The hotel was really good because the room was modern although it's in an old building and the pool, terrace, bar was cool and there was a free parking lot so Tom could park the van which as you can imagine, parking is at a premium in the French Quarter.

Much TripAdvisoring must be done. I said that about Mexico and haven't done that yet either. That internet is a black hole of labor. Another saying for the Mom's Mottoes coffee table book. To go along with the Super-Mini one I also have planned (Super Minis in Mexico are little shops like convenience stores with varying goods).

Talked to Miss Jenks this AM for an hour while having coffee out by the hotel pool. Bought no souvenirs. Back to the slave pit tomorrow.

Having a beer with the kids at the Gazebo Cafe off Decatur

They have blues bands playing and it's outdoors and shady. I like it.

At Mila

Spent $400 here (including tip). OK stop. It was for 4 people and we had so much food we could hardly eat the next day. And it was great food. And lots of it. And great service.

At the carousel bar in the hotel Monteleone. Here's a better picture.

This bar revolved around the bartenders inside it. One bartender was going off duty while we were there and he had to had two people move so he could jump over the bar. He said you have to retire when you can no longer do so.

I had the Ramos Gin Fizz. Mmmm. Like a milkshake.

At jimbeaux on frenchman friday night (or saturday morning)

Some great old style NOLA jazz in a very tiny space and some couple dancing like whirling dervishes. Tom was a little upset about some guy who he felt was bothering me and Anne but hey, we are bitches, we can take care of ourselves.

Oysters eggs benedict at Stanley. Owned by the people who own Stella (get it? Stanley, Stella, Streetcar Named Desire).

Poolside at the richelieu w beverage

Courtyard at napoleon house. Having a pimms cup, a cucumber-y beverage. Anne had a mint julep. Not one of the most memorable stops on the NOLA tour.

Sorry those pictures are sideways.

Sorry those pictures are sideways.

Rooftop deck at tom n jessicas

Anne in memphis

In the memphis airport with

In the memphis airport with my daughter who is in line for bbq and starbux. Next stop new orleans!

Summer officially begins

I can see I have left some plot lines hanging. Like, they didn't fix my tree when the city had the street blocked off; they cut down a tree at a house across the street.

My office was moved at work to a big room with windows. Bonus. Some stuff wasn't done when I left Friday but hey, I'll just be out of their way so they can assemble the rest of my desk and install another computer. So we have 5 computers in there and a bunch of routers and beta decks and monitors and a giant TV and a small TV. And three phones.

The bamboo fence is reattached and looks like it will hold up another summer. Many things have been planted and survived the cold and still no seeds in the ground. Today it is raining. Lightly.

The Memorial Day party was a big success (I feel). With 21 in attendance. Great food: beans and slaw and fruit and cut-up veggies and olives/grape tomatoes/fresh mozzarella and brownies and mini eclairs and cucumber salad and zucchini bread and wienies in crescent rolls and strawberry frozen delight and appetizers galore. It was very windy at the start and pretty chilly but around eating time the wind wasn't so fierce anymore. Thanks to Chip for bringing the food table and another yard table and chairs.

I thought I had a massage today but it's tomorrow. And the next day (in the middle of the night), Amy takes me to the airport for New Orleans.

I got a new phone, a Samsung Alias 2 which works fine but seems a little heavier than my last phone but whatever. It flips open horizontally and vertically and has a qwerty keyboard and that fun ring that sounds like the phone on I Love Lucy.

Also, note to Fred: that IS a ligularia outside my front door. Although Joe Baker thought it was Rodgersia.

quick recap

Another whirlwind weekend, as usual. Friday night I went to have dinner with my friend Karen in Perrysburg and we end up in BG to see Harper at the ClaZel where I am on the guest list, me and guest, so we get in for free. There was much drinking and not enough eating so we come back to my house where Karen crashed on the couch. Harper was pretty good. He played the diggeridoo on some songs. Karen kept calling out for them to do some Johnny Cash which apparently they would not.

Saturday my radio show was preempted for some Ironman competition broadcast thing so I did massive yard work, went to the landfill AND the yard waste AND the recycling. I cut up a 7 foot tall pine tree into sections and stuffed them in the trunk of my Accord. Those are great cars. I got some Indian flower/paintbrush or whatever at the farmer's market at the small mall. Cleaned out the garage.

Plus I planted some stuff that I hope doesn't freeze tonight. Peppers and herbs and tomatoes. Did not get the bamboo fence reattached. This weekend FOR SURE. As the party is Monday. Had a cheezburger at the Corner Grill Saturday afternoon. Mmmmm.

Cleaned, did laundry, changed the sheets. Blah blah blah. Did not mow. So I begin the week with tasks already lined up.

Today I got up and did a Pilates DVD online from Netflix and fixed some stuff on 13abc.com and then went to Delaware to collect my mom for her sister's 69th wedding anniversary lunch at the Ryan's in Marion. Saw many of my cousins and some of their kids. I had dug up two hostas and a columbine and ostrich ferns and some other stuff for them to plant at the mobile home. Hope that works out for them.

Looked at phones online tonight but it's all so confusing. One phone will have 10 rave reviews and 10 equally horrible reviews so I don't know what to get. One with a good camera is about all I want. And that I can keep my current plan with. I will go a phone store tomorrow and see if they can show me some of them.

Then Karen called and came over and we got salads to go from SamB's (not all that, sorry) and a bottle of wine and Donna came over and we spent a lot of time trying to help Donna enroll for health benefits online. Which partly worked out.

But only 5 days of work and then it's a week off with a trip to New Orleans in there.
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grey gardens

Yesterday I went to visit my mom for Mother's Day. While I had thought it was clear I was coming down, they were surprised to see me. I remember telling Mom I wouldn't come down last month for Easter as I was coming down two weekends in a row in May. Whatever. So as they were unprepared, and my mom was in her housecoat, and as they talk on endlessly, losing track of time, I ventured that we should order pizza for lunch. But they had two frozen pizzas that we doctored up with extra ingredients. I start chopping and distributing onions and tomatoes from a can and black olives and I say "Is that enough?" and my mom says "I don't know. Karen always does this." Then they decide to make iced tea which took the water a while to boil (surprise) so by the time that was done, the pizza was room temperature. (surprise)

So the time meanders by with constant talking about the pets and the neighbors and what Karen will do around their trailer if they get some money and if only she had a computer, she could do freelance medical billing from home and how she might get some certification to be an animal intake officer at the Humane Society for which she MIGHT get paid if some grant comes through. If if if if if if.

About 3 p.m., when I am looking to bolt, my mom says "Is it too late to get flowers and plant them on Daddy's grave?" Of course not! So we get some at Kroger's which were lackluster frankly and plant them. My sister takes her gardening gloves as well but she is too lame (in the true sense of the word) to get down and plant so I did and then we took a tour of various relatives' graves and then they decide we should get ice cream so I drive them through the DQ for Blizzards.

This after my sister says she just can't eat anything because of her meds which unfortunately also make her gain weight. However she was able to wolf down half a 12-inch pizza AND a Blizzard. So much for the inability to eat. She now has an attorney helping her with her disability claim. Which she acknowledges may take 18-24 months to be resolved. "I'll be dead by then," she says. My mom says "Well, I'll be dead, too." You can see how I find this tiresome.

I see The Mystix have another CD out. I will purchase.

Today when I got home from work, there was a temporary sign out by my sidewalk that says No Parking Tuesday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. I hope something is being done about my situation.

Mowed the back tonight and had to rake the hay. Two weeks til the Memorial Day party. Much remains to be done in the yard. I threw out a bunch of junk from the garage for heavy trash so if I'd just get out there, I could get that tidied up, get out the lawn furniture and grill. Yada. Yada.

You wankers

Chris Shutters was at the ClaZel tonight and even though Amy planted a GIANT TREE and I dug up ferns and hosta for the plant swap AND did a radio show and other things, we were the only 2 people there of our bunch except poor Rod who went at 7:30 because that's when McKinley said they started. Which they didn't. They started at 9. BUT REGARDLESS, you should have been there. He played a couple of Jethro Tull songs on which he played the flute and did a great version of Bell Bottom Blues. We asked for Red House but left when they took their second break around 11:15.

Somehow the Chris Shutters promotion folks think I am somebody so they gave me 2 CDs by Julie Newmark and David Carducci and a Chris Shutters at the ClaZel t-shirt which I gave to Amy for Evan. Plus they're putting my name on the guest list for Harper. I don't think they even KNOW my name. And there was cake. I think about 120 people paid to get in. But none of you wankers.

I didn't think I'd get everything in today but except for the farmer's market, I did. I mowed the front and dug out the grass at the fence line in preparation for reinstalling the bamboo fence. Too windy today to do that. Plus I dug about 40 ferns out for Amy and Sal and the swap and a couple of hostas for the swap where I took a bee balm.

And I watched Cars, which is a great movie. And has many great lines like "I'm as happy as a tornado in a trailer park." And I did more Mother's Day gift purchasing, sugar free chocolates and cut tulips and a card to go along with the fabulous planter I got at Fitkin's. I'm sure it will not be sufficient.

So tomorrow the lengthy trip to Delaware. Then two more weeks of work and a week off. Yay. Stamps go up on Monday to 44 cents. So if you have any 42 centers, you're out of luck.

Peace out.
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Weekend

Yay. There's the farmer's market at the mall and the plant swap and a radio show and digging up of ferns and Chris Shutters tomorrow. I'm tired already. And then Sunday will be taken up with a trip to Delaware.

I bought my mom a great planted pot at Fitkin's Greenhouse in Sylvania today. Actually it's in Ottawa Lake, MI. But it's just feet over the line from Sylvania. Plus I bought one of those golden coral bells and some coleus to make a big pot and the cutest dish of succulents for only $10. I wanted much more stuff but I feel next Friday I will go back because this weekend it's not going to be warm enough to plant. Plus I have no time.

They have great plants and unusual stuff and lots of it. And it's not all that pricey.

Man, this week at work was mind-numbing. What with the Facebook and the Twitter and the loading of video resumes to YouTube. Plus the regular stuff.

Thursday night Amy and I went to see Frank Vignola at GFT but alas we weren't into it and left after 45 minutes. I got home in time to see The Office and 30 Rock.

Wednesday was GNO which was heavily attended and there didn't seem to be as much stuff at the swap which is good for Martha who has to take it all to the Goodwill. I got a lipstick and mascara. The June GNO is at Connie D's.

Piling up

When people ask me what I've been up to, I always tell them I'm waiting for gardening weather. Oh yeah, I've already mowed. Twice in the back. And I take stuff to the yard waste every weekend. And I cut down that tree back by the east kitchen window. Need to cut it up and take it to the landfill.

Since I last posted, I saw Lil Ed at FFB. Then I bagged on Polka Floyd at Grumpy Dave's on the 25th. And I had a hideous radio meeting and didn't go see John Nemeth at FFB because he's coming to Grounds Aug. 20.

This past weekend, Rod's Collision played at the ClaZel and then Chip and I went to see Unknown Hinson at Frankie's after everybody else bagged on us. We park on some side street and some black guy in the traditional black hoodie comes up and I roll down my window LIKE AN IDIOT and he asks if I have any change because he needs some gas. I say no and he says Have a nice evening. Hmmmmmm. Then some tattooed pierced girl tried to get Chip to buy her shots, let's have shots, she says. I told him to check for his wallet.

Yesterday, I labored outside for 6 hours. Continuously. I had called Donna to give her some of my ferns and she calls back about 5 and we decide I'll dig up a bucket of ferns for her to take off my porch today at 5:30 a.m. when she got off work and indeed they were gone when I left this morning.

I started to plant my new window boxes then realized I had to paint those windows I had reglazed last weekend. So I did that then later scraped the paint off the glass and planted the window boxes. And pulled up oh about 800 little maple trees.

Some guys were at my front curb last week on Thursday when I was leaving for work but all they did was dig out the gas or water line head and spray paint it blue and made a blue mark on the curb.

Heavy trash pickup is next week. Get yer crap out to the curb.

I have had these two movies from Netflix-- Thieves Highway and Cars-- for more than a week. Maybe 2. I just can't seem to fit anything in.

I got this new dental appliance to wear when sleeping that I thought I would hate but man, it's great. My neck doesn't hurt when I get up in the AM, which is one of the things the dental assistant (who turned me on to Lancome mascara) told me would be a benefit and I scoffed.

Tonight, my boss's son was playing jazz guitar at FFB at some benefit dinner. He told me I could just tell them I was at Larry Dillin's table. OMG, I couldn't go. I had been dressed up all day WITH HEELS. I had to go to Meijer and do laundry and Big had no kitty din and so I came home. Entered the WGTE raffle to win $40,000 or may other cash prizes. Paid some bills.

Thursday is Frank Vignola gypsy guitar jazz at Grounds. We'll see how that goes at Weds. is GNO for which thunderstorms are predicted and Saturday Chris Shutters is at the ClaZel and there's the Harmonica Summit at Hines Farm.

Three weeks from today is the Memorial Day cookout.

I have to go to Delaware the next TWO Sundays for Mother's Day and then the next week for my Aunt Midge and Uncle Jim's 65th wedding anniversary. Yes, 65th. And yes, two of the best gardening weekends of the year. I just need to jam in a bunch of seeds this Saturday.

But I am off the whole week of Memorial Day.

And my bamboo fence is still down. I will you give you $5 a section to help me put it up. Do one or all! Offer is open.

Fortunately Wayne stopped by Sunday afternoon and took a quick look at my steps to fix. He suggests the pavers on top of the existing concrete. I told him to come measure them, tell me a price and get on with it. I'll have to temporarily displace some plants. Eeep.

Look, it's after 9 p.m. Too late to start a movie. I'm reading Christoper Moore's Fool which is highly amusing although I am not down with the plot which is apparently Shakespeare's King Lear play. But it's still good.

As soon as those sheets are out of the dryer, I'm in bed. Carry on.
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Sunday

What a change from yesterday's weather, with the hideous east wind and dampness and not above 50 all day. A good day to do stuff inside.

I cleaned out under my kitchen sink and cleaned out the fridge and paid some bills and did a Netflix ab crunch pilates thing. I put a roast in the crockpot to make enchiladas. Sal called as they were headed to the Club H whilst their dinner cooked so I went down for one beer and Donna was there with her doggies. We talked about Costa Rica which Donna has been to and for which Sal is hot. Especially some little place called Congo Bongo. There are many tripadvisor reviews for many little cabinas down there. And the airfare is only about $330.

Came home and made the enchiladas and hoping there is a Simpsons on while I dine.

Also I tripadvisored restaurants and stuff in New Orleans. Anne had suggested this place called Mothers but tripadvisor reviews pretty much ding it.

James Armstrong was very good at the Grounds last night. It was a full house and I drank too many Old Milwaukee Lights in the can and had the grumbly tum today.

This weekend went way too fast.
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Not much

Apparently my weekly post is all I can manage. Today I was out and about and my phone rings at 2 p.m. and it's Connie Z saying Don is wondering if I am coming in to do my show. Last week, the utes emailed the baseball schedule which said I would not have a show today or next week April 25. So much for planning.

Man, it was a beautiful day today. I cleaned up my grill in preparation for cookout season.

Last night after work I went to FP Mall and bought those jeans Sal told me to get and they SEEM to be great. But I'll see. Plus I bought a boatload of clothes in Penney's on the way out of the mall, two sundresses, a pair of shorts, two tank tops, two other tops and didn't try any of them on so now I will be returning everything but the tank tops.

Tom, Son of Kiger (as Dr. Sue calls him), is over at my neighbor's drinking and yukking it up in a big way and has been for about 3 hours. Hmmmmmmmmm.

I took my little flat of plants outside for some sun and now they are all nearly dead. Duh. I have no green thumb. Next weekend I might just start jamming seeds into the ground. I see on the NWS site that next Saturday it will also be 72 and sunny like today after a kind of crappy week.

James Armstrong at Grounds tonight. Lil Ed at FFB next Thursday. I see they want $10 to see him and it starts at 8:30. And Polka Floyd Sat. April 25 at Grumpy Dave's at 9.

Also heavy trash is the week of May 11.
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whirlwind

First, let me say that I am sorry to have accused Chip of cheating at cards when we were at Dylan and Stef's Friday night. I may have seen him steal the deal and PERHAPS reneg once or twice in other card-playing times, which may have been inadvertent, but cheating is a bad charge. So, sorry. I hope this doesn't ding me from future card fun.

Stef's party was a swell time. Many older folks were there when we got there at 8:15 but by the time we left at midnight, it had been taken over by utes, as it should be.

Friday I called in sick at work because, well, there are many reasons but I really was stuffed up and well, there wasn't any news and well, it was Good Friday etc etc. I stayed in bed til almost 2 reading. And eating.

Thursday was a swell time at the ClaZel. MANY people were in attendance, tons of whom NEVER come out for fun. Amy and I left at midnight and she offered to give Fred and Jo Sears a ride and when we got to the car, Fred says "Oh I forgot it was a two-door" as if this was a deal-breaker so I get in the back saying I was fully bendable, which after all the whiskey I drank, was true. Chip sent me some photos which I could not retrieve from home from my work email so I will post them later.

OMG, the horn players for Stacy Mitchhart are just the cutest boys EVER. It was a high energy night. Chris Shutters got onstage and played Red House, one of the best versions I've ever heard and then Stacy came back onstage and played with Chris and Stacy's band. Chris's PR person gave me a CD of his because somebody (my new friend Patrick) had told her I was the person who needed to have Chris's CD, which I played a cut of on my radio show today.

Kelly Wicks called during my show today to discuss the state of live music in BG. I opined that the ClaZel was not doing themselves any favors by having so many blues bands because the crowd for that was limited. I also said that Alex was doing a good job of bringing bands to Howard's and we agreed that the sound situation in there is not good. Plus the hospitality for the bands there is marginal, as Greg Ginn and the Texas Regulators had to buy their own beers, for chrissakes. Kelly also said the corporate sponsors for the Swamp had pulled out for this year and that personal donations would be appreciated. At last, the full schedule for the festival is online.

Amy and I discussed tonight that maybe the Swamp could pull back on the number of bands it books as most festivals we see have MAYBE 6 bands over the course of a day rather than the 9 the Swamp has. Something to consider to save money.

Today, hmmm, did a radio show, went to the Corner Grill for sausage gravy and biscuits with scrambled eggs, went to Meijer, cleaned the house. Tomorrow I hope to screw around in the yard, hoping the damn NE wind will have died down. Plus I will make the biggest delicious breakfast ever. As I will not be receiving any chocolate bunnies. Which I would not be so keen on anyway as I have not seen any made of 70% cacao.

Also I went to the bank this morning to find out how fast I could pay off my house if I made extra principal payments which the woman I talked to could not tell me so they are are having a mortgage person call me. Christ, I rolled out of bed for THIS? Some online mortgage calculator says that if I pay an extra $1,000 a month, I could pay if off by next October. I hope this is true.

Got 2 books at the library today that I had ordered in: Jim Harrison's newest novel "The English Major" and "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb which is 752 pages.

Note to self: car windows.
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Hippity hoppity Easter's on its way!

And I get to stay home! I'm so delighted. I asked my mom if she wanted me to come down but since I have to go there two weekends in a row in May, she said I didn't have to. I sent her a card. I will be making myself a giant breakfast.

Tomorrow night is Rod's Collision opening for Stacy Mitchhart at the ClaZel and Friday is Stefan's birthday party. So laying low to save up energy for this activity.

Last night I booked a flight to New Orleans for May 28-31, just a short trip. Staying at the Richelieu which has the Paul McCartney suite, in which I am not staying. Anne is also going and I booked a flight to coincide with hers so we are on the same plane out of the layover in Memphis. My plane leaves Detroit at 6:30 am. Anybody want to make some quick cash and take me there? Amy has said she would come get me Sunday night when I get back. Of course, I'm not holding her to that. I just HATE that parking and shuttling and stuff at DTW. Please. Are you not my friend????

Also last week I bought 4 new CDs: Elvin Bishop and Little Smokey Smothers, Buddy and Julie Milller, Blues of the Future Vol. 3 with Watermelon Slim and many other good folks and James Hunter's The Hard Way. Plus I got a tribute to Doug Sahm in the free box at the radio station with artists like Los Lobos and Joe King Carrasco. Plus I apparently ordered a Eli Paperboy Reed CD off amazon.com when I wasn't paying attention the other night.

Many of my plants are coming up that I put in that starter box. Looks like it's cosmos, asters, zinnias, chives and cilantro. One of them is so big the plastic dome hits it so I need to get it out of there. Hmmm, how? This weekend I will set them outside again for some fresh air and sunshine.

Found out today I have no radio show April 18 and 25 (baseball). But then it should be smooth sailing on through summer.

And it's not too early for me to extend my annual Memorial Day cookout invite to be held the Monday of Memorial Day itself. As always, stop by no earlier than 3, eating around 5:30.

Another 2 pieces of my bamboo fence took a fall over the weekend so I rolled them up and will reattach when it warms up. Got me a whole new pack of zip ties for this.

I have 2 daffodils blooming but that's about it. The plants out front I put in last year seem to be coming back. Mostly.

Have had the Wall-E movie for almost 2 weeks and haven't watched it yet. Where does the time go?

Fortunately, Sal turned me on to a good brand of jeans so maybe I will have some nice looking pants the next time you see me.

What will I wear to New Orleans??? It's always a challenge when you have a fashion plate for a daughter.

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Shopping

Amy calls today about 11:15 to see if I want to ride to the Rt 20 shopping extravaganza and I agree to see if they have those canvas skimmers at Target. Suddenly presented with a variety of goods, I purchase:
Two bed pillows
Two ceramic pots that I envision on my new porch
A Houdini wine opening kit that includes the rabbit opener, a foil remover, an extra corkscrew for the opener, two corkers, a pourer, a corker for fizzy drinks
Two boxes of Triscuits
A bag of Panko bread crumbs
A pair of Keds slip-ons
Two outdoor glass-top, fold-up end tables
Two pairs of underwear
Three pairs of garden gloves
An Easter card
A magnet-backed pad of list paper
12 cans of kitty din

Now I'm making a lovely dinner of baked potato, a red snapper fillet I got at Stimmel's giant seafood sale and some green beans with bacon.

Saturday night we went to the ClaZel to see Frostbite with Doreen Robideaux singing. They were very good (Whippin' Post especially) and it was a small but appreciative crowd. Stacy Mitchhart's promoter fell at the bottom of the spiral staircase and broke her bottle and cut her hand so she was walking around with a wet towel wrapped around it. The boys were watching the Final Four games at the bar. All of my pictures are so bad I can't even post any. I need a new camera. Sal's Olympus takes great pictures. I need to look into this. Gonyer bought one on eBay. I better look around.

The Humane Society wine and cheese is May 29 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons. I am donating a bracelet that I have had for years that is too big and I kept meaning to have it made smaller and have earrings made from the extra links but alas, it ain't happening. Plus I found this other bracelet I bought somewhere that is much nice anyway. Plus last night I shined up my old asian themed bracelet and wore that.

I talked to my mom for an hour tonight. My sister has taken in another dog, a husky mix. So that's 2 dogs, 4 cats. And Karen's disability was denied surprise. And my mom had to have 2 teeth extracted. It's just one thing after another with those two.
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Yay weekend!

I planted 72 little seedling things in a flat with a plastic dome cover and now only 6 days later, I have things coming up! I made this chart of what I planted and now, depending on whether I turned the flat around or not (can't remember), I have chives and cilantro coming up OR cosmos and asters. I'm trying to keep them warm by leaving them on the floor by a register and shining a desk lamp on them for a few hours. I am hoping that it will become warm enough to put them outside for a while each day to get good growth going.

Didn't go to GNO although I hear it was heavily attended. The May one is at Deb's with the annual white elephant swap at Martha's driveway. Time to dig out stuff I don't need. And probably come home with more stuff I don't need.

I got an email back from the arborist saying I would receive a letter outlining how the city will fix my sidewalk and my driveway apron and save the tree. No letter yet.

Have been very bad on the cooking school, making too much stuff that I don't end up eating all of and then feeling bad about how there are starving people.

Wednesday I went to Elder Beerman and bought two pairs of jeans and two belts and today I took back one pair of jeans plus a pair of shoes I had bought about 3 weeks ago which I had tried on several times and although they were the Born shoes, could not talk myself into thinking I'd wear them and a shirt I had bought before I went to Mexico that at the time I thought was black but was actually navy blue. Plus the one pair of jeans I kept turn out to be ill-fitting although they have the spandex in them, they have baggy legs and after a couple hours of wearing them, the waistband is stretched out and they look like they are some large mom's jeans.

I have been keeping track of what I eat to see why I am not slimmer and although I have had a breakfast burrito from McD's twice this week (300 calories, 16 g. of fat) I have otherwise eaten sensibly. Plus I lifted weights Monday and did a Pilates Wednesday and walked Thursday. Maybe it's that 500 calories of wine a day. I'll get right on that. I did have a cookie one day.

At least, work has been much better since I adopted the less-thinking regime.

Radio show tomorrow plus Frostbite at the ClaZel. Big James is at Hines Farm but I feel the ClaZel is all I'll do. Starts at 7. Come on down!
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Onward to April!

It's been a quiet weekend. Yesterday I raked up the last of the leaf slurry from the back yard and hauled it to the yard waste. Somebody demolished that stove in garage in back of the yellow house behind me yesterday. Still a lot of crap lying around.

Did a radio show, turned in my old cell phones at Calico Sage and got a tax deduction slip, watched Night Nurse, a 1931 movie with Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Blondell, Clark Gable, wherein the women were continuously changing their clothes on camera so we see a lot of 1930s underwear. At one point, Joan Blondell changes Barbara's stockings for her. Hmmm, suggestive. Also a lot of hitting, women on men, men on men, men on women. And suddenly it ended with no resolution of several story lines.

Finished reading Made in the USA by Billie Letts about 2 runaway children who are rescued from Las Vegas by some guy who had left his circus family and after the runaway teen girl is forced into making a porno movie and becomes hooked on blow and beaten severely and graphically by thugs, she is saved by joining the circus family and becoming one of the best aerialists of all time. Hmmmm.

Now I'm reading The Women, by TC Boyle which is a very interesting fictionalized account of Frank Lloyd Wright and the four women in his life and his dalliances and betrayals and divorces.

Plus I did a lot cleaning like my kitchen floor and vacuuming and dusting.

On Friday morning, David Bieneman, the BG arborist came over to discuss the removal of that giant silver maple in front of my house. I think at the end he was ready to do it but since then I have reconsidered the options and wrote him this email today:

David, I have been thinking about the taking down of that big silver maple in front of my house. Maybe it doesn't need to come down. We could get rid of the broken part of my sidewalk altogether and I can put a sidewalk from the remaining walk closer to my porch out to my driveway. Then if the roots could be trimmed on the west side and my driveway apron repaired, work could be done to repair the lawn and the tree could live on. Of course, I don't know how this helps the broken curb. Thanks for your consideration and for all you've done so far.

So we'll see what happens.

Wednesday is GNO and it's at El Zarape at the bar. Not such a good idea: drinking at a bar clear across town.
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Last full week of March

Suddenly it's hard to believe it will be April NEXT WEEK. What woe can befall us now?? Weather woe, I mean. I'm sure some other woe could happen.

Mom update: Called Saturday, she's not moving, Karen has no money, I feel helpless/hopeless. I have to go down there May 17 for my Aunt Midge and Uncle Jim's 65th anniversary. Which is one week after Mother's Day. Grrrrrrr.

Listening to Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. I got it in the free crate at the radio station. Soul, baby.

The lineup is posted for the Madison Ribberfest.

Tonight I had a massage after work and it was all I could do to prepare food.

Last night, I emailed the city in my quest to have that big tree taken down out front. I got an email back within a half hour that the arborist would address this. No follow-up yet.

Thursday, Josh Garrett is at the ClaZel. $3 starts at 9. Hope I can make it. Then Frostbite is going to be there April 4 and 18.

This last weekend I was worthless. I did a radio show, ate pizza at Amy's, I don't know. It was supposed to be nice but it was chilly Saturday and only nice Sunday for about 2 hours. Saw the Vagina Monologues at the Univ. on Sunday night.

So Monday after work I felt I needed to be outside so I raked up a couple big bags of leaves and took them to the yard waste and then walked to the library for a new book. Made in the USA by Bonnie Letts which is just the kind of lightweight fluff I like to read before hitting the sack.

I got a new computer at work which has the good news and the bad news. The good news is it plays video a lot better now but the bad news is sometimes there's no audio. The IT folks are still troubleshooting it. Plus of course all my previously visited websites history is wiped so everything I log in to is a new experience of forgotten passwords. But hey, they're not paying me too think. Right?
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Weekly report

I can't seem to get it together to post more than once a week. Thursday we saw the Kinsey Report at GFT and they were fabulous. We had seen them at Hines Farm lasat year and weren't impressed. Amy believes they had some female singer with then then that we had not favored.

Another action-packed weekend. Yesterday Amy and I went to the Stony Ridge Antiques looking for an endtable to go between the two rattan chairs in the living room. Nothing. We also stopped in at the Stony Ridge Antique Auction place which had some junque for a Sunday auction. Then we went to Menard's where I bought a birdbath. Then we went to Wildwood Antiques which is back behind Gander Mountain where I bought these two chairs which I thought would be great in the living room but alas they are small and not quite green enough. So now they're in the middle room.



Then we went to Pier 1 where I bought some candles. Then to ReDecor where Amy bought 2 folding chairs.

Later we went to the Welders who seemed really good. Click on a picture to see a larger version.

Connie wears the necklace she made for the Humane Society auction


Sal. We were doing some heavy duty dancing. She was hugging EVERYBODY. She exacted my undying love from me which alas, I feel she may have done from others as well.


Chip and me with my stunning Mexico necklace.


Men


Larry, whose 68th birthday it was, sings Stand By Me. I kept saying afterward he was great and everybody just kept replying, It was fun so maybe I overrated it.


Women

Donna's fur hat

Bomeli's new hairdo


Afterward, we had burgers at the Corner Grill. During which we missed FlipFlopFly which Amy had requested. It was Gus's birthday after midnight and Annette took a cake onstage which produced massive smoke after Gus blew out the candles. The event was heavily attended and until late.

Today, I got my sharpened clippers back from Ace Hardware where I also got some hardwood floor cleaner and some more zip ties to reinstall my bamboo fencing someday. Went to Meijer, moved the bookcase into the green room and took a bag of books to GFT for resale, went to the library. Then I put Step 1 of the lawn program on the backyard and decided the entire front yard needed to be raked before its application. That took about 2 hours, it seems like. But it was a beautiful day, about 60, sunny, no wind. Also I put chicken wire around two more bushes that the bunnies seem to be brutalizing.

So, worn out, I watched Witness for the Prosecution which at the end of, we were exhorted to not reveal the shocking ending to our friends before they have seen it. So I won't. Hint: Hell hath no fury.... It was Tyrone Power's last film as he was making Solomon and Sheba the next year (1958) when he died of a heart attack and they had to finish the film with Yul Brynner.

The yard is really shaping up. I talked to Doug Saturday night about fixing my front steps and my splintering hardwood floor and some other stuff. I hope he will get back to me about this.

Big week coming up. Nick Moss at FFB Thursday when Big James is at the HiNote's final show. I hear it costs $8 and we have free tickets to Nick Moss. Friday, Polka Floyd at the Rev's, Greg Ginn at Howard's and United Grass Farmers at Grumpy Dave's. All start late.

The full line-up is posted for the St. Mary's Blues Fest Labor Day weekend. Although attendance was spotty last year, THIS year they are having two full days, Saturday and Sunday with Lil Ed closing Saturday and Tommy Castro Sunday. Tickets are on sale now til 5/25 at half price.

My daughter sent these pics from her excursion to DC where you can rent Segways to tour the sites.






Yay! Halfway to April.

Another week races by

Kelly sent this line in email to the Atomic Mama: "But until then be sure to check out: Cowboy Mouth, Ruthie Foster, Lee Rocker". Apparently part of the Swamp lineup which is due to be released any time now.

Last week was that big one: Radio mtg. Monday, GNO Weds., wine Thursday, last night went to see Johnny Reed at FFB. Which was a clusterbuck because we got there right between the two comedy shows and had to wait in line almost a half hour and then we ended up taking the elevator upstairs and going in the back to get a seat at the bar. Their guitar player was lackluster or worse. Johnny Reed's son Jackson played harp and sang with the band.





My daughter sent me a fancy pop-up book of The Night Before Christmas that she had procured at the Smithsonian. She's a treasure.

Yesterday I raked the whole back yard (not the side or front) and got a huge pile of pine stuff that I couldn't determine if it was yard waste or brush and now it's out there getting rained on. I also cleared a bunch of stuff out of the beds that I shoulda done in the fall. It was really nice, maybe 60 outside. Cloudy but only sporadically sprinkly. Today however it's 38 and heavy rain. The sump pump is running about continuously.

Big cooking school plans: quiche and broccoli soup and lake perch and a rotisserie chicken to parcel out.

Looks like no radio show again this weekend because the women's MAC tournament appearance will be either noon or 2:30 Saturday.

another big weekend

I see Elvin Bishop is going to be at the Festival in Sycamore which is just north of Cincinnati on July 18, a Saturday. Can't find much about it on the internet but last year they had Atlanta Rhythm Section and Dave Mason as the headliners.

Yesterday I went to the seed swap at the Botanical Gardens. I took some wildflower and other seeds to trade and got 24 tickets for seed packs although many tables weren't bothering with collecting them. Some of them were home-bagged and some were actual seed company packets from a year ago. I got some chives and cilantro and basil, poblano chiles and jenny lind melons and ruby lettuce, and some black hollyhocks, several marigolds, cosmos and violas.

Then I looked at these 2 silver convertibles, one a 97 BMW and one an 02 Saab, at the Halleck Auto Sales. Just for fun.

Later we went to see Rod's Collision play at the fabulous ClaZel where HUNDREDS were in attendance. It was a swell time. I need to find out how that underwriting works at the radio station and get them to underwrite my show. Or some shows. On the way out, some young woman said to me You look so good! Hmm perhaps she meant-- for being 70 years old. Those youth.

Radio meeting Monday. GNO Wednesday at 149 North with free munchies courtesy Connie D. that she won in a contest. Sounds delightful.

Friday night I watched 3 episodes of 30 Rock (HI-larious) and then Hustle and Flow, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee. It was like a version of those Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movies where they say "Hey kids let's put on a show" except there's a lot of cursing and screaming and shooting and the star ends up in jail. Oh I should have said Spoiler Alert.

Yesterday I caught up on The Office. Also I did a Pilates crunch video off Netflix.

Today, not so much, one of the banned words/phrases for 2008. Along with First Dude and Maverick and the video of the Snowman Burning they do annually where they, uh, burn a snowman as a way of making winter go away.

Today I am trying to eat near the bottom of the food chain. I've had some granola and am making more coffee and it's noon. I should go to the store and I have an overdue library book (and now they--after 40 years-- have jacked up the fine to 25 cents a day) but some giant motivation better set in or it will be time to go see Gran Torino at the small mall.

Listening to John Hiatt's Hangin' Around the Observatory/Overcoats, his first 2 albums on one CD. Earlier, Jim White's Transnormal Skiperoo.

Also we spring ahead this Saturday night. And the question always arises: Will it be darker or lighter in the evenings then? Look at it this way: If it's almost dark at 7 p.m. now, it will be that same almost-dark at 8 p.m. after the switch. So, lighter. But a little darker in the mornings but that will pass quickly. On Sunday March 8, the day after the switch, the sunrise goes to 8 am; now it's a little after 7. But by the end of March, we'll be where we are now on sunrise time. Except by then it will be light in the evenings until almost 8:30. Bonus!

Last year we got 17 inches of snow in March but the March before, only about 3.
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A bad videogame

That's what work is like. Today, I go in and my computer is off. I had restarted the night before when I left. I turn it on. It starts up but goes into a maddening series of file scanning routines that disables me from booting up any other programs. I wait for more than 20 minutes while this goes on and call Bill, the IT guy and tell him my woes. He comes up, tells me that the UPS surge protector box I have on my computer has low batteries so every time even the slightest surge is detected, the low batteries think it's Armageddon and turn my computer off. By the time it's 9:30, morning news meeting time, I have been successful only at opening my email.

After the news meeting, Todd stops me in the hall to say that Channel 11 is sending a newsfeed to their Twitter account and why can't we do the same thing? I return to my office and my computer has died again. I reboot and spend quite a while trying to determine the URL of my news xml feeds so our news posts automatically to Twitter.

A fire in Tiffin becomes breaking news and must be posted right away. And updated.

I finally read through a couple of posted news stories for mistakes and typos, during which I get email saying the flash creative for the ad campaign that starts March 4 doesn't work right so I forward the bad graphic to the art director who created it who tells me he is too busy to fix it. I try to have Erin fix it, but he's sent an swf file and she can only edit flash in flv.

Then Sean calls me, the webmaster at WTVD in Raleigh. He knows where my xml feed URLs are. About halfway through my conversation with him, I realize I have missed my 11:45 digital sales conference call. When I hang up with Sean, it's 12:30.

I go to lunch, realizing this will be the only calm hour of my day. I eat at Organic Bliss and look at shoes at Elder Beerman and get back to work just minutes before my 2 p.m. webmaster conference call. During which we are chastised by the digital media VPs about our misuse of the newly installed site alerts that we had to learn how to use this week along with populating our new weather page.

I start again to post this xml feed to Twitter which involves a process of logging in to some ultra secure system that requires me to choose 3 pictures from a group of about 20 that I will remember later because they will be my SECRET IMAGES. I choose cats, food and outer space. How could I not forget those?? Then a login approval is sent to my webmaster email. Or so the software says. I wait. I choose Send Again and this time the email comes, I go back to the twitterfeed site, follow all the steps and get to the page where I enter the URL of my xml feed and a couple of other things and right after I click OK for what surely must be the last time, my computer shuts itself down. Again. It's 4:30. I have done no evening news, although Jennifer is there to do that but I always help her.

The IT woman comes up to help me unplug the faulty UPS surge box and we find the monitors were plugged into it instead of anywhere else so she has to go to the basement to get a common household surge protector so that she has somewhere to plug in the monitors.

I get my computer restarted and it's after 5 and the news director has sent me a 14-page pdf file of all the jobs they'll be referencing in the Job Bank call-in portion of tonight's newscasts. The file refuses to convert to text. So I have to ftp the file to a server and then reference it as a URL and send that to Jen so she can post it. And it doesn't show up the first two times I try it. But finally it does.

During all this other stuff, I have answered about 85 emails, discussed an upcoming contest that is so complicated we have to have a conference call about it on Friday, made a graphic and posted it for the Job Bank call-in, updated the Job Center web page with new jobs, posted a story about Tim Hortons roll up the rim contest because news made mistakes LAST night so I have to bail them out with a story that we otherwise wouldn't have posted because face it, it's free advertising.

At least Jen has me watch the video of the hero dog pulling the injured dog from a busy street in Chile. I love the internet.

last week of February

Many people are saying winter is going by really fast. Hmmm, not so much for me.

Weekends go by way fast, that's for sure. Friday night, Sherry and Amy and I intended to play cribbage but alas we never made it off the couch. I was in bed by midnight and the next thing I know, it's 11:15 a.m. and I am just waking up. So much for Saturday morning gym. But a good rally resulted in me cleaning the whole house, going to Meijer for massive stock-up, going to the library where I got The Bible Salesman and Home. Read the Bible Salesman between Saturday afternoon and Sunday noon. Pretty amusing. And suddenly, it was time to go to Ron and Deb's to play cards, where I lost all but one game of euchre with Stubbs and Chip and Amy. Much good food-- chicken sandwich and rumaki and hummus and baked brie and pasta with jerk chicken and weenies and cookies.

Got home at midnight again and sprang up at 8:45 to finish my book. Finally got started on cooking school about 2 and made lasagna with leftover Bolognese sauces and pasta with chicken and carmelized onions and roasted grape tomatoes and and yam/parsnip/watercress soup and now I have a tilapia filet in the oven and a salad made to go with it.

At least I did the Pilates today.

One of my bamboo fence panels fell completely over so I went out today during a sunny period and brushed all the snow off and rolled it up and put it on the table on the patio. It looked unscathed so I hope I can just reattach it when it gets nice.

I hope Stubbs will play euchre with me Monday night at Grumpy Dave's.

Saturday is Rod's Collision at the ClaZel 7:30 to 10:30. Come out and see them. $3 at the door.

Tonight I have to update the Oscars part of 13abc.com. Another late night.

Back to reality

Check out the Upcoming Shows link to the right. Welders, Rod's, Polka Floyd and more! Plus, although not posted on their website, the Madison Ribberfest features Robben Ford, Dr. John and Watermelon Slim. Time to get a room. I called the Riverboat Inn tonight but the woman who answered the phone said I had to call back in the daytime when the events coordinator was there. WTF. All the other rooms are over $120 a night! May have to look at a longer drive to the motel. Like that place in Kentucky where some Black Swamp Blues people stay.

It was tough going back to work. Plus what was worse, my assistant left for vacation the day I got back so I've had to go in at 7 this week and still work til 5:30. Oh, the injustice!!

I finally have all my laundry done and limited food supplies laid in. Which more must be laid in for the next big snowstorm Saturday. Or not. Haven't had any Corner Grill in weeks.

Big weekend with cribbage Friday and cards Saturday at Deb and Ron's and Andrew Ellis at the HiNote Saturday. No radio show though. I think.

Other pictures

The snow before I left for Mexico.


Freaking bleak.


I call this The Rapture


One corner of my living room

Mexico pix

Remember: click a picture to see a bigger version.

Lucha masks se vende


Grandpa tries on a sombrero



The kitchen at Cueva del Chango


Carla at the bar


Yucatan breakfast: ham and peas and cheese on a tortilla on two sunny side eggs on a tortilla with salsa


More breakfast


Beach with many boats


Beach


At the Bad Boys Beach Bar



The band plays at No Limits, the bar at our hotel. The bass player is the husband of one of the bartender's at Bad Boys.


Tenth St. across from el banco

Last full day

Last night, we went again to the Bad Boys Beach Bar and saw that band who had some special guests including a guy named Brant Parkinson or something did some great blues like BB King and Carl Perkins. And some entire guest band did some Black Sabbath and some other tunes. And then these three chicas got up there and sang Let´s Twist Again and Mr. Postman in a cute girl group way.

Friday night we ate at La Tortuga again and I stupidly had shrimp, at least one of which was bad, so that all came up (sorry for the graphic description) in the middle of the night so Saturday I couldn´t drink or hardly eat all day. Stick to the beef. Annie had a great filet mignon there. I had just told the waiter we would tripadvisor the place very favorably so hmmmmm.

We also walked around to various pharmacies to buy RetinA which we ended up buying Receal A .01% for $9US a 60 gram tube. Other places, the stuff called RetinA on the box was like $27 or more although it was a higher percentage. I´ve been trying to google what the difference is without much luck.

Our pal Greg from Dec 07 shows up at the beach bar the other day and although he was supposed to be leaving the day after we did in Dec 07 he´s still here, having rented an apartment on 38th St. and now has some jealous Mexican girlfriend named Claudia who called him about 8 times while we were at the bar, finally threatening to walk into the ocean if he didn´t come home pretty soon. Which he didn´t.

OK off to the beach. Had breakfast today at Tropicale where we had eggs AND fruit plate with granola and yogurt because we had hardly eaten yesterday.

Friday the 13th

Very eventful week: contained a full moon, Friday the 13th and tomorrow, Valentine´s Day.

Last night we went to the Bad Boys on the Beach where a band of Americans played songs like Taking Care of Business and Sweet Home Alabama and some Pink Floyd and there was much consumption of beer and Miss Annie being picked up by American men our age. When it was over at 9 p.m. we were too tanky to dine out so we got some pizza off a street vendor and ate it in our room and went to sleep.

Yesterday, I couldn´t go to the beach at all because I needed no more sun and I was, uh, listless from having drunk quite a bit of whiskey the night before. I swung in our balcony hammock and read and later went to the beach bar at the hotel for a mineral water with lime.

There are several restaurants we haven´t eaten at yet. And a couple we are marking off our list: Media Luna and La Caprichoza.

Two days later

Well as I always say, we are not losing any weight down here. The weather has improved, if that´s possible. Not as much wind and warmer. 87 today. Looks to continue throughout the week.

More good food has been eaten. Tonight we are going to La Carpichoza where they make a fab caesar salad at your table. Last night we tried to go to Yaxche, a Mayan restaurant, but it was packed so we went to Maktub, a Lebanese restaurant where i had chicken kabob and Annie had vegetarian platter which was great.

We went to the Mexican equivalent of WalMart the other night and bought beer and wine and Jack Daniels, in a frugal way, and some bread and cheese which we have had for afternoon snack two days in a row.

Thursday night we are going to Bad Boys on the Beach where a band called the Nasty Bastards plays.

Otherwise, I don´t what we´ll do with ourselves. We are blasting through books like crazy. Because you can only take so much lying on the beach, believe it or not. Today, I had to lie under an umbrella because I am kinda red. But not real bad. I can hear the no sympathy from here.

Besos, chicos.

Ola chicos!

Well we got here Saturday with no problem and were on a barstool yesterday by 3. It rained lightly but not enough to keep us from the palapa bar. We were fairly wiped out from the traveling so we had an early dinner at Media Luna which has become unremarkable after remodeling and moving to the second floor.

Yesterday we ate breakfast at Hot which was very good. Later we had a mexicano platter at the bar at the hotel and we thought we were too burnt (out and sun) to go out for dinner but later we recovered and had a great meal at El Bistro at La Torguga on 10th Ave. This is something to keep in mind--anything you can get on Fifth Ave is probably better and cheaper on 10th. We had mussels for an appetizer and then had big salads--Annie with the pear gorgonzola and me with a smoked salmon pecan. We had a bottle of Argentinian Malbec which pretty much cost as much as the food.

Today we had breakfast on 5th at Tropical where Annie had a vampira smoothie (beet juice and stuff) and a bagel and I had yogurt with granola and some banana bread with cream cheese. We started out both days with coffee from Java Joe´s which is just a block from our hotel.

The first night, the thumping music from hell started up about 1030 at a bar two hotels away from ours and continued on to 4 a.m. Yesterday we bought earplugs but last night, no music. Hopefully this is just a weekend thing. We could stay cheaper away from the beach but it´s so nice when you´re down there to run up to the room for stuff. What princesses.

Have had one marg today and now it´s 230 and we are taking a beach break, going to the ATM, where the exchange rate is very good. Took out 1500 pesos and it cost 100 American. Muy bien.

More later. Weather is fabulous. I see it is nearly summery in BG.

OMG get me out of here

I can't even keep track of all the crappy weather we've had. It's real damn cold all the time and the snow is still a foot deep on the ground. But in just a couple of days I will be in Mexico for 10 days. Mmmmmmmmmm. It's my only hope, Obi-wan.

For a couple weeks there a couple weeks ago, I was exercising and eating sensibly so as to not appear too blimpish in a swimsuit but alas this last week I have fallen mightily so whatever. I'm sure fatter people will be on the beach.

Just a few last minute things to do, like buying cat litter and getting a big pile of cash out of the bank. I'll try and do a better job of posting during the vacation than the last time I was in Mexico.
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No blog since the Inaug

Man, it is just tiresome, the continual talk of financial ruin, driving 45mph to and from work because the roads are bad. Unending task completion at work. Shoveling. It's a good thing I have a few bright spots in my life. You know who you are.

The Big is nearly apoplectic that he can't use the yard as his litterbox. He goes out daily and marches from the front to the back and I let him back in.

Update on the mom saga: she was going to move in the old folks apt. complex but the one she would get isn't ready until the middle of Feb. so now she feels stuck in the trailer for another month but I told her I would fork out some rent money if she needs it for the new place. So I don't have to go down tomorrow and help her pack.

The line-up for Wheeling has been released and while it's big, we've seen all those people recently or enough. I keep waiting for the release of the Madison Ribberfest line-up, but no dice. It's on my birthday weekend.

Just holding on until Mexico. One week from tomorrow. I tried on swimsuits last night and while it wasn't a beauty pageant, I've seen worse. And those boys in Mexico will bring you a beer to your beach chair no matter what you look like. Smiling.

I went to buy the new books by Wally Lamb and Chuck Pahliniuk but they're both still only in hardcover and too heavy to tote to the beach. So I bought a handful of stuff at GFT instead which I'm sure will be plenty amusing.

Lyle and Judy's Inauguration Party was a fun time. It was a huge crowd and I shoulda worn some red, white and blue.



At least they had those festive hats which were big enough for my giant head.

I missed Calvin Cooke at GFT and Anthony Gomes at FFB. And my upcoming show is way outdated. Sigh.

So I had ordered this luggage from Overstock.com and it was no better than the one I have in the basement so I sent it back at my expense and then they charged me for it being scratched so just now I had an online chat with a service rep and they gave me all my money back. Just a lesson in don't let the man get you down.
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MLK weekend

Well, it was pretty quiet and I didn't do any National Day of Service stuff that I heard a bunch about on NPR this afternoon.

Friday on the way home from work I stopped at Churchill's and got a bunch of stuff. Kielbasa that I made yesterday. Some fancy cheese. Some guacamole the consistency of wallpaper paste. English muffins. Local honey. Grouper in chipotle marinade which was very tasty. I don't know what else but it came to $67. Saturday I spent $90 at Meijer. So I should have a ton of food.

Saturday night Amy and I played Casino Yahtzee which was a ton of fun! We must play more.

Did not exercise one bit other than shoveling. Was very sunny but about a high of 18 both days. Talked to Annie today for an hour.

I've decided to return that luggage I bought because it is not appreciably smaller than that one bag I have that sometimes they let me take on board and sometimes make me check.

Sunday night I talked to my daughter on the phone for an hour. Watched Singin in the Rain on Netflix online. Did not watch Before Night Falls.

Today I tanned which I have 5 more of. Went to the St. Julian's Fitness where they transferred my gym membership and they do have classes so I will start going there. Yes I will. One thing they have is Zumba which is just dancing around but I did a five-minute one off You Tube and was tuckered out. How fit can I get in 3 weeks? Tried on my shorts which are tight but what am I going to do? They don't have shorts at the Goodwill this time of year.

I also made the lasagna Bolognese in the Cook's Illustrated sample magazine I got in the mail. It's in the oven. It took the better part of 3 hours to do this and it seems that it will be bland. There are no spices in it. None. Not even garlic. And you make two sauces: one with meat and milk and canned tomatoes and the other, a Bechamel with MORE milk. Plus at the end I had way too much sauce left over. So I froze it.

So now, I have to go back to work tomorrow and my house is a mess because I got a bunch of stuff out to look at and haven't put it back.

And tomorrow at last is 1/20/2009, when we will be rid of the Dubya. Although Helen Thomas on NPR today called him Bush 3.

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Slogging through

Today, my daughter calls who has been sick since Friday. With a sore throat. We agree she should go to the doctor in case it's strep. The doctor says her throat looks as if it's been burned by hot liquid. So whatever. He gave her some soothing throat balm and an optional prescription for antibiotic which she has declined.

This Friday, Joe Bob Duda is playing at the old S. Main school for the salamander meander artist reception. 5-7.

Paul Thorn is at the Ark on March 28. I'm thinking about going. How about you? Let me know. Starvin for Your Kisses. It's a Saturday. Good fun in Ann Arbor.

I got my new luggage and at first I thought it was substandard, too heavy, made in China. But I think it will be fine and it swivels. So bonus. I'll keep it. Because it's Mexico three weeks from Saturday.

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Busy snow day

Shoveled a bunch. We musta got 7 or 8 inches. Noticed that my bamboo fence had a bad sag in one spot so tromped through the snow in the behind the fence and pulled it tight with a piece of vinyl-wrapped wire I had lying around. Put another coat on the fireplace flooring stuff. Filled the bird feeder which is now besieged by fat squirrels. Dammit. Tidied up the computer desk and found an American Express bill that was due Jan. 5 for $21 so now I suppose I will incur a $30 late fee, although I paid it online and none appeared. This is 2 bills in one month that I have overlooked. Must be more organized.

Ha ha had clear liquid confusion. I got a bottle out from under the sink that I thought was vinegar and poured some in a plastic dish to soak my shower head and notice a very strong odor. It was ammonia. Now it's soaking in vinegar so either it will be really clean or ruined.

Big breakfast, laundry, library, returned some stuff to Connie and now sequestered once again in the cozy home.

Four weeks to Mexico

Just hunkering down here for the MAJOR WINTER STORM with snow up 10 INCHES. We'll see when we wake up in the AM. A very quiet Friday night at home, reading through many New Yorkers, drinking wine. Called Miss Annie for a bit but that's all. Made a list of stuff to do around the house like crack caulking and hearth painting. I have one coat on. Needs at least one more.

Earlier this week, I called my mom to see if I should come help her pack up on Saturday to move (which as it turns out would have been a bad idea, travel-wise) and ALAS Karen has not got a check for disability (surprise, surprise) so my mom is stuck there until something happens with that. Grrrrrrrrr.

Didn't do doodly squat the rest of this week at night but it is winter, after all. They are lucky I showed up at work daily, what with the radar being funky on 13abc.com (which is now resolved) and various ad crap having to be dealt with and my continuing campaign to get the newsroom to realize that pretty soon, it will be ALL internet, your linearally programmed news shows are of no importance. Evangelizing is so hard.

Ordered this bag off Overstock.com which should arrive any day now. Tired of lugging my duffel through the airports. In olive, not your usual red or black.

Last night I did an exercise DVD off Netflix. Why do my abs not hurt? Obviously, I am not doing something right. Then I watched two Barbara Stanwyck movies from the 50s, To Please a Lady and Jeopardy, in both of which she gets slapped in the face by a man. Hmmmmm. Not liking this pattern. At least the first one had many fabulous outfits. Here's a pic of Barbara and Clark Gable after the slap and when they are IN LOVE.

Hmm it looks like the Madison Indiana Best Western is out of business and the next cheapest place has no rooms left for the Ribberfest. I better get on this.

Full moon Saturday.

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Happy New Year

Calmness has returned to the home. Aaahhhhhhhh. Went to Fred and Sherry's new year's eve and lost $5 playing cards. Went to Fat Fish Blue Saturday night and saw Liz Mandeville. Earlier that day I shopped at Christopher and Banks and got some lovely items, a black and white jacket and a sort of plaid jacket and a sweater and a mock turtleneck.

Did not make it to Howard's for the Nate Baker extravaganza. Heard it was a BIG TIME.

Did my last radio show for months on Saturday.

Yesterday, went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which was very good. Although it has very little in common with the short story it is based on.

Also painted the hearth with the red bathroom paint and meant to get a second coat on tonight but have run out of time.

Tonight, I made salmon with the chinese five-spice sauce and baked two chicken breasts and steamed some broccoli and made a pasta dish with ham and peas and red pepper sauce and mozzarella. Have not eaten any of it yet.

Wednesday is the annually low attended GNO. May not make it.

Jan. 24, Judy and Lyle are having an inauguration party. Be there.