Opening Day of Baseball

The World's Fair Opened...

Today in 1939 200,000 people attended New York World’s Fair, officially opening. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the opening day address, which was not only broadcast over the various radio networks but also was televised. New York World's Fair allowed visitors to look at "The world of tomorrow." The General Motors exhibit was titled Futurama. Philo T. Farnsworth premiered some of the first televisions at the fair. AT&T presented its first Picture Phone at the World's Fair. Salvador Dali created a pavilion that was called “Dream of Venus” The IBM Pavilion featured electric typewriters, and a fantastic machine called the electric calculator that used punched cards to enter the information for the computer to calculate the results.

Fine Dining vs. Dinner

So here is Gary having fun with his "Mardi Gras" birthday present and Lisa. Both are dear friends and they are also a couple. We met up at 6:30pm for dinner at 94 Stewart. It is a wonderful restaurant. Seriously, it is too fabulous. This is Lindz and she is the daughter of the owner plus she was nice enough to stop by and show a Fried Avocado salad before we go and dump it like we did not once, but twice at our table as you can see below. It is an amazing salad with sections of Fried Avocado plus crab, tomato, corn salsa and lettuce. Can you say YUM! Below are the other two appetizers that we decided to get for the meal. The cheese fondue that was amazing. First up though, was the Bacon Chopped Salad which included: Applewood smoked bacon, curly endive, maple glazed walnuts, honeycrisp apple with creamy bacon dressing. Now, the fondue consisted of Nic’s phenomenal cheeses, cream, truffle herbs served with Grand Central semolina baguette. With the wonderful appetizers done and done it was intended to share pictures of the main course, but you will need to accept this picture of empty plates. Yes, it was a delight. Lisa opted for their Spinach Salad which included fresh baby spinach, Dilled Rollingstone Chevre and champagne vinaigrette plus lemon toasted pumpkin seeds. Gary went for Shellfish and Ravioli composed of scampi filled ravioli complete with sweet shrimp, dungeness crab, san Marzano tomato with butter, herbs and Parmigiano. Yours truly decided to go for Roast Moulard Duck Breast with foie gras & dried cherry demi glace. While it included mashed potatoes and asparagus they were pretty forgetable and so I left them. But not to worry. We also got an order of the Quattro Mac made with Pasta, Nic’s Quattro cheese blend plus heavy cream. totally amazing. What a meal. Wine and dessert complete the meal. Gary and I both opted for wine by the glass and quite nice while dessert was a trio of the homemade tarts. Gary went for the dense chocolate with a salted caramel glaze while Lisa opted for the banana chocolate tart. I went completely different with Lemon lavender and it was fresh yet light. An amazing meal that had us parting company 4 hours later at half past 10. Now that was a lovely meal.

On This Day...

"A Chorus Line"

closes in 1990 after 6,137!

A true classic.

Sunday Surprises

Markie had been on a trans-Canadian train trip and got home late last night. So I had a wild hair and thought it would be fun for Mick and I to bring brunch to him. So I was up early this morning to receive my Amazon Fresh order with a lot of the fixings for brunch. It also included the above. Three bunches of flowers make up the bouquet and get this at $7.99 each so for less than $25 I will have lovely flowers all week. Knowing that I wanted a little something, they had a 2 lb. bag of lemons on sale for $1.99 and so there you go! Yes, a table scape for less than $30 to welcome spring. Plus I got eggs, bacon, asparagus, pineapple, plus a back up Prosecco. Took two bottles when really only needed to take one. I always seem to take too much food to events and leave it. Yet it is funny, when people bring food here there is never leftovers. Hmm, either I am just too generous in my measures or others are way too thrifty. But hey, it is all good.

So here is Mick making scrambled eggs and he did all the cooking. God love him. He also made homemade cinnamon rolls and they were amazing. So it was home afterwards and a nap plus trying to get focused for the week ahead.

An Unexpected Moment of AMAZING!

Last year I got to walk out on the glass walkway at the Grand Canyon and it was really something. Yes, a rip off on price point, but in the end, it did have the wow factor. It was a moment I would not soon forget. Now, fast forward to today and the fact that I was able to get an earlier flight out of Phoenix and there was just one glitch. Instead of my usual favorite seat of 3A there was only one seat available in 1st class and that was 3F. Yes, I took it. So we boarded and soon were taking off. About 20 minutes into the flight the captain came on to announce we were going over Flagstaff and you could see the snow. He then said that we were going to be going over the Grand Canyon in about 20 minutes. OK. Oh, it was so much more. I was just stunned by the beauty and it was sad to look around that no one else was even noticing, but then again, it was my own nature spectacular for the taking. Yes, it was that and oh so much more. What a memory.

A Moment of Laughter

Got home from the trip to Phoenix on Wednesday and I was putting things away and opened the closet to put away the laundry after washing and this greeted me. Do not know why I started laughing, but it was such a Markie moment. He had mentioned he was going to come over and do a load of laundry as in had two sets of sheets. My set can handle them both at once and his would have been an all day exercise as it is one of those European machines. So there must have been a pair of socks left in the dryer or something, he "hung them" for me!! So there you have your Friday laugh. Jodie and Rob due soon for drinks and Chinese for dinner.

Elizabeth Taylor You Will Be Missed

She was a Hollywood original to the end.

Elizabeth Taylor was laid to rest Thursday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Calif., in a small, private funeral attended by friends and family that began 15 minutes after schedule – under instructions she left.

"She even wanted to be late for her own funeral," a family rep said in a statement.

Taylor's casket was closed and draped with gardenias, violets, and lily of the valley. She was interred in The Great Mausoleum, the same resting place for her longtime friend Michael Jackson.

The one-hour, multi-denominational service officated by Rabbi Jerry Cutler included a reading by actor Colin Farrell, a friend of Taylor's, of Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem "The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo."

Taylor's son Michael Wilding, her daughter Liza Burton Tivey and her grandson Tarquin Wilding also read selections, and her grandson Rhys Tivey performed a trumpet solo of "Amazing Grace."

The acting legend died Wednesday at the age of 79.

So What Is With the Rage in Greek Yogurt?

In the past several months all of a sudden the airwaves have been hit by a marketing blitz that has not been seen in a while. Not a new beer or pizza, but yogurt, or specifically, Greek Yogurt.

Greek yogurt is yogurt which has been strained in a cloth or paper bag or filter to remove the whey, giving a consistency between that of yogurt and cheese, while preserving yogurt's distinctive sour taste. Like many yogurts, strained yogurt is often made from milk which has been enriched by boiling off some of the water content, or by adding extra butterfat and powdered milk.

Yogurt strained through muslin is a traditional food in the Levant, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and South Asia, where it is often used in cooking, as it is high enough in fat not to curdle at higher temperatures. It is used in both cooked and raw, savoury and sweet dishes. Due to the straining process to remove excess whey, even non-fat varieties are rich and creamy.

In Western Europe and the U.S., strained yogurt has become increasingly popular because it is richer in texture than unstrained yogurt, but low in fat; since straining removes water and dissolved salts and sugars, by volume, it has twice the protein of regular yogurt and less sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar.[citation needed]

In fact, most of the recent growth in the $4.1b yogurt industry has come from the strained yogurt segment. In the West, the term "Greek yogurt" has become synonymous with strained yogurt due to successful marketing by the Greek Fage brand, though strained yogurt is a staple in many countries besides Greece, and most yogurt in Greece is not strained. "Greek-style" yogurts are similar to Greek strained yogurt, but may be thickened with thickening agents, or if made the traditional way, are based on domestic (rather than Greek) milk.

Thirteen Years Ago...

Today I started working for a company called Events & Adventures. Who knew I would still be there all these years later. Now mind you, I did not think I would be celebrating this anniversary in Phoenix, Arizona, but I get to go home Wednesday. Yes, indeed, it has been quite the wilds ride and I have been able to travel the world and see places I could only have dreamed of. We did some math and know that I have planned over 4,000 events and overseen more than double that. And that is just plain crazy! The job has taken me from Portland to Seattle and I have to say I do like the Emerald City, but the City of Roses will always be home for me.

Welcome Spring at 4:21PM Pacific

Happy Spring to All!

Field Trip to Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright began building this desert masterpiece in 1937 as his personal winter home, studio, and architectural campus. Located on the beautiful Sonoran desert in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in northeast Scottsdale, the site offers a broad range of guided public tours. You get to experience firsthand Wright’s brilliant ability to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces.I opted to go for the insights tour, but the ankle was not too happy and I did not get to finish it completely. Made it out for the first tour at 9am and while the tour lasts 90 minutes, I did not last that long. But, the newly restored living quarters and the dramatic Taliesin West living room (called the “Garden Room” by Wright) are the highlights of this tour. The living room was the social gathering place for Wright and the many famous guests he entertained. It is entered through a typically Wrightian low-ceiling, stone-wall space which opens to a 56-feet long by 34-feet wide room linked to the garden and bedroom wing by expansive windows. We actually got to sit in Wright-designed furniture and experience firsthand the drama of being a guest in Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous home.

It was an experience firsthand of Wright’s brilliant ability to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces. While the tour included the Cabaret Theater, Music Pavilion, Kiva and Frank Lloyd Wright’s private office—all linked by dramatic terraces, gardens and walkways overlooking the rugged Sonoran Desert and valley below, I opted out of several and the staff was so helpful in loaning me a walking stick and I was able to see some of the major highlights without holding up the group. Knowledgeable and experienced guides explained how the site relates to the desert and provided a general overview of Wright’s philosophies and theories of design, the history of the site and the activities of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s key educational programs and its residential community, which includes the Taliesin Fellowship.

OK enough outside time, I think I will be indoors for the rest of the day! A shower is so needed now. And so it goes here in Phoenix. Oh yes, it "cooled" off a bit as we will only be in the low 80's today.

March Madness Continues

It comes around each year and totally sucks up people's lives and it is amazing to watch it spread out and suck up everything in its' path. People call in sick or there are those that take off time from work. Seriously, it is amazing to see people have TVs going or have it stream on demand on their computers. I heard there is something like 22 million lost man hours over the course of the tournament. Yes, it is the NCAA Basketball tournament and it has begun. This year it is now 68 teams to be ever more inclusive. My God, it is sounding more and more like the fricking Grammy's all the time. Heck, they give out over a 100 of those a year now I think. But this is all about taking tournaments and then seeding teams and poof, it becomes a two week telethon on 4 channels all owned by CBS in some weird way I think. Have you decorated for the holiday yet? This year it happened to match up with St. Patrick's Day.

Selection Sunday

March 13

National Bracket Day

March 14

First Four NEW

March 15-16

Second Round

March 17-18

Third Round

March 19-20

NCAA Sweet 16

March 24-25

Elite Eight

March 26-27

Final Four

April 2 & 4

During the course of the tournament, regular programing is shelved. Vacations all around. News is moved and only shown when it is convenient. Letterman is later and you have to love the cute titles they have come up with: Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4. Dare I type just the number and not type it out. Call me a rebel. And so it goes, another marker in the changing seasons we face each year. If it is March Madness, spring is on target of arriving. And it does, tomorrow at 4:21pm pacific time.

Food in Phoenix

So I have checked into Hotel Highland and they do provide a breakfast each morning that is not too bad. But one thing that totally sucks is the coffee. So I have to make a stop on the way to the office each day at Starbuck's to get some coffee. They have no Peet's or Seattle's Best and I cannot get myself to go McCafe. Seriously. So it is a stop at the drive-thru which is right by the office and I snag my Venti-Iced Coffee with 2 Splenda and 2% milk with an extra shot of espresso. Oh how it gets me through my day. Curtis does not know how much I really appreciate him bringing it many mornings. Yes, it is my drug of choice in the morning to be sure. They seem to be so much nicer down here at restaurants and such. Too funny. I also can get a banana if need be. But they have had them at breakfast all week so far and that is a good thing. Lunch has been some Mexican thing and today was Jimmy John's!!! They rock and are fast and good. Amazing how they have just mushroomed everywhere.

Could not decide what to do for dinner on Thursday and it was not going to be a repeat of that tasteless dinner last night. No way. Crap-a-torium was closed and so I asked at the office and several good things were said about California Pizza Kitchen. So I went for it and even better, you go online, order and then pull up and call from your car and they bring out your order and on your way. Too cool. Got a couple of pizza taco's, an old-fashioned Wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and a piece of Red Velvet Cake for dessert. Can you say yum, yum, yummy!

Finally I got to meet Shannon here at the hotel. She is head of sales and I let her know I was none to happy about the lounge here on property, which made dinner a hot mess the first night. I asked where is a good place to get some food that was not too expensive. She did not pause a moment:"You have to try New York Pizza Department or NYPD. They are known for their pizzas and salads." So I did. Called them up and ordered a Chelsea Chopped Salad which is made up of a healthy serving of mixed chopped greens, Gorgonzola cheese, sun dried tomatoes, sliced almonds, bacon, cucumbers and NYPD's own dressing that is a mix of house vinaigrette and ranch dressing. Added in three Garlic Knots instead of boring bread and then I saw the desserts. Hurt Me! Decided to go for an old favorite from New York Days. San Gennaro Zeppolis which is doughnut dough fried and tossed with powdered sugar. These little nuggets of sweet and tasty dough are served with Ghirardelli Chocolate and Raspberry dipping sauces. Even a jaded ex-New Yorker can't help but say nice things about this Little Italy memory.

Reality TV - There Are Limits!

You cannot turn a channel and not see a reality TV show going. Whether it is Top Chef on Bravo or Secret Millionaire on ABC or Undercover Boss and Amazing Race on CBS, there is something for everyone. Heck, who knew there were Cupcake Wars over on TLC while even Logo gets in on the fun with The Arrangement were the challenge is making "serious and sophisticated" floral arrangements. Oh please. But I saw this photo and it just got me laughing and so here you go for your TGIF moment. Have a good one as I continue to try and survive in the heat. Next Wednesday cannot get here fast enough.

Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 9, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast winter to Miami Beach, with Season 3 returning back to the Jersey Shore. MTV has announced that a fourth season will be filmed in Italy to air in late 2011.

The show debuted amid large amounts of controversy regarding the use of the words "Guido/Guidette," portrayals of Italian-American stereotypes, and scrutiny from locals because the cast members were not residents of the area.

Dubbed a cultural phenomenon, the series has garnered record ratings for MTV, making it the network's most viewed series telecast ever. The series' cast has also been credited with introducing unique lexicon and phrases into American popular culture. In 2010, the cast of Jersey Shore was named on Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People list. The series has since exported to dozens of countries worldwide.

*Thanks to Wikipedia for the above information as I am pretty clueless on Jersey Shore, and I do believe I need to be thankful for that! MTV is not my sort of TV.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Yes, yes it is that time of the year again when everyone decides they are Irish and feel this amazing need to go out and drink a lot. Not sure where it started, but so be it. I am only hopeful that those that decide to drink more than they should have made arrangements for a ride home. One can only guess the police will be out in full force. Have fun and know that there is work tomorrow.

But beyond the drinking there are celebrations all over the world. We have a group in Ireland and they are spending today in Dublin. It will be fun hearing the stories when the group gets back from the trip. This is Julie's first time hosting and I have to say that so far, no news is good news. Back here in the states, the party got started last Saturday when Chicago colored the river green in the city. They use an orange powder to do this and it is really amazing to see how popular it is. Additionally, the First Lady brought a new tradition to the White House last year and they did it again this year and that is turning the fountain at the White House green for the day. We all need a laugh now and then. By the way, it is rumored that this weekend the new National Christmas Tree is being planted to replace the one blown over in the storm earlier this winter.

It is a day for luck to be with you and many feel this is done by wearing green. I happen to be wearing green pants. Others wear shirts, beads, hats, you name it, it is out there. Shamrocks are often given for good luck and people always look for the 4-leaf clover. It is out there, but oh so rare. I am looking for some luck this day as I have a full slate of interviews for the position and hope to have success. Would like to get final three in tomorrow and be done by Saturday so next week is all about training. I am out of here on Wednesday and likely the same for Ashley. I have now met her and must share that I would never have hired her. She is so bland to me. not my cup of tea. But now in looking back all the hires of Kayla are really mini-Kayla's and that is kinda the way we hire. A lot of the people I hire have traits I see in myself. Go figure.

Flying to Phoenix

Morning came way too early as I was up at 3am and got showered, shaved and coffee before heading out the door. Thankful I did not have to repack for the trip. Tossed the tulips johnny had given me as I knew they would be a pedal mess if I left until my return. Called Yellow Cab and even with the rain pouring, they arrived in less than 10 minutes. So glad I learned the magic words, "I am going to the airport." Those simple words pop you to the top of the list. BUT, you really have to be or you can get black listed.

Nice driver, who has been in this country for 8 years. He is Ethiopian and had three kids, two of which are at university and works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Yeah, he got a big tip and if it was all a story, well, it was a good tale, but far be it for me to judge when I got to have that feel good feeling about a guy making his life better. Got to the airport at 5am and it was a madhouse. Could not believe it. Flight was not until 6:55, but I like being early. Headed to the Board Room to relax and do some email before heading down the long walk to D10 to board.

They were begging for people to surrender their seats and if this had not been the 3rd try to get to Phoenix I might have considered. I already have a certificate from Monday's delay. In the air, sweaters and coats were coming off as people made the transition to hotter temps. Yes, Wednesday got up to 90 in Phoenix and no, I was not a happy camper. My bitch barrier was breached at 85. Ick!

On the flight a lady behind me ordered a Bloody Mary "but with Scotch please" which made everyone around her pause, including the flight attendant. Who went on to share back, "in 20 years of flying had never heard such a request." She did not hesitate another moment and was quick to fulfill the laddie's wishes. Well, it appears that the passenger had allergies and can only drink Scotch and potato based vodka. She had never had a Bloody Mary and decided to try one.

She took, by the sound of it, a big gulp or two and quickly announced to all "Oh my God that is awful!" Like Duh! Well, it was quickly taken away and I did turn around and mentioned that it would be quite a bit more enjoyable with the potato based vodka. Oh my.

We enjoyed an egg and ham souffle with asparagus and fresh fruit. Quite nice. Passed on the breakfast bread. Read and napped with 9:35am arriving all too soon. Headed to Rental Car Center which has opened since my last visit. Packed. If you did not have a reservation they would not let you in line. Thankfully I did.

At the office by 11am and waited for anyone to arrive. Had three appts. booked and got on the phones and booked a few more for the day. Glad I did that since the original three did not arrive. Mark, the owner, arrived and we had lunch at a place called True Food and it was OK, but more fun watching Mark try and find something to eat vs. me. e opted for a Turkey burger hold the avocado and a side of steamed green veggies. Proceeds to salt the life out of the veggies. I went for the chicken goat cheese salad with wild field greens and cranberries plus several other nice touches. Quite good.

Ended the night sleeping like a dog with so little sleep the night before, but all the people who showed were not going to work. Hoped for better on Thursday!

Let The Season Begin...

Home opener tonight against Los Angeles. Pouring outside and yet it is SOLD OUT! Just head the fireworks and cannons go off to signal the start of the game. At least it explains why traffic was so bad on the way home.

Seriously, Let's Get This Done

Up early and took cab to the airport since it was too early to get on the light rail. Made my way to C terminal and had a seat. Early and everything good to go. No worries. Then a gate change is announced. Have to make my way to North Terminal. OK, just down the escalator and catch the shuttle. We board and all is good to go. Notice a few guys outside the plane walking around and talking but hey, not a problem. We back out and stop.

Nothing.

We sit and wait. And wait. Finally the pilot comes on to let us know that there is some mechanical problems. It will just be a few minutes. We wait. Then we begin moving back to the gate. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We are having some problems with an engine and they have advised us this plane is being taken out of service. Please deplane and see the gate agent for possible rebooking options."

WTF? So I bypass the hive of humanity at the counter and head for the escalator to get to the main customer service desk. OY! Well, when all is said and done I got booked out Wednesday morning way too early and a voucher for a flight anywhere Alaska flies good for a year. Way too much and sometimes you just have to wonder. So made it home and dropped off the suitcase and headed to the office much to the surprise of many at the office.

Mind you, I was suppose to fly down last Wednesday and now this. We shall see what happenes on Wednesday of this week. And so it goes...

Countdown to Heat!

I am not a fan of heat. Most of my friends know this and I have to say the 85 is my bitch barrier. Well, joy of joys, I get to see possible 90's this week in Phoenix. The scary thing is that the low in Phoenix will be higher than the high in Seattle. Plus, I love rain and will miss that while gone. But hey, it is life.

Today is all about getting ready to be gone. Moonsong was gracious enough to postpone coming to clean until tomorrow so I could have some more time. Used the morning to catch up on email and cut friends on facebook to 15 and those will be gone in the next couple of days and I will be facebook free.

Caught up on the blog and enjoyed my morning oatmeal, banana and coffee. Love that. Plus got some calls into friends and so a nap may be in order this afternoon as I am just about done with packing and all the towels are finished. Rarely, do I ever feel like I am a little ahead of the curve and yet today I am.

Social Saturday

For initially being in Phoenix this weekend, it sure turned social on me. My friend Mike came down for a quick visit from Vancouver on Friday, but was called back early Saturday due to the whole Japan situation. He is a big municipal dude and a special meeting was called. So gone by 8am and time to get roll away put back in the closet and get the apartment freshened up and do laundry. OY! Time for a nap and shower before johnny thunder arrived for dinner with Markie. Thankful I did not oversleep as johnny was early and so we chatted a while and he brought some lovely hostess gifts. Tulips, incense, and wine were so nice and soon Markie arrived.

Good conversation and watched some of the ongoing news coverage of the earthquake in Japan. Just devastating. While you can sit and watch it non-stop for hours, it is not good. Need balance. Got last of the laundry done and got kitchen shaken down so it will be in good shape come monday when I am on a plane to Arizona.Markie went down at 7pm to get half-priced sushi at Uwajimaya and oh what a feast he got. Yes, that is a giant silver platter - usually under my punch bowl, but it worked. And there was leftovers - like that is a surprise! Add some salad rolls, cucumber salad and Ahi Poke salad.

We had a great evening and at the same time johnny took an early leave so he could get a good rest. His presentation at the conference is happening at 8:30am Sunday, plus there is the whole "spring forward" on time so he'll get an hour less sleep. So he was gone by 9 and Markie headed home by 10. Dishes out of the way and time to crash out.

8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan

There are days when I ponder what will happen next. Should I write about the week that was or some food. And then, life happens and with today's earthquake, Japan faces toughest crisis since WWII. The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has called for unity as rescue teams struggle to reach the battered northeast and new fears emerge over a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear complex. Two reactors are in jeopardy of meltdown after the devastating earthquake and tsunami crisis.

''This is the toughest crisis in Japan's 65 years of postwar history,'' Kan said during a televised news conference late Sunday. ''I'm convinced that we can overcome the crisis.''

The prime minister's remarks came on a day when the head of police in Miyagi prefecture estimated that the death toll in his prefecture alone would exceed 10,000.
The government, in power less than two years and which had already been struggling to push policy through a deeply divided parliament, came under criticism for its handling of the disaster.

"Crisis management is incoherent," blared a headline in the Asahi newspaper, saying information and instructions to expand the evacuation area around the troubled plant were too slow.

There has been a proposal of an extra budget to help pay for the huge cost of recovery.

The Bank of Japan is expected to pledge on Monday to supply as much money as needed to prevent the disaster from destabilising markets and its banking system. It is also expected to signal its readiness to ease monetary policy further if the damage from the worst quake since records began in Japan 140 years ago threatens a fragile economic recovery.The earthquake was the fifth most powerful to hit the world in the past century. It surpassed the Great Kanto quake of September 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area.

The 1995 Kobe quake killed 6000 and caused US$100 billion in damage, the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about US$10 billion.

Thank you to Reuters for news information.

Another Icon of Youth Going Away...

WTF?! Cap'n Crunch To Be Discontinued?! Is our beloved Cap'n about to walk the plank? Ohh Cap'n, say it aint so. If the internet hysteria is correct, it appears that Quaker Oats is putting an end to our beloved mouth-scraping morning delight, Cap’n Crunch. Where do these stories come from? Not sure but I could not stand idle and see this happen. I went goggling.

You can’t find a picture of the blue-capped Cap'n anywhere on Quaker’s official website, and sales are reportedly way down. So who or what is to blame for this apparent upcoming extinction of breakfast greatness? Sadly, but logically, a lot of the responsibility is falling on the shoulders of people eating more responsibly. Heck, I have not had a serving in decades! With 12 grams of sugar per serving, a bowl of Cap'n Crunch amounts to half the recommended daily intake for kids.

Parent company PepsiCo is apparently forcing the good Cap'n, once the #1 breakfast cereal in America, to walk the plank. Last year, PepsiCo vowed to reduce added sugar per serving by 25 percent and saturated fat by 15 percent in its products over the next 10 years.

After the initial thrashing fit in the cereal aisle of the grocery store upon hearing the news, smashing inferior breakfast foods under my feet while screaming for the dearly departing Cap'n, (never said I was not a drama queen!) a little bit of reason began to set in. Sure, we can rationalized the piercing jabs the corners of the squares inflict on our upper mouths for the sake of the delicious wonderment.

As the day continued and hype built, Quaker Oats issued a statement saying that the cereal giant has no plans to end the deliciousness:

"Reports of Cap'n Crunch's demise are greatly exaggerated. In fact, we just launched an official Facebook page for Cap'n Crunch. Now that our Cap'n Crunch brand is in the social-media space, our adult consumers can stay up to date on all things Cap'n Crunch."

A conspiracy? Smokescreen tactics? We'll see... but damned if I didn't want to stock up on 10 boxes last night, just to be safe. But I got real and just decided I need to savor the memories.

Thanks to Johnny Firecloud of LA Times for some of the detailed information in the above article.

For People Who Love Bananas...

but hate the environment! Indeed, single serving bananas. Gotta love where is says at the bottom right hand corner "Sealed for Freshness" - I mean seriously?! Sad, sad, sad.

Say It Ain't So!

I was stunned at the news yesterday. After decades of being the world's biggest fast food change, McDonald's has been outdone. Subway may promote itself as a fast food option that helps shrink the waistline, but the chain is now the largest kid on the restaurant block, surpassing McDonald's with more stores, coming in at 33,749 units compared to McDonald's 32,737.

We've come to think of McDonald's as an iconic symbol of American consumerism, can Subway fill those same shoes? It's got lots of room yet to grow in developing countries, with just 199 stores in China thus far. It passed McDonald's as the largest quick serve chain, store-wise, nine years ago, thanks to Subway outlets in gas stations, Walmart stores and pretty much anywhere it can sandwich in a $5 foot-long.

It's not all bigger and better for Subway though. McDonald's makes more money, bringing in $24 billion last year compared to Subway's $15.2 billion.

This focus on who or what is bigger never ceases to amaze. Back when Best Buy was the upstart battling Circuit City, the two would go back and forth about which was bigger. One had more stores but the other was more profitable, then had more sales, and finally Best Buy overtook Circuit City in all things. Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2008 and ultimately liquidated all its stores in early 2009.

However long the battle for dominance, and the means by which its measured, looks like it's Jared vs. Ronald to the death.

Thanks to Laura Heller for her contributions to this story.

Spicing Up My Life

Markie just got home from a trip to U. S. Grant's home town in Illinois and he does enjoy going shopping in thrift stores and antique malls to see what he might find. Well, on this trip he found not 1, but 4 Schilling spice boxes. They are from the 30's. I have about a dozen different "Schilling Spice" products, but my sister Janet has an amazing collection in her apartment in Portland. Quite stunning to be sure.

Balloons Make You Smile

Today, National Geographic photographed a "house" being lifted off by several hundred weather balloons. A scene right out of the movie "Up" and well, there is not a lot to be said. But hey, at least you can smile. a good thing for a Monday. So what makes you smile? Feel free to leave a comment and letting me know or leave a comment on any post to let me know what you think. Thanks!

Bye-Bye Facebook

A couple of years ago I was asked to add a facebook account as part of a work project. I did and soon I was adding "friends" left and right. Soon it was over a 100 and climbing. Out of the walls I was contacted by people dating back to collage, high school and all wanting to be friends. Mind you, many of these people I had no clue who they were. Then a strange thing happened. If you did not accept them, they were hurt. They would ask, "What have I done?"

Well, nothing. It was just that we did not connect before and life marches on. No problem. NOT! Requests would be repeated. I would be poked. One Sunday I decided enough, I took on a project where over a week I went from nearly 200 friends down to 50. It was done in fun and in the end I was feeling good. Well, it had begun to creep back up and all the old themes had started up plus some of the postings were just over the top, while others were pretty darn funny. I then began this blog and it is fun. So, I have decided to once and for all to pull the plug on facebook this week. Funny how a couple of my friends have kinda freaked a bit. But all is good. We all move on. And so, moving on, have a great day and catch you later.

Sunday Morning Rituals

What is it about Sunday Morning. A quiet time. No rush and maybe a third cup of coffee. Brunch with friends and jazz music is always welcome. There is something that was part of my ritual for years and years and now it is fading away. The Sunday Paper. Don't get me wrong, they are out there, but I find I don't rush out to get them like I did. Oh when I am on vacation I still snag a copy of The New York Times, but it is now more a luxury at anywhere from $5-12 depending where I am picking up my copy. It still has the best bang for your buck. Unlike the local papers in Seattle and Portland that have become nearly two-thirds ads these days. Most people used to buy them for the TV listings, but even those are going to the wayside. There are now versions for the Kindle and ipod. But oh to look back and see what they were. They were pillars of the weekend and had my attention for several hours. Never got to the crossword puzzles, but such great writing. Sad to know that the USA Today is now ahead of The New York Times in circulation. Times do change.

The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. West Coast founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850. It is the largest newspaper in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest by circulation and the 19th largest daily newspaper in the country.

Delivering Oregonians was my first job as a kid and I did it with pride. Earned many a trip to Disneyland and Dad would always help in the rain and snow. Woody was my boss and he was a hoot. I read the Oregonian for years and it was sad to let go when I moved to Seattle, but I will tell you this, the Seattle Times has nothing on The Oregonian. Now the New York Times is a whole different story. What a treat.

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded, and continuously published in New York City, since 1851. The New York Times has won 104 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization. Its website is the most popular American online newspaper website, receiving more than 30 million unique visitors per month.

Although the print version of the paper remains both the largest local metropolitan newspaper in the United States, as well the third largest newspaper overall, behind The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, its weekday circulation has fallen since 1990 (not unlike other newspapers) to fewer than one million copies daily, for the first time since the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Gray Lady", and long regarded within the industry as a national "newspaper of record", the Times is owned by The New York Times Company, which also publishes 18 other regional newspapers including the International Herald Tribune and The Boston Globe. The company's chairman is Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., whose family has controlled the paper since 1896.

The paper's motto, printed in the upper left-hand corner of the front page, is "All the News That's Fit to Print." It is organized into sections: News, Opinions, Business, Arts, Science, Sports, Style, and Features. The New York Times stayed with the eight-column format for several years after most papers switched to six columns, and it was one of the last newspapers to adopt color photography. The New York Times was made available on the iPhone and iPod Touch in 2008, and on the iPad mobile devices in 2010. Ah, you can't stop progress!

All of the papers are slowly dying it seems and I am guilty of not buying them like I used to, but I do still have a ritual and that is every Sunday morning from 7-9:30, I turn on the TV and sit back and watch with pleasure and coffee in hand, CBS Sunday morning.


The program was originally conceived to be a broadcast version of a Sunday newspaper rotogravure section, most typified by the Sunday New York Times Magazine. The format was originally aired six days a week, with the weekday version named "Monday Morning," "Tuesday Morning," etc. The weekday broadcasts were originally anchored by Bob Schieffer (Kuralt eventually took over the daily role, and was for a short time joined by Diane Sawyer as co-host). However, the weekday show's then-limited 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET air time (the long-running Captain Kangaroo was entrenched in the 8 o'clock hour) hampered its ability to compete with NBC's and ABC's rival two-hour morning shows, though it expanded to an hour and a half in 1981. The Sunday version, however, survived, and remains in its original form.

OF NOTE: 30 years ago today, Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time on the CBS Evening News. Just an observation.

Many thanks to Google Images and Wikipedia for helping with information on this post.