Grillin' Time

Last Tuesday I went down for dinner at Markie's place and it was quite a lovely evening in the end, but did not start out that way.  We had a MASSIVE storm hit that night out of the blue right about rush hour and what a mess. Instant flooding and the lightening. I was driving from my place down to Markie's. When I left my place it was bright and sunny, even had the sunglasses on. By the time I got downtown, the glasses were off and the skies grew darker. The storm hit just as I was getting near his place.

Running from the car to his house - and folks we are talking not even 500 feet - I was drenched and ready for a cocktail.  We had not seen each other for a couple of weeks and there was a lot to catch up on.  Well, he proceeded to give me my house warming gift.  Yes, a grillin' sheet.  It will be getting broken in on the new grill.

He had planned to grill and have dinner out back on the deck. Plans changed. While we ended up eating inside, he did somehow manage to dodge the rain drops and grill up the dinner out back.  We enjoyed grilled veggies plus a variety of sausages, lamb, chicken and enjoyed a bottle of wine. His friend Josh joined us and so there was some fresh made bread as well. A salad of greens and tomatoes was simple and yet a perfect addition.

Guest Photos

Hi Ho to all...it is Saturday and oh am I a happy camper in so many ways.  Did not have to deal with a commute this day and there is not a lot of chores to get done this weekend.  Damon will be here in a few hours and that will be fun.  Over the past week I have gotten travel photos from a couple of people and so today, I am turning over my blog space to their point of view.  Enjoy.

This is Michael.  He is on his first road trip and having a blast.  I was particularly taken by his infatuation with lighting bugs in that when I went to visit friends in Kentucky I was mesmerized by them.  Funny how such a simple thing can be so festive.  I do think they bring out the inner child in all of us.  This picture was taken at the Omaha Zoo.  He was quite impressed with it and who knew it was so expansive.

Michael took this lovely photo of dinner on the back patio at the home of a high school friend and his wife who live in Omaha area.  It is so bright and cheerful, I decided to add it to the posting and since I am a foodie it just seemed natural to do so.

By his postings, I am guessing this is taken at either the Little Duck or Duck river.  When I saw it I was instantly taken back to Ashland and Lithia Creek that runs through the park there.  It has lovely waterfalls like this.  Interesting how pictures can trigger different memories.

The above just makes me laugh.  Boy, do the people of Kentucky and Tennessee love their bourbon and whiskey.  They are a proud people and it shows.  Michael was describing a tour he took at one distillery and I was thinking back to the multiple tours of the various distilleries I visited back east several years ago.  To think I don't even drink the stuff and do not get me near Moonshine - Ick!

Last week Janet, my sister, was in San Francisco for a conference and this week she was over in Leavenworth for another one.  While in Leavenworth she visited a German restaurant which I have been to in that we both ordered the very same thing - stuffed cabbage.  This was something Mom used to make for us a lot and was one of those treats I always enjoyed when growing up.  While Janet did enjoy both the sauerkraut and braised cabbage...I only ate the braised cabbage.  Not a sauerkraut fan at all!

Janet sent this picture to me the other night and it just makes me smile and so I had to include it.  Do not know where it was taken and yet, it was just perfect for the moment as I had had a very rough week and yes, I was getting pissed off.  This had me step back and realize that yes all will pass.  It has!

Pride & Parking

OK, so I am a foodie and I had to laugh when I saw this picture of Rainbow Oreos.  There is just something that makes me smile in looking at this picture.  This weekend is Pride weekend in Seattle, San Francisco and New York City among others, but those are the big 3 celebrations.  It is the 39th Pride Parade here in Seattle.  The Supreme Court rulings earlier this week will undoubtedly add energy and excitement to the various celebrations. 

For years I was involved in the Pride celebrations back in New York and to this day defend any one's right to be involved.  But, I do not go any more.  Not out of any sort of emotion, but rather I just do not do well in crowds any more.  Over the past 5 years or so I have noticed that the large events just do not do it for me.  I much prefer smaller gatherings.  10 people is good.  To all who are getting involved this year, enjoy and have fun!

Now, the second part of my label for today's posting refers to parking.  I did that due to the fact that I have now been at my new apartment for about three months now.  Never have I had a problem getting a parking spot at the new garage.  It is a true joy in that at the old place how many times did I have to fight to get a parking space, especially over the weekends!  It was so challenging at times.

At Solara, I enter the parking lot and drive down and usually find a spot near the elevator lobby.  Granted, the elevator is a tad slow at times, but it gets you there.  But seriously, who knew that the joy of not having to beg for a parking spot could be such a wonderful thing.

Before closing, I had referenced my friend Michael who is doing a road trip of sorts this summer.  It was his photo of Old Faithful that I put on the blog.  Well, he has now gone as far east as he plans to go and will begin motoring west again this day.  From his posts, it sounds like he has had quite the adventure be it snakes or moonshine or connecting to family roots.  It is fun when friends and family have fun journeys in life.

A Bit Of Movie History RIP

1896 1st movie theater in U.S. opened, charging 10 cents for admission.  That began what today is still a very popular form of entertainment, although one that is getting more and more expensive to enjoy.  Over the years there have been some amazing theaters built in various themes.  One of these, The Egyptian Theater has been a staple of Seattle nightlife for a while.  Its' interior was stunning at one time, but has grown dingy.  Here is a picture from its' hey day:

The Egyptian Theatre in Seattle is closing today.  The theatre, a longtime venue for the Seattle International Film Festival, has been run by Landmark Theatres since 1989. The company didn’t renew its lease and Seattle Central Community College that uses the building will be out by the end of June, and the future is unknown for the site.

It was mentioned on the morning news today on KIRO 7, and they shared that they found that the man who is said to have started Seattle’s first espresso cart served espresso at the Egyptian Theatre for years.  Craig Donarum opened his espresso cart near the end of the Monorail in 1978, seven years before the Starbucks storefront. After selling that stand, Donarum opened Café Cairo – the espresso window at the Egyptian – in 1984.

Historic Day For Gay Rights

While I had something else planned for today's post, it got postponed because of this historic day at the Supreme Court.  In a pair of landmark rulings, the Supreme Court struck down DOMA, giving married gay couples access to federal benefits — and declined to rule on Prop 8, paving the way for same-sex couples to wed again in California.

Attorney David Boise speaks while flanked by plaintiff couples Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo and Sandy Steier and Kris Perry after the Supreme Court ruled that part of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional on June 26.

John Lewis, left, and his partner Stuart Gaffney embrace next to Andrea Shorter after the Supreme Court decision at the office of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee in San Francisco, June 26.

I Do Not Like Air France

OK, so Friday we have a group leaving for Europe.  Since last October we have been booked onto flight 11 departing JFK at 9:55pm.  No problem right?  Well, we get word last Friday in a simple email - no alert of any sort that they have bumped the group to flight 7 departing JFK at 7:10pm.  Big problem as we have people arriving as late as 5:55pm thinking they had plenty of time to make the flight.  I have been at the office since 5:45am fixing this whole issue and finally got Air France to accept responsibility.  All I can say is "Sacre Bleu!"

 

Now I am not going to end this post being all bitter and such.  Nope, not the way to do it on a Tuesday and so since this week is Pride week in New York City, San Francisco and Seattle among other cities here is a bit of humor...

And the heart on the yellow t-shirt just makes me laugh all the way along.  A festive cartoon for the week.  Hope you enjoy.  Now back to the salt mine and hopefully outta here in short order.  Enjoy you Tuesday.

It Was Really SUPER

Yes, it was quite spectacular to see the full moon.  I saw it early Saturday morning as it was setting about 3:30AM.  No I did not stay up all night...just using the facilities.  It was nice to sit out and stare at it for a while on the balcony.  I took some pictures, but they did not turn out nearly as nice as these.

The first photo (above) was taken by Perry Hoy in Phoenix, AZ. The next was taken by Mark Souder who lives in South Park, a Seattle neighborhood to the south. 

The last really does not need any introduction, I saw it and was really taken by it. I have also added a story that ran on Boston.com and thank them for the story.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A ‘‘supermoon’’ rises this weekend.

 

The biggest and brightest full moon of the year graces the sky early Sunday as our celestial neighbor swings closer to Earth than usual.

 

While the moon will appear 14 percent larger than normal, sky watchers won’t be able to notice the difference with the naked eye. Still, astronomers say it’s worth looking up and appreciating the cosmos.

 

‘‘It gets people out there looking at the moon, and might make a few more people aware that there’s interesting stuff going on in the night sky,’’ Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory said in an email.

 

Some viewers may think the supermoon looks more dazzling, but it’s actually an optical illusion. The moon looms larger on the horizon next to trees and buildings.

 

The moon will come within 222,000 miles (357,000 kilometers) of Earth and turn full around 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT), making it the best time to view.

 

As in any supermoon event, high tides are forecast because of the moon’s proximity, but the effect is expected to be small.

 

Forget about the myths that swirl every time a supermoon appears. There’s no link to higher crime or bizarre behavior. Scientists say that’s just lunacy.

A FOLLOW-UP:  Yesterday's posting about Cap'n Crunch brought this email from a friend who shall remain nameless!  "One very important fact that will never be in their advertisements is....................Cap'n Crunch was the munchie of choice for everyone high in the 60s, the flavor went on and on while the the crunch melted into creamy nothingness.  Wow, and you were just a little tyke then, while I was a hippie-dippie."

Food Talk Sunday

Alright, so this is something kind of funny, especially since I discussed Cheerio's earlier this past week.  Well, I had no more posted that item when the following major breaking cereal story broke!  Heck, even Colbert had it as a feature on his show Wednesday night.  Even so it is worth posting in that it is amusing and it is about food.  Enjoy the read.

Here is the full scoop (every pun intended) on the story: Until recently, the only crime that Cap’N Crunch could be accused of was cutting up the roofs of our mouths, despite his cereal’s delicious sweet corn taste. Now, an eagle-eyed cereal lover has found that Cap’N Crunch is not a captain at all, but a commander, according to the stripes on his uniform.

Navy captains sport four stripes, while commanders have three—as the captain does—but many on the Internet quickly rushed to the cereal icon’s defense, pointing out that anyone who leads a ship can technically be called a captain.  The news got the Twitterverse buzzing, and the Cap’N himself has taken to Twitter to defend himself, maintaining that the hullaballoo is “All hearsay & misunderstandings! I captain the S.S. Guppy with my crew, which makes me an official Cap'n.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Cap’N Crunch cereal, and cereal expert Marty Gitlin, co-author of “The Great American Cereal Book,” says he can’t believe no one’s spotted the snafu before.  “Easily, Cap’N Crunch has the most elaborate storyline of any cereal character in history,” Gitlin explained.

Back in the early 1960s, Jay Ward Productions, the designers of Rocky and Bullwinkle (among other characters), came up with the Cap’N, and Quaker developed the cereal around him in 1963, Gitlin said. During Saturday morning cartoon commercials and on the back of cereal boxes, kids could follow the storyline of the Cap’N’s adventures, traversing the Sea of Milk on his S.S. Guppy.

On his excursions, the Cap’N would meet a whole cast of characters who then inspired new flavors—Chockle the Blob’s Choco Crunch, Jean LaFoote a.k.a. the Barefooted Pirate’s Cinnamon Crunch, Wilma the Whale’s Vanilla Crunch—all which have since faded away. The only exotic flavors that are still around today include Peanut Butter (originally inspired by Smedley, the roller-skating elephant) and, of course, Crunch Berry (inspired by the Crunch Berry Beast).

“When I talk to baby boomers, more people tell me that Cap’N Crunch is their all-time favorite cereal more than any other,” Gitlin said. “Nothing else even comes close.”

The Cap’N—whose full name is Horatio Magellan Crunch—was always a good guy for the most part, Gitlin said, and he can’t imagine he intentionally meant to mislead anyone. “My assumption is that Quaker will give him another stripe or rename him Commander Crunch. They should have a ceremony where he gets his captain stripe—and probably sell lots of Cap’N Crunch cereal in the process.”

Quaker was unable to be reached for comment.

No Post Saturday - IV

Yes it has been another 5 weeks.

Enjoy the day!

Made It Through Another Week

Whew, what can I say...it has been a heck of a week. So much drama at the office and knowing that in just over a week Damon arrives for a visit plus all that is going on in the world. I do love the opportunity that Friday brings. There is a kind of hope and sense of opportunity. The magical time from when I walk out the door at the office knowing I do not have to go back for two full days just makes me happy. 

Throughout the week I have been getting updates from my friend Michael.  Last Sunday he began a road trip that is taking him from Idaho into Montana and down through Wyoming and he is now headed to Nebraska and I think the further east he is going is Tennessee.  Well, here is a picture of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park he took Wednesday.

It will be good to catch up on his journeys when we talk tomorrow.  I also look forward to my weekly chats with family and my friend Ani.  Tomorrow will also be the first time in a couple of weeks that I get to chat with Connie back east.  It is also my last solo weekend for a while as Damon arrives next Saturday for 4 weekends.  Oh my!  Not quite sure what the weekend will bring, maybe a game of Catan or perhaps just the phone chats and some quality quiet time.  May try and get the laundry out of the way tonight and so the major chore of the weekend will be done and done.  I hope each and everyone of you has a great weekend!  Catch up with you later.

Summer Arrives Tonight

We enjoy the most daylight of the calendar year - actually tomorrow, but summer does actually arrive tonight on the west coast. The Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting "shorter," i.e., the length of daylight starts to decrease.  The seasons are based on the amount of sunlight, not heat. 

Friends know this is not my favorite season at all.  But at the same time some of my favorite memories of being up at the cabin at Lake of the Woods or going to Arch Cape to visit the beach house there still are vivid.  So while the heat really does get to me, and oh can I share I am not a happy camper when the temps go over 80! 

What I do know is that now that summer has begun, it means it is on its' way out and so if I can just get to the end of September when my favorite season begins and I get to enjoy cooler nights and the changing colors of autumn.  While summer arrives tonight at 10:04pm, know that for most of the rest of the country it arrives tomorrow.  Stay cool!



Pondering Breakfast

We are told how breakfast is the most important meal of the day and yet I know so many people who ignore it.  When we were growing up Dad would always make sure we had our breakfast before going off to school.  I continued to enjoy breakfast through collage and thereafter it seems that it has taken a kind of roller coaster ride.  Currently, I have a routine of oatmeal and coffee (prefer iced version) Monday-Friday and then the weekends are left open to create egg dishes or consider going out for breakfast or brunch.  It is always fun to try new places. 

Well, on this day back in 1941, breakfast cereal was changed forever.  It was on this day that the following became a view that many kids and adults alike now see every morning when they sit down to breakfast.

Yes, it was on this day that Cheerios were created for the first time and it is still one of the most popular breakfast cereals on the market.  In recent years they have taken the healthy road and promoted the "heart smart" angle that is still a running theme in many of their commercials.

Where Did The Day Go

This is kind of how I felt most of the day today.  Way too much to get done and not enough hours in the day.  I am not a huge fan of Tuesdays to begin with and today was a pretty busy one.  In fact, the past several have been a bit on the crazy side.  I had two video conference calls this day and there was the funding request plus trying to review 9 calendars which I have to share...Mark, my boss, claims that I have NOTHING to do at my job other than to sit and review the calendar. 

Yeah, that is so not true.  Dealing with multiple sexual harassment claims right now - a lot of them stem from people giving out their numbers quickly and then the texting begins followed by facebook and from there suddenly no interest by one or other party.  Somehow this gets to be our fault at the office.  Then there are the members who have expired but try to keep going to events as guests of current members.  This is a big no-no.  In perspective, we used to have maybe a half dozen of these complaints a year.  It is only June and I have dealt with over 30. 

Additionally, today was car check-up day.  Took the car into the dealership for a complete check on the frame to see if any damage from the accident last week.  There was none, quite thankful about that.  Additionally they did a lube and oil change as that was due and some recall repair on a light.  It took about 90 minutes at the end of the day which made my commute home end up being over an hour due to the later hour of the commute.

I usually leave the office by 3pm and get home well before 4pm.  Today I left the dealership at 4:45pm and got home just at 6pm to watch NBC Nightly News.  Maybe it was me, but it seemed like a light news day which was a nice change of pace.  Dinner was a salad clean and simple.  Seemed to not really be that hungry, and that is just fine.  Tomorrow night I am going to do something with ground chicken I have thawed in the frig. 

The weather has been fabulous this week and that is a good thing.  In the 70's for the most part.  Clouds are beginning to roll in and the next several days are to be quite cloudy and rain is forecast.  We are behind in rain fall for the month so that will be a good thing.  Plus, when I talk to Damon in Las Vegas where it was 114 today, I am so not complaining!  Back east it is in the high 90's and humid.  Not fun!  So now I need to get along, but know that tomorrow's post is a bit of "food for thought."

Arrived On This Day In Pieces In 1885...

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor, in Manhattan, New York City. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.

Thank you to Wikipedia for the above information.

Travel Filled Father's Day

It seems that this Father's Day has a lot of people I know traveling.  This morning around 7AM my dear friend Michael began his first ever road trip.  I gave a preview of sorts yesterday.  He is driving his Scion and it is one of the first that came out and looked a lot more European than those of recent years.  His is white, but could not find one on the search this morning.

 

Janet, my sister, took a cab to the airport this morning and flew to San Francisco for a conference this week.  She sent the following description yesterday as to what she is going to be involved with this week:

 

At Nueva's world-renowned Innovation Lab (I-Lab), created in partnership with IDEO and Stanford's d.school, hundreds of visitors from around the world have asked, "How can we implement Design Thinking in our schools?"

For five years, we have pioneered the teaching of design thinking to students. We are experts at creating hands-on, project-based, design thinking curricula. Come learn from experienced educators how to implement a similar program at your school.

This institute will enable you and your teams to efficiently create projects that will foster your students' Design Thinking skills, preparing them for the future.

When she gets in this morning she is being met by our cousin Vicki and Aunt Pearl and they are going to have brunch/lunch together and then she will be dropped at her motel.  Later today she gets to see a friend for dinner and then begins her conference tomorrow.  Not a lot of time for sight seeing, but hey, it is a chance to get out of the city for a while.



She gets home on Friday and then turns around on Monday next and heads to Leavenworth for another education conference.  Let the summer season begin.  She is going to be down in Ashland for a visit in July and another possible in August.

Another person traveling is my brother Mike.  He is headed to Lake of the Woods in southern Oregon for a family picnic today and most of his family will be joining him.  He shared in a text this morning that in addition to the picnic, they are going to be boating on the lake.  I have a feeling the water is still too cold for water skiing.  When we were growing up Dad had built a cabin up there and it was our destination on many a summer weekend. 

Many good memories even if we had to use an outhouse and schlep in all the water.  Many mornings we awoke to the smell of the wood burning stove and then Mom would get up and fix us gashouse eggs.  These are called many things by people and it is a slice of bread with a hole cut in the center and the egg cooks in the center hole.  For years we did not have electricity and used lanterns to light the evening interior.  Maybe this is one reason I like the coolness more than the heat as we were often cooler up there.

Even though Dad died in July, 1999 the memories do live on and I was thinking this morning about his helping me with the newspaper route on Sundays and when it rained.  He loved to laugh and oh did he love his sports.  Today is the final round of the US Open Golf Tournament and I happen to look in my closet where I have the golf ball from his hole in one that he sank years ago.  Among his friends he was known as Easy Earl and to us kids, he was Dad.

Now as you have seen up to this point food has not really been mentioned this Sunday as it has the past several.  I did not want to disappoint you and I find it amusing that one of the people who gives me a hard time about all the food descriptions is the very person who provided today's delights.

My sister had her birthday this week and on Friday she and two dear friends Cindi and Deborah went to Kell's on 21st in Portland and had a wonderful dinner together.  Below is main course, Shepard's Pie and I guess all three of them ordered it.

From Kell's menu - Ground beef simmered in Guinness with carrots, onions and peas, baked with a cheddar potato crust. Served with house-made demi-glace.

For dessert Janet's two friends opted for the toffee pudding (above) which - I was told - was quite wonderful and then Janet had the toffee brownie which is directly below.  From the sounds of my sister's comments they had a grand time and plan to repeat it next year!

Before I close I also have to share that last night I was invited over to Jodie and Rob's for dinner where we feasted on New York Strip Steaks and a warm sautéed shrimp salad on a bed of torn iceberg lettuce.  The sauté included shrimp, roasted tomatoes, green onions, sliced water chestnuts, lime and butter plus garlic.  For dessert we enjoyed key lime cake which I completely enjoyed as I had not consumed carbs all day!  Quite the festive night.

Weekend Update

Ah, the weekend is upon us and I am taking it low key per doctor's orders yesterday.  Yes, back to the doctor again.  It seems that in just over 24 hours the owner of the car filed a claim against me.  Now here is where it gets interesting.  The owner of the car is not who rear-ended me.  Another person did that and while there initially appeared to be no damage, the car's owner has filed a claim.  Thursday afternoon, I get the call from my insurance company and am told this.  So over the past 24 hours I have had to take a complete set of photos of my car and uploaded them plus a complete written statement.  In addition, at my insurance company's request I saw the doctor yesterday to be sure everything is in order. 

They had me do a series of movements and then took several x-rays and all looks good, especially the lack of compression of any discs.  That was their greatest concern.  All this to be on the defensive and deal with people who file false claims.  The bottom line is the guy rear-ended ME!  I did not realize this whole thing can turn into a big con game and was quickly taught by the agent on the phone how we need to move quickly.  We are disputing the filed claim and by next Tuesday should have police report in hand plus a full report from dealership on the state of the car.  At this point it will then be dumped back in the hands of insurance company vs. insurance company.  Having never been in an auto accident like this before it has been quite the learning experience.

Chatted with my friend Michael down on the coast this morning.  Tomorrow he begins a nearly month long road trip to see sights and sounds around the country.  He is going to drive approximately 500 miles a day when it is a drive day.  First stop will be Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  Then on to Yosemite National Park for a couple of days.  From there he is headed on to the mid-west.  I wish him well and look forward to reports from along the way.

Have had the U.S. Open Golf Tournament on.  This is the trophy and in the background is the trademark red wicker marker for each hole unique to this course near Philadelphia.  The U.S. Open makes its first stop in the Northwest in 2015 at Chambers Bay, outside of Tacoma, Washington.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/06/13/2614697/nine-time-iga-amateur-champ-reflects.html#storylink=cpy

Enjoyed a breakfast of eggs with cream cheese and chives with coffee.  Simple and yet quite delicious.  That lead to a few phone calls and getting caught up on the blog thus opening the opportunity of a nap.  It is a lovely day, but following doctors orders keeping it low key this weekend.  Will be going over to Rob & Jodie's for cocktails and BBQ this afternoon.  We were talking last night and realized I had not been to their place in a couple of months as they were visiting here for Catan and then assembling the grill.  It will be good to see them again.  Two weeks from now Damon arrives from Las Vegas for his visit.  And so goes the weekend.  Enjoy.

Today Is Flag Day

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.  The United States Army also celebrates the Army Birthday on this date; Congress adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.  Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.

Thank you to Wikipedia for the above information.

Rear-Ended...

and not in a good way to be sure.  Alas, I left the office to get my hair cut yesterday and was heading back when a guy rear-ended me on I-5.  He tried to just drive on and I would have none of that.  The people in the next lane did not let him get around me.  Finally got him over to the side and it comes to be known that it was not even his car.  Got his information plus that of the car owner's as I need to find out who is ultimately responsible.  No visible damage but has scheduled an appointment for next Tuesday.

 

Had quite the adrenaline rush going for a few hours and was a useless mess at the office and so ended up splitting and headed home.  Got here and zonked out a bit.  Drank a lot of water and took a couple of aspirin.  Watched some TV and called it a night.

 

When I got up this morning was not feeling too bad.  But did decide to call the doctor as I was feeling a bit stiff.  The doctor recommended that I use some heat and do some stretching as he said by my description it sounded more like stress than actual injury. 

Decided to work from home to allow for some heating pad time.  So here I am as Moonsong cleans.  I am just taking it slow and steady.  With all that happened decided to order a pizza and call it good last night.  I get a pizza and then eat the toppings and toss the crust - OK, I do usually eat one slice the regular way.  Mighty tasty.  It is a local joint and so that was nice.  Have leftovers and so it might be lunch this day.  Tonight will likely be the salad considering last night's indulgence.  Have some shrimp to cook.  Decisions, decisions! 

So I was looking in a container I had not looked in for a while and found a collection of fortune cookie sayings.  Not sure why I had been saving them, but decided to post them here for your amusement...do you notice how all of them are always hopeful in nature?

 

You will have great fortune and luck.

 

Your help will be needed in an embarrassing situation.

 

You will inherit money and jewelry.

 

An influential figure will make mention of you in a positive light.

 

An enjoyable vacation is awaiting you near the mountains.

 

Don't worry about the stock market.  Invest in family.

 

You will need to relax today.

 

You will continue to take chances and be glad you did.

 

You will enjoy good health, that is your form of wealth.

 

You will soon solve a difficult problem.

 

You will soon follow your heart's desire.

 

You would prosper in the field of medicine.

 

You will exceed your expectations.

 

The future will bring romance.

 

People enjoy having you around.  Appreciate this.

 

And finally, my friend Bill always sends me things that make me laugh.  We used to be pretty good friends when I lived in Portland, but as the years go along, we have lost touch a bit more and more.  Have not seen him in a while, but he still sends me items to amuse me.  The following was received in this morning's emails. 

The Next Chapter Begins

This is a huge day for Damon. He boards a plane this evening for Las Vegas and will be there until he flies up here on the 29th. Will be here for 3 weeks (and 4 weekends) before heading back down to Las Vegas. He is done with Austin at this point. The house is being cleared out by the sale people and taken to Austin proper to sell as the house was too far out to do the sale there.  Anything he wanted to keep - which is not a whole lot - is now in storage awaiting a visit to collect later this year.

He has stuff in 4 cities at this point and so will need to do a road trip to collect and then go through again to decide what he will keep and what goes. Austin, Phoenix, Palm Springs and Las Vegas are where he has stuff. I have challenged him to get it all in one place by end of year. He is currently working on getting his driver's licence.

While visiting up here we will be having the discussion where his base is going to be - at this point there are two cities - Seattle and Las Vegas, but there are other places he wants to visit and could ultimately be his home base. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. He is a bit weirded out by all this happening as he thought about leaving Austin for years and now is doing it.

I did end up going Italian and quite tasty.  Cooked up some Italian sausage and made a tomato sauce with mushrooms, garlic and spices.  Added some cheese. A nice salad on the side was just fine. I did visit the doctor Monday and was down another 4.5 pounds and so continue that journey. Monday night I totally fell asleep sitting up.  I do not usually fall asleep sitting up and in fact only recall two or three times that happening. Each time my body and/or mind just shut down. I think that mentally a lot has been going on and I need to just accept that it was my body in recovery mode.

 

It is just about time for me to be heading out the door and on get all the hairs cut. I have been trying to keep it going every three weeks and seems to be a good schedule to keeping it manageable and especially with having to wear the CPAP mask, that tends to start giving me flat hair about now.

 

I have no idea what will be on the menu this evening - perhaps a nice chef salad. Have not had one of those in a while. I find that I like to keep it simple during the week and get dinner handled before 7pm to allow time for the food to settled before I head off to dream land. By the way, the new bed has made sleep a beautiful thing. Ah, just realized that tomorrow Moonsong will be cleaning the apartment. Makes me a happy camper every time!

Miracles Happen!

Some of you might remember, oh 5 months ago, that I began a journey to get a refund from The New York Times.  It was months of calling and the variety of excuses about how there were delays of all sorts in getting my refund.  I was getting exhausted and last month the last lady I talked to promised me that within 14 business days I would get my refund.  Well folks, it has happened.  It dropped into my account last night and was actually more than I thought.  Yes, persistence paid off and now I will move on, but there will always be a bad taste in my mouth of The Times.  That is just sad in that I used to really love sitting and reading the paper and Sundays were so magical at times with coffee, watching CBS Sunday Morning and reading the paper.  And so we move on, but I am happy to close this chapter.

Today is my sister Janet's Birthday!

I hope it is a day of happy memories.

The Tony Awards

Last night was a gay national holiday of sorts - the Tony Awards were on.  What is it about Broadway that gay people seem to just be drawn to?  Perhaps it is that it has been so open and accepting to the community for years.  Well, they were held at Radio City Music Hall and Neil Patrick Harris was host for the 4th time.  He was also a producer this year.

This year marks the 67th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Ballroom.  The ceremonies are presented by Tony Award Productions, which is a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys in 1947.

The feel-good musical Kinky Boots, with songs by pop star and Broadway newcomer Cyndi Lauper, won six Tonys, including best musical, best score and best leading man.  While Christopher Durang's comical Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won the best play Tony. Matilda the Musical and Pippin won four awards.  It was one of the better telecasts in the award realm.  Quite lively.

Just as a side note, the Tonys were founded in memorial to Antoinette (“Tony”) Perry, the American Theatre Wing’s World War II chairperson. The winners are selected by approximately 830 eligible voters. These include voting members of The Broadway League and the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing, along with members of the governing boards of Actors’ Equity Association; the Dramatists Guild; SDC, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; United Scenic Artists; and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. Other eligible voters include members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, the board/council of the National Association of Talent Representatives, and the Tony Awards Nominating Committee.

It's Sunday - Time To Talk Food

Seems there is a theme developing here where on Sunday I talk a lot about food.  The past couple of Sundays have visited a Brew Master Dinner last fall and then the wonderful birthday dinner at Brooklyn's.  Today it is visiting last night's dinner party and yes, the grill was front and center to cook the wonderful Rib eye Steaks.

They are a great cut of meat to begin with and so all it took was some olive oil and some Montreal Steak spice and that's it.  Just over 4 minutes on each side = perfection.  Sadly, two guests are of the mind set that steaks need to be cooked to within an inch of their lives.  To see such a beautiful cut of meat reduced to char-ruins is a crime.  But even worse is to see them eat it like a Hoover vacuum cleaner, barely taking time to taste it.  No, me thinks we will not be including them in future grilling adventures.  I was wondering why it had been 6 months since seeing them, but now I know.

Deviled Eggs are something that I just love and never seems to know what the word leftover means.  Here is the platter of a dozen eggs, thus 24 halves.  Yup, all gone by end of dinner.  My friend Jodie shared that to get the yokes more centered you take the dozen eggs and flip them over for an hour or more before cooking.  Well, it may say that in the deviled egg cookbook she has, but it did not seem to work that well for me.  But, hey the paprika sure makes the eggs pop.  Oh and yes, that is Gumby and Pokey S&P shakers off to the right.  A gift from Damon.  They make me smile every time I look at them.

Here is a picture of the Green Bean salad with heirloom tomatoes marinated in a Balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Feta cheese is added just before serving.  As you can see a cocktail is ready to be enjoyed and yes, horseradish is ready to go on the table along with some bacon jam to be used on the steaks.  OK, so what is bacon jam, actually called Skillet Bacon Spread - was created by a food truck operator here in Seattle and is so versatile to use with different foods.  Here is what a jar looks like:

Last Christmas I got a jar for Markie, Jodie & Rob plus one for myself.  I really enjoy it and Rob made an appetizer with it once.  The imagination can only help create new creations and uses.  I have a feeling when Damon gets to try it I will have to be getting more to have on hand.  He loves bacon.  But then, who doesn't.  It is just one of those basic food groups people enjoy like coffee and chocolate.

Back to the dinner and here is the table set quite casual with a bottle of Merlot Markie had brought over last time and we never got to plus the deviled eggs and salad.  Simple and clean and most important carb-free.  OK, so a few carbs in the wine. 

I was able to quickly snag this picture of the first two steaks in off the grill - that would be for me and Markie - as he plates his.  As noted above, the others lived to die a painful death on the grill for a while longer.  Live and learn.  Overall, a wonderful dinner and it is going to be fun using the grill this summer and discovering all the varied uses and options.  Thank you again Rob for assembling it last weekend.