this is the florida niece's younger sister...who lives in denver. she's gonna be 15 next month...and an aunt in a few months. i know she's excited.
Friday, March 17, 2006
and another niece...
this is the florida niece's younger sister...who lives in denver. she's gonna be 15 next month...and an aunt in a few months. i know she's excited.
post #445...
that is what you're reading.
here's a photo of my niece, probably when she went to Ecuador last year...
oh yeah...
i forgot to mention that my niece in Florida is going to have a little boy in july. i'm going to have a great nephew...sniff
may just have to get to fort lauderdale this summer ;) as long as there's no hurricane...
may just have to get to fort lauderdale this summer ;) as long as there's no hurricane...
omg...
i just started putting google ads in my blog and today, i spotted an ad for 'wu long tea: the chinese solution for dieting.' wha??? click on the link (if it's still there after this post) and you'll see ALL its advantageous uses when it comes to dieting. and look! it's ONLY $37 for a thirty day supply...golly gee.
um. i can get you a box of oolong tea at the asian store for a couple dollars...but don't tell those at wulongforlife.com
puh-leeze
um. i can get you a box of oolong tea at the asian store for a couple dollars...but don't tell those at wulongforlife.com
puh-leeze
mmm...
early leftovers! for st. patty's day eve, i made corned beef & cabbage (of course). there should be enough for tomorrow night. that is, if i don't totally gorge on it while lois is asleep. heh
watched a couple more movies from netflixx. tonight, we watched the rest of Thunderbolt, which is a jackie chan movie from 1995. it's about an ex-gran prix racecar driver who is hellbent on revenge when a villainous driver kidnaps his two kid sisters...in retaliation for getting arrested by the HK cops (w/ the help of chan's character). yeah, confusing. i had seen it ten years ago on vhs...fell asleep...didn't remember most of the movie. i just think it should've been called 'revenge of two drivers in a sport that no one watches.' that would've caught my attention and prevented me from ever renting it.
i like jackie chan...been a big fan of his since the late 70's, when he made his breakthrough HK kung fu movies, like Snake In The Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master. i've probably seen about 40 of his movies and i can tell you that this was in the bottom ten. either it was extremely edited or he rushed through it for a crapload of money. the storyline and acting are atrocious. granted, the stunts and fighting are amazing, but that's usually the norm for him. ah well. even jackie chan's worst movies are 100x better than steven seagal's best piece of crap...
after dinner, we settled back in and put Hotel Rwanda on. wow. not as creepy and sinister as The Killing Fields, but still very powerful Don Cheadle was excellent! not bad for a guy that went to East High here in Denver. he was very worthy of the best actor nomination. even better than Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line. btw, Phoenix has a small role in this flick as well...
well, i just looked at our queue on netflixx and we have 130 more movies to watch. next up, The Wilby Conspiracy (a 70's thriller starring Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier) and Proof (Gwyneth Paltrow's latest). hopefully, we'll get these in a few days. what sux about netflixx is that even if you check your queue a couple days after you return your movies (in great anticipation of the forthcoming titles), you can't report a problem until at least six days after you've returned them. i know that they probably have a shitload of movies to process through different mailing centers, but when you compound that with the fact that they don't ship on weekends, makes me think that it's a stall tactic to limit the number of rentals. remember that guy in michigan? he was watching his three movies so quickly that his turnaround for a month was 18 movies; netflixx was making NO money on that guy...
c'mon, we don't want to watch 18 movies a month, but ten might be nice...hell, eight would be okay too. just get 'em here...dammit!
watched a couple more movies from netflixx. tonight, we watched the rest of Thunderbolt, which is a jackie chan movie from 1995. it's about an ex-gran prix racecar driver who is hellbent on revenge when a villainous driver kidnaps his two kid sisters...in retaliation for getting arrested by the HK cops (w/ the help of chan's character). yeah, confusing. i had seen it ten years ago on vhs...fell asleep...didn't remember most of the movie. i just think it should've been called 'revenge of two drivers in a sport that no one watches.' that would've caught my attention and prevented me from ever renting it.
i like jackie chan...been a big fan of his since the late 70's, when he made his breakthrough HK kung fu movies, like Snake In The Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master. i've probably seen about 40 of his movies and i can tell you that this was in the bottom ten. either it was extremely edited or he rushed through it for a crapload of money. the storyline and acting are atrocious. granted, the stunts and fighting are amazing, but that's usually the norm for him. ah well. even jackie chan's worst movies are 100x better than steven seagal's best piece of crap...
after dinner, we settled back in and put Hotel Rwanda on. wow. not as creepy and sinister as The Killing Fields, but still very powerful Don Cheadle was excellent! not bad for a guy that went to East High here in Denver. he was very worthy of the best actor nomination. even better than Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line. btw, Phoenix has a small role in this flick as well...
well, i just looked at our queue on netflixx and we have 130 more movies to watch. next up, The Wilby Conspiracy (a 70's thriller starring Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier) and Proof (Gwyneth Paltrow's latest). hopefully, we'll get these in a few days. what sux about netflixx is that even if you check your queue a couple days after you return your movies (in great anticipation of the forthcoming titles), you can't report a problem until at least six days after you've returned them. i know that they probably have a shitload of movies to process through different mailing centers, but when you compound that with the fact that they don't ship on weekends, makes me think that it's a stall tactic to limit the number of rentals. remember that guy in michigan? he was watching his three movies so quickly that his turnaround for a month was 18 movies; netflixx was making NO money on that guy...
c'mon, we don't want to watch 18 movies a month, but ten might be nice...hell, eight would be okay too. just get 'em here...dammit!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
so stuck...
ever since the Mamma Mia show last night (which was awesome...thanks cindi!) i've had assorted ABBA songs dancing in my head. not necessarily a bad thing BUT wearisome after a day or so ;)
really though, the show was campy as hell, outfitted crazily, and executed almost flawlessly (both in song and dance). the ONLY thing that was a bit annoying - cindi will agree - was the position of our seats in regards to the speakers (i.e., right in front). they played the music so loud at the beginning and second act that some of us were covering our ears or stuffing them w/ tissue (like lois 7 me). i swear, cindi and i were jolted out of seats (mid-sentence) at the end of intermission...i know some people shit their pants it was so abrupt!
i saw that SweetCharity will be in town...w/ Molly Ringwald...gasp! it's hard to believe that Sixteen Candles was made more than twenty years ago. guess we're all getting old. after all,
Anthony Michael Hall will be 38 next month...
mebbe we can get tix to that! i've seen the movie...never on stage though. i think it opens next season, in december...
Saturday, March 11, 2006
just back...the final chapter
sounds like some horrific blog post, eh?
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLOG LAGOON
actually, i think brooke shields and chris whatshisname starred in that about 25 years ago...
really, we did have a long day.
we had free tix to the ballet at Ellie Caulkins for the 7:30 Cinderella show.
had 5:30 reservations at Rialto Cafe
cool decor but weird place.
you are named after a theatre district in Rome and yet you offer skillet corn bread to every table. and what is up with the over-ambitious busy (and mediocre) food? who the hell puts raspberries, strawberries, golden raisins, figs, and dried papaya (?) in a waldorf salad?
you may as well call it ambrosia free fruit salad with a smattering of greens and send it to a hemingway competition... the entrees? weren't any better... i had chicken pomodoro pasta and lois opted for their so-called flat iron steak (looked more like a piece of chuck). both were pretty lame. tasted okay but poorly executed in presentation. we paid $61.05 for ugly, mediocre food...when we could've had better looking and tasting food at MacaroniGrille...for at least $15 less.
guess where we're not going back...it's too bad because lois said she had some good lunches there with her work buddies.
the ballet? great but with some seemingly avoidable caveats...made a reality only through mass homicide
we had a couple tix in the private loge that lois' company has...since they renovated the building over a period of two years to the tune of $90 million.
the loge box seats are 7-8 per spacious box. in each area, there's 3-4 tall bistro/bar seats (very similar to those found at billiard halls) and 4 lower seats (round chairs - upholstered and padded). nice setup but a bit of a bear to pull the chairs out. the lower seats definitely need casters.
the show was excellent. the entire cast was gifted in both strength and grace. you (or maybe it's just me) often wonder how many hours it took to build up the muscles to perform some of the moves.
nope. no problem with the show. the sets were ethereal and the lighting dramatic without being distracting or gaudy.
no...what i deemed to be justifiable homicide was to slaughter the idiots in the adjacent loge box. it was a couple with comp tix (understandable) and their seemingly huge entourage (completely confounding).
i dunno but the eight people in this posse was made up of (i think):
mom dad grandpa grandma brother girlfriend neighbors and three grandkids.
guess with which faction we had a problem...
yeah...the kids turned out to be very cute 3-4 year-olds who loudly whispered from across the box. ummm. whispering is meant to be directed INTO an ear, not across the auditorium.
ah well. at least they've got indoor voices...
of course, the real problem had lain with the adults. poorly behaved kids are a result of oblivious parents who are lacking in responsibility and common sense.
the lights go out...the music starts...and crinkling commenced.
yes, this clan surreptitiously smuggled 'treats' for the kids...juice boxes, snacks, etc.
arghhhhhh
it's one thing to sneak candy and a soda into a movie theater. who doesn't do this?
what the hell are you bringing your oversized backpack of junk food to a ballet performance? you could have rented a video and watched it at home!
the crinkle of their super size doritos bag was maddening...
oh, they weren't done yet.
kids start jabbering. we're talking about three year olds who might have an inkling of pretty cinderella...solely through animation. but do you think kids can sit through a half hour performance if you have to bring snacks to keep them occupied...LET ALONE three acts and two intermissions (135 minutes total)?!?
kids start arguing/whining/crying. instead of shushing them for the ENTIRE performance, would it not be more effective to TAKE the kids out into the lobby for a little talk/idle threats?
click...crankcrank
yes, i'm now the crank. really though, i'm referring to the idiot mom(?) who had the audacity to sneak in a camera to take pictures during the ball scenes. okay, i saw a couple other flashes in the mezzanine. mebbe some overzealous shutterbugs with their digital cameras, fished out from their pockets. it seems pretty impossible to go to any performance without someone wanting to click pics. i, too, have snuck in a camera into heavy metal concerts (as a teenager) to get some coveted pics of drugged out, piss drunk rock stars whom i thought were kewl.
but these people brought in a DISPOSABLE camera...yeah, the type that you have to turn the plastic wheel to advance the film.
so torturous to not sling a couple chairs into their overcrowded space - a lesson in self-restraint.
why the rant? because all this crap was audible from two sections over! we had moved over one more box after the first act.
it was such a teeth gnashing poke-me-in-the-eye night.
it's not that we're ballet/opera/symphony/performing arts snobs. it's just that you expect a little common sense when you attend these things. just SHUT it and watch...if that's too much to ask, either don't attend or gimme one of the ritalins that you're obviously forgetting to take.
a good rant though...i can honestly say that it made me sleepy and fulfilled my cathartic needs. i can rest well, knowing that i dragged you all down with me ;)
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLOG LAGOON
actually, i think brooke shields and chris whatshisname starred in that about 25 years ago...
really, we did have a long day.
we had free tix to the ballet at Ellie Caulkins for the 7:30 Cinderella show.
had 5:30 reservations at Rialto Cafe
cool decor but weird place.
you are named after a theatre district in Rome and yet you offer skillet corn bread to every table. and what is up with the over-ambitious busy (and mediocre) food? who the hell puts raspberries, strawberries, golden raisins, figs, and dried papaya (?) in a waldorf salad?
you may as well call it ambrosia free fruit salad with a smattering of greens and send it to a hemingway competition... the entrees? weren't any better... i had chicken pomodoro pasta and lois opted for their so-called flat iron steak (looked more like a piece of chuck). both were pretty lame. tasted okay but poorly executed in presentation. we paid $61.05 for ugly, mediocre food...when we could've had better looking and tasting food at MacaroniGrille...for at least $15 less.
guess where we're not going back...it's too bad because lois said she had some good lunches there with her work buddies.
the ballet? great but with some seemingly avoidable caveats...made a reality only through mass homicide
we had a couple tix in the private loge that lois' company has...since they renovated the building over a period of two years to the tune of $90 million.
the loge box seats are 7-8 per spacious box. in each area, there's 3-4 tall bistro/bar seats (very similar to those found at billiard halls) and 4 lower seats (round chairs - upholstered and padded). nice setup but a bit of a bear to pull the chairs out. the lower seats definitely need casters.
the show was excellent. the entire cast was gifted in both strength and grace. you (or maybe it's just me) often wonder how many hours it took to build up the muscles to perform some of the moves.
nope. no problem with the show. the sets were ethereal and the lighting dramatic without being distracting or gaudy.
no...what i deemed to be justifiable homicide was to slaughter the idiots in the adjacent loge box. it was a couple with comp tix (understandable) and their seemingly huge entourage (completely confounding).
i dunno but the eight people in this posse was made up of (i think):
mom dad grandpa grandma brother girlfriend neighbors and three grandkids.
guess with which faction we had a problem...
yeah...the kids turned out to be very cute 3-4 year-olds who loudly whispered from across the box. ummm. whispering is meant to be directed INTO an ear, not across the auditorium.
ah well. at least they've got indoor voices...
of course, the real problem had lain with the adults. poorly behaved kids are a result of oblivious parents who are lacking in responsibility and common sense.
the lights go out...the music starts...and crinkling commenced.
yes, this clan surreptitiously smuggled 'treats' for the kids...juice boxes, snacks, etc.
arghhhhhh
it's one thing to sneak candy and a soda into a movie theater. who doesn't do this?
what the hell are you bringing your oversized backpack of junk food to a ballet performance? you could have rented a video and watched it at home!
the crinkle of their super size doritos bag was maddening...
oh, they weren't done yet.
kids start jabbering. we're talking about three year olds who might have an inkling of pretty cinderella...solely through animation. but do you think kids can sit through a half hour performance if you have to bring snacks to keep them occupied...LET ALONE three acts and two intermissions (135 minutes total)?!?
kids start arguing/whining/crying. instead of shushing them for the ENTIRE performance, would it not be more effective to TAKE the kids out into the lobby for a little talk/idle threats?
click...crankcrank
yes, i'm now the crank. really though, i'm referring to the idiot mom(?) who had the audacity to sneak in a camera to take pictures during the ball scenes. okay, i saw a couple other flashes in the mezzanine. mebbe some overzealous shutterbugs with their digital cameras, fished out from their pockets. it seems pretty impossible to go to any performance without someone wanting to click pics. i, too, have snuck in a camera into heavy metal concerts (as a teenager) to get some coveted pics of drugged out, piss drunk rock stars whom i thought were kewl.
but these people brought in a DISPOSABLE camera...yeah, the type that you have to turn the plastic wheel to advance the film.
so torturous to not sling a couple chairs into their overcrowded space - a lesson in self-restraint.
why the rant? because all this crap was audible from two sections over! we had moved over one more box after the first act.
it was such a teeth gnashing poke-me-in-the-eye night.
it's not that we're ballet/opera/symphony/performing arts snobs. it's just that you expect a little common sense when you attend these things. just SHUT it and watch...if that's too much to ask, either don't attend or gimme one of the ritalins that you're obviously forgetting to take.
a good rant though...i can honestly say that it made me sleepy and fulfilled my cathartic needs. i can rest well, knowing that i dragged you all down with me ;)
just back, pt. 2
we did finally find eight slides that provide the best depiction of 'How Five Dumb Tourists Pull A Brahma Bull Out Of The Mud.' from those, we'll probably submit two or three...
such a daunting feat
not the act of pulling the bull, but looking at all the slides that are in hopeless disarray and coming to the cold realization that i gotta organize all my slides. i know that i mentioned having to look through a couple hundred pics - mostly out of sappy reminiscence - but that is about 5% of my total count of my slides...3500 of which are of my travels through spanish speaking countries and 40 or so archaeological sites.
yeah...so *YAWN*...exciting
see why i've put all this shit aside and avoided it for years?
still 4000 slides is NOTHING. i'm sure i've mentioned my mentor, Ruben, in past posts. the man has probably over 90,000 slides that he has accumulated over the past 30 years in documenting Mesoamerican sites.
yeah...90 GRAND!!!
wHeRe da fuck do you store those? and how do you keep them from succumbing to the elements?
gee-zuhs
good thing he went digital about ten years ago, that's all i can say...
such a daunting feat
not the act of pulling the bull, but looking at all the slides that are in hopeless disarray and coming to the cold realization that i gotta organize all my slides. i know that i mentioned having to look through a couple hundred pics - mostly out of sappy reminiscence - but that is about 5% of my total count of my slides...3500 of which are of my travels through spanish speaking countries and 40 or so archaeological sites.
yeah...so *YAWN*...exciting
see why i've put all this shit aside and avoided it for years?
still 4000 slides is NOTHING. i'm sure i've mentioned my mentor, Ruben, in past posts. the man has probably over 90,000 slides that he has accumulated over the past 30 years in documenting Mesoamerican sites.
yeah...90 GRAND!!!
wHeRe da fuck do you store those? and how do you keep them from succumbing to the elements?
gee-zuhs
good thing he went digital about ten years ago, that's all i can say...
just back...
kinda busy day.
went to the chiropractor around noon. things are looking good. instead of four or five cracks when he adjusts my lower back, each side only clicked once. the big right toe is almost normal again. this time last year, it was swollen and resembled a goutish digit...ewww. the neck? well, it's moving better and freer. the doc said that i may only need to come as the need arises after next saturday.
there's nothing like an occasional chiropractic adjustment. i feel a couple inches taller every time i leave the office. now, i need to see my massage therapist a couple times and you'll be able to trade me in for higher than book value ;)
after our treatments (lois has had pelvic problems), we had lunch at a sub shop just down the street from the chiro office. mmmm...
this shop is called New York Subs (i think their official name is New York NY Fresh Deli). and although i know nothing about a REAL NY sub, i do know that these were the best sammiches we've had in a LONG time. we ordered a Soho (turkey, salami, and provolone) and a Bronx Bomber (corned beef, pastrami, and provolone).
drool.
when it comes to sandwiches, i am a fiend for salami, pastrami, and/or roast beef. and there's nothing like high quality meat (even on white bread). who cares if you have specialty breads or artisan cheese - it's the meat, dummy.
sigh
eh-knee-weigh...
we came back home and filtered through a couple hundred slides, looking for a few that we're going to submit w/ a 250 word story for a travel contest sponsored by budgettravel magazine. ya see, every month, there's a trip giveaway to the best reader submitted (true) story. some of the trips that have been given away over the last couple years are:
week in Rome
African safari
rainforest expedition in Costa Rica
this month, though, the top prize is a week in Tahiti. think we ain't goin' for it?
i'll keep you posted on what we're going to submit. although lois and i have dozens of stories over the past 15 years, we feel that there are only a couple that are worth repeating ad nauseam. well, mebbe six...but three would hopefully make prize winning entries.
i think you all have read the most wacko story (my Kobe earthquake story via Guatemala). unfortunately, it's so bizarre that i think most reviewers at budgettravel wouldn't believe it. however, the two others are somewhat touching and pull at the heartstrings.
up for your consideration are:
Let's Save Her [an account of five adventure travelers in the Bolivian pampas who foolishly dislodge a female brahma from the all encompassing muck, while a curious (but probably hungry) alligator watched from afar].
don't worry, that's not the title we're submitting...but that's exactly what happened
AND
Seeking peace between Chiapanecos and national best interest: Hunger brought on by military strife is killing us (the witnessing of a peace rally in the main plaza of Comitán, México...from the front row).
we've got to submit one by the end of the month...so look for a draft within the next week or two!
went to the chiropractor around noon. things are looking good. instead of four or five cracks when he adjusts my lower back, each side only clicked once. the big right toe is almost normal again. this time last year, it was swollen and resembled a goutish digit...ewww. the neck? well, it's moving better and freer. the doc said that i may only need to come as the need arises after next saturday.
there's nothing like an occasional chiropractic adjustment. i feel a couple inches taller every time i leave the office. now, i need to see my massage therapist a couple times and you'll be able to trade me in for higher than book value ;)
after our treatments (lois has had pelvic problems), we had lunch at a sub shop just down the street from the chiro office. mmmm...
this shop is called New York Subs (i think their official name is New York NY Fresh Deli). and although i know nothing about a REAL NY sub, i do know that these were the best sammiches we've had in a LONG time. we ordered a Soho (turkey, salami, and provolone) and a Bronx Bomber (corned beef, pastrami, and provolone).
drool.
when it comes to sandwiches, i am a fiend for salami, pastrami, and/or roast beef. and there's nothing like high quality meat (even on white bread). who cares if you have specialty breads or artisan cheese - it's the meat, dummy.
sigh
eh-knee-weigh...
we came back home and filtered through a couple hundred slides, looking for a few that we're going to submit w/ a 250 word story for a travel contest sponsored by budgettravel magazine. ya see, every month, there's a trip giveaway to the best reader submitted (true) story. some of the trips that have been given away over the last couple years are:
week in Rome
African safari
rainforest expedition in Costa Rica
this month, though, the top prize is a week in Tahiti. think we ain't goin' for it?
i'll keep you posted on what we're going to submit. although lois and i have dozens of stories over the past 15 years, we feel that there are only a couple that are worth repeating ad nauseam. well, mebbe six...but three would hopefully make prize winning entries.
i think you all have read the most wacko story (my Kobe earthquake story via Guatemala). unfortunately, it's so bizarre that i think most reviewers at budgettravel wouldn't believe it. however, the two others are somewhat touching and pull at the heartstrings.
up for your consideration are:
Let's Save Her [an account of five adventure travelers in the Bolivian pampas who foolishly dislodge a female brahma from the all encompassing muck, while a curious (but probably hungry) alligator watched from afar].
don't worry, that's not the title we're submitting...but that's exactly what happened
AND
Seeking peace between Chiapanecos and national best interest: Hunger brought on by military strife is killing us (the witnessing of a peace rally in the main plaza of Comitán, México...from the front row).
we've got to submit one by the end of the month...so look for a draft within the next week or two!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
shit like this...
only interests odd people who stay up late and are into death/murder/strange endings...like me.
50 MOST AWESOMELY DEAD ROCK STARS
it's almost surreal to think that i've outlived many of these icons...hmmm.
with death comes notoriety...and sometimes, notoriety makes the living wish they were dead.
one of my favorites is #45, still one of the best rock drummers ever. Long live Keith Moon...
50 MOST AWESOMELY DEAD ROCK STARS
it's almost surreal to think that i've outlived many of these icons...hmmm.
with death comes notoriety...and sometimes, notoriety makes the living wish they were dead.
one of my favorites is #45, still one of the best rock drummers ever. Long live Keith Moon...
Friday, March 03, 2006
i think...
i've sold out. however, it was done out of sheer curiousity. i'll let you know in a couple days. or you may just see it and figure it out for yerselves.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
hiya...
sure is nice outside and here i am blogging about it instead of enjoying it. i guess if i had a laptop, i could do both.
hmmm. been thinking about partaking in Denver Restaurant Week which is an eight day celebration of the dining industry. for $26.40 per person ($52.80 a couple - didja guess that it's presented by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau), you can get at least a three course meal (and even more with some places) at one of 120 participating restaurants. i checked out about a dozen places that we haven't been and thought we may just have to do it tonight. with weather this nice in february/early march, you gotta take advantage of getting out...even more of a reason to not cook heh.
i read in the paper that last saturday was the busiest day ever for one restaurant and was an all-around hit. really, it is a pretty good deal because at more expensive places such as Kevin Taylor, Elway's, 1515, Capital Grille, Highland's Garden Cafe, Mirepoix, etc., $26.40 barely covers an entree...let alone an appetizer (or salad) AND dessert too.
i see that Little India is on the list. now, normally, we don't spend more than $50 for a meal there but it may be worthwhile to get one three course and add another entree and glass of wine. lois was mentioning a couple days ago that it was just about time for some vindaloo and saag. still, there are at least 15 other places that have some really exotic menus...
will keep you posted
hmmm. been thinking about partaking in Denver Restaurant Week which is an eight day celebration of the dining industry. for $26.40 per person ($52.80 a couple - didja guess that it's presented by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau), you can get at least a three course meal (and even more with some places) at one of 120 participating restaurants. i checked out about a dozen places that we haven't been and thought we may just have to do it tonight. with weather this nice in february/early march, you gotta take advantage of getting out...even more of a reason to not cook heh.
i read in the paper that last saturday was the busiest day ever for one restaurant and was an all-around hit. really, it is a pretty good deal because at more expensive places such as Kevin Taylor, Elway's, 1515, Capital Grille, Highland's Garden Cafe, Mirepoix, etc., $26.40 barely covers an entree...let alone an appetizer (or salad) AND dessert too.
i see that Little India is on the list. now, normally, we don't spend more than $50 for a meal there but it may be worthwhile to get one three course and add another entree and glass of wine. lois was mentioning a couple days ago that it was just about time for some vindaloo and saag. still, there are at least 15 other places that have some really exotic menus...
will keep you posted
Sunday, February 26, 2006
another announcement...
got a new computer on monday and DSL on friday...we're stylin' now! oh yeah, we joined netflix too. so far, we've put on about three dozen movies on our list.
netflix claims to have over 55,000 titles. to watch all of 'em would mean having one on 24/7 for a minimum of nine years. we'd be lucky to catch 125 a year - 200 for the obsessed.
netflix claims to have over 55,000 titles. to watch all of 'em would mean having one on 24/7 for a minimum of nine years. we'd be lucky to catch 125 a year - 200 for the obsessed.
an announcement...
Happy Birthday to my mom ('29), sister (Shirley - '58), and friend ('54). i just found out that one of them plays Boggle and is claims to be killer at it. we'll see. i got both boggle and boggle master (aka Big Boggle). name the time and place ;)
Sunday, February 19, 2006
so not in the mood...
i've been experiencing major blogging issues...like posting at all. who hasn't felt antisocial when it comes to blogging?
haven't they come out with a pill for that? you know, zoe-loft for uninspired bloggers...
yesterday was a busy day out. we had chiropractor appts. around noon...went to cindi's favorite (appelbee's)...dropped off an extra computer/laser printer/monitor at our friend's (Alem) house...set it up...played with her youngest (Ben - 9 mos.)...and rushed home to get ready for our 5:00 reservation at Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House.
man, talk about layering. the wind was quite unforgiving yesterday. usually, when the sun is out...the cold temps don't seem so bad...but when it's less than 10 degrees and windy? only staying in helps.
we were a bit late for our reservation...ten minutes. it's nice to arrive at DCPA's parking garage early. you're not nervously scanning left and right for a space on the first two or three levels...we got one in the middle (near the elevators and handicap ramp).
the corner table is actually where we sat last night. it's a kinda secluded deuce that faces out into the open dining room. we much prefer this over sitting in the middle where people bump into you and conversations seem futile.
instead of fighting the crowds at Valentine's, we decided to make this outing our 'date.' we indulged to say the least...and the bill reflected it ($162 w/ tip - yikes). that's cool though. ya gotta do it once in a while.
anway, as usual, lois and i got different salads and entrees to share. she wanted the watercress salad w/ poached pear, gorgonzola, walnuts, and a mustard vinaigrette...while i opted for the arugula salad w/ (teeny) cherry and pear tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and parma ham.
hers was better - i love anything w/ pear. still, arugula in a (good, aged) balsamic vinegar is always tasty.
for our entrees, she ordered the beef tenderloin and i had the diver scallops (think of triple height sea scallops). unfortunately, i ended up getting most of the tenderloin because they undercooked it...and lois doesn't like to send food back. it was a boon for me though. i prefer medium rare...and that's what it was (w/ some rare parts).
the only slight disappointment of our meal was the wait for an overpriced and very mediocre cherry crisp. i don't mind paying $8 for a 'fancy' dessert as long as it lives up to its verbage. ah well. the service was excellent and the coffee was strong...leading to some major eye bulge when we departed for Boettcher
...where Bernadette Peters was performing. and she was PHENOMENAL.
prior to reading the program, i had only known her from movies such as 'The Jerk' and 'Pennies From Heaven' and recent stage productions of Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy..
we had NO idea that she got her theater equity card when she was 9(!)...and that she just celebrated her 58th birthday this month!!! she looks 38...
her voice and range are so impressive. she came out in a silvery white sequined gown that was drawing a lotta ogling. her musical numbers were mainly sondheim, lloyd webber, rodgers/hammerstein/hart and irving berlin. she even covered Peggy Lee's 'Fever' and it was WAY BETTER.
she was smokin! she sang straight through without an intermission. probably a little less than 85 minutes. she wowed the whole crowd though.
another show this thursday (Showcase of American Composers). this time, we've got reservations at the Palomino. we're gonna save a little money and opt for their first seating special...basically, a three course meal w/ coffee for $19.95 ;)
haven't they come out with a pill for that? you know, zoe-loft for uninspired bloggers...
yesterday was a busy day out. we had chiropractor appts. around noon...went to cindi's favorite (appelbee's)...dropped off an extra computer/laser printer/monitor at our friend's (Alem) house...set it up...played with her youngest (Ben - 9 mos.)...and rushed home to get ready for our 5:00 reservation at Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House.
man, talk about layering. the wind was quite unforgiving yesterday. usually, when the sun is out...the cold temps don't seem so bad...but when it's less than 10 degrees and windy? only staying in helps.
we were a bit late for our reservation...ten minutes. it's nice to arrive at DCPA's parking garage early. you're not nervously scanning left and right for a space on the first two or three levels...we got one in the middle (near the elevators and handicap ramp).
the corner table is actually where we sat last night. it's a kinda secluded deuce that faces out into the open dining room. we much prefer this over sitting in the middle where people bump into you and conversations seem futile.
instead of fighting the crowds at Valentine's, we decided to make this outing our 'date.' we indulged to say the least...and the bill reflected it ($162 w/ tip - yikes). that's cool though. ya gotta do it once in a while.
anway, as usual, lois and i got different salads and entrees to share. she wanted the watercress salad w/ poached pear, gorgonzola, walnuts, and a mustard vinaigrette...while i opted for the arugula salad w/ (teeny) cherry and pear tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and parma ham.
hers was better - i love anything w/ pear. still, arugula in a (good, aged) balsamic vinegar is always tasty.
for our entrees, she ordered the beef tenderloin and i had the diver scallops (think of triple height sea scallops). unfortunately, i ended up getting most of the tenderloin because they undercooked it...and lois doesn't like to send food back. it was a boon for me though. i prefer medium rare...and that's what it was (w/ some rare parts).
the only slight disappointment of our meal was the wait for an overpriced and very mediocre cherry crisp. i don't mind paying $8 for a 'fancy' dessert as long as it lives up to its verbage. ah well. the service was excellent and the coffee was strong...leading to some major eye bulge when we departed for Boettcher
...where Bernadette Peters was performing. and she was PHENOMENAL.
prior to reading the program, i had only known her from movies such as 'The Jerk' and 'Pennies From Heaven' and recent stage productions of Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy..
we had NO idea that she got her theater equity card when she was 9(!)...and that she just celebrated her 58th birthday this month!!! she looks 38...her voice and range are so impressive. she came out in a silvery white sequined gown that was drawing a lotta ogling. her musical numbers were mainly sondheim, lloyd webber, rodgers/hammerstein/hart and irving berlin. she even covered Peggy Lee's 'Fever' and it was WAY BETTER.
she was smokin! she sang straight through without an intermission. probably a little less than 85 minutes. she wowed the whole crowd though.
another show this thursday (Showcase of American Composers). this time, we've got reservations at the Palomino. we're gonna save a little money and opt for their first seating special...basically, a three course meal w/ coffee for $19.95 ;)
Friday, February 17, 2006
fun...
we've got 5:00 reservations at Kevin Taylor's Restaurant (in the Ellie Caulkin's Opera House) tomorrow night.
afterwards, we're going upstairs (out to Boettcher Concert Hall) to see Bernadette Peters...
FUN
unfortunately, the high tomorrow is supposed to top out at 20 degrees.
not so fun...
ah well, better tomorrow than today. right now, the outside temps are slowly inching into the minus readings. in fact, the wind chill is 15 below. weathering cold temps like that surely make homeless people older. jeez, just being out in the elements...
what sucks even more is the current temperature in Hollywood, FL. it's 8PM there and it's 70 degrees...grrr
afterwards, we're going upstairs (out to Boettcher Concert Hall) to see Bernadette Peters...
FUN
unfortunately, the high tomorrow is supposed to top out at 20 degrees.
not so fun...
ah well, better tomorrow than today. right now, the outside temps are slowly inching into the minus readings. in fact, the wind chill is 15 below. weathering cold temps like that surely make homeless people older. jeez, just being out in the elements...
what sucks even more is the current temperature in Hollywood, FL. it's 8PM there and it's 70 degrees...grrr
Saturday, February 11, 2006
tee vee...
off to watch the winter games. didn't catch the opening ceremonies last night. i hear that disco was a major theme...ooh. never was one to watch the opening ceremonies anyway. i've always hated the cold; seeing everyone march into the stadium just makes me colder.
did catch some of the nordic combined this afternoon. it was the first half of the competition (i.e., ski jumping). the best (american) hope for a medal, Todd Lodwick (from Steamboat) finished 8th...
well, what's on for tonight?
did catch some of the nordic combined this afternoon. it was the first half of the competition (i.e., ski jumping). the best (american) hope for a medal, Todd Lodwick (from Steamboat) finished 8th...
well, what's on for tonight?
what i wanna know...
is how someone can watch 18-22 movies per month through Netflix? that guy was definitely getting his money worth...
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
my niece...
i absolutely adore her...yet i hate her at the same time. she asked me recently to keep a look out for cheapo fares from florida (ft. lauderdale and miami, specifically) to Jamaica. what i hate is that she's living in a city that has some of the cheapest fares to the caribbean and latin america; it is such a gateway. argh ;)
if i wanted to go to Kingston, Jamaica from Denver, it'd cost $600+. for her, she can get a sale and go for just under $200. i guess it doesn't hurt to be 1650 miles closer either...
sigh...i SO want to go somewhere.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW.
went to see 'Walk the Line' last sunday. you know, the johnny cash hollywood take on his life. last year, it was ray charles. whozit gonna be this year? boy george?
anyway, after seeing ads for 1/2 price Dr. Doolittle tix an hour before the show, we were contemplating on getting a couple seats. that is...until we read Cindi's review. still, they were half price. that is...until we read the theater critic's review in the paper. nah. even at half price.
so...we've decided to catch matinee showings of the Oscar nominees every sunday until the awards ceremony on march 5th. i know Walk...isn't nominated for best pic, so that leaves us with four more to see (we've already seen 'Crash'):
Brokeback Mtn.
Good Night, and Good Luck
Capote
Munich
i'm not sure if we're gonna see 'Munich' though. 'Transamerica' and 'Syriana' look intriguing though. and the best foreign (picture) nominees? we haven't seen a single one. of course, of the five nominees, three have yet to be released (at the end of the month), one is already on DVD, and the other might not be released in the States. oh well.
mebbe we'll see Capote this sunday. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an exceptional actor. he was outstanding in 'Flawless', 'Patch Adams', and 'Cold Mountain.' we have yet to see him in 'Love, Liza', for which he was critically acclaimed.
if i wanted to go to Kingston, Jamaica from Denver, it'd cost $600+. for her, she can get a sale and go for just under $200. i guess it doesn't hurt to be 1650 miles closer either...
sigh...i SO want to go somewhere.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW.
went to see 'Walk the Line' last sunday. you know, the johnny cash hollywood take on his life. last year, it was ray charles. whozit gonna be this year? boy george?
anyway, after seeing ads for 1/2 price Dr. Doolittle tix an hour before the show, we were contemplating on getting a couple seats. that is...until we read Cindi's review. still, they were half price. that is...until we read the theater critic's review in the paper. nah. even at half price.
so...we've decided to catch matinee showings of the Oscar nominees every sunday until the awards ceremony on march 5th. i know Walk...isn't nominated for best pic, so that leaves us with four more to see (we've already seen 'Crash'):
Brokeback Mtn.
Good Night, and Good Luck
Capote
Munich
i'm not sure if we're gonna see 'Munich' though. 'Transamerica' and 'Syriana' look intriguing though. and the best foreign (picture) nominees? we haven't seen a single one. of course, of the five nominees, three have yet to be released (at the end of the month), one is already on DVD, and the other might not be released in the States. oh well.
mebbe we'll see Capote this sunday. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an exceptional actor. he was outstanding in 'Flawless', 'Patch Adams', and 'Cold Mountain.' we have yet to see him in 'Love, Liza', for which he was critically acclaimed.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
in a slump...
from Mary's blog...which i should blogroll again. she's a riot!
~~The 4’s meme~~
4 jobs I’ve had in my life:
restaurant server
archaeologist
art museum teacher
1st grade tutor (remember that, J?)
4 movies I can watch over and over:
Central Station
Shall We Dansu?
Buena Vista Social Club
Margaret Cho: I'm The One That I Want
4 places I have lived:
Denver, CO
Columbia, MO
San Andrés Cholula, México
Bella Unión, Perú
4 places I have been on vacation:
Guatemala
Bolivia
Spain
Costa Rica
4 TV shows I like to watch:
Open All Hours
'Allo, 'Allo!
Are You Being Served?
Red Dwarf
4 websites I visit (almost) daily:
ebay.com
yahoo.com
imdb.com
blogspot.com
4 favorite foods:
Thai (from Taste of Thailand)
pizza (from New York Pizzeria)
chili dogs (from Hamburger Stand)
oxtail soup (made by my mom)
4 places I would like to be right now:
El Mirador, Guatemala
Argentina
Cambodia
Madidi wilderness, Bolivia
~~The 4’s meme~~
4 jobs I’ve had in my life:
restaurant server
archaeologist
art museum teacher
1st grade tutor (remember that, J?)
4 movies I can watch over and over:
Central Station
Shall We Dansu?
Buena Vista Social Club
Margaret Cho: I'm The One That I Want
4 places I have lived:
Denver, CO
Columbia, MO
San Andrés Cholula, México
Bella Unión, Perú
4 places I have been on vacation:
Guatemala
Bolivia
Spain
Costa Rica
4 TV shows I like to watch:
Open All Hours
'Allo, 'Allo!
Are You Being Served?
Red Dwarf
4 websites I visit (almost) daily:
ebay.com
yahoo.com
imdb.com
blogspot.com
4 favorite foods:
Thai (from Taste of Thailand)
pizza (from New York Pizzeria)
chili dogs (from Hamburger Stand)
oxtail soup (made by my mom)
4 places I would like to be right now:
El Mirador, Guatemala
Argentina
Cambodia
Madidi wilderness, Bolivia
Thursday, February 02, 2006
she has come over...
to the dark side.
my niece, whom i had mentioned in the weather pixie post, has started a blog w/ blogger. i'm very happy. she already had one with myspace.com, but that always seemed like a massive chat room to me. i was pondering going over there at one point...if everyone wasn't so darned young ;)
i wish i was ambitious and talented as she, when i was 22...
anyway, she's a student at Nova University, a brilliant painter/photographer/poet, so exotically beautiful, and a few months pregnant.
Bienvenidos mi sobrinita...
my niece, whom i had mentioned in the weather pixie post, has started a blog w/ blogger. i'm very happy. she already had one with myspace.com, but that always seemed like a massive chat room to me. i was pondering going over there at one point...if everyone wasn't so darned young ;)
i wish i was ambitious and talented as she, when i was 22...
anyway, she's a student at Nova University, a brilliant painter/photographer/poet, so exotically beautiful, and a few months pregnant.
Bienvenidos mi sobrinita...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
houston...
we have heat.
the guys finished about 2:15 and were gone by 3:30 (tons o' cleaning up). we've got the heat set at 68 and it came up fast...considering the first water to go through was 46 degrees.
it's unbelievable how quickly it heated up. with the old boiler, it could take two days to get it to the desired temp. and even then we had to set it at 75 degrees. i'm wondering if we could just set the new thermometer at 65 and leave it. although we'll only recoup the $10K when we sell the house, it'll still be nice to see (hopefully) smaller heating bills. $318 for natural gas was utterly preposterous...
guess who sat down on the radiator when she got home ;)
the guys finished about 2:15 and were gone by 3:30 (tons o' cleaning up). we've got the heat set at 68 and it came up fast...considering the first water to go through was 46 degrees.
it's unbelievable how quickly it heated up. with the old boiler, it could take two days to get it to the desired temp. and even then we had to set it at 75 degrees. i'm wondering if we could just set the new thermometer at 65 and leave it. although we'll only recoup the $10K when we sell the house, it'll still be nice to see (hopefully) smaller heating bills. $318 for natural gas was utterly preposterous...
guess who sat down on the radiator when she got home ;)
well?
do you agree?
i won't be able to tell you until i rent most of 'em ;)
however, we have been seein' some good movies...
how about 'The Eel' or 'In The Bedroom'.
speaking of Oscar nominations, Cindi, it might be good if you sat down and watched some of the videos that someone lent you...last year...ahem. at least watch the 'Oscar's Greatest Moments' tape w/ bfg. you MIGHT just enjoy it...
it's time to move that box off of the piano bench and in front of the TV, missy!
i won't be able to tell you until i rent most of 'em ;)
however, we have been seein' some good movies...
how about 'The Eel' or 'In The Bedroom'.
speaking of Oscar nominations, Cindi, it might be good if you sat down and watched some of the videos that someone lent you...last year...ahem. at least watch the 'Oscar's Greatest Moments' tape w/ bfg. you MIGHT just enjoy it...
it's time to move that box off of the piano bench and in front of the TV, missy!
didja know that...
a cord of wood will also produce one of the following:30 Boston rockers
460,000 personal checks
61,370 No. 10 envelopes
1200 copies of National Geographic
12 dining room tables that each seat eight people
89,870 sheets of letterhead bond paper
942 one-pound books
1500 pounds of paper
7,500,000 toothpicks
4,384,000 commemorative-size postage stamps
the heat equivalent of burning a ton of coal or 200 gallons of fuel oil.
geez.
almost...
just waiting for the boiler guys. they didn't quite finish yesterday...but they did get a lot done. friday, the removal of the asbestos and boiler dismantling took about four hours. after those guys left, the install guys were here for another two and a half. yesterday, four guys worked straight through between 9 and 5. hopefully, today they'll get done before noon. of course, i don't know what work looms today...
if anything, it'll be great to have heat for the first time in 11 days. we've been cranking the space heaters and burning lotsa wood in the fireplace. it's funny because we have about thirty logs that have been stacked in the backyard, uncovered...baking...soaking...drying..., for at least three years. our friend, Beto, dropped it off and we had been cursing him ever since.
ha...those babies have saved us.
we had forgotten how nice it is to have a real fire. the prefab logs that you buy at the store don't give off much heat since hot embers aren't produced. you get a firestarter (made of chips pressed in paraffin) and a few logs going - you're all set.
now, what to do with all those ashes...
if anything, it'll be great to have heat for the first time in 11 days. we've been cranking the space heaters and burning lotsa wood in the fireplace. it's funny because we have about thirty logs that have been stacked in the backyard, uncovered...baking...soaking...drying..., for at least three years. our friend, Beto, dropped it off and we had been cursing him ever since.
ha...those babies have saved us.
we had forgotten how nice it is to have a real fire. the prefab logs that you buy at the store don't give off much heat since hot embers aren't produced. you get a firestarter (made of chips pressed in paraffin) and a few logs going - you're all set.
now, what to do with all those ashes...
Friday, January 27, 2006
not quite...
looks like i've got a few more minutes to blog...lois is on the phone with her sister.
if you haven't already noticed, i've added some cities to weather pixie because...
Ushuaia is the southernmost town in the world, which we hope to visit this november (if) we go to Argentina.
Hollywood, FL is where my eldest niece, Natalie, lives. she's gonna deliver the first great grandchild of the family this july...whoa! i simply CANNOT believe that i'm gonna be a great uncle!
Abilene is the (major) town closest to where Lois was born in Texas. we're supposed to go to Coleman this may for a 60th wedding anniversary. we were last in that area of texas in 2002 (when the Hayman fire was raging here) for a (now traditional) family reunion.
Santa Fe is where my friend, Antonio, works. He's the curator of ethnography at the Museum of Indian Arts. We were drinking buddies in the 90's...who systematically terrorized the national anthropology meetings from '95 to '00. he's still terrorizing, but with charlie cambridge and ruben mendoza now (and they wrote the book on anthropological terrorism). that's okay though. seems that i've dropped out of the anthro circle/network...
if you haven't already noticed, i've added some cities to weather pixie because...
Ushuaia is the southernmost town in the world, which we hope to visit this november (if) we go to Argentina.
Hollywood, FL is where my eldest niece, Natalie, lives. she's gonna deliver the first great grandchild of the family this july...whoa! i simply CANNOT believe that i'm gonna be a great uncle!
Abilene is the (major) town closest to where Lois was born in Texas. we're supposed to go to Coleman this may for a 60th wedding anniversary. we were last in that area of texas in 2002 (when the Hayman fire was raging here) for a (now traditional) family reunion.
Santa Fe is where my friend, Antonio, works. He's the curator of ethnography at the Museum of Indian Arts. We were drinking buddies in the 90's...who systematically terrorized the national anthropology meetings from '95 to '00. he's still terrorizing, but with charlie cambridge and ruben mendoza now (and they wrote the book on anthropological terrorism). that's okay though. seems that i've dropped out of the anthro circle/network...
in transition...
the boiler guy came this morning to wipe out the half ton monster out of the basement. it took four guys four hours to hack that baby out. it's surreal how the boiler room echoes now... and with that done, the heating guy is back and is pounding out some old pipes that will probably be retrofitted with the modern stuff for the new, svelte model. in a gesture of kindness, the owner of the company brought over two space heaters to compensate for all the woodburning we did over the past few days. unfortunately, i forgot to take a pic of the behemoth before they hacked it up and took it out, but here's a photo of the model that's gonna replace it. notice that it's wall mounted...
so it looks like they should be finished on monday. let's hope so. and then you'll no longer hear about 'fweezin' anymore.
out for thai food tonight. we'll warm up there with spicy food and contemplate coming back; they may let us sleep in their kitchen if we're nice.
so it looks like they should be finished on monday. let's hope so. and then you'll no longer hear about 'fweezin' anymore.
out for thai food tonight. we'll warm up there with spicy food and contemplate coming back; they may let us sleep in their kitchen if we're nice.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
fweezin' part two...
although it's not that cold outside, it's downright frigid in here. ya see, we've had stronger natural gas smells lately in the basement. turns out that the 80 year-old boiler downstairs needs to go. however, before they put in that beautiful 95% efficient replacement, someone has to chop it up and remove it...along with the asbestos. oh joy...
even more titillating is the cost - $9440. i don't know how much the new model is, but i do know that there's more work than meets the eye. the boiler is a huge cylinder...roughly four feet wide by six feet high. it's set upon a cement pedestal (which will be removed) and is a major eyesore. so, once all that is out, they're gonna replace it with a unit that's wall mounted and about the size of two computer towers.
bi-iig difference.
it's too bad that this house isn't heated by a furnace. don't they run $1500? ah well, hot water heat is nice too...
it'll be so weird to have space in the boiler room. we're gonna have to call it something else though...mebbe the all things flammable room. after all, there's the xmas tree and wrapping paper all jammed into the corner.
poof
even more titillating is the cost - $9440. i don't know how much the new model is, but i do know that there's more work than meets the eye. the boiler is a huge cylinder...roughly four feet wide by six feet high. it's set upon a cement pedestal (which will be removed) and is a major eyesore. so, once all that is out, they're gonna replace it with a unit that's wall mounted and about the size of two computer towers.
bi-iig difference.
it's too bad that this house isn't heated by a furnace. don't they run $1500? ah well, hot water heat is nice too...
it'll be so weird to have space in the boiler room. we're gonna have to call it something else though...mebbe the all things flammable room. after all, there's the xmas tree and wrapping paper all jammed into the corner.
poof
Thursday, January 19, 2006
fweezin'...
brrr. do not want to go out for some groceries today. we've got company tonight, someone who works with lois...jen from boston :) she's the assistant to the pr guy. a really cute gal who simply adores lois - we like her heh.
i've been trying to decide what kind of seasoning to use for the pork tenderloin. adobo chile rubbed...caribbean jerk...emeril's baby bam...honey mustard...or apple cider. at least i do know that we'll be serving it with a mixed greens salad with cherries and granny smith apples; that nixes the apple cider i guess. some couscous and glazed carrots. we already have a bottle of gewurztraminer in the fridge but may concede to some sangiovese depending on what i decide for the meat flavor. the gewurztraminer would go well with a spicy or salty pork tenderloin and the sangiovese would pair well with a rich/hearty flavor.
we'll see.
jen said she'd bring over dessert...i wonder what though. heck, i'd be happy w/ oreos.
been checking out more things from the library. lois got a 28 cd audio version of a book. that should keep her eyes rested some. did i mention how her surgery went? well, it was the fourth surgery on her right eye that sustained a detached retina last january. this time, it was to remove the oil that was placed in there last march and to fix the (transplanted) lens that she coughed loose in a bout of pneumonia not long after the third surgery.
we went to the retinal specialist last thursday and he said it all looked good. the vitreous fluid in the eye was busily regenerating and everything was intact. even better is the glare that lois endured for a year is finally gone. unfortunately, she's got to get over a little double vision and slight headaches. hopefully, all that will subside in the next month.
yay!
btw, i went back to the corneal specialist last wednesday and he put me on some other drops (Lotemax). it's a weaker version of the prednisolone (Pred Forte)that i was on for roughly six months. apparently, if you take the Pred Forte drops for too long, it increases your eye pressure too high and cataracts develop. oh joy!
so i've gotta be on these lotemax drops every day for the next month and every other after that for another 30 days. he said that my dilation may never go down (groan)...but i'm hopeful. what else can i be?
hope you're all someplace warm.
i've been trying to decide what kind of seasoning to use for the pork tenderloin. adobo chile rubbed...caribbean jerk...emeril's baby bam...honey mustard...or apple cider. at least i do know that we'll be serving it with a mixed greens salad with cherries and granny smith apples; that nixes the apple cider i guess. some couscous and glazed carrots. we already have a bottle of gewurztraminer in the fridge but may concede to some sangiovese depending on what i decide for the meat flavor. the gewurztraminer would go well with a spicy or salty pork tenderloin and the sangiovese would pair well with a rich/hearty flavor.
we'll see.
jen said she'd bring over dessert...i wonder what though. heck, i'd be happy w/ oreos.
been checking out more things from the library. lois got a 28 cd audio version of a book. that should keep her eyes rested some. did i mention how her surgery went? well, it was the fourth surgery on her right eye that sustained a detached retina last january. this time, it was to remove the oil that was placed in there last march and to fix the (transplanted) lens that she coughed loose in a bout of pneumonia not long after the third surgery.
we went to the retinal specialist last thursday and he said it all looked good. the vitreous fluid in the eye was busily regenerating and everything was intact. even better is the glare that lois endured for a year is finally gone. unfortunately, she's got to get over a little double vision and slight headaches. hopefully, all that will subside in the next month.
yay!
btw, i went back to the corneal specialist last wednesday and he put me on some other drops (Lotemax). it's a weaker version of the prednisolone (Pred Forte)that i was on for roughly six months. apparently, if you take the Pred Forte drops for too long, it increases your eye pressure too high and cataracts develop. oh joy!
so i've gotta be on these lotemax drops every day for the next month and every other after that for another 30 days. he said that my dilation may never go down (groan)...but i'm hopeful. what else can i be?
hope you're all someplace warm.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
gluttony huh?
a food meme...
1. What's your comfort food? Either chili dogs or braunschweiger sandwiches. Boxed mac and cheese with a can of tuna is a close third.
2. What's the most you've ever eaten? I once had ten slices of pizza and two salads at a Pizza Hut when I was 21 or 22. I'm not sure if that's equal to the 16 tacos and two quesadillas I scarfed at a taquería in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1998.
3. What's your favorite restaurant? I'm not sure if i have one but I can tell you that my favorite type of food is ethnic. Of course, buffets are always good.
4. What's the grossest thing you've ever consumed? It's a tie between a vietnamese duck egg (the embryo is pretty well formed and is swimming in its juices) or a huge purple pig's foot sandwich in Cholula, Mexico.
5. What eating habits disgust you the most? Smacking lips or nose blowing at the table make me homicidal.
1. What's your comfort food? Either chili dogs or braunschweiger sandwiches. Boxed mac and cheese with a can of tuna is a close third.
2. What's the most you've ever eaten? I once had ten slices of pizza and two salads at a Pizza Hut when I was 21 or 22. I'm not sure if that's equal to the 16 tacos and two quesadillas I scarfed at a taquería in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1998.
3. What's your favorite restaurant? I'm not sure if i have one but I can tell you that my favorite type of food is ethnic. Of course, buffets are always good.
4. What's the grossest thing you've ever consumed? It's a tie between a vietnamese duck egg (the embryo is pretty well formed and is swimming in its juices) or a huge purple pig's foot sandwich in Cholula, Mexico.
5. What eating habits disgust you the most? Smacking lips or nose blowing at the table make me homicidal.
in a rut...
maybe this will get me out of it.
Five Weird Habits/Quirks
1. Although Dr. Pepper and Coke are my preferred brands of soft drinks, I must have root beer when I'm eating pizza.
2. I can't stand having a dirty windshield or driving someone else's car with one.
3. Whenever I eat steak, I usually cut off five or six pieces at a time.
4. When I'm on the can, I must have something to read. Okay, mebbe that's too much information ;)
5. I have two rings on my right pinky finger. On occasion, I'll twirl them out of habit. If I've set them down and forgotten to put them back on, I'll feel a bit out of sorts when I want to twirl them and they're not there.
Five Weird Habits/Quirks
1. Although Dr. Pepper and Coke are my preferred brands of soft drinks, I must have root beer when I'm eating pizza.
2. I can't stand having a dirty windshield or driving someone else's car with one.
3. Whenever I eat steak, I usually cut off five or six pieces at a time.
4. When I'm on the can, I must have something to read. Okay, mebbe that's too much information ;)
5. I have two rings on my right pinky finger. On occasion, I'll twirl them out of habit. If I've set them down and forgotten to put them back on, I'll feel a bit out of sorts when I want to twirl them and they're not there.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
busy is as...
busy was.
We got back from Phoenix on Monday afternoon, quite unwillingly. Three days in that city was simply not enough.
Other than some rotten beds at the hotel, it was blissful. We were able to visit the Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and Taliesin West on Saturday and Sunday. All three were impressive in differing ways. The Heard Museum, which is supposed to be one of the finest Native American museums in the nation, was just gorgeous and downright vast. The collection of both ancient and modern vessels, paintings, weavings, etc. was mindnumbing. It would take a good three days to take it all in. One wing that impressed me was the Sandra Day O'Connor room, which housed their intricate collection of kachina dolls, including one unreal piece that depicted multiple dolls in a ritual; the whole thing was carved from a stump of wood. Talk about 'wow.' Outside was almost as nice as inside - there are a couple very peaceful plazas with benches and an open air cafe that were perfect for just whiling away a lazy day.
The Art Museum, although under major renovation, had two really excellent photo exhibits. The first that we saw was a 150 year overview of photography, covering everything from daguerrotypes to 21st century digital imaging. Some of the black and whites from the 30's were especially striking. There's something about black and white photos from the depression era in the U.S. On an emotive level they affect me more profoundly than the most powerful photojournalistic endeavors today. Maybe it's the change of photochemicals over the past 70 years...maybe I'm just weird too.
Anyway, after traipsing around the second floor, which wasn't that great, we returned to the ground floor and stumbled upon a Barry Goldwater exhibit. I had no idea that this Republican senator from Arizona, who was known more for his conservatism, was a phenomenal photographer. Apparently, Goldwater was interested in much of the natural and cultural beauty of his state, quite evident in the stunning shots of Navajo weavers and geologic formations. It's good that he used slide film (back then) because the colors usually last 50+ years minimum.
brb
We got back from Phoenix on Monday afternoon, quite unwillingly. Three days in that city was simply not enough.
Other than some rotten beds at the hotel, it was blissful. We were able to visit the Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and Taliesin West on Saturday and Sunday. All three were impressive in differing ways. The Heard Museum, which is supposed to be one of the finest Native American museums in the nation, was just gorgeous and downright vast. The collection of both ancient and modern vessels, paintings, weavings, etc. was mindnumbing. It would take a good three days to take it all in. One wing that impressed me was the Sandra Day O'Connor room, which housed their intricate collection of kachina dolls, including one unreal piece that depicted multiple dolls in a ritual; the whole thing was carved from a stump of wood. Talk about 'wow.' Outside was almost as nice as inside - there are a couple very peaceful plazas with benches and an open air cafe that were perfect for just whiling away a lazy day.
The Art Museum, although under major renovation, had two really excellent photo exhibits. The first that we saw was a 150 year overview of photography, covering everything from daguerrotypes to 21st century digital imaging. Some of the black and whites from the 30's were especially striking. There's something about black and white photos from the depression era in the U.S. On an emotive level they affect me more profoundly than the most powerful photojournalistic endeavors today. Maybe it's the change of photochemicals over the past 70 years...maybe I'm just weird too.
Anyway, after traipsing around the second floor, which wasn't that great, we returned to the ground floor and stumbled upon a Barry Goldwater exhibit. I had no idea that this Republican senator from Arizona, who was known more for his conservatism, was a phenomenal photographer. Apparently, Goldwater was interested in much of the natural and cultural beauty of his state, quite evident in the stunning shots of Navajo weavers and geologic formations. It's good that he used slide film (back then) because the colors usually last 50+ years minimum.
brb
Sunday, January 01, 2006
another one...
come an' gone. Happy New Year. Hope you're all having the laziest of days. Let's just resolve to take more time to ourselves, whether in solitude or with loved ones. Life is too short to waste on meaningless quibbles; it cuts into our happy time.
nothing exciting last night. not even a champagne toast. we went out for dinner...without any reservations. of course, that means either waiting obscene times or settling for anything.
we did the latter. luckily, it wasn't 'just settling'...we were pleasantly surprised.
initially, we drove by a red lobster and olive garden. neither had a wait less than 55 minutes. so...we ended up at a little place called Applecreek (on Iliff and Havana). i think it used to be a Coco's or sumpin'. we had passed by it a few times, wondering how the food was.
pretty darn good. now, the offerings were diner-like, but with no wait...excellent service...and a pretty decent T-bone, we were outta there in an hour. about the time it would have taken to get a table somewhere else.
didn't go join the 180,000 people downtown. we did that once...froze our butts off...watched substandard fireworks...and almost walked into a pile of human poop as we shuffled our way back to the car. yeah, something i'd do againandagain.
nope. we went home and popped in a travel tape from the library. as you know, we had some documentaries that were made in the late 80's - 'The Burma Road' and 'The Pan-American Highway.' neither could have been more different in both locale and presentation.
these travelogues are two episodes of an 8-part british produced series for american public television in the 80's, called 'Great Journeys. each was narrated by a 'well-known' writer/poet/journalist.
well, the burma road was awesome. it chronicled the adventure of British journalist/broadcaster, Miles Kington, who traversed the 700 mile long corridor between Lashio, Burma and Kunming, China. the Road was hacked out by 200,000 chinese workers (some as young as five years old) between 1938 and 1939. it was originally used to supply China during the Sino-Japanese War and the first couple years of WWII. after the Japanese overran parts of it in early '42, the road was closed and supplies were flown over the Himalayas, which became to be known as 'The Hump,' for the remainder of the war.
this episode was made in 1987, before the Burmese military put the clamps on the people, ending basic freedoms of speech, and enforcing martial law. it was a much carefree time for the Burmese people and it shows.
Kington, was a phenomenal narrator. sure, he didn't speak the language well...and the travel conditions were rustic, even by third world standards, but he took everything in stride and interacted with many of the people he came into contact. he was the perfect traveler in every sense...or at least what they had on film ;)
the tape on the Pan-American Highway was almost a polar opposite. it was poorly narrated and condescendingly presented by some poet, Hugo Williams. having traveled much of the Pan-American Highway myself (in mexico, guatemala, costa rica, bolivia, and peru), i was offended in the way he made the route to be...a long sinuous path of filth, poverty, and shallow oddities. it was merely about his idiocy (without any self-deprecation) in traveling through lands in which he barely tried to speak the language, did very little research of each respective country, and catered to his sheer survival in a wild and dangerous place. BARF
at one point, we were appalled with one segment of him, talking to the herpetologist at the San Salvador Zoo. it wasn't the five minute conversation about snakes and politics that bothered us though. no...we were pissed that he chose a British ex-pat who had a skewed view of the politics. it just seemed less genuine and more self serving that he hadn't sought out an El Salvadoran.
i know it's rather subjective - the guy's point of view regarding the trip. i just feel the whole presentation did no justice whatsoever to the culture, history, and geography of Central America. when he could have showed and commented on the volcanic topography, tropical regions and occasional vast stretches of desolate land along this highway that crosses through 15 countries and gobs of diversity. we were disgusted by this video debacle to say the least...
ah well. it's not like we paid $8 to see it at the theaters. but hey, it gave me something to blog about, since the majority of my postings have been nothing short of innocuous.
we're off to lunch, a cheapie, and shopping now...maybe even in that order. have a great day!
nothing exciting last night. not even a champagne toast. we went out for dinner...without any reservations. of course, that means either waiting obscene times or settling for anything.
we did the latter. luckily, it wasn't 'just settling'...we were pleasantly surprised.
initially, we drove by a red lobster and olive garden. neither had a wait less than 55 minutes. so...we ended up at a little place called Applecreek (on Iliff and Havana). i think it used to be a Coco's or sumpin'. we had passed by it a few times, wondering how the food was.
pretty darn good. now, the offerings were diner-like, but with no wait...excellent service...and a pretty decent T-bone, we were outta there in an hour. about the time it would have taken to get a table somewhere else.
didn't go join the 180,000 people downtown. we did that once...froze our butts off...watched substandard fireworks...and almost walked into a pile of human poop as we shuffled our way back to the car. yeah, something i'd do againandagain.
nope. we went home and popped in a travel tape from the library. as you know, we had some documentaries that were made in the late 80's - 'The Burma Road' and 'The Pan-American Highway.' neither could have been more different in both locale and presentation.
these travelogues are two episodes of an 8-part british produced series for american public television in the 80's, called 'Great Journeys. each was narrated by a 'well-known' writer/poet/journalist.
well, the burma road was awesome. it chronicled the adventure of British journalist/broadcaster, Miles Kington, who traversed the 700 mile long corridor between Lashio, Burma and Kunming, China. the Road was hacked out by 200,000 chinese workers (some as young as five years old) between 1938 and 1939. it was originally used to supply China during the Sino-Japanese War and the first couple years of WWII. after the Japanese overran parts of it in early '42, the road was closed and supplies were flown over the Himalayas, which became to be known as 'The Hump,' for the remainder of the war.
this episode was made in 1987, before the Burmese military put the clamps on the people, ending basic freedoms of speech, and enforcing martial law. it was a much carefree time for the Burmese people and it shows.
Kington, was a phenomenal narrator. sure, he didn't speak the language well...and the travel conditions were rustic, even by third world standards, but he took everything in stride and interacted with many of the people he came into contact. he was the perfect traveler in every sense...or at least what they had on film ;)
the tape on the Pan-American Highway was almost a polar opposite. it was poorly narrated and condescendingly presented by some poet, Hugo Williams. having traveled much of the Pan-American Highway myself (in mexico, guatemala, costa rica, bolivia, and peru), i was offended in the way he made the route to be...a long sinuous path of filth, poverty, and shallow oddities. it was merely about his idiocy (without any self-deprecation) in traveling through lands in which he barely tried to speak the language, did very little research of each respective country, and catered to his sheer survival in a wild and dangerous place. BARF
at one point, we were appalled with one segment of him, talking to the herpetologist at the San Salvador Zoo. it wasn't the five minute conversation about snakes and politics that bothered us though. no...we were pissed that he chose a British ex-pat who had a skewed view of the politics. it just seemed less genuine and more self serving that he hadn't sought out an El Salvadoran.
i know it's rather subjective - the guy's point of view regarding the trip. i just feel the whole presentation did no justice whatsoever to the culture, history, and geography of Central America. when he could have showed and commented on the volcanic topography, tropical regions and occasional vast stretches of desolate land along this highway that crosses through 15 countries and gobs of diversity. we were disgusted by this video debacle to say the least...
ah well. it's not like we paid $8 to see it at the theaters. but hey, it gave me something to blog about, since the majority of my postings have been nothing short of innocuous.
we're off to lunch, a cheapie, and shopping now...maybe even in that order. have a great day!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
more to watch...
still haven't finished watching that 'Allo 'Allo third season yet. just haven't found the time...too bad the dvd is already a few days overdue. ah well, what's another quarter...
an early resolution: For 2006, we're gonna exhaust our vhs/dvd options at the library before we rent again. may as well find some stuff for free. and then we can do netflix...
got a few vhs tapes - at least you can renew those - such as 'Sophie's Choice' and 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'. also got a couple travel tapes of the Burma Road and Panamerican Highway.
guess we won't get out until our phoenix trip.
lois was surprised, to say the least. i'm glad she's not the snooping type when it comes to presents ;)
anyway, we'll be in phoenix from the 6th to the 9th. not only were the fares cheapo ($118 each), i also got a last minute hotel/car rental package for $278; we'll be staying at a Crowne Plaza in NW Phoenix. although it's about ten miles from downtown, the cost is about the same as staying in the central Econolodge and still having to worry about transportation.
$258 each for air/hotel/car is pretty good if you ask me. you can't even do that in Vegas...
so, i've just been reading up some on phoenix and its attractions. i figure we'll spend some time at the Heard Museum, long considered to be one of the finest Native American museums in the nation...maybe we'll frolic amongst the (20,000+) cacti and desert plants at the Desert Botanical Gardens...and drive out to Taliesin West (in Scottsdale), which serves as both the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and winter campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. tours are a bit steep there - $18 to $45 - but who cares?! this is a chance to see some work of one of the 20th century's most hailed architects up close.
one small disappointment though. we won't be able to visit with lois' friends, Brian and Peggy, while we're there. noooo...they're gonna be in Hawaii. ah well.
an early resolution: For 2006, we're gonna exhaust our vhs/dvd options at the library before we rent again. may as well find some stuff for free. and then we can do netflix...
got a few vhs tapes - at least you can renew those - such as 'Sophie's Choice' and 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'. also got a couple travel tapes of the Burma Road and Panamerican Highway.
guess we won't get out until our phoenix trip.
lois was surprised, to say the least. i'm glad she's not the snooping type when it comes to presents ;)
anyway, we'll be in phoenix from the 6th to the 9th. not only were the fares cheapo ($118 each), i also got a last minute hotel/car rental package for $278; we'll be staying at a Crowne Plaza in NW Phoenix. although it's about ten miles from downtown, the cost is about the same as staying in the central Econolodge and still having to worry about transportation.
$258 each for air/hotel/car is pretty good if you ask me. you can't even do that in Vegas...
so, i've just been reading up some on phoenix and its attractions. i figure we'll spend some time at the Heard Museum, long considered to be one of the finest Native American museums in the nation...maybe we'll frolic amongst the (20,000+) cacti and desert plants at the Desert Botanical Gardens...and drive out to Taliesin West (in Scottsdale), which serves as both the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and winter campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. tours are a bit steep there - $18 to $45 - but who cares?! this is a chance to see some work of one of the 20th century's most hailed architects up close.
one small disappointment though. we won't be able to visit with lois' friends, Brian and Peggy, while we're there. noooo...they're gonna be in Hawaii. ah well.
Friday, December 23, 2005
reelin'...
so bad i can hardly spell. good thing thomson edumakation of australia is there to support me...
just got back from a couple hours at some friends who live two doors down - Bob and Sabrina. they're one of the older neighbors on this block. i think they moved in three years after (1989)...
anyway, they had a little impromptu gathering for xmas...mainly people who live on the block, one co-worker, and someone's brother and his partner.
a lot of fun...
ya see, bobby is in the rock field. although i find the stuff in the rocks, he's the geologist. i just know some basics...
of course, his MA in Geology is sitting idle...as he's a Certified Financial Planner. it's somewhat strange to hear him talk about 529 Plans that are tax write offs and then segue into fossilized beetles and dinosaur teeth. i wonder if i'm off the wall like that when it comes to talking about past civilizations...
it was a great gathering though. even if lois and i are somewhat reserved around strangers, we were able to hang out with the kids (must be from being outcasts ;) and talk a bit with Kim, who works with Sabrina.
food was great. pepperoni pizza...double chocolate chip cookies, assorted nuts, serrano ham, brie, salami, pepperocinis, and seasoned sheep milk cheese (less strong than goats). and lotsa red wine(mainly and even a little Pale Ale (very hoppy and flowery...just the way i like it).
of course, after some good imbibing, lois pretty much goes to sleep...as evident by her instantaneous snore and wheeze once she hits the pillow.
i, on the other hand, am tempted to go back over with a bottle of Bodega Norton Malbec (a great Argentine wine that's slightly jammy and not dry like a cabernet).
then the guilt would settle in...
ah well, we can always have them over for some wine and beer too...
what the hell am i typing for?!? there are things to watch...i need to return the third season of 'Allo, 'Allo tomorrow. only five more episodes left...
seeya
just got back from a couple hours at some friends who live two doors down - Bob and Sabrina. they're one of the older neighbors on this block. i think they moved in three years after (1989)...
anyway, they had a little impromptu gathering for xmas...mainly people who live on the block, one co-worker, and someone's brother and his partner.
a lot of fun...
ya see, bobby is in the rock field. although i find the stuff in the rocks, he's the geologist. i just know some basics...
of course, his MA in Geology is sitting idle...as he's a Certified Financial Planner. it's somewhat strange to hear him talk about 529 Plans that are tax write offs and then segue into fossilized beetles and dinosaur teeth. i wonder if i'm off the wall like that when it comes to talking about past civilizations...
it was a great gathering though. even if lois and i are somewhat reserved around strangers, we were able to hang out with the kids (must be from being outcasts ;) and talk a bit with Kim, who works with Sabrina.
food was great. pepperoni pizza...double chocolate chip cookies, assorted nuts, serrano ham, brie, salami, pepperocinis, and seasoned sheep milk cheese (less strong than goats). and lotsa red wine(mainly and even a little Pale Ale (very hoppy and flowery...just the way i like it).
of course, after some good imbibing, lois pretty much goes to sleep...as evident by her instantaneous snore and wheeze once she hits the pillow.
i, on the other hand, am tempted to go back over with a bottle of Bodega Norton Malbec (a great Argentine wine that's slightly jammy and not dry like a cabernet).
then the guilt would settle in...
ah well, we can always have them over for some wine and beer too...
what the hell am i typing for?!? there are things to watch...i need to return the third season of 'Allo, 'Allo tomorrow. only five more episodes left...
seeya
i don't think so...
i was reading a sports article on Yahoo Singapore when a banner caught my eye. it seems that Thomson Education has a really lively banner that states, "Interest-free instalments (sic)" and "Enrol (sic) now!!!"
i'm not a PhD, but i always thought that those two words had two "els" (so to speak). i guess they can always enrol the bad spelers...
goofs
i'm not a PhD, but i always thought that those two words had two "els" (so to speak). i guess they can always enrol the bad spelers...
goofs
blog cleanin'
i should be wrapping some little presents now, before lois gets home.
BUT
i have a few minutes. besides, i've been busily changing a couple things on this hulking, literary mass.
as you can see, i've eliminated four cities from the pixie. i doubt anyone (but me) cares about the weather in thailand, new zealand, or selected cities in mexico. i'll have to think of a couple new ones...mebbe something near San Rafael, Argentina.
huh?
yeah. san rafael is a small town that our friends, Arn and Helena, moved to in september. i recall mentioning their domestic living upheaval in a couple posts in june. basically, they're two people who wanted to retire at a reasonable age and be able to enjoy it. a couple years ago, they had been researching faraway places such as Panamá and New Zealand, but checked this little Mendoza Valley - a wine growing region of Chile/Argentina - hamlet and decided that was it.
they recently sent us an email, entailing some of the goings on. the weather, has been in the 80's for four weeks now and they're in the middle of apricot harvesting. they talk of watching the fireflies hovering over the peach orchard while they bask in the starry summer night.
i hate them so
we're greedily planning a trip to see them perhaps in november...that'd be nice. i think i could even blog from there!
BUT
i have a few minutes. besides, i've been busily changing a couple things on this hulking, literary mass.
as you can see, i've eliminated four cities from the pixie. i doubt anyone (but me) cares about the weather in thailand, new zealand, or selected cities in mexico. i'll have to think of a couple new ones...mebbe something near San Rafael, Argentina.
huh?
yeah. san rafael is a small town that our friends, Arn and Helena, moved to in september. i recall mentioning their domestic living upheaval in a couple posts in june. basically, they're two people who wanted to retire at a reasonable age and be able to enjoy it. a couple years ago, they had been researching faraway places such as Panamá and New Zealand, but checked this little Mendoza Valley - a wine growing region of Chile/Argentina - hamlet and decided that was it.
they recently sent us an email, entailing some of the goings on. the weather, has been in the 80's for four weeks now and they're in the middle of apricot harvesting. they talk of watching the fireflies hovering over the peach orchard while they bask in the starry summer night.
i hate them so
we're greedily planning a trip to see them perhaps in november...that'd be nice. i think i could even blog from there!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
pixie...
changed one of the weather pixie cities for a bit. i've dropped Villahermosa in favor for Phoenix, since we're gonna go for three days on the 6th. besides, it's a good way for me to check on the conditions ;)
argh, even though i got the tix, i haven't booked a room. the accomodation selection in the greater phoenix area is vast. do we stay downtown...where it is a ghost town at night. do we stay closer to the airport...where the choices are cheap but w/ limited transportation. or do we rent a car and stay in a suburb...like Tempe, Mesa, or Scottsdale?
guess i should decide in a few days, eh? you know, before i forget about it in the holiday mix.
speaking of holiday mix, it seems that we have some old friends visiting again.
rodentia.
yep. i heard some scritching/scratching around this morning at one o'clock. it sounded like annie pacing around, like she needed to go outside.
no dog on the floor though. she was fast asleep on her throne.
after some more scritching, i figured it out. meester black mousie hustled across the floor and got all cozy underneath the dresser.
sigh. still have six glue traps...put four down...one stuck and frantic mouse on a trap this morning. we deliberately keep their opening underneath the dishwasher unblocked. we were gonna plug it up when a friend of lois' said, "why bother? it'd just eat through it."
true.
so even though they have a surefire entry/exit, it's a surefire place to catch 'em too. we'll see how many we'll come up this time. i think we got a couple a day for a week earlier this year.
nothing like an eighty year-old house with openings only known by critters...
well, all i know is that they ain't gettin' ANY of the yummy blueberry scones i made this morning. maybe that's because there's only two left heh. hey now, lois took four to work ;)
got a busy day today? not me. may as well finish some cards and actually get them out. that'll hafta wait until after the acupuncturist though.
it's only on tuesday when i'm holier than thou...
argh, even though i got the tix, i haven't booked a room. the accomodation selection in the greater phoenix area is vast. do we stay downtown...where it is a ghost town at night. do we stay closer to the airport...where the choices are cheap but w/ limited transportation. or do we rent a car and stay in a suburb...like Tempe, Mesa, or Scottsdale?
guess i should decide in a few days, eh? you know, before i forget about it in the holiday mix.
speaking of holiday mix, it seems that we have some old friends visiting again.
rodentia.
yep. i heard some scritching/scratching around this morning at one o'clock. it sounded like annie pacing around, like she needed to go outside.
no dog on the floor though. she was fast asleep on her throne.
after some more scritching, i figured it out. meester black mousie hustled across the floor and got all cozy underneath the dresser.
sigh. still have six glue traps...put four down...one stuck and frantic mouse on a trap this morning. we deliberately keep their opening underneath the dishwasher unblocked. we were gonna plug it up when a friend of lois' said, "why bother? it'd just eat through it."
true.
so even though they have a surefire entry/exit, it's a surefire place to catch 'em too. we'll see how many we'll come up this time. i think we got a couple a day for a week earlier this year.
nothing like an eighty year-old house with openings only known by critters...
well, all i know is that they ain't gettin' ANY of the yummy blueberry scones i made this morning. maybe that's because there's only two left heh. hey now, lois took four to work ;)
got a busy day today? not me. may as well finish some cards and actually get them out. that'll hafta wait until after the acupuncturist though.
it's only on tuesday when i'm holier than thou...
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
gettin' sleepy...
i hope i can make it through this post.
just been shoppin'. went monday night too for a couple things at Foley's (soon to be Macy's). surprisingly, there weren't that many people there that night. tonight, though, was another story. we didn't go there, but we did have to wiggle our way through their parking lot. funny how two days can be so different...
no, tonight we went to BedBath&Beyond for a really cute tea/coffee set for my sister-in-law. i was kinda at a loss for her present but i saw this and knew it was for her. also went on a mug mission. remember? lois' gifts for her co-workers this year are mugs, wine, or candles. so we picked up a couple more.
just around the corner lay Cost Plus...a great place for a wide selection of gifts, especially exotic prepared foods from all over the world. a wee bit pricy though.
nope. we settled on more mugs ;) and some blueberry scone mix. of course, we couldn't leave without some wine either...four bottles later heh.
oh yeah, i forgot to mention that we originally went to BedBath for a bathroom rug/toilet cover set. hah. they don't have sets. you wanna get the three pieces? it's gonna cost ya...like $50-$60 total. wtf?!? idontthinkso.
it was early though. we knew we could make it to Mervyn's and their 40-75% off (closing) sale. we had about an hour to spare, since they close at ten.
humph. right.
we get there and they're already closed. argh... you'd think that Mervyn's would join everyone and their mother in extending their shopping hours for the holidays. after all, isn't a going out of business clearance typified by 'clearing' things out? btw, we looked in and the selection still looked pretty good...even if they are already trying to get rid of the racks and fixtures as well.
target is just next door, but i can't stand the glendale store. i grew up going to that location. it lost its shopping charm when they tore down the old one and made it a super target with too many aisles and not enough bargains. the parking is such a shitty nightmare too. the place is always packed. pee-ew. i much preferred going to Kmart when they were open 24 hours at xmastime or a wally world at 3 AM.
so just ten more days of shopping. just three or four more gifts...i think.
hey cindi, i saw some rudolph stuff at bedbath. mainly 8" abominable snowman and yukon cornelius figures. not sure how much they were though...
nightynight.
just been shoppin'. went monday night too for a couple things at Foley's (soon to be Macy's). surprisingly, there weren't that many people there that night. tonight, though, was another story. we didn't go there, but we did have to wiggle our way through their parking lot. funny how two days can be so different...
no, tonight we went to BedBath&Beyond for a really cute tea/coffee set for my sister-in-law. i was kinda at a loss for her present but i saw this and knew it was for her. also went on a mug mission. remember? lois' gifts for her co-workers this year are mugs, wine, or candles. so we picked up a couple more.
just around the corner lay Cost Plus...a great place for a wide selection of gifts, especially exotic prepared foods from all over the world. a wee bit pricy though.
nope. we settled on more mugs ;) and some blueberry scone mix. of course, we couldn't leave without some wine either...four bottles later heh.
oh yeah, i forgot to mention that we originally went to BedBath for a bathroom rug/toilet cover set. hah. they don't have sets. you wanna get the three pieces? it's gonna cost ya...like $50-$60 total. wtf?!? idontthinkso.
it was early though. we knew we could make it to Mervyn's and their 40-75% off (closing) sale. we had about an hour to spare, since they close at ten.
humph. right.
we get there and they're already closed. argh... you'd think that Mervyn's would join everyone and their mother in extending their shopping hours for the holidays. after all, isn't a going out of business clearance typified by 'clearing' things out? btw, we looked in and the selection still looked pretty good...even if they are already trying to get rid of the racks and fixtures as well.
target is just next door, but i can't stand the glendale store. i grew up going to that location. it lost its shopping charm when they tore down the old one and made it a super target with too many aisles and not enough bargains. the parking is such a shitty nightmare too. the place is always packed. pee-ew. i much preferred going to Kmart when they were open 24 hours at xmastime or a wally world at 3 AM.
so just ten more days of shopping. just three or four more gifts...i think.
hey cindi, i saw some rudolph stuff at bedbath. mainly 8" abominable snowman and yukon cornelius figures. not sure how much they were though...
nightynight.
Monday, December 12, 2005
he's a good kid...
but i hate the kid across the street. and he's only fifteen. yesterday, he told me that he and his mom were leaving for São Paulo this afternoon. i wish i could go too...Brazil would be something else.
i guess they're visiting an exchange student that stayed with them. funny thing is, i don't recall ever seeing another person going in or out of that house, other than the kid and his mom. they're cool people, but i find it strange that they had an invisible exchange student.
earlier this fall, i was talking to the mom when she mentioned something about two Peruvian geologists who had stayed with them for a couple months. she wished that i could've come over to reminisce Peru and slug some Pisco (Peruvian grape liquor) down with 'em. thing is, i certainly don't recall seeing them either. did they come home late? in the dark of night? is there a back entrance to the house that i'm not familiar?
on a street with 23 houses, three of which are non-caucasian occupied, you'd think that two Peruvian guys would be pretty noticeable. i think the lady across the street may be going a little cuckoo...
oh well. i'm glad that they're going to escape Denver's winter for three weeks on the glorious Brazilian beaches. i'm sure it's going to be their first jaunt out of the country too. it should be a great experience for them.
i hope they get severe sunburns...
i guess they're visiting an exchange student that stayed with them. funny thing is, i don't recall ever seeing another person going in or out of that house, other than the kid and his mom. they're cool people, but i find it strange that they had an invisible exchange student.
earlier this fall, i was talking to the mom when she mentioned something about two Peruvian geologists who had stayed with them for a couple months. she wished that i could've come over to reminisce Peru and slug some Pisco (Peruvian grape liquor) down with 'em. thing is, i certainly don't recall seeing them either. did they come home late? in the dark of night? is there a back entrance to the house that i'm not familiar?
on a street with 23 houses, three of which are non-caucasian occupied, you'd think that two Peruvian guys would be pretty noticeable. i think the lady across the street may be going a little cuckoo...
oh well. i'm glad that they're going to escape Denver's winter for three weeks on the glorious Brazilian beaches. i'm sure it's going to be their first jaunt out of the country too. it should be a great experience for them.
i hope they get severe sunburns...
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
our house...
in the middle of our street.
got that song stuck in my head. of course, i doubt that playing it ad nauseaum over the past couple hours has nothing to do with it...
so freakin' cold outside. glad i don't have to be in it. this kinda weather is good for holiday card writing. i have already written six cards...what progress! yeah...
no. instead of making good headway with the cards, i've been arranging my coupon organizer. did you know i have 308 coupons in there? i bet i'll only use 10-20% in the next few months. i just threw away 125 and have 95 that i just cut out over the past 2-3 weeks that have to be put in.
OCD really stands for obsessive coupon disorder...and i'm the poster child.
okay, i usually have just a couple hundred floating around in there...but i've been cutting out duplicates and even triples for some items. ya see, i've decided to buy some groceries for my oldest sister for xmas. weird? not really. she hates shopping and has had little time to do so this semester since she started dental hygienist school. i think she'll appreciate it. i mean, it's not like i'm gonna get her all condiments or frozen food...just a little bit of everything. btw, i'm getting her some music too. let's call her present a holiday survival kit, alrighty?
got that song stuck in my head. of course, i doubt that playing it ad nauseaum over the past couple hours has nothing to do with it...
so freakin' cold outside. glad i don't have to be in it. this kinda weather is good for holiday card writing. i have already written six cards...what progress! yeah...
no. instead of making good headway with the cards, i've been arranging my coupon organizer. did you know i have 308 coupons in there? i bet i'll only use 10-20% in the next few months. i just threw away 125 and have 95 that i just cut out over the past 2-3 weeks that have to be put in.
OCD really stands for obsessive coupon disorder...and i'm the poster child.
okay, i usually have just a couple hundred floating around in there...but i've been cutting out duplicates and even triples for some items. ya see, i've decided to buy some groceries for my oldest sister for xmas. weird? not really. she hates shopping and has had little time to do so this semester since she started dental hygienist school. i think she'll appreciate it. i mean, it's not like i'm gonna get her all condiments or frozen food...just a little bit of everything. btw, i'm getting her some music too. let's call her present a holiday survival kit, alrighty?
Friday, December 02, 2005
argh...
i almost hate the radio during this time of year. not only do many stations play holiday themed music, they start it in november. there just ain't no escapin' it. this morning, i've been tuned into the pseudo-jazz station (104.3) while i've been on the 'puter. right now, there's a horrid rendition of 'Come All Ye Faithful' with a cacophony of synthesizers and electronic crap.
*shiver*
speaking of shivering, we gotta get away. lois has been simply overworked since september and desperately needs a break before her fourth eye surgery in early january. i've been turning over a lot of ideas in my head for appropriate xmas gifts for her...even though it's a year-long train of thought.
one idea is a trip to phoenix. the weather would (hopefully) be warmer than here...i've never been there...and one of lois' best friends (Peggy) lives there. remember when we went to Vegas last year (after xmas)? it was the bash for Peggy's husband's 50th. i think it'd be good to go and visit them for a few days...to get lois' mind off the pre-surgery anxieties.
mebbe that and sumpin' else...hmmm.
even though i haven't written one damn holiday card, i have done some shopping for others, mainly in the form of cds. BMGmusic had a good deal going - buy one for $17.98, get the rest for $1.99. of course, as any BMG scam, the shipping was $2.79 each cd. ah well, i still got 15 CDs delivered to my door for $106...better than getting them through amazon or tower. sure, i could try to find them on eBay, but it still wouldn't be cost or time effective in the long run.
so...i guess a few people are getting music this year ;) lois' list of co-workers are mainly getting cups/mugs this year. bedbath&beyond has these really nice cup and saucer sets for $5, in six designs. really cute.
*shiver*
speaking of shivering, we gotta get away. lois has been simply overworked since september and desperately needs a break before her fourth eye surgery in early january. i've been turning over a lot of ideas in my head for appropriate xmas gifts for her...even though it's a year-long train of thought.
one idea is a trip to phoenix. the weather would (hopefully) be warmer than here...i've never been there...and one of lois' best friends (Peggy) lives there. remember when we went to Vegas last year (after xmas)? it was the bash for Peggy's husband's 50th. i think it'd be good to go and visit them for a few days...to get lois' mind off the pre-surgery anxieties.
mebbe that and sumpin' else...hmmm.
even though i haven't written one damn holiday card, i have done some shopping for others, mainly in the form of cds. BMGmusic had a good deal going - buy one for $17.98, get the rest for $1.99. of course, as any BMG scam, the shipping was $2.79 each cd. ah well, i still got 15 CDs delivered to my door for $106...better than getting them through amazon or tower. sure, i could try to find them on eBay, but it still wouldn't be cost or time effective in the long run.
so...i guess a few people are getting music this year ;) lois' list of co-workers are mainly getting cups/mugs this year. bedbath&beyond has these really nice cup and saucer sets for $5, in six designs. really cute.
december...
already?
wow, this year has gone by much too quickly. just three more weeks of shopping and xmas card sending...ugh.
the weather is supposed to be pretty nice today, so i guess i'll try and get out to do some errands. i need to go downtown to the oldies station to pick up my prize that i won last month. this time, it's a $50 gift certificate to La Hacienda restaurant in Littleton. kinda far for lois and me but, after all, it's free food. we'll be able to share it with some friends who live near the restaurant...
lois is having some guurls over tomorrow morning...and the house is a mess (in her words)...even though you can't tell. does anyone wanna come over and clean with us? just floors and vacuuming.
tell me, in this day and age, does anyone even send cards anymore? i think xmas is the only time i don't send e-cards. not sure how many i'm gonna send but i like to try to get them out three weeks before. and since the three week deadline is sunday, guess how many i've written?
ZERO
mebbe e-cards aren't such a bad idea ;) in my mind, they're WAY better than sending the generic holiday letter that summarizes the year and just gets the john hancock on the bottom.
double ugh. why bother. i hate insincere shit like that...
wow, this year has gone by much too quickly. just three more weeks of shopping and xmas card sending...ugh.
the weather is supposed to be pretty nice today, so i guess i'll try and get out to do some errands. i need to go downtown to the oldies station to pick up my prize that i won last month. this time, it's a $50 gift certificate to La Hacienda restaurant in Littleton. kinda far for lois and me but, after all, it's free food. we'll be able to share it with some friends who live near the restaurant...
lois is having some guurls over tomorrow morning...and the house is a mess (in her words)...even though you can't tell. does anyone wanna come over and clean with us? just floors and vacuuming.
tell me, in this day and age, does anyone even send cards anymore? i think xmas is the only time i don't send e-cards. not sure how many i'm gonna send but i like to try to get them out three weeks before. and since the three week deadline is sunday, guess how many i've written?
ZERO
mebbe e-cards aren't such a bad idea ;) in my mind, they're WAY better than sending the generic holiday letter that summarizes the year and just gets the john hancock on the bottom.
double ugh. why bother. i hate insincere shit like that...
Thursday, November 24, 2005
like a rock...
not my abs, that's for sure.
no, all the food that i shoveled down my gullet has contentedly settled in like a lead brick. lessee here:
a small top sirloin steak (which was a day from becoming dog food...even tho' she got some too), a couple eggs, and toast for breakfast. (8:30 AM)
three plates of food at countrybuffet, which consisted of turkey, roast beef, carrots, corn, green bean casserole (which was the only disappointment), mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, bbq chicken, rolls, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. this was accompanied by a couple soft drinks and followed with hot tea, hot fudge pudding cake, vanilla soft serve, and peach cobbler. (noon)
m.o.t.s. but mainly turkey, mashed, sweet, peas, stuffing, fruit salad, and apple pie. sorry, only one and a half plates this time ;) (6:30)
yeah, lead brick alright...
btw, the turkey we had tonight was a free range gobbler that we got at vitamin cottage. sure, the $23 price tag for it was a bit more than the ($5-10) that we usually spend on a cheapo, hormone filled one, but it was worth it. we are converts now. never again will we buy a regular ol' turkey at the store. the meat was denser and much more flavorful.
p.s. $23 for an 11 lb. bird was not that much considering it was $1.99/lb. could you imagine buying the ones that were $4.49/lb.?!? sheeyit, it had better be an orgasmic experience...
am i hearing a thunk with everyone else? good.
no, all the food that i shoveled down my gullet has contentedly settled in like a lead brick. lessee here:
a small top sirloin steak (which was a day from becoming dog food...even tho' she got some too), a couple eggs, and toast for breakfast. (8:30 AM)
three plates of food at countrybuffet, which consisted of turkey, roast beef, carrots, corn, green bean casserole (which was the only disappointment), mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, bbq chicken, rolls, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. this was accompanied by a couple soft drinks and followed with hot tea, hot fudge pudding cake, vanilla soft serve, and peach cobbler. (noon)
m.o.t.s. but mainly turkey, mashed, sweet, peas, stuffing, fruit salad, and apple pie. sorry, only one and a half plates this time ;) (6:30)
yeah, lead brick alright...
btw, the turkey we had tonight was a free range gobbler that we got at vitamin cottage. sure, the $23 price tag for it was a bit more than the ($5-10) that we usually spend on a cheapo, hormone filled one, but it was worth it. we are converts now. never again will we buy a regular ol' turkey at the store. the meat was denser and much more flavorful.
p.s. $23 for an 11 lb. bird was not that much considering it was $1.99/lb. could you imagine buying the ones that were $4.49/lb.?!? sheeyit, it had better be an orgasmic experience...
am i hearing a thunk with everyone else? good.
is that like six degrees?
last monday, i was looking at a photo that was taken either in '97 or '98 on the fridge. it's of lois, hattie (a goddaughter who used to live next door), and andrea (a gal that used to work with me but moved back to s. carolina in the spring of '99 and lost touch with us a few years ago).
hattie is going to be eleven at the end of next month. she lived next door with her parents until '96 and has moved three times since then, ultimately ending up near her parents' childhood homes in Wisconsin. lois gets to see them once or twice a year when they come to town.
as for andrea, we have been wondering what's been going on with her. before susie became our 'official' housesitter, andrea was the first. she also was the dogs' - when there were three roaming (trashing) the house - original second mother. i think she dropped off the face of the earth either in 2001 or 2002...no replies to emails nor xmas cards. a couple summers ago, a mutual friend from s. carolina filled us in on some details when he was in town.
still, we wondered if we did or said something wrong...
well, on tuesday, lois and i were at wendy's when i saw a big, tall guy who looked familiar, but couldn't place. after awhile, i heard the man speak and recognized the voice...it was the little brother of Jennifer Jordan...who is a good friend of Andrea's and lives in s. carolina as well.
although i didn't speak to him (i knew he wouldn't remember me), the quiet 'andrea wondering' was stoked anew. i mentioned to lois how ironic it was that just the night before, i had looked at the picture on the fridge.
just last night, around 8 PM, we were lazing around when the phone rang. guess who it was...
yep. andrea must've gotten the vibes from 1500 miles away. she said that she had been thinking of us of late and decided to call, even though she was scared to death of getting the cold shoulder from us because of her disappearing act.
of course, we were thrilled to hear her voice and harbored no hard feelings. it took a couple hours to catch up, but now everyone is up-to-date and eagerly awaiting March, when she and her partner are coming to visit.
whew...and yay.
hattie is going to be eleven at the end of next month. she lived next door with her parents until '96 and has moved three times since then, ultimately ending up near her parents' childhood homes in Wisconsin. lois gets to see them once or twice a year when they come to town.
as for andrea, we have been wondering what's been going on with her. before susie became our 'official' housesitter, andrea was the first. she also was the dogs' - when there were three roaming (trashing) the house - original second mother. i think she dropped off the face of the earth either in 2001 or 2002...no replies to emails nor xmas cards. a couple summers ago, a mutual friend from s. carolina filled us in on some details when he was in town.
still, we wondered if we did or said something wrong...
well, on tuesday, lois and i were at wendy's when i saw a big, tall guy who looked familiar, but couldn't place. after awhile, i heard the man speak and recognized the voice...it was the little brother of Jennifer Jordan...who is a good friend of Andrea's and lives in s. carolina as well.
although i didn't speak to him (i knew he wouldn't remember me), the quiet 'andrea wondering' was stoked anew. i mentioned to lois how ironic it was that just the night before, i had looked at the picture on the fridge.
just last night, around 8 PM, we were lazing around when the phone rang. guess who it was...
yep. andrea must've gotten the vibes from 1500 miles away. she said that she had been thinking of us of late and decided to call, even though she was scared to death of getting the cold shoulder from us because of her disappearing act.
of course, we were thrilled to hear her voice and harbored no hard feelings. it took a couple hours to catch up, but now everyone is up-to-date and eagerly awaiting March, when she and her partner are coming to visit.
whew...and yay.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
guess not...
the bidding on the camera has eclipsed my max by about $10. what should i look for now...
i'm thinking of perusing the ads for some pre-thanksgiving sales. we used to join the throngs of shopping fools the day after, but we are just so anti-crowd now. i'd rather spend my time buying online through amazon, bmgmusic, bookcloseouts, and eBay.
just bring it to the door and i'll wrap it then :)
i'm thinking of perusing the ads for some pre-thanksgiving sales. we used to join the throngs of shopping fools the day after, but we are just so anti-crowd now. i'd rather spend my time buying online through amazon, bmgmusic, bookcloseouts, and eBay.
just bring it to the door and i'll wrap it then :)
oops...
nix one of the auction wins. apparently, i shouldn't have assumed anything. seems that someone outbid me with NINE seconds left. ah well. guess that'll give me a few more bucks to spend on the camera...
watchin' Christian...
susie's over with the kid. he just turned six months yesterday...yay! he's so good. other than cooing, sucking his WHOLE hand, and eating like there's no tomorrow, he's no trouble at all. right now, lois and i are planning to get susie and andy some $50 gift certificates to a few restaurants so we'll hafta watch leetle christian...heh
two outta three...
i won two cds and am waiting to place one last bid in about twenty minutes. it's for a camera that's worth about $180. mebbe i can get it for around $30...
what am i doing? i need two more cds and another camera like a hole in the head. 'course, after you get a half dozen or so (holes) you just get used to it :)
what am i doing? i need two more cds and another camera like a hole in the head. 'course, after you get a half dozen or so (holes) you just get used to it :)
just sittin' here...
bidding on a couple items on eBay. hope i'm high bidder...the auctions end in less than three minutes.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
just how far...
are ya gonna go with that needle?
as you know, i've been seeing the acupuncturist again for my eye and big toe, which are slowly getting better...just not as fast as i'd like it.
anyway, the last two visits, the last needle she placed has been just above my tear duct. she takes the needle and pushes it down as far as i can stand it (which might be a half inch), holds it there for about ten seconds, and removes it. the first time she did this, i felt a liquid sensation washing over my eye. kinda weird, but it improved the acuity of my vision - less haziness. this time, however, there was no liquid sensation. it did, though, drain the steroid drop that i instilled last night. i dunno how the drop would still be there since i usually taste the drop within the first few hours of putting it into the eye. perhaps my dilation will dissipate; that would be good.
i go back next tuesday for another session. i wonder what the long needle push will bring then...
as you know, i've been seeing the acupuncturist again for my eye and big toe, which are slowly getting better...just not as fast as i'd like it.
anyway, the last two visits, the last needle she placed has been just above my tear duct. she takes the needle and pushes it down as far as i can stand it (which might be a half inch), holds it there for about ten seconds, and removes it. the first time she did this, i felt a liquid sensation washing over my eye. kinda weird, but it improved the acuity of my vision - less haziness. this time, however, there was no liquid sensation. it did, though, drain the steroid drop that i instilled last night. i dunno how the drop would still be there since i usually taste the drop within the first few hours of putting it into the eye. perhaps my dilation will dissipate; that would be good.
i go back next tuesday for another session. i wonder what the long needle push will bring then...
they say...
they're going out of business, but the sale isn't great. i'm talkin' about Mervyn's. in sunday's paper, there was an advertisement stating, "Save Up To 50%!"
BULL.
everything in the store is more like 20% off...FULL RETAIL. nothing special there. and the half off stuff is the dregs of marked down out of season clothing. seems like they're trying to make a bunch o' money before they close.
mebbe we'll wait until everything is 75% off and try our luck then.
BULL.
everything in the store is more like 20% off...FULL RETAIL. nothing special there. and the half off stuff is the dregs of marked down out of season clothing. seems like they're trying to make a bunch o' money before they close.
mebbe we'll wait until everything is 75% off and try our luck then.
stayin' in...
kinda wanting to go to a cheapie...but it's just too cold outside. perhaps i'm not ready to let go of our mild fall temps. when is it gonna be in the 60's again? this 25 degree thing is for december.
brrr...and bleah
brrr...and bleah
Sunday, November 13, 2005
so full...
went out for a special dinner tonight. a twelfth anniversary dinner, to be exact.
and it was GOO-OOD.
our reservation was for 6:45 at Rioja, a relatively new restaurant that opened in part of the space that once housed Josephina's for a quarter century in Larimer Square.
all i can say is, "Wow." we haven't had excellent food and service like that in many years. the staff there made sure all the little details were taken care of. our dining experience was impeccable.
after our arrival, we were treated with a couple small flutes of champagne. lois was pleasantly surprised that they knew. of course, just a little note about it when i made the online reservations made it easy :)
we ended up with:
pear and caramelized onion flatbread as an appetizer...to die for! think of thin crust pizza with sweet comice pears, heady gorgonzola, smoky red onions, and fresh basil.
curried lentil soup. very smooth but not that special.
the house salad...which consisted of baby arugula, Medjool dates, gorgonzola, toasted almond vinaigrette. the spiciness of the arugula and the sweetness of the dates complemented each other well. put those two with creamy gorgonzola and the crunchy almond bits in the dressing and you have salad heaven!
pan roasted salmon with pistachio crust, roasted butternut squash, wilted chard, coconut curry sauce. a great medley of flavors...although the pistachio crust was a bit muted, the chard and coconut curry sauce were the true stars of this dish. i really liked the slight bitterness of the chard and the creamy red curry combination. makes me drool a bit just thinking about it ;)
hanger steak on a bed of caramelized onion mashed potatoes, baked gorgonzola stuffed figs, port wine reduction. now, hanger steak has become somewhat common in dining circles. you can find it in numerous restaurants in town (especially downtown). most serve it with mashed potatoes, some blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles, a red wine or port sauce and some haricot verts (aka slim green beans). the hanger at Rioja was smoky and the gorgonzola stuffed figs made it stand out amongst the sea of downtown hanger steaks.
are you familiar with hanger steak? it's a cut that was not normally available at the store because the traditionally butchers kept it all to themselves; it was that coveted of a cut for them but unknown to the general public. now, it's showing up on many menus of 'nicer' restaurants, so you still can't get it. basically, it's part of the diaphragm muscle that hangs between the loin and the ribs. the flavor is really rich and the meat is usually very lean and tender. think of it as a poor man's tenderloin. the hanger in France is kinda like top sirloin here (in popularity).
for wine, we had a half glass of Riesling with the appetizer. and with dinner, we decided on red. a chilean red from the Maipo Valley for Lois and an american cabernet for me. very nice. we even had some dessert wine...German...Auslese...very cold and apple-ly. ooh.
even though we shoulda passed, we gave in and topped dinner off with a warm pumpkin bread pudding. talk about sublime...spiced pumpkin, dried cherries, walnut streusel, whiskey caramel sauce, pumpkin seeds. what made it even sweeter was them comping it for the occasion.
we were so spoiled tonight. i know the initial reviews for the restaurant were a bit mixed (good food but not up to par service or great service and inconsistent food) but i think the all the problems at Rioja have been ironed out. we'll definitely go back...but with a little self control in tow the next time ;)
hope you all had a fine weekend...
and it was GOO-OOD.
our reservation was for 6:45 at Rioja, a relatively new restaurant that opened in part of the space that once housed Josephina's for a quarter century in Larimer Square.
all i can say is, "Wow." we haven't had excellent food and service like that in many years. the staff there made sure all the little details were taken care of. our dining experience was impeccable.
after our arrival, we were treated with a couple small flutes of champagne. lois was pleasantly surprised that they knew. of course, just a little note about it when i made the online reservations made it easy :)
we ended up with:
pear and caramelized onion flatbread as an appetizer...to die for! think of thin crust pizza with sweet comice pears, heady gorgonzola, smoky red onions, and fresh basil.
curried lentil soup. very smooth but not that special.
the house salad...which consisted of baby arugula, Medjool dates, gorgonzola, toasted almond vinaigrette. the spiciness of the arugula and the sweetness of the dates complemented each other well. put those two with creamy gorgonzola and the crunchy almond bits in the dressing and you have salad heaven!
pan roasted salmon with pistachio crust, roasted butternut squash, wilted chard, coconut curry sauce. a great medley of flavors...although the pistachio crust was a bit muted, the chard and coconut curry sauce were the true stars of this dish. i really liked the slight bitterness of the chard and the creamy red curry combination. makes me drool a bit just thinking about it ;)
hanger steak on a bed of caramelized onion mashed potatoes, baked gorgonzola stuffed figs, port wine reduction. now, hanger steak has become somewhat common in dining circles. you can find it in numerous restaurants in town (especially downtown). most serve it with mashed potatoes, some blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles, a red wine or port sauce and some haricot verts (aka slim green beans). the hanger at Rioja was smoky and the gorgonzola stuffed figs made it stand out amongst the sea of downtown hanger steaks.
are you familiar with hanger steak? it's a cut that was not normally available at the store because the traditionally butchers kept it all to themselves; it was that coveted of a cut for them but unknown to the general public. now, it's showing up on many menus of 'nicer' restaurants, so you still can't get it. basically, it's part of the diaphragm muscle that hangs between the loin and the ribs. the flavor is really rich and the meat is usually very lean and tender. think of it as a poor man's tenderloin. the hanger in France is kinda like top sirloin here (in popularity).
for wine, we had a half glass of Riesling with the appetizer. and with dinner, we decided on red. a chilean red from the Maipo Valley for Lois and an american cabernet for me. very nice. we even had some dessert wine...German...Auslese...very cold and apple-ly. ooh.
even though we shoulda passed, we gave in and topped dinner off with a warm pumpkin bread pudding. talk about sublime...spiced pumpkin, dried cherries, walnut streusel, whiskey caramel sauce, pumpkin seeds. what made it even sweeter was them comping it for the occasion.
we were so spoiled tonight. i know the initial reviews for the restaurant were a bit mixed (good food but not up to par service or great service and inconsistent food) but i think the all the problems at Rioja have been ironed out. we'll definitely go back...but with a little self control in tow the next time ;)
hope you all had a fine weekend...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
starting to fade...
sure, it's nice to have that extra hour for the end of daylight savings. however, that means falling asleep an hour earlier too ;)
not really an eventful day. went to see the acupuncturist this morning. pretty routine. although i did get a little extra work on my bum big right toe. just more needles and herbs - crossing fingers can't hurt either. i'm back on steroid eye drops for another three months...one every other day. i think i can handle that...
what i'm not willing to handle anymore is the damn dilation. having a huge left pupil and that crappy light sensitivity is finally getting on my nerves after five months. argh.
after the needles though, i did take a brisk stroll around Southmoor Park, which backs up against the parking lot of Dr. Wang's building. was it not a great day to just wander in the sunlight, letting go of your problems...even if you have to face 'em another day.
parched, i hopped in the car and headed over to the west Aurora Target (located in Buckingham). that store has much better buys than the Glendale store, which is much closer to the house but also a bigger hassle to find a parking space; it is such a zoo in the parking lot.
of course, i expressly went today to see if there were any Halloween throws left over. picked up a couple for half price ($4)...assorted junk food...and final markdown bath towels ($0.74 each!). suprisingly, i got outta there without spending over $20.
actually ate in tonight. we had been so lazy about cooking in october that all the food that we went out for, started tasting the same. really though, we ate in because we had reservations for the Chamberlain Observatory at 7:00. i'll tell you about that tomorrow, just too tired right now.
movies anyone? during october, we took full advantage of the free rentals on Monday at McD's. we watched Robots, Crash (which was really thought provoking), Because of Winn Dixie, and Lilo & Stitch 2. we also got Kicking and Screaming, but we didn't have the time to watch it.
and now that i KNOW i'm not making any sense...i'll go to bed
nightynight
not really an eventful day. went to see the acupuncturist this morning. pretty routine. although i did get a little extra work on my bum big right toe. just more needles and herbs - crossing fingers can't hurt either. i'm back on steroid eye drops for another three months...one every other day. i think i can handle that...
what i'm not willing to handle anymore is the damn dilation. having a huge left pupil and that crappy light sensitivity is finally getting on my nerves after five months. argh.
after the needles though, i did take a brisk stroll around Southmoor Park, which backs up against the parking lot of Dr. Wang's building. was it not a great day to just wander in the sunlight, letting go of your problems...even if you have to face 'em another day.
parched, i hopped in the car and headed over to the west Aurora Target (located in Buckingham). that store has much better buys than the Glendale store, which is much closer to the house but also a bigger hassle to find a parking space; it is such a zoo in the parking lot.
of course, i expressly went today to see if there were any Halloween throws left over. picked up a couple for half price ($4)...assorted junk food...and final markdown bath towels ($0.74 each!). suprisingly, i got outta there without spending over $20.
actually ate in tonight. we had been so lazy about cooking in october that all the food that we went out for, started tasting the same. really though, we ate in because we had reservations for the Chamberlain Observatory at 7:00. i'll tell you about that tomorrow, just too tired right now.
movies anyone? during october, we took full advantage of the free rentals on Monday at McD's. we watched Robots, Crash (which was really thought provoking), Because of Winn Dixie, and Lilo & Stitch 2. we also got Kicking and Screaming, but we didn't have the time to watch it.
and now that i KNOW i'm not making any sense...i'll go to bed
nightynight
Monday, October 31, 2005
don't need no stinkin' haunted house...
no 'Exorcist' movie either. nix the black cat. and put away that damn ghost outfit.
i'm reposting something that you probably read a couple years ago in my blog. i always wanted to post it for Halloween...and now's my chance.
THE ETERNAL HAUNTING
Every year, in December and January, I am reminded of something that has haunted me since January 16, 1995...6000 miles away, it was January 17th and 5000+ people were dying in an earthquake. Although I have no personal ties to anyone who perished in the great Hanshin quake that struck Kobe, Japan at 5:46 AM...that event and something that stemmed from it will surely follow me for the rest of my life.
I have never been to Japan. Someday, I will visit the Land of the Rising Sun and much of Asia. Ever since I was eight years old, I have had dreams of visiting China, Thailand, and Cambodia as well.
No, in January 1995, I was in Guatemala, visiting Classic Maya ruins at Tikal, Seibal, Quiriguá, and Copán (in Honduras). I had planned this trip for months, even retooling it when Lois and I lost a day after being stranded in Houston at the beginning of the trip. Although I had been to Guatemala twice before, I really wanted this trip to be extra special; it was Lois' first time.
What a phenomenal trip we had! We scaled huge pyramids, noshed on fantastic cuisine, and were mesmerized by both the hospitality and myriad of colors of the Maya people. Panajachel is a tourist haven for many foreigners. Many 'hippie/granola' types are drawn to the cheap prices and intoxicating views of the five volcanoes that ring Guatemala's most beautiful lake, Atitlán. It's also a good location to base oneself if you are considering shopping in Guatemala's world renowned open air market in Chichicastenango.
One morning, we boarded an old, retired, American school bus (the preferred form of mass transportation in much of Latin America) for the trek back to Guatemala City. After three days rest in the Panajachel region, we were ready to get back on the road to ruins (no pun intended). Quiriguá and Copán were on the itinerary. To reach those sites though, we had to take a bus back to Guate (nickname for Guatemala City) and connect on an eastbound bus there. It was 6 AM and we had just avoided getting on the wrong bus. We accidentally got on a bus that was loading for Quetzaltenango (better known as Xela, pronounced 'sheh-la'), which is not far from the Mexican border. The bus was headed west, which was the wrong direction.
Luckily, we jumped off the bus as soon as the bus driver and his helper started loudly whispering 'Xela...Xela'. Right when we got off the bus, a Maya man asked us where we were headed and we told him, 'Guate.' He directed us to the correct bus and we hurriedly thanked him and hustled over there.
It was still dark when we departed. The cold air of the mountains was still heavy and at least three or four hours from burning off. Bundled up and crammed into the seats like sardines, we started the bumpy route, passing through Maya towns on our way back to the capital. Riding chicken coop buses in Latin America is a life altering experience. You get to see how the 'common' people travel and witness their highly efficient system of filling the bus to at least double capacity - OSHA would have a coronary - and yet collect a fare from every single passenger. As Americans, we really have it too easy in our 2.5 vehicles per household. Here, twenty miles can mean 15 minutes on the highway. In Latin America, it can take an hour or more to travel that far on a third class bus...a lifetime by our standards.
Really though, riding chicken coop buses truly is life altering because it's usually a miracle if you survive the trip. Whether it's a fanatical driver who takes hairpin turns at 50 miles an hour (honking the whole time) or the tiny seats that are built to fit children younger than 10 (if you're 5'0", you're too big for the seats), you are downright thankful and praising God/Allah/Buddha the second you get off the bus, intact.
This bus was no different. I still recall seeing the capacity number at the front of the bus - 36 people. Ha! I'm positive that there were at least 80 people stuffed onto this bus, which lurched every time we rounded a curve. It wasn't too bad though. All the bodies crammed together made us forget about the chill outside. Occasionally, some cold air would sneak in every time the defective window towards the front slipped its notches and fell down. There was one mighty pissed off (but groggy) man who repeatedly pushed it back up. Ironically, the defective window was actually a saving grace; some of the odors of the locals' clothing, reminiscent of a cow patch, especially in close proximity, were starting to get to me. At one point, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I realized that a child who was strapped to his mother's back, two inches from my face, needed to have his britches changed - big time.
At that moment, I KNEW I was in for the longest three hour bus ride of my life. We chugged along the road, stopping in five or six towns, squeezing in just a few more people. Upon arrival in Guate, the number of passengers was starting to thin out. Small waves of people would shuffle off each time we stopped near a market-type place. Soon, the passenger count had dwindled to about twenty; we could finally stretch out a bit.
While Lois and I were idly chatting about a preliminary itinerary for the next week, I heard, "¿Japonés?" After fourteen of years traveling Latin America, I have become accustomed to being incorrectly identified as being Japanese. No sweat though. I know all Asians look alike and that only we can distinguish the different (Asian) races. Maybe it's in our blood. Asians, African Americans, and redheads are tourist novelties in Latin America. They make up the minority of the minority population, both in tourist numbers and citizenship.
Smiling, I looked up and saw that it was the little Maya man in Panajachel who directed us to the correct bus. I told him that I was Chinese. Looking sheepish, the man quickly apologized and explained the only reason why he had asked if I was Japanese was because he had heard about the massive earthquake that struck Japan and left five thousand people dead in its wake. We were a bit surprised because we hadn't heard anything about it. Of course, unless you're in Guatemala City or constantly buying a newspaper (if available), world news is not so up-to-the-minute in Guatemala. In some towns, the breaking news may involve two drunk men crashing a barn and sleeping with the livestock. You know, small town 'news.'
We mentioned to this man that we hadn't been near a newspaper for at least a week, but thanked him for the info. By then, only about five people were on the bus and it looked like we were all getting off at the last stop. When we exited the bus, we waved to the man and set out to look for a Rebuli bus, which would take us to Chiquimula.
On the way to Chiquimula, Lois and I discussed the surprisingly high number of fatalities. After all, the majority of earthquakes in Japan in recent years usually had death tolls of less than 200 (although one in 1923 did kill 140,000). Moreover, we were a bit stunned because Japan builds some of the world's most earthquake-proof structures and highways.
Although we still had another week in Guatemala, we made a mental note to look for news in the upcoming newspapers. We casually picked up a paper here and there, but Chiquimula is not even the center of eastern Guatemalan news, let alone world news. We didn't see anything in the news about the Kobe earthquake for the next week. In fact, it wasn't until we returned to the United States, when we finally got some news on it...and tons of it.
See, we got back to Denver in the late afternoon of January 16th...AROUND THE EXACT TIME THE EARTHQUAKE HIT. Our little Maya acquaintance on the bus had told us about the Kobe earthquake and provided a fairly accurate death toll figure ONE WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED...
To this day, this eerie encounter still haunts me. Did this man pass this information on to other people in casual conversation? Am I the only one whom he told? If so, why me? What good does it do to have a prognosticator who speaks the truth but isn't heeded? Or is it something else...something fated. Perhaps it's better that I believed that the quake had already occurred. Who knows if anyone would have believed me. All I know is that I will probably carry this as a guilty burden for many more years. I'm just hoping that one day, when I experience the epiphany that makes everything fall into place, this unreal (if not downright, frickin' surreal) encounter will be explained to me.
You know, some days I just wish I had dreamed the whole thing. More than a decade has passed and the torment has subsided little. Ugh.
Linda Blair? Saw II? Nightmare on Elm Street? Carrie? Friday the 13th? Please...
i'm reposting something that you probably read a couple years ago in my blog. i always wanted to post it for Halloween...and now's my chance.
THE ETERNAL HAUNTING
Every year, in December and January, I am reminded of something that has haunted me since January 16, 1995...6000 miles away, it was January 17th and 5000+ people were dying in an earthquake. Although I have no personal ties to anyone who perished in the great Hanshin quake that struck Kobe, Japan at 5:46 AM...that event and something that stemmed from it will surely follow me for the rest of my life.
I have never been to Japan. Someday, I will visit the Land of the Rising Sun and much of Asia. Ever since I was eight years old, I have had dreams of visiting China, Thailand, and Cambodia as well.
No, in January 1995, I was in Guatemala, visiting Classic Maya ruins at Tikal, Seibal, Quiriguá, and Copán (in Honduras). I had planned this trip for months, even retooling it when Lois and I lost a day after being stranded in Houston at the beginning of the trip. Although I had been to Guatemala twice before, I really wanted this trip to be extra special; it was Lois' first time.
What a phenomenal trip we had! We scaled huge pyramids, noshed on fantastic cuisine, and were mesmerized by both the hospitality and myriad of colors of the Maya people. Panajachel is a tourist haven for many foreigners. Many 'hippie/granola' types are drawn to the cheap prices and intoxicating views of the five volcanoes that ring Guatemala's most beautiful lake, Atitlán. It's also a good location to base oneself if you are considering shopping in Guatemala's world renowned open air market in Chichicastenango.
One morning, we boarded an old, retired, American school bus (the preferred form of mass transportation in much of Latin America) for the trek back to Guatemala City. After three days rest in the Panajachel region, we were ready to get back on the road to ruins (no pun intended). Quiriguá and Copán were on the itinerary. To reach those sites though, we had to take a bus back to Guate (nickname for Guatemala City) and connect on an eastbound bus there. It was 6 AM and we had just avoided getting on the wrong bus. We accidentally got on a bus that was loading for Quetzaltenango (better known as Xela, pronounced 'sheh-la'), which is not far from the Mexican border. The bus was headed west, which was the wrong direction.
Luckily, we jumped off the bus as soon as the bus driver and his helper started loudly whispering 'Xela...Xela'. Right when we got off the bus, a Maya man asked us where we were headed and we told him, 'Guate.' He directed us to the correct bus and we hurriedly thanked him and hustled over there.
It was still dark when we departed. The cold air of the mountains was still heavy and at least three or four hours from burning off. Bundled up and crammed into the seats like sardines, we started the bumpy route, passing through Maya towns on our way back to the capital. Riding chicken coop buses in Latin America is a life altering experience. You get to see how the 'common' people travel and witness their highly efficient system of filling the bus to at least double capacity - OSHA would have a coronary - and yet collect a fare from every single passenger. As Americans, we really have it too easy in our 2.5 vehicles per household. Here, twenty miles can mean 15 minutes on the highway. In Latin America, it can take an hour or more to travel that far on a third class bus...a lifetime by our standards.
Really though, riding chicken coop buses truly is life altering because it's usually a miracle if you survive the trip. Whether it's a fanatical driver who takes hairpin turns at 50 miles an hour (honking the whole time) or the tiny seats that are built to fit children younger than 10 (if you're 5'0", you're too big for the seats), you are downright thankful and praising God/Allah/Buddha the second you get off the bus, intact.
This bus was no different. I still recall seeing the capacity number at the front of the bus - 36 people. Ha! I'm positive that there were at least 80 people stuffed onto this bus, which lurched every time we rounded a curve. It wasn't too bad though. All the bodies crammed together made us forget about the chill outside. Occasionally, some cold air would sneak in every time the defective window towards the front slipped its notches and fell down. There was one mighty pissed off (but groggy) man who repeatedly pushed it back up. Ironically, the defective window was actually a saving grace; some of the odors of the locals' clothing, reminiscent of a cow patch, especially in close proximity, were starting to get to me. At one point, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I realized that a child who was strapped to his mother's back, two inches from my face, needed to have his britches changed - big time.
At that moment, I KNEW I was in for the longest three hour bus ride of my life. We chugged along the road, stopping in five or six towns, squeezing in just a few more people. Upon arrival in Guate, the number of passengers was starting to thin out. Small waves of people would shuffle off each time we stopped near a market-type place. Soon, the passenger count had dwindled to about twenty; we could finally stretch out a bit.
While Lois and I were idly chatting about a preliminary itinerary for the next week, I heard, "¿Japonés?" After fourteen of years traveling Latin America, I have become accustomed to being incorrectly identified as being Japanese. No sweat though. I know all Asians look alike and that only we can distinguish the different (Asian) races. Maybe it's in our blood. Asians, African Americans, and redheads are tourist novelties in Latin America. They make up the minority of the minority population, both in tourist numbers and citizenship.
Smiling, I looked up and saw that it was the little Maya man in Panajachel who directed us to the correct bus. I told him that I was Chinese. Looking sheepish, the man quickly apologized and explained the only reason why he had asked if I was Japanese was because he had heard about the massive earthquake that struck Japan and left five thousand people dead in its wake. We were a bit surprised because we hadn't heard anything about it. Of course, unless you're in Guatemala City or constantly buying a newspaper (if available), world news is not so up-to-the-minute in Guatemala. In some towns, the breaking news may involve two drunk men crashing a barn and sleeping with the livestock. You know, small town 'news.'
We mentioned to this man that we hadn't been near a newspaper for at least a week, but thanked him for the info. By then, only about five people were on the bus and it looked like we were all getting off at the last stop. When we exited the bus, we waved to the man and set out to look for a Rebuli bus, which would take us to Chiquimula.
On the way to Chiquimula, Lois and I discussed the surprisingly high number of fatalities. After all, the majority of earthquakes in Japan in recent years usually had death tolls of less than 200 (although one in 1923 did kill 140,000). Moreover, we were a bit stunned because Japan builds some of the world's most earthquake-proof structures and highways.
Although we still had another week in Guatemala, we made a mental note to look for news in the upcoming newspapers. We casually picked up a paper here and there, but Chiquimula is not even the center of eastern Guatemalan news, let alone world news. We didn't see anything in the news about the Kobe earthquake for the next week. In fact, it wasn't until we returned to the United States, when we finally got some news on it...and tons of it.
See, we got back to Denver in the late afternoon of January 16th...AROUND THE EXACT TIME THE EARTHQUAKE HIT. Our little Maya acquaintance on the bus had told us about the Kobe earthquake and provided a fairly accurate death toll figure ONE WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED...
To this day, this eerie encounter still haunts me. Did this man pass this information on to other people in casual conversation? Am I the only one whom he told? If so, why me? What good does it do to have a prognosticator who speaks the truth but isn't heeded? Or is it something else...something fated. Perhaps it's better that I believed that the quake had already occurred. Who knows if anyone would have believed me. All I know is that I will probably carry this as a guilty burden for many more years. I'm just hoping that one day, when I experience the epiphany that makes everything fall into place, this unreal (if not downright, frickin' surreal) encounter will be explained to me.
You know, some days I just wish I had dreamed the whole thing. More than a decade has passed and the torment has subsided little. Ugh.
Linda Blair? Saw II? Nightmare on Elm Street? Carrie? Friday the 13th? Please...
Monday, September 26, 2005
still...
a floater in my left eye. i really wish someone could tell me how much longer i'm gonna have it...so annoying.
went to see my acupuncturist today. she and her husband have moved for the fourth and final time, to a building that they purchased and has tenants (mainly dentists). it's REALLLY nice. i couldn't believe how spacious their office suite was. it has six treatment rooms as well as two separate offices. unfortunately, this location is not as close as the old one...but it's only a few minutes further. no big deal.
i originally went in to see if needling would reduce the dilation in my eye. although it has been nearly a month since my last steroid and dilation drops, my left pupil is still dilated - about twice the size of normal. surprisingly, i'm able to drive (without sunglasses) in the opposite direction of strong sunlight. sure, i still need the shades if i'm driving into the sun, but it's not as fierce.
no needling for the eye though. she treated my goutish right foot and my sour stomach. the foot has been giving me problems since march. initially, it was the right big toe that swelled up and looked like a sausage. the toe is better now but the swelling has moved into the ball of the foot. ugh. and it's achy and maintains a dull throb. damn uveitis...
the stomach, meanwhile, hasn't been right for about a week, the day after we arrived in Cancun. i think we may have gotten a bug at a place we ate (no, not a street stall - they're usually pretty clean because of all the locals - but a hotel buffet). you'd think that after 19 trips to latin america and three stints working there, i'd have an iron stomach. i do, actually. i haven't had a food borne disease in probably ten years. so, instead of bouts with diarrhea, i got a testy tummy...much preferred.
anyway, i got three or four needles in my belly, four in my toe, and three more in my legs. she told me that the stomach stuff will clear up (and already has), the gout will need both needling and herbs, and that i'll get eye treatment on the next visit. i guess you can't do eye stuff if you have stomach related problems.
so i go back on thursday for more pincushioning.
have i told you that i love my acupuncturist? she is so cool...and such an amazing, caring doctor. Cindi, didn't we talk about getting you to go see her?
went to see my acupuncturist today. she and her husband have moved for the fourth and final time, to a building that they purchased and has tenants (mainly dentists). it's REALLLY nice. i couldn't believe how spacious their office suite was. it has six treatment rooms as well as two separate offices. unfortunately, this location is not as close as the old one...but it's only a few minutes further. no big deal.
i originally went in to see if needling would reduce the dilation in my eye. although it has been nearly a month since my last steroid and dilation drops, my left pupil is still dilated - about twice the size of normal. surprisingly, i'm able to drive (without sunglasses) in the opposite direction of strong sunlight. sure, i still need the shades if i'm driving into the sun, but it's not as fierce.
no needling for the eye though. she treated my goutish right foot and my sour stomach. the foot has been giving me problems since march. initially, it was the right big toe that swelled up and looked like a sausage. the toe is better now but the swelling has moved into the ball of the foot. ugh. and it's achy and maintains a dull throb. damn uveitis...
the stomach, meanwhile, hasn't been right for about a week, the day after we arrived in Cancun. i think we may have gotten a bug at a place we ate (no, not a street stall - they're usually pretty clean because of all the locals - but a hotel buffet). you'd think that after 19 trips to latin america and three stints working there, i'd have an iron stomach. i do, actually. i haven't had a food borne disease in probably ten years. so, instead of bouts with diarrhea, i got a testy tummy...much preferred.
anyway, i got three or four needles in my belly, four in my toe, and three more in my legs. she told me that the stomach stuff will clear up (and already has), the gout will need both needling and herbs, and that i'll get eye treatment on the next visit. i guess you can't do eye stuff if you have stomach related problems.
so i go back on thursday for more pincushioning.
have i told you that i love my acupuncturist? she is so cool...and such an amazing, caring doctor. Cindi, didn't we talk about getting you to go see her?
Monday, September 19, 2005
breezy...
| man, these keyboards are strange. i know that last year, when we were in Spain, we had a hard time with keys in different places. i think this keyboard layout is similar to the ones we were using in Bolivia and Peru...but i wasn´t blogging then. right now, we have settled into an a/c cooled internet cafe on Avenida Uxmal, near the bus station. it´s fairly new, has extremely clean bathrooms, and has excellent LCD monitors and super T1 connections. we´re off to the supermarket for water and maybe some souvenirs. really. if you want pretty good souvenirs for a good price in Cancún, large supermarkets like Comercial Mexicana and Chedraui have t-shirts, etc. sure, you can´t get the ´special´souvenirs like blankets, serapes, or nasty pipes, flutes, keychains, but enough already... as i mentioned, we´re in cancun now. the heat is strong but there´s a breeze. we did get into the place that we had been considering...but it´s not as nice as the website pics. i digress. the rooms are as nice as the pics. however, there are small details that you can´t see...just ask lois because she was gonna go on a rampage about the lack of electrical outlets/hangers/closet and the inclusion of a kitchen sink faucet arm in the bathroom sink. that´s what happens when you ride the bus for 22 hours out of 48...RAAHRRR grouchy baby you shoulda seen the scene caused by her and a little shit yorkie by the name of martina when we were in Puebla. we had walked into a coffee place called ´Coffee All Day´(a real nice old house with cool tile and fountains). well, as we ordered, the owner of the place was standing next to us when her little yorkie went up to lois and started licking her hand and kissing her. lois asked to lift her into her lap when the dog went postal on her. SHE FREAKED and was nothing but a ball of teeth, hair, and eyeballs - all over the place. okay... of course, we just laughed and the shitter retreated to her gramma and auntie on the sofa. what´s even funnier is that martina went after lois when she got up to go to the bathroom!!! YOU GO GIRL! after another chuckle, lois went on her merry way to pee and martina got thumped in the back of the neck by her auntie and whacked on the side of her face by her gramma. that ga-bing ga-bing...bouncing off the walls and snapping like a venus flytrap that was three days ago...and we still get a kick out of it. i think cokie was never ka-razy like that because she never got thumped or whacked...even if she did deserve it ;) today, we´re just gonna continue recovering from our bus rides. late in the afternoon, we may go to the beach and stroll before hanging out with our friend Yani. |
Saturday, September 17, 2005
WTF?
we did make it to villahermosa today. freakin´hot...that´s what it is. imagine a Dallas or Houston summer - year round. luckily, we found an internet cafe with a/c...
well, there was a slight change in plans. we were planning to go to one of our favorite archaeological sites, Palenque, which we haven´t visited in more than six years, but i spaced getting tix for the noon bus and ended up staying in town instead. sigh. sure, we´ve been there more than a half dozen times, but they´ve been doing some extensive work over the past few years. ah well.
now, where did we leave off? oh yeah, blogging in mexico city before the internet place closed early for the independence day celebrations.
i forgot to mention that we had visited a couple other places, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and the Franz Mayer Museum. both are within a block of each other in the Alameda Park area.
the Diego Rivera museum is not that special. the central piece in there is his most famous work, Sunday in Alameda Park, which depicts mexican history from the conquest to 1947 (whgen he executed it). it´s a massive piece, probably 15´x 60´. i´ll look for a link so you all can see it.
sorry about the vague descriptions, we´re a bit short on time. we still have to eat and get back to our room before we head to the bus station for our overnight to Cancún...
the Franz Mayer museum is mainly a decorative art museum with pieces from the sixteenth century forward. while the pieces, especially the carved wood, were impressive, what really caught our attention was the temporary exhibit of world press photos awards for 2005. we´re talking about uncensored, heart-wrenching pics that are certainly not ´pc´ enough for our society. much of the photos are from war torn areas, recent disasters, and areas of strife. whenever you see stuff like this, you continually reaffirm how damn lucky and fortunate we are. what´s even more powerful is that many of the iraq photos certainly didn´t put the US in a good light...truth hurts.
on to the independence day celebrations...as interpreted by lois. ¡Qué emocionante!! to be in the heart of Tenochtitlan 500 years later celebrating the biggest Mexican holiday with our southern neighbors. We were crushed with the other 100,000 people in the Zocalo laughing, spraying canned foam, throwing confetti and enjoying ourselves immensely. The walk down Madero blvd was a hoot. Thousands of people in the streets where usually we only see crazy traffic. When we arrived in the Zócalo, it was surrounded by vivid light displays depicting the flag of mexico, the eagle, and banners declaring ¨Viva México¨
At 11 o·clock, President Fox came out on the balcony of the presidential palace accompanied by unbelievable noise of cheers, toy horns, screaming...imagine that followed by a stunning display of fireworks over the Metropolitan Cathedral. The wall back through Cinco de Mayo blvd was like forcing a camel through the eye of a needle. We were jostled, shoved as we literally inched our way back to our hotel. It was an experience I´ve waited for for years, and will remember forever.
See ya soon from Cancún.
Spencer & L
well, there was a slight change in plans. we were planning to go to one of our favorite archaeological sites, Palenque, which we haven´t visited in more than six years, but i spaced getting tix for the noon bus and ended up staying in town instead. sigh. sure, we´ve been there more than a half dozen times, but they´ve been doing some extensive work over the past few years. ah well.
now, where did we leave off? oh yeah, blogging in mexico city before the internet place closed early for the independence day celebrations.
i forgot to mention that we had visited a couple other places, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and the Franz Mayer Museum. both are within a block of each other in the Alameda Park area.
the Diego Rivera museum is not that special. the central piece in there is his most famous work, Sunday in Alameda Park, which depicts mexican history from the conquest to 1947 (whgen he executed it). it´s a massive piece, probably 15´x 60´. i´ll look for a link so you all can see it.
sorry about the vague descriptions, we´re a bit short on time. we still have to eat and get back to our room before we head to the bus station for our overnight to Cancún...
the Franz Mayer museum is mainly a decorative art museum with pieces from the sixteenth century forward. while the pieces, especially the carved wood, were impressive, what really caught our attention was the temporary exhibit of world press photos awards for 2005. we´re talking about uncensored, heart-wrenching pics that are certainly not ´pc´ enough for our society. much of the photos are from war torn areas, recent disasters, and areas of strife. whenever you see stuff like this, you continually reaffirm how damn lucky and fortunate we are. what´s even more powerful is that many of the iraq photos certainly didn´t put the US in a good light...truth hurts.
on to the independence day celebrations...as interpreted by lois. ¡Qué emocionante!! to be in the heart of Tenochtitlan 500 years later celebrating the biggest Mexican holiday with our southern neighbors. We were crushed with the other 100,000 people in the Zocalo laughing, spraying canned foam, throwing confetti and enjoying ourselves immensely. The walk down Madero blvd was a hoot. Thousands of people in the streets where usually we only see crazy traffic. When we arrived in the Zócalo, it was surrounded by vivid light displays depicting the flag of mexico, the eagle, and banners declaring ¨Viva México¨
At 11 o·clock, President Fox came out on the balcony of the presidential palace accompanied by unbelievable noise of cheers, toy horns, screaming...imagine that followed by a stunning display of fireworks over the Metropolitan Cathedral. The wall back through Cinco de Mayo blvd was like forcing a camel through the eye of a needle. We were jostled, shoved as we literally inched our way back to our hotel. It was an experience I´ve waited for for years, and will remember forever.
See ya soon from Cancún.
Spencer & L
Thursday, September 15, 2005
weird...
thought i´d blog some and when i logged on to blogger.com, most of the icons/info is in Spanish. Right now I´m dictating to Lois because she types about 90 words a minute. (at least)... which is about twice as fast as me.
getting here monday was like coming home. the familiar sights, sounds, and smells (although not always good) greeted us as we got into the city. weather has been good, mostly in the 70`s with cool nights and rain in the late afternoon.
the city has been gearing up for the Independence Day celebrations, which start later tonight. there´s a bunch of vendors selling plastic mexican flags, assorted new year´s items, and even cascarones, which are colored egg shells filled with confetti. usually, these eggs are smashed on other peoples heads during holy week.
so far, it has been a very busy trip. of course, monday was spent getting our bearings and resting a bit. we took a walk into the center of downtown, which is due east of our hotel. it was a bit strange walking along Avenida 5 de Mayo, which takes you right into the main plaza and cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana). it seems that the city has moved many of the ambulatory vendors out to other areas of town. i think they want to portray a cleaner city with more upscale offerings. granted, the hoity toity still reside in affluent neighborhoods such as San Angel, Roma, and Condesa, but we were truly surprised to find the street vendors gone and upscale boutiques in the storefronts.
ugh. *$$, McDonalds, and even 7-11 have infiltrated downtown mexico city. in our walk the first night, we passed four 7-11s in just a mile radius. we don´t get the draw of a *$$...why pay such exorbitant prices when you can get a much better cup of joe in regular cafes? and i know that McD`s, KFC`s and Subway have already indelibly permeated Mexican society, it´s just a shame. in the name of progress, they will start losing much of their identity, replacing it with trivial convenience.
enough though.
yesterday, we got out late and attempted to find our favorite cafe, El Reloj. i state "attempted" because it´s gone...damn. although we never knew the exact address, we knew it sat across the street from a huge bakery. looks like it has been replaced with a clothing store. sigh.
anyway, we found a really nice place to eat our lunch, even if it was tinged with nostalgic sadness. the food was quite good but the service was not. uninterested youth who don´t value a good job; some waiters keep a job for life.
after lunch, we made our way to Cafe Emir, which has been run by a Lebanese family for nearly 70 years. the coffee was grand as usual, although the prices have spiked (probably due to *$$ moving in). thank god they´re still there. tomorrow, we´re going to our favorite coffee place in Puebla...in all of Mexico, actually - Tres Gallos. they have phenomenal coffee drinks that are on the foo foo side. Cindi, you´d really like this place...put ALL those american coffee places to shame.
we finally got off our lazy coffee swilling assses to get over to the Trotsky museum, which is located south of town, in a quiet suburb called, Coyoacan. we`re not huge Trotskyites, but history is history. it was almost eerie to walk in a place where a revolutionary had lived and had been assassinated. the fortifications of Leon Trotsky´s house were remarkable.
dang, the internet cafe closes in six minutes. we gotta get some pertinent info regarding some hotels in Cancun...so we gotta go.
see you soon
getting here monday was like coming home. the familiar sights, sounds, and smells (although not always good) greeted us as we got into the city. weather has been good, mostly in the 70`s with cool nights and rain in the late afternoon.
the city has been gearing up for the Independence Day celebrations, which start later tonight. there´s a bunch of vendors selling plastic mexican flags, assorted new year´s items, and even cascarones, which are colored egg shells filled with confetti. usually, these eggs are smashed on other peoples heads during holy week.
so far, it has been a very busy trip. of course, monday was spent getting our bearings and resting a bit. we took a walk into the center of downtown, which is due east of our hotel. it was a bit strange walking along Avenida 5 de Mayo, which takes you right into the main plaza and cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana). it seems that the city has moved many of the ambulatory vendors out to other areas of town. i think they want to portray a cleaner city with more upscale offerings. granted, the hoity toity still reside in affluent neighborhoods such as San Angel, Roma, and Condesa, but we were truly surprised to find the street vendors gone and upscale boutiques in the storefronts.
ugh. *$$, McDonalds, and even 7-11 have infiltrated downtown mexico city. in our walk the first night, we passed four 7-11s in just a mile radius. we don´t get the draw of a *$$...why pay such exorbitant prices when you can get a much better cup of joe in regular cafes? and i know that McD`s, KFC`s and Subway have already indelibly permeated Mexican society, it´s just a shame. in the name of progress, they will start losing much of their identity, replacing it with trivial convenience.
enough though.
yesterday, we got out late and attempted to find our favorite cafe, El Reloj. i state "attempted" because it´s gone...damn. although we never knew the exact address, we knew it sat across the street from a huge bakery. looks like it has been replaced with a clothing store. sigh.
anyway, we found a really nice place to eat our lunch, even if it was tinged with nostalgic sadness. the food was quite good but the service was not. uninterested youth who don´t value a good job; some waiters keep a job for life.
after lunch, we made our way to Cafe Emir, which has been run by a Lebanese family for nearly 70 years. the coffee was grand as usual, although the prices have spiked (probably due to *$$ moving in). thank god they´re still there. tomorrow, we´re going to our favorite coffee place in Puebla...in all of Mexico, actually - Tres Gallos. they have phenomenal coffee drinks that are on the foo foo side. Cindi, you´d really like this place...put ALL those american coffee places to shame.
we finally got off our lazy coffee swilling assses to get over to the Trotsky museum, which is located south of town, in a quiet suburb called, Coyoacan. we`re not huge Trotskyites, but history is history. it was almost eerie to walk in a place where a revolutionary had lived and had been assassinated. the fortifications of Leon Trotsky´s house were remarkable.
dang, the internet cafe closes in six minutes. we gotta get some pertinent info regarding some hotels in Cancun...so we gotta go.
see you soon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
