Category Archives: Auntie Lenora

Hey, Look at the New Pages!

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Weather in the Tries:
Looks like we may have some fairly warm days, at least by comparison to what we just went through, weather wise. From 37 to 42F in the next few days. The nights may be cooler, and snow on Friday, but longer days equate to warmer days? We can but hope. Of course, it’s still almost 90 days until Spring, so who knows what we’re in for between climate change and the whims of the weather gods.

Hey, Look at the New Pages!

Didja notice there is a new picture up above. Sunset over Rattlesnake Mountain and the Yakama River. What got cut out of the picture was the Columbia River and the second sun. Yep, we in the Tri Cities are special. We get two suns and y’all only get one! And, I have photographic proof!!! Take a look at the photo below, the second sun is almost at the edge of the photo on the right and down at the bottom right corner is a splash, literally, of the Columbia River. Bateman Island has a man-made isthmus of dirt for a roadway, and on the west side is the Yakama R. and on the east side, where I lived, is the Columbia R. Sunsets were often spectacular, as you can see.

I’ve been told by those who claim they know, that Rattlesnake Mountain is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States without a tree growing on it. I’ve heard it from enough people, I think I believe it.

When you click on the Movies & TV page, you will notice text. You must read the whole of it to find the key to the reviews. Once you have the key, you have the key to the kingdom, so to speak.

And, yes, I did get my packages mailed, and mostly they’ve been delivered. Thank you, Brown. Except for the ones I’ll deliver personally. Due to the forecast of freezing rain for this weekend of Saturday and Sunday, a few did not get delivered on time. But as one friend told me, not to worry—there are, after all, Twelve Days for Gift Giving! I’m delighted she told me that, hers is one that may not get delivered in time, but it is mailed! 😉

And many packages made it to my house—a book, We Had Our Reasons: poems by Ricardo Ruiz and other hard-working Mexicans from Eastern Washington (where Mr. Ruiz lives and where I live). The even numbered pages are in English, the odd numbered pages in Spanish. What a marvelous book! Thank you, ex-Boss;-) Another ex-Boss and her husband gave me a beautiful black and red cape shawl crocheted by a lady in Cuba. And they included a photo of the lady who made it. Do I have nice ex-Bosses or what? And I’m retired, so you know they aren’t trying to bribe me. 😉 And they are retired, so it’s no bribe to keep me from coming back to work. And another SOC, who is not an ex-boss, but claims credit for me getting into quilting, gave me a Mary Engel Dark calendar, which I love, a ceramic ornament from the Lubbesmeyer sisters, a bottle of spiced honey, and a couple doo dads that will become very helpful when I get back to quilting. All in all, I got quite the haul. 

Those of you of an age who are parents, probably remember Richard Scarry’s Gold Bug books. All the busy art work and the reader had to find the gold bug. My kids and I loved those books. Today, I found an online version put out by Washington Post, and hope the link isn’t paywalled. Actually, they have 6 pages up. Today was to find all 72 Snowmen. It was fun, though after 69 it got a little difficult 😉 But I hung in there, and found them all, thereby saving Christmas. You may thank me in the comment section. For the page: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2022/snowmen-christmas-search-game/?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere_trending_now&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&location=alert From there you can go to the other ones if you want. By the way, check out the selling price of some of the old Richard Scarry books. Wish I’d kept them!

So, on the 24th, Housemate Dan cooked lamb, and roast spuds, and steamed green beans. The beans are gone, the spuds were, well, he hollowed out my half and gave me a skin (not just my favorite part of a spud, but the only part I really enjoy) with some cheese melted in it. And the lamb. Oh. My. Gawd.  Talk about an orgasmic supper…  On the 25th we had turkey sandwiches. Yummm!

Photos of the Week:

Sunset Over Rattlesnake Mountain with Two Suns
Duck or goose tracks on the snow covered ice
Boy tracks on the snow covered ice.

Entertainment of the Week:

I’m now on Season 2 of Babylon 5. I still say it’s the best Science Fiction series ever made and aired. As much as I liked the Star Trek series, I like Bab5 a whole lot more. I’m also jazzed that a new Bab5 is coming out next year (which will be here in just a few days), and they are bringing all the original cast members back for cameo appearances. Well, all the cast members who are still alive, though with today’s CGI, they may be able to bring the deceased ones “back” too. Yes? No? It would be wonderful if Walter Koenig reprised his role as the Psi cop, Alfred Bester. Would he come back more evil than before, or would he have realized the error of his ways, and come back reformed??? He’s so good at evil (whatever happened to our sweet Star Trek Chekov?) I hope he doesn’t reform.

Books Read:  If I finish it, I review it:  https://lenoragood.blogspot.com 
Take the Sun with You and Other Stories —by Gregory Allen Mendell. And, yes, the review is posted at Amazon and Goodreads as well as the above link. A collection of 10 short stories that are fun. They are safe to read before turning out the light at night—no nightmares from these stories! But lots of laughs.



Auntie Lenora’s Excellent Adventure

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Weather in the Tries:

As of Sunday night, it’s wetting and snowing. At 27F out, it’s freezing is what it is! It says snow later tonight, then cloudy, and a 50% chance of snow on Thursday. It will have to be in the morning or evening, because the low is only 29 and the high 40. Tomorrow it will be up to 33, and Tuesday, it will get to 39, with sunshine. Our high for the week will be 40, but ya know what? That’s a lot warmer than 32! The nights will be freezing, but that’s ok, I have a bed, a sheet warmer, and a dog!

Auntie Lenora’s Excellent Adventure:

It seems like forever since I last touched base with you. But it’s only been three weeks or so. Anyhow, I drove to the Dark Side on 7 Nov (where we had more sun than here at home) and spent 3+ weeks with my EBOC (Elder Brother of Choice) Thomas, while his primary care-giver was on a much needed vacation. Thomas is my primary mentor for writing poetry, stories, novels. He’s not afraid to tell me where something is broke, and when I fix it, I have a much better piece of writing. He truly is a gem of great worth.

Mostly, we read each other’s works, talked writing, I cataloged his morgue (collection of his writings that have been published), and drooled over the up-coming T-Day dinner we were promised. His good friend, Carla, said she’d bring us a Greek lemon soup with lamb meatballs. 

But that day dawned with some real excitement. Thomas woke and wanted to get from his recliner where he sleeps, to his wheeled steno chair where he sits to work. He’s done it a thousand times, and saw no reason, even though he’s lost quite a bit of strength, why he couldn’t do it himself and let me sleep. Something happened and as he started the transfer, the chair got away from him and he fell to the floor.

Naturally, I was sleeping on the sofa, 5 feet away, as he fell, he started hollering for me to call 911 so the medics could come and lift him back into his recliner. No way could I lift him. The sudden awakening, the confusion, the adrenaline rush–I jumped out of bed, found my phone, called 911, and unlocked the door so they could get in. I stood by his recliner and when Dispatcher hung up, I fainted. I haven’t done that in years. So, Thomas is on the floor, at the north end of the room, and I am on the floor at the south end of the room. Surely there is some sort of Feng Shui about such a symmetrical arrangement?

Anyhow, Old Auntie Lenora managed to crawl into the nearest chair. The medics came. They lifted Thomas up and put him back in his chair, then came for me. I kept telling them I was fine, they ignored me. They took my blood pressure. Well, they tried to, I didn’t have any (it was 50 over something), they pricked my finger, and I was not low on sugar, in the meantime, I really didn’t feel too good. But I was feeling better. They called the hospital, and the dr. said to bring me in. So, I had a free ride to the ER and didn’t have to wait in the lobby;-) Well, free until the bill comes.

Once I was safely in the hospital, the guys confessed, they were sure I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t. They took a quart or two of bodily fluids through an IV, and the dreaded wee cup found in all hospital restrooms, checked me out, and about 3 hours later, released me to go home. It appears I fainted. Well, dohhh…

Got back to Thomas’s and spent most of my afternoon supine on the sofa. Carla came and fed us. OMG! I simply must get the recipe. I’ve had some sort of Greek lemon soup in years gone by and didn’t care for it, but this was to die for!

Believe me, that was enough excitement for both of us. And Thomas promised not to try that transfer again without help!

When I drove over, the only snow I came across was between Yakima and Cle Elum. Snoqualmie pass was bare, dry, and sunny. In fact, when I got to the end of my trip, I had 6 feet of sunshine on top of my car! When I decided to come home, there was a snowstorm in the pass, and chains were required unless the vehicle was AWD. Alas, Big Red is not AWD, and I don’t have chains. Couldn’t put them on if I did. So, I decided to drive an extra 175 miles and go south to Portland, then east to Hermiston, then north to Kennewick. It was a nice drive, took about 7 hours, but the only snow I saw was on the trees left over from a few days earlier. The day after I got home, the pass was bare and wet. Sigh.

Photos of the Week:

Alas the photo doesn’t do it proper–the sun was on the tree and it just glowed red, like it was on fire
Snow Stars

Books of the Week:

Can you believe I didn’t read a book while I was gone 😉 I did read a bit more of Travels With Charley by Steinbeck, but that’s all.

Movies/TV shows of the week:

We watched at least one movie just about every night. 

PBS: Native America. This is a 4-episode series, and we watched one per night. Very interesting and enjoyable.

Netflix: Lucid Dreaming. A K-Drama (movie) about a man whose son is kidnapped, and he finds him through lucid dreaming. Great fun.

Netflix: Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Another K-Drama (movie) about a young girl who is the only survivor when her village is destroyed and all in it killed, and how she goes after vengeance. Very well done.

Netflix: The Old Guard. 2020 American superhero movie starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and others. We loved this one. Four Immortal’s discover a fifth Immortal who isn’t all that keen on it, fight scenes are well choreographed, the evil dude is superbly evil, and we can hardly wait for the sequel next year. We laughed at the fight scenes. Terrific.

Netflix: Chocolat. Oh, if you haven’t seen this movie, or if it’s been a while, watch it all over again for the first time. It is as delightful as the last time I saw it. Dame Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, and others. It’s a marvelous movie, well worth your time.

Netflix: Slumberland. Primarily a movie for adults to watch with their kids, but we enjoyed it no end. A girl is orphaned at age 11 or so, and becomes the ward of her stuffy uncle whom she’s never met. She wants her Dad back. (Presumably Mom died years ago, she was raised by Dad) and in dreaming, she meets a character her dad told her about and they set out to find a secret map and the pearl that will grant their wishes. Jasan Momoa is marvelous as the Outlaw, Flip.

Netflix: Sand Storm. This is an Israeli drama about a Bedouin family living in a settlement/ghetto in Israel. The sand storm is not an haboob. It is the family. The oldest girl learns to drive from her father, she goes to school, she dreams of taking control of her life and marrying a boy from school, a boy of her choosing. The family have other plans. Father brings a second bride into the mix, mother is not happy, father agrees to marry his daughter to the son of a friend, none of the females are happy. The movie is well worth the time to see it. There is humor, there is pathos, the ending is correct.

Netflix: Mudbound. This movie is a 2017 historical drama that takes place in the Mississippi delta of the deep south, primarily just after WWII. About an African American family and a Euro American family who are tied to the same land. Two veterans, one white, one black, return from the war, each to his own family. They have served with honor; they have grown past the racism of their families. This movie should be seen by all. It is not a feel-good movie, American Noir, I think. If you watch nothing else on this list, watch Mudbound. Then watch Chocolat and feel better.

Amazon Prime: Columbo. YES! Thomas had never seen the old series, so we started with S1, E1, and got as high as E9 before I came home. This series has held up remarkably well. I have no idea how many times I’ve seen the episodes, Not sure I’ve ever seen them in order, and I shall have to continue. 

We enjoyed all the movies. Even Mudbound, though it is dark, it is necessary. Things haven’t changed so much. 

My Winter Gift from me to me came while I was away. I now have the complete Babylon 5 series, the movies, and Crusade all in a boxed set. I had just finished watching Crusade, again, when I decided to see if I could get Bab5. I could, and I did. Yes, I now have two sets of Crusade, a spin-off of 13 episodes. I’m so sorry the powers that be were so short-sighted they cancelled it when they did. It would have been a tremendous series.

Happy Holidays

to you all. I know many of you celebrate different holidays this winter season, and not wanting to offend any of you by mentioning one without all the others, I wish you the warmest and most joyous holidays of your choice/worship. 

Hey! I’m Higher than Tennyson or Neruda or even Bukowski!

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Weather for the Tries: 

Beats me. I’m gonna be gone until December. Check your phone or computer 😉

Hey! I’m Higher than Tennyson or Neruda or even Bukowski!

Well, I’m on top of them, anyhow. See photo below. This is a status a friend of mine wrote about reading the Bride’s Gate. I did ask him what he does with the torn off pages—give to his wife? Fold into paper airplanes and fly out the attic window? Mail them to a friend? He ignored me. But he did give me permission to quote him, and use the photo.

“A bit more news based on my progress with your book? Bride’s Gate has become my favorite tear-off calendar. I jump around like a horny jackrabbit. It is not a book to occupy a vertical position on my bookshelf. Bride’s Gate is placed on its side atop a Pablo Neruda collection, a book of Tennyson’s poetry, partly covering Naked Lunch by Bill Burroughs. That about covers the length of your book. I wondered aloud to the Pittsburgh winds (howl, not how) Lenora likes her company on my bookshelves… I have taken a picture of your literary superiority on the shelf, as you can see. I view Bride’s Gate as a special kind of achievement, suitable for both writers and those who read, and hopefully BOTH. A piu tardí, Giulio (It just means—Later, Giulio”

Giulio is a poet of some renown, and I’m thrilled we’re friends. He has a marvelous book out, The Color of Dirt. 

And, now for the news. You probably noticed this is a more or less truncated post. I’ve been uber busy the last few days as I’m getting ready to head over to the Dark Side until December. I’ve been keeping my weather eye tuned to the Snoqualmie Pass, and think I’ll be just fine going over on Tuesday. (Famous last words?) I am going to visit my Poetry Mentor or if you prefer, my Elder Brother of Choice (EBOC). At any rate, I’m hoping to get some poetry written, and help him with some projects. Which means, I probably won’t get any blog posts written while gone.

Enjoy your vacation. Go play in the snow. Write a poem. Take an extra nap. Visit a friend. Bake some cookies. Lots of cookies. You’ll have the time, now.

PHOTO of the WEEKs

And look where he placed my humble little book on his book shelf;-)

Monday, today, I will finish packing, load the car, finish baking, and snuggle extra with Sammy, who will stay and keep Housemate company.

Wrong Question

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Wrong Question:

I opened a news story and was immediately assailed with a black box in the center that said something similar to: “We notice you’re blocking ads. Do you realize that’s how newspapers generate the most income?” Yes, actually, I do. However, I believe the proper question would have been something along the lines of: “Why are you blocking ads?”

Oh, had they invited a reply, they might have had to hire someone to read them? Or send them to the junk file? I dunno.

I don’t mind ads that sit there and calmly and quietly show themselves. I frequently click on them if they interest me, and sometimes I make a purchase. But when they constantly move, flash, or get larger smaller larger, etc., I click on the little box to block it. I have tried contacting the company that puts the ads out to tell them why, but they insist I use a valid business email address. Obviously, they know they are irritating.

When I learned to drive, one of the vision tests I went through was for peripheral vision. The guy tested me a few times because he couldn’t believe how good mine was. It’s decreased a wee bit, but not all that much. And I find ads that are supposed to catch my eye by blinking and flashing and being annoying do. And if I ignore them, I feel like I’m getting motion sick. What I’d like to see is another ‘button’ to click on those ads that just freezes them. At one time, I could hit the Esc button on my keyboard. I can still do that, but it doesn’t do anything, at least not to the ads.

On a different topic, back to Ian and some sadness. One of my sisters of choice bought us matching tee shirts from Bert’s Bar & Grill in Matlacha, FL. They were printed after Charley and primarily meant for those of us who went thru it. Bert’s had some damage from Charley but was still there. Saw on the news that the only thing showing of the place now are the pilings. The owner looked around and couldn’t see where it flew, or floated,  to. He said the wind went under it and lifted it, but I imagine the wind and surge worked in concert. There was nothing left of the area but rubbish. My SOC says there are no whole buildings left on the island. Many are totally gone, all are damaged.

I asked my Port Charlotte neighbor to walk by my old house and see how it survived. I’m hoping the damage was minimal. I’m really curious about the survival of the cage over the pool. The screening is gone; I hope the framing is okay. The framing was built to withstand 155mph winds.

Photos of the Week:

This is my old house in Port Charlotte, Florida, after Ian. My first thought was their solar panels survived, but I was quickly told it was the tarp, and I thought maybe I should enlarge the picture. It looks like the screen door is still there, so I’m hoping the front porch is still caged. The pool’s cage is all that screening next to the tarp on the grass. I hope the cage itself survived. I may write them and ask. Photo by Ginger Abraham
I won’t swear to it, but I believe the red leaves are Virginia Creeper. It’s a beautiful, albeit invasive and toxic, vine. Once the green leaves have dropped, I’ll pull the creeper down. Right now, though, tis a bit of color to liven the bush. And to make it fun, the Wonderful Wordy Web says it is invasive or non-invasive, that the poison is lethal or non-lethal. It’s impossible to control once it gets a root hold. Along a back fence it will be gorgeous, as long as kidlets and dogs leave it alone.

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Alas, no reading. Yeah, I know. Very odd for me, eh?

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

This past week, I have been fighting the Father of All Colds, and thought the cold could be put to use in binging my beloved K-Dramas. I finished the first season of The Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and now have to wait until 2024 for season two. No, that is not a typo. So I found a 6-episode series and binged it on Saturday—The Sound of Magic. I loved it. Perfect binge!! I was a little concerned that the Magician would show how the tricks were done, but he didn’t. You see, I may be old, but one of the things I’ve always loved and choose to believe, is magic. I don’t want to know how it’s done. And yes, I still believe in Santa Clause, too. 😉 

Earworms: 

For whatever reason, I just don’t want to listen to music. Probably because my ears are plugged, and my brain cells just aren’t functioning all that rapidly? I dunno.

Public Service Announcement:

For those of you who are calendar challenged: Christmas is coming! December 25. Time to start collecting those presents, and if you know anyone who is or was a caregiver, consider this:

Storms of the Inland Sea: Poems of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiving, Paperback, 198 pages, $18.95 and yes, I have a poem in there. Many thanks to Margaret Stawowy and Jim Cokas for putting this book together and for accepting my poem.  

The Brave Dog (that would be Sammy) and I (that would be Auntie Lenora) wish you all a really truly wonderful week. Sunny weather, unless you’re in drought, then I hope you get Seattle type rain—soft, and soaking into the ground. None of that Florida type rain where it dumps and runs and floods. And remember, when you get up in the morning, to look outside. If you’re looking down at the grass, you know it’s gonna be a good day!!!

From Charlie to Ian

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Weather in the Tries: Looks like our week will be another gorgeous day in Paradise. Sunny most days, highs in the low 80s and upper 70s. Nighttime lows high 40s to low 50s. Air quality should be good most days, and no serious winds. BTW, back in 1962, we had a hurricane come up the northern coast of California, Oregon, Washington. and British Columbia. It wasn’t called a hurricane then (who would expect one in the Pacific NW and in October to boot). On the Pacific side, she was a typhoon named Freda and she slammed us on Columbus Day, 12 October 1962. 

As you probably know, I usually write this a day or two ahead, then schedule it Sunday night for Monday morning. I started this on Wednesday and finished it in the days following. 

From Charlie to Ian:

In 2004 I moved from the southern Oregon coast (Myrtle Point) to Port Charlotte, Florida. I think I moved in May. In August, Hurricane Charlie danced through town. And it was not a particularly dainty dance, as he was a high Category 4. The anemometers gave up at winds of 155 mph.  Two more steady or sustained mph and it would have been a Category 5. Charlie was a skinny dude, about 35 miles wide by man oh man, he danced so fast we hardly knew he was there before he was gone. Okay I exaggerate a smidge more than a tad. Those of us who went through it, knew when Charlie came through. He was loud, he was ill-mannered, and did not clean up after breaking as much as possible. But he was fast. He travelled at 13mph, if my memory holds. He did a lot of damage, but not nearly as much as he coulda done at, say 3mph.

Welcome to Florida, he seemed to say. I remained there for one year fifty-one weeks. Yeah, one week shy of two years found me on the road heading back to the great Pacific Northwest!

Last week, I heard that Tropical Storm Ian was becoming a hurricane, heading up the Caribbean. Then the dreaded words, “It’s heading up the west coast of Florida to Tampa Bay.” No, said I to myself. The waters in Charlotte Harbor are warm and will sing its siren song. Ian will cut across Sanibel and go right up the Harbor, devastating as much as possible. I’m so sorry, I was right. He went up the coast, hit Naples, Sanibel Island, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte. Ian was angry about something. He was about 500 miles across, Charlie would have fit in Ian’s eye with room to spare. And by the time he made landfall, he had slowed from 10mph to 8mph, and was thought to go even slower, to 3mph. I don’t know if he slowed that much once his eye was all on land or not.

I still have friends in Port Charlotte. My Twin let me know she was okay as she and my brother-in-law were north up in Cape May. Today (Wednesday) she let me know she’d talked to a couple of our mutual friends and they’re okay, but that Port Charlotte is a mess.  Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from a couple of friends who live in Port Charlotte and hunkered down for the ‘cane.

When Charlie came, we didn’t have time to evacuate or head to shelter, we were pretty much forced into hunkering down. And those shelters that were open weren’t allowing pets. Leave my cat? Alone? While she gets carried off to Oz? Uh, no, I don’t think so. I put all her stuff—food, water, box, blanket, in my bathroom (inside room, no windows) and then my housemate and I stood at the back window/sliding doors (in the lee of the wind) and watched our world blow away. 

The scariest part was when the porta potty that was outside at the neighbor’s house (being built) was picked up and blew up the street, I was concerned that it might come through my living room window, but it went to the empty lot across the street and was gently set upside down among the palms and trash pines. 

The worst that happened to my house was the cage in back was destroyed. (Cages are the screened in areas usually over pools). And a bunch of junk was dumped into my pool, mostly tree limbs. I was very fortunate. We got the junk out of the pool, and out to the road where it was picked up in a couple days. Power was out, but the streets were clear. Verizon brought in a truck and anyone without power could bring their phone down and get it charged free, regardless who their carrier was. We helped each other. FEMA came through within a couple weeks. The National Guard checked on us daily, brought us bottled water and packaged food. (No Meals Ready to Eat), the Red Cross came when the Guard left. We helped each other. We got to know our neighbors, if we didn’t already know them. (One of the really neat things of living in Florida was the garbage was picked up twice a week. And people would put things they didn’t want with a sign that it was free, and if no one took it, the garbage folks did.)

Packed away in Shed 54 is a piece of Styrofoam insulation from a mobile home over a mile away. I don’t know which home, but the nearest park was over a mile away.

Insurance was reasonably priced, and I believe most people had it (if they had a mortgage, they had insurance!) when I was there. Now so many companies are bankrupt, or just no longer underwriting home insurance for hurricanes and flooding. People can’t afford it when they get it, and if one has a mortgage, the mortgage holder will get it, at a premium price. Not sure how to fix that. One of the things I think should be looked at is the barrier islands on all coasts. When they are left alone, they usually have lots of vegetation, and they act as a buffer to the mainland. As the vegetation is cut down, and homes and roads are built, they no longer serve as a buffer, just very pricey real estate.

Ian was considerably larger, slower, meaner, nastier. I’m willing to bet the streets are in worse shape, and it’s harder to check on people than in 2004. I hope neighbors are helping neighbors. People are being told to stay out of the water because you don’t know what’s in it—sewage, alligators,… And I wish my friends would check in on Facebook. In the meantime, I continue to hope they are not among seriously wounded—or the dead.

Sunday morning update: my friends checked in. She couldn’t get Facebook on her phone, but they now have power. Their house is ok, and they are ok. She’s the last little chick to check in. Mama Hen (aka Auntie Lenora) will rest easier now.

Photos of the Week:

https://www.boston.com/weather/weather/2022/09/29/hurricane-ian-photos-videos-florida/ these are still shots, the below are videos.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/first-view-of-hurricane-ian-port-charlotte-damage-from-above

https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-5ef963f42001269

Maps show the impacts of Hurricane Ian this is a free article, and well worth the look through. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/09/24/ian-storm-tracker-map/?itid=hp-top-table-main-t-2

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Belated Mornings poems by John Macker. This is a chapbook of 38 pages filled with humor, pathos, and, well, mornings. 

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

I found Love and Honor, the third of the Samurai trilogy (Twilight Samurai, Hidden Blade) online at a streaming site, LookMovie, watched it free and with no commercial breaks. Well worth the search. Then went back in to see if I could find my own copy at something less than the $95.00 at Amazon. I did. I found a used copy for under $30.00, and it should be here later this week. I will soon have all three of the movies (reviews posted above) to enjoy when I want.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. A Netflix series from South Korea. This is the third k drama series on Netflix I’ve seen where the protagonist has Autism and lives in the real world and is treated like a real person. And all have been very enjoyable. The other two are: It’s OK Not to be OK, and Move to Heaven. All are full of humor, and also I think, goodness. They are not soaps in our use of the word. Speaking of, have you ever wondered where the term “Soap Opera” came from? The early radio melo-dramas were  broadcast during the day for the little housewife in her domain and sponsored primarily by various soap products.

And there you have it.  I was too busy last week watching Ian to check out earworms. I did find a couple of quotes that are pretty good, and I am listening to The HU.

Quotes by or about Jim Cantore:

“Remember to set out cookies and milk for Jim Cantore on Hurricane Eve, or he’ll leave you with no electricity for a week.”

“People asked when is a good time to worry? The answer is when Jim Cantore shows up.”

Those of you who aren’t from Hurricane Country probably don’t understand why Jim Cantore is such a god of bad weather. He works for The Weather Channel (for over 30 years) and always goes where the worst of the ‘cane will his. I ‘googled’ Where is Jim Cantore? the day before Ian was scheduled to hit Florida. The answer came up in a couple of seconds—Punta Gorda!

Have a great week wherever you are, do what you enjoy, learn a new song, and dance with Crow. And remember, People are to love, things are to use.

Healthing

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Weather in the Tries: Mostly sunny days, one day up to 86, the lowest to 75. Nights will be high 40s to low 50s. More sunny days than cloudy ones. Now, I ask you, can it get any better?

Healthing.

As many of you know, I have neuropathy in my feet and legs. Primarily in my feets. Finally found a wonder drug that helps, and I seldom have a problem any more. With the neuropathy. But, for the past few years when walking I would more often that really appreciated, have my right leg feel like it was being filled with molten lava. The leg first felt tight, like it was swelling (it wasn’t) and then the lava came. Made for shorter walks.  I’d make it home, grab a book, get more or less horizontal with my foot up, and I’d be fine. Usually about that fast.

The podiatrist said it was a nerve issue and if it got too bad, he’d send me to a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon and whichever I chose would probably send me to physical therapy first then talk about surgery. On my spine? Uh, I don’t think so. So, I thought about it, and had an appointment with my regular doctor, and told her what the other doctor said, and she said she’d send me to PT. I think I appreciate it. I tell Housemate I am dying. He says no, I am healthing. What does he know? My quads feel like they’ve been made out of jello. Lime jello at that, and everybody knows I hate lime jello. My knees feel like they’re made of lemon-lime jello. Barely a half step better than lime jello.

The PT has me doing exercises. I’m doing them. Most of them. Being an almost octogenarian and trying to do exercises is not as easy as it used to be! However, they must be doing some good, as yesterday when I got the mail, there was a package in our box for a neighbor on the 2d floor of a different building. Sammy and I took it upstairs. Sammy had NO problem with the stairs (he’s considerably younger than I am, and has four legs), and I had far less problem than usual! But when I got down on the floor a bit ago to do one of the exercises, I could not get up. Blessings upon Housemate! He got behind me and lifted me. This healthing is somewhat painful, and a lot of hard work but if I can get built up to walking long distances in a year, I’ll consider it worth the while. But it is asking a heck of a lot from an old lady.

(And, yes, I know where to find sympathy—in the dictionary between sh*t and syphilis!)

Photos of the Week:

Like I had energy to walk the dog AND take pictures? OK, here’s a couple from days gone by. The yellow flower is a Prickly Pear I took on the side of a road back in 2007 when Kay and I toured the country, and the other is fog on the Columbia River.

Books: Books I’ve read and reviewed are at: http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

Finished Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher and The Color of Dirt by Giulio Magrini. Hope to have all reviews posted in next couple of days.

Movies: Movies/series I’ve watched and reviewed are at: https://rainydaysmovieoftheweek.blogspot.com

Watched four movies this week. Ashes of Time Redux, Lars and the Real Girl, Twilight Samurai, and The Hidden Blade. If anyone knows where I can buy (for a reasonable amount) a copy of Love and Honor, the third in the Samurai movies by Yoji Yamada, please let me know.

My good friend Dixie recommended a K-Drama series she thought I might like, The Extraordinary Attorney Woo. She has a photographic memory and knows how to use it. She has some other issues, to. She is the first autistic person appointed to the Bar and, admittedly, I know very little about autism, so don’t know if she’s playing it “correctly” or not but I’m enjoying it tremendously. Thank you, GF Dixie 😉

I think LA Law was the first time they actually had an actor with Down’s Syndrome play a character with DS, and his girlfriend also had DS, and I believe she, too, had DS in real life. I don’t think the star of Attorney Woo is autistic, but she’s doing a good job, I think, of portraying it. What I like is the fact that this is the third K-Drama I’ve seen where one of the main characters is somewhere on the spectrum, and they are a part of the ‘real world’ and not portrayed as undesirable, or unwanted, or victims needing rescue.

And that’s it for this week. No Earworm, no Quotes.

However, I truly wish to tell you about a new way to eat ice cream. Put ice cream in the bowl. Add chocolate sauce. Still with me? Okay, next grab your jar of Chili Crisp (Housemate and I like Fly By Jing), stir with a fork, and take a fork full of the crisp and dribble on the chocolate sauce. Oh, yummmmmmm. 

Have a great week. If you can’t stay out of trouble, for heaven’s sake, don’t get caught! And don’t forget to find out where your nearest Middle Eastern bakery is, and give them some of your business. And if you want some cookies that aren’t all that sweet, try the sesame cookies or the date biscuits. Yummmmm. Every country has their own styles, and I think it’s safe to say that every area/city/town has their own way of baking and cooking, too.

Bread and Soup

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Weather in the Tries: We are, I believe, in our cooling times. The weather this past week has been in the 80s and 70s, and coming up is more of the same, but more 70s than 80s. The nights are in the 50s. Sammy is much happier sleeping under the blanket now ;-)just about all of our days will be sunny, or partly so, with 40% chance of wetness falling on Thursday. Or only 40% of the Tries will get wet? Whatever.

Bread and Soup:

Favorite Daughter and I decided to go shopping at Al Basha Market last weekend, it’s our local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean  Grocery, and carries such wonderful foods. Of course the store has the most wonderful of smells as you walk in—spices, coffees, teas, and the freezers are filled with all kinds of bread (none of them American), meats (halal), fish, and who knows what all? The guys who own it work there and are very helpful. I always try to buy at least one thing I’ve never had before, and the other day I came home with a jar of stuffed small egg plants. Yummm.

But, I digress. For whatever reason I got to wondering if we had a local Middle Eastern bakery, so looked it up on my favorite frenemy, Google. There is one in Kennewick, and it is literally right next door! So favorite daughter and I stopped there first just to see what they had. And what they had was marvelous—bread so fresh it was still warm! And all sorts of other goodies. The pistachio baklava is to die for! And I saw date things, and kunefe, which I’ve yet to try. Favorite Daughter liked hers—a lot. I finally tried the Kunefa! It is a marvelous, wonderful cheesy delight. They make theirs with sweet cheese, and a shredded phyllo dough that I understand is slightly different than our phyllo dough. Oh my oh my! Auntie Lenora gained 5 pounds yesterday, yes, it’s that good, stop and have some. The happiest 5 pounds you’ll ever wear.

Mr Al-Hayyawi putting samoon dough on the ‘record’ and his helper removing it

For me, the hit of the show is the samoon, an Iraqi bread. Unfortunately, I could probably live off bread, and having Somer Bakery so close, an easy and way too short walk, may prove to be more of a temptation than I can handle. (Somer means Civilization, and I am for sure positive they will civilize me!) The single breads cost a dollar, or $4.95 for a bag of five. Samoon is a pocket bread, like pita, but nothing like the pita from your friendly grocery store. The bread is thicker, about like a slice of our bread, and has a marvelous taste and texture. So far, I’ve had mine with olive oil and za’atar (thyme, salt, and sesame seed), with the stuffed eggplant, with scrambled eggs, peanut butter, onion jam, butter, and just plain. (I can see my friend who lived in Palestine for several years and was married to a Palestinian for 55 years shuddering and shaking her head in disbelief at how I have desecrated the almost holy bread with things I shouldn’t. Maybe she won’t read that part of the paragraph 😉 (I hope we’ll still be friends.;-) (I also like olive oil and za’atar and chipotle powder on my popcorn. She just knows I’ll pay for that eventually 😉

The oven he uses is a thing of beauty—and magic. It looks kind of like a large record turning on the player at about perfect number of rpm that produce breads instead of music. Well, the bread is a symphony for your tastebuds, so music it makes. Mr. Al-Hayyawi puts the dough on it as it turns, and when it comes around again after passing through the heated part (maybe he has tamed some small dragons? or djinn?), it’s baked and nicely browned. And also puffed up. I swear, I can gain wait just inhaling the perfume of fresh baked bread!  

They also make pies—pizza-like pies. Their pies have several different toppings—ground beef, za’atar, cheese, spinach, and all sorts of wonderful goodnesses. They are wonderful. They also have a more traditional pizza, but why would anyone want that when they could have the Iraqi pie?

The pie menu. I’ve had the Lahm bi ajeen and the Manaeesh Zatar, both are delightful. –photo by Sonja Smith

Since I like to shop local when I can, and put money back into my local economy, and prefer locally owned and operated, when possible, I know I will be putting a fair share in the new Somer Bakery, 5601 W Clearwater Ave, Unit 111, Kennewick WA 99336. They are wheelchair accessible, have free wi-fi, accept plastic, have contactless payments, and even use Apple Pay. Hours during the week are 7.00-7.00.  Weekend hours are a little shorter.

There are tables and chairs, so you may sit and eat, converse with a friend, (and dare I say that everyone in there is a friend waiting to be introduced), read a book, drink coffee or tea. If I was a bona fide food critic, I would give Somer’s 5 out of 5 stars. But since I’m just a wannabe blogger, and I make my own rules, they get 10 out of 5 stars. Don’t ask me how I do that, I just do.

The bread of heaven–samoon

Since I know a lot of my readers don’t live close enough to the Tries to visit, try the next best thing—see if you’re fortunate to have a Middle Eastern Bakery in your town, and if so, check them out. In the meantime, if you’re heading this way to check out the wineries, etc., plan a stop at Somer’s bakery. Everything goes better with good bread. It’s worth the drive. Honest. Trust me. I understand that in many areas of the Middle East, one can take their bread dough to the baker and he will bake it, then you return to pick it up.

Rolls and other yummy breads.

A link crossed my screen the other day from Cooking Professionally, with a recipe for Football Soup. Of course, I had to check it out. I was interested in whether they used brand spanking new footballs, and if so, which brand (or does it matter?), how many and what part, or if they used well-kicked footballs for tenderness. And do we use American footballs or European footballs. Are they cooked and seasoned the same?  Of course, I had to check the recipe, because to be honest, footballs in my soup just doesn’t sound like anything I really want to try, though it is a novel way to dispose of them. Now, though, I’m curious if the people who posted the recipe could be sued for lying? There is no football/soccer ball listed in the ingredients. Just the same, I’ll stick to nail soup or stone soup, thank you very much. 

In the last few days, recipes for Fairy Bread, Cemetery Cake, and Teacher’s Pet Casserole have all come across my screen. Now, I know there are those who claim fairies don’t exist, but obviously they do exist or there wouldn’t be a recipe calling for them. I mean, how could anyone make bread out of Tinker Bell and her siblings? I truly do not understand how anyone can make bread out of Fairies, cake out of Cemeteries, even assuming they just use the flowers, and not the bones, but making a casserole out of pets is too much—well, possibly if one’s pet is an alligator, but then why ruin it in a casserole when ‘gator bites are so delicious? Oh, wait. Maybe said teacher uses the student who is her pet? Oh, no. Surely not. No, it must be the guinea pig? Or???

Photos of the Week: What? You want MORE photos? Oh, alright…

My first ever samoon with some extra virgin olive oil and some zatar. There truly isn’t a better way to eat bread, but there are some different ways, which are very good, but olive oil and zatar are truly hard to beat.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com

I’m still reading reading Brotherhood of the Wheel, by R. S. Belcher. I try to read at least one chapter a night. Sometimes, I don’t make it 😉

Earworms:

Taqsim Arabic oud music

Best of Iraqi oud Nasser Shama I can listen to this all day!

And there it is. This week’s Coffee Break Escape! Cooler nights, cooler days, everyone seems happier. And Housemate Dan and I didn’t turn the a/c on once this summer, using open windows and fans. Even Sammy Brave Dog seems happier.

I Don’t Read…

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Weather in the Tries:

The nights are for real getting cooler. The days are, too. At least most of them. This week will be mostly in the 90s, with three days at 101, as of 4.30 Sunday afternoon. Who knows how it will change by Monday, and No one but that wee butterfly in Seoul, South Korea knows if we’ll still get 3 hot days. 

I Don’t Read…

As most of you know, perhaps all of you know, I do not read books on math, spy stories (nonfiction or fiction), romance, or horror. Heaven’s to Murgatroyd! I found a series of books that are classified as horror, and I’m having a hard time putting them down. I have read books 1, 3, 4, and am now on 2. Five and 6 are somewhere between the author’s computer and my bookshelf. It is the Golgotha Series by R. S. Belcher, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The horror is more along the lines of ewww and yuck than nightmare horror. Of course, there is violence, but something occurred to me the other day—I don’t mind violence in shows or books as long as it is improbable. Our Hero single handedly saves Los Angeles from the bad people, the rock falls from outer space to the desert only to not be a rock, but an egg of a violent predator who loves warm blooded beings. Only one person, also from another planet, can save us. Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. And the violence in these books is like that. Totally improbable. Think of the old Lethal Weapon movies. Now throw in some spirits, ghosts, wayward angels, and other such stuff all in a desert town in Nevada with the name of Golgotha, where everyone is welcome. Some are welcome to live, some are welcome to die, but all are welcome.

I heartily recommend the series by R. S. Belcher, and I strongly recommend reading the first one first, Six Gun Tarot. The others you can read as you find them, but you’ll have a great grounding if you start at the first. It’s far less violent than Game of Thrones was/is. And I’m considerably chuffed that Six Gun Tarot was Mr. Belcher’s debut novel. How cool is that?

Speaking of, I understand there is a prequel out, now, to GoT, The House of the Dragon (???) I imagine it will be as violent as the original, possibly more so. George RR (RailRoad) Martin is involved in this one, too. If any of you watch it to the end, I’d appreciate your comments. I quit GoT at the end of Season 5. I was afraid they would kill off the few favorite characters I still had standing. Especially Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). I did see the episode where he offed Daddy Dearest and thought that was awesome. (I didn’t like his Daddy at all). I know that when the story lags, an author should kill his/her darlings, but damn, I’d get emotionally involved with a character in one episode, and the next s/he would be offed. And I really didn’t want anyone to kill the dragons. 

Remember when Diana Gabaldon came out with the Outlander series? My housemate at the time and I bought the first three books, heard the fourth came out and headed to our local bookstore. We went up and down every aisle but the Romance one. Finally, we asked for help. The books weren’t in historical novels. They weren’t in thriller. They weren’t anywhere to be found and yet the store advertised they had them. Yeah, you guessed it, they were in the Romance Section. 

I seldom buy fiction books. They take up too much room, they weigh too much, but there are some authors I really, really want to own their books and not rent them. Patricia Briggs, Ann Bishop, and now R. S. Belcher. I’m pretty sure they’ll play well together on my bookshelf. And notice their last names all start with B so as my mind slip/slides away maybe I can still find my old friends on shelf B.

Photos of the Week:

You looking for a good book to read at the beach on your last summer get away? I suggest this one. And I won’t even be begging you for a review, Amazon has heard all us authors whine and cry, and now you readers can just go in and give books you’ve read a Star Rating, no words involved. How about them apples? Huh? And this book is just chock-full short pieces—poems, stories, and opinions. Honest. Trust me.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

No knew books this week. I’m still working on #2, and I’m reading it very slowly because I don’t want to finish it and have to come home. I kinda like Golgotha. It’s a happening place, know what I mean, Jelly Bean? 😉

Earworms:

Went to YouTube to check my music videos, and there was a new one for me, Arabian Harp. What lovely music to have in the background while I work on the computer. 

Quotes from Salmon Rushdie:

“Faith without doubt is addiction.” —Salmon Rushdie

“From the beginning men used God to justify the unjustifiable.” —Salmon Rushdie

“We all owe death a life.” —Salmon Rushdie

“A photograph is a moral decision taken in one eighth of a second.” —Salmon Rushdie

We’ve had cooler weather, and Boy Howdy! is it nice for sleeping. I’m pretty sure it won’t be too long before I have to put the heavier quilt on the bed, but for now both Sammy and I are enjoying the lighter weight of the summer quilt. I believe next week end is Labor Day weekend, the “official” end of summer, at least for a lot of kidlets, and their teachers, unless they’ve all quit. When I worked at The Boeing Company, I was rather surprised at all the teachers I knew who worked there. Far less hassle, better wages, better hours, and no kids allowed. Enjoy this week, especially if it’s your last one of the summer 😉

Home Again, Home Again…

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Weather in the Tries:

MOS (More of the Same), i.e. extremely warm to hot. 😉

Home Again, Home Again…

Arrived home from the Dark Side a couple hours or so ago. And, yes, the Dark Side was dark for a couple of days. And cool, and I found myself wearing jeans instead of shorts, and a lightweight house jacket thingy I made years ago.

BUT, and this is the important part: I had a wonderful visit with friends. I left the Brave Dog home with Housemate, and am glad I did. The drives over and back were hot and stressful. Lots of traffic that actually moved quite well, until the Road Work signs appeared. Ugh!

Have four books to review and post, but probably not tonight. Have read volumes 1, 3, 4 of the Golgotha series, 5 & 6 are not yet published, and volume 2 was waiting when I got home. Volume 2 is a trade paper book, the others are mass paper, and in the beginning of V2 is a map of the town of Golgotha. As you probably know I love maps! Can you tell what I’m going to be doing in just a few minutes?

Because it is still Monday, I wanted to get something written so your Monday won’t be a total loss without a new Coffee Break Escape, I’m putting it together, and will get it sent soon. While it’s still Monday.

My friend who lives in the Dark Side, is dairy intolerant. It is also difficult for him to get around, so we want NOTHING with dairy to come into his domain. I found a recipe I thought he’d like, Apple Fritter Cake, which is to die for. It calls for melted butter, I ignored that, and the glaze is to be made with milk—I substituted Scotch Whiskey 😉 You may have to subscribe to their free newsletter—believe me, it’s worth it. This cake was a huge hit, for those fortunate enough to get any. Next time I make it, I think I will nuke the apples, sugar (surprisingly small amount), and cinnamon with a bit of cornstarch for a few minutes, then mix it in. The apples were good, but not quite as done as a bakery fritter. And, being a cake, it was baked not fried. I baked it in our new Anova Precision Oven, and it was quite interesting to see the whole degree of flex to maintain the temperature for baking. 

I think the cake would be good with peaches, blueberries, cherries—whatever your little tastebuds have a hankering for. You might want to adjust the cinnamon appropriately 😉 Very little sugar (1/4 cup), no egg (12 oz of beer).

My friend’s youngest son, Alex, was there when I arrived. He looked so much like my Favorite Son, I did a double take. There are differences, but still…. 😉 And, like Favorite Son, a delight to meet. 

Photos of the Week:

Two shots of one of Sheryl’s Hydrangea plants. Sheryl is/was a Landscape Architect, and her yard is fantabulous. More shots next time. 

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

Books 3, 4 of the Golgotha series and two books of poetry, Discovery by Don Krieger and I Am the Rage, by Martina McGowan. Two powerful books of poetry. Anyhow, I’ll try to get all the reviews up in the next couple of days.

Earworms:

I wasn’t going to have any earworms this week, but I remembered an old song I learned in Girl Scouts, Make New Friends, and thought I’d share it. It one of those simple songs that goes into a ‘round’ easily and I think it’s a song we big people ought to learn and sing more often than we do. Check it out. This version is a bit longer than I remember, but I surely do like it. 

Quotes from Blues muscians:

“The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.” —John Lee Hooker, blues singer, songwriter, guitarist (1917-2001)

“There’s no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I’m playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues – the blues we used to have when we had no money.” — Muddy Waters (1913–1983) 

“The blues is celebration, because when you take sorrow and turn it into music, you transform it.” —Odetta Holmes, Folk, blues, spirituals guitarist, lyricist (1930-2008)

Sammy was delighted I came home. I sat on the sofa for a good half hour, and he snuggled in my lap. I came into the office to write this, and he was over talking to Housemate. Aah, the fickleness of animals. My folks and I used to have a cat who would ignore is for days when we’d go someplace and leave him. If we were gone a couple days, it wasn’t much, but if we were gone a month, he’d ignore us for at least a whole week. The neighbors thought it funny. He’d still go to them for food. Tis good to be home. I missed Sammy and I missed you all, too.

How My Brain (or at least what’s left of it) Works

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Weather in the Tries:

It gonna be hot, today and tomorrow 96, 99. Then up to triple digits until next Monday. Where I will be is gonna be in the 80s. Nights down as low as 55, mostly in 60s. You just have NO IDEA how happy I am knowing that Climate Change is a hoax. That keeps me mighty cool. 

How My Brain (or at least what’s left of it) Works:

Okay, I really don’t know how it works, I’m just grateful it still does. Well, it sorta works. I forget words now and then, but since I bought a Bling-y phone cover, I haven’t lost my phone.

I also bought a new headset with mic a while back. It’s really kinda neat. For sure it’s more comfortable than the one I’d been using. It also cost more. Noticeably more. And it comes in colors (mine is lilac and cost a dollar less than Housemate’s default black one). It’s a gamer’s headset. The only game I play on my computer is solitaire. The sound effects are of cards being shuffled, dealt, etc. Certainly nothing requiring such a headset. It is fun hearing commercials in stereo though as the music comes in one ear and goes out the other. It’s also wireless. When I’m in a zoom gathering, I can get up to get more coffee and not miss anything (unless I nuke it, then the headset goes off until the nuker goes off). And it has an on/off button. 

There are four notes that go up for on and down for off. And that’s what made me remember my Auntie Marie’s old Chinese Myna Bird, Mac. Everyone in the family would talk to Mac, and we would give him the same four notes, A, B, C, D going from low to high, and he would repeat it. Until my cousin’s husband gave him the same notes. Mac would look at Husband and say the same notes backwards, D, C, B, A. We never did figure that one out. Until that old bird died, he never slipped up and repeated it “correctly” nor did anyone else get the same reverse treatment.

I tried one time and gave him D, C, B, A. He looked at me, then admonished me that it was A, B, C, D. You have not lived until you’ve been admonished by a Chinese Myna Bird.

For his sleep at night, Auntie Marie would put a paper lunch sack in his cage and Mac would go into the bag, tuck his head under a wing, and sleep. All night. Unless he woke. Auntie Marie woke one night and heard Cousin sewing out in the other room where Mac lived, but she was doing it in the dark. Auntie Marie got up to tell Cousin to turn on the light, she needed more than the sewing machine light. She went out into the room, and no one was at the machine. Mac had awakened, and was apparently bored, so thought he’d “sew” himself a new outfit. 

‘They” say smell is one of the best triggers to bring up memories, but in this case, it’s four notes on my gamer’s headset. 

Restaurant Hack:

One of my favorite sandwiches that I only eat in restaurants, never make my own, is a good Reuben, on grilled rye bread. Alas, we seem only able to convince local restaurants to use the marbled rye bread instead of a good black rye. If they can make a good Reuben with the marbled stuff, you know it’s good. But then, Cook ruins it by placing the hot sandwich on the plate so the bottom slice of bread steams and gets soggy. I always ask for fries as my side, and I ask the waitperson to please ask Cook to put the sandwich on top of the fries. Of course, then I have to explain the why of it—when the sandwich goes on the fries, it has air under it as well as heat, and doesn’t get soggy. So, there you go. If you order a grilled sandwich in a restaurant, ask for it to be placed on top of your fries. If you can afford the restaurant and really wanted a side salad, order it, you can afford it. You don’t have to eat the fries. The fries are there for your sandwich. Try it, you’ll like it. Unless, of course, you like soggy bread on your grilled sandwiches.

The reason I only eat Reubens in restaurants and not at home is they are treats. If I make them at home, they are no longer a treat. I also don’t cook lobster at home for the same reason. Going to a restaurant is a treat and I never order anything I can make at home. I also find myself not ordering salads all that much anymore either. That’s because Housemate makes killer salads, why would I pay for lesser eats?

Photos of the Week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I finished Six Gun Tarot by R. S. Belcher. Oh, saddle up, Buckaroo, it’s a ride and a half. Read my review.

Earworms:

In a real western mood, thanks to Mr. Belcher. Check out some of these oldies.

Roy Rogers (remember him?) & Sons of the Pioneers, Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Sons of the Pioneers, Ghost Riders In the Sky

I remember those songs from when I was an itty bitty kidlet—my folks were still together and we lived in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Quotes from the Old West:

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” —Judge Roy Bean

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.” —Unknown

“Always drink upstream from the herd.”—Will Rogers

I will probably be a wee bit late next week. I’m going to be on the road coming home Monday, so I’ll do the best I can, but it might even be Tuesday before Monday’s gets posted. Patience, Grasshopper!

Sammy is thrilled. I’m leaving him with Housemate. Housemate spoils him rotten. Does he get water in his kibble dish like a normal dog? No. He gets organic chicken stock! And special treats made just for him. I won’t worry, though, unless he starts eating salads. If he and I have to fight over Housemate’s salads, there’s gonna be a come to the table meeting!

Have a great week. And stay cool.