Mental Health and The Media...

So which will it be? One or Both to blame for the awful slaughter of the innocents 2 days ago?  The media sets the stage with it's bombastic forets into the horror of it all, all the blood, the body bags (or the bodies if they can be seen), the blinking lights of police and fire and ambulances.  All of this and interviews with the victims whether or not they were shot (they are victims still), then come the inevitable comparrisons with previous acts of violence and mayhem followed shortly thereafter with possible future ones.  Can't we gag the press for 48 or 72 hours?  An instant gag just as a judge "gags" a jury...infact a immediate injunction against out of county newspapers and bloggers too, just shut them up to allow the smoke and terror interest to subside.  What's wrong with that?  Not constitutional?  Do it and see. Test it in the courts, refine it, legislate it.  It certainly would help all closely concerned don't you think?

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Then the next part...Mental Health.  We all go to school, we are examined every day that we are, should not schools develop referal programs to establish a connection to the mental health facilities available in the local community? 

Guns and Ammo...

Guns...what a subject, without Ammunition they are almost useless, certainly the sight of even an empty gun in a certain location is at least alarming, even to those who possess guns.  A gun in the woods...ce normale', in a grocery store...that's different.  In our United States there are guns in the hands of every kind of human being, white, black, brown, yellow, red, sane, less sane, insane, liberal or conservative, male or female.  Mostly they are never used for anything once purchased.  They lie in drawers, thrown in boxes or closets to hide in the stuff of our lives.  They asre unused tools that have an unusual use, they kill.  Yes other things can kill and DO...cars are but one example, knives, ropes, panty hose, water, screwdrivers, bricks and pillows.  They are all benign things as well and used improperly can do as a gun does when it is used for it's intended purpose, kill.  No big point made or needed, it's obvious that the horse left the barn here about 237 years ago.  What we need is certainly less effort towards gun controls and more effort towards people controls.  People can be convinced, coerced, urged, prohibited, licensed, encouraged...guns cannot.  We all know that those with mental illnesses should not be found in possession of any gun for any reason at any particular time.  Certainly guns are used to kill by those who are perfectly (imperfectly too) sane, hunters, police persons, home owners, shop owners etc.  The best controls are already in place one could argue,  gun registration, Federal Firearms Licenses, gun locks, gun safes, background checks...on and on they go.  Certainly allowing the future perpetrators of gun-related violence and crime access to semi-automatic weapons easily modified to become fully automatic is asking for more of what we had at that school, it was the gun he chose to use and it had NOT been so modified, just handy and fast shooting and easy to reload quickly to do the most damage in the quickest way.  That's what the military wants in a weapon.  Is that clear?  Later...

Another Damned School Shooting...What to do?

Little kids this time, 20 at the last media count.  What to do about this plague?  Who do we blame this time?  The Monster perp, the monster's girlfriend?  His parents or parent?  The fact that he is a he?  His gun? The bullets? The manufacturers of the weapons we can all buy from anyone it seems?  The lack of mental health testing at puberty?  The lack of free anger management classes?  The ease of availability of weapons such as those he used to perpetrate this heinous crime and then relieve society of it's obligation to try and punish him by killing himself.  I propose he got the sequence wrong.  Should have taken himself out FIRST!  Not the innocents that suffered their fate at his hands.
If we quit selling guns, manufacturing guns, allowing possession of guns there are STILL millions available to anyone with enough cash to claim one either from friends, acquaintances or gun runners like in 3rd world countries.  We as a society were insane to allow this scourge in the first place.  Just because you CAN have a gun doesn't mean you should.  Testing should come FIRST...mental testing and a thorough background check, both, not just one or the other.  A LONG Mandatory waiting period to allow the slow grinding wheels of bureaucracy to answer many questions about the buyer.  Ban all sales of guns except through licenced FFL holders.  No issuance of any more FFL's.  No more kits to convert semi-auto guns into fully automatic ones.  No bullet components for sale, no powder, no lead, no bullets or casings.  No loading equipment.  No extended clips and magazines, no stock replacements.  No hollow point bullets, only jacketed round nosed.  What else do you want on your gun control list?  It would take a century to get these factored into our gun crazed and violence infected society.  I know it and you know it.  How do we build safe schools from events such as this?
A simple metal detector might have stopped this one, but I don't know. I'm out of ideas. 

Wednesday in the Sun...

Well...here I am all by my little self on a Wednesday morning in sunny (right now) Suisun City. Just bought a smidgen of Saffron from a US supplier, 37 bux worth of the precious stuff...indispensable for some recipes...Spanish, Mexican, Persian and Indian foods.  So expensive in the stores in the minuscule amounts I simply won't buy it there anymore. So online at this address:
http://www.theposter.com/saffron2.html   a good source, a bit of a fuss setting up your account but fair prices and reasonable shipping ( a real expense these days!) and great products make it worth the trouble.

Mopping...you know, rag mop, water, a bit of soapy stuff...better than any dust spewing vacuum.  Swept the kitchen (my giant mess site!) then mopped it, the back bathroom and the dining room floors while Kelly was away tending to business for Kell our eBay site.  I genuinely LIKE mopping, so it's not a chore at all.  I know it's unusual, but hey I like ironing too!  Some strange gene combinations all tangled up with airplanes, weather, music and they myriad of other interests and avocations I dabble in.  Makes for an interesting day every day.

Currently I'm working on a violin rebuild for a Chris's Club lady friend.  It was a wall hanger once upon a time but she rescued it and brought it to CC a couple of weeks ago.  She showed it to me and my curiosity took over.  Next thing I knew it was in my possession and on the way home with me to be repaired.  Missing 2 tuners, the all important bridge and strings it has been quite a project making me read, read and study violins like never before.  So much to do and investigate...order requisite parts from far flung sources and the inevitable wait while they ship.  I'm invested under 100 bux so far and that's about all I think it needs, I won't charge her anything for my labors but the parts...yes.
It'll be a playable beauty when I get through with the repairs someday real-soon-now!

The snapshot at the top of the page is from my old webcam, thoroughly obsolete or nearly so...says Logitech stuck in a planter on the front porch looking east towards Main Street.   I ordered a new one from Newegg yesterday as the cam is showing it's poor quality as you can see.  The new one will be installed once it gets here... http://www.newegg.com

Oh...and Furry the Kat...still with us, weight near 6lbs and far more energetic and seemingly back to being a Very Olde Kat once again 175 USD later.  Hydration was the issue and now with wet foods and plenty of water she is her Olde self again.  Hooray for now!  Like the Vet said to us on Friday last, "You take it as it comes when they get this age."

Deathwatch Averted! Meeeeoowwww!

Yes, day before Thanksgiving looked to be Furry's last...then off to the Cat House in the Sky!  Deathwatch 2012 was upon us we thought.  She just laid there looking awful, fur all screwed up and skinny as a cat could be...food bowl mound untouched...water bowl in a similar state.  Shit!  We watched her for the morning hoping against hope that this was just a "down day" in the life of the dear Queen.  Then about 11 Kelly called the vet at ABC Animal Hospital and told them of her "condition".  Our day is set.  They said "Come on in", so we gathered her up into her carrier and away we went.  ABC is about 2 miles from here across Highway 12 and the vet we have been using for years, kind, attentive to people and animals alike, they are ultra reliable.  Upon arrival we were taken into the Cat Examination Room and the familiar stainless steel table and all the photos of cats and the possible diseases they can experience.  The Cat nurse was very careful with our ancient (she'll be 19 on April 1st) Fur-Rr-Eee, taking her temperature rectally (she didn't like it at all this time!) and having a less than easy time of it, there being a "poop mat" preventing the delicate operation from success.  Another Cat Nurse joined in the fun and soon the mat was removed and her temperature was announced as "normal".  "Does she eat normally",  she asked, "Not today" was my reply.  "Poop?", she returned, "I think so...she has a robot so it's difficult to know," I said petting Furry's back.  "The doctor will be right in" she said as she left us alone to await the medicine to come.  Soon the good Doc joined us and checked her mouth, listened to her lungs and heart and felt for lumps etc.  He spoke of Liver failure, kidney disease, worms etc.  Seeming well enough he announced that she needed a blood test to see if something "inside" was amiss.  We also talked a bit about possible outcomes (Deathwatch Scenario #1).  He then wrapped her in a towel and took her elsewhere for the blood draw while we anxiously waited.  In about 15 minutes he returned with Furry and a small slip of paper...the results, which he then reviewed with us.  Showing results that were nearly normal, especially on the critical liver and kidney tests he decided to re-hydrate the obviously dehydrated cat, so out came a kit and soon the saline solution was flowing thru the tube into her neck.  Then came a shot to control the vomiting she had been having.  It took two grown men to hold her down through these "procedures"!  She wasn't having this easily!  Another 15 minutes and it was all wrapped up, Furry back into her carrier in a second...living up to her name!  Then pay the $175 bill (not bad at all, given all the effort done in her (and our) behalf.  Also we were given a bottle of vitamin drops to place into her food and told to give her "wet" food as a precaution against dehydration. 
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Of course we were scheduled to go down to Merced for our annual Thanksgiving with Kelly's cousin and other family members on their ranch...she had to call and tell them we were not able to come as Furry needed our full attention.  Shit!  Further it meant we had to shop not only for wet food for the darling beast but for makings of a Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves and Audrey.  Yes...all for the cat.  It is ALWAYS for the cat...isn't it?!  Deathwatch Averted...today, she seems fine, gloating that she has gotten us to feed her wet food and we didn't leave her to fend for herself yesterday.  Yes, she's fine...and she goes BACK to the vet this afternoon at 4 for the "check up"...Hmmmmmm.  She won that one!

Up! Up! Up! Where???

Tuesday morning after CC last night.  It's nearly 7:45 by the time we arrive and the bar area is packed with patrons.Who are all these people and why are they here?  Monday Night Football?  It's Veteran's Day for chrisakes.  Maybe the game was earlier and these are just the hangers-on.  I wander about greeting all the guys, Wylie, Ronnie, Delhart and Donny.  Huh?  Eventually a few strung out guitar phrases sound from Ronnie's Strat, Wylie climbs the stage and away we go!  He's in fine form!   We are usually here about 6:45, so being an hour late as we had journeyed out to SCMAD only to find the parking lot empty...must be tomorrow night, shit!  So we about-faced and drove off to CC late.  Somehow the holiday status of this Monday escaped us both, getting no mail should have exposed the reality but alas it was not so.  Performers abounded (is that a word?) last night too, guitar players, bass players, a harmonica guy, female singers galore and we drank the requisite amount of cheap-as-hell Rolling Rock and enjoyed ourselves and our entertaining company emmensly (sic...I can't get the Blogger engine to spell check this entry for some damned reason! Grrrrrr).
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This morning this fine Dell laptop is doing it's presto-chango tricks on my blog entry as I type.  This slows down the writing process as I have to double check the placement of every damned letter and word I type. Shit, shit, shit!  Heat?  Maybe...so i FIRED UP (SEE...now it went CAPS on me!!!) Speccy and checked all the hardware temps inside, I did that yesterday.  I found an array of high (60C) temps on the CPU and the video chips so ordered a laptop cooling device yesterday afternoon.  Today I still suffer.  Speccy reports:
CPU
 Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo T7200 @ 2.00GHz 54 °C
 Merom 65nm Technology
RAM
 4.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 332MHz (5-5-5-15)
Motherboard
 Dell Inc. 0YD632 (Microprocessor) 58 °C
Graphics
 Generic PnP Monitor (1440x900@60Hz)
 512MB Quadro FX 2500M (Dell) 62 °C
Hard Drives
 93GB Seagate ST910021AS ATA Device (SATA) 35 °C
Optical Drives
 TSSTcorp CDRWDVD TSL462D ATA Device
Audio
 High Definition Audio Device

This result with the DVD/CD tray open and the memory card slot holder out...both to help air flow.

 

Enough is enough! Back to Sanity!

So it's over for 2012. Good. I predicted the Presidential outcome over 6 months ago. 

The KatKam is running.  We are currently feeding about a dozen ferals daily and I decided I'd
photo them at the bowl.  Many new kittens apparent. 

Eyes are getting settled, "floaters" are there but not so many and the vision is clear as a bell on my
right eye but the left is not so very sharp...worse than I thought it would be.  I'm still very happy with
the results though.  Eye drops continue every day however, 4 times a day Kelly chases me down and I submit, sort of, while growling. 

We've discovered the Empress Theatre in Vallejo as a good, if not great, music venue.  The theatre itself is wonderful, a throwback to the ones of the 40's and 50's.  Glitzy and comfortable seating, enthusiastic audiences and a long list of musical attractions.

Weather is clear, cool and leaning towards winter with snowfall in the Sierras growing.

Enough Already!

So, should I continue the sad tale or just drop it and just wrap-up?  The latter choice would be simply put, FUCK AMERICAN AIRLINES!!  I'll never WILLINGLY travel on any aircraft owned and operated by them or any of their damned affiliates...Whoa there!!!  Affiliates?  What AFFILIATES?  You know, the batch of Other Airlines that they belong to that go places they don't or for some other reason...supposedly keeping you in their family".  Like this plucked from the AA.com web page:

Code Share Partners:
British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Airberlin, Alaska Airlines, Cape Air, China Eastern Airlines, Deutsche Bahn German Rail, El Al, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jetstar and WestJet.

Affiliates

American Eagle – Operating more than 1,500 daily flights to over 160 destinations across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, American Eagle is one of the world’s largest regional airlines and a wholly owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation.
AmericanConnection – Chautauqua Airlines operates flights under the AmericanConnection brand, with almost 50 daily flights from its base in Chicago.

Quite a list to observe and obey my heart from...but I will do it!  Screw AA!  Bastards of The Air!!
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Now more news from the California environs:
Kelly broke her ankle in a certain way, a "chip fracture", 5 weeks in a damned cast!  What an ordeal she went through,  barely could get around the house.  Eventually she was able to drive and that was a big help. 
Me?  Oh...I had DOUBLE Cataract surgery last Wednesday, a painless 10 minute O.R. procedure that FIXED my erratic and troubled vision.  I now see better that ever before!  Clearer, brighter, correct colors and no eye strain!  Good ol' Kaiser came through BIG TIME!  I had Dr. Johnathan I. Diamant and his team, a fabulous result!  Amazing and I'm so very thankful to him and his staff and everyone at Kaiser Vacaville!  Wonderful!

On the Plane

Yes, this gets more interesting.  Soon the "purser" arrives to chat with us re:The Service Animal (Cat).  "You are the couple with The Cat", she asks.  I look up from the magazine, "Yes."  She whispers now..."I don't want to up-set you...but we have several staff who are allergic to cats".  I said, "Then they shouldn't touch them".  She grimmaced, "They swell up".  Hmmmm,  Kelly replies, "We KNOW...we will leave her in the carrier the whole time, we KNOW the rules". The purser whispers again, "I didn't want to upset you but..." Kelly says, "We know...she's under the seat, in her carrier, she's a Service Animal."  The purser says, "Our people are very afraid!"  I said "Reassure them." Kelly glared at her.  "Ok" she said as she turned to walk away.  The Captain announced "We have had a No Show ladies and gentlemen, so we've had to have the baggafor that passenger, it'll only be a few more minutes.  We have NOT taken off yet, it is now 1:30 and the plane is just now rolling back from the gate!  At 1:50 we are in the air at last!  One Hour and Thirty-Five minutes  we were supposed to be.  Oh well.  Kelly's IN her Kindle, deep in a read, mine is still in the overhead bin and it's just such a pain in the ass to get up and out into the aisle that I just sit and soon I'm eye's closed and nearly asleep when the Purser apears again with two small packages, "These are from 1st Class, just little somethings, I hope you'll realize how sorry I am all this has happened."  We take the little packages "Just some hand lotion, and other things", she says.  you" we reply and she rises and disappears towards the front of the plane. "Yea Gads, does it not end?! I say to Kelly and she rolls her eyes in response.

Continued...

Damnit anyway!  So here we are being rushed like Hell's doors were being closed any second and we now approach the Ramp across the River Styx, the boundary between Earth and the Underworld by a sprinting Vietnamese!  Shit!  Now the speaker announces "Will Passengers Howard and Kelly Lute please come to the Boarding Gate NOW!  It repeats...Grrrrrr.  I look back to see Kelly in the near distance rushing as best she can to catch up and we brake at yet another damned American Airlines person behind a desk that wants our Passports and Boarding Passes once again!  Damn them!  I hand mine to the AA staffer and say "My wife is coming along."  He says "You have hers?" I say "Yes", He says, "I need it NOW", Kelly IS closer but is not there YET.  Then he want the Boarding Passes which he checks against a passenger list he has.  The Vietnamese Racer is anxiously shifting his weight from one leg to the other anxious to leave the starting block for the final push to Hell awaiting.  He hands back the Passports and the Boarding passes and the Vietnamese takes off through the gate and turns right as I yell "STOP!!!"  "I HAVE her papers!" I yell out loud enough for Row 41 to hear aboard the Airplane to Hell in the distance.  I handed her passport and boarding pass to my race driver...Grrrrrrr and he handed them, in turn,  through the AA gate to the staffer as Kelly arrived.  Oh I think...this won't be pretty!  Not pretty at all!  Kelly, nearly in tears, exhausted and mad as hell, out of breath and coughing vigorously as her asthma is erupting..says "I'm a 67 year old woman, why am I having to RUN to keep up with my husband?  Are you people CRAZY!!"  and the staffer says in the flattest tone of voice I've heard in a long, long time "Madam, what would you have me do?"  I thought she was going to Kill him with her bare hands right there and then!  She chewed and chewed on him for the next short while until exhausted and completely deflated she accepted his insincere apologies and joined us for the final sprint to the aircraft doors 100 feet away.  Now the fun REALLY began!  Up the aisle we jostled, past the 1st Class cabin and it's screaming 2 year olds (twins!), through business class with bags and laptop cords tangling from the open baggage overhead doors and into the cave that was this planes Coach Class to join the madding crowds trying to find spaces for all the carry-on luggage a plane could hold.  Carry ons packed into what space was available amidst worrying stares from those with STUFF jammed into the same baggage overhead we shoved Furry's carrier under the seat ahead of me and sat down, fastened our seat belts and stared straight ahead recovering from the last 20 minute ordeal.   An older Aircraft this 767 had TV monitors in only the center aisle, so there went any movie watching we had in mind.  Then came the Seat Belt demo on the tube, oh god...then again and again...3 separate times it ran til we had finally memorized large parts of the message.  The captain then came on to announce we were delayed in departure for some damned reason and our time slipped up to 12:45.  We adjusted ourselves and Kelly began reading the in-flight magazine as I read the damned safety glossy on where the damned exits are located.  Shit! At 12:50 the captain came on once again to say that once again we had been delayed and would be getting underway ...soon.  We continued reading and Kelly fetched her Kindle from the carry on and sat down to read.  1:15pm came and went, the plane remained at the gate, People shuffled, babies cried, the lights went out then came back on again...the young girl in the center aisle started hitting the Call button for the Steward, whop gamely came to the row and said "I've been here three times already, would you please STOP pushing the call button please?!"  She stopped.  Then "Ding" she began again, "Ding", "Ding", her mother continued reading.  The Steward showed up and just stood there staring at her..."Ding","Ding", "Ding".  A rather stern looking Flight Attendant approached us and bending over Kelly asked "Where's the Cat?!" in an abrupt and sharp manner. I pointed under the seat in front of me, "My Service Animal is there." I said looking back at her as I did.  She stood up and strode off looking back as she went and said "Why did you bring a Cat onboard?!" ...I replied, almost yelling "She's NOT a CAT...she's a Service Animal Madam!"  This was JUST the beginning...

The Return

Chapter One:  I've Seen The Devil And It Isn't Barack H. Obama.

Charles De Gualle Airport, Paris, France.  Time: 0920 Hrs 5 September, 2012.
Weather: Hazy and Warm. 
Our arrival was by slow Taxi, a fine newish Audi automobile driven at a leisurely pace got us to the airport in 45 minutes through typical Paris traffic.  We spoke few words to the driver, instead spent our time gawking at the passing scenery of the Paris Ring Road.  Being mostly graffiti of unknown age, it was colorful and omnipresent.  We arrived at 9:20 am at Terminal 2 where we were to board an American Airlines flight 0044 to Chicago on the way to San Francisco.  Bags unloaded, driver paid, we pushed our luggage mounted on a 4 wheeled cart into the cavernous grey space.  Before us was a bevy of French Army soldiers with the requisite pistols and machine guns that we've come to expect at Paris train stations but having seldom seen them at an air terminal were were made a bit curious.  We initially turned right and pushed our way through the madding crowd to where we had remembered the American Airlines desks to be.  Alas, we were struck to see Oman Airlines lines guarded by yet more French soldiers.  Turning about, we retraced our steps back around the perimeter of good ol' CDG to see the American Airlines desk and hall before us in about 100 yards.  Terrific.
The line drifted back and forth towards the desks, 4 employees of AA (American Airlines) staffed the pulpits.  When asked, a nicely uniformed staffer told us that this was the line for Chicago...and pointed towards a wall some short distance away.  We pushed the cart forward to see the line stretch away as far as the eye could see along the perimeter of the hallway, held in place by yards upon yards of American Airlines stanchions and webbing. We joined the minions and soon were shuffling slowly towards the check-in desks along with several hundred like minded souls.  The plane was scheduled to depart CDG at 12:15 pm and we had now 2Hrs and 45 minutes to traverse check-in, security, and finally at the gangway to seats 31 E and F on the 767.  10 am came and went and we had just managed to get to the corner where the long line ahead was clearly visible.  Time went by painfully slow as we shuffled our way down the hallway for the next 2 hours!  We finally made it to the check-in counter to obtain our boarding passes at 12:16...the time the aircraft had been scheduled to depart CDG.  At the counter is was the usual confusion when I announced "we have a service animal" to the kindly woman as she asked for our Passports and Furry's EU Pet Passport.  "What is IT?" she asked sharply as I pointed to the bag that housed Furr-Rr-Eee.  "Oh..." she said, voice trailing off, then, yelling to the AA employee next door said "They've got a Cat!", I replied "Not a Cat, a Service Animal" somewhat loudly.  "Did you request a wheelchair?" she asked. "Yes" and then she handed me the Boarding Passes and said"Go sit over there, waving her hands toward the far off wall through the crowd.  We pushed ahead, stumbled around the crowded walkway and found but 3 chairs where she had pointed, all filled with impatient AA passengers-to-be.  We stood and eyed each other hopefully, my hip was hurting and Kelly was tired of the whole scene, afterall we had been in line and THERE at CDG for over three hours.  Now we waited for the wheelchair for me.  Kelly asked "Should I go ahead and get to the airplane?" I looked at her and said, "No, let's just wait."  Shortly a chair openned up and I took it,  a minute later the rest of the group rose and left us, Kelly sat down.  A bare minute later the wheelchair and it's pusherman appeared anxiously and hurridly got me into and straped to the chair.  We took off for the plane in a rush, he began to run saying "We're late, we're late!"  I looked around and couldn't see Kelly who was some distance behind by now and I said to my guide "Please, slow down so she can catch up!"  He pulled aside and we waited about 30 seconds til she appeared behind us about 50 feet through the crowd, then he was off again at breakneck speed!
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I'll publish this right now and continue it later...it's quite a story.
 

The List

Not like a Boat's list...more like a grocery list, packing up for another journey back to California for a while.  Baked bread for some local folks to thank them for their service and friendship over these last 4 months and then delivered it in person.  Closing shutters and pulling down the metal window and door covers.  Putting the car to sleep for the next bit.  Closing and locking doors.  Draining water lines, pouring antifreeze in drains to deal with winter's cold.  Emptying the refrigerators and cleaning them, throwing out old food stuffs, stashing loose items away.  Vacuuming floors.  It's a busy-work kind of day with little let up except to have a quick lunch at Le Forge in St. Hillaire en Lignieres (up the hill) with Dave and Sue and daughter Sarah.  Nice lunch! Good food and nice setting and good company!  Tomorrow will come too soon.  Forgot anything?  I don't think so...by the time all the things we are taking back were packed all the empty space was gone and those 6 bottles of wine we were going to bring with us will not be making the trip this time.  No room and the big bag too heavy already at 52 lbs made us shift a few things around to lighten that one...50 lb max these days!  PC's have been backed up as best I can, especially photos and music files.  It's a chore...a boring, worrying chore but has to be done.  See you in a few days in California after the jet lag dissipates enough that I can write again.  Take care dear friends!  Wish us luck of the Irish!
 

10 Days

Yes, we've but 10 days left in our 10th summer in France.  It's been a good one though lest the damaged driver's side eye on the trusty Toyota.  Got the cloth wall back up in the hallway and finished the Parlor cloth wall install and it looks great!  Then the trip to Ireland was wonderful and interesting to all three of us.  Then after we returned we had a couple of nice dinners with our friends Dave and Sue.  We then started going on day trips out to some area we had little knowledge of outside of guide books and maps and exploring them for chateaus and ancient churches.  It has been eye opening and instructive to us both...and Furry of course.

Last night we ventured forth to Le Trois Perdrix for dinner and music with our friends Dave and Sue and about 80 others!  Quite a crowd for a small restaurant.  A prix fixe menue of curry UK style and it was very, very good indeed.  The band "Mercury Blues" was energetic and made the audience quite happy with their performance.  Not much blues but good guitar work all around.  Made for a happy night in Lignieres!

We've started to make piles of items bound out to California, hard cheeses, the BEST canned tuna in the planet, a few clothing items and some cloth creations Kelly wants there and chocolate to die for.

Well venture by train to Paris and take up occupation at the ETAP in the 19th Arr.  It's a great spot for gawking at people night and day, lovely corner cafe for dinner and a fine boulangerie across the street for breakfast and coffee.  No other plans afoot.

Home, rest from the 22hrs then examine the new garden areas done by our friend Marsha and daughter-dearest Audrey while we have been here...from the worst yard in Old Town to the BEST! Pretty cool!  

Now for some photos:

  My Photo Site   <-----click here for Ma Belle France Photos

 

Canicule is upon us...starting now!

Yes, here it comes, maybe not as bad as the one in 2003 but it is certainly one of them.  It's like a heat-storm. Days, nights of u7nusual heat that blasts up from the southwest over the Pyrenees from Spain and Morocco.  Hot, dry and lasting.  The weather yesterday was supposed to be "normal" with sun and no clouds, highs in the low 80's. "Supposed" is the key word.  About 4pm it was 94 and rising.  About 6pm it peaked at 98 degrees and stayed high long after the sun set with a warm wind from the southwest...canicule on the way!  This morning I was up at 7 and it was already 75 degrees.  Shit, shit, shit!  Well we will hide inside today, drink lemonade with real ice cubes (later on that) and perhaps a few showers followed by naps under a fan and perhaps wet sheet effect by late today.  

Yesterday was my bloody 69th birthday!  How the hell did that happen?!  I dunno but it did or has anyway. We bopped off to Bourges, shopped all over the place, had a nice, leisurely lunch at La Scala (Margarite Pizza w/anchovies...my favorite...Kelly won't touch it!)  I was a happy Duck though.  Then wandered back to Lignieres for a long afternoon nap, a bit of TV news and to bed reading and drifted off to sleep.  Nice day!
It's 91 degrees now as I publish this...wish us cool days!
Here are some pics from yesterdays B-Day adventure:

Wandering Animals, Mostly CATS!

Our summer in France has meant the introduction of some 8 not-so-feral and feral cats.  We name them all, Mouse-Lissa (called "Melissa by my Duck), LongTail, Felix the 1st, Felix the 2nd (twin black and whites), Corruption, Katy, Mauve, Aix and Nine...yes, we feed them, the cheapest damned kibble we can find...they nibble it and most go away but some...Mauve for instance, sticks close to the kitchens (we have 2 kitchens) hoping against hope a morsel or ten will pop into a suitable container for her enjoyment.  We started off this spring with just one or two, Melissa and then a bit later LongTail.  When the end of July came about we saw the kittens, Felixes the are, and then the others were added over the next week or so.  It's summer, it's Aout...August the minions of the concrete office towers in Paris are OFF to the beach! and others, our local folks just go without their sweet animals, yes, they leave them to their own devices, so we are that device locally. Terrible behavior on the part of these normally very sane, very upright and conservative French citizens...alas for this one flaw. What to do with the cats?  A large bowl of food, I've seen this, lies empty by the door of the village house, quite empty...I KNOW where they are!  A domesticated cat is NOT a feral cat, it has tools, some quite sharp...but no street smarts and you need street smarts if you are to survive in the wilds of Lignieres.  The sleep in our courtyard, hide in the bushes, in the barn (it's big enough!) and on the roof by Kelly's sewing room and in the bathroom window while we are showering.  Cats everywhere!  It's now the 12th of Aout (August remember?) and we have perhaps another 14 - 21 days before their Big Kats (people) return.  Enough time to die in the street after being run over by a slightly inebriated Big Kat in his Peugeot, then summarily flattened by the Case or John Deere farm tractor hauling a 10 ton load of wheat to the mill down the street.  Denying death by a near miss or a swift kick that breaks bones and causes internal injuries is part of the melee awaiting these wandering animals, just like dogs...only, so often, people TAKE their dogs with them, so few feral dogs are about.  Many more cats make up for the lack.   
If you had a good pet insurance policy   http://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/   one could afford to take the cat (IF it survives) to a vet.   It's inexpensive, it's effective and would certainly take the worry out of any pet owner.  Time will tell the tale (or is it Tail?) with this krew of ours.  Pet insurance is an excellent investment in your cats quality of life and your own conscience.  Simply finding a neighbor to feed and watch over the creature might not be enough.  Here's some more information on pet insurance that you might find compelling:

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Fly On The Camembert

Into Kelly's Kitchen I walk seeking my fist coffee of this stranger than strange morning...awake at what?! 11:45? AM?! What?! Yes, I found myself alive and kicking...well...stretching at 11:45 in the bloody morning!  Not a good night last night I guess.  The neighbor racing some high horsepower moto at 4am and before that awake to Furry incessant cries of extreme distress...the food bowl was unmounded...again!  Ahhh back to sleep and now awake at 11:45. Alas.  So to the coffee machine to hear the lovely grinding sounds and the smell of rich, ground french roast...ahhhh.  Then, in the corner of my eye I spy an anomaly, the Camembert we bought yesterday after much study is sitting on top of the microwave. It is still in it's traditional wood box container.  Sitting at the edge where the lid meets the bottom with the delicious (we hope, it was expensive enough...though what that means HERE in "Cheeseland" is probably inconsequential.  One doesn't, at times, get what you pay for) Camembert mini-loaf wrapped inside.  Quite a well constructed sentence if a bit long winded for the purpose.  Anyway, at that juncture sits a lone house fly (Musca domestica, of the suborder Cyclorrhapha), wings neatly tucked to it's body and unmoving.  I look closer...no motion.  A dead fly?  Hmmm.  Taking no chances with this interloper to a otherwise pristine and bucolic scene, I grab the ever handy fly swatter.  I aim...then, my "Rule No. 1" comes into my still waking mind...no!  So I put the fly swatter back and reach gently down to the Camembert box and as I do the ever aware fly scoots away then takes to the air. Damn!  Ok, so I didn't want to kill him, just move him outside so he can go do fly work somewhere else.  He lands again, maybe he's a she...I don't know...and I reach around and gently pluck the box from the microwave and step towards the door, the fly still sitting on the box excitedly moving it's wings.  I look again at the fly as I open the door.  It looks back.  Shit, I've been found out.  So I say (I often talk to my fly friends when I "remove" them to elsewhere, telling them gently what I'm doing is for their own good as the Other Human in our household is somewhat more direct with HER position as to the basic worth of a house fly in HER kitchen environment, or any other environment for that matter.  The swatter is only one tool she might use, I remind him.  Door open...Camembert box now on the window ledge for fly is still enchanted with the contents I suppose, and refuses to leave the second he/she is outdoors.  So I close the door and renew my activity with the blessed coffee apparatus.  Cup filled twice...as it is an espresso machine and each amount is less than adequate for my caffeine needs THIS morning or any other.  Go to the sitting room and spy the Camembert box through the window, fly STILL there.  On to other things.  Move the ladder away from the hallway and position it so the damned cat will have a safe way to the top, last week she managed to topple it over front wise and while it didn't break the glass window it struck as my head was a bumper, I don't want it to happen again that way.  Shit!  The FLY HAS LEFT THE BOX!  Run to the kitchen, open the door, grab the box from the ledge and close the door behind me.
I place the box back on top of the microwave.  I wander upstairs for a look at the Olympics...it's 11:30 now, Kelly is still fast asleep.  Must of had a bad night too.  Furry is curled up on the chair, again fast asleep.  Such is Life here in the Heart of France.
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Then the Sardines w/lemon and olive oil w/red beans and rice.  A total WIN for me and a totally awful loss for Kelly.  She just couldn't STAND the damned sardines, "too strong" she uttered as she picked at her plate and this person LOVES fish.  The equally prepared Mackerel received the same welcome...not at all, she tried, I give her that but it was a bad meal for her last night while I licked my lips in delight.  Goes to show, people vary.  She loves those damned dried cuttlefish and shrimp things Asian that I won't touch.  I wound up apologizing for the mistake in understanding.  I made a sandwich of the remaining fine sardines (they were gutted, deboned and butterfied, then grilled in the cast iron grill pan, a handy kitchen tool!) with onions, japaleno peper strips, tomato and strong mustard for lunch.  Delicious!  I made Kelly a Cherizo Sandwich with Gouda cheese, tomato and onion which she relished.
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The afternoons activities have been applying ourselves to the two remaining walls to be covered with cloth in the parlor.  It IS a process, huge pieces of cloth folded over heavy paper guides then stapled with stainless steel staples into place.  Hard work lifting yards and yards of cloth and hanging it without wrinkles or folds or pleats.  The results are though, quite beautiful and unique.
Love to you and yours! 

Damned Deer! Merde'!

OUCH! Smack, crash...tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.  Driving home to Lignieres on the St. Amand Highway at 15:45 on a clear, blue sky day, hot even.  Then Kelly exclaims, "Oh, a fox is running beside the road!"  I glance to see it and lift my foot off the gas pedal...SMACK! A deer's head strikes the hood and it spins away to the driver's side and is gone.  Shit! "Are you alright", she says as I realize what I just saw and what happened.  That quick...one second nothing...another...crash, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.  I pulled off at the turn out a hundred meters or so down the road, got out to examine the damage, yep, dent in hood, yep, front quarter panel screwed up, broken headlight housing, deer hair, bumper damage too...but it appears the heat exchanger for the turbo charger is still intact, that's good.  Body damage is less costly than ANY engine part...maybe.  Anyway it looks like about 2 grand to fix...a well...we, of course, have our trusty AXA insurance, so tomorrow off to the AXA office, a mere 2 blocks away and l'viola, that'll soon take care of itself.  Back into the car and turn around to collect a nice, warm, soft brown female deer for upcoming dinner use.  "Where is she?,"no blood either", long gone like a turkey through the corn...only this is thickly wooded...well...woods. No sign of her dying self, so no damaged-care-bonus this time. Shit, shit, shit!  Would have been GOOD...in that GOOD eating way. 
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AXA...one level down from full coverage and the damned damage would have been paid for...need I say more?  It's on US!  Now I WANT that damned DEER!  Eat it's fine, mildly flavored liver and sweetbreads, remove it's fine haunches for roasts and the shanks will make fine braising.  The shoulder can be a bit tough but...I DID tenderize it somewhat, at least one side.  The skin would make a nice pair of trousers too for hunting.  The head I's mount after removing the fine BRAIN (which it didn't use yesterday at this time) and scrambled with eggs, oh yes!  The intestines would make a fine sausage wrapper for the sausage bits.  Smoked maybe, all while I glare into it's dark beady eyes. YUM!  Fuck it, get it fixed next year.  Life goes on.
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So Kelly went with Liz today to shop for some cool, summer-like clothing for our low grade canicule that we are experiencing...at least yesterday and today, maybe tomorrow? Who knows...not the fine French weather-persons, they are often NOT CLOSE!  But it'll break, then back to clouds and afternoon storms, maybe hail, shit...snow for that matter.  One never quite knows for sure.  Kelly back from Bourges with some nice tops, all gauze-like for proper temperature control.  Near nude is good right now.  Into the shower to cool off for both of us...one at a time, Kelly first. Then me. Then Furry!!!!  Sure...8-)
Take care folks! 

Sunday...End of Tour De France 2012

Yes, Mr. Wiggins blew them all away!  Domination was the name of the game, get out early, set the pace, win and stay within mere seconds of the 2nd place rider and then explode into 1st and stay there by his wits and great coaching!  Yes, yes, he did a great job of it.  Drugs? Who knows?  It's cycling, hell, they go after you years after the fact...so that's yet to be determined.
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Nice day though, sunny, war4m...in the low 20's C and I was still suffering from food poisoning...my own gift to myself.  So easy.  Beans...really...beans made into a chili one day after eating them as beans with leftovers.  I KNEW when I ate them too...damn...bitter things, should have stopped right then...but no, I ate the whole damned lot and oh brother 60 hours later I'm still not quite RIGHT.  You know what it's like. No fun.  I feel better today than yesterday, and dinner at Dave and Sues was just fine, she is one great cook and afterwards we went to La Forge to drink a beer or two and listen to live music.  A really nice scene, not CC by any account but still fun and a great way to spend a Saturday night.
___

Today we stayed home, no brocante for us, I still was ill and needed to keep close to my porcelain friend.
And I did avail myself of it too.  Tomorrow is Market Day and I don't know if we'll go somewhere or work on the house.  We want to invite Dave and Sue and our American friends for dinner and we need to do some things about the place that need DOING. 

Take care friends, see you later.

Nutty and Nutty-er

Police...a necessary evil in societies everywhere.  Latest crap off CNN...a DC police office has said he would shoot our First Lady...Michelle Obama, said while in the company of other police officers, then pulled up a picture on his smartphone of the gun he was going to use.  Brilliant cop, no?  So one of those that overheard the whole conversation told a Police Lieutenant and the gentleman is now patrolling a desk sans gun.  Nutty.  Do we not vet our police anymore?  Test their sanity, their political views, (religious one too!) before giving them weapons and the means to shoot them accurately?  Or is it simply a slip of his tongue?  Or is it a violation of his precious Freedom of Speech...or is it simply a violation of the OATH he took when given his badge?  I'm aghast..again!
Are any of us safe with Police shooting "suspects" in the BACK as has occurred now in Vallejo and Oakland, California?  "But officer, he was just taking out his wallet as you asked him too."  Wow.
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Bread baking going on as I write...big fluffy loaf of Oat Bread for Liz whom we are going to visit this afternoon.  One for us as well though not as oaty as hers will still be light and fluffy thanks to the beautiful French wheat and flour.  I have, at least for now, stopped the use of BUTTER in my day-to-day bread making exercise.  Why? Largely as I have reservations about the amount of FAT that Kelly and I ingest and less would be better for us I suppose.  So I use CANOLA (Colza...Rapeseed) oil instead.  Not a bad substitution as I detect that the bread is a bit lighter in overall consistency that it was too, not that I don't like heavy breads, far from it...but overall the lighter ones make a more digestible sandwich and toasts which we have a great liking for.  So there! Liz's loaf is out of the ancient oven and cooling for the ride to her house in a couple of hours.  Ours will be baked off in another half hour or so after it finishes it's second rise.  It too is using Canola oil and oats.
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I spent at least 3 days this week troubleshooting this damned 2 machine "network" that just wasn't working right at all.  We use a damned (and I MEAN that!) SFR Dongle 3G device for our so-called High Speed Inet connection.  HA!  No movies through this slow as molasses thing...and a 3GB "illimit" means after 3G they throttle you back to 256Kbps...yes...little "b" for BITS/sec...Grrrrrr.  We pay 40 Euros a month (that is 50 USD!) for this "servicing".  Anyway, it was a shared connection with my machine and would drop the connection regularly at 3 - 5 minutes...ker-plunk!  Then you'd have to go to the Vodophone gadget (kludge!) and reconnect time and time again.  Awful! Amateurish programming, hardware and "service"! Grrrrrr. So 3 damned days I spent struggling with this thing and even went so far as to upgrade my Vista 64 OS for Win 7 64...just in case that would help the dire situation, which it didn't.  Every time we'd reconnect I would struggle to get my machine to engage the damned shared network from her laptop.  Eventually I wised up and spent a whole day working only on her machine to sort out the dropped Vodophone problem.  I found I was sharing the wired connection too from her machine...no, no, no I told myself and removed the sharing from that one.  Then  I reinstalled the Vodophone software in it's entirety from scratch.  Then the connection stayed UP for over 5 minutes for the first time in a month...if ever!  Then I removed the damned Realtek WiFi USB gadget and deinstalled the software too.  Then I reconnected the wired connection from the laptop and l'viola!  I was online again through her damned SFR slow speed dongle!  Whoop-de-Doo!  What a way to spend a day or three.  Merde'...that's SHIT in French!

Moonday, Oh Moonday...

Decided to BBQ tonight but first I had to do a cleanup of The Kitchen of Doom and Good Things To Eat.  The mess from Saturday nights meal for D&S was still quite apparent and I had mad the usual messy disaster with onion skins everywhere and various drips and splatters as background for the occasional bone fragment.  We had the Mexican Meal I had been waiting for but I used the French version of Corn Tortillas...HA!  Really they were shaped like and somewhat the color-like an actual CORN tortilla but they were vastly different in both texture (too smooth) and flavor (too sweet, not savory at all).  If I had brought MASA with me, even the awful Instant kind, it would have been 100 X better than what these were.  The maker (French - Olde El Paso Brand) must have been thinking of Crepes when they developed this product as they even browned on the edges like a crepe.  I have nothing against crepes, no, far from it, but to substitute flour and sugar for real CORN was the error, leaving these as only a poor substitute at best.  All the Chipotle peppered Chicken and strips of bell peppers and the local HOT green pepper and my almost really GOOD Salsa Verde could not overcome the bloody sweetness of the wrapper itself.  None the less the meal was quite enjoyable and resembled semi-Mexican cuisine at least.
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Today besides the clean up of the Kitchen of Doom I was pressed to FIX the damned water leak at the sink in the Shower room.  At first a couple of weeks ago, we simultaneously discovered some kind of wet mess after we showered, Kelly thought it was coming FIRST from ME...as I wasn't shaking off...dog-like..before I stepped out of the shower facility.  I thought otherwise, but being a wiser male than MOST...said nothing so as to NOT appear defensive.  Begin the Investigation.  Days go by.  The next time I took a shower I was very careful and laid out a dry bath mat and saw it quite wet as I stepped out of the shower...so maybe the shower drain was leaking underneath the bloody shower.  So next day I pulled the shower out from the wall and after some struggle laying on my back and squeezed between the damned shower box and the wall I watched the drain as I turned on the shower.  No leak!  Ah HA!  So then I left it out so Kelly, the original leak detection device could see what I had done.  So where's the water coming from I asked myself.  Well the floors in this olde house are anything but level, so I dried them out as best I could and started looking at the next suspect the sink drain and the attached plumbing to the sink itself.  And sure enough...after about 30 seconds...drip....drip....drip.  The valve for the cold water was dripping away making a small river that made it's way through the maze of tile grout to the other side of the shower room...thoroughly wetting the bath mat in it's way.  So I tightened the fitting and watched it stop leaking.  Great! Easy fix, put tools away...cool.  Today the floor was wet again and I looked and found the same leak.  Shit, shit, shit!  So out came the tool again, I turned off the cold water at the wall and tried to remove the valve body to use teflon tape to fill the obviously screwed up gap...alas, that valve along the wall was clogged with mineral residue and wouldn't close enough.  So now I had to wait til Kelly finished washing the dishes before I could turn off the main water and attack this thing head on.  I got a bucket out as by now the seal had failed completely and it was spraying water in a good stream 2 feet from the valve. Damn!  So I waited and emptied the bucket periodically until she announced that I could turn off the Main H2O and continue to repair this thing.  I turned off the water, removed the valve body, found the destroyed fiber washer and went to the local hardware store to purchase a new one for 35 cents or such.  HA!  I had to buy the entire valve, body and all...so I replaced the valve assembly using the new washer and gently tightened it.  Done, it now does not leak...fingers crossed!
God I hate plumbing!

Mexican Food in France...Really?!

Yes...I have to admit it, I need my "fix" of Mexican-style foods every few weeks even when I'm here in countryside France.  I'm pretty good at home in California as a ala-Mexican Chef mainly because of the availability of the necessary ingredients so one can get the right flavor profile(s).  Tomatoes are prominent as are many varieties of chili peppers.  Including peppers in your dishes, especially if they have been roasted ahead of preparation adds depth of flavor and a spicy kick to any dish.  Onions, especially white and yellow ones are also included as part and parcel of Mexican cuisine.   Spices used, Mexican Oregano, Epazote, Lime and the like are NOT a part of French culture!   Substitution is the name of the game while here.  Dried Ancho chile peppers are a staple as well as many others too numerous to mention, without these making anything resembling actual Mexican cuisin will be quite a challenge.  So first...

Pico de Gallo (typical fresh Mexican salsa)

3 large coarsely diced tomatoes
1 finely diced medium sized onion
1/4 bunch of cilantro chopped coarsely
juice of a lime or 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 tsp of salt
1 finely chopped jalapenos (or more if you prefer it hotter)

Optional ingredients
half a cucumber, peeled and coarsely diced
1 avocado, peeled and coarsely diced

As you are chopping each just put in a bowl of your liking, at the last...simply mix thoroughly.  Adjust seasonings to your liking...check and add salt if necessary.

Salsa Verde (Tomotillo Salsa)

2 1/2 - 3 lbs medium Tomotillos. Remove the paper hull and de-stem.
1 large White or Yellow Onion, 1/4" dice
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small bunch Cilantro, corsaely chopped, stems and leaves.
1 jalapeno, seeded. 
Juice of 2 Limes
3 large green chilis, whatever you can get, NOT BELL PEPPERS!  Roast, skin and seed.

Ok ingredients done, here goes. 

In an appropriate 1 qt. pot put in the tomatillos and barely cover with water.  Raise to boil, reduce heat to simmer, simmer for 10 minutes.  Turn off, carefully drain in a collander, allow to cool.

Out with an iron or Other skillet,  saute the onions til transparent with edges browned 5-7 minutes.

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend to a puree, about 3 - 4 minutes.
Adjust seasoning, add salt as necessary to taste.  Serve cool.

Use either on roasts, fish, pork dishes to your endless delight.  Savor those amazing flavors!  And the French don't do it!

Independence Day Eve...where's the fireworks?!

Well of course,  There are always a FEW.  Some towns here in France actually celebrate American Independence Day as though it were one of their holidays.  Mount St. Louis is one of those...and yes it does have a fireworks display that evening.  May seem strange but really it's not...the French soon after went to War to gain their own Independence from their King.  Without the French's help we might not have gained our own independence from King George.
Quote:
"From an early age many of us are aware of the importance of the Fourth of July. How could we miss how important it is with all the fireworks and barbecues and elaborate decorations? But when we are young we don’t fully grasp the concept of Independence Day. When we start school we are taught about the Declaration of Independence and the important role that it plays for our country. By the time we finish elementary school we can tell you who wrote the Declaration of Independence and what it actually stood for, but what we don’t know is why the Declaration of Independence is so significant to everybody.
One thing that many kids don’t realize is that the Declaration of Independence was important to other countries besides the United States. By our founding fathers bravery we became a role model for other countries who were experiencing things similar to what the colonists were suffering from with England and King George III. In fact shortly after we gained our independence France revolted against King Louis XVI to gain their independence in a sense.
The Declaration of Independence has great significance to the American people because it is what led to our independence from King George III. The Declaration of Independence justified our right to revolt against a government that no longer guaranteed us our natural rights. And it also helped us to get increased foreign assistance from France in our fight to become free from King George III of England. The Declaration of Independence stated certain ideals that the colonists believed were important for man to have, such as liberty and equality."
Independence Day - Click Here 

We put out our American Flag and our French Flag on our Windows on the 4th.  People cheer when they pass by!  What a tickle.

Stage 1 + Walmart Shenanigans + Lamb Steaks

Yes, the Prolog is over...that was yesterday, CANCELLARA F. leads in the yellow shirt as expected.  They started about 12:30 and are now 121.7 km from the finish...all just riding along like it was a fun Sunday ride.  The Peloton is 3:19 from the leader at this moment.  More to come.  Nice weather though, no rain or wind.

Walmart: I found a site chock full of bad stories and illustrative stories of how it really operates, these reports by employees, ex-employees, managers et al.  It's a good laugh and cry depending on your point of view.  Here's the link:  Walmart at 50   <----- click there!

Tonight we have two fine lamb shank steaks, pan fried 3 minutes to a side.  They are marinating in Port wine, thyme and soy sauce currently and getting to room temp before cooking.  Those with Potatoes Anna, thinly sliced potatoes layered with butter and baked til nicely browned in a 350 degree oven.  Cold beets with Blue Cheese brings up the rear.  Shoulkd be a nice meal to celebrate our successful renting of 402!  Yes, it is a done deal!  The new residents take over on the 15th of July. 

Back to the race...115 km to go and the leader is now 2:36 min ahead of the Peloton.  Oh the strategy starts. 
Bye for now.

About Stock...NOT about Wall Street

Stock is the basis for many, many soups, rice, and pasta dishes as well as braising liquids etc. that it should be a constant prescence in your kitchen.  Stock should always be made with fresh vegetables not old or overly ripe ones.  Bird (no BBQ!), pork, beef bones add additional thickness (collegen/gelatin) and certain richness to your finished stock.  Stock can be made in small quantities in an emergency but I like making several quarts and freezing it for long term storage.  A large 1.5 - 2 gallon ( 6 - 8 quart/liter ) pot designed for the purpose is an excellent tool. They can be stainless steel, aluminum or enameled steel and may or may not have a lift out sieve section for easy removal of the used bones and/or vegetables.  For a complete explanation of the ingredients and methods try this link:  http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/stocks/p/stockcomponents.htm 

Always start with cold water.

4 quarts cold tap water.
2 - 4 carrots roughly chopped large
2 - 4 Onions skinned and quartered
4 - Roughly chopped Celery stalks and leaves
1-  Bouquet Garni, ie: rosemary, thyme, sage bound into a small parcel.
Carcass and Bones of one roasted or fried chicken

Heat to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer, 3 - 5 hours.  Remove vegetables and bones,
Reduce to half.  Yeild should be 1 - 2 quarts of stock.

So today for dinner I'm faking a Mexican meal with the few ingredients I can come upo with from the Larder-of-Gold, dried California Chiles, Mexican Oregano, Cumin (ground) with garlic, onion and sauted Red and Yellow Bell Peppers.  To this mix in a small Dutch oven went 4 cups of Chicken Stock hot out of the stock pot.  In another small casserole went a cup of dried black beans and 2 cups of the same stock.  The Pork Roti (Roast tied round) was browned in Duck Fat from the duck we ate 3 days ago as dinner (I always save bacon and duck fat for just such a purpose) then inserted in the smaller casserole and the sauted vegies poured over the top.  Onto the Hob it went to cook for the next 3 hours, turning each hour.  The beans will take a similar time in my experience.  Soaking overnight helps but it still takes a long time to cook them thoroughly in the Mexican style.
Once cooked the Pork Roti will be pulled apart into chunks and browned in the oven.  Then flour tortilla will hold the sauted vegies, pulled pork and a reduction of the braising liquid as a dinner fajita-like meal.  The beans are a side attraction and alas there is no sour cream in France, only Creme Fraise (Creme Fresh) to add to the beans.  Too bad for us, it's pretty close and still delicious!

Risotto with Love!

We love Risotto, the version made with any but Arborio rice is not what I am talking about.  You must make it with good quality unbroken Arborio Rice, preferably Italian grown and packaged in the wonderful vacuum bricks they do to keep it fresh while it's sitting on a store shelf or being transported around the globe.  A long sentence I know but indicative of exactly what I want you to use.  Accept no substitutes. 

Then there is the ISSUE of water vs stock...water is fine, tends to taste of the ingredients more and is easy to come by, stock is a more complex liquid, either vegetable or chicken or...pork or veal bones.  Beef stock is too strong for me, try it if you must. 

It can be a side dish to a meat or other vegetable meal like Eggplant Parmesan or Lamb Chops, Veal Scallopini etc.  Here I'm directing you to make a meal of risotto, especially if this is either your first time trying this delicious stuff or this is yet another attempt and making the Rice of Love after previous failures.  Here goes:

Ingredients:
1 Medium yellow or white ONION.  Small dice please.
2 Tablespoons BUTTER or margarine or olive oil.
6 cups Hot water or STOCK (chicken, pork or veal, or vegetable)
1 cup ARBORIO RICE
1 cup finely shaved Parmesan cheese.
salt to taste.

Method:

Total Time: 1 Hr.

Heat Butter, margarine or olive oil on low heat in a medium not stick skillet.
Dice the onion and add to the skillet, saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1 cup of Arborio Rice and stir.
Saute the rice, onion mixture until the onion is translucent and the rice has been tinged light brown.
Add Hot Stock or water 1 cup at a time and stir. 
Allow to sit until rice has absorbed much of the liquid then add another cup of stock or water and stir.
Repeat until the rice is thoroughly cooked and is barely al dente about 30 - 35 minutes.  Then lastly salt to taste.

Consistency is up to you, I like mine somewhat lose and soupy, others like it heavier and thicker...just cook until your desired doneness is achieved.  Turn off and remove it from the stove top and serve in shallow bowls, sprinkle small amounts of Parmesan over the top.  Enjoy with a nice chilled white wine.
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Flavorful additions...cook in separate pan some sauteed mushrooms, add to finished risotto and serve.
Asparagus tips are good, bacon is a favorite, thinly sliced salami or prosciutto, fresh peas.  You get the idea.  Have fun with it, don't over season!

More of Ireland and More of...well...er...ah..

Saturday has arrived...week of doing nothing except getting back from the trip and a bit of straightening up, Kelly doing laundry, me...I pulled some weeds that had grown 4 feet in the last 3 weeks amid intermittent rains, cooked some meals and rearranged the refrigerator twice (don't ask).

I've spent many hours loading the Irish photos into my shiny new Ireland Dropbox folder and picking ones that I particularly thought were applicable and scenic and all the rest of the reasons people look at pictures.  I think I have about 150 in the folder now and there are more to come.  I took OVER 2000 photos with my formerly (I'll get to that in a few minutes) TRUSTY Nikon S10 Coolpix camera.  That was roughly 1000 photos per day!  I drove most of the days and we were in several different locations on the same day so they are, of course, not exactly organized in the most desirable way (you'd have to consult my daughter Audrey about that organizing business).  They are colorful, scenic, shocking (Belfast!) and striking at times. 

I was really "taken" by the Irish good humor and friendliness we experienced no matter where we were.  Warm greetings, good cheer and a busy, busy atmosphere no matter what town or city we were in.  Seemed pretty productive to us.  Yes there were closed stores here and there, little shops belonging to real people and that had closed the doors maybe forever, maybe just to move.  But there were lots of shops open doing a lively trade everywhere we went, the Celtic Tiger may not be roaring but it's not dead yet either.  We heard that everything was "so expensive"...well for an American coming to Europe for the 1st time it might seem so...but in light of our years in France and other European countries it is not much different with the exception of gasoline and diesel fuel which was about 5-10 Euro cents more expensive per liter.  Made for 2 fillups near 100 USD, familiar territory with the price in France.  Worth every nickle to get to see and experience these fine people and their beautiful, verdant country.  Here's the link to all the one's I've chosen out of the thousands so far...more to come too!

My Ireland Dropbox        <---- click here! Actually There.

The Emerald Isle, Wonderfully WET! And very GREEN!

Yes we have returned from our nearly three week incognito voyage and journey to the lands of our relatives (well...some of them).  We took the Irish Ferry "Oscar Wilde" from Cherbourg to just south of Dublin about 60 miles to Rosslare, Ireland (The Republic).  Then OFF the lovely ferry of the last 18 hrs of relaxation to the near panic of LEFT, LEFT, LEFT driving in our LEFT hand driver position automobile.  Panic! Gasp! Whew, near miss there...Oops there for the first 30 or so miles in the driving rain and tight traffic.  Gads, this takes some skill and daring!  Balls actually, balls.  Hold your breath so long you sound like your panting when you do. My oh my.  Into Dublin under the direction of Bonnie our faithful (mostly) Tom-Tom voice of The Goddess, on city streets thick with noon-time traffic and roundabouts of all sizes and junctions.  Found the hotel along a non-descript one way road adjacent to the river Liffey.  I, of course never let a road direction stop my activities pulled in against traffic and people scattered allowing US to pass and turn left on the street in front of the apartment we rented with Katie and Paul for the next 4 days.  Finding the front door was easy as it had been described to us as besides a chocolate shoppe on this very street we were on.  We rang the bell...no answer...Katie and Paul were planning to be there so they had the keys and a hint anyway of how one would get into our space.  Yes.  Then a sound of a door, then another, and finally there they were! All smiles and hugs all around we journeyed up on the elevator with our bags to survey the premises.  Seems a few pics are necessary here so here we go...1st bunch are about our departure from Cherbourg.

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The Oscar Wilde's Twin at her mooring.

We joined the crowd on deck.

Two sailboats entering Cherbourg's harbor.

One of several forts on the outer breakwater.

The last one of the forts, very impressive!

Damned Blogspot Anyway!

So...get this all you bloggers, maybe you already know but I sure didn't...either France's ISP SFR or Blogspot allowed them to change the url for my blog without telling me they were doing so...unless it's residing in Junk mail which I note it is NOT.  They changed the .COM to .FR, then when I signed IN I couldn't find my blog ot any of the 3XX postings at the site! Grrrrrrr...so in my mass hysteria and angst I had used another email address to log in...why IT worked remains a mystery but it did...so I used the tool they provided to give me the email address associated with the blog. I signed out then checked my email and using THAT address could find and edit my damned blog again. Grrrrrrr again!  But gads...why all the changes Blogspot? Who decided to make it BETTER?!  For who...? You?  Bad management practice! Grrrrrrrr.

The Day Of The Donkey!

Donkey Day has arrived!  Up at 5:30AM as Furry-The-Queen sounded as though she was crying like a baby...and she kept this up for 15 minutes!  When I located hUrr Majesty she was folded over try to lay out a furball but having no luck with same purge she just cried.  My god what a sound from a tiny 5 lb cat.  I eventually picked the struggling beast up and took her into the bathroom and set her down on a rug and held her there while I coo'd at her.  She was having NONE of this and tried running away, I stopped hUrr by the scruff of her neck and kept her there for about 2 seconds when she turned and took a swipe at me with her swords and I let go!  Off she went down the stairs lickedy split and I followed her bleeding from my wounds.  Once found she laid across the bottom step and heaved up and down for several minutes feigning death throws surely.  Then she seemed to recover, got up went to her food bowl upstairs with a lively jaunt and began eating hUrr kibble ce' normale! 
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Outside now with cat safe in her Throne in the Comp Rm, I inspected the car once again and planned what was next.  Had to wash the carpets and dry them on the line.  Done with that, the familiar braying of live donkeys raising a ruckus filled the air on the street in fromt of 35.  I wandered out and watched a a small parade of jackasses of the 4 legged type jaunted by without leashes, bridles or anything at all head through the quickly constructed blocking (traffic - not donkeys) fence towards the Champ du Foire.  Huh!  Then more in the usual horse trailers by 2's and threes.  Some braying others silent in donkey contemplation.  We'll go over to witness the confusion and donkey contests, just not yet. Back to the car and what do I hear...an auto at our gate! Liz and Nick have arrived to claim their spot in our courtyard as parking near the Champ du Foire is impossible.  Parked they got out and Liz began gathering her wool and spinning wheel et al. and Nick and I picked up the remaining items and off we went`to set her up by the Information tent of the local Touriste Board.