Saturday, February 01, 2014

One of the Great Benefits of Being 70.

I'm old...70...how the hell did that happen?  All the stupidities of a wasted youth didn't do me in it appears, at least, not yet.   A few minor aches and pains, sure...like a Monday morning football player after a Sunday game, no big deal.  Otherwise it's a smooth going routine really, up, stumble in to pee, groan a bit for effect, flush, wash hands, attend to coffee machines needs, push various buttons, cuss, throw out the grounds, wipe up the overflow from the floor, fend off the kindle of kats at my feet,  trip on the rug, open the door, watch kats escape, round up the bear-like one, grab newspapers, go back inside, kick bear-cat away, shut door, sit down, wipe up spilled coffee from newspaper fumble.  More fending, more slurping. More wiping.  And that's before breakfast.

Breakfast today will be a breakfast with friends like we did last week in Vallejo.  This time they are coming up here and we're going to Bab's Delta Diner, a staple in the local area for residents and visitors alike.  We are NOT a member of that staple.  We have actively avoided the bloody shop for years and years, I was last inside it sometime in the late 90's as my failing memory recalls, seems like ...a long time ago.  Why?  Oh, the crowd, the boring menu, some of the people...a myriad of reasons all good enough to quit the place whenever we did.  No it's been bought by a new owner and I guess we will see if any of the fixable things, like the lackluster menu, the noise level can be elevated to the cafe we went to in Vallejo.  We cannot fix the people, so we will have to sort that out over time, which will be short.  We shall see.

Too early to think, so I'll go now and find that damned coffee cup...

 

Friday, January 31, 2014

New Post on A FRIDAY In The SUN!

Yes, nice outside, we took off to Trader Joe's to buy a few things, some booze, horseradish, and whatever miscellany happens to strike us.  That's the way it is at TJ's isn't it?  Like a miniature Whole Payc...oops...Foods with limited selection of the better stuff of grocery fame.  The off the Food Maxxxxx to finish up with the more mundane buys, Kosher Salt, Peanut Oil, Whole Green Chilis, the Cheap Whiskey of my liking, Old Crow,  Evans etc. in 1/2 gallon sizes.  Lasts me over a month.  Bread Flour and Cane Sugar, Saffron.  No proteins today as my freezer is filled with Organic Pork from Bruce's Pigs. 

We took Cara with us, cats need to get used to car travel, air travel and train travel.  She was very good, stayed up gawking at the passing scenery and the other Cat Grinders (kars) as they came and went from view.  She stayed in the car, of course, when we went into each of the stores.  When we returned she came out from under the seat and took up where she left off.  Good cat!


 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Another Day in...Suisun City?

Beautiful outside weather,  66 degrees, clear skies, maybe a bit of a drizzle overnight but it wasn't much.  Up and at 'em at 7am, the KINDLE of kitties asleep at my feet and legs and Mucca at his assigned position on my chest and UNDER the cover!  That's a bit worrisome but no damage to me at all so far.  Coffee on, empty the damned slightly used grounds, pour in more H2O, hit the 2 cup button and wait.  Cup fill, go to door, let our Abigale for her morning walk through the
neighborhood.  All is well.

We went to CC last night for the 2nd time in a row after our Hiatus of the last few months since we got back from our USA trip.  Naomi was there and sang like the fine bird she is a number of blues tunes, the usual suspects were there too including Delhart the bass player who is my inspiration.  A new guy on the lead guitar who was into some other style of music...it was NOT the usual R&B or 12 beat structure...more like Metal or ???? anyway, it didn't fit though he gave it a college try.  Some nice work by the Bay Area Blues Society and the Judge on the saxophone, very cool sounds indeed!

The Ham I cooked yesterday with the Apricot/Cognac glaze was a very tasty thing, at least when it was fresh off the fire.  Took over 6 1/2 hours to cook from a near frozen (but not quite) state to 155 interior.  Had to finish it in the last 90 minutes through putting it in the oven at 375 degrees as the BBQ wasn't getting there as it should have, bad coals I guess, the regular chunked mesquite but still...where was the heat I expected?  It just didn't light properly at all.  Odd.  I carved it into 2 parts and took the biggest piece down to Mary with whom I was to share this bounty.  Hope she likes it, I put it in her mailbox as she wasn't home at the time.  Yes, Mailbox.

I vacuumed the floors downstairs too...exciting life I lead.  Looked over airfares for the trip across the water coming up and have decide to do a NON STOP even if it is a bit more expensive.  11.5 hrs is what they show, must be backing off the engine thrust to save fuel.  Used to be 10.5 hrs from SFO to CDG in Paris.  Hmmmmm.

See you tomorrow!

Monday, January 27, 2014

I'm Baaaaaack!

Yes, awakened at last from my  2 1/2 month hiatus.  I stopped for no particular reason, just ran out of words.  November flew by with a bit of rain, some really cold days and little else.  We shelved our plans, slim though they were, for a week or so trip to Death Valley (again) to coincide with the outing to San Diego for the Mosquito Abatement Conference in the end of February.  That's when the words ran out.  Now what.  The big IGNORE XMAS AT ALL COSTS was upon us non-believers, I baked bread like always, cooked as always, watched movies as I like to do and drank whiskey and 7-Up instead of beer.  Beer used to be a big thing in our lives, now...not so much.  The money saved and the calories too have been positively affected.  That's good news for both of us.  Need the money, don't need the calories.  December blew through, again with some really cold, cold weather for a week or so near Xmas with lows in the 20's and daily highs reaching 45-50 degrees.  Not nice. 

The project of the winter, the front bathroom got ma huge boost with the addition of help from my brother-in-law Paul and my nephew Connor.  They did yeoman service and helped me begin the demo of the bathroom and the removal of the 400 lb bathtub.  What a job!  I feared for my health afterwards I tell you, I worry about such more than I let on sometimes.  I've had two hernias in my life and a damaged heart to boot so I couldn't help with much of the needed heavy lifting, they did all of that and then some!  Easy to work with Paul too, he's a hard worker and knows his construction stuff so was a big help as the demo reached into the damaged-by-rot bedroom wall and the adjacent floor.   Thank you from the bottom of my heart Paul and Connor, you MADE it happen!

Then in the first week of January IT happened.  Our wonderful renters who have been in the Swamphouse since last April told us they were MOVING!  The lovely gentleman, a bit older than I, had lost his job at Tesla Motors and they were asking to be let out of their lease.  "Of course" was the answer, we love them,  I'm so sorry this has befallen them at this stage of their lives.  They are headed north to either Oregon or Washington to be closer to their adult kids and their families.  It's a planned move and they took off earlier this week to begin the search for a place to live there.  This brought on a flurry of email, Craigslist postings and photo organizing for the ads.  Lots of activity ensued, many interested parties but no one presenting their paperwork until TODAY!  Yes we have a winner!  He brought by all manner of butchered hog meat, a huge ham to be shared with a neighbor per his instructions, bacon, pork chops to die for, a tenderloin, sausage too!   Wonderful!  His paperwork was all good and proper and he's anxious to move in ASAP which will happen sometime in late February or early March.  Oh are we happy!  Here's pics of the ham cooking in my BBQ.