Oddball Observations

IT'S THOSE LITTLE THINGS

2012-01-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, back in the 1970's, when I was still a news reporter at a television station in Phoenix, I conned the news director into sending me to Washington, D.C. for a few days. I thought it would be a good idea to do interviews with our congressional delegation as a new session of Congress was beginning.

So away we went, my buddy and photographer Steve and I. 'Course we had to do the standard stand-up in front of the capitol.

Now, Steve is a kind of a cut-up, as you can tell from this next picture.

Uh, well, I guess you can't. But he soon had me posing in this Playgirl Magazine pose.

Oh, c'mon. You didn't think I was going to take off my clothes, did you. If I had, I might be a Senator from Arizona by now.

But anyway, none of this really matters except to set the scene for a culinary adventure. One of the nights we were in town, we hooked up with a couple I had known back in Indianapolis, when I had worked there before decamping for Arizona. They were working in D.C. by then . . Frank for some kind of public television operation and his wife, Hank, for Rolling Stone magazine . . and lived in Georgetown. They took us to a favorite restaurant just a few blocks from where they lived. Wish I could remember the name of it but it's lost to history. (And to a bleary memory caused by way too many drinks that night.) As I looked at the menu, I spotted something called Veal Piccata. I not only had not eaten veal at that time in my life, I had never even heard of this dish. But I tried it. It was delicious! Lemony and buttery and fantastic.

O.K. Now we move ahead aways. When we got back to Phoenix I raved to my wife about this meal. 'Course the Internet didn't exist then and I stupidly didn't go to the library to look it up in an Italian cookbook. But SWMBO, being the true wonderful cook that she was, decided to create the dish. It wasn't the same. Oh, the veal was tender and lemony and buttery but it just didn't have the same bite that dish had back in Georgetown. The attempts to create it went on for a couple of years, as I recall, with no success.

Until. Until we got a Bon Appetit magazine one day which had a cover feature on a dozen or so great chicken recipes. One of them was for Chicken Piccata. It sounded great and it mentioned an ingredient we hadn't ever used. Can you guess? Capers. Yes, capers. So SWMBO prepared the dish and we held our breath until the first taste and . . . BINGO! The capers were what made the piccata, well, piccata. We coupled it with some fettucini alfredo and it became one of our favorites.

We had it last night and after nearly 40 years, it's still as good as ever.

BACK IN THE KITCHEN

2012-01-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning and the baking bug bit me. So . . .

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

SWMBO says they're great and she likes the level of spiciness in them. (Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice.) I'd probably like them for that and for the sweetness. (White and brown sugars.) But wouldn't you know it? I had a big bowl of bananas and Smart Start cereal before I started on the muffins and I'm so full I couldn't even taste one! But I will, if SWMBO doesn't eat them all first!

Recipe credit to Jennifer Reese of The Tipsy Baker and her cookbook Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN

2012-01-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

I had a bit of a breakdown with my desktop computer yesterday. It shut itself off several times, wouldn't re-load Windows when I turned it back on and finally presented me with only a black screen. So off it went to the guy who built it and maintains it. As I watched and waited, he fiddled with it. Finally he got it back to normal. (supposedly). I took it home, got it on, then it turned itself off again and I was back to the same problem. I took it back to my man and he said he'd have to observe it for awhile. So, I patted the top of it and left it with him, sadness writ large on my face, I imagine.

I waited as long as I could stand it, then went back this afternoon. He said one of the memory cards was going out so he'd switched the slots around and it had been working fine ever since. (By the way, I have no knowledge that leads me to understand what he was talking about.) But he didn't charge me any more than the 30 bucks he hit me for yesterday. And it's home in it's accustomed spot and working fine. So far.

It used to be that when my computer went into the shop I went into severe withdrawal. But a year or so ago I bought my wife a laptop for Christmas so that's available as a back-up. And this year she got me a Kindle Fire for Christmas. So I've really got two backups. So this vacation wasn't as bad as those in the past.

SWMBO suggested that the next time the desktop crashes and I need to get a new computer I should get a laptop also. I'm not convinced of that yet. I'm not happy with the display or the keyboard on hers. But we'll see.

There was another customer in the store and he was told his 20 megabite hard drive was so full there's not even a line on the display. Tom (my genius) said 20 megabites is a really small hard drive. I commented that I remembered when that was considered a huge drive. He agreed. But times . . and the myriad worlds of the Internets . . have changed.

I also remember that we once were led to believe that computers would simplify our lives. HA!

ONE FOR THE BLONDES

2012-01-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

This is a slightly naughty joke I received by email, especially for the blondes among you.

A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde flight attendant to take care of them for him.

She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator for safe keeping.

He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out.

Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior.

Shortly before landing in New York , she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs in New Orleans please raise your hand?"

Not one hand went up, so she took them home and ate them.

Two lessons here:

1. Many lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.

2. Many blondes aren't as dumb as most folks think.

YOUVE GOT A POINT

2012-01-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

TWO-TONES

2012-01-25T14:05:00.000-08:00

BACK TO BACK . . .

2012-01-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

While Blackwell and Muggles, and sometimes even Jazz, will share the big king bed there is usually some distance between them. I guess it was colder today as the distance disappeared this afternoon.

Which brought to mind an old song from my college days.

Herewith: The Kingston Trio.

THE G.O.P.

2012-01-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

That's the Godawful Oblivious Poppycockers.

Self punishers that we are, we watched the umpteenth Republican presidential contendors debate tonight. Why, oh why, do we do it. There is lots of other programming on television. There are "Dog, the Bounty Hunter"; "Miami Ink"; "Dog Whisperer", "Tommy Lee Goes to College" and many other quality programs.

But no, we waste our lives watching a diminishing band of lunatics trying to become the favorite of the Republican party to be destroyed by President Barack Obama. I mean, who's going to compete with this:

But, anyway, the Final Four went at it again tonight down there in Florida. Mighty Willard (Willard Mitt Romney - you can look it up) wielded the cudgel tonight over his opponent Leroy (Newton Leroy Gingrich - you can look that one up, too). Willard, having been duly worked over by Leroy up there in the intellectual hotbed that is South Carolina last week, decided he was going to give that fat little spider a taste of his own medicine. And so he did, at one time reducing poor Leroy to a near-Rick Perry moment, when he paused for a lengthy time before trying a comeback. One would have thought that Leroy had been so stunned by the Mormon onslaught that he couldn't think in great ponderous thoughts, as is so often his wont.

Meantime, poor Ricky Santorum (looking for all the world like a Cub Scout) and patient Ron Paul (who appeared simultaneously bored and amused) anchored the ends of this duel in the swamp. They each got about 10 percent of the time allotted to the other two dingbats. And that's about what they're worth.

One has to nearly feel sorry for Santorum, who looks so aggrieved but also shamefaced when he is suddenly called upon to answer one of the rare questions directed his way.

Not so for Ron Paul. He is always ready to lecture us on his bizarre theories of monetary and Constitutional reform. As he nearly said tonight, he knows he has no chance of winning the presidential nomination but he loves the attention his out-of-date theories are getting via his continued candidacy.

(By the way, did you hear about his son, Senator Rand Paul? He set off an alarm at the airport in Nashville today, refused a TSA patdown and was denied permission to fly to Washington. Seems like the whole family has been smokin' that wacky tobaccy.)

So anyway, tonight Willard (Mitt) got tough with Leroy (Newt). We'll see how that goes over with the fine Republican voters of Florida, several hundred thousand of which have already voted.

But in Washington, laughter (and maybe some Al Green music) is resounding from the White House.

AND SPEAKING OF NEWT

2012-01-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

AN ANNOUNCEMENT

2012-01-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

A VISIT TO OLIVE GARDEN

2012-01-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

Some members of our family dined at Olive Garden today. Here are some of our selections.

Mussels di Napoli

Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Lasagna Rollata al Forno

And our very efficient waitress, Lorraine

Now, how do we get rid of all the poundage we gained today??!!

I'M WAKING UP TOO SOON!

2012-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

Early morning sunrise today.

That's from my front yard.

But it changes fast. This next one is about a minute later from my back yard.

WOW!

2012-01-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

I can't begin to describe my reaction to your reactions to SWMBO's essay yesterday. It seemed to strike a chord with many of you. But we had to explain to a few of you that we are not depressed, not necessarily going into a retirement center, certainly way not ready for a nursing home. Her essay was meant to be a light-hearted retelling of some history in our family. So, lighten up, people, and laugh a little.

Be that as it may, let me speak for Judith Taylor (ah, hah, at last her real name revealed). I've told her she should do this but she doesn't think it's necessary. So I'll do it.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments and for your own stories. We both wish you all well and we are very grateful for the many compliments to her writing. I've been telling her for years that she is good. Maybe now, just a little bit more, she knows it.

'Course she'd never admit it.

I'll try to get her to log in here again someday and offer some more of her unique style. 'Til then, I say again, thanks!

A GUEST BLOGGER

2012-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

I have been asked for space for a guest blogger today. She is my beloved SWMBO. She Who Must Be Obeyed, for those of you who don't know.

- - -

A Suitable Dungeon

More than thirty years ago I found myself in the terrible position of deciding my mother's future. She had had a couple of "minor" strokes and my father had recently passed away.

It wasn't safe any longer for her to live alone in their retirement house in Florida. She left stove burners on and forgot them. She stumbled frequently and almost fell.

I was summoned from across the country to "come and help me deal with Mother." My sister had moved near our parents when they retired to Florida. But she was still working and "the mother situation" had become critical. It was obvious that we had to deal with the problem quickly and I was required to be there.

We started looking at potential "retirement centers" . . really nursing homes. Upon returning to her house the first day we found Mother sitting on the edge of her bed. She looked up and gave us an evil look and said, "Well, did you find a suitable dungeon for me today?"

We were spent from the mental and physical effort of the day. Both of us plopped on the bed beside our mother and one of us said, "No, not today, Mother," and we laughed rather hysterically. Mother looked at both of us and couldn't see the humor in the situation.

The next day we heard of a brand new retirement center that was opening in three weeks. We took the tour and instantly decided it was perfect.

Mother had been a gardener and bird watcher all her life. We told her of the beautiful gardens all around the place. She inquired as to whether she could take her bird bath with her and put it in one of the gardens. We said we would see if that could happen.

We scheduled a visit for the three of us to do a walk-through of a possible apartment for Mother. It was on the third floor. She liked the sparkling newness of it all and that she could take her own furniture and personal things. We walked out on her private balcony and looked around. One of us mentioned that the bird bath would like nice down below in the garden.

Mother looked around for a minute and said, "That bird bath would be so far away I wouldn't know if they were drinking or shitting!" Then she stomped away. My sister and I looked at each other and knew we had work to do.

Over the next few days we lobbied for the place by pointing out the amenities. "You can have your own little refrigerator and microwave and coffee maker. You won't have to cook major meals. They will be served to you in the dining room."

"I won't know any of those people," she snarled.

"But you can get to know them."

   "Why should I? None of my friends will know where I have gone. Nobody will ever visit me."

   She had really been a loner, almost anti-social and suddenly she worried that the few friends she had would never visit her. She worried that no one would speak to her at the dinner table. It was rather ridiculous that one of the best-read, most informed persons in the area was worried that there would be nothing in common with these people.

   But slowly she started to look semi-kindly on the new place. It was very different from anything she'd ever known. The move proceeded.

   There was a terrible wrangle over her learning to use an electric coffee maker rather than perking her coffee on the stove. "I know good coffee and I know bad coffee and this stuff is bad."

   One morning as we sipped our "bad coffee" in the new living room a movement outside the picture window attracted my attention. A giant Blue Heron was leaning down to drink from the bird bath in the front yard. He was so casual about it. My heart was pounding as I whispered to my mother, "Look, oh look at that!"

   She said, "Oh yes, he stops by a few mornings a week for a drink."

   Mother adjusted quickly and was quite satisified with her new home for the rest of her time.

- - -

My daughter and I have lunch together often on Fridays. Last week she handed me a brochure for a new retirement center in town that is holding an open house for the public in a week or two. She asked if I'd be interested in going and looking it over. I said I'd like that.

When I came home and handed the brochure to my husband, he asked "Has she found a suitable dungeon for us?"

--by Judith Taylor

BLACK AND WHITE

2012-01-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

No mail today. The bank was closed this morning. Must be some kind of holiday.

Here's a picture I took of a house through the trees back in the 1960's. I've become a better photographer since then.

The best speaker I ever heard in person was Martin Luther King Jr. It was some time around when this picture was taken. Within a year or so. I was attending a convention of the Radio and Television News Directors' Association in Chicago. The luncheon speaker was the former President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He wasn't very good. Stumbled through his speech poorly.

After a break Dr. King was introduced. I think I was sitting in a front row, just a few feet from him. After first apologizing because he had forgotten his notes back in his hotel he then spoke, sans notes, for 30 to 45 minutes. No "ums", no "ahs", no hesitation. Just a truly gifted speaker and a great speech.

We miss him today.

Another visitor

2012-01-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's been in the lower 50's today but the wind has been blowing all day and it's overcast and it just looks cold out there. Which may have prompted a visit from a local denizen.

He did turn around when I tapped on the glass but I was shooting through a screen and the picture didn't come out well enough to show you. Suffice it to say he has beautiful amber eyes.

WATSON LAKE

2012-01-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

I took this picture at the Watson Lake overlook recently. But I'm darned if I can think of anything to say about it. So. It's all yours.

Weather

2012-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

I can't remember where it came from but when I was a kid in North Dakota there was a jingle I used to hear on the radio:

"Whether it's cold

or whether it's hot,

we're gonna have weather,

whether or not."

The weather here today is pretty decent. Temperature in the 50's, sun shining, blue skies. Not bad for a winter day in January.

But other spots in the country aren't so nice. My buddy, Tom, of Light Breezes, and his friend Mike left their homes in the sun in Central California yesterday morning. Their flight out of San Luis Obispo was delayed because of fog. When they got to Phoenix they had missed their connecting flight and spent nearly 12 hours sitting around the airport. Finally they boarded another jet and landed in Indianapolis at 1 o'clock in the morning. As Tom reports on his blog, roads were snow and ice covered. Today's high temperature there was supposed to be about 19 degrees as the snow continued to fall.

So, Tom, wise old peripatetic pal, here's something to remind you of how it is back home.

(Just to rub it in, I swiped a photo Tom took and posted on his web site just a week ago!)

REPUBLICAN DOGS

2012-01-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

I've been thinkin'. My dad used to say that. When he did, SWMBO'S eyes would roll because she knew something weird was about to come out of his mouth. So. I'm his son. And . . I've been thinkin'.

I am constantly amazed at the things that come out of Weird Old Ron Paul's mouth and the ideas that come out of his head. Tonight, SWMBO and I came up with it. Crazy Ross Perot. They're both from Texas. Their names have the same initials. And their ideas are equally bull-goose-looney. Weird Old Ron Paul sounds like a reincarnation of another guy who never could get elected president - William Jennings Bryan. Except Weird Old Ron Paul supports returning us to the Gold Standard and Bryan wanted us to live on Free Silver.

Now then, let's get to the subject of dogs. As you regular readers know, I'm a cat man. But I have observed dogs and I believe I know them as well as the next man. So . . hypothetically . . whereas Crazy Ross Perot most resembles a miniature Dachsund . . yap, yap, yap . . Weird Old Ron Paul is more like a Doberman Pinscher. I mean let's face it . . he is about 6 foot 13, isn't he? But compare the voices of Weird Old Ron Paul and Crazy Ross Perot. Pretty similar, aren't they. Yap, yap, yap.

Now to the rest of the field, if we can even honor them that way. Jon Huntsman, the elegant but hopeless moderate in the race: a Weimaraner. Grey as the ghost he shall soon be.

Newt Gingrich - (the fat little spider) - is either a Welsh Terrier or an English Bulldog. Barking away, running in circles, but hopelessly hopeless. Nasty little creature.

Rick Santorum - a Bloodhound. Nose to the trail, trudging along, but his eyes give away his hopes. Which are none.

Rick Perry - Oh, we do love to make fun of this Son of the Alamo, don't we? I think he's a Boxer, throwing punches right and left but not hitting anything. A loud bark but not much bite. After all, he's confused about what he's supposed to be doing, in spite of his proud appearance.

And then there's Mitt Romney, the leader, the eventual nominee, the sacrificial lamb. With his pedigree he can be nothing less than the Borzoi. Beautiful to look at but not much else. He will succeed in winning the nomination of a party that will be singing . . "the party's over."

Arf. Bow wow. Grrr. Snarl. Goodbye G.O.P. hounds of hell.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

2012-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile I start thinking about days gone by. My pal, Tom Cochrun who writes the blog Light Breezes and I worked together for a few years back in the late 60's/early 70's. Here's how Tom looked when I first met him at WIBC Radio in Indianapolis.

Sort of looks like a Latin salsa musician, doesn't he?

Okay, just to make it up to him, here's how I looked in the previous year.

This was taken in Miami Beach at the 1968 Republican National Convention. I don't remember who the guy on the left was but he has a look on his face as if he's thinking "Oh, god, here I am covering an important political convention and I have my picture taken with this bozo in a Nehru jacket!"

Well, Tom and I covered a lot of politics in our days in broadcasting. But this year's Republican primaries so far make me just a bit envious of the Chuck Todd's and the Jake Tapper's of today's news circus. Seems to me like they're having way too much fun. But then I remember the hours spent every day, the lack of sleep, the occasional hangovers, the lousy food, and I'm glad all I have to do is read about it in the newspapers and watch it on t.v.

NEW HAMPSHIRE SPEAKS

2012-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney was declared the winner of the New Hampshire primary as soon as the polls closed tonight. As I'm writing this, there are less than 20 percent of the votes counted but Romney has 35.5 percent. His next closest opponent, Ron Paul this time, has less than 25%. Jon Huntsman, who staked his campaign on New Hampshire, is third with 17 percent. Newt Gingrich is fourth right now but Rick Santorum is gaining and is breathing down the giant spider's neck. But Rick Perry. Rick Perry! Will he go back to Texas this time and stay there? He has less than 1 percent of the vote. This photo reminds me of Perry's chances of winning the nomination. Dead on the ground.

Perry is barely ahead of Buddy Roemer, a former Louisiana governor you may have heard about. Or maybe not.

And Michele Bachman and Herman Cain . . both of whom have pulled out of the race . . . are still getting votes.

By the way, Mitt is giving his victory speech and spouting lies about Barack Obama. He's on his way. To defeat. And back to the private sector to gain joy by firing more American workers.

DEATH

2012-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

I have had two acquaintances die in the past week from suicides. They lived far apart and did not know each other. Phil Donahue is quoted as saying "suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." In the first incident, the problem . . one of health . . did not seem to be a temporary problem. In the second I just don't know. The reason seems unclear. Friends of both of the individuals all said the same things: the victim was the last person in the world one would have thought of killing themself.

I think many, many people are like the classic description of a duck: serene on the surface but paddling like hell underneath. Too many people seem to keep their troubles to themselves until they feel they just can't deal with them any more. And so they take the final step.

It is not for we survivors to judge them. We are left with trying to understand the victims and their motives. It is a difficult and nearly insurmountable task.

WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT?

2012-01-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

The Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime this afternoon. On their first play, Tim Tebow passed for a touchdown and the game was over. I called my friend in Denver and said "I'm now a believer." But . . . the Broncos will have to face the New England Patriots next Saturday. Will it be Tebow Time once again? As was proved today . . miracles can happen.

Very cool and windy today. I spent my 6 minutes in the sunshine as I try to improve my facial color but otherwise it felt cold outside and I stayed inside.

60 Minutes tonight - stem cells for sale by a con man. Terrible. Twins going to war - equally horrible. Truffles - how can any one pay that price, even if they're not fakes from China.

And so it goes.

SUMMERTIME - WINTERTIME - WHICH IS IT?

2012-01-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful day in Arizona on this January 7th. I was just out back filling the bird bath, taking in a bit of the sun and truly enjoying the day. But then it's a beautiful day nearly everywhere in the U.S. today. So much so that the nightly news anchors are making the unusual January weather their lead story. They just can't get over it and they can't stop talking about it. "Is it global warming?", they seem to be asking, "or el Nino?" Whatever it is everyone seems to be enjoying it. 60 degrees in Chicago . . enough for convertible cruising . . and even in Fargo and Bismarck and Minot in the normally frozen north of North Dakota . . my old home. People are jogging in t-shirts and shorts in New York City. Last year at this time traffic there wasn't moving as a huge snowstorm blanketed the city.

I had a comment from a blogger friend down in Oz (Australia) this week noting that it was summer down there and the citizens were preparing to roast through another hot summer. Well, Meggie, maybe you should come up to this side of the equator where folks are enjoying a warm, balmy winter.

By the way, some of you may have tried to reach Oddball Observations last night only to be told the blog had been removed. And for several hours it was. I still have had no explanation but early in the evening, as I was trying to send an email to a friend, my Google account was suddenly suspended. OO disappeared, as did my Gmail program. I was forced to rely on a long dormant Yahoo account to send and receive mail. It was pretty depressing when I turned out the lights but sometime early in the morning, Google responded to my pleas. My pal Tom sent me an email at 1:30 in the morning saying he had just accessed Oddball again and allowed that apparently the overlords at Google had allowed me back on the grid. So here I am, not as I feared forced to rebuild everything from scratch on some other platform. Just the same as before, writing somewhat tepid blog posts. Glad to be back.

Now, let's kick it up a notch.

OH THOSE ZANY MAYANS!

2012-01-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

(Cartoon credit: Bizarro by Dan Piraro)

MY HEAD IS SPINNING

2012-01-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night the Iowa Republican caucuses were held. Michele Bachman visited all 99 counties so people could get to know her better. Apparently they did. She finished in a far distant sixth place but exhultantly told a small crowd of supporters that she was marching on all the way to the presidency.

Then she went to bed and perhaps had a chat with folks who said her campaign was broke and her hopes had been nullified. The next day she pulled out with a speech in which she pronounced "poignant" just like it's spelled.

The Texas Tornado, Governor Rick Perry, after a lowly 5th place finish, said he was going home to Texas to "reassess my campaign". That translates into: "write my concession speech."

But, out on a jog the next morning, he heard a voice from above (or perhaps a commercial on the radio of a passing car) that said "But wait! There's more!" Soon he announced that he was going on to make a fool of himself in two more debates in New Hampshire and continue his campaign in South Carolina.

Was it that last drink I had last night or is something else making me feel dizzy?

Stay tuned, gentle readers. If you think it's been nuts so far, just wait until Newt gets wound up. Oh. He is?

SO LONG, IOWA

2012-01-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Finally. Sure, it's only January 4th but it seems like forever. The Iowa Republican caucuses are finally over.

The big winner (by 8 votes out of over 100,000 cast) was Mitt Romney. Rick Santorum followed close behind. Loopy Ron Paul finished in third. Nasty Newt Gingrich slumped from first place in the polls two weeks ago to a distant fourth in the final vote. Rick Perry, confused as ever, finished fifth and said he was going home to Texas to (lick his wounds) reassess his campaign. Folks, that means he's dropping out. And dead last was the miracle worker, Michelle Bachman. Last night she was full of spunk, saying she was headed for South Carolina. Then she canceled her flight and this morning, less than 12 hours later, she announced she'd had enough.

By the way, in the drawing above, I make the candidates to be, from left to right, Romney, Gingrich, Perry, Bachman, Paul and Santorum. Your views may vary.

So it's on to New Hampshire. The very angry Gingrich got out of Iowa on a chartered flight before midnight and arrived in the first primary state in the dark of night, scuttling off the plane like a venomous spider.

So, let's see. What are we left with? Five candidates. Probably four after Perry's expected departure speech. Plus Jon Huntsman, who's been lurking in New Hampshire, ready for the big show to descend. And in Iowa? Must be a feeling of disappointment to Republicans who saw their much vaunted caucuses end up in a virtual tie. Kind of like a lot of (c'mon, you had to know this was coming) rotten corn.

SORRY

2012-01-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

After hassling Tom (Light Breezes) about his missing a day of blog posting yesterday, here I am late in the day with nothing to show. Well, I've been running around today doing errands and the rest of the time being fascinated by the Iowa Republican primary. It's nearly over now. By which I mean it's nearly time for the caucuses to start and we should (according to Rachel Madow) start seeing results soon after that. So. No big post today. Nothing to report. Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow and maybe even later tonight.

DINING . . . IN

2012-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

In keeping with our tradition of dining deliciously but simply on New Year's Eve, SWMBO and I shared a simple salad . . .

fried oysters, sugar peas . . .

naan (Indian flatbread) . . . (not shown) . . . champagne . . .and the BRD's persimmon pudding and ice cream for dessert.

It was all scrumptious. I think it was lights out before 11 but after watching the ball drop in New York City.

Today's first breakfast of the new year will center on SWMBO's caramel pecan cinnamon rolls, which were made yesterday. Take a look . . . and eat your hearts out!

Later today, I'll roast some pork ribs and sweet potatoes. And tomorrow, we shall endeavor to begin shedding some of the holiday pounds we've undoubtedly added.

COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING NEW

2011-12-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful day in Arizona. The sun is shining. The temperature is in the 60's. No snow anywhere. Darn near perfect. As I was out running some last minute errands this morning, I spotted a scene in a parking lot that simply shouted BLOG POST at me. So I approached the two individuals pictured below and asked them if I could photograph them. They agreed after I told them I'd shoot them from the back so they couldn't be identified. Here's the result.

The young gal out walking her two dogs. The guy riding his bike. They met in a parking lot. It just spells 21st Century Dating to me.

By the way after I took the photograph, I told them I had a blog and asked if they'd mind if I put the photo on it so they could be seen all over the world.

I think the gal said "what's a blog?" The guy asked me what it was called and when I told him, he laughed once again. They both said it was okay so here they are.

As I said to them as I drove away I say now to you: Happy New Year.

NEARING THE END (of the year, silly)

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are once again, nearing the end of a year. But before we wind 2011 up, you have to take a look at an amazing Christmas card from some friends of sweet Lucy. I think I know how it's done but this one is just amazing. Just clink on that link and take a look. I'll wait right here.

(dum-dum-da-diddle-dee-dee)

Oh! You're back. Now wasn't that art work absolutely fascinating? It must have taken forever to create.

As for me and the year just over, I found this ecard from Some ecards just perfect.

Happy New Years Eve Eve, everybody!

RETIREMENT

2011-12-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

I was at a loss for anything to blog about today until I read the post of a friend who shall remain nameless. He said his work was so slow this week it was like being retired and he was bored, bored, bored. So I decided to take a look at how I spend my day.

This morning I rose about 8, went into the kitchen and started heating water for SWMBO'S tea, microwaved a cup of coffee, emptied the cats' water dish and refilled it, added cat food to the two food dishes, and got out our morning pills. Then I went back to my bedroom, got my glasses and came back to the kitchen to change the picture on our daily calendar. (Of course, it's a cat calendar.) By the time all that was done, it was 8:30. I went to the computer, checked a couple of emails, then read through Mike Allen's morning rundown from Politico. Then looked through the headlines from the New York Times. Then I went to Facebook and looked at a few new postings. Then to my local newspaper to read the stories that interested me. Checked the obituaries. I wasn't listed. A good day.

So by now it's around 10:30 and I decided to watch a movie from Netflix. But first I had to take the disk of "Midnight in Paris" out to the mailbox. (I liked it but thought it wasn't as good as Woody Allen's earlier movies in the Annie Hall era. SWMBO didn't like it at all.) Then the new movie. "Water for Elephants". We had both read the book and SWMBO watched the movie yesterday. It's a 2 hour movie but with a couple of bathroom breaks, another cup of coffee and a couple of butterflake rolls, it was around 1 o'clock by the time I finished. We both loved the book and the movie.

Got dressed and told SWMBO I was going to run the disk down to the mailbox a mile or so away. They don't pick up mail there until 4 p.m. She said "I don't suppose you'd like to pick up a sandwich at Maya's?" I said "sure" so I called in our order and then set out for the mailbox. Maya's (a Mexican restaurant) is right across the street and the food was ready. Picked up a carnitas torta for SWMBO and a shredded beef burro for me. Which we ate as soon as I got home. Actually I ate half of mine and wrapped up the rest for supper. SWMBO was hungrier and finished hers.

Back to the computer to read some blog posts and look at the latest polling on the Republican primary out of Iowa. Right now it looks like Romney, Paul and Santorum finishing 1-2-3. Gingrich looks like he's slipped to 4th. Romney and Paul are putting on a full court press this final weekend. Santorum has been here so long he's practically a resident.

O.K. Time to clean up the cat pan area. Took one pan out back and hosed it out and left it to soak in the sun with some baking soda. Came back inside and just about finished the Sunday New York Times. Retrieved the cat pan after drying it in the sun and refilled it with litter. I also have the Florida State-Notre Dame football game on. Decided to take a shower and did.

Then I decided to write this blog post. It's now nearly 5 o'clock. I still have a couple of sections of the Times to finish and I've got one library book on my new Kindle Fire and one book from the local library and my time is running out.

There's nothing unusual about today. It's about normal.

Am I bored? I haven't had time to consider it.

DAKUWAQA'S GARDEN

2011-12-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

The BRD sent this video to me this morning and I liked it so much I thought I'd share it with you.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

2011-12-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

Can you really tell me these don't look good?

I may be one of the rare ones. I like Brussels sprouts and I like broccoli. But I know many people, primarily but not totally men, who claim to hate both of them.

SWMBO roasted some Brussels sprouts last night to go with our Christmas ham and sweet potatoes. She said she was going to go with a recipe she saw Gordon Ramsey prepare on television. Simple: salt, pepper and olive oil. They were delicious though maybe a bit firm.

I looked for recipes for them on the Web this morning and found many variations, some of them Ramsey's. Pancetta or smoky bacon, chestnuts, balsamic vinegar, lemon, Parmesan cheese . . . all of them can be used to kick the sprouts up a notch, as another television chef says. One chef says to start them cut side down in a very hot black iron skillet, then put it under the broiler for a few minutes. She said the extreme heat is the way to successfully roast them.

Wikipedia also says Brussels sprouts are reputed to have anti-cancer properties but that these virtually disappear if one boils the sprouts. That fits with SWMBO's mother's advice about cooking vegetables of all kinds: if you boil them, most of the vitamins disappear when you drain them.

In a television appearance on the Regis Philbin show a few years ago Ramsey prepared Brussels sprouts. Philbin commented "I don't like Brussels sprouts."

Ramsey responded, "But you haven't tasted them yet. How can you say that? At least give me a chance to let you taste something different."

Later, the show's co-host Kelly Ripa told Ramsey "this is the longest I've heard you go without using the F-word."

Let it be established right here that the SWMBO prepared the entire dinner, including the Brussels sprouts, last night without using the F-word either. I think.

One point of clarification. The photo above came from the Web. I was too busy eating to snap a picture of SWMBO's sprouts.

CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE BRD'S

2011-12-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

" 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse . . ."

Lilly had taken a liking to the newest thing lying around: my blazer!

The Santas were in readiness.

The candles were lit.

The table was filling with lobster and steak (and potatoes and asparagus and copious quantities of wine!)

In the center of the table, a pretty Christmas bow.

And at one end was another - the BRD's Beau Jack!

Paying careful attention - the famous SWMBO.

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter, it woke up Miss Lilly to see what was the matter.

Santa Claus came and left us with gifts. When they all had been opened and wrapping discarded, Mister T. settled down, curled up in the midst.

And here is the hostess, dancing with glee. She shouted out merrily "You can credit . . . . . well, me!

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

2011-12-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

COLOR IN THE SKY

2011-12-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Mingus Mountain was decorated for Christmas the other evening as the setting sun put some color in the low clouds.

SIGNS OF THE OLD WEST

2011-12-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

I was taking a look at the street signs in my neighborhood recently. It doesn't take much to figure out that the developer had a western theme in mind.

The thing that I can't figure out is how, in the midst of all this Old West ranching country signage, did one street get named for a farmer.

O.K. Look out. Here comes your ear worm.

THE REPUBLICAN CIRCUS

2011-12-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

As I (hardcore Democrat) said to SWMBO (very hardcore Democrat) this evening "Y'know we're gonna miss these crazy Republicans when this is all over!" She responded "Yeah, we're gonna go into withdrawal."

We both mean "have you ever seen anything like this?"

Iowa, for example. First it was Romney. Then Bachman. Then Perry came out of nowhere. Then he faded and Newt Gingrich rose from the dead. Then the voters caught on to him and Romney came back to life. And today Ron Paul seems to be leading the pack. I mean RON PAUL! This guy is so far out on the limb the cartoonists ought to be drawing his eyes with little spirals in them. The Iowa caucuses are now less than two weeks away. If Ron Paul wins and he very well could because he apparently has the best organization in Iowa it will confirm one thing. The political elites (and that's who decides these things at a caucus, it's not like a primary where people actually go to the polls and cast ballots) will have been realized as stark raving mad. Ron Paul has as much chance of being the Republican candidate for president as I do. So on we go.

One more thing. The crazy people we the voters elected to the House two years ago. I say "we" but I really wasn't part of it. My candidate lost to a bizarre dentist from Flagstaff with weird hair. Anyway, the new crop of Republicans in the House who won't support anything President Obama wants. Their "leader" is John Boehner of Ohio, who ran after he noticed how much money the federal government was taking out of his paycheck and decided to do something about it. But he may be the weakest Speaker of the House since Newt Gingrich. And about the same kind. Gingrich was famous for meeting with his caucus and deciding on an approach to a problem, then walking out to meet with the press and changing his mind 180 degrees by the time he started speaking. Boehner's problem is that he decides to do something, like supporting the payroll deduction two month deal the Senate passed overwhelmingly, then meeting with his caucus and learning that the crackpot new Republicans won't go along with it so he goes back to the reporters with a 180 degree reversal of his position.

It's enough to drive you insane! And, of course, make me do something I've tried to do less of. Which is write a political screed like this and maybe piss off a bunch of you guys and gals. So I'll stop right here, make another drink, and stew in my own juices for awhile.

HOME IS . . . WHERE YOU LIVE

2011-12-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

I had a brief email conversation with a friend in California this morning. I started by asking, rhetorically, when I've been gone from the state in which I grew up, North Dakota, for decades . . why do friends and family who still live there ask me when I'm coming "home". My answer? I AM HOME!

Growing up in North Dakota meant long winters of frequent subzero temperatures and snow and ice everywhere. I moved to Arizona and continue to live here because I love the climate.

People say "but don't you miss the change of seasons?" No, I don't because I have the change of seasons right here where I live. Now granted, about half of my 33 years in Arizona were spent in Phoenix and it does get unbearably hot there in the summer. But other times of the year it is heaven on earth.

And have I mentioned the Grand Canyon? One of the great wonders of the world is only about 100 miles from where I sit typing these words. Since I reached Senior Citizen age and received my Golden Age passport, it doesn't even cost me anything to get into the park, as many times as I want.

So don't ask me again, folks, I am home. Home in Arizona.

I WONDER IF MITT HAS HEARD ABOUT THIS

2011-12-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing a building under construction on the edge of Viewpoint in our town. This morning I drove over and asked a workman on his break what it was going to be. A new Mormon Church, he said. Looks like it will be a big one.

At least it's providing some jobs in the community.

WRIGS

2011-12-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

Much has been made of what good lives our three cats and the BRD's three cats have. Much of that comes (perhaps jealously) from dog owners. Well the BRD's three cats share the home with a dog, too! As some of you long time readers know, his name is Wrigley, or Wrigs for short. And just offhand, I'd say he has a pretty good life too.

REVERIE

2011-12-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

MISTER T(AZ)

2011-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is how Mr. T (for Taz)(for Tasmanian Devil) spends a lot of his days, playing with his little man doll.

Ah, I know he's here somewhere.

THERE he is!

Oooops! He threw me!

Are you looking at me?

Gotcha, you little rascal.

Man, oh, man, all that work made me thirsty and someone left the kitchen faucet on.

The cat belongs to the Beautiful Rich Daughter.

The photo credits are due to She Who Must Be Obeyed, who was house sitting Mr. T and his two siblings.

OUT AND AROUND

2011-12-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is Glassford Hill. Once upon a time it was a volcano. You notice we don't call it a volcano. Or a mountain. Just a hill. It's part of what separates Prescott Valley from Prescott.

And this panorama shows Prescott Valley and a great cloud formation in the distance, beyond what is supposed to be a park some day. Right now it's just pastureland. As you can see.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW . . . UP NORTH!

2011-12-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

For those of you concerned about the old Catalyst's weather, here's the real dope. The heavy snow was in the mountains around Prescott and about 80 miles away where Flagstaff got around a foot. But here? Just a dusting.

It did rain much of yesterday but it only turned to snow around 9 or 10 last night and then moved off. So, while it's chilly and wet outside, very little snow.

SO LONG, COWBOYS

2011-12-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

Now before you go gettin' all melancholy, listen to brother Greg Brown.

The rest of you . . . have a nice day!

THE NEXT IRON CANDIDATE!

2011-12-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

I watched the latest Republican debate last night.

Mitt - I'll bet you ten grand.

Newt - If you'd beaten Ted Kennedy . . .

Michelle - Newt Romney.

Ron - Abolish everything.

Rick P. - Who knows?

Rick S. - I'm against everything.

And I thought "is this the best they can do?"

Then I watched our president on 60 Minutes tonight. And I thought "why is this man trailing in the polls?"

And I thought "Presidential politics is the most ridiculous race in life."

In case you haven't figured it out by now . . . I support the re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

Opponents may now state their case.

ANTI-SANTA PARTIES

2011-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

So, Ebenezer Scrooge (before his epiphany) isn't scary enough for you? Well then, consider Krampus.

Please take my best wishes for a very scary Christmas!

WEALTHY BEYOND MY DREAMS

2011-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

We got our Social Security information for the coming year in the mail today. Hooray! Next year we're going to get a COLA - a Cost of Living Adjustment. But we've changed insurers for our Medicare prescription drug coverage and the premium will be taken out of our Social Security checks before we ever get them. However, that information hadn't caught up to the SS people yet so it was not reflected in our new figures. So I took the monthly totals and subtracted what will be deducted to give me a new figure. Then I added mine and SWMBO's together to get the total of what our monthly checks will be. Then I did the same with this year's figures and once I had a real total there, I subtracted it from next year's total. And it's a nice round figure: $50.00. Fifty bucks a month for the two of us. That's our Cost of Living Adjustment.

That will just about pay our new Internet Service Provider for hooking us up to the big wide world. But it won't do anything for the increased costs of food and gasoline. 'Course, gasoline prices have been dropping over the last several months for us.

So we'll scrimp and live, as it seems we almost always have, from paycheck to paycheck. We're not poor, we're not homeless, we're not hungry. So we'll be okay.

And there's always that Powerball ticket.

Gee, I wonder who those guys are.

70 YEARS AGO

2011-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, when Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Fleet docked in Hawaii.

The U.S.S. Arizona was struck, exploded and sank.

The body of the ship was left where it sank and today is a memorial.

For the United States, the sneak attack was the beginning of our entry into World War Two. For more than 2,300 sailors at Pearl Harbor it was the end of their lives.

As President Franklin Roosevelt said then it would be a day that would live in infamy. And it remains so today . . . 70 years and many more wars later.

ANYONE READY FOR A SWIM?

2011-12-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

With the temperature climbing all the way up to 35 degrees I think only members of the Polar Bear Club would take to the water today. Except for the ducks in this picture, who seem to be enjoying it just like a day in August.

They must have one heckuva insulation system to brave those waters.

A WINTERY DAY

2011-12-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

Glassford Hill, above and back of the Granite Dells.

Sunny skies today but not very warm (in the low 30's). But around my home, the snow and ice was melting.

Meantime, one old member of the family was still grumpy about the snow and the cold.

DECEMBER 4, 2011 - WHITE ARIZONA

2011-12-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Wasn't it just yesterday that I said I wouldn't bore you with any more snow pictures? Well that was yesterday.

You think that's funny, do you?

Oops, who left the deck chair out?

Since none of our cats go outside any more, this must have been a visitor during the night. Probably that pretty calico that's been hanging around.

For those of you who can't believe there is ever snow in Arizona, here's a photo of my indoor/outdoor thermometer at 8 o'clock this morning.

Again I must remind you that we don't live in the low desert of Phoenix or Tucson. We're at about 5,100 feet elevation and some 80 miles from Phoenix. Right about now, Phoenix is looking pretty good to me.

A DOPEY CAT

2011-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

On this lazy Saturday I could show you more pictures of more snow. We had a fairly good covering from our second storm of the week early this morning. Maybe an inch or two. As the temperature rose, the snow began to disappear and now it's pretty spotty out there. But I figured you've seen enough Arizona snow for awhile so . . .

This is Jazz, after an infusion of catnip. Cats, if they like it and not all cats do, are drawn to it, eat a bit then lie down and roll in it. Sort of a contact high, I guess. Eventually they go into this semi-catatonic state until it wears off.

Now Jazz and Blackwell don't get along. Normally, all the big black cat has to do is look at Jazz and she begans to hiss and snarl. On this day, he came over and, typically, sat down about 18 inches away, seemingly just to irritate her.

Jazz scowled at him but that was about all.

When Blackwell got bored and headed for his food bowl, Jazz relaxed once again into her catnip haze.

THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF DECEMBER

2011-12-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as a winter storm was building:

Even the cattle, in spite of their wooly coats, looked cold.

Today there is a little more snow on the ground and the sky still looks threatening.

I WISH I'D THOUGHT OF THIS

2011-12-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

During the most recent hullabaloo about Herman Cain, I emailed a friend of mine and asked him what he made of it.

My friend emailed back saying Cain was toast. Cain's presidential chances, he said: None. None. None.

MOONSHOTS

2011-12-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

I decided to test my skill with the camera last night by (trying) to photograph the moon.

What I learned is that, even with a tripod, I am not very steady with my camera. But that ineffectiveness can provide some interesting shots. For example, I suppose I could pass off this next one by saying I had gotten a great shot of Saturn.

Sure I did. With my tiny point-and-click Nikon Coolpix camera.

But my next photo has me confounded. I thought there was a man in the moon but this picture sure looks like a cat in the moon.

I guess I'd better stick with macro photography.

WHY BOTHER?

2011-11-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I got a check in the mail today. It was my share of the settlement in the lawsuit of Brice Yingling d/b/a Alamo Auto Sports and Andy Scott vs. eBay, Inc.

Before I go any further let me say that I have no idea who Brice Yingling, Alamo Auto Sports or Andy Scott are. I do know who eBay is, though, and I used to sell books there. According to the letter accompanying the check my payment was calculated on fees I paid between April 21, 2005 and August 26, 2009.

I do remember selling some old auto magazines on eBay and it probably was during that time period.

At any rate, I'm glad it's finally over. Here's my check amount:

Just in case you can't figure that out, here is the amount in the corner of the check.

You've got it - nine cents.

I got a check for nine cents.

In the mail.

In an envelope with a "First-Class Mail, Presorted" designation printed on it.

According to the GOOGLE, that cost 39 cents.

To send me a nine cent check.

What a country!!!

BATMAN!!!

2011-11-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

All right, due to popular demand and a din rising to a roar of shouts for the story of the bat, here it comes.

As I said in my previous post, I had bought a couch (used) at a thrift store. My girlfriend at the time, in spite of the scorn she heaped on me for bargaining the price down at a store run by a religious organization, deigned to join me on the bargain couch from time to time.

But this particular night, only a couple of days later, she was nowhere to be seen. I had been out at a pub slaking my thirst and trying to recover from a long day at work. As I opened the door of my darkened apartment, I sensed rather than saw something flit through the air. I quickly closed the door and switched on the overhead light. That made the being intensely crazy. I now recognized it as a bat as it flew frantically from one side of the room to the other. I backed into my tiny kitchen and seized the first item to come to hand, a large cast iron frying pan.

As the bat flew near, I tried to bring it down by swinging the frying pan at it. Well. As anyone who has ever had one of those big black pans in his hand knows - they're damned heavy. So my attacks on the bat appeared to be in slow motion while the bat was going full tilt boogie. After a couple of futile swings, I determined that this was not going to work. So I looked for something lighter to attack with.

Let's see. The big black frying pan wouldn't work. So what do I need? A broom? NO! What I then went in search of was . . . a smaller, lighter frying pan! Makes sense, doesn't it? If the big pan is too heavy, get a smaller pan.

Now, you may be laughing by now. But my fear of the bat coupled with a certain heightened blood sugar level from my night at the pub had me rising to the frantic level of the bat.

Eventually I brought him down with a lucky swing. But as I examined him on the floor I discovered that he was only stunned. (After the saga was over, I was reminded of the comment by the petshop owner in a famous Monty Python skit about a dead parrot: "He's not dead . . he's only sleeping!")

Well, good creature that I am, I managed to scoop the bat into something with a cover, carry it carefully outdoors and release the bat to the night sky.

Returning to my abode, I tried to figure out how that bat had happened to be in my apartment. As I looked around my gaze fell on that bargain thrift store couch and . . . whether it was true or not . . . the couch took the blame for harboring the bat. And I told my girlfriend, that was why I had bargained the price down. Without knowing of the presence of the nocturnal creature, my sixth sense had intuited that something was strange about that couch.

And that's the story of the bat.

MAGPIE TALES - I'M BACK!

2011-11-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is a true story.

Way, way back in time . . so long ago that I can now remember the story . . . I needed a couch for my new, dusty, crusty apartment. But I had little funds and so I found myself at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. And there I found a couch. A big, red, velvety couch. They had it listed at $11. I offered six. They accepted and I took my couch home.

Later, I exhultantly called my Roman Catholic girlfriend and said "I've got a couch!" I then told her the story about the purchase.

I expected her to be thrilled with my bargaining power. She had criticized me in the past for paying whatever price was demanded, usually far in excess of what I should have been paying. So I was thrilled. And I expected her to be thrilled.

Instead, she said something like "you did what?" I replied that they had asked for $11 and I bargained them down to $6. "Wasn't that great?", I implored.

Her reply. "You cheated the St. Vincent de Paul charity organization out of five dollars?"

Ice hung on her words.

I had failed again.

Later, I came home one night and found a bat flying around my apartment. Apparently it came free with the couch.

But that's another story.

==================================

Read more Magpie Tales at this site.

VARIETY

2011-11-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

I was looking at the paper the other day and I noticed a "brief" about gasoline prices. They are all listed as . . for example . . $3.16 per gallon. But the actual price is $3.169 per gallon. Which is, effictevely, $3.17 per gallon. So why do the media lie to us. If it's $3.16 that's one thing. But if it's really $3.17 per gallon, then why not tell us? Damn them.

O.K. Change of topics.

This is about the small percentage of people who still smoke. Now, truth be told, I smoked for 33 years. I smoked heavily. 3 to 4 packs a day. I always try to slack that off by saying I had an ashtray on my desk and a lot of those cigarettes just burned out in the ashtray.

But, truth be told, I smoked a lot of cigarettes. And some dope. Though not much of that.

But now, after 20 years of not smoking, I can afford to become self-righteous. I see people smoking . . not often . . but men and women with a cigarette in their hand while they're driving . . and I think . . "don't they know what they're doing?"

I think I want to become one of those LOUD performers who try to tell smokers to quit.

But I won't.

They'll just have to learn on their own.

If they do.

Before they . . . .

RANDOM THOUGHTS

2011-11-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

I think that path will take you all the way around Watson Lake but I've never found out for sure and probably never will. Never will walk it, anyway.

I like our Mimosa tree in the front yard although since it always puts out leaves later than the Globe Willow, I kid SWMBO every spring, saying it's nothing but a dead stick and I should cut it down. But when it finally does get its leaves I think it looks kind of Oriental and I love it. Until this time of year when it drops all of its leaves in our front yard and across our driveway. So, because SWMBO told me to, I've just swept the driveway and deposited the leaves in our trash can, nearly filling it. And I'm beat.

So that's about it for me today. See you tomorrow.

THANKSGIVING MEMORIES

2011-11-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have to give credit where credit is due and this time that goes to The Chubby Chatterbox who has posted today on the best turkey he ever ate.

It brought to mind a Thanksgiving tale of our own. Back in the 1980's we lived in Mexico for several years. There were many other expatriate Americans living in the area at that time and a bunch of us would gather for parties, probably more frequently than was good for our health. One Thanksgiving, our good friend L decided to have a party at her house. She went to a local market and bought about a 15 pound turkey, paying some exhorbitant fee like $2.00 a pound for it. Only problem: she didn't have an oven. SWMBO volunteered to cook the turkey for the party.

So, came the big day. She put the turkey in the oven and turned it on to 475 degrees. She always does this for the first 15 minutes to sort of sear in the juices. Then the oven temperature goes down to between 325 and 350 for the rest of the cooking. So the turkey goes in. Oven goes on to 475. SWMBO says "I'll just take a quick shower."

I helpfully poured the first Margaritas of the day. SWMBO came out of the shower, took a Margarita, sat down, leaned back, and completely forgot about the oven. Until about an hour later. She suddenly and violently remembered it and ran to the kitchen. Pulling the turkey out, it was appearing completely done, very brown. She tented it with foil and put it back in the oven, now at the much lower temperature. When it was finally done, she covered it with foil and nestled it into a box with newspapers packed around it. And we left to cross town to L's.

When we got there, the crowd was pretty much assembled and everyone was enjoying their drinks. And enjoying their drinks. And enjoying their drinks.

Judy fretted but what could she do? Finally it came time for the meal. The turkey was unwrapped, still plenty warm, and carved. A miracle! It was moist and marvelous. Like the Chubby Chatterbox's memory, probably the best turkey ever.

There's an old expression that says God watches out for fools and drunks.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

THANKSGIVING 2011

2011-11-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

So we're finally getting some real autumnal color.

DARK AND LIGHT

2011-11-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

There was something of a light show on the rocks in the Granite Dells yesterday afternoon. As the sun peeped out of some angry clouds to the south, a shaft of light would illuminate sections of the rocks while the rest were dark. Imagine an early prospector seeing this as a sign of where to look for riches.

And here's the sky filled with clouds that occasionally allowed a bit of light to peep through.

It looks promising for moisture but as far as I know only a bit of rain came down. Nice view, though.

TJ'S UPDATE

2011-11-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

Since I happened to be in the area this morning, I thought I'd take a couple of pictures and give you an update on the construction of the Prescott area's first Trader Joe's store. The view is from behind and above.

And in case you have any doubt, there are now a couple of signs decorating the property.

A construction sign further up the road says the store is opening in 2012. Other spaces in the mini-strip are available for lease.

SUNDAY SERVICE

2011-11-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

MY WHISKER THEORY

2011-11-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

I had my big black boy-cat on my lap the other day and I was admiring his whiskers. They seem to be very, very long to me.

But then I was thinking as I was uploading this photo . . a cat has whiskers for a reason - to warn him when he's getting too close to something or heading into a hole that's too small for him. They are, in essence, curb feelers. Now Blackwell has become a very big cat, though as I was trying to weigh him the other day he seemed to be only 17 pounds, which isn't really all that big, I guess. But if he's pretty wide, he probably needs extra long curb feelers. I wonder if whisker length varies from cat to cat to accomodate their different sizes.

I didn't come to a real conclusion on that. But I think my theory may be correct. The whiskers have to be sort of like what people are saying is wrong with our economy - too big to fail.

FRIDAY NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS

2011-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

(Check the calendar.)

Yup! It's Friday night! Yay! Hoorah! Pour me another! Tequila shots! Yeahhh!

Back when I was working for a living, Friday nights were time for unrestricted bacchannalia. (Stop. Check the dictionary. Yup. Spelled that last word correctly. Proceed full speed ahead.)

Where was I? Oh, yeah, Friday nights. As many of us as were left around the t.v. station where I worked and could be convinced that this was the proper way to celebrate the end of a week would head to a bar. First it was the Mardi Gras. On to the Playboy Club. Then the Spaghetti Company. Later a place our well paid weatherman from the station was a partner in. Can't remember the name but they poured very healthy (or unhealthy) drinks. Then it was the Tavern on the Green. All along Central Avenue in midtown Phoenix. I think only the Spaghetti Company still exists.

In spite of the fact that we were the responsible journalists and television technocrats in town, we always drank just one more. One too many in many cases. Wow! If I could calculate the gallons of booze that we disposed of in those days, I think even the Guinness folks might be interested.

Of course, there were some flirty Friday nights that sometimes developed into more serious encounters. I think I'm one of only a few of that long ago gang that is still married to the same woman.

Heady times. We ruled. Well that was a long time ago now and since I've been fully retired, I frequently don't even remember when it is Friday night.

When a gal at the pharmacy asked me last Monday "how was your weekend?", I was stuck for awhile for an answer. I finally told her "y'know every day is the weekend for me these days."

You know, somethin' tells me old Jerry Lee didn't have too many Lonely Weekends.

PACEMAKER BLUES

2011-11-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

I had a pacemaker installed after I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation a few years ago. Since then I've had it replaced once. Actually what I have just under the skin and above my heart is called an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator. But everyone just calls it a pacemaker.

About every three months a guy from the manufacturing company runs a check on it to make sure it's still operational. That happened today. No problems. Everything intact and working correctly. He did say that the machine indicated I had no natural heartbeat. I responded to that with "let's be sure we keep that pacemaker working then."

Frequently the medics ask me if I feel better. I always say the same thing. I never even knew I had the atrial fibrillation before it was diagnosed and nothing has made me feel any better.

The guy who checked me today said "in this business, no news is good news."

So I keep on (artificially) beating along.

All of which reminded me of this band.

I don't know whether any of those young men have ever had heart problems that caused them to have pacemakers installed.

But they sure have gotten older.

Same band, same song . . . different era.

BIRD(S) ON A WIRE

2011-11-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

I know I've used this image before. Not this exact one. I just snapped this one today. But a similar one. Or maybe even "ones". I may keep returning to this theme. It's just that a flock of birds . . and they're not all the same kind . . gathered on wires like this just fascinates me.

When I was a little kid, there was a big tree in an alley about a half a block from my home. It was called "the Big Tree." I don't remember what kind of tree it was but it was huge and was easily climbed by a young squiggler such as myself. I could get high in the tree and not be seen from the ground because of the leaves. And there were places where the branches formed hollows and resting places, where I could lie back and contemplate the universe. Or maybe the hurts and insults I had been dealt on any given day. It was my hiding place. I can remember that there were some wires that ran through the very top of the tree. Probably telephone wires. But I can remember one particularly dark day when I climbed to where I could easily reach those wires and I leaned forward and took one of them into my mouth. I had no idea what would happen. I assumed maybe instant death.

That must have been a particularly dark day. But what happened? Nothing. I think there was only about a voltage of 9 volts in those wires and low amperage. Had they been electrical wires, I think I would have had to have instant contact with two of them at the same exact instant to do any harm.

Who knows why kids in their moments of despair . . now long forgotten . . do the things they do?

Well. I know this. This photo I took today and these dark thoughts gave me a reason to introduce the great K.D. Lang in a bravura performance. Bird On A Wire.

SING THAT SONG!

2011-11-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

During the short time that I lived in Austin, Texas, I found a huge number of talented songwriters and performers. Many of them I discovered after hearing them on some of the many great radio programs at KUT, the station at the University of Texas. They have one announcer who does a program of nothing but Brazilian music on Friday afternoon, another guy who does a '50's doo-wop show, and the incredible musical programming of John Aielli and his program Eklektikos. Aieilli has been doing his panorama of music mornings for decades, featuring everything from opera to punk rock. He also has live music at times in the studio. It's a great show and you can tune it in on the Internet.

One of the performers I first heard in Texas and learned to love was Jimmie Dale Gilmore. He was born in Amarillo, grew up in Lubbock, the home of Buddy Holly. Gilmore's early influence was Hank Williams. He's known for saying "Here's another one of my songs. Hank Williams just happened to write it."

Jimmie has one of the most unique voices I've heard in popular music. Give a listen as he joins Nancy Griffith on stage.

NOVEMBER RAIN

2011-11-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday dawned a wet morning. But it wasn't raining hard. Just a steady mist, like something on the Oregon coast. I wonder if bamboo grows in Oregon.

Whether it does or not, it makes a good pallette for my Arizona raindrops.

As I said, it didn't rain hard, just enough to make the ground damp and leave some pearlescent raindrops clinging to leaves.

With that kind of dark, Holmesian day . . it was better to retreat inside to the Sunday paper.

HIPPIES!

2011-11-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Yup. AZ is absolutely correct. Yesterday's picture showed a close-up of a rosehip. It's what is left over from the bloom of a rose and, yes, Steve, some people make tea from them.

I guess it's time for me to realize that you gentle readers are too smart for me!

QUIZ TIME

2011-11-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

Do you have any idea what this is?

I'll tell you tomorrow.

VETERANS' DAY - 11/11/11

2011-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

It's a day to remember all of the young men and women, many of them now older, who have served their country in the Armed Forces. I had two uncles who were in World War Two. One came home, one didn't. In more recent times, a veteran in our family is our grandson Rusty, known as Sergeant Russell Milburn II, shown here with his fiancee, Kayla.

After several hitches in the Army and tours of duty in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Sarge has decided to opt out of future service. He may be a full-time civilian now but we thank him for his service.

To him and all the others - you done good.

THE AMAZING "IL VOLO"

2011-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

The BRD sent me the following video and I had to share it with you. These three Italian teenagers are absolutely fantastic!

IT'S ALL POLITICS

2011-11-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday being off-year election day in America I thought we should have some politics on Oddball Observations today.

And then there's . . .

Hope you didn't forget to vote!

A SIMPLE REQUEST

2011-11-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Come on guys . . . this is not funny anymore . . . let me in!!!

NABLOPOMO

2011-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

What is it?

National Blog Posting Month. November. Every year. Participants are supposed to blog at least once each day during the month. I had a mind to try it this year but I missed November 3rd because my previous Internet Service Provider (which shall not be named) was down for 14 or 15 hours and I couldn't get on line.

So this is a bonus post, just for arrogant guys like me. Enjoy!

AN (EARLY) WINTRY DAY

2011-11-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just to take a little joy out of yesterday's photos, here's another one that I also shot yesterday. Looking west toward Prescott is a near white-out.

But, as the old expression goes, if you don't like the weather just wait ten minutes and it will change. This, also, was taken yesterday.

That's Glassford Hill in the distance, the Granville subdivision in the foreground.

It was 32 degrees when I got up this morning but the sun is once again shining, the temperature is climbing and all this snow is either gone or should be before the day is out. Thank goodness for small favors, eh?

In other news, I have a new internet service provider as of late yesterday afternoon. Whereas my old provider promised me 1.5 megabytes per second but rarely delivered it, my new one comes to me at between 40 and 50 Mbs. Quite a difference. But I'm finding it has caused a problem for me. What used to take me 4 or 5 hours is now over and done with in about an hour. What am I supposed to do with all this extra time?

WHAT A DIFFERENCE . . .

2011-11-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

I had planned on showing this photo, taken Saturday, on my blog this morning.

Or maybe this one.

But instead here's what I found outside my window today.

The petunias seemed to be collapsed in tears.

Most of it is gone now. But a couple of hours ago . . .

Still, there was beauty to be found.

MYSTERY CLOUDS

2011-11-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

I thought at first it was what is called a "buttermilk sky." But when I checked Google, I found a totally different image. So I don't know if these cirrostratus (Ha! I'll bet that impressed you!) clouds have a common name or not.

Actually I'm not even sure they are cirrostratus though that's the closest image Google shows me. Any cloud experts out there?

A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW

2011-11-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

The BRD sent over this photo of her front yard this morning.

No snow at our house, though. A little spatter of rain but that's all. Once again the weather predictors fail in accuracy.

But that's o.k. with me. I'm not eager for snow and cold weather to arrive.

PIE TIME

2011-11-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

We have reached that time of year when it is all right to rhapsodize about food. I love November. Actually, I'm cheating. This pumpkin pie was made by my blushing bride in late October and I had the last piece, smothered in whipped cream, for breakfast yesterday.

Some years ago, when SWMBO was married to someone else, she and her husband and their three kids used to travel from near Indianapolis to Detroit to visit his parents. The kids always delighted in the fact that their grandfather would eat cookies with his coffee for breakfast.

But back to November. It's not just Thanksgiving. With family spread here and there it's a pretty low key holiday for us. SWMBO still feels an obligation to make a pretty expansive (in more ways than one) meal for the day, even if it's just the two of us. But she's not a big fan of turkey and she absolutely refuses to deal with the carcass. So she's been doing a turkey breast for years. (Not the same one.) It's only white meat, which we both prefer, and it's a lot less mess. Occasionally in recent years, I have bought a whole chicken and roasted it in the oven. But I have to promise to pick the carcass, and I do. (Just more for me.)

But pie. Especially pumpkin pie, is one of my true pleasures. We had the BRD and her Beau Jack over for brunch recently and SWMBO planned on serving lemon tart for dessert. For some reason she didn't seem sure of it so we made, and devoured, two of them prior to the big day and the third tart. As several people told me the other day, "Bruce, you are a lucky man!"

Now here's the kicker. I don't really pay any attention to my weight other than to grieve when I'm looking in a mirror after a shower. I don't diet, don't really watch what I eat and I ignore most of the wife (and chief nag's) comments on what I'm stuffing in my face. I rarely weigh myself but the other day I was going to the doctor and decided to weigh myself at home before I left the house. I HAD LOST 15 POUNDS! Just in the last couple of months and I have no idea how it happened. The doctor was very complimentary as I told him, oh, yes, I exercise, I'd been lifting weights, etc. (That's another one karma, if it truly works, will bite me for some day.)

SWMBO was happy but jealous. She's the one who tries so hard to lose weight and usually has no luck at it.

But I felt so good about it that after I left the doctor's office I went straight to Jack in the Box to celebrate!

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

2011-11-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten that today, November 2nd, is the Day of the Dead. That's kind of strange, since I lived in Mexico for nearly 5 years back in the '80's.

And even more so because I have this picture hanging on the wall of my den.

I bought in an art gallery several years ago. I'm a big fan of Day of the Dead art and Frida Kahlo. My wife (see previous post) does not like this artwork. Just a couple of days ago she was sitting in here and said, out of the blue, "Y'know, I really hate that thing." Well, it's my art and my room and it's staying. But if you look at the lower right corner of the frame, you'll see it's added some panache. That's a product of not enough dusting but I think it fits right in.

Here's a closer look.

Looks kind ghosty, doesn't it?

By the way, I discovered something as I was cruising the web today. Today is also a palindrome day: 11-02-2011. See it reads the same left to right or right to left, when you take out the hyphens. Some guy says there will be only 4 eight-digit palindrome dates in the entire century.

So there you are.

SWMBO

2011-11-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

I teasingly call her SWMBO, which stands for "She Who Must Be Obeyed." That term comes from an English television show of some years back "Rumpole of the Bailey". It was how the rumpled British barrister, Horace Rumpole, referred to his own dear wife.

She is difficult to photograph, mainly because she hates photos of herself. But I got lucky the other day, in part because the new digital cameras allow one to take shot after shot after shot until you get one right. She has a flicker of a smile . . possibly anticipating that much-ballyhooed tiramisu.

I think she's beautiful and she is the love of my life.

TIRAMISU FOR TWO

2011-11-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

(Oops!)

A HALLOWEEN STORY

2011-10-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

Looking at this picture may make you wonder whether that electrical cord is plugged into the Jack-o-lantern or into the cat.

It is Halloween and our black cat, Blackwell, seems intent on something. I wonder if it's a mouse.

Aha! It's his little sister, Muggles. You will notice how cautiously she enters the room.

She circles around, keeping a close eye on Jack and Blackwell.

Having circumvented the two perceived threats, she settles down at a safe distance to study this bizarre creature. Blackwell appears to have gone to get something to eat.

Having satisfied her curiousity and abated her fear, she heads for the other room for a nap, taking one last closer look at Jack.

But, is she safe? She may think so but she's apparently forgotten Blackwell. He, however, hasn't forgotten her.

EEEEEEYYAAAAAHHHH!

That's the end of my Halloween story. If you can do better, have at it!

BOO!

2011-10-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is called a Halloween Hop. It allows you to check out a number of blogs and join the ones you enjoy. Give it a try.

3-D

2011-10-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Google has come up with an amazing way to promote their LG Optimus Android phone. (I think that's the correct way to describe it but I'm not real tech savvy on these things.) Anyway, they showed a phenomenal 3-D video on the wall of a building in Berlin that you just have to see to believe. And even then you may not believe what you've seen. Anyway, take a look.

JUST LOOKIN' AROUND

2011-10-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

I spotted this Roadrunner the other day and grabbed my camera. Amazingly he just stood and posed for me while I took several photos. This one was the best.

OCTOBER LIGHT AND CHANGING LEAVES

2011-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

It is softer, somehow.

The leaves are changing color, going from green to gold.

They are beautiful though they presage the days of no leaves at all, of much colder weather, of snow. But for now . . a lot of green and gold . . . and RED?????

TJ'S IS COMING ALONG

2011-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Construction on the much demanded and much maligned Trader Joe's store is moving right along just below the Gateway Mall in Prescott. Here are a couple of views.

The store has been much demanded by people who have shopped at Trader Joe's stores elsewhere and have come to love them. The much maligned part comes from those people who object to the city offering tax advantages to the parent company to lure the store to our area. Most of these people have never darkened the doors of a TJ's, as evidenced by their comments about the high prices in stores that are only supported by the well-off. Nothing could be further from the proof but if those folks choose not to shop at the store it will just make it that much easier for folks like me, who can't wait for the store to open.

We got one of their Fearless Flyer's in the mail the other day and after going through it, SWMBO exclaimed "It just makes you want to go to a store right away." She, and I, are among those anxious shoppers waiting for the store to open.

Sometime in 2012, according to a sign at the site.

MUM'S THE WORD!

2011-10-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is a chrysanthemum.

Part of a beautiful plant brought to our Sunday brunch by our guests, the BRD and her Beau Jack.

As I was photographing them this morning, I was being carefully observed by my assistant, Blackwell. He's always Johnny-on-the-spot when something new is happening.

SUNDAY BRUNCH

2011-10-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

We had a brunch today. SWMBO and I and the BRD and her Beau Jack. BJ had a new jersey.

That's Larry Fitzgerald's number with the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately the Cardinals were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers today.

But that's okay with the BRD, who has long been a Steelers' fan.

But the true objective of this event was FOOD. SWMBO outdid herself.

A couple of quiches, ham steak, muffins, Bloody Mary's, Mimosas.

Good food, good drinks, good friends.

A good day.

TGIF

2011-10-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is Friday eve and I can't think of a thing to blog about. So, in times of stress, do what I do. Turn up your volume and hit the arrow and dance like no one is watching. You'll feel better.

STILL SMOKY

2011-10-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Apparently the wind has shifted. Today the smoke from the continuing controlled burn south of Prescott is blowing over Prescott Valley, making for a very smoky day.