So long, Phoebe

Phoebe Snow died today from complications of a brain hemmorhage she suffered last year. She was 60 years old and a great singer.



And Katie Couric made it official today.  She's moving on.

Birthday Dining Review

Yesterday was my birthday.  As my gift for the day, SWMBO said she was going to do all of the cooking and all of the cleaning up.  Now that is a treat!

I believe I have mentioned on previous occasions that my wife is an excellent cook.

So we started the day with breakfast, a meal we don't often eat anymore.  (I know, I know, it's the most important meal of the day but it's just too much for us to deal with that early in the day.)  I had no idea what was coming but it turned out to be one of my favorites: Eggs Benedict.  Delicious!

That allowed us to avoid lunch since the breakfast carried us right through to dinner.  And what a dinner!  I'm not sure that we have ever had these in our home: LOBSTER TAILS!  They were gigantic and were accompanied by a wonderful rice and vegetable dish, asparagus, and a salad with greens and strawberries.  I was in seventh heaven.

But a couple of hours later dessert was served.  Strawberry cheesecake with some more sliced strawberries on the side.  I went to bed a happy man.

Unfortunately, my camera instincts didn't kick in and I have no photos of the food.  But I can tell you that too many days like this will further convince me to never go to a public beach again.

No, no, that's not me.  I have never owned a Speedo!

Call the fire department - - no wait!

What on earth is causing those flames???

Oh, never mind.  They just lit the candles on my birthday cake.

71 and counting.

And to those of you who mark the day - Happy Easter.

Lookin' back - some more

A few days ago I visited a European car show.  In the comments, I mentioned the 1971 MGB I once owned.  Guess what?  I found some pictures!

Of course, those cars did have their problems.  Fortunately the manufacturers included a tire pump.

That was in Indiana.  A year or two later found us in Scottsdale at an arts fair.  SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed), me and the girl who went on to become The BRD (Beautiful Rich Daughter).

And some years later, at work in California, a stop at the beach.  In a leisure suit!

Lots of good memories in those old photos.

Lookin' back

Reading another blog today got me thinking about "the good old days."  Here's a photo from those days, when I was a television reporter in Phoenix.  That's me on the perilous edge of "the dread Mogollon Rim" and my buddy Steve behind the large, heavy, Auricon camera.

Steve, of course, kept telling me to back up just a bit!

So, of course, I had to take it out on him by whipping him at 8-ball.

Strange!  We're shootin' pool in a saloon in Jerome and there's not a brewski in sight.

I was a bit of a bad boy in those days.  I quit smoking those deadly Marlboros back in 1991.  Nice mutton chops, though, eh?

SWMBO

It's an acronym for "She Who Must Be Obeyed".  It comes from a BBC series - "Rumpole of the Bailey".  I have called her that for years.  But . . . she is truly a dear, in spite of that trait.

She, also, hates to be photographed so I have to sneak pictures now and then.  But I have learned (remember that SWMBO) to ask her permission before I publish one. 

She was working in the yard recently and I got a couple that she agreed, reluctantly, to let me post.  I like this one in her "Vincent Van Gogh" hat.

So, I got away with a couple.  And then.  There's her companion, Mr. Blackwell.

He's the only one of the trio who gets to go outside and that permission was granted reluctantly, as reluctantly as SWMBO allowed me to post photos of her.  But he has become accustomed to our home.  He loves to go out.  But he's become so fat that he can no longer go under the fence to free land.  And he's become very accustomed to the regular feeding he gets inside. 

So, he goes out, stays in the yard and comes in again when we ask him.

Good cat.

Music

I forgot to mention on my weekend postings that music was part of the experience at both the Chalk Fest and the Eurocar show.

I didn't hear this band, Pandemonium, play at the Chalk Fest because they were just setting up when I was there.  But it looked like it would be great.

Meanwhile, over on Whiskey Row, a bluegrass group entertained the car watchers.  Sorry, I didn't get their name but here's a sample of their sound.