Open Dialogue

Johnson County, Iowa

2008-07-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Last week Dubuque Street opened and this week the Park Road bridge opened, this means two of the main city infrastructure arteries that I use are no longer water clogged. Life is starting to feel normal again. Instead of flood pictures, the papers now have articles on FEMA and SBA loans. So, it's not completely back to normal.

Normally, one of the perks of living in Iowa City is the lack of depressing news. One of my favorite things to read in the Iowa City Press Citizen is the Johnson County news blurb. The other day's headline was, "Sheriff seeks owner of rescued heifer." A couple was boating on the Iowa River when they discovered a calf stuck between two trees in the water. They didn't have enough fuel in their boat to return with the calf, so deputies were called in. No tags were on the calf, so it has found a temporary home with a couple in Lone Tree.

Here's a Johnson County news blurb that could be considered tragic, "Man hospitalized after shooting self." But, after reading it, it's not. A man was "jumping on a bed with a .40-caliber handgun either in his pants or his waistband when it accidentally discharged..." He shot himself in the thigh. And, yes, his name was published. Imagine living that one down. Another example of why gun laws would be good. I do believe it is our duty to protect people from themselves.

Back to the flood. I get a weekly news e-bulletin from the UI. Click here for a link to photos taken by the UI News Service. They show various stages of flooding on campus with some good aerial photography.

2008-06-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

We are having another storm tonight with flash flood warnings. I read the weather forcast earlier today for strong winds, rain and hail.

The 500-year level of flood waters fell pretty fast (about a week). So, Hwy 6 in Coralville was open last night. I was invited to have cake in Coralville for Oliver who turned 5. My first time venturing outside my little part of the universe on the Northeast side of Iowa City.

As I drove down Hwy 6 through what used to be the vibrant Coralville strip, it really hit me. Looking at these vacated businesses--restaurants, hotels, strip malls, small businesses with large FULL dumpsters outside and no other signs of activity. When I drove back at 9:30 PM, it was completely dark. This was the part of town that was always lit, always active. Words really cannot describe.

Cedar Rapids is the same on a much larger scale. I read in the newspaper that half the homes that were flooded will need to be demolished.

Just unreal, but it is real.

Sending the Sandbags South

2008-06-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

Last week was filled with anxiety and this past week was filled with relief. The river crested earlier than originally predicted and that was very good. The headline on the newspaper earlier in the week announced that we are sending our sandbags to those that live south of us. Hopefully they won't get flooded as bad.

Tow Zone

2008-06-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

I've been getting calls and emails from family and friends who live outside of Iowa. They want to see if I'm okay and if it's as bad as it looks on the news. Yes to both. Over 3/4ths of the state has been declared a disaster zone. Recently the Federal declaration went through. This means FEMA can start giving financial assistance to those directly affected.

Cedar Rapids, just 30 miles north of Iowa City has been devastated by the flood. So, we've been monitoring what has happened up there. The local TV stations have been covering the flood by interrupting regularly scheduled shows. I find that there is only so much of this coverage I can watch because it can be overwhelming.

Around 4PM yesterday the tornado sirens went off. I had seen the clouds roll in and was monitoring them from home. The TV news weatherman assured us that the clouds are too high to produce a tornado. I think people are overly cautious right now because there are thousands of people volunteering to fill and stack sandbags.

Fortunately, I live on high ground. So my stress is just what is going on around me and preparing for the possible residual affects that can happen to the city--loss of power, and ironically, loss of water.

I live 2 blocks east of the University of Iowa campus and four blocks from where the Iowa River has flooded. My neighborhood these days is like a ghost town because most of the traffic has been cut off.

Yesterday afternoon the river flooded the UI power plant. This means that MidAmerican Energy is now powering the UI in addition to Iowa City. On my street MidAmerican has put up "Tow Zone" signs as they are working to lay pipe to the UI campus. They will be working on this for the next two days.

Architecture Quote

2008-06-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

"Modern architecture had two reasons to exist. One is the desire, on the part of the architects, to be different. And the other is the desire, on the part of the builders, to be cheap."

Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, in an interview with MoMA's Paola Antonelli archived in seedmagazine.com

Page 30, Architect magazine, under tribute to Ralph Rapson, 1914-2008

Riders In The Sky

2008-05-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

On May 7, I saw Riders In The Sky perform in Fairfield, Iowa. I wanted to see the show in Pella, Iowa instead, but it was on a weekend that I was in Illinois.

It was such a joy to see them perform. The last time I saw them perform was at The Grand Ole Opry. The Fairfield venue was a more humble one. The Stephen Sondheim Center for Performing Arts IN FAIRFIELD, IOWA. According to the entry in Wikipedia, "The center is the first one in the United States named after Stephen Sondheim."

So, there you go. Don't get me wrong, Stephen Sondheim is very deserving of the honor. Just seems strange that the first theatre is in Fairfield, Iowa. I think the Riders were a little amused by this as well. The show was fun, the sound system was frustrating. This means we didn't understand some of what they said and sang.

Prior to the show, I bought a CD, a DVD and a pin. The CD is "Riders In The Sky Presents A Pair Of Kings". The CD is pretty fabulous and features Woody Paul and Joey The Cowpolka King. A fiddler and an accordian player--both with fabulous voices.

As usual, I have my iPod playing tunes as I type this entry. Last I checked it had 2500 songs on it. The song that just came on is the "Hoop--Dee-Doo Polka" from "Frankie Yankovic and Friends Vol. 1 CD". This song features Riders In The Sky and the CD is produced by Joey Miskulin (aka Joey The Cowpolka King). It trips me out how this happens when I am typing blog entries--not the first time.

Back to subject. I was in line after the show getting my CD autographed by the Riders when I couldn't help telling Joey that I think he is a great producer. I mentioned the afforementioned Frankie Yankovic CD. He smiled and said to Woody Paul, "she knows my stuff with Frankie Yankovic!"

My friends tell me I scored real nerd points with this one.

An Anniversary of Sorts

2008-03-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

On March 21, it will be 2 years since I started this blog at the nudging of my friend Bob (check out his blog at the Piran Cafe link to the right of this page). Back then I was a heart-broken person who had returned to Iowa from Atlanta after a failed relationship. I am grateful to say that I am no longer heart-broken. It took some time, but hearts DO mend. Really, if mine can mend, anyone's can mend.

Part of my inspiration for the title Open Dialogue is my idealistic fondness for the Chicago song "Dialogue Part I and II". And, of all things, that song is coming of my iPod as I type this entry. Another example of music playing out my life's story.

One of my first entries was a tribute to my father. It is the best thing I have written on this blog. Click on March 2006 under Archives and read "NPR on AM".

The Weather

2008-02-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Being from the Midwest, there are certain things that I have accepted. Namely, the fact that weather IS a big topic and winters can be unpleasant. It's near the end of February and winter has worn me down. There, I admitted it.

Today I was in the whirlpool at the recreation center after my aquajog where the topic of weather turned into a bonding session. Seems I'm not the only one worn down from this winter. We discussed what a joyous reprieve today's temperature of 25 degrees and NO SNOW or ICE PELLETS has been. Just warmth and sun. You realize how cold it's been when 25 degrees is seen as warm.

A few weeks ago I was driving back from Des Moines on I-80. Around mile marker 236 traffic rolled along slowly over the ice ridges and patches that were in full succession for 5 miles. It took close to an hour. I was listening to NPR and hearing about the awful tornadoes that devasted another part of the country. It put my hour long slow drive in perspective.

People talk about the heartiness and work ethic that we have in the Midwest. My theory is that it is from dealing with the range of the four seasons. Come this summer, we'll worry about heatstroke on July 4th.

Precinct 21 Johnson County (The Iowa Caucus)

2008-01-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

It's the day after the Iowa Caucus and I am still feeling surprised and, well, hopeful. I live in Precinct 21 in Johnson County. The meaning of this is that I am in the most liberal precinct in Iowa City--which means the most liberal precinct in the State of Iowa. The county auditor was sitting in the row behind me and told me that Precinct 21 is so liberal that there were more votes for Ralph Nader than George Bush in 2004.

This year, there were 519 registered attendees for Precinct 21. The venue had been moved to accommodate the influx of people, with that said, there still wasn't enough room in the auditorium for all of us. I arrived early and figured out where I thought the Obama supporters would end up. So, I got to sit for the evening.

If you have never caucused, the best I can say is that it is simple and strange. The more organized your candidate's precinct captains are, the better. With that said, the Obama people could have been better organized. I think they were pleasantly surprised and a bit overwhelmed with how many people turned up for this caucus.

So, here are the statistics that I wrote down:
519 Registered Attendees
242 New voters registered on caucus night

Based on 519 registered attendees, the number of votes for viable preference needed was 78. Precinct 21 would have 9 delegates for the county convention.

For the first vote count, we were given 10 minutes to get to our preferred candidate group to be counted. Here is the rundown of the first count:

Obama - 223
Edwards - 92
Clinton - 59
Kucinich - 45
Biden - 26
Richardson - 25
Dodd - 13
Gravel - 0
Undecided - 36

The only candidates that met the viable preference count were Obama and Edwards. This means that supporters of these candidates were each given 5 minutes to state why their candidate should get your vote. After the speeches, there was a second vote and people were given the opportunity to realign.

The second count was 309 for Obama and 153 for Edwards. This gave 6 delegates to Obama and 3 to Edwards for the county convention.

Most people left after the second vote. Those of us who stayed, voted on platform resolutions and elected County convention committee representatives and precinct committee persons.

This means I am now on the County Convention Committee on Comittees.

Experience

2008-01-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

I live in Iowa, therefore I am caucusing tonight. My neighborhood has a lot of passionate Democrats, so I anticipate a long evening. One good thing, the caucus location was moved to a building that should better accommodate all the Dem's that will show up.

Last night I was snuggly wrapped in a blanket on the couch watching a stupid Hollywood chick-flick on Showtime when a friend who is caucusing for Bill Richardson called. She said he was speaking at The Mill at 8:30 and did I want to go.

My attitude about the Iowa Caucuses was warped several elections ago when the Republicans nominated Pat Robertson. I mean, REALLY. That's when it occured to me that the Iowa Caucus is more about sending a message than nominating an "electable" candidate.

The candidates that are spending any time and attention here are those that have a message. We've seen a lot of Hillary, Obama and Bill (Richardson, though we've seen Clinton quite a bit as well). Chris Dodd moved here to stump, but I really haven't seen or heard much of him. Joe Biden spoke at my sister's coffeehouse.

Hillary spoke at my sister's coffeehouse also, this is where I saw her. But, I have long been disappointed in her choice to vote for the war in Iraq and felt she didn't provide a good enough reason for her vote. So, she is off my radar of consideration. I am not one of those feminists that will vote for Hillary simply because she is a woman.

With the "sending a message" attitude in mind, I have been leaning toward Obama. Recently I was talking with a friend who is a strong Hillary supporter and she said that Hilllary has more experience.

I was thinking of experience when I went to see Richardson speak last night. So, if he is running neck and neck with Hillary, he definitely has more experience than her. What would Hillary say about Richardson?

There are other candidates, some we have heard from and others we haven't. So, I look forward to the caucus tonight and hope that Iowa sends a good message to the country. At least the political commercials will come to an end for a while. I believe most Iowans will agree that this will be a good thing.

The Alchemist

2007-12-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Every morning I go to a local coffeehouse for my jolt of java to bring to work. One of the barristas is this nice engineering student that I frequently converse with as I am waiting for my coffee to brew. I can't remember what we were talking about, but the end result was he recommended a book, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

That day on my lunch hour I bought a copy of the book. I never see the barrista outside of the coffeehouse. But that day, as I was walking back to work, I saw him and flashed the book at him. He was happy to see I had purchased and that in itself gave me a good feeling.

The book is great and I wanted to share his suggestion to read it. I am struck by how appropriate it was that I saw him right after I purchased the book. Those of you who have read it will understand this.

Paulo Coelho has written many books that are about people's journeys with wisdom, faith, courage, forgiveness, redemption, love, hope, temptation and obsession. "The Alchemist" is the story of a shepherd's journey to wisdom.

A favorite quote

2007-12-13T19:50:00.001-08:00

Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should...

Max Ehrmann

For Pat

2007-12-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it is December already. November just flew by and no posts. I made my annual trip to Atlanta and didn't write about it. But, I didn't log in to write about my trip (I'll have to do that another time).

Recently a friend passed out of this Earthly journey and into the next. She had cancer and reminded me so much of my dear friend Janet who passed on 15 years ago. They both faced the disease without letting it get the best of them.

Janet was one of the closest friends I have had in this life. I miss her and at times it is still hard to believe she is gone. She had a lot of faith and helped me find mine.

Pat was someone who touched my life. During this past year, I watched her get diagnosed with cancer and go through the treatment options. She had rectal cancer and made jokes about the surgery and what had been removed. She was a women with strong faith and I felt privileged to see her humanity. Particularly, during the times when the chemotherapy and pain got to her and she was angry about the disease that was taking her life.

She didn't stay in the anger long. She vented, felt bad, picked herself up, and plodded along. It was important to her to leave this Earth peacefully and show her children that she will be with them always in spirit.

I know she will be with me always in spirit. And, I feel so lucky.

Try Polka

2007-10-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my landlords were over doing some work on my apartment. I left my iPod docked in the inMotion player so they could have music while working. Later that day, I was told that my music is "cheerful". Admittedly, I gravitate to more upbeat music now that I am in my 40's.

With that said, I couldn't help but wonder if a lot of my polka catalog played while they were listening. As I sit here typing this entry, the music of Brave Combo is playing in the background. ("Glamorous Gal" by Brave Combo--if this one doesn't life your spirits, you are really down.)

My family background is Eastern European, so polka is in my blood. Like many children from families whose grandparents came to this country around the turn-of-the-century (I'm speaking of the 20th century) I was exposed to polka music as a child. Growing up in the Chicago area, we learned polka in junior high gym class along with square dancing.

I was born 14 and 16 years after my siblings. (Still a boomer--but barely.) My mother had my brother take accordian lessons when he was young. Since my brother was 14 when I was born, he was growing out of his accordian years. The result was that his accordian sat in the closet unused. I would take it out every now and then and look at it in fascination. There were strict instructions from my mother that I better not damage it. It never occured to her that I may be interested in playing. Accordians were for boys and the clarinet that I played was for girls.

Not to mention the fact that the thing looked huge to me.

So, when you have an opportunity, try listening to some polka and see if it doesn't put a smile on your face.

Luke

2007-09-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Speaking of joy. Over Labor Day weekend I journeyed back to my place of birth. (No, a weekend trip to northeastern Illinois is not what I am referring to when I say, "joy.") My niece was in town with my great-nephew Luke. That was pure joy.

What a trooper. I'm sure the poor baby was sleep-deprived--what with all the family passing him around. But, he was so good natured. I took A LOT of pictures of him (the joys of having a digital camera). And, when I got back to Iowa, was one of those people who felt everyone wanted to see the pix. They really are cute pix...

Ahhhhhh, home

2007-09-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have discovered what makes a house a home. It happened this afternoon as my new wash machine and dryer were delivered. A load of blues is washing as I type this entry. (And, my is it quiet!) It's surprising how happy major home appliances can make a person feel.

Other things that have filled me with a feeling of joy/happiness recently include:

The movie "Once". A movie that purports to be a remaking of the musical genre. But, I disagree. It's a delightful movie. However, it is no musical. People who want to remake the musical into something that is more "realistic" don't get the idea of a musical. It's not supposed to be realistic. It's supposed to be entertaining. With that said, "Once" is a good movie with great music.

The TV show "Arrested Development". This is a recent discovery that occured when I decided to rent TV shows instead of movies from Blockbuster. My luck with movies was dismal. To my delight, there is a plethora of TV shows on DVD that I have never seen. I was warned by the Blockbuster guy that the show takes a while to get into. Maybe it's all the years I've spent in architecture, but I got it right away.

The last thing that brings joy to me lately is the change in weather from oppressively humid to pleasant.

Catching Up

2007-08-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

It was recently brought to my attention that I have been lax on the blog updates since moving. My response was that I am pleased somebody is reading this blog!

So, to catch up.

I've been asked how the flood issue has been going. Insurance covered nothing because it was an "act of God". One of my coworkers aptly pointed out that insurance will cover stupidity--like your bathtub overflowing--but NOT acts of God. Go figure. A forprofit industry not covering acts of God. I guess I shouldn't be too shocked.

My landlord has been good and I deduct what the cost has been for me to replace things from my rent. So all is not bad in this situation.

I enjoy my job and like the people I work with very much. A few weeks ago I had a Beavis and Butthead moment when I overheard the following, "Your toilet is backing out of the wall here. You need a 6-inch stud." You gotta love working in architecture.

Los Lobos played at the Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheatre in Des Moines on July 27. This is a great outdoor venue and, fortunately, the concert was before the major heatwave hit. With that said, it was still a hot performance for the band. The band has been playing together since 1973 and take it to a new level of being in sync with each other. Just amazing performers. I bought an acoustic CD they were selling and had all the band members autograph. They were nice guys too!

That pretty much covers it for me.

How To Clean CD's

2007-07-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I discovered a full CD holder with soggy CD's. Another casualty of the flood that I didn't catch earlier. Anyhow, the CD's survived---and I can live without the liner notes.

I sent out an email to friends asking how to clean CD's. Three people responded with the same instructions.

A little bit of dish detergent and water to clean--don't rub in a circle, wipe straight across. Rinse with water and towel dry with a towel that won't leave lint.

Teen Logic

2007-07-07T09:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday when I was leaving the grocery store, I overhead part of a conversation between two teen girls (my guess is 13-14 years old).

"I don't think I'm getting married--ever. Boys lie."

Kid Logic

2007-07-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was relaxing in the whirlpool spa at the Coralville indoor pool after swimming laps. As I guzzled the bottled water I brought with me, a little girl watched intently. When I put the bottle down she said, "You were drinking water in the pool. That seems so silly."

The Flood

2007-07-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

The place where I am living in Iowa City had a water issue last Friday. Pretty much all of my stuff that was on the floor was submersed in 2 inches of water--this included filled boxes from moving. As a result, life has been a little chaotic this past week and I have a lot of stuff drying out.

The rooms that didn't get water were the two bedrooms, bathroom and hallway to the bathroom. I was blissfully ignorant about the situation until the toilet didn't flush and I walked into the kitchen/greatroom/living room (around 6:45AM). I went from confusion to shock in a few seconds.

I called my landlord (and friend) Dwight from my cell phone. He was over in a few minutes. We both missed work that day.

All the water was pumped out by 11AM and the cleanup ensued. The stuff that got wet is just that, stuff. However, I did have some emotional moments with wet photo albums. Note: wet Polaroids do not make it.

Update

2007-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been in Iowa City for about two weeks now. My social life has been more active than when I lived in Des Moines. I still miss my house, neighbors, neighborhood...That will take a while.

Here's a warning I want to pass on. At my previous home I had broadband phone service through Vonage. I was pleased with the service and company, however I decided to go with another carrier when I moved. This is where the warning is--canceling service with Vonage is a nightmare. I am not being dramatic. I was on hold and transferred 4 times the other night and I still don't know if the service was cancelled. This was after many such attempts where I didn't have 90 minutes to give them. I'm now disputing charges through my credit card company and hoping this will end it. I think they are hoping you just give up and stay.

The thought of going back to their service was erased with this experience.

So, I'm in that moving transition phase where every time I unpack a box it feels like Christmas. And whenever I find something I couldn't find fills me with great joy. With that said, I still hate moving.

Change

2007-05-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Despite my best efforts, I was really stressed-out by my move from Des Moines to Iowa City. Not sure why I expected myself to be superwoman. My realtor tells me that moving is one of the great stressors. Moving to another town is a bigger stressor.

I’m lucky that I used to live in Iowa City. I thought this would make me less stressed-out and it is nice to know how to get around. There are so many elements to moving, getting around is just one of them. The rest are still there.

Adjusting to a big change is still there. That is my current struggle. I loved my house and neighborhood in Des Moines so much. Not that I don’t like where I moved. It’s just not what I had--if that makes any sense. I’m sure it does.

Whine

2007-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

Of all the things I dislike doing. Packing to move is in the top 10.

Blues On Grand

2007-05-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I saw Joe Louis Walker at Blues On Grand in Des Moines. Fantastic show. Chris went with me. We arrived as the first set started around 9:40 and stayed through to the end of the third set. I got home after 2:00AM and can't remember the last time I stayed out that late.

I am not a music reviewer. The best I can say is that I had a great time and enjoyed some fantastic blues. Chris, on the other hand, could write a review of the show. I listened politely to his comments (what I could hear over the music) and was amused by what I can best call "amplifier envy". Apparently Joe Louis Walker has one of the best amps a person can get.

Blues On Grand is a great venue. The staff, facility, location--everything--makes for a good blues club. Sitting in the middle of the place, I noticed a sign on the wall, "Live music may be loud. Ear plugs available at the bar." I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I requested ear plugs.

Graffiti was everywhere. The bathrooms had the usual gossip, drunken philosophy, phone numbers and artwork. A sticker on the mirror above the sink read, "Please do not hang clothes over two-way mirror."

Chris observed that he thought Joe Louis Walker wasn't feeling well that night. Joe told the audience that the band had been touring Europe and recently kicked off the US tour in Omaha. Followed by "Minneapolis?" He said with a question. Then followed up with, "and now we are playing in YOUR TOWN." Later on in the show he referred to Des Moines as "this town".

Big Daddy Elijah, the tour manager, announced the intermission saying, "We'll be back in 30 minutes, so get some drinks and buy my CD's." I asked Big Daddy how much the CD's were. He told me $20 a piece. "Twenty dollars!" I exclaimed and asked, "How much if I buy two?" He said, "Forty dollars". I looked at him questioningly and he said, "Thirty dollars for two."

I bought "Playin' Dirty", the new release, and "Preacher and the President".

When the show was over, I went to the ladies room. Chris was talking to the keyboard player when I exited the bathroom. I couldn't help but ask why Joe Louis Walker never said Des Moines. I was told that he didn't want to mess up the pronunciation. Chris and I thought that was a very PC way of saying he couldn't remember where he was.

If you ever get a chance to see Joe Louis Walker, you will hear some of the best blues by a legend in the making.

Mmmmmm....Morels!

2007-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at the Dahl's on Fleur Drive yesterday. They had morel mushrooms! And my did they look good. So, I bought a package for $6.40. As I was going through the checkout the young woman behind the register asked me if they are worth $19.99/pound. "Oh yes they are!" I replied with great enthusiasm.

It is THAT time of year again. Morel mushrooms can be found in wooded areas in the Spring (here in the Midwest). I've seen people come back with a precious few while others fill baskets full. Here is a link to "The Great Morel Home Page". Hunting is not for the novice, it's important to know the difference between poisenous mushrooms and the great morel. With that said, here's a link to the "Edible and Poisenous Mushroom Page".

There are a variety of things one can do with morels from a culinary standpoint. I like to saute them and serve with quinoa. Mmmmmm, so good.

The Move

2007-05-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have done major moves twice in the past two years--adding another one this month. Then I hope I am settled for a while.

Least to say, while I don't consider myself a pro, I have a good amount of experience with moving companies. I got estimates from three and based my selection on a combination of price and gut feeling.

The company I decided to go with is a family-owned agent for Wheaton. The salesperson pulled up in front of my house in his Lincoln. He was a well-dressed older gentleman. He got all my information and we chatted for a while.

Turns out he sold the company to his children who are in the process of acquiring another moving company in Nebraska. Being a true salesperson, he recounted how he hates filling out paperwork and that Nebraska has a lot of it. So, the children were tied up with this and asked him to come help with estimates this week. Hence the older guy with the Town Car.

This company is booked-up the entire week of May 14. However, the following week is wide open.

Talked to my future boss and he will be on vacation May 21-30. A 25th anniversary trip to Hawaii with his wife. Turns out that my delay isn't a big deal.

True Confession

2007-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

It was 1976, the bicentennial year in the USA. It was also the year the Starland Vocal Band released "Afternoon Delight".

Thirty years later, the song comes up on my iPod and brings a big smile to my face. Thirty years ago, videos were lame and their's was no different.

I have no great explanation for the smile on my face. I just like the song.

I Saw Hillary

2007-04-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

My sister, Nancy, called me last week and told me that some secret service agents had been in her coffeehouse in Newton. The end result was a request for Hillary Clinton to make a visit on Saturday, April 21 at 1:00.

The Iowa Caucuses tend to bring some attention to this state every four years. During the last election, four of the democratic candidates made stops at Nancy's coffeehouse for appearances. Brian Williams from NBC news did a small piece on Newton and it's lure for candidates to make stops. They also featured my sister's coffeehouse.

So, I wasn't surprised that Hillary's camp had chosen Nancy's coffeehouse for a campaign stop. What did surprise me was how awestruck my sister was with this one. She's seen candidates before, but having Hillary in her place was a rockstar moment.

My friend Beth and I made the trek to Newton to see Hillary on Saturday. The thing that stood out to me most is that she is a petite woman and that photographs do not do her justice. She is very dynamic and worked the crowd well. There were probably 100 people crammed in--including a contingent of red-hat ladies--and she made the rounds to shake hands with everyone.

Christie Vilsak, former first lady of Iowa and wife of former democratic presidential candidate Tom Vilsak, introduced and endorced Hillary. I got to talk to Christie Vilsak afterward and she commented a lot on how much she felt Hillary was prepared for being President. One of the main things she mentioned was how much they had lived through and come out stronger during her husband's presidency.

So, Hillary gave her speech and it was a typical candidate speech. National healthcare garnered a lot of applause. Immediate withdrawel of our troops in Iraq garnered less applause. The lack of savvy in foreign policy brought the crowd back.

When it came time for questions, there wasn't anything too pressing. Mainly Hillary patiently gave a civics lesson.

While I helped my sister clean up after the crowd left, my friend Beth was talking with Dennis Black of the Iowa Senate. Beth is an incredible lady. She got married young and put her dream of going to law school on hold. Several years and three daughters later, she is working, has two daughters in high school, and going to Drake Law School. Senator Black gave her some contacts and I think it was a good networking time for her.

One of the things I like about being back in Iowa is that we do get attention and see candidates during election years. When I lived in Georgia--it was such a red state--that we got next to nothing.

I'm Moving

2007-04-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

I took a took a job in Iowa City with a tentative start date of May 14. After 4 years, I will be back to the place I had called home for many years.

There is a lot to do. Sell my wonderful house, pack, move...It's tiring just thinking about. As a friend likes to say, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

Fortune Cookie

2007-04-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

"No one can walk backwards into the future."

30 Years

2007-04-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

No, the title does not refer to my age...

It is the age of the architectural firm I used to work at though. I was there 1989-1999.

They had a big celebration a couple weeks ago and I made the trip to their new office. The last time I was through and visited--before the move--they were packed in like sardines.

When I started out at the firm, there were 7 of us. Six of which are still at the firm. That was about all that could fit in the old location. We had no large conference room or breakroom for that matter. The firm needed to expand (by this point there were 8 on staff), but there was no room. So, we moved across the alley into a new building. Three more people were hired on immediately and it slowly built until the staff numbered over 30.

Initially, it felt like we had all the room in the world--particularly compared to the previous location. So, it was really strange for me to be in the office when this was no longer the case.

Someone asked me if I missed working there. It's been a while and I couldn't relate to the new space. I look back fondly on my days there. It's been 7.5 years since I left and I've moved twice--across the country and back.

There were a lot of people there who I hadn't seen in years (clients, consultants, vendors). I saw more gray hair than when I left (unfortunately that applies to me as well).

It's nice to go back and visit.

Hot Lines

2007-03-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

If you live in Iowa, you know that the whole state has had quite a challenging past couple of weeks when it comes to the weather. We recovered from one snow storm only to get pelted with another.

The most destructive one started off as rain, turned into ice and then snow. Throw in strong winds and we had a bonafide blizzard.

Since I live in an older neighborhood, nature did a lot of pruning. My neighbor and I share a driveway and when we were out shoveling, we marveled over the loss of limbs on the neighborhood trees. This included several lower branches on the very large pine tree in her yard.

"Did you see that power line down in the neighbor's yard?" I looked to the neighbor south of her and saw a line down in the front yard. "What do you suppose that is for?" she continued. I wasn't sure. However, I did know to stay away.

That night I was in bed and having a hard time sleeping. Around 1:00AM, I heard something out front and looked out the window to investigate. There were two Mid-American Energy trucks out front (one blocking my driveway).

I got dressed and made my way outside. There was a man standing in the driveway. "Hi, what are you working on?" I asked. He was startled, I guess not really expecting someone outside at 1:00.

"We're fixing the downed line that was attached to your streetlight here, " he replied. They were working their way down the list of priorities. The line had been down for 2.5 days. I also learned that it was "hot" and that they would have been out sooner had they known this.

Great Finds

2007-02-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Several years ago (okay over a decade ago) my sister, her best friend and best friend's daughter met me at my apartment for a day of shopping. Jessica, the daughter, was about 2.5 years old at the time.

I wasn't quite ready. So everyone hung out in my living room. It amazed me the things that Jessica unearthed in the short period of time I was drying my hair. "A ball," she declared with joy showing me one of her many finds. (It was actually one of those stress balls.) Least to say, with Jessica active in my non-childproofed living room, I hurried to finish.

The long-ago incident popped into my head as I spoke with Chris over the phone. I had let him use my computer while I was out for the afternoon. He needed to download stuff and my broadband connection was needed.

"I'm assuming you found the Robert Randolf CD I left on the desk." Yes, he had. I thanked him loaning to me and turning me on to this group. "Oh, I borrowed a couple of your CD's, I didn't think you would mind," he said. I didn't mind, but had no idea what CD's or where he found them.

Apparently I had a small stack on my back desk that he investigated. One was a John Fogerty CD and the other I can't remember (note to self: ask Chris what the other CD is that he borrowed). There was also the soundtrack to "Wicked"--guess I shouldn't be surprised that he passed on the musical. (Though, to frighten me, he will sing hard rock tunes like Ethel Merman.)

So, kids will find "balls" and grown-up men will find "CD's" in the clutter that I call home.

Hospital Stories

2007-02-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Five weeks ago my brother-in-law Bill had a heart-valve replaced. This was his second one in five years. Last week he went in the hospital with an infection. This happened last time as well. I don't think invasive surgery is his thing.

Yesterday afternoon my sister Nancy called me to tell me that Bill was going in for emergency surgery. They had transferred him from Mercy Hospital to Lutheran Hospital. This was confusing, but I wasn't going to ask questions and went over to Lutheran Hospital.

When I got to the hospital, the volunteer (Mr. Sloan) showed me to the ICU room. He knew where he was going as he had recently taken Bill there with my sister following along. "He's a feisty one," Mr. Sloan stated about Bill. I agreed and he referred to Bill and Nancy as my "parents". This is not uncommon and I find it amusing. Nancy is 16 years older than me and Bill is 19 years older.

When we got to the ICU, Bill wasn't there--they had already taken him in for surgery. So, we walked down to the surgery waiting area. This gave plenty of time for me to learn about Mr. Sloan.

He volunteers at the hospital on Monday with his wife. The rest of the week he takes care of his house and his sister-in-law's house as well. Turns out that his wife and her sister have MD. He said that in addition to that he has a life as well. I like Mr. Sloan, he has a good sence of humor.

I asked Mr. Sloan what he did before he retired. He told me that he taught high school science and farmed because he couldn't make a living teaching. His farmland was in Waukee and he sold his property to developers. He said he feels a little bad to see his property being developed. But, then again, he paid $300/acre for it and sold it for $10,000/acre.

By now we had located Nancy who was sitting in the surgery waiting area with family friend Jeffrey.

I got the update on Bill including why he changed hospitals. There was a leak in the roof over at Mercy. This trickled down to the operating room and comprised it's sterility. I realized that we are having a heat spell here after all the snow. It was a balmy 35 degrees outside and the snow was melting like crazy.

After I got all the updates, I told Nancy that the volunteer thought that Bill and her were my parents. She's gotten used to this as well and we had a good laugh. I assured her that she looks too young to be my mother even though she is so much older than me. She told me that she thinks my hair will turn white instead of gray as I age. I told her to keep on dying hers the color she has been because it is flattering on her.

Soon Bill was out of surgery (only 2 hours!). Things weren't as bad as originally thought and they did not have to cut through his sternum. We thanked God and went to his room.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2007-02-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

"I attribute a lot to my knowledge of trivia and Planes, Trains and Automobiles," my friend Julie said from her Nashville hotel room as we talked on the phone the other night. This was in the midst of the worst winter storm of the season in the Midwest. She knew it was fruitless to try and get back to Chicago that day. So, she had found a hotel near the airport and checked herself in.

My friend Caroline is due in town this week and I kept an eye on the weather for her. "Are you flying in through Milwaukee or just leaving through Milwaukee?" I asked on the phone. She is flying in to Des Moines and connecting throuugh Milwaukee on her way to Orlando on Friday.

I assured her that everything should be fine to get to Des Moines and that the winter storm will have moved East and Mitchell International in Milwaukee should be fine by Friday. Then I notice we are due for snow on Friday here in Iowa.

"Likely Light Snow, Areas of Blowing Snow," I see on Wunderground.com. I then look at Milwaukee and see that it should be mostly cloudy with "Likely Light Snow" around 9PM. Caroline has a trade show in Orlando this weekend. I think she should make it. It's always a good thing to not fly through Chicago.

Living in the Midwest, we always have weather as a conversation topic. Right now, though, I am glad that I don't live in the Northeast.

Eighteen is Good

2007-02-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

I did a little happy dance when I got off the scale yesterday. In the past 18 months, I have lost 18 pounds. Eight of those have been since the end October.

The biggest lifestyle change has been weightlifting. It's something that has gone from being a necessary evil to being tolerable. I do not do free weights. The Y used to have Cybex machines and in December they switched to something else that I like much better (less settings), but can't remember the name of them.

The weightlifting was inspired by the fact that I am over 40 and don't want osteoperosis. The weight loss is just a bonus.

It Felt Like Forty

2007-02-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

It's February in Iowa and that time of year when 33 degrees feels wonderful. The kind of day where you walk around with your coat unzipped talking about how balmy it is. How it felt like 40 degrees!

Prince, The Daily Show and The Superbowl

2007-02-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

I was watching The Daily Show with John Stewart and he made mention of no one being offended by Prince's giant calligraphy peni$. So, I wasn't the only one to make note of this...

At the time I was wondering what that said about me. It seemed like some kind of Rorschach test. Maybe it means that I should be a writer for The Daily Show. Now that is a career transition I would like.

So, yes, I watched the Superbowl. You can take the girl out of Chicagoland, but you can't take the Chicagoland out of the girl it seems. I was thrilled that the Bears were in the big game. Hoping they would win.

But, it became apparent by 3rd quarter that the Colts were playing a better game. I'm a good sportswoman. They deserved to win.

There is always next year!

New Year, New Look

2007-02-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

Decided that my blog looked a little dark. So, out with the old and in with the new.

Bob's Blog

2007-01-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to Bob's blog: http://pirancafe.wordpress.com/

Go visit it. It's fun. You'll get to learn (more?) about Slovenia. If anything, visit to see the "LJ pic of the day".

Bob's my friend who was born in Slovenia, raised in Cleveland (yes, Ohio) and moved back to Slovenia when Bush (W) was elected president.

He currently is a bonafide track geek and supports himself covering track and field events in Europe. He's also a great photographer.

Bifocals

2007-01-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Around this time last year I was getting my new glasses--bifocals. It was a hard pill to swallow and I got the kind with the invisible lines.

I had heard all sorts of stories and opinions on bifocals from other friends of mine who had passed the 40-year mark. Many of which never adjusted and went back to "regular" glasses. It took me about a week to adjust. I loved them and found myself reading again. Reading a lot.

The glasses are also the kind with the invisible frames. Over time, the lenses started having little stress fractures in them. It finally got to the point where I couldn't see out of the perimeter where all the little cracks were. So, I took the glasses in and was told the lenses would be replaced (free of cost).

A few weeks later, I got the call that my new lenses were in. Initially, the glasses seemed fine in the store. But when I got home and cozied up to read, something was wrong with the right lens. I lived with the problem for two weeks before I decided it wasn't me. Before I got the new glasses, I could read. Now, it was hard to read because something was not right with the right lens.

So, I took the glasses back with my explanation that something was wrong with the right lens. Was it a bifocal? It didn't seem like one. After the technician looked at my lens, he said that there was something wrong and he ordered me a new one.

Here I am with my love of reading alive again and it's all because of bifocals. I'm glad my first pair were correct and I realized that I wasn't reading because I couldn't see as well. I can't wait for my new lens to come so I can read with comfort again.

Ugh, a slacker again

2006-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say?

It's been over a month since my last posting and where does the time go?

I realized what a slacker I've been when I got a note in a Christmas card from a friend asking for my blog address so she can see what is new with me.

This month has flown by and part of that is because I was in a post operative zone. I had surgery again, for something different, not anything serious, but something that needed to be taken care of--it was discovered during the pre-operative appointment for my surgery in September. And I wanted to do it when it would seem least intrusive in my life. So, I had it done the Wednesday before Christmas.

I am still in career transition and feeling optimisitic about January.

Not much else is new. I continue to lose weight for which I am grateful. Am eating healthy.

Ray Sings Basie Swings

2006-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

I had a gift card for Starbucks and used it on something more lasting than several lattes when I purchased Ray Sings Basie Swings. It's produced by Concord Records and combines an old vocal track of Charles' recordings with a new instrumental backdrop by The Count Basie Orchestra.

What a great use of technology! This CD really does swing. And how could it not? It combines two of my favorite things--Ray Charles and big band music. I first heard about this project on NPR (click here for the article).

There are twelve incredible tracks. My favorites include "Let The Good Times Roll", "Every Saturday Night", "Busted", and "Feel So Bad". But what really stands out for me is the version of "I Can't Stop Loving You" on this CD.

I would have to agree with the liner notes that say, "this imaginary concert is offered as a minor miracle of bold invention and fierce creative energy."

Today's Horoscope

2006-11-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

I pull my horoscope from My Yahoo! home page and it tends to give me a message worth sharing.

"Let go of your organizational nature and try to let this new adventure unfold naturally. Give control over to fate. Things may not be too clear for quite a while, but you don't have to try to make them clear. Simply live with the uncertainty. In some circles, 'uncertain' is just another word for 'spontaneous.' Incorporate more chance and fate into how you live your life."

Atlanta

2006-11-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over two weeks since I got back from my trip to Atlanta.

The trip was good. The first part was spent up in the northeast corner of Georgia in the mountains. The fall colors were beautiful and I took a lot of pictures.

My home away from home was at my friend Caroline's. She was out of town most of the time I was there, and I appreciated her letting me stay at her home.

I spent three days visiting familiar places and hanging out with friends. One of the things I had on my list (of must do's while in Atlanta) was to eat at The Flying Biscuit Cafe. I went to the location in Midtown and, while nothing physically had changed, I senced something was different as I ate my Love Cakes with Green Salsa (click here for recipes--you'll need to scroll down the page).

My sister had asked me to buy "The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook" for her. When I inquired about purchasing one, the waitress told me that they were only available at the Candler Park location. So, I went to Candler Park where I found out what it was that was different. I was told that the cookbook is no longer available because "they are sold out and there will be no reprints because the previous owner has the copyright".

I later found out from friends that The Flying Biscuit was sold to Raving Brands. It's always sad to hear when a local haunt goes corporate. Mass duplication takes the charm out of a place. I read that 50 franchises are scheduled to open in 2007. Glad I got one last visit in before the expansion.

Before I left, I wanted to fit in one tourist attraction. After some deliberation, I nixed my original plan to tour CNN and went to the new Georgia Aquarium--"The world’s largest aquarium with 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water, and more than 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around the globe." There are five different gallaries in the aquarium representing different environments. My favorite was the Tropical Diver gallery. The jellyfish exhibit in this section was amazing.

The last day of my visit, Caroline was back in town and we went for a walk around Chastain Park located in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. It was a beautiful warm day in November--no jacket required. I took more pictures.

An Architectural Phenomenon

2006-11-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I took a trip to Atlanta. On the connector flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta, I sat next to an architect on the plane. On the returning connector flight from ATL to MKE, I sat next to an architect on the plane.

Coincidence or phenomenon?

Considering I have spent most of my working life at architectural firms, I find this occurance intriguing.

Comfort Food for a cold day--or a cold

2006-10-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

I've been a blog slacker again. So, to make up for it, I'm sharing a family favorite recipe. This comes from my father's side of the family. I never thought of it as a recipe specific to Slovenia, however, I find most people have never heard of making dumplings this way. Several years ago my sister gave me a cookbook from the Western Slavonic Association and there was a recipe for "Farina Dumpling Soup" in it. In the Midwest, we use Cream of Wheat.

The above mentioned recipe book had a whole section devoted to Potica (Slovenian Nut Bread--mmmmmm) as well. This is something you would make if you had, say, an entire day you could devote to just one thing. But, it is worth it. Click here and you will find a great website with recipe, pix and tutorial on this Slovenian Christmas favorite.

For those of us with less time on our hands, I have heard that the Italian Bakery in Virginia, Minnesota is THE place to order your holiday Potica. According to their website, they have "sent Potica to soldiers in the Gulf War, to students studying in Beijing, and to old friends across the country." If you want to receive in time for Christmas, it is recommended to get your order in soon.

CREAM OF WHEAT DUMPLING SOUP

Beat one egg in a bowl (real well)
ADD:
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 T dried or fresh chopped parsley
pinch of salt

Slowly add 1 T melted butter. Last, add 1/2c Cream of Wheat and stir with fork until well mixed. Drop by 1/2 tsp into boiling chicken stock. Simmer about 20 minutes.

The key to this recipe's success is just the right viscosity. The batter can't be runny, but it also can't be too firm. The easiest ingredient to adjust is the amount of Cream of Wheat. I usually add it in small quantities and stir until I get the desired effect. Sometimes you need less, sometimes you need more.

You'll know if you get it right within 5 minutes of cooking. If the dumplings triple in size, you got it. If they don't. You got rocks.

Good luck!

What I've Been Listening To In the Car

2006-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

No, this is not another entry on NPR.

Recently I got a gift certificate to use on Amazon. I decided to use the windfall on something that I may not normally purchase and bought Los Lonely Boys' Sacred CD. It has now become my in-car staple for music listening.

I had heard good things about this group. The boys are Garza brothers JoJo, Ringo and Henry. And, yes, Ringo is the drummer--and it is his real name. The group is from Texas and you can hear in their music latin, blues and roots rock influences.

My favorite tune is the accordian-driven "Texican Style". Other favorites include "One More Day", "My Way", "Orale", and "Home".

You can get more information by visiting their website at www.loslonelyboys.org.

Post Op

2006-09-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

I had surgery this past Tuesday. The surgery required the use of general anesthesia. Something I met with some trepidation. The last time I got knocked out with general anesthesia was 21 years ago. It made me sick for days afterward. I still remember it.

Despite medicine and the patch behind my ear, the same thing happened this time. But, I did get anti-nausea medicine which helped a lot. I was able to keep food down and the splitting headache went away.

I always look for the amusing or goofy things in these situations. The lack of drama is what amused me. I had to arrive at the hospital at 5AM (surgery was scheduled for 7:30) so they could do bloodwork to make sure I was okay to operate on. Spent most of my time sitting in a LaZBoy chair.

Then I was taken to to the pre-op room via wheelchair. It's basically a large staging area for prepping people for the OR. There were curtained stalls along one side with gurneys and a small section with rocking chairs on the other. I was seated in a rocking chair.

My sister was with me and we visited while other people slowly filled the room. Then I saw my doctor walk in with his scrubs on. It was odd for me as I've seen him alot this past year--but, never in scrubs, just business clothes and a lab coat. He waived "hi" and said he'd be back in a bit.

After my doctor reviewed my lab results, he came over and said I was ready to go and he'd see me in the OR. Soon after, a nurse came and led me to the OR. No wheelchair this time.

We walked down a hallway, made a few turns, entered some doors, and there I was in the OR. I saw my doctor sitting off to the side visiting with the anesthesiologist. I said, "Is this it?" He laughed and said, "Yes, it is." The room was big with a table in the center. The nurse anesthesiologist pointed me to the table and told me where my head was to go. So, I hopped up on the table and laid down. (This was the anticlimactic part.)

The last thing I remember was her putting the IV in my hand and me talking about my landscaping and fall planting project.

Inspiring Words from Today's Horoscope

2006-09-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this can apply to people who are not Leos as well.

"There are some stressful areas of your life that you're choosing to hold onto -- why? Today, if you can let go of the past, you'll finally be able to move on. The thing that's holding you back could be an argument, a missed opportunity or just an unpleasant blind date. Whatever it is, it's not the end of you! And it certainly holds no great importance in the grand scheme of your life, so why are you letting it have control over you? Kiss it good-bye!"

Energy Audit Update

2006-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Back in May I wrote about having a home energy audit. Based on recommendations from the audit, I had additional insulation put in my attic and basement. Actually what I had in the attic and basement before had such a low R value that I should say I put in insulation instead of adding it.

Based on some calculation from the audit, I was told this would pay for itself in 2-1/2 years. I think they must have been talking about if I had paid the full $726 instead of the $236 it cost after the $500 rebate. Why? Because I have already saved $80 since the insulation was installed in June. At this rate, I'll break even in less than 12 months.

As I said in May, if you haven't had an energy audit, why not get one?

Garden Klutz

2006-09-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bad knees = Balance issues

This I know from personal experience. It's one of the reasons I questioned moving back to the Midwest with it's icy/snowy winters. I don't like falling on ice.

Today I was digging up Hostas with a garden fork. I was turning up a large clump that were tangled in some Vinca when the Vinca finally let go. The result sent me reeling backward, I then went forward to right myself and landed face down in the Vinca.

The neighbor couple from two houses down happened to be walking by and caught the whole thing. When I turned over, they were walking up my driveway to see if I was okay. I could tell by the looks on their faces that I had to say, "It's okay to laugh, I'm not hurt." I wish this one had been caught on video so I could have seen it.

My Flight IS Booked

2006-09-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

I just booked the flight for my trip to Atlanta on November 2-9. I got a great rate from Midwest Airlines for $208 ($246 total with applicable "fees"). The flight will connect in Milwaukee at Mitchell International. The last time I flew through Milwaukee was when I was a child. I'm sure a lot has changed since then when it was called Mitchell Field.

I'm always glad when I don't have to connect through O'Hare and Minneapolis. The odds have not been in my favor with these airports. More often than not I have encountered delays. The most disappointing one was through Mnpls several years ago when delays caused me to miss my nephew's wedding rehearsal dinner.

So, now that the flight is set (and it cost me only half of what I had budgeted) excitement has set in.

One of the things I wanted to do when I lived in Georgia was go up into the mountains. This trip will take me to Clayton, Georgia for the weekend at a mountain retreat. Clayton is in the Northeast corner of the state.

I fly into Atlanta on Thursday and will head up to Clayton the next day and come back Sunday. Then I'll spend a couple days kicking around Atlanta before I fly back to Iowa. My friend Caroline will be putting me up at her house while I'm in Atlanta.

My list of things I really want to do while I am there include:
- Seeing my friends
- Visiting the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
- Visiting the CNN headquarters
- Eating at Vortex, R. Thomas, and the Flying Bisquit
- Visiting the Carter Center area (I love that part of the City)
- Whatever else I can fit in

One thing I hope to avoid when I am in Atlanta--traffic! I'll have to schedule my days and routes accordingly. ;-)

I Am Now 42

2006-08-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yikes, I just had to post it.

Manhattan Deli

2006-08-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Remember on "The Cosby Show" in the '80's when Cliff Huxtable would do his happy dance over the prospect of a good sandwich? I thought of this as I ate my first sandwich from the Manhattan Deli (3705 Ingersoll, Des Moines--next to the old Ingersoll Dinner Theatre) last week.

The next day, when I returned for another sandwich (just go with whatever the daily special concoction is--you won't be disappointed and never fall into a rut) I told them that I can't imagine going anywhere else ever again for a sandwich.

There is nothing contrived or chain restaurant about this place. They just make the most awesome sandwiches with the best service. Everyone is friendly and genuinely enjoys and takes pride in what they do. You don't have to wait long, even when the line stretches to the door.

What impresses me most about the Manahattan Deli is that you will not find any pressed meat--not even turkey.

I could go on and on about this place, but why don't you try it out for yourself?

Clerks 2: I'd see it again

2006-07-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Considering it's been nearly a month since my last entry, writing about "Clerks II" seems oddly appropriate.

Admittedly, I twisted my friend Chris' arm to see this one. A sequel about some slackers made 12 years after the first "Clerks" movie...I don't fault his reluctance.

(My first movie choice was "Strangers With Candy", but he had already seen it. The movie I REALLY wanted to see--Little Miss Sunshine--is in limited release, which means it's not showing in Des Moines. I will probably have to wait for it to be released on DVD.)

As we sat through movie trailers--aimed at teens and 20-somethings--I was questioning my choice. However, a quick perusal of the theater audience confirmed that it was dominated by people over 30.

I was immediately hooked with the opening background music--The Talking Heads' "Nothing But Flowers". What proceeded was a fun, silly, and sophomoric movie for people over 30.

In "Clerks 2" we find Dante and Randall working at Mooby's--a fast-food restaurant--after the convenience store where they work burned. Jay and Silent Bob are back from rehab and have relocated to hanging out outside of Mooby's. Jay is sporting a "Got Jesus" t-shirt--but not much has changed about him. And despite their stint at rehab, they are still selling dope--just not using it.

There is actually a plot line, but I'll let you find out if you go see the movie.

Overall, I liked the movie, but was disappointed in the donkey scene. It was quite rude, and not very funny. Chris and I agreed that it seemed like Kevin Smith was trying too hard in a lame attempt to offend in a South Park kind of way. If it had been side-splitting funny, well, then it would have been acceptable. But, it wasn't and dragged on too long.

Would I recommend seeing "Clerks 2"? Do you like Kevin Smith movies? If so, yes. It was a surprisingly relevant sequel.

Independence Day in Des Moines

2006-07-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

There was a commercial that debuted in 1975 for Chevrolet with the theme, "Baseball, Hotdogs, Applie Pie and Chevrolet". Remember it? Okay, if you aren't turning 42 in August (or some age older), you probably have no idea as to what I am referring to.

I am a fan of the spectacular 4th of July fireworks display. Even in days of past--before digital technology--when a fireworks display consisted of one firework at a time. Well-timed, or timed for someone to load, light and run--then start over again. I loved it. The light, the noise, the smell. I recall a particular display, circa 1978, where small plastic soldiers with parachutes burst out of a firework and fell to the ground...

So, here I am in Des Moines, Iowa of all places. (A little over a year and still marveling that this is my home.) After much research, I find that the place to be is not on the steps of the state Capitol listening to the pops orchestra and watching the display--on June 30 (???). Oh no, the real action is at Principal Park after the Iowa Cubs game on July 4.

The Chevy commercial pops into my head and I decide you can't get any more American on Independence day than going to a baseball game, eating a hot dog and taking in the fireworks. (Admittedly I was willing to ditch the apple pie and Chevrolet--I happily own a Honda. Let's hear it for globalism!).

It wasn't too difficult to get my friend Chris in on my goal of celebrating the All-American 4th of July. We opted for brats in-lieu-of hot dogs--and we had great seats behind 1st base. There was a tense moment during the 2nd inning when the women in the seats in front of us spent too much time standing and my attempt at humor at pointing out that "we can't see through you" wasn't taken humorously.

The Cubs beat the New Orleans Zephyrs and after an impressive accapella solo by Simon Estes, the fireworks display commenced. It was truly spectacular! The kind of display that gets the blood flowing through your veins where you feel like you've drank a quadruple shot espresso drink. Then, over the loud speaker comes James Brown's "Living In America"--which pretty much put Chris over the edge of ectasy.

As we headed back to the car, we stopped outside an empty parking lot and watched an impressive small-scale fireworks display (someone, no doubt, made a trip to Missouri). We continued walking and somehow the subject of bluegrass music came up. I attributed my love of this style of music to the Andy Griffith Show--recalling when the Darling family turned up on the show.

And here is what I so love about Chris, he not only knows what I am talking about, but, starts talking about The Dillards who were the group that played the Darlings. Okay, that and how he boogied when James Brown was played over the loud speaker at Principal Park.

Today's horoscope

2006-07-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Give up perfection! There is simply no such thing. Embrace the truth of awkwardness.

Over 100 and still counting

2006-06-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the month I reported that I was almost done with planting perennials and annuals in my yard. At that time, the count was over 80. It's now up to over 100.

This is a direct result of my Saturday morning trips to the Farmer's Market in the Court Avenue district of downtown Des Moines. I have discovered a particular vendor who sells 4" pots of perennials and annuals for $2.00 each! Tell me, how can a gardener pass this up?

Each weekend I find myself coming home with 4-5 more plants. The landscaped area in my front yard is filling up nicely. And, it's hard to believe that I am running out of room (it is a big area).

After having such a dry June, it's been raining a lot this weekend. Seems to start up every time I plan to go outside and plant my flowers. No complaints--rain is good for the lawn.

A Prairie Home Companion

2006-06-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

I read Lake Wobegon Days back when I was in college. There was something about the book that struck a chord with me. (Perhaps because I grew up in the Midwest and was raised Lutheran.)

Last summer, A Prairie Home Companion was broadcast from the Iowa State Fair. My sister bought tickets as a birthday present for me. It was great to see this show that I had listened to for many years performed live.

When I heard that Robert Altman was directing and producing a movie based on the radio show, I was intrigued. The cast is stellar. Surprisingly, the movie lived up to my expectations. It was well-written, completely entertaining and well-directed. I had never been much for the Guy Noir character. But, Kevin Kline's performance of this character was genius. Made me see Guy in a whole other light. Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly did a great job as well.

Not sure if someone unfamiliar with A Prairie Home Companion would enjoy the movie. But, if you are a fan, I would definitely recommend seeing it.

Hmmmmmm.......

2006-06-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

This was in my horoscope today:

"The universe is trying to distract you from a beautiful surprise."

Nishiki Willow

2006-06-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today I finally set my mind to digging a hole on the south side of my porch near the steps. My original plan was to plant a hollyberry bush. However, as I was digging, I realized that the soil is moist and wasn't sure the hollyberry was a good idea. (It was wise that I hadn't purchased one.)

So, with a hole that was large enough and the right distance from porch and steps, I set off to Earle May to buy a bush.

I searched out Gary (the manager) for some shrub advice and my suspicions where confirmed that the hollyberry bush was not the best choice. Instead, Gary showed me a Nishiki Willow and I decided to go for it.

When I got the shrub home, I realized that the hole I dug was too small and close to the house for this new shrub.

After a few futile attemps at digging more, I decided to call my friend Chris M. (not to be confused with Chris C, or Iowa City Chris). Fortunately, he was in the neighborhood. I am always amazed at how men can get these things done in...say 10-15 minutes that would take me much longer.

It felt great looking at my new Nishiki Willow shrub in a space that earlier had been empty and covered with rocks. I sure hope it takes.

Gardening Report

2006-06-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that I'm mostly done with planting things in my yard. So far I have planted a little over 80 perennials and annuals. Most of which were in a newly landscaped portion of my front yard.

Now, I am watching things grow and a few things not grow.

I also dug up several clusters of hostas that appear to have doubled since last year. These have been redistributed in my yard and also given to co-workers and the neighborwith whom I share a driveway.

Still want to plant a hollyberry bush near my front porch.

Just writing about this makes me feel tired.

Good night.

Lists: TV

2006-05-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

When I make time to watch TV, here is what I watch:

The Daily Show - Comedy Central (No. 1 on this list for a reason)
The Colbert Report - Comedy Central (I usually only make it through "The Word" and then it's bedtime)
Rescue Me - FX
My Name Is Earl - NBC
Little People, Big World - TLC
Everybody Hates Chris - UPN
The Apprentice - NBC (an admitted guilty pleasure)
Survivor - CBS (only because they've had some 40+ year-old men the past couple seasons that make me feel lusty)

A New 'do

2006-05-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

After a few fruitless attempts to get my hairstylist to consider altering my bob (which I was starting to feel looked a bit too harsh fon me), I was motivated to change salons. The last visit where I got a cut and color and was unhappy with both sealed the deal.

It was a true moment of providence when I jetted to an East Village coffeehouse for my daily dose of espresso and passed Salon W. I wandered in and the vibe reminded me of the salon I went to in Atlanta (Van Michael). I had discovered the Van Michael Salon a few months before I moved back to Iowa. How terrible it was to have a taste of the good life--as far as hair experiences go--and then have to leave it behind!

Turns out that China Wong, Salon W's owner, used to work at Van Michael. Shauna did the color and Kal cut my hair. China heard me talking about Van Michael and we both reminisced about our time in Atlanta (loved the city, hated the traffic). Click on the link I embedded in China's name--she doesn't look like what you think someone with the name "China Wong" would look like.

So, back to my hair...After Shauna's masterful coloring job and Kal's restyling, well, I feel like a new woman. And that is just what I needed.

He Had Me at Ray

2006-05-24T19:27:00.001-07:00

I watched the first two seasons of "American Idol" and lost interest until this season. It was the preliminary auditions where I saw a white boy with gray hair channeling Ray Charles. I was hooked on seeing how far this very non pop idol type would go.

For me, I was touched by his joy of singing and chants of "Soul Patrol". He has the same kind of sincerity and heart that eminated from Clay Aiken. I wanted to see Clay win. So, it was nice to see Taylor win.

Unfortunately the song that will be his first release is pop junk. No big surprise. Hopefully he can ride his idol contract out and then break away to do his own thing.

How to Develop Upper Body Strength

2006-05-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Take up gardening.

Read this book!

2006-05-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

The book is "A Girl Named Zippy" by Haven Kimmel. It's on loan to me for two weeks. But, I can't put it down and it will go back to it's owner in less time than that. The back of the cover promises that the book "offers a rare and welcome treat: a memoir of a happy childhood." It delivers on this and not in a sappy "Father Knows Best" kind of way.

It's written from the perspective of a child born in 1965. Basically the era I grew up in.

Here's an excerpt that I felt compelled to read to my doctor the other day.

"I knew from Marcus Welby, M.D., that this could and did sometimes happen, that bad news was followed by more and more bad news, until finally the doctor was telling you that you had to give up coffee, which I knew for a fact would have killed my dad."

http://www.havenkimmel.com/

The Waveland

2006-05-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hosting four friends from Altanta. They are all people I knew when I lived in Georgia. Two currently live in Atlanta, one moved to Dallas and another is working in Zimbabwe.

The friend who works in Zimbabwe stayed at my house. So, Saturday morning when we were all doing our own thing, Stacie and I ran errands (she became the designated mail-drop person for co-workers who knew she was making a visit home) and ate breakfast at the Waveland Cafe.

The Waveland is one of the first places I noticed as I was scouting neighborhoods while house-hunting last summer. It is a wonderful short-order breakfast type of place 2 blocks from my home. And as far from a chain restaurant as you can get. In addition to gazing at the interesting murals painted on the walls, you can drink coffee from a cup that is inscribed with "Honey, I'm steaming hot and bottomless". I like to sit on the stools at the counter, which is good because there is usually never a wait as there is for a table.

What I like best about the Waveland is that it is the kind of place you can bring a book, order breakfast, read, drink coffee, and eat breakfast. The waitresses are friendly and there is always good music blasting in the kitchen. This morning it was the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sence". I've also been there when Nirvana and jazz have been played--separate occasions. I've never been disappointed in the music and wonder if I were to compare my CD collection with the cook's, would they be similar?

I think I will make a tradition of taking people who come to visit me to The Waveland. Afterall, they serve breakfast any time of day.

Energy Audit

2006-05-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today I had an energy audit for my home. This is a service offered by Mid-American Energy. They subcontract another company to do the audits and the costs get reimbursed back to them by the State of Iowa. At least that is what I gleaned from my discussion with Jerry the auditor.

My audit was scheduled for noon and Jerry arrived on-time. We went through my house from basement to attic. All my appliances passed with flying colors. My gas dryer is the real energy saver. Gas dryers cost about .03 cents per hour compared to electric which costs .41 cents per hour.

Jerry gave me insulation recommendations for the basement wall and put 6' of free insulation on my hot water pipe. (I need about 10' more and can get at Lowe's.)

In addition to the water pipe insulation, I was also given:
- Low-flow showerhead
- Faucet aerators for bathroom and kitchen
- 6 Compact fluorescent "Greenlite" bulbs

This amounts to $90 worth of free stuff.

Plus, I upgraded my programmable clock thermostat. This cost me $31.30 for the thermostat Jerry installed.

Attic, basement and side wall insulation recommendations were made and documented on several forms. The total estimated cost if I have all the work done is $3,293.

I was given a Homecheck Program Insulation Application so I can receive 70% of the "approved amount" with "a $600 maximum rebate". After some discussion with Jerry, I will probably get the basement and attic insulation done. This will cost me $237.30 after rebates. Taking into account today's energy rates, these improvements will pay for themselves in a little over 2 years.

Right now, the thing that I am marveling over most are the light bulbs. The light is not much different than an incandescent bulb. It gives off 75 watts of light output using only 20 watts of energy. And the bulb has a 9-year guarantee. They cost $12.50 each--I got 6 for free. Pretty cool.

Free stuff, rebates and feeling green. All in all, I would recommend an energy audit.

Creature of Habit

2006-04-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Iowa City to see Iowa City Community Theatre's production of "My Fair Lady". The last time ICCT produced this show was 1994. I was part of the ensemble. Seven of the cast members from the '94 cast are in the current production. I enjoyed seeing my friends on stage as well as visiting with them after the show.

I had lived in Iowa City for over 20 years before moving to Atlanta with the man with whom I thought I'd spend the rest of my life. Less than two years later, I am back in Iowa--in Des Moines. Least to say, the fairytale went awry.

Since returning, I've been to Iowa City twice. The first was right after I returned, the second was this weekend. It was nice to see many familiar faces. People wanted to catch up and hear what I have been up to.

I think this is why I haven't been anxious to return "home" this past year. I've been licking my wounds and dealing with the pain of my lost love. It was a very hurtful break-up. The kind that leaves you with a dull-throbbing pain--where you wonder how long it will take to go away.

So, I made my way around talking to friends and revealing little pieces of my story. The overwhelming feedback was that I look great and life appears to be going well for me.

Positive feedback is great. Good to hear. I will keep this in my heart.

Separating oneself from another person involves creating a new set of habits. Initially, everything reminds you of the other person and things you did together. And so you have to do all those things that you did as two as one and it gradually becomes normal.

I had a long list of things that needed to become normal. And as the year progressed, I worked my way through that list and life began to feel full again. The void slowly filled with new habits. I also felt the release of shaking off stress-inducing habits I had formed to accommodate my ex. (Most notably, the freedom of not having to move empty hangers to the designated "empty hanger space" in the closet.)

This past weekend, the most asked question was not about what happened with my relationship, rather, people wanted to know if I am involved in theatre in Des Moines. I am not. And I think it's because I've been busy creating a new life. This doesn't mean I'll never do theatre. Right now, it's not my focus.

My focus is healing and I recently made a big turning point in this area. I identified a habit I need to maintain, which is severing the lines of communication with my ex.

I realized that, while one is healing, it's best to leave the wound alone. Communicating with an ex--even if it's only via email--can be like picking at a scab.

It's hard to fathom that this person who I had loved so much (and, for a while in my life I had planned on spending the rest of my life with) I need to cut out of my life. But, that is a habit I need to form.

At least for this heart of mine.

Crazy Yard Lady

2006-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Last summer I bought a beautiful Arts and Crafts style bungalow located in an established neighborhood. Established means that it's in a neighorhood with lots of old homes (mine was built in 1923) and big trees.

One of the selling points was the yard. Nice lawn and plantings around the home. Big tree in the backyard...

The previous place I owned was a condo. So, I never got to experience the joys of lawn maintenance.

I am more than making up for this now.

Recently, I announced to my friends that I believe I am turning into a crazy yard lady. Between prowling the yard with weed killer and using "Lawn Patch", I'm on a mission to having a lush green lawn.

I spent this past weekend of beautiful warm weather landscaping the front corner of my lawn. The grass on this part of my yard--on a hill with full sun exposure--didn't survive last summer's extreme heat and drought-like conditions. So, 26 Phlox plugs and 2-1/2 bags of mulch later, problem solved. At least I hope it is, fingers are crossed that all the plantings "take".

Next came anxiety when I spotted rabbits frolicking in my hostas, wondering if they would make their way over to the Phlox for a nibble.

Rabbit anxiety was soon replaced by frost anxiety as a Spring frost was predicted. So, I was out the night the temp's were due to drop covering my hardwork with 3 sheets.

I suppose there are worse things to get hooked on than maintaining and beautifying one's yard.

Dormant Green Thumb Gene Emerges

2006-04-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

My grandmother's entire yard was a beautiful display of flowers--no grass, just flowers. The back yard was particularly magical to me as a child. She had lattice arches with flowering vines growing on them. I loved walking through these and on the narrow trails through the flowers.

I've seen my parents and my sister exhibit their love of gardening in various ways.

Now that I own a home with a real yard, the dormant green thumb gene in me has apparently emerged. This is much to my surprise as I didn't think I had the family green thumb.

Well, I guess it is to be determined if I have the family green thumb.

The desire to have a green thumb seems to be in me. Back in February it started as I found myself pouring over catalogs from Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill Nurseries. Feeling humble about my green thumb, I elected to order "The Foolproof Perennial Garden" and other plants that are in the "easy to care for" category.

Still waiting for the bulbs to come. And, it's been hard. I want to get my hands in the dirt.

Last summer, Des Moines experienced record high temperatures and little rain. The end result was the front corner of my lawn--which is on a hill--was fried. I had my suspicions last summer, but was told by hopeful friends that it was just "dormant".

It's not dormant, it's toast.

Pre-green thumb, I would have been upset about this happening to my lawn. However, I now find myself excited over being forced into a landscaping project. Started the first step today of outlining the portion to be landscaped and applying Round-up to kill off what is left of the grass. The grass will then be removed and Creeping Phlox planted.

Future posts will, no doubt, document my joy or sorrow--depending how this turns out.

Can I say "Microsoft bites"?

2006-04-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's been three weeks since my last post. So, I kick myself in the butt to write something. Halfway through, I pull up Word on my computer to run spell check and the whole thing shuts down.

I am old enough (and I'm really not THAT old) to remember the days of Word Perfect. One of the many programs that the Microsoft empire crushed. It's a shame. Word is still a deeply flawed program.

The first PC operating system I ever worked on was BTOS. Very impressive, much better and easier to use than DOS.

Back in college, I typed my papers out on a typewriter. I thought life would improve in this area when I discovered the university mainframe (my junior year). It didn't. So, I went back to my typewriter.

Within a year, the Apple Computer Lab turned up on campus. Steve Jobs was my hero. There was even a program where students could get special financing for the purchase of an Apple computer. I chose to use the computer lab. I think the price-tag at that time was around $800 for a new computer. Seemed like a lot of $ to me in 1986. And the technology was always "changing". So, I viewed it much like buying a car. Something I could certainly use, but was like throwing money down the drain as it could only depreciate in value.

Back to BTOS. It was great. In 1989, I got a job at an architectural firm--typing up specifications and putting together proposals to get projects--while I finished college. There were only two of us in the office with computers--the spec writer and me.

There were 8 of us in the firm at that time--Roy, Kevin, Rick, Dwight, Steve, Max, Joyce (part-time) and me. Today, I think they are over 30 in staff. All the guys are still there. Joyce and I are gone. I ended up staying at that firm for 10 years--long after I had graduated from the University of Iowa.

In 1990, the architectural firm moved into a larger location and everyone got computers. No more drawings done by hand. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the end of an era for architecture.

With this change, my BTOS system was replaced with DOS. It was a tough transition. I couldn't understand why I had to take a step backwords. However, soon, I was introduced to "Windows". My first impression was that it was a PC version of what Apple had going on. I don't think I was far off on this.

But, I was grateful for the improvement from having to work through DOS. BTOS became a thing of the past. I was also introduced to the "mouse". Another tough transition as I was used to navigating via the keyboard, which was faster and more efficient. I still believe this to be the case.

So, here I am today with my computer at home. It's a PC. And Apple's are now MacIntosh. And I feel that 41 isn't that old. But in technology-land, it is.

NPR on AM

2006-03-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

Today, when asked, "How's your blog coming?" I offered the following topics of blogging for Bob to select:

- Fringe Grammy award winning groups, Riders in the Sky and Brave Combo
- NPR on AM--nostalgia factor
- Hospice

NPR on AM was selected. The other two topics will be covered in future blogs. So, you'll have to wait for your link on how to get a "May The Horse Be With You: Master Yodel" t-shirt offered on the Riders in the Sky (great cowboy music!) website. Okay, I won't make you wait, here it is: http://www.ridersinthesky.com/. Scroll down the page and you'll find it. Their only Iowa performance is this Monday in the northeast corner of Iowa. A 3-hour drive that would be worth it, except I'd need to take time off from work.

I'll make a mention and plug for Brave Combo as well. Great polka music!

On to the topic at hand. I live in Des Moines, Iowa and have two radio station choices to get my daily dose of NPR. One is on the AM frequency, the other on FM. I choose AM. I am old enough to say that "when I was a child, you found NPR on AM radio" and that is the frequency I associate with NPR. FM is just too clear and crisp.

My earliest memories of NPR are from childhood. I frequently heard the familiar jingle to "All Things Considered" coming out of my father's car radio or the radio in his work area in the basement where he built model airplanes. I'm 41 and the jingle has not changed. I appreciate this.

Building model airplanes had been my father's passion (though he would never describe it that way) since he was 15. Though, I don't know when he started listening to NPR. But this is what he had on when he worked on his planes.

My father worked in tool and die in a factory that has long since closed as manufacturing went overseas. The abandoned factory is located on what is now considered "prime lakefront property" north of Chicago.

I have come to realize that my father was unique--being a high school dropout in his trade. It was his hobby that positioned him to move up into being a precision instrument repairman. When his employer balked at his submission for the job (they were looking for someone with an engineering degree), my father said he'd been working on small engines for over 35 years. My father asked that they give him a chance and if it didn't work out, he'd go back to the line. He worked as a precision instrument repairmen until he retired in 1982.

Every Saturday when the weather permitted my father drove to Bong Recreation Area in Wisconsin to fly his model airplanes. As a teenager, I sniggered at the name "Bong Recreation". I digress.

My father was pretty particular about his model airplanes. He belonged to The Society of Antique Modelers--no modern airplanes. I never really understood all the rules, but they had to do with types of engines and plane designs.

My father also liked cowboy music.

I danced to a lot of polka at the Slovanic Society Hall in Denver as a child (Slovenian heritage on my dad's side, Czech on my mom's. How could I not love polka?)

And we utilized the services of Hospice of Central Iowa for him.

He would be 84 years old if still alive.

I miss him a lot.

New Orleans Benefit Album

2006-03-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I signed up for Borders Rewards (since I seem to spend money there on a monthly basis) and got a nice discount off my purchase. And, unlike a lot of rewards programs, this one is free. Best Buy could learn something from Borders.

In addition to the "Better Homes and Gardens New Garden Book", I purchased "Our New Orleans 2005: A Benefit Album". Net proceeds from this compilation are donated to Habitat for Humanity to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Whether you want to do a good deed and/or just enjoy a variety of great music from New Orleans, I highly recommend this CD featuring Beausoleil, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Buckwheat Zydeco, Dr. John, Wild Magnolias, Allen Toussaint and others.

Here you go Bob

2006-03-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

It's been several months now since my friend Bob has stopped harrassing me to start my own blog. So, here you go Bob. I just set up this blog. Now it's a matter of coming up with stuff to write. I am looking for some suggestions, even though you got one (sympathy) smack for your blog.