1. I suppose Mike Rose's article, "Blue-Collar Brilliance" could have been titled "The Hidden Intelligence of Blue Collar Workers". Every term I have at least one student for whom the work of Mike Rose means a great deal and today I was most happy when Rebecca stayed after class to talk more about Rose's article and her conviction that it should be required reading for everyone so that respect for workers might increase and so that waitresses/waiters, plumbers, and others might increase.
2. I finished one of the most outlandish, ridiculously enjoyable books I've ever read: The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. It's a smart book with lots of great stuff about Jacobean England and spying and ciphers and other stuff and it's a book that does what I like in novels: it sprawls. It has about fifteen or so main characters, goes all over the East Coast and England, with a stop or two in Zurich, goes back in time, involves gangsters from Russia and Israel -- I mean it sprawls. There's plenty of sex, for old time's sake, and it's a pretty good book on movie making and storytelling. It sprawls, I'm tellin' ya. I don't know if I recommend it; I can only say I had a lot of fun reading it, I learned stuff, and within the Byzantine plots, double plots, triple plots, and intricate twists and turns, there were moments of insight that made me stop reading and stare for a while.
3. The Deke and I had a lot of fun again this afternoon and on into the evening, starting with some time at Cornucopia and then over to Billy Mac's where we split a plate of blackened Ahi tacos. We always have a lot on our minds, it seems and we chattered and chattered and made each other laugh and had a great time sharing some laughs with John and Derrick, busy as they were. They always seem to have time here and there for some mirth. John was happy to know that when I was helping my students understand Mike Rose's examination of the many kinds of intelligence required to be a restaurant server, I used the staff at Billy Mac's as an sterling example of what Rose writes about. He volunteered to be a guest speaker!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/13/13: Catching Up the Blog, Getting Pictures in Order, Sleep
1. Blog catch up. My long weekend put me behind on my blog and I took all the time I needed to get caught up again.
2. Likewise, I was behind in editing and posting some pictures and put together a Facebook album of pictures from Delta Ponds. Here's one several people told me they enjoyed:
3. I'd been out Tuesday night jawin' with the Troxstar and the Junior Warden at the Pour House until 11:30 or so and I don't usually stay up this late, especially during the week, and so it was a welcome move to go to bed early and get a little extra sleep.
2. Likewise, I was behind in editing and posting some pictures and put together a Facebook album of pictures from Delta Ponds. Here's one several people told me they enjoyed:
3. I'd been out Tuesday night jawin' with the Troxstar and the Junior Warden at the Pour House until 11:30 or so and I don't usually stay up this late, especially during the week, and so it was a welcome move to go to bed early and get a little extra sleep.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/12/13: What I Enjoy at Work, Slow Beer, Spaghetti
1. Here's what I enjoy most on the days I work: for starters, I enjoy being able to drop by Jeff's office and have a quick smart exchange about the Henriad, and Henry IV, part 1, in particular. Then, I always enjoy leading my students in discussions about work, the intelligence blue collar jobs require, and the way our lives are affected by attitudes shaped by one's class standing. We read the beginning of Mike Rose's article, "Blue-Collar Brilliance" and I enjoyed discussing the early part of the essay and what was happening in the moment, and I also enjoyed the flashbacks I was having to the days of teaching Working Class Literature with MB and the days my WR 122 sections focused on readings about work and how they wrote essays about the same. I loved teaching Shakespeare and loved teaching about work and enjoyed having both loves come alive today at work.
2. A trip to the bank and then a stroll to 16 Tons where I waited for the Deke and read more of The Book of Air and Shadows. The afternoon is perfect at 16 Tons. It's quiet and the lighting makes it easy to read.
3. After a beer or two at 16 Tons, the Deke and I went to Billy Mac's. It was spaghetti night at Billy Mac's and I'd been wanting some spaghetti for a couple of weeks and tonght my wish came true -- sure tasted good with that Goosebump red.
2. A trip to the bank and then a stroll to 16 Tons where I waited for the Deke and read more of The Book of Air and Shadows. The afternoon is perfect at 16 Tons. It's quiet and the lighting makes it easy to read.
3. After a beer or two at 16 Tons, the Deke and I went to Billy Mac's. It was spaghetti night at Billy Mac's and I'd been wanting some spaghetti for a couple of weeks and tonght my wish came true -- sure tasted good with that Goosebump red.
Three Beautiful Things 11/11/13: Turner House is Quiet and Easy, Bus Ride Mellow, Back with the Deke
1. The Turner household is a quiet place in the morning. Up early, the Turners settle into morning coffee/tea, newspapers or laptops/tablets and quietly get underway for the day. It's why I brought my book, since I left my laptop at home. So I read a lot more of The Book of Air and Shadows and took care of myself while Terry and Nancy went through their routines and Terry fixed oatmeal and eventually we headed to Union Station so I could catch the AmTrak bus back to Eugene.
2. The bus ride was mellow and comfortable. I had two seats to myself and enjoyed reading. The reading got intense and I lost track of time and once the bus left Albany, it seemed like no time passed before we were in Eugene.
3. The Deke and I met up at the Steelhead for a bite to eat and some beer and then decided to have a little more beer and enjoyed it at the Bier Stein. It was great way to relax back into being together again after the weekend and we enjoyed both the beer and our ongoing conversations about just what we are going to do next in our life, in the short term (the Deke's going to Chicago) and the long term (who knows?).
2. The bus ride was mellow and comfortable. I had two seats to myself and enjoyed reading. The reading got intense and I lost track of time and once the bus left Albany, it seemed like no time passed before we were in Eugene.
3. The Deke and I met up at the Steelhead for a bite to eat and some beer and then decided to have a little more beer and enjoyed it at the Bier Stein. It was great way to relax back into being together again after the weekend and we enjoyed both the beer and our ongoing conversations about just what we are going to do next in our life, in the short term (the Deke's going to Chicago) and the long term (who knows?).
Three Beautiful Things 11/10/13: Time to Go, Great Drive Back, Sunday Night Football
1. All good things must end some day. Autumn leaves must fall. And so the Great Guys Hall of Fame Wild Horse Casino boys' weekend drew to a close with handshakes and farewells and with the promise that we'd see each other back in the Great State of Idaho before too long and with the promise of another Veteran's Day weekend in Pendleton next year.
2. The Byrdman rode back to the Portland Metro Area with Terry and me and we had a flawless ride back with some debriefing and some other kinds of scintillating conversation, the kind that feels, in the moment, that it will solve all problems, and is fun, even though the problems never get solved.
3. It was fun to settle in at Terry and Nancy's for the evening and watch the Saints rout the Cowboys.
2. The Byrdman rode back to the Portland Metro Area with Terry and me and we had a flawless ride back with some debriefing and some other kinds of scintillating conversation, the kind that feels, in the moment, that it will solve all problems, and is fun, even though the problems never get solved.
3. It was fun to settle in at Terry and Nancy's for the evening and watch the Saints rout the Cowboys.
Three Beautiful Things 11/09/13: Getting Underway, A New Pal, Royal Flush
1. Up and at 'em at the breakfast buffet for some eggs and sausage and potatoes and other fine filling food, laying a foundation for a day of drinking beer and watching football, playing some machines, and more Great Guys Hall of Fame yakking and laughing.
2. Byrdman and I sat down at the bar. I started with a veggie laced bloody Mary with a salted rim. He got underway with a red Coors Light, his drink of the day, and we met Aaron from Ephrata who was in for a couple of beers to settle his nerves and clear his head before heading into his session at the Wild Horse's Annual Poker Round Up. His session was at noon and he suffered a really bad bad beat and was rejoined us not long after 1:00. But he made new friends from Kellogg, Idaho and once Stu and Lars arrived, he got to experience a pretty full blast of goodness hangin out with us Great Guys Hall of Fame members who could make it to Pendleton.
3. For only the second time in ten years of playing video poker from time to time, I hit a royal flush and my 25 cent bet paid me 200 dollars. My budget was looking really good and my good luck once again signaled to me that it was time to hit the sack.
2. Byrdman and I sat down at the bar. I started with a veggie laced bloody Mary with a salted rim. He got underway with a red Coors Light, his drink of the day, and we met Aaron from Ephrata who was in for a couple of beers to settle his nerves and clear his head before heading into his session at the Wild Horse's Annual Poker Round Up. His session was at noon and he suffered a really bad bad beat and was rejoined us not long after 1:00. But he made new friends from Kellogg, Idaho and once Stu and Lars arrived, he got to experience a pretty full blast of goodness hangin out with us Great Guys Hall of Fame members who could make it to Pendleton.
3. For only the second time in ten years of playing video poker from time to time, I hit a royal flush and my 25 cent bet paid me 200 dollars. My budget was looking really good and my good luck once again signaled to me that it was time to hit the sack.
Three Beautiful Things 11/08/13: Easy Riders, Great Guys Hall of Fame Members Convene, Free Money
1. Terry and I hit the road for Pendleton and had a great ride: traffic was easy, visibility was good, conversation was awesome, and not one single crappy thing happened. We arrived at the Wild Horse Casino at almost exactly the same time Jim, Jake, and Ed did and our Kellogg boys' weekend got underway.
2. The best way to get things going on one of these weekends is to go straight to the bar and enjoy a few frothy ones together and that's just what we did. We also got some nachos and wings and started in on the bullshit, the best kind, Grade A: stories, smart ass comments, laughter, all the best stuff that happens when the Great Guys Hall of Fame members convene.
3. I piddled around here, messed around there on the machines, not really making headway, starting to feel like maybe my night was over, when I decided to play the 15 bucks the Wild Horse put on my card for some free play. I bet more than usual using the free money and on a single spin, my $1.20 bet won me 140 dollars and my budget got a nice boost. It also brought my play pretty much to an end and at about nine p.m. I made my way to my room and hit the sack.
2. The best way to get things going on one of these weekends is to go straight to the bar and enjoy a few frothy ones together and that's just what we did. We also got some nachos and wings and started in on the bullshit, the best kind, Grade A: stories, smart ass comments, laughter, all the best stuff that happens when the Great Guys Hall of Fame members convene.
3. I piddled around here, messed around there on the machines, not really making headway, starting to feel like maybe my night was over, when I decided to play the 15 bucks the Wild Horse put on my card for some free play. I bet more than usual using the free money and on a single spin, my $1.20 bet won me 140 dollars and my budget got a nice boost. It also brought my play pretty much to an end and at about nine p.m. I made my way to my room and hit the sack.
Three Beautiful Things 11/07/13: Gliding on AmTrak, Highland Pastie, Football Agony and Futball Ecstasy
1. The AmTrak Cascade left promptly at nine o'clock and I had a very comfortable ride, sweetened by a slice of banana bread and a couple cups of coffee. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading more deeply into The Book of Air and Shadows, a sprawling piece of fiction centered around a long lost manuscript of a long lost Shakespeare play and about ninety different characters involved in the intrigue and murders with the hope of cashing in, if the manuscript is recovered.
2. Terry picked me up in Oregon City and not long afterwards, we headed to the Highland Stillhouse, Oregon's best pub, in my humble opinion, and I enjoyed a corned beef pastie and a couple pints of English Ale that I loved, but I'll be damned if I can remember its name. Oh, well...I'd know it if I saw it...
3. I got to take part in Terry's world of Duck football viewing when Dan and Gordie came over to Terry's house and we watched the beefy Stanford Cardinal pound the Oregon Ducks into submission. Our disappointment was tempered a bit by the Timbers' victory over the Sounders, a fun match to watch.
2. Terry picked me up in Oregon City and not long afterwards, we headed to the Highland Stillhouse, Oregon's best pub, in my humble opinion, and I enjoyed a corned beef pastie and a couple pints of English Ale that I loved, but I'll be damned if I can remember its name. Oh, well...I'd know it if I saw it...
3. I got to take part in Terry's world of Duck football viewing when Dan and Gordie came over to Terry's house and we watched the beefy Stanford Cardinal pound the Oregon Ducks into submission. Our disappointment was tempered a bit by the Timbers' victory over the Sounders, a fun match to watch.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/06/13: Walking to Delta Ponds, Taking Pictures, Not Great Pizza Hits the Spot!
1. I ran into Betsy and Dan and Mathias at the Farmers Market Saturday and we talked about outdoorsman and Shakespeare expert Paul Willis and Mathias asked me if was like Paul, did I hike and kayak and spend a lot of time in the great outdoors and I answered that I didn't, but that I liked going to Delta Ponds and that was my only real hiking experience and Dan joked that I could walk to Delta Ponds and a light went on in my head and I replied that I sure could and today I did just that. I walked down Madison Street past the Wandering Goat and the 4J district offices through the Owen Rose Garden down the path through Maurie Jacobs Park, past VRCenter and on up to Delta Ponds where I walked over to the ponds east of Goodpasture Island Road and walked back home. It was a gorgeous walk:
2. I had a great time on this walk taking pictures. I took one of my favorite hand holding pictures and some pictures I enjoyed of waterfowl at Delta Ponds and some pictures of places to sit and pictures of the fall colors down by the river. Funny how looking through and little machine and pushing a shutter button can be so much fun.
3. It's not great pizza. I know that. But the Deke brought home a personal pepperoni pizza from Cornucopia for the two of us and a bottle of red wine and it was really good. It was also fun.
2. I had a great time on this walk taking pictures. I took one of my favorite hand holding pictures and some pictures I enjoyed of waterfowl at Delta Ponds and some pictures of places to sit and pictures of the fall colors down by the river. Funny how looking through and little machine and pushing a shutter button can be so much fun.
3. It's not great pizza. I know that. But the Deke brought home a personal pepperoni pizza from Cornucopia for the two of us and a bottle of red wine and it was really good. It was also fun.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/05/13: Getting the Works Cited Page Right, Salt and Salty, The Big Questions
1. If you ever decide to teach composition, one of the thorns in your
side will be helping students create a Works Cited page employing MLA
style. I know. That sentence was Sominex. I teach students how
EasyBib helps them create the entries and create the Works Cited page
and then I send them off to computers in the library (or elsewhere) to
create their Works Cited page on the spot, not later when they finish
their papers, not when the mold has spread over my instruction. They
bring the Works Cited page back. I go over them on the spot, make
corrections if need be, on the spot, and by the end of the class, they
have a perfectly created Works Cited page to end their paper with. All
my students did it right. (But, one thorn remains: those students
who missed class today....sigh.)
2. As I left the Center building this afternoon to go home, I ran into Jim Salt, a cradle Red Sox fan. He's a great sports fan all the way around, but he loves the Sox the most of all and we had a great talk for several minutes going back over the joy and details of the Red Sox World Series victory. (We never mentioned David Ortiz. I thought that was kind of remarkable'; instead, we talked about other guys like Gomes and sitting Salty down and Victorino and Drew and others.)
3. The Deke and I met at Cornucopia and then went over to Billy Mac's for hot chicken strips. Out before us: the big questions. We tackled 'em. We didn't answer 'em. But we tackled 'em.
2. As I left the Center building this afternoon to go home, I ran into Jim Salt, a cradle Red Sox fan. He's a great sports fan all the way around, but he loves the Sox the most of all and we had a great talk for several minutes going back over the joy and details of the Red Sox World Series victory. (We never mentioned David Ortiz. I thought that was kind of remarkable'; instead, we talked about other guys like Gomes and sitting Salty down and Victorino and Drew and others.)
3. The Deke and I met at Cornucopia and then went over to Billy Mac's for hot chicken strips. Out before us: the big questions. We tackled 'em. We didn't answer 'em. But we tackled 'em.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/04/13: Picture Stroll to SELCO, Autumn Chores, "Ringo's Theme"
1. I needed some money from an ATM, so I gave myself a good walk and went to SELCO and enjoyed taking pictures along the way. I looked at the pictures in the evening and didn't think much of them, so I'm wondering if I am in another picture taking slump or if it was my end of the day fatigue. I'll look at them again when I'm rested.
2. I got some small chores done around the house: raking leaves, putting a pile near the curb for pick up, putting others in garden beds as winter mulch, checking gutters. One of the things I like about my retired life is that I can chip away at these chores and not have to do them all at once on the weekends.
3. So. Saturday morning, Russell, Mary, and I were at the 5th Street Market waiting for Pure to open and an instrumental Beatles song came on. The market was playing KRVM as background sound. I couldn't remember the name of the tune, but said I thought it was from the soundtrack for A Hard Day's Night. Identifying that song was becoming a minor obsession. This evening, barely in tune, I croaked out the opening measure of the tune for the Deke. She's a genius. She was able to tell from the terrible sounds coming from my throat that the song was "This Boy". I looked into it more and then RIGHT, now I remember. On the soundtrack album, it was called "Ringo's Theme". For whatever reason, A Hard Day's Night was the only Beatles album I ever owned and that particular track just got to me when I was eleven years old and it was a great relief to have the ingenious help of the Deke to figure out the name of the tune and to look into how it was used in A Hard Day's Night.
2. I got some small chores done around the house: raking leaves, putting a pile near the curb for pick up, putting others in garden beds as winter mulch, checking gutters. One of the things I like about my retired life is that I can chip away at these chores and not have to do them all at once on the weekends.
3. So. Saturday morning, Russell, Mary, and I were at the 5th Street Market waiting for Pure to open and an instrumental Beatles song came on. The market was playing KRVM as background sound. I couldn't remember the name of the tune, but said I thought it was from the soundtrack for A Hard Day's Night. Identifying that song was becoming a minor obsession. This evening, barely in tune, I croaked out the opening measure of the tune for the Deke. She's a genius. She was able to tell from the terrible sounds coming from my throat that the song was "This Boy". I looked into it more and then RIGHT, now I remember. On the soundtrack album, it was called "Ringo's Theme". For whatever reason, A Hard Day's Night was the only Beatles album I ever owned and that particular track just got to me when I was eleven years old and it was a great relief to have the ingenious help of the Deke to figure out the name of the tune and to look into how it was used in A Hard Day's Night.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/03/13: Campus Neighborhood Stroll, Rev. Betsy is Leaving, The Deke Returns
1. Before church, I ambled through a small part of the west campus neighborhood near the U of O and added to my collection of pictures of couches, chairs, and other furniture sitting on porches.
2. I heard Rev. Betsy Tesi preach for the last time this morning. She is leaving St. Mary's for another position in Virginia and, while next Sunday is her last Sunday at the pulpit, I will be in Pendleton/Gladstone and won't hear her give her last sermon nor will I be able to attend the farewell reception sendng her off. I am very grateful for Rev. Betsy Tesi's service to St. Mary's. On a personal level, without knowing it, she contributed mightily to revitalizing my involvement at the church and, every single time I heard her preach, I came away from worship with a fresh perspective. Who knows? With Molly's family living in Virginia, not far from where Betsy will be working, maybe I'll be able to visit Molly one day and visit Betsy Tesi as well. (I should add that my reasons for needing revitalizing at St. Mary's was because of my struggles with fatigue and other health problems. It's not a reflection of my experience with Father Ted or Bishop John or any other past clergy.)
3. Yes, she returned late in the evening, well past our bedtime, but it is really good to have the Deke back home.
2. I heard Rev. Betsy Tesi preach for the last time this morning. She is leaving St. Mary's for another position in Virginia and, while next Sunday is her last Sunday at the pulpit, I will be in Pendleton/Gladstone and won't hear her give her last sermon nor will I be able to attend the farewell reception sendng her off. I am very grateful for Rev. Betsy Tesi's service to St. Mary's. On a personal level, without knowing it, she contributed mightily to revitalizing my involvement at the church and, every single time I heard her preach, I came away from worship with a fresh perspective. Who knows? With Molly's family living in Virginia, not far from where Betsy will be working, maybe I'll be able to visit Molly one day and visit Betsy Tesi as well. (I should add that my reasons for needing revitalizing at St. Mary's was because of my struggles with fatigue and other health problems. It's not a reflection of my experience with Father Ted or Bishop John or any other past clergy.)
3. Yes, she returned late in the evening, well past our bedtime, but it is really good to have the Deke back home.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/02/13: Strolling with Mary and Russell, Dracula Sushi, Let There Be Light
1. Mary is in Eugene visiting Anne, Russell, and Allie and, as we have for the last three years or so, Mary, Russell, and I went on a picture taking stroll. This year we visited the Farmers Market and Saturday Market. The company was great. I didn't have much picture taking success. This is the picture I put my most hope in and it's growing on me. I really liked this puppy a lot.
2. Russell, Mary, and I went to lunch at Pure and I loved my bowl of miso soup and my eight piece Dracula sushi roll: fresh water eel, spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, and shrimp tempura. It was also really fun talking about a variety of things with Russell and Mary. I always enjoy Mary's discussions of the theater in New York City and her latest reports on photography exhibits in there, too, among many other things.
3. I replaced light bulbs. It's good having a little more light around the house.
2. Russell, Mary, and I went to lunch at Pure and I loved my bowl of miso soup and my eight piece Dracula sushi roll: fresh water eel, spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, and shrimp tempura. It was also really fun talking about a variety of things with Russell and Mary. I always enjoy Mary's discussions of the theater in New York City and her latest reports on photography exhibits in there, too, among many other things.
3. I replaced light bulbs. It's good having a little more light around the house.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 11/01/13: Yakking with Rita, Cuban Panini at Heidi's, Brandy Steak at Billy Mac's
1. I drove down to Creswell today and spent about four hours with Rita. Our day began at her house looking at student portraits I took, talking about a wide variety of subjects, and looking at how her plants are maturing and what her plans are for the way she'd like her property to look.
2. We had lunch at Hiedi Tunnell's Creswell Bakery and I liked my Cuban panini a lot. It was the best panini I'd every eaten and I always like cured meats that are made in-house and this Cuban sandwich feature Canadian bacon. (Scratching my head.) It was a delight to eat.
3. I decided to indulge in some of the best Billy Mac's has to offer and ate a Brandy Steak tonight. It's a rib eye covered with a brandy sauce with green peppers, mushrooms, onion and I don't remember what else, but it was so good that I lingered over it for as long as I could, eating it slowly and relishing every bite. I drank a glass of red Goose Bump wine, one of the Deke's favorites and now I know why. It was a great meal and watching the Nets and the Heat and the Blazers and the Nuggets with the Beavers and Trojans on another television and talking and laughing with Derrick, Amber, John, and Kathy made the evening especially fun.
2. We had lunch at Hiedi Tunnell's Creswell Bakery and I liked my Cuban panini a lot. It was the best panini I'd every eaten and I always like cured meats that are made in-house and this Cuban sandwich feature Canadian bacon. (Scratching my head.) It was a delight to eat.
3. I decided to indulge in some of the best Billy Mac's has to offer and ate a Brandy Steak tonight. It's a rib eye covered with a brandy sauce with green peppers, mushrooms, onion and I don't remember what else, but it was so good that I lingered over it for as long as I could, eating it slowly and relishing every bite. I drank a glass of red Goose Bump wine, one of the Deke's favorites and now I know why. It was a great meal and watching the Nets and the Heat and the Blazers and the Nuggets with the Beavers and Trojans on another television and talking and laughing with Derrick, Amber, John, and Kathy made the evening especially fun.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/31/13: Gratitude, Zombie Picture on Lensblr, Smokey Soup
1. One of my students stuck around after class to thank me for being flexible. It was a small gesture on my part, saying "yes" when she asked if she could finish a during class paper at home and email it to me. I appreciated her gratitude and, once again, had it confirmed that running a water tight ship in a college classroom never works as well as sailing one that wanders off course fairly frequently.
2. Today, Lensblr on Tumblr featured a zombie picture I submitted a couple weeks ago and quite a few people "liked" the picture and/or reblogged it. I looked at the blogs of people who reposted it: most were teenagers adding another picture to their collection of ghoulish pictures they had found around the WWeb. I got some attention from some more serious photographers who then "liked" other pictures I have posted . It's the most attention I've ever received in a single day on Tumblr. Heh. The funny part is, I'm am so NOT a zombie guy, but I enjoyed taking the zombie pictures earlier in the month and......
3. I nearly killed a really good soup yesterday and managed to improved it a bit and just decided to think of it as smokey tomato multi-bean vegetable soup.
2. Today, Lensblr on Tumblr featured a zombie picture I submitted a couple weeks ago and quite a few people "liked" the picture and/or reblogged it. I looked at the blogs of people who reposted it: most were teenagers adding another picture to their collection of ghoulish pictures they had found around the WWeb. I got some attention from some more serious photographers who then "liked" other pictures I have posted . It's the most attention I've ever received in a single day on Tumblr. Heh. The funny part is, I'm am so NOT a zombie guy, but I enjoyed taking the zombie pictures earlier in the month and......
3. I nearly killed a really good soup yesterday and managed to improved it a bit and just decided to think of it as smokey tomato multi-bean vegetable soup.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Three Beautiful Things, 10/30/13: Delta Ponds Stroll, Planting Roses, Watching the Sox with a Masshole
1. It's been quite a while since I've strolled the banks of the Delta Ponds just off Goodpasture Island Road. I had a good walk and an egret stood still so I could take its picture, too.
2. I bought three rose plants/bushes and planted them on the south side of the garage in an area once dominated by weeds that the Roto-Rooter people cleared out. I also filled in more of the sink hole before I planted the roses, fertilized them, and mulched them with leaves.
3. The Troxstar invited me over to his crib to watch the Red Sox. Ahhh...this was good...I got to watch the Red Sox win the World Series with a true Masshole who has been a Red Sox fan every day of his life (but not as long as I have!) and is not a 2004 Red Sox Nation bandwagoner. We were in touch with Adam, Scutter, and Souza -- all cradle Red Sox fans, all Massholes. So, not only did I get to experience Game 6 with Massholes, the RED SOX WON the World Series. Unbelievable. I mean Stephen Drew homered. He barely qualifies as a banjo hitter -- more a ukelele -- and he homered!
2. I bought three rose plants/bushes and planted them on the south side of the garage in an area once dominated by weeds that the Roto-Rooter people cleared out. I also filled in more of the sink hole before I planted the roses, fertilized them, and mulched them with leaves.
3. The Troxstar invited me over to his crib to watch the Red Sox. Ahhh...this was good...I got to watch the Red Sox win the World Series with a true Masshole who has been a Red Sox fan every day of his life (but not as long as I have!) and is not a 2004 Red Sox Nation bandwagoner. We were in touch with Adam, Scutter, and Souza -- all cradle Red Sox fans, all Massholes. So, not only did I get to experience Game 6 with Massholes, the RED SOX WON the World Series. Unbelievable. I mean Stephen Drew homered. He barely qualifies as a banjo hitter -- more a ukelele -- and he homered!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/29/13: The Big Picture, Mid-day Lunch at the Pour House, The Deke Arrived
1. As I've done before, I'm working with my WR 115 students on the question of happiness and I showed the documentary Happy today. I wondered, as I watched this movie for about the 10th time, if my students were seeing how this movie consistently claims, through the testimony of scientists and the stories told by a variety of people, that, from this movie's point of view, it's not so much what we achieve ourselves or do for ourselves so much as what we do with and for others that brings happiness. I wonder if they understand happiness less as a feeling than as a condition, a way of being, as less about feeling good and more about living for purposes that extend far beyond concern for self or for individuality.
2. After classes ended, and after caring for the dogs, I sauntered over to the Falling Sky Pour House and Delicatessen for a Corned Beef Rubin and pint of very tasty Daywalker Irish Red. It'd been a while since I'd had a red ale and I enjoyed it a lot. It being mid-afternoon, the place was quiet and I read from a few articles in the New Yorker while enjoying my food. Maybe if I write this down, I'll remember for the future: a half a sandwich at this deli is plenty for me. Less would be more for me when it comes to full enjoyment of the splendid Rubin this place makes.
3. Everything worked out for the Deke today and I got to see a darling short video of Olivia greeting her at the airport.
2. After classes ended, and after caring for the dogs, I sauntered over to the Falling Sky Pour House and Delicatessen for a Corned Beef Rubin and pint of very tasty Daywalker Irish Red. It'd been a while since I'd had a red ale and I enjoyed it a lot. It being mid-afternoon, the place was quiet and I read from a few articles in the New Yorker while enjoying my food. Maybe if I write this down, I'll remember for the future: a half a sandwich at this deli is plenty for me. Less would be more for me when it comes to full enjoyment of the splendid Rubin this place makes.
3. Everything worked out for the Deke today and I got to see a darling short video of Olivia greeting her at the airport.
Three Beautiful Things 10/28/13: The Deke Grounded, Watching the Amazin' Mets, More Flavor in the Stir Fry
1. The Deke and I were up at four a.m. so she could catch her flight for a visit to her daughters and grandkids. The Deke found out at the airport that the flight was cancelled, so I turned around on Dove St. and Highway 99 and headed back out to the airport to pick her up and so we had each other's company for another day. It was good.
2. I discovered the other day that there are some complete baseball games posted on YouTube from past World Series and other playoffs and I was particularly interested in watching the Mets win Game 5 and clinch the 1969 World Series. I didn't see the game when I was a sophomore in high school. It was played during the day and I was in school, but I remember coming into the band room some time that day and Mr. Exum told me the Mets had won. I couldn't believe it then and I was kind of blown away watching the entire game today. What struck me the most was how low key the telecast was. Lots of silence. No advertisement while the game was being played, except for mention of NBC sports coverage about twice. All commercials came on between the half innings and were not a part of the YouTube recording. I'm wondering if media historians can pin point when sports broadcasting became so loud, hyped up, shot through with ads. Really, in this broadcast, Curt Gowdy and Lindsey Nelson, for the most part, pretty much let the events of the game speak for themselves. They didn't try to make it more than it was. I got a kick out of Tony Kubek being the roaming reporter with interviews in the box seats with Toots Shor, Bowie Kuhn, Pearl Bailey, Nancy Seaver, Joe DiMaggio, Averell Harriman and others.
3. I stir fried a bunch of vegetables, featuring eggplant, and seasoned the meal with ginger, garlic, basil, and celantro and fried the rice in sesame oil. I wondered if I'd gone overboard, but, no, I hadn't. The Deke and I loved all the flavors and it encouraged me to keep trying out ways to vary our vegetarian diet at home.
2. I discovered the other day that there are some complete baseball games posted on YouTube from past World Series and other playoffs and I was particularly interested in watching the Mets win Game 5 and clinch the 1969 World Series. I didn't see the game when I was a sophomore in high school. It was played during the day and I was in school, but I remember coming into the band room some time that day and Mr. Exum told me the Mets had won. I couldn't believe it then and I was kind of blown away watching the entire game today. What struck me the most was how low key the telecast was. Lots of silence. No advertisement while the game was being played, except for mention of NBC sports coverage about twice. All commercials came on between the half innings and were not a part of the YouTube recording. I'm wondering if media historians can pin point when sports broadcasting became so loud, hyped up, shot through with ads. Really, in this broadcast, Curt Gowdy and Lindsey Nelson, for the most part, pretty much let the events of the game speak for themselves. They didn't try to make it more than it was. I got a kick out of Tony Kubek being the roaming reporter with interviews in the box seats with Toots Shor, Bowie Kuhn, Pearl Bailey, Nancy Seaver, Joe DiMaggio, Averell Harriman and others.
3. I stir fried a bunch of vegetables, featuring eggplant, and seasoned the meal with ginger, garlic, basil, and celantro and fried the rice in sesame oil. I wondered if I'd gone overboard, but, no, I hadn't. The Deke and I loved all the flavors and it encouraged me to keep trying out ways to vary our vegetarian diet at home.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/27/13: Insecure Taking Pictures, Olivia in 2011, World Series Relief
1. I worked all day on recovering pictures from a memory card, culling them, and editing the ones I want to keep. I couldn't help but observe that I've been too insecure taking pictures. Time and time again, too many times to count, I have taken multiple pictures of the same subject, as if repeating the shot over and over again will mean that I'll get a good picture out of all these shots. Over the past couple of days, I've come to regard this not as a strength of taking digital pictures, but as a drawback. I actually think it will do my confidence some good as I continue to do more of what I've done lately: visualize a picture, go for it, and don't repeat it twelve times out of fear that the picture won't work.
2. It was fun to remember that when Molly and Olivia lived with us, I took quite a few pictures of Olivia, just not on a daily basis. I remember thinking that I should be taking more pictures of Olivia. I remember berating myself for being inattentive, not taking pictures daily of her. Having looked at pictures I took, I'm more forgiving. No, I didn't take daily pictures, but I got some pretty good ones, like this:
3. One of the things I enjoy about post-season baseball? Pitchers who are starters during the regular season pulling bullpen duty in the playoffs. In the playoffs, pitching rotations and days of rest don't matter as much because of the urgency of each game, inning, and pitch. The Red Sox are getting some great innings of relief out of Felix Doubront and I enjoyed that John Lackey entered tonight's game and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, even after he was the starter in Game 2 and might be the starter in Game 6 on Wednesday. In the post-season it's all about three words: Git r done.
(This makes me think of Randy Johnson's 7th game relief appearance to get the final four outs against the Yankees, a day after throwing over 100 pitches in Game 6. I also relished Bert Blyleven's four innings of scoreless relief in a must-win Game 5 in '79 against the Orioles on two days' rest. That was the performance of Blyleven's I'll always remember most and, for me, was always what paved his way to Cooperstown. [Not many see it this way.]).
2. It was fun to remember that when Molly and Olivia lived with us, I took quite a few pictures of Olivia, just not on a daily basis. I remember thinking that I should be taking more pictures of Olivia. I remember berating myself for being inattentive, not taking pictures daily of her. Having looked at pictures I took, I'm more forgiving. No, I didn't take daily pictures, but I got some pretty good ones, like this:
3. One of the things I enjoy about post-season baseball? Pitchers who are starters during the regular season pulling bullpen duty in the playoffs. In the playoffs, pitching rotations and days of rest don't matter as much because of the urgency of each game, inning, and pitch. The Red Sox are getting some great innings of relief out of Felix Doubront and I enjoyed that John Lackey entered tonight's game and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, even after he was the starter in Game 2 and might be the starter in Game 6 on Wednesday. In the post-season it's all about three words: Git r done.
(This makes me think of Randy Johnson's 7th game relief appearance to get the final four outs against the Yankees, a day after throwing over 100 pitches in Game 6. I also relished Bert Blyleven's four innings of scoreless relief in a must-win Game 5 in '79 against the Orioles on two days' rest. That was the performance of Blyleven's I'll always remember most and, for me, was always what paved his way to Cooperstown. [Not many see it this way.]).
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/26/13: Going Back Through Pictures, Sweet Life Almond Biscotti, Ducks Empty Out Cornucopia!
1. About year ago, a portable hard drive I purchased and put my pictures on crashed. I still had the pictures, unedited, on my many memory cards and today (and last night) I finally really got going on going through these cards, culling the many bad pictures I've taken, and editing the ones I'm keeping. I've got a long way to go, but it's fun looking at these pictures again, remembering outings with Russell, times with the Baugh/West family, times when our grandchildren and their mothers were here, and remembering when I tried out new lenses. It's fun to see how I think I take better pictures now than I did in 2007 (let's say). It was especially fun looking back at pictures from the day in June, 2011 when I went to the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland around 7:00 a.m. and sat and took pictures, walked around and took more, and spent time taking (not great) pictures of the St. Johns bridge. Here are a couple pictures I enjoyed looking at again:
2. I took a very short stroll down to Sweet Life where I enjoyed my new favorite food item there: almond biscotti. I had a cup of coffee, too, and, after much contemplation, decided that I didn't want to interrupt the work I was doing with my pictures, so I didn't go downtown and take pictures of the zombie flashmob world-wide Thriller dance at Kesey Square.
3. With the Ducks playing a 4:00 game against UCLA, meaning people all over town were either at the stadium or glued to their televisions, the Deke and I decided to go to Cornucopia, thinking it would be nearly empty. It was. The Deke worked all day at school and wanted some time to relax and I was hungry so we headed over and had a splendid time: I had a couple Widmer Hefes and a terrific bleu cheese bacon burger and onion rings. And, as usual, the Deke and I figured everything out that needed figuring.
Three Beautiful Things 10/25/13: Come -- Have a Sit, Killer Bean Salad, Elysian's Dark O' Moon
1. I took a walk several blocks north of where we live where I knew a number of people have chairs and sofas and benches,etc. on their porches and in their yards. I took pictures of many of them to add to my "Come -- Have a Sit" picture album. It's a fun project.
2. I made a killer salad today with white beans, red onion, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and basil, topped with an olive oil, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon, and crushed garlic dressing. As I read the ingredients, it doesn't seem like much, but it is really, really good.
3. Those two 22 oz bottles of Elysian Dark O' Moon pumpkin stout have been sitting the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and tonight the Deke and I relaxed into our evening by enjoying them.
2. I made a killer salad today with white beans, red onion, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and basil, topped with an olive oil, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon, and crushed garlic dressing. As I read the ingredients, it doesn't seem like much, but it is really, really good.
3. Those two 22 oz bottles of Elysian Dark O' Moon pumpkin stout have been sitting the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and tonight the Deke and I relaxed into our evening by enjoying them.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/24/13: Rested Grading, Afternoon Kolsch, Perfect Billy Mac's Dinner
1. The Deke, tired as she is, cheerily agreed to give me a ride to work at 7 this morning so I could finish grading papers before my classes met at 10 and 12. It worked out perfectly. I finished the grading when my mind and mood are at their best and finished my work in the quiet privacy of the work space I have in Russell's office.
2. I decided to ride the UO bus from LCC, get off at Patterson, have a pint at 16 Tons, and then give myself a good walk home. The beer was a kolsch from Claim 52 brewed with blueberry tea. Kolsch is one of my favorite styles of beer. I enjoyed how light and pleasing this pint was and the blueberry taste was very subtle, very pleasing.
3. Once home, I was really hungry and so the Deke and I went to Billy Mac's early, earlier than our friends would be coming. I loved having blackened Ahi tacos with margaritas and then Michael and Pam came in and we got to talk with them, too. Billy Mac's was getting really, really busy as we finished up, so we got to enjoy a quiet time eating our dinner and left at just the right time. It was a perfect dinner out.
2. I decided to ride the UO bus from LCC, get off at Patterson, have a pint at 16 Tons, and then give myself a good walk home. The beer was a kolsch from Claim 52 brewed with blueberry tea. Kolsch is one of my favorite styles of beer. I enjoyed how light and pleasing this pint was and the blueberry taste was very subtle, very pleasing.
3. Once home, I was really hungry and so the Deke and I went to Billy Mac's early, earlier than our friends would be coming. I loved having blackened Ahi tacos with margaritas and then Michael and Pam came in and we got to talk with them, too. Billy Mac's was getting really, really busy as we finished up, so we got to enjoy a quiet time eating our dinner and left at just the right time. It was a perfect dinner out.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/23/13: Perfect for Yard Work, Perfect for a Walk to the Bank, Perfect for Grading Papers
1. This gorgeous autumn morning was perfect for raking the leaves in the backyard and mowing the grass.
2. This gorgeous autumn morning was perfect for walking to the credit union and securing a new debit card.
3. This gorgeous autumn evening was perfect for going with the Deke to the High Street Brewery and Cafe and grading papers together, with the help, for me, of my favorite of all beers: a Hammerhead.
2. This gorgeous autumn morning was perfect for walking to the credit union and securing a new debit card.
3. This gorgeous autumn evening was perfect for going with the Deke to the High Street Brewery and Cafe and grading papers together, with the help, for me, of my favorite of all beers: a Hammerhead.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/22/13: Discussing Happiness, Tacos and Beer, "The Glass Menagerie" on Broadway
1. My ten o'clock WR 115 class has some students who like to discuss things and our discussion about value-based vs. physical, feel-good happiness was really good.
2. After I taught my classes, I stopped in at the First National Taphouse for a couple of splendid $2.00 beef brisket tacos and a pint of one of my favorite beers, Firestone DBA.
3. My mid-afternoon snack was made even more enjoyable by Hilton Als' review in a recent issue of *The New Yorker* of a Broadway production of "The Glass Menagerie" featuring Cherry Jones as Amanda. I appreciated and enjoyed his review of the performance more than I admired his discussion of Tennesee Williams and his general comments about "The Glass Menagerie", which he described as depthless. I experience it as deep, both emotionally and intellectually, as an exploration of family, memory, abandonment, and the American restless desire to break out, to be free.
2. After I taught my classes, I stopped in at the First National Taphouse for a couple of splendid $2.00 beef brisket tacos and a pint of one of my favorite beers, Firestone DBA.
3. My mid-afternoon snack was made even more enjoyable by Hilton Als' review in a recent issue of *The New Yorker* of a Broadway production of "The Glass Menagerie" featuring Cherry Jones as Amanda. I appreciated and enjoyed his review of the performance more than I admired his discussion of Tennesee Williams and his general comments about "The Glass Menagerie", which he described as depthless. I experience it as deep, both emotionally and intellectually, as an exploration of family, memory, abandonment, and the American restless desire to break out, to be free.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/21/13: Come Have a Sit, Autumn Yard Work, No Recipe White Bean and Rice Vegetable Soup
1. I strolled the neighborhood in the fog and ended up taking picture of chairs and benches in my neighbors' yards and benches as part of an album I've been adding to on Facebook:
2. I continued to chip away at autumn yard work. I worked on filling in the depression left behind by the sewer workers and mowed the front lawn.
3. I cooked up a great soup: crushed fire roasted tomatoes, spinach, white beans, leftover brown rice, onion, garlic, carrots, red cabbage, mushrooms, celery, and bok choy. The Deke and both enjoyed it. A lot.
2. I continued to chip away at autumn yard work. I worked on filling in the depression left behind by the sewer workers and mowed the front lawn.
3. I cooked up a great soup: crushed fire roasted tomatoes, spinach, white beans, leftover brown rice, onion, garlic, carrots, red cabbage, mushrooms, celery, and bok choy. The Deke and both enjoyed it. A lot.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/20/13: Saturday in the Park and on the River, True Value Blender, Pumpkin Beer and Chicken Soup
1. I had taken about a hundred pictures yesterday when Russell and I strolled on the east bank of the Willamette River to Delta Ponds and back to Maurie Jacobs Park. I sorted through them, edited them, posted certain ones, deleted others, and enjoyed having time to work with my pictures and share them with others. One former student asked if she could use this picture as her desktop picture. I enjoyed that request a lot, especially because it came from someone I deeply admire:
2. Every once in a while I buy something I want. I don't do this very often. But I've been wanting to do some things in the kitchen that would go better with a blender, so I stopped in at Eugene's True Value and bought a simple blender. Because I don't buy things for myself very often, when I do, it's really fun. And, as a bonus, a wonderful student of mine from several years ago works at True Value and was my checker today. I always enjoy seeing her.
3. The Deke and I decided to try out some of the pumpkin beer on tap at the Bier Stein. It was fun and we both liked Elysian's Dark o' the Moon best. Then we went to the Pour House for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It was my first bowl ever at the Pour House and I loved it. Its slightly smoky taste made it unlike any chicken noodle soup I'd ever tasted.
2. Every once in a while I buy something I want. I don't do this very often. But I've been wanting to do some things in the kitchen that would go better with a blender, so I stopped in at Eugene's True Value and bought a simple blender. Because I don't buy things for myself very often, when I do, it's really fun. And, as a bonus, a wonderful student of mine from several years ago works at True Value and was my checker today. I always enjoy seeing her.
3. The Deke and I decided to try out some of the pumpkin beer on tap at the Bier Stein. It was fun and we both liked Elysian's Dark o' the Moon best. Then we went to the Pour House for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It was my first bowl ever at the Pour House and I loved it. Its slightly smoky taste made it unlike any chicken noodle soup I'd ever tasted.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/19/13: Perfect Morning for Fall Garden Clean Up, Perfect Photo Day, Perfect Timing at Billy Mac's
1. My flowers needed deadheading, some annuals needed to be yanked out of the ground, and the garden hoses needed to be stored and so I took some time on this glorious cool cloudless morning to work in the yard and began to chart in my mind other tasks to work on over the next several days or weeks.
2. Russell and I strolled along the Willamette River on our picture taking walk today. I enjoyed seeing heron again, seeing the autumn colors reflected in the Delta Ponds, and the all the activity on the river path: bicyclists, skateboarders, lovers, families, others walking, some taking pictures, all entranced by this perfect autumn day.
3. I hesitated at first, thinking the joint might be crowded with Duck fans coming early for the 7:30 game, to watch it on t.v. But, we went to Billy Mac's and it was not busy at all and the Deke and I enjoyed some drinks. I had a great slice of prime rib (meat tastes really good when I don't have it often) with rolls and perfectly prepared vegetables and rice pilaf. The Deke and I had some first-rate conversation and as we finished and prepared to leave, the Duck fans were rolling in and the joint was starting to get noisy. Our timing was perfect.
2. Russell and I strolled along the Willamette River on our picture taking walk today. I enjoyed seeing heron again, seeing the autumn colors reflected in the Delta Ponds, and the all the activity on the river path: bicyclists, skateboarders, lovers, families, others walking, some taking pictures, all entranced by this perfect autumn day.
3. I hesitated at first, thinking the joint might be crowded with Duck fans coming early for the 7:30 game, to watch it on t.v. But, we went to Billy Mac's and it was not busy at all and the Deke and I enjoyed some drinks. I had a great slice of prime rib (meat tastes really good when I don't have it often) with rolls and perfectly prepared vegetables and rice pilaf. The Deke and I had some first-rate conversation and as we finished and prepared to leave, the Duck fans were rolling in and the joint was starting to get noisy. Our timing was perfect.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/18/13: Fog Pictures, A Place to Sit, Solid Stir Fry
1. It was dark when I got out of bed and it was foggy. Immediately, I decided to finish my cup of coffee and get outside with my camera and see what kind of pictures I could take in the morning fog, a completely new venture for me. Here are a few of the pictures I took:
2. At some point during my two walks in the fog, I was struck by the number of benches and chairs sit in yards and other out of doors locations in my neighborhood and so I started a set of pictures, in black and white, of these places to sit. Here's one:
3. While editing and making FB albums of the many pictures I took today, I realized we had just enough produce left in the house for a solid stir fry: sweet onion, sugar snap peas, broccoli, zucchini, and white mushrooms. We still had a block of tofu. We also had a package of Chinese noodles. So, I fried up the vegetables and tofu, boiled the noodles, fried the noodles in sesame oil, and the Deke and I enjoy a fine meal late this afternoon.
2. At some point during my two walks in the fog, I was struck by the number of benches and chairs sit in yards and other out of doors locations in my neighborhood and so I started a set of pictures, in black and white, of these places to sit. Here's one:
3. While editing and making FB albums of the many pictures I took today, I realized we had just enough produce left in the house for a solid stir fry: sweet onion, sugar snap peas, broccoli, zucchini, and white mushrooms. We still had a block of tofu. We also had a package of Chinese noodles. So, I fried up the vegetables and tofu, boiled the noodles, fried the noodles in sesame oil, and the Deke and I enjoy a fine meal late this afternoon.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/17/13: Agitated Student(s), Weihenstephan Feistbeir, Regaling the Deke
1. I have learned that almost 100% of the time, when a student is disgruntled, complains about class, blows up, comes late to class, seems distracted, doesn't get work done, acts like a jerk, seems out of sorts, it's not about the course and it's not about me as the teacher or as a person. It's not very often about the student being a jerk. It's always something crappy in the student's life outside of class, some pressure at work, a problem with a friend/spouse/girl-boy friend, something family related with custody or problems a student's child is having at school that the student brings to school and acts out about. It doesn't matter what the student's age is. It's universal. I have resolved that if it seems to me a student is trying to pick an argument with me or is looking for trouble, I'll be patient, try to wait it out, and almost always what surfaces, without me asking, is that the problem is really elsewhere. It happened again today and the student in question and I said our farewells after class today on great terms. By not getting riled up and staying calm, I sure make my life smoother, sometimes easier.
2. I hadn't been to the Bier Stein for a while and dropped in after work and enjoyed, half a glass at a time, three Weihenstephan Festbeirs, an Oktoberfest/Marzen Lager with a half a tuna salad sandwich and a cup of beer cheese soup. I love German lagers and this one was perfect for me: light, a little sweet, clean, crisp, slightly bitter, very easy to enjoy.
3. I regaled the Deke this evening from my side of the living room as I played parts of songs from the mid to late sixties. What a golden age of pop music! The classics: "Try to Remember" sung by Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, and Jim Nabors. More Jim Nabors: "Impossible Dream". Ed Ames, "Try to Remember". I played "Love is Blue" including the Claudine Longet vocal version. I played "Sugar, Sugar". "I Think I Love You." Some Brooklyn Bridge -- "It's the Worst that Could Happen". Oh there was more and the Deke laughed and identified songs as quickly as she could. ("I'm good!" She is.) We wrapped it up with Jeannie C. Riley and "Harper Valley P.T.A.".
2. I hadn't been to the Bier Stein for a while and dropped in after work and enjoyed, half a glass at a time, three Weihenstephan Festbeirs, an Oktoberfest/Marzen Lager with a half a tuna salad sandwich and a cup of beer cheese soup. I love German lagers and this one was perfect for me: light, a little sweet, clean, crisp, slightly bitter, very easy to enjoy.
3. I regaled the Deke this evening from my side of the living room as I played parts of songs from the mid to late sixties. What a golden age of pop music! The classics: "Try to Remember" sung by Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, and Jim Nabors. More Jim Nabors: "Impossible Dream". Ed Ames, "Try to Remember". I played "Love is Blue" including the Claudine Longet vocal version. I played "Sugar, Sugar". "I Think I Love You." Some Brooklyn Bridge -- "It's the Worst that Could Happen". Oh there was more and the Deke laughed and identified songs as quickly as she could. ("I'm good!" She is.) We wrapped it up with Jeannie C. Riley and "Harper Valley P.T.A.".
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/16/13: Gorgeous Day for Pictures, Failed with a Street Kid, Bulgar Salad
1. Today was a classically gorgeous autumn day: no clouds, chilled air, plenty of shadows and light, and vividly coloring leaves. I walked around the neighborhood and strolled downtown and took pictures.
2. I sat on a picnic table outside Sizzle and a street kid chatted me up and I asked him he wanted me to take his picture. He said he did and told me about the colorful garments he was wearing and he struck a few silly poses. I couldn't get things right, however, with the light (my inexperience showing) and the pictures were lousy. Otherwise, I'd post them.
3. I made a bunch of bulgar and seasoned chick peas with cumin and fried up some tofu with Greek seasoning and mixed up the bulgar and chick peas and tofu with tomatoes, celery, garlic, red pepper, juice squeezed from a lemon, olive oil, celantro, and kalamata olives and fixed a salad. The Deke said it was my best ever. It's good for the kidneys, too.
2. I sat on a picnic table outside Sizzle and a street kid chatted me up and I asked him he wanted me to take his picture. He said he did and told me about the colorful garments he was wearing and he struck a few silly poses. I couldn't get things right, however, with the light (my inexperience showing) and the pictures were lousy. Otherwise, I'd post them.
3. I made a bunch of bulgar and seasoned chick peas with cumin and fried up some tofu with Greek seasoning and mixed up the bulgar and chick peas and tofu with tomatoes, celery, garlic, red pepper, juice squeezed from a lemon, olive oil, celantro, and kalamata olives and fixed a salad. The Deke said it was my best ever. It's good for the kidneys, too.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/15/13: The Independent Clause Rules, My Mind Has a Mind of Its Own, Best Ever
1. I really love the science and structures of the English sentence and trying to help my students see that the English sentence is defined by the independent clause. It's so simple, though not easy. I hope all my enthusiasm and humor and passion about the independent clause also had some clarity and that at least some of my students learned a little more about taking charge of the sentence construction rather than guessing or relying on what feels right.
2. In keeping with my mind having a mind of its own, wandering, unfocused, and forgetful, last night I left my camera on the floor of the back seat in the car and my phone in the cup holder between the two front seats. The car was locked. Both items are black and hard to see at night in the dark car. All the same, I'm usually obsessive, in a good way, about taking care not to leave things in the car for the night time petty thieves that walk our neighborhood to be tempted to get their hands on. But, no harm done. The Deke drove the car to school, discovered my fruits of my distracted mind, and secured them at school and both are now back in my possession.
3. Maybe it was frying the rice in sesame oil and then pouring some soy sauce over it while it fried. I don't know. But the Deke and I agreed that the stir fry I made tonight was, in the Deke's economic assessment: "Best ever."
2. In keeping with my mind having a mind of its own, wandering, unfocused, and forgetful, last night I left my camera on the floor of the back seat in the car and my phone in the cup holder between the two front seats. The car was locked. Both items are black and hard to see at night in the dark car. All the same, I'm usually obsessive, in a good way, about taking care not to leave things in the car for the night time petty thieves that walk our neighborhood to be tempted to get their hands on. But, no harm done. The Deke drove the car to school, discovered my fruits of my distracted mind, and secured them at school and both are now back in my possession.
3. Maybe it was frying the rice in sesame oil and then pouring some soy sauce over it while it fried. I don't know. But the Deke and I agreed that the stir fry I made tonight was, in the Deke's economic assessment: "Best ever."
Three Beautiful Things 10/14/13: Glitch at Costco Works Out Fine, Glitch at Amazon Works Out Fine, Beer Glitches Work Out Fine
1. Over the past ten days or so, I've been suffering from a lack of focus and while nothing has gone terribly wrong, I've had more flub ups than usual in my schoolwork, tasks around the house, and other places. My focus in the moment seems to be about 81.5%. Today I took the portraits I took of my WR 115 students to Costco and it took me much longer than usual to get things right at the machine where I place my order. As a result, I was out there about an hour longer than I had planned. As with all the other flubs over the past ten days, everything eventually worked out fine, but I hope before long I can relieve my mind of whatever I'm finding so distracting.
2. In this same vein, I preordered the book Humans of New York back in April as a birthday gift for sister Carol. Over the weekend I learned the order had been denied because I no longer used the Visa card I made the order with. No problem. But then it took me over an hour to finally complete the order, including a talk on the phone with Andy at Amazon Canada. He was very helpful, and I'm glad the order, in time, got completed, but having these little, barely consequential things, go awry eats up a lot of time in a day.
3. I picked up the Deke from work and we stopped off at Sixteen Tons South for a pint and a half of beer. We had a great talk about where things are headed in our life together, but in keeping with my distracted self, every time I went to the counter to order another half pint, I got the order wrong and the very patient man running the taps remembered what we'd been drinking and corrected me. All's well that ends well, I suppose, but I'd sure like my concentration back.
2. In this same vein, I preordered the book Humans of New York back in April as a birthday gift for sister Carol. Over the weekend I learned the order had been denied because I no longer used the Visa card I made the order with. No problem. But then it took me over an hour to finally complete the order, including a talk on the phone with Andy at Amazon Canada. He was very helpful, and I'm glad the order, in time, got completed, but having these little, barely consequential things, go awry eats up a lot of time in a day.
3. I picked up the Deke from work and we stopped off at Sixteen Tons South for a pint and a half of beer. We had a great talk about where things are headed in our life together, but in keeping with my distracted self, every time I went to the counter to order another half pint, I got the order wrong and the very patient man running the taps remembered what we'd been drinking and corrected me. All's well that ends well, I suppose, but I'd sure like my concentration back.
Three Beautiful Things 10/13/13: Editing Pictures and Pleasing Some Friends, Chick Pea Tabbouleh Rice Salad, Brandy is Dandy
1. I spent a lot of time editing pictures from the zombie flash mob "Thriller" performance at St. Vincent de Paul's in north Eugene and from the Masonic Cemetery in south Eugene. I really enjoyed the fact that so many were good pictures and others enjoyed them and took the time to tell me so. I was really happy that some friends (many of them from Kellogg!) liked this one:
I wanted to portray the blend of dying and living trees in the foreground with a blur of color from the leaves in the neighborhood below. That several people liked this shot made me very happy.
2. While I worked on pictures, I also made a variation on the tabbouleh rice salad we enjoy so much. I combined brown rice and freshly cooked chick peas with cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and a lot of celantro. I forgot the lemon juice, which was dumb of me, and I didn't have almonds on hand. Even with those things absent, the Deke and I gobbled up this salad in no time and really enjoyed the addition of the chick peas.
3. It's sure nice to always have a bottle of brandy in the house and mix it with some white creme de menthe or just drink it alone over ice.
2. While I worked on pictures, I also made a variation on the tabbouleh rice salad we enjoy so much. I combined brown rice and freshly cooked chick peas with cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and a lot of celantro. I forgot the lemon juice, which was dumb of me, and I didn't have almonds on hand. Even with those things absent, the Deke and I gobbled up this salad in no time and really enjoyed the addition of the chick peas.
3. It's sure nice to always have a bottle of brandy in the house and mix it with some white creme de menthe or just drink it alone over ice.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/12/13: Zombies at St. Vincent de Paul's, Cemetery Pictures, More Pumpkin Stout
1. Until today I had had nothing to do with zombies. No movies. No costume. Nothing. Russell thought it would be fun to go to St. Vincent de Paul's in north Eugene and take pictures at the Zombie Flash Mob where a mob of zombies would perform Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I was game and now I have had a zombie experience. Here are a couple of the about ninety pictures I took.
2. I follow a photographer on Tumblr who goes by nevermindthecamera and recently she took and posted a bunch of pictures of a cemetery. Having seen these and having just taken pictures of zombies, I recommended to Russell that we continue our day of picture taking at the Eugene Masonic Cemetery in south Eugene. Here are a couple of my pictures from this part of our Saturday picture taking stroll.
3. After dropping Maggie and Charly off at the groomers, where, by the way, they came out looking clean and handsomely trimmed, the Deke and I returned to Sixteen Tons, hoping the keg of Elysian Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout had not run dry. It hadn't and we enjoyed a pint and a half before returning to Petsmart to pick up our clean and happy corgis.
2. I follow a photographer on Tumblr who goes by nevermindthecamera and recently she took and posted a bunch of pictures of a cemetery. Having seen these and having just taken pictures of zombies, I recommended to Russell that we continue our day of picture taking at the Eugene Masonic Cemetery in south Eugene. Here are a couple of my pictures from this part of our Saturday picture taking stroll.
3. After dropping Maggie and Charly off at the groomers, where, by the way, they came out looking clean and handsomely trimmed, the Deke and I returned to Sixteen Tons, hoping the keg of Elysian Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout had not run dry. It hadn't and we enjoyed a pint and a half before returning to Petsmart to pick up our clean and happy corgis.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/11/13: More Details About My Kidney Disease, Sabai, Pumpkin Stout at Sixteen Tons
1. Here's the deal: my kidneys are diseased. My disease is stage 4 which is severe kidney disease. The kidneys are able to function pretty well, though, even when severely diseased. The best test to measure kidney function is the GFR or glomerular filtration rate. GFR is measured on a 1-100 basis. When one's GFR is between 15 and 29 that's stage 4 or severe kidney disease. I've been in this range for the last nine or ten years at least. Through controlling my blood pressure and regular monitoring of my kidney function, my doctors and I hope to maintain a GFR result above 20. Once the GFR falls below 20, it's time to get things going to plan a transplant. When I saw my nephrologist in July, my GFR had fallen to around 20 or just below. He told me that over these several years he'd never seen such slow progress in a kidney disease like mine and that he wanted to wait until my next visit in January and see how things looked. He didn't see a need to get the transplant wheels turning just yet. (Renal failure occurs when the GFR falls below 15.)
I had blood work done this week and my GFR had improved since July, a development I'm very happy about. It improved to 23.2. Another measure used to determine kidney function is creatinine levels in the blood. Healthy kidneys filter out creatinine. My levels of creatinine had come down.
I attribute this improvement to weight loss. I've lost weight since I donated my car to the Kidney Foundation and forced myself to walk more.
I also attribute this improvement to having changed to cutting animal protein out of my diet. I do not eat any animal protein at home, although I drink some milk, but I often enjoy eating meat when I eat in restaurants or am a guest at someone else's home.
I'm convinced that the reduction of animal protein has helped my kidneys improve.
If you are still reading this, what I've stated here is good news, but within the context of this chronic disease. My kidneys are severely damaged, but the key to my continuing to live well is stability and I'm happy to say that my visit to the doctor today showed not only that my kidney function is still stable, but that it improved a bit.
2. After I was done at the doctor's, I drove to Sabai and ate there for the first time. I ordered the Fancy Thai Eggplant with tofu and enjoyed the sweetness and the fire of the sauce and the way the vegetables were stir fried lightly, meaning they were not raw, but they had some crunch. It was kind of a perfect meal to eat while reflecting upon my visit to the doctor.
3. The Deke and I went to Sixteen Tons after I picked her up from school and enjoyed a pint and a half of Elysian Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout which was gorgeous to look at and delicious to drink. Its pumpkiny richness was spiced with a touch of cinammon and with a hit of hops it was like drinking a slice of moderately sweet pumpkin pie with a slight bitter bite. We loved it. I also went next door and got a couple bbq sandwiches to go from that new place that used to be Dickie Jo's and we enjoyed our food while drinking the last of our pumpkin stout.
I had blood work done this week and my GFR had improved since July, a development I'm very happy about. It improved to 23.2. Another measure used to determine kidney function is creatinine levels in the blood. Healthy kidneys filter out creatinine. My levels of creatinine had come down.
I attribute this improvement to weight loss. I've lost weight since I donated my car to the Kidney Foundation and forced myself to walk more.
I also attribute this improvement to having changed to cutting animal protein out of my diet. I do not eat any animal protein at home, although I drink some milk, but I often enjoy eating meat when I eat in restaurants or am a guest at someone else's home.
I'm convinced that the reduction of animal protein has helped my kidneys improve.
If you are still reading this, what I've stated here is good news, but within the context of this chronic disease. My kidneys are severely damaged, but the key to my continuing to live well is stability and I'm happy to say that my visit to the doctor today showed not only that my kidney function is still stable, but that it improved a bit.
2. After I was done at the doctor's, I drove to Sabai and ate there for the first time. I ordered the Fancy Thai Eggplant with tofu and enjoyed the sweetness and the fire of the sauce and the way the vegetables were stir fried lightly, meaning they were not raw, but they had some crunch. It was kind of a perfect meal to eat while reflecting upon my visit to the doctor.
3. The Deke and I went to Sixteen Tons after I picked her up from school and enjoyed a pint and a half of Elysian Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout which was gorgeous to look at and delicious to drink. Its pumpkiny richness was spiced with a touch of cinammon and with a hit of hops it was like drinking a slice of moderately sweet pumpkin pie with a slight bitter bite. We loved it. I also went next door and got a couple bbq sandwiches to go from that new place that used to be Dickie Jo's and we enjoyed our food while drinking the last of our pumpkin stout.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/10/13: Teaching on Too Little Sleep, Tasty Thai Revival, Stinger Nightcap
1. One reason I retired was to stop being so tired. It took me six hours to email those pictures last night. I went to bed at one a.m. and was up shortly after six. I don't want to do this again, but I took some cold comfort in realizing I can still do it, can still teach with clarity and passion on too little sleep.
2. When I don't get enough sleep in dehydrates me. When I get dehydrated, I get very fatigued. Often, I'm too fatigued to recognize the source of my fatigue. After class, I sat for a half an hour in my office, dozed off, woke up, sat in a stupor, dozed off, and then finally decided to trudge to the bus. Once on the bus I realized why I was so spent. I was dehydrated. I got off the bus at Sacred Heart Medical Center and crept to Tasty Thai, ordered a plate of ginger garlic stir fry and drank about six or seven glasses of water. The food and water revived me.
3. On my way home from a meeting with lectors and lay eucharistic ministers at church, I remembered the Deke had kind of jokingly asked me the night before (or two nights before) if we had a stinger in the house. So, I stopped off at the liquor store and bought a bottle of brandy and a bottle of white creme de menthe and the Deke and I enjoyed a stinger to cap off our evening.
2. When I don't get enough sleep in dehydrates me. When I get dehydrated, I get very fatigued. Often, I'm too fatigued to recognize the source of my fatigue. After class, I sat for a half an hour in my office, dozed off, woke up, sat in a stupor, dozed off, and then finally decided to trudge to the bus. Once on the bus I realized why I was so spent. I was dehydrated. I got off the bus at Sacred Heart Medical Center and crept to Tasty Thai, ordered a plate of ginger garlic stir fry and drank about six or seven glasses of water. The food and water revived me.
3. On my way home from a meeting with lectors and lay eucharistic ministers at church, I remembered the Deke had kind of jokingly asked me the night before (or two nights before) if we had a stinger in the house. So, I stopped off at the liquor store and bought a bottle of brandy and a bottle of white creme de menthe and the Deke and I enjoyed a stinger to cap off our evening.
Three Beautiful Things 10/09/13: Editing Portraits, Neighborhood Stroll, Nothing to Get Hung About
1. I took over 200 (non-professional, joyously amateur) portrait shots of about thirty-six students yesterday and went through them all today, cropping here, adding some light there, darkening some of them, leaving others alone. I loved looking at these faces and I loved that these weren't glam shots or senior pictures, but were everyday adults going to school at LCC presenting themselves where they wanted their pictures taken on campus and looking into the camera with whatever level of comfort, discomfort, confidence, insecurity, or bewilderment they were feeling in that moment of having their teacher take their pictures. No one will ever see these pictures unless the students post them somewhere. I've sworn to keep them private and so don't post them. I love these pictures, not because I take great portraits, but because the pictures seem so honest to me and the faces are so various and beautiful.
2. After editing all those pictures, I took a stroll in the neighborhood and took some pictures of autumn arriving and stopped off at Sweet Life for an afternoon cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant.
3.. The Deke and I planned on her coming home at four so I could drive out to Costco and have the student portrait pictures printed. In case something went wrong, the four o'clock time gave me time to recover, correct any error, and still get the pictures printed to hand out to my students on Thursday. She texted me that she'd be home at five. I got to Costco about 5:30 and for reasons I won't explain couldn't easily print the pictures. It was my fault. Had the Deke come home at four, I could have made it work because I would have had time to correct an error I made. I wouldn't have been doing things at about the last minute.
So what's "beautiful" about this? I didn't get upset. I didn't blame the Deke for this minor set back. I emailed the pictures to my students. I'll print them for Tuesday. Things didn't go precisely as I wanted, but I didn't act like it was the end of the world. This calmer, accepting approach to things involving day to day things with the Deke, the upholding of the promise I made about a year and a half ago (and that the Deke also holds to) to not hassle the Deke about anything works beautifully. It means that if a real problem arises and I bring it up, we both know that it's something important because I'm not getting upset about small stuff. Nor is she. The students will get their pictures. The fact things didn't go exactly as I wanted them to will fade away into the oblivion of stuff that doesn't matter. And we won't be wounded by unnecessary digs at each other, by needless hassle.
2. After editing all those pictures, I took a stroll in the neighborhood and took some pictures of autumn arriving and stopped off at Sweet Life for an afternoon cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant.
3.. The Deke and I planned on her coming home at four so I could drive out to Costco and have the student portrait pictures printed. In case something went wrong, the four o'clock time gave me time to recover, correct any error, and still get the pictures printed to hand out to my students on Thursday. She texted me that she'd be home at five. I got to Costco about 5:30 and for reasons I won't explain couldn't easily print the pictures. It was my fault. Had the Deke come home at four, I could have made it work because I would have had time to correct an error I made. I wouldn't have been doing things at about the last minute.
So what's "beautiful" about this? I didn't get upset. I didn't blame the Deke for this minor set back. I emailed the pictures to my students. I'll print them for Tuesday. Things didn't go precisely as I wanted, but I didn't act like it was the end of the world. This calmer, accepting approach to things involving day to day things with the Deke, the upholding of the promise I made about a year and a half ago (and that the Deke also holds to) to not hassle the Deke about anything works beautifully. It means that if a real problem arises and I bring it up, we both know that it's something important because I'm not getting upset about small stuff. Nor is she. The students will get their pictures. The fact things didn't go exactly as I wanted them to will fade away into the oblivion of stuff that doesn't matter. And we won't be wounded by unnecessary digs at each other, by needless hassle.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/08/13: Big Toe Test, Darrell Porter's Nephew, Pils at the Pour House
1. I gave my once inflamed, swollen, angry big toe a test today: I criss-crossed the Lane Community College campus, walking from place to place my students told me they wanted their portraits shot. I enjoyed very much taking the pictures and was happy my toe held up so well. I think it might be about 95% healed. I hope so.
2. One of my students requested that I take his picture at the LCC baseball field and we got to talking about baseball and he told me baseball was in his family's blood and then revealed that he is the nephew of 1982 World Series MVP, Darrell Porter, and we talked about the sad circumstances surrounding Porter's death in 2002. I'd forgotten that Darrell Porter died from the toxic effects of cocaine. What I did remember was that back in the early 1980s, Porter was among the first athletes to publicly acknowledge a drug/alcohol abuse problem and I remembered him talking on camera about his sobriety and how he turned away from the celebration champagne in the clubhouse after the Cardinals' 1982 World Series victory.
3. Things were quiet and it was fun having a pint and a half of Morning After Pils at the Pour House with the Senior and Junior Warden. They invited me wind down with them after their vestry meeting at St. Mary's.
2. One of my students requested that I take his picture at the LCC baseball field and we got to talking about baseball and he told me baseball was in his family's blood and then revealed that he is the nephew of 1982 World Series MVP, Darrell Porter, and we talked about the sad circumstances surrounding Porter's death in 2002. I'd forgotten that Darrell Porter died from the toxic effects of cocaine. What I did remember was that back in the early 1980s, Porter was among the first athletes to publicly acknowledge a drug/alcohol abuse problem and I remembered him talking on camera about his sobriety and how he turned away from the celebration champagne in the clubhouse after the Cardinals' 1982 World Series victory.
3. Things were quiet and it was fun having a pint and a half of Morning After Pils at the Pour House with the Senior and Junior Warden. They invited me wind down with them after their vestry meeting at St. Mary's.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/07/13: Friendly Lab Work, Cinnamon Bliss, Stir Fry for Dinner
1. I have lab work done about every three to four months at the OMG lab and today the woman who drew my blood acted more familiar with me: she said my name when she called it kind of like we were friends and she was friendly as she asked me spell my name and give my birthdate in a way that was a little warmer than professional. I guess I shouldn't be too happy that the reason she is familiar with me is that I go there pretty often, but, all the same, I enjoyed her friendliness and it made the visit to the phlebotomist more pleasant than usual.
2. I broke my fast with a cinnamon roll wad the size of my head made in a cupcake wrapper at the cafe at the clinic and enjoyed a 16 oz coffee. I'm laying off this kind of food for the most part, but I justified it by telling myself I hadn't eaten for twelve hours and that I'd like some food that is sweet and pleasant, but not that nutritious.
3. I put the gingery peanut sauce I made yesterday to good use as the Deke and I topped an onion, tofu,broccoli, mushroom, sugar snap pea, zucchini stir fry served with brown rice fried in sesame oil with the sauce.
2. I broke my fast with a cinnamon roll wad the size of my head made in a cupcake wrapper at the cafe at the clinic and enjoyed a 16 oz coffee. I'm laying off this kind of food for the most part, but I justified it by telling myself I hadn't eaten for twelve hours and that I'd like some food that is sweet and pleasant, but not that nutritious.
3. I put the gingery peanut sauce I made yesterday to good use as the Deke and I topped an onion, tofu,broccoli, mushroom, sugar snap pea, zucchini stir fry served with brown rice fried in sesame oil with the sauce.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Three Beautiful Thngs 10/06/13: Restocking the Food Supply, Boardwalk Tensions, Habakkuk and Nairobi
1. The Deke and I depleted our food supply. Today I restocked it and then both of us went to work, each making salad. The Deke's was cabbage based, mine built upon white beans. Both are delicious. I also made us a supply of peanut sauce to have on hand.
2. I'm finding the tension in Boardwalk Empire excruciating. Each of the multiple story lines has danger lurking inside it, meaning that there is never relief from the fear of danger or of violence. Up to this point, I've not been enamored with the Margaret/Nucky relationship story line, but in episode #9, which I watched this evening, it became clear that Margaret is beginning to understand that she has leverage, she has power in this relationship and she's started to use it. If this was ever a romantic relationship, I think it's moving away from romance now. Is a power struggle, as much political and economic as anything, in the works? We'll see. (If you know the answer, please don't tell me.)
3. As the lector for this morning's 11 o'clock service, I got to read from the Book of Habakkuk. It was a stirring passage and its power increased when Robert Carlson, a longtime Bible translator in Mali, now a university professor in Nairobi, connected the passage from Habakkuk with the violence in Nairobi, and, specifically, the killings at the Westgate Mall.
2. I'm finding the tension in Boardwalk Empire excruciating. Each of the multiple story lines has danger lurking inside it, meaning that there is never relief from the fear of danger or of violence. Up to this point, I've not been enamored with the Margaret/Nucky relationship story line, but in episode #9, which I watched this evening, it became clear that Margaret is beginning to understand that she has leverage, she has power in this relationship and she's started to use it. If this was ever a romantic relationship, I think it's moving away from romance now. Is a power struggle, as much political and economic as anything, in the works? We'll see. (If you know the answer, please don't tell me.)
3. As the lector for this morning's 11 o'clock service, I got to read from the Book of Habakkuk. It was a stirring passage and its power increased when Robert Carlson, a longtime Bible translator in Mali, now a university professor in Nairobi, connected the passage from Habakkuk with the violence in Nairobi, and, specifically, the killings at the Westgate Mall.
- O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
- and you will not listen?
- Or cry to you "Violence!"
- and you will not save?
- Why do you make me see wrong-doing
- and look at trouble?
- Destruction and violence are before me;
- strife and contention arise.
- So the law becomes slack
- and justice never prevails.
- The wicked surround the righteous--
- therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/05/13: Vero Breakfast, Too Short of a Visit, Oregon Duck Fatalism
1. Sister Carol and I made our way over to the Vero espresso house and enjoyed some more conversation and a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee drink. It was nippy outside, but the inside was crowded and noisy and, I, for one, enjoyed being out in the fog where it was quieter, even if a little chilly.
2. The fog lifted and I drove sister Carol to the airport in Portland, wishing that our visits and our sibling outings didn't have to be so short. I wanted more time together in Nelson, I wanted to see more of Carol in Kellogg, and I wanted to have this visit last longer. The good news is that our drive to Portland was safe and so was my drive home and we'll see each other again some time in the next several months.
3. It's funny. The Oregon Ducks are rated by coaches and the press as the second best football team in the USA, but emotionally, I still experience them as the unpredictable, likely to lose Oregon Ducks I used to watch when I moved to Eugene back in 1979. I listened to the Ducks play Colorado on the radio as I drove back from Portland and they didn't score on their first series, they fell behind 3-0 and then 10-8. The Ducks gave up 16 points in the first half, and even though the Ducks scored 43, I was nervous, reacting emotionally as if they were the same kind of team that blew big leads in games in nineties. I can't shake it, I guess. I am one of those fatalistic Duck fans who thinks disaster is just a snap away and just can't seem to get accustomed to their 21st century successes.
2. The fog lifted and I drove sister Carol to the airport in Portland, wishing that our visits and our sibling outings didn't have to be so short. I wanted more time together in Nelson, I wanted to see more of Carol in Kellogg, and I wanted to have this visit last longer. The good news is that our drive to Portland was safe and so was my drive home and we'll see each other again some time in the next several months.
3. It's funny. The Oregon Ducks are rated by coaches and the press as the second best football team in the USA, but emotionally, I still experience them as the unpredictable, likely to lose Oregon Ducks I used to watch when I moved to Eugene back in 1979. I listened to the Ducks play Colorado on the radio as I drove back from Portland and they didn't score on their first series, they fell behind 3-0 and then 10-8. The Ducks gave up 16 points in the first half, and even though the Ducks scored 43, I was nervous, reacting emotionally as if they were the same kind of team that blew big leads in games in nineties. I can't shake it, I guess. I am one of those fatalistic Duck fans who thinks disaster is just a snap away and just can't seem to get accustomed to their 21st century successes.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 10/04/13: Breakfast at Hideaway, Oregon Coast Nostalgia Tour, Chowder Diving
1. After visiting Charlemagne school after dropping the Deke there for her work day, sister Carol and I enjoyed coffee and bagel and cream cheese and a bear claw at the Hideaway Bakery in my ongoing effort to introduce her to our little world in Eugene.
2. Carol and I drove to Yachats and retraced the steps of our family when we used to come over to the Oregon coast together for a few years and stayed in Yachats. Carol and I ate at the Adobe Inn and watched waves crash against the craggy beach. We drove to Haceta Beach and walked the great expanse, practically having the beach to ourselves, and took pictures. We ended our tour of the Oregon Coast with a cup of coffee at Siuslaw River Coffee Roasters (where we were served by Carol -- a fun fact) in Old Town Florence and by picking up a couple of quarts to clam chowder to go from Mo's. We had a splendid afternoon together.
3. Carol, the Deke, and I dove into the buttery Mo's clam chowder and whether it's a good as anyone else's didn't really matter because we were hungry, the chowder warmed us, and we were enjoying being alive in Eugene, Oregon and having family time together, time which is all too rare.
2. Carol and I drove to Yachats and retraced the steps of our family when we used to come over to the Oregon coast together for a few years and stayed in Yachats. Carol and I ate at the Adobe Inn and watched waves crash against the craggy beach. We drove to Haceta Beach and walked the great expanse, practically having the beach to ourselves, and took pictures. We ended our tour of the Oregon Coast with a cup of coffee at Siuslaw River Coffee Roasters (where we were served by Carol -- a fun fact) in Old Town Florence and by picking up a couple of quarts to clam chowder to go from Mo's. We had a splendid afternoon together.
3. Carol, the Deke, and I dove into the buttery Mo's clam chowder and whether it's a good as anyone else's didn't really matter because we were hungry, the chowder warmed us, and we were enjoying being alive in Eugene, Oregon and having family time together, time which is all too rare.
Three Beautiful Things 10/03/13: Horizons Broadened?, Good Bus Chat, Carol at Billy Mac's
1. I had a great time in class today explaining some stuff and then reading over my article, "On Being a Liberal Arts Teacher" with my students, hoping it will add to their thinking about their education and its purposes.
2. I had a great talk on the bus with a student who was in my Intro to Drama class in spring term, 2012. It was great to hear about her internship with the adult choir at Central Pres. and to listen to her aspirations to be a middle school math teacher one day.
3. We continued to introduce sister Carol to our little life here in Eugene by taking her to Billy Mac's and it worked. We ran into Lynn, Pam, Kathleen, and Kate, so Carol met some of my fellow teachers. Derrick mixed Carol and me awesome margaritas. The Deke, Carol, and I all order blackened ahi tacos and they were really really good. So far, I think Carol approves of our eating and drinking life in Eugene!
2. I had a great talk on the bus with a student who was in my Intro to Drama class in spring term, 2012. It was great to hear about her internship with the adult choir at Central Pres. and to listen to her aspirations to be a middle school math teacher one day.
3. We continued to introduce sister Carol to our little life here in Eugene by taking her to Billy Mac's and it worked. We ran into Lynn, Pam, Kathleen, and Kate, so Carol met some of my fellow teachers. Derrick mixed Carol and me awesome margaritas. The Deke, Carol, and I all order blackened ahi tacos and they were really really good. So far, I think Carol approves of our eating and drinking life in Eugene!
Three Beautiful Things 10/02/13: Melted Cup Clean Up, Carol to Eugene, Carol Gets to Eat at Cornucopia
1. I melted a plastic measuring cup on the glass surface of our stovetop, right above a burner. Glade is a better air freshener. I got some of the melted plastic, which was kind of like melted Velveeta cheese, removed on Monday and gave my efforts a rest until today when I got the rest of the maroon mess warmed up and wiped off. Ha! Should I be so happy to complete such a mundane taske? Is removing melted plastic from a stovetop really a beautiful thing?!
2. I drove to Portland, parked in the basement of a fancy building a block away from where sister Carol had a Gear-Up conference, and met her and we had an easy drive back to Eugene.
3. The Deke and started introducing Carol to our little world in Eugene by taking her to Cornucopia where Carol enjoyed a buffalo chicken salad and some hard apple cider got to begin to understand why the Deke and I like to meet there some afternoons for a happy hour drink and sometimes a bite to eat.
2. I drove to Portland, parked in the basement of a fancy building a block away from where sister Carol had a Gear-Up conference, and met her and we had an easy drive back to Eugene.
3. The Deke and started introducing Carol to our little world in Eugene by taking her to Cornucopia where Carol enjoyed a buffalo chicken salad and some hard apple cider got to begin to understand why the Deke and I like to meet there some afternoons for a happy hour drink and sometimes a bite to eat.
Three Beautiful Things 10/01/13: Good to be Back, Pumpkin Ale and Papers, Pastrami and Corned Beef on Rye
1. I really didn't want to fully retire from classroom teaching and this teaching part-time works beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed being back in the classroom, meeting new students, having fun interactions, repeating to the students that I'm on their side; in short, I enjoyed doing the work I've always enjoyed.
2. When I walk off the bus after I'm done with school, I'm only a block from the First National Taphouse. Today, I has some student writing to read so I ordered a pint of Elysium Night Owl Pumpkin Ale and slowly sipped on it -- slowly, because I wanted it to warm up a bit -- and read my students' first piece of writing and was encouraged by what I read.
3. The Deke and I met at the Falling Sky Pour House Deli and along with some stout on nitro, I order a sandwich that was half pastrami and half corned beef on homemade marbled rye bread. The meat is also cured in house. I loved the sandwich. The two meats' tastes were perfect compliments to each other and made me wish it were healthy to eat this kind of sandwich daily -- even hourly.
2. When I walk off the bus after I'm done with school, I'm only a block from the First National Taphouse. Today, I has some student writing to read so I ordered a pint of Elysium Night Owl Pumpkin Ale and slowly sipped on it -- slowly, because I wanted it to warm up a bit -- and read my students' first piece of writing and was encouraged by what I read.
3. The Deke and I met at the Falling Sky Pour House Deli and along with some stout on nitro, I order a sandwich that was half pastrami and half corned beef on homemade marbled rye bread. The meat is also cured in house. I loved the sandwich. The two meats' tastes were perfect compliments to each other and made me wish it were healthy to eat this kind of sandwich daily -- even hourly.
Three Beautiful Things 09/30/13: Ready, Flesh is Weak, Awesome Salad
1. I finally buckled down and worked on getting things ready for school tomorrow. It all looks good and I'm looking forward to being back with students in the classroom.
2. I watched more episodes of Boardwalk Empire. So far I'm not much interested in the Margaret/Nucky relationship, but other parts of the story have me hooked. I've never seen anything on a television show (or in a movie) like the self-flagellation Agent Nelson Van Alden administers while gazing upon a picture of Margaret when she was sixteen, a picture he has secured by requesting her immigration file. The self-flagellation was a nearly perfect portrayal of this straight arrow, Bible quoting law enforcer trying to keep his lust repressed and punishing himself with physical violence for his failure. His spirit is willing. His flesh is weak. And scarred with welts.
3. The Deke combined all kinds of leafy stuff and the quinoa I prepared into a bowl and mixed in a Dijon mustard dressing of her own invention and we ate this awesome salad for dinner.
2. I watched more episodes of Boardwalk Empire. So far I'm not much interested in the Margaret/Nucky relationship, but other parts of the story have me hooked. I've never seen anything on a television show (or in a movie) like the self-flagellation Agent Nelson Van Alden administers while gazing upon a picture of Margaret when she was sixteen, a picture he has secured by requesting her immigration file. The self-flagellation was a nearly perfect portrayal of this straight arrow, Bible quoting law enforcer trying to keep his lust repressed and punishing himself with physical violence for his failure. His spirit is willing. His flesh is weak. And scarred with welts.
3. The Deke combined all kinds of leafy stuff and the quinoa I prepared into a bowl and mixed in a Dijon mustard dressing of her own invention and we ate this awesome salad for dinner.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/29/13: Rain in Eugene, So Long Lane K, Football Américain et Haute Cuisine Chez Troxstar
1. The rain has fallen hard and the wind has been formidable at times. It reminds me of when I was a senior in high school and I went to see "Sometimes a Great Notion" at the Rena in Kellogg. The movie took place in Oregon's Coast Range and the rain impressed me, actually attracted me, and I thought I'd like to live in rain like that one day. Now I do. It's been a while since we've had a rainstorm as strong has this weekend and it's not as romantic to me now as it was when I saw "Sometimes a Great Notion", but I took strange comfort today in experiencing the rain as I imagined it would be before I moved here in 1979.
2. USC's firing of their football coach, Lane Kiffin, inspired friends and I to get our snide on with each other on Facebook. The Trojans finally decided it was time to send the youngster home with his Scooby Doo lunch pail and his PBJ sandwich half eaten.
3. I was honored to be invited to Chez Troxstar this evening to watch the New England Patriots bury the Atlanta Falcons, to relax with some Lagunitas Czech Pilsner and a glass of Oakshire Oktoberfest, and join the Troxstar Family Unit in satisfying our raging appetites during this angry western Oregon rain and wind storm with a feast consisting of the finest cuisine Kentucky Fried Chicken has to offer: Original Chicken (with 11 herbs and spices -- although I could only taste 9), Extra Crispy Chicken, fresh, juicy corn on the cob, feathery biscuits with buttery spread and honey sauce, KFC bbq baked beans, and KFC's own creamy cheddar macaroni and cheese. I didn't get a chance to eat any of the beans or pasta, but the one hand breaded chicken breast, single biscuit, and two chunks of corn on the cob left me dazed, and so satisfied that I might have fulfilled a lifetime of craving for KFC in one single meal.
2. USC's firing of their football coach, Lane Kiffin, inspired friends and I to get our snide on with each other on Facebook. The Trojans finally decided it was time to send the youngster home with his Scooby Doo lunch pail and his PBJ sandwich half eaten.
3. I was honored to be invited to Chez Troxstar this evening to watch the New England Patriots bury the Atlanta Falcons, to relax with some Lagunitas Czech Pilsner and a glass of Oakshire Oktoberfest, and join the Troxstar Family Unit in satisfying our raging appetites during this angry western Oregon rain and wind storm with a feast consisting of the finest cuisine Kentucky Fried Chicken has to offer: Original Chicken (with 11 herbs and spices -- although I could only taste 9), Extra Crispy Chicken, fresh, juicy corn on the cob, feathery biscuits with buttery spread and honey sauce, KFC bbq baked beans, and KFC's own creamy cheddar macaroni and cheese. I didn't get a chance to eat any of the beans or pasta, but the one hand breaded chicken breast, single biscuit, and two chunks of corn on the cob left me dazed, and so satisfied that I might have fulfilled a lifetime of craving for KFC in one single meal.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/28/13: Lunch at Pure, Money at Home, Buscemi Plays a Chameleon
1. Russell and I went to Pure for lunch where I enjoyed a tasty chicken udon soup and a slendid spicy scallop ice cream cone looking sushi roll. My big toe feels much better, but I wasn't quite ready to work it out on a photo stroll just yet, so after lunch we sat in front of the 5th Street Market, enjoyed a hot drink, and continued our lunch discussion of everything from the NFL to Pacific Rim.
2. I've got a better understanding of our household finances. I don't have a complete understanding, but a better one. Taking a closer look is enlightening, mostly in good ways.
3. After watching the first episode of the first season of Boardwalk Empire, I know what I enjoyed the most: seeing Steve Buscemi in a leading role, watching him play a duplicitous City Treasurer capable, in an instant, to play whatever role, show whatever face, speak whatever language, including teetotaler, enforcer, cajoler, corrupt politician, cutthroat avenger, comforter, philanthropist, philanderer, for starters, the moment calls for.
2. I've got a better understanding of our household finances. I don't have a complete understanding, but a better one. Taking a closer look is enlightening, mostly in good ways.
3. After watching the first episode of the first season of Boardwalk Empire, I know what I enjoyed the most: seeing Steve Buscemi in a leading role, watching him play a duplicitous City Treasurer capable, in an instant, to play whatever role, show whatever face, speak whatever language, including teetotaler, enforcer, cajoler, corrupt politician, cutthroat avenger, comforter, philanthropist, philanderer, for starters, the moment calls for.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/27/13: Toe Progress, Troxstar is Human, Biscuits at St. Mary's, BONUS Big Black Jack is Back
1. My big toe is not completely healed quite yet, but I walked most of the day without a limp and it is getting more and more flexible. I think something like complete healing is in the not too distant future.
2. To celebrate the slow improvement of my big toe, I joined the Senior Warden and his Missus for a fine bacon and eggs breakfast at Brails and discovered that even if he is the Troxstar and she is the Mme. Troxstar, that even when people are this high on the food chain, the challenge of raising kids who are teenagers can be overwhelming.
3. I trotted my injured big toe, via Subaru, over to St. Mary's Episcopal Church to join with Kathryn to make buttery biscuit dough so that biscuits can be baked and served to the many, many men and women in need who will arrive tomorrow morning for Saturday Breakfast at the church. It's really fun preparing this dough and having such wonderful conversation with Kathryn, peppered with a lot of laughs. Today, we baked a small batch of the biscuits and took them out into the church building and people who were lucky enough to be hanging out at St. Mary's got to eat a light, buttery biscuit with butter and jam.
BONUS: I'll add to what I've written here that the Deke and I went to the Sixteen Tons Cafe and enjoyed drinking some of Oakshire's Big Black Jack Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter. I drank mine slowly so it would warm up a bit. I enjoy it more when it's not too chilled. I love this time of year when the fall seasonal ales emerge. I also know that I have to be careful: the alcohol content of these ales can be pretty strong. I was careful this evening, happy to say.
2. To celebrate the slow improvement of my big toe, I joined the Senior Warden and his Missus for a fine bacon and eggs breakfast at Brails and discovered that even if he is the Troxstar and she is the Mme. Troxstar, that even when people are this high on the food chain, the challenge of raising kids who are teenagers can be overwhelming.
3. I trotted my injured big toe, via Subaru, over to St. Mary's Episcopal Church to join with Kathryn to make buttery biscuit dough so that biscuits can be baked and served to the many, many men and women in need who will arrive tomorrow morning for Saturday Breakfast at the church. It's really fun preparing this dough and having such wonderful conversation with Kathryn, peppered with a lot of laughs. Today, we baked a small batch of the biscuits and took them out into the church building and people who were lucky enough to be hanging out at St. Mary's got to eat a light, buttery biscuit with butter and jam.
BONUS: I'll add to what I've written here that the Deke and I went to the Sixteen Tons Cafe and enjoyed drinking some of Oakshire's Big Black Jack Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter. I drank mine slowly so it would warm up a bit. I enjoy it more when it's not too chilled. I love this time of year when the fall seasonal ales emerge. I also know that I have to be careful: the alcohol content of these ales can be pretty strong. I was careful this evening, happy to say.
Three Beautiful Things 09/26/13: My Toe, My Toe, My Toe
1. I sat with my foot elevated and iced it for twenty minutes followed by an hour of no ice all day today.
2. The Deke and I met Chris, Melissa, and Helena at Billy Mac's and while I sipped on a margarita and ate my chicken Caesar salad wrap, I could feel the swelling go down and the pain subside in my toe.
3. After experiencing the miraculous healing power of dinner and drinks and good company at Billy Mac's, I came home and checked my toe and, sure enough, it's looking better. It's not the normal size of the other toe yet, but it no longer looks as red and angry either.
2. The Deke and I met Chris, Melissa, and Helena at Billy Mac's and while I sipped on a margarita and ate my chicken Caesar salad wrap, I could feel the swelling go down and the pain subside in my toe.
3. After experiencing the miraculous healing power of dinner and drinks and good company at Billy Mac's, I came home and checked my toe and, sure enough, it's looking better. It's not the normal size of the other toe yet, but it no longer looks as red and angry either.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/25/13: Stay Put, Back to the Farm, Riveting
1. Rest. Elevate. Ice. Stop running errands for a day or two. Stay put. Ice for twenty minutes every hour. Tomorrow I will stay put. I'll rest. My toe got really angry today because I did too much. I enjoyed the outings, aside from the pain, but I must stay put and give this injury more time to heal.
2. Yes, because of my stupid toe, it was painful walking in the midst of the cucumbers, apples, garlic, zucchini, serrano peppers, frozen blueberries, and other wonderful products at Lone Pine Farms, but I couldn't stop myself from going out so I could come home and make green salsa with a pound or so of tomatillos and have the vegetables ready for future dinners and lunches for the Deke.
3. Back in 2006 and 2007, and even into 2008, it seemed I was discovering a new blog to read every week, sometimes every day and now many of the writers of these blogs have discontinued them. Today I dived into the blog of a friend who recently told me in an email she was blogging on occasion and I found her writing riveting in its honesty and often harrowing in its content.
2. Yes, because of my stupid toe, it was painful walking in the midst of the cucumbers, apples, garlic, zucchini, serrano peppers, frozen blueberries, and other wonderful products at Lone Pine Farms, but I couldn't stop myself from going out so I could come home and make green salsa with a pound or so of tomatillos and have the vegetables ready for future dinners and lunches for the Deke.
3. Back in 2006 and 2007, and even into 2008, it seemed I was discovering a new blog to read every week, sometimes every day and now many of the writers of these blogs have discontinued them. Today I dived into the blog of a friend who recently told me in an email she was blogging on occasion and I found her writing riveting in its honesty and often harrowing in its content.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/24/13: Big Toe Exam, Dreams and Verbs and Beer at the Bier Stein, Home at Billy Mac's
1. This right big toe of mine hurts, but it's not debilitating which pretty much ruled out the gout. I went to a doctor today and she was mystified by what she saw and poked at and we devised a treatment plan: ice, elevation, plenty of fluids. I'll continue to treat the toe and be patient.
2. I picked up the Deke at school and we decided to talk and dream about the future some more and talk about the power of verbs at the Bier Stein and I drank a pint of English sweetness: Old Speckled Hen. Then I decided to venture to Germany for a half pint of Spaten Oktoberfest and a half of an Ayinger Oktoberfest. Splendid stuff.
3. The Deke and I decided to see what was happening at Billy Mac's. It was quiet when we arrived and we took our seats at the bar and had dinner, I had some Hefeweizen liquid wheat, and we continued our conversations. I now have the feeling of really being back home in Eugene again: that's what Billy Mac's does for me.
2. I picked up the Deke at school and we decided to talk and dream about the future some more and talk about the power of verbs at the Bier Stein and I drank a pint of English sweetness: Old Speckled Hen. Then I decided to venture to Germany for a half pint of Spaten Oktoberfest and a half of an Ayinger Oktoberfest. Splendid stuff.
3. The Deke and I decided to see what was happening at Billy Mac's. It was quiet when we arrived and we took our seats at the bar and had dinner, I had some Hefeweizen liquid wheat, and we continued our conversations. I now have the feeling of really being back home in Eugene again: that's what Billy Mac's does for me.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/23/13: Home Again, Enjoyment, The Deke in the Kitchen
1. Getting up this morning from my own bed to the sounds of the corgis peeing and barking in the backyard and fixing Deke and me some coffee and having a bowl of oatmeal that the Deke prepared all contributed to how happy I feel to be home again and to be getting back into the pace of life here in Eugene.
2. I had a rousing two hour coffee time with MB, Michael, and Jeff and, as always, came to realize that my friends think about all kinds of things and are troubled by things that never cross my mind, making me think that sometimes I live in a zone of bliss untroubled by many of the things and the people that annoy not only my friends, but many others as well. I think I enjoy a lot of people and a lot of things in my life and don't get around to critical analysis. Elton John is a good example. So is the poetry of Shakespeare's Richard II. My guess is I'm wired more to uncritically enjoy a lot of people and music and movies, with some exceptions(I can rant...that's for sure), than I am wired toward making assessments and being bugged.
3. The Deke took over the kitchen when I was gone and she concocted some salads and other dishes with grains and vegetables that fit perfectly into my kidney friendly diet and that taste really good. I'm very grateful.
2. I had a rousing two hour coffee time with MB, Michael, and Jeff and, as always, came to realize that my friends think about all kinds of things and are troubled by things that never cross my mind, making me think that sometimes I live in a zone of bliss untroubled by many of the things and the people that annoy not only my friends, but many others as well. I think I enjoy a lot of people and a lot of things in my life and don't get around to critical analysis. Elton John is a good example. So is the poetry of Shakespeare's Richard II. My guess is I'm wired more to uncritically enjoy a lot of people and music and movies, with some exceptions(I can rant...that's for sure), than I am wired toward making assessments and being bugged.
3. The Deke took over the kitchen when I was gone and she concocted some salads and other dishes with grains and vegetables that fit perfectly into my kidney friendly diet and that taste really good. I'm very grateful.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/22/13: Torn Between Kellogg and Eugene, Riding with Don Knott, Back with the Deke
1. Mom and I put flannel sheets on the twin bed in the basement in anticipation of Christy's visit in mid-October, looked everywhere to see if I was leaving anything behind, and at 12:50 p.m. said our goodbyes as my two week stay in Kellogg came to an end. Mom expressed gratitude for the way we got work done in the yard and gardens and in the house and I know she was grateful for the trips we made to Spokane, Orofino, Priest River, and Sandpoint. I'd like to be two places at once: in Eugene with the Deke, visiting the fine pubs we like to frequent, enjoying worship and fellowship at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, taking pictures with Russell, spending time with my great friends here and being just two hours from T.A.T. and an hour from R.C.P. (charter members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys), and cherishing the fine life we have here -- and, in Kellogg, spending time with Mom, helping out with little projects, seeing my sisters and their families, enjoying the beauty of North Idaho and Eastern Washington, and spending time with the North Idaho/Eastern Washington members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys. I never get used to this divided life I live, always torn between two places I love and all that they encompass. It's taken me many years to say I love Eugene, but I do love it here: the moderate weather, the church, the beer, Billy Mac's, Falling Sky Pour House, Sixteen Tons, the Bijou Metro, my five, ten, twenty, even thirty years long friendships with people I teach and have taught with (Eugene members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys/Gals), the Corgis, my doctors, and there's more. All of this was swimming in my mind as I walked out the door at Mom's house to stroll down to Don Knott's house and climb in his pickup for a ride to Spokane International Airport.
2. Riding with charter member of the HOFOGG Don Knott was awesome. The hour trip seemed like ten minutes as we talked non-stop about everything from the Occupy movement to Silver Valley Men's League basketball and the cast of players who played for Johnny's Bar over the years.
3. The Deke picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to Cornucopia where I enjoyed a couple of Ninkasi Oktoberfest beers and we shared a pepperoni personal pizza. We launched right into the calm and thoughtful discussion we've been having for a long time about what we want our future to be, trying to sort out how to live with being in Eugene while family members live in Kellogg, Portland, Chicago, New York state, and Virginia. We never quite figure out how to be six places at once. We never quite figure out with any finality what we are going to do in the next five to ten years, but the talking is smart, calm, cooperative, encouraging, and productive. Whatever we figure out, we'll be happy with each other. That's the great thing.
2. Riding with charter member of the HOFOGG Don Knott was awesome. The hour trip seemed like ten minutes as we talked non-stop about everything from the Occupy movement to Silver Valley Men's League basketball and the cast of players who played for Johnny's Bar over the years.
3. The Deke picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to Cornucopia where I enjoyed a couple of Ninkasi Oktoberfest beers and we shared a pepperoni personal pizza. We launched right into the calm and thoughtful discussion we've been having for a long time about what we want our future to be, trying to sort out how to live with being in Eugene while family members live in Kellogg, Portland, Chicago, New York state, and Virginia. We never quite figure out how to be six places at once. We never quite figure out with any finality what we are going to do in the next five to ten years, but the talking is smart, calm, cooperative, encouraging, and productive. Whatever we figure out, we'll be happy with each other. That's the great thing.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/21/13: Painless Big Toe Tomahawk Jam, Epic Soccer Match, Wouldn't That Planter Look Better Over Here?
1. My big toe is hardly swollen at all and feels about 95% healed. It felt so good this morning that I took a basketball up to Andrews Gymnasium at Kellogg High School and, for old times sake, started at half court, dribbled about three times, launched myself at the free throw line, and threw down a sick tomahawk jam. I've still got my jumps.
2. I drove Mom and me to Priest River, Idaho for the epic soccer clash between the Kellogg Lady Wildcats and the Priest River Spartans. My niece Cosette was dominant as the Wildcats' sweeper as evidenced by the shutout Kellogg pitched in their 2-0 victory over Priest River.
3. After I tried to parallel park in front of MickDuff's Brewing Company in Sandpoint and moved a street planter about a foot and a half and then found an easier parking place, Mom and I joined the rest of the family inside MickDuff's and we enjoyed a fine post-soccer match meal. I especially enjoyed MickDuff's Knot Tree Porter, first in a half and half with their Tipsy Toehead Blonde Ale and then on its own. I love it when I go to a place that has a solid, toasty, deep black porter. (Before we went into MickDuff's, I put the planter I backed into back in its original spot and left Sandpoint without moving any other planters or street art.)
2. I drove Mom and me to Priest River, Idaho for the epic soccer clash between the Kellogg Lady Wildcats and the Priest River Spartans. My niece Cosette was dominant as the Wildcats' sweeper as evidenced by the shutout Kellogg pitched in their 2-0 victory over Priest River.
3. After I tried to parallel park in front of MickDuff's Brewing Company in Sandpoint and moved a street planter about a foot and a half and then found an easier parking place, Mom and I joined the rest of the family inside MickDuff's and we enjoyed a fine post-soccer match meal. I especially enjoyed MickDuff's Knot Tree Porter, first in a half and half with their Tipsy Toehead Blonde Ale and then on its own. I love it when I go to a place that has a solid, toasty, deep black porter. (Before we went into MickDuff's, I put the planter I backed into back in its original spot and left Sandpoint without moving any other planters or street art.)
Three Beautiful Things 09/20/13: THe Heart of Burke, City Limits Lunch, Taco Friday
1. Carol and I went into the urban jungle of Burke, Idaho to look at the ruins of past mining operations and to take pictures. We had a lot of fun, although I wasn't very impressed with my pictures the first time I looked at them. Maybe they'll look better the second time around...
2. Carol and I had lunch at the City Limits pub in Wallace and each enjoyed a gyro with loaded potato soup. I order myself a Blueberry Cream Ale and it was just what I wanted: light, tasty, and with just a hint of the blueberry. Very satisfying.
3. Mom turned the cooking duties over to me, and so I got to prepare the ground beef and chopped up the olives and tomatoes and grate the cheese and warm up the corn tortillas for a taco dinner. We got to use up a lot of Mom's tomatillo green salsa on the tacos and to dip corn chips in. I'm never quite sure when I can encroach upon Mom's routines in the kitchen. I was very happy to be asked to fix dinner tonight and had a lot of fun preparing it. Bonus: Carol, Paul, Molly, and Mom enjoyed their tacos.
2. Carol and I had lunch at the City Limits pub in Wallace and each enjoyed a gyro with loaded potato soup. I order myself a Blueberry Cream Ale and it was just what I wanted: light, tasty, and with just a hint of the blueberry. Very satisfying.
3. Mom turned the cooking duties over to me, and so I got to prepare the ground beef and chopped up the olives and tomatoes and grate the cheese and warm up the corn tortillas for a taco dinner. We got to use up a lot of Mom's tomatillo green salsa on the tacos and to dip corn chips in. I'm never quite sure when I can encroach upon Mom's routines in the kitchen. I was very happy to be asked to fix dinner tonight and had a lot of fun preparing it. Bonus: Carol, Paul, Molly, and Mom enjoyed their tacos.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/19/13: Favorite Child Status, Toe Update, Dinner and Memories of High School
1. Today I secured my place as my mom's favorite child when I was the one chosen to pull all the living room furniture out and vacuum behind them, wash the woodwork, and vacuum all the furniture. Knowing I got to do this chore, my sisters may never speak to me again.
2. After looking at all kinds of medical information, Mom and I agree that something is wrong with my big toe, but my pain doesn't seem to rise to the level of the gout. My toe is settling down.
3. It was almost like being a teenager again enjoying Mom's dinner tonight: pork roast, boiled potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and salad with bleu cheese dressing. For a few minutes, I thought I'd just come home from basketball practice.
2. After looking at all kinds of medical information, Mom and I agree that something is wrong with my big toe, but my pain doesn't seem to rise to the level of the gout. My toe is settling down.
3. It was almost like being a teenager again enjoying Mom's dinner tonight: pork roast, boiled potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and salad with bleu cheese dressing. For a few minutes, I thought I'd just come home from basketball practice.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/18/13: Hall of Fame of Great Guys Day: Guiness Blends, BiPlane Brewing, The Legends
1. My afternoon and evening with members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys began with a black and tan and a black and Spaten with Byrdman while listening to classic rock and some tunes from the sixties.
2. Byrdman and I continued by stopping in at the BiPlane Brewing Company, a tiny brewery and pub in Post Falls. The owner's brother took us behind the scenes to see his brewing operation and I enjoyed some conversation with Byrdman and Doug, the owner, about Kezar Stadium and the John Brodie/Woody Peoples/Dave Parks/ Dave Wilcox/Matt Hazletine San Francisco 49ers of our youth. I found the Bristol Bulldog Brown Ale and the Raspberry Wheat Ale tasty.
3. Byrdman and I met two members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys, Stu and Lars, at The Legends in Liberty Lake for splendid service, nachos, a meal, a couple of beers, and wide-ranging conversation, story-telling, and reminiscing. We got some good laughs talking about stuff that happened in our youths in Kellogg and beamed all through dinner, our faces aching from laughing so much.
2. Byrdman and I continued by stopping in at the BiPlane Brewing Company, a tiny brewery and pub in Post Falls. The owner's brother took us behind the scenes to see his brewing operation and I enjoyed some conversation with Byrdman and Doug, the owner, about Kezar Stadium and the John Brodie/Woody Peoples/Dave Parks/ Dave Wilcox/Matt Hazletine San Francisco 49ers of our youth. I found the Bristol Bulldog Brown Ale and the Raspberry Wheat Ale tasty.
3. Byrdman and I met two members of the Hall of Fame of Great Guys, Stu and Lars, at The Legends in Liberty Lake for splendid service, nachos, a meal, a couple of beers, and wide-ranging conversation, story-telling, and reminiscing. We got some good laughs talking about stuff that happened in our youths in Kellogg and beamed all through dinner, our faces aching from laughing so much.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/17/13: Big Toe, Hollies Transplanted, Visit with Carol
1. My angry big toe is settling down. The red is less red. The swelling is going down.
2. Mom wanted her two hollies to be more visible, so I transplanted them from their obscure location in the back of Mom's perennial garden into spots closer to the front of the bed.
3. I went over to Carol's to deliver Grandma Woolum's sewing machine, a vintage pitcher from Lila's estate, some Fresh Start nectarines, a bag of Christy's cucumbers, a donation check from Mom, saw the cairn Paul has constructed in memory of Peaches, and got caught up on some of the word scurrying up and down the cracked streets of Kellogg. For example, the middle school robbers have been apprehended and much of the property recovered.
2. Mom wanted her two hollies to be more visible, so I transplanted them from their obscure location in the back of Mom's perennial garden into spots closer to the front of the bed.
3. I went over to Carol's to deliver Grandma Woolum's sewing machine, a vintage pitcher from Lila's estate, some Fresh Start nectarines, a bag of Christy's cucumbers, a donation check from Mom, saw the cairn Paul has constructed in memory of Peaches, and got caught up on some of the word scurrying up and down the cracked streets of Kellogg. For example, the middle school robbers have been apprehended and much of the property recovered.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Three Beautiful Things 09/16/13: Cruising Orofino, Idaho Photographs in my Mind, Big Toe on the Rocks
1. Mom and I took a tour of Orofino, Idaho and, from the car, Mom pointed out houses she had lived in, the homes of friends and doctors, and where past businesses used to be located. We cruised Michigan, Brown, Johnson, Kalaspo, College, and other streets and avenues and took a little drive through Jingletown to Ahsahka.
2. After lunch at the China Palace in the heart of Orofino, Mom and I headed up the Cavendish Hill and drove through Cavendish and Southwick on our way to Deary to Troy to Moscow and on to Coeur d'Alene and home again. I loved driving through the many wheat fields bordered by and overlooked by stands of pine, looking, when I could, at barns, grain elevators, and other structures. I took a ton of pictures in my mind, wishing I could take a leisurely drive through this part of the state on my own, choosing my time of day, and taking a ton of actual pictures.
3. While watching the Bengals defeat the Steelers, I treated my red, swollen, inflamed big toe with an ice water soak. I'll see if my toe's anger settles down.
2. After lunch at the China Palace in the heart of Orofino, Mom and I headed up the Cavendish Hill and drove through Cavendish and Southwick on our way to Deary to Troy to Moscow and on to Coeur d'Alene and home again. I loved driving through the many wheat fields bordered by and overlooked by stands of pine, looking, when I could, at barns, grain elevators, and other structures. I took a ton of pictures in my mind, wishing I could take a leisurely drive through this part of the state on my own, choosing my time of day, and taking a ton of actual pictures.
3. While watching the Bengals defeat the Steelers, I treated my red, swollen, inflamed big toe with an ice water soak. I'll see if my toe's anger settles down.
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