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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Happy Birthday Frank!
Frank turned 54 yesterday. Doesn't look a day over 53.
Joking! You look great babe!
We celebrated at Hudson's on the Bend last night (very creative web site). Very good meal, but had a few let downs. I could tell that the base of my plate had been sitting for quite a while. The sauce had a skin and the veggies were lukewarm. The mole sauce under the pheasant was a bit too dark for my taste. The pheasant was overcooked and the skin was too rubbery. Also, my salad wasn't tossed well and the greens were a bit limp. Frank's dishes, on the other hand, were very good. His taquito was laying flat in the bowl while someone's taquito at another table was upright. Also made me think our plates had been sitting for a bit. He loved the sausage though. This is the second time he's chosen better than me at this place. Thankfully, dessert was heavenly.
Sue
Tossed Garden Greens, Sweet & Spicy candied Meyer Lemon with an almond poblano lime dressing
Grilled pheasant breast stuffed with cilantro pesto atop a righ San Luis Holy Mole Sauce served with a Pheasant confit tamale and a white chocolate tomatillo sauce
Frank
Fresh Spinach with Hot Pig Vinaigrette topped with Smoke Quail in a Ginger Honey Cilantro Glaze
Wild Boar Three Ways - Masa crusted wild boar scaloppini, wild boar sausage, and wild boar taquito with ancho Shiner Bock potatoes and chile d'arbol cilantro beurre blanc
Dessert
Caramel apple spice cake topped with apple cider ice cream and cajeta sauce
I got him a GPS for his gift and we had the thing direct us to the restaurant which is only 6 miles from our house. Very cool gadget. I can't wait for a road trip!
Happy Birthday!
Joking! You look great babe!
We celebrated at Hudson's on the Bend last night (very creative web site). Very good meal, but had a few let downs. I could tell that the base of my plate had been sitting for quite a while. The sauce had a skin and the veggies were lukewarm. The mole sauce under the pheasant was a bit too dark for my taste. The pheasant was overcooked and the skin was too rubbery. Also, my salad wasn't tossed well and the greens were a bit limp. Frank's dishes, on the other hand, were very good. His taquito was laying flat in the bowl while someone's taquito at another table was upright. Also made me think our plates had been sitting for a bit. He loved the sausage though. This is the second time he's chosen better than me at this place. Thankfully, dessert was heavenly.
Sue
Tossed Garden Greens, Sweet & Spicy candied Meyer Lemon with an almond poblano lime dressing
Grilled pheasant breast stuffed with cilantro pesto atop a righ San Luis Holy Mole Sauce served with a Pheasant confit tamale and a white chocolate tomatillo sauce
Frank
Fresh Spinach with Hot Pig Vinaigrette topped with Smoke Quail in a Ginger Honey Cilantro Glaze
Wild Boar Three Ways - Masa crusted wild boar scaloppini, wild boar sausage, and wild boar taquito with ancho Shiner Bock potatoes and chile d'arbol cilantro beurre blanc
Dessert
Caramel apple spice cake topped with apple cider ice cream and cajeta sauce
I got him a GPS for his gift and we had the thing direct us to the restaurant which is only 6 miles from our house. Very cool gadget. I can't wait for a road trip!
Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Senior Days
Haven't written on this blog in a while. September was consumed with Jake, his illness and death. I wrote about it on Shane's blog. I don't have children, and losing Jake is not comparable to that kind of tragedy, but it's still a painful loss.
While Jake was sick, I had my last laser treatment. I told the doctor that I was still unhappy with the breakouts on my cheeks. He seemed surprised because he had been zapping my red capillaries and not treating the acne. Duh. So, they did a few more painful zaps on the veins - I had smeared the sedative all over my face to ensure that I'd be numb, but it still wasn't enough. Terrible pain. So afterward, they treated the acne on my cheeks. Guess what! That didn't hurt! I asked the tech what happened and she said it's a different filter. You are telling me that all this time I could have had this kind of treatment? I'm glad the redness is gone, but I was more upset about the breakouts. The doctor also prescribed tetracycline, which I'm not too happy about, but I'm doing it.
So back to Senior Days. Yesterday, we got our flu shots. Trying to decide when to start getting the pneumonia shots as well. Got home and found a brochure for Sun City Texas in the mail. Frank and I actually looked up the web site to see the models. Unreal.
While Jake was sick, I had my last laser treatment. I told the doctor that I was still unhappy with the breakouts on my cheeks. He seemed surprised because he had been zapping my red capillaries and not treating the acne. Duh. So, they did a few more painful zaps on the veins - I had smeared the sedative all over my face to ensure that I'd be numb, but it still wasn't enough. Terrible pain. So afterward, they treated the acne on my cheeks. Guess what! That didn't hurt! I asked the tech what happened and she said it's a different filter. You are telling me that all this time I could have had this kind of treatment? I'm glad the redness is gone, but I was more upset about the breakouts. The doctor also prescribed tetracycline, which I'm not too happy about, but I'm doing it.
So back to Senior Days. Yesterday, we got our flu shots. Trying to decide when to start getting the pneumonia shots as well. Got home and found a brochure for Sun City Texas in the mail. Frank and I actually looked up the web site to see the models. Unreal.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Devastating
Just returned from seeing No End in Sight. I am still in a daze. The movie was a summary of all I've read in the past months. Seeing people speak words I've read them say was amazing to me. They are real people, not just characters in a book. What have we done.
This evening we watched the US vs John Lennon. Brought back many memories. My first political rally at CWRU for George McGovern. Ran down to get my year book and there were the pictures. Jack Nicholson spoke. Peter Fonda was there. I was so confident my vote would count. So disappointed at the outcome. Watergate to come. Vindication.
This evening we watched the US vs John Lennon. Brought back many memories. My first political rally at CWRU for George McGovern. Ran down to get my year book and there were the pictures. Jack Nicholson spoke. Peter Fonda was there. I was so confident my vote would count. So disappointed at the outcome. Watergate to come. Vindication.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
August is Medical Month
Went in for my yearly Gyno exam this week and the doctor asked me if anyone was monitoring my cholesterol. I laughed and told her that I had an army of doctors looking after me. Frank too. I guess now that we are in our mid-50's, it takes a village to keep us alive. I have an allergist helping me with the myriad of plant life to which I'm allergic. I take meds and get shots. I have a dermatologist monitoring all my spots since I've been living in the south for over 10 years. Getting laser treatments for my rosacea, which appears to be linked to my allergies. I had a chiropractor working on my frozen shoulder, which I got from tripping over Shane while trying to look into a neighbor's house on one of our nightly walks.
This week I also had my first dental experience in over 20 years. My new dentist decided to do something about my fractured tooth, which other dentists have only monitored. Scared to death, I arrived at the office. Upon asking how I was doing, I started to weep. Can't stop the tear flow. Assistant puts me into a chair and gives me a tissue. Asks if I want gas. I want whatever they have to offer. Never had gas before. I get a choice of three scents, and I chose Peach. Dentist puts somthing on my gums and my lips start to feel enormous. Going to numb me now. Feel a little sting. Not bad. Frank has given me his MP3 player that he uses to work out. AC/DC and Jet. Great choices. Gas starts working. Music is loud. Drilling doesn't take long. Dentist tells me my tooth fell apart when the filling was out. Great. Can we take out the filling on the adjacent tooth? Go for it. Madonna now on the MP3 player. Dentist asks what I'm listening to and I tell him. AC/DC huh. That's a new one. I guess others listen to more soothing tunes. Get a temporary while they make the onlay for my fractured tooth. Have to return in 3 weeks and do it all over again. Great. At least now I know what to expect. Get the gas.
Going for a mammogram and bone density scan tomorrow. I will be done with medical stuff except for my frozen shoulder and laser treatments. I can't even imagine what life would be like without health insurance.
This week I also had my first dental experience in over 20 years. My new dentist decided to do something about my fractured tooth, which other dentists have only monitored. Scared to death, I arrived at the office. Upon asking how I was doing, I started to weep. Can't stop the tear flow. Assistant puts me into a chair and gives me a tissue. Asks if I want gas. I want whatever they have to offer. Never had gas before. I get a choice of three scents, and I chose Peach. Dentist puts somthing on my gums and my lips start to feel enormous. Going to numb me now. Feel a little sting. Not bad. Frank has given me his MP3 player that he uses to work out. AC/DC and Jet. Great choices. Gas starts working. Music is loud. Drilling doesn't take long. Dentist tells me my tooth fell apart when the filling was out. Great. Can we take out the filling on the adjacent tooth? Go for it. Madonna now on the MP3 player. Dentist asks what I'm listening to and I tell him. AC/DC huh. That's a new one. I guess others listen to more soothing tunes. Get a temporary while they make the onlay for my fractured tooth. Have to return in 3 weeks and do it all over again. Great. At least now I know what to expect. Get the gas.
Going for a mammogram and bone density scan tomorrow. I will be done with medical stuff except for my frozen shoulder and laser treatments. I can't even imagine what life would be like without health insurance.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me!
A Monday birthday is the worst, so I've been celebrating since my good friend Karen sent me a card heralding the start of my birthday month. The beginning of the month was pretty routine, agilty classes, Frank's gigs, yada yada. On Saturday, August 11, we went out for the first birthday dinner at Zoot. We haven't been out to dinner for months as we always talk ourselves out of it to stay home with our boys. Now that Shane has calmed down, we feel more free to leave them all home alone.
Click here to read about Zoot.
Zoot is in an old house off a side street down by Lake Austin. We spent quite some time trying to decide where to go and were very anxious. Going in the front door we were quite surprised to find a well-appointed restaurant. The wait staff was very knowledgeable, confident, and professional. The menu was overwhelming, so we chose the tasting menu with wines. I should have saved the menu because I can't remember any of it, but it was spectacular, except for the fish course, which had way too much saffron.
The following week, I tried a new hair salon after spending two years roaming around Austin trying to find someone who could cut my hair properly. I had a good stylist initially, but she disappeared without leaving any hint of where she went. I tried new people and progressively become blonder and blonder. I guess that's what happens when you move to Texas. I did get one good color job only to have it all razored off within an inch of my scalp. I tried showing pictures and that didn't work either. Finally, at my last stop, I got my brown hair back and a fabulous cut. This place is wonderful. No tipping! That alone is worth it. I haven't had this level of experience since I left LA.
Click here to read about Jackson-Ruiz salon.
On Friday, I finally got around to using the gift certificate at the Barton Creek Resort that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law gave me last year. Not too much of a procrastinator... What an amazing place. The massage was good and sorely needed as my shoulder is a mess from a fall I took months ago.
Click here to read about the Barton Creek Resort.
Finally, for my birthday gift, Frank took me to Hudson's on the Bend. A restaurant right around the corner and we've never been. Pulling into the parking lot, we're a bit taken aback because it's all gravel and very undone. The outside of the building looks like an old boat house, but that all changes when you cross the threshold. What a beautiful place and the food was spectacular. The tasting menu was too massive, so we chose to order a la carte. I had scallops wrapped in venison prosciutto and topped with American sturgeon caviar, and Frank had the crab cake. For our main entree, I had venison chops and Frank had bison. For dessert, we shared a chocolate torte.
Click here to read about Hudson's Bend.
Click here to read a recent review describing some of the dishes we had.
Finally, today, my boys gave me more massage certificates at the local health club. My sister-in law and brother-in-law gave me a bocce set, which will be a lot of fun out in the backyard, and my good friend Jennifer, gave me a certificate to Z'Tejas so I can have our favorite margaritas and queso to remember the fun times we had in Phoenix.
All in all, not a bad birthday. Fifty-three is a bit boring, but all my family and friends made it memorable.
Click here to read about Zoot.
Zoot is in an old house off a side street down by Lake Austin. We spent quite some time trying to decide where to go and were very anxious. Going in the front door we were quite surprised to find a well-appointed restaurant. The wait staff was very knowledgeable, confident, and professional. The menu was overwhelming, so we chose the tasting menu with wines. I should have saved the menu because I can't remember any of it, but it was spectacular, except for the fish course, which had way too much saffron.
The following week, I tried a new hair salon after spending two years roaming around Austin trying to find someone who could cut my hair properly. I had a good stylist initially, but she disappeared without leaving any hint of where she went. I tried new people and progressively become blonder and blonder. I guess that's what happens when you move to Texas. I did get one good color job only to have it all razored off within an inch of my scalp. I tried showing pictures and that didn't work either. Finally, at my last stop, I got my brown hair back and a fabulous cut. This place is wonderful. No tipping! That alone is worth it. I haven't had this level of experience since I left LA.
Click here to read about Jackson-Ruiz salon.
On Friday, I finally got around to using the gift certificate at the Barton Creek Resort that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law gave me last year. Not too much of a procrastinator... What an amazing place. The massage was good and sorely needed as my shoulder is a mess from a fall I took months ago.
Click here to read about the Barton Creek Resort.
Finally, for my birthday gift, Frank took me to Hudson's on the Bend. A restaurant right around the corner and we've never been. Pulling into the parking lot, we're a bit taken aback because it's all gravel and very undone. The outside of the building looks like an old boat house, but that all changes when you cross the threshold. What a beautiful place and the food was spectacular. The tasting menu was too massive, so we chose to order a la carte. I had scallops wrapped in venison prosciutto and topped with American sturgeon caviar, and Frank had the crab cake. For our main entree, I had venison chops and Frank had bison. For dessert, we shared a chocolate torte.
Click here to read about Hudson's Bend.
Click here to read a recent review describing some of the dishes we had.
Finally, today, my boys gave me more massage certificates at the local health club. My sister-in law and brother-in-law gave me a bocce set, which will be a lot of fun out in the backyard, and my good friend Jennifer, gave me a certificate to Z'Tejas so I can have our favorite margaritas and queso to remember the fun times we had in Phoenix.
All in all, not a bad birthday. Fifty-three is a bit boring, but all my family and friends made it memorable.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Life With Woody
We got Woody when he was 6 months old, so I don't have any puppy pictures of him. I do remember going to see the owner of the sire and she showed me a tiny puppy from the litter where we eventually got Jake. It was a tiny little thing in a giant whelping box. She didn't have any puppies available, but she said this puppy had siblings who were still available, and that's where we went for Jake.
Woody always seemed lost from the day we brought him home. We started calling him Rainman because he just didn't seem too quick on the draw. I hired a behavioralist to help me get him to go through the doggie door, and she wasn't able to help me. I finally learned that you have to get Woody barking and then he has the courage to try new things. So our house hasn't been too peaceful over the last 10 years.
Here is our sun, for Woody lights up the room.
Woody always seemed lost from the day we brought him home. We started calling him Rainman because he just didn't seem too quick on the draw. I hired a behavioralist to help me get him to go through the doggie door, and she wasn't able to help me. I finally learned that you have to get Woody barking and then he has the courage to try new things. So our house hasn't been too peaceful over the last 10 years.
Here is our sun, for Woody lights up the room.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Laser Number 2
Just got back from my second laser treatment. I felt that my skin has gotten worse since the first treatment, but Frank thinks it looks better. I share my concerns with the doctor, who then tells the technician to turn up the intensity of the laser. WHA? And this time they took pictures so they can show me that it's getting better.
I wasn't offered the stress balls this time and the tech didn't announce each pulse. It hurt a lot more this time and I just couldn't take it. Hot fire that burrows down to your bone. By the time she got to my nose, I was tearing up. It was definitely more intense this time. Now that I'm home, it's all fine. I have another appointment in a month, but if it is still worse, I may not go back. The tech gave me numbing cream to put on my face next time before I come so the pain won't be so bad.
I wasn't offered the stress balls this time and the tech didn't announce each pulse. It hurt a lot more this time and I just couldn't take it. Hot fire that burrows down to your bone. By the time she got to my nose, I was tearing up. It was definitely more intense this time. Now that I'm home, it's all fine. I have another appointment in a month, but if it is still worse, I may not go back. The tech gave me numbing cream to put on my face next time before I come so the pain won't be so bad.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Imagine
Walking the boys around the neighborhood last evening. Quiet streets. People must be watching TV or eating dinner. Clean sidewalks. Neat lawns. Pretty houses. People sitting on the porch waving. Your dogs are very pretty. Thank you.
Started to think what it would be like to see invading troops walking down the streets with assault weapons. Kicking down doors. Yelling at residents in a language they don't understand. Handcuffing the men. Imagine the fear. I can't.
Watched video from Sean Smith this weekend. Good to see things from all sides.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/seansmith/0,,2134322,00.html
Started to think what it would be like to see invading troops walking down the streets with assault weapons. Kicking down doors. Yelling at residents in a language they don't understand. Handcuffing the men. Imagine the fear. I can't.
Watched video from Sean Smith this weekend. Good to see things from all sides.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/seansmith/0,,2134322,00.html
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Life With Jake
Jake retired from agility this year. He still likes to play in the backyard, but competing didn't seem as much fun for him anymore. This movie is a look back at our life with Jake. There is still lots left to go.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
I can't swim!
You will not believe it, but we are in the middle of a thunderstorm AGAIN! It's pouring down. I pulled some weeds this morning and the dirt around our flagstone has green slime on it. We are just one giant petri dish right now. Mold everywhere.
Here is a close-up of the side yard with the water around the flagstone. Those poor plants are drowning.
This is out the kitchen window at the gate to the backyard. We cannot get grass to grow on this spot.
It's supposed to rain every day this week.
Monday, July 23, 2007
They call it stormy Monday
But Tuesday's just as bad.
Guess what it did today? Rained. No way. Yes way. I headed out this afternoon to do some errands. Hit the last TJ Maxx in town to see if they had my quilt. I swear it's a curse. No quilt, but on my way home I see it raining up north at our house. While I'm in the grocery, it pours. Moderate rain while I load the car. We manage to grill dinner, and then a tornado warning comes on the TV. Way north of us, but the skies are still black. When will it end?
Spent the day watching a BBC documentary, The Power of Nightmares and it's fabulous. If you are interested, check out http://shoes4industry.blogspot.com/
It covers the contents of The Looming Tower, another fabulous book, and explains the neoconservative movement. I totally believe that knowledge is power, so learning as much as you can about what is going on will give you peace of mind. Each video is about an hour, so give yourself some time.
Got to sign off to watch Hell's Kitchen. Love Gordon Ramsey.
And I found my quilt on Overstock .com. Fabulous day.
Guess what it did today? Rained. No way. Yes way. I headed out this afternoon to do some errands. Hit the last TJ Maxx in town to see if they had my quilt. I swear it's a curse. No quilt, but on my way home I see it raining up north at our house. While I'm in the grocery, it pours. Moderate rain while I load the car. We manage to grill dinner, and then a tornado warning comes on the TV. Way north of us, but the skies are still black. When will it end?
Spent the day watching a BBC documentary, The Power of Nightmares and it's fabulous. If you are interested, check out http://shoes4industry.blogspot.com/
It covers the contents of The Looming Tower, another fabulous book, and explains the neoconservative movement. I totally believe that knowledge is power, so learning as much as you can about what is going on will give you peace of mind. Each video is about an hour, so give yourself some time.
Got to sign off to watch Hell's Kitchen. Love Gordon Ramsey.
And I found my quilt on Overstock .com. Fabulous day.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Sunny Day Finally!
Well, the rain stopped and what did we do all day? Work on our computers in the house, instead of frolicking in the sun. I have been trying all sorts of things to avoid opening my PC to install a card so I can download video, but nothing worked. So today, we unhooked everything from my PC and installed a card so I can use a FireWare cable to download video from our camera. Here is a video that we took last year of Jake and Woody doing a jumpers course at Triple Crown.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Rain Rain Go Away
You will not believe it. After the major downpour this morning, I thought the rain was over for the day. Frank and I headed out to do errands. Coming out of TJ Maxx (went to buy a quilt that I saw yesterday and it was GONE!), the sky had opened up and it was pouring. Frank, being the gentleman that he is, ran out to get the car. I had forgotten the driver door sticks, and there he is in the rain getting soaked. Finally jumps in the back seat and opens the lock. OOPS. As soon as I get in the car, the rain stops.
So on we go to do more errands and have lunch. I know where there is another TJ Maxx in hopes that I'll find that quilt. Coming out of that TJ Maxx, it's pouring again! This is Arizona Monsoon type of rain. Even an umbrella won't help. We try to kill some time, but it is still coming down. Another brave soul runs out to get the car for his lady, which gets Frank going and he does the same. Again, when I get into the car, the rain stops. A TJ Maxx curse maybe?
At home, the sky is blue again, but in the distance I see clouds. Sure enough, about an hour later, it's pouring again. Man alive. Where is all this flippin water coming from? I am so glad we live on top of a hill.
So on we go to do more errands and have lunch. I know where there is another TJ Maxx in hopes that I'll find that quilt. Coming out of that TJ Maxx, it's pouring again! This is Arizona Monsoon type of rain. Even an umbrella won't help. We try to kill some time, but it is still coming down. Another brave soul runs out to get the car for his lady, which gets Frank going and he does the same. Again, when I get into the car, the rain stops. A TJ Maxx curse maybe?
At home, the sky is blue again, but in the distance I see clouds. Sure enough, about an hour later, it's pouring again. Man alive. Where is all this flippin water coming from? I am so glad we live on top of a hill.
Floating Away
Saturday is my weekend day to get up with the dogs. Dogs woke me up at 5 am. It was pouring down rain. Again. No one would go out. Puttered on the PC for an hour. Only Woody ventured out at 6 am. Good dog. Left the door open and fell asleep on the sofa. Cold noses woke me up at 8 am. That is the latest they've let me sleep. Ever.
Our drought-tolerant landscaping is drowning. We have gotten so much rain and California is burning. Go figure. Texas has the highest carbon output of any state, so perhaps Mother Nature is giving us a bath. Dwarfed by SUVs at the grocery yesterday. Giant beasts. Who needs a Hummer to drive your kid to school? But then, I'm looking at motorhomes to drive to agility shows. Oh well.
European Grand Prix is Sunday. Getting excited about going to the Canadian Grand Prix next year. Now that is a town that celebrates F1. Too bad Indy blew it.
Our drought-tolerant landscaping is drowning. We have gotten so much rain and California is burning. Go figure. Texas has the highest carbon output of any state, so perhaps Mother Nature is giving us a bath. Dwarfed by SUVs at the grocery yesterday. Giant beasts. Who needs a Hummer to drive your kid to school? But then, I'm looking at motorhomes to drive to agility shows. Oh well.
European Grand Prix is Sunday. Getting excited about going to the Canadian Grand Prix next year. Now that is a town that celebrates F1. Too bad Indy blew it.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Lasers
Today I had my first laser treatment on my rosacea. Fifty-two years old with skin problems. Lovely.
The technician put numbing cream on my face. She said it had to sit for 15 minutes. She then wiped it off, which I felt, and asked her if my face is numb, how can I feel this? She chuckled and said everyone asks that. OK... She said the procedure would be much more painful without it. OK.... The doctor comes in and tells me that it will be the worst on my forehead. OK.... The tech gives me two stress balls, one for each hand. I ask her if I need a bullet to bite on. Another chuckle. Seriously, I have no idea what to expect here. She said it will feel like a little rubber band hitting my face.
She rubs gel on my cheeks and says she is going to do a test patch. She asks me if I want her to announce each "shot." I told her, yes, until I know what is going on. The "test" feels like a hot poker on my cheek. The sensation is the size of a pin, so I'm thinking she's going to have to do this a bazillion times, but apparently the area is much bigger. It hurt, but not killer. A very cold blast of air is on the entire time and the pain lasts for just a millisecond. I've had worse.
My face is now all red, but it's not bad. I have to go back in 4 weeks and do it again. I guess the unknown was the worst part. Now that I know it doesn't hurt too badly, that the next time will be less stressful.
The technician put numbing cream on my face. She said it had to sit for 15 minutes. She then wiped it off, which I felt, and asked her if my face is numb, how can I feel this? She chuckled and said everyone asks that. OK... She said the procedure would be much more painful without it. OK.... The doctor comes in and tells me that it will be the worst on my forehead. OK.... The tech gives me two stress balls, one for each hand. I ask her if I need a bullet to bite on. Another chuckle. Seriously, I have no idea what to expect here. She said it will feel like a little rubber band hitting my face.
She rubs gel on my cheeks and says she is going to do a test patch. She asks me if I want her to announce each "shot." I told her, yes, until I know what is going on. The "test" feels like a hot poker on my cheek. The sensation is the size of a pin, so I'm thinking she's going to have to do this a bazillion times, but apparently the area is much bigger. It hurt, but not killer. A very cold blast of air is on the entire time and the pain lasts for just a millisecond. I've had worse.
My face is now all red, but it's not bad. I have to go back in 4 weeks and do it again. I guess the unknown was the worst part. Now that I know it doesn't hurt too badly, that the next time will be less stressful.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
No US Grand Prix Next Year
We had decided to go to the Canadian Grand Prix next year any way. What a shame. Not sure why the US won't join in on global sporting events. Soccer. Grand Prix racing. Every other country goes nuts with F1 racing. People hold the country flag of their favorite racer high and proud. We have one US racer and I don't think anyone knows or cares.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/sports/othersports/13autos.html?ex=1342152000&en=18638fa2e4b5daca&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/sports/othersports/13autos.html?ex=1342152000&en=18638fa2e4b5daca&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Stop Watching Fox News
I never have and never will. Get your news from a reliable source, i.e., one not owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Going Green
We spent Saturday watching Live Earth. The message I got from the day was to just doing something because every little thing counts. So today I went to Home Depot and bought some compact fluorescent bulbs. Not too long ago, I changed out all our bulbs for the blue ones because the blue bulbs are closer in light quality to halogens, which is a pure white light. Regular bulbs give off a yellowish hue, so the colors in a room are altered. The blue bulbs show the true colors. So now I've got fluorescent light, which is greenish yellow. Oh well, I guess I can make the sacrifice.
The compact fluorescent bulbs are actually nicer in my lamps because the bulb is tall. You can't dim the bulbs, so I can't use them everywhere, but I managed to change out 6 bulbs downstairs. As they said on the show, every little bit counts. My next step is to buy local produce as much as possible. Saturday morning, we are going to the Austin Farmer's market downtown to see what we can do.
Our carbon output is pretty high. I check http://liveearth.msn.com/ each day for tips on how to reduce it. We are fortunate in that we don't have to commute to a job each day.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Raining Again
We had a major thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. Has rained every day for the last week, it seems. Last summer, Lake Travis looked empty. Small islands were visible and more than 20 feet of rock was exposed along the banks. Since that is our water supply, I was getting worried. What would happen if we ran out? This spring and summer so far, we have had record rainfall while the rest of the nation bakes.
Here is a photo montage of what we are experiencing. Luckily, we live on top of a very high hill above Lake Austin, so we haven't had any damage. Only my newly planted landscape appears to be drowning, but I'm sure it will bounce back.
http://www.statesman.com/search/mediahub/mediahub/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=24963
Watching Live Earth concert today. All day. Gives me hope that we aren't all trying to blow each other up.
Here is a photo montage of what we are experiencing. Luckily, we live on top of a very high hill above Lake Austin, so we haven't had any damage. Only my newly planted landscape appears to be drowning, but I'm sure it will bounce back.
http://www.statesman.com/search/mediahub/mediahub/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=24963
Watching Live Earth concert today. All day. Gives me hope that we aren't all trying to blow each other up.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday, June 30
Got sucked into watching Forest Gump yet again. I'm still amazed at the movie and how it shows all the events in our lives. This time, the war and protest scenes stuck a chord. We were too young to protest the Viet Nam war. Entering college in 1972, the big protests were already over. Watergate the issue. Boring to me. Caught up in my first election. Backing McGovern big time. Lost my first election. Into studying. War over before I knew it.
Now we are too old to protest this war. Just waiting for it all to be over. Will it ever? Consumed with reading about the war and the current administration. Why aren't the youth protesting the way they did before? How can we end this?
During a commercial, I read an article in Vanity Fair "Out of Africa" by Spencer Wells. He writes that we all are descendents from a small group in Africa. Makes sense to me. The next movie is Cast Away and Tom Hanks accidently makes a tool from a rock. Spencer Wells writes that the discovery of tools helped save the African group and allowed them to disperse into Eurasia. Fascinating.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/07/genographic200707
https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html
Now we are too old to protest this war. Just waiting for it all to be over. Will it ever? Consumed with reading about the war and the current administration. Why aren't the youth protesting the way they did before? How can we end this?
During a commercial, I read an article in Vanity Fair "Out of Africa" by Spencer Wells. He writes that we all are descendents from a small group in Africa. Makes sense to me. The next movie is Cast Away and Tom Hanks accidently makes a tool from a rock. Spencer Wells writes that the discovery of tools helped save the African group and allowed them to disperse into Eurasia. Fascinating.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/07/genographic200707
https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html
US Grand Prix 2007
Links are provided in case you want to see where we went and what we did. The link will take you to a web page, and then use the Back button to return to the blog.
Race about to start. Head for our seats. We are in the second row of the bleachers. Can't see a freakin' thing. After a bit, we notice that there is absolutely no one near us, so we move to higher seats. Much better view. Not sure what happened here with the tickets.
Thursday, June 14
Flight to Indy is uneventful. $3.00 for a bag of M&Ms. Miss the good old days. Chicken or beef? Finished The Road and started The Kiterunner. Both fantastic. Landed, picked up the car, and headed for the hotel at rush hour. Took us forever to drive that 8 miles, but we got there. Swarmed by bellmen and valets. This is going to be good. Starting to feel like Paris Hilton before she went to the pokey.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/guestRooms.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI
Love it when the picture is exactly what you get. The room was magnificent and well worth the price. Wish we could live like that all the time. Drop the bags and head down to our favorite watering hole in the lobby hoping to see some of the drivers.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/dining.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI&id=DIN2
Our favorite table is empty and we grab it. (We spent a lot of free time in there last year) Two Absolut mandarin and tonic. No Absolut? Only Grey Goose. Hey. I can adapt. Ordered a little appetizer of fried sweet potato with red pepper dip. Glance up at one point and see Flavio Briatore in the lobby on a cell phone (he's the manager of last year's world champion Renault team, but Frank thinks his real claim to fame is being Heidi Klum's ex) . Hoping he'll come into the bar but he heads outside with some people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavio_Briatore
Upstairs to change for dinner. We go to Barcelona, which is a tapas bar. Tapas in Indiana? What was I thinking. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was mediocre. Sangria was good.
http://www.barcelonatapas.com/
After dinner, we head for the mall because we have some time to kill. Looks like Nordstrom is having a men's sale starting on Friday. Bought some pants so we had to go back to the room to drop them off. It's like a Hollywood set outside the hotel. Red velvet ropes holding back crowds of people waiting for the drivers to come back from the track. Pretty cool. We just stroll inside. Drop off the bags and head back out to the waiting fans. Please, no autographs.
Head around the corner to a Martini bar. Frank has a cigar and a scotch. Me, a chocolate martini. Sitting on leather couches listening to a really good jazz band. Doesn't get better than that.
http://www.nickyblaines.com/
Friday, June 15
Happens to be the first day of the men's sale at Nordstrom and our hotel is across the street. Grab a Starbucks and head for the mall. Place is jammed. Frank dives into the frey and gets some nice shirts and shorts. My clothes stink from the cigar bar, so I go to cosmetics to get a spritz of cologne. My packing strategy of wearing clean clothes for dinner, and then again the next day doesn't work with a cigar bar in the mix. Lunch at PF Changs. Blech. We could be anywhere. More shopping.
Ferrari Club of America is having a walkabout at Monument Circle. Not as grand as last year. A few cars. Nothing spectacular. These pictures are from last year, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
http://www.fca-cic.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=0
Dress for dinner and head back to our bar in the lobby. Sit at the same table. Freaks the waiter out. Weren't you just here? Don't want to get too snockered tonight, so we have wine and a cheese plate. Out the door to the waiting crowds and around the corner for dinner at McCormick and Schmicks. Pretty bad. Fish swimming in butter. Should have asked for it on the side. Lots of people walking around. Going somewhere. Nowhere to go, so I'm puzzled. Kill time at Borders.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfmfuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=83
Flight to Indy is uneventful. $3.00 for a bag of M&Ms. Miss the good old days. Chicken or beef? Finished The Road and started The Kiterunner. Both fantastic. Landed, picked up the car, and headed for the hotel at rush hour. Took us forever to drive that 8 miles, but we got there. Swarmed by bellmen and valets. This is going to be good. Starting to feel like Paris Hilton before she went to the pokey.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/guestRooms.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI
Love it when the picture is exactly what you get. The room was magnificent and well worth the price. Wish we could live like that all the time. Drop the bags and head down to our favorite watering hole in the lobby hoping to see some of the drivers.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/dining.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI&id=DIN2
Our favorite table is empty and we grab it. (We spent a lot of free time in there last year) Two Absolut mandarin and tonic. No Absolut? Only Grey Goose. Hey. I can adapt. Ordered a little appetizer of fried sweet potato with red pepper dip. Glance up at one point and see Flavio Briatore in the lobby on a cell phone (he's the manager of last year's world champion Renault team, but Frank thinks his real claim to fame is being Heidi Klum's ex) . Hoping he'll come into the bar but he heads outside with some people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavio_Briatore
Upstairs to change for dinner. We go to Barcelona, which is a tapas bar. Tapas in Indiana? What was I thinking. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was mediocre. Sangria was good.
http://www.barcelonatapas.com/
After dinner, we head for the mall because we have some time to kill. Looks like Nordstrom is having a men's sale starting on Friday. Bought some pants so we had to go back to the room to drop them off. It's like a Hollywood set outside the hotel. Red velvet ropes holding back crowds of people waiting for the drivers to come back from the track. Pretty cool. We just stroll inside. Drop off the bags and head back out to the waiting fans. Please, no autographs.
Head around the corner to a Martini bar. Frank has a cigar and a scotch. Me, a chocolate martini. Sitting on leather couches listening to a really good jazz band. Doesn't get better than that.
http://www.nickyblaines.com/
Friday, June 15
Happens to be the first day of the men's sale at Nordstrom and our hotel is across the street. Grab a Starbucks and head for the mall. Place is jammed. Frank dives into the frey and gets some nice shirts and shorts. My clothes stink from the cigar bar, so I go to cosmetics to get a spritz of cologne. My packing strategy of wearing clean clothes for dinner, and then again the next day doesn't work with a cigar bar in the mix. Lunch at PF Changs. Blech. We could be anywhere. More shopping.
Ferrari Club of America is having a walkabout at Monument Circle. Not as grand as last year. A few cars. Nothing spectacular. These pictures are from last year, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
http://www.fca-cic.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=0
Dress for dinner and head back to our bar in the lobby. Sit at the same table. Freaks the waiter out. Weren't you just here? Don't want to get too snockered tonight, so we have wine and a cheese plate. Out the door to the waiting crowds and around the corner for dinner at McCormick and Schmicks. Pretty bad. Fish swimming in butter. Should have asked for it on the side. Lots of people walking around. Going somewhere. Nowhere to go, so I'm puzzled. Kill time at Borders.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfmfuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=83
Saturday, June 16
Breakfast at the hotel. Absolutely fabulous. Ask the hostess about dinner reservations for tonight. No reservations, but they take walk-ins. We plan on doing that tonight as I had cancelled our reservation at Ruth Chris. After the butter extravaganza last night, decided to lighten things up.
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/Indianapolis/Main.asp?Location=Indianapolis
Get the car and head to the track for qualifying. Lots of people there and it's brutally hot. Qualifying was quick and my guy didn't get the pole. Oh well. Frank and I are split on our driver of choice. Here's why I like F1. A couple of cuties.
https://www.mclaren.co.uk/eshop/index.php?aff=mclaren
After qualifying, we make the long trek from our seats to the Indy museum. Lots of cars and men. Father's day weekend. At least we are in air conditioning. It's blazing hot outside. Amazing to see how cars have changed. But Indy is still heavy on Indy cars. F1 not so much. You can get your picture taken in a race car but Frank won't do it.
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/museum/
Dress for dinner. Head down to the lobby. Frank grabs me and flips me around. There is Alonso waiting in the lobby. Man! What a cutie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso
Restaurant is full and can't serve us. Great. Now what. Pass Alonso again and head upstairs to find a restaurant online. Frank picks one and we head out for the 2 mile walk. Whatever. I have my doubts, but there is a private party for Bridgestone upstairs, so this place must be OK. Food was terrific. Frank had a Rocket Salad and Blacked Tilapia. I had Gazpacho and a fillet with blue cheese crumbles. Shared a bread pudding for desert. Ack. Now I'm stuffed. Take a cab back to the Martini bar.
http://www.scholarsinn.com/cafeindy/about.shtml
The Martini bar is different tonight. Packed with people and no jazz band. We get our cover charge back and go to our hotel bar. It's also packed with people. We find a table in the back and settle in. I see flash bulbs popping in the lobby and run out to see what is happening. Alonso is out there letting people take their picture with him. Man. Bellman starts throwing people out of the hotel. I scurry back into the bar. Jazz band isn't too bad. Look up and see Alonso and his entourage waiting for the elevator. I want to go see what floor they go to, but didn't. Three sightings in one evening. Not bad.
Sunday, June 17
Race day is here. Back to Starbucks. Want to read the Sunday Times in our room. Get the car and head to the race. No traffic! Last year was a nightmare. Guess we are early this time. It's hot hot hot. Grab a spot in the shade next to a guy who chats up the race with Frank. Have good BBQ sandwich. Drinking lots of water.
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/Indianapolis/Main.asp?Location=Indianapolis
Get the car and head to the track for qualifying. Lots of people there and it's brutally hot. Qualifying was quick and my guy didn't get the pole. Oh well. Frank and I are split on our driver of choice. Here's why I like F1. A couple of cuties.
https://www.mclaren.co.uk/eshop/index.php?aff=mclaren
After qualifying, we make the long trek from our seats to the Indy museum. Lots of cars and men. Father's day weekend. At least we are in air conditioning. It's blazing hot outside. Amazing to see how cars have changed. But Indy is still heavy on Indy cars. F1 not so much. You can get your picture taken in a race car but Frank won't do it.
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/museum/
Dress for dinner. Head down to the lobby. Frank grabs me and flips me around. There is Alonso waiting in the lobby. Man! What a cutie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso
Restaurant is full and can't serve us. Great. Now what. Pass Alonso again and head upstairs to find a restaurant online. Frank picks one and we head out for the 2 mile walk. Whatever. I have my doubts, but there is a private party for Bridgestone upstairs, so this place must be OK. Food was terrific. Frank had a Rocket Salad and Blacked Tilapia. I had Gazpacho and a fillet with blue cheese crumbles. Shared a bread pudding for desert. Ack. Now I'm stuffed. Take a cab back to the Martini bar.
http://www.scholarsinn.com/cafeindy/about.shtml
The Martini bar is different tonight. Packed with people and no jazz band. We get our cover charge back and go to our hotel bar. It's also packed with people. We find a table in the back and settle in. I see flash bulbs popping in the lobby and run out to see what is happening. Alonso is out there letting people take their picture with him. Man. Bellman starts throwing people out of the hotel. I scurry back into the bar. Jazz band isn't too bad. Look up and see Alonso and his entourage waiting for the elevator. I want to go see what floor they go to, but didn't. Three sightings in one evening. Not bad.
Sunday, June 17
Race day is here. Back to Starbucks. Want to read the Sunday Times in our room. Get the car and head to the race. No traffic! Last year was a nightmare. Guess we are early this time. It's hot hot hot. Grab a spot in the shade next to a guy who chats up the race with Frank. Have good BBQ sandwich. Drinking lots of water.
Race about to start. Head for our seats. We are in the second row of the bleachers. Can't see a freakin' thing. After a bit, we notice that there is absolutely no one near us, so we move to higher seats. Much better view. Not sure what happened here with the tickets.F1 fans are pretty nuts. We saw a group from Brazil painted green wrapped in their country's flag. Here are some fans from Finland dressed as Santa. Not quite sure what that means.
Frank's guy won the race. My guy came in second. Oh well. Back to the hotel. As we come in the lobby, David Coulthard is standing there getting his picture taken with a fan. I feel bad for him because he didn't even make it past the first turn, having been taken out along with two other drivers in a crash on the first lap. He's standing there with a fake smile, but the fan is grinning ear to ear.
http://www.davidcoulthard.com/
Our last night in Indy. Dinner at Oceanaire. Most people leave for home right after the race so the town is emptying out. We head back to spend one last night in our gorgeous room.
http://www.theoceanaire.com/location/index.asp?id=5
As it was last year, F1 is giving the US a hard time. Threatening to pull the race and give it to India next year. Must we outsource everything to India? So, next year we are headed to Canada for their F1 race in Montreal.
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