My son once photographed some cups.
Each cup was higher than the last one.
He called the photo "Raising the bar".
His reference was to the AT&T commerical, back around 7 years ago.
I just found one of them and you can relive the past HERE.
The other day I glanced over to the window and there were 3 chairs against the window. Each one a bit higher than the last one, if you read them right to left.
What immediately went through my mind...raising the bar.
Enjoy.
It is a year later and the Gold Medallion Trees are in bloom, once again. I posted about them last year, which you can revisit HERE.
I am so predicable, I even took a photo of the agapanthus at the front of the Disney lot...but I will spare you the total rerun.
I still love the trees, even though they eventually make long pods of seeds.
Those pods hang down and get in my way as I walk to work.
Do I care, no. I usually take out my camera and photograph them, too. :-)
My Water Post For Today.
I have been walking over to Olive Ave recently and doing anything more than once, makes you attempt to find a short cut.
One of those times, I walked in front of a building that I usually avoid.
Well, I should have made the attempt earlier, because there was a waterscape and a stream running across the front.
It makes its way through rocks and a small waterfall.
Something soothing for the patients who come for treatment.
I hope you enjoy.
A pet peeve of mine (with my neighbors) is the fact that I will go outside randomly and see that my driveway is totally blocked by their trailer.
Why they do this, is beyond me. Can't they block their own driveway and not mine?
Can't they stop by our house and let us know it will be blocked for an hour (or whatever time it normally takes) and ask us if we have plans to run out to our cars and leave in a hurry.
Having 3 cars totally unable to leave, always feels worrisome to me and knowing this is going on, I would probably get up to move at least one of our cars, in case of emergency.
I think they always hope that we will never know they did it...but inevitably, we do.
It must be a younger generation thing, because as a fireman, he probably knows instinctively that this is totally wrong, on some level.
Life in the burbs...aka: First World Problems.
You may ask why I photographed this candy dish, which I originally showcased back in 2011.
It is a valid question and honestly, it is still sitting on my desk at work and I just love the colors. Last time it had paper clips in it, so it didn't have reflection problems.
When I tried to take a photo of it right side up, the lights above hit the bowl shape and ruined the photo.
Don't tell anyone, but this is taken upside down. :-)
It makes me anticipate my trip to Seattle, when maybe I can afford (yeah right) something Chihuly.
It is that time once again. My blog turns another year older.
This is the end of year 9. Next year will be a decade. Wow.
This is also supposed to be the day that my son graduates from Cal State University Los Angeles. What a wonderful anniversary gift to his mother, if that turns out to be true. As usual, I will believe it when I see it. He has been accepted to the CSULA Grad School, so that is what he will be doing, moving forward.
I did, first off want to point you out to a post I wrote back in that first month of blogging. It is about what it has been like to raise a boy child. People ask me all the time if it was hard to do. The answer is in THIS post.
As is usual, I go over what has happened during the past year and what I have to look forward to, in the coming year.
It seems that in spite of how young I feel, some things are slowing down due to age and more importantly, lack of money.
We did not expect to get a vacation this year, after the Wedding we attended last year, took such a financial hit to our family. Note, we made a choice to AMTRAK back and that cost us a huge amount of extra money. We don't regret it, but we did not expect it to still be lingering on, this year.
In good news, we are managing to take a quick trip to Seattle, spend 2 1/2 days and AMTRAK home on the Coast Starlight this month. All three of us are going as a sort of Graduation Gift to our son. We are all looking forward to it. I have plans to possibly hit the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit and maybe the Experience Music Project. We shall see if I can convince the family to let me.
Work is still going on. We are in year 5 1/2 of going it alone without PBS and just ended year 4 of being in Burbank. Our staff has been reduced to just 97 people (I think we had over 200 when we moved in). It is truly sad, but I am happy for every day that I am still employed. Year 36 will (God Willing) begin in August, for me.
I think we will be trying to get a new car and trade in or sell 2 of them. That is on the agenda and we will see if my plan happens. My car, which I love to death, is just not getting driven enough and so I think it is time to say goodbye to my baby and get some money for it. Sniff, Sniff.
Steely Dan is on the calendar for the 18th of this month. They will be playing the Hollywood Bowl. Looking forward to that.
They just announced 10 days at the Beacon and I would love to attend, but again, money is a problem. A recurring theme. I would love to go to the Countdown to Ecstasy night. A great album and to hear all the cuts, would be a treat. Oh well...
See you next year.
My Husband was talking to a former Walmart co-worker about the onions that you get on a hot dog in New York. She suggested this recipe and so we decided to try it with dinner on Sunday. It is great, no matter what meat it was paired with. In our case, steak, sausage and lamb ribs.
He and I have only had it, when we visited Citi Field a few years ago.
I found beans and I bought rolls and so I had it with hot dogs, later in the week. Very nice.
Found on The Food Network's Page (click the link above, to view it)
"If you like the red onion sauce served on the hot dogs you get from the road side carts, you'll enjoy this easy to prepare sauce."
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 dash salt
1/2 cup water
Directions
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion slices.
Saute about 7-10 minutes until golden& limp.
Mix in the ketchup.
Add the cinnamon, chili powder, garlic powder,hot pepper sauce& salt.
Pour in water.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.
It was a new month and so my Magic Son turned up on Saturday to enjoy our air conditioning during the 100 plus degree heatwave and to pay me my $20, for his gym membership.
He is incredibly wonderful about his deal with me. He has not missed a payment in 8 years.
He makes me proud every day, in his life choices and in his growing responsibility. In other words, he is a good young adult.
My guy usually goes out of his way to ruin any photo I take of him. Thankfully, this one went unnoticed by both my sons, so you get to see them looking normal, for once.
I don't mind that they are looking at their devices. That is this modern world we live in.
I did my civic duty 2 weeks ago and sent my ballot in. My vote is locked in, one way or the other.
I wonder how much the AP story that came out last night will affect the vote here in California. In case you missed it, the Associated Press announced that Hilary Clinton has clinched the nomination outright. Seems just a bit premature to me and the AP is taking heat for their announcement. I know Bernie Sanders is not happy with this latest turn of events and even Hilary Clinton has mentioned its prematurity.
It reminds me of the Presidential Election of 1980, where Ronald Reagan was projected to win the presidency, hours before the polls closed here on the West Coast. We watched in horror (from New York) as people in our home state of California did not bother to cast a ballot and hurt our local candidates and propositions.
So, no matter what the press says and what the candidates say, go out there and cast you ballot for who you feel will do the best job, come November.
Thank you.
My Water Post For Today.
I have been to the Big Sur area many times.
But I have never seen this beautiful view and the lovely waterfall.
This image comes up on a Windows 10 Screen saver package and when I was looking for one that I saw on my computer yesterday, I found this one, instead.
Trust me, the fact that it was in my home state, made it for me.
Maybe someday when I have time, my Husband and I will take a trip north and try to find it.
Reading up on the waterfall, I found some interesting information.
"This wheelchair accessible trail can be accessed from the south parking lot or the stairs near the entrance kiosk. The trail passes under the highway and then heads north around McWay Cove, overlooking the waterfall and beach that was created from a 1983 land slide."
I think that means that my Husband, who camped there in the 70's, has never seen it.
No matter what, I hope you enjoy.
Slowly coming up to the 2 year anniversary. That would be in August.
We basically did get rid of all the produce, minus a few pieces of fruit that are still in our fridge.
Here is what is in the box, this week.
3 small head of Broccoli
1 English Cucumber
1 Fennel
2 Bulbs of Garlic
1 Bunch of Lavender Flowers
1 Head of Butter Lettuce
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Yellow Squash
2 White Squash
6 Nectarines
A basket of Strawberries
1 Bunch of Some Sort of Greens...maybe Turnip Greens?
In addition, a 10 lb bag of Oranges for $5.30...I couldn't resist it.
Minus the Fennel, I don't think we will have too much trouble getting through this bunch of stuff.
See you next time.
I watch NASCAR. If Dale Jr is running, I will root for him in Sprint Cup.
As I have mentioned in the past (check out THIS post for a recap of my weekend at The California Speedway). I guess almost dying (read the post to understand this comment) changes something in your mind, because I have become a full on NASCAR fan.
On that weekend, I started following a driver named Jeff Burton. He caught my attention and actually won the Nationwide race that day.
I followed him, until he retired and amazingly, my loss of someone to root for got taken by his nephew, who just started racing. Jeb Burton is the son of NASCAR driver Ward Burton (Jeff's brother)...yes a major family affair.
He was just getting into his 20's and was trying to catch a ride, wherever he could. This year, he was picked up for a full time ride (the number 43 car) in the Xfinity series and was actually position 11 this week. I was quite proud of him, being he is only 23 years old.
The news came this week that his major sponsor is not sending money in a timely fashion and so his car was pulled.
He was heartbroken (as was I), but he got a ride for this week in the Sprint Cup Series, driving the number 32 car.
That means nothing going forward, but my prayers go to Jeb, that the money situation gets straightened out soon.
Just to let you know, I also follow Jeff Burton's son, Harrison. He is all of 15 years old and just got spotlighted as one of NASCAR's Next drivers. He can't even drive yet, since he does not have a driver's license...but boy can he race.
To say the least, I am never bored.
It was the third of June another sleepy dusty delta day...
Those were the words that came to me, in the shower last night. I realized that this song had a birthday coming up. Hypothetically, since the album was released back in July of 1967, you have to figure that the song was written about that long ago third of June of possibly 1966. Thus, maybe the event (the jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.
In honor of that "fact", I thought I would write a post celebrating a song that never grows old.
One of the things that always made this song special, was the fact that Bobbie Gentry wove the story of Billie Joe's death around the normal occurrences of peoples lives. She said years later that she was trying to point to the theme, which was the indifference of the people profiled.
You can read a lot of background information on Wikipedia. In case you care, she is still alive at 71 years old and supposedly lives here in Los Angeles.
You can also see Bobbie Gentry singing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...HERE.
The photo is from Life Magazine and shows Bobbie Gentry in 1967, walking over the Tallahatchie Bridge.
Ode To Bille Joe
It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and we walked back to the house to eat
And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet"
And then she said she got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge
Today Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Papa said to mama as he passed around the blackeyed peas
"Well, Billie Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please"
"There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow"
Mama said it was shame about Billie Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge
And brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
"I'll have another piece of apple pie, you know it just don't seem right"
"I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge"
"And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite?"
"I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite"
"That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today"
"Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way"
"He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge"
"And she and Billie Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
A year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billie Joe
Brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, papa caught it and he died last Spring
And now mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Last week my 2 bosses went to the open house of the Scientology Media Productions Center AKA my old studio lot.
They came back with a huge book with color photos of the lot and it was very bittersweet to see rooms and buildings that I used to work in, now transformed to something else.
In the case of our old Administration Building, it is now the Planetary Dissemination Headquarters...say what?
To say I silently cried while looking at the book, is very true. What makes it worse for me, is that we don't seem to have done anything with the money.
I may be wrong about that and a disclaimer, I don't see any of the accounting at all...but that is what it seems to me.
So it is week 4 and I am still trying to use up the produce from the last box. I will have a delivery coming next weekend, so time is running out.
I have a bulb of fennel and as usual, no idea what to do with it. I cooked up this recipe (via all recipes) and minus a problem with the sour cream (a substitute for the creme fraiche), it worked well. The sour cream, when added along with the half and half, totally curdled up. No idea why. Maybe I should have added them by themselves, off flame. Though when it came to a boil again, it seemed to do much better. Since I only had the one fennel bulb, I cut up a red onion to add to it. It was a good choice.
BTW: I liked it, but Hubby didn't even try it.
Baked Fennel with Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
2 fennel bulbs
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
3/4 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cut the base off of the fennel bulbs, and cut a cone shape into the base to remove the core. You can see the core because it is whiter than the surrounding green. This is optional, but helps the fennel cook faster.
Slice the fennel vertically (upright) into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel, and fry for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half and creme fraiche until well blended. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and the fennel is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
