Books I Am Reading

Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography.

I admit that I am only a third of the way into this book, but so far, it is interesting to me.

I always thought that his family came from Austria, but instead I find out that were factory owners in Nuremberg, Germany. Quite a story there, of how they managed to get out of Germany as Jewish refugees in 1938.

I don't remember Hicksville as being anti-Jewish, but that was his view. Of course he was closer to Levittown, then I was, and they did put up a Catholic High School just down the street from him. We, on the other hand, had a Jewish Temple just down the street, and our best friends were Jewish, so definitely my view was different.

Just to mention this. Why did Billy Joel name his album 52nd Street? He did it for the Jazz clubs in the area, including Zanzibar. The photo of 52nd Street, btw, was taken outside A and R Recording studios.

This is the point of the book I am up to right now, so I don't really know what it was like when Christie Brinkley came into his life.

The other book I just finished is The Doors Unhinged.

John Densmore (The Doors drummer) goes to court to keep the other two members of the band from selling the songs to advertisers for huge amounts of money and touring as The Doors.

He is joined by the family of Jim Morrison, who also want to keep alive the wishes of their deceased son.

Ultimately, he wins the case and since then, one of the remaining members, Ray Manzarek, has died. So now there are two.

It was a tough read, at times, but as a fan, it was the right thing for him to do.

I recommend it, if you can stand courtroom drama.

Port Huron, Michigan: Always Beautiful

My Water Post For Today.

Back to Port Huron, and the end of the St. Clare River, in Michigan.

I will be flying back to Michigan on Wednesday afternoon, not that I will be staying for any length of time, but I will be thinking of some of the places I have visited in the past.

Port Huron is one of them.

Enjoy the beautiful blue water of the river, and Lake Huron.

A Train Model At Glendale Station

When I was at Glendale Station a couple of weeks ago, I went inside the building.

They sell Amtrak tickets at the window, and over on the side, they have a very cute display.

If you look at it closely, they have a couple of Southern Pacific trains on the tracks.

The station now is now used by Union Pacific (who bought out Southern Pacific), and I am glad to see them throw back to the old company.

I love the old cars, too.

(sorry for the glare from the glass)

Pine Tree Time Again

It's that time of the year. Trimming the pine trees.

They got trimmed by a landscaper last year, for the first time, and that is what I am doing this year.

On Thursday he came by and gave us an estimate for both the pine trees, and the bottle brush tree in the front of the house.

Ah, the pride of home ownership.

I will show off the finished job, when it occurs.

Mike Pinder Of The Moody Blues Has Died

Mike Pinder, one of the founding members of The Moody Blues, has died. He was 82 years old.

As a big Moody Blues fan, I mourn his death.

He had not been with the band since he moved to California, in the early 70's.

Seventh Sojourn was the last album he played a significant part in, and it is one of my favorites.

This song in particular, Lost In A Lost World, was always my favorite on the album.

Godspeed Mike, you will be missed.

We Put The Flags Back Up

We took down our flags when February's rain arrived.

Especially with the wind, it was just not worth it, for us.

Almost 2 months later, they have been added to our house, once again.

Of course, May Gray has arrived a bit early, but in spite of that, they fly anyway.

I have missed them.

Bearded Iris

It's a few days early, but my Bearded Iris plants are suddenly blooming.

This first one on 4/23/24, is about a week earlier than last year.

From what I can see, I will be getting many more than last year.

I bet having a gardener has helped bring my bulbs to life.

I must admit, I think it is worth the money I spend each month.

Happy Passover (2024)

Happy Passsover to all who celebrate.

We had a small meal for two.

Gefilte Fish with Matzo on the side, Matzo Ball Soup, Tri Tip Roast, Stewed Prunes in Orange Juice, and fresh cut up fruit.

It wasn't the most complex holiday meal, but it got the job done.

Oh, and wine, of course.

The Columbia River Outside Vancouver, Washington.

My Water Post For Today.

This photo was taken back in 2012.

We were crossing the Columbia River, to get to a station stop at Vancouver, Washington.

If you remember, we followed the Columbia River for hours after that crossing.

I like the fact that the Interstate is off in the distance, and framed by the railroad bridge itself.

I hope you enjoy.

Bank Of America, North Hollywood

We had to take a trip to North Hollywood the other day.

While business was being done inside, I was outside the bank, waiting in my car.

Looking at the Bank of American branch, I remembered that, not only was it our first bank as a married couple, it was the site of the infamous North Hollywood Shootout in 1997.

Thankfully, many years after we closed out account and moved to a different bank in Santa Clarita.

You can read the entire bank shootout article on Wikipedia, HERE.

I must say, I was not feeling particularly safe, waiting in that parking lot.

I am so glad that I no longer live in North Hollywood.

No Knead Bread

I saw this recipe from The Kitchn the other day. No Knead Bread.

So I would not need to use the bread machine, I thought . . . hmmmm.

I am hoping that I can manage to try this over the weekend.

We shall see. Maybe next time I am home for a weekend.

Ingredients

1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) plus more for sprinkling

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Equipment

Large bowl

Plastic wrap or kitchen towel

Large Dutch oven with ovensafe lid

Parchment paper

Whisk

Instructions

Make a wet, shaggy dough. Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center, and add the water into the well. Stir until it forms a shaggy dough.

Cover the dough bowl and let rise for 6 to 8 hours. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size and bubbly, 6 to 8 hours.

Shape the dough and rise for another hour. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto it, folding it over on itself at least once while you do so. Quickly shape the dough into a round ball (see this video for basic instructions). Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour more.

Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven. About 30 minutes before the hour is up, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a large Dutch oven with its lid on the rack. Heat the oven to 450°F.

Transfer the loaf to the preheated Dutch oven.The shaped dough will have risen and nearly doubled in size. Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully transfer the loaf, still on the paper, to the Dutch oven. If desired, make a slash or shallow cut on the top of the dough with kitchen shears or a sharp knife so that the bread can expand while baking.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Place the lid on the pot and put it in the oven. (Careful, the lid is hot!) Bake covered for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes more. You can be extra-sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the top or side registers 210°F.

Cool and slice the bread. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftover bread can be stored cut-side down at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and frozen for up to 3 months.

Update!

Here is my bread.

I made the dough at 9PM on Saturday and finished it up on Sunday.

We were able to have a slice with our Sunday lunch.

It was good and I will definitely make it again.

We Had A Visor Replaced On Our Saturn

We fixed the problem with the ignition on our Saturn, 2 days before our accident with the Malibu.

We could not get the key to come out of the ignition. It was dangerous, especially for a woman alone.

While my Husband was dealing with the dealer, as to if they had the part, and how long it would take to get it in, I went to the parts department inside.

I asked them if they had a visor for my car. They did not.

He did see that a car dealership in Pennsylvania had one, and he gave me the phone number.

Figuring, what did I have to lose, I called the number, and got told they did not have it.

Oh well, good try angel.

About 15 minutes later, I get an unknown phone call from Pennsylvania. I did not pick it up in time, but I did call the number back.

It ended up that they went to the top of the rack and found it laying down up there. I ordered it and had it sent to my house.

Now, how to get it installed. . . My Husband asked the collision place if they could do it, and it took about 5 minutes with the right tool.

I can finally see the rear-view mirror again.

I am a very thankful person.

X-59 Quesst

Tuesday night the three of us are sitting in the Family Room watching TV.

The door to the outside is open, to get some air.

At 8:13PM we hear something going over our house, it was incredibly LOUD!

Then it became totally silent, no lowering of the sound gradually, it just stopped.

Several of my boards on Facebook just went wild, asking what that sound was and did anyone see what caused it.

The best we can come up with is that the X-59 Quesst, is testing out of Palmdale.

Quesst is currently being tested to find out how sound is heard over populated areas. The plane has a way to make them quieter, at will. (I guess that is what we heard)

Using the results, they intend to ask the Government to be allowed to fly supersonically over land.

It was quite frightening, if you ask me.

Billy Joel's 100th Concert At Madison Square Garden

My Husband and I watched the much anticipated Billy Joel 100th Concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. We also watched it again on Friday! So the setlist is much closer to what aired.

I can't think about the last time I saw a concert on network television. Totally seems to be found in Pledge drives on Public TV, or on streaming or Pay Per View channels now days.

We knew commercials were going to be a part of this event, and boy oh boy, were they. Bad enough I know the formula for a Pledge Drive. The biggest segment is traditionally the first one, then they tend to get smaller, until the end, when (if you are lucky), you get the encore song. After the final pledge break, you get just the credits, to hold you through that final Pledge break.

Well, not like I was keeping score, but it seemed that as the concert went on, the concert itself would be one song and then a 5 minute break for commercials, then another song and another 5 minute break for commercials. It got old, real fast.

I did look at the entire setlist (on setlist FM) and there were a huge amount of songs that they did not use. Not surprising, of course, but some of the ones I wanted to hear were in that group of songs. (Allentown and Big Shot, in particular).

I did not keep a setlist myself, but some of the songs played were from The Stranger (4 songs). I saw him at Oswego in 1977 and he was just about to release that album, so I was happy to hear songs from it.

Since they took the songs out of order (on the show), here is what I remember seeing during the concert.

Setlist: Billy Joel 100th Concert at MSG

Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights go out on Broadway)

Ode to Joy/My Life

Vienna

Moving Out (Anthony's Song)

New York State of Mind

Big Man on Mulberry Street (Performed with Sting)

We Didn't Start The Fire (not sure of this one, our cable tv updated for a few minutes)

An Innocent Man

Turn the Lights Back On

River of Dreams/River Deep My High

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Still Rock and Roll to Me

Only the Good Die Young

You May Be Right/Interlude Led Zeppelin

Piano Man

It was an excellent concert, the crowd was totally into his music, and they were even wearing all sorts of concert themed tee-shirts, which was interesting. (my personal favorite was a You May Be Right and I May be Crazy tee shirts on a couple in the audience).

The final insult to the performance was the fact that the concert started a half hour late in the East and Central time zones (due to the Masters Tournament running late) and then they cut out of the concert in the middle of Piano Man. Yes, the Internet exploded on Monday!

CBS will be re-airing the entire concert on Friday, to make up for this.

Makenna Loves To Sleep On Me, When It Is Cold And Rainy

Some nights, if it is cold and rainy, I grab my fluffy throw, that I got in Michigan.

Makenna and I snuggle up, and she falls to sleep.

We were watching Billy Joel, when I took this photo. I don't think she is a fan. :-)

More on the concert, on Wednesday, when I give my full review. FYI: There was a problem with the final minutes of the show and CBS will be re-airing it on Friday.

...but I digress. We have no plans to be tortured with more rain this weekend, so I guess snuggling with the cat is out.

It has been fun though.