Tee-hee-hee

Y and I have been working on resumes, cover letters, and applications for jobs. He's looking for a salaried position, and has had several calls and interviews, all of which have gone well.

This week, he had an interview in Monterey, which, living in the range of the greater LA area, he thought was Monterey Park. He got himself all gussied up and left early. When I didn't hear his car leave the driveway, I was curious, but figured he was setting up the GPS and would be on his way soon.

Nope, he came back into the house and, very chagrined, admitted that when he put the address and zip code into his GPS, it told him he had a 7-hour drive ... to Monterey, up south of the San Francisco area! He never knew that there was both a Monterey Park in LA and a Monterey, CA up north.

Have to admit I got a good laugh from his discomfort. Is this one of those "live and learn" opportunities?

Synchrony

I have a notebook into which I write everything having to do with online buying. I write down people's names, all the numbers they give me, comments I want to remember -- and when I really need it, I don't have Synchrony anywhere in the little spiral bound notebook. Or the other little notebook that I used when I couldn't find my first little notebook.

I order lots of items through Amazon.com. The items ordered go directly to a Synchrony card -- a card I don't have. I've never received a statement from Synchrony, so I have no idea what the card number is, which means I cannot go to their site to receive help. I do get an online message from Synchrony, telling me I have a balance due, but I can't get into the actual site to make a payment.

This month, my bill came in and I want to pay it. In order to pay the bill, I have to know the account number, which I don't know because ... I've never received an actual card from Synchrony. I must have gone online at some point in time with Synchrony because when I went to the help site, it asked me for my user name and id -- which I don't know because I don't remember ever going online with this vendor. And, according to my little notebook, I've never gone online with Synchrony.

The good news is that Michael, who speaks with a decidedly Indian accent, offered to send me a copy of the card so I can contact the help line in the future. He's going to send me a copy of the card I am supposed to already have, rather than a new card with a new number, which is unusual. I would rather use one of my other cards, cards which I use more frequently, but my Amazon account is already set up with the Synchrony option selected (by whom?) for ease in my monthly billing cycle.

If I could just delete my past actions and start fresh, I'd be really happy, but when it comes to dealing with credit/debit cards, you have to play the game, and it's their game, their rules, and their score.

The Goose and the Gander

It’s one thing to be caught with your pants down, but it’s something else entirely to lose your dignity and your job from unsubstantiated allegations of what may have happened 40 years ago. I doubt that I know any woman who has never been harassed in the workplace, but don’t just limit that to women: probably as many men have also been the recipient of harassment but learn how to "take it like a man." If the charges against anyone are so egregious that it’s going to cost an alleged perpetrator their life’s work, the alleged harasser should at least have to be proven guilty in a court of law, not be persecuted by the court of public opinion.

Billy Bush was horrendously unfairly treated when he interviewed Donald Trump and caught not just his confession, but his cock-of-the-walk bragging about how poorly he’s treated women in his workplace. Billy Bush lost his job for doing his job, while Donald Trump went on to become our nation’s President. If anyone should have been excoriated by the press and the court of public opinion, it was Trump – not Bush.

Don’t get me wrong: no one should be harassed or subjected to unfair treatment in the workplace. It should be reported immediately and handled firmly by the personnel office of the business or organization wherein the encounter occurs. When I have been subjected to harassment, I’ve stood up to the person harassing me – and reported the incident to my supervisor. I have also confronted the harasser on the spot, letting him/her know that I would not tolerate their abuse. Usually, that’s enough to put the harasser on notice that the behaviors are inappropriate and illegal and will not be tolerated.

And if reporting it isn't enough, then take whatever action is necessary to stop the harassment, beginning with a consultation with a lawyer who accompanies you to your supervisor to discuss the allegations and explain what needs to be done with the perpetrator of the actions.

I am vehemently opposed to what’s been going on in the media, with allegations from as far back as the 1970s costing people their jobs without a hearing in a court of law to determine if the allegations are substantiated. If I were one of the many men being accused by “nameless” victims of my alleged abuse, I’d become very proactive in seeking redress in a court of law. If the allegations cannot be substantiated, the person who makes the allegations should be held accountable for falsely reporting the events—and lose their good name, employment, benefits, and retirement funds.

As my mother always said, what's sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander.

Under the Tree

I watched Rachel Ray today, and she had Gayle King on -- Oprah's best friend -- talking about Oprah's favorite things for Christmas this year. Gayle and Rachel raved about the tote bag, perfect for carrying to the market, so I decided to Amazon it as a possible gift for my daughter and my daughter-in-law.

Well, needless to say, I was aghast to find that the "market bag" is $298. Yes, that's $300 rounded up. Now, I agree that we all need to take our own bags to the market to save the planet from plastic, but carrying a $300 bag to go shopping seems a bit over the top.

Sorry, Oprah. I know it's one of your favorite things, but I'm on a much more restricted budget than you, so my two girls will have to settle for something a whole lot more affordable.

UPDATE: Well, now it looks like Oprah was offering a bargain bag as Ellen's 12 Days of Christmas featured a Michael Kors' tote for $400. Yes, a tote bag, and not a blinged out product. Very conservative, so no bells and whistles to justify the price. Sorry, girls, but it's still a no-go.

Citizenship

Yesterday was the big day: Yucheng became a US citizen. The entire citizenship process took time, but was relatively easy to complete. He was worried about the test, but the questions asked were very basic and simple. So, the last step in the process was taking the Oath of Allegiance at a ceremony at the Convention Center in downtown LA. The drive was easy, with no accidents and/or slowdowns to add to the time, and we arrived by 12 noon as directed. We, and the 8,000 others who were there for the ceremony!

There were 4,217 people being admitted as citizens – and then all the guests and family members there to witness it. We did find a parking place in the underground garage system, but when we left, we had no idea how to find the car again … and had to ask one of the garage attendants for assistance. Had Y not remembered that the color in the garage was orange, we would have been out of luck. Once he provided the garage attendant with the color, he directed us down the block to another section of the garage where we found our car right where we had parked it.

The crowd was very well-behaved because the ceremony begins with the announcement that, for the purposes of administering the citizenship oath, we were now in a court of law. I was seated so far back in the auditorium that the judge, when he stood at the podium, looked about 3” tall! The “giant” screens that allowed the audience to see the ceremony looked to be about 1 foot by 2 feet from my distance, but I know they were much bigger than that the closer to the front of the auditorium one was seated. It also would have been easier to see what was going on if the chairs weren't arranged all on the floor level, so I had no chance to see anything that wasn't on the screen.

The good news is that the entire event was done by mass process, not individually, so once everyone did the swearing of allegiance and the court clerk banged the gavel to indicate the event was finished, we all got to leave. Needless to say, the 5,000 or so of us who exited became a huge crowd outside waiting for individuals to find their family members! I parked myself on a set of stairs at the back of the crowd and called Y on the phone to tell him how to find me.

Then, it was time to find food. Y said let’s go to Pasadena (where we were going to visit his cousin and the new baby) and we’ll eat at The Cheesecake Factory, which is one of Y’s favorite places to eat because they serve a Chinese Chicken Salad that he loves. Believe it or not, the gps sent us through the heart of LA on surface streets and it took us a full hour to get to the other side of LA and looking for the restaurant! Once we found it, we also found that there is no parking in some parts of Pasadena, so we went to a parking lot two blocks away that advertised Parking $3, but in small letters it clarified: $3 for each 20 minutes, with a total of $8 maximum. I guess no one ever told the owner that 3x20 minutes in an hour each would have been $9 total. Our dinner was excellent and then we were on to see the baby.

Trevor is adorable! He’s only 3 weeks old and he was getting a diaper change when we arrived. I asked if I could snuggle with him and spent a glorious 20 minutes or so cuddling. I have always loved babies and still do, so I was in heaven getting to hold him. We had taken a gift bag filled with little outfits, hats, and booties, along with some washcloths I had made, so Lian was thrilled. She returns home to China the end of the month. I don’t envy her traveling with a huge suitcase and a newborn.

Coming home via the freeway was a breeze as traffic had tapered off, and we arrived home safely to our little doggies, who were thrilled to have us back. More cuddling and then bedtime as I was pooped!
Great day and a special time for both of us.

Only the Brave

It's challenging to make a good movie out of a story everyone already knows. There is no surprise ending, so how to make the story engaging, interesting, and effective becomes the challenge. The story of the brave fire-fighting Granite Mountain hotshot team whose members lost their lives while fighting a ferocious wildfire in Arizona has been around since that event happened several years ago. It was shocking that 19 men died in the fire, so what would be the purpose in retelling the story?

The film version of the story, Only the Brave, is very effective in building relationships with the 19 men involved in the incident. The viewer sees their humanity, their personal issues that all of us have, but that we leave at home when we report for work. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so much of the hotshots' time is spent building a fast-moving, effective, dedicated fire-fighting unit. By the time the team earns its hotshot status, the viewer is completely inside the story being shown on the screen.

I did not know that the firefighters died as a result of the failure of the water drop on their location, but that seems to be what happened. The two sides of the out-of-control wildfire suddenly burst into flame and came together, trapping the 19 men, who quickly deployed their individual shelters to protect them from the flames. The water tanker flew directly over their position, but didn't drop the water--and there was nothing that would protect the men from the ferocity of the flames as the fire merged mercilessly at the one exact spot the men were sheltering in place. There was nowhere else for the men to go, so their fate was sealed.

I don't know if the waterdrop would have given them a chance at survival or if that point is moot in the face of the ferocious flames, but my tears and my sorrow for the men were unabated as the film drew to an end.

There is a memorial at a hundred-year-old desert shrub outside Prescott, AZ that the hotshot team saved during another fire. There is a picture of the hotshot crew, smiles wide across their faces as they climbed on top of one another to make a pyramid of them after saving the tree. It made the silent point about the joy these men felt from doing their job to the best of their ability, all the while knowing that any fire could be their last.

Victoria and Abdul and A Mountain Between

Movies this past week were somewhat a snooze, with Judi Dench commanding the screen in Victoria and Abdul in the same performance she has given previously in her recent films. She is being typecast, so it's not her fault that all of her roles are the same from film to film, but I would have loved to have seen this role be a bit more interesting, more dynamic, and a whole lot less predictable. In a couple of places, I said the lines as she was saying them -- and I didn't write the screen script.

I give this film a C as it's pretty much not good enough for an A or B, and not bad enough for a D or Fail.

A Mountain Between is a story of a plane crash in the deeply snowy mountains which is survived by a man and a woman, and a dog, who then have to find either a way to be rescued (not going to happen) or a way to save themselves, which seems highly improbable. However, being a movie, they do get down the mountain and save themselves -- oh, did I just give away the movie? Really not really because it's that predictable. The acting is pretty good in the film, and the dog has a starring role and provides a bit of both comic relief and a moment of sheer terror, followed by heroism.

I almost want to give this film a C+ as it's better overall than just average, but not really outstanding as it's too predictable. Even the ending, which you'll see coming a mile away.

If your theatre has a discount ticket price, I'd go for the least expensive showing as it would seem really not worth it if you paid full prime ticket sales amounts.

Ricky Martin Puerto Rico Relief

I'm not easily impressed with people who tout their own virtues in an effort to make themselves look good, but I appreciate those who simply go about their business and, if accolades accrue, modestly accept the praise. When Ricky Martin visited The Ellen Show a week ago, he asked for donations to help him purchase relief aid for the people of Puerto Rico who have been devastated by the recent hurricanes. He asked for as many viewers as possible to send any amount, even a dollar, and he assured the viewers that their donations will be put to work where they are needed.

Today, Ellen had Ricky Martin on her show and his visit was accompanied by a visual piece about his taking necessary supplies to Puerto Rico and going person-to-person to deliver supplies in the devastated communities. He warmly greeted the people in his path, sharing his wonderful huge grin and a heart-warming hug along with the disaster relief packages. It was easy to see how appreciative the people were who received the boxes, but it was also nice to see the real joy on Ricky's face. Most interesting is the fact that Ricky was amazed at how Ellen's viewers responded to his request for donations, and he had a quarter of a million dollars to spend on aid just from Ellen viewers.

Ricky Martin is going back to Puerto Rico this weekend and he wants to take another plane filled with relief aid. He asked viewers of The Ellen Show again to donate whatever they can afford, and made the point that one dollar, when combined with lots of other dollar donations, can make a tremendous difference to the people of Puerto Rico. He provided a web address (youcaring.com/rickymartin) for donations.

I pledged $100 and received an additional $37 credit for posting on Facebook. I urge anyone who reads this blogpost to consider a donation too, and to post it so the fund has the money to send many more planes filled with relief products to people who really need the help.

Book Boyfriends

I live life vicariously through what I fondly call “trashy romance novels,” but what others in today’s world call “book boyfriends.” I like the complete life cycle captured between the covers of an afternoon’s read – and it always ends well. Usually it’s a boy meets girl, they hop into bed together, then they find out about each other’s real life and have to find a way to either walk away in one piece or live happily ever after.

Lately, I’ve become addicted to Kaylea Cross’s assorted series of stories, most of which revolve around “superman” male characters and strong, forceful, but loving female characters. No matter the challenges to the relationship, they stay strong and come out the other end of adversity with a smile on their faces. The men are often either active military (such as Special Forces); retired military with special skills (such as piloting aircraft or advanced computer skills); or those who work for private contractors without benefit of military training. They most often work as a tightly-knit team, and the concept of teamwork is wound throughout the stories, emphasizing how a strong team can overcome most adversity.

Now the one part of the whole series that I’m not particularly interested in is the sex scenes. Back in the day there were love scenes, but today—it’s straight-up down and dirty sex for page after page after page. Because I like the stories without the sex scenes, I simply page through that part of the book and begin reading again after the sex is finished. It’s a simple fix to a personal preference, and I don’t try to shove my morality down anyone else’s throat. If you like the graphic sex part of the story, read it: I’ll save my reading time for something else.

I gave one of my friends one of the books to read and was shocked at the reaction she had. She literally pointed her finger and accused me in a rather loud voice of polluting her life with a trashy book. When I told her I enjoyed the story, she went straight for the raunchy sex, which is usually just one scene in any detail. I told her she should do what I do and turn the pages until the story is back: simple problem; simple solution. Well, she wasn’t easily placated and warned me not to give her any more of “those books” to read as she was offended by the content of the book I did give her.

You know, life is too short to be so caught up in such childish things. A simple, calmly-delivered “I didn’t like the sex scenes in the book you gave me” would have been fine. After all, we're all entitled to our own opinions.

Now, you'll have to excuse me: I have another Kaylea Cross to read this afternoon.

Pay Attention!

I think it is respectful to stand and pay attention to the playing of the national anthem, whether at an athletic event, a concert, or any public gathering at which the national anthem is played.

I think it is permissible for those who question their loyalty to the United States to protest the playing of the national anthem; however, not if that protest interferes with others' right to honor the nation by standing respectfully during the playing of the anthem. Athletes taking a knee or standing with their arms intertwined is okay, but not talking during the playing of the anthem and/or disrupting the event for other people participating in it.

What I think is not okay is the President of the United States of America trying to dictate what is correct and what is not when it comes to the national anthem. His comments are rude, inappropriate, and unnecessary, and don't add to the discussion of what taking a knee and/or standing with arms intertwined means to the people who are taking that action.

Twitter should delete the President's account as he obviously is using it as a his personal messaging service to the world, and he doesn't think before he tweets. Think "Rocket Man" and then how such a thoughtless remark could literally lead to world war.

Enough is enough and I cannot imagine another 3 years of this. I'm taking a knee on President Trump.

Immigration Dreamers

It seems to me that there is a simple solution for the Dreamers issue: within the next 12 months, all undocumented immigrants living in the US must apply for and receive American citizenship.

Just because you've lived in a country illegally does not mean that you can continue to do that with impunity because you birthed children during your illegal residence. There are consequences of illegal conduct, including illegally entering a country and staying there at risk of deportation.

If the Dreamers are under age, of course they have to return to their parents' country of origin: we are not going to develop small cities of apartments and care-takers to raise the children of illegal immigrants. When their parents apply for and are granted citizenship, the younger children can come back to the US with them.

Is this a good solution? Of course not, but it's actionable. The US did not create this problem, so it really doesn't have responsibility for fixing it. The law is fairly clear on illegal immigrants: they are deported. The law is fairly clear on legal citizens: born in the USA/stay in the USA.

Medical Issues Updated

The problem with my right upper leg is in the bursa: hence, bursitis, which means swollen and painful bursa. I had a steroid shot directly into the spot that hurts the most, and once that takes effect, I will get relief from the problem.

I also have been prescribed 6 weeks of physical therapy, including massage, which will hurt while I do it, but feel great once I'm through it.

The good news is that I am not in the market for new hips, which is a huge relief. Everyone I know is having either hip or knee surgery, and I don't see that the surgeries make the problems go away in the long run, and in the short run, it's painful and stressful.

So, thankful for the good news and ready to get back into walking the dogs each day.

UPDATE: 3 days since the steroid shot and my bursa still hurts like hell and makes it challenging to walk. First day of physical therapy today, so hope that will help with the over-all issue.

UPDATE 2: 2 weeks of physical therapy, anti-inflammatory aspirin, and babying my hip/leg and I feel better. The physical therapy is nothing compared to the therapies I've had in the past, but I have to complete what's prescribed in order for my insurance to cover the MRI and other dr. visits. Will do -- done next week.

Medical Issues

I have a very sore right leg, especially at the top of the leg. I called my primary care doctor, who was more concerned with an abdominal pain in my left side, so I had x-rays of the left hip that determined I have extensive arthritis in my left hip and may be a candidate for hip replacement surgery ... in the future.

Great to know that, but what about my right leg?

Oh, for that, I should see an ortho doc, so I called the last one I used, the one who redid the right knee surgery that the quack doctor didn't do correctly. The xray didn't show any need to be concerned about the right hip, but that's not my issue: my right leg hurts from hip to toe and I can barely stand the pain some days.

Well, then, let's do an MRI on that area and see what's going on. I'll have the girls in the front office set up an appointment for you and let you know where/when, after which I will have another appointment to find out the results, says the doctor.

Okay. Day 1, didn't hear from the front office. Day 2, I called and left a message. Day 3, I called again and left a message. Day 4, I called again and left another message. Then it was the weekend, so I waited on Monday to hear, but no phone call. Tuesday, I drove to the office and explained that I was frustrated because I was supposed to have an MRI to find out the cause for the pain in my right leg, but no one had contacted me. I finally got the feeling it was going to work out because she typed an email in front of me to the person tasked with contacting both the MRI facility and me with the details.

Nope: no one called me with a date/time/facility. So, we drove back to the doctor office and I again spoke in person to the office staff and told them that this situation was ridiculous -- and I was still in pain on my right leg and getting nowhere with their procedure for getting an appointment for an MRI. That did the trick: I finally got a phone call with the MRI center and got set up for the appointment -- an entire week later! Meanwhile, I'm limping around on a very painful leg that is getting worse, not better.

The good news is that I go in Monday for the MRI; the bad news is that I don't see the doctor for the results conversation for another week after that!

I was told that these things take time.

Yeah, I know.

UPDATING: I've had the MRI and will go to the doctor for the results this coming Monday. My right leg is not doing better, even though I've stayed off it as much as possible for the past 2 weeks.

The Best Blizzard Ever!

Dairy Queen already has the best ice cream products, but a new product this month is number one of all time greatest treats ever!!

It's the truffle blizzard, a vanilla-based dessert that is lush with little chocolate truffle candies, three different kinds, and plenty of each and all of them included in the blizzard. I ordered the large (because if I'm going to splurge, I'm going to really splurge), and there were candy bites down to the bottom of the cup. Each bite was delicious, and I scraped the empty cup while wishing for just a little bit more because I hated being finished with the blizzard before I was finished enjoying the taste of it.

Now, this is not the kind of dairy product that is meant when one is being urged to keep adequate dairy in the daily diet, but for an extra-special treat once in a while, the truffle blizzard is my new favorite.

The Big Sick and The War Movie

I went to two movies this past week, selecting them based on reviews. One was okay and the other one I walked out on after the first hour.

The Big Sick is a "true" story about a male comedian and his girlfriend, and relies on the cultural contrast between an American girl and a Pakistani boy who meet, date, and fall in love. The story is well-told and moves along nicely, but the language always detracts from my enjoyment of any film, and this film has filthy language.

Dunkirk is also a "true" story about soldiers needing to be evacuated from war. It tells three different stories at the same time, which is probably the biggest fault with the film. Trying to blend three stories into one is always tricky, but there are ways to do it that are seamless; in this film, however, there is no blending. It's challenging to leave the continuity of the narrative up to the viewer to make happen, and I found it distracting at first, and then just plain annoying. About an hour in, I told my movie buddy I was going to leave -- and she, the one who never walks out of a movie, left with me, sharing the same complaints that I had about the film.

I know that these two films will be considered for awards nominations, but while The Big Sick could maybe be an award-winner because most people overlook the foul language, I would be greatly disappointed if Dunkirk won any awards because it's just not that good.

Errors

I love reading and finish about a book a day – sometimes, 2 books a day, depending on what else is going on. When I find an author whose style is pleasing, I read several of his/her books. Lately, I’ve been astounded at the poor editing displayed in the books I read, from lots of ticky-tacky things to major errors. Here are some of my favorites:

Off of: it’s either off or it’s on, but never of
Towards: there is no s on toward, or backward, or forward
Till: this means to cultivate the ground or to have a money drawer. The “short way” to write until is ‘til, but the word is short enough to use as it is.
Farther/further: if it’s distance, it’s farther; if it means taking an idea to the next level, it’s further.
As of yet: it’s just yet

There are many more examples I could point out, but these are the most commonly misused words I’ve encountered in the past week.

Yeah, I know: I need to get a life!

RATS!

The engine light came on in the RAV, followed by the “skid” light, and the cruise control light was blinking. Worried that this must mean something dire, I took my RAV into my favorite auto service center and said, “What’s up with this?” The technician opened the hood and there was the problem: rats!
.
Rats have been under the hood, storing dog food they’ve stolen from the bag of food in the garage. They’ve also nibbled on a variety of wires, knocking out sensors and causing the various lights to come on. Not sure how far into the wiring harness they have gnawed, but the tech says that sometimes, the rats win and I end up with a very big repair bill.

I’ve left the RAV there as it’s a two-day process to repair. A friend will pick me up tomorrow and take me to my car as the dealer has promised to have it repaired for me for the weekend. After I pick up my car, I’m going to get myself to the big box hardware store and get some rat killer!!

UPDATE: I went to the lumberyards and bought a sonic wave thingy that's supposed to scare the rats out of the garage. In case that doesn't work (I'm a pragmatist), I also got some rat bait and some out-and-out rat killer pellets. I'm going to use all 3 and see what happens. The dog food is in the trash, so that's not there to tempt the rats to stay. I'm actually going to put the pellets under the hood of my car as that's where the rats took the dog food for snack time.

We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, I have to keep Daisy out of the garage as she forages for the rats -- and I want to see them die from poisoning, not my dog.

Maudie

There is a very sweet movie playing, Maudie, starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, that I recommend for its simple story told with complexity in the acting. Maudie is plagued by what appears to be severe arthritis, and because of her physical difference, she keeps to herself. When a notice is posted on a bulletin board asking for a woman to become a man’s housekeeper, Maudie responds to the post by walking 7 miles from town to a small cabin where Everett lives. Everett doubts that Maudie is physically able to be his housekeeper, but she is tenacious and he offers her the job.

Everett is anti-social to the extreme, but Maudie’s gentle presence slowly works its way through his tough exterior and they form a bond that benefits both. When, however, Everett wants to become physically intimate, Maudie says “no.” If Everett will marry her, Maudie will grant him husbandly intimacy, but she’s too proud to be taken advantage of by a man’s basic human needs. Eventually Everett gives in and marries Maudie, and the story of their relationship takes a turn.

Maudie paints simple, colorful rustic scenes of what she sees around her. One day, a passerby stops at the cabin and offers to buy some of Maudie’s art. Maudie is shrewd and asks for $5 per painting, which the woman gladly pays. As the story evolves, Maudie’s paintings become more popular and there is even a news feature done on her and her artwork. Life for the couple settles in and moves on. Maudie’s health deteriorates, but still she paints and takes care of Everett, but surprisingly, he also takes care of her. Their story is sweet, gritty, and unnecessarily cruel, but quite engaging, and is based on the life story of a real Maudie.

I recommend this film for the older crowd because I’m not sure younger people will watch long enough for the story to emerge and grow. The acting is first-rate and really sells the story. Sally Hawkins completely catches the peculiarity of her character, Maudie, and Ethan Hawke deftly captures the frustration and isolation of his character, which is mirrored by the environment in which they live, Nova Scotia. Together, these two actors make the movie work and it is a film worth seeing.

*there is a biography of Maudie Lewis on Wikipedia that provides more details of her, her marriage to Everett, and her painting.

My Favorite Things

My favorite time of the day begins about 2 pm, when the dogs and I go into my bed to read. They cuddle up next to me and I take a full cuppa joe with me, so we have our routine down pat. Me and my Kindle and my best friends. It doesn't get much better than that!

Olive Garden Restaurant Fail

Today, my friend and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch at OG, one of our favorite places to eat. We arrived promptly at 11 am, were seated, made our selections, and waited for the magic to happen.

My friend's soup 'n salad came to the table, along with a big bowl of salad, so we began by serving ourselves from the salad bowl. There were big chunks of the ends of lettuce, far too many pieces of wilted lettuce, and only 2 black olives in the whole bowl. My friend finished her salad and said she'd wait to eat her soup until I received my salmon. Finally, I summoned the waiter and asked where my salmon was as it had literally been 25 minutes since I ordered it and still no sign of my entrée. He went back to the kitchen to check, and came back to tell me it would be up shortly. I urged C to eat her soup and enjoy another bowl of salad, but we both were grossed out by the salad and didn't want to eat any of what remained in the bowl.

Finally, my salmon and broccoli arrived. The broccoli was plain, no sauce/no seasoning/no butter, and it tasted just warm enough to have been put into the microwave and been heated. He offered to go back to the kitchen and get another serving of broccoli, so I decided to move on to the salmon. The salmon was dry; again, no sauce and no seasoning. I took about 3 bites and called the server back. I told him that so far, my lunch was an epic fail and I had no intention of eating anything else.

The manager came to our table and was polite and pleasant, apologizing for our meal and comping it, which was a good move as I hadn't eaten more than 4-5 bites of anything. My friend left behind most of her bowl of soup, but did manage to eat at least one serving of salad.

I appreciated the response from the employees, but left hungry enough to drive all the way home and fix myself some lunch. I won't hurry back to Olive Garden, but will give them another try ... later.

A Hunnerd 'n Wot?

It is challenging to describe to anyone how hot it is when the temp is at 122 degrees. Yes, 122 degrees. Most people say something inane, like "it's a dry heat," not realizing how really hot dry heat is. Want to check it out? Put your face into your oven while you're baking cookies: it's dry heat, too, but still darned hot.

I'm staying inside as the sun can literally burn my skin in minutes. The older I get, the thinner my skin is, and I feel as if I'm holding my arms over an open flame. There is a definite burn wherever the skin and sun meet.

If I had a clothesline, my clothes would be dry before I could finish hanging a load. As it is, I have to run the dryer, which seems ridiculous when it's so hot outside.

My cooler is running non-stop. I have it set at 86 degrees as it's much cooler when compared to the outside temps, and I don't need to refrigerate myself to feel comfortable. There are cooling centers throughout the valley to help homeless residents deal with the heat, which is a necessity in this temp range, not a luxury.

Yep, it really is 122 degrees out, but we're reassured that the temps are cooling down -- expecting 118 tomorrow, a total cooling off trend!

Startled!

I made my way to the dentist office for a cleaning this morning, only to find that I had arrived a day early. Not to worry, I told the receptionist -- I'll go home and come back tomorrow. Arrived home, petted the dogs a bit, then decided to go in and read as I have a book I'm reading for an author as part of his ART, which is his Advance Readers' Team, and I need to comment.

Next thing I knew, I was shooting up into the air as if a cannon were underneath my body, yelling "Shit!", and grabbing for my shoes. I believed it was tomorrow and I was late for my dental appointment. It took a couple of minutes for my mind to clear enough for me to realize it was still today and I had the rest of today until I had to go to the dentist tomorrow.

Jet lag is crazy stuff. I know I was concerned about driving home from LAX on my arrival back from China, and I did, indeed, sleep until noon the next day, having gone to bed at 8 pm the night before. I thought I was over the worst of it, but I guess today caught me unawares and still in the throws of jet lag.

Naked Baby Bath

The one custom I'm not accustomed to is the Naked Baby Bath. Few older residences have what we would call a bathroom, but is often a small facility created in the kitchen so it can hook into the water for the kitchen sink. Most of them have a washbasin and a toilet, with a small, hand-held shower nozzle for a quick wet wash. When the family needs to bathe, usually only once a week or once every other week, they go to a public bath-house. There, mothers wash themselves and their children, scrubbing firmly to remove a week's worth, or two week's worth, of grime. They are quite comfortable with this routine -- and I asked the men and they look forward to it like athletes look forward to the locker room.

I, however, have some body issues right now, including the fact that I am easily 50 pounds overweight and sagging in all the wrong places. Did not matter how many times I declined going to the bath: the routine was set and I was part of it, so off we went. I cannot begin to tell you how uncomfortable I was to remove my clothing in a Chinese bath-house!! It's a very nice facility and quite popular, judging by the number of women enjoying their baths, but all eyes were turned my way. Ugh. I had to suck it up and go with the program as there was no way to say "no, thank you, but I'll pass" with a roomful of women watching my every movement. I did not represent well for American women on this age-old tradition.

First, I showered. This is the first step in removing the grime, but just the start. Next, one relaxes in the whirlpool, which is really nice but would be better not naked. Then came my special treat, called the "naked baby" bath, which means someone else vigorously removes all the dead skin and dirt from one's body, beginning at the toes and ending at the top of the head. The abrasion burned like hell on my really delicate skin that is more so since I'm aging, and it brought tears to my eyes. Of course, having someone else "bathe" me just wasn't comfortable for me, but the sooner I sucked it up, the sooner I could get my clothes back, so I just closed my eyes and went with it.

After I was deemed clean enough, I was given some shorts and a matching top and sent off to the meditation room to wait for the massage-giver to come and give me a massage. It was heavenly having my feet and legs done, and then my back, and I actually felt myself relaxing after the humiliation of the naked baby part of the treatment.

I was quite happy to be back in my own clothes and on my way home after my nice, relaxing spa day. But, when Auntie asked me to go with her to the bath before I left for home, I politely declined. Repeatedly. It's the only time she gave into my wishes the whole time I was living with her and boy! was I ever glad she listened. I don't know if I could have survived another naked baby bath!

My Trip to China 2017

Visiting China is exciting, exhilarating, and interesting above all expectations. There is so much history for today’s residents and visitors to see that it’s challenging to see it all in a mere two weeks, so I’ll just highlight some of the events.

The Forbidden City at The Emperor’s Palace in Beijing is almost a spiritual place, filled with centuries of history on display. The actual buildings have been maintained well, and several of the individual rooms have been used to form a museum of artifacts from past Chinese dynasties. Jewelry, weaponry, pottery, and some almost unbelievable clocks are part of the displays and create a feeling for the opulence of past centuries. There are also rooms set up to capture the feeling of where the Emperor slept and his concubines lived, as well as some spectacular jade pieces on exhibit.

While in Beijing, we also visited the place where President Obama and China’s President exchanged gifts. We saw a display of past gift exchanges, featuring exquisite hand-made ladies’ purses. At this venue, we also climbed two towers: 60 steps on the first flight, followed by another 15 steps, all of which were as steep as ladders almost did me in, but I made it! Adjacent to this historic site is the original “city” of Beijing, which includes building so old and decrepit that’s it challenging to believe people still live in them. Y hired two bicycle-powered carts to ride us through this old city, which is teeming with people and industry in the form of small businesses.

Taking the bullet train to Beijing and back to Shenyang was fun and a quick ride. I noticed how much of the land adjacent to the train tracks is cultivated. Seldom is there a property that is not growing something, even in the most challenging venues, such as the sides of the mountains. Y’s Auntie, the woman with whom I stayed, has planted a variety of veggies and fruits, such as strawberries and eggplant, on little pieces of dirt within the confines of her apartment building, keeping to the tradition of growing as much of what the family needs to eat because there is little money available to purchase from the vendors at the street markets. The saving of whatever there is option is very much part of the Chinese culture.

It is interesting to see the hundreds of very high-rise buildings along the railway. There is no way the buildings are all occupied as the standard of living for the majority of Chinese cannot afford the high rents, and I'm sure there aren't enough businesses to ensure even 50% occupancy. When we went to the southern part of Shenyang for me to stay overnight before getting on the plane back home, I was totally amazed at the hundreds of huge, empty buildings just sprouted from the earth as if clusters of trees in a forest. It creates a look of wealth that simply is not the reality for the majority of the residents in this part of China.

We went to the wedding, held at a venue that does nothing but wedding productions. It was very staged and almost phony in its presentation, but the groom and his bride were obviously happy with the entire process. One reason so many of the young people stage marriages is that the only acceptable gift is a red envelope with a cash donation. They aren’t into bridal showers and/or bridal gifts. This couple had already been married in a civil ceremony, but his father is very ill and in the hospital, so they are short on cash; hence, the red envelopes filled with cash to help with medical expenses. The couple is living with his mother, which cuts down on their personal expenses.

We left when the couple came to our table and the bride poured a glass of wine for the women and the groom lit cigarettes for the men at the table. I’m not sure why this is part of the wedding tradition, but being in a very large venue with a whole lot of smoking going on is not workable with my asthma, so we made our apologies and departed the event. I did bring back the metal canister that housed the wine and one of the empty bottles, the same as I did during my last visit to Shenyang.

I was invited back to visit the kindergarten that I visited the first time I was in China. The woman in charge of the program told me how much the children enjoyed meeting an American teacher, and she wanted me to come see how much the program has grown. We went to a newer site this time, and I was very impressed with how much visual stimulation there is for the children in colors, shapes, and pictures on the walls. They have mock stores, post office, bank, first aid station and a restaurant for student role-playing, which totally impressed me. I donated a bag of coins I had brought for the student bank, and the kids freaked out over American money. One of the boys pulled out the shiniest pennies and clutched them in his closed fist, unwilling to give them back to the teacher! We sang some songs, I was touched by a lot of Chinese children’s eager hands, and we left feeling totally uplifted by the visit.

For my birthday, the family had a huge celebration at Auntie’s, where I stayed during my visit. There was so much food and 10 people packed around her table that usually sits 4. Lots of beer-drinking going on, so it got noisy, but it was fun. Auntie had bought a birthday cake, a pink and white confection that was 2/3 sticky sweet icing and 1/3 white cake that was not sweet at all. Chinese don’t generally like sweets, so I think I only served 4 slices of the confection, but Auntie pretty much polished it off the next day.

I did have a chance to go back to the large exercise venue and watched the men/ women doing their routines. I also played on all the various pieces of equipment for personal training, and it was fun. Because the people in Shenyang don’t get many American visitors, I became an instant celebrity, and had to pose for dozens of pictures before I could leave the park. If I ever win the lottery (I know; I have to buy tickets to have any chance at all of winning anything), I will donate the money to have one of the family exercise parks built in my community as they are such a good idea. I could hire some Chinese to come to the opening event and demonstrate the series of exercises that make up the well-being program, and then appoint some locals to carry on with the concept. If I ever win the lottery, that is. …

My plane back to California left an hour later than scheduled and I didn’t sleep at all on the way home. I watched 3 videos, which is unusual for me, but I became pretty good at watching vids with close-captioning on Auntie’s TV during my two weeks with her. My ride was waiting for me and took me to my car, but before I left for home, I took him and the woman at whose home my car was garaged for the two weeks I was gone, out to dinner at a local … Chinese … restaurant. Yes, really, Chinese food for one last hurrah before coming back to the Hispanic desert scene. I had horrendous traffic issues on the way home, stop and go all the way from LA to San Bernardino, but made it home in time to greet my very happy to see me dogs. I went to bed at 8 pm and didn’t wake up until noon the next day!!

It’s hard to express how much I enjoyed my visit and on so many different levels. The Chinese are wary of strangers, but receptive at the same time. When I was asked if I will come back, I promised to do so for my 75th birthday, provided I am still alive and on my own two feet!

Callin' It Like It Is

I’m fat. I used to wear a size 10 and now I’m a size 18. There is no reason, no excuse, other than the fact that I’ve been sitting on my arse since I retired. I do walk the dogs every day, but that’s nothing to the exercise I used to do on a daily basis. I’ve tried going to the gym, but I’m not a gym person. I don’t like the ambiance of a gym and I don’t like the disapproval that comes from the gym regulars. I actually don’t each much, but I eat a whole lot of all the wrong things, including sweets in just about any size, shape, or configuration.

A couple of weeks ago, a guest was on a talk show and talking about hidden sugars. It caught my interest when she said how many drinks have huge amounts of hidden sugars that we pay no attention to, but which could be sabotaging our diet plans. Being a person who drinks about 5 quarts of sweet iced tea a day, I wondered how much sugar is in the drink mix I use. Wish I had been sitting down when I read the label because I almost fell over: the first ingredient on the label is cane sugar, and the breakdown is 17 grams per serving (1 T.), which makes 8 ounces of drink. My glasses are all 16 ounce servings, so I was drinking 34 grams of sugar with every glass, and I drank probably 2 dozen glasses a day, which results in 408 grams of sugar a day. In one month, that’s 1264.8 grams of sugar or about 8 cups of sugar!

Well, I never do anything half-way, so I decided to replace all the iced tea mix drinks with plain water, which means instead of ingesting cups of sugar, I’m running to the bathroom every 20 minutes. My massive stomach, which I could see when I looked down on myself from above, is no longer visible unless I look in a mirror. It’s a good start, but I have a lot more pounds to go, so I’ve also made myself a 3-meals-a-day promise, rather than snacking and calling it food. Using Blue Apron for the evening meal has been a blessing, and on the days we don’t BA, we go to the store and buy fresh meat and veggies and cook ourselves dinner.

I was embarrassed when I couldn’t get into my size 18 jeans two weeks ago when we went to LA to meet with some of Y’s friends and talk about our trip to China. I finally struggled into them, but they literally popped at the seam while we were on the way to our destination, and there was nothing I could do about the bulge of fat shouting to the world that I need to lose weight. I am proud to say that this week, I can fit into my jeans, but they still are several sizes too large at size 18 for me to look good in them. By the time we leave for China, I want to be wearing my size 16 jeans – and when I return home, I’m going for the goal of size 14.

Like I already know, I take it one meal at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time -- and soon it's one month. I'm committed to losing weight and firming up the massive fat cap on my abdomen by the end of the year. And yes, I'm committed--not just saying it to sound good.

Se Habla Espanol

There is a disadvantage to living in a community that has at least half of the population Hispanic and with restricted English-speaking abilities. Today, both Y and I had an encounter of the Espanol variety when we decided we each needed a hair trim before we leave on our visit to China. There’s a shop down the street that has both a lady’s hairdresser and a female barber. Last time I was there, I had the female hairdresser cut my hair, which was shoulder length at that time, and I liked the end product, so I headed out this morning for the haircut shop.

I went at 9 am, then 9;30, again at 10, back at 11, cruised by at 12 noon – and finally found the shop open when I gave it one last effort at 1:00 pm. It would be helpful if the hours of operation were posted, but that isn’t part of their business plan.

When it was my turn to sit in the chair, I shared a conversation with the stylist, who is actually a barber, rather than a hair dresser. We discussed my goal of shorter “cute” hair that would be easy-care on my upcoming trip. She asked me how much she could cut, which was a good sign, and I agree with ½ inch off the present length.

All ready to go, I confidently sat down in the chair. She held up a hank of hair and mimed cutting off ½ inch, to which I readily agreed. Here’s where the language thing raised its ugly head: I thought she was confirming she would cut off ½ inch from the present length, which is what I wanted, but what she was actually indicating was that she was going to cut my hair to an overall length of ½ inch. If you know Ellen Degeneres’s current haircut, that’s what my stylist had in her mind – and that’s what I am now sporting.

Yeah, yeah, I know: no sense in crying over a bad haircut because you can’t put the hair back on and just have to live through the growing-out stage. Y was kind and said it looked okay from the front, but he agreed that the back view was really, really short hair. Man’s barber short hair.

About an hour after I returned home, Y decided he, too, would go get a haircut as we’re leaving in a couple of weeks and this is a good time for some grooming. He returned home ½ hour later with the sides shaved bald, and the rest of his hair appropriately short enough to make my ½ inch length look long. He grimaced as he told me that he showed her a picture of what he wanted, a very current and stylish cut, and I could sympathize, but … you can’t glue it back onto your head.

So, we’re going to China with really short hair, which will be easy to care for while we’re doing the tourist things we have planned, but we’re both committed to finding another stylist when we return from our trip and need a trim!

3 Goes for the Movies

Recently, I've viewed three films that I enjoyed enough to recommend. First is The Zookeeper's Wife, followed by Born in China, and then Jeremiah Tower.

The Zookeeper's Wife is a strong story about a woman who dares to defy the political climate in her war-torn country by hiding Jews in the bombed-out zoo where she lives with her family. She devises a way to pick up the Jews, transport them through the German lines, and hide and feed them until they can be transported to safety. It was a daring act of courage, but well worth the efforts she made. I give this film an A- primarily because all the characters speak with an accent, and I find that tedious over the long-run.

Born in China is the moving story of three families of wild animals: the giant panda, the wild monkey, and the leopard. Each of these families have to live in ruggedly isolated terrain to be able to survive as their dietary needs depend on nature. The families are followed through an entire year of life, and it is interesting to engage with the animals in nature and see what the struggle for survival means to them. This is not a children's film, but older children who like animals will enjoy it. This film earns a solid A.

Jeremiah Tower is the biography of a well-known chef who suffered through a challenging early life, and then had three pivotal life-changing events as an adult. The look at his life is told through flash-backs interwoven with contemporary narrative by Jeremiah Tower himself. He fights valiantly for his career in fine dining, but with each step of his career comes an event that collapses what he's worked so hard to achieve. The end of the film is left open: is he permanently out of the food business or just waiting for another chance to fulfill his life-long dream to prepare the best food for patrons who will appreciate his talent. This film earns a strong B+ because it leaves the story open-ended, which I felt would have been better with an actual conclusion.

The Blue Apron Experience Part 2

If you haven't tried Blue Apron, I highly recommend the cook-it-yourself meal plan. So far, at the end of week 5, we've only had one meal that wasn't all that spectacular. We've enjoyed eating foods from different cultures and finding out how easy it is to prep/prepare when 2 people are involved in the process. From our first thought about dinner to sitting down to eat has not yet taken more than 30 minutes.

Part of what I have enjoyed is making the meal with Y. He's learned to read and follow directions, rather than flying by the seat of his pants in the kitchen. He's learned that the prep should all be done before the cooking starts -- unless there are potatoes or a grain. In that case, start the process by putting the grain or potato into a pot to cook as it takes that part of the meal about 14 minutes to cook and the rest of the meal half that time.

And, we do the dishes and clean the kitchen together, so I don't have to face a mess when all is said and done. Y is great at taking care of himself for most of his meals, but he "finishes" when he is done eating, regardless of what's left on the stove, on the counter, in the sink, and still on the table. Rarely is there a morning without a dirty pan still in the sink "soaking."

Sharing the Blue Apron experience means the meal prep and clean-up both get done, which makes me a much happier person all the way around.

The Spoken Word

Listening to a talk show interview caught my attention for the manner of speaking throughout the conversation. The actress talked about not doing something “as of yet,” which I’m not sure actually has any meaning. She was in “close proximity” to a friend, which is redundant because proximity means closeness. She assured the interviewer that “I, myself” had never done something another actor had done. And throughout the interview repeated, “it’s like, yeah” before finishing the thought.

I’m not sure why this type of conversation is so popular among young people, but it is fingernails on a chalkboard to me! Of course, all chalkboards are now whiteboards, so this young speaker would have no idea what I meant by that critique :-). 

Growing Old and Gardening

I finally broke down and hired the neighbor whose business is “garden,” as it says on the side of his truck. The front yard was so overgrown that one could literally not walk on the walkway to the front door. The weeds were up to 2 feet tall, and the bougainvillea completely blocked access from the garage to the front door. Made it a challenge to get to my front door, which is not bad – except for the fact that I’ve been purchasing items on line that need to be delivered to the front door.

Sergio did a great job and, in the process of cleaning, discovered that the bird fountain had broken into three separate pieces, which means the birds and stray cats can’t get a drink as the weather continues to warm. I’ll go up to the hardware store and buy a new ceramic fountain and then ask Sergio to drill a hole through the ceramic so the small rubber tubing for the watering system can be installed to keep the water fresh on a daily basis. The back yard is overgrown, but not in an area that interferes with navigation of the space, so it can stay that way.

I used to take pride in how nice my yard looks, but, frankly, I am all over the hours in the hot sun to get it to look that way, and the older I get, the less I want to do yardwork. I have talked to Sergio about his monthly plan, where he comes in and cleans up what needs cleaning and checks the watering system. I’ll only need him to do this until about October, so I’m opting for paying him the going rate and not have to do it myself.

UPDATING: After writing this post, I had occasion to go out to the patio and saw what a disaster my backyard is! Reluctantly, but shamed, I got the clippers and dead-headed some of the shrubbery, then turned on the water and gave all the plantings a much-needed drink of water. It's not perfect, but now if Sergio wants to take a look at the backyard, he won't be seeing dollars signs. :=)

Unwinding

I have been knitting since I was in elementary school and crocheting since I was in my 20s, so I know a lot about yarn performance. Back in the day, it was what would be called fancy yarns by today’s standards: cashmere, nylon/rayon blends, all-cotton, and yes, silk. I used to have to save my babysitting money to purchase yarn that was sometimes 25 cents a skein, and sometimes a dollar or more a skein. I began making washcloths out of 100% cotton yarn and still enjoy making them today. I found the repetitious motions of using my hands very calming, which is still true.

Today I received a shipment of yarn I purchased on sale through a website KnitPicks. There are 4 skeins of 4-ply Felici Worsted in the pile which I intended to use to make a fancy scarf pattern for future gift-giving at the holidays. I excitedly located my pattern and picked out the “test” yarn to see if this pattern is all I think it’s going to be, and started the 282-stitch chain. The yarn kept splitting and shredding with every stitch, making it impossible to pull through the loop that is part of the chain. I persevered and was finally able to get the chain the correct length, then started on the actual pattern – which was infuriating as the yarn continued to split apart with each stitch I tried to crochet! For every stitch I made, I had to undo it and try to get the 4 plies of the yarn together so I could complete the stitch. It was my stubborn inner core that kept me at it –but I’m not going to use this yarn for anything after today’s experience.

This yarn is labeled “special reserve,” and I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds like the maker is pretty darned pleased with this skein of yarn. I’m not sure why, however, as it is the poorest quality yarn I’ve ever bought! Because this first attempt is a test of the pattern, I have cussed my way through half of the scarf and will find a way to finish it tomorrow. I can’t use this garment because it’s not smooth and uniform the way a crochet stitch scarf usually looks—and it will look far too “handmade” for me to feel any pride in my accomplishment of finishing it.

What a downer!!

Yes, I can return the yarn and get my money back, but it’s only 4 skeins of the yarn and the cost of the return postage will negate the amount in a refund. I have sent an email message to Knit Picks expressing my dissatisfaction with the product, so maybe they will have “someone” take a look at the quality of this yarn and second-guess the decision to market it.

Freekeh and Labneh

Tonight's dinner included freekeh, a grain that we both really liked. It, too, took 25 minutes at a boil to cook until tender, but once it was cooked, we added cooked kale that had been seasoned with lemon, garlic, dates and s&p. Once we piled the freekeh on our plates, we added the cooked salmon and then poured labneh, a "cream" sauce, over the top.

Dinner was delicious. Again. I really enjoy Blue Apron and cooking with Y ... who also does dishes.

There Are People for That

While I believe that Mrs. Trump looks nice in the deep red sundress she wore while escorting the President of China and his wife, the style was inappropriate for the occasion. Chinese women do not expose their upper chest and bare arms: a woman who exposes herself in that way is probably a prostitute, according to my source. A jacket should have been part of the ensemble to keep Mrs. Trump from inadvertently making the President of China and his demure wife uncomfortable.

The good news is that the dress was red, which is a nod toward the "colors" of China, as reflected in their flag. Whether that was intentional and/or appropriate, I have no idea, but Mrs. Trump would not deliberately dress inappropriately as she strikes me as the kind of woman for whom protocol and appearance are important.

I have always thought that both the American President and his First Lady were given "people" to help them with proper attire and conduct anywhere in the world and for any (work) event. No one can assume to know what is or what is not acceptable in any given country and/or for any given religious belief unless that is his/her job to research and know.

This is early times in the administration, so if the outfit was inadvertently inappropriate, time will smooth out the wardrobe wrinkles.

Lentils

I don't like lentils. Didn't know that until we cooked them as part of the Blue Apron chicken dinner. They take a full 25 minutes of boiling to be prepared and we seasoned them with the included seasoning, but it wasn't worth the effort because they simply don't taste good. I can't describe the taste, but it's sort of a grainy dried pea taste -- and I can do without it.

If we live long enough, there are still things to learn.

Inspired by Blue Apron

Today, Y decided he would cook our Sunday dinner without my assistance. First step: decide on a menu; second step: drive all the way to Indian Wells to shop at KitchenKitchen, which features any and everything one could possibly want/need in a kitchen. Third step: off to the grocery store to purchase steaks, kale, and some fresh veggies/fruit. With all the supplies in hand, the kitchen was off-limits to me and Y began singing and prepping.

The end result was a delicious steak dinner. He first marinated the steak, then pan seared it, and finished it by spooning melted butter over the sear. He cut the steak into bite-sized pieces that he then arranged on a wooden serving plank he had purchased at K-K. Next, he made the kale the same way we had it from Blue Apron: wilted with olive oil, garlic, and some fresh lemon squeeze. Finally, since we've both learned it's all about the presentation, he cut one of the fresh oranges to look like a crab with blueberry eyes and served the kale with a paper umbrella.

Voila! He was tickled with the whole process and, of course, the meal, and it was a joy for me to see him so happy. We did the dishes together, then set ourselves down for a small bowl of ice cream to finish off the event.

Blue Apron has stoked a fire in Y to learn more about prep and cooking, which includes doing the steps in the correct order to end up with everything on the plate and hot at the same time. I'm really proud of his accomplishment and I'm happy that he's happy, too.

A Week of Deliciousness

Our first box of Blue Apron meals is finished, with great success and enthusiasm for not only the finished products, but also the cooking process. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions, so if you are a novice cook, just follow the “rules.”

Our first dinner was Katsu-Style Catfish, with a generous portion of cat fish fillets, jasmine rice, and red cabbage for each of us. The directions were easy to follow and put the cooking tasks into the order of longest to shortest cooking time, so everything is done at the same time. Our second meal, spice-rubbed pork, was delicious! I’m not a big bean eater, so I approached the black beans with a bit of skepticism, but they were very good and one of Y’s favorites for the week. The third meal was chicken meatballs & fregola sarda, which tasted better than it sounds. Y was skeptical that we could turn the small amount of chicken meat into the recommended 10 meatballs, but I told him to follow the rules (which is what southern cooks call a recipe) and do the tasks in order and as directed and then we would judge the results. End result? He’s delighted that there are left-overs for his lunch today.

We’re excited to anticipate our next box. We enjoyed cooking together, as well as the end result. The most labor-intensive meal was, surprisingly, the chicken meatball dinner, but that was more because the pearl pasta had to come to a boil and then cook for 15 minutes. We ended up waiting for it to finish so we could move on to the next step in the directions. That menu also came with fresh kale, which we seasoned and wilted into the red sauce, and it was so good. The seasonings were perfect and made for quite the tasty veggie, one which we will make again using store-bought ingredients.

Yep, we can’t wait for this coming week’s box of goodies. Y is especially pleased that we made dishes that all tasted like restaurant meals, rather than something far too over the top for us to enjoy. We’re doing this for a month to see if it works for us, but based on week one’s offerings, we’re all-in.

I give Blue Apron an A+ and an enthusiastic "hell ya!"

Blue Apron's Meal in a Box

Yesterday, our first Blue Apron box arrived and we made a delicious meal of catfish fillets, red cabbage slaw, and rice. All the ingredients are premeasured and the directions are simple, so we had a nice meal ready to eat in just under 1/2 hour. When I was at my daughter's home last year, she ordered a trial of meal-in-a-box for me to prepare dinner for the 3 of us, and I really enjoyed it then, so decided to try it for Y and me and see how it goes.

We've been in a rut, with me eating badly as I always do and Y fixing huge pots full of various ingredients from the Chinese grocery store. I'm always foraging for something to eat, while Y has a 'fridge full of left-overs. One day last week I went on a rampage and threw out all the dishes filled with leftover this 'n that clogging up the fridge, but I doubt that Y even knew I had thrown out all his precious "next meal" pots of various food items. My goal is to fix a meal, eat all of it, and avoid the damned left-over part of the food process.

I told him we're going to try Blue Apron for a month and see how it goes. We get 3 meals a week and all we have to do is assemble them. The meals are ones we usually wouldn't prepare, so it's an adventure to both see what's in the box and then do the prep. The ingredients are portioned for two diners, so there aren't leftovers to have to decide whether to keep or throw away. I hate wasting food, so it's nice not to have that aspect of the dining experience. And it's a nice "team building" activity if we cook together, which we did last night. I think Y enjoyed the process as much as I did -- and he even volunteered to do the dishes!

As I explained to Y, it doesn't cost any more than dining out at a reasonable restaurant, and everything is fresh and cooked to our time table, so it's a win-win. We're going to use it for a month to give the process a good fair try-out, and then we're going to China so have to stop the service. If we really like doing this, we'll take it back up when we're back from China as it's not that expensive and it's a nice activity for us to do together.

Beauty and the Beast

Opening day, I saw Beauty and the Beast, the newest iteration of an ages-old story. This version is not, in my opinion, appropriate for young children as it’s too realistic thanks to all the animation and cgi. As a bedtime story, beautiful illustrations capture the essence of the action in individual artwork, but the reader adds the emphasis on the fairy-tale nature of the story. The storyteller can elaborate the beauty of the female character, the charm of the animated household items, and the coldness of the snowy setting. Accordingly, the story reader can downplay the beast until the crowning moment of the story, the waltz with the beauty in a gorgeous, full-skirted gown and the beast charming in a prince’s attire. Very few children want any story beyond the waltz, so a "... and they lived happily every after ..." is all a parent needs to say to a sleepy child.

In the most recent cinema release, however, the beast is very believable as a beast, which takes away the appropriateness for children who will be frightened by the character’s appearance and actions. The animated characters are charming from an adult’s eye, but I doubt most children have any idea that they are “real” people who have been enchanted by the spell cast on the castle and are fearful for their very lives. The fight between the castle-dwellers and the townspeople is far too violent for a fairy tale, and the scenes with the wolves may scare younger viewers into wanting to leave the theater. The fight to the death for the beast is also too violent for most children, but, fortunately, this comes at the end of the film and many of the younger children will have lost interest in the movie.

The settings, the costumes, the singing, the acting -- all are above average. The special effects and cgi are excellent, and the movie holds the attention of an age-appropriate viewer (and some of us who are way past "fairytale" age except as it applies to reading the classics to the next generation).

The summation of the film: young adults and older adults will enjoy this presentation, but children will be scared by it. For the parent who wants a child to know this fairytale, I recommend reading it to your children and saving the film experience for older children who express an interest in seeing the movie and will be able to recognize the difference between a fairytale and the realistic special effects of this presentation.

A Pain in My Side

I have a sharp pain in my lower left abdomen. Since it began after I had a colonoscopy, I asked the dr who did that procedure what it could be. He said a pulled abdominal muscle and sent me on my way. The pain increased in occurrence and intensity and led me to make an appointment with my primary care physician.

Of course, I never see the actual doctor, but the PA said it could be female issues and sent me for a CAT scan. That came back with a list of “nots,” but no idea what it is. Then the pain really got intense and sharp, like a hot knife being inserted into my left abdomen, twisted, and then removed. This time, I went to urgent care.

The staff doctor at urgent care told me it could be female issues, which I told him had been checked and ruled out, but a quick urine test revealed a UTI, which now became the ah-ha! that’s what it is moment. I got two prescriptions: one for the UTI and one for the pain. The symptoms lessened in frequency, but not intensity, and then ratcheted up upon completion of the prescriptions.

So, back to the primary care doctor for a what next? Well, said the PA, it could be hip pain, so let’s go have x-rays taken of your hips. Perhaps a bit more than somewhat skeptical, off I went to the imaging center. The results came back this week and I have acute issues with both of my hips, according to this study, and need a steroid shot and, perhaps, hip surgery in the near future.

I’m still skeptical that the acute hip issues are causing the abdominal pain, but at this point in time I’ve got one foot nailed to the floor and am going around in circles. I don’t seem to communicate that the pain is in my left abdomen and, according to a data search on the web, could easily be one of at least 10 different issues presented in a nice, tidy list. Now I’ll agree that this list does include female issues, which is one of the could-be’s we’ve already included in possibilities, but nowhere on the list is the left hip causing intense issues with the lower left abdomen.

I’m getting a steroid shot tomorrow and will hope that either confirms or rules out the left hip as I’m a bit worried, after reading the list of 10 issues that could cause intense pain in the lower left abdomen, that this could be “something” I really don’t want to have causing the pain.

UPDATING: I had the steroid shot and it didn't feel any different for that day; however, the next day I noticed that the pain was lessening in intensity, but still present. The next day, both the duration of the pain and the intensity came under control. Today? No pain! Guess the doctor who said the pain was caused by the acute arthritis in my left hip is correct.

Life Lesson

Some days, it's the little things that make a difference in our lives. I was reading an online post from a crafter, a woman who knits to be specific, and she said something that made such good sense that I wondered why I had never thought it.

For relaxation, I either crochet afghans or I knit washcloths. After gifting perhaps half the universe with afghans and washcloths, I sometimes wish that I could break the habit, but I buy all cotton crochet yarn and make washcloths and go into my happy place when I find 4-ply knitting worsted on sale. I have yarn, lots of yarn, but that's another post.

This post is about looking at things from a different perspective; specifically, knit washcloths. I usually have a pair of needles filled with an in-progress washcloth, with several balls of yarn awaiting their turn to become a washcloth. I browse websites looking for things to do and I came across a woman who also seems to compulsively knit washcloths, and she said something amazing: she decided one day, when she cast on the 50 stitches for on washcloth and still had lots of empty needle, to cast on a second cloth with a second ball of yarn -- and knit two at the same time.

Voila! What a great idea. In almost the same time that it takes to knit one washcloth, two are finished and ready to go into the "some day" pile. It also uses up yarn from the stash at a faster rate and does lead me to browse the yarn aisles looking for more washcloth yarn, especially on sale. There are new colors and new variegated yarn and always the temptation to just buy a couple of skeins.

When I knit fingerless gloves, I knit both of them at the same time, so I'm not sure why I didn't apply that same logic to washcloths.

The moral of the story is not to stop buying washcloth yarn, or to stop knitting washcloths, but to bathe in the glory of using up the stash faster by knitting two at a time so I can now justify buying more yarn when a bright color catches my eye -- or a sale tempts me beyond resistance. I have to live in the reality that I'm never going to use up my stash and/or stop buying yarn when something catches my eye ... but I can bask in the efficiency of simply knitting two at a time!

And my next post will be about the self-delusion of thinking that doubling the amount of knitting cuts the time in half for making two washcloths.

Blah Blah Bland

With all the buzz about LaLa Land, I, of course, had to go see it. What a letdown it was for me. I expected an exciting, interesting, well-acted, show biz experience and got a so-so story with average acting instead.

Ryan Gosling is to be applauded for learning to play the piano for his character, but he’s so laidback that he’s almost asleep at the wheel. Emma Stone learned how to dance for her character, and it is obvious that she’s not really a dancer. The story is supposed to be an exciting give-and-take between the two main characters, but it just doesn’t make it to that level. There are moments that are sweet, but mostly the conflict just didn’t come across as conflict to me.

This is the second movie in a row for which I had high expectations based on the buzz (Manchester by the Bay is the other one) and was let down with a loud thump. A movie I did enjoy is Jackie, which is the story of the days from JFK’s assassination to his burial. It is well-acted, interesting, and thoughtful, so at least I know there are movies out there that I do enjoy!

UPDATING: My friend went back and saw La-La Land a second time, and she said it's so much better the second time around. She found the story more engaging and the acting better. She was also more receptive to the main actors learning the crafts (dancing, piano playing) they portrayed in the film. I'll take her word for it, but I'm not going to see the film again just to get a better feeling about it.