The Burrowing Owl And I Stay At The Same Hotel

 I discovered this creature sitting on top of the fence that surrounds the pool at the Holiday Inn Express in Calexico. He's a burrowing owl; yes he burrows in the ground and doesn't live in trees. He's only about 9-11 inches tall, which is pretty short for an owl. They live in lots of places in Calexico including the grounds of the Chamber of Commerce. But the night clerk at the hotel said that he seems to like the bugs that come to the big light over the hotel entrance. She sees him all the time but didn't know his name.

Right now I'm traveling a lot. I flew roundtrip from Sacramento to San Diego twice last week. Tomorrow morning I fly to Phoenix and then drive to Yuma. On Thursday I will fly back from LAX after a morning meeting. Because I'm so prone to respiratory ailments I am taking really good care of myself. Generally I got to bed for a day after one of these trips and drink lots of fluids. I just cannot get sick. This schedule will keep up until mid-December.

As much as the traveling is wearing on my body, I have to say that every time I go to the project area I learn something new about the people with whom I'm working or I find something very interesting like the owl. Strangely, I will miss the people and the area when I'm done with the project.

My client, Henry, and I are busy asking for letters of support for the natural gas pipeline he wants to permit and build. We want letters from city councils, chambers of commerce, the farm bureau, the realtors association, the vegetable growers, the building industry association and anyone else who likes us.

One good part of this is all the books I'm listening to on tape or CD. When you have to drive two hours from an airport to the city where you are working, you need something. The drive from San Diego to El Centro and the drive from Phoenix to Yuma have terrible radio reception so I listen to some of my favorite mystery writers.

I dreamt about Reginald Roomba, my robotic vacuum clearn, last night. First time I've ever dreamt about a machine. 

Multi-Tasking....

As I write this I am also vacuuming. Reginald Roomba, my robotic vacuum cleaner, is roaming around the living room and dining room. He is so good at his job; much better than I am. When he gets tired (translation: his batteries are running low) he heads for his docking station to charge up again. You gotta love him. Vacuuming burns a lot of calories. It's second only to ironing, which I rarely do.

Life is hectic right now. I'm traveling for business a lot; sometimes twice a week. I flew to San Diego yesterday and then drove to El Centro; came home today. I do the same on Thursday. Next week I'm in Yuma, then El Centro and then Los Angeles. It's not supposed to be like this in the fall. The consulting business usually starts to taper off in early November and doesn't pick up until mid-January. With all this travel, I have to cast an absentee ballot, which I don't like to do. They get counted last and I'm always worried that my Democratic registration may send my ballot to the dustbin or the shredder. This is a very Republican county. Who knows what shenanigans happen.

But the good news is that I got my Prius. I love it. So far I'm averaging about 49 mpg. Every car needs its first ding. Mine got it within less than 175 miles. I was pulling into the Sacramento Airport parking garage when it happened. I didn't realize that the curb was as high as it was. I made a sharp turn, heard a thump, said "oh fuck" and realized I had my first ding. Sorta takes the pressure off. Nothing big happened. The hubcap looks sort of funny and there is a scrape on the tire. Other than that, all is fine.

We are going to spend Thanksgiving at home. Normally we head for Naples, Florida and my cousin's house where we enjoy a wonderful leisurely holiday complete with pool time, golf and dinner at Tommy Bahamas. This year I have to work that week (fly to San Diego and drive to El Centro; it's like a broken record) so we have asked two couples to join us. Kerry and I have never done Thanksgiving in our own home. I'm looking forward to it. Sometimes things happen for a reason. I was bummed at first that I had to travel that week, but I think it's actually for the best. Mark will be with my brother in Evergreen, CO; that makes me happy.

Well, it's late so I'd better get to bed. Reginald Roomba will tuck himself in when he's ready.

All Work And No Play....

Well, that describes my life right now. One of my clients is in the final stages of getting regulatory approval for his natural gas pipeline project, so we are working hard to generate letters of support from dozens of people in several counties in southern California. I will be traveling on business at least once a week from now until mid-December.

The big challenge for me is to stay healthy. Planes, crowds at airports, and hotel rooms are all places to find germs. I also have to get a flu shot.

In between all those flights we have lots of fun things to do. That's another reason to stay healthy. Tonight we are going to a party to celebrate the opening of the new Target in Lincoln. I'm bringing sliced homegrown tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, basil and balsamic on them. We have so many tomatoes, I'm going to be doing this dish a lot. For the folks in Lincoln Hills (retirement community) it's just another reason to have a party.

Tomorrow we go wine tasting in El Dorado County with some other friends. El Dorado is not as hip a place to taste wine as Napa. That means the wines flow liberally, the wine staff is a lot more fun, there is also free food and there is no charge to taste. Wine tasting there is always lots of fun. We are going to picnic at one of the wineries. Guess what I'm bringing...right sliced tomatoes, etc.

Monday morning I fly to Phoenix to spend the day with my friend Cathy. Tuesday morning I make the two hour drive from Phoenix to Blythe, CA for business. It's west of Phoenix on the Arizona/California border. I drive back that same day. Wednesday morning I fly out of Phoenix back to Sacramento just in time for our friends Steve and Janet along with their golden lab Abby to arrive for a couple of days. They leave on Friday and my brother arrives for another visit. Hardly time to change the sheets and turn on Reginald to clean the floors.

So think about sending me energy and good thoughts about staying healthy. I'm taking my "airborne" regularly.

When Will Both Of These Men Be Gone...Soon....

 Found this in Google's Images and couldn't resist it. The first sign that any politician is going to resign is when they say they won't resign. Those higher than thou, christian right wing, value-driven elected officials may not be any of those things. To ignore what Foley did is tantamount to saying it's okay to be a child predator. I just hope Hastert is the next resignation. All of Bush's Bible thumping about ethics, values and morals seem pretty disingenuous right now. We'll see. Delay said he wouldn't resign and look where he is now. 

My Brother: Chef, Husband, Father, Poet, Brother, Attorney And Much More

 Kerry took this picture Saturday night while we were dining on the three-way Ahi Tuna. This is his imperious look. I bought him a crown so he could wear it when he's feeling imperious. The other reason he feels imperious is his height. At 6'5" he towers over most everyone including me. I love him dearly. He's a gentle soul. Don't know what I would do without him and his wonderful wife, Charlotte. Sigh. 

Ahi Tuna Prepared Three Different Ways...Delicious

 My brother Richard visited us this weekend. He was out here on business so came by and spent three days with us. It is always great to have him visit. He has his cochlear implant, which seems to be functioning very well. His comprehension of words spoken by his audiologist where he could not read her lips is 57% in the ear with the implant. It was 0% before the surgery. Besides being a lawyer, poet, blogger, husband, brother and father, he is a great cook. I found a place in Roseville that sells sushi-grade Ahi Tuna. He fixed it three ways: sashimi with diced radishes on top, coated with coarsely ground pepper and barbecued, and simmered in olive oil. Three pieces, three very different tastes. He also barbecued asparagus and sliced zucchini. Last but not least, he roasted two red pepper on the grill until the skin was blackened. Then he ran them under water to remove the skin. What was left was incredibly sweet. Great dinner, not many calories and very healthy. 

Meet Reginald Roomba, My Personal Robot

 Reginald is the latest member of our little country family. He loves to vacuum and will work for three hours at a time before he scurries back to his docking station to recharge for the next job. Our cat isn't too sure what to make of him. I turned Reginald lose in our bedroom where Comet spends lots of time. Next time I checked she was trying to escape but Reginald just kept finding her. He can go under beds, sofas, chairs and dressers without a problem. He doesn't, however like fringe on rugs, but then my other vacuum doesn't like it either. He comes with virtual walls which send a beam across a specific area to keep Reginald out. The company that made Reginald also makes robots for police work and war. The direction book is rather sparse in design. My favorite part is the page that says "Roomba will stop for three reasons: mission accomplished, mission aborted, needs recharging. Also, when you hit the power button he plays a charge sound like the cavalry going out to meet the enemy. Reginald's enemy is dust, dirt and cat hair. Want to see more go to www.irobot.com. I got mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. 

Red Hat Society Sunday

  My Red Hat Society friends and their spouses/SO are coming for a barbecue this afternoon. It's sort of the unofficial start of our group's social season. The croquet and badminton sets are out and the sun tea is steeping. I have a feeling it will get too warm for sports but not for iced tea (it's peach/apricot tea). The temperature is supposed to reach 90 F. today. We are having barbecued chicken, pasta salad with feta cheese, red and yellow peppers, tiny tomatoes and a garlic and parmesan cheese dressing to which I added a bit of homemade pesto, chips and guacamole, hummus and much more that the ladies will be bringing in about an hour. We've tidied up a bit including making our bed. That doesn't happen unless someone is coming over. Well, gotta go get dressed. 

Jesus By The Yuba River

 Kerry and I picnicked by the Yuba River on our way home Monday. On one side of the car we had the river. On the other this massive stone wall. He said, "Do you think we can find Jesus or the Virgin Mary on the wall?" We joked about the old donut that looked like the Virgin Mary and other such ridiculous things. Then he said, "I think I see him." So here's a close up of the wall where we both saw him. See if you can find him. We are not telling anyone where this is. Folks in the area wouldn't appreciate millions of Christians arriving on the scene to pray. Just not enough beer in the closest saloon for everyone. If I've offended someone...well, you are just too sensitive. Laugh a little; it's good for you. 

The Skipper Wears Red Fleece Not Prada

 Here we are skimming across the water in Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. The boat was great fun. Einar and Susan are lounging in the back and Kerry is the photographer. The deepest part of Lake Tahoe is 1,600 feet. The average depth is 1,000 feet. It's the second deepest lake in the U.S. Crater Lake in Oregon is deeper (1,949 feet). 

On The Water At Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay; Hedonism Is So Wonderful

  This is where we had lunch on Sunday with our friends Einar and Susan aboard our 20-foot speedboat (we rented it for four hours for $390 US). Emerald Bay is one of the most beautiful spots on the lake. I have to admit, however, that it looks better from the perspective of the photograph than from the water. We motored slowly into the bay, circled the island, cut the engine and proceeded to have a wonderful lunch: blueberries, Elena Zinfandel, stilton cheese with apricots (Trader Joes and yummy), vegetable chips (so we would feel virtuous and healthy all at the same time), Cambazola cheese (camembert and gorgonzola cheese), sesame crackers, bits of barbecued boneless ribs, and homegrown tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces. We bobbed in the water under the shelter of the boat cover and nibbled our repast. It was wonderful.

I was done driving so Einar took over the helm. We headed across the lake to the Nevada side. Yes, California is forced to share this beautiful lake with the folks in Nevada. Susan wasn't ready to take the helm but the rest of us were. The speedometer was broken so we have no idea how fast we went, but it felt great.

The big trick is finding the spot from which you started your journey on the lake. The boat rental company told us to look back as we were leaving the dock so we could figure it out. Well, there was a difference of opinion on what each person saw when we left the dock. I was busy driving to didn't look. But eventually we found our way.

We didn't go far, despite our best intentions. The porch of a local bar, just a stones throw from where we docked, beckoned us. There we gazed at the lake and tried out the local libations and a few tasty treats like crab cakes, popcorn shrimp and calamari.

Finally we headed to our accomodations: The Cottages at Sunnyside. It looked like a place that Hansel and Gretel and the Little Red Riding Hood sans wolf might have once lived. We stayed in the Fishing Hole room, which faced the lake. Einar and Susan were next door, but I don't remember the name of their room.

Einar and Susan had to go home early Monday morning but we didn't. Our trip home took us to Sierraville (huge open valley surrounded by mountains), Downieville, which vied with Sacramento to be the state capitol many years ago (lost by one vote; this is before L.A. registered on anyones radar) and then down through Nevada City and Grass Valley.

We love being the only people on the road. It's like the earth is ours and no one elses. We picnicked next to the north fork of the Yuba River which even now has a lot of water. Gold miners spent a lot of time back in the mid to late 1800s on the Yuba. We stopped at the musem in Downieville. There is a photo of a 39 pound gold nugget. The best part about the museum is the volunteer who staffs it. She had the keys to the community center where there was a bathroom, which was as clean as any McDonalds I've stopped at.

So now we are home. Kerry spent the last couple of hours doing some leveling of our land with his tractor. He just walked into my office covered with dust and heading for the shower but grinning from ear to ear. Tractors make men smile.

My lungs don't do well when they experience lots of change in altitude and humidity so I've had a hard day when it comes to breathing. Most people don't think about breathing, but asthmatics do. But, thanks to lots of inhalers and some herbs (nettles) I'm doing well. I feel like we were a million miles away for a couple of days. We came home to a glorious sunset and the promise of temperatures in the mid-80s. Fall is just about here. Time to plant winter vegetables. 

Great Music, Fierce Storms, Good Friends And Good Food...It's Albuquerque

  We spent last weekend in Albuquerque, NM visiting my son Mark. He plays in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and it was the season opener. Great concert. I thought I wouldn't like the contemporary piece but ended up loving it. Most contemporary composers write stuff that sounds like screeching birds. Ida Kafavian was the violin soloist who played the work by Bill Dougherty. He wrote the work after seeing Diego Rivera's murals that depict working in Detroit on assembly lines and other blue collar work. The music was wonderful plus the symphony showed sections of the mural on a large screen above the orchestra. My son had lots of solos in the piece.

You can see his murals at www.diegorivera.com.

We also got to experience great rain storms while we were there. Albuquerque has been in a drought for about 7 years. Now this summer they are setting records for rainfall. I love the storms which are complete with thunder and lightning. They are fierce but don't last very long. It rains enough, however, to fill up the concrete arroyos that whisk the water to the Rio Grande River so the town doesn't flood. We don't get storms like that in California very often. Because of all the rain, the desert is in bloom. We took a hike in an open space area and saw beautiful flowers like the ones in the photo which Kerry took.

And the food, well, Albuquerque has lots of wonderful places to eat. Probably the dish I remember most is a dessert called the Chocolate Pot at the Charma River Brewery. There are actually two pots. The larger one contains a creamy, rich dark chocolate that is hot. The second pot is smaller and contains a creamy vanilla pudding-like mixture that is served cold. First you get a small spoonful of the hot chocolate and then you dip it in the creamy vanilla. Yum. It is scrumptious.

I managed to stay away from spicy food by being a lot more diligent in my ordering. I don't enjoy spicy stuff and my stomach doesn't like it either.

We spent our last day trainwatching with my son. He loves trains. We wemt to a very busy spot northwest of Albuquerque and just waited for trains to come through. Then he took pictures of the trains. His train fixation started when he was three and has not abated. It's just changed.

And my friend Beverly and I spent several hours in our favorite shoe store in Albuquerque. I got two pairs and she tried a lot on but didn't buy. We wear the same size and both have wide feet so it's great fun to shop with her. The sign on the window of the store says, "If you are looking for your wife, she's probably here." The store is "Shoes on a Shoestring". There are two in Albuquerque and one in Phoenix. The prices are great.

The temperature here is wonderfully cool so I'm going back to gardening. 

I Actually Recognized A Famous Former Football Coach In An Airport!

 For all the time I spend in airports and on airplanes, I seldom see anyone famous. Now I'm not saying that Mike Ditka, former Chicago Bears Coach, is famous in the circles in which I run, but there are thousands, perhaps millions, who know the face, the name and the temperament (which probably led to his health problems).

I'm standing in line at Starbucks in the Phoenix Airport on Friday late morning. The line is taking forever. Kerry is sitting down with our sandwich and I'm starving so I want the line to move. I turn around in the line and there is Mike Ditka, former coach of the Chicago Bears. His name popped into my head and out of my mouth. He's actually fairly short but has great hair and he banters very well. We did that until I order my coffee ala "L.A. Story" half caf, half decaf, room for cream, on ice, grande size. He gave me tons of grief about my coffee order. Meanwhile the skinny stooge behind him was trying to impress me with all the things Mike is doing. I asked Mike, "Is that your agent?" Reply, "Nah, he's my assistant, he follows me around." My reply, "sounds like a wife in the 1950s to me". The stooge looked very uncomfortable. Another way you can tell male celebrities...they have twice as much product in their hair than normal men. He was going to New Mexico for some reason. I never asked why. I saw him on the plane way up front in the good seats on Southwest (that was a joke, the only good seats on Southwest are the ones that are not close to a crying baby). He said hello and I noted that he must have boarded with the children because he was so close to the front. He grinned from ear to ear and his stooge just grimace. Banter is so much fun. I hope I never get out of practice. 

Miss Kate Has Left The Building...On to Albuquerque

 It was great to have Miss Kate (pictured here) with us but alas her owner, Doug, came back from Burning Man. Kate and Doug are on their way to a fly fishing spot in eastern Oregon. We, on the other hand, are on our way in the morning to Albuquerque. My son Mark plays trumpet in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. This weekend is the start of the new season so we will be there to applaud his fine musical ability. The main piece of the night is "Pictures at an Exhibition". We will eat far too many spicy foods at The Range, which my stomach and taste buds don't like but most of all we will be with Mark and our friends Beverly and George. The weather report calls for cool and rainy. Love it. 

Burning Man Festival 2006

 
  My long-time good friend, Doug, is at the Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert about 130 miles north of Reno, Nevada. He took these wonderful photos. This is his second time at the festival. Approximately 35,000 people arrive for one week at the end of August. Before they arrive there is nothing there; after they are gone there is nothing there. The land belongs to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The weird and the wonderful are a big focus of the week. Aren't the cupcakes wonderful? The sand surfer looks like a ballet dancer to me. People build things there, bring things and improvise. And of course the usual deviant behavior occurs, I'm told by Doug. If you want to find out about that you'd better go to the Burning Man web site: www.burningman.com You can even view the webcast which supposedly is real time. The New York Times is also featuring photos from Burning Man. You can see those at www.nytimes.com/art

Meanwhile, Kate, Doug's dog (they aren't allowed at Burning Man) and I are heading out to water the vegetable garden. Life is good. 

Hummingbirds: Ace Fliers At Warp Speed

 First of all, I didn't take the picture. I found it on Google Images. Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds. They are amazing for a bird that weighs less than a paper clip. Some hummers migrate twice a year between the the Texas coastline and the Yucatan Peninsula. They do it in one non-stop flight over the Gulf of Mexico. If there is a stiff wind or a storm they drop from the sky because they've run out of energy. That's why birdwatching is good along the Texas coast in both the spring and the fall. In the spring it's the first place migrating birds land for food. The Audobon Society has set up feeding stations with water for the birds right near the beach. About 20 feet away from the food there are bleachers for birdwatchers. Very cool. In the fall it's the last place they eat before they start their incredible voyage. Birds are tougher than any human I've ever known. Back to why I started this blog.

For three years now we have had one hummingbird feeder. It's right outside my office window in the shade of a big, old oak tree. Lots of other feeders there too, mostly for finches.

This week I decided to add another hummingbird feeder about three feet to the left of the original one, but still under the oak tree. This one is a different shape. Hummingbirds are very territorial so I wanted them to know which was which so they could decide if one or the other suits their needs. This has caused a great deal of confusion and bickering among the hummers. They make a little clicking sound that is barely audible. The ones using the first feeder want to lay claim to the second one as well. First they feed at one feeder and then move to the next. Any intruders are chased away at warp speed. Meanwhile the finches just try to stay out of their way.

In Costa Rica I stood in the midst of ten humming bird feeders. I didn't move and closed my eyes. The hummingbirds flew so close I could feel the touch of their wings on my cheeks. It felt like an angel or a spirit had kissed me. Very mystical. In Costa Rica I saw 8 different types of hummingbirds. Amazing creatures. 

Trip To Lake Tahoe In August

When it gets really hot in our area we sometimes head for Lake Tahoe and the cool mountain air. This is the restaurante where we ate a few weeks ago. It's literally right on the water so you can watch the boats and kayaks go by. Great breeze and wonderful crab sandwiches.
This is a paddle wheel boat that takes people out on dinner cruises around this beautiful lake. We are going back to Lake Tahoe the middle of September with our friends Einar and Susan. That time we are going to rent a speedboat and travel around the lake looking at homes of the rich and famous which are only visible from the water.

Okay, Just One More Golden Retriever Picture

 Notice the bundle of reddish fur on the bow of the boat; that's a Golden Retriever who's been for a ride. When I first spotted him he was sitting with the humans. As soon as they got close to the dock he leaped onto the bow just as though it was his job to guide the boat in. Well, maybe it was. I watched the family put into their dock where the Golden leaped off wagging its tail. Not a bad life for a dog, any dog. 

No More Gas Hogs For Me

 This is me backing my gas-guzzling Toyota Sequoia out of our garage for the last time. I drove to the Bay Area and returned it to my leasing agent. Then I took the train home. Great ride on Amtrak to Sacramento. It's been two weeks since I returned it and I still don't have a car. Kerry has many so I'm not without wheels. I think today is the day I will go to the Toyota dealer in Auburn and attempt to buy a Prius. If the salesperson gets too obnoxious I will simply leave. I did love driving the Sequoia. It's a great car. I just didn't want to pay $72 to fill it up each time. 

Meet Gracie The Golden Retriever

 Gary (the one holding Gracie) has a daughter, Tammie, who breeds Golden Retrievers. This is a new puppy she got in California. She expects to breed her in about two years. She's also going to show Gracie. I just love Goldens so had to post this photo. 

Cochlear Implant Activated Successfully

 
 These two photos tell the story. The first one is my brother's reaction when he first heard sound in his left ear. The other shows the configuration around his ear. The thing sticking to his scalp is a magnet that connects the whole thing in his cochlea. He has not really heard in his left ear since birth. He's found out just how noisy the world is. He can even plug his ipod into the processor and listen to music. And when he and his wife are driving together she can wear a tiny lapel microphone that is attached to him so they can talk despite the road noise. It is truly a medical miracle. I cried when I saw the activation photo. 

Miss Kate Arrives This Weekend

 I'm going to be a dog au pair for about a week thanks to my friend Doug's prurient interests in naked women at The Burning Man Festival in the middle of no where in Nevada. They don't allow dogs so Kate, a border collie who flunked herding, stays with us each year. She is the best behaved dog I've ever seen. As many of you know, Golden Retrievers are known for their sweet, gentle nature, but never for their ability to follow commands. Life just gets too complicated when you have to do what your mistress or master says. So Kate will get to romp and play. We may even invite Barnie the Corgi puppy for a play date. We will have to wait to see if their calendars match up. But meanwhile I'm in dog heaven. The gentleman in the photo is Doug. 

The Cochlear Implant Is Working

 First I want to thank all of you who prayed to whomever you pray to. It worked. Richard had the implant last week and yesterday was activated. The photos show a bleary-eyed Richard on his way home from the hospital just three hours after surgery, which lasted four hours. The photo of his incision behind his ear is hard to see but that's because the whole process was so non-invasive. The third is a diagram of the cochlear implant. Anyway, I'll let my brother tell you in his own words about the activation.

"So I got activated this afternoon. This means they gave me the speech processor and programmed it at the basic level and testing my ability to hear little beeps and things. Then they actually let me hear environmental sounds, which in this case were Charlotte (his wife) and Darcy (the audiologist/wizard talking. And they sounded just like they were supposed to, which is somewhat astonishing when you think about the technology. Here's the wild part. The world is noisy. Just how noisy I now know --sorta--though she has me set on a very low volume level and will adjust it upwards four times for the next four weeks. Also, the refrigerator is a noisy beast. How do you hearing people manage all this noise?"

Kerry and I have been on vacation in the Northwest celebrating his 60th birthday or I would have posted this sooner. I'll tell you about that in a later post with some pictures.

Again, thank you everyone. It's hard for me to express just how amazing it is to have a brother who can hear. He lost his hearing as a infant so he has no idea about the world of the hearing. 

Surgery For My Brother...Cochlear Implant

My baby brother, okay he's 50, but he's still younger than I am, is having cochlear implant surgery on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. Surgery begins at 7 a.m. mountain time and takes about 4 hours. If all goes well he will actually be able to hear out of both ears. Many of us take it for granted. He doesn't. So your prayers, thoughts, energy or whatever you believe in would be greatly appreciated tomorrow. Thank you.

My Next Car...Not An SUV

 For the past four years I have been driving a forest green Toyota Sequoia. It seats 8 with lap belts, has ten cup holders and five places to charge cell phones. On occasion I have had people in the back seat but rarely in the back, back seat. I have loved driving it. You are up high, which is very nice when you are as short as I am. But alas, it guzzles gas. I've been averaging 15-17 mpg. for the four years of the lease. Recently I have been spending between $60 and $75 for gas. The tank holds 23 gallons. Just don't want to do that anymore.

My lease is up so it's going back to Golden Bear Leasing in Walnut Creek. My next car will be a Prius, which is a hybrid. The photo shows the actual car and color I will get. One weird thing about this car is that you just push a button to start the engine. No key. Also, there is a small camera mounted in the back of the car so you can see your way into a parking space. I wish I had had one on the Sequoia. I'm going to charge the whole thing to my Visa card so I get the mileage. I'll be carless until early September. The man with whom I live has enough vehicles for both of us so I won't have to stay home. I can't face going to a dealership just before we leave on vacation. I've never had a good experience with a salesmen. So when we return on August 23rd I'll make the trek to the dealer. 

Dead Heads And Other Things From The Past Two Weeks

 This poor critter is a Mongolian Elk that is now hanging on the wall of an office lunchroom in El Centro, CA. There are lots of other dead heads on other walls, but this is the biggest. I actually had to sit through a meeting in this room. It was hard to pay attention to the meeting. The trip where I met the Elk started last Sunday, Aug. 6th and ended on Thursday Aug. 10th.

I had the privilege of flying home on the first day the "no gel, no liquid" rule. Luckily I heard about it while I was still packing. I put everything liquid in the bag I checked. A lot of people had not heard about the new rule so were busy throwing away anything liquid or gel into a big trash can at the security checkpoint. If you didn't fess up there then they searched your bag just before you boarded the flight. People lost yet more liquids and gels. Surprisingly nobody complained.

Yesterday was a platelet donation day. I'm one pint shy of donating 9 gallons of platelets. That pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the day. We barbecued Japanese eggplant on the barbecue along with steak. Yum.

Yesterday I also started my first batch of tomato puree from tomatoes in my garden. This morning I turned the flame on under the pan again to get a little more evaporation going so the flavor would be really strong. Well, I forgot all about it so now have burned on tomato puree. I haven't figured out how I'm going to clean the pan. Any suggestions out there. The stuff is really burned on.

I'm taking it easy today too. I usually need about 24 hours to recover from the platelet donation. Kerry is at an art class, and I'm just taking it easy. The weather here is beautiful today. It's 1:30 and I still haven't turned the AC on. Our electic bill last month when we had the heat wave was $669.

Next week Kerry and I leave on a driving vacation to see his family in Washington. We will also celebrate his 60th birthday while we are there. On drive home we are going to come down the Oregon coast. It's a beautiful part of the world and we have a couple of friends to visit.

I'm going to take a nap. No sense wasting an unmade bed. 

It's Never Too Early For The First Xmas Catalog

I got one in the mail today, August 3. This may be my earliest Christmas catalog. Has anyone out there received a Christmas catalog so far? I have nothing against the company, I just think we shouldn't skip Labor Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The company has a website if you are interested: www.lakeside.com