Stretchy Pants

Enough said. Let the holiday eating begin!

Five years ago today: An Early Present For You

Let It Be Christmas

Hubby Tony and I went to a unique show last night at our community's performing arts center:

Let It Be Christmas is a musical theater production that uses Beatles songs to tell the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Christ as a modern-day love story. The tag line is "The Gospel According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, George, and Ringo".

The main star of the show was the band, which included keyboard, guitars, bass, drums, and saxophone. Many of the musicians also handled vocals, and there was a trio of backup singers. The handful of acting parts were Mary, Joseph, the Angel, and a Narrator that moved the narrative along.

The show used dozens of Beatles songs, both snippets and complete versions. I started out trying to keep track of all of them, but eventually just gave into the experience. However, some of my favorite parings were:

• Mary and Joseph met ("I've Just Seen a Face")
• They fell in love ("I Feel Fine")
• And got engaged ("Till There Was You")
• The Angel came to Mary to tell her she was going to have a baby ("Blackbird")
• Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, and he broke off the engagement ("Yesterday")
• The Angel came to Joseph ("Hey Jude")
• Joseph did some sole searching ("The Long and Winding Road")
• He apologized to Mary ("Got to Get You Into My Life")
• Mary and David rode on a train to Bethlehem. They tried to find a hotel room and failed ("Help!").
• Jesus is born offstage ("Here Comes the Sun [Son]")
• Mary and Joseph came out holding a baby (John Lennon's song "Beautiful Boy")
• The finale ("Let It Be")
  

It was a very enjoyable evening

A Formula For Failure (And Frustration!)

My daily inspirational calendar told me today:

The words rang true. With a little research I found out that the thought was an abridgement of a Herbert Bayard Swope quote. His complete words are "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure - which is: Try to please everybody."

Five years ago: What A Difference A [Couple Of] Days Makes

The Dental Work Diet

As a young child I fell and chipped my front two teeth. The damage wasn't significant enough to do anything, but as a young adult I had porcelain veneers applied. Later, when the veneer needed to be replaced I switched over to crowns.

I've taken good care of my teeth, but age is catching up with them. Recently I noticed that the gum line of the crowned teeth had receded enough that there was an unattractive gap at the top. I figured insurance would call any type of work in that area cosmetic, but my dentist disagreed. 

She took x-rays and sent them off to the insurance company for a predetermination. Several months later I found out the work was considered restorative and would be covered up to the policy limits. New crowns awaited!

Two Fridays ago I had an appointment to have the preliminary work done. I left with a temporary crown. This Friday I have a second appointment to have the permanent crown set in place. As I left the office, the assistant told me not to floss the area or bite into things.

I didn't realize how often I bite into things when I'm eating. Now, instead of chomping down onto food I have to cut or break it up into small pieces before wedging them into the back part of my mouth.

The process is annoying, but there's also an interesting side benefit. At the holiday parties I've attended, instead of a loaded plate of appetizers that I thoughtlessly eat while chatting with friends I've carefully selected items. A Ritz cracker can be broken into four pieces, with each topped with a dab of cheese ball. The result takes longer to prepare and longer to eat. (All the taste, fewer calories.) A Two-Bite brownie, whose name I usually take literally, tastes even better when divided into smaller chunks and savored one at a time. The same with deviled eggs and cocktail meatballs.

However, there are only a couple more days until I can go back to having foods that need to be bitten into... sandwiches, pizza, chicken wings, cookies, and fruit like apples and pears. I can't wait.

Five years ago: White As Snow

Mid-December Sights

Hubby Tony and I took a walk this afternoon where I saw several interesting things.

The neighborhood across the street from our condo has a house that loves Star Wars. During the Halloween season the yard had quite a few large decorations which were now repurposed for Christmas. There was a Stormtrooper wearing a Santa hat and carrying a candy cane:

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader was guarding the front door. He was carrying his traditional light saber in one hand and a Christmas ornament in the other. At his feet there was a gingerbread person wearing a stormtrooper helmet:

Later I observed something unusual right in my own development. There is a row of arborvitae planted along the arterial road next to the condos. Earlier this year the water department was doing some work to install mains for a new subdivision just to the south and had part of our street torn up. Soon afterwards two of the arborvitae right where they had been working started to brown up. A neighbor said an arborist came out and determined the tree roots were still alive and they would eventually put out new growth (which never happened). Someone added ornaments to the tree closest to the road.

Five years ago today: Good To Keep In Mind

Office Conduct During The Christmas Season

(Thank goodness I'm retired and this no longer applies to me!)

 

To: All Employees

From: Management

Subject: Office conduct during the Christmas season

Effective immediately, employees should keep in mind the following guidelines in compliance with FROLIC (the Federal Revelry Office and Leisure Industry Council).

• Running aluminum foil through the paper shredder to make tinsel is discouraged.

• Playing Jingle Bells on the push-button phone is forbidden (it runs up an incredible long distance bill).

• Work requests are not to be filed under "Bah humbug."

• Company cars are not to be used to go over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house.

• All fruitcake is to be eaten BEFORE July 25.

• Eggnog will NOT be dispensed in vending machines.

In spite of all this, the staff is encouraged to have a Happy Holiday. 

~~Author Unknown~~

Five years ago: It's Closed And Ours!

Feline Fasting Fraidycats

It's been a month since Foster Cat Pimento fell ill. After the clinic analyzed his tests they told us he had a bacterial parasite, should take antibiotics for 30 days, then have a followup ultrasound to make sure there were no lingering issues.

That appointment was this afternoon. The shelter made the appointment, then forwarded an email from the facility confirming it. The message said that instructions for preparing the 'patient' for his procedure could be found on their website. When I checked out those instructions I was surprised to learn that Pimento had to fast the morning of the appointment.

Have you ever tried to withhold food from a critter? They don't handle it well. Especially cats, who are creatures of habit, and can be very demanding when they're hungry. Pimento is used to getting breakfast from Hubby Tony right after he wakes up.

The instructions had an exception for medical conditions, so this morning Tony mixed the cat's liquid medicine into one tiny spoonful of wet food. Surprisingly, Pimento seemed to be satisfied with that. However, Tony and I knew the satisfaction wouldn't last so we made plans to make ourselves scarce until just before it was time to leave for the appointment.

After a trip to the gym we ran a couple of errands. Next, we went to lunch at the latest pop-up restaurant at the mall food court (which featured burgers and chili made with locally raised, pasture-fed beef and tallow fries). When lunch was finished we walked around the mall.

The next part of the day was timed with military precision....ten minutes to drive home and walk upstairs up to the condo, ten minutes to grab the cat, put him into the carrier, and take it down to the car, and ten minutes to drive to the facility. Everything went better than planned, and there was an extra five minutes to stop by Panera for a cup of coffee to go.

We were in and out of the facility in a half hour. Back at home, I put food into Pimento's bowl and let him know it was there. He couldn't decided if he should eat or hide under the bed but his stomach won. Then he disappeared for quite a while.

Sin City (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting our latest trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

When Hubby Tony and I left Barstow California after breakfast we only had a two hour drive northeast to our last stop in Las Vegas. However, our room would not be ready until late afternoon, so we decided to add in one last nature experience and detoured to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The canyon offers a 13-mile scenic drive in addition to hiking and rock climbing opportunities. It is so popular during the non-summer seasons that you have reserve a timed entry slot. I was pretty sure that we wouldn't have a problem on a Tuesday, and I was right.

At the visitors center the ranger cheerfully answered our questions. She told us they no longer offered printed park maps, but we could download one to our phone as long as we did it inside the building (the park had no cell service). She also recommended a picnic area where we could eat lunch.

The Scenic Drive was well named. At each parking lot Tony and I got out of the car to take advantage of the vistas. Many of the lots were filled with cars of people who were hiking and climbing. 

After eating lunch we decided we would do some hiking ourselves. The trails were categorized by difficulty into easy, moderate, and difficult. We chose an easy trail right next to the picnic area that was a little over a mile long. I thought it was a little strange that the map said the average completion time was 1.25 hours, but when I had to scramble up some boulders I realized why.

It was easier than it looks :-)

The trail ended up recrossing the main road at the the halfway point. Tony and I bailed out and walked on the road back to our car.

It was an easy drive back to Las Vegas. Tony had booked a condo at a time share resort two blocks off the Strip close to its northern end. After we got situated in the room we went to the Strip and walked around. Eventually we got dinner at a Pan Asian restaurant then came back to the room and crashed.

Wednesday (the last day of our vacation) we started at Flyover, which is an immersive flying experience that uses special effects to make riders feel like they're actually flying. It was like nothing I have ever done before. The experience started in a circular room with a screen in the middle that projected images on the walls and screen. After the preshow we moved into a room with chairlift-style seats and buckled in. The lights dimmed, the floor dropped, and the screen in front of the room came to life. I felt like I was in a helicopter with a camera as it zoomed up, down, and around. The chairs moved back and forth, and sprayers offered a gust of wind or a hint of mist when appropriate.

We bought passes for The Deuce, a bus that ran between the Strip and Downtown. Our first ride was to the Arts District, which is roughly halfway between the two areas. We got off and walked around. I saw the pawn shop that is featured on the TV show Pawn Stars. I was not tempted to stop in.

Back at the resort, we headed down to the bar for a free glass of wine during happy hour, then headed off for a simple dinner. Before going to be, I set my alarm to allow enough time for us to check out, return the rental, and get to the airport in time for our trip back home.

Finis!

A California Crossroads (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting our latest trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

At this point in our trip Hubby Tony and I had been traveling for a week and a half. There were four days left before we flew home from Las Vegas early Thursday morning. Monday was back to work/back to school for the kids and grandkids, so Tony and I decided to break the eight-hour drive back to Vegas up into two days. After walking to school with Grandsons Jay, Dee, and Ell we packed up the car and got on the road.

There are two passes over the Diablo Range mountains close to the San Jose area. The fastest one between the Son Brian and Son Tony's houses is the Altamont Pass, but our route took us over the more southern Pacheco Pass. We got off the highway at Gilroy, which calls itself the Garlic Capital of the World. The road had quite a few produce stands. Even though it was really too late in the year for local produce, we stopped at one. The packages they were selling were too large, but they also had garlic ice cream. I had it on a previous trip, but couldn't resist another taste.

Chocolate and a hint of garlic

After some discussion of how much ground we wanted to cover the first day of driving Tony and I chose to stay in Barstow, which is a city along Route 66. Unfortunately, we found out that on Monday many of the historic things were closed, but I enjoyed seeing the series of pedestals topped with classic cars along Main Street.

For dinner Tony found a great soul food restaurant. The food was served cafeteria style, and a plate consisted of a main dish, two sides, and a cornbread muffin. I couldn't decide if I wanted pulled pork or rib tips, so the associate gave me a sample of both. He also offered a sample of the oxtails. Farther down the line, when I asked if he liked the cabbage or collard greens better he gave me another sample.

The generosity continued once we were sitting down. First the manager came by with a side of ribs for Tony and I to share, and later he brought a small bowl of sweet potatoes for each of us. I had trouble finishing all the food, and there was certainly no room for dessert! I practically waddled across the street to our hotel.

After breakfast the next morning we stopped at the store to buy grab and go sandwiches for lunch and headed east for the last part of our adventure.

To be continued...

The Main Event (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting our latest trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

Beatty, Nevada Day Two. Hubby Tony and woke up and packed up, then drove away from the motel. I was surprised to learn that the roads through Death Valley had many public roads, one of which was a California state route. Google Maps said the most efficient way to get to our next destination was to retrace part of yesterday's drive through the park. We did that, but before entering the park turned off to see the Rhyolite Ghost Town, then continued our trip. Halfway across the park, we again deviated from the Google route to head to one last place in Death Valley-the Father Crowley Overlook above the Rainbow Canyon, near the western boundary of the park.

National Park Service

After seeing the vista Tony and I decided it made the most sense to leave the park by a nearby exit instead of backtracking. We drove for three hours southwest, then another four hours northwest. Along the way the terrain changed from desert, to scrub, to agriculture. Thanks to traffic we rolled into Son Tony's house about 6:30 in the evening.

The next four days were spent with the two California families. 

• On Thanksgiving we joined Tony and DIL Ie's family for a Thanksgiving celebration. There were about 50 people there, and enough food to fill three 6-foot folding tables.
  

• Afterwards Hubby Tony and I got in the car and drove across the Altamont Pass to Son Brian's. 

• Friday we attended a San Jose Sharks game with them (The Sharks beat up on the Seattle Kraken, winning 8-5).

• Friday afternoon Son Tony and family checked into an AirBnB by Brian's house and came to socialize. They stayed until it was time for the kids to go to bed.

• Saturday Son Tony's family came back for a family Thanksgiving lunch. It was nice to see everyone, but we all missed Son Donald, who was back in St. Louis. 

• Sunday Hubby Tony and I joined DIL Nicole at swim lessons for the grands, then we ended up at the mall where they visited Santa.

Sunday night Tony and I started packing our things up so we could get a quick start after taking the grands to school. We had more places to be!

To be continued... 

 Five years ago today: 1 Corinthians 13 (Christmas version)

Hottest, Lowest, Driest (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting our latest trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

When Hubby Tony and I started planning add ons to our California family visit, the first decision was what route to take. We quickly figured out that going north from Boulder City would run into winter weather, so for the third stop on our trip we chose something that was the opposite of cold. As a matter of fact, Death Valley National Park is notable as being the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America.

Wikimedia

However, the "hottest place on earth" ended up being lovely in November, with warm days and cool nights. Hiking was a pleasure. The park wasn't crowded, and there were no bugs. We chose to stay in Beatty, Nevada, which calls itself the "Gateway to Death Valley". The town was a blink and you miss it space on the highway, but our hotel was a ten-minute drive to the Hell's Gate entrance to the park. Beatty is an old mining town, and the burrows roaming the streets added character.

Death Valley National Park is over 3.4 million acres, and the largest park in the United States outside of Alaska. It's filled with extreme and unique landscapes, but Tony and I came up with a plan that let us see many of the highlights. Among my favorites was Badwater Basin. At 282 ft below sea level, it's the lowest point in North America.

See the arrow? That's a sea level marker.

When you turn around from the cliff in the photo above there's an expansive salt flat that covers almost 200 square miles. The packed salt looked like snow, and I kept expecting my feet to get cold when I walked on it.

Throughout the course of the day we saw scenic vistas, colorful hills, and show-stopping canyons. Our last stop was the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which the visitor center said was one of the best places to watch the sun set. Unfortunately heavy clouds covered the sky and there was no sunset, but it was still interesting to walk through the area.

At the end of the day we returned to the hotel. It was an interesting drive on a sometimes windy two lane roads, because the area is recognized as an International Dark Sky Place with very little artificial light pollution, and I was glad when I saw the motel sign.

To be continued...

Nevada's Garden City (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting our latest trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

The second stop on our adventure was Boulder City, Nevada. It's home to Hoover Dam, an engineering marvel on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona which provides water and electricity. The water trapped behind the dam is called Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the United States.

Hubby Tony and I chose a hotel five minutes from the historic district area of the city, but we drove there for shopping and meals. Our hotel was at the top of a hill, and we could see Lake Mead from the parking lot.

After a great night's sleep we drove to the dam for a tour, where our guide had fun sprinkling in "dam" jokes in between the facts.

Wikimedia

Hoover Dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936 in an Art Deco style. I enjoyed seeing the sleek sweeping curves, chevrons, and pyramids. Inside, there were beautiful terrazzo floors and insets that incorporated motifs of the Navajo and Pueblo tribes of the region.

Different sides of the dam, different states

There are a lot of nature areas in the area. The next day Tony and I walked on the Historic Railroad Trail, which was originally the railroad bed used to haul materials for the construction of Hoover Dam. There were five huge tunnels along the trail to accommodate the equipment. (For perspective, the end of this tunnel had a nine-foot tall shipping container placed at the end.)

Our last activity was a ride on the Nevada Southern Railway excursion train. Everything is run by volunteers, and the one in our car was knowledgeable and friendly. After lunch at a cafe recommended by the train volunteer we headed towards our next stop for the next part of our trip.

To be continued...

LAS (Fall 2024 Western Adventure)

(I'm documenting this trip through several blog posts for my future reference. Feel free to read along, or if you're not interested come back in a few days.)

You didn't even know that I was gone, but this morning Hubby Tony and I returned from a whirlwind two weeks out West. We had a great time visiting family, historical places, and natural wonders.

The main purpose of the visit was to spend Thanksgiving with the California kids and grands. Because air fares take a huge price jump for the holiday we decided to leave substantially before and come home substantially after. For several reasons we chose to fly into Las Vegas, which is approximately eight hours from where our kids and grandkids live...but we weren't going to drive all that distance at once!

Our trip got off to a rough start. The flight that was supposed to get us to Vegas at bedtime got delayed....then delayed....and delayed even more. At that point we wouldn't have gotten in until long after midnight, so we rebooked for a flight that would get us there at lunchtime on Friday. After the flight was rebooked Tony canceled the Thursday hotel room and revised the rental car reservation. I contacted the cat sitter about the change, and let our downstairs neighbor know so she wouldn't be freaked out to hear us moving around.Then we went to sleep in our own bed.

On Friday everything went as planned. You  know exactly what city you're in when this is the first thing you see when you walk out of the gate:

After picking up the car we got lunch and explored Downtown (the primary gambling district of Las Vegas prior to the Strip), and the Fremont Street Experience (a five-block pedestrian mall, most of which is covered by the world’s largest LED canopy screen). We popped into a couple of the stores and casinos, but didn't gamble and passed on any tacky tourist experiences.

Next, we drove to the Strip. Parking was horrendous, so we switched gears and headed out of town. Tony was navigating. On Google Maps he saw a green blob for the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden and we decided to visit. Later. I found out from the website that it's the largest cactus collection in Nevada.

Ethel M is a chocolate manufacturer, so we were also able to see the production line at work and have a sample before wandering through the cacti. The area was decorated for the holidays, and if we had been there after dark would have been lit up. However, we had places to go so we headed on. 

To be continued...

Five years ago: From Me To You. You're Welcome.

Holy Cow!

How can it be the end of November already?

When I was young I used to laugh when 'old people' used to talk about how fast time flew. Now I'm one of them.

It seems like it was just All Saints Day on November 1st, and then I was going to the polls to vote. Veteran's Day came and went in a flash. We had two out of town family birthdays to send presents for, and then it was time to think about Thanksgiving. Now tomorrow the calendar is going to turn again.

I need for things to slow down!

A Real Thanksgiving Celebration

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. (Thank goodness!) I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration that has been hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it's a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming or that the tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning this: Do not, under any circumstances enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

Oh before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie. Garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will have a choice. Take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. Come to think of it, she probably won't make it next year either. I am thankful!

~~Author Unknown

Five years ago: Promotional Pie Pickup

It Was Lovely While It Lasted

Historically, the the average first freeze for the St. Louis area is October 31st. This year many outlying areas had the temperatures dip below 32°F shortly before that date, but the official weather station at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport remained above freezing.

And then the weather stayed warm. Up until a week ago we were having lovely weather--brisk overnight but warm during the day. On Thursday I turned the furnace on for the first time since March, but the lows were still above the magic 32° mark.  However, if the forecasters are correct tomorrow morning will be the first freeze of the year. It will also be the second latest first freeze in the city's history (the latest was on November 27, 2009)

Time to get out the heavy coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. I am not looking forward to it at all.

Five years ago: On The Road Again

Tea Words Of Wisdom

The other day I walked by an apartment building that had first floor units that opened up onto the street. On the front steps of one unit I saw this intriguing sign:

Of course I had to follow the directions. When I opened up the jar I saw dozens of tea bag tabs, each with an inspirational message on them. I reached in and randomly picked this one:

 In this time of social dissension, the simple tag was a great reminder that a little love makes everything go more smoothly. 

If you were in charge of inspirational messages, what would your thoughts be?

One Week Till Thanksgiving!

I Am Roasted Stuffing. What is your Turkey Name?

Five years ago: RIP Pepper (2002-2019)

A Balkan Experience Without Leaving My City

Yesterday I told you about Foster Cat Pimento's medication regimen. His need for medication actually led to a great adventure today.

Pimento has to take antibiotics for 30 days, and he had emptied the first bottle. The animal hospital that partners with the cat shelter is in South St. Louis, a thirty minute drive from the condo. Hubby Tony had volunteered to handle the errand, but when I saw it was going to be the last beautiful day of the season I asked if I could tag along.

We've been to this vet a couple of times and don't even need Google to tell us how to get there any more. After picking up the medicine we got ready to walk.

Wikipedia

We were right in the middle of the Bevo neighborhood, which is known for a windmill-shaped restaurant and beer hall built by the Busch brewing family in the early 1900s as a rest stop between the brewery and their country estate. In the 1990s the neighborhood became a hub for Bosnians fleeing from war in their country. Many of the Bosnians have now moved out to the suburbs, but there are still a several commercial places that cater to the group.

Tony and I ended up strolling for about 45 minutes. The area was a mixture of commercial and residential, with pockets of industrial thrown in. Halfway through the walk the sun was warm enough that my long sleeved fleece shirt was too hot and I was glad that there was a bottle of water waiting for me in the car.

After we started heading towards home I realized that if we killed a little extra time Tony and I would be able to have lunch at the Balkan Treat Box, a restaurant that has been on our bucket list for quite a while. It is known for its authentic Balkan street food, and has won numerous national awards. Tony pulled into a parking spot in front of the restaurant a half hour before they opened. We walked around the area, and when we arrived back at the restaurant they had just opened.

I got the vegetarian pide (Turkish flat bread) of the day, a tasty combination of roasted kabocha squash, kale, and caramelized onions topped with date glaze, kajmak (clotted cream made from milk), and parsley. Tony ordered cevapi (grilled beef sausages), which were nestled into Bosnian flatbread. Next to it were spoonfuls of kajmak and chopped onion to add to the sandwich. Both dishes came with a side of kupus (a pickled red cabbage salad) and a pepper that tasted like a pepperoncini. When the food came we split the entrees in half and shared.

Pide

It would have been nice to continue the adventure after lunch but Tony had a commitment so we headed home. When we came in the front door of the condo Pimento was waiting for us-it was time for his lunch.

Keeping Posted On Pimento

It's been almost a week since Pimento the Foster Cat came home from the animal emergency care clinic. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about his progress!

After a series of medical tests we found out Pimento had a bacterial parasite. He hasn't been outside in months, so I have no idea where he would have gotten it, but it was good to have an answer and solution to the problem.

He came home with a small bottle of steroid tablets and a liquid antibiotic. At my local pharmacy I purchased a bottle of Omeprazole (the same drug that treats acid reflux in humans, which I was surprised to learn can also used for cats). At the pet store I picked up a powdered probiotic.

I have only given medications to cats a handful of times. Unlike dogs, who will eat just about anything if you wrap it in a piece of meat, cats are notoriously difficult to dose. After a little trial and error I remembered the system that works best for me.

• Grab the cat
• Straddle him with his head facing the same way as mine and use my legs to keep him from wiggling away.
• Open his mouth and tilt his head back until I can see his eyes.
• Deposit the pill as far back in his mouth as possible and immediately close his mouth.
• Gently stroke his throat to encourage swallowing.

I've learned that Pimento can go for a Very. Long. Time without swallowing. I suspect that a couple of times the medicine actually dissolved in his mouth.

The emergency vet wants Pimento to be on antibiotics and steroids for four weeks. Just think how proficient I'll be at administering medication by then.

Five years ago today: The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Semi-permitted?

Today I walked in not one, but two places that technically weren't unauthorized but felt like it.

The first one was at a strip mall. Walmart is one of my least favorite stores to shop at, but sometimes it's the best option. This afternoon I needed a roll of package tape, and "Club Wally" has one that's inexpensive and easy to unroll.

The closest Walmart store is at the south end of a large big box shopping center that has two buildings separated by a road that leads to store loading docks. Sunday is a horrible day to hit this shopping center. Traffic is difficult to navigate, and there are a lot of shoppers crossing between the parking lot and the stores. 

To avoid the mess I decided to park in the northernmost section of the lot and walk to my destination. That turned out not to be the greatest idea; I had to maneuver my way around cars pulling in and out of spaces and trot across parking lanes to avoid oncoming cars.

Once inside the store I found what I was looking for and got out quickly.

I wasn't looking forward to the return walk, but as I crossed between the two mall sections I noticed the wide road behind the northern building and realized I could use it to bypass the parking lot. There was a sign that indicated it was only for commercial traffic (i.e., trucks with merchandise for the stores), but I guessed that there would be no unloading happening on Sunday afternoon and it would be safe to walk back there.

My assumption turned out to be correct. However, the loading dock road eventually dumps out onto the main road and I observed that a fair number of vehicles were ignoring the commercial traffic notification. They were also ignoring several stop signs, but the rubber speed bumps just after each stop sign slowed them down.

When I got to the main road I walked on the sidewalk to the parking lot and back to my car.

Later in the day I talked Hubby Tony into another uncertain activity.

Just to the south of our condos a new subdivision is going up. Right now there's just a street and the beginnings of three houses at the top of a hill. I've been wanting to see the lot layout, and because it was Sunday there was no construction work going on. There weren't any No Trespassing signs, so off we went.

I found out that the subdivision is one winding street with a cul-de-sac at the top. It was interesting to observe the sizes of the new builds and see how they integrated with the neighborhoods on either side. After we saw everything Tony and I walked back down the street and over to our street.

Five weeks ago today: A Cat's Bedtime Prayer

A Beautiful Day For Being Out

Today started out brisk, but by lunchtime I was able to ditch my coat. I knew I wanted to get outside for an adventure. Hubby Tony had a dentist appointment, so I was on my own to do whatever I wanted. I decided to go explore a shopping area that's located in a tony part of town. I drive through the area more than I stop there, but I knew it had a great independent toy store, and I've started the hunt for Christmas presents for the grands. 

The toy store was at the eastern end of the shopping area so I started there. The store wasn't busy and an associate was very helpful, giving me a lot of good ideas I can run by Tony before we decide what we want to gift. I was on my way out of the store when I saw copies of a book I had bought for myself last year called Mary Engelbreit's Little Book of Thanks.

The slim book is filled with quotes about thankfulness as well as the delightful drawings that Mary Engelbreit is known for. I decided to buy one for each of my daughter-in-laws.

The books ended up being my only purchase. However, I had a great time walking up and down the street and browsing in gift shops, charity shops, home decor shops, and clothing boutiques (where I pretended that I could afford outfits that would set me back an entire year's clothing budget). 

When Tony sent me a text that he was leaving the dentist's office I decided to head home too. However, instead of going the most direct way I took a scenic route that took me past large houses on rolling acreage, which extended the adventure.

Five years ago today: TOO Close!

Planning And Pizza

Back in February I completed a survey from St. Louis County 2050, which is charged with developing a comprehensive plan for the county for the next 25 years. The survey asked me what I thought about the current state of the county and how it could be better.

After I submitted my results I promptly forgot about the whole thing. Last week I received an email  inviting me to an open house to review the preliminary recommendations and give feedback. In addition to letting me playing a part in the future of the county, the email also promised a free dinner.

I've never done anything like this before, but it sounded interesting. I asked Hubby Tony if he wanted to go. He did. We put the event that was closest to our house on the calendar.

The open house was tonight, held in the recreation complex of a county park. After signing in at a table in the hall we both got a cup that held eight push pins and a promise that once inside the room someone would explain what those pins were for.

The 'room' was a large open area. There was a table by the door holding a projector playing a slide show of charts and maps that summarized the information from the survey. Easels holding large boards were arranged in a semicircle along the far side. We learned that each board had one category of preliminary recommendations. After reviewing all of them, we were to place a push pin on the eight recommendations that we thought were the most important.

Each board had one or two members of the planning team there to answer questions. They were very knowledgeable and easy to talk with. I walked back and forth between boards several times before deciding which items would get my pins.

Shortly after Tony and I finished they announced that pizza had arrived. We went through the line and also picked up ice cream from the cooler next to the table. After eating we decided we didn't have any other questions and decided it was time to leave. 

The last County comprehensive plan was adopted 40 years ago. The new one is supposed to be unveiled later this year. It will be interesting to see if any of my top priorities made the final document.

On The Road To Health

Yesterday you learned about Pimento the Foster Cat's health issues. I'm thrilled to share that he's on the road to recovery.

Last night shortly before bedtime we heard from the shelter that the emergency clinic was still trying to figure out what was wrong with Pimento. The doctor didn't want to send him home prematurely, but as he was feeling better Hubby Tony and I could stop by the clinic for a visit today.

When we checked in at the clinic reception desk this morning for our visit the associate told us her system indicated Pimento had been discharged and was ready to leave! Twenty minutes later a technician came out from the back with Pimento, his medicine, and paperwork. There was no bill; the shelter paid for everything.

As soon as we walked into the condo Tony opened the carrier. Pimento shot out like a cannon. He skulked around looking for somewhere to hide, and eventually decided the safest place was under the bed. I went out to run some errands. When I got back it was time to give the cat his first doses of medicine.

After prodding Pimento out from under the bed and chasing him around the room Tony managed to grab him. I was ready to shove the two tiny pills and a syringe of liquid antibiotic down Pimento's throat. The procedure didn't go particularly well, but I think Pimento ingested enough to get him through to the next dose.

Tony left for a while, and while I was working on dinner Pimento skulked around again looking for a different safe place. Eventually he gave up, and when Tony returned the cat had settled into his favorite spot on the couch.

A couple of hours later I ran to the grocery store to get some things to accompany tonight's meal. When I returned Tony was sitting on the couch, and the cat was sitting on his lap. Both looked satisfied.

Five years ago today: The Installation Is Free

Thoughts and Prayers, Please

Please send healing thoughts Foster Cat Pimento’s way. He needs them.

Pimento was fine on Friday morning. By 10 pm that night he wouldn't eat, had thrown up some mainly digested food from lunch, and had left nothing in his litter box. (I was out for the evening, and Hubby Tony figured out in retrospect Pimento was probably lethargic starting mid-afternoon).

I contacted the shelter first thing Saturday morning. They called around to their vet partners to see if any could see him. The only option was an emergency clinic, so we took him there. Several hours later we learned that they had 'admitted' him so they could do some more tests today.

We're still waiting to hear what's going on.

Infirm Pimento

Five years ago today: Ready or Not, Here We Snow

The First Rule Of Marketing...

Should be to get your potential customer's name right. I've never met a Kathy (which of course starts with the letter K) with a formal name that starts with the letter C (like this recent 'opportunity' to save on insurance that I received in the mail).

I've never been a Catherine, and never will

And if I was inclined to switch to a new company, based on their level of detail I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be this one.

Five years ago: Virtual Sand Art

I Need Your Help!

My blog is supposed to be set up with two columns, with the posts on the left side and several gadgets ('About Me', 'My Original Blog', 'Blog Archive' 'Followers', 'My Blog List', and copyright information) on the right.

However, about three weeks ago things got wonky, and the left column started to show up underneath the posts. The last time I had this issue I fixed it by changing some HTML code. I've made several updates. Sometimes it looks like things are back to normal, but some times they don't.

If you're so inclined, could you please let me know what you see?

All I Can Do Now Is Wait

Missouri is late to the party when it comes to making voting convenient. The only way to vote absentee by mail is if you:

• Are confined due to illness or physical disability (or care for someone in your house who is)
  
• Expect to be absent on Election Day
• Are an election worker, first responder, or healthcare worker
• Are prevented by religious belief from going to the polls on election day 
• Are incarcerated but haven't lost right to vote
• Are an active-duty military personnel (or a close family members living with them) or a Missouri citizen living outside the U.S

The one time I requested an absentee ballot no one verified my reason, and I suspect quite a few people misrepresent their plans in order to get a ballot.

There is also a two-week period of no excuse in-person absentee voting, but it is usually only at the Board of Election Commissioners office. This year it was expanded to 14 locations in the metropolitan area. This option was so popular some people I know waited at a polling place an hour or more for the privilege of casting their ballot early.

That seemed crazy to me, and I decided that my plan would be to wait until Voting Day when there would be substantially more polling places (and hopefully shorter lines). Because voters can choose any polling place in the county, this morning after a chiropractor appointment I pulled up a wait time tracking website and found that the five locations closest to his office had somewhere between zero and six people in line. I headed towards the most convenient one.

The polling place was in a high school gym. It was well organized, with a line up indicator that wound around two sides of the room. However, there was no one in line and I was able to move immediately to a station. The worker scanned my ID, which told him which ballot I needed. After I had my ballot another worker directed me to a seat.

I pulled out my pre-filled sample ballot and got down to the task. Filling out all the bubbles was the hardest part. In addition to the national and state races, there were a half dozen state amendments/propositions, three county propositions, and two local ones. Including votes for a couple dozen judges that were up for retention, that was a lot of marking! 

After I submitted my ballot I chose a sticker from the selection at the machine. The poll worker thanked me for coming in.

 Five years ago today: Adventures In Selling And Buying

From Peaceful To Disgusted

Last night Hubby Tony said he wasn't feeling well and went to bed early. Because Tony wasn't available, Pimento the Cat deigned to come over to my side of the love seat and cuddle.

Thanks to the end of Daylight Savings Time and the early sunset it felt very late, although it was only a little after 9:00. I had the television on for noise, but my attention was mainly on my laptop screen. All of a sudden I heard a strange announcement from the screen. It said that the upcoming commercial was a paid political advertisement that by federal law the network was required to carry, it contained disturbing scenes, and viewer discretion was advised.

Just a few seconds after the ad started I saw a graphic image of an aborted baby. I picked up my laptop and held it in front of my eyes so I couldn't see anything else. All of a sudden the house felt scary. When I went to bed I turned on the lights as I went down the hall.

This morning I did research into the topic. I won't refer to the fringe Presidential candidate ad purchaser by name and increase his web presence, I found out that the vile anti-abortion ad has been running in states that have abortion measures on the ballot. The Federal Communications Commission’s rules say that stations are prohibited from rejecting or censoring political ads paid for and sponsored by legally qualified candidates. All they can do is include the warning statement.

Easiest Overwintering Ever

The first summer Hubby Tony and I lived in our condo I got some flowers in baskets to hang on the deck, but it didn't take me long to realize the orientation of the building wasn't conducive to growing annuals. The deck didn't get enough sun for them to thrive, but got too much sun for shade lovers. My solution was to get a supply of metal flowers, which I display in two large ceramic pots filled with pea gravel.

 When the weather turns cool, instead of pulling up spent plants all I have to do is carry my 'garden' inside. I check the flower stems for rust and bundle them together, then carry everything down to the storage area. Flowers go on the shelf. Pots go on the floor

Happy Halloween!

One of the things I love about my area is the local custom of having some type of "trick" to get a "treat". The trick is usually some type of corny joke or groaner.

Our condo building has a buzzer system to let people in, so there will be no trick or treaters tonight. Instead of getting a new supply of one-liners from them, I had to search the internet for my own.

Why don't ghosts like rain on Halloween? It dampens their spirits.

I bought 75 percent of shares in a vampire hunting business. I'm the main stakeholder.

What kind of medicine do witches use on their warts? I don't know, but it's not working.

What do you call a lost wolf? A where-wolf

What does a panda ghost eat? Bam-BOO!

What do you call a movie about zombies finding true love? A zom-com.

What’s the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie? Your teeth.

Why do vampires love baseball? They turn into bats every night.

Which position do ghosts play in soccer? Ghoul-keeper.

Five years ago: The Lee Family

Weather See-Saw

The weather here has been a little bonkers. The average high for late October is in the mid-60° F range, and the average low in the mid-40° F, but only two out of the last ten days were average. Today when I rolled out of bed it was almost 70° F, and the high was forecast to be 86° F! 

The above-average numbers are doing a number on my mind and body. 

• The weather swings have impacted my sleeping. My body had gotten used to brisk overnight temperature, and last night wasn't. I was too warm with the sheet on but too cool without it. I tossed and turned so much I woke up with a stiff neck and a sore lower back.

• It's hard to figure out what to wear. Sunday was one of the normal temperature days. When I left the house in the morning I wore jeans, a long sleeved shirt, a denim jacket, and a fluffy scarf around my neck. This morning when I left for a yoga class at the gym I wore shorts, a tee, and sandals. Later in the day I had to dig through my clothes to find things I thought I was finished with for the year.
  

• The days are getting shorter, which means the sun is lower in the sky at this time of year, but my brain associates warm weather with the length of the day. In the morning the sun should have been much higher in the sky as I was driving to the gym. At the end of the day it felt like it was getting dark way too early.
  

• After lunch Hubby Tony and I took a walk through the neighborhood across the street, where we admired some impressive fall foliage. A brisk wind kept things feeling cooler than they actually were, but I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible because in the sun it was hot! I came home sweaty enough to change my clothes.

Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 80s again before rain comes through and knocks the temperatures back down to normal. I can't wait.