Late July Collection Of Randomness From My Camera Roll

This tee shirt makes me feel thankful that our lawn service comes in the afternoon 😀

A sign at a restaurant host station

 The car from the Good Burger movie is on display at a local hamburger place

 I wonder if 'paws' was a typo, or if they're trying to rebrand chicken feet

Foster Cat Pimento didn't look too happy to be discovered under the bed

Five years ago: Inquiring Minds Sometimes Ask Preposterous Questions

Banana Ball

For the past two nights there's been a new baseball game in town. Banana Ball, as played by the Savannah Bananas barnstorming team is a fast-paced and entertaining game. Hubby Tony and I were lucky enough to attend last night's game.

The view from our seats

Because the team is so popular, just getting tickets was an adventure. Both Tony and I entered an online lottery for the opportunity to buy tickets. Tony's name was chosen. After navigating a verification process, he was assigned a time where he could log in and purchase tickets. St. Louis had more entries into the lottery to buy tickets than any other city on this year's tour.

Banana Ball is played in Major League stadiums when the home team is on the road. There are three potential opponents for the Savannah Bananas. In St. Louis they were facing the Party Animals. 

The games were originally scheduled for early April, but due to severe weather that weekend they were canceled and rescheduled for mid-July. I figured it would be hot and sticky. It was. The game started at 6:30, but the doors opened at 4:30 and for those so inclined there was a pregame event outside the stadium at 3:30. We chose to go out to dinner with some friends and arrive an hour before the event started.

The Savannah Bananas are often compared to the Harlem Globetrotters of basketball, who combine athleticism and theatrics. Banana Ball is fast paced, and has some unique rules. Last night's experience is almost impossible to describe, but some of the things I most enjoyed were:

• A DJ who played a continuous stream of popular and oldies music, encouraging people to sing and dance along when they felt like it. 
• Choreographed on the field dances between some of the innings (and sometimes even during play). 
• Trick plays, like a player bobbling a fly ball before catching it inside his shirt, or someone doing a flip before catching the ball.
• Crowd interaction events between every inning, some with babies, some with children, and some with adults. 
• The Dad Bod Cheer leading Squad, who lived up to their name. 
• Guest appearances by two retired Cardinal pitchers. (On Friday night there had been one, and in addition the Savannah Banana's starting pitcher was a local.) 
• The World's Tallest Baseball Player (10-feet 9-inches tall on stilts), who actually came up to bat.

The huge strike zone is between his knees and shoulders

The Savannah Bananas won the game in the ninth inning, and we joined the rest of the sold out stadium inching their way slowly to the turnstiles. The heat and humidity was even worse in the enclosed stairwell, and I was thrilled to see the exit. I was even more thrilled when I got home and jumped in the shower!

Fun. Funny?

Yesterday Hubby Tony and I were trying to beat the heat by coming up with inside plans for the afternoon. He remembered he had some money left on a movie gift certificate, so we decided to go see the latest Superman movie.

I'm not the biggest fan of superhero franchise cinema, but this one has gotten pretty decent reviews, and has the added benefit of being directed by James Gunn, a hometown boy.

I ended up enjoying the movie, which had all the requisite elements. Good guy battles bad guy, almost doesn't pull it off, but in the end wins. There was a lot of technology, a lot of CGI, and a little love interest between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Krypto, the Superdog, provided some comic relief.

After dinner I was checking my computer, and I got an email with a timely joke.

A man walks into a bar and sees a weird guy sitting at the counter. He goes over, sits down and asks the guy what he is drinking.

"Magic Beer", the guy says.

The man thinks he's a little crazy, so he walks around the bar, but after that there is no one else worth talking to, goes back to the guy sitting at the bar and says, "That isn't really Magic Beer, is it?"

"Yes, I'll show you." The guy takes a drink of the beer, jumps out the window, flies around the building 3 times and comes back in the window.

The man can't believe it: "I bet you can't do that again."

The guy takes another drink of beer, jumps out the window, flies around the building three times, and comes back in the window.

The man is so amazed that he says he wants a Magic Beer, so the guy says to the bartender, "Give him one of what I'm having."

The bartender gets the man a drink and he takes a gulp of the beer, jumps out the window, plummets 30 stories and breaks every bone in his body.

The bartender looks up at the guy and says, "You know, Superman, you're a real jerk when you're drunk!"

Five years ago: Just Like That The Day Was Filled Up

A New Source For Recipes

After dinner last night I started thinking about tonight's meal. After digging around in the kitchen I found three inspiration ingredients: frozen polenta, a partial head of red cabbage, and a half container of ricotta cheese.

I fired up the computer and typed the three inspiration ingredients in the browser search bar. That usually leads to a list of website links, but this time there was an AI Overview recipe at the top with links below. As I read through the recipe I found a couple of strange things, but the basic recipe didn't seem half bad, and I decided that I would make it for dinner.

The dish was a winner! Here's the recipe; my additions, observations, and random thoughts are in pink 

Google AI Baked Polenta with Red Cabbage and Ricotta

For the Red Cabbage:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• I added 2 cloves of garlic, because why not? 
• 1 small head of red cabbage, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Polenta:

• 1 cup polenta (coarse or medium grind)
• 4 cups water (or chicken/vegetable broth for added flavor)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

For the Ricotta Topping:

• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 2T lemon juice
• Lemon zest (from about 1/2 a lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Scallions, chopped (for garnish, optional)
• Toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts (for garnish, optional)
  

Instructions

Prepare the Cabbage:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the onion - sauté for 2 minutes. (I also threw in the garlic, and sauteed both for 4-5 minutes).
3. Add the cabbage, stir, and cook for 5 minutes, allowing it to brown slightly.
4. Reduce heat to low, add 1 cup of water (which wasn't in  the ingredient list) and 1/2 tsp salt, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking polenta (cabbage!) for tenderness. (My thinly chopped cabbage was done after 30 minutes)
5. Halfway through cooking, add the cider vinegar and sugar.
6. Remove the lid and cook off any excess liquid before serving.

Make the Polenta: (I've never tried to make this in the oven, but will definitely think about it next time. However, I've cooked enough to know greasing the dish would definitely be a good idea.)

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
2. Place polenta, 2 tsp salt, and 4 cups water (or broth) in a heavy-bottomed pot or ovenproof baking dish and stir.
3. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, allowing the polenta to simmer and absorb the water. No need to stir.
4. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the top is browned. Finish with a generous amount of pepper.

Prepare the Ricotta Topping:

1. While the cabbage roasts, combine ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Assemble and Serve:

1. Unwrap (strange choice of word?) the cabbage.
2. Spread polenta onto a plate. Add cabbage on top.
3. Top with scallions, sunflower seeds (or pine nuts), pepper, and additional butter if desired.

Image not AI generated!

Five years ago today: Just Me, Myself, And I

Do Good Intentions Count?

I recently learned that July 15th is National Give Something Away Day, a day dedicated to encouraging people to donate or give away items they no longer need. The yearly event was founded by Linda Eaton Hall-Fulcher in 2015.

After lunch today Hubby Tony left to meet some friends. While he was gone I made dinner, ate a snack, did a couple of crosswords, then decided in honor of Give Something Away Day I would take the bag of donation items next to my dresser to St. Vincent de Paul. (And then go into the thrift store in front and see if there was anything I needed to buy😼).

This morning when I took a walk after breakfast it was hot and humid, and I soon realized that since then the conditions had only gotten worse. Thank goodness for car air conditioning! Traffic was a bear, but I finally made it the parking lot. However, when I pulled up to the donation center I saw a sign that it was closed for the day. (BOO!)

I still went into the store, but there was nothing that struck my fancy. On the way to the exit I asked a clerk if the donation center would be open tomorrow, and learned that at some point in the past its hours had changed; it is now closed on Tuesday and Thursday.

I could have driven ten minutes out of my way to take the donation items to Goodwill, but I wasn't in the mood to battle more traffic. Instead, the bag will drive around with me until the next time I'm in the area.

Five years ago today: Bifocal Blemish

(Inedible) Chip Bags

This month was Hubby Tony's turn to host his friend poker group. In preparation, he got out his special decks of cards and his stash of poker chips in Ziploc bags. Each member of the group only hosts a couple of times a year. With only occasional use, the chips always smell musty to Tony, which precipitates a process of washing, drying, and airing them out.  

To save him the work I told Tony I would try to come up with a better solution.

After some research I decided fabric drawstring bags would work. I looked through my stash of material, but I didn't have any pieces large enough. Just as I was headed to the fabric store I spotted a pair of blue khaki pants in the donation pile and the light bulb went off in head.

Making up the bags were an easy task. I cut the pant legs into appropriate lengths, sewed a bottom seam on each, then made a casing at the top and threaded a piece of ribbon through. I was able to match the colors of the chips (red, white, and blue) to the tie for each bag.

These bags are much sturdier than the former flimsy plastic bags, and the fabric is breathable so there should be no issue with smells. After Tony pronounced my work satisfactory I placed the chips into the proper receptacle, then found a box large enough to hold the bags so they would be easier to get to in the closet. Five years ago: Purposeful Road Trip

Cat Owies

In the past seven weeks Pimento the Foster Cat has been having some skin issues, which has led to several vet visits. Each was precipitated by the discovery of a lump under his fur, which turned out to be a scab, which fell off and left a nasty red spot. Like this:

When we find a lump, Hubby Tony or I contact the shelter to authorize an appointment to check it out. The clinic works the shelter cats in between scheduled visits, so we drop Pimento off and pick him up several hours later. He's not a fan of getting in his cage and going in the car. Tony and I are not fans of the schedule, but we all make it work.

At the first visit the vet said the spot was healing nicely and of no real concern.The second time Pimento got a long lasting antibiotic shot, and the vet opined that we might need to investigate food allergies. At the third appointment earlier this week, we came home with a liquid antibiotic, instructions to clean the area with a damp rag twice a day, and directions to have Pimento wear a soft donut cone to keep him from scratching the sore area.

We picked up a tiny colorful donut from the shelter. The eleven-inch wide circle of soft, fiber filled material had an interior tube that could be cinched with a Velcro strap to fit it to a cat's neck.

The internet is full of cats serenely wearing a donut. Some almost look happy to have it on. And then there's Pimento.

I have no idea what his life on the streets was like before he entered into shelter care, but even after more than a year of love and attention, standing over him or quickly putting two hands on his body to hold him freaks him out. Tony and I have tried daily to get Pimento's head through the hole, but eventually we figured that as long as there was no sign the sore had been disturbed we would let him be.

Five years ago today: Not So Traditionally Chinese

Ragged Is The Rage

For the past few years distressed clothes (like this skirt with a frayed hem that I saw last week when I walked at the mall) have been in fashion.

I could care less about fashion, but yesterday I put on an old pair of well-loved shorts and realized some people would pay good money for my raggedy hems and little holes 😀.

Five years ago: Working Up A Sweat, Literally And Figuratively

Pre-sliced And Packaged

Image by rawpixel.com

If you're a sliced bread lover, today is a big day. According to Wikipedia, on July 7, 1928 the first sliced bread was sold by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri (a town about an hour northeast of Kansas City).

The story actually starts in 1912, when Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa built a prototype of a single loaf bread slicing machine. All of the paperwork was destroyed in a fire, and it took another 16 years for the machine to make its debut.

In 2019 Missouri state statute 9.240 designated July seventh of each year as "Missouri Sliced Bread Day", indicating that the citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate activities and events to commemorate the first sale of sliced bread on July 7, 1928, in Chillicothe, Missouri.

There's also a St. Louis sliced bread connection. Gustav Papendick, a St. Louis baker, bought the second bread slicing machine. He knew that sliced bread got stale faster than an uncut loaf, so he developed a way to keep a newly-sliced loaf aligned so it could easily be wrapped in wax paper.

Five years ago: [Not] Great Customer Service

Who Does Something Like This?

I've almost reached the end of the get rid of old paint project. Several of the cans were picked up by people from my Buy Nothing group. The ones that didn't were dried out and tossed into the trash.

Eventually I was down to one five-gallon bucket, which felt to be about half full.

It took several weeks of looking at it, but eventually I was inspired to tackle the project of getting it out of the condo. When I opened the bucket I was shocked to see that the last painter had forgotten to take out their paint roller frame/cover and bucket grid.

Who does this?!?

Our trash people strictly follow the rules about discarded paint, which means the liquid has to be turned into a solid before it goes into the bin. In order to do that, I had to get the equipment out. 

The bucket didn't have a date on it, but it's not been opened in the five years I've lived here. When I tried to pick up the grid it fell apart, and the metal on the roller frame disintegrated in my hands. I used a paint stirrer to fish the pieces out and get as much of the paint off the roller as I could before putting both in a plastic container pulled from the recycling bin to dry.

Later in the day I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest bag of cat litter they had. It took the whole thing, but in the end the paint was successfully dried up and the bucket went into the trash bin. I'm enjoying a little extra space in the laundry room.

Five years ago: A Song For The Fourth Of July

A Fun Opportunity To Do Good

Hubby Tony found a two hour volunteer opportunity for today in the area affected by the May tornado. He asked if I was interested in signing up. I was.

This one took place at a church not too far from our last shift. When we arrived, I knew we were in the right place when I saw the banner indicating the church was a location for FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance. After figuring out which door to go in, we found the church office, where we were greeted by an assistant pastor and escorted to the food pantry area. 

The food pantry was a large room lined with rows of donated perishables (fruits, vegetables, bread, and pastries) and a few large displays of processed snack foods. Looking at the packaging, I could tell by the price tags or brands where they had come from.

We had to wait for about ten minutes for the manager of the food pantry to show up. She told us they were normally open on Thursday, but closed today for the Fourth of July holiday. However, several people showed up looking for food and no one was turned away.

There were four one-time volunteers, and several people who knew what they were doing. Since there would be no official food pantry until next week our first task was to bag up the bakery products to move to another location where they could be frozen. By the time we were done, a minivan and two sedans were crammed with boxes and bags of bread, rolls, bagels, and buns.

Unfortunately, some of the fruit and produce was past its prime, so the next step was to separate the good from the not so good. Eventually the discarded stuff filled a huge cardboard watermelon box, which was moved to a pallet outside so the janitorial department could deal with it.

Close to the end of my shift I was able to help a lady get her food. I pointed out the different items, and she told me if she wanted them or not. After she made her selections, one of the permanent volunteers got her a bag of meat from a chest freezer in the back area. I walked with her to her car and put her things in the back. When we were done she thanked and blessed me, which made me feel good.

Rawpixel

I couldn't believe how fast the two hour shift went. After we signed out, the food pantry manager invited us to come back again. As we were walking out the door, a driver from the food bank arrived, saying he had pallets of donations to drop off. There was a big panel truck with the food bank logo in the parking lot.  It would have been interesting to see what it held.

Five years ago: Financial Freedom

Six Means Coffee

But since it's after dinner I better make it decaf.🤣

You Dot This

What about you? What do you need today?

You're Going To Give Me Money? Sure!

Yesterday I received a post card in the mail that indicated that I might be entitled to a payment from a class action lawsuit. Usually things like this go straight into the recycling bin, but when I turned it over and started reading I learned that in this case the "entitle to a payment" information was correct.

In this case, the defendant was Lee Enterprises (the owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper). Allegedly, they disclosed subscriber's personally identifiable information to Facebook without consent.

The records indicated I was a class member, and the postcard encouraged me to fill out a claim form with a provided login and password. This morning I went to the website, logged in, filled out the form, and chose my settlement delivery method. Before I signed off on the application I had to agree that:

"I am a person in the United States who, from December 1, 2020, until March 4, 2025, have or had a Facebook account, and was a subscriber of a Lee publication during that time."

A hearing on the proposed settlement is scheduled for early August. If the Court approves the settlement I will receive a payment 90 days later. The payment is anticipated to be approximately $41.01. Definitely not a huge amount, but enough to have made it worth my while. 

Five years ago: Time To Count

An Arachnid Good Deed

Every couple of weeks I see a common house spider in the laundry room or master bathroom. During my years of being a "boy mom" to three sons I got over my fear of most creepy crawlies. Now I figure that as long as they stay out of my way and build their webs in inconspicuous places, they're keeping my home insect free.

Two nights ago I went into the bathroom at bedtime and was surprised to see a spider in one of the two sinks in the double vanity. It was trying to climb out, but between gravity and the slick porcelain it couldn't quite get there. I used the other sink to brush my teeth and went to bed.

The next morning the spider wasn't anywhere to be found in the sink, so I was surprised when it was back again later in the afternoon. (Had it been resting in the drain underneath the stopper?) After spending a few minutes watching it's futile locomotion I decided I would give it a little help. I draped a piece of toilet paper from the bottom of the sink up to the vanity, tucked the end under the drinking cup, then turned out the light and left. When I checked five minutes later the spider was gone back to whereever it normally hangs out.

I haven't seen it again.

Rawpixel

Is This A Positive Or A Negative?

Did you realize that today is the midpoint between January 1st and December 25th? Yep, it's Halfway to Christmas.

And as fast as time is flying the holiday season will be here before I know it.

Five years ago today: Scrap Spice Shelf

Hot And Humid Activity

I live in the large part of the country that's currently dealing with a heat wave. A heat advisory (with heat index values-the combination of actual temperature and humidity-of up to 108 degrees started on Saturday. Originally the advisory was set to expire this evening, but then it was extended until Thursday night. I hope that's correct!

Every summer the area has at least one heat wave, so the extremes are nothing new. But they're still annoying. On mornings without commitments, Hubby Tony and I have been arranging our schedules to try and beat the heat. Right after breakfast we grab water bottles and go out to walk.

At that time of day, the angle of the sun is low enough that some of the sidewalks are shady. Sometimes there's a sprinkler system going that I can walk through.  If we choose a route that includes stores I can use the bathroom and refill my water bottle. (And then find a chair and sit for a while in the air conditioning).

By the time our walk is finished I can't wait to get into the air conditioned condo and take a cool shower. My biggest challenge is making myself do anything other than sit around for the rest of the day.

Five years ago: The Office Comes To The Cat

Diverse Different Things

Some days it's difficult to find something noteworthy to post about. Other days there are an embarrassment of riches. Today was one of those. Hubby Tony and I spent an entire afternoon (and early evening) visiting places we had never been to before in a small section of the city.

The inspiration for the whole thing was a heat advisory warning, which made us concentrate on inside activities. Hubby Tony and I take Foster Cat Pimento to the vet, there are several interesting storefronts. One of them is the Miniature Museum of St. Louis. Then, a couple of months later I saw a story about the museum on the local PBS station and added it to my list of places to see. The museum is only open on the weekend, so a hot Saturday in June seemed like the perfect time.

The two-story storefront in the Bevo neighborhood had an incredible collection of dollhouses and buildings of all types. Each of the displays had a push button to light up the interior (which was very helpful to see the tiny details). For example, the tiny Monopoly board on the right hand side of the floor in this one was about an inch one each side!

I enjoyed looking at the displays, but I suspect that if ever I went back I would see a completely different set of details. There was that much!

After we left the museum we headed one neighborhood to the east to visit Dad's Cookie Company in Dutchtown, where they have been making cookies since the 1930s. We thought about getting some of their Original Scotch Oatmeal, but after the friendly clerk gave us samples of two different types we ended up with a half pound of peanut butter chocolate chip and a bag of imperfect (broken) toasted coconut. The old-fashioned store put our purchase in an old-fashioned paper sack marked with an old fashioned stamp that had the address and their obsolete letter-based phone number.

Not too far from the cookie store was St. Anthony of Padua parish, where we went to Mass. I love old, ornate churches and this one definitely fell into that category.

Before mass started the priest was walking from the sanctuary back to the narthex, greeting people as he went. He stopped and asked where we were from, and after the service he told us to drive home safely.

For dinner we ended up across the street from our original location at Das Bevo (originally called Bevo Mill). The building, along with it's windmill, was built in 1917 by the Busch brewing family as a rest stop between the brewery and their farm in the county.

Due to the weather the biergarten was closed, so we ate in the bierhall-a large room with paneled walls, beamed ceilings, and large chandeliers. Tony got a loaded wurst brat with sauerkraut and grilled onions that came with fries. I chose a German-ish Mushroom Spaetzle, and added crumbled bacon.

Even after a filling dinner there's always room for dessert. We weren't too far from the South Grand branch of Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard. I had never been to that location before, but now I can say I've crossed it off my list of places to visit. The menu was the same, and my Johnny Rabbit Concrete (with hard shell chocolate and maraschino cherries mixed into vanilla custard) was as good as it always is.

Five years ago today: Rockery

Summer Starting Point

The Summer Solstice occurs this evening at 9:42 PM, which begins the Northern Hemisphere astronomical summer.

Hubby Tony and I talked about how we would celebrate the event, and decided on something cold and creamy. When we went into Aldi for a few things a box of frozen lime bars jumped into the cart. 

The bar was the perfect combination of cold, sweet, and tart. A perfect beginning to the new season.

Five years ago: Recycling Road Trip

Cats, Cats, And More Cats

Five years ago: Eat Your Vegetables!

All About The Papa

In the United States and some other countries, today is Father's Day. In our family, June 15th is also Son Donald's birthday.

Donald usually comes over to our condo for a birthday dinner. Because of my Covid quarantine (which ends tomorrow!) I checked with him  to see if pushing off his celebration until next weekend worked for him. It did. That left today without much on the calendar. For years Hubby Tony has been gracious enough to combine celebrations together, but today it got to be all about him.

The first event was breakfast. In order to beat the heat, right after rolling out of bed we walked to the Sunny Street Cafe for a great meal Later in the day we drove to the movie theater to see The Phoenician Scheme. Tony watched the baseball game on television. For dinner I made pork chops, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, and applesauce. For dessert, Tony contributed his birthday pastry from Panera.

We also celebrated the young fathers in the family. This morning we forwarded some words of wisdom I found on Facebook- a post titled Ten Things To Remember On Father’s Day (For Dads Everywhere) from The Paps Fam. Their words touched me, and I decided to also share them with you.

1. You matter more than you know.

    Your presence, your voice, your steady hand-these shape lives. 

 

2. Little eyes are always watching.

    Even your smallest acts teach the biggest lessons. 

 

3. You don’t have to be perfect.

    Just present. Just real. That’s what they’ll remember. 

 

4. Love doesn’t always look loud.

    It’s in early mornings, late nights, quiet sacrifice. 

 

5. Your words carry weight.

    Speak life, speak hope-they’ll echo for years. 

 

6. Showing up is a superpower.

    Even when you’re tired, your presence speaks volumes.

 

7. It’s okay to be soft.

    Strength is found in kindness, in hugs, in “I love you”. 

 

8. You are building legacy.

    With every bedtime story, every scraped-knee pep talk, every prayer. 

 

9. They’ll remember how you made them feel.

    Safe. Loved. Seen. That’s what lasts. 

 

10. You’re not alone.

      There’s no manual for fatherhood-but there is grace for the journey. 

 

Five years ago today: Describes Me To A T

A Forecast Of Fear

According to Google AI Overview, approximately one in ten Americans may experience severe weather-related phobias. In honor of Friday the 13th, here are 10 of the most common:

• Ancraophobia: Fear of wind
• Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
• Chionophobia: Fear of snow
• Cryophobia: Fear of cold weather
• Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
• Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
• Lilapsophobia: Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
• Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
• Ombrophobia: Fear of rain
• Thermophobia: Fear of heat

Five years ago today: Counting Customers

Party Like It's 2020

Today was Hubby Tony's birthday, but my Covid quarantine that started on Monday really put the kibosh on any plans. However, at the end of the day Tony said it had been a good one.

Last week I asked Tony what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He chose a nearby Greek restaurant that recently opened. I would have gone wherever he wanted, but Greek food always sounds good to me.

Freepik

(Two days after my positive antigen test I am feeling better. My only remaining symptoms are a slight scratchy throat and a runny nose/post nasal drip cough, but the most current guidelines say that I should stay home until at least 24 hours after my symptoms are better, and any fever is gone. I think by tomorrow I should be good to go out masked up.)

Yesterday I realized from a Facebook ad that the restaurant was having it's Grand Opening today. Their big promotion was a Chicken Gyro dinner with chips and a side for $5. I was afraid the dining room might be overwhelmed, but Tony wasn't concerned. Our original plan was to eat in the restaurant. Plan B was to order online, but I found out system wasn't functioning. Plan C was for Tony to walk into the restaurant and order.

I drove with him to the restaurant and sat in the car while he went in.  In addition to the dinners, he also got a salad to share and two pieces of baklava.We came back home and ate our food at the dining room table, just like we did back in 2020 when everything was shut down.

Five years ago today: No Problem

Again?!?

Yesterday afternoon my nose started running and my throat was scratchy. The mold count has been awful, so I took allergy medicine and kept going. At bedtime I had a headache, so I downed ibuprofen along with a decongestant.

I didn't sleep well, because the post nasal drip and accompanying cough kept me up. After breakfast I took a walk outside with Hubby Tony, but cancelled my class at the gym and laid around. I wasn't tired, but had no energy. The air conditioner was set to the normal temperature, but I felt chilly.

Mid afternoon I had a horrible thought. What if I had more than a cold? I did some research and decided it was time to test for the dreaded Covid.

Cold, Flu, or Covid?

When the test was finished the Positive line was so clear there was no room for doubt. I had Covid.

I spent the next hour clearing my calendar for the next five days.  Depending on my symptoms, my quarantine could be over, or it could drag on. Tony hasn't had any symptoms, so he gets to figure out his own schedule.

What A Weekend!

Hubby Tony left Thursday late afternoon for a retreat, and he got home today.

I made plans for lots of activities while he was away, but many of them were outside and Mother Nature had other plans. The weekend was gloomy with periods of rain, which put the kabash on several things. Despite the weather issues I still had a great time.

Thursday

As soon as Tony left I started thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. After poking around the kitchen I decided toasted cheese and tomato soup sounded good. However, there wasn't a can of soup soup in the house so I made my own by pulling out the blender and pureeing a can of chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, a spoonful of tahini, and a fig (for sweetness), then simmered the puree until the flavors melded. It was even better than the Campbell's would have been.

Pixabay

Friday

After a mid-morning meeting, instead of coming straight home I had extra time to pop into stores that caught my attention. The light drizzle that wouldn't go away made my hair barometer go full frizz, but I didn't mind.

In the evening I had dinner plans with Son Donald. He asked if I had a place in mind or if I wanted to go to something from his list of restaurants on his phone that he wants to try. Adventure always sounds good to me, so we ended up at Stews Food & Liquor in the Soulard neighborhood.

When we got there the sky was filled with clouds, and we both brought our umbrellas. All the inside tables were filled, but the host offered us a table for two under the building overhang. Halfway through the meal it started drizzling, and by the time we got the bill there was a light but steady rain.

We shared an appetizer and two entrees: T-pockets (a mashup of toasted ravioli and crab rangoon), Stew's Way Chicken (buffalo sauce, red chili paste, Mozzarella, and crispy rice), and Cold Curry Udon (red curry with coconut milk, peanuts, cilantro, and a scallion emulsion). There was enough of the entrees left over for each of us to bring some home.

Entrees

After leaving the restaurant we walked around the neighborhood. The steady rain meant that my sandals got wet and my feet were sloshing around in them, but the conversation was so good I didn't mind. I dropped Donald off at his house and came home. Pimento the foster cat wanted to know where I'd been.

Saturday

The city of Kirkwood sponsored a Route 66 Cars and Guitars Festival, which included a vintage car show, two stages of music, a few vendors, and food and drink stands. The main event started in the late afternoon, but in the morning the fire department and Rotary Club held a Carbs Guitars Pancake Breakfast. 

After my cycling class at the gym I walked over to the firehouse, where a pancake cooking station, serving line, banquet tables, and a trio of musicians had replaced the vehicles inside the building. My carb-filled breakfast gave me energy to get things done. I came home and did laundry and straightened the condo. I thought about visiting an art fair in Webster Groves (the city just to the east), but when I looked outside it was raining again.

When it was time for church in the late afternoon, I researched masses that would make it easy to go back into downtown Kirkwood for the main part of the festival. After church I was hungry; when I drove by a Sam's Club I decided that a piece of their food court pizza sounded good. It was, and I had money in my pocket for the rest of the night.

The festival always brings in a big crowd, so I knew to park several blocks away. I carried a water bottle and a rain jacket. I walked around the car show, listened to a couple of tunes from a cover band, and got some swag from the booths. It started drizzling. 

I decided I was ready to go home. But on the way back to the car I remembered I would be passing right by Clementine's Ice Cream. I got a 'Nice" scoop of Midnight Pleasures dark chocolate and a "Naughty" (with alcohol) scoop of Pink Champagne Sorbet. It was a great combination.

Five years ago today: The Importance Of Correct Punctuation

Eagle-Eyed

Mike left a comment on my last post asking me about a photo of the Lustron house I saw. When I went back and looked, I realized that for some reason Blogger had used an earlier version of my post rather than my final draft.

What should have been included:

The house was across a busy road. I had already walked a substantial distance, and without going out of my way to the nearest stoplight there was no way to cross the street to get a close photo. I tried to take one from where I was, but there were no breaks in the traffic. In the end I used a photo from one of the local television stations, but the attribution wasn't on the post that got published.

I never want to be the person who uses something without giving credit, so the original post is updated accordingly.  Thanks, Mike!

Five years ago: Compare And Contrast Churches

Hippo House

This morning Hubby Tony and I dropped Foster Cat Pimento off at the vet, then decided to walk around a part of South City several miles away. We started on a greenway, which dumped out onto a large arterial road, then turned right to loop back to the car. 

We were almost to the next turn when a large pink hippo sculpture in the yard of a house across the street caught my eye. Then I noticed the house was made out of large squares and realized I was looking at a Lustron house.

Fox 2

Lustron houses are a type of prefabricated home constructed from enameled steel panels and built on the customer’s job site.They were manufactured by the Lustron Corporation in the United States between 1948 and 1950. The houses were a response to a shortage of homes for returning G.I.s after World War II. Almost 2,000 houses were built before production ceased due to the company's tangles with labor unions and the inability to pay back their start up loans.

The house is now an Airbnb, which I think would be fun to stay in. Five years ago: No Controverting

Half Priced Happiness

Several months ago a Capital One Cafe opened at the mall close to our condo. I have one of their charge cards in my wallet, so it was interesting to read the signage that indicated Capital One customers could get 50% off of beverages. 

Eventually Hubby Tony and I stopped in to see what it was all about. I found out that the menu has a nice variety of coffees and teas, and a small selection of breakfast and lunch items. That day neither one of us was in the mood for a drink or a bite to eat. However, I left knowing that the space has tables, plenty of electrical outlets, and free wi-fi. If you have an account you can also reserve a private workspace.

Today after lunch Tony and I decided it was too hot to walk outside. I told him that if he was interested I would be a big spender and buy him a half-priced coffee at the Cafe. He smiled and agreed.

(I think walking at the mall is pretty boring, so we usually mix it up by completing a lap of the lower level then taking the escalator up to the second floor and doing the same thing. Sometimes we do a third or fourth lap, but walk in the opposite direction.)

Today was only a two-lapper. The Cafe is on the top floor, so when we reached the door we swung in. Tony got a drip coffee and I ordered a Honey Lavender Latte, their signature beverage. When it was time to pay, the associate asked if I was going to use a Capital One credit or debit card. I said I was, and all of a sudden the price dropped by half.

While we were waiting for our drinks I noticed two associates standing at a counter who greeted everyone who came in and said goodbye to people as they left. They were also willing to answer questions about Capital One services should anyone be curious.

Five years ago: Be More Like Labs

At The Speed Of Life

How is it June already? Didn't the year just start?

I recently came across the word zenosyne. It's a noun which describes the sense that time appears to be moving faster and faster, especially as you age, and the inevitable conclusion (death) will arrive before you know it.  

When I was a student, even a week of vacation was enough to do everything I wanted to, and the three months of summer vacation felt like an eternity! Now most of my days have at least one commitment penciled in and my to-do list is long. Summer goes by in a flash. 

Seconds turn into minutes, which turn into hours, which turn into days, which turn into weeks, which turn into months, which turn into years. Until they don't.

Five years ago today: New Word, Old Idea

Pizza In Paper

After church tonight Hubby Tony and I went out for pizza. The "special" we chose started with a Chicago tavern style thin crust layers with a tasty red sauce, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and mozzarella cheese. When I took my first piece, I noticed the pizza had been placed on a cardboard circle on top of a metal pan.

We chose to order a pizza large enough so there would be leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The waitress came by and offered to package up the leftovers. She took the pan away, and when she came back she was carrying a slim paper bag, folded over and closed with clear cellophane tape. 

I had never seen leftover pizza packaged in anything other than a square cardboard box. When I picked the bag up I could feel the pizza on top of the cardboard circle, and I noticed how much lighter the bag was than a comparable sized box.

 

I was afraid that without sturdy box sides the pieces of pizza would shift around on the drive home, and ended up putting it in the trunk. There didn't seem to be any issues. 

 

Back at home, Tony put the leftovers in the refrigerator, where they took up less room then they would have in a box. Tomorrow after lunch the empty bag will take up less room in the trash than cardboard would (and keep the communal trash bins in the basement cleaner).

Have you ever had pizza being packaged in a paper bag? If so, what did you think?

It Was Darn Good

The other night Hubby Tony had a dinner meeting, so I was on my own to find something to eat. Even though I could have scavenged something from the refrigerator I decided to walk up to the grocery store and see if there was anything in the clearance section to enhance the meal.

The Clearance Section gods were smiling down on me. I ended up buying a one-person marinated salmon kebab and a container of yellow cherry tomatoes. Both were $1.50.

Back at home, I put the tomatoes in the oven to roast. When they were almost done I took apart the kebab and added the salmon chunks to the pan. I cut up leftover roasted eggplant, and boiled a serving of Chinese noodles. When everything was ready I put the noodles in a bowl, dumped everything else on top, and added a large sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning.

My one-person meal was tasty, and just what my stomach needed.

Five years ago today: Tender Tarsus Treatment

Helping Out As I Can

The tornado that came through St. Louis on May 16th decimated large portions of several neighborhoods on the North Side. This is an old part of the city, with many houses built a century or more ago. A few of the neighborhoods are genteel, but others suffer from widespread disinvestment and poverty.

Tony and I talked about what we could do to help with the relief efforts. On the Volunteer Center of the United Way website there was a list of opportunities. Many of them involved strenuous labor like debris clearing or boarding up buildings (neither of which I would be much help with), but when I saw a two-hour shift packing food boxes we decided that we could do that and signed up for this morning.

Before we left the house Tony's map app said the most direct way to the volunteer location was through Forest Park, which had also been hit by the storm. After I got off the highway the drive was surreal; the closer I got to the most affected area, the more huge uprooted trees I saw. Many of them had been cut into pieces and moved to the sides of the road for eventual pick up.

As I left the park the devastation was even more apparent. There were apartment buildings with almost every window boarded up. Other buildings had partial or no roofs. Out of respect I didn't want to take any photos, but if you Google 'St Louis 2025 tornado' you can find evidence of the destruction.

We got to the volunteer location and learned that instead of food we would be packing bags of personal care items. (I was happy to help in whatever way I could.) The front hall was converted into a packing station, with four long tables filled with paper goods and personal care necessities.

The project started with a crew of six, but several others soon joined in. Originally each bag included two rolls of paper towels and two rolls of toilet paper, along with miscellaneous items of our choice. When the paper towels ran out there was more discretion involved. I was working on the side with feminine products and added boxes of tampons and pads to each bag.

There were so many people lending a hand that the packing was finished in an hour. Another set of volunteers took the bags over to the drive through distribution area. After a little down time (during which I learned about other opportunities for doing relief work) I helped load cases of water onto carts for distribution.

Shortly before our two-hour shift was over we were offered the opportunity to start sorting though donated clothes. However, Tony had an afternoon commitment so we said our goodbyes and left. I drove home a slightly different way, but the trail of devastation still continued for several miles. Buildings were roofless, utility poles had snapped off, and several stoplights were non-functioning.

But just a quarter of a mile later there was absolutely no storm damage. Tornadoes are crazy things.

Five years ago today: Phooey!