Happy Halloween

Hubby Tony and I live in a controlled access building, so there will be no trick or treaters for us tonight, but this poem reminds me of the many years I handed out treats to cute little ones.

What Do I See?

I see a big ghost

I see a bat

I see a little witch

I see a cat

 

This is such a scary night 

Now who will we meet?

I see trick or treaters

Coming down the street

 

~~Author unknown~~

 

Mary Engelbreit

Good To Hear

A while back I went to see my primary care physician for my yearly appointment, during which I mentioned I was having some off and on tinnitus. The doctor recommended an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) practice in the office building of the hospital she was affiliated with, and suggested I make an appointment and have the issue checked out.

The information sat on my desk for a while, but when I finally got around to calling for an appointment I was surprised to learn that the practice had multiple offices, one of which was much closer to me than the hospital branch. That's where I made the appointment.

This afternoon I went in. There were two parts to the visit-a hearing exam and a consultation with the doctor.

Vecteezy

During the first part I got to sit in a soundproof booth and respond to a series of tones and words. I got my results immediately, and was pleased to find out that except for a tiny bit of high frequency hearing loss my hearing was normal. I was escorted back to the lobby to wait for the doctor.

Five minutes later I was called back again, this time into an examination room. The doctor asked about my tinnitus symptoms and went over my hearing test again. He told me that unfortunately there wasn't a lot that could be done for my symptoms but since it was most annoying at bedtime I could try using a fan or a white noise machine to mask the noises in my ears.

Five years ago today: I'm Always Learning Something

Inspirational!

Today's forecast was for rain and chilly temperatures. There was nothing on our calendar, so Hubby Tony suggested we walk inside at a mall and then take in a movie we've both been wanting to see called Soul on Fire, based on a 2016 memoir by motivational speaker John O'Leary.

When John was nine years old he accidentally set himself on fire while playing with matches, which left him with burns on 100% of his body and a 1% chance of survival. The first part of the movie tells the story of his recovery and later life with the support of his family, community, and Jack Buck-the radio announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

The movie was filmed in St. Louis, and it was fun to pick out locations that we knew. I follow John O'Leary on Facebook, where he's been sharing some of the hidden Easter eggs to look for. The reviews have generally been positive, and for me it was a three-tissue movie (with as many happy tears as sad).

Five years ago today: Chocolate-ish

Miscellany

Thanks to the overly warm weather that overstayed its welcome, this area only had a week of nice fall weather. Rain moved in over the weekend, and the temperatures have been normal for this time of the year.

The weird weather caused me to pretty much miss out on one of my favorite fashion seasons of the year-three quarter length sleeve shirt season. The style is perfect for in-between weather when a tee shirt is too cool and a long-sleeve shirt too warm.

Last week, when I put away the warm weather clothes I hung the in-between ones front and center in the closet. Now, unless the weather turns out of the ordinary warm those shirts will have to get moved to the back of the closet until spring arrives.

Yesterday Hubby Tony and I stopped into Costco. In addition to buying the things on our list we got some good food samples, but the best sample was non edible - a gallon size freezer bag with a roll of toilet paper inside.

Last week we had a new garbage disposal installed. The plumber was punctual and professional. Since then we've used the disposal a couple of times. This afternoon I turned it on, heard something go pop, and the disposal stopped working (along with the light above the sink and dishwasher, which are on the same circuit).

Tony called the plumbing company, who tried to punt the issue off to the disposal manufacturer. He called the manufacturer, who tried to punt the issue off to the plumbing company.  Finally the plumbing company said they would send someone out today to take a look. 

This plumber was also punctual and professional. He did some things under the sink for about twenty minutes, then said the issue should be fixed. We asked him what the issue was. He was noncommittal, and  considerate enough to not trash talk his predecessor or their work. As long as the disposal works I don't care anything about who or why.

Five years ago: Cold, Or Something Else?

Don't Catch It

Tonight I had plans to get together with a group of women for dinner while our husbands got together to play poker. However, after lunch I started feeling under the weather and eventually decided to stay home.

But fortunately my issues weren't as bad as this guy's:

A man was sitting at home one evening when the doorbell rang. When he answered the door a six foot tall cockroach was standing there. The cockroach punched him between the eyes and scampered off.

The next evening, the man was sitting at home when the doorbell rang again. He answered the door and once again the cockroach was there. This time, it punched him, kicked him, and karate chopped him before running away.

The third evening, the man was once again sitting at home when the doorbell rang. When he answered the door, the cockroach was there yet again. It leapt at him and stabbed him several times before running off. 

The gravely injured man managed to crawl to the telephone and summon an ambulance. He was rushed to intensive care, where they saved his life. The next morning, the doctor was doing his rounds. He asked the man what happened, and the man explained about the six foot cockroach's attacks, culminating in the near fatal stabbing.

The doctor thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there's a nasty bug going around".

Five years ago today: What A Good Idea!

Fond Memories And Food

Today was one of those beautiful fall days that demanded an outside adventure. Hubby Tony and I decided to combine a walk somewhere different and lunch out. But where?

An internet search for "good lunch restaurants" offered a list of many places I had been before. They were good, but I wanted something different. As Tony and I were throwing out ideas he mentioned one which was close to where he grew up, and were we lived after we first got married. He suggested we could walk around the area and past the old house. 

All of a sudden our plans were set. Tony fed the cat while I gathered my things and we were out the door in fifteen minutes. Our trip took us north on the interstate and east on Page Avenue, a large arterial street. When we arrived at our destination I parked in the lot of the church Tony attended as a young person, we attended as newlyweds, and where Son Tony was baptized. I locked my purse in the car and we started walking. 

The first thing we passed was a city park on the location that used to be the original church, school, and rectory. 

We continued walking, came to a main street (Midland), and turned right to head back. This area was Tony's old stomping grounds. As we passed different houses Tony would reminisce about people he knew and things he did. It was fun to listen to his memories

When we reached the house we lived in together, there was a tall wooden fence blocking the back yard. I was nosy and peeked through a gap in the fence to see that the gazebo were we hung out in the warm weather was still there. 

We crossed the street and walked around the strip mall on the corner, and Tony told me what was in every storefront back in the day. After a couple more blocks we realized we were both hungry. It was time for lunch.

Descriptions

Our destination was FUFU n' Sauce, a restaurant which features Togolese and West African cuisine. Adjo Honsou, the chef, started with a food truck in 2023. She was the winner of Season 3 of the Great American Recipe show on PBS. Earlier this year she opened a brick and mortar location.  

Since this was the first time for Tony and me to try West African food we asked the person at the counter for suggestions. He was extremely friendly and helpful, offering samples of several items. 

Each entree came with a serving of fufu (similar to mashed potatoes, except made with plantain and yam flour) or jallof rice (cooked in a tomato-based sauce with west African curry). 

Even after my samples everything was so good it was hard for me to make a decision but in the end I ordered egusi, a tomato-based stew cooked with roasted pumpkin seeds and spinach in palm nut oil with rice. Tony chose oxtail in palm nut stew, (the winning “Great American Recipe”dish) with fufu. We added an order of fried plantains to share, and we each got mixed hibiscus and ginger tea to drink. 

While the food was being prepared I took in the ambiance of the restaurant, which was decorated with West African art. The restaurant was takeout only, which we hadn't counted on, but there were comfortable places to sit while we were waiting. There was music playing that I assumed was West African and I couldn't help but sway along to its beat. 

We took our food to the park from the beginning of our adventure. The carefully-plated entrees got a little sloppy looking from the walk, but the appearance didn't detract from the taste. As we do, we shared our meals with each other. Tony's oxtail was fall off the bone tender, and the large piece was covered in a savory sauce. It was perfect mixed with the fufu. My stew had ground pumpkin seeds, large pieces of colored peppers, and nice amount of chopped spinach. I enjoyed the rice, but if I ever get back to the restaurant I will choose the fufu. The fried plantains were the best I've ever had. Cut into bite-sized chunks, they were caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside.

plantains, egusi, oxtail stew

 I'm not used to having such a large lunch. Hours later I was still full, so dinner was more of a snack than a meal.

Five years ago: In Search Of...

With Apologies To Jimmy Buffett

Margaritaville (Cat Version)

Sniffin' some catnip, watchin' the sun dip

My silly human is mixin' a drink

Playin' with some string, on the front porch swing

This 'nip is so good I can't even think

 

Picryl

 

Sleepin' all day again in Margaritaville

Playin' with an old shaker of salt

Don't really care, I knocked it under a chair

He left it out...it's my human's fault  

 

Adobe Stock

 

Don't know the reason

This catnip's so pleasin'

Helps pass the time when there's not much to do

I see a broke mug

Some barf on the front rug

What happened there I haven't a clue

 

Wikimedia

 

Sleepin' all day again in Margaritaville

Playin' with an old shaker of salt

Don't really care, I knocked it under a chair

He left it out...it's my human's fault

 

Adobe Stock

 

  I slept on a flip flop

Batted a pop top

Rather have wet food, but ain't gonna beg

But there's 'nip in this cat toy

And soon I will feel joy

Then maybe go scratch up that old sofa leg

Wikimedia

 Sleepin' all day again in Margaritaville

Playin' with an old shaker of salt

Don't really care, I knocked it under a chair

He left it out...it's my human's fault

 

~~Author unknown~~

Five years ago: Wanna Follow?

Adventureful

This afternoon Hubby Tony was doing some volunteer work. While he was gone I took a walk, part of which involved swinging by the grocery store to pick up a couple of things Tony needed to cook dinner. As I left the house with my day pack I didn't know that my walk would turn into quite the adventure.  

The adventure started in the subdivision next to mine. In the middle of a block I saw a colorful cardboard box on top of a pole. On the side of the box was a hand written sign that advertised free comics.

Even though I was on the other side of the street I crossed over to see what was going on. Inside the box was another sign, and two stacks of copied, hand-drawn, hand-stapled comic 'books' weighed down with plastic shoe box lids.

Each stack had a different title. If I had to guess, by the quality of the plot, writing, and illustrations the author was a boy and around 8 years old.

I like to encourage young creativity. When my boys were that age they would have been excited if someone picked up something they put out, so I chose a copy of Banana Man vs Mr. Pancake, slid it into my back pack, and kept walking. I'd only gone a couple of blocks when it occurred to me that the author might enjoy a thank you note. I didn't have anything to write on or with, but figured I could probably find what I needed at the grocery store.

Ten minutes later I passed the house of the person who sometimes puts out free flowers. I crossed the road again to see what was there. The other times I've found blooms there the table was unattended. Today the homeowner and a couple of friends were hanging out there. I was going to take one bunch of pink mums, but a bunch of dark pink mini mums also wanted to come home with me. The long. wet flowers wouldn't fit into my day pack without getting the comic book wet, so I carried the two bunches in my hand and continued toward the store.

Shortly before entering I realized the flower packaging had SKUs on them, which might cause the cashier to think I was stealing when I checked out. I stopped by the self-serve stand and explained the issue, but the associate didn't seem to be at all concerned. 

I only needed four things so I didn't bother to get a cart. It was a little difficult to carry everything, but I managed. After making my purchase I walked over to cafe area and reorganized my things-purchased items in the day pack and the flowers in the grocery bag. Because the flowers still wouldn't fit in the day pack I had to cradle them in the crook of my arm like a beauty pageant bouquet.

The cafe tables had napkin dispensers. I borrowed a pen from someone sitting at one of the tables and write out a couple of words.

On the way back home I stopped by the comics box again and slid my note underneath the plastic lids so it wouldn't blow away. I wish I could be there to see what happened when the author (or his parents) brought everything in for the day.

Five years ago: He's Deciding To Hang It Up

A Big Change Is Coming. I Can't Wait!

This screen shot from Weather Undergroundtells the story of my area in the month of October.

Temperatures have been running about ten degrees higher average, and precipitation has been nonexistent. Normally by this time of year we're having pleasant, mild days and evenings cool enough to add an extra layer, but it's been warm enough that we've turned on the air conditioner.

For the past week I've heard that a change will be coming, and it's supposed to show up tomorrow. After a day of heavy rain (HALLELUJAH!) I will be digging in the closet for some long sleeved shirts and jeans to wear during the day, and pulling the blanket over my shoulders at night.

Five years ago today: A Dallas Debut

From Ruins To Revelations-Going Home

It would have been fascinating to spend more time in Greece and Turkey, but after ten days of pilgrimage it was time to go home. The tour company had made all of the flight arrangements, and because of time zone changes (factoring in Daylight Savings Time Athens, Greece was 8 hours ahead of St. Louis, MO) we had to get a very early start. We left the hotel at 3 AM, which allowed us to get to the airport for a 6 AM flight to Munich, Germany.

When Hubby Tony and I arrived in the hotel lobby we found the luggage that had been brought down by a porter, then picked up a boxed breakfast (scones, a granola bar, a fruit drink juice box, a pear, and an apple). The bus driver put all the luggage on the bus, everyone boarded, and we were on the way.

Not surprisingly, there was no traffic on the way to the airport. Check in went smoothly, and we had plenty of time to get a cup of coffee and one last piece of cheese pie before the flight boarded.

On our way!

The flight to Munich took approximately 2 1/2 hours. In Munich the passport process was easy, thanks to a cool automated scanner/live attendant system, and we had time to get a German pretzel before heading to the gate. (Some of the group also got a German beer, but at 9 AM that did not sound good to me.)

The flight to Chicago was approximately 9 1/2 hours. After the plane got up to cruising altitude the attendants served drinks and lunch. Conventional wisdom says that the best thing to do was to try and stay awake so my body would quickly get used to my home time zone. I couldn't pull that off but closed my eyes for a couple of quick cat naps. Otherwise I passed the time by reading a complete e-book and playing iPad mah jong. Shortly before the flight arrived the attendants served breakfast.

In Chicago there were no custom declaration forms to fill out, but we had to pick up our luggage and go through Customs checkpoints for a biometric face scan before having our passport checked. Our flight was in a different terminal, so everyone hustled to get on a transit train, then hustle to get to the correct gate and turn our luggage back in. We arrived five minutes before boarding started.

The last flight was a little less than 1 1/2 hours, just enough time for a beverage service before the plane started its descent. When the wheels touched down I was so happy! The waiting for luggage seemed to last forever; I just wanted to be home.

My long day in one photo

We picked up our luggage, and there boarded one more tour bus, which took us back to the church parking lot to pick up our car. Back at home, Pimento the Foster Cat was initially standoffish, but after he sniffed everything seemed to warm up to the idea of us being around.

~~~Finis ~~~