The Vegans are Coming!

Well, well, well.  Winter.  About three inches of snow on the deck this morning.  Will have to do some shoveling here and at mom's.  Supposed to be up to six inches before the day is out.  The trees are lovely dressed in white.

I attended a wonderful supper party at Laura Beason's on Saturday.  Good food and good company.  Laura's condo is a fine place for a supper party.  Huge picture windows with a perfect view of the Juneau harbor.  For a few moments I thought I ought to buy a condo with a harbor view.  Fortunately the moment passed...

Otherwise it was a very quiet weekend.  Not much to report, I'm afraid.

Yesterday I took mom to the doc.  Her hands are seriously impaired with arthritis and it has begun to affect her ability to crochet.  This is a major quality of life issue...she loves to crochet.  The doc jabbed her hand with a shot of steroids.  Hopefully it will relieve the symptoms for a couple of months.  Her back bothers her too...

And today is doc day for auntie.  Last week she called and asked me to take her to the doctor that day.  No problem.  I picked her up and we zoomed to the clinic.  When we walked in the door the receptionist looked puzzled since the doctor was not "in" and no appointments had been scheduled.

Auntie pondered the situation.  Then the light came on.  "Dentist!  I have a dentist appointment today!"  exclaimed auntie.  OK.  No problem.  We motored out to the dentist.  All's well that ends well...

In other news, I see that the U.S. Senate passed sweeping food safety legislation today.  Not surprisingly it's less stringent than the House version but it sounds like it's still worthwhile.  Of course, there are detractors including everyone's favourite FOX News commentator as noted in today's Washington Post:

It drew fire from some tea party activists, who see it as government overreach. On his television program this month, talkshow host Glenn Beck suggested that the measure was a government ruse to raise the price of meat and convert more consumers to vegetarianism. 

Are vegans more or less dangerous than socialists in the FOX pantheon?  I would guess less dangerous...unless of course a vegan is gay.

And speaking of tea party activists, an amusing piece in Politico this morning on my ex-Governor.  It seems that she has been making fun of some iconic conservatives which is not sitting well in some quarters.

In the past month alone, she has mocked Ronald Reagan’s credentials, dismissed George H.W. and Barbara Bush as arrogant “blue bloods” and blamed George W. Bush for wrecking the economy.

When Sean Hannity asked Palin whether being in a reality show diminished her standing to be president, the former half-term governor mocked Reagan’s biography, dismissing him as “an actor.”

Sounding like every left-wing politician and media elitist who ridiculed Reagan for decades, Palin sneered that she could be president if the actor from “Bedtime for Bonzo” managed to do so. 

Which I guess just goes to prove the old adage that even a blind pig finds a truffle every now and then...

Black Friday

Just went down to Fred Meyers for a grande latte.  The place was jammed.  Holiday shoppers doing the Holiday Shopping thing.  Juneau's Walmart was open all night with the super duper electronics sale due to kick-off at 5 AM.  The only thing I want to be doing at 5 AM is sleeping.

Turkey day was busy.  Cooked most of the day.  Made chicken stock for future use.  Made cauliflower au gratin and carrot and sweet potato puree for supper at mom's.  Supper was the traditional turkey with all the trimmings and mom's famous chocolate sundae pie for dessert.  Yummy.

Amanda and Leah called yesterday morning and I had a very pleasant chat.  They both seem on top of the world at the moment.  Leah LOVES her new job at the winery - with the exception of the one hour commute each way.  The folks working at Sokol-Blosser are young and fun.  The winery just released their new pinots and it sounds like Leah is rapidly acquiring a substantial personal wine cellar.  This weekend is the biggest of the season at the tasting room so she will be very busy.

Amanda and her beau, Daniel, are now living in their new apartment in the Hawthorne District.  Sounds like they like the place.  Amanda went to a job interview at Portland State University last week and is extremely hopeful that she is about to be offered a job at the student health center.  They were checking her references within a half-hour of the conclusion of the interview.   Decent salary and great benefits including the employee discount on tuition and use of university facilities including the gym.  I've got my fingers crossed!

Otherwise life continues at a very sedate pace.  We got a couple of inches of snow early in the week which resulted in the typical first snow demolition derby on Egan Drive.  I believe there were eleven fender benders with four hospitalized - fortunately no life-threatening injuries.  Then it turned to rain for a couple of days before clearing-off somewhat last night when the roads turned to ice.  It was a mite treacherous when I took auntie and nephew home after supper last night.  The forecast is for real winter to start after the first of next week.  Snow followed by clearing and plummeting temperatures.

Well, gonna de-fat my chicken stock and then mosey over to mom's for coffee. I leave you with a link to an amusing tale from the wilds of Virginia featuring an Australian, his dog, and an officious bureaucrat.  Very amusing.  Thanks to Dougie for the link.

Garbage Bears

Coitus Interruptus

Morning coffee with mom and sister is a constant in my life at present.  I have a cup or two, catch-up on the events of the past 24-hours, pack wood from the woodshed to the porch, receive instructions on any errands that need to be run and then hit the road for town and my daily workout. 

Not surprisingly, conversation at the morning Koffee Klatch also frequently includes reminiscences of events, places or personages from Juneau's past. 

Yesterday, we were wandering down memory lane and stumbled across the Spruce Delicatessen which in my youth was located on Glacier Avenue where Goldbelt Plaza currently resides.

The Spruce Delicatessen was a totem of my early years.  From the day I received my first allowance until my teenage years Spruce was the source of much entertainment and malnourishment for myself and my childhood pals.  Spruce was where we obtained our balsa gliders, squirt guns, balloons (to be weaponized with water from a garden hose), Super Balls, and kites as well as our Shasta Soda (It hasta to be Shasta), ice cream bars, Hostess Cupcakes and candy in countless varieties.

The proprietors of this venerable establishment were a couple of long-time Juneauites who regarded us kids with a mixture of affection (or at least an appreciation of our coin) and suspicion (our potential for neighborhood hooliganism).  Us kids were similarly of two minds regarding Al and Cora.  While they were the source of lots of fun and yummy stuff, they could also be serious nags - "You'll put your eyes out with those darts!"

In any event, yesterday, just as I was savoring these sweet childhood memories mom threw a serious curve ball into the conversation.

"Cora used to live at Ma's (Grandma Newman's) boardinghouse" mom announced.  "And Ma caught her having sex in the hallway - on that trunk."  Mom pointed to grandma's old trunk which now sits in mom's living room.

OOFTA! 

In other news, another beautiful morning.  Chilly but clear.  It's been quite nice for almost a week now.  It is supposed to cloud-up today, however, with a chance of snow late tonight.  Sadly it is supposed to warm-up later in the week...rain on Thanksgiving.  I am beginning to hear rumbles of discontent from the skier and snowboarder crowd at the club.

The past week has been hugely uninteresting.  The high point was mom's birthday on Wednesday and I believe she enjoyed her birthday dinner. I enjoyed cooking it. 

Otherwise I have been keeping my nose to the grindstone working on my 2011 photo calendar.  I think I have made about 50 months worth of pictures; but I have not been happy with the results in most cases and am still a couple months shy, picture wise, of an acceptable calendar.  Tick-tock.  Need to get this show on the road.

To sum-up, I am in winter hibernation mode.  Wake-up, check the news online, blog, Coffee at mom's, a long workout with a steam or sauna, run errands, read a book, work on photo projects, cook supper, watch Family Guy, the Simpsons and Southpark, go to bed, wake-up and do it all over again.

By late January or early February I will need to get out of town before I go stir crazy .  Still, I cannot say that I am truly bored.  The days whizz-by.

Later gang.

Beginnin' to Look a Lot like Winter

Clear and cold last night.  Mostly clear today with some snow blowin' around the tops of the mountains.  SERIOUS wind tonight and tomorrow - gusts to 75 mph downtown.  And getting colder the next few days - down to the teens in sheltered areas.  A rumor of snow early next week.  I'm actually looking forward to the winter wonderland gig...although in moderation, of course.

I have been devoting many waking hours to my 2011 calendar...and I am frustrated.  I've done a number of fairly elaborate cut-and-paste collages and whatnot and am in most instances not pleased with the results.  Back to the drawing board - I think I will go to Plan B - the simple and straightforward approach.  Stay tuned.

I've also been doing a fair amount of cooking - mostly baking.  And tomorrow is mom's 84th birthday when I will be the guest chef.  I have already made her the promised Peanut Butter Pie which she really likes.  The rest of the tribe aren't crazy about it, however, so there is a Chunky Apple Cake in the oven right now.  The meal will be of the meat and potatoes variety.  Fillets as the protein, a potato and leek puree for the starch, and candied carrots with apricots for the veggie.  And there may or may not be a fruit salad.  I can't seem to find the recipe that I thought I had saved...  Busy day tomorrow.

In other news, I spoke to a very excited and happy Leah on Saturday evening.  She had just finished her first day at Sokol-Blosser Vineyards.  Tough duty.  Spent half the day tasting wine and learning the pitch they use in the tasting room.  Sounds like she'll be helping with lots of tastings at hotels and restaurants.  Way cool.

The weekend was quite sedate.  Cocktails on Friday followed by supper with Joan at the Island Pub and a delicious braised short-ribs supper at Alison's and Doug's on Sunday.  Dougie and I enjoyed a fire under alternating moonlight and rain.  The last pit o' the year, I expect....

Finally, I note that the Murkowski/Miller vote count appears to be nearing the end (or at least the end of the beginning).  I was hugely amused by the story in the Juneau Empire today where the local press folks interviewed the national and international press folks who were in town for the show including the English language channel of Al-Jazeera.  I was much taken with the cogent and succinct summation the Al-Jazeera correspondent gave of our current national political situation.

"What is going on in Alaska is reflective of the national mood and the national conversation, in so far as you have the tea party and the anti-government movement, and the exasperation on the right with government spending that doesn't really correspond with the people's requests in terms of entitlements, Medicare and government services," said Nick Spicer, a correspondent for the network's English language channel.

Spicer said the trip to Juneau by the team was prompted by a column Washington Post's Anne Applebaum about the Alaska Senate race.

"There's a hypocrisy in the tea party that she sees reflected in the Alaska debate, and in this particular race," Spicer said.

The Al-Jazeera team, which includes an American correspondent, a Canadian producer and a Danish photographer, is based in Washington, D.C. It's on the lookout for stories that will be of interest all over the world, and found it especially compelling in Sarah Palin's home state.

"Every country has that kind of hypocrisy, but because Sarah has become the leader of the tea-party movement it adds a little extra spice to the story," he said.

Or putting it even more succinctly, to misquote good ol' P J O'Rourke, "...the conflict between what the American people want in terms of government services - which is everything; and what the American people want to pay for those services - which is nothing."

Later gang! 

Like Watching Paint Dry

Friday already.  My how time flies...  I've been preoccupied this week with working on my 2011 photo calendar.  I enjoy the job...although it has it's frustrating moments.  Making good progress.

Otherwise it has not been a particularly blogworthy week.  Lots of rain.  Rain PLUS wind this morning and more of the same scheduled for the next few days.  Looks like there is a chance it may cool down after the middle of next week.  Mid-twenties by this time next week.  A chance for a few snow showers.  Bring it on...

I did take time out from my Photoshop duties to tune-in the Alaska U.S. Senate recount on local access cable channel 18.  You can actually watch the Division of Elections count all the write-in ballots.  This is just as exciting as one would think - like watching paint dry. 

The lack of drama involved in the actual ballot counting notwithstanding, the tussle between Lease A. Murkowski and her Palinista rival is quite amusing.  And it's beginning to look like Mr. Miller is going to end up holding the proverbial short-end of the stick.  Over 98% of the write-ins are breaking for Ms. Murkowski.

So...the teabag candidate is plotting an extended legal campaign the first phase of which is to challenge ballots for which there is no plausible basis to challenge. And to assist him in his legal maneuvers some of the best and the brightest of the Republican/Conservative apparatchiks are entering the fray as described in today's Anchorage Daily News.

"You have to feel great about Joe Miller's chances to win this election," declared Floyd Brown, a longtime conservative activist who came to Juneau Thursday as an adviser to Miller on the count.

Brown is well known as the man responsible for the "Willie Horton" television ad that helped derail the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign in 1988.

He's founder of Citizens United, whose Supreme Court case opened the way to unlimited donations from corporations and unions to some political committees, including Alaskans Standing Together, the Alaska Native organization that was so effective in helping Murkowski's write-in bid. Brown, who currently runs a website dedicated to impeaching President Barack Obama, said he's been on the ground in Alaska "since a few days after the election."

And additional lawsuits are planned...

At the end of the day all of this is much about nothing, of course.  From my perspective it will matter little which one of these two bozos gets on the bus for Washington.  They are like two peas in a pod when it comes to all the significant issues - each would gladly bring the country to a standstill in support of the Republican leadership's jihad against Mr. Obama.  They both disgust me.

Have a nice weekend everybody.

Happy Birthday to Me

Well, double nickels times two.  Fifty five and born in fifty five.  Can't say that I feel any different this morning...although the day is young.  My sister is cooking my birthday supper - the usual list of familial suspects on the guest list.

November 8th is a pretty boring day in history.  Highlights, such as they are, include:

• In the year 392 Roman Emperor Theodosius declared Christianity the State Religion
• In 1731 Benjamin Franklin opened the first public library in the Colonies
• In 1789 Bourbon Whiskey was first distilled from corn by Elijah Craig in Bourbon, Kentucky
• In 1923 Adolph Hitler staged the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch in Munich
• In 1942 the Allies invaded North Africa in Operation Torch

Yawn.

A pleasant weekend - cocktails on Friday with Dougie, Alison, Shelly, and Laura and an excellent crown roast of pork courtesy of Alison on Saturday.  Eric and Joan joined the party.

Yesterday I changed the cap on the chimney of mom's wood stove and cleaned the gutters which were clogged with leaves, twigs, and spruce needles.  Never seen so much fall debris.  But hopefully the worst is now behind us.  And still no sign of snow.  In fact the weather service has already posted a high wind/heavy rain warning for later this week when the remnants of some tropical storm is due to play through.  I would actually prefer a blizzard - just for a little variety.

In other news, mom gave away her 23 year old Honda Accord last week.  There was something seriously amiss with the steering - I think it was potentially dangerous - and it makes no sense to spend a dime on a car that old.  She gave it to her great granddaughter who has a fiance who is apparently handy with cars.  Mom may or may not get a new car next spring.  She wouldn't have been doing much driving in the winter in any event.

Finally, on Friday I did make it to Hearthside Books for cousin Sandra's book signing.  They had a good turnout.  Sandra said they sold about 85 copies.  Lots of folks standing around.  Pretty cool.  The authors legged-it over to Sitka for another book signing over the weekend.

 A labor of love I'm sure

 The proud parents

Dr. Lindstrom looked mighty pleased with herself!

Well, gonna fold some laundry and then head over to mom's for morning coffee.  Then a birthday workout.  I started lifting again last week after almost a four month hiatus and boy are my muscles sore. I've been diligent about the treadmill and my cardio work all summer but for some reason didn't feel like doing weights when I was in Anchorage.   Doesn't take long to lose muscle tone.  It appears that I lost about 20% of my capacity in many muscle groups.  The question being:  At age 55 can I get it back?  Sure gonna try.  Hah!

Projects

Well, another rainy day in Juneau...imagine that.  And more to come.  No hint of snow in the forecast for the next week.  It's still early...but it has certainly been warmer than normal.  My sources in PDX suggest that the weather has been quite wonderful the past few days.  Sunny and warm. 

I've been busy catching-up on chores and projects since I returned.  Yesterday I finished downloading all my vacation pics...just a couple you haven't previously seen that are worth a post.

 Hecate Head on the Oregon Coast

 Bridge at Florence, Oregon

View from my Hotel in Ashland, Oregon.  Big Storm Brewing...

As always, many regrets about the pictures I did NOT take (particularly of my Portland friends who were famously camera-shy) as well as disappointment with many pics I DID take.  Still, a couple which may be calendar worthy either as stand-alone shots or part of some sort of montage.

Indeed, I need to get busy on my 2011 calendar as well as my 2010 Christmas cards.  Will start today!

In other news, I've been to the airport quite a bit.  Collected Joan last Saturday returning from a conference and visiting her dad in Boise.

Monday I played cabbie for Alison and Doug and Doug's brother, Stu and his wife M'iva.  Didn't know Stu and M'iva were arriving - but there they were.  I managed to cram everyone and everything into the jeep.   I just saw an email from Alison inviting me to supper tomorrow night so I will get the full African Safari report.  Maybe she will have some cool critter pics that I can share with everyone...

On Wednesday evening I picked-up cousin Sandra who has a book signing today at Hearthside Books - I believe it is a reference book on seaweeds of Alaska.  Perhaps I will wander over and take a couple of pics of the event.

Finally, yesterday I reviewed all the voice mails that had accumulated on my home phone.  I rarely answer it these days - the calls are invariably of the nuisance variety.  Not surprisingly the majority of the messages were political in nature.  Always nice to hear from my ol' buddy Bill Clinton.

But my favourite was the robo-call featuring Pat Boone urging me to vote for Mr. Miller for the U.S. Senate.  It seems that Pat is a tea-bagger kinda guy.  He made his pitch and closed with a touchingly insincere "May god bless you."

Pat Boone - founding member of the Beverly Hills Tea Party

 Runner-up in entertainment value was a near tearful plea from Ma and Pa Miller telling me what a swell guy their son was and how he would set this country right - concluding with more blessings.

The most effective plea (and most disingenuous) of the lot was Lease A. Murkowski doing her "I'm really a closet Democrat" schtick.  Pro-choice, hugely concerned about health care - particularly for kids - cares about the environment, and NOT a crypto-fascist like you-know-who.  I actually did laugh out loud.

Ain't life grand?

Good and Hard...

I am not a masochist so I did not watch any election returns last night.  It was clear the news was going to be bad - the only question was how bad?  Well, we now know.  Pretty bad.

It seems that the average Americano, bruised and battered by the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and fearful of the future, has concluded that the political party that threw him under the bus in the first place are just the folks to pick-him up, dust him off and set him on the road to happiness and prosperity. 

Never has H. L. Mencken's famous quote seemed more apt:  "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." 

This morning some commentators are chirping that we should be proud that the American people have rejected some of the more extreme Republican candidates - the wackiest of the tea baggers.  I am not feeling chirpy however.  Why, for example, should I rejoice that Ms. Murkowski is likely to retain her Senate seat in Alaska?  Although Ms. Murkowski is no doubt a far more decent person than the appalling Mr. Miller, I cannot see that there would be a dime's worth of difference between the two in terms of how they would vote on the issues that are important to me.  The fact that Lisa will kiss me before she fucks me provides little comfort.

Well, I'm up early to take my car in for servicing.  New tires for winter too.

Have a nice day.