Saturday, August 30, 2008

August 30th

Today was my nephew Patrick's 13th birthday.I called last night to my brothers and my sister in law said they were at the track.I said what track and she said Del Mar.Patrick just called and he won the first race.I'm thinking my brother is taking his 12 to be 13 year old son to the horse track.His older brother was off doing something else.So I talked to a buddy from Pittsford days in Melbourne Fl. this morning and I tell him and he says"So,my dad used to take me to the track,we had a box at Finger Lakes Race track" I joked to him"Look how you turned out" and he laughed then said something unprintable and after I hung up I recalled his father owned and raised race horses on a farm he had folks run for him.The common bond is that both his father and my brother are Lawyers.So I talked to Patrick today and he said he won some money on the ponies.Today was also the 43rd anniv of the passing of my Mom's dad in 1965 at 67 years old.We lived next to my mothers parents then on a lot they had sold them and it was a few weeks after we had returned to Rochester from our month long camping trip out west through the Badlands,Grand Teton,Yellowstone and Glacier Natl. Parks.My grandfather was Belgian and raced pigeons.He had a coop in their backyard and that morning I was outside very early in our back yard when my grandfather saw me and asked where my brother Larry(the lawyer) was.I said he was still sleeping and he said go inside quietly and tell your mother you are going to go with me but don't wake your brother.I had two younger brothers also but they were sleeping also and he was only worried about my brother Larry because he was in those days a royal pain I was 10 at the time my brother 9.So I snuck over to my grandfathers and off we went with the pigeon crates in the trunk out along the river past the Univ. of Rochester a drive I loved in the fall but it was fun in the summer also.We drove out well into the country southwest of Rochester where we let the pigeons go and then drove back to Roch.I went back to our house and my grandfather sat down in his chair in the yard to wait for his birds and he was sleeping in it when my grandmother tried to wake him but he wasn't sleeping as I thought.He had a heart attack an died on the way to the hospital.It had only been about an hour since we had returned home.The rest of the day was a blur with relatives and crying and laughing and that night it was my brother Larry who went next door and slept at my grandmothers house something I was terrified of doing that night so I stayed home.The next day he tells us"I saw Grandpa last night" He was standing at the foot of my bed looking at me."All these years I've never talked to him about it again but I like to think my grandfather who wasn't a touchie feelie sort of person felt guilty about that morning and wanted my brother to know everything was O.K.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Jaws

For the second time in two weeks my Seinfeld rerun station is running "Jaws" and since it runs so long it knocks out both Seinfeld reruns.I still fail to see how "Jaws" made so much money.The movie has virtually no plot but still manages to drag on for three hours.I have never read the Peter Benchley novel but he co-wrote the screenplay also.Even though it was filmed on Marthas Vineyard Benchley was a Nantucket boy and from my years on the Cape all I have to say is they must have REALLY hit the sauce hard on Nantucket in those days for him to write a book turned into a three hour movie in which a shark eats several people,really dislikes a boat and that's about it.Bad Cinema doesn't begin to describe this.I'd almost rather watch Mailer's"Tough Guys Don't Dance" again filmed in P-Town,Truro and Wellfleet.At least the actors in that flick seemed to know they were making a bad movie"

Brit Lit

One of the books I am currently reading is one that was in a box of mysteries a friend sent for summer reading.But this book is real lit which makes me wonder why it was in the box but I'm happy it was.The writer is William Boyd and the novel is"A Good Man in Africa"I believe it's his first novel from 1981 and it's set in the mid to late 60's in a small African country where the main character,Morgan is a mid level diplomat who as the book progresses manages to dig himself into deeper and deeper doo-doo on seemingly small events.Much drinking,blackmail ,affairs,social disease and tge regular chain of things being stationed in a backwater.It reminds me a bit of "Money" by Martin Amis and a bit of"Our Man in Havana" by Graham Greene.The blurb on the book says he writes in the style of Waugh but I've never read any.It's full of that cyncical dry British Wit about the most common of daily rotines and I must say the best novel I've read in some years.I have heard of Boyd but never read any and several other of his novels now look promising to me.I was looking at reader reviews on Amazon and loved one from a Mr.Pineapples(Rural England)"I began disliking the main character in this plot-Morgan-largely because he was rude about the Welch-too much of that in the world today" Now that's funny because it reminds me of the style of the novel.Indeed I'm wondering if Mr. Pineapples in rural England is actually Boyd having a pull at our leg.Anyhoo Mr. Pineapples goes on to describe the novel as another excellent novel from Boyd or some such rot.If you like this sort of thing you won't be dissapointed and you can read Mr. Pineapples thoughts at Amazon under reader reviews.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Convention

It was amazing tonight to watch an African American accept his parties nomination for President on the same day as Dr.Kings I Have a Dream speech.I was thinking back to 1968 when I was 13 and watched everything of that summers Democratic convention where the party was torn apart by the passions of the time.Even at 13 I realised the months leading up to it were some of the most intense in American History.The death of Dr. King in April and Bobby Kennedy coming on TV that night from Ind I believe and appealing for calm which helped a bit.But the next day we were off from Rochester to Florida with our camper and my father decided we should see what D.C. looked like that afternoon.As we approached the city the smoke rising was visible for miles and we entered a gridlocked Washington with our ford wagon and pop-top camper.Seeing crowds roaming in the govt bldg area I thought a few times we were going to be attacked from the angry look on faces but we got out of the city and I watched the smoke as we headed south shaken to the core.A few months later Bobby Kennedy himself falling to a gunman in Los Angeles just after his biggest triumph and probable nomination. The coverage of his funeral with brother Teddy's stirring and sad eulogy and the network coverage of his funeral train from New York to D.C. with over a million folks lining the tracks in between is something I'll never forget and oddly enough I saw only once again when some networks showed it on their full day coverage the day after JFK juniors plane went missing.It was strange seeing that footage after all those years and it was still just as emotional to me.The thing I noticed and I had not in 1968 was at some places along the tracks there were Whites and Blacks standing together.Then the convention itself with the riots in the streets and in the hall in Chicago and the warring factions of the party itself.All of that raw emotion of 1968 seems to have come to fruition tonight and I can't helpbut feeling some of the emotion the old civil rights warriors are feeling tonight.

Flashback

I was talking to a friend tonight who was talking to a friend from our town who moved away after the 9th grade and in the past few years come back to Pittsford to visit my buddy.Anyhoo this guy lives around Dallas and told my friend Tom he was out on his patio the other night and clipped his toenails.He went inside to get a beer came back out and sat down when he noticed one of his clipped nails was moving.Then he noticed another and another and soon they were lined up and moving away from him.He told my buddy he thought maybe it was one of those Acid flashbacks they tell you about and he's staring at his nails moving off in line when he see's a fire ant underneath one and then the others.They marched the nails right off to their hole and vanished.Sort of remindsme of"The Married with Children" where little alien guys were stealing Al's smelly socks for fuel on their spaceship and no one believed him.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Songs I could listen to anytime

In order to give equal time to the previous post I've been thinking about some songs I don't think I would ever get tired of.A song I could hear anytime anyplace and I'd think what a great tune.I think the top of the list and I don't know why except I've loved the song since the very first time I heard it in the summer of 70 after I got stoned for the first time at 15 when my parents sent my 14 year old brother and I out to Berkeley from Rochester to spend the summer with my 19 year old brother and friends.What they were thinking I don't know but thanks!That song is "Whispering Pines" by The Band.I know it's not one of their so called hits but I love the song.Though I'm not a big Beatles fan I do admire"I Need You" and it's by Harrison which makes it cooler.A bunch of Brian Wilson so it's hard to choose but probably "Don't Worry Baby" and"God Only Knows"."If You Don't Know me by Now" by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.The Al Green version of"A Change is Gonna Come" he did live for the concert at the dedication of the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.Van Morrison and"Enlightenment".Several Bob Marley but tops would be the live version of"No Woman No Cry".The Live in Paris version of Burning Spear doing"We Are Going".Jerry Jeff Walker and"L.A. Freeway" the Isley Brothers"Who's That Lady".Patsy Clines"I Fall to Pieces" and Alison Moyet"Invisible".There are more but that's a good start.Oh and the late Roget Ducet(sp) singing "Oh Canada" at the old Montreal Forum.Even though the Habs are hated by us Bruins fans Hearing him sing it in Montreal was a treat.Oh and I know it's a Dylan song but I'm really partial to the version of"I Shall be Released" from the live Bob Dylan and the Band album.Finally the greatest country song of all time written by Willie Nelson but done by Faron Young"Hello Walls".The perfect song for the perfect voice.There is even a video online of it though it's from way back.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Songs that make me want to cause Mayhem

I was in my Trader Joes today and I often wonder where they get the music from.This store plays all kinds of things.Some days it's reggae off an L.A. station but most of the time it's in house music.I don't know what Trader Joes does music wise but sometimes it's big band other days old rock but usually a rock mix.Today I walked in and heard Areosmith and that Emotion song but then I heard the first notes of a song so vile I thought this can't be.I've avoided this song like a bad hit of acid since 1972 when it haunted my waking hours.On the school bus drivers radio,in the car,at the mall.I have heard it a handful of times since then and like a bad Poe strory it gives me pause and brings all sorts of bad things to mind.That song is "Alone again Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan and when the clerk saw me looking at the ceiling in angst he asked me what was wrong and I said this song!.I hate this song!"Isn't it Paul McCartney" he says and I'm thinking you could confuse it with most of his dreck after the Beatles."No it's some Brit or something(the name escaped me till later) and hopefully he's dead." I said in reply.He laughed when I told him about how often that freakin song was played for over two months.Then I told him about 77 when I quit the campground in North Truro and went to work at Babes.The campground owner kicked me out so I borrowed a friends tent and got a site in overflow for a few weeks till I found a place to live at Horton's campground down the road from my old campground.The first ten days I'm there this guy next to me got up at 5.a.m. and cooked breakfast while he played a Harry Chapin 8 track over and over.Since I was a dishwasher at Babes I started a bit later around 7:30 than the rest of the boys but instead of sleep I spent two hours hung over each morning listening to that damm Taxi song over and over and over.There are others but none so vile as those two.The opening chords to"Smoke on the Water" still gives me the chills in a oh christ how many times can they play this song on FM in one day.Another time I drove from Rochester to Boulder with a friend and he had one 8 track of the Elton John album"Don't shoot me,I'm only the piano player" All the way across the country we played it.Freakin Daniel was leaving tonight on a plane enough times to rack up some big frequent flyer miles.There are others just on principal.The mere mention of Streisand or Celine Dion makes me wish I owned a sawed off shotgun.Then there's the special place in hell I have for Michael Bolton.I'd like to stop that caterwauling once and for all.There are others(You better hope I don't find you Morris Alpert) and they know who they are.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Things to ponder while doing the dishes

This afternoon Sweet Pea,Knuckle Sandwich and Mom all came home wearing the same t-shirt.I asked why and Mom said we went on a field trip today.Mom works at Sweet Peas pre-school and Knuckle Sandwich has been going along most days during summer break though he went there also during his pre-school days.So while doing the dishes I got to thinking does anyone know someone who went to a field on a field trip?.Not once have I heard someone say that.Then I got to wondering how in the heck do they make brillo pads and decided it was time for a glass of Red.

Postage Stamp

The Albert Bierstadt below is now a postage stamp.I saw it today at the post office and though I love his work I don't understand why they just did one painting as a stamp instead of several of his works on one sheet.If it's about Yosemite he has a goodly amount.The other thing is this is not one of my favorites of his Yosemite paintings.It seems to me a bit unreal.I don't know of a body of water that size in the valley unless he painted it after a flood time.To me this painting always seemed to romantic a view.I would have picked another work but maybe that's just me.

Valley of the Yosemite-1864

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Ghosts of Xmass past

I was reading a blog by Fred tonight actually two blogs.Fred is active in the Cape Cod music scene I found out and he has to know one of my Jug Band pals Tim Dickey.Anyhoo years ago when I first was in L.A. I went east for Xmass(83 or 84) and got a fare where I hit Rochester(Pittsford),Boston,Orlando then back to L.A..I took a whole bunch of powder back east and the last night in Pittsford went to the village bar Thirstys(Ed Sheridan another Jug Band member knows it well).I had a bunch of half and whole grams packaged and as the night went on I seemed to be doing a brisk buisness.After Thirstys we went to a girls apt in the city of Rochester and did more drugs and my friend dropped me off at the airport as the sun was coming up and I was spinning.Reaching into my pocket I found hundreds of dollars I hadn't had when the night started.Early flight to Boston and I'm starting to come down really fast.I land and my ex frat brother Jimmy is nowhere to be found.I'm outside with a wicked hangover by now and after several calls and two hours Jimmy shows up after waiting at the wrong terminal.We go over to the Marriot Long Wharf and get our room where we run into another ex brother in town from Chic with girlfriend.Hugs all around then off to the hotel bar which leads to an early dinner at Legal Seafoods and then Jimmy and I head off to Doyles in Jamacia Plain to see the Jug Band play.Between sets I'm backstage with the boys dishing out more powder and we stay till the end and party some more and get dropped off at the hotel in the Jug Band van.Jimmy vanishes on me and shows up ten minutes later with a partially eaten pizza he picked up from outside someones hotel room door after they left it out for room service to pick up.I finally drift off about 4 a.m. early monday morning and wake to find both Jimmy and I are lying on top of our beds in our underwear.The kicker is our curtains our wide open and right across a narrow wharf is a multi story office bldg. where ladies are typing away at their desks and since I can easily see them I assume they can easily see us.I wake Jimmy and we are laughing at the fact these ladies have been able to see these two passed out drunks in underwear for well over an hour.After another day in Boston it was off to Florida where things got worse.The last night of the trip I gave all the coke I had left away to this guy at a bar in Winter Park telling him I didn't want to see it anymore.

A Wise Man

I'm watching the Simpsons where Bart is going over to the movie star daughters house and Homer says"Here's my advice on women,don't give them nicknames like jumbo or boxcar and always get receipts.Makes you look like a buisnessman"

64 Lincoln Convertible

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Hat Lady returns

Saturday I was at the grocery store sliding down the frozen aisle when I turn the corner and I realise I'm looking at the Hat Lady coming the other way except she's wearing a regular hat not one of her grocery bag creations and I blurt out "You aren't wearing one of your hats" She looks at me and says"Oh,so you noticed" and from the way she said it I half expected her to add Darling. Mind you this is the first time I ever spoke to her and I tell her I've seen you all over the westside for like six years riding the bus and waiting for it.She is smiling now and says"Perhaps you should be my Chauffer".I tell her I don't drive in Los Angeles anymore as I hate driving here and she says like Oh that's too bad.I walk off thinking maybe she didn't understand me saying I rode the bus and her talking about me being her chauffer when it dawns on me maybe she's one of these older ladies who has some vintage Caddy or Lincoln sitting home in her garage and she was saying she should get this classic out of the garage and let this young man drive her to and fro in it.So now I'm picturing myself driving a 64 Lincoln convertible with her in the backseat(I know the model year is really stretching it but it's my fantasy)I'm pretty sure she lives in a house a few blocks up but there happens to be a guy robbing elderly women who live alone in the wee hours in this area so the idea of staking out her block trying to see what she's got in the garage probably isn't a great idea.Maybe I'll buy a Chauffers hat and start wearing it on the bus hoping to run into her.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Barns

The pic of barns is a new poster from my hometown of Pittsford,N.Y.. I've slept in a few of those barns,made out in a few and done illegal recreational drugs in a few of the others back in my day.The third one down on center I'm fairly sure was the small barn in a friends parents back yard though it wasn't that odd shade of green back then and when they went to Canada for the month of July and or August each high school summer during the mid 70's and a few after his yard was the site of"The Barn" parties with Moe the black cat.The best thing was the barn was only a backyard and the hardware store parking lot walk over to the village watering hole"Thirstys" So there was a lot of back and forth between one and the other which was conducive for the flow of Recreational drugs.A few times in late 70's summers I drove home from North Truro on the Cape for a few days visit and went right to the house with the "barn parties" on Church Street knowing somebody would be there.The night of the great Brou HA HA(As the local weekly called it) in Pittsford when we took over Thirstys and things started flying after our annual clambake and the State Police were called in as backup to the Sheriff a few of the boys hid in that barn after running from Thirstys including a friend who was chased after giving a trooper the number 1 finger because another friend had opened the back door of a police car to release a captured friend and then was thrown in with him after he thought the trooper wanted to play pattycake instead of cuffing him.The whole night was sort of like the end of "Animal House" before "Animal House" was made a few years later.I'm just sayin.Of course the five guys arrested for disorderly conduct of about 50 of us became the "Thirstys Five" and were local celebs for some years.You see the trouble Barns cause.

Pittsford Barns

Saturday, August 16, 2008

My Olympic Moment

Seeing Michael Phelps make history tonight was great and for some reason triggered my own gold medal moment that happened when I was 9. In 1964We took a two week camping trip to Cape Cod and Maine that summer and I still recall wearing my blue Cape Cod Mass sweatshirt for months afterwards.We went to Maine on the second week and camped in Acadia Natl. Park.We went to a place called Abel's Lobster Pound(still there) and for all I know my dad tried to claim we were long lost Abel relatives from Rochester,N.Y. to get us free meals.But my gold medal moment came in the campground.My two brothers and I each one of us a year apart would explore together leaving our older and younger(would have been 2)brothers to do their own thing.There were a lot of woods and big mossy rocks to climb around on and we met this kid named Artie who was okay for a couple of days but on the third day we ran into him and he was being a pain.One of these types who said things like my father has a nicer car and he could beat up anyone an annoying little twit.So we were building this fort and he starts telling us how crappy it was and kicking in sticks on it.Then he starts throwing pine cones and small rocks at us so I walk up and deck the kid knocking his glasses off and he gets up blubbering about how we were in big trouble now.So we avoided that arear for a few days and then on the third day I was standing on the road right where the trail led to our fort and I'm waving and smiling at the family camped next to us as they drove by when all of a sudden I hear Arties voice from the next car"That's the kid that punched me and broke my glasses dad" The car pulls up and the father gets out saying "I want to talk to you,you little ruffian" and at that I turn and am off down the trail like a jet engine.I'm running really fast and not looking back and then I look to my side and I spooked a bunny.I'm running side by side with the bunny for what seems like a good twenty five yards thinking man I'm keeping up with this freakin bunny when the bunny does a little right left fake and then takes off to the right while I keep heading down that trail leaving smoke.I ran till I was almost back to our campsite and was so revved up I didn't really feel it till I stopped.After that I stuck to the very edge of the camp roads only to cross and spent the rest of the time going through the woods.My brothers were across the street on a rock and saw the whole thing telling me they loved the look on my face when they saw the dad get out and then me taking off like a bullett through the woods.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Indian Encampment Late Afternoon 1862,Albert Bierstadt

Remembrance of Things Past

I was reading my friend Susans blog"Trout Towers" which you all should search out since I'm a dummy when it comes to linking other blogs and she was talking about taking her kids blueberry picking and childhood memories when I thought what a great idea to "borrow".I sometimes recall moments like that with my brothers kids but as for my own childhood memories of the sort most involve our family camping trips.Most of these can be backed up with slides or photos but some just live on in memory.When we first camped we went to the Adirondacks each summer and my enduring memory is going to the dump at dusk of whatever town we were near.For in those black and White days the dump at dusk in the Adirondacks meant the Bears came out for pre theatre dining.It was like going to the drive in.A bunch of cars would be parked by the dump mostly station wagons and one by one the bears would appear to start ripping boxes open and eating garbage.Sometimes a dumb human would roll down the window of a car and offer food which brought the bears out into the audience.In 1965 we went west to the natl parks and the bears were all over.In Yellowstone where we camped the trash cans were in the ground at each site with the lid at ground level.My father one morning saw a small bear pull the lid off so he told us to stand behind the trash can for a pic.So my brothers and I stood while my father adjusted his lens and adjusted some more while the bear started taking backward glances at us and my father continued to play with the camera and just as he snapped the shot the bear rose and it wasn't so little anymore.Luckily the noise of the camera shutter spooked it and Yogi ran off into the woods.Another great childhood memory on that trip was some town in Wyoming ,Thermopolie or something close where my father made us all take the sulfur/mineral baths in a large indoor tub.My mother refused to go on the ladies side and she said we smelled like rotten eggs for two days.There was the trailer park in South Carolina where my brother yanked off a sink faucet and flooded the bathroom my father and the owner of the place digging a rather large hole in the ground to find the shutoff valve and the owner giving us the Stink Eye when we pulled out next morning and a year later in South Carolina a bit farther south in a trailer park on our way to Florida my father got a bargain price at the end of a meadow by some tracks that turned out to have 9 trains come through that night.I'll never forget the sound of the first one as it came close and then sounded as if it was coming right through our camper trailer.By the third one we were all laughing though you couldn't here us because of the roar of a wide open freight train by a meadow in the South Carolina countryside.Forget the tourist things I have a lot more of these memories than any Monument or battlefield.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Birthdays Old and New

August is a special month in B-Days for me.My grandmother's was August 10th,A sister in law is August 2nd,A good friend the 26th and one old girlfriend I got serious with is the 7th and my high school sweetie who I'm still in touch with turns 50 on the 15th.When we started dating she was a sweet 15 year old sophomore and I was a worldly 19 year old Senior.Plus my blog friend Susan turns out to be an August girl also.On saturday Sweet Pea went to a B-Day party a few houses down for a buddy who was turning 5.She's a sweet girl who's parents are both NYTimes reporters and not quite as friendly as her.She had a puppy party where they bring in a group of puppies for happy little girls to play with.I was thinking back that when I was a lad we really didn't have birthday parties where one went to a friends house and then the cycle began where if you were invited to this persons party you had to invite him to yours.I lived in simpler times.I recall going to only one B-Day party in the third grade where Joe Meizensahl invited a group of his Saint Margaret Mary guy classmates over.I think we all wore coat and ties and there were about 7 of us.Since his dad ran the Prince Spaghetti plant in Rochester I was looking forward to pasta and meatballs.Instead his mother served us homemade fried chicken with mashed taters,homemade gravy and green beans that I still recall to this day as some of the best fried chicken I've ever had.After, his dad showed Little Rascals shorts on a projector and then Joe's collection of old piggy banks that all did something with the coin.Myself I watched with half interest hoping that his mom would bring out the leftover fried chicken which she did.After that I always looked for his mom in church on Sunday.She was one of those ladies who back then had those little fox stoles with the fox's head still on.I used to hope we would sit behind one at church so I could study the face of the Fox wishing I could close my eyes also and sleep.That is until I became an altar boy and got to see the whole church thing from the altar where we felt like princes looking down on the rabble before us.That and sneaking some altar wine after mass.So happy birthday to all the Leos and other August bday folks out there.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Babes Alumni

On Tues I talked to my old boss Claudia for well over 40 minutes and caught up on the past eight years.I found out her mother is still alive and living at her house in Germany.The guy leasing Babes from her is an arrogant ass and has done all kinds of things to our beloved restaurant he is not authorized to do in the lease and got info on some of the old gang.One was a youngster named Crit Bliss who was my backup one year while still in high school and then my last summer of 81 took over the Toastman spot in the kitchen when my buddy Tom went off to the real world.81 though was my last summer and it turned into a fairly short one when after three weeks I was in the Surf Club one Wed night with an old girlfriends dad(We were surf fishing as far as Mr. Worth's wife knew)when we ran out of money so I wandered over to the Bradford where my roomies were listening to Magic and the Reggae Stars but stepped off the curb at the Surf Club with untied wallabies and did a nasty ankle sprain.That led to a trip to the hospital all the way in Hyannis after I limped to the Bradford.There I was given crutches,a rather large supply of Percocet with refills and told to stay off it for three weeks.After three weeks of lying about in the sun and free drinks at the Surf Club in exchange for samples of said pain killers I went back to Babes but by the end of the first day back it was obvious my ankle was in need of more off time.I spent the rest of the summer playing country squire and Crit bless his soul retired my apron to the kitchen rafters of Babes with my name just like an ex Celtic.So I found out from Claudia and I just had it confirmed that Crit and his wife Diane own Luscious Louies Pastry and Cafe in Chatam,Mass.So if anyone gets to Chatam,a picture post card kind of Cape Place give him the buisness.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Kini

This afternoon Sweet Pea and older brother Knuckle Sandwich were outside with their mom and knuckles little gal pal from across the street.Sweet Pea, 5 in Nov. was wearing her new bikini and after much running around instead of going to the park with the huge fountains they went across the street to the house of Knuckles gal pal to run around in a sprinkler.I found out though that sweet pea doesn't have a bikini.I heard it as a zoo kini and she seems quite firm about that.So after her Mom talked about it with another neighbor and Scout our friendly dog was scanning the trees for squirrels I went inside and as I walked across the back of the bldg to my stairs and past all our herbs and vegetable plants it dawned on my dim bulb of a mind sweet pea was saying she was wearing a zu kini(It's not a Bikini).That brings to mind a friend back east whose now 13 year old daughter came home after her first day of first grade and was telling her parents the names of teachers in her classes.Mr. Brown for Math,Miss Lebowski for reading etc and then gets to gym and says her teachers name is someone called Phys Ed.I still can get her going by bringing that up.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Headline

Seen tonight online"Woman Riding a Donkey fights off Lion with Machete" Now that is one of the best headlines I've ever seen.About the only thing that would have made it better is if she had a pet chicken on her head who attacked the lion also by pecking at it.I was looking at the Truro Treasures weekend for this fall and I notice there is no longer a Dump Dance but something called a Grape Stomp and Jazz fest though with only one band at Truro Vineyards.Finally are you all as fascinated by this whole Clark Rockefeller story as I am.Everyday some strange new twist comes to light.I can't wait to find out who this dude is though I keep looking at his current pic and see some Danny Bonaduci and a little Corbin Beronson(sp).Last night when I was reading his age was 58 instead of his being 48 and the German passport thing I was thinking some kind of Nazi Spawn but at 48 he's to young.Where did the money come from though and this is my fave bit.It seems when he and his ex-wife were spending off season on Nantucket for several off seasons he actually raised the rent he was paying himself.The owner of the place mentioned it in a Boston Globe story.

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Sunday New York Times

This afternoon I took my paper outside to the patio and spent about three hours reading and picking amongst my plants.If there is abetter thing to do on a Sunday than hang out with the NYTimes I don't know it(except in Fall when you read it while watching the NFL games)I was looking at the top of our wall that sits about 5 and a half feet high where I have a narrow strip of dirt backed by the neighbors wooden post fence which sits above our wall.A few weeks back I scattered Bachelor" Button seeds across the whole top because they grow easily and then towards the front of the wall hoping they'll cascade over I placed every six inches or so Mounding Nasturtiums"Cherries Jubilee" from Renee's Grdens(seed company).They are both coming up quite nicely about two thirds of the way but stop suddenly behind a large potted Ficus on the patio.It's very strange as I have always had no problem with the far end of the wall sprouting seeds before.It's also a very straight line in the dirt where they stop.Not even a few seedlings popping up here or there in the dead zone.So I'll get some more seeds and sow hoping I don't have to go buy some small plants to put there and then everything will look strange.The other thing is in some places the seedlings are coming in thick and the packet always says to thin but I just can never bring myself to decide who lives and who dies so I just let them compete.The other thing is I'm sprinkling Cayenne Pepper along the whole area after I came out the other day and found a squirrel about to start digging amongst my seedlings looking for a buried nut.The funny thing is when I did the pots on the patio about a month ago the guy at the garden store tried to sell me a peanut plant.I gave him a look like"what are you a wise guy?" or maybe he was one of the squirrel infiltrators who take on human form to help bring about our downfall but not before we plant plenty of nuts.They were even in that movie"Best in Show"You don't think that whole rant by the guy with the good old boy accent about different kinds of nuts was just a coincidence.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Manny It was Time to Go

The previous pic of Manny is from last year when he hit the monstrous three run homer against the Angels in round 1 of the AL playoffs to give the Red Sox a 2-0 series lead.It was one of those Manny Homers that you knew was way gone the moment it left his bat and sent Fenway Park rocking.That was the Manny we all loved.Manny was our goofy relative we all put up with cause that's the way he was and New England has always loved individuals and lord Manny was an individual but in the past few weeks the whole Manny saga unraveled so quick I'm still not thinking it happened.Much as I hate to say it the Red Sox did the right thing in sending Manny away.Manny had gone way beyond eccentric with his actions of late and it became apparent Manny was a cancer in the Red Sox clubhouse and that his selfishness was growing day by day and when it really looked like to me he had quit on his teamates at least twice in the past ten days it was time.It's a sad end to a chapter but Manny has no one to blame but himself and his way inflated ego.We knew this day was coming but not so soon.I applud the Red Sox for standing up to Manny and his boorish agent.The new guy Jason Bay not only played for Chatam in the Cape Cod League but also for the Vermont Expos and he's a Canadian to boot!His dad was a diehard Red Sox fan from British Columbia no less.Plus he got out of Pittsburgh!Now back to regular posts.

Farewell Manny