Saturday Class

Saturday 
 Story after it's happened.  French from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and where we go after it.  And it's NOT ooo-la-la!

Sunday
No one wanted to go for a beer so Himself and I took ourselves to the Pitcher House and had one.  Saturday afternoons are particularly nice for having a beer.  You put the tools down Friday, ran the errands Saturday morning and Sunday is lie-in day.  Hidden gems in Saturdays, eh?

I'd done the prep work for making chili prior to going to class.  So dinner was an easy job.  While stirring it I had an idea ...  French onion Soup as all of us who've ever eaten it comes in an oven-proof bowl, topped with toasted bread slathered in Swiss cheese which has melted over the bread.

What if you flipped the ingredients over?  Hmmm... then remembering I had those small 4 in. tortillas in the refrigerator, I got out two cereal bowls about 5 in. across with 2 in. sides.  Gave their interiors a good shot of spray Pam, nuked the tortillas and put the in the bowl and then topped them with slices of cheese.  When the chili was done, pour it over this mess and eat.

I could have used a little more of the juicy part of chili and Richie complained that it wasn't flavorful enough, but all in all I'd do it again with those caveats firmly in my mind.

To My Surprise and Petty Theft 101

Yesterday's mail brought me my first ever letter from the wife of a sitting president.  (Melania Trump.)  After I ripped it open, foolishly expecting a desire on her part to be besties, and saw that like so many in politics, she just wanted a donation.  Still after reflecting on getting a letter from her, I began to feel a little miffed that I'd never heard from Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford, Laura Bush.  I probably did from Hilary Clinton - she seems willing always to accept a little cash - but none of the others.  As it is said in French "tant pis" or "too bad."

Now on to this petty theft business.  On a Web site this morning I ran across a featured segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that shows celebrities' reactions to mean tweets about themselves..

So, in the interest of witty snipes, may I present?

"I would rather listen to a barn full of baby pigs being vaccinated than (listen to the band or singer of your choice.)

"So and so's audience must be the people who taste the gas before they fill up with it."

"That band (fill in) looks like they travel in a white van with "Free Candy" signs all over it."

A Recommendation For Those Who Like to Go Backstage

An activity that both Richie and I share.  We both love travel and doing it.  Thus a new show on PBS has been a very pleasant surprise.  It's called "The Travel Detective" and is hosted by one Peter Greenberg.

What appeals are weekly features such as "Hidden Gems" which explored how those enormous cruise ships are designed - how many bars, restaurants, attractions such as a zipline  with on-site building tours, with everyone in sight wearing the mandatory hard hat.  Incidentally, all of the ships covered, every presenter of his ship was a CEO or equal level of the ship being toured.

Another segment pointed out airports with the least amount of layover.

Insurance  and why for air b'n' bs.  Your host has to have it in most states as well as a license for it.  For obtaining all of the various licenses, plan on spending as much as two years.

Greenberg's demeanor is calm, we are not given the usual 45 percent churches, museums, 35 percent tourist attractions and five percent food, and Miscellaneous .  Enjoyable as they are.  Specially the food parts. Most often my reaction BTW is "People eat that dreck?"

We saw it on a Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. on PBS.  Check your local PBS listings, if this interests you.  I look forward to seeing another one and checking our main libraries for season DVDs.  One can learn with this guy.  And every day we can learn something is a bonus day.  Carpe diem!

What the Murphys Won't Be Having for Thanksgiving

And if you're as appalled as I am at the October edition of Bon Appetite, neither will you.  The cover touts "The Perfect Thanksgiving" and then lists several dishes.  In order of unlikelihood, shall we?

Coconut Creamed Greens - Pistachio-Lime Brussel Sprouts - Chile and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing -
Perfection is clearly in the eye of the beholder.

Coconut Creamed Greens relies on "hardy greens" and suggests Tuscan kale or curly kale or Swiss chard or mustard greens.  Four bunches of whatever you like of these suggestions.  (And here I thought Kale was dead; clearly one of those "reports of my death are premature" situations.)

Additional seasonings:  garlic cloves, onion, red Thai chile thinly sliced, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, turmeric and - you've waited for it, I know you have!  2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, coconut flakes and last but not least virgin coconut oil.  

Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Lime
2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts and I was outta there.

Mashed Potatoes with Crispety Cruncheties.  (Spell Check went nuts.)  Make mashed potatoes in your usual style, put them in a service bowl and top with crushed potato chips.

The only recipe I would consider is Charred Sweet Potatoes with Hot Honey Butter and Lime.
Quarter as many sweet potatoes as will be eaten, face down on an oiled pizza pan or whatever similar.  When they're done (450 degrees) flip them up and fill with butter and honey creamed together with a hot of Tabasco or your favorite.  Put it back in the oven and let the sauce burble.  A teaspoon of coriander is optional in the sauce.  Serve with quartered lime pieces for tableside squeezing.          

If any of these did appeal (who am I to judge others?) simply pay a visit to bonappetite.com                                                                                                                        

Here and There

I thought of my Dad yesterday.  He wasn't a  veteran of any war and every time Veteran's Day rolled around, he pissed and moaned all over again.  "Too young for World War 1; too old for World War 2."  So let us briefly celebrate those that wanted to serve and could not.

When a French mathematician cusses, very often they will say "Merde a la treize puissance!"  Or translated:  Shit to the 13th power!

Signs of the times:

Priorities - from an Irish zoo - Do not stand, sit, climb or lean on zoo fences.  If you fall animals could eat you and that might make them sick.

A very timely ad, that being a big billboard along the freeway  "Text and Drive, XYZ Funeral Home"

Dunno where this came from but it almost had to be Somewhere Else.  Polar bear in the area!  Extreme caution.  If you have to go out, take a slower co-worker with you.

The zoos are really cracking down!
If you throw articles at the crocodiles or snakes, you will be asked to retrieve them.

Everything's Up To Date in Kansas City - They've gone about as far as they can go"

A song in the hit musical "Oklahoma" and extolls the modernization of Kansas City, Missouri.  I mention this because a friend who lives there sent me a compilation of how different today is from yesterday.

For example, Texaco sold six gallons of gas for 99 cents!

For kids - good manners on the rotary phone.  Always be polite, use Mr. and Mrs., ask if you may take a message.  Today's three year old's are installing apps on their cell phones.

Fashion - an ad for the ladies offered Professor Williams Fat-En-U Foods -" plump up and be rosy with honest fleshiness of form."  I don't know how "honest" flesh is if you have to eat God only knows what and, more to the point, how much of it.

 In 1965, a barbershop window admonished, "No Beatles hair cuts!"  Instead they listed the styles that they would do - the Peter Gunn, Ivy League Flat Top, or a Crew Cut.  Do we see a trend here?  Shampoo manufacturers loved the Beatles cut!

In 1898 Bayer began using and advertising HEROIN in their ads and medicines.  It was for colds and coughs.    And, presumably, a life-long drug dependency. Cocaine wasn't far behind to get up on a shelf for purchase.

In 1889 the Halcyon Matrimonial Company ran a price list on their virtual store with various shelves of goods.  East of the Mississippi - $50   Females who wanted to go West - $25 (the Old West needed women!)   Men from west of the Mississippi River - $95!

Requirements were a $10 deposit then and there and the remainder due after the nuptials.   In 1889 that was serious money.

Tobacco was not forgotten.  In the 1960s this product was on the market - Mister Merry's play lighter (looked like a Zippo)  and bubble gum cigarettes.

A 1915 Illinois billboard:  "The use of tobacco in any form is a dirty, filthy, disgusting, degrading habit.  No gentlemen will use tobacco in this city."   (Tell us how you feel about 'baccy, won't you?  Don't be shy.)

So we see, antiquities class, that some things remain the same.  Illinois' warning lives today. With quite a great deal more gusto than is needed.

Some People Never Learn - or Else They Are Damned Optomistic!

Or in some cases (mine) terminally stupid.  I have written and published three books so far - the first did do well.  The second and third have not yet set the rivers on fire.

But, nothing daunted, I am just beginning work on "Resume" which will be my fourth to not sell.  "Funny title for a book," you might think but it's a cool way to do your own biography.  Go to the Social Security office and ask them for a print-out of every dime you made and paid in.

One caution - our office only goes back to 1978.  Mind you from 1958 to 1978, they  list the money, but not the company title.  Instead everyone of the entries for that time period reads:  EARNED/NO  DETAIL AVAILABLE.

Toward creating an intro, I looked up resume quotes and came upon quite the treasures.

"Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."  Confucius  He's dead solid right

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do."  Confucius  Listen up all politicians

"It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome.  That's what defines your career" Carlton Fisk, Boston Red Sox, 376 home runs.

"Work to become, not to acquire"  Elbert Hubbard, American writer and philosopher. He died broke (made that part up)

"Find out what you like to do best and get someone to pay you for it."  Katharine Whitehorn, British wit

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."  Abraham Lincoln  See above politicians

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."  Thomas Edison  Several professional boxers might disagree

"Dreams are extremely important.  You can't do it unless you imagine it."  George Lucas

"If you can dream it, you can do it."  Walt Disney  George and Walt - haven't gotten #1 in the NY Times top bestsellers yet.  So hah!

"I cannot do everything, but must not fail to do the something that I can do."  Helen Keller

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything."  Albert Einstein  Eating ice cream in some countries - how did you like some of their ingredients?  Draw the veil.