a long road trip

Scott (our SIL) drove us from Elgin, IL to Washington, PA yesterday in a
luxurious Buick. I almost read an entire e-book, saving my life and the
other 3 passengers who did not want to hear me mutter about all the grey
and beige of the midwest. Had 1/2 hour to change for the rehearsal
dinner and I must say that Husbando and I were excellent grandparents
and beamed with pride, avoiding all WTF? comments even though one
or two might have been warranted. It's raining a bit, but we hope for sun
for the (naturally) outdoor wedding at the Lavender Farm this afternoon.

Came home to watch baseball and sleep. Everything is running smoothly.

This morning our friend Carlini (remember Whidbey Island?) is going to
join us for breakfast and some catch-up. He lives in Philly...

a lazy day in the country

Nancy and a cat named Beau (or Boo)

note the orange dots!

view from the screened in back porch

 

 

Elgin is a small down with a lot of surrounding land. Stuffed into the city
we forget that there are still acres of green in this country. Yesterday we
stayed home with Beau who wanted to go in and out about 400 times
during the day. In between we walked in the beautiful nabe and admired
all the trees, no overhead wires, no traffic, big lawns and everyone has
their own well. It was a horrid summer of draught, so many of the
green lawns were brown. But still the peace and quiet is spectacular.
But no public transportation! To me that's a sin. I am reading a great
book which I'll report on later and we both enjoyed our peaceful day.
It goes without saying that I appreciate SF even more after yesterday
because really, one quiet day is enough.

In about 1.5 hours we pile into a big car and head for Pittsburgh for
more family and a wedding tomorrow. With the time change we should
be home in time to watch most of the Giants first game.

we love Chicago!

just for our Blogmaid

We trained from Elgin to/fro Union Station in the heart of downtown
Chicago yesterday and here are waaaaaaaay too many photos, but one
or two might catch your eye. The Art Institute, Millennium Park, river,
lunch at Bar Toma on Pearson, assorted buildings, and new (to us)
flowers and parklets smack dab on the wide sidewalks of Michigan Ave.
What a spectacular day ~ god we so love the big cities. There was just
a touch of rain and no sun, so of course I got lots of texts and emails
about how warm and gorgeous it was back home. Tee hee.

Tiny special exhibit of paper weights in the Art Institute and our old
friend Baldessari from the Legion of Honor. Loved the Sunday in the
Park, of course, even though we've seen it before. A very special day
with Husbando in this delightful city.

We watched the debate last night. Sigh. Back to reality.

travel gone good

he guards the vineyard

from frontyard

colorful trees galore

wine makers

we love murgatroids

Whooooosh, it worked out just fine after US Air tossed us on United, to

a non-stop flight! We arrived 2 hours early and didn't even mind the dreaded

middle seats. Some itinerary confusion as dot-in-law expected us today, but

they are the most flexible people and we are enjoying our luxurious home

here in Elgin. (It was, by the way, not OUR error, but if it had been, they

still would be most hospitable.) We have two big rooms to spread out in

as their girls have left this very cozy nest, although Lauren came home to

cook for us last night. Their home is on an acre of land and they live

outdoors most of the time. Wonderful.

So different back here. I'll try to get some more tree shots, but it is definitely

the midwest and it is Fall. I'm living in my furry leopard vest. Slept well last

night and today we train to Chicago for maybe some art and a big splurge

lunch someplace special. 

wild blue yonder

We actually slept a few hours last night and now we are doing yoga and
having breakfast. Yesterday we packed and commented on how difficult it
is to leave really nice, hot, unusual SF weather. We gave away a lot of
tomatoes from our yard and made notes for our return, when we'll need to
do some fruit shopping and then a big trip to Costco ASAP. After all day
on assorted planes we will arrive in Chicago about 5 or 6pm, depending.
MsBook travels with me, of course, and the usual bunch of cords, knobs, knurls.

The one-eyed black & white dog is still at the SPCA, but she has a roomie
now and doesn't seem as forlorn. There are a lot of new volunteers and all
the dogs are getting good walks, hoooorayy! So I had a soothing Monday
morning, as usual. See you tomorrow from Illinois...

October ~ 10¢ a bag in SF

Yesterday when I warned a customer that we'd have to charge 10¢ a bag
she said it was "socialism" and I fear that I snorted derisively and did not
keep my big mouth closed. The policy starts today and of course I'm all
for it, but not looking forward to the reaction of a small subset of people
who have been spoiled, and of course I do understand that. So, thankfully,
I will miss the first week of this city-wide program and yes, we will all
carry our totes and get used to the new waste-not way of life.

We leave in the morning for our trip to Chicago and Pittsburgh, but I'll
try to drop in a post before the Super Shuttle arrives.

a girl named Lisa

Margaret is simply one of the best films ever about NYC, the teenage
years and the ironies of everyday life, especially, it seems, in a BIG city.
Anna Paguin is the star, but we also see Jennie Berlin, Matthew Broderick,
Mark Ruffalo and Matt Damon. The writer/director is Kenneth Lonergan
(You Can Count on Me) and we think he is brilliant. This movie was
produced in 2005, but due to some legal squabbling, it wasn't released
until this year. Here, from the New Yorker's review: Lonergan captures the
flamboyant expressivity and intellectual abstractions...that define the
urban bourgeoisie. And I just say, "Wowza" and "Flix® it!"

every 40 years or so

goodbye, old workhorse

hello, new beauty

Well, those Kenmore® appliances certainly do last. Our old stove was a
double oven and they don't make those anymore, so we'll be getting a
microwave too, for the first time. Joining this century, by golly. Husbando
had the nerve to ask me if I thought I'd feel more like cooking with the
new Kenmore and of course we all know the answer to that. And yes,
that was a rude question on his part. It has a self-cleaning oven so he won't
have to do that nasty chore anymore and thank God I never had to.

The Rock ~ finally

Now HOW long have we lived here? Never mind, because yesterday we finally
made it to Alcatraz. Husbando, Ginger and I had a terrific day and after a
little fog, the sun came out and warmed our hearts and hands. They do a
great job here, it's a National Park now and they have superb crowd control
and of course everyone told us to use the fine audio tour and we did. First we
watched the orientation video and that was excellent too. I don't know why we
waited so long to become tourists in our own backyard, but now finally we
can check this off our list. Next? Angel Island in 2012!

what am I reading?

Recommended by Linda, so I'm reading it on my LindaKindle! Bernadette
has disappeared and we are searching, searching for her. Takes place mostly
in Seattle, so that's an unusual setting. Lots of weirdness, just like real life.

a short poem for Wednesday

some books in our living room ~ who has time to read?

To Whom It May Concern

This book-panelled room is moving
at a great speed throughout the universe
(and this is the kind of statement
my panelled reviewers loathe).
I am not on any drug, even alcohol.
I am not hallucinating. (I suspect I am incapable of it.)
Everything is exactly as it is.
And this panelled room is moving
at a great speed throughout the universe.
Tom Marshall

The Essential Tom Marshall
The Porcupine's Quill

black & white Monday

Casanova

Cleo

I'm settling into my weekly SPCA routine nicely now.  A little time for a cat or
two and yesterday I met Cleo, the one-eyed dog. She is sweet and gentle and
I bet she'll find her forever home before next Monday. I hope so. The breakfasts
can be quite detailed with assorted specific foods and appetizer enhancements.
Sometimes the dogs get depressed and won't eat and everyone goes into the
"what's wrong?" mode, which of course I approve of. Today I deal with
people out at the Legion of Honor ~ a whole different ballgame, post-season or no.

no one exists alone

This play by Larry Kramer takes us back to 1981, and the beginning of AIDS,
or the gay plague, as it was first known. It is very, very powerful and let us
never forget the suffering, the tremendous fear and the countless funerals
during those first few horrid years. I (and most of the audience) had two
Kleenex® going by the end of the second act. The playwright admits that
he wrote The Normal Heart to make people cry ~ in 1985, it became the
longest-running hit that the NY The Public Theater ever produced. And now,
almost 30 years later, we finally get to see it and for some reason it's
just as timely as it was then, maybe more so. At ACT, see it!

our Giant peloteros!

Winning the NL West title at home last night

Baseball camps in the Dominican Republic

What a blast to win again ~ dancing radio announcers, 49er caps (sticking it
to the tiresome NFL) and happy fans, players and our big world of Giant
followers. We'll be out of town (gulp) for the beginning of the playoff season,
but the Blogmaid will text me (please) without surcease while we attend a
wedding and socialize with family in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Details to follow
~ needless to say. Checking my Imodium® supply is on the To Do list...

Earlier in the week we watched this Ballplayer film from the Flix®. My,
the corporations love saving money in the DR where little boys start training
at age 10 or so. July 2nd is the signing date and if they are over 16 they get
less money. Hence, they often lie about their age. If a kid signs with one of
our major league teams his parents go from poverty to wealth, so any
sacrifice is worth it. But it doesn't paint a pretty picture of our Great American
Pastime or the MLB, or you and me. Oh yes, we recommend the movie.

Charlie was found

Near the railroad tracks in Nebraska. I never saw him gussied up, so I'll keep
the photo of Charlie in the Giants orange and black. We hope he died instantly
and as the Blogmaid said, he would be shocked at the many Facebook friends
he had, 4,000 or so. I have only wonderful memories of Charlie, a good and
generous man who loved to travel alone, so he was doing what he so enjoyed.
Serious insomnia plagued him for the 20 plus years that we knew him
and now, we so hope, he rests in peace. Thank you for being there for us,
Charles and I'll bring the coffee when next we meet. It's my turn...