Durango, Day 5

We started out the morning with an early breakfast of leftover gooey butter cake (thanks, K!), then piled in the car (no dogs allowed) and headed out to Mesa Verde.

We stopped at the visitor's center near the park entrance, then at the museum near Spruce Tree House.  K served as an excellent tour guide during our stop at Spruce Tree House, enlightening all of us about the history and culture of the ancestral Puebloans who lived there.  And though they weren't there for long in the grand scheme of things (700 years or so), they built quite a place.

K, inside a kiva

There's lots of great history about Spruce Tree House, the other sites, and the people who lived there, on the National Park Service website.

We also made a stop at an overlook which allowed us a lovely view of Cliff Palace, but unfortunately the site was closed to visitors for the winter.

We made our last stop at a scenic overlook looking out from Mesa Verde, and what a view it was!

Not far from Mesa Verde is a little town called Mancos (or Marcos, depending on which sign you believe).  We stopped for lunch at an adorable (though not particularly speedy) spot called the Absolute Bakery and Cafe where, in addition to a delicious roasted veggie quiche, you can also buy used books!

Upon our return to Durango, we commenced shopping.  Collectively we had some belated Christmas gifts, travel gifts, and other goodies to gather, so we tromped up and down Main Avenue poking in the shops.  We were all delightfully surprised by the Derailed Pour House, which serves up some awfully tasty cocktails if you ask nicely.

When that was all done, we headed back to the house to prepare a dinner of overdue lamb kebabs, mashed potato casserole, and Brussels sprouts.  Delish!  And Dad and D looked quite stunning in their new getups!

Goal #52

Goal #52: thank you notes.

What a great Christmas and birthday!  Now it's my turn to let everyone know how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness.

Recap of goal #51: there have been a bunch of vacation posts so far, and there are a couple more to come -- so if you wonder whether I've been relaxing, read those.  It's true, I have spent an hour or two a day staying on top of things at the office.  Fun?  Not really.  But will it make my return to work much smoother?  You bet.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Durango, Day 4 -- Christmas!

As I mentioned, I slept in on Christmas.  I was the last one of our little crew of five to arise, and I did so just in time to open presents.  Riches abound!  That was followed by a bacon-and-egg brunch and a flurry of cookie dough-making, before D and I headed off for another day on the slopes.  Dad took K&J on a hike, as they prefer not to rocket down the side of a mountain on greased boards.  I don't know what's wrong with them.

We met up with T's family again, and all told there were 14 of us skiing that day.  Even on the six-pack lift we needed 3 chairs!  Quite a crew.  For the most part though, everyone stayed together really well, and only split up on the very last run when it was getting cold and people were getting tired.

The view leaving Purgatory

The combination of the "red cliffs" and the snow creates really cool striped mountainsides.

Our big plan for Christmas dinner was to make lamb kebabs, but everyone was so full from earlier in the day and from our many plates of cheese and crackers that Dad, D, K&J ended up watching The Heat while I made the aforementioned cookies and made some "Merry Christmas" phone calls. I had planned on joining them at some point, but I so enjoyed my conversations that I just never got around to the movie.  I'll have to get back to it.

And then, by the time the movie was over, everyone was too tired to worry about making the kebabs, so we just had leftover (but still delicious) tamales and pasole.  Merry Christmas to us!

Bedtime for Keystone

Durango, Day 3

I woke up late, to a breakfast of sausage, eggs, sweet rolls, and coffee. What a great start!  As per usual when I'm on vacation, I lazed around for a couple of hours -- worked, blogged, wrapped presents -- before getting ready to head off on a hike.  The poor dogs have been cooped up in the house for two days, and they needed to burn some energy.

So off we went to Dalla Mountain Park, and along our route, I found some rocks to climb, hiking boots and all!  (Lots of bouldering right along the trail, in case anyone is looking for some.)

The dogs were covered with mud from the belly down by the end of our four or five miles, so we had to hose them off when we got home, and that was a pathetic sight if ever you've seen one.  Once they dried off, they found a cozy rug on which to have a snooze.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon prepping for the big Christmas Eve party.  This was essentially the family party of T (of tandem ski fame), and he has quite a family.  He is one of five kids, four of whom were in attendance, along with spouses and kids, where appropriate.  And the parents of the whole brood.  Dad and D ordered a bunch of tamales from Zia's, D made pasole, and T's clan brought some additions of their own.  Booze flowed freely and generally it was a good party.  And then I slept.  And slept.  And slept.

Durango, Day 2

I had my second Christmas of the year on my second morning in Durango (my first Christmas was the previous Friday with V&S).  Because the visiting crew in D-town was moving in and out on different schedules, Christmas celebrations had to be timed and separated accordingly.   The present opening was followed by a breakfast of bacon and eggs, which was followed by a flurry of activity in an attempt to get out of the house and up on the mountain.

This was my first time skiing at Purgatory, and there was a group of seven who went.  I've never skied with a group that big before, and it's an interesting but fun exercise (probably aided by the fact that they are all cool people - with a less fun group, I would imagine the whole outing could have been a disaster).

I took one pretty awesome fall of my own accord, and then expressed a death wish by suggesting/agreeing to ride tandem for our last little run.  Here's how this happened:

I was the only one of the crew who rented gear, so when we returned it at the base of the lift, everyone else was still kitted up.  We took a little break post-equipment return for beer or margaritas (as the mood suited) and french fries.  So after a drink or two, it occurred to us that there was still one little chute we had to run down in order to get to the lower parking lots, where we had parked our cars.  I had no skis.  So why not just hop on the back of someone else's skis for the ride down?  The lucky victim was T, E's husband, who is a good skier and a bit of a daredevil.  Really, what could go wrong?  (Never you mind that there is actually a shuttle.  What fun is that?)

Off we go!

To T's credit, he navigated the first (and toughest) part of the route quite well.  We had to make a big turn, run under a bridge, then make two sharp turns to the left and right.  No problem.  But after that, it's a long, steady downhill grade, and my feet were about as wide apart as they could get.  For T it was no problem: (1) he's taller, and (2) his feet were in the middle of the skis, not on the tails.  So I did the most gymnastic thing I could, which was get a feel for the ground underneath me and just tuck into a somersault.

The bailout, from a distance.

T managed to stay upright even as I bailed, and because I came up laughing, we decided it would be a great idea to try again.  This time, we made it to the bottom.

Somehow, miraculously, we're each still in one piece.

I finished off the afternoon with an hour or so of work while noshing on cheese and crackers and sipping some delicious pinot noir.  Dinner, which I neglected to photograph, was venison loin with wild rice and Brussels sprouts, followed by dessert of pecan pie and vanilla ice cream.

Keys, enjoying all the attention he can get

Roxy, enjoying having no attention at all

And last but not least, a late-night run to the airport to pick up K and J who came in from Florida.

Merry Christmas to All!

What I Watched -- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Somehow, I sort of missed the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  I mean, I knew it came out, but it was just off my radar.  Too busy doing other things, I guess.  Then I made tentative plans to go see the second one, so it was a happy coincidence that the first one was on TV the other night.

I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I expected.  I've heard some pretty negative reviews of The Desolation of Smaug, and I think in my mixed-up brain, those carried over to An Unexpected Journey.  It certainly wasn't up to the same standard as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but for us Tolkien junkies, it was enjoyable.

(Aside: written correctly, wouldn't it be "...up to the same standard as the The Lord of the Rings trilogy..."?  But that seems redundant.)

Bottom line: if you're into hobbits and elves and wizards and whatnot, it's probably worth it for you.  I am seriously lamenting the absence of Aragorn though.

Durango, Day 1

After a very early flight out of St. Louis, a layover in Denver, and a final commuter flight, much of which I don't remember because I was sound asleep, I arrived in Durango.  On the way home from the airport, we made a stop at Bread for some delicious goodies, we noshed for a bit then headed to The Pine Needle to outfit me in my new ski kit (aka slightly early Christmas present).

I did a bit of work that afternoon (just a bit), read a few pages of my book, showed my face at a bonfire and had some snacks, then came home and settled in for the evening in front of the TV to watch a movie (more on that later).

Not bad for a first day.

Goal #51

Goal #51: break time!

This week is Christmas.  There will be good times with family, much less work than usual, food, drink, and general merriment.  I am going to enjoy it.

Recap of goal #50: cookies were delivered to 3 lucky recipients, but unfortunately for E, she was not one of them.  Sorry E!

By way of further updated, my foot is doing better.  I ventured out without my boot for the first time yesterday (to the symphony).  I did just fine without it, but was walking carefully so as not to do any additional damage.  However, by the end of the evening, the foot was not feeling super hot.

My Christmas Movies and Music

Every year around Christmas, there is a collection of movies I watch to get in the spirit:  Little Women, It's A Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  (Are there more?  That's all I can remember right now.)

This year, as with my Christmas shopping, the movie viewing has been a bit haphazard.  I loaned Love Actually to C (now of Rear Window fame), so that one will have to wait until after the holiday. I watched It's A Wonderful Life out of the corner of my eye while I was having an early Christmas visit with V&S last night, and there's no hope for Little Women or The Grinch in sight.

But have no fear!  I took T to the SLSO Holiday Celebration this afternoon, and - as per usual - Christmas spirit abounds.  (And on that note, really, can we just call it a Christmas concert?  It's all red, white, and gold; there are Christmas carols and Santa Clause.  Please.)

So now I'm enjoying the cold weather, relishing in the fact that I've given up on the last few presents I haven't bought yet (sorry peeps, some of yours will just be late), and enjoying the season.

What I'm Reading Now -- The Last Walk: Reflections on Our Pets at the End of Their Lives

I actually first attempted to read The Last Walk when R the Wonderdog still graced me with his presence.  I just couldn't do it.  I had the book.  I looked at it.  I picked it up.  I put it down.

Now that it's been a few months since R went on his merry way, I thought I would give it another try, just to see what kind of insight, if any, I can gain from it.  The author chronicled the last 15 months or so of her dog's life, and compiled her journal entries into a book, a tale of her pal Odysseus in his decline.  Will I make it more than a few pages?  I have no idea.  Only one way to find out.

What I Watched -- Rear Window

C, one of the partners at my firm and a devoted lover of movies, informed me a few weeks ago that I had to see Rear Window.  It came up because I had stopped into his office to ask him a question and couldn't name the movie that was on TV.  He was appalled -- and understandably so.  My classic movie knowledge is quite lacking.

In an effort to correct the situation, I picked up Rear Window.  I started it twice before finally managing to get all the way through on the third try, although I can't really blame the movie for that; I was watching it in bed the first two times, and the outcome of that attempt is always a foregone conclusion.

The movie was made in 1954, and its age shows in the way that age always will in a movie of that era.  Regardless, there are still a number of phenomenal scenes, and many of the interactions between Jeff (Jimmy Stewart), Lisa (the absolutely stunning Grace Kelly), Stella (Thelma Ritter), and Detective Lieutenant Doyle (Wendell Corey) are amusing and excellent by any standard.

Bottom line: a stellar place to start my education.

So, This is Christmas!

My Christmas festivities have been a little slow to get started this year.  Christmas is in a week and a half, and I have been to one show, made three batches of cookies, been to one party, and bought entirely too few presents.  I did manage to get most of my cards out though!

This afternoon, my friend M took me to see SLSO's Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, conducted by Arnie Roth, himself classically-trained violinist and a member of the group.  The show was great fun, with a mix of their rocky arrangements, brass fanfare, and more traditional pieces.  What a nice present!

Goal #50

Goal #50: cookie delivery.

My Christmas cookie baking extravaganza is not yet over, but it's time to start delivery.  I've already taken some to work and given some to my friend M, but I need to make a delivery to G&G and one to V&S. 

Recap of goal #49: my recovery is progressing!  My foot is sprained, and I have to say that I'm not too good at staying off of it. but then again I've never been great about following instructions for recovery.  But I do wear my boot when I have to do a lot of walking, although it's a pain because it's my driving foot, which means I have to take the boot off or put it on every time I get in or out of the car.

My biggest problem is that I really want to work out!  I did go to the gym yesterday and did some top roping, which was J's excellent idea because then I could never fall too far.  I did take one fall that would have been pretty monstrous if I had been leading, but thankfully I wasn't.  And I was good and stayed off the bouldering wall.

Quote of the Day

"I've paid the price of solitude, but at least I'm out of debt."
  -- Bob Dylan, Dirge

What I'm Reading Now -- The Book Thief

When K finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak some time ago, she texted me a picture of the cover and said something like, "YOU MUST READ THIS."  I promised I would, and all these many months (years?) later, I'm finally getting around to it.  It is pure chance that my reading of it coincides with the release of the movie, truly.

What I knew about this book before I started was that it had something to do with a girl and the Holocaust.  Almost one CD into it, that's still pretty much all I know about the setting, but I've met a lot of characters whom I think will be important as the story rolls on.

The most interesting thing so far is that the narrator of the tale, and you figure this out early on so I'm not spoiling anything, is Death.

At Home: A Short History of Private Life -- Take 2

Bill Bryson has done it again.  His At Home: A Short History of Private Life is an entertaining, informative, stroll through a modern home, while always casting his gaze backwards to see how our domestic comforts came to be.

A doctoral candidate could probably turn each chapter of Bryson's book into a historical dissertation all its own, but the fact that Bryson doesn't do that is precisely what makes his book enjoyable.  He gives you the general historical overview while picking out the choicest tales and anecdotes with which to pepper his storytelling, and leaving what I presume is a voluminous amount of boring nonsense out altogether.

Obviously if you're looking for a comprehensive volume, you'll want to look elsewhere, but if you're looking to be entertained as you learn about the history of home life, chuckling all the while, this is a great place to start.

Goal #49

Goal #49: recover.

I had an unfortunate accident while I was climbing today, and busted my ankle.  It's definitely not broken, and it doesn't appear that anything is torn (though I'll probably have a better idea in the morning).  Most likely, it's probably just badly bruised.  But I'd like it to heal so I can go about my business and fitness normally.

Recap of goal #48: I bought some Christmas presents this week!  I have not put my own list together (sorry, everybody!), but I managed to do just a teeny bit of shopping.  So much more to do though!

What I Watched -- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

It's Hunger Games time again!  T and I spent an evening this week catching up with Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the gang in Catching Fire (trailers), the second of what will be four Hunger Games movies.  The third book, as appears to be a matter of course these days, is going to be split into two movies.

Catching Fire finds the victors from the first movie headed back to the arena for more fun and games, in another survivor-takes-all battle even more twisted than the last one, with the added bonus of rebellion brewing in the Districts.  Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), the Mockingjay, is their symbol of hope.

I thought this film was better made than the first one, and did a good job of focusing on the plot-based portion of the story, rather than getting lost in the thoughts of the characters.  But because you don't have Katniss's narration spelling things out for you, some of the details get lost in the shuffle.  The fight scenes were still a bit difficult to follow, but overall the camera work was better than the first.

I'm going to need more of Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in the third movie, because the Katniss-Gale story needs a little work.  Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) won this one, but being in life-and-death situations will do that to a couple. Elizabeth Banks (still gorgeous) as Effie Trinket was a little less grating and a little more nuanced and, while I like Philip Seymour Hoffman, his casual demeanor doesn't seem quite right for a head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee.  And of course I still love Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

Bottom line: I had heard mixed reviews about this one, but on the whole I have to say they did a decent job with my least favorite of the three books.

Sister Act

Remember back when P and I went to see Evita?  Well, she had another spare ticket to Sister Act, part of the same series at the Fox.

Compared to Evita, I'd say the vocal qualities were much better.  The woman who played Deloris was fabulous, and the whole supporting cast was excellent.  If you remember the movie, you'll recall that they used a lot of popular music.  Apparently they couldn't license those songs for the show, because it was all original numbers -- and pretty good ones, at that.  It was a fun, upbeat romp which I suspect was aided by the fact that I understood the Catholic jokes.  If you don't get those, a lot of the humor will probably be lost on you.

What I Watched -- Gold Star Children

Gold Star Children, my second SLIFF movie of the year, tells the tragic but healing tale of kids who have lost a parent to war.  The film specifically profiles two characters: Cierra, who lost her dad in Iraq, and Jennifer, whose dad was killed in Vietnam.  Together they, along with the thousands of other Gold Star children, try to work through what that loss means, and how to move forward.  You can see the trailer here.

This was an incredibly powerful movie, and while the subject matter is heavy, I didn't find it depressing.  Rather, the way that a young kid like Cierra can process what has happened without becoming bitter, and can turn it into a source of strength, is really amazing.  Probably the most touching scene in the movie is when she is in a group session with other Gold Star kids and their mentors, including Jennifer.  Cierra's younger sister says something about their dad, and starts to cry.  Instantly, Cierra is transformed from the mentee to the mentor, and it is so clear how important this type of support system is for these kids.

We also had the privilege of having the filmmaker, Mitty Griffis Mirrer, there to answer questions.  Her movie began as a Kickstarter project (also a good trailer on that site), inspired by her own father who was killed in Vietnam just hours after her birth.  Now that the project is complete, she is working with the Department of Defense to get it distributed to Gold Star families.  It's $10 to download the movie from the website, if you are so inclined.

Goal #48

Goal #48: Christmas gifts.

It is now post-Thanksgiving.  I have purchased exactly two (2) Christmas gifts.  I have only one or two other ideas, and I haven't put together a list of my own.  Usually I'm good at Christmas. This year, not so much.  Time to get crackin'.

Recap of goal #47: dinner was great!  It was a bit hectic getting started, because I ended up working later on Wednesday than I had planned (but what's new, eh?).  But Dad and D brought cheese, crackers, and wine, and that was perfect for buying a bit of time to get the meal ready.  Thanks for coming, guys!

Nico

On my way to the Tivoli to see The Suicide Shop, I stopped off at Nico for a drink.  I didn't eat enough of their food -- just a small spinach salad and a couple little tastes of other things -- to fully comment on that, but I can tell you that the Proud Mary, a delicious concoction of rum, bitters, and rosemary-infused simple syrup (as best as I can recall), was amazing.

What I Watched -- The Suicide Shop

It's SLIFF time again!  (Actually, it's over now -- sorry for not alerting you sooner.)  I only had time for a couple of films this year, but a couple is better than none.

The Suicide Shop (trailer) is a satirical, ironic, feature-length animated film about the misery of the French.  Parisians specially, but the French more generally.  Everyone is miserable, the city is gray and drizzly, and the only place any of them find any happiness is at Le Magasin de Suicides, The Suicide Shop.  There, patrons can find all manner of tools and tips for ending their miserable lives. 

That all changes when the couple that runs the shop has their third child, and happy, bouncy baby boy.

Bottom line: The strange contrast between the dark subject, the animation, and the energetic musical numbers made this movie a bit of a mind-bender, but an enjoyable one.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Manhattan is My Yoga

I have an absurdly indescribable love affair with New York, despite not being a struggling actor, a starving artist, or a Wall Street shark.  I've never lived there, although I've had the opportunity (if I could have figured out how to afford it).  Part of the reason I didn't was because I was afraid that the reasons I love the city would become irritants, and it would lose that magical je ne sais quoi that it has when it's just a place I visit regularly.

Then I read this article, in which a Manhattanite describes her failed attempt to decamp for Brooklyn, and am thinking that maybe I would still love it even if I lived there.  Not that I'm planning on moving any time soon.  But at least I feel a little more confident that if I ever did, it would be exactly as great as I think it would be.

One of my favorite quotes:
"Everyone's New York story is different from anyone else's, and personal.  When I moved to New York City, it was for Grand Central station; the Empire State Building; honking taxicabs; the traffic, the tourists, that weird steam that comes out of the ground, the noise, and the struggle.  I moved here for Manhattan, and, I realized, I'm not ready to let it go.  Manhattan -- it's absurd inconveniences, annoyances, high rents, crowded bars, and tourist-packed streets -- is my yoga."

Florida

Thanks to T for arising early on a Saturday to take me to the airport for my flight to West Palm Beach! I was Florida-bound and was amused by the veritable train of wheelchairs that was waiting to get on the plane where I changed in Baltimore. Florida indeed.

My first day was really a half day (or less).  I think I got in around 2, and we went straight to a late lunch where I ate entirely too much.  The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent as the first day of a vacation should be - totally vegging out.

The next day we headed to Stuart to check out their green market.  (Despite promises that I could sleep as late as I wanted, E still came in to wake me up so we could make it just before the market closed.  At 1 p.m.  The nerve!)  Stuart also has a little waterfront stage where they have bands playing every Sunday from November through May - what a treat!  We walked around the little town square and shopped, enjoyed the sunshine, and sampled the ice cream.

I guess if you live in sunny Florida, a car like this makes sense.

We strolled on the beach and were amused by the sandpipers running in and out with the waves before heading off to a large, tasty, eclectic, and very fried dinner at Hogsnappers. 

Monday was earmarked for our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, so it entailed a trip to the grocery, E working hard at pumpkin cheesecake, mom working hard at everything else, and of course a trip to the pool!

 The strip malls are the same, except for the palm trees.

And then it was back to the 30-degree weather at home, but I was at least able to take advantage of my three-hour layover in Atlanta with a couple of beers and an order of fried green tomatoes!

Goal #47

Goal #47: dinner!

Dad and D are going to be in town for Thanksgiving this week, and they are stopping in for dinner on Wednesday.  I did a lot of work around my apartment this weekend, so at least my table is visible!  Hooray!  I have picked out a few things for dinner, and now I just have to get to prepping and cooking.

Recap of goal #46: I actually did open up a couple of boxes of kids' books this week.  I'm not sure where I managed to squeeze that in between the movies, the show at the Fox, climbing, and other activities, but I did!  Now to send a few of them off to K...

A Great and Terrible Thing

A Potbelly's just opened up last week in downtown Clayton.  This could be trouble.

Random Links

The happiness of pursuit.

A fascinating story about a guy you've never heard of.

A tribute to the joy of dance.

World Book Night.

Is home ownership the key to happiness?

Bar Les Freres.  It was too long ago to write a review, but everything was deliciously amazing.

Quote of the Day

"Now some people say that you shouldn't tempt fate,
And for them I would not disagree.
But I never learned nothin' by playin' it safe,
I say fate should not tempt me."
  -- Mary Chapin Carpenter, "I Take My Chances"

Goal #46

Goal #46: inventory books.

I have at least one box of kids' books in my apartment that needs to be sorted out and distributed and/or added to the Goodwill pile. I am making (a little) progress cleaning and would like it to continue!

Recap of goal #45: I read probably half the magazines I took to Florida with me, maybe a bit more.  Not as many as I would have liked, but more than zero!

A Night at Niche

A couple of weeks ago, I went to an event at the Art Museum.  It was fun, but I was all dressed up with nowhere to go when it ended!  I decided to take my book and go have a delicious cocktail and some tasty treats at Niche - an excellent choice!

Quote of the Day

"If every second of our lives recurs an infinite number of times, we are nailed to eternity as Jesus was nailed to the cross. It is a terrifying prospect. In a world of eternal return the weight of unbearable responsibility lies heavy on every move we make."
  -- Nietzsche on eternal return.

Sounds a little bit like posting our lives on the internet to forever come back and haunt us, no?

A Lesson in Unhealthy Life Choices

In line in front of me at the grocery store

Goal #45

Goal #45: read some magazines.

My M.O. for vacations is to take a pile of magazines I've gotten behind on reading.  As I read them, I'm happy to toss them in the recycling so I don't have to carry them home again.  If there are any pages I want to keep, I just tear them out and keep those particular items.

True to form, I'm on vacation with a pile of magazines.

Recap of goal #44: Woohoo!  Minutes for four meetings (we had one more this week) are done and sent out!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Microbrewery: Urban Chestnut

After a long week, what a nice thing it is to head out to a local haunt for some good brew and pretzels.

My latest stop was Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, a midtown spot conveniently easy to get to for me.

For beers, I had the zwickel and the pilsner. Normally I'm a pilsner fan, but I think I preferred the zwickel this time. I also had the pretzels, which come with grainy mustard and a flavored butter of some type. They could've used a bit more salt.

All in all, beers were good, and the food paired well with them. I could've done without all the college students getting drunk and acting ridiculous. Having said that, I was in a pretty good mood, so I didn't let them bug me.

Quote of the Day

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
  -- Woodrow Wilson

Random Links

A walk in the woods is like a vacation for the brain.

The ocean is broken.

Now that's a nice gift.

A tale of government intervention.

Notes from the tail.

I'm an introvert, and I don't need to come out of my shell.

Goal #44

Goal #44: paperwork.

I'm three meetings behind in the minutes I'm supposed to be doing, and I have another meeting coming up this week and still another before Thanksgiving. I've got to get caught up.

Recap of goal #43: I added a couple of items to my Goodwill boxes, but unfortunately didn't get them filled and delivered. I did help T move though, so I think he will have some Goodwill deliveries soon as well.

What I Watched -- Captain Phillips

Rather than watching the disastrous Game 1, T and I bailed in the third inning and instead went to see Captain Phillips at the MX, where we got our hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and relish delivered to our seat, thank you very much.

It was an excellent decision.  The movie was gripping in that increasingly popular ripped-from-the-headlines, I-know-how-this-ends-but-I'm-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-anyway Argo style film making.  And it was a success.

Tom Hanks - our intensely likable everyman - plays the titular Captain Phillips, and he basically is the movie.  Everything happens either at his direction or because of him, and it's a responsibility that the actor (and apparently the man) handled well.  Honestly he handled the pressure of the situation so well in the movie that it's hard to believe it really went down like that.

In case you don't know the story, Hanks plays the captain of a commercial container ship, the Maersk Alabama.  His ship is boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia, and what follows is a showdown between the older, wiser, more collected Phillips, and the desperate kid pirates.

Bottom line: a hard-to-believe story with a good balance of suspense and understanding.

Yo-yo Ma

Saturday night was the Red Velvet Gala at the St. Louis Symphony.  Their big performer for the show was -- as you probably guessed -- Yo-yo Ma.

And what a show it was!  Our own local musicians played a couple of rollicking good pieces without the visiting star: Suppe's Light Cavalry Overture and Herold's Zampa Overture. Yo-yo joined for Haydn's Cello concerto in C major and Saint-Saens's Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor.  He seemed to be having so much fun with the other musicians when the tune was light or he wasn't mid-solo.  But as soon as he started really sawing away at the strings, he was transported to a different place.  It was really amazing to watch.

As an added bonus, since it was the night of the gala, everyone was appropriately attired for the symphony - not a pair of jeans to be found!

Quote of the Day

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself.
(I am large. I contain multitudes.)"
  -- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

An Incomplete Tribute

"He looks up at you with his big, true eyes, and says with them, 'Well, you've always got me, you know.  We'll go through the world together, and always stand by each other, won't we?'"
  -- Jerome K. Jerome

It is two months ago today that I got to pet Rades for the last time.  I miss seeing his cute little face.  Thankfully I took a lot of pictures of him in his last couple of years.  In case you miss him too, here he is:

Looking adorable - and actually looking at the camera, which was rare:

Being uncharacteristically friendly:

 Snoozin':

 

 

Okay, this next one is a bit of a sad picture, but it's a funny story.  Everyone who knew him knew Radar was terrified of thunder - and, over the course of his life, and ever-increasing number of things that he associated with thunder, rightly or wrongly.  He always sought out a dark spot where he could hide until the storm was over (if that was in fact the source of the noise; if not, he would just wait for an appropriate amount of time to pass before he resurfaced).  Occasionally I'd find him hiding in the bathtub, but that was pretty much the normal course of business for R the Wonderdog.  Then there was the morning that he went ahead and leapt into the tub while I was in the shower.  Imagine how surprised we both were!  Once I was finished, I managed to work a towel underneath him to help absorb some of the water he had soaked up, but there was no coaxing him out of the tub until he was good and ready.

Guarding (and sometimes dismantling) the ducks:

Goin' for a car ride:

Playing outside, looking handsome and totally in his element:

 

 
Hunting squirrels:

  

Hunting rabbits:

Wishing he was playing outside:

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog."  -- Franz Kafka