saturday in pictures and links

Yesterday, I took my bike for a long ride, over to Dodd Road, up by the hospital, around the campus of Gustavus, and downtown to the farmer's market. This is my bike with basket full of sweet corn, melon, peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

Next stop was River Rock where Helena made me this beautiful latte and I had a fresh-from-the-oven pastry with blueberry mint jam. It was so good.

I bought two more to take home. Seriously delicious and just the right size, about two inches square. Also bought a loaf of Cranberry Walnut Buckwheat Bread. If I had been stranded somewhere along the way home, I would have been well-fed for a long time.

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride...long pants and light sweater against the cool breeze. If it hadn't been for the bastards going right through stop signs, it would have been a very pleasant morning. I don't hesitate to shout at people who do that. Do they think nobody sees them? Hey pal, I'm right here and I see the stop sign you just skated. This wasn't a slow stop, this was a drive right through a four-way stop. Maybe where he's from, the road signs are only suggestions of things you could do..

Our friend, Emily, worked for a time in the 1980s for the Great American Circus as a publicist. Last time she was here, she told about driving ahead of the circus to promote it with local media. Her job also entailed shepherding Tiny Tim around. Here's an article that talks about Tim's circus job.

People 

Last night when she came to dinner, Emily brought the a copy of a People magazine from the 80s. We laughed about how she kept it in an archival quality Ziploc bag. Ha!

This is a photo of Emily and Tiny Tim from a People magazine during the time they both worked for the circus. They were at a gala at Studio 54 in New York City. You can't see it in the photo but Tiny Tim has on a gold cape Emily found for him in a theatrical costume shop. She said he loved it.

And this is what we had for dinner: Pork chops from Schmidt's Meat Market, steaks, sweet corn, melon and strawberries, green salad with carrots and tomatoes, and Buckwheat Bread. Perfect summer meal.

Here we are, glass of wine in hand, prepared to eat, telling stories.

There you go. That's Saturday in my world. I don't think today will be quite as much fun as I see laundry, dishes, and work in my future!

county fair and cheese curds

We made our way to the county fair last night. It was demo derby night so the crowd was huge and there were lots of interesting things for the kids to see: horse mounted police, games of chance, food galore, animals, and the glorious midway. 

They had the good sense to not be too interested in what they called the scary rides, but Alex and Elliot, to our surprise, decided they wanted to try the giant slide. I love these pictures because the kids look terrified but they said they had fun. Looks like Bob and Tiff had fun!

Everybody had at least one junky thing to eat. I had the world's worst cheeseburger. Not quite so bad that I would resort to this signage, but it was bad. Let's see...I saw cotton candy, milk shakes, hot dogs, beer, lemonade, nachos, and corn dogs. I'd say we had a good sampling.

About the time the demo derby started, we decided to head for home. We were sated, the night was getting cool, and we were tired of crowds. It was a good time.

Peter looking pensive and he's no doubt thinking about the nine dollar cheese curds...which were not sampled. We did find cheese curds on the black market but by then everyone was full of fair food. So far, this summer, I have been to two fairs where my kids said they HAD TO HAVE CHEESE CURDS. Then they refuse to pay the price for them. Haha!

Regis, Peter, and I had a cold can of beer in what we call the beer garden but it's really a beer pole shed. It's open to the elements which is nice but that also means everything is covered with a nice sheen of black dirt. Ah, well. It's the county fair. Don't attend if you expect clean. (Although, they did have some of the nicest bathrooms I have seen in a while.)

I'm thinking about a long bike ride this morning and then a stop at River Rock for one of Amber's lattes. Good way to start a Saturday, don't you think?

sleeping during the county fair

We live about two blocks from the county fair grounds. During the five days the fair is in session, we have a bounty of noise. There's someone on a microphone, not sure what he says as it isn't that clear, but it's constant. Every night there's something...a lawn tractor pull, a big tractor pull, a demo derby, horse and buggy races, a talent show.

The noise abates about 10 o'clock and it isn't overwhelming. We like leaving the bedroom window open so we can hear the happy sounds.

Tonight, most of our kids are coming and we're going to make our annual pilgrimage to the fair. Since Regis had knee surgery only a month ago, we'll drive as far as we can get (Reggie's house right outside the gate) and hobble down to the beer garden. From there, we can make forays out to the corn dog stand or the funnel cake trailer.

We could be there two hours at the most. The little kids might do some rides, we like to walk through the exhibit building to test our powers of eye contact aversion. They try to book you for a Mary Kay party or to sign up for a vacuum cleaner demonstration. No thanks.

Remember this year: No matter how tempted you are, DO NOT PET THE PIGS!

Here's a picture from the archives of Emily and Ella at the end of the 2006 county fair trip. It was Ella's first.

I made the Summer Garden Gratin yesterday but I made the mistake of not reading the recipe over first and I screwed several things up. I layered it wrong...tomatoes should be on the top or enough of the juice doesn't cook off. I put the Panko crumbs on right away instead of waiting until the end. And I forgot to drizzle the thyme oil over the zucchini. Dang.

I finished Wolf Hall this morning when I woke at 4 o'clock. I really liked it although to say you liked a book about the middle ages is saying something. There were a few be-headings, some burnings at the stake, and lots of dangerous intrigue. I had a little trouble keeping all the Marys, Richards, and Thomases straight. There were a ton of characters and most were named...Mary, Richard, or Thomas. Not much imagination in those days, I guess.

I'm doing very well on my plan for improved health. My sleep is better, I'm exercising more, and all in all, things are looking great. 

Happy Friday, friends!

favorite summer salad recipe

I made this blueberry and corn salad a month or so ago and I love it. It's from the blog Two Peas and Their Pod so they get complete credit. The only thing I changed was to cut the cucumber into smaller chunks instead of slices. This salad holds up well in the refrigerator...nothing to wilt or get soggy. The flavors get better after a day or two. It calls for roasted corn but I just used frozen corn because it wasn't corn season yet!

Blueberry Corn Salad
Yield: Serves 6-8
Simple summer salad with blueberries, sweet corn, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño, red onion, and a honey lime dressing.

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice (use fresh...it matters!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large pot, bring water to boiling. Add corn. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from the cobs. Discard cobs.

2. In a large serving bowl, combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. To make the dressing, whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note-you can make this salad a day in advance. It keeps well.

Here's a picture of my version.

visiting mom

I made an uncharacteristically spontaneous trip to Canby this week. Cousin Deb from Arizona was driving out to Canby from Minneapolis and wanted me to come along. I can always think of reasons why I can't do it, but the truth is that I am not good at surprises and need some time to think about it.

As it turned out, Deb motored down here from Minneapolis to fetch me. We had a wonderful road trip through many small towns in southern MN, having lunch in Wabasso, and having fun with Mom.

Deb and I covered a lot of conversational ground in the car...probably things we had talked about in the past but forgotten. Old boyfriends, old apartments, old friends, parties from the distant past...hey, there's a pattern here!

Mom hates to have her picture taken so I apologize in advance for posting these. She thinks she looks old but I hope I look so good and have as much fun as she does when I'm 82. What the hell, right?

Deb and Shirley

Teresa and Shirley

The Big Wabasso Bunny and Teresa

Deb and I managed, with no mechanical skill but a lot of persistence, to fix Mom's keyless garage door entry pad. We jumped around like we'd won a gold medal when the damn thing finally went up. Ta da!

We intended to go out to eat but we had a glass of afternoon wine and eventually decided to just get a pizza and stay home talking smart which was just as much fun and maybe more fun.

The Nicollet County Fair started yesterday so we went to sleep with the window open because it was cool and were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the lawn tractor pull. Not nearly as loud as the official tractor pull which happens tonight. Windows may be closed for that event.

Back to work today.

human dynamo

You know all those things on my list yesterday? I got them all done except for the lawn mowing, plus a few things I hadn't planned to do but did. Of course, I put them on the list just so I could cross them off.

Probably my best feat of the day was cleaning out the back porch. I've been looking at that crap for months and seemed (?) unable to do anything about it. Suddenly, it seemed like the thing to do.

Our back porch AKA a three-season room is almost unusable. It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. The only times it is pleasant is about three warm days in the spring and three cool days in the fall. So, being a room that is only passed through to go outside, it tends to collect stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else...vacuum cleaner, tubs full of Gus's tennis balls, the blow-up bed, coolers, boxes of books, extra dog food. Ugh.

I threw a lot of stuff in the garbage, carried a few things to the basement (the other bane of my existence) but managed to clean out four baskets and two tubs.

One thing I have learned about myself is to be very cautious about buying tools of organization like plastic tubs and baskets. They're just a huge invitation to accumulate more junk.

Well, for now, I'm on a mission.

Not quite the Mars Rover mission, but a mission just the same.

sunday can be such a nice surprise

All day yesterday, I thought it was Sunday so to wake up today and realize I still had one more day to the weekend was a nice surprise. We had the window open all night,too, which was another pleasant surprise. It's been a hot summer so those nights have been rare.

I have a lot of things on my list today.

• Mow the lawn
• Finish my grocery list and menu for the week
• Pay bills
• Clean out the refrigerator
• Laundry
• Finish Gus letter
• Send two birthday cards
• Tidy up the house for the week

So far, I'm sitting with a cup of coffee, contemplating the list.

I met Tiffany and Eric in Mankato yesterday about 11. They were taking Evelyn in to do the Wow Zone thing and they thought a three-year old might be a bit of a hindrance, so Peter and I scooped him up and went to do some other things. We stopped at Pet Expo to look at the pets (hairless rats?) and to buy Gus some chew toys. We went to Grizzlies for lunch and to Hobby Lobby to get a few things. We stopped at Target to buy a small toy and some socks for me. That was it.

We went back to the Wow Zone and went in to meet them. That is definitely not a place I would spend any time. Way too stimulating. Too many televisions. Bowling. Laser tag. Arcade games. Mini golf. Sports bar. Check, check, and check.

When I was a teenager, we used to go to a cafe in town after confirmation on Saturday morning. The cafe had one pinball machine and we took turns dropping in a quarter to play. It had metal paddles and metal balls and it made a soft ping ping ping noise as the ball went around. Ah, memories. I always tell my kids that Pong was the first video game I ever played. Probably the only one.

Regis and I were in Best Buy (a store I loathe) one time and to pass the time, I sat down to play a demo video game. I was pushing buttons like crazy and watching the screen when a young fellow came over and actually said this to me: Ma'am, you have to turn it on before you play. Chagrin.

Regis is giving me reports on the Olympic women's marathon from his iPad. The leaders have been doing a little over five minutes a mile for 20 miles. Holy crap. I couldn't do a five minute mile for a mile.

He is ranting about the streaming coverage of the marathon. This is the future, he says. Not exactly Radiohead, but the future. 

My stuff's not getting done with me sitting here, now is it?

ah, yes...the sleeping part of the day

I have had trouble sleeping for twenty years. I was always able to fall asleep easily but I would wake up about four hours later and be unable go back to sleep until about 5 at which point it's almost time to wake up. It's a bitch.

It's gotten worse in the last year because I seem to have lost my champion napper status and also have some trouble getting to sleep at night.

Champion Napper

I have a new plan that includes more exercise, new age music instead of reading on the Kindle when I wake up in the middle of the night, and waking up early. Since I retired, I have been under the illusion that I should sleep until 7 o'clock. I don't think that's going to happen.

I've been writing lots of plans lately. Must be a hangover from my special ed teacher days. IEPs, you know.

So, here I am at 5 a.m. I slept well, managed to get back to sleep once or twice with the music and I feel pretty good. Ta da!

I went to yoga yesterday at 5:30. I had forgotten how bloody hard yoga is. For an exercise that looks so gentle, it can kick a guy's ass seriously. It's the forward fold, one-legged down dog, one legged plank, crocodile, and up dog that kills me. Oh, yeah...and tree pose. I had to take a break in the middle or I was going to pass out or die. It's like the high hurdles in the Olympics; not as easy as it looks.

I don't know if I have discussed my idea here before but here it is again. I think the Olympic committee ought to consider having an ordinary person performing all the feats of prowess alongside the super athletes. It would give perspective. If I were performing, say, the long jump, you would realize quickly that the other guy has been practicing. I think it's worth considering.

I checked the weather channel when I woke up. Seems like we got about an inch of rain during the night and the high today will be 78 degrees. Nice after yesterday. I wonder why the weather channel website needs a social tab. I didn't go there...just in case. There is way more information there than I need. I am relieved to know, however, that the chance of snow for today is 0%.

I bathed Gus yesterday which is almost the same as getting a bath yourself. He is very good and jumps right in the tub when you tell him to and he stands very still but he's a big dog. Regis wrote the sweetest letter to the family who raised Gus yesterday, thanking them for our wonderful pet. Gus is a good dog and he has the best disposition of any dog I have known. See Blasts from the Past in the right column. Several are Bert-related. Bert was the source of much good writing material even if he was an ornery little cuss.

My coffee cup is empty so I think I will wander back to the kitchen and make a fresh pot. Happy Saturday.

hoping my cranky phase has passed

I have been seeing my doctor for my cranky symptoms. I have a plan for better health now that includes yoga, more exercise, healthy eating, being outside, and a new hobby or two.

I did a google search for "grumpy" in images and this is the first picture that popped up. The funny thing is that it's a picture of me as a toddler. How did that happen? If you put grumpy in google, does my picture come up first?

I used this machine at the gym this morning. It's not as daunting as it appears but you do feel like you might just move out the door and down the street. Who invents these things?

As I was commiserating and trying to make it to ten minutes, I saw the South African fellow in the Olympics who runs on two prosthetic legs. He's running in the 400 meter...is it called a dash? It sort of took the wind out of my complainy sales!

I went shopping for shoes yesterday. I admit I have been a bit of a boot whore the past few years but I have had trouble buying shoes. They were either too flat or too high or too old-lady looking or too skanky looking. I admired Bonnie's shoes at work and when she told me where she got them, I high-tailed it right over there.

I found two pair, a black and a brown. The clerk told me that the designer of the brown shoe was the person who won some reality runway show. Huh? This was not the kind of place you expect to find designer shoes, believe me.

I have an Instagram account which is a phone app that takes photos. Actually, I have two...one for work and one for personal photos. I read (somewhere) that the supreme leader of Iran has an Instagram account and has published a few quite nice photos of himself. As he can be quite a character, I thought this was sweet. I never write bad things even about despots because you never know when they will google themselves and come looking for you. You can check out the photos of him here.

I went to the giant hobby store in Mankato yesterday, intending to buy yard to make a scarf. I thought they had simple patterns but I couldn't find one so did the cheap thing and bought some pretty yarn on sale and decided to use the needles I have already. I bought four skeins so it will probably be enough scarves for a dozen people. Maybe I'll check out Pinterest, the source for electronic hoarders.

We're going to Schmidt's this afternoon so we have a meat supply for the weekend. We especially need bacon and a good steak. On to the weekend...

Oh, yeah, another hot day

I have been mostly inert today.

I woke up early but did not exercise. I intended to work this morning (from home) but that didn't happen either.

I spent two hours at the clinic doing my annual physical. Everything looks good and I'm scheduled for a bunch of tests. Ack.

I like my doctor (nurse practitioner) a lot but some of those people in medical facilities are cranky.

I worked this afternoon which was fine. I made a trip to the farmer's market for more homemade jam, hot peppers, and smoked Italian sausage. I love the farmer's market.

I finished the last Will Thomas book. They are very entertaining which is what I seek lately. My brain is not coping well with the high literary arts. Not like it ever did.

This time of day, I lose interest in making dinner. A sorry state of affairs since this is when some people like to eat it. Too bad.

Our neighbors are moving. Very sad day. We will miss them. I should have made a casserole but mostly I just avoided it.

Regis is taking a nap. Lucky guy. I wish I could sleep during the day. Can't.

Ah, well. Off to the patio.

making a plan for the day

Beautiful morning. We slept with the window open and it was so pleasant to hear the birds this morning. I think they all high-tailed it to the north when it was so hot. Smart birds.

We're drinking coffee and making a plan for the day. So far, the weekend has been quiet. But it's early, right? We need to make a trip to the farmer's market and the grocery store this morning. Gus is badly in need  of a trip to the dog park and Regis has to pick up some meds. How is that for productivity?

The rest of the day will be more leisurely. I think we'll be able to pay a call on our friends, Tom and Betty. We've hardly laid eyes on Betty for months but we do see Tom regularly at Patrick's. In fact, we had a beer together yesterday.

Ella may come for a sleepover since the weather is cooler and we can use the blow-up bed on the porch. We've been talking about this all summer. Last time she was here we made a list on sticky notes of what she should bring and what we would do. A lot of it was food-related with marshmallows being near the top of the list, I believe.

Reading books on the porch with the windows open was another must-do item. Ella has always liked to read books in bed, a wonderful trait in a little kid.

If all of this is going to happen, I better get off my perch and get started. Happy Saturday!

there's a rainbow somewhere this evening

And not just because of the rain. Two of our friends who have been diagnosed with different forms of cancer had oncology appointments this week and received good news. No chemo. Things seem clear. No need to come back. Wonderful to celebrate this kind of news.

Regis has had good appointments this week, too, although he got a little cranky this afternoon when they made him go from the 2nd floor back to the 1st floor to check in, which involves the same thing he has done countless times in the last two weeks. Same checklist, same insurance card, same questions.

We're thinking how weird it is that with so many different medical facilities in our area, that many of them do not share electronic records. Someone tried to explain it to me today but I waved my hand and suggested they make a spreadsheet or a Venn diagram. It's crazy.

In the past week, he has updated his medication list three times. The person asking always puts it in a computer but the next person doesn't have access to the information so we do it all again. Don't try to explain it to me....it's like how airplanes fly and why birds legs don't freeze off in the winter. Inexplicable.

I am floored again (re-floored) at the things people discuss loudly in waiting rooms. I have learned to bring a book or Kindle and to make every attempt to be absorbed in it or somebody will try to engage me in a conversation about their prostate.

At the clinic today, I spotted this InstyMed machine. You put your prescription in (somewhere) and it blasts out your medication. What the hell and how do it know? (Reference to the old joke about the thermos.) I was stunned and amazed but Regis shrugged and said they are everywhere. How did I miss this modern marvel?

Here's what the InstyMeds website says: The InstyMeds dispenser combines the safety and security of an ATM with the simplicity of a soda machine! State-of-the-art InstyMeds technology ensures safe and secure medication dispensing directly to patients at the point-of-care.


I watched the video on the website but I still don't get how it works. Inexplicable, I guess.

morning rain

We woke to rain and thunder early this morning. I intended to go exercise but decided it was more pleasant to stay in bed reading, dozing, and listening to the rolling thunder. I don't regret that decision a bit. I can go later.

We've had about 3/4 of an inch of rain. Much needed rain. The humidity yesterday was oppressive and we're hoping that this weather front kicked some of that along the way.

Regis continues to recover well but has difficulty sitting in hard chairs. The back of his thigh gets sore and we've theorized that it's muscles and tendons stretching and accommodating the new knee. That, the extreme heat, and the dog combine to keep us home and inside most days. It's like cabin fever in the summer but it will pass.

This time of year, I get tired of watering plants outside. Well, actually, I never really like it. Most of my plants are of the Darwin variety...survival of the fittest. I have watered my patio plants this year and they look better than ever. Who knew.

My frame of mind is improving to the point where I see things that need to be done around the house and yard. Not to the point where I always want to take care of them, but at least I am aware. We have quite a crop of volunteer trees that have sprung up in the last year. It makes you wonder how long it would take for your yard to revert to forest if you stopped mowing the grass for any length of time.

My back porch is badly in need of a cleaning. I knew yesterday when I was digging through cardboard boxes, blankets, dog toys, and rugs... and a couple of toys tumbled off the shelf and to the floor. I just looked at them and thought, yes, I should clean this up. Anybody interested in sharing a dumpster?

driving with miss wilma

Since Regis had his knee replaced, I have been doing the driving. I never drive so I wondered if I was getting on his nerves as I am notoriously a slower, more cautious driver than he is. Yesterday he made a comment about driving like Wilma Flintstone. I tried to find a picture of Wilma driving and there were none to be found. Only Betty or Fred.

I worked out with Rachel this morning and she kicked my ass. I was sweating, my arms were shaking, and I almost konked myself with a ten-pound kettle bell. Who invented these devices of torture?

She said Jason is building a set of monkey bars. I inquired as to the reason and Rachel said so people can do pull-ups. I always got an F in pull-ups on fitness tests. I also always got an F in the softball throw. I have unpleasant memories of those physical endeavors. Oh, and the rope climb. Seems like in my day, PE was not really physical education but a place for those already talented to show off their skills. I never got better at anything. Who cares now, right?

My glasses fog up every time I leave the house or the car. This weather pattern can just move on because it almost makes me miss winter. Even the birds are hunkered down.

getting my stuff in the right slots

I woke up early but didn't get out of bed until 8. I started reading John Irving's new book, In One Person, and really like it. As in his other books, many interesting characters. It makes me want to read again, all his other books that are among my all-time favorites: The World According to Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Cider House Rules.

I did all my household chores. Well, most of them. Picked up stuff, cleaned out the refrigerator, did the dishes, took out the trash and recycling. I have a pile of paperwork in the office to sort through and deal with by we're on the right track.

The leaves are drifting off our birch tree like it's autumn already. I'm sure it's the stress of the hot summer and  the fact that it's almost August. Almost August. How can that be?

I forgot to tell this funny story. When Regis had his surgery, they sutured the inside stuff but stapled the outside skin together. It looked gruesome. Like Frankenstein. I knew yesterday they were going to remove the staples so when the nurse said she was going to get the crimper, I said I would step into the hall.

I made myself busy with the models of ankles and hips on a shelf, then heard Regis holler. I moved further down the hall. When I went back in he was laughing and said it didn't hurt at all...he just did it to get a rise out of me The nurse, all business, didn't think it was funny.

I found pictures on google images of knee surgery staples but I am going to do everyone who reads my blog a favor and not publish them. Like I said, gruesome.

Regis bought Gus this treat ball. You put treats in the bottom and he has to roll it until they drop into the other half, and then roll it some more until the roll out the hole. He knows enough to push it around the living room and he knows enough to scout the path looking for droppage. We get such a kick out of him.

Reading the paper this morning. Shooting and a goat man in Utah. I have to go back to being news-avoidant. It's a crazy world and I don't want to know about most of it.

regis sees the doc, gets a good report, and we laugh about condoms

Regis saw his surgeon this afternoon, who proclaimed him a rock star. In ten days, he has made progress made by most patients in 4-5 weeks. He can straighten his leg and walk with a cane, in fact, he can walk without a cane. He bypassed the crutches entirely and barely used the walker once he was home. He's worked hard at it and I knew he would.

Dr. Swanson will see him again in four weeks to talk about the other knee. We'd like to get that done before winter.

You can look this up and I only write about it because it's the weird kind of news story that we love. At the Olympic Village, 150,000 condoms will be distributed free to the athletes. Regis read somewhere that each athlete would get 15 free condoms for the 17-day event. That's a lot of....activity. Never mind that these people are competing in things like high hurdles and 400 meter dash (Is that a thing?) which for most people would be enough physical exertion for two weeks.

I went into Men R Nerds by myself today to get a handle for our patio door which broke the other day. Ah, yes. Not a simple task. None of their patio door handles would fit our door so I said never mind I would screw a block of wood to each side and call it good.

There was a fancy four-wheeler thing outside Men R Nerds with a log splitter attached behind it. I don't know what this contraption costs but it seems like an indicator of conspicuous consumption. It might make more sense to just have...a furnace.

We stopped for a bite to eat and watched part of the Tour de France on the television. I might have to do some research on this. There were many things going on there that I have no interest in, one of which is the race itself, even if I did have the gumption and the skill to do it. I could tip over. Lots of bad things could happen.

There were people who looked like they climbed onto a platform thing and it lifted them, by way of a crane, into the air to watch. I would also not partake of this. Are people crazy?

Sometimes it confounds me, the many ways in which I am dumb about sports. I have heard of this for years and never had the curiosity to find out anything about it. I thought it was a little one-day bike race.

All in all, a good day. On to the weekend.

cooking when it's 100 degrees sucks, kind of

It's been too hot to do much cooking but a guy has to eat so once in a while I suck it up and just do it. Sunday, I baked a giant chicken and a meatloaf. We've been eating that cold since then.

Today, I started dealing with the accumulating vegetables from our CSA. I sliced up three pounds of cucumbers to make pickles tomorrow. I sauteed onion, red pepper, and a boat load of leafy greens. And I made my favorite summer recipe, Summer Garden Gratin.

It's layers of zucchini and patty pan squash, caramelized onion, and tomatoes. Some fresh thyme, olive oil, and garlic gets drizzled on some of the layers. There is a layer of Panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, and oil on the top.

Before the crumb layer...

After the crumb layer...

It's a putzy recipe to make because you have to layer all the vegetables on paper towels and sprinkle them with salt to get rid of the moisture. I've made vegetable gratins without this step and they end up like soup. It's a wonderful recipe and worth all the trouble.

Of course, I wouldn't bother with those nasty red grocery store tomatoes. Might as well eat styrofoam.

It's too hot today to even enjoy the evening shade.

end o' the week

We made it through the week in fine shape. Regis is home, moving about quite well, I survived my bout of independence, and we're all settled in again. I think Regis is tired of my hovering. The more I see he is able to do for himself, the less I'll hover. I hope.

For the most part, he is a good patient and just does what he has to do to go home. He is not a complainer or a whiner. He puts his head down and gets it done.

I spent the day washing sheets, mattress pad, blankets so he has a somewhat sterile bed to climb into at the end of the day.

I went to the pharmacy here in town, always stressful...today was no exception. More than one customer seems to send them into a tizzy. Today, everyone had a problem.

It's a good thing Regis has not much of an appetite because I have not much of a desire to cook.  I can subsist on whatever I can scavenge. I'll eat chicken wings for breakfast or scrambled eggs for dinner. It doesn't matter too much. I took a chicken out of the freezer but it's about the size of a small turkey so I'm not sure what to do with it.

I finished the book I started reading the day of the surgery, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It was compelling reading. I'm also reading Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life  which is very good non-fiction but not compelling. I can take non-fiction in small doses.

Hospitals are interesting places. Little microcosms of the wider world. All sorts of people, many of them loud. That was my biggest gripe. Also the food there is horrific. Wouldn't you think a hospital would serve real food and not some industrial version of food? Poor sick people. At least I could get in my car and go somewhere else.

Our boys came over last night and assembled and installed the bathroom safety things I bought at Men-R-Nerds. Bless their hearts. I probably could have done it but I barely know a screwdriver from a pliers. I once assembled a bicycle (and a dining room set) with a table knife and a wooden clog. I figure the less you know about those kinds of things, the less you are expected to do. I never was one to want to know about changing the oil in my car. Once you know, you have to do it.

I've gotten so accustomed to Regis squiring me around that when I had to drive myself from place to place yesterday, I was exhausted. My husband treats me like a queen and I love it.

Well, on to the weekend.

brand new knee

Regis got his new knee yesterday! The surgery took about an hour, he was in his room by 4, in a chair by 6, and walking by 11. I think that is amazing. I stayed until I knew he was safe and they were taking good care of him, then I picked Gus up and we came home. My friend, Emily, came over to share some dinner and a glass of wine. It was nice to have company after that long day.

The surgeon said he had worn that knee down to nothing. It wasn't even straight anymore.

I had several texts from Regis through the night as they woke him up to check vitals and move him around. He said he watched the All Star game...pretty good for guy who spent the day on morphine, oxycontin, percocet, and versed. He was up, bathed, and dressed by 6 am, which is a much faster pace than I am on this morning.

It's a huge relief to have it over.

I just realized that it's a good thing I shut down the comments for a while. I'd be getting drug offers from all over the world.

Gus is lost without Regis. When we got home yesterday, he went into every room looking for him. Last night, he kept getting up to wander into the living room, thinking Regis would be there, I suppose. He went swimming twice yesterday and I thought he would be too tired to move. Not so.

Hospitals are very stimulating places. Everybody is bustling about and very loud. People in waiting areas or elevators seem unable to have quiet conversations. One woman had a loud cell conversation about her medical issues in the packed elevator. I was glad when Regis got into a room and I didn't have to hang with the crowds anymore.

I'll go back to visit and participate in his rehab this afternoon. It was so good to see him looking so alert and well. Such a relief to have it over.

viagra and nude celebrities

I'm making it more difficult to comment on my blog because I'm getting too many spam messages about buying nude celebrity photos and viagra. You just have to prove you are a person and not a robot. Sigh.

loss of gumption

I found this picture in a text message this morning. Not sure when it was taken but I thought it was too good to pass up. I get so many pictures that I get mixed up about what's where!

I don't buy anything fat-free or low-fat anymore. Better to be concerned about chemicals than a little fat. That stuff tastes like crap anyway so why bother. A friend of mine at work told me she found an alfredo sauce with no fat and no calories. I asked her what the hell it was but I knew...a chemical shit storm.

I'm trying to get my butt to work this morning. We'll see how that goes. I have not been too motivated to do anything this week. Cook...nope. Exercise...nope. Clean...nope. Read and sleep. That's about it. The weather guys say it will cool off some tonight. I hope they're right. This entropy is killing me. Hahaha!

celebrating independence day

We had a wonderful 4th of July even though it was hot. Bob and Reg set up a canopy so we had shade, at least those of us who didn't venture down to the curb to collect tootsie rolls. Regis is the camera man in our family and he wisely stayed home in the cool AC. I only took a few with my phone.

Alex, Elliot, and Ella each had an umbrella chair. I think it helped but by mid-parade, they had lost interest in candy, too. Elliot came back to sit with me in the shade where I had ice, iced wash cloths, and cold water.

This is Jesus. Nice of him to come to St. Peter for the 4th of July. There was also a float with a Presbyterian minister spraying water on the crowd. I told Emily to step back or she'd be baptized. Interesting that we can have all these religious floats in our parade but no politicians.

Tiffany trying to get a tan. That's my girl!

Alex makes a run for it.

I stayed right here in the shade. There was a reasonable breeze so it was manageable. Hot but manageable. I highly recommend the frozen washcloths. I don't know I got that brainstorm but it was a good one.

There are going to be things to be irritated by when you get this many people together. There was a group of loud adults by me that were loud and demanding. They grabbed a while pizza from a Domino's kid who was handing out samples. I think the parade protocol is that if someone offers you something, or throws it in front of you, it's ok to take it. But grown-ups demanding tootsie rolls and pizza? Nasty. All in all, it is a good time.

Blankets and tarps line the street for days before the parade.

Regis has a nephew who lives in Texas. Here's what he wrote on Facebook:

We have a parade every year in April called "Buccaneer Days" which celebrates the area's "discovery" and habitation by brigands and pirates in the 16th century. An odd thing to celebrate, in my view. I have fastidiously avoided the parade and all of its tentacles since moving here. People camp out for days along the parade route to "save their spots." They used to be able to mark their spots with tape or chalk. But then people started shooting each other in disputes over spots. This year there were armed robberies and drunken late night disputes among the "spot savers" so that practice will likely go by the wayside as well. What is wrong with people these days? The sociopaths seem to be either running for office or simply running amok.

Haha!

This is Reg at 7 am yesterday morning. Bob sent the picture and I exclaimed, "Are they going to make him sit there all morning?" No, they didn't. They got set up, then left for a while until it was closer to parade time. We appreciated the shade!

We have been trying to sit outside for a while each evening. I have finally resorted to my mom and dad's old pre-air conditioning trick. I fill a large tub with cold water from the hose and swish my feet in it. It's amazing how it cools you off. Try it.

My sweet husband turns 60 today. He made a face when I said it but I told him time marches on so turning 60 is better than not turning 60. Happy birthday, Regis!

man, it's a hot one

I love this version of Smooth.

Man it´s a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun


Tiffany is determined to go to the parade so I'm packing up the wagon with hats and sunscreen, a cooler with ice bags, frozen washcloths, and cold drinks. Reggie has a tent and blankets laid out by the community center so we'll have shade, but... Regis is going to drop us off as close to the appointed site as possible and we have an exit strategy if we need it. I feel like we're going to the damn desert on a mission.

Last night I watched The Last Waltz again. The Last Waltz was a concert by the rock group The Band, held on November 25, 1976.The Last Waltz was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert appearance" and the concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, Bobby Charles and Neil Young.  Here's the summary from IMDB. 

Thanksgiving, 1976, San Francisco's Winterland: the Band performs its last concert after 16 years on the road. Some numbers they do alone, some songs include guest artists from Ronnie Hawkins (their first boss, when they were the Hawks) to Bob Dylan (their last, when as his backup and as a solo group, they came into their own). Scorsese's camera explores the interactions onstage in the making of music. Offstage, he interviews the Band's five members, focusing on the nature of life on the road. The friendships, the harmonies, the hijinks, and the wear and tear add up to a last waltz. 

Great film.

Out into the inferno.

beastly hot

I wandered down town this morning (in my air conditioned car) to stop at River Rock and Ace Hardware. I bought a little chair for Elliot and a bag of charcoal. Good to get home to the cool.

Regis and I are heading to Mankato this afternoon. He has his stress test at the hospital and I am getting a hair cut and maybe making a stop at my favorite consignment store.

If we have time, we'll have a late lunch when he's done. Gus will be at the Paw.

Tom brought us their covered swing to borrow for Regis' recovery from knee surgery. It looks like this...without the lake. It's too hot and I'm too lazy to walk out to the patio to take my own picture.

Even in this heat, we like to sit on the patio every day. It's tolerable when there is a breeze, as there was last evening. Regis has a cold beer and a cigar and I have a glass of white wine on ice. It's lovely.

The dog days of summer. I'm trying to remember this for January. Sensory memory, right?

I have a book to recommend. It's called Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.

Here's a clip of the review on Amazon:

The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.
And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot—searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.
What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning fifty years and nearly as many lives. From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and his long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and his idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion—along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow. Gloriously inventive, constantly surprising, Beautiful Ruins is a story of flawed yet fascinating people, navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams.

 Tomorrow, we're celebrating Independence Day. Regis is foregoing the parade with his knees and the heat. Tiffany and I will join the other off-spring in the usual spot. Bob and Emily are having a gathering and we'll go there for a while. Tiffany is determined to have cheese curds at the park so if we can stand it, we'll make that foray. That will be about enough for me.

The next day is Regis' 60th birthday! We're going to celebrate in a minimal fashion, for us, by cooking a big ass steak on the grill, making a big salad, and sitting on the patio. Hey, it sounds like most of our days! I bought him a new bottle of Angel for Men which I think smells like sugar cookies. Remember the movie Michael? Cookies...aphrodisiac. Hahaha!

Happy and safe Independence Day if I don't get back here tomorrow!

sunday afternoon

Regis and I are galavanting around town this afternoon. We're headed out to the winery for the first meeting of the Wine Circle. Aha, but I am not sure drinking wine in this heat is advisable.

Elliot was here for a short time this morning while his mama worked. He helped me water the plants on the patio and we sat in Tom's swing for a while. It was too blasted hot to sit there for long.

Regis took Gus to the dog park early. Too hot to be out in the blistering sun...even for a dog.

It's Patrick's 24th birthday so we may have to stop down to say howdy.

It's my mom's birthday, too! Happy birthday, Mom!