The Weekend...
Well, I made it a point to stay away from the news this weekend. Once I figured out that that nutjob who claims to be responsible for the death of the little blond show girl didn't teach at Jake's school while he was in the Petaluma District, I had absolutely no interest in that story anyway.
And Jake spent the weekend in Petaluma with a friend of his. So it was just the wife and I.
On Friday we felt like going out and we went to the Robinson Rancheria Casino and Resort. It was a much better experience than the Twin Pines, or "The Tent" as Rachel has taken to calling it. Better food, for sure. No flies buzzing around. Nicer place, too, and they seem to draw some decent entertainment. Well, Styx was playing Saturday, anyway. Rachel started with $160 and I started with $140. The Wheel was not so kind. But they had a fun Dirty Harry slot. And Star Wars. Rachel did great on that one. I was up for a while, but, well, the force wasn't with me. She walked out with $550, and I walked out with her. Amazingly, she stayed awake the whole way home and we had a nice long talk about everything and nothing.
We also ventured guesses as to how the Clearlake area got to be so crappy. I mean, it's coming back, but you can tell at one time it was a pretty happening place with lots of tourists. My theory was people had vacation homes and then retired there on a fixed income. So it became a sleepy retirement town with not a lot of tourist dollars. Rachel speculated that there's been a combination of lifetyle changes - like people don't take a week or two off and go to the lake anymore - and that business owners didn't reinvest in keeping their places nice so people go elsewhere. But man, there's got to be a good 15 or 20 miles of lake front property there that is just beautiful. Unfortunately, the built the road right along the water. It makes for a pretty drive around sunset, but it seems like such a waste.
On Saturday we started the day with a hot tub. That was nice. Then we did a few chores around the house. I organized the pantry. There's still more to do, but it looks a lot better. And now I know I don't need to buy tuna fish, refried beans, soup, plastic bags, crackers, or tea for a very long time. And we finally got the dog food bin in the pantry instead of out in living room.
I've been meaning to do something about the pond area and started that project.
Here's the before...
And the after (finsihed today)...
I decided to build a wall and make a big flower bed. And man, it was frustrating trying to get the blocks level with the dual slope of the yard. I ended up using a bubble level on each block. I found I didn't have enough blocks once I started laying them out. And that meant a trip to Wal Mart for more and some dirt to fill it in. When we got back, I really didn't feel like unloading the dirt and blocks and haullingthem down to the yard. Plus the wheelbarrow had a flat and that meant lugging out the compressor and trying to pump up the tubeless tire - and that meant finding some cheap sunscreen or something to smear on it to get a seal. So we just sat down and had dinner and watched Brick. Good movie. I love that I really liked it and I can't seem to figure out why. Part of it was how when you're in high school all of the little dramas seem like lofe or death. Well, these high school dramas really ARE life and death. It was well acteed and visually very interesting. In the special features I learned that it's sort of an homage to Dashiell Hammett. And although I've never read any, I then recognized the style and it made a little more sense.
Oh, I made macaroni salad for the first time. It was yummy. I used a few too many onions, though. Then we tubbed again and wathced shooting stars. Then we went to bed and watched Saturday Night Live a little.
Today we started the day with a tub again, and then sat out catching some sun and reading. Did I mention I'm reading "The Omnivore's Dilema" and that it is fantastic? Do you think maybe the rise in cancer cases and things like 6 year olds getting ulcerative colitis might have something to do with how much petroleum goes in to growing corn and how that corn goes in to practically everything we eat? Anyway, then we did more chores. Rachel did laundry and tackled the bedroom. I fixed the wheelbarrow (didn't even need sunscreen, I got lucky and it caught and filled right up) and then lugged the dirt and blocks down the hill and around the way to the pond. I finished my little wall and then mowed the lawn. Then I noticed a bunch of wicked brown and dry spots, so I raked, seeded, and spread some soil over the seed. I didn't get around to planting anything yet, but here's what the pond looks like now...
I also cleaned the pond filter and skimmed it. I'm not sure what to plant in my new little bed there. I had some ideas, but Rachel pointed out that the plants I had in mind, like Kana or Foxglove, will grow tall and block the pond. So maybe I'll plant those behind it and put some succulents in there. I want some color, though. Something with some pop because the whole area is pretty plain. Any ideas Dolores or Laurie?
After that, I was BEAT in the more traditional slang sense of the word. Rachel was downstairs watching TV and I went up to fix something to eat. And then I was not happy with the way the kitchen looked so I got all motivated somehow and did this...
So that's done. And I went downstairs with my dinner and it was already 9:00. And Rachel was a little bummed out that I was gone so long. And I knew she would get over it when she saw the kitchen. And I was right. Anyway, we were flipping through the channels looking for something to watch and came across this show on Animal Planet that I think they made just for Rachel.
She was thrilled and laughed off and on through the whole show. I don't know what it is, but my wife is just kooky for meerkats. The show is narrated by Samwise and chronicles the daily life of a herd of meerkats. I used to like that guy, but after the last season of 24, uhhh, not so much. Wait a herd? Are they a clan? A tribe, perhaps? Anyway, I can see this taking the place of CSI and Law and Order Criminal Intent. It's like a reality show except the characters are weasels literally iinstead of figuratively. The only one I can recognize after two episodes is Flower, and that's only because she wears a radio collar. Other than that, I can't tell them apart. The lady at the zoo acted like she knew who was who, but I thought she was just making it up as she went along. But maybe after watching them for weeks at a time you notice differences. Anyway, it was fun watching that. Mostly it's fun for me to watch Rachel giggle.
Then Rachel went to bed, I took a hot tub and watched shooting stars. I saw a few run of the mill ones but then I saw this crazy one that looked like it split three ways and then shot back in the opposite direction. Oh, and I had my contact lenses in which proved to be much nicer than wearing glasses or seeing fuzzy dots.
And now I am upstairs blogging. It's after midnight, so the weekend is technically over. I'm gonna read the news a bit and head for bed. Thanks for stopping by and reading through this long post. See that little comments link down there? If you've got a minute, click on it and leave a comment. I love comments.
And Jake spent the weekend in Petaluma with a friend of his. So it was just the wife and I.
On Friday we felt like going out and we went to the Robinson Rancheria Casino and Resort. It was a much better experience than the Twin Pines, or "The Tent" as Rachel has taken to calling it. Better food, for sure. No flies buzzing around. Nicer place, too, and they seem to draw some decent entertainment. Well, Styx was playing Saturday, anyway. Rachel started with $160 and I started with $140. The Wheel was not so kind. But they had a fun Dirty Harry slot. And Star Wars. Rachel did great on that one. I was up for a while, but, well, the force wasn't with me. She walked out with $550, and I walked out with her. Amazingly, she stayed awake the whole way home and we had a nice long talk about everything and nothing.
We also ventured guesses as to how the Clearlake area got to be so crappy. I mean, it's coming back, but you can tell at one time it was a pretty happening place with lots of tourists. My theory was people had vacation homes and then retired there on a fixed income. So it became a sleepy retirement town with not a lot of tourist dollars. Rachel speculated that there's been a combination of lifetyle changes - like people don't take a week or two off and go to the lake anymore - and that business owners didn't reinvest in keeping their places nice so people go elsewhere. But man, there's got to be a good 15 or 20 miles of lake front property there that is just beautiful. Unfortunately, the built the road right along the water. It makes for a pretty drive around sunset, but it seems like such a waste.
On Saturday we started the day with a hot tub. That was nice. Then we did a few chores around the house. I organized the pantry. There's still more to do, but it looks a lot better. And now I know I don't need to buy tuna fish, refried beans, soup, plastic bags, crackers, or tea for a very long time. And we finally got the dog food bin in the pantry instead of out in living room.
I've been meaning to do something about the pond area and started that project.
Here's the before...
And the after (finsihed today)...
I decided to build a wall and make a big flower bed. And man, it was frustrating trying to get the blocks level with the dual slope of the yard. I ended up using a bubble level on each block. I found I didn't have enough blocks once I started laying them out. And that meant a trip to Wal Mart for more and some dirt to fill it in. When we got back, I really didn't feel like unloading the dirt and blocks and haullingthem down to the yard. Plus the wheelbarrow had a flat and that meant lugging out the compressor and trying to pump up the tubeless tire - and that meant finding some cheap sunscreen or something to smear on it to get a seal. So we just sat down and had dinner and watched Brick. Good movie. I love that I really liked it and I can't seem to figure out why. Part of it was how when you're in high school all of the little dramas seem like lofe or death. Well, these high school dramas really ARE life and death. It was well acteed and visually very interesting. In the special features I learned that it's sort of an homage to Dashiell Hammett. And although I've never read any, I then recognized the style and it made a little more sense.Oh, I made macaroni salad for the first time. It was yummy. I used a few too many onions, though. Then we tubbed again and wathced shooting stars. Then we went to bed and watched Saturday Night Live a little.
Today we started the day with a tub again, and then sat out catching some sun and reading. Did I mention I'm reading "The Omnivore's Dilema" and that it is fantastic? Do you think maybe the rise in cancer cases and things like 6 year olds getting ulcerative colitis might have something to do with how much petroleum goes in to growing corn and how that corn goes in to practically everything we eat? Anyway, then we did more chores. Rachel did laundry and tackled the bedroom. I fixed the wheelbarrow (didn't even need sunscreen, I got lucky and it caught and filled right up) and then lugged the dirt and blocks down the hill and around the way to the pond. I finished my little wall and then mowed the lawn. Then I noticed a bunch of wicked brown and dry spots, so I raked, seeded, and spread some soil over the seed. I didn't get around to planting anything yet, but here's what the pond looks like now...
I also cleaned the pond filter and skimmed it. I'm not sure what to plant in my new little bed there. I had some ideas, but Rachel pointed out that the plants I had in mind, like Kana or Foxglove, will grow tall and block the pond. So maybe I'll plant those behind it and put some succulents in there. I want some color, though. Something with some pop because the whole area is pretty plain. Any ideas Dolores or Laurie?
After that, I was BEAT in the more traditional slang sense of the word. Rachel was downstairs watching TV and I went up to fix something to eat. And then I was not happy with the way the kitchen looked so I got all motivated somehow and did this...
So that's done. And I went downstairs with my dinner and it was already 9:00. And Rachel was a little bummed out that I was gone so long. And I knew she would get over it when she saw the kitchen. And I was right. Anyway, we were flipping through the channels looking for something to watch and came across this show on Animal Planet that I think they made just for Rachel.
She was thrilled and laughed off and on through the whole show. I don't know what it is, but my wife is just kooky for meerkats. The show is narrated by Samwise and chronicles the daily life of a herd of meerkats. I used to like that guy, but after the last season of 24, uhhh, not so much. Wait a herd? Are they a clan? A tribe, perhaps? Anyway, I can see this taking the place of CSI and Law and Order Criminal Intent. It's like a reality show except the characters are weasels literally iinstead of figuratively. The only one I can recognize after two episodes is Flower, and that's only because she wears a radio collar. Other than that, I can't tell them apart. The lady at the zoo acted like she knew who was who, but I thought she was just making it up as she went along. But maybe after watching them for weeks at a time you notice differences. Anyway, it was fun watching that. Mostly it's fun for me to watch Rachel giggle.Then Rachel went to bed, I took a hot tub and watched shooting stars. I saw a few run of the mill ones but then I saw this crazy one that looked like it split three ways and then shot back in the opposite direction. Oh, and I had my contact lenses in which proved to be much nicer than wearing glasses or seeing fuzzy dots.
And now I am upstairs blogging. It's after midnight, so the weekend is technically over. I'm gonna read the news a bit and head for bed. Thanks for stopping by and reading through this long post. See that little comments link down there? If you've got a minute, click on it and leave a comment. I love comments.
posted by Eric Soderstrom at 12:30 AM
4 Comments:
ALright, here's a comment, comment beggar! I love your blog and look often for updates. On a productivity scale, I'd say that was a great weekend. Then adding meerkats, hottubs, the Rancheria, and sweet time with the Giggler, and UFO-like shooting stars - Heaven.
I read an interview with Michael Pollen, the author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma." Interesting guy. Someone whote to the editor with the following. I'm not a vegetarian, but I thought it was an interesting point: "Michael Pollan sounds like a USDA representative when he says we are 'designed' to eat meat. When was the last time he tried to take a bite out of the hindquarter of a steer? His teeth and jaws wouldn't even get through the hide. There is no other animal in nature that requires the external help humanity does to eat meat. We need to skin the animal, slice and dice or grind it, cook it, and perhaps tenderize it with chemicals, all before we eat it. Cats and coyotes are designed to eat meat, not man." Interesting perspective.
Begging for comments? I was just, you know, trying to foster discussion and a sense of community.
OK, I was begging.
I wonder about that whole meat eating bit - I mean, over the course of our evolution (assuming you have faith in evolution) we developed the tools and tricks to consume meat. That must have occured naturally as there was no Beef Industry telling us Beef is "what's for dinner" back then, right? Anyway - the book has me thinking about a lot of things, putting things together, taking them apart and then back together in my mind. I'm rethinking some things and almost had a vegetarian dinner the other night. I just had some left over chicken in the fridge I didn't want to go bad. For the past couple of weeks I've been having a fruit and yogurt shake for lunch every day. Same thing every day, pretty much, yogurt, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, a banana or two, and some juice (orange or grape). And I have to say I feel noticably better. It feels like pouring energy in to my body.
Anyway - by the time I finish the book, I'm sure I'll have a whole post or two on it and what it's done to me.
I love how books can change us.
Hey, Sweet Nephew--
Sounds like a great weekend! The pictures of the pond and the kitchen didn't come through, but the rest of the pictures did. ??? You've been very productive ove the weekend.
Uncle David is off backpacking. We get the results of his most recent tests on Friday. I hope I can then send out an update with positive results. You're right that it's been quiet -- last test wasn't so good.
Thinking of you with love.
XXOO from your (newly) 60 year old Auntie.
Thanks for stopping by, Auntie. And Happy Birthday. BTW - four years ago today you were in our front yard in Petaluma by the Tiki statue. It doesn't seem that long ago, does it?
Keep me posted on David's situation, please.
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