It's baseball - where's Spring?

Jake's first game was today.

I thought we were bundled up enough, but MAN! it was cold. I had to run home for a blanket and heavier jackets. I also grabbed an umbrella, just in case. And we were glad I did. Here's Rachel saying, "What took you so long! I'm freezing!"


Jake played well enough. Got the bat on the ball and hustled. His team got clobbered, though. A really bad first inning, I'm told. I was on the blanket run and missed it. Ten runs or something. But after that, they played great - scored some runs, and even had a 1-2-3 inning. They lost the first inning and won the next four.

Here's the hard part for me - Jake's team is the (frigging) Yankees. And I kept trying to cheer for them, but I just can't bring myself to say it. "Let's go Yan...Ya...Y...um...Let's go you guys!"

I try to say it, but it just sticks in my throat. Especially sitting on the sidelines in my Red Sox jacket. It's gonna be a long season.

At least there's not a kid named "Stanford" on the team.

As I type this, Jonathan Papelbon is about to shut down the Yankees for a save in the 9th. Sorry Glenn. OK, I'm not really sorry. Not at all. But I do like you a lot.

Here's dinner tonight.

That's basically a Thai Coconut Curry dish. In there is green beans, potatoes, peas, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and chicken. Everything but the potatoes were quickly stir fried and then added to the mix. It's all just simmering now. I'm gonna go boil up some noodles and get to eating in front of the fire Rachel built. That's right, I cook, she builds the fire. I'm hoping the spice of the curry and warmth of the food and the fire will take this chill off.

Jeter just struck out on a 98 mph fast ball. I kind of hope he walks Abreu so he can strike out A-Rod. But no. He flies out to Coco.

7-5 is your final.

And tomorrow we're throwing DICE-K!!!! Sorry Glenn. OK, I'm not sorry. Not at all.

Where's that broom of mine?

And then on Sunday...

You know, after Brad's party. A few short hours after I got to sleep after the drive home on Saturday night, Paul and Lauren called to drop by on their way home from a camping trip. Otherwise I would have slept 'til Noon or later. And they brought a gi-normous sandwich with them. You know, for us to eat. So I didn't have to cook anything. But I did make Rachel a veggie sandwich.

And then we tubbed and sat outside.



You know, because it was sunny out.


And then I had a nice nap in the hammock.

[Insert Mental Picture Here]

You know, because I didn't get much sleep. Because of Brad's party and all.

And Paul and I played some pool because his back is feeling better. And I think I even won a game or two. But probably one.

Also, we planted roses all along the rocks out back a while ago. There are three plants that we planted last year. Well, we planted 4, but 1 died. And we bought a whole bunch more and planted them. They probably won't bloom until next year. But the three from last year are doing great. It finally occurred to me that, duh, deer won't come in the yard to eat my roses. At least I don't think they will.



The first one popped this week.


So we'll see.

Peacock Post...

If only I could get Sigourney Weaver to narrate. He put on quite a show for us today. It must have gone on for 45 minutes. The pea hens were up on the roof and, well, it's Spring. He made the strangest noises and did this crazy feather ruffle that sounded like wind, and then he started picking htings up and throwing them around and pecking at the hose. It was bizzarre and beautiful. And he's gotten so used to me, he did all this five feet away from me sitting on the bench out front.

Click on the picture to play the video...



The chicks came down from the roof. Pun intended there. But they gave our poor peacock no play. They acted aloof and munched on some bird seed. And then flew up on the roof again. He kept at it, like I said, for 45 minutes or so. And the chicks would come back, and eat some more, and leave again. Eventually they headed off up the street.

I felt so bad for him. It reminded me of me from adolescence to age 32 or so.

Maybe he should get a Corvette.

Ronolulu?

That's got to be Ron Salz, the finest Hall Coordinator Griffiths Hall has ever known, right? Well, more level headed than Hollyanne, anyway. But not as cute.

Scott told me he ran in to you at a conference. The world ain't so big, is it?

I asked him if you laughed hard when Scott told you he was my roommate in my second year at Griffiths. He says you did.

Give me a call or send me an e-mail. esoder(at)commtechpros(dot)com

Brad's Birthday Party...

Well, I got over my agoraphobia long enough to head down to San Francisco with Rachel last Saturday to attend a birthday party for our friend Brad. If you ever need health insurance, either for yourself, your family, or for a small to medium sized company, you can't go wrong with Brad's company, All Pointe Insurance. He took good care of all of us at CommTech.

We had a great time. I spent the morning making cookies and a Cookie Monster cutout...



Brad asked me to make my Triple Chocolate Disaster Cookies, and you know, since it was his birthday and all, how could I say 'no.' Plus I'm always a bit flattered when someone asks me to make something for them that I've made before. More on the cookies and the Cookie Monster cutout later in this post.

We first dropped Jake off for a visit with his Dad. We then headed on over to our old house on Western. As we sat there, pulled over, reminiscing about the great times and wedding we had there, our old neighbors and landlords pulled up. So we chatted with them for a bit. Then we had dinner at Velasco's to the sounds of live music. Then it was down the 101, over the bridge, out 19th avenue and then on the phone with Brad to talk us in. That's because I forgot the directions at home and MapQuest was just spitting out a bunch of inane twists and turns that made no sense on my cell phone.

Well, we finally got there, and it was great to see Brad again. It had been far too long. It was a little weird, though, because he was the only person we knew at the party. There was nobody there from previous parties - no Tattoo & Tequila people, no SSG people, and not even any Shinteki people. And instead of chips and salsa, Tombstone pizza, beer, and too sweet margaritas, it was vegetarian lasagna, some sort of crab dip, and many bottles of really good wine. It was like...well, like a grown up party. Hell, there was even a plate of cheese, crackers, grapes and figs. F-ing FIGS!!! Figs, I tell you! It was weird. Add to that the place was the nicest house I've ever been inside of in San Francisco, aside from my Aunt Ellen and Uncle Bob's house. It's tastefully decorated, nice furniture, views, a deck and a hot tub, to boot. It was a little weird.

Brad was the same old Brad, and that's great news, but it was like he was living in a whole new world. Rachel and I felt a little strange, and I commented to her that despite the clothes she'd picked out for me to wear, I wasn't quite hip enough for this scene. But I think that was just me being self conscious and not getting out enough because before long I found myself talking with everybody and having a good time. Rachel did the same, and she's not as comfortable meeting new people as I am. So we started having fun.

Now, I'm not sure where the wheels came off, but the evening definitely devolved.

This great friendly human and cute as a button young woman with a smile too big for her face, a voice too big for her size, and wonderful rhythm guitar skills showed up with her Martin. Martin being her guitar, not Shinteki Martin who showed up later. Her name is Genna and she plays and sings in a band called "Fiction Like Candy." At some point, I realized that I had forgotten my camera in the car and put my coat on to go get it. A woman named Elise caught me by the arm and said, "You might want to wait a little while before you leave because Genna is going to play for us." I explained that I was just going to get my camera.

And with my camera, I took this picture...

and this one...



and this one...



I didn't take this one...



But I did take this...


and this...


and this...


What? It's a picture of the fire pit and she just happened to be standing there. OK, she was actually showing us how her jeans got wet when she was down by the hot tub. You know, the hot tub, where a lot of people ended up. And then somebody decided it was too hot in the hot tub, much like James Brown's celebrity hot tub party. Well, too hot for people who had consumed so much fine wine, anyway. So somebody got the hose out. And from there, well, things just got sillier - like I said, they devolved. Somewhere, the wheels came off, somewhere between the figs and the 35th bottle of wine.

I did a little bottle counting as we cleaned up a bit before leaving.

Before that, we all listened politely to Genna's performance. And then the dogs started getting silly - tear assing around with raw hide bones. And then the lights went out and the bass started thumping. Rachel and I went outside for a while and I tended the fire in the fire pit. And eventually Martin and another Rachel we knew and Nick, Brad's old roommate showed up. And we had a good long talk about this and that and politics and conspiracies and foreign policy and literature. And this cool guy named, I think Mason, put on The Gourds version of Gin And Juice and I danced and sang along. 'Cuz it's hard bein' Snoop D-O double 'G.' I think he was also responsible for the boob picture above. Although he says she took the picture herself. And then came the original Snoop Dogg version and I dug it a bit before we headed back out to the fire pit, pausing only to catch a few minutes of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon playing on Brad's wall sized screen.

You know, for atmosphere.

The thing is, when I first got there, I felt like a total dork with my plate of cookies and Cookie Monster cutout. It would have fit right in back at Tattoo and Tequila II or even III. But I stuck it out and made some new friends (Genna's my newest MySpace buddy) and heard some great music and we ended up having a lot of fun. And by the 4:00 in the morning or so, it had gotten a little weirder than I was prepared for. And I really enjoyed keeping my wits about me as the evening got more and more interesting.

I think it was about perfect for me between 12:45 and 3:15. The cookie monster cutout didn't seem so silly once all of the figs were gone.

And we ended up giving a ride home to a woman who arrived in some stunning shoes and left barefoot wearing a robe. And she gave us perfect directions to get back on 280 and head home.

Which we did.

And Rachel promptly fell asleep.

The drive home was uneventful save for some jerk of a Napa Sheriff who tailgated me and almost rear ended me when I slowed to 40 - after the sign that said "Reduced Speed Ahead" and the next one that said "SPEED LIMIT 40 mph." I signaled and pulled over to either get it over with (I had two glasses of wine over the course of the evening and a lot of water) or let him pass. He passed and flashed his lights trying to say either, "Thanks for pulling over kind citizen," or "You're lucky I didn't pull you over asshole." I flashed my brights at him trying to say either, "You're welcome, officer, thanks for keeping us safe," or "Fuck you, you're just the kind of asshole cop my Dad and Godfather warned me about."

He kept on going, so I think we can assume the former sentiment in both cases.

But what about that weird picture of the lights?

I'm glad you asked! Check this out...



How cool is that? That's a light up hula hoop. And I want one. And I'm a Taurus. (Hint hint)

(Update - nevermind on the hula hoop. It's $220 plus shipping. I mean, it's cool, but not really that cool.)

So yeah, we had a blast. And Brad's party gave me, what I think, is a great idea. We have lots of talented friends. I want to throw an all day sort of creative festival of a party. Maybe Genna would come. And maybe I could get Ted to play and sing, too. And maybe they'd even play a duet. And maybe Betsy could bring some prints to display. And Paul could do card tricks and play cricket or beat everyone at pool. Oh! Or maybe Karaoke? And Lauren could do weird contortionist things that make me giggle a little. I don't think Laurie could fit her piano in her truck, but maybe we could find a keyboard? And If Scott and Kimra have moved back by then, they could play any of several instruments. And we'll have the party here so I don't have to drive and can drink just enough beer to think I can play and sing or something.

Thoughts on this idea?

Grubbin'

It's been a while since I hit you with a recipe.

I made this last night...

We ate it again tonight.

Rice subtly flavored with garlic, onions, and Teryaki sauce. Stir fry vegetables with multi-colored carrots, asparagus (finally in season and no longer $8.99/lb), onions, garlic, fresh ginger, and red and white cabbage - all quickly fried in sesame oil , seasoned with a little salt, a little pepper, a little soy sauce, and a little Chinese five spice, then sort of steamed out in vegetable broth, slightly thickened with corn starch. And then there's the beef with string beans. Neat trick - I blanched the string beans first and put them in ice water. I marinated the beef strips in rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic for about two hours. Then I cooked the meat, drained the fat, and then re-oiled the pan and fried the beans quickly over high heat. Then I pushed the beans up the side, added some chicken broth and corn starch to make a sauce. When the beans were done, I mixed it all together and added back the drained meat. Vegetarians and Meatasaurusses were all pleased.

And Another...

From April 12th...

Kurt Vonnegut, Novelist Who Caught the Imagination of His Age, Is Dead at 84

So it's not news anymore. I am surprised and a little disappointed that it was just a blip in the news. I mean, Anna Nicole was hot and all, but I'd rather have an afternoon walk with Kurt than, well, you know, if I was single and all.

There are a lot of writers whose work I really like. I love Kerouac and the whole Beat scene, and I dig Robert Anton Wilson, and Maxine Hong Kingston, and I had a big Mark Leyner phase, and a Will Self phase, and I buy every McSweeney's and really enjoy Dave Eggers and all he does, and Italo Calvino, and I have six pages left in Pynchon's Against The Day - But I never wish I could write like any of them. I know as a writer you are supposed to find your own voice and all. But I must confess, I wish I could write like Kurt more than any other writer I've read.

Here's a picture of our upstairs bookshelf...

There's some Vonnegut on the left. There's a 1st edition second printing of Breakfast Of Champions. I'm gonna have to go back and read some of those.

Also in this picture, you'll see Robert Anton Wilson on the left side of the upper right visible shelf. There's some other neat things to see. I think the picture will get bigger if you click on it. Anyway - There's the "I Like You" book Travis gave me. On the right side of the upper left shelf you will see both Glenn's "Everybody Moos At Cows" and Alberto's "WYAHANGA" - both signed by the artist.

On the bottom left of the picture, you can see the top of a Cliff's Notes. That's Cliff's Notes for The New Testament. I think that's funny.

Anyway, bye Kurt. Sorry to see you go. I wish I could have met you or heard you read. And I promise I will forever correct anyone who still thinks you wrote that commencement speech about using more sunscreen.

Jake took 3rd place today...

He lost his first match by two points. I got there just in time for his second match and walked in to see him throw a perfect head and arm and pin his opponent.

Sorry for the crummy picture, the lights in the gym make my camera go crazy.

Pictures at last...

I bought a nifty little Universal (almost) USB Adapter. So I'm able to get pictures off of my camera again.

Here's a few shots of the progression of the Hotel Yorba Courtesy Car...























































We had a lot of fun working on it. And we learned some stuff about electricity getting those lights to work. I still don't understand how it works, but when you ground to the negative battery terminal, it makes your lights work when you turn them on and prevents smoking wires when you turn them off. We got a few things off of eBay, a bunch of rattle cans, and the body and better parts off of the second cart we bought. Rachel and Lauren took it for a spin around the neighborhood and someone commented that it was "beautiful." I don't know if it's quite that - Jake and I tend to see every mistake we made, but it is unique around here, and it looks a lot cooler than it did when we bought it.

Here's the best picture anyone's taken of the neighborhood peacock...























Jake got that one.


Here's Glenndale Beach before...
















...and after...

















...and my legs after the first weedwhacking session of Spring...
















Brianna came up for a visit a few weeks ago...




...and she brought Laurie with her...






My Grandfather Babe told me a joke once.

Q: How do you get an Italian to quit talking?
A: Tie her hands.

We had a nice relaxing weekend. I could use another one of those.

Things have been crazy busy. The power plant is coming on line within days, so Rachel has been busy. Jake got slammed with allergies as it turns out, which necessitated a couple of trips to Kaiser. Jake is wrapping up wrestling while starting baseball. Today, he goes from school, to a wrestling tournament, and then to baseball practice, then home for homework. Work's been busy for me. Does anyone get this joke? "Oh, see the text to speech engine failed to speak because of an invalid MIME-type." Nope. Just me and Tim. Cuz will say he gets it, but as a PM, he doesn't really.

That's it for now. More to come sooner than you might think.