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October 29, 2004
Octobers End and more...
There's a commercial out there that drives me crazy...something on the idea that mom loves you; she takes the time (90 seconds) to make you microwave pancakes for breakfast. hhhmmm......we won't even get into the syrup issue. No, I realize not everyone would prefer real maple syrup...even *I* didn't grow up with that but it was special when we did get it.
I still like Halloween. I liked the idea of dressing up and roaming around in the dark when I was a kid. I really didn't care that much about the candy...well hell, back in MY day we got full size candy bars, none of these tiny bite sized things. I really didn't mind the Hershey bars or Snickers Bars; I would trade them for Three Musketeers or Mounds/Almond Joys. yum. Of course my real favorite was the bags of salted in the shell peanuts given out by that Gantly's down the street. I think they were bought from the Kiwanis club or something akin to that. I would trade all my candy for those peanuts. See that...I had a salt fetish as a child even!
At any rate, I think the thing I still like best about Halloween is the pumpkins and carving and scooping out the guts and separating the seeds for (salting) and roasting. The only thing that tops that was putting the candles in and lighting them up. Yup...there's that interest in things that flame from long ago too. I used to use the charred inside top of the pumpkin for putting hobo soot on my face when I made my costume...hobo, clown hobo..whatever. I just put on lots of old baggy clothes and my brothers boots, some face soot and a floppy hat...alllll done. ...and I really liked checking out all the jack o'lanterns. I think I may need to carve one this weekend even though Maura told me they had a kitty and a monster pumkins. She also told me she was going on a hayride to a pumpkin patch Wednesday. Wow..her first field trip.
Yup...going over to see the critters this weekend before heading home to VT. Somewhere along the way, I have to decide for whom I'm going to vote......sigh. It's not easy, it's not right/left, good/evil. I think there should be a none of the above category..go back to the drawing board and come up with better candidates and don't take so damn long to get on with it either. We really should be able to have better candidates than these two......
Happy Halloween...don't forget to set your clocks back Saturday night. Spring ahead, Fall back, ya know.
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Posted by frani at 07:46 AM | Comments (2)
October 28, 2004
Ta da!
The Red Sox Won! The Red Sox Won! Pretty darn exciting...couldn't believe what I was seeing last night...history in the making. Ok Ok, so in the larger scheme of things it isn't earth shattering history but try to tell that to a diehard Boston Red Sox fan right about now.
I had also had to keep getting up to peek out the door at the lunar eclipse and it's progress last night...what a geek..it was beautiful too.
Sometimes I think I'm sooooooooo cosmopolitan flitting about the world, "jet-setting" here or there. Other times I'm brought crashing to earth when I can't seem to communicate with people and get a wire transfer of funds to another country. Why is it, the 20 something assistant bank manager can hold up a process becasue she can't seem to glean the information she needs from information given and instead of trying to find out from a source more knowledgeable she dismisses me? Maybe it would have been esaier to fly to Germany and hand over some money and get my goods, huh? BUT...this way I can feel good knowing I helped educate someone.....and for this *I* was charged a $30 fee. Hrumph.
My car speaks to me: checking......Test brakes......fill coolant fluid and other pesky missives. The other day it wanted me to replace key lock battery and yesterday, it reported front headlight failure. Good Lord, is it too much to expect some sort of thank you at least when I attend to these tasks? I'm worried my car is about to turn into some form of Little Shop of Horrors and start demanding : FEED ME!!
I'm going to go investigate the insides of the fridge now.........have a fine evening all.
Posted by frani at 03:58 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2004
Total Eclipse of the Moon
Coffee of the day is Papua New Guinea Kimel Plantation ( "a bright lively cup with marmalade, tropical fruit, malt, medium body" - Tom)
So I go the following email from my friend, Chuck, yesterday:
The total lunar eclipse on Wednesday will take place during World Series
>game 4.
>This is the first time a total lunar eclipse has occurred during a World
>Series game.
>Could this be an omen for the Red Sox?
>
>For what it is worth, the next time a total lunar eclipse might be
>anticipated to occur during a World Series game will not be until the night
>of October 29-30, 2050.
Total eclipse starts at 10:23 pm and ends at 11:45pm ... works for me, Boys. I can't ask for a better omen. Now then poor Erika worried that once the curse is broken, what will they do..What will they do? ( said in my best Karl Malden voice) The Boston fans need that common hope and dream. Well suh, all I kin tell ya is if they only win the series by a total lunar eclipe, we'll have to wait another 46 years...
I believe.
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Posted by frani at 09:13 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2004
Monday mind purge...
I thought I was beyond all this....
...BUT I want blog traffic........sigh.
Coffee of the day was Hawaiian...I think I brewed it too weak.
Went to visit a friend in Groton Long Point for lunch. As her mother's estate's executrix, she is in the process of selling the "family" vacation home. Anyone want a nice little place on the water? It used to be her grandparent's..then her parent's...now the 4 siblings need to sell. It was still pleasant sitting on the porch watching a blimp fly over the water...even in October.
Looking at all the political signs all over the lawns as I drive around makes me wonder how much money could be saved and spent elsewhere...I really don't care to know who some random person supports....I guess they really support the local landfills; those signs go somewhere Nov 3rd..don't they?
Yea! I only had one annoying left lane hog on the drive down to New London yesterday. Homeland Scutiny (checkpoint on I-91 just south of White River Junction in VT)had one lane of traffic tied up while they chatted with a driver...as my lane was waved through, I decided to glance at who was just so "interesting" being interviewed at the checkpoint. He was Asian with NY plates. Maybe the point was he was a Yankees fan on his way home from Fenway but still in Boston Nation...please. I felt angry for him...and me. Ok Ok...I know he would have been traveling a round about way to get to NY but I can hope there was a logical reason for their chatting with him.
The Leaf Peepers are gone so traffic was relatively light and with the sun shining there was still some great foliage viewing to be had. I noticed some Canada Geese flying south over head at home before we left. Brought to mind the age old question of why the V formation of ducks/geese may appear to be uneven....it's because one line has more ducks/geese in it than the other. Lame. Sorry.
I think there ought to be a noise/nuisance ordiance concerning the starting of a disel powered truck at 4-5am within my earshot. I guess I don't mind if I'm already awake, but this morning it woke me from a very deep sleep...it seemed to drag the sleep right out of me from the very depth of my toes on up to the hair follicles on my head. I never did get back to sleep before having to get up at 6am. Hrumph...he was back here by 8:30 too...and he needed to go out then, why?
So what sounds annoy you????? ( taking page from other bloggers)
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Posted by frani at 04:45 PM | Comments (4)
October 22, 2004
iRoasting......
So I was running low on roasted beans once I emptied the Zimbabwe AA - Salimba into the hopper this morning. I don't know about this 2 cup amount of "leftovers" butI have enjoyed quite a selection of roasts this week though. Anyway, I decided I had better roast up some for the weekend but it was getting a tad bit chilly outside. of course it has nothing to do with MY comfort, mind you...it's not good for the roasting to have it too cold. Greg has plans to mount a hood in the basement and vent it out but he hasn't had a whole lot of time. Soooooooo, I bought some flexible tubing and vented it through the downdraft of my cooktop. Hey it's not pretty or quiet but it works.
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Posted by frani at 08:31 AM | Comments (5)
October 20, 2004
Go Red Sox!
I know, I know...my family is likely to call 911 to report their missing mother...figure some sports nut has her held captive in the basement and posting on her blog...BUT, it's me and yes I watched last night's match up too! I'm really thrilled for the Sox..they did it! Actually, it was made all the more sweet by the fact they beat the Yankees..IN New York and after they did stuff like this:"The Yankees invoked all the bad memories they could for Boston before the game: Dent threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Yogi Berra, and Reggie Jackson stood behind the cage during batting practice"
Neener, neener.......such babies. snort...ahem.
Moving right along.......coffee of the day: Nicaragua CoE#14 and Brazil Cup of Excellence. I just may have to raost some beans before Greg gets home; I seem to be running low.
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Posted by frani at 10:36 AM | Comments (4)
October 19, 2004
someone has been forraging........
So I thought I'd liven up the place with a few festive seasonal touches. I went into my "craft room", got out some candles and leaf shaped plates. Saw the Indian corn thingie laying there and thought wow..i forgot about that...that would look nice on the kitchen door.................NOT
Someone has been storing up for the winter on my nickel.
Maybe this explains why Knoel has been staking out the dark room..maybe he caught the thief! Maybe not.........
Posted by frani at 02:53 PM | Comments (2)
This and that revisited
Coffee(s) of the day is Puerto Rico Yaucco Selecto, moving onto to Australia Mountain Top. A variety was roasted and ground to take to Nowhere, NY for his customers...I get to keep the leftovers. Nice selection to amuse my palate all week.
There was a layer of frost on everything this morning....damn that's cold when the mind still thinks all you need to go out is a sweater. At this rate I might just skim over the fall/spring jacket phase and launch right into the dreaded winter coat! At least I am amused by uncovering all my quirky socks and their mates. Eureka! Maybe I should get a sock bin...yeah and keep them all neatly rolled and color co-ordinated or better yet by season or holiday or ..or...whoa, hold on there, Missy...one just might think I had tooooo much time on my hands. I know they go into that drawer in pairs; I wonder what goes on in there...secret life of socks; I know they have one.
Speaking of Sox...those Boston boys never fail to disappoint! Really, think about it...even if, er um I mean when they disappoint they really really leave quite a tale, don't they? Longest game (by time) in recorded history? I watched it...really I did...ok...from the 7th inning on. My goodness, the Fans...those diehards had so many parts crossed for good luck, I'm sure it took hours after the game to get everyone sorted out. If these boys were to ever win the whole thing...this would be the way they would go about it...one excruciating inning after another. Go Red Sox....
My "baby" turned 27 yesterday.......whew....I think I am okay though as long as he is still in his 20s. Yes, I have a 20something year old, we don't have to mention he's in his "late 20s" though. ooo ooo, on the same note, I can say his brother is in his early 30s...that doesn't sound nearly as bad to me as his real age. Happy Birthday, Morgan!
So, I guess I'll just take my mid(age) self and get some stuff done around here today. Purge some clothes to make room for more...I mean, change out the closets for the season.
Posted by frani at 08:05 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2004
Of turkey and apples.....
Coffee of the day: Uganda Sipi Falls...I LIKE those African coffees still.
Last night we had our friends Neal and Alice over..we made some Maragogype in the vacuumn pot...soooo good and entertaining to watch as well. This site explains the method; our pot is similar looking. Hehehe...remember those days before TV when you sat around watching the clothes wash in the front loader? Ok Ok...this was way more entertaining.
Equally entertaining:I fried a turkey for dinner last night. A few tips on using the outdoor cooker/fryer....turn up the flame high enough to heat the pot of peanut oil during this calendar quarter. Calculate cooking time accurately to ensure thorough cooking...bloody turkey is not attractive. When returning partially cooked turkey to the fryer, be sure not to over cook ..those legs are rather tender...or could have been. It also might help if it was not windy and/or raining and be sure you keep a flashlight handy as time goes on and it gets dark out. Keep snacks available to keep friends' children from mutiny; remind them you have cable TV. pppsssttt..they live in the boonies with no cable and no sattelite. Yea me, what a hero! All in all a pleasant evening..we haven't seen them in a very long time.
Sunday morning observation: The apple pie I bought at the grocery store yesterday doesn't taste like MY apple pie. As a matter of fact it doesn't even taste like any apple pie I have ever had before. However, it doesn't keep me from being a true Yankee..eating apple pie for breakfast. Umm..it "says" it's apple pie.
Definition of a "Yankee"
How does it go?
To the world, a yankee is an American
To them a yankee lives north of the Mason Dixon line
To them a yankee lives in New England
To them a yankee lives in Vermont
To them a yankee lives north of Rutland
To them a yankee lives in the North East Kingdom
To them a yankee eats pie for breakfast.
Something like that....and this is NOT apple pie.
Posted by frani at 08:20 AM | Comments (3)
October 14, 2004
coffee..more coffee
So a few years ago, while in the Phoenix area on business, my husband took me to a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. Yeah, I fell into the stereotype of fearing dog for lunch but quickly was ashamed and had a delicious shrimp and noodle dish. Along with this, I ordered an iced coffee. Little did I know, I had ordered a little bit of heaven.
For years I have raved about this concoction...an individually brewed coffee into what appeared to be an inch or two of custard at the bottom of the cup. Then this was poured over ice in another glass; it was awesome. Greg's coffee group was discussing just this very thing recently, so of course, he knew I'd be interested in the topic. What a guy, he had already ordered two of the coffee brewers (and recipe) by the time he told me about it. Now I can't wait to try to make one!
BTW, I've been neglectful in my coffee of the day reports again. We've also been just drinking the Nicaraguan Maragogype down here this week as well. What can I say, I like it and I had it available for brewing. Maybe tomorrow I'll brew up some Sipi Falls beans...umm from ..um...I can't remember. Someplace in Africa I think...another Kenyan maybe? Mind like a seive....
We watched the debates last night. Sigh...I'm still undecided since neither of them thrill me that much. Dont' tell me what you think about your opponent and put your own spin on his "record"..tell me what you really think and what you are really going to do about something. Just don't tell me you are going to do something or you'd do something different or that what your opponent would do, does or does not work. They can pull all the numbers and facts and percentages they want out of their collective um..places..but it tells me nothing other than they know how to manipulate the "numbers" to suit their needs. Do they all think we are all that stupid? I certainly hope not.
I'm not happy with neither Bush or Kerry and I can't support the platforms of either party completely either....what to do, what to do? At least I won't have to get an absentee ballot this year.
Sigh...it's sooooooooooo hard to be a New Englander during baseball playoffs...dare I hope the Red Sox make some kind of a showing? Why do they do it???? Why do they make it to the playoffs and then shoot themselves in the foot?? Good grief....ahem...not that I really ever watch baseball or am a real fan or anything but I can't help but pay attention.
Think I'll just go make some corn bread to go with our chili tonight..good old rainy autumn day.
Posted by frani at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2004
Back In New London..
I'm still riding on that time warp wave...waking up not knowing where I am or where I've been. Traveling from Brazil to Vermont to Connecticut in just a few days is mind boggling when you think about it. Anyway, I loved walking on the beach and was mesmerized by the lines the incoming waves left each time...
Horsing around in Brazil:I mentioned we (9 of us tag-a-longs in Brazil) rode horses around the resort and up to the waterfall again. Yes we had a couple of guides with us...someone who could rescue us when our horses ran amok or in some cases rescue the horses from us. I had not been on a horse in about 40 years or more so my skills were limited. Many of the other equestrians had never sat a horse before...ever. I was comfortable with my horse...I knew enough to let him know I was in charge but not a tyrant; I let him chew on the tree while we waited for the rest to get saddled up. I had tears running down my face laughing as a few horses took their riders for a stroll through the neighboring condo flower gardens...munching on tastey morsels. Many of the horses had favorite partners or pecking orders; my horse didn't like to be boxed in, especially from behind. It didn't take long for the word to get out that my horse kicked tailgaters. Anita didn't believe my horse was merely smiling at her and wanted a close up look at her watch...it was true! Well *I* liked my horse even if no one else did. I could get used to horseback riding...umm, once the bruises on my backside heal that is.
Security: Sigh...I was mortified, embarrassed...wanting to become a Canadian Citizen. I had already forgotten how normal people navigate airport screening..put your stuff on the belt and go through. No shoe removal..no laptop removals in Sao Paulo before connecting with out flight to Rio de Janeiro. HOWEVER, on our return flight home we again had to make a connecting flight in Sao Paulo and since our first plane was making a stop in Los Angeles on it's way to Japan, it was subject to United States Security procedures. First we had to undergo luggage scrutiny before check-in because we were going to the US. Then going down the jetway, everyone was stopped for personal scrutiny with the body wands. Then further scrutiny of carry on baggage was conducted...for everyone boarding this flight on a 767 please! Basically it was done again once we had transferred to our flight to JFK except the carry-on search was spot scrutiny; I got it again. Since the flights were late to begin with, this delay didn't help; this also gave the Brazillian airline a valid excuse for the delays: US Security screenings. Color me red. Having Homeland Scrutiny affect your life in your own country is annoying...having it affect one in a foreign country is embarrassing. ....and noooooooo, no one is any "safer" for any of it. There is no such thing as "safe"...never was and never will be.
Ok Ok...enough ranting....more to come as I think of it.
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Posted by frani at 08:21 AM | Comments (2)
October 09, 2004
Brazil Highlights
We're Home from Brazil!! We survived the 10 hour layover at Dulles before our 9 hour flight to Rio di Janeiro...we slept reasonably well on the plane. Our pickup driver was waiting for us at the wrong terminal so we missed lunch at a Brazillian BBQ type place similar to the one we went to in Richmond VA...only authentic! We didn't miss the tour to H. Stern Jewelry factory though...umm...they will actually drive anyone and their brother sister uncle cousin to their factory tour and back again; it's just part of their marketing scheme. One gets a 10 minute tour and a hard sell for as long as you can take it. "soooo, what gems would madame be interested in viewing...." Ok Ok...I was totally interested in the jewelry and especially the sapphire watches and how they are made ( man-made sapphire hollowed out with the watch face embedded within) Ahem...this is MY sapphire watch!!
So I bet you are wondering about the waterfall....this was on the hotel property. Monday morning a few of us (me red shirt)walked up to the falls...then in the afternoon we took a train to the falls...then Wednesday morning we rode horses to the falls. Getting a feeling there was not a variety of things to do especially if it was cloudy and or rainy? Another group of us went out on a snorkeling trip; the 3 hr adventure was nice since it was sunny, but the snorkeling was disappointing since there was very little to see without coral or rocks to attract the fish. Saw some huge starfish and sand dollars though which was exciting enough.
The food was tastey..I could get used to having fresh papaya; after the firsat day the restaurant staff tried to supply translations of the dishes, "meat with bacon" was bacon wrapped beef tenderloins. Strangely enough the coffee was not that great and sometimes even hard to find. I did however develop a taste for espresso.
This is definitely a country of the haves and have nots. Many of the buildings look like bomb sites...shells of buildings, sites stopped mid-construction and life goes on around them. A lot of the poverty ridden shacks however have sattelite dishes on them though. We traveled along the Green Coast by bus from Rio de Janiero to Angra dos Reis where the resort was located...beautiful coastline and mountainsides. Many people had horses for transportation...they were just sort of tied up or wandering around wherever there was some grass for them to munch on. One was even seen in the median of the exit ramp off a highway into the airport in Rio! Strange. We didn't go up to the top of Sugar Loaf since it was raining, although the people who did go said it turned out to be "ok". We went to a local flea market in Ipanema instead which proved to be reasonably interesting. We bough a couple of hemp bags with "Feira Hippie de Ipanema" printed on them.
This is about all I can muster up for now...I must shower and get off to the post office for goodies we need to pick up.
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Posted by frani at 08:51 AM | Comments (4)