Saturday, September 29, 2018

The Captain Returns

After two-and-a-half years, David Wright returned to Citi Field to play (part of) a game with the Mets.

I got chills after he was announced; later I cried--several times.

David didn't have a cinema-type of send-off: no home-run, no winning RBI. But he went out as a winner.

We've missed the Captain. Hope to see him again soon.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Happy Birthday Jeff!

We didn't go out on Jeff's birthday. Saw images and read stories about flash floods and traffic trouble. I made a salad and we got sandwiches and fries delivered from Blue Cactus, comforted that we're close to the highest point in town.

So we headed to Sono on Wednesday night. First stop: Iron Brewery for a beer sampler and nachos. We liked the beer, the nachos were just okay. For dinner, we went to Mecha Noodle Bar. I wasn't so sure about the selection. But it was Jeff's birthday; it's only fair that we go to his choice.

I was pleasantly surprised. We shared a pork belly appetizer and both ordered phos. The broth was delicious. I'll happily return.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

30: Anniversary Getaway

Monday the 17th was our 30th wedding anniversary. Jeff and I didn't have a lot of time or money for an elaborate or exotic trip. We could return to Interlaken Inn. We've spent more getaway anniversaries at Interlaken than any other spot.This was our second visit with Lola; she loves it. 

We hit a few snags on Sunday and arrived much later than planned. We hit several rainstorms on our way home. We didn't get to hike. Our anniversary day itself was great. We started with a breakfast with made-to-order omelettes. In Millerton, NY, we took a long walk on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, then tasted tea at Harney's, and checked out the Antique Center.

We had lunch al fresco at Picante's South West Mexican Drill in Lakeville, then headed north on Route 7 for tastings at the Berkshire Mountain Distillers and then Berkshire Brewing Company. Back at Interlaken, we walked down to the lakeshore and around Sunnyside, before heading to dinner at Morgan's. 

A wonderful day.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Books 10.5 through 13

10.5 King Arthur The Man and the Legend Revealed by Mike Ashley

11.  The Cabinet of the Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

12. Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

13. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

I didn't really read King Arthur (hence the .5.) My mother-in-law offered this to me from her retirement community's library; she hadn't read it. It was a very dry historic text, starting with Roman rule. I thought it would get more interesting. It didn't. I mention it because I did spend some time on it. The author concludes two historical figures primarily contribute to the mythic Arthur. I don't even remember their names.

Onto to the Preston and Child books.

Archaeologist Nora Kelly returns in  The Cabinet of the Curiosities along with Bill Smithback. Nora first appeared in Thunderhead, which had been my favorite of the Preston and Child books. I thought the title was just a play on words, but it's a real term of art.

FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast (Relic and Reliquary) also returns to solve a series of crimes that have spanned a century. I was intrigued by glimpses into Pendergast's family.

Still Life with Crows is another gem. Here Pendergast travels to Medicine Bend, Kansas, to investigate a brutal murder in a dying town. Crows impaled on authentic 19th century Cherokee arrows surround the body. Pendergast hires a local teenager Corrie Swanson, first as a driver, later as an assistant. I really liked Corrie and was glad to hear that she returns in later novels.

Bonus for me: I figured out who the killer was. It was late in the book, but before the ending.Yay me.

Living Dead in Dallas is the second Sookie Stackhouse vampire series. I liked the True Blood  TV series with Anna Paquin as Sookie. Several tears ago, I read the first of the series Dead Until Dawn.

Living Dead in Dallas is the basis of Season Two of the series. The series elaborated on many of the subplots: Jason, Tara, Sam, Mary Ann, even Eggs had much more to do on the show than in the book.

What to read next? I still have magazines piled up. I went to two book sales recently. The most productive was at the Mark Twain Library in Redding. I picked up Living Dead in Dallas there as well as The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, Daphne by Justine Picardie, and The Nine Days Queen by Mary Luke. Sunday I picked up Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie at the Kent Library book sale. I read the book years ago, but have renewed interest after re-watching the film several times.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Six Weeks

This is my third attempt to write a post. When I started, I hadn't blogged in four weeks. Then it was five. Six weeks yesterday. I've barely journaled either.

That's bad for me. I need to write--it helps me deal with the day-to-day and sometimes bigger issues. I feel better when I write.

The past six weeks have been challenging. Sometimes I feel I'm juggling, sometimes I feel I'm treading water. I'm trying to just do something each day. Most often it's something to do with my mother. But I also need to make some time for me.Two weeks ago I got back to the gym twice. This week I haven't gone at all.

My exercise routine consists of my walks with Lola. We've had a few heatwaves and we were concerned about the dog flu. We avoided Taylor Farm for six weeks. Usually, I drove to the Norwalk River Valley Trail point in Mathews Park and we'd walk to Oyster Shell Park. It was nice to return to DPF last weekend.

There's a lot I haven't blogged about. Maybe next time.