A Rufus Caturday

This brought tears to my eyes.  There is nothing like a cat lover - - and cats know it. From the YouTube Description:

A present for my cat 'Rufus'. He began to resent me due to painful ear drops to fix an infection. I would return from work and he would run from me! Now the ears are better I wanted to do something to show my gratitude for his putting up with my torture. Rufus loves boxes as all cats do so this is what I made for him.

I miss having animals in my life and am so happy when I read other blogs sharing their pet stories. Wish I could enjoy the experience, too.

More later.
*

Eleventh Anniversary - New Birth

Time-lapse video commemorating the 11th Anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy and bringing to life the birth of the new towers. Quite beautiful and awe-inspiring, at least to me.

And so it goes.
*

What a Day This Has Been, What a Rare Mood I'm In...

Uh, no.  It's not "almost like being in love."  And Rehoboth isn't Brigadoon, though it's close. Forget that!  Yes, I AM in a rare mood, thanks to this lovely weather and having two wonderful days all to myself.

OK, first things first.  I voted in the state primary election this morning before heading out.  Not a great turnout, but better than I expected.

New prescription eyeglasses arrived and I love them.  Yes, both pair. One frame is a sort of bronze colour and the other is rather golden. Similar shapes but different designs. A new profile photo is on the list for the near future.

Stopped for Gin and snagged a few bottles of wine that was on sale. Now is the time to replenish the wine rack for the Fall and I got off to a good start.  The extra cash dries up in another week or two, so hoarding is the plan at present.

With the road trip done, I walked up to the Farmers Market for sausages, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes,  cucumbers, and a bit of cheese.

Took a walk around town and spent time on the boardwalk listening to the ocean - slightly muffled by the sounds of late-comer sunbathers and their kids - then stopped by the local candy store to support them, and my Dutch licorice addiction habit.  A luxury to indulge in 2 or 3 times a year.

Back home I prepped my 15-hour Pasta Sauce recipe (using the Italian plum tomatoes just purchased) in the small crock and set it cooking.

Giving the plants a deep soaking for the first time in 3 weeks and they seem happy for the experience. Grocery shopping and laundry are on the gay agenda for tomorrow morning, and if the weather continues to be this glorious, a drive south to Fenwick Island and maybe lunch while there.

Pseudo po-boys are on the menu tonight. I say "pseudo" because they will be made with roast pork in it's natural gravy/juices and the usual po-boy toppings. A slight twist, but as juicy and messy as any other po-boy sandwich.  Which, of course, is the point.

Later, being over the hype generated for the anniversary of 9/11, a single candle will be lit in memory of all those lost, and especially 2 who were my friends.  Silence is best, I think.  Enuf' said.

And so it goes.
*

Proud

Today I was informed by both bosses that I've been mentioned in reviews of the restaurant on three different sites. I had never heard of 2 of them.

Favorable reviews of my work have appeared at Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Urban Spoon. (the last 2 are a mystery to me.  I mean, seriously, "YELP" sounds like a site devoted to animal abuse issues!)  I was stunned (and so were the doslocosguys!) because from what I've been told, it's usually only servers who get singled out by name.  I suppose I ought to check out these sites for myself, but that thought makes me uncomfortable, for some reason. Three reviews didn't mention my name, but it was clear to the bosses that the person being referenced was this old buddy-boy; lunch & specific days were the giveaways. Oh, and my warped sensahumah was quite obvious, as well.

We never know what mark we leave (or make) on the lives of others. It's nice to know it is positive and made others happy.

That said, it was grand to see regular customers returning now that the season has ended.  The first 6 dined with us today and I was thrilled to see them and catch up on their doings over the past 3 months.  They seemed happy to see me, as well. We swapped summer stories as they enjoyed their meals.  Hugs were shared all round. It was great fun.

I am off work for the next 2 days and so looking forward to the extra 24 hours, I cannot begin to explain, why.  And, I don't need to explain. So there!

And so it goes.
*

September, Slowing-Down & Surgery

My world is slowing down a little now - though not for long - I will have 2 days off weekly starting on Tuesday.  Haven't enjoyed that luxury since last spring and while I will miss the extra cash, the down-time is a welcome break.

The GM left for her holiday in Ireland on Wednesday and will be gone for 2 weeks.  Good for her.  She needed a rest more than anyone after the summer season we've had.

The locosguys take theirs upon the GM's return - they spend 10 days in Mexico in October. 

Somewhere in there I will take time off to have the surgery and get that out of the way. I'm just waiting for the surgeon to let me know when he can fit me in and I am so there!

The surgeon is not sure if Medicare will approve (thereby pay their share) of the surgery, but if they do I may be able to take a short holiday myself.  Or not. Either way, the surgery is a must, though I dread being out of  circulation for a few days. It is what it is.

The weather this week is supposed to be sunny and seasonal - meaning low 60's at night and low 80's, with low humidity during the day.  I hope to spend one day off doing everything that I usually do on my single day off, then spend the second day doing whatever I feel like doing.  Of course, things seldom work out as planned, but I am open to anything.

And so it goes.
*

Back to School Caturday

I know, some things never change.

More later.
*

Examples of "gross negligence" by BP

Interesting. Very interesting. From Reuters:

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up its rhetoric against BP PLC for the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, describing in new court papers examples of what it calls "gross negligence and willful misconduct."

The court filing is the sharpest position yet taken by the U.S. government as it seeks to hold the British oil giant largely responsible for the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Gross negligence is a central issue to the case, slated to go to trial in New Orleans in January 2013. A gross negligence finding could nearly quadruple the civil damages owed by BP under the Clean Water Act to $21 billion.

The U.S. government and BP are engaged in talks to settle civil and potential criminal liability, though neither side will comment on the status of negotiations.

"The behavior, words, and actions of these BP executives would not be tolerated in a middling size company manufacturing dry goods for sale in a suburban mall," government lawyers wrote in the filing on August 31 in federal court in New Orleans.

The filing comes more than two years after the disaster that struck on April 20, 2010 when a surge of methane gas known to rig hands as a "kick" sparked an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig as it was drilling the mile-deep Macondo 252 well off Louisiana's coast. The rig sank two days later.

The well spewed 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 straight days, unleashing a torrent of oil that fouled the shorelines of four Gulf Coast states and eclipsed the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in severity.

Specifically, errors made by BP and Swiss-based Transocean Ltd, owner of the Deepwater Horizon platform, in deciphering a key pressure test of the Macondo well are a clear indication of gross negligence, the Justice Department said.

"That such a simple, yet fundamental and safety-critical test could have been so stunningly, blindingly botched in so many ways, by so many people, demonstrates gross negligence," the government said in its 39-page filing.

The rest is HERE.

And so it goes.
*

Grandma's Hands

Used to make this treat and the recipe must be over 60 years old because my older sister remembers this ice cream. I had to send her the recipe, too.

Disclaimer:  Please keep in mind that this recipe was extracted from a 4' 9" small wonder-woman who never wrote recipes. I had her make the ice cream so I could get an idea of ingredient measurements. Her cupped palms were the only useful measuring spoons, if you get my drift.

OK, for those of you who asked for it, here it is. 

Ingredients:
Egg yolks  - 3 large or 4 medium.  (Fresh as possible, purchased locally is best.)

1 14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)

2 Tablespoons of cold tap water.

3 teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Cup of crushed cookies of choice (Oreo's or Lorna Doones* were her cookies of choice)

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream.  Whipped to soft peaks. (Do not use artificial whipped toppings)

To make:
1. In a large glass bowl, beat the egg yolks, water, and vanilla with a wire whisk.
2. Whisk in the condensed milk and blend thoroughly until yolk color is no longer visible. Refrigerate immediately. (In NOLA she put it in the freezer because of the heat)
3. In another bowl beat the heavy cream with a hand mixer at high speed until soft peaks are present.
4. Remove the bowl of egg mixture from the refrigerator and fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture.
5 Fold in the crushed cookies until well incorporated, and turn into a freezer safe container, (She used deep aluminum ice trays covered with foil. Durable plastic freezer-ware wasn't available at the time.) and freeze immediately.
6. Freeze 2 to 4 hours before serving.

* When using Lorna Doones, she added 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the egg mixture in step 1.

Enjoy! Or, not.  Let me know how it turns out for you or is you have questions. Keep in mind this was a very rare treat when I was a kid, so the experience was savored luxury.

Note: Bill Withers' wonderful song titled "Grandma's Hands" always reminded me of my grandmother.  It still brings tears to my eyes.

And so it goes.
*

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee, It's Over!

An early lunch crowd dwindled to almost nothing as a few showers blew in and the remaining tourists decided to hit the road for home, earlier than expected. 

Joined a couple of co-workers after my shift, at another venue for the postmortem happy hour and the place was jumping with locals in a celebratory mood.  More glasses 'clinked' toasting something-r-other, than at a royal wedding.

Stories were told, as we shared experiences and analyzed the Summer that was 2012. A few have kept journals of summers past and others started them this year. I just share the most bizarre and outrageous stories here.  That's enough for me, thank you very much.

Tomorrow is a badly needed day off and (thankfully) there is little on my gay agenda for the day. Rain is in the forecast, so all bets are off.  Farmers market, but other than that, no plans.  Heaven!

And so it goes.
*

Summer's (almost) Gone

This is the last hurrah; crazy within the crazy; blue moon lunacy; and great times, all wrapped up with copious amounts of margaritas.

Everyone at work is beyond exhaustion at this point and we're counting hours, minutes, and seconds until it's finally over. The restaurant served over 1200 customers yesterday and today looks to be an almost exact duplicate.

I worked 10 hours yesterday and a mere 9 hours today before staggering home where I am enjoying a few olives hoping to muster up energy enough to prepare supper.  Something light and simple, oh, and quick.  A hot Epsom salts bath is waiting in the wings like a siren's song - damn the consequences.

The image above was shot on the way to work today (yes, it's overcast and humid) of the "beach flags" - beach towels and other items hung on balconies to dry - at the Breakers Hotel.  Hey, it's a tradition here. (click the image to embiggen.)

And so it goes.
*

R.I.P Hal David, Songwriter, Dies At 91

Great talents seem to be dropping like flies. His lyrics (with Bacharach's music) were a big part of my life soundtrack.

LOS ANGELES — Hal David, whose simple, heartfelt lyrics made a perfect fit with Burt Bacharach's quirky melodies and resulted in dozens of hit songs, including "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," died Saturday. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his wife Eunice David.
He had suffered a major stroke in March and was stricken again on Tuesday, she said.
"Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head," Eunice David said. "He was always writing notes, or asking me to take a note down, so he wouldn't forget a lyric."
David and Bacharach won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), Grammys and Tonys for the songs from the hit Broadway musical "Promises, Promises," as well as other top 40 hits including "Close to You" and "That's What Friends Are For."
Many of the duo's lyrics and tunes continue to resonate in pop culture, including "I Say A Little Prayer, " "What The World Needs Now Is Love," and "This Guy's in Love with You," Their music was recorded by legendary singers including The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond and their longtime partner Dionne Warwick.
"As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic – conveying volumes of meaning in fewest possible words and always in service to the music," ASCAP's current president, the songwriter Paul Williams, said in a statement. "It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs... the backdrop of our lives."

At least we'll always have the songs.

I love that the image above was drawn by Al Hirschfeld for the NYT and contains "3 Ninas" - click to embiggen to see if you can find them.

And so it goes.
*

Caturday Facebook Stalker

No truer words were ever spoken.

And so it goes.
*