“Getting back to normal – kinda”
Apologies for skipping the post last week – it was Father’s Day after all, and I spent 4 hours in the afternoon (when I would typically work on the post) driving down to Austin. More on that later.
Two weeks ago we were starting to get appointments organized for Clorinda to get all caught up on what we’re calling her “maintenance.” On Monday she visited Dr. Sabzali (our family doctor) and had blood drawn and all the other new patient fun. She relaxed with me in the evening, watching the Olympic swimming trials. She really enjoys the races but thinks the commentators spoil her enjoyment with all of their chatter. I am really looking forward to the Olympics next month.
It’s turning into a typical Texas summer here very quickly, and we had to take our walks early in the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday to avoid the mix of humidity and high temperatures that turn a pleasant walk into a chore.
I was out and about quite a bit on Wednesday, with a business meeting in Craig Ranch (not far from the house) and then lunch with a friend from Dell at TruFire in Frisco. I love their falafel combination plate. It was great to catch up with Chad – he brought me up to speed on all the crazy goings-on at AIG. It felt good to get out and about and meet folks.
While I was out and about, Clorinda visited Leah for a haircut. Leah can now proudly report that she has taken care of all three generations.
We had a wonderful anniversary dinner (number 4) on Thursday at C.T. Provisions in downtown McKinney. This is the place where I love the voodoo Benedict at brunch. Their dinner was even better than brunch. Those mussels may be the best that I’ve had, and D’s Hamachi was very fresh and tasty.
The wild boar bolognaise with egg-yolk pappardelle pasta was amazing – my only comment would be that the croutons didn’t really add anything to the dish – pine nuts would have been a better crunch.
C.T.’s also has an excellent cocktail bar – their vesper was delicious.
Traditional gifts for four year anniversaries are flowers and fruit. So I got McD some nice roses and then performed “the fruit of my labours” during the week, “Your Song” by Elton John.
Meanwhile, in Amarillo, Will was attempting the Big Texan restaurant’s “Free 72 oz Steak, if you can eat it all” challenge. The key is that “eat it all” includes roll, baked potato, salad and I don’t know what else. What do you think his chances are? Well, Tina, owner of the place, thought them pretty slim and wagered him a pair of longhorns that he couldn’t do it – the same kind you see on the front of the limo that picked Will and Christine up and drove them to the Big Texan ranch.
The picture on the left says it all. I had no doubt he would force it all down. What a crazy scene – like John Candy in “The Great Outdoors.”
The only difference is that Candy is attempting “the ole 96’er” – even more than Will demolished. He didn’t make the trip to Amarillo just for the eating contest, but was actually there for Alexis’ wedding. And of course he had to have a pair of cowboy boots – nobody told him your jeans are supposed to go over them – maybe a new fashion trend.
I enjoyed FaceTime and phone calls from all three sons on Father’s Day, before making the drive down to Austin with Penelope for meetings on Monday morning. Campbell sent an assortment of nuts that we’ve been enjoying.
Our Executive Committee got together for the first time in person in around 18 months on Monday morning. Several of my IT team members traveled to the office as well. Really starting to feel like we’re getting back to some semblance of normality. We had an IT happy hour at Baker Street Pub on Monday afternoon, and then I enjoyed a delicious dinner with the ExCo at ATX Cocina. That’s the place where the entire menu is gluten free and Brent was like a kid in a candy store, not having to be so picky about what he ordered.
I had a good boys night with Damon and Sean on Tuesday, with stops at the Roosevelt Room for cocktails, followed by a nice cigar lounge. I loved the “Black Pearl” cocktail which was served in a treasure box.
We worked in the Austin office on Wednesday morning, and then Damon and I accompanied Penelope back to McKinney. We spent a fun evening with Damon getting lots of great Clorinda stories. She asked us the next day if we “had any more friends coming to visit.”
We had some more boy fun on Thursday afternoon, with a vendor hosting us in a suite at Globe Life field to watch the Texas Rangers play the Oakland A’s in an afternoon baseball game. The new stadium is a very impressive architectural feat, with the retractable roof closed to provide some respite from the heat and humidity. The old stadium is still standing next door and the Cowboys stadium is just behind.
I took a picture of the A’s lineup to show Ben that “Chappy” was playing. That’s his favourite player and he got to attend an A’s game recently in California to check him out.
Campbell flew to Hawaii with Molly on Wednesday and sent this great picture of a sea turtle that was enjoying swimming with them.
Things were busy at the house on Saturday. Amy visited us for the afternoon (in for a few days from Santa Fe.) And Jose and crew installed the long awaited vent hood and stovetop. Just the oven still to come. We’re quite pleased with the results.
That center burner has two flames and can boil water very quickly. Put to a good test by McD making pasta on Saturday night. I really like the sleek lines of the hood, and Jose made sure it was high enough to give me good access. He’s not much taller than Diana and so I appreciate him considering my height as he does the installations.
Speaking of cooking, Finn continued to explore his baking capabilities, this week with donuts. Here he is mixing up the ingredients, then leaving the dough to rise, and a yummy looking final product. I don’t imagine they lasted too long in a houseful of young men.
I received a very interesting late birthday gift from Anne and Denny. It’s a book by their friend, Macon Fry, titled “They Called Us River Rats.” Diana and I enjoyed an oyster fest at Macon’s “batture” a few years ago, and he is quite the character.
Here he is with one of his goats. His friend Derek Houston had been at the Grammy awards a few days before the oyster fest, and Macon told me the story of him calling to tell him they had a “Goat Check” at the Beverly Hills hotel – apparently the “Coat Check” sign was in a fancy font that made it look just like that.
I suspect you’re wondering what a “batture” might be. Well here’s the description of the book from Macon’s website that will help clear that up, along with a picture.
“They Called Us River Rats is the previously untold story of perhaps the oldest outsider settlement in America, an invisible community on the annually-flooded shore of the river. We exist in the place between the normal high and low water line of the Mississippi River, known in Louisiana as the batture. For the better part of two centuries, batture-dwellers like me have raised shanty-boats on stilts, built water-adapted homes, foraged, fished, and survived using the skills a river environment teaches. Over the years, batture-dwellers have been reviled, jailed or lynched by citizens on the other side of the levee. Even today, beaches erode under houses. When the river rises, barges and river-borne debris can slam into homes.
Accounts of crime, disaster and romance on the riverside appear in newspapers and archives, but until now the stories of a batture way of life have existed only in the memories of those who have lived here. Beginning in 2000, I set about recording the stories of all the old batture dwellers I could find: maritime workers, willow furniture makers, fishermen, artists and river shrimpers. I’m still uncovering stories in libraries and archives of fortune-tellers, faith healers, and wild bird trappers who lived on the river.
Now I am among the senior generation of “River Rats” living in a vestigial colony of 12 “camps” on New Orleans’ river batture, a fragment of a settlement that once stretched nearly six miles along the riverfront and numbered hundreds of homes. It is the last riparian settlement on the Lower Mississippi, an echo of life outside urban zoning, planning and flood protection.”
I have only scanned portions of the book so far, but have it high up on the “to be read” list.
For the first time in a while, I stopped reading a book after about 20 pages this week. “Terrorist” by John Updike sounded very good, but I just couldn’t persevere with all the Islamic names and terms. I have very much enjoyed several other books by Updike, but this one was just going to be too much work and not any kind of relaxing escape.
I replaced “Terrorist” with “Babbitt” by Sinclair Lewis. This is a book published in 1922, and described as “a satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social pressure toward conformity. The controversy provoked by Babbitt was influential in the decision to award the Novel Prize in Literature to Lewis in 1930.
I’ve been enjoying the quite dated phrases and terms in the book so far, and the descriptions of real estate marketing practices enacted by the main character. More to come next week.
Interestingly, I read that the word “Babbitt” entered the English language as a “person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards. I think I’ve met a few “Babbitt’s” on the few times that I visited the local golf country clubs.
Galactic’s “Coolin’ Off” is the latest release from the Tipitina’s Record Club – arrived last week and has been on regular rotation. Tipitina’s is a famed music club in New Orleans, and members of Galactic purchased it just before the pandemic. I joined the record club to try and help them weather the storm – running a music club is hard work in the best of circumstances.
Released in 1996, “Coolin’ Off” was the first popular record for the band, with the core lineup augmented with brass and other guests:
- Theryl DeClouet – vocals
- Erik Jekabson – trumpet
- Robert Mercurio – bass, photography
- Stanton Moore – drums
- Mark Mullins – trombone
- Jeff Raines – guitar
- Eric Traub – tenor saxophone
- Dan Prothero – programming, producer, engineer, editing, design, mixing
- Raymond Pumilia – photography
- Rich Vogel – keyboards
Mark Mullins is the leader in the four trombone band, Bonerama, that I really enjoy. I believe Stanton Moore to be one of the most talented current drummers – you can always tell when he’s sitting in with a band – things move to a whole different level.
Here are a couple of samples:
And a great example of Stanton Moore on drums:
Remain patient and kind.
Ready for your weekly Ollie update? Here he is at the park that has obstacles for dogs to practice with. You can see he’s in the uphill, dominant position – but the other dog is probably wondering about how dominant he really is with a teddy bear in his mouth. I believe the black dog is a Bernadoodle – St. Bernard and poodle blend. What will they think of next?
I finished up “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen early this week. I did enjoy the story and particularly all the drama surrounding the elephant and his act.
It has been raining heavily every day for at least a week, and so all the flowers and plants are loving life with larger blooms than we’ve seen before. This hydrangea seems particularly happy.
After coffee, I got a haircut (told you the excitement was all relative), picked up a few things at the grocery store, and exchanged books at the local library. In between those activities, I converted Diana’s office into a bedroom for Clorinda’s upcoming visit. That was a bit of a workout – moving her heavy desk against the wall, carting a bed frame down from upstairs, then a mattress, bedding, and end tables. All finished up relatively painlessly and passed virtual inspection.
I selected “Argus” by Wishbone Ash from my collection this week. I can’t remember when I acquired this album – but it was many, many years ago. It’s a favourite that I find myself revisiting several times each year.