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When you have a daily blog page like this one, you worry that there won't be enough things going on in your life to post on a regular basis. Well, the unexpected comes along just often enough. This afternoon, Janice and I were weeding the flower bed when the phone rang. She ran to the house and returned a couple minutes later and told me that Jim Moore's daughter had called to get our address. Jim Moore is an author who has written books about his sailing adventures around the world. I've only read one of them: "Swan: The Second Voyage", but I enjoyed it so much that I read it a second time, then posted a readers' review on Amazon.com. I had always suspected that authors read those reviews, and apparently they do, quite eagerly, according to Mr. Moore. My review made enough of an impression that he had his daughter track me down. She said that her father wanted to send me a note expressing appreciation. But minutes later, the phone rang again, and it was Mr. Moore himself. He thanked me for my review and we talked for a while about celestial navigation (the subject of his upcoming book), and about his experiences in the Great Barrier Reef. He said that when he and his wife decided to build a boat and sail around the world, neither had even been on a sailboat before. I told him that I had similar dreams, but they'll probably remain just that – dreams. But you never know. I went back and re-read my review, and it wasn't very inspired, but it was positive, so that was good enough. Shane had a similar experience recently. His zeal for Poli-Glow, a marine fiberglass finish, was brought to the attention of the manufacturer, and they now use his picture and comments on their trade show displays. Just two examples of the power if the Internet. * Friday, February 22, 2002
* * Thursday, February 21, 2002
Fitness update: Last month I announced that I needed to get back into shape after a winter of over indulging. This brought immediate criticism and name calling from friends of mine who seem to believe that real men wait until after their first heart attack to get into shape (When you visit Shane's house, he likes to show off his exercise room, but he was the first to criticize). I admit, I wasn't fat. As long as I kept my clothes on (which I always do) no one knew that my center of gravity had moved downward. But Janice knew, and I knew, and the J.C.Penney Men's Department was about to know, so I nipped the situation in the bud. I haven't been completely abstemious, but I've nearly eliminated alcohol from my lifestyle. I also stopped pigging out on Hershey's Kisses with almonds. That, plus the exercise has brought me back to the point where I'm comfortable in my clothes again. I hadn't gotten so bad that my belly hung over my belt while standing up, but it definitely did when I was sitting. Not any more (well, not as much). The bulk of my bulk has been eliminated, and I've moved over one notch on my belt. But more than just eliminating the flab, I'm determined to add muscle. When I was younger I had a decent physique, which was the product of years of relying on my arms to do what my legs could not. I didn't have to exercise, though people often assumed that I did. Not any more. I'm 42 years old now, and if I want muscles I'm going to have to earn them. I'm still on the kiddie level on the Total Gym, but it's becoming too easy, and I'll be taking it up a notch soon. As promised, I won't impose before and after pictures on you, my poor readers, but I've taken a few before pictures for my own use, and I haven't looked at them since last month. Next week, I'm taking a second round of pictures, which had better show a visible improvement. I told Janice that I want to get so buff that people will think I've been to prison, but I doubt it'll be that dramatic. :) I know. I know. None of you could care less about it, but hey, get your own website and you can post anything you want. * Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Public Art Series The public art series is already starting to wind down. I had originally thought that this would be the last one, but Janice ran into Paul Schexnayder the other day and he told her about a mural that I'd forgotten about. I'll get a picture of it this week. If I locate more in the future, I'll post it. * Monday, February 18, 2002
Janice's favorite line from Sunday's show: "Men are like parking spaces. The good ones are taken and all that's left are the handicapped." She laughed hysterically. She liked another one that mentioned artificial hips. If you can't laugh at your infirmities, don't marry Janice. *
What a great weekend! We spent three days in New Orleans. As I told you recently, we bought tickets to see A Prairie Home Companion live in a non-broadcast show. That was Sunday, but we got there a bit early... Friday afternoon. New Orleans is a great city. We really need to go there more often. It's only a two hour drive. On the first night, we ate sushi at a little place Wilda had recommended. It was only my second experience with sushi, and Janice's first, and I still haven't gotten past the notion that it's just a novelty food. I had to have it at least twice before passing judgement. Guess I'm just not the trendy type. Janice felt about the same, though we really did enjoy the experience. Saturday my father and his wife joined us for the day. We milled around the French Quarter, which was surprisingly crowded for the weekend after Mardi Gras. They probably had more street performers than I've ever seen there at one time. The wives shopped while my father and I watched the parade of humanity. New Orleans is a great place for people watching and girl watching. It's also a great place for food, but only if you get off the beaten path. The French Quarter restaurants are better known for second-rate cuisine doled out to tourists who lack the taste buds to know what they're missing. We dined at a very nice new restaurant called The Sun Ray Grill, in the warehouse district. It's a Zagat rated restaurant which came highly recommended by Wilda and Al. If Wilda, Al, and Zagat recommend it, you can't go wrong. I had bouillabaisse, which was incredible. My father ordered tuna. He didn't know that tuna is served nearly raw, and was apprehensive about it at first, but was won over by the time he was halfway through. Tuna actually loses all of it's appeal if it's fully cooked (my opinion). There was some tuna in the bouillabaisse which was fully cooked, and it was not as good as a nice rare tuna steak. NOTE: People who criticize bloggers most often complain about people who blog about food. But when it's worth mentioning, I mention it. Sunday was the highlight of the trip. The whole reason we went to New Orleans was to see A Prairie Home Companion live at the Saenger Theatre. Firstly, I had never been to the Saenger, but had heard Janice's description of it. No description can suffice, though. It was the most beautiful indoor space I think I've ever seen. In any other city, it would be considered gaudily extravagant. But in New Orleans, it is the crown jewel of an already gaudily extravagant city. But that was just the building. The purpose for the trip was to see Garrison Keillor and his troupe. We were not disappointed. The musicians were incredibly talented and the humor is so much funnier when you're actually there. What a great pool of talent. Garrison Keillor seemed to sing more than he usually does. He's not a singer at all, but there's something so wonderful about his voice that you could listen to him sing all day. I can't remember hearing a trained singer who has been so easy on the bones. Janice and I were both completely delighted. I had been enjoying the show so much that I completely forgot about the News from Lake Wobegon. When he started the monologue, a smile passed over our faces and we sat rapt in his story, and delighted that we were actually there live after 18 years of listening to the radio program. They even did a Powdermilk Biscuits commercial. Those are our favorites. 15 years ago we named a kitten Powdermilk because she was so shy. Today, she's the old queen of the house and as shy as ever. How do you go back to work after such a great weekend? I'll be humming those tunes all week. * Archives |
