Jacksonville Airport

Brrr! It's cold down here, too. We arrived in a new wing this afternoon.

On the Brink

It sure is heating up over there.  

Rules for the Wise

"Always keep a recent photograph of yourself on file in case of emergencies or unexpected notoriety."

Bookmark this site for those days when you need rules and inspiration.

Astronaut Feels Disheartened

Everyone has their daily frustrations:

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was "very disheartening" to lose her bag full of tools. She was trying to clean up grease that had oozed out of a grease gun in the backpack-size bag, when the tote and everything in it floated away Tuesday.

Mo Town Bail-Out

Knowing the topic will not just go away, I have been carefully trying to formulate an educated opinion on the subject. After learning today about the top guys flying private jets to D.C. to discuss the hand-out, I finally found some closure. Get. A. Job.

Transporter 3

The Blogfamily is looking forward to the November 26th release.

Who Knew?

All over the blogosphere today:  Hitler lost a testicle during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

The medical condition, for which there has never been conclusive proof, was mocked in the Second World War ditty which begins: "Hitler has only got one ball, the other is in the Albert Hall."

The disclosure is made in a document noting a conversation in the 1960s between German war doctor Johan Jambor and his priest, Franciszek Pawlar, according to The Sun. The priest's document has come to light 23 years after Jambor's death.

Although it was known Hitler suffered a groin injury in the Somme, evidence that he was 'monorchic' - the medical word for the condition - has evaded historians.

Lego Minds

We have about 40 gallons of Lego's in storage.  (Now there's a blog topic:  our off-site storage bins.)  Anyway, the Blogson inherited half of his collection from the Blognephews.  It always amazed me how this five-year old kid could retrieve, through piles and piles of tiny body parts, that precise head to go with that precise body in just seconds flat.

Christmas is Coming, Part II

Squirrel feet earnings.  I'm thinking Patty here.

Fifty Year History of the Peace Sign

From The Frisky
"Back in 1958, textile designer and commercial artist Gerald Holton designed a symbol for peace activists to put on their protest posters. The image he created was a combination of the letters N, for nuclear, and D, for disarmament, and it still represents peace 50 years later. The popularity and connotation of the peace sign has changed over time. It was used by Vietnam war protesters in the ‘60s, and 30 years after that, my friends and I wore peace sign necklaces just because they looked cool. In celebration of the symbol’s anniversary, designers such as Diane von Furstenberg, Proenza Schouler, and Alexander Wang have designed outfits inspired by the peace sign. (If you live in NYC, check them out in the windows at Barneys.)"

I'm not seeing the N, though.

Blast From the Past

The picture in the upper right corner of this blog is a tribute to '60s illustrator Alan Aldridge: 'All you need is Love, was part of The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics' project, designed in 1969. Way back when, I was fascinated with the Beatles and the two volumes of Aldridge's intrepretation of their lyrics. The original books are treasured in my attic, along with those old newspaper headlines. Alan Aldridge has a new book: 'The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes' published by Thames & Hudson.

From The FirstPost
Aldridge’s acid trip
Alan Aldridge is a brilliant artist-illustrator and it should not be necessary to work hard to prove it (as this show does by repeatedly advising us how fabulously groovy his clients were - The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and others from the 1960s and 70s). At its best, Aldridge's work stands alone through his creation of obsessive imaginary worlds, as complete as those of Rex Whistler, MC Escher, Walt Disney and Aubrey Beardsley. Throw a few tabs of acid tied to a hand grenade in among that lot, and you've got Aldridge. He's fantastic, as this work and his excellent new book prove.

The Roaring Eighties

It certainly was an exciting time to be working in financial services.  Having passed my Series 7 exam in 1980 at a regional investment banking firm in Chicago, I joined Morgan Stanley in Chicago, August, 1982.  It was an optimistic time in the industry.  After transferring to Manhattan in 1984, I was wined and dined and entertained in big city fashion.  There was lots of money to be spent, and it was spent by those making it on Wall Street.  Twenty-three year old kids, just hired from MIT, ruled the trading floors.  They were revered.  It was the start of derivative and risk products becoming alternative investments and sold to Main St. investors.  Many books have been written on these wild times, such as Liar's Poker, Barbarians at the Gate and the fictional The Bonfire of the Vanities to name the most iconic.  I just have one question, why didn't any of these brains see this current financial debacle coming?

Any Excuse to Laugh

Wrap Rage

The Bloghusband is reading aloud a hysterical article from the New York Times on the packaging of everyday products, which require power tools to open.  While comical, the article calls to mind the many frustrations that I encounter each day with troublesome packaging.  The first thing that comes to mind is the dry cleaning.  What's with those twist ties holding the hangers together?

A Very Small But Vocal Group

There is so much uproar over the Prop 8 in California.  It's just one of those hot topics, which I can't seem to get passionate about either way, I guess.  Although, it's astonishing to see how many people are passionate about gay marriages.  

Branching Out with a New Squash

Kristy urged me to try this squash:

Delicata - Also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed The thin skin is also edible.

The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn't suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.

Available year-round - is best late summer through early fall.

I'm Empty and Aching and I Do Know Why

Bailouts, stem cell research, Iraqi defeat, Civilian National Security Force...

Got My Casts

From Steph:
She did good, she's a strong little girl and this is the first step toward correcting her legs and feet.
XOXO

Christmas is Coming

A collection of cool books for the 9-12 year-olds on your list.

Economic Quote of the Day

From BadAndy on how to teach economics to kids: “Sara has Two Mommies Who Both Need to Work Because The Government Takes Half Their Money to Give it to Leteisha, Who Has No Daddy”.

Cell Phone Karma

A No-Briner

What to do?  What to do?  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I ask you:  To brine or not to brine?

Happy Veteran's Day

The inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC

233 Years Young

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps

Best Skating Performance Ever

Products That Work

It is sheer delight when a product does what it is intended.  One product that consistently exceeds my expectations in life is Resolve carpet cleaner.  That stuff is amazing, and works every time removing spots and stains from rugs.  Now, I'm happy to report a couple of other products that perform beautifully.  Recently, I've been using Bumble and Bumble hair prep and  the thickening spray before blow drying the mane.  Sure enough, my hair appears thicker than ever before.  

Whole Fish Baked in Salt

Many months ago, the Blogsister, Nancy, sent me a recipe for baked fish in salt.  I filed the recipe in that pending file, with hopes of one day having the time and inclination to bake fish in salt.  Earlier in the year, we tried the baked fish in salt on the menu at the Rome Cavalieri. It was one of the best meals ever. So, last night we had the time and inclination to make the fish in salt. It couldn't have been easier. It was absolutely delicious, too. The most challenging part of the recipe is removing the salt crust after baking. It gets rock-solid hard, and one needs to exercise care and precision cracking and removing the crust. A fun dish to prepare with a guest or two.

Cooking Enroute

It's been a busy week in the kitchen.  Here's a few of my favorite creations from the week:

-Apple torte

-Chocolate pudding cake

-Black Dog's Clam Chowder

-Lemon mayonnaise served with chilled lobster meat and fondue butter (OMG!)

Tonight for dinner I'm going to try a whole fish baked in rock salt.  I'll keep you posted.

Cristina Castaldi, Soprano

This lovely singer entertained the RSC Woman's Association.  We all thought the chandelier was going to shatter.  She was amazing.

A Brief Hiatus

It's been such an intense period of news and opinions, that I decided to step back and take a day away from the blogosphere.  Yesterday would have been the Blogfather's 85th birthday.  Dad died of cancer 20 years ago.  I find a reason or two to remember my dad daily.  Here's a shot when he was very young and quite handsome.  His mom and dad were so proud of his military service in the Philippines with the Sea Bees in the U.S. Navy during WWII. (Pictured from left Jimmy, Mary and Peter Dolan)

WiFi in the Skies

From Gizmodo: "At long last, Virgin America is finally bringing in-flight wireless internet access to its flights. On November 22, a beta flight above San Francisco will be the first to test the service, with it then rolling out to more flights after that at a rate of one per week. The plan is to have Wi-Fi available throughout the entire fleet by early next year, making it the first US carrier to do so."

Heidi Klum Rocks

Homecoming Dance

Shatters UK Box Office Records

Second Trick or Treaters

The camera wasn't ready for the first, so here's Eric and Mark, our new neighbors.

Going Home...Finally!

From Steph:

Seeing the light of day for the first time.

Phillies Win the World Series

Lowest-Rated. Series. Ever. (Maybe)

It's Just Exhausting!

Young Solo just needs to chill sometimes.

Gears of War 2

A big release for XBOX 360 in November. And sure to be on the Blogson's gift list.

Forcing Bulb Time

A nice distraction

Quiet Before the Storm

The aroma of Sunday dinner fills the house, Giants and Steelers on TV, and everyone is just chillin' before what will undoubtedly be an epic week.  The global financial markets are fragile and volatile, as is the presidential campaign.  Anything can happen this week.  Perhaps the CIA will even find Osama Bin Laden.  Wouldn't that turn the political climate around!?  Well, always searching for a good menu, I'm going to start making a point of keeping track of some of my favorites.  Here's tonight's:

-sliced honey crisp apples with cinnamon sugar

-roast loin of pork marinated in bourbon, apricot jam and fresh herbs

-butternut squash and caramelized onions with sage, Parmesan and balsamic reduction

-Joe's Stone Crab hash brown potatoes

-Neiman Marcus's $250 chocolate chip cookies

Happy Nesting!

**UPDATE**

Epic fail on the meat and squash.  I can toss those recipes.  

Great iPhone Shopping List Application

This is such a fun and useful application for the iPhone.  What I like best about this little program is the ability to rearrange the store's aisles to match your own grocery store.  So each time you add to your shopping list, the items are in exact order of the store's layout;  making it a cinch to breeze in and out.  Love that!  It's only $1.99, too.

Signs Enroute

mosquito ringtone

1.  (also known as teen buzz) is a popular ringtone that can only be heard by young people. It consists of a high frequency sound that generally can't be heard by those over 23.

-Urban Dictionary

Love those family dinner conversations.

Coming Home!

From Steph
After the longest 2 months of our lives, we finally have a discharge date. Of course, it is contingent on everything staying its very good course but it is Wednesday October 29th! Jeff and I have to stay at the hospital Tuesday night to learn all about the equipment and prove that we are capable of taking care of her on our own (something we all take for granted as a given but after being at the NICU every day for 2 months I have a new profound appreciation for "life as we know it"). Our little angel has a tough road ahead of her but she has already proved how strong she is and that she up to all her challenges. What she doesn't know yet is that all of you played a role in getting her and us to this time and how very special you are all. We are anxious to share this with her and watch her grow into the wonderful little girl we all know she will be. I love you all.. thank you!

Licorice

After chocolate, licorice is my favorite sweet.  Black is good, but only in the form of Good and Plenty.  Red is the best.  But not just any red.  It has to be Australian.  Sambuca, licorice flavored liqueur, is great for a night cap and helps with digestion.  Further, licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a flavorful herb that has been used in food and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. Also known as "sweet root," licorice root contains a compound that is roughly 50 times sweeter than sugar. Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to liver disease. This herb has long been valued as a demulcent (soothing, coating agent) and expectorant (rids phlegm and mucous from the respiratory tract) and continues to be used by health care professionals today to relieve respiratory ailments (such as allergies, bronchitis, colds, sore throats, and tuberculosis), stomach problems (including heartburn from reflux), inflammatory disorders, skin diseases, stress relief, and liver problems.

New York Penicillin

It's that time of the year again.  Here's my recipe for chicken noodle soup.  

Life with a Teen

Odd.  Sleeping.  Patterns.  I'm either dragging him out of bed each morning or he's in the shower at 4:30 am.

The One Eye Dilemma

The 93-year-old-Blogmother-in-law has a macular hole in the right eye. She is currently legally blind in the eye, but sight can be restored with surgery. What to do, what to do?

That Pesky Feeling

The antenna is picking up some bad vibrations, and I'm sensing impending doom.  Hate that.

Halloween Crackers

While waiting for the Blogson in the orthodontist's office yesterday, I came across these very cute and easy party favors in the October issue of Martha Stewart magazine. I'm thinking Thanksgiving. 

 

Here's how to make them:
1. Cut an 11-inch square of crepe paper and a 4-by-7-inch piece of paper in another color; decorate with stickers or stamps.

2. Roll crepe paper around a candy-filled toilet-paper roll; glue seams closed. Wrap paper rectangle around center; glue.

3. Tie ends with twine; snip for fringe. Slip rings over twine. Pull ends to break open.

For Those of Us Blessed with Skinny Legs

Vince double knit leggings. Form fitting leggings with zipper detail on the bottom of each hem. Invisible side zipper. Leggings are a must to longer sweaters and tunics.

Way to Go Jack!

Congratulations to the CHS Marching Band as they remain undefeated this season. The band took 1st place Saturday night at the Mount Olive HS Competition with a score of 87.35 and swept the specialty awards for Best Music, Best Marching, Best Overall Effect, Best Guard and Best Percussion. This is the 3rd consecutive competition that the marching band finished in 1st place and has swept all the specialty awards. The band will enter their final competition of the season at Giants Stadium for the USSBA Group 2 Open Championships this Saturday, October 25th. Performance time is 5:19pm. Tickets may be purchased at the stadium. Good luck to all the members!

School Violence Awareness and Prevention Week

This is School Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. In one national study, 80% of students in grades 8 through 12 reported that they had been bullied.

Kate Has Surfaced

Riddled with bug bites and a hankering for alpaca and corn ice cream, Kate is alive and well and loving her adventure in South America.  One of many highlights in her email last night:  Iguazú Falls in Argentina.

Prayers For Amelia Please

From Steph:  Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 8 am. Please keep our little cutie in your prayers tomorrow. We will get an update out as soon as we know something.

Kate is So Grounded!

We have a nephew roaming the American west.  Please pray for his safety.  God only knows where exactly he is and what the hell he's doing.  Then, we have a niece roaming around Brazil.  Last we heard she was heading to a town called Puerto Iguazu to see the Iguazu falls and get Brazilian visas.  At least she's with her friend, Steve.  Her mom is worried sick and has put out an all points email bulletin to friends.

GLONASS

What a cool name for the Russian global navigation satellite system. The U.S. system, the only fully operational GPS in the world, actually has a cool name, too. It's just that no one knows what it is: NAVSTAR.

It Doesn't Get More Exciting Than This

My first four items listed for sale on eBay expire today.  Hopefully, all of my garden flags will be auctioned this afternoon.  Stay tuned...

**UPDATE**
Sorry, your items did not sell. But you can try again.  

Bummer, I say.  Flags must be totally passé.  

Bumper Sticker Enroute

GOD BLESS THE WORLD

NO EXCEPTIONS