Category Archives: Editorial

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Today Show and Savannah

Posted on June 24, 2015 | Leave a comment

Savannah was peeved by a restaurant asking if she wanted fizzy or flat special water or tap water. That’s a difficult question as years ago NYC’s tap water aced the expensive brands in a judging.

In Italy one must ask for water. Then they ask if you want frizzante (fizzy) or flat. Then they bring enough bottles for the table. From my experience only in the US does the diner or mid-line restaurant or high-end bring water, and probably only to claim the table. Not in high-end to claim the table, of course.

I think they were trying to think Europe and tradition, not gouge you for special water. They probably went about it incorrectly.

Before my mother died nearly seven years ago my husband and and I and siblings went to lunch at a nice restaurant. He ordered iced tea. They asked if he wanted sweetener and as a Texan, of course he said yes.

They brought him iced tea with a small carafe. He told me he wanted sweetener. While I’d never seen this service before I knew they gave him a simple syrup to sweeten his tea. Very pretentious for an upscale mall restaurant. Very California. I mixed it to his taste and all was well.

Savannah, restaurants see trends that are not trends from time to time. A server may have gone to Italy and brought this back. I do not find it offensive overseas as one pays for water at the table.

Here in the US, given the dramatic difference between the costs of quality restaurants we frequent, I might find it offensive because it’s an up-sell. For you, it’s just a penny more. Enjoy your frizzante! Dee

 

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Pit Bulls

Posted on June 23, 2015 | Leave a comment

I was able to watch a show by dog trainer Cesar Millan on pit bulls. He made cogent arguments that they be accepted into society and went from bad neighborhoods where people make the dogs fight each other to shelters who rehabilitate these dogs and breed others to be family pets.

On this journey he personally helped rehabilitate one dog and ended up in Washington, D.C. to talk to his representative. Congratulations, Cesar! I will fight with you against breed ban legislation and laws.

A few months ago I tried to find a place for us to live. I told them we have a dog. She’s an 11.5 year-old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix, 34 lbs. I was immediately told that German Shepherds are on the breed ban list. The woman wouldn’t listen as I said she was not a German Shepherd. There was no way I was going to convince her that breed ban lists are wrong, she didn’t know my dog and had never even seen the property she was selling. I got rid of her in a heartbeat.

I did call the property after sending management a photo of our our old hip-less wonder dog belly-up on our sofa. It demonstrated she is not a German Shepherd. I’ve two problems with this. The manager said they would “consider” our dog. I said that we would not consider them. The other is that in order to get in I denigrated German Shepherds who are great dogs, and so are American Staffordshire Terriers.

As a kid I was bitten in the butt by two German Shepherds but am not afraid of them. I’ve only known the nicest of Pit terriers. If I was putting on my shoes on the front stoop Dolly would run out her door and come and lick and hug me. What a sweetie. Years ago I met with the staff of the San Francisco SPCA. They renamed this dog the St. Francis Terrier. Seeing as I went to a Franciscan school, I thought that appropriate.

Thank you, Cesar, for bringing this issue to the table. My focus for the past 20 years has been responsible pet ownership. I agree that this responsibility plus activism is needed for all dogs who are on the breed ban lists. Thanks, Dee

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Phoning It In

Posted on June 23, 2015 | Leave a comment

Years ago I was told that the established chefs were OK but anyone new that Food Network made a “star” would be beholden to them.

I watched the first episode of Top 5 Restaurants, about barbecue, and was shocked. It is hosted by Sunny Anderson, a “star” winner and good on TV. Also Geoffrey Zakarian, who should have known better.

They send out “scouts” and then deem the best meals, never having left the studio or tasting a bite of food. I know they’re busy but if FN wants us to buy into a new show at least have the show hosts taste the food.

When it comes to food and restaurants you have to see it, smell the aromas, check out the atmosphere and most importantly, taste the food. I don’t know who arranged this show and whether network and hosts just wanted to do it for money but it seems cheap and staged so that the hosts can spend 20 minutes in the studio and it’s cut and print. I’m very disappointed.

I would never recommend a restaurant based on this content and will not watch again. Cheers from someone who actually cooks and tastes things. Dee

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Going Postal

Posted on June 22, 2015 | Leave a comment

The regular guy delivered the mail today. My old dog was abused by a Deputy Sheriff and did not trust anyone in uniform, even just a baseball cap, for a year. Over ten years out of the shelter she learned to love uniforms, caps, even kids.

My new pup, age 11, looks for postal uniforms, that shade of blue trouser with the stripe. She loves these guys and gals and they don’t even give her treats. Her favorite, Lynn, was here covering for our regular who was on vacation.

She ran up to him today, I told him what this old girl looks for and it’s blue pants and a stripe. I told him she’ll never bite the mailman! He thanked me and patted her head. That’s all she needed, well, there was the mail. Cheers! Dee

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The Storm is Upon Us

Posted on June 22, 2015 | Leave a comment

I have to move fast. Heavy storms with a possible tornado. I’ve a jacket by with keys and will grab the dog’s leash if we need to seek shelter elsewhere.

Hallway, stairwell, underground garage, car. Right now I’m being told to not use and unplug any electrical equipment, not wash dishes or my hands or use the loo.

The windows have fogged up (I’m supposed to put down the shades) and I’ve only seen one small tornado, years ago up north. I’m not moving yet but do have my jacket, both sets of keys, purse and cell phone off electricity. The dog leash is right by the door.

I see lightning and thunder and have scanned the radar and hourly weather reports. We are now on the watch list. My husband flew an hour west yesterday. The storm hit him first, just talked to him a minute ago and he’s OK.

Planes are flying in. No birds and the winds have been fighting east to west. Not a good sign, but guess what. I got up while my husband and dog slept nine hours, to blog a Cat 5 Hurricane in Houston. I did so until the power went out for six hours. We were so close to downtown that we got our power (not water, that took over a week) back in hours as I believe we were on City Hall’s circuit.

We built a hurricane kit (a lot of good it’ll do me in storage) and stored 15 gallons of fresh water and got water to flush the toilet in six gallon jugs. They slept. I sat in front of the windows and blogged. The devastation was amazing as all the signature high-rise corporate buildings had their windows blown out. We spent the morning cleaning out the flooded garage and 1st floor. No management or maintenance came for days. My husband and T cleared storm drains. Jim sucked water through a hose to stop the garage from flooding the 1st floor.

T’s wife and I went door-to-door on the 1st floor to make sure everyone was OK. We had power but no water for a week. That week my mother went to hospice so we flew out to spend a week with her. There was no food, no gas, and FEMA was a joke. We drove to the airport on fumes.

Ii just saw a seagull outside our windows. We’re anticipating severe storms this evening but think we missed this one as of a few moments ago our winds were still 5 mph and this storm was coming in at 55-70 mph. The birds are back, for now. Perhaps they’ll have a good fishing day.

We’re alone but my husband is OK and we had the beginnings of an escape plan. I do love thunder and lightning, palm trees being thrashed about in the winds. Hurricanes are OK, tornadoes, no. There were 150 lofts in our building back in the day, only one had no damage. Ours. Go figure. Have a great day! Dee

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The Velveteen Dog

Posted on June 21, 2015 | 1 comment

I’ve been lucky enough to have two: one abused by an official and left in a shelter to die; another as a pup came from squalor and had her hips removed as a pup because they were the worst x-rays her vet had ever seen.

I like to think that I and the people surrounding me made them “real.” Chani would root inside her basket of stuffed animals when she heard a car to find just the right one with which to greet our guest. Abandoned and abused, she was afraid of men and children. Years later she always loved a ball at our park but took out a huge teddy bear I got for $.50 at that very park. All the kids called out her name to say hello when we came around the corner. She said her goodbye’s which I did not understand as she hadn’t been sick, and bled out the next day.

The pup, Zoe was very sick with coccidia and hookworms but they still spayed her at the shelter at five weeks. She was a herder from day one, popped out of the box on my lap in the passenger seat. Still is at age 11. Although she lived in squalor for a few weeks we adopted her at just six weeks of age. I don’t think she remembered her past, even her two hip removals, just us. She has such a sweet personality and everyone loves her. Neighbors from here and all around know her name, not mine. She is lucky to be a dog free of the trauma Chani had.

Zoe has gone through two devastating hip excisings but has emerged still cow-hocked but victorious. Happy, after working with thousands of dogs and cats for over 20 years I must say she is the Velveteen Dog of the decade, our Zoe. She is real, the happiest dog in the world, for everyone. Of course my pup was flawed, why else did she choose Aunt Dee to raise her? And I do raise her. I’m called Otis. I elevate our hipless wonder to the bed every night. As I was with Chani, I will be with our Zoe when she needs to go. Chani was real and built a neighborhood, Zoe and I got a crosswalk installed, they’re both real. Dee

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Neighbors

Posted on June 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

I found out today that our next door neighbors are moving out tomorrow. Sad. A couple with a young, bright, engaging young son who Zoe (our dog) and I will miss. The son was always shy, loved Zoe but never petted her, and liked to tell me about his day at school and show me a new toy.

Two years ago we had a major league baseball player in the same place. His son shrieked for a month, then started hitting his head against my desk in our living room, then began hurling his entire body against their/our wall. I was glad when they didn’t make the Series. If they move back we’ll have to leave because by now that kid can probably pummel through and literally get into our living room and that is unacceptable.

We’ll see who is next and where we’ll be. Dee

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Fathers and Brothers

Posted on June 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

In the Catholic church one is told not to question anything. I just sent a posthumous fathers’ day note to my college in memory of the two priests who actually meant something to me and contributed significantly to my education.

The interim president at my alma mater is a Brother. There are no Sisters, or Mothers.

One of the reasons I do not espouse the religion I was forced to grow up with (to marry, my Lutheran father was forced to give up rights of religion for his children). We went to Mass in hats and gloves and he made pancakes upon our return.

Midnight Mass Christmas Eve was a revelation. I always knew Catholics couldn’t sing their way out of a paper bag, but this Lutheran service was transcendent. I sang harmony not even knowing the words. A revelry and a moment in time.

The HRC church has always relegated women to the background. Nuns feed hungry kids when they’re not torturing grade school children. When I was first told about sex and thought my parents never had it I questioned the “immaculate conception.”

The HRC church is based on the assumption that although women carry babies, they are of no consequence. We did not get married by my favorite Priest because of forced religious counseling and my husband would have to agree to be Catholic. That’s what they did to my father and I would never let them do it to my husband or children. We were never able to have children and they haven’t tried to make a religious dog out of our Zoe and she’s 80 in dog years.

Instead, I found a Navy Captain (USN, Ret.) to marry us, and we eloped. I will continue to see my favorite churches here and in Europe but will never join the HRC church because my gender is not welcome there. It’s a serious error. What if half the male population died off because of some strange disease? Even if only 100 were left they’d proclaim one the Messiah and plan for two millenia more of subjugation of women. Before that happens, we get the power and for a change, share it.

In the end I do wish to offer congratulations to my Lutheran father on father’s day and to my two, RIP, favorite priests. God bless. Dee

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Tech-Speak and Partners

Posted on June 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

In the UK a while ago I was out at dinner and my husband and his boss ignored me for over a half hour. When they took a breath I asked where this particular step was, between SIT and UAT?

That’s system integration testing and user acceptance testing. The boss finally acknowledged my presence and asked, “do you know what we’ve been talking about?” I replied, “only enough to get my husband his next job.”

After many years together I like to think of us as partners. Now that he’s away a lot I feel more like the cook, maid and dog walker. I’m really good at two of those but on maid I fall way short. The master shower is a mess so he’s now taken over ours, mine and the dog’s, shower.

I can’t help find him jobs anymore as he’s in atmosphere that does not translate as did that dinner years ago. Actually, it’s worse. He’s gone into my areas of expertise and while I’ve been in those areas for years he won’t listen to me anymore. Welcome to Dee’s world.

Luckily, for the first time today I’ve found garlic scapes, with which I would like to make a pesto with a bit of basil, olive oil, parm and nuts. Served over pasta with a few scallops on the side. Or on top, I don’t know yet but am getting hungry.

The dog is by my side waiting for her dad to come home. It’ll be two days and she’ll be OK, just sticking close to me and keeping us safe. Dee

 

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Surprises

Posted on June 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

The Romanians are here, reading this blog. And South Africans, folks from Brazil and elsewhere in Europe and the UK and Scotland, may it be free.

I planned to terminate this blog at 1,000 posts and am now nearing 3,000, my current cut-off date. It still amazes me that people from all over the world read this blog, my rantings and recipes (perhaps that should become the new title of the blog). I come from a family that wouldn’t stay on the phone more than a minute because it was long-distance and now have a plan with unlimited time and data.

It is with thanks that I write this post, for sticking with me through your and my tough times. Celebrating the good days and eating well throughout.

For the first time ever I’ve found garlic scapes, which are the greens that are picked before the flowering of hard garlic. If they flower the garlic bulb we wish for will be less than what we hoped. So in early summer and late fall farmers take off the scapes to allow the garlic bulbs to grow. From what I’ve smelled they’re gorgeous, reading leads me to believe they’ll be mild and almost like asparagus.

Today I hope to make a pesto of the scapes, some basil, olive oil and parmesan over pasta, with a few sauteed scallops as a side. We’ll see how it goes. I love seeing fiddlehead ferns and other exotic ingredients as it tempts me to push the cooking envelope. No, I’m not anywhere near ready for Knife Fight. Dee

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