Conversations with Island Boy

Tonight at bedtime I pulled out our photo books from Haiti.  IB and I poured over the photos.  We shared our memories.  When it was time to turn out the lights IB wanted to sleep with the books.  He asked me to tuck them in under the covers with him.

RG:  Do you love your books about Haiti?

IB:  No, I love ME!

–Running Girl

The View

The Window

From my office window, I observe life.  My view is of the streets of downtown Buffalo, New York.  I spend more time looking through this window than any other.

As I look out every day, I see the expected and the unexpected.  I watch people who don’t necessarily realize that they are being observed.  As a result, their actions are often unguarded and pure.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Peeping Tom or voyeur.  I’m just a guy looking up from his desk every so often to break the monotony of the work day.

Esoteric Colors: The Answers

This quiz was tough.  Based upon the number of clicks (and lack of comments) received, it did not seem like many people attempted it.

The Answers:

1. Puce is purplish-brown (d)
2. Chartreuse is halfway between yellow & green (f)
3. Mauve is pale lavender-lilac (h)

A Piece of a Wall

Travelers heading toward downtown Buffalo on Seneca street might not notice this section of ordinary red brick wall nestled up against a railroad trestle:This section of masonry is all that remains of an important architectural structure, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Administration Building.

Thanksgiving Weekend-Bullet Style

What a great Thanksgiving!  Here are some of my favorite moments from the past four days:

• The Fashionista recruiting Island Boy into one of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions of watching the Macy’s Parade.
• Island Boy’s enthusiasm over the impending feast, including him pretending to stuff his face with sound effects, of course.
• Another successful Thanksgiving meal prepared by the resident vegetarian. Thanks, Silver Palate Cookbook!
• A pretty good first attempt at baking an apple pie.
• Island Boy gorging himself on an entire turkey leg.

Threadless.com has a t-shirt that reads : Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder.

Conversations with Island Boy

Island Boy had to check with me before he made a faux pas.

IB: Does Spiderman sing?

RG: Oh, absolutely!

–Running Girl

 

Quiz: Esoteric Colors

I’m terrible with colors.  I’m not officially color blind.  I would describe myself more as “color indifferent.”

Trusting that you are better at colors than I, here is a color quiz

Harvest Loaf Cake

1 3/4 cup flour

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t ginger

1/4 t ground cloves

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

3/4 canned pumpkin

3/4 c chocolate chips

3/4 c chopped walnuts

2 T cognac

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5x3 pan.  Combine flour with soda, salt and spices.  Cream butter into large mixing bowl.  Gradually add sugar; cream at high speed of mixer until light and fluffy.  Blend in eggs; beat well.  At low speed add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin; begin and end with dry ingredients.  Blend well after each addition.  Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup walnuts.  Pour into pan.  Sprinkle wiht 1/4 c walnuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 65 to 75 minutes until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool.  Drizzle with glaze.  Let stand 6 hours before slicing.

Spice Glaze:

Combine 1/2 c sifted powdered sugar, 1/8 t nutmeg and 1/8 t cinnamon.  Blend in 1-2 T of cream until the consistency of a glaze.

–Running Girl

Harvest Loaf Cake

St. Paddy’s Day (Chapter Nine)

ST. PADDY’S DAY

by

The Major

To view the previous chapter, click here.

Of course, chapatis, vindaloo and dal really meant ravioli, marinara and pasta fagioli.  For, there was no Indian cuisine available in Coysville.  Instead, the two went to Dominic’s.   Located in an old clapboard-sided Victorian on the south side, Dominic’s was a Coysville institution.

Dr. Pat had been introduced to this restaurant and the joys of rustic Italian cuisine shortly after his arrival in the town.  However, the first time Dominic’s was suggested to him, Dr. Pat had failed to build up the requisite enthusiasm demanded, and was adjudged by his hosts to be aloof on the subject.  He was, in fact, merely misinformed.

The doctor’s initial misgivings were formed during his residency in Michigan, where there were no Italian restaurants to speak of, with the exception of a large national chain.  Dr. Pat had found the food served there so tasteless and rubbery that he swore that he would never subject himself to it again.  For this reason, it took quite a bit of convincing before Dr. Pat would set foot inside Dominic’s.

However, once inside, the spell was cast.  The aroma of garlic, sauce and spice was intoxicating. 

20 Things I Love About My House (The Major)

1. Most of the time, there is someone there to greet me with a smile when I come in.
2. Cool air flows down the vent in the downstairs bathroom in the wintertime.  If things get too stuffy in the house, it’s a nice feeling.  If you want it to stop, you just turn on the fan.
3. The sump pump in the basement has never let me down.
4. The family room has the comfy-est couches in the western world.
5. You can go out the backdoor into our own private pool club complete with jacuzzi.