keith.robertson@aig.com – Page 16

Week in Review – March 5th, 2023

“Excitable Will”

I had lunch with a couple of buddies on Tuesday. Robbie, Fred and I enjoyed a yummy lunch on the patio at Fork and Fire in Plano. Hard to believe I had shorts on in the 80 degree weather in late February. I hadn’t been to this place before and enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.

Earlier in the morning McD and I had enjoyed a walk as the temperature warmed up. Diana enjoyed some early in the year sunbathing in the afternoon as I returned to work.

Will and Christine were due to catch a flight on Thursday afternoon to come and visit us and Finn. That flight was cancelled due to a major storm in Dallas right at the arrival time. We had thunder storms and 80 mph winds, bringing several branches down. Will tried to switch to an overnight “red-eye” arriving at 5:20am on Friday. “Would you be able to come and pick us up Dad?” “Oh sure, Will.” I wasn’t overly disappointed when that flight was also cancelled. They finally arrived around 1pm on Friday – Finn and I provided pick up service.

We stopped at the new Andretti facility in Grandscape to investigate go-karting options. I had read that this place provided some very fancy and futuristic karting. Will went in to investigate and a few minutes later they were all suited up and ready to go..

I hiked up to the observation deck and was quite intrigued with the track.

Here’s some video to show what the track and the electric karts look and sound like.

Finn was very proud of his win. “Will spent thousands of dollars learning how to drive on a race track, and I still smoked him by 4 seconds.”

After all that, Will had worked up quite an appetite. We drove around to the Hard Eight barbeque and he enjoyed selecting from the available smoked meats.

We laughed when Will asked the pit master, “Do you have a lean piece of brisket?” He’s definitely nailed you as being from California. I think he managed to put together a good tray of food.

Later on, Finn came over to the house to join everyone for dinner and helped Diana put together some delicious chicken enchiladas.

On Saturday, the kids wanted to visit Hutchins barbeque in downtown McKinney to contrast their offerings with those from Hard Eight.

The report out was that some things were better (brisket), while others were not as good (okra). The “Texas Twinkies” – jalapenos wrapped in bacon and other stuff and deep fried, were a big hit.

Diana and I enjoyed a coffee at Filtered, not ready for a meat fest prior to a big dinner on Saturday night.

Dinner was at Fachini in Highland Park Village – a very ritzy part of Dallas. I had received a gift card to this place from Will and the family for my birthday last year that needed to be used. The boys admired all the fancy cars parked around Fachini – McLaren’s, Lamborghinis etc.

Things got off to a strong start with the complimentary appetizers – focaccia bread, ricotta cheese, meats and pickled veggies.

We followed that with some delicious lobster raviolis for the group.

Everyone ordered a different pasta, the exception being Diana, who ordered a veal chop that was amazing. Here’s the group preparing for a feast.

We were so full that the wonderful tiramisu was taken home for later.

As if we hadn’t eaten enough, we took the kids to C.T. Provisions in downtown McKinney for Sunday brunch. Our favourite here has been the voodoo Benedict – shrimp and crawfish in a delicious voodoo sauce and poached eggs atop excellent blue corn grit cakes. Apparently the chef changed recently, and while still good, this wasn’t as good as we remembered.

Will decided to try another menu item – the chicken biscuit. That was really good.

Then it was time to deliver Will and Christine back to the airport. I feel like I spent a decent amount of the weekend driving around. Time for a break. Wait – I’m back to the airport again on Tuesday. More about that next week.

Meanwhile, Tim, our CFO, was spending the week in New Orleans with his wife. I loaded him up with restaurant recommendations. He loved N7, and we haven’t debriefed on the rest of his experiences yet. I tried to get him connected with Denny and Anne for a tour of the French Quarter, forgetting that they were en route to London – Anne’s Christmas present from Denny.

They seem to have had a great time as usual:

My book this week was “Night Music” by Jojo Moyes. Mum had recommended this author recently and I was browsing around for a paperback to take on my trip, this one caught my eye.

An online summary:

“Isabel Delancey has always taken her gifted life for granted. But when her husband dies suddenly, leaving her with a mountain of debt, she and her two children are forced to abandon their home and move to a crumbling pile in the country.

With the house falling down around them, and the last of her savings fast disappearing, Isabel turns to her neighbours, not knowing that her mere presence there has stirred up long-standing obsessions.

As she fights to make her house a home, passions and lives collide. Isabel will discover an instinct for survival she never knew she had – and that a heart can play a new song .”

Isabel is lead violinist for a London orchestra, and I enjoyed the descriptions of her playing and expensive violin. My favourite characters were the local shop owners – the fount of knowledge on all local goings-on.

I suspect this wasn’t the best Moyles book to try first. I would give it a solid B rating – well developed and interesting characters, just a bit of a slow narrative. Not bad – just not as good as I was expecting.

. .

Will’s visit reminded me of this song from the excellent album of the same name:

“Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd was released 50 years ago this week:

I’ve been enjoying the Springsteen Soul and R&B cover album – thanks Diana. This is a great song:

And the original:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all.

Fortnight in Review – February 26th, 2023

“Happy Saint Valentine’s Day, and Happy Mardi Gras”

Diana arrived home from San Francisco on Valentine’s evening. I had some pretty flowers waiting and we exchanged cards.

No fancy dinner or plans this year – just good to have my wife back home.

The flight path took Diana right over Pacifica and her Mum’s house.

Last Monday, our old friend Randy Clapp came to town for work. He moved from Denver to Toronto several years ago, and we calculated that it had been 9 years since we last saw him and Janice. We enjoyed a fun dinner at Pappadeaux’s, catching up on families and reliving old laughs.

Last Tuesday was Mardi Gras day in New Orleans. The Krewe tortured us with pictures of them out watching the parades. Campbell made it known that he would really like to go back next year – he and Molly had such a good time.

It seems that the Krewe of Campbell might have napped through Mardi Gras this year:

The weather has been unseasonably warm and we’ve been able to get out for several nice morning walks around the neighbourhood.

Our only really outing was to see a Carole King concert movie on Sunday afternoon. There were only two showings planned.

This is a concert from 1973 that Lou Adler, King’s record label owner, had in storage all this time. They added some intro documentary material that was well done.

Carole King walked out on stage to 200,000 people on the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park, and started the show with just her and her piano – very brave. Half way through, she was joined by an amazing band of session musicians. This was a great movie.

My first book was “Siracusa” by Delia Ephron. Here’s the online summary:

“An electrifying novel about marriage and deceit from best-selling author Delia Ephron that follows two couples on vacation in Siracusa, a town on the coast of Sicily, where the secrets they have hidden from each other are exposed and relationships are unraveled.

New Yorkers Michael, a famous writer, and Lizzie, a journalist, travel to Italy with their friends from Maine – Finn; his wife, Taylor; and their daughter, Snow. “From the beginning,” says Taylor, “it was a conspiracy for Lizzie and Finn to be together.” In Rashomon style, with alternating points of view, the characters expose and stumble upon lies and infidelities past and present. Snow, 10 years old and precociously drawn into a far more adult drama, becomes the catalyst for catastrophe as the novel explores collusion and betrayal in marriage.

With her inimitable psychological astuteness and uncanny understanding of the human heart, Ephron delivers a powerful meditation on marriage, friendship, and the meaning of travel. Set on the sun-drenched coast of the Ionian Sea, Siracusa unfolds with the pacing of a psychological thriller and delivers an unexpected final act that none can see coming.”

I really enjoyed each chapter being written from the perspective of one of the four main characters. Finn’s chapters were often hilarious. Highly recommended and I have it on Diana’s list for her next book.

My next book was “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman, a host of British quiz shows. This was equally as entertaining as “Siracusa” and even funnier. The characters who meet to solve murders on Thursday night at the old folks development are hilarious. Here’s the online summary:

“In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together, they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?”

I just read that this book is soon to be a movie, directed by Steven Spielberg. It will be interesting to see who he gets to play Elizabeth. Big recommendation on this one also – a fun and easy read. I’ll wait a while before sampling the other two books in the series.

There’s a new tribute album out for Leonard Cohen. Here are a few of the great cover versions:

And maybe my favourite, an instrumental from Bill Frisell:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.

Remembering Dad

“Ian Morrison Robertson, 1936-2023”

My Dad, Ian Morrison Robertson, died on February 17, 2023. He was 86 years old.

Here he is with me in the Whisky Cave at the Marine hotel at Royal Troon golf course, celebrating his 80th birthday.

And here’s Dad when we visited him in hospital before Heather’s wedding, 6 months ago.

My sister, Elspeth, did a lovely job of collecting some thoughts for input to the eulogy for Dad:

“Messages from the many cards we have received have shared a common theme, describing Dad as a true gentleman and a gentle gentleman. He was described as a dear and lovely friend and a family man at heart. There were many references to his sense of humour, exchanging merry banter, and the many laughs on church holidays. They described his “unfailingly thoughtful and measured opinions in discussions at session meetings”, his valued comments, and that he will be a loss to the church and community.

Personal reflections

I have many memories of wonderful holidays together as a family, firstly in our touring caravan, then at Glenluce, in our static caravan. We would travel there most weekends, and spend much of the summer there. Like Keith, I remember listening to music in the car, James Last, Herb Alpert, Tom Jones ( in particular “What’s New Pussycat?” and “Delilah”) and Simon and Garfunkel, remembering Dad singing along to “Cecilia”. It was always the highlight of the journey if you got to stop for ice cream at Ballantrae, or a fish supper at Girvan.

I have fond memories of dancing around the living room standing on Dad’s toes. I took this very seriously and truly believed I was learning to ballroom dance.

When teenage life made us too busy for the caravan, our holidays moved to France, and I have many wonderful memories. Dad , despite his limited knowledge of French, would read a paper every day, and had learned to order all our complicated ice cream flavours and combinations, but caused hilarity when he managed to order everything perfectly in French, but ended with please.

Dad had a lovely sense of humour. I remember being on a school trip to France. Dad spotted metal balls on the electricity cables and told us that this was how the French transported their cheese. He also told us to look carefully and we would be able to see the hunchback of Notre Dame. I couldn’t understand why I was the only one laughing, but he had sounded so convincing that everyone else believed him. We laughed about it later. I might add that he did this shortly after calling me “toots” in front of all my classmates!

Dad loved nature, and whenever we were walking, it would turn into a nature walk with him pointing out plants, trees, birds and animals. He loved to share his passion and continued this tradition with his grandchildren. He loved gardening and would spend hours pottering with his plants. Heather and Struan enjoyed “helping “ him with this when they were young, and I have a lovely memory of him pushing them around in the wheelbarrow.

His love of nature extended to water, so much so that he always connected with it, but not in the way he intended. He loved clambering over rocks, but was always so busy looking in rock pools that he invariably fell in.

Dad’s hobbies included completing jigsaws and crosswords. He had endless patience and was a mine of knowledge, although we used to tease him that he was full of useless information. This came in useful for quizzes, and there was always a fight over who would have him in their team for Trivial

Pursuit. He loved flower arranging and a favourite was a display he created of “The Burning Bush” which sat in front of the organ at the flower festival. His love of art has filled our homes with beautiful paintings which we will cherish forever. I only wish he had passed on some of his artistic talent!

Dad would do anything for any of us. He was always there for all events. He ferried me all over, and never missed a concert, dancing display, prizegiving, competition or BB display . This applied equally to Keith and I , and also Heather and Struan.

When Heather was born, we were very grateful for “Grandpa’s magic arms” as he had the perfect knack of calming her and getting her to sleep.

He enjoyed precious time spent looking after Heather and Struan, hearing all their stories and playing with them. Part of Struan’s weekly routine right up until he left school was watching Scooby Doo and Roadrunner with Grandpa.

Keith’s boys used to call Mum and Dad “Grannyampa”, which was lovely, because it highlighted that they were inseparable, and loved to do things together. They saw them as a combined entity.

Dad really enjoyed going on church holidays. There were many tales of the happy times he spent with friends.

I have always known how proud Dad was of me, and felt his unconditional love, but he was never overly generous with his compliments. If asked his opinion on, for example, outfits, he would often reply that they were “fine”. It amused me that when I moved to Aberdeenshire, I discovered that fine has a very different meaning, and actually means very good or special. I laughed with Dad that , of course, he knew that all along and that was always what he meant.”

Such great memories and wonderful writing. This is a link to some of Dad’s favourite songs:

Here are some of my thoughts that I shared for potential inclusion in the euglogy:

Artist

Dad was a great artist and enjoyed his regular art classes – I think maybe just as much for the story telling as the art activities. I remember being amazed at the knights in armour he would draw for me as a young kid. A painting Dad did of a Tuscan scene for my 50^th birthday has pride of place as the first thing you see on entering my home.

Music

Dad loved all kinds of music. A fond memory is driving around in the Renault 16, listening to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” on the 8-track player. I think I could still tell you where the “clunk” of the track changing happens on those songs. Some of his favourites were Abba, James Last, Neil Diamond and Tom Jones.

Dad invested countless hours ferrying me to band practice and patiently listening to many brass bands playing the same piece at competitions – and those were not popular hits type pieces.

Story Telling

One of Dad’s big enjoyments was telling a good story. “Jackanories” is what we called the detailed recaps of Dad’s day at school we listened to at the dinner table each night. Lots of detailed dialogue and plot lines. Dad did love to read and I enjoyed perusing his library for a good read during my visits and on flights home.

Boy Scouts

Dad put together and taught a course leading to the Conservation badge for my Boy Scout Troop. His teaching and story telling skills really made this a fun and popular badge.

Trying New Things

At the age of 80, Dad tried snorkeling for the first time at our wedding in Cozumel. He thoroughly enjoyed the plethora of colourful fish in the reef.

Here are some pictures of the many flower arrangements and cards that were delivered to Merrick View. You can see how many people in the community loved my Dad.

Here’s a plant that I received from work colleagues. His name is Morrison, and he’s a Bromeliad (according to Google lens). It looks like a species about which Dad would have had a lot to share.

A windchime that I received as a sympathy gift included this poem:

“A Letter from Heaven”, by Ruth Ann Mahaffey

“To my dearest family,

Some things I’d like to say
But first of all to let you know
That I arrived OK.
I’m writing this from heaven
Where I dwell with God above
Where there’s no more tears or sadness
There is just eternal love
Please do not be unhappy
Just because I am out of sight
Remember that I’m with you
Each morning, noon, and night
That day I had to leave you
When my life on Earth was through
God picked me up and hugged me
And He said I welcome you.
It’s good to have you back again
You were missed while you were gone
As for your dearest family…
They’ll be here later on.
I need you here so badly
As part of my big plan
There’s so much that we have to do
To help the mortal man.
Then God gave me a list of things
He wished for me to do,
And foremost on that list of mine
Is to watch and care for you.
And I will be beside you
Every day and week and year
And when your sad I’m standing there
To wipe away the tear.
And when you lie in bed at night
The day’s chores put to flight
God and I are closer to you
In the middle of the night.
When you think of my life on Earth
And all those loving years
Because you’re only human
They are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry
It does relieve the pain
Remember there would be no flowers
Unless there was some rain.
I wish that I could tell you
Of all that God has planned,
But if I were to tell you
You wouldn’t understand.
There is one thing is for certain
Though my life on Earth is o’re,

I’m closer to you now
Than I ever was before.
And to my very many friends,
Trust God knows what is best
I’m still not far away from you
I’m just beyond the crest.
There are many rocky roads ahead of you
And many hills to climb,
But together we can do it
Taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy
And I’d like it for you too
That as you give unto the world,
So the world will give to you.
If you can help somebody
Who’s in sorrow or in pain,
Then you can say to God at night
My day was not in vain.
And now I am contented
That my life, it was worthwhile,
Knowing as I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
So if you meet somebody
Who is down and feeling low,
Just lend a hand to pick him up
As on your way you go.
When you are walking down the street,
And you’ve got me on your mind
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
And you feel that gentle breeze
Or the wind upon your face
That’s me giving you a great big hug
Or just a soft embrace.
And when It’s time for you to go
From that body to be free
Remember that you’re not going,
You are coming here to me.”

I’ll finish with a few of my favourite photos that sit on my desk:

I miss you Dad!

Week in Review – February 12th, 2023

“Alone again”

I flew home from San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon. I snapped this picture of the flowers blooming on the hill before I left:

The San Francisco airport has a rotating exhibition that you can walk through on the way to the departure gates. The current show is celebrating 100 years of the San Francisco Opera. Clorinda would enjoy it – costumes and artifacts from Tosca and Rigoletto.

All the ice was long gone on return to Dallas, and the drive home was smooth. The house seemed in good shape – just a couple of small tree branches down.

While I was working away in my home office, Diana was struggling through the Dali melting clock puzzle that Amy and Adamo gave her for Christmas. Lots of whining and complaining about how difficult the black section was, but she persevered.

This was one of the busier work weeks in a while. I did manage to escape for lunch with our Enterprise Architect, Prabhjit, on Wednesday. Shiawase Japanese restaurant was mid-way between our homes and is always good.

Diana took her Mum to watch the kids swim lesson again on Thursday afternoon. No Frankie drama this time. The trio of Luciano, Massimo, and Louie were capable of jumping in without needing to be rescued:

I met up with a work colleague for a late lunch on Saturday. We tried to go to the Libertine on Greenville Ave (great food and cocktails), but there was a “Cupid Crawl” in progress. This is some ridiculous pre-Valentines event, and had the place absolutely packed. We diverted to The Hideaway and enjoyed a couple of hours of work gossip and story telling.

Saturday was busy on Gypsy Hill. Joey and family arrived to celebrate Leanna’s birthday. Seems like all had a good time. Pretty salad and flowers that Bonna brought:

Diana, Clorinda and Alicia are always happy when they are able to host family.

Later in the afternoon, Marco, Julie, and Gianluca showed up for a visit. Oh – and not to forget Yeti, who seemed pretty bored with the proceedings.

Marco just had a recent drain removed from his tummy and is in a lot of pain. I think we talked him out of trying to go back to work on Monday.

The weather in Pacifica got much better after I left and Diana has been torturing me with sunset views.

In additional torture, the Krewe was out to watch the first of the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. So much fun.

Sunday has been quiet so far. I drove to downtown McKinney for coffee and a quiche with my crossword. Then made a visit to Trader Joe’s for some essential supplies to tide me over until my D returns on Tuesday. Now I’m catching up on things before the Superbowl starts in a few hours.

My book this week was “Lessons” by Ian McEwan. I haven’t quite finished yet.

Here’s an online review and synopsis:

““Masterful…. McEwan is a storyteller at the peak of his powers…. One of the joys of the novel is the way it weaves history into Roland’s biography…. The pleasure in reading this novel is letting it wash over you.” —Associated Press

When the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has closed, eleven-year-old Roland Baines’s life is turned upside down. Two thousand miles from his mother’s protective love, stranded at an unusual boarding school, his vulnerability attracts piano teacher Miss Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.

Now, when his wife vanishes, leaving him alone with his tiny son, Roland is forced to confront the reality of his restless existence. As the radiation from Chernobyl spreads across Europe, he begins a search for answers that looks deep into his family history and will last for the rest of his life.

Haunted by lost opportunities, Roland seeks solace through every possible means—music, literature, friends, sex, politics, and, finally, love cut tragically short, then love ultimately redeemed. His journey raises important questions for us all. Can we take full charge of the course of our lives without causing damage to others? How do global events beyond our control shape our lives and our memories? And what can we really learn from the traumas of the past?

Epic, mesmerizing, and deeply humane, Lessons is a chronicle for our times—a powerful meditation on history and humanity through the prism of one man’s lifetime.”

I have enjoyed this book quite a bit, but maybe not quite as much as I anticipated. The pacing seems to drag a bit form time to time. I did enjoy reliving all the recent history that weaves in and out of the story. Maybe there is a terrific ending ahead for me to enjoy.

I read that Hugh Hudson, director of Chariots of Fire, died this week. Here’s some of the iconic Vangelis sound track to honour him:

I also read that Gustavo Dudamel is moving from his position as conductor of the LA Philharmonic to the New York Philharmonic. There’s been a lot of chatter in the media the last couple of weeks about ChatGPT, which can answer any question and generate papers on any subject. I asked it “What makes Gustavo Dudamel such a great conductor?” Here’s the response – very impressive AI tool:

Gustavo Dudamel is considered a great conductor for several reasons:

Musical Interpretation: Dudamel has a unique interpretation of music and a remarkable ability to bring out the emotional content of a piece. He is known for his energetic and passionate conducting style that inspires and captivates audiences.
Technically Proficient: Dudamel is a highly skilled conductor with a deep understanding of music. He has a strong sense of rhythm and is able to bring out the best in orchestras, ensuring that every section is well balanced and in tune.
Dynamic Presence: Dudamel is a charismatic and dynamic conductor who has the ability to engage and excite audiences. His enthusiasm and energy are contagious, and he often receives standing ovations.
Commitment to Education: Dudamel is committed to music education and has a passion for promoting classical music to new generations. He is the founder of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) and has been instrumental in developing programs that give young people access to music education.
Wide Repertoire: Dudamel has a broad repertoire that ranges from classical to contemporary music, and he is known for his interpretations of the works of Gustav Mahler, Ludwig van Beethoven, and many other composers.

All of these factors have combined to make Gustavo Dudamel one of the most respected and sought-after conductors of his generation.

Bruce Springsteen performed in Dallas on Friday night. Three of his band members were ill and didn’t join the band, but this review would indicate he didn’t miss a beat:

https://amp.star-telegram.com/entertainment/article272399133.html

I was enjoying listening to the reprised River tour from Dallas several years ago this week. Thanks Matt!

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all!

Fortnight in Review – February 5th, 2023

“Mexico City to Dallas – No go!”

We had some very light snow flurries last Tuesday – certainly an omen of what was to come.

Both of us had dental experiences last Tuesday. I had a cleaning and Diana went to the orthodontist to see about Invisalign stuff. I tried to go to a new empanada place I had read about close to Dr. Toney’s office but they were closed – next time.

The Ogans were in town for Cooper Clinic appointments on Thursday. Anne particularly likes to have Tex-Mex food when in Dallas – the only cuisine that they can’t find a better version of in New Orleans. We met them at Mena’s in Carrolton and had a lovely late lunch. They had carried a king cake all the way for us – so thoughtful.

Last Saturday was pretty typical – workout and a visit to Duino for avocado toasts. In the afternoon, I enjoyed this New Yorker article on the fantastic pianist, Brad Mehldau:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/brad-mehldau-trades-bach-for-the-beatles

Diana dropped me off last Sunday for my flight to Mexico City for our quarterly Board of Directors meeting. We decided it was smart to move her Tuesday flight to San Francisco up to Monday, given the increasingly bleak weather forecast for the rest of the week. I was able to watch the first half of the NFC Championship game between the Eagles and the 49ers on the flight.

Immigration in Mexico City was remarkably smooth and quick compared to prior experiences. After a 20 minute limo ride, I was comfortably installed in the Intercontinental El Presidente hotel. This is the sister hotel to the one we were married at in Cozumel.

Here are views of the city from my room and the elevator lobby on the 40th floor:

The hotel is in the Polanco district – apparently the fancy part of Mexico City. There are several excellent restaurants in the hotel, and we enjoyed an outstanding Italian meal at Alfredo di Roma on Sunday evening. They even provided a private room with a TV so that we could enjoy the AFC Championship game. The baby octopus (pulpitos) were yummy and the tiramisu was the best I’ve ever tasted.

There is a lot of theater in these restaurants – here Blair’s seafood pasta is being prepared:

I got up at night to adjust the thermostat and was tackled by this sculpture – those black out shades are very effective.

Our rooms came with access to the Club lounge on the 39th floor for breakfast and happy hour. I really enjoyed their chilaquiles with verde sauce, spicy chicken and eggs in the morning, and the excellent views.

I met Jose, who runs Latin America for me, for lunch at another hotel restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon, for lunch. The French food was very good – foie gras mousse and scallops on a bed of risotto. We enjoyed catching up face to face over a delicious meal.

I did some work in the afternoon, and then ran into Phil, our majority shareholder, who insisted that I join him and the Board members for dinner. Guess where that was – yep, right back at Au Pied de Cochon. I was able to sample some other delights. The theater continued with dry ice smoking over the oysters and table side preparation of my steak tartare.

Here I am with Jorge, who runs Operations in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras at the dinner.

The Board meetings on Tuesday were very smooth and my presentation was well received, without any tough questions. Then it was time for my favourite meal of the trip. We went outside the hotel for dinner at La Buena Barra. Pablo, our local Mexico City Board member, arranged a wonderful table on the terrace. Then he proceeded to order up some amazing appetizers – soft shell crab tacos (best thing I ate), tuna tartare tostadas, and various other treats.

I had a massive octopus for my main course, and it was perfectly cooked on top of a hot stone.

The churro dessert presentation continued the creative trend.

If you’re ever in Mexico City – this is the place to eat. Here’s a picture of the full group enjoying the meal:

I had planned to fly back to Dallas on Wednesday afternoon, but the ice storm caused all flights to be cancelled.

There are worse places to have to spend an extra night than the Intercontinental. Nikki and Sunil were also stuck and we decided to revisit the amazing Italian restaurant. I tried the mushroom risotto with truffles – so good.

I headed to the airport on Thursday morning to attempt a flight to Dallas. The ice was forecast to melt during the day and then refreeze in the evening. I was hoping flights would get out. But no, my flight was pushed back six or seven times with arrival scheduled after the roads would have frozen again. Time for a plan B. There was a direct flight to San Francisco, and I decided to go and visit Diana and Clorinda for the weekend, letting things thaw out in Dallas.

I had forwarded Diana this boarding pass, but she didn’t initially notice that it was to San Francisco. She did ultimately notice and picked me up in the afternoon.

We invited Andy and Jude down for Happy Hour on Friday. They insisted on bringing a bunch of yummy Italian food from a new Pacifica restaurant. We’ve been enjoying left overs for a couple of days.

Saturday was a rainy and miserable day and the only time we ventured out was for a coffee and snack at Soul Grind. They have a new menu item – empanadas. I chose a mushroom one and it was delicious. We’d love to pick this place up and move it to McKinney.

Gianluca joined Alicia, Carolina, and Lucas for art and craft time on Saturday afternoon. They created some really pretty pieces.

In the evening, the girls (Diana, Alicia, Aimee, Caroline and Carolina) went to the Eric Lindell show at the Longboard Margarita Bar – the local dive bar where I went to watch the Cowboys at Christmas. They had a great time. Aimee stayed over for a slumber party and we enjoyed catching up with her.

I stayed home and hung out with Clorinda, who was very well behaved.

The Ogans made a last minute trip to Park City, Utah for some skiing. The conditions look excellent:

In other news, Alicia started a new job as a Project Coordinator at Communiversity – a community outreach program at San Jose State. She had an internship there, and they liked her so much that they found a funded position for her to continue. Way to go A!

My book this week was “Lucy, by the sea” by the wonderful Elizabeth Strout. I loved this quick read and the way it captured all the fear and uncertainty of the COVID onset. Here’s the online summary:

“With her trademark spare, crystalline prose—a voice infused with “intimate, fragile, desperate humanness” (The Washington Post)—Elizabeth Strout turns her exquisitely tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton through the early days of the pandemic.

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we’re apart—the pain of a beloved daughter’s suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.”

There are several paragraphs that I had marked to include here, but I’m getting tired. Trust me – this is another excellent book from Strout.

I love the spare guitar sound on this one from the Teskey Bros – an excellent new band from Australia:

One of the Board Members, Matt, recommended this band after we had been discussing our musical preferences for a while:

I can’t remember how Andy and I got on the topic of Glaswegian singer, songwriter John Martyn. Oh now I do – I was telling him about Matt sending me every live Grateful Dead show on a drive, and he mentioned a bootleg recording he got in his record store from John Martyn.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

P.S. – the pilot on my United flight to San Francisco came out in the aisle and thanked everyone for flying with him. He went on to say he had flown for United for 23 years, and for the US Air Force for 10 before that, training up multiple teams. “You are all on my team today, and that means we treat everyone on board with kindness and respect.” What a great representative of the airline.

Week in Review – January 22nd, 2023

“Cowboys Lose”

Monday was a beautiful day for January – 76 degrees. I drove Penelope over to Watters Creek for a haircut, and she was excited to have the convertible top down for the first time in 2023. Diana had a dental cleaning around the same time, and so we were able to meet at the Lion and Crown (used to be the Londoner when I lived there) and enjoyed some scotch eggs and “English nachos” – waffle fries loaded up with all sorts of goodies. A nice treat to start out the week. A fun couple who had just moved from Woodland Hills, CA sat next to us as we were finishing up. We could easily have stayed and chatted with them longer.

Diana finished up her cacti puzzle before the Cowboys played on Monday night. Yes! – they beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers to advance in the playoffs. Can they best San Francisco tonight? Of course, if the right team shows up!

I gave Diana her next puzzle, a Hawaiian sunset, and she made fast work of that one. A minimum of 1,000 pieces from here on out.

I took Finn to get his wisdom teeth out early Tuesday morning. All went smoothly except for his seizure type thing at the beginning, when he saw the needle. Just like his first COVID shot experience. The dentist was all over it – “I just cranked up the oxygen and raised his feet above his heart.” Apparently Finn apologized when he came back around. Poor guy. He slept for a few hours at our home, and then wanted to rest in his own bed. Isn’t that a nifty ice pack setup that straps around your head.

He had some pain on Tuesday night and has been doing really well since.

I had my annual eye exam on Wednesday, and as usual the crossword was tracking along with my activities. I was doing it while waiting for my eyes to fully dilate:

We watched a new to us series during the week. “In the Dark” stars a blind girl who is involved in solving a crime. We enjoyed it a lot and have three more series to enjoy.

We had an outing to Denton on Saturday afternoon. “A Taste of Herb”, a Herb Alpert tribute group, was playing at Dan’s Silverleaf. It’s been a while since we made that drive, and I almost turned around. The traffic with all the new building North of us was brutal.

We persevered and finally arrived at a new restaurant, “Barley & Board.” The blue cheese chips with bacon were ridiculously good. We followed that with a shared burger and fries. Equally yummy. We’ll have to try the closer version of this place again sometime.

Dan’s Silverleaf was packed when we arrived – very unusual for a weekend matinee show. We stayed for a little while and enjoyed the band and the eclectic crowd of patrons.

Sunday began with a workout at Apex and then Diana treated me to breakfast at “House of Bread.” She used a gift card from Finn – thanks Finn! That store smells so good, with the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting about.

This video of the waves crashing into the parking lot in Pacifica is pretty scary. We hope all the storms are over for a while.

Speaking of Pacifica, we chuckled on receiving a note that Eric Lindell is playing at the Longboard margarita bar when Diana is next visiting. That’s the dive bar where I went to watch football over the holidays. Apparently Lindell’s Mum lives in Pacifica.

Sunday ended poorly. The Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Most everyone played well except the quarterback, with two costly interceptions. Campbell says he might not be able to support the Cowboys next year if they have the same quarterback.

I hope Will didn’t waste his money on these Cowboys items for Ollie – no more opportunities to wear them in support of the team this year.

I started “The Hero of this Book” by Elizabeth McCracken this week, and am really enjoying it so far. Here’s the online summary:

“Ten months after her mother’s death, the narrator of The Hero of This Book takes a trip to London. The city was a favorite of her mother’s, and as the narrator wanders the streets, she finds herself reflecting on her mother’s life and their relationship. Thoughts of the past meld with questions of the future: Back in New England, the family home is now up for sale, its considerable contents already winnowed.

The woman, a writer, recalls all that made her complicated mother extraordinary—her brilliant wit, her generosity, her unbelievable obstinacy, her sheer will in seizing life despite physical difficulties—and finds herself wondering how her mother had endured. Even though she wants to respect her mother’s nearly pathological sense of privacy, the woman must come to terms with whether making a chronicle of this remarkable life constitutes an act of love or betrayal.

The Hero of This Book is a searing examination of grief and renewal, and of a deeply felt relationship between a child and her parents. What begins as a question of filial devotion ultimately becomes a lesson in what it means to write. At once comic and heartbreaking, with prose that delights at every turn, this is a novel of such piercing love and tenderness that we are reminded that art is what remains when all else falls away.”

Here’s a passage on what it feels like to walk around Texas in areas that are only really intended for driving:

“The sidewalk of my suburban youth was like God, omnipresent and irregular. In Texas, where I’d lived for a decade, walking was seen as a form of peculiarity, perhaps a sign of northern-ness, even among my largely unarmed Texan friends. Sometimes in Texas as I walked, I would suddenly feel the presence of all the hidden guns around me, as though I were an x-ray machine.

Here in London, I knew that not a single civilian or police officer, for that matter- was armed.

Already I was lost. But there was a sign at the edge of the ungreen green that showed the neighborhood: what was within a five-minute walk of You are here, what within a fifteen-minute. Some things only the city itself can tell you, and other things you must learn from a map.

In Austin there are enormous streets called Lanes, as well as Drives and Streets and Circles and Boulevards; in my mother’s suburban Boston neighborhood, dead ends called Terraces. Trevor’s place was on a Close, and I was headed for Jerusalem Passage. Surely I would be changed upon it. I passed the Belgian bar Trevor had mentioned, now closed. A shared workspace, closed. Early Sunday morning in the business district: Everything was closed.”

Here’s a song that popped up to remind me of my time in Basingstoke – this album got a lot of play:

I get email invites to a house concert series in Austin, but have never gone. This one sounded interesting. Werner has entertaining lyrics about New Orleans.

And finally, something from Funky Friday on our local radio station, 91.7 KXT:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all.

Week in Review – January 15th, 2023

“Penelope Hates Me”

I followed Diana over to the Volkswagen dealership on Monday. She was dropping off the BBB (Big Black Beast, VW Atlas) for a service and to get some minor things sorted. I picked her up and we headed home. Diana headed up to the grocery store in Penelope. About 30 minutes later, I got a panicked call telling me that Penelope wouldn’t stay running. We arranged for AAA to come and see if they could help.

You can tell from the above picture that things didn’t go well. I walked to the grocery store, arriving just as the AAA guys had decided that they couldn’t get things fixed and would need to tow Penelope to visit Alex. We Ubered back home with the groceries, and a nice gentleman came to pick up Diana when BBB was ready. He had quite the repertoire of jokes to share with her on the drive – she even remembered a few to tell me later.

I watched a really heartwarming movie about the power of music in the evening. “I Used to be Famous” is wonderfully acted and directed, and is a story about a washed up rock star who befriends an autistic drummer. I loved this movie – apparently having seen some of it before (must have fallen asleep early.)

Diana started a new puzzle on Tuesday morning. It’s the album cover for Jackson Browne’s classic “Late for the Sky.” And it’s double sided for extra complexity. One of my all time favourite albums, with amazing guitar from David Lindley – perhaps the best supporting guitar ever!

Diana concocted some kind of strategy where she did the less challenging parts of both sides of the puzzle, then flipped one to match up. What she thought was going to be impossible lasted less than 3 hours.

It’s hard to pick a favourite song from this album, but here’s what I’m going with – so amazing when we heard Jackson and David Lindley play it live many years ago in Grand Prairie, as a tribute to Little Feat drummer, Richie Hayward, who had died a few days earlier:

If you’ve never listened to this album all the way through, you should do that today.

We picked up Penelope on Tuesday afternoon – something about a vacuum fuel line in a manifold – I just nodded and agreed with Alex. I did let him know that McD was driving, as is typical when things go wrong with Penelope. I think he gave a small German chuckle – hard to tell.

We completed our Golden Globe award ballots and started a new show while recording the awards – there are so many things that you need to fast forward through. The new show was “Georgia and Ginny” on Netflix. The first episode was mediocre, and then it started to become pretty funny and entertaining.

How did we do on the ballots? Here you go:

That’s 14-7, for those keeping track.

The storms in California continued to wreak havoc with power and roads. Clorinda lost power to her house, and the line coming down caused a bunch of things to blow out – including the fridge, toaster and coffee maker. PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) came out to assess the situation – fortunately Caroline went to High School with the PG&E guy, and soon there were 6 vehicles working on the repair.

Diana ordered up replacement appliances, and worked hard the rest of the week to coordinate delivery of the fridge. Thankfully, it was completely installed on Friday night.

Finn texted me that he had a day off on Wednesday – would I like to meet up for lunch. A first! I finally delivered his Christmas coffee table, and took him to a new place, Yaba Java, for lunch. This place was great – lovely design, great service and delicious food. I had a Mediterranean panini – it came served on pita bread straight from the pizza oven, reminding me of Shaya in New Orleans.

On Friday night, we watched an episode of “Break Point” on Netflix. This is a show about tennis players, filmed last year. The first one featured is Nick Kyrgios, the Australian bad boy. It’s amazing to consider that he doesn’t have a trainer or a coach, and just plays when he wants. He had a great run in the U.S. Open, and has more natural talent than anyone else – just can’t keep himself under control mentally. You have to wonder what he could do with professional coaching – maybe it’s too late.

Saturday started with an overdue trip to the APEX fitness center. We followed that with a trip to Yaba Java, so that I could show Diana what a great place I had found. The food was great, but the coffee operators were hopeless – creating what Diana described as the worst cappuccino she’d ever tasted. The avocado and egg toast was given a big thumbs up.

This weekend marks the start of the NFL playoffs, with a host of great games to watch. I proactively ordered a 1,000 piece puzzle to keep McD entertained while I watched. She might be making quicker progress than desired on Saturday afternoon.

Before the playoffs started, I watched a bit of the Grammy tribute to Paul Simon. Greg had recommended this when we were in New Orleans. What an amazing show – each performance better than the last. “The Boxer” by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, is my favourite so far.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” was one of my Dads favourite 8-tracks to play as we drove around as kids. Listening to this performance brought all of that back to me – I think I can even tell you where the click-thump is when we change to a new one of the 8 tracks.

The San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks playoff game provided some good entertainment, with the 49ers pulling ahead nicely after halftime.

McD took a break from her puzzle and we watched an episode of “Emily in Paris.” A silly but pretty entertaining series.

We sampled a bit of the evening playoff game. The Jaguars won with Trevor Lawrence, their quarterback, throwing 4 interceptions – a very unlikely win.

As I submit this post, Diana is still plugging away at the cacti puzzle. It seems to be lasting well.

I continued to work my way through “Like a Rolling Stone” by Jan Wenner this week.

I really enjoyed the first section, and am now becoming a bit disillusioned. It seems like the purpose of the book is for Wenner to tell us about all the famous people he befriended, and how much fun he had. That gets a bit tiresome. I met up with Jackie Onassis, and then met John Belushi in the evening – blah, blah, blah.

I did enjoy a couple of sections on the passing of Ralph Gleason, who helped Wenner start Rolling Stone magazine:

“It started with Lucille Armstrong, Louis’ widow, and Mercer Ellington, Duke’s son. Dizzy Gillespie wrote, “I have been knowing him about thirty years and he hasn’t deviated one centimeter from what he sees as the truth – in music, in politics, or any other field of human endeavor.” There was a letter from Lenny Bruce. Frank Sinatra called him a “rate and gifted friend.” Miles Davis wrote one line: “Give me my friend back.” Jerry Garcia, Paul Simon, Robbie Robertson, and John Lennon all paid tribute, too. He had helped them all.”

“the last words Ralph ever wrote: “Stone is the journalist as incorruptible man, honesty personified and as such brings to life an American myth: that the honest journalist is a saint who can save us all by his integrity and his dedication to truth. He is reporter as a poet, Knight of the Holy Grail of Truth. He cares passionately about humanity and about truth, he doesn’t expect people to be perfect or truth to be absolute, but he does care. He is a testament to the possibilities left in man, and we need the inspiration he can give us these grim days.”

I really hope the remainder of this book tends more to substance than fancy friends and capers.

Jeff Beck passed away this week. We were fortunate to see him a few years ago as part of the Eric Clapton guitar festival, where he was joined by Johnny Depp. Here’s one of my favourites:

I read an article where the drummer for Blur was talking about his five top albums. He talked about “Spirit of Eden”, the 1988 album from Talk Talk. I agree it’s one of the best technically recorded and emotional albums. I listened on Saturday morning. The unique sounds from organ, trumpet, and guitar are amazing. And the songs are given the time to develop and layer.

This led to the wonderful Blue Nile, and this gem – also beautifully recorded by Linn:

Finally, an excellent cover that played after the Blue Nile. What excellent musicians – the little slide guitar touches from Gary Clark Jr. just make the recording:

Sad that this song is still so relevant.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.

Fortnight in Review – January 8th, 2023

“Happy New Year”

We finally made it up to Amy and Adamo’s home to exchange gifts on Monday afternoon. Bad wind and rain was forecast for the evening and we wanted to be home before that. It was a very strong storm, keeping us awake most of the night. Francesca was quite pleased with her doctor kit. She listened to our hearts, took blood pressure, gave shots as needed. “I think you’re ok.”

We got clever gifts. Our first matching tee shirts:

And a round jigsaw puzzle with fancy words. They even have definitions and “use it in a sentences” inside the lid.

I took a minute to inspect the treehouse in the back yard that Adamo has been improving. The decks and views are very impressive, with the original building needing some repair/upgrades.

Tuesday was a rainy, lazy day. We watched the huge waves crashing on the pier from inside. And, of course, Diana started on the jigsaw puzzle. Thankfully, she didn’t stay up all night working on it. It must have been Clorinda’s help that allowed completion at a regular hour.

The kids invaded in the afternoon, and opened their gifts from Grammie.

Wednesday was the first day that I had felt up to a workout – so we started our day with that. Then we drove down to Redwood City and enjoyed a fun and delicious lunch at Pasha with Sean and Sheri. Such good Mediterranean food, just around the corner from Will’s place. It’s been a long time since we got to catch up with the Meeksies.

After lunch we drove over to Marco and Julie’s home to meet the new, as yet unnamed, Havanese puppy – Gianluca is pushing hard for “Yeti.” The dog arrived on Monday – just in time to complete the move back into their home.

The Havanese is the national dog of Cuba and is part of the Bichon family. He’s very fluffy, soft, and calm.

The move wasn’t entirely complete. We helped Marco move Julie’s desk setup and the food from the freezer, before driving back up to Pacifica. I did really enjoy seeing this picture that Marco’s cross country students made for him pre-surgery.

We flew home to McKinney on Friday. This is an interesting cloud formation from the plane:

We were home just long enough to unpack, do some quick laundry, then repack for our flight to New Orleans midday Saturday.

Alex and Laura hosted the New Year’s Eve gathering this year, and it was very pleasant to be able to relax and catch up with friends that we hadn’t seen in a while. Here are a selection of photos of the attendees:

The ladies commandeered the dining room for their private session:

Here’s our midnight selfie:

Denny was up early on New Year’s Day, making all of his oyster sauces and getting organized.

He dictated various recipes to Anne as he worked away – “In case somebody asks how they can help – I just give them the recipe card and off they go.”

You’ll notice an important note on the spinach salad card – “Do Not Ask Keith.” That was after I spent a solid 30 minutes de-stemming the spinach leaves.

Folks started showing up around 1pm, with most leaving by 7pm or so.

The oyster shucking team did great work – Greg commenting that he hires a shucker for his parties. Fred has some real skills, and as always, Frank was a big help.

Then it was down to the Three Musketeers – Greg, Denny, and Kenny, with the girls retiring early. Denny was finally kicked back and relaxed.

And then it was just Denny and me. “There’s a good show at the Maple Leaf.” “I’m in.” Joe Krowne was joined by an excellent drummer and amazing harmonica player. Always a great venue to see a show. My phone died prior to any video opportunities – it had been providing the patio soundtrack all day.

We had a lazy start into 2023 on Monday morning. The boys left for Cooter Brown’s to watch college football games. I opted for some more sleep, and then joined Diana and Anne at Basin Seafood for a late lunch. We had a pleasant chat with saxophone Derek and his Mom as they arrived at the same restaurant. The food was yummy – blue crab beignets and those wonderful little goat cheese croquettes in the beet salad.

We arrived home to a surprise. All the guys were back, and had decided to fry the remaining oysters for po-boys. Delicious.

Our flight home on Tuesday was a bit delayed, but overall, we continue to be lucky with our travels.

Settled at home, we started to worry about all the rain and very high wind in California. As it turns out, we had good reason to worry. Here’s Amy giving a tour of the damage:

And the challenges continued as the storms kept coming. Fortunately Adamo and his crew were able to make quick work of unblocking the driveway:

I spent Saturday and part of Sunday on a bit of a silly mission. The fluorescent light in the laundry room has been down for a while. I replaced the bulbs and they still flickered dimly. Time to replace the ballast. I spent some happy time extracting it so that I could get a replacement at Home Depot. In a call with Damon, he told me that I could get a new LED replacement unit for the same price as a ballast, and never have to replace a bulb again. Sold! Why didn’t I research that before all that work?

A new light unit was purchased, but now it’s smaller than the old fixture, and so the ceiling had to be painted before installation. Next is to patch the part of the hole that sticks out.

After that fun, I moved on from playing electrician to plumber. My Grandpa would be pleased. Alicia’s sink has been stopping up, particularly when the A/C drains into it. We had an A/C “expert” out again to look at it. He gave me an illogical story, and I decided to purchase a drain snake and try to unblock it myself. After some fun pushing and pulling the snake, and getting splattered with dirty gunk, the sink is now flowing freely.

A wobbly ceiling fan is next on the Handyman list for me.

While I was messing around with all of that, McD tackled the puzzle Mum gave her for Christmas. Here she is 2 hours in:

And completion at the 5 hour mark. So much patience.

Campbell was another year older on Sunday – sharing his birthday with Elvis. He celebrated with a meal at Louisiana Purchase – a New Orleans style restaurant. They had an alligator and andouille cheesecake, similar to the one that we enjoyed with them at Jacques-Imo’s in New Orleans. Looks delicious.

Clorinda really enjoyed “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge, and I have it a shot these last few weeks. Here’s the review summary:

“Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.

It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.

Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.”

I enjoyed this passage from the book – I agree that life is all about collecting interesting stories.

“It is a foolish man who thinks stories do not matter – when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we’ll ever know. So, shouldn’t you hear our story? Shouldn’t you know how two darling giraffes saved me, you, and your mother, a woman I loved? And it is a selfish man who takes stories to the grave that aren’t his and his alone. Shouldn’t you know your mother’s brave heart and daring dreams? And shouldn’t you know your friends, even though we’re gone?

I knew, then, there was something an old man could do. I found a pencil and I began to write.”

I found this tale a bit slow at times, but did really enjoy the history of the Depression era and the Dust Bowl challenges in the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma.

Let’s start out with some classic Stevie Wonder:

And continue on with some classic funk:

Finishing up with some Aretha:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all!

Week in Review – December 25th, 2022

“Christmas is Here”

John and family joined us again on Monday for brunch. I loved watching Lilly assemble a meat and cheese platter, and then, without any prompting, creating a plate for Grammie.

On Wednesday evening, Diana and Alicia drove down to San Jose for a special “Cousins Christmas”, hosted by Joelle. I made Clorinda a dinner that she wolfed down, and then described as “fine.” She asked where Diana was. I tried to tell her but she couldn’t hear me. Ahh – I’ll use the notepad. “Who’s Tooey?” Good grief. Finally, the lower case version worked. “Why weren’t we invited?” “It’s only for cousins.” “But I’m a cousin.” So entertaining.

The girls had a nice time at their exclusive event:

Thursday was the anniversary of the night that Will and Christine got engaged in San Francisco. Diana and I had dinner at the Tadich Grill that night, next door to where the newly engaged couple was celebrating. Will suggested that we all have dinner at the Tadich to celebrate. What a great idea!

The restaurant was nicely decorated and I always like the old school white dinner jackets on the waiters and bar staff.

The seafood was just as wonderful and fresh as we remembered – oysters Rockefeller, lobster, petrale sole, cioppino, sea bass. What a feast!

We celebrated the Robertson family Christmas on Friday evening. Diana did a great job of putting together the first of three dinners in a row. Alicia’s stuffed mushrooms were yummy. I contributed a tiny bit to the rack of lamb – finding the recipe and helping set them up to marinade.

Dinner was very well received all around.

Campbell enjoyed his Mardi Gras themed gifts, and Clorinda wrestled her very large candle open:

Thanks Diana and Alicia for all the cooking and cleaning.

The Cowboys played on Christmas Eve, and the San Francisco 49ers played at the same time. Diana and Alicia were gracious enough to offer me the home TV, and they would go to the bar. I thought it would be a better idea for me to watch from the dive bar – the Longboard Margarita Bar – one of Pacifica’s finest.

A couple of friends were there to watch with me.

The Philly cheesesteak guy showed up and set up his station outside the bar. Yum!

This sign made me chuckle:

There was a nice crowd of folks in the bar, including one Cowboys fan, Mike. The 49ers fans were quite loud, but we had fun together. And the Cowboys were able to eke out a win against the league rival Philadelphia Eagles.

The Saturday evening sunset was amazing – all the reds and oranges that made me think of our Cozumel wedding sunset.

Then it was time for another feast. This time the pseudo feast of the seven fishes – angel hair pasta with anchovy sauce, and a bouillabaisse with excellent mussels and other seafood. Adamo and family joined us, along with surprise guests Ken and Barbara, and Andy and Jude. It was a lovely evening and we were all remiss in our photography – probably a sign of a good night. The only picture I got was Frankie showing her manners, while serving me up a nice tea party.

Christmas morning started with Timmy sharing his creative reindeer and candy cane breakfast.

Clorinda enjoyed her new swiveling patio chairs and particularly her new, warm jammies.

I think Grammie enjoyed opening Alicia’s stocking just as much as she did.

Then Diana and Alicia were back in the kitchen for the third big feast in a row – lamb and ham this time around. Marco and Giancarlo and families arrived and the festivities got underway.

Marco was delighted to finally get the Sorel boots he’d been hoping for 40 years ago.

It’s always heartwarming to see Clorinda enjoying a visit from her family.

Thanks once again to Diana and Alicia for all the time in the kitchen over the three day marathon.

In other news: Raj sent me this delightful video of what happens when Pakistan and Scotland collaborate – the sound is really different and top quality:

And Vince sent this treat on Frank Zappa’s birthday. Such a creative musician and excellent guitar player:

One of our project managers in Guatemala sent this out. We are all on edge during our busiest days of the year, with most of the team on vacation:

My book this week was “Walking with Ghosts” by Gabriel Byrne, the Dublin born actor, best known for is roles in “The Usual Suspects” and “In Treatment.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir, finishing it in just over a day. This review captures my thoughts well:

“In pared down prose both luminous and raw, Walking with Ghosts is about first things–parents, siblings, loves, heartbreaks, parts, failure, success, loss, but most of all it is a tender embrace of the past as Byrne discovers and accepts the truth of who he is in all his human struggle to be at peace with oneself and one’s imperfections. In a voice full of warmth, compassion, humor, and wonder, Byrne steps into the role of writer with the same assurance, humility, and intensity that he brings to his acting roles. More, this debut marks a welcome new voice that blends memory and imagination for an all-encompassing and wise memoir that reads like a novel.”

Speaking to his mother at the end of the book:

“I sat by the bed. You were smaller, the roots of your hair showing through the dye. I thought of the gratitude I owed for what you had given me. Your love of poetry, your love of the sound of words. Yeats, Robert Burns. Your favourite quote was from Shelley. “Fear not the future, weep not for the past.” I try to live by that still.

That last time we sat in a crowded room at a party, you recited Keats:

“O what can ail thee, knight at arms,

Alone and palely loitering?

The sedge has wither’d from the lake,

And no birds sing.”

Everyone applauded and I realized maybe you had missed your career, that you might have been an actress or a performer of some kind, because you were so alive and so happy in that moment.

Had marriage and children been enough?”

Highly recommended!

An excellent solo piano rendition by Dr. John:

I Shazamed this in Thom’s Market in Austin, and was disappointed with myself – I love that album:

What a great rhythm and feel on this one:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all!

Fortnight in Review – December 18, 2022

“Going to California”

Week Ending December 11th:

When I left you last week, we were headed to see a concert at the Kessler. Marcia Ball, Carolyn Wonderland, and Shelley King, affectionately known as King Wonderball, shared some excellent Xmas and holiday themed music.

Jens and Glenda joined us. We enjoyed dinner at Paradiso in the Bishop Arts area and all thoroughly enjoyed the show.

The highlight of the show for me and Diana was this cover of The Band’s “Christmas Must be Tonight”. It took us a few days to get the chorus out of our heads. Such a great song!

Here’s the original version:

The show reminded me of the impromptu birthday concert that Diana arranged for me in Austin a few years ago. We were only expecting Shelley King, and then the other two showed up to jam. That was the night we met the two wonderful Aussie couples.

I missed the Cowboys versus Indianapolis game due to the show. And what a game that turned out to be. The Boys won 54-19 with a massive 4th quarter. Campbell had texted during the show that Dak didn’t look too great. Well – that all changed at the end of the game with 33 points in the last 15 minutes. The defense and Tony Pollard were amazing.

After my doctor visit on Monday morning, I helped McD rake and bag way too many leaves from our massive oak tree. There has to be a better way for next year. It took us a collective five hours to complete the task. 99% of the leaves are now off all trees – Diana has been busy emptying out the pool skimmers and Stanley’s (the pool sweep) bag.

Penelope’s brake pad warning light came on and Diana was kind enough to pick me up and drop me off at Auto Hans to get them replaced on Tuesday. Always a hefty hit on the wallet.

By mid week, both of us were coughing up a storm with some kind of cold/flu bug that we haven’t quite beaten yet.

We finished up Christmas shopping at Cost Plus World Market on Friday – they always have some unique and different stocking stuffers. After that we dropped off jewelry at Tiffany’s for cleaning, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Tommy Bahama’s. My Thai curry shrimp and scallops and crab bisque were delicious. We always forget what a good place this is.

The World Cup has been very entertaining this week. I particularly enjoyed the underdog stories with Croatia besting the favourite, Brazil, and Morocco playing a wonderful game to beat Portugal, and become the first African nation to advance to the semi-finals.

We were back at the Kessler on Saturday night for Marc Broussard.

Jon Muq, a young man from Uganda, was the opening act. He had wonderful intra-song banter and a very smooth voice. He was very excited to announce that he had recently been signed to Dan Auerbach’s record label.

Marc Broussard and his band were excellent. A much better experience than the last time he played the Kessler – it was all standing downstairs that night and very noisy.

I had an early start to attend the Cowboys game on Sunday morning, and so we decided to stay at the Doubletree hotel – pick up point for the bus to the game.

A vendor took several of us from work to the game, including a lovely brunch at a new hotel by the stadium.

I lost track of how many compliments I got on the special Cowboys jacket that Diana made me for the Saints game, several years ago.

The Cowboys tried very hard to lose the game to the Texans, pulling out an exciting last minute win. Tim and Robbie joined us back at the house for a small celebration after party. Thanks Diana for leaving us a meat and cheese platter before heading out for the day.

While I was at the game, Diana and Janelle enjoyed brunch and the Dallas Symphony Christmas Pops concert. Don’t get her started on what shouldn’t be included in a “Christmas” concert.

Phew – that was a busy week.

Here are a few pictures from California that I enjoyed. Grammie on the loose in Target:

Marco and his friend Jessica posing by the Golden Gate Bridge – he looks better and better every day:

Will with some artificial intelligence app that doctors his pictures:

Week Ending December 18th:

Christmas gift exchange with Finn was on Monday night. He was delighted with his stocking and the new coffee table that I labored so hard to assemble for him. He had some very thoughtful gifts for us. I laughed at my “Nope” Sunday t-shirt and our new penguin blankie.

The penguin key ring has a great message:

Diana has rarely taken off her penguin slippers since:

What a lovely night we had with Finn.

I dropped Diana at the Cooper Clinic early on Tuesday for her full head to toe physical appointment. She’ll be happy to tell you that she accomplished a “Superior” score on the heart stress test – one of only twelve this year.

After that, we made the drive down to Austin for my work holiday party at Bar Peached, a creative restaurant on West 6th street. Some folks were very festively dressed, including Tim:

We enjoyed the Nido rooftop restaurant when the party ended, staying out way too late for old folks.

I went to the office for a while on Wednesday and Diana met up with Lisa for a Mediterranean lunch. I chuckled as a colleague reported back that he had spotted them going out for a “coffee” on the patio. In fairness, there is coffee on the table.

We had an early fancy birthday dinner for Diana in the evening. The bar at Jeffrey’s was perfect – a lovely setting with wonderful food. Steak tartare amuse bouches, foie gras, duck with seared foie gras, and pork with lobster, finished up with a chocolate granache desert – all very decadent indeed.

After the traditional lunch at June’s All Day, we made the drive back to McKinney on Thursday afternoon. We had time for a quick unpack and pack again for the flight to San Francisco on Friday afternoon. And then it was time for our Christmas gift exchange. I think we did very well with our stockings and gifts – much more sensible than trying to cart gifts to San Francisco. Diana loved the fuzzy Christmas pants from Ogan Enterprises in New Orleans.

I watched an excellent movie, “The Swearing Jar” on the flight. A very emotional tale that was wonderfully acted.

Sunday was Diana’s birthday, and we were treated to a visit from John and Joey and their families. It was very sweet of them to make the drive up to celebrate with us.

The kids were a delight and wonderfully behaved. Lilly made a card for Diana based on what Alicia had told her were her favourite things. I love the “Itfulle tower” with the Koala climbing up.

Clorinda enjoyed having the kids around:

Brianna really has some flower arranging talent:

Caroline had a yummy lemon bar as a cake for the birthday girl:

Diana had such a lovely time!

My reading companion this week was “Like a Rolling Stone” by Jann S. Wenner.

Rolling Stone founder, co-editor, and publisher Jann Wenner offers a “touchingly honest” and “wonderfully deep” memoir from the beating heart of classic rock and roll (Bruce Springsteen).

I only made it a couple of hundred pages into this massive volume, so will save some more commentary for when I finish it up back in McKinney.

We’ve had a lot of music already, so I’ll skip that section this week.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all.