Month: May 2021

“Kitchen’s Finished”

I finished watching the movie “Penguin Bloom” with my elliptical workout on Monday morning.  I really enjoyed and recommend this film.  Penguin is actually an injured magpie that Naomi Watts’ character and her family adopt.  Penguin helps her adjust to being in a wheel chair after an accident.

By an interesting coincidence, Naomi Watts was also in “Demolition”, the next movie that I watched with my workout.  This film was mildly entertaining and nowhere near as good as “Penguin Bloom.”

A nice walk in the afternoon finished up my Monday exercise regime.  Brandi Carlile’s “Broken Horses” kept me company.  She performs a relevant song at the end of each chapter – a cover of Neil Young’s “Philadelphia” was excellent and almost topped by her version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.  Unfortunately these songs only appear to be available as part of the audio book.

Tuesday’s exercise was a pleasant swim at the gym – only issue was the water aerobics class in the two lanes next to me – very noisy and excitable instructor.  I had some free time later in the afternoon and got some reading time with a coffee at Duino.  The new hardwood floors were installed in the kitchen and look great.  I’m quite happy that Diana talked me into having the same floor throughout the ground floor – it really makes the kitchen and living area seem  more like one big, open space.

We received this picture from Clorinda’s neighbors – this mountain lion has been seen quite a bit during the day on Gypsy Hill lately, and seems very comfortable up next to the houses.  We’re going to have to think twice about going out for walks on the hill when we visit next week.

Diana joined me for a walk on Wednesday afternoon.  The living room was finally put back together at the end of the day.  We’re almost ready to take up residence in there again – just some final touch ups to be finished.

Thursday was the highlight of my week.  I was able to attend the Byron Nelson golf tournament with a couple of work colleagues.  The tournament moved to the Craig Ranch TPC – just a few miles from our home.  Our CEO is a member of the salesmanship club that hosts the event, and was gracious enough to provide us with some 17th hole skybox tickets.  The weather was perfect – mid 70s and not blazing hot and humid as is typical for this event.  Jordan Spieth is from Dallas and so was a big draw on the course.  We were fortunate to have great spots to watch him making an eagle putt attempt on the 12th hole – right until the mobile cameras moved directly in front.

Here’s his eagle attempt:

And here he taps in the birdie:

Diana was quite excited when the pendant lights were installed above the kitchen island – Jose had me stand next to it so that he could make sure my head didn’t bump into them.  I do think they look great – and not too blue like the designing twins thought.

 

We had a work dinner at Del Frisco’s Grille in downtown Dallas – a bit of a drive but great to see some of our colleagues from Mexico who were visiting.  I loved the short rib stroganoff that I chose for dinner.

Work on the kitchen was pretty much completed on Friday – right on schedule with just a few small touch up things to be done.  That and the appliances that should trickle in over the next few weeks.  Here are some pictures – our favourite touches are the pendant lights, the waterfall island slab, and the lighted display boxes on top of the cabinets.

Diana spent most of Saturday loading things back into the cabinets.  Note one of the must have spice racks open on the right.

We chuckled at the entirety of Jose’s plans for the kitchen:

Patty and Brent always find the best cards.  Masquerading as “normal” (whatever that looks like) is indeed exhausting.

Sunday began with a walk, trying to beat the rain forecast for late morning, and then consistently for the next 10 days.  Just a light sprinkle and a lot of humidity.  I’m watching the final round of the Byron now as I finish up this post, Spieth is now 5 shots behind K.H. Lee – they started the round early in hopes of finishing before the rain gets too bad.

My reading this week was by Ann and Anne.  First was “Run” by Ann Patchett

Set over a period of twenty-four hours, “Run” is a story about how worlds of privilege and poverty can exist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you’ve never even met.

Since their mother’s death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a New England snowstorm causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children—all his children—safe.

Tip and Teddy’s brother, Sullivan, is the least pleasingly developed of the otherwise excellent characters in this novel.  We are given quick glimpses into what went wrong with his life, and then that is all dropped and forgotten.  I wonder if there was a lot more about him in an early draft and then that was edited out?  This passage reminds me of ultimately realizing that it’s true what we are told – you never stop worrying about your kids:

“Even when Sullivan was a teenager he had a certain formality when things were very bad, as if he was preparing to serve as the counsel for the defense.  Doyle wondered if he needed to spend some time worrying about Sullivan on top of everything else, even though he had sworn off that pastime years ago.

Once he was in his room with the door closed, Doyle realized he wasn’t going to get to anyone on his list.”

This is the episode that sets the whole story off:

“He was a boy stepping out in front of a car he clearly did not see.  Tip kept his head in his books, in the clouds, with the fishes.  He didn’t pay attention.  She pushed him, but not because he was hers.  She pushed him because he was there and the car was there.  She pushed him so hard she was certain she had sent him sailing up through the falling snow and into the night like a punch form a cartoon character.  Pow!  He spun off towards the stars.  Had she knocked him clear to safety?  She had never hit anyone as hard as she hit Tip, and then, as if in reply, she was hit by the car.”

Describing Kenya, the just discovered sister, running on the Harvard indoor track, and one of the reasons for the title of the book:

“They were no longer waiting to see how fast she could go, they knew how fast she could go.  Now they wanted to see how long it would be before she crashed, and if that was what they were waiting for they might as well sit down and get comfortable.

Tip had never seen anything like it.  Not just the speed but the utter effortlessness of it all, the way the toes of her shoes barely touched down before she set off again.  She was a sprinter, clearly she was a sprinter, and yet she just kept going until he started to change his mind and wonder if she wasn’t going to knock out a half marathon on the track while he sat there waiting.”

This was an excellent read and I highly recommend this and the other Patchett books that I’ve read, with “Bel Canto” being my least favourite.

My next book was “The Beginner’s Goodbye” by Anne Tyler.

Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron grew up battling with a sister who constantly wanted to micro-manage him.  So when he meets Dorothy, an outspoken, independent young woman, she’s like a breath of fresh air.  He marries her quickly, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage.  Aaron works at his family’s vanity-publishing business, turning out titles designed to guide beginners through the trials of life.  But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever.  Only Dorothy’s unexpected appearances from the dead—in their house, on the roadway, in the market—help him to live in the moment and to find some peace.  Gradually, Aaron discovers that maybe for this beginner there is indeed a way to say goodbye.

A paragraph that hit very close to home with our ‘interim kitchen’ in the bedroom/master bathroom.  It’s from the book “Beginners Kitchen Remodeling”, published by Aaron’s company:

” ‘Knowing What You Want’ was the first chapter.  (Where in your present kitchen do you do your slicing and dicing?  Do you, in fact, do any slicing and dicing?)  ‘Communicating with Your Contractor’ was the second.  Almost the entire remainder of the book consisted of what now seemed to me an inordinately detailed plan for setting up an interim kitchen in a spare bathroom.”

Some of the classic Tyler dialogue that captures real world domestic life so well:

” ‘Oh, I didn’t realize it had to have historical significance.’

‘Dorothy,’ I said.  ‘Would you rather just not do this?’

‘I said I would, didn’t I?  But then all you can come up with is this fusty old place where your parents used to eat.  And when I question it, you fly into a huff and turn down everything else I suggest.’

‘I didn’t turn down “everything else”; I turned down Jean-Christophe.  It just so happens that I dislike a restaurant where the waiters require more attention than my date does.’

‘Where would you be willing to eat, then?’

“Oh shoot,’ I said, ‘I don’t care.  Let’s just go to Jean Christophe.’

‘Well, if you don’t care, why do we bother?’

‘Are you deliberately trying to misunderstand me?’  I asked her.”

I enjoyed this song from Frank Black, former frontman of the Pixies.  Interestingly I was just having a conversation about the Pixies with our HR leader at dinner on Thursday, and recommended the Loud Quiet Loud documentary about the band.

A great version of “Love Train” by Paul Thorn, a musician from Tupelo, Mississippi, who was a professional boxer for several years before being discovered playing in a local pizza restaurant.

And finally, here’s one from the Hothouse Flowers – an album I used to play all the time and had forgotten about.

Stay safe, patient, and kind.

 

 

“The Kessler – we missed you so much!”

This is the first week when it really started to feel like things were getting back to normal – an excellent concert at the Kessler and a lovely Mother’s Day brunch.  But I’m jumping ahead again.

The voodoo shrimp Benedict at C.T. Provisions, that I was looking forward to when I posted last Sunday, was as good as I had hoped – the blue stone grit cake and the voodoo sauce were a great complement to the eggs.  We sat on the patio that’s been constructed in the parking area and enjoyed the lovely weather, with mariachi accompaniment from the band in the park across the street.  I’m looking forward to visiting this restaurant again soon.

On Monday evening we watched “Mare of Easttown” – our new favourite show.  The series stars Kate Winslett in a pretty atypical role – she’s a police detective whose life is unraveling quickly.  The show is getting very complex after 3rd episode, and I suspect Richard to be responsible for the crime Mare is investigating – he’s a writer she’s dating who just moved back to town.

Tuesday morning started with a pleasant 2.5 mile walk, and continued with our quarterly work Board meeting.   I enjoyed the movie “Jack Goes Boating” while doing my elliptical workout.  This is a film from 2010, directed by and starring the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman.  It’s one of those quiet, understated movies that slowly gets under your skin.

That film led to a recommendation for “The Answer Man”, which we watched on Tuesday evening.  This movie stars Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham – two actors that we both appreciate.  This was a very enjoyable film with some good messages.  As in Nomadland, the most poignant scene was when Daniels is spurred to play his deceased father’s piano by Graham’s character’s son.

Wednesday started with another elliptical workout, and this time I finished up the Philip Glass DVD that I’ve had in the media room player for months – a very good documentary.  In the afternoon I enjoyed a 3 mile walk, accompanied by the audio book of Brandi Carlile’s “Broken Horses”.  I’m only an hour into the eleven hour listen, and am enjoying it very much.

The counter tops were installed in the kitchen while I was out for my walk.  They look amazing and I’m going to wait until everything is finished up next week before sharing any more pictures – keeping it a surprise from here on out.

I kept my exercise streak going on Thursday morning with some time on the elliptical and then a nice swim at the gym.  In the kitchen, the backsplash was installed, and seems to be the most exciting development so far for Diana.  Thankfully she’s very pleased with the tile chosen as a replacement for the one she “Hate, Hate, Hated.”

As the sun was setting we heard my buddy the cardinal singing at length.  Diana wondered who he was speaking to as nobody every answered.  So I pulled up some cardinal song on my phone and tried to give him some company.

Friday evening may have been a highlight of the year so far.  We picked up Jens and Glenda for a concert at the Kessler.  Catching up over a pre-concert dinner at Nova was a real treat.  We walked down to the theater and everyone enjoyed the opening band, Terence Bradford and Congo Square.  They are a Dallas based band playing New Orleans inspired music.

The Revelers Hall Band hit the stage with such infectious energy that they had the place rocking right away.  What a great band!

Two of my favourites in their set were “Lean on Me” and “With a Little Help from my Friends”:

You can tell McD is enjoying this version of “Get Ready/Seven Nation Army”:

The fun was all capped off with a second line march through the theater:

I can’t remember when we were both up and around after midnight, as opposed to our 1opm at the latest regular bedtime.  All four of us thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

I said I wasn’t going to share any more kitchen pictures, but can’t help showing this video of Jose and his crew painting the cabinets – they take it very seriously and wanted to spray to get the best possible finish.

I think Diana had a pretty good Mother’s Day on Sunday.  She started with a virtual hike/walk with Alicia – up early at 7am in California to tell her mom all the wonderful things she has done for her over the years.  Didn’t she do well with the flowers she had delivered?

I took the honoree to Rye for brunch.  This tiny restaurant is always a treat.  Diana had a pork belly Benedict with perfectly cooked eggs and delicious sauce.  I tried the stuffed relleno, which turned out to be completely vegan.  The stuffing included veggie chorizo, sweet potatoes, and several other vegetables.  The dish was delicious – great flavours and sauces.

We had seen a TV commercial for Dairy Queen and McD remarked that she loved their soft serve ice cream cones dipped in chocolate, and hadn’t had one in over 30 years.  What a great idea for a Mother’s Day dessert.

There was an interesting article on Nicola Sturgeon and her quest for Scottish independence in The New Yorker this week.  I hadn’t heard of all her challenges with her predecessor Alex Salmond, so was a good primer for me on what’s been going on with Scottish politics:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/nicola-sturgeons-quest-for-scottish-independence

This week’s issue also has a fascinating article on how manipulating electric patterns between cells can lead to regeneration of missing fingers and limbs, just as it does in worms when cut in half:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/persuading-the-body-to-regenerate-its-limbs

I finished “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union” by Michael Chabon.  While I love the unique and clever imagery and writing style, I found this book a bit of slog, partially because of all the Jewish terminology that was foreign to me.  The story drags for the first three quarters of the book, and then is a bit too far fetched when the true plot is revealed.

Here are some of the phrases that I really appreciated:

“Landsman nods and scratches at the stubble of his chin in a way that is meant to signify deep ratiocination, but his heart and thoughts are hung up in the memory of chess games that he lost to men who were already old thirty years ago.”

ratiocination – the process of logical reasoning – what a great word.

Some classic Chabon imagery – how great is “tromboning?”:

“He plucks a sheet of paper from the chaos of his desk, tractates, promulgations, and bans, classified documents, adding machine tapes, surveillance reports on the habits of marked men.  There’s a second or so of tromboning as he brings the paper within focusing range.”

More excellent writing:

“The knot of his gold-and-green rep necktie presses its thumb against his larynx like a scruple pressing against a guilty conscience, a reminder that he is alive.  His hat is as glossy as a seal.”

The origin of the title isn’t revealed until page 230:  ” ‘The Yiddish Policeman’s Union,’  says the pie man.”

I really enjoy Chabon’s musical similes:

“The brake and gas were rigged to suit a man of his stature, and he handled them like Horowitz sailing through a storm of Liszt.”

Something very close to home for me, having grown up in the county of Ayrshire:

” ‘They look like dairy cows,’ Berko says.

‘They’re Ayrshires,’ says Dick.  ‘I snapped some pictures last time I came out here.  A professor of agriculture down in Davis, California, ID’d them for me.  ‘A Scottish breed.’  Dick works his voice up into his nose, mocking that Californian professor.  ‘Known for its hardiness and ability to thrive in northern latitudes.’ “

I really liked “tinnitus of the soul”:

“The space recently occupied by his mind hisses like the fog in his ears, hums like a bank of fluorescent tubes.  He feels that he suffers from tinnitus of the soul.”

And “the grandeur of a whale’s respiration”:

“A few minutes later, Bina begins to snore.  There is no doubt that her snoring has not changed in two years.  It has a double-reeded hum, the bumble-bee continuo of Mongolian throat-singing.  It has the slow grandeur of a whale’s respiration.”

I was listening to a lot of jazz music this week, and stumbled on this excellent cover of “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Christian Sands.  I must have listened to it at least twice each day this week.  I was fortunate to see Sands perform at Dizzy’s Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center, back in the AIG days with Vince.

I’m working my way through the 17 best “hard bop” albums as listed in Scott Yanow’s essay in AllMusic:

https://allmusic-biography.blogspot.com/2010/11/hard-bop-essay-scott-yanow.html

Yanow has authored 11 books on jazz, over 800 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings, making him quite the expert.

First on the list is “Miles Davis Vol. 1.”  This is not my favourite style at all – too fast and technical without real emotion or soul.  I do enjoy the trombone playing of J. J. Johnson.

The album was released on May 9, 1952, 69 years ago today, with these personnel:

• Miles Davis – trumpet
• J. J. Johnson – trombone
• Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
• Gil Coggins – piano
• Oscar Pettiford – bass
• Kenny Clarke – drums

Next on the list is “Soul Station” by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley.  This was released in 1960 and is considered by many critics to be his finest album.  I like this one a lot more than the Miles Davis.

These are the personnel:

• Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
• Wynton Kelly – piano
• Paul Chambers – bass
• Art Blakey – drums

Next up is “Bluesnik” by saxophonist Jackie McLean:

Bluesnik was recorded in 1961 and is considered McLean’s most accessible record.  My favourite of the hard bop list so far.

Stay safe and be kind to everyone!