Buy a house in valley.. get some acreage and a place for your children to grow up out of urban influences.
This was the promise to the new generation of road warriors.
It was also the promise to my generation. Most of the my graduating class now lives in South San Jose instead of South San Francisco. Those that moved got suburban lots with a nice backyard. It was something that they could not afford in SSF. The jobs headed south too. San Jose grew and grew. The once plentiful apricot orchards were replaced with urban sprawl with no since of containment. Traffic got worse. Serious shopping moved to the perimeter and everyone drove cars to get to everywhere. Spending more fuel to do the basics.
Gas has climbed in my adult life from 30 cents a gallon to more than 4.65 a gallon. As great as it is to be a conservationist.. and we all should use less.. this still amounts to inflation. It shows up in the food he buy. White peaches at Raley's are 3.99 a pound. When Grandpa had a farm, he sold tree ripe fruit for a dollar a bushel People buying for fruit stands on the Eastern slope of the state could even get a better price than that if they were buying more than 20 bushels. if you brought your own containers.At today's prices, 3.99 a pound makes a bushel of peaches (about 30 pounds) to be 120 dollars. Heather said a pound of organic peaches in the city are over 5 dollars a pound. Save the fuel, plant peaches or apples or something you can eat in your front and backyard!
Older people are having a really difficult time with this economy.
At the bargaining table we will have a problem with this economy and its inflation too.
It will get down to labor vs fuel. Its a chicken and egg question. You cannot get the kids to school without transportation. Without kids in school you do not need as many teachers to teach them.
The district will always pay its fuel bill first then its labor bill.
Take care.. stay cool..
Pat
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Off the Waitlist
We were wait listed to go to UCLA for the CTA summer institute. We needed a single room so that Suzie could come along. We were informed by email that we were no longer wait listed and they had accommodations on campuss. This worked out beautifully for us, as we could eat all of our meals together. Conferences are strange to chart since some sessions get out earlier than others.
The CTA Summer Institute is right before school starts... man I hope that at school start we don't have this kind of weather. It was over 110 yesterday. The smoke from the fires was still really bad. I am walking much eariler this morning.. it is already 77 degrees at 6.
I made the best cobbler of the season so far yesterday. It was a cake cobbler (sorry Linzi) that combined the peaches of three trees. I didn't cook the peaches first so the cake, a Lady Baltimore, had more time to bake.
What was great about this one was that sugars in the cake got to tasting like carmel.
Yum
Pat
The CTA Summer Institute is right before school starts... man I hope that at school start we don't have this kind of weather. It was over 110 yesterday. The smoke from the fires was still really bad. I am walking much eariler this morning.. it is already 77 degrees at 6.
I made the best cobbler of the season so far yesterday. It was a cake cobbler (sorry Linzi) that combined the peaches of three trees. I didn't cook the peaches first so the cake, a Lady Baltimore, had more time to bake.
What was great about this one was that sugars in the cake got to tasting like carmel.
Yum
Pat
Monday, July 7, 2008
Dearth of Caffiene Free Diet Pepsi
Throughout the region it is getting harder and harder to fine caffeine free diet coke or Pepsi.
This meets the requirement of a virgin coke.No sugar to caffeine nor worries. I think that coke is trying to move us to coke zero. The recipe is very different. It seems more syrupy. The soda companies are always good for a conspiracy theory.
The white peaches are starting to get ripe. I had one today that had no green on it at all. The variety that we have is called sugar lady. It is very sweet and has little acid in it. The texture is good. The pit is very red, but the flesh is very white. The skin is very much like a yellow peach. The literature on the web says that it is beginning to show up at fruit stands. It is a great peach and a little different from the traditional white peach, the Babcock.
The pee wee peach closest to the sidewalk is also ripe. We still have some Bonanza peaches and a few apricots are hanging on the tree in the backyard. The 6 in one pluot is almost ready for the next variety. It is a yellow pluot with a tinge of red. So we are swimming in peach juice these days.
The pur filter on the refrig is starting to show red. Sears has them for sale at 56 dollars a pop. It sure keeps the chlorine out of the ice cubes.
My walk at 7:40 this morning with a outside temp at 78. We are headed for a forecasted 109 today.. wow. I am sure glad we have a functional air conditioner.
Have a great day. Pat
This meets the requirement of a virgin coke.No sugar to caffeine nor worries. I think that coke is trying to move us to coke zero. The recipe is very different. It seems more syrupy. The soda companies are always good for a conspiracy theory.
The white peaches are starting to get ripe. I had one today that had no green on it at all. The variety that we have is called sugar lady. It is very sweet and has little acid in it. The texture is good. The pit is very red, but the flesh is very white. The skin is very much like a yellow peach. The literature on the web says that it is beginning to show up at fruit stands. It is a great peach and a little different from the traditional white peach, the Babcock.
The pee wee peach closest to the sidewalk is also ripe. We still have some Bonanza peaches and a few apricots are hanging on the tree in the backyard. The 6 in one pluot is almost ready for the next variety. It is a yellow pluot with a tinge of red. So we are swimming in peach juice these days.
The pur filter on the refrig is starting to show red. Sears has them for sale at 56 dollars a pop. It sure keeps the chlorine out of the ice cubes.
My walk at 7:40 this morning with a outside temp at 78. We are headed for a forecasted 109 today.. wow. I am sure glad we have a functional air conditioner.
Have a great day. Pat
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Pacifika
I picked up a sample of this group's songs at Starbucks.. Yes they are passing out ITunes songs again.. only once a week.
Its a great group.. unusual sound. Most songs are in spanish and I needed the dictionary to figure out some of the titles..
Olas = waves
Hijas= daughters
Miel= honey
I downloaded the album as part of my July 90 songs budget at emusic.
Their new album is Asuncion
They are an alternative trio from Vancouver, Canada.
Here is their background from their website:
Pacifika. The name is at once familiar and mysterious, implying endless seascapes and tropical beaches, golden sunsets and endless summers, warm tides and mighty tsunamis. “Words are powerful,” says the band’s lead singer and chief lyricist Silvana Kane. “We wanted a word that described the music and our feelings. Pacifika sounds warm and eternal, like the ocean itself, open to limitless possibilities.
Pacifika is the multi-talented Silvana Kane, a Peruvian born singer, re-formed pop sensation (West End Girls), and accomplished actress with a love of flamenco, electronica, and textured percussion; Adam Popowitz a Canadian bred guitarist adept at new wave, classical, and pop, and a skilled producer responsible for a catalogue that includes indie rock and Armenian folk music; and Toby Peter, a dub wise bassist born in Canada and raised in Barbados, explorer of jazz, hip-hop, metal and Caribbean grooves. Together the Vancouver based trio is making a new kind of global pop, music that nods to its diverse international influences, while forging its own unique voice. Jazz infused and Latin tinged, marked by gently flowing melodies, deep grooves, waves of cracking percussion and the occasional burst of exhilarating guitar noise, Pacifika’s comfortable, complex sound defies categories, creating soothing soundscapes held together by Kane’s smooth, intimate vocals.
Pacifika produced Asunción in 2006, with the three partners working all night, eating, playing and writing together. Arrangements were done on the fly, as the songs evolved, and the trio’s multifaceted influences came into play to create their own singular style. “We have a clear vision of our sound,” Peter explains. “And we all have the experience and know how to fulfill the vision. We shared creative duties with minimal friction. We’d try different things until we caught a wave, then let it take us wherever it wanted to go.” The freewheeling music of Pacifika borrows from Latin America, Spain, North America and the United Kingdom to generate a positive vibe guaranteed to relax your nerves and uplift your spirit.
“We look at Asunción as a body of work, an album that takes you on a journey,” Kane explains. “The songs flow and tell you a story, starting with ‘Sol,’ the rising sun, and ending with ‘Las Olas,’ the waves, lifting you up and floating away with you. Asunción is the journey we all take back into the light.”
Pat: I think that this group has all the right parts.. check them out on Itunes and see if you don't agree.
Its a great group.. unusual sound. Most songs are in spanish and I needed the dictionary to figure out some of the titles..
Olas = waves
Hijas= daughters
Miel= honey
I downloaded the album as part of my July 90 songs budget at emusic.
Their new album is Asuncion
They are an alternative trio from Vancouver, Canada.
Here is their background from their website:
Pacifika. The name is at once familiar and mysterious, implying endless seascapes and tropical beaches, golden sunsets and endless summers, warm tides and mighty tsunamis. “Words are powerful,” says the band’s lead singer and chief lyricist Silvana Kane. “We wanted a word that described the music and our feelings. Pacifika sounds warm and eternal, like the ocean itself, open to limitless possibilities.
Pacifika is the multi-talented Silvana Kane, a Peruvian born singer, re-formed pop sensation (West End Girls), and accomplished actress with a love of flamenco, electronica, and textured percussion; Adam Popowitz a Canadian bred guitarist adept at new wave, classical, and pop, and a skilled producer responsible for a catalogue that includes indie rock and Armenian folk music; and Toby Peter, a dub wise bassist born in Canada and raised in Barbados, explorer of jazz, hip-hop, metal and Caribbean grooves. Together the Vancouver based trio is making a new kind of global pop, music that nods to its diverse international influences, while forging its own unique voice. Jazz infused and Latin tinged, marked by gently flowing melodies, deep grooves, waves of cracking percussion and the occasional burst of exhilarating guitar noise, Pacifika’s comfortable, complex sound defies categories, creating soothing soundscapes held together by Kane’s smooth, intimate vocals.
Pacifika produced Asunción in 2006, with the three partners working all night, eating, playing and writing together. Arrangements were done on the fly, as the songs evolved, and the trio’s multifaceted influences came into play to create their own singular style. “We have a clear vision of our sound,” Peter explains. “And we all have the experience and know how to fulfill the vision. We shared creative duties with minimal friction. We’d try different things until we caught a wave, then let it take us wherever it wanted to go.” The freewheeling music of Pacifika borrows from Latin America, Spain, North America and the United Kingdom to generate a positive vibe guaranteed to relax your nerves and uplift your spirit.
“We look at Asunción as a body of work, an album that takes you on a journey,” Kane explains. “The songs flow and tell you a story, starting with ‘Sol,’ the rising sun, and ending with ‘Las Olas,’ the waves, lifting you up and floating away with you. Asunción is the journey we all take back into the light.”
Pat: I think that this group has all the right parts.. check them out on Itunes and see if you don't agree.
July 5th at Morgan Hill
We met in Morgan Hill.
I brought the chicken morengo. I showed mom how to make the polenta (butter and dried cheese), I also brought some salad makings and two peach cobblers. Mom made a peach cobbler too.. out of their white peaches.
Consensus: White peaches are better eaten fresh
Yellow peaches are best in cobbler.
Cake cobbler is the family traditional cobbler.. (source Wanda Brown) often made with some modifications to a jiffy mix.. Also a great cornbread could be made by mixing a jiffy corn muffin mix with a yellow cake mix... better than Marie Calenders.
Sue and both girls had a great time shopping at the outlets. Business clothes and warm clothes were the garment du jour.
The polenta turned out just right. I ground up some romano cheese to add to the 5 tablespoons of butter... yum
Heather is still a steadfast cake cobbler fan. Linzi sticks to the biscuit cobbler. Heather was disappointed that more cake cobbler was not provided... it was the whole recipe.. (it also means that it met with approval)
The weather was great.. had a great time..
Home safely at 10:30.
Pat
I brought the chicken morengo. I showed mom how to make the polenta (butter and dried cheese), I also brought some salad makings and two peach cobblers. Mom made a peach cobbler too.. out of their white peaches.
Consensus: White peaches are better eaten fresh
Yellow peaches are best in cobbler.
Cake cobbler is the family traditional cobbler.. (source Wanda Brown) often made with some modifications to a jiffy mix.. Also a great cornbread could be made by mixing a jiffy corn muffin mix with a yellow cake mix... better than Marie Calenders.
Sue and both girls had a great time shopping at the outlets. Business clothes and warm clothes were the garment du jour.
The polenta turned out just right. I ground up some romano cheese to add to the 5 tablespoons of butter... yum
Heather is still a steadfast cake cobbler fan. Linzi sticks to the biscuit cobbler. Heather was disappointed that more cake cobbler was not provided... it was the whole recipe.. (it also means that it met with approval)
The weather was great.. had a great time..
Home safely at 10:30.
Pat
Fourth of July on the TV
The fourth is a little scary here. Some people have been to Mexico and or Wyoming and brought back some bottle rockets.
In the suburbs they are shot into the air and quite possibly on to the roofs of houses. This is a pretty scary prospect. We stayed home with our hose ready.
I decided to cook and watch TV on the Fourth.
I started watching Wimbledon tennis. Nadal is a new force in the sport. There were some pretty amazing shots. They were not on the big three broadcast which collected and time swapped to later in the day so that they could get in their morning shows. (It was a Friday)
I watched a little Nascar. It was a nightime version of the Daytona 500.. only shorter to get the race in before the fireworks. Very good race and on a track that is appropriate for Nascar. It is long enough and wide enough to go three wide. The winner has Tim Helden, pulling the win for the Farm Bureau.
We watched the movie "Vantage Point." It hooks you with feeding you a little more information each time it tells the story. It is a president assassination plot that has a number of kinks and side stories to it. Forrest Whittaker and Dennis Quaid do great role in the lead. The story takes place in Spain. There is color all over this movie. It was a great red box rent.Sue says that it is a sharable..
I watched a little of the new Lynard Skynyrd on HD showcase. They were having a difficult time getting as much audience participation as they wanted. I was pleased with their rendition of Three Steps.
I also watched the PBS version of the celebration in Washington D.C. with Heuy Lewis and the news. There was also a guy that came from the idol show. He insisted on singing a Bruce Sprinsteen number in Bruce Springsteen style... so what is it with Idol winners.. They should be doing their own style by now... hummm
Lots of great singers on this show too. Staging was a little weird.
Cooking... I made up two chickens in Morengo style.. and yes.. two peach cobblers. Sue asked me,"Did you make it Heather style (cake) or Linzi style (biscuit)? I returned..
"If you were making it what would you do?"
She replied.. "I would make one of each."
I said,"You got it.."
Have a great post 4th.
: ) Pat
In the suburbs they are shot into the air and quite possibly on to the roofs of houses. This is a pretty scary prospect. We stayed home with our hose ready.
I decided to cook and watch TV on the Fourth.
I started watching Wimbledon tennis. Nadal is a new force in the sport. There were some pretty amazing shots. They were not on the big three broadcast which collected and time swapped to later in the day so that they could get in their morning shows. (It was a Friday)
I watched a little Nascar. It was a nightime version of the Daytona 500.. only shorter to get the race in before the fireworks. Very good race and on a track that is appropriate for Nascar. It is long enough and wide enough to go three wide. The winner has Tim Helden, pulling the win for the Farm Bureau.
We watched the movie "Vantage Point." It hooks you with feeding you a little more information each time it tells the story. It is a president assassination plot that has a number of kinks and side stories to it. Forrest Whittaker and Dennis Quaid do great role in the lead. The story takes place in Spain. There is color all over this movie. It was a great red box rent.Sue says that it is a sharable..
I watched a little of the new Lynard Skynyrd on HD showcase. They were having a difficult time getting as much audience participation as they wanted. I was pleased with their rendition of Three Steps.
I also watched the PBS version of the celebration in Washington D.C. with Heuy Lewis and the news. There was also a guy that came from the idol show. He insisted on singing a Bruce Sprinsteen number in Bruce Springsteen style... so what is it with Idol winners.. They should be doing their own style by now... hummm
Lots of great singers on this show too. Staging was a little weird.
Cooking... I made up two chickens in Morengo style.. and yes.. two peach cobblers. Sue asked me,"Did you make it Heather style (cake) or Linzi style (biscuit)? I returned..
"If you were making it what would you do?"
She replied.. "I would make one of each."
I said,"You got it.."
Have a great post 4th.
: ) Pat
Thursday, July 3, 2008
4th of July in San Jose
It used to be a big thing.
When we were home for the 4th, we would all pile into the car in the evening and travel the 101 to San Jose. The big event was at Spartan Stadium. I remember it being considerably hotter then South City, and more windy. We got there in time to see the drum and bugle groups play. We got there in time to hear all of the politician's speeches. We got there in time to run up and down the grassy endzones. It was sooo cool.
It was a time that the fireworks seemingly exploded over our heads. We were very impressed by the show on the ground floor. There were spinners that spun and exploded to one another. There were American Flags set up in fireworks. There was even a Nigara Falls of fireworks on the floor of the stadium. It was a great event. We never bought our own fireworks except for a black worm or two and some boxes of sparklers. If we could go to that show we were not disappointed.
Nothing can be like that now. The liability of ground shows makes that hard. In Atwater they used to have the Miss Atwater contest just before. That has shifted to a separate event with a paid admission... with budget cuts.
One year the big deal was honoring the anniversary of the statue of Liberty. Everyone bought foam Statue of Liberty visors at the Atwater show.
This is a really tough time for Heather. She freaks out with the ka booms. We try to be indoors at Disneyland when the firworks go off. Last year we didn't make it, but we were far enough away that it was okay... well sort of.
Happy 4th Pat
When we were home for the 4th, we would all pile into the car in the evening and travel the 101 to San Jose. The big event was at Spartan Stadium. I remember it being considerably hotter then South City, and more windy. We got there in time to see the drum and bugle groups play. We got there in time to hear all of the politician's speeches. We got there in time to run up and down the grassy endzones. It was sooo cool.
It was a time that the fireworks seemingly exploded over our heads. We were very impressed by the show on the ground floor. There were spinners that spun and exploded to one another. There were American Flags set up in fireworks. There was even a Nigara Falls of fireworks on the floor of the stadium. It was a great event. We never bought our own fireworks except for a black worm or two and some boxes of sparklers. If we could go to that show we were not disappointed.
Nothing can be like that now. The liability of ground shows makes that hard. In Atwater they used to have the Miss Atwater contest just before. That has shifted to a separate event with a paid admission... with budget cuts.
One year the big deal was honoring the anniversary of the statue of Liberty. Everyone bought foam Statue of Liberty visors at the Atwater show.
This is a really tough time for Heather. She freaks out with the ka booms. We try to be indoors at Disneyland when the firworks go off. Last year we didn't make it, but we were far enough away that it was okay... well sort of.
Happy 4th Pat
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