I was plowing around E-music tonight,
They have several Creedence Clearwater Rivival albums for downloading. Creedence or CCR was that band that was giving free concerts in Golden Gate Back back in 1969.
Yes they are from El Cerrito.. they sure have the that southern rock sound down. A favorite song of mine.. Lodi. I think that its lyrics are especially true since I was stuck twice in Lodi with broken waterpumps on school suburbans taking kids to compete in forensic competitions. How do you know the waterpump is gone? You drive down the road and sudddenly you see the hot light light up. You are suddenly out of water/antifreeze.
1st make sue that it isn't an independent fan.. it can start up and take off a finger or two. The fan must be connected to a fan belt to go to step2.
2nd reach down and grab that fan blade. if it wiggles back and forth, then the bearing is bad in the fan and that is why your water leaked out and the vehicle overheated..
this happened twice in Lodi. One time we had just one suburban and had to call the spouses to pick us up in mini vans to get us home. Lucky we had those. Wendy's on 99 got a lot of play that evening as the kids decended and waited for rescue.
The funny thing was that I was relating the story to my lunch group of fellow teachers and found out that Ron had the same issue with one is his cars on 99 in Lodi too.
It must be something in the air there that wrecks waterpumps..
: ) Pat
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
New Word: inamorata
An inamorata is a female lover. Sue came across this word when she was reading "Men to Match my Mountains" the classic book about the founding of the West. For a period of time it was Dad's favorite book. He recommended to to many. We found it in a charity book pile.
It was a Cold and Windy Columbus Day
The year after Kennedy was killed, our family had a chance to see the president.
It was Columbus Day. A day that most schools were out for the holiday.(unlike now) We were gathered up and headed to Washington Square to see the president, LBJ. The car caravan snaked its way through North Beach along with the other floats with dignitaries.
LBJ got out of the car and gave a credible speech. We found out later that it was the same car that Kennedy was supposed to take through Dallas. This time the bubble top was on and there were no problems.
We watched the parade which included the cast of the new movie Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke was on the float as was Julie Andrews. We saw the movie later and could really relate.
After standing in line for so long and listening to all the politicians gas on and on about this and that, Dad took us to dinner at one of his favorite places, San Remos. It was truly a family restaurant then. There were no fancy table clothes or menus. It was a multiple course meal with San Francisco french bread, soup and salad and then they asked what kind of pasta you wanted, spaghetti or ravioli. Then once you had eaten all of this, they asked what entree you wanted. It was usually steak or chicken. Desert was always espresso and a tiny cup of ice cream. No frills just good food. We loved it. I once ate 3 baskets of french bread in one sitting. I had just returned from college and I could not get enough of it.
Hats off to the old San Remos and wishing that you all had a great Columbus Day.
: ) Pat
It was Columbus Day. A day that most schools were out for the holiday.(unlike now) We were gathered up and headed to Washington Square to see the president, LBJ. The car caravan snaked its way through North Beach along with the other floats with dignitaries.
LBJ got out of the car and gave a credible speech. We found out later that it was the same car that Kennedy was supposed to take through Dallas. This time the bubble top was on and there were no problems.
We watched the parade which included the cast of the new movie Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke was on the float as was Julie Andrews. We saw the movie later and could really relate.
After standing in line for so long and listening to all the politicians gas on and on about this and that, Dad took us to dinner at one of his favorite places, San Remos. It was truly a family restaurant then. There were no fancy table clothes or menus. It was a multiple course meal with San Francisco french bread, soup and salad and then they asked what kind of pasta you wanted, spaghetti or ravioli. Then once you had eaten all of this, they asked what entree you wanted. It was usually steak or chicken. Desert was always espresso and a tiny cup of ice cream. No frills just good food. We loved it. I once ate 3 baskets of french bread in one sitting. I had just returned from college and I could not get enough of it.
Hats off to the old San Remos and wishing that you all had a great Columbus Day.
: ) Pat
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fall Foods
This weekend I made some typical fall foods.
Fall is a time where you may turn on the oven and heat up the house a little and it is not a problem. We have had some night time temperatures that have been in the 40's. Daytime we are up in the 60's. In just one week we have gone from upper 90's and temps in the upper 70's at night to this.
So.. no problem using the new convection ovens. On Friday night I made scalloped potatoes. Sliced with the Cuisinart, cheese shredded with the Cuisinart, and matrix from milk and corn starch with a little bacon thrown in on top.. yum.
On my walk back from Starbucks I stopped into the grocery store and bought some memphis style barbecue ribs for 1.79 a pound. They got browned first and then slow roasted with some barbecue sauce. I made some homemade cole slaw to go with it. Pretty yummy.. wish you were here to chow down..
In case you missed it. Both Bay Area football teams got blown out in the fourth quarter. What a waste of time!
Grades are due this week.. and so are a couple of IEPs that I am responsible for the paperwork.
Sue is getting infussed on Wednesday for bone growth. It is done over where the cancer folks get theirs. They often have bone density issues too. I am taking off the day just in case.
Thursday we are back at the negotiation table. We have a new team with four returning members and three new members. It will be a real education for the new members. Two of them have learned a lot of theory down in LA this summer and one did not get a chance to even get the theory. One of the members was on the team 4 years ago and is getting a chance to come back on. She is on the citizen's planning commission of Livingston.
: ) Pat
Fall is a time where you may turn on the oven and heat up the house a little and it is not a problem. We have had some night time temperatures that have been in the 40's. Daytime we are up in the 60's. In just one week we have gone from upper 90's and temps in the upper 70's at night to this.
So.. no problem using the new convection ovens. On Friday night I made scalloped potatoes. Sliced with the Cuisinart, cheese shredded with the Cuisinart, and matrix from milk and corn starch with a little bacon thrown in on top.. yum.
On my walk back from Starbucks I stopped into the grocery store and bought some memphis style barbecue ribs for 1.79 a pound. They got browned first and then slow roasted with some barbecue sauce. I made some homemade cole slaw to go with it. Pretty yummy.. wish you were here to chow down..
In case you missed it. Both Bay Area football teams got blown out in the fourth quarter. What a waste of time!
Grades are due this week.. and so are a couple of IEPs that I am responsible for the paperwork.
Sue is getting infussed on Wednesday for bone growth. It is done over where the cancer folks get theirs. They often have bone density issues too. I am taking off the day just in case.
Thursday we are back at the negotiation table. We have a new team with four returning members and three new members. It will be a real education for the new members. Two of them have learned a lot of theory down in LA this summer and one did not get a chance to even get the theory. One of the members was on the team 4 years ago and is getting a chance to come back on. She is on the citizen's planning commission of Livingston.
: ) Pat
Sunday, an Ordinary Father's Day at Starbucks
Early Sunday morning, Dads are bringing their little kids to Starbucks. This week there were three small families of small kids that arrived with dad to get Sunday breakfast and drinks with a drink to head home for Mom.
It is interesting to see how they interact with the Starbucks set up. My walking distance Starbucks is designed on the small plan by daughters inform me. There is just one major sit down area. There is one table indoors as you first come in, but many more past the coffee bar fulfillment area.
One little group of three with their Daddy, two boys and one girl decided the place to be was under the handicapped table. As dad greeted his friends, they all took spots under the table. When their dad noticed them there, he politely ordered them out, The came out without a fuss. The oldest girl of the group was about 6. The others, a boy about 5 and the other girl about 4 thought that it was great fun.
The oldest girl was the one to go the bar and get mommie's treat, as dad put it, a grande vivano. She walked up and retrieved the Vivaano, When the group was ready to leave the pastries and the drinks were too much for her to carry out by herself. She enlisted her sister and brother to help her out by gesture. They complied without a fuss.
I also noticed that several more kid and daddy groupings were in the grocery store. All were well behaved and actually "helping". when I picked up some things the morning. No mom in sight.. she shouldn't have to be there.. its Sunday morning..
: ) Pat
It is interesting to see how they interact with the Starbucks set up. My walking distance Starbucks is designed on the small plan by daughters inform me. There is just one major sit down area. There is one table indoors as you first come in, but many more past the coffee bar fulfillment area.
One little group of three with their Daddy, two boys and one girl decided the place to be was under the handicapped table. As dad greeted his friends, they all took spots under the table. When their dad noticed them there, he politely ordered them out, The came out without a fuss. The oldest girl of the group was about 6. The others, a boy about 5 and the other girl about 4 thought that it was great fun.
The oldest girl was the one to go the bar and get mommie's treat, as dad put it, a grande vivano. She walked up and retrieved the Vivaano, When the group was ready to leave the pastries and the drinks were too much for her to carry out by herself. She enlisted her sister and brother to help her out by gesture. They complied without a fuss.
I also noticed that several more kid and daddy groupings were in the grocery store. All were well behaved and actually "helping". when I picked up some things the morning. No mom in sight.. she shouldn't have to be there.. its Sunday morning..
: ) Pat
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tri Tip the New Fundraiser
It seems that every club on the high school campus is having a tri tip dinner.
The originators, the FFA A(Future Farmer of America) put a on a pretty good 8 dollar dinner. It includes salad, beans and a roll.
The band decided to do exactly the same thing this year. They are going to march in the Tournament of Roses (the Rose Bowl parade) so they had a 10 dollar a plate tri tip dinner.
The football team tried something a little different. They had uniforms to pay for. They advertised a dinner to feed four. It had a whole tri tip, a bag of salad, a clamshell of rigatoni, and a two liter of soda for 25 dollars.
I bought two tickets from the band. I used them and we had a great dinner. I bought one ticket from the FFA, and promptly forgot the date so they had the benefit of the unfulfilled ticket.
The football team one started out as a fiasco. I lined up with my fellow dinners in our cars since it was a drive through dinner (little cleanup needed since all you have to do is clean up the kitchen or the outdoor barbeque when done). The line was getting longer the longer I waited. I think the organizers did not think that that many people would actually show up and make them come through with the dinners that they bought. When they got to me they were totally out. They were mostly out the whole evening.
On Sunday the lady that gave me the rain check called and left the message on the answering machine that the fulfillment of the rain check would be on Wednesday night. So I arrived for the fulfillment of the trip tip dinner. They were waiting for the people to arrive. Four ladies with multiple bags of dinners were waiting to "service" the cars that arrived. Several "fathers" were their too. It looked like the cooking was long ago completed.
They apologized and offered an extra rigatoni serving because they had extra. I took it and gave it to my neighbor across the street. He was pleased because he wasn't sure what he was going to cook that night.
We had a couple of really nice meals from the set. The meat had both well cooked parts and rare parts. The salad was a "bagged type" but they through in an Italian dressing. The rigatoni was very good. Overall it was a great deal. 4 plus meals (Sue had a sandwich for lunch) for a 25 dollar contribution.
: ) Pat
The originators, the FFA A(Future Farmer of America) put a on a pretty good 8 dollar dinner. It includes salad, beans and a roll.
The band decided to do exactly the same thing this year. They are going to march in the Tournament of Roses (the Rose Bowl parade) so they had a 10 dollar a plate tri tip dinner.
The football team tried something a little different. They had uniforms to pay for. They advertised a dinner to feed four. It had a whole tri tip, a bag of salad, a clamshell of rigatoni, and a two liter of soda for 25 dollars.
I bought two tickets from the band. I used them and we had a great dinner. I bought one ticket from the FFA, and promptly forgot the date so they had the benefit of the unfulfilled ticket.
The football team one started out as a fiasco. I lined up with my fellow dinners in our cars since it was a drive through dinner (little cleanup needed since all you have to do is clean up the kitchen or the outdoor barbeque when done). The line was getting longer the longer I waited. I think the organizers did not think that that many people would actually show up and make them come through with the dinners that they bought. When they got to me they were totally out. They were mostly out the whole evening.
On Sunday the lady that gave me the rain check called and left the message on the answering machine that the fulfillment of the rain check would be on Wednesday night. So I arrived for the fulfillment of the trip tip dinner. They were waiting for the people to arrive. Four ladies with multiple bags of dinners were waiting to "service" the cars that arrived. Several "fathers" were their too. It looked like the cooking was long ago completed.
They apologized and offered an extra rigatoni serving because they had extra. I took it and gave it to my neighbor across the street. He was pleased because he wasn't sure what he was going to cook that night.
We had a couple of really nice meals from the set. The meat had both well cooked parts and rare parts. The salad was a "bagged type" but they through in an Italian dressing. The rigatoni was very good. Overall it was a great deal. 4 plus meals (Sue had a sandwich for lunch) for a 25 dollar contribution.
: ) Pat
First Rain, First Pomegranate
Last weekend we had the first rain of the season,
We had a meteorologist from a local TV station come to our high school one morning. A number of classes were able to set aside the curriculum and listen to his speech.
He said that we are a "Mediterranean" climate. We share the same climate and rain pattern as those countries that border the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. Specifically we have rain only in the Fall Winter and Spring. The highs and lows are not extreme within the season, Only 20 percent of the World has our climate conditions.
I think that that is why my brother-in-law Reza who grew up in Iran appreciates our climate.
I harvested our first pomegranate this week. Most of it was very red but some of it was white. I think that they get their brilliant red color after they are ripe for a period of time. This one had started to crack its skin. This is a sure sign that it needs to be harvested. It was good. It take serious time to eat a pomegranate. Each layer must be peeled and carefully exposed. The white connective tissue has a different flavor but is usually discarded. Eat the seeds!
: ) Pat
We had a meteorologist from a local TV station come to our high school one morning. A number of classes were able to set aside the curriculum and listen to his speech.
He said that we are a "Mediterranean" climate. We share the same climate and rain pattern as those countries that border the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. Specifically we have rain only in the Fall Winter and Spring. The highs and lows are not extreme within the season, Only 20 percent of the World has our climate conditions.
I think that that is why my brother-in-law Reza who grew up in Iran appreciates our climate.
I harvested our first pomegranate this week. Most of it was very red but some of it was white. I think that they get their brilliant red color after they are ripe for a period of time. This one had started to crack its skin. This is a sure sign that it needs to be harvested. It was good. It take serious time to eat a pomegranate. Each layer must be peeled and carefully exposed. The white connective tissue has a different flavor but is usually discarded. Eat the seeds!
: ) Pat
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