October 31, 2007
Peoria, AZ
One benefit of living in a 55+ community is that you don't need to buy Halloween candy. We didn't expect any trick-or-treaters, and we were right. We've lived in communities without a lot of kids in the past (CT, NJ) where we saw a lot of carpools of kids "bussed in". Here, not so much. A few of the neighbors put out s0me decorations, but nothing like we're used to. On the other hand, all the stores are rolling out the Christmas decorations in earnest, so it's time to start counting the shhopping days...
Yesterday featured another record high temperature, or maybe two of them. Here in the desert, they also keep records of the "highest low", and we've set a few of them over the last week or so in addition to a couple of actual records highs. We grew up with "record lows", so this is a new concept. We've been generally up in the 90s, although we've had a couple of upper-80s, and have even left the A/C on several of the last nights. Since "normal" (whatever that means) highs are around 82-83F, we're hoping it'll cool off soon. Preferably without a huge swing to the other direction! We still remember the cold weather of last winter!
Since it was warm, yesterday was also an "inside day". Geri had a doctor's appointment (never on time) so she was gone for quite a bit of the day. I caught up on some stuff in the study, making sure that the last few remaining mailing address changes are in place (I don't want to have anything important coming here while we're away) and doing some online research into parts I need for a couple of projects on the coach.
Geri picked up some catfish on the way home, so we had that with steamed broccoli. I made another rendition of the curried couscous we had last week, and we had cherry pie for desert. Woo-hoo! I opened a bottle of Chilean red (Escudo Roja) that was particularly good. It's a non-typical blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc) that we picked up at Costco. We had some last year and it was gone when I went for more. Hopefully, they'll still have some the next time we stop by!
Today, I put in some time organizing things in the garage (how does it get disorganized when we're away???) in the morning and did some "project shopping" in the afternoon. I needed a few things from the home supply stores for the DirecTV setup (e.g., a 2x8 to attach the new dish to, lag bolts, paint that matches the trim color on the house), so I'll get started on that tomorrow. I also picked up a few things to make some new shelves in one of the cabinets in the coach. I'm copying the setup that Wayne and Eva had added to theirs for a spice cabinet. It's amazing how the little things can make you happy. Of course, I had to get the right grain, stain, and polyurethane to make things match the rest of the coach. I'll work on this project a bit each day (cutting staining, fabricating/gluing, finishing) until done. It'll be good to test this out when we visit Rick & Annette and Dave & Sandy in the second half of November.
Tonight, we had the rest of the pork roast from the other night. Geri made her new recipe for "crispy smashed potatoes", this time with a bit of grated Parmesan. She also made Provencal Tomatoes, an old recipe we haven't had in a while. A cheap ($3.99, I think) red was drinkable but disappointing, so we won't try that one again.
Tomorrow, I'll start on the new satellite dish and the shelves for the coach. Each will take a few days. Hopefully, by next week, it'll start to cool off and I'll be able to start on the water feature in the back yard.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
How 'bout those Red Sox?
October 29, 2007
Peoria, AZ
Well, we actually watched most of the World Series this year. It seems like we're pretty good at watching pro sports during the playoffs, but not so much before that. Game 4 was a bit of a nail-biter, but it was good to see the Sox prevail.
Thursday and Friday were spent running errands. Geri had a follow-up Doctor's appointment (no change from last spring's positive biopsy results) and I had new tires put on the Range Rover. I'm trying a different brand and size to see if we can get any better performance. This is the second year in a row that we've put tires on; they seem to get ~30k miles (combined driving and towing). I'm trying Bridgestones that are warranted for 60k miles, so we'll see (in a year or so).
We also gave the house a better than average cleaning, as we were expecting a visit from our friends Wayne and Eva. They were at a motorhome rally in Tucson, and stopped by on Saturday on their way back to Indio, CA. It was good to see them again; we last caught up with them at the rally we went to in Salem, OR, in September. We picked them up at Cotton Lave RV park in Goodyear, had lunch at a Thai place in Glendale, did some shopping at AJ's (local gourmet grocery), and had Geri's antipasto for dinner. When we dropped them back at their coach, we finished off the evening with a taste of Patron Café (tequila doctored with coffee). Yum!
Yesterday, we relaxed a bit and did some shopping in the afternoon. I had a hankering for Steak Frittes, so we ended up back at AJ's (the only local place with Prime beef). The steak came out great and Geri made her excellent roasted baby beets for a side dish. I made too many fries, but they were good as well. We really need to invest in a new deep fryer, since the one we have dates to the late 90s; another web search project. With dinner, I decided to sample some of the value wines I'd purchased years ago from the 2000 vintage in Bordeaux. We had a Chateau Bernadotte from the Haut-Médoc, which was drinking nicely but probably reflected its place lower on the quality scale. Given the overall high quality of the vintage, it was good but not a blockbuster, probably as good as it gets for a $15 bottle from a region known for triple (and more) digit prices.
Today, we made a maintenance run to the coach. I did a few quick things (changed the tow bar lock, put on the tire covers to provide some sun protection) and used the Bissell on the remaining carpet. Geri cleaned all the woodwork. I also crawled underneath and got an oil sample. I signed up with a lab that does oil analysis to tell how well things are going on the inside of the engine. I'll send in samples a couple of times a year and see how the chemical and metal content changes. It should be interesting.
Tonight's dinner is a pork loin done on the rotisserie. With Geri's pan-roasted potatoes and sauteed carrots, it should go well with a Gevrey-Chambertin from the wine box.
Time to go check the grill...
Peoria, AZ
Well, we actually watched most of the World Series this year. It seems like we're pretty good at watching pro sports during the playoffs, but not so much before that. Game 4 was a bit of a nail-biter, but it was good to see the Sox prevail.
Thursday and Friday were spent running errands. Geri had a follow-up Doctor's appointment (no change from last spring's positive biopsy results) and I had new tires put on the Range Rover. I'm trying a different brand and size to see if we can get any better performance. This is the second year in a row that we've put tires on; they seem to get ~30k miles (combined driving and towing). I'm trying Bridgestones that are warranted for 60k miles, so we'll see (in a year or so).
We also gave the house a better than average cleaning, as we were expecting a visit from our friends Wayne and Eva. They were at a motorhome rally in Tucson, and stopped by on Saturday on their way back to Indio, CA. It was good to see them again; we last caught up with them at the rally we went to in Salem, OR, in September. We picked them up at Cotton Lave RV park in Goodyear, had lunch at a Thai place in Glendale, did some shopping at AJ's (local gourmet grocery), and had Geri's antipasto for dinner. When we dropped them back at their coach, we finished off the evening with a taste of Patron Café (tequila doctored with coffee). Yum!
Yesterday, we relaxed a bit and did some shopping in the afternoon. I had a hankering for Steak Frittes, so we ended up back at AJ's (the only local place with Prime beef). The steak came out great and Geri made her excellent roasted baby beets for a side dish. I made too many fries, but they were good as well. We really need to invest in a new deep fryer, since the one we have dates to the late 90s; another web search project. With dinner, I decided to sample some of the value wines I'd purchased years ago from the 2000 vintage in Bordeaux. We had a Chateau Bernadotte from the Haut-Médoc, which was drinking nicely but probably reflected its place lower on the quality scale. Given the overall high quality of the vintage, it was good but not a blockbuster, probably as good as it gets for a $15 bottle from a region known for triple (and more) digit prices.
Today, we made a maintenance run to the coach. I did a few quick things (changed the tow bar lock, put on the tire covers to provide some sun protection) and used the Bissell on the remaining carpet. Geri cleaned all the woodwork. I also crawled underneath and got an oil sample. I signed up with a lab that does oil analysis to tell how well things are going on the inside of the engine. I'll send in samples a couple of times a year and see how the chemical and metal content changes. It should be interesting.
Tonight's dinner is a pork loin done on the rotisserie. With Geri's pan-roasted potatoes and sauteed carrots, it should go well with a Gevrey-Chambertin from the wine box.
Time to go check the grill...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Where did the week go?
October 25, 2007
Peoria, AZ
Wow, where did the week go? Seems like it was just Monday...
Monday and Tuesday, we hung around the house. I've been working through the planning on a couple of projects (posted separately), and Geri's caught up on some laundry and stuff. On Monday night we had a salad for dinner (mixed green and a small piece of sirloin, pan-seared and sliced thin across the grain) and I tried an Argentinian Malbec (Kawel Riserva 2005) from Costco with it. The salad was great and the wine wasn't bad, but was kind of flat and "flabby". We won't get that wine again, I suspect. Tuesday was "surprise night" in the dinner department, as we didn't have much planned and ran out of daylight before we realized it. Geri found a recipe for "Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatos" that she wanted to try, and it came out great. It's incredible simple (boil baby red potatos, flatten them with the blade of a large knife, and roast them with salt and EVOO), and could only get better with a sprinkle of grated Parmesean right before coming out of the oven. She remembered that she had some pre-made meatballs in the freezer, so we had "Italian meatballs Swedish style" with roasted zucchini. I opened a bottle of Screw Kappa Napa Cabernet, and it went well with the meal.
Yesterday, we did some running around. The pups went to a new groomers, and their practice is to have new dogs spend 1/2 day in "doggie day care" to get acclimated before gromming. That sounds like a way to grab some extra $$$ to me, but it was probably good for them, since we haven't had a chance to go to the dog park since we've been back due to the heat. While they were at grooming, we did some shopping. I was able to get most of the remaining materials I need for the DirecTV project, and we stopped at a new (to us) Italian Deli in Phoenix for cheese and stuff. We stopped in at one of the first wine shops we ever visited in Phoenix: Sportsman's. We stopped there years ago to pick up some wine when we were staying at the Phoenician resort and went to visit our friends Ana and Larry for dinner. I couldn't resist a couple of California Pinots from the Santa Rita Hills area and a coupl eof hard-to-find Australian Shiraz bottles. We did a little grocery shopping and, voila, it was time to pick up the pups. Another day filled...
For dinner, we made Skillet Lasagna, a recipe we've found works well in the coach. It's a one-skillet meal that takes less than an hour. Geri says she may never make traditional lasagna again, but I'm hoping that's not true. I realized I didn't haveany everyday Italian wine (bad planning!), so I found a Francesco Chianti Riserva 1997 in the wine box. It was quite good; you'd almost think Brunello.
We actually watched the Red Sox close out their series with the Indians and win World Series Game 1 last night, strangely enough. I grew up a Yankee fan, but living in the Hartford area for so long, plus spending so much time elsewhere (traveling, living in Jersey near Philly) seems to have tempered that. We never got into the Phillies, and the D-backs seem so far away when we're not here during the summers. So, "how 'bout dem Red Sox"? All in all, a good start to the week.
Peoria, AZ
Wow, where did the week go? Seems like it was just Monday...
Monday and Tuesday, we hung around the house. I've been working through the planning on a couple of projects (posted separately), and Geri's caught up on some laundry and stuff. On Monday night we had a salad for dinner (mixed green and a small piece of sirloin, pan-seared and sliced thin across the grain) and I tried an Argentinian Malbec (Kawel Riserva 2005) from Costco with it. The salad was great and the wine wasn't bad, but was kind of flat and "flabby". We won't get that wine again, I suspect. Tuesday was "surprise night" in the dinner department, as we didn't have much planned and ran out of daylight before we realized it. Geri found a recipe for "Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatos" that she wanted to try, and it came out great. It's incredible simple (boil baby red potatos, flatten them with the blade of a large knife, and roast them with salt and EVOO), and could only get better with a sprinkle of grated Parmesean right before coming out of the oven. She remembered that she had some pre-made meatballs in the freezer, so we had "Italian meatballs Swedish style" with roasted zucchini. I opened a bottle of Screw Kappa Napa Cabernet, and it went well with the meal.
Yesterday, we did some running around. The pups went to a new groomers, and their practice is to have new dogs spend 1/2 day in "doggie day care" to get acclimated before gromming. That sounds like a way to grab some extra $$$ to me, but it was probably good for them, since we haven't had a chance to go to the dog park since we've been back due to the heat. While they were at grooming, we did some shopping. I was able to get most of the remaining materials I need for the DirecTV project, and we stopped at a new (to us) Italian Deli in Phoenix for cheese and stuff. We stopped in at one of the first wine shops we ever visited in Phoenix: Sportsman's. We stopped there years ago to pick up some wine when we were staying at the Phoenician resort and went to visit our friends Ana and Larry for dinner. I couldn't resist a couple of California Pinots from the Santa Rita Hills area and a coupl eof hard-to-find Australian Shiraz bottles. We did a little grocery shopping and, voila, it was time to pick up the pups. Another day filled...
For dinner, we made Skillet Lasagna, a recipe we've found works well in the coach. It's a one-skillet meal that takes less than an hour. Geri says she may never make traditional lasagna again, but I'm hoping that's not true. I realized I didn't haveany everyday Italian wine (bad planning!), so I found a Francesco Chianti Riserva 1997 in the wine box. It was quite good; you'd almost think Brunello.
We actually watched the Red Sox close out their series with the Indians and win World Series Game 1 last night, strangely enough. I grew up a Yankee fan, but living in the Hartford area for so long, plus spending so much time elsewhere (traveling, living in Jersey near Philly) seems to have tempered that. We never got into the Phillies, and the D-backs seem so far away when we're not here during the summers. So, "how 'bout dem Red Sox"? All in all, a good start to the week.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Planning more than doing
October 24, 2007
Peoria, AZ
The last couple of days have involved more "puttering", which is another way of saying "a series of not too well focused activities generating little completed work". I feel like I've been jumping from thing to thing, not necessarily "doing" anything. I decided to focus on a couple of projects, and that's helped but I'm still in the planning stages so don't have a lot to show for it yet.
One of the things I want to do is convert the house to the same communications processes we use in the coach. Currently, we have DirecTV and Hughes Internet in the coach, and Cox Cable in the house. It's a pain to try to manage both services on and off when we're home, especially like now when we're heading out in a few weeks. We end up paying for both, which isn't acceptable in the long term.
Last spring, I bought a DirecTV Hi-Def DVR (Digital Video Recorder). It's like TiVo, but for DirecTV. Since we have HD-friendly TVs in the house, I should be able to add the HD DVR to our existing account and drop the cable TV. We can also get over-the-air HD; I picked up a cheap Radio Shack antenna and the network stations come in great. When I bought the DVR, I picked up a new 5-LNB dish for outside at the same time. I got everything on eBay for a pretty good price. You'd think we're all set, right? Au contraire...
The new dish is larger and heavier, so it needs a better support. The new dish doesn't fit the rules of our HOA, so it'll have to be mounted lower, below the 6' wall level in the back yard. HD requires new RG-6 cable to be run from the dish to the DVR inside, and multiple cables at that (the DVR is cool and will allow recording two channels at the same time -- if you have two cables from the dish), and I've realized that the old dish that came with the house wasn't grounded correctly. Lastly, I've researched the setup process, and realized I need to upgrade my signal strength meter to get it aimed right. So....
I've found pretty much everyting I need so far online. Fortunately, I'd bought a good crimping tool several years ago, so I can make up the custom cables -- once I resupply on the cable itself (I only have 30-35 feet left. I may be able to source that locally. On the other hand, I need to work through the planning side a bit more, since it's not just getting the TV in the living room to work. I need to decide if over-the-air channels are enough for the bedroom and kitchen (generally, it's only local news and maybe a bit of Jay Leno we watch there) or if I need additional DirecTV receivers. I have one from the old coach, but it's not HD-capable. And running the antenna for multiple TVs isn't a picnic, either. Still more ruminating to do here.
The Internet side is a little more straightforward since everything's wireless these days. We can add a fixed Hughes dish and shuttle the satellite modem back and forth between the coach and house, or we can try to survive on the Verizon wireless broadband service I added as a backup to the dish in the coach. I picked it up in Oregon when we were satellite-challenged for a while (parked under trees or coach in the service center), and I've ordered a router for the card that'll allow us to use it anywhere in the house. We'll see how that works out...
Peoria, AZ
The last couple of days have involved more "puttering", which is another way of saying "a series of not too well focused activities generating little completed work". I feel like I've been jumping from thing to thing, not necessarily "doing" anything. I decided to focus on a couple of projects, and that's helped but I'm still in the planning stages so don't have a lot to show for it yet.
One of the things I want to do is convert the house to the same communications processes we use in the coach. Currently, we have DirecTV and Hughes Internet in the coach, and Cox Cable in the house. It's a pain to try to manage both services on and off when we're home, especially like now when we're heading out in a few weeks. We end up paying for both, which isn't acceptable in the long term.
Last spring, I bought a DirecTV Hi-Def DVR (Digital Video Recorder). It's like TiVo, but for DirecTV. Since we have HD-friendly TVs in the house, I should be able to add the HD DVR to our existing account and drop the cable TV. We can also get over-the-air HD; I picked up a cheap Radio Shack antenna and the network stations come in great. When I bought the DVR, I picked up a new 5-LNB dish for outside at the same time. I got everything on eBay for a pretty good price. You'd think we're all set, right? Au contraire...
The new dish is larger and heavier, so it needs a better support. The new dish doesn't fit the rules of our HOA, so it'll have to be mounted lower, below the 6' wall level in the back yard. HD requires new RG-6 cable to be run from the dish to the DVR inside, and multiple cables at that (the DVR is cool and will allow recording two channels at the same time -- if you have two cables from the dish), and I've realized that the old dish that came with the house wasn't grounded correctly. Lastly, I've researched the setup process, and realized I need to upgrade my signal strength meter to get it aimed right. So....
I've found pretty much everyting I need so far online. Fortunately, I'd bought a good crimping tool several years ago, so I can make up the custom cables -- once I resupply on the cable itself (I only have 30-35 feet left. I may be able to source that locally. On the other hand, I need to work through the planning side a bit more, since it's not just getting the TV in the living room to work. I need to decide if over-the-air channels are enough for the bedroom and kitchen (generally, it's only local news and maybe a bit of Jay Leno we watch there) or if I need additional DirecTV receivers. I have one from the old coach, but it's not HD-capable. And running the antenna for multiple TVs isn't a picnic, either. Still more ruminating to do here.
The Internet side is a little more straightforward since everything's wireless these days. We can add a fixed Hughes dish and shuttle the satellite modem back and forth between the coach and house, or we can try to survive on the Verizon wireless broadband service I added as a backup to the dish in the coach. I picked it up in Oregon when we were satellite-challenged for a while (parked under trees or coach in the service center), and I've ordered a router for the card that'll allow us to use it anywhere in the house. We'll see how that works out...
Monday, October 22, 2007
Hey, where are my gloves?
October 22, 2007
Peoria, AZ
Just kidding about the gloves, but we've had a real cooling-off over the last couple of days. Yesterday's high was 79F, which is probably the first time it has been that "cool" since spring. It's been breezy as well, which means that everything's covered with a fine layer of brown dirt. It's supposed to be back up in the low 90s for most of the week.
Yesterday, I put in some time in the garage. I'm doing a complete re-do on the tools from the coach, trying to "thin the herd" to reduce weight and make things more accessible. I picked up an electrician's tool pouch from Home Depot, and all of the frequently-used hand tools fit in there nicely. I'm using two older boxes I've had for years for the rest of the stuff, although I might consolidate there as well. I went through all the sockets from home and coach, and decided what I need to pick up to fill in the gaps. I've gotten caught a couple of times where something needed was in the wrong place. It's less on an issue if I'm at home and need something in the coach, as it's always nearby. The other way around, well, that's a trip to the store.
I also got around to installing shelves in the study. They're by ClosetMaid, and have adjustable tracks that mount on the wall so the space between shelves can be changed to fit the stuff you're storing. Now, I'd bought these shelves specifically for the study. Unfortunately, it was the study we had in our townhouse in New Jersey and I bought them circa 2001 but never had the time (or inclination?) to put them up. Well, they survived the move from New Jersey to Arizona, and have been sitting in the garage here for the last 2+ years, so I figured it was about time to deploy them. It turns out that I have enough vertical space and support brackets to add a third shelf, so I'll add that to me Home Depot list (if they still have them!).
Last night, I made chicken breasts stuffed with a pancetta/mushroom mixture served with fettucine with olive oil, sauteed onions and sun-dried tomatos. I didn't follow a recipe (other than from Geri's chicken piccata recipe for the coating on the chicken), and will keep trying this with different ingredients until I get a "keeper". I hit the wine storage device for a 2000 Damilano Barolo that was excellent; medium-bodied with lots of berries and leather and a clean, smooth finish.
Today is supposed to be warmer but not hot, and still on the breezy side. We don't have a plan yet, but will be getting in gear shortly...
Peoria, AZ
Just kidding about the gloves, but we've had a real cooling-off over the last couple of days. Yesterday's high was 79F, which is probably the first time it has been that "cool" since spring. It's been breezy as well, which means that everything's covered with a fine layer of brown dirt. It's supposed to be back up in the low 90s for most of the week.
Yesterday, I put in some time in the garage. I'm doing a complete re-do on the tools from the coach, trying to "thin the herd" to reduce weight and make things more accessible. I picked up an electrician's tool pouch from Home Depot, and all of the frequently-used hand tools fit in there nicely. I'm using two older boxes I've had for years for the rest of the stuff, although I might consolidate there as well. I went through all the sockets from home and coach, and decided what I need to pick up to fill in the gaps. I've gotten caught a couple of times where something needed was in the wrong place. It's less on an issue if I'm at home and need something in the coach, as it's always nearby. The other way around, well, that's a trip to the store.
I also got around to installing shelves in the study. They're by ClosetMaid, and have adjustable tracks that mount on the wall so the space between shelves can be changed to fit the stuff you're storing. Now, I'd bought these shelves specifically for the study. Unfortunately, it was the study we had in our townhouse in New Jersey and I bought them circa 2001 but never had the time (or inclination?) to put them up. Well, they survived the move from New Jersey to Arizona, and have been sitting in the garage here for the last 2+ years, so I figured it was about time to deploy them. It turns out that I have enough vertical space and support brackets to add a third shelf, so I'll add that to me Home Depot list (if they still have them!).
Last night, I made chicken breasts stuffed with a pancetta/mushroom mixture served with fettucine with olive oil, sauteed onions and sun-dried tomatos. I didn't follow a recipe (other than from Geri's chicken piccata recipe for the coating on the chicken), and will keep trying this with different ingredients until I get a "keeper". I hit the wine storage device for a 2000 Damilano Barolo that was excellent; medium-bodied with lots of berries and leather and a clean, smooth finish.
Today is supposed to be warmer but not hot, and still on the breezy side. We don't have a plan yet, but will be getting in gear shortly...
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The best laid plans, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da...
October 20, 2007
Peoria, AZ
Well, today went almost according to plan. No shelves in the study yet, but there's always tomorrow.
We were lazy this morning, and didn't get our morning walk with the pups in until after 11:00 AM. It was really getting warm, as today's highs were predicted to be in the mid-90s. When we got home, we decided to have breakfast before heading out for some grocery shopping. This is always a good idea, as hungry shoppers are excessive shoppers. We're trying to buy for 1-2, maybe 3 days at a time in order to work with fresher, more healthy ingredients. Everyone (pups included) could stand to lose a couple of pounds. Now, we just need to get the exercise part down.
After brunch, we headed out for shopping. I made the mistake of stopping at Costco first. The lot was almost completely full, and getting around the store was a nightmare. You'd have thought it was the Friday after (US) Thanksgiving! It was only when I got to the checkouts (several cashiers were standing around waiting for customers) that I was able to pick up speed. The reason? It was just after noon on a Saturday, which is prime time for "grazing". There were more people wandering the aisles (and in many cases blocking the aisles) for the free food than actually shopping. As I finally left (Geri was smart enough to wait in the car), I reminded myself that it was my own fault and I should know better. Lesson learned (again)!
Next, we stopped at the local "health food" store, "Sprouts". They have non-healthy stuff, too, but focus on organic-ish stuff. I was making a recipe for Mahi Mahi that called for a bunch of stuff that we didn't have, and we were able to get most things in bulk. In our case, that meant in very small quantities. A handful of raisins, several ounces of sliced almonds, 3/4 cup of couscous, 5 ounces of macadamia nuts, one tablespoon of curry powder -- you get the idea. While we have a bit left over, it's less likely to go to waste than if we bought conventionally-sized packages.
And, the dinner came out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. In addition to the Macadamia-crusted Maha Mahi and Curried Couscous, Geri made a wonderful roasted zucchini from a recipe in a magazine (Cucina Italia?) that she'd picked up. It looks like there are a number of "keepers" in there that we'll have to try over the next few months. The wine was OK but a little astringent: a "2 Buck Chuck" Shiraz from Trader Joe's. The appeal of $2.99 wine (it's only sold for "2 bucks" in California) is in the value, and the Cabernet and Chardonnay are OK. The Shiraz, not so much. But it was decent (as Geri says) and drinkable, more than we can say for some other wines we've had at much greater prices.
Tomorrow: it's back to the project list, since it's supposed to be cooler, in the low-80s.
Peoria, AZ
Well, today went almost according to plan. No shelves in the study yet, but there's always tomorrow.
We were lazy this morning, and didn't get our morning walk with the pups in until after 11:00 AM. It was really getting warm, as today's highs were predicted to be in the mid-90s. When we got home, we decided to have breakfast before heading out for some grocery shopping. This is always a good idea, as hungry shoppers are excessive shoppers. We're trying to buy for 1-2, maybe 3 days at a time in order to work with fresher, more healthy ingredients. Everyone (pups included) could stand to lose a couple of pounds. Now, we just need to get the exercise part down.
After brunch, we headed out for shopping. I made the mistake of stopping at Costco first. The lot was almost completely full, and getting around the store was a nightmare. You'd have thought it was the Friday after (US) Thanksgiving! It was only when I got to the checkouts (several cashiers were standing around waiting for customers) that I was able to pick up speed. The reason? It was just after noon on a Saturday, which is prime time for "grazing". There were more people wandering the aisles (and in many cases blocking the aisles) for the free food than actually shopping. As I finally left (Geri was smart enough to wait in the car), I reminded myself that it was my own fault and I should know better. Lesson learned (again)!
Next, we stopped at the local "health food" store, "Sprouts". They have non-healthy stuff, too, but focus on organic-ish stuff. I was making a recipe for Mahi Mahi that called for a bunch of stuff that we didn't have, and we were able to get most things in bulk. In our case, that meant in very small quantities. A handful of raisins, several ounces of sliced almonds, 3/4 cup of couscous, 5 ounces of macadamia nuts, one tablespoon of curry powder -- you get the idea. While we have a bit left over, it's less likely to go to waste than if we bought conventionally-sized packages.
And, the dinner came out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. In addition to the Macadamia-crusted Maha Mahi and Curried Couscous, Geri made a wonderful roasted zucchini from a recipe in a magazine (Cucina Italia?) that she'd picked up. It looks like there are a number of "keepers" in there that we'll have to try over the next few months. The wine was OK but a little astringent: a "2 Buck Chuck" Shiraz from Trader Joe's. The appeal of $2.99 wine (it's only sold for "2 bucks" in California) is in the value, and the Cabernet and Chardonnay are OK. The Shiraz, not so much. But it was decent (as Geri says) and drinkable, more than we can say for some other wines we've had at much greater prices.
Tomorrow: it's back to the project list, since it's supposed to be cooler, in the low-80s.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Pups and Shopping
October 19, 2007
Peoria, AZ
Yesterday went pretty much according to plan. I lubricated and adjusted the garage door in the morning, paid bills, got a start on filing 6 months worth of accumulated stuff mid-day, and we took the pups to the vet in the afternoon.
I used a new (to us) product, Kent Dry-Lube, on the door. I picked it up at Monaco. It’s the primary dry lube that they use on almost everything (other than where they use white lithium) and seems to work well. If I like it, I’ll try to find a source for it at a reasonable price (Monaco charges more for everything).
The dogs never really “enjoy” a trip to the vet but they were good, as always. They both gained a little weight (which we knew) and we got a new treatment for Merlin’s ear itching. They each got a couple of immunizations and we’ll get a refill on Merlin’s main seizure medicine over the next couple of days. We had them draw blood to check the Phenobarbitol levels, since it hasn’t been done since we lived in NJ.
For dinner, Geri made a nice salad and I reheated the leftover Linguine with Shrimp and Chorizo from the other night. Again coupled with a simple Chianti, it was just as good the second time around.
Today, we planned a journey to Phoenix and Scottsdale. Since the Phoenix area is relatively spread out and congestion and construction are everywhere, it takes quite a while to get anywhere during the day. I dropped off exposed slide film from our summer trip (it had been resting in the refrigerator) at a professional lab, and we stopped at Brookstone and Williams-Sonoma and then Sur La Table (we always need kitchen stuff). By that time it was about 4:00 PM, so we decided to defer the Macadamia-crusted Mahi Mahi with Curried Couscous I’d planned for dinner until tomorrow and grab a bite. We thought about North (we ate there with Bob Lopes last fall, and at their other place with Dave and Sandy, and Ana, Larry and Al on separate occasions in the past), but chose a “sister restaurant called “the Green House” next door. Geri had a cheese plate and truffle fries and I had a warm flank steak salad. Although she’s not a goat cheese fan, the one they were serving was excellent, as was the Irish Cheddar. We started with a glass of Domain Chandon Rose sparkler, and finished with a Robert Craig “Affinity” Meritage (claret), both from California. Both went well with the meal.
We had quite a bit of traffic on the way home, both on Scottsdale Road (construction) and the Loop 101 (sun glare and an accident heading the other way). We’d left the pups from Noon to 6:00 PM, which is a little long for them but they were fine. After a quick walk and then dinner, they were ready to play!
Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be warmer, back up in the mid-90s, so we’ll focus on inside activities. I have some shelves to put up, etc., so that will be a good project…
Peoria, AZ
Yesterday went pretty much according to plan. I lubricated and adjusted the garage door in the morning, paid bills, got a start on filing 6 months worth of accumulated stuff mid-day, and we took the pups to the vet in the afternoon.
I used a new (to us) product, Kent Dry-Lube, on the door. I picked it up at Monaco. It’s the primary dry lube that they use on almost everything (other than where they use white lithium) and seems to work well. If I like it, I’ll try to find a source for it at a reasonable price (Monaco charges more for everything).
The dogs never really “enjoy” a trip to the vet but they were good, as always. They both gained a little weight (which we knew) and we got a new treatment for Merlin’s ear itching. They each got a couple of immunizations and we’ll get a refill on Merlin’s main seizure medicine over the next couple of days. We had them draw blood to check the Phenobarbitol levels, since it hasn’t been done since we lived in NJ.
For dinner, Geri made a nice salad and I reheated the leftover Linguine with Shrimp and Chorizo from the other night. Again coupled with a simple Chianti, it was just as good the second time around.
Today, we planned a journey to Phoenix and Scottsdale. Since the Phoenix area is relatively spread out and congestion and construction are everywhere, it takes quite a while to get anywhere during the day. I dropped off exposed slide film from our summer trip (it had been resting in the refrigerator) at a professional lab, and we stopped at Brookstone and Williams-Sonoma and then Sur La Table (we always need kitchen stuff). By that time it was about 4:00 PM, so we decided to defer the Macadamia-crusted Mahi Mahi with Curried Couscous I’d planned for dinner until tomorrow and grab a bite. We thought about North (we ate there with Bob Lopes last fall, and at their other place with Dave and Sandy, and Ana, Larry and Al on separate occasions in the past), but chose a “sister restaurant called “the Green House” next door. Geri had a cheese plate and truffle fries and I had a warm flank steak salad. Although she’s not a goat cheese fan, the one they were serving was excellent, as was the Irish Cheddar. We started with a glass of Domain Chandon Rose sparkler, and finished with a Robert Craig “Affinity” Meritage (claret), both from California. Both went well with the meal.
We had quite a bit of traffic on the way home, both on Scottsdale Road (construction) and the Loop 101 (sun glare and an accident heading the other way). We’d left the pups from Noon to 6:00 PM, which is a little long for them but they were fine. After a quick walk and then dinner, they were ready to play!
Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be warmer, back up in the mid-90s, so we’ll focus on inside activities. I have some shelves to put up, etc., so that will be a good project…
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