365-7 | Peaches Prattlings

{April 10, 2021} It’s Saturday, what new adventures await us?!

It is Saturday, and it’s a rainy day, what should we do?! It started off liesurely, get up, take the dogs for a walk, then…special treat after they eat, jump in bed with me! They absolutely love it and it really is a treat for them because they’re not allowed on the furniture, except the bed, and only when we let them. Now, Ruby can jump on the bed just fine, Bee needs a little help, so it’s not a guarantee they get on there at all! We have done it a few times and stopped Ruby enough that she knows she needs permission.

I was sitting on the bed, Ruby came into the room, and what she usually does is come to the side of the bed for attention, then…for that treat every so often, I ask “Do you want to come onto the bed?”, I pat the bed and she knows she can jump up. At that point, she usually goes back to the foot of the bed and guages how to jump on! As she settles in, here comes Bee…I grabbed Bee and put her on the bed and after they settled in, we snuggled watching tv until it was time for PSM and I to head out. It was a very nice Saturday morning.

We got dressed, headed out for St Louis and went down to the Dome at America’s Center for the Auto Show 2021. PSM has never been to an auto show and he was curious about it. I’ve been to a few and I love cars, so I was game! And hoping they would have some classic cars, which I really love, and I was right!

As we were looking for a place to park, we could see smoke, hear the tires squealing and screeching, and smell burning rubber…we found it! We headed towards the crowd and could see, smell, and hear much better! The street was blocked off and it was the Drifting with Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa & Mystery Driver. I honestly don’t know who we saw, it was loud and I missed what the announcer said. It was a lot of fun to watch, the smell was awful, who likes the smell of burning rubber?! but the action was great! I sent this video to my dad with the subject: “This was not me!” For anyone that knows me, I have always had a lead foot and I have gotten so much better, but I knew my dad would appreciate it!

We headed around the block, it felt like many around the blocks, but we made it! The city was a kind of crowded, the Auto Show, a St Louis Cardinal’s game and FEMA had opened a Covid-19 vaccination site at the Dome. The line for vaccinations was crazy long and we went through the same door, but we went to the right, they went to the left. Very glad the line was not as long to get into the auto show!

We walked in and it was not crowded at all. There were signs posted for social distancing, people walking around with signs and instructing people to wear their masks, and people cleaning each car at all times. They were constantly cleaning the outside and as soon as someone got out of a car, they went in to clean, it was very well run. Not to mention hand sanitizer stations everywhere!

We walked in, and if you have never been to an auto show, they are set up my car manufacturer. Some cars you could get into and get a feel how it would feel to own and drive one, some cars were locked, and others were behind ropes, no entry or touching! I lost track of all the brands on display. They had Alfa Romeos, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Toyota, Jeep, and so much more, and…my favorite emblem…the Volksvagen! They don’t make Beetles any longer, but it was fun to look and drool over a lot of the cars. Some of my favorites were the muscle cars, especially the Mustangs, I told you, I’m a car girl. They even had a SHELBY truck and a Mustang truck, and the Mustang Mach-E, all electric! If you haven’t seen Ford vs Ferrari with Matt Damon and Christian Bale, what are you waiting for?!

There were some classic cars in the same area from the Horseless Carriage Club, founded in 1944 with 150+ members and one of the oldest surviving car clubs in the world. They had a Cadillac from 1937, one from 1941, and 1950 Buick, 1973 Plymouth, and a 1977 Corvette, those were some beauts! That’s when cars were individuals, had character. I’m not saying that today’s cars don’t have character, hey, Annie has a personality, but there was something about those classics! whew…

We walked through the arena by some vendors towards the Million Dollar Mile, these are some of the highest dollar cars. My focus was on the Corvettes presented by The Original Corvette Club of St Louis and oh boy did they deliver! My two favorites were a black Stingray, I think it was a ’67 or ’68 and a 73 Corvette that had about 80k miles on it! That’s the way to own a classic car, drive it!

Nearby was a custom shop, oh boy, what they can do to a car!

Then…mecca! After VWs, my favorite car, one that I can identify the headlights at 40 paces…Porsche. I can’t explain it, there is something wonderful about a Porsche. I’ll be honest, there are quite a few models that I don’t care for, but a 1985 red 911 is one of my dream cars, but…it MUST have a whale tail! I used to own a 1985 gold 944, that thing cornered like it was on rails! wow!

Needless to say, I was a happy camper when we left!

Food, need food! A new place that I had on my list and wanted to try and…vegan options! Mayo Ketchup by Plantain Girl. Fast, casual Puertorican, Dominican, and Cuban food. Plantains…y u m! This is one of my favorite fruits/foods, and what they did with it, wow!

We ordered and hung out waiting for the food while we explored restaurant. The decor was inviting, some color here and there, brick walls, a boogie boarding Santa, some flamingos, and quite a bit of Star Wars kitch. It was a lot of fun.

We started with Tostones con Aguacate, twice fried plantain, smashed avocado, pickled onion, cilantro, lime, SO good! Then I ordered Vegan Jibarito, which is smashed avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, potato sticks, vegan garlic mayo layered between twice fried green plantains. Oh wow, this was fabulous! PSM had El Cubano, a roasted pork, ham, swiss-american cheese, dill pickles, mustard on pressed cuban bread, he said it was yummy!

Back home to take care of the pups and chill for the evening. They were a bit happy to see us, ha ha. What a fabulous day…a car show, classic cars, and a new place to eat. Two more want to do Missouri, check! What’s next?! Cannot wait for tomorrow!

{April 9, 2021} I know it’s Friday, but it felt like a Saturday!

Not complaining! Yup, it’s Fri-yayyyy! I finished most of what I needed to do for the week yesterday, so I worked until about noon and then I was done for the weekend, go us!

We did some stuff around the house, then headed out on the bikes to the Shaw Nature Reserve, they had signs for the daffodils in bloom which I had seen when we passed it on other rides. I love daffodils, you saw them in our backyard, what could make you smile in the Spring bigger than a sea of daffodils?! I remember back in Georgia, I went with TS to Gibbs Gardens for their daffodils, wow! Thousands! in diffferent colors, shades, shapes, and sizes! I

We got to the Shaw Nature Reserve, went in and parked. We saw daffodils, but I think we missed the explosion by a minute. It was hot out and I think they were fuller in bloom a week ago, but what we saw were beautiful! Next year, we’re going at the start of the season! The nice thing, it got is there and when we walked around the grounds, it was beautiful. I know that when the trees are at their fullest it is going to be amazing! For me, I loved the state of the trees as they were because some were still barren, which I think is so stunning, and some were just starting to bloom and bud and to see new life beginning, wow! We didn’t stay too long because we were both wearing jeans and it was getting up to about 80 degrees. We’ll be back for sure!

Back on the bikes, it was time for sustenance. We had passed a sign for Point Labaddie Brewery a few times on this road, so we decided to head there, who knew what was in store for us, but it was a new place for PSM to try some local goodness. If you go…pay attention because the only sign on the road is a blue directional sign that is not very big, you can miss it.

We pulled it, it’s a big barn-type building, lots of property around it, some picnic tables, the kind that have the benches attached, spread out and a tent frame, and lights strung across it and along the tables, I wondered if they had events there, seemed like it, or muic, let’s find out!

We went in and it’s a big open space, you can see right into the back where they brew the beer, the beer and wine list are on the wall above the register and there is a bar and a few of the same tables inside. They had snack bags of chips and cookies, but no food.

We sat at the bar and started talking to the man behind it, the owner’s dad, and J, the guy at the end who is up there a bit, knows the lay of the land. We talked to him about beer, traveling, food, and cars. He was wearing a Mustang hat, figured he was a car guy, yup…three Mustangs, wow! They had low mileage, didn’t drive them enough in my opinion! He does love them though!

Turns out, they do have events! Live music some nights, trivia other nights and on those nights, they have food trucks, which is exactly what I said they needed! We stayed for a while, people came and went, actually, most of them came, got drinks and sat outside. Again, a little toasty in our jeans, I was good inside.

When we talked about food, J and our bartender gave us some great food options in the area, good thing, because we were getting hungry! Snack bags of chips, pretzels, and animal crackers wasn’t cutting it for sustenance! Off we went to one of his recommendations, Letty Lou’s Cafe for Breakfast, Burgers, and Booze. How can you beat that?!

It was only a few miles down the road, away we went! The nice thing… it started cooling off, not as blistering! We found Letty Lou’s, walked in and we were pleasantly surprised! It was a 50s style diner with all retro dinnette tables and vinyl chairs, LOVE! It made me smile, like I was back in my grandmother’s kitchen! I’ve always dreamed of having that type of kitchen!

Our waitress was fun, very chatty, we liked that. We got down to business and ordered food. I had a veggie burger, although, I was torn between that and avocado toast, good thing we can always go back! PSM had what he saw on the menu…a T.V. Dinner! Although it did not come out on a t.v. tray, it looked just like one out of the box, but better! Meatloaf, string beans, and mashed potatos! I had mentioned it when we were looking at the menu back at Point Labbadie’s and he knew what he wanted!

We had fun eating, laughing, talking to the waitresss, looking at the decorations and being together. Another date! Am I a lucky girl or what?! Wait…two nights in a row? Oh yeah! And we’re just getting the weekend started! Seriously, it really did feel like Saturday, we had done so much! What’s next? You’ll just have to wait for tomorrow to see!

{April 8, 2021} I just realized…it felt a little like date night. Now I’m smiling.

PSM was a bit under the weather today, he’s fine, just one of those days. I told you about the storms we’ve been having, Mother Nature doing something to his sinuses, go figure. That being said, he’s been resting and after I took the pups for their evening walk, we were trying to decide what to do for dinner.

Then the conversation begins, you know…”What do you want to do?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” “Oh, anything.” “Really?” “Sure”. Lies! lol “How about xyz?” “No, not in the mood for that.” “How about zyx?” “Nope, not in the mood for that.” I know, I know, you’v never experienced that, we’re the only ones! ha ha

“Comfort food!” perfect, what does that mean? To me, comfort food, especially after being sick, was always from Steak n’ Shake: Grilled Cheese, Cheese Fries, and a Cherry Coke no ice in their fabulous plastic to-go cup [MUST be a soda fountain drink!]. Everything on that list is a killer for me, but oh so comforting when it’s going in! sigh… Growing up, my mom would make us noodles with creme cheese. And not just any noodles, maybe it’s my own recollection, but it was the wide kosher egg noodles, with the creme cheese melted and smooth, I even make it for myself every so often, in fact I did a few weeks ago, vegan creme cheese! I don’t have a death wish! And with a touch of salt, wow! Enough about that!

For PSM, comfort food is breakfast. We have eggs and cheese, but nothing else for a good breakfast, which involves eggs, toast, and pancakes, some other stuff would be bonus. And who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner? That was a favorite of ours growing up and it felt like that was a Wednesday meal quite often. Those were some of the fun times when my dad would cook, he can cook a mean breakfast!

We tried to order from a restaurant to deliver, all good, then…message from Grub Hub, the order was cancelled, what? Ok, let’s go out. We jumped in the truck and discussed where to go and ended up at…Waffle House! Or, as we would sometimes affectionately call it in Georgia, the awful waffle! I have never turned down Waffle House and the fact that they are all over St Louis, happy am I!

We picked the Waffle House that was next to the hotel we stayed at when we were house hunting back in 2019, so I have an affection for that one. Aside from the three people working there, just us…was that a sign? The food was good, as always, but the service was a wee bit…let’s just say, I don’t think the waiter had worked there very long.

Decaf coffee for PSM seemed to be a challenge and oh brother, I ordered hot tea. Yes, hot tea. Hot water, tea bag, some sugar. His first question…do you want ice for the tea? Huh? In my hot tea? Next question…do you want sweet or unsweet, as he is in front of the two iced tea dispensers…HOT TEA! We laughed about it, but, c’mon! Then, PSM told me they had to call someone to figure out how to make hot tea. Huh?

Let’s order…One All-Star Breakfast, hold the waffle, that means, for those of you not in the know, hold off making the waffle until we’re ready, that way it comes hot and fresh and doesn’t get soggy. It also means, don’t make it the second you drop our food off, give us a few to get there! Eggs, toast, grits for me, bacon on his plate, thank you!

One thing I can tell you, aside from the service on occasion, the food at Waffle House almost never disappoints. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal there and that’s saying something. I used to go to Waffle House almost every weekend I lived in Georgia. It’s a staple and they’re on every block! The eggs were cooked perfectly, the grits were yummy and I didn’t put sugar in until I was about three quarters done with it, that is saying something. I will say, hash browns are always hit or miss, but what can I say, I like them done and crispy! Food, check!

We talked, caught up on our day, laughed, joked, and had a really good time, despite that fact that PSM was under the weather. As I sit here telling you about it, it was like an impromptu mid-week date night and I’m really glad we decided to go out, it felt nice. I like having a permanent date for everything, but this was a date with my fella, I had a good time. I might be blushing.

I hope he calls me for another date.

{April 7, 2021} A rainbow! What a storm!

The storm is here and it is raging! Wow! We were predicted to have rain, but this is one of those ka-razy storms! We were watching the news and the weather report said possible hail. Hail? In April? I’ve heard about April showers and all, but c’mon!

PSM had to go somewhere earlier today and it was one of those raining sideways, can’t see the car in front of you, wipers at full tilt and it still isn’t enough storms. He didn’t mention thunder or lightning, that’s ok, we had that tonight!

He had taken his bike into the shop yesterday to have something checked and we went today to pick it up and we were moving fast because the rain was coming, it sprinkled on me, but that’s about it. Dropped him off, got home, took the pups for the evening walk sooner than later because it was coming and about 630p, the sky was dark and the weather was messing with the antennae on the tv. I know, I know, we decided to watch a tv show in real time, crazy town! The signal was all messed up, going in and out, skewing the picture, you name it, it was happening!

Then…our sweet scaredy cat of a dog, Ruby, was looking for her parents, big time. She didn’t leave PSM’s side wherever he went, there she went. Mollie, my step-doggie I used to tell you about when I met PSM, and was with us in Hawai’i, she was the same, loud noises, thunder, lightning, fireworks, you name it…I’m sorry I didn’t get any pictures, PSM took one of the beds we call a burrito, because sometimes when she gets in it, it folds around her. He brought that back by the chair, she got in it and he covered her with a towel, like a blanket, and she was safe, oh, she also made sure to be touching him any time he was in the chair! Eventually Bee crawled in there, it was a family affair!

At one point, Ruby came out of the burrito bed and laid down right in front of where I was on the sofa and gave me that look. She definitely knows who mom & dad are! SO stinkin’ cute! I was telling PSM, I might have to start a YouTube channel with some of the videos I take of the dogs!

That’s the storm…now…you can’t have rainbows without a good storm and I looked outside and the rain seemed to have let up, the sky was bright, brightest before the storm, right? The next one anyway, and I was compelled to look outside and there it was, right above our street, a rainbow, big, bright, beautiful. It truly was on par with some of the fabulous rainbows we used to have in Hawai’i. I have to say, I’m glad I never lost my wonder at looking at rainbows, they truly are magical and all I could do was smile.

We took advantage of a lull in the storm, it was about 930p, puppy bed time, even though Bee tried earlier! and put them in the crate, good thing, because the storm started up again and it’s going good and steady out there, some lightning and a thunder clap or roll every so often, but the pups are safe in their space, curled around each other, I just checked, they’re snuggling, music and light are on, they are fine.

I sure hope the rain lets up tomorrow, we have something planned and I’m hoping to not have to change plans completely! Fingers crossed!

After all of this…we better have some fab-u-lous flowers in May!!!

{April 6, 2021} Spring…PLEASE STOP…

kickin’ my arse!

First…there were the itchy eyes, I told you about that a few weeks ago, fear not…itchy eyes have not left me, they are both itchy, wet and dry, how about them apples!, but now…flowers are in bloom…looks beautiful…but…now add runny nose and sneezing! Seriously? Spring, Mother Nature, haven’t you done enough? Ha ha, couldn’t you have just made the flowers bloom…without the side effects?

I take my Flonase, every day, all year long, to be exact. That seems to help when it’s not Spring! I don’t remember if Summer is the same, I can’t think right now! And the worst part, all the sneezing wipes me out! I am exhausted! There are some days I have to take a nap in the middle of the day, I can’t see straight! Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love a good nap, just not when I have to work!

Before you ask, I have taken or tried many allergy medications, but…they all make me drowsy! Even the ones that are not supposed to. Being immune to medication is not a super power! ha ha. The other day, just to function, I took a Dayquil, just to stop my poor nose from running. It’s getting sore from the overuse of very soft tissues! I think I went through a box in two days! really?!

Honestly friends, I love Spring. I really do, even though I am speaking out right now, begging for relief. Now, when I was a kid, I didn’t have seasonal allergies, I didn’t know how lucky I was! When I moved to Georgia I was told…if you don’t have allergies when you move there, you will! And I was so lucky for year, but sure enough, in my 15th year or so…achoo! What?! And they haven’t left. When I moved to Colorado…not sure what magic there was, no allergies!

Ok, I’m done. This too shall pass, right? Yup, Fall is just around the corner! I can feel it!

{April 5, 2021} Spring has sprung for sure!

My dad wrote the best poem “Spring has sprung, the grass has rise, I wonder where all the flowers is”. Having a moment, I think that’s the full poem, if it’s not, sorry daddy!

Our yard, the neighborhood, the park, are all in bloom. I know, you’ve been listening to my laments about Spring, but truly, I love it. The colors, the smells, the grass, are you like me, do you love the smell of a fresh cut lawn, ahhh, the flowers, the trees, all of it!

We’ve been having work done on our yard and our amazing landscaping team, Oxygene Landscape Design, has been working on our backyard. I’ll show you pictures after it’s done, but while things are moving in the right direction, when they moved some daffodil bulbs from one place to another and when they took out one of the structures we wanted removed and rebuilt, they repurposed the dirt, to fill in some areas that needed a little help. It turns out…there were some bulbs in the dirt and now…we have daffodils growing in the pine straw in random areas, it’s great!

With this being April, we should have some amazing rain showers that should produce some amazing flowers in May. You know the saying “April Showers…bring May flowers“. Here’s hoping! I can’t wait to see what the neighborhood and the park look like when the trees and flowers are all in bloom, wow! An explosion of color!

Enjoy the colors!

{April 4, 2021} Park…Bike…Nap…Yeah…

What a beautiful Sunday! I decided no alarm, I had done yoga four days in a row, I’m taking a day off. That means no alarm and a little lounging before I greet the world.

I got up around 8, well, I got up before then, but refused to get up. About 8, I got dressed and got the pups out of the crate and right into their harnesses and off to the park we went. They were SO excited! I dropped the top and it was the same as always, Ruby sitting up, wanting to see everything, Bee hunkering as low into the seat as possible! At the lights, sometimes she likes to look around, but as soon as we start moving…I think she’s hoping if she can’t see the world go by, it’s not moving! HA ha!

At the park we were a go! It definitely is something to take them for walks, it’s hit or miss, sometimes they’re with me, sometimes, they’re against me…going in two different directions! We took the same path and this time, came upon a photographer with a telephoto lense, I actually don’t know if she was a photographer or a birder, one who watches birds, if you weren’t in the know. I figured she was there to see the bald eagles, and she was! So I asked if she knew where they were and she did! Across the lake on the little island! I never would have seen them! I don’t have a telephoto lense, but if you zoom in on the dots, you can see them on the tree branch, they were spectacular!

On the way back to the car, we met a few other dogs, a boy who wanted to pet them, especially Bee, Beagles are his favorite dog breed. We also met a man who told me how good she looked, he had one at home. I asked if his was a little on the chunkier side, he said oh my yes! His wife takes the dog to Steak ‘n Shake and Shake Shack, among others. His beagle…100 pounds! O M G!!! Oh no! I’ll keep my girl the way she is!

After the park, the girls were ready for a nap and the weather was beautiful, so on the bike I hopped and off to Grafton, IL I went. A little highway, but then two lane roads, over the Clark Bridge, through Alton, IL and then along the Mississippi River. I’ve told you about the ride before, it’s just a nice and easy ride, the ride along the river is beautiful and peaceful and we love it. I rode to Pere Marquette State Park and saw a few bikes heading up Scenic Drive, so I did the same and it was a great, winding road with a few overlooks I stopped at to take a look at the view.

I stopped at Eagle Roost Scenic Overlook, the view was fabulous. You could see Swan Lake, Illinois River, Levee on Swan Lake, and Brussles, IL. I continued on to Flag Pole Scenic Overlook, another nice view. I continued on, but when I got to Lover’s Leap Overlook, but…I kept going. My opinion…when I looked at it, I wouldn’t have leapt from it! There might have been more to it, I just didn’t see it.

I continued down the long and winding road, thank you to anyone who got that! until I was back at the main drag. I knew there wasn’t anything in town for me to eat so I kept going. There were SO many bikes on the road and I gotta tell you…I la la la love my bike, I got so many props from other riders! Great feeling, sigh. I can tell you that Grafton was covered in bikes, I don’t think I saw one bike that wasn’t a Harley Davidson, except when I went by!

Since it was Easter, so many places that I tried to go were closed, so I decided to head home. What I did though, was detour off the main drag and went the way PSM and I had come in a few weeks ago, this time, it was sooo much better! Less dirt on the road, it was warmer, and not as windy, a really nice ride. I even did some of the navigating by gut, instead of using my GPS, which I had at the ready.

I got home about 5pm, just in time for dinner for the pups, they were happy I was home, ahhh. We had dinner, hung out and then I think we all fell asleep for a few!

Overall, it was a really good day, I’m ready for the next really good day!

Happy Easter, to those who observe.

{April 3, 2021} What…a day! Sun’s out…Top’s Down!

Just another typical Saturday, not much happening…except…

Up early…hot yoga…without PSM! What?! Yeah, on Thursday, we took hot yoga together and he told the instructor he wouldn’t be there, but I would…to represent us. What?! So…set the alarm for 645am and hot yoga, here I come. It was in the high 30s when I left the house…brrr, but about 45 when I came out of yoga, and I was sweating, so…top down on the car, ahhh…smoothie on the way home, what could be better?!

Got home, added a thin sweatshirt under my favorite heavy Keystone sweatshirt, got the pups out of the crate and to the park we went. It’s Spring, the flowers are blooming and people are going outdoors, nice! The park wasn’t too crowded, we did a few doggie greetings, and a kid even stopped us and asked if he could pet the dogs, especially Bee, beagles are his favorite dog breed. At the park, we walked through a Bald Eagle breeding ground, someone we passed told me there was a nest and there were 2 eagles in a tree, I couldn’t find them, bummer. There was even a sign “Bald Eagle Breeding Site, Don’t Linger and Be Quiet”. I really wanted to see them, maybe next time!

Back home, breakfast for all and to relax! While we dined, I watched the first episode of season 7 of Brokenwood, a mystery series based in New Zealand I’ll tell you about another time. It was great, I called my dad right after to talk about it since he had watched it the other day and was waiting for me to talk about it.

I showerd, got dressed, threw in a load of laundry, and loaded the pups in the car, top down, we were going to the bank, problem was…bank was closed, oh well. Drove around for a bit with the dogs then headed home. Ruby was happy to be out and in the car, Bee just didn’t want to get left behind! She’s up and happy and looking out the window when we’re stopped, but while the car is in motion, she is hunkered so far down into the seat, I think she’s hoping it will swallow her up! ha ha

We got home and the guy is doing amazing things fixing up our yard was there, we caught up for a bit, talked about Spring Break, plants, yards, forsythia, which he calls forcynthia, which I love! and then, into the crate with the pups, into my new black suede Indian Motorcycle jacket, I had to take it for a spin! It was about 75 degrees out at this point and even though it was warm, it was still a little windy, so I was very happy to have the jacket on.

I rode out to Castlewood State Park, not a far ride, rode through the park, there was a road that you can normally drive on, but it was closed, so I drove out of the park, down this fabulous winding and winding road, ended up on a main drag and kept going, it was great. I eventually turned around and headed back towards home, stopping at a Starbucks to enjoy a tasty beverage and a break, then headed home again.

Pups out of the crate, walk around the neighborhood, dinner for them, dinner for me. I tried something new, I roasted an artichoke and wow! It was fabulous! I can still smell the garlic in the house! y u m! I will be making that again! Then it was relaxing time! I finished an episode of Endeavour, I’ve been trying to finish the episode for about 3 weeks! It was good! Then it was RuPaul’s Drag Race and after the pups went to bed…I headed to the basement and made some really good progress with the stuff I brought back from Colorado. Grabbed the laundry and headed upstairs.

And now…I sit here talking to you, I moved the laundry basket to the floor so I can’t see it, I’ll take care of it tomorrow! So…there you have it, typical Saturday, not much happening, ha ha!

{April 2, 2021} Did I really do that?! Oh my gawd!

Hanging my head in shame, sigh, oh brother. It’s Passover, I did the big one you’re not supposed to do and it’s so silly how it happend!

One of the rules with Passover is not eating bread and I have been good this week, until last night…There’s actually no bread in the house, for my fabulous breakfast egg sandwich, I have been having it on matzah and it’s actually yummy. Every year, when Passover rolls around, I actually try to stay away from bread for a while, see how long I can last, go healthier, sometimes it works, sometimes…

So…last night we went to yoga, then decided to go to dinner and found a place with a veggie burger, let’s go! It was the Three Kings Public House, and it was pretty good. We started off with one of the best bowl of brussel sprouts I have ever had! I think they were blanched first, they were tender and not very bitter, then they were sauteed in homemade garlic oil, topped with parmesan cheese, candied almonds, and sweetened dried cranberries. It was fabulous! I could have eaten the entire bowl!

PSM ordered seafood stew and I ordered a veggie burger, which turned out to be a spicy black bean burger, of course, but I had dinner! It came with lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and avocado, along with sweet potato waffle fries, unfortunately with waaayyyy too much salt, but put enough ketchup and mayo on almost anything, problem solved. After I ordered I smacked my forehead and thought, duh! When the waiter came back, I asked him to lettuce wrap my burger, that threw him for a moment, but it came out just as I ordered.

When we were finished, PSM decided he was in the mood for something sweet and we ended up getting the dessert menu. The only thing on the menu I could eat, because the other two items: chocolate and cheesecake, no thanks, was bread pudding, sure, let’s get that. Not thinking in the least. It came, it looked good and it tasted alright, it was a little dry, but enjoyable and I haven’t had bread pudding in a while. I’m actually picky about my bread pudding, it’s always hit or miss when I have it.

There we are, munching away and half way through, I had put my fork down about a minute earlier, I had a total D U H moment! I smacked my forehead and exclaimed “Seriously?! O M G! I just ate BREAD pudding! It’s Passover, what’s ONE big thing you’re not supposed to eat? And it’s in the NAME of the dish!” I couldn’t believe it! I have been so good, then I do something like that! It’s in the name!

Where is the DOH/Forehead Slap emoji?!

{April 1, 2021} Why can’t a woman be more like a man? HA HA

Before you start crowing, I was listending to Pandora radio and one of my favorite stations is Broadway Musicals. As I’m working, Why can’t a woman be more like a man? from My Fair Lady came on, sung by Rex Harrison.

The musical, which originated on Broadway and then was made into a motion picture staring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, sigh, one of my alltime favorite actresses, yes I know, I know, I have many, but she was…well, that’s another post for another day. And another post…the fact that Julie Andrews made that role on Broadway, but was denied the role because the producer, Jack L Warner didn’t think she was well known enough as a screen actor, humph I say! Don’t get me wrong, Audrey Hepburn was fabulous in the role, but c’mon on!

The tagline from IMDB: Snobbish phonetics Professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make flower girl Eliza Doolittle presentable in high society. That about sums it up. She’s poor and uneducated, he’s rich and possibly over educated. She doesn’t think she’s better than anyone, meaning, she is who she is, but she would like to improve her station and be a little more polished, she has a great song Wouldn’t it be loverly, truth be told, that was where I heard and first started using the word loverly, it’s a simple song of the simple things she wants in life. On the opposite end, he thinks he’s better than everyone, there’s no filter when he opens his mouth and his mother just shakes her head when he comes around.

Eliza overhears Henry Higgins identifying different individuals accents while outside of the theater one night, even claiming he could make her a proper lady. Eliza goes to his house the next morning wanting to hire him to give her elocution lessons, she wants to ‘talk better’.

Digression here…one of my favorite lines from Working Girl, starring Melanie Griffith, who is having a conversation with Joan Cusack about taking speech classes. “What do you need speech classes for? Ya tawk fine!” Classic! Back to our regularly scheduled program…

Higgins agrees to take her on and “class her up”, he’s going to work with his house guest, Colonel Pickering, played by Wilfrid Hyde-White, to do it. The goal…the Embassy Ball, to see who they can fool. They work day and night, Eliza suffering through the torture he puts her through, while he suffers through the tireless effort he’s putting in, interesting take on things, different viewpoints. She manages to make it through, imagining all the ways to kill him! Just you wait. And for some reason he can’t understand why he can’t get along with women…

All of a sudden, she gets it “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain“, try saying that through a mouth full of marbles…and there is much joy and praise in the house, but…not for Eliza, it’s all for Henry Higgins, for all the work he’s done…The first test…take Eliza to the races to meet her mother and see how she fits in with the upper crust, she passes, mostly. She only says what she’s told, sort of, until the first races starts, then the gutter snipe comes out, for a moment, it’s priceless, and she actually charms a few people with it, especially one young man, but that’s another story for another day. Well, wait, here’s a man who falls in love with her, who just wants to be On the street where you live, but who does Eliza eventually fall in love with? Yup…

Back to the purpose of the post. After the races, which was a success, we are off to the Embassy Ball, where she is stunning, and stuns. She is regal and refined, and any other r words? She’s polished and proper, and a thing of beauty, she charms everyone and the Queen of Transylvania asks her to dance with the prince. She is now what she wanted to be, polished and proper, she could do anything, get a job in a flower shop, she could run the flower shop, she could probably marry well, who knows. Keep in mind, the story is set in London 1912, none of this would be considered wrong, unheard of, out of the ordinary.

Well, what happens when they get home from the ball, Higgins and Pickering are so very proud of themselves, the household staff have been treating him like he’s all that and the bag o’ chips, they don’t pay Eliza much mind and no one says anything of what she’s done for herself, she put in the hard work, but does anyone notice, nope and Eliza finally realizes she doesn’t have to take that shite anymore and leaves, good on ya!

In the morning, when Higgins realizes she’s gone, he’s put out and out of sorts and doesn’t understand why. He can’t understand, after the triumph of the ball, why would she leave. Dense… and he goes into the reason we’re here, Why can’t a woman be more like a man? It’s a sort of conversation with Colonel Pickering, but more the musings of obnoxious, self-centered, misogynistic, need I go on?

If you actually listen to the lyrics, you have to laugh, and to hear it as a song, and if you never really paid attention, but then all of a sudden it hits you, wow. “Why can’t a woman be more like a man? Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;Eternally noble, historically fair.” really? “Why can’t a woman take after a man? Men are so pleasant, so easy to please. Whenever you’re with them, you’re always at ease.” seriously? “Why is thinking something women never do? And why is logic never even tried?
Straightening up their hair is all they ever do. Why don’t they straighten up the mess that’s inside?” Are you kidding me? Seriously, you just have to laugh. Just take a listen, something about it set to music…Now…I have a feeling there are some people who still feel this way, who am I to judge?

And what happens in the end? Eliza goes to Henry’s mother’s house, where he finds Eliza and she tells him she doesn’t need him any longer and walks out. What happens to Henry Higgins? What do you think he realizes? I’ve grown acustomed to her face. At home later, he’s mooning over her and she appears, you don’t see it, but you know she puts him in his place, she’s put up with him and he realizes he can’t or doesn’t want to live without him.

And all the things he moaned about…why can’t a woman be like him? All the reasons he fell in love with her. Go figure…

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What was I thinking?