Initial plantings, etc.

"Interesting" times indeed . . .

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the country is going through some unusually interesting times from an economic standpoint.

Very recent housing bubble and consequent "fixes" by our government. At staggering cost.

Timed frighteningly closely to the ascension of huge Democratic majorities and a president with supreme confidence in himself and in "government by experts." (I'm pretty sure it would be most difficult to find any useful evidence to support this confidence, but that's another story.) Empowered in large measure by Bush backlash (I often hear "if you think this is bad, consider how much Bush screwed up" - but even if true, I was hoping for better reasoning than that in support of these policies.) Cap and trade, health care "reform," permanent and drastic program expansion masqueraded as "stimulus," taxes, spending, amnesia about campaign commitments; you name it, we have it.

As best I can figure it, the goal is to pass as many laws and regulations as possible while media adulation persists and before the public wakes up to the cost and/or policy implications. If the initiatives continue to be as poorly conceived as other major initiatives in the last few months - well, that's tomorrow's problem. Yet I think the prez has some skills . . . I don't understand the continuous headlong plunge.

But enough of that. The purpose of this post is to list a few bloggers that I find helpful in sorting all this out. Right or wrong, the discussions are pithy and interesting. Typically it's professors musing, but not always.

These folks are definitely crowding out other news/information sources that I previously looked at - much higher value.

Recommended:

1. Don Boudreaux et al.

2. Econlog.

3. Greg Mankiw.

4. John Stossel. (Of all people - but he (or his writers) has a pithy way of repackaging items covered in more detail by 1-3 above. Plus he comes up with a few original things.)

5. Stephen Bainbridge. (law professor)

6. Larry Ribstein. (law professor)

7. Then there is Paul Krugman - but unfortunately I don't get much out of his writings. (I do try to stick with it given that it isn't ideal to live in an echo chamber.)

Blank slate

Our backyard is undergoing change we can believe in.

Plus we are using our own $$ to pay for it.

Pool removal (Day 1)

At long last, my nemesis is literally being broken and buried.

This was interesting to watch (but not so fun to listen to) - starting with early morning fence busting, followed by punching out huge holes in the bottom of the pool, breaking up the cool decking, then working along the top of the pool.

More fun coming tomorrow.

Time for action

We emptied the pool over a year ago. Finally are getting to the point where it will be blasted out of existence and replaced with a eventually-to-be-shady sitting area.

In the meantime, the water level has fluctuated. It's at an all-time low now. Super concentrated guk, probably weapons grade. Resident frog hasn't been seen in a couple months. I think all the mosquitoes have moved on. Ugh.

Couldn't resist, this reminded me of Kelly

(Also reminded me of a certain person who sat in a LaZ-Boy upstairs and crinkled a pretzel bag at the risk of Kelly snapping her neck.)

(Click to enlarge, as always)

(I think - certainly hope - no government funding was used for the Dare County "officials" to figure this out.)

Father's Day dinner

My dinner was late by a week due to schedule conflicts. But it turned out well worth the wait.

We were watching some show about German food a couple weeks ago, and they were discussing "sauerbraten." Which made me remember that PJ was quite successful with the dish way back when. (We don't remember whether she's made it since we moved to Phoenix.) Anyway, I had also enjoyed this mightily at Karl Ratzsch's in Milwaukee, as well as her previous successes.

The beef had marinated since Wednesday. I was reading wikipedia while she cooked; the name translates literally to "sour roast meat." (But wait; sauerkraut translates to "sour cabbage." So when you call a German a Kraut you are calling him or her a cabbage? I thought Russians loved cabbage. Confusing.)

We also learned that this originally was prepared with horse meat back in whatever century.

Authentic and awesome sides: red cabbage, spatzle, homemade bread. I went out and found some German beers (the double bock selected by CPG was best in show) and a nice Reisling.

Beyond that: apple dumplings for dessert.

I also have to note that PJ bought some Belgian beers for me, as yet unopened. Best in show appears to be Cuvee van de Keizer Blauw - brewed once per year on the birthday of Charles V. I had to chuckle because I was in the midst of reading this book's recounting of Charles V's activities just when receiving the gift - including his competition with Suleiman for the title "Caesar" ("Keizer"), as commemorated on this bottle. Which I almost hate to open up.

Jerome, Arizona (May 24 - 26, 2009)

Patricia and I always enjoy visiting Jerome, Arizona. Most recently in September 2007. The kids had given us a Christmas gift in 2007 for Jerome adventures - and it being our 29th wedding anniversary on 5/24 - it seemed like a good time to take advantage.

So we took our usual route (after coffee) on May 24 - drove up through Prescott and had lunch there (Gurley Street Grill). Walked around an art show on the Prescott courthouse grounds, and eventually drove up to Jerome. Checked into the Jerome Grand Hotel - a marvelous place. Relaxed, watched a movie about the Enola Gay (Memorial Day weekend), walked the town just a bit, and eventually had dinner at The Asylum. I don't know how they're doing it - this place is simply fantastic. I had the "grilled achiote rubbed pork tenderloin, with chipotle apricot glaze, brown rice and steamed vegetables;" my dining companion had the "mesquite bacon wrapped filet mignon with a cabernet demi-glaze" (same sides). These dishes are not all that unique (well, maybe chipotle apricot), but the execution is flawless. This also is the one place I regularly drink wine - nice flights of Arizona wines. Wow.

Spent Monday (May 25) eating and walking. Big breakfast at the Mile High; walked the town continuously; big lunch at Grapes; then took a hike on the Wood Chute Trail. The weather was almost monsoon-like, though it's a bit early on the calendar. Drizzly rain at certain points; lightning and the threat of actual storms. But we made out just fine. Repeat performance for dinner - everything the same, it was that good.

Tuesday (5/26) - town was much quieter as the weekend was over and most tourists gone. Breakfast, some shopping and walking, then up to Sedona for lunch at the Hideaway; walked around a bit there and then headed for home. Our one mediocre meal was at The Spotted Donkey in Carefree. The trip was v. fun.

OK, that's it for undergrad graduations

Paul Jr. graduated from ASU; the ceremony for his college was on Friday, May 15. So that's five undergraduate educations. Very proud of all five of these folks.

Kerry and Luis flew in for the weekend, which was a long trip and a very nice touch. We also attended Nedda's graduation ceremony on May 14.

House party on the evening of May 15 - nice turnout, very enjoyable time. We went to lunch at Richardson's on Saturday. A fun weekend all around.

Kerry took a bunch of photos over the weekend, but for now pretty much all we have are a few cellphone photos . . .

And now that I think of it, there have been six undergraduate educations, counting Patricia's nursing school graduation in 2006.

So below are photos from all six ceremonies, in chronological order (most current at top). Attendance = variable; only Patrick and me with 100% attendance.

Check out the search function

One of the nice things about a website like this is that it functions mostly as a journal or diary, except that it's much easier to find things than in the old paper versions.

And Google just added a new feature that makes "finding" things easier - check out the search bar to the upper right of the page. Just put in your term(s) and it will post results from the blog.

It's a good alternate method to the "labels" (also on the right side of the page), more comprehensive.

I can see this being increasingly useful as I move through year five on this site, and beyond . . .

T+M G Wedding (MN trip)

This quite probably was the social event of the season - my baby sister Therese married Mark Gaertner on May 8.

Continuing our recent bad habits, we didn't take much for photos. Hoping to receive from others, eventually. (That's you, Nicole.) So I'll add a few later.

Anyway, Patricia and I flew into Minneapolis on Thursday May 7. Met Kerry right after landing. Checked into hotel (Hampton Inn up by New Brighton). Basically headed right back to the airport to pick up Nicole, then onto the rehearsal. All seemed to go well. I was playing a few things on piano, which worked well enough (dropping out the tough notes really helps). And it was fun to play with some of the Cullen family musicians. Also fun hanging around the church getting caught up with all the arrivals.

Rehearsal dinner had walleye and Summit Pale Ale, quite good. Very nice spot for this event. Had a chance to talk to Mark's family a bit, we much enjoyed that group all weekend. Back to the hotel and some further chit chat at the Green Mill, and that was it for the day.

On Friday - hung out with Jim Dory for coffee at Bread and Chocolate; we were shunned by the female types, who were holding a "bride's breakfast" or somesuch in the other half of the restaurant. Did a couple errands: picked up cakes and flowers and delivered. Fun driving around with PJ, N, K. Stopped at WA Frost for lunch per our usual, we always enjoy. Then to Rosedale Mall where Cecilia and Therese were having the makeup done. It was fun to see them go through their paces. (This was the one place where we had the camera.)

Wedding at 6p; photos before; the ceremony was very nice, music went well. Reception at Germanic-American Institute on Summit Ave; interesting place complete with Rathskeller; enjoyed beverages, food, toasts, music, chatter. Kid's room a bit unruly. Talked a bit after in the breakfast room at the hotel, where most of the group had gathered.

Saturday - lightly scheduled, everyone was pretty tired. Got a chance to see Mark Gales's presentation on Monte Cassino in the breakfast room at the hotel, the report was really nicely done (I need a copy). Made our way to House house in afternoon. Golf ball game; big crew; dinner; some to Twins' game; others talked; dysfunctionals helped take us down some unanticipated conversational avenues. A fun day.

Sunday - checked out of hotel after breakfast; Mass with quite a few in attendance; back to House house for more conversation and lunch, saw various folks off as the day wore on; played a board game; Nick took N&K to airport; tried to go to BarleyJohn's with Steve & Cecilia but it was closed went to a plan B that still was fun; hurried to airport and back home.

The wedding actually was an awfully nice event. Fun to go 'round with my traveling buddy. Also very fun to have the girls there. Nice all around.

Should have had some kind of observance

But nobody told us it was National Nurses Week until the event had passed us by.

So all we got out of it was this poster. Click to enlarge and there is a nice photo of PJ on the right hand side.

Elijah (ASU Choral Union et al, 04/30/09)

I don't find it easy to rate these things, but this concert certainly was one of the most enjoyable of our now four years of membership in the ASU Choral Union.

Mendelssohn finished this oratorio in 1846. A wonderful mix of choral, soloists, quartets, orchestra. Quite fun for the chorus - lots of songs, various roles. Someone remarked that this was like an opera, just without costumes.

It did have a great story line. The Elijah story (summarized here) is dramatic - the three-year drought; Elijah raises the widow's son from the dead; the never-ending supply of flour and oil during the drought; the contest with the priests of Baal - calling down fire from heaven; Ahab; Jezebel; Obadiah; Elijah taken into heaven on a fiery chariot; "the still small voice" by which Elijah receives God's word; etc. Elijah certainly was big-time among the Old Testament prophets.

Our performance was put together nicely. In addition to the music, arrangements were made to project art works and photos on large screens on each side of the screen - along with the text being sung.

But in the end, it's all about the music. There were many wonderful moments. Some samples below. Video taken by our #2 fan (Patrick); also in attendance was our #1 fan. We had a fun stop at La Bocca for pizza and drinks after. Just a great experience.

Clip #1 is from early in the first half; a great line "His Mercies On Thousands Fall" - I very much like the way the parts roll over one other as the music progresses. Probably the part I liked best overall in the singing?



Clip #2 occurs in the second half; the clip commences with a chorus of angels singing "Holy, Holy' - this was after Elijah heard the "still, small voice" of God and was encouraged to return to his prophet business. The clip shows a bit of the interaction between chorus and small groups; plus an example of the art work and text projection. It ends with the chorus expressing God's injunction to Elijah ("Go, Return Upon Thy Way").



Clip #3 is near the end of the second half - just great choral stuff.

Road Trip! (Southeast AZ)

Patricia and I snuck away a few days to SE Arizona (April 18-21). We could hardly believe we hadn't been back to Bisbee since 2002. Here's what happened:

1. Drove to Tucson on Saturday and stopped first for lunch at Cafe Poca Cosa; first time we were at its new location. Sat at the bar and had a wonderful lunch and conversation with the owner, she is quite a success story, regularly appearing in the national foodie magazines. Mole sauce is quite something. Stayed at The Lodge on the Desert; dinner at Barrio. The hotel was in the final stages of a remodel, they are doing a great job.

2. Sunday - had a cup of coffee at the Starbucks on University, just west of campus. This is a beautiful shaded area right by U of A. Then packed and hit the road for SE AZ "wine country." Started with lunch at Canela's in Sonoita, which we had just been reading about in Arizona Highways. Sat outdoors. Just a gorgeous day. The light is different in this part of the state, very beautiful.

3. Then drove to five or six wineries; the industry is making progress since our last visit, though it sounds like they are finding conditions (soil and weather) perhaps a bit less promising than they were hoping in the early days. But who knows. We did a tasting at Callaghan, and also at Sonoita Vineyards (Gordon Dutt). We liked the first one, the second had an entertaining pour-meister. It was just a beautiful day, and the red soil, mountain backdrops, rarified light, etc., is compelling. A couple photos above.

4. Then drove to Bisbee, where I took the top Bisbee photo (looking up the main drag toward sundown). Stayed at the Copper Queen - had a really neat corner room with only one downside (featured cold and luke-cold water in the shower). And they said they had permission to name it the "Lee Marvin" room, I guess he stayed at the hotel (not necessarily this room) a number of times. Whoopee.

5. Weather was sensational. We enjoyed the coffee shop; nice dinners at the Bisbee Grille (Cafe Roka wasn't open the days we were in town); walked the shops and galleries; took a long walk up and around the hills; eventually found a nice bracelet for PJ. Most enjoyable were two lunches on the patio at the Copper Queen restaurant - sensational setting, nice local IPA, good food, outstanding company.

6. On our last day, we looked at a couple bed & breakfast places, a couple of which look quite promising for future trips. Then started our drive back to Phoenix (hadn't moved the car once while in Bisbee). Easy, pleasant return trip.

7. Stopped for happy hour at La Boca in Tempe, then met the rest of the choir folks for one of our final choir practices (working on Mendelssohn's Elijah).

Such a nice trip . . .

BTW, bottom photo is late 19th century bar artwork - Lily Langtry, a period actress (also associated, let's say, with the future Edward VII).

Birthday/Opening Day

Patricia claims that, back in the day, the "Opening Day" for the Cubs often fell on her birthday. I'm a believer. Doesn't happen much anymore because the season opens a few days earlier than it did "back in the day". But this year, thanks to the "World Baseball Classic", the Diamondbacks' opening day fell on April 6!

This wouldn't have made much difference to us except that Mary Beth came up with a four sweet tickets and one sweet parking pass; so we went to the game with she and Mark. V. fun, plus the Diamondbacks looked pretty good and won the game.

It was a gorgeous day outside. But unfortunately the roof was closed shortly after the typical "fly-over." No idea why they don't keep that thing open whenever possible, the park is so much nicer with the roof open . . .

This was our second trip to the ballpark in a few days, as POC had lined up tickets for the Diamondbacks - White Sox exhibition on Friday evening. Also very fun.

This makes three games in less than a month. And we haven't paid for a ticket yet.

Visitors; spring training

It's been nice that our out-of-town daughters have been around Arizona some lately. This started with Kerry on a work-related trip that had her here in Phoenix the last two weekends of January. This even included Super Bowl Sunday (February 1) which, shockingly enough, included the Arizona Cardinals. It was fun having her around.

Nicole was in town the first weekend of March, which also was v. fun. POC has been around since White Sox hit town for spring training. Patrick is an "intern" with the White Sox for spring training (working for POC) and has been traveling far and wide going to spring training games.

The two Patricks hosted us (Patricia, Chris, Nicole and me) for a game at the new White Sox spring training facility (Camelback Ranch, shared with the Dodgers) on Friday, March 6. Perfect weather. Longish trip out there. Somewhat amateurish competition - it was the Australian national team (trying to prep for the World Baseball Classic). But a classically delightful spring training experience. We were able to tour the facilities after the game (not to mention a press box tour during the game. (The press box tour was complete with a Bud Selig sighting - he was touring the new stadium, just like us! If only we had a picture.)

Per our recent and thoroughly unsatisfactory habit, we are failing to take photos of much of anything that goes on. That's why this post only includes shots of our Camelback Ranch hosts. Just look what passes for a "desk" if you're an intern.

Piano

It was interesting as we had some tune-up work done on our piano over the last few weeks. The sequence:

1. Piano was up on its side for months while the floor was installed and other various remodeling items were pursued (top photo).

2. Piano tuner came out and did his thing.

3. But the piano was still really quite dirty inside so he came back out and did a clean-up and some adjustments (two photos).

4. He has good contacts with the Steinway factory in New York and had them track down information on the piano. Confirmed it was a model "O" (specs discussed here) in mahogany, completed on May 16, 1921 and sold to Sherman Clay in San Francisco in November of that year.

So what's the outlook for this piano as it completes its 88th year (with 88 keys)? It would benefit from some more work but certainly meets our needs.

Elephant Mountain, NBA All Star/Fashion Square, TrenteCinq35

We had an entertaining Valentine's Day weekend.

Went out to Fashion Square mall on Saturday afternoon - Patricia had a return to make, and we were also just poking around. We were surprised at the large number of cars in the parking lot, it being a run-of-the-mill Saturday in an economic downturn. Or so we thought. It turns out that with the NBA All-Star game in town, a big chunk of the attendees were hanging out at the mall. So that gave it a bit different flavor than your normal Arizona/Scottsdale crowd. Magic Johnson was in Nordstrom's in support of his wife's new line of fashion. Etc.

Valentine's dinner at the Belgian restaurant - TrentCinque 35 - the place was packed for once - we are hoping this place thrives, it's small, local, not a chain, delightful. And the Bornem double Abbey ale is not to be missed. For entree I ordered what is touted as a "Flanders favorite" (and I believe it) - beef, apples and prunes braised in a dark Belgian beer.

On Sunday (2/15) the weather was pretty good so we took advantage and finally made our way up to the Spur Cross Ranch - a bit north of Cave Creek, this area was recently bought up and saved, let's say, from developers. Turns out to be a wonderful place for a hike. The trails immediately take you away from the parking lot and other signs of civilization. There is a trail named "Elephant Mountain" - long, lots of up and down, beautiful views, but 6.8 miles total. I wasn't planning to do anything like this, but Patricia kept chugging along and all of a sudden we were finished. We failed to take a camera, so I'm posting someone else's photos. Cave Creek, and views from the back part of the hike.