Chef's Table on Netflix

Just an observation... For several years, most of the American television hosts seemed to be Australian or British. Now they're mostly African-American. Through the fading in and out of popular host "types," there remain the constants- Nick Lachey, Joey Fatone and Mario Lopez.

I think I may say this every summer, but why on earth do they call it "America's Got Talent," when 90% of the acts are from other countries? Evidently we actually have no talent at all. I read that Britain's Got Talent is the same way. So weird.

So. We've been watching Chef's Table on Netflix. It is very good! Each episode is about a very celebrated chef somewhere in the world. We're through season 2 and so far, regardless of cuisine, all the food is "French-style" fine dining, with teensy weensy food, artfully stacked and arranged with tweezers (not even kidding) on ginormous plates. I'm not a fan of that stuff as "food," but I do appreciate the art of it. I've learned that these menus can include about 20 courses. Maybe 20 of those plates would make a proper meal. Still, I won't be eating there, but I can see why YOU like it. (*snort* #CJ)

Each hour episode covers the life story of the chef, sourcing of ingredients (farming, fishing, street markets...), and the chef's restaurant, exploring dishes served, showing the chef and staff in the kitchen, giving you a peek at the ambience. The imagery and videography is quite breathtaking, and the locations around the world are diverse and interesting.

Definitely worth a watch!

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Man and Wo-MAN?

A couple of things on my mind this afternoon...

During various discussions lately about weddings, people make a point of saying something along the lines of "It's their first wedding." Yikes, is that where we are now? Just expecting people to marry multiple times? Sad! I guess I should be glad people are getting married at all. Ha!

I also have to mention that I watched $100,000 Pyramid last night, and the word the lady was trying to get the celeb to guess was "man boobs." She said, "A woman has these..." and they buzzed her, because the wacky judges there think "woman" is a form of the word "man." WTF? So weird! No one even put up a fuss about it. #thingsthatmakeyougohmm

Saturday 9: (There's) No Gettin' Over Me (1981)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Ronnie Milsap sings about how worrisome it can be when you realize you forgot to pay a bill. It's happened to all of us, hasn't it? Tell about about a time you accidentally missed a payment.

I don't think I've ever missed a payment!

2) He also references a dream that keeps him awake. Do you have any recurring dreams?

Several. One recurring dream is in a building with lots of floors and windows that face into the center atrium. I'm usually in and out of the elevators and up and down the stairs, trying to get somewhere I can't get to.

3) He sings about the face you see in the crowd. Tell us about someone you see regularly, but don't really know.

There is a family of four in the neighborhood who were out together riding a few years ago on what seemed the first day of getting new bikes. They were in shorts and T-shirts, clumsily working out who was going to ride on the sidewalk and who was going to ride on the street, and in what order, etc. One of the kids fell over.  Well, I still see them riding together occasionally, and all four are on the street, in the bike lane, wearing biking outfits. They look like professional cyclists!

4) He mentions the book that you just can't put down. What's the last book that you finished?

I haven't finished one in a long time, but I am currently reading Dan Harris's Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics.

5) Ronnie Milsap is a big fan of new technology, and believes the advancements make both his professional and personal lives easier. What about you? Do you embrace new technology? Or do you long for the good old days, when we weren't so connected to personal devices? 

I love new tech, but also long for the days when we connected more personally.

6) As a child, Ronnie used to surreptitiously listen to late night radio, especially gospel broadcasts. When you were a kid, what rule did you break again and again?

I would sneak out of bed and watch The Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live. My parents were facing the TV and I would peek around the corner from the hall behind them. They caught me now and then, but not very often!

7) Country star Blake Shelton says Ronnie Milsap was a big influence on his music. Do you watch Blake on The Voice?

I do!

8) In May, Ronnie appeared at the Choctaw Casino in Grant, OK. Do you enjoy games of chance?

Not really. If money is on the line, I would rather play a game of skill, rather than luck.

9) Random question -- When did you last "do it yourself" and repair something around the house or yard?

I can't even remember!

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A Star is Born Trailer

YES!!



October 5, 2018.

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"Austin's Fun..."

Jerry Seinfeld said on the new Letterman bonus episode on Netflix that he loves the show Portlandia, and that Fred Armisen is so talented, and people should look up a video online where he does Texas accents by city. I actually remembered to look it up, and his accents are hilarious. The Texas part of this particular clip starts about 1:30, but the whole thing is awesome.



Saturday 9: It's Impossible (1970)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Mr. Como maintains it's impossible to ask a baby not to cry. When did you most recently hold a baby? Did you ask him or her not to cry?

I think the last baby I held was Jen's little girl. She's 3 now. She didn't cry.

2) Perry Como was known for his casual, easy going style. Therefore people were surprised to learn that he could lose his temper. His long-time musical director reported that bad drivers really got under Perry's skin. What is one of your pet peeves?

Bad drivers, yes!

3) Though Perry Como was born in Pennsylvania, he didn't speak English until he began grade school. His parents were Italian immigrants and the family only spoke Italian at home. Do you know any words/phrases in Italian?

Buona sera!

4) He met Roselle, the girl he would marry, when they were both still in high school. Tell us about a high school classmate you were crazy about back in the day.
My two high school boyfriends were a gregarious, hilarious actor/free spirit... and a sweet, super-chill artist/world traveler.

5) When he was just 14, his father's ill health made it essential that Perry begin working after school to help support his family. He apprenticed to a barber but was so short, he had to stand on a box when he cut hair. Again, going back to school, were you taller than your classmates? Shorter? Or were you the average height for a kid your age?
I was taller than almost everyone until about 7th grade, when everyone caught up, and eventually passed me.

6) While taping his annual holiday special in 1971, he fell from a platform and broke his knee. He had to wear a cast and endure 8 months of rehab. Have you ever broken a bone?
Nope.

7) During the decades when he was a recording and television star, Perry Como was also an avid golfer. He was so popular that many of the best pro golfers of the day -- Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, etc. -- were happy to play with him. It's estimated that it takes about 4 hours to play 18 holes of golf. What celebrity would you most like to hang around with for four hours?
Michael Symon

8) After he retired, Perry's passion switched from golf to fishing in the waters near Palm Beach, Florida. His catch of the day often ended up as his family's dinner. What's for dinner at your house tonight?
Italian rotisserie chicken, lemon roasted potatoes and a cup of halved strawberries

9) Random question -- They say "birds of a feather, flock together." But that's not always true. Can you think of an area where you are out of step with most of your friends/family?
I'm more silly and lighthearted than most of my friends/family. 

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Weekend at The George

Jeff and I spent this weekend in College Station at BCS' newest hotel, The George, for our anniversary. It's a cool hotel! We stayed at The Stella last year and The George is pretty similar in style, with modern Texas decor.

Book flag wall in the lobby

Flag wall close-up

Ha!

The hotel is in a new office/retail/restaurant center called Century Square (where "married students housing" used to be, catty-corner across University from Zach, for those of you who were there in the 80's). There are a bunch of restaurants and shops right there, so you wouldn't have to get in your car through a weekend, if you didn't want to. Nice little hotel pool, live music by the Century Square fountain, breezy seating by the pool.

We just hung out and relaxed, but we did hit some restaurants. Napa Flats is a "California cuisine" chain with an Austin location, but we hadn't ever been, so we went there Friday night. It was great. Both of us had pasta there. FABULOUS calamari, too, with polenta breading.

We had Kolache Rolf's for Saturday breakfast. They still had a pretty good selection late morning. It was delicious.

We hit Grub's Burger Bar for dinner Saturday night. The burgers were a little overcooked, but the food was very good in general. We weren't asked how we prefer our burgers cooked, so I assume they cook them all to well-done.

Royalty Pecan Farms in Caldwell does a tour that is very interesting and informative. It's also a really pretty place to visit! We went on Saturday.

Nutlets! (That's their actual name.)

Just a few of the many things I learned on the tour:

1. Pecan trees produce quality pecans every other year, and every tree in North America is on the same schedule.
2. You can keep pecans fresh in the freezer for up to 5 years, according to the Pecan Council... up to 10 years, according to the tour guide's personal experience. Also, they can be thawed and refrozen over and over!
3. This particular farm has no problem with squirrels, because they are surrounded by a lot of crop land on all sides. Squirrels can't cross that space without being picked off by predators, so they don't really try it. (If only we were surrounded by crop land at home! Gah!)

My favorite Royalty Pecan Farm flavored pecans in the gift shop- cocoa blanca (that's white chocolate y'all) and maple balsamic. They also have wines and a fan-cooled, shaded patio for sittin'.

Nice weekend!

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Travis County Jury Duty Day

I've received three jury summonses (yes, that is the plural, I checked) in my life. The first was in Houston, when I was about 19. I showed up to a room with several hundred people. They pulled 60-70 into the voir dire process for one court, then the next 60-70 for another court, etc., until they finally let the remainder of us leave. I never even made it to voir dire.

The next time I received a summons was when the kiddo was a toddler, so I claimed the exemption and wasn't required to show up.

A few weeks ago, I received my third one. Travis County uses an online process and I was assigned to show up for a criminal district court. This time, I went directly to a specific courtroom with 74 others for voir dire.

Sadly, I don't have any secrets for parking at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center. Everyone had woeful stories of parking. Having someone drop you off and pick you up is easiest (thanks Jeff!). There is currently only street parking near the building, but I heard it fills up by about 7:30 am. There aren't any public garages very close, although you can walk a few blocks up/down some steep hills in that area. All the construction downtown has many public parking lots rented/full with construction employees. Cap Metro will get you there, but I didn't talk to or hear anyone say they had taken it. From my part of town, I would have had to leave about an hour earlier to take a bus than I did just being dropped off.

If you are able to get a metered street spot and are not able to keep the meter fed through the day, the court will (currently anyway) dismiss your ticket. You just mail it in and let them know you were in jury duty. Most people found street parking somewhere, but not necessarily close. The bailiff was very clear that if you park in an illegal spot, private parking, or are towed, etc., they do NOT cover those expenses, so be sure you are parked in a legitimate public parking space and are just ticketed for not paying the meter.

I was supposed to be there at 9 am. I arrived at the building at 8:40. The officers at the security checkpoint at the entrance to the building were super-friendly and I was through security in about 30 seconds with a couple of people in front of me. It gets crowded towards 9 am, of course, and people who arrived closer to 9 reported security was pretty fast, but the elevators had an enormous line. People were told to take the stairs, but the bailiff (after a few people arrived very winded) said that wasn't necessary. The lines move quickly and you would be late only by a couple of minutes, which is okay.

On arrival, we checked in with the bailiff in the hallway outside the courtroom. He gave each of us a form to fill out with our preference for jury duty payment (whether you want to take the check, or donate all or part of it). We were also assigned a juror number at check-in. We were supposed to arrive at 9 am, and were in the hallway until about 10 am. The chairs were comfortable and the hall was nice and cool, so it was totally fine. Bring a book or an iPad or laptop to pass the time.

Our jury pool was numbered 1 to 74. I was number 14. I figured I was in the running to get chosen, and sure enough, it was true. The prosecution and defense attorneys remove all the prospective jurors they don't want, then just start at juror number 1 and name jurors in order, skipping the ones they removed. The juror numbers were assigned randomly, so it's fair.

When we went into the courtroom, after the judge, defendant and both sides' attorneys were set up, we were seated in numerical order, starting with number 1 right up front, in chairs with our juror number on a paddle.

The prosecutors spoke first, and talked for about 1.5 hours (although it seems that they were supposed to only have an hour). They went through a lot of general terms and concepts involved in our specific case, and asked questions to the group. We usually answered by raising our numbered paddles. People were sometimes called on to give specific answers or additional details. There was only one question where each one of us was asked to answer individually.

We had a 20 minute recess, during which a few people were dismissed. They were just the people who had very obvious problems with serving on this particular case, like someone who knew the judge, someone who had been a victim of that same type of crime, and stuff like that.

Then the defense spoke for about 30-40 minutes. (There is a lot of information that the defense wants that is answered during the prosecution's presentation, so they get less time.) The defense questions were a bit more specific, having gotten a feel for people during the initial questioning.

We had another recess, during which the people who had any problems with serving that had come up since the original sign-up, like illness, could talk to the judge about being dismissed. Many of those people were dismissed during that recess. That recess was a long one, maybe 30-45 minutes.

The rest of us filed back into the courtroom and the judge called names of selected jurors. At that time, I had about 8 people before me, so I figured I was in, but no! They chose a couple of people before me, then juror #15 and continued on. I had mixed feelings, because I really wanted to be on the jury, but of course it isn't too bad being dismissed either.

They let the jury go to lunch and dismissed the rest of us. It was about 2pm, but seemed to be running much later than it normally does. There is "real food" in a nearby building, but there are also vending machines and a snack bar on the first floor at the back of the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center.

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Weekend in San Antonio

Kathy and I spent the weekend in San Antonio last weekend. We did the SA Food Tour, which was super fun! It's a three-hour downtown walking tour that stops at several restaurants, at which we had reserved tables for our group and got a signature dish. Our favorite stop on this particular tour was La Panadería, a bakery and sandwich shop, where Chef/Co-Owner José Cáceres (from Mexico City) talked with all of us and shared his and brother David's famous tequila almond croissant, and the chocolate concha.

Um, yep. Tequila. Almond. Croissant. Holy moly, that thing is heaven. It is crispy-edged, cloud soft middle, croissanty almond perfection. (You may have seen it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network.)

He told me they are opening a downtown Austin location soon. Woohoo!

The tour also stops at a few San Antonio touristy and not-so-touristy spots along the route, like the Alamo, for photo ops and a little history.

After the tour, we wandered around downtown and had drinks at Haunt and a late dinner at Rebelle, both in the St. Anthony Hotel. Dinner was AMAZING. Rebelle's decor and vibe is so cool, with a lot of glass and shiny materials. (Here are a couple of photos.) Everyone was taking pictures with (and on- there was some drinking) the restaurant's gorgeous glass tile lion. We shared small plates there, which were all very unique and delicious.

Sunday we went to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. I could swear I had been there years ago, but it didn't look at all familiar. It is beautiful, with an astonishing variety of plants. Lots to see. I really loved it. Don't miss it, if you like that sort of thing!

The only thumbs down of the weekend was the downtown bar/street noise Saturday night. If you're not staying up until at least 2:30 am, you'll want to get a hotel room away from downtown. It was crazy loud, even a few blocks from the Riverwalk.

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Saturday Life Hints

I don't use a lot of brown sugar, so despite my awesome OXO Good Grips vacuum-sealed containers, it still gets clumped and rock solid in there over several months. Well, I bought some sort of "nonclumping" brown sugar a while back. While it is fabulous at not clumping, it is absolutely crappy at being brown sugar. It doesn't dissolve into anything- batters, salad dressings, sauces... Anything. I don't recommend it, other than perhaps for sprinkling over oatmeal (if you eat disgusting oatmeal *shudder*). Just stick with normal brown sugar.

Another tip- I bought a balance ball for my kiddo and hubby to stretch their backs to relieve back pain. I thought they could lean over it on the floor, but it's a little difficult to get down on the floor and back up with advanced age back pain, so just put it on a chair or the sofa and lean over it to stretch. The 55cm ball works well on a chair, but definitely get the 75cm size if you're going to use it on the floor.

Y'all know I hate when people use "cheers" as a verb (referring to toasting with alcoholic beverages). Well, Andy Cohen used it as a verb, in the past tense, the other day! Yep. "You cheersed..." he says. Oy. Vey. I think I'm going to have to accept it, now that it's become overwhelmingly present in conversation. *sigh*


Saturday 9: Standing on the Corner (1956)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, four friends congregate on Main Street to look longingly at pretty girls. In your town, where is the best place for people watching?

SoCo

2) This song was written for the Broadway musical, The Most Happy Fella. Who is the happiest person you know?

Cathy

3) The members of The Four Lads met at Toronto's St. Michael's Choir School. Growing up, did you attend parochial or public school?

public

4) The Four Lads always wore jackets and ties when they performed. Do you enjoying dressing up? Or would you rather keep it casual? 

casual

5) While this song was a hit for The Four Lads, they were completely overshadowed in 1956 by Elvis Presley and "Heartbreak Hotel." Who do you think dominates today's music scene?

Bruno Mars

6) The Wizard of Oz aired on TV for the first time in 1956. Sam was never crazy about those flying monkeys. Tell us about something that frightened you when you were a kid. 

I went through a phase where I couldn't fall asleep because I could hear the ticking clock down the hall on my mom's desk. I imagined it was creeping down the hallway, getting closer and closer. Yikes.

7) What scares you now?

scorpions

8) Since this week's song is about pretty girls: 1956's Miss America was Sharon Ritchie of Colorado. Today Colorado has the distinction of being the home of more microbreweries than any other state in the union. Which are you most particular about -- your beer, your wine, or your coffee?

Beer. I'll drink just about any wine or coffee, but crappy beer is the worst.

9) Random question: We all have small, irritating habits, like soup slurping or not replacing the cap on the toothpaste. What's your nasty little habit?

leaving socks and shoes around the house

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Survey Time

Yet another criminal (most recently that sex cult actress from Smallville...  umm... what the WHAT) ran off to Mexico to escape prosecution. Remember that whole thing when Trump said Mexico was sending their criminals to the US? Yeah, I think the net crossing of criminals has always gone north to south.

That reminds me, I need a new passport.

Saturday 9: Love Don't Cost a Thing (2001)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Love may not cost a thing, but everyday stuff does. What's the most recent thing you bought? How much did you spend? 

I made a Target run that cost about $80 in randomness.

2) This video begins with Jennifer Lopez on the phone, on a veranda with a view of the sea. What's the view from the room you're in right now? 

the forest behind our house

3) She sings that she doesn't want her lover's gifts or money, she just wants his attention. Let's change that a bit. Which would you prefer: a gift that was personally chosen but you know you'll never use, or cash?
I prefer a gift someone picked out.

4) She met her first husband, dancer Cris Judd, while working on this video. She met Ben Affleck, to whom she was once engaged, while working on a movie. Think of those you're closest to -- where did you meet them?

I met Jeff in a college class. Met Cathy in 7th grade PE. Met Scott-n-Julie when our girls were in preschool. Knew Kathy from high school, but first really interacted with her at the research program we did at UTMB.

5) She and her current boyfriend, former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, are both workout fanatics. How often do you exercise? 

Practically never.

6) Her high school nickname was "La Guitarra," because her curvy shape reminded her friends of a guitar. Share a high school memory about you and your friends.
I was just thinking the other day about the many times we were up all night outside the record store, waiting in line for concert tickets going on sale at 10am the next morning. It was sometimes boring, sometimes superfun, depending on who was in line. The best times were when someone had a boom box, playing that artist's music, and everyone singing along.

7) JLo just completed filming her third season playing a police detective on NBC's Shades of Blue. Did you see anything memorable on TV this past week?

Maroon 5 singing "Wait" on The Voice

8) Jennifer Lopez posts often on Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram. Do you feel you spend too much time on social media, do you wish you posted more often, or do you try to avoid it altogether?

I try to avoid it. I only go on Facebook anymore if someone addresses me directly, it's someone's birthday, or I want to check the neighborhood group for the latest news.

9) Random question: You're at a yard sale and come upon an unusual little knick-knack that would make the perfect gift for your best friend. The tag says $7. You think that's rather high for a castoff. Do you pay it? Do you pass on it? Or do you try to get the seller to lower the price?

A perfect gift? Of course, I would pay it! I'm terrible at haggling. 

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HomePod Ad 'n Stuff

Here's an awesome story about the making of the Apple HomePod commercial. Turns out, there aren't any CGI effects. It's all mechanical. Wow! SO cool! Watch the "making of" video and the complete 4 minute ad through the link below.

This Look Inside Spike Jonze’s Apple Ad Is as Fascinating as the Film Itself

I had lunch with Kimberly on Monday! She was in San Antonio for a national school board convention. (She's a school board member where she lives.) We email fairly regularly, but I haven't seen her in a few years, so it was really nice to catch up in person. I reeeeally wanted to take her to Lüke, but I read that it closed last year! Waaah. Omigosh, their onion tart is divine. Now we have to go to New Orleans to have it.

Kimberly told me she has had foot pain ever since she ran her first marathon last year. I think that is a great reason to NEVER RUN A MARATHON. That was her advice as well.

I was just looking at the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Quote of the Week in the blog sidebar (>>). We loved the first season. The second season was sort of hit or miss. Then the third season took a very strange turn into some serious issues. It isn't funny and the songs aren't great. Not sure what happened to the show, but it turns out it was cancelled after the 3rd season, so we probably won't finish the rest of the episodes. Changing the Quote of the Week to Bethenny Frankel. That should provide a wealth of amusement for a while!

I cleaned the thick layer of green powder (oak pollen) off the patio furniture and patio floor yesterday.  It takes forever to scrub it all down. I know it's still raining pollen until May, but just looking at it made me cough. Everything's new and shiny now. Ahhhhh...

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