New Wine for 2009

Week 53

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:58:00 +0000

Sometimes 52 weeks just aren't enough to cram everything in. Herewith are some of the things from week-to-week that just couldn't be crammed in the regular posts.

Drank a cup of tea with licorice and slippery elm bark.

Went to bed before Darien -- several times.

Necessity being the mother of invention, had an English muffin for lunch instead of a hummus sandwich.

Went to a VCU basketball game in which VCU won over Hofstra, while my wife lusted after the coach.

Sat in Peter's chair in the dining room to give me a different perspective on life.

Got a Starbucks coffee in the library before 9 AM, without sharing (or telling) Antonia.

Ate with my fingers in an Ethiopian restaurant in Richmond.

Found my coffee frozen in a travel mug left over night in the car after the weather dipped down to 10 degrees.

Lived during the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States. Had a party at our house to celebrate the occasion and took pictures with Barack.

Wore jeans to work.

Had Antonia pay for my coffee.

Went to Denver for the first time in about 30 years. Ate a Cobb salad for the first time. Used online chat with both Antonia and Darien. They are so hip.

Slept in Cincinnati, even though I didn't intend or want to. Got out before the next snowfall.

Rode my bike to Coturra's with Darien, in partial fulfillment of my Christmas present to her. We went off-map several times.

Went to see the Speckled Bird at the ADA Gallery, which was the first time I saw them perform with Josh playing cello and clarinet. It was also the first time I was in ADA.

Drove a Mitsubishi Galant. I can't really say taking my Mercedes to body shop was a first, since it has been there before. Sigh.

Walked around the block in the first heavy snowfall in about ten years. Stayed home from work because of the snow. Made Darien espresso and served it before she got out of bed, then made her pancakes. What got into me?

Had my car hit while parked near VCU. This isn't the first time it has been hit, but it is the first time it has been hit twice in the space of one month. And the first time I have had a car that was hit twice at the same location. It still had the smell of fresh paint from the last time it was hit.

Went to my first non-funeral mass at an African-American Catholic church.

Attended my first my first college basketball tournament game, my first final game in a college tournament, and my first time observing my team winning a college tournament.

Got sick. It was a Saturday and I slept on the couch most of the day with a headache, and didn't make it to the gym all weekend. Being healthy is definitely more fun.

Got serious (and nervous) about backing up all the pictures and music I've been saving. For the first time, I paid for off-site backup. Right after this, I realized I needed to back up my Casimir blog, but leetllama is dead and so is StorCenter. Had to recreate everything.

My first colonoscopy. It was very cleansing experience and I felt like a new man. I put a note on my calendar to get another one in ten years.

First time restaurants in Richmond visited: The Nile, Tarrant's, Bamboo Cafe, The Black Sheep, the Marriott (ok, it was a conference buffet), Firebird's, Maldini's, Gelati Celesti Ice Cream, Water Works, Ellwood's Coffee, Zen Asian Bistro, Sine Irish Pub, Savo, Balliceaux (where the gave us obsolete menus that they had no food for and ended up comping us a few dishes), Mexico Restaurant, Garnett's, Big Daddy's BBQ, and Tastebuds American Bistro.

Visited CNU library while waiting around for Peter's field hockey tournament to continue.

Saw the Wiremen from New York with Paul Watson. It was actually the second time I saw them, but this was the first time when there were two Wiremen rather than just one. Paul played an odd three-stringed instrument from Thailand; it was the first time I had heard one of those, or at least seen one being played. It had a crazy looking neck, capped with a carved head that looked like the prow of some Viking ship.

Visited Antonia and Jonathan in their new log home.

Helped organize the first Ex Libris Users of North America conference in Richmond. Other than too much rain, it turned out well.

Went to the Byrd House Farmer's Market for the first time, only a few days after attending the Forest Hill market. Byrd was smaller, more intimate, and felt like I had walked back into the 60s. On another weekend, I went to another farmer's market, this one at St. Stephen's, where I listened to The Speckled Bird and let children pet the Foo Wu.

Plotted a route to the Lowe's on Forest Hill and rode my bike. I overcame Darien's dark fears of riding anywhere other than a residential street and persuaded her to come with me.

Went to St. James's choir picnic at the Nance's house.

Crawled under the cabin to kung fu some bamboo.

Went to a Pandora meet-up. Got the t-shirt.

Found four pennies at one time in the road.

Drank Wielkopolanka ... Polish mineral water.

Rode a bike in Chicago and saw Darien weave in and out of traffic like a professional messenger. Visited a stunning cathedral in LA. Biked along the shore in Long Beach and dipped my toes in the Pacific. Saw a movie (Harry Potter) on the silver screen for the first time in I don't know how long. Visited the Grammy museum devoted to music (Grammy). Saw art at Gallery Skart and listened to jazz at Table Ten, and drank Icelandic water. Saw the Dodgers play for the first time in forty years. Gawked at a Laker and an actor, even not knowing who they are. Did the California cruise-around-in-a-hot-red-convertible thing.

Saw an $8,000 toilet, with an electric eye powered lid to anticipate your urgent needs.

Walked on a residential green roof.

Heard lots of new music, but forgot to keep a list.

Hiked the Furnace Mountain Trail with Peter and Darien.

Went to an art show at Planet Zero.

Got my release at a CD party that was really an EP party.

Changed a dimmer switch without electrocuting myself, thanks to Darien's watchful eye.

Bought my first low-flow toilet, at only 1.6 gallons per flush. Yowzhaa!

Found a cigarette butt in a candy bar.

Tried to sell something on eBay, without success.

Pulled a thirty-foot fallen tree limb off the roof without puncturing the roof or my head, thanks to Darien's watchful eye.

Listened to Els Biesman play the organ at St. James. This was the first time I had ever heard a classical organist compared to Ornette Coleman.

Sprouted sedum.

Watched VCU women play volleyball.

Wore a buff.

Ate dinner at 5:30 PM, even though we didn't have anything particular to do that evening.

Delayed getting any older for nine days while I waited on the rest of the family to get it together and have a birthday party for me.

Avoided singing karaoke at Mama Zu.

Read my first e-book all the way through.

Skipped Christmas, so I can have two of them in 2010. Delayed gratification can be a wonderful thing.

Witnessed signs, miracles, and wonderments.

I'm pulling the plug and signing off now. Thanks for walking with me.

Week 52

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:55:00 +0000

With this post, I am ending this year-long blog, having fulfilled my externally imposed resolution. I can now return to my slothful ways.

It is comforting to know that some things in this world, like love and kitchen counters, remain the same.

Week 51

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

It pays to be nice, at least to your barista. Antonia and I visit the coffee shop in our library fairly regularly, so this is important.

I bought a large mug with the Starbucks' logo so I can get discounted coffee. I can't really drink that much coffee in one sitting, so the two of us split it. Actually, Antonia brings her own cup and they pour some in both. I always feel a naughty guilt when they do this, since I'm certain it is against Corporate Policy. Usually the baristas fill each mug more than half full, so it is even a better deal for us. Sometimes, if the manager isn't paying close attention, they will give us even more.

On International Days we speak different languages with the baristas, and they give us free coffee. We were trying our hand at Swahili recently, but very poorly. ("Ama ga hle." "Sal a ga hle.")

If someone doesn't pick up their froufrou drink, Antonia rushes up to claim it. More delicious guilt.

There is a photograph running in the rotation on the University's home page. The picture includes Antonia. One of the barista's jokingly asked her for her autograph. She declined and we laughed.

I write down the baristas' names in my restaurant database. It doesn't help me when they swap name tags. Maybe they know about my database.

To show our appreciation, we sometimes bring in treats for the baristas. Antonia usually takes care of this, but she was baking cookies for the Listening Room last week so I thought I might as well help out. Something Christmas-y should do. You can't go wrong with snickerdoodles ("fun to say ... to sniff ... to eat!") I thought. I just wish recipes in general were more explicit. "Shortening" for example. As soon as I saw that, I knew I was in trouble. I called Antonia. I could use butter instead. Unsalted. And take it out of the refrigerator now so it will soften.

I always wondered what cream of tartar really is. Darien didn't know either, so I looked it up. It turns out it is a byproduct of wine-making -- potassium bitartrate. It doesn't really add to the taste of the food; it is used more for its chemical properties, such as stabilizing egg whites and preventing other foods from crystallizing. Just remember, it is "not to be confused with Tartar sauce."

I didn't start making the cookies until 10 PM, so I put the dough in the freezer to chill. I rolled the dough into balls, the size of small walnuts, just like Betty instructed me. Darien said they looked more like large walnuts. They still came out ok. In fact, they tasted pretty awesome. Part of it was the cinnamon. This is the first time we had bought the Spice Hunter brand, and it seems to make a difference. I recommend it. I'll have to make some french toast soon.

I saved half of the dough in the freezer so I can bake some when Peter is home. The baristas seemed to appreciate our effort, ensuring many more months of good service. My only qualm about the whole experience is that Betty lied about the recipe making five dozen cookies. After taking into account all the raw dough I consumed, there is no way you can get that many cookies out of it.

I hate to be a whiner, but things really are deteriorating around here.

Week 50

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:22:00 +0000

St. James had their annual Advent Lessons and Carols. Antonia is often featured in their services, but Mark was not available this week, so she was asked to help assist with conducting. This, along with her accordion skillz and solo vocals, put the evening over the top. Score one for the Begonia.

I've never been sure which way the ocean goes when it is ebbing and which way it goes when it is flowing. Whichever way it is, we seem to be witnessing it here.

Week 49

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Sometimes I seek out new wine, and sometimes it seeks out me.

We have had some neighborhood break-ins lately. Mostly the thieves grab small things that are plainly seen and quickly taken. It is probably just kids, but it has the neighbors talking, and has even generated an article or two in the paper. It got to the point where Darien was getting nervous, so she decided we should start using our deadbolts.

We are not stupid people, but we are sometimes forgetful, so we always keep an extra key secreted away outside. Just in case. Since the deadbolts are on different keys than the doorknobs, I asked her to be careful and not on start locking the deadbolts until we had a second key outside. OK, she says. She went and had duplicate keys made and put little nails next to all the doors where we could hang them when the deadbolt was in place so no one could simply break the window and turn the inside key. We are not stupid people.

This was on Tuesday. On Thursday morning, Darien left for work before I did. I was preoccupied with thinking about the meeting I had scheduled with my staff for 9 AM that morning. I was still dwelling on what I would say when I walked out the front door and pulled it shut tightly behind me, as I do every morning. That is when I had that sinking feeling. My routine was a little different that morning and I didn't have any recollection of putting my house or car keys into my pocket. I frantically dug my hand in my pocket. Nothing. I went to the side door to get the hidden key. It was right where it was supposed to be. We are not stupid people. But no deadbolt key. Was the deadbolt thrown on that door? Of course. Was it thrown on the back door as well? Of course. Were all the lower windows locked with the screw bolt so that no one could simply break the window, reach in and flip the latch? Of course. We are not stupid people.

I was supposed to pick Antonia up and give her a ride to work. I thought, fine, I'll swallow my pride and call her and ask her to come over and let me in the house. Do I own cell phone? Of course not. I hate talking on phones, and I'm too cheap to pay for something I already have at home. I went across to ask Mr. Lewis if I could borrow his phone. His house was very quiet. I rapped lightly and no one answered. I didn't want to disturb him. I went next door and knocked.

"Hi. I locked myself out of my house. Can I borrow your phone?"
"And who are you and where do you live?"
(Quickly taking my cap off.) "I'm John. I live next door." Like for the past year, and we just had a conversation about raking leaves last weekend.

Mr. Neighbor was kind enough to bring me his phone after that. Fine. What number do I call? My mind went blank. All the numbers flitted away. If I could call Darien, she could call Antonia. Could I remember her cell phone number? Of course not. But wait! I remembered the number to her school. Not the number to the library, which would have done me good, but to the front desk, where they have an answering machine. I started punching in numbers that had some similitude to Darien's or Antonia's, and had some pleasant exchanges with strangers. My neighbor watched me with growing wonder. He showed me how his phone had this feature called redial. Amazing. His wife and child came outside, waiting for me to finish so he could take them to work and school. They too watched me fumble with the phone. I was thankful for the antiperspirant I had applied that morning, although frankly I was starting to believe that I could make a case for violation of the truth in advertising laws.

Finally it hit me. I had a list of phone numbers in my wallet! Just in case. I've had it there for years. We are not stupid people.

Not an unreasonable pile, but it is growing, and more than imperceptibly. She has three more weeks to hold on. It is enough to drive one to drink.

Week 48

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

I have to go to Boston in January, so I booked a hotel. As I was booking at the Omni, I noticed that those age 55 or older received a discounted fare. Gulp. I went ahead and signed up. I might as well get something out of this.

A few days later, I was in an irrigation supply store, looking for a piece of piping I need for the back yard. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the crotchety old fellow behind the counter was complaining because someone owed him a thousand dollars, and he was not showing up as expected. I commiserated, secretly wondering what it would be like to be waiting on a thousand dollars. He found the piece I needed, but I would have to buy it with the complete elbow assembly. I only needed the top piece. He eyed me up and down and said if I were over 49 I could get the senior discount. I don't think there really was a senior discount, but he could tell by looking at me that I wasn't there to throw money away. At $25, I reckoned it was still too expensive. The guy nodded.

He said he took advantage of senior discounts all the time. "You can get a McDonald's coffee for 58 cents." I didn't know that. "Best deal on the street. It ain't Starbucks, but it is still decent coffee."

Getting old isn't that bad if you can get paid for it.

Clean as a whistle. Go Darien.

Week 47

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Sometimes you just can't be totally honest with a person. This was brought home to me by a one-day art project in the courtyard outside the library. The idea was to write on a Post-It note a lie that you have told in the past, or that has been told to you. All Post-Its were signed the same -- "Liar" -- and then put up on a temporary kiosk in the courtyard. Antonia and I were there early and lied together and had our pictures taken. I think this project is posted somewhere on the Web. Maybe someone will point me to it.

Which brings me to the subject of today's post. It wasn't an actual lie -- more like an incomplete disclosure of the truth. Darien and I were going to the inauguration of the Listening Room RVA. I had read a decent review of Fleming's Steakhouse, and how they were offering a $25 discount certificate on all meals before December 20. I'm a sucker for saving money. My problem is that Darien has extreme, unreasoned prejudice against two things: steakhouses and chains. I can sort of understand the first, but chains? This from a woman who thinks every Starbucks barista is a close family member?

So, I needed to get her to the restaurant, without telling her where we were going. After all, Flemings severs fish, too, and the $25 was a sore temptation for me. So I just e-mailed and told her to be ready to go. She is a sucker for dates, so I knew I was on safe grounds making a reservation. Like all modern young couples, we arranged everything by e-mail:

Mine: We have to leave at 6:10 P.M. Don't be late.
Hers: Is this a me-date or a you-date? and, are we leaving from home or do I pick up a Hot Guy at The Pit?
Mine: This is an us-date; you just won't know it until afterward. We will leave from home.
Hers: appropriate dress? I was planning on wearing my Speckled B. tee ...
Mine: You might feel more comfortable if you were a little more fancy. But I like you just the way you are.
Hers: You don't LOVE me just the way I am?
Mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ounJsqomcv8
Hers: you didn't tell me if we are leaving from home or from The Pit ...
Mine: Wrong. "This is an us-date; you just won't know it until afterward. We will leave from home."
Hers: oops.
Right.
Off to the gym; I'll be at home in time.
Hers: Shall I have a cappucino ready to prepare when you walk in the door?
Mine: Yes! Leaving now. [Another lie. I didn't get away for another twenty-five minutes.]

I consider it a successful ruse, since she didn't actually believe we were going there until I was opening the door to Fleming's for her. There were a few glitches. She ordered a Honig Chardonnay, but the waiter brought her a New Zealand Zinfandel instead. She ended up liking it very much. Also, the waiter never did get back to us on what the definition of a wine bar is, which we have been debating for the past six months. The bread was very good, and made better by the champagne infused brie that we used to spread. We split a salad and asked for the dressing on the side, so they brought us each our own beaker of dressing -- maybe a week's worth. No wonder their prices are so high. We wanted to split their bisque, but it was too spicy for me and Darien had to eat the whole thing. She feigned sorry for my altered taste buds. For the main dish, we split rock fish with scallops and risotto, with a side of grilled asparagus. We drooled over the desserts, and denied ourselves.

I think she was mildly surprised at enjoying herself in a chain steakhouse. And I saved $25. Score one for John. I was so pleased I got drunk on coffee.

The Listening Room was a great success. Jonathan organized most of the decorations and the talent and the deer head, and they recouped enough money to keep on going. We listened to The Low Branches, Englishman, and Ferdinand Thomas. As far as I can tell Englishman is actually two people, and there really is no one named Ferdinand. My favorite of the evening was "Oh God" by Ferdinand Thomas. That set is up on YouTube now. Very lo-fi, though. Be warned. I had to poke the woman next to me a few times to get her to be quiet and listen.

Can't wait for the December 18th show. And they better get those kick-ass sisters from Georgia here soon.

[Oh my God! I forgot to post the counter pic on the original message. I hope my millions of followers haven't caught on yet.]

Question: Is this the place where we put our books? Answer: No! this is not the place where we put our books!

Week 46

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Moving from the ridiculous to the sublime, I went to another high school event this week -- girls volleyball! Now that's what I'm talking about. No more of this strutting and tooting of horns around a football field. Just intense competition, digs, kills, close net action, and tight shorts. We watched Godwin romp Deep Run in three games. But you can read about that in the sports page. What the sports page won't tell you is that one of the Godwin coaches wore red high heels. Seriously red. And before play, the Deep Run girls would get together in a tight huddle with their arms around each other for some self-inspiring smack talk about the competition. We called it the huggle. It didn't do them any good. We walked in on the first game when Godwin was down five points. It was the last time they were down. Godwin's runaway victory was probably a result of the obese parent sitting next to us who kept exhorting the officials in a deep, rafter-shaking bass voice to quit cheating for Deep Run. Whenever he bellowed, his wife studied the scoreboard with deep concentration, looking as if she didn't know who this was sitting next to her. Whatever.

The kitchen counter is almost getting boring. I'm thinking I should make next year's resolution the attic.

Week 45

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:21:00 +0000

FRIDAY
HER to HIM (via e-mail): I have a new wine item for you! Let's have a date Saturday night. We can have dinner out somewhere north of the river.
HIM to HER (via e-mail): If we date, it has to be at a place we have not been before.

SATURDAY
HIM: What is the date?
HER: I will tell you later.
HIM: OK.

(later, lying in bed)
HIM: What is it? Where are we going?
HER: I can't tell you
HIM: Is this a Darien-date or a John-date?
HER: A Darien-date.
HIM: Will I be embarrassed?
HER: No.
HIM: Will I have to talk to anyone?
HER: No.
HIM: OK.

HER: It will only take 15 minutes. We will be there for 30.
HIM: OK.

HER: We have to leave at 7:30. Will you be ready?
HIM: Yes.
HER: That is a half hour from now.
HIM: OK.

(38 minutes later, in the car on the Willey Bridge)
HIM: Are we going to see the Godwin marching band?
HER (squealing): YES! YES! YESSSS! I am so excited! It is a band competition, and Godwin performs last!
HIM: OK.
HIM (in his head): Welcome to my nightmare.

Dare I hope for a trend that could become institutionalized? We have less than two months to go before I have to cease this public humiliation.

Week 44

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Halloween came early this year -- about a week early. I mark the date from when Darien brought home four bags of candy. I didn't see any reason why it had to sit there for a whole week unopened. The good news is that I only liberated one bag -- those little packets of M&M's. The others were chewy things, that didn't appeal to me as much. I would have eaten them if there was nothing else. I would have killed for chocolate kisses, though.

I really don't think early Halloween had much to do with running out of candy early on Halloween itself. I think Darien and Antonia were overcome by the unbearable cuteness of the kids and gave away far too much per costume. I can't remember the last time this happened. It means I don't get any chocolate during the post-Halloween week. I hope someone at work comes through.

I'm handing out gold stars this week for the counter.

Week 43

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I've been playing with e-book readers, lately, of the Kindle and Sony ilk. I have loaded books on them and browsed around. I've also read e-books on a computer monitor. But I have never really read an entire book on an e-book reader.

My local public library just made a number of books available in the epub format, which allows you to download a book; it then goes away after three weeks so you can't keep it forever. Darien has been listening to "A Tale of Two Cities" and loving it, and Antonia says it is one of her favorite books, so I decided to try reading it on a loaner machine I have from work. I've read almost everything of Dickens, but never this one for some reason, even though it has one of the most well-known first paragraphs in history. After a bit of fumbling understanding how to load it, I got it working last night and read two chapters. It works fine, although I wish the contrast were higher. My biggest problem so far is automatically reaching up to flip the page when I should be pressing a button.

Real conversation on Friday night in the car on the way home:

HER: My goal for this weekend is to clean the counter off.
HIM: Oh?
HER: Yes.
HIM: I don't believe you.
HER: It's true.
HIM: I only worry that we will lose a bill in there. I found one last week.
HER: I'm going to do it tomorrow.
HIM: OK.

Week 42

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Speckled Bird took wing last night at the Camel. We were up in the mountains with Peter and the Harrises, doing our version of JMU Family Weekend. It was a nice weekend, even though it was cold and rainy. We even saw a few snowflakes while we were hiking the ridge. The main event was eating, however. Darien typically brings too much food on these things, but Kandy outdoes her without breaking a sweat. Maybe she thinks we are going to get snowed in for a week or something. I'm not complaining. Between the two of them we had crackers, cheeses, hard salami, olives, lamb, pilaf, green beans, bread, salad, popcorn (on the cob, the way God intended it, Kim informing us that it is the higher water content in some corn that causes the pop as the water reaches a boiling point under extreme hit), apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, coffee, bacon, baby sausages, scrambled eggs with onions and cheese and basil, lemon muffins (tell Darien to put this one in Duke Dip), apple cider squeezed on the spot from the apples we picked up at Carter's Orchard on the way out, more Carter apples, cold fried chicken, dark espresso chocolate, three types of lunch meat for sandwiches, thick homemade vegetable and beer soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanuts, and candy corn. I'm probably missing some things. That was just until 6 p.m. on Saturday when Darien and I had to leave. Kandy was at that point making double recipe of lasagna so the boys could bring some home, along with another dish that Josh had requested and I don't know what all else. They were there for Sunday as well, so I'm sure the cooking didn't stop when we left.

As I said, we had to leave the food and drive to Richmond. The GPS told me that it would take me 2 hours and 24 minutes to get there. I only had two hours to be there by the 8 p.m. opening, or Antonia would scowl. I made it in just two hours, but it really didn't matter since they didn't start on time anyway. The crowd in Camel was probably exceeding whatever the fire marshal considered its capacity. They played two sets, with Josh and Chris doing lead vocals on a number of songs before they turned things over to the regular Bird and played their entire EP all the way through. It was fun, and earned them an encore. I'll probably to the next one too, but I won't be able to write about it here, since it will no longer be a new experience for me.

The counter probably didn't get cleaned because we were gone for 24 hours. I'm sure that is the reason.

Week 41

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:06:00 +0000

I am not the most aggressive consumer in the world. Maybe I just avoid conflict, but after a certain point in the consumer-commercial relationship I accept the situation and turn my attention elsewhere. Not Darien. She is the junkyard dog of consumers. If she thinks she has a case, she is going to nip you to death over it.

This is why we just received our fourth espresso machine from Starbucks. (Can I say that name here?) It is not like we received defective products and had to keep returning them. This has been going on for years. It is the best machine we have ever owned. Combined with our burr grinder and mail order coffee from Porto Rico in New York (can I say that name here?) it makes an excellent espresso. We use ours at least twice a day, often four or five, and if we have visitors even more. Maybe that is the problem, since they seem to fail right before they hit the end of their two-year warranty life. Darien, God bless her, gets on Starbucks's case and pesters them until they send us a new one. The last one even had passed its warranty by five weeks or so and she still convinced them to send us a new one. They told her this is the last time they are going to send us a replacement. I think they say that just because they aren't manufactured anymore.

I don't know if Starbucks is the most service-oriented company in the world, or if in marrying Darien I latched on to the most aggressive consumer advocate walking the planet. I suspect the latter. (Can I say that name here?)

We need to talk.

Week 40

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:23:00 +0000

I spent part of Saturday with the dust and mosquitoes in the shadows of Cox's salvage yard, looking for a door with a frosted glass pane. We saw lots of doors, and several possibilities. All in all, we thought it was a productive several hours, so we rewarded ourselves on the way home with a stop at Cafe Gutenberg. Darien order an espresso and I ordered a coffee. We decided to split a sandwich of scrambled eggs and oyster mushrooms on panini bread with a side of fries.

While we were waiting, I pulled out a book I was ready to start reading, Murder in the Marais by Cara Black. It is not the sort of thing I usually read, but Darien says I have to read the entire series because each novel is set in a different area of Paris, and we are planning on going to France next summer. I figured reading schlocky mysteries was easier than, say, actually learning to speak French, so I'm going along with the plan. I was taken aback to read in the first paragraph of the first page:

The man emerged from the shadows by her frosted paned office door.

I don't know if this is a premonition I am going to buy the door we looked at, go to France, or become involved in a murder. Maybe all three. ("Returning to my hotel room in Paris, I discovered the frosted paned door had been used as a blunt instrument, striking dead the concierage ...")

Things are definitely deteriorating, but I'm not sure I want to complain too loudly. I had a week's worth of excellent apple juice from that machine.

Week 39

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:45:00 +0000

They are gorgeous in the shell, sweet and tender raw, and delicious when prepared properly. No, I'm not talking about Darien. I'm talking about crowder peas. I had never heard of crowders until Amy included them in our last CSA share of the season. Maybe I have seen them in the market. They are the type of thing you can overlook because you don't know what to do with them, or think they are only good for some exotic Asian dish.

I hope we can find them at the store. I'd hate to eat them but once a year. Darien prepared them using a recipe I found from the Richmond Food Collective. They are worth giving a shuck.

In a subtle attempt to divert attention, a secondary front was opened.

Week 38

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:08:00 +0000

This was the last week to pick up our CSA share from Amy. We had some marvelous vegetables all summer. This last share had a bit of a surprise in it -- three ears of pop corn. Feeling all back-to-nature and wanting to follow in the footsteps of the country's pioneers, we put one ear into a paper back and placed it in the microwave. In a jiffy, the corn had popped off the cob and was waiting for us. I think our original plan had been to add butter and salt, also just like the pioneers, but we couldn't wait. The corn was a lot denser and nuttier than what we usually get. I'm looking forward to the other two ears.

Oh-oh. Only 102 days to get that counter cleaned up.

Week 37

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:34:00 +0000

It turns out that on the hike last week, Darien contracted a case of poison ivy. I am clear. We had been hiking in shorts and had to go through a stretch of the trail that was being encroached upon by vegetation. I have her on a regimen of "summer gel" (a concoction mixed up the a local pharmacy) to try and minimize the irritation.

The fact that I escaped the rash is an amazing feat, definitely worthy of being chronicled. I had a bout of it earlier this summer, so maybe Nature decided that I had suffered enough.

No better, no worse.

Week 36

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:28:00 +0000

We decided on the spur of the moment to go see Peter in Harrisonburg. He said he would love to go hiking with us, but for us not to leave the house until 11:30 so he wouldn't have to get up so early. Turns out he was up at 9 AM anyway.

We dropped in on Alexis to see her bitty house, then picked Peter up. We headed south toward Furnace Mountain, dodging camels wandering along the road. The hike was uphill the whole way, about two miles. Peter said the first time he came up here it was 11 PM during a blizzard. They also missed the trail head and hiked a mile farther up the road than they should have. When they got to the camp site, Peter said he failed at making a fire, which is good, because fires aren't permitted. Who needs a fire during a blizzard?

I listened to Darien and Peter chatter the whole way up, something they are both good at. The trail was rocky. We kept our heads down most of the way so we wouldn't twist an ankle. There were some nice vistas of the Shenandoah Mountains, as well as the remnants of a spectacular rock slide. We reached the summit with few breaks, then hung around on an outcrop and ate our trail mix. (Note to the curious: chocolate covered coffee beans are an excellent addition to trail mix.) We could see a sliver of Skyline Drive across the ridges, five miles away, pretty much at the same elevation.

The hike down was easy and quick. We rewarded ourselves for stellar accomplishment with an excellent dinner of Ethiopian food at The Blue Nile.
C-minus?

Week 35

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:23:00 +0000

A group of teenagers -- young thugs, if you will -- were spied by a retired neighbor walking down our street. He observed them unobtrusively from a safe distance, and his vigilance was rewarded. He watched as they casually strolled along, then one of them broke from the rest of the pack and darted up to the large tree in our front yard. He picked up a bag (of what sort I have yet to determine), then rejoined his ilk and they continued their so-called "walk." Unfortunately, our neighbor failed to notify any authorities -- police, immigration, SCI -- no one.

Later that week (it was a Thursday) I stepped outside at 6:34 AM to retrieve the newspaper, as is my daily wont. A wave of dread washed over me. Something was out of place. It was one of those feelings; call it intuition if you must.

And then I saw. Right at the end of my driveway were two bicycles. One was standing and the other was on its side, as if the rider had abandoned it in haste. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. This was not the norm. This was not Woodmont. My wife and I had just walked down that very drive the previous night on a constitutional with our two hounds. I remember it was approximately 8:30 PM, but I neglected to check my watch since at the time I did not understand the import. I am quite certain the bicycles were not there at the time. I would have stepped on them, or my always-alert wife would have commented.

I was not going to make the same mistake twice. For form's sake I next notified Darien. Perhaps this was an error, since precious minutes were lost. It was only then that I called the police and told them about the disruption in our lives. The receptionist (she did not identify herself as a sworn officer, although she well could have been) questioned me sharply. I felt there were things she could not tell me, that were outside her professional ethos to disclose, but it was clear from the strain and excitement in her voice that there were larger issues of concern here. I gave a precise account of events, including position of the objects and the time I discovered them and why I happened to be there at precisely that moment. I confirmed that the owners of this suspect property were completely unknown to me.

The receptionist thanked me profusely. I offered to testify at any trial or grand jury investigation. I did decline police protection. There are always risks in life, and some are higher than others. In this case I felt a moral, a civic obligation to stand on my own that at its Churchillian core is selfless. I am willing to risk all for the larger social good.

It is obvious that something is happening in our once idyllic neighborhood. There is some as yet unidentified change that is being driven by large and shadowy outside forces I do not yet understand. Gangs? Drug cartels? International terrorists? Republicans? There are no clear answers at the moment. But be assured: I am on guard.

Go Dodgers!

Week 34

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:48:00 +0000

As part of our adventures in renovating, I visited the ReStore store for the first time. It is one of many run by Habitat for Humanity and is like a Goodwill for builders. They have an amazing number of things there. Most of it is not going to be very useful to us, but I can see us using some things. Our contractor already picked up some things (stove, door) that we are using temporarily as the cabin is getting swapped around.

It is difficult to focus on household chores when one is paralyzed with dread over the thought of summer ending.

Week 33

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:42:00 +0000

I took Friday off to spend the day with Darien, a rarity. Even though we spent the whole day running around doing cabin things, it was fun nonetheless. Who would have known what the world of shopping was like? I'm not sure I would have stood up so well if we had been shopping for clothes.

Darien had a long weekend, keeping me occupied and entertained. No wonder she couldn't get to the counter.

Week 32

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Darien, Celeste, Elyse, and I went to Washington, D.C., on Saturday. In addition to the Asian and African museums, we also visited the National Museum of the American Indian. It had an extensive display of the works of Fritz Scholder in an exhibition called "Indian/Not Indian." I had only seen a few of Scholder's most popular works prior to this, but seeing such a large representation of his work all in one place was quite impressive. I loved his use of color and form and subject, as well as the irony and the pathos. One quote that stuck with me was his vow never to paint Indians, a reminder to all of us never to say never. I enjoyed his sculpture as much as his paintings. I'm sorry I didn't discover the display earlier in the day. I had to rush at the end because the museum was closing.

Darien is back from vacation and the house is getting back to normal.

Week 31

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:58:00 +0000

I have been home alone for a week, waiting for Darien to finish escorting Jody to Minnesota. I have had to fend for myself all week, which I am accustomed to doing, but this week has been particularly challenging. Since we participate in a CSA, every week we automatically get one or two bags of vegetables. What we are given, and how much there is, depends on what is in season and how the weather conditions have affected the crops. This week we received small potatoes, large and cherry tomatoes, several variety of melon, and green beans.

Generally, a week's take will support a small family. Darien and I don't usually have a problem, since we eat so many vegetables anyway. But without her to carry her share of the load, I have been sorely challenged to consume everything on my own. I'm doing mostly alright, with veggie-laded lunches and dinners.

The tomatoes are the worst, however. Not only have I had to contend with ten or so good sized toms and a bag of cherry tomatoes, but I came home from vacation to find our own tomato plants are starting to produce. Basically, I've been eating two tomatoes a day, not counting all the cherry tomatoes I'm consuming from both the CSA and our own garden. If I were more domestic, I would be freezing and canning, but I'm finding it easier to more or less consider them as apples or other fruits. So far, none have spoiled, and I only have to get through another 15 hours or so before Darien arrives home to back me up.

The kitchen counter is remaining amazingly clean -- maybe even looking a little better. Good job, Darien. Going for three weeks with a clean counter must be some sort of record. You are doing an excellent job of keeping your New Year's resolution.

You'll have to excuse me, now. I think I'll go eat a tomato for dessert.

Week 30

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

I visited a stunning cathedral. I biked along the shore and dipped my toes in the Pacific. I saw a movie on the silver screen for the first time in I don't know how long. I visited a new museum devoted to music. I saw art and listened to jazz. I drank Icelandic water. I saw the Dodgers play for the first time in forty years. I gawked at a Laker and an actor, even not knowing who they are. I did the California cruise-around-in-a-hot-red-convertible thing.

Any one of these could be a worthy topic for this week. But none of them can compare with my first taste of In-N-Out Burger! Not that it was such a great meal. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't wait to eat it until I got to the beach forty-five minutes later. It certainly has rave reviews from those who should know a good burger (my family). I don't even know how I escaped the In-N-Out experience for so long. I know Darien liked it because the restaurant was clean. Would I do it again? Sure, if I'm on the road somewhere and don't want to spend a fortune. It does the job.

It is a shame Darien has the camera. She has been doing a most excellent job keeping the counter clean. You will just have to take my word for it.

Week 29

noreply@blogger.com (John Duke) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:19:00 +0000

For the first time, I rode a bicycle in Chicago. We rented two bikes down by the lake at the mouth of the Chicago River, then peddled north along the shore. We got all the way up to Montrose Beach, then cycled over to Wrigley Field followed by Lincoln Park with its gardens and zoo. The last leg was to the Museum of Contemporary Art, where by accident or design there was an a showing by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Who would have guessed?

Darien is doing an excellent job on the kitchen counter. It is no messier than it was last week.