Time to plant potatoes again

I was pretty successful last year with my potato harvest, so I decided to do it again this year. This time I bought seed potatoes from the garden store and tried their method of planting. I’m using two big planter pots – last year I had just one. It’s going quite well, and the green sprouts are coming up every day. When they do that, I immediately cover them with more soil until they come through that. I guess I’ll stop when they come to the top of the planter which makes sense even to me. The picture is another one of my dad and me planting potatoes at my childhood home – or were we harvesting what we’d planted earlier? Who knows and I don’t really care. The whole point is that we were doing the potato thing together. This picture was taken several years after the picture I used in my previous “potato” blog. Apparently, I had become a young woman but was still into gardening with my dad. Our two dogs, Puggy and Lala, were helping as they always did. I wish my dad could be here now to watch my potatoes grow. I could tell him about the method I used that the garden shop provided.

It seems like I should be having my daughters, Teri and Cindy, around me when I plant potatoes. That would be sort of like carrying on the family tradition. I can just see us all, gathered around the big containers where the planting is taking place. Maybe we’d sing some old family songs – I’m sure we had some. After we were finished with the planting, we’d sit on the deck and have lemonade . . . no, we’d have some wine and cheese. We’d be quiet for a while as we waited to see if Larry, my sparrow, would fly up on the ledge to eat. But as the afternoon wore on and we became quite noisy, Larry would never appear. He was probably hiding under my deck and thinking, “What the hell is going on up there?” Maybe next year I’ll send my daughters formal invitations to the potato planting. Do you think that would work?

Apple/nut bread and Craig Ferguson

The other day, I decided to make some apple/nut bread like my mother used to do. I have her handwritten recipe in my book of old, hard-to-read recipes from years ago. I often wonder if I’m using the right ingredients as it’s almost impossible to read some of the directions. But that wasn’t my only problem. When I’m around water – using it – my nose runs constantly. When I get out of the shower, do dishes, wash my hands, etc. my nose runs uncontrollably. So it’s hard to make things like casseroles, cookies, etc. where you spend time putting things together and washing your hands multiple times. I have had accidents where I’ve watched my nose drip right into the cookie dough – just one drip. But since I wasn’t sick and didn’t want to start over again, I didn’t. I figured just cooking it would kill anything. That may not be good, but it’s what I do. So yesterday, I was having the same problem when I felt my nose start to run and I saw a drop spiraling downward toward the nut bread concoction. I quickly shoved the bowl out of the way and it was saved! I cleaned up the counter, then washed my hands whereupon my nose started running again because of the water. Needless to say, it took me a while to get the whole thing going, but the nut bread was fine. I’m giving half to my friend whom I’m hoping will still be my friend after she reads this.

Whenever I mention anything weird that is happening or has happened to me, Cindy always says “Thanks a lot, mom,” intimating that I pass all my bad things down to her if she’s having the same problem. Now that’s not exactly true – mothers are supposed to pass things on to their daughters. Hopefully they pass on the good things like good health, happy dispositions and money, of course. I do my best.

Cindy and I both love dogs. Cindy now has a Bull Mastiff, April, that’s a real sweetheart, but she farts a lot. Teri loves cats and dogs and has a dog and 4 cats – that’s almost overkill. I think the dog farts but I don’t know about the cats. What I do know about cats is that you have to watch out for them, because if you die in your home, they will eat you! I’m not the only one who thinks that. Craig Ferguson of the CBS late show says the same thing and he knows. He has three dogs and no cats – he’s not taking any chances. He talks about farting and pooping on his show quite a bit – I guess that’s one reason I think he’s so funny. But he’s also very smart. Funny and smart – that’s a good combination.

How has the recession affected the so-called Golden Years?

This couple looks like maybe they have reached their Golden Years, and they seem quite satisfied. Even with the economy down the toilet, Ethel, Duke and Earl are doing all right. Earl gets fleas and ringworm occasionally, but doesn’t everyone? The reason they are so content is because of their retirement account which has stayed right on track with its gazillion dollar interest amount. You see, they have PERS – Public Employees Retirement System. They worked for a school district for years and years as a cook and janitor – I don’t know which one did what and it doesn’t matter. What matters is their retirement which is fabulous. Some people on PERS make more after retirement than they did while working. But that’s enough about PERS – I’m sure you get my point. They also receive social security so they don’t have too many worries.

They live in a little house out in the country and spend a lot of time on their front porch waiting for the mailman, Mr. Greevey. When he arrives, Earl gets excited and runs to greet him. He humps Mr. Greevey’s leg all the way up the path until he gets to the porch. Mr. Greevey always smiles, and Earl is especially happy when he visits. That is usually the highlight of their day unless a neighbor drops by. Earl never humps a neighbor – only Mr. Greevey. They have a vegetable garden as does everyone these days. They also have some chickens that give them eggs and rabbits that they eat. They also eat the chickens on holidays. They don’t spend much money as they don’t do much – no vacations, trips or expensive clothes. So this enabled them to build up quite a little nest egg over the years which has nothing to do with the chicken nests. They are a good example for all of us.

They have 6 sons who very rarely visit. The boys know their folks have money saved and are waiting for the day when it will be theirs. They don’t e-mail as Ethel and Duke don’t have a computer or even a cell phone. They’ve never heard of Twitter – they think birds twitter which they do, actually. But the boys don’t come over to chit chat or check up on things. They just check on the bank account and then scurry off. Well, what the boys don’t know is that mom and pop aren’t stupid. They had a will drawn up which leaves everything to the Planned Parenthood Society because they could have really used their advice years ago. So, surprise, boys!

So I think Ethel, Duke and Earl are a pretty good family and have things well under control. So as long as Mr. Greevey keeps bringing the mail every day, they will continue to be one happy family . . . even with the occasional fleas and ringworm.

Television and my VCR – my life

Last night I thought I would be smart – that was a mistake from the get go – and program my VCR manually instead of just clicking on the show I wanted. Last week I clicked on “Fringe,” not knowing “American Idol” would run over about five minutes. So when I went to watch “Fringe,” I got Adam singing his song on Idol. I have nothing against Idol – I just can’t get into shows like that. I like something with a story – it could be a comedy or it could be a drama, but something that would hold my interest. Reality shows just don’t do it for me. I need something to hold me to the show – could that be short attention span syndrome? Whatever it is, I was not happy at all as “Fringe” stopped before the show was over as the DVR doesn’t know things are running long. So I don’t know what happened to the little, pale boy or man – whoever he was. Why can’t the DVR sense something different is happening? So last night I decided to program it manually and finally managed to do it with a few minutes before “Fringe” starts and running a few minutes after. So when I checked it later it turns out I had programmed the entire Idol show, “Fringe” and the Fox news show at 11pm! So that doesn’t work. “Fringe” does not show up on On Demand – I couldn’t find any Fox shows on it. What is that? So I’m going to watch “Fringe” and “Without a Trace” – I like that one as I always wanted Sam and Jack to get back together, but now she’s probably going to have to spend months taking care of her baby’s father who was injured in a car wreck. Oh well, I can’t explain it all. But I’m going to watch “Rescue Me” on On Demand the next day. I saw it last week and it was great! I watched it again yesterday on On Demand and it was even better. Those firefighters can be so hilarious when they are talking with each other. They are absolutely crazy! I love it.

I have another complaint about programming. Why do some shows always run over a few minutes which mean the next shows start late and maybe run over their time slots. That screws everything up. My VCR just can’t handle that. Can someone please fix it?

In my morning paper today, there’s a headline that says, “Stay classy Fox: A new low for Reality TV.” Apparently Fox is planning a new show called “Someone’s Gotta Go.” They won’t say when it will go on the air – hopefully never. Each show will feature a small company that needs to cut costs because of the economy. Instead of the boss firing someone, the show will let the employees fire the person. They will open the company’s books and show all the salaries, etc. for all employees to see. This is one screwball idea as far as I’m concerned. It’s being produced by the alternative planning department of Fox. My suggestion would be to start with the alternative planning department and let the employees fire someone there.

I’m glad “Bones” is back – that’s a cool show. And “Law&Order: CI” and “In Plain Sight” are coming back this week. I’m delighted. If I sound like a shallow person, perhaps I am. But I’m a happy, shallow person.

Cindy and April

For those of you reading my blog for the first time – although I don’t see how that could be possible - Cindy is my daughter and April is her new Bull Mastiff. Cindy just lost her beloved Charlie, her dog, and didn’t waste any time finding another one. When she told me what kind it was, I went through the “shock and awe” phase, wondering how she would handle a big dog like that. Cindy is very petite and weighs much less than April. But she said things were going along pretty well except April wasn’t eating much or drinking. But Cindy came down last weekend with April, and Mick – her ex-husband. April turns out to be a real sweetheart! She is so gentle and just lies around most of the time. She was never eager to go outside and could hardly wait to get back in my condo. She came from a puppy mill and was rescued by a Bull Mastiff rescue group. I don’t imagine she had ever had much love and was probably bred for puppies every other month. Not a good life – puppy mills should be wiped off the face of the earth. She liked me which made me feel good. She did eat a little here and drank quite a bit of water.

We all went for a walk, and she looked at everything and everyone like she’d never been out before. She was very aware of all the noises in the outside world and listened to everything. I couldn’t get over how gentle she was and how loving. After our walk, Mick decided to take a run which he did. When he returned his hair was standing on end and he looked like he’d taken a fall. Turns out he tripped over something on the pathway and fell all over the place! His sweatshirt was dirty, so I decided to wash some clothes. I had put April’s food dish and water dish in the laundry room as I knew I wouldn’t be washing clothes that day – little did I know. Well, the water dish was huge – one of those bowls we all had a long time ago that holds everything – the big yellow one. So I had to step over the food dish and water dish, but I managed to hit the edge of the water dish and the water went all over the floor and me! So Cindy got towels and I stripped off my jeans right there and threw my clothes and Mick’s in the wash. After that, we all needed to lie down and rest with April.

I talked to Cindy yesterday and she said April is eating a little better and adjusting well. She loves riding in the car, so Cindy takes her with her when she goes out on errands. But she’s always excited when she comes home. I’m the same way. I’m so happy Cindy found a dog as loving and gentle as April. Everyone needs a dog like that.

Good stuff on Fox!

I just watched the DVD for the new SIT DOWN, SHUT UP show, and it’s hilarious! It takes place in a small, Florida town at Knob Haven High School, and it’s all about the staff members who really aren’t qualified to do anything, let alone teach . . . and their students always come second. The staff has problems of its own and no time for the kids. It’s an animated comedy by Mitchell Hurwitz of “Arrested Development,”and Kim and Eric Tannenbaum of “Two and a Half Men.” As soon as I saw the name Hurwitz, I knew I would like it as “Arrested Development” was one of my favorites. Why did it go away? The actors are all well known and very funny people. They play these crazy staff members - one who is bisexual and one who has been there for so many years he can’t remember when he started. I laughed through the whole thing and hope it’s successful. It premieres on Sunday, April 26 at 8:30 pm.

I also watched the DVD for GLEE which is a new one-hour musical comedy series from Ryan Murphy, the “Nip/Tuck” guy. GLEE is a little different from “Nip/Tuck.” I would let my little children watch GLEE where I wouldn’t the other – but I don’t have any little children so don’t have to worry about it. It takes place in a high school where a teacher tries to get his passion back for music and also get the school’s glee club going. There is a crazy mix of teachers – not unusual – and many students who have their own problems. I liked what I saw. It delves into some of the differences in the students and how they handle everything. The ultimate goal is for the glee club to go to Nationals which is the highest they can go. The show won’t premiere until sometime this fall. I’ll be watching.

“Bones” is now back and better than ever. The sexual tension on the show is always very apparent, even more so now that Angela can think of nothing else. I love all the characters, and the dialogue between Booth and Brennan is the best. I hear they will finally be getting into bed together this season. That should be interesting!

“Lie To Me” is still going strong. I like the show very much and always wonder what my facial expression is while I’m watching. If I held up a mirror to my face, I couldn’t see the screen, so I threw out that idea. Kelli Williams and Tim Roth play doctors who help police investigations. They watch facial expressions and body language and can tell whether or not these people are lying. I’m wondering how long it will take for Kelli to throw out her dick of a husband and go for Tim Roth who knows what’s going on. He knows what’s going on every place! Maybe that will happen in future shows. She can’t keep on being that dumb forever . . . she is a doctor! The show is very interesting and moves very quickly. I like it!

“Fringe” is finally coming back. I like that show, and it probably won’t be too hard to get back into it as it’s always crazy with weird things happening. I can take that!

“Rescue Me” is back on FX Tuesday. I’m very excited about that! I know it’s not Fox, but it is, sort of. Anyway, I’m happy about it. I really missed all those goofy guys.

Cindy’s having a birthday!

My baby’s having a birthday today. I call her my baby because she’s the younger of my two daughters, and she’ll always be my baby. This picture of her brings back many memories of her early years. Cindy loved making tents to hide and play in. We had a formica kitchen/dining room table – I wish I still had it. Formica was great! Cindy would drag out blankets, pillows, chairs and completely cover the table with the blankets, surrounding it with chairs and pillows. The blankets would be hanging off all the sides so there was no way in and no way out. She would stay in it all afternoon until the dismantling began when it was time for dinner. I don’t remember what toys she had in there with her, but I’m sure there must have been something to keep her occupied. When she started school, it cut into her tent time, but she made time for it whenever she could.

Cindy is a very funny girl. I always end up laughing when I talk to her on the phone. But lately she hasn’t been laughing that much as her beloved dog, Charlie, just died. That was hard on her, but she’s thinking about getting another dog soon. I talked to her yesterday and she said she had been to an antique store and found a lunch box just like the one she carried to grade school! It says “Campus Queen” on one side. She was surprised that I didn’t remember it. I don’t remember what I ate for breakfast. She, of course, bought it to go with all the other antiquey stuff she has, and she has quite a collection – mannequins that she dresses, strange masks, old pictures, etc. Her taste is very eclectic and fun.

I just talked to Cindy and she said, “My dog died, I lost my job – so how was your day?” I told her if she were writing this blog, she would say that. So I’m doing it for her. I am so sorry she lost her job, but she’s not alone in this economy. I know what it’s like to lose a job as I was the same age as she when it happened to me. It’s horrible at first, but it does get better. I’m hoping she can find something very soon. And one thing that makes it better for her is that she has another dog! She got April, a Bull Mastiff, from a shelter.

Cindy, I love you so much and know that everything will turn out well for you. I hope you and April can celebrate together and have a very good birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!