It's not even noon yet

BIG DUCK!

Saw Tom (and little son) on rec trail this morning while I was running. If his kid weren't there I'd have pulled a tree by its trunk and rammed it down his throat. I'm feeling stong, like a big duck.

I need to clean up this house a bit--showing the effects of my mood.

Got rid of a large dog crate (cleaning out garage) on Freecycle and am asking for free things, such as a digital camera, scanner to send Ro pics, etc. Who knows? Maybe I can get rid of people free as well?

Friday's Not Over Yet

I'm spending a lot of time with the cats and I've noticed they both take care to spend some quality time together. One grooms the other, one is usually flopped on top of, or pinned under the other.Usually Molly is the groomer, as evidenced here. However, Blanche cleaned Molly good today. Oh my. What have I become.

Running around a lot today, saw Gloria at the water store then to the bakery to make copies. Funny thing happened at Bagel Bakery--I couldn't find my wallet and I thouht I'd left it home. Ripping everything apart in my car and came up with $1.79, and I thought the bagel and cream cheese I bought but didn't yet pay for came to $1.25 plus tax. All I had in the car was $1.79! And, you'd ask why I got a bagel at the bagel bakery when I still have a lovely stash of bagels from NY...well, BB had wireless and their only food was bagels. I think I need to start hanging at the CAB maybe. Anyway, was .25 short (don't ask me how it became $2.04) and this nice man gave it to me. Reminded me of when Virginia and I got stuck walletless, gasless at the gas station in Gilroy. Our hero Brian was going to call in his credit card but the station wouldn't accept a call-in for a credit card, and he was in the middle of an online final and couldn't leave until he was done, in about an hour. When I found out the station couldn't do the card thing, and I was reporting that back to Brian who was on the phone, a nice couple drove by and gave us a $10. How wonderful!

Tom owes me some money and he's late paying me back.

Not feeling very good about that.

What Has My Life Become???

Have to start every blog with a pic--this is Kate's stairway to heaven! Jesus christ, my life has become one internet search after another--looking for a job, looking for a roommate, looking for information about the LBAM. It's crazy!

MY LIFE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH IT'S OUTTA CONTROL!

Then, there's Tom, asking me the same questions over and over--what are you doing? did you go to the bakery today? how are you? it takes a lot to try and have a conversation with him, which never works; me and him, not happening.

Holly's opening wine right now. That'll be the perfect attitude adjustment for me.

THIS TOO WILL PASSS, WON'T IT?????????

Drinking Barefoot Pinto Grigio--nice wine, light, refreshing, tasty. Yum.

Little Married Mary sent me two postcards from Italy while on her honeymoon. Mare!!! Wish I were there too!!!

Went to doctor yesterday and yes, I do have a sinus infection. On antibiotics. On wine. Is that a bad combination? We don't remember!@!!!@!# Holly's googling for me. I feel so much better on the meds that I have energy and vigor and vim. And, went to the west side cafe, place in Sand City that Morgan owns, and I didn't like it much. Not a warm atmosphere, creepy man that reminds me of my father came in with his cronies (think I saw him at city council meeting the other day as well), customer service not as good as ours at bakery. Overall disappointing, but free wireless. Ran into Jane there, that was interesting.

Status on drinking and antibioticing? My call. Choosing to finish my glass. Thanks Holly.

Quickie...

Tired, making this quick. Sunny called about a job, or what I thought was a job. Turns out it's for YTB which may or may not be a scam. Not investing anything in it, and got a bottle of wine (like I need more?) out of it from wizard wines.

Have a potential roommate coming over tomorrow. Am not sure how I feel about this person already--don't know if it's a boy or a girl, etc. HOLLY IS MOVING OUT and it's making me sad on many levels.

Officer Krader is taking action.

motto du jour: love me, love my cats

Saturday, ack

Whoo! NYPD. Don't know why I posted this pic, but I did.

Again, dinner last night was great--had a lot of fun and got to taste some good wines. Like the chardonnay more than I thought I would; it's not too heavy, it's lighter than most. I'm in to whites now, which is kinda pointless 'cause we're going to Martin-Weyrich tomorrow to get my nebbiolo.

Watching Top Chef, they're in NY at the French Culinary Institute. I remember when Kate was there and I had the first piece of fish I ever liked--it was some kind of fish en pappiotte (sp?!).

Today went to the winery to get my car. Stopped by Jeffrey's to see if Velvet was there, but she wasn't. Very busy place. Impressive.

Then stopped in PG to see Dianne and Ed. Hung out in their bed in their room and loved it. They are a wonderful, loving couple who make your heart sing. Dianne has a habit of interrupting when you're trying to tell a story and I love making her feel like crap about it. (One good thing about Tom is he taught me to listen.) Coming down 68 in PG, though, there had been a bad accident. Looked like no one was hurt, I hope, and it was a very sobering moment.

Have been really getting into the organization I'm helping: stopoverheadspraying (it's under yahoo groups). My allergies have been really bad since I've been back--have to double up on the allegra, have headaches a lot, and don't feel so great. Well, it may be a reaction to the spraying to eradicate the LBAM (light brown apple moth), who knows. I know so many people who are becoming active in this group because of the bakery. (Spoke at the Seaside City Council meeting the other night and saw how cute the city's chief of police is.)

That's why I have a police car up there!

I'm signing off now, tired.

Salami Fest at Chateau Julien

Okay, so the salami fest is another time. Thanks, April. Well, April and I went to the winemaker's dinner at Chateau Julien in Carmel Valley and let me tell you, I partook!!!!! Thanks, many, many thanks, to Aunt Barbara for picking us up or else...who knows, i'll still be there?

So much fun! met lots of really nice people. I noticed that, for the most part, people ARE very very nice. Humans are very very social. That's good because I am very social and it would suck if I were the only social person on this planet. I would be bored.

It's hard for me to write now because I DIDN'T DRINK AND DRIVE, i just drank and didn't drive. Holly's taking me for my car tomorrow--it's still at the winery.

Mango and I are now one. Mike said it was okay to keep him and I am so happy. Spent a lot of time trying to get him into the mango hut, but he didn't like it, so, since it's raining, i'm letting him in the garage.

Here's to social events and the people that partake!!

drinking wine

had lunch with carolyn and we had good food. here's the menu:

roasted beets with goat cheese, light vinaigrette, toasted pecans
roasted potatoes with homemade pesto, warmed
roasted tomato salad over homemade oatmeal bread

not bad

she brought goodies from parker-leusseau (sp? too lazy to get up and get the card)--neat stuff!!!

kinda buzzed, wine from heller

had a one-sided conversation with stacey in sweden, NOT FINLAND. have to get a microphone in order to make it a two-sided conversation.

supposed to go to the city council meeting today to fight the lbam thingie, but no one else will be there (i think) and i'm feeling kinda lazy. will see how i feel in a bit.

New York

Okay, so Kate and I finally get to the Bate's motel in Mattituck. We quickly change and haul butt to the rehearsal dinner, in Greenport. Very pretty place. Food...eh. But, it's about Mary and Ron, and that's what matters.

Saw the entire Prevosti clan--they are the family in which you'd like to be a member. Warm, kind, real, incredible people. Saw Joy for the first time in nearly 20 years...Nicky, Lou, Helene, mom, pop (Tony showed up the next day). It was so much fun seeing them and reminiscing about the past. Especially Labor Day Weekend 1988, Poconos, Tom Riley's parents' house.

(I love Tom Riley.)

Time for a pic. That's Gary.

Anyhoo, rehearsal dinner was fun--finally met Ron, he and Mary do make an incredible couple. I always liked Mary's boyfriends, which is more than I can say about most of my other friends' boyfriends, and it broke my heart whenever she broke up with any of them. I went into the rehearsal dinner completely sure I would be happy with Mary's choice of beau. I am. He passed. Phew!

Dinner over, Kate and I have to get back to Bate's. We stop and get beer and a beer opener and smartfood (a fave of mine) and bet back to motel. Hung and read. And drank. Nice.

Saturday, another HOT HUMID MISERABLE weather day in my world.

Walked to town and got coffee at a cool little cheese place that has great cheeses at reasonable prices. Picked up bread and cheese and some ham as well. The firemen's parade was going on as well, so we looked at the old fire trucks and new firemen. Kate bought me the most wonderful cherry bag ever. (Finally used it the other day. Love it!)

Got back to hotel and picked up car. Went to Greenport again and the town is kinda cute and rocking. Got Hershey's Ice Cream--totally wow and yummy! It's hard to get, impossible in California. Not crazy creamy or sweet--just good, old-fashioned ice cream. We were happy. Then, the fun really REALLY begins.

Another pic to end this entry:

Reconditioning the world

Holly and I strongly believe that if everyone treated one another the way Blanche and Molly treat each other (see pic above), there will be no more strife or upset in this world. The love will be pure and ring throughout the land.

Here's are some human traits I find truly distasteful:

• hypocrisy (for example: "Don't tell me not to curse, then cry to me you lost your 'fucking' cell phone, you fucking fuck.")
• dishonesty (eg: good thing I can't think of anything off-hand, but anything Bush says qualifies)
• broken promises (unfortunately there's a lot to say about this, but this is a happy fucking moment)
• refusal to take responsibility (cats take responsibility for everything! for example, who drank the last of the wine? ________ [enter feline's name here]; who broke the computer [again...]; who charged $2,000 worth of junk of eBay [ditto, you get it...])
  

Here are some feline traits I find truly distasteful:

• licking butt (yours or another's)
• sliding butt across floor to remove poop stuck to fur
• eating regurgitated food (yours or another's)

Good joke from Brian Marshmallow: Chelsea Clinton was interviewing a soldier returning from Iraq. She asked him what he fears. After a couple of minutes, thinking hard, the soldier replied, "Osama, Obama, and your Mama." PS: Brian, Kate doesn't even know who you are.

Here's one good thing about global warming: The Northwest Passage may finally be wide enough to allow ships to pass through. Now we'll finally be able to pollute the only remaining untouched part of our world.

Bruce Lee called me today. Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cooked a little today:

1. roasted beets for tomorrow's beet and goat cheese salad (got goat cheese and olive oil from the cheese shop in carmel)


2. roasted potatoes with salt, pepper, fresh chives, olive oil, then added pesto for another salad


3. roasted tomatoes with salt, pepper, basil. Going to have a oatmeal-bread and roasted tomato salad with that.

I'm in a bit of a roasting phase. Tomorrow I'll give the honest opinion of my meal with Carolyn. She's bringing wine, so it should be very very good. It's so much fun cooking and eating with friends--if only I could do that for the rest of my life. I'd need to find me a sugar daddy.

Most of today was spent at the bakery--catering, wholesaling, etc.

I leave you with the smiling face of Cousin Gilda :-)

It's raining. I am sooooo very happy

A good day

Started early today--helped Tina with a catering job for the aquarium (picked up tablecloths, tomorrow I'll really help). Was kicked out of my house all day because Griselda was there, so had to wing it as creatively as possible. Ran along the water in PG on the rec trail (started outside Tom's house to just past Lover's Point). Ran a lot too!!!

Showered at Elana's, had breakfast, then decided to kill time. Went back to the water and napped lightly in my car (sounds weird to my fellow NYers, but trust me, if you could do it, you would!!!), got a manicure (hottest nails in California), then back to pick up Elana, where we went to the Tuesday Farmer's Market--for me, the first time in forever as a retail customer! Actually, went twice. First with Elana to hand out fliers about the light brown apple moth spraying. (this moth is disgusting. a friend of mine has a tree outside his house that is so badly infested that when I get into my car I have at least three unwanted visitors with me.) The state overruled the locals and went ahead and sprayed the pheromones/pesticide to eradicate this pest all over the peninsula, however the stuff has never been tested on humans and animals to find out what the effects are. I was in NY (haven't finished the blog as of yet, Mary's on her honeymoon and according to my blog she's not even married!) when the spraying happened.

Back to the farmer's market. Went a second time with roomie and saw several people that I was very happy to see. Got lots and lots of good things--a couple of vintage loaf pans in which I plan to fill with breads, veggies (plan to make a beet, goat cheese, and potato salad, veggies courtesy of a wonderful organic farm in Carmel Valley called Serendipity Farms). Also got gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that I will roast and then figure out their ultimate end.

Saw Sunny at the market and he overheard me telling someone I was unemployed. He's a customer at the bakery and he may know of some work for me. Also saw Carolyn from our lovely tea service, and she too may have some leads.

Saw my Ilya, busy man, fed me as well.

My NYC trip 9-5 to 9-13

(Jesus in Brooklyn, that's how I know I'm really in Brooklyn!)

It was so good to be home!!!!!!!

Took the red-eye to JFK, airtrain to Howard Beach, and then the A train to Hoyt-Schmermerhorn, G to Bergen. Schlepped up the subway steps then 4 flights to Kate's abode--yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm home!!!!!!!!!!!!

New cats: Lily Gorilla and Tox. Tox looks like a cow, so I renamed him Moo. Lily is a combination of Molly's physique and Lucy's coloring--more tabby-like though. She's a dream, always smiling with her sweet pink lips.

Kate, best friend ever

Hung with Tommy for a little bit and he is still awesome. I forget how much I really like him until I see him again. Usually I bitch about him a lot when I don't see him, but he's still little tommy krader.

Killer heat--so not used to it. Hot and humid. Didn't even use moisturizer, so humid.

Suzette rocks as well, and now has me completely obsessed with spiders.

Thursday took it kinda easy, read at the house a lot, then met Daralee at her house for dinner. She looks terrific--got her cateracts removed and she's without her coke-bottle glasses and she looks hot!!! We ate at Cafe Loup on 13th and 6th. Good food, and again, great to be home.

Got home later than I planned to so Kate and I didn't go out.

Friday--got the car and went out to the island to see Terry and Larry before going to the North Fork. This is the last time I'm seeing the house since she sold it and they're moving to the retirement community in Connecticut for forever. Lots of memories there, mostly good. Ate lunch at a diner, then saw Aunt Lillian. She looked wonderful--she's packing to make the move with T&L. Terry's still herself and Larry's still the know-it-all, but she's happy and loves him and that's only what matters.

(favorite view from Daralee's rooftop--awesome, huh? this is where me, kate, and suzy grew up)

Got on one of those blasted roads to try and get to the LIE and guess what! I remembered I may not have packed my skirt for the wedding. Not good. Pulled off the road and called Terry's. Larry answered and I wanted to know where Terry was. At Lillian's. Okay, where is the nearest Target. Carle Place. Where is that? Near the Coliseum. That doesn't help me. Can you get back here? I can try...and I got there and fortunately Terry was back from Lillian's. Thus begins a crazy ride to some target, somewhere in the Island. I had told terry how bad the traffic was on the road I was on, so she got me on a more direct route to the LIE. Got the skirt, too big, but better than nothing, literally.

On the Northern Parkway, all's well. Some traffic, but working. Throughout all this I need to pick Kate up at 6:21 in Mattituck--it's already nearly 5. Mattituck is way out on the North Fork, in a land far, far away. The rehearsal dinner is at 7 in Greenport--farther, farther away. I have sattelite radio and a station called "lucy", how could I not? (fyi: didn't see the giant bowling pin but DID see my famous duck! (so many thanks to Luke Cole for being such an awesome photographer and knowing, just knowing, how much I'll like his stuff!!!!!)

DUCK!!!! my favorite large object in the world.

So, ms krader calls when her train is pulling out of ronkonkoma and i am just seeing the sign for it. At least I'm kinda on target. She, thinking she's the cutest, says, let's race, see who gets to the station first. I'm still in traffic, so it's kind of out of my control, but, a race! against the LIRR! wow! Later, as she retells the story, she's sure I'm going to be late and she doesn't want to be standing at the station all by herself, while i'm out having a merry time. So, she hatches this ingenious plan to make it more fun. Aha! She's so smart!!!

For the record, I won the race. Got to the train station at 6:15, she pulls in at 6:21. Thus the beginning of our trip to Mary's Wedding!!!!