Your Mid-Week Post

I’ve decided to write daily notes starting tomorrow and crank out what will likely be my last post of the year, sometime late next week. We head to DC on 12/20 and I’ll be holding babies and such until we get back on 12/29. This notice will cut down on the snark from certain people saying, “Gosh I haven’t seen a post lately.”

I did get a note from JB yesterday that she enjoyed my last post.  She has fled her FL abode for the sunshine of NYC for several days.  I do not get a lot of comments on my writing, but Unc does occasionally respond that he is on the verge of unsubscribing, which is simply the blather of a grizzled septuagenarian.

Are you struggling with affordability?  Probably not, as you are all boomers, many with second properties.  But it is a real thing for people, including many MAGA knuckleheads, but you’d never know it from the hooey coming out of the White House.  Trump was in PA yesterday calling it a “Democrat hoax” while telling people to cut down on expenses. He gave pencils as an example.  How apt! I’ve cut down on pencils significantly since finishing up trig in 1973.  He also said “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice, but you don’t need 37 dolls.”  My girl never got more than 7 or 8 each Xmas.  Doesn’t Trump make you yearn for the halcyon days of Nixon and W?

My old employer, the phone company, has been out in the neighborhood this week.  In the biz, we call that a truck roll. #1 and I chatted with the tech before our walk today. They are installing fiber. I mentioned that my son is an employee in good standing with his union, CWA. I’m already with them for internet but maybe I’ll get a better deal than Google TV for cable.

I started my volunteer gig down in Menlo Park last week.  I’m setting up subsidized Uber and Lyft rides for seniors. Like Trump, I’m a little worried about getting into heaven, so I decided I needed to give back. I’m working with one of my old ATT pals.  They said they would get me a headset, which I’d greatly appreciate since I don’t like using the speakerphone. Plus, a headset has always been a good look for me.

We had the 4Ms over for dinner Sunday. My pal since 1969 has always provided the finest of wines during our get togethers.  When my wife and I decide we need the good stuff, we invite them over. One of the reds was from his backyard grapes, a 2024 Côtes du Home.

#1 told me he got his Xmas letters out yesterday and I let him know ours is soon to follow. He delivered his annual hot sauce yesterday, which inspired me.  I plan to put a small sample of my home-made baba ghanouj in our letters this year.

NFL’s week 14 was a little rough on me. I went a mediocre 7-7 but I’m confident I’ve cracked the code for week 15 and expect to scoot upwards out of the five-way tie for 16th that I’m currently in. You can take these to the bank.

TB Chi Cin Hou Jax LAC Buf NYG Phi GB LAR Car Sea SF Dal Pit

Deuces

Having knocked off the Sunday NYT crossword in 22 minutes and 22 seconds, I’ve decided it is time to give back, so you’re getting a post.

I could start with some celebrity snark, but the Daily Beast is just making it too damn easy for me.

I was in the big city Friday night. The wife and I stayed at one of her work friend’s houses on 29th St. It was a chilly evening, and I felt like curling up on the heated bathroom floor when we got back from our outing. This consisted of a dinner at the Tonga Room with the numbers and Hotelier and their better halves, followed by a Sarah MacLachlan concert. The Fairmont was hopping with tourists and there were plenty in the Tonga Room, which some may refer to as a tourist trap, but we chose it for its locale, not its cuisine, which was OK. The wife and I stuck to straight Tanqueray, which they served up cold, strong and without vermouth, just the way we like it. Others got a cloyingly sweet margarita that they had to cut with some water and ice. I was not sitting near the Hotelier, so we didn’t have a chance to chat, and I didn’t see him at the concert either. I imagine he was quite disappointed.

It was a quick two-block walk to the Masonic to see Sarah. In a nod to the SJ Merc’s review, her show was better than chocolate. We ended up in the cheap seats as it was sort of a last-minute arrangement, but the show was excellent. Although you may be aching for a detailed review from DJ, I’ll give you an excerpt from the Merc which I completely agree with.

"During the course of nearly two hours, and running through 20 songs from more than 30 years of her stellar career, McLachlan’s voice was nothing short of exquisite, divine, miraculous, wondrous — take your pick of highly complementary adjectives, since they all pretty much work in this situation."

My wife called an Uber as soon as we stepped out of the Masonic. My plan would have been to walk to the Mark Hopkins to get away from the crowd a bit.  That was one of the several things we argued about discussed during our urban adventure.  In any case, we went to the designated Uber spot with about half of the other audience members. Lo and behold, our first two Uber requests got cancelled and we were assessed a $5 cancellation fee. My wife was adamant that she would recoup that, and I wished her the best of luck in her quest. From there a shivering DJ took over, we went to the Mark Hopkins and secured a ride home. I talked some Spanish with our Venezuelan driver but decided not to discuss our esteemed President’s position on his country.

The next morning, we ambled to Four Chairs on Mission for breakfast. I understand they usually have a line out the door on weekends, but we think lots of folks were out of town, letting us get seated right away. We almost walked out the door in a huff when we found out they did not serve cappuccinos, but we decided to stay and enjoyed breakfast. I did not peruse the bill well enough so I may have been overcharged on one item. I need to be a little more careful with the boomer cash.

The Niners are shortly against the Browns in Cleveland. Per Rich Eisen, they have not won there since 1984. I fear my pick of our home team may add to another loss to my current 0-4 record for week 13.

I’ll close with a correction on my 11/24 post. I had mentioned that I thought Toast in Town was the only breakfast option in FC. My daughter pointed out that there is and has long been an IHOP on FC Boulevard. I’ve even eaten there once so I have no excuses for my error. Even DJ gets it wrong once in a while.

We Gave Tanks

We had another wonderful Thanksgiving Day at #1’s abode yesterday. He made the bird and all the guests kicked in with some savory side dishes to make a fine feast. I actually took it relatively easy, only going back for seconds on the stuffing and green beans. My wife made two desserts, and Katie brought a huge pumpkin pie/crumble that I should have grabbed more of on the way out the door. #1 started us out with a cocktail tasting, beginning with a Last Word and finishing with a Black Manhattan, which contains Amaro Averna.  I’ve already added it to my next Total Wine order, per my wife’s instructions.  As #1 said, "We are all richer for knowing one another."

JLo also had a great Thanksgiving, and it was not staged at all.

RFK had a fictional Thanksgiving, swapping out the McDonald’s chow down from last year with some healthy fare. I guess if you can have a digital lover, you can have some photoshopped food.

That pic came from the Daily Beast, which I peruse daily because, as I’ve mentioned before in reference to my workouts, I am a beast. They have an interesting strategy in that many articles about Trump start with “Trump, 79” and they often refer to people in the administration as “goons”. No disagreement here.

Most of the Thanksgiving crew will be getting together again tonight.  We are having dinner at The Tonga Room before heading over The Masonic to see Sarah McLachlan. Many of the women have seen her a few times at the Lilith Fair, but this will be my first time. I’m anticipating a great show.

What’s a blog post without football? My week 13 began abysmally yesterday. I lost all three games but so did the majority of my opponents. I have Philly taking today’s game, but I am not very confident with that choice. Here are Sunday’s and Monday’s picks. Keep your money in your pockets this week.

LAR SF Ind Mia NYJ TB Jax Sea LAC Buf Den NE

Breakfast

It’s the most important meal of the day, folks.  My usual is Bob’s Red Mill whole oats, prunes and a generous dollop of peanut butter.  It is a great start to an action-packed day, like I will have today, when I complete the trifecta at the posh club. I’m currently trying to beat the state octogenarian speed record in the haphazard swim stroke event.

Last week the wife and I went to breakfast at Toast in Town, a new, and as far as I know, only entry in the Foster City breakfast scene. It seemed a tad pricey, but I guess they gotta be able to pay their rent and make a profit. I got eggs, bacon and pancakes for $22.  It was very good, as was my wife’s omelet. I have another breakfast outing with TCG and #1 at San Carlos’ Broiler Express, which #1 describes as the quintessential greasy spoon.  He didn’t actually use the adjective quintessential, as big words are hard for him, but that is what he meant.

Dinner is also an important meal.  I get the night off tonight, as the wife is putting together this masterpiece.  She used SB1 and LGMG as test subjects when she was in DC, and she said all went well. You can find it in the NYT. It is one of 280 that we have saved, whereas we’ve actually cooked about 20. She will also be putting together a few dishes for our Thanksgiving dinner, graciously hosted by Barbie and #1. If I’m lucky I’ll walk away with some leftovers, making this an easy week in the kitchen.

Shall we talk about politics? Headlines and podcasts tell me Trump is in trouble, but the umber dastard still seems to be running the show, with the craven Republicans following along, except for MTG, whose resignation date ensures she gets her pension. His press secretary dismissed his “Quiet piggy” moment as frankness. How far wrapped around the axle do you have to be to come up with that one? I saw this headline and felt like telling him his Oval Office mantle does not count. 

OK, time for lunch, yet another important meal. I’ll be cranking up the soundtrack to The Harder They Come.

RIP Jimmy Cliff 

DJ Flies Solo

I got back to FC the Sunday before last, as the wife remains in DC. I fell in love with my grandchildren during my visit. I’m sure no one has ever said this before, but they are the cutest bundles ever. I get to see them again during Christmas and the wife flies back to SFO Friday.  I was concerned about her flight but #1, who knows everything, told me many of the flights that have been canceled are regional ones, with the hub-to-hub flights mostly remaining a go.

I’ve kept myself relatively busy during my wife’s absence. I’ve racked up several trifectas and have spent some time at my new volunteer gig as well as donating blood on Monday. That sounds like a packed schedule for a geezer. I always donate the “power red”, which only takes half an hour and can only be done three times a year, so it fits my packed geezer schedule. This procedure gives them two units of red blood cells vs. one.  There are some height and weight requirements but when they see me walk in the door, they think to themselves “power red beast!”.

I saw a lot of #1 last week and we walked together on Monday, aiding me on another trifecta. He was here last week to re-do the frame on our living room picture window. In addition to knowing everything, he is a project-driven individual. I told him just to come in anytime in case I was gone.  This led to several visits and this week’s recurring nightmare that starts “Hide, he’s here again!”, which has caused me to trash the bed a few times. I’m not taking any chances, so the place has been locked up tight since he finished.

Moving on to politics, the Dems had a hell of a night on Election Day. Trump said that was because there was no Trump on the ballot. His takes are always so understated. The headlines today are screaming about some newly released emails saying that Trump knew about Epstein’s behavior. This comes as a surprise to exactly no one, but if it helps push him closer to oblivion or Hades, so be it. His aides are on him to stop pushing the narrative that America’s financial anxiety is fake. Even the kindhearted Laura Ingraham brought it up in a recent interview. She also asked him if the gold-plated items littering the Oval Office were from Home Depot. That one probably left a mark. 

In Kardashian world, Kris Jenner celebrated her 70th birthday at a big bash hosted by Jeff Bezos and all her closest friends were there, but it seems they deleted all the pictures with Meghan and Harry. I will need to follow up to get to the bottom of this, but one headline did say Meghan was in “networking mode”. We also found out recently that Kim did not pass the bar exam. I thought she was a shoo-in. She put out a TikTok video badmouthing the four psychics that said she would pass.  I think they get paid in advance. Lastly, it looks like Kylie and Tim may be no more, but I am getting conflicting info from my sources.

I wanted to let you folks know that I’m struggling a bit in my football pool.  I’m in a six-way tie for 22nd place, with 98 wins vs. 105 for first place. I’d give you my week 11 picks, but I expect to spend the rest of the day analyzing the situation before I submit them. I am pretty sure I’m safe picking the Patriots over the Jets for TNF. If you got any inside skinny for me, send it along.

Traveling Man

I started this post yesterday morning at the charming Ocean Palms Beach Resort in Carlsbad. We attended TCG's younger son's (aka Sonny Boy 2 aka SB2) beautiful wedding on Saturday evening.  I admit to tearing up during the ceremony. I regret bringing only one tissue. During the cocktail hour the village crammed into a 1970 VW bus that doubled as a photo booth. After a few near injuries, we decided we would do two separate sessions, boys then girls. This was followed by a delectable dinner and many poignant speeches from the parents and siblings. The desserts were killer, especially the churros. I'd say the evening was flawless except for #1 bugging me about my blog.

Before we departed the Ocean Palms, the wife went out to get us some takeout breakfast. She brings me breakfast every morning. NOT! TCG, Katie and her sister joined us. TCG and Katie had some golf outings lined up, including nearby Aviara, which is a stone's throw from where my mother-in-law lived for many years. Since we were just discussing SNL's The Californians on Saturday evening, we let them know we were taking THE 5 to the airport.

Today will be the only full day we will be home, as we head to DC tomorrow, where I will be starring as D POP as well as a supporting role in Top Chef. We expect to max out their freezer. I'm still scared of infants, but I think I'll be able handle baby holding duties as long as I get settled in a comfy chair.

Of course there is a plethora of political news, celebrity news and football news to discuss, but I am a busy man so you will have to wait for my next post. That means you #1 and JB.

Hugs

Trifecta

It’s 1pm and I haven’t eaten lunch yet. Why? Because I was completing the trifecta, the stretch/walk/swim routine I do to keep this dad bod, or D Pop bod, in optimal shape.

#1 and Barbie came by for dinner Monday night.  I had two NFL games to watch but the wife overruled me.  We whipped up the fantastic recipe below, but I lost both of those MNF games. I currently stand at 60–33, 5 games out of first place. What the hell is going on in the NFL anyway?  The Giants take out a tough Chargers team as well as the reigning Super Bowl champs but can’t beat The Aints! I’ve decided I need to pick at least one upset weekly going forward, which is the Jets first win in week 7.  Jaxon Dart will continue to throw darts this weekend vs. the Broncos.  That’s a tough pick, but I’m going with Denver. This guy is a Denver fan and he’s good for a few chuckles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nctZNMhL_lk&t=1448s

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-marbella-updated-7609227

Here’s this week’s picks.  It is not safe to count out the Chiefs since they opened a can of whoopass on my boy Wolv’s Lions. That will be one of their few losses this year.  I was tempted to take the Jags over Rams but didn’t.  Will that come back to haunt me? And I’m afraid the home team is just too banged up.

Pit LAR Chi Cle KC Phi NYJ NE Den Ind GB Was Atl Det Sea

Anybody need more cowbell? Your federal government in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Tus_ch_aA&list=RDE-Tus_ch_aA&start_radio=1