The Sandwich Life

Random, Random, Random

1.  I'm pleased at how many people totally understood my worry about ice cubes and the like.  My husband's response was a tad more prosaic.  He said, "no wonder I always had to empty the ice cube trays.  Couldn't you have just emptied the whole thing and refilled it?"  humph.

2.  I was playing Dale Watson last night and thinking about what a great show that was.  I think if the Vertebrats play here next year they should play at the Rosebowl.

3.  My sister called Owen the other day to ask how his first day of school was and he responded with "don't you mean how was my first day of FIRST GRADE?"  How an aunt could be so clueless not to realize this important distinction I just don't know.

4.  Leo walked to school by himself this morning.  sniff, sniff.  So much for his demand that Ernie walk him to school until he was in fifth grade.  Owen was doing his normal roller-coaster-mood/procastination thing and Leo just sighed deeply and said, "THIS is why I will have to walk by myself."  Leo gets VERY upset at the thought of being late.  So off he trotted...

5.  I bought new jeans and such for the guys the other day.  It's the first time I've had to give in and buy the exact same size for both of them.  I noticed today that the SIZE EIGHT jeans are a bit snug on Owen and a bit short on Leo.  For God's sake I can't buy my six year old size TENS.  I need to stop feeding them.

6.  I'm moving into denial mode about getting everything ready for our party that's in a month.  You gotta go with your strengths in life though and God knows denial is one of mine....

7.  Dinner last night:  Linguini with fresh tomato sauce (thank you Matt)  just simmered a few minutes with slivered cottage bacon from Triple S farms and parmigiano reggiano.  Oh my.  And cottage bacon....I'm a sucker for just the NAME....

8.  After having to postpone dinner with my mother two nights in a row we'll give it a try tonight.  Pancake night because we haven't done it in ages and the guys get so excited.

9.  Like many people, I cried through most of Ted Kennedy's speech last night. It's somehow tied into my grief about my father I think.  They are men of the same generation---my father loved Bobby Kennedy.  Good men.  Imperfect men but truly good men with loving, passionate hearts.  Of course my father suffered through brain tumors years ago although not malignant....and then again I'm not too fond of the whole cancer thing.  So it all coalesces until I'm just a big weepy ball when I watch him.

10.  Lots of hummingbirds among my flowers of late....they love my zinnias and my false turtlehead. Oh, and my pink morning glories are finally blooming as you can see below.  Not the best morning glory year for me----one of my worst  Heavenly Blue years in awhile but even few and far between I love them.

11.  Oh....and I forgot to say it was just a lousy garter snake that bit Ernie the other day as he tried to relocate him.  You know me and snakes already though...and then to see blood dripping from his hand....yeuch....  Sasha thought it sounded biblical and wondered if we'd seen any hordes of locusts or had frogs rain down on us and what do you know?  When I got home there WERE a bunch of cicada shells stuck on our adirondak chairs.....

Snakes, Comcast and Children in Disgrace...

1. Friday afternoon a snake in the yard bit Ernie.

2. Later that evening my two beloved children misbehaved so badly at someone else’s house that I could barely speak or function I was so aghast. I am making them write apology letters to our hosts and they have been stripped of playstation/tv/computer privileges for the entire weekend....and they were sent to bed as soon as we got home.  Ohhhh....this will take me a LONG to forgive. I’ve never been so embarrassed by my children in my life and I know everyone understood and just felt bad for Ernie and me but suffice to say it was NOT a pleasant car ride home. 

3. My Saturday morning was kind of shot because I was still filled with fury but I dragged the whole family to Farm and Fleet and Menard’s.  Owen then proceeded to have a jumping up and down tantrum in the parking lot at Menard’s because I wouldn’t buy another bottle of water for him because I had just bought a drink for him at Farm and Fleet that he didn’t drink. WTF?

4. Once we got home it was hot so Ernie and I got in the pool and sat while the boys went inside and played with Lego.  We pondered our poor parenting skills and splashed a little.  My productive goals for the day faded away.  We were tired….we hadn’t slept well and fury can wear you out.Ernie cooked ribs and we used the last of our Ragin’ Raven Zinfandel BBQ sauce.  He has checked at Schnuck’s and another store or two in town and hasn’t found it.  I've looked online but nothing yet.... The search begins….

5. So now it’s Sunday and Monday morning and a very busy week ahead loom way too large.  I need to go buy more shoes for the guys as the last purchases were not terribly successful.  It’s because I brought them with me and measured their feet….it’s much better when I just pick up a shoe, squint at it and throw it in the shopping cart at Target.

6. So Comcast cares but evidently not enough...yet.  A couple of posts ago as I whined about my Comcast service and a kind Comcast customer service person contacted me.  He had Comcast people out the next day and they worked here for quite awhile.  They my personal Mac guru came over and updated/tweaked  my computer and I had great hopes.  Alas, this weekend it has been on and off service again.  I've barely been able to be on today although right now it seems fine.  Another phone call I guess and then I give up....

7. Here is a band that Owen built out of Lego.  I particularly like the drum kit.  He was QUITE proud of it. The drummer used to have drumsticks....not sure what happened to the.  Perhaps he flung them out into the crowd....

8. Beautiful homegrown tomatoes from my Mac guru....it's so good to have the right friends....

9. Owen came outside wearing this t-shirt and I just shook my head and thought, "did my husband REALLY wear that t-shirt when I first met him?"  Guess we were BOTH smaller!!!  I asked Owen if he knew who was on that shirt and first he said, "Adam Schmitt?" and when we said no then he guessed John McCain.  When we stared at him blankly he got flustered and said, "oh no, that's not what I meant."  Then we told him it was Kenny and he lit up and said, "the guy that sang while I was on the stairs?"  Yes we said and he smiled and gave us a thumbs up.

Monday, Monday

1.  Wonderfully relaxing picnic at Meadowbrook Park the other day.....  Owen hurt his hand on the monkey bars and not only did Dick have a band-aid in his wallet but later, when that one gave up,  Sasha actually pulled out a first aid kit in a tiny little Whitman's sampler tin.  Is that the cutest thing you've ever seen? My how times change.

2.  More vandalism in the garden at work this morning.  Sigh.

3.  Leo and Owen are both a bit sick today.  Owen has had a bit of a cold and is all stuffed up----I'm trying to convince myself that's why he's been so foul lately.  Leo now has a fever and a bit of a cold. Damn it all.  Kids aren't supposed to be sick in July!  And I'm supposed to have one of my best friends----Gisela---over tomorrow.....we'll see.

4.  O.K.....we just watched Nashville Star---the longest two hours on television but given how tired I was from both Owen AND Leo trying to sleep with us last night it was perfect.  They kept picking on performers/contestants for not being country enough....so why didn't they PICK country contestants???

5. Last time we saw Kane Welch Kaplin Kevin mentioned onstage (before they did David Olney/John Hadley'sPostcards from Mexico) that David Olney was touring with Sergio Webb and when they did this song Sergio used a megaphone....here it is at long last.  I  gotta admit that I love Kane Welch Kaplin's version of it but this pretty much kills me too. I don't understand what's going on with me and David Olney....it seems everytime he plays close by I'm unavailable.  One time several years ago he played in Chicago the day we were doing the Ann Arbor Antiques Market and then played Ann Arbor the day after we left.  He played a day or two after we saw KWK this spring but we couldn't get up there/stay up there after having seen them.  NOW after obsessively looking at his touring schedule  I found that he's going to be in PORTLAND, MAINE the DAY after we leave.  WTF???  Geesh..  One day David Olney...I just KNOW it....

6.  O.K.....I know nobody watches these clips I put on but they make me damn happy. I watched pretty much this whole video the other night before realizing it was Billy Bob Thornton....sometimes I'm clueless.....  Anyway, I kinda like what I've heard...it's all covers but for God's sake they do a MOTT THE HOOPLE song....(not this one mind you).....

7.  O.K....so I listened to the Vertebrats thing on WGN but I must admit that I'd had a couple of glasses of wine and Ernie'd had a whiskey or two (hence him actually calling in) but anyway that night I had all sorts of odd dreams (as I do most nights.....) and the next morning I thought to myself, "did Kenny actually say they were considering another reunion next summer?" and then I told myself that no....that must have been part of one of my dreams.  I considered emailing him about it but I feared that he would respond, "Cynthia...how much wine DID you have?" so I didn't do it.  Now that I can listen to the whole thing again however I realized tha the DID say that and it wasn't a wishful dream.....  What freaks me out is thinking that I imagine that would be their 30th anniversary.... Woo-hooooooooo!!!1

8. O.K....I guess I'm off to bed....

Random Summertime Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  When we got Owen glasses last year before he started kindergarten we decided to splurge and get two pairs in case one went missing. This was VERY wise as he takes them off to play and was always misplacing a pair or leaving it at someone's house. 

Now....however....he has lost BOTH pair.  geesh.

2.  I think the whole family is bleary this morning.  The boys were up WAY too late but we had the loveliest evening, sitting in the yard and eating dinner with our dear friends Ann and Bob, watching Sophie, the guys and a gaggle of neighborhood kids dive in the pool, chase each other through the field and catch fireflies, listening to music (David Olney and lots of Kane Welch Kaplin), getting bitten by mosquitoes and watching the candles flicker.  I guess it truly is officially summer.

3.  T-ball game tonight for Owen....can't decide whether I want it rained out or not.

4.  Talked to my mother yesterday afternoon and she'd had a very hard day and was in tears. I torture myself sometimes trying to figure out whether we could fit her into our house.  I just don't know if I can make it work on a number of different levels.  One worry subsides and another is there waiting to take its place, huh?

5. Talked to Judi and ordered her to stay away from all things to do with cancer on the internet.  You can drive yourself crazy that way.  I totally understand because I have done it too....

6.  The Vertebrats radio clip from WGN is online....listen to them play the wrong song and hear from Kenny...oh and Ernie after a whiskey or two (to keep him up late)....

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1. Judi took me to Cafe Luna for lunch yesterday.  Wonderful food (although the menu had said 'spicy seared tuna sandwich' and there was no spice to be found at all) but the service was LOUSY.  I tend to be pretty forgiving but it was laughably bad.  I sure hope they get things tightened up because it would be a shame to let that get in the way of very good food.  I noticed in the comments on Champaign Taste that quite a few other people complained about service.  And let's face it, it's not like we have the highest standards around here....

2.  Leo's Lego has STILL not been delivered. Poor Ernie spent hours on the phone with DHL and the post office, etc. Leo's big brown eyes keep getting bigger and sadder. The plan today is to drive Aunt Judi to the airport in Bloomington this morning, then race home to see if it's here and if it's not they plan to stage a sit-in at the post office.  Wish them luck.

3.  Aunt Judi went to t-ball with Ernie and Owen last night.  Owen was so happy.  Here she is wearing his Grand Ole Opry baseball cap.

And here's my giant boy.  He ended up getting a small t-shirt and since he's monster  sized it's awfully small but he insists on wearing it.  His first game is Wednesday so I guess I have to go.  My sweet pea.

4.  It was great to have Judi here even though it went so fast.  She looks great and I loved her hair! I like short hair---not that you can tell by my hair these days.  I tried to convince her that she doesn't look post-chemo---she just looks like she has short hair!  So we went to McDonald's with the guys (good LORD I hate doing that) and the woman at the register immediately asked her if she was just out of chemo.  Geesh.  Of course turns out the woman was seven months out of chemo so she was probably a little more senstive to it.  We laughed.....because you have to....but I still think it looks great.

5.  Well, we've been going back and forth and back and forth about going to Maine this year.  Can you imagine what our gas bills will be like? Two full days of driving each way.  And we're spending more money than we should on Kane Welch Kaplin (not that it won't be worth it) for our party this fall.  By all rights we should cancel Maine.

But.....we didn't.  Ernie just sent the remainder of the rental fee for the house off yesterday. I need Maine.

6.  Are any other local people having a rotten time since Comcast took over from Insight?  Between the annoying new compose window for Typepad and lousy internet connections I feel like I'm stuttering on the computer all the time....

7. And look at this Vertebrats fans....

Where do I start?

the weekend....hmmmm.  It seemed long and full and I slept a lot.  That's pretty much it.  I'm not really sick but I don't feel wonderful and I keep coughing up small animals and taking naps.  In between all that I fixed dinner for my Mom and Judi.  I gotta say....this recipe is fantastic and it takes about 5 minutes to make.  I used strip steaks from Stan instead of flank steak.  It's been a hit every time I've made it.

Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw
Bon Appetit June 2008

1/4 cup soy sauce
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1 1/2-pound flank steak
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 red jalapeños, thinly sliced into rounds
5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (about 9 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix soy sauce, oil, 3 teaspoons ginger, and garlic in resealable plastic bag. Add flank steak and seal bag; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Add jalapenos and remaining 2 teaspoons ginger. Place cabbage and 1/2 cup green onions in medium bowl.

Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand while grilling steak, tossing occasionally.

Grill steak until cooked to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to work surface. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice steak thinly against grain. Sprinkle 1/4 cup green onions over slaw.

Obviously you could add more to the slaw if you felt like it but it's great as is.

Let's see...what else?  Oh.  Well, I hate to report this but the two months of planning that Leo and Allen put into their cupcake/cookie/lemonade stand didn't seem to pay off.  They were SO excited and had little signs made, even 'back in 5 minutes' signs so they could take a break.  Some of their strategies were a bit off I fear but I tried not to interfere too much.  Unfortunately they only made $4 and closed up after about 2 and a half hours or so.   My heart broke for him.  In addition Leo's latest Lego package (oh, I know, I know...but we have this point system going on and he deserved a reward....  Maybe I am an enabler.) did not arrive on Saturday even though DHL delivered it to the USPS in Urbana on Friday at 10:44 a.m.  Geesh.  I hate it when my baby is heartbroken.

The management team:  Leo and Allen

Here's Dema (one of the employees) with one of their signs:

and the other employee who was in charge of filling orders:

Later we had dinner at Fries and Peanuts with Judi and my mom.  When we go with my mother we sit in the pool area because that's the only place for the wheelchair.  There was a guy playing pool and he glared at us. I smiled and said, "we'll try to stay out of your way."  He just kind of looked at me and said, "well, out of all the places to sit that's probably the worst."  I smiled again and said, "well if you know where I can sit this many people with someone in a wheelchair you just let me know."  "Oh," he said.  He moved to a different pool table, poor thing.

Later in the evening we prepared to watch the first new episode of Ice Road Truckers (the only thing that brought Leo out of his doldrums). Owen attempted to toss the remote control over to the couch and it flew squarely into the side of my head.  A bit of a headache.

We ended up curled up in bed with the laptop listening to Nick Digilio of WGN talk about the Vertebrats.  My esteemed husband even called in....possibly fueled by a tumbler of whiskey....to tell them that they played the wrong song (they were supposed to play Left in the Dark but got it wrong) and ended up on air.  I don't quite recall what he said but of course I thought he sounded great.  We giggled a lot, went to sleep and that was the end of the weekend....

You guys KNOW how happy the Vertebrats make me....

Woo-hoooooo.  I LOVE having a Vertebrats alert!   This news came via Matt's Vertebrats blog.....

On Sunday, June 8 the next official installment of the radio version of the 'Secret History of Chicago Music' will air at 11 p.m. central time on WGN-720 a.m. on the Nick Digilio show.  The segment will feature....THE VERTEBRATS!.  This week's strip will be in the Reader....you can catch the webcast/stream deal at http://wgnradio.com/listen/index.htm and strips are archived online at http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/secrethistory.

Guess I'll have to stay up 'late' huh?  When I was in high school my mother and I had a deal that whomever got up first could pick the radio station.  I of course would always pick WLS....she would pick WGN.  There are times that I just can't believe that I now sometimes listen to WGN....I mean, it's for grownups, right?  Times change.....huh?  Or then again, maybe not.....

 
Is that OUR Annette that is thanked?

oh.....and I must say I don't know if the picture of Roy does him justice.....sorry Roy.....we know better....

Courtney Love v. Kenny Draznik

O.K.....it's fun to finally hear Courtney Love's version of the Vertebrats' Left in the Dark.....particularly after hearing rumors about it for so long.....but I am quite biased and prefer the original. 

What do you think?

or of course there's always The Leonards' version....

Well, I guess I love them all.....great song after all......

Long lost days.....

Oh good lord....I have no words.....at least a shaggy Jon Pines seemed to start it off with a Vertebrats tune even though they were sorely ignored in the rest of the story.....

Memories are made of this....

Eileen sent me this link the other day which made me nostalgic for The Mavericks and Raul's singing.  We had gotten his Christmas album some time ago but I'd forgotten about.

So then I hit youtube and found a few treats.  Here you go Eileen---remember last time we were at Robert's Western World, Raul wasn't playing but he was sitting with us.  Can you believe it was so long ago....in those halcyon Cynthia-and-Ernie-don't-have-children-so-we-can-all-just-pick-up-and-go-to-Nashville days?

I wish I could relive the four nights in a row we saw them in the bar of the Marriott Hotel in downtown Chicago.  Drinking champagne after the show the night Raul got married.  Absolutely amazing shows.  Sweet guys. Raul is absolutely  one of the most charismatic people I've ever met.  And I'll always have a very soft spot for Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin. I can NOT believe it was 15 years ago....  After the Vertebrats, they are probably the band I have seen the most times in my life....