Saturday, December 25, 2010

Love Socks, Don't Like the Nickname Gus

I love socks. I think I always have. Long socks, short socks, soft socks, scratchy socks, black socks, colored socks. I like them all. I do have some sock peculiarities. I like to wear socks that match in size and texture. I don't really care if they match in color. And I really like slocks - or socks with non-skid stuff on the bottom that you can wear in place of slippers. Love 'em! When others decry the appearance of socks as a gift, I rejoice!

I don't like the nickname Gus. It is so short. And I am tall. It is also simple, and I am complex. Gus is a firefly. Gus is a bus driver. Gus is Gullible. At least Augustus is a nincompoop.

Day Five Trip to Geneva - Christmas Eve

Another lovely day here in beautiful Geneva. If people visited here only during this recent spate of miserable weather, they wouldn't understand why Geneva is a nice place to live. Anyway, we got up and didn't do a lot. Last night, I snuck down after mom had gone to bed and put out the Christmas presents. Mom's family did really well by her and me. Karl, Juliet and Paul and Ernst and Betty all sent boxes with gifts. Mom and I have not done as well by them. :( I put a picture of the tree with presents up on facebook. When mom came downstairs, she wanted to start opening presents right then. Several times throughout the day she asked to start opening presents. I think at about 4pm I relented and let her open a present. She found a lovely copy of Ernst's book of collected works.

I went to the grocery store again. Ok, I have a crush on the grocery store. Anyway, I needed to get a few things for the evening and for future meals. It was crowded! Really crowded. People were parking along the side of the road because there was a paucity of available spaces! I got the replacement chicken, some oil to fry it in - can't wait - some borsin cheese, some more beer, and I think that is all. Oh, a bar of Toblerone. Yippee!

After returning home and resting a bit from my exertions, we had leftovers for lunch - I tried to doctor up the broccoli soup a bit - added some more paprika and some salt - I think it was a smidge improved. Also tossed on the left over sausages and some coleslaw and called it lunch for me and mom. After another lie down, heck, this is a vacation, I went to do some cooking. For some reason I wanted to make Cheese Straws. Turned out that they are easy - well, they require some effort, but not a lot of ingredients. They turned out pretty well. I think when I make them next, probably for the bridge group, I will make them with sharp cheddar cheese and maybe some Parmesan. Another rest, really a reason to check my email and look at facebook and play a few hands of computer bridge. Then it was time to get the scalloped potatoes ready for the oven. I found a recipe that is very easy. And with my new knife, cutting the potatoes was really smooth and fast. And I swear that cutting onions with it causes fewer tears. Before I knew it, it was time to head out to pick up the duck.

Honestly, I did so with a little bit of trepidation. Wing Tai, the restaurant I got the duck from, has been open in Geneva for at least 30 years. And it has a hit or miss reputation. This time they hit. The duck was great!

When I got back, I organized the hors d'oeuvres while mom changed into her new black pants. Then it was present opening time! We took our time - mom wrote down every thing that we both got. Good hauls for both of us! Yippee! And yummy food - cheese straws, borsin cheese, smoked mussels, black olives and hummus! And I started drinking. Goodness gracious, the Southern Tier Chokolat Imperial Stout was really delicious. Later I had a Creme Brulee Imperial Stout. Also a great beer. But both were pretty strong! After we had opened all of our presents, I prepared little dishes of duck and scalloped potatoes for us for our dinner. Yippee!

After eating we watched one of the movies I had gotten for mom. Then watched the tail end of Its A Wonderful Life - on commercial television sadly. I left my copy at home in Clayton. And I didn't bring my other favorite holiday movie - Holiday Inn. I know, many people like the BB Gun movie - never really got into that one. By that time, I was snockered and mom was pretty exhausted and we called it a night!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Typsy Typing Totally Truculent

Ok, I just put truculent for the alliteration. Sue me, I like alliteration. If I were cleverer, I would go for allusions. Just can't be bothered. And I am not going to make any conscious biblical references. So there.

Anyway, it is Christmas Eve. On the East Coast of the US, for all of my non-existent non-east Coast, non-us Readers, it is almost midnight. And if I type quickly, which I generally do, I will get this posted before Christmas.

You know, I don't know that I believe that Christ was born at the winter solstice. I wasn't there. And there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence for that date. Whatever. I like Christmas. I used to sing in an Episcopalian choir. A lot. Until I went away to high school. But I am really Christian no more. My concept of God is much larger, I feel, than Christianity. Again, whatever.

My mom and I had Christmas together. My siblings and half siblings sent presents. Mom was like a kid, always wanting to start opening her presents. I made her wait until almost 6 pm. We have always opened our presents in this family on Christmas Eve, with stockings opened the next day. No stockings for us this year. I didn't get my act together. But I do think I provided a lot of good Christmas bits to my mom. Good hors d'oeuvres, good food (we had Peking Duck for our entree) and decent entertainment. We watched a mediocre Busby Berkeley film (Golddiggers of 1937) and the last forty minutes of It's A Wonderful Life. Waah! Cried a lot.

Moving on. The woman I am most enamored of, doesn't seem to recall that I am alive. Another I have a crush on, totally inappropriate, also doesn't seem to know that I am breathing similar air to her. And the women that an FB friend introduced to me - well, it is too early to call on them, but so far, I am not feeling the love. But it is Christmas and I am sure all of them are more focused on their lives and loved ones and not on me. Sigh.

Ok, it is Christmas, 2010. I have had a tad too much yummy Southern Tier beer to drink. And that is the way life goes sometimes. Happy Christmas to All and to all a Merry New Year.

Day Four Trip to Geneva

Once again, I got up. That always seems to make a day more pleasant. And it was flurrying. I guess that is a good thing. White soon-to-be Christmas and all. Not much planned for the day which is a mixed blessing. Mom had an eye doctor's appointment scheduled, and I wanted to do some more Christmas and food shopping.

All went as planned. We got mom to the eye doctor in time, and then had to wait at least half an hour before she got seen. :( It was just a follow up to her cataract surgery earlier in the year.

Next stop, Big Lots. I have only been to big lots once or twice before and generally have not been impressed. But that video store sales person suggested it for a place for inexpensive videos, and she was right! Some interesting stuff. If I were made of money, I would have picked up a few more. As it is, I got one for mom for Christmas, and a couple others that I haven't decided what to do with. Maybe give them away? Maybe just keep them and watch them myself! Hahahahaha (diabolical laughter, for those who couldn't tell)

Back to Wegman's again. Yes, I like going there. In fact, I will probably go there tomorrow as well (well, today, but tomorrow in respect to this note - Day 5... anyway). Picked up Chicken and beer and some stuff for our merriment tonight - some traditional stuff. Sadly, mom and I couldn't find the smoked clams that are traditional for the Schoen-Rene family. Maybe I will have to break down and go to Tops to look. Hmm.

After that, we came back and I started to cook. Intuition is a good thing, but I did not heed it. I thought that mom's cooking oil might be bad. I smelled it, it didn't smell too bad. I tasted it - a little weird but not horrible, so I went ahead and fried some chicken in it. I got the first two pieces out and put the next two pieces in and, as is my proclivity, tasted a piece of the skin from one of the pieces. Gag me with a fork! Ick, patoey! Yuck! Oh well. I will get more oil and chicken today at Wegmans and try again on Saturday night. I went to plan b. Well, there was no plan b, so I made one up. Mom had some hot italian sausages that I cooked with onions. The spinach salad was still yummy - though the hot bacon dressing I made was way too sweet. I can fix that, though. More vinegar! :)

Later that evening, I wrapped mom's two presents, and after she went to bed, put out the presents that the family has sent for her. My sister and two brothers all sent her something! Yippee!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Movie thoughts on two movies

My mom likes to go to the movies when I am here. That is a good thing, as I get to see movies that I might not otherwise get to see in a theatre. I haven't, sadly, been going to the $1.50 movie theatre in Raleigh as much as I used to. Anyway, since coming up here, we have been to two. And here is what I think of them:

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawntreader - 3D - I would give it 6.5 out of 10.
If one likes fantasy (I do) and likes the Narnia books and the other Narnia movies (me) then this was good fun. I still think the acting is pretty atrocious, but the effects are decent and the story is one of my favorite of the series.

How Do You Know - I thought this was going to be a thoughtful movie - I thought it was Albert Brooks, not James Brooks. Oh well. I have a thing for romantic comedies. I love to watch them, no matter how sappy and ridiculous. I also like Reese Witherspoon. And Owen Wilson. So I had high hopes. I give it a 5 out of 10. Worth seeing if someone else pays for it.I don't like Paul Rudd. And Jack Nicholson wasn't the optimal choice for his role.

Hey, I was thinking of writing a book of pop psychology based on movies - pick a movie and as a favorite and it says something about you. Does that sound like something that would be successful? Is there a book like that? There probably is. Anyway, comments are welcome?

Crickets, all I get are crickets...

Day Three Trip to Geneva

Another exciting day here in Geneva. Got up and took a shower. For some reason I am reluctant to use the shower here. It isn't that bad once I start, but it is off putting. Perhaps it is that the water doesn't get all that hot (we turned down the water heater so my mom wouldn't scald herself). Or the weird bathmat. Or the way the handles have been turned around from so much use. Anyway, I am clean for the moment! We got out of the house a little later than I would have liked. I am trying to find a present to put under the tree for mom. So we went to the Waterloo Outlet Mall - halfway between Geneva and Waterloo. Just like any set of outlet malls.

We looked in a few stores - Claire's Accessories (for another present for someone else) and the woman there suggested a clothing store for pants for my mom. Next the book store. They had a couple of deals that I thought were tempting - but since I am not in my car (having flown here) I thought about lugging them back home and opted not to get the $60 twenty pound coffee table book. Sigh. I just love buying books. Sad. Next we went to the clothing store and managed to convince mom to buy two pairs of pants. Honestly, I think she wears one pair for a month before washing them. Eeeek! I chatted with the salesperson while mom tried on the pants. She was telling me about her father and his last years. Fun stuff. No seriously, interesting and fun.

Next, a kitchen supply place. Mom bought me a knife. I am very excited. With my recent foray into cooking, a good knife is just what I need! I realized, though, that TSA might not let me carry it on the plane in my carry on luggage - so we will send it to me before I leave.

Lastly, we went to a perfume store, where mom replenished her stock of 4711. Big time!

Wow - that was enough for a whole day, but wait, there's more! Lunch of leftovers at home - pizza (all gone now) and Hot and Sour Soup (still a smidge left). Then I headed out on my own. One of the hard things about coming to Geneva is that I feel like spending time not in the house is unfair to my mom. I have felt like this since I was 20 and living here to go to school. Oh well. My problem. Anyway, I managed to head off by myself for an hour and a half. Back to Wegman's (like a cross between Food Lion and Lowe's Food) for groceries. I like going to the grocery store. People watching is always entertaining. Got some ingredients to make Cream of Broccoli Soup and Scalloped potatoes. Then to Walmsrt to try to find a movie for mom. No luck. Then to the local movie rental place - no luck - though they suggested Big Lots and I am going to try them on Thursday.

At home, I cooked. We had omelets and broccoli soup for dinner. The omelet was great! The soup, ok, but not great. :( The entertainment option for the evening was another movie - How Do You Know. I have a love hate relationship with Romantic Comedies. I always hope that love can happen like that - especially friends turning into romantic partners - but life doesn't seem to work out like that for me.

Then home again home again! And bed. Sleeping is good. :)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Just undateable?

(To the tune of Unforgettable)
Just un-date-able, that's what I am
Just un-date-able just like a clam
Like a smell of dove that clings to me
How the thought of me does things to thee
Never before has someone been more

Just un-date-able in every way
And forever more, that's how I’ll stay
That's why, people, it's incredible
That someone so just un-date-able
Thinks that I am un-date-able too


I have come to realize that I may be un-date-able. This is just an observation. The way the notion came up was someone mentioned that a guy who wore a fanny pack - or anything on their belt - was un-date-able. Maybe it was on a TV show - a sitcom even - which, as we of the TV generation know, is the font of all cultural wisdom. In any case, this is the first reason I am un-date-able - I wear my camera on my hip and have for a few years now. The second reason I am un-date-able is because I am unemployed. Sure, there is potential for me to be gainfully employed, but I am not. The mention of that has turned many budding romances into scenes of women fleeing before the tab comes. The third reason is appearance. Right now I am in super hirsute mode. I have a beard and my hair is getting longer by the second. There are very few men with long hair just now and even fewer women who like men with long hair. And unkempt beard has never been very popular. The final reason I am going to enumerate here, cause there are probably many more, and I just don’t want to list them, is that I am picky. I know, weird. I really would like to date someone that I find appealing and attractive. Sue me. So there we have it. Undateable.

Then again, I’m a Great Catch
I am a great catch, if I must say so myself. Or I could get my mom to say so. She thinks I have enough positive attributes to put me in the great catch category. I am healthy. I am smart. I am funny. Ok, maybe not a good catch, but not a bad one either...

I think I have forgotten how to date. Or how to ask people out. And after that, how to move to actual romance. And sex. And a relationship. Sad, but I think it has happened. I certainly haven’t been picking potential partners perfectly (ok, I mean “well” - I just wanted one more “p” word for the alliteration). I thought one woman was appealing, and she thought I wasn’t. Full stop. Another woman who appeals on many levels just wants to be friends. Hey, there is nothing wrong with friends. It would just be nice to be in a companionable relationship where sex is an option. And maybe even a long term relationship if possible. Sigh. Maybe other people are less picky than I am about who they date and who they get into a relationship with. Heck, I don’t even know where to meet appropriate women. I meet inappropriate women all the time. Not that it matters because even the inappropriate ones have no interest in dating me. At least, not that I can tell. My last long term relationship ended 4 years ago. Wow, scary when it is in black and white. Since then I have had a few dates, and maybe a short fling, but nothing longterm, nothing serious. The universe is as the universe is.