June 8, 2013

November 7, 2012

  • The imagination - and peculiar taste - of vodka distilleries never ceases to amaze me.

    This afternoon I made a run to Goody Goody, and while searching for a value-priced vodka, stumbled across these new flavor offerings:

     

    Glazed Donut vodka?  That sounds seriously revolting.  Can't even imagine what one would mix it with.  

    Perhaps this is intended to be the libation of choice when watching a movie?  

    Were Don still alive, I swear I'd be tempted to buy this Jalapeno-flavored vodka, except he'd have looked at me - justly - as if I'd lost my mind.  And the Salted Caramel vodka next to it isn't much of an improvement.

    What's wrong with a splash of lime juice and some Sprite, eh?  Getting so it's hard to locate ordinary, unadulterated vodka amidst the plethora of flavored stuff.  The world is going to the dogs, no doubt about it.  Glazed Donut vodka?  May it never be!

     

November 2, 2012

  • Oh, joy. Oh, rapture. I've been hoping the election will be OVER on the 6th.

    Had already been a smidge anxious about the situation in NY, Boston, NJ, and other areas left without power by the Frankenstorm, as doubtless all their voting apparati are electric.

    Now I read this at CNN.com:

    But this election is close — at least that's what the polls seem to indicate. And a close election means that the winner may not be clear for hours, maybe even days…maybe even weeks.  Why? Because each state has its own, sometimes quirky, state laws that dictate how votes are counted and when recounts are triggered.

    Take the critical battleground state of Ohio for instance. In that state, people can vote absentee or in person. But if you request an absentee ballot and still show up on election day at your polling station, you get what's known as a 'provisional ballot.' Now, analysts may call results earlier if the margin between the winner and the loser in that state is greater than the number of provisional ballots cast. But if it's not … and there is a very narrow margin of difference, we will all have to wait for the provisional ballots to be counted. And according to Ohio law, that counting cannot commence before November 17.

    But that's not the only potential cause of delay. If the margin is narrow in several other states, automatic recounts are triggered — virtually guaranteeing a delay in the resolution of the race. And in other states, either side can demand a recount through the courts, or even pay for one.

    I could just scream.

    So much for stocking up on chips and dips and watching the election returns.  OTOH, it could be a windfall for the snack industry as the election counting goes on...and on...and on....

     

October 31, 2012

  • Halloween party at Kirstin's house.

    Kirstin's block in Keller has a Halloween party each year, with families taking turns hosting it.  Bethany - Kirstin's eldest - had expressed a strong desire to host the party and talked about all the keen ideas she had for it.  Kirstin, being up to her ears in activities (as when is she not?) demurred at first, but I encouraged her to go ahead and let Bethany have it.

    I trust this sin, or at least significant lack of judgment, was covered by the blood of Christ for the burden of the party fell on Kirstin, with Bethany fretting about her costume until after the party was under way.  I've apologized to Kirstin a few times, but am adding this public one to the mix.  As I pointed out, however, this should take care of their family's obligation for several years.  

    Tell you what was annoying as all get out, and that was after Kirstin called Little Caesar's to place her order for pizzas and was told it'd be about 15 minutes, I went to get them and what with munching chips and queso and guacamole and then rush-hour traffic on Alta Vista, it was a good while before I made it to the pizza place.  Once there it was to discover it was packed full of people who were waiting for their orders, including one woman who had called hers in the day before!  Apparently they weren't actually processing orders until someone showed up to pay for it.  Ordering several pizzas for Halloween parties appears to be The Thing To Do in Keller, based upon the stacks of pizza boxes walking out the door at regular intervals.  While standing and waiting, I would hear one employee tell a new customer it'd be twenty minutes, while another employee would tell someone else it was going to be close to an hour.  Sheesh!

    However, all is well and neighbors were enthusiastically chowing down on pizza after I arrived with them, even with the magnificent bounty provided by various families.  Yum!  Plus, I brought two pizzas home for the guys, who were very pleased to see them. Pizza never, ever goes to waste around here.

    Here is Kirstin's sister-in-law, Jennifer, with Bethany, who was dressed as "Thing 2":

    A gaggle of neighborhood kids - including darling Brielle in the pink - posing for a photo op:

    Matt with his father (before the majority of goodies arrived) and Bryson, who was a "Cool Ghoul," according to the description on his costume's package:

    Bethany with some of the neighbors, including a guest sporting a fairy costume (I fear that, being the decorative-deficient person I am, I settled for black pants, an orange t-shirt, and black-and-orange bat earrings):

    Matt's father took Brielle on a sight-seeing tour of the neighbor's blow-up decorations:

    It was a lovely evening!  One thing I enjoy about Kirstin's area is how many trick-or-treaters I saw as I drove home.  Our solitary bag of miniature Snickers is sitting here unmolested, but they'd be long gone if I lived in Keller.  

August 30, 2012

  • This evening I've been flipping through the new issue of "Fort Worth Texas" magazine.

    Not precisely the most imaginative name, but it does give you some idea of what market it's aiming for.  ;^)

    Magazines are mostly vehicles for advertising (as are newspapers and virtually all news media, much as we dislike to acknowledge it), but after a little bit I noticed a startling similarity regarding many of the ads:  they're for charitable events.

    Expensive charitable events.

    Here's "Wine, Women & Shoes" which is designed for "benefitting [sic] communities in schools."  The misspelling rather amuses me, under the circumstances.  Anyway, the reader is urged to "Be there. Be fabulous!"  A single ticket is $125.  For that I will be allowed to sip fine wines, shop the latest shoes and accessories, savor delectable bites, and mingle with the Sole Men.  Hmmm....I pay $125 to essentially go shoe-shopping at the T&P Railroad Station? I don't think so.  Pass.

    Okay, how about the "Let's Chat: Women Who Care, Share" event, benefiting the YWCA?  Table sponsorships begin at $1,000.

    No?  Perhaps the 20th Annual Cowtown Ball...."Boots and Bling"....featuring country singer Mark Chesnutt is more to your taste, and a mere $250 per ticket (tables available for $2,000).

    I can tell you are a reader of rare discrimination, demanded the unique.  Then how about the Fort Worth Club/Outdoor Sports Club's Wild Game Dinner, benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth?  As the add enticingly enquires, "Are you game for the Camo Chic event of the year?"  Which is itself a trifle unnerving, as it hints there are likely to be more Camo Chic events than this one.  The cost of reservations was not included this time, which does make one wonder.

    Here's one that might be fun, and not outrageously expensive:  it's the inaugural "A Wish With Wings" Kitchens Tour: the finest chefs, the finest homes (odd they haven't called me yet).  Individual tickets are merely $25.  That's doable.  

    The Panther Club has planned a Fiesta in Paradise, benefiting Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Worth, being held at Joe T. Garcia's, and single "parrot head" tickets are $100.

    Tell you what, providing the venue and menu for such gala events is clearly a trend for the aforementioned Joe T's, as it is also the site of the Peppers & Pinatas 5th Annual Dinner Party, to help support fire fighters, police, paramedics, and veterans.  Single tickets are $100.

    One of the most well-known homeless missions, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, is presenting A Very Special Dinner called "The Master's Plan" at Ridglea Country Club.  Ticket information is available by calling a number or emailing an address,

    Interspersed throughout are some charitable golf tournaments, naturally, but you get the gist by now.

    Where on earth is everyone getting all this money, is what I want to know.  Aren't these supposed to be tricky times for the economy?  Who are all these people who can gaily throw a hundred smackers at something, getting a Mexican dinner in return?

    It's really quite frustrating, as it makes me think everyone else Out There in Fort Worth Land is frolicking at gala events this fall, and then there's me...staying home and watching "Diners, Drive-ins, and Drives" and drooling over restaurants at which I'll doubtless never dine.  

    Bring on the Sonic Chili cheeseburger with a side of onion rings!  shy

August 27, 2012

  • Who dreams up these flavors? And who actually DRINKS them?

    This afternoon I went with my sister, Jeanne, to Whole Foods in Arlington.  Great store.  

    However, every now and again they carry something that makes me wonder as to the mental health of the chain's buyer (not to mention the vendor):

     

    Pretty certain these soda flavors won't be hawked at Ranger or Cowboy games any time soon.  stunned  Do you suppose anyone ever actually purchases them?  I think they were running about $4 for the carton of four.  

August 16, 2012

  • I wonder how many people try to get to Panera's, but give up?

    There's a billboard on I-30, heading east, right around the Green Oaks exit (where Ridgmar Mall is) for Panera's Bread.  It directs the reader to exit on University, then turn right.

    That's fine, but shouldn't they mention that University is four miles away (I checked), and once one exits to the right (which is the south exit, as opposed to the north exit), Panera isn't exactly right there....one has to drive a ways down University to find it.

    If I were driving through a city and saw a billboard like that, I'd assume University is coming up quickly, and the advertised restaurant will be readily visible.  Living here, I can tell you that's not the case, and don't you know some people have exited, not seen Panera, then given up and returned to the freeway (or eaten at Jack in the Box or Chili's or Old South Pancake House instead)?

    Not much point for a restaurant paying for a billboard if it doesn't accurately tell the driver where it is.

August 13, 2012

  • Dmitry and I ate lunch at Mooyah Burgers.

    I had a turkey burger with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and sauteed mushrooms.  It was muy delicioso!

    It was, unfortunately, also hard to reach.  Apparently they don't have trays, instead sacking everything for take-out.  

    The bag was rather long and sort of narrow.  I'd ordered a large French fries for Dmitry and me to share, and it was a lot of French fries!  About 3 C. of French fries did not fit into the small, 8-10 oz. soda cup into which they were presumably "packed."  What drove me nuts was my burger was on the bottom of the sack.

    To get to the burger, I had to dig down through a mess of hot, loose French fries.  What a ridiculous way to pack the food!  Never before have I been unable to remove the fries because they were essentially dumped loose into a bag, and with my burger buried at the bottom.  Dmitry ordered a hot dog, and it was on top.  So Mooyah put my burger in first, dumped in 3 C. of fries over it, then put in the hot dog.

    Dmitry was snickering because I was so hacked about it.  Of course, he didn't have to thrust HIS hand through all those fries in order to get to his hot dog.  bitter

    If I ever return to Mooyah, I'll get the same turkey burger again (really was tasty!), but will insist either my fries be put in the bag first, or else put in a separate sack entirely.

    What an inconsequential post!  I'm fully aware of it.  My petty side is showing.  blush

August 4, 2012

  • There's something about those AT&T Uverse wireless receiver ads that baffles me.

    In at least three of them, the televisions are placed in truly stupid places.  The palm has to go to the TV in the ad with the ever-increasing party (who invites people to someone else's party, anyway?  Isn't that rude?), which winds up with a crowd dancing around and the set right next to a pool, where it could be easily knocked in.

    ISTM the same problem exists with the ad with the girl attempting to blow up a water toy ("We didn't have that....nosirreebob!"  "Who's Bob?"), though perhaps not quite as close.

    Then there's the ad with the TV in the garage, right under the basketball net.  What lunatic places a TV right where a basketball is likely to hit it?

    Mind, I enjoy the one with the boy and his grandfather.  Putting it out on the porch is utterly reasonable - and what I plan to do with mine once fall arrives! - and the interaction between the two is charming ("Granddad, kids today have it so good."  "I'm tryin' to tell you...")

     

July 28, 2012

  • Once again, the USA's Olympic uniforms were lacking.

    They lacked imagination. They lacked style.  They lacked flair.  

    Unfortunately, they were not lacking berets.  What on earth would make Ralph Lauren think berets are representative American headgear?

    He wants representative, bring on the gimme caps!  Now those are American!

    And big, round, white patches on both the boring navy blue blazer and embarrassing beret?

    Please, please tell me Lauren donated his time to designing the nation's #Olympic outfits.  I'd hate to think he actually got paid for it.  

    Still, we were not the only western nation displaying a sad dearth of imagination. Norway's blazer feature a big "N."  Canada's had "Canada" written across the front.  Presumably the designers were aware their designs were so generic that cheat sheets were required.  

    And from whence came all the nations of which I'd never heard?  Must have been almost half a dozen of 'em, yet I swear I don't recall muttering, "What? Who's THAT?" repeatedly during the Beijing opening ceremony.  

    The queen looked as if she would have preferred to have been anywhere other than where she was, and read the formal opening statement with all the enthusiasm and inflection of a robot.  A bored robot.  BTW, where was Charles?  I saw William.  I saw Kate.  I saw Harry.  I saw Prince Phillip.  Never got a glimpse of Charles.  Wasn't he present?  Considering how AWOL was his mother, it's a pity she didn't hand the opening over to him.  He'd have enjoyed it.

    Let Paul McCartney be a lesson to us all.  When it's over, it's over.  Age eventually takes it toll, and all the hair dye in the world won't disguise an elderly, quavery voice.  Why can't entertainers go gently into that good night?  

    On the plus side, it's in London.  I love London.  And it was terrific, the amount of recognition and appreciation shown to the volunteers, not to mention the construction worker "honor guard."  Don't you know they were thrilled to discover they got to be inside the stadium during the opening ceremony, and cheering the torch bearers as they came through?  Wow.  

    Of course, the best part is always the beaming grins on the faces of the athletes and their trainers, coaches, etc.  Makes me happy just to watch them.