Jazz Fest - The Joint is Jumpin'

The music began at 1 this afternoon and ends at 6 this evening. These guys (keyboards, bass, and drums) are pros and have worked with some of the best in the studio and on tour - separately and together - with seemingly effortless perfection. Don't let the white hair fool you; like a well oiled machine they take great tunes, pull them apart, twist them around and make them very special. Ellington, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, Steve Allen, and more. (Click images to embiggen.)

They got a kick out of the fact that I knew lyrics to many tunes and would sing them (quietly, of course) as they played and jammed. What a great joy for me.

The restaurant was packed a half hour after opening; by 2:30 there was a 45 minute wait for seating - anywhere in the house - the bar was standing room only the entire afternoon into the evening when I finished work and headed home.

Everyone was enjoying the good sounds while having cocktails and good food with friends. The boss picked my brain and came up with a special New Orleans themed menu, which included a gumbo, creole, and a dessert. Here we are pulling it together on Thursday afternoon getting ready for the first night of Jazz. And NO, too many cooks didn't spoil the dish.  It was really good.

Boss, me, Nicole, Jose, Daniel

My kind of day...AND...I get to do it all over again tomorrow.  The trio will be playing from 12 noon til 4 pm. - almost the entire lunch shift. The best part is that I have a front row vantage point.  Good music, good vibes, good people.  That's what it's all about.

And so it goes.
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Carnival Caturday

This weekend has turned into quite a ride.
More later.
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Inspiring: May the Healing Begin Before Spirit Day

May it be so.

And so it goes.
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Training & Telemarketers: Reading Beads of the Stoopid

So, I am minding my own business, attending a training session to help manage the restaurant's website, and all of a sudden my cell phone rings. Thinking that it was the boss checking up on me, I answer saying, "yes, alright already, I am here, Jeez!"

But it's not the boss; it's a random call from the DNC asking for a donation to fight off the racist teabaggers and Republicans in November. As the caller began to read from her script I interrupted asking that they remove my cell number from the call list (it is already on a no-call list) and she asked for my home phone number, which was her big mistake.

me: Please remove this number from your list. It's in the National Do Not Call Registry.

dnc: Oh, well, give me your home number to add to our database.

me: No,

dnc: Well how are we supposed to reach you?

me: Somehow you got my unlisted cell number, so I am sure you're capable of finding those published, or are you people too lazy?  Look it up.

dnc: (ignoring what I just told her) Well in any case since I have you on the line we're asking for a donation to ----. 

I stopped her cold.

me: Whoa!  Stop there. Let me tell you something - and - listen - carefully - there will be NO donations to the Democratic Party until EQUALITY is addressed; until DADT is ended; DOMA is gone for good: the DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) are made accountable for voting with the GOP and Teabaggers. As promised during the last campaign.

dnc: What do you mean by "equality" exactly? (Again ignoring the elephant in the room)

me: If you have to ask that question, you don't know how to use a search engine, or pay the slightest attention to the events of the past two years. Listen, if you are a volunteer dragged in to make cold calls, you can be somewhat forgiven. If, however, you are employed by the DNC you are part of the problem and the reason that I will not contribute to the party.

dnc: Well, why don't you just tell me so I don't have to search for the answers? (touch of sarcasm, here)

me: So, you ARE lazy.  THAT is the real problem. None of you have a clue to what is going on, making you just as out of touch as the Republicans.

This made her bristle.

dnc: we're taking great steps to address the needs of the American people and.... (reading from her script again).

me: Are you calling from the Washington DC area?

dnc: No, I'm in Florida - and things are about to change. (that damned script again - got to admit the old girl has stamina).

me: Are you aware of the BP Disaster in the Gulf back in April and its continuing impact on the lives of the communities and people in that area? The devastating impact on the aquaculture of the entire gulf coast?

(silence)

me: that's what I thought. Tell you what; when you acquaint yourself with the issues I've mentioned and can discuss them intelligently, give me a call on my home phone, when you find it.  Oh, and what you find out may make you rethink your own contributions to the party, too.   I hope this call is being recorded, though I doubt it. For now, this conversation is over. 

(call ended)

My trainer, Nancy, was staring, mouth open. She didn't know what to say, if anything, so I just went to my notes and picked up the session where we left off because of the rude call. I was seething inside, but wouldn't let it show. I let it go away quietly and finished the training. It was a good session and the site will be relatively easy to update. A very productive 3 hours. And, no ftp protocol to deal with.  Praise G*d!

Nancy escorted me to the parking lot and mentioned the call and my responses because, she said, " your face was tight, eyes fixed on nothing,  and there was a calmness about you." Truth is I was forcing every fiber of my body to remain calm and fixed on the point. I am not very good at this sort of altercation, but getting better.

Maybe because of the interruption I became more focused, but what ever it was, I retained more knowledge than I thought I would.  Yes, I took notes, but only for navigational and editing purposes, and I was pleased that when I returned home I was able to log in and make some of the corrections that have bothered me for months (hey, being anal isn't easy!) and upload the corrected items.  Cool!

I'm ready for dinner and a few olives to celebrate.  Cheers.

And so it goes.
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"It Gets Better" - The B. D. Wong Contribution

This is just beautiful. I still have tears in my eyes. B.D. makes a video that is so personal and intimate that you really must turn up the volume of your speakers. (Of course, you will find out why all the whispering at the end of the video. I won't spoil it for you.)  I've always loved this guy's work, but this is something special made just for you, the viewer; one-on-one and secrets are shared. Watch, listen, and be amazed.

Nothing to add on my part.

And so it goes.
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Columbus, Buddies, Greyhounds, Sales, NCOD, & Jazz

While few, if any "celebrate" Columbus Day anymore, they still take advantage of the extra, free day.  This year it also happens to fall on National Coming Out Day (NCOD) and with the recent suicides, it will be a special day of remembrance for many, as well.

Here at the beach there were activities to keep everyone busy and interested. This is the week the greyhounds visit the DE beaches with their families, to play in the sand, enjoy the big parade of themselves through town and on the boardwalk, and get a lot of attention from us all. Saving these creatures is an ongoing and increasingly desperate situation.  They are content, easy-going with kids and well behaved.  And, a pleasure to observe with their human families.

Saturday was the annual "Buddy Walk" to support the Special Olympics and since the restaurant has been a big supporter for years, it benefits by many walkers dining with us in large family groups for lunch and dinner. Saturday was a very busy day for us all.

There is a three-day "Christmas/Holiday Fair & Sale" sponsored by the Episcopal Church in town. It began Friday afternoon and ends this evening. As I walked home there was a line stretching around the corner of the convention center of people waiting to get in. 

I don't care to hear "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing..." as ghosts and goblins scowl at me from store shelves. I'm sorry, but I like to get Halloween out of the way before I hear Christmas songs and carols, but that's just me.

With all that said, the star attraction of the weekend has been the weather. Since Thursday we have experienced the bluest sky, brightest sun, and temps in the 50s overnight and in the 70s during the day. This made auto and foot traffic look like a day in July, not at all typical for October.  What a joy.

Jazz Fest is on tap this week with acts large and small playing various venues around town and many restaurants (including Dos Locos) are participating.  Tickets for the big guns are sold out, but there will be great music to be had beginning Thursday and ending (at least for DL) with a Jazz Brunch. The boss settled on a New Orleans theme and I supplied my recipe for a classic dessert - Bananas Foster.  It is one of those dishes that everyone's mama had her own recipe for and passed it down.  Mine is one of those and it will be interesting to see how many people recognize it when they see it on the special menu for the event. I just hope the kitchen is faithful to the recipe. If not, I am sure my grandmother will haunt my dreams for weeks afterward.

Football was on all screens in the bar today where the Queans, Dikes, and Straights mingled and cheered (screamed!) for their fave teams. Isn't that the way it ought to be? All of us together?  I had a quick after-shift cocktail and headed for home with a headache bubbling to the surface. The walk home was tranquil, as the sun was setting (far too early for my taste) making the sky an event all by itself, and turning every surface it touched to gold.  Lovely.

And tomorrow I get to do it all over again. I plan to be festively decorated for NCOD.

And so it goes.
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Prince of Darkness Pissed at Church of Hate

Ozzy Osbourne is bearing down on the infamous Westboro Baptist Church for using his song 'Crazy Train' during protests of gays in the military, E! Online reports.

After the small church used his 1980 hit at a demonstration on Thursday at the U.S. Supreme Court, the Prince of Darkness couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"I'm sickened and disgusted by the use of 'Crazy Train' to promote messages of hate and evil by a 'church,'" Ozzy said in a statement.
The Kansas-based church was in Washington because the Supreme Court is set to review a ruling that awarded $5 million to the family of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, whose funeral Westboro protested. The church appealed, and now it's going to the high court.

At this week's protests, church members turned Ozzy's song into a hate-mongering chant: "You're going straight to hell on your crazy train."

Of course, the song doesn't contain such lyrics. Instead, the metal hit is a plea for tolerance and understanding. The first line:

Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not too late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate

I would venture a guess that for Westboro it is far too late to learn how to love. But, they are always on the stoopid train, if that helps. One has to wonder how the oh-so-devout Phelps and Co. know a 30 year-old heavy metal song and where this new twist will take us...Maybe Ozzy will just bite the head off of one of the "church" members.  That would be interesting.

I. Am. So. Tired. Of. These. Crazy. People.

And so it goes.
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Caturday at the Movies

"Catzilla"

Say, I remember this one!!!

More later.

BP Gulf Disaster & Health Issues in South Louisiana

"Flesh-eating Bacteria!" This is criminal and, of course, the White House killed any information regarding the situation.  Not something we expected from this President.

"David, Kindra and their neighbors have been there from Day 1. And still the onslaught continues. Every day, the oil comes in with the tide. It spreads up into the marsh grass, coating it. Then heated by the sun, it melts and drips back down into the marsh. At night, they still spray their toxic dispersants. No, things are not OK in Plaquemine's Parish. And they won't be for a very long time.

In this recent video, Kindra gives us the latest on public health (or the lack of it) in the Gulf. Kindra and her friends Joanie and Vicky of the Coastal Heritage Society of Louisiana are running ongoing fund drives for Gulf families. Imagine you're a Gulf fisherman and your entire livelihood is gone. Many of these families have had no income since April. Now, they're faced with having their electricity turned off, and making decisions as to whether they should be food or medicine for their kids."

This is one brave, strong woman. Please watch this video. It is 9 minutes long, but it needed to be to get all the information on tape.

Yes, it is that bad and not getting better.
And sadly, so it goes.
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Accomplishments

Last Friday  I received a coupon in the mail from an online furniture company worth $25.00 toward any purchase $50.00 or more.  Now, I was skeptical but decided to have a look.  As I thought, their products are on the expensive side, but I also found their "clearance" site and wandered around, looking at various items getting ideas for the apartment.

I stumbled upon something perfect for my tiny place that would supply seating, serving, and table needs quite nicely.  A storage ottoman with reversible top which when turned over offers a 19" square hardwood tray which then sits back inside the top of the storage part.  It came in 3 colors; black or eggplant fabric and brown leather. The clearance price was $62.00 (for the fabric covers) with FREE shipping all weekend. So with the coupon and free shipping it cost $37.00. I went for it.

Yes it was in stock in the selected color. I kept looking for some catch, some string attached, but it was legit. Did the deed and sent the order.  Received an email notice within minutes that it would ship on 10/2 - a Saturday. Odd.

Decided to give the last local furniture store a try yesterday morning, looking for that illusive "apartment size sofa" unfortunately, it remains illusive. The salesman didn't even know what the phrase meant, so that was telling.  All of the living room furniture was bigger than my whole apartment. So, I think a visit to the IKEA in south Philadelphia is in my future. At least I'll have the new ottoman in the otherwise bare living room.

On the way back I stopped at a kitchen supply store and purchased a whisk, mandolin (with multi purpose blades) and a meat thermometer. Since is was "senior citizen" day, (ouch!)  I received an additional 10% discount on my purchase. Such a deal!!

No major grocery shopping to do, but I did stop for 2 fresh baguettes, a half pound of ultra-thin sliced rare roast beef, 2 large cucumbers, and the remaining ingredients necessary to prepare my own Muffuletta Olive Salad. More on that at another time.

I raced home, made some gravy, threw in the beef, sliced a baguette & tomato, shredded some romaine, and prepared a delicious roast beef po-boy. Something I've been craving for a very long time. Lightly browned the halved bread slices, smeared them with mayonnaise, layered the beef, thin slices of tomato, and the shredded lettuce, topped it with a bit of gravy and took a dive into one of the best New Orleans sandwiches ever invented.

Mine was an "8 napkin" experience, which is how many napkins one uses while eating the thing.  The more napkins used, the runnier the gravy and juices - always a good thing.  Hell, I needed a shower after that meal, but I was in Cajun Heaven.

Before that shower I changed the sheets and, for the first time in this apartment, I put on a light throw cover.  Yes, it was that cool here. Love the smell of clean sheets. Slept well, enjoyed eggs, toast, cranberry juice and coffee for breakfast.

Ironed a few shirts and slacks for work, made a Remoulade sauce as well as a roasted red pepper & garlic hummus for snacking.

And, the ottoman just arrived. Shipped via Fed Ex Ground - I am impressed.  I unpacked it and it is everything the description and reviews said it was. The color is my favorite. Up to now my life has been full of brown, beige, chocolate and black.  Not anymore.

The only direct sunlight the place receives is through the skylights in the kitchen and bath. As the sun sinks lower in the sky this time of year, only about 30 minutes of late afternoon sun pops through the windows.

Soooo.  The place is going to be alive with color - rich red, blue, green, gold, and yes, violet and purple.  Probably sounds silly, but I have a vision in my head that I think will work out fine. Well, at least for me. Anyway, what to you think of the ottoman? Honesty is preferable.

Next up, I have my eye on an area rug for the living room and a few large throw pillows until the sofa is purchased. It would be nice to sit and watch a DVD on the TV once in a while.  I am in no rush, but it would be nice to have the sofa in place by the holidays. Stay tuned.

And so it goes.
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Paris Flat Lay Undisturbed for 70 Years

Just another one of those stories that I love to find and share.  One wonders what else will be uncovered in such a beautiful place. What a precious treasure this flat must be. I hope there is more coverage of this story as it develops.  Fascinating..."for 70 years the apartment had been left uninhabited - under lock and key - rent paid faithfully, but no hint of what was inside."

Behind the door, under a thick layer of dusk lay a treasure trove of turn-of-the-century objects including a painting by the 19th century Italian artist Giovanni Boldini.

The woman who owned the flat had left for the south of France before the Second World War and never returned.
But when she died recently aged 91, experts were tasked with drawing up an inventory of her possessions and homed in on the flat near the Trinité church in Paris between the Pigalle red light district and Opera.
Entering the untouched, cobweb-filled flat in Paris' 9th arrondissement, one expert said it was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where time had stood still since 1900.
"There was a smell of old dust," said Olivier Choppin-Janvry, who made the discovery. Walking under high wooden ceilings, past an old wood stove and stone sink in the kitchen, he spotted a stuffed ostrich and a Mickey Mouse toy dating from before the war, as well as an exquisite dressing table.
But he said his heart missed a beat when he caught sight of a stunning tableau of a woman in a pink muslin evening dress.
The painting was by Boldini and the subject a beautiful Frenchwoman who turned out to be the artist's former muse and whose granddaughter it was who had left the flat uninhabited for more than half a century.

The rest is HERE.

More later.
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October 20, 2010 - Spirit Day

It’s been decided. On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple to honor the 7 boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months mostly because of homophobic abuse and gay-bashing in their homes, neighborhoods, or at school.

The Purple stripe in our Rainbow Flag represents Spirit and that’s exactly what  we're going to show on that day: SPIRIT.

To all LGBTQ teens out there, please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality.

Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools. R.I.P. Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Billy Lucas and Cody J. Barker (picture not shown). You are loved.

The tears come whenever I look at their pictures. Such a waste, such a terrible waste.

And so it goes.
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