I’m further ingratiating Marceline to my personal holiday today. She’s heard nothing but Kenny Loggins all day long, with a brief interlude for some songs by Elmo.
I also made my annual Kenny Loggins day chocolate chip cookie cake. Came out fantastic as always.
I keep saying next year I’ll dedicate more time to Kenny Loggins day, but these last couple years January and February have been pretty busy months.
Maybe next year I can refresh my Kenny Loggins day promo materials.
I’ve been trying to figure out what my comfort level is. What brings me comfort – aside from family and friends obviously.
For entertainment – I’ve discovered a new show – Corner Gas. It has been an immediate hit with me. I like to describe as almost Seinfeld but if Seinfeld was in Canada, centered around the only gas station for 40 miles (kilometers?) in either direction.
It has a small cast and half hour episode fits several story lines in. It’s makes me laugh, and is an easy binge. And free! It’s on IMDB‘s free streaming service. Or you can stream it on Amazon Prime. It’s not Letterkenny – which is another hilarious Canadian comedy. No were near as cuss filled or topical as Letterkenny, but then I think that is why I find it so comforting. It is just a good background show that doesn’t require you to pay attention to one scene to get the comedy they are doing in the next.
Just shows that don’t nessecarily have to be binges anymore, I’ve watched them all multiple times, but as good background noise when WCLV, a podcast, or other music just isn’t cutting it.
Aside from comfort entertainment, I’ve been trying to fit reading into my schedule. I found out the Kindle doesn’t keep Marceline awake when I am rocking her to sleep. So I’ve gotten through two books in August and I’m almost done with the Maltese Falcon (like 20 more pages).
As far as hobbies, exercising has helped me feel better. Running on the treadmill every other day or so. I don’t have a goal yet, but running a half marathon sounds easily doable at this point. When races come back that is. I haven’t done a road race since college? I think. So 20 years about.
She is wondering why the zoo animals are so far away.
And eventually, maybe, drawing again. I like having my sketchbooks to look back at, but that is a lot of free time to expect with a 17 month old daughter as cute and active as Marceline is.
PS – 9-11 is a weird day. 19 years ago I was in Erie, PA on the last leg of a road trip across the country. I was 22 and pretty cynical about the world. Also driving from Erie to Niagara Falls was just nuts on that day.
At the same time it is my brother-in-laws birthday. A celebration?
I have no idea who Victoria Taylor is. But she makes a great spice.
A few years ago for Christmas Sam bought me a jar of Honey Aleppo Pepper spice from World Market. It was amazing. Like blow my socks off perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavor. I put it on everything – chicken, wraps, pizza, pasta, rice…. everything we had. The jar was empty pretty quickly (ok, like 3 months or so of constant usage).
Now World Market is great. It is my go to store for Christmas Shopping, particularly stocking stuffing. And while I love walking through World Market, it is not in any way a cheap store. It sucks money out of my wallet like no other store.
Not to mention the store moved like 3 miles further down the road this spring – so its not a quick hop to get there anymore, its like a long lunge or something. A stride? I don’t know, not far away but not exactly convenient either.
But on the Victoria Taylor website I could buy the same container of spice for $1.56 an ounce. Or I could buy it in bulk for $1.23 an ounce. A way better deal. But I’d have to pay shipping which would raise the price.
UNLESS…. I bought two bulk containers. And had SPICE FOREVER.
You know what they say in Dune… “The spice must flow.” With two giant 19.4 ounce tubs of spice…. the spice can finally flow.
Thank goodness this stuff is shelf stable and doesn’t expire for several years.
In other news – I’m starting a new book today. Felt really good finishing two books in August – A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived and Find Me. I’ve already picked out my two books for September – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) and The Maltese Falcon. I like the idea of reading two books a month, one non-fiction and one fiction, and neither are as deep as A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived was, so it shouldn’t be a challenge to finish.
Way back in the before timesof 2001 and 2002 I was living in Queensbury and reconnected with some old high school friends. We spent our not doing too much, but we had a favorite hang out and it was the Lagoon. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist anymore but was fun for a bunch of 22 year-olds. Free darts, cheap drinks and food. And of course some live music.
Hyperbola was a band that consisted of three guys I went to high school with. I’m not sure how many of their shows we attended. I lived in Queensbury from September 2001 until August 2002 and it seemed like more than a few times, and I quite enjoyed them.
I bought both of their albums – Long Dub Mini Groove and Long Dub Mini Groove II. Both pretty good and I still listen to them on a regular occasion.
Yesterday I was walking Marceline to the park, and decided to listen to some music while she was chilling in the stroller. It’s a mile walk and Marceline zones the whole time. But despite searching google, youtube and other places, I couldn’t find anything left over from that time period. No really old recording or video from their performances.
Instead I found this weird band named Hyperbola on the Spotify. Definitely the same band I saw in Queensbury. I listened to their album bringing it up from 2 listens per month to 3 listens per month.
I also found another band named Hyperbola on Bandcamp. Again not the same band, unless they moved to the Ukraine without letting anyone know. They at least sound a little bit closer to the band what I remember.
Anyways, I eventually pulled up a Hyperbola album I have stored online to listen to.
Here’s Reason to Love by Hyperbola.
Andrew, Greg, Tim, if you are out there… thanks for the great music.
I told Sam recently that I think we need to rethink out dishware and glassware. Almost all of our cups are coffee related or alcohol related glasses. The few pint glasses are stolen from the Old Pink or Essex St. Pub in Buffalo over a decade ago. A ritual from when we used to close bars at 4am in Buffalo in our early – mid 20’s.
The coffee mugs are all either gifts or stolen (my cherished Denny’s mug!). The only one that purchased outright in the last few years is the NPR “Stand with the Facts” mug we got when we donated to our local NPR station this year.
We have 8 resuable Starbucks mugs that are all over 5 years old and are our go to travel drink mugs. We bought two for a dollar each and were gifted the rest as Christmas presents.
And we have 2 Burger King Star Trek mugs left out of a set of 4 I bought for Sam years ago, a Coca Cola Buffalo Bills glass and a big yellow plastic mug that is 2 decades old and carries with it a fantastic story from a college Spring Break field trip.
All that aside, we have 5 Tupperware kids cups that Sam’s mother held onto for us until Marceline came along and we are grateful to have and use everyday for Marceline.
Essentially I’m saying we have no set of drinking glasses. If more than one of us sit down for a meal at a table, we would have different cups in front of us. Not a huge deal, but also kind of weird. On a daily basis we don’t use any of these glasses except for coffee mugs and Marceline’s cup. We (Sam and I) have two water bottles we carry around with us and use regularly, and other than coffee and water we really don’t drink much (I know…. there is diet ginger ale bottle in the background – but that 2 liter is 2 weeks old now).
Not sure if that is normal or not, but whatever…. it is what it is.
In today’s big news, Marceline got out a bottle of Worcester sauce from our Lazy Susan this morning. Not a huge deal, she likes getting bottle out and lining them up on the kitchen floor, and none of the bottle she can reach are very big. But she did drop it on her big toe, which lead to more crying than we have had in a long time.
Look at her poor toe!
Today’s list –
Clean Living Room and Kitchen
Vacuum Basement
Scoop Kitty Litter
Change out Marceline’s books in the living room
Vacuum hallway rugs
Walk with Marceline (she likes walking down the road holding my hand)
