tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911830652682805792024-03-18T16:56:24.667-06:00Reluctant Rebel.......or Hedonist with InhibitionsFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.comBlogger932125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-32310350598847256052024-03-05T18:32:00.001-07:002024-03-05T18:32:10.992-07:00Phoenix Hubby is here in Phoenix for a work conference with BLM recreation crew. I got to tag along. OMG the cars, the traffic, the madness. Why would anyone want to move here? My impression is Phoenix wants to be California, but without the coolness. Without the ocean Without The Beach Boys. The rest is like New Mexico, but with these big, freaking cactuses poking up all over the place  Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-28124925498867675122024-02-14T15:54:00.000-07:002024-02-14T15:54:02.879-07:00Remembering the Time We Didn't Buy the Valentines The time we didn't buy Valentine's Day cards for one another...but we picked some out in the store and gave them to each other, then put them back.I think the card was $4.99 or more. That's when dinner at a mom and pop restaurant was about $20 for two. So then we went out to dinner.Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-87508460021341266072024-02-13T19:44:00.000-07:002024-02-13T19:44:26.016-07:00Happy Mardi Gras! ........Oh! My! Thirty-three Years Ago! This is a re-post from a January 28, 2008:Our first trip to New Orleans was in 1991. Before digital
cameras, because we don't have jpegs of the trip. We were visiting my
sister the Sister and got to stay in a guest cottage on the grounds of a
large convent across Lake Pontchartrain. We rented a little GeoMetro
and tooled around the City and countryside. There were parades Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-57459732120475894862024-02-09T19:35:00.006-07:002024-02-11T07:43:58.717-07:00Another Day at the Office With the HubbyLeon and I both had doctor appointments this morning so Leon, who had some comp time coming, took the day off. Rather unexpectedly, both our appointments got cancelled. So we got to spend a leisurely morning and went for lunch at the San Felipe rest stop on our way to Leon's office, namely White Ridge and Ojito Wilderness near San Ysidro. It was a gorgeous day, a bit chilly when the wind wasFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-36361943678565188342024-02-01T16:09:00.001-07:002024-02-09T09:42:41.345-07:00Che Inferno! So today I made homemade ricotta cheese. Technically, it is not true ricotta cheese, even though most of the YouTube videos referred to it as ricotta cheese. To make real ricotta cheese, you need fresh milk, preferably from a goat, and you treat it with rennet, make mozzarella, and then using the whey leftover, you recook it (ri-cotta) to make the cheese. Anyway, this is made using Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-19049419609352316722024-01-22T07:02:00.001-07:002024-02-09T09:43:00.631-07:00Nuovo Olimpo - a New Gay Film on Netflix Leon and I watched Nuovo Olimpo on Netflix yesterday. An Italian film but you can choose the English audio which is very well done.This is a gay love story, but a somewhat different kind of love story. It explores the various kinds and depths of love/attraction that individuals might experience and what happens when "space and time get in the way".. I won't say more than that. There is someFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-76570227142425974502024-01-07T18:24:00.009-07:002024-02-09T09:43:43.709-07:00Good Grief We just watched “Good Grief” on Netflix. Good grief! Starring Dan Levy of Schitts Creek (a TV show I found forgettable) as a gay artist whose famous writer husband died in a car accident. It takes him a whole year before reading the Christmas card his husband left him on the night he died which revealed that his husband had a boyfriend (and a luxury apartment) in Paris. That could haveFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-67617815120875125952024-01-05T17:56:00.000-07:002024-02-09T09:44:07.837-07:00A Little Dance Music Hubby put this Dinner Time Jazz on the little Bluetooth Bose just before dinner.
We were both standing there near the speaker in the dining room when I took his hand and started to slow dance with him. We both got into it, however briefly as dinner was about ready. It was sweet. We held each other close and danced like it was our first date. I cannot recall the last time weFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-8881796226494657102023-12-24T08:06:00.002-07:002024-02-09T09:45:27.772-07:00Traditions and ValidationAn Italian couple hubs and I have become friends with came for dinner last evening. They have become like family and we shared conversation about language, travel, food and work among other things. They really love living in the States - I think more than some of us disillusioned citizens. And I really enjoyed serving Italian ethnic food (antipasto, homemade ricotta and spinach filled Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-26611203292857778242023-12-12T18:17:00.008-07:002024-02-09T09:45:50.187-07:00La Nuestra Señora de GuadalupeLa Nuestra Señora de GuadalupeWe were privileged to see the local celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe last evening in Peña Blanca, a small village about six miles or so from us. It is a very old village and many of the residents are of New Mexican-Spanish/Mexican descent.Today, December 12th is the actual Feast Day (Fiesta) and last evening was "Vespers" or the vigil of the feast day. The Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-32025884005712839002023-11-05T18:58:00.003-07:002024-02-09T09:46:45.658-07:00Moonscape - Leon’s “Office” Spent the day with two of our friends out in the desert. Leon was in his element showing us some of the more scenic areas that he patrols for Bureau of Land Management. We took his “new” used Toyota 4Runner for a drive. Had a great time even though we had a flat tire. Great day!Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-9588115558010073462023-11-03T06:39:00.002-06:002024-02-09T09:48:06.009-07:00Fakin' It I admit I listened to too much Simon and Garfield back in the 60s and 70s. I think their music is rather introspective and depressing but it seemed right for those those times. Remembering those times, I guess I'm feeling rather introspective and depressed.
...And I know I’m fakin’ it I’m not really makin’ it I’m such a dubious soul And a walk in the garden Wears me down Tangled Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-30360825887497852072023-11-01T07:07:00.001-06:002024-02-09T09:49:06.207-07:00I Am Tired This link is where we are headed if we fall asleep while fanatics are driving the bus.https://link.motherjones.com/public/33196514 They call us the devil...but it would be just as easy for us to call them the devil. Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-56284558048367097372023-10-29T14:03:00.003-06:002024-02-09T09:49:51.832-07:00Here We Are - You Have to Laugh Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-75632719446244102692023-10-22T18:06:00.001-06:002024-02-09T09:52:03.713-07:00150 Pats on the Back and A Rather Expensive Week - With Autumn ColorsLeon polished my headlights (really) and saved us $150+ which it would have cost to have it done at the auto shop. He used Comet cleanser! Worked great. I gave him at least eleven pats on the back. So, at a $1 a pat, I owe him 139 more pats on the back. Good job honey!Headlights Before and After the CometMy 2010 Honda Fit has not cost me much in repairs over the years. Regular maintenance, aFrankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-8686368765382213642023-10-08T18:02:00.003-06:002024-02-09T09:52:24.320-07:00This is great dinner music...actually just great for relaxing Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-48149351424679875092023-09-21T19:53:00.004-06:002024-02-09T09:53:01.898-07:00Back to the Past Back to the past...in more than one sense...we had gone back to the Central Coast of California where we had been in the past...for our fourth time...and now we are back to the past...to where we started a few weeks ago, otherwise known as "home". Hubby and I just celebrated 35 years together
and we had two wonderful weeks of summer vacation by the ocean. That, to me,
was/is being Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-69692925686302005592023-09-17T12:44:00.004-06:002024-02-09T09:53:20.733-07:00Il Dolce dì Far Niente The Sweetness of Doing Nothing. What more is there to say? Except “Where did they hide the gay beach, hon?”Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-59255282032846545902023-09-14T13:24:00.004-06:002024-02-09T09:53:42.019-07:00Like I’ve Said Many Times A cloudy day at the beach is better than a sunny day at work. The sun is burning through. Sciatica has improved. It’s been challenging but I have found joy in being by the ocean. We are at Pirates Cove today. A bit of a hike in and out but not as difficult as Blacks Beach. Dinner last evening was OK. Food was good but it lacked ambiance. For the price, ambiance should have Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-83126239511508244492023-09-12T09:39:00.000-06:002024-02-09T09:54:23.724-07:00A Few Thoughts on Hearst Castle Leon and I went to Hearst Castle for the first time yesterday. While I was predisposed to be disgusted by the opulent display of wealth, I was surprised to find that I was actually impressed in spite of it. The tour and the film after the tour were quite informative. William R. Hearst was an interesting fellow, not at all like the infamous money grabbing ex president we all despise. Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-46937906242713169482023-09-04T20:23:00.005-06:002024-02-09T09:54:35.865-07:00We Made It To California It has been one hell of a year. Hubby’s health issues in February and in May and June. Not to mention the cold and daily wind and intense heat. And my aching back and this week a most debilitating case of sciatica. Which made the 1,000 mile car trip almost unbearable at times. We took three days to get here so it was not too grueling. I had to stop every hour or so to walk off Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-87573278601329510042023-07-30T15:59:00.003-06:002024-02-09T09:55:55.099-07:00Summertime, summertime, sum sum sumertime. Just some news from Provincetown, MA Getting nostalgic for the Cape. We will likely be going to California this year as it is 1,000 miles closer and as we will be driving, as vacation time is limited. California is nice, beautiful seacoast but Cape Cod is my happy place. The National Seashore is a Treasure.
We always loved hiking the dunes and driving out Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-65122076086221415942023-07-21T07:21:00.003-06:002024-02-09T09:56:12.230-07:00Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony BennettTony Bennett passed away this morning at the age of 96. He had a beautiful, warm and melodious voice. (I think he was always better than Sinatra). A beautiful singing voice is such a gift and singers like Bennett generously share that gift with us and even those like me who are tone deaf can be moved. It is sad losing a legend like Bennett. I'm not sure why his passing is making me teary-eyed Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-67654600498556652222023-07-13T11:32:00.002-06:002024-02-09T09:57:25.210-07:00Take a Break From the Daily Doom and Gloom (AKA "the News") I was looking for info (years on the air) for the old TV show Dharma and Greg the other day and decided to watch a couple of episodes. This is a thoroughly delightful series. No violence, superb writing, great comedic timing, and just plain entertaining. Dharma (flower child), Greg (lawyer), Dharma's parents, Larry (old hippie), and Abby (free spirit), Greg's parents, Edward (CEO), Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-691183065268280579.post-13636385504253696322023-06-28T05:47:00.007-06:002024-02-09T09:57:53.112-07:00Comments - not sure what the problem is I apologize again for blogger: I have not been getting email notifications about pending comments to be moderated. I received ONE notification today and find there are about 10 comments waiting. Sorry. This has been a issue for some time now. Not sure how to fix it.So, in reply to Russ, I wrote just now (June 29):Well, I just found these waiting in moderation mode. I changed the email Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058312079036935995noreply@blogger.com4