So when does the chit-chat start? Right now!

reply to post by MrPenny


Seriously digging your new avatar MrPenny

There is something wrong with the rabbits around here

And there's more than one truth attached to that bit of truth

:-)

Spiramirabilis
reply to post by MrPenny

 

Seriously digging your new avatar MrPenny

There is something wrong with the rabbits around here

And there's more than one truth attached to that bit of truth

:-)

Iv'e noticed that....

reply to post by olaru12


:-)

¡claro que sí!

hola compadre - how goes it in the land of enchantment?

Been quiet here lately - feels like the gang's been scattered to the four winds...

Think I'll hang out for a bit, have myself a Campari - maybe write a haiku

Sure, everyone runs off when I show up. I think even Jeeves is hiding out in one of the linen closets.

Speaking of rabbit doots....I remember the old days, when we had to drag the doots out of the street with a team of draft horses. Or...

....did we drag the horse doots with a team of rabbits.

I forget, it's been a long time.

And desert's blowing in on the west wind! And she's bringing Campari popsicles for all!

MrP!!!!! Yay!! I love the artwork. Just goes to show, we're still a classy joint.

Well, MrD and I returned home this week after two and a half months boondocking in the Mojave. It was Winter when we arrived and Spring when we left. Because of the drought, you wouldn't notice a whole heck of a lotta change, except for the temperatures. The landscape still mostly looked like if the moon were a light beige, and creosote bushes were stuck on the surface all over.

We had two coyotes come by, taking their usual hunting route, but this time we were in their path. They were healthy looking, and the female had a beautiful darker coat with a dark stripe across her shoulders. When they turned to look our way, their heads and faces looked like Wiley Coyote. Not much other wildlife out this year; saw a desert tortoise, a couple lizards and a desert chipmunk. I think the coyotes ate the one fox.

We had solar energy from 93 million miles away, and MrD would drive over to fill up our water bag and five gallon containers from the faucet five miles away, so we were all set to have all the joys of camping with the comforts of home, more or less.

Besides some beautiful sunrises and sunsets, I enjoyed the silence of the desert. Silence interrupted only by one bird singing or the woosh-woosh of a raven's wings beating overhead. Or, because of where we were, an occasional military jet and accompanying sonic boom.

There's a lot of history in our part of the Mojave, below ground, on the ground, and above ground. From our site on the hill, if i look east, I can see the mountains under which gold, silver and tungsten were mined. The mountains shelter three old mining towns, which almost died about thirty years ago, but the re-opening of a gold mine and the turn to tourism gave them new life. If I turn south, I can see the giant tailing piles of a borax mine and also the air force base from which the X-15 rocket plane flew. Turning west I see the hills that were passed by the Death Valley 49ers on there way to rescue in Los Angeles. (BTW it was 107 deg in DV yesterday.) Looking north I see the mountains that were home to the Depression era miners, regular people who came westward from eastern states or up from Los Angeles when they weren't working, who came to those hills either for health reasons or to search for gold. Today, regular folks still arrive on weekends and days off, to mine their claims next to their tiny cabins, with hopes of finding color.

A very colorful character in area history is Pancho Barnes, who is neither Mexican nor a man. MrD and I have visited a memorial to Pancho at the Jawbone Canyon Store. Oh, the billboard with the luscious naked woman is no longer there I think. I remember seeing it years ago and could hardly believe it, but, hey, it's California, so we were surprised and laughed and didn't run off the road.

Close by our campsite is the trail that the Borax Twenty Mule Teams took from Death Valley. We've driven over it on this side, until we were blocked from further exploring by military fencing. I like to sit outside and pretend to hear the sounds of a team going by; fortunately, I can block out the voice of Ronald Reagan. For those of you who are not around my age, google Twenty Mule Team and RR.

Well, I needed the silence and "nothingness" out there. It was time to return to the home without wheels. MrD and I realize that full time rving is not for us. While we did some awesome cooking out there, we're ready to get back to where we left off here; in fact MrD just created some awesome dishes with the chicken I took out of the freezer when we got home and had to make room in the fridge to restock. And he just came up with an idea for something else. We'll be on the road again, but none too soon.

Oh, that place I mentioned about a couple months ago, it was an old former military radar station turned federal prison that shut down about 12 years ago. It's a modern day ghost town now. We had a chance to look around all the buildings and go underground to check out a fall out shelter bunker; the young men in military fatigues armed with heavy duty firepower turned out to be ex-military who gather there once a month with their air soft rifles and have "war games". They said about 40 were there, but I only saw about a dozen; I was glad I hadn't run into the ones who were hidden since dawn, as I feared running into Colonel Kurz.

Well, I'll go make more popsicles. Be back when they're done.

You know how one way of talking about Life is to picture it as a boat on water, well, here it is at the end of my first year of retirement, and, I tell you, looking back, that year was like jumping off my old boat and swimming in choppy water till I could get to my new boat, the old one having sunk to irretrievable depths by then. Healthwise, MrD and I are fine, so it was a couple other situations that gave me troubled waters.

Both situations started around the same time last year. The first situation involved someone(s) breaking into our rv and stealing stuff, no damage or vandalism except for the door part they crowbarred, which we fixed. I say they used their skinny meth arms to gain access to some of the stuff covered by a slide; and the stuff they stole was outdated/non-working electronic stuff we were going to replace soon anyway. So, really, they'ld be laughed at trying to sell the crap, and they really did us a favor by getting rid of it for us. I think that there was something else they thought was in there but wasn't, so they didn't even get what they thought was in there but wasn't!


The other situation involved a family member, who, as it turns out (I never suspected), is a con artist. Way beyond just a typical family money moocher, this person has managed to con family and non-family out of thousands of dollars, promising either investment gains or resolution for a sob story. I never gave this person a penny, as I realized it was all hooey, and the money would only go to support a lifestyle earned not on hard work but easy marks. I was pissed off at this person but also angry at the family members who foolishly had given this creep money, leaving some of them financially ruined and turned against family members who wouldn't "help out" this person.

Now, getting angry at Conman was ok, but I had to end up realizing that being angry at the family victims was not ok. These people knew what they had done and were already hurting, so I had to quit judging and let it go. Besides, being family, they didn't need my judgment but just Love. I tell you, though, I was ready to hire someone to go whack Conman in the knees. What stopped me was the thought of ending up in prison, a thought that has served me well at times in my Life.

What I came away with was this: what the burglars did was criminal and they could go to jail, but what Conman did was highly unethical but not necessarily criminal. Conman knew what to do to stay legal, but he had ruined lives and relationships, whereas my petty thieves got away with junk. They would serve time, whereas Conman wouldn't. To me, Conman is a criminal, too. That sucks to have to say that about a family member, but it's the truth. I just hope that his parents die before they see Conman end up in Federal prison for crossing the line big time. And that last thought is not unusual, as I've seen older people go to prison for having crossed that line between unethical and illegal.

The love of money surely is the root of all evil. Combine it with dishonesty, and you've got Conman. You know, my ex had wonderful qualities and horrible qualities, and it was the horrible qualities which drove me away, but I tell you one thing, the guy was always honest. When I was getting advice from a lawyer when I was doing my divorce, he challenged me when I told him what I intended to do with some financial matter. "You trust him??", he cautioned. I was pleased to say, "Yes" and mean it. I got the impression that wasn't always so with his clients.

Well, I just had to pray that the thieves would somehow find a better Life than robbing people. "Loving one's enemies" is a tough thing to do, but I tell ya what was worse for me, finding it in me to not be judgmental about people I love, to not let anger diminish our relationship. I had been astonished to learn just how much enmity Conman had sewn in the family. I couldn't let that enmity spread any further in my direction. There had been enough damage done already. I just had to remain open to the possibilities of family rifts healing; but I also had to understand that things might never be the same again. Whatever happens happens; I just had to continue to Love.

If I had followed one family member's advice years ago when I divorced, I would have "gone for his jugular!" I didn't; I just took care of myself without destroying someone else. That seems to have worked out well ...what's that saying about living a life well as the best revenge?

Hey, anyone in the mood for a clove white wine popsicle? I'll go get them and return with some food stories.

Clove white wine what?

Good lord....what has happened to the larder?

I'm great thank you!

Some days yes some days no.

It's top secret

Computers you say, sounds interesting.

Only if i'm participating in them and than primarily only water sports. I do enjoy going to games though, football, soccer, or baseball but I do not really care to watch anything sports other than the Super Bowl on the television

BTW, I like your avatar

Welcome, brandiwine! If you like watersports, you'll love our Olympic size swimming pool. Swim anytime you like. Just encourage anything swimming in it already to leave; sometimes the alligators come over from the golf course water hazards. And if you don't mind an audience, some of us like to lounge around it; bar service is available 24/7, which is why some of us are there 24/7. And sometimes our OH... that's our Original Host...MrPenny...MrP to me!....walks on water there!

I take it by watersports you mean swimming or water polo. I really don't think diving is a watersport, as it's all done in the air. Sure, you end up in the water and get points for less splash, but even the Weeki Wachee mermaids spend more time IN the water. Hell, you could have someone parachute into the pool and call it diving!

MrP, yes, I confess. I added a few items to the larder. I'm thinking of opening up a pop-up restaurant here next Tuesday. Here's the menu: lime-cilantro pork roast slow-cooked, MrD's spicy beans, Mexican coleslaw, Mexican corn muffins with taco butter, carmel ice cream for desert. Bottomless Sangria pitcher to wash it all down with.

I guarantee it's all tasty and well prepared, as that's what MrD and I cooked at home last weekend. Today I'm making green split pea burgers; if they turn out, I'll bring some over. Oh, yeah, we're running low on chicken broth, MrP; is it ok if I gather up a few hens from the Lounge Noir organic free-range poultry farm?

a reply to: desert

Hail chica well met!

:-)

There is something to be said for learning to let things go desert... You know, that covers a lot of territory

Just recently been processing this process myself - and in more than one area of my life

A series (an actual series) of seemingly unrelated recent events set in motion a personal and emotional Rube Goldberg machine made up entirely of personal and emotional stuff

Suffice it to say that I found myself sitting on the floor of a storage unit sifting through boxes (and boxes) of things belonging to both my dear, departed parents

The things you don't want to look through just after they've gone - that lie waiting for you far (years and years far) down the road when you are about to pick up and move

I laughed - I cried - I was traumatized (little bit)

The past is a hungry ghost

Now that's done, I find I'm lighter. In more ways than just one. Onward, ever onward...and all that I guess :-)

I lift a Campari popsicle to our collective future and wish for us all to learn to let go of that which needs to go. To travel lighter - with the sun on our faces and the wind always at our backs - with a road that rises to meet us more often than not

The best we can ever hope for - and more than good enough I think

:-)

Cheers kids - and bona fortuna

Think I'll sit in the corner with a plate of tamales and watch Dancing with the Stars with Jeeves...

!Hola, Spira! What you said brought nice tears to my eyes. I couldn't even pick up and read the memoir that my deceased sister had written, until two years later. As a gift to his aunts, my nephew made a copy for each of us. Her memoir, complete with photos and writings, took up two large binders. ... haha , she had a title to her memoir, but I guess it could be subtitled "Binders Full of Woman" haha...desert falls off barstool ,,,

Let us live our Lives so that our descendents have good memories of us.

What you said about traveling lighter was so inspirational, that I'm going to name my new Life Boat, "Letting Go".

Speaking of descendents, I did a little genealogy work on all of us at Lounge Noir. I traced our ancestry back to the first group of early humans who sat around a campfire for more than warmth. This group greatly evolved their intelligence and humor by sitting together around the fire and laughing at their farts. "Ha. Mog farted into fire and created Big Bang. Ha."

Let us live our Lives continually evolving our intelligence and humor ... and fart jokes.

haha ... I just remembered, when I bought a small sailboat years ago, I wanted to name it "Breaking Wind" ... haha... desert falls off barstool but successfully hangs onto her glass ...

Hope you all can enjoy a holiday weekend. Here's a plateful of stack Cuban sandwiches I made yesterday. I guess it's the mix of pork and ham in the same cheese sandwich, plus a pickle, that makes it Cuban and not American. Like the American cheese sandwich went on vacation south 90 miles and returned with souvenirs.

Speaking of dust collectors, I'll admit I don't have collections but a gallimaufry of recherche items. ...we're such a classy joint ...

In my genalogy work, I discovered that acquiring stuff is in my genes. After my Grandmother-of-a-thousand-generations-ago died, my Grandfather-o-a-t-g-a was cleaning out their cave. "Why she keep this rock? Not even pretty!" Your Father-o-a-t-g-a happened to be walking by with his friend. He quickly ducked the rock thrown out by my Grandfather-o-a-t-g-a. Unfortunately, your Father-o-a-t-g-a's friend was not as swift, and that's why you are here at ATS today, while someone else's line ceased to exist at that point in time.

I'm not a hoarder! No, that gene pool was in another cave. "Why so many piles of branches here?? We not need this many branches! Cannot see my paintings on wall! Only one path for walk around cave! Fire have great time in this cave!"

Jeeves, a round of whatever they're all drinking. Yep, my tab. And I need a Cuba Libre to wash down my stacker, too. Thanks!

Orale Chica's...

Peace and Love to two of the most beautiful souls ever to grace this planet.

Rare jewels indeed!

a reply to: olaru12

Same to you compadre - a rare gem you are

Peace and love...

made my day

:-)

...desert blows big beso to olaru .... :-*

Here's some flan to go with olaru's pozole and Jeeves's tamales. And here's an ice chest full of Jarritos.

Wadya know, a double post. Well, if I had to return to LN to retrieve that errant post, I might as well blow another beso! :-*

When did this site become so hideous to browse?

Sigh....has the world become more hideous? Certainly aging celebrities are becoming more hideous ...isn't there a website showing their plastic surgery gone wrong?... ooohhh, now that would be hideous to browse! Yikes!

Well, speaking of browsing, MrD and I just returned from a visit with my baby sister. She drove us to one of her favorite haunts, her local cemetery. Actually, we went there for several reasons, one was to peer over a fence to get a glimpse of an old local mansion, which hasn't been lived in since the early 1960s; it was a woman's summer home on the West Coast! Then she wanted us to see Ronald Colman's grave...don't ask me why, we were just along for the ride in her Mercedes convertible. Then we stopped at the chapel to see the wall artwork, painted by a man who had studied under Diego Rivera, and apparently was not impressive enough to some locals, as some wanted to paint over it. Chees! Ok, but what desert liked best was seeing the top third of an old gravestone sticking akilter out of the huge base of an old tree. Creepy looking, as if the tree was swallowing it up. I wonder where the body is??? Ooh, ooh, the tree that ate the dead to survive! That could happen in California, because of the drought! Ooh, ooh!

Jeeves, here's a special recipe for a Bloody MrD:

vodka
tomato juice
sriracha to taste
top with finely crumbled nacho tortilla chips
garnish with a crispy piece of bacon and/or a Slim Jim

I'll try one with the bacon. Anyone else want one? My tab.

a reply to: desert

Then she wanted us to see Ronald Colman's grave...don't ask me why

Not THE Ronald Coleman! (I had to look him up...) :-)

I like that story. Convertible, road trip - old houses and dead movie stars...and Diego Rivera - a personal favorite. I saw his work when I was too young to appreciate it fully - on my first ever visit to Mexico with my Spanish class. I was 14ish - and his mural made me crazy. In a good way

Sigh...

Sounds like a perfect trip desert

Except the part about the drought - and hungry trees. I guess I wouldn't mind being put in the ground if I was taken up by a tree - but I think I'd rather be set on fire and tossed into the sky. Unless that makes my carbon footprint bigger - you know - we got enough problems. A jar will be fine

I feel for you guys - hopefully this ends soon and the rains come. Seems like not so long ago I was wishing you the very same thing

Hopefully there's an end to all hideousness everywhere. Hopefully

Nice to see you again desert - there's music out on the veranda, and a nice sunset underway...

I can do without the chips and meat - make mine a vodka and siracha. That sounds kinda nice :-)

Top o’ the morning’ to ya’ll! Jeeves, coffee, por favor.

If ya’ll don’t mind, I think I’ll go kick on the ol’ jukebox and play “Don’t Fear the Teacher”. What’s that, olaru? It’s "Don’t Fear the Reaper"? Close enough.

Ya’ll have a best friend doncha? Sharing mutual love, admiration, respect, and, oh, yeah, humor. Yeah, that one. Well, I think I told ya’ll how I’ve been cooking up a storm since I retired…can‘t really cook up a storm, although that would be nice, because it is mighty dry out here…anyway, I got a thought in my head to make a falafel cake. I can make some pretty tasting falafel, but what I mean is a Falafel Cake, a dessert cake. Don’t ask me what I was drinkin’ to get that idea, I don’t remember. Anyway, I took my falafel spices, put them in yellow cake ingredients, topped it with a cinnamon icing made with powdered sugar and lemon juice, and spread a cooked date mixture over that.

Wow, I surprised myself, because it actually made a good dessert. Now here’s where the BFF part comes in. When I emailed her with my idea, she emailed me back, asking how my F #awful Cake turned out. Wasn’t that a hoot? F #awful Cake. See, that’s some humor there.

Yes, spira, it is mighty dry out here. My local Sierra Nevada even had a wildfire in the middle of January, with flames eating everything that wasn't covered by scattered snow piles! This is going to sound strange, but the normally dry brown hills look even more desolate this year. I think that there’s not one lick of any groundcover, not even weeds, and bigger plants have shrunk down to conserve water. So the hills look barren. Funny thing is, pathetic really, some people from out of state blame my governor and the commie liberals out here. Huh? If anyone’s to blame, it’s your God, because He hasn’t given us hardly any rain. People, there’s just no water. Period. End of discussion. If you want to discuss it, see me after Happy Hour or at brunch…oops, did I just slip back into teacher mode? Yikes, no wonder teachers strike fear in us long after they’re gone!

Actually, it is no laughing matter to some people here, whose wells have run dry. Having had to rely on private well water a couple times in my life, I understand. You turn on the tap, and nothing comes out. No water to drink, cook with, bath in, let alone wipe the peanut butter off a child’s face. The water table is way down. Can’t call a plumber to fix it. Need rain to recharge it.

So we’re shakin’ and bakin’ out here, too. You might not cry over spilled milk, but the sight of all that spilled wine! Oh, the humanity that won’t be able to taste it! Why Napa, God, why?? What’s that? Napa, You say, has become slightly more conservative than Sonoma?

Well, I gotta run. I gotta go bake my next creation. Taco Cake, or as my BFF might say, Wacko Cake.