Posted on August 31, 2019
When we moved to St. Joseph, MI, there were two Arby’s restaurants in the area. Eventually both closed, and we watched the buildings become eyesores and then tear-downs. Earl was disappointed, because he is a true Arby’s fan. In fact, when we road trip we try to eat at one.
But the local drought is over as of this past week. A brand-new, built-from-scratch Arby’s is now about three miles from our home. We were going to go there for an inaugural sandwich last night, but everyone else in the neighborhood had the same idea. So we postponed the pleasure. Instead, we went for an early lunch today.
The drive-up window was doing a particularly brisk business, but it didn’t matter. The goal was to find a parking space since we always go inside, order, sit down, and eat. It’s a pause in the day’s activities rather than using the drive to the next store as lunchtime. Earl ordered some barbecuey-bacony-cheesey thing while I opted for a Reuben, something the Arby’s of yesteryear probably didn’t offer.
Bottom line: We’ll be back, not only because Earl likes this change from a burger, but also because the food was actually good. And the service was outstanding!
See more 10 Minutes in category Dining/Food
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Posted on August 30, 2019
I don’t really think recycling is working well. I’m not basing this on empirical data, although I have read some articles online that suggest my point of view. Rather, it’s a gut feeling that there are too many items of plastic that we consumers use every day and which stock our landfills regardless of individual recycling efforts.
So I’m mounting a campaign in my personal life to refuse (No pun intended.) everyday disposable things.
For instance, what is the problem with drinking a glass of water in a restaurant from the glass itself? Or if one is phobic, what’s wrong with a paper straw? It usually lasts as long as it needs to.
The same with K-cups. With a one-use mentality, I suspect they are among the greatest contributors to local landfills. So whatever happened to making a whole pot of coffee or using a machine that dispenses one cup at a time of your favorite grind if you can’t drink eight offerings?
Water bottles are another wasteful example. As are what used to be called “doggie bags” but are now Styrofoam containers with three compartments. And don’t forget the plastic bags supermarkets dispense with nonchalance, when for years paper bags were the standard.
I realize the companies that make such plastic ware have a vested interest in the status quo. Still I want to divest myself of anything that wasn’t needed as a plastic commodity when I was growing up. I really don’t care about the plastic companies’ interest as much as I care about our planet.
See more 10 Minutes in category Changing Scene
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Posted on August 29, 2019
Tonight a friend and I went to The Terrace at 221 Main to eat on its elegant rooftop. The rooftop has its own bar with indoor seating and 290 different offerings for the whiskey connoisseur. But the real charm is its outdoor seating with a giant fireplace and a view of St. Joseph in the setting sun.
As a rule, I’m not much for eating outside. There are too many elements – bugs, wind, passersby if you’re on the sidewalk level – to contend with. But M and I had eaten on The Terrace once before and found it delightful.
We were ushered to a table and the host adjusted the umbrella so the sun was not in our eyes. Someone else brought a carafe and two glasses for water and set down the paper menus which promptly turned into kites that we had to grab. Obviously one of the aforementioned “elements” had found us.
We looked at each other, held a hasty summit, and decided outdoor dining was what we came for. So this was where we would stay. We ordered cocktails holding our menus down with the cloth napkin and silverware for weight. Obviously by the time the silverware was needed the menus would be taken away. It would all work out.
Our cocktails arrived in no time at all in beautiful cut glassware. We smiled graciously and told the server we’d order in a few minutes. It turned out to be a very windy few minutes. In fact, it probably wasn’t even a minute at all when we held another summit.
We gave up the al fresco idea and told our server we would move inside.
See more 10 Minutes in category Small Town Life
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Posted on August 28, 2019
Maybe you think Earl and I are taking a quick trip to Key West, FL. Or maybe you think we’ve already gone and returned with great memories. While we love the Florida Keys, nothing could be further from the truth.
Which is that I returned to regular piano lessons today after a two month break. It’s the eighty-eight black and white keys on a piano that I’m referring to. How I missed them.
Sure, I doodled and noodled on the piano while keeping doctors’ appointments and physical therapy appointments and watering my flowers this summer. Sure, it was great not to revisit scales and chords and arpeggios. Or keep a log of my progress. And given what else was going on, it was the right thing to do.
But now that I’m back to regular practice and a key a week to master, it’s as great as the first days of summer. Sorry, Key West! It wasn’t you this time.
See more 10 Minutes in category Me/Family
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Posted on August 26, 2019
The $61 charge on my Verizon bill caught my attention. Yes, I’d changed from limited to unlimited data usage, but it shouldn’t have cost that much. Yes, my husband just purchased a new phone on the installment plan, but his upcharge was only $8 a month. There was a problem somewhere.
Long story short, I believe it is that our local Verizon store isn’t really part of Verizon in the true sense. Rather, it’s a store that sells all kinds of equipment and then signs customers up with Verizon for the service for which the equipment is designed.
Think washers and dryers. You purchase the equipment from one source but you purchase the power to run them from the electric company. Or consider your computer. You purchase the equipment from Apple or Dell or Whoever, but you purchase the programs you use from a completely different source. It’s the way of today’s world.
So what was the $61 fee for?
Turns out that a piece of equipment I was “generously” gifted on July 22 as a loyalty promotion fits this category. Apparently what this meant is that the equipment itself, which was attached to my car, was free. BUT the phone line to have the equipment send data to my cellphone was not.
I have a relatively good memory, and I don’t recall that any of this was explained. Had it been, I would have refused in the first place because I’m not interested in the type of information the little machine, called HUM, emits. I don’t care about discount coupons to Qdoba or how far it is to the next gas station or what my MPG is. I especially don’t care when it costs $61.
So I called Verizon, got information on what to do, visited my local Verizon that isn’t a real Verizon franchise to do what I was told. And, as of now, no more costs are accruing. There is still the $61 fee that I shall continue to protest. But, if any of you are offered a “loyalty” gift, please refuse. The loyalty of the Verizon store that isn’t really owned by that company is faithful only to its bottom line.
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances
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Posted on August 25, 2019
It’s a quirky name and an even quirkier 2002 Tony Award winning musical. Dark and unrelenting, “Urinetown” tells the tale of a world where people have to line up at public toilets to do their business, since private ones no longer exist because there is no water to flush them.
The public toilets, called “amenities,” oppress the poorer of the community more than the rich who can afford the “pee” fee. And when the corporate CEO of Urine Good Company raises the fees to use the urinal a revolution breaks out.
This play won the Tony Award for a reason, and I clearly see that. It is not only a send-up of corporate greed, mega-legislation, and the plight of the poor, it is also a send-up of the musical comedy form in general. It is not happy; the songs are not particularly memorable; there is no catharsis in the end.
It is the perfect revival for our current political situation.
See more 10 Minutes in category Politics
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Posted on August 24, 2019
For Earl, today is notable for being four months until Christmas Eve. For me, not so much. For Earl, Christmas is a fantastic holiday. For me, yeah, not so much.
Still, I love August 24 for other reasons. It is my second son’s birthday. He turns forty-seven. It is the birthday of one of my best friend’s grandchildren. She’s probably half my son’s age. And tonight we attended a birthday party for a friend who celebrated ninety years on the planet. What’s not to like?
On the world scene, today is the day in 79 A.D. that Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, covered the city of Pompei with molten ash, and killed thousands of citizens. In 1572, the King of France ordered the assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders across his country. Also not a very pleasant thing. In 1821, Spain accepted Mexico’s independence. And in 1981 musician John Lennon’s killer was sentenced to twenty years to life in prison. He’s still there.
Reading the world’s view of this date and then reading mine, I’ll stick with Earl’s predictions and the birthdays involved. They may not make national headlines, but they are at least happier events.
See more 10 Minutes in category Me/Family, Special Events
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Posted on August 23, 2019
It’s our second or third Keurig in as many years, and it’s about to bite the dust. So I decided we would de-Keurig our lives when this current machine dies.
After all, Earl does not use K-cups; rather he has a reusable plastic cup that he puts his Maxwell House decaf blend into and then inserts that in the Keurig machine where the K-cups go. Which is great for not stocking landfills with those little plastic containers that probably aren’t biodegradable.
So then why do we need a fancy Keurig? I’m not sure we do, although some of our friends like the variety of flavors it offers.
Still, this isn’t enough of a reason to keep buying a product with planned obsolescence written right into it. Which is why I purchased a Black & Decker one cup-at-a-time coffee maker that uses regular coffee (or decaf) ground in its own reusable basket for when the current Keurig is no longer with us. It came with its own fill-and-go mug too.
As a Realtor®, Earl is all about uncluttered kitchen countertops when he’s representing a seller or buyer. He says they make the work area look bigger. So the final selling point of this new “toy” is that it’s markedly smaller and sleeker than our current machine. It makes our countertop look practically gigantic.
See more 10 Minutes in category Things to Ponder
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Posted on August 22, 2019
This has been one of those summers where I haven’t taken piano lessons. It wasn’t originally intended to be a piano vacation, but various health issues for both Earl and me required attention. And I find I can’t focus on piano when I’m overly stressed in some other area of my life.
So I took the summer off with the intention of playing every day, even if it were only one song. I didn’t keep track of what days I practiced and what days I didn’t; but I’m willing to bet I’ve played regularly.
What have I played? A piece that dramatizes the importance of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and another that was composed by Bela Bartok. Also a rendition of “At Last,” made famous as Etta James’ signature song in 1961. And finally, the entire First Fake Book where the left hand plays only chords and the right hand fingers the melody.
The odd thing is that I have labored over the two pieces that were assigned in the first place. During lessons the emphasis is on working them through and moving on, not necessarily making them perfect. But after two months’ practice, I feel as if I really “know” these two works.
Maybe I need to take more time on a piece, even if I’ve mastered it on a basic level. It’s something to consider when I return to the piano studio and regular lessons this coming week.
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Posted on August 21, 2019
Today I traveled six hours to spend three hours with a woman who was my academic adviser in the last century when I was working on my Master’s degree. We are kindred spirits. Were back then and still are.
So when I finished my degree, after great counsel from her, and graduated in 1997, we continued to keep in touch. Not consistently, but irregularly. Which meant we got together every couple years or so to reminisce. Today was our most recent reunion; it was three years in the making.
Logistics were an essential ingredient. C lives in Lake Forest, a northern suburb of Chicago, which I live two states east. Each of us had to take a train to Chicago’s Loop, and coordinating the schedules of the two lines was a challenge so that neither of us was waiting for the other an inordinate amount of time.
Then there was the question of where to lunch. In the past, we’ve met at Pegasus, a charming restaurant in Greektown. But unfortunately Pegasus closed in December 2017. Neither of us knew this until a couple days ago, which goes to show that we need to keep in closer contact not only with each other but also the Chicago restaurant scene.
In the end, we ate at Ovie. I suspect the name is some sort of derivative for the Olgivie Transportation Center where C’s train comes in. The station – er . . . Center – has gone upscale with white tablecloth restaurants alongside the smoothie vendors and McDonald’s. The idea was that we wouldn’t spend precious time walking to another destination. Ovie was adequate but definitely not Greek inspired.
We chatted nonstop from 11 AM to 2 PM and then reversed our trips back to our respective homes. As the train wheels clattered along toward Michigan, I was positive that six hours of travel for a three hour lunch was a spectacular return on investment.
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