whew!!

Editors note... published on the web at 2pm on 9/16

 

Well, it’s been a busy end of the week here.  Thursday and Friday nights we attended a couple of lectures.  Thursday’s edition was the one about the initiation of transoceanic travel by steamship.  It was given (as reported earlier) by the author of “Steam Coffin” which recounts the development of the ship “Savannah” and its voyage across to England.  When we went into the auditorium at the Calvert Marine Museum, there was a continual slide show going with “reviews” of his book, mostly by rather obscure publications like Southern Historian: A Journal of Southern History.  The talk itself was obviously canned for consumption at similar “book signing” events.  He was a pretty accomplished speaker, quite animated.  During his main talk, he left out some key points, like “did they make it?” but it came out in questioning.  I think his main aim was to sell his book, for which I guess I don’t really blame him.  After the lecture we drove a little north to Ruddy Duck and picked up a couple of pizzas.  “Mucho Meat” for me, and plain pepperoni for MFO.  They are still the best pizzas I have found around here.  Excellent ingredients and the wood fire oven puts a little smoke into the equation.  We returned home, and finished half of them while watching my fantasy first pick QB Aaron Rodgers put up minimal points.   Thanks Aaron.

Then Friday morning we pried ourselves out of bed to attend the annual breakfast that kicks off the United Way Campaign.  Was held at a local “social hall”, and was a buffet deal.  Nothing special on the food.  After a short rest, I had a wonderful lunch with a friend at Café Des Artistes in Leonardtown.  I really enjoy lunch there.  They let you linger, and linger we did.  The food is always good, although I think maybe they might consider losing the panko coating on the next edition of their lamb chop lollipops.

Undaunted, that evening we journeyed south to the Visitor Center at Historic St. Mary’s City to listen to Prof. Julia King talk about the interaction of the colonists and the native Americans whose territory the English chose to settle.  She illustrated her talk with pictures of sites that were “dug” and what they found.  I always like her lectures, they are to the point, don’t wander, have great information, and move right along.  Another nice evening, concluding with the last half of the pizzas.

Yesterday (Saturday) saw a stint at the chapel, and then we joined some friends for dinner on the Solomon’s.  We returned home and suffered through Michigan State’s drubbing by the Notre Dame.  I can’t believe the Irish are that good, and (I hope that) MSU isn’t as bad as they looked.  I suppose the South Benders are already making plans for the BCS championship game.  And I suppose this sounds like sour grapes, but Coach Kelly aggravates the heck out of me.  He went on with the usual post game interview with self serving platitudes about “we’ve got a long way to go”; “trying to get better”; “just doing our jobs” and other self deprecating remarks.  Poor me.  No smiles.  Sorry domer, you win this year!

Whew, how did I get off on that?

Well, as long as I seem to be venting a bit, here’s another.  MFO brought home a clip from an on-line news story that lists where the next set of cameras to be installed on the roads around here.  Naturally they rise out of the weeds again, citing “invasion of privacy” concerns, and other big brother conspiracy plots.  I got nothing to hide, do they? By God, I ought to be able to speed, run red lights, stop signs if I wish!!!  With those damn cameras I might get caught breaking the law.   Obey the laws, no worries.

And lastly, in a little lighter vein, friends with whom we shared a table with for the United Way event, alerted me to one of his pet peeves, which upon reflection, I share.  He likes butter on his rolls, and cream in his coffee. At the end of his meal, he had a little pile of plastic containers the size of a softball.   Butter came in those little (impossible to open) tubs, the contents of which are barely enough for one bite, necessitating the use of many leading to the scrap piles.  And, oh, you want cream? How about opening a dozen little containers to get enough for a cup.  I don’t know the BOH regulations, but other restaurants supply a little crock of butter and an actual pitcher for the cream, so it must not be required to have tubs of this and that.  Maybe a portion control issue?  I don’t know.  And how do you like your butter wrapped in foil?  Either so cold you can’t spread it or so soft your fingers come away glistening. 

And today we’re serenaded by the throaty roar of big engines installed in boats, as the “offshore racing” crowd is using our back yard for races.

 

And we have lots of friends.

 

And nothing tonight so we don’t have to worry about

DFD