Ten of the best April Fool's Day hoaxes: US museum

Ten of the best April Fool's Day hoaxes: US museum

I am on TV! Well, not TV, really...

Here I am in Person, talking about things that are sort of boring:

World Energy Television - Are Open Standards an Oxymoron?

Cool, eh?

Pickets

As you can see, we have a white picket fence around the house. We have lived here since September of 2002, and in the past 4.5 years we have had the fence assaulted three times.

Once, after the Super Bowl (when it was here in Houston) someone coming from the bar down the corner broke one of the pickets. I think they kicked it. I replaced the picket the next day.

Then, the oddest thing happened. Several months after the Super Bowl, someone came and stole ONE picket. Yes, they took one picket out of the fence, and it was gone. I replaced that picket the next day as well. But about 6 weeks later, THE ORIGINAL PICKET WAS RETURNED!!! Yes, we came home one day, and the picket (it was the same one) was lying in the yard.

Then about a week ago, we noticed that another picket was gone. Just gone. No reason why, no evidence of where it had gone. We replaced it with the one that had been mysteriously returned.

People are just so odd.

SWAT in the 'hood!

As we got out to walk the dog this morning at 5:30, we noticed the end of our street was blocked off with cop cars. We asked them what was going on, and they said that there was a "situation"

This was the situation:

6-Hour SWAT Standoff Ends - Local News

By the time we went to work, it was all over.

Chicks

HERE is a video of some newly hatched chicks.

Leaving the Rodeo

Bye, bye!

See you next year!

Sleeping Pig

Lookit all them cows!

Baby Cow (AKA Calf)

Boy and Rabbit in Costume

This boy was dressed the same as his rabbit.

Texas Ranger.

They won first place

Cow's Birthday

Today was this cow's birthday

Girl with Rabbit in Costume

They are wearing the same outfits.

Bunnies at the Rodeo

Today we went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Doreen wanted to see the Rabbits in Costumes competition.

Here are some rabbits. THEY ARE HUGE

NYC Last Day

Have I mentioned how COLD it was. It was very cold. 13 F at night. It didn't get much beyond 25 during the day.

The next day we got up and went to the Morgan Library. Doreen had a little business to take care of so I wandered about.

For lunch that day we went to Spice Market which I am pretty sure is in Chelsea. That was a GREAT meal. We had Chicken Samosas, Black Pepper Shrimp, Cod, Salt and Pepper Skate, Corn and Broccoli, Ovalitine Banana and a bottle of a Spanish Albariño. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

I think it was that day that we went to another play called The Voysey Inheritance. It was set in England in about 1905, and the story was about a family firm of solicitors who had been swindling their clients for two generations. Excellent play. It resonates, I guess. (There have been crooks for hundreds of years. Don't expect them to change) It was amatinee, and we were then able to go and eat at The Modern. What food! Following is our Chef's Tasting Menu. (We did the wine flight as well, but I don't have them written down, much to my chagrin):

Foie Gras Terrine Flavored with Juniper Marinated Raisins, Grilled Country Bread

Tartare of Yellow-fin Tuna and Diver Scallops Seasoned with Yellowstone River Caviar

Maine Lobster Poached in a Spiced Broth with Winter Vegetables

Chorizo-Crusted Chatham Cod with White Coco Bean Purée and Harissa Oil

Long Island Duck Breast with Black Trumpet Marmalade, “Fleischneke”, and Banyuls Jus

Artisanal Cheese Selection

Chocolate Tart, Chocolate “Crémeux” and Sorbet

Everything we ate was fabulous. But the Long Island Duck is what I will remember from that meal. It was crispy and fatty, Juicy and delicious. Worth a trip to New York just for that.

The next day our flight was out at 7:30 (!) and this was the night we lost an hour to that Idiot Senator who advanced Daylights Savings time three weeks. He should be defeated soundly. But we made it to the airport early enough to make the earlier flight, and got home before 10:00 AM!!!

NYC 2007.03.08

The next day we got up late and stopped at a Starbucks for Lattes and Muffins. Decadent. Then we went to several art galleries. We at lunch at Via Quandronno and had some outstanding sandwiches. Great!

Then we went to the Met to see two shows - one centered on Barcelona, the other on Tiffany Glass. Both were great. That is a wonderful museum.

We also visited the Frick to see a show by George Stubbs . Great stuff. You would recognise some of Stubb's paintings.

Then we went back the hotel, and got ready for dinner at the db Bistro Moderne. And what a treat THAT was! we started with a fancy Cheese Toast - more like a big piece of flatbread with cheese melted on top and some Duck Pate. (We accompanied the meal with a bottle of Burgundy wine) For our main course I had Coq au Vin and Doreen had a Lamb Chop. We ordered some French Fries and Brussels Sprouts to go with the meal. Doreen's came with Viennese Potatoes. We finished off the meal with a Banana Tart.

The next day for lunch we met up with Doreen's buddy Bruce Norris. and here. It is always fun to talk to Bruce. His life is so much different from ours. And the great thing is that he enjoys it so much. Maybe he enjoys seeing us (Corporate sellout and non-profit do gooder?) as a change from his normal routine as well. We ate at Kelly and Ping with him. It is a noodle house in Chelsea. No, it may be in Greenwich Village. I don't really know.

We went to some more shops and galleries, and then back to the hotel. That night, as we had theater tickets, we ate at the London Bar which is in the hotel. We shared the Onion Velutte Soup with Duck, a Salad Frisse, Corn Rissoto, Fois Gras Terrine, and some Pork Belly. We had a bottle of Greuner Veltliner to go with it

The show we saw that night was Spring Awaking. This is a show about kids coming of age. But the age in this case was Germany in the 1890s. And it was a Rock musical.

Then we went back to the hotel.

NYC 2007.03.07

We had another culinary and cultural trip to New York City about a week ago. As with all these trips, the reasons we go are generally twofold - one, to eat at some places we have never been before, and two, to gain some culture with visits to museums and art galleries, and to attend The Theater.

We had the good fortune to get a cheap rate at the London NYC hotel. It is real new, and right close to the Theater District. Very nice place, we had a view of Central Park. (Sort of a view, anyway). We will go back if we can get another low rate. Not sure we will, though. The good thing about NYC is that there are a ton of new hotels opening up all the time, and they always have introductory rates.

The first day we were there we stopped and had a pizza at Angelo’s Pizza. It is a coal fired pizza place that does its pizza with a very thin and crispy crust. We had it with mushrooms and procuitto. And it was delightful.

Then we sent to see a "workshop" of one of Doreen's friend's plays. Life Sciences is the name of the play. It was a how about kids coming of age. It was interesting to see a play in development, as well as Jack (Doreen's Friend) working the crowd to get a commitment to get the show produced.

After the show we went with Jack and Bruce to Molyvos and ate lots of good Greek stuff (Baby Octopus, flaming cheese, lamb braise, baklava). We were stuffed by the end of the evening.

How fast do you talk?

I was deposed today for some foolish lawsuit in which I am merely a peripheral player. It wasn't that interesting, except for one thing.

After the depo, the court reporter came to me and asked if I could give her my e-mail address. She said that I spoke so fast that she could not get all my words down. She said that she is good up to 240 words per minute, that most people speak at about 220 wpm, and I was jabbering away at 280 wpm.

I don't have the perception that I talk fast.

But I may be wrong.

IAH

We flew back from New York City yesterday. It was a very early flight – we arrived in Houston about 9:30 AM. The Houston airport (IAH) was SWAMPED with people. There were lines going out the door at every check in and security point.

Spring break.

(I will be posting more about our trip to NYC soon)

Cedar Waxwings

This morning when I pulled up to the office there was a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating berries near our parking garage.

See a nice drawing here:

coe_cedwax.jpg (JPEG Image, 356x408 pixels)

Chas and Momos

Here is Brother Chas simulating the Momo stance. The momos have been in the family as long as I can remember. Now they are part of a Tontine, where they change hands in the family once a year, on March 18th.

They next go to Mark, as he is the next in line in the Family. I will get them in 2010. The youngest (Matthew) will get them in 2012.