World's worst outdoor dining

I've seen some pretty ridiculous "outdoor dining" set-ups. Tables overlooking gigantic parking lots. Tables stuck in the sun next to busy streets. Yes, people do like to eat outside, but not every restaurant should offer the option.

We were in Chicago last week and walked past this place a couple of times. It's near Michigan Avenue. The outdoor tables are within inches of a busy, four lane, one way street. Overhead there is construction scaffolding. Because of the construction, the sidewalk is down to about a third of it's normal width, which means lots of people push past diners in both directions. It could be worse. At least it's not 100 degrees outside. Oh wait...

Hawks in the backyard

Since early this spring we have had a pair of red tailed hawks nesting in one of the maple trees in our backyard. We watched them build the nest, which is nothing more than a loose grouping of twigs and sticks, in a crook of the tree. For the past several weeks one of the hawks always seems to be in the nest. We think they are sitting on eggs. Both the mommy and daddy hawk take turns sitting. We assume the other one is out hunting. We've only seen the two together a few times. Because of their position in the tree we haven't been able to get a good photo of them. Until tonight!

When it's 100 degrees outside everyone likes to dip their feet in the water.

We we're having dinner and all of sudden one of the hawks was standing in our birdbath. I had put water in it last night and we often see cardinals, robins and bluejays enjoying the bath. But tonight one of the hawks decided to take a dip and all the little birds, not to mention the chipmunks and squirrels, scattered. He (although it may have been the she) stood there for a few moments and then dunked it's tail feathers into the water several times. I was able to get a couple of nice photos from inside the house, but when I moved to get a better angle he took off and landed high up in one of our trees. It was amazing to see that large of a bird in the birdbath. It will be interesting once the eggs hatch.

I resemble that remark

Yep. This is me. From our friends at The Oatmeal.
I'm really looking forward to warmer weather so I can actually get outside and ride bikes again.

Making life easier

I would have to agree. Alcohol does indeed make everyday life easier. And I have been known to crack a beer at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

The Holiday Curmudgeon

I don’t hate the holidays. I hate what the “Holiday Season” has become. Christmas music starts on the radio, 24 hours a day, right before Halloween. Municipalities decorate their lamp posts with twinkling lights and red ribbons two weeks before Thanksgiving. And I don’t think I even need to mention the excess of Black Friday. When did Christmas become synonymous with buying big screen TVs at a deep discount? Is it any wonder that by the time December 25^th rolls around that people are tired of Christmas?

The “Holiday Season” gets stretched longer ever year. Soon it will resemble a presidential campaign in length. It’s hard for Christmas Day to be special when we’ve been “celebrating” for over two months. (I will give special dispensation to those businesses that celebrate Christmas 365 days a year like Bronners in Frankenmuth, Michigan.)

One of my favorite holiday TV specials is “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. I’m old enough to remember watching it when it premiered in 1965, and pretty much every year thereafter. Many people today would love to go back to that simpler time. But do those people remember the main theme of that holiday classic? Charlie Brown was repelled by the over commercialization of Christmas and went in search of the true meaning of the season. And that was 45 years ago. What would Charlie think of today’s over-hyped and pepper spray scented holiday shopping binges? I suppose if he could listen to Vince Guaraldi while carving a pumpkin he’d probably be okay.

Peace. And Happy Birthday Jesus.

Yes, I waited to post this until after the holidays on purpose.

A Typical November Day

A typical November day. Lifeless. Devoid of color. The trees are barren, having shed their summer foliage. The few remaining leaves pile up in dull brown heaps on the dormant grass of the lawn. The sky is gray. Not even a cloud pattern, just dull, even gray. Not long ago the back yard was a flurry of colorful activity. There were blue jays, bright red cardinals and black as night crows. Perhaps they all tagged along with the geese on the trip south, for the backyard is now vacant. There is a stillness. Nothing moves. It's as if the world is drawing in on itself to await the winter.
And now a snowflake falls...

I'm becoming a curmudgeon

Sometimes we all feel the urge to eat things we don't care for, go to events we know we won't enjoy, or agree with a conversation thread just so we won't rock the boat. I'm really trying to get past all that. I'm not trying to be a jerk, it's just that I have reached that point in my life where I am unapologetic for things I like and don't like. For example:

I like Italian red wine, the drier, the better. I know white wine is better with some foods and they make really good wines in northern Michigan. That's more for you to drink. I like full bodied wines from very old vines.

I like my vegetables raw. Spinach salad - wonderful. Cooked spinach - put it directly in the garbage disposal.

I don't care for watching hockey. I know it's a great game and I have lots of friends who really enjoy it. I'm just not into it, even though I've tried.

Opera leaves me cold.

I don't like light beer. In fact, if light beer is all that is offered I will usually just drink water.

I enjoy watching football and basketball. But I would rather play any sport with my kids or buddies than watch professional athletes play the same sport.

I'm not a fan of big cities. Short visits are okay, but if I had to choose between being in midtown Manhattan or Jackson Hole, Wyoming I'd pick Jackson Hole.

Most people who read this really won't care about my opinions. That doesn't bother me either.