the DronesClub	the smackdown	Fierce Creatures	Little Blenheim	Barmy in Wonderland	the dernier cri

The unpleasant, acrid smell of burnt poetry.
Young Men in Spats, 1936

June 2008	July 2008	Aug 2008	Sept 2008	Oct 2008	Nov 2008	Dec 2008
Jan 2009	Feb 2009	March 2009	April 2009	May 2009	June 2009	July 2009

 

October 29, 2009

4 years of gains - lost. I've watched Wagnerian operas with happier stories than this. 8:49 p.m. - The readership begs to learn that New World has fought it's way back over $30/share. Meh. We're back to where we were in November, 2004. Give me another $35 and we'll call it even. Arabella is celebrating this milestone by going to town with her squeaky ball. 8:01 p.m. - So, I figured out how to connect a computer to the network. That's it? That was easy. And I/T guys get 3 times my salary for that? That is so unfair. . . I had the merest sniff of Glenmorangie during Master Craftsman at the Scottish Rite this evening. So tasty!

October 28, 2008

Behold! One of the bookshelves that will grace my upstairs. I'm culling books now (an impossible task).

7:08 a.m. - We stopped by Spirit World yesterday evening for our neighbor's office party. Or rather, his realty firm hosted a get together of past and current clients as a thank-you for business. It was a rather nice affair, and I can honestly say, knowing Tim, he has assembled the best in his business under one roof. It's not often one sings praises of realtors, but he is probably the best in his business, and a straight-shooting honest guy. We left instructions in our estate planning that he is to handle the disposition of our house for the executor, so not only did he sell us our house, but he will inherit the sale of it, too. But if you read this, Tim, don't kill us just for the commission. It's not worth it. All in all, a fun evening. I ran into a friend from my LO class and we saw our contractor Victor and our neighbor Jan. I talked Scotch with the store's resident Scotch-wallah, but I didn't buy anything. My current bottle of Balvenie's 10-year old single-malt Scotch will last me for about 2 years (or more), so no point in laying in a supply. Unless of course there was a flu pandemic and we were shut in the house, in which case I'd need more on-hand for purely medicinal reasons.

October 27, 2008

9:26 p.m. - Busy day. We stopped by the attorney's office to work on our estate planning, powers of attorney, and wills. Afterward, we looked in on Tom's Antiques, and he gave us a phenomenal deal on arts & crafts-era bookshelves which we will put upstairs in the TV/computer room. We had lunch at Greek Islands. Jennifer went to an antique store in the afternoon and I cleared out books for the new shelves upstairs and waited for the roofer to give us his updated quote. In the evening, I went to Florence Lodge to "prove up" the Lodge, which means we can open and close proficiently. Or at least, mostly proficiently.

And tomorrow, back to the usual grind. . .

October 26, 2008

Mayor Fahey opening the Diego Rivera exhibit at Joslyn

Diego Rivera's daughter, the Mayors of Omaha and Xalapa, Mexico, and other dignitaries cut the ribbon to the exhibit

7:10 p.m. - So quite a weekend. The Scotch tasting on Friday was a stunning success. Bwa ha ha ha! I insisted on having a pour of each of the 7 Scotches, and except for the Ardbeg  which was disgusting, they were pure ambrosia. The 5 and 10 year old Balvenie's were extraordinary. And the 12 year old Madeira wood finish Glenmorangie was fantastic. . . . "Nose is humid with herbaceous notes, the low registers of green tomato, stone fruit pulp, ginger bread (the authentic cake-like version), pine furniture, camphor, and light salt.. . ." That shit smells like everything but puppy dogs, marshmallows, and rainbows. I have no idea what any of this bullfarb even means! Be that as it may, the true winner of the evening was the 12 year old Glenmorangie port wood finish. I am not going to review Scotch - I have no idea what any of this crap means. I fall to the celebrated Mark Christensen Beavis & Butthead Binary Opposition View of the Arts, which says that any given thing either rules or sucks. So using this subtle scale of review, we can say that the Balvenie ruled, and the Glenmorangie ruled. But the Balvenie 15 year old and the Ardbeg sucked.

So passing lightly from a pleasant Friday evening, I settled down for a peaceful repose. We got up early Saturday and went to the Diego Rivera exhibit opening at the Joslyn. How cool is it that a major exhibit like Diego Rivera comes to Omaha? I did not realize that Rivera painted in so many styles. Afterward, we looked in for breakfast in Bellevue. Jennifer went off to work, and I puttered around and wasted the afternoon. At 7:30 we went to Dad and Deirdre's Halloween party which is always a success. I simply slapped a glengarry on my head, but Jennifer went as a Facebook page - wearing a white t-shirt (one of my white t-shirts) with messages on it. She brought a dog, a plant, wore a dozen "pieces of flair" and other accoutrements of Facebook.

Today, we had a late lunch and looked in on Tom's antiques. Jennifer bought a new lampshade for her chicken lamp. I took a nap and Jennifer went over to Julie's for an hour and a half. We've been puttering around for the remainder of the evening. The winds are horrible outside - about 35 miles per hour. Our furniture has blown off the porch and we have tree branches down.

October 25, 2008

12:31 p.m. - It has finally happened. Our net worth is now 5% less than it was in November, 2006 when I began tracking my investments with anal retentive precision. Two years of fiscal responsibility and savings is down the tube. We'd be worth more if we had done no savings or stashed it in the old oak chest. As it is, our savings are worth less now than they were 2 years ago! Ah well. . . By 2037, perhaps it may have recovered.

October 24, 2008

That ain't right. That just ain't right.

1:54 p.m. - This morning, I fired up a computer which has been gathering dust in the storeroom, only to learn the motherboard was fried. Since the computer was dead as a doornail, I did the only reputable thing - rummaged through the pockets looking for loose change. Or rather, plucked the 512 MB of RAM chip out and put it in my computer, thereby upgrading mine to 1GB RAM and making it twice as fast. Sweet. While I was thus engaged, one of my co-workers put my little foam critters into obscene positions. I am appalled.

Meanwhile. . . quiet day at the office. Clay and I sent out for Chinese food for lunch and had a leisurely break after a busy morning. It's a cold and dreary afternoon, and will hopefully be quiet for the remainder of the day. I decided to go help out at the Scotch tasting at Scottish Rite this evening. 

October 23, 2008

9:45 p.m. - Stopped by Tangier Shrine earlier this evening to put labels on the Lodge newsletters, which I will mail tomorrow. I may have had a Sam Adams. Jennifer has gone to bed and I'm watching Life on Mars. Percy and Arabella are fast asleep.

October 22, 2008

7:48 a.m. - I am sitting in my office this morning getting ready for a busy day, and the gym directly behind my office has the boom, boom, boom bass cranking on their radio for the workout going on. I can hear it - or really, feel it - through the thin wall separating me from them. I may beat the wall down and club someone with their own left leg. 

October 21, 2008

7:56 p.m. - So I went to Scottish Rite last night for the Tishri dinner and business meeting. I miss going to Scottish Rite, and I will be more active in 2009 when I am no longer "in the East" at my own Lodge. A friend of mine gave me a snifter of Glenmorangie Scotch yesterday evening. My mouth did the yummy dance. It was extraordinary. So smooth! My tummy and my brain had a happy. All other Scotches taste like a monkey's ass by comparison. They left me with the bottle of Glenmorangie unsupervised, and even though there was barely a pour left in it, I finished it off. Fools!

I may volunteer at the Scotch tasting on Friday, but after last year's debacle (heh heh heh), they are going to make me buy a ticket, even if I work.

October 20, 2008

7:17 a.m. - Well, kiddo, another season come and gone. The Rays dashed the Sox' World Series dreams in the ninth, 3-1. They played a good game, they held their own, but ultimately, they are now in hibernation for a long winter's nap while Tampa goes on to play the Phillies. I myself suspect a collusion between umpires with a financial interest in the game. But we take a deep breath, expunging the bad air and inhaling the good air. Next season is the tabla rasa and we begin all over again.

October 19, 2008

10:00 p.m. - Tampa and Boston are tied 3-3 games for the American League Championship Series. It's game 7, top of the 8th. The Rays are up 3 to 1. Dear Lord, please take care of your Red Sox and give them an 8th inning miracle to push them to another World Series appearance.

We gave Arabella the suede coat and she strutted her stuff around on the catwalk. . . er, dog walk.

5:39 p.m. - It's Sunday, and the weekend is waning. Ugh. It's been a fairly quiet weekend, and the weather has been perfect Autumn weather. We had a lazy Saturday. I slept in until about 8:00 or 8:30, and Jennifer for a bit longer. I went to Bakers and picked up some groceries. Later, we watched the first episode of Life on Mars, which I had DVR'd earlier this week. I hadn't anticipated enjoying it, but it was a really good show, and I'm going to enjoy it. The concept is that a 2008 New York police officer is hit by a car and wakes up in 1973 New York. He may be dreaming, he may be in a coma, or he may really be in 1973. Sounds corny, but it was pretty good. Afterward, we puttered around a bit. Jennifer made bacon 'n' eggs for lunch, and we spent the afternoon working on putting Christmas bags together for co-workers. In the evening, we went out to that Chinese buffet we used to go to at 84th and Center. It has new owners and has expanded. The food was good, but the atmosphere was toxic with screaming children and mouth breathers. In the late evening, Jennifer played on the computer and I watched Grumpy Old Men on DVD. I think we wound up going to bed around midnight, which is super late for us.

Today, we took a drive out to the beige houses in extreme west Omaha to have a look around and then had lunch. We got home around 2:00 or 3:00 and watched the second episode of Life on Mars on ABC.com, and then took the dogs on a short walk. Now we are both puttering around upstairs.

October 17, 2008

9:05 p.m. - Jennifer and I went with Julie for a late dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. I had the prime cheese burger with bacon, and it was very, very good. I swapped the fries for the mashed cauliflowers and had the salad, too. And a Sam Adams.

It's barely a few minutes after 9:00, and I am ready to fall asleep right now.

8:16 a.m. - The Tampa Devil Rays came out a-swingin' in the 2008 American League Championship Series, and the Red Sox were on the ropes. I paid attention in a desultory fashion, and quickly lost interest after Game 3 when it looks like the Rays were going to take it. Silly me - that's when the Sox need me most. I lost faith. I was guilty of apostasy. 

The Red Sox have proven that miracles do indeed happen in this day and age. They recovered from a 7-0 loss in the 7th inning to beat Tampa Bay 8-7 in the 5th game! What a come back! What a stunning victory! That's not to say they are going to win the ALCS. They are still down 2-3 in the 7 game series, but they aren't out. There is still hope! And so to all true-believers out there, keep the faith that the Red Sox do it again. 

So mote it be.

October 15, 2008

10:22 p.m. - The market dropped 733 today again, erasing yesterday's gains entirely. All things being equal, I am down $26k from this time last year, though I am up a mere 5% from December, 2006 when I began first keeping track. Sigh. . . Call it what you will, this recession will be with us for a long time.

Richard Temple as the Pirate King, circa 1880

On the plus side of the ledger, Jennifer gave me a ticket to see Pirates of Penzance at the Orpheum this evening while she was at a party honoring the worker bees from the antique show last month. It was an excellent performance, in spite of οί πολλοίί. Yes, the usual folks were there, checking their cell phones the moment they could, yakking during the music, and breathing through their mouths. But that aside, the singers were extraordinary. Mabel was incredible, with the Pirate King and Major General Stanley a very close second for talent. Stanley nailed the part with all the comic effects. And both Ruth and the Sergeant of Police were perfectly cast and performed. I found Frederic to be a little bit off, for some reason. He had the music, the words, and the timing, but for some reason he just didn't click with me. They followed the play by the book which was refreshing. Opera Omaha should be extremely proud of this performance, and I am pleased to see Pirates still packing the house night after night after night somewhere in the world since it opened in 1879.

The Omaha skyline as I walk toward the Orpheum Theater

Now for the Goober Award for the evening. I left home early, shot down to the Holland Performing Arts Center, and scored a kick-ass parking spot right in front of the building. But the ticket office wasn't open, so I walked down to the Old Market and had a spot of dinner at Old Chicago. I got back to the Holland at 7:00, and lo and behold, the ticket office was still dark. Uh-oh. The show starts in 30 minutes and no one is here. So I double check the pass Jennifer gave me, and it is at the Orpheum. Double uh-oh. I jetted on over to 15th and Farnam, found a parking space 3 blocks from the Orpheum and high-tailed it in. Fortunately, they had plenty of seats left and I got a great seat in row G, a cabbage throw from the stage. And best of all, after applauding my little heart out after the show, I was back at my car in two ticks and home before the west Omahans had even made it out of the OPPD parking lot across the street.

 

October 14, 2008

10:41 a.m. - The market posted its biggest gain ever yesterday, up 936 points from Friday's close. I am amazed to see my retirement accounts swing $7,992 in a single day. I could use a few more days like yesterday, though CNN is reporting that the stock rally is losing its steam today. The market was up only up 46 points the last time I checked. That still puts me down over $40k since this time last year. 

Meanwhile. . . We're still planning on looking in on Savannah next month four vacation. Jennifer is waiting for the last minute to book tickets and a hotel, hoping to get a good deal. She usually knows what she is doing, but this does not bode well for my raging Type-A personality that wants things done in advance, well-ordered and arranged, and nothing left to chance. 

7:58 a.m. - This morning, I went to Hy-Vee to get donuts for the office. If you've ever bought grocery store bakery pastries, they give you these flimsy cardboard boxes to hold your goodies in, which barely hold a single donut. So I had 20 donuts for the office and was at the check out line. The bagger says as she's fumbling around with the wobbly, cheap box of overpriced donuts, "I hate to get my hands in peoples' food. . . but it ain't like I been pickin' my nose or anything." Charming. Just what I want to hear at 7:30 in the morning. That sentiment must be quite a delight at the Governor's ball. 

October 12, 2008

About 150 or so came to the Scottish Rite dinner on Saturday.

I took this picture of the Scottish Rite building while greeting guests.

8:09 p.m. - At least the market can't sink any lower over the weekend. Right? The Australian Securities Exchange is up on Monday (it's about 12 hours in the future there, don't forget), so may that portends well for my battered mutual funds.

Fun evening on Friday. We went down to O Casual Dining & Lounge for a great dinner. I had the steak, which was so good, I could have cut it with a spoon. Jennifer had tickets to Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby at the Holland Performing Arts Center. They were awesome! Great performance! What a show! Of course, the usual fraktards were there yakking on their cell phones during the entire intermission and the usual rude jerks who left the moment the show ended, without the courtesy of applause. They  missed a couple of great encores, including a bluegrass version of Rick James' Superfreak and the old classic Uncle Pen.

Meanwhile. . . today is our 6th anniversary. Big deal. Jennifer went to work and is in bed for the evening. I brought Greek take-out from Greek Islands by way of celebration, and we sat on the porch for a while afterward and enjoyed the weather.

This has been a quiet, but busy weekend. I went to KSA on Saturday morning, which was one of our longest meetings ever. We are having a leadership crisis, or rather, we are having problems getting volunteers for events, members to come to meetings, and strong leaders to get in line. I am working on all of these problems over the coming months. Hopefully we can recruit, engage, and retain strong leaders for the KSA for future years.

After the meeting, I helped out at the Scottish Rite for about 30 or 45 minutes, and then came home by 12:00. I pottered around a while, took an hour's nap, and then went down to the Scottish Rite to volunteer for the Friends of Scottish Rite dinner, which was a benefit for the Rite Care clinics at Monroe-Meyer Institute. I must have been there for 6 hours working. It's a lot of fun, but exhausting. There was a great turn out for the first year. About 150 people attended, and they had great silent and oral auction packages. I won a Scottish Rite drink holder and a custom made tube for my Masonic apron. Now I'll have to get a nice past masters apron to put in the tube. I am truly excited for the Friends of Scottish Rite dinner, which can grow in future years to a real money-maker for the RiteCare clinic. Nebraska can has one of the best RiteCare clinics in the nation, which offers diagnosis, treatment, and care to children with a variety of language and speech disorders.

 

October 9, 2008

7:42 p.m. - So the Dow Jones tanked another 679 points to close at 8,579.19. Yikes! How can it get worse! I bought the rest of my 2008 Roth shares on about Monday, thinking it would not get lower. Not so. Error. Perhaps my financial acumen isn't quite the brilliant Midas touch I thought it would be. How much lower will it go? I don't understand the financial markets whatsoever, and I have no idea how the economy will recover short of a war. Look at those bonds crash! The good news is that even with the Dow in le crapier today, if the market earns an average of 5% over the next 30 years, and I contribute the max each year (plus a little bit more), I'll be able to retire. Isn't amazing that I can obsess over my IRA like a baby.

Meanwhile. . . quiet day. I met the fellas at Scottish Rite after work for a walk-through to prep for the big fundraising dinner on Saturday. The dinner will be a posh event. Afterward, I picked up chicken for Jennifer for dinner afterward, and then we sat on the porch for a while and let the dogs run around in the lawn. Jennifer is across the street at Julie's now, and I'm puttering around at home. Tomorrow, we're looking in on the Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby concert which should be really good.

October 7, 2008

Meanwhile, downstairs in the office's storage room: "We have top men working on it now." "Who?" "Top. . . men."

10:04 p.m. - We made bacon and eggs for dinner, and then took the dogs on a long walk around the neighborhood. Jennifer always takes Gryffindor and I take Percy and Arabella. Percy loves exploring and marking territory, and Arabella prances around the neighborhood with her tail jauntily straight up in the air. Adorable! Afterward, Jennifer played online and I watched a bit of television.

3:12 p.m. - Little to report. Lodge went as well as could be expected. With Grand Lodge's help, I had to relieve our Secretary of duty. The man is a heckuva ritualist and a hard-core member of the Lodge. He's been there for every event and has been with the Lodge through thick and thin. But he's a lousy Secretary. I replaced him with a committee of the past Secretary and another guy who will in all likelihood be elected Secretary in 2009. I don't know how this went over with the rest of the guys. I don't know if they'd elect me to a second year or not, but if nominated, I will not run, and if elected, I will not serve. One year is more than sufficient. I'll serve as chaplain or something next year to help keep a strong line of officers going. At any rate, not easy or pleasant, but had to be done.

Otherwise, all quiet in the east. Jennifer enjoyed a well-earned day off yesterday after working all weekend. We got to sit for a while on the front porch with Arabella and Gryffindor, enjoying the cool weather and rain, before I went to Lodge. 

Fortunately, there is nothing going on tonight and I propose to have a quiet evening, do nothing, and go to bed early. 

 

October 5, 2008

7:22 p.m. - Made porkchops for dinner. Jennifer is already in bed for the evening.

4:57 p.m. - I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my essay for the Scottish Rite Master Craftsman project. Then I spent an hour or so cleaning my desk, either filing the piles of paper that accumulate or throwing them away. I've been listening to WNCW for a few hours - great music! - and I sat outside on the porch for a while with Arabella listening to music on the computer, sipping a diet caffeinated beverage, and puffing on a pipe. The weather is beautiful outside, 83º according to weather.com. The leaves are just beginning to fall, and there was a light breeze so it was just right for porch sittin'.

It's hard to take Jeff Bridges seriously as the villain in this movie after The Big Lebowski.

1:25 p.m. - Nothing of interest to report. I bought Ironman on DVD yesterday and have been puttering around watching it while cleaning up around the house. I am constantly amazed at Hollywood's need to offer me 3 overpriced versions: the regular movie (which I got), the 2-disc collector's version with all sorts of interviews and "the making of's," and the ultimate version which seems to be about the same as the collector's except $1 more. I just want the movie. No bells and whistles. The real issue is why not include them as part of the DVD to begin with. Who pays an extra $10 just to have interviews with the director or the actors? Does anyone care?

The other part that baffles me (spoilers ahead) is that Stark is in Afghanistan to present the Jericho missile to the army and then on his way back from the presentation he is kidnapped by Afghanistan warlords. We learn later that this was at the bidding of Obediah Stane, his mentor at Stark industries, who was paying the warlods to kill him. So Stark gets back home, renounces the weapons industry, forcing Stane to try to oust him from Stark Industries. My question is: why? It makes no sense whatsoever. If Stane had done nothing, then Stark wouldn't have been kidnapped, and he'd still be making weapons for the military, and everybody would be happy. The second problem I have with Ironman is that Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane at all. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with Jeff Bridges. The problem is that he is and will always be "the Dude," Jeff Lebowski. Yes, I am one of Lebowski's Urban Achievers, and unabashedly so. It's hard to take Bridges seriously as the bad guy, when I keep expecting him to have a joint in one hand and a white Russian the other.

October 4, 2008

Crossing the new Bob Kerrey footbridge into Council Bluffs

9:06 p.m. - Jennifer worked today, and after some morning errands, I spent the afternoon cleaning up around the house. The bedroom was horrible, and I waded through dust, mountains of dirty laundry, and assorted detritus cleaning it to within an inch of it's life. We'll see how long that lasts. I give it about 2 days.

The bridge is a great addition to the Omaha skyline

Jennifer picked up a rotisserie chicken on her way home, and we had a light dinner. After a bit of piddling around - her on the computer and I watching a bit of television - we drove down to the new Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge to have a look. I didn't think there would be a crowd - there being a football game and all that today, but there was a fairly large crowd enjoying perfect early-Autumn weather. Jennifer will roll her eyes, but I HATE those gorram cell phone yakkers who feel the need to gab their entire way across the bridge, as if there conversation was that important or interesting. And yet, if I were to heave them over, the awful majesty of the law would not hail me as a folk hero worthy of statue and song. Go figure. And worse, the dog walkers who let their mutts beshit the newly opened bridge. I would think that chucking the owners into the water would be a just punishment. Nevertheless, the bridge is a beautiful addition to the Omaha skyline, and I think it well worth the price tag. I had feared that the Iowa side would be a banausic wasteland, but they have some grand plans to develop their side of the river. There is a wonderful bike trail along the Missouri River and they will develop some higher-end condos. To steal a leaf from Richard Florida and Rebecca Ryan, they need to do more than plonk down $300,000 condominiums. There needs to be stores there - not Kwik-E-Marts or ubiquitous coff-e-marts but interesting stores that will justify walking across the bridge. They need public programming - concerts, street artists. There should be vitality and the 24-hour (or at least, 16 hour) city, not just expensive town houses. We will see if Omaha and Council Bluffs hold up their ends of the deal and make the bridge a true destination.

October 2, 2008

9:14 p.m. - The Leadership Omaha 30th Anniversary luncheon was a stunning success, and Rebecca Ryan gave one of her patented brilliant speeches on engaging young professionals and intergenerational leadership. Ms. Ryan is a helluva speaker and thinker. I told that to Jennifer, and J. merely shook her said and opined that I drank the kool-aid.

Mom and Mike took us to O Casual Dining downtown for Jennifer's birthday. Very tasty. I am stuffed like Winnie the Pooh.

Jennifer is in bed, and I'm about 20 minutes from taking the beasts for their final squeezing of the evening and heading dreamward myself.

October 1, 2008

7:29 a.m. - The year is now 3/4ths over. I can't believe we just finished spending the days roasting in 95° summer days, and now I'm already thinking about turning the heat on in the morning as I shiver in a 53° bathroom at 6 a.m. . . . We took the dogs for a long walk yesterday, which they love. Percy loves sniffing at everything and Arabella prances with her little tail held high in the air. Gryffindor likes to take the lead and mark his territory, which prompts Percy to have to stop and tag each surface after him. The weather was just right to sit on the porch for about 20 or 30 minutes last night and enjoy the evening after our walk.