grapes

George is very happy about the arrival of his grapes - 150 pounds of them.

cockscomb

Seneca Lake

George Bearing Gifts

On Saturday, we went up to Seneca lake to see about a "lake retreat." Ultimately, it didn't work out, but we did have a nice drive, walk on the lake, and side trip to Sweet Land Farm.

Buttermilk Falls

Disappointing Date

Waiting for the Concert to Begin

Ithaca's music scene, to me, leaves much to be desired. I was thrilled, then, when Dan Smalls Presents announced that Iris Dement would be performing on August 20. I've listened to her for a long time - I remember when I lived in Utah that I was vexed because I missed her concert. Since then, she hasn't performed in a place where I've lived or could easily drive to. Several weeks ago, I got our tickets, and I was very excited leading up to the concert last night.

Perhaps it was the traffic. George was irritated because of the mile-long jam along State Street and my insistence we backtrack and go the back route (Giles to Hudson to Aurora to State). I had just awoken from a nap I required due to the long faculty meeting earlier in the day. This is to say, we weren't at our best.

This is the first time we'd gone to a concert at CMSA, and I was so reminded of the design of the rooms on the University of Chicago campus. Things felt very familiar. And, it was a good turnout, which surprised me a little. But the crowd was weird. George said everyone looked like an old, worn out professor. Since this is Ithaca, most of us in the crowd probably were professors. While we expect our students to behave, we don't always behave ourselves. A case in point was the man behind me. What a cocky little SOB. Arrogance oozed from him. He's so important, in fact, that he didn't think it rude to talk to his companion for most of the show or to get up and down incessantly, though it disturbed those of us around him.

Garrison Starr opened for Iris Dement, and she was funny, though I'm not sure the crowd understood all of her Bible Belt humor. I certainly did, though. Particularly endearing was a young fan, maybe 8 or 9, who was at the front of the house and over the moon she got to see one of her favorite singers live. Starr's music may have been a little too country for George, but I did like her set, so much so that I bought a CD. (I'm actually surprised I haven't encountered her music before.)

Iris Dement shortly took the stage. When she walked by us, George whispered that she had entered the building right in front of him, and he thought to himself, "I hate when women were cowboy boots with short skirts" not knowing that he was maligning our headliner. (Full disclosure - I wore cowboy boots with short dresses when I was in college, and I still would today if I found vegan cowboy boots I liked.)

That George likes Iris Dement at all is surprising because she has the twangiest voice around. (I think he had listened to and liked her music before he and I met.) Even knowing how tangy it was, I was startled to hear it live, though it only took several seconds for me to settle into the rhythm. She played the piano for the first several songs, and her playing was lovely. Between-songs chat was interesting, and she revealed that she had extreme stage fright, one time even having a panic attack preventing her from performing.

Maybe halfway through the set, the P.A. system malfunctioned. At first, I didn't even know what it was. Initially, I thought it was the scratch of the air conditioning system. But the static worsened and worsened, and though the sound manager tried to repair the issue and though we all tried to ignore the interference, it was very grating, to the extent my head started to hurt. Towards the end of the show, it was obvious even a veteran performer like Dement was shaken by the environment. She kept asking the sound manager to just turn off the P.A. system (her mother taught her that projection was a key skill of "real singers"), and it seemed that he acquiesced only when the audience started murmuring, "Turn it off!" Though Dement can project, it was still difficult to hear her voice, especially where we were sitting towards the back of the auditorium, and the chatter of the rude man behind me was enough to make anyone want to start a rumble. Finally, a woman turned to him and asked, in not so nice a way, "Can you keep it down, please?" I think we all were very appreciative, and I was glad it wasn't me who did it. After all, I watched the new episode of Louie on Tuesday.

By the time Dement finished her last song, I think everyone wanted to leave. People clapped, but not the encore producing applause that you usually get at concerts. And, there wasn't an encore. Although it made complete sense that everyone, including Dement, was ready to end the evening, it was a surprise. I'm not sure I've ever been to a concert before without an encore.

As we walked to the car, George and I discussed the evening. George felt that the energy of the crowd was negative. I've been to some good concerts (and bad), some great ones, and then a few where the energy of the room is so positive and focused, it makes the performer even better than he or she would usually be. This might be the first concert where there was actually this bad energy. I don't blame Dement - she's a great musician, and I'm sure would give an awesome concert under the right circumstances. But these circumstances, well, it was a disappointing date.

Unexpected Bus Ride

Yesterday did not go as planned! First, I went out to the Museum of the Earth because I thought the art fair was being held there - I was a day early. Since I was so close to the Ithaca Anitque Mall, I decided to check out the vintage postcards. (This is just over seven miles from my house - not much in the car!) Once I'd made my purchase, I had to go to Greenstar to get some supplies for George. Alas, when I turned the key in the truck, nothing. Not even a sputter. To make matters worse, I had accidentally left my cell phone at home. I asked the clerk at the antique mall if I could use her phone, but George didn't answer. I was so frustrated with the situation, I just wanted to go home. Certainly, I could have made better decisions, but I had a single focus: getting home. I walked down to the hospital (2.5 miles) thinking that I could at least find a cab and pay phone there. Hah! I found neither. The pay phones had been removed. The nice woman at the admissions desk let me use her phone but the cab company had a message saying that they were completely booked and to call back in twenty minutes. The woman suggested I take the bus, which was making a stop at the hospital in just fifteen or so minutes.

It was my first time on a TCAT bus, and it was a pleasant drive. I felt like I was at least getting somewhere, away from the frustration of my car and closer to home. (If it were logistically feasable, I'd want to take the bus to work.) The bus stopped at the Commons, where I went to the library. A pay phone! Then I realized that George's cell phone is not a local call. By this time, it had been several hours since I'd eaten, and I was famished, but I was driven by inertia. I decided to walk the rest of the way home (1 mile). It went fairly quickly, but I got terrible blisters!

Meanwhile, George had received my message and driven out on his scooter to check on the truck, which needed a new battery. He had to come back into town to get tools from home, go pick up a battery, and then go back to the Antique Mall to install it. Since I couldn't ride on the scooter with him, he had to drive back home to pick me up, and then we went back to Trumansburg to get the scooter. He insisted I take him out for dinner for ruining his Saturday!

Oh My George

George had to work on Saturday, and he didn't want to go home and then to the airport after work. Instead, he stopped at the Antique Mall on Hwy 96. He said he went to get a "wooden tool" he'd noticed early in the week. Only after we got home did I realize he was referring to a "tool for wood" rather than a "wooden tool" which was quite a shock to my mental image.

In any case, the point of this story is that George was very sweet and purchased some postcards for me there. Of course, George doesn't want to get a reputation for being sweet, so he said he tried to find the "creepiest" ones they had!

Howl-O-Ween

Saturday, the dog park had a "Howl-O-Ween" party. Walter dressed as a king (very fitting for his personality), and Harvey wore black and orange--Halloween colors. (It was difficult to find a costume in his size!) Walter won the "cutest" award, I'm sure due to the presence of two young girls on the judges panel. George even came out for the fun!

View all the photos from the event here.

Ithaca Dog Park

Today we went to the Ithaca Dog Park and then walked to the Cayuga Lake shore, where we let Harvey go into the water the length of his leash. He loved it. Walter enjoyed the grassy field at the dog park. Neither of them, however, are too comfortable venturing far from me, and rarely interact with other dogs. Walter did jump up on a picnic table where a gaggle of little girls were sitting. After that, they followed him around and he regretted looking for their stray food.

Photos on Flickr

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Today, we went out to the Cornell Lab or Ornithology/Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary. While we didn't see a lot of birds, we could hear them, and the area is beautiful. Walking with George is fun because he has such a good eye for small insects, mushroom, etc. Check our our pictures on flickr. Usually, George is vexed that I take pictures of everything, but he enjoyed taking photographs on our walk.

Farm Sanctuary's 4th of July "Pignic"

The Farm Sanctuary is less than an hour's drive from Ithaca. On July 4th, we went to the annual Pignic. Of course, the best part was the tour. We were able to spend time with all the animals except the sheep and goats, though we did see the new sheep from last Fall's rescue effort as well as Zoop, the goat after which last summer's amazing Mountain Goats benefit was named. It's always so wonderful to be around the animals--the lucky ones who are saved from a trip to someone's stomach. I'm amazed that people can visit the Farm Sanctuary and still eat meat, but I guess the industry has done an incredibly effective job separating "meat" from the animals.

After the tour, we had vegan picnic food--though I had a veggie burger from the last batch. So many people attended, they ran out of food and had to make a trip into Watkins Glen to replenish supplies! While George and I were eating, Gene Bauer (co-founder) arrived, and he was swarmed by fans. We watched the spectacle, and I wanted to get my photo taken with him, but George put his foot down. I did console myself with the irrelevant coincidence that Bauer and I had the same camera case. Swoon. My "Chicks Dig Vegans" t-shirt was very popular...I even got a thumbs up from the pig mascot!

View the slideshow of photos.

George the Farmer

George loves growing plants and vegetables. He has some tomato plants in the backyard. If I'm remembering correctly, he grew these from seeds.

They've been producing cute little tomatoes lately. Adorable, and free of salmonella.

Pita Jungle's Macro Platter

Last night, George and I had to go to ASU's campus to clear out my office. What a disaster! I forgot to bring the hand cart from home, so George had to carry all the boxes down to my truck. Because he's a silly man with something to prove, he walked down three flights of stairs each trip instead of taking the elevator. It's amazing how much junk I'd accumulated over the past four years housed in that office. I filled up the recycling bin with all the unnecessary papers I'd saved.

Since we were in Tempe, we ate at Pita Jungle. I love their Macro Platter. The tofu as well as the beans have the best flavor. The steamed veggies are always so fresh. Since I first tried the Macro Platter, I've eaten nothing else at Pita Jungle. The meal had such a lovely presentation--and quite possibly it was the last time I'll eat at Pita Jungle--so I had to snap a photo for my blog and Flickr. Of course, reticent George was horrified and embarrassed!

You can see all my Flicker photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimeedars. I love comments!

Hit and Run

This morning, at 6:30 a.m., George called and told me the sheriff would be coming by. I wasn't quite awake, so at first, I thought he'd called the sheriff on me for some reason, but I couldn't think of any offenses that merited that treatment! Then he explained that our mailbox was the victim of a senseless hit and run accident last night. After we said goodbye, I went to look at the carnage. Victims: the mailbox, the mailbox stand, and two trees. Evidence: several pieces of the car, including a piece of bumper with a sticker listing a portion of the VIN.

When the sheriff's deputy came to the door later in the morning, he said, "You called us?" I told him, "Someone hit our mailbox." His reply: "What mailbox?" since he couldn't see it as it had been flung off it's pedestal several feet. Soon, a second deputy arrived. The dogs and I could hardly handle the excitement...two sheriff's vehicles in our driveway, lights flashing.

With the car parts the driver left after his (or her) accident, it is likely the sheriff's department will be able to find the perpetrator and achieve justice for the mailbox and fallen trees. In all seriousness, there is a huge problem with drivers in New River. The roads, many dirt, are two lane and curvy, yet drivers are impatient and/or drunk. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the person driving the car was under the influence.

Sick Sloane Monday Update

Sloane has gotten markedly worse since Friday. She is not eating, wobbles when she walks, can barely hold her head up, and has lost so much weight it is alarming. Although she purrs when I am around, she is obviously in great pain.

When she went into the animal hospital last month, the X-rays revealed an abnormality in her skull. The hope was the mass was an inner ear infection--the alternative was a tumor. Since Sloane has been on high-powered antibiotics for over a month and has gotten worse instead of better, it is very likely that the cause of her symptoms is a tumor rather than the inner ear infection we hoped it was. George suspects that the tumor has grown because Sloane's entire jaw is sensitive and uncomfortable.

George took Sloane into the office today to see the doctors, but things look very, very bad. If they confirm that the culprit is a tumor, there is a little they can do for her, and the most humane action would be to end her suffering. It is the last thing in the world I want to do, but I cannot in good conscience let her hurt the way she is hurting. I see it in her eyes. I try to hold her, but she doesn't want to be touched. The best way to take care of her right now is to end her pain.

UPDATE: Sloane died around 6:30 Arizona time. It was very quick, very peaceful. She was such a good cat, and my heart is broken that she is no longer with me, but she was hurting so much, I am relieved she is no longer suffering.

Pictures of Sloane

Adorable George

When Chris was visiting, she and George went to Kim's to see her menagerie--horses, dogs, goats, turtles, koi--and Chris took this picture of George. He usually doesn't look so happy. I wonder if it is because I stayed home...hmmm.....

In this picture, he is in Kim's backyard holding her two beloved chihuahuas and her new puppy (middle) who is just too cute! One of the chihuahuas has a pacemaker.

George's Green Thumb

Yum!

Since George has been working so hard on the house, I've been trying to do more domestically. Admittedly, it's not my strong suit. I did make an excellent dinner. This is a simple dish: soy sauce, garlic powder, snap peas, and SmartMenu Chick'n Strips served with rice. Soooooooo yummy! The food looked so delicious in the pan, I had to capture it in a photo!

If you have not tried the Chick'n Strips, I wholeheartedly recommend them. I prefer them to the Morningstar Farm brand Meal Starters.

While George is Away...

George is out of town this weekend...good timing, because I have been very sick all weekend. It might be the antibiotics I am taking or a bug, but I haven't felt very sociable. I have felt well enough, however, to:

• watch Michael Clayton
• watch Gone, Baby, Gone
• read Obedience by Will Lavender
• make a full Persian chain mail bracelet with colored aluminum rings.

George will be home tomorrow, and it will be nice to have him back!

A Musical Love Story

Since Valentine's Day was on Thursday and I was teaching, last night we had our Valentine's Date. We saw "A Musical Love Story" performed by the Phoenix Symphony and conducted by Lawrence Golan. Because George retrieved me from the bead store at 6:30, we didn't really have time to eat, but at my insistence, we grabbed hummos and soup from Bistro 101 and ran to the Orpheum. We took our seats just as the lights were dimmed.

The music was lovely, and pieces, designed to represent each stage of love, included:

• Prelude, Holbert Suite (Edvard Grieg)
• Largo, from Concerto in D minor for Two Violins (J.S. Bach)
• Allegretto, Palladio (Karl Jenkins) [You may know this from the De Beers ads.]
• Canon (Johann Pachelbel)
• Serenade, Opus 1 (Samuel Barber)
• Serenae for Strings, Opus 48 (Piotr I. Tchaikovsky)
  

Flowers from George

George sent me these beautiful purple flowers for Valentine's Day. This is the first time he's ever given me flowers. How sweet! It's even more remarkable because George does not approve of flowers...to him, they are too fleeting and too wasteful. While I can't argue about flowers being fleeting, I don't agree they are wasteful. Fresh flowers are lovely and smell so wonderful, even more special because temporary. That George would send me the flowers despite his disapproval made me particularly appreciative and joyful.

Thanks, George!