Typing with a cast on

This is tricky, because I have learned to touch type and now I am going back to looking at the keyboard ! A very bad habit! This cast I am wearing is made of rigid fiberglass material, and my hand is forced to stay in one position. Last evening I had a very wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my neighbors Andre, Dinora and her brother.They all signed my cast with a sharpie pen to commerorate the occasion. We gobbled up a delicious boneless turkey with barbecue sauce and homemade fries. Later we played Poker and watched Spanish Television to while away the hours.Dinora is expecting a child in February, and is starting to get pretty big. We laughed and joked as we speculated on how the Turkey we ate had no bones. Mmmmm and... Hmmmmm !?

More from Streamwood Santa

This is a video message for a little girl named Jessica. Ol' Santa sure has an appetite for milk and cookies!

A Santa in demand

My brother John called to say that he made the local news in Chicago.This is the time of year that he dons his red outfit and lets the beard grow out some more. He has a little cold this evening,but in a short period if time should be back in action.Now if he gets real popular, he might need his helpers to schedule some bookings out here on the west coast.Check out this NBC LINK or just watch the embedded video below:

Wake up call

It has been almost a week since my accident on Hwy.29 and I am recovering a little more everyday , but I am not out of the woods yet.
Today I went for a hike up to my favorite sacred site locally. I am speaking of Coyote Peak at Bothe State Park, a two mile hike up through the park from the valley floor.My good friend Don Freeland and Dieter Dopplefeld joined me. We didn't talk much, and we didn't have to... The beauty of the fall was in full splendor.
Tommorow I will be attending an appointment with a bone specialist to have my hand and clavicle observed and treated.My nephew Ed will be picking me up pretty early. I still suspect that I am still in the state of shock even though I am functioning normally. I have ugly purple and yellow bruises all over my body.My face is just the most obvious damage that occurred.My scooter is history now. It is sitting in a storage yard until the police report is released.

Worlds of Favor

This year's Worls of Flavor Conference was rather subdued. Many of the attendees have been here before, some for the second and third time. It was a pleasant affair. Not too rushed, better organized.I got to have my picture taken with Cat Cora (?) the first female Iron Chef. All in all things went okay. Marnie's mom passed away on Saturday morning. We had a run-in on Friday night and when her shift was over she left in a huff. I don't think she was present during her entire shift. She was trying to help everyone, but it all just became a hindrance. Logistically, the transportation system up and down the Napa Valley needs help. It can become rather unreliable when you need to get someplace after hours. Shuttles, Bus-lines and Cabs are not on the same page.It rained, but today is going to be sunny. There was lots of schwag after the conference this year. I think I will ride my scooter to work.

Barack Obama

Congratulations to our newly elected president. I hope and pray that the next occupant of the oval office will guide us with vision, direction and humility. I was really very impressed with the way Barack Obama spoke during his acceptance speech. The man demonstrates a cool, clear-eyed outook on what we as Americans will be facing as we move into 2009 and beyond. We may be near collapse in terms of financial stability and global repute, but we still stand strong as a people who are united in the principle of service and compassion. The next four to eight years will be tough, but I think Obama is correct in his assessment that we will persevere. My hope is that he will be strong and protected by a benevolent God as he carries out his duties in the elected office.

Hoping for the end of the Bush Legacy

A Seesmic Special in which actor John Cleese is interviewed by a Seesmic staff member. This man's opinions are most reflective of my own. I love his sense of humor, as well as his sense of the absurd. I have become more a fan of John Cleese as I've gotten older, than I ever was when watching his comedic acting on Monte Python during my college years. His observations about George W's first term in office are dead on... I was really pleased to learn that I was not alone in my belief that his candidacy and subsequent presidency was the most deceptively corrupt political staging ever foisted on an already suspicious American public. The worst part being, that most of us will suffer the legacy of this man's decisions long after he leaves office.

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday was my nephew's baby girl's second birthday. Maisy is a bright and curious child and looks more like her mom than my nephew Ian. I hope she received the email I sent her. Lot's of changes are happening at work. My former supervisor Desi moved back to the east coast. Jenn from Special events is moving down to Ventura with her boyfriend, Ryan and Anna from Sodexho is moving to a new job in the city. Already we have a great person working the reception desk. Liz came downstairs from her position as hostess in the restaurant. She is working on her master's degree in psychology and still manages to stay on top of everything going on in the main part of the building. Today I am bring some of my chef hats to work to give to some of the staff upstairs for Halloween. I think it is going to be a fun day.The picture above is of two of Francis Ford Coppola's chefs from Belize where he is currently filming. They came to the Napa Valley on a special tour and this was taken right before they came inside the restaurant to have their lunch. If you can guess the weight of that pumpkin, I heard that the restaurant will give you a prize !

Something New

I've just discovered Shot Codes. It is a way to learn about a person's blog or website by scanning their "Shot Code". First you must register by visiting W-1.com and download a free mobile app. select a ShotCode, and purchase gear from the online store ( at $50 to $57 a pop). Owners can connect their symbol to an Web site. So, if you happen to see one of these unique logos at a club or event, you surreptitiously snap a photo of it with your phonecam and a tiny app directs you to the wearer's LinkedIn, Facebook, or MySpace profile. Then you can decide whether a "Hello" is in order.

Dateline Wednesday

The wonderful thing about going back to work on Wednesday is that it is "hump day" ( getting over the middle of the week) for everyone else which means at least THEY have gotten over the Monday-get-back-to -work Blues. It does not mean that I get to have a sour grapes attitude when I greet my coworkers enter the building just because I am starting my work week.My attitude has to set the tone for people coming into the CIA. There are times when the energy is absolutely electric and everyone is anticipating a fantastic opportunity of some sort. My calendar shows that Mercury is finally going direct today, which means that it has been in retrograde for the past couple of weeks. Computer ills, mechanical things and missed appointments should remedy themselves today. Today should be a good day.

Day of Rest

Sunday is traditionally a day of rest. I try to be observant of this to the best of my abiliity. Even when there is a wedding or some other special event going on, it's good to know that people still think of the Greystone campus as a former monastery. Thankfully some people hold the property in reverential awe ( perhaps it's the pews or Georgian arches that make people think of this as a monastery. )As a concierge, I do NOTHING to dispel this romantic notion. It is a pleasure when the voices in the Atrium lobby are in a hushed tone. Children who run around yelling are the bane of my serenity.When I went to mass this morning in St. Helena, I missed most of the sermon because of two children behind me who were figiting, crying, complaining and yelling. Five minutes into the mass, a late arrival plopped herself down next to me reeking of cigarettes. She startled me, and I scooched over without appearing like I was trying to physically remove myself entirely from the vicinity. I realized how sensitive I am to light, smell, movement, noise and touch. Truthfully, my maturity as an adult is directly contingent upon my ability to exercise patience and tolerance in the most trying of situations.I am not the only one who suffers... we ALL do! Given that I do have a choice to react or respond every moment of my life, I do make every attempt to strengthen my emotional resolve.

Camus Tuesday

Today was nice out, as it has been for the last couple of months. I drove to the Santa Rosa Mall to get a part for my Iphone . I also went to the ATT Store to reset my password on my Iphone and learned that I have a combined account with two separate passwords. After six attempts I was able to reset the password. Lovely. Then I went to Revolution Moto to find out where I can add more oil to my motorscooter if the need arises. I found out that I have to remove three panels in order to do that. Things used to be so much simplier ( or so I think they were ). A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing they say. These are complicated times. When I was at the Apple Store I was shown a little device that looked like a minature tuning fork. It turned out to be the device i would use to remove a "SIM" card from the IPhone. Back in the old days, you would use a paper clip... which still works, but then I guess someone would be out a job. Anyway, I am fried and feel like escaping somewhere. I will let you know in another post where I went.

Summer's End

Actually, it ended a few days ago but I am feeling like writing about it now. The highlight of my summer was the trip to L.A. to the Disney Studios which lasted all of twenty minutes after having driven six hundred miles. Today is the beginning of the "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives" conference and I am still trying to find a way to get my chef's toques out there. Last week I was given a clean bill of health by the heart doctor who let me know after a surgical procedure that my heart was not blocked and that I just had high cholesterol. Now I just have to remember to take an aspirin every day along with a statin pill. I should exercise more, but my right foot and ankle suffers from neuropathy. I can walk okay, but after being on my feet for a while it can really hurt. Enough about my aches and pains. I am looking forward to quieter times as Fall approaches and the economy slumps. This should be a very creative period for me.

Relay for life

Last night after work and after the Saturday AA meeting I walked over to the Calistoga High School Track where the "Relay for Life" event was happening. I don't know if it was last year or the year before when my sister Rita went into to the hospital with a diagnosis for Cancer. Anyway,all I could do to keep from falling apart was to participate by walking around this 440 yard track. I must have put in about ten laps. Last night I walked again, looking up at the full moon above and appreciating the beauty of all the little white bags filled with sand and lit votive candles surrounding the track. Each bag had the name of a loved one who was directly affected by the disease. I recall giving five bucks to the organizer who put Rita's name on a bag and assured me that it would be included in the large array. Last night I walked the track, thanking God that Rita was still alive and that I too, was alive. There was a kid about 13 years old who was running laps in the opposite direction. I told myself that I would continue walking until he stopped. He kept going and going. Finally after I walked about ten laps ( and he probably ran about twenty ) he stoppped. I went up to him and gave him five dollars to donate to this worthy cause. Tommorow I go in for my heart treatment at the Queen of the Valley. Wish me luck.

Stuff goin' on...

Monday I will go to the Queen of the Valley to have exploratory surgery. I am looking at maybe getting a stint or an angioplasty for my heart. I am 57 and have a blocked artery. Great. The other thing is that there are many conferences and weddings happening this month at the CIA and I don't have time to go see my friends really. I just am not motivated to do much lately. The dog days of summer are over, and so is my get up and go. I think I want to go on another vacation. Then again, I would feel guilty about spending money I don't have to buy things I don't need , to please people I don't even LIKE ! Tomorrow is another B&P graduation and I have hardly gotten to know any of the students that have gone through this section. It kind of makes me sad in a way. Somehow, I have the feeling that I am going to be at the CIA until the day I die... whenever that is.

Busy Weekend

We had two weddings on Campus this Labor Day Weekend. The Red Hat Society filled up the 1:30 PM Cooking demo and with the walk-in traffic there was a lot to contend with here at Greystone. I started the day by going to mass. St. Helena Catholic Church is undergoing a major renovation so they are asking for a lot of support. I dropped my lunch money ( all of ten bucks ) into the collection basket and know that I will feel the pinch. I am doing what I can to bring some extra cash in, but I won't be paid until at least the first week in September. Once I got to work, I had to set up both the Concierge Station and the Camera station in the theater for the cooking demo. After everything was set up, I noticed that I was missing my name tag. The only place I figured it would be... would be back at the Church, probably where I parked my motor scooter. This would be a likely place because the name tag has a magnetic back and it probably latched onto my keychain and subsequently dropped off as I left to go to work after mass. Anyway, it is a shame how attached I am to the damn thing.

Okay, my bad...

I haven't been keeping up with my blog lately, but it's not because my life have become a boring as a bag of potatoes. I spent most of my summer working on the Chef's hat designs and trying to figure out how to make it cheaply and where to sell it. So far, I have made five and have sold them for twenty bucks each ! That's a good start and has inspired me to make more. I am currently working on a pirate chef's hat and have had good success with it. My next design will be a "Hell's Kitchen" motif. I don't plan on stealing their logo, but I do plan on making a generic one with a pitchfork and some fire to give the idea.Our purchasing agent, Jim has gone to a trade show this past weekend and tells me that he will investigate to see if he can locate some disposable chefs hats without a company logo on them that I will be able to purchase wholesale.Hopefully, that will be one cost-cutting factor.

My Question for Mick

Not long ago, I visited a web site promoting the Rolling Stones documentary, " Shine a light". There, I found a button that read, "Ask the Stones a question". So I was instructed to upload a video of myself posing a question to any of the Rolling Stones. I had heard in the past that when the Beatles had gone to India to study meditation, that the Stones went to Haiti to study Voodoo. This idea had always piqued my curiosity, so I decide to ask Mick that specific question.

Mick's Answer

Watch the video

An Answer to a question I posed to Mick Jagger

Taking the time

After getting all my domestic chores completed ( i.e. Laundry, shopping, bill paying, etc.) I can now enjoy the second day of my vacation. It is Sunday, August the 3rd, 2008. I started my day with mass at 8 am in St. Helena.I offered a prayer for my friend Herschel, who is going through tough times right now. After mass I spoke with Eve, who is another renegade from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Calistoga . Ever since the mass times got consolidated there, I've been attending mass at St. Helena because I can still make it to work on time around 9:30 . Eve, said she has been attending mass here because she doesn't much care for the "social environment" at O.L.P.H. We had a conversation as we walked down towards the Sunshine Market. She wanted to get a little something to eat, I wanted to stop by the ATM to pick up some cash.
Eve is quite spontaneous and also a little fragmented when focusing on a particular train of thought. Her father was a Russian Orthodox Jew and her mother was Irish Catholic. She is very bright, and very spiritual ( and yes, very opinionated too ). I can say that, because I know of her past. I know also of her struggles. She was pregnant at seventeen and like my sister Terry, was an artist who tried to raise a child on her own. She admits to her staunch independence and in a reflective moment, will say that she suspects that (like me) she is growing eccentric as she gets older. She gave me a loaf of bread that she purchased at the Model Bakery before we parted ways this morning, mentioning that there are bargain prices to be had for the day old products. I promised to draw her a picture in reciprocation for this gift. I ended up taking my sketchbook to the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company for a cup of Joe and a little social time. There, I eased myself into reading an article about saving money verses spending it, in the current issue of the Bohemian. Garnering enough courage, I broke out my sketchbook and began drawing a picture for my friend Eve. It was a loaf of bread, dontchaknow. How apropos.