My New Scooter !

Okay, Revolution Moto has provided me with the most beautiful 250cc Aprilia Scarabeo Motorscooter around. In fact, it is the only one of it's kind in Northern California.
It is a deep indigo color ( almost eggplant, if you will ) and it is 100cc's faster than my old one.I really have to thank BMW of Santa Rosa for facilitating this process.They picked the bike up in their van when it broke down. The manager called me to tell me that they would get me a new scooter and Revolution Moto came through with a brand spanking new one in less than two weeks. I love riding it around now that the sunny season is still around. Pretty soon though, I will be driving the old white potato ( my Ford Aspire ) when the rain and cold weather sets in after Halloween.

Goodbye to my old scooter

Today I did some sleuthing to find out what the status of my motorscooter is, after my engine malfunction on the Silverado Trail. It looks like I will be getting a new scooter as soon as the othre scooter is paid off and the title is transferred. I am upgrading from a 150CC to a 250CC scooter which will have a lot more umph.Hopefully, I will be able to pick my scooter up on Saturday at Revolution Moto in Santa Rosa.So far, the people who work there and at BMW Santa Rosa couldn't be nicer. I have been treated with respect and dignity.I will sing thier praises as so as I am on the seat of my new scooter heading down the road.

The Potato Story

(You can view this image upside down,too!)

A girl Potato and a boy potato had eyes for each other, and finally they married and had a little sweet potato, which they called "Yam". Of course, They wanted the best for Yam, When it was time, they told her the facts of life.

They warned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn't get accidentally smashed, and get a bad name for herself, like "hot potato" and end up with a bunch of tater tots.

Yam saidi not to worry, no spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her. But on the other hand, she wouldn't stay home and become a couch potato either.

She would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her shoestring cousins. When she went off to Europe. Mr. and Mrs. Potato told Yam to watch out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland, and the greasy guys from France called French Fries.

Yam said she would stay on the straight and narrow and wouldn't associate with those high class Yukon Golds.

Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (That's Potatao University ) So that when she graduated she'd really be in the chips, but in spite of all they did for her, one day Yam came home and announced she was going to marry a TV news anchorman.

Getting Married? Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very upset. They told Yam she couldn't possibly marry a TV news anchorman , because he would just a ... "Common Tater !"

Nice shot of Sedona

I wish I was there... it is a beautiful place. Last time was in 91' I think. My online buddy Steve took this shot during a recent trip. The place supposedly has many energy centers throughout the area. Many westerns were filmed there too. I know that there are some places where only the local Indian tribes can visit because they are sacred spots where initiation rites take place. The sky and scenery there is breathtaking. Thank you Steve for sharing your site with us ! If you would like to visit his website,click here

Blaaaaaa !

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I thought that I would have my eyes checked being that I am 55 and soon to be 56. I have been using the Dr. Dean Edell magnifiers for the past couple of years as my eyesight has gotten progressively worse. The doctor says that my eyes aren't any worse than any other person my age and that I shouldn't be concerned. Well, after my exam ( which my insurance paid for... ) I sat down to be fitted for my new glasses. I gulped when I learned the price but bit the bullet and ordered them anyway. Now I can SEE where my money has gone. Now if only i could correct my financial foresight.

Another Blip

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This is a short and stupid video, just to see how fast I could publish it. Hey, if it were not for experiments we would never have eaten jello. Today I download the new video version of Skype for Macs, and yesterday I downloaded the new ITunes 7.0 which has a lot of visually pleasing features. Let's face it... technology is great, especially when you understand how best to use it.

Just swell...

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Okay, so now it is 1:35 AM on Tuesday, September 12th, 2006. I am back here posting to my blog because I haven't done it in awhile. Yesterday I took a run with my friend, Don Freeland. We ran to Coyote Peak in Bothe State Park near where I live. It was difficult for me, but I was able to comlete the distance. Afterwards, I felt a little ill and Don took me to? Cal Mart to buy a Green Tea drink. This quenched my thirst but I still felt a little "woozy". He then dropped me off at my place and went home. I took a shower and a nap and felt much better after that. The reason I am writing about this is because today I am going back to see Dr. John to talk about my cholesterol findings. The blood panel results were showing elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and high glucose. I am a bit nervous about this and guess that I went for a run to prove to myself that I am still in great shape. I sure hope that I am. I don't want to end up with diabetes like my other siblings.

Dr. John and the day tripper

On my day off I drove my scooter down to the city of Napa to visit Dr. Dermody about the pain and bruising under my rib cage. He said I probably go poked and didn't remember it ! ( now wait, I am here because of thinking I may have a heart problem and you are telling me I have alzheimers ? ) Actually, he thinks it was not anything to be concerned about and to just relax. He then suggested that I go have a blood panel done since it has been about two years since I have had that done. Although, I remember having a cup of coffee with cream that morning, he didn't think that would effect the test because it had been about three hours. Well today I got a call from his staff saying that my triglycerides were through the roof and that my good and bad cholesterol were both extraordinarily high. GREAT ! So today at lunch I ate only salads, tomatoes, carrots, beans, rice and anything that doesn't produce those bad things that only serve to block my areteries. I promise to be a good boy and start lowering it beginning today. Cheese, eggs , dairy, bread, yougurt, chips and some nuts... all out ! My life is beginning anew.

Pain under my rib

I have been a little concerned after waking up for the past week with what feels kind of like a bruised rib that isn't really healing. It may be a hiatel hernia (?) from some refluxive reaction, but I am not sure. I am probably going to have to get it ex-rayed and looked at by my physician. I hope it is nothing that requires surgery.When I got home last night I read my e-mail and I got one from my friend, Joe. He sent me this article about how dioxin can leach from plastic wrap placed over foods in the microwave. Another thing to add to my list of worries. But if the handwriting is on the wall, I am going to have this looked at for sure.

Another Long Week

Sunday is my Friday, and this week I have done a lot to keep the Concierge Desk at the CIA in good stead. We have new cooking demo schedules for September as we are adding another two demos on Tuesday and Thursday. That should be a challenge for our chef, Steve Ruggenberg. This Tuesday I will be attending the Parish Festival Meeting at O.L.P.H. ( Our Lady of Perpetual Help ) to formalize the plans and to find out how much Tri-tip and Chicken we will need to order. Wednesday night is the Men's meeting where I try to enroll volunteers for this effort. I want to expedite this correctly so that everything runs smoothly. Saturday night I have volunteered to help with the setup when I get off of work.

feofle

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This is my own version of the Barbara Striesand song " People" with a special little twist. Let's just say that it may someday be a big hit in Manila . Okay, perhaps not. But hey, I had some fun singing it and who knows maybe someday I will perform it before a live audience. Okay, perhaps not. But you never know, maybe I will be discovered. Yea, that's it ! I will be discovered by Letterman.Or maybe I will just be discovered by somebody walking by an abandoned car lot next to the Rug Mart on the way to their job at Popeye's chicken. Well, at least that's a start !

Delicious!

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Here I am again. Trying my hand at videoblogging. Let me know what you think, but be gentle with me. Today was fun. I got along with most everyone and I got my work done with time to spare. I especially like working with Keith who is the maintenence guy. He is just so pleasant and even tempered, I know he is a good role model for me. He just makes himself available at the drop of a hat. He even showed a few people around the building , much to their delight. Anyway, tonight I am going to my aa meeting and then for a run before I hit the sack. It is a beautiful time of the year here in the Napa Valley.

Master of Excel

Or should it be Excelling Master? I have been put in charge of tabulating the monthly attendance of the Cooking demonstration. I didn't know how to use the software before, but I am getting a good idea about how to use it now.All I have to do is go to Open Table and get a daily head count of the people attending the three cooking demonstrations.From there, I take those statistics and I enter that information into an Excel document where I can tabulate the total number of Guests each month. Simple eh? Not really. I am not the world's best typist and at times am given to error. Hopefully, I will keep good records, and have this project fair well on my annual review.

Won't you come home?

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Okay, this is the second attempt at uploading this silly little flick. I am just about to make my bed as it is already 8:00am on Monday, August 2nd, 2006. I just want to see if I can videoblog even before I head off to work. Hopefully, when I arrive at work I can boot up my computer and view this little document so as to keep an ongoing record of what my day was like BEFORE all the hoopla.

Taking it to the streets

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Well, this is a shot of my favorite coffee shop in St. Helena, CA. It is called the Roastery and they make the best coffee because they hand pick and hand roast the beans. The best part of this place is that you can just hang after you get your coffee and bring your laptop and hookup to their wifi connection.

Things went pretty well at the CIA today. I think that my position here is becoming more appreciated since I have been away. Perhaps the break just did ME a world of good. Maybe everyone was relieved to not see my charming face here for the past two weeks. I have been given the cookies these past couple of days and tonight I have two bags. I suspect that I am going to be pretty popular at the AA meeting tonight. The weekends here are generally a different scene entirely. Tommorow the Special Events team will be doing a wedding which usually means that the staff gets a little something to eat. Then again, there is the "Family Meal" that the restaurant prepares for the staff in the SIMI room after 4:30 PM My attitude has been improving, my computers are working fine and I should'nt be too strapped until the next payday.Life is good

Back in the Saddle

Today was my first day back after a nice lengthy vacation.I had no shame in explaining that I didn't really go anywhere... just on short trips. School is back in session here at the CIA an there is a whole new crop of Baking and Pastry students.It is pretty much business as usaual and hence, there is no need to get my ego in the way of progress here. The weather has been cooperating nicely, but it is still a little warm. Tonight I am attending the men's club meeting at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I am bringing fresh CIA cookies so it should be a nice dinner meeting. We will be discussing the upcoming Parish Festival.

Lesson One

Lesson One

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Okay, here I am acting like a pro and I just started doing this... Who the heck do I think I am? Well, if I can do this, so can you ! This is my first hot tip on videoblogging. Enjoy ! ( or not )

Banteron's Blip Blog Begins !

This is starting to be fun. Okay, so you may NOT think that I am not a very private person. The fact is that I like to put myself out there , but I do in fact cherish my privacy. I live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country in a one bedroom apartment amidst Hispanic neighbors who have many kids who like to stay up to all hours playing a variety of games that involve yelling, screaming and crying. I live upstairs, plunking away at my puter. Today I discovered videoblogging at http://blip.tv It is just an experiment depending on how easy and interested YOU may be in tracking my day to day activites. If I can do this, Anyone can do this ! Have a simple ( perhaps boring at times) daily monologue that details your thoughts and observations.
Oh joy !

Lunchtime Poetry

Here it is, the second week of my vacation. Today, I did the food run from Napa to Calistoga with Jim and Leonardo. We got it all done before noon so the heat was not too much of a factor, although it should hit double digits this afternoon.Last Sunday, I was accused of being a pervert for taking an unauthorized picture of two pre-teen girls walking along the boardwalk at Johnson's Beach in Gurneville eating ice cream cones ((( What was I thinking !!))) . It was devastating to hear the accusation from the mother of one of these girls. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She bellowed. " What right have you to take a picture of my daughter without asking her permission ! " ( she was right, of course) I muttered apologies and regret and explained that I was only taking pictures of people in general, as part of a photo documentary piece. After submitting an ID, she finally let me go after thoroughly reeming me emotionally. I doubt that I will return to that beach any time soon. I hear on the news that Forest Fires have broken out in Middletown since last night. It was only 25% contained as I write this. I want to see " The way of the peaceful warrior " with Nick Nolte tonight at the Rialto. It is Tightwad Tuesday and the show begins at 7:10 pm. The price break is by two or three dollars on this day.I also will be purchasing some groceries at Trader Joes and the Grocery Outlet before I head back over the hill on my scooter. It is nice sitting here in my apartment listening to Robert Hass read his poetry via a podcast.