So when does the chit-chat start? Right now!

We'll miss you!

Ah, back at the ole Lounge. Feels good. Feels right. More Hawaiian coffee, por favor.

Oh, I see that DP invited Judy Garland here to sing! I love that song. Yes, indeed, a very fitting song for that day. And I see that Spira brought in.... The Flower Duet! OMG, that is so my favorite song, that I sing it whenever I hear it... or even when I don't hear it.

Been busy. Been here for a few days. MrD said that Frank Sinatra's house might have too many bad vibes in it ....ghosts or gangsters or sumthin like that... so MrD and BFF and I chose this place instead. No bad vibes, but I did see a skunk waddle across the front landscaping by the gate one early morning, and another day a roadrunner ran across the driveway.

Oh, I see that Spira is on summer vacation. Let's see, I'm going to have to think up an essay to write when she gets back. Title, What I Did During the Summer.....

MrD is so full of wisdom. The other day he said, why is it that, when people go crazy, they do violent things, like shoot guns. Why can't they go crazy and do things like make cotton candy for everyone, or clean everybody's shoes? He also said that starting from now on we're going to celebrate birthdays for three days: pre-Birthday, Birthday, and post-Birthday. I'll admit that, with retirement, I coulda spent more time celebrating my birthday, so we're going to start doing that with the next birthday, maybe BFF's sister's Bday, then continue on from there.

You know, olaru, I was in the grocery store the other day, and an older cowboy tipped his hat at me, to say, "Howdy, Ma'am." Although my town is continuing to increase population with emigrants from Southern Ca and the Bay Area, I love living in a town where cowboys, ranchers, and farmers tip their hats.

I finally found something new to do. I wouldn't say I have a bucket list, but if I did, then horseback riding lessons were definitely crossed off a while back. So, what might I find new, if anything, to do at this time in my Life? MrD and I finally signed up for library cards at our local library recently, but that was about as exciting as, well, signing up for library cards. Besides, I'd had a card there years ago, when the library card was still made out of paper, and barcodes had just been invented. Well, as I was rummaging among my cd's for something to play, I saw an old cd of Swiss yodels. Hey, I could learn to yodel! Yep, I told MrD to set up a schedule to use our bedroom "studio"; he can play his guitar in there, and I will practice yodeling. So, how 'bout if I show you guys what I've learned so far? Here goes.....

...... wow, where is everybody?? .....MrD, what time did I sign up for the studio today? Can I have more time? Looks like I need more practice.

D,

Is this you?

www.youtube.com...

I sense a disturbance in the farce.... olaru!

Bill Haley. What an artist, crossing over into rock from country. Maybe the yodeling helped. Someday I will yodel like that. In re to the woman on the album cover, no, that is not me, but rather it is my mother, God rest her soul. People say I look like her, so you are forgiven for inquiring. She did like her share of country music. Maybe it was too many twangs of Duane Eddy's guitar, but none of her children developed a taste for country western. Actually, out of all the children, I think I'm the only one who even has an appreciation for the genre. Note: see above post in re to type of town in which I have lived pretty much all my adult life. I think I still may have that cowgirl outfit. I could rummage around for it and wear it when I open my summer yodeling concert series here at LN.

So, as I was going through my cd's, I noticed that my old Yosemite Sounds cd was missing. I ordered another one, but when I listened to this one, something was missing. Hey, I thought, all the animal sounds are there, but where are the sounds of the waterfalls and rivers?? I emailed the company to complain. I got back a very nice email explaining that, because of the drought, there were no water sounds to be heard, so they were taken out of this release.

I've been working on my back-to-school essay for Miss Spira:

What I Did on Summer Vacation

I went to this really cool house in Palm Springs. It had a pool and a bar. My favorite part was going to the bar from the pool. My least favorite part was trying not to slip on the terrazzo floors when I went from the pool to the bar. The End.

Well, back to whatever I was doing before I dropped by.

a reply to: desert

Oh, you were in Palm Springs!!

Oh, DP, yes! It was indeed Palm Springs!! Since we were there in summer, we had the whole town to ourselves (even Jensen's market). Now, I would advise people not to go to PS in the summer, unless they like heat, which we do. Although, even for me, I could only take so many days where the mornings are "cool" at around 80 deg. OTOH we have been to PS early in the summer some years and were treated to chilly 80 deg weather, when a storm would come through.

We love the mid-century modern and vintage architecture. I seem to remember that by the 1980s people went more to the latest, newest places growing around the area, and PS fell by the wayside. Then around 2000 there was a resurgence of appreciation for PS, and homes/hotels were revitalized. We didn't get to Melvyn's this trip, but that is a must for anyone who loves the PS Sinatra era.

The link I included in my first post on the page shows the house we rented. Perfect! Even though it is in a windy part of town (Tuscany area), the house was situated so that it blocked and slowed the gusts to a breeze. Also, could view the top of the tram while sitting in the living area and backyard. Next time, we might rent a house in the "Movie Colony" area in town, closer to downtown. One thing, no yard has green grass anymore! Oh, and we left the day that the wildfire started on HWY 5 in Cajon Pass; that was part of the route we took home, and if we had stayed even a couple more hours in PS, we would have been caught up in either that disaster or the resulting traffic nightmare. And then there was that bridge washout that closed Hwy 10.... to Californians those highway disasters signal the End Times

olaru, dear, my sisters said that we buried Mom in that outfit, boots and all. I could wear that blue dress here, however.

Jeeves, a round for everybody. Put it on my tab. .....Oh, MrP wants to know when I'll be settling up?? Kindly inform him that I will come back to the bar and settle my tab after I visit the new Lounge Noir Casino. ...wish me luck...

Hello everyone. Just passing though..

a reply to: enjoies05

Hey!

The more the merrier!

hey gang

:-)

I've just been back and reading mostly. Oh...my...

Oh, how I've missed you all here at Lounge Noir

It's night - a beautiful September night

Outside is nothing but crickets desperate to get busy before fall - and that end of summer chill

I missed orientation and was late getting my classes - I'm loaded down with stuff I have no intention of studying

Like usual

My end of summer essay is nothing but this. Glad to be back. Sipping sherry in the shadows - on the veranda - waiting for you all to show up...

Oh, boy! People are gathering. Hi, enjoies! oooh, I still get scary shivers when I see you. And Spira has returned from Summer Break. Jeeves, more sherry on the veranda, please.

Spira, perhaps you can substitute one of my online courses for one currently in your schedule. There's one titled "Care of Exotic Pets". I return all profit back to Lounge Noir, and it helps us all out here in another way. Notice that you didn't trip in a gopher hole on your way out to the veranda or run over a ground squirrel while parking? The manicured Lounge Noir Links are impressive looking once again, too.

You see, when you sign up for the course, I send you your very own exotic pet. I've spent all Summer here outside, humanely trapping all those critters, and now I'm sending them to everyone who signs up. Once the critters are all gone, I must close enrollment. Hurry fast, as there aren't that many cages left in our storeroom.

On another note... I tell ya, I've come to the realization that I've lived through the good old days. The future? Hell, my area is running out of water, and lately we've all been under a blanket of smoke from the wildfires in the Sierras. It's all intense times now.

We had another theme party. Well, technically I suppose it's a party, even though there were only four of us. This one was The Burning Man Experience, since we wouldn't be there for real. MrD actually built a Burning Man from parts of the floor to ceiling cat furniture we took down, since our cat is pretty old now and doesn't use it to climb anymore. Our dining room was turned into a food tent, and packing paper covered the furniture to look like rocks. We sat in camp chairs or on the sofa covered with a sleeping bag. Ice chests replaced ottomans. An entry sign greeted attendees, a string of triangular flags marked the way in, and MrD and I greeted attendees with a hug and a "Welcome home!" We all dressed as if we were there. One of the displays was The Buddha Sits Under the Bodhi Cactus. MrD had downloaded videos from the real Burning Man constantly playing on the tv in the background. Fortunately, no one got so drunk on the Flame Throwers and Burning Man cocktails to set anything on fire. Burning down a home, especially a condo, is never a good thing.

The next theme will be a Cruise Party. We were supposed to have it months ago, but the timing never worked out. I
can hardly wait to hang up the realistic looking foam seagulls!

When the going gets tough, the tough party!

a reply to: desert

desert!

I don't know about your online course...as long as ATS and education both exist online, my chances of ever completing a course are pretty slim

Somebody I was talking to yesterday was complaining about seeing a 4 year old boy with an iPad. I lost interest in their rambling anti technology rant and immediately began imagining what I would have been like if I'd had an iPad when I was four... I couldn't help my grin

:-)

The internet is a harsh mistress...

(I do believe the wisest prescription is 3 parts nature to one part electronic device)

I will still (and quite happily) accept a gopher though. Although - as far as the exotics go - prairie dogs are where I'm at these days

On another note... I tell ya, I've come to the realization that I've lived through the good old days. The future? Hell, my area is running out of water, and lately we've all been under a blanket of smoke from the wildfires in the Sierras. It's all intense times now.

These days will one day be remembered as the penumbra of our days of future passed

Our ancient cousins had a few centuries to adapt to the changes - we get a few decades. C'est la vie. The best we can do now is adapt faster, jerry rig our future and:

When the going gets tough, the tough party!

Party on desert! I'd give anything to make that crazy, styrofoam seabird scene

Meanwhile - there's Gingeritas (an experiment that I'm now calling a thing - ginger hot sauce and tequila. Seriously - heaven) in the tent on the now traversable greens

Spira, thank you for inquiring about my pneumonia...wait...penumbra, penumbra, where have I heard that word before....yes, Astronomy 101..."penumbra of our days of future passed", good words, Spira, good words.... but, no, I don't have pneumonia, because I've been taking shots of your Gingeritas.

Do tell, by chance was that "somebody" complaining about the child with the iPad a sexagenarian on up. I remember all the complaints about comic books at the time I was reading them. ...no, olaru, I'm not THAT kind of sexagenarian, although I have stayed in Las Vegas. Anyway, yes, that is a good ratio of outdoors to indoors activity.

olaru, are you filming all this? I hope, as we need something for the Lounge Noir Video Follies. Anyway, I noticed that you are have become an official LN cameraperson. You look great behind the camera! Good sides, everyone, good sides!

"C'est la vie. The best we can do now is adapt faster, jerry rig our future" Wisdom and sage advice. Since the first atomic test in New Mexico, we had to re-think our future. We soon saw the possibility of global annihilation, no where to run. And now, yes, adapt faster, but faster before those slow to adapt kill us off. Jerry rig and hope, pray, for something better. And that's what will pass for optimism, unless we learn quickly, with wisdom. And that's what the next generations will know as Life....well, seems like it's time to plan a party again...

Jeeves, a round of Gingeritas. Oh, and where are the large buffet napkins? I need to practice napkin folding, so I can teach partygoers at the Cruise Party.

...oh, and, Spira, if you could send me the GPS coordinates of your tent, I'll enter them into the GPS on our new LN driverless golf cart and be right out to join you. Want me to bring any ingredients for your next experiment?

Jeeves, coffee, por favor. And some to go, as I never know when I'll be coming around again. Kind of like the stray neighborhood cat. One day I'll be gone, then two weeks later I show up sitting on the bar stool or in line at the buffet.

Hey, I went to buy tequila at the liquor store and asked the clerk where I could find Ginger Hot Sauce. He said he thought she was performing at the Cheeky Pussy Club in Fresno.

My baby sister and her husband are traveling in Europe. True.
They were in Munich this weekend, before traveling by train to Austria. True.
Waddya know, I turned on the tv and saw Donald Trump pointing at a picture of them in a crowd at the train station. "And when I'm President, THAT'S the kind of refugee we'll take in! Look, they're well fed, well clothed, with spinner luggage, and they look ready to work hard!" God help us, if that were true!

Smile and maybe have a laugh today, so that someone out there also smiles and maybe has a laugh.

a reply to: desert

You made me smile desert

:-)

Thanks for that

A richer, fuller - more funner reply laterish - I hope you're still around

a reply to: desert

I've always wanted to have a horse named Penumbra. I've always wanted horses...

:-)

Yes to riding lessons desert - I had them once upon a time. I wasn't very good, and didn't get to stay with it long enough to improve, but I did love riding... Who wouldn't?

As you may or may not be departing soonish - like a fog on little cats feet - I'm going to take your advice, play some make believe and just smile

Hope you have an amazing trip wherever it is you go

In case you need to lay in some supplies - about ginger hot sauce... In addition to possibly being an exotic private dancer, it is a private recipe that I don't have. Fear not! Boil some ginger with some sugar or honey - drop in some cayenne. Cool - mix with - well, whatever - and: Num!

Happy trails to you Ms. Desert - and to Mr. D too

(also - check your U2Us)

Jeeves, pitchers of Mudslides all around, por favor.Then El Ninos for anyone left standing. What the hell, might as well sit back and enjoy Mother Nature's wrath. Kind of like ordering Hurricanes in New Orleans. Yes, indeed.

That highway that was covered in mud for several days is the one MrD and I use to take us out over the Tehachapi Mountains to the Mojave Desert. Any time we've had to use that pass and the Hwy 5 Tejon Pass the last year or so, I've looked over at he hillsides and thought, "Wow, there is hardly any ground cover to hold back rain. These hills are ripe for mudslides!" The drought seemed to leave not even the usual blade of grass, just exposed dry dirt. After what recently happened, we've decided to avoid the passes, and any hilly areas, the coming El Nino rains.

Actually, we might even avoid the flats, too, as one of the alternate routes the Highway Patrol had given was flooded, and even three hour drives home from the coast turned into five hours.

To make a long story short, we didn't make it out to the desert yet, and may not till next Spring. Nothing bad...just a long story... so I spent time beautifying the ole homestead instead. Lots of changes and rearranges. Even the garage couldn't escape the upgrades.

Who wouldn't like riding, Spira? Well, I for one. My worst three hours of Life, my three hours of Hell, were atop ... or sideways at times...a horse rented to ride off leisurely into a Pacific sunset on the beach but instead had a mind of its own and galloped to get the ride over and head back to its stable, stopping to eat anything edible in any front yard we passed, no matter how hard I pulled up on the reins. Ghastly beast.

Oh, and, Spira, thanks for the Ginger Hot Sauce recipe. Hmmmm, that stuff could be good to prevent a Winter's cold. Maybe you and I could make up a big batch for the Lounge. Keep us all healthy.

Speaking of Winter, looks like the local Sierras will get a dusting of snow this week. Finally. Won't impact the drought a whole heck of a lot, but psychologically it feels good to think of snow up there.

Well, hope everyone here is well and fine. I'm going to ride off into the sunset now...on a bicycle, definitely not a horse. Cheers!

a reply to: desert

Who wouldn't like riding, Spira? Well, I for one. My worst three hours of Life, my three hours of Hell, were atop ... or sideways at times...a horse rented to ride off leisurely into a Pacific sunset on the beach but instead had a mind of its own and galloped to get the ride over and head back to its stable, stopping to eat anything edible in any front yard we passed, no matter how hard I pulled up on the reins. Ghastly beast.

I was once nearly decapitated by a rented horse. True story :-)

But only nearly

I'm glad you and the mister are safe in your spiffified home - and hopefully a lot of grass is back on those hills this spring

Here in Denver some lilacs are leafing out - in October! The weirdness never ends :-)

Just starting my 1st kick ass El Nino - kinda hoping to switch to something tamer after this...don't think I'll want another

Here's mud in your eye desert!

(That's supposed to be a good thing - honest)

:-)

Christmas greetings to all fellow Noirians and everyone else! Sorry I've missed too many important holidays around here. Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Monkey Day....Dec 14 for that last one...actually, I meant to drop by Monkey Day, but I was busy wrapping MrD's Christmas gifts to put out under the tree.

olaru, you makin' pozole for dinner today? MrD and I will be right over, after I'm done cooking the LN Christmas buffet. Yeah, I'm working off my bar tab. Anyway, since the kids are at their own houses up north this year, and it's just the two of us, we decided to go Hawaiian for Christmas dinner this year. So I decided to prepare the same thing for the buffet as we are having at home....

Kahlua thick pork chops, marinated overnight and slow cooked in the crockpot all day...pineapple stuffing, made with Hawaiian Kings Bread....white Jasmine rice....woulda made brown Jasmine rice, but it's Christmas and I know MrD likes white rice....the rice is to be topped with the pork, plus the accompaniments, which are slivered almonds, shredded coconut, chopped bacon and celery, then chutney spooned over all....and for dessert, Haupia, which is cold squares of coconut pudding...oh, and I decided to make some pork and pineapple gravy for the stuffing, which is sweet...and because it's Christmas, I'm using cranberry chutney...MrD lived in Hawaii for several years, so the pork and rice and accompaniments are favorites from his memories....

The buffet is free to all members, just leave me a worthy tip...I gotta start 2016 with nothing on my tab...

A week ago, there were weather forecasts for light snow here, but no such luck. No white Christmas, but I'm hoping for a rare snow maybe in Jan or Feb, what with all the El Nino rain and low temps...

Well, gotta return to the kitchen. Hope everyone is well and fine. I love you all! Peace and blessings to all!...

Oh, my ex called out of the blue this year, to say "Thank You!" for having helped raise our sons to be so loving. Now that's what I call a Christmas miracle!

a reply to: desert

And I love you....not much of a holiday here in Tamalewood with the nose to the grindstone but me and Ms. Whaaa are planning a little excursion down south so she can practice her Espanol with some Espanolians, when it gets cold/colder... I foresee 16 teen as a real test of our patience. Aren't we blessed to be able to hang out in this nice hangout where we can uncompress and....what ever happened to that camel?

Happy New Year!

I forgot to wish everyone Mele Kalikimaka! That was Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. Since olaru and Ms. Whaaa are heading to warmer country, here is a "Prospero Ano Nuevo!" to all!

Oh, olaru, am I glad that for your Christmas gift I knitted you and the Ms a pair of matching sombreros! Spira, since you were nearly decapitated...but only nearly....I knitted you a turtleneck sweater; the problem is, I think I put the turtleneck part on the bottom, either that or I have the arms in the wrong place. I had to rip apart the whole thing and start over, which will mean it will be finished for Christmas 2016, so for this year all I had for you was some Spanish Sherry, mas fino! Hope everyone else enjoyed their personalized knitted placemats for the buffet....they started out as potholders, but I got distracted and kept going.

I'll be back . Thanks to all the tips, I only have to work one more shift, then my tab is paid in full. Then I can treat you guys to a round. Yay!