3.28.2010

Last week was rough. It was end-of-quarter and my boss was out sick for three days. But it's over. This week should be fairly easy. I just have to re-fresh my backup and then pack. Had a relaxing weekend. Yesterday we went shopping and I found my Easter dress. It's so pretty, I can't wait to wear it. Then last night we had the Easter musical at church. Tonight I walked a bit and then watched The Harder They Fall, which is Bogart's last film. Even though I know he was already sick at the time, I couldn't tell it. I guess that's the glamor of Hollywood. I've watched 55 Bogart films to date. Not bad, considering I wouldn't even watch a black and white film five years ago!

2.13.2010

The last two weekends we haven't got much of the winter weather but yesterday we drove home in quasi-blizzard. I woke up this morning to this:


I love how the snow formed a wig on St. Francis. And the coneflowers look like mushrooms.

It was the perfect morning to stay in and watch the tube. I was lucky that the library was able to locate another Bogart film for me... Conflict. Another Bogart / Greenstreet pairing. This one was really good, almost like a Hitchcock film. Of all the Bogie films I've watched, it's got to be in the top 5.

1.18.2010

Yesterday D and I spent four hours looking at sofas in both Rooms to Go and Ashley Home Store. We have decided to go with a two-piece sectional in a taupe leather-blend. We think it will lighten-up the room nicely.

D and I had the day off today. We scheduled a vet appointment for Fenimore to get his Bordatella booster. While we were there, the tech realized that his annual exam was due in February so they went ahead and gave him all his shots. Poor Feni, they poked and prodded the old man 'til he nearly lost his humor. He has done nothing but sleep since we got home. But the vet gave him good marks, just a little tarter on his teeth.

While we were there, Mrs R mentioned that she knew of five cats whose owner recently died unexpectedly and who are being fostered by a florist until homes can be found. We went to the florist's shop and spoke with her briefly. They are all full-grown, current on shots and already fixed. She also mentioned they were tolerant of dogs. Four are long-haired and one is short-haired. I'm not sure D's allergies would take a long-hair so we told her we would be interested in information on the latter. She's going to email us a photo and then if we'd like, we can proceed from there.

I have read 10 books so far this year! My LT buddy jonesli and I read mostly Noir together. She's a Bogart fan too. Currently we are reading two books that were turned into Bogart films. A Bogart double-feature, you might say. Yesterday we read In A Lonely Place by Dorothy B Hughes and tonight we are starting Dark Passage by David Goodis.

8.2.2009

This afternoon D and I did some maintenance on the "winged friends" garden. We installed a new echinacea plant and weeded. It's been a long time since I've weeded! Our plan is to pick up some mulch tomorrow and lay it down. I can only hope the weather tomorrow is as agreeable as it was today.

For dinner we made Turkey Burgers with Smoky Aioli, a recipe from Bon Appetit. The patties didn't 'wow' me but they were decent. I really enjoyed D's homemade french fries.


Over dinner we watched another Bogart film, Stand In. Not a big part for Bogart, but I enjoyed what he did with it. I think it's the first time I've seen him in full tux and top hat. Quite a change.

7.21.2009

Watched Chain Lightning tonight. It was better than I thought it was going to be. Bogart sang a little in this one. I don't think I've heard him sing before. I'm sure it was Bogie because there's no mistaking that voice! VHS tapes are getting so fragile now. I thought at one point this one was going to break on me but it held together. I just had these funny black and white amoebas over one of the scenes. I have now seen 50 of Bogart's films (in three years). It's getting much harder to locate them but hopefully at some point I'll be able to say I've seen them all.

7.14.2009

Today my favorite librarian left several messages on our answering machine because three of my Interlibrary Loans came in. More Bogart films! Watched the first one tonight - Battle Circus. As Bogie's war films go it was very good and quite entertaining. I'm certain that was because it was a romance set during the war instead of a war tale with a leading lady. D actually watched this one with me. He's a fan of MASH so it wasn't a hard sell.

I'm currently reading Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad, which is an account of his travels in France, the Mediterranean and the Holy Land. I'm currently reading his adventures in Paris, which is quite appropriate for Bastille Day. Twain wrote:

"The guides deceive and defraud every American who goes to Paris for the first time and sees its sights alone or in the company of others as little experienced as himself. I shall visit Paris again some day, and then let the guides beware! I shall go in my war paint - I shall carry my tomahawk along!"

6.29.2009

This morning at work the LAN connection was down on my side of the building. I didn't have access to anything, not even internet. So I put on my ipod and walked laps around the department. At one point my boss walked with me down to the canteen. I got a magazine. He turned on the TV. Maybe now I can get away with bringing a book and telling him it's insurance for when the network goes down!

Interlibrary Loan came through for me again. They found another Bogart film. Midnight (aka Call it Murder) 1934. He was so young. Not much of a part, he's on screen for less than five minutes. This copy came all the way from Missouri!

6.19.2009

Yesterday D and I drove through another thunderstorm going home. That's getting tiresome. D gritted his teeth and said "we better have power, that's all I'm saying." Then a huge lightning bolt came down right in the pasture beside us. I swear everything froze, even the car was frightened. We had a good laugh about that. When we got home we tossed the questionable foods out of the fridge. We went grocery shopping twice yesterday. For dinner we made the new shrimp recipe I'm so hung up on. It's still so very, very good!

Inter-Library Loan came through, they found another Bogart film for me. I haven't seen one in about six months. Passage to Marseille is a reunion of most of the Casablanca cast. War films are not my cup of tea but this did have something I don't think I've seen before: a wedding! Bogie got hitched in this one (of course he wore his famous blue-pinstripe suit).

6.16.2009

I just cannot get over this rain. I haven't seen this amount of water for a very long time. It's good for the garden though. We have picked (and consumed) our first fruits. Tumbling Tom never lets us down. I'm ready for his big brothers to be ripe. I cannot wait to have a tomato sandwich!


I usually don't care for grilled shrimp but tonight we fixed some that was so yummy. I've got a new favorite recipe.

Reading a new book called We'll Always Have Murder: A Humphrey Bogart mystery. Bogart is a character in it - Peter Lorre too. It's really interesting because they are themselves but the murder mystery around them is fictional. I'm really enjoying it.

5.30.2009

After two rainy weekends and a week full of thunderstorms, we woke up today to a cloudless sunny sky. We were a go for the hike! I finally got to see the other Brevard (NC). We went into Pisgah National Forest and drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was still pretty early and we encountered a deer but I didn't have the camera ready. This beautiful waterfall was right by the roadside - no hiking required.



We arrived at Graveyard Fields while there were still a few parking spaces left. When we came back to the car about three hours later, there were vehicles parked everywhere - in the grass, up and down the road. I even saw a chartered bus parked there.


With the exception of the areas directly before Upper Falls and Lower Falls, the trail is mostly flat and with all the rain we've had lately that translated to muddy. We did okay though. When we were lucky the trail looked like this:


Some parts of the trail still had standing water.


The first creek crossing. Big chunks of yellowstone used for stepping stones.


Near Upper Falls the landscape was so verdant. I thought it was the prettiest part of the hike.



Upper Falls

Our second wildlife spotting of the day. We were boulder-hopping to get out to the falls and D spotted this reptile where I had just placed my foot a moment earlier. Needless to say, we left a different way than how we came. Wetter but definitely snake-free.


Best trailmix yet: M&Ms, Raisins and Cracklin' Oat Bran. Definitely a keeper!



Lower Falls

Before we climbed the ridge back up to the parking lot, we rested and put our feet into the water. It was very cold and quite refreshing. The color of the Yellowstone Prong (Pigeon River) was very striking but I had a difficult time getting it to show up in the camera. I thought this boulder-bridge was very unique.


After our hike we were famished! I had read about Bogart's resturant in Waynesville so we drove the extra 30 miles out there. As far as I could tell this place had no connection to Bogie, but it did have fabulous hamburgers. They were so good and reasonably priced too. I had a bacon cheeseburger. D had The Works - three cheeses, bacon, mushrooms and chili. And for dessert, cheesecake. Yum.