Sunday update

Not too much to write about recently which is why I haven't written anything.  Let's start with a weather report:  Today was overcast, cool, rainy, and then sunny, hot, and humid.  Where am I living again?  I thought this was southern California where it is supposed to be sunny and hot this time of year.   Next bit of news is that older son who has been looking for a place to buy put an offer on a cute little 3 bedroom house which was accepted the other day by the owner.  Yay for him!   Except, this will be a short sale and the mortgage holder has to agree to the short sale. This drama will play out over another two months or so, stay tuned.

Citizen Grouch's book recommendations:

Just finished reading "Escape from Shangri-La" about a C-47 that crashed in a hidden and inaccessible valley high in the mountains in New Guinea at the end of WW2.  A true story, it was well written and informative and read like a novel.  It ended with a feature that I enjoy in books and movies, the 'what happened in their lives after the story ended' part.  A good read, check it out at your local library (which is where I found it)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_22?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=escape+from+shangri-la&sprefix=escape+from+shangri-la

For the Wilbur Smith readers, he has a new book out, "Those in Peril".  A good read but in a bid to be relevant he has amped up the sex and violence which coming from an 78 year old author is somewhat unnerving to me.  I liked the earlier Wilbur Smith who would look away when the sex and violence got too heavy.  Modern times I guess.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/those-in-peril-wilbur-smith/1028388312?ean=9780312567255&itm=1&usri=those%2bin%2bperil

Last night the Missus and I joined some friends to hear Celtic music at a concert at the park in our fair city.  We were hoping for traditional Irish music of which we got a bit but it seemed that the group was hoping for some gigs at weddings and the like because they played more rock and pop than Celtic music.  At least they were indeed from Ireland so I guess that made the billing correct:  we heard music played by Celts.  It was a nice night out, the weather was perfect and the company pleasant.  Can't ask for more in life.

The song game

A couple years ago I commented to the Missus about the number of pop songs that have girl's names in the title as compared to boy's names, probably twice as many or more.  We never figured that out but we did start writing down the titles of songs with a female name in it.  My rule is that it should be a song that a person has a reasonable chance of hearing it on the radio.  The Missus being the competitive sort that she is was willing to include any song title published since the Gutenberg bible was printed.  I protested, she slipped some in anyway.  So here in no order whatsoever are the songs that we have come up with.  If you can suggest more, we'll add them to the list!

BLACK BETTY

WHO'S HOLDING DONNA NOW

TRACY 69

MARY'S A GRAND OLD NAME

GOOD NIGHT IRENE

IF YOU KNEW SUSIE

COME ON EILEEN

MUSTANG SALLY

WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE

BARBARA ANN

MICHELLE MY BELL

GLORIA

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS

ROSANNE

LUCILLE

LAYLA

MARY IN THE MORNING

PROUD MARY

HOLLY HOLLY

HELLO DOLLY

DOWN EASTER ALEXA

MAGGIE MAY

BOY NAMED SUE

BRANDY

OH SHERRY

MANDY

RHIANNON

LADY MADONNA

RUBY DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN

I'LL TAKE YOU HOME KATHLEEN

DAISY

SANDY

THEY CALL THE WIND MARIAH

CINDERELLA

JEANNIE WITH THE LIGHT BROWN HAIR

ANGIE

CECILIA

WINDY

HONEY

REBBECCA LYNN

JOLENE

CARLENE

ANNIE'S SONG

DANCE LITTLE JEAN

LAY DOWN SALLY

ELIZABETH

MARIANNE

LOLA

JUDY IN DISGUISE

ELVIRA

HEY PRUDENCE

OH BETH

HELLO MARY LOU

TELL LAURA I LOVE HER

JULIE DO YOU LOVE ME

HEY THERE DELILAH

PADDLIN' MADELINE HOME (I don't think this is a real song!)

867-9309/JENNY

SUNNY COME HOME

JACKIE BLUE

SHANNON

CARRIE ANN

MY MARIA

JOSIE

PEG

SUZIE Q

ANGIE BABY

SARA SMILE

AMANDA

HELEN WHEELS

NORMA JEAN RILEY

VERONICA

ALONG CAME MARY

JOANNA

LYNDA

MARIAN THE LIBRARIAN

SUSAN

THAT'S MY LITTLE SUZIE

AMIE

JULIE DO YOU LOVE ME?

Added:

RUBY TUESDAY

HANG ON SLOOPY

MONA LISA

MAYBELLENE

ALONG CAME MARY

TAKE A LETTER MARIA
BILLIE JEAN
DIRTY DIANA

Visiting Flagstaff AZ 2011

After our fantastic trip to Pittsburgh just a couple of weeks ago the Grouch family decided we needed a vacation!  So the Missus, young son, and I set off in the hybrid Escape sans dogs for a trip to Flagstaff AZ to see the sights.  We only had 3 days to see what needed to be seen so we wasted no time.  Young daughter was to meet us in Flagstaff as she was driving by herself. 

We set off for AZ via I40.  The highway in California was in horrible shape and the rest stops were all closed for repair.   We didn't see any repairs going on and it almost made for some desperate times but eventually we made it to AZ and the road improved almost immediately and the rest stops were open!   The Escape climbed a steady grade going up to Flagstaff eventually besting 5,000 ft.  We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express and even though staying there did not make us an instant expert on an important subject we did enjoy the great breakfast and comfortable beds.  The Grouch was interested to see the number of foreign guests at the hotel outnumbering U.S. citizens by a goodly number.  We decided that we had the following goals:

1. Meteor crater
2. Winslow and the corner where the flat bed Ford slowed down

3. Montezuma's Castle

4. Sunrise crater

5. Downtown Flagstaff

6. Native American building ruins
7. souvenirs

We did the meteor crater and an impressive sight it was.  It was very hard to grasp the scale of what we were seeing it was so enormous.  After that a quick run to Winslow to see the corner and the route 66 sign and on the way back we passed an exit that seemed perfect for the Grouch.  Down to Montezuma's castle which are impressive cliff dwellings that we realized we had seen in 1995 when we stayed in Sedona, but they were worth a second look.  Up to Montezuma's well.  Over to Sunset crater and the lava flow and then on to see more Indian ruins.  Back to old downtown Flagstaff.  More Indian ruins.  Then, in the Escape for a 8 hour drive back home.  It rained every day, sometimes fire hose quantity rain.  It was a good thing we had umbrellas and a rain coat!  It was a great time and we will be back.

http://www.meteorcrater.com/  meteor crater

http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm  Montezuma's castle

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/sunset-crater-volcano.html  Sunrise crater

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/wupatki-ruins.html Wupatki ruins

http://www.winslowarizona.org/  Winslow

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-twoguns.html  Two Guns ghost town

Click on the pics for a larger view!

We reach AZ, land of sunshine and smooth highways

Hot, dry, and dusty

Climbing up the mountains towards Flagstaff

The meteor crater, over 500 ft deep!  But it used to be over 700 ft deep when it was first created 50,000 years ago

The Grouches minus the Missus who is taking the picture, as we touch a meteor for luck

Young son standing on the corner hoping a girl in a flat bed Ford will slow down to take a look at him

Young daughter smack in the middle of route 66

Two guns ghost town that away

Two Guns - at least part of it

Even the graffiti in AZ is historic

The Grouches exploring an Indian ruin

The ruin

Traversing the lava field at Sunset Crater (an extinct - for now- volcano)

Glad the lava has cooled off!

For once the Missus is in the picture!

The citadel ruin and Young Daughter tries to keep her footing as the wind and rain comes

Yep, another ruin!



Montezuma's castle.  Montezuma had nothing to do with building it but the name stuck



Pittsburgh Visit 2011 Part IV

On our second to last day in the 'burgh we visited Oakland for the grand nostalgia tour.  First we stopped in Mt. Lebanon to visit our favorite aunt who says she always knew I was the right one for the Missus.  Bless her heart!  

Next we headed to the Science Center, always a favorite.  We did all of the interactive exhibits and toured the WW2 submarine tied up in the river next to the center.

Then we headed to Oakland to visit the nationality rooms at the University of Pittsburgh our Alma mater.  These are classrooms decorated in a theme of a country, mostly European, that reflect the heritage of the people of Pittsburgh.  Definitely worth a visit.  Keep in mind that you need to register to tour the ground floor rooms but not those on the third floor.  Who knows why only the first floor!   http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/

We met the Missus' other best friend from Pitt days and headed to the Carnegie Art and Natural History museum.  We got caught in a sudden downpour that despite our umbrellas soaked us but good.  The museum is full of wonderful and amazing art and natural history but I had eyes only for the display of the Berber fending off the lions.  This is an icon from my youth and the one exhibit I always had to see when visiting the museum.  I read somewhere a while ago that the museum wanted to ditch the exhibit but aging baby boomers like me put up such a fuss that they decided to keep it and even spruced it up. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09362/1024019-51.stm

Friday was spent resting and getting ready for the trip home.  President Obama was in town for a visit and with the resulting traffic snarls we decided to stick close to home station.   The Missus and I went for a walk by the airport on a path that paralleled the parkway west.  We realized that all traffic had come to a stop on the highway and that a helicopter was orbiting overhead.  Suddenly we heard the roar of a large jet aircraft taking off and then climbing over the trees and gaining altitude was Air Force one!  What a sight to see!  I guess that the secret service closed the highway to keep traffic away from the airport while the plane took off.

Saturday we sadly headed home and left friends and family behind.  Hopefully some will come to visit us in Southern California!

My favorite aunt and the Missus



The Pittsburgh Science Center



Part of the very elaborate model train display originally held at the Buhl planitarium which is now closed.  I was off to see this display many years ago around Christmas with the boy scouts when I fell on an icy driveway and got a concussion.  Later the head pain became so severe that the outing had to be cut short to get me home.

Young son tries his hand at being a weatherman on T.V. at the science center

The WW2 submarine



Young son tries to bring the sub to life



Hail Pitt!



Nationality room - Czechoslovakia?



India room

Here it is!  The Arab (Berber) courier v. the lions!!

One of the Arizona fires spotted as we returned home



The Missus has a birthday and young son does some cooking

I almost forgot to memorialize the Missus' birthday!   So here it is immortalized in photos.  Also, young son and a friend decided to cook mac and cheese from scratch.  Why?  Who knows, but they had a great time doing it so I thought I'd share.

Click on the pics for a larger view:

The Missus contemplates the task before her:  blow out the candles!

The Grouch family minus one

Who can resist bunny ears?

The mac and cheese after at least one trip to the store and mulitple pots, dishes, and utensils used and discarded.

The co-chef pronounces the product a-ok!

Best Vacation Ever revisited

Several posts ago I wrote about the best vacation ever that I had as a kid.  You can read about it here:

http://citizengrouch.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-vacation-many-years-ago.html

Much to my surprise my brother responded that he not only remembered the vacation but he had pictures from it!  It was 1959 which put the Grouch at 5 years old.  When we all met at younger sister's wedding I was given copies of pictures from the vacation.  Neither he nor my other sister could remember where we went. Younger sis wasn't around then so she had no opinion about the vacation but older sis said she hated it.  Best vacation for me, worst for her! 

Click on the pic for a larger view!

The Grouch and Dad and Mom.  Who knew my parents were young once and cool looking too!

Four soon to be Five.  The birth of my young sis was devastating for me, the baby of the family.  When my mom called baby sis her 'little pumpkin' I was crushed. 

Oldest sis stokes the wood stove.  How could anyone not like this place?!  I miss you Connie.

Interlude - 4th of July 2011

Ahh, the 4th of July!  My all-time favorite holiday of the year!  As (almost) always we started the day by attending our city's parade which has been going on with a few interruptions for wars and other disasters since the last economic grand slam to hit this nation:  in other words since 1932!   Either folks are reading my blog posts about the parade and are deciding to attend to experience it first hand or perhaps the residents are just becoming more aware of the old 'the early bird gets the worm' adage but when we got to our usual favorite in the shade spot we found (a) it taken over by the parade reviewing stand and judges and (b) people who got there before us!   We went across the street to sit in the sun and wait for about 2 hours.  Did I mention that it was going to be hot enough to melt lead ingots into molten puddles that day?  But just before the parade started the judges moved down about 20 feet which opened up an opportunity for the Grouch party to literally scramble across the road just as the Deputies on motor cycles approached with the start of the parade!  We don't do things by half measures, no siree!

This was the first parade in decades to have an actual marching band in it!  The high schools combined into a pick-up band, distributed the music to the kids before hand, they showed up at 6:30 a.m. the morning of the parade to try it together and off they went!  What a talented bunch which included young son!   As always the parade is an eclectic group of displays and participants.  The theme this year was the anniversary of women achieving the right of vote.  Some of the participants made no attempt to conform to the theme but then that is what makes this a lot of fun.

After the parade we stayed in door to beat the 104F heat.  Later that evening it was off to see fireworks.  A great day for the Grouch family and for our country.  Happy birthday America!

Click on the pics for a larger view!



Watching the parade with  our friends

 


A group keeping to the theme of the parade



Here come the band!

Young son blowin' that 'bone!

The fifes and drums

Polynesian dancers?!  Wow, they could shake those hips!

Summer Santa

Our very own ghostbusters!

My favorite - the motorized L-Z Boy recliner with a space theme!

The end to a great day!



Pittsburgh visit 2011 part III

The night before we set off for the wilds of downtown Pittsburgh we visited with a close friend of the Missus going back to high school.  Since names are not to be mentioned in the blog, if you read this and recognize the picture you will know who we saw and if you don't, well then it doesn't really matter!   We drove to Pittsburgh and parked at Station Square (a former train terminal), shopped a bit and got the duck tour around town and in the river.   For those who aren't in the know, a duck tour means you get to ride in a WW2 DUKW, essentially an amphibious GMC 2.5 ton truck.  First we drove around town and then into the river.  Volunteers were selected to pilot the craft in the water and the whole Grouch party volunteered.  The Missus was quick to tell the driver of the craft that she had experience having driven (piloted?) one on the Boston river.  He kept his eye on her and a good thing too as she was trying to drive and take a picture at the same time!  http://www.justduckytours.com/content.php?p=10     After this fun we walked across the bridge over to the main part of town.  We visited the Andy Warhol museum which Young Son really was anxious to see   http://www.warhol.org/   I thought that many of the artists displayed in the museum were playing a joke on us when I viewed their efforts but the rest of the family liked what they saw so that was all that mattered.  The weather was hot and humid and I was feeling the effects!

After the fun in the city we walked across yet another bridge, this one closed to traffic, to the PNC park to see the Pirates play the Baltimore Orioles.  We met one of the many sisters in law and her kids along with my mother in law at the park and saw a great game.  The stadium is great and much more pleasant than the old Three Rivers stadium and somewhat reminiscent of the long departed Forbes Field.   When the game ended we took the water taxi back across the river to Station Square, the car and back home.  What a day!

The Missus and her best friend from high school who is a real sweetie!

Young son pilots the dukw and wears a cap appropriate to the task

The Missus piloting the dukw after the actual captain suggested that she put the camera down before we ran hard aground!

The Ground showing his nonchalance will piloting the dukw.  This craft didn't react like a land vehicle and constant course corrections were needed to keep going the correct way.  The river current was pretty strong.

The crew of the SS Minnow, I mean the Miss Liberty.

One of the dinosaurs on display in downtown Pittsburgh.  We liked this one because of the Heinz tie-in.  There is a story to the dinosaurs but we don't have time to  review it now!

The 'burgh

Nothing like a ball game!  The 1971 Pirates team was on the field to be recognized by the fans.  It brought back memories for us old duffers who remember the glory days of Roberto,Maz, Willie and Danny Murtaugh.  Those were the days!