Monday Musings: December 13. 2010

I loved that picture of Camilla and Charles - The Royals. It looked for all the world like Camilla had just soiled her knickers. That made me laugh at just the thought. And, I’ve needed some laughs this weekend.

Mom isn’t doing well enough to stay alone up at Sky Peaks. So we’ve had her down here with us, in the guest room. Frankly, she’s getting really frail, and her speech sounds slurred at times. Not enough to warrant an ER visit, but still … So there will be phone calls Monday morning.

We took her out for brunch, this time to Peg’s Ham & Eggs on South Meadows. I had my doubts about getting her in there on a busy Sunday. We’ve been taking her to Gold Dust West, since Mr. Maven can drop us right in front, where I can get the walker out and motor her in. But then she has to navigate steps up to the coffee shop - the have a ‘lift’ but you need to round up the security personnel to use it. Then, of course you have the delight of the whole upbeat atmosphere of GDW - old, broken down slot players. Tamarack Junction is better … pretty easy to get in and navigate with a walker. We love the waitstaff there, but get tired of the menu. It seriously needs to be done over. Fresher.

So, Peg’s it was. Luckily we have the Handicapped card and can use ‘varsity select’ parking right in front. I nipped in and saw the usual crowd leaving names to wait for tables. Hmmm. But we’re regulars. So I told my story to the hostess/manager. No sweat. The perfect table - next to the side door for easy access - Table 73 - was about to be vacated. The hostess told me that it was ours, and to give her a moment to clear and reset it.

Wow.

It was a breeze - well, as much of a breeze as it ever is - to get Mom from car to table. And we simply put the walker outside until we needed it.

The people that run this Peg’s are Front of the House super stars. They so get it. I’ve sat and watched them manage a screamingly full house with smooth, no-drama efficiency and confidence. They have obviously trained the staff thoroughly - and it shows. The staff is equally efficient - knowing what’s next and why. No drama. Get ‘er done with a smile.

And they are still able to turn out an outstanding product - keeping it fresh and good.

I almost never eat pancakes. First I think most of them are so bland - I love buckwheat and you can rarely find it. But I’ve been eyeing the Pumpkin Pancakes longingly for some time now, and today I needed comfort food. This mom thing has me shaken. I ordered one - ONE - pancake with a poached egg. Who could possibly eat what passes for a ‘short stack’ these days unless they work construction?

Mr. Maven had to try corned beef. And it was fantastic. Okay, so this is a fast iPhone picture and not exactly optimal from a food stylist sense …

Mr. Maven was ‘ooohing and aaaahhing’ so I had to take a taste. YUM! It was hash ramped up. With a point of view. Not the same-old, same-old. It had shredded potatoes, chunks of crunchy, fresh red and green bell pepper. Not the usual hash that calls salt it’s main flavor component. Wow. If you are a corned beef hash person, you’ve gotta try it. Mr. Maven rarely gets hash browns with hash. Kinda a potato overload. But the fruit is also really good.

My pumpkin pancake was really good. As in ‘I ate the whole damn thing’ good. I just wished I’d brought one of my little jugs of real Vermont maple syrup. The artificially flavored stuff doesn’t work for me.

Mom had a perfectly sized ‘slider’ with a nice big cup of lovely fresh fruit. It was perfect for her.

The people watching at Peg’s was even better than the food. Between the ‘illustrated man’ - covered in ink, dressed in wife beater shirt and baggies on a December day, Ms. OMG those can’t be real tits … and our esteemed Governor, Jimbo.

Mr. Maven used to fly with Governor Jimbo. Jimbo was a lowly First Officer then, who thought he should be king. Mr. Maven was King. So this morning, Mr. Maven leans over and whispers “I don’t even know what I would say to him anymore … hey! How’re things going seems, well … stupid. He’s an idiot that got tossed out on his ass, and his date isn’t that good looking.”

True. What can you say?

I was particularly interested in what the RG-J fact checker, Mark Robison, had to say about Julian Assange and Wikileaks this morning. The Bottom Line? Nothing criminal has been done. Sensitive information was redacted. Uh, this is the media doing what the media should be doing - exposing those things the American electorate should know, in order to make better decisions about our leaders.

And talking about our leaders.

Did you see CBS ‘Face the Nation’? David Axelrod and the GOP leadership standing up for Obama, while the Progressive Dem leadership ( git’ em, Jerrold Nadler and Howard Dean!) was playing the opposing team role. Was that a surreal moment or what?

Mr. Maven was sitting there mumbling that we’d been had, that Obama is a Republican in sheep’s clothing.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler got it right. This is pure old Newt Gingrich style ‘starving the beast’ strategy. And to let this abortion go through, could conceivably, be the beginning of the end for Social Security. Two years from now, when this ‘thing’ sunsets, you’ll hear a outcry about “gee, see … Social Security can’t be sustained! You’ll have to raise taxes!”.

Taking this chunk out of the Social Security trust fund is out-fucking-rageous. If this economy needs a cash infusion to get back on its feet, then give an income tax rebate or ‘holiday’. The long term risks to Social Security that this ‘deal’ bears is unacceptable. So, too is the giveaway on the estate tax. Also, out-fucking-rageus. 35%? Aaaawwww. Those rich people, whatever will they do?

Don’t tell me what you heard on Fox News. Read ‘Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why American Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes’ by William H. Gates, Sr, and heir to the vast Oscar Mayer fortune, Chuck Collins and then tell me that these people aren’t peeing on our shoes and telling up to get out the umbrellas.

These people keep talking about ‘compromise’. Watch John Boehner for five minutes ( the ‘crying’ thing made me want to urp). Watch him jump tall buildings in a single bound to avoid the word ‘compromise’. The GOP has been well trained to never, ever consider the word, not to mention the deed, compromise.

Obama has betrayed his party and the American people. Now, I’ve said it. I own it.

Want a timely and relevant movie to watch with the family for the holidays? Here’s a suggestion: “My Man Godfrey” with my movie hero William Powell. I always think of the sophisticated, witty and cynical William Powell when I see some male person covered in tattoo’s, wearing a wife-beater shirt and baggies. Classy vs. carnival clown. But I digress. “My Man Godfrey” is a Great Depression era tale about the rich and the down-trodden told as a ‘screwball’ comedy.

Classy gentleman and wonderful actor, William Powell.Oh, it’s that time of year for the Christmas cards to start rolling in. I’ll do what I normally do. Wait until January to respond. I think the whole idea of a Christmas card is obsolete, what with the invention of the telegraph and all. We got rid of fax machines and land lines to hang on to these cards once a year? If it didn’t feel so much like a duty to get through, I suppose I might not mind it so much. But I’ve so been there done that with family photos especially for the cards, newsy letters, fancy script on fancy envelopes. Oh, yes, and I did all the required personal notes to friends and family.

Some cards, I enjoy receiving. Those with personal notes from elderly relatives and friends who don’t have computers, much less email or Facebook. But the cards from people right here in town - who I’ve seen more than once in the last few months - and then they send an imprinted card? WTF? Again, mostly ‘older’ folks, so I try and cut them some slack. But if you are under 70 and do this, I’m going to call you up and say something unpleasant. Suggie, that includes you.

I amazed myself a while back when I picked up a box of the most secular looking card I could quickly see on the stack at Costco and tossed them into the cart. I used to spend days running around town looking for just the right card - secular with an amusing retro, local or at least ‘Western’ theme. I’d still send them out ‘sometime’ after Christmas.

If you’re sending out hand-addressed cards, with hand-written notes, this year, I applaud you. It is important in a certain way. Marking the passage of time and all that. If you’ve been sitting there, however, feeling bad because you haven’t got this duty done and in the mail - well, I’m here to make you feel good by example.

I’m here to help.

I think that deserves a martini.

Cheers.

-maven