warning signs, Richmond-style

IMG_0841.JPG
Originally uploaded by pkarns1970

I love the detail on this. It communicates... almost too perfectly.

saltimbanco!

I saw Cirque du Soleil today, for the first time. It was their traveling show, Saltimbanco, here in Dayton. Anna was amazed, and I must admit that their combination of artistry, engineering, and commerce is fucking brilliant.

Hell, circle 1.5

Applebee's in Beckley, WV.

Applebee's represents one level of foodie hell. The fact is compounded, however, when you stop at the same location three times in the space of 2 and a half years, and have bad experiences each time. We never go to Applebee's any other time, but Beckley is approximately halfway between Richmond and Dayton--the perfect point for a kid-friendly break from the drive. On each visit, it has been obvious that they never bus tables in a timely fashion. Apparently, three visits is also enough to see the same people working there. This visit, however, was particularly distinguished by the overflowing urinal in the men's room. The food was still reliably mediocre though.

Maybe we'll find a new stop.

annoyances

Neil Young's voice. It's like a strangled cat.

**

Wow, the blog has really fallen off-track. To the few of you who regularly read it, sorry. Major writing on other stuff--as well as life-matters--has occupied what was left of my time and brain.

**

One odd question, though: Why is Karl Rove writing for Newsweek? Is journalism really that screwed?

Friday fun

The quality of this video is bad, but I can't help but laughing. Especially after the past week. Stay tuned for regular blogging to resume by the end of November, with full explanations to follow at that time. In the meantime, watch and laugh. Seriously.

remember this?

Okay, light posting is continuing. Too much to do, and too many writing thoughts going elsewhere still. In the meantime... Hong Kong Phooey!!

Monday fun

I missed my usual Friday Fun posting, but here's a fine way to start your week...

verizon?

Just one question: why do I seem to be on the phone with Verizon every two months?

Stay tuned--if you can...

cleaning pennies

Banana has a science experiment due this week. A science experiment. In kindergarten. Anyway, we picked up a book of easy experiments for kids early in the week and started perusing them. (The volcano had already been done.) There were several that Banana thought looked really fun--and each of them involved far more preparation than we had time for. Finally, we settled on turning pennies green. So tonight, we followed the instructions: small plate, paper towel folded in quarters, just enough vinegar to cover the paper towel, pennies, wait one hour. We followed the instructions well, and an hour later, there was still no green coating on the pennies. I began to suspect that the vinegar was somehow compromised--particularly since the early limestone tests on shells and chalk were not as lively as expected.

On a whim, I grabbed a bowl and a penny. I poured Frank's Hot Sauce over the penny and waited a minute. The penny was clean as it always had been when we performed the same trick in high school with Taco Bell hot sauce. We had our experiment. Done, right? Well, I continued to do a bit of research so she could explain--sort of--what had happened. And I came across a variation: soy sauce.

So I pulled out another tarnished penny, another small bowl, and the soy sauce. It only took about ten seconds, maybe 15, for the soy sauce to wipe the penny clean. As it turns out, a salt-vinegar solution is what takes the oxidization off best.

Imagine that. Soy sauce. Pennies. That's life.

exhaustion

Those of you who are the few regular readers out there will have to excuse the recent light posting. I'll try to keep up semi-regular posting in the next couple of days.

sunday night fun

Light posting lately because of a bunch going on--and some non-blog writing. Stay tuned for a report on vintage apples, beer, and wine. But in the meantime...



(about three minutes in is when the best part starts...)