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Today in My History

2001:  A World Without Mirrors
2002:  A Mary Poppins Kind of Day
2003:  Eye Candy
2004:  Digital Delight
2005:  Can You Hear Me Now?
2006:  All's Right with the World
2007: Home Again, Home Again 
2008:  A New Decade
2009:  Off With Her Head
2010:  Food Motivated
2011:  Thin Mints
2012: Just a Plot of...Not a Lot of...
2013: Meme Time
2014: Chez Panisse

Bitter Hack
Updated: 2/19
"A Flea in Her Ear"

Books Read in 2015
 Updated: 2/28
"Adam and Eve and Pinch Me"

NEW....
Letters from Brayan and Devine

UH...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WALT

2 March 2015

With all the shows to review this weekend (we finally got Caesar killed last night, which involved mopping the stage between Acts 1 and 2), Walt's birthday pretty much got ignored.  I told him that we would pretend his birthday was March 1, when we could go out to brunch with Ned and Marta.

"My treat," I told them, fully intending to put the meal on "my" credit card, which is separate from "our" credit card.

We met Ned and Marta at their house and were amused to see Bouncer, the dog, munching on a Mr. Bill doll.  I had bought a Mr. Bill doll for her several Christmases ago and I knew that at some point it had to be replaced after being loved so much.

What I didn't realize is how often it had to be replaced.  Ned had saved them all.

Bouncer doesn't seem to have interest in most of them any more, just the one that is her current favorite, but did consent to pose with the lot.

Ned and Marta suggested we go to Orphan Breakfast House, a little neighborhood restaurant (maximum seating inside: 24).  The name "orphan" apparently has nothing to do with children without parents, but refers, rather, from the term "orphan business," which is an independent business not part of a chain (no Denny's this place!)

Apparently parking is tricky around there, but Ned was able to find a place all right.

We had a bit of a wait for a table, and there were crowds waiting outside. The wait was worth it.  Our huge mug of coffee was excellent and we each ordered something different.  I had something called "avocado scramble," Walt had an "artichoke scramble," Marta had an egg dish with cream cheese over Orphan's famous rosemary bread, and Ned had French toast. His was the most photogenic of the lot....

...but I had no complaints about my breakfast, which was delicious, if not exactly photogenic.

Unfortunately, when we were looking at the menu, Ned happened to notice that it said "cash only" at the top of the page.  Gleep.

The restaurant makes it easy for unprepared neophytes like me to get cash, with a no-fee ATM machine.  But there were two problems:  (1) I don't have an ATM card to my credit union account, and (2) I didn't have nearly enough cash in my checking account, after just paying off my Visa card, to get that much cash.  So, reluctantly, I had to pay for the meal from our joint account.  Happy birthday, Walt.  I hope you enjoyed the meal you had to pay for!  Fortunately it was really delicious.

God was on my side, though.  Remember how yesterday, complaining about all the murders we'd seen in the last three days, I said I needed a musical...something like Music Man or something.  We came home, I turned on the TV and what was on AMC?  The Music Man.

I feel so much better now that 76 trombones have marched through our family room.
 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Springtime in a Sacramento park
 

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