Go West Young Man

Today we turned the beast west. Ended up in Baton Rouge. Learned not to go anywhere close to Louisiana when LSU is playing Alabama.

Bones and Me

Bones and me at the Magic Kingdom.

Sorcerer Bob

The hat was too big but the shirt fit. Until it rained. Had a heck of a time getting it off. Can't...Breathe!!!

Who? What?

So I found this phone box in England and was trying to figure out how to use it to get to the Ministry of Magic. After a while I decided it was really a tartis. That's when a Bobby came up and asked what I was doing. I told him I was looking for Dr. Who. He said what? I said no, Who. He asked what are you talking about? I said Who. He appeared to be getting frustrated and said you're outta here! I said what? He said that's what I asked. I said, no, who. He said ok wise guy who are you. I said yea, that's what I said!

Heard around the World!

Parents explaining holidays to their children at DisneyWorld:
Thanksgiving is where we are thankful for all we have; Christmas is where we ask for more!

Update

I found this really tall mountain with train rides to the top. If you know me you know I can never resist a train ride. It was so high I must have experiences altitude sickness because I was spilling my guts and my eyes felt like they were falling out of their sockets by the time I finished the expedition.

I Am One

I have taken many a first step down many new roads with nothing...but...vision?!!

Lost

I think we took a wrong tuen somewhere. Travelled two days. Tired. Not sure if the Garmin (that's Garmin, not Carmen, although I do catch myself telling it "yes, dear.") is working. Looking for a place to spend the night. Hey, this place looks interesting.

Headed Home

The ocean to ocean journey has begun. So far I have crossed Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and we had to stop in Savannah, Georgia in time to watch the world series. Right now that may not have been a very good idea. The giants are down by three.

I'm what? Going the wrong way to go home? Oh, I'm taking the southern route!

Civil Battlegrounds of Fredericksburg, VA

Huge retail malls skirt historic battlefields and some have even been built on the battlefields. Today there are fierce retail wars as retailers fight it out over your hard earned dollar!

On The Road Again

It's too dark for pictures. But Henry is packed and ready to go. Next stop...Fredericksburg for breakfast.

Historic Mount Vernon

Did you know that George Washington evaded paying higher taxes by building his Mount Vernon home out of wood instead of brick and mortar to avoid paying a higher tax? He then had his carpenters carve grooves into the wood and then painted the wood with a paint and sand mixture so the exterior would look as though it was built of stone. This saved taxes since brick and stone houses were taxed at a higher rate than wood homes.

Pandas

If you look closely you will see a Panda behind me. The last time I was at the zoo some 34 years ago our bus drove straight into the Panda Exhibit before the zoo opened for the day and all we saw were the pandas. Today it rained so hard about all we saw were the pandas. In fact it rained so hard the gift shops were selling those spray misters with dry air in the bottle so you could spray yourself with dry air to try and stay dry.

The National Zoo

It's raining.

Flying

The mighty Mississippi! It was a very nice flight with picture perfect landing at Dulles. It gets dark early here, and light late. It is raining today so have to decide what to do. It is 8:30 here but still 5:30 my time. And I have been up already for two hours. Maybe I'll go back to bed.

LAX

As the good captain said: The good news is we got in 20 minutes early. The bad news is we have to wait 20 minutes for the gate to open up. Then it is a half mile walk and two hour layover.

Full Body Scan

I don't know what all the fuss about a full body scan at the airport is all about. I mean, I don't have to look at it. I feel sorry for the poor TSA guy that has to look at it...first thing in the morning...there goes breakfast!

Welcome to FAT

The locals call it FYI or Fresno Yosemite international airport. But it is officially called Fresno Air Terminal. If you lived in Fresno, what would you call it?

They have made the lobby look like Sequoia National Park so you feel like you are in the mountains and in the woods. They say first impressions are most important. I guess they are hoping this is what you remember of Fresno since it is the first and last thing you see.

Packing

The first challenge is getting three weeks of clothes and supplies into a carry-on bag. I don't want to spend time doing laundry on the road and I don't want to pay $25 to check my bag.

Behind the Scenes

Postcards From My Cell Phone

Have you ever tried taking self portrait pictures with an i-phone.  It's not easy.  At least with the 3GS.  It is easier with the newer versions but I don't have the newer version.  Besides, I like a challenge.

Anyway, you can't see what you are doing.  You basically stretch out your arm with the cell phone as far as you can reach and then try to guesstimate your framing since you can't see the picture.  As you have been able to see, it is not an exact science.  But it's what I go through in order to bring you interesting facts about interesting places.  Check out the behind the scenes photos from the Washington DC trip.

Be sure to follow me on my next trip as I attempt to produce new Postcards from my cell phone live!  Starting Tuesday only on the Bob Blog! 

A Test

This Is A Test...

This is a test.  This is nothing but a test.  If this had been a real emergency you would have been given instructions on where to tune for further information.  (This announcement excludes any worms)

Postcards From My Cell Phone

The Return of the Mysterious Stranger

National Gallery of Art

June 2010

There is a story that is passed down from one generation of guards to the next generation of guards at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.  The tale talks of a stranger that paid a visit on a cold winter's night in February of 1976 at the beginning of the nations 200th celebration.  It was a quiet Sunday night and a light snow was falling.  A string quartet was playing festive, but mellow music in the rotunda, a feature of the bicentennial.  Normally the museum is closed at this time of night.  But not tonight.  And because of the snow, most people stayed home to stay warm by the fires in the comfort of their homes rather than brave the cold to spend the evening in an old stone rotunda to enjoy the arts of the masters and the sounds of the orchestra.  It was going to be a long night.

But then the stranger came.  A dapper young man decked out in all the fineries of the land.  Long coat tails, top hat, white gloves and a cane.  And he was accompanied by no less than a dozen people that followed him everywhere and did his bidding.  The guards were used to seeing strange things, but as the stranger went from gallery to gallery reverencing the masters, the guards felt this was a scene right out of a rogues gallery.  Especially on a night like tonight.  And it proved to be to much...

Laughter began to ring out through the stone halls.  Belly laughs, and raucous laughs.  Soon the laughter drowned out the orchestra.  No-one could believe that this stranger had come tonight of all nights.  Finally, a guard approached one of the followers wanting to meet this stranger.  They met.  It was the highlight of the evening.  Soon, every guard wanted to meet the stranger.  The orchestra gave up and packed their instruments to go home.  The museum was closed. The next hour was spent with each guard getting his or her picture next to the stranger.  The guards reported it was the highlight not only of the evening, but for their now storied careers.

Some 34 years later the stranger returned.  It was in the heat of the day on a June afternoon.  But the stranger appeared as just another arts patron.  The guards never knew.  But if you ask about the stranger...It's amazing what 34 years can do to a story!

  

Rules for Shopping

Here are the rules for shopping at the nursery.

Postcards From My Cell Phone

Me shopping at a nursery in Virginia

Post Cards From My Cell Phone

Greetings from Washington D.C.
The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is perhaps one of the greatest monuments that you can visit in Washington D.C. Built after the ancient Greek temples, the memorial commands respect and reverence as you approach and enter the building. Abraham Lincoln sits in the middle of the center chamber and the sitting figure towers above you at 19 feet so if he were standing he would reach a height of 28 feet. The statue is so lifelike that even though it is chiseled out of stone it is as if the figure itself could stand up and walk out if it so desired. Opened 24 hours a day, this is one monument that shouldn't be missed.

Chef's Corner

Editor's Note: Another new feature we will be adding in addition to Ice Cream will be a column featuring healthy stuff where we will share new and exciting main dish ideas with you. Of course healthy is in the stomach of the beholder!

Crab Louis Pasta Salad

This week we are taking a look at a new invention of an old favorite: Crab Louis. This recipe was a surprise mostly because of the dressing, which by the way could be used on more than just a crab louis salad. But this dressing dresses out a crab louis perfectly. When you see the ingredients for the first time you will probably think what I did: this makes a good dressing? But it does. Just give it a try for yourself and see.

Crab Louis Pasta Salad
Pick a pasta and prepare as usual
1/2 lb crab meat or artificial crab
15-25 cooked and tailed shrimp (adjust to taste)
Cherry tomatoes halved
Green onion chopped
Sliced olives
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl

Dressing:
2/3 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup hot chile sauce
2 Tablespoons sweet relish
Mix ingredients together to make a dressing. Add to pasta mix, mix well, serve, enjoy.

Ice Cream Flavor of the Month

ICE CREAM FLAVOR OF THE MONTH

One of the most popular features of the blog back when I was good at keeping the blog up was the Ice Cream Flavor of the month where I experimented and presented to you a new ice cream flavor that you could make yourself every month. Well, in my attempts to revitalize my blog, and just from the fact that I love ice cream, and especially the ice cream I make (There is none finer. Don't believe me, come by and we'll have an ice cream making party!), and of course it's summertime; I decided to dig out my ice cream maker and give it a whirl.

So far I have based all my innovations on one base ice cream flavor: Sweet Cream. It is a knock off of Cold Stone Creamery's Sweet Cream ice cream, but it is my own perfected recipe. This is probably the best ice cream you could ever taste. But for those of you who want more variety in life, or more excitement, or more anything. For all of my recipes I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. This is the type where you put the container in the freezer for at least 24 hours before you make the ice cream.

SWEET CREAM ICE CREAM

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups heavy cream
Mix together until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker and churn for 30 minutes. For best results, use the best ingredients available. When ice cream is done, pour into a freezer container and cure for 8 to 24 hours depending on personal preference as to how hard you want your ice cream.

This month's flavor is Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream. I came about it when I discovered we had some bananas starting to rot in the kitchen and was trying to figure out what to do with them. They were too ripe to eat, it was too hot to bake banana bread, so what's left? Ice Cream!!!!

BANANA CREAM PIE ICE CREAM
Smoosh together 2 medium sized very ripe bananas until it forms a very thick paste, much like you would prepare bananas for banana bread.
add to Sweet Cream recipe.
Churn for 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of churning, crumple 1/2 graham cracker pie crust into ice cream.

Results:

This turned out to be one of the best ice cream experiments yet! It had just the right amount of banana flavor, it set up just right so it was crumbly and flaky right out of the freezer. Mmmm this is what I call dinner, and lunch, and breakfast!

Mr. Bob Goes To Washington

This week starts my Washington D.C. series of post cards. Come join me as I travel through Washington D.C. and the adjoining areas and share my trip with me.

We drove there over four days...and lived to tell about it. Surprisingly we didn't get too much on each other's nerves and didn't kill each other. After four days of travel we immediately set out to see Washington D.C. since neither one of us had really been there before. Well, I actually was there 35 years ago but it was like I was never there before. So come along with me and enjoy the post cards!

Post Cards From My Cell Phone

Welcome From Washington D.C.! The Washington Monument

The Washington monument is a monumental structure in the heart of the National Mall in Washington D.C. It stands 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches tall (Who measures that precisely?) and was the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris. It took 30 years to build not because of its size, but because of budget and funding problems and then there was the little matter of the American Civil War. It officially opened to the public in 1888. To this day it remains the tallest stone obelisk structure in the world. We didn't get to go in. If you want to go in you have to get there at about 6am and stand in line to get tickets for later that day. No-one wanted to get up that early to stand in line to go up to the top to fight with hundreds of others to look out of the tiny windows. It was a beautiful day and we did lots of walking until our legs gave out. Be sure to stay tuned for more post cards from Washington DC.Everyone just has to get in the act. Wait a minute...This person looks familiar. It's my wife, Carmen! She obviously doesn't appreciate my art.As you can clearly see, I am still having trouble taking pictures with an i-phone. It is not the easiest thing to do. I am looking forward to the next generation when they will have two camera!

Post Cards From My Cell Phone

Welcome From Simi Valley, CA!

This week we dig into our archives of unused Post Cards! This time from the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. I don't care what your political preference is, if you like history like I do, a presidential library is a treasure trove just waiting to be found! On my visit, about a year ago, I toured rooms and rooms of history dealing with presidential history. Of great interest was a walk through the old Air Force 1 with displays on how presidents used this unique airplane, and of greatest interest was the Magna Carta: The REAL Magna Carta! At first I thought it was a replica, but the armed guards and the inches thick bullet proof glass convinced me otherwise. You never know what treasure you might turn up in a presidential library!

The Reagan Library has breath taking views of the valley below it. I also took a picture of me at the Reagan grave site. I listened in to a tour of high schoolers and learned that a stairway to the crypt is under these large concrete slabs that look like, and actually are a part of the walkway. The stairs go down to large metal doors that in turn open up into the crypt. I wonder if there is a light switch down there?

Adventures With Norman

Norman's Cousin At The Zoo

While at the Zoo we got to visit with a couple of Norman's cousins. There were two African Spur Tortoises there. One was about Norman's size and the other was about twice his size. GrandX wasn't interested in visiting very long. He told me: Grandbob, we don't need to go to the zoo to see Norman! He wanted to see the elephants. Grandbob doesn't have elephants in his backyard.

The middle picture is of Norman's cousin at the zoo. The other two pictures are of Norman last summer.

Post Cards From My Cell Phone

Greetings From Fresno, CA

Chaffee Zoo

The grandX just celebrated his third birthday and he wanted nothing more than to go to the zoo to see the elephants! (I tried to get him to go to Disneyland, but Dad vetoed it.) Since Fresno is the city closest to us with a zoo, that's where we went: The Chaffee Zoo.
I had never been there before but was pleasantly surprised at how nice of a little zoo they have. They had a wide variety of animals in nice enclosures, but most importantly, lots of shade. We saw elephants, tigers, bears, but no lions; unless of course you want to count sea lions. Everyone had fun. I tried taking a trademark self portrait while holding the GrandTobster but almost dropped him into the elephant enclosure. After that Grandmama had to hold him for me.

This is the only picture I got of the GrandX. Looks like he is going to be a plumber when he grows up!

Bathroom Update

ALMOST THERE!!!

Well, we are almost done with the bathroom. In some places it looks done. And others, well, it's almost done. The problem is...it will probably take another two years to finish it! So what is not done? Well, the obvious: there is no vanity so no sink; there is no wardrobe; there is no shower curtain, so what good is a two headed shower if you don't have a curtain, of course the floor is all tile so it could get wet; and there are no towel racks, but if you don't have a curtain and can't use the shower you don't need the towel rack; and then one last minor detail: no toilet paper holder!

Bathroom Update

We Have Tile!

After another week of renovations in the bathroom we finally have tile laid! It seems it has been forever since this renovation began, and it has if you go way back to when I was doing the demolition! (see earlier blogs like a long time ago.) Last week our contractor told us it would be completed on Friday. But as you can plainly see, he isn't. In fact, I would be surprised if it were finished this week. I'm not sure if it will ever be finished. But it is looking great. And even when the contractor is done, the bathroom still won't be done because we ran out of money and won't have the vanity in until later.