Rise and Shine --- Green tomatoes

Good Morning and welcome to, fall?

So, back in the spring, I decided to build a little garden. I watched the sun for a few days to figure out where the best place would be to put everything down.
I picked up the wood and the dirt. I then put together a little raised area where I could put the plants.
With my traveling companions, we went out to the store and picked up the tomato and pepper plants(OK, maybe too many for our small space, but it was tough to say no).
I made sure the tomatoes and peppers were watered every day. When I went on vacation in June, I made sure the neighbor would give them a spritz each day.
Now, as August is coming to a close, I have strong looking plants with a lot of tomatoes hanging on the vine. Problem is, all of them are green. They aren't turning.
I'm getting a little jealous as others talk about their bountiful harvest.
Heck, I'd settle for one red one this week.
Maybe the sun will help me out.

Rise and Shine --- Lunch dilemma

Good Morning and if just one of my tomatoes would turn red, the world would be right!!!

So, for the first part of the summer, I was using the old stand-by for lunch: peanut butter and jelly. OK, sometimes I would mix it up and add some marshmallow.
Anyway, it seemed to be working out OK. It was quick, everybody was satisfied, time to move on to the rest of the day.
Well, a few weeks ago, I thought it would be better to mix it up a bit. I mean, PB&J is good and all, but it was time to get some vegetables into the diet.
So, one day I made some vegetable dumplings. Took a little more time and I heard the cries while I cut up the veggies and got the wonton wrappers ready.
When they were cooked, though, it was pretty tasty.
That lasted one week. Then, I went to salad. My crowd wasn't as happy about that. In fact, they boycotted.
OK, how about some spinach raviolis? Seems simple enough, especially with frozen ones.
Two liked it, one didn't. Chili? About 1/3 successful. Vegetable po-boys? About the same.
I'll keep trying, but the peanut butter is right there on the counter.

Rise and Shine --- Get Buggy With It

Good Morning and here's another day we don't have to water the flowers!!!

So, there we were, sitting around Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful day outside. The grass was done. Lunch was done. Brownies were baked.
The last thing I wanted to do was sit around inside with the television on (which was the direct opposite of the others with me).
So, we made a trek downtown to check out the Natural History Museum's Bugfest.
Now, this is a big deal every year at the museum. You get to see all kinds of bugs (most of which if I ever saw in the house would be worse than if it was haunted).
The big draw, though, was the cookies. We've heard about the chocolate 'chirp' cookies that are served every year.
It's a chocolate-chip cookie with crickets baked inside. OK, it doesn't sound very appetizing. In fact, two of my sidekicks refused to even look at them.
Yet, if you got past the crickets sticking out of the side, they weren't that bad. Sort of like Chips Ahoy.
Now, that can be crossed off the list.

Rise and Shine --- Most of the time, it's better to laugh

Good Morning and here we are again!

So, the economy is still in the tank. Jobs aren't coming back because corporations have realized we'll just do the extra work. The Washington in-fighting is as bad as it's ever been. Michelle Bachmann is a serious presidential candidate. Gas prices are much too high. Nobody will play with me.
My grandmother used to say, "I would complain, but it wouldn't change anything, so I'll just smile."
Here you go, then:


And, another:


Finally, don't mess with Keith Richards:

Rise and Shine --- Left coast

Good Morning and welcome to the only place on the Internet you really need to be!

I don't know about you, but I'm glad the Phillies only make a couple of these West Coast trips every year.
There's nothing worse than a 10 p.m. start. For one, it seems kind of odd to turn on the first inning, see sunshine and realize it's still only like 7 in California. Lucky ducks.
Secondly, I try to stay up (yeah, you can slap me in the back of the head) as long as possible because, well, it's cool to see the sunshine at 10:30 p.m. Of course, that means I pay for it the next morning when the alarm goes off at 3:30.
Truthfully, I never make it to the end of the game. Used to be a time where I'd gladly stay up. Last night, I was done by the third inning. Actually, I fell asleep in the first and woke up in the third.
Well, one more late game, then it's back to normal. Well, what actually passes for normal anyway.

Rise and Shine --- Money, money, money

Good Morning and is that humidity I feel out there today?

Now, I'll admit I don't know much about the stock market. I certainly don't know what it means when they say the U.S. has been downgraded by the S&P.
It always seemed to me the markets would go up and down on a whim. Uh, Oh, the wind blew the wrong way, down goes the market. It's a beautiful, sunny day, up go the numbers.
To me, this latest Yo-Yo is being manipulated behind the scenes for some political gain.
HMM, let's see, we need to point figures at the other side, let's frighten people about the economy.
The bottom line is, our economy has been in the toilet since we were put into two wars. Until we bring everybody home and focus the money on domestic problems, our economy won't get better.
Then again, I could be wrong.

Rise and Shine --- They don't make them like they used to

Good Morning and what a lovely one it is at that!!

So, there's an ongoing battle at the house when the television is turned on.
If the Phillies are playing, we probably will check that out, then switch maybe to the food or travel channel. Maybe see if there is a good movie or some other show that will keep everybody's interest.
After a few minutes of this, though, I always get the request: "Can we watch a kid's show?"
I usually give in. After all, I remember all those years ago how much joy I got out of watching Rocky & Bullwinkle or Bugs Bunny or Spider-Man or Tom & Jerry.
Now, more often than not, the joy ends when we get to the new cartoons being shown. Things like some mind-numbing experience called 'Adventuretime' is the new fave. Not only is it annoying to hear, but I feel like my head is going to explode just having it on the television.
Don't even get me started on 'The Amazing World of Gumball' or 'The Regular Show.'
Now, I know there are always generation gaps. I don't think my parents particularly cared to see the latest adventures of 'Hong Kong Phooey.' This is different somehow.
Or maybe not. All I know is Bullwinkle had it right.

Rise and Shine --- Hey! It's Wawa

Good Morning and welcome to August (really, August)!!

So, on the way to work yesterday, I decided to stop at Wawa for a cup of coffee. Now, if you don't know, our office is behind the Wawa on Oak Avenue in Primos. Across the street is a shopping center that includes a Giant.
Anyway, this Wawa was decently crowded. There were a few people in line, but, like most times at Wawa, the line moved rather quickly.
Well, until the gentleman in front of me got to the register. He had a basket (who knew Wawa had baskets?) full of a what looked like everything in the store.
There was milk, orange juice, bread, eggs, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, a couple bags of chips and bag after bag of deli meats.
All told, the bill when it was over was $90. He then paid with a credit card.
Now, Wawa does a good job with sandwiches, coffee and doughnuts. Only in a very odd pinch would I even think about getting anything else. I learned that lesson one holiday morning when there was no butter in the house. One pound and $8 later, I vowed to never do it again.
I understand the convenience and all that, but, THERE'S A GIANT ACROSS THE STREET!
Seemed all kind of silly to me.