Photography

Food for thought: When your meal looks better than it tastes…

Food for Thought, Photography

A yummy salad, yummy garlic buns (not pictured), yummy penne pasta in vodka sauce that my wife had and a seafood combo cooked to perfection sitting on top of fettuccine (even though I ordered penne) in what was supposed to be a light white wine butter sauce (I’d say it was closer to bland dish water, or the water they boiled the seafood in. I never EVER add salt and pepper to a meal out, and even that didn’t help, bleech) at Mama Nina’s on Main St Bethlehem, normally really good. People watching on a bench in town.

A triumphant return to seeing live theater…

Photography, words
Dinner Was Salmon with Chimichurri and grilled corn with a salad and house vinaigrette at the copperhead grille, dessert was a small raspberry ice cream from the inside scoop, my wife knits while we listen to pre-show lute music, the theater was August Wilson’s How I learned what I learned starring Tony Todd on the DeSales University Campus for the Pa Shakespeare Fest (they also do shows that aren’t Shakespeare)

It was an incredible one man show of an hour and forty five.

Being Accountable (Back on the road to wellness)…

Photography, words

I have worked out in some fashion for the last 26 years, when the Pandemic happened and there were multiple restrictions at the gym I was going to, I quit. I now realize that my major weight loss was probably connected to getting Covid. November rolled around and I started not caring about myself physically and ate the pounds lost back on to my body. I did try home resistance band work outs, work out apps and punching the bag (this is better as a stress reliever from a terrible day at work). But I really missed the variety of the gym, and because it’s a gym related to a hospital there are more older people and people that seem to be serious about working out over socializing.

So July 10 2021 I start fresh. Here is to healthier days.

Soon enough these photos will have a proud smiling guy.

A very cool walk in the park…

Photography

Our 5th of July Trip to the Grounds for Sculpture in the suburbs of Trenton, New Jersey.

Very cool life-size and giant sculpture of all types, but the strategically placed people were truly a highlight. We also ate roast beef and muenster sandwich I had a pasta salad side, my wife had a cran-orange muffin in the Van Gogh Cafe. I highly recommend checking this place out.

Food for thought: My buddy Mark celebrates almost turning 50 (that happens Tuesday) and the Summer of Soul…

Food for Thought, Photography

So, Mark asked people to make a side to go with the sandwiches/wraps that was ordered so I made a version of pasta salad. Pasta with cherry tomatoes, pickled vegetables, summer sausage, sharp cheddar, black and green olives and creamy Italian dressing.

The spread of food, which also included other store bought potato and macaroni salads and homemade bacon baked beans and an assortment of chips, the sandwiches/wraps and Boston cream came came via Wegman’s Grocery Story, the tiny Gluten Free cake for the birthday boy came from Vegan Treats. Mark’s brother Eric is an imaginative mixologist and tea mixed with tequila placed on a 3M light turns the drink from blue to electric light purple.

The party was a mix of 5 lesbians, 3 Gays, 2 Bi’s and 4 Straights. A lot of the people were antisocial. Everyone drank except for Jess and I. A lot of the conversation was about drinking. The highlights of the evening were Mark decided to have wind up toy races (the theme of the party was refusing to grow up, my buddy is also a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan) And I met someone at the party that writes and was interested in me reading their work on the podcast.

I table hugged quietly (ate too many damn chips) for the three hours we were there. It was nice, there was some laughs. But with the weight gain I was on a bit of a downer and seeing a photo of myself the next day that the author posted on Facebook (my wife is still on Facebook), just made me ill and angry at myself from where I was a year ago.

Jess and I ended the evening by seeing The Summer of Soul at The Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema. It was an interesting documentary about the Black Woodstock, it was a shame to experience that film within a sea a aging white hippies. There was one black girl in the audience.

Food for Thought: My brother’s 56th…

Food for Thought, Photography, words

Definitely an odd meal…My bro requested I make decadent appetizers so I made Spicy Dijon/Mayo and Smoked Paprika Eggs with Sweet Labanon Bologna Rollups filled with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and onion and chive cream cheese. He also requested two bottles of wine. For dinner we had lame Latin fusion food delivered from this joint called Rice and Beans. A step above taco bell but nothing to praise that’s for sure, followed by a moist yellow cake made with Greek yogurt instead of butter and butterscotch fluff icing with sprinkles made by my wife.

It was a good evening ending on watching one of my childhood favorite vampire flicks. My brother-in-law thought the film was hilarious, normally I have issues when people make fun of flicks but hey the four of us had a great evening that’s all that counts. This was the first time in quite a few decades that we celebrated my brother’s birthday.


eggs and rollups, veggie burrito bowl, cake