kochleffel

I think that mama goats usually do OK in taking care of their kids. Veggie kabobs would be OK but I'll be having a turkey casserole. The cocktail would also be OK. For the wine, I wouldn't worry about its being too sweet, since I have never had a Beaujolais that wasn't dry, although the fruitiness of a nouveau isn't to everyone's taste. From the FLX, we could get a Gamay Noir from Sheldrake Point now for $22, and it would be ready to drink in about three years. "Inviting aromas of bright cherry and raspberry intertwine with hints of dried flowers, cranberries, and notes of dusty oak. This wine delivers a harmonious blend of acidity and playful tannins on the palate, showcasing flavors of ripe plum, red berries, and black cherry that culminate in a satisfying, lingering finish." A peculiarity of the German reunification was that the DDR (East) had to recreate the Länder (states), which had been abolished, because the legal mechanism was a provision in the constitution of the BRD (West) that allowed any historic Land of Germany to join it. I woke early from a horror-film dream and haven't felt functional for most of the day so far.

Lunch was a chicken wrap. After the talk they gave me a coffee mug.

Butterscotch pudding would be OK if made with lactose-free milk. The salmon pasta salad would also be OK. The only FLX boxed white wines are on the sweet side, so no real equivalent of today's wine. No idea what dinner will be. I'm giving a talk to the Kiwanis club at lunchtime, so I don't yet know what lunch will be, either. Salmon pasta salad?

The zucchini would be OK with me, although an irrelevant association gave me pause: I had a crazy uncle who went through phases when he had to have a specific food every day. One year, in November, it was pan-fried summer squash. So on Thanksgiving Day at their house, as the family was sitting down to eat, my aunt was in the kitchen, battering and frying squash since he wouldn't eat anything else. This was the same year that she served mashed turnip even though neither she nor anyone else in the family liked it and, through distraction with the squash-frying, forgot to serve the Jello salad, which was an absolute requirement at any holiday dinner back then. I'd like the drink better if tonic water were added. For a Sauvignon Blanc (again!), let's have the Billsboro 2023, $26. "The 2023 vintage is delivering a lot of citrus and floral flavor, and the Sauvignon Blanc is no exception. Zesty and herbaceous with notes of lemongrass and boxwood with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. The palate is a little softer and more inviting than previous vintages, while still feeling zippy." I'll mention that everyone in the graduate course I'm taking this semester writes standard English in complete sentences, even (perhaps especially) the international students. I'm teaching tonight, Theology and Climate Change.

I just heard about a "gleaning party" tomorrow at one of the Cornell U. research farms. As I understand it, they're asking for volunteers to sort and pack surplus potatoes that have already been dug.

Seen on rhymes-with-spacehook (I will be in Lowe's later in the week):

Here's a 19th-century painting of gleaners by Jean-François Millet from the Musee d'Orsay.

I use Startpage, which draws its results from Google but doesn't share the user's identity. No on the shrimp and no on the cilantro. I understood the words cognac and margarita but together they failed to make sense. On reading how the drink is made, I think I might like it. For the wine, I might looker for Bloomer Creek White Horse Red, typically 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot, and a comparative bargain at $21.99 (some Total Wine locations). "Finger Lakes, New York- Cassis, black cherry and raspberry notes meander throughout this blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Puckering with cranberry acidity, yet velvety and rich in texture, it's a kaleidoscope of fruit, earth and savory herb complexities that linger on the finish." NCL opened upgrade bidding for the Panama cruise and I put in a bid on a balcony cabin, but only slightly more than the minimum.

And in the Book of Ruth. The Torah says that, when harvesting, workers can't push into the corners of the field and can't pick up anything that is dropped, to leave something for gleaning by those without land of their own.

A man trying to reach rescue services in Dover, UK, called dispatchers in Dover, Delaware, in the US. Recognizing that trying to refer the frantic caller to authorities in England could cost valuable time, Communications Operator MacKenzie Atkinson kept the man on the line and began collecting critical information. The caller provided the coordinates of the vessel, and Atkinson, who had recently acquired certification from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, followed protocols for a vessel in distress, officials said. Meanwhile, Communications Officer Connor Logan began making international notifications. Within four minutes, he established contact with the several agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, French Coast Guard, His Majesty’s Coastguard in England, the United Kingdom’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Coordination Center, and police stations in Dover, England, officials said. https://apnews.com/article/boat-rescue-english-channel-dover-delaware-england-a593da7a90e80d2be621ba2291877cc0

One of my cousins was a U.S. Marshal. He never spoke about his work. I wouldn't object to the pasta caprese but wouldn't make it. I might like the cocktail, if the elderflower liqueur is sweet enough to offset the sourness of the lime and the bitterness of the absinthe. For the wine, let's splurge on the 2017 Brut Rosé from Ravines Wine Cellars, $39.95. "Like all Ravines Sparkling wines, it was made using the traditional "méthode champenoise" process. After the initial fermentation of 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the Argetsinger Vineyard, it is aged for many years on the lees in bottle and then hand riddled. The wine is rich and lifted with bright orange and red fruits, along with a creamy texture and long finish. Drink now, or let it age for another 5-8 years for continual evolution." @mamaofami A friend who was a hospice nurse practitioner says that most families don't know how many ways hospice services can help and don't call as early as they might. The contractor doing the smart-meter installation called to schedule an appointment--the technician who was in the neighborhood last week had neither the correct meter for a photovoltaic net-metering system, nor the training to install one. It's now supposed to happen October 31.

I also have lots of cucumber.

Because of lack of both eggplant salad and inspiration, dinner tonight was a salad of cucumber, celery, yellow pepper, and cherry tomatoes, and a grilled-cheese sandwich.

I've just spent 20 minutes finding out how to, and then obtaining, a transcript of a podcast that I'm supposed to listen to for class. The podcast is 58 minutes long and could have been 15 minutes, if the speaker didn't carry on so much, so this was a good use of time. I'm feeling less desperate to sleep. I may even get out to a grocery store.

I would like the eggplant salad. I'd also like the cocktail but would probably omit the simple syrup. Various FLX wineries produce Pinot Gris but none in boxes, and I prefer Grüner Veltliner, so let's try one from Hazlitt's, $20. "New to the Finger Lakes, this Grüner Veltliner is a dry wine that has flavors of freshly squeezed grapefruit, lime peel and is herbaceous with a clean balanced finish." No fever, but my arm is very sore and all I want to do is sleep.

Maybe I wasn't clear: I had received it at CVS before I got the second message saying that it had been cancelled.

The soup would be OK but I don't want it today. I would prefer that my Old Fashioned be made with brandy. For the wine, maybe the 2021 vintage from Glenora, $25.99. "The 2020 [sic] Cabernet Sauvignon showcases this warm vintage that allowed us to create wines of stunning depth and complexity. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, anise, and dark chocolate are framed by gentle oak and vanilla. Generous, but supple tannins on the palate lead to a warm and lingering finish." I got the covid vaccination this afternoon from CVS-in-Target. When I got home there was an email, sent right after I set out (about a 20-minute drive), cancelling the appointment. I also had the fit of my outdoor glasses adjusted and picked up posters from Staples, which I need for a talk I'm giving to the Kiwanis club next week.

These are a good idea. Thank you both.

Serenade of the Seas is one of my favorite cruise ships. The Nieuw Amsterdam is the other.

Food question: what could I make with celery? Through a shopping error, I have at least twice as much as I can possibly eat raw. Automotive: I took my car for its 15,000-mile service yesterday. It's a 2018 model; yes, I drive only about 3,000 miles per year. This means that a some maintenance is scheduled by time rather than miles: oil degrades, rubber breaks down. I was also concerned about the battery, but it tested OK. I also needed to go to the optical company and Staples, but those would have required an impossible left turn. It will be easier to get to them tomorrow after my covid vaccination, if CVS doesn't cancel it again.

I think we all remember what we were doing on this date in 2001 and how we learned the news. OK on the salmon and couscous. NOK on the drink--I would like the flavor but not in a cocktail. For the wine, let's get a bank loan and lay down the 2022 Josef Vineyard Riesling from Hermann J. Wiemer, $45. "The Josef Vineyard is home to some of the longest established Riesling plantings on our estate, planted in 1974. These mature vines produce wines of intense flavor through lower yields and longer hang times. Josef’s ideal slope, deep soils, and proximity to the lake add further to the site’s potential ripeness. The result is a Riesling of a truly unique character. Tropical acidities and firm mineral structure underpin a giving, stone fruit palate. The weight and spread gained from these late pickings enhance its textural mouthfeel. In turns floral and spicy, the aromatic depth of the Riesling Josef Vineyard will increase significantly over time be it in a decanter or in a cellar. A top 100 Wine of 2023 and 97 points from JS!" It appears that I forgot to post Monday and yesterday although I read all the posts. I taught a class last night on Judaism and the environment with the wacky title, "The Vilna Gaon Did Not Invent Judaism." Otto Korrekt wanted to change it to Vilna, Gabon. We really need to get Otto under control. After the class I needed a G&T to calm down. This evening I attend class; my name will be mud there since I was skeptical, not rapturous, about the assigned reading. The utility company has started installing smart meters on my street, but they haven't gotten to my house yet. I have to go out later and will try to remember to shut down the computer in case they do it while I'm gone.

Definitely in favor of literacy, and I like the ornate ampersands in some italic typefaces. As for iguanas: they were everywhere in Curacao, including in restaurant menus. Here we sometimes see a dead raccoon lying in the middle of the road; in Curacao it's a dead iguana. Robert Benchley was an American humor columnist in the first half of the twentieth century, writing a lot for The New Yorker. He got his start at the Harvard Lampoon. I would say that most people succeed in knowing nothing about a great many things with no effort at all. I agree that the burgers would be better without the peppers. The rum is the only part of the drink that I would like, so I'll take rum on the rocks instead. My first few experiences with Tempranillo involved South American versions and I didn't enjoy them, but I liked the grape, in Rioja wines, in Spain. I'll go in a different direction with Damiani's Sole e Terra blend, $24. "The nose is greeted with aromas of shaved cedar, tart cherry, and lush boysenberry. Following this delightful introduction, the tongue is drenched with rich plum skin, blackberry, black cherry kissed with graphite and snuggled up with shitake mushrooms. Pinot Noir brings silk, Lemberger a gorgeous hue and Saperavi muscle and grip." Icy Strait Point was in the itinerary for a cruise I had booked that was cancelled because of something called a pandemic, and my 2021 Alaska trip didn't include it. I have a 2025 booking that does. I may rebook the tour that I had booked with Glacier Wind; it's very unlikely that I would go ziplining. I slept until 9:00 a.m. today! It was 52° when I got up, having been down to 46° overnight.

Yes, for about 10 minutes (could have started earlier than I knew).

CVS cancelled my appointment. They probably don't have the vaccine, and I have no desire to reschedule only to have them cancel it again, and again....