I Sinned in NOLA! ...

... 'cause I couldn't find Fox news so I watched CNN! ;^)

Arrived in New Orleans Monday afternoon. The cab driver described the area that was flooded by Katrina, showing us high water marks and told her personal story. (Husband completed four months of intensive cancer treatments and the levees broke the very next day after he was strong enough and they'd got back home. So then they lived with friends in Baton Rouge for six months, came back to rebuild and found everything of any value stolen from their house, including the fridge. Even after rebuilding, the thievery was still rampant, and they were burglarized one night while they slept, lost even money from the bedside table. She said many people got taken by rebuilders, and had to go through it a second time. She lost an adult nephew and several child relations in the flood.)

Checked into the Hilton Riverside. It's a huge hotel and some parts of it aren't reviewed very highly, but the part we were in was great (and their Diamond Club members rate it highly based on where they are housed). We definitely lucked out because we heard some VIPs complain about being wakened by trains and we slept like rocks–the little sleep we got! The worse problem we had was internet was outrageous so we elected to not take our laptops–not totally unwelcome in that it was nice not to have to lug them, and we really had little time to check email.

We went to the opening mixer, listened to jazz by the Storyville Stompers on the Mississippi Riverwalk, and felt totally out of place in our interpretation of business casual. Met the rest of the Muir family. Jenny was nominated for the Excellence in K-12 category by Muir Copper Canyon Farms, and won out of 150 nominees (in the K-12 category). The only other Utah winner, years ago, was a chef from BYU. We also met a few of the upper crust of Pro*Act, the company that sponsored (paid for) the part of the convention involving Jenny and five other outstanding chefs in the nation–two from California (Seasons 52 restaurant and a large hospital), one over Harvard foodservices, one from Georgia (Moe's SW Grill), and one from Pittsburg (Eat'n'Park). They all couldn't have been nicer. Muir, of course, is basking in having their first ever nominee picked (all the United Fresh member organizations nominate yearly). We loved the hors d'oeuvres, served by black tuxed men (both ethnicity and attire) wearing white gloves–various delectables which included tiny alligator meat pies. [Turns out this was a fib told with a straight face. The alligator part - whatever it was, it was delish.]

After that we took a grain of salt in what people "said" was proper attire, and fit right in (though on the modest side of course). Muir took us to a club called Snug Harbor on Frenchman Street in the Faubourg Marigny district and at $20 a piece we listened to Charmaine Neville sing jazz, with drums, bass, horn and piano. Her band dissembled as a result of Katrina, and is just back in business and have cut an album called "After the Storm." They were excellent but not exactly my cup of tea (in that Daddy indoctrinated our jazz tastes with Brubeck and Dixieland Band). Extremely entertaining to watch of course. A lady joined them on a number playing tambourine and brought the house down with her enthusiasm.

"We get a kick from Charmaine. She's not just handing out history lessons. She's overlayed a bed of springy Mardi Gras rhythms with the heady intelligence of the jazz avant-garde." VOGUE

"There were simply no limits to her skills. Charmaine Neville performs blues, jazz, funk, rhythm & blues, rock and World Beat with astonishing range. She sang with open-hearted brilliance, switching voices (a mean impression of Louis Armstrong), scatting like a jazz diva & rocking like no tomorrow." BOSTON GLOBE

It was a hole-in-the-wall place, which is what NOLA is all about. (Not a place to take your children on vacation.) We waited an hour to get in–Muirs wanted to make sure we didn't miss out. One very nice thing about these evenings of entertainment, there were six Muir people there, all LDS, so that made nine of us, and we always sat us together, so it was "easy" (and a lot more fun) to behave in The Big Easy. Kinda droll though in that here we are sharing LDS apps on smart phones, at Snug Harbor, while we wait for the show to start. The top dog Muir guy showed us his speech notes he keeps on his phone, used when called upon to speak at the spur of the moment (recently in a U of U branch presidency).

(Our hotel in the background)

Tuesday morning we caught the shuttle to the convention center which is

h-u-g-e–I'm betting well more than a mile long, and extends under the Pontchartrain Bridge. We ate breakfast in the ballroom with a zillion other people and heard Archie Manning speak. After that we dashed to the streetcar station and spent a few hours in the French Quarter until Jenny had to be at an orientation meeting.

(40 cents for seniors! Of which besides me there were many!)

We had melt-in-your-mouth hot beignets for "lunch" in the Cafe Du Monde (open air).

(No time for a buggy ride at Jackson Square [founded by the Creoles in 1718]

–the next block down from Cafe Du Monde.)

We walked up to Bourbon Street, just so we could say we'd seen it, but we were on the nonbar end (which was beautiful).

We passed several voodoo stores, and I thought this snap might remind Grant of Brazil.

(I just about bought one of these for you Grant,

it was labeled, "Get that Job,"

but I thought it might run out of juice before you'd get to use it.)

The weather was wonderful throughout–a cold front, so in the high sixties, and very little rain. I bought a hair cream which effectively controlled the humidity frizz. ;^) I must say the newsprint was outstanding–we had the industry's lead papers left at our room doors each day, along with USA Today. They had photogs circulating, and each day we saw ourselves on the big screen. They even had an app for that and contests to download on smart phones.

While Jenny was in orientation, Colleen and I speed-walked the convention floor which was amazing. Produce processing machines we'd never dream of, fabulous fruit and veggie displays. A picture which reminded me of my very own Jewel. :)

(I can't even imagine the cost/effort to bring this

gadget into the convention center.)

(Shipped "live"–roots and all in water.)

(Way bigger than a Xerox box, both length and width!)

Tuesday night Pro*Act took us to dinner and to the bar end of Bourbon Street, so we got to see it after all. We went to Muriel's and then the tour bus took us to Pat O'Brien's. We had Filet Mignon at Muriel's, a delicious bread pudding and Bananas Foster at O'Brien's. I asked Jacques, one of the chefs, if they did the Bananas Foster correctly (had trouble keeping it lit) and he said they did not, and life was much too short to waste it on any food that wasn't good.

(Gas flamed lights in the chandeliers.)

(The view from Muriel's balcony.)

I sat next to United Fresh's federal policy writer, and had a deep conversation about regs. He said they have an office two blocks from the White House and there are 23 of them in that office!

Little did I ever imagine I would ever be found on a Bourbon Street balcony, pitching out beads along with the inebriated! The California hospital chef was the most entertaining of the lot. These are the fountains in the courtyard before O'Brien's doorway, which didn't show up very well, but I think you can tell they are both fire and water.

We decided about midnight that it was time to go, and the tour bus was no where near scheduled to return for us, so we took a taxi back to the hotel. The windows were open in the cab, we're on our way to wash the smoke out of our hair, so we were fine leaving them open. I have no idea why, but he drove double speed and every intersection we hit, our hair would go flying forward, then back to the opposite in between!

The next morning we took the shuttle to the breakfast learning session which was James Carville. An hour later:

Jenny had two hours after the chefs filmed before reporting to the awards ceremony walk-through, and we took the streetcar back to the French Quarter. I was hoping we'd have time to take the one going another direction, where you pass a lot of old architecture and southern mansions, but Colleen and Jenny had souvenirs to find. The best part of that trip was another "lunch" of beignets and samples of–

New Orleans Pralines

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light cream
• 1 ½ cups pecans, halved
• 2 tablespoons butter

Combine sugars and cream in a heavy 2-quart saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until mixture forms a thick syrup.

Add pecans and butter and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Remove sauce pan to a heatproof surface (such as a wire rack) and let cool for 10 minutes.

Use a tablespoon to drop rounded balls of the mixture onto sheet wax paper or foil, leaving about 3 inches between each ball for pralines to spread. Allow to cool.

Took the street car back to the hotel for Jenny to get ready, and Colleen and I went for a boat ride on the Mississippi.

(This is the riverboat which everyone recommended [The Natchez].)

(This is what we took ... the free [to pedestrians] car ferry. ;^)

It was fun and fit the fact that we only had 45 minutes to devote to it

–a ride under the Pontchartrain Bridge to Gretna and back.)

("Union, Justice & Confidence") [Interesting logo.]

Came back and got ready for the banquet. Sat at the Pro*Act tables, and after another gourmet meal with genetically modified broccoli (40% more vitamin A), awards for one and all, lots of pictures, and back getting packed by 9:30 p.m.

(Next year's United Fresh Conference will be in Dallas.)

On the road by 6 a.m., traffic light, which was a good thing because our flight was so late we'd have missed our connection in Houston. Sweated getting all the t's crossed and i's dotted to make the earlier switch. Saw a food court in Houston named "Real Food," we were starved, so we all had one thick french toast smothered in powdered sugar, butter and syrup. It would have done New Orleans proud!

... with a View la deuxième fois

6:30 this morning

8:30 this morning

A Room with a View

Well you can't really tell, from the pictures, but trust me, the room now has a view.

There are a few things that Stone Restoration did that were low budget. One of them I well remember, and Norma's Randy made them do over - the bottom of the barrel line of siding. He said he couldn't in good conscience let it go because Neil always did things the right and best way. Like, he mentioned, the underwater-rated outdoor Christmas speakers that went the way of the fire trash. (And I must add it's a good thing Randy stepped in, because though an upgrade, it's still not what you could rate as top drawer.)

I know not why (though I'm sure it had to do with $$) but they put in nonmatching, even by brand, windows. No biggie other than the sunroom ones were so chintzy they developed that greasy-looking between-pane chemical reaction and so the last few years I left those blinds turned so at least I didn't have to look at them from the inside. I finally got over blaming Stone for that part of the problem, realizing it developed a number of years later and they'd have had no idea, and they were, other than that, a step up from what was there before. I do still regret that they failed to caulk on the inside and they didn't align them properly which over the years resulted in a warping effect. Had they done it properly though, it still wouldn't have stopped the between pane problem, according to this window company, so there's no point in blaming Stone for that either!

At any rate, I just got them replaced and am now basking in the room with the new and improved view. As well as knowing letting the light pour in won't harm the drapes and furniture, cooling/heating costs will improve a lot, and the church parking lot activity won't wake me up anymore during Sunday afternoon naps. ;^)

I must say, caulking is an art and these guys have got it down. Might well have been why Stone didn't do it - sans the art it would have been another Randy do over on that dark wood.

"Steady as she goes...."

Hopefully the savings will ascend to the level I can get the two front windows replaced next spring. No, don't worry, not the leaded glass part, just the big picture windows underneath which have far less than perfect storm window protection. Then it will be Room(s) with View(s)!

Spring Ain't Exactly Sprung ...

... but the break for it is history. (Leastwise it's iffy when it freezes/snows.) But what a good one it was. No, I didn't mark it with any partying/festivity or recreation/vacation, but I did mark it in the time-honor Fugal tradition of working it. Kinda like we "celebrated" Labor Day each September, as I'm sure Janeil and Lois well remember.

And no, I didn't take this picture either, but it depicts a real place in this county, not far, where they on purpose grow miles and miles of lavender fields (Young Family Farm). Though the picture does give you that springtime feel, in this climate it blooms ... in summertime.

All that being surmised, it has been a very productive spring break. Filled the trash can full of "might nevers": clothes I might never wear, school nutrition magazines I might never read, Reader's Digests I might never reread, boxes of shed stuff nobody might never want, old Neil/Ruby miscellany nobody but me might never care about.

Then it got picked up and I filled it full again with yard clippings: dead raspberry canes, old soaker hoses with too large holes created by persons who feel the need to turn my water on full blast, the third post-winter dead leaf collection, all the dandelions needing popping though I did put down a fall pre-emergent, five grocery bags of the church tree pods, rose bush trimmings cut into bits to fit the most in the can (with more to go!), and annoying vines from the church side of the fence. (You shouldn't plant vines if you're going to fill your chain-link with slats, though it's entirely possible Norma planted them and they crossed over.)

Then a goodly dose of Halts and ant bait all around, staked out new soaker hoses, gave my cherry tree is second dose of anti-aphidness, did some indoor cleaning when the weather wasn't cooperating, emptied the kindling from the back shed (a post of another day), breathed in a lot of dust, thought about how much dust my Dad breathed in over the years as well as the Webb boys when they mucked out the garage after the fire, bought some looking-forward-to-summer stuff, watched Netflix Goal! (1) again, 90% of that late night dumb western and Tuesdays with Morrie, gobs of indexing, a trip to the temple, finished my taxes, two more nights and I'm done with the Book of Mormon (started in January), and ate cake. Magleby's chocolate, of course. With a glass of milk.

And lest I sound too much a braggart, I must say both of my parents at the age I am now, could and did out-work me clear back/beyond the age I was then! Love it when the yard/house are picked up and presentable, there's no longer miles to go before I sleep, and there's still a day left before it's back to salt mines of another kind.

Nuts. Anyone remember how Good Day for a Hanging ends? It started whilst I was finishing up my indexing for the day, and per usual, what with the usual late-night advertisement prolificacy, I faded away only to wake up as the bad guy lies dead on the gallows, shot I'm betting since the noose lies neatly at his side, and the sheriff happily walks off into the sunset with his fiancée who, same as his daughter and the rest of the town, was last I knew against him, believing the sheriff's high morals were false. "Justice is in the eye of the beholder," so it says on the imaginary marquee. Not too likely anyone can tell me though, since it's too old for any google-addict to have cared to post any spoilers, and Grant and his pa are the only outlaws amongst us I know of and we're not all on speaking terms....

Question for Greg, Carl and all my other IT savvy nephews...

I woke up early this morning from an especially vivid dream. I'm sure it subconsciously begins with this:

Are You Ready? by Pink Elephant

I'd been following Kirk Wiesner (The Cookie Thief) on Facebook and he posted it when it had just begun it's debut on youtube. (You'll note that the diehard IT guys who commented actually don't "get" it! Heck, even Billy Idol gets it! And since going up 2/21, it's been viewed over 11,618 times.)

Soon after, various people in the know talked the boss into letting our department go Facebook and I suggested we begin with this video. Then we scrambled to come up with a catchy name and I said how about ITSMeals at Provo School District.

So then, as just over a month has gone by and we're "tending" ITSMeals daily, I have this dream:

I am in a business meeting with a company I've not long worked for. I don't know anyone there other than, oddly enough, our district superintendent. He doesn't know me from Adam (which is another story which will remain untold). There are a lot more men in attendance than women, say 30 men to 5 women. The women, other than moi, are... how shall I say this... "sweet young things." I feel comfortable just the same. (Yes, it's okay, go ahead and laugh.)

The meeting goes well and we take a break. This guy walks up to me and asks me if I know where one of our people are, his brother Mark (as in Zuckerberg, and no, I haven't seen the movie). I'm impressed with myself that I remembered one of them was named Mark, and said, pointing, "He just went out that door." He said, motioning to my phone, "Stop him!" So I flip open my cheapie nonsmart cell phone and, oddly, an app appears that shows all the comments that have been made in the meeting. I'm like, wow, but I say, "I don't know how to stop him!?" He says to click on his name (which is a feat since my phone doesn't have a touch screen nor a keyboard, not even in the dream) and IM him, so I do that somehow and "yell" one word, "STOP!" It works and Mark's brother finds him seconds later.

After the break is over, I pass Mark and he says he's written me a thank you note and I smile/nod in acknowledgment. I'm looking all over for it (people are not sitting where they were sitting before the break), and think "oh well" as the meeting starts up again. A few pages are sitting at each chair, and it's all the words that have been spoken in the meeting, thus far, and who said them. I'm thinking, wow, this is great, no more note-taking. The meeting drones on, and I have my same cheapie phone flipped so I can follow the written as well as verbal version (where I notice the thank you from Mark). One of the "sweet young things" is saying, as the dream ends, we are all to Not. Ever. purchase anything from Muir... "I HATE Muir, buy from Dunn's." (I googled Dunn's and there IS a food store by that name in Georgia, but I promise you, their produce can't hold a candle ...even in a dream... to Muir's!) *smile*

As we all gather our belongings, I'm wondering if we need to wait to get the rest of the written version of the meeting and finally comment to the person next to me who says, "You can get the rest on Olifont." No lie, "Olifont." (I googled it today at work and it so happens it's "the world's first interactive journal." Interesting.)

So my question is, all you IT experts, IS there an app for that!?? (Not Olifont, I'm talking go-live note-taking for meetings.)

(And no, Grant, I'm not wondering if it fits in any sense of the story as anything prophetic.) *wink*

Get a little INDEPENDENCE in your life!

Almost weekly we office folks visit the schools to document and help them celebrate two events - our theme for the year, Wild West Days (we're all cowboyed up) and Calendar Days (to get monthly themed pictures for the cooks' calendar).

Since we're all old as dirt (from a school-aged student's point of view, and especially me of course even from their parents!), we recruited the receptionist to go with us. She's not only young, she's beautiful and full of vim and vigor. Last year she taught the kids the Macarena. This year it's line dancing. It has been so fun watching the kids get excited as we walk in the door because they know the dancing is about to begin - a whole lot more fun than the usual recess. We take the same CD (a compilation) with us to every school and crank up the volume. Most schools have great sound systems in the lunchroom because they are either next to or pinch hit as the gymnasium.

Now the 10th-12th graders are mostly too cool for any of this so we bring some added incentive - $15 Burger King gift cards. Yes, I know... Child Nutrition and all that. =]:^D Well, on the way to Independence High School, Ally, the receptionist, has this bright idea - Karaoke. Simultaneously, the kitchen manger decides she's going to get permission to invite a few of the more socially outgoing to come to lunch a few minutes early. View the short movie to see what happened. (The other movie maker besides me is the school principal.) (And Ally is the redhead.) (Click off the music, top left.)

In the News

Nourishing Your Future

Check out “ITSMeals at Provo School District.”

Make our day in a good way by “Liking” us on Facebook.

The top (as in latest) entry on 4/1/11 is my boss winning a national award. All the pictures are our own. We bought a very nice camera with food rebates in the form of Best Buy gift certificates - the boss uses that one (she does most of the “posed” pictures you see) and the rest of us use our own. Tempts me to buy a better camera. Every time I see Jewel I have her clean up my bad random settings - which I’d have to do with a new one too! But besides that, I need to retire one of these days….

Background on the award.

We buy our produce from Muir Copper Canyon Farms.

Well, let me go back a little further. We belong to D.O.D. - yes, the Department of Defense, the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security. Same angle I suppose as the reason the government got involved in food at school in the first place - needing those who join the armed services to get there, and even merely qualify, in a more healthy condition.

When D.O.D. first got involved in providing funds for school fruits and vegetables, it was, as is anything else bureaucratic, fraught with rules, rules, rules. THEY decided who our vendor would be each year, which was never the same and was, as in almost anything else bureaucratic, nonsensical - one year our produce came all the way from North Ogden. (I protested this logic in a state meeting with them once and basically got slapped down.) ((Was still gratifying to publicly point out both their lame and sledge-hammer style.)) (((Hummm. That next year might have been the year we were assigned to North Ogden….))) J

Imagine. You have placed orders but you can’t get them any where near the same day you want to use them, so quality is compromised for that one fact alone. Add to that, jostled in a truck 85 or more miles! And to that needing something in a pinch or correcting a problem!

Granted we did once or twice get a Utah County supplier and it was also somewhat problematic because they weren’t really big enough to service us properly. One year we were blessed to be assigned to Muir Cooper Canyon Farms out of Salt Lake City. They are not only nice people who know how and are willing to communicate, they buy the best, and have the skill to pick appropriately as to quality and quantity. We were very sad when that year ended.

Eventually D.O.D. got a brain (about gasp saving transport expenses) and let us pick our own. Yeah! After being with Muir for a number of these last years, they requested our approval and support in nominating our program director, for a national award. She was reluctant in that though she does want and strives for recognition, it is for our program, not herself. We finally convinced her, yes it’s you but we’ll write the nomination so that you represent Provo School District Child Nutrition Program’s team effort.

We’d successfully won a big award the year before (Best of State 2010), and were excited to write and “decorate” a new nomination application. We are a team in that regard as well, and though stressful, we thoroughly enjoy it. Colleen has a flair for decorating, I have a flair for writing, Jenilee has the flair for keeping us in line with what’s the best representation for the district and the students, and we all including Bill give our input as to each other’s pieces in the total package. Muir has belonged to this association, United Fresh, for many years, in fact, Muir is a family company, founded in 1850, and grandpa had been chairman of United Fresh. Every year Muir nominates someone. The application packet we provided, garnered them their first win. We were told Jenilee won hands down.

United Fresh is a trade association, founded in 1904, representing the interests of produce companies and their partners throughout the world. United Fresh holds great power in the federal aspects of what regulations filter down to district child nutrition programs. Jenilee will be part of a panel discussing “Lessons in Produce Excellence from the Front Line” during its annual convention and the award ceremony will take place in New Orleans early in May 2011.

To See or Not to See (that was the question)!

I have been living without my eyeglasses since before Christmas. Especially not happy about it because I needed them for my Christmas trip to Vegas! (It's one thing to be blind at home and at work but "in public" is another matter!) Now I wasn't totally blind because I have older versions I can use which are not for public consumption due to style and/or extremely scratched, scarred and marred lenses. And I said a little prayer that the lenses didn't fall out as well while visiting Jewel! (Even though Johnny is a master fixer person, I doubted he had that small of a screwdriver.)

I was totally sure they were at home other than the fact that it was entirely possible that I put them in a place that provided a ride to the trash can, and as time wore on, that possibility seemed more and more likely.

I finally found them ... AFTER buying a new pair. I was at least smart enough to decide I'd buy sunglasses because then they'd at least be cheaper, finding nice but on sale frames and picking a solid color instead of the self-darkening transition lenses. And since part of the deal was I could replace them if scratched, I got Veralux but not the extra scratch protection. And the plan then was to replace the lost when I could replenish my flex spending account.

And so how did I find them, you say, these long four months later? The Scouts had a food drive and when I went downstairs to peruse the dates on the cans in the fruit room, there they sat on the top shelf ... where I took them off searching for the LAST Scout food drive just before Christmas! Not very comforting, to lose one's glasses having to take them off to be able to see!

And am I, penny-pincher that I am, regretful of the purchase? No. Why we consumers have to change style willy nilly is pretty dumb when you consider how much better you can see, I can verify, with larger lenses. So I'm fine - I'll save those too-small orbs for indoor public consumption only, and fully enjoy the larger ones everywhere else.

THREE POSTS TODAY! START AT THE BOTTOM!

[Stupid Blogger!! Yes - "it" AND "me"]

(3 of 3) Part Two:

(Ruby's courtship comments,

back in 1972, during the years we corresponded by cassette.)

Insight: The Great Depression (1929-1939) surrounded the years my parents became acquainted, graduated from high school, Neil's mission, their marriage, college, and the arrival of their first child. Neil wrote twelve letters to Ruby while on his mission (a post of another day). The lung problem she speaks of was emphysema acquired from breathing dust all those work years.

Courtship Comments from Gail Adamson on Vimeo.

(2 of 3) Part One:

Abdul Abulbul Amir from Gail Adamson on Vimeo.

The sons of the Prophet were brave men and bold and quite unaccustomed to fear,
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the shah, was Abdul Abulbul Amir.

If you wanted a man to encourage the van, or harass the foe from the rear,
Storm fort or redoubt, you had only to shout for Abdul Abulbul Amir.

Now the heroes were plenty and well known to fame in the troops that were led by the Czar,
And the bravest of these was a man by the name of Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

He could imitate Irving, play poker and pool, and strum on the Spanish guitar,

In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team was Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

One day this bold Russian had shouldered his gun and donned his most truculent sneer,
Downtown he did go where he trod on the toe of Abdul Abulbul Amir.

"Young man," quote Abdul,"hath life grown so dull that you wish to end your career?
Vile infidel know, you have trod on the toe of Abdul Abulbul Amir.

(Then take your last look at sunshine and brook and send your regrets to the Czar
For by this I imply, you are going to die, Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.")

Said Ivan, "My friend, your remarks in the end will avail but little I fear,

For you ne'er will survive to repeat them alive, Mr. Abdul Abulbul Amir!"

Then this swath man aloof drew his trusty chibouque, with a cry, "Allahu Akbar!"

And with murderous intent he ferociously went for Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

They parried and thrust, they side-stepped and cussed, of blood they spilled a great part;
The philologist blokes, who seldom crack jokes, say that hash was first made at that spot.

They fought all that night neath the pale yellow moon; the din, it was heard from afar,

And huge multitudes came, so great was the fame, of Abdul and Ivan Skavar.

As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life, in fact he was shouting, "Huzzah!"
He felt himself struck by that wily Kalmuck, Count Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

The sultan drove by in his red-braided fly, expecting the victor to cheer,
But he only drew nigh to hear the last sigh, of Abdul Abulbul Amir.

Czar Petrovich, too, in his spectacles blue, rode out in his new crested car.

He arrived just in time to exchange a last line with Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

There's a tomb rises up where the Blue Danube rolls, and engraved there in characters clear,
Are, "Stranger, when passing, oh pray for the soul of Abdul Abulbul Amir."

A Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps, neath the light of the pale Polar star,
And the name that she murmurs so oft as she weeps, is Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

Abdul Abulbul Amir

(1 of 3)

Well, speaking of the Middle East...

(the Holy Land and Dardanelles part of the Crimean War...)

and the fact that Neil Y. Fugal was born on Valentine's Day...

(and on that day always gave both his wife and his mother a dozen red roses...)

I've posted a two-parter. [Turn off Playlist above.]

It was recorded in 1972 and gives you a snippet into the lives of Ruby and Neil and their courtship. Part One is Neil singing Abdul Abulbul Amir, a poem written in 1877. It was the one I most requested of the many long poems he could recite. You'll hear a slight stumble as he searches for the right words in one spot. Part Two is Ruby's memories of their courtship.

(This is sooo my Dad. Sang that song to us perhaps fifty times but kept the meanings, by jingo, to himself, so that one day I might snicker, for example, at:

"The philologist blokes, who seldom crack jokes, Say that hash was first made on that spot."

I doubt he ever explained it to Ruby either. You had to ASK if you wanted to know. Rest assured he knew. I can still hear in my head his chuckle, HAD I asked. He never lorded it over you that you knew less than he did, because he knew that would kill the spark. He was really big on leaving the path strewn with the sparks that would keep your fire of inquisitivity lit.)

Huzzah!

Pleasant Grove High School put on Phantom of the Opera and I got invited to opening night. This was part of the opening night goodies. Dinner was donated - I picked a salad from Olive Garden, the fresh fruit tart from Kneaders, and chocolate cake from Magelby's. Obviously, it takes back stage to seeing it in Vegas with Jewel, but it was amazing, from the chandelier on a pulley to the gondola floating across the stage to the full pit orchestra to the 10-foot elephant.

They had to curtain off part of the hallway to accommodate the stage scenery. Part of the package was the full bore recording to sometimes back up the student orchestra. They spent two months building the set. This was the first year it has been available for amateur high school productions and they more than did it full justice. I found out last year they did Les Misérables. Rest assured I'll be paying attention this time next year!