June 2013 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Zapata's Final Rest

Today was a very somber, yet happy, day. It was a community memorial and dedication service for Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata. Eric served ten years as a PSO and was killed in action on April 18, 2011, at age 35. This occurred while he was assisting another officer under heavy gunfire in the City of Kalamazoo. He was the second police officer killed in Kalamazoo County since 1867. He was a father of three.

The bronze memorial was created by Brent Harris of the Alchemist Foundry. The sculpture is placed near the north end of Kalamazoo Mall (a pedestrian mall in downtown Kalamazoo). It was placed there to ensure we never forget the sacrifice that PSO Zapata gave to his community and to honor all uniformed heroes who serve the public.

The sculpture and the landscaping are positioned in a way to allow the statue to "keep watch" on the City. In essence, PSO Zapata will still be part of the public safety team keeping the downtown area a safe and secure environment for us all.

Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeffrey Hadley spoke at the dedication, as well as Brent Harris (the sculpture) and Eric's mom. She was especially touching in her remarks, but made us all laugh when she said, "Eric always wanted to be taller!" You can see why as she stands next to the bust in a photo below.

Brent also gave her a small replica of the bust to keep in her home. She broke down at that moment, but recovered graciously.

Let us fondly remember and honor Eric Zapata

and his family. 

I did not know Eric personally,

but I walk past this spot almost every day and think of Eric.

May 2013 MICHIGAN Laingsburg - Garage Sale

Last weekend we celebrated my brother and his wife's birthdays in Traverse City. We had a blast. During that time we heard of my brother's yard sale happening on May 11. We decided to check it out, as well as their almost-done-brand-new-kitchen rehab.

I love garage sales--going to them and having them. In California, my good friend Lisa and I would often hit Highway One for "saling" as we called it. First working our way north on the in-land side of the road from Half Moon Bay to Montara and then back down the coast side of the road. That made it an easy off / on travel route. If we were really ambitious, we would do the same going south on Highway One as far down as Pescadero, but that was not usually as fruitful for finding treasures.

Once a year (for many a year) we would have a big garage sale, usually at our house as it was closer to the Highway. Lisa would drag her stuff down from the hills of El Granada and we would set up camp for an all day Saturday and til noon Sunday sale. Once we were set up, Mike would keep us supplied (or was it plied) with morning mimosas and burritos from Three Amigos for lunch. Deals definitely got better as the day proceeded and we "loosen up."

We usually had some pretty good stuff and would make hundred dollars each. Some of that, however, was always spent purchasing each other's stuff!!! It is crazy what people buy--leftover swatches from a linoleum rehab, combination locks with out the combo, broken fishing tackle, nail polish, etc. Neither Lisa nor I had kids, but we could always find some little toy-ish thing for a kid to take for free, especially if their parents bought something.

Our friends would all stop by to say "Hi." Sometimes they bought stuff, but it was usually more of a visit. Jon and Lora always added to the fun. Above is Jon wearing a gladiator costume that I bought for a play at the This Side of the Hill Players Theatre. See a commode for sale in the background and IT SOLD! One time Mike shared an extra keg of his home brew named "Abigail Ale IPA." Sales were especially good that year.

Now that we live in downtown, we are not really set up for yard sales. We tried a group condo parking lot sale the first two years after we moved to Kalamazoo. Each condo owner used their assigned parking spot to display their treasures, but very little traffic rushed in. As we live adjacent to the city festival site, the next year we tried having the event on a festival date. We figured more folks would be in our "neighborhood" due to the festival, but not much luck there either. After that we gave up. A good visit with our neighbors, but few precious pennies to be made.


Back to today. We got to Laingsburg (northeast of Lansing, MI) about 1pm and my, oh, my, there was a lot of stuff. Their entire double-wide garage was loaded to the brim with goodies, plus outside tables and driveway were filled as well. There was everything from china tea cups to vintage comics, jewelry, art work, holiday decor, electronics, all those gadgets you buy but rarely use after the initial excitement wears off, pottery, old kitchen cabinets, you name it.

We didn't need much, but did spy one item I "stole" from my bro. It was a vintage Life Magazine from Bob's birthday week. I always said if someone saw something at one of my garage sales that they had given us, they could have it back for free. I was going with that "guideline" here for a gift I had given my bro years ago.

The other cool part about having a garage sale is the people watching. Here is a gramma-daughter-son trio checking out the wares. Gramma was dressed to the hilt in "red hat lady" attire and wicked witch of the west socks.       
Quite a combo.


Bob and Lo showed off their new kitchen. It is fabulous. Dark wood cabinets, fanciest fridge I've ever seen with every imaginable option, sink overlooking the lake (instead of a blank wall), new stove top, half-wall counter seating between the kitchen and dining room, and other unique features. Verrrrry nice.

It started getting a little misty and traffic was less then impressive, so we closed up shop and headed to Lansing and the Coral Gables Restaurant. Our nephew Kendall (Bob and Lo's son) works there as a sous chef.

When I was a teen, Coral Gables was more of a nightclub atmosphere hot spot. Entertainers of our "yoot" played there, like Stevie Wonder and the Supremes. I always wanted to go there, but it was not on my parents' list of things I could do. Oh, well, here at last, but now it is a regular ol' restaurant / bar kind of place.

Kendall ducked out to say "Hi" and visit for a minute, but had to get back to work. We had a good meal and continued our great chit-chat. Went our separate ways after that, each to our own homes. It was a relaxing and fun day. Thanks, Bob and Lo.

May 2013 MICHIGAN Traverse City 3 - Back to the Wine Trail

Next stop was Good Harbor Vineyards - Their taste was Buffalo Chicken Soup (not for me) and don't remember the wine. At this point they are all blending together and there is no photo of their winery on the website to help me remember. They do have some of the nicest label artwork though.  www.goodharbor.com


Gills Pier Vineyard - Last wine stop of the day was here. Nice and helpful folks (see photo of cutie).  Classy atmosphere in side. Peaceful pond out back, if you preferred to sip al fresco. Picked up a nice $35 bottle of 2010 Cab Franc/Merlot, which had won numerous awards.
www.gillspier.com

Even though it was only 3:30pm, we were all hungry for a meal. But heading to the small town of Suttons Bay, Bob made a sudden U-turn. We followed. Unbeknownst to us there was small distillery en route and Bob had spotted it.

Northern Latitudes makes multitudes of liquors, including Manitou Passage rum, Mackinac Island fudge liqueur, Ice Dunes vodka, Horseradish infused vodka (Mike had to have that), Jack Pine Gin, Deer Camp whiskey, and Limoncello di Leelanlau. We sipped and shopped. They also have a beautiful copper distillery similar to the one in Traverse City and lots of cocktail related gear to buy.



If you don't know, limoncello is a lemon-based liquor which originated on Sorrento, Italy. It is one of our fave summer sippers. While we were there, three ladies were paring the skins of lemons for the next batch (while drinking their own favorite cocktails). They said it takes about four cases of lemons to make a batch. They were having the best time and I just wanted to join in.

Alas, we had to be on our way. Stopped at North Country Grill (recommended at Northern Latitudes by the ladies). It was quite classy for an Up North eatery and man, oh, man, did they have a terrific menu. I think three out of the six of us ordered double lobster tails, baked potatoes, and salad.

This was the best lobster I've eaten since we had an Easter Lobster dinner in Cape Cod, Mass. about 30 years ago. I've always remembered

that meal (it was our first meal in life that cost over $100 for the two of us) and our best lobster meal ever. But from now on I'll be thinking of North Country, not Cape Cod. And I don't think we paid $100 this 30 years later. A great birthday meal for brother Bob and his wife Lorraine. I think Bob finally got a freebie dessert here.

After a very leisurely meal, we mosied down the road back to Traverse City, just a few miles. Mike and I decided to take a stroll around downtown to walk off some of the calories.

To top the evening off, we ran into a medical "resource" center. They had a nice variety of products including medibles, like infused lemonade and hummus, of all things.


The next day we all had breakie again together and then went our separate ways. The trip home was uneventful. Always glad to get home. Bella met us at the door. Best part of this day.

May 2013 MICHIGAN Traverse City 2 - Birthday Bob (Morning)

My brother is a ham to say the least. And on this day of celebration, he was in rare form. We started at 9:30am for breakfast at Minerva's, the hotel eatery. We all got a good load on as this was going to be an extended day of wine tasting. We needed a solid start. Bob asked, "Was there a birthday discount?" No was the answer and apparently no free dessert with breakfast. He persisted in his quest for freebies of various sorts throughout the day. I don't how successful he was.

Then we started our journey around the Leelanau Peninsula to the northwest of Traverse City. Not much happening on the vines right now, but I was still blown away with the sheer number of vines set to sprout as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer.

On another note, we have it on good authority that Mario Batali, one of our fave TV chefs, has a summer home in the area, so I was watching for his name on a mailbox along the way. With no success, I might add, but it kept us on the look-out and alert.

The event was the Leelanau Peninsula Vine Association Sip and Savor. You got a free wine glass at the first stop. Then you got a sip of wine and an hors d'oeuvre at each winery stop. There were 22 wineries in all and we made it to eight. 


First stop, Chateau deLeelanau - Their sip was a wine cocktail, something with peach. What a way to start the drinking day and very good for a breakfast wine sip. They had a huge chair on their porch and, of course, all in our group had to try it out. This winery has one of my birthday brother's fave wines (a cab/franc).  www.chateaudeleelanau.com

Black Star Farms - This is a lovely plantation-like B&B, with a tasting room located in one of their out-buildings. There is also a cheese room with fresh-made cheeses, and a riding stable. Although the setting is quite spectacular, it is not one of my fave wine brands. It is pretty popular with most though.  www.blackstarfarms.com

Boathouse Vineyards - It is a little red ranch-style tasting room with a back terrace that meanders down to Lake Leelanau. There are Adirondack chairs scattered around, so you can sample at your leisure while taking in the beauty of the pastoral scene. One person was peacefully fishing off the dock with wine glass in hand. Others were dabbling their feet in the lake. The sip was a 2011 Dry Riesling paired with quiche from Sissons in Leland. They were one of two with a veggie option. It was delish. Could have stayed there a bit longer, but our "battalion" was storming onward.   www.boathousevineyards.com

Bluestone Vineyards - This one is a little fuzzy. If I remember correctly, this winery sets on a hill overlooking the grape vines all in a row. Probably the best vine view of all our stops. And, if I remember, they had a pasta for their bite. One of my faves in life.  www.bluestonevineyard.com

Good Neighbor Organic Winery - It is down a fairly long bumpy dirt road with 2x4's across the road for speed bumps. They specialize in fruity organic hard ciders. On our last visit we bought some really great chocolate-cherry hard cider, but they were out of it today. Boohoo!  And the last time we were here a nearby hill was covered with blooming lavender, which was being harvested. The air was filled with its sweet/savory aroma. This enticed us to buy a few lavender products, as well as a bunch to freshen the car. But not today. Wrong time of the year.   www.goodneighbororganic.com

45 North - I think this was my fave today (fave always changing). It is called 45 North because it on the 45th parallel and if you go 4,500 miles east you will find yourself in Bordeaux, France, another prominent wine region. Here was a modern log cabin style tasting room, with a nice fireplace. Over the fireplace hangs a rhinestone studded long horn bull's skull. In another corner is an over-sized horse statue (not real) standing like a man wearing a cowboy outfit. Sounds too kitschy, but it worked. Best sign of the day was here suggesting "Eat chocolate, drink wine, sleep naked."  www.fortyfivenorth.com


After this winery we took a break and ran up to the tip of the peninsula where Grand Traverse Bay meets Lake Michigan. There stands the historic Grand Traverse Lighthouse, erected in 1858. It is not in use, but beautifully restored.

In the lovely little gift shop are lots of lighthouse and shipwreck books, and a model of the lighthouse and an ore carrier made from Legos. The property also has a rock stairway and rock fence that surrounds an herb garden.

The beach here is mostly made up of these same rocks with a little sand mixed in. Some visitors had also used the rocks and smaller stones to build their own odd-shaped works of art. We discovered some pretty amazing rock sculpture balancing acts.

Here is Birthday Bob photographing a nice one. And a pix of Bob & Lo, the birthday kids for the weekend.

May 2013 MICHIGAN Traverse City 1 - Another Sibling Celebration

My brother's birthday is May 4th and his wife's BD is May 2nd. This year they invited my sister, younger brother, and me (plus spouses) to join them in a celebration weekend in Traverse City, Michigan. The "young one" (16 years my junior) couldn't attend due to a sports commitment with his son. Start of season for something sport or another. And the kid is good at all of them.

Mike and I picked up my sis and her hubby about 9:30am on May 3. It was a pleasant 3-1/2 hour drive. Being en-canned in our Prius (actually it is quite spacious) gave us a good chance to catch up in conversation regarding life in general. A big topic is always our niece (whom we visited in Rhode Island in January) and we love hearing about her latest capers.

On the way up we saw a few really HOT cars--schoolbus yellow Ferrari, black Ferrari Testarossa, lime green Lamborghini, pearlized orange Porsche, and a herd of Corvettes. Turns out there was a sports car rally in T.C. and they were all staying at our hotel. So we got to stroll around the parking lot, checking them out at fairly close range. We ran into them all weekend. Wherever we drove, they were not far behind or ahead. Mike was in heaven.

We stopped for lunch in our usual downtown Cadillac, Michigan, bar and grill--Maggie's (www.maggiestaverncadillac.com). It has a mix of decor including a boudoir photo of Jason Alexander (the chubby putz on the Seinfeld Show, of all people). Besides that, this is a cool place with good food and hearty drinks. You start off with plenty of free popcorn and end with free chocolate cookies (although a bit crunchy for me). I had a wet burrito, Mike had fried clams, Laur had a burger, and Tom au jus. A real mix, but all was good.

Got to T.C. about 1:30pm and check-in was available at The Park Place Hotel (www.park-place-hotel.com). Yay! It is kind of fancy, but we love it. We got our usual 7th floor corner room, and my sis and bro were the next two rooms all in a row. Quite convenient. They all had connecting doors, but we didn't make use of that. All had lovely views of the Grand Traverse Bay. This hotel was completed in 1930 and is most conveniently located in the heart of T.C. It has a fine rooftop bar, good food in the restaurant, and nice indoor pool area.

The birthday pair were not expected til about 4p, so we decided to explore a distillery we had heard about on our last trip here. It is the Grand Traverse Distillery (www.grandtraversedistillery.com) and their spirits have won many awards. Their vodka was rated in the top six in the world. They make vodka bourbon, whiskey, and all in several styles. We got a personal tour of the distilling room and "rick house" area. We had a pretty good discussion with the distillery manager as Mike and I had just been to Tennessee to a bourbon distillery in January, so we were up on the process and jargon, although this was a minuscule operation compared to that in TN.

Back downtown, we had more time to kill, so ended up snacking and wetting our whistles at Seven Monks (www.7monkstop.com). It's a beer place with lots of beers on tap. I'm not a beer drinker, so I had a cherry mead, which was delish. After a beer and a snack, my BD brother called. He and his wife were hanging out at the spectacular rooftop bar back at the hotel.

You can see for miles through the wrap around windows. The last time we had been here happened to be during a hot air balloon rally. They were taking off at the harbor that day with big bursts of flame to lighten the balloons of many colors and design. Today, however, was overcast and a quick rain stormed through for just a few minutes. That was cool also. We toasted the BD couple and then headed for dinner.

Dinner on a Friday night in T.C. is a challenge, especially for six with no reservations. We went to a number of stand-by eateries, but ended up in a new one to us named Bootleggers. It looked like it had been run hard. It had an old tin ceiling with an upside down Christmas tree hanging from it, old clocks and other aged things on the wall. It had a worn down, used-to-be-classy, comfortable feel. Service started off a bit slow, but then we found our pretty pregnant waitress was basically holding down the very busy "fort." The other gal looked new-ish.

Once we got going, things went well. Mike had another clam platter (better than Maggie's he said) and I had baked potato skins with mushrooms instead of bacon. Not sure what the rest ordered, but everybody was happy when we left.

T.C. is the cherry capital of the world (no lie) and the streets were lined with huge artsy cherries of every ilk. Must have been an art competition and they were decorating the downtown streets with the entries. We shopped (too late for a caramel apple dessert at Kilwin's...darn) and mozied back to the hotel. Each settled into their own room cave for "private celebrating," you might say. Beds and pillows were really comfy.

March 2013 OHIO East Liberty - Sibling Get Together

After yesterday's trip north to Frankfort, Michigan, today we head southeast to East Liberty, Ohio, to visit Mike's sister and her hubby. We usually drive I-69 south toward Ft. Wayne to get to Jim and Kathy's, but took I-94 today with a lunch stop in Ann Arbor at Seva. We had a hankerin' for veggie and this is the best there is that we know of.

Mike had his usual enchiladas calabaza and a beer. I like to switch it up as there are sooo many good things on this menu. Today I had spinach-stuffed enchiladas and a glass of malbec. After lunch we did a little shopping and continued on. We arrived in E.L. about 3p.

Besides getting our K&J and their animal-kids "fix," we wanted to see their newly constructed year-round sun room. And is it ever super!!

Glass from floor to ceiling with expansive views of the sloping yard, garden plot, chicken mansion/coop (yes, K has four chickens), and just plain ol' outdoor nature. The room is very comfortably decorated in teal and shades of tan/brown. We spent the rest of the afternoon just gabbing and catching up. It felt like we were sitting doors on a summer evening, even though it was a cold day with much snow still on the ground. Above our "niece" Widget is sunning herself in a very comfy spot.

Dinner that night was at Uncle Beth's, a little hole in the wall bar-b-que joint. It is log cabin-y outside and black and white checkered everything inside. A cute young couple run it and everything is hand-made on the spot. It is meat lover's heaven, but Deb got three sides of veggies and biscuits and was a happy camper, too. You may bring your own wine if you wish, so we brought a bottle of red to share. We had the place to ourselves. Quaint, cozy, and quite good food and service.

Friday we decided to go to Columbus for sight seeing and shopping. Due to a late start, we began with lunch in a pub called the Pint Room in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. They specialize in burgers and craft beers, with a huge list of both. We were all pretty hungry and gobbled our food down so fast, I don't really remember what we had. I do remember leaving satisfied and happy though.

Next we cruised an historic area near downtown Columbus called German Village. It was settled in the mid-19th century by a large number of German immigrants. Most of its original business buildings, churches, and cottages still stand. It was a warmish day, so we enjoyed a nice walk around the area.

A highlight there is The Book Loft, the biggest book store we have ever browsed. This quirky store covers an entire city block with 30+ rooms of books on any topic you can imagine. You enter the store in its middle, turn right or left, go to the end, and then back track and start in the other direction. You follow room after themed room through little hallways and staircases. Closets and stairwells are filled with books, puzzles, magazines, maps, and other paper related products. It is a maze of nooks and crannies and unexpectedly placed bookshelves. It does not seem to end. Intriguing. Labryinth-like. If you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere. And lots of discounts, to boot.

Another place Kathy and I enjoyed was the Caterina Ltd, European Housewares, Arts & Crafts. It is filled with artisanal works from Europe, including Italian ceramics, European kitchenware and table linens, French lavender body care, and more. The second and third floors feature a gallery of local artists' works. While K and I browsed, guys lounged outside on the park bench in the sun. We walked a bit further downtown and then headed home.

Dinner that night was sandwiches and munchies. J and D had their usually helping of a bit too much champagne and OJ, and loved it.

Next day was just lounging and enjoying time in the new sun room. We caught up on the latest haps and surveyed the "zoo" scene. Kathy has a huge (75 gallon, I think) salt water tank. It is mesmerizing to watch the various types of colorful coral and sea creatures as they go about their daily life. She also has a shrimp tank and hermit crab terrarium, equally cool to study.

Then there is the African Gray Tim (a heavy duty biter) and Spooky the sulfur crested cockatoo. Spooky loves Jim, but hates the color red. So if Jim gets tired of Spooky's attention, he just puts on his red baseball cap and Spooky is outta-there fast.

Jip, the black and white border collie, shares time between stalking Widget the cat and playing fetch. Widgie was in her usual love/hate mood swing. Either way, we love her dearly. All in all, these animals are part of the family and very entertaining.

On our last night, everyone wanted bar-b-que from Uncle Beths again, but this time decided on carry-out. As Deb is not a big meat eater, she opted for a veggie pizza pick-up a few blocks away from Uncle B's. The three carnivores agreed the meal was just as good as the first time, and Deb devoured her pizza treat as well.

Next day as always, it was hard to depart. Left around 11am via the Ohio Hwy. 30 route as usual through Lima toward Ft. Wayne. We saw the tiny cemeteries in the middle of corn fields, the antique shops that maybe we'll stop at sometime on another trip, and the old fashion drive-in with the Andy of Mayberry police car parked in front.

The last 20 miles of Hwy. 30 in Ohio is one of our favorite parts of this trip. Along that section of highway on the north side as far you can see are hundreds of wind turbines, too many to count. A rest stop is situated right in the middle of a few of them. They are sooo tall when standing next to them. It is wonderful to see "natural" energy being generated without pollution involved. 

Once you hit the Indiana border, the turbines abruptly stop and we know we are about half way home. The next section seems slow going until we hit the "Pure Michigan" state line signs. Just a few more miles til we hit the Kalamazoo city limits and home.

Mar 2013 MICHIGAN Frankfort - Ninety Years Old

Today we took a day trip to Frankfort, Michigan, to visit Mike's mom on her 90th birthday. She recently moved there from the Clare, Michigan area to a VERY nice long-term care facility. She is still quite bright and active, but was having a hard time getting around and keeping her meds straight.

Years ago her parents owned cherry orchards near Frankfort. She went to school there and later visited often to help on the farm. This place will really help her along and give us comfort that she is looked after on a daily basis. After being there about a week, she is very happy.


Guests can visit (her brother, Son, comes every other day or so) and she can come and go as she pleases on the floor. She checks out and back in when leaving the building, so they don't worry about her.

No "lights out" or rigid schedule. At meal time, she has several selections to choose from. There is a big activity calendar and she can participate as much (or little) as she wishes. She can personalize her room and right now there is a big photo of her and Jack Parker (her recently passed husband). And she has a great view of Lake Michigan from the picture window in her room. Pretty classy situation.

On the drive up, there were at least seven smelly, dead skunk on the road ???, but we did see a beautify bald eagle in flight, a rare sight in Michigan until recently. Lots more snow up there than in Kalamazoo. Snow shanties still on Lake Cadillac. In Mesick, passed Mike's Uncle Al's high school and the Buck Snort Saloon (darn, no time to stop). Ski slopes and lifts still busy at Crystal Mountain. But the sun was shining, roads were dry, and it was a pleasant drive.

We arrived in Frankfort at 11am and met in the social area for a big catch-up and reminisce chat with Mom. Uncle Son (her younger brother (and Mike's uncle)) was there also. Glory, the cat, came round to say "Hi!" Another cat named Grace, a finch aviary, and a cool aquarium also entertain the residents. 

Then we headed out to do some chores for mom in the neighboring town of Honor. On the drive, we saw a bit of Crystal Lake and talked about swimming in the outlet and Mike sailing and rolling over our little sail boat there. Lunch next.

Mike had been yearning for a meal at our favorite Frankfort restaurant, Fusion. They have a nice view of Betsie Bay and the harbor. The menu is an Asian mix of foods, so we thought it might be a little too ethnic for down-to-earth, farm-raised Uncle Son. But he seemed up for anything, so we went for it.

Mom ordered a HUGE sizzling seafood platter, Uncle Son had a a salad and lemon chicken. As usual, I had my favorite pad-thai and Mike had his favorite General Tsao's chicken. Mike and I also had hot and sour soup. I did NOT order my usual sake flight, as I figured I should be on my best behavior today.

First off, I have to say the silverware (especially the spoons) were weird, even to me. They were triangle shaped with the flat part at the bottom where there is usually a more pointed area that fits neatly into your mouth. This deep coal-shovel like utensil was quite uncomfortable to scoop soup into your mouth. It tasted good though, so we got through the "task." The fork was huge as well and we got no knife.

Uncle Son's salad came with a very curly style of carrots, like the skinny, curly ribbon on an ol' time Christmas present. If you held them up and stretched them out they had to be at least 1-foot long each. No knives, so couldn't easily cut them to bite size. That was awkward for anyone to eat. Mom got a HUGE helping of steaming veggies, mussels, lobster, shrimp, and scallops. I never could have finished that heaping pile of seafood, but she ate every last bite. Almost licked her plate!! 

In spite of the logistical utensil moments, the food was fantastic. No let down there. Mike's mom ended with a "Mike, this was the best birthday ever. I never thought I would get another meal like that again in my life." We all waddled back out to the car.

After that we cruised our usual route of old family landmarks. With Uncle Son and Mom in the car, we got a first rate travelogue of things from the "old days" that was so enjoyable. We passed what was left of the family cherry orchards and the old farm. Only the barn was left standing from the old homestead. The plot is now owned by a guy that runs a port-o-pottie business and those ugly blue plastic "monuments" were scattered throughout the yard and trees. Sad. Too many wonderful memories to end up like this.

We drove to the lookout at Green Point Landing and saw the ice covered Frankfort lighthouse and breakwaters extending out into Lake Michigan. There was a lone swan swimming way out in the lake, a cold and lonely sight. We drove to the end of Main Street to see the snow-covered beach and the light house from that angle.

We drove around the area and saw where their original-original home was located, only land now. They talked about friends Mr. Baker and Mr. Hunt, other old school chums, and wondered where they lived and what they were doing now. So many good stories and laughter coming from the back seat from this 81-year old brother and 90-year old sister. We also drove passed where Mike lived as a 1-year old and the barbershop where he got his first haircut.   

The last stop was Uncle Son's senior complex. He showed us his cozy bachelor pad with a wonderful view of the woods and a little slice of Lake Michigan off in the distance. As we looked out we saw a herd of eight deer passing by, regular visitors, Son said. He also showed off a closet full of VHS tapes, a collection of which he was very proud. There were maybe 300 and covered every topic from documentaries to The Terminator.

As it turns out Uncle Al and Aunt Carol have a 2-bedroom in the same complex and had come down from Elk Rapids for the day to celebrate Ann's (they call her Nina) birthday. We almost missed seeing them, but caught them just as they were leaving. Seeing these three together just touched our heartstrings. They laughed and were so happy for these few short minutes.

After dropping Mom back off at the new "home," we headed back south to Kalamazoo. Round trip driving time today about six hours and covered drove about 390 miles total.

Tomorrow we trip off to East Liberty, Ohio, to see Mike's sister and her hubby.

Mar 2013 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Kozubeks Come to Kazoo

Tim and Nancy came for a visit from Chicago this weekend. We met Tim some 25+ years ago when he was a mechanic at Northwest Airlines and Mike was a ramp rat. His and Nancy's paths crossed a few times on his visits to Chicago (his home town) until the lights came aglow and they found themselves in love and soon married. As a result, Tim joined Nancy in Chicago and they live happily every after.

We get together with them once a year or so, usually lakeside on the Michigan side (Saugatuck, Manistee, etc.), but once or twice in Chicago. This time they came to see our newest condo and go for a beer expedition in Grand Rapids.

On Friday when they arrived, we gave the five cent tour of our condo, had a long chat to catch up on news, and invited them to meet our brand new cat Bella, who was showing off and not too nippy.

Next we strolled over to the Beer Exchange for dinner. This is a really fun spot, especially for beer drinkers, and the food is good, too. It is based loosely on the stock exchange in that it has a leader board with 28 rotating world beers listed. Every 20 minutes of so, prices go up or down on the various beers, depending on how popular they were in the last "session." Every once in a while the "big bell" rings and there is a market crash, where all the prices go down and the process starts over.  http://kalamazoobeerexchange.com

On Saturday, we headed north to Grand Rapids where there was a beer festival happening. The main gathering was sold out at Comstock Park, but all the breweries were having specials. First we went to Founders Brewery, which came highly recommended by my niece, Teshia. Last summer she had organized a Circle Michigan Brew Tour with her college buddies, and rated Founders #1. We had a great lunch there and tried a few beers. Not sure what everyone else had, but I had a wonderful caprese sandwich filled with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil and piled on toasted ciabatta bread with garlic infused balsamic vinaigrette.    http://foundersbrewing.com

Next we went further into downtown GR to the B.O.B. (the Big Old Building) to check out B.O.B.'s Brewery, unfortunately it was closed. Too bad, as there were a number of people trying to get in, but oh well, their loss.  http://www.thebob.com/bobsbrewery.html

From there we walked to HopCat Brewery (photo is of their ceiling). They have three of their own on tap and a huge list of other beers from around town, around the state, and around the world. There were about 175 to choose from, including numerous lambics and a gluten free beer from England !!  http://hopcatgr.com

Unfortunately, I guess, I'm not a beer drinker. It would probably be cheaper than the wino that I am and I've tried oh so hard to appreciate beer, but it's just not happening. I'd rather have the vine. Anyway, hard for me to comment on how wonderful the beers were. I do like lambic and hard cider (more fruity, I guess), but somehow that doesn't ring well with true blue beer-os.

Last stop was Stella's Lounge, one of our fave haunts when we go to GR. It's a little hard to explain, but you enter through an alley. The outside of the building is black and hundreds of skulls are painted in neat rows a long ways up the wall. This does not give a positive vibe, but also not a true reflection of what is inside. Inside is friendly, flexible, down to earth. It use to have a mainly veggie menu that you could turn items into carnivore. It has changed, now with mostly meat items that can be turned into veggie. Either way, the veggie works for me. Oh, and they used to have a huge pinball selection, but that must have pared down recently.  http://stellasgr.com

This is more of a cocktail place than a beer joint. So we all ended up having cocktails. Along with the current popular stuff, they make vintage-style cocktails, so I asked for a Tom Collins. We hadn't had one in a long time and had lately been trying to find an authentic version. Most places just throw something together with gin. But this was the real thing, maraschino cherry and orange slice included.

We headed home after than, called it an early evening, and hit the hay. The next morning the K's stopped by for a short but sweet visit and then were on their way. It was a gonzo 36 hours and we had a ball. Thanks for coming, K's.

Feb 2013 - Jump-itty-do-dah (3)

Bella is a good jumper. One of her favorite spots is on top of the fireplace mantle, a good 4 feet straight up, where it is extra cozy and warm.

The only restriction we put on Bella is not to hop on the kitchen counters (which she can easily do from the floor, even though the stools create great stepping stones). We use the "down" command. That seems to be working ok, but we are going to get a water spray bottle to reinforce that command.

She joins me in the office when I am computing. She likes to sit on my lap or under the warm desk lamp. She also jumps from the desktop to the bookcase top, again almost 4 feet. However, as she lands up there, she discovers all kinds of memento stuff--"precious" rocks we have collected on our travels, mini-robots from our robotics engineer brother-in-law, a model Prius, various awards. She has to do a last minute "dance" so that she or the stuff does not come crashing down. We'll add this is our off-limits area.

And she likes the top "story" of her carpeted cat condo tree. She leaps to the third story with no problem and sometimes lounges there. When she is ready to go elsewhere, she moves to the top level if she isn't there already and leaps a few feet to our bed.

In all these maneuvers, she is like a helicopter. She twists right and left to land correctly and doesn't really have to use her claws to dig in. It is so cool having a young cat again. She's athletic and, oh, so funny.

Today she is being her usual funny self. I moved all the tax papers onto the futon in the office where she likes to sleep. As I was typing this, she came in and plopped on the papers. So I moved them over to the side so she would have a cushier spot. But she decided she liked sleeping on the papers anyway!!