Category Archives: Uncategorized

Computer Bugs

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Virtual bugThis is exactly how I feel today, after I spent all morning trying to fumigate my computer and then sadly gave it up and turned to a professional. The thing is, I’m the sort of person who never gets bitten by bugs. I can stay outside from 6 to 11 on a summer night drinking beer and talking about the new Alabama quarterback and everybody else is scratching and miserable as they try to swat away mosquitoes and I’m thoroughly enjoying the wonderful evening. But somehow that anti-bug protection does not translate to my laptop. This morning I was attacked by one of those “You’ve got a virus so click here to get rid of it” scams and the more I tried to combat it on my own the worse it got. And what’s so aggravating is that I keep my online security systems current and practice safe surfing — but this one got me. So please beware! I took my laptop to the local computer person who promised quick relief. In the meantime I’m using my daughter’s desktop, which doesn’t like me very much in the first place and is, I can tell, right now very suspicious that I’m a carrier of Bad Things and must be Dealt With Cautiously. Wish me luck.

Weather or Not My Husband is Right

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Do weather terms befuddle you? Did you ever wonder what “40 percent chance of rain” really means? Me, too! So I asked a weather person to define and explain. Find out what he said — and why my husband, drat it, is right after all — at http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090327/ARTICLES/903275000

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Easter gifts

I promised my son-in-law that I would not dress my grandson in frilly and ruffly girly things. I never said anything about sweet little pink and white bunny ears.

Christmas Parties

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249852310113_0_albI’ll admit that I usually spend December evenings curled up on thenew-kiss2 couch watching Bing Crosby movies in my pajamas and eating the best part of Chex Mix — the burned crunchy bits at the bottom of the pan, but the invitation to a Christmas party in Huntsville, Alabama, for this past Saturday night said dress to impress. Marlene, the hostess, wanted a glam cocktail party, so my husband and I tried our best. How do you think we did? My husband always looks so spiffy in a suit. For the party, he went with classic all black and since he couldn’t find his Christmas tie, he substituted his Beatles one for a festive touch. My dress was a two-year-old (three? four?)788272310113_0_alb black halter from the sadly now-defunct Parisian’s, with the added feature of not being tight or binding in any way — my only prerequisite for party clothes. All I can say is, new-marlene“Damn. We look good!” Marlene kept the festivities to proper cocktail hours so we could go out to eat or whatever afterwards, but before we did that, John and I stopped by my daughter and son-in-law’s apartment for a quick snuggle with almost 9-months-old grandson. Good company, good food and good baby time to top it off. Could it get any better?

Chaos Theory

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I go for for years without hearing the word “snuff” and then I hear it twice in the same week. And not only hear it, but hear it in conversations directed toward me. The first time was when the doctor at the medical clinic I’d gone to with a sinus infection this past weekend asked me if I “dipped.” (Read more about this at http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20081219/ARTICLES/812190302/1004). The second time was  Friday on my (usually) daily visit to my 93-year-old mother-in-law at a local nursing home. When I go in the afternoon, she’s normally asleep, but that’s OK because her roommate — we’ll call her Mrs. H. —  likes to talk. And by “talk” I mean she asks where Larry and them are and urges me to tell them to get a move on because they gotta go to town later and dinner’s almost ready. (It’s always a party at the nursing home.) But on Friday, after I asked Mrs. H. how she was and she allowed that she was pretty good, she looked me directly in the eye, jabbed a finger in my direction and said, “Don’t never do snuff. You can’t get shut of it. It’s that bad. I wish I never had.” Yes, ma’am. Point taken. I can absolutely promise never to do snuff. So that makes twice in one week that people have asked me/urged me if I did/not to do snuff. Very strange. My husband says this is chaos theory, which I interpret to mean you don’t do anything for five Saturday nights in a row and then three  invitations arrive for the same Saturday night but you end up getting a sinus infection and stay home anyway. Or two people in one week mention snuff to you. Go figure.

Holiday Parties and Christmas Movies

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eveylns-christmas-006There’s just something special about holiday hospitality. When myeveylns-christmas-004 friend Evelyn recently hosted the December meeting of our four-woman book club, the other three of us practically refused to get up from her elegant red and gold dinner table when we were finished eating. She made us feel so pampered that only the promise of opening presents in front of the fire — and, oh, yeah, discussing our book of the month — made us leave. I love the way she used simple solid red napkins and plates to create such a festive and sophisticated look, proving once again my grandmother’s timeless advice to always buy red things — they’re good for three out of four seasons, which is a record you cannot beat.

And for a record you can beat, we’re back with Cathy’s Hit Parade of Christmas Movies. Coming in at No. 3 is the two-fer I promised you yesterday — the duo of 1954’s “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby and Danny white-christmas1holiday-inn3Kaye and its older sibling, the 1942 “Holiday Inn,” with Crosby and Fred Astaire. Does it get any better? Not much. Look, I know these are white- and male-centric movies that do not reflect how life really was for the folks watching in theaters during the 12-year span, but still. This is vintage Christmas: Singing, dancing, fake snow, cavernous New England inns, star-crossed lovers and misunderstandings with some sleigh rides thrown in for fun.  It’s Hollywood escapism at its finest — the movies that made me think being a grownup woman meant going out dancing and drinking martinis and wearing evening gowns every night. Sadly, in the intervening years this dream has proved to be false, although I’m somewhat hopeful about the martinis. But I can relive the fantasy every Christmas with these films, and you should, too. Tomorrow, it’s on to No. 2 — one of the few movies my husband and I vehemently disagree about. (And remember that we both walked out of “Wild, Wild West,” so go figure.) Stop by on Thursday to find out which innocent Christmas movie provokes such intense conflict in our house.

Britcoms

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0101_are20you20being20servedOkay — this is an admission of what a geeky nerd I truly am. In lieu of being with family and/or friends on a Saturday night, one of my favorite things to do is hunker down at home, turn on public television and enjoy Britcoms, those reruns of old BBC half-hour comedies. I love them! I’m a huge fan and they never get old. My favorite is “Are You Being Served?” (pictured) with Mr. Lucas and Mr. Grainger and the original young Mr. Grace — I could do without Mr. Spooner or young Mr. Grace’s brother. I also adore “Keeping Up Appearances” with astounding female comic Patricia Routledge playing off an endearing cast of frustrated neighbors and family plus “Vicar of Dibley” with the amazing timing of actresses Dawn French and Emma Chambers and some of the wittiest dialogue on TV. I also love the upper-class stylings of Penelope Keith in “To the Manor Born” and “The Good Life,” and then there’s Judi Dench slumming and having a blast in “As Time Goes By.” And whenever John Cleese’s “Fawlty Towers” comes on, it’s a gold-star Saturday night. Two stars if “The Office” and “Yes, (Prime) Minister” are on and three for “Absolutely Fabulous.” And if I’m ever lucky enough to find “Doctor Who,” well, I think I would run out of stars.

Anthropologie

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huntsville-102908-014My favorite shop in the whole world is Anthropologie. I love huntsville-102908-015this store and I’m not really sure why. I immediately go to my happy place as soon as I walk in the door — in fact, this is my happy place. I mean, the clothes are far too young and funky for my post-menopausal body and I know I look ridiculous in the Cream-of-the-Crop Top paired with the Can-Can Pencil Skirt and coordinated with the Sylvan Scene Cardigan, but shopping hope springs eternal. Somehow, Anthropologie makes you believe. And then there’s the other side of the store: A sort of huntsville-102908-016eclectic and hip yard-sale jumble of linens and glassware and kitchen goodies — all those things you never knew you huntsville-102908-0171needed until Anthropologie gently waves them under your nose and says, “Hey! You are just the right person to take home this Pitch Pine Sugar Bowl” and even though you do not even use sugar ever at all, before you know it you are at the cash register trying to remember if you’ve already signed up for an Anthropolgie card. This happens to me time after time. Is it something in the store’s oil-diffused air? Has Anthropologie perfected an undetectable form of consumer hypnotism? I don’t know. I think I need to go again to figure it out. And again. And again. And … Check out the Web site at http://www.anthropologie.com/

Be Scene

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huntsville-halloween-and-scene-005Yikes! I was wrong that this weekend is fall’s last stand, because winter has taken over already. It’s cold and windy here in northwest Alabama and the perfect Sunday for staying inside, wondering why LSU had to stage a comeback to beat Troy (Troy!) and contemplating the news that our president-elect believes in college-football playoffs. Or, you could start stressing about the upcoming holidays and desperately try to remember the place where you put the Christmas CDs this past January so it’d be easy to find them this year.  (The box of outdoor decorations? Wrapped up in the Christmas stockings? And speaking of the stockings, I wonder where…. ) Or, you could bundle up and go to the huntsville-halloween-and-scene-0031Scene Lounge at Monaco Pictures at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville. This bar/restaurant adjacent to the movie theater is the spot to go if you believe that nothing new ever happens around here — the warm and sophisticated space is unlike anywhere else. With its plush banquette seating and sleek pedestal tables, Scene evokes the feeling of old-school glamour back when going to the movies was an event. This is where James Bond would stop in for a drink before saving the world. Conversely, it’s also where my daughter and I can take a baby and a stroller in and enjoy some of the best sushi this side of the Pacific. Go figure. The fun part is that you can order anything to go and then take into the theater. Or, claim a table on the patio where you’ve got a front-row view of Bridge Street shoppers. Everything I’ve had here is good, and I especially like the hummus, which comes with roasted vegetables and pita chips. The Scene rightfully has become a Huntsville gathering spot and offers wine tastings and theme parties coordinated with movie premieres along with other special events. Check out the Web site at http://www.sceneatmonaco.com/home.asp

Ketchup

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huntsville-102908-010huntsville-102908-007One of my new favorite restaurants is Ketchup, in Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville, Alabama. Ketchup’s cheerful red-and-white decor is an updated take on the classic American diner, and so is the menu, which features a fun selection of casual starters and burgers. The star, of course, is the French fry appetizer: Three flavors of fries andhuntsville-102908-011 five of catsup, with nice mixtures of sweet and savory. Genius! I’ll take two, please. Ketchup is part of the Dolce Group of restaurants based in Los Angeles that boasts celebrities such as huntsville-102908-012Ashton Kutcher as investors. And it’s certainly different than any other north Alabama restaurant — in a good way. It’s chic and stylish enough for a date night or business lunch and casual and low key enough for family or friends to gather. Grandson Nolan Thomas Behel, 7 months old, loves it! Ketchup is a huge space, and while the staff does recommend making reservations, I’ve never seen the restaurant full. My daughter has taken a large group there and says service is just as attentive as when it’s just two or three at a table.

Check out Bridge Street at http://www.bridgestreethuntsville.com and Ketchup at http://www.dolcegroup.com/