Springing Forward!

What a perfect day to eat lunch outdoors. These are garden views from our backyard glider where we enjoy the quiet, sunshine and garden.

Ashirwad - The Blessings

Last December we tried to go to this little Indian restaurant in Upland, but it was closed, so we tried again this weekend and were successful. This seems to be a reinvented version of the last Indian restaurant in this location, and we very much enjoyed the food. We ordered it to-go and took home some samosas, palak paneer and rava masala dosa.

The owner was very friendly and helpful, and while we were waiting for our food, he offered us some reading material - Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. Somehow the wait was not long enough to get much of the book read.....

Oh, Daylight Savings - Yes, You're Worth the Lost Hour

I understand why people in Arizona and Hawai'i and other places do not partake in Daylight Savings. I am just glad that here in Claremont we change our clocks twice a year. I'm also rather glad that it starts earlier than it used to. Now that I am older and my sleep is directly affected by sunlight, if daylight savings didn't start until April, the sun rose so early in March that I would wake up way before I wanted to.

I also savor the light in the early evenings. Here it is 5:00, and I know we are going to have daylight for nearly two more hours, and for that I gladly give up one hour of this day. It doesn't hurt that it is almost warm and very sunny out today which lifts my spirits.

Sure, it may take me anywhere from 3-5 days to completely adjust to a new time, but I never complain about those kinds of things when I travel to different time zones. It's just a small price to pay for something that I want.

Self-Diagnosis and Treatment

Don't tell my doctor, but I turn to the internet for information on various health issues. I know the professionals don't like you to do that, but I try to look at a variety of websites, including the nih and mayo and webmd which are pretty good.

About a year ago I had a toothache (blog post here) which turned out to be a sinus issue. Lo and behold, it returned recently, and I am pretty sure it is allergy related. I know that my sinuses are blocked because my left ear is also blocked which I can feel when I do an inversion at yoga class. I took Sudafed on Tuesday and really, really hate the way it makes me feel all jittery and anxious, so I thought I'd see what other remedies might be available over-the-counter before I called my doctor.

I stumbled on a page that suggested that guaifenesin would help with mucus-thinning. This is the active ingredient in Mucinex and Robitussin. I would never have thought of that since those are usually used for congestion in the lungs and coughing.

Let me tell you that it has been working. I have been taking Mucinex for 2 days now, and I already feel a difference. I also have the humidifier going at night and can now use the Neil Med nasal sinus wash. And really, now I like breathing again! Funny how when you get used to a condition you don't remember what normal feels like.

Cloud Atlas

As I finished Cloud Atlas today and wrote it down on my list of books read in 2013 (if I don't keep lists, I will not remember everything I've read - well, unless I go through my blog), I realized that I am way off pace for my usual number of books read so far this year.

In my defense (to myself) this one is a particularly long book, so it can sort-of count as two.

As I read in one Amazon review - while I liked this book, I can see where it is not for everyone. One of the things I did like was the changing of stories and writing styles. If you have not heard about this book, it can best be summed up as 6 distinct stories which are related like Russian nesting dolls. My favorite part is about a composer (surprise, surprise) who is working on a piece called Cloud Atlas Sextet with this description - "Spent the fortnight gone in the music room, reworking my year's fragments into a 'sextet for overlapping soloists": piano, clarinet, 'cello, flute, oboe, and violin, each in its own language of key, scale, and color. In the first set, each solo is interrupted by its successor; in the second, each interruption is recontinued, in order. Revolutionary or gimmicky? Shan't know until it's finished, and by then it will be too late..."

Of course, this is a description of the novel, as well.

I know the movie has mixed reviews, but I think I will see it anyway.

Boca Burger

On Saturdays when H umpires, he usually starts at noon and goes for two games. He decided that we should go out for a large breakfast which holds him until dinner (with a bar or two for sustenance between games). We've recently been to the Euro Cafe for their veggie omelet (very filling and delicious), Everest on Central in Montclair (we've decided not to go back - the last time the food was way too bland), and McDonald's (yes, I am admitting that - it was H's choice, not mine) for oatmeal and a McSkillet Burrito.

The last place we tried was Boca Burger, the little place next door to Trader Joe's. I had thought that it was a veggie burger place, but a closer look at the sign says this place is inspired by Argentinian food. The counterperson was very friendly and after we enquired about the plate with eggs (did it really have bacon AND sausage AND ham? Yes, yes it did.), she told us that they have a breakfast burrito with just one of the meats. It was not on the menu, but we decided to try it. FYI, the price for one such burrito is $3.79.

We ate our burritos outside and caught up with a friend who was just finishing his shopping at TJs. The burritos were fine. It's kind of hard to mess up a breakfast burrito.

Happy Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday - Happy Birthday, Mom!

10 years ago, when my folks lived in Upland, they had a joint birthday party in February, about halfway between their birthdays (Dad's is in January). I don't think they had a party this year, but I think they should have!

Here is a past blog post about birthday parties in my family...

Paula Poundstone and Harvey Mudd and Donuts

Welcome to a meandering, feel-good post, dedicated to fun and laughs and lots of links.

Are you a fan of NPR's Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me? I listen to the Saturday quiz show religiously either on radio or podcast, and one of my very, very favorite panelists is Paula Poundstone. She cracks me up. So, of course, when we found out that she was performing at the Haugh Performing Arts Center at Citrus College, we were there. Last night. Good times.

Paula's show involves some, I assume, scripted pieces ranging from gays in scouting to what our esteemed forefathers might have thought about the second amendment to her three children, 16 cats, 2 dogs and other assorted pets. However, Paula's comedic genius derives from her improvisatory conversations with audience members. She first spoke with a man who works in the dean of students office at UCLA and riffed throughout the evening about the tidbits he offered about students he dealt with who were cheating on tests. One man would not answer her questions, and when she asked his wife if he was going to talk, the wife said, "He says he's not going to bite." She has a great way of taking what someone says and totally misconstruing it, making me laugh so much that by the end of the 2 hours, my cheeks hurt.

This photo shows that we had fabulous seats - 3rd row.

Paula made some comment about a delicious strawberry donut she had been given backstage. She asked about this famous donut, and the audience tried to tell her where the store is located, and soon she was talking to a retired x-ray technician who had worked in a doctor's office where the Donut Man was a patient. Paula wanted to know if she could tell us about the inner workings of Donut Man and whether he had a hole in his body, etc. until soon she discovered that  Mr. Donut Man (Jim Nakano) was in the audience and she started to riff with him.

So, if you are still with me, here is the meandering part. I have not yet been to the Donut Man on Alosta in Glendora, but I have seen the Huell Houser interview, and this place is famous in the Harvey Mudd community because the Gonzo Unicycle Madness Club rides the 8.7 miles once a year from Claremont to Glendora just to eat these strawberry donuts. Watch a great little youtube video about this adventure here.

50-Fifty

As fans of Bangkok Blue in LaVerne, we were very happy to hear that Joyce, the owner/chef had opened up a new restaurant in the Claremont Village. We took advantage of the beautiful weather last night for a walk to Indian Hill, and we arrived early enough to get a table right away. I know they take reservations, but we decided to go at the last minute, so we took a chance.

The atmosphere is great, the service very professional. We had the potstickers appetizer and then Joyce's Beef and Vegetable Stew with brown rice and Vegetable Curry with brown rice. Our only disappointment is that while the food has a great presentation and the beef and vegetables cooked just perfectly, the flavor is nothing special. It tastes fine, but could really have a little something more. We just have a higher standard for Joyce since she had set the bar high. The curry was $12, the beef stew $15.

One note: We saw two other HMC faculty there.

Common Vision

I don't remember just exactly when Common Vision started coming to Vista, but they were back today working with the students on taking care of the fruit trees that were planted a number of years ago. When I found the Common Vision website, I watched their video and was very happy to see that it features Vista and our former principal, Ley Yeager, who was so visionary when it came to starting gardens at the school.

First graders are helping water one of the fruit trees