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11/17/2003 Archived Entry: "AN OPEN DAY!"

AN OPEN DAY

As I sit here enjoying my morning cup of coffee...while deleting a window full of trashy spam...it occurred to me that this is my only open day this week. Not that the rest of the days are completely jammed with stuff on top of working eight hour days as they aren't. But they will be full. There are doctor's appointments to keep, meetings to attend and a luncheon meeting at Rolling Hills on Friday to listen to Scott Allegrucci, the new tourism director for the state Travel and Tourism Development Division within the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing. He's a very popular and capable guy so I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say. He better be good as they are charging $15 bucks for the lunch that goes with the event.

The high school boys start practice today to open another season of round ball. The feeling I get from my grandsons and listening to their friends is that everyone going out for basketball is excited about the new coach, Travis Powell, and they are looking forward to working with him. They feel he will be fair and demanding, respectful of the players and capable of teaching the game and producing results. And...they repeatedly talk about the conditioning program and how valuable it is to them.

The chef at the Midland reported she served 100 dinners Saturday night...with no complaints and no returned meals. Among those who ate there were Mazie and Jack Grothusen and their entire family. It was Jack's birthday so they were all celebrating the occasion. Happy Birthday, Jack! Ally prepared prime rib for those who had made reservations and ordered it. Others wanted it but hadn't made reservations. It's a learning process. She does a great job on prime rib and has the equipment at the Midland to slow roast it...as she was famous for at the Briar Rose in Breckenridge. Not every restaurant has the right kind of ovens for that.

Friends open all kinds of doors for me. Last week I spent a day in Salina...a very long, lovely day as it turned out...with a good friend from Russell. She was born in Germany and grew up there before moving to the U.S. She was familiar with ALDI, which I guess is a German-owned store. I didn't know that. I'd been there once but wasn't impressed. I didn't know what to look for. Now I'll go back with my eyes open.

One of the things she wanted to get while we were in Salina was stollen from ALDI. I love stollen which essentially is a German rich yeast bread containing raisins, citron, and chopped nutmeats....or some other kind of filling. They were out of the apricot marzipan loaf she wanted, but we got some of the kind they did have left which was the traditional loaf....and it is very good stuff. You have to like raisins and a slight hint of citron, and I do, but it surprised the socks off me. It's very good. I wish I'd bought more and stuck it in the freezer. When I go back this week, I'm going to check for it again.

Last night after I crawled in bed, I ran across an interview with Michael Moore. I REALLY LIKE MICHAEL MOORE! Wouldn't you know I fell asleep right in the middle of it? I can't believe I did that. He's the author of the best-selling "Dude, Where's My Country", which I am reading. He's also the author of the New York Times best seller, "Stupid White Men"...and the documentary that I liked so well and blogged to death, "Bowling for Columbine". There's a lot of interesting reading about the special relationship between the Bushes and the Saudi royal family...all documented.

Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life...but lately, they haven't been all that bad. Actually, it has all the marks of being a very good day.