Why do I like bad women?

I never really liked Martha Stewart all that much,. . . .  till she went to jail.

What does that say about me liking "bad women"?

I have to say she gained a lot of respect from me for doing the time.

I think she got a bum-rap, so maybe that has something to do with it. But that may be a discussion for another time.

We (wife) do get her magazine, and we (wife) go through it every month seeing how we can better our pool parties. Or hold the next wedding we plan in the middle of a cow field all the while making it appealing. Or how to turn left over potato peels into spring hats.

 All great ideas.

I can't tell you how many new ways we have learned to fold a napkin.

And I really love the 14 ways you can reuse a cocktail umbrella.

I'm just sayin'. . .

We really love her recipes also and try some of them every once in a while.

So, the July issue featured this image on the cover. . .

which seemed rather serendipitous to the fact that wife had just picked up some heirloom tomatoes from the local CO-OP.

I stopped at the local St Louis Bread Company and picked up the appropriate bread and we had all the makings of a great summer dinner.

We loved how it turned out (even though I added just a touch to much salt) and here are the yummy end results . . .

Our tomatoes were rather larger than the cover photos (yes, there is bread under there), but the three different varieties sure were delicious.

Here is a link to the recipe.

I am going there now to check her scone recipes

Miniature Effect???

Well, that's what the camera calls it. . .
But I kinda like it.

'Green chair on porch'

Movie Review - 'An Unfinished Life'

'an unfinished life' - 2005

Robert Redford
Morgan Freeman
Jennifer Lopez

This movie did not fair well at the box office and probably for good reason.
There was nothing new or outstanding about it. The story, in one form or another, had been done many times before. Mostly it was a story about forgiveness and moving on, and not holding on too tightly to past hurts.

The movie was very subtle in every way.
The scenery was played down for being filmed in beautiful Canada. The farm was rather bleak looking, adding well to the atmosphere of the story.
The characters were un-kept and damaged.
With the exception of Lopez's love (lust) interest, all the individuals had lots of baggage.
Jennifer Lopez did a good job as 'Jean Gilkyson', a guilt ridden, self inflicted mother.
And of course, ever the professional, 'Bart' the bear.
Every thing about the movie was kept very low key, even what violence was involved.

But despite it's lack luster showing at the box office it did have one thing going for it; watching Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman working together. Robert Redford's  'Einar Gilkyson' was un-shaven and seemingly emotionally damaged beyond caring. Morgan Freeman's 'Mitch Bradley' was physically damaged beyond complete repair, but emotionally complete (which we have come to expect from Freeman).
Watching them together was a treat.

So, for that reason I give it

Three Bart the Bears out of Five.

Oh, yea. There were log cabins in it also.

A little sweat makes it all that much sweeter.

While I spent a little time running stuff out to the cabin. . .











Mom and daughter worked up a sweat picking blackberries and peaches.

Pointing out the ripe ones.

Berries on the face proves she found them.

"Take the picture quick, they're heavy!"

 Rewards of their labor.

 A little coaching in the beginning.

 Her favorite job was the mushing of the berries.

 Adding a little ( a lot! ) of sweetness.

Finished product.

Summer fun is. . . .

 . . . swimming in the ocean. . .

 . . . catching mermaids . . .

. . . daddy visiting museums. . . .

 . . . white sand. . .

 . . . learning to snorkel. . .













. . . boggy boarding. . .

 . . . and boggy boarding with mommy. . .

 . . . boat rides. . .

 . . . DRIVING THE BOAT! . .

 . . . walking to a wedding. . .

 . . . on the beach. . .

 . . . mom and daughter. . .

Then later. . .

taking off your own training wheels. . .

 . . . and trying for the first time. . .

 . . .  making silly hairdos (and missing tooth) . . .

 . . . and eating slushies. . .

. .  while waiting for the summer music to start.

Our need for recognition, or is it the need to fill air time?

While slavishly trying to loss weight working out at the gym the other day, on my ravaged knees and aching joints (OK, dial down the whine button!), the screen above my elliptical running machine was set to Fox Sports Midwest. And since you can't change the channel from your machine you are kinda stuck with what is on.
Usually it is some sports channel or infomercials (did anyone get the number for the battery powered weed-whip?).

On my third visit to the gym this week, it was on Fox Sports Midwest.

And I was 'lucky' enough to catch the 'Ultimate Dodgeball Champinships'. And since I was on the machine for the incredible duration of 16 minutes, I was able to catch several matches. (And it was still on when I left the gym 30 minutes later!)

I guess since the fall from grace of Tiger Woods we should expect some unusual sports to try to carry the mantel till his return.

But, Holy Cow! Dodgeball?

The championship is sponsored by Sky Zone Trampoline Parks (which are really fun places for birthday parties) and held through 35 different parks till a winner is decided.
There is $50,000 dollars worth of prize money at stake. (OK, now I get the incentive.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I love trampolines (I have had one since 1973) and I love watching people on them in gymnastic competitions,  and I love all good sports (can't wait till the next table tennis season starts). But geez, are we so in need of recognition and reward that we now have to have a tournament for Dodgeball (didn't Ben Stiller make a movie about this?), but now played on a big bouncy floor.

What was really cool (not!) was that they also did player profiles and interviews and displayed there photos on the little circles showing each member on one screen, with their names underneath (can't wait to see them do that on the duck hunting show, each dog in a little circle, blood line profiled.) and real cool team names like the 'St Louis Dream Team'.

The way I remember Dodgeball is like this; another indoor game you played in school, when it was to hot or to cold or to rainy to go outside and play, well . .,  dodgeball, that they called a sport in gym class, but was really just another game that kept the gym teachers from having to come up with anything new, and also allowed the bullies to once again pick on the fat guys with glasses, that were really slow (can you say 'run on sentence') and easy targets.
The big jock/bully could usually throw the ball harder than most quarterbacks, and he usually aimed for the head of us guys wearing glasses. We (I mean 'they') rarely lasted past the first couple of throws, blood dripping from where our glasses had cut into our noses, to then usually enjoy most of the gym class from the side lines, and we were never, ever, the first picked because something about wearing glasses made you bad at sports but good as targets (do I need therapy on this issue? No, I'm over it, really.)

Flash forward to 2013 and we now place a trampoline under the players and we call it a sport worth television time. I am going to check the ratings as soon as I am done here.

There was nothing particularly new or overly athletically different about having it played on a trampoline other than if you fell down you bounced back up. Actually, most of the time was spent running on the blue padded areas of the court. There were no flamboyant costumes or players. It was almost more exciting to watch duck hunting on the outdoor network two TV screens away (actually, it was more exciting to watch duck hunting, at least the dogs are great swimmers.)

If the players were required to take advantage of the trampolines it could be fun to watch. Like, say, each player had to do at least four flips or aerials during each match and you had to be in the air to throw the ball. Or you got to bring a player back in if someone caught the ball while doing a flip. I don't think they should be allowed to touch the blue mats either once the game starts.
Maybe, if the right sponsors sign on to the show, some of these changes I have suggested could be implemented.

OK,OK, I get it, we all want to be recognized for doing good at something we enjoy. And it's always fun to win an award for doing good at a sport or event we enjoy (I have several medals for kayaking and one plastic one ounce beer stein for a chili-cookoff).
But come on! Dodgeball! on TV! as a sport! with prize money! (I also noticed that none of the teams had anyone that wore glasses.)

Maybe we have to many sports channels, or maybe we except to much mediocrity as valuable. You can't blame the Dodgeball players; Who doesn't want to be on TV sometime? You have to blame the viewers for giving such stuff relevancy (yea, yea, same with 'Jersey Housewives').

OK, so I am going to get off my soapbox now, after all, it's time for me to program my DVR to catch the latest episode of 'Ninja Industrial Tumbling Janitors'.

Clic here if you want to hear what the Huffington Post says

My favorite new show.

I have always admired people who pursue a passion, and better yet, can make a living doing it.
Artists, athletes, actors, builders, writers. It doesn't matter. If you are doing what you love, I admire that. Although I think of myself as consumed by a couple of passions, I have never been so consumed as to pursue them as a life style.

That is probably why I like 'Treehouse Masters', Pete Nelson is doing something he loves and his passion, although sometimes cheesy, comes shining through.

'Treehouse Masters' is on Animal Planet on Friday nights. Hey! That's tonight!

Here is a piece from the New York Times on the show.

And here is his web site and gallery. . .

They even built a tree house micro-brewery.
How cool is that.

Will catch up on our Florida trip soon. . .

Sorta QS #365 - Cover for MWA directory.

I really have fun doing these, and, probably, should do more.

Please say it's true...

Keeping my fingers crossed. . .

Popsicle's and swimming pools - Happy July 4th.

Visit all fifty states without leaving your TV. . .

This should be fun.

OK! Playing around with that program I showed you the other day. . . .

HERE.

(And, again, yes, those are my wife's legs. Who else's would they be?)

You will probably get tired of all our swim pictures now that I have a waterproof camera. . . .

But here goes anyway.

 After a couple of days of cool weather and lots of rain,  . . . the water was a little chilly.

 It didn't seem to slow Mickey down.

 Back lit sunset.

 Fresh water maninatee. (shirt )

Then, since we were both chilly, we made a pork pot pie.
Yum!