Above The Fold

It's The Decorum They're Ignorin'

2012-03-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Richard Leaman for organizing the Fortuna Congressional Candidate Forum at the high school on Thursday evening. (No small feat) The audience turnout was quite good. All nine candidates weighed in on a series of questions pertaining to job creation, education, health care and taxes. There was quite a bit of marijuana posturing from many of the candidates which was probably to be expected. But, what we came away with was how each candidate presented themselves as our future representative. There IS a decorum to the congressional office. There IS a certain manner that is expected from legislators serving in Washington D.C. It's required in order to get things done. (Remember the scolding Dan Hamburg received for wearing polo shirts in congressional session)
Out of the the nine candidates at the forum, we believe only three are truly up to the job. Susan Adams, Jared Huffman and Norman Soloman. They seemed to be the most studied and prepared candidates who understand the role. We must remember the 2nd Congressional District runs from Marin County to the Oregon Border. That's a lot of different folks to represent with different ideals and lifestyles.

As an aside, Kate wanted to bring the affable John Lewallyn home for conversation and tea.

OSCAR, OSCAR

2012-02-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

It's almost the magical night of Oscar. While the excitement and buzz about the Academy Awards isn't as strong here as other places I've lived (due in part, I have come to believe, that we don't have a chance to see all of the nominated films before the Awards air), Spence and I are forging ahead with our OSCAR predictions! We worked very hard to see these films before the big night--sometimes traveling 50+ miles round trip. So here goes:

BEST PICTURE:
Kate: The Artist
Spence: The Artist...I'll have to choose The Artist just for the sheer oddity of it being a silent film and because it was so well done in modern times. (Kate: oh brother....eye roll)

BEST ACTOR:
Kate: Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Spence: Jean Dujardin - The Artist

BEST ACTRESS:
Kate: Meryl Streep (I usually avoid Streep movies because her accents are annoying but I forgot I was watching her in Iron Lady)
Spence: Rooney Mara - The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. I had to remember that she was only acting and that's important. She convinced me.    (Er, I fell asleep in The Iron Lady...)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Kate:   Christopher Plummer, Beginnings
Spence: I didn't see any of the films nominated.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Kate: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Spence: Berenice Bejo, The Artist

Personal note: One of the supporting awards is usually a huge upset, which one will it be?

BEST DIRECTOR:
Kate: Michel Hazanavicious - The Artist
Spence: I could go with Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, but I believe it will be a sweep with Michel Hazanavicious...yes, a semi-sweep.

Kate - Biggest personal disappointments: Missing My Week With Marilyn when it was in Eureka; not having a chance to see Albert Nobbs, A Better Life, and the documentaries; seeing The Descendants after the hype--for me it was one of those smaller films that I needed to "discover" instead of going in with big expectations.

Spence - Biggest personal disappointments: I thought Hugo was a great special effects family film but didn't deserve an Oscar nomination and like Kate states, we get to see so few Oscar nominated films due to our Humboldt location.

Billy Crystal, you can do it!

2012-02-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

We have found ourselves addicted to two television shows. Love American Style and The Sopranos. Mind you, neither of these shows are currently in production, but can be found either in re-runs or by renting the season episodes at Spotlight Video in Fortuna.

Love American Style tickles us because of seeing the old network actors appearing as special guests. Joanne Worley, Ronnie Shell, Phyllis Diller, Paul Lynde and Bernadette Peters all had recurring roles.

The Sopranos, on the other hand, takes place in Northern New Jersey, with its rich Italian heritage, something Kate knows first hand about as she lived there during the show's production years. Often times, the serving of foods like sausage and peppers, manicotti and Sicilian cannoli have us drooling and running to Safeway to search for any and all manner of Italian delicacies which fail in comparison to the authentic East Coast versions, but make for wonderful snacks for watching the antics of Tony, Carmella, Uncle Junior, Silvino, Ma and the rest of the capos and goomahs.

Humboldt Crabs

2012-02-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, February 18th, the Humboldt Crabs are coming to the Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fortuna Sunrise, the team of crustaceans will be adored by all of those who attend. Until they are eaten. It's CrabFest 2012!

All-U-Can-Eat Crab, salad, pasta, bread and a full bar await patrons who love the succulent Northcoast delicacy with all of the fixins. Stir Fry Willie will be spinning new and retro tunes. The Editors will be there most assuredly.

Tickets are $30 for Adults and $15 for children. All proceeds go toward Fortuna Sunrise Rotary Club's local community efforts benefiting area children and seniors.

In other news, there is a nifty event happening at the Humboldt Swiss Club in Beatrice near College of the Redwoods on the same day. We can't say just exactly what the event is, as it is a private affair. But, pie is involved. Congratulations, K & M! Let's share a bread pudding and strata at the Loleta Bakery soon, shall we?

Duane Rigge--Your Services Are No Longer Needed

2012-02-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

The Fortuna City Council has just summarily dismissed Duane Rigge effective some time soon. They never even considered "negotiating" a new contract, they went right to how to recruit a new City Manager. They may ask Rigge to stay and help select the new manager. Oh SNAP!

2012-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

The Editors started Superbowl Sunday by attending the quarterly Flea Market at Redwood Acres in Eureka. We agreed in advance to choose just one item to decorate the house. When we arrived, we knew we had a formidable task at hand--Francessci Hall was packed. You couldn't just stop to look at an item, you had to glance at the item and then place it in your mind as the crowd pushed you forward to the next table. Spence loves advertising art (Campbell's soup and Hamms not so much) and Kate loves restaurant dinnerware with the logos of cafes emblazoned on the plate. Sadly, we found neither. But, we did find a stack of Melmac double-plates from the early 1960's with designs that looked like bowling alley art on them. And, we found part of a set of Western-themed plates and bowls made in England. The rope design that rimmed the bowl on top of the stack initially caught our eye but it was discovering the roping cowboy on plates beneath that sold us. Oh, and a vintage wire whisk. Interestingly enough, Spence popped into an antique store in Fortuna later in the afternoon as he will often do on his Sunday walk. There he found a few items he had just observed at the Flea Market at half the price. WHAT??? Yep, we love to think of flea markets as the place to find great bargains on soon-to-be-antiques and all manner of knick-knackery. Ha!

A Possible Solution for the Houseless Issue in Fortuna

2012-02-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

While it may not be as headline grabbing as with other Humboldt County towns and cities, Fortuna is suffering from a homeless crisis. Our homeless camps are hidden from view, but those people that choose to be houseless --are not. Many are creating problems for businesses in Redwood Village Shopping Center and Strongs Creek Plaza...and that's not ok. Some are living on a particular piece of property with the owner turning a blind eye.

It doesn't seem fair that this property owner and the houseless residents that live there don't have to follow the strict building codes of the City of Fortuna.

Potential business owners have opted not to open businesses in Fortuna due to the costly and extremely rigid rules enforced by the City's building inspector. In fact, some current business owners have commented that they feel unfairly targeted by the City and that the inspector is absolutely non-collaborative in his dealings with them.

In comparison, when asked about the houseless situation, the City says its hands are tied. The Editors of Above The Fold have a solution--send the building inspector out to the houseless camps on Fortuna Boulevard and levee fines for the many rule infractions--including improper tent installation and lack of plumbing. And I'm quite sure their signs haven't been properly installed (that's one area some Fortuna businesses say they have felt the wrath of the inspector). We've seen the camp on Fortuna Boulevard--and even with our untrained eye--we're pretty sure it is not up to code.

The City of Fortuna needs to help, not hinder, the business and residential community in getting our priorities straight (and be fair across the board) when dealing with infractions and regulations.

"It's Absolutely Pronounced 'On-Deeve'"

2012-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

How much do I LOVE the "Straight Talk" television commercial when the woman talking on the phone says--and I paraphrase--"and we'll have an endive salad...no, it's absolutely pronounced on-deeve." My hats are off to this phone company and ad agency who seem to be, in addition to selling a product, on a mission to single-handedly teach America how to say endive.

It is INDEED pronounced On-DEEVE. I remember the exact moment in 1985 when I learned I had mispronounced that leafy green lettucey thing (I said ON-dive that day). I had gone out to lunch at a swank Washington, D.C. eatery on the Hill with a group from my UO Alumni Association (including the new Executive Director visiting from Eugene) and, due to my budget limitations, I ordered the endive salad...it was the cheapest item on the menu. When I went back to my office and retold the entire lunch story from start to finish to my coworkers (I had shared a ride with my very cute Alumni ED and was all atwitter)--including what I had ordered for lunch--I was gently told it was on-DEEVE salad I had ordered, not ON-dive salad. What did I know? (I was from a small town on the Oregon Coast for heaven's sake.)

But, I was TOTALLY embarrassed by the memory of ordering incorrectly since I was supposed to be a cosmopolitan East Coast city girl. I never mispronounced it again.

So, I salute you Straight Talk phone company and your ad agency. We will get America on track one endive leaf at a time.

~Kate

Camping: Kate & Spence Style

2012-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

Kate and Spence are going camping this weekend. They'll take in the great outdoors, commune with nature, call out to their inner John Muirs. And they hope like Hell there is a good "Husband kills Wife mystery" on one of the satellite channels or Kate's weekend will be nearly ruined. Already, she'll be roughing it by having to walk in her bare feet the few steps to the unnatural hot springs spa near her cot for a rejuvenating soothing soak. Spence has been taking on extra sessions of Jazzercise in order to be fit enough to hike the great distance from the trailhead with Tucker the dog all the way to the campsite. They say it may be as much as 0.00745645431 miles all tolled.

Their secret campground? Oh, no. True seekers of primeval solitude never divulge their secret wilderness locations. Soon, others will discover this bastion of natural solace and they'll have none of that. Ok, if you must know: Kate's Hideaway

The Full-On Santorum

2012-01-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, Spence has taken to wearing a sweater vest and tie to work. When he goes to the closet, he'll announce, "I think I'll go Full-On Santorum, today". That usually sends Kate into a chortle. Presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania is seen regularly on the campaign trail wearing a sweater vest. In fact, you can get a free Santorum sweater vest by donating a mere $100 to his campaign. Too bad, Spence prefers argyle. A colleague of Spence's, who has worn sweater vests for years, now refuses to wear sweater vests after seeing Santorum being ballyhooed in the press for wearing them. It's funny how politics can hold sway over fashion.

THRASHED or TRASHED?

2012-01-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Spence: When the Occupiers in Eureka squatted in the vacant house in Eureka, they reportedly "thrashed" the house and left it in an awful mess. Or, did they "trash" the house. I guess it depends on which word you choose. Either way, both words are being used incorrectly. Webster's states Thrashed as "flailing or beating something, to swing or strike as with a stick.”The prison guard thrashed the inmate about the shoulders with his night stick. Whereas Trashed only has one definition; slang for getting drunk. As in, "Dude, I was so trashed last night". Of course these terms are only two of countless misused words and phrases that have made their way into the Humboldt lexicon.

Kate: I have to disagree. TRASHED is correct, and THRASHED is a word that was once misused and then inexplicably caught on in popular west coast language. I had never heard the word "thrashed" used for that definition until I moved back to the west coast. The first few times I heard it I thought I had misunderstood what people were saying, I only knew the word "thrash" as a farming activity. I use the word "trashed"...as in "they trashed the house." I'm pretty sure you can find a source for anything you want to prove. While some may discount dictionary.com, I'm going to use it for my argument:

"Trash" verb (used with object)

Slang to destroy, damage, or vandalize, as in anger or protest: The slovenly renters had trashed the house.

Although Webster's does have for TRASH:

Examples of TRASH

a computer program that trashes useless files
The vacuum cleaner couldn't be fixed, so I trashed it.
The apartment had been trashed.
He says that the government's policies are trashing the environment.

Dictionary.com has no such definition for "thrashed," slang or otherwise. Although it does say "to defeat soundly" which I didn't know (as in one team thrashed another).

Comeback Town U.S.A.

2012-01-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

The Editors spent a lovely day in Crescent City today. Throughout the years, Crescent City has been referred to as "The Armpit" of the North Coast. We completely disagree. We believe the armpit moniker was hoisted upon the town in the heart of America's Wild Rivers Coast by it's neighbors to the south in Humboldt County. The rivalries between the two counties have simmered for years. Even beyond high school sports.
We find Crescent City a charming, affable, little getaway all wrapped in seaside splendor with ocean mist, bright blue waters, screeching gulls and really friendly business owners and residents. So there!

Great restaurants, not so much. We can overlook that. Get off of Highway 101 and look around. The charm will sneak up on you.

(Comeback Town U.S.A was coined by KPOD radio station owner, Bill Stamps, in 1964 following the devastating tidal wave that completely thrashed the town)

33-1/3

2012-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

As Kate and I are talking about plans to merge our belongings into one household, there is still a large pink elephant standing in the room that neither of us is talking about. She owns the vast majority of the belongings in the home as I started a post-divorce life with very little. Beyond my clothing, (including stage wear), my musical equipment, boxes of family historical treasures, a tiny collection of wall art, a few books and a scant few pieces of cookware, I come with very few trappings. Oh, except for the giant pink elephant staring at us from the center of the room that neither of us is talking about. Did I mention that?

What to do with the nearly 4000 piece vinyl record collection. Oh, that. Right now, it's out of sight and out of mind. But, it lurks, oh does it lurk. There will have to be a big ceremonial purging when that day comes to decide what to do with it. Do I really need to hang onto the 1969 Archies Promotional LP from the Television Series or the 1960's Typing Instructional record with the very cool cover of a bouffanted stenographer taking notes for her executive boss? Yes, Yes I do.

Art and Wine After Dark

2012-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

The brand new Main Street Art Gallery on Main St. in Fortuna, hosted its first “Art and Wine After Dark” event on Friday night fom 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery featured work by owner Carlos “Chuck” Bowden, including 84 drawings in pencil and ball-point pen on mediums as diverse as ostrich eggs, clay poker chips and fossilized ivory (not to mention quite a few on paper).

We had a great time going to this inaguaral event with our exchange student, Emilio. Emilio is studying art in his quest to study for a career in mechanical drawing. Chuck Bowden's art is a great inspiration for him.

Fortuna having a full-time art gallery with opening night receptions is a great edition to the Friendly City.

Chuck Bowden Art

2012-01-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Velkommen til Randers

De toppede brosten, gamle bindingsværkshuse, snævre stræder og gader, asymmetriske torve er atmosfærefyldte rammer for det moderne byliv.
Naturen kiler sig ind i byen og giver mulighed for en afslappende stund. Museer, gallerier og kunsthåndværkere er en væsentlig del af bybilledet. De små afstande gør det let at få et oplevelsesrigt ophold i Randers.

The Editors are planning a visit to Kate's exchange students' home towns to see Pernille in Denmark, Simone in Switzerland and Horis (Miley) in France sometime in the future. Time to dig out the passports, dust off the guide books and start saving pennies.

Kate is looking forward to seeing the mermaid in the Copenhagen harbor, the bears in Bern's Square and revisiting the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Spence is looking forward to enjoying a Danish pastry, Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa and French Fries.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2012-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

The University of Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl. We attended a little gathering to watch the game and decided we would take something edible that represented the team. Kate is an alum of Oregon and owns a 1947 cookbook published by the U. of O. mothers. As we poured through the pages of recipes looking for just the perfect item we had to sometimes just stop and chuckle. The compilation of recipes were all from former sorority members during the hey-day of Greek social organizations. Some of the titles of the recipes were Bachelor Bait Cake and Matrimony Cake and something called Jellied Pork and Veal Loaf. And just what is "scant" when used to describe a measurement? We ultimately decided to go on our own and made Green and Yellow frosted sugar cookies with phrases like "Go Ducks" or "Love My Ducks" and "Quack Attack". But, one day, I am going to whip open that U. of O. Mothers cookbook and surprise Kate with a batch of Baked Ring Tum Tiddy with a side of Liver Sausage Aspic and Squash Coffee Custard Pie for dessert. Yum.

2012 (The Sky Is Falling)

2012-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

2012 is here! Is this the year of doom, despair, agony, locusts and the plague of toads? Oh, come on....both Kate and Spence have way too many things to do this year. We survived the aligning of the planets in 1983. Hmmm, that's very interesting, because Spence's career in television began in 1983. And, Kate was five months into her job at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performance Arts in Washington D.C. So, that theory was sure shot to Hell. And the whole Y2K fiasco at the beginning of 2000 sure went kaput. Soooooooo, Rave On, 2012! No Mayans are going to rain on our parade.

5-4-3-2-1 zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2011-12-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Spence:

For the past 30 years, I have had my New Year's Eve planned for me. This year is only the second time in three decades I have not spent December 31st playing music in a club or social hall for celebrants. So, I have completely turned off thinking about ways to celebrate the evening with Kate. Valentines Day, her birthday, Christmas, vacation getaways, even the anniversary of our first date are all planned in advance with much thought. But, here I sit just one day away from a big celebratory day going, "meh"

In my opinion, New Year's Eve is amateur night for people going out.

So, Kate asked me what I would like to do this year to celebrate New Year's Eve since I didn't have to work. It dawned on me that I might seem selfish about the matter if I didn't want to go out. Perhaps she would like us to get dressed up in our finery, enjoy a evening of sophisticated dining, dancing and horn-tooting. Honestly, I would rather hide out in a darkened movie theater with my best friend holding hands and escaping all of that chicanery. Then, catch a little Mary Tyler Moore Show on television and be asleep by 10:15pm.

Kate: I've always felt a lot of pressure to have the perfect New Year's Eve...and of course the big night never lives up to the hype (for me). When I was a kid, my parents woke us up and we went outside on the deck and hit pans with wooden spoons to mark the magical midnight hour. Now THAT'S a great way to ring in the new year! I'm all for a movie in town (with popcorn of course) and falling asleep at 10:15...I'm with ya Spence. Don't forget we will be walking at Rohner Park at 9 a.m. on New Year's Day!

P.S. Didn't you always love the Andre Champagne commercials leading up to New Year's Eve?

And, the updated 1983 version:

Snowman or Santa?

2011-12-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

Spence and I are a good test case for the idea that people are often one way or the other...either cat people (Spence) or dog people (me); like to cook (Spence) or would rather not (me); tea drinkers (Spence) or coffee drinkers (me). (Thankfully, neither of us are "campers.")

There's another category to add to that list..."snowman" person or "santa" person.

I like to shop for new Christmas decorations during the "day after Christmas" sales (it's a perfect time because they are a bargain and I'm still in the holiday mood). Today while participating in the second busiest shopping day of the year, I found two similar table decorations that I was considering for my collection...one featured a Santa putting a star on a cone-shaped tree and one featured a snowman putting a star on a triangular tree. I knew which one I liked, but I asked Spence to give his opinion. He said "snowman." I, of course, liked the Santa. My eye has gone automatically to everything "Santa" the past few years. His, Spence admits, has been favoring snowmen. Tough choice for a Santa fan.

This year, I picked the snowman.

Spicy & Sweet

2011-12-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas, Everyone!

The Editors are traveling with our Chilean exchange student, Emilio, for Christmas. Destination: a remote fishing village on the coast of Oregon to visit with Kate's family.

Emilio is enamored by all things American. He wants to buy everything he sees, mostly because popular items are so cheap here in America. So, of course he wants a pair of the Air Jordan sneakers from the 90's that have come back onto the market as a retro must-have. We guess they may be the Cabbage Patch doll or Tickle Me Elmo of Christmas 2011.

Other trends include the Keurig (sp?) coffee maker, (which in 2005 Kate thought would never hit mainstream when she worked at Bed Bath & Beyond. "This will never catch on", she thought. But, she said the same thing about the Blackberry smart phone.

Spence will miss some of the traditional Eastern Humboldt County rituals, like the annual touch football game at the Elementary School and Brussels sprouts/bacon surprise. That's not to say he's not looking forward to a holiday on the Umpqua.

We have spent the morning reflecting on Christmases past--Kate in New York with an old boyfriend's Brooklyn/Italian/Catholic family and their scungili and calamari Christmas Eve dinner (although they never pronounced the "i"s at the end); and Spence's Christmas of '64 along the Trinity River spent sleeping in 2 cars while watching the town float away.

Each year has it's own special flavor--may this Christmas make memories that are spicy and sweet.

The Cat Man

2011-12-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Behind the former Curley's/Parlato's Restaurant in Fortuna live 15 cats. Living among the briars and the brambles, they actually live the life of luxury. We had a chance to talk with their caretaker the other morning as he was making his rounds feeding each of them in their little rain shelters he built for them out of cutting trash cans in half. To disguise the shelters, he painted them in camouflage and put up little duck blind netting. He told us each of the feral cats has beenlive-trapped, spayed and neutered. During the operation of the restaurant, the kitchen staff would give them treats throughout the day. Because the restaurant is closed, it's up to their caretaker to come everyday to tend to their needs. He had names for each of them, including Mamma Cat and the Alpha Cat who ruled the roost by swatting other cats away from his food dish. There was one bold cat who would come to the door of the restaurant while we were Jazzercising inside. He said, "oh yeah, the black and white one with the mask on his face." He definitely knew every cat and their personalities. This is the kind of quiet volunteerism we enjoy seeing in and around The Friendly City.

Now in Gold Beach, someone has built luxurious accommodations for the stray cats along the riverfront. But we have to ask, do cats really know the difference between camouflaged trash can shelters and the Condos On The Rogue seen below?

Kate: This older, retired gentleman seemed "normal" and caring. Had it been a woman, would we have thought she was a typical obsessed "crazy" cat lady?

Gold Beach Cat Houses

Boys Are Boys Are Boys

2011-12-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter if there is a language barrier, an age difference or cultural divide, boys are boys.

I took our Chilean exchange student shopping for gifts for Christmas at the Bayshore Mall. We hurried through the gift buying and made a beeline for the Tilt arcade. Boy, did we have fun pouring through ten dollars worth of quarters. Video games with military killing themes, car driving games, air hockey, skeeball, basketball, win the quarters game and mechanical fishing for cheap gold watches. We loved the competition, the camaraderie and male bonding. Women think it's a waste of time and money. Yeah, well they never got the daily high score on Mutilator II.

Service Beyond "May I Help You?"

2011-12-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

We would like to give props to our local shopkeepers, service providers and restaurateurs who treat us with wonderful holiday cheer as we navigate through our Christmas obligations. In a recent list on Huffington Post, good customer service was ranked as one of the most important everyday elements that make us happy.

Because times are tough, we are not going to bash those scrooges who can't even get it together to formulate a smile.
So, here's to you our favorite customer service folks. (In no particular order)

Strehl's Family Shoes. (Who else measures your feet?)
Ring's Pharmacy in Ferndale
Kidlicious at Strong's Creek Plaza
Bed Bath & Beyond
(Disclaimer: Kate is a previous Employee of the Month)
Caravan of Dreams in Arcata
The Hair Port in Henderson Center
Green's Pharmacy in Fortuna
Hummel Tire & Wheel in Fortuna
Scotia Inn Pub
Signature Coffee in Garberville
Umpqua Bank in Fortuna
Fortuna Music Mart
Target (Yes, Target!)
Loleta Bakery
Dave's Union 76 in Fortuna
(They actually check your oil and tire pressure!)
Tiara Lachelle Skin Care in Fortuna
See's Candy in Fortuna
Velluntini's in Henderson Center (Hi Mary!)

Those are our favorites. Please offer your choices. Bashing comments will be removed.
(And, yes we ARE Fortuna-centric. Ha! Live with it!)

We're This Close!

2011-12-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Are you aware polio will be gone from the Earth in our lifetime?

Thanks to the efforts of Rotary International, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization, polio will no longer cause children to become crippled by this tenacious disease. And, we're winning the fight. Only four countries--India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afganistan report children becoming affected each year. But, the new cases are extremely low. Only a few hundred new cases last year. Period. Out of 7 billion people, that's remarkable. All due to getting children immunized in cities, towns and villages in the most remote corners of these endemic countries.

On New Year's Day in Fortuna, scores of walkers will descend upon Rohner Park for the annual From Day One Walk to Eradicate Polio. Sponsored by the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary, From Day One is a local fundraising and awareness event aimed at contributing to this worldwide cause. Here is a true instance of Think Globally, Act Locally.

Join us at 9am on New Year's Day at Rohner Park in Fortuna for this great little event. It's only $10 per person, $25 for a family of four. It's an easy 1.5 mile trek through the streets of Fortuna ending back at the park for a soul-warming pancake breakfast prepared by the Rotarians. You'll be back home in time for all of the New Year's Day NFL games.

See's The Moment

2011-12-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

From now until December, 24th, the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary Club is selling See's candy at Redwood Village Shopping Center. Here you'll find all of the See's favorites--one and two pound boxes of assorted chocolates, nuts and chews, peanut brittle, peppermint delights and other candy novelties. They make the perfect holiday present for the hard to buy for. You know.....the elderly.

Kate and I signed up to take a few shifts manning the store. Last night, I had a go at it. Whew....let me tell you, I haven't worked in retail since I was fired from Circle K putting in just three weeks worth of work in 1978. I've never quite got the hang of it.

While I have a gift for gab, (as Kate can quite attest to) which works well for customer service, I struggle with the mechanics of retail work. Mostly, the monetary transaction. Nowadays, everything is done by credit card. The Rotary Club has the old fashioned slide-the-card-over-the-paper dealies. When I used it, the customers looked at me like I still owned a rotary phone and my privy had a crescent moon on it.

All-in-all, working retail for one day after 33 years wasn't so bad. And the customers where quite cheery, probably since they were buying candy. One lady bought $148 worth of See's Candy. Then she turned to me and said, "There, all of my shopping is done" Well, there you go.

It's all for a good cause. (The American Cancer Society and Rotary community projects) and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.......33 years from now.

Duane Rigge Contract Renewal - Not Business As Usual

2011-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

A benign press release was sent from Fortuna's City Hall this week announcing Duane Rigge's contract as City Manager was up for renewal and that he and the Council would be negotiating his contract. News Channel 3 and the Times-Standard ran the blurb as filler--and rightly so. It seemed a non-starter item. Not so fast, Above The Fold wondered, why send a press release about something the sounds routine?

As it turns out, if the Council was prepared to renew Rigge's contract they would have done so automatically and it would have happened without fanfare with maybe an announcement that it had been renewed. The real reason for the release was to let people know what's been going on in closed sessions on employee evaluations.

The Council is NOT prepared to renew Rigge's contract as it stands now, if at all. Rigge's current contract has the super-majority clause that he cannot be fired without a 4-1 vote (put in place by a very different Council a few years ago)

However, at contract time, it only takes a 3-2 vote to not renew the City Manager's contract. There are rumblings at City Hall about how certain employee issues have been handled and certainly other issues that we're not privy to.

No other outlet is letting you know the story behind the story, so ATF will have to be your source until the real story is picked up.

UPDATE***Cheryl Nicholson (former Assistant City Manager and we're not sure what her title had been changed to) was let go by City Manager Rigge today. Big loss to the City of Fortuna as she was one of the few people willing to give straight answers and look out for the well-being of the City.

The Passing of Dave Banducci

2011-11-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

There have been a series of losses that have greatly affected us here at Above The Fold. The passing of Dave Banducci and the demise of the Humboldt Beacon. We'll post on the Humboldt Beacon tomorrow.

Dave Banducci was a wonderful man, exemplary coach and outstanding dancer. Dave was one of the very first people I met when I moved to the coast in January of 1979. He was the College of the Redwood's women's basketball coach and I was the new camera operator for videotaping the "game films" for the coaches and teams to view back. Early on, he gave me praise for my camera abilities that carried me through my career. Years later, he became a member of the Redwood Country Kickers country dance team. Dancing was a passion with Dave. And, he was extremely good at it going as far as winning competitions in couples dancing. I have known Dave as a dancer for over 20 years. It was during this era of his life when I really became acquainted with him. We held meaningful conversations on myriad of subjects throughout the years during breaks in the music when he went dancing with his friends. Here was a competitive college football, basketball and swimming coach mingling with a wimpy, skinny musician in nightclubs packed with drunken cowboys and brazen cowgirls. Very fun times. One of my fondest memories of Dave happened when our band was playing at the Red Lion Motor Inn in Eureka. He was there to dance with his friends. At the same time, the football team for one of CR's arch rivals was staying at the same hotel. The coaches for their team had come down to whet their whistles before retiring for the night to prepare for the next day's big game. Dave and the rival head coach were eyeing each other all night. I asked Dave, how competitive were teams toward each other when off the field. He said, "Well, while their coaches are down here in the bar not minding the team in their rooms, I just sent a case of whiskey upstairs." Delivered in the nonchalant, easy manner of Dave Banducci that line has had me laughing for years. We will miss you on the dance floor, my friend.

-Spence

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

The Editors are preparing for the day by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade showing glimpses of Kate's life when she lived in New York City. Spence tries to offer life comparisons by telling stories of his involvement with the Bigfoot Daze parade in Willow Creek. Kate rolls her eyes.

Bachelor Uncle and the Spinster Aunt

2011-11-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time when families come together. Some members you only see once a decade and never really know their life story. Remember when there were unmarried members of the family you would see at family reunions and other gatherings?

"Mom, who is that old lady?". "That's your Great-Aunt Kate, dear, she's, well, she's your, um...she's your Spinster Aunt. Remember how I told you she decided she didn't need a man. But, we haven't given up hope."

"And, that old man over there...who is he?" Well, son, that's Great-Uncle Spence. He was married long, long ago... Now, he lives in the Mother-in-Law unit he calls, The Villa"

Kate, oh my God, they're talking about us!

2011-11-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

This year, Mother Nature has displayed an overwhelming spectrum of autumnal color. It was one year ago this week that I (Spence) took up photography. My camera of choice is my cell phone (a perfect choice confirmed by Annie Leibovitz). While out walking, I'll photograph objects that attract my eye and promptly text them to Kate. Many times, I do this when Kate or I are traveling apart as a way to stay connected. Ultimately, Kate is the only viewer of these photographs as they are soon deleted on both of our cell phones.

The Fall colors are incredible this year, aren't they?

Redux in the Redwoods

2011-11-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

We live in Humboldt County's 2nd district. Was there a supervisor before Harry Pritchard? It would have been a long time ago.

Currently, Clif Clendenen, the incumbent, is being challenged by Estelle Fennell. Is history destined to repeat itself? This race seem to be so very reminiscent of the Heider/Rodoni era with back and forth campaigns ending with each contestant winning a term.

We are anxiously following this race. We think it will shape up to be one of the most socially intriquing races of this election season.

Your thoughts?

Chile Today, Hot Tamale

2011-11-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

There is much scurrying around the Above The Fold household. There is a little bundle of joy headed our way. The stork is flying in to drop him off on the weekend after Thanksgiving. The spare bedroom has to be prepared for his arrival. New bedspreads and dresser decorations have to be purchased to reflect his specific gender and replace the frilly, girlie accoutrements that previously adorned the room.

Kate and Spence are about to be parents to a brand new, bouncing baby Chilean foreign exchange student named Emilio. The proud parents are bubbling with excitement and are endlessly Googling his hometown of Talca in the Maule region of Chile.

Spence: The first thing I'm going to do is teach him the American father/son tradition of "pull my finger."

Kate: I've found myself preparing for Emilio in a different way than I prepared for the three girls...and it's maddeningly gender-based. My initial thought was I needed to find different chores for him than I had for the girls..that I couldn't ask HIM to unload the dishwasher. Then I realized, OH YES I CAN. Why shouldn't HE unload the dishwasher like all the girls had to do? As a life-long feminist, I was unsettled by my gender-based reaction to a boy. There is much to be learned about Emilio--and myself.

How much different will a boy be? Will he listen to the same radio station that the girls tuned in to? Will he obligingly follow our rules? What kind of groceries do we have to buy? Will he eat us out of house and home? Or is a teenager a teenager? Do gender and nationality have anything to do with it?

Did we mention he still doesn't speak English very well? Yikes.

It's starting to sound like a television sitcom in the making..."The Boys and Kate." Spence, Tucker and Emilio...and me.

Hail The 1%

2011-11-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Watching the 99% vs the 1% argument via the various Occupy movements across the nation, it started us thinking about applying that same percentage difference to local folks. But, let's put a twist on the idea. Let's use local numbers to view the amount spent in philanthropy, volunteerism and service to our communities.

Let's use the Redwood Memorial Hospital Foundation as an example. At Saturday night's Benefit Ball, the Eel River Valley's top 1% income earners were present. They collectively donated well over $100,000 in one night to Redwood Memorial Hospital for the betterment of the hospital's needed equipment and services.

These same 1% in the Eel River Valley are contributing similar donations all across the area--contributions that are helping our senior populations, our youth, our less fortunate and our communities as a whole to be healthier, happier and robust. Redwood Memorial Hospital is just one example of a great many causes where these contributions are applied.

This 1% gives so much through their businesses, service organizations, philanthropic foundations and personal volunteering. And you see the same people day after day, month after month and year after year contributing in this way. Yes, the top 1% of income earners of the Eel River Valley are quietly contributing to the betterment of the rest of the 99% of the community.

Before we line up to protest in front of their businesses, their non-profit organizations, their municipal offices and their dairy ranches decrying the fact that they make too much money and should be taxed accordingly, just think what the 99% could do if so inspired by the actions of this particular 1%.

The Work of Low Lifes

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

The destruction to the three Rohnerville cemeteries on October 30th was absolutely inexcuseable. Some believe it was drunken aggression and retaliation? What is wrong with people? Where is the falling down of society coming from? What purpose does this serve the criminal? These are questions that will never be answered. Jail time and fines won't repair the damage to these historic family memorials. We hope karma works its magic on the two perpetrators. Times-Standard story

Where did you grow up?

2011-10-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

"Where did you grow up?" I use this question as a conversation starter when I want to get to know someone better. Almost everyone will answer and talk about their youth and the town or area they grew up in. Everyone wants to talk about themselves unless they are trying to hide something.

Kate was a little bit leery of this line of questioning when I first met her. She accused me of "handling her." I call it interviewing. We laugh about it now.

I love to hear where people hail from. Here in Humboldt County, a lot of people are not originally from here. Not in an Ernie Branscomb sense, that is. People have moved here in the last few decades for one reason or another. I love to hear their stories. I love to hear about the orange groves of Southern California, the distinct neighborhoods of towns in the East Bay or the windy streets of Chicago.
It's a far cry from the fishing and logging communities I grew up in around Eastern Humboldt County.

Where did you grow up?

Grave Matters & Untimely Departures

2011-10-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Digging up cemetery stories

Mystery, intrigue and unusual circumstances! Mark your calendar for Sunday, October 30 to attend Grave Matters and Untimely Departures at Fortuna's Sunrise cemetery. See theatrical presentations portraying the "residents" of the cemetery from 2pm to 6pm.

Hear the tales of the eerily departed portrayed by local seasoned theater actors and Don Brown.

See the story of Leo Gallagher, 1928 Fortuna High student killed during a game between Ferndale and Fortuna which led to banning of the sport of football from Fortuna High for nearly two decades.

Poor Mrs. Ella Morris, died while wandering from Eureka aimlessly demented for five days to fall from the Dyerville bluffs.

A modern-day Romeo & Juliet who committed suicide by taking poison in the Redwoods near Bull Creek. Hear how this fractured student genius from Portland and his new girlfriend succumbed to deaths calling after reading the works of German poetic romanticist Heinrich von Kliest.

Hear the tale of a stabbing and gunshot death in the 1920's that led to early prohibition in Fortuna.

There's the story of a logging-era dance hall dandy dying of syphilis, a crazy Norweigan trying multiple times and finally succeeding by drowning himself in the Eel River, the suicide by hanging of a Fortuna school teacher despondent over divorce and more.

On Sunday, October 30th, park at Newburg ball fields and ride the shuttle up to the show. Tickets are $10 and available at the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce office or at the gate.

Champagne Music

2011-10-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Goodnight, sleep tight, and pleasant dreams to you
Here's a wish and a prayer that every dream comes true
And now 'til we meet again
Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehn.....Good Night!

Oh sure, those words are on the tip of your tongue, but are more apt to be burned into your memory if you are from a certain vintage. When we were first courting, we were discussing our musical guilty pleasures. One artist we both agreed on as being very ingrained in our memories and someone we would watch on televsion at our grandparent's house on Saturday night, was Lawrence Welk. Although, when pressed in the beginning, Kate uttered to Spence, "I didn't think I wanted to mention him, I didn't know you that well."

Now, on Sunday evenings on KEET-TV, The Lawrence Welk Show continues to spur great memories for us. And, you probably aren't surprised we can sing the theme song by heart and in harmony.
Here are our favorite members of the Lawrence Welk family.
Spence:
From my grandmother, I learned many of the Lawrence Welk Band members by name.
Although, she could tell you their hometowns, too. I have many favorites. Bass singer and piano player, Larry Hooper, accordionist Myron Floren, clarinetist Henry Questa, and tap dancer Arthur Duncan seem to top the list. I shudder, though, when I'm subjected to Irish tenor, Joe Finney and soprano Norma Zimmer. Oh yeah, I can't forget guitarists Buddy Merrill and Neil LeVang.
Kate:
I often watched The Lawrence Welk show at my great Aunt Bertie's house eating Jiffy Pop and drinking Tang. She loved the Lennon Sisters so of course I did too. I really liked watching Joanne Castle, she always seemed so friendly and bouncy (I learned later that may have been due to drugs and alcohol). And I loved the Christmas special when everyone brought their families and the kids misbehaved...it was rivaled only by the Andy Williams Christmas Special. My mother often found fault with the "newcomers" teeth...but any stray snaggle tooth was always fixed by the next season.

Dear Occupant

2011-10-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

With Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Humboldt, Occupy Here and Occupy There in full effect, we started wondering about our place in this society. Kate and I are among an age group of people born in a time period in the United States whose ideals don't reflect the views of the baby boomers who came before us or those of the generations that follow. The counter culture movement of the 1960's, with it's "Tune in , turn on, drop out" mantra doesn't mean much to us. Nor does the movement of the cynical Generation X and Gen Y kids who the boomers complain about with lines like,  “Kids today do nothing. They're so apathetic. We used to go out and protest. All they do is shop and complain.”

We, I guess we are the Yuppies most people are disgusted with. We started working at 14 years old, avoided the temptations of substance abuse, graduated from college and DID get the good jobs. While our parents served their country during times of war, purchased homes, raised kids and are members of the "Great Generation", our older brothers and sisters protested against that and preferred to associate with the counter culture movement. We, in the meantime, searched for and demanded the finer things in life, better education, material items and personal freedoms fueled by the wants and needs of everyone else in our society. We contributed and took from this society. And, so did everyone else.

We were children of the 1960's. Actually, little kids in elementary school during that era.  Consumerism was aimed directly at us. And, we bought it. And, are still buying it. That doesn't mean we aren't above service to our community. We volunteer in droves. Most importantly, to us...we work long, hard hours without complaint. Our parents ingrained in us that through education and hard work, we could achieve anything we wanted. And, we did.

Are we Right Wing Conservatives? Are we Left Wing Liberals? Neither. Kate and I take the ideals of both political factions and apply them accordingly.

While we understand the premise of Occupy Wall Street, it looks like and feels more like an excuse for a party. Protesting for protest's sake, while we go to work each day minding our own business knowing we will be working until we are 75 years old as we house our boomerang 20-something children and care for our elderly parents.   Maybe, we should be the ones out there protesting?

Where the Yuppies are today

~Spence

Love Me....Love My Dog

2011-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Tucker

When I first began squiring Kate, I didn't know she came with a canine adornment. The first visit to her abode introduced me to a fine chap of Bostonion lineage. At first, we both barely tolerated each other, keeping our distance like prize fighters leering from across the ring.

One day, Kate handed me his leash and said, "Would you like to walk him?" I thought that would be a nice way to bond with this 12lb wiry Jack Dempsey-built fellow. First grab of the leash and I swear, he lit into me like Mike Tyson going after Evander Holyfield's left ear. Kate just chuckled and said he playfully nips when he gets excited. I wasn't buying it. He burst off of his corner stool, charging at me like Jersey Joe Walcott with gloves a-flailing. I threw up a bit of the old Muhammed Ali Rope-a-Dope against George Foreman tactic and wore him down into submission.

Outside, I couldn't believe how much fluid this dromedary beast was capable of holding. Run three feet....lift leg. Run six feet....lift leg. Run four feet....lift leg. This was no Paris Hilton lap dog, oh no, let's make that perfectly clear. When we even came close to him sensing a territorial compromise with another dog, he would hackle up and defend the line. Rin Tin Tin wouldn't stand a chance against this tea pot-sized terror. I just knew taking him for a walk meant keeping your head down and walking briskly.

Then Kate and I came to a place in our lives where reading the Sunday paper with CBS Sunday Morning on the television fit into our courtship plans. But, Saturday night (Take note, Kristabel) wasn't always blissful afterglow and pillow talk. Oh no, the Joe Don Baker of the terrior world had to squeeze in between us and demand attention, but not before doing his famous, "I will walk all over your face and stomp on your manhood" routine. Kate would just mollycoddle the boy and say, "I know, I know, he's a pill."

Time went on and Tucker, the Boston Terrier and I shook hands and put our differences aside.
Now, we have a fondness for each other's company. But, really, it's all for show for Kate. When she's not around, we'll share a cigar, hoist a bourbon and play a round of Texas Hold 'Em on the green felt table in the den.

I am writing this while Kate is away attending one of her service organization leadership training whoop-de-doo's while Tucker is "baching it" with me up at the Villa in the City where we won't have to be watching Dancing With The Stars or Glee or The Good Wife or whatever the women are watching these days. Nope, we'll crank up the Bachman Turner Overdrive albums on the stereo, dance around the living room in our boxers and stay up til the cows come home. Or at least until bedtime at 10pm, when we both get plum tuckered out.

~Spence

October is Cemetery Appreciation Month

2011-10-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

Autumn's Resting Place

When the crisp October mornings arrive, sometimes we fail to realize this is Cemetery Appreciation Month. The stores are all carrying orange this and brown that and of course Halloween items have been out since July, we swear.

The month of May seems like it should be the obvious month to recognize the cemeteries, especially with Memorial Day. The graveyards are nicely mowed, green in color and flowers are all in bloom around the flag poles. It is such a sight to behold all of the gravesites decorated with American flags during that time. And November, with Veteran's Day, as a recognition toward the men and women who served our nation in military service, would seem to be the month the memorial gardens would be celebrated.

But, no, the National Sexton's Society and the Brotherhood of Pall Bearers both recognize October as Cemetery Appreciation Month. Here at the offices of Above The Fold, we get that. The crunch of the Autumn leaves under your feet, the brown, dry grass, the pine cones littered beneath the trees and the crows flitting here and there looking for handouts.

There really should be more celebrations around the cemeteries at this time of year. We wonder why there aren't more. We'll look at the community calendars to see what the rest of the month holds. Someone must be putting on somekind of shindig, somewhere. We may have to run to Ray's to have a cake made for ourselves. Wish we could share it with someone.

It's Elementary

2011-10-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Measure U is Fortuna's elementary school district consolidation measure. What was once a solid backing now has cracks in the foundation. Beware of misinformation, you know how easy that happens when emotions are involved.

Know Your Place

2011-10-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wellllllll now, who spent ALLLLL day, yesterday, playing golf at the benefit golf tournament with the boys, then ran to the office to finish up some work, coming home late to swing open the front door and shout, "Honey, I'm home".

The other one of us not only awoke early to feed the animals, fetch the paper and prepare morning coffee for the other partner, then rush off to work, deal with a bevy of office work, had lunch with their daughter, then rush back home to prepare a luscious meal of Parmasen Chicken and Zuccini Contessa, then scurried around before sitting down to enjoy a quiet dinner while listening to the other partner gesticulate about the particulars of their day. Afterward, the dinner dishes were cleaned up, the evening wrapped up with foot rubs and sitting through the television choices geared toward that gender's preferences. Soon snoring commenced and the day was done. For one. There was still housework and dusting to do. Ahhhh, a typical American coupling scene.

Spence:
EXCEPT, Damn it, the gender tables were turned!!! There was something so inherently wrong with this display. But, it proves we can bring home the bacon and throw it up in the pan...wait on you hand and foot coz, I'm your ever-lovin' man....I'm a Man...Spelled...M-A-N. Hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore....I'm a man...M-A-N!

Kate:
Ahem, you missed a spot.

Nectar of the Gods?

2011-09-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

The hit beverage at the 2008 Blogger's Picnic was undoubtedly the Jones Green Apple Soda. Described by Eric Kirk of SoHum Parlance as "crisp and refreshing", this particular brand of apple soda has become the choice soft drink of this writer. That is, when I can find it. It is rarely stocked in local stores, but I have found a supplier who keeps me satiated with this Nectar of the Gods. Am I telling you, dear readers? No way. That's my secret stash.

But, there I was in a Mexican grocery store in Fortuna when I found a brand new secret stash of a new crisp, clean, refreshing and applicous soft drink. It's Sidral Mundel Apple Soda from Mexico. Since Fortuna's Apple Harvest Festival is coming up this weekend, I should think to shout the organizers would have placed a truckload order of this liquid sunshine to bequeath to the masses. Wait a minute, what am I saying??? Please forget I even mentioned it.

Oh, look over there...a butterfly!

-Spence

Oh, Dear God......

~Kate

An Apple A Day

2011-09-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

One of Humboldt County's best town events (not mentioned in the North Coast Journal "best of" issue) is the Fortuna Apple Harvest Festival. This is one of those hometown celebrations that has middle America written all over it. Wenatchee, Washington. Hendersonville, North Carolina. Ellijay, Georgia and Fortuna, California. All of these towns have Apple Festivals but none as delicious as what the Friendly City offers. It's Americana to the core. Hay wagon rides, applewood BBQ, street fairs, live music around every corner, kid's activities and apple this and apple that.
Here an apple, there an apple everywhere an apple apple.

But, wait--what about that 6th annual Dutch Oven Cook-off in Rohner Park at 1pm.?
We're excited because Yours Trulys have been selected as two of the "celebrity" judges. Our celebrity status is due to the wild popularity of the Above The Fold blog, no doubt. Take that, Chocolate Covered Xanax! You too, Bugs and HH.

Kate's mouth is watering for the Jonagold Apple Pizza and Gravenstein Apple Crisp. Spence is crossing his fingers for the Granny Smith Nachos.

See you there on Saturday.

It's Greek To Me.

2011-09-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Kate and Spence are visiting Portland. On the first night in town, Kate, a long-time city dweller, was content on staying in the downtown hotel while Spence, a dyed-in-the-wool country boy, likes to get out and gawk at the architecture, city art, funny looking people and regular hub-bub. But, as the night drew on, Spence was getting hungry. All through that part of downtown Portland, there just seemed to be all manner of chain fast food stores like Subway, Carl's Jr and the like. So, he keeps hiking and hiking until he gets into a neighborhood that doesn't appear to be like the others. There is an espresso shop, a local pizza by the slice place and a grocery store. Spence notices transients outside of the grocery store and decides to not venture further. Then, just beyond the transients, he notices a group of young Middle Eastern men gathered at outside tables not speaking English. As he craned his neck around, he noticed a sign saying "sandwiches". That tempted his palette much better than pizza or grocery store food. Taking a closer look, it was a Mediterranean cafe with gyros and felafel's. Stepping inside, there wasn't a sole in the joint. Quickly, a young Turkish or Lebanese or Jordanian man followed him into the cafe. There were laminated menus lying around with pretty typical Mediterranean fare. So, Spence ordered up a lamb Gyro, a traditional salad and a soft drink. Grabbing the Willamette Weekly, he plopped himself down and read the paper while devouring the gyro. It wasn't the best gyro he had ever eaten, but at the moment, it was perfect. It was a real Portland neighborhood with real people in it. He's just curious if they could make a gyro out of buck meat. Probably, so.

Spence: That was a long walk for a hunk of lamb. Can't wait for Fortuna 4-H Lamb Barbecue next month.
Kate: Oh how I love spreading out all of my things in a hotel room, getting the pillows just right, flipping through channels, and checking required reading on my lap top. AHHHHH.....

Blue Is The Colour of My Carpet

2011-09-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

We are in the house hunting market. Not to purchase, that's not our lifestyle. We're serial renters. It just suits us. But, with that comes all of the quirks and peccadilloes associated with the landlords own sense of style. Especially, if the house belonged to the landlords' mother. The kids want to hang on to Momma as long as possible. Now, here we come along, years later, and find a darling house from the 1950's. It has the perfect amount of built-ins, a Norman Rockwellian kitchen and you can practically see Robert Young walking in the front door to shout, "Honey, I'm Home!" But, right off the bat, the minute you enter the home, it hits you. And, it hits you hard......blue carpet. Throughout the entire house.

Spence: Kate, you know what? I love this house. It has all of that Father Knows Best charm that goes with my vinyl record collection of Andy Williams, Julie London and Louis Prima albums. I don't mind trying to blend your furniture and my accouterments into this scheme. Sure, it's gaudy and a visual affront to the senses, but I could live just about anywhere.....and have. But, honestly Kate, I will defer to your sensibilities. Right after I hear from our readers.

Kate: I haaaaatttteeee the blue carpet. I loved the windows, hate the bathroom, love the kitchen and the neighborhood. Did I mention the God awful blue carpet? Oy! At least the drapes don't match the carpet.

Above The Fold? Really?

2011-09-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

A Northern Califorina agriculture supply chain store, appeared above the fold on the front cover of the Sunday Times-Standard touting their Customer Appreciation Days with a photograph of a motorcycle stuntman performing tricks. The caption reads, "The local agricultural supply held the first day of a two-day event across Humboldt County to thank it's many loyal customers. The event included information booths on lighting, soil amendments, fertilizers, growing mediums and more, live DJ's keeping the beat thumping, prize giveaways, raffles and high-flying motocross stunts, The Customer Appreciation event continues today with the same attractions at a Fertile World's Fortuna location at 610 7th street.", does that look like a blatant advertisment to you? Now, the Times-Standard can print anything it wishes above the fold of the newspaper to capture the interest of it's readers. The photograph of the motorcycle stuntman is worthy enough for printing in the business or life section as a tool for readership. But, to include in the caption on the front page, what has to be constituted as an advertisment for a specific retailer, is suspect to us. It gives ABOVE THE FOLD a bad name.

.

To Be or Not To Be.....Married

2011-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

We, Kate & Spence, frequently talk about getting married. Or, more precisely, NOT getting married.
One of us has been married and the other has not.  Statistics are not on our side. Look all over the internet and see the results. There is a difference to being committed to each other via love and devotion and a commitment through a government contract amounting to an ownership of property and basically, ownership of each other. If there are no children involved, what is the point?

Kate: I'm over 50, never been married, and never once had a family member ask me "so, when are you going to get married?" I'm lucky to have avoided the usual pressure over the subject. My mom always told me "there is no hurry." That was after 3 of my siblings were married within 18 months of each other, each under the age of 22. Now the 3 of them have 7 marriages between them and only one of them is currently married. Yikes. I'm straight, a serial dater, and have enjoyed living in sin more than once. But the thought of eternal coupling scares the crap out of me. Once I finally accepted the fact that I really didn't want to have kids of my own, I no longer had to wrestle with making that decision.  I have to ask, is the institution of marriage relevant?

Spence: I, too, am over 50 and was married once for 19 years. When I was 24 and seriously involved with my girlfriend, I was feeling pressure to get married. Not by her, but by society. I thought this is the rite of passage, the jouney to happiness, homeownership, secure employment and adulthood. What I wasn't was mature. I was still trying to figure out who I was and my need for independence turned into selfishness. For that reason, the marriage didn't last. Through the marriage, we raised a wonderful daughter and for that, the institution of marriage rang true for all of the societal benefits marriage provides like health benefits and such.   Why haven't I remarried? Perhaps a lifelong sense of immaturity.

Kate has an adage ; Independently Dependent. That works well for us and our lifestyle.

What's your opinion?

Third and Long

2011-09-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's football season. As the high school teams of rugged atheletes take the field on their way to the league championships while the well rehearsed and popular cheerleaders lead the spirit rallies, let us not forget about the people in the stands who are just as rugged individuals attending every home game in the chilly inclimate weather. These certain students suffer from cold fingers, sore butts and maniacal tirades from a charismatic leader. They have no choice, they must attend each and every home game or suffer the consequences. More often than not, they are scorned for their participation in the Friday night revelries. You either love them or hate them as they take up one whole section of the stands.

Let's hear it for the pep band!

Mornings with Al & Peg

2011-09-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

Never in a million years would we EVER admit to watching the television show Married With Children on TBS. It happens to be the TV show we turn to for slowly waking up while reading the morning newspaper, drinking the first cup of coffee and discussing the day. The morning television news at 5:00am just recycles itself ad nauseum in an endless loop and the limited basic cable offerings of real estate channels, cable access calendars, religious programming and QVC do nothing to tantalize the sleepy mind. But, Married With Children in all of it's ridiculous manner does have bits and pieces of good writing that have us guffawing and chortling, in spite of ourselves, in between coffee sips and reading the news of the day, Dear Annie's column and completing the daily Sudoku puzzle in the Times-Standard. It's all just an amalgamation of our morning ritual. Sure Al is a boob and Peg is obnoxious. Sure Marcy and Steve/Jefferson are over the top. Sure Bud and Kelly are cartoonish, but here we are, from 5am to 7am with four back-to-back episodes whirring away in the background as we discuss world events, local politics and do laundry. We never once watched a full episode during it's original run. What's most amusing is their poking fun at the currents events of the late 1980's, many of which we completely forgot about. Although, that Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen tune sung by Frank Sinatra will stick with you all day. Everyone follow along: "Love and marriage, love and marriage... go together like a horse and carriage..."

We wonder how many other discoveries we have missed based upon our pride, preconceived notions and pseudo-intellectual social rules. On the other hand, we beg you TBS, do NOT put Two and A Half Men in the morning rerun rotation.

A Quiet Sunday Interrupted.

2011-09-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

There we was mindin' our own business when we noticed all manner of police cars and uniformed cops along with practically every fire truck in town all parked up like something big was going down in our fair little city. All we was doing was trying to get back to our home and maybe watch a little football on TV. Then we noticed the streets was all blocked off and we had to skirt around the back streets. When we got there, the whole street was a parked up with cars all in our neighborhood. Something big was a-goin' on for sure. Probably something to do with that widenin' of Richardson Grove and Santa Rosafyin' the county.

So we parked a block away and scurried into our house. What we saw was some kind of invasion of people we didn't know, probably not from around these parts and therefore we didn't trust, all dressed up in every manner of the colors red, white and blue. Most were totin' red, white and blue flags with a bunch of stars on 'em. We knew we had better bunker down in the house, coz the streets were being invaded with some kind of uprising. Hearing on the TV news about rebellions in places like Libya and stuff, we armed ourselves and locked all of the doors and windows and kept the dogs close by.

Then, it happened. The main street was filled with cops and fire trucks and people walking down the street like rebels storming a dictator's palace. Next, we heard speechifyin' and applause and then a real deadly silence. A quiet that lasted way too long.....Out of nowhere, a helicopter flew overhead and scared the bejesus out of us.....right above our heads. It shook the house and made us huddle closer together. Peering out the window, we seen guns being toted skyward and they let a volley of rounds go off and we counted 21 of them in three segments. There were songs of patriotism, there were more speeches and we knew the whole dang town was bein' taken over by a bunch of people who must surely think different than us and take away our property rights. We were scared for our lives. Then, it was all over. People returned to their lives and their own homes and the cops and the fire department returned to their jobs. We were confused. These people marching in the street, the cops and fire department, the red, white and blue colors. Somehow, we know THEY are going to take over our freedoms and make us live under their RULE.

Then, as we opened our eyes and looked around, THEY were actually US. It was our neighbors, our townsmen, our community honoring our own fallen countrymen and countrywomen from an event that took place a decade ago in another part of our nation. So, our paranoia was really only in our own minds. Maybe we should be watching a little less television.

What some people won't do...

2011-09-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what some people will do as their interpretation of another artist's song. Kate and I wouldn't be caught dead involving ourselves in such tom foolery. But, I guess it takes all kinds.

~Spence

Ugh. Tedious
~Kate

Don't Call Me Shirley

2011-09-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Shirley "Ace" Bartow. He turns 90 on Monday. Shirley was a Fortuna High sports standout and probably lettered in every sport imaginable during his time. More importantly, he has carried that love of sports throughout his life by coaching, managing, umpiring and playing for the past 80+ years . Drive by the little league fields in Fortuna to see his name emblazoned for all to see. You can see him out at the golf course throughout the week.

We know Shirley under different circumstances. He's on the board of the Fortuna Cemetery District. It's too bad he was credited as part of the cemetery's secretarial staff during the credits of a recently aired program for the show, Grave Matters and Untimely Departures on Access Humboldt. But, surely this isn't the first time he has had his name confused. And, DO call him Shirley. There is a birthday celebration for Shirley "Ace" Bartow at the Fortuna Fire Hall on Saturday, Sept. 10th from 2pm to 6pm.

Swiss Miss

2011-09-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Kate is a mom of foreign exchange high school girls. This past month, her Swiss daughter from two years ago stayed a few nights with Kate. It's incredible to see how a 20-year old European woman sees the world in both America and at home. She is environmentally conscious, stresses gender equality and wishes for peace in the world. She is a taken aback a fair amount by her own elder countrymen who often do not see equality among the races. After living in the United States, she feels Americans are more accepting of different cultures than Europeans. I found that quite interesting. She feels Americans are friendlier and will say hello to strangers more readily. But, one of the biggest differences she noticed between her homeland of Switzerland and America was quite glaring. She says American chocolate sucks. She finds it waxy, too sweet and doesn't consider it chocolate at all. She wishes they would call it something else. On the other hand, Swiss chocolate, to her, is to be held in the highest regard, the most supreme chocolate in the world. In her words:
überlegen Schokolade!

Well, good then, she can't have any of my Chunky bar or chocolate flavored Necco wafers.

~Spence

Wait until next month when Spence gets to experience my Danish exchange daughter on her visit. He's in for another cultural treat.

~Kate

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

2011-08-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Summertime memories. Grasshoppers begin their whine as early as 9:00am. Trips to the river to cool off. Picnics, barbecues, fairs, rodeos, Monster truck shows etc.

Kate, what did you do this summer? I went to Weitchepec for the first time.

Spence, what did you this summer? I went to my first Giants game.

Kate: I finished the fifth season of Dexter.

Spence: I got a ticket for doing a California Stop.

Other than that, this summer felt more like February.

The New Frontier?

2011-08-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

If there was a place in Humboldt County where the range of people and ideas co-mingle with left and right beliefs? A place where an art renaissance could occur seemingly overnight? A place where Bay Area escapees could seek refuge without rubbing elbows with late 20's
indoor industrialists? Is there a place in Humboldt County where there is respect for artists and entrepreneurs alike without upsetting the old gaurd? We think there is.

We want to live here.

80's Flashback at Curley's Grill

2011-08-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Not exactly Curley's on Tuesday morning

Last December, Kate and a friend were chatting with Curley Tait inside his bar at Curley's Restaurant in Fortuna when, laughingly, the conversation turned to Jazzercise of the 1980's. Curley chimed in, "You know, I'm a certified Jazzercise instructor." They quieted down when Curley said, "Why don't we start a session right here in my bar on Tuesday and Thursday mornings?" He chided Kate and her friend to find some friends to join in and they would form a class. Consequently, Kate wrangled Spence and a few others who went along with great trepidation and Kate's friend convinced a couple more friends and a class was born. Now, we must tell you, the class of about half a dozen are all over the age of 50, and with the rotating members coming and going, the majority of the members are men. When only the men attend the class they call it "Guysersize". Curley says in his 20 years of teaching Jazzercise, men usually came to a few classes, were intimidated by the fit, nimble women and never returned. Now, he's tickled so many men are attending.

The sessions are odd at best. The tables and chairs in Curley's bar are cleared, Curley cranks up his music machine and off we go. Delivery guys to the restaurant are surprised when they fling open the back door to see the bar taken over by middle-aged exercisers flailing their arms and legs akimbo. All the while, the chef staff goes about their business in the kitchen preparing for the day's restaurant trade.

2011-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Oh, God. The Sixties are coming back. Well I've got a 12-gauge double-barreled duck gun chambered for three-inch Magnum shells. And - speaking strictly for this retired hippie and former pinko beatnik - if the Sixties head my way, they won't get past the porch steps. They will be history. Which, for chrissakes, is what they're supposed to be. ~P.J. O'Rourke

Marine Morsels

2011-08-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

At a dinner party we attended last night, while eating pork tenderloin medallions, the subject of seafood came up. Probably, because there was a foreign exchange student from Chile at the table and while the language barrier was present, by making hand gestures and using stilted sentences, we could express our shared love of salmon and crab meat.

The table topic turned to favorite Humboldt County seafood restaurants past and present. When it was discussed that Red Lobster doesn't have restaurants on the ocean because of the presence of good quality local seafood restaurants, one diner asked where these good quality restaurants were. Oh, touche".

The winning local seafood restaurant from the past, among those dining that night, was The Eureka Seafood Grotto. Porter Street Barbecue is now at that location. The Eureka Seafood Grotto was owned by Eureka Fisheries, one of the largest fish processors on the coast. While the atmosphere was so-so, the seafood was exceptional. Lazio's Seafood was also very good and had a great atmosphere right on the waterfront.

Kate: I hope you are not inferring that Red Lobster is a good seafood restaurant.

Spence: No, not at all. I'm more of a Long John Silver guy, myself.

Kate & Spence: A tip of the hat to D&R for the fine delectable comestibles and the subject of this post.

Conversations at the Campton Heights Cafe

2011-08-21T23:32:00.000-07:00

Actual photo of Campton Heights Cafe may vary

We stopped into the Campton Heights Cafe in Fortuna to have breakfast. That Sunday, we took a corner table and noticed only one man sitting at the counter reading the San Francisco Chronicle-- as we were. Our 20-something waiter was wearing the t-shirt depicted below with the words, "ERACISM" The removal from existence of the belief that one race is superor to another. From our table, we could hear the 50-something customer talking to the cook, a man probably in his 30's. (Needles to say, we are big eavesdroppers). They were discussing in great detail the current news events of the day, particularly the situation in the Middle East and other topics concerning economics. Mind you, their conversation tone was not laced with what one might stereotype as Fortuna colloquial lingo littered with derogatory terms. Their conversation was enlightened, educated and articulate. Then, in came a couple with the man wearing Cabela's hunting wear, a staple attire of Eel River Valley men. Quietly, the couple ate their oatmeal and discussed their family vacation plans to the Redding Water Works Park.

You see, Fortuna isn't just one type of person. There is diversity and texture within the city limits. By naively labeling the town's people as "a bunch of this and this and this in Fortucky" you really miss the nuances of The Friendly City with it's varied cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints.

Now, those stinkin' Hippies in Arcata...that's a whole different kettle of fish.

Sunday, Sunday...Er, actually Friday!

2011-08-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

Be There!

The Monster X Truck show is coming to Redwood Acres tonight. Kate is going to be out of town tonight attending one of her society ladies, do-gooder, service organization, curing the world of medical and educational ills kind of deals. I may just sneak into Redwood Acres, plunk down my $20 bucks and get my fully-blown Redneck on. As much scoffing as there is bound to be over the environmentally destructive, testosterone-fueled, crotch-tingling, noise-polluting, metal-mashing mayhem from alternate transportation enthusiasts, tonight's display of low-brow monster truck wonder will absolutely pack the grandstands at the fairgrounds.

Or maybe I'll attend Ferndale After Five with the wine-guzzling, art-gawking, hors d'oeuvre-noshing cultured hoi polloi instead. During fair week, I expect this event also to be very well attended.

Hmmmm, whatever event I choose, Kate is sure to be quite jealous.

2011-08-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Humboldt State University Lumberjacks football team's home opener against Central Washington is being televised nationally via the CBS College Sports Network on Thursday, September 8th at 5pm. In addition to chevre, redwood trees, curly hair products and marijuana, here's another Made in Humboldt product receiving national attention. This would be a great reason to go help pack the stands to show support for our local team.

Kate: Another football team sporting green and yellow will be making a national appearance in their season opener in a few weeks. The Oregon Ducks (#3), of the new PAC 12, are playing the Tigers of LSU (#4). The last time I watched the Ducks play LSU on national tv (2003?) they sported their brand new head-to-toe highlighter yellow Nike uniforms. I'll be watching just to see what fashion statement they will be making this year. GO DUCKS!

Spence: ...Newcomer

Kate: But, I watched that game in Scotia!

Cherrio!

2011-08-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

On a recent shopping excursion, we became mesmorized by the packaging of the huge, evil conglomorate sugar-laden cereals aimed presumably at children. We just can't get over the identical wide-mouthed smiles portrayed by the corporate pitchmen featured here. These are not from just one company. The Big-3 all used this technique of the wide, open-mouthed happy expression.

Then we noticed the Nature's Path EnviroKidz brands featured their own rendition of spokesmodels. There's Pouty Puffin, Pensive Panda, Gloomy Gorilla and Morose Marsupial. Call us brainwashed children of 1960's Saturday morning television, but we prefer the happy cereals over the dour breakfast foods for our kids....if we had any.

The Redistricting Shuffle

2011-08-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Will Forestville and Wildwood remain in the same voting district as Dogtown? Will Jackass Flats be voting alongside Rosewood? Will Scottsville become voting brethren with Bucksport? History has changed greatly for these former towns in Humboldt County. History is about to change again for the voters of these regions.

A much larger question is whether our current county supervisors will come to an agreement on the proposed redistricting plans? If they can't agree by November, the decision falls upon the redistricting committee comprised of Carolyn Crnich, Mike Downey, Mari Wilson and Paul Gallegos.

Kate: My prediction is that the Supervisors, in fear of pissing off their constituents, will fail to come to an agreement and leave the redistricting decision to the committee. That way the Supervisors don't have their fingerprints on what is sure to be an unpopular vote (no matter what plan is chosen).. Let the committee take the heat...yeah, that's the ticket.

Spence: Because, it's really not about what's best for the county, but what's best for the politics of the county.

Is SwimPossible?

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

During this time of economic insecurity, Mission SwimPossible is asking the community to contribute donations of $150,000 for the initial investment into an aquatic wellness center. The nonprofit organization will be looking to philanthropic angels and grant funders to raise the $25 million dollars needed to build the facility.

Is this the time to be asking the public for money for a pool? In a time when safety net organizations are in danger of closing for lack of funding, how can we make an aquatic wellness center a priority?

Spence: When agencies like Easter Seals have closed, groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters fighting for survival and countless other non profits, that tend to the wellness of the less fortunate in our community, are struggling to provide services why on Earth would we want to give to the building of a pool? That's a tough sell in my opinion.

Kate: Who doesn't want a pool in their community (rhetorical question, no need for specific answers)? I want a pool, but the cost of maintaining a pool is so expensive that the pools we did have can't afford to stay open. The dream of a pool is easier to create than the reality of a pool. Is no one else concerned about the fundraising model SwimPossible is proposing? Do foundations exist locally that can even consider giving grants for building of an aquatic center when kids are going hungry, people are losing their homes and school budgets are being cut to the bone? I don't think there is a foundation in Humboldt County that can realistically give money to an aquatic center when Vector Rehabilitation is raising money to rehabilitate the old Easter Seals pool, St. Joe's is making a final push to finish paying for their new construction and several major non-profits are planning capital campaigns. Yikes. Someone with fundraising acumen needs to sit down with SwimPossible get them off the high dive.

2011-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Rob Arkley
Mark Lovelace
Dave Tyson
Jefferson School
Wal-Mart
Goat Farm
Richardson Grove
Garr Nielsen
Linda Atkins
Larry Glass
Rex Bohn

Psst...Kate...I bet we get a lot of comments NOW!!!!

A Fair To Remember -- Glimpses from Opening Day of the 2011 Humboldt County Fair

2011-08-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

Queen Mer-tato

Coming to YOUR neighborhood soon

No shirt, no shoes, no shit

A Romantic Dinner For Two


Is that a Leisure Suit Hot Dog?

Join us at the Humboldt County Fair

2011-08-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

The definition of a community according to Dictionary.com is;      a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

In your opinion, does that definition represent the people of this place often refered to as the "Humboldt Nation"? Arcata is as different to Fortuna as McKinleyville is to Garberville.

So, let's look at the mission statement of the Humboldt County Fair:    The Humboldt County Fair Association provides educational, entertainment and recreational opportunities for the general public while preserving and promoting the agricultural heritage of California's North Coast by showcasing the talents, interests, character and achievements of the residents of Humboldt County.

When we attend the Humboldt County Fair, we don't necessarily see the entire cultural and heritage mix that really represents Humboldt County. Why do YOU think that is?

We're attending the Humboldt County Fair, are you?

Thanks Joel Mielke for the use of the perfectly right on cartoon.

Sunday Dinner at the Swiss Club

2011-08-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Dotted across the north coast are European society lodges and halls. Built by first and second generation settlers to our area as early as the late 1800's, are Portuguese halls in Arcata and Ferndale and a Danish Hall in Ferndale, In Eureka, the Norwegians have the Norway Hall, the Swedes have Runeberg Hall and there's a lodge for the Eureka Order of the Sons of Italy. Just south of the College of the Redwoods stands the Humboldt Swiss Club Hall.

While neither of us are of Swiss descent, we recently attended the Humboldt Swiss Club's annual Swiss Independence Day chicken dinner and dance. Many were there just to see the Beatrice baron of the accordion, Lindy Mantova.  We were the youngest patrons at the soiree, (we are both past the half-century mark), and the spryness of the attendees astounded us. We were introduced to three sisters each deep into their 90's. One Mr. Cabalzar introduced himself to us as the "oldest Swiss in the whole place" and told us "I've been coming here since 1927."  Most of the members are well into their 80's and have been going to the gatherings for decades.

What's sad is that these organizations are in danger of going away. Where are the baby-boomer children stepping up to preserve the rich cultural heritage of these social bastions? Many of these halls rely on rentals just to survive. Pat Cabalzar-King, current president of the Humboldt Swiss Club, told us the Swiss Hall was close to shuttering in 2005 until a rally cry went out among the Swiss-Italians in the area that closure was near. Annual membership to the Humboldt Swiss Club is only $15 per couple and you don't even have to be Swiss.   What an offer! Now, who will take them up on it? We did.

Candy Bar In A Jar

2011-08-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Loni Anderson's bedtime snack

For those of you who find this new blog kinda boring, feast your eyes on this!

Oh, stop now, I'm talking about the delicious, nutritious Nutella! I always thought this product was something health food nuts leaned toward. The only people I knew who used it shopped at places like The Co-op, Eureka Natural Foods or the new Healthy Humboldt store in Fortuna. I steered clear of such a product because I assumed if the tofu and nutritional yeast crowd loved it, I wouldn't. I have to say, it's not bad. I was once told it was a healthy alternate to peanut butter. Ha! I guess their marketing division has fooled many people as seen in this NPR report.

Kate's foreign exchange student from France would stomp her feet and pout if the cupboard wasn't stocked with this European staple breakfast spread. Essentially, it's a candy bar in a jar. Hmmm, I need to see if there is a Chunky bar in a jar spread available.

Just so you know, I am writing this blurb about nasty foods, something near and dear to my plaque-encrusted heart, while Kate is away at her society ladies charity fundraising meeting .I have to sneak in my reports on of my love of gas station delicatessen delectables and other fine low-brow foods. Next food report: Whole Chicken In A Can?

Phrases and Words that have Jumped The Shark

2011-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

1. Jumped the Shark
        Just read it yesterday in a story about the 2012 Oscars...come on! At least use it correctly when you
        use it...they kept saying "the shark jumped the tank..." If you are going to be hackneyed, don't add
        insult to injury and mix your metaphors.
2. Nestled
      PLEASE PEOPLE, there IS another word you can use to describe Humboldt and Mendocino
       Counties. "Nestled among the ancient, majestic redwoods along the pristine...blah, blah, blah. Don't believe us when we say IT MUST STOP? Look up any tourism webpage or
       brochure and there WILL be "nestled". Surely we are more creative than that!
3. Tirelessly
       As overused by the PR folks as "worked around the clock"...it's so 2007.
4. That Being Said
        That being said, Spence thinks INTERVIEWERS say it too much, I think SPEECHifiers say it too
        much.
5.  "Uh" and "Um"
        See first posting on Above The Fold Click Here
6. Adding Insult To Injury
        See #1.

These are just a few of our literary pet peeves...what are yours?

What's Up With Willa Crick?

2011-08-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

Willow Creek circa 1960.

Idyllic, bucolic, quaint, picturesque, murderous, mayhemic. The peaceful retirement village in Eastern Humboldt county has had its share of misdeeds and misfortunes surrounding its residents of late. We decided to spend the night there to investigate for ourselves.

Spence: "Quiet, relaxing, well-appointed rental cabins? Check. Warm, sunny weather? Check. Charming shop keepers? Check. River rafting, golfing, scenic mountain drives? Check. Scraggled layabout miscreants with dogs creeping from out of the woods ? Che.....oops. Civilization has come to town. What the rest of Humboldt County has been witnessing for a while, Willow Creek, always about five years behind the times, has it's eyes opened to the rest of the world. They say it all started with the introduction of cable-tv."

Kate: "If recent headlines were laid end to end, it would appear that there is more crime per square foot in Willow Creek than any other town in Humboldt County. It's always something these days for the tiny burg on the Trinity River--murder, kidnapping, and all-around skullduggery. Willow Creekians seem unruffled by it all...whaddya gonna do? Headlines only capture a moment in time, Willow Creek is timeless."

Willow Creek today

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

2011-08-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do more, and you are not yet decrepit enough to turn them down. ~T.S. Eliot

Dear readers, are you busier now after the age of 50 than you were in all of the years before?

Time magazine pictorial of Barack Obama's life

Hipness Comes To Fortuna

2011-08-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

The editors have learned the city of Fortuna is deep in the plans for filming....er, videotaping something called a LipDub. And WE WANT TO BE IN IT! Someone from The Friendly City needs to call us. Have you seen this LibDub phenomenon all over YouTube. Mostly created by colleges and high schools, it was launched into the mainstream with the record-breaking Grand Rapids, Michigan version shown here .Grand Rapids LipDub We hear Fortuna's won't be as elaborate, but will have widespread community involvement. Did we mention WE WANT TO BE IN IT!

Car Talk

2011-08-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

Click & Clack

KHSU-FM's Saturday morning lineup is quite good. It makes for a peaceful, enlightening morning with NPR's Weekend Edition, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me and A Way With Words. We love this morning lineup. Well, except for the 10am time slot. Then, it's a different story.

Spence:
I could go the whole morning reading the paper, tuning out Kate's noisy sporting events she enjoys watching on television and listening to KHSU if it wasn't for the cackling and over-the-top advice from Click & Clack, The Tappet Brothers on Car Talk at 10am. The set-ups seem forced and the guffaws wear me thin within minutes. Hey, good solid auto repair advice, but could they do it without the nerve-wracking chortles. "You say you have a 1993 Volkswagen Rabbit with a leaky gas line? Well, my brother is a 1943 Weasel with the same leaky gas problem....BUUHHHHAAAAA HAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I prefer the straight forwardness of Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor found on KWSW 790am.

Kate:
...Meh...

Film at 11?

2011-08-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful story on the Humboldt County Transistional Age Youth Collaborative in the Times-Standard on young people creating videos/digital stories to tell about their lives.

Spence:
I was taken by the use of the phrase "digital stories" in the article.
I use the catch-all word "film" to describe the process of capturing moving images into a storage medium for later presentation. Film is a celluloid storage device that while still being used in small circles (and getting smaller each week) is a common term used by countless people as the act of pushing the start button on a moving images capturing device. I say, "I am going to "film" my nephew's baseball game on my video camera. While I use the term "shoot" just as often, I get funny looks from people who don't understand that film and television industry word's usage. I say it's just easier to use the common vernacular to "film" something than it is to correct the improper term. It kind of all boils down to using nouns as verbs, really, Think of the term "texting".

Kate:

That's not it at all. Saying you are going to "film" is just plain wrong, unless you are using a film camera. You are taping or recording an event otherwise. It would be like saying, "I flew to Los Angeles" when I actually drove my car. It's one thing when a lay person says it...I just tsk tsk and try to let it go...but what truly drives me up the wall is when people in the BUSINESS say it...and they DO. I was corrected when I used the term "film" instead of "tape" in the summer of 1980 while interning at a television station in Portland. And while I have never worked directly in the television business, I have never (never say never?) misused the term since. Are you listening Channel 3? You will not be sending a film crew to cover a story and there will be no film at 11.

The "Uh's" have it.

2011-07-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

While watching the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meetings, we become fascinated in the weekly reports by the individual supervisors. Not for the content of their reports on meetings they attended or community events they are promoting in their district, no, we are engrossed in counting all of the "Uh's and Um's" in each of the supervisors' addresses. The reason we started counting is because the constant "Uh's and Um's" are quite an irritant. It's akin to nails on a chalkboard. Watching the July 5th meeting, we tallied the number of annoying insertions and here are the results:

Clif Clendenen: 40
Jimmy Smith:       22
Virginia Bass:       22
Ryan Sundberg       5
Mark Lovelace      79

Our analysis:

Clif Clendenen did pretty well this week because he only had 40 Um's and Uh's. We say "only"
because the first time we decided to count the Um's, as a fun exercise, he had more than 80 and then, we lost count. Jimmy Smith had 22, but he had a short report. He is known to insert the offending pauses much more than that. Virginia Bass, who is usually one of the worst offenders, also only had 22 on this particular day. 5th district supervisor Ryan Sundberg had just 5. This is usual for Mr. Sundberg. He consistently comes in with the fewest number. Mark Lovelace is the winner with 79. Ding! Ding! Ding! Don't worry Mark, you have missed the record set by 2nd District Supervisor Clendenen. It seems the Uh's and Um's have become part of the actual speech pattern and rhythm. Our guess is they aren't even aware of it.

Can you say Toastmaster's anyone?

Well, Hello There!

2011-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

This is a brand new blog gracing the cyberwaves in Northern California. We'll touch on fun community events, politics, current newsworthy topics, local history, good people doing good things in our community and oddball kitsch. Hmmm, sounds like a blog that used to kick around these parts back in the day. This time, it's a duo with female and male perspectives. Look out, it's sure to be quite colorful on occasion. Thanks for checking us out!

The Editors
(No, we don't really have newspaper journalism backgrounds, but we find the premise fun for a blog.)