Author Archives: rike52

da vinner!

Fans of James Jarmusch’s breakthrough 1984 film “Stranger than Paradise” (1) will recognize Aunt Lotte’s (Cecilia Stark’s) line, uttered as she bests in a game of cards her nephews Eddie and Billy visiting her in Cleveland from NYC.  As she triumphantly fans her cards over her tray in her living room, she announces frankly “I amContinue reading “da vinner!”

let’s play 2!

So, maybe there’s some things you can’t expect an old couple to do, like 16-18 innings as Ernie proposed.  The rest of the yes-no are too long and agonizing to bother with, but we can make 2 concerts in one day!  As we just did, the first in the highbrow atmosphere of Orchestra Hall (1), doublingContinue reading “let’s play 2!”

DS “d’oh!”

Kathy and I face Friday mornings these days with a face full of free time, so unlike not so long ago, when Fridays made it paramount to getting al least a little work done before the weekend.  Every so often we’ll pick up after breakfast and head East to Dee-troit.  The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) isContinue reading “DS “d’oh!””

rustic pie

You know you’re retired when you wake unsure of what you’ll do with the day then deciding to make a “torta rustica” (“rustic pie” in Italian) for breakfast.  Neither Kathy nor I had ever heard of the dish when we saw it on the brunch menu of Sauces, Italian bar/restaurant attached to the not bad HiltonContinue reading “rustic pie”

Auntie KC

So you know where it goes: years of NASA immersion, a decade of telling undergrads how to write, it can only come out as Children’s Books!  That’s where my sweetie dove, big time, and we’re getting ready to reap the efforts.  She’s dabbled in children’s books before, writing 2 that featured her nieces and nephews and theirContinue reading “Auntie KC”

Certifiable

The germ may have been planted by my dear late Uncle Jim, my mom’s baby brother.  That’s him on the left.   He was never given to boast, although he had much to boast about.  He played cornet in Michigan State’s marching band in their first ever Rose Bowl in 1954.  He took his honors management degree to Columbus,Continue reading “Certifiable”