The Sandwich Life

Random Pictures from the Sandwich Life

Look how pretty my friend Becca's yard is (above and below).  I think her husband Bryan is the gardener but if I'm not giving proper credit Becca....do say so!

My yard isn't as tidy but here is some overgrown cilantro with nasturtiums (not so great this year), parsley and purple basil....

I LOVE watching bike races.  I love the visual of it as well as the sound....  We used to love sitting in the Esquire watching the bike races back in pre-children days.  I read in the paper that they were held from 1994 to 1999.  It was in 1994 that we decided to move back to Champaign.  We'd been living in Chicago for mmmm, 7 or 8 years.  We came down during the summer to look for places to live and after looking at some godawful houses we went and sat in the cool of the Esquire and watched the bicycles whiz by.  After that we always tried to go and watch so we were delighted to hear that a bike race was coming back this year.

We had a great time watching them with the guys.  In fact yesterday when we mentioned the races to Leo he already knew all about them from his friend Parker and when I mentioned that there would be a race for kids he said he thought he should try it.  As I lay dazed on the floor where I had sunk in shock.....I said weakly, "well, uh yeah....that's a good idea."  They are planning on practicing this evening.....  You just never know with that boy....

Leo took this last picture himself.....

Kieran Kane and some Random Sandwich Life Notes

1.  We broke down and turned our air conditioning on today.  Not that we've been virtuous....we missed the really hot weather when we were in Maine.  But today was getting particularly hot and muggy so we decided to turn it on......it seemed fine....has been cooling things down but suddenly it's making this godawful mechanical steam engine sound....  Ernie went downstairs said everything sounds o.k. down there and cool air is blowing....but I gotta say this is making me pretty damn nervous.  I know last time we had the a/c fixed they told us we were really due for a new system..... 

Huh......

2.  I'm finally feeling better after a couple of not great days.  Do you visualize illness?  Ernie thinks I'm crazy but I swear.....I could just picture this black dot in my stomach that was making it feel so bad and a little square in my head that made my head feel all muzzy and confused.  Sometimes I picture Ernie's cancer too....it's white with nasty little elongated fingers.....  Does anyone else do that?

3.  Kieran Kane's album Somewhere Beyond the Roses is due out on July 28th from Compass Records.  I happily pre-ordered it only to find they evidently pre-shipped it because I HAVE IT and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!

Ahhhh....life is good.  Heartbreaking but good. 

I knew I'd love it as I'd heard about half the songs from the Australian Tour EP but as always it exceeded my expectations......  Kieran really is a frigging rhythm machine....  I mean there are all these incredible other things obviously....the melodies, the vocals, the lyrics, the well, hell...I don't know....the feeling of it all....but there is also this incredible powerful rhythm.  The other evening Ernie and I were sitting in the front yard listening to it, sipping a drink, watching the guys run through the yard and it just sounded unbelievable....and then my husband leaned over, looking at me and said, "listen to this, it could be Zeppelin for God's sake" and I just about crowed (if I HAVE ever crowed in my life) because it was such a perfect comment.  God I love my husband....oh, and well, Kieran as well but Ernie doesn't mind.....

Deanna Veragona, who plays with Lambchop and others, plays  a big role in it....vocals, saxophone, etc.  She sounds wonderful with Kieran....I can't explain what I mean articulately but they just have nice spaces together....and her vocals work well with Kieran's.   An only mildly interesting note is that when I worked at Record Service, well, perhaps Ernie as well, she was our DNA rep....  Circles, circles, circles....

Anyway.....click on over to Compass and you can listen to some of it as well as preorder it.  Nothing would make me happier (well.....you know....except for a cure for cancer and that kind of stuff) than if you ordered it.....

4.  It's almost 5:00 on a friday evening but my mother just called to say she's out of test strips so Ernie kindly is driving across town to get her some.  Good LORD but he's the best son in law in America.... 

I also told my mother today that it turns out that some of Judi's money is going to go to her.  Initially the lawyer had told me that the federal retirement funds that didn't have a beneficiary would go to the trust for the boys but after digging around the  website....and conferring with our lawyer, it looks as they will go to my mother which is absolutely wonderful.  She needs them and she will also be really touched---well heartbroken really, by the fact that they are coming from Judi.  I'm just as glad my father is gone as it would have truly broken him to receive a benefit from Judi's death. 

She would be pleased with it though.

5.  Two different friends----both Kathleen and Heather----recommended an estate sale not that far from us today.  It's funny....Ernie and I both kind of shrugged our shoulders.....talked about it, thinking we SHOULD go....but didn't.  I thought about it some and finally came to the conclusion that I am overwhelmed by STUFF at the moment.  There's all the stuff we brought from Judi's house, the stuff she brought, all the crap we already own......I don't know....I'm just feeling overwhelmed by all our possessions.  I can't begin to explain.....all I know is that I am overwhelmed by STUFF right now....so no estate sales for the moment.....

Here's a picture Ernie and Owen took of themselves down by the water at Quoddy House.....

7.  I've been nagging Leo about trimming his bangs of late.  You can imagine the response. He said HE would do it.  I said FINE.  Still nothing.  Finally today I offered him a dollar if I could trim his bangs.  He thought about it.  I said, "O.K. TWO....." and he agreed .  Ahhhh.....now I can see his beautiful eyes.  Of course then Owen wanted two dollars for his bangs.  They didn't really need to be trimmed but I agreed.  Then I accidentally stabbed him with the scissors (no blood though) so he got three dollars.....

Here's my sweet pea right after the D-Day reenactment and before his trim....

Have a good weekend all.....for us it looks like the farmers' market, watching the bike races in downtown....and Leo, (yes, LEO) wants to take part in the kids' bicycle race on Sunday...  Sounds like a good weekend....I'll cross my fingers.....

Owen's Favorite Songs

Please enjoy a chance to hear Owen's ALL time favorite song.  Of course it's Adam Schmitt.....you didn't think it would be any one else, did you?  If you click over to the Power Pop blog you can hear Speed Kills....the song that started it all for Owen....

While we were on the trip at one point one of us asked Owen what his favorite songs were.  He immediately leaned forward eagerly and started reciting them:  "well....Una Mas Cerveza and Six Pack to Go (at this point my sister, who just celebrated twenty years sober CONGRATULATIONS DEBBIE looked somewhat mmmm concerned/amused/resigned) and ALL of Adam Schmitt and California Sex Lawyer....oh, and the band Cinderella (evidently he does a great imitation of the vocalist but I have yet to hear it) and Crazy Loop."

The Long Ryders and Johnny Cash got honorable mentions when we talked about this a few minutes ago and Owen and Ricky did watch Rock and Roll High School quite a few times on vacation but....

Nothing comes close to Adam Schmitt. 

Nothing.

Milktoast Comments on the Elvis Brothers

My dear friend Annette sent this to me today----I had forgotten all about it....very entertaining and the three quotes are respectively extremely Ernie, extremely Pat and extremely David....

Summertime Limbo.....and Some Musical Notes

I feel somewhat dull and as though I'm in some kind of summertime limbo....I imagine it's from being on vacation....back at work... then a three day weekend....  I'm just not back to a regular schedule I guess and not surprisingly this week is DRAGGING.....

Met with people at the bank yesterday and today....trying to get things settled with Judi's estate.  That stuff kind of freaks me out as I feel so out of my depth but I think we're doing o.k. with it.  Then I couldn't sleep last night....tossed and turned with my mind racing.  Every time I'd feel myself starting to get sleepy my leg would cramp or Ernie would roll over or Bob the cat would jump on the bed.....  So today you have a somewhat dull and tired Cynthia....not unhappy....just dull and tired.

Saw clips of the Michael Jackson memorial on the news.  His daughter saying how much she loved him and that he was the best daddy in the world pretty much tore Ernie up.  The other day when we were sitting at the Esquire (sadly the boys don't call it Fries and Peanuts anymore) we were all joking about them taking care of me when I was old and so I said, "well, Daddy too you know" and Ernie chimed in with "yeah, I'm planning to still be around" and Owen leaned over towards him and rather cheerfully said, "well, you might be dead from the cancer."

What do you say?  We just said, "oh, Daddy's not going to die for a long time."  This morning Owen was sleepily telling me about a dream and hugging a pillow.  He said, "I thought it was Daddy, and I thought he was dead but then he wasn't and I was SO happy that I hugged him and when I woke up I was hugging my pillow."

As I said to my colleague yesterday at lunch, "EVERYBODY'S life is uncertain.  My life is no more uncertain than anyone else's....the difference is that I KNOW that my life is uncertain."  And we laughed together because as always, it's all you can do.

A few musical bright spots however.....Amy Rigby on the 31st of the month AND.....I am FINALLY going to get to see David Olney.  I have been wanting to see David Olney for something like fifteen years.  He plays all the time....so why haven't I seen him?  For god's sake I don't know.....some kind of weird forcefield has kept me away from him.  He's always playing in town the day I'm out of town.....or someplace out of town the day after I leave that town....  I try to keep an eye on his touring schedule so I took a look at it the other day and brightened up when I saw some Iowa dates.  Started googling distances but nothing worked and then I happened to see INDIANAPOLIS.  Woo-hoooooo! 

When I got home that night I made Ernie play a guessing game (personally, I HATE guessing games).  "Guess who is playing in Indianapolis two days after my birthday?"  He kept guessing guessing so finally I gave him a hint and said, "someone I've been wanting to see forEVER" and he gasped and yelled, "DAVID OLNEY?"  We DO work well together I must say.  A friend has offered to stay overnight with the guys so I think this is actually going to happen.  I emailed the venue and they are holding two tickets for me.  Get this.....they are $7!!!  Life certainly is unfair but it's good for us.....  I'm trying to find a cheap hotel room but it seems pretty booked up so maybe we'll drive home that night.  Doesn't matter....what matters is that I'm going to see DAVID FRIGGING OLNEY!

Two clips for you.....  First Kevin Welch.... DO watch at least the first few minutes....(you know I really miss the days of Leo being obsessed with trains)....

and second, a new favorite (although it's a couple of years old) by Tommy Womack that I heard on Kristi Rose and Fats Kaplins' radio show last week.  My new favorite Wednesday ritual is to get home from work, grab the laptop and go sit outside with my husband while we listen the Pulp Country on WRFN Radio Free Nashville.  The boys are usually in a it's-been-a-long-day-of-playing downtime or at the park.  So we let them be and settle in and listen to Kristi Rose and Fats.....  Highly recommended I might note---both Alpha Male and the Canine Mystery Blood as well as Pulp Country....

Random Pictures from the Sandwich Life

1.  My buddha has a dented head.  I don't know what happened.....I would guess an errant bike being thrown down.  I guess if anyone can cope with a dented head it would be a buddha, huh?

2.  This isn't a wonderful picture....I forgot to turn off the flash...yet there is something about the voluptuousness of the tomatoes that kind of gets me....

3. Our first zucchini....

4.  And I MUST do something with these blueberries.  They are from the farmers' market and are absolutely amazing.  I'm kind of tired of my standard cobbler recipe.....any ideas?

Amy Rigby Is On Her Way....or.....Wanna Come to a Party?

Yes, that's right.  It is JULY and thus time to start thinking about our party.  We are bringing our beloved Amy Rigby to town for a house concert on Friday, July 31, 2009.  Wanna come?  Email me.  You don't have to know me....that's o.k.  Just let me know and I'll give the directions, etc.  Truly....I want lots of people to get a chance to see her.....

Amy is an incredible songwriter and a friend that I adore even though I haven't met her in person yet...  Her latest album is with her husband Wreckless Eric but unfortunately he has to head back to France before our show.  And although I'm sad he won't be there it only means more Amy for us so it's a good thing in the end....  In fact Amy said this is her first solo performance in two years.....so TAKE ADVANTAGE of this opportunity!!!

The party will be at 7:00 for food and drinks.  We'll have some grilled chicken or the like and contributions of food and drink to share are welcome.  Or if you don't want to do that we might get someone to pass the hat.....  Music at 8:30.....

If you are not familiar with Amy you have a wonderful discovery ahead of you.  How's this for a couple of quotes?

"It really is quite simple — no one of any gender or generation has written as many
good songs in Rigby's realistic postfolk mode since she launched 'Diary of a Mod
Housewife' in 1996."

                                                                                                               ~Robert Christgau, Village Voice

“The poet laureate of bohemian domesticity.”

                               ~Memphis Flyer

Check this and here's her official bio:

 Born in Pittsburgh and a long-time resident of New York City, Amy played drums in short-lived no wave group Stare Kits before picking up guitar, pen & cassette player to become songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist for cowpunk pioneers Last Roundup. They released one album “Twister” (1987) on the Rounder label.  She became a mother soon after, and started oddball female folk pop trio The Shams, recording a single for Bob Mould’s SOL label. An album “Quilt,” produced by Lenny Kaye, and an EP “Sedusia” came out on Matador before Amy’s first solo album “Diary Of A Mod Housewife” (1996) got the attention of critics and music fans. Produced by Cars guitarist Elliot Easton, it combined real life lyrics and transcendent melodies with a passionate music fan's collection of pop, rock and country influences.

Subsequent solo albums "Middlescence" (1998), "The Sugar Tree" (2000), "Til The Wheels Fall Off" (2003), "Little Fugitive" (2005) and the anthology "18 Again" (2001) all received outstanding reviews. Amy has been profiled on NPR’s Fresh Air and All Things Considered, CNN and MSNBC. She's appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Bumbershoot, Lilith Fair, Mountain Stage, Woodsongs, PBS's Speaking Freely and World Cafe. From 2000 to 2004, she was a songwriter for Welk Music in Nashville. She has been a panelist and performer at CMJ, Southern Festival of Books, South by Southwest, Folk Alliance and Rockrgrl conferences. Her songs have been covered by Laura Cantrell, Jonell Mosser, Ronnie Spector and They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh, and featured in films & TV shows.

Amy has toured the US, UK and Europe. In 2005 she and singer Marti Jones created a show, Cynical Girls, and performed it all over the US with special guest, legendary Stiff artist Wreckless Eric. Amy and Eric have been playing together since then, releasing an album, “Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby”, on the Stiff label in 2008.

There's not tons of her stuff on youtube but I'll post a thing or two....  and remember...just let me know....

oh, and I must admit....I really love it when she compares herself to a frozen waffle....

We can't WAIT to see you Amy.....

Sometimes I Forget

You know, sometimes I forget that Judi is dead.  Ernie answered the phone the other day and passed it to me saying, "it's your sister" and for a minute I wondered whether it was Judi or Debbie.  And when I was  talking with my mother recently she said, "oh and I talked to your sister today" and I wondered the same thing.

I remember the morning Judi died and I was madly trying to figure out whom to call----for a minute it flashed through my mind, "oh, I have to call Judi" because she was always one of the first people I would call about anything important.

And so it goes I guess.

A couple of weeks ago I finally paid all her bills but I've put off writing the checks that are going to three Shambhala Centers.  I don't know why but I just find it very hard to write those----there's something very final about them I suppose.  Just now I wrote brief cover letters for the checks that aren't nearly as warm or as personal as I would have wished.  All I could do was type out a few terse sentences.

In her will she had requested a certain amount of money to go to a Buddhist organization.  She hadn't specified because she wasn't sure at the time what center she might work with close to death.  After she was gone I conferred with her friend Nancy and we decided to divide the money between the Shambhala Meditation Center of Atlanta, Windhorse Retreat Center, and of course to Arjia Rinpoche, Director of the
Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana who so kindly visited her just days before she passed.

I miss her.

But the checks are written.

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  Have you ever seen Jimmie Dale Gilmore live?  Or Todd Snider?  They both have a tendency to suddenly start rambling about whatever has come into their mind. It adds a whole other level to the great music.....  Todd Snider gives a standard explanation at all his shows:

My name is todd snider and ive been driving around for fifteen years making this shit up and singing it to anybody that will listen to it. Some of its funny some of its sad some of its short some of them go on longer than others and sometimes I¹ll ramble on for as many as eighteen minutes... in between the songs.

Well....living with Owen is kind of like living in a Jimmie Dale Gilmore or Todd Snider performance.  Yesterday he put his new camouflage quilt on his bed in his new room and invited me upstairs to admire it.  I was about twenty pages from finishing a mystery (thank Kirsten) but this was a big event so I begrudgingly put the book down.  He showed me around the room, practically levitating from the beauty of it all and then invited me to play a game of chess.  I reminded him that I didn't know how to play chess but he waved off my hesitation, assuring me that HE could teach me.  So I spent roughly the next hour laying on his bed playing a game that most wouldn't know as chess, sharing some strawberries midway and listened to Owen alternate between giving me chess instructions and then all of sudden doing a little Jimmie Dale/Todd style rants.....  Then he would pause, let out a joyful sigh and say, "isn't this a wonderful time we're having?"  I had to agree.

2.  Had to do my mother's grocery shopping as it was Sunday but decided to drag the whole family along.  So we headed over to mom's, shopped, planted flowers on her deck (only a couple of months late) and chatted.  Then we took off for Target where we spent an inordinate amount of money on shoes, socks, a lampshade and most importantly....a wallet for Owen.  He's been DYING for a wallet...."just like the one Mr. Krabs has."  Then Leo announced he was starving and that maybe we should go out to lunch.  I promptly fell over.  He shyly suggested the Esquire so we just nodded our heads and headed over....  We came back home, the guys headed to the park to play and I indulged my youtube obsession (I don't even want to tell you how many videos it says I've watched).  Nothing better than sitting in the front yard with a nice breeze, a glass of wine and watching music you love....especially when you're with this guy....

3.  While at Target I had a sudden realization that I am exactly like my father in some ways.  Growing up we all knew that if we asked for something Dad was pretty much mush and would say yes.  My mother tempered this somewhat and we somehow learned NOT to ask for things that we knew we couldn't afford or weren't realistic.....had to protect my father from himself.....but...   Don't even ask about the time my mother was out of town and my dad and I went to the O'Hare antiques show by ourselves.  HA!  Anyway....while I stood there considering lampshades the guys saw the lava lamps and Owen almost exploded.  But you know....when you have a brand new room and a new camouflage blanket and a new old desk.....well a lava lamp would just set the whole thing off, don't you think?

4.  Speaking of my father....this song by Griffin House pretty much kills me.  The current war just broke my father's heart.  He literally would cry for the soldiers and what some of them will carry with them for the rest of their lives.  Owen is so proud of his grandfather for being in WWII---as he should be---but I try to help him also see that even though Grandpa was proud of fighting for our country (at all of 17 years old) it also made him hate war and that's something he needs to learn from Grandpa as well. 

Anyway....do watch this.  There's a version with an wonderful introduction by Griffin House as he talks about his 88 year old grandfather whom the song was written about---and in fact is in the video....go watch the intro but the sound isn't great for the song so watch the rest here.....can't decide between the two clips---the video does have his grandfather in it after all---but I really like the great live version so I'll put both on so you can decide...

5.  My father was a signalman on a LST in World War II.  He took the pennant from his ship and it was very important to him.  I remember him showing it to me when I was a child.  He never talked much about the war then...he saved that for his later years....but I remember seeing the pennant.  He passed it on to me and I always put it out on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.  I imagine it will go to Owen someday....

It's Sunday So Soon?

I'll try to force myself into a better mood today.  I went to bed early last night and read, listening to the various fireworks from the neighborhood.....probably the best part of the day.  It rained all day yesterday, just slow, steady rain.....they even cancelled the big parade for the first time in 50+ years.  Hopefully today will be a bit brighter....although Leo just came downstairs only to wrap up in blankets and fall asleep on the couch....  It's unlike him so I hope he's feeling o.k.....

I'm not quite back in a regular schedule yet....back from vacation....two days at work....now a three day weekend.  I forgot to take my pills for something like three or four days in a row leading to outrageous headaches and probably some of my horrible dreams and edginess.....hopefully I'm settled back in....

To start the day off nicely.....here are a few random pictures from vacation.  Oh, and speaking of vacation....did I tell you we saw a black bear on the drive to Eastport?  Well, Ernie, Debbie, Ricky and I all saw it....Leo and Owen were looking away as it ran across the highway in front of us.  I wasn't quick enough to yell LOOK because I was busy thinking 'gee, that's an odd looking big dog....wait, I don't think that's a dog....oh my god it's a BEAR!'  You know, it's not as though we often see bears trotting around Central Illinois....  Owen immediately sobbed, "I'll never see one in my WHOLE life" but we assured him that he has a long life ahead of him and who KNOWS how many bears he will see.

The 4th....

Today has just been off.  Not bad...but just off.  For some reason I just have been wildly on edge and cross all day.  I don't know why.  I'm not mad at anyone or about anything (more than the general worries of our life) but for some reason.....well, I don't know....just one of those days.

We did manage to squeeze in our neighborhood parade despite the rain though...and we have some pork smoking on our grill right now so I guess not all is lost....

Mary and Ray----two of my favorite people....

Simon, Eamon and Owen.  You can just barely see the vulcan ears on Simon.  Evidently when they started talking about decorating bikes he decided to dress as a vulcan.  As Ernie said, NOTHING says the 4th of July like vulcans.....

Happy 4th all.....

Eating in Lubec.....

Ahhhh.....cooking in Maine.....I love it....and cooking for Debbie is great fun as she's an appreciative audience!  I didn't cook wonderfully every night....but I hit it on a couple of nights....as did Debbie....

First night: I bought some haddock and cooked it like my grandmother did----floured, paprika'd and sauteed in butter.  Mmmmm.  Definitely a childhood comfort food kind of thing.

The next night we had Ernie's classic grilled chicken....

The following day we bought some lobsters.....we usually save our classic Grandpa version of stuffed lobsters for later in the week----and Debbie is in charge of that anyway.  So I went through the cookbooks I had with me and what was in the house....still couldn't decide but then I thought about the book I'd been reading: Heat by Bill Buford.  I liked the beginning of the book, liked it less as it went on but his description of cooking cockles and pasta had stuck with me.  He talked about throwing the pasta, barely cooked, into the pan with the cooked cockles so the pasta absorbed the juices...

SO......I decided on some kind of lobster and pasta thing.  I went with linguine as it's a favorite of Ernie's.  I decided I wanted to cook the pasta in the lobster juices so before we steamed it I sauteed some garlic and onions in olive oil.  Then I added a couple of inches of water and salt and brought it to a boil. We steamed the lobsters (Debbie's in charge of that) in the flavored water and took them out to cool, later taking the meat from the shells. For a sauce I sauteed some diced tomatoes and capers in olive oil.  Next time I would use much less tomato but it was an experiment you know.....  Once the tomatoes and capers were softened I tossed in the lobster meat to warm it up.  Then we cooked the linguine in the lobster water.    Tossed it all together and served it with warm La Brea bread and a simple green salad. 

The sauce, the lobster, the bread, the salad.....all good.  The linguini?  ABSOLUTELY AMAZING..... Oh my god....the stuff just tasted like the ocean.  Wet and salty and ocean-y and reeking of lobster.  MMM-mmmmm.  I must say I think it's my favorite thing I cooked the entire vacation.

We had a bit of the lobster and pasta leftover so I made a frittata for breakfast.  Well, it was kind of a frittata...I also browned some pieces of the leftover bread in the pan before pouring the eggs over. Oh, and I threw some parmesan on top .  It might have been better done a little more simply but overall it came out pretty darn well.  The best part?  The teeny pieces of pasta found in it.....

I think the next night we ate lunch late, Ernie and I went out for a drink and when we got back I put together sandwiches for us....nothing fancy but hunger and Rayes mustard will do the trick.  More on Rayes in another post.....

On Wednesday we renewed our hunt for someplace to buy steamers (clams) and fish.  Lubec is small enough that there is just an IGA with limited fresh seafood and produce.  Next year I guess we'll know to stop in Machias at a bigger store.  We had asked a couple of people about our steamers quest and had been told about a place which Debbie and I had tried to find on a fruitless trip.  A few days later, armed with more detailed directions Ernie and I headed there....we finally found it only to be told they weren't doing retail any more that it would be at another place down the road. We ended up at the Boldcoast Smokehouse and bought the most fabulous lox that I have ever had in my life.  Not that I'm an expert I suppose but good LORD but they were fantastic.  Also had an entertaining chat with the owner about Maine and Lubec and lighthouses and New Years Eve 1980....  I cooked some cream (it was vacation after all) with some fresh tarragon, let it reduce a bit and then added the sliced salmon and the rest of the tarragon at the end---put it over the rest of the box of linguine and it was pretty great.  Ricky liked it as well (he even pronounced lobster 'not half bad' on this trip).  Evidently I was too busy and hungry to take pictures....oh, if you could only taste that salmon....it would be worth ordering online....

Let's see....what else?  I had an amazing clam roll in a little restaurant called the Happy Crab in Eastport, Maine.  Sometimes fried clams taste like fried friedness if you know what I mean but these clams were moist and oceany while still all crispy.  And by my reckoning....ANYTHING you put on a New England style hot dog bun is great....with a little very good coleslaw on the side (I'm on a coleslaw kick)...it was pretty darn wonderful....  Thanks Happy Crab!

Oh, and Debbie brought an ice cream maker....good lord but homemade ice cream is a different creature!

and last but certainly not least....our traditional lobster.  Debbie makes it just the way my Grandpa did....  Steam the lobsters, lay them flat to cool, slice them open and fill with a stuffing made of crushed saltines, butter, tomalley and the coral if you get a female.  Mound the stuffing where you've cut it open and run it under the broiler.  The only thing I do a little different than Grandpa is that I like to add lemon juice to my melted butter.  Debbie abstains as she is a purist to the bone.  Side dishes?  Potato chips and cole slaw only.....  They were superb as always Debbie....

mmmmmmmm......