steak with Denny

Night two of eight nights alone with Olive, and I had company.  I hadn't seen Denny since he came to the cocktail party back in May, so we were overdue for catching up.  Over drinks outside

then a nice little steak dinner I cooked up for us,

we chatted about travel and dating and Mexican food and more.  What a nice evening!

Dishes are done, it's time for bed.  I shall post this in the morning.  Happy Thursday, one and all! 

last weekend in July

Last weekend in July.  The pre-birthday weekend.  We fit in a lot this weekend, or so it felt.  And yet, that was a nice Saturday afternoon nap, I tell you!  So then, let's talk the weekend that was....

Friday I worked from home, and not having to allow for commuting time, plus getting up early, plus staying at Van's overnight meant that I was able to do a good, long morning walk.  Over 8 miles for me.  Not bad!  My step count for July has been pretty darn good.  I was pooped and sweaty come the end of it. 

I was happy to start the day that way, though.  Nicely done, me!

We absolutely love our friends at the restaurants where we are regulars, but we also find ourselves wanting to go to other restaurants sometimes.  Last Friday was one such time.  We sort of tossed around options for dinner, and I found myself not really wanting any of them, until he reminded me of Perle.  We'd enjoyed our last time there, sitting at the bar, so we decided to go back.  Other than cocktails (the La Plage for me),

we shared everything:  bread and butter, escargots, mussels and fries and green salad, Basque cake for dessert. 

A second round of cocktails (Last Words, thank you!) capped the evening there.  Nice time of it, and not too late a meal. 

It was good to have that little bit of change.

Saturday was an easy day with some self-care.  A more casual walk to start the day, then, of course, Conrad and I made our way to Amara. 

Conrad then took care of odds and ends at home whilst I headed off to a massage, a haircut,

and lunch with a friend before meeting Conrad to do some grocery shopping.  That's where I picked up a nice pair of steaks that turned into an enjoyable dinner in

with a bottle of a Justin reserve Cab to pair with the food. 

Cocktails first, of course

- sometimes I like to sip with Conrad while he watches me cook dinner.

Oh, and there was a cute little gift from Courtney and Robert in the mail,

a farfalle (bow tie, get it?) keychain from Eataly. 

Fun!

I was so looking forward to Sunday.  Van had invited Heath and Nicole over, and he was going to grill burgers for us.  He went to such great lengths to make it a lovely evening, and it all paid off.  We hadn't seen Heath since the cocktail party and Nicole in far longer, so it was terrific having them over.  Bonus:  they brought their dogs.  I only got a shot of Rollie, but what a cutie. 

Olive mostly ignored them, so that was a relief.  Anyway, Van

made us mai tais to start with,

then on came the burgers.  Tasty, especially with tater tots. 

Dessert was a carrot cake that he'd picked up.  It all felt very special, a nice way to end 55.

It's taken me days to get this post written.  I fear that I may lapse into some gaps in posting if I'm not careful.  We shall see what August brings! 

USA Day, 2026

That title is (perhaps more than) a little disrespectful, I know.  I choose to live in the US, but I also choose to live a little apart from it, and given how the flag and national symbols have been so horribly co-opted by the right in this country, I find it even harder now to note the Fourth of July and offer Americans any sort of congratulations or cheer.  Sorry.

It was no less difficult this year to summon up July 4 cheer.  Aside from the messy political situation, it oddly felt like there wasn't much being done to celebrate.  Oh, sure, we saw flags and bunting and some really awful (and, frankly, disrespectful) fashion decisions - why oh why do USians insist on draping their flag across their tits or butts (if they can dress crudely, I can use crude language).  But there really was no sense anywhere that this was a celebration worthy of attention.  It felt like a summer Saturday, nothing more.

Conrad and I checked out of that awful room and left through the patio door to the parking immediately outside because I was in no mood to be nice to the desk clerks.  We tried meeting up with his family members and mostly failed.  So it was that, come noon CDT, we were at a Culver's in Marinette, WI.  A burger each, onion rings to share. 

Not the healthiest lunch, but certainly an enjoyable one.

From there it was on to Green Bay, with a stop at Klema's (which was Seguin's for so many years),

and that was a welcome return to something a little more luxurious, a little better.  I know, I know, I am a terrible snob.  Sorry.  It was just such a weird and not entirely great visit to Escanaba, and having a good hotel for a night,

and one with a spa (we each got a treatment) and a nice bar and restaurant, was such a balm.  We checked in, sorted ourselves out, then headed to the spa for a while.

After that, we had an easy evening ahead.  We took care of repacking for our travel the next day before we went to dinner, then headed up to Taverne in the Sky for a nice meal, commencing with a cocktail each (Last Word, thank you to them for having green chartreuse)

in the bar with its view of Lambeau Field

before heading into the dining room.  They've spruced things up in there.  They've also got a new chef (who came out to chat with us), and he has focused the menu nicely.  The service was attentive and knowledgeable, too.  Summer is clearly not their busy season, and I'm sure the holiday further affected things.  It was fairly quiet in the dining room, which feels like a luxury in this day and age of loud music and chatter in restaurants.  We were grateful for it all.

The food!  Oysters to start, and I liked the apple brunoise. 

I especially liked the glass of Sardinian wine paired with it just as the host suggested when we were talking with him at the bar.  The tuna crudo was also tasty

- Conrad liked that one a lot.  We also had some bread, which was a nice quality. 

I kind of wish restaurants would stop with the balsamic vinegar thing with bread, but ah well.

I was glad that they had a smaller steak on offer, a 6 oz filet.  Much more than that can be too much meat.  The steak was nicely cooked, the cauliflower was a colourful side, and the parsnip puree was ridiculously silky. 

I could quibble and suggest that it all might have been warmer when it came out, but it was a meal to savour slowly anyway, so it was rather cool by the time I ate my last mouthful.  Dessert was good although it felt a little like something halfway to a great idea. 

The lemon parts were terrific, but the pile of pistachios with the vanilla ice cream did not go with it as well as it could.  We had a lot of desserts on this trip that involved a scoop of ice cream, and I get that it's summer, but I don't think that's always the solution.  The nuts could have been made into something, a praline perhaps.  Still, the dessert was a satisfying way to finish the meal.

As the meal ended, we could see fireworks in the distance from three locations.  These continued on as the skies darkened.  We got back to our room where we could still see fireworks

beyond the Titletown complex. 

We wound down, in no great rush in the morning thanks to proximity to the airport, time of flight, and generally being ready to go.

I don't think Conrad and I really remarked much on it being a national holiday all day, which is so odd for a 250th anniversary.  A milestone that got sidelined.  It was a nice day, though, so I am appreciative of that.

now this was a surprise

Back to the May holiday weekend blogging.  Better late than never!

This post takes in the whole of the first full day in Nashville, but really, it's focused on one thing:  the Grand Ole Opry.  I had bought us tickets way back when, not even knowing at the time who would be performing, because I thought it would be a fun, touristy thing to do.  Something to say we'd done.  It turned out to be a true highlight of the trip.  I'd honestly, happily go back.

But we'll get to that.  First, the rest of the day that was.

It was a day without rain for us.  I think it may have rained overnight there, but the day went from overcast to relatively sunny by the end of it.  We all got up a little late, which is surprising for me, and made our way to a nearby Starbucks. 

It wasn't until lunch time that we ventured out for real in the car.  First stop:  the farmers market!

I love a farmers market.  I love seeing all the amazing produce that I would dearly love to get my hands on and see what I can make from it.  Late May in Tennessee means plenty of good stuff already in the stalls.  And there were fun other things to see and browse as well.  I was tempted to get a Hug a Farmer

tshirt but for the designs on the backs of them.  Van got a fine cutting board, and so did we.  And there was lunch as well - vegan tacos were my choice - not to mention the small chess pies

we bought and then ended up not eating until we got home to Pasadena.  The market was a terrific place to wander round.

From there it was a little jaunt around town, crossing the main drag, Broadway, and saying a collective no thank you to the idea of wandering among the crowds and tourist trap looking places.  Not our scene, but clearly Nashville in parts is southeastern Las Vegas mixed with Bourbon Street.  I wonder how many locals go down that way.

In the wake of our trip to New England, Conrad and I had been talking about how many state capitals we had visited and how many state capitols we had seen.  Nashville and the Tennessee State Capitol became the latest for each.  We parked below the Capitol, across from the handsome state library building,

then climbed up

and wandered around the outside,

taking photos. 

Yep, look at them.  That's how you can tell we're all of a trio!

And oh, how those magnolias smelled so lovely when you got up close to them! 

It wasn't seeing much of Nashville, I know, but it was low key, and we enjoyed it.  Besides, the big adventure was going to be an evening one.

The Opry, for many years, had a home in downtown Nashville, but that is no longer the case.  I had thought when I saw on a map that it was now located in a big entertainment and shopping complex well outside of the city center that this was a recent development, a Disney theme park happening.  It turns out, however, that the current home of the Opry is about 50 years old.  Facelifted since then, to be sure, but the move wasn't a recent one.  It is a little Disneyesque, though.  Nice view of the city as we crossed the river north of downtown. 

I tell you, though, I don't think I'd want to have to drive around or commute in and out of Nashville on a regular basis.

We had reservations at Old Hickory Steakhouse in the massive Gaylord Hotel complex.  We actually let Conrad off to check in for the reservation while Van and I attempted to find the parking we'd paid for.  And then it was quite the hike to the hotel entrance and through the building to find the steakhouse.  Conrad told us the host stand staff at the restaurant were VERY understanding of that.  Happily!  The steakhouse was set inside an enormous, glassed-in atrium. 

A somewhat tropical setting.  We ordered cocktails

and shared bread

and a HUGE baked potato,

and each of us had a steak. 

The food was fine, but I felt that service was where the restaurant really shone.  True to their word, they got us through the meal well in time for us to head over to the Opry (along with other diners), having just enough time to grab a photo or two outside. 

We headed in and took our seats. 

And you know, they were pretty darn good seats, I have to say.

One thing I did not know about the Opry:  it's not simply a venue.  It's a century-old radio show that is broadcast live.  The show is two hours long, including an intermission, and it runs smoothly.  Each performer gets two or three songs and that's it.  If you don't like one performer, well, the next one will soon be on.  The Opry brings in new talent, has some returning acts, and also features members.  The members are an exclusive group of artists who are elected by peers and who then have an obligation to perform multiple times a year.  From what I gather, they also can appear any time they like, which goes to explain why the schedule for the night was slightly different than what we saw.  Here's who performed along with some thoughts:

Opry Square Dancers - they opened the show and came back out again after intermission.  Fun energy.

    

Mark Wills - a member of the Opry.  I had never heard of him, but I barely follow country music, so that's no surprise.  I liked his set.

Connie Smith - a member of the Opry.  A legacy act, in her 80s, and what a lovely, rich voice she has.  Reminded me a little of Patsy Cline.  Conrad knew who she was, I think.

Zach John King - making his Opry debut.  He was fine.  Didn't seem the strongest singer.  His big hit is about drinking, and between that and the bro sort of thing that entails, it was not my favourite of the night.  Not at all bad.  It was interesting to hear in his one song how rap has influenced current country music.

Jon Walmsley - making a return after decades.  Apparently he was an actor on The Waltons.  His set felt more bluesy than the others.  It didn't feel like the audience enjoyed him as much.

John Conlee - a member of the Opry.  A legacy act.  His music sounded exactly like the sort of thing my parents would listen to.  He invited us all to come to his church the next day and sang a song that sounded like an unironic ode to women being housewives.  Good voice, but not for me.

Peytan Porter - making a return, and not her first return.  Her thing seemed to be country but don't put her in a box.  Hints of rap in one song.  Not a strong voice live, but she was animated.  Not sure what to make of her in hindsight.

Steve Earle - a member of the Opry.  This was the surprise on the bill, and a welcome one.  His second song was a duet with his sister, and his third and final song was Copperhead Road, which was awesome to hear live.  Really thrilled to hear him.

Ricky Skaggs - a member of the Opry and, based on him and his accompanying musicians closing the show, the headliner.  A name I knew but not music I knew.  He's on the bluegrass side of things.  His patter was enjoyable, and so were his songs.

I know I'm not entirely complimentary about one or two of the performers, but the whole thing worked so well.  Different interpretations of country music, a little taste of each.  Young and old.  Reverence for the institution.  An appreciative audience.  I would enjoy going again.  My gosh, can you just imagine a Christmas show there?  I'd dearly love that.

We headed to the gift shop like everyone else and then bought nothing.  Instead it was back to the hotel and the hotel bar where we chatted with Nate, the bartender, and he let us try drinks we was working on for a new menu.  I had the Track and Field, a spin on a mint julep. 

I think he was a little let down when I told him that it tasted like Christmas because of the noted of chocolate and orange - he was going for a summer sipper, not winter.  But it was good.

Drinks done, it was off to bed.  We had big plans for the next day and some driving to do!