IS THIS TUESDAY?

I guess it is a sign of age, but we are just so happy to be back in our own home after three nights in a hotel. A good hotel!

Last Thursday night we moved the packed bins to the garage in preparation for the house fumigation scheduled on the weekend. All food, cosmetics, anything “not under pressure” (could I have stayed?), was to be removed from the house. Even the refrigerator emptied, ice maker turned off. But I was “not to worry,” about clothes, linens, dishes, etc, which raised many questions for me… so I asked, first over the phone and then in person. When the technician reverted to the same tone my husband uses when I ask him computer questions I gave up, I chose not being abused or informed.

My husband kissed me as he left for work Friday morning, “They should be here around 11 or so.”

I closed the door feeling very much in control, pulled the suitcases out of the closet and packed a few items before getting into the shower. With a towel wrapped around my wet hair I was still able to hear the warning beep of a truck backing up. I threw on my clothes and looked out the window to see a ‘cherry picker’ being backed up to the house. It was 7:30AM! The door bell rang. Disgruntled I answered the door.

“Just wanted to drop the cherry picker off and let you know we will be back later to tent the house.”

“How much later?”

“Hard to say, we are dismantling it at another house.”

“Give me a ballpark time.”

“Say, 10 or so.”

I was ready and they were late, but in the ballpark.

We left our house keys with strangers and escaped. That evening we drove past the house. The tent was in place, the gas had been released and there was a security guard on duty. We drove on to drinks and dinner.

Saturday we arrived an hour early for Alice in Wonderland. We stood and we waited… why do we have to be so anal about our theater seats? Eventually we were allowed to enter and sat smugly waiting for Alice. Then the genius of Tim Burton filled the screen for 108 delicious minutes.

That night we ate at T’afia, Monica Pope’s restaurant. It was our second time and we were pleased to find it as interesting and tasty as our first visit. As a starter we shared Chickpea fries with Curry Ketchup.

Monica is scheduled to appear on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, second season, premiering April 7. She has a huge following in Houston where she started a Mid-town farmers market and recently, food tours.(Besides her restaurant.)

In yesterday’s Houston Chronicle under Health and Fitness they listed ‘9 Ways to Make your Brain’s Day.
(By Michael Roizen, MD and Mehmet Oz, MD)

All interesting, but two that caught my attention. For years I have harped at my husband about drinking too much coffee. Nope… he drinks 5 to 6 cups a day and number 1 on the list, “Fill your cup. Coffee (six cups a day) can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by more than 20%.”

And number 8… “Practice! Playing music bolsters language areas of your brain – and you don’t have to be good for it to work.

I was in band at Hillcrest Elementary school, played the Alto Sax. Hmmm, perhaps…