I Don't Wear My Sunglasses at Night

I've never been one to wear sunglasses. I find that I usually end up losing them or sitting on them or just turning them into some sort of poor investment.

I was at work and someone had left their sunglasses behind so I was walking around the kitchen wearing them. Alex, the dishwasher, commented that I should get some cop glasses. A day or two later the wife and I were doing some shopping and using up the last of the gift cards we had gotten as gifts for our wedding. We walked past a display for sunglasses that were on sale. So I got some.

What I like about sunglasses is that you can stare at people without them knowing that you're looking at them. When I was younger and more single, this usually meant looking at the ladies. Now, however, it seems to tie in nicely with my using the bus. There seems to be a propensity for crazy people on the bus. Thus, staring at crazy people on the bus has become one of my favorite pastimes.

I realized, last night, that I was staring at some crazy people getting on the bus. Since it was after 11 p.m. there was little reason for wearing my sunglasses. Crazy people resent when you stare at them. It was only after some angry, confrontational stares from the crazy people that I realized I was staring without benefit of sunglasses. Fortunately I made it home alive.

A Note On Bears

Hollywood animal trainer distraught over fatal bear attack

By GILLIAN FLACCUS

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) — The owner of a wild animal training center where a grizzly bear killed a handler says the animal is a "loving, affectionate, friendly, safe bear," but he is at a loss to explain how a "simple routine" turned tragic.

At a loss to explain how the "simple routine" turned tragic? Really? You're baffled as to why a bear would suddenly start acting like a bear? Okay, try this, it's a bear! I think it's absolutely unbelievable that people would be shocked and surprised when a bear starts acting like what it is. I think it's even more audacious that these same people would turn around and talk about whether or not the bear needs to be destroyed. That's right folks, they want to kill the bear for being a bear. Bad, old bear.

Not long ago a woman was attacked by a couple of big cats she had as pets. Apparently the cats went into predatory mode when they were surprised by a child's ball. The woman didn't die. When the news asked her what she was going to do with the cats and whether or not she would keep working with the cats, the woman said yes. Yes she would keep working with the cats and she wasn't going to destroy the animals. She said that the animals were just following their instincts and it was her fault for letting her guard down.

A lot of people decide to do things that are dangerous or perhaps foolish. That's their right. In fact we applaud people that do the dangerous things like being policemen or firemen or soldiers. That's probably the way it should be. However, when was the last time you heard a firefighter complain about fire being too hot? Or a soldier upset about the fact that people were shooting at them? If you want to train bears for a living, get ready for when the bear starts doing what bears do.

Here's a piece I wrote about when I burnt myself falling down the stairs with a big pot of hot grease.

September Rain

My feet betray me
as grease-slicked boot meets rain-covered stair

They reach for the sky
and leave me
to my own devices.

My ass seeks support
and finds it in the form of a wet step.

The grease flies
upwards
and comes down
like a harsh rain full of hate.

Where it falls it makes slick
where it falls it ravages.

Soaking through clothes
and kissing the flesh underneath

kissing with pain.

Sliding down into a grease-slicked boot and making the inside grease-slicked
grease-slicked and hot.

I
can’t
control
the
screams.

My First Negative Food Review

I love food. I've never had to write a bad review before but my experience at this place really bummed me out.

Here's the review..

The Annona Bistro located at 2643 South Kinnickinnic Avenue in downtown Bayview is a newer place, just opening in the last year. My wife and I stopped in the other night in an effort to try something new. We may stop trying new things.

I had never been in Annona before and as I entered I was immediately impressed by how many tables they were able to get into such a small place. Some may say it makes the place look cluttered and they may be right. After a few minutes someone directed us to a table in back. As we made our way to the table we passed display cases showcasing the different sandwiches and fresh from the box deserts and a sign that advertised the soup of the day as Cheddar Broccoli.

Perusing the menu, which can be found on their website at annonabistro.com, they specialize in food with a Mediterranean flair. Some of their entrees sounded good, but my wife and I decided to have the soup and sandwich combo, as we were both hungry for some good Cheddar Broccoli soup and one of the delicious looking sandwiches we had seen on our way in. The very friendly waitress took our order and as we waited I perused the drink list. Apparently besides carrying the very good coffee roasted by the Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, Annona has a full selection of cocktails featuring 11 varieties of martinis. When our soup arrived, it was abundantly apparent that it wasn’t Cheddar Broccoli. We chased down our waitress and asked her about this. She told us that they had forgotten to change the sign and the new soup was Curry Lentil. Neither of us being fans of lentils, we asked if we could get something else. After checking in the kitchen the waitress told my wife that she would be able to get a cup of the Broccoli Cheddar for her. I decided to try the “award-winning” Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. When it arrived, the Broccoli Cheddar was watery, almost as if the last scrapings from the pot had been stretched for a final bowl. As for my “award-winning” chili, it was good but certainly not what I would expect to win awards. It was a pretty pedestrian chili moderately seasoned with chili powder and little else.

Our sandwiches arrived, I had gotten the Roast Beef Panini and my wife got the Italian. Normally served with a pickle spear, chips, and a red pepper aioli, however when ordered as part of the soup combo you get none of these. No chips I can understand, but no pickle seems a bit stingy. We asked if we could still get some of the aioli and our waitress went and got us some gladly. The bread used for the paninis is absolutely wonderful, it’s certainly some of the best bread I have ever eaten. I tried to tell my wife this but was drowned out by the piano player that felt that playing loudly helped make for a relaxing atmosphere. I was disappointed that my sandwich consisted of only meat, cheese and few tomatoes; I felt some red onion would really complete it. My wife’s Italian Panini had some delicious Italian meats and good provolone, but the mild giardinera was sparse; a healthy portion would have really made this a good sandwich.

I would not say that the Annona Bistro is bad. It has really good bread. However, I would not recommend it. It seems like they have a lot of good ideas that don’t seem to have been thought out completely. Most of their dishes, if improved just slightly, have the potential to be really great. Until then, you’re better off going somewhere that gets it right.