The Tilley Steps and the Turnip King

The Buddha said "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

Closing in on winter I made sure to get my free flu shot but not without a dozen visits to CVS first. Insurance woes piled high (yeah me and the rest of the country) between trying to find a pharmacy clerk that knew how to call up my insurance on the computer and a hospital that accepted our insurance but the emergency room docs did not. Thankfully after I nearly lost my temper? the Primate took over. Imagine what happens to the uninsured and the infirmed?

Handstanding continues in the garage
safely ensconced next to a pitchfork and the lawnmower. Check it out.

#110 

 Curried Squash Soup via Kim via Bon Appetit

4 lbs butternut squash (about 2 large), halved, seeded

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups chopped onion

5 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

1 cup half and half

1/4 cup chopped chives

Preheat oven to 350. Place Squash cut side down on baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Scoop out squash pulp; discard squash skin.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, curry, and allspice: saute until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer 1/4 of onion mixture, 1/4 squash and 1 cup of stock to blender; puree. Pour into a heavy large saucepan. Puree remaining onion mixture, squash, and stock in blender in 3 more batches. Add to saucepan. Add half and half to soup; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. ( can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Throw some chopped chives on top.

#111 Tuna

Colonial Gardens installed a spigot!

Snake habitat

Colonial Gardens' magic.

I tracked down Shoulder boy on his first day back on the road.

Jim, Pete, Andy, Linus, Steve, Al, and Garrett

Don joins the fun at Pete and Margaret's Bike Party.

Radish Salad from Amy's Garden

                        

#112 Spaghetti

Carla, what is this plant? I think we bought it in Huntington.

Looks like I roasted eggplant, chickpeas, etc.

#113 Spaghetti is better on day 2.

#114. Avocado sandwich inspired by Brendan.

#115.

David signing before the show,

Lobby of Landmark Theater

We continued our effort to culturize ourselves by attending
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with Andy and Jean at the American
Theater in Phoebus. That was at the beginning of October, by the
twelfth of October we were back to eating popcorn in the last row
of The Regal Newtown Cinema watching Enough Said.

On my last night before heading north it was Richmond's 

Landmark Theater for an evening that left my ribs aching; we 

were definitely not sprayed with God cologne and there were more

expletives than cultured speak but on the bright side I will never 

utter the word AWESOME again. David made us realize that was 

the only word Americans could emit, dare I say just one last time, 

Sedaris

is AWESOME.

When I got back to the Island I almost immediately broke 

down, not emotionally, the car silly. Battery, starter, break pads, 

routers, spark plugs, who knew?  A gentleman rode up on a bike 

and offered the use of his battery. Alas, Primate failed to supply

me with jumper cables. Carla was shocked!                          

                                              

Carla and our hero. Check out his car battery.