Glen Hansard RIP

Glen Hansard RIP. Kitchen Listening the past couple of days with some of this Irish musicians many albums in my collection. I was sorry to hear of his passing in a Dublin motorcycle accident the other day and have been playing his albums since. I'm looking forward to viewing a couple of his films again very soon... Once and The Commitments.

My Secret Place - Songs 1988 FV

My Secret Place. The last of the mixes featuring songs from my collection released in 1988. A little more laid back this time and mostly deep cuts with some interesting covers too.

Joni Mitchell in the pic.

My Secret Place - Songs 1988 FV

1. My Secret Place - Joni Mitchell
2. As Long As You Follow - Fleetwood Mac
3. Got It Made - Crosby, Stills & Nash
4. Didn't Expect It To Go Down This Way - K.T. Oslin
5. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room - Dwight Yoakam
6. Wishing Well - Nick Lowe
7. Sally Sue Brown - Bob Dylan
8. Drive South - John Hiatt
9. The Road To Bayamon - Tom Russell
10. High Time - The Icicle Works
11. Gulf Coast Highway - Nanci Griffith & Mac McAnnaly
12. Lock Stock & Teardrops - k.d. lang
13. When A Man Loves A Woman - Art Garfunkel
14. The Weight - Giant Sand
15. Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
16. Femme Fatale - Tom Tom Club
17. When You Come - Crowded House
18. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - Robert Cray
19. La Pistola Y El Corazon - Los Lobos
20. Salome - Lizzy Mercier Descloux
21. Vox - Sarah McLachlan
22. In The Clouds - All About Eve
23. Irish Heartbeat - Van Morrison
24. The Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics
25. Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight - Brian Wilson

Rocking Chair - Buy Nothing

We put our old rocking chair on the Buy Nothing North Buffalo Facebook group. I posted it with the following comment... Wood rocking chair to give. In good condition but with one spindle with a crack that was glued and taped. Parkside porch pickup. 

Within a half hour I had someone interested in the chair. Then a little while later one of those interested persons came by after I contacted her on messenger and arranged the pick up. The chair was on the porch and I helped her get it into her car which took a little maneuvering to get it in there. She was very happy with the chair.

Take Manhattan - Songs 1988 FV

Take Manhattan. Another in my series of mixes featuring songs from albums in my collection released in 1988. Lots of deep cuts, favorites and some hits too.

Leonard Cohen in the pic.

Take Manhattan - Songs 1988 FV

1. First We Take Manhattan - Leonard Cohen
2. People Have The Power - Patti Smith
3. Stand - R.E.M.
4. Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
5. Mr. Jones - Talking Heads
6. Never Trust A Stranger - Kim Wilde
7. Cold Metal - Iggy Pop
8. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
9. Cult of Personality - Living Colour
10. Spy In The House Of Love - Was (Not Was)
11. Peace In Our Time - Big Country
12. Talkin' Bout A Revolution - Tracy Chapman
13. Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards - Billy Bragg
14. World Party - The Waterboys
15. Candy Love Satellite - That Petro Emotion
16. The Killing Jar - Siouxsie & The Banshees
17. Reptile - The Church
18. Tugboat - Galaxie 500
19. Ullyses - Dead Can Dance
20. Cursum Perficio - Enya
21. The Beat of Black Wings - Joni Mitchell
22. Hey Manhattan! - Prefab Sprout

The Keeper - A Novel

The Keeper - Tana French, 2026. The third book in the Cal Hooper detective series. This novel continues the story of Cal Hooper, the ex-Chicago cop, and his relationships with the people of the small Irish village he settled in for his retirement. 

Once again I read this Tana French novel in about a week. When I start one of her books I can't put them down. This is the eighth book of hers that I've read and I consider her one of the great crime novelist.

Crash - Songs 1988 FV

Crash. A mix of deep cut songs from albums in my collection released in 1988. An interesting set of songs.

The Primitives in the pic.

Crash - Songs 1988 FV

1. Crash - The Primitives
2. House We Used To Live In - The Smithereens
3. In Your Room - The Bangles
4. Every Dog Has His Day - Let's Active
5. Ship of Fools - Erasure
6. Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls - Book of Love
7. Mad Cyril (Hello Girls Mix) - Happy Mondays
8. It's Alright - Pet Shop Boys
9. Blazing Saddles - Yello
10. Here It Is Take It - That Petrol Emotion
11. I'm Gonna Be Around - The Del Lords
12. Cartoon - Soul Asylum
13. Eden Alley - Timbuk 3
14. Blue Eyed Pop - The Sugarcubes
15. Rolling With The Moody Girls - Game Theory
16. Two Hearts - Phil Collins
17. Get Up - R.E.M.
18. Let It Roll - Little Feat
19. This Note's For You - Neil Young
20. Birth, School, Work, Death - The Godfathers
21. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
22. Big New Prinz - The Fall
23. The Side I'll Never Show - Dream Syndicate
24. David Bowie Wants Ideas - Bongwater

Garden Walk Pt. 2

Today we went on more of the Buffalo Garden Walk. This time we went over to the West Side to the Connecticut Street area and Five Points. We explored around Vermont and Ripley Place and saw many amazing gardens. We were also looking at the restaurants in the area. There are a few we really want to check out. Some bakeries and cafes too.

We got a little lost in the Five Points area but eventually found our way. We'll know better navigating the area next time. We want to check out some restaurants and bakeries there too.

Then we drove down to the Symphony Circle area and explored around the neighborhood gardens. We were down around Wadsworth, Normal, Orton, Hudson, and St. John's Place and saw some fantastic gardens. Lots of interesting houses too. 

We were mostly depending on the Garden Walk maps we downloaded. I think next time we should make sure we use our regular google maps too.

As you can see from the photos I like some of the quirky gardens too.

Garden Walk Pt. 1

Becky and I took our regular neighborhood walk this afternoon and took the opportunity to check out some of the gardens that are part of these weekend's Garden Walk. 

We were also very impressed with our neighbors garden behind their wood fence. It was spectacular.

Tomorrow we will be exploring some other parts of the city on the Garden Walk.

PM with Dave

Dave and I had another nice time at the Parkside Meadow last night. Ran into a lot of people there including a couple of young guys we talked with last time we were there. It was nice hearing their perspective on things.

Better Be Home Soon - Songs 1988 FV

Better Be Home Soon. More songs from albums in my collection released in 1988. Lots of hits, favorites and deep cuts that run about an hour and a half as usual. Another mix in my Final Version series

Crowded House in the pic.

Better Be Home Soon - Songs 1988 FV

1. Better Be Home Soon - Crowded House
2. Feels Like Rain - John Hiatt
3. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
4. Orinoco Flow - Enya
5. Blue Bell Knoll - Cocteau Twins
6. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
7. I Don't Want To Fall In Love - Sam Phillips
8. Why I Went Missing - The Style Council
9. Everything Your Heart Desires - Hall & Oates
10. I'll Set You Free - The Bangles
11. Fantastic Voyage - The Mekons
12. Birthday - The Sugarcubes
13. Pictures - Galaxie 500
14. Charlotte Anne - Julian Cope
15. One Man's Woman / No Man's Land - Giant Sand
16. Walking After Midnight - Cowboy Junkies
17. Time After Time - Tuck & Patti
18. A Groovy Kind of Love - Phil Collins
19. Love Is Stronger Than Pride - Sade
20. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen
21. I Don't Want To Talk About It - Everything But The Girl
22. I'm Allright - The Go-Betweens

Saigon Bangkok Dinner

This evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner at one of our favorite restaurants over the years... Saigon Bangkok. We wanted to go out to dinner with Karen on her last night in town along with Dave and Donna. Mary came along too. I had suggested Saigon Bangkok as Becky and I had just been there a couple of months ago and had a wonderful meal. It had been awhile since we had been there. We hadn't been there with Dave and Donna in many years too.

I made reservations for five and then added a sixth person, Mary, when we got there. We had a great dinner and shared everything. Lots of plates on the table.

The service was great too. We had some leftovers which they bagged up for us but the others did not want them. Well, I did and Becky and I took them home. I'm sure we'll have a nice dinner this week with those leftovers.

King of Emotion - Songs 1988 FV

King of Emotion. A nice selection of mostly deep cuts and a few hits from my mix series of songs from albums in my collection released in 1988.  I enjoyed putting these mixes together as 1988 was an interesting year.

Big Country in the pic.

King of Emotion - Songs 1988 FV

1. King of Emotion - Big Country
2. Desire - U2
3. Only A Memory - The Smithereens
4. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
5. How She Threw It All Away - The Style Council
6. One True Love - The O'Kanes
7. Even When I'm Blue - Steve Earle
8. I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried - Rodney Crowell
9. Silvio - Bob Dylan
10. Hate To Lose Your Lovin' - Little Feat
11. Slow Turning - John Hiatt
12. And A Bang On The Ear - The Waterboys
13. Here's A Heart - Lyres
14. All Night Long - Peter Murphy
15. No Questions Asked - Fleetwood Mac
16. Gypsy Flame - Lizzy Mercier Descloux
17. Blind - Talking Heads
18. Cars and Girls - Prefab Sprout
19. In Between - Beat Happening
20. Flowers In Our Hair - All About Eve
21. Walkin' The Line - Brian Wilson
22. I Know You're Out There Somewhere - The Moody Blues

Last Night - Songs 1988 FV

Last Night. Another mix in my Songs 1988 series of songs from albums in my collection released that year. Some hits, favorites and deep cuts. Some good covers too.

Traveling Wilburys in the pic.

Last Night - Songs 1988 FV

1. Last Night - Traveling Wilburys
2. When Love Comes To Town - U2
3. (Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads
4. Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer
5. Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys
6. Tubular Bells - Book Of Love
7. Tall Cool One - Robert Plant
8. Roll With It - Steve Winwood
9. Orange Crush - R.E.M.
10. Cactus - Pixies
11. Peek-A-Boo - Siouxsie & The Banshees
12. Groove Check - That Petrol Emotion
13. Alphabet Street - Prince
14. The Race - Yello
15. Walk The Dinosaur - Was (Not Was)
16. Heaven In My Hands - Level 42
17. You Came - Kim Wilde
18. Chains of Love - Erasure
19. Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Chaka Khan
20. Freddie's Dead - Fishbone
21. Rumours - Gregory Isaacs
22. Tomorrow People - Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers

Dinner at Tappo

Last night we met Karen, Dave and Donna for dinner at Tappo Restaurant downtown. Our reservation was for 5:30. Since it was a Friday evening at rush hour we left our house a few minutes after 5 pm. The traffic was very crowded on the way downtown. We walked into the restaurant at exactly 5:30. The others were already sitting there waiting for us and had ordered wine. The waitress asked me and Becky what we wanted. She got an NA and I asked for a Tuscan style red wine. The waitress offered me a montepulciano house wine and said the bottle was a better deal... only $18. Dave decided he wanted the red instead of the bottle of white Donna and Karen insisted on so me and Dave split the bottle of red.

We were squeezed around a small table for five. It was actually a comfortable table for four. I felt a little out of place and seemingly closer to the people at the next table than to most of our table. Oh well, the food was good. Not great. We've had better meals at Tappo but lately they have not been up to past meals but this is where Dave and Donna wanted to take Karen. There are many other restaurants we would have gone for instead and especially on a Friday evening.

I had the chicken milanese which included a salad but it was almost all arugula because of the lettuce scare. The meal was OK but not great. I took a little of the chicken home in a box for some lunch. I also took home the bottle of red although there was only enough left for one glass. Becky had the shrimp risotto. Dave had the spaghetti meatball dinner and Donna also had the chicken milanese. Karen had a vegetarian dish. At the end of the dinner Karen grabbed the check for the table.

Overall we enjoyed the meal and the company. We were there for about an hour and a half. The restaurant was really crowded and more people were coming in all evening. 

When we were done then it was off to Hallwalls for the Member's Show reception.

Hallwalls Opening

After our dinner at Tappo tonight we went up the street a few blocks to check out the opening of the Hallwalls Member's Show where Becky had a piece on display along with probably hundreds more. We had to park a couple of blocks away and the gallery itself was massively crowded and hot too. It was very hard to see any of the artwork so we'll be going back again some other time to see the works on display. 

Dave and Donna brought Karen to the show but they only stayed a few minutes. They don't do the art scene anymore except for maybe a show Becky is in. Karen was really enjoying herself and moving about in the crowd trying to see the artwork. I talked with a lot of different people during our hour or so at the gallery. I especially enjoyed talking for a long time with Diane Bush's husband Steve Baskin whom I haven't seen in many years due to his struggles with Long Covid in Las Vegas.

Into Temptation - Songs 1988 FV

Into Temptation. More songs from albums in my collection released in 1988. Lots of hits, favorites and deep cuts. Some interesting covers too.

Crowded House in the pic.

Into Temptation - Songs 1988 FV

1. Into Temptation - Crowded House
2. You Are Everything - R.E.M.
3. Must I Paint You A Picture - Billy Bragg
4. Anyone Can Be Somebody's Fool - Nanci Griffith
5. Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen
6. Paths That Cross - Patti Smith
7. Love Goes On! - The Go-Betweens
8. We Will Not Be Lovers - The Waterboys
9. Christine - House Of Love
10. Amelia, Have You Lost - Game Theory
11. It'll Come To You - John Hiatt
12. Waltzing For Dreamers - Richard Thompson
13. Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson
14. Angel of Harlem - U2
15. Let's Stick Together - Bob Dylan
16. Downtown Train - Tom Russell
17. Victoria - The Fall
18. Rock & Roll Pt. 2 - Bongwater
19. I Can Only Give You Everything - The Godfathers
20. Hit The Ground - The Darling Buds
21. Drown In My Own Tears - The Smithereens
22. Oblivious - Galaxie 500
23. Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
24. Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
25. End of the Line - Traveling Wilburys

Where Is My Mind - Songs 1988 FV

Where Is My Mind. The first mix in the Songs 1988 series of Final Version mixes. Songs from albums in my collection released in 1988. Mostly hits and favorites in this mix with a few deep cuts.

Pixies in the pic.

Where Is My Mind - Songs 1988 FV

1. Where Is My Mind? - Pixies
2. Tower Of Song - Leonard Cohen
3. The Recurring Dream - Joni Mitchell
4. I Feel Possessed - Crowded House
5. Can't Win - Richard Thompson
6. Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys
7. Under The Milky Way - The Church
8. Pop Song 89 - R.E.M.
9. Melt Away - Brian Wilson
10. Not Alone Anymore - Traveling Wilburys
11. Quiet Heart - The Go-Betweens
12. Carolyn's Fingers - Cocteau Twins
13. She Doesn't Work Here - Balancing Act
14. Enchanted - Prefab Sprout
15. Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys) - Big Country
16. Suedehead - Morrissey
17. Up There Down There - Patti Smith
18. She's Got A New Spell - Billy Bragg
19. What I Am - Edie Brickell
20. (Sometimes I Feel Like) Fletcher Christian - The Mekons
21. Had A Dream About You, Baby - Bob Dylan
22. Don't Go - Hothouse Flowers
23. I Always Was Your Girl - Everything But The Girl
24. I Didn't Know I Could Lose You - Rodney Crowell

Last Day... grandkids selfie

We had a great family time in the Adirondacks this past week and of course on our last night together I had to take my usual grandkids selfie pic.

Earlier in the week I did some selfies with Henry, Clara and Violet. Andrew and Autumn were with us toward the end of the week but I'll get some individual selfies with them next week when they are in Buffalo.

Kids Having Fun

Our five grandkids sure had a lot of fun together on our vacation in Long Lake. Their parents kept them busy all week and it was a little different this year in that there were no rain days that needed special indoor activities. But of course the kids did want their tablet times and Henry loves reading books. So they kept busy indoors too. The beach was a main attraction. Todd took the older kids on a mountain hike and Katie and Todd took their three kids on a canoe trip on Blue Mountain Lake. The kids insisted on going to the Adirondack Museum too even though we usually save that for a rain day.

The kids really liked being together doing things.

Wonderful Sunsets

We had amazing weather this week and some spectacular sunsets.

We enjoyed them almost every evening as we sat by the fireplace near our cabins.

Kids on the Beach

We had great weather and every day the kids could play on the beach. That doesn't always happen during our weeks in the Adirondacks over the years. This year was special.

Dinner @ The Adirondack Hotel

Dinner at the Adirondack Hotel... a table for 13. It was a Thursday evening and we got there about 5:30 pm. The big tables in the back were already in use so we had to have two tables toward the front of the room that could not be moved together. That was OK, we still were part of a big group.

At the table on the left was Sean, Ashely, Todd, Autumn, Violet, Clara and Karen. At the table on the left was Katie, Davo, Henry, Andrew, Becky and me. It all worked out and we enjoyed our meal where we have been going for dinner as a group for many, many years.

The food was terrific as usual. Becky had a Everything Bagel pizza and I had their nice haddock fish sandwich. Some nice chips too and a wonderful salad. I don't know what everyone else had but they sure liked it. We had some nice leftovers too.

Earlier in the day we went on a hike to Rich Lake and then spent the afternoon on the beach working up an appetite.