Number 17

After 22 years of misery, the Boston Celtics will hang championship banner #17 in the rafters of Boston Garden. Karen, Mary and I saw the final game last night, a blowout of the hated Lakers. We stayed up to see all the post-game interviews, the championship trophy presentation and the giddiness in the locker room. No one can imagine how happy I am.

CGC and TDI

Today Bailey passed the tests to become certified as a Canine Good Citizen and a member of Therapy Dogs International. This will allow him to visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc. to spread his brand of good cheer. Ralph is very proud of him.

yet another little monster in kansas

Well it happened. Even though Justin specifically said that no animals could come back with us from the farm, somehow I got a hold of a little 6 week old kitten named Sawyer. We are getting along just great! During a wonderful and exciting trip to Justin's dads farm, I was fortunate enough to find this little baby. He is about the size of my hand and literally just got off the bottle. I know that some people may have been a little bit worried at first but really, I will have no problem doting on him night and day. He woke me up at 6 am this morning and I was actually happy! that has to say something! I hope everyone welcomes him into the family and I know I am excited!!!

Enjoy the first of many pictures

Symphony in the Prairie

On Saturday evening, Justin, Gracie and I attended the annual Symphony in the Flint Hills. It was exactly what the name suggests: a performance by the Kansas City Symphony held about 1.5 hours outside of the city in the Middle of Nowhere, Prairie, Kansas.

The event is a fundraiser for the Flint Hills region, which is home to a vast expanse of untouched tallgrass prairieland. At one point in time, 1/3 of the continent was prairie - today, 95% of the little that remains is in the state of Kansas.


Fortunately, the weather cooperated and the show went off without a hitch, complete with gorgeous sunset and a cattle stampede in the background.

Mile-long walk to the tents

Anne and Gracie on the prairie

KS Governor Kathleen Sebelius addresses the crowd

The Boys in Green

For those of you who have been not following our (Karen and mine) boys from Boston, we are playing for the first time in the NBA finals in 21 years and are leading the Lakers 2 games to nothing. We are halfway home to a championship which will make me so very happy. I am not yet banking on it, but am quite hopeful after 2 great wins in Beantown. Game 3 is tomorrow in LA and if we win that.......oh boy. Game 4 is Thursday in LA and if we win that, champions, and Karen and I open the bottle of champagne which I have not yet purchased.

At Last -- A New Home Office

It has been over a year since this project first got started with a dumpster and demolition work. Following demolition (where I removed many interesting things from walls and ceilings) I replaced the "wiring" (mostly daisy chained extension cords) with fully grounded in-wall service and replaced hanging bulbs with recessed can lights. A new wall was added to hide the plumbing and electrical service as well as to create a closet and computer rack enclosure. The old gravel floor was replaced with reinforced polished concrete and two new insulated windows replaced the two single pane units that came with the house.

Along the way there were several obstacles. The first was a leaky pipe in the upstairs bathroom that the previous owner had tried to stem by wrapping it with fibreglass insulation. Then there was the water leakage over Christmas during the pouring rains. This was abated with French drains that Wendy may have mentioned in a previous post. Finally there was the plumbing leak under the house that created such a stench that we had to have the underside of the house drained and fumigated before the plumbers could fix the leak. Well now almost all is behind us. We are still awaiting a French door to replace the old garage door, but the walls are finished, the ceiling trimmed in tongue and groove cedar and all the computers are safely racked up.

There is still work to be done -- the floor needs to be mopped and buffed up; an area rug could be added, the desk needs to be oiled and polished, but a recent appraisal of the entire Dilbek shows that we have increased our equity in the house by $45K in the two years we have had it!

Therapy Dog

Bailey's cast is now off and he is preparing for his Therapy Dog test on the 18th. He will be joined by Dylan who will take the test for the 2nd time this time with Karen as his handler, not because he failed the first, but because Karen was out of town and Ralph took him.  As a result, only Ralph would be allowed to take him on "visits" and even that could be problematic because when Dylan and Ralph got home, Ralph noticed that he was listed as Ralph Finegold on the certification. It will be interesting to see how timid Bailey reacts around wheelchairs and crutches.

Not Much to Report

Everything is up to date in Kansas City - hot, humid, and periodically tornadic. Gracie starts work at UMB on Monday, and is as of yet unprepared to accomodate Justin's 7:15 am departure time.

Speaking of starting work on Monday, Home Depot has finally informed us that they have everything they need to begin the process of gutting and remodeling our (one and only) full bathroom. They have promised to minimize the number of days we will be completely sans shower/bath tub, but in preparation for a worst-case scenario, we have contemplated a temporary solution that involves the dog pool and backyard faucet.

Justin and Gracie spent most of this morning planting our tomatoes and weeding the many overgrown beds. Justin spent last night fishing, while Anne and Gracie caught the new Sex and the City movie. If the big tornado finally hits - at least we'll have plenty of tomatoes, basil, catfish, and limoncello.

First Women on the Moon

New Office, New Website, and 500 New Unethical Business Cards

In the past week, I have moved to a new office. This office is closer to home, more attractive, and less insane than the old one. I absolutely love it.
The new diggs come with a new Law Office of Alison Grinter website (courtesy of Mr. Michael Krankota) and of course new business cards, designed in house by the aforementioned graphic genius.
So, after a long move I asked Mike to please lay out some new cards to be printed right away. I wanted to list the types of cases that I handle on the back of the card so that I might stop getting calls from people (friends and family of happy clients) who want me to do their child custody cases (I'd rather clean the toilets of the Lew Sterrett Justice Center). So Mike laid out the cards, dutifully asked me to review the proofs, which I approved, and had them printed.
So as I'm unboxing them today, I think to myself "Specializing in Criminal Defense"? I would never have approved that. You can't say that on a card unless you're Board Certified a designation which only about 5% of attorneys hold. It's certainly a goal of mine, but I'm not even eligible to sit for the exam for another 3 years . I made a quick call to the Texas Ethics Help Line, hoping that I was wrong about that, but alas. I must reprint. This time with the heading "Practicing Criminal Defense" instead of "Specializing in Criminal Defense". Oh well.
So if anyone has a table that doesn't sit level, I have 500 unethical business cards that might help.

Our Anniversary

We exercised our option for one more year during happy hour last night. There was very little negotiation this year - we're both pretty happy with our life right now.



In the morning when I got to work I found an anniversary card from Rick in my bag. This one was in addition to the ones we exchanged at home over coffee.



We went to the Rotti Grill for dinner - right across the highway - Indian food - pretty casual - the food was very good - we'll go again.



After dinner we took a drive along the lake with the top down, listening to a Rod Stewart collection of Love Songs (the Boss chose it - I swear -I was as surprised as you are right now - may have been a coincidence).



We drove through the "Big Thicket" area on the East side of the lake as the sun was setting. The weather was perfect, there were sail boats, couples sitting on the benches, fishermen, ducks, joggers, and kids -- a Kodak moment to be sure.

KC, Again.

Had to add my two cents!  I was lucky enough to spend a few days with A, J, & G before heading back to Southern Pines.  We had a great time, culminating with a trip to the dog park with the traditional after-swim ice cream cone at Mickey D's (Rick, if no human enjoyed even a bite, does this count?)

A Happy 60th!

It's hard to believe that my fun-loving, young-at-heart husband turned 60.  We celebrated quietly at home with mom, dad, Baily, Dylan, and Brett.  Meat loaf, green beans, roasted tomatoes and chocolate brownie cake. Our last minute traveling forced cancellation of a surprise trip to Charleston which we will take later on in the summer.  He DID, however, get a new set of irons which he has been playing with for about a month and really enjoying.  Tonight we are going out for dinner for our anniversary, then home early to watch the Celtics in game 6!

Summer in Kansas

SO I have been in Kansas for over a week now. Anne and Justin have made me feel right at home and I am having a great time with all the animals! Kansas city has changed since I was here last! The downtown area (from what I remember) is completely revamped. There are tons of new establishments around and the city is really looking vibrant and exciting! After a long and tiring week of job hunting with mom, I found a couple of options. However, it was Justin who really got me an exciting opportunity. I found out just this morning that I will officially be joining the UMB staff this summer! I will be working independently for the arts management department. It turns out I came to KC just in time to help set up their new database system! Since working with databases was something I just learned about last semester this is perfect! I will be working closely with actually pieces of art owned by the museum, in particular the work of an artist named Benton. I am so excited and this opportunity is sure to help me out a TON in the future!

Jamie came in also early this morning from Ohio! He will be spending the weekend here and I am really excited! Conveniently, the Indians will also be in Kansas City playing the Royals and we are going to go to a game tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy 32nd to Rick and Wendy on Thursday the 29th!

Happy 9th to Karen and Norman on Friday the 30th!

THE CELTICS AND MORE

Firstly, the Celtics. They can drive me to drink. They go to a 7th game in round one vs. Atlanta. Ditto for round 2 vs. Cleveland, and now it looks like a third time as they are tied at 2 games apiece vs. Detroit. A win in this round takes them to the NBA Championship against either the Lakers or San Antonio. No easy trip, for sure..

Tomorrow, May 28th, I turn 60. I don't believe it. And on Friday, Karen and I celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. I do believe that.

California - Part 2

Justin and I returned to Kansas City on Saturday, after a wonderful week's worth of wishing we lived on the West Coast - despite the sunburn, traffic, and, of course, LAX.

Highlights of the trip include a dinner out with some of my college friends, a trip to Venice Beach with one of Justin's high school friends, Adam's graduation (with honors) from USC School of Engineering, and the aforementioned tour/off-road excursion through Santa Barbara wine country.

Back in the Midwest, the weather is just as hot but about 100 times more humid than on the West Coast - the dog pool is officially open for the season!

58 Years and Counting

On Friday the 16th, JoAnne and Ralph celebrated the 58th anniversary of their getting pinned. For those of you who don't know what pinning is, it is when a boy gives his girl his fraternity pine and she links it to hers with a little chain. It signifies "engaged to be engaged." They celebrated by having dinner in the formal Henley Dining Room.

New Sibling

Ralph's Callaway square head driver now has a younger brother — a Callaway Squareway 5 Wood. He used it for the first time yesterday and it performed like a charm. He hits it both further and straighter than his old 5 wood. He shot a 94 on Whispering Pines difficult River Course.

The DeeBAP

Twenty-two residents of Belle Meade journeyed to the DeeBAP (Durham Bulls Athletic Park) to watch the Bulls take on the Toledo Mud Hens. The weather was perfect and the park is beautiful. 

Trailing by two runs going into the 7th inning, the Bulls scored 6 runs in the 7th and 6 more in the 8th to win by a score of 14 to 4.

This year, by the way, marks the 20th anniversary of the movie, Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner.

Sad News

After a long and difficult six months, Jules Herstone (Norman's step father) passed away this afternoon.  Although it is a blessing, he will be greatly missed.  Doris is doing very well under the circumstances.  Norman and I will be traveling to Florida tomorrow to stay with her up until the funeral which will be on Sunday.  Julie is in a better place, probably on a driving range in the clouds!

California

Justin and I are in Los Angeles, visiting Justin's family and, incidentally, enjoying the longest vacation we've taken since our honeymoon three years ago. Justin's younger brother Adam graduates from USC on Friday, and a lot of Justin's family will be coming out throughout the week to celebrate on Friday evening.

Until then, the plan is to relax, enjoy the nice beach weather, and take advantage of some of the fun things there are to do in the area that we haven't had time for on previous trips. Tomorrow, we'll be spending the morning on a wine tour in the Santa Ynez valley - this is where the movie "Sideways" took place - a great film for those of you who haven't seen it!

Pictures to follow!

Mother's Day

JoAnne in her new Mother's Day outfit. Karen, Norman JoAnne and Ralph had Bloody Ralph's at the house, then went to the Club for Mother's Day Champagne Brunch

New Pontii Addresses

The Pontii have moved to their new home in the Atlanta area. Their new contact info is as follows

308 Shade Tree Circle

Woodstock, GA 30188

Phone: 678-493-0810

E-mail: pontii@windstream.net

Brave culinary pioneers!

On Wendy's birthday, the birthday delegation (Wendy, Rick, Mike, Ali, Wes, Kelly, Preston, Ben, and Saedra) caravaned to Kalachandji's (the local Hare Krishna temple) for a vegetarian Indian cooking lesson. Knowing absolutely NOTHING about Indian cooking, we were a completely blank canvas. We learned about the basic Indian spice box, some basic ingredients, and recipes for a full meal. Our teacher was funny, and she made it look easy, or if not easy, at least doable. There were a some groans of dissent from Rick when she insisted that, as part of an Aruvedic diet, we should refrain from eating any onions or Garlic, as these foods in the "mode of passion" would inflame the senses and bring on disease. And at the end, we all had a delicious meal. A great birthday party by all accounts.


On the menu:
Panir Manchurian (with homemade panir)
Sarsong Ka Shag (Mustard Greens with Daikon Radish)
Bhakari (flatbread)
Kulfi (Indian ice cream)

The real challenge came the next week. Could we duplicate the recipe and create what we'd learned?

It was a tall order. Panir making involves turning boiling milk into cheese. Not something we do everyday at home. And the spices. Lots of them. It would be fun.

Following a big, and not just a little bit confusing, trip to the Indian market, we had everything we needed. We divvied up the jobs, and the following Thursday, recreated our meal. Alison and Wendy made the Panir ahead of time, Wendy fried the cauliflower and cheese, Saedra chopped the veg, Kelly made the flatbread, Alison made the sauce, and Mike was the pinch hitter, running to the store for the forgotten ingredients.

In the end, a complete success. We are geniuses.

In lieu of retyping, a scanned copy of the recipe will soon be posted.

The Collar

Bailey went to the Vet's yesterday to have his cast changed. Because he had licked and chewed on it so much during the first three weeks, they put an Elizabethan collar on him . He is not a happy camper, in fact he was embarrassed to have this photo taken.

Here Everything's Better

Well, several interviews, tests, pokes and prods later, I have accepted a new job with one of the largest private companies in the US.

For the last ten years I have been working in the restaurant industry. It treated me well; I was always promoted quickly and made enough money to support myself through college. It is a great career for a college student, but since graduating I have felt somewhat less than challenged as a bartender. Directly after graduation, I intended to start my own restaurant, I had a talented chef a business plan and a lot of experience, but with the economy the way it is, my financing backed out and I was forced to reconsider all of the job opportunities I had turned down. Ruth’s Chris (the company I work for now) was willing to place me in management, but the abundance of late nights and direct customer service have already taken their toll on me.

H-E-B looks like the change of scenery I need right now. H-E-B is a supermarket chain with over 300 locations throughout Texas and Mexico. They have regular grocery stores, superstores, and the product driven high end Central Market which sells all of the specialty items and wines I like.

They have offered me a position in their School of Retail Leadership. This is basically a fast track to becoming a Unit Director or GM. I have to work in three departments of a store(I am in the produce section first). I will have six weeks of training for each one and then I will manage the department for three months. After I have successfully managed the three departments, I am an Assistant Store Director and eligible for promotion to Unit Director. The hours are long, but in the daytime mostly. I will have great benefits and very competitive pay and bonus structure. The company is very healthy and the employees all seem content.

This is my last week at Ruth’s Chris, and hopefully my last week of bartending (professionally). Monday I’m off to H-E-B in hours of the morning I stopped believing in long ago, but I am hopeful that my new job lives up to its slogan of “Here Everything’s Better”.

Roses

Thought readers might enjoy the picture of the roses in our backyard.

Cinco de Mayo

JoAnne and Ralph celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having lunch at their favorite Mexican restaurant — Los Dos Potrillos (the two colts.) They started with Margaritas then JoAnne had Chimchangas and Ralph a Taco Salad.  Very good.

Thanks Perez... this made my day

"Man accused of trying to cash check for $360,000,000,000"

Man accused of trying to cash check for $360,000,000,000
A man has been accused of attempting to pass a $360 billion check, which he claims was given to him by his girlfriend’s mother to start a record business, Fort Worth police said.
Charles Ray Fuller, 21, of Crowley, was arrested on April 22 on an accusation of forgery, police said.
Police responded to a report of a man attempting to pass the check about 4 p.m. that day at the Chase bank in the 8600 block of South Hulen Street, Fort Worth police Lt. Paul Henderson said.
The personal check was not made out to Mr. Fuller and when the bank contacted the check owner, the woman said she did not write a check for $360 billion.
Mr. Fuller was also accused of unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of marijuana, Lt. Henderson said. He may also face a theft charge in Crowley.
Lt. Henderson said he did not know if Mr. Fuller and his girlfriend were still together.