Goodbye Norma Jean....and Tony and Me, The Odd Couple

What was one to do during approximately 40 hours of flights and layovers during the last 10 days?  Read, of course. So early in the week of July 28th,   as I prepared for my first trip to the  country of Thailand, I glanced about my library, pondering fiction and non fiction.  Chose a Stuart Woods, a James Lee Burke, two of my first and his first Dirk Pitt adventures by Clive Cussler .

For non-fiction, I wasn't sure.  A small book by author/photographer, Lawrence Schiller has been at the top of the heap of literary selections on my coffee table for some time now and I thought, why not. Perusing my showcase of entertainment/media memoirs an odd thing struck me so I glanced at it and selected that book as well, a short remembrance by Jack Klugman.  Serendipitously, these two books connect on subject matter and with Schiller's book the date upon which I read it. More on that later.*

Now one could argue, six books in ones luggage is a bit much, why not a kindle or e-reader. Well, we've broached that subject enough - - no, no e-readers in this house.

40 hours of travel time I also thought, since I'm going with the wind, how about Margaret Mitchell's tome? I've never read it, so make it seven books.

With two pieces of luggage in hand(plus a carryon), one not quite full, the other a third full, off I went to Phuket Thailand via Tokyo and Singapore.

I cut my teeth on Cussler's first two Dirk Pitt (no relation to Brad Pitt, fiction or non) adventures in The Mediterranean Caper and Iceberg. Dirk Pitt - think, Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy fame, with a more oceanic flavor, a touch of James Bond and a bit of McGyver thrown in. Both great journeys, with Iceberg being my favorite of the two.





Another chapter in the life of Dave Robicheaux in James Lee Burke's, A Stained White Radiance. Burke captures a piece of your heart as you witness the growth of  his adopted daughter, Alafair. A young Colombian girl who he rescued from a plane crash in Heaven's Prisoner's.

Then there's a night at Elaines. No not Elaine Benes of Seinfeld fame,( don't you wish you could dance like her?)  but Stuart Wood's characters love for the famous eatery, in NY called Elaines.  The back drop for many if not all of Stone Barrington's crime solving exploits, this one being Lucid Intervals.

Somewhere above the south China sea between Singapore and Tokyo during my return flight, Lawrence Schiller's book found it's way onto my seat 32J's tray table. Schiller, one of the first to photograph Marilyn Monroe penned this short but insightful, pictorial experience in Marilyn & Me: A Photographer's Memories.

Schiller talks about being a true beginner giving us a glimpse into negotiating fee's for his photographs as he finds an opportunity to transport himself into the stratosphere of famous photographers that have gone on before him.   Having access to Marilyn both allowed and being a bit assertive, Schiller's works found their way onto the cover of Life magazine and many more. During the movie, Something's Got to Give, Schiller captures Monroe with co-star Wally Cox* and regrets the missed opportunity to spend dinner with them at Marlon Brando's home.

Learn about Marilyn's concern about her career fading as Elizabeth Taylor was making much more money per film than Marilyn and how she insisted that she approve his photos before publication.

I turned to what would be the final chapter and gasped. Having read Schiller's book on August 4th, the last chapter is entitled, August 5, 1962. The death of Marilyn 50 years ago today and here I was reading his book the day before the anniversary; serendipitously connected, I hadn't realized it!

Schiller provides shutter speed insight on meeting Robert Kennedy at Monroe's house , offers his opinion but appropriately closes the lens cap on the mystery surrounding her death and prefers to remember her just as he saw her, funny, playful and angelic.

I believe the jumbo jet had yet to land in Tokyo so I grabbed the other memoir, this one by Jack Klugman; Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship.

Just the thought of Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, makes you want to start humming the opening theme song to their show, The Odd Couple . 

Revealing how they both met and how each got their start in TV, Klugman in a soap opera , Randall in his breakthrough role in Mr. Peepers also starring, Wally Cox*,  Klugman opens up not only on his relationship with Tony, but gambling and his own shy and aloofness when it comes to trusting people.

Funny and ancedotal, Klugman tells of how they struggled to find the right style of clothes for him to wear as Oscar Madison. Then one day, they suggested he wear his own clothes! The producers actually bought his clothes from him to wear on the show!  The book also includes a DVD of outakes from the show.

After suffering the loss of his voice due to throat cancer surgery, Klugman credits Randall, with revitalizing his career and writes a warm loving, honest tribute to the man many of us know as Felix Unger.

Having survived the heat, the sun and humidity of this asian community, a round of golf at the Blue Canyon course, an elephant trek through a mountain range, the seediness of Patong Beach, an overindulgence of mango, banana, pineapple and the liquid that goes with them as well as the consumption of what seemed like a fifty pound bag of rice, it is good to be home.

I never got to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, but the simple reference to wind reminds me of Elton John's eloquent tribute to Marilyn...

 "And it seemed to me, you lived your life, like a Candle in the Wind..."






* so we connect two books and one which the day it was read, Marilyn Monroe starred with Wally Cox in the movies, Tony Randall starred with Wally in TV and Norma Jean dies a mysterious death on August 5, 1962,  all serendipitously connecting without forethought.

Forty-one Shades of Grey...

You've heard of Fifty Shades of Grey, how about Forty-One shades of Gray? No, not the shades of gray in my hair, although I'm certain I have 41 strands. And frankly, gray in this case is much darker as in black. Black being typed words, shades being books, 41 being number of books read in the first part of 2012. And if you're wondering about the correct use of the word grey/gray, both are acceptable. You can look it up.

Filled with Woods, Stuart not Tiger, some Harlan Coben, James Patterson, a trip to New Orleans, literally and figuratively through the writing of James Lee Burke , some great non-fiction from Rebecca Skloot on cancer cells in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Tom Mueller on extra virgin olive oil in Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil and a reality, somewhat humorous,  check by Carrie Fisher in her two memoirs, the first six months of 2012 has been both fun and educational.

We went to Montreal, figuratively speaking, with Kathy Reichs in her first two books and her forensic anthropologist  character Temperance Brennan  and made a trip to Hawaii, both literally and figuratively through the books by Sarah Vowell in Unfamiliar Fishes and Susan Casey in The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean.

Sarah Vowell taught us the history of the islands and the fight against annexation  by the US, the historical sites still standing, leper colonies and cultural differences between the white man called Ha Ole and the polynesians.  A must read for anyone visiting the islands or wish to learn more about them.

Casey writes about catching a wave but her book was no Surfin' USA, more like Surfin' the World.  She takes us around the pacific ocean, including Maui, and Oahu and the ring of fire  (- circle of the ocean and it's coasts where the most dangerous waves perpetuate and occur) - to teach us about the ocean and it's ferocity of waves, a bit on climate change, shipwrecks and great bio's on those manic surfers, including Laird Hamilton, who live, eat and sleep the chance to surf the biggest waves the planet can produce. Read it and you'll never look at the ocean the same way again!

How many books the second half of the year? I'd like to finish the year over 100. Books that is, if it were age, well, I'm certain all my hair would be grey. Speaking of which, I've seen more people in airports and planes reading Shades of Gray that  I'd rather have the rest of my hair turn gray then read the next two volumes of EL James trilogy, so those two books won't be included but perhaps more non-fiction as I've started reading Douglas Brinkley's The Great Deluge, an insightful, eye opening account of New Orleans and Katrina, maybe more of James Lee Burke's Robicheaux series down on the Bayou, finish out Stuart Woods' Stone Barrington series, and pick up a new author, say Philip Margolin, whom I've read only one of, or Clive Cussler, whom I've read none of. I'm behind on reading David Baldacci and Kathy Reichs and have yet to read St. Paul boy Vince Flynn's latest, along with John Grisham, Jack Higgins, Tom Clancy and the ever entertaining tomes by Ken Follett.

What books are you reading or have been recommended?

To each his own...

You've heard the phrase, "...to each his own" ?  It's meaning,  every person is entitled to his or her personal preference(s).

I'm certain you've heard of Paul Newman?   Actor,  film director, professional race car driver.

But have you heard of Newman's Own?

Strange how people connect, network and become acquainted.  Through the many books I've read and music I've heard, that circle of literal and musical artists and their interwoven relationship/ degrees of separation is astonishing, well at least to this writer. There are thousands of examples, but lets focus on one for now.

Paul Newman and one of his best friends started Newman's Own food company. His best friend being, A.E. Hotchner. If you're not familiar with Mr. Hotchner, he's a biographer/author who wrote the biography of one of his best friends, Ernest Hemingway. 

Who'd of thunk it that one of Hemingways' best friends is in the basement of Paul Newman's home, concocting a mixture of special ingredients to create, Newman's Own Salad Dressing.

 Since, 1982, Paul Newman and his foundation has given over $300 million to various charitable foundations and is the organization behind the children's camp called, Hole in the Wall Gang, named after the gang in his movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. 

You can learn more about Paul and A.E's relationship and the company Newman's Own in the books:  Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good : The Madcap Business Adventure by the Truly Oddest Couple

and...Paul and Me: Fifty-three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman

Two wonderful enriching books about life, friendship and seasoned with entrepreneurship. 

Speaking of salad dressing, I recommend Newman's own Lite Honey Mustard, drizzled over some romaine lettuce, vegetables, a circle or two of a red onion and a quartered strawberry, which I whipped together last night.

For the main course, Shrimp Scampi.  Where'd I find the recipe? In a book of course! A cookbook and to be exact, it;s called, Cook This, Not That!: Kitchen Survival Guide

Starting with olive oil, Newman's Own of course, I started the saute process.  Now, the recipe calls for a variety of serving options. I chose linguine.  Helpful hint: This being the first time I've attempted this culinary cuisine, I highly recommend having the linguine ready for serving before sauteing the shrimp. Why? Cause it takes very little time to cook the shrimp, garlic, onions etc, which is great but you have to hustle if time management isn't your strong suit and forgetting or waiting to cook the pasta later, I rushed through it.  Next time, will be better.

However, it turned out scrumptious. With seafood being the main ingredient I struggled with the wine selection, white, red, white, red. Then when I chose pasta as the bed, I uncorked a bottle of Kings Estate Pinot Noir that I brought back from my trip to Oregon.  A great pairing.


Musical ambiance was provided by Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Jimmy Durante through the miracle of music transmission - an iPod, well and outdoor speakers too.

All and all a great meal, cooked through the guidance of a book with ingredients while using some ingredients that serve a  charitable foundation. (bare with me on the photo format, for the life of me I can't seem to get them in landscape view.)

So, my stomach wasn't only full, but my heart too. Using Newman's Own dressing and olive oil, I not only fulfilled my appetite but by using two of the many products of Newman's Own, I've contributed to improving the lives of terminally ill children, if only for a brief moment.

His pizza is pretty good, pasta sauces are fantastic and the "Oreo-type" and Fig Cookies are delicious.

Bon Appetit, not only for your hunger, but for your heart too!

Gracias!

Why does asparagus make your...

For those lovers of asparagus including yours truly, there's an interesting biological phenomenon that takes place after one eats it, well for some of us at least.  Now some may find this topic not worthy of conversation or discussion and deem it a bit embarrassing or immodest.

But part of life is discovery. Discovering things about ourselves that unless asked, we may never know.

So.... why does asparagus make our pee smell?  Well the answer lies in our genes and enzymes or lack thereof.  Some people don't possess the gene for the enzyme to break down mercaptin, a sulfur compound found in asparagus. The breakdown of this substance, which occurs during the digestive process,  is what creates the odor.   If you don't have the gene, then no smell. Now you know.

Why do old people grow hair in their ears?

Can I  lose my contact lens in my head forever?

What causes an ice cream headache?

These life mysteries can be answered in Mark Leyner and Dr. Billy Goldberg's funny and knowledgeable book entitled, Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini

Once you've read it, don't forget to read their follow up book called, Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?: More Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Whiskey Sour?

I've not read their follow up but it's sure to be as educational and fun as their first.

Now, back to asparagus.  Grilled salmon and asparagus are on the menu tonight.  George Foreman is grilling the salmon ( not really but his grill will and I'm using the same salmon rub as last time) and as far as the asparagus recipe, check out Paula Dean's by clicking on this link: Recipe.

After eating this delicious, healthy meal, I might just need to plug my nose.

Bon Appetit!

Letters to her Son...

What can be more personable than a hand written letter. Letters written between friends, lovers, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons.

In this instance, hand written letters from a mother to her son, a WWII soldier.  Among the many exhibits at the National WWII museum in New Orleans, a mother's letter(s) to her son were on display. Reading part of it, "....your Dad and I....you so much..."  some words were hidden but we all can  fill in the blanks.

This woman not only dated her letters but wrote the time on them as well. What a great personable way to relate to her son by time "stamping" her letters.  In reading them, you could catapult yourself back to that date and time, visualize a woman at a desk or table, writing a letter to her son, a son that she would never see again.  A very impressionable display.

There are many items available for viewing, helmets, guns, planes, maps, diaries, etc and short films as well. One in particular is a must see and that's the 4-D movie, Beyond All Boundaries.  Shown in an Imax size theater and narrated by Tom Hanks, this movie puts you right in the action with sound effects, props and chairs that vibrate.

Personal items such as the letters first mentioned and journals too. How would one maintain their sanity while in captivity?  One soldier wrote his thoughts in any paper he had, then hid them in a tobacco canister while he was a POW. And to think, they've survived all these years.

Why is the museum located in New Orleans? The answer is on the first level as you walk through the door. It has something to do with a man named Higgins and a special boat.

And dont' forget to pay attention to the sidewalk as you walk to and from the museum.  The walks are made  with bricks donated in the honor of soldiers.

A big thank you to critically acclaimed author, the late Stephen Ambrose. Mr. Ambrose is the founder of the museum, a place where all citizens, of the US and the world can visit to learn  about World War II.

So as we say good bye to the month that contained D-Day and say hello to our month of independence, check out the list of books to learn more about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Next time you're in New Orleans, make the National World War II museum a must see.

World War II Books by Ambrose:

Band of Brothers

D Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II

Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany

Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944

The Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45

The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower

The VICTORS : Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II

Americans at War

The Good Fight : How World War II Was Won

Comrades : Brothers, Fathers, Heroes, Sons, Pals

Other recommended WWII books:

Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

James Bradley's Flyboys: A True Story of Courage and Flags Of Our Fathers

Last nights dinner recipe...

Okay, I know. My blog is usually reserved for books and a seasoning of music.  But since it is my blog I reserve the right to scribble a few lines about anything. This time being food.

It was the morning of January 7th.  One foot on the scale, then the other.  The digital display screamed back at me, "Dude, you need to lose  weight!" So, googling my way through recipes on the web, I wanted to find a scrumptious way to cook green beans.  They say eat your vegetables so green beans is a good place to start.

So last nights dinner consisted of grilled salmon and sauteed green beans.  Someone once said, Simpler is Better, and this little meal took about 15 minutes to throw together.

1 Salmon filet and a handful of fresh green beans
A smathering of Rub with Love Salmon Rub
Sartori Di Verona Amarone ( on a rating system of 5 corks, I give it a 3.5)
Grill provided by George Foreman. 

Cover the filet in salmon rub to a degree of your choosing. You can follow the directions on the jar, but what fun is that?!?!  To cook this meal I covered the filet while the beans were on the boil.  I guess you could marinate it a bit, let it sit in the fridge for a while before you start, but I hadn't thought of that until now.

There's not much to grilling salmon, sure you can cedar plank it, but time management is the key and my outdoor grill isn't conducive to using indoors next to the stove while I sauteed the beans so I called up George Foreman and he provided me a counter top grill. I don't know George but I do know his grill and its very handy for indoor grilling.

So the beans.  Here's the quick, not so sophisticated recipe.  ( I used minced garlic and white wine instead of what the recipe calls for. Basically because I didn't have what they recommended)


All in all, a quick healthy meal.




So, fast forward to this morning, June 29th. The scale yelled back to me "Dude, you've lost some weight!!"  20 lbs since January. For those that have seen me recently, you may not have noticed, partly because I hid myself in my little cubby hole during the winter when I was at my heaviest. Hybernating if you will. (compared to this time last year, I've only lost 10 lbs, but who's counting!)

 So how'd I lose the weight, you may ask?:

Eliminate potato chips, doritos or the salty, fat, snack of your liking
Eliminate fast food
Minimize chocolate
Minimize bread
Eat more fish/chicken
Eat more fruit/vegetables
Eat less and...
Exercise! I try to do something each day. Whether it be a walk to buy lottery tickets ( instead of driving), riding a bike, golf,  ( stationery or otherwise) and weights.

Bon Appetit!

The Three R's and the Lost Years

I've been on a bit of a sabbatical and haven't written in several weeks.  That's not to say I haven't been reading.  So far this year, 38 books in the bank including 11 since my last post on May 2.

May was filled with work ( funny how that gets in the way) and a lost weekend in Memphis and another lost weekend in New Orleans, the second week of June,  which is reserved for another post.  Speaking of lost, have you read The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark? well, more on that later.

Lost can also describe the period of time after a electro  therapy sessions of Carrie Fisher's. She speaks to that in her 2nd memoir, Shockaholic.

 
Surprisingly based on the title she speaks less of that therapy and more on the three R's.

The three R's being, Reflection, Regret and Reconciliation.  She does state that electro therapy was a survival tactic,  lost of hope and yearned for some sort of healing vs. the ultimate escape.

She regrets her estranged relationship with her father, Eddie Fisher, only to reconcile with him and Elizabeth Taylor, the women who "stole" Eddie from Carrie.

Reflects on her love interests and throws a bit of spice into the mix as she describes her sexually charged innuendo  dinner with Ted Kennedy, while her companion at the time, Senator Christopher Dodd sat coyly by.

Then there's her relationship with Michael Jackson. Having spent his last Christmas with him, Fisher opens up on Michael, his relationship with his children and his odd questionable behavior. 

Serendipitously speaking during the time of reading Shockaholic, I decided to catch up on my monthly magazine reading, including, Vanity Fair.  And wouldn't you know it, an article on Michael Jackson's dermatologist appeared in the magazine, a doctor that Fischer wrote about, Dr. Arnie Klein.

There's so much lost here, loss of years not retrievable, relationships no longer mend able and loss of innocence.

Now to Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark.  I'm lost here, lost as to why I've read so many of her books, 17 including 6 with her daughter Carol. Granted they're good but in a soft fluffy thriller sort of way.  Why do I read her, well, the reason escapes me but I remember a time ( 2003 or 2004 ?) when a great friend said, "Have you ever read Mary Higgins Clark?" Whenever someone suggests a book or author I have to read. Read to understand what captured a person's interest in reading the books.

But alas, I reflect back on the last 8 or 9 years and wonder if the time spent reading Clark is just that, lost.