Friday, June 12, 2015

Cane, Bees, Stupid Question, Baseball.

I don't, thank goodness, have to use my cane much any more but I wanted to nip into Costco the other day for just 2 things (yes I know, unheard of) and didn't want to mess with a cart so I grabbed my cane instead. It reminded me, I think canes are made of invisible fairy dust or something because people take no damned notice of them whatsoever. People push their carts at me and expect me to get out of their way, or others without carts just carry on walking towards you and again, expect the one with the cane to move. Hello people, I have it because I need assistance walking, not for the fun of toting it around the store. Maybe I should attach a beeper to it or flashing lights. What is it? Inconsiderateness, obliviousness, what? Tees me off I'll tell you.

I have now come across another annoyance. Someone posted an add on Facebook about buying T
shirts which said Bee Aware on the front and other bee stuff on the back. These shirts were limited in supply and were about $30 each. However, nowhere did I see that other than what the shirt said, did it do anything for bees. In other words someone was cashing in on their plight and, apparently, (or do I mean allegedly) not putting any of the proceeds toward the fight for the preservation of bees. I could be wrong and misread it, but I certainly couldn't see anything which suggested this was helping bees in any way but making people aware of the situation. This really, really, tees me off.

Thursday mail, I received a letter from the Pension people in the UK asking me to certify I am still alive and kicking. No problem, they do that now and again. However, on the form the ask for my address and phone number. For the phone number they wish me to include the international dialing code. How the hell would I know, I don't dial myself internationally. I have just messaged a sinlaw for the information, but how absolutely ridiculous, I wonder what bright clerk thought that up?

Forgot to tell you a funny story, I thought anyway. The TV was on at the bowling alley and there was
some baseball about which I know nothing and sorry, couldn't care less about. However, Matt and I couldn't understand that the pitcher pitched 3 times and the batter didn't even attempt to hit it. Another woman said it was because the pitcher had thrown three balls, hunh??? Isn't that what they are supposed to do, throw a ball for the batter to hit!!!!!! She explained it to me and then tried to explain more but I assured her I didn't want to know. Mentioned it to the younger of the two owners at the alley. Thursday, he commented, maybe there would be some more baseball on TV so I could continue my lessons. Yeah, right! Maybe he was getting his own back because he asked us to come in later on Thursday as they had 99 kids bowling. He said if we came in about 1:15 the riff raff would have cleared out, I immediately replied "But you'll still be here won't you?" he threatened not to let me in after that one. It's stuff like that that makes us like bowling in this particular alley. They are fun people and at the same run an excellent bowling alley. At the moment it is Father and Son but grandson is aiming to join the business after college. Oh, and please don't try to explain any baseball to me, thank you very much.

This is a soup we enjoy. I don't always bother about the toasted almonds, I should, it makes a difference. I haven't made any this year because I have run out of storage pots. Sounds silly I know, Matt is always telling me I have to many pots, but at this time of the year, they are all being used.

Asparagus and Almond Soup

1 lb asparagus (if store bought you will need more because you cannot use the ends)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup ground almonds.
Toasted almonds for garnish

1. Wash the asparagus and chop into pieces. Put in a pan with the chicken broth and the onion. Cook til tender. Blend. Add the ground almonds. and cook a few minutes longer.

2. To serve ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with a few toasted almonds.

3. To make toasted almonds, put them in a dry nonstick pan and sauté until they begin to colour slightly.

Have a great day
 

35 comments:

  1. That soup looks quite good, yum! Today we're all invisible especially if phone is in hand! Love your baseball story. Oh, and I don't like snails or anything similar, texture -- yuck!

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    1. It is Yolanda, we enjoy it. You're right about people being invisible. My first escargots were in France, it rained, and we went into the fields to collect them. I liked them from the get go.

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  2. I have to use a cane on occasion, too, and you're right they are totally ignored. The worst incident for me was when I was visiting a local aquarium and stood in the back against the wall leaning on my cane which was touching my foot. A woman, who was obviously not looking where she was going, tripped over both stick and foot and instead of apologising turned on me yelling I had deliberately pushed the stick in front of her to trip her up. Yep, tripping's what I always use my stick for.

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    1. Not had an incident like that Helen. Of course that's what you use it for, don't we all? Mind you they say they are good for defense.

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  3. If you need a baseball lesson, let me know. We go to minor league games all the time. I don't watch pro games though. Boring.

    I think wrapping flashing lights around your cane would be fun.

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    1. Kind of you Diane, but no thank you.

      I'll have to try it.

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  4. Watching baseball is like watching paint dry. I prefer to go to a game than watch it on TV!

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    1. I like that JoJo. I think I would too. But I would prefer to watch tennis thank you.

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  5. Since my sunflowers have bloomed, I've been getting a lot of bees enjoying them. As well as butterflies. It's nice to see the bees. I hope more people pay attention to the bee population and that these people with the T-shirts aren't cashing in on a good cause.

    That soup looks delicious!

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    1. Trouble is Chrys, I think they are cashing in. So glad the bees and butterflies are enjoying your sunflowers.

      It's good.

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  6. I get it with baseball between the balls and strikes, I just can't tell the difference when watching it how to determine which is which. Glad I'm not an umpire.

    Since I'm a people watcher, I'm going to take note here to watch how people with canes get treated.

    Yum on the soup!

    betty

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    1. I don't bother Betty. Not much into sports anyway.

      Yes, you should. It's incredible.

      Yup, it's good soup and so easy.

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  7. I should send you some blinking Christmas lights to string on that thing.
    I laugh every time I see one of these asparagus recipes. :D

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    1. Honestly Melissa, it has nothing to do with Liz, I do this every year during asparagus season.

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  8. I got a good laugh from your baseball story. Many, many years ago, my hubby liked to watch baseball on tv. Without other options, I watched too. So, I asked questions so I could understand the game. I won't tell you why they deliberately throw 4 balls to deliberately walk a hitter. But I don't think it is fair playing. Todays recipe is probably good but the idea of pureed asparagus does not sound appealing to me. Everyone does need to pay attention to those around them. Walking and being respectful should be no different than driving and being respectful of others. Have a great weekend.

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    1. I am glad you know what's going on dynnamae. Luckily Matt mainly watches golf and I used to play that. Not that I watch TV much anyway. It's a good recipe, really.

      You are right about being respectful.

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  9. I thoroughly enjoyed your baseball rant - as it is the only American sport I know and understand (Go Angels!!)

    (Not that I am a cane-hitting Costco shopper, but I shall be more vigilant as I shop there for "just two things, too.")

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    1. Well I played rounders when I was at school Mark as well as netball and field hockey. But......

      Well, I have achieved something Mork.

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  10. LOL. I read some of your baseball rant to my husband. We're a baseball family, all five boys played, my husband coached and now two of my sons coach.
    When I had my knee replacement surgery, I used one crutch for a while and people were very helpful. Maybe because I wore shorts and then could see all the staples in my knee.

    Susan Says

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    1. Glad everyone found it amusing. I still don't understand and I don't want to.

      You were lucky Susan, I found after hip surgery people still walked into me.

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  11. I totally get what you mean regarding walking with a cane. My mom walks with a cane and later, a white one, to show that she is legally blind (Macular Degeneration). People would walk past her or expect her to move and she simply wouldn't. The worst is when she used to go to the grocery store and she would have to ask a clerk where something was. She had to tell them that she could not see and they would have to bring her to the spot where the item is. First the clerk would usually walk quite fast and my mom couldn't and then when she was finally there to see him he /she would point and say "it's right there" and then walk away. If it was on a higher shelf, her 5 ft frame could not reach it plus she still could not see it! People have no idea what others go through when people with a disability can not walk or move as fast as they can. Empathy is hard to find. What a shame that person selling the t-shirts is able to get away with it. If this is truly for profit, it should not be conducted on facebook and if it is a business he/she needs an HST #. That is one way to get the person locked down if they don't have this.

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    1. I would get so mad Birgit. I know they do that kind of thing to me, but I am sighted, I can imagine how it is for someone who is not. Plus the clerk or waitress trotting off ahead of you while you stagger along behind. Totally thoughtless - I am assuming it is ignorance and thoughtlessness rather than bad intentions. I don't know where the bee shirts were coming from, didn't pursue it. I did see something about a limited number though.

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  12. I'm on a cane and you're right, people don't notice. Especially at church. Mary and I wait until the church is mostly empty, then attempt to leave. Nine times out of ten, half the people that were in church are milling around in the vestibule, chatting and having a gay old time, kids are running around unattended... Mary finally walks ahead of me calling out "man on a cane!" and people are off in Cloud Cuckoo-land, as if they're at a cocktail party, not paying attention. I'll be following someone, and all of a sudden, they'll stop to chat with someone. One of these days, I'll go ass-over-teacup and break something...

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    1. I can picture it all John, it must be infuriating. Stopping to chat with someone on impulse happens to all of us whether with a cane or not. In my case I usually nearly knock them over.

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  13. I don't fully understand the rules of any sport even after watching my kids play a lot of basketball for 15 years. You need to start swinging your cane above your head Jo. That would get their attention :)

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    1. I do understand tennis Pinky, but I used to be glued to the TV during Wimbledon. Golf of course I played for a number of years.

      I bet it would get their attention, might get more than that though.

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  14. Wouldn't it be nice if some of that $30 went towards saving the bee population. However, that is completely in governments' hands. People can help by not using pesticides.
    Asparagus soup. Yummo!

    Denise :-)

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    1. Precisely Denise, that was what I thought it was about originally. Doesn't seem like it though. Wasn't $30, but nearer $25 but even so.

      Definitely yum

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  15. It's quite sad that people are so inconsiderate. I haven't seen people doing something like that in India though. Not in places I frequent at least .

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    1. I am not sure you would see it unless you were, yourself, using a cane, Guy.

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    2. Probably. Something I'll be more observant of from now.

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    3. I hope more people will become observant, it is very frustrating to say the least Guy.

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    4. Having just read your blog about Anne Frank I discover your name is Khan. I would have left a comment but couldn't find where to do so.

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