Rolfsruds & Friends

Thinking of you, Jennifer!

2012-02-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

"Spring" Click to read about it.

This Impressionist painting, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema entitled "Spring," appeals to our daughter, Jennifer. It's a favorite, she says, and urged us to find it at the Getty Center.
It served as a pleasant reminder of what's ahead for us, not only of the exciting Minnesota reawakening, but of the loved ones we left there.
Just around the corner in the Impressionist gallery, we really liked Jean-Fracois Raffaelli's "Promenade," depecting an austere Paris street scene of an older couple, (a retired newspaper publisher and his wife), making their way together on life's journey, against the cold winds, with their little dog in the lead.
Hmm. Is that you, Birdie?

French lessons

2012-02-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Our Parisian neighbor, Kevin, had never heard of a French Poodle. He's heard of French Fries and French Toast alright, . . but no French dog. So we prevailed upon Kevin, a keyboard musician who is in town meeting with music executives, to teach Birdie a few words in his native tongue. All Kevin got back was a French Kiss, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

Russian visitor, Luda, has studied here
for four years, but her English is
excellent, she says, "because I have an
American boyfriend."

Kevin, who has family and a girlfriend in Paris, loves LA and would live here in a heartbeat if he could. Says that Paris is too crowded, too stressful, too compact, too pressured, which is exactly what we say about LA. He's been to the Louvre many times as a youth on field trips, and hasn't been to the Getty or any museums here.
He loves the sun and it's cold right now in Europe. Very cold. Parisians are angry and stressed about that too, he says.
When Stan reminded Kevin that the Americans had saved the French from the Germans, Kevin reminded Stan that the French had saved the Americans from the British and if they hadn't, we'd be toasting the Queen tonight.
Kevin shares an adjacent apartment in Fawlty Towers with two of his business partners. He knew about the Black Dahlia murder, had no idea it occurred just around the corner on Franklin Avenue.
We sent them on a walk up to the Griffith Observatory and plan a buffet perhaps next week on the patio. We'll probably order some take-out; cooking for the French might be a bit intimidating.

Morning stroller

2012-02-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

When you think of blue-haired ladies, this isn't what usually comes to mind, so we were momentarily taken aback when Robin came striding up our sidewalk this morning. Stan complimented the young woman on her choice of hair color and she graciously offered this photo opportunity.

We share a bench with a legend

2012-02-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Jewel Akens, in red suit (with matching shoes) and Hurley D. Fabolous Taste
We don't make this stuff up.

One-hit wonder Jewel Akens, 72, sat across from us yesterday while we waited to get in to the Tonight Show. He sat there with his sidekick, both were dressed in what appeared to be zoot suits. Kathleen surreptitiously snapped this photo with her cellphone camera, hence the quality issue. Photography ain't supposed to be allowed on the lot, but Katie's not always the rule follower that her husband is, and she claims she took the photo before the announcement not to do it so the picture is "grandfathered" in, which sounds somewhat ironic.
In 1965 Jewel recorded "(Let Me Tell Ya Bout) The Birds and The Bees (And The Flowers and The Trees And. . .)" . . . and that was about all she wrote. Remember the tune? Of course you do, it sold a million copies and made No. 3 on Billboard.
His pal, "Hurley D Fabolous Taste" gave Stan his business card and told Stan he was a lead singer for the Drifters ("This Magic Moment," "Up on the Roof," "Don't Go, Please Stay") and did most of the talking for the bodacious pair.
We report. You decide.

Here's what Wikipedia says about Jewel:
He first recorded with Eddie Daniels as Jewel and Eddie on the Silver Records label in 1960. A number of his recordings featured Eddie Cochran on guitar.

He later went solo and recorded "The Birds And The Bees" in 1965, on the Era Records label. The single went to Number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year, and Number 2 on the Cash Box chart. Across the Pond it reached Number 29 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[3] But the follow-up, "Georgie Porgie" only reached Number 68.

Akens has toured regularly since 1965 and includes a tribute to his mentor, Sam Cooke, in most of his shows. Akens also recorded what he considered to be his finest recordings, cover versions of Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One" and Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On". He toured with The Monkees and continued to record until the mid 1970s in a variety of styles. In 1973 he co-produced the critically acclaimed Super Taylors, a duet album of Southern soul by Ted Taylor and Little Johnny Taylor. In 1989-91 Akens recorded three singles with a group called The Feathers.[1]

However, lack of further commercial success leaves him labelled as a one-hit wonder, but despite this, he continues to perform to this day.

--------
Note to Sosie. The Sam Cooke house is just down the street from Randy's place. We shoulda gone there too. Next time.

In case you missed our appearance on the Tonight Show. . .

2012-02-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

Stan and Kathleen were on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night and here's proof taken from a tv monitor: Stan is the bald guy on the far left and Kathleen is the white-haired babe peeking out from behind Jay's back. If you'd like a full-color reprint suitable for framing, please notify your blog hosts.

Fire Up Your VCRs! We're on The Tonight Show!

2012-02-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy NBC

We were seated on the main floor of the Tonight Show this afternoon, so we got to rush the stage and high-five Jay Leno during the opening monologue, and sat close to his guests, Bill Maher and Ali Wentworth. Lots of laughs. Great time.
Photos inside the studio are forbidden, but the photo above is a tiny poloroid souvenir shot taken by an NBC staffer. That came about when Kathleen got invited to the stage and dragged along her husband for a brief interview during the warmup before the show. We discussed snow, the Market Barbeque and Schinder's dirty bookstore. . . and when Jay learned that Stan had retired from the newspaper business, he had to remark "Phew, you got out just in time," which got a laugh from the audience and a raised eyebrow from Stan.
Ironically, Jay did his popular Headlines feature tonight.
The guests selected for the main floor audience appeared to be mostly youthful and good-looking; obviously they want the young demographic to boost the marketing of the show. We're not exactly sure how we got mixed into that batch of 30somethings, we were clearly the only grandparents in our front section.
Show is on in Minneapolis at 10:30 tonight on Channel 11. Don't miss the introduction!

Heeeere's Birdie!

2012-02-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

Heeere's Birdie and his sidekick at the Johnny Carson Memorial Park in Burbank, dedicated to the King of Late Night Television, located just across the street from the NBC studios.
For 30 years, Johnny kept America up late and laughing.

Click to enlarge and read.

The lush grounds proved too tempting for Birdie, and she promptly initiated them, catching Kathleen off-guard and having to await a rescue baggie from Stan, who was gone, of course, talking to a gate guard about parking opportunities.
Incidentally, nearby Forest Lawn was actually more verdant than the Carson park, but we didn't think it would be in good taste to release her for a romp amongst the stones while we inspected the grounds. Still space available, far as we could we see.
We'll return to Burbank tomorrow to attend a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Scheduled to appear are Bill Maher, Alexandra Wentworth and the Punch Brothers. Check your local listings and stay up late and laugh tomorrow night.

Happy Valentines Day from The Temple of Love

2012-02-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

Photo by Kathleen Rolfsrud

Sosie, Bill, Stan and Kathleen wish you happiness on this day for lovers from the Huntington Library Greek Temple dedicated to Eternal Love.

Constructed of Colorado Yule marble, the mausoleum of Henry and Arabella Huntington overlooks the gardens from a knoll in the middle of the orange groves. John Russell Pope, one of America’s most distinguished architects, designed the mausoleum in the form of a Greek temple. The classic circular peristyle (or double colonnade) and dome are well suited to the grounds because it presents a perfect front from every angle, and is a combination of two perfect forms, the circle and sphere.

We loved it.

Stair masters

2012-02-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

Plaque memorializing
staircase system.

Numerous hidden public staircases, cut into the hills and valleys around Los Angeles, provide great opportunities for exercise as well as observation of unique neighborhood architecture.
Sosie, Bill, Stan and Randy took advantage of this lightly used resource, choosing a circuitous route on the south side of Griffith Park. The hillside yielded tons of floral and architectural delights as the quartet huffed its way through a vertical workout with a Frank Lloyd Wright house as the hilltop goal.
The 1924 Ennis-Brown House showed some wear, but the distinctive textile block appearance and unique windows provided topics of interest while catching our breath. Plans are under way to rehab it.
The Los Angeles grid spread out in the flatlands below us, peeking through again and again between the street lights, hedges and distinctive garden walls edging the twisting urban hillside pathway on our way back down.
Then a visit to the Greek Theater and an In and Out burger joint in Glendale to top off the day.

This Frank Lloyd Wright design house looms over some fantasy
rooflines on the hike to the top.

Walk of Fame

2012-02-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

Around the corner, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce was awarding Sir Paul McCartney his new star on the Walk of Fame. The ceremony was going on near the Capitol Records building but we couldn't get close enough for a picture, our credentials being what they are, and us unwilling to wait in a line for too very long. We didn't wish to leave empty-handed, so we offer this scene of committed followers of yet another very popular figure on the Walk of Fame. . . who has yet to be formally recognized by the chamber.

Hi Mom! It's Sosie calling.

2012-02-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sosie called her Mom after hiking up to the cheap seats
where she could see the Hollywood sign, the Griffith Observatory
and the Hollywood Bowl all at once. A tourist's nirvana.

In the summer of 1935, fifteen-year-old Beverly Brown motored out to California from South Dakota with her sister and mother. She didn't have a license, but helped with the driving anyway. A highlight of the tour was a stop at the Hollywood Bowl. She remembers that well.
Stan and Sosie had the place to themselves on Friday. Sosie got a picture of Stan belting out "Old Man River" on the same stage where so many stars have performed over the years. From the top, you can barely make out Stan's yellow shirt on the photo, but you could have heard his voice clearly in this acoustical gem.

1935 program

Sosie took out her cellphone to call our mother in Alexandria to tell her that the only voices to be heard in the Bowl today were trained by Beverly Brown Rolfsrud. She seemed amused. Later we went to the nearby museum and found a copy of a program used in 1935, when Mom was zipping around LA in the family roadster.

Even in his yellow shirt, it was hard to see the day's

soloist making his way up the stairs. Click to enlarge.

To Protect and Serve. . . and help little old tourists across the street

2012-02-10T17:43:00.000-08:00

There are eight lanes of traffic on Highland Drive zipping past the entrance to the Hollywood Bowl. Signs warn that pedestrians should not attempt to cross here. A helpful tunnel has been dug to allow pedestrians to safely cross under the street.
This morning Stan and Sosie set out for a hike to the famous Hollywood Bowl and ended up across the street from its entrance on Highland Drive. But, alas, the pedestrian tunnel was chained up tight. There are no events scheduled at the Bowl and no one would be so foolish as to walk there just to see the museum and an empty bowl. . . except for a couple of hiking Rolfsruds, of course.
Sosie and Stan were stranded. It would be at least a mile to backtrack to the legal pedestrian crossing.
A helpful, turning motorist shouted through her open window as she wheeled past, "Use the tunnel!" "It's locked," we shouted back.
Then we spotted a sheriff's deputy about to make a right hand turn in front of us. Stan stood with his palms raised, shoulders shrugged, in a "what the hell am I supposed to do now" gesture. It worked.

8 to 10 lanes of traffic flying off Hollywood Frwy.
Do not cross here.

Cops love it when they get a chance to actually serve someone who isn't drunk and disorderly or mad at them. When the officer realized what a ridiculous conundrum we faced, he just smiled and said "Hop in!" Sosie sat in front with the officer. Stan slid into the hard-surfaced perp cage in the back.
Then our deputy sheriff really got into it, flipping on his lights and siren. We went "Code 3" and magically parted the busy Highland Drive traffic stream. "Now where too?," he asked, as we entered the Bowl parking lot. We soon found the drop off point in front of the bowl museum, but we weren't done yet.
Stan was still locked in tight, of course, and had to wait to be released from the outside by the good officer Kraupke.

Arthur Eichenberger, 87

2012-02-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

We were saddened to learn of the passing of a relative, Arthur Eichenberger, 87, who died after a short illness in Lombard, Illinois, on Feb. 9.
Mr. Eichenberger was the second husband of Beverly Rolfsrud's sister, the late Kaye Brown Eichenberger. In their later years after Kaye's passing, Beverly and Arthur remained in regular contact.
Survivors include his son (our cousin), Eric Eichenberger, 42, of Glen Ellyn, Ill., as well as Eric's half-brother, Arthur Eichenberger, 65. Preceding Mr. Eichenberger in death was his daughter, Judy.
Funeral services will be held next Thursday at the Southminster Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Visitation is at 10 a.m. followed by services at 11 a.m.

Something Special for Our Sweethearts

2012-02-10T10:55:00.001-08:00

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Stan and Bill had hoped to slip inside unnoticed. What could be more romantic than a thoughtful gift of dependable foundation garments, manufactured by the industry leader, and purchased at the original post-World War II location on the corner of N. McCadden Place and Hollywood Blvd? Very thoughtful indeed.

Catwoman in good shape after brawl with Jack Sparrow

2012-02-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Photo by Kathleen

Appeared to be sober today

We dropped by the Kodak Theater this morning to observe preparations for the Academy Awards and to check on the welfare of Catwoman, recently reported here as having been in a nasty brawl with a drunken, irate Jack Sparrow in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Police were called, medical attention was given and news stories were filed. Catwoman assured Stan today that she's fine, but she's keeping her distance from the pirate, and so far so good. This was confirmed by her workmate, Alice in Wonderland. The surly pirate, who doesn't look at all like Johnny Depp, lurked in the distance, presumably still leery of the Catwoman's claws and mace. (See photo -- we didn't pay him for it) The Catwoman was most grateful for our concern and did her best to show it and split our tip with her pal.
We looked around Hollywood Boulevard some more, but there was no sign of Sponge Bob Square Pants, who is seen being beaten silly by a perturbed purse-wearing tourist on a popular YouTube video. Bob, it is said, would have made a better accounting of himself, but his constricting square pants outfit kept him from getting any leverage on his swings.

Searching for clues at the Greystone Mansion

2012-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

A murder-suicide back in the 30s scandalized this oil baron's prestigious hillside mansion overlooking the City of Los Angeles. Or was it a double-murder? Det. Sosie Shearer and Deputy Bill intend to get to the bottom of it, peeping through windows and walking the grounds of this expansive estate just off of Sunset Boulevard on Doheny Drive.
There's easy access to the site, now that the City of Beverly Hills has acquired the Greystone Mansion and opened it for tourism, special events. . . and sleuthing. Sosie and Bill checked for clues in the formal garden but found only a dozen turtles sunning themselves, and if they knew anything, they weren't saying.

You've probably seen the interior of this storied mansion many times, it's a popular filming site. Dozens of movies have used its dramatic settings. "Spiderman," for example.
Other films shot here include "What Women Want" (with Mel Gibson), "The Bodyguard" (starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston), "The Phantom" (with Billy Zane), "The Witches of Eastwick" (Jack Nicholson & Cher), "The Big Lebowski" (with Jeff Bridges), "All of Me" (Steve Martin & Lily Tomlin), "Ghostbusters II" (Dan Aykroyd & Bill Murray), "Death Becomes Her" (Goldie Hawn& Meryl Streep), "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (starring Whoopi Goldberg), "The Beautician And The Beast" (with Fran Dresher), "Guilty By Suspicion" (Robert De Niro), "Air Force One" (with Harrison Ford), "Nixon," "Batman & Robin," "Heat," "The Loved One," "Forever Amber," "The Winds of War," and "Dynasty, the Movie."
They shot an episode of "Alias" here. And back in 1991, they shot episodes of the vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows" here.
There's more, but that's enough for now. We're still working on the murder plot of "The Big Sleep."

What is so great about 30 inches square?

2012-02-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French, our architecture mentor, Elana,
opened our eyes to the shapes and materials around us at the Getty Center.

We met under the sycamore tree on the plaza, joining a few others who wanted to understand something about the dramatic architecture of this wonderful place. Earlier, we wound our way down Sunset Boulevard, stopping briefly at the Doheny Mansion, then found ourselves in a confusing construction detour at Sunset and Sepulveda.

30x30 travertine
"Guillotine Cut"

But our driver Bill persevered and we soon found ourselves deep inside the mountain parking ramp. Or would that be parking hole. Anyway, it was a quick trip on a robotic tram to the hilltop where we figured the first order of business would have to be the Architecture Tour.

Elana provided a snappy commentary and one of the first things she asked us to notice was the size and purpose of the square shapes we saw everywhere. Just about everything, we learned, measures 30 inches by 30 inches -- or multiples thereof. The buildings are of travertine -- smooth and rough -- and baked aluminium and glass.

Perhaps the most important element of the Getty Center is its hilltop site in the Santa Monica Mountains, just off the San Diego Freeway. From there, visitors can take in prominent features of the Los Angeles landscape--the Pacific Ocean, the San Gabriel Mountains, the vast street-grid of the city. Inspired by this interplay, architect Richard Meier sought to design the new complex so that it highlights both nature and culture, creating a synchronistic, organic whole.

See how the 30x30 squares help define human proportion?
(He's big. She's not.)

When approached from the south, the modernist complex appears almost to grow from the 110-acre hillside. Two three-car, computer-operated trams ferry visitors from a street-level parking facility to the hilltop site. The campus, clad largely in cleft-cut, Italian travertine, is organized around a central arrival plaza, and offers framed panoramic views of the city. Curvilinear design elements, like the circular Museum Entrance Hall and the canopy over the Harold M. Williams Auditorium entrance call to mind the Baroque. But there is also a bright openness to the complex, a horizontality reminiscent of the work of such Southern California modernists as Rudolf Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Yup. 30 by 30 inch windows looking out at Bel Air.

Elena told us that Richard Meier took many of his cues for the design from the site itself, and from the Trust planning team’s desire to retain the sense of openness found at the original Getty Museum in Malibu. The Getty Center’s six buildings follow a natural ridge in the hilltop. Working with this natural topography, Meier positioned the Center’s buildings at sites that are relatively public or private in character, depending on the needs of each. He also suggested a connection between the organization of the Center and the layout of the city’s grid. All six buildings are as open as security and conservation needs will allow.
Galleries, offices, and the Auditorium lead out to courtyards and terraces; all offices receive natural light. Because the Getty’s neighbors requested that the complex be no more than two stories above grade, all of the buildings extend underground and are linked with subterranean corridors that facilitate the moving of artwork and other materials.

We looked in amazement at one of the stone blocks containing a fossilized feather. Elana said it could be anywhere from 8,000 to 80,000 years old.

Yum.

The use of stone--1.2 million square feet of it--is perhaps one of the most remarked-upon elements of the new complex. This beige-colored, cleft-cut, textured, fossilized travertine catches the bright Southern California daylight, reflecting sharply during morning hours and emitting a honeyed warmth in the afternoon. The weather was perfect for a day on the plaza, Elana said, and we had to agree.

Elana used Stan and Kathleen as models to show her group all the advantages of the magical 30 inch dimension. Most memorable reason? Thirty inches is the exact length a Roman solider stepped off when marching. It is a natural gait. If you want other reasons, go on the tour and take better notes.
If you'd like to see all the pictures we took today and a bonus batch of pictures of the Doheny Mansion, click here, brave citizen.

Baked aluminum panels. A collage of five planes, Tension.

Apples, grape, blueberry, ice smoothie ala Sosie

2012-02-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Sosie packed along her powerful super-dooper Vita-Mix blender for her week in LA and this morning she treated us to a delicious round of smoothies as we prepare for our assault on The Getty Center and the Doheny Mansion today. Sosie and Kathleen discussed the virtues of this marvelous machine that Sosie acquired almost a year ago and uses at least four times a week.
Stan and Kathleen are on their fourth blender now, used mostly for making waffles. It is on its last legs. They would never consider grinding ice in it to make the wonderful chilled healthy drinks Sosie touts. So anyone thinking of a birthday gift for either of us should consider. . .
A Vita-Mix retails for $364 at Costco. But hey, when you care enough...

Bill and Sosie take us to The Gardens, The Ricardos

2012-02-07T14:21:00.001-08:00

BREAKFAST IN BED
Mary Cassat is a favorite of Kathleen's as is John Singer Sargent.
She was pleased to see both represented at The Huntington.

Fortified by Sosie's homemade beef stew and supported by a cache of Advil, we decamped Randy's back yard retreat yesterday at about high noon, and set out for the famous Huntington Library estate gardens just a bit east of Pasedena.

Sosie (Stan's sister) and Bill are here for a week of frolic, arriving from their canyon home in the Bay Area during Randy's Super Bowl gathering at his Rowena digs. They enjoyed the party guests and the remains of the super buffet arranged by our host. After hearing guest Karri Turner (Lt. Harriet Sims, JAG) relate fascinating anecdotes from her 13 USO tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, and after watching Downton Abbey on PBS, we tucked the funseekers into our nearby Fawlty Towers unit and returned to Randy's for a sleepover in the Poker Palace Murphy Bed.
Bright and bushy-tailed, our guests returned to Randy's the next morning and quickly laid out the beef stew with hot bread.
Bill volunteered to drive and Randy volunteered to watch Birdie, and thus both earned a spot in Stan's Hall of Heroes for the day. We were soon floating down Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard, via the Rose Bowl Parade Route, finally docking at the much anticipated Huntington Gardens iron gates. It was great. If you're not familiar with this fabulous venue, please take the time to google it and we'll save some space here. If you'd like to view our entire exciting photo album (includes a picture of Katie with the Tidy-Whities man) click here. and then click on the slide show.

Katie's knee has been barking of late; no problem for us, we popped her into a complimentary wheelchair and briskly covered the expansive estate, from the desert gardens to the ponds and the Asian pagodas, thanks to the good offices of our personal guide, Heather, an eager volunteer who answered all our questions and showed us around.
(Kathleen's knee will be replaced when we return to Minnesota.)
Eventually we reached the Huntington art gallery to see exhibits that include the Blue Boy and the Green and Green Arts & Crafts Movement room. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to get over to the library to tear a souvenir page from the Gutenberg Bible sequestered there.

Monday during the winter season -- no crowds. We had
our lovely docent Heather -- and most of the grounds --
to ourselves.

Then Bill drove the old mini-van on to the city of Walnut, where Stan and Solveig's schoolmate, Cathy (Johnson) Ricardo (Mayo and Pearl's girl, you know) and her husband Ed had dinner prepared for four guests. It's been a few years since Sosie last saw Cathy; Stan and Cathy figured it was about 50 years for them. It is actually less than that; Cathy (as well as Stan, Solveig and Linda Rolfsrud) attended Concordia College in Moorhead in 1967, before Linda graduated and Stan, Solveig and Cathy transferred to other institutions.
Dinner had a Mexican theme and was wonderful. A toast to old friends preceded a full-bodied soup, chicken enchiladas followed by a Mexican-style dessert that was so good we forgot to remember the name. A challenging word game, Quiddler, came out after dinner, (Stan won) as well as old stories centered on First English Lutheran Church and Central Junior High, Alexandria, Minnesota.

Cathy well remembered her 7th Grade English teacher, (Mister Rolfsrud) trying to motivate her to write more creatively. "I could put a bomb under your chair," he said to her, and she still grins today when retelling it.
Living room photographs of Cathy and Ed getting married three years ago include her 87-year-old mother, Pearl, who came out to California from Minnesota for the ceremony. She died a year later.
We parted fondly after the traditional Norwegian long goodbye on the steps of their beautiful home.
Then Bill turned his trusty van west toward tinsel-town, his long-time navigator with her I-phone map at shotgun, and gunned it down I-10 into the deepening night, ready for more adventure.

Classmates in the Front Row: Cathy, Solveig, Stan (Stan is one year older)
Back row are spouses Ed and Bill. Please note that Sosie still proudly
wears her Huntington Gardens sticker.

Hey. Pal. Didja hear about the time I busted outta here?

2012-02-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

Bruno
St. Paul Katie may have seen him at the Como Zoo years ago
(Photos by Stan Rolfsrud)

This Minnesota native is now under daily surveillance here in LA.

The sign at the Red Ape Rainforest Habitat in the Los Angeles Zoo says that orangutans are patient problem solvers, intelligent decision-makers capable of using tools. Zookeepers routinely set up problems to challenge these gentle creatures.

The big guy out there is 31-year-old Bruno, born in a Minnesota zoo. Weighs 300 pounds. Not sure when he arrived in this pleasant climate, but our favorite son has managed to make a name for himself in this star-crazed city.

Look closely, there's a Baby On Board
Don't know if Bruno is the father. Could be.

Not long ago, Bruno broke out of the Red Ape enclosure located in the middle of the zoo property. He took off on a 25-minute jaunt, scaring the bejesus out of observers and getting enough media attention to make a Hollywood press agent drool on his I-pad.

Bruno's escape prompted a brief evacuation, but no one was injured and he was captured shortly after the break, at large just long enough to crank up the star-maker machinery.

Bruno was never aggressive and allowed a handler to inject him with a sedative. Just enough for a good buzz.

Zoo officials were not sure whether Bruno made the hole in his wire mesh enclosure or if the wire broke some other way. Orangutans are very bright, crafty and have the ability to use tools, zoo officials said.

"He was just in a place where he shouldn't have been."

Makes Minnesotans real proud. Don't fence us in, liberty, freedom and all that. Kathleen chatted up one of the docents seated in front of the exhibit this week. She learned that ever since The Great Escape, whenever Bruno is out in public view, someone is watching him. Yes, Bruno is now under constant surveillance.

"And then, I pulled the netting over just like this, revealing the opening I had cut out
earlier, by using the calf-bone knife I shaped with a flint-stone chisel. I tip-toed up the
rope and just eased myself through the hole. You can read the rest in the LA Times."

Not us. (Stan was just a bystander in the Gumby outfit)

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, we were on Hollywood Boulevard yesterday, but we didn't see a thing, officers:

The L.A. Times reports in today's edition:

LAPD seeks witnesses to Jack Sparrow,

catwoman brawl in Hollywood

The Los Angeles Police Department is trying to sort of the details of a fight in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday evening involving several people dressed as characters.

LA Times Photo (Gumby has left the scene)

The incident was the latest run-in between characters who pose for pictures with tourists and then aggressively demand money.

In the most recent case, an unidentified man dressed as Jack Sparrow was pepper-sprayed by an attacker, police said. The attack occurred during a fracas involving people dressed as Catwoman, an alien and a second pirate, police sources said.

No arrests were made, and no one was seriously hurt, Officer Norma Eisenman said. But police are looking for witnesses and trying to determine if anyone in the tourist area took photos or video.

In September, a man dressed as SpongeBob SquarePants was detained by police outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood after an altercation with two women. In another incident, Spider-Man was led away in handcuffs

----------------------

You can't make this stuff up.

LA Limousine

2012-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Oscar, our new driver
We were his only passengers when we chatted near the Capitol Records building.

There's not a lot of honking in LA traffic. It's actually pretty laid back. But it's still horrible. Stan doesn't honk, but he often curses without remorse. Kathleen won't even attempt driving. The only thing worse is the parking -- or lack of it. (We went to the Price is Right for free. The parking cost $17.)
Today over the "Ultimate" breakfast on Vermont and Franklin, a sympathetic waiter suggested we DASH instead of drive. What? Yes, he said in some dialect, "You take DASH. Come by here every 20 minutes. Goes around and around. Another one goes around and around the other way. Cost 25 cents."
Incredulous, we googled LA DASH and, what do you know, our very own "Hollywood DASH," comes to the Fawlty Towers bus stop every half hour and drives you as deep into the madness as you want, for just 25 cents. And when you tire of it, you walk across the street and take the counter-clockwise shuttle back home. Another 25 cents. Sweet.
Giddy at this discovery, we immediately hopped on the shuttle like two astronauts headed into the unknown, blasting off at 11:45 a.m. today to take a full orbit of Tinsel Town. Took about an hour. A sweet surprise.
Now the myriad tourist treats are easy-peasey to reach in our $200,000 capsule, just two-bits a stop.
Just as sweet as this deal was our shuttle commander, Oscar, who pilots this behemoth through the madness every day. Do you ever get edgy? Tight? we asked. Oscar grinned and allowed that around 3 p.m. things do get a bit tense. But mostly he's got his circle route down pat.
Indeed. Our 25 cent dash was without incident. No stress, no anxiety and no naughty words. It's a good thing too. Company's coming on Sunday.

The Hollywood DASH route. We're in the upper right hand corner.

Franklin and Normandie. Click to enlarge. Don't want to

WALK to the Hollywood Sign? There's a DASH for that too.

Zap

2012-02-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Stan,

Our dear Zap is no longer with us. She gave us everything that she had these past fifteen years, but she finally gave up this past week.

Nancy’s good friend, Deb, in a note of condolence, described her best: “She was full of manners, dignity, grace, speed and unbridled enthusiasm for all moving things to be herded—my best role model yet for 'giving your all' to daily jobs.”

We miss her greatly.

Nancy, Steve, Breck, Briggs and Ford

LA Zoo today

2012-02-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

We met Bruno, a famous Minnesotan, at the LA Zoo today. Weather was
perfect, and there were no crowds, just a few lucky kindergarteners out on a
school field trip in their little blue shirts. We got a story and photo about
Bruno, but no time to tell it. Our next installment of Foyle's War arrived
in the mailbox today, so we have to watch it and get it back in the mail.
Oh yes. We also enjoyed the Chilean flamingos, above.

Watch for our Air Date: March 6, 2012

2012-01-31T15:14:00.000-08:00

No, we weren't asked to "Come On Down," but Kathleen bounded down the
aisle to get her hug from Drew Carey anyway. They talked about Minnesota
and her career as a merchant and he called her Kathleen, like he really knew her.
Oh, that's right. She wore a nametag. Watch the show on March 6. . . don't worry,
we'll remind you. Next up? The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Feb. 15.

Tomorrow's Flight Plan

2012-01-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

West on Franklin, Left on Wilton, West on Santa Monica Boulevard, Left on Martel.
Oops, too many left turns on this Google suggestion. We'll probably just head south
to Beverly Blvd and park in the Grove structure. Short walk to the CBS gate.
No cell phones, no cameras, no backpacks, no costumes. . . and no dogs allowed.
(Jeans OK)

We depart the Fawlty Towers Apts and Spa bright and early tomorrow, heading to CBS Television City to process for the taping of the first "The Price Is Right" show of the day. We've got vouchers that promise if we follow all the rules we have a better than even chance of getting into the studio with Drew Carey and all the other funseekers.
Kathleen is an old hand at this. Though she's never been asked to "Come on Down" she's been in the audience a couple of times before. This year she convinced Stan to join her in her quest for fame and fortune and if the early bird gets the worm, that's exactly what's going to happen. This could be the big year! Stanlee Rolf Is Rude Come On Down!
The excitement is mounting, we'll set the alarm and try to get some sleep as visions of Plinko, Now and Then, and a Showcase with A BRAND NEW CAR dance in our heads.
We apologize in advance if you're forgotten when Drew asks Kathleen if there is anyone at home she wants to mention while the big wheel spins around and around. We still love you.
Now wish us some luck.

CBS Photo from Google Images

Cousins

2012-01-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ron, Linda, Karen and Don enjoyed lunch at
Sandra Bullock's bistro in San Antonio.

Ron and Linda Letnes (Stan's sister) explored Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas on their winter trip this year.
The excursion allowed for a nice meet up with Cousin Karen Kirmis and her husband Don in their San Antonio winter home.
Linda and Ron enjoyed the Riverwalk, Alamo and harbor sights, saw the Oklahoma Memorial and the Clinton and LBJ libraries and generally enjoyed themselves doodling around the south central area of the U.S.

No Letnes trip album is complete without a little beefcake.

Here's Ron showing some leg on the Riverwalk.

When a tree falls in LA. . .

2012-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

When a tree grows beyond its usefulness on a typical small lot in LA, it can present a series of perplexing engineering challenges. Thoughtlessly chopping a tree off at its base usually risks numerous bad outcomes and a possible appearance on YouTube if not America's Funniest Home Videos.
The neighbors across the street from Randy's terrace proved equal to the puzzlement they faced when their burgeoning camphor tree threatened to take over their back yard, blocking the sun and threatening to take out the garage.
Ben and Fione attacked the problem with aplomb. Plotting strategy like commanders in a military operation, they divided the war into manageable battles, pressing their campaign with the stout courage of veteran urban foresters, armed with an aluminum ladder, a long rope and a rented chainsaw on a stick.

Stan and Randy joined them for Phase II yesterday afternoon, which chiefly involved calculating the likely trajectory of falling limbs onto a small backyard target with the least risk of collateral damage. Mostly, we provided encouragement and rendered opinions on possible consequences of various strategies. The couple had the task well in hand, as Ben ascended the ladder and buzzed away, while the scent of the aromatic camphor sawdust drifted over the neighborhood.
Eventually the saw was deemed too dull to continue and the operator was tiring, so a cease fire was declared and the final remains of the now-denuded torso stood over the backyard carnage against a bright blue sky. The sun shined brightly through the new opening, giving promise that new grass and plantings will flourish beneath it.

A conventional chainsaw will be rented for the final assault with ultimate victory now assured.
Last evening Ben, grateful for the encouragement and assistance, brought over the fixings for kicky Moscow Mules, made with a fresh-squeezed lime, vodka and Cock & Bull Ginger Beer. Tall icy glasses of the concoction were enjoyed on Randy's Terrace, along with toasts and briefings to anyone interested in the day's successful campaign.

Finding a place in the sun

2012-01-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

A sunny 80 degree afternoon brought these two snoozers together yesterday
in the back yard. Kathleen managed to make this photo without disturbing
either Randy or Birdie. High of 81 today. Light evening Santa Anas.

x?##

2012-01-27T11:42:00.001-08:00

Fawlty Towers wifi down. Will post later.

--Posted from Starbucks Coffee

Heidi and Sam are here. . .

2012-01-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Kathleen's niece and her husband made it to Los Angeles yesterday in time for cocktail hour on Randy's terrace. Heidi and Sam took a long weekend break from their jobs in Durango, Colorado to get some sun, see the sights and visit the rellies. They arrived with the top down on their Porsche and have already spotted a $10 hand wash and hand wax location on Hollywood Blvd to give the little car a treat this morning.
(Stan and Kathleen stay overnight in Randy's poker palace while Heidi and Stan bunk at our Fawlty Towers Hotel.)
Last night Stan and Kathleen retired early while the trio above strolled down to The Alcove on Hillhurst for a robust flaming rum nightcap. Randy is a trove of Hollywood lore and Heidi and Sam took full advantage of their host's knowledge of the area as well as the entertainment business. Photo above, the guests delivered local Durango wine and a plate of smoked tuna for the afternoon terrace nosh.

Meanwhile, a tuckered Birdie, exhausted by a day of back and forth,
strange dogs and new people, found respite on a leather hassock.

Before and After. . .

2012-01-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Fifty years ago Leonard Neilson "blonded" this formerly dark wood.
Last week his granddaughter took it one step further to Polar Bear white!

Grandma and Grandpa Neilson's
dresser gets a makeover from Jennifer

We received these pictures at our Fawlty Towers Hotel in LA today. Our daughter Jennifer has moved into a new apartment in South Minneapolis, and she's furnishing it with heirlooms, of course.
Years ago, her Grandpa Neilson used to "beautify" old furniture with a mustard antique finish. Loved to do it. His process was called "blonding." Some of his pieces got banged up a bit over the years, but many are still in service. Jennifer inherited this piece and enjoyed it for many years just as it was, but now that she's moving into an all-white bedroom, she decided it was time to give her heirloom a once-over and a brand-new life.

She did this with aplomb and phoned in the photos of her results today. Don't you just love the green knobs? Grandpa Neilson would be very proud. . . as are we!
Jennifer writes from Minneapolis:
I remember you telling me that Grandpa painted this dresser in this mustard color crackle paint, and I liked it and have used it this way since inheriting it, yet its time had come and a few days ago it got some sanding, repairing and a double coat of Polar Bear white paint, the same color as the walls. I also added some replica green glass knobs.
Here are the before and after photos.

Click to enlarge.

We got mail! Real mail.

2012-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

It was the old-fashioned kind of mail that showed up late this afternoon in the old-fashioned mailbox hanging on the side of the building here on Normandie in Los Angeles. It was just the kind of mail that a grandma and grandpa, who dearly miss their Minnesota family, love to get.
The card was sweet and to the point from Emily and her Mom. Mom had just developed an old-fashioned roll of film which included a bunch of photos from last summer, including this one of Emily finishing preschool -- with much overdone Pomp and Circumstance directed to doting parents and grandparents. The envelope contained actual prints on paper. It was wonderful.
An old-fashioned phone call brought us up-to-date on the current academic progress . You'll be happy to know that we can report that our kindergartener is above average in 8 out of 10 subjects and average in two. So she's definitely above-average. We like that and suspected as much.
Thank you for your old-fashioned indulgence.

No one has come to call yet

2012-01-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

We've been here 10 days now, moved in right across the street from these folks, but, oddly, we haven't met anyone yet. There's a locked gate across the driveway and we don't have the password so we can't come a-knocking. But you'd think we'd have received a welcoming note, a greeting, a how-do-ya-do or a hi-di-ho by now. Nothing. Seems strange. No cut flowers. Not even a hot dish.

Entrepreneur of the Week

2012-01-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

It was do or die today for Eugene, the street merchant selling umbrellas in the rain on the corner of Western and Hollywood Blvd. After all, how many days like this do you have in Los Angeles to move your inventory?
It was late in the afternoon when the Camden, South Carolina native confided that sales hadn't gone quite as well as he had hoped despite the downpour. Yes, he had sold a few, but didn't set any records. Is that a sign of the times or do Angelinos just stay indoors during inclement weather, we wondered? "Why do you want to know?" he asked, displaying a note of street savvy, "are you from the newspaper?"

Stan noticed traffic was light as he took today's five-mile hike west down the Walk of Fame to the corner of Hollywood and Vine, then north past Capitol Records (grabbing a frame of the distinctive tower to prove he'd really gone the distance), then under the Hollywood freeway, past the turn for the Hollywood Bowl, then back on Franklin Avenue and a brief jog to our Normandie apartment.
Downtown LA got over a half an inch of rain today. The sun's coming out tomorrow. That won't bother Eugene. He's probably got a full inventory of designer sunglasses ready to go.

Route guidance from an LA paramedic/firefighter

2012-01-22T22:26:00.004-08:00

Sherpa Dave and Kama enjoyed a break on the terrace

"Sherpa" Dave served 30 years as a paramedic/firefighter in the Los Angeles area. He's retired now and lives with his wife, Kama, around the corner and down the street from Randy's house on Rowena Avenue.
As one might expect, his life-long experience on the streets of this fabled town makes him a valuable resource for the newcomer seeking direction. . . or guide service, if necessary. He knows the secret staircases, the famous locations, the hidden driveways, even the best route to climb nearby Mt. Lee, site of the famed Hollywood sign.
Therefore we've dubbed him "Sherpa" Dave, so as not to confuse him with "Depot" Dave, the local contractor who (with his wife, Nicole) made over Randy's front and back yard this summer and fall and received fair coverage of his mighty deeds on this very blog.
The Sherpa and his wife joined us for football, buffet and mimosas today at Randy's house where Dave regaled us with a few tales of LA street action. . . like the time he and his partner bumbled into a robbery and then chased the miscreants in their wailing ambulance, calling in their positions on the two-way until they ran the bad guys down and turned the situation over to the cops.
Stuff like that.
Although the Sherpa seemed to assign the more heroic roles to himself in these exciting sagas, we think that what he told us was indeed mostly true -- partly because his good wife of 27 years was there listening along, lest he stray too far from the historic path. . . or at least from the way he told the story the last time he brought it out.
Stan hopes to join the Sherpa soon on a hike into Griffith Park or on one of the other popular neighborhood roundelays he so enjoys in his retirement.
Randy's not sure Stan can keep up with the 55-year-old hiking ace and has proposed taking Stan on a warm-up walk-about first. Break him in easy. We'll let you know.

Not only is Sherpa Dave an excellent guide to the Greater Los Angeles area,
he is also said to be a really good kisser.

We visit a back yard tropical spa and resort

2012-01-21T21:52:00.005-08:00

Ben Goodman moved from Cape Town, South Africa in 1975 and soon established a career and family in Los Angeles. His passion these days is his West Hollywood back yard, where he has transformed an otherwise ordinary lot into a fabulous tropical paradise.

He invited Stan and Katie to see this luxurious resort retreat creation, set behind a gated enclosure on a palm-lined street a block from Hollywood Boulevard. The secluded oasis is moments from the craziness of tourists, street people and the starry Walk of Fame.
A diminutive rental duplex corners the rear of the property, separated from the main house by a circular infinity spa that spills into the curved end of a generous swimming pool. A jungle of ivy, palms and bushes isolates the lush space from neighborhood housing.
The enthusiastic host exuded pride of ownership as he guided his stunned visitors through the meticulously designed and finished rental units: precious jewel-box retreats -- a one-bedroom unit up, the studio down. Every appointment -- the granite, the fixtures, the coverings, the electronics, the appliances -- even the memory-foam queen mattresses -- reflects an obsession with quality and design, creating a welcoming aura that urges visitors to linger.

Two pampered house dogs greeted Birdie with the usual nosey rituals; Birdie then brazenly dashed through the entire main house before she could be restrained, reporting back after apparently finding nothing of particular interest.

We finished the tour and Ben offered a parting gift of fresh tangerines from the front yard tree as we thanked our gracious host, grateful for this private peek into a special spot on an ordinary street in LA.

Who wins at the House of Pies?

2012-01-21T19:04:00.003-08:00

Blueberry, Bavarian Chocolate, Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese, Fresh Peach, Key Lime, Southern Pecan, German Chocolate, Banana Cream, Banana Chocolate Cream, Egg Custard, Bavarian Chocolate Banana, Pumpkin, Peanut Butter, Butterscotch and a dozen more are offered daily at the House of Pies at the corner of Vermont and Franklin.

We ate dinner across the street at the Palermo Ristorante Italiano tonight and a nice pie seemed just the treat for tomorrow's football games.
Katie and Randy narrowed the choices to two: Lemon Meringue vs. Double Strawberry Cheesecake. Stan was called in for the tie-breaker.
\Which one did we bring back to Randy's for tomorrow's game? Hint: It looked so good, we broke into it early.
What's your all-time favorite pie?

Light traffic on this LA Fairway

2012-01-21T08:18:00.003-08:00

Not exactly Stonebrooke
But hey, you don't need a golf cart.
Greens are in great condition and today's precip
will be appreciated. An inch of rain triggers a
"severe weather alert."

Tom rules

2012-01-20T10:49:00.004-08:00

The only time Tom was ever in Minnesota was back in the 60s but he still remembers flying into Minneapolis when the gorgeous fall colors were peaking. The Los Angeles native had a career in the electronics industry and was on his way to a small town factory in Wisconsin where they hired mostly women, he said, because "women can talk and work at the same time. When a man starts talking, he stops working."
Tom is now 72 years old (really, he is) and is a starter at the Par 3 golf course in Los Feliz where he and a lot of other retirees are drawn. Youngsters take over on weekends. The place opens at 7 a.m., and has a great place next door for a manly breakfast. (The name of the place is apparently "EAT", which is the principal signage on the property).

Fortunately, Stan had no tee time
Friday street cleaning forced some parkers into
desperate measures, blocking our exit briefly this morning.

Stan shot a nifty nine holes this morning with his brand new golf bag and old clubs, ($6.25 greens fee -- he's not a senior yet and also has to pay the outrageous out-of-town rate. ha.). He will wait on the breakfast experience until Kathleen joins him.
The greens are in great shape; the fairways not-so-nice. . . but that's just your penalty for not getting on in one. All in all it is a fun spot with nice people. . . we'll soon return.
There are three more golf courses in the immediate area, so there's work to be done.

Street parking is very dear in Los Feliz

2012-01-19T08:31:00.006-08:00

As a public service, volunteers step up to help educate others in proper parking procedure.

A Nevada driver, who used up two spaces, received this tip from a local coach.

An observation from Minnesota

2012-01-19T08:17:00.002-08:00

From: "Pat Minelli"
Date: January 19, 2012 7:39:02 AM PST
To: "'Stan Rolfsrud'"
Subject: fyi

Severed head? Quit complaining. Our wind chill is like minus 23 right now, bub.
Enjoy your warm surroundings. Say hi to St. Paul Katie and Birdie.

Pat Minelli
Editor
Shakopee Valley News

Severed head and hands found near Stan's hiking trail

2012-01-18T16:30:00.010-08:00

Wilderness area running parallel to Bronson Canyon, where
head was found hours after these photos were taken.

Randy and Stan were in Bronson Canyon Monday, dropping off a squirrel that had attacked Randy's prize orange tree and needed a humane repatriation to Griffith Park. The duo didn't spot any human heads while they were there on this mission. But somebody else did, according to news reports on all the stations out here.

Today, Stan's grade school friend, Lorlee, who still cares about Stan's welfare, sent along this Yahoo News clipping, along with the caveat to "Be careful out there."

Here's the news clipping, along with some file photos that Stan happened to take of the general area while he was walking Birdie on Tuesday. He had no idea at the time that it might be a crime scene.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles investigators found a human hand Wednesday in the Hollywood wilderness park where a severed head in a plastic bag was discovered by dog walkers, and the search continued for other body parts.

The hand was discovered in Bronson Canyon as dozens of police officers, including homicide investigators, combed the brush along a winding trail a few miles below the Hollywood sign.

Area below Hollywood sign
Stan and Birdie walked here.

A coroner's cadaver dog found the hand about 50 yards from where the head was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The remains are believed to come from the same man. Wild animals in the park may have taken some other body parts, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

The head of a man in his 40s, 50s or 60s was found about a half-mile (kilometers) inside the gated canyon road, which is part of the vast Griffith Park.

"One of the dogs ran into the brush and came out carrying a plastic grocery bag. As the dogs shook the plastic grocery bag the severed human head fell out of the bag and onto the ground." Smith told KCBS-TV.

The man may have been killed elsewhere in recent days and his body dumped in the park, Smith said.

The man wasn't immediately identified. Police were checking reports of missing persons and coroner's investigators will check dental records.

Smith noted that the canyon is well-traveled by both cars and hikers. A paved road winds around picnic areas and a children's playground before connecting with a trail that eventually winds up near the Hollywood sign.

Congratulations to Briggs!

2012-01-18T09:29:00.001-08:00

Doesn't she look professional? We are so proud.

Stan and Kathleen's niece writes:

I got a new job!

I have accepted a position as an Admissions Manager at the Advanced Academic Programs office within the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.

In this role, I will supervise two admissions professionals, manage the ApplyYourself and ISIS databases, and support faculty admissions committees. My first day is January 23rd. An added bonus is that the office is located in DuPont Circle, so I can commute via the Metro - no more DC driving!
Briggs

---------

Congratulations to Briggs. We hope this position is everything you want it to be!

Staples

2012-01-18T07:02:00.001-08:00

Randy produced a bag of juicy ripe oranges picked off his tree after Stan helped pin down some rolls of new sod that the raccoons have been turning over. The rascals search for bugs and worms and prevent the sod from bonding to the soil base.
We don't know if the giant wire staples acquired from Home Depot will do the trick. Neighbor Fione suggested braiding dog hair and applying it here and there to freak out the night visitors. ???
We'll squeeze out a pint or so this morning and ponder the strategy over orange juice and toast.
Suggestions?

Hike to Griffith Observatory

2012-01-17T09:50:00.008-08:00

Future objective

Enrico was happy to take Stan's picture this morning. Enrico was visiting from Guadalajara, Mexico, and now this tourista from Minnesota wanted a picture to prove that he and his dog had climbed to the Griffith Observatory before breakfast today.
The spectacular view offered Stan a chance for more even more planning. Over there is the Roosevelt Golf Course, on the right is the Hollywood sign, where's the Zoo, the Greek Theatre, the model trains. . . and down below. . . hey look, you can see our house from here.

Thanks, Enrico!

Roosevelt Golf Course below, city to the right

All this is good to find out, because soon Stan's sister will be in town and she'll want to go to many places. It was a good work out today, the creaky knees held up on the inclines and there was still enough gas in the tank for a brief jog on the way down.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. . .

2012-01-16T09:45:00.014-08:00

Alexandria is a short avenue, but interesting, with lots of great architecture

A rare Southern California rain washed the streets of our Normandie neighborhood last night, setting up Stan and Birdie for their morning explorations. First up was a walk down adjacent Alexandria Avenue, giving some hometown nostalgia to Stan in name only, because there is nothing on this avenue that looks like Alexandria, Minnesota in January.

Hillside mansion across the street from us.
(We haven't been invited over yet.)

Our rental clings to the hillside below the famed Griffith Observatory. Walking north we get various views of it, framed by houses and palms.
Looking over the shoulder, we see downtown LA, shrouded this morning in a velvety wet fog.
The neighbor's bougainvillea takes center stage with its brilliant reds; further on, Birdie, with her more grounded viewpoint, is distracted by the massive roots bulging along the boulevards of this urban forest. Most species we admire are not native, but are doing very well nevertheless, thank you.

The bane of city engineers.
Click to enlarge and see our
concerned sidewalk inspector.

We chat it up briefly with Roger and Stephanie from Michigan, a friendly newly-retired couple staying in our tri-plex. He shows Stan where they live, using his upraised palm as a map, as Michiganders are wont to do. They're now on their way to Starbucks. They have a 33-year-old son in Burbank and are here for a couple of weeks. We promise to talk more later.
We watch a driver attempt to back a mini-van down an impossibly tight driveway. His wife and child coach from the front, his parents offer guidance from the rear. She says to the unfortunate driver: "Are you yelling? There's no reason to yell." Though we empathetically disagree, we just smile and walk on.
Like a pebble rippling a pond, our morning walks take us ever wider into this strange land; it's a comfort to know that our home base has a foot on Alexandria Avenue soil.

Griffith Observatory
View from Normandie Avenue.

Undisclosed project

2012-01-15T06:43:00.003-08:00

A new project awaits the Shearer demolition team. We're not sure what's going down, but we know it won't be these experienced wreckers with new tools at hand.

2012-01-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

Birdie enjoys having the run of Randy's backyard. Kathleen assembled
the bouquet from cuttings in the back yard

We're here

2012-01-13T12:20:00.002-08:00

The snowbirds coasted into LA in time for cocktails yesterday. A yellow western sun put a spotlight on Randy's new front yard work, with its fresh green grass and limestone pavers. Our host greeted us warmly, manhattans and smokes for the men, a pina colada for the lady.
We made good time from St. George, Utah, pausing for a couple of hours of blackjack action and a view of the nearby Hoover Dam from the new Tillman Bridge walkway.

We started this final leg at an elevation of 6,000 feet. We've dropped to sea level now, we sense more oxygen in our lungs and can still hear a ringing in our ears from all the elevation changes. Or maybe it's just the excitement of the completion of a week-long pilgrimage.
Our faithful yellow bug now rests in the driveway, where it drew the eye and admiration of a passing lass, who stopped to inquire. She briefly mistook Stan for Randy, but soon learned she was talking to just another guest from Minnesota. "Oh yes," she said knowingly. "you'll be staying in the back." Stan invited her into the courtyard for a visit, but she continued on her way. She had a younger evening in mind.
After finishing a beef brisket, we retired to the great room, sinking into the fireside leather, talking of old times, new plans and mutual frinds.
Birdie busily nosed everywhere, checking and initiating the fenced and landscaped back yard, sniffing out the waste baskets indoors, reporting back occasionally as if to confirm that yes, we really, really are going to stay in this wonderful place for a while. Randy and Birdie are old friends and Randy took his ritual licking.
Before long the Murphy Bed came down, revealing its silk burgundy sheets in our cozy private boudoir. It was warm (78 degrees) in LA yesterday, but the night chill caused an occasional furnace ignition last night. We didn't mind, snuggled deep under a downy comforter.
We'll be checking into our nearby Normandie apartment unit on Saturday to begin our two-month stay there. In the meantime, this will do. Yes, indeed, this will do.

Winter season

2012-01-11T18:49:00.008-08:00

We're parked below the tunnel on a hairpin turn -- see the window?

The sign said it would cost $25 to drive through Zion National Park. We thought we might get in on our senior pass if not our good looks.

Click to view

But when we got to the entrance at 4:30, the attendant closed the window, (winter hours) we paused, and then drove on. We enjoyed a private viewing of the gorgeous setting as the sun played across its rugged surfaces; no traffic, no tourists, no waiting. We didn't even meet anyone in the mile long tunnel. Memorable, would have been well worth $25.

Five o'clock shadow

We paused here and there for some pictures and eventually found ourselves in beautiful St. George, where gas is less than $3. We inquired at a number of hotels before we found one that would accept Birdie. We got a $100 room for $50. Winter season, you know. Birdie loves it.

We ordered a big pizza. It was on special too. $10 for any large if you'll come and get it and bring it back to your room.

Winter travel. We were trying to get away from winter. Who knew?

We think this arch may have inspired the VW bubble.

St George or Bust

2012-01-11T05:10:00.003-08:00

It is 14 degrees in Durango this morning. Our snacking apples in the car have been nicely chilled.
Meanwhile, it is 34 degrees in Shakopee this morning?
We are out of here.
Thanks to Heidi, Sam and Mary Lou for the hospitality.
Heeding the advice of our faithful readers, we will take the northern route through Zion and on to St. George where it will be 51.
Maybe we'll shoot a car commercial in the gorgeous scenery.
When it warms a bit.

Southern or Northern route?

2012-01-09T19:40:00.009-08:00

There's no straight line drive between Durango and LA. There's this obstruction called the Grand Canyon that gets in the way. You can go around either south or north. There's no freeway across it.

Southern route-- shortest

Both routes go through Four Corners, a desolate patch of ground with bragging rights for being in four states at once. Almost as big as having the world's largest ball of twine. Going south through Tuba City, you can take a peek over the southern edge of The Canyon, then head down toward Flagstaff and west down I-40, packed with18-wheelers moving imported goods in from the coast harbors. If you have time, you can take a side trip north to the Hoover Dam or south to see the London Bridge in quirky Lake Havasu.
Google says it's the shortest route to our Los Feliz goal, at 781 miles and 13 hours of drive time.

Northern route -- best scenery

The northern route crosses the Grand Canyon at Page and has some spectacular Utah landscapes, Zion et al. It passes through St. George and then Las Vegas. It's a bit longer, but more interesting. Google says it is 834 miles with 15 hours of drive time.

In either case, we'll break it in two pieces. Staying overnight in St. George or overnight in Flagstaff Wednesday night before making the final run to LA for an early Thursday afternoon pre-rush-hour arrival. Suggestions?

Brewer still-life

2012-01-09T12:35:00.001-08:00

Kathleen's sister, Mary Lou, painted this still-life that now hangs in her daughter's home in Durango. She painted it in 2000 and hopes to pick up the brush again soon, but has been busy and hasn't caught the urge lately. She married into a family of painters, but they obviously didn't have the corner on talent. Presently Stan is doing his own still-life . . . on the couch. zzzzzz Randy is texting us like a teenager, wondering when we're going to show up at his place in LA, where we are known as Mr. and Mrs. Stan Schmenge. . .

Sisters Kathleen and Mary Lou watched the David Brewer Memorial video this afternoon.

Does Lady Edith get to drive the tractor?

2012-01-09T06:07:00.005-08:00

We tuned in the much-anticipated debut of Downton Abbey, Season II on PBS Masterpiece last night at Mary Lou's. Lord Grantham's valet, Mr. Bates, departed suddenly to avoid bringing scandal to Lady Mary and the family name, leaving Anna broken-hearted; heir apparent Matthew Crowley had received word in the trenches that he was to leave France and be reassigned as a captain closer to home. The shortage of able-bodied men revealed footman Mosley to be a draft-dodger . . . it was all most fascinating and fast-paced. The settings were fabulous as the over-dressed privileged class went about its day-to-day activity under the shadow of the Great War.

We had waited almost a year for this and the first episode was living up to our great expectations. We had watched a full hour and 15 minutes, it was getting late, and there were 45 minutes left to go when it happened.
Just as Lady Edith had stunned her tablemates by announcing that she would help out on a neighbor's estate by (gasp) driving a tractor, our Rocky Mountain Public Television station suffered a glitch: the videotape machine in some control room somewhere locked up, and we were left with a single frame of the Grantham ladies at table, everyone wondering what's next.
Do you know? Do tell. We had to go to bed. We need to be updated by next Sunday's Episode two, which we hope to watch in our Normandie apartment in LA.

Phew! Who knew!

2012-01-08T07:20:00.001-08:00

The day after we drove through Wolf Creek Pass, the local Durango Herald named it as the state's most dangerous. No problem for us, hairpin turns and all. Ignorance is bliss. Of course, yesterday's weather conditions were ideal for a couple of flatland drivers in a VW packed to the gills. It is indeed a spectacular work of engineering. Our hosts, Sam and Heidi, have driven it in a much more hostile condition.
Today's Herald reports: "Jaws are clinched. Fingers strangle the steering wheel. But survival brings a story to be told over and over to those timid souls who will never know the exhilaration of a white-knuckle drive over one of Colorado's famous mountain highways."
Today the mountain pass, tomorrow the LA traffic. Drive on, yellow bug.

Before leaving Denver. . .

2012-01-07T21:05:00.001-08:00

By the way, before we left Denver this morning, we stopped to see our cool nephew, Stephen Letnes, in Highland Ranch, a Rocky Mountain suburb. While we visited and laughed with Steve and admired his recent weight loss, we used the opportunity to let Birdie stretch her legs and take care of business.

It was a gorgeous January morning and everyone was in great spirits.
We left Steve with hug and a parting gift. .. . which he promised to dispose of properly.

Trail's end

2012-01-07T20:29:00.008-08:00

Our Durango hosts, Heidi and Sam, spent Saturday afternoon biking and wine tasting in a canyon near here. . . and still had enough energy left to feed and entertain their guests from Shakopee tonight. . . but just barely. Their faithful Husky, Rhett, ran hard with her pack today and didn't bother to wait up. His partner, Scarlet, is already upstairs in bed.

The mountain air is fresh but thin, and we're not used to it yet. We plan on drinking lots of water while we adjust for the next couple of days before we head down to sea-level LA. Durango sits at 7,500 feet., and so looks down on the mile-high city.
We look forward to a relaxing day off from our travels on Sunday: Our Day of Rest.

First grade teacher

2012-01-07T18:03:00.008-08:00

Our host in Aurora last night is a first grade teacher in a charter school with a very impressive curriculum. Chris showed us some of the materials. Very cool. Chris was a great host, he assembled a delicious crock pot roast beef dinner that cooked while he was teaching school. We slept soundly in his condo guest bedroom and were greeted this morning with a view of Mt. Evans behind an awakening Denver. We bid him goodbye at Rosie's Diner, wishing all the while that he could be Emily's first grade teacher next year.
Tonight we're in Durango. Our niece is whipping up dinner with an assist from her mother (Katie's sister Mary Lou) who made the chiles rellenos.
Meanwhile, Sam and Stan are enjoying a glass of local Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sutcliffe Vinyards Signature 2008.

Mother/daughter team, Mary Lou and Heidi

Perfect timing for a pond cleanout

2012-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

The City of Shakopee went to work cleaning out the pond this week. The dry fall and winter made for perfect conditions as the backhoe was able to get close and deep without getting stuck. That's Night Watchman and Association President Mr. Bud keeping an eye on the project. Thanks everybody for the needed improvement. The pond had almost silted over. This gives it new life.

Lincoln, Nebraska

2012-01-05T17:05:00.003-08:00

Here we are in Lincoln, Nebraska, with our hosts Craig and Joyce enjoying a brew at Dino's Eastside. We made good time today, weather was spectacular . . . it was 67 degrees when we stopped in Uehling, Nebraska. Birdie enjoyed a romp in the city park there. She was on a leash, but a city employee came by and said "C'mon, cut 'er loose, she can't hurt anything!" So we did.
Craig says he enjoyed a day on the links today in Lincoln. It's warmer here than in Florida right now.
Had a great time getting to know our hosts tonight. Birdie and Stewie had the run of their house. We chatted until bedtime. Really nice people.

All is forgiven. . .

2012-01-03T11:59:00.003-08:00

Ann, a skilled All-Star Service Representative at Luther Burnsville Volkswagen, mixed together a little oil and water this morning and smoothed out everything.
We had been scheduled to get a complimentary new car checkup and wash yesterday, but when we drove in, the service department was closed. This morning we returned bright and early and the sheepish but rested service crew apologized and rushed to give us "the best checkup ever," a sparkling car wash and some parting gifts: A couple of future oil changes and a nice supply of window washing fluid for our yellow girl.
So we're good to go. Thanks Luther!

Lost Monday

2012-01-02T09:29:00.007-08:00

We've been in business long enough to know that a Monday after a Sunday Holiday is pretty much a lost day. The banks are closed, no post office, websites are getting maintained . . . but the retailers will be grinding it out. You have to be very careful with your plans.
So last month, after we purchased our shiny new yellow bug, we were suspicious when we were told that we could get our courtesy vehicle check on Jan. 2.
"Are you sure?" we said. "The day after a Sunday holiday is often a lost day. Are you sure your service department is open?" we asked incredulously. A quick check with the back room was made to confirm it, "Oh yes," our kind representative assured us, "they're going to be open," as he efficiently jotted down a date and time for us on a handy reminder card . . .so we wouldn't forget our appointment.
Yes, Jan. 2 would be perfect, we agreed, because we're heading out on vacation soon thereafter and that would give us plenty of time to pack the clean car and run errands in it. Wonderful. Jan. 2 it is.
So precisely at 10 a.m. today, the reliable Rolfsruds rolled up to the service entrance in their dirty yellow bug, itching for their free checkup and wash. Ordinarily the door automatically springs open to let us inside, out of the weather, into a nice warm service bay. Today it didn't open. So we politely tooted our horn just a bit, like the Minnesota nice people we are, evenso feeling a bit pushy, but, hey, we did have an appointment and we didn't want them to think we were late.
A side door swung open over by the sales department and a nice-looking lady in a furry coat stepped out and waved.
"Sorry," she said. "The service department isn't open today."
Aaargh.

There's a birthday here, somewhere

2012-01-02T03:00:00.003-08:00

Can you help the memory-challenged senior with this one: who's having a birthday today?

It's Aaron!
Linda wins. It's Aaron. Thanks Linda. Now. Where we you on Dec. 17 when we needed you for Alex? Sorry Alex. :(

The Great Escape

2011-12-31T07:22:00.004-08:00

For spacious skies, barren plains, snow-capped mountain majesty, and for oceans blue. We're greasing the axles and loading the covered wagon. (It has GPS)

2011-12-30T17:43:00.004-08:00

Jennifer and her nephew, Max

The performance that almost wasn't

2011-12-29T06:31:00.008-08:00

The concert at the 400 Club in Minneapolis last night almost didn't happen.

Our talented nephew, Stephen Letnes, flew in from Denver to celebrate the holidays with his family and to give a concert. But he arrived here without his keyboard after the airlines told him it would cost $820 for it to make the round trip.

Fortunately, in what his mother termed a "Christmas Miracle," it was discovered at the last minute that his sister's mother-in-law had a suitable keyboard to loan him. So Steve performed as scheduled last night before a nice audience that included family, old friends from Concordia (a former girlfriend among them) and others. . . and the performer enjoyed an after-show party as well.

If you'd like to hear our inspiring nephew play his original compositions and read about his music, click here.

Steve will return home to Littleton, Col., after the holidays. . . and be reunited with the keyboard that didn't make the trip.

From left, Stan's sister Linda, Erik and Shana
(Erik's Mom provided the keyboard), Steve and his Dad, Ron.

Beef Wellington!

2011-12-28T05:45:00.026-08:00

After a beautiful tossed salad and fruit plate, the Main Course.
Gingery, warm brownies with a dollop of cool, whipped cream followed.

Filets tucked in then pinched with care.
Brushed with an egg wash.

Every year the newspaper company sponsors a cooking show and school in Prior Lake. It's a popular hit as aspiring cooks gather on a fall Saturday to broaden their gourmet skills, see the latest gadgets and listen to the foodies. Kathleen and daughter Jennifer attended this year's show, had fun and brought home some kitchen tricks -- and useful gifts. It's a very successful enterprise for the newspaper.
But the biggest payoff for us came last night when one of the show's organizers, our pal Laurie Hartmann, demonstrated what she had learned that day.
It was delicious.

While we sipped our drinks, Laurie rolled out her dough, wrapped it around three hot filets mignon, brushed on an egg wash, then popped the bundles back into the oven for their final browning.
Voila! Beef Wellington! Just like the pros do it.
It was a great holiday treat, as we poured the exquisite au jus on our dinners, talked over old times and future plans and celebrated a wonderful, longtime friendship.
Laurie can organize a successful cooking school for sure, but her best work may very well be in her own kitchen.

Tender Beef Wellington cut with a butter knife.

Grandma and Grandpa surprised by Santa

2011-12-27T14:11:00.002-08:00

Click on the forward icon to see the video, then get the full story at Ford and Jenn's blog at right or click here.

The First Position

2011-12-26T18:40:00.011-08:00

Auntie Marcy gave her a pair of real leather ballerina shoes and an illustrated instruction book showing all five positions for the novice ballet dancer. Where do we go from here? Five-year-old Emily mentioned that she needs a ballet barre installed to hold on to just like they show in the new book. Right. In the meantime, sweetie, just use the doggone stair bannister.
Assume the first position, please.

Christmas Eve visitor

2011-12-25T17:56:00.009-08:00

Every year our neighbors, Tom and Sandy Story, have the grandkids over for the eagerly-anticipated visit from the jolly elf. Santa showed up on time again last night for another delivery and photo op. The Story grandkids range from 14 years to 18 months and each got a chance in the magic lap.
(Personal note to Rolfsrud family members: Doesn't the boy in the blue (Joey) resemble Steve so many Christmases ago? Extra credit if you can spot Mrs. Claus in the photo.)

California Dreamin'

2011-12-25T10:44:00.008-08:00

It's a sunny Christmas Day in Shakopee; 40 degrees outside and a cozy 70 solar-heated degrees on the porch, perfect for a lazy dog resting up from a whirlwind of Christmas company. No snow, no ice, no wind. So why would anyone ever want to escape this Minnesota Paradise? Wait and see.

2011-12-24T20:07:00.002-08:00

Christmas Greetings from Abbey Point

2011-12-24T14:14:00.008-08:00

No, it's not the Last Supper. It is our annual Christmas Dinner. Can you name the apostles?

This one has Hai in it, Stan took the picture. Ham and scalloped potatoes.
Max, (grandson), Hai and Wall (longtime family friends), Marcy (daughter),
Dan (brother), Jennifer (daughter), Kathleen (commander-in-chief),
Melissa (daughter), Emily (granddaughter).

Los Feliz Navidad

2011-12-24T10:20:00.001-08:00

Lara Regan

One Christmas past, Randy had this picture made for his annual Yule party invitation. He'll be rolling out the red carpet for us very soon in Los Feliz, so a reprise of this old photo is timely.
Merry Christmas!

Kitchen fruition

2011-12-23T20:23:00.002-08:00

The chips are flying in a canyon in Sunol, California today as workmen trim corian counters to surround the new oven. Sosie and Bill are getting it done, and early reports indicate things are hectic but going well. They made tea on the new stove tonight. Cookies for Santa tomorrow?

Our first look at the new countertop. Yummy!

The Brothers

2011-12-22T18:10:00.010-08:00

Virg selected a fresh-baked pinwheel,
which he washed down with a cold Christian Brothers Holiday Nog.

Virg stopped by tonight for a Cup of Christmas Cheer with his brother, Stan, and Kathleen. They headed to the clubhouse to enjoy dinner and trade stories. Virg lives in Florida during the winter and flew back to Eden Prairie for Christmas and birthdays (Alex, Aaron) with his family. Among the tales shared at the roundtable was the one about the largest alligator Virg has ever seen, loafing on shore just up the river a ways from his dock, and spied by our Iowa relatives who were river paddling that day. It was a monster, Virg says, and drew a spirited response from some of them. (They had all been instructed to keep their hands out of the water.)

'Discover Hollywood' cover revealed

2011-12-21T08:49:00.011-08:00

Backdrop is Randy's house in Los Feliz.
No, that's not Randy with the model.

This summer we followed along here as Stan's friend Randy made over his front yard in LA. He slashed overgrown foliage, installed new plantings, railings, pavers, put down new sod and generally sharpened the appearance of his unique 1920s house.
Then this fall, managers from a local magazine asked to use his freshened-up yard and house facade as a backdrop for the cover photo on their winter edition. This week the magazine hit the racks and the result is well-deserved recognition for Randy and his efforts to brighten his Los Feliz neighborhood.
This colorful edition of Discover Hollywood puts a spotlight on the history of Los Feliz, in particular Walt Disney planting the seeds of the Mickey Mouse empire in his uncle's garage -- just a few blocks from Randy's place. (Photo below)
The article is entitled, "Birth of the Disney Legend: The Seeds for Disneyland Grew From Los Feliz Roots." Have a look at all the magazine contents by following this link.
The timing is great for Kathleen and Stan. They'll be exploring the history and landmarks of the Hollywood neighborhoods during their winter stay next door in Los Feliz.

Former Disney home in Los Feliz. Photo credit: Discover Hollywood

St. Olaf Choir concert tonight; it's special

2011-12-20T13:59:00.014-08:00

Tonight at 8 p.m. the St. Olaf Choir will celebrate its 100 years of Christmas with a concert on Public Television.
The reason this is special is that Bob (BJ) Johnson has been the St. Olaf choir manager for 34 years now. He's Stan and Sosie's classmate from Alexandria and we both sang with him in high school choir. We went on Bob's first choir tour ever, to Chicago. Bob has been organizing domestic and international choir performance tours for St. Olaf ever since. In high school, Bob's signature solo was "Little David Play on Your Harp," sung in a fine tenor at our annual Christmas concert. That's why this is special to us.
Last Friday night Bob appeared on Channel Two with the St. Olaf choir director in a preview appearance to talk about the past 100 years. You can dip into their conversation by following this link to a streaming video of that show. If you want to skip the first part of the show, look on the right side index for the portion about 100 years of Christmas at St. Olaf and to hear B.J.

Stan got a shave from other members of the 1965 JHS
Barbershop quartet, which included Bob "BJ" Johnson in the plaid shirt.
(Others are Bruce Phelps and Randy Gaugert)

Report from Up Nort

2011-12-20T07:46:00.016-08:00

Our International Falls correspondent has returned home after 17 days tanning in the Florida sun. He and the good wife are back to their subsistence lifestyle, living off the land on the shores of Rainy Lake, splitting kindling, netting fish, cultivating tomatoes and harvesting venison. Sunday Wayne gathered up enough firewood to survive yet another winter in the frozen northland.

Photo by Wayne.
Fire by Mary Ann.

The retired publisher writes:
As for the goings on since our return. After getting acclimated to winter, I lined up a couple hunting partners and three of us headed to the woods on Sunday morning to get a supply of wood. We called the local logger who lives just a few miles from our shack [Wayne and Mary Ann own some remote property deep in the forest for deer hunting and a wood supply-- Ed.]. He drags out pole length trees from a pile and we cut it into 8-foot lengths and throw it in the pickups.

With three trucks and two trips to the hunting shack, we have enough wood for 3 to 4 years of saunas and showers. This was a perfect year to do this, as the roads are frozen yet passable with the lack of snow.
We listened to the Vikings on the radio and soon felt that we were not wasting our time by watching the first half on tv. We were back home by the third quarter...should have gone for another load.
Next spring we will cut it up, split and stack wood for another season.
Went fishing the other day and caught enough walleye for a couple sandwiches. Took the four-wheeler out. Lots of ice if you know where to go and avoid current where thin ice and open water are present.
It's not easy, this subsistence living, but Obama made me do it.

Wayne

-------------------------------------------

Down-range view from inside Wayne's elevated stand. Any deer
foolishly wandering into this clearing are fair game.

Same view after a snowfall.
Old Sureshot got his buck again this year.

Today the apron. . . tomorrow the oven

2011-12-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

Kathleen is not the only one with a new handmade apron made by our Florida sister, Becky. Sosie writes, amidst the chaos of a kitchen remodeling project:

My snazzy new 3-pocketed party apron arrived in the evening mail, just in time for some Christmas baking. Oops, I'll have to wait until I have an oven! No problem, this crafty apron is fantastic for carrying around everything I need but just misplaced.

I love that it is made from fabric scraps, does my heaRRRt (recycle, reuse, regift) good.

Dog House

2011-12-19T13:23:00.002-08:00

Buddy, Betty and Birdie spent Monday goofing off and lounging around. Buddy and Betty are Joe's dogs. Joe and Jenny were here overnight and this time the dogs came along for a romp with Birdie. Peace has been restored now as Birdie bids adieu to her playmates.

When the local Vikings sputter, call Norway. Get out the butter.

2011-12-18T12:14:00.010-08:00

Sunday afternoons aren't much fun anymore if you leave it up to the Vikings to entertain, so why not save the day and bake Christmas cookies? That's a lot more fun, especially if you have a smart new handmade apron made by your sister-in-law and mailed here from Florida.
Yes, our unapologetic apron nut spotted Becky's Florida craft show offerings the other day, prompting a hurried request to Stan' sister. The chosen apron arrived in the mail from Florida yesterday, just in time to be pressed into service for the annual double batch of Chocolate Pinwheels.
Incidentally, we heard a story from Stephen Colbert that the Norwegians are suffering from a national butter shortage. We don't trust everything we hear on cable comedy, so we dashed off an email to our Cousin Gunnar in Norway, seeking confirmation.
Sure enough, Gunnar said many of his countrymen and women are on a "low-carb diet" craze which (unbelievably) involves eating lots of butter. That's no problem for our cousins, Gunnar assures us, because they're not given to fad diets and prefer traditional fare for the holidays.
There's no butter problem here either, and it's a good thing too. We're just getting started.

Chocolate pinwheels, spritzes, nutmeg cookies, rum cookies, whatever you
bake, there's bound to be butter in there somewhere. We're ready.

The Wall Comes to Call

2011-12-17T12:34:00.006-08:00

Afternoon guest today was old lifetime friend, Paul (The Wall) Matthies. We spent a couple hours chatting it up, getting current for the holidays, reviewing aches and pains; we hope the Wall will join us in LA this winter for at least one quality weekend. Stan (and Randy in LA) have known Paul since college so there's always plenty of history to catalogue and revise.
The Wall is presently managing a remodeling project in Richfield. He's spent a career in the construction industry.

Post from the Canadian Rockies

2011-12-17T05:43:00.009-08:00

We got a real post card today. Not an email. A genuine post card on actual cardboard with a stamp and a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake scene on the reverse. Our German boys, Felix and Flo, have finally made it to the West Coast, through the Canadian Rockies and they sent us a post card to memorialize the event. Cool. Their Trans-Canada trek is over.
The post card reads:
-------------
Hi Stan and Katie,
We just wanted to let you know that we made it to the West End of Canada. We're going to Seattle these days and I (Felix) will go back to G. soon. Have fun on your trip!
Cheers,
Felix and Flo
----------
The boys, 19 and 20, stayed with us for a few days in October. They bought a car in Toronto and drove it across the continent, working and learning North America as they went. For a while, they dipped into the US through Chicago and then we hooked up with them through the International Couch-surfing program. Great fun. Below, they helped Katie in the kitchen. We're glad their remarkable adventure went pretty much as planned. Last time we heard from them, it was in an email from somewhere up north. They had stopped, with soap and towel, for a November bath in a Canadian lake and seemed surprised and shocked at how cold the water was!
Ja. Sehr kalt, meine Herren! Aufenthalt aus dem Wasser heraus!

Oops. Sorry Sosie. Happy Belated Birthday

2011-12-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

What with all the excitement of Mother's Christmas, pictures of great great grandmas and lost dogs, Solveig's birthday got skipped on this blog. Sorry, Sosie. Forgive us. Hope it was a happy one! We will be doing our penance in your chapel.

Sunshine is home again!

2011-12-16T13:19:00.004-08:00

As she watched the happy reunion, Jennifer knew she'd
found the right owner.

Bloomington dog found in

Minneapolis returned to owner

Jennifer tracked down the owner of the lost rat terrier she caught and brought home yesterday and was there for the joyful reunion today. Let her tell it:

She writes: Happiness was felt, and a few tears were shed this morning at the Royal Grounds coffee shop when the cute little rat terrier I found running cold down the street yesterday was returned to her owner. "Sunshine" was apparently dropped off at a different friends house while Angela, the owner, went to work. Apparently the usual pet sitter was out of town and the substitute didn't realize the importance of keeping Sunshine on her leash when taking her out to use mother nature's toilet.

Somebody saw this
sign in a filling station.
Told Jennifer.

Sunshine is actually Angela's daughter's dog and was given to her 5 years ago for her 7th birthday. Needless to say, they didn't get much sleep last night, but with hard lessons learned, tonight should be better than ever.

With the many thoughts of having a new pal still in my brain, I was nonetheless glad to see Sunshine returned to her home. Thanks for the sleepover, Sunshine, it was fun.

--------------------

Editor's note: If you think you read a runaway dog story here before, you have. Type "Lowell Mathistad" in the search box above to revisit an old lost dog story with a happy ending that took a longer time to end.

By the way, Sunshine's owner couldn't figure out how Jennifer was able to capture Sunshine, she's quite elusive and gives a good chase. "I just didn't give up," Jennifer explained.

We're very proud of our animal-lover.

I'm lost. Can you help me find my home?

2011-12-16T06:05:00.012-08:00

Jennifer found this shivering dog running the cold streets and sidewalks of south Minneapolis yesterday, afraid of everything it saw. She eventually caught up with it, discovered it had no visible ID, just a collar. Inquiries throughout the neighborhood were fruitless. By nightfall, she had brought it home. She posted a note on Craigslist and awaits a claimant. A trip to the vet is planned today, there may be an embedded subcutaneous chip that could help.
The dog is house-broken, was hungry, and is now warm, rested and cared for. If you can help the stray find its owner, that would be great.
Failing that, we think this little creature may have already found its new Mom. Time will tell. Just saying.

One tough pioneer: Our great great grandmother

2011-12-15T10:39:00.017-08:00

Great great grandmother Nancy Ives Jackson

(1830-1881) of Belle Plaine, Minnesota.

Flipping through scrapbooks yesterday with Mom, Stan was thrilled to discover a photograph of a photograph. It was of Nancy Ives Jackson, an honest-to-goodness Minnesota pioneer settler who is also Stan's great great grandmother on Mom's (Beverly's) side.
The scrapbook had tons of other interesting photographs as well, but none of a woman who died before 1881. Nancy was born in 1830, and married Peter, age 44, when she was 27, so it looks like this could have been taken around the time of her wedding in 1857. What do you think? Photography was rare in those days before the Civil War so maybe it was taken later than that. No date on this photo of a photo.

Jessie Wendelken, age 5
Photo taken in Belle Plaine
in 1891 by C.D. Baucroft

We found another early photo (right) of Beverly's mother, Jessie Wendelken (Stan's grandmother), that was taken in Belle Plaine. Sadly, Nancy never held this grandchild. Nancy died at age 51, before Jessie was born in 1886 in frontier Elkton, Dakota Territory, 160 miles west of Belle Plaine.
Hmm. Our great grandma Ella Mae Jackson Wendelken must have brought her daughter Jessie Wendelken back from Elkton to Belle Plaine to mourn her father's 1891 death, and then had Jessie's picture taken at the Belle Plaine studio. All the dates would match that speculation.
Here's a recap of some of the Peter and Nancy Jackson history that appeared earlier on this blog. We're proud to repeat it, because it is hard to have much deeper roots in Minnesota. . . unless you're a native.

PETER JACKSON (JOHN, ADAM) was born March 05, 1813 in RICCARTON, SCOTLAND, and died April 28, 1891 in BELLE PLAINE, MINN. He married NANCY IVES May 10, 1857 in BLUE EARTH TWP. MINN, daughter of JUSTICE IVES and DEBORAH CONGDON. She was born February 15, 1830 in RUSSELL NY, and died August 05, 1881 in BELLE PLAINE, MINN.

Peter Jackson was born on Gadshaw Farm, Riccarton, Foxhorshire, Scotland, 1813. He was a salesman in Stratford, England for an Edinburgh firm. He saw Queen Victoria on her coronation day. He followed his parents to New York State about 1840. Later, in Wisconsin, he met his future bride. In 1855 he got land in Blakely Township in Scott County, Minnesota, adjacent to Belle Plaine. [Near where Stan and Kathleen live today, coincidentally] He and his brother, James, spent their first night in a hollow log on the hillside beside what is now Highway 169 near the edge of the Big Woods. He bought more level land in the Northeast quarter of Section 10. He built a cabin and cleared the land for fields. Travel was by foot or by oxcart. The first Steamboat on the nearby Minnesota River was the Minnesota Belle. Trips were irregular. On May 1, 1857, he married the newly arrived Nancy Ives at the home of her sister Sarah and husband Alvin P. Davis in Lake George, near what is now Mankato.This was the first marriage in Jamestown Township, Blue Earth County. He brought the minister from St. Peter by horse and buggy, returned him there and took his bride on the steamboat back to Belle Plaine.
Nancy Ives Jackson was highly regarded as a nurse and was often called upon.
Peter and Nancy's daughter, Ella Mae Jackson Wendelken, who died in 1919, is Beverly Brown Rolfsrud's grandmother. Ella Mae died the year before Mother was born.
(There's more stuff on this blog, including a poignant letter back home written by a lonely Nancy. Use the search box to find it.)

Merry Christmas from Mom and Stan. . .

2011-12-14T15:32:00.006-08:00

We celebrated Christmas today with a lunch with Mom at the Edgewater Suites in Alexandria. This is our Christmas Card and, while it may be the only one that Mom sends this year, she loves getting cards and remembering old friends. . . so get on it. . . while the Post Office is still in business. (If you need Bev's snail mail address, email Stan at Rolfsrud@gmail.com).
The new Beetle handled the rain and fog on the 300 mile round trip very well. Temps were in the high 30s, so no ice. (They were actually golfing on a course in Otswego today.)
We spent part of our afternoon together digging through a scrapbook Mom pasted up years ago but hadn't included many names or dates in it. Mom's 91-year-old memory is doggone sharp, she proved today, doling out information about their late 1920s family home in Hettinger, So. Dak. When she saw a previous residence on Upton Ave in Minneapolis, she actually remember the street address.
Biggest find today was a photograph of Nancy Ives Jackson, our pioneer great great grandmother, buried in Belle Plaine, Minn in 1881, that you've read so much about in this blog. She and husband, Peter, raised Stan's great grandmother, Ella Belle (1858-1918). We recently found their tombstones in Belle Plaine. We'll post what has to be the only photograph of Nancy soon, and then notify our newly-discovered Jackson kin in Las Vegas of the find. They have a site on Ancestry.com and should be interested. If you died in 1881, how many pictures can there be of you?
In the meantime, get that Christmas Card off to Mom, if you haven't already done so.

Stan's cousin, Faith Brown Cole, emailed this sweet photograph to us today. It's a picture of her grandmother and a couple of her aunts, probably taken around 1930. It's Jessie Wendelken Brown (Stan's grandmother), Dorothy Brown (Stan's Aunt) and Beverly Brown. (Stan's Mom). Faith had no way of knowing that simultaneously, 1000 miles away, Stan and her aunt Beverly were going through old scrapbooks today. Total coincidence. Or IS IT? Woof. Scarey. ;) Faith and her sister, Sharon, are going through old family photographs and sent along a batch. We're grateful.

Christmas under the dome

2011-12-12T20:38:00.014-08:00

Tonight's program cover: "Hallelujah!" original oil by
Southwest parent, Scott Lloyd Anderson.

The Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis hosted the Southwest High School in its Holiday Concert tonight and we were there to see our grandson take his part. The acoustics are magnificent in this awe-inspiring edifice, a serene worship center surrounded by the bustle of freeways, traffic noise and city lights.
The school concocted a most remarkable display of laser-focused talent, discipline and music. . . brewing all the magic that makes it Christmas again. The kids were really good. Really good. There was no applause after the numbers, making it possible to hear the final notes reverberate gloriously overhead, soaring into the far reaches long after each piece had ended.
The most musical offering was probably the full orchestra's masterful performance of Tschaikowsky's Nutcracker Suite, specifically the Waltz of the Flowers and the March of the Nutcracker.
But the most memorable part for Stan was when the director invited choir alumni and friends to come forward and join the massed choirs for the final number: The Hallelujah Chorus.
So with encouragement from his pewmates, Stan headed up the aisle to stand with the basses in the far-reaches of the upper sanctuary, (see photo) with nothing but his memory to sustain him through the old Christmas Concert standby.
"Wow," he said afterward. "There I was, standing in the Basilica of St. Mary, belting out the bass notes to G.F. Handel's Messiah, accompanied by a full orchestra, and listening to our Hallelujahs echo off the far-away dome. All in traditional, familiar harmony with a big section of full-throated men I had never met.. . and my dear baritone grandson. Now THAT's Christmas."
And Heaven and Nature Sing, and Heaven and Nature Sing.

Latest crafty ideas, come and get 'em

2011-12-11T12:28:00.017-08:00

So what are you doing for fun these days?
Stan's sister Becky is doing what she's always done. A few weeks ago she pulled out Mom's old sewing machine, grabbed some colorful fabrics and got real crafty. Then she packed it all up and hauled it down to the Placida Saturday Arts and Crafts Show, an open air market in an historic fishing village near Becky's winter home in Venice, Florida.

"I felt young," Becky smiled. "The choice of colors and patterns are wildly therapeutic. I felt 27 again, the year I started going to art fairs so things I made didn't clutter up the closets."

Indeed. We've been watching Becky put things together all our lives. . . from our childhood days when she'd snuff her nose, scratch her head and proclaim to her younger brothers and sisters, "Let's Make Something!," -- on through her Renaissance Festival years, Uptown Art Fairs and into the colorful pages of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and their special publications. It's great to see that creative candle still shining so brightly in her retirement.

Here's a sample of what the visitors to the Placida Saturday Show perused at her booth yesterday. The crowds are light this year, sales aren't that great, maybe it's the economy, but the important thing is that she's out there in the market, still responding to that genetic urge to "Make Something!" and having fun doing it.
Becky writes:
The first time at the Placida Market (Nov. 26), I was skunked...as in my first art fair at the age of 27. I'd paid $5 to get into that one but this fair, on the gulf and the grounds of an old fishery, was FREE. No gain at this point in our lives doesn't matter, we said as we sat there...after all, it was a wonderful day in paradise under a gumbo limbo tree and we learned a lot about how this Florida market works.

First come, first serve is the rule. The free entry fee is a marvel which means there are lots of competitors for booth spaces--early arrival is necessary. It's a registered, juried show so the quality is quite good, worth the trip over for those who come to buy.
Yesterday, however, the crowds weren't there. I had a better set-up and a wonderful location. I made $4.50. Is it the economy or is it just me (my stuff)?
We're hanging it up for the holidays. The locals just aren't buying Christmas presents. Besides, brother Virg invited us for steaks on the bar-b.

Christmas Card from Adam, Kim and the little guy

2011-12-10T12:36:00.001-08:00

Sweet Christmas photo of Adam, Kim and Landon in the mail today.

Part V: No French chefs, no partridge, no pear tree

2011-12-09T12:41:00.003-08:00

Meanwhile, decisions are being made at a blistering pace in the oven area upgrade taking shape in a canyon kitchen in rural Sunol, California, home of Sister Sosie and Saint Bill. Today's epistle highlights the struggles between metal and glass, right and wrong, good and bad. Read on:

Sosie writes:

Pedro called to say that my new love, the induction range, is so eager to join our family that it arrives a week early and will be on our doorstep in the morning.

Backsplash color, texture palette

Meanwhile, two Rons worried out cabinet details today, one by email and one in person. May the worries lead to solutions. Costco be with us, all will be well.
Re the Back-Splash Dilemna--metal trumps glass. We ordered metal tile to bridge the Sandalwood Corian countertops below the existing window tile (see picture of whitish Sandalwood Corian, square Japanese pool tiles used in our 1986 kitchen, and rectangular metal tiles).

Nope, no sophisticated back-painted glass, goofy rooster tiles, or happy dancing French chefs for us on the back splash of our stove. Nope, we've settled on sensibly smooth and wipeable metallic tiles framed by bumped out bull-nosey coppery things.

Yup, yup. That's today's decision.

Fish Story

2011-12-09T05:22:00.001-08:00

Our International Falls correspondent has returned to his frigid base on the Canadian border to file this report and answer questions about the massive fish he consumed in the Florida Keys.
Wayne writes:
OK...we are back. Seventeen days in shorts, walking Miami Beach and boardwalks and reading and laying in the sun. We capped it off the last four days in the Keys. We stayed in Layton (just north of Marathon).

Our friends from the Falls and Pensacola met us there and celebrated a 60th birthday. Went out to eat at a Cuban restaurant and that is where the Hog Fish comes in.
Hog Fish was the "catch of the day," which apparently is unusual. Four of the six ordered it and mine came and was about twice the size of the others. The white stuff was onion. It was mild and delicious and BIG. I shared. I googled it and it is not an uncommon dish but they cook it whole and the presentation was special.
Did the Duval Street walk at Key West one day but mostly hung out at the place we stayed, The Lime Tree Inn.
Shoveled snow this morning, 8 above. Life was good for a while.

Our niece's fiance makes the official NASA web site

2011-12-08T11:50:00.013-08:00

Lynn with our niece, Briggs, somewhere in D.C.

Did you know that the earth really isn't round and that it is constantly changing its shape? Did you know that some people actually care about this and know how to go about measuring it? People at the National Space and Aeronautics Administration do, for instance.

Today we take a break from our California kitchen remodeling project to bring you a shiny new link to a NASA web page... featuring our niece's handsome and well-thought-of fiance. He's been a Research Astrophysicist at NASA for some time now, but they just got around to putting up his biography on the Goddard Space Flight web site. (No remarks about government projects, please.)
We're very proud that we actually know somebody who is this smart. . . even if we have absolutely no idea of what he is doing, we like to think that the familial association somehow elevates our pedigree, even if only in our own minds. It's a most happy thought for us.
Alas, there are no pictures of Lynn on the NASA web site, so we post these here, along with his lovely girlfriend, of course.
Now to get you in the mood for the actual page, we offer this bit of prose pasted directly from it:
Lynn writes: "I started my work in space plasma physics at Saint John's University [Collegeville, MN] while working on my senior thesis [Advisor: J. Crumley]. My thesis, titled: A Theoretical Approach to Analyzing the Size and Shape of Solitary Waves, examined the possible shapes of electrostatic BGK electron phase-space holes assuming a Gaussian potential."

Ready for some more? By all means, click here, Pilgrim.

Last summer the couple took a long weekend and drove five hours to Fayetteville,
West Virginia. "We had a great time whitewater
rafting, golfing, and eating a delicious breakfast at our
little B & B" Briggs writes.

We just have one simple question of our Research Astrophysicist: "So, when ya gonna marry the girl?"

Part IV: Construction under way

2011-12-07T12:30:00.005-08:00

Sosie's workmen are in her kitchen, measuring, cutting and doing constructive things. Our conductor orchestrates from her i-podium, calling upon each section to do its part in a symphony of pots and pans, tiles, ovens, stained glass and countertops. And now, the next movement:

Sosie writes:

Kevin the electrician came and verified that, yes, we have the amps needed to induct and, yes, he can even unscramble our messy breaker box while he's at it. Great! Just get the downdraft and oven out of his way. His (thinner and younger) assistant, Josh, is ready to go under our house, despite warnings of scorpions, black widows, and tarantulas.
Next up is Mark, who is creating the template (see picture) that tells the Duracite crew the size and shape of our Sandalwood Corian countertops. We check our lists twice to ensure that edgings and covings and installations are per promised by Costco, our abiding hero in all this.
Bill is upstairs ordering the stainless steel corbels to support the counter overhang, as approved by Mark.
I've sent off pictures to Ron of Strong Roll Outs to determine if he can provide three drawers, matched to existing 1986 Cabinets (be still my anxious heart) to fit the void left by the old oven.
Michael, Veronica (she walked us thru color and plumbing choices in Fairfield), Kevin, Josh, and Ron. The list of elves expands. I must call Marie, our stained-glass magician, about glass stove-top backslashes. Then to the tile store.

Mark writes notes in red on his template to further inform
the fabricators about finishing details, like edging or orientation.

Part III: Oh-oh. New pots and pans!

2011-12-07T04:58:00.001-08:00

The new stove will need new cookware, of course. In today's installment, Sosie continues her acquisitive spree, impulsively capturing just the right technology to go with the new stove. Her story continues:
Sosie writes:
I went to Costco to pick up countertop information and clearly, Costco was well ahead of our decision- making. Their Regal Ware Master-Clad Cookware Road Show provided absolute affirmation that induction cooking is our road best taken.
Obviously, we were meant to have this induction-compatible cookware, or why would they be demonstrating it RIGHT NOW and at a fabulous savings? Not only a giant reduction on a basic set, but extra free pieces, oh my, oh my! Furthermore, why would the shopper next to me, dressed in sari and the biggest red forehead dot I've ever seen, know ALL about induction cooking and tell me exactly what only two additional pieces I'd need, ever?
Here is the picture of the only 13 pieces we need, along with my old tea kettle.

Stove isn't in yet, but the
cookware has arrived, all shiny and new.

Costco resolved myriad details in our in-home consultation with Michael. Costco tosses in a new sink, faucet, and disposal to ensure that everything under the counter behaves. They will take away the old stuff and install the new range along with the plumbing and countertop. In one day! Huh? Something fixed in our house IN ONE DAY? Gotta love Costco!
After a field trip to the Fairfield plant, we have selected Sandalwood Corian with coving and a simple bull-nosed edge. Yes, there are more things to puzzle out, but we are happily on a moving train!

Part II: Sosie's solution to kitchen angst

2011-12-06T12:19:00.008-08:00

Here's the product Sosie and Bill chose as the centerpiece of their kitchen revolution. Faithful readers will see the ultimate solution to their kitchen woes as she reveals the choices that will soon fling this California pair merrily into the joy of cooking.

Sosie continues:
The Electrolux Induction Built-In Range with Wave-Touch Controls resolves all angst with energy efficiency.

Wind chimes wired from heirloom silver
service were snapped up by Sosie this
summer during a visit to her mother's.
The chimes are nifty, but probably
not as life-altering as the Electrolux.

We went off to Airport Appliance and sought the advice of Pedro Smith, our all-time favorite salesperson. Given our concerns and parameters, he quickly zeroed in on three reasonable fixes. After a good night's sleep, I awoke knowing that this range, like the Vitamix, was here to change my life.

(Editor's note. Those unfamiliar with Sosie's Vitamix are invited to research on their own. We simply don't have the space to reprise the virtues of this marvelous life-changing appliance here.)
True, the utilities would need to be changed, Bill's All-Clad cookware exchanged for induction-compatible cookware, countertops replaced, and cupboards adjusted, but isn't that what love is all about? Giving a little to get a little? Isn't that the formula? I think so.
Stay tuned for Part 3, when Costco, our lifestyle negotiator, defines the details.

Looking for The Better Way. . .

2011-12-06T04:11:00.006-08:00

Sosie and Bill are updating their kitchen in Sunol, California, and promise to keep us in the know. Here's the first installment from Stan's sister:

Present day situation. Looking for improvement.

Sosie writes:

The Problem: This is my fab kitchen, circa 1986. The gas stovetop is hot, hot, hot and can not be turned down past a Fast Simmer. Consequently, stove-top dinners have been a race between me and the smoke alarm, until I learned to call it the Dinner Bell. An avant-guard down-draft system housed in an enormous cupboard-sucking housing roared to dispel odors, until those interested in the evening tv news, or on exceptionally rare occasions, family conversations, would snap it off.
The electric convection oven worked ok, but non-convect operations produced lopsided results, and the re-calibration consultants never really fixed it.
All this was tolerable, but isn't there something better?