Finally.....

For years - literally years - I have been longing to find some good outdoor lighting for the front lawns of Chez Vel-DuRay. But modern outdoor lighting is a true horror show, full of Victorian revisionist nonsense and mealy-mouthed mission with, as always, a touch of That Old Timey Kountry thrown in for good measure.

That's why I was thrilled a while back when I happened to stumble upon what is to me one of the Holy Grails of outdoor lighting. I don't know what to call it, so I will call it the Space Age Post light.



These lamps were once a proud and strong breed in Seattle, particularly in South Seattle. So proud and so strong that I suspect that they were something my employer used to offer in the interest of Living Better Electrically, with free installation and an easy payment plan. (Seattle was once known, in certain circles at least, as the city with the most electric stoves per capita. That was also because of my employer, but that deserves its own post)

Recently, these icons of progress have fallen on hard times. When you see them these days, they tend to be a bit weather-beaten and not at all feeling up to Living Better Electrically. Part of this is the nature of entropy, and part of it is the distressing Seattle tendency of taking perfectly nice homes of the post-war era, and either demolishing them outright in favor of the highest number of dreadful "townhouses" that they can pack in the lot, or of cutesifying them (think leaded glass and carriage lights) into submission.

That's why I was so thrilled to find such a perfect specimen alive and well, with a sensitive owner who was happy to GIVE it to me! (Sure, he thought I was weird, but who doesn't? People these days have no class)

So a bit of elbow grease, a bit of shoveling, and a bit of electrical work (done in such a way that I'm pretty sure I don't need a permit, and I didn't need to break my meter's seal) and Voila! Taste and decency, electrically speaking, lighting the way for visitors to Chez Vel-DuRay (although anyone with half a brain would just come around through the alley.)

Thrifty kilowatt greetings to you all, this fine Labor Day Weekend.

Ray Conniff and the joys of Hi-Fi

The life of a utility worker can be a rough row to hoe, let me tell you: When you're not doing some sort of dreary mathematical calculation, you are going into someone's basement, or out in their yard, or listening to them tell you about the time that water heater nearly killed Aunt Fern. So there's no question that we need to relax from time to time, and one can only hold so much alcohol. That's why I was thrilled to discover Ray Conniff.

Well, ok - so I actually didn't "discover" him. Anyone over forty is familiar with his type of music: Peppy and upbeat and blessedly non-descript. Usually covers of broadway or pop songs. It bleated at you from the dentist's office. It lulled you in elevators. They played it in supermarkets. It was as familiar a part of the landscape as ashtrays, payphones and disapproving old women with plastic rain bonnets and huge purses.

But the world has changed - as if I had to tell YOU. Nowadays, you can't find either an ashtray or a payphone to save your life, the disapproving old women are wearing fanny packs and baseball caps, and most stores - or at least the lowbrow stores that down market people like me end up in - play an odious mix of R&B and "new" country (which is just like old country but worse. It's as if a focus group of Wal-Mart shoppers got together to tell a committee of junior high band directors what they wanted in the way of music)

It's the same way everywhere. Except at Chez Vel-DuRay of course, where it's always the eve of the Kennedy Assassination, and Ray is frequently on the Hi-Fi. But we've recently kicked it up a notch and invested in a USB turntable. This allows us to transfer our wonderful vinyl into easier-to-handle mp3's (or whatever the kids are calling them these days) and take them on the road with us. Thus, I can sit on the bus, blissfully unaware of the chaos, mayhem and vulgar cellphone calls going on all around me, while listening to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" or "Love is a Many Splendored Thing".

Because after all, we all need our coping mechanisms, don't we?

Chicken Go 'Round!

This evening, we enjoyed a lovely rotisserie chicken, courtesy of the Sunbeam Carousel Rotisserie!

The word "Carousel" makes it sound like it's a fun experience for the Chicken (or the cow, or the lamb, or the pig, or the fish, or anything else on this particular ride) but nothing could be further from the truth. For one thing, the object being rotisseried is dead, which tends to put a damper on everything. But it also is subjected to a big nasty burner-type thing, that makes the whole rotisserie thing a, well, rotisserie thing.

But it's fun to look at: Sort of like an R2-D2, with the most fun graphics you will ever want to meet (even if they are used to further the sadistic idea that this is a fun experience for the rotissed) and it's certainly more efficient than firing up the oven and roasting the damn thing.

Here's a bad shot of those great graphics.




Sunbeam (or whatever nasty corporate entity has taken over that name and given the manufacturing over to slave labor in China) still makes a rotisserie, but it lacks all kinds of class, and has all sort of dreary safety features. No pizzazz at all. But the good news is that these classic units are still cheap and plentiful - if you know where to look.

All in all, it was a delicious chicken: Moist and tender. Lovely to look at, delightful to eat. Yet another example of Living Better Electrically.

Natural Gas: The best gas for Patio Living!

We're living better on the lanai these days, thanks to clean-burning natural gas! With finger-touch start up, even heat, and no fuel cylinders to deal with, it's the smart choice for today's young moderns! Best of all, the grill was only $40 at the Salvation Army!

Just for your Summertime entertaining, I offer you this recipe for Union Pacific Barbeque Sauce, which if well worth the effort, and not all high-fructose Corn Syrupy, like most of the stuff you get off the shelf.

Union Pacific Barbeque Sauce

1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups beef consommé
1 – 28 oz can tomato puree
4 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons Chili Powder
Juice of four lemons
½ cup wine vinegar
½ tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp black pepper
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
½ lb butter
4 tsp dry mustard
4 tsp salt

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for one hour. Strain through a coarse sieve before using. Refrigerate for no more than one week.

Thrifty Modern Living: Make That Sofa Last!

Let's face it: Everybody wishes they had more money these days. While we here at Chez Vel-DuRay are indeed fortunate, who knows what the future holds? So we are watching every nickel, just like the women in "American Thrift" (a GM movie from the 50's about thrifty women, and how the American Family is built on savings. Times have certainly changed)

So when we noted, with some trepidation and foreboding, that the sectional in the Sala Grande was increasingly saggy, we decided to do what cheapskates have done since time immemorial: reinforce the thing by sliding some plywood under the cushions.

Don't think we didn't try other things before resorting to this, but part of the problem is the sectional's rather cold war-esque construction: To even get at the area where the springs are in order to see what was up, I would have had to have cut through the gauzy fabric on the bottom of each section, then cut through some burlap, and God knows what else. Since the upholstery is still in good shape (even if it is a bit tacky for my taste - ivory, with a sort of subdued floral pattern) I couldn't bring myself to go that far.

We used 1/2" plywood, which is perhaps a bit thick, but it was what we had on hand. This made the sofa more sturdy all right, but I was distressed to note that, when sitting across from it, you could see the edge of the boards between the cushions and the bases. So I ran a line of white tape across the edge of the board, and it looked better. Certainly good enough for the people who visit, who we ply with liquor before they even get as far as the Sala Grande. With enough booze and appropriate lighting - and if there's one thing the Sala Grande has, it's appropriate lighting - who will even notice?

In the meantime, I've started to save up for a trip to the upholsterer. I should have enough money by 2035 or so. Then I'll start saving up for the fabric.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, enjoy the first part of "American Thrift". Subsequent sections can be accessed from the You Tubes....