I think I know what Karen's talking about. When I open the blog, it only goes to September. The only way I can read the new notes is to go to the Post and Publish page. Of course, I don't have the answer--I'll wait for Brian for that.

I will ask our beloved King. He only breaks for one meal a day and sleep on every third, though.

error 503 unable to load template file. We're working on this. Please try back later. That just came up when I hit the post and publish button. But my post is there. Weird.

Karen, I'm not sure that's right. I may be wrong but if you don't accept the invitation to blogger I don't think you get in at all. I know many times over the past couple of months I'd get an error messge from blogger while post and publishing but then it appeared anyway so I never understood what the problem was. It was my understanding though from Brian originally that this was a secure site and only invited persons accepting the invitation could enter at all. How do you access the view web page section if you haven't logged into blogger? This is really interesting.

Okay, Karen, now the recipe ball/bowl is in your court--that is, if I managed to forward it right. I've never forwarded anything before cuz I never bothered to learn how to do it. That's why all the other chain letters people have sent have stopped when they got to me.

Click on the left side of this site where it says "view web page" and you will see what I mean. That is the official posting and I think it is what people see who have not accepted the invitation to blogger. It only goes to the discussion of viruses, sometime in Sept.

If Janice is trying to get into the site now, she'll need to change her e-mail address in the team profile. She's jstearns@vermontel.net now. What do you mean when you say blogger stopped in September?

Are you guys aware that the web page for Blogger stopped in September and no further blogs were registered after that. Janice Stearns asked me what was up and I don't have the answer. All the people who have not joined the site are not able to eaves drop. Can Brian help us or are we now an official SHS "clique"????????????

Brian King and his family were over for dinner last night. We had wonderful Indian food that was completely over the top! (great conversation too).

I've just sent my recipe for Danielle's Temptation to you Lori. So the ball is in your court! (or is that bowl)

It's a deal, Patti. You're welcome any time! Especially if you're planning to cook!

I'm adding desert! Will send it out tomorrow to Lori, who will invite us to her house where I will prepare it.

I just started a recipe chain e-mail. My contribution is on its way to Patty. I hope many additions will be made and that the accumulated file will be distributed to all some time in the future. Brian King is a great cook, don't miss a chance to see what he might add!

All this talk about pot roast is making me want to eat some. I make something I learned from Avi's mother that she calls "roast." I don't know if that's the same thing. How do you make pot roast? Patti, that cake sounds good, but I'm afraid I'll be too lazy to bother making it. Now if you were here to make it for me, that would be a different story. I'd be glad to eat it!

Okay sounds good but can we meet somewhere in the middle, prepare and eat this meal? I love pot roast

Maybe I should start a recipe-chain-email where everyone could add something as it travels- contemplate what is there and add whatever. I know Robin has a good Yankee Pot Roast.

Hi folks - just got in from my new work out class. I'm back into exercising regularly again and it feels pretty good. I needed to do something indoors since our temps up here have been pretty nasty and there is ice where one would normally be walking. Besides that it's dark out there by the time I get home from work. so many excuses. so little time.

Don't feel badly Lori , my cookin is nothing to write home about. Though I crock pot a mean pot roast. I've long since stopped worrying about it though. Especially now that's its just Dave and I living at home we have pretty standard fare. Same ole same ole.

When we were living back in Rutland we belonged to a terrific super club. International menus and the whole nine yards. Gave us a reason to use the "good dishes". I wonder if they are still together? I'm such a picky eater though. We always knew the menu ahead so I'd bring something I'd like to eat if the main dish was icky. I do love to bake though. If anyone is interested in a heavenly flourless chocolate cake recipe I have a beaut!! It's a real choco-holic thriller.

I'm more interested in Karen's slimfast recipe right now! My food's not THAT bad. It's just that I compare myself to the people around me who are all really good cooks--Avi's mother, his sister, his brother's wife, my Israeli friend here, etc. So I've developed an inferiority complex regarding cooking. But the main problem is I see it as a chore instead of an art. Wish I could see it as an art. But I do have a lot of food in my poems!

Karen, Lori, and the silent 237 (were we a class of 240?); Dinner was great! The breaded fish in wheat tortillas was not too much and a selection of hot salsas brought it to life (or possibly afterlife, those *x^'+@#s were on fire!). I am saving Karen's recipe for spicy shrimp in tacos for a "why don't I cook moment". That recipe is money in the bank. I am a little concerned about Lori not having any lip smacking recipes (in a way, no money in the bank).

There was an article about supper clubs in the Sunday New York Times. Unfortunately, my supper club was not included. Two supper clubs from Texas were mentioned, one gay and the other with cleavage. No wonder we didn't make the article, we don't have either. Anyone up for trading recipes, I mean sending Lori some recipes?

By the way, ah... Emeril...Bobby Flay.......the chef formerly known as "Dick", how did the dinner go and what did you end up serving? Rich could have loaned you his apron that some friends gave him for his birthday......It says "now you are cookin' with DICK!! Well, anyway, hope you had fun. Lori, I can come up with the good ideas.........for OTHER PEOPLE, but I haven't exactly been whipping up a frenzy lately. Got any good ideas for things to do with SLIMFAST? HAHA!

Hi, Richard. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring your question about the food. We were out of town for a week, so I'm just getting caught up on all the news. It looks like Karen helped you out. You've got good ideas, Karen! I should know more about fish tacos (living out here), but I don't and I'm not much of a cook. Nothing you'd lick your lips over.

Hey, John! Back from the darkside of the moon? I love that band and wish I had seen them.

Hey Nancy thanks for the info.
Howling for Stairway to Heaven is good but I wonder if there is "Anybody Out There". Or maybe if he made alot of "Money" he could create the rainbow effect.

I would love to come- probably can't though. Tell Mike that I said, Good luck! If he hears someone howling for "Stairway to Heaven" from under one of the tables in the back, that would be me and it means that I made it.

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let everyone know that Mike Johnson started a new band last year. He will be playing at the Rockingham Motor Lodge Dec. 6th. This will be his big debut. It would be great if some of us could be there for him. Hope to hear from you soon.
Nancy Dunham

Once was the day when wine bottles did not have caps that screwed off, but I guess Boone's Farm led the wave to change that. I also remember a time when I didn't have 5 remote controls, an answering machine, cable, and Michael Jackson was still black. What did happen? I can report that Karen's suggestion for the Southernliving.com link is absolutely worth checking out. It delivers the same thrill as the first time you hear a new musical artist that you really like.

Hey, it just occurred to me.........Once was the day when a bottle of Boone's Farm and some bread dough from the A&W was heaven! What the hell happenned????

Richard, I sent the recipe to your e-mail address. You may not want to use it because it doesn't have all those goodies in it that you mentioned. But maybe the side dishes could be more "authentic"..........like Black Bean Salsa with Citrus Dressing, or Layered Southwestern Salad with Black Beans. Love that Southern Living! Want any other recipes? Good Luck!

Karen, The idea of shrimp tacos with a spicy cream sauce sounds really good (maybe spectacular)- I'd love the recipe! After 16 years of having dinner with this group there are few (like no) surprises. Ordering take-out just might do it though. You make me laugh and realize that I am just an idea-hamster wanna-be.

Richard, it is snowing here and I am stalling on going out so I just looked up a couple of recipes for you. One is Tuna soft Tacos with horseradish sauce and the other is Shrimp Tacos with spicy cream sauce. Both sound interesting.......one is in Cooking Light and the other Southern living cookbooks. Have not tried either but if you want to know what goes into them, let me know. Isn't there a good Mexican restaurant in town? Have it sent in and enjoy the evening!

That's one vote for Lobster Tacos with Tequilla salsa. OK!!

Can't help you there Richard.........I hate fish! Except for shellfish. So I would say skip the fish and go with the Tequilla!

I have a question for non-Burlingtonians (like Texas, So. Cal, etc.). My wife and I get together with 5 other couples for an international dinner about once every 6 weeks (a different country each time for the last 16 years). If you do the math, this means that we have covered the cuisine of more than 100 countries. We cheat and repeat countries that we all like, so in fact, we have not done the food of Lichtenstein or other obvious choices that would certainly show up in the top 100. The challenge with repeating is that new dishes can be a little harder to find and figure out.

Mexico is next (again) and we are making Fish Tacos. Fish Tacos are not available in Burlington and are not something we have had before. It seems like one of the keys to a great Fish Taco is getting the right batter and I am pretty sure the tempura batter we use will be good. The other key seems to be the add-ons that are there to throw on top. I have found the following as possible choices: radishes, chopped cucumbers, shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chiles, salsa verde (tomatillos), regular salsa, avacado salsa, a light cream sauce, jalapenos, habanero sauce, black olives, and sour cream. Of course we will supply Tequila-limes-and salt to help us to recover from an outright failure, if that should happen.

Here's the question. Which ones do you think are mission critical to a great Fish Taco? Experience counts on this one and you still have time to do taste-testing at one of your local (or not too far away) establishments.

Thanks in advance!

Yeah, that's what I'm doing now--eating the left over Halloween candy! I always make sure to get the kind I like!

Happy halloween evryone! It's a slow night here in P.I. Not sure why. by now we'd should have seen nearly 100 kids but not even close. It's cold out ---30 ish but that's pretty typical. Oh well, I'll have to get Dave to take the extra candies to work and give them out there. If it's here I'll eat it.

That's okay, Patti. Take your time. At least we all have some contact on the blog!

Have a great time Burlington................Happy Halloween to you all. I still have to carve my pumpkins!!! But I DO want to get rid of all this candy..............I live on a busy street, so I guess it won't be long before it is all gone. Nancy

Burlington area, wow that should be quite a few of you! What fun, you'll have to fill the rest of us in on the details.

Lori I owe you a long letter. I'll get at it I promise. Lot's of crappy stuff ging onhere at home. I haven't sat down to spend enough time to really write back to you. but I talk to you in my mind all the time! Time for med nurse please!

Nice to see some new voices. Jane, how did you end up in Texas anyway? I'd still like to have a "Burlington area" reunion next time I'm in the area--no plans at the moment.

Super!

Richard,
I talked to Susan Ainsworth today. She says that Larry Kruse is suggesting a "Burlington area" class of '72 get together at his new house out in Underhill sometime in the near future...more details as they emerge. (A big "hey" to all of you living "away"!)

Richard, I found the picture on line. Hard to believe, I didn't even know there had been a big flood there, thanks for the info.

There was a picture of downtown Springfield taken looking across the raging Black River during the flood of 1927 in yesterday's New York Times. Maybe some of you saw it in other papers, it is circulating because of recent scientific discoveries about stormy weather.

I agree with Pat. I'm soooo far away in the opposite direction. But I'll always be a Vermonter no matter where life takes me!!!

It' great that you live where you can still be with "old" friends. I miss that way up here. I' ll always be from away.

I just had lunch with Robin Way. We had a great time!

I was seated at a table for 4! It was at least in a back corner and once the people at the surrounding tables stopped staring, I had a lovely meal. Of course I read my book between visits from the waitress. Hiding behind the pages of a paperback novel in the down time between salad and fetucini alfredo. Next time I'll look for the local guy/gal!

Thanks Richard!!! Should we take his advice, Patti?

You all sound like you are from "where the women are strong, the men are handsome, and all of the children are above average" (Lake Wobegone). Not that there is anything wrong with it. I think the dinner alone thing is hard regardless of who you are, and sometimes even worse depending on where you are. If you are going to be eating alone in an unfamiliar place, I learned (by chance) a great technique to end up in a good place. Find a local person that looks really interesting to you (for whatever reason) and ask them for a recommendation. They will probably send you to a place filled with people just like themselves. I tried this in Truckee, CA and ended up in a place with about 40 beautiful, young women and only one other man. The ambience was spectacular, the food was very good, and my behavior was more than acceptable for a man that definitely knows better. Shoot me for being honest, but I have learned something out there on the road.

Yes, Patti, I know what you mean about being able to do things at your own pace! It is nice sometimes. I don't like the eating alone part so much, but doing things TOTALLY my way? What's wrong with that?! Avi would go crazy at the pace I set for myself when I'm alone in Israel. I don't leave myself much time to rest cuz I want to see friends and family as much as possible when I'm there. Must have been exhausting for you driving for a few hours in the rain, though.

Good to "see" you here again, Jerry!

Hi everyone, nice to see so many recent "voices". I've been missing a couple of notes and just adjusted to show last 25 posts, that caught me up on at least one.

Got in last evening from a business trip to Augusta. Left TH from school, drove 4 hours south stopping for a 1/2 visit with Kevin, my 21 year old, in Old Town and finishing up in Augusta by 7ish. Beautiful colors and vistas. Fri was a day of technology workshops for educators. They were o.k. I was tired out by the end of the day and decided to take my migraine to the Hampton Inn in Bangor 1 1/2 hrs. north and spend the night. Had a nice supper at the Olive Garden. Single woman dining alone, a little weird for me, but o.k. Got a good nights sleep and watched The Moulin Rouge over breakfast. Did my bit for the local economy, and headed north. Home around 5. It was the first time I'd "traveled" completely alone in a number of years. I actually enjoyed the ability to come and go at my own pace. Very relaxing. No worries about a spouse bored, reading the newspaper in the annex. Tough rainy trip though. Amazing how traffic didn't seem to slow down in spite of diminished visibility and slippery roads on the highway. I set the ole cruise control and wandered homeward. Can't compare to a kayak trip up the coast but an adventure for me none the less. :-)

Hello, October. A note of interest on another high school's Class of '72 30th reunion happening tonight. The Nashua High School class takes over a ballroom at a hotel in town with about 200 coming. One of them is named Karen Ellis of New Smyrna Beach, FL. This adventurous type started in May in her 17-foot bright yellow Dagger Magellan kayak paddling up the coast. She made it to NYC where she came the rest of the way by car. After the reunion she will be returning to her kayak to finish the trip which will bring her to the Merrimack River at Newburyport, MA to come up past Lowell and Lawrence to Nashua. She retired at 40 after spending time in banking, real estate and appraising. Her grown daughter from her brief marriage in her 20's recently became a doctor in CA, earning a full scholarship to attend college. Wow! I lost my job of nearly 14 years late in the afternoon of September 10, right before 9/11. Got a severance package including outplacement services, so I'm exploring what the future has in store. Took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and I'm a people person to work in a team setting with those having high values. I'll keep you informed. Maybe I'll go work with the Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter! Bye. I'll see if this posts OK now.

I'm sure my mother would be proud of her little Dickie writing poems about geese. Work is a little wild. I am being considered for a new position in the company. The unusual thing is that it is a position that has not previously been considered as something the company ever thought that they needed. They may decide that they were right to begin with and that the new position is not something that is needed. If I can pull it off, it would be a total kick because it is doing business development using a recent invention of mine as fuel to start the fire. The invention is pretty good fuel. It breaks the lock that 175 year old technology has had on coaxial connectors.

On the topic of Route 1, I had a completely charming trip along the coast in 1981. I travelled with a friend of a friend and his 5 year old son, starting in San Francisco and finally being let off in Morro Bay. The view at Big Sur is enchanting, the drinks at Napente are a great reason to enjoy the view a little longer, and San Simeon took me beyond my comfort zone. I guess its dimensions that are beyond life as I am used to it sort of freaked me out. I have to say that you got the mental video tape rolling on that one. Waah!!!!

Hi everyone. I tried writing something yesterday, but something got screwed up and I couldn't post it. Hope it works this time. I've been busy the last few days with guests. My brother-in-law was visiting from Israel with a friend of his. First they were on a work trip, visiting ranches in different places, like Wisconsin and Arizona. They both work with the cows on their kibbutz, so they came to get ideas on how things are done in the U.S.--milking techniques,etc. They stayed on another 5 days after the work part of the trip so they could come visit us. They convinced me to take a trip up north with them to the Monterey/Carmel area and then to drive back on Route 1 along the Pacific Ocean. It's really beautiful. Have any of you been there? Avi had work to do, so he couldn't come with us--but it wasn't bad traveling with 2 men! We had fun. I took them to the airport on Monday and then I was at the airport again on Tuesday with my daughter. She left for a 2-week visit to Israel to see friends and family. Hope everything will be okay there.

Richard, how's work been going? What you wrote about the geese is practically a poem.

Patti and Karen, I looked up Gus/Bob Morin in the yearbook, and you're right--he is cute! How could I forget someone like that? Patti, did you find your word? I can't think what it could be. Sorry. Wish I could taste some of those fresh Maine potatoes!

Classes went back to the high school this a.m. the harvest is officially over. It closer to being over than I realized last week.

Put on your thinking caps. I am looking for a word: starts with the letter "e". meaning: associated with a name.

Pretty quiet out there.

Hi Richard, It's a chilly a.m. here. 22 degrees. I'm waiting for the weekly paper to be delivered - sometime around 6. It's been a week since I've gotten any local news so I'm pretty anxious!

The harvest goes on. there are two more weeks til classes at the high school go back. We've had an unfortunate rain fall these past couple of weeks and that is interferring. The harvesters sink right into the fields when it's wet so they (the farmers) are frustrated. But I think it wll be a good year all the same. I've seen worse, that is for sure. Really though, until you've actually eaten potatoes that are freshly picked you have know idea that there is a difference. There are hundred of varieties which I never knew til I moved here. there are wonderful little vegetable stands all over the roads with bags of fruits and vegetables for sale and all on the honor system! You just leave your money in the box and take your spuds with you. I love it! It'sa whole 'nother world up here. Can you picture that on the Williston Road?
The leaves are beautiful and the geese are flying here too. so fabulous to hear them honking and then watch them go across the horizon in the sun set. We have great views from our home and every evening it's a delight. Lightening storms across the valley below us are a sight to behold.

Hi Patty Pat Trish Patty Lou, I mean Mrs. Mahoney. I was a happy little Dick and I am still happy as Richard. To me, that is what matters. Has the Presque Isle potato harvest been completed yet? My wife and I went for a bike ride yesterday with my friend that I mentioned was a part of the P. I. harvest when he was 14 and 15 years old. There is a bike ferry that takes riders across the Winooski River for $1. The sky was a perfect blue with many geese flying south. The late afternoon sun on their bellies made them look like strings of Christmas lights. It is so completely amazing to think how far they will travel. They start out so fat that they can hardly get their tails up out of the water and finally arrive down south- fit and trim, styling at the beach I guess.

Lori - Gus/Bob was in the lingo of my students, a hotty. Look him up in your yearbook and you'll probably agree. He was pretty quiet and a real nice guy as I recall.

O.K. how many of us have changed our names? Either significantly like Gus to Bob or just like Dickey to Richard. Sorry Richard, I couldn't resist. I have over years endured a crisis of identity. I was still Patty but with an i in college, turned into Pat then Trish and back to Pat with subsequent moves around NE. When my Mom and my Grammy died there was no one left to call me Patty Lou. Now I pretty much answer to anyone who appears to be looking at me when they talk. During the day of course I am Mrs. Mahoney. Except that the Guidance ounselor is named Mrs. Mahone and so we are constantly mixed up. I live a very full life.

Gus and I were in homeroom together every year. I thought he was very cute but I think he just thought I was weird. He liked to get me flustered. I remember he told me that his real name is Robert Trigvie Morin. I can't remember whether I promised secrecy or threatened to tell the whole school. I never seemed to play my cards right.......... Oh well!