R.I.P. Butterball

Mom's cat, Butterball, died over the weekend. She was 20.

When Mom first found Butterball, a trailer park refugee, she was half dead from starvation and fights. The previous owner had abandoned Butterball, even though she had been de-clawed and made pretty much defenseless.

I'm not a fan of cats, but I'm a fan of survivors.

Butterball was both.

' 'Cause I'm a Punk Rocker Yes I Am'

After a week wiith nighttime lows in the 30s, the temperature's finally returning to normal today.

The chariot awaits.

I woke up early and washed the 2005 Triumph Bonneville. The "girlfriend" is sparkling, as you can tell by the gauges and the reflection in my primary cover. The pristine condition only means one thing - it's time to get her dirty again.

Today's order of business: a nice, long cruise up Pacific Coast Highway; a burrito and a brew for lunch; a cruise home; then a nap before hitting the town tonight. Good times ...

(props to the Teddybears for the entry title)

Of Gehry and gastronomy

I just purchased an entertainment book for $30. The books are published for nearly every major city and offer discounts on entertainment, dining and travel.

So we headed into L.A. to check out The Museum of Contemporary Art to use MOCA's buy one ticket, get one free coupon. The exhibit "Skin and Bones" explores the relationships between architecture and fashion - not my top choice of exhibits but, hey, we still need to learn about ideas and concepts that may not interest us. That's what separates us from cavemen and neoconservatives.



The downtown area of L.A. is very cool - most think of the city as sprawling and decentralized. L.A. is vast, but downtown has worthwhile arts destinations such as MOCA and Walt Disney Concert Hall by architect Frank Gehry. I found my gaze constantly returning to Gehry's building. His distinctive, billowing work is so unlike the buildings around it, yet the hall fits into its environment - like a floral arrangement at the center of a table. He also designed the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

But enough of culture. Let's have some barbecue!

Afterward, we went to BBQ King on Cesar Chavez Ave., about a quarter-mile from Dodger Stadium. This place is always billowing smoke from its BBQ pits and I've always wanted to stop on the way to or from Dodger games. I ordered a tri-tip sandwich, but quickly changed my order when I saw a customer ahead of me walk away with the King Burger (pictured), a half-pound monstrosity with fresh-cut French fries. Deeelicious ...

Pablo does Don

I finally framed a print that I purchased on Telegraph Road in Berkeley. Behold "Don Quixote," by Pablo Picasso.

Picasso's one of my favorite artists and Don Quixote is one of my favorite literary characters, so it seemed a nice fit.The knight is flanked by Sancho, his dim-witted but realistic "squire," and the windmills that Quixote mistook for giants.

Picasso also painted "The Family of Saltimbanques," my favorite painting. From Picasso's Rose Period, "Saltimbanques" is a mammoth, nearly square canvas. An image of the painting has graced the desktop on my iBook for five years.

The painting is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Saltimbanque is French for a performer, or an acrobat.

Bad knee, bad emcee, bad Hokies

Happy New Year! No specific resolutions here - just the ongoing ones, such as be a better person, give more to charity, blah blah blah ...

I had a low key New Year's. Why, you may ask? Have I all of a sudden become a fuddy duddy, or gotten married?

Well, orthoscopic surgery Thursday afternoon is my excuse. I finally had the first of two knee surgeries, the first being the more minor - three incisions to snip out parts of my torn meniscus in my right knee (pictured). Within the next six months, I plan to get a totally new ACL in my right knee. Notice the "yes" written on my leg? A nurse had me do that myself in pre-op, just to help make sure they get the right knee.

For those who don't know, I screwed up my knee playing softball while making a sudden stop on third base. The injury occurred about eight months ago - but I've been battling my HMO for each procedure. But sports fans, take heart - I got a courtesy runner after my injury, but was back in the game the next inning. What can I say - I'm a gamer!

For New Year's, the girlfriend and I went to Lucille's BBQ on 2nd St. here in Belmont. It's pricey, but delicious, and we rounded out the night watching the ball drop on tape delay.



A slow speaking Dick Clark - recovering from a stroke - emceed the party on ABC. Dick Clark is courageous, and I think it's a great message to stroke victims that life can continue after a major stroke. But isn't it a major downer to have a slurry stroke victim oversee the biggest party of the year?

Two days after my surgery, and with my leg pretty damn stiff, we went to Sharkeez to meet the Virginia Tech Alumni Society (no, I didn't go there, but yes, I watch all the games with them) watch the Hokies choke against Georgia in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl. Per our tradition, we ordered big blue shark fish bowls to share for the last Hokie game (pictured).