26 Things. A, K, & Q are now gone.

Thanks for the votes. I loved the idea of a triangle. But, I needed a representation for Q, and Q-tips worked there. This picture was fun to take. The art work is of a Cirque de Soleil model, purchased on Rodeo Drive. Try your turn on the next letter.

The Breaks

I planned this weekend around doing a long backpack at The Breaks, an interstate park south of Pikeville. It's the so-called Grand Canyon of the East. We drove there Saturday afternoon so I could see if I had cell coverage for the trip on Sunday. Coverage was acceptable until we got into the park, and then it was gone. Scratch that idea, I can't be unavailable for 3 hours. We promised ourselves to go back one day, as the park is indeed wonderful. A friend told me that her parents took her there when she was a child, and that makes it even more special. Unfortunately the only camera I had was my cell phone. The picture gives only a glimpse of the area, but it gives the idea.

26 Things. 2 Down..

...24 to go. The last picture was "K", for knobs. Above the kitchen sink. I learned aperture on that shot. She got the knobs in Middletown, some store that has stuff like that. Next is a letter that is difficult to photograph. Use your imagination. No one mentioned my panmixia.

C'est mon lit

My bed. Mostly I sleep alone. Mostly. I like the left side. One hard pillow, one soft.

Panmixia Denied

I'm such a pussy. Really. My leg finally healed but last weekend I came down with the crud. As a doctor, I probably should be more descriptive, like say it was adenovirus, rotavirus, or even some previously unknown mutant strain, multiple antibiotic-resistant, trepenomal bacillus. But, I'm just a country cardiologist, and I'm certain it was the old-fashioned crud. And it made me feel yucky. I lost a whole week of training, and the less I trained, the worse I felt. I had myself talked into a malaise-induced, running-impaired, ruttish-lacking quandry. I am way behind my Chicago schedule. I might not catch up. Earlier in the week I learned of a local 5K race, and I was both excited and saddened. Excited that the race was to be run on my home-court, the lake rail route. Saddened because I had not run 3 miles in 2 weeks and I was feeling...yucky. Cameron called last night and told me he had signed up for a SEAL memorial race in Va Beach, a run-swim-run.  That was enough to enhance the immune system and caused me to limit my pre-race alcohol intake to 2 glasses last night. Today I ran the race, won my age-group, and magically I feel better. I even feel up to working on the panmixia now. 

26 Things. Next Letter

As before, I take pictures around the house, each picture suggesting a letter of the alphabet. The first was easy. heretofore, much more oblique. Comments please?

Jethro Tull, The Rain, and The Grill (redux)

Deb was back in town for a few days. Yosemite training consisted of a 2 hour hike Sunday in a nice steady rain. Deb did well, but she paid for it today with her back. My running is back on track, for now, the leg didn't cause turmoil. Found a new XM station (Ch 46) which reminded me of college days at UK by playing Thick as a Brick. Brought back memories of the blue smoke and HoHo munchies. Went to the local ACE hardware for patio furniture, and found my grill..already assembled!  Talk about chagrin. Only 2 have cast votes. The answer is "A", for apple. Other pictures will be more obscure.

26 Things-Home

I read a suggestion for improving photographic skills: take a picture of something that has to do with every letter of the alphabet. I figured it might help, can't hurt. In the future I hope to add 26 Things-Work and 26 Things-Outdoors. Any suggestions, ie 26 Things-Bodies? Drop me a comment and tell me what letter I have represented here.

Too much time on my hands

Watch this. I pirated it from another blog site, but it's worth sharing.

End of an Era

Lots has happened this week, not the least that my dad was hospitalized for a SBO, fortunately he didn't need surgery and he's being discharged today. But, after 50 years running the store (yes 50!) he announced retirement. You can check out more of that story here:

                      
Posted 7/3/2008 7:48 PM EDT Louisville Courier-Journal
This is the story of a wonderful man. It's all true, and nearly unbelievable. I witnessed it and am here to write about him. I wish I were an essayist or a journalist. The story is worthy of Charles Kuralt, Tom Brokaw, or maybe Bob Hill will pick up on it before he rides off into the sunset of gardening.

Robert (Whitey) Parrish is going to retire and close the joint. I heard it today at 6PM, July 3, 2008. At this time he's sitting in a hospital room at Norton's. The years at the store have caught up with him, and have put him in the hospital once again. He has literally worked himself to death. But, he will be Ok..for now; but let me step back and start at the beginning. I don't think anyone reads this blog, but I will be sure to direct my family and friends here. It's the least I can do to celebrate my father.

In 1953 my natural father and mom moved from Seattle to Louisville. Cecil Payne was a former professional prizefighter, and a very good one. He had fought for the featherweight championship, and was a local legend during his fighting years of the 20's & 30's. After WW-II he landed in Seattle, married my mom, and his family encouraged him to move back home. He bought the cafe, named after him. It's at 1010 South 32nd Street. It's located in the Parkland neighborhood. No one, I mean no one knows the area. It's south of Broadway, close to the former "Little Africa", Cotter Homes, and Park Duvalle. Those areas have been revitalzed. 32nd Street & Kentucky however will never be on anyone's list of a place to put city monies into. I could write here more about Cecil Payne, Jack Dempsey, Cassius Clay, and many , many other celebrities, but..this is about Whitey.

32nd Street in 1958 was Leave it to Beaver. Even better, it had alleys. But our world fell apart in December when Cecil died of Leukemia. The store was a restaurant/bar. In fact, it was a honkey tonk. Plate lunches at noon, beer garden at night. Within the year my mom remarried Whitey, one of the neighborhood punks, 10 years her junior. She had 2 young children, and needed someone to help her run the joint. Some nights the take home from the register was $30. We ate a lot of beans. But we attended Holy Cross grade school, and had clean uniforms. We always wanted, but never needed.

Soon thereafter white flight occurred and the street changed overnight. Whitey took control, and slowly turned the place from a beer joint into a grocery store. He probably holds the city record for selling penny-candy.I know for a fact that it still has the reputation for the coldest beer in town. It was at first potato chips, then bread, milk, and soon followed within about 5 years it was the earliest convenience store. The hours were brutal, 10AM to 2AM, every day. For years. In 1968 he was shot in a robbery (see a former post). It was then that he finally took Tuesdays off. But, the long hours, hard work, and toll on the body continued. My parents put 3 children through college on meager earnings. Day in, day out, bologna, Colt 45, and double bubble kept the place afloat, and Whitey fulfilled. By-pass surgery, prostate surgery, knee surgery, a GI bleed to a hemoglobin of 6 never kept him down.

This man loves his work. The neighborhood loves him. It is a wonderful, peaceful, symbiosis. His customers need him. He needs them. The building is a tinder box. I'm so surprised it didn't burn to the ground years ago. I remember many, many forays back to the place in the middle of the night because it had been burglarized. Fortunately in the late 60's an alarm system put an end, mostly to that problem. There has been only the one hold-up and one gun-shot. This neighborhood is strife with drug-dealers. In fact however, he has encouraged loitering in front of the place, (despite LMPD's protests) because the dealers know him, and provide a bufffer of protection. Think of South-Central LA, Cabrini Green, or any other large city slum, and you have a picture of 1010 S 32nd Street. The drug dealers buy Ho Ho's too, and the 80 year-old widow next door can't make it 6 blocks to Krogers to get milk, but she can send a child there. I remember when he first started stocking up notions, in about 1965, and we all laughed that be stocked Coppertone. it provided humor for all for a long time. I think he finally sold if off.

I could go on. But, this week he was hospitalized again for a surgical issue. Let me be clinical.....he incarcerated a hernia, got an obstruction, because he had no one around to help him lift cases of beer. The doctors have pointed out the obvious....he is working himself to death.

He is the hardest working, most honest, most honorable, wonderful man I know. He needs to retire. He will probably not like it that I have written this. He is also the most humble man I know. He gets his positive vibes from Ducky, Shotgun Charlie, Little Bill, Ms Charla, and all his customers.

32nd Street will miss him. It's the end of a 55 year run. Thats so difficult to type. 55 years. No one does that anymore. He will miss 32nd street. But, I pray God is not yet ready to take him.

it's time Whitey.... Dad.... Please.

If anyone has read this far, and has any interest in more of this remarkable journey, please contact me.





My gimp leg persists, and Chicago is looking tenuous. Have to start cross-training. I started getting ready for my Yosemite backpack trip with a 2.5 mi hike with pack, not too bad, but the leg hobbled. Someone might just have to shoot me. The required fireworks pictures are attached, some Jenny Wiley trail, and my grill!

Rented Spinal Tap, I wonder now why it took me so long to see it.