FlabbergasTed

This morning I woke up and went, "Yikes!"

Because of all people to dream about, I dreamed about Ted Cruz.

I dreamed we were friends!

I do not even like Ted Cruz. However I do not particularly like Barack Obama either and that did not stop me from dreaming I was friends with Obama, remember?

My dream about Ted Cruz was kind of like the one about Barack Obama, though, in that my dislike was swept aside and I found myself having a good time. I was comforting Ted Cruz in his defeat. I was telling him he had a promising future, hang in there.

And together we went here, and we went there. And I spoke to him about Leonard Pennario.



As we were hanging out I felt kind of uncomfortable, though, because I was afraid he would ask me, "Mary, you did vote for me in the primary, didn't you?" And I did not!

It is funny with your dreams, you find yourself hanging out with people you never would, you know? God knows what reasons your subconscious has about matching you up with these people, but perhaps there is a reason somewhere.

I think in this case the reason is clear. I can interpret this dream.

It means: Step away from the media.

I am paying too much attention to the news!

The fridge kicks

Remember a couple months ago when I bought my Bosch stove and Maytag fridge? I just looked it up. It was April 13.

My refrigerator kicked today!

This fridge I had just bought three months ago! At Orville's!

I got home after Zumba class and took a drink of milk and I did kind of think the milk was not as cold as it ought to be. Well, whatever. Then I stuck my hand in the freezer. And everything had melted.

The fridge kept kind of grunting to itself. Well, it is still doing that. It clicks on and runs for about 10 seconds and then it clicks off.

Naturally the service center is closed so I have to wait till tomorrow. And I have all this stuff to do tomorrow. I do not know how I am going to manage this.

The good news is that Howard and I had this feast because stuff is going to go, you know? We had rack of lamb and shrimp cooked up with summer squash and tomatoes and basil.

I made a pot of chili too because as luck would have it I had just cooked up some black beans and they were in the fridge. So we have lunch tomorrow.

Those lamb chops, yum! And shrimp, perfect! I wish I had managed to cook a dinner that great for Leonard Pennario when I was in California. I mean, I tried my best but the planets line up for you like this only once in your life.

My fridge in California should have kicked!

All the same I am angry at this fridge. I have had it what, three months? Meanwhile my old one was not perfect but it never stopped dead in its tracks like this.

We are going to be seeing this more and more in Obama's America as our country turns more and more into old Communist East Germany. We will be driving Trabants.

We may as well get used to fridges that do not work.

The Queen, Michelle Obama and me

What with the Obamas visiting England, all we get is, "The British love the informality." "The new informal feeling."

I am thinking, the poor beleaguered ol' House of Saxe-Coberg-Gotha had better watch it.

Lastnight Howard, who shares my disapproval of yesterday's doings, pointed out that the British royal family's whole brand is about formal behavior. The family's role is mostly ceremonial. Drop the ceremony, and what have you got?

The Windsors should worry about protecting their brand. They have already lost a lot of it. Fergie and Diana, people talked about how they brought in a whiff of fresh air and informality. And look what happened there.

Ron Moss is informal. What does that tell you?


You know what?

Just once I would like to read that someone is making things more formal. "They have brought a new air of formality to the White House." That is what I would like to hear.

Here at the House of Kunz-Goldman we stand by formality. I get on the phone, I always "Mr." or "Miss" or "Doctor" everyone until I am cued not to do it. It is the German in me! With the authority vested in me by virtue of being The Buffalo News' classical music critic I have even been known to drop the occasional "Maestro."

I "Mr. Pennario"-ed Leonard Pennario for two weeks before I met him while we went back and forth on the phone. He practically had to hit me over the head to make me stop doing it. But at the same time he liked it. I absolutely knew that. Here he was this great virtuoso and all the strangers he talked to, you always knew it was "Leonard" this, "Leonard" that.

And along I come with my "Mr. Pennario." That set me apart from the pack, I will say that. Then you are rewarded with that beautiful moment when the person tells you to drop the formality. That is a moment I love. You miss it if you take liberties right off the bat.

Informality has cost us so much romance in our lives.

Now, admittedly I am no big fan of Michelle Obama. Remember my dream about Barack Obama? She was not there!

But I say, the world is full of Michelle Obamas, putting their arms around people and first-naming them. It is a mistake, frown I.

Oh, the Queen might smile now, and go along with it, and be nice.

But will she name Michelle Obama her authorized biographer?

I think not.

What a pill

Wow, what a night. They call it a historic election and they are right. Here is why: I wound up having to take an Ambien.

I have not taken an Ambien in I do not know how long!

I think it has been two years. That was when I had sleep problems and had to go to the sleep doctor because things got to the point where it was as if I flew to Europe three times a week. Heavens, that sentence! Perhaps the Ambien has still not worn off.

The sleep doctor did not give me the Ambien. The sleep doc works without drugs. But the doctor before him did. And I still have a few left kicking around. I had not thought of them in forever. But lastnight, I did.

A place for everything and everything in its place, is my motto, so I was easily able to find the Ambien on the lazy Susan in the kitchen, stashed among the baking powder, baking soda, allspice and vanilla extract. I made my own vanilla extract, with vodka and a vanilla bean from the Broadway Market. I am proud of myself.

Half an Ambien, and boom. As soon as you swallow the thing you can feel something is off in your head. I mean, you feel that within two seconds. I walked up the stairs going "La, la, la, la, la..."

I have not even told Howard this, but I was dreaming about Barack Obama and in my dreams he was the greatest guy. We were out partying somewhere and the only trouble was that he left his gloves in the trunk of my car and I was not sure how I was going to get them to him.

That is my way of wishing Obama the best and I wholeheartedly hope he succeeds as president, because what is good for his presidency is good for the country. That attitude is more than I saw from any liberals when Bush was elected four years ago, by the way. No liberals wished him the best. They just began immediately to hate him and rip him apart. But me, I am taking the high road!

Having slept I can see the bright side of things:

No. 1, I was not in love with John McCain anyway. If I had really loved the Republican candidate that would have been one thing. But this is another.

No. 2, with the election over and the die cast, I can now not feel guilty for thinking about Leonard Pennario round the clock.

We've listened to it a million times, but how 'bout Pennario, in that Ravel Toccata?

I think I will take a few minutes and just sit and listen.