Trump Home

Have you seen the ads?

The world famous paragon of good taste and refinement, Mr. Donald Trump has launched a line of home furnishings. After his television program kicked Marta's in the TV ratings, he is now going to take her on in her own game.

I came late to this party, and didn't know Don was in the boudoir biz until I saw the Donald himself touting his line of Serta Trump mattress on the telly.


I was certain the mushrooms I ordered with dinner had been altered, but no, there he was, big as life. Mrs. T says she saw it too.

Mattresses just like the ones he could put in any of his hotels if only. For only 2 or 3 times retail Don's mattress will come to your house, giving you the night you deserve. I fear it would stunt my sleep.

A quick trip through Google Shopping uncovered loads of Don's furnishing ideas, from lamps and chandeliers to sheets and towels. With Trump on the job, who needs Architectural Digest? It may as well close too.

You don't you suspect Donald's new focus on design and furnishings will take any of the cache away from his world's greatest steaks, or wettiest water, do you?

Toad

For Springheel Jack

Springheel Jack: Perhaps something like this?

Obviously Irish, artsy, with a bit of stray cash available.

Garech Browne, heir to the Guinness brewing dynasty, founding member of the Irish music group The Chieftains.

Toad
photo from Vanity Fair

When it rains....

Last Thursday, #1 son and his wife, closed on the purchase of their first house. They have worked very hard, for a very long time to make that happen, and I am incredibly proud of them.

It's refreshing to watch a young couple, imagine, plan and create a new home. The optimism of youth washes away the dusty cynicism which settles on the old. Setting priorities, and the day to day, give and take of decision making, while establishing up a new home is good for families. It strengthens marriages, contributes to earned self esteem, and sets a great example for children. I know they will be very happy in their new digs.

A while back, I wrote about #1's house being robbed. Everything electronic not nailed down found itself a new home. Over time most of the stuff was replaced, but the feeling of being violated in your own home is harder to overcome. That is why it was such a shock to find that the villains returned Friday while everyone was a way, and helped themselves to all the new stuff. Burglars in Topeka aren't as dumb as you'd think.

This may be an important lesson to any of us who are ever burgeled.

The latest break-in has hastened the kids move in date. It's paint brushes of fury time and a visit from the alarm people is upcoming. I'm so glad it's not me, I hate moving.

Toad

More Window Shopping

First and foremost Happy Mother's Day. I salute you, and thank you for your sacrifice. Mother's make the world a better place, and I'm grateful for you.

My bride generously gave me a handful of Sears gift cards last week. Neither of us could recall where they came from, and since we rarely shop at Sears, I went shopping at Lands End.

So what if Lands End isn't the retailer at the top of the clothing chain? I have always found their goods well made and a good value, and most importantly for an on-line retailer, their stuff can be returned to Sears, no questions asked.

First I hit the sales racks.

It was 85F in Mayberry on Easter, and has barely hit 75 since. It's still sweater weather here. Summer sweaters are an oxymoron in Mayberry. Rarely, is a summer evening cool enough to consider donning a sweater, but I can hope, or perhaps dream can't I? Maybe someone will offer a trip to New England this July.

I have a linen and shawl collar fetish. I have proven my bonafides several times in this regard.




So when I found a linen shawl collar sweater here I pounced. $35, choice of colors, I couldn't go wrong. I just hope I get to wear it.


Next came the latest edition of my Johnny Apple blue gingham shirt collection.

Mr. Apple was famous for his Harvie and Hudson gingham shirts. H&H's off the peg don't work for me, and I do not get to London as often as I'd wish for custom. This is my summer 2010 alternative. Offered sized, none of that S-M-L nonsense. Under $40. I purchased a LE Canvas scarf in this material last month, and am awed by the softness of the cloth.

Last, in the hope this fabric is just as soft I picked up this scarf.

Until last summer I never wore scarves, but a combination of The Sartorialist's inspirational photos, and to wick away summer humidity I have come to like them. The added color is nice as well.

Happy shopping.

Toad

Maybe-Maybe Not

This one is true.

Several times a year Mrs. T and I visit the family farm in eastern Missouri. We try not to make much effort, in hopes of discouraging family members who may wish to gift us this heirloom, but things need doing, and the old folks interest has fallen to zero. That's where we come in.

To reach the farm we drive through the town of Bourbon. Surprisingly, the community is named for the drink, not the French monarchs. It is believed to be the only town in America so named.

The town, laid out during the construction of the Frisco railway, in the early 1850's, was originally called St. Cloud. As a service to the Irish immigrants working on the line, Richard Turner, the keeper of the general store kept a whiskey barrel on the front porch of his store, and would deliver the barrel to nearby worker's camp sites as conditions (paydays) warranted.

The post office opened in 1853 and was named "Bourbon in the village of St. Cloud". Over time the name was shortened. Today some 1000 people live there and there is no compelling reason to stop.

Along the highway are 2 newer water towers. Naturally, one is labeled Bourbon, the other Water.

Toad

Flop House

I'm running a flop house.

For the past two weeks we have been dog sitting our Carolina relatives puppy, while they tour Europe. Their dog, Ron is the one in the middle of the nap pack.

Dogs are like children. Parents of youngsters know when they have the cousins, or kids from school over to play, for a long time things are pretty good, then it turns. Too much togetherness is not always a good thing.

Dogs are the same. For 2 weeks we have changed their routine, upset their hierarchy, and drove ourselves nuts. It's time for Ron to go. His people come home late this evening. Somehow the dogs have sensed Ron's leaving, as the pups have ignored each other all day.

Watching Ron has been my excuse for not accomplishing much lately. It's back to work now with a vengeance.

Toad

I get it, finally

Shoe queen that I am, I never got it.

My favorite bloggers, have written about them. NYT cover girl Allie, of Summer is a Verb is hooked. Jeremy Hackett, Mr. Classic himself has expounded on the subject.

I am not against extravagance. I love extravagance. Extravagance makes the world a more civilized place, but really, Belgian Shoes make Tod's appear inexpensive.

So I bit. Why not a pair for my birthday, I reasoned. Several weeks later they arrived. Sheepishly, I eased into them, just around the manse for a while, was my mantra. My god, are these comfortable. I began to make up excuses to dress up during the day. Wanna go to lunch, love?

Fortunately, no one I'm likely to run into most days has a clue what they are. Like fine lingerie, my Belgian's are my hidden indulgence.

Since I've learned they can safely leave home, I've been shopping for my next, and next next pair.

Curse you Internet.

Toad

Has it really been 40 years?

Could it be 40 years?

For those of a certain age, spring commencement season during the late 60's and 1970 was a tumultuous time. Sometimes you hated to see spring come.

The summer of love was long over, replaced by the assassinations of Martin and Bobby, riots in Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Baltimore. The Democratic convention in Chicago. The annual student takeovers of UC-Berkeley.



In Paris, students and workers rebelled.



The Prague Spring protests resulted in a clamp down by the Soviet governments in eastern Europe.

Woodstock in 1969 provided a brief respite, but the anti-Vietnam war protests continued.



Student activism and anti war protests carried on into 1970, leading to the shootings at Kent State University, 40 years ago today. The day the protest movement died.



Feels like yesterday.

Toad

Techno Boy

Today is not my day to shill, but to inform.

Once upon a time, I knew it all. In life, I was a consultant to the telephone industry, since retiring the world has changed and I know less about technology than a 12 year old . This from a guy who no longer has a cell phone, or answering machine.

I came across an IPHONE app that intuitively felt pretty cool, and may be of use to you, or your family.

Line 2 is an the app. It isn't cheap ($15/month), but it may pay for itself a hundred times over. For your $15 here is what you get. A telephone app which looks, works and feels exactly like your standard IPHONE. A second telephone number for your IPHONE. Perhaps a personal number and a business number? Home phones have had that feature for 20 + years. If you have looking for a reason to scrap that seldomly used home phone line, this may be it. Unlimited US and Canadian long distance calling, and about 2 cents a minute elsewhere.

BUT

And this may be the real deal for world travelers, those with kids scattered around the world, those who get lousy AT&T reception. Line 2 not only uses the ATT network, but it prefers to use a wireless internet connection to place and receive calls. The internet provides better reception than AT&T, and all calls worldwide are FREE.

If you have a wireless router at home, or your office, the free internet calling may reduce the ATT minutes you need to pay for every month.

My sister in law has kids in school in Australia. No one really wants to use SKYPE any more than they have too. They use it because it's cheap, not because they want to see who they are talking to, except for ADG who uses it to say goodnight to his lovely daughter across town.

SIL and her daughter have found Line 2 to be a cheap and easy substitute. Probably works for military stationed overseas as well.

Obviously, I've never used it, but it sounds useful. Take a look at David Pogues NYT video on Line 2's home page.

Toad

Getting in touch with my...

Could it be, my life's love has filled the salt shaker with estrogen?

I'm a reader. Mostly non-fiction. During the past week, I can barely read a book start to finish without getting caught up in the sad parts.

Imagine you're writing a book. The publishers expect you to follow the standard arc. Intro, dull bits, conflict, cure.



I can't get through the drama. I'm reading a book because I care, or want to care about the subject. Get to the the trauma and I wanna fix it. Makes no difference if it happened long ago, to people long dead, or a buddy. I can make it better, if only....

I've got to snap out of this. A book a day has shown up this week, most of which I dare not crack, for fear of becoming forever tainted. TIVO is filled with half watched movies I can't man up to finish. This is awful.

It's cook books for me this week. Food porn. No drama, no fixin's.

Toad

Ask & You Shall Receive

DAG asked the other day about the photos on my closet wall. Since there is not much to tell, today is the perfect day to tell it.

For reasons completely unknown to me, and most uncharacteristically, last New Years Day, I found a coupon for Michael's, a chain of arts and crafts stores, and purchased a dozen picture frames.

Somewhere along the line,the idea for the picture wall took root. It's an idea I could get away with in no other room in the house. The rules were simple. No women. Surprisingly, nothing has ever been said, but I suspect there is a lot of eye rolling. My bride indulges me.

The photos have been for the most part liberated from various blog posts, and represent a current pantheon of explorers, adventurers, artists and writers.



George Mallory, the first European to attempt to climb Everest. He died trying. Liberated from Maxminimus

Peter Beard, artist, conservationist

George Mallory and Sandy Irvine. The same Everest expedition


Jim Corbett. British soldier, hunter, explorer

Ian Fleming by Cecil Beaton

Me, by Me

From Alan Flusser's book "Dressing the man"

There is positively no rhyme or reason for any of the photos selected. I have another batch of photos waiting to trade places with these. Mostly authors this time. Twain, Maugham, Dylan Thomas, Hemingway, Capote.

Mercifully, I am on the mend.

Toad

selby

I have caught the galloping crud. A toxic combo to spring allergies, tacos, and too many dogs. We're dog sitting for the next two weeks. So while I recover, or until tomorrow whichever comes first, allow me to share one of my favorite blogs.

Oddly, it rarely shows up on the blog rolls I visit, which is a shame.

For those who have not yet seen it, take a gander at Todd Selby's site The Selby, is in your space Todd is a photographer who specializes in capturing the essence of creative peoples homes and work spaces. His pix are uniformly fabulous, as are his subjects.

ADG, Allie and others dig deep into the archives for Tom Wolff's home.

I haven't kept up as well as I should, but I believe his book is just out, or very soon to be released.

Toad

window shopping

I am happy to not need a thing for spring, but it hasn't stopped my window shopping. Most of the windows are on the other side of this monitor. It's been cold and rainy, and I haven't felt like hitting the real stores anyway.

First up is this great, club collared number from Epaulet. Clubs don't work for me, and this shirt will never be made to fit, but I still love the look.

Epaulet | Club Collar Red Oxford


II. Are you familiar with Lands End's Canvas line?

I remember Lands End from when it was a sailing supply shop. Most of its totes,and canvas bags were the staples which kept them in business. My favorite brief case of all time came from them. A canvas bag, which was perfect for a drummer constantly on the road. It was impossible to overfill.



Anyway, the Canvas line feels like a marriage of The Gap and J Crew. A bit too young for me perhaps, although I am awaiting delivery of a couple of shirts, which I am completely expecting not to fit. More later.

III. Buddy Ellie Stager when she heard about the missing bow tie, got immediately in touch, asking what could possibly replace my missing bow tie?

A blue chambray, says I.

A week later it magically appeared.



It took the longest time to figure out what to wear it with. I eventually found an ivory linen shirt in the closet. A white OCBD will work as well. Let linen season begin.

IV. And finally, my search for the perfect Johnny Apple red gingham shirt has ended. After a long search I found the perfect shirt, and discovered the color looks awful on me. Such is the way with the hunt.

Toad

Must watching for everyone

Watch this. D, you too.

Save this.

Watch it on airplanes, watch it on trains.

Watch it several times.

Pass it on.




Toad

Toad Suck Daze

Get your mind out of the gutter, jeez.

Just a tad north of Little Rock is the community of Conway, Arkansas, population 43,000.


View Larger Map

Each year, generally on the last weekend of April, the locals hold an annual festival, Toad Suck Daze, to raise money to support the community's colleges, and junior college scholarship funds. To date they have raised almost a million dollars. Guess what. It's this weekend.

Sadly, we will be unable to attend, although we approve in spirit. Conway is one of those places you just can't get to from here, although I don't, on principle, object to travel for cotton candy, fried snickers bars, funnel cakes or decent bar b q.

What does "Toad Suck" mean anyway?

Well, the answer is quite simple... Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: "They suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads." Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend and fun live on at Toad Suck Daze.

From the official bulletin

Should you go, I would appreciate a full report. Most often they have biblical rains all weekend.

Further info may be found here and here.

Two other notable festivals occur this weekend as well. Should you find yourself near Breaux Bridge, La. it's time for the annual crawfish festival. You may enjoy Calvin Trillin's report of his visits to the Festival in years past here.

Finally, as long as you are near, why not stop by Natchez, Mississippi for the Natchez Bluff Blues festival?

Toad

Confederate Memorial Day

photo: Richard & Salena Marie Mann.

I like soldiers. I like ours, I like theirs.

Throughout history, soldiers have for the most part, been obedient kids, doing a job their elders told them to do without thought, or concern for the reasons why. They have done their work honorably, to the best of their ability for nothing in return.

I firmly believe that if the pool of conscripts began with 40 to 50 year olds, the world would be a much safer place.

Today, throughout much of the south is Confederate Memorial Day. Without turning the day into a apologist nightmare of code words, and hate speech, I find the tribute fitting.

Americans died during the Civil War, in places far from home, in venues hardly imagined. The memorial above is in Higginsville, Missouri, near Kansas City. The men memorialized there fought and died, some for a cause they believed in, some because fighting was expected of them.

History is not just about the winners. Today, we honor their sacrifice.

Toad

The Winner & Odds and Ends

I've been remiss.

There were 9 entries to the "have I got a deal for someone" white coat giveaway. My thanks to each of you. Most of the entries were pretty straight forward although there was the odd story or two. A winner was selected by my favorite bride.

I waited until now to publicly announce the winner, because in a dash of gallantry, I wanted to make certain the jacket actually fit the winner. My deal with him was that he would send it on to the first runner up if it didn't fit.

In fact, he claims it fits very well. Congratulations Man of the 50's.

I'm so glad to get this out of my closet. Each spring I would drag it out, notice how I hadn't grown taller over the winter, and face the attendant shame of failure all over again.

II. Hell hath no fury.....

Is anyone driving the bus at Amazon? In the past 10 days I have received 4 emails from them. The first thanked me for my pre-order of Dominique Browning's Slow Love. The next warned me the release had been delayed and I could expect it mid to late May. The next two were nonsense. The book arrived yesterday.

I suspect someone at Amazon got a pair of stiletto heels up their.....

III. Have you ever stopped having a habit?

Have you ever had a habit, which unconsciously you stopped having, and didn't notice you'd stopped for quite a while? Other than say, being married?



For 25+ years, with a few exceptions, I have been a 3 cigar a day man. Get in the car (alone) light up, cut the lawn, light up. There is a motor theme here somewhere. There are a number of triggers.

The man in the brown truck showed up Friday. Mrs. T, not expecting anything that day, inquired if that was my monthly cigar order. It then hit me. I hadn't had a cigar since before Christmas. There are several on my desk, the paraphernalia is all about me. I'm just not tempted. Not to say I've quit, just stopped.

Toad

A wonderment

The Complete Zac Posen for Target Collection

There is a boy expression, I hope I'm not thrown out of the club for revealing. Goes something like this.

" She has legs that go........." There are a number of variations, but hopefully you get the point. The slow may contact The Epic for clarification.

If you acknowledge that every pixel of this photo has been manipulated, and the poor girl looks unfortunately like Rachel Zoe, and then discount the heels, just where do those legs go on this Amazon? She's got to be taller than James.

Just wondering.

Toad

A New Rule

It's tough to make new rules. First, you have to care. Then you have to find others who care, devise rules, create penalties, become prepared to impose those penalties. The list is endless.

My new rule however is so practical, so beneficial, and so easy, that it will probably become the 13th or 14 commandment. Wanna peek?

I propose that no blowhard, anywhere, may publish, publicly pronounce, bloviate, or reference ANY scientific study which does not on the very first page provide all the names of those who funded the study, and when in summary announces said study results are better than..., must name and demonstrate all the better thans.

For instance, and I am totally making this up, suppose you read of a study that says dogs shouldn't chew bones. In fact, the results of this study appeared in my morning paper. Wouldn't I be well served to know that MilkBones funded the study? Or perhaps, that dogs eating bones was more harmful than .... eating cryptonite, but less harmful than Milkbones?

I'm willing to suspend disbelief a lot, but I bet my rule would stop a lot of nonsense.

Toad

For those paying attention today is the 394th anniversary of the death of Billy Shakespeare.

Who's the parent?

Not in the womb, but shortly thereafter, I began making fun of old fat men with toy dogs. Now I'm am a dues paying member of that elite fraternity.

Charley, is Mrs. T's dog. She came with specific instructions that if it were cold, dark, inclement or inconvenient I could take care of her. I have a new best friend.

Several weeks go, she surprised me during her morning constitutional, with a head up, chest out gift of a hoof to ankle bone of one of the neighborhood deer. She was incredibly proud of herself. A quick search of the property yielded no other potential gifts.

Sunday afternoon, Mrs. T was away,the doors were open so the animals could come and go and the dogs outside, the papers were on my lap, a dumb movie was on the telly, and I tried valiantly to take a nap.

It was one of those afternoons, I'd just drift off and the phone would ring. It was one thing after another. I persevered though. Finally, dead to the world, all hell broke loose.

The dogs were, best as I could tell, on my chest reenacting the battle of Fredericksburg. Instead, Charley had found more deer bits. This time a rear haunch, and she wasn't sharing.

Attempting to separate the dogs from the bones was going to be a near death experience, and I wanted no part of it. Mrs. T came home, saw the carnage, and laid into poor innocent me. Who's the parent around here? If I've heard that once....

Brunswick stew anyone?

Toad