GO BULLDOGS!

Butler University got into the final 4 in NCAA basketball.

It is the Cinderella story of an unlikely team making

it so far and being led by a young 32 yeat old

coach Brad Stevens.

After my trip downtown we were driving by the campus at
precisely the moment when the game ended so I got a few
shots of some of the kids celebrating.


Car horns were honking loudly. There were many
police cars moving in as kids were out with their
beer cans pumping their fists.

The now famous Hinkle fieldhouse.
I think the kids were all running to a pep
rally.

I kept thinking what it would be like to be

young again and have your school get to this historical event. We drove

home via Broad Ripple which was really hopping too.

Fun to have this since the Colts loss at the Super Bowl.

Wandering Downtown Indy!

yesterday was a beautiful sunny day so

a lazy afternoon was spent at the Eiteljorg.

After meandering around the somewhat disappointing

Women in Art Market also saw an interesting

exhibit about pistols. I did not realize how fancy

those were and Tiffany had even gone into the

crafting of pistols that were commisioned by

wealthy people like Gene Autry's wife.

Strolling around downtown can be fun

notice the monument in the background

and our state capital building

I found this Cuban Cafe on my new android phone apps called
urban spoon. It was quaint and had great food at good prices.
Mojitos were $5. The sandwiches feed 2 people easily. But the
real find were the tostones - stamped fried plaintains in a mojo
sauce.




Below is a special domino table. Dominos is a very
popular game in Cuba as well as Jamaica.

I think this would be a restaurant to return to and hopefully it
is still in business. It is obviously Cuban owned and very authentic.

BARBIE'S 50TH BIRTHDATE

I recently got an email about Barbie turning 50 and

this photo was with it showing how fat she had

gotten over the years. My cousin Barbie also turned

fifty last week and so I was inspired to blog about her.

Obviously time has been good to my cousin who does not look

a day over 30. You be the judge. It was a surprise party,

notice the Depends hanging on the entry.

For her 50 is the new 30.

But it is just math after all and good genes.

Great chocolate cake and great food was had by all the family

and friends in attendance.

Gag gifts of diapers and arthritis medicines were given

and this very special red purse was purchased in Las Vegas for the event

The decorating theme was DEPENDS

so we had to each write a greeting on a diaper

and hang it on the wall. Scott got the prize

for the most original greeting.

The chinese word for poop is "Oshee"

so his greeting said "Osheet" you are 50.

Maybe you have to be a hakka chinese person

to get it but we were all rolling in the aisles.

Since June Allison was not available we got

Scott to model the "depends".

Proud Aunt.

This is my 38 year old niece Vanessa who is a dentist.

Purple is her favorite color and she used to stay with

me during her college years some summers and many

weekends because her parents did not live in Indy

at the time. We were very close and will always

be soul sisters. Vanessa was always very determined

to follow through on projects in her life.

I remember one summer she rented a sewing machine

and made about 100 skirts. The next summer she was

playing the violin and one summer the flute. Then there

was the summer she took up fly fishing on my lake and

we had many fish to fry.

She built a new dental office in New Palestine which is featured

below. She has about 8 opertories and has some other dentists

working with her. She however does most of the work and

is reputed to be very quick and very able. These are reports

I get from friends whom I have recommended.

Note the pleasant updated decor with very good lighting throughout

She has a salt water fish tank that the kid's love as well as a playroom

for kids.

Downtairs she has a whole apartment with a full kitchen,
several bedrooms and a living room as well as a full bathroom.

She uses it currently as a lunch room and exercise
area for her staff. She told me that if I ever became
indigent I could always live there for free. I thought
that was sweet of her. I hope I never have to take up
that offer but it is nice to know that. So that's why
I am proud of Vanessa besides the fact that she also
provides me with free dental care. Her website is
http://www.newpalfamilydentistry.com/
Please check it out.

"SLAINTE"

Slainte is the Irish toast most commonly used

and it means "Health". This was heard a lot last night.

Friends gathered at "The Pawn Shop" on 54th Street.

Brian featured below is the proprietor. He

treated us well as we are connected to the Willis'. We

had a nice outdoor table warmed by a heater.

Enjoy some of the photos of people who were sighted.

Notice the multi-generational crowd.

We were given Jameson shot glasses that lit up.

Barb claims St. Patrick's day is her favorite holiday.

You don't have to buy gifts, cook any meals, or decorate

your home. You simply have to eat corned beef and cabbage,

wear green and drink green beer.

Bagpipers arrived at about 8pm and they stayed awhile and

played the usual Irish Classics such as "Danny Boy", "Amazing

Grace", and even "When the Saints go marching in".

This is a mother/son combo who performed in the pipers.

Do you know why people wear green on St. Patrick's day?

Green makes you invisible to leprechauns who pinch

people regularly. So the wearing of the green is to avoid pinches.

As I hate pinches, I had to wear green starting at the office.

Here is bill who claims to have some Irish wearing a kilt.

He is one of the computer gurus that we share a suite with.

He is a great guy who is so helpful with my computer woes.

So till next year "Slainte" to you.

Movie review "The Stoning of Soraya M"

I got a blue ray DVD and now have free movies that stream in from Netflix.
It does not cost anymore for this option and I love it because I get a choice
of over 17000 films, many of which are foreign ones. Last night I watched this
movie and was literally in tears. It is a true story about an Iranian woman
in a remote Iranian village who is stoned to death by the village
because her husband trumped up charges of infidelity against her.
It is a story told to a French journalist played by James Caviezel,
because one woman took the risk of making sure the world would know
about such atrocities. The journalist got the word out and wrote a book
and made a film . The film was a runner up as best movie to
"Slum Dog Millionaire" in that year in the foreign film genre.
What was most interesting was the power that Mob rule had
when even the woman's 2 young sons threw rocks at their
mother when encouraged by the crowd. This is a great movie which
I recommend to you. This kind of thing still unfortunately happens
in the middle east where women have no rights. It is a very harrowing
tale and if you are not moved then you are made of stone.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!

Ever wonder who lives in these homes?

I think there must be 10 or more bedrooms and wonderful parties

happening in them. Most of them have yachts out front and 2 Lexus'

in the garage.

Some are Italianate

Some have staircaises going nowhere just for show

What would a cave dweller from Afghanistan think of this opulence?

Except for the 1st two homes these are on an island on a bay in St. Petersbugh

Florida. They all front on the water but our walk was from the road side.

Rumor has it that one man had the light coming off of a street lamp into

his bedroom window. He had the road diverted.

It is fun to walk here and ooh and aah over the wealth and wonder

how these people got all their moola.