Tag Archives: humor

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What I’m watching.

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So many streaming services, so little time.

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I’ve never been a big fan of Pierce Brosnan but his steely portrayal of an Irish gangster in this new (raw and violent but extremely watchable) series may change my mind. The fact that it also stars Helen Mirren and Tom Hardy doesn’t hurt.

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I was hesitant to start this quirky Irish comedy/drama but was hooked from episode one. Equal parts tragedy and heartwarming comedy, it’s family at its best.. and absolute worst. The stunning scenery of coastal Ireland alone is worth a look.

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There’s been a lot of buzz around this fast paced medical drama so I thought I’d give it a whirl. At first glance it seemed formulaic. Set in an overworked, understaffed emergency room in Pittsburgh, it had the usual stressed out doctors and nurses with personal problems and an over abundance of medical terminology. Each episode represents one tragic hour of a single day and though I didn’t see anything ground breaking or unfamiliar with this particular show at first, the heartfelt, poignant and often tragic scenes make for an intensely watchable show. Its portrayal of the gritty horror inner city E.R’s face on a daily basis made me admire the real medical personnel even more than I already do.

Kudos to all the real doctors and nurses who literally hold our lives in their hands.

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I’ve stuck with this bizarre train wreck of a series from the beginning without really knowing why. The story line is crazy, the characters far from from lovable… but like a highway accident, you can’t seem to look away.

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Loving season one, I was all in for another deep dive into the Yellowstone origin story. And while some parts were equally as good, overall I was annoyed at the endless (bring them home already!) storyline and (spoiler alert) very unhappy ending.

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Newport – Day 4… back to base, naval history, beer and geese.

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The fourth day of our trip dawned wet.

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So we headed back to the base to check out the Naval War College museum and hopefully find someone familiar with its recent history to talk with my husband about his time there.

On the way, we passed the required geese.

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Rain doesn’t bother them a bit.

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The museum is a fine old building with a unique back story.

From Newport Poor House to Founders Hall

Coasters Harbor Island was the site of Newport’s Asylum for the Poor. Built in 1819, the stone and brick building provided shelter for the town’s homeless. At various times it also served as a quarantine site during epidemics, as a holding area for minor criminals and as a facility for the insane. By the early 1880s, the overflowing facility was taxing Newport’s resources. In 1881 the town relocated the inmates to other institutions and the State Assembly of Rhode Island ceded the island and the building to the federal government.

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As we walked around, we found it had some interesting exhibits.

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But we soon realized we were the only people there…

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Aside from this headless fellow.

No staff, no docents, not a single person for my husband to engage in conversation.

Oh, the horror.

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From the first submarine…

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To a sailor enjoying his projectile a bit too much.

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Past a torpedo boat that just looked… wrong.

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And a WWI listening device that appeared to be George Lucas designed… the place was as quiet as a tomb.

There were marvelous model ships.

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And some history that made me laugh.

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The close ups will explain the laughing.

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Oh, those crazy colonials.

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A civil war drum.

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Some lovely memorabilia.

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With a sailor who knew how to work a parasol.

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We saw a portrait of an admiral who was a dead ringer for Ben Kingsley.

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And propaganda posters…

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As well as a death mask with some ceremonial silver.

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There was even a possible ancestor of the Charmin toilet paper spokesman.

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But not a single historian with whom my husband could chat.

Feeling badly for him, I suggested we take the elevator to the top floor office. We did, but only found a 30 something secretary who hadn’t even been born when my husband was stationed here.

We enjoyed the museum, but I know my guy was disappointed.

And when you’re disappointed?

There’s always beer.

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Newport craft brewery to be exact.

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Which had an excellent tasting space…

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And some very tasty beer.

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I liked the Ungourdly Hour so much I brought some home.

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We were hungry enough for a nibble and discovered they had a satellite station of Wally’s Weiners, a Newport favorite.

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I can’t say I was overly impressed with the corn dog bites or garlic Parmesan fries…

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But the beer was good… and my husband had an hour long conversation with the bartender, telling stories of the old days so I know he was happy.

😊

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Newport – Day 3….. Marble House finale, The Black Pearl and I’d rent that boat.

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Finished with our internal tour, we walked back outside to the rear of the property.

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The mansion was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt and was patterned after a small palace within the grounds of Versailles in France. 

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The mansion is U-shaped, and though it appears to be two stories, is actually four levels. Clad in white Westchester marble from which it gets its name.

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The view is pretty sweet.

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As is the tea house I spoke about earlier.

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Sadly it was locked up tight and we couldn’t explore inside.

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But as far as backyard buildings go, it beats our shed hands down.

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To the left you can see some other large waterfront homes.

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And don’t you just hate it when the neighbors build one larger than yours?

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All in all, Marble House is quite something.

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The side facing Bellevue Avenue has a Corinthian portico, a curved marble carriage ramp, and a semi-circular fountain. 

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And as with everything else, is quite ornate.

Done with our Gilded Age cottage tours for the day, we made a pit stop back at the resort to refresh and change then headed down to the waterfront for dinner.

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On the recommendation of some locals the husband met for breakfast ( did I mention he found a cafe across the street from our resort and became a week long regular eating there every morning? The man has to talk! ) we tried The Black Pearl.

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And when they say black?

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Everything was black.

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My pomegranate margarita and wild mushroom roasted chicken were wonderful but the husband was unimpressed by the menu and protested by just having chowder.

Whatever.

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An evening stroll along the marina was required as we had to park what felt like a mile away…

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But the scenery wasn’t half bad.

This boat was available for charter and I instantly imagined a fabulous pirate cocktail party.

Aaargh!

😊

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Newport – Day 3… Marble House, upstairs downstairs.

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Moving on upstairs and around the balcony..

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We find a portrait of the master of the house,

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William K. Vanderbilt.

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And a memorial room to his youngest child and avid yachtsman, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt. Harold successfully defended the America’s Cup three times and is known for inventing the rules of contract bridge. When a subsequent owner of Marble House put it up for sale in 1963, it was Harold who stepped in and donated the money to the Preservation Society for its purchase.

Thank you Harold.

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Down an impressive mahogany paneled hallway…

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My bad knee ached at the thought of the servant’s stairs, but down we went.

And how do you know they’re the servant’s stairs?

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Because there are locked bars at the base to keep the riff raff delivery people from mixing with the family.

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I’m not sure why the butler’s office has a parrot, but there he is.

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My husband got a huge kick out of this water heater and its primitive but effective level indicator.

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The kitchen.

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I can’t imagine how stifling and busy this space must have been for the 6-8 weeks of summer residence.

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Husband loved the old coffee grinder.

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Someone still polishes those copper pots today.

No thank you!

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A French chef and 6 assistants prepared the meals.

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On the 15 foot coal fired stove.

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Alva, at a costume party.

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The annual auto parade, where cars were covered in flowers and driven on parade.

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Then? $382,500.

Today?

$380 million.

😳

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A few funnies.

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We’ll start with Lord Dudley Mountcatten because he always makes me smile.

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Kristi however, does not.

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I hate everything about Crocs.

The look, the feel…

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And I’d venture to say that cat agrees.

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Funny image, but the AI comments on the bottom are priceless.

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His Lordship attempting to climb into the fox food bag.

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Worst. Cocktail. Name.

Ever.

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Worst president.

Ever.

😉

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Newport – Day 3…. The Gilded Age was real, not just an HBO series.

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The Grand Salon of the Marble House was very much that.

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Also known as the Gold Room for obvious reasons, the walls are covered in 22 karat leaf.

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Move the furniture and it serves as a ballroom as well.

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The decorative elements are borrowed from Versailles, that other simple cottage across the pond.

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Heading up the marble front stairs is an experience in itself.

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You tend to run out of adjectives and simply gawk.

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Here’s the husband, doing just that.

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It really isn’t hard to imagine giant skirted ladies, dripping jewels, floating down the stairs on the arm of someone fabulous here .

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Consuelo Vanderbilt’s bedroom. Eldest child, she married Charles Spencer-Churchill, the 9th Duke of Marlborough.. and clearly loved the color red.

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The lady of the house’s boudoir.

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Alva married well and took New York and Newport society by storm, elevating the Vanderbilt name to the highest rung on the social ladder.

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Oddly enough she was a feminist and became heavily involved in the women’s suffrage movement, building a tea house on the property to hold rallies in support of women winning the right to vote.

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Her bedroom is ultra feminine and covered in silk.

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The HBO series The Gilded Age filmed in quite a few of the Newport cottages and used many of the rooms in Marble House as set decoration inspiration.

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Newport – Day 3…. Marble and dragons and gold. Oh my.

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When we visited the Breakers on our third morning in Newport and bought our tickets for entry, we purchased the multi pack which allowed us to tour three of the Preservation Society’s properties.

So that afternoon we parked off Bellevue Avenue and walked to number two.

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Past ornate wrought iron gates….

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Past houses with extra large lawn ornaments….

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Along giant slabs of slate sidewalks…

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To our destination.

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Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 as a 39th birthday present for Alva Vanderbilt from her husband, William. At a total cost of $11 million, ($384 million today) it consists of 500,000 cubic ft. of marble that cost $7 million alone. Considered the most lavish house in America, this 50-room summer residence was still called a “cottage” in the Newport tradition.

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And yes, there was a whole lotta marble.

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On the floor, the walls and the ceiling.

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Gold?

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The dining room has that in spades. Even the chairs are covered in it.

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The library/morning room.

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Alva loved France, French art and French architecture.

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And because she acquired a collection of Medieval and Renaissance art she had a gothic room built to display them.

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As one does.

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It’s a charming little space.

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Understated and plain.

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Not!

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Heck, it even has a dragon.

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🐉 😊🐉

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Let’s play.

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Because it’s Friday and that’s what we do here.

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My roommate put a dead (headless 🤢) mouse in my shoe.

My roommate comes into the bathroom and watches me pee.

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My roommate hides under the bed and attacks my ankles as I walk by.

My roommate likes belly rubs when he’s high on catnip.

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How about you…

What does your roommate do?

(If you’re not lucky enough to share your space with a feline, feel free to substitute dog, hamster, bird, lizard etc)

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We are beyond disappointed.

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Remember my fabulous birthday gift to my husband this year?

The chance for him to live his dream of attending the taping of an Antique Roadshow?

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Well, the bastards didn’t choose our entry.

My husband won’t be able to stand in line for hours clutching his beloved treasures. He won’t be able to meet the Keno brothers, or chat up Kevin Zavian. Even though I sent in our form the day after they announced, even though my husband is their number one fan.

Damn them.

My guy is inconsolable.

😰

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Newport – Day 3…. The Breakers finale and a fabulous Irish pub.

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Finishing our tour of the top floor we strolled across the upper loggia.

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It was a semi outdoor sitting room.

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Filled with wicker furniture, rugs and potted palm trees in its day.

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The ceiling is a continuation of the painted sky from the great hall.

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Looking out…. you can see the waves breaking over the cliffs that give the house its name 30 feet below.

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Here’s the husband taking a picture of the servant’s stairs.

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The kitchen was large and extremely workable.

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Which is a good thing considering the size of the dinner parties they had to cater.

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Here’s the separate two story butler’s pantry that housed the china. Because why have one 50 piece pattern… when you have the space for 20? The family’s 1,000 piece monogrammed Tiffany silver was kept here as well. In the locked safe. Away from the possible sticky fingers of the 40 person staff.

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Here are some exterior photos of the house.

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The sun was hard to avoid so pardon the rays here and there.

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We visited the Breakers once, decades ago in the summer… and the grounds were lovely.

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Me, in 1989, tan and thin.

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Husband in 1989, still active duty and thin.

In March 2025 things were mostly brown.

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World’s largest bird bath?

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I can’t imagine having this type of wealth.

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Or living in this type of home.

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But it sure was fun to wander around and pretend we did.

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We spent the entire morning here and were famished by the time we were through. Reading in the brochure about a cafe on the grounds, we brought our appetites.

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Only to discover the elaborate building had no kitchen, just bottled drinks in a cooler and bags of chips.

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Bit of a let down, that.

After battling the crowded Thames Street waterfront…where there were ample restaurants but no parking, we drove a little farther and discovered Zelda’s.

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A wonderful Irish pub favored by locals.

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Nautically themed…

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With an anchor chain serving as bar foot rail…

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We happily settled in for lunch.

My cocktail of choice?

PRICKLY PEAR SPRITZ

RUFFINO PROSECCO, FRUITFUL PRICKLY PEAR, ELDERFLOWER LIQUOR, FRESH LEMON

Perfection!

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And ooh la la.

A weird selection for an Irish pub… but their shrimp and grits was da bomb. They were fried, which was also weird, but everything was perfectly cooked and spiced. Tender shrimp, creamy cheesy grits, I was a happy camper.

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There’s a very large Irish presence in Newport. Most of whom are ancestors of the original indentured servants brought over to serve the wealthy and build their fabulous summer homes. The robber barons are gone, but the Irish remain. And because of that….you’re never very far from a decent pub.

😊

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