A Fop in Harlem and Abigail's Undinal Adventures

It took me a bit longer than I had anticipated but I have finished reading the last couple Rivers of London entries. Well, a novella and a novel; not sure if there's been a comic or short story lately.

Finishing The Masquerades of Spring was slightly bittersweet as my wife and I were supposed to see Ben Aaronovitch at a promotional event for it back in 2024. But she unceremoniously cancelled our trip to the UK and I was unable to get a refund on my ticket to the event. I hope Mr. Aaronovitch put my $15 or whatever it was to good use.

A novella, it is told from the point of view of one Augustus Berrycloth-Young, a British ex-pat residing in New York City during the 1920s who is more than a bit of a dandy. His libertine lifestyle is interrupted when Nightingale shows up seeking help investigating a saxophone with seemingly supernatural powers.

It's a fun trek through the demimonde of 1920s New York. Since Augustus is gay and his lover is black, the story deals with homophobia and racism, though I don't feel that it ever got preachy.

Stone & Sky is a full-length novel and features Peter Grant on summer holiday in Scotland - the Aberdeen area. He's there with his significant other, Beverley Brook, their twins, and his parents to boot. Also enjoying the sights is Nightingale and his latest novice, Abigail Kamara.

Things are going alright with Peter having to keep the twins out of trouble and helping his dad's jazz band with their gigs. Then he gets dragged into an investigation of a murder by the local constabulary where it is discovered that the victim has gills.

Peter's sleuthing yields that the local fae - think selkie, kelpie - have become entangled with a large energy company looking to milk the North Sea oil taps dry.

Another fun entry in the Rivers of London series. Nightingale has a minor role and, in a twist, the narrative is split between accounts by Peter and Abigail. Peter juggles obligations family and Folly while Abigail strikes out on her own, largely. Of course she has the snarky fox Indigo to accompany her. In pursuit of a panther of unknown origins, Abigail encounters Ione and develops a Sapphic fondness for her and learns that there is more to Ione that meets the eye.

I loved the Scottish dialogue and hearing that accent in my mind. 

At one point I encountered this text: 

After my trip to Birmingham last year, I read this knowing where the Black Country is and what a Brummie is. Travel really does broaden the mind. A little Londoner prejudice on the part of Aaronovitch? Ha!

Two very fun tales. It was really nice to get caught up in the series. I shall have to see if any new Rivers of London comics have been published in the last few years.

Piper, 18 February 2026

My sweetie pie Piper came up on the bed as I was doing my physical therapy today. Look at that cuteness!

Food & Family

Piper likes chow and I like chow. She usually has tuna and salmon with some occasional chicken thrown in whereas my diet is much broader.

A few weeks ago I made a large batch of chili.

I know people who have spent much of their adult lives perfecting a chili recipe. They've made countless batches to get the amounts just right and donned their alchemist hats to experiment with non-traditional ingredients as if they were transmuting diced tomatoes into gold. Just as folks argue whether gumbo without okra is truly gumbo, many people maintain that chili without beans isn't really chili but rather some imperfect simulacrum.

On this day, I decided to forgo the beans. In addition, my broth was generously cut with beer - Back 40 by New Glarus and my spice dish had a heap of cocoa on it.

When I started cooking I thought that I had a couple of jalapenos to throw in but the chilies proved illusory. D'oh! As my chili cooked, the pot took on this rode hard and put away wet look with crusted chili on the sides as it reduced. 

It turned out well though I wish I'd been able to throw some fresh chilies in it. Instead I had to settle for serving it with canned ones.

I have yet to get a hold of this cooking for one thing and so about half the batch ended up in the freezer for another day.

Earlier this week in the antelucan hours I made cole slaw. For some reason I had arisen rather early and, after doing the dishes and sweeping a bit, I realized that the cole slaw mix in the refrigerator wouldn't last forever so I'd better encase it in vinegar suspended in mayo sooner rather than later.

When it came to seasoning I found that my pepper mill was depleted and so the pepper would have to be applied later after a trip to Penzeys. In addition, I made too much dressing but didn't realize it until after I had dumped the slaw mix into the bowl. As per usual, I couldn't remember if one of these bags required 1/2 cup of mayo or 3/4. The answer was the former though I went with the latter. Oh well.

In addition to eating the stuff straight from the container, I also served it with a smoked pork chop. 

The chops were neither free-range nor organic and weren't lovingly smoked by an artisanal butcher who chopped the wood themselves. Instead they were sourced from my local supermarket. Needs must when the devil drives.

Into the pan along with the mass-produced chops was my last Winesap apple from a trek last autumn to Lapacek's Orchard, some kraut, and a generous splash of Aidan, a smoked rye oyster stout from Lakefront Brewery.

A simple meal, to be sure, but it was quick and easy to prepare after returning home from the office.

One meal that was not quick and easy was a batch of gołąbki that I made a couple weeks back. It had been a while since I'd made gołąbki proper instead of the soup version and was inspired by a recent meal at a Georgian restaurant where the dolma were tasty.

It was decided to use savoy cabbage instead of white. Regardless of which variety I used I still needed a stock pot to boil the head of wrapper leaves in. Someone helpfully pointed out a very affordable 8-quart model at Farm & Fleet which was purchased that morning while running errands. 

The filling was prepared first and the process aided by several sips of some Back 40 bock which had been promoted from chili ingredient to chef lubricator. I used a mix of ground pork and beef from Meat People. Many thanks to the gentleman there who ground the pork as I waited.

In addition to a new type of cabbage, I also cooked in a seasoned beef broth instead of a tomato sauce. 

They turned out very tastily. I lieu of tomato sauce, I used some peri peri hot sauce.

Last weekend I made brownies. 

Rye brownies, to be exact. Although I sampled like any sane cook would, I really made them for my youngest stepson and his father. The old man has cancer and I do not know his prognosis. Considering that the cancer came out of remission, I have little confidence of it going back for any great length of time. But never say never, right?

While dropping them off I was pleasantly surprised when the old man came down to the foyer to greet me. It had been a year or so since I'd seen him and much longer since we did much more than exchange pleasantries.

He had lost weight and looked gaunt. Not Iggy Pop-like, just plain old gaunt with his cheeks a bit sunken. He greeted me with a hint of a smile and said, "Ah, the other member of the [my wife's name] ex-husband club." Needless to say, I laughed.

He asked if there was anything special in the brownies and I apologized that there was no hash in them. Though disappointed, he remarked that his doctor wants him to eat more though he lacks an appetite a lot of the time. I quipped that I hoped the brownies might help.

We ended up chatting for several minutes about various things such as his health and cats of which he has 3. It was very nice to talk with him for a few reasons not the least of which is simply that we've always gotten along and we were able to share some laughs. But also I think it's good for my stepson to see some comity between his father and stepfather especially now that there is none between me and his mother. Indeed, the opposite prevails, sadly. Lastly, I got see the man in the flesh and hear first-hand a few details about his health.

My guess is that he doesn't have that long, though we'll see how it goes. I am worried because my stepson is not ready for the aftermath of his father's death. Not just the loss of his father, but dealing with his estate, dealing with his father's family in the wake of the loss of a member, etc. I worry about the kid and wonder about the old man's health and was happy that, while he didn't look great, he also didn't look like the walking dead. He was mobile so I think he has a modicum of time left, at least.

Since my divorce began there are moments when my mind spontaneously steps back to a 10,000' view and I look down and see my friends & family, all the social networks of which I am a part and it is both gratifying and humbling. I had one of those moments as I drove away. A weird feeling emerged - that I get along with my wife's ex-husband but not her. Just a recognition that times have changed, I suppose.

Now I need to think about what to make for the next round of sweets for them.

Song of the day, 18 February 2026

I was going to write "With the rumor about Phish starting their summer tour here in Madison..." but now see that this is not a rumor and is, in fact, true. Phish will be here on 7 & 8 July.

So here's one of my favorite songs of theirs - "Free".

More adventures in bread

Last month I tried my hand at a loaf of chocolate cherry bread and failed miserably.

It did not rise very much and I'm not sure why. 

My guess is that the water I used wasn't warm enough.

The cookbook said to put the dried cherries in after a particular cycle and, while I thought I followed directions, the cherries largely ended up at the bottom of the loaf.

The bread tasted fine, though. A bit on the rib sticking side but it had a nice, mellow chocolate taste without much sweetness. Plus who doesn't like tart cherries?

My next attempt at brot was another loaf of herb bread and it turned out well. You'll have to trust me here as no photos exist. The crust was crispy while the inside was light and fluggy a la Wonder Bread. My previous attempt had rosemary in it but this time I had the prescribed tarragon as well as some dried chives that were liberally applied. I really enjoyed my piece while the rest was given away. The recipients were most pleased.

Today I baked buckwheat bread. I was inspired by a loaf from Ideal Bakery that was found at Woodmans. Perhaps the moistest bread known to man, it was like Tres Leches cake but in bread form. And without the milks. And not sweet. The stuff was essentially toaster-resistant. I'd put a slice in for 2 rounds on the darkest setting and it'd pop up and feel toasty to the touch, though it didn't brown much. Upon taking a bite I found that the interior was still extremely moist - like a sponge. As if it was made of those Damprid crystals. It was a most singular bread.

My loaf was not 100% buckwheat, although I did double the amount of buckwheat flour in the recipe from 1/3 of a cup to 2/3 and adjusted the wheat accordingly. 

I like how it turned out.

It's got that buckwheat tint to it, has a crispy crust, and a wonderful roasty, earthy taste to it. Doubling the buckwheat was definitely a good call.

Sunday in the (Eken) Park

When I moved into Eken Park last fall I fully intended to take a stroll around my new neighborhood to get the lay of the land, see what there was to see, and get some photographs of the fall colors. Eken Park the Park™ was resplendent in its autumnal yellows and oranges. My plans were foiled by weather, travel, time taken to get my apartment together, and laziness/procrastination. They kept getting pushed off for another day and then the next thing I know the day that all the leaves had fallen somehow arrived. 

On Sunday temperatures climbed into very springlike 50s and I had intended to enjoy the nice weather by walking to a friend's house to drop off some pelmeni but we had trouble communicating so I grabbed my camera and headed out to do some wandering. On my travels I managed to get photos of the many Trachte buildings in Eken Park, which I've posted already, but also of the scenery and things that simply caught my eye.

Eken Park is named after brothers Thomas and Ole Eken who were Norwegian immigrants. A large chunk of the neighborhood was formerly the Eken family farm with the rest of it belonging to the Stang and McCormick families who now have streets named after them. It looks like the western part of the neighborhood along North Street, which had a streetcar line, was built up in the 1920s while the area further east was developed in the 1940s with smaller, often prefab, homes for the working class employees of the nearby Oscar Mayer plant as well as returning G.I.s.

Overall it has a similar look and timeline to Eastmorland, the neighborhood that I moved from. 

The Madison Airport was north of Coolidge Street where Highway 30 and the Bridges golf course are today. The airport hosted the Ringling Brothers Circus for many years.

With the isthmus filling up with luxury apartments and home prices that are egregiously expensive, Eken Park has become at least moderately trendy and home to many younger folks who cannot afford something closer to downtown. My guess is that the neighborhood is still home to a fair number of working class people but that population is declining. However, the apartments along Oak and Pawling streets, along with others, will no doubt continue to give the area a working class tint for some time to come.

Eken Park is not a particularly large neighborhood but there is a noticeable contrast between the patrons of Ogden's North Street Diner and those that I see going in and out of the apartments on Oak Street.

Onto my stroll. 

This house managed to winterize some Halloween decorations and combine them with some greenery.

While I am sad that the Oscar Mayer plant no longer processes meat and provides employment for thousands, I am also glad that, since I now live in Eken Park, I do not have to inhale of the aroma of hot dogs being made which was like a pungent delight but the exact opposite.

One of my neighbors is an Alice in Wonderland fan, it seems.

Ogden's looked to be doing brisk business as I walked by with a trio of women outside waiting for a table. A couple houses down I heard the cadence of wood being hit. At first I thought it was someone taking advantage of the weather to do some home maintenance. Then, after really listening, I realized the sound emanated from above and had to be a woodpecker. Indeed it was.  I think it was a downy. 

Despite being in plain sight, I struggled to find it in my camera's viewfinder and so my photography was half-assed, at best, here.

I like this picture on the door of a garage which is Trachte-shaped but sided so as to obscure its origins.

Those are some badass fish and fowl. The second instance of a non-human animal smoking seen on my walk.

I presume this building was an office and/or some kind of switching station for Ma Bell back in the day. No idea what is there today.

While Eken Park the Park™ lacked foliage, it still looked quite pleasant with families at the west end with kids enjoying the playground.

Someone's front yard had been transformed into a metallic sculpture garden. Look there! Formerly encased in a block of ice...Holy sh*t! It's Godzilla!

 

 

When I was ambling right in the bowels of the neighborhood - down Maywood and Stang south of Commerical Avenue and on Fairfield Place, I got this feeling of being somewhere new, as if I was no longer just a few blocks from home. Perhaps not even in Madison. These streets are very beautiful with mature trees, a smattering of pre-war homes along with ones from the 40s that don't look pre-fab/cookie cutter. A very nice area.

 

A lovely stroll through my new neighborhood. I am looking forward to doing it again when the scenery is more verdant and more colorful with flowers in bloom. 

Uff da!

Sky

The sky was beautiful when I got home yesterday evening.

The Piper's Progress

Piper will be 13 in just a couple months and I plan to celebrate. Last week she went into the vet for a blood draw to check on her hyperthyroidism.

"Hooman! Why am I in a cage again?!"

The vet came back with good news.: "Piper's blood work looks excellent. All liver values, kidney values, blood proteins, glucose, electrolytes, and cell counts are unremarkable. Her thyroid level is right where we want it in the lower half of the normal range which is great news...I also saw that Piper was recently in for her annual evaluation with MVS and her eyes seems quite stable which is great..."

She has taken to squatting on my chest at meal times, something she did occasionally in the past but it's been a common occurrence the past week or two.

"It is time for chow, hooman!" 

The Trachte buildings of Eken Park (And one from Sherman too)

Eken Park has several Trachte buildings.

There are at least two on Coolidge Street. 

This one is on Coolidge as well but I am not sure that it's a Trachte.

The most well-known ones in Eken Park are on Commercial Avenue. R.I.P. Resale Records.

And here's one from the Sherman Neighborhood. It's sneakily camouflaged.

Outside my windows

The sunrise was very pretty this morning.

It is really nice to have several trees outside my office windows. There was a squirrel outside my window for a long time this afternoon. Perhaps it was enjoying the slightly warmer weather or at least the sun which has been in short supply this month. 

At some point it appeared to have gotten sleepy and was taking a nap - with one eye open.

Supporting local artists

The call went out to find a good home for the C.J. Chenier ticket that I couldn't use and someone bit. Now I just had to get the ticket to him. A rendezvous point was chosen: Rogue's Gallery. They were having a little soiree last Friday called "The Heart Show".

It wasn't long after I arrived and that I found the gentleman who was going to get to see C.J. Chenier and handed over the ticket. He was standing near a woman who is (was?) a friend of my wife's whom I knew a little. We exchanged hello's and she promptly walked over to another group of people. I hoped that she hadn't been taken in by my wife's recent malicious tales which were either confabulations or slander. Hopefully the former. Later, as I was walking by her, she made a friendly comment.

I didn't and still don't know what to make of our encounters. While I do not know this woman well, I have always liked her and feel like we have gotten along over the years. Hopefully this was just a bout of social awkwardness compelled by my divorce and that there is no malice involved. Certainly not from me. This woman is a very interesting lady.

It's possible that she is no longer friends with my wife, which would be very sad. I spoke with another woman over the winter who told me that she is now an ex-friend of my Frau's and that she, my noch-Frau, has cut off ties with many of her now former friends.

Ach!

Divorce sucks. I am looking forward to these awkward first encounters since the divorce to be over.

One encounter which was not awkward that night was with Erika Koivunen, metal artist extraordinaire. She does some fine work with scrap metal and an arc welder or whatever device she uses. It was lovely to make eye contact with her and to be greeted by name with a smile.

Erika showed me her area in the workshop. Piles of rusty bicycle gears and sad looking flatware sat next to finished pieces such as this one which is part of a series.

Baba Yaga is one of her latest themes. Erika showed me some metallic mushrooms to go with these pieces. I think I am going to buy one once I have space for it in my living room.

Ere long Erika had to go mingle some more and I bid her adieu. It was wonderful to see her and trash talk her brother behind his back as we hadn't done so in a while.

I didn't linger at the soiree too long. But, wanting to support the local arts, I did buy a couple prints by Leah MacLeod.

This one is called Cantica of Deep Time. 

I love the shades of blue used here. Plus pretty ladies are always nice. And it's a neat surreal scene of handless clocks floating like buoys in the open water. I am unsure what the whales up top above the arch are meant to represent or make the viewer contemplate.

You know I had to get the one with the cat.

It's called Indigo Sky and I again love the shades of blue. And there's a cat. Did I mention that yet? I envision this feline as being the familiar of a witchy lady who perhaps directs her orisons to the moon. Or bathes in the power of the moon to devise cantrips that would make the cat less naughty.

It was a fairly brief night out but fun nonetheless. I was happy that I kept the prints from getting bent on the bus ride home and they now look mighty nice on my refrigerator door.