The truth of this sentiment is why I'm a "Dog Person":
Friday, January 04, 2008
Catty Remarks
A tip of the Toque to buddy Lurch.
The truth of this sentiment is why I'm a "Dog Person":
The truth of this sentiment is why I'm a "Dog Person":
Quote of the Week Month Year Lifetime
II don't want to be healthy, I want to be big like Dada."
-- The Lad
*sigh* Time to diet.
-- The Lad
*sigh* Time to diet.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Took The Lad sledding this weekend up at Santiam Pass. It was the first time I'd driven the Subaru in snow, and I loved it. The AWD is considered a traction device, so we didn't have to mount our cables, and the car grabbed the road very nicely. Only twice did we swerve at all, and that was while making U-turns. While driving the road normally, I felt no drift or slippage at all. I got a little cocky, though, and parked us in snow a TAD too deep -- but with myself and another person pushing, we got out with very little effort.
The Lad loved the snow, as did Little Big Dog -- lhasa apsos are from tibet, and despite the 20 degree weather, she never even shifered.
As for sledding, that was another story. This fat man almost killed himself carrying The Lad and a sled up the hill, and when we finally took off, The LAd seated in front of me, the hill was super fast, and displaying a bit of over-protectiveness, I kept braking with my boots -- throwing copious amounts of snow into my face and The Lads. One run was enough, and he was ready to go. But all in all it was a fun day, and we hope to get up there at least once more this winter.
The Lad loved the snow, as did Little Big Dog -- lhasa apsos are from tibet, and despite the 20 degree weather, she never even shifered.
As for sledding, that was another story. This fat man almost killed himself carrying The Lad and a sled up the hill, and when we finally took off, The LAd seated in front of me, the hill was super fast, and displaying a bit of over-protectiveness, I kept braking with my boots -- throwing copious amounts of snow into my face and The Lads. One run was enough, and he was ready to go. But all in all it was a fun day, and we hope to get up there at least once more this winter.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Better than what I Wanted
TFR got me the skillet I asked for for Christmas, along with the Bird's Beak Paring Knife, and a few non-culinary items. My mother decided to send gift money and let me pick for myself. These days, it's much easier for her, and quite frankly, I am not put out by it -- never mind curmudgeonly grumbling about it not being as "personal" as an actual gift. The fact is my mother has gone far above and beyond in showing me her love my entire life -- no gift is going to add anything more, no lack of one can diminish that.
So anyway, I decided that thanks to my mom, I'd get the book I asked for. I was also going to buy the fillet knife, but when I went to order the book, I ran into a dillemma. The book was $23 and some change, and fell just short of qualifying for free shipping. So I looked around Amazon a bit longer, and found this. A better fillet knife than the forschner, and for a similar price. Now, if I'd bought the Forschner I could have received a 10% discount from the cutlery store. But when you consider the $2.86 shipping I avoided paying on the book by buying the knife too, it equals a 10.8% savings -- and I end up paying about the same and getting a better knife -- and one made here in Oregon, to boot!
So anyway, I decided that thanks to my mom, I'd get the book I asked for. I was also going to buy the fillet knife, but when I went to order the book, I ran into a dillemma. The book was $23 and some change, and fell just short of qualifying for free shipping. So I looked around Amazon a bit longer, and found this. A better fillet knife than the forschner, and for a similar price. Now, if I'd bought the Forschner I could have received a 10% discount from the cutlery store. But when you consider the $2.86 shipping I avoided paying on the book by buying the knife too, it equals a 10.8% savings -- and I end up paying about the same and getting a better knife -- and one made here in Oregon, to boot!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Santa Claus is Coming to Town Going to Drown
This is the kind of crap you miss the chance to mock when you're busy with school.
My friend Brian (aka Lurch) told me about this first -- a speech by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in which he warns kids at a tree-lighting ceremony that if they don't help fight global warming, Santa and his reindeer (and presumably the elves too) would drown.
No, really. You can read the mayor's entire letter to Santa over at Michelle Malkin's Blog.
Wow. Where to begin.
I could go off on a rant about fear-mongering, about traumatizing little kids in order to indoctrinate them to your politics, about commandeering a public festivity for your own ends... but that's been done, in spades, by everyone who's commented on this at Michelle's, and by other bloggers.
That WAS, in fact, my first inclination when I heard about this story. While I haven't been able to find a transcript of the speech itself, Lurch heard it and says that Nickels included a dig at Bush in the speech, inplying that global warming was somehow worse because of the President. If that's true, that's the point where the reprehensible aspects of Nickels screed and the laughable parts overlap. It's bad enough to use a tree-lighting ceremony as a bully pulpit for advancing your own agenda regarding global warming, but when your fanatical adherence to the Party Line regarding Global Warming collides with BDS, you start to become self-lampooning.
Not that there isn't plenty to mock even without any reference to the President. First of all there's the irony in the fact that the mayor was offering flourescent bulbs to replace older incandescent bulbs -- missing the memo about the dangers of the mercury present in the ballast of flourescent bulbs. LED bulbs are even more efficient AND safer for the environment.
Or there's Nickels' comment in the letter, "Reindeer fly, but can they swim, too? I for one would rather not find out."
Ummmm... Your honor... Reindeer swim across rivers and bays every year during their annual migrations... I know your comment was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but given the earnestness with which you present your little screed as scientific truth, your lack of knowledge of such a well-known fact really does make you look a bit silly.
Oh, screw it. There's just so much here, and I'm still burned out. I don't have it in me to go off like I'd want to. Instead of cursing the dark, I think I'll just light a light in it.
Unless doing so puts the Easter Bunny at risk, too....
My friend Brian (aka Lurch) told me about this first -- a speech by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in which he warns kids at a tree-lighting ceremony that if they don't help fight global warming, Santa and his reindeer (and presumably the elves too) would drown.
No, really. You can read the mayor's entire letter to Santa over at Michelle Malkin's Blog.
Wow. Where to begin.
I could go off on a rant about fear-mongering, about traumatizing little kids in order to indoctrinate them to your politics, about commandeering a public festivity for your own ends... but that's been done, in spades, by everyone who's commented on this at Michelle's, and by other bloggers.
That WAS, in fact, my first inclination when I heard about this story. While I haven't been able to find a transcript of the speech itself, Lurch heard it and says that Nickels included a dig at Bush in the speech, inplying that global warming was somehow worse because of the President. If that's true, that's the point where the reprehensible aspects of Nickels screed and the laughable parts overlap. It's bad enough to use a tree-lighting ceremony as a bully pulpit for advancing your own agenda regarding global warming, but when your fanatical adherence to the Party Line regarding Global Warming collides with BDS, you start to become self-lampooning.
Not that there isn't plenty to mock even without any reference to the President. First of all there's the irony in the fact that the mayor was offering flourescent bulbs to replace older incandescent bulbs -- missing the memo about the dangers of the mercury present in the ballast of flourescent bulbs. LED bulbs are even more efficient AND safer for the environment.
Or there's Nickels' comment in the letter, "Reindeer fly, but can they swim, too? I for one would rather not find out."
Ummmm... Your honor... Reindeer swim across rivers and bays every year during their annual migrations... I know your comment was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but given the earnestness with which you present your little screed as scientific truth, your lack of knowledge of such a well-known fact really does make you look a bit silly.
Oh, screw it. There's just so much here, and I'm still burned out. I don't have it in me to go off like I'd want to. Instead of cursing the dark, I think I'll just light a light in it.
Unless doing so puts the Easter Bunny at risk, too....
Dear Santa
With money tight in our family this year, for the sake of TFR I've limited mysef to relatively inexpensive items on my wish list, though I suspect there's a pattern to them:
Forschner 8" fillet knife
a new 8" nonstick skillet
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn
a bird's beak paring knife (There's a Messermeister for sale for $5 at Hartwick's, and I wouldn't use it enough to warrant a pricier one -- great stockijng stuffer, hint hint...)
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
an immersion blender
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson
Forschner 8" fillet knife
a new 8" nonstick skillet
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn
a bird's beak paring knife (There's a Messermeister for sale for $5 at Hartwick's, and I wouldn't use it enough to warrant a pricier one -- great stockijng stuffer, hint hint...)
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
an immersion blender
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
That Which Does Not Kill Me Will Only Serve to Make Me Wish it Had
For all my loyal readers and fellow bloggers, many of whom I consider friends I've not yet met, I appreciate the fact that you've stuck with me through a very tough, very busy term. Things aren't over just yet -- I have a final later today and one tomorrow -- but I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and have some reason to believe it's not an oncoming train, though heaven knows I feel like I've been hit by one. Getting a bad chest and head cold the week of finals sucks.
At this point I don't have any work lined up for the break, so I may be able to blog a bit more often than normal. I kinda look forward to that.
But there's been some ups lately too. In my Menu Management class, I got an A on the rough draft of my project, up from a C on the proposal stage. It consisted of a menu for a fictional restaurant, including 5 appetizers, 6 entrees, 3 desserts, and 5 beverages, plus recipes, costing, and prices for all items.
I also did well on the final combined project for my Garde Manger class and Buffet & Banquet class. Early on in the term, we were split into teams of two and given an hor d'oeuvre to test. Then we were informed that at the end of the term (last week), we'd be making 200 portions of our hors d'oeuvre for an open house at the school. My partner and I got off to a rocky start. We were assigned smoked trout mousse, and had to decide for ourselves what sort of hors d'oeuvre to make out of it. The test run used trout that had been smoked in an earlier lab by the whole class, and the mouse recipe right out of the book. It sucked. It was way too salty and smoky and runny. But hey, we had half a term to fix it, right?
Chef Clive, my instructor, hit one one part of the solution to our problem -- the trout itself wasn't that good to begin with. I also decided that the other part of the solution was to increase the aspic gelee (gelatin flavored with stock consommee, in this case fish stock) and whipped cream in the recipe, for more body and firmness.
Then my partner dropped out of the program, so it was all on me. The only major help I got was when some classmates threw together the dough for my bread.
So last week, while also dealing with my regular class load, I came in between classes and smoked the trout and baked off my bread. The trout was a smashing success -- part of the solution was a sweeter brine, the other part was to use a milder smoke -- the original had been smoked in hickory, which while fine for barbecue, is too strong for something as delicate as trout. Instead, I used a combination of alder and apple. The bread also cooked off perfectly.
The day of the event, I was at school at 9:30, worked through until plating at 3:00, and produced a hit: smoked trout mousse canapes on toasted brioche, garnished with a dill sprig and a slice of radish soaked in white wine. They were divine. The wine was the first thing to hit your mouth. The acid in the wine softened the bite of the radish, but also cut some of the richness of the mousse, which was perfectly smooth and firm, with a salty sweet smokiness. The brioche was slightly crips, and its butteriness added to the mouth feel from the mousse.
One of my chef instructors took a picture, as soon as she emails it to me, I'll post it to the blog.
Update
Feast your eyes:
At this point I don't have any work lined up for the break, so I may be able to blog a bit more often than normal. I kinda look forward to that.
But there's been some ups lately too. In my Menu Management class, I got an A on the rough draft of my project, up from a C on the proposal stage. It consisted of a menu for a fictional restaurant, including 5 appetizers, 6 entrees, 3 desserts, and 5 beverages, plus recipes, costing, and prices for all items.
I also did well on the final combined project for my Garde Manger class and Buffet & Banquet class. Early on in the term, we were split into teams of two and given an hor d'oeuvre to test. Then we were informed that at the end of the term (last week), we'd be making 200 portions of our hors d'oeuvre for an open house at the school. My partner and I got off to a rocky start. We were assigned smoked trout mousse, and had to decide for ourselves what sort of hors d'oeuvre to make out of it. The test run used trout that had been smoked in an earlier lab by the whole class, and the mouse recipe right out of the book. It sucked. It was way too salty and smoky and runny. But hey, we had half a term to fix it, right?
Chef Clive, my instructor, hit one one part of the solution to our problem -- the trout itself wasn't that good to begin with. I also decided that the other part of the solution was to increase the aspic gelee (gelatin flavored with stock consommee, in this case fish stock) and whipped cream in the recipe, for more body and firmness.
Then my partner dropped out of the program, so it was all on me. The only major help I got was when some classmates threw together the dough for my bread.
So last week, while also dealing with my regular class load, I came in between classes and smoked the trout and baked off my bread. The trout was a smashing success -- part of the solution was a sweeter brine, the other part was to use a milder smoke -- the original had been smoked in hickory, which while fine for barbecue, is too strong for something as delicate as trout. Instead, I used a combination of alder and apple. The bread also cooked off perfectly.
The day of the event, I was at school at 9:30, worked through until plating at 3:00, and produced a hit: smoked trout mousse canapes on toasted brioche, garnished with a dill sprig and a slice of radish soaked in white wine. They were divine. The wine was the first thing to hit your mouth. The acid in the wine softened the bite of the radish, but also cut some of the richness of the mousse, which was perfectly smooth and firm, with a salty sweet smokiness. The brioche was slightly crips, and its butteriness added to the mouth feel from the mousse.
One of my chef instructors took a picture, as soon as she emails it to me, I'll post it to the blog.
Update
Feast your eyes:
Amendment XXI
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Ratified December 5, 1933
Thus ended one of the (if not THE) biggest, costliest, and most tragic experiments in Nanny State governing in the history of this country. So this evening, pourt yourself a stiff drink, and raise a glass to freedom.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Quote of the Week
"I don't like repeat offenders; I like DEAD offenders."
- Ted Nugent
- A Tip[ of the Toque to Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs.
- Ted Nugent
- A Tip[ of the Toque to Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Stacked...
(A follow-up to Well Hung)
The pancetta came out nicely, and this is the first thing I made with it:
It's a Cobb NApoleon. The bottom layer is tomato, then chicken, then green onions, then hard boiled egg, then the pancetta, then mixed baby greens that have been chiffonaded and bound with an agave-dijon dressing. The salad is garnished with blue cheese and the plate with more of the dressing and blue cheese.
The pancetta came out nicely, and this is the first thing I made with it:
It's a Cobb NApoleon. The bottom layer is tomato, then chicken, then green onions, then hard boiled egg, then the pancetta, then mixed baby greens that have been chiffonaded and bound with an agave-dijon dressing. The salad is garnished with blue cheese and the plate with more of the dressing and blue cheese.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
32 Years Ago Today
Resquiat im Pacem:
Michael E. Armagost
37
Third Mate
Iron River, Wisconsin
37
Third Mate
Iron River, Wisconsin
Fred J. Beetcher
56
Porter
Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas D. Bentsen
23
Oiler
St. Joseph, Michigan
23
Oiler
St. Joseph, Michigan
Edward F. Bindon
47
First Asst. Engineer
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
47
First Asst. Engineer
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas D. Borgeson
41
Maintenance Man
Duluth, Minnesota
41
Maintenance Man
Duluth, Minnesota
Oliver J. Champeau
41
Third Asst. Engineer
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
41
Third Asst. Engineer
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Nolan S. Church
55
Porter
Silver Bay, Minnesota
55
Porter
Silver Bay, Minnesota
Thomas E. Edwards
50
Second Asst. Engineer
Oregon, Ohio
50
Second Asst. Engineer
Oregon, Ohio
Russell G. Haskell
40
Second Asst. Engineer
Millbury, Ohio
40
Second Asst. Engineer
Millbury, Ohio
George J. Holl
60
Chief Engineer
Cabot, Pennsylvania
60
Chief Engineer
Cabot, Pennsylvania
Bruce L. Hudson
22
Deck Hand
North Olmsted, Ohio
22
Deck Hand
North Olmsted, Ohio
Allen G. Kalmon
43
Second Cook
Washburn, Wisconsin
43
Second Cook
Washburn, Wisconsin
John H. McCarthy
62
First Mate
Bay Village, Ohio
62
First Mate
Bay Village, Ohio
Ernest M. McSorley
63
Captain
Toledo, Ohio
63
Captain
Toledo, Ohio
Karl A. Peckol
20
Watchman
Ashtabula, Ohio
20
Watchman
Ashtabula, Ohio
John J. Poviach
59
Wheelsman
Bradenton, Florida
59
Wheelsman
Bradenton, Florida
James A. Pratt
44
Second Mate
Lakewood, Ohio
44
Second Mate
Lakewood, Ohio
Paul M. Riippa
22
Deck Hand
Ashtabula, Ohio
22
Deck Hand
Ashtabula, Ohio
William J. Spengler
59
Watchman
Toledo, Ohio
59
Watchman
Toledo, Ohio
Mark A. Thomas
21
Deck Hand
Richmond Heights, Ohio
21
Deck Hand
Richmond Heights, Ohio
David E. Weiss
22
Cadet
Agoura, California
22
Cadet
Agoura, California
A tip of the Toque to Ken at It Comes in Pints?
Musical Geography Trivia of the Day (Week? Month? Eon?)
If you've been stranded in the combat zone, where have you walked?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Well Hung
My latest special project at school, posted especially for the Baconphiles among us:
Handmade pancetta
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sucks to be U, Dub.
Oregon 55
Washington 34
The Dawgs made it close in the third quarter, but once the Ducks got their offense back on track, they rolled. Except for a couple drives in the third quarter where their own miscues stopped them, the pretty much scored at will in the second half. 465 yards rushing (a school record), 661 yards overall. Here's a telling stat: 3 Ducks ran for over 100 yards, and one of them was the Quarterback. Oregon has defeated UDub and Wazzoo, now all that's left is to beat the Beavs and we own the Northwest. But in the meantime, we have three big games coming up with implications for our postseason - USC next week, ASU the week after that, and UCLA in four weeks -- the three teams tied with us or with better records in the PAC-10. Win all of those and we could be looking at a Rose Bowl berth, if not a shot at the BCS.
Washington 34
The Dawgs made it close in the third quarter, but once the Ducks got their offense back on track, they rolled. Except for a couple drives in the third quarter where their own miscues stopped them, the pretty much scored at will in the second half. 465 yards rushing (a school record), 661 yards overall. Here's a telling stat: 3 Ducks ran for over 100 yards, and one of them was the Quarterback. Oregon has defeated UDub and Wazzoo, now all that's left is to beat the Beavs and we own the Northwest. But in the meantime, we have three big games coming up with implications for our postseason - USC next week, ASU the week after that, and UCLA in four weeks -- the three teams tied with us or with better records in the PAC-10. Win all of those and we could be looking at a Rose Bowl berth, if not a shot at the BCS.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Things Unsaid
I did something tonight I haven't done in... well, since The Lad was born. I shed tears of joy.
It happened as I was recounting something that happened at school today. This week in our Garde Manger class, we've been covering charcuterie, smoking and curing meats, confits and rillettes. This has carried over into our restaurant lab (we operate a restaurant on campus) where we have been featuring a lot of the products we made in Garde Manger on our menu. I mentioned to Chef Clive that I had a recipe for smoked fish that I inherited from my great-grandfather, and he had me go ahead and try it on some salmon we had on hand. I brined and smoked it today, and wrapped it up to refrigerate until next Wednesday, when I plan to serve it as the lunch special -- I'm going to make smoked salmon reubens, an idea I got from work this summer. But before I put it away, I set some aside for the rest of my classmates to sample.
Only a few of them had a chance to do so before our other instructor, Chef Chris, stopped by. I decided to offer him a sample, and handed him the ingredient bowl with the salmon and a tasting spoon. He proceeded to eat the entire thing. He then handed the bowl back to me to take to the dish pit, and said, "That's pretty good."
That's all he said. No raving about it, no details about what was good about it, just "That's pretty good".
But the thing is, that'sthe first time he's commented on anything I've cooked without offering suggestions for improvement. I know why he does it -- he wants us to continue to imporve, he wants us to learn and grow and do our best and build on what we've learned. But after a while the constant critique weighs on you, it gets painful to offer something that you've put your efforts and soul into, only to be told what you've done wrong.
But not this time. It was pretty good. Not great, not amazing, not awesome or "Oh my LORD!", but pretty good -- good enough to not mention how it fell short. And that was huge. I've heard of being damned with faint praise, but this time, I was elevated with it.
It felt good to be good. Even just pretty good.
It happened as I was recounting something that happened at school today. This week in our Garde Manger class, we've been covering charcuterie, smoking and curing meats, confits and rillettes. This has carried over into our restaurant lab (we operate a restaurant on campus) where we have been featuring a lot of the products we made in Garde Manger on our menu. I mentioned to Chef Clive that I had a recipe for smoked fish that I inherited from my great-grandfather, and he had me go ahead and try it on some salmon we had on hand. I brined and smoked it today, and wrapped it up to refrigerate until next Wednesday, when I plan to serve it as the lunch special -- I'm going to make smoked salmon reubens, an idea I got from work this summer. But before I put it away, I set some aside for the rest of my classmates to sample.
Only a few of them had a chance to do so before our other instructor, Chef Chris, stopped by. I decided to offer him a sample, and handed him the ingredient bowl with the salmon and a tasting spoon. He proceeded to eat the entire thing. He then handed the bowl back to me to take to the dish pit, and said, "That's pretty good."
That's all he said. No raving about it, no details about what was good about it, just "That's pretty good".
But the thing is, that'sthe first time he's commented on anything I've cooked without offering suggestions for improvement. I know why he does it -- he wants us to continue to imporve, he wants us to learn and grow and do our best and build on what we've learned. But after a while the constant critique weighs on you, it gets painful to offer something that you've put your efforts and soul into, only to be told what you've done wrong.
But not this time. It was pretty good. Not great, not amazing, not awesome or "Oh my LORD!", but pretty good -- good enough to not mention how it fell short. And that was huge. I've heard of being damned with faint praise, but this time, I was elevated with it.
It felt good to be good. Even just pretty good.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Since You Asked
Over the past few monhs, my posting has become sparser and sparser, and when I DO post, I get fewer responses to the contents of my psot than the, "Oh, THERE you are!" comments.
Most people have assumed that I've stopped posting because I'm busier than before. Nothing could be further from the truth -- even with work, my summer schedule has been easier than my school schedule.
The truth is I've been too damned depressed to post much. My life sucks, and a lot of what I've had to say in the past rings hollow to me. My marriage is a wreck, for reasons that I prefer not to discuss -- suffice it to say neither of us is innocent. I'm not sure I want to stay, but I have nowhere else to go.
I totalled our only car on Wednesday, and the insurance payoff will mostly go to the bank who holds our lien. Our credit is a shambles -- my own damned fault, so financing another is a joke. To top it off, I was 45 minutes from home and an hour or so from Portland when it happened, and was on my way up to PDX to pick TFR and my son from the airport.
Because of the new job, I had to stay here while my wife and son spent 2 weeks in Florida on her parents' dime, going to Walt Disney World, the Everglades, the beach, drinks by the pool.... I stayed here, worked, and ate frozen pizza. I don't cook goutmet for just myself.
And oh, yeah, that job? I lost it yesterday. The fall school schedule came out, I start Monday, and the schedule straddles the day, precluding me from working a morning OR evening shift. They told me to come back when I graduate, but until then, they can't use me.
So I'm sorry if my mind hasn't been as much on politics or musical geography or anything else. Right now I'm just trying to keep myself from dwelling on the fact that thanks to an insurance policy, I'm worth more dead than alive.
Most people have assumed that I've stopped posting because I'm busier than before. Nothing could be further from the truth -- even with work, my summer schedule has been easier than my school schedule.
The truth is I've been too damned depressed to post much. My life sucks, and a lot of what I've had to say in the past rings hollow to me. My marriage is a wreck, for reasons that I prefer not to discuss -- suffice it to say neither of us is innocent. I'm not sure I want to stay, but I have nowhere else to go.
I totalled our only car on Wednesday, and the insurance payoff will mostly go to the bank who holds our lien. Our credit is a shambles -- my own damned fault, so financing another is a joke. To top it off, I was 45 minutes from home and an hour or so from Portland when it happened, and was on my way up to PDX to pick TFR and my son from the airport.
Because of the new job, I had to stay here while my wife and son spent 2 weeks in Florida on her parents' dime, going to Walt Disney World, the Everglades, the beach, drinks by the pool.... I stayed here, worked, and ate frozen pizza. I don't cook goutmet for just myself.
And oh, yeah, that job? I lost it yesterday. The fall school schedule came out, I start Monday, and the schedule straddles the day, precluding me from working a morning OR evening shift. They told me to come back when I graduate, but until then, they can't use me.
So I'm sorry if my mind hasn't been as much on politics or musical geography or anything else. Right now I'm just trying to keep myself from dwelling on the fact that thanks to an insurance policy, I'm worth more dead than alive.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Big OUR House
Well, the Ducks MAY score again, but I'm guessing they'll mercifully just run the last 2 minutes off the clock and the final will be Oregon 39, Michigan 7. Two missed field goals kept U of O out of the 40's.
twice withing the last few years, the Ducks have HOSTED storied football programs (Michigan in 2003, Oklahoma) for the first time in the history of Autzen stadium, and twice Oregon won close shockers. This year was the first scheduled payback game -- Oregon went to Ann Arbor, and would have to face the Wolverines on their home turf. No squeakers, no lucky first half followed by hanging on for dear life, no winning on a bad call by the officials.
It didn't matter. The outcome was the same, and in fact, was even less in question. Michigan led once, in the first quarter, when they went up 7-3, but after that the Oregon defense started forcing turnovers and the Offense, led by a finally-matured Dennis Dixon, exploited them. This game was over at halftime.
Which is unfortunate, because there's an interesting side-rivalry that has been created in the Oregon-Michigan matchups: The battle of the crowd noise. Michigan's home stadium, nicknamed the "Big House", seats over 100,000, while Autzen Stadium, home of the Ducks, seats a little over half that. Yet even Michigan players and coaches were stunned four years ago at the crowd noise at Autzen, purported to be the loudest by decibel level of any college football stadium in America. But the Big house has a rep for noise too, and it was going to be interesting to see the contrast. The problem is, the Ducks took the Michigan crowd out of this one early, and the Big House sounded like the Public Library.
The Ducks are 2-0 now, and they're looking a lot better than people here were hoping for. Last week's win against Houston was sloppy, but today they looked sharp, and executed the Spread Offense perfectly, thinning Michigan out and then running Dixon on them. It could be a good year.
Mighty Oregon!
twice withing the last few years, the Ducks have HOSTED storied football programs (Michigan in 2003, Oklahoma) for the first time in the history of Autzen stadium, and twice Oregon won close shockers. This year was the first scheduled payback game -- Oregon went to Ann Arbor, and would have to face the Wolverines on their home turf. No squeakers, no lucky first half followed by hanging on for dear life, no winning on a bad call by the officials.
It didn't matter. The outcome was the same, and in fact, was even less in question. Michigan led once, in the first quarter, when they went up 7-3, but after that the Oregon defense started forcing turnovers and the Offense, led by a finally-matured Dennis Dixon, exploited them. This game was over at halftime.
Which is unfortunate, because there's an interesting side-rivalry that has been created in the Oregon-Michigan matchups: The battle of the crowd noise. Michigan's home stadium, nicknamed the "Big House", seats over 100,000, while Autzen Stadium, home of the Ducks, seats a little over half that. Yet even Michigan players and coaches were stunned four years ago at the crowd noise at Autzen, purported to be the loudest by decibel level of any college football stadium in America. But the Big house has a rep for noise too, and it was going to be interesting to see the contrast. The problem is, the Ducks took the Michigan crowd out of this one early, and the Big House sounded like the Public Library.
The Ducks are 2-0 now, and they're looking a lot better than people here were hoping for. Last week's win against Houston was sloppy, but today they looked sharp, and executed the Spread Offense perfectly, thinning Michigan out and then running Dixon on them. It could be a good year.
Mighty Oregon!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day
WITHOUT THE AID OF A SEARCH ENGINE:
If you want to ride, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'.
Three questions:
1) What is it?
2) What are two descriptions of it?
3) Where does it go?
Extra Credit:
Name three artists who sang about it.
UPDATE:
One week, no winner, so:
1) The Rock Island Line
2) It is a mighty good road; It is the road to ride
3) Down to New Orleans
Extra Credit:
It's been recorded by quite a few artists, but the more well-known would include Lead Belly, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, and the Brothers Four.
Any resemblace to a gospel tune is strictly coincidental.
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