This past Saturday ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
blackwingedboy, Beth and I decided to head over to Yakima to partake in the grand Cactus Bloom Tour at Hillside gardens. Beth and I had just been to Yakima a month ago, where we had a spectacular lunch at The Barrel House along with finding out about said Cactus Bloom Tour. Great food and blooming cacti seemed like a match made in heaven to our desert rat mentality, so we made plans to return for the tour. After speaking with the WingedOne, who also decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up, a trip to the other side was set up.
As this is not the Travel Channel, I will refrain from too many travel details. I do, however, want to tell you a bit about the Cactus Bloom Tour. As we neared our destination, it became apparent we were moving towards a housing development, and away from any open areas. After a couple of turnarounds, we found our location. A house. A small house. Undeterred we parked and approached. Once around the side of the house, all became apparent. Here was the grand Cactus Bloom Tour. A backyard. A truly wondrous backyard, lovingly cared for by Ron for over 25 years. In this backyard oasis Ron has managed to collect what seems to be every species of cacti known to mankind. As we walked, he spoke of long hours working on the garden, of folks coming from all over the world to see it, and of the International Cacti Association bussing folks over from Seattle for a tour. Beth and I purchased a couple of particularly interesting cacti, and we bid our farewells to Ron, and to his mind-blowing world cactus tour.
After our tour, with stomachs growling, we headed back into town and towards The Barrel House. Parking was a breeze and we hopped out, running to the door and that burger. SLAM! Closed on Sat the 10th until 5pm. Glance at watch, 3:05pm. Stomach growls. AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After a moment of panic, we decided to do some walking. Finding one of the oldest buildings in Yakima and home to Bob's Keg and Cork we commenced with the beer drinking, followed by more walking, and then a little driving. We find Susie's Bourbon Street Bistro & Bar, and finish off the time kill by watching the WingedBoyWonder almost get in a fight for ordering water instead of beer. Classy place that Susie's. We managed to kill a couple of hours and thus headed back to culinary nirvana. SUCCESS!!
Back story time: What sold me on The Barrel House was it's Rio Burger. When Beth and I were there last, I talked to the chef/owner about his food. He makes his own chipotles, smoking large red jalapenos until they become chipotle goodness. During this time he also smokes bacon in the same smoker, effectively making chipotle smoked bacon. With that, I give you the Rio Burger. It is a beef patty, hand rubbed with chili powder from his chipotle, and grilled on high flame until the outside is crispy black, but the inside is still medium rare and juicy. It's placed on an onion bun, then covered with chipotle smoked bacon, a thick slab of pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and a guacamole mayo sauce that is out of this world. The burger ranks as one of my top 3 of all time. End Back Story
So, 5pm comes and we run to the door, grab the closest table and settle in for what surely will be a feast. We ordered smoked salmon and sauteed pears and portobello for starters. The salmon was wonderful. A light dry smoke didn't hide the salmon'y goodness, and the caper cream cheese was lovely even on its own. The pear and portobello saute was out of this world to be honest. Texture was perfect, and flavor combo from the sweet to the earthy was...damn sexy to be honest. A glass of a very nice house Merlot, and the meal was off to a good start. A very good start.
SCREEEEEEEEEECH!!! Then dinner came. Beth ordered flat iron steak with mushrooms. While the meat was done as ordered and it was certainly not tasteless, it lacked the robust flavor character I associate with a good flat iron steak. WingedOne got a seafood pasta dish with a pesto cream sauce. Kudo's to the waiter for not batting an eye when asked if the dish could be prepared without bacon. The dish itself, however, was rather bland. Pesto sauce was good, but not great, and the seafood while palatable, seemed to have lost all of it's sea essence. We do tend to get spoiled here in Seattle with our seafood, and I admit that could have a bearing here, so I'm not calling 100% foul.
For my dish however, there are no excuses. I ordered the Shrimp Saute with Sweet Chili and Cucumber. What I got however was a plate of sliced cuckes that were as limp as overcooked asparagus. On top of those were overcooked (or reheated) shrimp covered in what could only be described as a Safeway brand chili salad dressing from hell. It tasted of chemicals and heavy metals. Horrid. I can only hope that with the shortened day, shortcuts were taken in the sauce dept.
Not a bad end to the day, but it could have been better. On this trip to The Barrel House, I give them a 2 out of 5. Changes to schedules happen, mess-ups in stocking happen, personnel issues arise, but you simply cannot put out food that is sub-par to what you are capable of. I'm sure we will be back, as I firmly believe this was not the norm for them.
Cheers!
| Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens 3405 Hillside Place Yakima, WA 98903 509-248-1742 hillsidecacti@nwinfo.net | The Barrel House 22 N First Street Yakima, Washington 98901 Phone Number: 509-453-3769 Email: info@thebarrelhouse.net |
Okay kids. Nothing fancy here, just simple vinaigrette dressings. Dirt simple. 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar, dried herbs ( basil and oregano for example). Mix herbs and vinegar, then slowly add in the oil while beating until it emulsifies. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over mixed salad greens and enjoy. Like I said, simple.
Ah, but why stop there? Get closer kids, because this is when the fun starts. Oil and vinegar is really just oil and some acidic liquid. Olive oil and Orange juice. Peanut oil and Lime ( great with Thai food). The ratio of oil to acid may change based on the sweetness levels, just experiment as you go. What's important to remember is to taste as you go. Don't worry if the vinaigrette breaks ( breaking here means that the emulsion separates back into oil and liquid) at this point. If you have the ratio you like but the vinaigrette keeps breaking, add just a touch of mustard, it helps hold the emulsification without destroying the flavor.
Here's one to get you started. I came up with this one night when I couldn't find any good looking raspberries at the market. You will notice that most of my recipes are really more like guidelines. Use them as a base to start from, and have fun with it!
Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette:
Take some nice strawberries, 20 or so, de-stem, then cut in half. Arrange them in a baking dish, and drizzle walnut oil over top. You'll want to use about a 1/2 cup of walnut oil. If you want to save money, use 1/4 canola and 1/4 walnut. Roast the berries at 350 f, until they get nice and soft and the house smells like a scented candle. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. After it's cooled, place the berries in a food processor and set the oil aside. To the berries add about 1/8th of a cup of rice wine vinegar. You want a very light, almost sweet vinegar. I've tried Balsamic, and while the taste is the bomb, the color is way off. Start the processor and once the berries and vinegar are all mixed, start drizzling in the oil. Don't worry about adding it all, just add it until the vinaigrette emulsifies and gets nice and creamy looking. Taste at this point and add salt if needed. Pour into a jar and place in the fridge until ready to use.
The Salad:
Take some raw walnut halves, dust with cinnamon sugar and roast for about 15 minutes in a 350 oven. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Make a light green salad with whatever greens look fresh in the market. You want light greens though, stay away from bitter radicchio for example. Add into the greens some dried cranberries, diced seedless cukes, and grape tomatoes. Add the dressing, don't drown things here, and toss. Place a nice pile on a chilled plate, toss some roasted walnuts on top, a crack of fresh pepper, and viola.
Remember, these are just guidelines. Experiment people!! Most of all though, enjoy.
Cheers.
Those that have visited before will notice a "slight" change to the format. Re-tooled as they say. I've spent the better part of the last year looking inward on myself, in search of a...spiritual enema if you will. Some of what I found I discarded, like last nights avocado rinds. Some of what I found ashamed me. I found myself spitting out carefully crafted words, but they were not formed out of deep reflection and insight. No, these words were only put together so that I might appear to be deep or insightful. In other words, nothing more than a verbal facade of someone trying very hard to believe they were as deep as the words themselves.
On the good side however, during this time I rekindled my deep love of food and drink. Food has a wonderful way of becoming a transportation device, taking you back to your childhood or to a quiet cafe on a Piazza in Roma. I began to experiment with food. Using our wonderful local products found here in the Northwest, but applying my own twists and turns to the road. I found total joy in shopping local markets on Sunday mornings with my wife, as we picked over the local catch. In short, I became reacquainted with a love that I had placed on the back burner for a while.
So, to that end, I would officially like to open the new Gregor's Pub & Grub. I plan on using this space to talk about foods, recipes, wine parings, spice combinations, my distaste for the term "fusion cuisine", restaurants, cocktails, you name it. I want this to become an open forum for not only questions on recipes, but even arguments on the very essence of food itself. Look for talks, for example, on if you have to process the food, does it matter if it's organic?
To those who have listened to me ramble on the past year, I thank you. I hope you'll stick around for phase 2. To the new friends joining, welcome. Watch out for the flying pies.
-Mark
Election year. The time of great divides. War Hawks vs. Peace Doves. Pro-life vs. Pro-choice. Religion vs. Science. Red vs. Blue. Rights vs. Responsibilities. Good vs. Evil. Wrong vs. Right. How nice it would be if we could all just agree and get along, right?
As I soak all this in, it occurs to me how similar all this is to the philosophical and religious notion of balance in the universe. Yin/Yang. Karma. Do Unto Others.... Heaven/Hell. All of it points to the idea that there needs to be a balance in the universe in order to achieve total harmony. The esoteric "one-ness" that signals the approach of nirvana. Is this just dream, a philosophical carrot if you will? And surely this could be achieved if we all just worked together, right?
All around us are examples of perfect balance. Not just in natures ability to balance colors for example, but in solid, scientific principles. We are free to walk on this planet because of the wondrous balance between gravity and centrifugal force. We exist, and everything last thing around us for that matter, because of the total balance of negative and positive in the smallest of atoms that form the very essence of us. Balance. And those atoms seek the balance of other atoms, and together that balance forms matter, and that matter forms the earth, and balance of gravity and centrifugal forces keeps that matter in place. Total balance.
Then it hit me. What is balance without conflict? Can we all agree and just get along? We do walk because of the balance in forces, but that balance exists because those forces are in conflict. Just as hard as gravity is trying to squish us into mulch, centrifugal force is trying to fling us out to the heavens. Either one gives up trying to "win" and we lose. If not for the conflict of repulsion and attraction between the nucleus and the electrons, matter would simply not be. The very basis of the big nasties that go BOOM is based on breaking that balance inside an atom.
So what does this all mean? Conflict can exist without balance, but balance cannot exist without conflict. Take away gravity, and we are star food. Split up a nucleus, and well, run. You can't ride a see-saw alone.
Seek balance not by acquiescing , but by listening to others with the same intensity that you express your opinion. Seek balance not by running from or to conflict, but by accepting it's role in the world. Seek balance in your own space, your own "atom" and allow that space to seek balance with others.
Rant mode on.
I think it was last week, I was on a call for work, involved in a conference call about a live site issue while I was driving home. I had to stop at the grocery store, but could not get off the call, and it looked as if it was not going to end anytime soon. So I went into the store, ear bud in place, and started to get my items. While I was in the check out line, I had to answer a couple of questions on the call. When the cashier asked if I wanted paper or plastic, I excused myself from the call, answered her question, then when back to the call. I also took time to thank the cashier, and say goodbye, although no goodbye from the cashier was forthcoming. As I was leaving, I heard the person behind me complain how rude that was of me to be on the phone.
Now tonight, I went to the store to get dinner fixin's. While in line, the person in line behind me struck up a conversation about the recent weather nonsense that's been going on. Keep in mind here that the conversation was between the customer and me, and had been going on before I got up to the cashier, and at no point was the cashier "officially" invited into the conversation. We talked while I told the cashier I had my own bag, while I thanked her, etc. No snide comments this time as I left, in fact both the cashier and the customer told me to have a nice evening as I left.
As I reached my car, it hit me. What's rude about public cell phone usage is that it prevents us from being voyeurs. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. In both of my cases I had to interrupt a conversation to talk to another. In both cases I was polite to both sides of the conversation while doing so. The only difference was in who was able to hear the conversation. In one case I was perceived as rude. In the other, I was "neighborly."
We, as humans, have a real need to be voyeurs of some kind or another. We gawk at car wrecks. We salivate over photos of celebs and their babies. Reality shows dominate the entertainment landscape. We are lookers and gawkers and we hate feeling left out.
So, if I am on my phone, but remain polite and attentive to you as well as the person on the other end of the line, please do not think of me as rude. The rudeness may just lie elsewhere.
Rant mode off.
It's officially fall, and to be honest, I could not be happier. Football. Apple Cider. Crisp mornings. Grapes being picked. Did I mention football?
I love this time of year. Now, I haven't spent one here in the Northwest yet, but so far I like it. Leaves, what little of them there are, are changing. Fog in the morning gives way moments of sun. LOVE IT!
We found a place downtown, Sport Bar and Grill, where the official Seattle chapter of the Buckeye Alumni Club watches the games. I'm still getting used to watching football at 9am, but the atmosphere is awesome. Something to be said about watching the Bucks play while looking out the window at the Space Needle. Way cool.
As I write this, I'm on my patio, looking at a crystal clear blue sky. The air is cool. I know that this wont last, and that the long gray will soon begin. But I also know that it's not just fall that wont last. Fall will give way to winter, and winter to spring and spring to summer. Each with pluses and minuses. The key is to enjoy the pluses, tolerate the minuses, and to not fear letting go.
I would like to add my 2 cents to what I am sure are $1000’s worth on the whale hunt by the 5 members of the Makah tribe. I am outraged, angered, disgusted and ashamed. Not by the 5 Makah hunters however, but rather by the rest of us.
I am outraged that members of conservation groups can go on camera and condemn the hunt, using Michael Vick and dog fighting as an example of why these 5 should be in jail. You show me proof that Michael fed his family on the carcasses of those dogs he killed, and I may listen to you. Michael killed dogs in the name of sport. The Macah 5 killed a whale to support their tribe, and as a statement of who they are. As far as champions of conservation, look no farther than any native tribe. Conservation is a European term, to the tribes, it simply is.
I am angered that our leaders, such as our Governor, can show so much anger over this. Madam Governor, where where you when the Makah tribe was trying to go through legal means to get their rights back? Where where our leaders to support the Makah tribe when a century old treaty was systematically done away with? Oh, and while I’m at it, just how many of our esteemed leaders support and take part in the hunting of “non-marine” animals, not for survival, but rather for “sport?”
I am disgusted by us as a nation when it comes to the treatment of native tribes over all. Why is it we care more for the inhumane conditions in foreign lands, when some of the most deplorable conditions on earth exist right here? Next time you spend $$$ to take your visiting friends on a whale watch, stop looking at the whales once and look towards shore. At the very least, take a walk outside of your landscaped trails once people.
Finally, I am ashamed. I am ashamed that we condemn the actions of a few brave men who tried to do nothing more than return a little thread of ethnic dignity to themselves, and their people. I am ashamed that we are so nearsighted not to see that very soon, all of us may have to hunt to survive. I am most of all ashamed of our actions on that day. Had the Makah be left alone, they would have taken the whale back to the tribe. They would have said prayers over him, thanking him for his sacrifice so that they may live. Every part of that whale would have been used to sustain the tribe, without relying on outside help. Instead we took the hunters to jail, and the Coast Guard followed the whale until he died a lonely, unproductive death, and slid beneath the waves.
Well done people. Well done.
I have 3 wishes when it comes TV.
1) Go back to the pre-deregulation days and ban Lawyers from advertising on TV.
2) Ban prescription drug advertising.
3) Make TV news part of the public broadcasting system, not ad supported. That way News is the news and not concerned with ratings.
Last week there was a tragedy in town when a 12 year old girl was abducted and then later found murdered. A sad story that is becoming all too familiar. I was watching a local news channel a couple of days after she was found when a story came on about her. A reporter was standing outside the victim's family home, camera moving from the reporter to zoom in on stricken relatives entering the home. As the reporter was talking about the tragedy, she pointed out a police cruiser that was on the street and said that he "was there to protect the family's privacy". She said this with a sad, but straight face, and the ending shot zoomed in to the face of a family member in tears.
The station then went to a commercial break. The first was an ad for a well known depression medicine. The second was for a local lawyer who was advertising if you were a victim of an accident or other violent crime, he would fight for your rights and get you the money you deserved. It was at this point that I turned off the box and sat there staring at the blank screen.
drshorn has said it best. "Seriously, I want off this planet"This whole episode got me to thinking. What is to be gained by racing TO a red light? Do we expect to scare it into turning green with our bravado? Perhaps it's just a show to impress the bag lady on the corner. It remains a mystery.
We seem to take this same approach in other areas as well. Ever notice how when they announce that the plane is now boarding, a stampede forms that makes The Who concert in Cincinnati look tame by comparison? Why? Why do we have to rush, knocking little old ladies out of the way, just so we can stand in line? The plane isn't going to take off with people still in line. It's not general admission. Very odd.
As I was thinking of these things, becoming full of myself because surely "I" don’t exhibit this behavioral trait, it hit me. I do! Maybe not in the literal sense, but I do race red lights. I race them in the sense that when I see a potential blockage in my life path, I don't always slow down. Quite the opposite in fact. I often race full steam ahead, slam into the beach, fall overboard and wonder what the hell happened as I shake off the crabs and seaweed.
I follow traffic warnings to the letter. If only I could learn to read and follow life's occasional red light.
So... I think it's time I remind myself with a great story of the eagle. This was on the episode of Northern Exposure when Joel's parents came to visit.
The Legend of the Eagle
As told by Marilyn Whirlwind
The eagle wasn't always the eagle.
The eagle, before he became the eagle, was Ukatangi, the talker.
Ukatangi talked and talked. It talked so much, it heard only itself.
Not the river, not the wind, not even the wolf.
The raven came and said, "The wolf is hungry. If you stop talking, you will hear him. The wind, too. And when you hear the wind, you will fly."
So he stopped talking.
And became it's nature, the eagle.
The eagle soared, and it's flight said all it needed to say.
outintexas. Here is a list of 10 things you may or may not know about me. Enjoy, learn, or print out and line the bird cage. 1. I love motorcycles. Love every nut, bolt and sheet metal part of them. I love the feeling of freedom that comes from riding. In a way, they damn near define me to my core.
2. Acting. At one point in my life I wanted to be an actor. I'll never forget when I played Felix in our HS production of The Odd Couple. The joy I felt after I got my first laugh from a live audience was indescribable. The feeling of spending what seemed like hours getting into character, and playing Chris in All My Sons. The silence that happened after a particularly intense scene, only to be broken by the sound of crying. Unreal.
3. I also always wanted to be a pilot. Love to fly. In fact, the main reason why I went into submarines was I thought if I couldn't fly above the water, I'd fly under it.
4. I am a cat person. Well, to be honest I'm an animal person in general, but I love cats. It makes for awkward conversation during poker runs with the Outlaws.
5. My father is gay. He came out when I went into the Navy. It was a very difficult thing to understand. Not the being gay, but how/why he hid it. Then again in a very selfish way, I'm glad he did. My brother and I might not have come along had he not. I think we all march to our own internal drummer on these things. Hard to say. I can't imagine what he went through though.
6. I have set foot on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica. I have been under the polar ice cap. I have stared at Michelangelo’s David for 2 hours. I ate raw octopus in Seoul. I listened as hundreds of bats flew overhead while hiking the Paria Slot Canyon in Utah. I have seen so much, and yet I've learned so little.
7. I can't stand liver and onions. I know, I know...who can? My mom, that's who. Every Thursday night. The horror...the horror.
8. I love to scuba dive. I haven't been in years, but the feeling of doing a slow drift dive over some shallow coral...man.
9. I don't fear death. I loathe the idea of dying. I'm not good with pain.
10. I am, for lack of a better term, a Spiritual Hedonist. I love pleasure. As long as it harms no one, I'll take pleasure any way I can. And in the biggest doses I can manage. I am the ghost of Christmas past. I am also a very spiritual person. I believe there is too much order in nature for it all to be random. I believe in the strength of Father Sky and the love of Mother Earth. I believe that in order for good to exist, there must be evil. I believe in balance.
Well, there you go. I'll let the birds know they will have fresh poo-poo paper soon.
Friday:
Took off early and went on a ride. It was so nice out, the smell of the azaleas was so strong I swear I could taste them. As I was headed back towards town I got behind a red Celica with a very large Yellow Lab in the back seat. She was poking her head out of the window, sniffing the wind, obviously in a state of total bliss. I was behind, sniffing the wind, also in a state of total bliss. At the next traffic light I pulled up next to the car. Yellow Lab looked at me, I smiled back, she nodded in understanding. Light turned green, she went her way and I went mine. Both back into the wind. Only bikers can truly understand why dogs like to stick their head out the window.
Saturday:
Attended the opening night of West Side Story at 5th Ave Theatre. There is something magical about live theatre. In a world of plastic, steel and CGI, live theatre is like running your hands over an 18th century oak desk with leather insert. You can feel the history in your hands. The rough spots. The areas rubbed glass smooth by hundreds of hands. Using your imagination you can see it being used by some early statesman, quill pen in hand and wax seal at the ready. It's a sensory pleasure that is not handed to you on a platter. You fill in the details, you make it yours, and it is a pleasure that is not to be rushed through. Live theatre is like that. It's not flawless, and that's what makes it so perfect.
Sunday:
Rain rain rain. A solid drizzle all day, and the perfect day to make Cinnamon Nut Brittle and curl up with a cheap dime store detective novel. The smell of the brittle permeated the apt, the cats were curled up on the couch, had a fire in the fireplace...let it rain. I was happy.
Monday:
Started the day with blueberry stone ground whole wheat pancakes with apple wood bacon. Yum. Then Beth and I headed out for the mountains. We were going to go to Alaska. Cicely Alaska...or rather Roslyn Wa. The drive over was just beautiful. We left the low clouds behind, and as soon as we got over Snoqualmie pass the skies cleared to a stunning shade of blue. Sun roof goes open, and all is right with the world. I turned left once we got into Roslyn, and there it was The Brick. Down the street was the Roslyn sign. More cars, but all in all it looked like we would run into Ed or Joel at any moment. We spent a couple of hours chatting with some store keeps, listening to local chatter, and imagining. It was a good day.
I’m glad I left the electronics in their satchels. It was good. It was needed.
Cinnamon Nut Brittle
2 cups raw cane sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 tbs butter
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Soda
Any kind of roasted nuts. Your choice.
Begin heating the sugar, syrup and water in a heavy pot ( Note: Use the heaviest pot you have, you need it to retain heat, otherwise you will never get the candy out ). Bring to a slow boil and gently raise temp to about 325 degrees. At this point stir in the cinnamon. Allow the candy to get to 340 degrees, then all heck breaks loose. Add the butter, then add the baking soda and nuts, stirring fast. You need a heavy wooden spoon for this. The baking soda will make like an 6th grade science fair experiment and will start to foam, the nuts will lower the temp of the candy making it very stiff. Pour out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out the mixture using the greased back of a heavy spoon. Let cool for 45 minutes or so, and then break up into smaller pieces. You can store in a Tupperware-like container for 2 weeks or so. Tips: Keep the cookie sheet in a warm oven while cooking the sugar. It will help keep the candy workable. Make sure you stir often while coming to a boil. Do NOT go over 340 degrees. Under is okay, it just affects the texture, over and you are eating burnt sugar. Not good.
I feel a slight warming to my left and I head for the thermal that I instinctively know will lift me even higher. There! I glide in and ride the wave like some blonde haired, tanned adonis who likes to be called "Tube."
I glance down and spot a small pinprick of life dashing in and out of the tufts of grass. Looking closer I see it is a snow hare, some small white tufts of fur clinging to winter still on it's back. I sense the hunt and I smile.
I begin to descend, leaving the comfort of my domain and invading his. Faster! Faster I fall, my eyes struggle to see against the biting wind. Closer. I smell the earth again. Closer. He darts to his left, I counter and... GOT HIM! Prey clutched in strong talons I struggle to gain altitude. I fight his weight and thrashing until...stillness. I climb higher, elated to be back in my domain. I AM FLIGHT! I AM FREEDOM!
TWEET!!! I hear the dreaded whistle. I look down and see a small form, arm outstretched. I sigh and begin a slow decent. TWEET!!!! I quicken my decent, afraid of the anger. I again smell the earth, and...him. I drop my prize at his feet and land on his outstretched arm, part of me proud, part of me disgusted. My reward is a cowl over my eyes, and a lanyard on my leg. I AM FLIGHT!!!! I AM....I am not free.
Why is it okay to have more lawyers per capita than teachers?
When did rudeness not only become acceptable, but encouraged as well?
Where did romance go?
When did it become a political concern who people fall in love with?
Who did put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?
Why is "absolutely FREE!" never free?
Where did common sense go?
Why is it okay to kill someone because they killed and killing is wrong unless you kill for God and country, then it's okay as long as you kill the people who you are told to kill because that's the only time...AUGH!
Why is it ever okay to kill?
Who created Caribou Bars? I really want to know. I want to put that person in my will. Oh. My. God. They are soooooo good.
Why on earth do we pay someone $28,000,000 a year to throw a white ball when we have people going without healthcare?
When did our political system change so much that it's stopped being " for the people" and become "for the elected"?
What causes hate? Why can't we stop it?
Who is God?
When I eat asparagus, why does my pee smell funny?
Why do we covet what we don't have, and ignore what we do?
Why is the sound of a purring cat so comforting?
Why does a sleeping pill list as a possible side effect drowsiness?
Who really needs instructions on a bottle of shampoo?
Why can't I stop?
Tonight I made my potato soup, and it struck me that maybe it's time for me to share this wonderful soup. I've taken some liberties over the years, but I think Grandma Gregor would be proud. For my vegetarian and vegan friends, I will offer substitutions at the end. Note that I cook by feel more than "coding" it, so you may have to bear with me. Also keep in mind this makes enough soup for about 8 people.
( On to the recipe )
(Baloo sits back looking rather pleased with himself)
Closet Monkeys: To understand, truly understand, means to let go. Let go of the past. Let go of long held ideals. Let go of preconceived notions of love. Let go of past hatreds. Let go of disappointment. Let go of anticipation. Let go of ego. Let go of adoration. When we allow ourselves to be who we are, not what we think others want us to be, true understanding follows.
(Baloo blinks and stares)
Baloo: I hate those monkeys.
I think I can best answer this with some background on me. This is not for the faint of heart, and the reader assumes all responsibility. (coughs)
I breast-fed for...well to be honest I'm 46 and haven't stopped.
I got my first tattoo when I was 39. 15 years AFTER I got out of the Navy
I became a father for the first time when I was 31
I stopped being able to be a father when I was 38 ( Don't let them kid you, it hurts. It hurts BAD )
I saw Star Wars for the first time 17 years after it was released. I'm in the Guiness Book of Records as the oldest geek to hold such a record.
I still take notes in meetings with a pen and paper, not a laptop. I work at Microsoft. They are afraid of me.
I had my first "real" kiss when I was 18. It was in the back of my van, in -20 degree weather, in Chicago. Took us 30 minutes to separate. All I could think of was being 10 and watching dogs mate. To this day I can't make love unless there is a bucket of warm water near by.
I actually owned a van. Customized. Had a mural of a fox in a zoot suit, named Fox Hunter. Of this I'm not proud.
So much more, but you get the general idea. I do everything later than most folks. Not sure why this is, it just is.
What to expect of me and this newfangled medium? Darn good question. Not sure really. Could be random thoughts. Could be well thought out dissertations on the state of the world. Or it could just be me typing random letters hoping to one day put a bunch of monkeys I have locked in a closet with typewriters to shame.
As Kim Luk once said when questioned by Hawkeye Pierce...."This is me"
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