Mmm...smoked meats

I got a new toy for Christmas - a Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse smoker. My brother's been smoking meat for a while and now he's converted me.


My first smoke was a Boston Butt, pretty good for a first effort. Tonight I made some chops for Charmed and I. After an eight hour brining and about 3 hours of smoking...


I heart pork.

SI

Tool Time

A couple of weeks ago Charmed and I were feeling ambitious. (OK, she was feeling ambitious, I was somewhere between nervous and filled-with-dread). I've never been big on home improvement projects, but Charmed convinced me that we could handle this and the results would be worth the trouble.

The project? My old house has a narrow back room (about 7 by 23) that was wasted space and had carpet that had to go. It used to be a dining room but we moved that furniture to the front of the house where it belongs. Join me on a photographic journey, won't you?

I think most people have a room in which they keep golf clubs, a vacuum cleaner and a coffee table, right? Plus a bookshelf filled with mouse poop.











I don't know if this was the work of one or more dogs, the aforementioned poopy mice, or Father Time, but this is not what you want to see in a quality carpet.











If only this stain had been shaped more like the Virgin Mary I could have made a bundle, because no matter what I did it always came back.











So after removing the various junk seen above, the next step was to rip up the carpet. Not nearly as bad as I had feared, although prying up this crap got a little tedious.













The biggest unknown in all of this, and what could have made it a real nightmare, was the condition of the subfloor. As you can see, it was in pretty good shape. Not quite "baby butt smooth", as we declared to the Home Depot lady with our fingers crossed, but still in decent shape.

So we swept up the scraps and started making it spiffy.












I don't have a close-up of the floor, but I think you get the idea here. We did a heck of a job on the quarter-round trim too, I think.

I'm sure HGTV will be calling any day now.

Hunt the Wumpus

• Both postcards have been received by my new Euro-friends (see post below) but I have yet to receive my first. I'm not sending out any more until I get at least one! I think I have an idea for an artsy-craftsy kinda project when I start to get a few of these puppies in.

• A note to my neighbors: When I'm walking my dog, it's not necessary to ask, "Who's walking who?" or some such equivalent. Wasn't funny the first time. Not funny now. A simple "Nice dog, cap'n" and a tip of the cap will suffice.

• I haven't been this excited about Christmas in a long time. When you go somewhere else for the holidays it's hard to get in the spirit until you actually get there. I'm staying home this year and I'm already in the mood for egg nog, and I don't even like egg nog. Plus, we're getting a real tree. It's been a long time since I've bought a real tree.

• Made some chicken curry the other night - how do people who work in Indian restaurants not always have yellow under their fingernails?

• My dog won't stop licking things - she's already ruined two throw pillows. Maybe I should be giving her food and water.

• I did some cleaning out of my liquor cabinet last night - if you were wondering if Amaretto can go bad, I think the answer is yes. And why did I ever buy gin? I hate gin. Is it good or bad that I have four varieties of bourbon?

• That is all.
  

Postcards...the Other White Meat

First off, I have no idea what that headline means. Catchy though.

So I came across this website the other day which you may already be familiar with: Postcrossing. It's a pretty cool idea. You register on the site, then get an address of another user from somewhere around the world. (Currently there are over 34,000 users from 158 countries participating.) You send that person a postcard, and when they receive it, you get another card from some OTHER random person somewhere on Earff. Send a card, get a card. Get it?

So today I sent my first 2 - to Emma in Finland and Helen in Germany. (You can learn all about Helen, and brush up on your German, here). So some day, when I'm not expecting it, I'll get a postcard from some stranger in Brazil or Indiana or some other exotic locale. It will be nice to get mail that's not a bill or a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.

I'll be sure to report on any interesting correspondence. Stay tuned.

Haikus for Youse

Anyone can write
Haikus. Just count syllables
Five, seven and five

My friend The Daver
Always says he'll visit me
But he never does

Best time of year is fall
Except for all the damn leaves
Rake, bend, bag. Repeat.

I still get angry
About how she treated me
Love is blind, stupid

Sox win the pennant!
Now on to World Series
Rockies are red hot

How to judge people
For being too judgmental
Is quite the puzzler

A site you should try
Is Radio Paradise
Good tunes for no bucks

Bullet the Blue Sky

• The concert mentioned below was excellent...I would have been pleased even if I actually had to pay for tickets. Plus, C and I were easily one of the 64 best looking couples there. (An inconveniently placed A/C vent necessitated the covering up of C's bare shoulders, keeping us from a certain top 35 finish. Yes, her shoulders are worth 30 places.) Per Michele's directions there will be no You Tube clips of the concert or her shoulders.

• It's only two outs into Game 7 of the ALCS and I'm already sick of Tim McCarver. Is this game on radio? Maybe I'll go sit in the garage and listen in my car. Dice K looks good through 3 batters, at least.

• I just returned from my first vacation with kids since, well, I was one. I'm not sure how I feel about being told I look good behind the wheel of a minivan.

I think that rental was the best money I've spent in a while, however. Two or more children should not be seated next to each other for any more than two hours of continuous automobiling. It's science, people.

• In retrospect, mad props to my folks for driving the three Dunn boys to Colorado from Iowa in a station wagon many times. Yikes. Funny how we didn't need seat belts back then...now I'll barely pull out of the parking spot without hearing a click from the back.

• And how oh how did we travel without some or all of the following: iPods, portable DVD players, Nintendo DS's, laptops, cell phones and Blackberries. Oh, and satellite radio and a GPS navigator. We were four blue shirts and a dozen unmanned cash registers away from being a Best Buy.

• Vacation was great - went to Destin for 4 nights. Stopped in Atlanta on the way down to see my brother and SIL - they were kind enough to score us tickets to Six Flags over Georgia.The Superman ride, my friends, kicks considerable booty. Plus...they had zombies!

• Then it was off to Destin, which was great, other than some rain and the dreaded Red Tide. Never heard of it? Me neither. They don't exactly publicize it on the Chamber of Commerce website. Didn't ruin our trip by any means, but we did spend a little less time on the beach than we would have liked. Oh well. Did lots of quality shopping instead.

• On the way back we spent the night in Decatur. No, not the good one. Decatur, Alabama. The hotel was, shall we say, less than 4 stars, but apparently Decatur on an October Thursday is a tough get. We stayed here so that we could go to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center the next morning. No time for Space Camp, but it was pretty cool. Good IMAX movie, too.

• By the way, would you look at that cast? Mrs. Steven Spielberg! Mrs. John Travolta! The gay guy from Revenge of the Nerds! Impressive.

• After tomorrow night I will be 3-4 and tied for first in my fantasy football division. We're the NL Central of FFB. Someone's gotta win this thing!

• I'm becoming a Crock Pot believer. Throw some stuff in a pot and walk away for a few hours. Plus, it makes the house smell less like dog, which is nice.

• Whole wheat hot dog buns are an abomination. Don't do it. Treat your wieners with the respect they deserve.
  

• That is all. Please leave all comments and suggestions with your immediate supervisor.
  

Yay me!

Late last night, drifting off to the smell of a Crockpot full of beer-braised chicken goodness, I heard Mr. DJ announce he had free concert tickets for caller #7. I hustled to the phone and two dials later I was the lucky caller, continuing my streak of winning something from WFPK about every 3-11 months.

Free tickets to Nickel Creek in 2.5 weeks!

Brush With Semi-Greatness

I caught an in-store performance of Colin Hay last night at a local record store. Those of you who are fellow 80's music lovers will surely know him better as the lead singer of Men At Work. Anywho, he was really, really good. Plus, he talked to me on his way in the store. I think I may have squealed a little.

He did acoustic versions of some of his Men at Work stuff, as well as some newer solo projects. He played for about 40 minutes - pretty long for this sort of appearance. It was very cool to be that close to, and listen to, the voice of so many big radio and video hits from my youth.

Here's a clip of Overkill, a really underrated song that's much more powerful when he slows it down like this:

Got the blahs?

People say you've been acting rude? Growing despondent? Perhaps you should offer them a drink...

Jackson

Furminated!

This handy little brush is getting all sorts of Interweb buzz, so I had to try it for myself.










Turns out, unlike the McDLT, this sucker lives up to the hype!


Emma has never been sleeker!

Draft Results

12 team league

QB
Matt Leinart
Brett Fav-ur-uh

RB
LaDainian Tomlinson
Deuce McAllister
Jamal Lewis
Warrick Dunn
Anthony Thomas

WR
Marvin Harrison
Reggie Brown
Joey Galloway
Joe Horn

TE
Randy McMichael

K
Neil Rackers

D/ST
Jaguars

Other than getting my handcuff Turner stolen from me I'm pretty pleased. I think Leinart could have a huge year and Jamal could put up some numbers in Cleveland, assuming they aren't down by 30 at halftime every week. That Tomlinson guy is pretty good too.

Less is More

A plate of Lotsa Pasta chicken tortellini...





some fresh diced roma tomatoes from my garden...




a splash of olive oil...




and a few shakes of Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle.




Perfect.

Have You Seen Her?

If you run into this woman, turn and run. She is an awful, awful person.

You know it's going to be a good day...

Click here for chicken-y goodness!

Who knew?

Turns out you have to clean those shiny metal boxes out more often than, say, never. That and a pound of ozone-depleting Freon and I'm living large. I actually had to turn the ceiling fan off in the middle of the night. Heaven.

Lord of the idiots

Here's a tip for all my peeps - if it feels really warm in your house, you might want to look outside and see if that fan dealie in the big metal box is spinning around. If not, your A/C is broke, broke.

Luckily I had a place to crash this weekend or I'd be a puddle in the middle of my living room. I've got someone coming out this afternoon to tell me how poor I'm going to be very soon. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be something reasonably cheap. Maybe.

Shocking new findings!

• No matter how many fans you have on, it is very challenging to sleep in a house that is somewhere around 81 degrees. I was about to sleep in my back yard last night. [Note to self - pick up tent this weekend]

• If anybody gets two packs of Pop Tarts in the break room that Apple Strudel one hanging dangerously close to the edge is totally mine.

• I'm pondering a trip to the KY State Fair with the girls this weekend. But I gotta say, the Kentucky Fair can not hold a candle to the Iowa State Fair. How do you have a State Fair without a Butter Cow?

• If Charmed goes on one more set of antibiotics I'm gonna lose it. Sure, it's her health and everything, but what about my needs?

• I wish I was better at letting myself be happy. Why do I have to think so much? What's thinking ever done for anyone?

• Who invented the bullet point? That was a really good idea.

• I need to go out more.
  

John Cock-tose-ton

Clever

Gotta be a record

Worked the Bats game last night, and Chris Richard, of your Durham Bulls, hit three (3) ground rule doubles in one game! No way that's ever happened before, right? We were sure in his last 2 at bats he was swinging for the warning track and not the fences, but no such luck.

What's even stranger is that each of them happened in a different manner. In the first inning he hit your typical, vanilla GR2B. Hard fly to left center, one bounce, and over the fence. In the third he slices a fly ball down the left field line, the Bats left fielder hustles and makes a good effort at a sliding catch, but can't quite get there. The ball bounces (either off the field or the player or both) and bounces over the wall along the left field line in foul territory. But wait there's more. In the fifth he hits a screamer into deep right center. A fan reaches out with his glove, leans slightly over the fence, and plucks it. GR2B on fan interference.

I looked for a couple of minutes and couldn't find any GR2B records - I don't think MLB counts them differently than a normal double. But 3 in one game? Crazy.

Dunnski's Sunday Journey

I was in Chicago this weekend to catch the Cubs with my boys. Left Sunday's game a bit early to head back home. Here's what happened:

Good news: I get to Chinatown and pick up some sweet-ass Cubs hats, 4 for 10 bucks. Great souvenirs for the kiddies.
Bad news: It's still really hot and the walk back to the hotel almost kills me.

Good news: I get to the airport about 2 hours before my flight (via affordable public transportation) - plenty of time to grab a bite and catch my plane.
Bad news: I learn from the monitor inside the terminal that my 8:50 flight is leaving at 9:50. I say bad words.

Good news: There's an earlier flight that has not yet left Midway.
Bad news: It is presently boarding.

Good news: I've got 15 minutes to get to the gate, and Midway is not that big.
Bad news: I check with the closest agent first (before making that trek) and she says the plane is full. But I should check anyway. Pointless, I say to myself.

Good news: When I get to the gate the plane is still there and people are still in line to board.
Bad news: I see 4 names on the stand-by sheet at the desk.

Good news: The Smith party of 3 does not answer their page! I'm in!
Bad news: I'm the last one on the plane, assuring me a crappy seat.

Good news: The last seat is in an exit row!
Bad news: Between two really large women who weren't planning on any company.

Good news: We leave a few minutes late, but still hours ahead of my original (and delayed) flight.
Bad news: My vacation is over.

The word

Proof that any song can be made better with sequins and a horn section:

Items of Mild Interest

1. You will likely be disappointed when you see the "Laker Girls" perform anywhere other than an NBA game.

2. There is something called a "Lunchable" in my refrigerator. This may be a sign of the apocalypse.

3. When the highlight of your work day is waiting for the construction crew across the street to blow stuff up at 4:00 every day, it may be time to work on your resume.

4. Low-fat Pop Tarts are just as satisfying as the real thing.

5. When you're taking someone on their first flight, ask her to remove her rings before she holds your hand.

6. I have been drunk and hungry enough to eat at White Castle, and to eat at Skyline, but never in the same night. A friend of mine did this Saturday night; I am both impressed and mortified. At least he dropped me off before the Skyline visit.

7. I haven't been able to watch an entire NBA game in years, but can't stop reading about Thursday's draft.

8. I pay way too much for cable TV.

9. It has been far too long since I have seen Twinkie sing karaoke.

10. I don't think it's fair that one of the alcoholism questions is "Do you drink alone?" I live alone; I drink. The last time I invited a stranger in for a Scotch I woke up handcuffed to my dresser and wearing mascara. Is that better, Dr. Smarty Pants??

11. Parts of that last story aren't true. I don't drink Scotch.

12. Sometimes nothing hits the spot like a thing of sushi.

13. It is nice to be wanted.

It's Friday

Awww...nuts!

Did you mean...?

I heart Google. We all do. It, along with cell phones/PDA's/Outlook has allowed us all to become complete idiots because we don't have to remember a thing. I've been dating someone for months and have no idea what her phone numbers are because they are all stored in my cell phone. Oh well, if that Einstein legend is true then we are in good company - why bother remembering things you can look up; better to save precious brain capacity for the important things like One Hit Wonders of the 1980s.

But I digress. There's one thing that really ticks me off about Google and I don't know why. It is the same feature that, many times, I actually find quite useful. You know when you misspell a search term, but since Google is smarter than you it helps you out? For example, if I search for "Kajagoogo" the little man inside my computer asks me Did you mean: kajagoogoo. I think that's brilliant.

But when I didn't type the word wrong, and I just happen to be searching for something spelled similarly to a more popular search term, it asks me the same thing. And that pisses me off. So much so, in fact, that I always, always, say, out loud mind you, "No!" For example, I was searching for "leak frog" and Google asked if I meant leap frog. "No! I meant leak frog, damnit!" Now Google's just trying to help a brother out. Why would that possibly bother me? What the hell's wrong with me?

OK, maybe it's not that bad. I've only broken 2-3 monitors in anger over this. (Those new flat screens are so much more flingable than the old behemoths). So Google, I forgive you. I know you mean well. I'll keep relying upon your infinite wisdom if you keep finding me those Saved By The Bell pictures that brighten my day. One love.

Two Pump Chump

My buddy Dave's band just finished a new video - check it out. NSFW lyrics, so you may want to use the headphones. Crank it up!

Now there you go

Why do I love sports? Watch...

Dinger x4

Had another Bats game Sunday afternoon. Beautiful blue skies, slight breeze...perfect. Unfortunately the Bats' bats have gone quiet lately. Nothing quite as exciting as this:



But why does Joe Morgan suck so hard?

Much better

It was still a little brisk Tuesday night, but compared to last week it was darn-near tropical. And you may think you can beat dollar hot dogs and dollar sodas, but you'd be so so wrong, my friends.

Actually turned out to be a very entertaining, well-played game. Two strong performances from the starting pitchers. Here's the box score, if you are so inclined.

Three items of note from Tuesday's game:

1. The Columbus closer is Chris Booker, a former Bat. Always had decent stuff. I didn't have high hopes for a comeback once he rumbled to the mound in the 9th. (He's still a big dude).

2. The number of strikeouts (17 between the 2 teams in a 9 inning game), especially on called strikes. The ump had a large strike zone - he called it the same all night - and there were 8 backwards K's posted in my book. Maybe it's a sign that this is still the minor leagues, because I'd think big league hitters would have adjusted over the course of the game. Eventually you gotta swing at that low and away pitch, son!

3. The sad saga of Earl Snyder. Went into the game 0-for-16. Left the game 0-for-19 (batting cleanup, mind you). Put up another donut last night from the 7-hole and is now 0-for-23. How do you keep that out of your head when you're standing at the plate? Especially with the bright new video board at Slugger Field that shows a big ol' .000? Maybe hitting a baseball really is the hardest thing in sports.

The Bats leave for their first road trip today - no games for me until next weekend. But this weekend has significant blog possibilities, so stay tuned. If, you know, you've got nothing better to do. Which I suspect is the case for most of you if you've made it this far.

Take Me Out To The...Damn It's Cold!!!

As some of you may know I have a part-time gig in the spring and summer - I keep score for the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A farm club for the Cincinnati Reds. There are a few of us who rotate so I don't do every game - usually once or twice a week. Last night, as I'm sure you saw all over the national news, was Opening Day at beautiful Slugger Field.

Basically I keep score the way many of us learned as a kid, but much more detailed. What happens on every pitch, where every ball that's put in play ends up, etc. Since I have to see every pitch, I have to pee really fast and I can't leave early. Which on a balmy summer evening is not a problem. But when it's early April and the wind chill at 10 PM is 31 degrees, well, that's less pleasant. (Of course, the game went 10 innings as well. I should have known it was going to be one of those nights when the pre-game skydiver MISSED THE ENTIRE FIELD. Wind, shmind, a baseball diamond is a really big target!)

Other than the toe-numbing cold it was actually a pretty good game. Bats pulled it out in the bottom of the 10th. Ran into a buddy who I hadn't seen in a while, although why he would stay for 9 innings and THEN leave seemed odd. You're already cold, man! Go the distance! Ease his pain! Do it for Moonlight Graham!

It's always fun to see who's back in the minors, or which former Bats have ended up elsewhere. Biggest surprise was that Mark Bellhorn, former Red Sox big leaguer, is the Bats' starting second baseman. Maybe it's the fact that he hit .190 for the Padres last year...hard to say.

Got there too late to check out the food this year - that's never been a strong point for Slugger Field. I get a great seat behind the plate, but sometimes the fried-bologna sandwich aroma is a bit overpowering. And a frosty cold one didn't really sound all that tempting last night. So at least I didn't spend the money I earned on concessions.

My next game is in a few days and the forecast looks promising. Go Bats!

Woke up this morning...

Not my best look

Trust me, if you wake up in the morning and you see this in the mirror...

Photo removed by user request. Wuss.

...you may want to seek medical attention. Or maybe an exorcist. Either way.

On the positive side, it does make people respect your personal space.

What a bargain!

I'll start passing the hat...

I am worth $2,980,498 on HumanForSale.com
How much are you worth?

How you feelin'?

Lots of people around me seem to be having health issues, from mildly inconvenient to possibly life-changing. I'd like to blame it all on global warming, or Republicans, or Pauly Shore, but I think it's just coincidence. Me? I feel pretty good - a little congested but nothing some spicy food won't take care of.

So what's the story? Why is everyone falling apart?

What's New?

Ever had a song stuck in your head even though you can't remember the last time you heard it?

365

For 12 months
Sometimes more
Sometimes less
They are there

Providing reminders
Of things both pleasant
-Aunt Sophie's birthday!
And unfortunate
-Root canal.

The wall calendar also
Fills our day
If just for a moment
With an image of something
That makes us smile

The calendars
With pictures of
Atrocities
And Pestilence
Are not big sellers

Instead we choose puppies
Or classic paintings
Or sports heroes

But mostly we choose those
With pictures of places
Places we have been
Places we dream of going
Places that are different
Than what we know

And so day after day
We go to our kitchens
And look on the wall
To see not only our lives
And our routines
But also to dream
If only for an instant

Now we are the sports hero
And we are the artist
And we imagine a life
So different than our own

The very instrument
We use to manage our life
Is also the one
We use to escape it

G-L-O-R-I-A

Hungry?

You will be after visiting this link. Bloggers from around the world were asked to name five things a person should eat before they die. Seems to me I could come up with 50 a lot easier than five, but here's my stab at it this cold, drizzly morning. Feel free to play along!

1. A real Iowa pork chop
2. Eggs Benedict
3. New York Cheesecake
4. Anything on a stick from a Hong Kong street vendor
5. Chow Fun, served in a paper cone

I'm sure if I did this list again tomorrow I would have 5 new choices. Is it lunch time yet?

Spuds

Where do you go when you have everything you ever wanted? When the world is your solid gold doggie dish filled with never-ending Snausages? There's only one way to go...down. It's inevitable. Today you're the dee oh double g, tomorrow you're a full-grown dog in a pet store full of puppies. It takes a special breed to get through times like these. A very good boy. A dog like Spuds MacKenzie. This is his story.

Any school boy could tell you about Spuds' meteoric rise to the top. How he was discovered pissing on a soda fountain by a local talent scout. His bit parts in Elvis movies. His late nights howling at the moon with Checkers Nixon. The bitches. Oh my, the bitches. The commercials, the t-shirts, the merchandising that knew no bounds. He was so much more than a dog. He was to Bud Light what Bill Cosby was to Jello Pudding Pops. A paid spokesman.

But America is a fickle mistress. Her taste for low-quality mass-produced beer and the dogs that promote it is as unreliable as, um, something that you really can't rely on. Like winning the lottery. Or, say, the Celtics ever winning another game. No? How about as unreliable as LiLo on a coke binge? Anything? Hello?

Where was I? Oh yes, Spuds. The dog once had it all, you see. But after complaints from "concerned" "parents" about marketing beer to "children", the Anheuser Busch folks sent old Spuds packing. (The follow-up Bud Light campaign featuring Bobo the Clown was a smash, as you no doubt recall). And poor Spuds was in the dog house. Well, not really. He wished he was in the dog house. But having failed to learn from the Hammer Tragedy of the same era, he over-extended himself and his crib was repossessed. For months poor Spuds was living paw to mouth.

But Spuds was always a fighter. He dusted himself off and got work where he could find it. Auto shows with King Kong Bundy and Alf. Lectures at community colleges. His three episode arc on Simon & Simon was classic Spuds. Things were turning around. But then, like a Greek tragedy about dogs who sold beer, tragedy struck.

Stories differ about what happened that tragic night, full of tragedy. Spuds had always battled addiction; his stints chained outside the Betty Ford Clinic were tabloid fodder for years. But friends claimed he was off the rawhide and down to two pig ears a day. Maybe Spuds had just had enough; that kind of lifestyle would make anyone dog-tired. Some say Spuds isn't really gone at all; he and Jim Morrison are playing Frisbee in a park outside Paris as we speak. I say those people are idiots.

The important lesson, my friends, is that Spuds was a good dog. I mean, not Lassie good, or certainly not Underdog good - that dog could fly and solve crimes, for Pete's sake. What kind of impossible standard is that to live up to? What is wrong with you people? Anyway, I just want us all to think about the Spuds inside each one of us. So the next time you're drinking a Bud Light, first you should ask yourself, why am I drinking this crap? But soon after that, you should be thinking of Spuds MacKenzie. It's what he would want. I guess.

RIP Spuds. Play dead. Stay.

I'm So Excited

Where Are They Now?

A fascinating look at some of our favorite video game stars of the '80s, and what they've been up to lately.

Luigi, we hardly knew ye.

Hot Licks

Found this cool post of the 20 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever, With Videos. It's actually a subset of a larger list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, according to Guitar World. Both entertaining reads.

Here's #17, Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson, who if I'm not mistaken Dave and I saw in Cedar Rapids many moons ago. A little chill for your Wednesday morning. And where can I find that awesome jacket?

Woot Off!

Can't talk now, it's a Woot Off, man! A WOOT OFF!

Happy wooting!

You are right

That picture IS creepy. I should have gone with a pail full of puppies, something along those lines. Maybe a shovelful of kittie cats.

So how is everyone today? It's a crisp, chilly Monday morning...15 degrees according to the little box on the bottom of my browser. I love technology.
You wouldn't believe the zaniness going on in my life. Unfortunately, decorum prohibits me from elaborating. Had a blast Friday and an even better time Saturday. Sunday was an inevitable letdown, but I did get caught up on dishes and laundry, so that's a plus. They say not to overfill a washing machine but to me that's half the fun.

Big plans next weekend as well. I'm laying the points and taking the Colts if anyone's interested.

Peace and love, mah peeps.

Pour Michèle

Bitter or bear?

I had a lot of angry rambling I was going to do today, but instead I thought I'd just post a pic of this fuzzy little champ right here:



How can I be angry about anything?

Caption contest

Humour

George

For no other reason than I'm listening to All Things Must Pass this morning, here's George at The Concert for Bangladesh

One good date

A delicious dinner at a Cuban restaurant and a good glass of bourbon. Tonight I will sleep well.

Sexy times!

Finally got around to seeing this guy's movie:

If you have not yet seen Borat, I highly recommend it. It's not for kids, or the easily offended, or peope with assorted sticks up their assorted asses, but everyone else will love it. Really, really funny.

It's so simple!

I am

...one lucky man. That is all.

Step One...

I've seen it, you've seen it, we've all seen it. It's still funny though:

If you don't like the weather...

...in [place name] just wait a few minutes and it will change! Why do people say this? Have you ever lived somewhere where people don't say this? This is what weather does, people. It changes. That's why they call it weather. If it didn't change they wouldn't have to call it anything, it would just be. Dude, that's pretty deep.

Forward!

2006 was not a great year. No two ways about it. But I'm hoping that when the dust settles some good will come of it. If I choose to believe all of those people that say "everything happens for a reason" then, I guess, it all happened for a reason.

So my resolution that I actually intend on honoring (unlike, say, "get in shape", which you and I both know is a big fat lie) is to stop dwelling on the pain and misery and starting looking towards the future. To replace the unpleasant memories with thoughts of things that make me smile. To get off my ass and get on with my life.

I think I can do this. If you are one of the 5 people reading this blog who know me then I hope you can help me when I need it. I will continue to be, as I am today, grateful for your friendship.

Forward!