Monday Potpourri

Just a conglomeration of weekend stuff, with nothing very spectacular (they’re real…).

Food Part:

Food selections for the weekend included Pizza take out from Ruddy Duck, a bar meal at Corbels, and a couple of home cooked “eating” not dining meals. One of which was I decided to unthaw some leftover Nathan’s dogs and grill them. Since I had to run some errands including a trip to Giant, I decided to pick up some fresh hot dog rolls or buns, depending on your heritage. So after deciphering their new aisle line up designed so that you cannot find anything without random roaming of the aisles, I finally found the bread section (wouldn’t you think “Bread” should be on those hanging down things at the ends of the aisles? Not yet, anyway). After finding the usual blank space where the Pepperidge Farm “Original” white bread should have been, I spied the buns/rolls on the lower shelf. As I reached for a package of the hot dog variety, I noticed they were labeled as “Classic Hot Dog Buns”. Great. However, in slightly smaller print was “top sliced”. Now, I am from the Midwest, but in that world, a “classic” hot dog but would be sliced on the side. I never even heard of a top sliced until recently, but maybe I’ve lived a sheltered life. I don’t think I’m against it, it does have it’s pluses, like it’s easier to keep the condiments from falling out, and generally you turn a side sliced 90˚ anyway. (did we have this discussion before?).

I just got my October Food and Wine – with a cover story of “Food and Wine Pairing Guide”, with a sub title of “a photo with every recipe”. Great. I always have to look at the dish before I can begin thinking about the wine. I haven’t cracked the issue yet, but will…

Thanks eagle eyed readers – I guess there is no such thing as prime rib of beer, although it might have some merit…

Non Food Part

As noted, MFO and I spent the day Saturday at different venues in the county, I at Historic St. Mary’s City, and she at Leonardtown. I got to sit at the Woodland Indian Discovery Day information booth, and the other half Tudor Hall. I had a great time talking to the visitors (along with directions to the rest room, informing people that it wasn’t free, you need a ticket, etc.). The little kids were the most fun as they got to make beads, putting red clay on their face, and generally making a mess. It’s fun to get out and see people. You never know what’s going to turn up..

Sports and observations part

I’ve seen more Michael Jackson after his demise than before…..enough already!

Speaking of demise, I thought Jay Leno retired. Again, over the past few weeks, I’ve seen more of him than in years before. NBC spending mega bucks pumping our enthusiasm for his new show. I won’t’ be watching..I think his ego is as large as his lower mandible..

Rant Part:

We’re number….. To placate America’s apparent hunger to make sure there’s a “number one” in everything, most sports have devised a playoff system. Most work okay, with somebody at least winning playoffs, not necessarily synonymous with “number one” (which implies our favorite concept, “the best”). The two notable exceptions are college football which continues to flounder around in the BCS swamp and by far the worst is the stupid FedEx cup. Trying to come up with a “playoff” in a sport where you compete against others only in relation to par has proven difficult. All (?) the other formats involve a “one on one” team or individual contest in which the winner continues and the other goes home. But, unless you come up with a match play format which would take forever, it just doesn’t work in golf. That incomprehensible goofy point system doesn’t mean anything. Tiger is currently leading with 7,196 points and number two has a measly 5,692 followed by the trailers with only 3 grand. What the heck does that mean? Every televised event this year tried to generate enthusiasm for “the FedEx cup”, but it just didn’t work. This last weekend was the last chance to be one of the lucky 30 into the “finals”, which apparently 25 of them cannot win, even if they win the dang tournament. That’s nice, is there any other sport in which winning the last playoff event does not make them the overall Champion? On the first round last Thursday, NBC began with the first stroke of the first of 70 players saying: “if it ended right now – he’d be in Xth place”!. What idiocy. Gee, there’s only 70 players playing 4 rounds, at roughly a par 70 course, meaning there were about 20,000 strokes to be played before Sunday. It got to be ludicrous. I thought Furyk had a nice rejoinder yesterday to my buddy Jimmy (the weasel) Roberts who eagerly asked: “I’ll bet you were really concentrating on your place in the Cup as you played today!” Jim said: “no, that’s you guys job, most of the players don’t care and just play golf”. Nuff said.

Nice job, Spartans, losing to what was known when I was a kid as “Mt. Pleasant Teacher’s College”. And, sorry Charlie, Return to Glory delayed one more week..

This is not original, but worth passing along…Did you ever wonder when you want to turn off your computer you go to “start”?

Quick Cultured Part:

another in the land of nothing to do, there's a concert tomorrow (tuesday 9/15) at noon in St. Mary's Hall of St. Mary's College featuring Beverly Babcock and Brian Ganz playing Bach Concerto in f minor, and the Beethoven Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major. After attending the concert, i'll be

DFD