As a reminder of some of the old days. This is for Matt

Someone must have stolen a conversation that occurred in a long comment string.

It seems like all our group has gone into hiding.

Friends

Life is simple.   And yet complicated.

Life is logical.  And yet irrational.

Life follows patterns.  And yet it will sneak up on you and bite you in the ass when you least expect it.

Life is beautiful.  And sometimes ugly.

I've made many friends in life.  Some, are shadows.  

Some are distant memories and other leave indelible imprints.

And some friends...  no matter where they are, will always be close.

It's comforting.  And yet fucking painful.

Goodbye Dad - Part 1

I'm impatient.

Shocking.  Yes.  I know.

I want to write something longer.  But, in the time it's taken for me to even get my thoughts together, 2 days have passed since...

My dad passed away.

I'll be honest.  I was angry when he landed in the hospital in June.  He refused to participate is his own health the last 20 years...   At 73, he was too young to be dying of kidney failure.

He turned 74 in July.   He died peacefully on Wednesday, a mere 3 weeks before his 48th anniversary.    

He was an honorable man who was known for his integrity and the ability to spin a yarn, whether having a quiet conversation or amongst a group of friend.  

I'll post more in part 2.   Who knows when that will be.

Goodbye Dad.

The Kardashian Apocalypse

I didn't waste my time watching them, but when I read the news that Beck won a Grammy, I thought "Wow, actual taste! Maybe things are turning around!"  Then I realized they weren't talking about Jeff Beck.

A Story for Jin

Jin wanted to know what I was having for dinner because he cares deeply about me an my welfare.  I figured I would post all about my dinner.  When I was young, chicken was generally a Sunday meal.  My grandmother made one hell of a meal of chicken and rice.  All this in spite of the fact that my grandfather hated chicken.  He also hated spaghetti, but that is another story and another supper that I likely will write about. Now, I know that tonight is a Friday and that the patterns of the universe will likely be disrupted by eating chicken on Friday rather than Sunday, but it sounded good.

Yes, actual chicken.  Chicken that I actually butchered myself.  Only because I was out of cats.  Well, technically not out, because there is still one cat in the barn, but he has a job to do and earns his keep.  But I digress.  I like to use chicken thighs for my chicken and rice.  My grandmother was not particular and used all pieces, but I am partial to dark meat.  You can read into that statement anything you like.

I boil the rice in broth from the chicken carcasses that I make on the woodstove.  Sometimes I simply make soup from the chicken carcasses, but I also like to can the broth just for situations such as this one.  I boil the broth and dump the dry rice in it and turn off the heat.  Once the rice is done, I put it in a stoneware pot.  I brown the chicken in a frying pan and then place the pieces on top of the rice and pour the drippings on top of the chicken so that it drizzles down into the rice.  I cover the pot and cook it at 350 deg F for about 45 minutes.  I then remove the cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes so that the skin gets crispy.

It is unbelievably delicious, mostly because all the unhealthy chicken fat soaks into the rice making it very tasty.  I know that Jin will be worried about my cholesterol from eating such a meal, but he should not, because I had a nice glass of bourbon before I ate.  It is a well known fact that bourbon, especially good bourbon, over ice, counteracts all unhealthy aspects of any meal.

Here is the meal before I ate it:

 

 

It was delicious. 

 

My wife is making homemade ice cream for desert, which will also be delicious.

 

And now, I must leave you all dear readers (that is you Jin) because I must go to the most important chair in the house and think about friends.  I do indeed give a shit.  Especially after a good meal. 

 

Oh....and that myth...you know the one, about how there is always room for ice cream?  It's not true.  Sometimes after a good meal like this, one must MAKE room.

SUPERBOWL!!!

The reason I am happy?  Because I know I can watch all the advertisements on the internet.  Most of them today already, but certainly all of them tomorrow.

Is it wrong for me to root for both teams to lose?

The Child Inside

I was born in New England.

Outside of 5 years shortly after I got married, I've lived here all my life.

And I'll die here.

There's something particularly unique about this corner of the world.   I've been to many places in the US and others in North America and Europe.   Based on what I've experienced and based on what I've read, Boston may be the greatest city in the world.

People talk about the hospitals, the schools, the sports, the history, the people.   To me?   It's all about the weather.

I admit it.   I love the snow.

But, as I was walking down the street last night in temps that were, in the local vernacular, wicked cold, it occurred to me that only 5 months prior, I was roasting my ass off in the blazing sun on a 95+ degree day (we didn't get many of those in 2014.)   So, I enjoy the hot weather too.

There's something about cold weather, and particularly snow that just makes me happy.

The dogs love it too.   But, when the snow can be measured in multiples of height of the little one, the snow can be hard to manage.

During the height of the recent blizzard, they refused to pee on the pads we had laid out in the living room, so I had to take them out.   Out the front door, the little one disappeared into a snow drift, so I scooped them up to carry them to the barely plowed street.

Step one... up to my calf.
Step two... up to my knee...
Step three....   lose my balance and I'm sitting in a pile of snow up to my waist.

The dogs were ok... tucked away in daddy's grip.   So, I sat there a moment... transported back a few decades to when I was a kid.

I loved it.

Thoughts

Things happen.
People change.
Perspectives get distorted.
Mistakes are made.
Assumptions are avoided, and yet often inevitable.
Feelings.
Routines get altered.
Emptiness.
Filling the void isn't all that easy.  Maybe even impossible.
Imagination.
Fantasy.
Gone.
Cuban sandwiches never shared.
Was anything ever real?
Done?
Wanting what can't be had is a waste.
Or, maybe the here and now can include something more...

Integrity in the NFL

Peterson gets suspended for beating his kid while Ray Rice got reinstated.

Apparently, the league draws the line at beating your kids.  Beating your partner is completely ok, so long as she gets her money.  And let's not kid ourselves.  If Ray Rice weren't a football player who's earning potential was in the millions, his wife would be out of there....   Or some goodie two shoes women's rights people would be in her ear to "not go back to that unhealthy relationship"

For God's sake, many of us have stressful jobs.  The so-called violence in football is, at least, an outlet.  Since when do we excuse people for bad behavior that harms someone else?

I was asked recently for my opinion on how coach Belichick should be punished if he was found to have intentionally deflating footballs.  Because, ya know, he's a proven cheater.  I deflected, for a good reason.  I have major problems with the NFL right now.  It's not been a league based solely on competition for quite some time.  Belichick is an arrogant asshole.  Yes.  And, he's my arrogant asshole because I live in New England .  So, there's little point in asking me for my opinion because I'm biased.

But the bigger issue is all the rules put in place for "player safety".  It's horseshit.  The rules in place are meant to make it easier for the offenses to score.  And where did some of those rules come from?  Bill Polian: former President of the Colts, all to make it easier for Manning and other QBs.  It's all about ratings.

Calling Belichick a cheater is like calling a habitual speeder a criminal.  Everyone speeds.  When you get caught, you pay the fine.  But that doesn't take away your presumption of innocence when accused of theft.

Belichick has been caught cheating in ways that most, if not all, other coaches have also cheated.  The NFL looks the other way to unless someone blows a whistle.

Does that make it ok?  Maybe not.  But, if everyone around you is cheating and getting away with it, at what point are your principles more important than the players that you coach?

The real reason that Belichick acts with such disdain for NFL leadership is that it is weak, and inconsistent, not to mention ineffective.

So, if Belichick is found "guilty" of masterminding a way to deflate balls after they were inspected?   Then fine him and get the fuck on with it.

Period.

You want integrity?   Don't look to NFL leadership.

Jihad and Turning Your Cheek

Jihad means holy war.  Correct?
Turning your cheek means fighting is bad.  Correct?

Both of these statements is inaccurate.

Jihad means "struggle" and most Islamic scholars today interpret Jihad as the internal struggle that we all have to lead a disciplined life.

References to violence in the Quran are specific to defending sacred real estate.  It is no different than the castle doctrine maintained on the books in many US states.

Similarly, Jesus' teachings about turning the other cheek and offering your tunic to the man that robs you has also been misinterpreted.   Effectively, Jesus said to never let someone insult you with a backhanded slap.   Turn your cheek so that your aggressor must confront you on equal terms.

The notion that Muslims are inherently violent and that Christians are inherently passive based on their religious teaching is just silly.   There is no evidence to support it.

Did an Egyptian cleric celebrate the murders in Paris?   Yes.   But a Christian minister also burned the Quran.  (He's now a fry cook somewhere....   I call that Karma)

It's time we start holding individuals accountable for their actions instead of allowing people who label themselves a certain way to taint others with that same label.

Just because I love the Patriots, that doesn't mean I support spying on the opposition.