stuff and nonsense

[grayhawkfh]

Hi there.

Yeah, I know I said I'd post daily. But I actually worked on stuff yesterday, so there.

So, not much going on. Fairly quiet weekend at our place. We hung out, watched Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Specced a laptop for mousecat0 to use at work. Played some WoW.

Exciting, ain't it?

One thing we did try this weekend was substituting chicken for pork in the Sweet & Sour Pork recipe. Unsurprisingly, it came out great.

Speaking of meals, I have finalized the Mother's Day dinner menu!

• Pina Colada Scallop Brochettes
  
• Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
  
• Roasted Asparagus
  
• Peas with Shallots and Pancetta
  
• Au Gratin Potatoes
  
• Biscuits
  
• Sugar-free Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Just a little something I'll whip up... ;-)

Recipes with commentary will posted after the meal.

Did my first run through Naxx on Saturday. Cleared the Spider wing; got our asses beat by Patches. Got a cool polearm (Wraith Spear) out of it - except my skill in it was 1. Now up to 300+. Am hoping to get it near 400 by Saturday.

Should also get the NobleGarden achievements done tonight.

Read three books in the last few weeks:

The Downhill Lie by Carl Hiaasen. Although I have about as much interest in golf as I do in french kissing a great white shark (that is to say, none), this was a very humorous book that just happened to be about one man trying to return to the game of golf. Well written and very funny, you get a real feel for one man's frustration with himself and his golf game - yet tempered with the healing and humor that comes with time and distance. I imagine that those who have played golf will find more humor in this than I did (much like survivors of Catholic schools get much more humor out of Nunsense), but I can recommend it to just about everyone.

A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5-Foot-8, 170-Pound, 43-Year-Old Sportswriter Plays in the NFL by Stefan Fatsis: If you ever wondered what it was like to try out for a professional football team, read this book. Look, I have *never* claimed to be an athlete. My favorite weightlifting move is the 12 oz. curl. The closest I ever came to Pro Football was watching a game at FedEx Field. But I did play for a while in high school. So, I have the barest echo of an inkling of what it's like in training camp. And Fatsis does a great job of making you feel the exhaustion, the frustration, and the bonds that are forged by it. He also shows the human side of the players and coaches - the part that so often goes overlooked by the fans. He left the Broncos training camp with a new view of and respect for the players - and after reading this, I think you will too.

Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty by Jeff Pearlman: Football fans generally fall on one side or the other of the Dallas Cowboys Fence: you either love 'em or hate 'em. Me? I hate 'em - and so does damn near every other fan of the Redskins, Eagles, & Giants. This look behind the scenes of "America's Team" in the 1990's is...wow. You wonder how these people could co-exist. You wonder how they could even play football, let alone win 3 HyperSuperBowls with all the drinking, drugs, and women. Control freaks, physical freaks, and football freaks, and they pulled it all together to be successful - and then fell apart. I found this to be compelling reading - but it was more because you wanted to see what happened next - what new low or level of debauchery they'd hit - and when would it start to unravel? I found the ending kind of abrupt, much like the end of a number of coaches there (Tom Landry and Jimmie Johnson) - yet, I am unsure how else it could have been done. Overall well written and an interesting read for those on both sides of the Cowboys fence.

OK, that's about it for now.

Remember: You woke up on the proper side of the grass this morning. By definition, that makes this a good day.

Peas. Out.

Comments

[aprilperlowski.livejournal.com]

Looks like you spent your time reading some interesting sport books. I have not read this book by Hiaesen, but I have read one of his Juv/YA novels, Hoot. He is an entertaining and informative writer.
By the way, have you read "Paper Lions" by George Plimpton? He too entered Football Summer training. It was a fabulous read and I hear a pretty good movie.