Eastham, Massachusetts

I'm very close to First Encounter Beach, where the Pilgrims first met Native Americans. In early December, 1620, the Pilgrims were rowing around Cape Cod Bay, between the Cape and the mainland, looking for a good place to set up their plantation.

The Mayflower was anchored at the very tip of Cape Cod, farther north. They rowed south, keeping close to land and hopping out every once in a while to look for fresh water and other amenities.

The first meeting was not exactly pleasant. Shots were exchanged, but nobody hurt on either side. You can read all about it here.

I was able to make it to the hotel without coming under fire. Other than the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Obviously.

"Bring out yer dead!!!"

It's a shame they on't make movies like this any more.

No-Knead Bread

Made this with part regular and part whole-wheat flour:

It tasted good! Next time I'll share with T...

Useless Dog

Bonzi's main fall activity so far consists of barking at the squirrels that mock him from the other side of the french doors.

This is the vicious, squirrel-hating mongrel

Impossible Pie

Really. Cleaned the frozen veggies out of the freezer, picked the turkey clean, diced some potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Spilled too much pepper into the mix. Some salt.

Dumped it into a dutch oven. Mixed Bisquick, milk and eggs and poured it over the whole mess.

Impossible Pie, before it went into the oven...

It's cooking now. Will my hunger be sated? Or, will I die?

Stay tuned...

Impossible Pie, realized

Good news. The Impossible Pie came out fine and I did not die. A little bland, but I jazzed it up with some salt and more pepper. It was like a thick quiche, which is slightly embarrassing.

The good news is that I have enough for the rest of the week.

Burn Baby, Burn!

Fall, time to clean out the garage and torch any thing remotely flammable.

At the Alamo -- San Antonio, Texas

Remember the Alamo? It's in San Antonio.

My assault on the Alamo went much better today than it did on Monday.

I was able to find a parking spot right behind a commercial loading zone and it only cost me 45¢.

The Alamo is not very big -- I walked around the entire compound in about 15 minutes. Slowly.

There is a little museum with some artifacts -- old rusty spoons and broken spurs. Some bullets.

I didn't stay long, just enough time to get some pictures and check in quickly through G+, FB, and the Carroll Ranch Blog...all kind of silly when you think about it.

Anyway, I made good use of my short time in San Antonio.

Oh, I got stopped by the border police on the way up from McAllen. I was driving a rental car, which probably placed me in the same demographic as smugglers. They eyed me suspiciously and looked in my trunk. As soon as they figured out that I didn't have any Mexicans they let me go.

Texas, between San Antonio and Three Rivers

Dry, hot. I'm in a rented Mustang with no tongue on the side. A sign at the entrance to the rest stop says "Watch For Snakes".

T at Chili's

Wasted away again in Margaritaville!

Made it to Google+!

Now I have to decide if I should dump Facebook or not.

Google+ is a fresh start -- but I do have family on FB...

Some People Have No Shame!

Hey, look at this:

They're putting advertising on rental cars! This is what I'm driving this week, since I am without shame and don't mind incredulous stares or strangers asking WTF is *that*!!

At the rental agency they offered me a subcompact roller skate for $50 a day -- no electric windows, no auto door locks. Ecch!

*OR* I could drive a stylish, high-end Kia with a luxury interior and state-of-the-art sound system for $32 a day. The catch was that I had to accept this garish advertising, including a picture of a huge tongue on each side.

There's no way T would get in something like this, but I don't care. Let 'em stare! I'll save $18 a day -- enough for a steak dinner and then some!

Blakely, Georgia

Here for the week!

CLT

Homeward Bound

Android Apps are Cheaper

It looks that way so far, anyway.

Android

Taking some time this week to become an Android expert.

McAllen, Texas

It was 100 degrees here when I landed!


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Margarita Night

Lookin' for my lost shaker of salt...

Margarita night with T, Karen and Keith. The margarita is in the mug. I drank most of them, which I deserved since I cooked hot dogs and hamburgers.

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Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo

'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio 

Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o 

Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou 

I am of Irish persuasion -- not a drop of Cajun blood in me. We also live 'way north of Louisiana, where Andouille is all but impossible to find. 


But I don't care. This evening I poled my pirogue down to the Barbecue Patio and whipped up a batch of Poorman's Jambalaya.


When you're poor you have to improvise: Leftover ham instead of shrimp, and pork sausage instead of Andouille. But I did it, with inspiration from Paul Prudhomme (who I resemble somewhat) and old Hank Williams.

The result was spectacular. Even T had a second helping!

Ham, sausage and a little butter

The Holy Trinity: Onions, bell peppers, celery.
Throw in a jalapeno for lagniappe!

Secret spice mix and chicken broth.
No tomatoes!!!

A handful of rice -- simmer for a while and enjoy...

It doesn't get any better! I'll make a batch for Lindsay as soon as she gets home!

The lyrics and history of Hank's song is here.

Is too much Internet bad??

T is always telling me that I spend too much time on the Internet. I have Wi-Fi through the house and a 4G hot spot that I carry around when we travel.

I can send and receive email from anywhere, and quickly post fascinating snippets to Twitter, Facebook, this blog and (soon) Google+.

I can also look up interesting facts anytime. For example, at dinner one evening T wondered what bugs were eating her squash plants. I had the answer (Squash Beetles) within a minute. I'm that good! Vain and self-obsessed? Naaah!

But T still agrees with the "experts" who say the Internet can be as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. So, in the interest of being "fair and balanced", I will start researching the other side of the issue. I don't want to be accused of embracing only information that supports my preconceptions, while filtering out dis-confirming information.

Later, when I get some spare time, I will read this article: Facebook and Twitter creating vain generation of self-obsessed people | Mail Online. But first I have to finish this blog entry, get my email, monitor my Twitter feed (and post a few Tweets), update my Facebook profile, set up a few more groups, experiment with Google+, and catch up on Mashable.com.

Then, for sure.

Sieg Heil!

Are you afraid of your cat? You would be if it looked like Adolf Hitler! Here's an example, cribbed from  catsthatlooklikehitler.com.

Looks like it's about ready to invade Poland!

I stumbled onto the site last night & thought it was hilarious. It brought to mind an old song we used to sing 'way back when I was in the Hitler Youth boy scouts:

"Don't be stupid,

Be a smarty!

Come and join the Nazi Party"

-- from Springtime for Hitler, by Mel Brooks

T was not amused.

Crown Molding For Erin...

Stephen means "crown" in Greek. So when T decided that our new nursery needed crown molding, I was the natural choice. Plus I have a miter saw.

The nursery, lest you jump to the wrong conclusion, is for granddaughter Erin. Child psychologists, if asked, would probably say that a young lady's development is enhanced if, when at Gram's House, she can stare up at a ceiling framed with crown molding.

I spent my formative years looking at plain right-angles where the ceiling and walls met. We don't want little Erin to suffer my fate.

So, I am installing crown molding in the nursery. For Erin.

My own namesake Stephen, in case you don't already know, was Christianity's very first martyr. So you can begin to imagine how I felt as I gathered my carpentry tools and trudged upstairs to begin work.

Erin, when you get a little older, please check out the nursery at Gram's house. The crown molding around the top is for you!

Here is where the persecution began...

This is what would have happened if the crown molding turned out to be ugly...

Listen: Billy Pilgrim Has Come Unstuck In Time

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughterhouse-Five



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Stuck in Philly this time

Oh well, it happens sometimes.



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State Bank of Illinois

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Oh the humanity!

T went into the grocery store, leaving me alone in the Jeep. She took the keys.

It's getting hot.

Somebody please help me!!

Oh wait, here she comes...

...it's Ok, it looks like she has chicken...

Michele Bachman - What's Not To Like?

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This was what summer used to be like...

...before the speed limit sign went up:

I used to sleep outside when the evenings were coolI'm sure that's all over now.

 I can remember the smell of pork chops on the grill, and the sound of the sizzle. A dim memory, I'm afraid, now that the Nazis are patrolling the streets.

We used to be able to decorate for holidays, too. Now they'll probably take our flags.

Obviously displays like this will not be tolerated.

Look out, butterflies! They'll be coming for you next!

Big Government intrudes at Carroll Ranch

It happened. The bucolic tranquility of our mountain home has been shattered.

One more freedom has fallen under the hobnailed boot of Big Government.

They put a speed limit sign in front of our house.

I blame Obama

I'm ready to flee the weirdness that is Facebook

I'll be switching to Google+ as soon as they let me in. Much more becoming a man of my advanced age and varied proclivities.

I like the "circles" idea. I think I'll have lots of them.

Facebook's "friends" and "not friends" is a little too binary.

Here's my working list of circles:

Friends from work
Friends from school (a long time ago!)
My liberal family
My conservative family
T's family
Radical Conservatives
Fiscal conservatives
Social conservatives
Heathen liberals, including publicans, sinners, Democrats... (I dine out frequently)

With enough circles I can be completely candid and never risk offending anyone! What's not to like?!



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Location:BBQ Patio

The Musical Fruit

For some years now I've been wanting to find a good recipe for baked beans. I'm not sure why it took me this long. Maybe subconscious anxiety caused by the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles.

Anyway, this week I threw caution to the winds (sorry!) and found a dutch oven baked bean recipe that looked promising and not too difficult. I grilled some chicken for the main course and the result was tasty, healthy and musical:

Bacon, onions, garlic.

Add pre-soaked navy beans and chicken broth.

When the beans are soft add other stuff. Tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, etc.

Cook some more.

Now add the dutch oven lid and bake for a couple of hours.

The dutch oven is in the left background, by the classy outdoor fireplace.

Chicken is just about done. Note the baby dutch full of BBQ sauce.

Ready to eat. Keith and Karen brought crabs and salad.

Here are some random links, in celebration of all things legume:

I don't know why anyone would want to do this, but to learn how to take the "wind" out of beans, click here.

To enjoy the aforementioned scene from Blazing Saddles, click here.

There is even a Facebook page devoted to beans, which includes some poetry.

Beans on Facebook. Right.

Garry Owen Irish Pub

126 Chambersburg Street
Gettysburg, PA