"Foggy Memory" written by Jason on estrip.org

03/18/09 09:57 - 51ºF - ID#48100

Foggy Memory

Have you ever known that there was something important you were supposed to do after work, but forgotten what that something was?

Yeah.....

I know it's not Battlestar Galactica finale. That's Friday night.
I know it's not...

I'll be damned. It just came to me.

Josh, we have to go to UPS today to get my new cam!!!!!

And your new Kerouac book. But whatever. I've been sick of not posting pics because my phone cam is so shitty.

Now hopefully I remember to call them and arrange to pick it up later.

Wish me luck?

Permalink: Foggy_Memory.html
Words: 96
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: potpourri

03/17/09 01:05 - 42ºF - ID#48085

Dreaming of Florida

I hear that's where all the cougars are.

Yeah....anyway I'm going to play golf in mid-June, and I can't wait. I always have a good time in FLA, and a boy from Buffalo loves to be able to walk around in the skivs late at night in 75-80 degree weather.

Another thing I love is swimming. One of the most relaxing activities for me is to be in a pool doing the backstroke. If I lived there I certainly would swim every day. Swimming is also my favorite Olympic sport.

I love the beach, for some obvious reasons, some not so obvious, but my Nordic skin doesn't so much appreciate it. Gonna have to get a base going.

Swimming, golf, luxury booze, great food, cigars, barbies on the beach. Yes, I can definitely handle that.

Permalink: Dreaming_of_Florida.html
Words: 136
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: potpourri

03/13/09 01:33 - 22ºF - ID#48043

The Water Of Life

Every now and then I remember that something I want to do someday is sit at the bar at Aquavit in Manhattan and sample some of the varieties of Aquavits they make. It's about as close as we can get to experiencing Swedish drinking culture without going overseas. I wonder if they even do the drinking songs? I very much doubt that.

One problem with being Swedish-American is that it's hard to connect to your roots without being in one of a handful of places full of ethnic Swedes. It ain't like being Italiano. In Jamestown I can get the cardamom rolls, the skorpors, proper cookies, Swedish chocolate, and all sorts of other things. In Buffalo not so much, although I did find the Lingonberries at Premier recently while looking for white peach puree and dried morels.

It is an unfortunate fact that Swedish cuisine has a poor reputation, because the bad stuff is REALLY bad, so I don't know how much I am going to be doing Swedish cooking, but I really want to try an Aquavit. A few years back the NYC restaurant decided to commercially produce one of their more popular Aquavits. Joy!! The bitch of it is that it isn't available outside of the NY metro area.

Of course, it isn't as strong as a normal Aquavit, which is almost always taken straight up, and it is flavored with white cranberry as opposed to some of the weirder options, but it's probably as good as I can do given the circumstances. I'm absolutely certain it could form the base of my next 750. I need to find a way to get my hands on some of this stuff. I promise to share!

Permalink: The_Water_Of_Life.html
Words: 292
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: drink

03/05/09 02:43 - 44ºF - ID#47959

Appletini, Peppermint-tini, Dook-a-tini

I'm sorry, I can't let this one go without comment. Someone else said how shameful it is for a guy to order an Appletini, or any -tini variation. I definitely agree, but I also like my fruity ass drinks at Cecelia's on occasion (can't do olives), so I found a solution. Just change the drink's name. Appletini becomes the William Tell, Electric Lemonade becomes the Thunderbolt, and I'm sure I've named a few of them other far less emasculating things like Jackhammer, Piledriver, Hot Rod, and Five Alarm. Thank God my favorite at Cecelia's is called the Metropolitan. See, you can have your silly ass drinks and still not be considered an asshole, at least in your own mind.

Permalink: Appletini_Peppermint_tini_Dook_a_tini.html
Words: 119
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: geek

03/05/09 11:34 - 37ºF - ID#47955

Ugh. Some Vendors!!!!!!

I don't talk about work a lot, but the last couple of days have been very frustrating. You would think that a HUGE, INTERNATIONAL vendor would have its shit together but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Sometimes, they give you wrong documentation, other times they give you wrong answers, and hours of wasted productivity later they ask YOU to send THEM the correct documentation that was "lost" a year ago. What? Why don't you have your own shit? Why were we given wrong information time and again? Why are you wasting my fucking time? It's unbelievable, and we pay for the privilege.

Permalink: Ugh_Some_Vendors_.html
Words: 105
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: potpourri

03/03/09 09:19 - 9ºF - ID#47931

Wearing A Tie Today

Normally I do have to wear Business Caszh, but today since we have a company wide meeting at some banquet facility I have to wear a suit and tie. I wish I had a suit that fit better, and some more ties. Plus maybe a jacket or two. Plus those cowboy boots.

I also noticed my hair is getting too long. It starts to curl at the sides and the back. Anyone who's seen the baby picture in the apartment knows the end result. Time to get Mr. Buzz Buzz out and get busy.

I'm praying there's food at this thing today.....

Yep, that's about all I got for now. Since I've been hating on that beef broth beverage I am going to make one tonight and try it before I turn my nose up any further. I also need an updated 750 for the spring and summer.

Permalink: Wearing_A_Tie_Today.html
Words: 147
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: beer

02/25/09 09:15 - ID#47889

Hacker-Pschorr Weisse

I have been waiting quite a while to try this one. It seems to be hard to find at any of the local beer stores, but today we found some at the beer boutique down the street.

Mmmmm......a pretty good wheat beer. I know I've spoken with a couple of you about this. Get it while you can!

Permalink: Hacker_Pschorr_Weisse.html
Words: 61
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: potpourri

02/21/09 10:16 - 24ºF - ID#47843

Hangover

Well, I just woke up. Oh God. A few of us thought it was an excellent idea to drink 4/5 of a bottle of Dewar's before we went out. Might as well have polished the whole fucking lot of it. Then we went to Hardware again, which was fine and all except I can't talk to girls when I'm so drunk. Ad libbing takes a lot of brain power for me, and I have almost no patience for bullshit talk, so in that circumstance my mind is more Model T instead of Corvette. I think Joe knew this and left me with two girls who I didn't even like. Jesus, I can still taste the whiskey.

Edit: I just saw a guy who was a dead ringer for Roman Abramovich over at the coffee shop. And some lady drove by yelling "Hey Baby" at me through her car window (well, a sheet of plastic, you know how it goes sometimes). At least I have my coffee and an oatmeal cookie to nurse myself back to awareness.

Permalink: Hangover.html
Words: 175
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/19/09 05:22 - 19ºF - ID#47813

My Take On Westboro

As most of you know, (e:Joshua) is a major Kerouac fan, so of course we've had a number of conversations about Kerouac, his religious journey, what he did, where he went - but most importantly to me WHY something like that is more than a series of anecdotes.

I have to admit I've been engrossed in Lonesome Traveler, especially the portion of it called Alone On A Mountaintop. In that story Jack takes a position as a Fire Watch on Desolation Peak in Washington state. This is also recreated in his novel Desolation Angels.

During the story Jack's thoughts wandered a little to his spirituality. There is an excerpt I want to share with you.

What strange sweet thoughts come to you in the mountain solitudes! --- One night I realized that when you give people understanding and encouragement a funny little meek childish look abashes their eyes, no matter what they've been doing they weren't sure it was right --- lambies all over the world.

For when you realize that God is Everything you know that you've got to love everything no matter how bad it is, in the ultimate sense it was neither good nor bad (consider the dust), it was just what was, that is, what was made to appear. --- Some kind of drama to teach something, some "despised substance of divinest show."

And I realized I didn't have to hide myself in desolation but could accept society for better or for worse, like a wife --- I saw that if it wasn't for the six senses, of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting and thinking, the self of that, which is non-existent, there would be no phenomena to perceive at all, in fact no six senses or self. --- The fear of extinction is much worse than extinction (death) itself.

I probably had a similar revelation some years ago. I can't tell you how much I hate Westboro. I don't use that word a whole lot, and they haven't wronged me *personally* but I feel justified in hating them. Do they *really* know God or Jesus? I have my doubts. I've had arguments with hard core fundies before about some of their scriptural interpretation, such as God calling us to be judgmental of others.

What Jack realized, and I think many others who followed a different spiritual path will agree as well, is that the answer to hate isn't hate. After all, they make their money off of people reacting to their hate. They would love for me to knock someone's teeth out. So this is something I struggle with. Maybe the answer isn't to hate *them*, but to love gays to a much higher degree than they hate the gays. Or maybe the right answer is, as others have said, to ignore them completely and give them zero attention.

It seems like the best solutions are the ones that are the most difficult for us to execute. I just hope we can be better than them.

Permalink: My_Take_On_Westboro.html
Words: 504
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

02/17/09 08:57 - 32ºF - ID#47786

Where's The Boeuf?

My apartment, that's where!

I have to say I did pretty damn well for my first attempt at the Boeuf Bourguignon. (e:Joshua) claims he couldn't have done any better. I don't have any photos, because let's face it I don't have the gear to make beef stew look sexy, but you can trust me when I say it was delicious.

Two mistakes to correct - I think I cooked the onions on a little higher heat than was necessary, and I didn't get the simmer started right at first. That stuff should be fairly easy to get right and the next time it's going to be unbelievable.

To use a golf analogy, when you hit one shot perfectly straight at the range the first time you try it motivates you to keep on playing.

I wish I had gotten your suggestion earlier, (e:JBeatty) - I used just the cup of wine and am curious about how you made the sauce with your consistency and color. I browned the meat like a champ.

Next - I'm doing some sirloin steaks tomorrow with a pan sauce. These bad boys look good. I might be eating better this week than I have in a very long time.

Permalink: Where_s_The_Boeuf_.html
Words: 206
Location: Buffalo, NY