'Twas the day before Christmas and I'm not super happy

'Twas the day before Christmas and I'm not supper happy
I'd like to write a poem, but it's coming out crappy.
The kids are with grandma and Angie's at work
For the sole reason that her boss is a jerk.

It's just not the same, this Christmas Eve day
But we're all adults with lots of bills to pay
And Angie's at her desk, and I am at mine
I try to convince myself "This is all fine."

All out in the world everything is just noise
I miss being young and just playing with toys.
The kids have it right, they now what is best
Give me something fun! And fuck all the rest.

We strive and we worry to find the right gift
Something that will give our spirits a lift
There's anxiety and worry and self doubt to spare
When all we want is our loved ones to be there.

With little children so silly and fun
Life is hard when all you do is run
I try to be happy and so do we all
But sometimes we stumble and sometimes we fall

Hunting: Life in Rural America

Recently I got the chance to write a piece about hunting for another blog. I thought I would go ahead and share that entry here on my own blog... 

Hunting: Life in Rural America

I'm fairly certain that hunting is looked at in vastly different ways by the rural communities vs urban communities. Out here in rural Nowhere - it's a way of life.

In the urban community it's probably seen as an unnecessary thing by many, possibly barbaric by some, and just not an option for most. But I am not talking about trophy hunting or going on safari (fuck you Eric Trump!). I'm talking about walking out into the woods before the sun comes up and freezing my ass off for several hours in the hopes I will come home late that day with a large deer that will fill my family's freezer for months to come.

People here hunt, and for good reason. If the deer in our area were left to their own devices - they would breed themselves to death. I know that sounds silly, but it's true. They'll strip an entire area of its food (for the deer) in a season or two if their numbers get too big. Then they'll start getting hungry and move into the towns and roads and become a hazard. The hunting community keeps these numbers in a manageable level. And the people here are passionate about it.

"Deep Dish" Chocolate Chip, Bourbon, Bacon Pecan Pie (Bacon optional)

So - this is my "Deep Dish" Chocolate Chip, Bourbon, Bacon Pecan Pie (Bacon optional).

I use a 2" deep Fluted Tart Pan with removable bottom... which gives you this:

You can use a standard pie pan and make this with the exact same results... I was just going to for something new for presentation's sake (photo at bottom of page)

Some History:

My wife and I have started a new Tradition of "Friendsgiving" the weekend or so before Thanksgiving. We have our friends over and we eat, drink, and be merry without having that awkward family stuff to deal with and it's a great time.

We try to make new dishes based on traditional Thanksgiving meals... last year we had:

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf with twice baked mashed potatoes - Seen here (IT WAS AMAZING!!!)

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Pumpkin Pasties (not traditional for any of us here)

Cranberry Vodka Coctails

Chocolate Chip, Bacon, and Bourbon Pecan Pie

But let's face it - you're here for PIE!!! So here you go -

The happiest time of my life.

THE ENGAGEMENT STORY!

As a joke-ish type thing 10 years ago - A.J. and I changed our Facebook status to "engaged" one night while chatting online while I was in Biloxi on a work trip. It was mostly a joke... but not really a joke really since both of us just knew that A: we want to get married and B: it was going to happen sooner or later.

Well... it was sooner.

See, I had in my mind for some time how it would all go down... when we did the facebook thing, A.J.'s sister was all like "OH! If he asked you on Halloween that would be awesome!" -- all I could think of was "GET OUT OF MY HEAD WOMAN!!!" ;-)

So, we picked out a ring a week earlier... And I lied and told her it would be almost 8 weeks before I could get the ring, financially. And, you've got to love the salespeople at the Jewelry store who played along with me on this. I thought about inviting them to the wedding as a result of their excellent acting skills.

Book Recommendation - Junkers by Benjamin Wallace

A new feature I'm adding to this blog - any time I finish a book, I will promptly do a short write-up on it and either recommend it for reading - or for ignoring.

A few weeks back I finished Junkers by Benjamin Wallace - and it goes on the "Recommend List"

My rating system is as follows - and anything between 3 and 5 stars should be considered worthy of buying....
1 star – I didn’t like it - won't talk about it.
2 stars – It was OK - I probably won't re-read this book without a compelling argument.
3 stars – I liked it - The book was enjoyable and I might revisit in the future.
4 stars – I really liked it - Have probably read it twice already or will soon.

5 stars – It was amazing - Will probably re-read this title every year or so.

✮✮✮✮
The Robot Uprising is Here - And It's Hilarious
For such a short book, Junkers is a lot of fun. 

I read the "Robopocalypse" by Daniel H. Wilson and was so disappointed that I almost gave up on the genre as a whole. But along comes Benjamin Wallace with his team of Junkers - Jake, Kat, Mason, Savant and Glitch - and I'm back in the game!

Life is supposed to be easier when robots do all the work, right? Then why are they murdering people? The story starts out with a murder, is followed up by a murder, and ends with another murder or two... and, yet, I found myself laughing and eagerly consuming page after page of this story. 

It's fun, lighthearted, and full of characters that I couldn't help but like - and want more of in the future. Junkers is the Robot Uprising we should all be reading... and we should also be calling our movie representatives and asking for this to be optioned. Seriously, folks, Benjamin Wallace's wit and sense of humor make him a national treasure.


Disclaimer - I am in no way paid for my reviews - which you can probably guess by how poorly they are written... and all opinions are my own.

Book Recommendation - Trackers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

A new feature I'm adding to this blog - any time I finish a book, I will promptly do a short write-up on it and either recommend it for reading - or for ignoring.

Earlier this week I finished "Trackers" by Nicholas Sansbury Smith - and it goes on the "Recommend List"

My rating system is as follows - and anything between 3 and 5 stars should be considered worthy of buying....
1 star – I didn’t like it - won't talk about it. 

2 stars – It was OK - I probably won't re-read this book without a compelling argument. 

3 stars – I liked it - The book was enjoyable and I might revisit in the future.
4 stars – I really liked it - Have probably read it twice already or will soon.5 stars – It was amazing - Will probably re-read this title every year or so.


✮✮✮✮

The Nightmare Scenario Done Right 

I am an apocalypse junkie. I've read almost everything I can get my hands on about stories involving life at the end of things... And the scariest of all scenarios, to me, is an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse). Other books have touched on them and done a fair enough job making that scenario into a work of fiction - but they usually seem like a really over the top "how to" guide for Preppers - not saying it's a bad thing, just that it does make for good fiction. Nicholas Sansbury Smith, however, has made this into good fiction while still addressing the "how-to" aspect of being prepared. 

WWIII begins in the skies over the U.S. with the detonation of three nuclear devices resulting in an EMPs. If that wasn't bad enough, the attack is followed up by a secondary device that take out Washington DC. Dealing with the EMP is least of the problems for former Marine Sam "Raven" Spears and the man he's usually at odds with - Police Chief Marcus Colton... they are in the midsts of a manhunt for a potential serial killer who has come to the quiet, tourist town of Estes Park, CO.

It's good story showing the immediate fallout of life after an EMP mixed with a gripping murder-mystery. I look forward to the rest of the series to see where Smith takes us in the new, dark world. This one story is clearly the doorway into something larger and more encompassing just like Smith has done with The Extinction Cycle and Hell Divers. 

Disclaimer - I am in no way paid for my reviews - which you can probably guess by how poorly they are written... and all opinions are my own.

It's not a toomah... well, it MIGHT be a toomah, but we don't know yet.

Hi, everyone! How’s it?

Good?

Good.

Not MY brain... 

So, today I went to the hospital and had a nifty little CT Scan done on my brain. Why? Good question, faithful reader, I’m glad you asked. See... I just turned 40 not too long ago (being 40 has actually nothing to do with this... I just like to remind people that I'm getting old). And around the middle of August I started getting headaches. Well, no, that’s not true... I got a headache and it basically has lasted for 3-4 weeks. Sometimes it’s worse, sometimes it’s better, sometimes it feels like someone is stabbing my eye with an icepick... And sometimes it feels like someone WAY bigger than me has punched me in the head repeatedly. But... the headache is pretty much ever-present. It’s a super awesome way to spend your day. Let me tell ya. It pretty much sucks... and apparently has a big effect on my mood. 

So - after being stubborn and pretending it WASN’T actually a thing - I decided to call my family doctor and make an appointment. I had the appointment on Wednesday. At the appointment he ran me through a series of questions and tests and seemed mildly concerned. He then decided to get me scheduled for some blood work and a CT Scan. The blood work happened on Thursday and the CT Scan was this morning. I must say - I’m pretty pleased with just how fast they moved me through the ole system there. Hooray for socialized medicine!... wait... Hooray for greedy insurance companies!!! - but the speed in which they worked also made me nervous.