Friday, September 30, 2011

Recipes

Guest post from: Mohamed Simon

I never write recipes down. Every recipe I use was either given to me by someone who wrote it down for me or it is printed from the internet. Thank goodness we have satellite internet from http://www.satelliteinternetbroadband.com/ because every time I need a recipe, I just type the ingredients I want to use into Google and it finds me a recipe to use them in. I really need to start keeping a book of the recipes I use frequently. Every time I make cinnamon rolls, I use a recipe from the show Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee. I should probably know the recipe since I have made them so many times, and I do know the ingredients, but I can never remember how much of each ingredient to use. I always have to go to foodnetwork.com and find the recipe. It is the same scenario when I make pumpkin bread every fall. I love Paula Deen’s recipe for it, but for some reason I just cannot remember it off of the top of my head. Maybe for Christmas I should ask for a recipe book to keep all of my recipes in.

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Rules of Game Attendance

My brother scored us tickets to this past weeks Alabama/Arkansas game. This was quite exciting, as it was a big game, and I had not been to one in while. Those that have never been to a live college football game should know a few things in advance. There is no doubt that you will have a good time, but you need to be prepared for the work and expense that is involved. Consider the following before heading out:

1. If you wish to buy tickets from a scalper, you can. However, if you will be attending a big time SEC matchup, be prepared to shell out $150 per ticket, or more. Keep in mind that it will cost you $20 to park, and that the cost of the food is similar to the prices that you pay when you go to the movies. You best have deep pockets if you wish to enjoy the festivities.

2. If you are not in good shape, you best consider purchasing tickets on the lower levels, and parking as close as possible to the stadium. After a mile walk from the car to the stadium, climbing eight flights of stairs, and then climbing up 23 rows of seats...well, lets just say that the fact that I do all of my work sitting down each day came back to bite me in the rear.

3. If you will be attending a game in the South at any point before November, bring your sunscreen. The sun was directly to our left, which left me with a nice sunburn on only half of my head and face. I do not have to tell you that this looks quite odd, as I'm sure it is easy to imagine. My left ear felt like someone was holding a lit match next to it by halftime.

4. Last but not least, try to avoid the port-a-potties. Since college stadiums do not allow you to drink inside, your natural tendency may be to drink up before going in. The problem with this is that you will not have access to clean restrooms until you make it through the gate, leaving you a port-a-potty (if you are lucky). Even when you hover, there is always the chance that your shorts will rest in the pee on the seat, at which point you have no choice but to live with it. This is not a good feeling, even after many beers. Trust me on this.

Take this advice from someone that has to learn everything the hard way. My loss is your gain. College games, especially Alabama games, are tons of fun so long as you know what's up before you go. By the way, Alabama did win in grand fashion, which made all of these inconveniences completely worthwhile. :)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Oh, Happy Day!

My nemesis, Auburn, finally lost a game yesterday. This snapped their 17 game win streak, and left me absolutely verklempt. I've been waiting a LONG time for this to happen, and it was just as pleasing as I thought it would be. Hopefully, there will be many more this season. Suck it, Auburn!

Alabama won 48-0, but since the game was against North Texas, this was no big accomplishment. We are currently ranked at #2, but I fear that we are overrated. Plenty of talent, but a quarterback that is average. I guess we'll see what happens. The last time I felt this way, we won the National Championship, so what do I know?

I still don't have the Halloween decorations up, but they have been moved from the shed to the back porch. I had planned to do it today, but seeing as how it is hot today, that killed the mood. I will wait for the next cold front, which should be sometime this week.

Life with four pets continues to be interesting. Michelle and I comically chased the puppy around this morning attempting to get him to drop the huge spider he had in his mouth. Yesterday he ate cat vomit out of the yard. The day before that, he ate poop, and then deposited some of it on Michelle's hand. He also has an addiction to eating acorns. Never a dull moment...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Dominator

I dominated this week in fantasy football. Not only did I wipe the floor with my opponent, but I outscored everyone in the league. I'm trying to reserve my excitement, but I would love nothing more than to be the champ again. Second, third, and forth place are not enough!

What I am not dominating is our new dog. He is extremely well behaved, but I am still in the learning curve. We took him to Pet Smart today, and he started to pee on the floor. I stood there like a deer in headlights. I suppose those accidents happen all the time, but I panicked. As I stood there dumbfounded, Michelle said, "Take him outside!" What? Huh? Where am I?

We have decided not to move until after the holidays. This means that I can decorate for Halloween. I wanted to be the first person in town to do this, but upon leaving the house today, I discovered that I have already been beat. Oh well, I can still put the decoration up at an unreasonably early date.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Taking It To the Field

You may have heard, NFL starts tonight. I do not have any fantasy players in tonight's game, but do have a big match up this week. My team is average at best, but there are a few players that might offer some upside. I'm anxious to see what happens.

In the college world, my Crimson Tide plays Penn State. This should be a really good game. I'm looking forward to seeing Joe Pa on the sidelines again this year. I really do not like many coaches, but he is one that you have to respect. Of course there was Bobby Bowden, but since Florida State ran him off, that really only leaves Paterno.

Last week Alabama played both quarterbacks. I wish I could tell you exactly how each performed, but I had too many beers. This made the game quite hazy. Had we been playing in a big match up, I would have felt guilty for paying so little attention. However, it was a cream puff game against Kent State.

College and NFL are back. I live for these times. Between now and January, I will have plenty of reasons to enjoy life. Yes, I have plenty of reasons during other months of the year, but you have no idea how much football sweetens the pot. On second thought, if you feel like this guy when football is in season, then maybe you do...

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sebastian

Spent almost a week in St. Augustine. Upon arrival, I mauled Michelle. After that, I headed in to meet our new love child, Sebastian. She was warning me that it might take a little time for him to warm up to me. She was wrong. Within minutes he was sitting on my lap, and giving me those puppy dog eyes.

The drive between Birmingham and St. Augustine is eight long hours. Fortunately, he was an extremely well behaved young pup on the drive back. Michelle held him the entire time, and he slept most of the way. The cats are not sure what to make of him, but have yet to attack him.

Just look at this face...

 

I suppose I should give equal time to at least one of the cats. This fat fluff ball seems to cram herself into the oddest places. This time it was in a bowl on our dining room table...



I love our pets, but I think we have reached the maximum limit. One dog and three cats are MORE than enough. It's like having a bunch of babies around. They all need attention, and we have to spend money on them. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, but four is plenty.