Humble Beginnings
09/10/20 07:19
I'm now becoming obsessed with getting good crema when preparing my morning espresso brew. Thus far, it's been non-existent. I look at pictures online of what it should look like and it's a real WTF moment for me. Are my coffee beans not fresh enough? Is my machine capable of producing this so-called crema? Am I not tamping down the grinds hard enough before inserting the grinds into the machine? How long is it going to take before I have this figured out?
Anyone see the Pence / Harris debate the other night? It was disturbing in so many ways. I'll cut to the chase. Pence exposed Harris as a woman who doesn't have the intellectual heft to hold a senatorial seat much less be in line of succession should Sleepy Joe Biden become unable to fulfill his constitutional duties. Pence, on the other hand, solidified his position in the field of candidates in line to succeed Trump or, god forbid, Biden four years from now. If you were an objective observer of the debate, there was only one logical conclusion to reach. Harris had her ass handed to her.
For those wondering why Biden put her on the ticket, and for those wondering why they haven't seen Harris on the stump since her selection some weeks ago, you now have your answer. She's a fucking zero. So this is what Biden had in mind when he committed to selecting a "woman of color" for his Vice Presidential pick? I doubt that he had a hand in the pick given his state of mental decline so that raises even more questions.
But the Biden campaign and their minions in the media are in full court press mode the morning after the debate doing their level best to change the narrative that Harris got destroyed by Pence. The problem is, you can't unsee her pathetic performance. Her grimaces, her scowls, the nastiness in her newly chiseled chin, all painting a portrait of a not-ready-for-prime-time player in the race for the White House.
She was undressed so thoroughly by Pence that her demeanor on stage went from being upbeat and hopeful to downtrodden and get-me-the-hell-off-this-stage in the space of forty-five minutes. At the start she was sitting straight up and leaning into the camera with fluttering eyes and her million dollar smile. She was ready with her one-liners and lies that she and her team had prepared well in advance of this scheduled affair. It wasn't long before she was slumping in her chair, her smile was all but gone, and with every rebuttal from Pence she withdrew even further into the inner sanctum of her own idiocy.
Conservatives across the country raised their steins to the heavens thankful that Pence showed up in Utah and decisively delivered the debate of a lifetime. It stood in stark contrast to the weirdly crazed debate between Trump and Biden just two weeks prior. It was just what the base needed to bring them back from the brink after the Trump debate. Maybe the expectations were too high for the Trump debate. Whatever the reason, Pence came through and passed the Vice Presidential test with flying colors. Good for him and good for the country!
Evan just stepped into the room and said "good morning." Yesterday was such a shit show from the start. I picked him up from Exeter Hospital around 7am. He ended up there for reasons unknown. Either he wasn't telling us the truth about what occurred in the hours leading up to his going to the hospital or he really doesn't remember. It was hard to tell if his condition was drug or alcohol induced or maybe something altogether different. He seems to be back on an even keel this morning though so that's good. Whether he is out of the woods yet is still unclear.
I have a good mind to make a nice batch of chili today. If it's Fall, it's time to make chili. Right? Nancy always insists that I tease out a vegetarian portion or two of chili while preparing the meal so she can stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to her so-called vegetarian regime. We're not talking vegan here so there's that. I used to like to make a bison chili but have steered away from that over time for whatever reason. Now, I use grass fed beef and if it's organic all the better. Not Nancy's cup of tea but it's darn nice when the cool weather takes hold hereabouts.
The whole teasing out process has just never set all that well with me. When I'm throwing ingredients into the pot left and right and quite often without abandon, it's unsettling to me to have to think about creating an alternate dish using every ingredient called for by the recipe but the beef itself. If I were throwing everything into the pot at the same time that would be one thing.
Browning the beef is like step four of a total of ten steps in the recipe that I have on hand so its awkward. So awkward, in fact, that I've chosen not to make chili on more occasions than not just to avoid the feelings that I get that can only described as, well, a culinary dissonance of sorts.
I think I have a solution. We bought some very nice veggie chili recently right here in town. It was top notch and perhaps just what the doctor ordered for our situation. I'll pick up a pint or so for Nancy's dining pleasure and I'll satisfy myself by cooking up a batch of chili without having to parse out a portion without the beef. I have a bit of food shopping to do this morning so I'll amend my shopping list accordingly. We're out of a few things so I'll be going to the store before breakfast which is never a good thing.
I had hoped to use any number of our home grown tomatoes in my chili this Fall but the timing just hasn't worked out. We've otherwise put them to good use in BLT's, grilled cheese and tomatoes sandwiches, on salads, etc. Believe it or not we still have a few tomatoes on the vine which have yet to show any blush of red so they are simply not yet ready for chili or anything else.
I keep thinking of that movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" which I've never seen but it does make me wonder if there isn't a recipe or two where green tomatoes might come in handy. Not sure what I'll do with them if a frost comes along and they've yet to ripen even a bit.
I'll have to see who's popping up on the talking head shows this morning before making a commitment to watch or just walk away. I'm getting a little tired of listening to all the pundits talk about Trump's poor polling numbers and how he doesn't stand a chance against Sleepy Joe in the election which is now just three weeks out. I'm just not buying it. Biden may be ahead int he polls but he is on the losing end of the enthusiasm gap which is where candidates live or die.
I've seen, at most, a handful of people assembled to for a Biden "rally" while Trump's crowds continue to amaze. The latest is a huge rally in the heart of California where the crowds showed up driving in trucks carrying Trump flags, on foot with their children and grandchildren, diverse in their racial and ethnic makeup, and I saw on flag bearing the caption, "Chinese for Trump." Another rally in downtown Miami Beach, Fla, reportedly had some 30,000 cars flying Trump flags and assorted other paraphenalia.
Not a weekend goes by when there isn't a boat or truck rally of Trump supporters clogging the waterways and highways. Nancy and I ran into one last weekend while biking along Ocean Boulevard here in town. There were car and truck horns blaring along the entire route in support of President Trump. I gave the obligatory thumbs up several times and I even threw in a fist pump or two for good measure. The Blexit (Blacks leaving the democrat party) movement is alive and well and swelling exponentially thanks to people like Candace Owen. The LGBTQ movement seems to be gaining inroads and acceptance in the larger community of Trump supporters as well.
There seems to be a concerted effort in the media and on most all social media platforms to control or remove any and all news related to Trump which may directly or indirectly prove beneficial to him. Twitter has even gone so far as to remove some of its more outspoken and pro-Trump voices lest they create a viral storm ahead of election day. I'm not a Facebook guy so I can't comment on what happens on that platform but I suspect the story is the same. They're all in bed with the libs so will happily run afoul of the first amendment or worst to do whatever it takes to get Sleepy Joe across the finish line.
If there are no shows to watch I'll happily just get out on the road and take a bike ride. Did I mention that I tapped into a bank of endorphins yesterday while out on a ride? It was like a wave of euphoria which just swept over my entire body and it was kind of nice to say the least. Where did that come from? I've never thought I ride hard enough or long enough to conjure up endorphins of any kind so yesterday was a surprise. As rare an occurrence as it is, I recognized it immediately and knew it would be with me for the balance of my ride and then some. You are always welcome, old friend. Come around anytime.
Did I mention that Nancy has taken up knitting? You know, that thing that involves needles, yarn, and I think they throw in an instruction manual for people who benefit from such things. It wasn't long before she was on YouTube looking for examples before she made her first ever slip knot. She asked for my help but I resisted with every fibre of my being. This is your journey, my darling. Learn from your own missteps and be better off for it. I'll be there with an occasional word of encouragement or praise depending on the situation but it's all you.
Just for the record, her first effort out of the gate is a wool neckie. She finally got the slip knot thingie squared away and just when she thought she was out of the woods she started to complain about having made a mis-stitch. It wasn't all that obvious to me and it wasn't a show stopper for her so I think she has the right attitude going in. I didn't tell her this but what she shared with me after maybe an hours worth of effort looked more like a pot holder than a neckie. It definitely had that "homemade" look to it which may or may not detract from its overall value. Well done, little darlings! That's me again with a word of encouragement.
Anyone see the Pence / Harris debate the other night? It was disturbing in so many ways. I'll cut to the chase. Pence exposed Harris as a woman who doesn't have the intellectual heft to hold a senatorial seat much less be in line of succession should Sleepy Joe Biden become unable to fulfill his constitutional duties. Pence, on the other hand, solidified his position in the field of candidates in line to succeed Trump or, god forbid, Biden four years from now. If you were an objective observer of the debate, there was only one logical conclusion to reach. Harris had her ass handed to her.
For those wondering why Biden put her on the ticket, and for those wondering why they haven't seen Harris on the stump since her selection some weeks ago, you now have your answer. She's a fucking zero. So this is what Biden had in mind when he committed to selecting a "woman of color" for his Vice Presidential pick? I doubt that he had a hand in the pick given his state of mental decline so that raises even more questions.
But the Biden campaign and their minions in the media are in full court press mode the morning after the debate doing their level best to change the narrative that Harris got destroyed by Pence. The problem is, you can't unsee her pathetic performance. Her grimaces, her scowls, the nastiness in her newly chiseled chin, all painting a portrait of a not-ready-for-prime-time player in the race for the White House.
She was undressed so thoroughly by Pence that her demeanor on stage went from being upbeat and hopeful to downtrodden and get-me-the-hell-off-this-stage in the space of forty-five minutes. At the start she was sitting straight up and leaning into the camera with fluttering eyes and her million dollar smile. She was ready with her one-liners and lies that she and her team had prepared well in advance of this scheduled affair. It wasn't long before she was slumping in her chair, her smile was all but gone, and with every rebuttal from Pence she withdrew even further into the inner sanctum of her own idiocy.
Conservatives across the country raised their steins to the heavens thankful that Pence showed up in Utah and decisively delivered the debate of a lifetime. It stood in stark contrast to the weirdly crazed debate between Trump and Biden just two weeks prior. It was just what the base needed to bring them back from the brink after the Trump debate. Maybe the expectations were too high for the Trump debate. Whatever the reason, Pence came through and passed the Vice Presidential test with flying colors. Good for him and good for the country!
Evan just stepped into the room and said "good morning." Yesterday was such a shit show from the start. I picked him up from Exeter Hospital around 7am. He ended up there for reasons unknown. Either he wasn't telling us the truth about what occurred in the hours leading up to his going to the hospital or he really doesn't remember. It was hard to tell if his condition was drug or alcohol induced or maybe something altogether different. He seems to be back on an even keel this morning though so that's good. Whether he is out of the woods yet is still unclear.
I have a good mind to make a nice batch of chili today. If it's Fall, it's time to make chili. Right? Nancy always insists that I tease out a vegetarian portion or two of chili while preparing the meal so she can stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to her so-called vegetarian regime. We're not talking vegan here so there's that. I used to like to make a bison chili but have steered away from that over time for whatever reason. Now, I use grass fed beef and if it's organic all the better. Not Nancy's cup of tea but it's darn nice when the cool weather takes hold hereabouts.
The whole teasing out process has just never set all that well with me. When I'm throwing ingredients into the pot left and right and quite often without abandon, it's unsettling to me to have to think about creating an alternate dish using every ingredient called for by the recipe but the beef itself. If I were throwing everything into the pot at the same time that would be one thing.
Browning the beef is like step four of a total of ten steps in the recipe that I have on hand so its awkward. So awkward, in fact, that I've chosen not to make chili on more occasions than not just to avoid the feelings that I get that can only described as, well, a culinary dissonance of sorts.
I think I have a solution. We bought some very nice veggie chili recently right here in town. It was top notch and perhaps just what the doctor ordered for our situation. I'll pick up a pint or so for Nancy's dining pleasure and I'll satisfy myself by cooking up a batch of chili without having to parse out a portion without the beef. I have a bit of food shopping to do this morning so I'll amend my shopping list accordingly. We're out of a few things so I'll be going to the store before breakfast which is never a good thing.
I had hoped to use any number of our home grown tomatoes in my chili this Fall but the timing just hasn't worked out. We've otherwise put them to good use in BLT's, grilled cheese and tomatoes sandwiches, on salads, etc. Believe it or not we still have a few tomatoes on the vine which have yet to show any blush of red so they are simply not yet ready for chili or anything else.
I keep thinking of that movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" which I've never seen but it does make me wonder if there isn't a recipe or two where green tomatoes might come in handy. Not sure what I'll do with them if a frost comes along and they've yet to ripen even a bit.
I'll have to see who's popping up on the talking head shows this morning before making a commitment to watch or just walk away. I'm getting a little tired of listening to all the pundits talk about Trump's poor polling numbers and how he doesn't stand a chance against Sleepy Joe in the election which is now just three weeks out. I'm just not buying it. Biden may be ahead int he polls but he is on the losing end of the enthusiasm gap which is where candidates live or die.
I've seen, at most, a handful of people assembled to for a Biden "rally" while Trump's crowds continue to amaze. The latest is a huge rally in the heart of California where the crowds showed up driving in trucks carrying Trump flags, on foot with their children and grandchildren, diverse in their racial and ethnic makeup, and I saw on flag bearing the caption, "Chinese for Trump." Another rally in downtown Miami Beach, Fla, reportedly had some 30,000 cars flying Trump flags and assorted other paraphenalia.
Not a weekend goes by when there isn't a boat or truck rally of Trump supporters clogging the waterways and highways. Nancy and I ran into one last weekend while biking along Ocean Boulevard here in town. There were car and truck horns blaring along the entire route in support of President Trump. I gave the obligatory thumbs up several times and I even threw in a fist pump or two for good measure. The Blexit (Blacks leaving the democrat party) movement is alive and well and swelling exponentially thanks to people like Candace Owen. The LGBTQ movement seems to be gaining inroads and acceptance in the larger community of Trump supporters as well.
There seems to be a concerted effort in the media and on most all social media platforms to control or remove any and all news related to Trump which may directly or indirectly prove beneficial to him. Twitter has even gone so far as to remove some of its more outspoken and pro-Trump voices lest they create a viral storm ahead of election day. I'm not a Facebook guy so I can't comment on what happens on that platform but I suspect the story is the same. They're all in bed with the libs so will happily run afoul of the first amendment or worst to do whatever it takes to get Sleepy Joe across the finish line.
If there are no shows to watch I'll happily just get out on the road and take a bike ride. Did I mention that I tapped into a bank of endorphins yesterday while out on a ride? It was like a wave of euphoria which just swept over my entire body and it was kind of nice to say the least. Where did that come from? I've never thought I ride hard enough or long enough to conjure up endorphins of any kind so yesterday was a surprise. As rare an occurrence as it is, I recognized it immediately and knew it would be with me for the balance of my ride and then some. You are always welcome, old friend. Come around anytime.
Did I mention that Nancy has taken up knitting? You know, that thing that involves needles, yarn, and I think they throw in an instruction manual for people who benefit from such things. It wasn't long before she was on YouTube looking for examples before she made her first ever slip knot. She asked for my help but I resisted with every fibre of my being. This is your journey, my darling. Learn from your own missteps and be better off for it. I'll be there with an occasional word of encouragement or praise depending on the situation but it's all you.
Just for the record, her first effort out of the gate is a wool neckie. She finally got the slip knot thingie squared away and just when she thought she was out of the woods she started to complain about having made a mis-stitch. It wasn't all that obvious to me and it wasn't a show stopper for her so I think she has the right attitude going in. I didn't tell her this but what she shared with me after maybe an hours worth of effort looked more like a pot holder than a neckie. It definitely had that "homemade" look to it which may or may not detract from its overall value. Well done, little darlings! That's me again with a word of encouragement.