Message to Ann

My dearest Ann,
I did not order the filet as you instructed. I ended up getting the sesame encrusted tuna. It was delightful, and I did have some of W's porterhouse. I also did consume some steak as an appetizer. So you can have time to think up a punishment, I just had to come clean. I sat next to a vegetarian the whole dinner, and he really enjoyed looking at the cuts of meat to choose! :)

Attention Caraher funkadelic family

Hey,
I have had the same conversation with almost everyone. Does anyone have a clue who is to buy for whom (Ms Breen, is my grammar correct?). I know Pat and Lhes had us last year (singing snowman made it easy to remember). I have no clue who we had last year. I guess we need to figure it out soon or just decide.

Word Power

Here is a link to an article in the Times by a linguistic professor and the use of a particular phrase that is deeply ingrained in the Bush administration.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/27/opinion/27lakoff.html?bl&ex=1162270800&en=ce373aa6462524ce&ei=5087%0A

Still Rollin'

Would you believe the '94 Escort wagon of Mike's is still going? 120,000 miles strong. It is loud with the piecemeal exhaust repairs, but we like to think that it is fast and furious. I can hear Mike roaring in the driveway when he gets home from work. It is nice and dirty, so it is no problem to eat in there. The escort wagon even got tapped by some spastic commuter on I95, and is no worse for the wear. About a month ago, a little girl in Manhattan told Mike that she liked his car. It may be since the paint job now looks like matte (versus shiny) and we have no hubcaps. I can be aggressive with cabs, etc and squeeze into parallel spaces without any worry. We used to leave his Escort in the parking deck at Mike's work while we drove my Escort into the ground. His old boss told Mike's friend that "they should check on that car, it looks suspicious", not knowing it was Mike's. Yeah, that car is a badass. Mike once took it to a fancy restaurant in Greenwich, and they valet parked it! Long live the Escort!

Chapelle Show - Prince

This is one of my favorite Chapelle show skits. I was really into Prince in high school. I got quite an energy lift out of watching this, so this may help your afternoon slump.

Fiona Appple

This is why we saw her twice last year. I just love my crazy Fiona.

Man versus Beast

Cute little story on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6344645"

Tigers win

I guess I can do a Tigers Win warmup. Here is a fan in NY.

Fall Classic

Here are some pics from Rockefeller Preserve. We walked to Stone Barns and had lunch and walked back. We like the look of Stone Barns. If only we could find one of our own in a decent price range! It is also interesting that the pigs have their pens on a hillside in the woods. Maybe they are considered free range.

Tiger Win Warmup

When I was in town recently, my friend uncovered a buried memory of mine. When we were swimming in high school, one of our coaches would have us start with a "Tiger Win Warmup". This was back in the 80s when the Tigers were good. So perhaps when I get into the pool in the next few days, I will do the warm up and hope it rubs off on the Tigers. Alissa even remembered that the warmup was 50'S on the 50 (although I forgot how many even though she just told me--either 12 or 20).

We had a nature moment today. We saw 18 hawks circling overhead today. They must be migrating somewhere. I also found a grasshopper in my bedroom. I thought it was a spider at first, but when my shoe was poised overhead, it jumped away! Mike caught it later and brought him outside. No bugs were harmed in the telling of this story.

Flustered Bush Misses Air Force One Flight

Bugs Bunny: Monsters Lead Interesting Lives

Yes, we do lead such interesting lives!!

Rock N Roll McDonalds

RIP Wesley Willis. Rock over London, Rock on Chicago, Taco Bell, Run to the Border

Nothin's up

Sorry I have been so lame about posting lately. I feel like I do not have much to say. I guess work is catching up to me recently. At any rate, I started guitar class with Mike this week. As we were driving, Mike suggested a frightening scenario. "Do you think she will ask us all to play something in front of everyone?" was proposed. Since I have not been practicing, and do not consider myself an intermediate, I was a tad nervous. Thankfully the teacher's expectations were low and we had a fun class. She had us try out some flamenco strumming, and I plan on playing Radiohead or Better Than Ezra in that style.

Nothing is new on our life direction. When the job hunt is revved up, I will let you know. We were not excited to hear there was an opening at Dow Chemical in Midland!!!! His dream job in Seattle/Denver/Vancouver/Nelson or Canmore BC that is exciting and well paying have not come up yet!

Innovative Medicine (circa 1950)

I heard this a while back on NPR and found the perseverance of this doctor amazing. I hope you enjoy it. It is about Dr. George Moore who was one of the first western doctors in Nepal in the 50's.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6087761

From the Onion News desk

George Steinbrenner Fires Tigers

A reason to go to Banff

Here is a clip from when we were in Banff last year. We stayed in a hut that was on the base of a big glacier that people traverse and link huts.

Fowler Hilliard Hut

OK, I tried again. The link should work now. Any takers?

Good Times

I am back to work today after a long weekend in Detroit. Everything worked out very well, except for the play of my Spartans :( We got in the game before kickoff for face value, we met up with a bunch of people I have not been able to see for a while, and we went to Bangkok 96. Perfect fall weekend!

Cheap Bastard

Is is me, or is it just crazy that so many people are willing to pay $100 dollars or more to sit all crammed in the "Big House." I guess I am a cheap bastard, but it is really out of control. I swear it will cost almost as much as our flights were to get in the game. I am going to try the people out scalping after their greediness does not pay off, or will be in some Ann Arbor watering hole catching the game.

The Daily Show:

Excellent

Cat Head Theatre

Dedicated to the creators of the Mewling Bible.

Smoots

They have been announcing the Nobel Prize winners this week. Mike noticed yesterday that a winner had the last name of Smoot. He was wondering if it was the same Smoot of MIT fame. Alumni of MIT and Boston residents know about the guy named Smoot who attended MIT years ago. Apparantly Smoot was drunk, and his friends proceeded to measure a bridge across the Charles River using him as a unit of measurement. Over the years his fraternity would continue to paint the Smoot measurements on the bridge. I am sure that I have messed up the story, so I apologize for any gross inaccuracies. I visited the MIT website today, and this it what I found.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/smoot.html

A piece of Pi

Here is a quick news item.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/ap_on_fe_st/memorizing_pi

Not that Desperate

I have been trying to get some tickets to UM-MSU on Sat. If you have any you want to unload for less than 200 dollars a pair, let me know. I may take you up on it. I would be willing to pay face value :)

Nature, Part ?

We went running tonight at Rockefeller preserve, and we saw a flock of turkeys (wild) hanging out with some cows, and the best sighting of recent memory followed. I looked in a pasture, and in broad daylight about 20 yards away was a big, beautiful coyote. He stood there and looked at us for about a minute, then picked up a groundhog and trotted slowly away to eat his kill. It was the closest I have ever seen one without the coyote running away immediately. It pays to always pay attention around you, 'cause you can spot a lot of wildlife that way, even 35 miles north of NYC.