Just a little update for anyone who is curious about my medical conditions. My medication is starting to fail at exponential rates, foods have gotten more and more difficult to handle. Water has caused such a flair up yesterday that I was contemplating giving up any liquid intake all together. My next appointment is in a couple of weeks.

I actually took enough prescription and over the counter medication to stop all digestive movement in my bowels for two days. IE I wasnÂ’t hungry because nothing was digesting, which left another unpleasant feeling of a giant gut bomb. The only thing that seems to keep my stomach under control is Jack DanielÂ’s. Right now you are probably shaking your head in disbelief much like Ktreva and two doctors IÂ’m seeing. Look, I canÂ’t explain it. I donÂ’t know why, I donÂ’t know how but if my stomach is acting up and I drink about three fingers of Jack, it calms down and all is well with the world. The problem is that IÂ’m not allowed to drink at work.

My employees have actually started to notice something is up and have asked some questions with out breaching company policy. ItÂ’s nice to know that they are either concerned or are faking it in a misguided belief that itÂ’s protecting their jobs. Either way it makes me feel like IÂ’m doing some good there.

But now we get to the point of the title. Tonight at the store I ran through the liquor department to pick up some “medicine” (Aka Jack Daniel’s). While I was passing the refrigerator case I notice a six pack of Bass Ale sitting there calling my name. Other then my weekly beer review, I haven’t had much beer. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself. I bought the six-pack and have been drinking on it for about 2 hours now.

Sure, this might be a bad idea, but I donÂ’t care. I like my beer!

Posted by: Contagion at 08:06 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 Just don't dump any down the drain, you bastard.

Hope this shit clears up

Posted by: That 1 Guy at August 31, 2006 08:52 PM (8pWv9)

2 You mean like that half a case of Amber Bock because no one I knew would drink it?

Posted by: Contagion at August 31, 2006 09:01 PM (0m/ho)

3 I hate to say it, but I wonder if you should call your doctor back and let him know that you just can't eat and the meds aren't working at all. I know you like Jack... but you need a little more in the way of sustenance or you'll just keel over one day.

I'm hoping the beer stays put - at least it has B vitamins in it.

Posted by: Teresa at August 31, 2006 09:02 PM (o4pJS)

4 Oh good God. I hope that you are feeling better soon!

Posted by: Richmond at August 31, 2006 09:27 PM (e8QFP)

5 DUDE. Go to the doctor. Do not pass go. If you are that fucked up in the gut, and the meds aren't helping you NEED to go in a lot sooner than in a couple of weeks.

If you're not eating or passing waste you could have some serious shit happen FAST. Especially if you're also not drinking enough water....

Posted by: caltechgirl at September 01, 2006 12:06 AM (r0kgl)

6 Dude I drink Amber Bock all the time - I don't remember any free offers for a half case of it being out there
And honestly the Jack is probably hurting more than helping overall - the alcohol is probably just working as some kinda numbing agent.

Posted by: Shadoglare at September 01, 2006 06:52 AM (QLQ2w)

7 Maybe you should go to a different doc.
Something is amiss.

We want you around here for a long time.
M'kay?

Posted by: jimmyb at September 01, 2006 11:36 AM (D4G2Y)

8 Eh, you folks worry way too much about nothing.

Posted by: Contagion at September 01, 2006 04:20 PM (0m/ho)

9 Even if Shadoglare didn't drink the stuff, Richmond does. You didn't even offer to them... you were so intent on hurting me.

*sniff*

Posted by: t1g at September 01, 2006 06:36 PM (A3OUN)

10 The beer is good. It counts as "bread," right?

Posted by: Ogre at September 06, 2006 10:24 AM (oifEm)

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Boopie had his first football game last night. He had aspirations of being a running back; at this time the coaches have him playing special teams. HeÂ’s on the kicking teams, both kicking and returns. HeÂ’s not a kicker; heÂ’s one of the blockers/defenders. HeÂ’s a little disappointed, but he has a good attitude about it. HeÂ’s happy heÂ’s getting to play on the varsity team.

He did a pretty good job, he was in the right place at the right times. He also tried to make a couple of big plays. Unfortunately, most of the other players are bigger then he is and he was more of speed bump then anything else. Which does help in slowing down the other team. There was one play where he was trying to get to the other teams returner. A kid that was about 50 pounds heavier and 8 inches taller laid a hit on him that sent Boopie flying back 3 yards. I was about 40 yards away from the play and I could hear the hit clear as a bell. I kid you not when I say Boopie bounced when he hit the ground. He hit and bounced up a good 5 inches.

The first thing that went through my head was, “I’m damn glad Ktreva was taking Clone to the bathroom and didn’t see that hit.” The second was, “I don’t think he’s going to get up after that.” Folks, let me tell you something, the boy surprised me. He’s a small guy, but he can take the hit. Being quick and agile, he was back up on his feet. The defender that hit him had left him for dead on the field. Boopie was able to get to the returner and slow him down enough so that one of his teammates could get in and make the tackle.

I was proud of him. He took his lumps, and shrugged it off with out thinking about it during the game. After the game is a different story, but IÂ’ll take that. He knew that during the game was not time to complain or show weakness. During tonightÂ’s practice, the assistant coach used him as an example of how to handle a hard hit during the game. His team ended up losing, which he took rather badly. We had a talk about good sportsmanship. Being a good sport isnÂ’t just about not bragging when you win, but accepting it when you lose. You learn from the loss and try to improve, not complain about it.

He may just be a football star yet.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:06 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Okay, I'll admit this is not the first time I've had this beer. The first time was about 9 years ago and it was awful. Figuring I've had a rash of good beers, and I know some of my readers love it when I drink something that is utter crap, I figured I'd give it a second chance. This week's beer is Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport, Oregon.

It comes in a 1 pint 6 oz bottle. The painted on label has a picture of a skeleton holding a mug sitting on a barrel with the brewery name on it. In an old English type script it has the name of the beer on a scrolling across the top. On the back there is a brief description of the beer.

This beer pours a slightly cloudy honey color. Light passes through it, but you can't clearly make out objects on the other side of a standard pint glass. When poured there is a 2-inch ivory colored head that quickly dissipates with decent lacing that fades after about 10 minutes.

It smells of both roasted and sweet malt with a slight scent of fruity hops. There is just a hint of alcohol to it. To be honest the smell is not the most enticing, but it doesn't turn one away. The flavor has a strong malt backbone to it with a nice hop finish. As the beer warms up it becomes kind of dry and the hops are more present. It tasted much better when it was cold right out of the fridge, as it warms up it looses it pleasantness. The after taste also gets stronger as the beer warms. When I started drinking it, it wasn't bad, I have about 4 ounces left and I'm not as anxious to take a sip.

It has a medium body that is a little rough in the mouth and sticky in the throat. It leaves a mild coating that can be distracting. It's a decent anytime beer, but nothing I'd go out of my way for. When I first had it, I hated this beer. I thought it was god-awful and it tasted like rubbing alcohol. I'm thinking I had a bad bottle the first time, it may have gone skunky. This is not as horrible of a beer as I had remembered it being.

I'm going to give this beer a rating of 5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:53 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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ItÂ’s only pre-season, itÂ’s only pre-season. I just have to keep that in mind. ItÂ’s only pre-season.

However, I do think itÂ’s time for McCarthy to pull Favre and give Aaron Rodgers a chance to play. We need to see if he has anything thatÂ’s worth all the hype that Green Bay has given him.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:07 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I have proof of global warming! ItÂ’s August and the weather here is completely out of control. ItÂ’s been raining off an on for 4 days straight and now today the temps were in the low 70Â’s. At 6:00 PM this evening it was already 64 degrees. In fact as I am writing this, the temp is dropping. ItÂ’s already down to 63 degrees.

There is only one thing that could cause these freakishly cold temperatures, Global Warming. I mean, it falls into the all the other theories IÂ’ve heard of late. Last year we were in a draught, due to global warming, this year we are above average, due to global warming. Last year there were 11 Hurricanes/tropical storms by this time. We were told that was due to global warming. This year there arenÂ’t as many, and again Global warming is being toted as the culprit. Based on this, I figure these freakishly cool temps in August are again a result of global warming, last year they said the unseasonably hot weather was proof of it.

So there you go all you non-believers, proof.

</sarcasm>

I love hack science.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:53 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Here's a gem of hack science that Fox News reported yesterday:

The polar ice cap may not be the only thing shrinking in the Arctic.
The genitals of polar bears in eastern Greenland are apparently dwindling in size due to industrial pollutants, a new study finds.
Scientists report that this shrinkage could, in the worst-case scenario, endanger polar bears on Greenland and elsewhere by spoiling their love lives and causing their numbers to peter out.


Our tax dollars at work, I'm sure
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210444,00.html

Posted by: Shadoglare at August 28, 2006 07:33 PM (Z+WbQ)

2 Damn - I just got home and was gonna "weather blog" but you beat me to it.

And to add to what you said - the wind this afternoon while smoking a cigarette was down right brisk!!!

Posted by: Tammi at August 28, 2006 07:33 PM (3UQTn)

3 "The genitals of polar bears in eastern Greenland are apparently dwindling in size due to industrial pollutants, a new study finds."

I don't think it's confined to just polar bears. Bet global warming has something to do with that too. That would explain alot.

Posted by: Sticks at August 28, 2006 07:42 PM (EIBMv)

4 I wonder how many millions of dollars were spent to determine the size of polar bear genitalia? Sounds like the $80,000 study to figure out which ketchup actually poured the slowest. For no particular reason except to test advertizing claims. Or the great hack scientist from, I believe, Syracuse who published "research" that Monarch butterfly populations were being devestated by chemicals. Only to later be exposed as a fraud for falsifying and lying in his "research."

But I still have one question. How did they get the data to show that Polar Bear Genitalia are shrinking?

Posted by: Petey at August 28, 2006 08:39 PM (YB/Wv)

5 Probably talked some idiot into going out and getting a feel for the situation.

Posted by: Contagion at August 28, 2006 08:48 PM (0m/ho)

6 Sadly, I read most of the report. It cost a LOT more than $80K. And they determined the size by measuring dead ones, so the live ones didn't even get a cheap feel. Then again, how much would someone have to pay YOU to go around grabbing a friggin BEAR by the balls?

Posted by: Ogre at August 29, 2006 01:27 PM (oifEm)

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I was just noticing that no one has signed my Frappr map in a while. I know I have a couple of new readers out there. If you havenÂ’t signed it, please do so.

Let me know where you are coming from.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:09 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Some of you may have noticed that my wife hasnÂ’t been posting much over at The Reality Ranch. First off before any rumors come around let me set the record straight, I have not killed her. She was not left in Tennessee. She was not abandoned at a re-enactment. I definitely did not sell her as a sex slave on the black market. Although with the price of gas being the way it is and the amount I can get for pretty blonde, the thought never crossed my mind.

SheÂ’s just being lazy. She says sheÂ’s working a lot, but I see what she does after she gets home from work. ItÂ’s just plain neglect. If any of you want to hear from her, I think you should go over and make a comment to voice your concern!

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Just a little update for anyone who cares, IÂ’ve been cooking these pork chops for 3 hours now at a very low smoky heat. They have about another hour to go before they are done all the way through.

Click to enlarge

Hungry yet?

Posted by: Contagion at 03:02 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Holy cow! I donÂ’t know why anyone would try this, especially since if there where off by just a little bit sheÂ’d have done more then just bang her head.

Free Video Hosting Watch More Videos

ItÂ’s still pretty amazing.

Posted by: Contagion at 01:46 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The grill is converted to charcoal. Pork chops are currently curing in the fridge with a good seasoning rub. The potato salad is made, and the beans will start simmering in a couple of hours. IÂ’ve got barbeque sauce waiting and some good wood soaking in water to give the meat a great smoky flavor.

Some days it just pays to be in a grilling mood.

Posted by: Contagion at 10:42 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Poor Boopie. As you recall he decided to play tackle football this year. For the last week and a half the coach has been running practice 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Now that school has started, he is cutting it down to 2 hours a day still 6 days a week. Boopie being one of the video game generations is not used to all this physical activity. Since Tuesday he has been complaining of soreness in his calf muscle.

IÂ’m pretty sure the boy is suffering from a bad case of lactic acidosis. Especially since the pain is gradually going away. Boopie just doesnÂ’t take to pain or soreness too well. IÂ’ve told him that he needs to listen to the coach and do everything he says, even if he doesnÂ’t want to. During practice he muscles were so sore that between plays he was kneeling down. The coach told him to stop kneeling and stand. After the next play, Boopie kneeled down again. Once more the coach told him to stop kneeling between plays, if he does it again heÂ’s going to take a lap. So guess what Boopie does two plays later? ThatÂ’s right, he kneels down. The coach has him run a lap around the field.

He was not happy about having to do that at all. On the ride home he was complaining about it. I just pointed out, “If you had listened to me about listening to the coach and doing what he says, you would not have had to run the lap. So who’s fault do you think it was that you had to take a lap?” Boopie, “The Coach.” Me, “No, it was yours. He told you not to do something and you did it anyway. He told you what the consequence was going to be if you did it again, and you did it anyway. You made a conscious choice to disobey the coach. It’s your fault.” Boopie, “But my legs hurt, and he didn’t care.” Me, “You’re right he didn’t care, because he’s also a football player and he knows the best way to get the soreness out is to work it out, not rest and let the lactic acid build back up in your muscles.”

Needless to say, Boopie is sitting in the other room lamenting his decision to kneel in the middle of practice. Now if I could only get him to quit whining about his muscles being sore.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:30 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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All right, there are just enough people out there that know about a secret IÂ’ve been keeping that I feel I might as well just talk about it. Ever since I was in College IÂ’ve had persistent ulcers. Treated with medication it was under control. There were still certain things I couldnÂ’t eat because it would cause a flair up, but nothing serious. In June I started having more persistent problems as well as acid reflux. I would vomit for no good reason and occasionally there was blood in it.

Being the stubborn arse that I am, I just put it off to ulcers. That was until after vacation when the constant heart burn, acid reflux and vomiting went of for weeks. I finally went to the doctor to have it checked out. Not being one that likes to be kept in the dark, I asked my doctor what it was and of course his answer was that it was too soon to tell. I figured that much out, but I needed to know best and worst case. He told me that the best case is that I have a really bad ulcer that is going to need immediate attention. The worst case was a malignant neoplasm of the stomach. I had all the symptoms and side effects. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it’s the big “C”, Cancer.

Just this week I went in for another follow up. I was told that he had good news and bad news. (Of course… there’s always good and bad news isn’t there?). Bad news, it’s definitely not ulcers. The good news is that there is a 99% chance it’s not cancer. Then he hit me with, “But we still don’t know what is causing the problem.” I’ve been put on a very restrictive diet for almost a month now, and I’m still having problems. I’m scheduled to have an exploratory procedure done in September so they can get a better look at my innards.

The occasional beer is okay, but if I drink more then a couple I know IÂ’m in for a night of pain and vomiting. However, my wife and my doctor find it strange that when I drink Jack DanielÂ’s I have no pain, no discomfort and no side effects. Thus IÂ’m sticking to my guns by saying that Jack Daniels to me, is like Spinach to Popeye.

Now I could lie and say that IÂ’m not scared. Frankly folks, IÂ’m still worried. I have a family that I have to take care of and I want to see the boys grow up and actually be able to meet my grandkids. Death doesnÂ’t scare me, but no one looking out for my family does.

IÂ’m not looking for sympathy, and frankly I really donÂ’t want any. I figure this is the karmic wheel paying me back for some of the shit I pulled in my younger days. I just needed to get if off my chest. I needed to write it down, just to get it off my chest.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:15 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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This week we have another case of me buying a beer due to the name and label. Today I sampled YoungÂ’s Old Nick Barley Wine Style Ale. If you remember last weeks beer was also manufactured by The Ram Brewery. This was on the shelf right next to ol' Dirty Dick's and I couldn't choose, so I bought one of each. I'm starting to really like this brewery.

The bottle appears to be the same 1 pint .9 oz. bottle that the Dirty Dick's Ale came in, in fact I'm pretty sure if I went out and bought another beer from this brewery it'll come in the same brown bottle. The only difference is the label. The label has a picture of Old Nick (AKA Lucifer, Satan, The prince of Darkness, The Devil) surrounded by flames. There is a description of the beer on the back and on the neck the tag line "Devilishly good".

When poured into the glass there was a dark brownish red color. Not so dark that light couldn't pass through it, but dark enough so you couldn't see through the glass. It wasn't cloudy, just dark. There was a good tan head on it that left a thick lacing on the side of the glass that lasts. There is still a hint of the lacing after 15 minutes.

There is a good toasted malt aroma to it with a touch of caramel and a hint of fruit. It's very enticing and welcoming to the nose. Upon the first sip I could taste a malt and nutty flavor with some hops, a touch of toffee and a very mild fruit flavor. This is not a fruit flavored beer; the fruitiness of it is more of an accent that enhances the other flavors. The aftertaste is mild and refreshing, just hint of bitterness that makes you want to take another sip.

It has a smooth medium to full bodied texture to it. It's pleasant with a slight tingle to the tongue. Very velvety that passes the mouth and throat easily. This is another beer I could see myself sitting around with friends and enjoying a good conversation.

This beer earns a rating of 7 out of 10. It's good enough that I could see myself buying more at the store just to spend an evening drinking on.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:08 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I've received multiple hits on "How to make a Jackarita." I actually know how difficult it can be to find this recipe. To make it worse, there are two different ones. So as a service to all the devout drinkers out there. Here you go.

Jackarita (Official)
Per the Jack Daniel's Distillery

2 Oz. Jack Daniels.
2 Oz Triple Sec.
2 Oz. Lime Juice.
2 Oz Sweet and Sour.

OR

Jackarita (Cheater)

1 OZ Jack Daniels
1/2 OZ Triple Sec.
3 Oz. Margarita mix (your choice)

Rub rim of cocktail glass with lime juice, dip rim in salt. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into the salt-rimed glass and serve. Viola! Now if you are one of those types that like them blended. See above, but instead of shaking, put in blender.

I'm a huge Jack Daniel's fan. But to be honest, I don't like these. Then again, I don't like any margaritas. Ktreva has developed a taste for them, which is why I know how to make them. I hope you enjoy.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:07 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Over at the Spoon and Blade we have our latest Mortar Maiden up, Kitane of the Lenape Tribe. Hey, what can I say? These native girls really have something going. Plus this one gives a new meaning to “Love slave”. (wink wink, nudge nudge).

Posted by: Contagion at 05:19 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I was finally able to get the Spoon and Blade updated. ItÂ’s only taken three weeks and 5,983,487,925,735 e-mails to my hosting company to be able to update it.

Now that itÂ’s been updated and IÂ’m done fighting with them, I can tell you the goings on of our weekend. Of course it rained this weekend. Hey, IÂ’m setting up canvas! We had some rain on Friday and again on Saturday. It wasnÂ’t too bad; it was a light rain that didnÂ’t really bother us. It just helps keep the streak of wet canvas alive. Even with that the weather was beautiful. It was a little sticky on Saturday, but the temp never got out of the upper 70Â’s. A little bit more of a breeze would have been nice. DonÂ’t get me wrong, IÂ’m not complaining, IÂ’ll take this weather for any event!

Ktreva and I decided that we were going to do a 180 of our normal selves and pack light. Instead of bringing our wall tent and fly, we brought just the wedge tent and set that up. It was so nice! Normally when we do an event, it takes an hour to load up all of our gear and about an hour and a half to unpack and set up everything. On Friday we loaded the truck in less then thirty minutes and set up in about the same amount of time. Once we get all the details worked out we should be even to get even lighter, we ended up bringing stuff we didnÂ’t need to.

As soon as I finished setting up, I started catching crap for being a racist. In May I took pictures of two Native girls, one Eastern Indian and one Western Indian. In June I was able to post the Western Indian for the Mortar Maiden. Since I was having problem’s accessing my site due to the change in ISP, I never did a July Mortar Maiden. Since Miss August is one of Teme’s wives, I’m obviously a racist toward the Eastern Indians. It was all in good-natured fun, and as I told him, “All Indians are the same, the only good one is a dead one.” That was a joke people. I don’t want anyone coming here thinking I’m an Indian hater.

I was able to pick up a couple of items at this event. A track pack made by Davie O. of the Illinois River Scum. Apparently he stopped making them and his are really good. I’m fortunate to have found someone selling one. I also was able to pick up a paddle. Petey, occasional commenter and Illinois River Scum helped me pick it out. Right about now some of my re-enacting friends are probably wonder if I’ve gone daft. I can hear the question, “Is he planning on going on a canoe trek with the River Scum?” Well, much to some people’s delight, yes. Yes, I am going to try to do a trek in the next couple of years. I’m also painfully aware that they will leave me tied to a log in the middle of an island. They just need to schedule one for a weekend I’m not so busy, so it won’t be until next year before I get to use it. (Lets hope for something in June!) So far the only paddling I’ve done with it has been of Clones bottom.

My handmade canoe paddle

I also attended a meeting of the Old Northwest Company. At first I we vehemently against attending, I didn’t want to join another group. After being a guest at the meeting and learning more about what they are about and whom they are, I’m thinking I’m going to see if I can’t get someone to sponsor me in. It’s not a group like I’m used to and it’s a very loose organization. Plus then Ktreva will be happy because, “I’ll have a pretty blue banner to hang in front of our lodge!” (girl squeal). Guys, have you noticed how a woman could take anything masculine and make it sound all girlie?

There seemed to be fewer vendors this year. The only one I really missed was Irish Ridge. They have been good to us since we started re-enacting and they told us this is probably going to be their last year. IÂ’m pretty sure this is the last event of the year that we would have done together. I wanted to see them at least one last time before they retired. What I found amusing is that most of the items I purchased came from trade blankets. (Blankets that re-enactors set out with items on them they are trying to sell. I have to remember not all of my readers are re-enactors). There were a lot of good trade blankets at the event. I donÂ’t have any official figures, but I think the public attendance was down to. Unlike the past two events IÂ’ve been to, I donÂ’t think this is due to the organizers. It just seems to be a matter of economics.

One of my Mortar Maidens, Davina, went and got herself engaged. She’s been seeing one of the River Scum for some time now and apparently she suckered him into actually proposing to her. I kept telling her it’s not too late to say no, but she didn’t want to let poor Josh off the hook. When he proposed I was actually looking in the right direction and was able to see the whole thing. Ktreva was nowhere around when it happened. She’s annoyed that I saw and she didn’t. She’s the one that has the romantic and sentimental side. I on the other hand kept giving words of advice like, “Remember, nothing kills the libido in a woman faster then her own wedding cake!”

I also heard these words of wisdom over the weekend, “Never pet a burning dog.” Don’t ask me to explain, I really couldn’t do it.

For more stories and pictures go see the Spoon and BladeÂ’s Review.

Posted by: Contagion at 05:11 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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IÂ’m really starting to get pissed off. I switched to a new Internet provider and ever since IÂ’ve had more trouble accessing my other website, The Spoon and Blade. I have a Mortar Maiden and an event review all written and ready to publish. When ever I go to connect it times out on me. IÂ’ve been fighting this for a couple of months now and itÂ’s really starting to piss me off.

IÂ’ve got 4 months left on this contract and then I think IÂ’m going to change hosting and domain registration companies. If they canÂ’t get this fixed and quickly, I donÂ’t know what else I can do.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:50 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Sorry, We just got back from the Galesburg Heritage festival. IÂ’ll fill you all in later, right now IÂ’m tired. But I will share some tidbits with you, tomorrow when I post on it, youÂ’ll hear about Contagion the model, Threatening to shoot the public, the tallest submariner in the world, goats (Goats?!), and a lot of fun.

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Boopie has decided he is going to play football for the school this year, which I have mixed feelings about. Until he decided to play Flag football this summer, he really showed no interest in playing football.

For the last couple of years he has been playing soccer. He hasnÂ’t been the greatest player on the field, but he was decent. I went to games to support him, but I never got into soccer. During the games I would get lost as to what was going on. To be honest I think soccer is a boring game that is used as a punishment in third world countries for lusting after your neighborÂ’s dog. When Boopie said he wanted to play football, I was elated. ItÂ’s a sport I can follow and enjoy. I can go to the games, support my son and know whether or not he did something wrong.

On the other hand IÂ’m afraid for my sonÂ’s life. This is full tackle football, not flag football. At practice yesterday I saw some of the kids heÂ’s going to be playing with and against. Some of these kids look like they have been playing football for years now. A couple of them look like they could bench 150; remember these are 12-13 year olds. Boopie on the other hand is small for his age. HeÂ’s generally the shortest kid in his class, and I think he weighs 65 pounds soaking wet. When unloading the car after grocery shopping he has a problem lifting a 12 pack of pop.

When talking to him about football, I made sure he understood this was tackle football, not flag. I explained that these kids are going to be doing everything in their power to tackle him. (He wants to be a running back) His response to me is that he won’t get tackled, he’s “too fast and agile”. He has convinced himself that no one will be able to catch him. I’m pretty sure that in his head he is spending his signing bonus he gets for going pro after college.

While at practice I watched him compete for a running back position. Much to his chagrin, he was not the fastest boy on the field, and definitely not the most agile. Plus the two boys that I saw who where faster and more agile then him, where also bigger and stronger. When they where running scrimmage plays I witnessed Boopie get tackled by his own offensive line not once, but twice. He ran into them and fell to the ground.

IÂ’m trying to be a supportive parent, and I want him to enjoy the game, but I donÂ’t think the boy is running back material. WeÂ’ve talked and IÂ’m going to work with him, and try to get some weights for him to work with, but I donÂ’t know if itÂ’s going to help this seasonÂ… or next. I just hope that Boopie doesnÂ’t experience his first broken bones this year.

Posted by: Contagion at 05:25 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 507 words, total size 3 kb.

1 Let him take his lumps. He'll learn a valuable lesson the first time he gets tackled. Probably a number of them. And really, a broken bone isn't the end of the world. I mean, hell, we ALL broke something as kids.

And more than that, I think it's important for you to support his decision to be challenged.

I think it will be good for him.

Posted by: caltechgirl at August 17, 2006 05:45 PM (/vgMZ)

2 Believe it or not, CTG, I never broke any bones until I was an adult... I've no idea how that happened.

Getting smacked good a few times will help him learn, to grow. And then there's football. Heheheh... j/k. Seriously, it may be a good thing to fire him up. Or it may dissuade him.

Glad to help.

Posted by: That 1 Guy at August 17, 2006 08:38 PM (8pWv9)

3 Oh, Him getting hurt isn't the end of the world. Listening to him whine about it for 8 weeks is just annoying. He doesn't take to pain very well. He once had a sliver and lamented the angishing pain of it for a week and a half.

Posted by: Contagion at August 17, 2006 08:43 PM (0m/ho)

4 then maybe the lesson is to suck it up.

Posted by: caltechgirl at August 17, 2006 11:21 PM (bM7x1)

5 Mayb he'll turn out like this kid

Wrong football but hey who knows

Posted by: BloodSpite at August 18, 2006 06:19 PM (i81Vx)

6 I wonder would would be more dangerous - getting tackled by boys 3 times his weight... or boys 3 times his weight finding out that his nickname is "Boopie"

Posted by: Shadoglare at August 18, 2006 07:11 PM (3hCgX)

7 There are huge differences - as you've noticed between 12 and 13 year old boys. 13 is generally the age of the "growth spurt" for most of them (young son grew 6 inches that year).

At the very least, this will teach him that he won't win at everything and he has to practice to get better. Whether or not he likes it well enough to take his lumps and try to improve... that's up to him.

Have I mentioned lately how happy I am that my kids are grown and I don't have to go through this any more... *grin*

Posted by: Teresa at August 18, 2006 08:51 PM (o4pJS)

8 Ya know, being young, white, & gangly, he might have a future as a kicker :-)

Posted by: Harvey at August 21, 2006 06:09 PM (L7a63)

9 I'd love to get Elderspawn involved in football... right now all he's involved in is Playstation...

Hmmm, maybe I need to pick up Madden 2007...

Posted by: Graumagus at August 22, 2006 12:49 PM (jAFT/)

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I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought this beer mainly because of the name. As I strolled through the liquor department of a local grocery store I spied a bottle labeled, "Young's Dirty Dick's Ale" From the Ram Brewery in London England. I couldn't help but to purchase a bottle to review just because of the name. It was priced at $2.99 for a 1 pint .9 oz bottle. As I was telling a friend at work about my find, they made the observation, "Hopefully the name of the beer doesn't describe the flavor." Not that I would know what a dirty dick tastes like, I'll have to ask her.

It comes in your usual brown bottle with a maroon label on it that has the logo and a picture of a stereotypical British fellow wearing a top hat. On the neck label it gives a little information on the brewery along with the tag line, "The Cheeky Ale." Between my friends comment and that, I was starting to get worried. The most eye-catching thing about the label is the name of the ale itself.

It poured a dark copper color with a nice clear hue, not a touch of cloudiness at all. There was a good head on the beer that faded at a decent rate, not too quick, not too slow. I've been drinking on this beer for 20 minutes and there is still good lacing on the glass all the way to the rim.

I would like to comment on the aroma, but to be honest there really wasn't any. I went into three different rooms of the house with the beer trying to find one, and then went outside. I sat the beer down, walked away for a couple of minutes and came back and finally found a very faint smell of hops and dark malts. The taste is week with a hop and roasted malt flavor that fades quickly. There is a slight bitterness to it, but not bad. There is a mildly bitter aftertaste, but again it also fades rather quickly.

This is a smooth beer that is easy to drink. It has a very light body. This is a beer I could see myself sitting in a bar with some good friends sharing a pint or two early in the evening.

I'd have to give this beer a rating of 5.5 out of 10. It's an above average ale, but nothing to go out of your way for.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:47 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 426 words, total size 2 kb.