Oh, and the other night I was sitting in front of the tv playing on the Gamecube when Mojo walked up and said "I got something for you." He turned his back to me, dropped his pants, and mooned me.

He was very pleased with himself.

I stopped my game and tried to explain to him how that wasn't very nice, but I immediately sensed the futility of swimming so hard against such a powerful genetic tide.

Yes, I do need to drink more.

Friggin' tourists. The city has gone insane for the night -- and the area around Rockefeller Center was jammed. I skimmed the outer perimeter as I made my way to the train station, listening to Lo-Fidelity Allstars on my MP3 player.

Had a nice IM chat with Brandi and Frylock before leaving the office. Brandi made a gratuitous (and thoroughly disingenuous) comment about how much she liked to cook -- Frylock saw right through it. I challenged her to cook us an entire meal of only artichokes, perpared in seven different ways (with extra credit for finding a dessert option).

Right now I'm maxing on the sofa, sipping vermouth and sorting through some paperwork. And despite my enjoyment of wormwood-infused spirits, I don't think I drink nearly as much wine as Cookie thinks.

Or do I?

And if I don't, should I?

I think the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit tonight, so I'll need to walk an alternate route back to Grand Central -- lest I have to compete with the crowds of onlookers reaching out to that fat holiday bastard. And I don't mean Santa.

Happy Post Thanksgiving! We have arrived back from the frozen tundra of Cleveland to mild weather here in New York.

A holiday tradition of mine as a youth was to go to Litehouse Pools with my mom--which sold pools in the summer, but became a Christmas tree and decoration store in the fall--and pick out a new ornament for the Christmas tree. Since we were at my folks, I decided to continue the tradition with Cookie and Mojo. Mojo declined the invitation and stayed with my dad and John. Cookie gleefully came along. I told him since Mojo declined attending I would allow him to pick out an ornament for Mojo. Cookie also decided to pick out an ornament for John. I'm always fascinated at what will be chosen (although this was the first time at Lighthouse pools, I've let them pick out ornaments before). Cookie chose for himself this folksy looking quilted heart snowman thing. Not at all what I expected, but he did later see a school bus that he loved and my mom got it for him so he could keep snowman too. For Mojo he got this giant decorated jingle bell that actually made noise. We had just watched Polar Express again so maybe that's why or maybe he knew Mojo would like the amount of noise that could be made with it. My favorite pick of Cookie's was for John. He found a glass ornament in the shape of a bottle of Chianti--explaining to me that Daddy likes to drink wine. I don't think Cookie recognized the Italian flag colors or the Salute written on it. It will be hung proudly on the tree.

When I was at home this Thanksgiving, my mom and I went to the mall the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It didnt seem to horrendous until I went and waited in line to purchase one item. I was fooled into thinking it wouldnt take long because there was only THREE people ahead of me. Little did I know I had descended into Dante's circle of consumer hell. The first woman apparently had purchased the greater part of the department and desired to have it all bagged separately. The woman in front of me started to practically hyper-ventilate because her $ 10.00 coupon was about to expire at 1:00 and she had to get back from her lunch break. Luckily the woman ahead of her allowed her to jump ahead so paramedics werent necessary. Then the final woman in front of me is up and dont you know she has some kind of coupon dilemma that requires the saleswoman to ring up the order six times then have to call a manager because the customer is upset because she is unable to purchase the mechandise for well below cost. The manager says it can't be done so the woman after about 15 minutes buys none of the items and takes it upstairs to a different register. The whole time this is happening these two insane coupon clipping women behind me are holding out fistfuls of coupons and trading them back and forth. The one woman says that she had already gone to the gas station and bought six newspapers to amass the great store of coupons she had and was gonna go back to the gas station and get a few more. It was a surreal experience which reminded me of why I shopped online whenever possible.

Yes, the new phone is quite nice -- much better than the prior model that operated a little funny since its screen got bashed in.

We made the long haul back to New York yesterday. Since my childhood was devoid of long road-trips (not to mention a car), I can only wonder how this works: is it a rule that a child riding the interstate may not announce his need to urinate until that need has reached emergency proportion?

Right now I have to do some office work that I tool home with me -- I find the work goes much faster when I grease the skids with red vermouth. I'm taking business to the next level!

I hope that your new Palm device outperforms the old one. They're too small to be a decent paper weight.

Leftovers is one of the words of the day here. The other word of the day, "Yeah!," is inspired by college football. It is a rare day when the Huskers win, LSU wins, and I get to watch both games.

I was just watching the Greg Giraldo Show and unbelieveably the Kid from Brooklyn was a guest. Now the whole world knows.

Funny you should mention the Macy's parade incident. Did you notice that NBC broadcast video of last year's parade which showed the balloon finishing the parade, which is consistent with their not reporting the incident. I guess the light pole has to fall on the talking heads to make the national broadcast.

Treo-blogging again. This time from the 650, which has a better browser and is thus a little easier to use. We just hit the local Target to take in the Black Friday madness. It wasn't so bad. Now we're back and eating leftover turkey. Tonight we'll watch Polar Express on DVD.

The turkey wasn't stuffed this year; but we certainly are! Our dinner guest has gone home and we are going to lie around here watching White Palace on TV. . .one of my very favorite movies. . . .
Have fun in the snow. . .we have bare ground here and frigid temperatures. . .

Here's something I'm sure they're not having for Thanksgiving down at Spumoni South (can't be so confident that it doesn't look like this in Nebraska).

Driving on I-80 last night was a little treacherous, but we made it through without incident. The snow only got heavier this morning and the boys couldn't wait to get out into it. Alane looked very natural holdiong the snow-shovel (but she apparently forgot to pack her babushka).

Right now the boys are watching Scooby Doo and the football game is on in the other room. I'm considering what I should eat/drink next.

So, who's having snow-cones? Perhaps with a splash of Creme de Cacao?

BTW, the Macy's Thanksgiving parade was already in the local news earlier this week -- with reports that they were using untrained volunteer balloon-handlers, despite the assurances they made after the 1997 fiasco. The last time we went to the parade was back in the early 90s (1994, maybe 1995) and it was very windy, especially where we stood at Columbus Circle. The big balloons did some crazy dances as they came out into the open. Bart Simpson seemed to hump the apartment building on the corner. And Sonic Hedgehog (yes, Sonic) hit a building and deflated a few block beyond us.

I hope the lawyers don't get hold of this situation -- there'll be no more parade.

It's Thanksgiving here, too. . .we have a table full of antipasto to nibble on until our guest arrives, then we haul out the turkey,oyster and sage stuffings, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. . .if we can find room we will have pumpkin pie for dessert. . .if not, there is always the option of pumpkin pie for breakfast. . .

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the Dish. . .

It's Thanksgiving in Ohio. The snow has ended. And the eating has begun. What's the story on the prairie?

Alane really knows how to pick an inopportune time to mock my favorite signer Patricia Kaas.

Buzzkill.

Got my eye on the weather sites as we gear up for the long haul to Ohio. There's foul weather on the horizon. And turkey. (And I don't mean Jim Cantore.)

Wow, that sounds like a wicked Orange Julius (which we never had around here in the NYC area).

Yesterday we took da chimpz to the Bronx Botanical Gardens to see if we could snap some holiday photos -- something to insert in our Christmas cards. They also had the toy train spread out again for a members-only weekend. In fact, it wasn't just members-only access -- visitors got a free coffee-maker. Yeah, really: crowds of people milling around holding big boxes containing a strange counter-top device that serves up single-servings of nasty coffee. We know. We took one home and I made a cup this morning. Yech-o.

Anyway, once we got the boys to settle down and stand still we got some decent shots. It always takes a while, since one or the other always seems to be wearing a ridiculous expression.

Anway, we think we got the shots we need for the Christmas cards. The weather was nice yesterday (not like the cold rain we're getting tonight). And since we were there in late afternoon, we caught a bit of the golden hour. So some of the photos came out pretty well (or at least, parts of some photos came out well).

I saw Andre tonight for some bone-chilling spine-crunches and all-around quality-time. He hooked me up with the massage therapist. So I'm feeling loose tonight. Let's see how long that lasts.

If this drink:

Orangecello & Cream
Combine
1 1/2 oz. Caravella Orangecello
3 oz. cream in a shaker.
Shake well and pour into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Garnish with an orange strip.


is anything like a Creamsicle, this bottle could disappear in a flash over the holidays. I guess I will be looking on the web for an Orangecello recipe.

I have decided that we will make up the sugar water for the Lemoncello this weekend and then sample the homemade Lemoncello on New Year's Eve. Sounds like a plan to me.

Off I go to make a batch of egg noodles for Thanksgiving. I will make several pounds so that I can throw a bunch in to the freezer and make noodle soup this winter when nothing else sounds better than a steaming hot bowl of soup. Lots of g-ahhhh-rlic.

I'm glad to hear the training went well -- I'm certain that Joe-maha has his presentation all nailed down. But my question is this: did he find a way to use the rubber chicken? (Even if it was just the old Loony Skip Rooney schtick: holding it up and sneering "Will you get dressed!")

It's no warmer in Nebraska but the drought continues and, all things considered, I begin a very grateful Thanksgiving week.

The week began with a great visit to Tuckahoe where I witnessed Cookie beat John on the Nintendo gamecube. Next I had a pleasant visit to the castle (yes, I said it and it is true - would I lie this close to Christmas?).

Instructing in CT was the usual day and a half of uphill battle followed by a day and a half of satisfied students. The tremendous quantity of information makes the beginning a challenge but the repitition insures that students generally know what they're doing when we leave. I use the software in question all the time so I'm gratified to see others benefit from using it.

It was great to return home to Ellie and it was good to sneak to Des Moines for a great comedy show. All in all it has been a great week. It's almost enough to make me feel good about all of those years of 50 and 60 hour work weeks.

The only question remaining is how long I can keep my hands off the Orangecello that I found in CT

Greetings from Des Moines, IA . . .Joe, Tarka and I are huddled in our hotel room while outside it is a wintery mix of cold rain and wind.

We respect the tradition of the annual tree lighting with vermouth, ladders and pork. . .We, however, are skipping the Annual Cursing of the Light Strings because Sterling would have the tree down on the floor faster than we could put it up. While I am all for entertainment for the cat, I prefer the fuzzy fake mouse-type toys, not the full-sized tree variety.

So enjoy the trees and lights and all the childen's wonder and joy. . .we will bask in the glow of our monitors this year.

My voice is returning. A cold knocked me down for much of the week, culminating in a hoarse and erratic voice over the last two days. But this morning seems a bit better. And not as much of the nasty snot-globules that need to be blasted from my nose. And that's good.

I'm trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and the whole holiday season. The star is atop the tree at Rockefeller Center -- I saw it one morning on the slats of a forklift, and the next day it was mounted. The scaffold will be around the tree for some time more and soon there will be insane crowding throughout that plaza making it harder for me to get to and from the office. Tourist bastards.

And it got cold this week. It was in the 70s on Wednesday, but went down to the 30s thereafter. Time to get out the woolies.

Ah, yes -- Alane's wedding shower. That was an absolutely killer party (nothwithstanding the bow hat which made Alane squirm). I remember seeing many of those pork varieties and at least as many types of bread. Marie outdid herself.

Of course, there are sausages and there are sausages. I remember another party at the old Staten Island homestead that included a fully-stocked, real-life hot dog wagon like you'd see on a street corner... It was parked in the living room. Bazzukajoe stood at the helm and as I walked in he pointed a fork at me and said "You want kraut on yours?"

C'mon, how can you have a First Communion party without a hot dog wagon?

Blood pressure? Gosh I hardly know what blood pressure is. . .mine hovers at 80 over 60 and sometimes doesn't register at all if I have been asleep. . .

As far as Joe's blood pressure? I dunno. I probably raise his blood pressure more by just being myself than with the salt. . .ha ha ha

We only eat salt in the foods that are commercially purchased. . .mostly cheeses, sausages, pickles and hot sauce. I don't even put salt in our Sunday gravy or meatballs. . .so our once a year Feast of Seven Porks is followed by a year of repentance so to speak. . .

I made 3 gallons of chili and a gallon and a half of chicken noodle soup for last night's HAM radio fundraiser and almost forgot to salt them. . .at the last minute I remembered that other people like salt! The chili got very little. . .I figured the garlic, thyme, oregano and cayenne would work without much salt. . .but the chicken soup I salted a bit closer to normal although I relied on garlic a lot as well. . .and then I couldn't eat it. . .it was the first soup finished off with people coming back for seconds before the line was completely finished . . . so I must have gotten it right. . . and one guy even told me he would pay me to make up a batch for him to freeze in 2 cup containers. . .so I guess, to each his own. . . .

It's really cool to learn about your Christmas traditions. . .and I always delight in hearing about the boys. . .Joe has talked about them quite a bit in just the few hours he has been home. . .so I know he really enjoyed his visit!

Hat and shower. Two words I do not like to see in close proximatey. I still have trauma from that hat at my wedding shower at Aunt Marie's and Uncle Vinnie's house in Staten Island. Joe's hat was awesome looking. I believe I would have been proud to don such a creation. Bow hats bite.

I really must know, Ellen -- Do you really buy all that sausage? What does that do to your blood pressure and sodium levels?

We did not do the fish thing on Christmas Eve when I was growing up. Slovaks have a Christmas Eve tradition that involves Oplacki (basically unconsecrated hosts), honey and garlic. We didnt eat meat either, but had halushki instead. Halushki is basically fried cabbage and dumplings. Which sounds quite nasty but actually for some reason tasted pretty good.

Yesterday was the first time one of my sons said, "Do you love me more than "other son"?" I had told him that I loved him to the moon. Any bets on which monster uttered that.

The other day Cookie said he didnt want to go to school. Mojo was like "why?, I love school." Cookie said, "You'll see. Kindergarten is real long and you have to sit and be quiet all day and do lots of paperwork." Yesterday, after considering Cookie's comments, Mojo decided that he will stay in the 4's. I went to Mojo's 4's conference and had to hear about what a total joy he was and how he respected authority. I suspect some pod person replaces him when he shows up for school cuz he sure aint like that for me.

This was my hat for the Baby ShowerI say no more.

All week I neglected to post this photo of the monster truck Cookie and I constructed on Saturday using the Erector Set. We were waiting for Airport Guy's arrival and Mojo was out at a birthday-party/play-date. Cookie declared his intention to "build something without con-structions" which means withou in-structions. All our other projects used the canned directions that came with the Erector Set. This one would be harder -- but we got it all together soon enough. I explained how trucks have a chassis and I showed him what I was building as a chassis. Then I told him about the axles that connect the wheels and the engine mounts that hold the motor in place. I considered explaining how a differential would work, but then I got hold of myself.

By the time Airport Guy arrived, we were attaching the very last piece -- the rounded bumper on the front-end. That bumper, and a few other parts, have already fallen off thanks to my reluctance to tighten the bolts as much as would be needed (somebody's gotta take this thing apart to do the next project).

Anyway, the gears mesh and the motor propels it and it was great fun. I'm not too sure about the structural integrity of my chassis -- a few loose bolts and all hell breaks loose. So GM has nothing to worry about. Well, actually, GM has a lot to worry about but not necessarily from Cookie and me.

The motorized projects are fun. Next step in the escalation of this hobby: remote control motors.

I was raised on farms in two rural Missouri communities. . .one in the Ozarks and one in mid-Missouri. We butchered our own meat and my father was a mortician. I bet I can out-gross anyone in the Dish, but I won't. I have to confess that I have eaten blood sausage. I have not ever speared an eyeball with a fork even though I have partaken of whole suckling pig and lamb. I like eating eggs so fresh that they weren't even laid yet. . .it was a real treat when we stewed a hen.

My Italian heritage is this: my mother is half Muskogean (Creek) Indian and half Dutch. She went to an Indian boarding school run by Catholic charities but when the Depression came the school was closed and the children dumped without even bus fare home. . .(as if they could ride on a bus in the south.)

She made her way around in a hard knock life from the age of nine until she ended up living in Kansas City in a Sicilian neighborhood. She changed her name to "Ruth Anne Corvino" and became Italian to escape at least one kind of prejudice. She is 80-plus years old and cannot draw Social Security because she can't produce a birth certificate. Fortunately my father left her an endowment when he died so, while not rich, she can keep on pretending to be Italian.

I am red-haired and freckle-faced. . .not a drop of that NA blood shows on my face although I have 5 points on all of my jaw teeth. . .my father was Scots-Irish but I look like the Dutch grandparent. . . .

Mortadella and Peanut Butter is a disturbing thought.
Sanguinaccio has always been a word we used in our house however not eatenas blood sausage is not enticing.
Have you ever made Gabuzella? I hear as a child it is a disturbing site. It is the roasting of a lambs head. It is fully intact eyes and all with an apple in its mouth. I have heard stories of our grandma making such a delicacy to the chagrin of her boys. My dad told me he watched his uncle and father each eat an eye with a fork. I can only imagine the feeling when that oven was opened to check on the progress and you caught a glimpse of that thing. What would JP and Mojo do? I have never seen that. I have seen the OCTOPUS preparion though. And worn the ceremonial hat i would say. This was prepared by aunt cristina. she in the back left of the picture.
Now .................
are you sure there is no ginzo blood in your family?

Just to tell what a mutt I am. . .I like my Mortadella di Bologna with peanut butter.

A Kindred Soul for the Feast of Seven Porks. . .it's not only possible, this list doesn't contain them all:
Baldonazzi,Bale d'Aso,Biroldo or Buristo or Sanguinaccio,
Bisecon, Bocconcini di Daino,Bondiola, Bondiola Affumicata, Bondiola d'Adria, Bondiola di Treviso, Boudin, Bresaola, Bresaola dell'Ossola, Bresaola di Cervo,Budellaccio di Norcia, Cacciatori or Bastardelli,Cacciatorino,Capocollo, Cappello da Prete, Carne di Melezet,Carne Salada, Cervellata, Calabrese, Cervellata Pugliese,Cervellatina, Ciauscolo or Ciavuscolo,Coiga,Coppa, Coppa di Ascoli Piceno, Coppa Umbra,Coppiette,Coppiette, Ciociare,Corallina diNorcia, Cotechino, Cotechino di San Leo, Cotecotto,Culatello di Zibello, Fegato Dolce,Fegato Pazzo, Fiaschetta Aquilana, Filetto Baciato, Finocchiona, Fiocco di Daino, Guanciale, Kaminwürz, Lardo, Lardo di Cavour, Lardo di Colonnata,
Lardo di Saint Arnad, Lonza, Lucanica, Luganega, Luganiga, Marcundela, Marzapane, Mazzafegato, Mocetta or Motzetta, Mortadella di Bologna, Mortadella di Campotosto,
Mortadella di Fegato, Mortadella di Fegato or Mortadella d'Orta or Fidighin, Mortadella Nostrale, Mortadella Umbra, Mortadellina Amatriciana, Mortandela, Mostardella, Mulette,Musetto, 'Nduja, Pampanella di San Martino, Pancetta or Rigatino, Pepperonni, Pettucce, Porchetta di Ariccia, Probusto, Prosciutto Affumicato, Prosciutto Berico-Euganeo, Prosciutto Cotto, Prosciutto Cotto nel Pane, Prosciutto di Bardotto, Prosciutto di Basciano, Prosciutto di Bassiano, Prosciutto di Bosses,Prosciutto di Carpegna,Prosciutto di Cinghiale, Prosciutto di Daino,Prosciutto di Guarcino, Prosciutto di Modena,Prosciutto di Montefalcone, Prosciutto di Norcia, Prosciutto di Ossola, Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto di San Daniele, Prosciutto di Sauris,Prosciutto di Val Vigezzo, Prosciutto Lucano, Prosciutto Romano, Prosciutto Toscano, Rindgeselchtes, Salama da Sugo,Salame Brianzolo, Salame d'Asino, Salame del Montefeltro, Salame della Duja, Salame di Cinghiale,Salame di Cremona, Salame di Daino, Salame di Fabriano, Salame di Felino, Salame di Mantova, Salame di Pecora, Salame di Rape, Salame di Sant'Olcese, Salame di Varzi, Salame d'Oca, Salame Genovese, Salame Milano, Salame Napoli,
Salame Sant'Angelo, Salame Toscano, Salsiccia,Salsiccia Cruda di Bra, Salsiccia di Castrato, Salsiccia di Lecce, Salsiccia di Monte San Biagio, Salsiccia di Polmone, Salsiccia di Rionero, Salsiccia Pezzente, Salsiccia Sarda, Salsiccia Stufata, Sanguinacci, Sanguinaccio di Lecce, Sanguinati, Scammarita, Scodeghini, Soppressa del Pasubio, Soppressata, Soppressata di Fabriano, Soppressata or Testa in Cassetta or Mallegato, Spalla Cotta di San Secondo,Speck, Speck Quadrato or Peze Enfumegade, Strinù,Su Zurette, Testa in Cassetta, Teutenne or Tetette or Tetin, Tzemesada or Mesada, Ventricina Molisana, Ventricina Vastese, Violino, Zampitti and Zampone. A to Z and the ones in bold are the ones we buy (plus a couple of others if we can find them). . .

Then you have the pork that isn't cured: fresh sausage (sweet and hot), chops, steaks, roasts, tenderloin. . . .

I was raised 'Italian' although I am a ethnic mutt with no Italian DNA. . .therefore I feel it's okay that I buy our Panetone, Gardiniere, Artichokes and Roasted Red Peppers (I only roast peppers when I have an abundance in the garden.)

And although Joe has hinted strongly that he is ready for a batch of cannoli, I haven't made it in a long time. Maybe that should be something I make to welcome him home!

It's not exactly a feast of Seven Porks, but Guido and I will, in just a few short weeks, hold our third annual Pork and Vermouth Christmas Lighting. It often involves at least three varieties of pig: hot sausage, sweet sausage and pork chops. And it involves an entire bottle of red vermouth. And electricity. And ladders.

WOW. I am jealous that i was not there to partake in the video gaming. Limoncello and Soul caliber are an excellent mix. This match has strenthened the soul of astaroth. So Vin would be quite impressed that any one else on the planet would be aware of the female male thing in the eggplant world. Grandma Rose used to always tell my dad when he shopped for her that she needed an eggplant and how to know what to get. We thought it was funny but its true. And nothing is more disappointing than bitter eggplant. I am amazed at your knowledge of food. The Feast of the Seven Porks intrigues me. I am drawn to it like moth to flame. I feel this may be something we have to begin celebrating. Does this mean we need to eat 7 porks on that day? Is that possible?

So we went in for our regular doctor visit and had a nother sonogram. They say the baby is now 5 pounds with seven weeks to world entry. Hmm. What will the ratio of head to body weigh end up being? Will it be a 90-10 split ? Its been very interesting. I have seen and felt the kicking and pushing going on in that small apt she is in. It is fascinating to watch. We went in for a non-stress test. There are several straps put on the stomach to track baby and moms heartbeats and all the motions within the womb. Well our child sleeps all day and is most active in the evening. The nurse proceeded to put a small round buzzer on her stomach to wake her up. She was not happy. we could hear her thrashing about on the fetal monitor. it was pretty cool.

Just a side note....
I witnessed a pick up recieving a ticket on I95. I counted 18 people in the flat bed of the Ford F150. You do the math.

It's snowing here! I have started the Christmas sourdough bread, Pane Rustico. Legend has it that this bread dates back to ancient Rome. . .whether or not it is true, I have no idea. It isn't a flat bread but it is a sourdough bread made from fermented grapes so it is at least plausible.

The drought did in the eggplant crop, so I am not sure if I will make caponata for Christmas Eve. I only budget fifty dollars for the two days and store bought caponata is expensive as well as inferior to homemade. Eggplants from the grocery store are often very bitter and I don't always have "male" eggplants from which to choose like I do if I am growing my own. Okay, so there aren't really "male" eggplants, but eggplants have a dimple at the blossom end. The dimple can be very round or oval in shape. The round ones that look like a belly button (innie) seem to have more seeds and tend to be less meaty, so I select the oval barely-dimpled eggplants because the seeds are what make the eggplant bitter.

We don't do the Feast of Seven Fishes (La Vigilia or vigilia di magro,) . . .it's more like the antithesis of that or the "Feast of Seven Porks" with all the cured meats and cheeses that we only buy once a year. I used to do the fishes thing. . .from mussels (drunken soldiers), herring, seafood salad, shrimp scampi and stuffed calamari to smoked salmon and sometimes baccala and stuffed sole florentine. The year I ended up wearing a scalding hot pan of stuffed calamari was the end of the Feast of Seven Fishes and the beginnings of the Feast of Seven Porks which is a whole lot less work and lets me concentrate on the Christmas day lasagna: homemade sauce, meatballs (ground veal, It. pork sausage and beef ground together) and pasta.

Here is a blog that seems to have food on the mind, too. . the hungry blogger.

The meatballs are in the sauce. Joe-maha left over an hour ago and has most likely already crossed the moat into the Castle 1526. My head-ache has mercifully subsided (after drinking about a gallon of water and several cups of coffee). The boys are gaming, gaming, gaming. Christmas rocks (at least the part about getting gifts -- not so much the shopping part, Ellie). I'm not sure what to think of Cookie's victory dances and trash-talking -- but when I had him out in the driveway yesterday to kick the soccer ball back and forth, I noticed how big he's gotten. Maybe big isn't the right word... Athletic? Accomplished? He kicked the ball very well once I convinced him to kick for aim not power. And he added some fancy flourishes that I didn't expect from him. He's growing up. And he definitely likes to win.

And Mojo's a maniac. We showed him Joe-maha's ID so he'd see that they both had the same name. He laughed. I don't suspect my brother is accustomed to having kids jump all over him, but that's what they did -- even before they saw he had brought them such a cool piece of equipment. We had Cookie suit up as Sonic this morning, at least without the eyes and hands, so Airport Guy could see for himself how good a job Ellie did. That was after the bagels (sorry, Vin, Alane forgot the Swiss-cheese).

So now I'll settle down, play some Melee with Cookie, hopefully get a nap. Maybe I should place a mercy phone call to Brooklyn to check on progress. In any event, the blog awaits a full after-action report.

Good Sunday Morning to all the Dish!I am so delighted to hear that the early Christmas with all the kids (adult and minor) is fun. Alane, I feel your pain since I am sure you are the only adult carrying on with normal duties.

(In a call back to an earlier post, all the whistles at our house mysteriously lost their little noise maker balls soon after their arrival at the house. The kids would blow and blow and I would admit to no tampering but wonder aloud about how that could happen. If you can't pop the ball out with a nail file, pull the two halves apart and superglue them back together after children have gone to sleep for the night. Old age and treachery overcomes youth and enthusiasm.)

Tarka and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast after a midnight call from a panic-filled friend sent me out until nearly 2 AM repairing a computer and educating a user. It was a PEBCAP error but it went kernel-deep. I spent many hours while diabetic cat sitting this last week updating a PII and tricking it out to think it could run AOL 9.0 and a new printer. I left it in hibernate mode with a note that said, "Call Me FIRST." The aforementioned person saw the blank screen and pulled the plug on the computer instead of wiggling, jiggling, jostling or otherwise waking computer out of it's slumber or calling me. SO. . .at 11PM CT I received a phone call asking me to drive in to Omaha to fix it because she is a power seller on eBay. . .and has sniping to do, things to sell and money to make. . .Three hours later the computer was returned to working order my friend had a large lesson in disgraceful shutdowns and how to use the new software. . .she inconvenienced a few electrons to say the least.

I actually was happy to do it although I had already spent the evening doing one of my least favorite things: Christmas shopping. And not even for family! I shopped for Joe's HAM radio club's Christmas party. Said club president and I will be heading out here in a few minutes to take advantage of a 25% off coupon Airport Guy's college buddy shared with us. . .I am a much better geekette than girlie girl so last night's shopping was filled with 'Yeah, that's really cute. Oh, I bet that will look great on your mantle along with the six you bought already and told me about over salad at Applebee's.' I don't fake sincerity well, so she finally suggested I go home and rest because I was looking like I was in pain. I was. Mental pain. But I volunteered to subject myself to another day of said. Airport Guy, if that isn't true love, I don't know what is. . .

Have lots of fun on the country's right-hand coast and enjoy the gaming. May I suggest a spot of limoncello for breakfast as the hair of the dog that bit both John and yourself. . .and an anesthesia before visiting the castle. . .

I just got the coffee on; Alane is out getting the bagels; Airport Guy is playing Super Smash Brothers against Cookie with Mojo looking on and cheering.

My head is killing me -- I feel like I was attacked last night by an angry lemon tree. The morning light shows half a bottle of limoncello on the counter, and empty one in the recycling container.

I hope Alane gets back soon with those bagels -- I need to put one under my head as a pillow.

I gotta pull myself together... Someone's gotta make the meatballs.

I blog from Tuckahoe with Caravella Limoncello nearby. I fear that a photo may follow. I knew I should have purchased a camera so that I could take the photos instead of being in them.

Mission accomplished - I delivered the package from the North Pole and minutes later John set the calendar and clock. Within minutes John, as Mario, was battling Cookie (a.k.a. Donkey Kong). DK beat Mario 5 games straight. Good thing that the upstairs neigbor is deaf because we were all howling with laughter and screaming with delight. Both players learned new moves so the battles will only get better.

We're now reviewing season one of "Aqua Teens." And partaking of Limoncello. Life is good.

Tomorrow I visit the castle and Monday I'm off to work in CT. That's too bad. I'd rather watch Mario and DK learn a few more moves.

I believe the whistle from John's office made it home and now Cookie is running around blowing it. My head is beginning to scream from it. Soon it will be confiscated. Due to Veteran's Day, I am blessed to have both boys home all day. It is amazing how much more quiet it is with just one monster roaming. Now I am realizing that there is not one whistle but two. I am a lucky person.

Yesterday when we were driving in the car and Cookie asked me, "Where does your brain go when you die?" I believe he was trying to figure out what happened to your soul or essence but I was not ready for that philosophical discussion so of course I said it just decomposed. The poor kid will probably have nightmares now.

The other day I was doing something and Mojo asked me to build railroad tracks with him. I told him as soon as I finished I would help him. I finished what I was doing and said, Ok I'm ready at which point Mojo said to me, Look mommy my eyes gleam with hearts. I asked where that came from--gleamed? He then said he saw Tom's eyes in "Tom and Jerry" have hearts in them. Still didnt really answer the gleam part....

I certainly hope Bazooka Joe's daughter has a smaller head then Cookie for Jessica's sake.

So Jo-Maha is making the trek to Tuckahoe. I have spoken to the mother and she is going to call you regarding the soup. Apparently the Blog is too high tech. I do not get why. She has a palm pilot. Oh wait i mean an I-paq. So you may possibly have the recipe for Joe.
Well..... I now have a room piled high with baby stuff. They say that the baby may have a larger than average head. I looked at the doctor and said there is NO MAYBE about it. I will have a child with a large head and chicklets for teeth. It is now documented. The shower was amazing. There were many pictures hung on the walls of us as children. The food was great and i think i opened gifts for 2 hrs. I am hoping that someone has a photo of a hat Janeanne Gallo made that was totally bizzarre. It was a white fedora i wore pimp style. Which did not make her happy. Somewhere during that day the hat was swiped and never seen again. I need a picture to post so we can set up a reward poster for it. And so all others may enjoy.
Thank you to all that sent me stuff. Thank you Thank you.
well
The weather is rumored to be in the 60's tomorrow. I will bask in it.

Last night's wind and rain seem to have provided the final push needed to get the leaves off the trees. Finally. Went out this morning to do my regular jog (have I mentioned how much I hate jogging?) and it was about 7 a.m., clear and chilly. The walkway was wet and in some places completely covered with brown and yellow leaves. Autumn definitely arrived late this year -- I've got time-stamped photos from prior years showing the boys playing in leaf-piles in mid-October.

I heard from Bazzukajoe today -- he said he's getting a write-up of the proper technique for preparing orange soup. While I wait for that to be posted, I sit here drinking red vermouth, watching "Sling Blade" on television while Mojo inexplicably sleeps on the living room floor.

Got caught in the rain coming off the train this evening. No umbrella. So I sprinted to the house, clutching my plastic bag containing half-a-pound of Viennese Roast from Oren's and two black-and-white cookies from Zaro's. The cookies are gone already; the coffee we will start using tomorrow (I was supposed to get that yesterday, but I forgot -- Stew roasts coffee on the premises, but it just doesn't have the character of the stuff I get from Oren's).

Still need the orange soup technique -- Steve, will you get on that already!

To prep for the impending arrival of Airport Guy, I stopped at Stew Leonard's wine shop and got a big bottle of red vermouth. And a bottle of rainwater madeira (hey, I like the stuff!).

Actually, the trip for was to get some coffee -- we used our last beans for this morning's pot and I forgot to stop at Oren's in Grand Central (they carry some very nice roasts there).

Mojo Jojo and I had a big adventure today -- I took him to the office and he spent pretty much the entire workday with me and the staff. And somehow, he remained civilized throughout. He gets lots of attention there, so it's no wonder he was so well-behaved. He drew some pictures, watched videos, hit people with the inflatable bat, punched people with the Hulk Hands, squeezed Silly Putty, and danced to Gorillaz music. He noted how long a walk it was back to Grand Central and was glad when we finally found a deli with black-and-white cookies. He fell into a deep sleep on the train ride home and I had to carry him off at Tuckahoe -- a pretty full day for the little man.

Early in the day, someone gave him a plastic whistle and told him to walk into different rooms, blow the whistle, and announce: "Get back to work!" Which he did. Throughout the day.

I'll pay for that for the rest of the week.

There's something very evil about this video clip -- I suspect Bazzukajoe would have had similar difficulty.

The History Channel is running a show about the rampaging Mongols. Very interesting. Right now (in the show) they're facing off agains the Ottoman Turks, making comments about each other's mother. How can I flip channels? I had the football game on earlier and had to explain to Cookie that even though they're called the New York Jets, they actually play in New Jersey. Same for the New York Giants. That ought to keep him confused for a while. Maybe someday I'll plan us a flight that lays over in Cincinnati -- an airport that is actually in Kentucky. I want my boy to learn not to take anything for granted.

Frylock IM'ed me yesterday telling me his wish to vacation in France this autumn -- clearly an attempt to get in touch with his 38th-Street roots (somewhere in the Mastandrea collective archetype is the tableau of the torched apartment building).

Steve, before you go you gotta remember: those French are very fashion-conscious -- be sure your belt matches your riot gloves, and dammit, get yourself a new balaclava!

Saw the Christmas camels as I walked by Radio City yesterday. They were out by the front doors posing for pictures with a gaggle of Rockettes. On the way home there was a penned off area of picketing strikers by the theater.

Scab camels.