Hey! The J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! pulled on out last night. The Cowboys had never lost a game where they led by 14 points in the fourth quarter...until last night. Blocked punt, fumble recovery on the 2 yard line (keeping Dallas out of the end zone), an interception, and a 50 yard field goal with 26-27 seconds left and the J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! come away with a 27-24 victory in week one.
******
Terry was out all afternoon so I entertained my self by peeling, slicing and canning 26 pints of peaches. SHE can carry the things downstairs! (Along with the 7 quarts of tomato sauce.)
With blueberry jam, strawberry jam, tomato sauce, and now peaches, all that remains is to find a source of apples for some applesauce.
******
Terry did go out late this afternoon to pick from the garden and reports that the string beans seem to have finally given up the ghost. (Perhaps they drowned?) The zucchini, too, are no longer producing. Might be time to pull both the string beans and zucchini plants and put them on the compost heap.
Freezer is packed with string beans, zucchini bread and grated zucchini, and blueberries. What's missing is meat. Which is sorta okay since there's no room in the freezer for it at the moment.
******
A most unusual day here at the Aerie: No rain. But, hey! The day ain't over yet!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Aerie Report, September 11, 2011
I spent the day in reflection...as many of you, no doubt.
And, yeah. I remember. And I'm still mad as hell.
******
When not thinking about the changes that have happened since 9/11, I spent time doing the normal things in life: watching football, surfing the net, canning tomato sauce...that sort of thing.
******
With all the stress on security at airports, one has to wonder why we still have a porous southern border and why ICE is kept on such a short leash with respect to illegal aliens.
******
Today, we had a few showers but nothing terrible and that is a relief. Temperature was in the mid 70s this afternoon after starting out in the high 50s this morning. More of the same is forecast for Monday.
******
I've got to get the grass cut again. IF it dries out and IF I can walk that much. I've also got to stack the firewood I split months ago. It needs to dry out.
******
I got seven quarts of tomato sauce out of the box of tomatoes Terry and I picked up the other day. Since we got 14 quarts out of two boxes two weeks ago, that yield is exactly what I expected. There's just enough left over to make tomorrow's dinner: sausage and peppers.
Tomorrow I tackle the box of peaches. Slices in pint jars with 60% syrup to cover. I should get 14 to 16 pints out of the one box.
******
My thoughts are with our friend Bruce up in Massachusetts. he's going under the knife tomorrow for prostate cancer. The doctors believe they caught it very early and that surgery to remove the bad boy C-cells should be about all that's needed.
******
I'm looking forward to my surgery on Thursday. This calcified lump needs to be gone so I'll get back to normal muscle action in the right thigh. Once that's done, I'll be better able to analyze the sharp pains I'm getting just below the knee. The MRI may have shown no tears, but it sure feels like one.
******
Knee problems (and lack of any photos of deer) may force my hand vis-a-vis the New York hunting season. I'm inclined to save my $300 bucks and shrug off this year up north. I still have to get up there to drain the water system, however. (Mark says that everything is A-OK. Irene and Lee have caused some erosion on the road beyond camp, but one of the folks up there has been spreading a couple of truck loads of crushed stone in the washouts.)
******
Rutgers football got robbed when the replay officials apparently didn't look at the TWO goal line plays where the the Scarlet Knights scored but were ruled out of the end zone. Coach Schiano should have called for a review even if it cost a TO. And an on-field official missed a blatant pass interference at the end of the game that cost a chance at a field goal. (North Carolina won 24-22.)
The RU defense gave up two long touchdown plays of over 60 yards (one pass and one run), but had 5 takeaways.
The Giants just stunk up the place as they lost to the Redskins today.
The Jets aren't looking that great, either. (Currently 17-7 midway in the third quarter.)
And, yeah. I remember. And I'm still mad as hell.
******
When not thinking about the changes that have happened since 9/11, I spent time doing the normal things in life: watching football, surfing the net, canning tomato sauce...that sort of thing.
******
With all the stress on security at airports, one has to wonder why we still have a porous southern border and why ICE is kept on such a short leash with respect to illegal aliens.
******
Today, we had a few showers but nothing terrible and that is a relief. Temperature was in the mid 70s this afternoon after starting out in the high 50s this morning. More of the same is forecast for Monday.
******
I've got to get the grass cut again. IF it dries out and IF I can walk that much. I've also got to stack the firewood I split months ago. It needs to dry out.
******
I got seven quarts of tomato sauce out of the box of tomatoes Terry and I picked up the other day. Since we got 14 quarts out of two boxes two weeks ago, that yield is exactly what I expected. There's just enough left over to make tomorrow's dinner: sausage and peppers.
Tomorrow I tackle the box of peaches. Slices in pint jars with 60% syrup to cover. I should get 14 to 16 pints out of the one box.
******
My thoughts are with our friend Bruce up in Massachusetts. he's going under the knife tomorrow for prostate cancer. The doctors believe they caught it very early and that surgery to remove the bad boy C-cells should be about all that's needed.
******
I'm looking forward to my surgery on Thursday. This calcified lump needs to be gone so I'll get back to normal muscle action in the right thigh. Once that's done, I'll be better able to analyze the sharp pains I'm getting just below the knee. The MRI may have shown no tears, but it sure feels like one.
******
Knee problems (and lack of any photos of deer) may force my hand vis-a-vis the New York hunting season. I'm inclined to save my $300 bucks and shrug off this year up north. I still have to get up there to drain the water system, however. (Mark says that everything is A-OK. Irene and Lee have caused some erosion on the road beyond camp, but one of the folks up there has been spreading a couple of truck loads of crushed stone in the washouts.)
******
Rutgers football got robbed when the replay officials apparently didn't look at the TWO goal line plays where the the Scarlet Knights scored but were ruled out of the end zone. Coach Schiano should have called for a review even if it cost a TO. And an on-field official missed a blatant pass interference at the end of the game that cost a chance at a field goal. (North Carolina won 24-22.)
The RU defense gave up two long touchdown plays of over 60 yards (one pass and one run), but had 5 takeaways.
The Giants just stunk up the place as they lost to the Redskins today.
The Jets aren't looking that great, either. (Currently 17-7 midway in the third quarter.)
College Football 2011, Week 2 results
Two of the Top 25 teams lost to unranked opponents this week (#16 Mississippi State to Auburn and #21 Missouri to Arizona State) and another fell to a higher ranked team (#@3 Penn State to #3 Alabama) so there will be some realignment in the polls. While some games were closer than expected, most were ho-hum affairs.
******
Here’s this week’s results for all the Top 25 college teams. The three rankings are, in order, the AP/Coaches'/CBSSports.
1/1/1 Oklahoma (1-0) The Sooners had the week off.
2/3/3 LSU (2-0) The Tigers feasted on the Northwestern State (1-1) Demons 49-3.
3/2/2 Alabama (2-0) ‘Bama found Happy Valley a pleasant place to visit as the Tide rolled over the #23 Nittany Lions of Penn State (1-1) 27-11.
4/5/7 Boise State (1-0) The Broncos had the week off.
5/4/6 Florida State (2-0) The ‘Noles had no trouble against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0-2) as they came away with a 62-10 win Saturday evening.
6/6/9 Stanford (2-0) The Cardinal enjoyed their trip east as they thumped the Duke Blue Devils (0-2) 44-14.
7/8/10 Texas A&M (1-0) The Aggies had the weekend off.
8/9/5 Wisconsin (2-0) The Badgers trounced the Oregon State Beavers (0-2) 35-0.
9/7/12 Oklahoma State (2-0) The Cowboys enjoyed and easy time against the Arizona Wildcats (1-1) Thursday night as they rolled to a 37-14 victory.
10/10/11 Nebraska (2-0) The Cornhuskers fell behind 17-14 at the half to the Bulldogs of Fresno State (0-2) but locker room corrections obviously worked as Nebraska won 42-29.
11/11/8 Virginia Tech (2-0) The Hokies edged the East Carolina Pirates (0-2) 17-10 as the VT defense held the Pirates at bay all game.
12/12/16 South Carolina (2-0) The Gamecocks managed to edge the Georgia Bulldogs (0-2) in a high scoring affair 45-42.
13/14/4 Oregon (1-1) The Ducks bounced back after a week 1 loss by routing the Nevada Wolf Pack (0-1) 69-20.
14/13/17 Arkansas (2-0) The Razorbacks whipped the New Mexico Lobos (0-2) 52-3.
15/15/14 Ohio State (2-0) The Buckeyes held off an upset minded Toledo Rockets (1-1) 27-22.
16/17/22 Mississippi State (1-1) The Bulldogs stood toe-to-toe against the Auburn Tigers (2-0) only to come up short 41-34.
17/16/15 Michigan State (2-0) The Spartans shut out the Owls of Florida Atlantic (0-2) Saturday afternoon 44-0.
18/18/25 Florida (2-0) The Gators shut out the UAB Blazers (0-1) 39-0.
19/24/18 West Virginia (2-0) The Mountaineers struggled in the first half as the Norfolk State Spartans (1-1) held a 12-10 lead at half time. That changed in the second half as WVU pounded the Spartans for a 55-12 rout.
20/NR/NR Baylor (1-0) The Bears enjoyed a week off.
21/19/24 Missouri (1-1) The Tigers were upset at home by the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0) Friday evening. The game went into overtime with Arizona State coming away with the 37-30 win.
22/NR/NR South Florida (2-0) The Bulls routed the Ball State Cardinals (1-1) 37-7.
23/20/23 Penn State (1-1) The Nittany Lions fell to the #3 Crimson Tide of Alabama (2-0) 27-11.
24/21/NR Texas (2-0) The Longhorns came back from a 13-3 halftime deficit to edge the BYU Cougars (1-1) 17-16.
25/25/13 TCU (1-1) The Horned Frogs rebounded from a week 1 loss as they romped over Air Force (1-1) 35-19.
NR/22/19 Auburn (2-0) The Tigers beat the #16 Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1) Saturday afternoon. 41-34. Look for Auburn to return to the Top 25 this week while the Bulldogs drop down.
NR/23/NR Arizona State (2-0) The Wildcats beat the #21Missouri Tigers (1-1) on the road 37-30. The teams are likely to trade places in the polls.
NR/NR/21 Notre Dame (0-2) The Irish were edged in the closing minute on the road by the Michigan Wolverines (2-0) 35-31. The Irish led 24-7 after three quarters but Wolverines scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Older Couples
Just got these over the transom from a friend:
And another from the other side of the aisle...
A Police STOP at 2 AM
An elderly man is stopped by the police around 2 a.m. and is asked where he is going at this time of night.
The man replies, "I am on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."
The officer then asks, "Really? Who is giving that lecture at this time of night?"
The man replies, "That would be my wife."
And another from the other side of the aisle...
An elderly lady was invited to an old friends home for dinner one evening. She was impressed by the way her lady friend preceded every request to her husband with endearing terms such as: My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, etc The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.
While the husband was in the living room, her lady friend leaned over to her hostess to say, 'I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your husband all those loving names. The elderly lady hung her head and said,'I have to tell you the truth, his name slipped my mind about 10 years ago, and I'm scared to death to ask the cranky old asshole what his name is.
THAT IS ABOUT RIGHT!
Friday afternoon/evening at the Aeire
Since we were unable to attend the wedding being held this afternoon in New Jersey, Terry and I decided to head over to Wellsboro and the Gemeiner Arts & Cultural Center where she had helped put together a show of the works of the Embroiderers of the Twin Tiers. Ladies from New York's Southern Tier and Pennsylvania's Northern Tier had contributed various pieces of their stitching arts for a marvelous display that will run through the end of the month.
After, we drove over to the Pago-Mar Farms Market, a fruits and vegetable market on Route 287, to pick up a box of tomatoes for more sauce and a box of peaches to be canned. They also had some acorn and butternut squash we will be enjoying in the near future. (A man can only take so many zucchini dishes!)
Then we headed south on Route 15 to the town of Liberty and The Landing Strip Restaurant for their Friday Fish Fry Special. Fried flounder, shrimp and bay scallops with home made cole slaw, French fries and baked biscuit for under $9 and worth much more.
Now it's a relaxing evening at home. Without any rain. For now.
After, we drove over to the Pago-Mar Farms Market, a fruits and vegetable market on Route 287, to pick up a box of tomatoes for more sauce and a box of peaches to be canned. They also had some acorn and butternut squash we will be enjoying in the near future. (A man can only take so many zucchini dishes!)
Then we headed south on Route 15 to the town of Liberty and The Landing Strip Restaurant for their Friday Fish Fry Special. Fried flounder, shrimp and bay scallops with home made cole slaw, French fries and baked biscuit for under $9 and worth much more.
Now it's a relaxing evening at home. Without any rain. For now.
Flooding Foto
Harrisburg, PA is home to the Washington Nationals' minor league team. They were supposed to host the playoffs against Richmond. That's no longer likely.
Now a swim meet....
Minor league stadium under water
Now a swim meet....
Thursday, September 08, 2011
The best laid plans...
We tried. We really, really tried.
We left he Aerie at 10:30 AM with the best of intentions of going to New Jersey. I consulted Penn DOT's 511 web site and Terry had been watching the news on TV. All said the roads were passable except for a stretch of I-80 near Bloomsburg but they were setting up detours around that spot. Heading east on Route 6 was out of the question as a large swath of that was closed. We didn't check Route 17 but that too is close to the Susquehanna and has no levees to protect it. South and east seemed our best bet.
[UPDATE: Terry just found (5:00 PM) that a section of Route 17 was closed near Waverly, NY and covered by water near Binghamton, NY.]
Before we left, I emptied the rain gauge. There were 3.1 inches of water in it since Wednesday at around 3 PM when I had dumped 6 inches out. Make it a little over 9 inches of rain since last Thursday.
Well... We went down Route 15 to I-180 at Williamsport. The rivers there were very, very high but not breaching the the levees...yet. A little further past Williamsport the town of Montoursville was under three or four feet of water but I-180 was okay. When we got to the interchange with I-80 though we were not allowed on the interstate. We tried heading northeast on the back roads only to find many of them were also closed. We attempted several routes only to find ourselves heading toward Wilkes Barre where, according to the radio, there were multiple closures. At that point we decided to head home. Even that was troublesome. There was a time when we weren't sure we'd even be able to get home.
In total we spent over 5 hours, traveled 210 miles and ended up seeing parts of Pennsylvania we hadn't seen before only to end up back at the Aerie. We are not pleased.
It would have been nice to attend Danielle and Alex's wedding, but...
The radio out of Bloomsburg was saying this flooding will be the worst in 40 years. In August of 1972 Hurricane Agnes came up the Chesapeake and stalled over the upper reaches of the Susquehanna watershed. The river crested at 30.2 feet in Bloomsburg. They expect the river to reach 30.8 feet sometime tomorrow. Flooding is already extensive in areas where levees were not constructed after Agnes.
Terry and I were married in New Jersey the weekend after Agnes (we still had strong winds on that Saturday) and relatives from the Wilkes Barre area couldn't make it. Now the situation is reversed: we are in PA and can't get to NJ for a wedding. C'est la vie. What goes around comes around.
More on the flooding here.
We left he Aerie at 10:30 AM with the best of intentions of going to New Jersey. I consulted Penn DOT's 511 web site and Terry had been watching the news on TV. All said the roads were passable except for a stretch of I-80 near Bloomsburg but they were setting up detours around that spot. Heading east on Route 6 was out of the question as a large swath of that was closed. We didn't check Route 17 but that too is close to the Susquehanna and has no levees to protect it. South and east seemed our best bet.
[UPDATE: Terry just found (5:00 PM) that a section of Route 17 was closed near Waverly, NY and covered by water near Binghamton, NY.]
Before we left, I emptied the rain gauge. There were 3.1 inches of water in it since Wednesday at around 3 PM when I had dumped 6 inches out. Make it a little over 9 inches of rain since last Thursday.
Well... We went down Route 15 to I-180 at Williamsport. The rivers there were very, very high but not breaching the the levees...yet. A little further past Williamsport the town of Montoursville was under three or four feet of water but I-180 was okay. When we got to the interchange with I-80 though we were not allowed on the interstate. We tried heading northeast on the back roads only to find many of them were also closed. We attempted several routes only to find ourselves heading toward Wilkes Barre where, according to the radio, there were multiple closures. At that point we decided to head home. Even that was troublesome. There was a time when we weren't sure we'd even be able to get home.
In total we spent over 5 hours, traveled 210 miles and ended up seeing parts of Pennsylvania we hadn't seen before only to end up back at the Aerie. We are not pleased.
It would have been nice to attend Danielle and Alex's wedding, but...
The radio out of Bloomsburg was saying this flooding will be the worst in 40 years. In August of 1972 Hurricane Agnes came up the Chesapeake and stalled over the upper reaches of the Susquehanna watershed. The river crested at 30.2 feet in Bloomsburg. They expect the river to reach 30.8 feet sometime tomorrow. Flooding is already extensive in areas where levees were not constructed after Agnes.
Terry and I were married in New Jersey the weekend after Agnes (we still had strong winds on that Saturday) and relatives from the Wilkes Barre area couldn't make it. Now the situation is reversed: we are in PA and can't get to NJ for a wedding. C'est la vie. What goes around comes around.
More on the flooding here.
Antoher wedding to attend.
Driving into New Jersey this afternoon to attend a Friday evening wedding. They say they chose this time because it was all that was available before the groom (a submariner) goes on active duty for six months and the bride starts her pediatric internship. I think it's because the bride's Dad is a HUGE Rutgers football fan and the Scarlet Knights play on Saturday.
The bride's Mom is Terry's cousin Nancy. They grew up together in Linden. The wedding is just to the northwest of that city.
We'll stay at a hotel near the Linden airport and drive home Saturday. With luck we'll be home in time to catch the Rutgers-North Carolina game on computer if not radio/TV.
The bride's Mom is Terry's cousin Nancy. They grew up together in Linden. The wedding is just to the northwest of that city.
We'll stay at a hotel near the Linden airport and drive home Saturday. With luck we'll be home in time to catch the Rutgers-North Carolina game on computer if not radio/TV.
College Football 2011, Preweek 2
Already there have been some shake-ups in the polls. Teams that lost have either been moved down (Oregon and TCU in particular) or completely out (Notre Dame and Georgia) of the Top 25. Even teams that just didn’t play as well as expected are out—including last year’s BCS Champs Auburn.
This week there are, again, many “safe” games for teams looking to boost their status or iron out problems before conference play begins but there is one that pits ranked teams against one another (#3 Alabama @ #23 Penn State). And four teams are already getting a week off.
******
Oh, yeah. The pros start their season this weekend, too. New Orleans @ Green Bay tee it up Thursday night with a full slate of games Sunday and a double header on Monday. (New England @ Miami at & PM and Oakland @ Denver at 10:15 PM)
Go JETS! (at home against Dallas)
Go GIANTS (at Washington)
******
Here’s this week’s match-ups for all the Top 25 college teams. The three rankings are, in order, the AP/Coaches'/CBSSports.
1/1/1 Oklahoma (1-0) The Sooners have a week off.
2/3/3 LSU (1-0) The Tigers play host to Northwestern State (1-0) Saturday night.
3/2/2 Alabama (1-0) ‘Bama heads north to Happy Valley to face the #23 Nittany Lions of Penn State (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
4/5/7 Boise State (1-0) The Broncos have the week off.
5/4/6 Florida State (1-0) The ‘Noles will host the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0-1) Saturday evening.
6/6/9 Stanford (1-0) The Cardinal travel across country to face the Duke Blue Devils (0-1) Saturday afternoon.
7/8/10 Texas A&M (1-0) The Aggies have the weekend off.
8/9/5 Wisconsin (1-0) The Badgers play host to the Oregon State Beavers (0-1).
9/7/12 Oklahoma State (1-0) The Cowboys host the Arizona Wildcats (1-0) Thursday night. This is a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl won by OSU 36-10.
10/10/11 Nebraska (1-0) The Cornhuskers host the Bulldogs of Fresno State (0-1) Saturday evening.
11/11/8 Virginia Tech (1-0) The Hokies head east to face the East Carolina Pirates (0-1) Saturday.
12/12/16 South Carolina (1-0) The Gamecocks (1-0) travel to Georgia to face the Bulldogs (0-1) Saturday afternoon.
13/14/4 Oregon (0-1) The Ducks will host the Nevada Wolf Pack (0-0) Saturday afternoon.
14/13/17 Arkansas (1-0) The Razorbacks host the New Mexico Lobos (0-1) Saturday night.
15/15/14 Ohio State (1-0) The Buckeyes host the Toledo Rockets (1-0) Saturday.
16/17/22 Mississippi State (1-0) The Bulldogs will be on the road to face the Auburn Tigers (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
17/16/15 Michigan State (1-0) The Spartans will host the Owls of Florida Atlantic (0-1) Saturday afternoon.
18/18/25 Florida (1-0) The Gators host the UAB Blazers (0-0) Saturday evening.
19/24/18 West Virginia (1-0) The Mountaineers will host the Norfolk State Spartans (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
20/NR/NR Baylor (1-0) The Bears will have the week off.
21/19/24 Missouri (1-0) The Tigers will host the Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0) Friday evening.
22/NR/NR South Florida (1-0) The Bulls will host the Ball State Cardinals (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
23/20/23 Penn State (1-0) The Nittany Lions host the #3 Crimson Tide of Alabama (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
24/21/NR Texas (1-0) The Longhorns will host the BYU Cougars (1-0) Saturday evening.
25/25/13 TCU (0-1) The Horned Frogs try to get back on track at Air Force (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
NR/22/19 Auburn (1-0) The Tigers will host the #16 Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0) Saturday afternoon.
NR/23/NR Arizona State (1-0) The Wildcats play on the road against the #21Missouri Tigers (1-0) Friday night.
NR/NR/21 Notre Dame (0-1) The Irish try to make a comeback on the road against the Michigan Wolverines (1-0) Saturday night.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Aerie Report, September 7, 2011
So I spent the better part of the day up in Corning going through the steps for pre-op on the calcified lump in my right thigh. Met with the surgeon who will perform the operation, got a compatible pain med for the knees from the young female doctor who can't wait to shoot me up for the arthritis in the knees. Alas, that shall have to wait until "The Lump" has been out for several weeks so I can see if the anti-inflammatory meds she prescribed a couple of weeks ago have done any good.
Then it was over to the Corning Hospital to have a chest X-ray, EKG, and blood work done. Chest X-ray looked clear. The EKG looked excellent. Although there was a question about my pulse--just 39-44 beats per minute--which is not new. When I had surgery on my back 20 years or so ago, they almost didn't want to do it because my pulse was so low. My BP was a wee bit high at 130 over 80 but that's a level it's been at for years and years. Essentially, baring something weird from the blood work, I'm good to go on the 15th.
******
Later, Terry and I went and had lunch at Five Guys in Horseheads. It's a burger and fries joint that's growing into a national chain. If you haven't had one yet, just a word of warning: Go with one small fries for two people and think seriously of the small burger. They really serve up a heap of good food for a reasonable price.
I had a regular--that is to say "large"--bacon cheeseburger with tomato, onions, and mushrooms while Terry had the same sized cheeseburger with virtually the works. We also got one large fries to share and it was enough for four people. This was to be our main meal for the day. We left pretty well satisfied and knowing we would come back again. (There's a regular mall and several strip malls including a Staples, Michael's, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Barnes & Noble nearby so, yeah, we'll be back.)
******
Getting home, I emptied the rain gauge before heading into the house. It's been raining and raining and raining some more since sometime over the weekend. I last emptied the gauge last Thursday before our trip to West Wareham. The gauge held six (6) inches of water. If it rains all night like it did in the hour AFTER I emptied it--and it might--there could be another six inches in there tomorrow afternoon. Some farm creeks are well over their banks and some small rivers have flooded roads in the county already and the runoff hasn't reached many of the lower lying creeks yet.
There's a report that the local high schools are ready to recruit for water polo teams. None of them have pools, but field hockey and soccer just are not going to cut it if the rain doesn't stop soon.
Then it was over to the Corning Hospital to have a chest X-ray, EKG, and blood work done. Chest X-ray looked clear. The EKG looked excellent. Although there was a question about my pulse--just 39-44 beats per minute--which is not new. When I had surgery on my back 20 years or so ago, they almost didn't want to do it because my pulse was so low. My BP was a wee bit high at 130 over 80 but that's a level it's been at for years and years. Essentially, baring something weird from the blood work, I'm good to go on the 15th.
******
Later, Terry and I went and had lunch at Five Guys in Horseheads. It's a burger and fries joint that's growing into a national chain. If you haven't had one yet, just a word of warning: Go with one small fries for two people and think seriously of the small burger. They really serve up a heap of good food for a reasonable price.
I had a regular--that is to say "large"--bacon cheeseburger with tomato, onions, and mushrooms while Terry had the same sized cheeseburger with virtually the works. We also got one large fries to share and it was enough for four people. This was to be our main meal for the day. We left pretty well satisfied and knowing we would come back again. (There's a regular mall and several strip malls including a Staples, Michael's, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Barnes & Noble nearby so, yeah, we'll be back.)
******
Getting home, I emptied the rain gauge before heading into the house. It's been raining and raining and raining some more since sometime over the weekend. I last emptied the gauge last Thursday before our trip to West Wareham. The gauge held six (6) inches of water. If it rains all night like it did in the hour AFTER I emptied it--and it might--there could be another six inches in there tomorrow afternoon. Some farm creeks are well over their banks and some small rivers have flooded roads in the county already and the runoff hasn't reached many of the lower lying creeks yet.
There's a report that the local high schools are ready to recruit for water polo teams. None of them have pools, but field hockey and soccer just are not going to cut it if the rain doesn't stop soon.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
College Football 2011, Week 1 results
Week one has ended and, due to the usual scheduling of non-conference (and non-challenging) opponents, there were few surprises. Only two matches saw ranked teams face each other and the meeting of #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU in which LSU proved victorious could hardly be called an upset except in the margin of victory (40-27). The other game saw #5 Boise State roll over #19 Georgia 35-21 and one could say that too was as expected. In games that could be considered true upsets, the unranked Baylor Bears came out on top beating #14 TCU 50-48 in what was perhaps the most entertaining game of the week while unranked South Florida upset #16 Notre Dame in a 23-20 squeeker.
Here’s the results from all the Top 25 games. The three pre-season rankings are, in order, the AP/Coaches'/CBSSports.
1/1/1 Oklahoma (1-0) The Sooners easily handled the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa: 47-14
2/2/2 Alabama (1-0) The Tide rolled over out-matched Kent State. Twenty-one points in the first quarter became 24-0 at the half. The final? 48-7 ‘Bama.
3/3/4 Oregon (0-1) The Ducks stuck close in the first half, but the #4 LSU Tigers mauled them in the third quarter as they posted 14 unanswered points. LSU never looked back as they handed Oregon a 40-27 defeat.
4/4/3 LSU (1-0) After taking a close 16-13 lead into the locker room, the Tigers came out roaring in the second half and downed the #3 Oregon Ducks 40-27.
5/7/7 Boise State (1-0) The Broncos and Kellen Moore easily defeated the #19 Georgia Bulldogs 35-21.
6/5/6 Florida State (1-0) The Seminoles tossed a shutout in downing Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 34-0.
7/6/9 Stanford (1-0) The Cardinal dominated San Jose State 57-3.
8/9/10 Texas A&M (1-0) The Aggies proved they knew how to handle Mustangs as they defeated SMU 46-14.
9/8/12 Oklahoma State (1-0) The Cowboys cooled the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 61-34
10/11/11 Nebraska (1-0) Taylor Martinez ran for three TDs (7, 43 and 47 yards) and Brett Maher kicked four field goals (50, 48, 34, and 21 yards) and made four extra points in leading the Cornhuskers over the Chattanooga Mocs 40-7.
11/10/5 Wisconsin (1-0) The Badgers rolled over the UNLV Rebels 51-17.
12/12/16 South Carolina (1-0) The Gamecocks downed the East Carolina Pirates 56-37.
13/13/8 Virginia Tech (1-0) The Hokies had little trouble defeating the Appalachian State Mountaineers 66-13.
14/15/13 TCU (0-1) In what was perhaps the most entertaining game of the week—if you weren’t a fan of either team or of defense--the Baylor Bears built a 47-23 lead after three quarters and still had to come back to upset the Horned Frogs 50-48. Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:04 left to give the Bears the win. Robert Griffin threw for 359 yards and 5 TDs. Kendall Wright caught two of those (35 and 28 yards) and threw for another of 40 yards to Terrance Williams. Williams also had a TD catch of 42 yards from Griffin. The Frogs’ Casey Pachell tossed for four TDs and ran for one in a losing cause.
15/14/17 Arkansas (1-0) The Razorbacks had little difficulty downing the Missouri State Bears 51-7.
16/18/21 Notre Dame (0-1) The Irish were shut out in the first half and trailed 16-0 when they switched QBs. Tommy Rees didn‘t quite have enough to pull it out as the South Florida Bulls came away with a 23-20 stunner in a game interrupted several times by thunder and lightning.
17/17/15 Michigan State (1-0) The Spartans iced the Youngstown State Penguins 28-6.
18/16/14 Ohio State (1-0) The Buckeyes zipped the Akron Zips 42-0.
19/22/20 Georgia (0-1) The Bulldogs got off to a 7-0 lead but the #5 Boise State Broncos stomped on any further hopes Georgia may have had as they handed the Bulldogs a 35-21 lesson.
20/20/22 Mississippi State (1-0) The Bulldogs rolled over Memphis Tigers 59-14 as Vick Ballard rushed for three TDs and 166 yards—on just 10 carries.
21/21/24 Missouri (1-0) The Tigers of Missouri slipped by Miami of Ohio RedHawks 17-6.
22/23/25 Florida (1-0) The Gators dined on the Florida Atlantic Owls in their opener, 41-3.
23/19/19 Auburn (1-0) The Tigers fell behind 38-28 in the fourth quarter but came back to eke out a 42-38 win over the Utah State Aggies.
24/NR/18 West Virginia (1-0) Rain, thunder and lightning caused the game to end early in the fourth quarter, but the Gino Smith lead Mountaineers pulled a 34-12 victory over Marshall’s Thundering Herd out of the quagmire.
25/NR/NR Southern California (1-0) The Trojans held a 19-3 lead at half time and had to hold on for dear life as they escaped with a 19-17 victory over the Golden Gophers of Minnesota.
NR/24/NR Texas (1-0) The Rice Owls managed just three field goals—one each in the first three quarters—and were down just 13-9 in the third quarter when the Longhorns got riled. Texas put 21 up the board while allowing nothing and came away with a 34-9 victory.
NR/25/23 Penn State (1-0) Penn State easily felled the Indiana State Sycamores 41-7.
THE Clam Bake: Part 2
After the luncheon of fresh made clam chowder and Boston Brown Bread fresh from the can (B & B does a reasonable job on this traditional dark, brown bread) it was back to the reason for this gathering! The Clam Bake. (Okay, they had a 50-50 and a couple of gift baskets to raffle off first. Proceeds to help pay for the copious amount of food, porta-potties and dumpster. Terry won one basket with all sorts of barbeque goodies: rubs sauces, spices etc.)
Food prep continued apace. When it was all done, each food bag had two red potato, one half of a sweet potato, one small onion, one haddock filet topped with clam stuffing, one package of sausage links, and a quart of clams. (Depending on the size, that could be 18-24 clams!) In a separate kettle, corn on the cob was steamed over a propane burner.
Clam stuffing gets cut into squares.
Stuffing stacked on haddock filet and wrapped in paper.
Hardwood charcoal is piled on the tray...
...and lit using a propane torch.
It eventually catches after some prodding.
(Should have left the bags in the pile?)
Once the fire burned down to a nice bed of coals, a heavy metal tray cap was placed over the tray and covered with wet seaweed.
Seaweed goes first to provide the steam...and flavor.
The bake was prepared in a plywood box having a hardware cloth mesh bottom. Canvas soaked in seawater went down first, then the bags of food, followed by trays of hot dogs and linguisa (spicy Portuguese sausage) , then a covering of soaked canvas, plastic and canvas.
The bake goes on the hot seaweed.
Steam passes up through the whole thing to cook what's inside.
An hour or so later it's ready to be served.
Set on the side of the table, ready for dinner.
We moved in a buffet line picking up our sacks of food, corn on the cob and small tub of melted butter. Shuffled off to a seat under the tarps and enjoyed!
And then I forgot to take any more pictures as I was too busy eating! Sorry, you'll have to use your imagination.
After we enjoyed our meal--and sat around digesting it for a time--deserts came out. Home baked cookies, cheesecakes, and lots of other...stuff.
And after that, it was time to clean up. By nightfall, the tents were down, all the garbage was hauled off to the dumpster and the place was clean as ever. Only Bruce and Sue's immediate family and we four trekers (Nancy, Robert, Terry and I) remained to sit around the campfire.
It was great!
Food prep continued apace. When it was all done, each food bag had two red potato, one half of a sweet potato, one small onion, one haddock filet topped with clam stuffing, one package of sausage links, and a quart of clams. (Depending on the size, that could be 18-24 clams!) In a separate kettle, corn on the cob was steamed over a propane burner.
Clam stuffing gets cut into squares.
Stuffing stacked on haddock filet and wrapped in paper.
Hardwood charcoal is piled on the tray...
...and lit using a propane torch.
It eventually catches after some prodding.(Should have left the bags in the pile?)
Once the fire burned down to a nice bed of coals, a heavy metal tray cap was placed over the tray and covered with wet seaweed.
Seaweed goes first to provide the steam...and flavor.The bake was prepared in a plywood box having a hardware cloth mesh bottom. Canvas soaked in seawater went down first, then the bags of food, followed by trays of hot dogs and linguisa (spicy Portuguese sausage) , then a covering of soaked canvas, plastic and canvas.
The bake goes on the hot seaweed.
Steam passes up through the whole thing to cook what's inside.
An hour or so later it's ready to be served.
Set on the side of the table, ready for dinner.We moved in a buffet line picking up our sacks of food, corn on the cob and small tub of melted butter. Shuffled off to a seat under the tarps and enjoyed!
And then I forgot to take any more pictures as I was too busy eating! Sorry, you'll have to use your imagination.
After we enjoyed our meal--and sat around digesting it for a time--deserts came out. Home baked cookies, cheesecakes, and lots of other...stuff.
And after that, it was time to clean up. By nightfall, the tents were down, all the garbage was hauled off to the dumpster and the place was clean as ever. Only Bruce and Sue's immediate family and we four trekers (Nancy, Robert, Terry and I) remained to sit around the campfire.
It was great!
THE Clam Bake: Part 1
Bruce and Sue have nearly an acre and a half of land and while a third is dedicated to the house and small barn as well as a couple of huge vegetable gardens, the rest is an open pine grove ideal for picnicking and camping. The family is a large one (both Sue and Bruce have numerous siblings) and a gathering requires plenty of space and preparation. We were told that this was a small group compared to some years yet there were still approximately 75 folks there.
Saturday, a few family members showed up to begin prepping the potatoes and onions fro the chowder and food bags. Through it all there was a steady supply of raw and cooked oysters and clams on the half-shell for those wishing to partake.
Early Sunday things really started rolling. Bruce went out and picked up the two-and-a-half bushels of clams and we then went down to the water to get some seawater in which to wash them. After that things got both confusing and organized at the same time. Folks kept piling in and the gathering grew and grew. Every one pitched in to get things done.
Several large pavilions were set up to cover the tables
and offer protection from the elements.
Bruce seemed to be everywhere coordinating things.
Crumbled newspapers served as the base for the bake's charcoal fire.
Done in a tray as opposed to a pit, it made clean-up a snap.
All the foods were prepped to go into the individual meal bags for the bake.
Even more food for the bags.
The clams got bathed.
Clams got switched from one cooler to another
with new, cleaner seawater.
Meanwhile, a big kettle of clam chowder was prepared to 1) keep the natives from becoming restless ad 20 whet everyone's appetite.
Previously shucked clams and onions got ground for the chowder.
Chowder was the first order of business.
Teddy oversees the chowder.
Chowder is served.
Everybody wants some!
Saturday, a few family members showed up to begin prepping the potatoes and onions fro the chowder and food bags. Through it all there was a steady supply of raw and cooked oysters and clams on the half-shell for those wishing to partake.
Early Sunday things really started rolling. Bruce went out and picked up the two-and-a-half bushels of clams and we then went down to the water to get some seawater in which to wash them. After that things got both confusing and organized at the same time. Folks kept piling in and the gathering grew and grew. Every one pitched in to get things done.
Several large pavilions were set up to cover the tablesand offer protection from the elements.
Bruce seemed to be everywhere coordinating things.
Crumbled newspapers served as the base for the bake's charcoal fire.Done in a tray as opposed to a pit, it made clean-up a snap.
All the foods were prepped to go into the individual meal bags for the bake.
Even more food for the bags.
The clams got bathed.
Clams got switched from one cooler to anotherwith new, cleaner seawater.
Meanwhile, a big kettle of clam chowder was prepared to 1) keep the natives from becoming restless ad 20 whet everyone's appetite.
Previously shucked clams and onions got ground for the chowder.
Chowder was the first order of business.
Teddy oversees the chowder.
Chowder is served.
Everybody wants some!Monday, September 05, 2011
Back at the Aerie
Terry and I had a wonderful time in West Wareham, MA.
Bruce and Sue opened their trailer to serve as a guest house and we were made to feel right at home.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover we weren't the only couple from the Alaskan Adventure to be invited to the family clambake. Robert and Nancy from Tennessee pulled into the driveway with their camper in tow as we were unpacking our vehicle Friday afternoon.
Our Hosts: Sue and Bruce pose with their daughter
Caroline and her two kids Dougie and Morgan.
Our Alaska Gang: Rich, Terry, Sue, Bruce, Robert and Nancy
That evening we found that this would be one heck of a food weekend! It started with Cornish game hens on the grill with baked potatoes and baked onions with a rhubarb compote topped with vanilla ice cream for desert.
Bruce with the grilled Game Hens
Potatoes baking over an open fire.
After dinner we sat around the campfire with some adult beverages and caught up on the past year. Robert and Nancy had been down in Louisiana for the Mardi Gras gathering and Bruce and Sue had had a couple of folks drop by as they visited nearby Cape Cod.
******
As soon as I finish editing the rest of my photos, I'll be posting more. Suffice to say that Saturday saw the arrival of some of Bruce and Sue's family and early preparation for Sunday's clambake. Saturday also ended with one huge pizza party under the pines in the back yard, accompanied by plenty of adult beverages and another campfire.
Bruce and Sue opened their trailer to serve as a guest house and we were made to feel right at home.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover we weren't the only couple from the Alaskan Adventure to be invited to the family clambake. Robert and Nancy from Tennessee pulled into the driveway with their camper in tow as we were unpacking our vehicle Friday afternoon.
Our Hosts: Sue and Bruce pose with their daughterCaroline and her two kids Dougie and Morgan.
Our Alaska Gang: Rich, Terry, Sue, Bruce, Robert and NancyThat evening we found that this would be one heck of a food weekend! It started with Cornish game hens on the grill with baked potatoes and baked onions with a rhubarb compote topped with vanilla ice cream for desert.
Bruce with the grilled Game Hens
Potatoes baking over an open fire.After dinner we sat around the campfire with some adult beverages and caught up on the past year. Robert and Nancy had been down in Louisiana for the Mardi Gras gathering and Bruce and Sue had had a couple of folks drop by as they visited nearby Cape Cod.
******
As soon as I finish editing the rest of my photos, I'll be posting more. Suffice to say that Saturday saw the arrival of some of Bruce and Sue's family and early preparation for Sunday's clambake. Saturday also ended with one huge pizza party under the pines in the back yard, accompanied by plenty of adult beverages and another campfire.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
On The Road for the weekend
We're going on the road this weekend. We've been invited to an old fashioned clam bake in West Wareham, MA. We met our hosts--Bruce and Sue--on our Alaskan adventure last summer. This is an annual event for them and includes their extended family and friends. Bruce promises lots of seafood and fresh produce all we have to do is bring our own beverages. We will, however, also bring a quart and a half of refrigerator pickles and a loaf or two of zucchini bread.
I've got a case of beer (but probably will not drink it all) and Terry's set aside four bottles of Finger Lakes' wine so we're set. Should be a good time.
******
Our travels will take us up I-88 toward Albany before we head east to the Mass Pike. Some of that area was pretty hard hit by Irene but I've heard nothing of road closures. As of mid-day yesterday (Wednesday), a lot of the National Grid power customers in that area of New York and east into Massachusetts were still without power. Bruce and Sue were on the east side of the strength of the the storm. Since Bruce hasn't said anything, I'm going to assume that they are and have been fine.
I've got a case of beer (but probably will not drink it all) and Terry's set aside four bottles of Finger Lakes' wine so we're set. Should be a good time.
******
Our travels will take us up I-88 toward Albany before we head east to the Mass Pike. Some of that area was pretty hard hit by Irene but I've heard nothing of road closures. As of mid-day yesterday (Wednesday), a lot of the National Grid power customers in that area of New York and east into Massachusetts were still without power. Bruce and Sue were on the east side of the strength of the the storm. Since Bruce hasn't said anything, I'm going to assume that they are and have been fine.
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