Saturday morning . . . Random thoughts . . .

1. We haven't had coffee in the house for more than a week, so I picked up some freshly ground Green Mountain yesterday. Then I discovered that somewhere in the Christmas stuff, there was a single pot-sized serving of a Ghiardelli chocolate coffee. I have been savoring it all morning.

2. I just did some quick calculating, and since early October, based just on what's been posting on the EK Travel/Royal Fund list, we have raised more than $3,600. Of course, look at trips to Gulf and Estrella and that starts to get eaten up quickly. A third of it will be going to Their Highnesses Pennsic Fund, largely for the Royal Dinner. Thanks to everyone who has been helping!

3. If you are going to be following the primaries Tuesday night, I highly recommend the Washington Post  site. Cool maps and updates.

4. What's going to happen in Africa? The Kenyan mess has slid over to Chad. Yechh.

5. Here's an update on Michael Vick's dogs.

Roll call . . .

I won't be at all these events --  I will take the poll -- but I figured we might be able to do some networking and maybe even spend some time talking at some of these.[Poll #1131895][Poll #1131895]on't b

Saturday late afternoon:

1. It's time to steam the mussels, check the bread pudding and make the salt cod.

2. For those of you along the Northway, Adirondack Pub & Brew in Lake George is open on weekends and will re-open the rest of the week in mid-April. No, I didn't rush up there. I am an old man and spent the day cooking, napping and playing on Teh Intrawebs.

3. Words I wish I wrote:

Beertool on BeerAdvocate went into Clarke's Ale House in Syracuse and was asked, since it's the house speciality, if he would like a sandwich.

Ok, we'll try a sandwich. Roast beef on an onion bun, how good could that be?
If I could have bent that sandwich over the table and had sex with it, I would have.

Fella can write.

alethea_eastrid said I should post that.

4. You know you read too much science fiction when someone posts on a teachers' board asking whether a "dyson vacuum" is worth it, and youyr thought is, "Isn't it Dyson Sphere?"

5. I have read ravelry for the day. I went through the SCA community and the beer community.

6. So the   TSA now has a  blog with questions and answers. The amusement factor is very high.

Here is a gem:

In retrospect, I'm just glad Richard Reid didn't try to hide a bomb in his undershorts.

7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army. July 11. Be there.

8. Is this good thing?

Ender's Game In The Works

Independent video-game producer Chair Entertainment Group has announced a partnership with author Orson Scott Card to create a series of games inspired by Card's best-selling "Ender's Game" book series.

Making Ernie Stew

Or "But wait, there's more."

So cooking yesterday and today left me with bits and bobs.

So  I took the two extra pieces of extra hot Italian sasuage, the remaining cut potatoes, two kinds of peppers, onions and the carrots I forgot to put in the Portagee Stew Beef, pured the mussel-steaming juice over them and added a bottle of pear cider. (There was cider and a little beer in the mussel juice).

It's on the stove with the Salt Cod.

And the bread pudding is ready/