Close call

At first, I misheard the information about the new flu pandemic. I thought it was called 'Wine' flu and my first reaction was "geez, that's not new, they probably just drank a little too much Boone's Farm.

May in Indiana - Part 1

May is a special month for Hoosiers. Its a moving month. We typically move from colder weather to warmer weather. Mowers and shovels move as yard work becomes more prevalent. Fields are planted. Mother day comes. School lets out. Summer jobs begin. So with such a great month ahead, let's review the proud state of Indiana.

Did you know, that in 2007 the Hoosier state drink was adopted. We could've chose Dom Perignon or maybe a fine Pinot Grigio, but not us, Hoosiers. Championed by State Senator Dennis Kruis, a Republican from District 14, in Northeastern Indiana, we adopted 'water' as our state drink.

Yep, that's right. Some fine H2O. According to Marc D. Allan's article, State Emblems, states "Unlike some of his fellow legislators, Kruse, and auctioneer by profession, didn't benefit from this selection. Instead, he said he was alarmed to see studies showing that Americans consumer more soft drinks than they do water." Kruse liked water. He liked the purity and the health benifits of it, and that my friends, is pure Midwestern charm.

On a side note, according to the article, Liquid Candy, company's produces about 557 12 oz cans of soda for every man, women, and child in the United States in 2004. Now that's a lot of sugar!

Joke: Second Opinion

Second Opinion!

The doctor said, 'Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches.The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.'

Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. He had no choice but to go under the knife. When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.

He saw a men's clothing store and thought, 'That's what I need... A new suit.'

He entered the shop and told the salesman, 'I'd like a new suit.'

The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said, 'Let's see... size 44 long.'

Joe laughed, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years!' the tailor said.

Joe tried on the suit it fit perfectly. As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, 'How about a new shirt?'

Joe thought for a moment and then said, 'Sure.' The salesman eyed Joe and said, 'Let's see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.'

Joe was surprised, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years.'

Joe tried on the shirt and it fit perfectly.

Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, 'How about some new underwear?'

Joe thought for a moment and said, 'Sure.'

The salesman said, 'Let's see.... size 36.

Joe laughed, 'Ah ha! I got you! I've worn a size 34 since I was 18 years old.'

The salesman shook his head, 'You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache.'

New suit - $400

New shirt - $36

New underwear - $6

Second Opinion - PRICELESS

I don't want to be this guy!

Mushroom Hunting Madness

Sunday was a wonderful sunny day. Stacy and I went hunting for Morel mushrooms at an 'undisclosed' state park in Indiana. We even took the dogolas and enjoyed a picnic afterwards.

[sidenote: My wife is very concerned that I'm gonna to give away are mushroom spot, and everyone will converge on the area taking all of our mushrooms. She even blindfolded me and had me ride in the backseat of the cruiser so that I couldn't tell where we went.]

We found 27 mushrooms. The largest was 7 inches long and each of the others was 2 inches are longer.

We got to slide down a hill.


Some of us slide better than others.

Stacy found the first one. He's just a little guy.

Actually, she found 25 of the 27 mushrooms, and I'm pretty sure she let me find the other two becuase she felt bad. After the easter egg fiasco, I've came to the conclusion that I'm just not good at finding things. If only their was a google search for life.

Slumdog Millionair Movie Discussion

If anybody is interested in participating in a movie discussion of Slumdog Millionaire, the Redbox movie blog is currently hosting a weeklong movie discussion.

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Club Discussion: Part One

I get too excited for these things becuase I was the first to post. Here's what I thought about the film "To start things off with my post, I've been so excited about this idea. The first time it was mentioned, I rushed out to view the movie.

To me, Slumdog offered a glimpse into an environment that I didn't normally consider. The gritty visuals and the fantastic soundtrack moved the film, held my attention, and made me care for Jamal. That's what I want from films, I want to disappear into another environment. As James review states, "Slumdog Millionaire pulls off an amazing balancing act; part of it feels modern and fresh and vulgar and new, pulsing with the life and energy of India in the 21st century ... and part of it has the classic scope and sweep of a classic literary adventure like The Three Musketeers or Great Expectations." It is just that, a look into a world so different than ours, but so familiar. (Hey, they even have 'Who wants to be a millionaire')

In conclusion, the scene on the train with the boys, along with the MIA Paper Planes song, is brilliant!"

Wouldn't it be cool to be a professional movie critic? I'm pretty sure that's my dream profession, but unfortunately, as you can see from my post, I don't think I could come up with enough things to say.

Matt's Grill - Herbal Basting Brush

This is cool. One quick way to make a basting brush is by tying together herb branches. Rosemary works particularly well. Thyme works.

Matt's Grill - Hot and Spicy Spareribs

Tonights a grill night. Good weather. Good beer, and 3 pounds of Spareribs. Here's my latest recipe:

Hot and Spicy Spareribs
1 rack pork spareribs (3 lbs)
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp chili powder (optional)
1 tbsp mustard (optional, I used cayenne pepper for a bit more kick)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in large skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except ribs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Prepare grill for indirect grilling. Baste meaty side of ribs with sauce. Place ribs on grid, meaty side down. Baste top side. Cover grill. Cook 20 minutes. Turn ribs, baste. Cook 45 minutes more or until done, basting every 10 to 15 minutes with sauce.

(Recipe originally from National Pork Board)

**** Additional Resources
Indirect Grilling Information
USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

• Steaks & Roasts - 145 °F
• Fish - 145 °F
• Pork - 160 °F
• Ground Beef - 160 °F
• Egg Dishes - 160 °F
• Chicken Breasts - 165 °F
• Whole Poultry - 165 °F

Pictures soon.

Spring Update

Well, I've traded for the truck. That means that Papa Q is driving the cruiser and I'm driving the dodge. It's always a good sign of spring when this occurs becuase the truck means loads of top soil, mulch, manure (hehe), and other yard supplies to the house. It also means I get to start planning and replanning, and debating, and arguing the site plans for my new deck. Each spring, I also get ready for the deck, but usually fail to put it in. So far, I've contacted builders, got some quotes, scratched the idea, decided to build it by hand, gathered a crew, scratched the idea again, talked my father into building it, scratched the idea, and planted some grass seeds. Just be glad that I'm not building something like a bridge or a stadium becuase it probably wouldn't ever get built.

Of course, now that I've had the truck for four day, I've enjoyed 3 rain filled days. Finally, I've got some sun today, but it's just too wet to haul anything. Instead, I've spent the day mowing and landscaping. In a few minutes, I'm off to Lowes to get some corn gluten with intentions of killing my dandelions. In theory, once applied to my yard, the corn gluten will stop the dandelions from seeding. If I pull the current ones, it should eliminate any more from popping up and spreading.

Basically, I'm gonna 'gid-up' Rambo style on those bastards.

April Home Maintenance List

April Home Maintenance List (via weather.com)

# Inspect screens (both house and vent screens to attic or crawl space) for tears and bent frames.

# Clean window screens. Lay them flat on a picnic table or a pair of sawhorses and scrub them with a soft bristle brush and a mild detergent solution. Rinse with a garden hose and allow to dry thoroughly.

# Inspect outdoor structures for deterioration --especially signs of rot. Use a small awl to probe posts, railings and window sills for soft spots. If you find any, plan to replace or repair them when the weather turns fair.

# Prepare for the outdoor cooking season by inspecting gas grills. Remove cooking grills and thoroughly clean them with soapy water and a brush with brass bristles. Remove accumulated grease from lava rocks and ceramic briquettes by turning them over and igniting the burners. Allow 10 minutes on high heat to clean the briquettes.

# Inspect garden hoses for leaks. Make temporary repairs with electrical tape. Pry out old washers and replace them. Don't leave hoses connected to outdoor spigots until the danger of frost is completely over.

# Caulk open joints, particularly around windows and doors.

# Inspect the crawl space or basement after rains for water accumulation or excessive moisture. Look for signs of water damage on the subfloor and joists beneath bathrooms, the kitchen and laundry. Find and fix leaks now or pay the price later.

# Shut off the water to the washing machine, remove the water supply hoses and examine them and the washers. Replace worn and damaged ones.

# Check fire extinguishers to make sure they are not outdated, have lost pressure or are damaged.

# Check all weatherstripping around doors and windows for wear, damage or loss of flexibility. Replace material that is no longer blocking air.

# Clean your garbage disposal. Grind two trays of ice cubes made from a mixture of one cup white vinegar to one gallon of water.

April Ketchup

I know I spelled it wrong. The title should read as April catch up, but, honestly, I felt the tag would be more of an eye-opener. You probably saw April Ketchup and were brought into the trap like a bear to honey.

But rather than catch you up on the miscellany that is Matthew, I'm gonna throw it together. Ketchup style.

First, I've been away stressing, cleaning, preparing, organizing my restaurant for a big, big meeting with the bosses. For most of the month of April, I've totally through myself into preparation for this. Mainly, I wanted my store to 'Rock the Casbah", but also, I was presented with a prime opportunity to show my stuff. Everything was a little overwhelming, but in the end, it came out to be a perfect example of what a little hard work, commitment, and elbow grease can accomplish. I'm proud to say that we scored perfect across the board.

Also, did anybody follow the whole Somalian pirate debacle this weekend? Crazy pirates with their guns.

Another activity that has preceded my blogging is all of the early Spring yard work needing to be done. And the recent stint of good weather has allowed me to be very productive. (side note: It's rainy and cold, today).

Let's also throw some whoops out to some good television as of recently. Lost is simply addictive. I've caught some good episodes of 'The Office', and I was quietly impressed by the simple humor of the new show "Parks and Recreation" which features the amusing Amy Poehler as a 'doofy' government worker.

Finally, to catch everyone up, I want to admit that I suck at easter egg hunting. Stacy and I participated in an Adult Easter Egg hunt (no kids allowed, suckas!) and I only found five eggs. Stacy found a trillion, other friends found like a billion, and I found five.

Oh yeah, and yesterday, I was able to visit my parents. It's always fun to make it home.

Here's of the upcoming ideas I have for the summer posts:
More Grill Recipe Posts
A few 'around the yard' posts
Cruise update

Alright...boom, boom, clap

To everybody that has argued with me that last few days, he's Miley Cyrus and the new dance sensation "Hoe Down Throwdown". I'm not afraid to post it...



Also, how about the dance instructions...just wait till i get the moves down!!!

A letter wrote to the former Taco Bell Product, spicy chicken.

Dear Spicy C,

This letter is very hard for me write. While we've only been together for a little over a year, I feel like we've really grown together. You've always been a very good friend of mine, and I could always count on you. I remember that day when Cheyenne told me that I couldn't handle a you. He said you were just too much for me. Too hot. But I didn't listen. I knew what we were. I knew what we represented. You and your spiciness and me with my jalapenos.

That first crunchwrap, the first soft taco, every time you gave me what I needed, something different. Well, you're gone now. It's over. I get it.

We'll always have our time at Taco Bell.

Sincerely, Matt Q