Matt's Miscellany

Halloween Funness!

2010-10-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween. Pumpkins, candy, and the most important part:

Charlie Browns Halloween Special!!!

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown - Pumpkin - Click here for more home videos

Also, here's some fun links for cool pumking carving ideas

Extreme Pumpkins: http://www.extremepumpkins.com/

The Pumpkin Lady: http://www.pumpkinlady.com/

Martha Stewart Halloween Center: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/pumpkins

Here's my 2009 Spider Pumpkin and Stacy's Owl Pumpkin.

Baby Posts!!!

2010-10-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Matt the Superhero...

Just updated the Daddy Blog - Check it out... http://mattthesuperhero.blogspot.com/

The Breeze

2010-09-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick story.

As many know, I'm work at a restaurant. I had just finished a little mini rush, and had just enough time for a potty break. So I go, and come back to find like 15 billion orders waiting for me. I'm pretty sure the local media must have just announced the coming Armageddon. Needless to say, there were a lot of orders. So I wash man hands, glove up, and get back to making food. It's pretty busy, but I'm busting out meals like no other.

Suddenly, I turn to hand out a tray, and I feel a breeze. A breeze that I shouldn't feel.

Yeah, I had forgot to zip up my fly. How embarrassing is that? The barn door was open for the whole world to see. FYI, it was a little chilly in the kitchen too.

Luckily, I was able to slip away, and zip up before to many people noticed. But geez...

The Importance of Pink Flamingo's

2010-08-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

So there is one important aspect of every Yardoligist. (and yeah, I made that up.)

And that of course, is a set of pink flamingos!

By the way, I expect comments on this Holly. :)

NEW Posts!!!!

2010-08-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Check out some of my new posts:

- Monticello Travel - http://monticellotravelandcruise.blogspot.com/

- Matt the Superhero - http://mattthesuperhero.blogspot.com/

I have issues...

2009-09-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, I just packed for a cruise that's 40 days away.

I have some issues. I couldn't help it, but what do you take. I've cruised before, but I always overpack. At this point, I just want to aim to underpack. The big questions I have are this: Should I pack more than 1 set of dress pants. I have a few shirts, but I can just rotate these with the set of pants. How about bathing suits? these are priority. I've got 2 that fit and 2 that I can wear without getting banned from the waterslide.

I'm only taking 1 set of shoes, my dress shoes and my flippy floppies, of course. I thought about taking my running shoes, just in case, I have a need to work out. (Yeah right. I'm there for the food and the fun.... and desert!!!)

Another reason I want to be on top of what I take, is that I know I'm going to need to save room for Stacy. She'll pack plenty, and I'm not sure how much luggage I'll be allowed on the flight. Plus, I'll have to carry it, and I'm lazy.

Anyways, its still 40 days away, so I shouldn't worry too much, but as they say, "God is in the details."

Woohoo, 40 days until vacation

2009-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am so ready, and today I booked my flights.

It's gonna be a great time. So far our itenarary looks like this, flying into Tampa on Saturday and we sail away on Sunday. Monday is a day at sea. Snorkeling and shopping in Grand Cayman on Tuesday. Snorkeling and exploring Cozumel on Wednesday. Then we head to Belize on Thursday and Honduras on Friday. Finally, we have a day at sea on Saturday, and return to Tampa on Sunday.

Our return flights, leave Tampa and lay-over in Atlanta. Then on to Indianapolis.

So for the next few days, I'm gonna be posting almost exclusively about this trip. I'm excited. Really, really excited. I think, in the last 50 days, I've watched Captain Ron 20 times, read numerous travel logs, and have researched every snorkeling spot in Grand Cayman.

Colts Game

2009-08-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Talk about a conundrum, my buddy and I won tickets to the Colts/Patriots game in November from a Colts Costume Contest hosted by McDonalds. His costume was crazy. We had a full Colts ensemble including Pom-Poms, Painted Faces, Cape, and a Yellow Goal Post potruding from his shoulders. This is where the problem begins. He's going to have to change his costume a little, and he's a little pissed about it.

So, what should we do? Just drop the goal posts from the costume, try to get in and just change the outfit if he's not allowed. I'm afraid that if he wears the full costume, he'll get stopped and then a big fat black cloud will hang over the entire game.

Here's a picture of his costume:

Hurricane Bill, doesn't scare me.

2009-08-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm in Indiana and Mr. Billy Hurricane will only cause a few showers at its worst. I'm not going to have to worry about its 150 mph wind. Nope. It doesn't scare me.

Here's some info on some truly historic hurricanes:

Hurricane of July, 1502--Was a storm that the great explorer and discoverer of American, Christopher Columbus, predicted would strike the island of Hispanola. He used his prediction to warn the Governor of Hispanola, Nicholas de Ovando, who had 30 ships in his fleet set sail back to Spain. However, the governor ignored him, and refused Columbus' request to stay in port at Santo Domingo. Within two days the storm struck in the Mona Passage between Hispanola and Puerto Rico, and sank 21 of the 30 ships, and killed approximately 500 sailors.
Tempest of 1609--At the time that the first ever colony in the United States was being developed, a strong hurricane menaced the Western Atlantic in the weeks following the departure of a fleet with 500 colonists left Great Britain for the New World. The ships then met with the maelstrom head on, and scattering all the vessels. Most were able to survive the onslaught of Mother Nature except for the flagship of the fleet, the Sea Venture, which was deposited in the infamous "Isle of Devils." Nevertheless, those who were on the ship still managed to reach shore, and received a much better fate than those, who had already situated themselves in the colony. The story of the Sea Venture was the basis of William Shakespeare's play, The Tempest.
Great Hurricane of 1780--This storm was one of several that year, which was one of the worst hurricane seasons in the era prior to record taking. Winds were estimated to be Category Four strength at 135 mph. This storm, which affected the Southern Windward Islands including Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, Martinique, St. Eustatius, and near Puerto Rico and Grand Turk Island, is believed to have killed approximately 22,000 people. Of that total, between 4,000 and 5,000 people were killed on St. Eustatius. Martinique had an estimated 9,000 people killed including 1,000 in St. Pierre, which had all of its homes destroyed.
George Washington's Hurricane of 1788--This hurricane, which began its drive toward landfall after nearing Bermuda on July 19th, proceeded on a west-northwest course into the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and then into Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay region absorbed the worst that the storm had to offer. Most notably though, this storm is remembered for the way it was described by the father of the United States, and first president, George Washington. By the time the storm reached Washington's home in Mount Vernon, it was likely to have been a moderate tropical storm with winds about 50 mph.
Miami Hurricane of 1926--This storm hit at the worst possible time for the fledgling city. Incoporated in 1896 following the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway by Henry Flagler, the city of Miami was at the end of its first boom period early in 1926. The storm also served as a lesson for those wishing to go outside during the eye's passage. Forming a few hundred miles to the East of the Lesser Antilles on September 12th, the storm passed to the north of Puerto Rico on September 15th. Accompanied by a late issued hurricane warning, the storm arrived in Miami on the morning of September 18th. Winds peaked at 128 mph, and the pressure in Miami fell to 27.61 inches of Hg, or 935 millibars. The storm surge ranged from eight to fifteen feet, and caused $150 million dollars in damage then, or $1.7 billion today. If a similar storm hit the Miami area today, it would cause an astronomical $87 billion in damage.
Hurricane Hazel--A Category Four Hurricane that came ashore in North Carolina in October, 1954, and then brought hurricane force winds as far inland as Canada. Passing 95 miles to the East of Charleston, South Carolina, Hazel made landfall very near the North Carolina and South Carolina border, and brought a record 18 foot storm surge at Calabash, North Carolina. Wind gusts of 150 mph were felt in Holden Beach, Calabash, and Little River Inlet 100 mph gusts were felt farther inland at Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. Hazel carved a path of destruction that left over 600 dead, and damages exceeded $350 million 1953 U.S. dollars.
Hurricane Hugo--This Category Four Hurricane at landfall, carved a path from the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean to Charleston, South Carolina in September, 1989. At one point in its lifetime, Hugo reached Category Five intensity with 160 mph winds, and a minimum central pressure of 27.11 inches of Hg. Rapidly intensifying over the Gulf Stream, it came ashore in South Carolina with 135 mph winds. This storm ranks currently second all time in terms of estimated damage at $7 billion dollars.
Hurricane Andrew--This is probably the most recent memorable hurricanes in modern history. After struggling to develop in the Atlantic, this Category Five Hurricane rapidly developed over the Gulf Stream, and devastated South Florida with 165 mph winds on August 24, 1992. It was the costliest natural disaster on record with some $30 billion dollars in damage.

Read the full article at http://www.hurricaneville.com/historic.html.

Oh my heaven, I just turned 27!

2009-08-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, today is the day. I'm officially 27. Doesn't seem too much different, but I did wake up with a cramp in my left foot. And I think I'm shrinking. Slowly.

Thank you to all my friends and family that wished me a Happy Birthday and too those that will. That is what makes this day so special. Knowing that people still think about me.

Stacy, I love you.

Many thanks,

Matt Quasebarth

Black Bean Salsa Recipe

2009-08-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Found on the Food Network Website.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
2 cups dried black beans, cooked in salted water until tender, cooled (about
2 cups)
1 cup small diced red onions
1 large fresh jalapeno, seed and cut into small dice
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Crispy corn tortilla chips

Directions

Combine the first seven ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lime juice and olive oil. Mix well. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve with the chips

Original Article: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fresh-tomato-and-black-bean-salsa-recipe/index.html

Floribean Art

2009-08-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

With the Buffett concert this past week in Indianapolis, I wanted to do a post covering some interesting art available for Parrotheads. First, we have the Floribean art of Gary Farmer. My favorite works are his "Beach Bars" and "Beach Huts", which are all Buffett themed.

Also, Teri Gardiner, does some fantastic Margaritaville art. All are filled with bright, vibrant colors to celebrate Parrothead themes.

More info:
Gary Farmer - Floribean Art
Teri Gardiner - Margaritaville Works

The Art of Liu Bolin

2009-08-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Blend-in Guy...Just recently, I came across the fantastic artistic illusions of Liu Bolin. Most notably, he uses his environment (a telephone booth, a graffiti'd wall) to create an image in which he blends. It's kind of a trip, and hard to explain. According to an online article, "He claims they make a statement about his place in society. He sees himself as an outsider whose artistic efforts are not always valued, especially in his native country. Standing silently in front of his chosen scene, in locations all around the world, the 36-year-old uses himself as a blank canvas. Then, with a little help from an assistant, he paints his body to merge as seamlessly as possible with what is behind him. It means people walking by while he is carrying out his performances often have no idea he is nearby until he begins to move."

Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1201398/Now-you-dont-The-artist-turns-Invisible-Man.html

Additional works by Liu Bolin: http://www.artnet.com/artist/425227158/liu-bolin.html

An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof

2009-07-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

In 'An Embarrassment of Mangoes', you get to travel with Ann and Steve as they venture out into the Caribbean. Putting their careers on hold, Ann and Steve take a 2 year sail on their boat, Receta, and visit such wonderful places such as the Bahamas, Granada, and the Dominican Republic. Basically, this book is put together from Ann's journal as she makes the voyage. Also, this book offers some great recipes that really add an excellent element to the book. Here's a few of my favorite recipe:

Luperon Papaya Salsa pg 101/102

Serve alongside grilled chicken or fish.

1/2 large ripe papaya, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into 1/2 rings
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 small hot red 0r green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons fruity olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine papaya, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and hot pepper. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the oil and half the lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Tass with papaya mixture.
3. Taste before serving and adjust flavor with additional lime juice.

Serves 4. I added mango. Yellow or White onion can be used instead.

Coo-Coo (Caribbean Polenta) pg 131

3 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
2. Gradually stir in cornmeal. Lower heat and cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Allow to set for a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Serves 6 to 8. If you are really adventurous add okra. Thinly slice 4 okras and cook in the coconut milk until soft, before adding the cornmeal. Slices of coo-coo are also excellent grilled. Brush lightly with olive oil and grill until crisp on both sides.

Paper Rock Scissors Quote

2009-07-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Quote via Unquality Website:

"I understand how scissors can beat paper, and I get how rock can beat scissors, but there’s no fucking way paper can beat rock. Is paper supposed to magically wrap around rock and leave it immobile? Why the hell can’t paper do this to scissors? Screw scissors, why can’t paper do this with people? Why aren’t sheets of college ruled notebook paper constantly suffocating students as they take notes in class? I’ll tell you why, because paper can’t beat anybody. When I play rock paper scissors, I always choose rock. Then when somebody claims to have beaten me with their paper I can punch them in the face with my already clenched fist and say, oh shit, I’m sorry, I thought paper would protect you, you asshole!"

Afternoon Work Conversation #2

2009-07-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

Me talking to group: "Okay, so if I gave you a million dollars every-time you pushed a little red button on a box, but someone dies every time its pushed, would you push the button?"

J: "No, i would not want anyone to die and it's could be someone you know."

Me: "But its a million dollars"

J: "I wouldn't do it."

Me: "I would."

J speaking directly to me: "Button pusher."

Afternoon Work Conversation #1

2009-07-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

Me: "Hey, J, if you could domesticate any animal what would it be and why?"

J: "Polar Bear"

Me: "That's cool. It'd be fun to have a bear on a leash. You could walk it down the highway."

J: "Yeah, or maybe an eagle."

Me: "Also, cool. Eagles are so much better than hawks. Could you imagine whistling, and then having a huge bald eagle swoop down and land on your shoulder? It would put those hawk tamers to shame because who wants a hawk when you can have an eagle or a Polar Bear."

Free Mini Bowl Passes

2009-07-22T13:22:00.001-07:00

Anybody interested in a free game of Mini Bowl at the newly opened Incredible Pizza in Greenwood? I've got 11 free game passes. Drop me a line if your interested.

Incredible Pizza - Now open in Greenwood.

5 years of Marriage

2009-07-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

I love you, Not only for what you are, but who I am when I am with you ~ Roy Croft

Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. ~ Antoine De Saint Exupery

Today, Stacy and I celebrated our 5th year of marriage. We spent a marvelous day downtown petting elephants and sharks, chasing butterflies, and trying to capture a seahorse on film during a visit to the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens.
We also treated ourselves to some wonderful pie from the Grand Traverse Pie Company for lunch
and dinner at Indy's best seafood restaurant, McCormick and Schmicks.

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand. ~ Margery Williams (The Velveteen Rabbit)

Pleasure Week 7/1 - 7/7: Matt's Guilty Pleasures 2

2009-07-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Pleasure Week 7/1 - 7/7: Matt's Guilty Pleasures

2009-07-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, don't worry everybody, this post isn't going to be dirty. In honor of National Pleasure week, I am going to do some posts about my favorite guilty pleasures.

"Pleasure is commonly conceptualized as a positive experience, happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria. ..."

For my first post, let's cover a very deep and secretive pleasure. Most men will admit to it. Some just fantasize about it, but most go all out. My first guilty pleasure has plagued me since early adulthood. I bet you can already guess it.

That's right, fantasy sports. Since my brother first introduced me to Stratomatic, I've been playing fake, simulated sports games. There's nothing like the thrill of battle that comes from whipping friends based off of the statistics of your favorite sports heroes. From stratomatic, I developed a passion for online fantasy sports leagues. Currently, I'm participating in 4 different leagues spanning 2 sports. I'll likely continue to join leagues in Fantasy football, basketball, and maybe even hockey!

It's geeky and my wife doesn't understand, but its addicting and I love it. Just recently, I estimated that I spend on average about 20 days a year playing fantasy sports. Wooha! Jesusgeek put it best in his blog when he wrote, "I've been asked, "Why do I love fantasy sports so much?" It basically boils down to the fact that I hit all three characteristics of the perfect fantasy fan: 1) I'm a control freak. This allows me to have control over my team and do with it what I wish. 2) I get to create. Any sports fan has always said, "If I owned (insert favorite team) then I would ..." Now it's our chance. The best part is we can do it for free versus paying 600 million for the team. And 3) I'm a stat geek. I love stats. 99% of all fantasy sports is all about the numbers. I played fantasy hockey a few years back for the first time. I knew and still know nothing about the sport but I won my league. How? Because I payed attention to the numbers and not the names on the jerseys."

Additional Information:
Stratomatic
Jesusgeek Blog
How to play fantasy sports

NBA Draft 2009

2009-06-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

I almost missed this post.

Last year we got Rush and Hibbert, and I wanted Koufos. I still think he would have been a better pick for the Pacers. This year, I want Jeff Teague (with his Indianapolis ties) or Ty Lawson, who seems ready to step in and contribute right away. Heck, I would be happy with Jrue Holiday, but please don't take Hansborough (he's nothing more than collegiate fluff) or Jennings.

If we end up with Jennings, we get the same style of players we had with Artest.

Go Pacers!

Indy Palomino's New Summer Menu

2009-06-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Just got an email about the new summer menu at the Palomino and a special deal for diners who stop by this weekend.

Just thought I'd share. Here's what it says:
-----------------------------------------------------------

To celebrate the arrival of both, Chef Amanda wants every table that dines with us this Friday and Saturday (6/26-27) to receive complimentary fresh mixed berries with zabaglione for dessert. Make a reservation by calling 317.974.0400 or at www.palomino.com. Let us know that you are coming in for “summer berries” and we’ll bring one to your table.

Starting today, stop in and try some of our fresh new summer entrees:

Little Neck Clam Linguini in a spicy white wine sauce.

Grilled King Salmon served with an artichoke remoulade, fresh grilled asparagus and a vine ripe tomato and basil salad.

Chicken Under a Brick (you’ve got to see it to believe it) served with a traditional panzanella bread salad.

Summer Ravioli stuffed with spinach, ricotta, artichoke hearts and pine nuts and topped with a roasted yellow pepper coulis and sweet pea slaw.

Brick Oven Roasted Lemon Dill Salmon topped with Greek tzatziki cucumber sauce and served with a summer fennel salad.

Gyro Spring Lamb Burger on focaccia bread topped with cucumber, tomato and feta.

Oven Roasted Long Bone 20 oz. Ribeye, char crusted in our 600 degree oven.

How about this for a sweet summer deal?

Join us each Wednesday for half priced bottles of wine!

Pick any bottle off our new summer list for half the regular price. All day, every Wednesday this summer.

Palomino | 49 W. Maryland Street | Downtown Indianapolis | 317.974.0400 | www.palomino.com

Palomino is located at:

49 W. Maryland Street
Circle Center Mall #189 Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317.974.0400
Fax: 317.974.1865

-----------------------------------------------------------

Qball's Beer Review: Fat Tire Amber Ale

2009-06-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Qball's Beer Review: Fat Tire Amber Ale

Unfortunately, not everything lives up to the hype. Although it is well-balanced and malty, it offers up a slight biscuit taste. Not hard on the palette, but not spectacular. It's really more of a basic crossover beer for someone wanting to try craft beers, but unfamiliar with the options.

Additional information on New Belgium Brewing Company
Brians Belly - Beer Review

Brewed by:
New Belgium Brewing Company

Style / ABV:
American Amber/ 5.2% ABV

Qball's Beer Review: Jockamo IPA - Abita Brewing

2009-06-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Qball's Beer Review: Abita ~ Jockamo IPA

Coppery, slightly hazed reddish orange. The pour produced a slight pour and an orangish head. Good looking brew with a sweet citrus smell. For an IPA, the beer was balanced but less hoppy than traditional IPA's. It's a very drinkable beer, but only a mediocre IPA.

Additional information on Abita Brewing

Brewed by:
Abita Brewing Company

Style / ABV:
American IPA/ 6.5% ABV

June 25th - National Log Cabin Day

2009-06-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah.

This means nothing to me. I don't really like cabins, and to be honest, I'm just more of a Ramada, pool, beach guy. I've stayed in some. Some really nice cabins, in fact, just a few years ago, I attended a pretty fun evening of 'Guy's Behaving Badly' for my buddies bachelor party. The cabin was nice. It had the hot tub, and the big television, and it was secluded, but its not something I wake up wanting to do.

I've also seen some pretty nice log cabin homes. Not the jankey, fake log homes, but legitimate, modern log homes. They're spacious and appealing, but again, not my thing.

But anyways, happy National Log Cabin Day to all you folks out there. I hope you avoid splinters, and spiders, and have a wonderful day in your cabin.

Matt's Grill - Awesome Horseradish Mustard Spread

2009-06-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a great recipe for a Horseradish spread that is excellent with Brats, Italian Sausages, or Italian pork loins.

3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped 'fresh' parsley
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Matt's Grill - Grilled Chicken with Southern Homemade BBQ Sauce

2009-06-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything from my special recipe's this month, so I figured I would start with a great grilled chicken recipe.

1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup warm water
3 tbsp light brown sugar
3 tbsp chili sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
optional {for a spicier kick, add 3/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper to the sauce)
6 skinless bone-in chicken breasts (2 1/4 lbs)

1. Heat skillet over med heat until hot. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender

2. Stir in tomato sauce, water, sugar, chili sauce, chili powder, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, cinnamon, and black pepper; heat to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the sauce reduces to about 1 1/2 cups. Reserve some sauce for basting while chicken is on the grill.

3. Prepare grill for direct grilling

4. Grill chicken turning several times and basting with sauce. (30 to 35 minutes or until chicken internal temp is a consistent 180 degrees.

5. Heat remaining sauce in skillet over medium heat until hot, spoon over chicken. The sauce will be thick.

Serving suggestions include grilled potatoes wedges and vegetables.

Amazing Childrens Choir Video - PS 22

2009-06-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is a great video. They've been featured on the local news, ABC dateline, and several other media outlets. These students have found a connection with music, some of the students were struggling, but PS 22 helped them turn things around. The sad part of the story is the lack of funding for arts available as these students move on, most will attend middle schools that have no music programs.

Follow there blog: http://ps22chorus.blogspot.com/

McDonalds Super Saturday

2009-06-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

Super Saturday Sale.

June 13th, 2009, 8 am to 2 pm.

25 cent sausage biscuits and Hamburgers.

Valid only at three Greenwood Indiana Locations.
- 121 Marlin Drive
- 2556 S St Road 135
- 2252 US 31 South

Man, I love me some McDonald's, and my favorite location is now having the super sales. Check this out! Enjoy!

Free Tickets for New Kids on the Block

2009-06-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

Free Tickets.

New Kids on the Block
at Verizon Wireless Music Center
Sunday, June 28!

Visit one of the Indiana Blood Center locations listed below
on Friday, June 12th or Saturday, June 13th and you'll receive
one free lawn ticket to the show, while supplies last.

Help keep the blood supply strong during the summer months.
You'll have someone's undying gratitude!

Or for more information, please call
(317) 916-5150 or 1-800-632-4722 ext 5150.

Avon Branch - 7655 East US Highway 36, Avon
Indianapolis East Branch - 10537 East Washington Street, Indianapolis
Indianapolis Main Branch - 3450 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis
Indianapolis North Branch - 726 Adams Street, Suite 150, Carmel
Indianapolis Northeast Branch - 7458 East Fishers Station Drive, Fishers
Indianapolis South Branch - 8725 US Highway 31 South, Indianapolis

Hours for all locations are:
Monday thru Thursday - 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday - 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday - 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon

Shout-outs: My favorite blogs

2009-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, for all the dog lovers out there, me included, here's a must view. Dog Parks: for the love of dogs, is a blog that focuses on the community being created at the local Dog Park. Articles range in topics but mostly focus on the personalities of the dogs. The best part about this blog is the photography. The pet photographers do an excellent job. I love looking at the pictures.

So check it out, Dog Parks: for the love of dog s:

picture from http://thedogparkbook.blogspot.com

Its 2 am - how about a pirate joke

2009-06-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

A pirate walks into a bar with a peg-leg, a hook for a hand, and an eye-patch.

The bartender looks up and say, "Oh my god, you're a mess! What happened to you?"

The pirate says, "ARRRR, 'twas a stormy sea, and a giant wave - washed me overboard! And as me mateys were hauling me back, a shark leapt outta the water - bit off me leg!"

The bartender says, "Okay, that explains the leg... what about the rest of it?"

The pirate says, "ARRRR, we were layin' siege to a ship - and as I swung over, a sailor reached out - cut off me hand!"

The bartender says, "All right, that explains that... what about the eye?"

The pirate says, "ARRRR! A seagull - shat in me eye!"

The bartender says, "What?? You don't lose your eye from that!"

The pirate says, "ARRRR! But 'twas the first day with the hook!"

Storms a-coming.

2009-06-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Bring it!!!

Video Post - Wanna Get "Frosty" ~ Hilarious!!!

2009-06-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Why not? I love it, and who doesn't see themselves in a boyband?

Planes.

2009-06-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

I've been following the news surrounding the Brazil wreck pretty closely. The whole thing kind of scares the hell out of me. Personally, I don't consider myself a nervous flier, but I'm not big on the whole "flying through a storm and the plane breaks apart and crashes into the sea" bit.

At first, when they were unable to find the wreckage, I started to get a little creative about what happens. Mostly, I figured that the whole thing was tied to some sort of ABC marketing ploy for the final season of Lost. I mean, I could see corporate America going this far for ratings. And Squirrel made a good point, with so much communication available to passengers, where were those random, tweets or texts that we hear so much about from the passengers.

Maybe, with the investigation still pending, those things haven't leaked yet, but I bet someone on the plane was like "Shit, this things going down, I better tell my Aunt Lou goodbye."

Humor, aside, its still a tragedy and those families are suffering. We all should keep that in mind.

But, I keep going back to plane safety, and yesterday, while we were dining with a friends, drinking Sangria, I couldn't help but think about all the times I got a little scared while flying. One time, while we were flying out of O'hare Airport, our initial departure was delayed.

Most of the time, I try to set next to the window, unless, Squirrel steals the seat. I like the view. I like to see all the little roads and homes and baseball fields from 20000 ft. They all look like little mini lego sets that high up. It's pretty awesome. Sorry, I digress. Back to the story, so I'm at O'hare, seating window side, right outside the wing. Captain comes on, tells everyone that we're gonna be a few more minutes before take off because the weather has been holding up the other planes and there's a big back log of flights leaving. Well, as I look out, I see three dudes dressed in greasy gray jumpsuits.

These dudes don't look like Aeronautical engineers, they look like the mechanics at Rama Wash & Lube. So they are out there, starring at the wing, I'm starring back. They're pointing at things. One has a wrench in his hand. The conversation seems heated. But, hey, we're just waiting for clearance right? Yeah, nothings wrong with the wing. Well, I was sooooooo wrong.

Obviously, these guys were working on something. They had a wrench. I'm cool with that. What I'm not cool with is what happens next. In my head the conversation between the Greaser's probably went like this...

"Yeah, Bob, we need to reattach that thingymajinger." Greaser A

"I've tried to tighten the bolts, but it's just not working." Greaser B

"Well, you better call the bossman, because we gotta get these suckers in the air." Greaser A

Now on the radio, Greaser B, "Hey bossman, I can't get the wing to attach. Maybe you should call Greg the engineer out here, he has extensive training in Aeronautical engineer and I only took a class at the local Y on luggage handling."

Bossman replies, "Hell now, Greg costs $50 dollars an hour, that's not happening, just do what you gotta do. Get creative."

Greaser B, "okay boss, we got it."

By now, the guys are walking away, and as I'm watching them, I'm thinking. "Good, they must of got everything fixed." I was wrong. So wrong.

In a few minutes, they reappeared with duct tape. Which they continued to apply to the wing, the wing of the 75-something taking me 20000 ft into the air on my way to Denver. I could see the twinkle in their eye. They had gotten creative.

Concluding this rambling story, the point I want to make is this, especially if there are any airplane mechanics reading, don't use duct tape on planes when the passengers can see you. It scares them and they'll pee in their pants a little. Just a little.

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

2009-05-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the weekend:

After suffering through a painful 300 mile drive up north (It seems like I may have sciatica), we finally made it up north. We helped the Bride and Groom prepare for the wedding, made sure everything was set up at the reception, and got to hang out with Quentin and Allison.

Hopefully, I have a little more time over the next few days to elaborate, but for now, I'm back. Really sore. Kind of tired. And not looking forward to work tonight.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everybody!

2009-05-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Be safe and have fun, and most of all, HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.

For me, I'm off to Michigan. Lansing for a Wedding. Congratulations to the soon to be Bride and Groom, Ben & Megan! Then, I'm taking a 3 hour jaunt, up to Alba for some extreme Morel Mushroom hunting.

We even bought the 'Deep Woods' bug spray.

Happy 42nd Birthday, Kirky!

2009-05-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, what a day. My big bro turns 42. If I feel old, I can't even imagine what 42 feels like. But, even though you've been over the hill for quite some time now, we can still take a look back at all the historic events that occurred during you lifetime. Also, as your little brother, its a God Given right for me to be as annoying as I can for as long as I can. So here it goes....

Consider this, the first Superbowl occurred 1967 (the year you were born), which was won, of course, by the Green Bay Packers. 1968 brought the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and RFK. As we know, in 1969, the wheel was invented and the following year, fire was discovered. The seventies brought the Vietnam War, the Munich Olympic Games, Watergate, Pol Pot, the age of Disco, and that hotty, Margaret Thatcher. You would've been about 10 years old when Stars Wars was released. (You were 32 years old when Episode 1, The Phantom Menace was released. Isn't that trippy). In the 80's, you had Pac Man, the Rubics cube, ET. Michael Jackson had "Thriller", we found a hole in the Ozone layer, Chernobyl happened. The 90's had Desert Storm, and the Waco Incident. We captured the unabomber and Tiger Woods won his first masters. Leo sailed on the Titanic. Viagra hit the market. (Speaking of Viagra, it might just be time old man.) And of course, the Y2K bug was going to take down the environment.

That's quite a timeline....

Happy Birthday, and I hope 42 is the best year yet!

The Necktie - The History of a knot

2009-05-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a really quick history of the necktie. In ancient Egypt, a thin cloth was hung down below the neck and tied to show social status. In ancient China, the first Emporer of Qin bears a necktie in every single sculpture currently existing. For the most part, the necktie roots are tied to early Croatian mercenaries (Ain't this a manly factoid!!). From a little research (yep, I took a total of 5 minutes to search 'necktie' in google), I was able to find out that the Croatian word "Hrvati" and the French word "Croates", both terms meaning Croates, combined to create the word "cravat", which in the early name of neckties. We next see a major knot development at The Battle of Steenkerque, which took place in 1692. In this battle, the princes, while hurriedly dressing for battle, just wound these cravats around their necks (Ah,ha The Steinkirk).

Moving on, we see Stocks appear in 1750 and later transform into Macaronis (Think Yankee Doodle) and Incroyables in France. By this time, we have all these types of clothe being swung around the neck of a man with no specific rules of attachment. (Hehehe, what a play on words.) So at this point, in the extravagant history of the necktie, we see the Neckclothitania published. Now, although it doesn't have the most creative name, it serves it purpose and organizes cravats into 14 different ties and how to knot them. This book also uses the term "tie" for the first time. Probably becuase it was wrote by a man, and we get lazy, and its a lot easier to print TIE than CRAVAT. Hell, i'm going to take a break now.

Okay, I'm back. We can now see that there's some organization is the Cravat-Tie-Neckcloth fad. We have a book. We have interest. And we have a lot of different types of cloth in our closets. But guess what happens, people try to be different. We see the popularity grow for white cravats, and the use of scarves, held in place by a ring, appears. It's popular with a lot of the sailors of the time (1850s). I blame this fad on the great ancestors of the Village People.

Finally, the modern necktie appears as the industrial revolution rolls on. Some manly-man, probably an Iron Worker or Coal Foreman, said "Hell with girly scarves, I need a black tie. Something long and thin, and doesn't require a lot of time. I'll even tie it like the reins on my horse carriage." And that's what they did, the four-in hand knot became popular.

Soon every man was wearing one(or at least a form of them such as the bowtie), even Abe Lincoln and Robert E Lee. Braxton Bragg probably didn't, but he sucked as a Civil War General anyways. Poof. Now it's 1920, and Jessee Langsdorf is working on a tie design. Like all great innovators, he figures out how much easier the production of neckties are with just a little tweek. 45 degree angles. And almost every tie since them has been cut this was.

During WW1, we see hand painted ties become popular. WW2 gave us a wild selection of ties. Casually growing wider and wider. In the sixties, like most things, this changes. Designs become more restrained, thinner. This continues through to today.

A few other things. There are 85 ways to knot a tie. By Thomas Fink and Yong Mao, the book "The 85 ways to tie a tie", was published in 1999. According to a review, "The discovery of all possible ways to tie a tie depends on a mathematical formulation of the act of tying a tie. In their papers (which are technical) and book (which is for the layman, apart from an appendix), the authors show that necktie knots are equivalent to persistent random walks on a triangular lattice, with some constraints on how the walks begin and end. Thus enumerating tie knots of n moves is equivalent to enumerating walks of n steps. Imposing the conditions of symmetry and balance reduces the 85 knots to 13 aesthetic ones."

sidenote: Math is the language for lovers. Really dorky lovers that think Pythagorum was cool.

In conclusion, I've decided to wear a Pratt knot today and not a Windsor knot. Woot me!

Close to home comic

2009-05-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

Nothing like good copy machine hijinks.

Cat in Suitcase Video

2009-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Cats are fun and I like suitcases...woot!

Watch Cat in a Suitcase on CollegeHumor

Stella de Oro Daylilies: Linquistic Tragedies

2009-05-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, sticking with the spring theme, let me talk about another plant that has recently became a star in my landscape. About anywhere you go on the Casa de Quasebarth (another linguistic nightmare, but I digress) you'll find these gold, mounding perennials. They have deep green, strap-like leaves and produce a fragrant gold flower in the summer. The thrive in full sun, well-drained areas, but are hardy enough to survive in shaded areas. But did you know....

The name is a very tricky linguistic nightmare. It all starts with the word, "daylily" itself, which has a second legitimate spelling: "day lily."

But matters get worse when we consider the plant's scientific name. Technically, it's Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro.' Which is the name given by the original hybridizer. As you can guess, the original hybridizer of a hybrid enjoys the honor of naming it. In this case, it was the honorable, Walter Jablonski, who proceeded (whether intentionally or not) to carry this "hybrid" thing a bit too far....

You see, "Stella de Oro" literally translates, "star of gold." Superficially, it looks either Spanish or Italian. Problem is, it's neither one -- not in its entirety, at least. "Stella" is "star" in Italian, and "de oro" is "of gold" in Spanish -- but not vice versa. So what we have here, essentially, is a hybridization of language to describe a hybrid plant. It's "Spitalian!"

Not surprisingly, then, this name is commonly mangled in every imaginable way, including as:

"Stella d'Oro daylily"
"Stella Doro daylily"
"Stella d Oro daylily"

"Stella d'Oro daylily" has, in fact, become such a common misspelling that it has virtually taken over as the preferred spelling for the plant. In part, what seems to be happening here is that people are correcting Jablonski's flawed formation. They are rendering the plant name in proper Italian, where "star of gold" would, indeed, be written as stella d'oro.

Tree Planting

2009-05-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, Stacy and I planted a 10 foot Yoshino Flowering Cherry. The Yoshino Cherry, or Japanese Cherry, is a deciduous flowering tree that is so impressive it ranks among the best of the spring flowering trees. In 1912, the Japanese government gave the U.S three thousand Yoshino cherry trees. To this day, the Washington D.C area is famous for cherry blossom season. This tree also inspires the annual cherry blossom festival in Macon Georgia. According to some Japanese lore, there is a believable legend that each spring a fairy maiden hovers low in the warm sky, wakening the sleeping Cherry trees to life with her delicate breath.

The Yoshino Cherry is a native of Japan, Korea and China, yet will perform well in Indiana landscapes. According to Arborday.org, "it often creates a real stir when blooms are as gorgeous and bountiful as they are this spring. The slightly fragrant, white to pink flowers for which the plant is so well known, typically appear in mid-March." The trees flower every year but may not always yield the same quantity of blooms. This relates to the amount of winter cold they receive.

With a smaller yard, the Yashino works well because of its relatively small flowering tree usually only reaching 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide at maturity. Because of its compact size it will easily fit into most residential landscapes.

To Suzy Q

2009-05-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EARLY MOTHER'S DAY

GOOD CHARLOTTE - "Thank You, Mom!"

(LYRICS)
I'm sitting here I'm thinking back to a time when I was young...
My memory, is clear as day
I'm listening to the dishes clink, you were downstairs, you would sing
Songs of praise
And all the times we laughed with you, and all the times that you stayed true to us
Now we say...
I said I thank you, I'll always thank you
More than you could know, than I could ever show
And I love you, I'll always love you
There's nothing I won't do, to say these words to you
That you're beautiful forever
You were my mom, you were my dad, the only thing I ever had was you, it's true
And even when the times got hard, you were there to let us know...that we'd get through
You showed me how to be a man, you taught me how to understand the things, people do
You showed me how to love my God, you taught me that not everyone knows the truth
And I thank you, I'll always thank you
More than you could know, than I could ever show
And I love you, I'll always love you
There's nothing I won't do, to say these words to you
That you will live forever
Always, always and forever

Close call

2009-04-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-27T12:39:00.001-07:00

Mushroom Hunting Madness

2009-04-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-01T12:56:00.001-07:00

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

Walter Egan was 'Pimp-Mac-daddy-doo'

2009-03-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Walter Egan - Magnet and Steel

Matt's Grill - Spicy Tangy BBQ Chicken

2009-03-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Just grilled this last night, it tasted great. It was raining and storming, but I toughed it out and it was more than worth it.

Tangy BBQ Chicken Recipe
1 lb chicken (I used Tyson Boneless Chicken Breasts)
1 cup of cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp salt (recipe says only a tsp but I'm a little liberal with the salt)
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce (This is a Quasebarth household special) but use whatever sauce you enjoy.

Place chicken in shallow glass dish or large heavy plastic bag. Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, in small bowl; pour over chicken pieces. Cover dish or seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours, turning several times.

Oil hot grid to help prevent sticking. (I used PAM) Grill chicken on a covered grill, over medium heat. Turn and baste with barbecue sauce the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove from grill; baste with barbecue sauce.

**Be sure to take precaution when cooking chicken and follow grill instructions according to heat distribution and cooking temperatures.

Until Then - Call It Sunrise

2009-03-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preface into the video. Until Then is a band out of Franklin, Indiana. Right now, they're preparing to go on tour. I've known these guys for sometime now, and it's really neat to see how far their band has come.

Initially, I saw them play a small venue up north, and now their on You-Tube.

Keep it up, guys.

Well here it is, 'Call It Sunrise' by Until Then

Blackberry Beer...Manly, like a warm bath

2009-03-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm a big fan of blackberry beer. As part of their Brewmaster's Collection, Samuel Adams has released a Blackberry Witbier. It's subtle, yet striking. You can smell hints of blackberry, but still get the crispiness found from the wheat.

Okay, so to all you homer's out there, I know it sounds girly. Like I should be sipping it in a champagne glass while I nibble on a fruit salad, well, you're wrong because this beer kick's Belgium Ale ass. That's right, I'll drink this beer with my steak and wrestling on TV. I'll drink it while I'm changing the blades on my lawnmower. Hell, I would drink this beer with my buddies watching extreme Monster Trucks at Lucas Oil Stadium.

FYI, in the recent, Beer Lover's Choice, a competition by SA that pits two of their brews against each other, 31,267 beer drinkers chose this brew over the more 'prissy' Coffee Stout. I can't verify this but I'm pretty sure Bobby Knight, Clint Eastwood, and Arnold were all among those that voted for the Witbier, and who wants to argue that they drink little 'girly' beers.

So with that out of the way, I'm gonna go grab a bottle and soak myself in a nice lavender infused bubble bath of EXTREME MANLINESS!!!

The Crab-Apple Tree --- A true story

2009-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last fall, when all the clearance plants were placed on the clearance pallet, my crab-apple tree was placed with the group. While he never looked the healthiest, Stacy and I came along and we thought we could plant him in the ground, make sure he was watered, and give him some delicious tree food, and he would liven up. Well, he was never that lucky.

First, the beetles struck. The ravaged his leafs. Leaving him bare. Exposed.

Then an early frost came. Freezing the clay soil. Making hard for his roots to spread. Turning his branches frail.

The winter snow came next. Covering his base.

By early January, Stacy and I had little hope that he would make it.

We made excuses. The area is bad for trees. The birds like that spot. The winter was just to harsh.

Personally, I had all but wrote the little crabapple tree off. Unlike my pear trees, which were purchase as healthy seedlings and giving the right attention to flourish, Mr Crababpple never had that opportunity.

But, to my surprise, a spring time inspection has discovered some blossoms. Mr Crab-Apple tree has made it through the winter, and will likely blossom late this summer.

In perspective, I feel bad that I counted him out. What a magnificent surprise.

I love spring.

Okay...so I'm a little excited

2009-03-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Heres the synopsis, courtesy of IMBD. In I Love You, Man, a comedy from John Hamburg (Along Came Polly, co-writer of Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers, Zoolander), Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd, Knocked Up The 40 Year Old Virgin) is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, (The Offices Rashida Jones), discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward man-dates, before meeting Sydney Fife (Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), a charming, opinionated man with whom he instantly bonds. But the closer the two men get, the more Peters relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between his fiancée and his new found bro, in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a friend.

And some awesome, posters.

I won tickets......yay

2009-03-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

Ha...

I'm finally a winner.

I won tickets to see 'I love you, man' with Paul Rudd, and I'm taking my bud, Matt Wade.

So yeah, it's a dude night.

And to all you haters, no, it is not a man-date. There will be no man datiness. Just beer and a movie.

Just some time spent with someone who 'gets me'.

Ahh.....hell.

Stacy's right, it's a man-date.

Damn.

Healthy and Fast...but where?

2009-03-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, fast food is usually equated with fatty foods, but a recent Yahoo article points to the healthiest restaurants to eat at. The top-three were Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Jamba Juice (who really eats at Jamba Juice, come on). But I wanna brag a little because Taco Bell came in fourth with a B+ rating.

If you want to eat healthy, stick to the Tacos and the Bean Burritos (as the article mentioned). Avoid the fried foods, the Taco Salads, and anything with layers. If you wanna add some ingredients add some fiesta, add some lettuce, even some tomatos and onions...is there really a need to add extra, extra nacho cheese and chili sauce to everything.

For the most healthy, use the fresco menu. That's gonna lower the fat content by taking away the milk ingredients and adding our fiesta salsa.

Check out the article for more information on Taco Bell and other restaurants.
America's Healthiest Fast Food Stops

Contest...pledge to help end world hunger.

2009-03-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday, everybody...this is just a quick note to let you know there's another cause-related, viral campaign going on right now...This time we have a chance to help drive a truckload of food to Indiana...Indiana is already in first place...the state with the most pledges earns a truckload of food for our local food banks. Thanks in advance!

Plain White T's - Write You a Song

2009-03-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

To Stacy,

Heard this today, and it made me think about you. Love ya.

This clip is courtesy of silkina777 and Youtube. The video features clips from the Notebook.

Free Movie Wednesday (Redbox Promotion)

2009-03-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anybody out-there besides me rents from Redbox, but they are now offering Free Movie Wednesday's for the month of March. Visit Redblog every Wednesday in March for your Free Movie Wednesday code. Then visit your local redbox kiosk for your FREE movie rental.

Wow...I've alway's wondered about the biz's heritage

2009-02-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

Papa Showbiz must have gotten around. Here's a picture of Wendy Tremayne (a blogger from Craftzine.com) and her dog.

Which looks incredibly similar to my 'mutt' Showbiz.

Now, don't get me wrong. Mutt's are mutts, but when we got her from the Johnson County Humane Society, they said that she was part chow-chow/part Sharpei. Her brothers were all black fluffy things.

I thing we got duped.

Oh, and if your into the whole craft thing, check out Wendy's blog here. Craftzine.com

Friday Foto Fiesta - Feb 20, 2009

2009-02-20T07:16:00.001-08:00

The Geisler's family vacation. Han's has the 'stache, Jess is in the overall's, Stacy is making sure Kyle doesn't run off. We won't even get into Kyle's haircut.

Boy, doesn't this look like a good time.

Don't forget to take a gander at Squirrel Chatter.
For more photo fun, check out Candid Carrie.

HAPPY 25th Birthday, Stacy Marie!!!

2009-02-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ain't it great to be alive...

(Some breakfast in bed for the birthday girl.)

When you just turned 25!!!!

Happy Birthday, Stacy.

Ha...okay so its not the superbowl

2009-02-11T15:13:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know. It's not the superbowl. And its not the NBA Finals. It's the Westminster Dog Show, and I found it quite entertaining. Especially the commercials.

With Uno taking up most of the PR, i'm happy that Stumps came away as champion. He beat out those prissy poodles and terriers.

Also, here's a picture of my favorite. Joi the long haired chihuahua.
Pictures courtesy of http://nachofoto.com/gallery/Westminster_Dog_Show-5

Dinner at Taste of Tango and Cerveza Quilmes Review

2009-01-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

So last night, Stacy and I took advantage of the Devour Downtown, Winterfest event, by enjoying an excellent dinner at Taste of Tango. For those of you who are not familiar with Taste of Tango, it is a restaurant which serves authentic Argentine cuisine. It specializes in Argentine cut steaks and great wines.

The meal was excellent and worth every penny. I'm not much of a food critic, so I'll leave that to the food bloggers, but what I really found interesting was the Argentine Beer, Quilmes.

It's a light lager. Drinkable, but not incredibly hoppy. Quilmes is definately a warm weather beer. My first thoughts were how similar Quilmes is to other light lagers such as Corona or El Sol. After a little research, I found out that originally brewed by the Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes in the Quilmes district of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1890 and is now part of InBev. It quickly became the pride of the South American nation, and sponsors national soccer team, even using the country's colors on its label. The brewery itself was opened in 1888 by German Otto Bemberg. The brewery produces other Quilmes brands, including Quilmes Bock and Quilmes Stout.

Unfortunatley, Taste of Tango doesn't carry the Bock or Stout, yet.

So I had some crazy dreams last night..

2009-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

Blame it on the TV show Lost. Blame it on the book, Superpowers, but whatever thoughts in my head last night spun themselves into some very interesting dreams.

Unfortunately, I don't remember a lot of the details, but they all came around the idea of going back into time and changing things. Consciously, I like to tell myself that I have no regrets, and honestly, I feel that I don't. Subconsciously, my mind was throwing out some twisters last night.

Most were set during my high-school years. I'd go back. Make some change, but it never worked out in the end. The changes always screwed things up when I flashed back to the present.

What would you change? Anything. Any opportunities missed? Any people you wanted, one more shot to impress or say goodbye?

Friday Photo Fiesta - Jan 30, 2009

2009-01-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do something a little different today. Here's a great story I just received as an email and I wanted to share. Enjoy.

THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the super market, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter.. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome. Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?"

Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening,

Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with. A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids. So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy at a grocery store in Cedar Falls Waterloo , IA and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

Don't forget to take a gander at Squirrel Chatter.
For more photo fun, check out Candid Carrie.

New Leinenkugel's Beer - The 1888 Bock

2009-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, after one hellacious week of winter, which included 9 to 12 inches of snow, slips, slides, spins, flat tires, shoveling, sneezing, mud and snowballs, I've decided to enjoy my two days off at home with a six pack of Leinenkugel's most recent brew.

But first, let me give you a little background into this new brew. The 1888 Bock is a brew that came out of one of the worst winters the United States has ever scene. Known in many regions as the "The Great White Hurricane", there were as many as 400 deaths reported during the blizzard on the East coast. During this time, the Leinenkugel family, which had been brewing beer for 21 years, released their first seasonal brew.

Based off the original recipe, Leinenkugel has released the 1888 bock. It does have a very hearty bock taste. This beer pours a clear copper with a tan head that disappears with big bubbles and no lacing. It smells of sweet malt, a bit of caramel, and a hint of nuttiness. It tastes like roasted malts and a bit of light bitters. The body is thin and heavily carbonated. It is simple and easy drinking with only the yeast flavor lingering in the finish.

Most of all, as I look out into the snow prairie that I call my backyard, this beer will warm you up on a cold, cold day.

Matt's take on the 1st annual Indiana Microbrewers' Winterfest

2009-01-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, after thinking about things, I've came to the conclusion that Winterfest wasn't that bad of an event. (If you would have ask me this Saturday night, I would likely have slugged you in the face.) It did have its flaws. It sold out, although, there was no mention of limited tickets. When we pulled into the fairgrounds and were told this, I thought I was out of luck and out 15 bucks. But after some pleading with at the ticket booth, I was able to get tickets for my friends. (I had purchased mine the evening before, but they had waited to buy them at the box office.)

Also, we were shocked to find the crowd at the event. The place was packed and most of more popular beers were out. (It was only 4 oclock when we arrived) Finally, my complaint was that the event was more of a Drunkfest and less of a tasting event.

Seven years ago, I would have thought this event was awesome. The event of ages. Magnificent. But like most things in my life at that time, it was more about QUANTITY and less about Quality. Beers such as Natural Ice, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Milwaukee Best, and Miller Highlife were deals. It was better to live in a cold concrete walled dorm room over a cush bedroom with blinds and curtains (not hung blankets). Pizza Hut lunch buffets ruled. The better bars had penny beer nights...and the best had Quarter pitchers.

But now, its more about taste. Take my DVD buying habits. In the last 2 years I've purchased about 5 new dvds. The 5 years prior to that saw my collection grow to a staggering 250 dvds, many of which were purchased out of 'Bin of Joy' at walmart. The same goes for beer.

And this leads me to my point...I didn't want to go to an all u can drink in 4 hour BeerFest, I wanted to go to a "Try some new craft beers while I tell you about them" tasting. As you can, imagine it was a little disappointing, but the little 'Qball' {my college nickname} in me was jumping for joy with a big smile on his face.

Finally, since the bitching is all out of the way, let me tell you about what I tried. Keep in mind, that there were a lot of better, more popular beers originally, but by the time I got to the event most were sold out.

From the Broad Ripple Brewpub, I had the Lawnmower Pale Ale. It was my favorite. Pale golden, thick head. Mildly malty aroma. Medium body, lots of sweet malt flavor with a sweet malty finish.

From the Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery, I tried the Winter Warmer. I originally wanted the Hazelnut Brown, but it was gone.

From the Lafayette Brewing Company, I tried the Marley's VSOP. (Very special Porter aged on Jack Daniels barrel wood.) This was my first taste, and it was probably the most intriguing taste. It was quite the porter, with a full thick taste, and an aroma with hints of vanilla. My buddy Nick, who's not much of the craft beer drinker, tried the Noel Belgian Dubbel. He didn't like it, buy hey, at least he tried it.

From New Albanian Brewing, I tasted the Beak's Best. I thought it had a great bronze color with a thin white head and little lace. The aroma that of carmel and biscuit malt with a hint of coffee. The initial taste was a complex mix of sweet malt, coffee, carmel and hops, all bursting through at the same time. A nice alcohol taste and hop bitterness came through in the middle, and finished with a tart alcohol taste at the end. A little heavy to have more than two in a sitting, but a great beer overall.

And that's it. I did have a couple tastes of a brew from the RAM. Initially, I thought it was the Big Red IPA, but after my second glass, they referred to it as the ALT beer and I'm not sure what that meant. It wasn't bad.

Well, I'll still probably do it next year, but with more of an idea as what to expect.

Snow.....................sucks!

2009-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

What I Hate about Winter by Douglas Florian

Frozen toes,
Runny nose.
Sloppy slush,
Holiday crush,
15 below,
Shoveling snow,
Leafless trees,
Cough and sneeze,
Shorter day,
Less time to play,
Salt-spreading tractors,
Windchill factors,
No place to go -
Winter is slow.

I just came across this poem by Mr. Florian, and it made me think of how much I hate this stuff. I know a lot of people talk about the fluff, and the gleam...but its the damn heat and humidity (or lack thereof) that kill me. Today, all day, it has been snowing and/or icing. It's a great day to be a restauranteur. I bet I shoveled the walkways, salted, and mopped at least 100 times. On top of that, I had to consistently monitor my labor, adjust my sales forecasts, and figure out how I could get by when 1 of 7 call offs occured. On top of that, I almost slid through an interesection into oncoming traffic. (Thank god for guardian angels with quick reactions). And to my utmost satisfaction, weather.com is telling me I get to do it all again tomorrow. Thank you doppler radar. Thank you, Mr. Chuck Lofton. My your toes freeze and you car heaters fail...

And so it begins...Matt-a-pa-looza

2009-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Yeah,

So I had the opportunity to get today off (my first Saturday in about a month and a half), and when you include Sunday and Monday, I have a cute little holiday that I'm calling Matt-a-pa-looza. I was already granted permission from the missus, so let it begin.

Up first....crazy insane workout time. Yeah, I'm planning on blasting my body. How am I ever gonna get Arnold-esque if I don't. Oh yeah, and I'm dragging Stacy with me. She out to get a kick out of me trying to lift with all the Muscle Stumps at the gym.

And then, the main event for today, the Indiana Microbrewers Winterfest. In layman's terms, it is a beer festival, but in my terms, It's magnificence in a glass. It's a collection of brewers throughout Indiana providing sampling for the public. I've got my ticket.

Tonight, I'll probably help the missus pick up the house and maybe beat her at Scrabble again. I have a championship to uphold.

More later.....

Yeah...so I'm "That Guy" at the supermarket...

2009-01-18T10:00:00.001-08:00

Stacy and I typically do are shopping during the week or in the evenings to avoid the Weekend Shopper Rush, but yesterday, with nothing much to do, we decided to venture out to the local Meijer for some good grocery shopping experience. Well, it was pretty much the trip from HELL.

First, it seemed like everything on our list was sold out, not stocked, or being strategically blocked by a cart full of food with apparently no shopper to push it out of the way. Finally, after seemingly hours, we completed the list and heading for the checkout.

This is where things really get good. Becuase I feel bad for the Polar Bears and the Dodo Birds, I like to bring my own bags and bag my food. Well today, with 30 people in line behind us, I'm bagging as fast as I can. Apparently, we had Danica Patrick as our cashier becuase she was flinging food at me faster than a I could bag. I usually try to be all neat and tidy and organize, but at this point, I was just grabbing and stuffing.

Of course, with only like two items to go. I miss the bag. And it was with the jar of Garlic Alfreado Sauce. Yep, basically, I picked up and dropped it straight on to the tile floor. No clink. No bounce. Just SPLAT! Glass, alfredo, and garlic goodness everywhere. And since, it had already been rang up. I sent Stacy to get another one. So we waited. And Danica called for assistance. And called again. Finally, 13 people show up with signs, and mops. And I think one was even driving a zamboni cart of somesort.

So yes, I am that guy at the grocery store. If you were behind me, glaring and snarling, I hate you and I hope you got charged twice.

Playing Stacy In Scrabble

2009-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

This is what it feels like when you play Stacy in Scrabble. (Shaq would represent her in the video)

Scientists are close to perfecting cloak of invisibility. Huh?

2009-01-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

According to an AP article, scientists are getting close to perfecting a method to create 3d objects invisible. To these brilliant scientists, you should come to my house when my wife is mad (especially if its becuase of something dumb that I did.) I can disappear like no-other. You can look around, and traces of me are still present. Underwear on the floor. Incorrectly opened box of oreos. Cereal box left wide open on the counter. But to the untrained eye, I've disappeared into the background.

***Poof***

I'm in the garage.

***Poof***

I'm upstairs reading.

If she can't catch me...I can't get in trouble, right?

Matthew's Super Evil Summer Vacation Plan (to take over the world, Muahahaha)

2009-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Find innocent couple with summer plans to stay at a complimentary condominium in Ft. Myers.

Step 2: Train wife in ways of the Jedi, and use Jedi mind powers to befriend unsuspecting couple.

Step 3: Convince friends that I am a necessity on any summer vacation. Accept invitation to stay at Condo.

Step 4: Find an unsuspecting Travel Agent (preferably a Family Member) who is willing to search through thousands of flights to find the lowest priced, best flight.

Step 5: Offer travel agent payment in knitted scarves and sewn hand warmers left over from Christmas. (If travel agent refuses payment, kidnap travel agents pugs and hold for ransom.)

Step 6: Enjoy beach.

It's fool proof. Muahahahaha!

Couple Jailed over Bank error

2009-01-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

So I heard on the news, that a Pennsylvania couple has been put in jail after they failed to inform the bank that $175,000 had appeared in their account. Instead of letting the bank know about the error, Randy and Melissa Pratt, withdrew the money, quit their jobs, and moved to Florida. They were in the process of buying a house in Orlando when authorities caught up with them.

So, here's the scenarios. Your sipping you latte, reading Yahoo News headlines, when you decide to check your account. Typpity..typpity.. you enter your password and there it is. In all its wonder. A miraculous, gift of $175,000 from your bank.

What do you do? Do you spend it? That didn't seem to work out to well for the Pratt's. Do you call the bank? "Uh, yeah, ummm, I think there's been a typo." That'd be an awkward conversation.

Maybe you just let it set in there so you can bank all those bonus points on your account. Woohoo!!!! Free airline tickets (subject to blackout dates) to Bismark.

I heard its nice there this time of year. ;)

The Unhealthiest Value Menu Items

2009-01-15T13:28:00.001-08:00

Okay, it's been awhile since I've done a TB post. But today I came across Jessica Ashley's article on Yahoo, Lifestyles. In 'The worst of the cheap.", Ashley points out 5 fast food items that are considered very unhealthy, and TB makes the list with their surprisingly cheap (and delicious), Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. In the article, Ashley states, "The Cancer Project, a nonprofit cancer prevention organization that is linked with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, is concerned that these economic times are not just driving people to eat more fast food, but to regularly consume meals full of unhealthy ingredients. Dollar meals, they say, might not be such a good value once the health implications are factored in. Their biggest issues for low-cost fast food? All the processed meat, salt, cholesterol and fat wrapped into each meal."

***my opinion starts here***

The big issue is that people don't necessarily consider healthier items when eating cheap. TB offers several fresco options, which are a lot of healthier and taste great. In my opinion, as consumers we need to be more aware of what we put into our body, which is why TB is taking a strong initiative and listing calories along side the items on the menu board. Soon we can make a more informed (and healthy decision) when we our order from 10 taco salads and 37 cheesy double beef burritos (which seems to occur every saturday night around 2 am), to maybe a couple fresco tacos and a water.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the Cinnamon Twists!

Anyways, here's a link to the article by Ashley and some additional information on TB initiatives.

The worst of the cheap. By Jessica Ashley

Taco Bell putting health info on menu board.

Fresco Menu

Workout Day 1

2009-01-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

Finally, its time to start. My new workout program is just deemed 'The Creation'. It's gonna transform me from David Banner into the Hulk....okay that's pushing it. But the goal is to at least stop the back pain, I feel like I'm fifty.

Here's a little funny to sharpen everyone's instincts.

Stats: Weight: 155

BMI: 24.3

New Quasebarth Family Scrabble Champion Crowned

2009-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a night of Scrabble history. It was the traditional David v Goliath matchup. The heavily favored Scrabble professional saw her 2009 undefeated dreams dashed when the young up-and coming word pro, inked out an upset for the ages. Coming into the match-up, Matt Q. had not had a championship caliber performance in weeks. In fact, his last match-up, resulted in a 337-271 drubbing to the hands of the former champ.

But, as all good stories go, Matt's luck was about to change. Leading off the game, he struck first with a 66 pt bingo, by playing the word 'Actions'. This knocked the champ of her rocker. Stacy struggled back with several multi point plays, including a season high 76 point bingo play with the double word play of Steamers and Jogs, but even this effort was unable to gain any ground. Matt steadily gained on each play, building an incredible 40 point lead.

In the end, even after the former-champs herculean effort, Matt prevailed 340 to 297. The new champion averaged nearly 20 points per play with an average wordsize of nearly 4 tiles per play. Weeks ago, Matt Q was known only as a restaurant manager from Middle of Nowwhere, Indiana, but today, he holds the crowning achievement of a lifetime.

Yah...I cry...but it's man tears and they're tougher than regular tears

2009-01-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so I cried like a little girl who lost her doll this weekend. Movies, books, sporting events can do this to me. Especially, when I turn to my wife, and she's bawling, it's tough to hold back. But like any man, my manly tears are different. They're not dainty little salt drops...these are tidal waves of force. I like to compare my tears to small little ninjas jumping out of my eyes ready to kick some ass. Think Steven Segal in Out for Justice (Video is a little graphic) but times 100.

Usually, the moment goes like this. Extremely dramatic moment, such as the ending of the Notebook or Marley & Me, occurs. I fidget a little. Sometimes I put my hat on. Take my had off. I can feel the ninjas forming in my body.

Deep breath.

By this time, (which is happen within seconds) the full cavalry of ninjas has formed. I usually try to hold back, talk some sense into the hoard of Samurai's. I'll say, "Okay, men, listen up. Guys don't cry. Even if this movie makes me think of how wonderful my life is and how blessed I am...Guys don't cry."

The talk doesn't work. I feel the charge. My mind rushes to panic mode...usually trying all tactics with a hope of holding back the fierce gang of sword wielding ninjas. A cough.

Doesn't work.

The movie gets sadder.

By now, I peek at the wife. Tears streaming down her eyes..."You can't let this happen, you ninny!" says my man aura.

A quick laugh...usually very inappropriate for the scene, but I can't hold back.

That means the gates are opening...

Tears.

Sniffles.

Stacy shares her Kleenex and I do a quick look around the room to make sure nobody is pointing an laughing at the silly crying man.

Additional Information:
What made me cry? It was the new movie "Marley & Me" check it out: Marley and Me website
Painting - Crying Man by Kazuya Akimoto. Check out additional work here: Additional Works

Crazy Cousins

2009-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

So last year, I was introduced to a distant relative. At first, he was entertaining. He bought my book, asked a lot of questions about my grandpa, and was generally a good guy. Then came facebook, and before I knew it, my facebook page was getting blown up with crazy political anti-war articles, extreme leftist literature, and everything else that I just don't care to read.

I mean, its cool to be involved. Thumbs up to those who oppose repression and too much government, but come on, leave us alone that don't wanna play that game. So anyways, I befriended my relative, we'll call him Big E for the story, and it weighed on my mind. Last night, I was snared in quite a few dreams that left me sweating. First, the CIA had abducted me and was interrogating me about Big E. The had me shackled down and were doing the whole 'good cop'/'bad cop' bit. I woke up just as they started to set me up for some good ol' fashioned waterboarding.

Eventually, I was able to drift back to sleep, and again, Big E, snuck into my unconsciousness. This time, I was a super-hero. I had some sort of spider-man/batman powers. That's the funny thing about dreams, you never get all the details you want (ie what super powers u have), instead, you get the details that freak you out a little. In the dream, Big E (who was also a semi-superhero) had decided to use his abilities to take over the government. The President was in danger, and I was the only one with a chance at saving him. The kicker was two-fold, first, Big E's power of manipulation were stronger than mine, and second, he's family and it's tough to fight family in the world of science fiction. Either way, I woke up before I saved the world, but nothing was on the news today about a crazy semi-superhero taking the president captive, so I'm guessing that I'm good for now.

This all came back to me during my morning shower, so I'm gonna make some assumptions, but it probably played out like this: I arrive in my superhero outfit (tight flame resistant spy suit with bullet proof vest, black as night) at Big E's super lab somewhere on the West Coast. As I 'Austin Powers' my way through Big E's cronies using some judo chops, and cool technology like a sonic blast gun, I finally arrive in time. The president, who at this time is a hot blond that looks surprising like my wife, is strapped to a missile aimed for Oceana County, Michigan, the Asparagus capital of the world. As Big E sees me, he uses his mental manipulation trap, to freeze my senses and render me useless. What he doesn't know, is that I drank a six-pack of Dundee Honey Brown before I entered the lab, and (Like all men who drink a few) have rendered my senses virtually useless anyways. As a flabbergasted Big E, stares on, I use a quick roundhouse kick to bring down the bad guy. With Big E no longer a threat, I turn my attention to the president, who has miraculously changed out of a formal suit coat and pants and into a lacy french maid outfit complete with feather duster and shop vac (hehe, we won't say what that's used for). With quick use of my supercharged Black and Decker powerdrill, I spring her from instant death and de-program the missile using my mental HTML powers with only 1 second remaining.

As I return back to my midwestern home with the very sexy, sexy president in tow, the Governor of Michigan, who looks surprisingly like my best friend Q, greets me with the key to the state for saving all of the worlds asparagus. Just as I think the world is saved, little do I know another distant relative is planning to conquer the world. O, otherwise known as Swedish Polyester, is developing his squad of goons with a plan to imprison all of hollywood.

Until next time....

Utah National Champions....I'm not so sure but Bill is!

2009-01-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

A rant from my friend Bill...

"I consider Utah the National Champions. They are the only undefeated team in college football in 2008. But it is not just that fact. I know, I know, I know, since the crappy BCS started there have been other teams that have finished undefeated and didn't win the title. Utah did it just 4 years ago or so themselves. But this time Utah beat one of the elite teams in a bowl game, and it wasn't a squeaker. The only reason that Alabama isn't/wasn't considered one of the 3, 4 or 5 teams that should have the right to play in the BSC title game is that their "one loss" came at the end of the season instead or earlier like the other "one loss" teams. I will never understand why an undefeated team whose only loss comes at the end of the season should automatically drop below a bunch of other "one loss" teams that are directly behind them in the standings.

But, regardless, they are ALL "one loss" teams now...Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Alabama, etc. (Texas Tech lost their bowl game). I realize that USC tromped Penn Sate and showed their worth, but they still have that one loss. And regardless of which two teams ended up in the title game, the winner would still have that one loss. Add to that the fact that Boise State lost their bowl game to end their hopes of going undefeated, we have a clear cut National Champion.

This is just my opinion. Please understand that I don't always think that the fact of simply being the ONLY undefeated team is automatically good enough to be declared as National Champons. But this time I think it is based upon the above."

Floundering for posts....

2009-01-03T08:12:00.001-08:00

So I've been stuck in a box to start 2009, not literally, but creatively. I'm just floundering a little on ideas for this blog. I've thought about following the improvement plan for TB, but I just don't think that would be that interesting. We've started teaching the pups manners, and that's been kind of fun, but does anybody want to read about a stubborn chihuahua learning to be polite? Then I could do something more professional, maybe a top ten business post for the blog (something like Lifehack does).

I just don't know. So I'll just stall a little longer, this is what happens when you use all of your creative juices in the month of December.

Friday Foto Fiesta 1-2-09

2009-01-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture from our recent adventures at Conseco Fieldhouse with our friends Tim & Jessie. We were in the nose-bleed seats, but it sure made for some fun photos.

Don't forget to take a gander at Squirrel Chatter.
For more photo fun, check out Candid Carrie.

2008 was great, but it's time to shine in 2009!

2008-12-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

Last year, when I composed my New Year post, it was pretty cold. Looking back I listed the temperature at 32 degrees, well, fittingly, this year it's 42 degrees, but feels like its 34.

I don't know what sort of reflections to note. Maybe its the weather, or the restaurant, or all the other stuff, but I just don't feel like I want to say much.

Last year I made a few resolutions. I wrote:
1. Find my calling. In 2008, I'm going to find a career which I am passionate about.(About a month later, I joined Taco Bell.)
2. Run. The goal is to participate in 3 5k's throughout the year with the first in March.(I started strong, but was unable to run any 5 k's, and slowly stopped running, although I lost about 30lbs and have kept it off)
3. Energize my faith. Finally, I have found a home and now I am going to re-charge my faith by renewing my faith. (This was a little easier. I've been attending Friendship baptist Church, and enjoy the services when I can make them.)

So as they say, two out of three ain't bad. Also, I made some predictions.

2008 Predictions:
1. Batman becomes the top grossing film in 2008.(This was right on. Christian Bale faced off against Heath Ledger for the highly-anticipated, action-packed follow-up to 2005's "Batman Begins," conquering the box office with not only the biggest movie of the year, but also the second highest-grossing movie of all time -- behind "Titanic" -- sending the Joker laughing all the way to the bank. Total Gross: $530,750,228)
2. Edwards wins the Democratic Nomination and eventually the Presidency.(Maybe not so much on this prediction)
3. The New York Mets win the World Series.(Not even close)

So here's to 2009 and my new resolutions.

I would like to become more involved in the community. Maybe I'll join a Networking organization, or volunteer in the community, I might even begin substituting at the local highschools on my days off.
I am going to recommit to my resolution to run. As a goal, I would like to run at least 3 5k's in 2009.
Finally, I want to make a commitment to regularly attend church services at Friendship Baptist, even if that means, getting up at 9 am on a Sunday after closing the restaurant the night before.

As far as predictions go, I'm just not feeling that frisky right now. Maybe that will be a post later.

Here's a picture that reminds me of 2008 and the year that was.

Finding Peyton and Losing with the Pacers

2008-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well, thanks to Tim and Jessie for being such good friends and snagging some discounted tickets to the Pacers/Hornets game. It was quite a 'splediforous' evening. From grubbing on some eggplant and mu-shu, to finding Peyton Manning on the streets, to getting snubbed by Verizon, it was a great night.

But let me start from the beginning, our friends Tim & Jessie invited us to join them for a Pacers game. To make an evening out of things, we all decided to do dinner at PF Changs. Of course, Stacy & I shared a platter of our favorite, Honey Chicken. Tim decided to go out on a limb, and got the Pork Mu-Shu, while, Jessie grabbed some eggplant. Since the portionings at the restuarant were huge, both Tim and Jessie shared a little with me. Loved the mu-shu, and the eggplant was good, but you probably won't see me ordering it again. For drinks, we sipped on some Kirin Ichiban and a Bistro Ginger beer. I'm not sure Tim enjoyed his Ichiban, but its still worth a recommendation.

After dinner, Stacy got us lost in the mall. After cutting through Harry & Izzies (a rather upscale restaurant) we were able to exscape the death trap called Circle Center Mall. As we meandered our way to Conseco Fieldhouse, we entertained each other with a conversation about the philosophy behind the one-boobed female character in Wii bowling. If you've ever played the game you have probably noticed that the female characters are far from anatomically correct. On top of that, the prestigous Downtown Hooters sign was missing a lighted S, so it just spelled H-O-O-T-E-R, which I found fitting.

Now what I am about to tell you is true. He we are walking toward Conseco when we are passed by none other than Peyton 'MVP' Manning. He was wearing a long leather coat and was carrying on a gentle conversation with his companions. At this point, my mouth flew open. I was two feet from arguably the greatest QB in the history of professional football. And no, I didn't ask for his autograph, I didn't interrupt his conversation, or loudly yell "Go Colts", I played it cool. I thought about grabbing the camera, but it was burried deep in my pocket, and I didn't want to seem like a freak digging to get it.

Now on to the game, the Pacers lost. It happens. They played hard, and I was able to chatter on endless sports trivia to Stacy (which I don't think she appreciates as much as she should, these are nuggets of gold.) But it was a good game, the Pacers held the lead most of the way, only to lose in the last 2 minutes. They had Blue Moon on tap. And most of all, I was able to find some Ice cream for Stacy to munch on.

All in all, it wasn't a bad evening.

All right...one more funny.

2008-12-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Since today's Sunday, I thought that this would be a good one to brighten everybody's day. It's a classic. I first remembered hearing this joke in middle school. Enjoy!!

Moses, Jesus, and another guy were out playing golf one day. Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. It landed in the fairway but rolled directly toward a water trap. Quickly Moses raised his club, the water parted and it rolled to the other side safe and sound.

Next, Jesus strolls up to the tee and hits a nice long one directly toward the same water trap. It landed directly in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped it up onto the green.

The third guy gets up and sort of randomly whacks the ball. It heads out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounces off a truck and hits a nearby tree. From there, it bounces onto the roof of a nearby shack and rolls down into the gutter, down the downspout, out onto the fairway and right toward the aforementioned pond.

On the way to the pond, it hits a little stone and bounces out over the water and onto a lily pad where it rested quietly. Suddenly, a very large bullfrog jumped up on the lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth.

Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball which bounced right into the hole for a beautiful hole in one.

Moses then turned to Jesus and said, "I hate playing with your Dad."

Just for laughs....

2008-12-28T10:26:00.001-08:00

Here's a little joke that I was just sent in my email. I got a little kick out of it.

Two married buddies are out drinking one night when one turns to the other and says, "You know, I don't know what else to do. Whenever I go home after we've been out drinking, I turn the headlights off before I get to the driveway. I shut off the engine and coast into the garage. I take my shoes off before I go into the house, I sneak up the stairs, I get undressed in the bathroom. I ease into bed and my wife STILL wakes up and yells at me for staying out so late!"

His buddy looks at him and says, "Well, you're obviously taking the wrong approach. I screech into the driveway, slam the door, storm up the steps, throw my shoes into the closet, jump into bed, rub my hands on my wife's butt and say, 'Lets do it!'

....and she's always sound asleep.

Dundee Variety Pack Review

2008-12-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here's another quick review...since I haven't done a decent beer review in forever.

Dundee Brewing Company is a craft brewing company from Rochester, New York, and one of two famous product lines from the High Falls Brewing Company. They like to brand themselves as the unique and individualistic brewing. Currently, they carry six standard brews, and a seasonal brew. In most variety packs, you get the standard six: Wheat Beer, Honey Brown, Pale Bock Lager, India Pale Ale, Pale Ale, and a Porter. The seasonal brew is typically purchased separately.

Before any tasting, what really stood out was the originality of the artwork on the label. I tried to research the artist behind the pictures, but at the time of the review, I was unable find any information on the pictures. The second thing I noticed is the special labels each brew got. Additionally, these 'taglines' are emphasized when you visit the Dundee website and click on the Ale/Lager description.

Here's a few (found on the bottle and on the website):
Honey Brown: Be different. We’re not saying that you have multiple personalities. Or voices in your head. At Dundee Brewing Company, we understand that one day you feel one way and the next you feel a little different.When you’re in the mood for something different, Dundee Honey Brown is the perfect choice. It’s different because we add pure clover honey to an outstanding lager to make a uniquely drinkable beer. Sure, honey isn’t your ordinary ingredient in beer. But if you want ordinary, you’ve come to the wrong place. [Label features a drum playing bee]

Pale Bock Lager: Be optimistic. Certain things seem interminable. The line at the DMV. The commencement address. Winter. But take heart. Even the longest, darkest winter gives way to spring and a new sense of optimism that the best is just ahead. That thought—and an itchy wool robe—sustained the monks through times of fasting. Their reward? A bock beer with the power to rejuvenate the body and the soul. That, and the opportunity to exchange the wool robe for a nice burlap one. So when you’re stuck in the middle of that seemingly endless glass of mediocre beer, be optimistic. A Dundee Pale Bock awaits.

And my favorite label, the Pale Ale: Be Hoppy. Behold the hop. A flower, but too unsightly to be used for decoration. The ugly duckling of the flower family. Oh, but the secret it holds. Soak it in some water with the right companions and it surrenders its bouquet to use a corny flower metaphor. That unique hop flavor is the difference between a fine pale ale and more ordinary beers. Dundee Pale Ale understands the secret of the hop flower—the power to turn an ordinary beer into something extraordinary. And the power to make you indescribably hoppy. [The label features a cool looking Mr. Toad with an eyeglass and mug of beer]

Now on to the taste. Each brew was undeniably drinkable. The IPA was bitter, but on to the point of repulsion, and the Porter had a very robust taste. The Wheat Beer is an American style hefeweizen. It pours a cloudy copper-gold with a solid, foamy white head with above average retention, but this beer just lacks the typical glow of a wheat beer.

My favorite of the pack was the Honey Brown. Taste is very sweet, supports the texture but not as intense, very mild, with a creaminess in the back that is very inoffensive, lots of malt with little if any hop bitterness to speak of. The taste does not support the great texture of the beer. Overall, its a good beer, but falls short on the oomph factor.

Additional information for those beerfomatics out there:

Dundee News
High Falls Brewery Information
Beer Advocate

Blinds, Curtains, and Bears, oh' my!!

2008-12-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ahh, more Yule toys to enjoy. With a little free time, and a little Christmas money, we decided to finally get 'real' blinds for our bedroom and the rest of our house. After about 4 hours of work (I'm not to handy at this stuff), we were able to have a cool new bedroom. Lovin' the darkness...

Cool Yule Toys

2008-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Love was spread, friendship was cherished, and now it's time for my inner-pirate to escape and take count of my bounty. One cool new toy is my 22 piece, stainless steel, knife set. It has hollow handles with a nice comfortable grip. Most of all, I like the stainless steel part. Stainless steel handles are the most durable of all handles, as well as the most sanitary. Many argue, however, that they are very slippery in the hand, especially when wet. To counter this, my Cooks set uses a curved design to increase usability and safety. Also, the high-carbon blades will not discolor and maintain sharper edges. Overall, this set is a very high-quality set and very eye appealing.

It includes: 8" chefs knife, 10" chefs knife, 8" slicer, 6" sandwich, 3.25" parer, 3.5" parer, 6" carving fork, kitchen shears, 9" bread knife, 6" boning, 4.5" utility, 5" utility, 8 steak knifes, 8" sharpner (honing blade). It will likely become my kitchen 'Pride and Joy'.

Flank steaks, here I come.