Random Memorial for Monday 5/6/13

Gone but not forgotten:  the small size of the "Chicago Mix" at the local popcorn store.

[For those of you not in the know, "Chicago Mix" is what they call it when they mix cheddar cheese popcorn and caramel corn in the same serving.]

I walked in and looked up at the sign and, although all the other flavors had prices in the column for a small serving, Chicago Mix did not.  So I was forced to buy the medium size.  (Admittedly, "forced" may be too strong a word, as I will say that I kind of did it willingly.)

When I asked why it wasn't an offering, the guy behind the counter said, "our customers wouldn't want to get something this good in so small a size".  Now, normally when someone tells me no, I get a hankering to do it anyway.  [Luckily for me, genetically, my nose is rather large -- so it can handle all of the face-spiting I've been known to do.]

Thanks to that response that I decided was pretty darn clever, small size of tasty popcorn, you will not be missed.

THE BEST OLD FASHIONED POPCORN (SO THEY SAY):
http://www.wellsstreetpopcorn.com/

A "HISTORY" OF HOW THE CHICAGO MIX CAME INTO BEING:
http://soursaltybittersweet.com/content/chicago-mix-popcorn

A "HISTORY" OF CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/106875.html

Amazing Race Aside S22E10

What with the finale tonight, I had to squeeze this episode in and take it off the DVR and get this posted before the Hockey Boys take it all in a few hours (well that's my prediction anyway ...).  So although I'd rather they'd have spent an extra episode in Berlin, here's my Amazing Race Aside for last week's Scottish leg of the race ...

PITHIEST COMMENT OF THE NIGHT:  "Blow and blow and blow."  That whole bagpipe challenge gave me new respect for LVC's Dr. Scott, the lone bagpiper who appeared often on campus.

HOW DID THEY DO THAT?  BEHIND-THE-SCENES-REQUEST:  So producers, what was that $1.00 for on this part of the race?  Were they supposed to tip the haggis poet (by the way -- I thought he might have just been an interested local the way he first popped up on the scene to offer his ode to the treat).

IMAGE I WON'T SOON FORGET:  Oh those Scottish castles.  I want one.  Maybe the second one -- which seemed ready to move into.  Oh, and I only want one if the weather is warm, as a chimney in every corner makes me think it gets pretty pretty cold in there in the winter.

LET ME JUST SAY THIS:  What with all that which-plane-is-first drama, this episode seemed brought to you by the gospel's "the first shall be last and the last shall be first".

[make your own haggis with this "authentic" recipe:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/haggis_66072]

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 5/5/13

What Chicago is talking about this week:

Sure, there are the playoffs (NHL and NBA, to check off as many boxes for demographic groups as possible) and/or Cinco de Mayo festivities, but let's take a moment to pause and join in with those honoring   Chicago's fallen police officers this weekend.

Yesterday was the Run to Remember, and today was the St. Jude Police Memorial March.  And, according to the news, thousands participated on what ended up being a beautiful spring day on the city's lakeshore.

So on this day, we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and those who accepted a life-ending mission to protect the community whilst upholding the greater good  -- our city's fallen heroes.  (Besides -- the playoffs continue all week long -- well -- hopefully.)

READ THEIR STORIES HERE:
http://www.cpdmemorial.org/fallen-heroes/

YESTERDAY'S RUN TO REMEMBER:
http://runtoremember2013.eventbrite.com/

TODAY'S MEMORIAL MARCH:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9090915

Random Soapbox for Saturday 5/4/13

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... testicles (shake fist violently in the air).  Am I right, guys?

Look -- I understand the role that they play biologically, but shouldn't something that sensitive occupy a safer place in the body?  [Of course, if that were the case, that would cause a good percentage of youtube/funniest home videos classics to disappear.]

It's just that I have had too many a good nap ruined by "rutching" around the wrong way, only to have those delicate pieces twist the wrong way  ("rutching" -- that's my PA Dutch-adjacent upbringing coming out -- and, being an onomonopiac word better said out loud than spelled, I'm not surprised to have found multiple ways to spell it on the interwebs).

I'm not that upset that I'm going to go get eunuch-ized, but sheesh ... they sure could cooperate a little bit more than they do!

RUTCHING, RUTSCHING, ROOTSHING -- PLUS MORE FUN PA DUTCH WORDS:
http://voices.yahoo.com/pennsylvania-dutch-words-phrases-4999796.html

PROVING, YET AGAIN, THAT YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING ON THE INTERWEBS:
http://listverse.com/2012/11/09/top-10-famous-eunuchs/

AS A COUNTER TO MY POST ... SOME SERIOUS TESTICLE TALK:
http://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information/testicular-cancer/how-to-check-your-testicles

Random Flashback for Friday 5/3/13

It is almost summer (as two 85+ days in Chicago this past week helped me realize) ...

... so I choose to celebrate that fact over Friday Flashbacks throughout the month of May with pictures of the Boys of Summer circa 1993:  the Uniontown edition.

For perspective, that year twenty years ago, represented my final months in Uniontown, having interrupted my undergrad studies at LVC and headed there for an 18 month "theatre internship" that included all kinds of things in addition to acting -- such as waiting tables at the Cherry Tree Cafe (because, after all, aren't most actors primarily in that kind of work instead?).  And that's where I met these fine folks who added me to their senior class festivities (remember, I was a late bloomer -- so being newly 21 and being adopted into a high school group wasn't so much of a disconnect).

This picture, which appears to be a "selfie"  taken long before "selfies" were the norm (are photos with three people still called "selfies"?), was clearly taken after one of us said smile, although we each appeared to interpret that command in different ways.  (And look, there's my wonky eye on display -- this being a few months after the only talent agent I've ever had advised me to do eye exercises to fix my "problem".)

I feel like I've said this before ... but oh to be young again ...

Random Thought for Thursday 5/2/13

I kind of miss my Indiana family -- it seems like forever since we've been together.

As a matter of fact, the last time was six weeks ago when half of them made it to Chicago and we cracked open a Yahtzee game that hadn't been played for almost twenty years.

And let me tell you -- this group plays Yahtzee like we were at a group orgy (although, I guess all orgies, by definition, are "group" events).  To whit -- everyone was shouting out every one's names every so often, no one could keep their hands off of my "dice" and all involved seemed to have definitely strong opinions about what goes where and they weren't afraid to say it (as it relates to filling in the scorecard, of course)!

So long as cooler heads prevail, we should be able to reconnect next weekend.  Here's hoping that trip comes to fruition!

YAHTZEE STRATEGY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT:
http://www.math.cornell.edu/~mec/2006-2007/Probability/Yahtzee.htm

NOT YOUR MOMMA'S YAHTZEE GAMES:
http://www.hasbro.com/games/en_US/yahtzee/

I MIGHT HAVE TO PURCHASE THESE FOR THE YAHTZEE SET:
http://www.rpgshop.com/d-and-d-dice-and-bags/specialty-dice/novelty-dice/16mm-dont-touch-my-dice-die-1.html

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 5/1/13

(Literally) Riding Shotgun.

Used in a sentence:  "After spending my whole life yelling 'shotgun!' when approaching a car with friends, one of whom was most definitely driving, it took a History channel special to forcibly connect the dots that the phrase originated from the days of the stagecoach, when someone needed to quite literally be riding shotgun."

Of course, some folks take the concept too far -- as in the miscreants ridin' dirty in the 'hood with illegal firearms OR thug-apprentices trying to mug pit-bull-dog-walkers next to the governor's mansion back in Harrisburg (I feel like I've told that story before, but yet I couldn't locate it when searching keywords on the blog, so maybe I'll have to file that for another day -- suffice it to say that the story had a "happy" ending as no one was shot [thanks to one way streets and some fast running] and that the perpetrators were caught [thanks to pulling Demon the pit bull back behind the car so he wouldn't jump in the window, allowing me to get the license plate number in the process]).

NOTE:  I have not yet found the historical connection between the days of stagecoach and the rapid consumption of beer through a punctured hole in the side (nor the communal sharing of the wacky weed) -- but I would posit that riding shotgun was a stressful job, leading to these characters committing these acts ... just a theory ... still waiting on the History channel special about that type of shotgunning ...

PERHAPS A CORRECTION -- THE PHRASE CAME FROM FICTION ABOUT THE TIME:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2158/whats-the-origin-of-riding-shotgun

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOTGUNNING A BEER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXp_z0FjL1o

CO & WA READERS ONLY-STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOTGUNNING WEED:
http://www.420magazine.com/forums/general-420-talk/76657-shotgunning-joint.html