Anybody know what a gaucho is?

What better time than Spring Break than for me to once again to re-enter the Blogosphere as a credible, reliable web journalist?

So, as I type here from Sea Colony in Bethany Beach, DE, it is my hope to get back into the swing of things.

Here goes nothing:

I must say that I am quite jealous of the school systems that still have a Break of at least five school days. It would be splendid to be able to enjoy the warm weather, watch an endless amount of baseball, and take in The Masters on TV, not in-person), but it is not to be.

That being said, Frederick County says goodbye to students on June 11 … other systems head into the third week of June. I suppose I can rub it in then.

Speaking of baseball, your fearless blogger spent a weekend in Tampa, FL taking in Spring Training (not to mention NCAA basketball on big TVs, and a Capitals-Lightning hockey game). I met a college friend for festivities that commenced on Thursday evening - we were seated at our table and eating Buffalo wings in time for the Ohio-Georgetown tip-off. That upset was the beginning of a compelling evening of game viewing, pub fare, and cold beverages.

Friday kicked off in style - at the Waffle House. Our scattered and covered adventure next took us to Kissimmee, FL for a Grapefruit League contest between the Astros and Blue Jays. Not even the poor quality of the baseball or the sleepy state of the crowd could take away from the experience of watching baseball from the sunny bleachers.

Saturday would be a double feature - Orioles / Pirates from Sarasota, followed by Alex Ovechkin's return from suspension for the Washington Capitals. As the official were dropping the puck for that game, Northern Iowa was completing its upset win over Kansas. The arena in-house TV people were wise to show the game on the screens around the concourse.

You are probably wondering about the other dining experiences from the trip ... well, that very topic leads me to this:

Is there anything better than a Brazilian Steakhouse? I mean, seriously ... a dining patron starts and stops the delivery of food with the flip of a red / green disc. Waiters dressed like gauchos

rush to your table offering one of the fourteen or so meets that a grilled in the kitchen. Before the parade of meats, you can choose from many selections at a salad bar that is the size of a Starbucks. While you are eating the meats, traditional side dishes that include plantains, cheese rolls and mashed potatoes are delivered and served family-style.

We hit just such an establishment on the Friday of our Tampa trip, and I had been to one in Baltimore about a month prior to that. While the excursion is not cheap, I capitalized on Baltimore's "Restaurant Week" the first time, and there happened to be a discount in Tampa too.

Did I mention that the whole premise is all-you-can-eat?

Simply stated, "dee-lish."

There are other all-you-can-eat places out there - some are good, and some not so much. I enjoy an occasional AUCE crab experience. You can't go with kids, or with any company that loses interest in the work involved. But if you find the right place that happens to offer this deal and has a good ball game on the TV that faces your table, go for it.

IHOP has an all-you-can-eat pancake deal. I've never had it, so I can't comment except to say that I'd like to have it - like, now!

Olive Garden offers a seasonal "never-ending-pasta-bowl," which is a neat idea. Not for the quantity factor - you can ask for another bowl of pasta and try a different sauce each round. So for the diner that like a variety of flavors, this might be up your alley.

Pizza is fun in an AUCE setting. Pizza Hut has offered for quite some time (at least since I was in college, so 15 years or so) a lunch buffet of salad, breadsticks, pizza and dessert items. For about $7.00, it's decent. One warning - don't go on a day that the school's are off ... the buffet gets over-run by kids, and their use of tongs is imperfect.

You can also get pizza at CiCi's pizza buffet - there's one in Catonsville that Lilly loves because the buffet is just the right height for her, and there is an arcade inside. I think there's a daddy-daughter date night headed there next week during her Break.

And finally (and briefly) ...

Go O's ... thanks, Terps ... poor Wizards ... keep making moves, Purple Birds.

Happy Easter

The blogger is a slacker

Yup, that's me. But let's make up for lost time ...



It has snowed a bit recently - that's an understatement. Snow-Pacalypse Part 2 threw a wrench into lots of Super Bowl plans (nice job, Saints), and wiped out 2 days of school. Now, for good measure, there's another boat load of snow about to hit us, wiping out the rest of the school week ... and Spring Break.



I am grateful that I have job flexibility to work from home on days when administrators are scheduled to report. So, I can keep up on email while drinking coffee and lounging around in sweatpants.



I am also grateful for ibuprofen.



Back to the school topic for a minute ... without getting too deep, all of this snow is taking away instructional days that the kids and teachers need to get ready for the big MSA tests. The test results label a school as "failing" or "succeeding." If you are a school that struggles, any days lost for test prep are an issue. Complicating the issue, at least for our school, is the fact that we planned a two-week, after-school MSA test prep program for kids on the edge of pass / fail. The snow has wiped out the first few days of that. The test dates cannot be moved, as there are other vendors tied to test printing, shipping, scanning and scoring who are locked into many tests in many states. So, we cross our fingers and hope the kids and teachers can rise to the occasion.



It's snowing ... again ... ouch, I think my back is about to hurt.



(Blogger's note ... I wrote a bunch of clever stuff about this weekend being a festive one on account of my birthday, Lilly's birthday and Valentine's Day. I saved it, went to have dinner, and now it's gone. This is the second time my material has disappeared this week - I wrote about tee shirts and Chuck Norris last weekend, but that is gone too).



That's all for now - I'm off to find the person responsible for deleting my stuff.



MR

How do you pass the time when school is delayed? BLOG!

We have another school delay today ... not everyone in Frederick County - just us mountain folks!


The blog is committed to posting more regularly ... the problem is the blogger.

Let's catch up on what's up and what's down:


My poor Ravens ... all of the bad habits that they extinguished in the Patriots victory were re-ignited against the Colts. Not enough running plays ... turnovers ... penalties ... and Ed Reed being spectacularly good and bad on the same play.


We watched the game in Delaware - for a few reasons. Primarily, we wanted to go and hang with Pam's father who was home recovering from knee replacement surgery. It was a long weekend due to the MLK holiday, so we could relax and stay for a while. Raven QB Joe Flacco attended the University of Delaware, so we thought it would create good karma to watch the game in "The First State." Lastly, I wanted Grotto Pizza. Mission accomplished.


Colts vs. Jets? I'll pull for the guys in green, but my head says the Colts are headed to the Super Bowl. I see New Orleans winning against the Vikings, and a subsequent media frenzy about Brett Favre and retirement. Deja vu.


I'm working on plans to head to Florida for a Spring Training "guys" weekend in March. I haven't been to Spring Training since a spring break during college - the year was 1993 (1996 was a cruise; 1995 was a trip home; 1994 was a roadtrip to Florida). Tentatively, headquarters will be Tampa, which provides a central location to take in home games for the Yankees, Phillies, Tigers and Blue Jays. There will also be plenty of March Madness action on TV that weekend, so sports will rule the days and the nights.


We spent a good deal of time this past week working on "the book project." The "we" refers to my work buddy / co-assistant-principal Meg ... and yes, she puts up with me voluntarily. Update - the book project (related to education, but I'll keep the specifics under wraps so no one steals our millions) is now two books. We plan to roll out the book ideas in the form of magazine articles, and then see if that leads to commercial publishing or self-publishing. So, even if we don't become rich and famous, we'll enjoy the smell of duplicator fluid as we hand-crank book pages from an old-school ditto machine.


In case you hadn't recovered from holiday shopping yet, there are two big birthdays right around the corner - Marty and Lilly. I'm February 12, while Miss Lilly is February 16. We haven't posted our gift registries yet, but stay tuned. Oh, and you have permission from your husband / wife / boyfriend / girlfriend to take the money you were thinking about spending on Valentine's Day and get Marty and Lilly something nice.


To quote the Bartles and James team, "Thank you for your support."


Pitchers and catchers report in 27 days - Go O's!

Blogging about Football ... and Life?

Forgive me in advance for the very football-centric theme of this post, but the Ravens game was compelling, and it really got me thinking.

The Ravens surprised everyone, except perhaps themselves, with today's 33-14 defeat of the New England Patriots. There were just too many factors for the Ravens to overcome to win the game - Tom Brady's mystique, playing a Patriots team that had not lost at home this season, the genius of Patriot coach Bill Belichick, the Ravens' habit of losing games because of penalties and/or turnovers.

And then the game started. On January 10, 2010, the Ravens looked like the team from January 2009. On the road, against a division champion, the Ravens rolled on to a lopsided win on the strength of a running game and defense. The irony is this ... for much of the 2009 season, the Ravens preferred to pass the ball. Why?

The team that achieved an 11-5 record in 2008, plus two playoff wins, ran the ball 592 times and passed the ball 433 times (1025 total plays). This year, the team finished 9-7. The team ran the ball 468 times, and passed the ball 510 times (978 total plays). Coincidence?

As the 2009 season began, the Ravens returned Pro Bowler LeRon McClain, Willis McGahee, and Ray Rice. Rice was injured at the end of the 2008 season. In addition to the runners, the Ravens added Matt Birk and Michael Oher to the offensive line. Yet the team's run attempts decreased by 124, and the passes increased by 77.

Today, in the biggest game of the year, against seemingly insurmountable odds (not to mention a whole league and its officials, who paranoid Raven conspiracy theorists believe want the Patriots to win and the Raven to lose), the Ravens reverted back to their old formula. The Ravens ran the ball on 52 of 62 total plays. There was not one fumble on a run attempt. The 52 carries led to 234 yards. All three running backs scored a touchdown (Rice had two).

Teams that run the ball successfully can affect a game in this way - it keeps a defense rested, it keeps the opponent's offense off of the field, it takes up more time (making it easier to protect a lead), and it takes the wind out of the other team's sails. When a team gives up lots of yards on running plays, it becomes deflated, and deflated teams are often defeated.

The Ravens ran their way to an improbable appearance in the AFC Championship game a year ago by running the ball. The team lost its way a bit this year to the tune of 9-7, but when the bright lights of the playoffs went on, the team reined in Joe Flacco and let the three-headed-monster running back trio win the game.

And then there's the defense. Folks thought the defense was in deep trouble for the Patriots game. People assumed that Tom Brady, Randy Moss and friends would have their way with a unit that sorely missed Rex Ryan, Bart Scott and the injured Samari Rolle, Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb. The defense had quite a day - 4 turnovers, 3 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, allowing only 64 rushing yards, and limiting Randy Moss to 48 yards receiving.

This is where football and life begin to reflect one another. The Ravens reminded me of an important lesson - be yourself. The Ravens are, and have always been, a team that runs the ball and plays defense. So while it was nice to see the team try to sling the ball around this year, to thine own self be true.

I'm real big into books on tape these days. I was listening to an author named Parker Palmer. He talks about a person living an "authentic life" - that is, we need to present to the world on the outside, what we are on the inside, and that in order to do this, we should be true to ourselves.

Huh?

In real life, that means don't be someone that you are not. Don't be a phony, a fake, a fraud. People see through the false exteriors. When you say something out of character, or do something out of context, you cause raised eyebrows. I don't mean the surprise bouquet of flowers, or buying bagels for the folks in the office at work. Just be consistent. Mean what you say, keep your word, and be sincere.

In football, it means RUN THE BALL. Run the ball until they can stop you. And when they decide to position all of their defensive players in such a way to stop the run, throw it, and score points. Simple.

Defensively, the game plan from the first Colts game was a good one. The Ravens held the Colts to 17 points - and the Ravens held a 15-14 lead with 10 minutes remaining. With just under 3 minutes remaining, the Ravens trailed 17-15 but were in field goal range. But a costly interception ended the drive. The question on everyone's mind - why weren't the Ravens running the ball?

Side note - a key play that game was Ed Reed attempting a lateral after an interception. The play resulted in a fumble, and the Colts took a knee to end the game. Ed was up to the same tricks again today ... the lateral was successful, and the play helped set up the Ravens' third touchdown.

Wow, that was a long blog, and mostly about football.

Other stuff that happened recently:

A snow day on Friday ... looks like we're in for quite a winter, with most of January and all of February waiting in the wings.

Our new favorite family TV show is "Man vs. Food." I went to college with the host, Adam Richman. The show is a riot - check it out on the Travel Channel.

I'm looking for an idea for a mini-vacation - Pam and I have a credit with Southwest Airlines that we'd like to use toward a long weekend getaway. Feedback welcome.

School tomorrow - I need to iron, make lunches and get my beauty rest.

Blogging ... Twitter-Style

So what is this Twitter thing all about? After doing some reading and research, I think I may be on the verge joining the revolution.

Sure, Facebook is cool, but I do not turn to Facebook for videos, pictures, games, quizzes or just trying to check out who's doing what. I use Facebook to pose a random thought / joke, and to see what other silliness people are up to. Facebook works this way for me - there are some folks whose updates I look for, and other folks who I expect to comment on my updates. Then there are the people who seek you out - people from the old neighborhood, or from grade school, or from college, or from work, or from camp, etc. We'll exchange a few notes, and then it's back to "out of sight, out of mind." No ill will ... there's just too much going on to keep up.

I view it like this - Twitter is a way to send a text message to a whole bunch of people, and see what they fire back at you.

Blogging requires a bit more intensive writing than Twitter ... as in way more than the 140 character limit that Twitter enforces. I like the Blog platform ... sometimes I want to say a bit more than just posting things like:

"The Ravens are in the playoffs - not Pittsburgh, not Washington."

"I had a 2-hour delay for school on Wednesday - you didn't."

"Gilbert Arenas ... NRA member?"

Then again, posting those kinds of things are kinda fun.

So, if you start to hear from me via Twitter, don't be scared. I'll keep up the blog, and I'll pop in and out of Facebook.

Some quick blog updates:

My Ravens ... tough loss in Pittsburgh, good win in Oakland, Foxboro here we come. I think the Ravens stick with the running game / hard-nosed approach and win a close game. They played New England close in the Patriots' run toward perfection in 2007, and then again earlier this season. The first loss was due to penalties, the next loss was due to choking in the clutch. Third time is the charm. Then, a trip to Indy for a rematch? I won't venture down that road ... until Sunday.

My father-in-law ... had knee replacement surgery. He's doing fine now, recovering and being a model patient. I slipped the doctor a few extra dollars to give Jim a mega-knee ... the Ravens need a reliable place kicker.

My family ... on the Rochlin side is excited to be returning to Bethany Beach this summer. After taking a year off to adjust to life with Isabella, we're all heading back to Sea Colony on July 31. I can taste the Grotto pizza already.

Maybe more snow on Thursday night ... could be a long weekend.

Bye.

Ringing In - and Blogging In - the New Year

It's good to be back ... I was down but not out ... and now, I'm ready to make up for lost time:

The Great Snow of 2009 (or was it a Blizzard, or Snow-pocalypse, or something else?) not only shut down most of the state of Maryland, but also the Blogger. What started as a bit of a chest cold and cough on Friday became a full-fledged commercial for Nyquil - you know, the coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever thing by Monday. Along the way, I tried to push around a little of the snow on Saturday (so our deck would not collapse), which seemed like a good idea at the time until I felt how my body crashed on Sunday. Thanks to Dennis, we managed to get shoveled out. Before I gave in to the illness, we managed to sneak over to the Albrights to watch the Ravens - Bears game ... on a field that amazingly looked like snow had never landed on it.

Beginning Monday AM, Pam and Lilly took advantage of the cleared-out driveway and the extra time off of school to stay far away from me.

Left to my own devices, I can report the following:

1. The doctor determined via my Monday 12/22 visit that I had a bronchial thing, or the beginnings of pneumonia. She called in an RX to the store, and in the meantime, I headed to Waffle House. I never realized that the road to medical recovery begins with a waffle, scrambled eggs with cheese, and hashbrowns.

2. Watched a few good movies - Star Trek, Grand Torino, and the latest Harry Potter movie (which I had seen most of in the theater, but had to leave it early). I hope the Star Trek crew returns for a sequel or two.

3. I have a new appreciation for hot tea. While I was sick, I had no interest in coffee. Hot tea, with some honey stirred in, hit the spot and helped suppress the chills.

Mostly healed (thanks, Z-pack and cough medicine), we headed to Lewes, DE for Christmas with Pam's folks. As usual, a lovely time was had by all - Lilly loves to set up cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer, and Pam flips through her parents' basket of holiday cards with wide eyes and a steady stream of questions / comments. I love my time in Jim's recliner, nursing cup after cup of Flavia coffee and just relaxing.

On Saturday, the McDonalds from New Jersey joined in for Christmas round two- we spent the day and the night tinkering with Natalie's iTouch, Lilly's DS-lite, and Nick's PSP and DJ Hero. And don't think that the grown ups weren't involved in the tech toys as well ... I helped Jim to set up his new flat screen TV, which made our viewing of "The Polar Express" and "Happy Feet" just delightful.

There is still one more week of the Rochlin family vacation to share, but we'll save that for another blog over the weekend - including a trip to Easton for a Ravens party, an outing to the Gaylord National Resort, Avatar, more snow, New Year's Eve, and more.

Until then -

MJR

Quick Blog Update

I intended to post on Monday about football, the snow and all things Xmas Break related, but illness befell the blogger.

When the crippling headaches and body-rattling coughs subside, I'll catch up.

Thanks,

Wal-Marty

With the Festival of Lights occupying much of this past weekend, some necessary errands and chores fell by the wayside. Amid all the the latkes and dreidels and presents, not to mention appearing at three birthday parties, we neglected other things.

So in an attempt to earn points in the "Father / Husband of the Year" standings, I declared, "I'll stop by Walmart after work." I went in with the following list:

1. Holiday-themed napkins
2. baking soda
3. printer ink
4. hand soap (foam)
   
5. turkey
6. stamps

But as soon as you enter the store, it is impossible to remain focused. Right away, I was overcome with the smell of McDonald's french fries. Trying to bear in mind that I was simply making a stop on the way home to grill steak and salmon, I turned left into the masses.

Crowds left, crowds right, screaming children dead ahead. Bobbing and weaving, I headed first to electronics for the printer ink. I found a locked case, so I caught the attention of the cashier / keymaster, and he hooked me up with an HP 21 - black. Leaving electronics, I stopped and paid homage to a monstrous display of tri-flavored-popcorn tins ... some were decorated with polar bears, some with Santa, and some with the logo "Miller Lite."

(I'm no expert, but one of those things just does not belong.)

I found the "baking center" - but there was no baking soda. I soon learned that the "baking center" and "baking aisle" are different, and a few steps later, I found my Arm & Hammer.

As I was walking the store, I posted to Facebook "what can't you find in Walmart?"

There were many answers - some inappropriate. The most occurring answer was "alcohol," which begs the question to blog followers in other municipalities - "Can you get alcohol in Walmart?" Inquiring minds want to know. One Facebook friend pointed out "Where else can you get guns and lingerie?"

Good question.

I was unable to find stamps. I then wondered if I could open up a chain of stores near Walmart stores that sold things unavailable at Walmart.

I'm adding to my list of alcohol and stamps ... feedback welcome.

In other news:

Lilly was showered with gifts on Hanukkah's opening weekend. We feel very lucky to have family and friends who are so generous.

The Ravens beat up on the Lions yesterday. While the Ravens sit at 7-6, one cannot help but think that if they had won two or three of the six losses (Minnesota, Cincy #1 and Indy come to mind), we'd be sitting pretty. But at least the team is playing meaningful games in December, and if they win out (Chicago at home, at Pittsburgh, at Oakland), the playoffs may happen.

I need to mention my Orioles ... adding Kevin Millwood was a good move. Just as I have great trust in Ozzie Newsome, I think Andy MacPhail knows what he's doing. He needs to find a corner infielder with some power, a backup catcher, and a closer.

Maybe he'll look at Walmart.

Tow-Mater

Am I being a whiner when I say that the Ravens game tonite will end SO late ... ?

Probably.

But they "control their own destiny" ... what does that really mean exactly? For football, it means "the Ravens can win all of their remaining games and make the playoffs without needing another team to lose." In life ... well ... that's a bit more complex?

I can barely control the weedwacker when I mow and manicure the area known as my lawn. I surely cannot control my wife or daughter. How the heck am I supposed to control a destiny?

On to other matters ...

I appreciate the phone calls I received this weekend about my car crash ... WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN! I posted on Facebook that the parking lot at the Y was a mess - Xmas trees in one corner, lots of cars pulling in for a hoop tourney, and snow. The quote was something like "perfect recipe for a fender bender."

Who posts a car wreck on Facebook? Seriously. Not me ... yet. But since you all are such literal readers, I'll slip in a few devilish posts to see if I can get a rise out of you.

For example:

Marty wonders where he can get bail money.

Marty is looking for brochures for 5-year-old-girl boarding schools.

Marty wonders what a bottle of Rogaine costs.

Feel free to call with your concerns.

Predictions:

Ravens win 24-16

I get a text asking "When can I wire the bail money?"

I get an email with a link to a school in Guam.

By the way, a funny hair story: Once upon a time, my dad took me to see a hair transplant doctor. We went inside the waiting room. We met the doctor. I learned that he was a former urologist.

We left.

Who Needs Sleep?

Besides being a title of a BNL song, this has been a long-standing personal motto. I have always been able to function on little sleep, and usually without the aid of a nap. (PS - BNL has a kids CD - pictured at right)

This is a trait that friends would marvel at during summers and/or planning weekends at Airy. This is a trait that has come in handy as a dad whose daughter tends to get up early in the morning.

Today I write to admit that I have met my match - it is the multi-headed monster known as "Thanksgiving-in-New Jersey-followed-by-an-overtime-Ravens-game-on-Sunday-night."

We always have a great time in New Jersey, but sleeping arrangements are always an issue. The issue ... is Lilly. With the exceptions of her bed at home and her beds at the grandparents' houses, sleepovers are challenging. When sharing a bed is needed, Lilly wiggles, and squirms, and grunts, and kicks. So, her 7th grade cousin is less-than-thrilled at the thought of sharing her bed ... but it worked for Thursday. I hunkered down with Pam in our nephew's room ... and his flannel sheets. Pam loved it - I sweat.

The next night, there was an extra bed, as Pam's folks left before dinner time. Well, by the time that the nephew reclaimed his room, and Lilly and Pam took the niece's room, and the niece took the guest room, I was ... off to the basement. I converted the futon, found some sheets and blankets, and laid my weary head to rest a few minutes after midnight. The cold, dark basement was just what the doctor ordered after the flannel-fest from the night before.

At 6:30 am, there was a tap on my shoulder. "Hi Daddy." Hello, Lilly. Sleep terminated.

By the time we got into out own beds at home on Saturday night, my back ached from the two strange beds from Thursday and Friday. I tossed and turned a bit that night, but I stole back a few minutes with a catnap on Sunday afternoon. The nap had a purpose - I expected to be awake until 11:30 while watching the Ravens game.

With a sigh of relief and a stomach ache, I laid down for bed at 12:30 am, following the Ravens 20-17 overtime win. My alarm went off promptly at 5:00 am. Destination - Thurmont.

I was dragging today. I must have been the only person at school today who was in a thick enough mental fog to have no clue that students were dismissed two-hours-early today. Imagine my surprise when the lunch shifts started at 9:42 am.

Off to bed.

Thanks

We are T-minus 24 hours from turkey consumption, so naturally I have Thanksgiving on the brain. This holiday brings to mind many tales and factoids, including:



Many of us think of Squanto as the key Native American who befriended the colonists, but I have recently learned of Samoset. I admit that I am somewhat embarrassed to admit to just now be aware of Samoset, considering that I majored in history. But Samoset may be the coolest, little-known figure in American history. Various research tells that Samoset greeted the Pilgrims naked, and asking for beer. If that's not an entrance, I don't know what is.



Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. Not sure why ... considering he is so closely affiliated with Philadelphia (Franklin ran away from home and ended up there when he was 17), it is funny that he disapproved of Eagles. So do most Philly fans.



Top 10 Thanksgiving Foods:

1. Stuffing


2. Turkey


3. Mashed Potatoes


4. Ham


5. Cranberry "Sauce"


6. Pumpkin Pie


7. Rolls / Bread


8. Sweet Potatoes


9. Green Bean Casserole


10. Turducken

I didn't make the list - I just report it. What the heck is "turducken?" Is that the crazy looking bird that John Madden used to do a show-and-tell routine during a Thanksgiving football game?

Thanksgiving TV is quite football-friendly. With the advent of an evening game, pigskin enthusiasts can get their fill from 12:30 pm until midnight. It also is a time for thumbs to rest ... since there is only one game on at a time, the channel surfing is minimal.

I have one co-worker whose family loves turkey, but chooses not to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. When I pursued a reason, she said simply "We have turkey all year." I asked her if the family was also skipping bread, potatoes, wine and water. She laughed.

Have a good celebration, and if you head out shopping at some unholy hour on Friday, try not to get run over in a stampede.

And save me a drumstick!

Yup - I'm a Slacker

I haven't posted for a while, which is to say that many of you were secretly hoping that I had given up the blog and gone away.

Not so fast my friend!

Actually, a few people asked about he Blog, or rather the lack-there-of.

Without further ado, and in an effort to make up for lost blog time, here we go:

From the world of football
(I actually wrote this part before the weekend, but I never got around to posting)

Ravens are scuffling ... 5-4 with the undefeated Colts coming to town. Ironic that the Colts' kicker is Matt Stover, and that yesterday, the Ravens cut the kicker that succeeded Stover. It should be pointed out that after 10 games last season, the Ravens were 6-4. The Ravens / Colts game has an EVEN spread, which means that gambling folks think that the undefeated Colts are in for a tough game. The Ravens are good at home, and the Colts are not great playing outdoors. Terrell Suggs will not play, so here's hoping that Haloti Ngata does return to the line-up.

Prediction ... I think the Ravens squeak out a win, maybe 26-24?

Sunday update - Ravens lost, but the game was close for 60 minutes. The Ravens gave away many chances to win. The new kicker made 5 out of 6 kicks, but the miss was bad. Joe Flacco threw a terrible interception, and Ed Reed was guilty of two major mistakes - burned for a touchdown pass by Dallas Clark, and the fumble / lateral late in the game.

Other items of note:

What's up with the trial of Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon? She didn't testify ... does that matter? Jurors are sending notes to the judge, courtroom observers are shouting and hollering, and all the while the mayor is making appearances around the city.

I saw "The Blind Side" - the movie based on the book, which is based on the Ravens' Michael Oher. It's a feel-good flick that intentionally dodges most questions about race and class. I laughed a bit, and it was cool to hear the whole theater cheer when Oher's name was announced at April's draft.

I chaperoned my first Thurmont Middle School dances on Friday. There is a dance right after school for 6th grade, and then a 7th/8th grade dance at 7 pm. Coming from Crestwood Middle School, the dances up in Thurmont are, comparatively, mellow. The kid turn-out was decent - over 150 kids between the two events. We old folks persuaded the DJ to play "The Humpty Dance." Kids didn't recognize the song - the grown-ups loved it.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving - we'll be in New Jersey with Pam's brother and his family. We hosted last year - had I been blogging then, there might have been a post entitled "Pam's No-Good Terrible Very Bad Day." We participated in a "Turkey Trot" run / walk that morning around some lake. At one point, Pam was walking with the kids and showing off her version of a "Turkey Trot." Enter back injury. Then, during a pre-dinner / post-cooking dish washing cycle, bubbles began to ooze everywhere. An unnamed family member put dish soap - not dishwasher soap - in the machine. What a mess. Pam was none-too-pleased.

This year, I'm thankful for my family and friends, the fact that I have a job, and for the medical marvels that have taken care of my niece Izzie, our friends Dennis and Kailey, and certainly many others.

Until next time ... Peace and Humptiness Forever.

Where can I get a sandwich in Arbutus?

I'll explain what that means in a moment, but let me begin by saying "Thank Goodness" that Halloween fell on a weekend. There is no scarier prospect than Halloween falling during the school week - the candy, the sugar-rush, the pranks, the silliness ... and then there's the students.

We hosted a Halloween gathering - my folks, Pam's folks, the Albrights, the Miles, the Roussillons, and the Monfrieds. The spread was fantastic - a tray of nuggets from Chick-Fil-A; Margie's crab soup, Dennis's chilli, Tracey's meatballs, Holly's cornbread, Jen's cookies and cupcakes ... and a platter of sandwiches from Mars.

Not the planet - the supermarket.

Not in Ellicott City - in Arbutus.

I am one of the first people to be willing to drive for good food ... Friendly Farm, The Tasting Room, Waffle House, and others. In fairness, the sandwiches were very good - a collection of shrimp salad, tuna, and chicken salad. Soft potato rolls. Pickles.

But the deli around the corner from us was out of something key ... how does a food store run out of food? Anyway, so we decided to pursue the same sandwiches, and the good people at Mars pointed up toward Arbutus.

The two towns are more than 10 miles apart, but it feels like another universe when you drive into Arbutus. And my experience in the store proved the point. I proceeded to the deli counter, took my number and waited my turn. The lady that waited on me took my name and shouted to a guy in the back who walked into a big fridge ... and then she took a plastic spoon, dipped it into the big container of shrimp salad, and ate it . She appeared to mull this over, and as she tossed the spoon into the trash, she announced "Too much mayo - not enough Old Bay."

Unreal.

The guy with the sandwiches emerged from the fridge, walked to me, and kept on going. Puzzled, I followed him and we got in line to pay. I offered "you don't have to wait here" but he shook his head and said something about needing a copy of the order form.

So we're in line, and I ask the guy to show me the paper, because I did not know the price. I must have been reading aloud to myself, because I next hear "MMMM, I'm coming to the party at your house!"

The speaker is a classic "Bawl-mer" woman ... jeans, a Ravens t-shirt, and looking as though she'd had a few too many Natty Bohs in her day. I chuckled, and responded "Well, I'm looking forward to the nuggets from Chick-Fil-A" and then she and the deli guy both got excited.

Now they both wanted to come to the party. I let the comments slide, paid my bill, and headed back to the car.

Other Halloween observations:

Best costume - a guy wearing a pig mask and a t-shirt that said "Flu"

Best candy - the family that gave out a full-size Nestle Crunch bar

Best use of a stroller - as a candy-hauler and a bottle holder

Best comment - from Lilly: "Daddy, I want more candy but I'm tired of walking."

Next holiday update - Thanksgiving.

Gobble Gobble

My Bye Week

Along with my down-but-not-out Baltimore Ravens, I enjoyed a football bye week(end). In the absence of pigskin, we sought out adventures all over the fine state of Maryland.


The Run Down:


On Friday, we tempted fate and headed over the Bay Bridge to the Easton High School homecoming football game. The rain held off, and the Warriors held on for a 17-14 win. A soccer player on the football team kicked a 41 yard field goal for the winning margin, and the Easton defense made a late stand to preserve the win. The visitors - Kent County - were driving late toward a tying or go-ahead score, but our favorite player Cory Berry made two big plays on defense. Cory provided blanket-like coverage on a pass intended for his man, and came up with a great open-field tackle on a runner who had been giving Easton fits.


The postgame victory meal occurred at La Plaza Tapatilla - good fajitas. I went for the chicken / beef / shrimp combination.


The rain continued to hold off on Saturday AM, and Team #2 in the Girls Under 6 North soccer division took to the field (that means Lilly's team - I'm the coach). The ladies engaged in a spirited scrimmage, running hard and completely earning their postgame snack of juice boxes and mini packs of cookies.


As morning became afternoon, Lilly shed her cleats for her swimsuit and headed to the Y for a swim lesson. From there she headed home for a shower, then a "Daisies" campfire, then a playdate, then a sleepover at Grammy and Pop's house.


With the Lil out of the house, P-Roch joined me for a trip to Frederick and a birthday dinner celebration at "The Tasting Room." Good wine and good food - I thoroughly enjoyed my filet Mignon; Pam opted for the scallops. Ross, the guest of honor, smacked his lips through his plate of Veal Osso Bucco.


A dinner highlight included the waiter eavesdropping on one of our random conversations, and then using sharing with us a picture from his cell phone - of Gallagher. Yep, that guy.

Sunday was a day of Fall Frivolity Baugher's Orchard. We picked pumpkins, made scarecrows, and stocked up on the world's best applesauce. Puts me in the mood for a porkchop.

Until later,

MJR

My Theme Song

Perhaps never before have song lyrics been so fitting:

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Thanks to The Mamas and The Papas for their melodic motivation - as Inigo Montoya said, "Let me explain. No there is to much, let me sum up."

I'm moonlighting as a nurse once again, as Lilly has ... well ... something. The fever has dipped to the 99 degree range, but she can can't shake it. This morning, there's pink in the eyes - we have a noon appointment with the doctor.

Let me give some major props to Barb, Meg and the good people at Thurmont Middle School. They have graciously covered for me when daddy duties have come up. They are a family-first outfit, and I appreciate them for it.

This Monday also brings about another reflection on a Ravens loss. Yet again, another entertaining (or gut-wrenching) late 4th quarter loss. And who do we blame this week? The popular goat is the kicker - He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named-That-Replaced-Matt-Stover. But I disagree.

How about we put the spotlight on Ray Ray and the vaunted defense? In six games, the team has allowed 130 points - that's more than 20 per game. In the three defeats, Ray Ray and friends have let up 33, 17 and 27 points - that's 77 points ... more than 25 per game. With the exception of the Browns game, the defense has looked ordinary. Some good plays have masked some overall deficiencies.

I think the team misses Rex Ryan and Jim Leonard more than it misses Bart Scott or Matt Stover.

My take on a few other sporting items:

1. Tim Tebow is not healthy, and the Florida Gators look a bit off.

2. The Phillies are good. The Yankees are really good.

3. Brett Favre, who annoys me, was right to un-retire - this time.

4. I'm looking forward to watching the Barry Levinson / ESPN film about the Baltimore Colts Marching Band. But they could have come up with a better title than "The Band that Wouldn't Die" ...

Other blog-worthy items:

Have you ever seen so much rain in one weekend?

Doesn't the "Where The Wild Things Are" flick look a bit dark and menacing?

The Balloon Boy nonsense ... what a fiasco.

If you are looking for a tasty meal, I recommend J&P Pizza - Frederick, Mt. Airy, Eldersburg ... good pizza, subs and Italian fare.

Until next time, be well, and if you have a ham sandwich, be careful.

It's like Deja Vu

So here's a new post ... stop me if you've read these before, or heard these in your travels.

1. I played nurse again for part of the weekend. Pam got a second wave of whatever made her sick 2 weeks ago. Target clinic, 2 prescriptions, many boxes of tissues - not fun.

2. Family illness got in the way of another family celebration. First, it was the Lilly / Pam bug that kept us from heading to Jacksonville. Then, it was Pam's new bug that prevented her (and Lilly) from going to the wedding of a cousin in NJ. We'll have to do a better job of planning illness on the family calendar.

3. Should be a long week at work ... middle school kids are nuts, and they are extra-nuts when the schedule is changed on them. Well, we're giving the kids not 1, not 2, but three days of not-normal-schedules. It's parent-teacher conference week. Should be a blast. At least tomorrow is a dress-down fundraiser day, and one night the PTA is feeding the staff dinner.

4. Ravens lose ... again ... and many folks are blaming the referees ... again ... and I disagree ... again. When you profess to have the best defense ever and have a 4-point lead with 2 minutes to play, you better live up to the hype. The personal foul on Ray Lewis was obvious and stupid. The pass interference call on Frank Walker was close, but stuff happens. As Coach Harbaugh said after the game (paraphrasing), "You have to be good enough to make those penalties irrelevant and not a deciding factor."

Cincy is not a very strong 4-1 team ... but they're a first place 4-1 team. The Ravens at the moment are neither 4-1, nor strong. Next week is a trip for the Ravens to Minnesota - and the undefeated Vikings. I sure home the Purple Birds soar into the bye week at 4-2 instead of licking their wounds with a mark of 3-3.

By the way, I'm not a big fan of Brett Favre, but I have to admit that his TV commercial for Sears is quite funny. You can see it here. A close second ... the ESPN commercial about Favre.

Weekend Update

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I would look forward to "Saturday Night Live" and the Dennis Miller spoof-news-show. Miller anchored the desk from 1985-1991, and it was funny. I gave his replacement, Kevin Nealon a chance to impress me, but he didn't, and thus my allegiance to the show ended. Too bad - when your curfew is midnight, you rush home just in time to get a snack and turn on SNL.

Anyway, Miller made a bit of money between his HBO work and his Monday Night Football stint, but I'm not sure Weekend Update fully recovered from his departure until Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey arrived at the news desk. I'm just supposing, because I have not watched the show in quite some time ... but Fallon and Fey seem to be pretty funny, and they have made a splash in post-SNL projects.

For MY weekend update:

The Orioles finished strong by winning 4 in a row, but it's too little to late. I'm glad that they avoided 100 losses, and I'm glad that Dave Trembley will be back as the manager. Matt Wieters is fantastic. But, looking ahead, you have to wonder:

• Can Adam Jones stay healthy?
• Who will be the team's closer in the bullpen?
• Can they find a big bat to play 1st and/or 3rd base?
• Which of the young pitchers can stake a claim as "ace?"

I went to Saturday night's game - great seats on the visitor's dugout, courtesy of Dennis Albright. It was nice of Dennis to go to the extra lengths of getting "Super Fan" to sit in our section. What a unique man?!?! He had a cape. By the way, did you like the Facebook picture of me at the game?

The Ravens lost - and not because of the refs. The Ravens fumbled the opening kickoff, threw an interception near the end of the first half, and dropped a first down pass with under a minute to go in the game. Those three plays account for the 6-point loss, not to mention Dawan Landry's struggles to tackle Patriots. I think the Ravens win that game if there is a playoff rematch - everyone will be just a bit wiser. Playoffs, you wonder? If the Ravens can go 3-1 in every four game stretch, they'll be 12-4.

My niece was a true champion, coming through her surgery with rave reviews. There will certainly be some bumps in the road, but we're rooting for the days where Karen and Dimitry (who have been so poised through all of this) can have regular first-kid-worries, as opposed to the past three months of hospital worries.

In the spirit of a true "Weekend Update," here's my take on the David Letterman drama - maybe he wants to rename his production company to "World Wide (caught with your) Pants (down.)"

That's the news, and I am outta here!

Darlington County

That's right friends, the blog is kicking off in style today with a little bit of The Boss. One of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs is "Darlington County" from the "Born in the USA" project. While many people feel a connection to "Dancing in the Dark" (nice to meet you, Courtney Cox) or "Born in the USA" (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda from WWF fame), for me it was the song about two guys and a road trip. From the same CD comes one of Bruce's silliest songs - Bobby Jean. Check out the lyrics - so bad.

I've got Bruce on the brain tonight, as he has a Baltimore show on November 20 and I've been reading some about the ticket fiasco. So I'll work in some Springsteen as the blog rolls along.

Bruce Springsteen is not a football fan - while you might think that this favorite son of New Jersey is a Giants fanatic, he has no ties to any team. Bruce played the halftime show of the Steelers / Cardinals Super Bowl this past season. I tend to think that Bruce would be a fan of a blue collar kind of team - maybe the Packers or Bears.

Anyhow, after three weeks of the football season, I did not expect the Ravens to be the league's darlings. Everyone says that the Ravens are the best team, that Joe Flacco is an MVP candidate, and that Ray Lewis making the best plays of his career. I think that the defense is playing well because of their deep talent (thanks, Ozzie) and that the offense is playing well because of coaching (thanks John, Cam and the rest). The Ravens being 3-0 is cool, especially since both the Redskins and Steelers are 1-2.. This weekend's game against the Patriots will be a good test, but since weather will not be a factor, I like the Ravens to keep up their winning ways. The game will be close - maybe 24-20 in favor of the purple birds.

And one more thing- keep you thoughts on the "Streets of Philadelphia" ... my niece will be there starting tomorrow for her surgery. Needless to say, we'll be thinking about her, and about Karen and D.

Hello Nurse!

Kudos to anyone who new that today's blog title comes from "The Animaniacs." If you have no idea who "The Animaniacs" are, have a look at this link ... and before you scoff at it as some silly cartoon, it's Steven Spielberg's silly cartoon.

The "Hello Nurse" line was an Animaniac staple - notice the nurse pictured via the link above. It directly relates to:

Issue #1

I have good school stories to share, as I missed the last two days of work in order to stay home with Lilly. Lilly has been sick since overnight Monday / Tuesday, and missed the past three days of school. Her illness? The same illness that Pam had from Friday through Tuesday. Pam was out of commission all weekend, and missed work Monday and Tuesday.

Logic says that I'm due to have "it" as well, but as of this post (knock on wood) I'm holding up pretty well. My annual illness usually comes in February, but I suppose that in this day and age of flu mutations, anything is possible. It's back to school tomorrow for Lilly and for me. We took in a number of movies in our time together - High School Musical 3 and Kung Fu Panda at home, and a Thursday matinee of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Mr. T was great in his role as Earl the policeman.

Issue #2
I was looking forward to posting a food entry on-location from Jacksonville, FL this weekend, as we were headed there for a 50th anniversary celebration. Pam's aunt and uncle invited all of the nieces and nephews, and Pam's folks, for a rendevoux / suarree. After some painstaking deliberations, we decided not to go on the trip. Lilly's fever was still unsettled, and we had both already missed 2 days of work. We'll miss out on some good laughs and of course some savory food and beverage, but better safe than sorry.

Issue #3
The Ravens are 2-0 and a two-touchdown favorite against the visiting Cleveland Browns. While I would usually view this game as a potential clunker against a down-on-its-luck division rival, the Ravens should quickly and easily deal with the Browns. The Ravens have not played a clunker game under John Harbaugh - the six losses last year were to Pittsburgh three times, Tennessee, Indianapolis and New York (Giants).

The Browns do have Josh Cribbs, who may torment the Ravens a bit in the return game or in a "wildcat" formation. But Cleveland has scored only 26 points this season, and the Ravens are stingy at home.

My prediction - Ravens win 31 - 10.

Aloha.

Happy New Year!

The blog would like to wish one and all a "Happy New Year." It's Rosh Hashana, which translates to "Head of the Year." The holiday kicked off at sundown on Friday, and its two big customs are apples and honey, and the blowing of the shofar (a ram's horn). A third, unofficial custom in many families is ...

Issue #1 - The food

My mom hosts Rosh Hashana dinner - in many years, she follows up the dinner with a late lunch the next day. The stuff is good - plain and simple. Things kick off with matzoh ball soup - for those not in the know, this is chicken soup filled with soft, fluffy dumplings (but there's nothing inside). Add in a few carrots, and it's good to go. Most folks have a single bowl - me, not so much. I never have fewer that two, and one year, I had so much soup that they put my picture in the dictionary next to "bloated."

Next comes chopped liver and gefilte fish. Mom makes the liver at home from scratch - for those who love chopped liver, it's a delicacy. Tupperware containers accompany guests when then leave, as the liver is one of their favorites. I skip liver and fish - instead I slurp more soup.

The main course - served buffet style - is quite the sight. Usually, turkey, brisket and corned occupy center stage (just 2 of the 3). Surrounding the meats are a sweet potato casserole, stuffing, a grilled veggie medley, a jello mold, applesauce ... my eyes begin to spin at this point.

Dessert - chocolate chip cake, mondel bread, and ... who cares what else? Sometimes there's fruit - I'll skip the fruit unless it's strawberries dipped in chocolate, which magically appeared.

It was delicious - on Friday night, and Saturday night (along with steak tenderloins) and again on Sunday after I mowed the lawn.

Thanks, mom.

Issue #2

Does it get much better than Ravens win and Steelers lose? I suppose I could root for a Redskin loss, but why waste all of my rooting karma on one weekend? I am most proud of the Ravens - they proved most pundits wrong by travelling cross country to win on the road, against a team that many say will be in the Super Bowl.

From the "I'm a bit concerned even though the Ravens are 2-0" department, the mighty defense has looked more like a bend-but-don't-break group, rather than the immovable force group of past seasons. To be fair, it does not look so intimidating to give up 50 points in two wins; then again, 14 points last week were careless, as were seven more this week.

But when push came to shove, the Ravens forced the Chargers into four field goals, and made a crucial big play to end the game. That Darren Sproles guy gave the Ravens fits for most of the day. But on the biggest play of the game, Ray Lewis made the big tackle.

Next up, the Browns come to Baltimore - I haven't looked yet, but the Ravens may be a 10-point favorite. Cleveland is not so good.

Did I mention that Pittsburgh lost?

Issue #3

Our school attendance will take a dip this week, and not because of "swine flu." We have a number of students participating as exhibitors at the Great Frederick Fair. It's kind of refreshing that in an era where kids take off of school all-too-often for "vacations," we have some students showing off their skills and talents. I use to chuckle that the school system closes for a day for the Fair, but the Fair is a big deal. Have a look at this link.

Good luck, kids.