Heart Warming

This weekend was a great one...After having been gone for the better part of 2 weeks, it was so nice to be back with my Claire!

We stayed up late Friday night watching 30-Rock, the Office and Top Chef (we have 1 more episode left to watch...don't spoil it for us!) on the DVR. On Saturday, Claire baked Almond Cranberry Spice Muffins and we watched UP...then to the movie theaters to see Blindside...then home to watch Chicago.

We loved all three movies and suggest them for anyone!

Somewhere in there, Claire also found time to make a homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch, we hit up the Happiest Place on Earth and stopped by the dry cleaners.

Saturday was a good day.

Sunday was fantastic as well, starting with CBS Sunday Morning in our PJ's, church and to a friend's house to watch the Charger's manhandle the Cowgirls.

Good times...Good times!

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Have you had a chance to see this picture?





You can read the story here.

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom...

39 years old...wow, where does the time go?

I am so very thankful for you.

Heading home

Heading home today...whew. That was a long 9 days. Cold. Like -5 wind chill Thursday.

Can't wait to get to the balmy 45 in VA!

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I love eating out, but 9 days in a row of every meal being eaten out sucks. Not gonna lie.

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Why is it that every bathroom has a guy who insists on using the john while either texting or talking on the cellular? How hard is it to tap out for 5-10 mins? Dude, enjoy your private time.

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Loving the new job. I enjoy being involved in "The Game" again. I missed being productive.

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Have you seen the HBO Special featuring the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame performance yet? Amazing. Simply amazing. Watching Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel play...Metallica and Ozzy...U2 and Mick Jagger...and a whole host of others. If you like music, you have to watch it. Such a must see!!!

Brrrrr. Cold.

Sitting in a hotel room in Kansas City.

It is cold here. Been as cold as 10.

Ten.

That is cold.

We are to wake up with 2-3 inches of snow today.

I think I need to rethink this new job...or at least the travel to KC during the winter.

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Real quick request for those of you in the service industry. If you are working with a client, please try your best not to pass stinky gas when your client is around. It does not help your case.

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Did you see Nebraska almost take down Texas on Saturday night? Oh that would have been so glorious!!

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There is this homeless guy in P-Towne that has been on my mind recently. It is an unusual thing. He has sorta stuck with me for a while. I can't explain it. Wondering if there is something I should be doing for him besides praying for him and his circumstances.

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9 days away from my wife is too long. Only 4 days left, but I have had enough of this.

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I need to figure out how to balance this blogging with the new job. Any tips?

Camping At Home

Claire and I had friends arriving on Saturday morning for brunch.

We were going to make fresh baked cranberry muffins and Shrimp & Corn Grits.

Claire woke up, put together the muffins and baked them perfectly. They were beautiful and really good.

My job was to create the Shrimp and Corn Grits.

I started cooking. It was not working. The stove had little to no power.

I could not even melt butter.

Turns out the power company said that we have a "Phase Out".

I have guests arriving in 15 mins and now I have a "Phase Out". No appliances can run. The heater is out. The stove top is not working. The fridge is dead in the water.

I have Shrimp and Corn Grits to make. Crap.

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Earlier this year, Claire and I won a drawing over at Wonderful World of Weiners.

We won a bunch of camping equipment including a machete, wind-proof lighter, knife, flashlights, multi-gas coffee pot and a camp stove.

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We are watching the stove...nothing is happening.

We are watching the clock...it is ticking.

Claire says, "Hey, wait. Don't we have that really awesome camp stove and a small propane tank?"

Sure enough, we have that wonderful camp stove. I pull out the box...it is still packed in the original shipping box...and assemble it.

First words that appear on the stove when you open the box?

DO NOT USE INDOORS

We did anyway. And the camp fire Shrimp and Corn Grits were awesome!!!

Thanksgiving Scores

The following ratings are based on a 1-to-10 scale with 10 being the best and 1 being the worst.

Category: 2009 Thanksgiving Day

Rest: 8...Claire and I had a lazy morning, we slept well and there was little to no stress.

Company: 6.5...it is not that the people we were with were not fun, cause they were. We enjoyed the conversation and like the people we were with. I also love every minute I am with my wife. But the score reflects the missing family and other close friends that we were not with.

Food: Solid 6. My pancakes fell a bit flat (Why can't I ever remember to put enough sugar? I have been making these since I was a kid!) and my Famous Egg Nog was a little on the salty side. But the turkey that Suzie made was amazingly succulent (despite the lack of dark meat) and the rum cake was straight from Heaven. I was also missing the one thing I have had at EVERY Thanksgiving (and Christmas!) since I was born...Yiftees. It is not Thanksgiving without Yiftees. That certainly hurt the score.

Football: 2-minus. The only reason this is not a negative score, was that the 30-mins of the first half I got to see of the GB/Detroit game was actually pretty good. The rest...well, there was no rest. There was no football on at our friends house. We had Sly and the Family Stone albums playing and that was pretty cool, but the football was not there...Oh yea, I also gave consideration to the fact that I really did not miss anything and it was not Baseball.

Turkey: 8.75. I know I already mentioned the food, but this bird was rock'n. It was moist and good. I even had a turkey sandwich last night with nothing but a roll and the bird...no other thing was needed. Why was it not a 10? I love me some dark meat and it was not there. Apparently they sell white meat turkey only. For shame.

Weather: 9. It was Sixty Five and Sunny. What more could I want? Maybe 75 and sunny, but a 9 is a GREAT score.

What categories am I missing? How do you rate your Turkey day?

Honking the Horn and Getting Chubby..wink, wink, nudge, nudge

Most of the time I really like the fact that I live right next to the water. The ferry stop is 100 feet from our building, we have a great waterside view of downtown Norfolk and we just love being near water.

Then there are nights like last night that make us question the sanity of living on a busy waterway...1:30am...ONE THIRTY AM...on a Tuesday...a Navy ship decided it was time to test their horn. The ship is buoyed less than 150 yards from our place.

Navy ships have loud horns.

Especially at 1:30am.

Over and over and over and over...

I respect our Navy. I love our servicemen. I am married to one.

I HATE the horn honker at 1:30am.

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I really don't like the fact that the horn honking has continued on a regular basis ever since...about 5 or 6 honks per hour.

That last line...scratch it from your memory...sounds like a bad line from a B-Movie.

Or remember it if you are a movie script writer...I just want the credit.

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We decided to try this recipe from Tyler Florence on Monday night.

To prepare, we picked up a Sugar Pumpkin at the farmer's market this weekend. Well, at least we were told it was a sugar pumpkin. Sure, it was larger than the one's Tyler used, but the farmer's daughter told us this $6 pumpkin was the same...we believed her. (Little Lying Farmer's Daughter)

We then proceeded to make the pies...exactly how the recipe directs. We cook/bake often. We know how to follow a recipe.

The pies turned out way under sweet. They tasted vaguely like banana flavored pumpkin sauce that really needed sugar.

Boooooooo Farmer's Daughter....Boooooooooo,..

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We did manage to fix the pies last night with a little ingenuity and elbow grease...First, we took 1/2 a loaf of cinnamon bread and one of the pies...cubed them and turned them into this wonderful Cinnamon Banana Pumpkin bread pudding. Oh my. (We used this Paula Dean bread pudding as a basic guide)

Then I took the other pie, mixed in more sugar and made a new pie. It is okay...edible...but nothing like the greatness that is Cinnamon Banana Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

My love handles just got a lot more lovely.

Hoooray for the Holiday's!!! Hoooray for San Diego!!!

Its the most
Wonderful Time
Of the year...

I love the time from now until the end of the year. Christmas music is playing in the stores and I get to eat Turkey.

This weekend, Claire and I will be picking out a Christmas tree and decorating the house.

I love it!!!

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On Saturday...
1. Went to the Happiest Place on Earth
2. Made Chili with Claire...the 5 alarm type
3. Watched Cal beat Stanford...Watched Nebraska roll K-State
4. Walked around town to look at the Christmas lights

What else could you want from a Saturday?

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Chalk this up to my love of all things San Diego...

1. The Chargers won! Convincingly. First Place...woohoo!
2. Jimmie Johnson won. 4 NASCAR Sprint Titles in a row. I am not a watcher of NASCAR, but Jimmie is from San Diego. Ergo, hooray!
3. San Diego is named #1 Beer town in America. I don't drink beer, but San Diego was named #1...Rock-On San Diego!!!

Bring Me My Lychee

Our trip to the Second Happiest Place on Earth a couple of weeks ago was a wonderful time with Claire's family.

Having never spent time at Disney...except for that unusual situation in January, I was very excited to check out what people east of the Mississippi think is the Happiest Place on Earth.

And yes, we really did have a great time.

I am so blessed to have a family-in-law that I love to be with.

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The Food and Wine portion of the Disney trip was a bit disappointing. The food and wine booths they had lining Epcot were interesting, but the few things we tried were: 1. Expensive 2. Average.

I know, I know...what should I expect. We are at a theme park where food should be expected to be: 1. Expensive 2. Average

I just thought that since it was "Food and Wine Expo" that it might be a bit different.

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I will say, the amount of Lychee things I ate (mostly thanks to my wife finding them and bringing them home with her!!!) was fantast-i-licious! Gummies, hard candy, Sake, etc....yum, yum.

And if you have not tried a Lychee, you NEED to. A Lychee martini might be a good place to start.

SuperMegaNews...or just an update.

News...so much news...okay, just some news, but I figure if I make it sound important y'all would forgive the two weeks without an update.

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So I started a new job last week. I was surprised when I was recommended for a job with the SuperMegaCorporation. I was surprised when they flew me out and I liked it. I was surprised when they made a solid offer.

I am most surprised that I accepted and will be working from home some of the time...while traveling to the middle of the country some of the time.

I wanted to say "strange things are afoot at the Circle K", but that seemed so 1990's.

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So, I was gone last week...the week when the "Kill Bogart" storm hit P-Towne. If you click on the link, you will see the beginning of the flooding, including the ferry that stops at the base of our building...the same ferry that they say they don't shut down...the same ferry that was shut down for Thursday and Friday because the area that they dock (1.25min into the video) was completely underwater.

Oh, if you look for it, 59 seconds into the video, you will see a shot of the Big White Monstrosity that Team Bogart currently resides in...wooohooo.

Nothing like making the local news to make you feel famous...or something.

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Poor Claire had to deal with the crazy flooding all by herself. Even being rudely awakened on Thursday morning with water dripping on her head.

Drip....Drip....Drip...4:30am...Good thing she found the buckets and pans to catch all the water!

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My experience with the storm? We had wind shear warnings when we were landing on Friday night...made a couple of attempts to land and then were diverted to Raleigh-Durham, NC. We deplaned, sat around and then reboarded. We made one final attempt, landing safely around midnight.

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It is nice to be back home. It is nice to be back to the blog.

Alive and Well...Thanks for Checking In

Being alive is good.

While we did have a couple of close calls upon landing on Friday night in Norfolk, including a redirect to North Carolina, Bogart is alive and well.

As far as the blogging goes, well, clearly I have lacked in that department for the past two weeks.

I know it is really no excuse, but I was in Chicago then Kansas City, covering the better part of the last two weeks...

I do have so much news and still owe you an update of pictures from Disney.

I will be getting to it soon.

No, really, I will.

My Drifting Mind

I find my thoughts often think of him.


Sometimes they are memories of hoping in the car or working on some chores. Other times I am reminded of how he treated her and how much he loved life.


Mostly they are of random things that really don't make much sense.


How I was amazed that he never would wear shorts...How his hair had a cowlick in the exact same spot mine does...How he always took his coffee black...How he took a nap every day...His little, practical jokes.


I don't know why those things still strike me. I don't understand why he is the one that pops into my head so often.


Well, I guess that is a lie. I know.


He was the most influential person in my life.


The pain of his loss has faded, but the disappointment of him not being around is still very real.

Thanks and Stuff

Our camping equipment arrived recently.

It is so sweet!

High quality and fantastic.

Thanks again Hallie!

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The only thing that did not arrive was the Windproof Lighter...I hope that cool thing shows up!

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We had a great time in Orlando with Claire's family. I will post some pics later this week, but I can sum up the trip this way...

5 Disney parks, 2 Disney water parks, 5 fast food drive thru's, 7 family members, wonderful weather, Sake and sausage.

Second Happiest Place on Earth

Claire left last night for Orlando...It is the Food and Wine Expo at Disney, so her family is going to be doing the whole Disney thing for a week.

Lucky me, I get to join them on Tuesday!

I have never been to Disney in Florida except to run through it...I grew up with Disneyland in SoCal and always figured the original was the best. I guess I am about to find out.

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What did I do with my bachelor night?

I watched Playoff Baseball and Sunday Night Football...I ate spicy sausage...I drank Scotch.

Good Times....Good Times.

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I baked some cookies I got from Ramblings, Rants and Recipes. They are Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies....cause that is what bachelors do on the first morning their significant other is out of town.

I actually had to make them for my Volleyball team because they swept both matches last week...

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And if any of you are wondering...Costco, according to my sister, is the Happiest Place on Earth!

Colorful Past

The girls volleyball team I coach had a team dinner last night. We had finished eating our carbo load (stuffed pasta shells and garlic bread...yes mom, we had a salad too) and we were tearing into the caramel layered brownies...one of the girls said that they like my red sweatshirt. It was "a good color".

I told her that I seem to wear a lot of red. Claire likes me in that color and I have always sorta liked it. As a matter of fact, I confided in them, I have always thought it would be cool to have a nickname that is a color like "Red" or "Blue". They laughed and thought that was silly.

It was then I remembered that from about age 8 to around high school, I did have a nickname that was a color...or at least a color was in it. White-Boy.

At that age, my father was living very close to the Mexican Boarder. I was the ONLY white kid in the neighborhood.

Everyone called me "White-Boy". My friends, their parents and even the ice cream man.

"White-Boy".

I think I would prefer to be called "Red" or "Blue".

Nah, I will stick with Bogart.

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So we went and saw the 12:01am showing of Where the Wild Things Are last night...this morning?...I'll stick with last night.

The reviews have been generally good and the previews are really freak'n fantastic.

The movie...well, it was good, but not quite as good as we had hoped.

A little darker than the previews would lead you to believe, but both Claire and I enjoyed it.

I am not a parent, but I am guessing kids under 8 or 9 would probably be a little scared...older than that and they will enjoy the heck out of it.

That is all.

Kings of Leon are Stalking Me

Ever have a song follow you? It can be a little strange.

That happened to me yesterday.

I put on some music in the morning and the Kings of Leon song Use Somebody was playing.

I said to myself, "Self, I like that song. Let's go to iTunes and download it." So I went to iTunes and listened to it there. Then I downloaded it. It played as I downloaded it.

That makes it 3 times I had heard it in about 10 minutes.

A couple of hours later, I hopped into the car to head to the gym and what song that was playing? Yup, Use Somebody by Kings of Leon.

I arrived at the gym. It was playing there.

I got home, flipped on an Internet radio station and it was the second song I heard.

At 230, I left for Volleyball practice. The song played on two different radio stations during my 25 minute drive.

Sorta sick of it by this point.

I am regretting the iTunes purchase.

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On Friday, I baked a pumpkin cake...had some extra pumpkin, so I baked pumpkin cookies.

They both were fantastalicious!

Except that I ate so much of each that I am now orange and becoming very round.

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My wife has invited me to a date on Thursday.

She would like us to go see the 12:01am showing of Where the Wild Things Are.

I have not gone to a 12:01 showing since early college.

I am not a night person.

Neither is she.

It should be interesting.

Somebody's Momma is Lying

Coaching girls high school varsity volleyball has me spending a lot of time with teenage girls.

Occasionally you forget that you are around teenage girls when they are there constantly.

For example...last night I was sitting in the stands watching the JV team play. My players were sitting near me and I struck up a conversation with our setter.

Me: "Which sister is older? The outside hitter or the middle blocker?"
Her: "They are not sisters."
Me: "Of course they are. Look at them. There is no way they are not sisters...I actually am surprised they are not twins."
Her: "They are not related. They are not sisters. They get told all the time that they look alike, but they are not from the same family."
Me: "They are from the same family. They have to be. I bet they have the same dad and nobody knows. I bet the milk man is their real dad."
Her: **Blank Stare**
Me: "Or the mail man. Has anyone seen the mailman in their neighborhood?
Her: "Coach...the one dad is sitting right behind us!"
Me: **Blank Stare**

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Need to refrain from those conversations in the future.

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I am baking a cake today. Pumpkin Spice cake for Claire's book club. I have not baked a cake since the Angel Food Cake incident earlier this year.

I hope I don't die.

Party in My Mouth

I think I have found nirvana.

I think my Heaven has been decided.

The Maple Bacon Doughnut.

Yes, that is a big'ol fatty, maple doughnut...my favorite...with a couple of slabs of baconny goodness on top.

I think that has to the best "party in your mouth" ever...EVER!!!

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For those of you living in the Pacific Northwest (Portland to be exact) or within driving distance (Wes, I expect a road trip out of you!), I need to hear about this. I need to know if it is as amazing as my dreams about it are. I need to know if I can finally say that my culinary life is complete. I need to know.

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They are sold at Voodoo Doughnut...you can see their other sinful breakfast items here.
***Edit***
So, I went and looked a little more closely at the offerings...please be aware that there may be some sexually explicit doughnuts sold there...venture on at your own peril.
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Forget Europe next year, we are headed to Portland!

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Do you think they have to post the calorie count and the fat content in Portland?

Taste Buds A-Flutter

So I went out and bought this Breyers Yogurt.


It is Mint Chocolate Chip flavored.


Yogurt.


I can't decide if I like it. I have decided to keep eating it.


You know, for interesting sake.

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Yea, I know, Mint Chocolate Chip yogurt sounds disgusting...In my defense:

1. I love mint and chocolate together. It is second only to peanut butter and chocolate.
2. I had a coupon and it was double coupon day at the grocery store.
3. I like to try new things.

Would I recommend it?

I don't know. It is very weird.

2 Years Running

Two years ago today, I moved to Virginia.

I started blogging a couple weeks later.

It was not an easy move. I left behind my beloved Southern California. I left behind my closest friends. I left behind my family. I left behind carne asada and avocados.

I struggled to adapt to my new life. Living away from SoCal did not immediately agree with me.

Two years later, I would so do it again...and again...and again.

She made it worth it. She made it a lot easier than it could have been. She became my companion.

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To celebrate, I am going to the U2 concert tonight with 7 other guys...a limo ride from Norfolk to/from Charlottesville included.

I probably could have thought that ticket purchase through a little more.

Although, having never seen U2 in concert, I am rather excited about it.