The Curmudgeon is in a happy place today. My daughter, who four years ago, firmly believed that she would never go to college, just got her grades from the Spring Trimester at North Central College. In what was a difficult term, she managed to come in with a 3.58 GPA, which raises her overall GPA above 3.0. She has realized what I have been espousing for years, that school, while hard work, is not difficult if you just apply yourself, treat it like a job, and do what you have to do. Well done, Em, well done!
At the begining of the year, I promised a reward if she applied herself and came away with good grades for the year. The promise was that I would fund her tuition to the Woman's Chorale's summer trip to Ireland. She left yesterday, for what promises to be a great adventure, full of great sights and a lot of music. First stop on the tour, The Cliffs of Insanity, how apropos!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Friday, October 14, 2011
review Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software
What's fitting that my first post after a long hiatus will be a review of what is going to, hopefully, allow me to begin posting on a fairly regular basis. I'm writing this post with a program called Dragon naturally speaking speech recognition software. It was the Gold box deal of the day on Amazon.com at $49.99. After having seen it advertised and in the Woodfield Mall for $75 and up, I thought that the Amazon price was a steal so I went ahead and purchased it. I installed the software today and after about 15 min. of tutorial, in which I had to read approximately 15 min. worth of text, the program was up and running. From what I can tell thus far, the program performs as advertised. It is simple, easy-to-use and relatively error free. So, having only about an hours worth of practice with program thus far I would give it 4 1/2 out of five stars. You will have to be the judge of whether or not the program is worth it as I post more frequently and as you get the chance to read what Dragon has translated of my speech to this block.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Biggest Loser
I was at the chiropractor a couple of weeks ago and she had me evaluated by the medical doctor she has affiliated with the practice. He is a rather old codger. I use the term codger here not as a pejorative, but rather a drescriptor to allow you to conjure up a mental picture of this Wilfred Brimleyesque old gentleman. I assume he is retired and doing this so that he can make a little on the side and so that the bone cracker can extract the maximum from the insurance company.
After a cursuory physical exam, he tells me I need to lose 45 lbs. I needed to pay $70 for that advice about as much as I need a third eyebrow. I'm fat and I know it. I don't like it but I know it. The problem is losing weight is hard...translate to not fun...translate to easier not to do. I have known I was fat (not overweight or pleasingly plump, but downright fat) for the better part of a year. It began with the necks of my dress shirts becoming too tight and progressed to the rest of my wardrobe, to the point that I was wearing 17 inch collars and 42 inch pants. But even the ignominy of wearing suits that would look good on Orson Wells didn't motivate me. I reached my size trying to comfort myself out of the stressful depressing situation that was my daughter's illness last year. Beer, wine, pizza, fried chicken and chinese food were the staples of my diet. I didn't care though, I was on my way to becoming a TLC channel new show, 2 ton dad.
But after thinking for a while, both Mary and I decided that we were tired of being the biggest losers, and it was necessary to lose weight. We also decided it would be easier to do it together. So just before Memorial Day 2011 we embarked upon the "diet". This post was begun back around that time and is being finished in October. In the four months since we began we had a pretty successful run. At this point I have lost 33 pounds and 4 inches in pant sizes. Mary is done much better than me having down to 50 pounds thus far. It's been a difficult transition however, for as I have said I like to eat fat! I will say that dieting in the summer months is been easier than dieting in the winter because of the availability of all the fresh fruits and vegetables at this time in year. The hardest thing for me to give up was beer. Love beer, cold beer, lagers, pilsners, ales and stouts. If it has a foamy head I love it. But I also found that I love red wine as well and for whatever reason my dieting body seems to accept red wine as a weight loss drink. And who am I to complain.
So, the struggle will continue as we move from the summer into the fall and winter. Both Mary and I are determined to see that 83 pound combined total weight loss swell significantly before the new year. As time goes on all post some of the recipes that we used to we found added to the overall weight loss and keep you posted on how were doing but for now, while we may not yet be the "Biggest Losers", we're moving away from being big losers.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Life ain't just a bowl of cherries
I had a co-worker ask me for a repost of one of my previous blog entries today. When I went to look for it, I was struck by the fact that I have not written a word, recreationally for close to a year. How did that happen, I asked myself. As I cogitated on the question, I realized that it has been a pretty bad year.
An illness in the family, has rocked our world since Halloween 2009. for the succeeding 8 months, life became a process getting through one day in hopes that the next would be better. Unfortunately, every time we seemed to hit "rock bottom". we found out we were just on a shelf and that the rabbit hole extended far deeper. Sleep continually broken by nocturnal crisis, daily arguments and today's spent continually dealing with the fallout from yesterday. Chaos such that I have no really clear memories of what happened during that time, as I sit here now. I guess that the mind is a pretty resilient thing, in that it allows you to parse out bad memories and wrap them in a mental gauze that covers and softens the razor sharp edges that exist when they are viewed in their naked form. the result is that for a year many normal things have fallen by the wayside from holidays, to household maintenance and activities and in my case blogging.
We, the Curmudgeon family, have been lucky. Life is slowly taking on a sense of normalcy that has been building for 6 months. There are ups and downs, but like the Dow Industrial Average, the trend continues into generally positive territory. I see in our rear view mirror, many of the shelves that we stood on on the way down.
Nietzsche said, " If you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back." and I realize that is true. My family has encountered something fundamentally different from what we were, or at least what we thought we were and it has changed us on an elemental level. But we are not alone. While our abyss dealt with illness, we have friends who have gone through divorce, financial problems, and on and on. Some have been able to turn from the abyss, as it appears the Curmudgeon's have, while others just can't turn their gaze away.
I think that for my family, we have reached the point where life has become almost normal again. As we go through our traditions preparing for Christmas, I realize how much I enjoy normal and simple. Before, I was always jealous of what everybody else had or was doing, not realizing how good I had it or how quickly what I had could be lost. So now I think I can content myself with simple and normal. I will enjoy what I have been given and the family I am blessed with while I hope that it isn't taken away again.
An illness in the family, has rocked our world since Halloween 2009. for the succeeding 8 months, life became a process getting through one day in hopes that the next would be better. Unfortunately, every time we seemed to hit "rock bottom". we found out we were just on a shelf and that the rabbit hole extended far deeper. Sleep continually broken by nocturnal crisis, daily arguments and today's spent continually dealing with the fallout from yesterday. Chaos such that I have no really clear memories of what happened during that time, as I sit here now. I guess that the mind is a pretty resilient thing, in that it allows you to parse out bad memories and wrap them in a mental gauze that covers and softens the razor sharp edges that exist when they are viewed in their naked form. the result is that for a year many normal things have fallen by the wayside from holidays, to household maintenance and activities and in my case blogging.
We, the Curmudgeon family, have been lucky. Life is slowly taking on a sense of normalcy that has been building for 6 months. There are ups and downs, but like the Dow Industrial Average, the trend continues into generally positive territory. I see in our rear view mirror, many of the shelves that we stood on on the way down.
Nietzsche said, " If you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back." and I realize that is true. My family has encountered something fundamentally different from what we were, or at least what we thought we were and it has changed us on an elemental level. But we are not alone. While our abyss dealt with illness, we have friends who have gone through divorce, financial problems, and on and on. Some have been able to turn from the abyss, as it appears the Curmudgeon's have, while others just can't turn their gaze away.
I think that for my family, we have reached the point where life has become almost normal again. As we go through our traditions preparing for Christmas, I realize how much I enjoy normal and simple. Before, I was always jealous of what everybody else had or was doing, not realizing how good I had it or how quickly what I had could be lost. So now I think I can content myself with simple and normal. I will enjoy what I have been given and the family I am blessed with while I hope that it isn't taken away again.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Bah Humbug?
It is the night before Christmas Eve and all through the house, everyone is running around like decapitated chickens. With family coming for dinner in two days, there is wrapping to be done, cleaning to do and cooking to start. We have shopped til we are ready to drop and could get jobs as extras for Zombieland II. I thought that the holidays were supposed to be relaxing. I guess that is all part of the fantasy that ends when you are no longer a child.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Your thoughts and prayers
Please offer up your thoughts and prayers for Evie Cermak. She is the daughetr of my friends Francis and Sharon and at just 16 months old has just gone through her 3rd open heart surgery. You can follow her story by linking to the Legendary Twins blog found here on my page. If you have a chance offer up a prayer for her, her parents and the amazing medical professionals who are working so hard to see that she leads a normal healthy life.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
It is Sunday morning and the Curmudgeon is doing what we should all do on a Sunday morning, namely relaxing and resting. After all, doesn't the Bible tell us that that is why Sunday was created in the first place. Now if you listened to Mrs. Curmudgeon, she would tell you that the Curmudgeon has rested enough during the rest of the week and so should be doing something of a constructive nature on a Sunday morning.
So in a half hearted attempt to blunt the inevitable criticism of my sloth like inactivity I decided that my posting hiatus should come to an end. Now in all fairness it should be known that I have written several posts which are currently sitting in the "draft bin" of my blog. The reason they have been relegated to the dust bin of blogs is that I have ADD. My ADD is undiagnosed but is as real as any other case I have seen of this condition. The result is that I often sit down to write on a subject and find myself about an hour later with several pages of ramblings which have little if anything to do with the topic I set out to address but which certainly give insight into the workings of a dangerous mind.
With that in mind I will try to remain on point for (most of) this posting. So for your pleasure, I have three Goods, one Bad (sadly, I must say) and one Ugly to talk about. Let's take them in reverse order so as to end on a positive note.
The ugly is Governor Blagojevich. I guess that line in and of itself could be enough to make the point but today's news really highlighted how ugly this guy can be. I believe that the Governor should be given his day in court and afforded the opportunity to defend himself as innocent until proven guilty. But one has to admit that the recordings of the Governor give rise to the notion that, as Ricky Ricarrdo would say, "Rod, you got some "splainin to do." But today, the Governor is quoted as saying that he felt like Nelson Mandella and Dr. Martin Luther King when he was being led away in handcuffs. The "ugly" delusion, that somehow his profanity laced diatribes and seeming attempts at extortion rise to the level of the crusades to end apartheid or civil rights violations, truly makes it seem that we are being led, in this state, by a mentally unbalanced person. Stay tuned though, as the Governor heads to the "View" tomorrow (because, we are told he thinks Whoopi Goldberg will be sympathetic to his plight) so I am sure more wacky statements are yet to come.
The bad, I am sad to say, is Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. The Curmudgeon plunked down $19.50 on Friday for two tickets to what is Clint's last on screen appearance. Now I wanted to like this movie, as Clint ranks right up there with John Wayne as one of America's most iconic
screen actors. The story is about how a crusty old Korean war vet. Comes to terms with his emotional demons created by the atrocities of war and in doing so helps out a young Hmong boy and his family looking to escape gang influences in the racially changing neighborhood. Sounds like the makings of a great story and for the most part it is, aside from the heavy handed Christ allegory at the end. The problem with the film lies in the acting. The film is populated unbelievable actors, who make you feel as if you are watching a student film rather than a big budget Hollywood production. A case in point is Christopher Carley, who plays the 27 year old parish priest charged by Clint's dying wife to get him ti "confession" and look after him when she is gone, which she is as the movie commences. Mr. Carley's performance is amateurish and unbelievable, and as such drags down the story. The same is true with others cast in the film. On a 5 star scale this gets between 1 and a half and two. It is worth a rental when it comes out on DVD.
Now for the good. The Curmudgeon likes jazz. Usually I like it best when my daughter is singing it, but when she is not available I fall back on others, such as Miles Davis, whose "Best Of" album I am listening to as I write this. I would highly recommend this album. That said however, if I were going to the proverbial desert island and allowed only one jazz CD, it would The Nat King Cole Trio's Complete After Midnight Sessions. This is a fantastic album that is many layered, such that with each listening you find something new that you haven't heard before. One reviewer on Amazon captured it perfectly when he wrote, "The vocals are not an excuse for the musicians to jam. Instead, each of the solos, including Nat's piano offerings, augments and complements the distinctive vocal interpretations. Even when in the background, the instrumental voices of Sweets Edison, Stuff Smith, Willie Smith, and Juan Tizol are so unmistakably personal that no further showcasing of their contributions is required. The rhythmic support of John Collins (gtr), Charlie Harris
(bass), and Lee Young (drums--Lester's brother) is the model of efficiency and empathy. In short, this is an exemplary session--extemporaneous jazz that is as tight as an arranged, orchestrated session yet as free-flowing as a spontaneous one.
Not the least of the album's attributes is the song selection--17 altogether, 5 of which were not included on the original LP. It's a perfect mix of old and new, sentimental and sophisticated. Just listen to Nat's easy assurance on the up-tempo "I Know That You Know" followed by his equally masterful delivery of the relatively esoteric ballad "Blame It On My Youth," capped by a medium-tempo version of the timeless "When I Grow Too Old to Dream." Then ask yourself who else could pull off such a trinity of tunes so triumphantly--and he does it for 14 remaining songs! This album is a tour de force for Nat but, even more importantly, it's collaborative music-making of the highest order."
In my mind, there is nothing better than sitting in front of a fire, listening to this album and enjoying a glass of the next "Good" on my list.
I am not a hard liquor drinker as a rule, beer and wine are what the Cur likes most. But, there is one exception to this, Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum! I have read reviews that tout the virtues of Cruzan Single Barrel when mixed with Coke or other rum staples, but in my mind to mix this magical elixer with anything, except perhaps a cube of ice or two, would be a travesty. I discovered this while touring the distillery on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands This rich caramel colored drink has all the complexity and nuance of a good single malt scotch or a V.S.O.P. cognac. It definitely tastes of the charred oak barrels in which it was stored, but that is subtle and blended well with the tastes of vanilla and other spices. At $22-$35 per bottle it is not cheap but it is well worth the few extra dollars. It should be consumed (according to me) in a snifter or whiskey tasting glass so that you can appreciate the nose along with the mellow taste.
So get a bottle, light the fireplace, put on some good jazz and enjoy!
The final Good, is a recipe that was uncovered by Mrs. Curmudgeon and my son. And I must say kudos to them for the discovery. It came from the Pioneer Woman's Cooking website (I will post a link to this in a day or so). We made this on Saturday and it was delicious. An easy to make weekend treat that will please almost anyone, except that weird Vegan lady who lives down the block - but the heck with her anyway.
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2lb slab bacon, uncut and well chilled for easy slicing
Cracked black pepper
Lemon Pepper
4 slices of pepper jack cheese 1/8" thick
4 buns
Condiments of choice, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, etc.
Directions
Cut your slab bacon in thick strips and then cut each strip in half. Sprinkle each side of the bacon with the cracked black pepper (use as much as you are comfortable with, I use about 3 shakes per side) and press into bacon with your fingers. Fry the bacon to your desired level of crispness. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Pound the chicken breasts to a relatively equal level of thickness, between 1/4 and 3/8". Sprinkle the chicken with a little lemon pepper and fry in 2Tbls of leftover bacon grease, about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. During the last minute of cooking cover each piece of chicken with several slices of the bacon and a slice of cheese. Cover and continue to cook for another minute, until the cheese melts.
Toast your buns and lay the halves on a plate and dress with your favorite condiments. Place a chicken breast on top and serve open faced. Here is the Pioneer Woman's version. Note she served hers closed faced and she used American cheese. We like ours spicy, hence the cheese change but you can do it anyway that you like.
Bon Apitite!
So in a half hearted attempt to blunt the inevitable criticism of my sloth like inactivity I decided that my posting hiatus should come to an end. Now in all fairness it should be known that I have written several posts which are currently sitting in the "draft bin" of my blog. The reason they have been relegated to the dust bin of blogs is that I have ADD. My ADD is undiagnosed but is as real as any other case I have seen of this condition. The result is that I often sit down to write on a subject and find myself about an hour later with several pages of ramblings which have little if anything to do with the topic I set out to address but which certainly give insight into the workings of a dangerous mind.
With that in mind I will try to remain on point for (most of) this posting. So for your pleasure, I have three Goods, one Bad (sadly, I must say) and one Ugly to talk about. Let's take them in reverse order so as to end on a positive note.
The ugly is Governor Blagojevich. I guess that line in and of itself could be enough to make the point but today's news really highlighted how ugly this guy can be. I believe that the Governor should be given his day in court and afforded the opportunity to defend himself as innocent until proven guilty. But one has to admit that the recordings of the Governor give rise to the notion that, as Ricky Ricarrdo would say, "Rod, you got some "splainin to do." But today, the Governor is quoted as saying that he felt like Nelson Mandella and Dr. Martin Luther King when he was being led away in handcuffs. The "ugly" delusion, that somehow his profanity laced diatribes and seeming attempts at extortion rise to the level of the crusades to end apartheid or civil rights violations, truly makes it seem that we are being led, in this state, by a mentally unbalanced person. Stay tuned though, as the Governor heads to the "View" tomorrow (because, we are told he thinks Whoopi Goldberg will be sympathetic to his plight) so I am sure more wacky statements are yet to come.
The bad, I am sad to say, is Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. The Curmudgeon plunked down $19.50 on Friday for two tickets to what is Clint's last on screen appearance. Now I wanted to like this movie, as Clint ranks right up there with John Wayne as one of America's most iconic
screen actors. The story is about how a crusty old Korean war vet. Comes to terms with his emotional demons created by the atrocities of war and in doing so helps out a young Hmong boy and his family looking to escape gang influences in the racially changing neighborhood. Sounds like the makings of a great story and for the most part it is, aside from the heavy handed Christ allegory at the end. The problem with the film lies in the acting. The film is populated unbelievable actors, who make you feel as if you are watching a student film rather than a big budget Hollywood production. A case in point is Christopher Carley, who plays the 27 year old parish priest charged by Clint's dying wife to get him ti "confession" and look after him when she is gone, which she is as the movie commences. Mr. Carley's performance is amateurish and unbelievable, and as such drags down the story. The same is true with others cast in the film. On a 5 star scale this gets between 1 and a half and two. It is worth a rental when it comes out on DVD.Now for the good. The Curmudgeon likes jazz. Usually I like it best when my daughter is singing it, but when she is not available I fall back on others, such as Miles Davis, whose "Best Of" album I am listening to as I write this. I would highly recommend this album. That said however, if I were going to the proverbial desert island and allowed only one jazz CD, it would The Nat King Cole Trio's Complete After Midnight Sessions. This is a fantastic album that is many layered, such that with each listening you find something new that you haven't heard before. One reviewer on Amazon captured it perfectly when he wrote, "The vocals are not an excuse for the musicians to jam. Instead, each of the solos, including Nat's piano offerings, augments and complements the distinctive vocal interpretations. Even when in the background, the instrumental voices of Sweets Edison, Stuff Smith, Willie Smith, and Juan Tizol are so unmistakably personal that no further showcasing of their contributions is required. The rhythmic support of John Collins (gtr), Charlie Harris
(bass), and Lee Young (drums--Lester's brother) is the model of efficiency and empathy. In short, this is an exemplary session--extemporaneous jazz that is as tight as an arranged, orchestrated session yet as free-flowing as a spontaneous one.Not the least of the album's attributes is the song selection--17 altogether, 5 of which were not included on the original LP. It's a perfect mix of old and new, sentimental and sophisticated. Just listen to Nat's easy assurance on the up-tempo "I Know That You Know" followed by his equally masterful delivery of the relatively esoteric ballad "Blame It On My Youth," capped by a medium-tempo version of the timeless "When I Grow Too Old to Dream." Then ask yourself who else could pull off such a trinity of tunes so triumphantly--and he does it for 14 remaining songs! This album is a tour de force for Nat but, even more importantly, it's collaborative music-making of the highest order."
In my mind, there is nothing better than sitting in front of a fire, listening to this album and enjoying a glass of the next "Good" on my list.
I am not a hard liquor drinker as a rule, beer and wine are what the Cur likes most. But, there is one exception to this, Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum! I have read reviews that tout the virtues of Cruzan Single Barrel when mixed with Coke or other rum staples, but in my mind to mix this magical elixer with anything, except perhaps a cube of ice or two, would be a travesty. I discovered this while touring the distillery on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands This rich caramel colored drink has all the complexity and nuance of a good single malt scotch or a V.S.O.P. cognac. It definitely tastes of the charred oak barrels in which it was stored, but that is subtle and blended well with the tastes of vanilla and other spices. At $22-$35 per bottle it is not cheap but it is well worth the few extra dollars. It should be consumed (according to me) in a snifter or whiskey tasting glass so that you can appreciate the nose along with the mellow taste.
So get a bottle, light the fireplace, put on some good jazz and enjoy!
The final Good, is a recipe that was uncovered by Mrs. Curmudgeon and my son. And I must say kudos to them for the discovery. It came from the Pioneer Woman's Cooking website (I will post a link to this in a day or so). We made this on Saturday and it was delicious. An easy to make weekend treat that will please almost anyone, except that weird Vegan lady who lives down the block - but the heck with her anyway.
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2lb slab bacon, uncut and well chilled for easy slicing
Cracked black pepper
Lemon Pepper
4 slices of pepper jack cheese 1/8" thick
4 buns
Condiments of choice, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, etc.
Directions
Cut your slab bacon in thick strips and then cut each strip in half. Sprinkle each side of the bacon with the cracked black pepper (use as much as you are comfortable with, I use about 3 shakes per side) and press into bacon with your fingers. Fry the bacon to your desired level of crispness. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Pound the chicken breasts to a relatively equal level of thickness, between 1/4 and 3/8". Sprinkle the chicken with a little lemon pepper and fry in 2Tbls of leftover bacon grease, about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. During the last minute of cooking cover each piece of chicken with several slices of the bacon and a slice of cheese. Cover and continue to cook for another minute, until the cheese melts.
Toast your buns and lay the halves on a plate and dress with your favorite condiments. Place a chicken breast on top and serve open faced. Here is the Pioneer Woman's version. Note she served hers closed faced and she used American cheese. We like ours spicy, hence the cheese change but you can do it anyway that you like.
Bon Apitite!
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