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America’s Only Long Distance Running Cat
See more about Road Runner, the cat at RoadRunnerthecat.com
I Want a Cupcake Cannon Too!
That song really flips my wig, “I don’t want to Speak” by Guidance Counselor.
It’s Not Easy to Entertain
Babies These Days
God Bless the Internet.
I Say A Little Prayer for You
The Full Silkwood performing “I Say A Little Prayer” from GLEE, starring Josh Cheon, Jason Whipple and Mark Louque.
“I’m Not Afraid of Nothing.”
Which was to say I was afraid of everything.
And I was most afraid to show fear.
I was born on the Southside of Chicago back in the day that it meant the baddest part of town. You had to be tough and that was challenged every day on the mean streets. Yet none of us were afraid of nothing. We learned quickly to challenge life right back in the face.
But the truth is I was afraid of everything. Life started out real scary and by the time I was walking the Southside streets by myself I had learned to deal with my fear by being really angry.
Anger is a determined survival tool. It is useful when you are in real danger. But it is a soul sucking black-hole when it becomes a habit. Most of the time anger is just misplaced fear, and if left to fester it develops into hatred.
Well my anger was killing me harshly with its punk song and to stop it I had to first realize that I was afraid. I had no objects of fear; no spiders, or the dark. The truth was my fear was so all-encompassing that it felt ethereal. It felt like I breathed fear and exhaled anger.
Because of this I developed a staunch courage; a saving grace. I had a good reason to be afraid when I was a kid. I had been terrorized by a mentally ill mother. But when it came to the rest of the world I wasn’t about to let anybody else treat me that way. I learned to take care of myself and took the time to know myself.
I only recently won the battle with my anger, realizing that I was just avoiding being sad in those situations. It was then that I realized what I was most afraid of was being sad. I was afraid that my sadness would devour my life, and any hope of a happy life. I am learning that by allowing myself to be sad was not only rational, it is the key to my finding true happiness.
By nature I am still very cautious, and observant, knowing that there are real dangers lurking around every corner. I still have the appropriate physical fears that keep me safe. I have a healthy amount of paranoia about the unknown which is an asset in the Big City. I am fearless when it comes to taking risks intellectually. I guess FDR was right. I really do have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Treat St. Patrick’s Day
like a Real Holiday
As my friend Mary Ellen said, “Everyone wakes up this way on St Patrick’s Day morning, don’t they?”
Empty School
Check our Ben Meyer’s YouTube Channel.
Planning The Perfect
St. Patrick’s Day Feast
Ah the wearing of the green and the only day that I must have corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread! My Nana was from Ireland, Limerick, and I celebrate her memory every March 17th. I lived for many years in a very Irish section of Manhattan and I walk around and visit with my very Irish neighbors. It’s a grand day for a parade and a grand day to be Irish!
Corned beef and cabbage is the Irish-American traditional dish for St. Patrick’s Day, as corned beef is rarely eaten in Ireland anymore. This tradition was started in the mid-1800’s by the Irish immigrants settling on the lower East side of Manhattan, where their Jewish neighbors had a cheaper cut of beef, the brisket. To “corn” meat, is simply to preserve it in brine (large rock salt kernels were called “corns of salt”).
Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe
Serve the corned beef in slices, drizzled with mustard, surrounded by the veggies, basted in a bit of the stock. Serve with Irish soda bread and a pint of Guinness.
Ingredients:
1 (4-5 lb.) corned beef (serves 6-8)
1/4 cup pickling spices
2 bay leaves
3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
4 large potatoes, cut in half
6 to 8 small onions
1 cabbage
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, mashed
salt and freshly ground pepper
chicken stock (3 qts)
Guinness Extra Stout beer (6 bottles)
Method:
Place the corned beef in a large stock pot, sprinkle the spices over the meat, add the carrots and onions, and cover with the chicken stock and beer. Add the brown sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer covered for two hours.
Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in half and then cut the halves into quarters, and add to the pot. Cook for another 1-2 hours or until meat and vegetables are soft and tender.
Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
