What is that?!

Okay...so I ran across this image during one of my many internet adventures. I know what it is, but the question is...do you? Take a look and leave a comment as to what you think it is? In a couple of days...I'll reaveal the answer.



~jeremy

Holidays!

It seems like there is a holiday for every occassion...or is there? Sometimes the amount of holidays can be a little overwhelming, and the old saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Well this is exactly what the Olive Garden want's your children to do. If you have children anywhere from 1st grade through 12th grade, they can enter this contest.

Essentially the contest is for kids to come up with a new holiday. Give it a name, and share how you would celebrate it, all in essay form. The essay should be 50-250 words and the winners receive a trip to New York and a $2,500 savings bond. Deadline is December 1st, 2006.

For more information, check out the Olive Garden's website.

Grits: Hittin' Curves Lyrics

Coffee's verse:
Deadlocked in the zone, we prone to dip into the unknown
Quick to flip if one trip, first we break bread, then break heads
Look at all the people runnin' in fear, scared
Unwilling to hear what's said, hide under the shed
We lyin' in the filth, grown men layin' in our own beds
Pull ourselves up by the bootstraps
Hit them curves, dodge the trap
Don't move at a slow pace
Hand us a mic, we move the whole place
This for each and every hood,
Eighteenth Ave, Wedgewood, South side, clean cutz
Tell me who on it, tell me what you know that's good
Baller blockin' ain't an option, that ain't the purpose of my concoction
Releasin' toxins in the abyss, boxin' you in so you don't miss
Me gettin' you rockin', Nashville
Proud I'm in it, been a minute
Gettin' our due, me and my crew
Rep our city, how ‘bout you?
Hittin' curves!

Hook:
Hittin Curves, shorty, baby, ooo hoo
(Dipping in the ride, swerving in the ride)

Bridge 1:
That's why we tell them
Swerving we ruling we serving
Hittin them curves and then we
Pushing them verses them curses
They must be broken yeah
Taking them Tennessee corners
And changing lanes cause they
Brought us enough contradiction
So now we change our position yeah, yeah….

V2
Bonafide's verse
I'm in LaVergne letting the Chevy burn rubber every turn
Changing lanes while the body swang heavy to the right
Like my life hit them curves swerve as I discern to turn
Back down the one way truth and the life
I learn lessons every block counting blessings like rocks
As I bubble in the struggle in the Classic Caprice
Releasing pressure like these woofers in the back of my seats
And speaking clearer than these tweeters when I'm over these beats
I check the navigation to see what direction to take
To lead a generation headed for collision with fate
On the darker side in the ride looking through rearviews
In full speed searching for a u turn to save you hittin curves….

BRIDGE

Eat 'em Up Tigers, Eat 'em Up!

So the Tigers are down 1 game in the World Series, not too bad. However, the game last night, could've been a little better, I think.

To "positively encourage" the Tiger's into a win tonight, I made this picture.



Hope you like it Tiger fan's. Here's hoping there's a Game 7!

~jeremy

Ooo...Some Helpful Questions

After a long span of NOT dating, I'm back into it and it's going very, very well by the way, thanks for asking.

However, this post isn't about my personal life. What it is about, is that if you have trouble sometimes getting through that first date, I ran across an article on MSN.com, that gives you a few questions you can use as ammunition (for lack of a better term).

Before I give you these treasured questions, let me tell you that I haven't had to use them...yet, so I'm not sure how well they'll work, plus...these questions are acceptable for either boy or girl.

So here we go...oh and there are reasons for these questions. Here they are:

1. What's your favorite scene from your favorite movie or book?

Reason: Talking about mass media and pop culture can clue you in to similar interests and worldviews.

2. What do you love about you job?

Reason: You can delve into your date’s likes and dislikes; reveal his or her strengths; see how he or she handles conflict; and find out how happy this person is with life overall.

3. If money were no object, what would you do with your life?

Reason: This tried-and-true icebreaker showcases your date’s hopes, dreams, and even regrets—topics that often remain untouched by even serious romantic partners. Your date’s response will help clue you in to common goals and interests that go beyond what you do on a day-to-day basis.

4. What's your definition of a relationship?

Reason: Granted, it takes a bit of build-up to ask this question (usually, once you begin discussing your dating histories, you can slip this one in), but it’s worth asking. Does your date want to be wined and dined, or are you both looking for a 50/50 relationship? It’s too soon to know what this specific potential relationship will look like, but a question like this lets you share your expectations and fundamental beliefs.

5. Would you share an embarrassing moment?

Reason: This fun question is great to ask when a date has gotten a little tense or quiet, because it reveals both details of your date’s history and his or her character. Just know that you may have to share an awkward experience first in order to make your date feel comfortable.

Hope that helps some of you out!

~jeremy

"Bridge May Be Icy"

Hmm...that seems like a good warning huh?

Well let me tell you, I've been driving for a number of years now, and not once have I ever actually encountered an icy bridge, that is until this morning.

So there I was...driving eastbound on Chicago Dr., just past Elhart, when I notice of couple of cars on the side of the road.

I merge into the left lane to give them they're space, always try to be safe!

As I pass this scene I realize that the lovely touch of winter we received last night had caused some icy roads since a car that had been coming from the other direction had hit an icy patch and slid through the median to be thrown up agaist the guard rail. Let's all say thank you to the person responsible for guard rails. "Thank you!"

I believe that they were safe and being attended too, so I continued on my way. As I passed the scene I came up on a small bridge. At that point I had decided that it was probably a good idea to go ahead to merge back into the right lane.

Well, that might have been a good idea if the roads WEREN'T icy. My car started to slide and all of the sudden years of winter driving came flooding back to my memory. I got my car under control and I'm safe, but I'm here to tell you, when a sign says, "Bridge May Be Icy" it sure isn't kidding.

Also, now that my brain has been rebooted for winter driving, I think I'm set for winter now!

Just thought I share, please be safe on those roads, and it's never too early to get yourself into winter driving mode!

~jeremy

*Oh...and...um...where were the salt trucks this morning?

531762984

Are you wondering what, "531762984" means? Well, I'll give you a hint before I tell you, maybe more what it's NOT. It's not related to "Lost" in any way, so don't worry "Lost" fans, no more numbers.

It's one line from the cross-word-like puzzle "Sudoku".

Sudoku, seems to be a fairly popular alternative to the cross-word or word search. If you're unfamilar with what this game is, let me take a minute to explain it to you.

The entire game board is 9 clusters of 3 square by 3 square boxes. When you start a game there will be random (not so random) numbers filling some of the 81 little boxes. The point of the game is to make sure that every row, column, and 3 by 3 box contains ONLY the number 1-9.

Switching gears for a minute, think about those long waits at the dentist or doctors office...now...combine the two, what do you get?

Sudoku Wallpaper! Yeah! Check it out:



I'm not real sure if this will catch on, but wouldn't it be something if the next time you were in a waiting room, everyone worked together to solve a Sudoku puzzle? Sudoku...bringing the world together 9 numbers at a time.

~jeremy

"Shrek the Third"

Check this out. A third installment of one of the best computer animated movies, (in my opinion) is on it's way to theaters in 2007. Want to check out the details...well, there are very few at this point. However, you can check out the official website HERE.

My celebrity look-alikes!

Check this out, this website: myheritage.com will allow you to upload a picture of your face and it'll search it's database and display celebrities that look like you, or that you look like. Check it out. Again...sorry Lindsay Lohan.



Mark Ruffalo came in with the highest percent of accuracy at 73%. Is that a good thing? Check it out sometime, it's kind of fun. However, I put in a different picture and got completely different results. One picture turned up Shirley Temple as a result. Is my face really that girly?

~jeremy

Pretty good day...

Alright...so I apologize for being so lazy. Haven't really updated this thing in quite a while.

Moving on...World Series Tickets went on sale today, pretty exciting!

Well at about 10 this morning, the time the tickets went on sale, 5 of us here in the office hopped online to try and score some tickets.

It wasn't easy by any means, and it wasn't fast. There were wait time of 25 minutes, that only brought up a "sorry, try again later" response.

Well, at about 10:30, one of us finally got through to get some tickets. Now before I share who that lucky person is, let me tell you that we were all trying to get tickets for different games.

Mandy...tried for Game 2, Jason...tried for Game 1, Brian...I'm not sure, Troy...tried Game 2 then 6, and I tried for Game 7. Now before you pick on my choice of Game 7 hear me out. If it goes to Game 7...think about how great of a game that'll be, if it doesn't, I get a refund on the tickets. It would be a win/win situation.

Alright, so now let me tell you who actually got tickets...I did! 2 of them to be exact! Woot! (Guess we know where my bonus went)

Yeah, it's Game 7, but like I said, if the World Series goes that many games, it's going to be a good one to go to, if it doesn't I'm not out anything. Also...before you pick on me too much...check out where the seats are located: Section 104 (see graphic below)



Pretty nice huh? I guess now all I need to do is find someone to go with! Oh yeah, and guess what I didn't notice...that game is scheduled for a Sunday, which mean, Youth Group! Oops...now what do I do??

~jeremy

Cold Weather...Easy Warm Meals.

Alright, so let's be honest, with a chance of snow later this week, the weather isn't warming up. So during one of my many ventures on the internet I ran across an article on msn.com about 5 Fuss-Free Cold Weather Meals.

Since I'm not some super-chef, I thought I'd pass the recipies on to you, so that you'd have them in your pocket for a super cold day.

First one: "Corn & Sausage Chowder"



Although the sound of corn and sausage chowder, doesn't get my tastebuds all excited, it does sound warm, and I'm sure some of you out there might be itching for a recipe. So here you go.

Makes 6 servings

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
* 4 cups peeled potatoes cut in 1/2-inch cubes
* 2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 17-ounce can cream-style corn
* 1 17-ounce can whole-kernel corn, drained
* 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or kettle, cook the pork sausage and onion until the sausage is brown and the onion is tender. Drain mixture on paper towels.

2. Return sausage mixture to Dutch oven. Stir in potatoes, water, salt, marjoram, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until potato is just tender.

3. Add the cream-style corn, whole-kernel corn, and the evaporated milk. Heat through. Makes 6 servings.

Next: "Maple-Glazed Chicken and Vegetables"



This one doesn't sound too bad. Check it out.

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 cups sliced or cut-up vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, and/or parsnips), cut 1/2-inch thick
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

Directions

1. Skin chicken. Place chicken in a lightly greased shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Arrange sliced vegetables and onion around chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth over vegetables. Bake in a 425 degrees F oven 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt margarine or butter. Stir in maple syrup; heat through. Brush mixture over chicken and vegetables. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink and vegetables are tender, brushing frequently with maple syrup mixture.

3. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from pan drippings; pass pan drippings with chicken. Makes 6 servings.

Ooo...here's another: "Pan-Seared Scallops"



Not a huge seafood fan, but again...maybe you are.

Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 to 2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning or Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 10-ounce package prewashed spinach
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

Directions

1. Thaw scallops, if frozen. Rinse scallops; pat dry. In a plastic bag combine flour and seasoning. Add scallops; toss to coat. In a large skillet cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until browned and opaque, turning once. Remove scallops.

2. Add spinach to skillet; sprinkle with water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar; toss to coat evenly. Return scallops to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon. Makes 4 servings.

Here's something for the little Italian in your house: "Ravioli Lasagna"



I think this would be enjoyable, but my favorite is coming up.

Makes 4 servings

Start to Finish: 25 minutes
Ingredients

• 2 cups light chunk-style spaghetti sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 9-ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese- or meat-filled ravioli
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 1 15-ounce carton fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a 10-inch skillet, combine spaghetti sauce and water. Bring to boiling. Stir in the ravioli. Cover and cook mixture over medium heat about 5 minutes or until ravioli are nearly tender, stirring once to prevent sticking.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, and 1/4 cup Romano cheese. Dot ravioli with spinach. Spoon ricotta mixture on top of spinach. Cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes more or until ricotta layer is set and pasta is just tender. Sprinkle each serving with additional grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Mmm...I think I'd like this one the best: "Pork Chops w. Chili-Apricot Glaze"

Enjoy this one, I think I'll be having it a few times this year.

Prep: 15 min.
Broil: 16 min.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves
• 1/4 cup chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet-hot mustard or brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 boneless pork top loin chops, 1 inch thick (about 1-1/2 pounds total)

Directions

1. For glaze, cut up any large pieces in apricot jam or preserves. In a small saucepan combine jam or preserves, chili sauce, mustard, and water. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through and well blended. Remove from heat.

2. Trim excess fat from pork chops. Place chops on unheated rack of broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 8 minutes.

3. Turn pork chops; brush generously with glaze. Broil 8 to 12 minutes more or until juices run clear. Spoon any remaining glaze over meat before serving. Makes 4 servings.

That's enough for you to chew on...have fun and keep warm the next couple of days.

~jeremy

Lost: Season 3, Episode 1

"A Tale of Two Cities" (Season Premiere)

Well, "Lost" kicked off last night, and I must say that it was slightly above par. I guess I would have like to get more, however I have to remind myself that that isn't the nature of "Lost".

I'm not going to give a play by play recap of the episode because I wouldn't want to spoil anything for those who missed it. If you want a recap, head HERE.

I will say that from what I've read and heard that this season is going to be focusing more from the "Others" point of view. In the previous seasons we've been on the survivors side because they crashed on the island and the "Others" we're kidnapping them, however...think about this. The "Others" were there before the survivors just minding their own business and the survivors are the ones tearing up the place, blowing open hatches and such. Which group is good? Hard to say.

The season premiere answered few questions and only brought more to the table, however it gave us a brief look into the "Others" lives before the crash. It'll be interesting to see where this season takes us.

If you aren't a fan of "Lost", well...you should be, it's very enjoyable. It's almost like a who-dunnit mystery type of show.

I'm excited for the coming weeks because I'd like to see how the other survivors are doing. Hurley was sent back to the other side of the island at the end of the 2nd season...is he back yet? How are Sun, Jin, and Sayid? Are we going to see more of Desmond's girlfriend Penelope, and those guys who seemed to be at the north pole who claimed to have found him?

Welcome back to "Lost". Are you "Lost" yet?

Here are a few pics of last night's episode. Enjoy!

Julie (one of the "Others")

The "Others" look up to see the Plane.

A look at the "Others" village.

Kate has breakfast with Henry Gale (Ben).

Sawyer wakes up inside a bear cage. (Perhaps for Polar bears?)

Sawyer is tested.

Jack awakes to find himself trapped inside an examination room.*

*This image really confused me...this shot is NOT in the first episode, at least from what I remember.

~jeremy