Mad Elf

Snow!

Woke up to snow this morning in Bethlehem, Pa.

Giving Thanks

Turkey, parades, grandparents and football... Thanksgiving has many traditions and depending on your family it may include cranberry jelly that jiggles on a platter in the shape of a can, fresh cranberry sauce or perhaps brandied cranberries.

Regardless of your Thanksgiving menu, the holiday evokes memories and traditions as we gather together with family and friends celebrating life’s bounty from the past year. We all know the story of the Pilgrims and who hasn’t drawn a turkey by tracing his or her own hand on a piece of paper.

I recall one Thanksgiving after I had my tonsils removed. I had no turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or any of the home-style staples of comfort food we’ve come to know and love. I ate Jello that year while curled up on the couch watching the football games.

Football has always been a big part of the holiday for me. From watching the NFL games to going to my annual hometown high school rivalry game that celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.

Attending the Phillipsburg vs. Easton game was and still is the height of Thanksgiving tradition for residents of the respective communities. While in high school it was a must to go to these games no matter how cold it was. Didn’t matter whether it was raining or snowing, you walked across the bridge from Phillipsburg to Easton en masse then hiked up the hill to Lafayette College’s Fisher Field where the game was held each year. Many a morning for these hard-core purveyors of high school football, myself included, began with a pork roll and egg sandwich downed with a cold beer – ah, the breakfast of champions!

I recall one special Thanksgiving, it was the first one Lago and I spent together. It was just the two of us in the apartment we shared in Hatfield, Pa. Lago found some recipes online for the turkey and an amazing dish of green beans made with mushrooms and shallots. We ate on this little table for two in the dining room seated next to Lago’s piano and near the sliding door that looked out on the backyard. It was the first of many Thanksgivings to come, not to mention annual trips to the grocery store in search of shallots. I remember being thankful that year, because even though I was unemployed at the time I had someone very special in my life who stood by me. Thank you, Lago.

For many, Thanksgiving was a gateway to the Christmas holiday season. Yes, “was” the operable word here. Lately it seems as if the torch that lights the Christmas holiday season has passed from Thanksgiving to Halloween in an effort to generate more holiday sales.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this time of year, but it seems like Thanksgiving has become a speed bump in the holiday community that revelers would rather rush through on their way to Christmas. Yes, Christmas is the A-List of holidays and for me followed closely by Halloween.

I think perhaps we forget that our Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday. It wasn’t until I thought about it this year that I realized Thanksgiving has more of a kinship with the 4th of July than say Halloween, Christmas or New Year’s. Like Independence Day that celebrates the birth of our nation, Thanksgiving asks us to celebrate the joys in life that we have harvested along life’s winding path and give thanks to the many who have come before us lighting our way.

Thank you dear family and friends for sharing another year!
Salut’

The Lounge Top 5 - Thanksgiving 2007
As usual I chose songs that may not be the first that to come to mind. I mean, who needs to be told about Adam Sandler's "Thanksgiving Song" right?

You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin
I love this song and it can easily fit in any time of year, but perhaps because I used it as part of a soundtrack for some old home movies that I include it here.

Stuffy Turkey – Thelonious Monk
Many instrumental jazz tunes have all sorts of names and most times the titles only have meaning to the songwriter and don’t necessarily mean anything to the listener. But, for me this song sounds like “stuffy turkey,” or maybe like one of those old Warner Bros. cartoons featuring a dancing turkey?

Thanks and Praise – G. Love
How can you go wrong with Philly’s own G. Love.

Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In a Small Town – Pearl Jam
I don’t know if it’s the time of year that this song came out, but this song has always reminded me of returning to my own small hometown around Thanksgiving.

Moonlight in Vermont – Frank Sinatra
A great, great song and I choose it here as a gateway for holiday tunes to come.

Birds!

We finally had some visitors to the bird feeder this morning. These aren't the best photos, but in the photo above there's a woodpecker in the feeder and a smaller bird perched on the shed. In the photo below a small bird picks up a breakfast snack.


It seemed as if the birds only discovered the feeder this morning, and once they did there was a flurry of activity around the feeder. It has quieted down now, perhaps they got their fill.

Sunset

I was treated to an amazing sunset this afternoon as I left work. I don't think this photo from my cell phone does it justice.

It was actually rather warm here today, but still I longed for a Winter Lager similar to Ol' Lazy Acres pictured below from last night. I didn't have time to stop at the store, so a Rolling Rock will have to do. But hardly the same now is it?

Bird Feeder

I hung our Poppa Gar original bird feeder late yesterday afternoon. I have yet to see any visitors even though we have a good share of winter birds like blue jays and cardinals. Guess they just need some time to discover it. I figured the front of the shed was a good place to hang it since at that height it can be seen from the back porch and all our back windows.

Run Lago Run

This morning Lago competed in her first 10-mile road race, the Spencer Mountain 10. She's been training for quite awhile and was great to see her finish this morning knowing how much work she has put in. Way to go Lago!

We had lunch this afternoon with some of her running partners and after a 20-min. nap and a change of clothes, Lago is off again to sing with the Carolina Voices tonight.

Sing Lago Sing!

First One of The Season

Some may say it's too early, but it's already been below freezing here on one occasion which is all it takes to break out the Sam Adams Winter Lager. Although, I still think it's too early for the Sam Adams Holiday variety pack and the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

One sip of the Winter Lager and I swear if I close my eyes I can see twinkling Christmas lights - or that may have been Lago whacking me upside the head :~)

Oh well, Salut' --
It may be cold outside (in the evening), but I've got my Winter Lager to keep me warm!

The Lounge 5

Not sure if this will be a re-curring feature or not, but with the latest post of the Halloween iTunes Mix, I thought it might be cool to share some new and old tracks that are currently in my iTunes playlist. Of course some of these will be seasonal selections as well.

Autumn in New York - Frank Sinatra
Not much needs to be said for this one. It's Francis Albert crooning a fall classic that will put you in the middle of Central Park as the leaves gently tumble to the ground.

Big Ol' Game - Joss Stone
This is a brand new track released as part of a benefit CD to fight hunger & poverty. Joss is a fav on the ol' jukebox and this tune shows why. How does such a young British woman sound so soulful? Don't know, but sounds great.

Cool Struttin' - Sonny Clark
This is a newly re-mastered jazz bop classic recorded in 1958. For you Miles fans, in on this session was the famous rhythm section of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

Eh Hee - Dave Matthews
This track actually came out back in September, but just in case you forgot about it I included it here. Believe it or not, this tune is on my iPod Run Mix and I use it toward the end of my run - usually right before I switch into high gear with either AC/DC's "Shoot To Thrill" or (OK don't laugh) Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart." I'm not a Crue fan, but all I can say is if "Kickstart My Heart" doesn't make you run fast than you must be dead. Back to Dave and "Eh Hee" - in the Dave & Tim Reynolds DVD, Dave speaks about writing this tune after visiting an African tribe with his family (BTW, Dave is actually from Africa). He played this with the full band at his show in West Palm Beach and in Charlotte. This song rocks live and if you missed him this time around hopefully it stays in the set list next year.

Bring It On Home To Me - Marc Broussard
This is a cover of a timeless classic from the same benefit CD mentioned above. Marc is a gifted singer-songwriter whose vocals stand up and demand attention. Check out some of his own songs if you haven't already.

Halloween Mix 2007

Here it is a day late, but save it for next year. The only track missing is AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" which should be placed right before "Sympathy For The Devil" in the listing. Hope y'all had a spooky Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Watch Ghost Hunters LIVE!
http://www.scifi.com/ghosthunters/

Halloween 2007 - Part II

Halloween at the Lounge brings an "old legend" to life.



Happy Halloween!

On Tap - 10/26/2007

Having a frightfully good evening with a Pete's Wicked Ale!


I couldn't believe it, or maybe I can. I stopped off to pick up some "ghoulish" beverages and no Sam Adams Octoberfest to be found, but the Winter Lager was in full effect. Love the Winter Lager, but way too early.

Salut'

On Tap - 10/19/2007

I thought it fitting to post an "On Tap" this evening as I'm enjoying a traditional Black & Tan poured with Smithwick's Irish Ale and Guinness Stout. Ah, a fine beverage for an autumn's eve.


Of course I'm listening to the Halloween Mix. Sorry no updates this year, although I am listening to the "expanded" version of the Halloween Mix on the jukebox, which includes such favorites as "Monster Mash" (yes, I broke down and added it to the playlist), "Thriller" (which is scarier? the song or Wacko Jacko?), "Helter Skelter" the U2 version, "Spooky", "Dragula", "A Nightmare on My Street" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Frank's "Autumn in New York", and this year it's good to hear the return of "The Martian Boogie" back in the mix -- this is the old Brownsville Station tune with a clip of the original Mercury Radio "War of the Worlds" mixed in.

Salut'

Halloween 2007 - Part I

October at Lago's Lounge means Halloween all month long! The Lounge proudly presents the first installment of a video for Halloween 2007. Sit back and enjoy, if you dare!



Notes about the video:
The spaceship SFX is actually a leaf blower that I distorted. The scene of the office and looking out the window on the backyard were shot during the day and I darkened to make it appear as night, a process which is aptly referred to as "day for night." You may recognize the sound clip at the end - no that's not Lago screaming - it's a clip from "The Blair Witch Project" mixed with Bobby Darin's classic "Mack the Knife." Fans of my annual Halloween mix should recognize that immediately. As for what happens next... ?

Hello Chicago!

In town for Adobe MAX 2007 web conference.

Greetings from Florida!

We arrived in sunny Florida last week to visit family, relax and see the Dave Matthews Band in West Palm Beach. We spent a few days on the beach and we got some good runs in. Lago and I ran together one day down the "broadwalk" that stretches along the beach. We estimated it was about 2.8 miles we ran and walked. Much easier to run down there where it's flat, lots of hills in our neighborhood here.

When we weren't running Lago read her Vince Flynn novels which she likens to "24" -- only better since she doesn't have to wait until January for new episodes. I had a book I just started, "Michael Palin Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years." Michael Palin is an English comedian, actor and writer best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries (from Wikipedia). Palin has kept a diary almost daily since just prior to the Pythons forming in 1969. In the book, I’m at the year 1973, when Palin and the others started work on the script for “Holy Grail” and also began a live tour performing sketches from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” Palin not only describes work with the Pythons, but also family life, sports and politics.

I was glad to have a mix of run music and jazz on my iPod for the trip. I always love to listen to jazz, but found it especially comforting while relaxing on the beach.

We only had one bad weather day, it was the day before we were to leave. We hoped to get in one more beach day, instead we got a big storm and had lunch sheltered by McGowan’s tiki-hut restaurant and bar.

What I Hate About Concerts...

The traffic getting out of the parking lot.

Dreaming Tree!

DMB @ Charlotte NC

Dave!

DMB @ WPB Fla.

DMB Up Soon

The Wailers @ WPB Fla.

Austin, TX

Travelled to Austin, TX, today for work and got here in time to enjoy all the football action for Week #1.


Even enjoyed a great taste of the west... Fat Tire brew!

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

Last Sunday, Lago and I took JP Stinkerbutt out for a bit of a hike at the nearby Anne Springs Close Greenway just over the border in South Carolina. It was about a mile down to the lake from the parking lot at the entrance. We walked all the way around the lake and then headed back. We stopped for a break and a snack at a picnic pavilion just up the hill from the lake. Fishing is allowed there, but only for members from the surrounding counties.


Horses, bikes and plain ol' hikers are allowed to roam the many pathways throughout the Greenway.


I took the cable suspension bridge over the creek, but Lago and JP took a more adventurous route.


There's a nature center there along with horses and goats. :~)

Race Fans...

I really do mean "race fans" and I'm not just saying that. Jimmy Joe Pete and I were at the Hendrick Motorsports offices yesterday and who happened to walk by... none other than Dale Jr. carrying a large jar of pickles. Why he had the pickles I do not know. He proceeded to what looked like a big beefy BMW sedan, all black with black tinted windows, and then pulled out of the parking lot.

I suppose it should be expected being here in NASCAR country, but for those keeping track that was my 2nd NASCAR encounter. If you recall, my first was a lunch with Jimmie Johnson last October.

Enough about that, it's NFL kickoff night...
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

Yo yo yo...

Howdy there sports fans! If you're looking for latest edition of On Tap you may have to wait until later this weekend. I started running again this week and I'm just plum tuckered out! No big plans for the holiday weekend. Lago is working all weekend except for Sunday. Plus I'm hungry, gots to go eat!

We had our draft in the Boo-Yah League last night and I feel my preparation paid off, especially in the later rounds when I noticed most peops didn't know who to pick. I'll try to post more on this later.

- Salut'

Soulive!

We caught Soulive here last night at a small club, The Visulite. Very cool place to see a show, previously was a movie theater. The sound system was a bit too loud - I know, they say if it's too loud you're too old. But this was not this case. I literally could barely hear anything when we left the club. These guys are awesome musicians, but we actually left a little early due to the noise level. We were sitting pretty close and in direct line of one of the massive speakers hanging from the ceiling. If we go there again, we know to sit farther back.

The only other complaint we had was the show was scheduled for a 9pm start but didn't start until well after 10pm and there was no opener. Maybe the band was watching the Panthers take a pre-season beating from the Pats who were in town last night as well.

I found the video clip below of Soulive performing a couple years ago. Dave Matthews fans may recognize Rashawn Ross playing trumpet in the clip, who now tours with Dave. Soulive just released a new CD which features a lead singer. The singer only joined the band on the new songs, and they pumped out plenty of their "old school" funky, R&B jazz to rock the house.



We must have been wearing signs on our foreheads that read "talk to us," because two separate strangers started up conversations with us while we waited for the set to begin. The first person came up because I was wearing a Dave Matthews T-shirt and she was a fellow Dave fan. The other person just started talking to us for no other reason than she was sitting near us. I got the feeling that she needed to talk constantly to someone, anyone, or she would explode. She asked if we ever saw the band before. I said not live, but we were very familiar with their music. I don't think she had heard Soulive before because she left with her husband five minutes after the band started. I guess they didn't care that they spent $44 to get in?

Supposed to be 101 here today - I can't wait for Fall to begin!!!

Green Eggs and Ham - The Remix

uhhh... some things I just have no explanation for. :~)

BTW - I only created the video accompaniment so I could post the track on YouTube.

On Tap @ Lago's Lounge - 8/17/2007

Going Back Up

I took this photo this past Friday (8/10) after we officially hit a record high of 104 degrees on Thursday followed by 102 on Friday. As you can see, my car disagreed and read slightly higher.

We just had a few days where it only climbed to the mid to upper 90s, in fact, right now it's a brisk 93 degrees - down right chilly! :~)

Tomorrow we're forecasted for 102 followed by 103 on Thursday and 99 on Friday.

It's OK though, our Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Radio City CD & DVD arrived today to keep us "cool" - yo!

On Tap @ Lago's Lounge - 8/10/2007

This week's On Tap is a little bit different...
I took a video I made for our biz presentation about our Web projects and changed out the text & graphics to show the evolution of On Tap and what you can expect to see coming soon On Tap.
Turn up your speakers & enjoy!

BTW... we totally rocked NYC this past week! :~)



Because this was not the usual On Tap, could that mean special editions of On Tap later tonight or this weekend... perhaps.
Check back to find out!

NYC, Baby!

I made it back from the Big Apple yesterday - good timing seeing as how the big storms that went through there today. Had a good trip and as you may have seen from my posts, I was able to fit in some "kick-back" time along with a biz trip. The photo above is the view from the Time Warner cafeteria on the 10th floor of the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, not a bad lunch spot eh?


My pal Sam, who I work with, and I hit the Yankees game Sunday afternoon. I wanted to get Lago a Yankees Staten Island cap, but they only had fitted caps and didn't have her size. I did get her a Yankees hoodie though.


After the game while waiting for the traffic and crowds to die down, we bowled a couple games at the bowling alley across the street from Yankees Stadium.


We had no problem getting a cab to the game, but we decided to take the subway back. An older dude helped us get on the right train and took us exactly where we needed to be on 59th Street.


It was a full sports day with dinner at the ESPN-Zone and caught some of the NFL Hall of Fame game.

We had some storm action here while I was gone and the backyard is littered with branches, but nothing major. Been hotter than blazes - got up to 101 today, mama mia!