In Honor of Cruise Ships

First there was a Costa cruise ship that ran aground while the captain was evidently flirting with a blond lady. Yesterday there was a fire in a Costa cruise ship engine room, leaving the ship helpless in pirate waters north of the Seychelles. So before all the cruise ships sink to the bottom of the …

It’s EXACTLY the Same … Except for the Sleet, Snow, and ICE!

The Sioux City Journal reports that Sioux City is in for sleet, ice, snow, rain, and even a thunderstorm, pretty much all at the same time. Columnist Earl Horlyk calls it a day of "weather's greatest hits." We're getting exactly the same stuff down here in Mississippi ... except for the sleet, snow, and ice. …

When Hell Freezes Over

Ever been to Mississippi in July? We were in Mississippi last July, and I suspect that, other than the humidity (something Mississippi no doubt has more of) and the smell of sulphur (something Hell no doubt has more of) there is a remarkable similarity between Hell and Mississippi in July. (By the way, Mississippi is …

A Tale of Two Regions

DATELINE: Port Gibson, MS. On our way to Mississippi to visit family we stayed overnight in Dumas, Arkansas, which, according to local claim, is in the heart of the Mississippi Delta region. (This is not the “Mississippi River Delta” as in the “mouth of the river” south of New Orleans; this is “Mississippi Delta” as …

Thanks Mom

A couple of months ago, while looking for my padded coveralls I used to wear trucking, I ran across a vest my mother made me from a kit many years ago. I suspect she made it while I was in junior high because we bought the vest kit at the same time we got a …

More Adventures in Cooking

I know. I'm in danger of turning this into a food blog! Oh well, I guess that's what fascinates me at the moment. I was with my brother and sister-in-law last week, and Marc mocked me and gave me no end of grief for my revised Basque Lamb Stew recipe (which replaced the lamb with …

Adventures in Cooking

Tonight was nearly the sort of disaster that causes one to throw up the hands in defeat and go out to eat. This morning I pulled a sirloin steak out of the freezer for tonight's dinner. We buy grass fed, grass finished beef from the One Stop Meat Shop in Sioux City. (I prefer my …

Amazing

Thursday evening I attended a prayer vigil for the father of a friend of ours. He was well known in his community (although I personally had never met him) so a very large crowd attended the vigil. Because I had not had an opportunity to see our grieving friend before the service began and because …

Why I Like My Shirts

I have two shirts I purchased for our Canadian expedition a few years back. They're skin-tight mock turtlenecks that are great for keeping the wind out and the body heat in. They're getting old and I've been looking for replacements, but I've discovered they're quite different from compression shirts (like the Under Armour stuff). Compression …

Subaru: The Best Car to Use when Abandoning Your Dog

Have you seen the latest Subaru dog commercial? If can be found here. If you don't want to watch it, here's the gist. Dogs take the Subaru wagon deep out into the country, a long way from town, to the ski slope, where the ski and frolic in the snow, and then drive away, abandoning …