Genealogy Humor and Animal Crackers

Yeah, that should catch your eye.

Years ago, I found a great parody piece of The Empire Strikes Back. The Modern Humorist site produced it. Very funny. And not edgy.

Warning ... some of the other humor at the Modern Humorist site is quite edgy (read: rude). I gave you fair warning.

And now to the Animal Crackers. Caroline (and Angie and I) have taken quite a liking to Stauffer's Animal Crackers. My aunt Shirley sent a container of the mini crackers. Caroline will say, "Baby Crackers, Baby Crackers!" We indulge her.

Nostalgia

Last post was a short trip down a very cluttered lane.

This one will be much (c)leaner, I promise.

This morning on the way to work, I heard some babbling radio psycho(therapist) discussing school lunch boxes. So I started to think about the lunch boxes that Steve and I used.

Mine was ...
Steve was much cooler. He had ...


We took them to Beekmantown Elementary School ...

That's all.

Eclectic Music - Part 1

I have some diverse tastes in music. I like classic rock, fusion jazz, Gregorian chant and a lot of stuff in between.

Yesterday I listened to the Yellowjackets self titled CD. I first heard of them at a Glad concert back in about 1986 or so. Their sound guy was playing it before the concert started. I had to go find out what it was. Now I know. Then, after lunch, I put on Asleep at the Wheel's Greatest Hits "Live and Kickin'". I was introduced to them at NAU in the early 1980s. It is funny how one remembers music and how it relates to a specific time or event. Similar to aromas, but with your ears.

Right now I'm listening to Chuck Mangione's Fun and Games. My brother got Feels So Good on cassette when it came out in 1976. He played it on a red cassette player. Steve introduced me to some other music, whether he realized it or not. Yes's Fragile, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats, Santana's Caravanserai, The Carpenters, Wings. Most were played on the Philco monster piece of furniture in the living room.

His first rock concert was Blue Oyster Cult. I think that Angel opened for them.

My first rock concert was Emerson, Lake and Palmer. SUNY Plattsburgh. I recently found a review of that show. Similar to what I remember oh those many years ago.

After moving to Arizona, the local FM station, KTAZ, was on on a tape feed, 4 hours of rotation. You could hear The Knack and then Little River Band and then KC and the Sunshine Band and then Donna Summer. 4 hours later, you'd hear it all over again.

Tim M., introduced me to the James Gang. Joe Walsh. What a guitar playing wizard. He also introduced me to Styx, Kansas, The Tubes and Billy Thorpe.

My senior year in high school I was playing bass for the Show Band. We were a working band, usually 2-3 gigs a months. We'd do shows at the Officer's Club at Ft. Huachuca mostly. We had 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 6 saxes, a rhythm section and about 4 vocalists. We did play the Tombstone Centennial Ball. That was fun. Lots of Chicago, The Association, Earth, Wind & Fire. That sort of stuff. Was introduced to the music of Maynard Ferguson. Not just his disco remix hits, but the older, late 1950s and early 1960s work.

Dan and Jeff M. played some 2nd Chapter of Acts. Mansion Builder, I think. Keith Green started to show up in my album collection as well as some Phil Keaggy.

On to college, it was more of the same, making new friends, and being exposed to their tastes in music. Paul T. liked The Cars and the Eagles. Jeff W. liked anything New Wave (Devo, B-52s) or Punk (Vom). And Jethro Tull. Steve O. (who was my roommate for my sophomore year) opened my ears to Bill Watrous, The Doors, Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Crack the Sky, Starcastle, Brian Eno, Fred Frith, and more.

I saw Doc Holliday and Loverboy open for April Wine at NAU. Yes, I sunk to a low there. But, my wonderful wife, Angie, also admits to having seen Loverboy in concert.

But this post wasn't supposed to be about concerts. That can be another post - who I've seen and who I'd like to see.

As I finish this portion of the post, I'm listening to Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus.

I should get back to work. I'll be back to link in some more of the bands later.

Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football

Updated to include the first of the two 2008 games.

I put this together sometime last year. It came out of a conversation with Ron, one of my vendors. I now post it for Mike and Barry, two Steeler fans.

1970-2008

Monday Night Football - Pittsburgh Steelers
Winner First, Home team in CAPS

Nov.  2, 1970   PITTSBURGH 21, Cincinnati 10
Oct. 18, 1971   KANSAS CITY 38, Pittsburgh 16
Nov.  5, 1973   PITTSBURGH 21, Washington 16
Dec.  3, 1973   MIAMI 30, Pittsburgh 26
Oct. 28, 1974   PITTSBURGH 24, Atlanta 17
Nov. 25, 1974   Pittsburgh 28, NEW ORLEANS 7
Nov. 24, 1975   Pittsburgh 32, HOUSTON 9
Oct.  4, 1976   MINNESOTA 17, Pittsburgh 6
Sep. 19, 1977   PITTSBURGH 27, San Francisco 0
Oct. 17, 1977   PITTSBURGH 20, Cincinnati 14
Oct. 23, 1978   Houston 24, PITTSBURGH 17
Nov. 27, 1978   Pittsburgh 24, SAN FRANCISCO 7
Sept. 3, 1979   Pittsburgh 16, NEW ENGLAND 13 (OT)
Oct. 22, 1979   PITTSBURGH 42, Denver 7
Dec. 10, 1979   HOUSTON 20, Pittsburgh 17
Oct. 20, 1980   Oakland 45, PITTSBURGH 34
Dec. 22, 1980   SAN DIEGO 26, Pittsburgh 17
Oct. 26, 1981   PITTSBURGH 26, Houston 13
Dec.  7, 1981   OAKLAND 30, Pittsburgh 27
Sep. 13, 1982   Pittsburgh 36, DALLAS 28
Oct. 10, 1983   Pittsburgh 24, CINCINNATI 14
Oct.  1, 1984   PITTSBURGH 38, Cincinnati 17
Nov. 19, 1984   NEW ORLEANS 27, Pittsburgh 24
Sep. 16, 1985   CLEVELAND 17, Pittsburgh 7
Sep. 30, 1985   Cincinnati 37, PITTSBURGH 24
Sep. 15, 1986   Denver 21, PITTSBURGH 10
Oct. 13, 1986   CINCINNATI 24, Pittsburgh 22
Oct. 29, 1990   PITTSBURGH 41, L.A. Rams 10
Oct. 14, 1991   N.Y. Giants 23, PITTSBURGH 20
Oct. 19, 1992   PITTSBURGH 20, Cincinnati 0
Sep. 27, 1993   Pittsburgh 45, ATLANTA 17
Nov. 15, 1993   PITTSBURGH 23, Buffalo 0
Dec. 13, 1993   Pittsburgh 21, MIAMI 20
Oct.  3, 1994   PITTSBURGH 30, Houston 14
Nov. 14, 1994   PITTSBURGH 23, Buffalo 10
Sep. 18, 1995   MIAMI 23, Pittsburgh 10
Nov. 13, 1995   PITTSBURGH 20, Cleveland 3
Sep. 16, 1996   PITTSBURGH 24, Buffalo 6
Oct.  7, 1996   Pittsburgh 17, KANSAS CITY 7
Nov. 25, 1996   Pittsburgh 24, MIAMI 17
Sep. 22, 1997   JACKSONVILLE 30, Pittsburgh 21
Nov.  3, 1997   KANSAS CITY 13, Pittsburgh 10
Oct. 26, 1998   Pittsburgh 20, KANSAS CITY 13
Nov.  9, 1998   Pittsburgh 27, Green Bay 20
Dec. 28, 1998   JACKSONVILLE 21, Pittsburgh 3
Oct. 25, 1999   PITTSBURGH 13, Atlanta 9
Oct. 29, 2001   PITTSBURGH 34, Tennessee 7
Sep.  9, 2002   NEW ENGLAND 30, Pittsburgh 14
Oct. 21, 2002   PITTSBURGH 28, Indianapolis 10
Dec. 23, 2002   Pittsburgh 17, TAMPA BAY 7
Nov. 17, 2003   SAN FRANCISCO 30, Pittsburgh 14
Oct. 10, 2005   Pittsburgh 24, SAN DIEGO 22
Oct. 31, 2005   PITTSBURGH 20, Baltimore 19
Nov. 28, 2005   INDIANAPOLIS 26, Pittsburgh 7
Sep. 18, 2006   JACKSONVILLE 9, Pittsburgh 0
Nov.  5, 2007   PITTSBURGH 38, Baltimore 7
Nov. 26, 2007   PITTSBURGH 3, Miami 0  *
Sep. 29, 2008   PITTSBURGH 23, Baltimore 20
Nov.  3, 2008   Pittsburgh __, WASHINGTON __  **

*   Lowest Total Score MNF to date
** (game not yet played at time of update)


    Total    Won     Lost    Percent
    -----    ---     ----    -------
Home    25     22       3      0.880
Away    33     14      19      0.424
All     58     36      22      0.621

Longest Win Streak = 6  (1992-1994)
Longest Lose Streak = 5 (1984-1986)


             times      Pitt.
Opponent       met       W-L    Percent
--------      -----      ---    -------
Cincinnati      7       (5-2)    0.714
Houston         5       (3-2)    0.600
Miami           5       (3-2)    0.600
Kansas City     4       (2-2)    0.500
Atlanta         3       (3-0)    1.000
Baltimore       3       (3-0)    1.000
Buffalo         3       (3-0)    1.000
San Francisco   3       (2-1)    0.667
Jacksonville    3       (0-3)    0.000
Cleveland       2       (1-1)    0.500
Denver          2       (1-1)    0.500
Indianapolis    2       (1-1)    0.500
New England     2       (1-1)    0.500
New Orleans     2       (1-1)    0.500
Oakland         2       (0-2)    0.000
San Diego       2       (1-1)    0.500
Dallas          1       (1-0)    1.000
Green Bay       1       (1-0)    1.000
L.A. Rams       1       (1-0)    1.000
Tampa Bay       1       (1-0)    1.000
Tennessee       1       (1-0)    1.000
Washington      1       (1-0)    1.000
N.Y. Giants     1       (0-1)    0.000
Minnesota       1       (0-1)    0.000

By Decade:
   games     W-L   Percent
   -----     ---   -------
1970s  15     (10-5)  0.667
1980s  12     (4-8)   0.333
1990s  19     (14-5)  0.737
2000s  12     (8-4)   0.667

By Month:
    games    W-L   Percent
    -----    ---   -------
Sep.    13    (6-7)   0.462  +
Oct.    22    (16-6)  0.727  ++
Nov.    16    (12-4)  0.750
Dec.     7    (2-5)   0.286

+ Pittsburgh had a 4 game L streak in the month of Sep.
(1985-1995)
++ Pittsburgh has a 9 game W streak in the month of Oct.
(1992-2005)

Some Food That I've Loved...

I love food. I like the way it tastes, the way it is presented, the way it smells. I don't gorge myself on it, I just like food. I like the food that Angie makes. I like the food that my Mom makes. I like comfort food. I like some restaurant food. So, I'd like to share a few photos of food and perhaps a few comments about them. No fancy alignment for the photos, just some good food.

This is a Michigan and fries from The Homestead Restaurant in Chazy, NY. I was up in Clinton County two years ago with Mom and Dad, Steve and Bettie (brother and sister-in-law). What's a Michigan? Here's the answer. Toot and Tellums, Nitzi's, Clare and Carl's. Those were the places to go to get a Michigan. I remember Toot 'n Tellums having a great selection of pies. The Homestead Restaurant also has some good ones. Mom had the lemon meringue. I think that I had chocolate pie. Someone else had butterscotch. Bettie?

We went to Arnie's Restaurant in Plattsburgh, with Jack and Janet for some pizza. I ordered bacon and onions. Too much onion.

Here's Steve getting a slice.

Then it was to Jack and Janet's for an evening of stories and ice cream.

We also got some apple pie from Rulfs Orchard. I've got photos, but so do they. We shared it with my grandmother. She like it. She also made some great Michigan sauce. Angie's learned from my mom. Three generations of great sauce makers. Can't beat that. My grandmother was a great cook. Actually, both of them were, but we lived closer to Grammy Aubrey, so we ate more of her food.

Then it was time to fly home from Burlington, VT. The folks took us over and we ate at the Parkway Diner. A real diner.

We had lunch and breakfast for the noontime meal. The Blueberry pancakes and bacon are mine. Mom had soup and a sandwich. Dad had pancakes and a malt or a shake. He always gets a malt or a shake (if they don't have a malt). If the spoon can't stand up, then it doesn't get full points on the George-ometer.

They were having a jazz festival while we were there. I found a hole in the wall place that served gyros. Very good. I don't have photos of the food handy, but it was very good. Another diner the next morning because storms on the east coast shut down airports, so we had to stay for the night.

All that, and more, two years ago. I still remember the sights, sounds, tastes and conversations.

But it was good to get home.