Last Post of '08

Good riddance! What a fucking terrible year. I mean seriously, did anything really go well?! Anyway, the nice thing is that you can always look forward to a new year and new beginnings. One quick thing... I have been reading about the latest fake memoir to dupe Oprah. Frankly, who gives a shit whether or not the memoir was real? It is just a story, do you need it to be real to capture the same emotion, hope, whatever it is that you got out of it before? Seriously, if you need to model your life after someone who has already lived theirs... you are a loser. Live your own life. When you read a book, watch a show or movie, listen to the radio... it is all someone Else's interpretation of what is happening around them so in a way it is "fake" to your social construct. Go ahead, smoke a joint and contemplate that gem!

Saw a couple movies on video this past week. The Bank Job starring Jason Stratham was actually pretty entertaining. The first 10 minutes are set in a strip club and on a nude beach so there are tones of boobies which sent several of our watch party to the other room abandoning the flick. After this bit of naughtiness the movie revolves around a (surprise) bank heist and several ins and outs along the way. I thought is was worth renting and give it 1 don't get over hyped thumb up. Second on the docket... 88 Minutes w/ Al Pacino. Hey, who likes female torture?! This movie sucked. The twists were not that interesting, the acting was wooden at best, and the whole movie was like a bad horror flick. 2 thumbs down. Finally, I sat down for The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton and Tim Roth. I was expecting to not like this movie after the last Hulk fiasco but was pleasantly surprised. The acting was ok for a comic book movie, the action was pretty good, the special effects were not bad, and well I guess that's it. Go in w/ low expectations and I think you may like it. My one real criticism was that the 2 main actors were a little ridiculous. Edward Norton my be the Hulk but he runs like a 12 year old girl. They would have done themselves a great service by shooting all on foot chase scenes from the waist up. Every time I saw Ed running I started to giggle. Tim Roth? He was playing a badass English special service guy, except he must be like 4'9". The guy was towered over by everyone including the midget hulk. Hard to be a badass when you need a booster seat at Pizza Hut. 1 wobbly thumb up.

Have a fun and safe new year!!!!!!!!!!! 2 Huge thumbs down to 2008!!!!!

Brief Sports Aside

If you don't like sports go ahead and skip this post. Feel free to mosey on back to Dorktown as well!!! Hahahahaha! That's right, I am a big sports bully! Anyway, I haven't spouted off about the state of the games in awhile so I thought I would posit my 2 cents. Hey Jay, what do you think about the Yankees spending spree?! Well, it seems like a can't win proposition right? I mean it was a slamdunk the last time they dropped mad cash on Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, A-Rod... oh wait, what? You say they have not won w/ that plan and in fact have done much worse after making those moves including blowing a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the playoffs and missing the playoffs last year w/ the highest payroll in baseball?! Really?! No Shit! But Jay, this is different... Oh yeah, a 400 pound dude who sucks in the playoffs, has pitched too many innings the last 2 years and did not want to come to NY for the richest pitching contract in history... that should work out well. Burnett? He has had a solid injury filled career (I guess Carl Pavano wasn't available). Teixera might be good... Plus you still have mainstays, I can't go to my right (or left) Jeter, Melky "We can't trade this guy for a case of beer" Cabrera, Johnny "noodle arm" Damon, Broke Down Godzilla, Pitcher To Be Named Later, and the 80 year old Sandman. Print up the World Series Tickets now! The Sox? Better stay healthy, convince my favorite player Mike Lowell it was all a bad dream, and hope Brad Penny has something left in the tank. Oh yeah, and about that catcher position... Not betting my house on that one either. Although, given the current state of the housing mkt, that is not too big of a bet!

J-E-T-S!!! Jets, Jets, Jets!!!! Didn't see this coming. A Favre meltdown? 3 big interceptions? That guy is great, his career is 1 Super Bowl better than Warren Moon but everybody loves him. Tom Brady could never play another game and he was better than Favre. So is Peyton Manning. I like the Atlanta Falcons. Good for them. It took the law to free them from that punk Vick but they are finally turning it around! Kind of wish my fantasy football team had the same resurgence... I folded like the Jets down the stretch. Crap.

How 'bout them Lakers? That's right, I am a Lakers fan! I like the Celtics because I can see all of their games on local TV, and spending a few years in Boston I went to a fair number of games and have been following the team closely since before the M.L. Carr era. But in the end the Lakers are my team. I say Lakers over Celtics in 6 this year. I am betting my coworker Dick's house on this one. If I lose feel free to just go over and claim it, it's cool, he is pretty level headed. So, I guess that is it for the moment.

Holiday Exhaustion!

Man, the holidays really wipe me out. The travelling, the eating, the drinking, and all... at the end of the day it is nice to be w/ family though. BTW, drove from White River Jct. to Burlington, VT on Saturday. Dec. 27... was it snowing? Nope. Sleet or freezing rain? No and no. 40+ degrees and a rain downpour? Hell Yeah!!! Ok, so what were the Bird's favorite gifts this year? Well, I will not include some of the obvious choices but there were some real humdingers. My wife's favorite was the new and ultra sheek ironing board cover! Seriously. Mine? Definitely the Sham-Wow!!! Thanks Dad. I am totally going home tonight to dump some cola on the carpet and Sham-Wow it up!!!!! Boo-Yeah!!!!

HAPPY F*ING HOLIDAYS!!!!

I hope you all (both of you) have a great holiday week, and safe travels, and a time of relaxation and reflection. Here is an oldie but goodie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg

Jay Aboot Canada!

So, it being the holidays and all... I took last Friday off and planned to head up to Montreal w/ my special lady for lunch and some shopping. We picked out a few Indian places to check out and then put together a plan for a neighborhood to stroll around in. We have not had much luck in Montreal but had a plan this time and felt pretty good about ourselves! So we got up and leisurely ate breakfast then got on the road. It had been snowing up here in VT so we took it pretty easy on the way up as the roads were still slick. So we get up to our first place right around 2pm. Closing. Seriously, they are closing on a Friday @2PM. WTF?! OK, there is another place down the street. Already closed! I mean, in Burlington we are used to this because the hippies and trustafarians don't like to work but I figured in the city you need to actually have reasonable business hours! Next place, closed... next place, closed @3pm! F*CK!!!!! No problem, we will just go back to our original neighborhood, stroll around, and find something. Yeah, that would be fine except it was 2 degrees w/ a howling wind and sideways stinging snow!!! So we ducked into a Portuguese place. It had a large party in the back so it seemed safe. I would tell you the name but the snow stung my eyes so I couldn't see the sign. On a side note there was an old guy fast asleep sitting upright at the bar. Very European, everybody naps at 3PM. The food was ok. The bread was delicious, the salads (green and Caesar) pretty good, and the paella ok. We then walked a few blocks in the bitter cold to The Whiskey Bar. I had read about this place in 7 Days and this was the first decent review I had ever read in that rag. They were pretty dead on though. The atmosphere was dark and actually quite hip. The selection of fine liquors was fabulous... including several pages of fine scotches. The service was a little slow considering there was hardly anyone in the bar but whatever, the peace and quiet was nice. Anyway, 1 1/2 thumbs up for that place. So then we ran headlong into the gale to get back into our car and we were off. Of course it was snowing pretty hard at that point. So between talking and the snow we missed the turn to rt 35 and continued East on Rt 10. Ever been in Canada? The exits are 200 miles apart. Miss your exit and next stop, the Atlantic Ocean!!! We drove for forever and finally got ourselves heading south the west to Burlington. I give my wife a bunch of shit because here navigating skills are at times suspect. But in the snow, under pressure, and w/ me about to lose my mind... she guided us home on a safe and relatively easy path. My decision to take the scenic route made an 1.5 hour trip 4 hours though. Way to go Jaybird!!! Last little bit of fun, at the border we got the royal treatment w/ 50 questions. The best one? What did your wife have for lunch? That guy had no idea who he was messing w/! This is Jay About Town! I gave straight details baby!!! I am giving Canada 1 thumb down until the summer, that's just the way it is.

It's Made w/ Real Bits of Burger...

...so you know it's good! Got this from my wife (she is quite a character), and couldn't pass it up!

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1139319&srvc=home&position=emailed

My favorite part?

“the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat.”

Yeah, can't go wrong w/ that!

Jay About Vietnamese Restaurant II

Yup, the Jay About Town tour of local Vietnamese joints continued this week w/ a stop @ the Vietnamese Restaurant II. This cheesy sequel sounding spot is apparently trying to capitalize on the "popularity" of the Vietnamese Restaurant I, over in Essex. First off, it is in a notoriously tough location, occupying the digs of former Tantra, and before that 12 other different Asian/other type dining venues. Secondly, they do not have their liquor license yet so BYOB for the time being. I ten to think this is an ok thing but just a heads up in the event you are an outrageous booze hound and do not have time to stop at the packy store for a bottle of wine. OK, on to the food. The menu is a little schizophrenic, encompassing 55 pages (or something like that) of Thai, Vietnamese, and other assorted Asian cuisine. This kind of mishmash can often be the kiss of death. I say, stick to the Vietnamese, that's the name on the door right?! My special lady and I started w/ some delicious ginger teas. They are like an iced tea that tastes just like the soft ginger candy you can get in Chinatown. Pretty sweet, but I am a fan. We then moved on to share 3 apps; Imperial spring rolls, a marinated beef and lemongrass salad, and fried pork won tons. All 3 tasted very good. The spring rolls featured soft rice paper, plump shrimp, and really nice veggies. They tasted very fresh. The marinated beef was also very good and surprisingly clean tasting as well. Our one wish would be to put the beef on a bed of mango and cucumber as opposed to lettuce (keep the mint and cilantro), but it was still very good. The won tons were only luke warm but they had nice flavor, texture, and were not too greasy. The dipping sauce was also very good. Finally, we shared the Red Dragon Noodle bowl w/ marinated pork. The fish sauce added nice flavor (have I used that word enough?) to the pork and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Plenty of seasoning and nice fresh mint, cilantro, and a bit of peanuts. Add a little hot sauce (the table had two heats and a plum sauce) and you are in flavor town my friend! The service was very friendly, prompt, and perfectly acceptable. The bill? Cheap! Even assuming booze at some point the price point is just fine. My only 2 complaints? An over sized mat at the entrance I tripped over twice! Recognize I am very light on my feet. The other bummer was the super loud group in the corner. Yes, I am quite sure you know everything about everything, and I think all 4 of you should let the others know it but... I don't want to hear about the 14 year old girl's perfect goddess body ad nausea! Of course, that is not the restaurant's fault. 1 3/4 enthusiastic thumbs up, it's in the rotation!

BTW, girl w/ the crappy car swerving in the middle of 2 lanes on rt 7 North this morning talking on your cell phone... F*ck You! I would have flipped you off for almost causing 12 accidents but you would never have even noticed.

Flash!

Well, I am almost ashamed of my laziness this weekend... almost! I did get some work done around the house. I also was able to revisit an old friend on one of those Encore channels. Flash Gordon! My dad is a pretty big sci-fi fan, and when I was a kid he read me all sorts of old sci-fi books, including Flash Gordon stories. When the movie starring Sam Jones came out in 1980 I was only 4 but I have to imagine I watched it w/ the old man. I do remember seeing it again a few times in the early 80s along w/ other gems such as Buck Rogers, and the Dr. Who show. Well, Flash has aged well! The movie is pure camp, flashy bright colored outfits and super fake looking sets and special effects. It is also very sexual in nature which I guess I kind of missed when I was 8! Anyway, a few of the highlights include the hero kicking ass by playing modified football, midgets in bright multicolor uniforms, Max Syndow as Emperor Ming, a complete soundtrack done by Queen, hawk men, and did I mention the midgets? 2 Huge thumbs up!!!

Jay About My Couch

Yesterday I was felled by some bad chicken wings... those things really burn on the way out! It did afford me a little quiet time on the couch and I caught a couple gems on the talking box. First up I watched the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Pretty interesting but a little preachy. The main actor, Michael Rennie, had this wacky bemused look on his face throughout the movie which was cracking me up. Plus the 1951 special effects really were special. The space ship, space suits, and the robot death ray... fantastic! I mean the robot Gort? Check it out before you let Keanu ruin it for you! 2 silly thumbs up.

I then caught a real classic on Encore, "Summer Lovers", starring Peter "Eyebrows" Gallagher, and Daryl "Before I was Famous" Hannah. The movie is about a college couple who spends the summer on a Greek Island, and the meets a french woman and they turn into a three was couple. Seriously. No Joke, that is what the movie is about. First off, when I went to college I don't remember anyone looking like Daryl Hannah... of course I also don't remember many couples who both looked 32. Second, Gallagher's eyebrows actually exert gravitational pull... you could see small stones rotating around his head. Third, how do 2 college kids afford a beautiful villa in a clean area overlooking the beach? Fourth, how is it that nobody needs a job? Five... hello gratuitous nudity! Six, well, that's about it, it was a ridiculous story, some silly acting, and tons of naked people on the beach. 2 thumbs way up!

By the way, the best part about our current financial trouble is the amount of times people say "huge package", "massive package", "how many large packages do we need"? Kills me every time!

It's a Battle for the Ages!

Furley... Roper... Mano y Mano in the Three's Company throwdown! In one corner you have Mr. Furley played by the immortal Don Knots; in the other, Mr. Roper played by Norman Fell. Furley rocked an amazing jumpsuit often accompanied by a sick scarf. The looks of shock and dismay? Priceless! The voice, pure Knotts! Roper on the other hand perfected the old man perv shtick. He was the master of the double entendre and always made you feel a little uncomfortable in all interaction w/ the younger ladies. Other than Larry Dallas, there were no more important members to the cast of Three's Company. So who wins this showdown? Chime in!!!

Jay About Pho Hong

It was a chilly kind of snowy day on Sunday. The special lady and I did a quick hike and then went to grab a snack in town. First stop was the Lakeview House in SOBU... CLOSED! It was 3PM?! WTF? Next stop, Mcsomething's pub. This used to be Quatre, and before that was Greenstreets. To be honest I am not sure either of those names is exactly correct, I had never been to the newly restyled pub and was hoping to cross it off my list. Nope. In fact, it looks like the place has been closed all together and is now inhabited by a Morgan Stanley retail branch? Yup, that should last awhile. What now? How about one of the new Vietnamese joints in town? Apparently there has been a huge infusion of Vietnamese cash in the area because 3 or 4 new places have opened in the area in this past year. We decided to rock out at Pho Hong over on North Winooski. Much like Pho Dang and Miss Saigon, this place was pretty sparse and was alot like eating in an office cafeteria. The service was solid and pretty quick. It was a snack situation so we shared a couple items. First up, a solid sweet and sour soup. The soup had chicken, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and a really nice spice. It was a good size and hit the spot on a cold day. Next up was a Vietnamese crepe w/ chicken and shrimp. It came w/ a nice side of diced lettuce and mint and a sweet dipping sauce. The crepe itself was ok. It was pretty fresh and clean but not outstanding from a flavor standpoint. I spiced it up w/ some hot sauce which helped. The whole meal was topped off w/ a delicious and decadent coconut milkshake. Holy Shit it was good! The whole meal came to less than $20. I would give it 1 1/2 thumb up. Bring your own booze. I wish the setting was a little more homey but for the prices they charge, beggars cannot be choosers!

1 more little gem, we just rolled up to Starbucks in the mall for a coffee. They ran out and we had to wait while they brewed a pot. This is not the first time this has happened. If you run a coffee shop, dedicated to selling coffee (and crappy CDs)... HOW THE F*CK DO YOU RUN OUT OF F*CKING COFFEE!!!!!! It's not like we ordered a half caff double mocha crappachino or anything. we ordered 5 medium house blends. 2 thumbs down, and an extra thumb down for your Lysol smelling eggnog Starbucks!

Short but Sweet

So it was kind of a depressing week but here are a couple quick review type things...

Quantum of Solace... uhhhh, yeeaaahhh... the thing is.... I liked this movie just fine. The only problem is that the last one was 1000 times better. The newest Bond was much like the Timothy Dalton ones, tons of unintelligible action, absolutely no plot, and no character development. Sure it was an hour shorter than Casino Royal but they sacrificed all that was good about the new Bond. James Craig killing everyone in sight is just not enough (but it is close). One half hearted thumb up.

Have I reviewed the New Moon Delicatessen? Here it is... there are 12 employees standing around chatting with each other and acting like hipster actor wannabes in Burlington VT. The food is fine when they finally get around to making it. They have a nice selection of salads, sandwiches, chips, and soups. All over-priced! 1/2 a thumb up until the service really pulls a 180.

Comcast killed the Mojo channel. That was the best channel on TV. I f*cking hate Comcast. Seriously, I want to fight the people there.

Did anything good happen to Jaybird this week? Yes. It was very sad trying to comprehend the death of a friend, but it did afford me the opportunity to reconnect w/ friends I have not hung with in a bit. One more act of a friend...

Sad Day

We lost a friend this past week and it is a pretty sad day today. Sam Briggs was a good guy, and will be missed. It is never easy to lose someone this young and this sudden, my prayers go out to Sam's family. Sam... good luck on your journey.

http://www.legacy.com/burlingtonfreepress/Obituaries.asp?Page=SearchResults

It's a 2 for...uh...er... Friday. Yeah, Friday!

So the mkt is open, and I am at work, and I am actually doing work... but I have a bit of free time as well. So "Black Friday" seems like a good idea. I have been reading a bunch of stories about mad rushes and people camping out since yesterday to get in and buy shit they don't actually need at a deep discount. My time is worth something, and so is my dignity. If you need that 20% discount on the flat screen bad enough to camp out... you probably should put your money in a savings account and earn the 4%. That's real money in your pocket people. Can you imagine the crush of 1 million overweight people riding rascals w/ and oxygen tank strapped to the back at your local Walmart this morning?! F*ck that! I'd rather be here getting run over by some rogue Wall Street fat cat pushing the CMBX index lower in low liquidity so they can make money at the rest of our expense!

So I was chatting w/ my brother, sister, and her boyfriend and we got on the topic of hunting. The conversation moved into illegal poaching, and flashing your headlights at deer, and scarring them out of wildlife refuge areas, and other breaches of hunting etiquette. It being the holidays and all, I got to thinking about how Santa corralled his deer. Imagine a scene where a bunch of elves run through a field making a bunch of noise and flashing their lights, leading the reindeer right to that fat bastard Santa!

Santa: "All right you son's of bitches... get in the wagon! Don't make me shoot you, 'cause I will! Mrs. Clause loves good deer meat! On donner, on dasher..."
Dasher: "But my name is Steve..."
Santa:"It's Dasher you piece of shit... get used to it!"
Dasher:"Well, I am not so sure..."
BLAM!!!!!
Santa:"Ok, you... now you are Dasher!"
DasherII:"No Problem!"
Santa:"Yeah, you too Ted Kennedy... get your ass and your big red nose in the wagon! I'm going to call you Rudolph you goofy looking turd!"
Rudolph:"I have a gland problem that makes my nose red, it's not my fault..."
Santa:"Boo hoo hoo... I have the world's smallest violin in the wagon playing just for you, go check it out! Now on Blitzer, on Ho Ho Ho... I am going to call you Slutty! Stop sniffing that other deer's butt and get in the wagon! Do you have any idea how much shit I have to do tonight?!"

Is this really bad? Am I a bad person?

Man, I have got a bad case of Turkey Farts!

Yup, I am triptofaning balls! Nah, I am actually at work trying to snuff out the 4 other people here by means of turkey gas induced asphyxiation. Another pretty successful Thanksgiving in the books and what have we learned? Well, it was a much smoother process at the Bird household this year. My special lady read an article in the NYTimes on how to run T-Day like a business. She took the role of CEO, made me COO (that's right, nepotism bitches!), everyone else was assigned to worker bee status. It went beautifully. Dinner was prepared well, efficiently, and we kept the house pretty clean throughout the day. So here were the highlights... Once again we rocked the brined turkey. The turkey gets soaked in a salt water and spice bath for 18 hours and then cooked. It stays moist, a little salty and a little sweet, and alot of delicious! We also brought back the potato cake, almost sans butter (thanks Grand Marnier). That is always a holiday winner, but really how could potato, butter, and 2 cheeses not work?! I must admit I bailed on the turnip though I heard they were good. I did eat the garlic fried brussel sprouts which were good. There was a great cranberry relish and awesome gravy. The gravy is also salty sweet and gets great flavor from fresh marjoram and a splash of calvados (apple brandy). My favorite is the stuffing. It is a multiple step process involving sausage, apples and parsnips sauteed in the sausage grease, and a heavy dose of onions and celery. It is sick, in a good way. Desert was the capper, w/ the now traditional individual gingerbread cakes topped w/ homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream. We also had an orange, apple, cranberry pie. Hot dog! It was a great dinner, great fun w/ family, and a nice day all around. Next stop... the shitshow we affectionately call Christmas!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!

Try to go out and conquer new lands and new peoples! Oh yeah, travel safe and have a wonderful holliday as well...

Would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6E682C7Jj4

I have been giving people shit about my pinatas all day today. Probably because I am upset about something else... stupid financial markets. Sure stocks were up today. the problem is the bond market was taking it in the can! It is really an interesting tailspin. The best part is the reaction of our Treasury Secretary Paulson. He must be the dumbest "smart" guy alive. Everything he has done was too late and incredibly half assed. I am starting to think that the Bush administration is like Notre Dame football. There are hundreds of high end high school recruits every year in football. For some reason, the minute they get to South Bend Indiana... they turn into puddles and it looks like they have never played the game before. Same thing w/ the Bush White House... the moment smart people get a job there? They turn into that guy who has a hard time figuring out how to make change in a toll booth!

Another thing! Is it possible that the Bush White House will be known not for it's failures, but for bailing out on initiatives too early? TARP... they ask for a multi-billion dollar blank check, spend part of it, change course and spend another part on something else... and then leave it for the next guy to deal w/?! How about "No Child Left Behind"? More like, "No Program Fully Funded"! Boo-Yea!! Iraq? Mission accomplished! Sort of. The war on terror? We have an unmanned drone and 12 dudes in Pakistan right now hunting for a guy in the mountains that looks exactly like every other guy in the Pakistani mountains... that should work out well! Seriously, I might just move to Mexico and terrorize small towns w/ a group of banditos or something!!!

Jay About Montpelier/Randolph

Big weekend for the Birds! We had a very pleasant date night on Friday, heading over to old fave L'Amante in Burlington. We feasted on squash blossoms and beef carpaccio to start and then my lady had a very tasty pasta dish that is now escaping me and I had the gnocchi w/ slow roasted pork and tart cherries. Delicious. L'Amante is really feeling it right now. 2 thumbs up. We followed it up w/ a surprise birthday party for a friend in which they were actually surprised! Both being tired and having to get up early on Sat. we turned in pretty early.

On Saturday, my wife had to do some work for the groovy UV business school (she has a ton of pots on the burner, I am very proud). Myself on the other hand, took advantage of a rainy day and went w/ some friends to take a tour of the Switchback brewery. Switchback is a great local beer and has really made huge strides around here. It is an unfiltered brown ale w/ a nice hoppiness and a crisp finish. They only keg it and it is a very tightly held operation. The tour was very interesting but not very fun. 1 thumb up and a special what the f* after the founder slipped in an abortion reference while explaining the malting process. Hot Dog!

That evening we headed down to Randolph for the Avett Brothers concert. We stopped on the way in Montpelier for some dinner. the venue of choice? The Black Door. Several of us went w/ the soup, a bean soup that had nice flavor, and then the burger. Mine was very good although the cheddar needed to be melted a bit more. My wife's was undercooked and very rare. It did come w/ a nice garlic mayo, and some green herb spread as well as delicious fries and a decent side of greens. I thought it was good and the space is very nice. 1 1/4 thumbs up. Have to try it again to really get a good feel. Then on to Randolph! I must admit, after having lived in VT most of my 32 years and having passed the Randolph exit, 1000s of times... I have never been farther into Randolph than the Mobil just off the exit. We headed into a nice little town that was mostly shut down and set up camp in the very small and very cozy Chandler Theater. It was a great place w/ really no bad seats. To be fair, I am not as big a fan of the Avetts as my wife and had reservations about this sometime fruity band. I was way off... they were great, tons of energy, a tight sound. It was a really fun show. And the crowd! Shit!! I have NEVER seen a crowd this in tune and this fired up to see a band. These people were insane. The applause before the encore was deafening. Then one of the guys cut his hand while drumming then continued to pound the drums, absolutely pound them while bleeding all over the place. It was something. 2 big thumbs up. Apparently this band just signed w/ Columbia and is about to hit big so you may not see them in a small venue until the downside of their career where they play the Champlain Valley Fair and then What Ale's You... but in the meantime, if you have a chance to check them out, do it. Was that a long enough run on sentence? 2 thumbs way up for the Avett Brothers live, 3 thumbs up for my run on sentence!!

Jay About Top Chef!

I admit it... I like Top Chef on the Bravo channel. I really do. I got myself all set up so I could watch it uninterrupted last night. I even got a little annoyed when my wife was talking while the show was going on. It's like my love affair w/ fruity cocktails. Laugh if you want but I am ALL MAN!!! Last night's season premier was pretty good. Padma looks skinny again, the show is in NY which is a true battleground, and they have all ready built up some dram thanks to a couple Euro twerps who happen to be good chefs. One funny aside, I love it when shows have subtitles for people even when they are speaking English! They did it all through the show last night. Any hint of an accent and the speaker got subtitles. Hilarious! Oh yeah, I am also having a great time watching the financial mkts meltdown. Was speaking w/ a co-worker and I have decided to install a tollbooth on my ass because the market is driving down taint boulevard and cramming into the Jay Arse tunnel! I might as well get paid for that kind of traffic!!!!!

Uh, errr, I think I just blacked out for a second there.... happy place, happy place, happy place. I am going to go watch a Top Chef rerun, drink a Mai Tai, and eat some cookies!

Jay About Menores

So Burlington, VT is not a huge metropolis... we do not have that many restaurants in general and when a new one opens up it should be a bit of an event. Except for the fact that it is not an event. Menores opened this weekend in the old Waiting Room/Opus/Plan B space. Was it covered by the city's major paper the Burlington Free Press? Nope... they were busy checking out the Vermont Comedy Divas. I didn't see that show but judging by the size, haircuts, and outfits those "divas" were rocking... they must have been hilarious! How about our local TV media? WCAX? Nope, they are busy perusing through the goods at the hopping local flea market. WPTZ? Uh, not exactly... but I did learn that some folks used deer urine in a protest against VT Yankee! OK, well at least 7 Days must have a leftist leaning verbal diarrhea spout out concerning the new restaurant? Yup! A 111 word dingle berry straight from the owners. Pretty obvious they did not actually eat there.

So once again it is up to your fearless reviewer Jay and his special lady A to hit the town and find out what's what! We hit the spot w/ the Biscuit and his lady J as well as new dinner and dining pals L&L. Menores does not take reservations so when we were the first to show up @ 7pm, my lady went to put our names in and I made my way to the bar. The place was busy w/ a small line forming for tables. 2 folks got up from the bar just as I walked up. Boo-Yeah! I had plenty of time to look around. The space is nice. I like the colors, I like the way the space is laid out. During dinner we would discover the tables are jammed just a tad too close together. Anywho, it took my lady about 10 minutes to get the attention of the hostess and put our names in. No problem though because none of the 5 people behind the bar had even given myself or any of the other bar patrons a glance. Of course the moment my wife sat down one of the douchebags immediately took our order. Unfortunately the Margaritas suck... too much sour mix, not enough tequila. Well, the rest of our party arrived and we were seated promptly. Dinner started w/ a few beers and a starter of goat cheese and chorizo stuffed jalapenos. They were not temperature hot but they did taste good. Onto the main course, nearly an hour later. I had the sliders and spicy cheese fries. The sliders were dry and did not have any of the "toppings of your choice" that I had chosen. The fries were very good though and were the hit of the table. My lady had the chicken enchiladas. You cannot mix and match. One kind of filling only! They were pretty good, not hot though. Overall the food was not hot and not that great. Not a big surprise as there are way too many tables for the small kitchen to handle. Oh yeah, the waitress also dumped water on J. She took it in stride though. The bill was not too onerous which was good. The table gave the meal 1/2 to 3/4 of a thumb up. It was the first weekend so we will give the place the benefit of the doubt. At the moment it is only on par w/ Madeiras food wise but the drinks are not as good. So there you have it...

http://www.menoresvt.com/

Thank Goodness I Kick Ass!!!

I hate the TGIF thing, really do. That said, I am pretty glad this week is over. Fridays are always a little something special here at my place of business. Usually, we have pizza brought in on Fridays. On some special Fridays though we get something different, and this was one of those Fridays! On the menu today? Big Fattys!!! Boo-Yeah! I ate a pulled pork sandwich w/ coleslaw. Delicious tender falling off the bone chicken. Cornbread w/ bacon. Collard greens w/ some sort of super fatty pork product. Beans w/ bacon!!! Finished it off w/ a left over Halloween tootsie roll. The perfect Friday Lunch? You bet!!! Food coma setting in? Check and mate!!!!!

Seriously, Why?!

Ok, in all fairness... I have read the first 2 Harry Potter books and enjoyed them. I did not love them (like my special lady) but I thought they were entertaining enough. I have seen several of the movies. Same story. But why in the world does Middlebury think it is a good idea to start a Quidditch revolution?! I mean, I like to think I went to a good college w/ smart people but I didn't think I was in NERDTOWN!!! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPYCQ2fAUs

I'll show 'em!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3njjD41f48&feature=related

Oh yeah, went back to the red Onion and had a chicken salad sandwich on honey oat bread. It was fine. This weeks tally, 1 very good, 1 adequate, 2 poor showings. Pizza Friday tomorrow!!!

OBAMAMANIA!!!!

No 2 ways about it, this is a historic moment in United States history... hard to tell if it will end up being a good thing or a bad thing for the country but it certainly is a positive step psychologically. Maybe during the next election there will not need to be any stories about how one of the candidates is half black. I mean, everyone knows what the color of your skin does to your view on economic policy, and I don't need to tell you how having a wiener changes your outlook on health care... Good for Obama though. I am nervous about plenty of the baggage that comes with the democratic majority but it is refreshing to see a young energetic guy that seems to project confidence. I have always said that 1/2 of being a leader is looking like a leader, and I think Obama fits the bill. I am cautiously optimistic.

Now on to the important stuff. I ate a cajun burrito w/ carnitas and guacamole from Boloco today. Pork was cold, beans were undercooked, and the rice was lumpy. The food at Boloco is kind of like the J-E-T-S this season... maddeningly inconsistent. Sometimes it is pretty good, most of the time it is average, and sometimes it is terrible. 1/2 a thumb up. So far I am 1 for 3 on decent lunch this week... go Burlington!!!!

Lunchie-Munchie

Hey, it's election day! Got up a little late today and rolled into the local Charlotte polling place. No line. There were plenty of chuckleheads outside trying to smile, act friendly, and get me to vote for some person I do not know. Good luck chum...ps!!! How would you like to have the job title of "pole watcher"? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Thanks Dick, for that gem. I voted for Jimmy-D Douglas for governor. That's all I will tell you, I am mysterious like that!!

OK, so down to business... what did I have for lunch today? Well, I was actually quite busy around noon so i went up to the Mad Hatter. It is under very recently changed ownership and the results are just a bit off. I had a turkey and cheddar on wheat. To be fair, the Hatter has always been a cheap alternative offering a lunch almost exactly like you would make at home in a rush before you ran out of the door, so you know what to expect. That said, I am not sure if it was the tomato, mayo, or pickle but something smelled and tasted a little funny and the sandwich was a little damp. GROSS. I did not finish it. I did finish my small bag of Lays BBQ potato chips though. 2 thumbs down today, poor form new ownership.

2 Posts in 1 Day? It Must Be Guy Fawkes Day!!!!

Nope, I just had a couple minutes and thought... what the shit! I was just kicking around the thought of a new feature destined for a short run... what did Jay have for lunch today? Well, funny you should ask! Today I made my way over to the Red Onion sandwich shop. Usually I make a run for the chicken salad or even roast beef but not today. My co-worker Dick and I rolled in and immediately were drawn to the special, like little kids and a shiny object. Today's special? Meatloaf sandwich on (I had wheat) w/ lettuce, tomato, bacon, blue cheese, and garlic mayo. Do you need bacon and meat loaf? Your doctor would probably advise against it. Should you have blue cheese And garlic mayo? Only if you are unimpressed with how others view your person. Is it ethical to put all of these ingredients together and sell it to the public?! F*ck NO!!! But these culinary mavericks did it anyway. Sure I had trouble breathing for 20 minutes and couldn't feel my legs for a bit. Ok, Dick had a meat loaf migraine and left early for the day (claimed he had to pick up his kid... yeah sure). It was delicious and I don't regret my decision for a moment! My wife will certainly be regretting it tonight though! BOO-YEAH!!!!!

Jay About Shelburne

my special lady and I had a nice quiet weekend if you care. Rather than wait in line for a crappy bar in a stupid costume, we went to a very nice and civilized dinner party where we sipped wine, engaged in conversation, and got a Playstation 3 demo! Saturday we woke up kind of late and hit up the grand opening Open Arms Cafe in Shelburne. The town needed a nice mellow breakfast/lunch place and this seemed likely to fit the bill. We wandered into the old building right around noon or so and were welcomed w/ a flurry of running screaming kids, a super disorganized line populated w/ morons who couldn't decide between a turkey or chicken wrap, and a staff clearly above their heads! Ok, let me back up a second... The space is very nice, like someones home. It is very well lit w/ plenty of natural light and is kept at a reasonable temperature. There is a eat in kitchen type room w/ a children's play area and the order area, as well as 2 other smaller dining rooms. You order your food at the order counter (pay now or later apparently) and then you get a table marker to take back to a table and wait for your food to be brought to you. This would work except there are too many markers for the number of tables so you could order food and then have nowhere to sit. The food is mostly organic and locally grown which is great. They also have a selection of fresh squeezed juices and several baked goods. So being the grand opening, there were several families spread around the restaurant and kids getting fake tattoos. Seth Yacavone was playing guitar and singing about 20000 decibels to loud for the time and setting. The food wasn't bad. My lady had a nice but somewhat bland turkey wrap. A little spicy mustard would have been money. I had a delicious Cuban sandwich, the bread was phenomenal. Overall I give it 1 tentative thumb up. The place could be great but it is run by admitted non-restaurant people depending on the help of friends. They are trying to run it like home but that eventually will blow up. I am giving them 6 months before their friends stop helping and they run out of money. Too bad.

Couple other things... Do you know why Ford, GM, etc... can't sell cars? The cars they are selling SUCK! Ford Focus? Really?? So, if Obama wins the popular but loses the electoral vote that will be a fun riot, no? Who is Jay About Town endorsing? Not telling. I am afraid McCain might not live out his term and am terrified of a Palin presidency... does that outweigh my fear of a democrat super-majority and the higher taxes/out of control spending that comes with? Not sure. I am calling it a game time decision. Pretty sucky movie selection out there. I don't care what the critics say, I am looking forward to the new James Bond movie. Matt Cassel... looks like a deer in the headlights out there. No Super Bowl for the Pats this year. Watching a whole episode of Saturday Night Live is like getting punched in one testicle, sure it's not as bad as it could be... but it ain't good. Just watch the 2 funny clips on the Internet and save yourself some pain.

Know what I love about local politics?
http://burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20081103/NEWS03/811030302
That is what I call a Renaissance Man!!!!

BTW, wondering who's picture that is? One of the VT candidates for govenor! Peter Diamondstone ladies and gentlemen!!!

Happy Haloween!

We will be handing out half eaten candybars and other crap we don't want anymore. It is kind of like a yard sale! Yaaaaaayyyyy!!!!

Jay About Magnolia

You want to know what Jaybird and his special lady really dig? Brunch! This weekend we were fortunate enough to join a friend we had not seen in awhile for a nice leisurely brunch at Magnolia. To be fair, I was more than a little skeptical about our destination of choice. First off, they bill themselves as eco-friendly/organic fare. That usually translates into taste free mush! Secondly, they are domiciled in the old Hector's space. Put it this way, how many classy joints do you know of that hols beer pong tourneys in the basement. Third, there was a huge line up the stairs when we got there! So, first off... big props to my lady, when there is a line or a wait I usually hang back while she busts up to the maitre di and takes care of business! Once again, she made it happen, and the line moved very quickly. We were sitting down in no time and were able to take in the very bright, well positioned space. Magnolia is actually a very pleasant place to eat from an aesthetic standpoint. On to the food. They have a full bar and the bloody marys LOOKED pretty good, though we had orange juice (fresh squeezed, delicious) so I cannot actually vouch. Our waitstaff was attractive, friendly, and professional. Plus they kept the water glasses full without hovering. Now to the important stuff, the food. I had a tarragon chicken salad sandwich w/ cranberry mayo on sourdough... warm, crispy and delicious. The salad greens on the side were not overly dressed and were nice as well. My Lady rocked her usual, the breakfast burrito. It was good, not great. I think it may have needed more beans but it was very clean and very fresh tasting. Even the home fries were not greasy or heavy. I am giving the place 2 thumbs up. They only do breakfast and lunch but it is a nice way to start the day... even if you start that day around noon!

So Sunday night I watched the movie Strangeland, a Dee Snider passion play. Know old Dee is one of my favorite characters from the 80s glam metal scene, he was the lead tranny/singer for Twisted Sister. This movie however... uh, well, there were alot of tattoos, loud industrial goth metal, and needles. It may have had a message but in the end I am not sure what that message was. I won't ruin it for you, Dee has already taken care of that!

Hey, World Series huh? Thanks Tampa for blowing your wad against Boston. This is one of the worst series ever. Tampa's "big hitters" are 2 for the series. The Phillies have left 12 clown cars full of base runners in scoring position. Clutch hits? Not in this piece of shit. Of course the piece de resistance was last night where a hurricane blew through and they had to postpone the game half way through the 6th inning (about 5 innings later than they should have called it)! Good times!!!

Me? I am just a gigolo, and everywhere I go... people know the part I'm playin'!

Fun w/ the Market

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE DOW (Bonnie Tyler ) uh… and Jay G.

Turnaround, every now and then I lose a little bit a’ money and you're never coming around Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit tired of watching all my stocks go down

Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that I may have to work till I die

Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see green come up on the screen

Turnaround Dow Jones,

Every now and then I have to fart

Turnaround Dow Jones,

Every now and then I have to fart
Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of positive equity

Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I try to double down

Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to go into bonds

Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see green come up on the screen

Turnaround Dow Jones,

Every now and then I have to fart

Turnaround bright eyes,

Every now and then I have to fart
And I need you now to go up

And I need you more at 10K

And if you'll only not blow up

We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right

Cause we'll never be wrong together We can have a positive return

Your P/E is like a shadow on me all of the time

I don't know what to do and I'm always in the red

We're living in a powder keg and stopped giving off yield

I really need you today

Recession’s gonna stop today

Recession’s gonna stop today
Once upon a time I was levering up

But now I'm only losing my home

There's nothing I can do A total eclipse of the Dow

Once upon a time there was cash in the bank

But now there's only repo guys on the phone

Nothing I can say A total eclipse of the Dow

Ugh

You know... sometimes you have those days where the world kind of slaps you in the face. Friday was one of those days for me. It has been a very interesting year so far. The strain can be seen in very acute terms as well as an overall fear and panic that seems to be gripping the world right now. Funny how a financial disaster can make everyone go cuckoo for coco puffs. On top of that the Red Sox got knocked out of the playoffs last night, I lost my fantasy football matchup pretty handily, and I am pretty sure my farts reached a level red on the old terrorism scale yesterday! F*ck!!! I guess you have to assume that when everything seems very bleak and there is no discernible light at the end of the tunnel, you have actually reached the near bottom and will soon see that first shard of illumination. I hope that is the case anyway.

So to lighten things up a little... here is my 5 second recap of Sunday's sporting events! Seattle got creamed by Tampa Bay, possessing the ball for 18 of 60 minutes. I have taken dumps that lasted longer than 18 minutes...the looked and smelled better too! The Brad Johnson/Roy Willliams era opened in Dallas, it went so badly Jerry Jones fake face exploded! San Fran has the ball and J.T. O'Sullivan... FUMBLES!!! What is that at the end of the rainbow? Apparently a turnover! Well, at least Reggie Bush has Kim Kardasian to talk to ($20 says that dude tries to drive off a bridge in less than a week). San Di-suck-o, anybody left on the Norv Turner bandwagon? 2 of the best defenses in the league, Vikings vs Bears... 89 total points, 766 total yards. Anybody get the over on that shoot out? Tennesse is good (Vince Young is not). Glad Peyton Manning is my fantasy QB, now I can hate him in real life AND in fake life!! J-E-T-S... oops.. can we get Pennington back? Red Sox... when did Varitek and Ortiz both turn 80, I forgot to send a gift? That guy Matt Garza is a punk. How can you have enough saliva to spit every second for 4 hours? Lester pitched well, just not quite well enough. Tough way to end, but could kind of see it coming. Too bad.

We ate at Taste on Saturday night with a large group. Decent food, ok service, good wine, reasonable cost. I say 1 2/3 thumbs up!

Gotta Be Flexible!

Spent the weekend w/ the in laws. Usually, it is not that daunting for me as I really like my wife's family. This weekend was a little overwhelming though. Possibly my already somewhat fragile mental state played a part. I was able to shoot one of my best rounds of golf ever though posting an 86 in a "shamble" format. Everyone hits a drive, you all use the best drive and then play your own ball the rest of the way. It was a beautiful day. We took a carload down to Conn. w/ sister, her boyfriend, and another pal. It was wild and wacky!!! BTW, my name is Gene, I am from Germantown, and I drink Gin... in case you were wondering. We also had a couple of very fine meals including home cooked ribs and wonderful garlic braised brussel sprouts.

On Saturday we packed into the living room and took in the Nick Cage action extravaganza Next on the in laws new 58" Panasonic HDTV (complete w/ blue ray disc player). After a little battle w/ the speakers, and audio in general (and by little I mean I was almost kicked out of the family for trying to start a steel cage match w/ several family members), we were treated to one of the best pictures I have ever seen. You could really see Cage's hair plugs! Plus Jessica Beil's boobs were life size, BOO-YEAH!!! The movie itself wasn't half bad. There was a semblance of a story, great special effects, and it was less sucky than say... GhostRider! 1 future telling thumb up.

The ride home was also a treat. Leaf peeping galore! We also were treated to a sighting of Tater's Pizzaria. Too bad we had already eaten!

One little item from the BTV area. Roque's has a new name, Madera's! Of course the food is the same, the drinks are the same, and the decor is the same. We were having a fine time the other night laughing, joking, eating a halfway decent fajita burrito... and then? The jack asses gave us our bill and as our host was writing the tip they claimed we were being too loud, customers were complaining, and we had to leave! One, we were leaving anyway. Two, it is a f*ing Mexican place not fine dining... it is supposed to be loud. Third, no one complained to us? Needless to say, the tip was drastically reduced and they were lucky to get anything more than the bird. 2 ginormous thumbs down and a temporary ban!!!

Hey, 940 up on the Dow yesterday? Guess Columbus discovered a sack full of money and his stock broker! Shazam!!!!

Well like I always say, better late than never! (yeah, I say that... that and the F-word, I say that alot too)

Hey Look... It's a New Feature!

Yup, we here at Jay About Town (you know, the royal we) are always looking for ways to make the site more exciting! I have been noticing on a few of my favorite websites that they have something akin to the "babe of the week" and I tought, WTF?! if it is good enough for the Sun, it's good enough for me!!! I hope to update this section everyweek w/ a new piece of eye candy. ENJOY!!!

In Your Face History!!!

So how about those financial markets huh? It appears to be like quicksand at the moment... the more you struggle, the deeper you get. So I am just going to send my consciousness in a new direction and try to remember, it could be worse... I could live in Somalia! not for nothing, but the Somalian Pirates made somewhere in the neighborhood of $30mm last year. Think they get dental and a 401K plan w/ that? At least they don't have to have the SEC bust their balls about stock options!

Anywho. Red Sox pulled out a huge win last night to advance to the AL Conference finals. Great pitching from Jon Lester and really just a great story. Kid had cancer a year ago, now he is a staff ace on the defending world champions. The Sox really kill me though, the highs and lows. I was giddy when they went up 2-0. Kotsay really brought some defensive energy to the table last night as well as a timely hit. Of course I then almost had a heart attack when the rookie Masterson pooped all over himself and gave the lead right back up and then let a guy get to third w/ one out in the ninth. But then joy when they finally strung together a couple of big hits and another rookie, Jed Lowrie delivered the game winning (Bay) run in the bottom of the ninth. What a roller coaster! BTW, to the Anaheim Whiners (Angels)... shut the F*ck up and stop crying. YOU made the costly errors, YOU made the base running gaffes, YOU left all of those runners on base. That's the way the game goes, call it the ghost of Hendu!

Ever notice the similarities between GW and Brick from Anchorman... "I love lamp!"

A quick football recap... Larry Johnson and Ladainianinan Tomlinson, welcome to irrelevancy. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, exciting! Patriots, back in the mix. Seahawks, way out of the mix. Dolphins, frisky. Cardinals, frisky. Bengals, frumpy. Eagles, frumpy. Giants for real. Steelers... smoke and mirrors.

So 2 faves once again made the grade this week for my special lady and I. Tiny Thai. Always good, always cheap. Try the Drunken Noodles, you won't be sorry. Finally, the best restaurant in Vermont at the moment? Hen of the Wood in Waterbury. It is top notch. Good service, great food, great atmosphere, good wine, stiff pours... there is not one thing I didn't like about my meal on Saturday (except the drive home!). Try the fried oysters, or the mushroom bread, or the pork cheeks, or the calamari, or the scallops, or my personal fave the short ribs. Heck, spend a week and try EVERYTHING!!!!!!! I should work in marketing for that place.

Guess that is just about it for now... Happy birthday NS!

Lessons Learned?

So I was watching the debates last night, and then reading the commentaries this morning. One overriding theme was how Sarah Palin had acquitted herself quite well. How had she managed to break even or possibly win the debate you ask? Well folks seemed to think she didn't fall flat on her face, had a well prepared debate strategy, and they were taken by her folksy ways! Well that's just great! Are we a country of morons?! Know who else managed to not fall on their face, read prepared scripts well, and had a nice folksy manner? George W. Bush! How has that worked out?! I am not sure about the rest of America but I do not want the person next door as a president or vp. I don't' want somebody who might be fun to have a beer with. I don't want that weirdo who runs the local church group and is president of the PTA. I want somebody who knows the ins and outs of Washington, someone who is well spoken and seems like a leader. I want somebody who I perceive to be almost as intelligent as I am if not more so for F*ck sake!!! I mean, Palin didn't even answer the questions she was being asked because she was only able to read from her script!!!!!!! She may be a nice person, she may have a very bright political future... but right now she is falling into the GW, Quayle, Stockdale abyss and that ain't good!!! Stop being stupid America!!!!!

R.I.P. Mr. Newman

In my rage this week I forgot to post on the passing of Paul Newman. Great actor, by all accounts a good family man, and a true humanitarian. It is a sad time...

Like Any Great Saga

I have here an ending to the financial market trilogy.

Man, those assholes in Congress FUCKED UP!!!!!! 773 down on the down, markets seized up all over. Why? Because a bunch of dipshits just had a poo tossing match on the floor of the House of Representatives. Awesome

Wanna know What Congress is Really Doing?

Don't kid yourself... they got that $700BN bailout package done last week. It was originally $701BN, the are having a P-Diddy party this weekend w/ the extra billion!

Those Damn Wall Street Fat Cats!!!!

Always f*ing up main street!

BTW... ate at the Bearded Frog the other night. Way too much butter and heavy cream, both A-Bird and I were up all night w/ heart burn.

I did have a good duck confit quesadilla @ the Green Room last night, very spicy! Yeah I drink Campari and sodas, you wanna make something of it?!

Jay About Cooperstown

The special lady A-bird and I went to a wedding of a good friend this weekend in Cooperstown and let me tell you something... there were a ton of cocks and pussies there!!! there were pigs, and cows, and other animals too. It was on a farm! I am ashamed of you for even thinking that way! ASHAMED!!! Anyway, it was a beautiful wedding and alot of fun. We had a bunch of really good friends there and the setting was very nice. The food was good and the booze was plentiful. The ceremony was pretty short and very heartfelt. I am giving it 2 thumbs up. Cooperstown is an interesting town. It is baseball crazy. There is the hall of fame of course, but then on the main strip there is a baseball memorabilia store every other storefront. I am not exaggerating... at all. Seriously. We stayed a a nice historic inn, The Cooper Inn. Rooms were nice and clean, bed was comfy, fine water pressure.

Friday night got a little ugly. We did a number on the scotch at the pre-rehearsal dinner reception, and then had a few beers/glasses of wine at dinner. Tons of speeches, ran a little long. Our friends are in the biz out in L.A., I don't want to belabor the point but needless to say there was a lot of hair product and skinny jeans. My clack sport coat and dress slacks (and then power blue pinstripe suit on Saturday) just didn't quite seem to fit in. I have been know to be a fashion maverick though. So back to Friday night. After dinner we headed downstairs to the bar at the Otesaga hotel. It was split in 2 parts, 1 part was a small bar filled w/ fat dudes attending a sportscaster/insurance conference. When we showed up w/ women it was a scene straight out of a National Geographic special, heads turned and it felt like a pack of hyenas was about to descend on the helpless ladyfolk! Fun aside, Robert Wuhl, aka Arliss, was there as a guest speaker. Man, did he look bored as hell entertaining a bunch of fat drunk sportscaster wanna-bees. Next door was a dance floor w/ a decent band and only 1 couple dancing... and a fat guy passed out in his chair in the corner. Once the wedding party rolled in we got that party started though. And kept it going to town where we rocked out at 2 of the most skeevy dive bars I have ever been in. Hey, I love dive bars, but when we walked in the first place, Puma and I took stock of the available pool cues and tried to decide how many guys we might have to fight to get out of there. One big fat ya-yo bought us a round of drinks figuring the 6-2 women to men ratio of our party might work in his favor. A total makeover, $100K, and roofies might not have made that trade work for him but thanks for the beer, "Karl"!

Saturday was a little rough waking up, but Puma and I woke up early and played golf at the Otesaga course. Really beautiful course. We played w/ 2 lovely LPGA honeys. just kidding, pretty sure they were not pros! We hacked around a bit but had alot of fun. The 18th is a brutal par 5 where you tee off from a platform and have to hit over water but not too far or you put it in other water. Then all you have to do is get the ball another 285 yards to the green. Yeah, I got a birdie! *disclaimer, that is a complete lie. Toughest greens I have ever encountered on that course. I am still dreaming about 3-putts. Then it was on to the wedding. Great time.

As I have run on a bit I will finish w/ the brief restaurant reviews. Alex Ika Restaurant... great food, great beer, mellow atmosphere, so-so service. 1 3/4 thumbs up. Try the local 3 Philosophers beer, delicious. I also really enjoyed the roast duck salad on a croissant, it was fantastic. The other place we grabbed lunch from was Danny's Deli and Cafe. Great sandwiches...brutal wait. I give it 1 thumb up. I really like my Italian sandwich but I don't care how fancy it is, if I have to wait 15 minute for a sandwich I had better get a free beer and a massage while I wait! So there you have it, Cooperstown, give it a look!

Coming soon... a guest blog from the Puma!

Jay About... AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Not much going on here... just watching the entire financial system seize up and puke on itself. Everyone seems to be talking about going back to Wampum as a commodity, and stockpiling the Costco emergency food kit and guns. On our end we have been working long hours, drinking scotch, and then not sleeping for a few hours a night. GOOD TIMES!!! On the bright side, this weekend we went over to NY and attended our friends' wedding at the Sagamore over on Lake George. It is really a beautiful property. The golf course was also fun and quite well maintained. We were having a decent round until it opened up and down poured on 16. At that point the strokes started adding up, the clubs started flying, and so did the expletives! Later in the evening we managed to come up w/ some pretty constructive ideas for life after finance... Wedding band!! That is until some 8yr old punk showed me up on the bongos! I got kicked out of the band I helped start before we played our first gig, or even practiced for that matter! Once I resort to drugs, and then clean up, and then relapse, and then find God... it will be the perfect script for a Behind the Music.

On Saturday it seemed like a good time to check out the new Vietnamese joint, M. Saigon, over on Shelburne Road between the Blimpies, and Waterfront Video(not on the waterfront by the way). Great location? Check!! As we went for the early bird special at 4:48PM we were not all that surprised to be the only ones in the restaurant. A few more people slid in after awhile but I am not sure there is much action at M. Saigon. Plus there were only 2 people working there, a cute waitress and someone in the kitchen. For a brand new place the dining room was not that clean. It did have a funny picture of the Notre Dame cathedral in Saigon, you know, because there are not that many other locals in Vietnam that have more cultural significance. The food was ok. We had some decent spring rolls, the shrimp was a little fishy. I had a pork noodle dish. It was ok at best. My special lady had a spicy tofu noodle which really was spicy and better than my meal. Still nothing special. What was special was the bubble tea. Bubble tea Is a drink that combines ice, a liquid (tea, coffee, juice, etc...), and jumbo tapioca! You then mix it up and drink it through a huge straw. Is it weird to be drinking tea and then have a huge tasteless gummy ball hit the back of your throat? You bet your ass it is! But drinking and then chewing your drink has a strange allure, I can't lie. M. Saigon gets a limp 1 thumb but will go into the Jaybird take out rotation. So there you have it. We are rallying, got to go!!!