Mr. Seahorse Captain

This is currently my favorite thing on the internet, edging out Porkchop Sandwiches and that girl rambling in the Californian town meeting or whatever...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljAM1uuasQU&feature=related

Geat Real!

Would you say I have a Plethora of reviews?!

Busy weekend at the Bird household as we had friends up from Virginia for the weekend. Friday was a mellow night in, a bit of BBQ, some wine... Quarto! Saturday we woke up late, had a wonderful brunch courtesy of my special lady and then did a little hike up Mt. Abe. It is a nice hike, pretty gradual and then a steeper scramble up to the top for some nice 360 degree views. It was pretty darn wet and muddy and the bugs were vicious so maybe wait for the Fall and foliage. Just sayin'. Saturday night was another winning meal at Hen of the Wood in Waterbury. We had a pretty solid pinot, Aqua Pumpkin, to accompany our meal. Course 1 featured the old standby fried oysters which came through as usual. We also had a very good rabbit salad with these outrageous chantrelle mushrooms. The big winner was the Cornish game hen though that came w/ a very tasty pea aoli type sauce. We destroyed that badboy. The guys and gals went along party lines for the entrees, ladies took down the Scallops, fellas opted for the duck. The scallops were good but they were very large a little texturally overwhelming and pretty salty. The duck was great. Well cooked, not too fatty and crispy on the outside. The spaetzle it came with was also rich and delicious. Not for nothing but I had a little side of broccoli drenched in sardine butter... oh baby! Cheese plate next which I cannot remember all of but was great and a finisher of chocolate and hazelnut profiteroles. Good, not exceptional. As usual the service was solid and the atmosphere was great. Another 2 thumbs up.

Sunday, we lounged about a bit and then headed to Magnolia for brunch. It is a good breakfast place. I had an ok lime zest waffle w/ fresh fruit. The bloody mary was the star. spicy but not heartburny. After tennis and swimming down at the Charlotte beach (yup, we are very sporty), we joined friends for dinner at A Single Pebble. I had not been there in years but it was really very good. We had the mock eel which had good flavor and was not overcooked so the texture was very good, dried green beans in a sweet soy sauce which were also very good and pork dumplings which were ok. We then split a couple entrees, a tangerine chicken which tasted really good and was not too sweet or greasy as is often the case at Chinese restaurants, and ants on a tree. The ants on a tree were very good, the pork was well seasoned and the cellophane pasta was just right. Decent service, fair price. 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Overall a very full and very enjoyable weekend!

Acting Stupidly...

Way back when I knew a guy that got arrested in his own home by white cops... I don't seem to remember Obama sticking up for me... I mean my friend!

Hey, check it out... more parking availability in Burlington!

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=10773414

I know what they need in Albany to fix their political mess... more South Koreans!!!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124825738778771665.html#articleTabs%3Dslideshow

So it is ComiCon week, and you know what that means... NERDS!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3njjD41f48

Pho-No!!!

Our favorite Burlington area Vietnamese spot may be in a bit of a pickle!

http://burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090719/NEWS02/907190313

Love the fact the guy jumped out of the trunk and made a run for it...

Really fun time in DC as always. Cute baby, good friends, good food, steamy weather! If you are in the DC area check out Ray's Hell Burger which is actually in Arlington. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo

The Burger was great, the bun fantastic, the sauteed mushrooms divine. The space is dingy, and the burger is super messy but I was a big fan. 1 7/8th thumbs up

Went to see the Harry Potter movie last night, my wife is a huge fan of the books. I know I will take a rash of shit for this but the movie was not bad. I have generally found all of these movies to have solid special effects and be pretty entertaining. Not sure the plot did anything for me but it was worth checking out on the big screen. Great Quidditch scenes TH!

Greetings from our Nation's Capital!

This is very exciting, I have never really posted from outside the friendly confines of VT before? We are taking a little break and watching the baby nap at the Puma abode. It is hot down here. VT is like Seattle east, very cold and rainy... once we hopped out of the plane here? 90 degrees and muggy as all get out. It is a nice change of pace, though I am sweating a bit. It is always interesting to check out the city as well, it just has a cool vibe. BTW, AirTran was great, a very easy flight and on time. Not super comfortable but not terrible and they served pretzels. Kudos to the Puma on his whiskey sour, it was a treat and very refreshing. I won't give away the ultra top secret recipe though.

I am going to get in trouble for this but FaceBook is the silliest thing I have ever seen. Status updates all day? Why not... Jaybird, is taking a dump 8:30AM. Jaybird just looked up a bikini picture 8:50. Jaybird did some work 9AM, Jaybird did some work 10AM, Jaybird still working 11AM, Jaybird just farted on his coworker 11:15, Jaybird still cracking up 11:25! Jaybird drinking beer and making snarky comments 6pm. Jaybird making his move on special lady 11pm, Jaybird rejected for bad move 11:02pm. This is pretty great! Maybe I should get a FaceBook page!!!

Know what's great about Vermont?

Plenty of parking!

http://burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090716/NEWS02/90715036

went bowling the other day... I rolled a 129,150,184,and 149. Are you impressed? Seriously, the 184 game I started; spare, spare, strike, strike, strike, strike. I am pretty awesome, I know. Why are midweek vacation days so great? Maybe becaue it is like stealing time from the MAN, and everybody knows... "stolen beer tastes better"!

Out again soon, heading to DC to look into kidnapping a baby and maybe drink a couple whiskey sours! Boo-Yeah!!!

Yay Monday!

Yup, back at it and it feels so good! I had a really good weekend which makes Monday even that much harder to take. Friday I met my special lady for a drink down at Splash on the waterfront. It was nice and sunny and there was plenty of people watching. We grabbed a little chow for the homestead then watched The Wrestler. I liked it, LadyBird not so much. It was tragic, grating, classic Mickey Rourke. LadyBird does not appreciate the lovable loser... at all. I am somewhat moved. Plus Marisa Tomei was hot. 1 thumb up, I liked a few other movies from '08 better.

Saturday was great. The rain held off and my special lady, a couple of buddies (K-Dog and T-Wreck), and myself were able to get 18 holes in at Basin Harbor. It was crazy windy but a fun time. We had a few beers and I had a burger over at the Sawmill, pub food, nothing special, prompt service, lots of commas. Then it started to pour. We had our doubts about making it to the outdoor concert we were slated to hit on the Burlington waterfront for 6:30. Well, lo and behold, after a few delays... the skies cleared up and we were on @8PM for opening band Antibalas and the main act Ween! The first band was a jovial afro-beat act that was pretty tight and fun. They unfortunately had to play a short set due to the later start. Ween then hit the stage and we had no idea what to expect. The can be real funky, or noisy and tweaky. Fortunately for us it was the former. The concert was great... 2 big thumbs up and a few I-tunes downloads!!! Then we went to a flip cup/funnel/party and it started really raining again and we had to beat a hasty exit. I don't really play the funnel game anymore.

Yesterday was just a nice day doing chores at the house and then watching a little baseball. Very relaxing.

Now I am in the work week... YAAAYYYYY!!!!

Another Warm Welcome

To baby Chase Cameron BG!!!

ugh

Well, the Internet is back. I will tell you something... I think tonight is a Michelob night because some days are better than others and today is definitely one of those days!!! I can drink it along w/ my turd sandwich that managed to come a day early this week!

Here is a review, Rooney's. It used to be called Anything's Pastable and is located off of Church Street in Burlington. I only go there once every 4-5 months and yesterday was that day. First off the owner is a doosh. He is really friendly if you are a vendor or a woman. If you are a regular guy, he turns into Mel from that show Alice. My major issue with the place is that while the sandwiches look good and taste pretty good... I ALWAYS get sick after I eat one. One time I watched the guy sneeze all over his hands and then make my sandwich. Now, clearly I am the idiot for eating it but sure enough I caught a cold the next day. Yesterday? Well I ate the sandwich and was not super happy about it but all seemed well. 4 hours later I was driving up Pearl Street when nature not only called... it called collect! I had to rip into a parking lot and run into a UVM building to evacuate what usually requires a priest to get rid of. I have not been right since. 2 thumbs down... until November I guess.

Big win for our soccer team last night, 6-0. Very satisfying. No, I didn't score. I am an enforcer!

What else... nothing I guess, just trying to make it through one of the worst times I can remember in terms of spirit. Economy sucks, government sucks, weather sucks, foreign relations suck, Rooney's sucks. Sucking sucks. I need to invent a f*ing "jump to conclusions map", or a pet rock. That guy mad a million dollars!

It's a Speed Post!

It has been a busy day, I only have like 2 minutes, and my Internet is all f*d up today so it's a special edition of SPEED POST!!!! Golfed @ VT National Friday, very fancy, very difficult. Ever play a par 3 w/ just your 7-iron? Needless to say I did not birdie that hole. Spent a little time in the West Enosburg, Montgomery area this weekend... very beautiful country. It's just like, it's just like, a mini-mall. Hey Hey!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3oHpup-pk

The Hangover Is the funniest thing I have seen since Old School. 2 huge thumbs up and a twist. The movie is really quite well done.

I am giving the weather this summer 2 hugs thumbs down. This rain sucks. It is like Burlington became Seattle... except w/ pothead instead of methheads, and not as solid seafood!

Sarah Palin quits? Come on. She was so good?! I am getting a vision, yup, something is coming to me... I see a talk show in your future!!!

Thanks for Nothing

Looking for a place where incompetence reigns? Check out Lewis Auto on Rt. 7 in South Burlington, VT. Not only are they incompetent... they are assholes! Dropped my car off there @ 8AM yesterday for a state inspection. I got a call around noon letting me know that my brakes were worn and the pads and rotors should be replaced for $400+. OK, I do want to be able to stop my car. The next call was at 4:45PM letting me know that they had actually changed owners the day before and they should have told me they were having inspection issues and did not in fact have any inspection stickers and oh by the way I had 1 fog light out that they did not have a part for and could not fix and that would have prevented a successful inspection if they actually had anyone there who could have done it in the first place. So wait a second, you had my car all day and could not perform the one and only service I actually sent it there for? But you were able to f*ck me over for an expensive break job? Oh, you couldn't fix a fog light because you didn't have the bulb? Maybe you should have ordered it last month when I brought my car in to fix it and you couldn't do it then? Maybe? It is a f*ing light bulb not a door! You don't have enough shelf space for such a large item? Well, on the bright side they informed me they were not charging me for the inspection they could not do (thanks!) and they gave me a mail away coupon for a free movie ticket. Dipshits. 2 times in a row I have gone there and they have been unable to do even the most mundane task. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice? I won't go back to deal w/ that cast of morons again. Lewis Auto... thanks for nothing.