Yeah... So, Um... Errrr

That post yesterday was boring and sucky and frankly uninspired. So what? So Let's Party!!! Is there anything harder to grill than chicken? I mean, rare steak is ok and I actually prefer merely seared fish. Pork is tough but man, you have got to cook fowl. But if you cook it too much? Dry. My dad cooks a perfect chicken on the grill, it is really an art. Unlike my friend Scotty Mustache... he mostly chokes chickens and there really is no art to that. Hahahahaha. Know what's fun? Turning your blinker light on and then going straight! Or slowing down and then last minute after you are already turning putting the old blinker on!!! How many good movies are on Comcast On Demand right now? 0. there are 0 movies that look really interesting. Fun times w/ Iran... they get caught making nuclear weapons, we threaten them w/ sanctions, Russia and China skirt those sanctions, we bluster, they laugh, Israel stews. This is bound to end well right? I mean, what we need right now are unstable yayos w/ weapons that can destroy whole cities... am I right people?! Jim Douglas decided not to run for Governor of VT next term. That is bad news for our state. He is intelligent, fair, and steady. Pretty much the opposite of our senator Bernie Sanders... On the bright side, the stoner population might elect the lt Governor Brian Dubie which would be ok, hehe Dubie! OK, off to NYC for a few meetings, some schmoozing, and maybe a little boozing! Thank you, thank you...

Jay About a List... Why Not?!

I dunno, played a little golf, had a nice day w/ the family this weekend... not really much to review? But, I have been listening to a fair amount of Guns N' Roses lately and I can confidently say that they are my favorite band. Sure, The Beatles are the ground breakers and produced consistently great music, and the Stones pioneered the type or dirty blues rock , etc... But for a tiny moment GNR hit a groove that in my mind cannot be matched. So let's take a little look at one man's top 10 song list from the dirtiest, nastiest, most electrifying band, EVER!!!

10. Estranged; Power ballad, sort of.

9. Welcome to the Jungle; Started it all and was so grimy you sort of have to take a shower after listening to it, or go to the clinic!

8. Chinese Democracy; I'll admit it... I like this song. I think it rips and I think Buckethead really makes it happen. I like this album even though it only sort of sounds like Guns.

7. Sweet Child O' Mine; I actually don't care for most of this song but when Slash hits the solo he sounds like all of the greats... high on heroin!

6. You Could Be Mine: This one has grown on me... the first time I heard it I thought it was kind of lame but a little time has aged it like a fine wine... you know, like Cold Duck or Boons Farm.

5. It's So Easy; Great bass line and that one line "Why don't you just F*ck Off!!" I loved the F* bomb when this came out (still do) and this was this first non rap song where they just said what you were sometimes feeling.

4. Coma; I don't know why other than it seems to capture an insanity and the buildup is so intense until it finally hits a crescendo where a guy essentially dies!

3. Crazy (acoustic version): Dirty, bluesy... makes me want to smoke a cigarette and I don't smoke.

2. Rocket Queen; Huge drums, big guitar, epic soundscape, and Axl had sex w/ a girl in the studio and put it on the record. Seriously!

1. Mr. Brownstone; "I don't worry about nuthin' no, cause worryin' is a waste of my time." Well said Axl, well said...

So there you have it on an uninspired Monday.

Worst Lunch in VT?

So the other day I was rolling into work and started to get aggravated by the other morons on the road. Quick aside... I saw a woman flossing while driving the other day. FLOSSING!!!! In the act of flossing, your 2 hands are effectively tied together. It is like a prison breakout for f*ck sake. Anyway... the other day I had big oil truck camped out in the passing lane, assorted soccer moms weaving and yelling at their kinds in the backseat, and of course a few teenagers on their cellphones putting every one's life at risk. Oh yeah, the old man crossing guard on 4 lane rt. 7 that always motions for everyone to slow down... flipped that doosh off. So I finally get to the office and as usual 1 elevator (of 2) is broken so I have to wait forever and then fill into the cattle car w/ 75 other people. I get up to my desk only to have a co-worker tell me I left my headlights on so I have to wait for the elevator ride down, turn the light off and then wait, cram in, and stop at all 8 floors on my way back to our office. I am pretty ticked off at this point. So work is going fine until mid day when I let a coworker talk me into going to New Moon for lunch. To be fair, my wife likes New Moon for a sit down to do work while having a coffee or a bite to eat. I hate the place and this day was a perfect example as to why. JB and I roll in at the same time. He goes to the salad line, I go to the sandwich line. There are naturally only 3 people working even though it is busy and lunchtime. So I watch JB get waited on... I am next in line and the only one in the sandwich line. So naturally the next open server asks who's nest, walks right by me and waits on the tourists who happily cut me in line. I then watch 2 other folks in the "salad" line cut me and order sandwiches. Now I don't like the food at New Moon, it is pedestrian at best and all of it is grossly overpriced. Throw in terrible service and the tourist line cut factor? I lost my shit. While using all of my strength not to either yell out an F-Bomb, or chew one of the waiters or cutters... I walk out. This is not the first time I have waled out w/out food from this dump. Of course I am ultimately the idiot for going back. So there you go... worst lunch place in VT.

Needless to say my day did not get any better. That is, until I got home. My special lady was out to dinner so when I saw her headlights coming up the driveway I hid. Then as she got to the door I jumped out and scarred the crap out of her! So that was pretty fun. How is my day going today? Fine... I am just plotting my revenge on New Moon. Thinking about going and standing in line but not ordering anything... just standing there and farting. Farting...

Jay About I Dunno...

I am recovering a bit today from a chicken quesadilla from Bueno y Sano I had yesterday... tasted great going down, on the exit it has been a little harsh. Pretty stoked, people in our office have been getting sick w/ flu like symptoms... great news for the rest of us! Quick review of the flu, two huge thumbs down! Ever seen the movie Hancock? Neither has anyone else. But if you are thinking about renting it just walk away. You would be better off watching the back of your eyelids, or your cat clean its arse, or the Oxygen channel... like the flu it gets 2 thumbs down.

We hiked up Mansfield Saturday and let me tell you, summer is OVER! It was high 50s at the base, mid 50s half way up and like 10 degrees with a driving wind at the peak. There were ice crystals on the trees and needless to say, shorts were the wrong call. On the way up we saw all sorts of yayos in winter hats, parkas, and snowpants. Joke was on us at the top! It was freezing. Made it very difficult to enjoy our sausage, peperoni, 2 cheese, trail mix, chocolate, champagne picnic! Yup, the crowd J-Bird rolls with is pretty upscale!

Q:Why don't dinosaurs talk?

A:Because they are f*ing dead!!!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jay About the Black Crowes

Way back in my college days I was a huge Black Crowes fan. I used to sit in a small dorm room play Sega (Madden 95) and listen to Amorica over and over. I still like to break out a BC album from time to time an rock out. Well, they have played in the Burlington several times over the last few years but for some reason I have never gone to check them out. Well last night was my night! It really was a mistake having missed out on the past shows. This was a really great concert. Bluesy, jammy, energetic... they were like a cross between the Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones. It was a short concert w/ no opener but they were very tight and played a good mix of older stuff as well as newer songs. They also stayed away from some of the played out "hits" like "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels". Good move. Overall I would give the concert 2 thumbs up. Better see 'em while you can, Chris Robinson looks about 70 and may possibly overdose at any moment, just sayin'.

Strike 2 on Bistro 156. An upscale sports bar cannot have warm flat beer... Seriously, buy a f*ckin fridge!

Of keep f*ckin' chickens!

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/anastos_drops_bomb_on_air_5lTNTgSPaezgUjAJEW0gIO

Can't make this stuff up...

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090918/NEWS02/90917037&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090917/NEWS02/909170306/1007

R.I.P. Guiding Light! We'll miss ya!!!

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

Hey, the guy was in some of the great terrible movies of all time... and the greatest SNL skit ever.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xu9mx_patrick-swayze-chippendale_dating

Jay About... Solid Mexican Food in New England?!

Hell Yeah!!! Where might you find this worthwhile Mexican fair here in the hinterlands where it is certainly too cold for most Mexican emigrants to travel? Stockbridge Massachusetts! Yup, Stockbridge. Hey Jay, where the f*ck is Stockbridge, Mass.?! Well, it is over in the eastern part of the state where the borders of Mass., Conn., and NY come together, beautiful Berkshires country. My wife and I try to avoid any and all contact with our families (go ahead ask them!) but once and awhile a trip is in order and we shot down there for a brief 2 days a couple weeks ago. Possibly the highlight of the trip was dinner Friday night at Xicohtencatl. How do you pronounce that? How the hell would I know! Anyway... after a very long drive we were starving and this place turned out to be just the right thing. It is not typical TexMex w/ crappy tacos, burritos, etc (although they will make that for you)... instead they do a more traditional southern Mexico fare. We started w/ drinks and a couple of delicious seafood quesadillas. The tortilla was seemingly homemade, warm, and a fantastic texture that absolutely melted in your mouth. I don't even remember what was in them or why the sauce was so fresh and delicious (it was)... these badboys were all about the tortilla! Drinks were mixed. My lady had a solid Margarita w/ a decent Hornitas tequila, and fresh lime juice... no mix. It was good. I messed up and went w/ a cucumber jalapeno pepper think that was way too heavy on the peppers. Rather than "refreshing", I needed a drink of water after every taste of my cocktail. The entrees were next in line... and that was a treat. My father in law went w/ a shrimp dish "El Duque". I did not try it but he liked it alot as did my wife, plus the name was killing me. I usually need to have my Duque to go!!! Anyway, the women folk went w/ two versions of the mole and they were phenomenal. Subtle texture and flavor of bitter chocolate and chilies wrapped around the tender chicken in a tasty cocoon of deliciousness!!! I rocked out w/ the Carnitas, a slow cooked pork dish. Well seasoned, well cooked, excellent flavor. Fantastic. For desert we had the milk cake I always forget the name of but I am sure will be corrected by my lady in a comment that was good but not may favorite... and a lemon tart thing that was good as well. Overall this place gets 1 9/10ths thumbs up, great food, good service, proper sized portions, fair price, nice atmosphere, but gets nicked because my drink was not good. If you are ever in the area check it out! I need a few more run on sentences here... http://www.xicohmexican.com/

Quick note on the first week of the football season. What a crazy game between the Pats and the Bills last night! Very exciting at the end although I must say, the Patriots have a ton of questions. Can they run the ball? Protect the QB? Tackle anybody? Should be interesting. I also enjoyed Jake "whose team am I playing for again" Delhomme, Brandon "look what I found" Stokely, the J-E-T-S who have 1 week to think they can win the division before they realize Houston sucks, The holy crap they can score Saints, Jay "Haha, you actually thought I was good?" Cutler, the big letdown Dolphins and Cardinals, the Brett Favrvbnvabvre re-retirement watch, the ugh Rams, the frisky Raiders, what happened to the vaunted Ravens defense, and of course the drama sure to follow Donovan McNabb the rest of the season. 1-0 in fantasy football for the Bird. 10000000-0 in fantasy for all the ladies out there. AHHHH-YEAHHHH!!!

Jay About Odds and Ends...

What a whirlwind weekend! Friday we played a little golf to benefit the Boy Scouts and while the golf was ok, the beer consumption was more than adequate. I am pretty sure my boss is going to take all of my end of evening ideas to heart... guess I should also go buy a big new house, I see a huge raise and promotion in my future! Ever see a golf ball hit on a 90 degree angle to the golfer's right, hit a tree branch no wider than 8 inches 25 feet away, and then shoot directly back to within 2 feet of said golfer? My foursome has.

Followed that up with the always enjoyable movie night party that a few folks have made into a bit of a regular event. Great food, great company, great movie. The sticky Asian ribs were money in the bank, and the handmade veggie/shrimp dumplings were made w/ a little touch of love. Good fried rice (even better day 2), very clean and tasty sauteed bok choy and shitake mushrooms, and the main course... the fried and then baked cornish hens were all very good. Throw into the mix a Bejing Mule that centered around homemade pear infused vodka and saffron infused simple syrup and you are cooking with gas my friend!!! As usual, everyone contributed in a big way and my special lady worked her butt off to make it special. The movie was Master of the Flying Guillotine, yes I did fall asleep for part of it but the rest gets a solid 2 thumbs up! Awesome soundtrack, dudes jumping through a roof and out of buildings, and a deft switch back and forth from dubbed dialogue to subtitles and then back again... several times in 1 movie! Fantastic!!

Sunday we did some clean up, ran some errands and managed to get a quick drink in at 156 Bistro while grabbing lunch Burlington. Now the Bistro is in the old Waiting Room space, ie. where bars go to die. They bill themselves as an upscale bistro/sports bar. I bill them as a short lived bar that makes crappy drinks! A real litmus test for a bar is how they make a bloody mary. If you use fresh ingredients and put the love in you are in the mix, if you pour vodka into V8 you are a step removed from a dive bar. Well, the "spicy" bloody mary was terrible. Bad to the point, my wife did not drink it and I did not help her. It was bland tomato juice. Of course, it was the "special", so it came w/ a super fishy shrimp that was so rubbery it looked fake. Gross. The mojito was ok, not special. If you are trying to be high end you need to make your own mix for drinks and make them fresh. Especially when there are only 12 people in the place and 10 of them are drinking beer. 1 1/2 thumbs down but it is early. At least they are open which is more than you can say for the soon to be defunct before it even opens Beirhaus or whatever it is going to be called.

BTW... here is the Burlington Free Press review of Kid Rock's concert. Thanks for the effort, you really went for it pal. Do these jokers actually get paid for this bullshit? Maybe they should hire someone who is actually out of college to write for the paper?

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090907/ENT05/90907003/1005/ENT

Want a bit of an out of the way review? Try Chase's Daily the next time you are in Belfast, Maine. It is a vegetarian joint but that does not hurt it, even in the eyes of a meat and potatoes guy like myself. We hit it up a couple weeks ago for the first time and were not disappointed. The Vichysoisse was luscious and flavorful w/ a great texture. It was lick the bowl good. Fresh herbed ricotta bruschetta? When you put fresh herbed ricotta on anything you are in pretty good shape. This was quite good, the toast was done nicely and the ricotta was nice and fresh. As for dinner we had a zucchini tart that was fresh and very good, and a veggie lasagna that was also very good. Overall the service was pretty solid, the price was reasonable, and the food was quite good. An added bonus was that it felt pretty healthy so we were able to justify the ice cream we had over at Scoops after dinner! 1 3/4 green thumbs up!

Jay About the Bluebird Tavern

Here we go, 2 posts in 1 day... back in the game!!! Last night my special lady and I head out after work to a party celebrating the 1 yr birthday for our friends' little girl. Needless to say there were several small people at the party. We don't have kids... nothing against kids, we want them in the future, but it is unfamiliar territory. Oh baby! Things started out cool w/ funny kids doing funny kids and parents chasing around. Then cake came out, Then the noise increased, chaos erupted, and we bolted like scared deer! It was a nice party, we are wusses. To celebrate our status (such as it is), we decided to roll over to the Bluebird Tavern on the way to Winooski for a bight to eat. It is a totally revamped building that used to be Tortilla Flats and id billed as a "gastro-pub". I am totally down w/ a casual pub serving solid food, but it is a little out of our way so it took awhile for me to get there (Lady-Bird had already been). The space itself is nice. Dark pub like atmosphere w/ a cool bar and several eating areas surrounded by large screened in windows overlooking the Winooski River and woods behind. I had heard that one issue was that the servings were often small and too expensive so we had to plan accordingly for the 2 of us. First up was a cocktail... there were many interesting choices but we were both tired and a little wiped out so I went for an Ommegang seasonal which was very nice (a Belgian wheat ale), and my wife opted for the Rare Vos, another Ommegang that is a darker Belgian ale. On to the food. We started w/ the fluke crudo w/ radish and a sweet tomato popper. Excellent flavor and consistency but the fluke was cut a little thick. We also had a chicken liver smeared toast w/ crispy chicken skin. I liked it, the lady less so. The texture was very rich and creamy. Both of us wished it was served on the side for us to spread and also wish the toast had not been a tad burned.

The main course was a salad of greens and herbs which was good but needed a little more dressing and possibly a dash of sea salt, and Parpadelle pasta w/ lamb sausage which was outstanding. We also hit up a side of chard in brown butter that was also very good. For desert we were talked into a dish of homemade ice cream... plum and buttermilk sorbet. The plum ice cream was ok, very rich though. The buttermilk sorbet was fantastic w/ a creamy but still tangy almost citrus like flavor. It was very good.

All in the meal was solid but not spectacular. The service was very good, the price was not egregious (under $80), we had plenty to eat, and it was a nice atmosphere. 1 3/4 thumbs up!!

http://bluebirdvermont.com/

Jay About Kid Rock!!!!

That's right, Kid Rock! I have been out of the game a bit lately, vacation, work, lots of stuff good and bad going down but I have several topics to cover so volume should pick up this week. Jumping right into it... Sunday night my special lady and I joined the K-Dogs for an evening w/ Kid Rock at the Champlain Valley Fair in lovely Essex, VT! Every year the fair draws some of the wackiest washed up acts from the past and it is always fun to guess who will be in the mix. This year it looked as if 70s stalwart Chicago was going to headline, and then BAM! Kid Rock came into the picture. My pal K-Dog is a funny character and loves trashy glam metal even more than I do. Needless to say, when we saw this ticket we were pumped. My wife a little less so. Well, Mrs. K-Dog is also a character and she was on it immediately and had 4 tickets in hand, we were in the mix!!! Heading in Sunday night we new the show would be good but it is difficult to predict what to expect, I don't own a Kid Rock record and certainly had never heard about his live shows. So we meet up for a pre-show beer and then Mrs. K-Dog sets us up w/ sweet parking right next to the fairgrounds. Inside the fair was as expected. More dudes in sleeveless flannel than anywhere else in VT. Weight? In full effect... one fair-goer was sitting 20 stone on their rascal... great shocks on those things. Coyote fleece jackets? Check! For sale and on display by patrons! Fat stripper wanna be's and Dale Earnhart hats (fancy wear for a big night out)? Plenty of those in the "beer garden", aka cattle car w/ cheap beer.

We missed the opening act Uncle Cracker but came just in time for the start of Kid Rock. A huge white sheet hung in front of the stage and then the silhouette of the Kid as the music started... and then BAM!!!!! sheet comes down, explosions go off, fire balls, ripping guitars... it was GO TIME!!! This was easily the most intense concert I have ever been to. 2 straight hours w/ 2 "slow songs" otherwise it was a ripping hard driving show w/ an in shape Kid running, jumping, playing the crowd. The band was rocking out, the back up singers danced and belted out vocals the whole time. Huge American flags unfurled, fireworks went off behind the stage, they shouted out "Vermont" 200 times, they showed videos of the fair, of the crowd, of firefighters, mom, and apple pie. Kid Rock took one song to play every instrument on stage (pretty well in fact), and then hit the turn table taking a shot of Jim Beam and firing up a stogie mid scratch!!! They played every song I knew and had the crowd going wild!! Finally after what seemed like 10 encores they played a raucous Bawitdaba.

2 huge thumbs up, and 1 of the top 3 concerts I have been to... and I still do not own a Kid Rock record!!! If you like rock and want to see the unexpected... go check out Kid Rock.

R.I.P. KB

A friend passed last week after a very brave battle w/ cancer... there is nothing really I can say so here is an except from Byron Calkins


Hi All,
I just wanted to let those who haven't heard the sad news that Kris Beinder passed away last week. I had the pleasure to play with Kris from 88'-92'. He was one of Hartford's best netminders and perhaps played the most outstanding individual game any player has in a Hurricane uniform against Lebanon our senior year. That victory against Leb in 1992 would help give Hartford its first ever CVL title. We also would be the first Vermont team to win that honor. Again, all because of Beinder's gutty performance in goal that day.
Some of his classmates, family and friends said goodbye to Kris this past weekend. We shared many stories about Beinder and we were all very thankful to have been part of Kris's life. R.I.P B
Kris's wife Katherine wrote the words below:
Kristofer Peter Beinder, 36, died August 25th, 2009 at his home in Hollis, NH surrounded by his family. He was born August 14, 1973, in Truckee, CA the only child of Bruno and Margaret Beinder. Due to his father's career in the ski industry, Kris spent his life in the mountains of California, Colorado, Austria, and Vermont. Graduating from Hartford High School in 1992 Kris was a tri-sport captain in soccer, hockey, and tennis. In addition to those sports Kris loved to spend his time skiing and fishing with friends.

Kris attended Saint Michael’s College outside of Burlington, VT. In 1996 Kris graduated with a degree in Political Science and a minor in International Business. When Kris was not studying he and his friends spent their time skiing. Tuckerman’s Ravine was one of Kris’s favorite spots.

Kris married Katherine Pizzuti in Quechee, VT in 2002. Their son Alek is eighteen months. Kris had said his greatest accomplishment was becoming a dad. His love for his family was apparent in everything he did. He had an undeniable passion for life. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1996 Kris never allowed his cancer to define who he was. It was Kris’s strength, courage, loyalty, determination, and love that made him the man he was. A man who had seen and experienced more in his thirty-six years than most do in a lifetime. Cancer allowed Kris to appreciate and find the beauty in the simple things in life. He never failed to find the humor in any and all situations.
Kris always lived life to the fullest and inspired his friends and family to live everyday like it was their last. In response, the support and company provided by Kris’ incredible friends and family inspired him to live a decade longer than his doctor’s predicted. He will forever be missed by those who loved him, which were many.