This is Really Happening

NOW Northampton Is The Place To Be

Now, I may be the last person to realize this but, as I was driving into work today I noticed that Main Street Northampton will soon be the proud home of a brand new Dunkin Donuts! Finally Northampton has a place to get a respectable cup of coffee. What's better, it will probably replace two or three places like "The People's House of Coffee for People" and "The Angry Java Bean", neither of which ever seemed to have French Crullers available.

The only concern I have is that Dunkin Donut aficionados will probably be veering up onto the sidewalk, scattering pedestrians, in their search of the drive-up window.

But I'm sure those problems will work themselves out over time.

Hello Dunkin Donuts! Goodbye charming, unique, locally-owned businesses!

I Know How Ya Feel, Phil

Pretty much all I saw of the U.S. Open this year was Phil Mickelson's 18th hole. He could've used this advice.

Ughh

I just did the rarest of things--I took three paragraphs of blogging and trashed them. Mostly because it was just me whining about being sick. So there you go.

I'll leave to your imagination the levels of whininess I must have achieved to have decided to trash it all.

I will say that on Saturday (as my illness slowly descended upon me), in the most ironic of moments, I managed to finish second in a putting contest (losing in a tiebreaker). This from the man who later that day managed to miss six different putts from about two feet.

What can ya do?

Mmmm, Chicken Foot

So, okay, last night I was watching the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I don't know if you've ever watched it, but it's certainly one of the Travel Channel's better shows. Okay, I know that isn't a great accomplishment what with all the Poker shows and shows featuring the Vegas Strip and all, but it's a great show.

But not one I'd watch while eating a snack.

WARNING: You may not want to read the rest of this if you are easily grossed out or if you in fact have a snack in front of you.

Last night Tony (we're close like that so I call him Tony) was in Korea. Along with visits to a Kim Chee** farm, he visited a fresh fish market. There we got to see Tony eat some live octopus. Basically what they do is take a live octopus, chop it up into bits and serve it to you. But here's the kicker--the little pieces of octopus continue to squirm on the plate as you eat them (with a spicy dip) AND they will attach themselves to the inside of your mouth if you don't get them down fast enough. mmmmmm mmmmmm good!

Also at the fish market, they took a look at a sea slug that looks like some part of the human anatomy. All I can say is, when the woman held it in her hand it got excited and squirted something. I don't know what.

Oh, and if you hadn't already packed up your midnight snack and ran screaming from the room, they also bought some tasty street food: chicken foot AND chicken ass. Oh, and when I say chicken ass I don't mean some fleshy rump meat. They were eating the ass muscles. I forget his exact quote, but it was something like: "That is some chewy anus."

Now there's a man who could waltz through Fear Factor without even blinking.

Next week I believe he will be in Indonesia. I can't wait.

**I've included a link to some recipes you can actually make. The traditional Kim Chee Anthony was sampling was in the ground fermenting six months and had ingredients like oysters in it.

What's With Me?

Okay, so this morning I managed to forget both my cell phone and a coat.

The cell phone isn't really that big a deal. Few people ever call me, let alone during the school day. It's just the principle of the matter. I always ALWAYS remember my phone.

And the coat--I just wasn't thinking about what I knew the weather would be like. So I spent the day braving the wind and rain, pretending I was in Scotland or Iceland and enjoying it all the more for it.

Oh, and when I say "pretending I was in" don't picture me being all Holden Caulfield with a bullet in my gut or something. I guess I should've said "reminiscing about when I was in"...

Enjoy It While It Lasts

Well, the day is nicer than predicted. Or at least totally AS NICE as predicted, so I got that going for me. The rest of the week is looking a bit ratty so I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts.

Dee has one of his big games tonight. A must win against one of the toughest teams in the league. His team finished the first round of their season (yes, I know you already know this) undefeated and now everyone is gunning for them. Especially this team that sports one of the best pitchers in the league. Well, Dee's team is undefeated. I hope he enjoys it while it lasts.

Is this starting to sound like one of those responsorials in church? Maybe it is, but you should enjoy it while it lasts.

Oh, and finally, I just got official word that my classroom is being moved (for the third time in five years, wha!). I still have windows, but a smaller space. I will have a door directly into the library--though that's clearly gonna be a mixed blessing. I've grown to enjoy being relegated out here in the Dakotas; I'm wondering what being in the middle of the action is going to be like. Well, anyway, I guess I should just...

Well, you get what I'm getting at.

Happy Days

Well, last night Dee's team completed their sweep of their league's first round. At 10-0 they've been a mighty impressive bunch of nine and ten year olds. So now, if they win the second round, they are league champions. If someone else wins, they play that team for the championship. Should be innaresting.

Last night, before their final game, the coach went all inspirational on them. He told them that the championship was theirs to win, that they needed to go back to basics, oh, and that they needed to pound the other team early and not to let up at any time. Then they did an hour of batting and fielding practice and marched to the game field as a team. In other words, the game was over before it started.

Dee himself, after his three game hitting streak, has been having some difficulties at the plate as of late. A trip this weekend to the batting cages didn't even snap his mini-slump. But that's okay. Having seen most of the other teams, I realize that he could be starting in the infield for several of them, but as a reserve on his team he's probably picking up as many skills as he would with more playing time and less quality coaching (not that all the coaches aren't great and all). And it's also okay because he's loving the glory of being on a top team. And, yes, I know to you "North of Route 9'ers" winning isn't everything; but to a nine-year-old obsessed with baseball playing in a town and in a league that has a long, glorious baseball history it sure goes a long way.