BOOK REVIEW

Title: University of Wisconsin Football

Author: Dave Anderson

In ten words or less: Photos of Badger football history

Review: Written by a fan of Univeristy of Wisconsin football, this book is mostly photos of players, old programs, and other Badger memorabilia. There's only about half a dozen pages of text.

Why bother? For UW football fans only.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Grant

Author: Max Byrd

In ten words or less: Civil War vet and reporter covers the 1880 presidential campaign.

Review: This historical novel covers the final years of the life of Ulysses S. Grant, former Civil War general and 18th president of the United States. Reporter Nat Trist, a Union veteran who lost an arm at Cold Harbor, is assigned to cover the 1880 election. Grant, just returned from a world tour, and the most celebrated man in America, is rumored to be considering a run for an unprecedented third term. The author brings to life Grant and his contemporaries, including William T. Sherman, Henry Adams, and Mark Twain.

Why bother? Very good glimpse at life inside American politics in the 1880s.

BOOK REVIEW (Audiobook)

Title: Napalm and Silly Putty

Author: George Carlin

In ten words or less: Exerpts from Carlin's book, read by the author.

Review: Carlin asks the usual questions, such as "If people climb Mount Everest because it's hard to do, why do they go up the easy side?" and "If there are really multiple universes, what do they call the thing they're all part of?" he wonders why housing for the homeless can't be built on golf courses. He uses BAD WORDS--you know the one's I mean.

Why bother? I listened to this at work, and I laughed. 'Nuff said.

VULTURES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

Just came back from a stay at Clifty Falls State Park, in Madison, IN. It’s near Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH. I was impressed by the number of vultures we saw, both soaring overhead and by the side of the road, chowing down on an unfortunate deer, possum, or unidentifiable roadkill. There are turkey vultures here on the Frozen Tundra, usually in the sky near a river valley. I had never seen any on the ground before, and was taken aback by their size.

DAFFODILS

The daffodils are out now on the frozen tundra. So are the tulips, crocus, and hyacinths. Lilacs should be out soon. Officially, we don’t put away the show shovels until May 1.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Death of a Dreamer

Author: M.C. Beaton

In ten words or less: Visitors to remote Scottish village cause problems for local constable.

Review: In this cozy mystery, Constable Hamish MacBeth eyes the newcomers to Lochdubh with suspicion. Most of them don't last a winter in the remote highland village. But Effie Garrard is staying around, and notices Jock Fleming, a painter who has just arrived, to the delight of the local ladies.
The colorful local characters, gentle humor, and the appeal of the unambitious MacBeth make this a treat of a mystery.

Why bother? Twenty-first in a series. Once you start, you can't stop.

Brett’s Back!

Brett Favre has announced he will return for another season with the Green Bay Packers. This is front page news here in the frozen tundra. In honor of this event, here’s a typical tailgating recipe. Most tailgating recipes involve bratwurst and beer, in some combination.


GRILLED BRATWURST

Bratwurst1 can beer1 1/2 c. water1 c. ketchup
Grill bratwurst over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Combine beer, water and ketchup in large saucepan. Simmer the grilled brats in beer mixture for 15 to 30 minutes.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"White people got no business playing the blues ever. At all. Under any circumstances. What do white people have to be blue about? Banana Republic ran out of khakis? The espresso machine is jammed?--George Carlin

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Setting the Lawn on Fire: a novel

Author: Mack Friedman

In ten words or less: Horny teen leaves Milwaukee to discover the gay life.

Review: Ivan is a gay,, Jewish teen who heads off to Alaska looking for a job in a fishing village. The fishing boats are on strike, and Ivan ends up living rough in a tent city. He spends most of his time thinking about sex. And when he leaves to go to college, he is still thinking about sex, and takes a job with the Hot Jock Cleaning Service. Readers uncomfortable with graphic descriptions of gay sex will want to skip this book.

Why bother? A gay teen's coming of age story.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Tricky Business

Author: Dave Barry

In ten words or less: Losers meet mobsters aboard a gambling ship during a storm.

Review: The "Extravaganza of the Sea" is a gambling ship that sails off the Florida coast nightly. The captain has done prison time, and is under orders from his mob bosses to take the boat out in a tropical storm. This night the passengers include Arnold and Phil, a couple of octogenarians escaping from their retirement home; a man in a pink plush conch costume; a band of dopers called Johnny and the Contusions; and a cocktail waitress named Fay Benton, a single mom at odds with her ex-husband. Barry peppers his story with his usual fart jokes, outlandish situations, and colorful Florida characters.

Why bother? If you enjoy Dave Barry's columns, you'll like his second novel.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip

Author: Richard Schickel

In ten words or less: Film critic recalls growing up in 1940s Milwaukee.

Review: Critic Schickel grew up in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa in the 1940s. He weaves stories of his middle class WASP existence into the larger story of life in America during World War II. Yet another story is told by the films produced during this era.
Schickel disagrees with Tom Brokaw and others who argue that the "Greatest Generation" had "some mystical connection between the dumb, dutiful decency of the average American and the great and necessary moral task they accomplished, which was, of course, the defeat of absolute and unprecedented evil." Schickel points out the racism at home, and the scant attention paid to the Holocaust while it was happening.

Why bother? Fantastic memoir that film fans will love.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Grape Expectations: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes

Author: Tamar Myers

In ten words or less: Wise cracking Mennonite innkeeper investigates murder in Penn Dutch country.

Review:Magdalena Yoder, owner of the Penn Dutch Inn in Hernia, Pennsylvania, is disturbed when a local farmer sells out to a developer planning to build a vineyard and upscale hotel and restaurant. Magdalena's concerns about the effect on her business is overshadowed when one of the owners of "Grape Expectations" is murdered near the property.
This is the 14th in the series, and the plots are getting a little thinner, the supporting characters not as charmingly eccentric, and Magdalena's snappy comebacks fall flat. Myers needs to give the series a megadose of new energy, or give the good citizens of Hernia a rest.

Why bother? Once witty series has passed its prime.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Between Camelots

Author: David Ebenbach

In ten words or less: Collection of short stories that captures brief moments in relationships.

Review: In Ebenbach's short stories, the characters are looking for ways to connect with other human beings. The title story, "Between Camelots," centers on a man who waits at a dinner party for a blind date who never shows up. In other stories characters explore tenuous moments that lead to changes in lives and the people that effect them. Winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize for 2005.

Why bother? Brief insights into private lives.

THE BIRDS

The other day as I was returning home, I found 30-40 starlings in the tree next to my birdfeeder. I have never had more than a few at any one time in the past. It felt Hitchcockian, to say the least. The next morning, the starlings were squabbling and acting so agressive I was afraid to walk past them, so I slunk around the other side of the house, and with a lot less style than Tippi Hedren would have shown. The starlings even chased off a bluejay.

Film Review

Title: Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

In this gentle documentary, filmmaker Judy Irving takes a look at Mark Bittner, who has befriended a flock of parrots in a San Francisco park. Bittner is a laid back, well spoken individual, who moved to the city in the early 1070s trying to make it as a musician. After a string of inconsequential jobs, he ended up caretaking a house that overlooked the park that was home to a flock of parrots.
No one knows how the parents came to call the park their home--perhaps they escaped while in transport to pet shops, or perhaps bored owners released pet birds into the wild. The birds prospered and bred in the wild, and Bittner would spend hours observing the parrots.
This is a thoughtful film, and a heartwarming look at both the birds and the man.

TWO PUGS

Ruby (left) and Max

Potluck Dinners

This recipe is from the sister-in-law of a co-worker. It's a great sweet side dish, perfect for folks who enjoy candied yams, Harvard beets, and sweet and sour coleslaw. You can even re-heat leftovers, and serve with ice cream or whipped topping. It tastes like the bottom of pineapple upside down cake.


Pineapple and Cheese Casserole

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drain and keep juice
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup grated cheese
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 1 quart casserole dish combine, flour, sugar and 3 tablespoons of the pineapple juice. Add cheese and pineapple and stir. Mix cracker crumbs with melted butter. Cover casserole with crumbs. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Great with ham or pork chops. Recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled depending on how many you are serving. Heat longer for larger amounts.

Fattoush in Worcester

When I was living in Worcester, MA, there was a Lebanese delicatessen on the same street as the agency where I worked. A good looking Lebanese man ran the place, and he flirted with all the female customers. His long-suffering wife would roll her eyes and head to the kitchen to get on with the work.

Toasted Bread and Salad (Fattoush)
Fattoush means "moistened bread", and this salad consists of a chilled mixed salad tossed with small cubes of toasted bread.
2 or 3 tomatoes, cubed
1 small cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded, deribbed, and diced
5 scallions, chopped
1/2 small lettuce, shredded
2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp. dried mint
1 pita bread (or 2-3 slices of bread), toasted and cut into cubes
A dressing made from equal amounts of olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and black pepper. (Make plenty of dressing and store whatever you do not use in the fridge.)
Combine the vegetables, herbs, and bread. Make the dressing, pour it over the salad, toss well, and chill for 30-60 minutes before serving. For an authentic Arabic flavor, the dressing should be made of equal parts of oil and lemon juice. However, you may prefer to use more oil - perhaps two to three parts of oil to one of lemon juice. Serves 4 to 6.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: The Eyes of Darkness

Author: Dean Koontz

In ten words or less: Former showgirl haunted by messages from her dead son.

Review: Tina Evans, a former showgirl turned Vegas show producer, has been experiencing disturbing events recently. Her young son Danny had perished in a wilderness Boy Scout accident, along with the other boys and their leader. But when she enters his room now, there is a distinct chill in the air. Pictures are overturned, messages spontaneously appear on his computer, and she believes that he is trying to contact her. The fact that she never saw his body after the accident feeds into her fears.
When she meets handsome businessman Elliot Stryker, she confides her suspicions to him. And a chain of events is set into motion that involves secret government operations, a Las Vegas hypnotist, and a frantic search for a boy who may not be dead.
Author Koontz wrote this under a pen name, Leigh Nichols, who he then killed off when he was successful under his own name. Koontz called this novel a combination of action, suspense, romance, and the paranormal.

Why bother? A light read that would have cross-genre appeal.

Guacamole

A recipe from my friend Carmen

4 avocados -- seed,peel
2 TB lemon juice
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 tomato -- finely chopped
1/4 cup onion -- finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
4 drops hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips

Using a fork, coarsely mash avocado with lemon juice and garlic. Stir in remaining ingredient to blend. Serve with tortilla chips.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: The year of pleasures
Author: Elizabeth Berg

In ten words or less: Self-absorbed widow moves to the Midwest.

Betta Nolan is a new widow who is grieving the death of her husband John, a psychiatrist. They had been a perfect couple, and had no need for anyone but each other. John’s daydream had been driving off to the Midwest and opening a mom and pop grocery store. Betta sells their Boston brownstone for $1.6 million and drives west, thinking of John.
She stops for a frozen yoghurt somewhere in her travels, and notices a beautiful Victorian house, which she purchases on a whim. She notices an empty storefront, and dreams of opening a store with luxury items for women. Then feeling lonely, she telephones her college roommates, after losing touch with them years ago. When one friend flies in to spend the weekend with Betta, we learn that she is not living in an isolated small town in the Midwest, but less than an hour from Chicago, though the author feels this must qualify as “isolated.”
This book brought out all my blue collar biases. It’s hard to feel sorry for someone who has over a million dollars, a quality education, and a career that is portable—she is a children’s book author. She has also dropped all her friends when she met her husband, yet they are happy to drop everything and fly to be with her—apparently they have no money or family problems that need their time.
This author was recommended to me by a friend, but I didn’t like this book at all. I didn’t even feel enough empathy for Betta to work up a tear or two.

Why bother? I’ll pass.

Ten Years Ago
This is what I was reading ten years ago. I read three to five books a week. Looking back on this list, I remember that "Mornings on Horseback," David McCullough's biography of Theodore Roosevelt, was the first book of his that I read. I have since read all of McCullough's books, and look forward to each new one. I also highly recommend Steve Thayer's "The Weatherman," although it is not for the squeamish. It's a great mystery about a serial killer set in Minneapolis, MN.

Dickens, Charles. Great expectations
Clark, Mary Higgins. Anastasia syndrome and other stories
Vine, Barbara. No night is too long
Truman, Margaret. Murder in the CIA
McCullough., David. Mornings on Horseback
Thomas, Ross. Briarpatch
Thomas, Ross. Chinaman’s chance
Thayer, Steve. The Weatherman: a novel
Patterson, Richard North. Degree of Guilt
Eco, Umberto. Name of the rose
Follett, Ken. Man from St. Petersburg
Follett, Ken. Lie down with lions
Barth, Richard. Rag bag clan: a novel
MacLean, Norman. River runs through it and other stories
Grant, Michael. Rise of the Greeks
Smith, Wilbur A. Elephant song
Coonts, Stephen. Red horseman

Poor Man's Lobster (4-6 servings)
There is a local restaurant that advertises “Friday night lawyer all you can eat.”
This is what they mean.

3 quarts water; 1 medium onion; 3 stalks celery, chopped; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 3 tablespoons salt; 1 bay leaf; 3 pounds lawyers (eelpout/burbot/ling cod) cut into 2-inch pieces; 1/2 pound butter; 2 cloves garlic; Paprika

In large kettle, boil water, onion celery, lemon juice and salt for 4 minutes. Add bay leaf and burbot. Boil for 3 minutes. remove fish,. Place on cookie sheet . Brush with melted garlic butter. Sprinkle with paprika. Broil for 2 minutes. Serve with melted garlic butter.

CAMPING WITH KIDS: INTRODUCING CHILDREN TO THE REAL OUTDOORS

Introduction

Fresh air. The sounds of birds. The rustle of the trees in the wind. If you love the outdoors and would like to pass along your love to your children, grandchildren, or other young person, I would like to share some ideas that will make everyone a “happy camper.”

We camped for years with a Volkswagon van and a tent. We no longer have the VW (actually, we went through two of them), but we still have the tent. We also have a smaller, lighter tent now, and a Chevy van.
There are also three grandchildren now, and I hope that they will grow up to appreciate outdoor activities other than theme parks.

Appreciating the outdoors means to leave the television and video games at home. I don’t even like bringing a radio or personal stereo, although a good book on tape might save the day if your whole trip was rained out. I think bringing along books is just fine. A weather radio is the only exception to the electronics gear—I want to know if a severe thunderstorm is heading my way, or if flooding is a possibility.

EQUIPMENT

Tent (Make sure you take a dry run before you leave, and have all the poles and stakes)
Mallet or hammer (for driving stakes; if you forget, it takes a lot longer using a can of baked beans)
Ground cloth
Sleeping bags
Foam pads for under sleeping bags
Lantern and flashlight (and spare batteries)
Folding chairs (optional, we sit on the ground)
First aid kit
Equipment for whatever sports you will be participating in (fishing gear, binoculars, compass)


CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS

When packing, take into account what the weather will be like as you travel, and at your destination. It could also be unseasonably warm or cold. Check the weather forecasts before you leave, but leave room for quickly changing weather.

FOOD

Will you cook over an open fire, on a gas stove, or both? Make sure you pack the correct supplies.

55 quart insulated cooler (for perishables)
smaller insulated cooler (for cold drinks)
stove or trivet for cooking over fire
pots and pans (a small Dutch oven, a small frying pan, and a small saucepan are sufficient to prepare food for four people)
coffee pot (if you need one)
plates, bowls, cups, forks, and spoons
box or plastic container for storing dry food (cereal, cookies, etc.)
sharp knife
spatula and large spoon for stirring and serving
aluminum foil
zip lock bags
trash bags
moist towelettes
dish pan, dish soap, and a couple of kitchen towels
a couple of plastic resealable containers

I do not take a vacation to cook. Unless your family fishes, or has some family outdoor favorites (hot dogs, S/Mores, hobo stew), I say the less complicated cooking the better. I will leave the outdoor cake baking to others. While I can exist quite nicely on unheated foods for a week, not everyone feels the same as I do. Here is a sample of what I would bring along on a week’s camping trip.

FRIDAY (leave after work)

PLAN THE ITINERARY

Don’t keep all the fun for yourself! Let the kids get involved in planning. Just remember that long stretches en route to a destination make for cranky children. A trip closer to home can be just as exciting.

Try to incorporate some of your child’s interests when you plan your trip. Does one have a rock collection? Is one interested in astronomy or birds? What did they study in school this year—what will they be studying next year?

Unless you are heading cross country for another reason, try out some short weekend camp trips.


HAVE FUN