Wednesday and Its Multiple Words

Fall is my favorite season.

Tailgate Dip

Since I'm home alone for the early part of this weekend I decided to make the most of it and prepare some tailgate style dips for future football get togethers.

1. Crab Dip

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• dash cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, or to taste
• 1 can (7 1/2 oz) crabmeat, drained, cartilage removed, finely chopped

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, milk, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce to taste. Gently stir in chopped crab. Chill and serve crab dip with chips, crackers, or raw vegetable dippers.
Makes 2 cups of crab dip.



2. Pizza Dip

• 1 package cream cheese, softened (8oz)
• 1 jar (14oz) pizza sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 can (6oz) sliced black olives
• 2 ounces sliced pepperoni
• corn chips

Preparation:

Press cream cheese in bottom of 9-inch glass pie plate. Spread pizza sauce over cream cheese and layer remaining ingredients in the order listed. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Serve with corn chips or your favorite crackers.
Serves 8 to 10.

You're probably thinking, "What about your Nutrisystem, Mr. Little Cat?" Well, that's been slightly sidetracked. It will restart on Monday with a vengeance. I managed to lose a total of 26 pounds on Nutrisystem and I'm very grateful for what it taught me. Last week's vacation was difficult on my weight loss, but I'm rededicating myself starting Monday. 200 pounds, here I come.

By the way, cream cheese may be the greatest invention in the history of the world.

Joe Wilson and My Naivety

I know it's a little late to talk about this goob, but he continues to make headlines. For those of you unfamiliar with him, this is Joe Wilson, a Republican Congressman from South Carolina. He's the man who shouted "you lie!" at President Obama during the POTUS's healthcare address to congress.

This post really isn't about Joe Wilson, however. It's more about my naivety. When I witnessed his outburst I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know his name. I didn't know where he was from. I didn't know his history. Hell, I didn't even know what he looked like because the TV cameras weren't fast enough to catch him in the act. I remember thinking, "Jeez... whoever that Republican is really doesn't like Obama's bill." It didn't even cross my mind that his quick rant could be racially motivated.

After the President's speach, my wife worked her magic on Google and found out this guy's story. We learned his name and what state he represented. After learning he was from South Carolina, I still gave the guy the benefit of the doubt. I thought, "South Carolina, eh? Nahhhhh..." Over the next couple of weeks eye-opening details have emreged about him. Joe Wilson is a member of the "Magnificent 7." Meaning he's one of seven lawmakers in South Carolina who voted to continue flying the Confederate Flag over the states federal courthouse (yeah, that's really frickin' "magnificent"). This man is also a member of the "Sons of Confederate Veterans." This organization's goal (taken from their website):

The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.

Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.

I counted a total of nine eye-rolling portions from this excerpt. Listen... I'm all for preserving history, but to call these people heroes and say they fought for the best qualities of America is absurd. While there were numerous reasons for the Civil War, the undeniable primary cause was the south's "need" for slavery. Sugarcoating your past doesn't make it ok. It merely makes you more likely to repeat it. I'm not saying slavery will ever happen in the United State's future. I am, however, saying that racism is more likely to continue when you don't realize just how wrong your past has been. Joe Wilson apparently doesn't realize this.

Many liberals are going as far as to say that when Joe said, "you lie," that he almost said, "you lie, boy." Which has extreme racial connotations. 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have believed it. Now, I don't see why he wouldn't.

Joe Wilson has opened my eyes to racial prejudice in the South and all over the United States. I knew it existed, but I never realized to what extent. I'm hoping that Wilson's outburst will continue to open the eyes of Americans and finally help to end these types of behaviours.

Thanks for your outburst, Joe.

One Movie Quote Wednesday

NOVA!

Wedding on the OBX

Last week a good friend of ours invited us to their week-long wedding celebration in Corolla, NC. Corolla is located on the northern tip of the Outer Banks. It's a quiet place with very little urban sprawl. There are, however, tons of homes that look just like the one we stayed in (above). There were so many of these that their massive size almost became normal.

Speaking of massive, take a look at the windows in the living room of our house. When we first walked into the place we nearly fell over.

Pretty cool photo, right? It's slightly weird to see if you know the story behind it. You see, that's a US Coast Guard helicopter. They were searching for a man who disappeared in the surf the night we arrived. He told his wife he was going out for a quick swim. He entered the water only yards from our house and never returned. We finally learned late in the week what happened to him. (click here)

So check out this little sand crab. There were tons of them all over the beach. They were very timid, though. If you made the slightest move you could see ten to fifteen of these little guys running back to their holes. My wife was quick enough to get a picture of this one.

The sleeping arrangements were odd. I guess that kinda happens when you have 25+ people staying in one location. Anyway, my wife and I were on a double mattress in a bunk bed. One night I decided to give us both a little extra room and slept on the couch. Some sort of animal was scratching around on our porch and woke me up. I took advantage of the situation and went outside to catch the sunrise.

This was one of my favorite parts of the week. Just north of Corolla was a designated spot to drive on the beach. I took advantage of it and went for a spin in our pickup.

This is the Currituck Beach Lighthouse (click here). I figured I'd stop and take a look to see what the big deal was. When I left, I wasn't really that impressed. It's a tall building with a light in it. However, after a little research and a few thoughts from others, I learned that many people see lighthouses as a sign of inspiration and hope. I guess I can see that. If it's 1855 and I'm on a ship looking for the coast from the Atlantic Ocean, seeing the light from a lighthouse would be pretty damn cool.

I bought a stunt kite. Unfortunately this is about as high as I could get the damn thing. I blame the lack of wind. Watch out next beach trip. You're gonna get a kite flown on you.

Oh yeah, here's the reason we came. My friends got married on the beach directly in front of the house. It was a quick ceremony and afterward we headed back to the house for the reception which consisted of pizza, beer and dancing. Solid.

Here's the wedding party sporting their "wedding party gifts." Everyone received a pair of Tifosi sunglasses for participating. Seriously, I'm not a sunglasses kinda guy, but whoa, these things are spectacular. They're perfect for a dude who smears up his glasses with his long eyelashes. I highly recommend a pair. (click here)

Awwwwww... me and my great wife!

Gameday Festivities

Ok... so these first two pictures weren't actually taken on gameday. They were, however, taken the night before. My wife and I attended an event at Lakeview, on the outskirts of Morgantown, in which Don Nehlen and Major Harris were the guests of honor. They spent time chatting with obsessed fans and signing autographs.

Here's Major Harris talking with and signing an autograph for one of those obsessed fans. That guy sure has a big smile on his face... what a goof.

After we met Don and The Maje, we slurped down a couple beers and ate dinner on the Lakeview deck with my childhood neighbor. During our dinner the owner of the resort announced a few door prizes and my wife won tickets to Lakeview's New Year's Eve party. It includes a free stay, dinner and drinks! I guess we know where we'll be for New Year's. Anyone interested in joining us?

Here's my good friend's daughter. Apparently she's going to be a WVU cheerleader.

This is Marc Bulger and Major Harris tailgating at Marc's house in Stonegate Circle.

The Blue Lot. That's where the tailgating magic happens.

And finally, "LET'S BRING ON THE MOUNTAINEERS!" My wife and I only lasted until halftime inside the stadium. We wussed out and headed for the temptingly cool, comfortable air conditioning and flat screen TVs provided by the Varsity Club (a bar right beside the stadium). There we met up with my cousin and his step brothers, had a couple beers and downed a couple chicken wings.

We closed the evening with a cookout at my grandmother's house. My aunt, uncle and three cousins were the guests of honor. We enjoyed steak, salmon and shrimp on their behalf. It was a busy, fun-filled football weekend with lots of friends and family, but that's the way I like them.

Wednesday's One Word

Nice!