Monthly Archives: June 2014

Friday, June 13, 2014 – Full Moon

RUMBA!

Let’s Get Ready to Rumba! Or perhaps vacuum the floors. Or the dance African-Cuban dance whose name comes from the Cuban Spanish word” rumbo” which means party.The major musical instrument for the rumba is congas.I wonder if you can take those to the World Cup since hooters are not allowed. Or perhaps a rumba something for dinner from the meat department in the grocery store.Perhaps the HEB in Austin had rumba meats, but I had never heard of them until I saw them in the Kroger meat case. What is (are) rumba meats? A Google search (http://www.rumbameats.com/) of the website reveals the following definition (and I use the term definition loosely):

Rumba® meats provide essential ingredients for the treasured traditional dishes around the globe and the culinary world’s latest and most cutting edge creations. We are committed to bringing you the highest quality specialty cuts where you shop. We celebrate diversity and cultural traditions. We ignite creativity and spark the imagination in meal creation. But the flavors you create with Rumba meats aren’t just food, they are something altogether more special. So special, we call them Foods of the Soul®.

I have read their definition several times and I still do not know what type of meat rumba is. For all I know, since I live near an agricultural research university,this could be some type of experimental hybrid meat developed in the laboratories of the Meat Science Department at Texas A&M and being test marketed at the local Kroger market. It might be a cross between a rooster and a zebra. A two legged, furry, black and white striped animal with a beak and a red comb and a log wispy tail. There are six advertisements on the rumba meat website. One is for rumba food; one is a list of gluten free rumba (?) and the other four are for dog and cat food.

On a similar note, I noted that an Asian market in Austin was closed by the Health Department for selling pizzle for human consumption. “Pizzle is” – not only a great word for Words With Friends – “it is the common term for beef penis and in the U.S. it’s mostly used in dog treats or rendered for use in glue.” So I could give my dog a shot of Elmer’s Glue next time he wants a treat?

Here’s what I’m thinking. And you are thinking it too! I am thinking rumba meat might make me become a vegetarian.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Yesterday, June 10, was Donald Duck’s 80th birthday. DD is the only Disney-created character who has a middle name. What is it? Thursday, is George H. W. (41) Bush’s birthday too. He will be 90 years old. Sock it to ‘em, 41! Did you know that both Donald Duck and George H. W. served in the Navy? Donald was initially drafted into the Army in Donald Duck Gets Drafted produced in 1942. It was in Duck Tales though, that Donald joins the Navy and pretty much swims away from the big screen leaving his three nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, in the care of Uncle Scrooge McDuck. Of course Donald Duck would go on to entertain us all on Saturday mornings on the little screen in our living rooms. However, it was the Der Fuehrer’s Face that would win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1942. In this anti-Nazi propaganda (like who needs propaganda to not like Nazis?) the world sees Germany through Donald’s eyes during Hitler’s Third Reich. Meanwhile George H. W. Bush was really helping to win the real war. The Bush Library is having a 90th birthday party on Thursday. Free cake! And Blue Bell ice cream! Neither George H. W. nor his lovely, bride, Barbara will attend. However, one is encouraged to wear crazy socks. If one does not have any crazy socks, you may purchase a pair at the library for $41.00. I am glad I purchased a pair of red shorts, should I choose to attend. On Donald’s Selective Service Draft Card in DD Gets Drafted, one learns his middle name is Fauntleroy. Donald Fauntleroy Duck. George H.W. is seen more and more with crazy socks. I bet if Donald Duck wore pants, we could wear Fauntleroy Slacks.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Saturday. This is what I read on Yahoo’s front page this morning and here’s what I’m thinking. Kathy, since I know you do camp, this is for you and B. It is called “Glamping” So I clicked on it to find that it is – “A phenomenon called “glamping” has been overtaking the world for people who want to experience the outdoors but don’t want to deal with bugs, tents, and sleeping bags. Glamping, a combination of “glamorous” and “camping,” lets people enjoy the experience of camping without abandoning modern conveniences.” Hmm. Aren’t bugs, tents, no conveniences and sleeping bags what camping is all about? Glamping is just a fancy tent with electricity and a hot plate. You could just stay at home for that and run one of those orange electrical cords from the house to a tent in the back yard. I am certainly no expert in camping, although I do have some good camping stores from days gone by, but this just sounds stupid. Of course I consider camping to be a motel in Canton (or Athens) Texas with no coffee maker. I wonder if the high school state fishing tournament would consider glamping when the members spend a couple of days to prefish sites. If one camps or glamps during a school event, what is the per diem? Perhaps, glamping would attract more females to fishing, but then again, I do not fish so I do not know. However, I am not really seeing a glamping spot in deep East Texas where banjo music plays nightly among the tall girls and virgin pines. K & B, let me know if you switch to glamping. Go Tech!

June 6, 2014

Today, June 6, marks the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. There were five beaches along the 50 mile stretch of French coast that would serve as the landing point for Operation Neptune, a part of the overall invasion of Europe, Operation Overlord. More than 160,000 Allied troops landed on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beach – collectively known as Normandy.They were supported by more than 5000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. So today we remember the over 12,000 soldiers who were killed or wounded on the beaches of Normandy. Their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 Allied soldiers to begin to the slow, hard march across Europe defeating Hitler and the Nazi army. What these brave individuals did is give us the freedoms we enjoy today. So thank a veteran. Remember his or her sacrifice.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me, anyone else but me, anyone else but me … till I come marching home. And that was sung by what popular group during World War II? And don’t drink the red liquid in the apple juice jar in my refrigerator. Yesterday, I set up a hummingbird feeder in the back yard.  If you have ever done this, you are aware that when you mix the prepared package of hummingbird food with water you get a bright red liquid, necessary for attracting the hummingbirds.  One fills the hummingbird feeder and then stores the remainder in the refrigerator. One must be careful when storing the remainder of the red liquid. It seems that once upon a time, for some strange reason my father, Honeyboy, and Maggie Lou – a most talkative women and his wife for 25 years – went to my sister’s house to check on things. As we all do when we house sit or “check on things”, we snoop.  You know you do it, so shut up.  It seems that ML opened the refrigerator and asked my father if she could have a glass of this red wine in the refrigerator.  He examined at the red liquid in the wine-shaped bottle, and knew full well it was hummingbird juice, but still said “Sure, I’ll get you a glass.” So ML drank a glass of hummingbird food. Upon leaving the house, he asked her “How was the wine?” She said “Not too good. It was very sweet.” No hummingbirds today. I will let you know if there is a sighting. And the song, Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree? The Andrew Sisters. Patty. Laverne and Maxine.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Well, Kiss My Bass

Did you know that Texas high schools can offer fishing as an elective? This is no fish tale. It seems there were 84 two-person teams that competed in the 2014 Texas High School Fishing State Championship in March. Who is in charge of this competitive event? The Texas Education Agency or the University Interscholastic League? Is there a Director of Fish at one of the agencies? Does one get a Letter jacket from L. L. Bean? Student anglers must follow the no pass no play rule that all student athletes follow. Perhaps you should adopt a variation of that with a “no pass no cast” rule. Here is my question. In the article, Finders, Keepers in the Texas Co-op Power Magazine that was in my mailbox today, on page 15 it states, “The teammates, who will fish in eight to 10 tournaments this year, usually arrive a couple of days early to prefish a lake, identifying spawning beds, coves and underwater structures that, depending time of year and weather, should hold fish.” Aside from finding where the fish have sex, (and I so wanted to use the obvious alliteration), if you fish 10 tournaments and arrive two days early to prefish (really, prefish is a term?), aren’t you missing some school? Even counting weekends, this prefishing, or finding where the fish are, must certainly bleed into some week days. Are those considered excused or unexcused absences? Now less you think this bass fishing phenomena is limited to the small, rural behind the pine curtain schools, I see where THE Woodlands, College Park club, member caught a tournament record 32 pound fish. I know you cannot wait to learn more about this topic, so I am giving you the websites as they are listed at the end of the article. “To learn more about high school fishing, including tournament listings, visit highschoolfishing.org or setxhighschoolfishing.com.” Yes, I see the last site looks like a high school sexting site and it is not a typo. Time runs out on the Aggies in baseball.

Monday June 2, 2014

Take me out to the ballgame; take me out with the crowds; buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks; I don’t care if I never get back; We will root, root root for the Aggies, (Ok, I was just checking to see if you were reading or singing) If They don’t win, it’s because time ran out; But it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game. NCAA College World Series. I guess the “walk-off win” is like the buzzer beater in basketball. There have been several walk-off wins, and there have been several almost, but not quite, walk-offs too. And we are only in the Regional brackets. Each year the teams seem to get better and the excitement builds. However, like most TV sporting venues, there is too much talk. Whoever is calling the Aggie/Longhorn game, please shut up! You talk more and say less than Jon Gruden. And also please learn to pronounce these small Texas towns. For example, last night’s pitcher for the Aggies is from Diboll, Texas, way behind the Pine Curtain. You pronounced it DIB ALL! It is DIE BALL, as in Dumb Ass! Speaking of baseball, the Bryan Bombers open their season tomorrow night. But for this evening’s diamond of the night it is the Aggies and the Longhorns. It is a must win for both teams. Win and you move on. Lose and you come home. Gig ‘Em!