An Old Favorite from John Prine which has Played in My Head For Some Time

We had an apartment in the city,
Me and Loretta liked living there.
Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown,
A life of their own left us alone.

John and Linda live in Omaha,
And Joe is somewhere on the road.
We lost Davy in the Korean war,
And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore.

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more,
She sits and stares through the back door screen.
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen.

Someday I'll go and call up Rudy,
We worked together at the factory.
But what could I say if asks "What's new?"
"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do."

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."

BBQ Stir Fry, It's Not for Everyone, But Hopefully Someone

Peggy is in France, emergency trip for a friend's funeral.  We were going to go to France sometime this summer, but when things like this happen you go and you don't care what it costs, unless you are me and it makes no sense to pay $2,500 for a ticket.  

Peggy is gone and I have lost my will to cook for others.  I have no one else to please, and I cook to please her.  So cooking in a vacuum, the man who wants to bring the world Macaroni and Chocolate and Twinkie Bread experimented with BBQ stir fry.

Why not.  I love stir fry, I love BBQ why can't they live together.

Peggy is lucky to be in France.

I liked it, and I bet I could find at least two other Bad Eaters in America who would like it as well.  But as I ate it, the one honest bone in my body told me that I would starve if I tried to launch this idea.

I made a kick ass BBQ sauce. On a whim I used Stubb's Spicy BBQ sauce.  It was a dollar off and his slogan says "his life is in this bottle".  Not bad sauce.  I added 57 sauce, honey (lots of it), garlic and half of a pineapple through the juicer.  The sauce might have been then best I ever made.

For the stir fry I used a red pepper, a green pepper, green beans, a can of corn and an Anaheim pepper.  And I made some rice.

The meat was organic chicken thighs basted in this sauce.  I combined some sauce and more garlic in the stir fry.  When the veggies, the chicken and rice were done (and me too, I was on beer #3) I put them all together and expected to change the world.

I discovered that I liked it, maybe Mikey would like it, and perhaps some fat guy in a bathtub with the blues, but honestly.......this idea is going no where fast.  As an old hot headed little league coach who was a worthy adversary would say..."this stinks on ice".  Thanks Oly, I needed that.

But as I cooked and got my groove on the Ipod was kicking ass as well and played on of the greatest sets EVER, which included (as I was sitting down to eat) Steve Earle singing "Over Yonder" live.

But I am keeping the sauce, maybe ribs tomorrow!

Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song) by Steve Earle,

 come'on spend 99 cents and buy it on I-tunes.  BBQ stir fry won't change your life, but this song might.

The warden said he'd mail my letter
The chaplain's waitin' by the door
Tonight we'll cross the yard together
Then they can't hurt me anymore.

I am going over yonder
Where no ghost can follow me
There's another place beyond here
Where I'll be free I believe.

Give my radio to Johnson
Thibodeaux can have my fan
Send my Bible home to Mama
Call her every now and then.

I suppose I got it comin'
I can't ever pay enough
All my rippin' and a runnin'
I hurt everyone I loved.

The world'll turn around without me
The sun'll come up in the east
Shinin' down on all of them that hate me
I hope my goin' brings 'em peace.

complete and Total Admiration

Above, Old, Older, Oldest - Jamie, Robin Roberts, Warren Spahn

I am old.  I am old by the standards that I developed as a youngster.  Waaay old.  At age 14 I made up my mind that I did not want to EVER be 45.  Seriously.  Those were the 60's and we were not supposed to trust anyone over 30, I was pretty sure the revolution WAS going to happen and I for one never wanted to get old.

My parents were old, and in those days; and with my eyes THEY were old.  I never EVER saw my old man in shorts, NEVER saw him move fast, I mean NEVER.  If he had to walk briskly he had to have his hand over his pocket to keep his change from jingling.

In those days Jack LaLane was considered a bona fide FREAK because he believed in exercise.  

And as a boy I had Robin Roberts' baseball card.  Even back then I thought, wow this guy is old, this guy has been around; how does he get anyone OUT?

Maybe you think this way about Jamie Moyer.  If you listen to the press and media, all you hear about is how old Jamie is.  How he gets hitters out with smoke and mirrors.  How he cannot last, how he MUST be living on borrowed time.

Here is my take.  I have always thought this and after today EVEN I came away MORE impressed than ever, but I am old.

Yeah, he only throws 83 or 84 tops.  In the days with closers throwing 99 this sounds like easy pickings.  

Only 83 84.  Well let me tell you, that is plenty fast.  It ain't that bad; most mortals cannot touch it, and even guys like Ted Williams have to concentrate to hit it.  Especially when it is located, especially when it moves.

I have known Jamie for six years now.  I was a former catcher.  I caught guys that were pretty damn good.  Mark Bishop was pretty damn good.  A big winner in college and Mark pitched well into his late 30's for the Seattle Studs Semi Pro team.  Mark was a thinker, a competitor and a scrapper.  I caught Wyatt Tonkin who threw absolute gas and got a cup of coffee with the Braves in the early 80's.  I caught Floyd Bannister, Kennedy High School super star, ASUpremier pitcher, and number 1 draft pick of  1976 and Mariner stand out.

I caught Jamie today and he WOWED me.  He hit spots.  HE HIT SPOTS.  He hit spots in long toss. He hit spots from the mound. He made it move in.  He made it move out. He made it  move down.  And he made it move to his spots.  And each time HE CALLED HIS SHOT.  

I have always been a fan, I mean how can I not be, but today I FOUND OUT WHY he still gets big leaguers out.  

COMPLETE AND TOTAL ADMIRATION 

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