Mandatory Saturday Blog Entry

Yesterday I thought of several really interesting poetry-related things to blog. But of course I didn't do it, as I was away from the computer most of the day. One of them had to do with Tennyson, specifically "The Lotos Eaters." Too bad I don't remember what it was.

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Had the upscale fried mozzarella last night at the Dive. Bar food, y'know. I was expecting some sticks. Instead, they gave me a BIG slab of mozz, about 4 by 5 inches, and about a 3/4 inch thick, nestled in a pool of very good marinara, and drizzled (squeeze-bottle style) with pesto. It was good. And the bartender gave me a free shot of top-dollar tequila because my brother was being demanding and a tad rude.

Earlier that day, at the same joint, I had the "Big Easy" chicken sandwich, which is a standard piece of fried chicken on a bun with some remoulade-type sauce. Also pretty good. And the house-made espresso stout I washed it down with was divine. Winner, 2003 GABF.

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Last night was the first in a week of Big Events. Iron Chef America premiered. The Fukui-san and Hattori roles have been merged into one continuous commentary by Alton Brown, who occasionally trades comments with the man on the floor (the Ota role) who is actually the guy who did the "Thirsty Traveler" series a few years back. Bobby Flay flayed Hiroyuki Sakai in a trout battle, handing him his first fish loss. Of course, you can't count shellfish, as Sakai has lost at least three lobster battles in the past. Flay's dishes looked a lot better, I think. Sakai made trout ice cream, which didn't go over well with the tasters. Very exciting. I'm looking forward to watching Morimoto battle Batali tonight. The fun continues through Sunday, culminating in a very special battle at 10 pm Sunday night, which means I'll have to make a difficult decision--watch ICA, or James Spader on "The Practice." Sometimes I wish I had a TiVO. Or a VCR even...

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The other big event is so big it spans two nights--The Pixies, here in Eugene, at the McDonald Theatre. Two nights in a row. And I have tickets to BOTH SHOWS. I could crap myself I'm so excited.

Eww.