Saturday, January 17, 2009

The big 14 killed my baby.

Complete with a drunken sign-off.

I ate three corn dogs while waiting for this to upload.

Friday, January 9, 2009

V-blog - Test numero uno.



This is pretty raw, I may have to acquire some video editing tools, but for now it's all I've got.

If any of you have any ideas on programs I could use for simple video editing, please let me know.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Put my baby to the grind wheel.

All this knife talk has made me really sit down and think about what it is that I truly cherish about my closest kitchen friend.

My Henckel Santoku and I have been working side by side for almost three years now and I have to be honest, I don't know what I would do without her. She's like a good wife, loyal and trusting; I respect her, and she reciprocates.



I had all my knives sharpened today but I noticed myself especially concerned when the man doing the sharpening put my baby to the grind wheel. While all the other knives, about fifteen in total, we’re being ground down, buffed, and polished, I continued to work diligently in my kitchen, my mind wandering the vast culinary shadows; and yet when my Santoku was next to be revived, I couldn’t help but sit down and watch, head perched in my hands, refusing to take my eyes off her for a second. It was then that I realized how much this knife really meant to me.

It is true that in a kitchen you never touch another man’s knife. Anthony Bourdain said it best in his book Kitchen Confidential- “Don’t touch my dick, don’t touch my knife”. We build a comfort level with our favorite knives, and that comfort must never be breached.

After the first week of owning my Santoku, and after much prodding, I allowed a handful of people to use her under close watch. Out of those five, three of them cut themselves bad enough to require medical treatment, one of them losing the tip of his index finger. Yet with the thousands of times we have worked together, she has not so much as nipped at me. She knows where she belongs, as an extension of my arm, and nestled softly in the calluses of my index finger and thumb.

Thank you, dear friend. You may be a little banged up, but you’re still my favorite knife in the case.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

www.makinmistakes.com

2008; looking back at a year of opportunity, shameless mistakes, and complete and utter silliness.

Since my therapist suggested I blog more to let the demons out, it only makes sense to blog about the passing year. Shit, it really went by like THAT. *snaps fingers* I mean, QUICK, and although I should boast about being more mature, or grabbing the world by it's tail, or loves obtained and lost, I have come to terms with the fact that I will always be sixteen years old in my eyes, and just a little boy. It's like the movie Groundhog Day, except rather than being stuck in the same day, it's the same year, every year...nothing changes. I mean, people come and go, my environment changes, but it's the same old B.S. as it was in 1998, only now I can get sloshed in front of my parents without them pouring my bourbon down the drain.

However, if there's one thing I can say it's that I certainly took advantage of EVERY opportunity this year had to offer, no matter how crazy. In January I took advantage of my real estate classes and sold a few homes, which allowed me to pay off my car, a few debts, and save a nice chunk of change, which I later shamelessly blew at a blackjack table and an endless supply of white russians.

In spring I went on a dating frenzy, meeting up with various respectable girls in Western Pennsylvania, all of who were nice, but not exactly what I was looking for.

Summer rekindled friendships over a seven day alcohol and gambling jag in Atlantic City, and reminded me why I love these people so much. Sometimes I look back at those pictures when I feel alone.

With autumn came change, randomly moving to Georgia, and opening new doors.

Winter was crushing as always, the temperatures weren't too bad, but everything still seemed so cold. I got a chance to revisit family and friends, owned up to a few mistakes, and learned to let go a little.

2009 is already budding with new opportunity, perhaps a new job, more money, and another shot at love. Keep your fingers crossed.

PS - I'm having my knives sharpened tomorrow. This has nothing to do with the new year, I'm just really excited.