Wild Tangents
Marc talks about life in Nashville, life as a Catholic and life as a geek.

I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and leave you with a quote from the president that instituted the holiday.

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” – Abraham Lincoln

What a great night!

At some point today I was inspired for us to make our own homemade pizzas. I’d seen a few Plurks lately by Migly about his own adventures making homemade pizzas.  He even posted pics, so I decided to follow his lead and do the same.  So since Suzette and I had already planned go grocery shopping today, all I had to do was talk her into getting the pizza makings so we could make our pizzas.  I was smart enough to time it right so the pizzas would be ready sometime around the start of the Titans game.  It worked out pretty well.

Our first stop was Publix.  For the most part, we buy our groceries at Wal-Mart simply because it cheaper.  But Wal-Mart doesn’t have the largest selection of items in the store, so sometimes we have to go elsewhere in order to get all the things we want.  That was the case today as I like Newman’s Own popcorn and Wal-Mart doesn’t carry the brand.  While at Publix we also got dessert, which I’ll talk about later.  Since I knew there may be limited supplies for making a pizza at Wal-Mart, we went ahead and took a look at what Publix had to offer.  We picked up a can of Centos Pizza sauce.  Everything else we got at Wal-Mart including cheese, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and bacon.  I only like my pizza with peperoni.  Suzette like it “Hawaiian” style.  We had pineapple at home, so we were all set, except for one thing.  We had no crust.  Wal-Mart was out fo the only good brand of pizza crust mix they carried (Martha White).  All that was left was their generic brand and “Jiffy” brand. YUK!  So we ended up buying one of the Chef Boy Ardee pizza in a box sets.  We only used the crust from this set.

Now that we had all the ingredients, it was time to mix it up.  We made the dough from the mix and halved it.  I think I actually ended up with a little more than my half, but Suzette was OK with that.  after putting a decent amount of sauce on top of the dough, it was time to add the cheese and the toppings.  Suzette first put plain mozzarella, then her Canadian bacon, bacon (she had fried this put before we even started mixing the dough), and pineapple. On top of all that, she put another layer of mozzarella/cheddar mix.  For mine I put a healthy layer of plain mozzarella with little of the cheddar mix on top of it and as many pepperonis I could get to fit on it.  We actually bought new cake pans while at Wal-Mart, so that’s what we were using for this.  Now they’re ready for the oven.

We were both pretty excited to see how they tuned out.  Me personally, I was upset to find out that the light inside the oven is broken.  There would be no checking them without opening the oven.  After about 20 minutes, we opened the oven to take a peek.  Even though we were both hungry and eager to try our new creations, we decided they weren’t quite done yet, so we shut the oven and waited about five more minutes.  Again we opened the oven and decided they were ready.

All of the sudden, the whole apartment was filled with the wonderful aroma of homemade pizza.  We couldn’t wait to taste them.  At some point while the pizzas were in the oven, the Titans game started  So I wanted to hurry and get them on a plate and get to the game.

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.  Without being too prideful, I have to say we did a great job.  Not only did we get to eat some wonderful pizza that we had fun making, it was something we did together.  With Suzette spending so much time on her school work and be dividing my time between work and the Church, it’s always nice to do some activity together like that.  It was fun.

Once all my pizza was gone and Suzette felt she had had enough pizza, it was time for dessert. I mentioned we picked up dessert at Publix.  I’m sure glad we did too.  We each got a slice of bakery cheesecake.

The label the bakery put on this was “Monster Cheesecake”. About half of the slice was covered in a chocolate shell, like you sometimes see on ice cream.  I didn’t really like the shell, so I ate the cake out of it.  Suzette did the same.

We finished super about half time in the game.  I think the Titans were waiting for us to finish eating before playing some football.  They were really full of fail in the first half.  But they came back strong in the second half and win the game.

I was really pleased that Suzette stayed in the living room and watched almost the whole game.  Neither one us has ever really been a football fan until this year.  I was sort of pulled in by the amazing Superbowl game last year.  I think it’s starting to grow on both of us, but maybe a little slower for her.  I have to say tough, for a first year football fan, it’s great year to live in Nashville.

We’ve already made plans for a similar supper next week.  What’s on the menu you ask?  We’re leaning towards homemade sliders and onion rings.  If we can’t think of anything better until then, that’s what it’ll be.

Since the feast day of Saint Raphael was just recently celebrated, I thought I would tell my own little story about my encounter with this saint.

If you know me, you know that my wife Suzette is from the Philippines.  We met online in 2002 and after chating online and on the phone for a few months I decided to go over and meet her in person.  Part of my preparation of the trip was to seek out a blessing form a priest I know for the journey. Now when asked who the patron saint of travelers is, any Catholic is likely to answer with Saint Christopher.  His name is a good answer, so I was a little surprised when father invoked Saint Raphael in the blessing. Saint Raphael is is also a good friendly saint to the traveler who is going on a long journey. While father did not knwo the reason for my trip, he did know where I was going. Since I was traveling so far away, he decided to ask for this Saint’s intercession on my behalf for my long journey to the Philippines.

After wards father and I were casually talking about the Saint as he had to explain to me the why Saint Raphael, instead of the expected Saint Christopher.  He then asked me why I was going to the Phillipines.  I told him it was ot meet a woman I had met on Catholic Singles Online. He looked at me like I was crazy.  When I asked him what was wrong, he simply answered, “Saint Raphael is also the patron of those seeking a spouse”. Of course it would only be a couple of short years later that Suzette and I were married.  So as Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story”.

Just before lunch time today my mom called me with the sad news that my aunt Annette Malone passed away today. My mother was a single mom who worked hard to provide for herself and me. My aunts really lent a helping hand to here in raising me, so I am closer to them than most men probably are to their aunts.

But the kindness and generosity of my “Aunt Nett” didn’t stop with me or her family. She loved everyone she met with the same smile and generosity she would extend to her own flesh and blood. She always put others needs above her own.

My Aunt Nett suffered from Purpura almost her whole adult life, but she never let it get her down. She charged forth and lived her life to the fullest. She especially never let this disease stop her from helping other people. When it started to hurt, she just pushed herself harder.

Most importantly my Aunt Nett was a woman of great faith. Even with all the adversity she faced in her life, she never lost her faith. She loved God and went to church every Sunday.

So to say she exemplified the Christian virtues of Faith Hope and Charity is an understatement. She is an example wold could follow right to Heaven. I want to see my Aunt Net again, so now I have one more reason to “finish the race” as Saint Paul tells us. But now we also have one more helper in that could of witnesses. With surety in my heart, I know that my Aunt Nett is also Saint Nett.

It’s been a long time since our Vegas trip. I’ve been a little busy and a little lazy. But I am fianlly getting around to posting some of the pictures. Here’s a sample:

Our first stop after getting to Vegas was the Hilton to go to the Star Trek Experience. They had Klingons and a Borg walking around. Here’s one of the Klingons.

Not long after getting there, Suzette was suddenly attacked by a Gorn!

I was able to fight him off, but I worked up an appetite so we had lunch. MMMM……Iguana burgers!

Exchanging war stories with with a crusty old Klingon warrior.

This was Suzette’s main reason for going to Vegas. She really wanted to ride the Gondolas at the Venetian. She got her wish. Here we are. This is inside BTW. They had a huge indoor shopping area that was made to look like an open air mall.

I managed to meet up with Vegas favorite and the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. Here I am showing him some new dance moves. He was standing around at this place that must have been a big hang out for celebs. It was Madam something or other.

Here’s Suzette getting a little too close to her favorite actor at that celeb bar.

Here we are with a nice scene of the strip behind us. I think this one was taken from one of the walkways that go over the street.

We took a lot more pictures. Some of them I’ve posted up on Flickr. Take a look at the whole set!

Technorati Tags: Elvis, pictures, Klingon, vacation, Vegas

Yeah…My mom now has a blog. There’s only one post over there, which is actually something I posted here for here a while back. I guess I better watch out now. There’s no telling what she might reveal about me!

But seriously, if you have a notion to go welcome her to the blogospere.

Her blogin’ name is “Hippie Nurse“.

Technorati Tags: blogs, family, moms, mother

Our life together started on this day….

When you said “yes”…..

There is no end in sight. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you forever.

My mom sent this to me in an email. I told her she’s needs a blog. She replied with, “So post it somewhere”. Since I (almost) always do what “mom” tells me, here you go.

My, how the world has changed!

I graduated from public high school without…

Ever wearing pants to school
Ever riding a school bus
Ever going a day without PE (from track and volley ball to dance)
Ever going a year without either band or chorus
Ever getting a free lunch
Ever going a day without the pledge and a prayer over the “PA” system
A computer
A cell phone
A pager

I graduated from public high school with…

The equivalent of a college education now
4 years of Latin – I actually translated Beowulf from Latin to English
2 languages (French and Spanish)
Algebra, geometry, trig
Biology
General Science
Civics
American and English literature
World history
Tennessee history
American History
Home Economics
Typing
Band and Chorus
4 years of PE
Public speaking

Maybe that’s why I made 28 on the ACT when I finally took it 33 years after graduation.

I started my first job ….

Still couldn’t wear pants – skirts and dresses only
No copiers – Mimeo??? I still remember the smell. Reports were done on an IBM selectric typewriter using mimeo stencils. You actually had to use a razor blade to scrape the ink off if you made a mistake.
No faxes – we used snail mail
No desk top computers – only terminals from the monster that was kept in the air conditioned ninth floor…the whole ninth floor.
Can you say key punch???
No word processing software – IBM selectrics??
No spreadsheet software – Graph paper…
No ten-key adding machines – comptometers. I must admit that the 10 key came out shortly after I started working.
At my first job I made $2.53 per hour and thought I had died and gone to heaven.

New words to my vocabulary over the years.
Computer
Personal computer
Cell phone – I actually had one of the first. The battery was bigger than a bread box.
Byte and all the mega, giga, etc., that goes with it.
Microwave oven
Cable TV
Remote control – Yes we actually had to walk over to the TV to change the channel or adjust the volume.
Garage door openers. If you had a garage, you had to stop, get out of your car, pull open the door, drive your car in, then pull the door back down. Why do you think so many houses were built with carports?
Terrorism – It was a word, but it didn’t have quite the same meaning as today.
Blow Dryer
Curling Iron
Microdermabrasion
Illegal alien – People who came into this country from all over the world were immigrants…and the vast majority were legal.
Politically correct – I’m really tired of this word and all the angst it causes.
Cruise control – Hard to get in a 57 Chevy
8 track player – Couldn’t get that on a 57 Chevy either
DVD – Again, 57 Chevy may not be the perfect venue
Compact disc
VCR – If you wanted to see a movie, you actually had to go to a movie theater
Digital anything
Interstate highway…the “long and winding road”…usually two lane
The Beatles – speaking of “long and winding road”
The Rolling Stones
The British Invasion – of the 1960’s
Flower Power
Hippie
Yippie
Groovy
Cool
Anything that plays music other than a vinyl disc called a record album.
Significant other – Either you were or you weren’t
Paradigm change– duh??? Please.
Peter Principle – Seen a lot of that
Employees as associates – Again with the PC-ness
Quality management – assumes you have quality to manage in the first place
Watergate
Iran-Contra
Sex – as Bill Clinton defines it.

Leave a comment if you think she needs her own blog….

Technorati Tags: blog, employment, family, history, interesting, politics, rant

I know….It’s just an hour and a half in my time zone before Christmas Day is over. So you might think I’m a little late. Well, we had our big family thing. I was without computer access. That’s allowed, right?

But you know what? It doesn’t really matter that I have not posted Christmas greetings until now.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m Catholic. That means that to me Christmas isn’t over, it’s just starting. We’ve been through the four weeks of Advent. Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation. Now that Christmas has actually started, we have twelve more days to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So you should know that it is with hope and joy in my heart that proclaim as loudly as my voice with allow to everyone, “Merry Christmas!”

Technorati Tags: catholic, family, holiday, christmas

Today is the feast of Saint Nicholas, who is the original inspiration for the character we know as Santa Claus. He is probably the only historical figure who acts as such. He is also the saint Suzette and I have adopted as the patron of our marriage. Santa Claus has always been portrayed as a gift bearer. That’s why the Feast of Saint Nicholas is so special to me. Because it was on this day three years ago that I received the greatest gift ever. It was on that day that my wonderful wife and I exchanged our “I dos”. That’s why Saint Nicholas is our patron.

Every time I hug my wife, I am reminded how blessed I am for her to be such an important part of my life. I would truly be lost without her. I love you Suzette!

To learn more about the real Saint Nicholas, click on the link below.
Saint Nicholas ::: Discovering the Truth About Santa Claus

Also, in doing the research on Santa Claus I learned the origin of the name “Kris Kringle”. From Wikipedia:

A Christmas gift-bringer in Germany. The name “Kris Kringle” is a mispronounciation of the German name; the actual German figure is called “Christkind”, “Christkindchen” or “Christkindl” and is derived from the earlier Christkindl, which was introduced by Martin Luther. All of the German names mean “Christ child” and originally refer to the new-born Jesus.

I really like that since it reminds us of the true nature of Christmas. While Santa Claus brings us physical gifts to satisfy our earthly needs and wants, we must also remember that Christ comes to us to satisfy our spiritual needs.

Technorati Tags: christmas, family, marriage, santaclaus, saintnick