Note To Everyone In The US With A Cell Phone: Simply Put, No.

The text message that you sent me saying either "Happy New Year", "Happy Thanksgiving", "Merry Christmas" is indeed not special. The fact that you took ten seconds to text a message to everybody in your cell phone does not constitute a greeting that merits either my acknowledgment or a reply.


Oh, and by the way, your phone number was more than likely not in my cell phone, therefore, I have no ideal who the message came from so don't ask me days from now if I got it and why I did not reply.

As you were........

Baxter: Out Like a Light

House of Fu Fortune Says

Don't be hasty; prosperity will knock on your door soon.

Rack 2.0 Because You Asked

So people ask me all the time if I just spend oodles of cash on my meals. Nope. This one probably cost me less than $20.00, most of the stuff I already had. Not cheap, but as much as you would spend going out to sit down to dinner which is the way it should be.

The stuff: Double rack of lamb (which is about a half pound)
Basil (fresh)
Mint (fresh)
Panko
Plain yogurt
Small fennel bulb
Four small creamer potatoes
Maybe a half dozen fresh thin green beans

A rack of lamb has a "bone" flat side and a "meat" flat side. The end of the rack opposite the frenched bones is where most of the meat is in a tenderloin shape. That is the good stuff. The flat side of the rack where the meat is will also have a layer of fat over it. Trim the fat off of the flat side of the rack if there is any excess but don't trim it down to the meat. You want to leave a thin layer - some people leave all of it. Score in a criss cross pattern both sides of the rack. Score the connective tissue on the bones of the rack and score through the fat on the other flat side but be careful not to go through the meat.

Chop the fresh mint and basil leaves leaving out the stems. Mix some of the yogurt with a portion of the mint and basil mixture reserving some of the herbs for later. Slather your rack with a think layer of the yogurt/basil/mint mixture and cover it allowing it to marinade for a few hours.

Take the chopped mint and basil that you reserved and add it to about a quarter cup of panko, some salt, some pepper, half hand full of grated parmesan. Put the panko mixture in a food processor with a half teaspoon of yogurt and blend well. You should end up with very fine bread crumbs that are a very bright green color. Since the yogurt is in here, probably best to do this right before you use the bread crumbs.

You never want to cook meat right out of the fridge so take the rack out and allow it to come towards room temp for about 30 minutes. Remove any excess yogurt and salt and pepper the rack which is what gives meat that crispy brown sear color. Drop the rack in a pan with some oil (not olive oil) flat side down/bone side down/tenderloin side down with the bones up so that each side gets a quick sear for a minute or so to get some color. Place the rack on a pan in an oven at 400 bone side up for about 8 minutes and then remove it from the oven.

Coat the flat side and tenderloin side with the bread crumbs and return the rack to the broiler for a couple minutes to brown and crisp the crumbs. I do top rack with the oven door open to keep an eye on it as the goal is not really to "cook" it much more. Lamb is best medium rare which is about 130 degrees - this might not be for everybody. Overcooking sucks and makes it tough so if you can't take the appearance opt for the hamburger instead. After the crumb coating is crisped and browned remove the rack from the broiler and let it rest for about 4 minutes before you cut the chops. You should have tender red chops with a nice crisp/herb coating.

Potatoes: I just sauted the potatoes with some olive oil and chopped fennel finishing it with some grated parmesan/salt/pepper.

Beans: Quick saute in olive oil with salt.

What's For Dinner: Rack

Silent Night

Our End of Exceptionalism

"We used to make stuff in this country, build stuff. Now we just put our hands in the next guy's pocket."

Setting Expectations

This week brings another huge let down of a full time role that I did not get. This one (once again) was very close and I was certainly a top candidate. Of course now that the process is over I am told how great I am, how much they want to stay in touch, they will keep me in mind etc all of which I believe is true. They did a good job of running the process and I would have been quite happy to go there so there are no hard feelings......just the let down.

I so want to point the finger and go cry in the corner right now over this. I want to throw my hands up. I want to give up. I want to be consoled. I want a public uprising on the injustice that has been my 2008 and I want everyone to come to my rescue. I want everybody around me to be as disappointed as I am. I want this to be over. I want my life back.

But the fact remains that this is my problem and my life. I am in this, and I will find my way out of this. I will be the one to celebrate the victory when this is over and it will be a reservation for a party of one.

"Stop expecting more from others and more from yourself"

Damn straight.

Merry Christmas 2008

"The "story" of my year certainly has a start and an end, but where I am now will surely be a lot different from where I will be a year from now. So in many ways, this story will have to be continued and concluded next year."

That was part of my post to you last year at Christmas and reading that today as I am putting together this year's holiday post, it continues to ring true if not more so. Although my current circumstance is a bit extreme, this year has been challenging for most of us as our world has changed as our economy has hit the reset button. As for me I am doing well despite the challenges before me and I am very much blessed. I am still living in Houston and enjoying the opportunity that the city provides. The midtown area of Houston has continued to grow so there is always a lot going on near my home. The bonus for me is that my street and neighborhood are very quiet and low key. Perfect for walking a dog but, well.....that just hasn't happened yet either. Still no dog.

Job search? Still ongoing. It's been a year now since I was laid off and this year has been hard fought looking for the next job. Fortunately I have had a couple of short consulting engagements during the year to keep me relevant in the market but the majority of the year has been spent looking for a full time role. Things are just that tough right now. The heartbreaking thing about it is that I have been very, very close a few times and even as I write this, the reality is that I could be one day away from getting "the phone call." Enough for now on that.

The year was also up and down with my family. Mom was diagnosed with cancer early this year which completely shocked us. Although mom is doing well now and the doctors are fully satisfied with the pathology of the tissue from her surgery, we continue to be heads up and monitor everything. You never know how much that can change your outlook on life until something like that happens. However, Mom is still Mom and her spirit remains very strong for her age. She is getting around just fine and is as stubborn as ever about her independence and making her own way which is all I could ever ask for.

Day to day life for me as a single guy in the Lone Star State is still pretty good and I stay fairly active. Unfortunately there were no trips this year due to the job uncertainty although I really wanted to make trips to Central Florida, Utah (Moab), and Central California (Lake Elsinore). All of those places will still be there when things settle out. I am still active with His Grace Foundation working with the kids at Texas Children's Hospital which is always uplifting for me. Otherwise I will also say that having more time on my hands has given me the opportunity to explore my interests int the kitchen and cooking. This year I have tried to stretch my experience level trying to become familiar with as many different ingredients as possible to do more with less. I actually looked into CIA at one point but I quickly realized that boat sailed long ago.



Skydiving is still a huge passion although I am currently taking time off until I get back on my feet a bit more. The first half of the year I was on an intermediate 4 way team and learned a lot about the sport and did a lot of jumps. I think my jump numbers currently sit at about 350 which is off from last year. I have figured out that my passion will most likely be teaching students and 4 way formation skydiving. The teaching portion will come with my D license and my AFF certification some time in the future.


One cool thing worth mentioning is that although I did not get a chance to jump a hot air balloon, I did get two opportunities to jump an R-44 helicopter with one of those opportunities being on the beach at Galveston. There is nothing like the feeling of cool dead air as you leave the strut - probably about as close to a BASE jump as you can get.

So that is about all I have for you this year. There is more that I would probably like to share about the job thing but I don't want to let that weigh things down too much but I will sign off with this. We only get one time around in this world and the only way that we make it through is together with the love of family and friends. Love those close to you in your life and love those that you don't know even more. Our world tells us that life is all about "me" and what "I" can have "right now" but the reality is that we are all one life event away from being the one in need. Have a great year and I wish nothing but the best for you and those close to you.


Moments from 2008

Tyler Says Let Go
What's For Dinner: Short Ribs
Stronger
Thirty Eight
He Said, She Said: You Gotta Pull The Cart
Still A Booster
Day In The Life

What's For Dinner: Duck & Chard

What's For Dinner: Vermicelli

Ripples and Rhymes

December is always a very different kind of month and it seems to mean different things for everyone. I find myself pulling from all of it every year as I am this year. It's pretty interesting how people have their own focus this time of year

Family
Parties
Christmas
Hanukkah
New Years
Gifts
Year end
Decorations
Travel

I have never been one to get too wrapped in "the season' per say and this year it's a bit harder to take it all in. My focus is very different from those around me so I am finding it hard to .......it's hard to get the attention of those around me. By attention I suppose that means things outside of their definition of the season but this is understandable. My head is still down and very much focused on my one clear and present goal.

My process for moving on to the next job has been so long that things often get distorted and perspectives lost. This week has been good and there is promise of several new opportunities before me that I could be a lead candidate on. Despite my deep passion and desire to get back in the game it's hard to get excited until a deal is done because so many things have been taken from me. It's close. Really close (again).

He heard you could see your future
Inside a glass of water
With ripples and the rhymes
He asked 'Will I see heaven in mine?'

Yao

Thanksgiving Leftovers

So here are the leftovers from my recent happs. You'll get a little bit of everything here.

December is here and it brings new opportunity. Seems like everybody around me is already in shut down mode for 2008 but taking the month away from my search just is not a possibility and does not pay the January mortgage. I am day to day in waiting on an update for a very real opportunity so once again there is something dangling before me. Additionally there are three postings that I should contend for with another company - plenty of other opportunities that are being worked in parallel also.

Additionally I am contending with some very real choices that are difficult and probably represent some of the tough decisions that I might have ahead of me. The most immediate choice is my health care coverage. Given the choice of continue my COBRA coverage or pay the mortgage, I don't have much of a choice. I can't continue to pay for overpriced coverage when my housing situation is pressing me along with the rest of my monthly expenses. Clearly there is a risk here and I am gonna take it because it is just me in the balance. The most immediate effect this will have and the most obvious one will be that I am stepping away from skydiving for a while until I get coverage again. After all, it is winter and jumping is not as frequent even with the forgiving Texas weather and also, the sky will be there. It will still be blue. All of this sucks but right now my life is all about survival.


I was very fortunate to get away for Thanksgiving last week. One of my best friends, Wendell, bought a ticket for me at the very last minute and asked me to go to Chapel Hill NC to be with his family for a low key Thanksgiving. It was really good to get away and relax for a minute with them for a few days. I was going to be content here in town laying low by myself but it was good to be with others that are like family. His boys are growing so quickly and getting smarter by the day.


So the idea for my Thanksgiving dinner ended up being put on hold until I got back. I have been wanting to experiment with a stock reduction using roasted lamb bones from chops. Tenderloin rocks no matter what you get it from but the problem with lamb and chops is that they are really really small. I was proud of this idea removing three loin sides and combining them with the help of a little kitchen twine. Turned out awesome.

He Said, She Said: Wrong color, try again

I am not one to bitch about being single, but this story from last night has got to be told. The set up:

So I was gifted a ticket to see the Eagles concert last night and I am out at a bar with friends after it is all over. A group of 6 of us are playing pool and my dear friend Trina who is white approaches the young woman bringing our drink order to the pool table. Trina looks out for me in every way with the kindest heart ever so when she sees a really attractive young black woman bringing our drinks, she goes into motion and it kinda goes like this from what I over hear.

T: Hi, thanks for the drinks. Aren't you so cute. You need to meet my friend George. There's George, have you met him?

Waitress: (I actually did not hear this part)

Trina looks over at me and says, "I can't believe that. Did you hear her? George you know I am not like that. The waitress told me , 'You would introduce me to the black one.....' Can you believe that" Um, nope. Can't believe that. We are all entitled to be attracted to whoever we chose and I have dated all races without bias. But to hear that from somebody that looks like me is something that I have never heard before. You have to wonder who did what to her and what caused such a negative perspective for her on black men. There is no way you can not like something that you are a part of without not liking the person in the mirror.

My how we judge from what we see with our eyes, not with what we feel.