Greetings from Orlando, Florida!

So, yeah, just wanted to let everybody know what Brittan and I have been up to recently.  The most notable event is that I HAD to come down to Florida for a work-related training conference - so I brought Brittan with me.  We came down a couple of days early and went to Disney World.  The picture below is just a very small sampling of what is to come.

We'll be getting back home tomorrow and I'll have to see about getting some videos and more pictures posted.

Has anyone seen my terrible towel?

In December of 1975, Myron Cope, the radio announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers, introduced to the world an item that would become one of the most infamous (or famous, depending on which side of the fence you are on) symbols in all of sports.  That item is, of course, the world's first "rally towel," The Terrible Towel.

I think it should be noted here that this is far more than just another meaningless sports gimmick.  Did you know that Myron Cope had an autistic son?  Well, he did, and so when the terrible towel took off in popularity after the Steelers won a Super Bowl later that season, he determined that he would use that popularity to benefit a cause close to his heart.  Since very early in its existence, part of the proceeds from every officially-licensed terrible towel sold go to the Allegheny Valley School, which provides care and education for over 900 people with mental or physical disabilities.  This continues even after the death of Myron Cope, who died on February 27th of last year (2008).  So, supporting the Steelers also supports a very good cause.

Now for my dilemma - I want a terrible towel.  I have been to several sports stores in the area and they are all out.  Go figure - the Steelers win a Super Bowl, and everybody wants to buy another terrible towel for their collection.  They aren't that expensive, at about $7-$8 each.  Now, for me, it's just a matter of locating one.  I would order one online, but I have a couple of problems with that:  1) It takes the fun out of finding one in person; and 2) Rumor has it that the internet is out of them, too.

If any of you out there have a chance as you are passing by a local sports-gear store to take a look, and you happen to see one of these precious treasures, please let me know immediately - I will make it worth your while...Well, maybe I should check with Brittan first...

So full..Ugh! Or, Counting Myself Lucky.

For those of you who do not know, my dear sweet wife is an amazing cook.  Besides a couple of minor lapses of judgment when we were engaged involving the 5-second rule and food that ended up on my plate, she has proven to me that she can prepare and serve a mean meal.

Lately, that has become ever so much more apparent.  Ever since she quit working and went back to school full-time (something she hasn't done since high school), she has been trying to fill her time with productive activities.  This last couple of weeks she has decided to make cooking her new hobby.  I say cooking, but I really mean "everything that can possibly be done in the kitchen," including baking, broiling, etc.

Of course, my initial impression was the same as that of any other husband who ever finds himself so lucky as to be present during his wife's development into a domestic goddess:  I was very happy.  It all began with her searching for "yummy" recipes online, then it snowballed into the purchase of five more cook-books (including one that apparently had sentimental value), along with the ingredients to make enough food to feed the two of us for approximately 2 months with just the desserts alone.

As you can see from the diagram above, "Fats, Oils & Sweets" are in the smallest part of the food pyramid.  They are also the principal ingredients in any dessert with any detectable level of tastiness.  And even though the argument could be made that cookies contain grains, which are in the biggest part of the food group, let's face it - desserts are not a health food.  Unfortunately.  I have also found out that too many desserts at once are not so good for the digestive system...Oh well, I won't be making that mistake again (who are we kidding, of course I will).

The most impressive thing about this is that Brittan has never, in the two-and-a-half years we have been married, been on a cooking spree like this before.  I emphasize the "like this," because she has, as I mentioned before, always been an excellent cook and has made some of the most delectable food creations to ever grace my tongue.  But before, we always had time to finish the leftovers from the previous creation well before the next one was made.  This time, she has too many ideas she wants to try to give me time to finish the leftovers.  Appetizers, entrees, desserts - you name it, we have plenty of them, or the ingredients to make some more, or both.

So, this leads me to the big question:  is there anybody that needs dinner plans?  We've got plenty to go around!