blades of blue

Mabel Photos

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:41:00 +0000

Here's a couple of photos of our favorite niece Mabel from our recent trip out to Arizona.

Three men and a baby went out for a ride to breakfast one day (my brother James, our friend Mark and me). Here's Mark making sure that his new friend Mabel is appropriately secure. She doesn't seem so sure about him just yet but by the end of the visit she was a big fan!

The photo below was taken as we were headed out to the airport to head home. Isn't she a cutie?

Phoenix Trip - US vs Venezuela Photos

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:56:00 +0000

This past weekend we were lucky enough to make the trip out to Phoenix to visit my brother and his family as well as spend time with our good friends Mark and Karen. The visit coincided with the US Men soccer team's friendly game against Venezuela. Here's a few photos of the gang at the stadium. The drunk guy sitting in front of us took this picture below. You can kind of tell based on how blurry it is...

The game was a blast (with a stoppage time goal to seal the US' 1-0 victory) and it was even better to get the chance to visit friends and family. I have a couple of non-soccer related photos that I'll share in a few. Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures on the trip but I think I managed to get one or two cute ones of my favorite niece Mabel.

Breakfast Appetizers

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:04:00 +0000

Every once in a while my older brother teaches me something new even though we are in our mid/late 30s. Today he introduced me to breakfast appetizers. In this case, breakfast sausage on a stick, dipped in waffle batter, deep fried and served with maple syrup and hot sauce to dip in. Fantastic.

Do it like Bobby

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:26:00 +0000

When I have days off from work I sometimes like to spend a bit of time experimenting with a new recipe. I have never had lamb shanks before, so this past Monday seemed like a perfect opportunity. Somehow, I was able to convince my wife that this was a good idea (she is not the biggest fan of lamb).

Step 1 - I found this recipe from Bobby Flay. I figure if I am eating something that is brand new to me, this is a name I can trust.

Step 2 - Follow Bobby's steps. These all pretty much worked out ok. I seared the shanks first (these things look like they are out of a Flinstone's dinner). Here is a photo post searing.

Then I added the carrots, celery and onion. Caramelized those guys.

Added roasted garlic, a bunch of port and some red wine and let them cook in the oven for about 2.5 hours. The fact that this recipe had port wine in it was another factor that tipped the scales. I cooked the toasted orzo as well (another first for me), roasted some tomatoes and threw in some broccoli for color.

The end result was fantastic, fall off the bone lamb with a great flavor and leftovers for the next day.

You don't need to take my word for it. My wife, not the lamb fan, has said that she really enjoyed it and is ready to have it again. I'd recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a great, and pretty simple lamb dish.

Three Honors

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:16:00 +0000

July 4th, 2011 was a special day for my wife and me. We had the honor of being the first non-family members invited to participate in the Annual deClouet Croquet Tournament. Being invited to participate meant a lot to us since it gave us the chance to be a part of their family celebration during a special holiday. This honor was followed closely on the heels by a second one when I had the incredible luck of actually winning the tournament! There was a period of time that day where I was a little nervous I would not be invited back...primarily because the margin of victory was a bit high. Not sure what came over me really, but for that one hour I was a croquet phenom.

Regardless, I have mentioned all of this before and the deClouets have of course never held that brief moment of luck against me and kept inviting us back into their home. Phew. So if I have mentioned it before, you may be wondering why I bring it up a second time...fair question.

On the heels of the win, I was allowed to bring home the official engraved trophy to our house for one week. Yes, it is engraved with my name and the year of the victory. The deClouets take this seriously.

And yes, I have unfortunately held onto the trophy for a little bit longer than I was originally permitted. The reason being, I needed to complete the third honor, and officially celebrate this triumph with the Lafayette City-Parish President, Joey Durel. What better way to honor the success right? So today I took a 20 minute break from work and headed on down to Mr. Durel's office in an attempt to get a celebratory photo with the famous trophy. I am proud to say that the mission was a success and the photo will soon be framed on my wall! Check it out! Special thanks to Mr. Durel for being so willing to spare a minute of his time - pretty awesome.

With this third honor completed, I will be regretfully returning the deClouet family croquet trophy back to its official home tomorrow and I can close out this chapter of the saga. I have already started training for next year and will be ready to defend the title.

Jozy's New Beau

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:37:00 +0000

We have been doing a little dog sitting this weekend which has given Jozy the chance to visit with her neighbors Sofie and Shoba. Shoba has a large percentage of wolf in his DNA...making this type of rendezvous a little dicey for a female of Jozy's temperament. After we got past the initial meet and greet which consisted of a lot of teeth, snarls and growls...the two dogs settled in for a successful date on the town yesterday.

Astute observers will notice that Jozy has some new gear for when we go on walks - her ABO Aussie backpack (tested and approved by rescue dogs in Atlanta). I find that when she walks with this on, two things occur:

1. She pulls a little less forcefully, making the walk more enjoyable.
2. She carries her own poo bags, making the walk more enjoyable.

Word from Shoba was that he liked how it complemented Jozy's eyes.

Bluebird by Bukowski

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:34:00 +0000

If you've never read Bukowski, I think you're missing out on some of the most accessible poetry I have ever read...and some of the best as well. @Brainpicker posted this animation of one of his more famous works called Bluebird. Read the poem, click play afterwards. Scribble some verse somewhere.

Bluebird by Bukowski

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see
you.

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pur whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he's
in there.

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?

there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?

Found Photo - Xmas 2010

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:14:00 +0000

I got a new Mac recently and it is causing me to explore a lot of older photos that I had previously forgotten. Found this picture of me and my mom from back in 2010 that I really like. This was taken in downtown Hot Springs during our visit there over the Christmas Holiday.

I'm From Barcelona - Always Spring

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:10:00 +0000

Gloomy rainy day down in Lafayette. Here's a little pep in your step that's been playing in my office today in between 1000 meetings.

Christmas 2011 - Slideshow

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0000

Here are a set of my favorite photos from the week during Christmas and New Years when our family members descended upon Lafayette to celebrate the holidays. It was a blast to have everyone here...and the day that my mom left, as the last one to go home, the house seemed a bit too quiet.

First, a few of my favorites (it was super hard to pick):

1. We took this family photo after having an awesome brunch at The French Press, taken by the guy who runs Genterie Supply Co. Great cajun breakfast, as evidenced by all the happy faces.

2. Jozy wasn't able to go The French Press but she had plenty of good meals under my favorite niece's spot at the dinner table. This was a common sight for a full week.

3. A group of us took Mabel to the Children's Museum of Acadiana, a place where children of all ages will have fun. My brother and I are Jersey cowboys at heart.

4. The children's museum has an ambulance that you can explore. We took this self timer family shot crowded in the back. Definitely one of my favorites.

And now a slideshow of the rest.

Christmas Eve 2011

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:56:00 +0000

Our Christmas Eve was filled with a small breakfast with our friend Karen and her mom, last minute shopping, a hunt for firewood that actually burns (only a little bit of luck here), lots of wrapping, football and some initial prep for Christmas dinner. Pretty action packed day.

We finally got a good fire going; my wife is proving to be the one who is more patient in this matter. It takes about 2 hours for us to get this apparently damp firewood to catch and stay caught. As soon as we succeed, we babysit that flame closely. No way we want that to go out! Here she is wrapping some gifts by the fireplace as her mom does some wrapping in the kitchen.

My mom is in town as well - great to be able to spend time with her and she will be here for a whole week! Pretty cool. Jozy has spotted her for someone who just might give in and give her a Christmas cookie or two. As a result, she just sits there and stares with patience.

To be honest, it's tough to resist Jozy sometimes...she's got the sad, begging eyes down to a science.

Making a list...

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:50:00 +0000

Had to run out to the liquor store today and stock up on the essentials. I think we are almost officially ready for all 11 family members. The only question is how long until the supply runs out...

Impatient

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:59:00 +0000

Jozy has found her stocking...

Hallelujah

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:09:00 +0000

I was walking past the Verizon Center tonight doing some Christmas shopping (I find myself unusually inspired to get this done early this year) and this song was being played live by a band on a small stage there. Beautiful night, beautiful song. The only thing missing was someone to share it with so here, I share it with you. This is a great cover of Cohen's song being performed by 4 performers from Norway. They do this song more than just justice. Enjoy.

Fire

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:53:00 +0000

We are welcoming winter this evening with the first fire in our fireplace since we bought the house almost 6 years ago. Jozy is a fan.

Are you kidding me?

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Congrats to my nephew! His team won the Western Mass Superbowl yesterday in Gillette Stadium 35-7. During the course of the game, Frankie ran for 123 yards, scored two touchdowns, and completed 5 of 5 passes for 89 yards and a pair of TDs. Somewhere in there was a fumble recovery as well (he played both cornerback and quarterback). Gotta love this quote from his coach:

'[He was] out of this world," said head coach Alex Rotsko of Elder. "Are you kidding me? He's a running back three weeks ago and now he's the starting quarterback at Gillette Stadium.

A Jets fan in Gillette!

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:11:00 +0000

Check out this interview below. This is my nephew in Longmeadow, MA - he stepped in as the surprise quarterback for this team two months ago due to injuries and has helped lead his team to the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Super Bowl. Pretty awesome.

Even better. They are playing the Super Bowl in Gillette stadium this Saturday. When asked if he was excited about playing on the same field as Brady he had this to say:

“I am a Jets fan,” he said when asked about playing on the same surface as Tom Brady. “Maybe it will be more like (Jets quarterback) Mark Sanchez.”

Good luck to my nephew Frankie - Go Lancers!

Defender of the Idea

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Well, I am a little more than 25% of the way through Michael Lewis' book The Big Short and find it fascinating. I will admit that the occasional financial derivative will befuddle me (which is disappointing because I studied finance back in the day), but so be it. As much of a story about the machine that is greed, it is filled with other random insights into human character as well. This paragraph is a good example (written about the man who invented credit default swaps on sub prime mortgage bonds):

"Inadvertently, he'd opened up a debate with his own investors, which he counted among his least favorite activities. "I hated discussing ideas with investors," he said, "because I then become a Defender of the Idea, and that influences your thought process." Once you became an idea's defender you had a harder time changing your mind about it. "

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:32:00 +0000

We've had a wonderful day out in Hot Springs Village, great company, food, weather and stories - there is more to be thankful for than I can list. I consider myself truly lucky. Thank you for being a reader...despite the lack of posts these days.

Remiss

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:37:00 +0000

I've been neglecting this space recently...and it is making Jozy sad.

My Oh My....

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:06:00 +0000

I've been meaning to post this for a while (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - My Oh My). Quite honestly, I think it is fantastic. You won't hear me say that about many rap or hip hop songs so let me provide a few contextual reasons:

1. I love great sport moments and in general, any passion around sport. This has that. And if you're a baseball fan, I think it will give you chills.
2. It's nostalgic. I grew up playing soccer and baseball in the back yard and being one of those kids asking for one more inning. This has that.
3. I took up an independent study in college on cognitive science and one of the areas we dove into was the analogy, comparison and insight into American culture that baseball provides. The last verse of this song, it has that.

So honestly, I can't recommend enough that you check this out if you think any of these concepts will resonate with you. What more could you ask from music, even if you don't like hip hop?

JJ Grey & Mofro

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:09:00 +0000

Been listening to and exploring the music of JJ Grey & Mofro recently. They hail from rural Florida and I guess their music can be described as a southern rock, soul, funk combination. I got turned onto these guys by watching the video below and as soon as I heard/saw the song that he is singing at 1:40 I knew I needed to dig a little deeper. Check it out.

Bayou Brothers

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Tried some Bayou Brothers BBQ Sauce this evening. Nothing fancy, just threw it on some burgers that were grilled over some hickory wood. I've been thinking about making my own sauce for a little while now but until I do, a local all natural alternative like this is going to be more than just fine. Check it out at Rouse's or Fresh Market...or if you don't live around here, go to Cajun Grocer.

Jozy visits City Hall...

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:11:00 +0000

..and poses with the Marquis de Lafayette.

Breaking the law...

noreply@blogger.com (wilablog) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:06:00 +0000