But....What Does It Mean?

Sometimes, there is, honestly, nothing like old-school Chinese take-out. Cannon Falls boasts China City, a restaurant owned and operated by a family from China. The food kicks ass and every family member I've met is beyond charming and will bend over backwards to serve a customer well. Once, one of the daughters told me that fortune cookies were not invented by the Chinese. Naturally, I was taken aback.

Upon further research, I discovered that they were actually invented in the early 1900's right here in the USA. Two Chinese American's battled over the orgination of the idea; Makoto Hagiwara of Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden claimed ownership in San Francisco in 1909 and David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, did the same in 1918. In 1983, a San Francisco court ruled in favor of Jung but because the court was criticized for bias, the last word has not been spoken on the controversy. Speaking of words, the Chinese have real no term for "fortune cookie" but it has been attempted thusly: 幸运签饼, 签语饼, 幸运饼, 幸运签语饼, 幸运甜饼, 幸福饼干, 幸运饼干, 幸运饼, 幸运籤语饼, 籤语饼, or 占卜饼.

Now that we know the fortune cookie was created with American consumer appeal in mind, we can no longer truly marvel at the mystery of the message inside ... as if it might hold some ancient Taoist metaphor ... a deeper, more exotic meaning than we westerners can possibly fathom. Sorry to bust your cookie. Given that, what I want to know is... what wasted rapscallion from some random, west Texas bar was paid a shot of Jack Daniels with a lite beer chaser to come up with this one??? My fortune on Thursday night....

Signs of Spring

MUD

BIRDS

BASEBALL

Sausage & Bacon

The last couple weekends have been "all about meat", more or less. Last weekend, Brent and I took the backroads, the only roads, to Buggy & Miss Vickie's in order to witness how does or bucks reach their culinary nirvana. Buggy had done his manly country duty in the fall -- taken down his deer -- and he and his hunting compadres finally gathered in the garage for the sausage stuffing extravaganza. 260# of meat ground in this turn of the century contraption......emerging as potato/venison sausage or jalapeno & cheese/venison sausage, to name two. I can't deny there is something very phallic and contraceptive about the process of stuffing sausage, jokes abounding, and if I can figure out how to get videos onto the blog, you can see and hear for yourself. Until then, I won't say more. And here, the venison stix, as proffered by the smoker. Meat is classically difficult to photograph but just imagine it in your mouth... or.... something like that. Really really tasty. Buggy, if I've recounted any of this in error, please feel free to correct me in the comments. Now, on to the topic of bacon.


Meanwhile, on St. Clair and Cleveland, my great uncle Eddie's early 1920's Bacon banjo was being brought back to life after years in storage. I had dragged it's bedraggledness on stage for a Neil Young cover with Redstart (For the Turnstiles) a few times over the last year or two but it was in need of some serious professional love. The banjo doctor at Willie's declared it a true gem -- in great shape -- all serial numbers and even the original factory stickers in tact (which increases the value even more) sporting a special order and rare resonator. He replaced the head, made adjustments and put on new strings. I've spent the evening reading up on and practicing banjo finger picking patterns. I'm pretty sure this is my new love affair, secret hillbillie that I am. The fact that it has four strings instead of six together with awesome bluegrass open tunings makes it my kind of deal. She's a beauty, as "they say".

Romeo in Repose

.... how can this possibly be comfortable....?

Blizzards, Bereavement & Birthdays

The winter of 2007 has been shy on snow and big on sub-zero temperatures but in the last week and a half, we finally got dumped on - twice. This guy appears to have been a casualty. I guess possums are so unappetizing even the dogs won't have them. Poor, poor possum.
Here's Kitty & All Her Parents chowing down sushi at Origami -- her official birthday celebration on Wednesday night. Awesome. The second round of snow started on our drive home but it wasn't so bad.
Finally, Rocky cooling his creaky old knees in the snow. He sits out there for hours....