Matt in the Middle: I am a Mutt by proximity and nationality

Thursday, February 12, 2015

I am a Mutt by proximity and nationality

Coincidence we have a Matt & Jeff in this house?

It is almost 1700 already. I guess this is considered my Friday night since Wednesday night is my FriDAY and my Saturday won;t really start until 2200 when my shifts begin. Whatever it is I am happy to have today and tomorrow and the real Saturday off until 2200.

I just heard from Guitar Center in Rockford and they can help me take the podcast to the next level in the technical department. So, tomorrow I am headed to Rockford. Maybe I will run into Rick Nielsen again there. Maybe I can bug him about being on the podcast again. Is anybody really bored and want to take a road trip? Oh yeah, you probably have to work. I like Rockford. I suppose it has something to do with living there until 4th grade and most of my family having been from there. My grand parents, my parents, my uncles and aunts and cousins and brother and me I guess. I am not sure how we decide where we are from. I was brought into the world in Heidelberg, West Germany so am I from there? I have lived here for 20-some-odd years so am I from here? I lived where my parents still live for about 12 years so am I from there? There were also a few other towns (Aurora, Montgomery/Oswego, North Aurora, Geneva, Maple Park) that I have lived-in so am I from all of these places? All but Heidelberg were in Illinois so should I just say I am from Illinois? Maybe "in the MIDDLE" is good enough. Heidelberg is sort of in the MIDDLE of Germany but slightly near Belgium. No, it is south west. It was West Germany when I was there so maybe it was in the MIDDLE of West Germany. I don't know where the Helser I am from as it turns out I am a ~~Matt~~ Mutt!

Yesterday I had a couple more of those out-of-body things where I jump into somebody else's mind/brain... It was the same where it starts in my nose and goes to my chest and then my head gets dizzy and I make the Quantum Leap. The first time I jumped yesterday I jumped into David Cross's mind and then, later, I did my first re-run jump. I jumped into a person that I had previously jumped into. I jumped into Butch Patrick again. Cha Cha thinks it has to do with sleep deprivation. I still want to harness this so I can enjoy it more. I need to try to get ahold of Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and see how he has dealt with this; I heard him speaking on the radio about something very similar. Maybe Rick Nielsen knows how to get in tough with him.

I stumbled-upon a new show that I really like. I recorded it (DVR'd) it and Cha Cha watched it and loves it too. The show is called Schitt's Creek. It is a CBC Television show (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) but I found it on a network that I did not even know that we had - Pop (formerly called TV Guide Network). It stars Eugene Levy, Catherine O'hara. Chris Elliott, Eugene Levy's two kids (Dan and Sarah)... It is really funny. Just a couple of the people's names in the show - Roland Schitt and Mutt Schitt crack me up. The show was written by Eugene and Dan Levy. You can tell that Dan is Eugene's kid - you had me at eyebrows. The series premiere was just last night so it will be easy to catch-up. Go set-up a season pass for it before you forget.

My goodness it is almost 1900. I will blog sometime tomorrow. I am going to the dentist in the morning and then to Rockford to Guitar City and probably to Uniform Den for some new tact pants since I am so skinny now. I think I am going downstairs and work-out now. Have a great night. Thank you for stopping by. TTTT (some time)...MITM (out) TA!

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Matt In The Middle Blogssary

47% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 47 % estrogen
53% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 53% testosterone
Agitator (the) - Matt's podcast name (revealed in blog and podcast number 2
B. S. - blog stuff
Big Sexy - Jay Cole's drink of choice (Jack and Coke) - doesn't necessarily have to be Jack
Blogcast - our podcast (Dirty Laundry)
Bloggestion - now in Urban Dictionary meaning something suggested on a blog or taking a few minutes to understand (like suggested or digested)
Blogging Suit - like a NASCAR driver's racing suit with all of the sponsors patches
Blogssary - blog glossary
Blogisodes - episodes of this blog
BWAK - blogged with a kiss
Ca-Ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ka-ching
Cha Cha - revealed to be Sugar Momma's new name on premier podcast
Cheese & Quackers - our resident ducks. she is cheese and he is quackers
Ciaoloha - MITM's new mega-word "discovered" on Columbus Day 2011. It combines "hello," "goodbye," "love," "podcast" and "blog" into one happy little package!
Copyright - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
Dirty Laundry - our podcast/blogcast launched 4/1/11
Discomboobulated - a word Bret Michaels used on Celebrity Apprentice when he meant discombobulated though discomboobulated is an actual word
Fabio - the name my son preferred being called on the blog (the artist formerly known as Sparky)
Judii - the sister I never had but wish I did (my unofficial sister)
Ka-ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ca-ching
Kajunkles - used for people who don't know how to run correctly. Body parts moving against one another rather than together for the common goal of running (could be a noun, proper noun or a verb). Trying to accomplish something against seemingly impossible odds.
The Lost Sock - Cha Cha's brother (and my brother-in-law). One of the best people I have known in my life.
MADYM - One of my very good friends - Mary. She was given this name based on an acronym of her name by one of my other very good friends Stacee. Together they came up with the MITM theme song idea. She was also our maid of honor or matron of honor (I don't know the difference).
Middle - anything average or center (Middle of the country, Middle of life, average intelligence, a regular joe (or joan)...)
MITM - Matt In The Middle
Ms. Peabody - Maisy (our dog) because of Mr. Peabody
Nature Girl - Another very good friend- Sue. Given this name because of being a combination of Diane Fossey, Caroline Ingalls and Danielle Boone (lady Daniel)
Patent / Patent Pending - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
PFT - Plasma Fun Time - donating plasma - twice a week.
Roz - my pink/fuchsia i-pod nano. Named for Roz Kelly who played Pinky Tuscadero on tv's Happy Days. She goes with me everywhere to play my life's soundtrack and measure my steps with her pedometer.
Sparky - my son's blog pseudonym (see also Fabio)
Splenda - my daughter's blog pseudonym
Sponsorship Patch - when I mention a known product to try to get sponsorships and want to put a patch on my blogging suit
Stacee - a friend from high school that is a great inspiration to me continuously. The Cosmos keep bringing us back together electronically (MySpace, Facebook, Blog...) even though we haven't "seen" each other for nearly thirty years.
Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheels theme song of MITM. Idea suggested by MADY and Stacee
Sugar Momma - my wife, Jill
Trademark - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
TTTT - Ta Ta 'Til Tomorrow
TWSS - that's what she said
WTF - why the face?

Potato Soup

Ingredients Needed:
1 - 32 oz. box Vegetarian Vegetable Broth (I used Swanson's)
can substitute with chicken broth if you wish
1 - package of Country Gravy Mix (I used McCormick's)
okay to use sausage gravy mix if you wish
1 - 26 oz. package of frozen hash browns

Cook hash browns in a large pot. Cook potatoes until slightly browned stirring often so as not to burn the hash browns. While the hash browns are cooking prepare the country gravy mix as directed on package. Once the potatoes are done to your liking slowly pour the broth into the pot with the potatoes and reduce heat and simmer until hot. After the potatoes and broth are hot add the gravy mix and continue to simmer until thickened. Serve and eat.

** special note...I like it extra spicy so I add an extra package of county gravy mix to the finished mixture and whisk and heat.

Just like I always say - add whatever you want (peas, onions...) and make it your own. And, as always, ENJOY!

Sangria Wine Recipe (reposted from 4/22/10)

I also made Sangria yesterday to honor Earth's goodness (truthfully so I could get lit). I am not a wine drinker because most wines are too dry in my opinion and I am not a big fan of cotton-mouth. I liked the movie "Sideways" though so I want to like wine. I was watching Planet Green a couple of days ago while I was cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry like a real man and Emeril Lagasse was making paella on "Emeril Green". He also threw in, as an after-thought, Sangria so I hit the record button. Well he did it very fast and didn't say measurements or anything but he gave the basics so I came up with my own recipe and I think it turned out well though I made A LOT! Sugar Momma says I am a man of excess - isn't that what "man" means? Anyway, here's my Sangria recipe but I suggest you might want to cut the volume down unless you are having a small country over for dinner:

ingredients (I would suggest cutting the liquids in half)

3 liters of inexpensive Shiraz (Frontera Mendoza 2009)
1 cup of Grand Marnier
1 cup of brandy
1 cup of lime juice
3 limes
3 lemons
2 granny smith apples
2 large oranges
12 oz. sugar
33.8 oz sparkling water (Pellegrino)
64 oz. orange juice
ice

In a HUGE bowl slice the fruit and cover with sugar, mix. Add Shiraz and stir. Add ice to hold the fruit under while it drowns in the wine. Add Grand Marnier and brandy and stir. Add lime juice, orange juice and sparkling water and stir. Let sit for awhile so the tastes blend. Taste and add ingredients to taste (I added a little more lime juice and sugar). Find the biggest vessel you own for storage (mine is a pot like they used in those headhunter movies to cook people which is now sitting on our stove). Sweet and fruity just like me. Share with your friends/neighbors and your boss at review time.

Caprese Paninis

Ingredients you will need:

good loaf of bread (I used Italian bread)
mozzarella cheese
pesto sauce (I used jarred Classico brand - found by pastas)
fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
tomatoes

And here we go:
slice the bread and brush extra virgin olive oil on both sides of each slice. Clean and separate basil leaves. Slice tomatoes. Grate Cheese. Lightly grill one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread when lightly toasted. After flipping the bread spread pesto on the toasted side and top with shredded cheese while the other side toasts. Once the second side is toasted and the cheese is starting to melt remove it from the

grill and top with two slices of tomato side-by-side and put a basil leaf on each tomato slice. Remove another slice of the toast with the pesto and cheese mixture from the grill and place it cheese/pesto side down on top of the tomato and basil'd toast to form a sandwich. (They could just as easily be done in a frying pan or on a George Foreman Grill...)

Done! Very simple and delicious!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

I am a Mutt by proximity and nationality

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