Monday Monday

Dobbins Woods

Cross country skiing Dobbins Woods

Dobbins

Monday Morning at 7:40

Up at 6:00, to four or five inches of snow over night, 15º outside, with lake effect snow warnings in effect for the next twenty four hours.  In other words, we could get another five or six inches during the day and night.  Then, things seem to be settling down, just flurries and warming up a bit by Thursday when it may get into the 30's.  I hope the snow stays, however, the lake remains frozen, the fishermen continue to people the lake around Long Point.

Yesterday was a day of feasts, a result of the Super Bowl, or we were just felt the freedom to eat whatever we wanted, damn the health for a day.  The day started out great, with another hike through Dobbins Woods, an amazing place to snow shoe (Evie) and cross country ski (me).  Someone had made a path through the winding pines and trees earlier, so it was easy skiing for me, snow shoeing for Evie.  And it was spectacular, even more than Long Point on Friday, the trees frosted with thick snow, pine branches drooping, so that we had to duck to get by, or shake them with our poles, to release them from the torture of heavy snow.  We saw no one on our walk, which took about forty five minutes, though it's little over a mile, just slow going, and surprisingly tiring.  But it was just what we needed to start Super Bowl Sunday, as we felt righteous and ready to chow.  Late afternoon, I was also able to get a hike in through Woodlawn and the campground, bushwhacking some through the woods, making trails, finding my way back to Woodlawn through the woods.  Great fun.

Deep frying potato chips

Yum

Evie spent a good part of the day preparing some of our favorites, starting with eggs, bacon, home fries and toast for breakfast as we watched Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. Then, I peeled both red and white potatoes, the red for the Slovenian beans and potato soup, the white for homemade potato chips.  Evie put the deep fryer out on the porch, then fried the chips in batches, taking about a half  hour.  Then, she made the soup, fried the pork chops, covered them with sauerkraut and made up the blue cheese dressing.  We were ready for the Super Bowl and started with chips and bleu cheese dip around 5:30.  Nothing like home made chips and blue cheese.  We then watched the Super Bowl, having our soup and pork chops around 7:30.  This was one of the first meals I remember having when I started dating Evie in Euclid.  The soup is real peasant fare, bacon grease and flour, a roux, water, potatoes and kidney beans.  Adding the sauerkraut to it when served makes it something special.

I cannot say we enjoyed the Super Bowl much until San Francisco came back, after the power shortage, making it an exciting final 15 minutes.  Beyonce is an amazing performer, more dancer than singer, and her music was forgettable, the show glitzy and sexy.  My take on the commercials...what a waste of money by the companies.  Most of the commercials were infantile or vulgar, with obscene, sexual overtones, as if you have put some thing prurient in a commercial to make it appeal to an American audience.  I had to wonder what the millions of people in other countries who may have been watching thought of the US.  Did it only reinforce their view of us as depraved, vulgar, materialistic, and extreme, nothing classy or stylish about the Super Bowl, that's for sure,  just glitz, over the top pyrotechnics, and violent entertainment for the masses...bread and circuses.  I did like the Dodge Ram ad towards the end of the game, where most of the ad was a tribute to the American farmer, with a final view of a Dodge Ram truck, we assume the choice of America's farmer.

No plans for today other than yoga, a work out for Evie at the Y, perhaps a walk later in the day.