Bring Back the Chorizo

It becomes very difficult to concentrate on life when the Wildcats are in this position. We are once again media darlings, and I say that because that is exactly the verbage the press uses: “Media Darlings Northwestern face…”. This week the “…” has been lower-ranked underachieving yet red-hot Michigan.

The last thing that crossed my mind before sleep last night was the Wildcats, and the first thing that popped into my mind this morning was the Wildcats and that beautiful “Rawr” sound that echoes through the noble confines of Ryan Field (I have been hearing it for years, that same cat meows at Carl A. Newman Stadium in Wexford, PA and at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley).

I am getting a bit nervous about all the publicity. Today’s Online Tribune printed a poll where 67% favored the Cats to win (against 23% for Michigan) and the Sun-Times ran an article entitled “Call him the Golden Brett”. Last night during VT’s thrashing of BC, ESPN plugged the NU game early and often, with Herbstreit proclaiming that NU was for real, and Basanez (which he pronounced Bass-a-nez) and Sutton were forces to be reckoned with. Then he asked Tirico if he remembered that NU Michigan shootout from a few years back. “Wasn’t that like four of five years ago? Wasn’t the score something like 51-48?” Not bad, Kirk, that’s not too far off at all.

And yesterday Randy Walker issued his concerns. "I knew it was going to be a problem Sunday when I woke up. It's natural. You have some success and good fortune, and people are stopping me on the street. Most people driving by me the last three years have been giving me obscene gestures. Now they're stopping: 'Hey, Coach, great win.' So I know what [the players are] getting.''

More than anything else, though, I am just excited. It is a terrific blessing to be in this position to begin with. I am looking forward to a full day of tailgating with friends from all around. Let’s Go Cats!

Posted by gurs at 10:08 AM | | Permalink

I just love to shop. Well, that only is when I don’t have something particular that I need to buy. Last night fell into the “I’m looking for something specific category”, and I haven’t had this much shopping frustration since an episode early this spring (That was when trying to buy a certain former Baker a wedding gift off a depleted registry. She almost ended up with a spice rack, and I am very hard-pressed to think of a way that she might use that).

Well, last night the mission was actually quite simple. Obtain a fresh shirt and tie, fun, young, and bold, to complement my charcoal gray suit for a weekend wedding. I went into the mission with the idea of playing the pinks (Kanye influenced) or the greens (autumn influenced), and throughout the night visited Marshall Fields, Nordstroms, Express, Banana Republic, Filene’s Basement, H&M, Lord & Taylor, and Filene’s Basement again. I thought that I had “got a bargain at Filene’s” last night, pink shirt and tie in hand, and after hours of shopping ran into an old friend on the street. Very excited to see her, I took out my pinks and asked, “What d’you think?” She said no, and I was influenced enough to run back to Filene’s to return the tie right before the stroke of nine.

So, today, I will be back at it, and aim to find a tie that is befitting, bold, and beautiful. I was envisioning something along the lines of strong alternating pink and blue diagonal stripes. I am pretty sure that would be befitting, bold, and beautiful.

Also, I fell asleep again talking to SuperRud last night. This has happened so many times that it's completely embarrassing (for me). After our phone call ended last night, my cell phone displayed something along the lines of 46 minutes. The crazy part is that I am pretty sure that I was only conscious for about the first 20-25 minutes. Hopefully Rud does not read that part.

Lastly, artists who have put out newer albums that I am considering buying and haven’t yet.

Animal Collective
Depeche Mode
Kanye West
Silver Jews

Any Thoughts?

Posted by gurs at 3:39 PM | | Permalink

Why not dine like a king? I would like to discuss recent experience at two of America’s finest eateries.

Saturday Night at the Olive Garden – Lincolnwood, IL

Easily one of the finest (and lovely) weekend evenings I’ve had in a while. Albeit a 65 minute wait, unlimited pasta, bread sticks, and salad for $7.95 is simply a steal (and not gross at all). The finest of company was in attendance and I was able to consume 1 and 1/8 bowls of pasta before packing the remaining 7/8 bowl of pasta for a whining Pedro. I also noted several dates in the vicinity of our table during the meal and added it as a mental note for my winning moves database.

As a side note, this is only the third or fourth time that I’ve dined in Lincolnwood. The initial experience was in the Spring of 2000 on a trip to the Linconlwood Town Centre Chili’s with Rico and Unstadt. On that fateful night Unstadt ordered the guilt-free chicken sandwich that will forever live in infamy.

An Evening at PF Chang’s – Northbrook, IL



As this was only last night, still fresh in my mind is the love/hate relationship of the smooth, crisp lettuce with the spicy, sweet chicken, that was all delivered with a P.F. Pow in a simple, traditional wrap. The rest of the food was mediocre, but what was sacrificed in taste, was more than gained in atmosphere. It was a pleasure dining with the Northbrook elite, but I was left out as I had neither an evening sports coat nor a collar to flip-up while noshing on my steamed pork dumplings.

Of note, I had just about the best tea that I’ve ever had last night after swinging by Barnes & Noble after the meal. The bag was Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset, and the experience was to die for.

Posted by gurs at 1:29 PM | | Permalink

So a friend of mine, who I shall leave unnamed, has been talking up the Rud family salsa chicken recipe. So much so that a lazy birdie was convinced that this is a recipe that needed to be tried out.

Here’s the recipe, which you can imagine would naturally issue some level of skepticism.

Preheat oven to 300F.
Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, cover with salsa.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy.

At best, this chicken recipe ranks slightly less than mediocre. However, a promise was made that the salsa would sweeten as the baking process ensued, a promise I do not feel was fulfilled. In the end, the recipe essentially tasted like bland baked chicken topped with salsa. Now, it's difficult for me to become too upset about all of this, but I still feel that a statement needs to be made. I believe that this man, who spits out exclamation points and superlatives willy-nilly, perhaps needs to learn to temper his enthusiasm just a little bit. This especially pertains to things that aren’t that good.

Well, let me say that I would love to be proved wrong on this one. I just don’t see that happening without a more respectable recipe.

The boy who cried wolf? Try, the Rud who cried salsa chicken.

Posted by gurs at 2:47 PM | | Permalink

So, I have spent the last several months thinking that I didn’t really like “Garden State”. I remember really enjoying it in the theater and then somewhere since in-between I decided that it wasn’t really for me (probably a pathetic reaction to popularity?). Well, I caught it for my second time last night, sans the first fifteen minutes (it was on one of the HBOs from about midnight to 2am), and it just made me feel really good. Then I put on my new pair of headphones and listened to “New Slang” while falling asleep. Well, I know that is a sappy move, but what can you do? In summary, “Garden State” just makes me feel good about life. Plus, its hard to hate on a Wildcat.

I should have purchased over-the-ear headphones long ago. I used the money I made from being a research participant over the weekend to buy a moderately nice pair of over-the-ear headphones. Its not hard to classify this as the best purchase I have made in a while (outside of an American Apparel brown pant, but far superior to Madden 2006 for the PS2), and my whole head has just been spinning with all of the new sounds coming to life out of a lot of old records. I think the cans will also serve a dual-role as earmuffs in the winter month as well. Embarrassingly, I am really excited to fully ensconce myself in the new Deerhoof album tonight.

That is only after the ALCS, of course. Oh you, gotta love it. Baseball playoffs are so dynamic that I watched most of the ALDS last night, preferentially to the Steelers Charges MNF match-up. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to that dilemma, but I guess I know now (It also trumped the Penguins first nationally televised game on OLN, perhaps more on that later).

My last juicy tidbit is that rumor has it that Angels starter pitcher Paul Byrd does not touch the alcohol, so he should not be hung over today on the mound from all of yesterday’s bubbly. So, maybe just really really tired.

Posted by gurs at 4:38 PM | | Permalink

Ok, well I am pretty sure that it wasn't snowing earlier. And I am really not sure why someone would feel the need to lie about something like that. Maybe it makes you popular for a little bit, but in the end it's just going to hurt your reputation. You have to know that. I apologize for my admission of the possible snow earlier, but as my responsibility as a serious journalist, I have set the record straight. It is seriously cold, though, and I am in search of the hottest of drinks.

Also I can't wait to change the picture of Becky Crown on the side from clockw.jpg to clockp.jpg this weekend. Go Cats!

Posted by gurs at 1:10 PM | | Permalink

I just heard word throughout the department that it is snowing outside right now. I just don't believe it. I will have to go investigate.

Posted by gurs at 11:40 AM | | Permalink

Don’t be upset with me when I say that I am pretty happy that we have reached the end of this most current Indian summer. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. Because I did. Spent some time eating outside, grilling, taking longer walks, etc. It’s just that I love autumn so much. It makes the baseball playoffs so much more relevant. It makes football seem so appropriate. This morning the brisk air felt so perfect. I am just afraid that all of this is going to throw us into a deep freeze. I can’t wait to go apple picking and pumpkin hunting sometime very soon.

Another piece of perfect was coffee and a pumpkin muffin this morning at the Perfect Cup. The Perfect Cup is the world’s most perfect coffee shop. It’s warm, comfortably quiet, and cozy. Most importantly, the coffee is really good, too. The Perfect Cup can be found at the NW corner of Damen and Leyland. Cubbie said that he had his best studying evening of the year two days ago at the Perfect Cup. I feel like the town matchmaker.

Needless to say, playoff baseball has been great. Unfortunately, last night I missed the CWS prolific 5th, but was pleased to see Jenks close things out. Watching Rivera two nights ago was even more spectacular. Whenever you see him on the mound you just think playoff baseball.

Lastly, here is an amazing email that I received from one Billy Twilight that I wanted to share:

Speaking of ironies...
I recently went out to a fancy restaurant, and I wanted to put on some cologne. (I have two sample vials I wanted to use up before I bought anything for real). Well I went to reach for one in my cabinet and they other one fell -- bouncing off my sink -- landing on the edge of the toilet bowl -- up in the air and into the toilet water where the vial instantly shattered. As I was cleaning up the shards of my freshly scented toilet bowl, I couldn't help but think about what L'eau d'toilette meant.

Posted by gurs at 10:13 AM | | Permalink