The Definite Article

Watch those superfluous apostrophes, Nathan....

Are you so sure it is superfluous?

Good to see ya, Nae.
Good to see ya, nae?

Are you calling us crazy corn!?

FS is right. It's Burns Night, not Burn's Night. But, eh, it's a blog, not a term paper, so I'm not too fussed.

And Rae, the crazy corn comment was from this guy I was in the Marine Corps with, who used to say that I was a stalk of sanity in a sea of crazy corn. Is it crazy corn or Krazy Korn, by the way?

I can't remember, and thought that it might have been with the K's.

Well, I still say Burn's Night makes more sense. Isn't it his night! Or should it be Burns' since his name is Burns, not Burn?

The World is the Krazy Korn.

Burns is dead, so he can't have a night. Think about it for someone without an 's'. Lincoln Night, for example.

I've never heard of Lincoln Night. Just because you are dead, you can't have a night!?! Whoever heard of such a rule?

Presidents day
Martin Luther King Junior Day

I think the idea is that the day is for you, not yours to possess.

But I *want* it!

Okay, so I am just having fun. I'll be quiet now.

Burns Night was way cool, by the way! I had a mountain of haggis and wore a kilt and got to stay up until three am with "the guys" sitting around a table after the girls had gone to bed.

The really cool part was that David's eight month old son Thomas had woken up at half-twelve, so David went and got him so Jaime could sleep.

Thomas didn't want a bottle or to have his diaper changed or anything, just had a feeling that there was something cool going on and wanted to hang out with the guys. So we hung out, and he totally grokked the idea of chillin' until we all went to bed.

"Half twelve." I see Nathan's UK assimilation continues apace.

He lives!

Hey Nathan, email James and wish him a happy birthday tomorrow (James_McKay@hsgac.senate.gov)

A mountain of haggis, eh? "How revolting!"

Did you recite his famous poem "To a Haggis"? Or at least recite the Selkirk Grace?

"Some hae meat and canna eat,
and some wad eat that want it,
but we hae meat and we can eat,
and sae the Lord be thankit."

Don't knock haggis until you've tried it. I happen to think it is quite delisioso. But then, I did raise Nae, so what would you expect?

Glad you had a good time. I was wondering.

The Grace started off the meal, and then Harry, the host's Da, recited the entire eight verses of Address To the Haggis. He really got into it, too; the whole thing was very emotional.

And haggis is fantastic stuff, even if some people think it's just offal.

Heh heh!

Well, it is (mostly) offal. Offal is "[e]dible internal organs of meat, poultry and game." (www.cooknkitchen.co.uk/c_glossary.htm)

That doesn't make it bad-the wife and I enjoyed haggis several times while in Scotland on our honeymoon. But, like scrapple, the source isn't overly appetizing.

It is just dawning on me that I KNOW Basil Valetine and FS. I had haggis while in Scotland too, but I don't remember what it was like or if I enjoyed it...

I will not stand for such jokes on Nathan's Blog!
Nathan, FS, and Rachael, "Get thee to a punnery!"

Yay, Rae! Good for you :-)

I had haggis, too. It was deep fried in filo dough - so, I know it was gourmet haggis. And, frankly, that was sufficient haggis for me.

Nae, I think it's time for you to visit us in Israel.

SCRAPPLE? Did somebody mention scrapple?!?! I LOVE scrapple - granted, east coast scrapple. I had scrapple in Ohio and it was beyond revolting. I think it had hair in it. Apparently, one of my friends had to eat it as punishment growing up. He really, really did not understand why I was getting excited about scrapple. Nae, Nannie - am I just misremembering scrapple at Poppop's?

No, you are not mis-remembering. Scrapple is fabulous. The only time I will eat ketchup willingly. And I would eat haggis again. I had it at Stak Polly so it was also the gourmet version. I have heard that the vegetarian version is quite good. Started as a publicity stunt, it now makes up 30% of haggis sales. I think scrapple and haggis are a bit like meatloaf. There is bad meatloaf, then there is . . . my meatloaf. Do I mean that I make the best ever meatloaf? No, I mean that I make meatloaf the way I like meatloaf. There is a lot of variation in the outcome of meatloaves, so to say one doesn't like meatloaf *catagorically* is too broad a statement.

Are you predicting my come back comment of "I don't like meatloaf categorically"? Because I do. Pretty much. Unless, of course it is the 'heel' of a slice of your meatloaf made in the oven (because if it's made in the micro, forget it!) I think that is because if it's the heel, all I mainly get is crunchy goodness and I can almost forget that I'm eating meat.

[Oh My Gosh! it wouldn't let me post this because it said a word was 'questionable content'! I had to make it two words...whatever]

You may know B.V., but I'm guessing you are mistaken about F.S., Rachel.

As for the "how revolting" comment re: haggis, it was a reference to the film "Highlander" where Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert's characters discuss the stuff.

I also love scrapple, and grits. I even like spam a little. I think these are inherited preferences. Other things I've recently discoverd that I carry on are Daddy's irritation by annoying noises and Ma's nose that drips just a little bit so that it hangs at the precipice, in danger of falling into whatever is being cooked:)

Rae - oh my gosh, me too!! Hahahahaha!! I've had to really, really work on the annoyed by noises things - Filipino culture is a bit different on that. Daddy also trained me well so I still derive some secret pleasure from eating spoonfuls of peanut butter. Speaking of secret pleasures - one I got from Nannie is that I love skidding on floors in my socks!

All my secrets revealed!

Actually, I was picking meatloaf because there are such a variety of ways to make it, but they are all called meatloaf. It could have been spaghetti sauce for the same reason, but now most people use the stuff out of a jar so the variety image sort is lost. And yes, I do know that meatloaf is a controversial entree.

After our discussion yesterday about scrapple, I went on the internet and researched scrapple recipes. Maybe I will make some (from scratch) for one of our Ayyam'i'ha brunches. Of course, this year it would be vegetarian scrapple, since it looks like it will be just Daddy and me. Not that we have become vegetarians, but we do eat way less meat than we used to and a lot lower fat content too.

Sorry about the nose. I once knew a woman (not at all well) who had a drippy nose. Her doctor diagnosed it as the fluid from her brain was leaking out her nose. I keep meaning to mention my drippy nose to my doctor, but I guess since i have lived with it for over half a century, it isn't lethal.

Ha HA!
btw-did I mention that I love meatloaf? especially when you would put ketchup on it before you put it in the oven, so it was all gooey, like a really old lollipop!

Yes! That's my favorite way to have meatloaf, too!

A few days ago, I was at a shop called Herbie's, one of Edinburgh's super-posh delis, buying silly expensive food, and they guy said, "If you like wild boar, try this wild boar and apple terrine."

Well, I bought a small chunk and brought it home. And I'll be damned if it wasn't meatloaf, with a fancy name and a few exotic ingredients. I put barbecue sauce on it and had it cold, in a sandwich.

What Gramma did (and taught me to do, but Daddy doesn't like it so I do, but I like it, too) is to mix a good mustard (spicy with horseradish type -- brown) with ketchup and brown sugar. Put that on before you bake. Yum!

Daddy explained to me why my nose runs. It runs because . . well, because it does. He says it is entirely normal. So I guess we just have to learn to live with it. And what I meant about the meatloaf topping? Is that Daddy doesn't like it so I don't do it on my meatloaf. Actually the truth is I think I have only made one meatloaf in the last year. Maybe more.