"And when you smile for the camera, I know they're gonna love it"

More wedding news!

One more check mark on the marital to-do list. You can feel free to take a look around the Web site of Jeff Reeder. Patricia and I really liked him, especially his candid photos. We liked the idea of more of a "photo-journalist" feel, which we think you get from his pics.

Oh...and a shiny new nickel to the person who identifies the reference in the title of this post.

M

Beer Tasting

Been busy lately...sorry for the lack of posts.

So, I went to a beer tasting last weekend. What's that you say? Every weekend is a beer tasting for me. Excellent point.

But this one was at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. And there was a LOT of beer there.

There were a lot of local places, including Princeton's Triumph Brew Pub. But the majority of places were ones I've never tasted before, so it was a really great chance to (a) try new beers and (b) compare the same variety at a couple of breweries. Very informative.

And, as you can see from the picture on the right (be sure to click on it for the full-size version), we had plenty of fun. Yeah...I really don't know why I was making that face , let alone the gesture with my hand. But we were a good 25 beers in at this point. Good times.

In case you were wondering, my brother is the tall one on the right, the one on the left is his friend Shaun and the rest are assorted Schwartzburts.

Omerta

As expected, I didn't get through all of the back episodes of The Sopranos, so I'm ordering a strict oath of omerta in regards to the new season. Anyone discussing details of what happens will be whacked and their body will be dumped in the Pine Barrens.

Seriously, I don't care if they resuscitated Brando and Vito Corleone is taking over the Jersey mob, I don't want to hear about it. Once I'm caught up, we'll talk.

Mike

Pre-Cana Post-Mortem

Well, I do have to say that it wasn't THAT bad.

OK. A bit of explanation for some of our less-Catholic readers. Pre-Cana refers to the story from the bible, although there was plenty of water and not much wine.

Basically, it is a day of counseling for engaged couples. Although there is some talking by the priest (because, you know, they're experts on married life), most of the event is married couples who talk a bit about their experiences.

It's pretty much what you would expect, including warnings about the importance of communication, financial planning and that sort of thing.

It boiled down to two lessons:

1. God loves you no matter what. But He loves you more if you have lots of children.
2. Don't get divorced. Ever.

Time and money well spent.
M

Scrubs

Well, everyone knows how good The Office and My Name is Earl are, but NBC has another pretty good comedy that nobody ever talks about. Scrubs has been around for a couple of years now and I think it's one of the better "lesser-known" shows on TV.

The acting and writing on it are great, but I think that the best part is that they're not afraid to take some chances and do different things. They've had an episode that featured "The Troubadour," played by Men at Work's Colin Hay, who performs an amazing version of "Overkill" throughout the show, and the last episode, which was full of The Wizard of Oz references. There are a lot of dramas on TV that try humor ... Scrubs is a comedy that manages to be serious and sensitive without being schmaltzy.

As if that wasn't enough, it stars everyone's favorite consultant, Bob Slydell.

Be sure to check it out!

Mike

P.S. - Regular Scrubs viewers know that Ted, Kelso's regularly-abused lawyer, occasionally shows up with his barbershop quartet. What you might not know is that they're really a band!

The Great Sopranos Marathon

So, I figure that I'm only about five years behind the times, but I'm embarking on my own personal journey with the wise guys of North Jersey.

See, I never had HBO, so I've always been on the sidelines when it came to The Sopranos. So, now that I've upgraded to Cablevision's Silver package and the 964 channels that come with it, I've decided to get "caught up" before the start of the new season next month.

How can I do this? The magic of Netflix. Not only do they carry movies, they also have television shows on DVD. So, I'm hard at work watching the first season.

Yes, this is WAY too much planning.

Back in the Deep Freeze

Well, I don't have a lot to say about Palm Beach. There were palm trees, there was a beach. You can see the Ritz on satellite on Google Local. I did manage to get on the beach for a grand total of about ten minutes, and the 72° was very nice.

But now I'm back in the Garden State and I'm just in time for temperatures to return to normal.

In wedding news, we're rapidly approaching the joy that is Pre-Cana. I'm sure I'll have a thing or two to say about that.

More soon, I promise.

Kickin' It....Palm Beach-Style

The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach - A luxury resort in Palm Beach, Florida

Whatever. It does look like it will be nice down there, with temperatures in the high 70s.

I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes.

M

What's Wrong With That Kid?

Good question.

No, he doesn't need that headgear for protective purposes. It's just part of the costume on "Think Fast!"

I won't get into the details of the show...check out the Wikipedia entry on it if you want to know the rules. All you really need to know is that I got some super-cool late-80's gifts, including a remote control car and foosball table.

Seriously, there was no real head trauma danger, so I'm thinking that the helmet and goggles were a bit of overkill. Plus, would it have killed them to have had a mirror backstage so that I could see that the chin guard was crooked?

Mike 

Mike in Washington

All right, kids. I know it's been a few days, but I'm finally giving you the low-down on my recent (business) trip to DC.

Unfortunately, because all of the pictures I have feature co-workers who failed to fill out the official "On the Mike" photo waiver, there are no pictures of me in front of the White House. You'll have to be happy with this fine illustration of the event at the Old Executive Office Building.

Now, on to the important stuff: I stayed at the VERY nice Willard Hotel. Apparently, Madeleine Albright was also staying there, so if it's good enough for a former Ambassador to the UN and Secretary of State, it's good enough for me.

And, because no business trip is complete without a culinary recap, the big meal on the trip was a celebratory lunch at the Capitol Grille. Despite committing the mortal dining sin of mixing steak and white wine, I can attest to the amazing experience that is dry-aged filet mignon. I really shouldn't be forced to eat anything else after that.

That's it for now. I promise that you'll see the single most incriminating photo EVER in the next post!

M

Boing Boing: Head-tripping four-eyes image

Boing Boing: Head-tripping four-eyes image

Just go and look at it. I guarantee your head will explode.

Mike

A Glimpse of Things to Come?

I went back to the old photo archive for a special preview of how things may look come this December.

Of course, in this picture, Dave is the one who looks like he's sweating bullets. Next time around, he'll be the one with the serene (dopey) look on his face that I have in this pic.

I will say that the level of coordination in the hand crossing is tremendous.

Mike

P.S. Stay tuned in the near future for a recap on Mike's Adventures in Our Nation's Capital! 

An Honest-to-Goodness Wedding Entry!

Believe it or not, I'm actually adding an entry about the wedding! We're less than a year out and one of the things we have already finalized is the reception site, The Stony Hill Inn, Hackensack, NJ. You can see it on Google Local, too.

As you can see from their site, it's really very nice. They also have a restaurant on the site, which was how we conducted our "tasting." I had a fish special (wasabi and sesame encrusted tuna) and the sausage and broccoli rabe appetizer. Both were great, so we're looking forward to the food!

The other (slightly) interesting thing is that Patricia's parents' first apartment is located right across the street from the Stony Hill Inn.

No word on the musical entertainment, yet. However, I am quietly lobbying to have a house band!

Egg Nog Hangover

Hello, all, and I hope that Santa was good to you again this year. I got lots of cool stuff...clothing, books, cooking supplies and equipment and DVDs of the only two (1 and 2) Martin Scorsese films that don't feature the Mafia and Robert De Niro.

I am also now the proud owner of the "big three" of Italian cookbooks. Between Lidia, (fellow Rutgers Grad!) Mario and Giada, there is no pasta dish I cannot master!

Scrapple

Hey...have you ever wondered how scrapple is made?

Well, wonder no more!

Scrapple on Wikipedia

"Everything but the squeal." Gotta love it!

On second thought, it's probably best NOT to know how scrapple is made.

Google Sightseeing

You might know that one of my favorite things to do is poke around on the greatest invention known to man, Google Earth. I don't know why, but it's fun to find the satellite images of places I've been, like Great Adventure, the place we stayed in Quebec and Independence Hall. Now, those links point to places via Google Local, the not-quite-as-good online version that doesn't offer as up-to-date or high resolution photos as Google Earth.

Anyway, I've found a cool new blog called Google Sightseeing that includes links to famous and interesting landmarks. Poke around a bit and be sure to click on the links. If you do, I'm sure you'll be downloading Google Earth and sightseeing in high-res in no time.

M

Would You Trust This Thing Near Your Kids?

No, neither would I.

Despite a winning streak of costumes that included SpongeBob and Bob the Builder, you can see that I clearly drew the short straw this year.

Meet (I kid you not!) "Ping Pong the Panda." I don't even know what to say about that.

Well, let me tell you...the kids hated it. The emcee had to beg the kids to applaud.

Be sure to get in there nice an close and you can see my eyes. It's like the costume makers weren't even trying.

Oh...and the wool scarf was a nice touch. Really. I didn't quite feel like the stifling heat was enough. The scarf managed to keep me nice and toasty.

Actually, by the end of the party, we were pretty much just laying around and eating Chipwiches in the rest area. All in all, a job well done. 

Yes, Dad, That Is a Large Carrot.

Apparently, this monstrosity (dubbed "Carotzilla") was purchased at the Reading Terminal Market. Authorities are looking into claims that it was grown in the hyperactive soil of Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island.

Having seen the angel on top of the tree in the background, I think they should get rid of it and put the carrot on top. 

Never Let a North Dakotan Pick the Restaurant

Well, as you know from the post below, I was recently in Chicago on business. In addition to the hot dog, I wanted to make sure I had a chance to go out and have some of the famous Chicago deep dish pizza. So, before leaving, I did some research and found Lou Malnati's. It was VERY good, and I highly recommend it. Delicious, and the kind of authenticity you can only get in Chicago. Do yourself a favor and splurge on the $.75 Buttercrust upgrade...you'll thank me.

Since that was the first night in town, I was dining alone. The second evening featured a cocktail hour at the conference, and I was able to meet up with a few people who were interested in going out to eat. It was me, a woman from NYC, a guy from Peoria, Illinois and a woman from North Dakota. We agreed to meet in the lobby and go out to dinner.

It turns out that they wanted deep dish pizza, which I wasn't thrilled about, but I figured I could get some pasta or something if I wasn't up to more pizza. So, the woman from North Dakota leads us out and we start walking in the BITTER cold (seriously...about 17 degrees and windy). We walk and walk, and she says that it's right around the corner. We turn the corner and what do we see?

A fine establishment, but I didn't need to fly half way across the continent for that. Moral of the story: Never let a North Dakotan pick the restaurant.

O Tannenbaum

Well, here it is! Our very own tree. As you can see, it is lavishly decorated with a collection of ornaments handed down from my Mom, collected by Patricia over the years and purchased at a 25% off sale at Boscov's.

I don't think you can see it in this picture, but you can rest assured that there is a pickle in there somewhere.

In lieu of a nativity set, below our tree sits an "Okalahoma!" ornament/figurine/music box that plays "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." I think Curly is supposed to represent Balthasar, although I don't see any myrrh.