Winter is here!

Brainerd Today Nov 30

Clear
Hi: 15° Lo: 2°

Busy Thanksgiving Time with the Grandkids

Wednesday I got to go to Kyle's 2nd Grade Thanksgiving program. Here he is, second from the right, with his white bandana around his neck. Thursday was Thanksgiving. Here's a photo of Lindsey after she crawled into Sadie's bed. She's really getting around now. Just to think, last Thanksgiving she wasn't even here yet.Friday I got up early with the crazy shoppers but I didn't subject myself to such madness. No siree, I sat with Kyle and Lindsey while their parents went out for a wild morning of shopping. Then Kyle stayed with me and we went to see the movie "Happy Feet". It was cute.


Saturday I went to Kiehra and Kaylee's Kixter's Holiday Dance Show. They were very good and had a lot of fun. Kaylie, who is in the 4 to 5 year old Tiny Kix, did a dance to "Teddy Bear Christmas" and Kiehra, who is in the Wee Petites 1st Grade, danced to "Dash Away".

Let's just say after Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday I was pooped out.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Anonymous
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize
And may your Thanksgiving dinnerStay off your thighs!

Tips on Turkey

1. How much turkey should be purchased?
Allow 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person from an 8 to 12 pound turkey. Larger birds have a larger proportion of meat to bones, so 3/4 pound per person should be sufficient with leftovers for the beloved turkey sandwich or soup.

2. How should the turkey be thawed?
Frozen turkey, like all protein foods, should be thawed in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. When foods are thawed at room temperature, surface bacteria can rapidly multiply to dangerous levels at temperatures of 40 degrees F and above.
For safety and superior quality, leave turkey in the original packaging and place in a shallow pan. Thaw, in the refrigerator, using the simple formula: whole turkeys thaw at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 24 hours. Example: A 15-pound frozen bird will take 3 to 4 full days to thaw in the refrigerator.
Speed thawing: keep turkey in the original tightly sealed bag and place in a clean and sanitized sink or foodservice safe pan. Submerge in cold water and change the cold water every 30 minutes. The turkey will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. Refrigerate (at 40 degrees F or below) or cook the turkey when it is thawed. Do not refreeze uncooked, defrosted turkey.

3. What are the key pointers for stuffing a turkey?
Stuffing should be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it is placed in the oven for roasting. If preparing the stuffing ahead-of-time, wet and dry ingredients should be refrigerated separately and combined right before stuffing the turkey.
Stuff the turkey loosely, about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey.
Test the internal temperature of the stuffing as well as the turkey. The internal temperature in the center of the stuffing should register 160 to 165 degrees F.

4. When is the turkey done?
Since turkey is low in fat and high in protein, the meat is sensitive to extreme heat and prolonged cooking. Loosely place an aluminum foil tent over the turkey breast during the first 1 to 1 1/2 hours of roasting, then remove to allow the turkey to brown.
A turkey should be cooked just until it is done. The best way to determine the level of doneness is with a food thermometer. Use these tests to determine doneness and to keep the turkey juicy.
For whole turkey, place the food thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone. The internal temperature of the turkey should measure 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast.
Juices should run clear and the drumsticks should be soft and move easily at the joint.
(the above information taken from eatturkey.com)

Guideline:
UNSTUFFED
4 to 6 lb breast.....1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hrs
6 to 8 lb breast...2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hrs
8 to 12 lbs................2 3/4 to 3 hrs
12 to 14 lbs..............3 to 3 3/4 hrs
14 to 18 lbs........3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs
18 to 20 lbs........4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hrs
20 to 24 lbs..............4 1/2 to 5 hrs
STUFFED
8 to 12 lbs...............3 to 3 1/2 hrs
12 to 14 lbs..............3 1/2 to 4 hrs
14 to 18 lbs..............4 to 4 1/4 hrs
18 to 20 lbs........4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hrs
20 to 24 lbs........4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hrs

Downtown St Louis

The photo quality isn't very good. I'm still trying to figure out my new camera. But while I was in St. Louis I drove downtown and scored what I believe is the 24th shot glass for my friend Bill Cynor. He's probably getting sick of these things but I have fun with the challenge of seeking/finding these places.

I also saw the Arch, which is lit up at night (again...poor photo).

Nextel Cup Champion, Jimmy Johnson

Yesterday Jimmy Johnson was crowned Nascar's Nextel Cup Champion. Read all about it at Nascar.com

My man, Jeff Gordon, finished 6th in the Chase. His claim to fame this championship would be: Jeff is a team mate and Jimmy's car owner.

So with that....Nascar is done for the season. 88 days until the Daytona 500. Hopefully the withdrawal won't be too bad.

Here's Jeff at drivers introductions in Phoenix last week.

Here's Jeff during a red flag at Phoenix. His car is stopped on the track. He was currently in third place.
Here I am at the Phoenix track. Cheers!

Gopher's Win the Pig and a 2006 Bowl Bid

Yesterday everyone concentrated on the #1 ranked Ohio vs the #2 ranked Michigan college football game. And let me tell you, it was a great game. Ohio ended up winning it by a mear 3 points, 42 to 39. But the excitement here in Minnesota was equalled for football fans when the Gophers took on the Iowa Hawkeyes to win a 2006 bowl bid, for the 5th straight year, and to bring home the Floyd of Rosedale trophy with a 34 to 24 victory.

The winner of the annual Iowa-Minnesota football game is entitled to keep a trophy known as Floyd of Rosedale until next year's contest.
The year was 1935, and emotions were running hot heading into the Iowa-Minnesota game. Bernie Bierman’s Gophers were 5-0, and Ossie Solem’s Hawkeyes were 4-0-1. Iowa had recently been suspended from the Big Ten Conference for one month due to allegations of illegal recruiting, a suspension that had been ardently supported by a Minnesota representative. To make matters worse, Iowa fans still remembered the Iowa-Minnesota contest from 1934, when Iowa's star player, Ozzie Simmons, had to leave the game due to injuries. Simmons was also one of the few black football players of that era. Whether it was due to his talent or his race, many Iowa fans felt Simmons was unfairly targeted by the Minnesota players in the 1934 game.
Before the 1935 Iowa-Minnesota contest in Iowa City, Minnesota head coach Bernie Bierman received a flood of threatening letters from Iowa fans. He requested and received special police protection for the team when it detrained in Iowa a couple days before the contest.
As the game drew closer, the situation deteriorated. Rumors flew. One was that fans were organizing to storm the field if Ozzie Simmons was roughed up. The day before the game, Iowa Governor Clyde Herring seemed to funnel all the state's unhappiness into one statement, and in the process he appeared to legitimize the rumors.
"Those Minnesotans will find 10 other top-notch football players besides "Oze" Simmons against them this year," said Herring. "Moreover, if the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I'm sure the crowd won't."
The news quickly reached Minnesota. Coach Bierman threatened to break off athletic relations. Minnesota Attorney General Harry Peterson practically accused the Iowa governor of thuggery.
"Your remark that the crowd at the Iowa-Minnesota game will not stand for any rough tactics is calculated to incite a riot," said Peterson. "It is a breach of your duty as governor, and evidences an unsportsmanlike, cowardly and contemptible frame of mind."
At this point, the only politician in the bunch wearing a smile entered the dispute. Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson knew he had to lighten the mood. He sent a telegram to Governor Herring on game-day morning.

Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson and Iowa Governor Clyde Herring with the original Floyd of Rosedale.
"Minnesota folks are excited about your statement about the Iowa crowd lynching the Minnesota football team. I have assured them that you are a law abiding gentleman only trying to get our goat. The Minnesota team will tackle clean but hard. Clyde, if you seriously think Iowa has any chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog. You are getting odds because Minnesota raises better hogs than Iowa."
The Iowa governor accepted, and what became known as the Floyd of Rosedale prize was born. Herring apparently followed Olson's cue. He joked it would be hard to find a prize hog in Minnesota, since they all were so "scrawny."
Word of the bet reached Iowa City as the crowd gathered at the stadium. Things calmed down and the game was untroubled. Minnesota won 13-6, and Iowa star Ozzie Simmons played an injury-free game. Afterwards, the Minnesota players went out of their way to compliment Simmons, and Simmons praised the Gophers for their clean, hard-fought play.
Governor Herring obtained an award-winning prize pig which had been donated by Allen Loomis, the owner of Rosedale Farms near Fort Dodge, Iowa. Dubbed Floyd after Minnesota Governor Olson, the pig was the brother of Blue Boy from the movie State Fair.
A few days later, Governor Herring collected "Floyd of Rosedale" and personally walked him into Governor Olson’s carpeted office. About the same time, news surfaced that an Iowa fan had sworn out a warrant charging Herring with gambling. Olson good-naturedly offered asylum, but Herring declined. “I might have to go home and write out a pardon for myself,” Herring joked.
Governor Olson later offered Floyd up as the grand prize in a state-wide essay-writing contest, which was won by 14-year old Robert Jones. Jones later sold the hog to the University of Minnesota. A year later, the University sold Floyd to J.B. Gjerdrum, a breeder who lived near Mabel, Minn., on the Iowa-Minnesota border, for “about $50” according to Gjerdrum. Sadly, in a death most unbefitting a figure of such stature, Floyd passed on to that great pigpen in the sky. As Gjerdrum noted, “We had him about a year. There was hog cholera around...One day he just leaned up against a straw pile and died.”
The spirit of good sportsmanship embodied by Floyd lives on in the form of a 15 1/2-inch high, 21-inch long bronze statue of the prize hog. The sculpture was commissioned by Governor Olson and created by Charles Brioschi, a St. Paul artist.
Every year, since 1935, these two border-state rivals have fought for the right to pen the bronze pig in their own trophy case. During that span, Minnesota has won Floyd 38 times, Iowa has won 31, and there have been two ties. As of 2005, Floyd resides in Iowa City, where he has been for the past 4 years.

Fire

The freak'n airport is on fire here in St. Louis. Perfect. Hopefully it will be okay to travel tomorrow am.....

St Louis

I'm in St Louis working at KTRS 550. You can check it out at http://www.ktrs.com

Yesterday when I flew in, it was pouring rain and really windy. Today it's a little better. It's 40 degrees and not raining but still very windy.

Back from Phoenix

Jeff was on the pole but ended up 4th. It was still a great race.
Jeff and Jimmy going down pit road.

Jr and Kasey during red flag. They were stopped with their engines off on the track right in front of me.
Kasey during driver introductions. After they're introduced they ride around the track in the back of a pickup and wave to the fans.

NASCAR in Phoenix

Well tonight it's off to Phoenix for the weekend to watch the second to last Chase for the Campionship Nextel Nascar race. I'm sorry to say it but it doesn't look like Jeff Gordon, who currently sits in 6th place, will be crowned the champ but there's a very good chance that a car he co-owns with Mr. Hendrick might. The #48 driven by Jimmy Johnson is currently in 1st place with a very slight lead. But I'm still hoping for a JG win at Phoenix, a track he's never won on.

VOTE

Please remember to get out and vote on Tuesday November 7th!

Fine dining in Alabama

There's places for the rich folks and then there's..............

Go Vike-queens

Not only did they lose Monday night 31 - 7 to the Patriots, but I had a twenty dollar bet on them with Katz. What an embarrassment. I'll have to stop in Opelika Friday night on my way to Atlanta to pay up. Somehow I have to figure out how to get my money back. Maybe a baseball bet in the spring. Katz can't resist betting for his Braves.