Grillzilla!
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting this year's Dent-O-Lantern™ viewable through today in the office of the great dentist Dr. Steve LeBeau. He's so great we don't even hold the fact that he went to Notre Dame against him!

That's a fresh carve so you may see a drop of Elmers on the grill. Or is it "grille?" Ah, who cares. It's a fad that'll out last spinning rims by about a year.

I'll post a couple of detail shots tomorrow. Happy Halloween!

Blazing Pumpkin Bisque
(singing)What do you do with the pumpkin carvings, what do you do with the pumpkin carvings earl-eye in the morning?(/singing)
OK, so now you know I can't sing. But the question remains. You have ... a pumpkin. You cut it open. You scoop out the innards. You cut a picture into it. You put a candle in it. You put it on the stoop. The neighborhood kids smash it. But I digress.
I made another Dent-O-Lantern™ for my dentist this year (I'll post the pic tomorrow). And in making the D-O-Ls, I don't cut the top out of the gourd, I cut off the bottom and use the stem as the nose. So I have a fairly decent-sized chunk of pumpkin cut off the bottom. I hate to waste things. So after separating out the seeds (gonna toast 'em after giving 'em a sprink of Old Bay - mmmm), I have about two cups of raw pumpkin. And this is what I did.
Pumpkin chunks in chicken stock, boiled until soft. About half of a red bell pepper, cut into a large dice and three, count 'em, three of my Biker Billy Jalapenos. The peppers go into the pumpkin and stock and given enough heat to bring the boil back. A teaspoon of sugar, a preliminary (i.e. light) salt and ground black pepper. Hit it hard with the stick blender to make a nice, smooth soup. Hmm. Looks good. But it's not done. It would be better as a cream soup. But I have no heavy cream. But I do have some sour cream. In fact, i have about 2/3 of a cup of "lite" sour cream.
A bit more of blending and it is done. Delicious and with three of the peppers - wonderfully hot. There you go: Blazin' Pumpkin Bisque. Throwing in a nice splat of butter would be nice but not really necessary if you don't want the extra calories.

Think Back
Do you remember all those years ago when Teri Hatcher was, say, Lois on the TV show "Lois and Clark?" Or the woman with the "they're real ... and they're spectacular" sweater stretchers on "Seinfeld?" She was pretty hot.
Now, not so much.

Odds 'n' Ends
First, congratulations go out to the Beantown Boyz. It looked dicey (or should I say "Dice K" hahahahah!) there when the Harp Seal Pups notched some runs but as is the pattern in this series, it was too late and just short. I considered going back and editing my previous posts to reflect my fake prescience (change "could be over in four" to "will be over in four") but really, why bother.
I was falling over laughing at the Washington Redskins episode of fresh hell at the hands of the New England Patriots this weekend (weakened?). I admire Joe Gibbs but I hate Li'l Danny Snyder and his team of economic benefit. I heard a sportscaster refer to a "classless" fourth quarter touchdown and, I suppose, if you're a homer, it would look that way. But I don't think the Pats meant anything against the 'Skins by scoring needlessly. I think the Pats are setting out to go undefeated and set offensive records that will never be broken. Well, as much as records can "never" be broken. Brady will finish the year with a new record for touchdown passes, the team will have all sorts of new records for points scored and I would put good money that they will go undefeated barring significant injury. I guess next week will tell the tale.
And, last and least, apple cider. Friends recently brought me a gallon of freshly pressed cider. I mean freshly. As in done minutes before they came to my door. And it was a small fragment of pure delight. Heaven in a glass. So I bought some commercial cider at my local Safeway the other day. Oh momma - not even close. Not bad, mind you but not in the same league. The commercial cider was to the pressed cider as the Washington Redskins are to the New England Patriots. (See how it all ties together?)

Visualize Whirled Series
I said the Boston Guys With Clubs might take this series in four. Well, the Coloradio Harp Seal Pups (as I will forever call them now) tried to scratch back last night by closing to within a run but the Red Smacks showed them who's on first (and second, and third and then home) another four times and hammered out another big win. I think the Mile High Guys can win one but they've not shown the pitching chops to get it done. And Beckett is waiting to close this one out.
My sympathies go out to my Janqui-loving friends but I know Jake's probably pretty doggone happy right now.

The Fire This Time
My thanks to the Enigmatic Misanthrope for mentioning the new King of Peppers in his comment on my post below. It is the Bhut Jolokia which clocks in at a blistering 1 million Scoville Heat Units. That's hot baby. And, when the season comes around again, you can get the plants here. Am I going to grow them? Oh hail no. I'm concentrating on some fleshier, medium hot peppers next year and a handful of the wonderful Biker Billy jalapenos again.

Until Further Notice
The domicile which has been called "Chez BlogDog" will now go by the name "The Snack Shack." I am feeling the urge to experiment in the kitchen again and that's just downright dangerous.
Today, for example, I made "Schlong's Famous Canned Corn Casserole" with a couple of additions (about a strip and a half of bacon crumbled into the mix and two diced jalapeno peppers) and, as good as it was (and it was good), I want to change it. I'm thinking at least four peppers, a quarter teaspoon of baking powder to fluff it up and cottage cheese instead of the sour cream with maybe half the whole corn kernels.
Then there's gathering the ingredients for the perfect pear sorbet recipe and the first faltering attempts at nutmeg-persimmon sorbet. I'll let you know.
Oh, the other thing that's being flipped in my mind like Greg Louganis off a high board in a San Francisco bathhouse is an ice cream: custard-based persimmon ice cream with a swirl of reduced ruby port. It will either be magic or suck out loud. Actually, it would probably be better if I just made a port and persimmon custard and skipped the frozen bit. Anyone care to weigh in on these ideers?

Anybody Got A Cookie?
I'd really like a cookie right now. Something on the soft and chewy side. White chocloate and macadamia nut. That sounds about right.
Oreos, Milanos, oatmeal & raisin ... there are so many.
Tell me about the cookies that make you go all buttery like Elvis did for the ladies.

Da Wurld Series
I haven't paid too much attention to the beisoboru playoffs but I did watch the first game of the World Series with the Colorado Harp Seal Pups and the Boston Guys With Clubs. This could be over in four.

And One More For Good Measure
(hate)Fargin' weather this time. It's October - late October - and I put the AC on today because the temp still stays up in the low 70s (which by itself is not bad) but the humidity, due to the overcast-skies-but-not-sufficient-to-make-up-the-deficit rain, is lousy. Rain is fine if the cold weather comes behind it. It's just too damnably hot and muggy for late October.(/hate)
I promise I will not bitch about the cold weather when it comes. I promise.

30 More Seconds
(hate)Dear gahdam Blogger, when I check the box to "remember me on this computer" I actually MEAN IT! Don't make me log in every time I sign on to make a post when I have explicitly TOLD YOU not to make me do so. You are so pissing me off right now.(/hate)

30 Seconds Hate
Things are moving faster in this work-a-day world than George Orwell ever would have thought. We don't hate the time to spare for a 20 Minutes Hate. No, we are efficient. We have it down to a zippy 30 Seconds now.
(hate)And what do I Hate for 30 Seconds? The AT&T ads were people need to use their phones in several different places the names of which they concatenate at the end into "one" place. Best argument against the iPhone is that it bundles with AT&T. (/hate)
I'm freakin' hopeless. Even when I'm venting I use words like "concatenate." Sesquipedalian SOB.

Pugs Of War, Peabody Winner
I'm proud to announce that I am the recipient of a Peabody this year. Not the Peabody award for journalism, a Mr. Peabody award for pointless, home-based time travel. The actual award is a small, Bakelite statue of his boy Sherman.
The actual time travel resulted in a really quite amusing paradox but I have to do something now so I'll post more about it earlier.

Another Great Song And Video
Gary Jules cover of Tears For Fears "Mad World." It was used in the movie "Donnie Darko" which I Netflixed no too long ago. Wonderful movie. Jake Gyllenhaal can be forgiven much of his cinematic idiocy when allowance is made for "Donnie Darko." Yes, it's that good. Of course it also stars Mary McDonnell who is a continuing crush of mine. But that's neither here nor there. Here, is the song:

Simple Questions
Apart from certain requirements, such as a plain gold band when a man has been suitably altared, what constitutes acceptable jewelry for men?
Many years ago I said that if I ever found a man's opal ring, I would wear it. Well, I did and I did. I still have it. I have a ring that served as my engagement ring as well. These things sit in a box in my dresser along with such vanities as my high school ring.
I like watches. I think a chunky, high-quality expensive watch looks very masculine and when I wear other than my everyday Times Ironman watch, I wear a Breitling. If I were loaded to the point I could indulge myself, I'd have a Rolex and maybe another insanely high-end watch.
And I do wear a simple gold chain around my neck which has on it my parents' wedding bands. That, I never take off and never will. I think something as freighted with personal meaning is fair game for a man.
But, say, bracelets for men? Pinky rings? "Gold nugget" jewelry? Oh HAIL no. Just flat no.
So I repeat my question: what constitutes acceptable male jewelry for you?

There Are Blessings To Count
Brother Lycurgus was returning home after a stay on a beautiful Georgia sea island and, late at night on the Interstate, he was hit by an idiot who fell asleep at the wheel. His Outback is toast. But he and his passenger are both all right.
For this we give thanks. And we offer our hopes that the quest for a new car is not too onerous.

300
The cat remix (meow mix?) with maybe a couple of skwerls and the "dramatic hamster" too.

More Halloween
I again call your attention to the wonderful, wonderful RavensBlight. I particularly like the "Haunted Paper Toys" section. I'm in the process of making The Face Plate mask. Last year I made Bela the bat. Bela was a pain to make but instructive in the process of making paper toys. There is some wonderful free (well, paper & printer ink aside) spooky holiday stuff at this site. Especially if you've got kids - projects with which you can spend quality crafty time with the younguns.

Boo Again!
Spiderpug, spiderpug, does whatever a spiderpug does.

(It would seem that a spiderpug has at least ten legs though. How does that work?)

This Is How Self Absorption Works
I bought mushrooms at Costco today - chanterelles. I didn't know Costco did chanterelles. This is all about my not knowing. Good fungus. Tasty. Not cheap. But affordable at Costco.