I communicate with Sam using simple sentences like “Jump on the bed” or “Fetch me a Guinness.” Sam is freakishly intelligent. She constantly watches me and knows my behavior patterns better than I do. So, it’s no surprise that she knows when I’m about to leave for a trip and kennel her. The day that I start packing, she leaves me “presents” in my living room. She resumes her housebroken behavior when I bring her home. Distress or payback? Psychologists know better than to anthropomorphize. (It’s payback.)
Chimichurri Sauce
I’ve just returned from a few days in Florida to visit my mom. The Bonefish Grill, part of the Outback Steakhouse chain, was a crowd pleaser. The scallops and shrimp and salmon were delicious with a chimichurri sauce, which originated in Argentina, which gained recent fame because of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s scandalous love affair.
One story attributes the name to an Irishman named Jimmy McCurry, who reportedly invented this blend of parsley, garlic, olive or vegetable oil, vinegar, and red pepper. I use chimichurri as a topping on baked potatoes. You can find this sauce at Clover’s market in Columbia.
Demon Alcohol
I would not be “fair and balanced” if I failed to discuss the downside of the demon alcohol. While people-watching at Lambert airport in St. Louis, I overheard an employee describe how he was awakened by the roar of Forest Park mowers, naked and alone in his Lincoln town car after a near-legendary night of drinking.
This sad casualty from the 1980s could be you waking up inside an eco-friendly Prius stranded in the Quad after making the rounds of freshman week parties. Don’t make the baby Jesus weep.*
