She Hates California, Its Cold and Its Damp, Thats Why the Lady is a Butt

I wrote this Tuesday in Burlington, but then my computer broke. Admittedly it is old and it was probably my fault that it broke. Anyway, I got all the documents and shitty off it already, hopefully the computer fixer people will allow me to continue using it. I'm sure the comments will be limited until I have computer access that doesn't depend on the generosity of the Katie.

Made the drive up to Burlington with pretty good time. I hit McD's drive-thrizzle and tried the new Chicken Ranch BLT sandwich, which I think edges out the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch in terms of a fast-food chicken sandwich, but is still getting butt-pounded in respect to the song. I think this year's NCAA tournament has permanently installed that song in my head. Psuedo-Hootie, you rock so hard. Streams of bacon-ranch dressing really do flow right up to your knees. I hope, that at some point, you get to veg all day, all your lotto tickets pay, and that there is a King who wants you to have it your way. I also stopped at this little roadside stand somewhere about 5 miles into Vermont for a soft-serve ice cream cone. I had prolly gone several years without soft serve ice cream, but something about the small town ice cream stand really does it for me. This place was literally next door to a dairy farm, which, while providing a smell which is not the world's greatest flavor enhancement, may have provided the milk and cream involved in the ice cream. It was very tasty indeed. I was driving, so I just rolled with a cone, but the sundaes I saw the people in front of me get involved more whipped cream than could be produced by a whole bowl full of whippits.

Got into Vermont at about 6, right when Katie had finished her final evidence assignment of the summer. We hung out for a bit before heading to downtown Burlington. Katie bought some stuff at the J. Crew, all of which I believe was green, but I did not call her Kermit. Afterwards we had dinner, well, I had dinner, Katie had a molten flourless chocolate torte thing. It counts, nonetheless as having dinner. I had a good quality steak sandwich and we ate outside on what is the Burlington equivalent of Madison's State Street. Its smaller and less college dominated, but the same idea. Lots of restaurants with outdoor seating and lots of puppy dogs walking around. People even sit at the outdoor tables with their dogs hanging out next to them. We saw what I was pretty sure was a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (roughly the same coloring as a Bernese, but smaller, with a longer snout and face) and a dalmation-spotted Great Dane. It wasn't a huge Great Dane, but certainly taller than our table. Very pretty.

Katie is correct that I simultaneously go back and forth between saying that I could live in Vermont and that I couldn't fucking stand it here. I really like the vibe of mountains and water and some of the small townish stuff that is around. I cannot stand being unable to find the shit I need or the places I want to go . I mean, I don't know the area well, I'm sure there is a restaurant somewhere that serves breakfast 24 hours. If I lived here, I would prolly know that. The problem is that I can't find a damn Denny's when I just need some cheap pancakes at noon. Also, I hate hippies. Thats a problem, since there are dirty stupid hippies all over the place. I have no problem with parts of hippy thought, mind you, or even certain hippy practices. Its just that directing frustration at big corporations that do things well rather than capitalism in general seems pretty stupid to me. I mean, not Wal-Mart, there it makes sense. I could even understand some frustration towards Starbucks or Barnes and Noble, but just against the corporate mentality in general, seems to me offense against capitalism, rather than against having a Denny's within reasonable proximity of me. Still, the lake is beautiful and mountains nearby counts for alot. As much as pancakes...not sure.

The first debates of the year are always awful, I know this and yet I still try to be optimistic. I am in the second debate now and I can honestly say that both instances give some examples of hope for everyone who was speaking. To be honest I know tremendously little about this topic. Any knowledge I have is pretty much just carry over from the China topic when I was in high school or general foreign policy understanding and the like. I will have to do some reading at some point, but I have a hard time dividing up my time. By that I mean, I'm not good at working on multiple things at the same time. I like to do one thing, finish it, and move on. I will get everything taken care of and go into the season with at least a bare minimum understanding of the topic, but let me re-emphasize, I am not good at it. I suppose its as good a time as ever to learn some serious multi-taskability.

I am excited at the prospect of going to get some dinner after this debate. I do not know where we will be going, but again, I am excited. We had lunch today at the Vermont Soup Company and I can say that they served what is definatively the best corn chowder I have ever had. I'm quite a corn chowder lover, I should note, I make a fair bit of it. Whenever my dad was out of town when we were little, my mom would make "corn soup" cuz we all loved it but, jobviously, he did not. Anyway, this one was advertised as featuring real cream and brown sugar. You could really taste them both. Not only was it all creamy smooth and delicious, but had a sweetness you don't usually expect in chowder, at least I don't. I was seriously blown away. On Fridays they serve a Lobster chowder and I cannot imagine how pants-jizzingly delicious this chowder base would be with a little lobster stock and some chunks of lobster. There's no Vermont tournament this year, so the chances of that happening are slim to none. Irregardless, thats a recipe I need to work on.

Hippo was txting me earlier about the big party she had last night. They apparently went through three whole smoked salmon and like a couple cases of heavy cream. I told her to take it easy, but she said that since she plans on spending all her time over the next week or so purring while laying with Katie, she wanted to celebrate her Purr-th-day with her friends in advance. Have fun and stay safe little kitties.

Peace,

MB-K