Who's Got The Large Mouth?

When you say large mouth bass, what do you think? Well from now on, you need to think Jonathan! Here he is with his first Largemouth Bass, held in his very own hands! Way to go Jon, you are an awesome fisherman and we love you! Keep on hookin them and enjoying it all!

You Go Girl - Way To Fish!

Rebekah showed not only her brother Jon up, but she also showed up the boat owner and her dad. Rebekah managed to land 5 fish in one day (to Jon's one). Only catch (sorry about the pun there) is that her fish were the size you see. Nonetheless, great job Sis - I also love the action shot! I'm also proud that you have no problem removing the hooks and practice catch & release. Uncle Tom (the boat owner) and I went fishless - guess age and practice doesn't really matter.

Oh Yeah - Look at My Fish!

We visited Uncle Tom yesterday at his fishing cabin. Rebekah hit the mother load with 5 different (we think different, however they all looked very similar) 2 to 3 inch fish. Jonathan had nothing even close to a nibble the entire time, despite his best efforts to cross lines with his sister and trying to cast his hook within inches of where Rebekah had landed it. We tried to explain that he needed to leave it still for a while so the fish could find it and not be scared, I think he had Jimmy Houston cast and reel technique going all day! Anyhow, we pulled the boat back to the dock at sunset and after getting most items off the boat, Uncle Tom suggested that the kids drop their lines of the front of the dock. No more than seconds after Jonathan dropped his line, this whopper (in Jon's book) snatched and ran. He cried, "I've got a fish!" and proceeded to pull it in. The look on his face describes exactly how he felt and what he said over and over, "Oh Yeah - I caught a fi-ish!" Way to go Rebekah and Jonathan, I'm very proud of both of you and your new-found fishing prowess.

New Spaceship Earth at EPCOT!

Our family loves the new changes that were made to Spaceship Earth in Disney's EPCOT Center. I have a preview video of this ride available on my YouTube page (click here to see it!). The video was shot prior to the official opening and some of the elements of the ride have changed even since then. At the end of the ride, the pictures of who was riding in a cart are cropped and put on space costumes. Here is a shot from when Jonathan and Rebekah rode it recently!

Oh What A Beautiful Day!

Here is a picture I took a couple of weeks ago at sunset. We had spent some time on the water fishing, and as we headed back to the dock, I saw this beautiful view and couldn't resist. I hope it brightens your day as well.

Scattered Gators!

After watching Mississippi (Ole Miss) perform a huge upset on the Florida Gators, I was a bit frustrated. I found these pictures I had taken outside with my new camera (at the time) and decided to create a collage with them. It pretty much sums up my feelings for the Gators right now - Scattered! This collage is a pretty neat feature in the new Picasa 3 Beta that anyone can download from Google. Picasa 3 software catalogs all your pictures, video, etc. and then lets you create videos, slideshows, collages, etc. from everything. You can even blog directly through the software. It is amazing! Click here to download.

VW Bug / Bus Madness!

I am very interested in purchasing a vintage 70s VW bug or bus. While I haven't found the perfect one yet, this one seemed quite interesting. I actually did find the perfect one, a metallic blue 72 conversion bug with sport wheels and a moon roof. As I pulled aside on the road to look at it, two older ladies stopped in front of me and announced that they were back to purchase the Volkswagon Bug, they couldn't resist. Well, it was like having candy taken from a baby! I felt it must have been meant to be, I can't wait to see the one meant for me! It certainly isn't this one!

Tom Rhodes on Comedy Central

For those friends I've known since the 70s (yes, we are old!) - here is a picture I just found on my computer of our buddy Tom Rhodes when did his first Comedy Central Special called "Viva VietNam." For those who have seen it, it is both entertaining and historical. It was an eye-opener. I hear Tom is coming back to Florida in October on tour, I may see you there. Thanks Tom for all the funny! You can see more about Tom at his website. I would love to get a copy of this special on DVD, but not sure it is available...

This Just In - PIG Vote Update!

This just in from my friend Jim Webster:

As many of you know by now, there have been technical problems with the voting in mario batali's grilling challenge. but for the final few days, there is an alternate method that should get you through.here's what you do now:

1. Go to mariobatali.com/grillingcontest and click on "vote here" in the upper right corner.

2. Go through the registration process. they only require an e-mail address, zip code, birth date and some advertising opt-outs.

3. You will then get instructions to e-mail your vote to info@mariobatali.com. your subject line should say VOTE, and in the body of your message, put Jim Webster, five stars (if I may be so bold as to suggest your vote!)That should be all I need. The site has had many problems so far, so this is a fall back for them. And there is a problem if you try to access through Firefox 3. If the site blocks you, or you encounter any other problems, please follow step 3 and add what problem you encountered to the message, in addition to the vote.

I'm not currently in position to advance, but I think it is totally within reach, if i can get a good push from last-minute voters between now and monday night. And if you have voted already, thanks! if you are just tuning in, i among seven quarterfinalists in the contest for my recipe, which includes orange-fennel sausage stuffed inside a butterflied pork tenderloin, which is wrapped in pancetta. if i am in the top three in voting, i move to the semifinals, and if i win there, i will win a trip to texas to cook with mario at a tailgate party.

Hello Family!

Hello Dolly at OCT has been a fantastic run. Last night most of Sarah's side of the family came to see the show. Here is a great picture of Bupa and David in costume with the whole crew after the show! (Click on the picture for a closer look!)

Happy Birthday?

Here is a picture to take you back a few years. This is a picture of my birthday party at an ice cream place called Farrells where you could literally make a pig of yourself. From left to right you can find the following friends who attended (including my dad who is serving the ice cream and my mom who is taking the picture) Mark Scott, Me (yours truly), Jeff Palmer, Jeff Young, Mike Amrhein and Chris Hansen.
We are all 41+ old men now, but this is when we were closer to 11 or so. Memories, what a wonderful thing!

A Few of our Favorite Things!

Our crew loves to visit Disney World. We were messing around the other day with the new version of Picassa (3) and found a way to create a collage of pictures. Here are some of our own pictures. Top left is as we were approaching the Hollywood Tower Hotel (Tower of Terror Ride) at Hollywood Studios. Below that is a close-up of the same. We are learning to love this ride, well most of us are :). The bottom right is a shot of the Sorcerer's Hat as we were leaving that evening. The final picture, top right, is a shot of our scores after a round of Toy Story Mania! We think this ride is fantastic and try to ride each time we visit. This was a pretty good score at 161,100 - probably my highest ever. David usually kicks me when we ride together, therefore this must have been Jonathan or Rebekah with me :)

David & Patrick Collage

Thanks to BrittRenee for the amazing collage of David and Patrick during their performance as Barnaby and Cornelius in OCT's production of Hello, Dolly! Great Job Britt! Please click on the picture to see the full layout (only part will post). If you want to see more great Hello Dolly Pics, vollow the BrittRenee link below.

blend, originally uploaded by BrittRenee.

What is Wrong With This Picture?

I saw this picture and couldn't resist the fun. This is a shot from the recent summer Olympics in China. At a first glance all looks so organized and orderly, neat arrangement and direction. Then take a closer look (click on the picture for a larger view) and see all the people doing something other than what they are supposed to be doing. In fact, right in the middle of the picture there are two ladies who must have dropped something, both are looking at the ground in search of this mysterious item (what could they honestly have had with them to be dropped?). Many others are looking away to their right so all you can see is the white hair thingee.

We found it so entertaining to inspect, we have made it our temporary desktop - enjoy!

Here they are Minnie and Barnaby!

Here are two of the stars of OCT's current production "Hello, Dolly" - of course I am a bit biased, but I think they are both amazing! This is a backstage picture of Amanda and David who portray Minnie Fay and Barnaby. If you haven't seen the show yet, good luck on finding tickets because they are all sold out. You could always visit the theatre and pray for a standby ticket. Final shows run Wednesday through Sunday! Call Ocala Civic Theatre for tickets.

True Inspiration - Don't Miss It!

Here is an amazing video of Dalton Sherman, an elementary school student from Dallas Independent School District in Texas. He was the keynote speaker for over 20,000 school district employees (teachers and more) at a back to school event. Watching this young man is truly inspiring, take the time to see this - it is well worth it and very moving!

Pig-Stuffed, Pig-Wrapped Pig - VOTE PLEASE!

I am entering my official plea - PLEASE VOTE! Here's the deal, a great friend of mine since 6th grade named Jim Webster has been selected as a quarter-finalist in Mario Batali's Grilling Contest for his original dish "Pig-Stuffed, Pig-Wrapped Pig." The only way for Jim to progress to the finals is by obtaining enough online votes to garner that advancement. Therefore, we need your help.
Here is an excerpt from Jim's "Gastroblog" ~ "If you would like to help me win a fabulous weekend in texas to tailgate with Mario Batali, go to mariobatali.com/grillingcontest. You will have to register, which involves giving an e-mail address, your age, zip code (if i recall), and setting up a username and password. Then you go to the videos and watch as many as it takes to come to a fair, informed and reasoned decision on whom to vote for. There are seven videos, and "voting" apparently takes place in the form of rating them on a scale of 1-5 stars. For instance, as an example, my video is slugged "pork-upload.mov", and my user name is jawj1. So, strictly hypothetically, you could go in and, say, give it, I don't know, pick a number ... five stars. The voting ends on sept 29, and the three highest-rated videos then advance to the next round, from which judges, including Mario, will pick a winner. You can rank as many of the videos as you like, or just go in and rate mine. I mean, or some other. But for the purposes of this blog, mostly mine. I know the registration is a downer, but I appreciate your effort. Thanks in advance."
In addition, another great friend of ours named Ronnie Perkins weighed in on the contest. Read this entertaining study on the grilling opponents as posted on Jim's "Gastroblog" as well:

"Ronnie Perkins has been one of my best friends for almost three decades. and I know no one who does a better job of studying the candidates and issues before he votes. But I sort of thought that when I told him I needed his vote for the Batali grilling contest, I might just get it. Nope. He studied the field, broke it down, weighed pluses and minuses, and finally came to his conclusion. Here is his report:
"I watched the other videos to see your competition. Here's my assessment:

Salmon guy - sort of quirky but the vintage wine since thursday, low-rider capital of the world, and fish-hating granny was funny. decent presentation but not for me.

NASCAR lady - a bit too much energy for this contest. Good sound and video effects. Unique idea but it seemed way too much effort for a NASCAR tailgate party. Just throw a pig in the ground and tap a keg!

Jack Daniel's BBQ man - I liked the ingredients flying in and the process through the night but he's too cocky for me. Although the food looked good it wasn't original and he didn't discuss anything but the bbq sauce and the duration on the grill. I liked having the gang at the end taste-testing the finished product.

Pigeon killer - I like squab/quail but he was way too boring. Nothing but grilled bird with some bbq sauce and wine. I liked the grape wood idea since it was from his vineyard but not much else.

Vince's pork roast - definitely your toughest competition. I liked the ingredients and the way it was wrapped and tied for cooking. The audience was a good background and his presentation skills were really good as was his finished food presentation. Hopefully he doesn't have many friends!

Father and son butt team - not bad. Pretty good looking food although I don't like coleslaw. The Jeff Gordon look alike was a funny idea too.

PWPSP - oh yeah. I like how you showed the construction, the grilling, the cutting, and the tasting, but the final presentation of the food was the best of show and the idea (3/7 pork) and the name should be a crowd-pleaser. My only critique would be more eye contact. I think you have a winner! Everyone will need to vote! Good luck!

Well, there you have it. after much thought, the considered opinion is pig-wrapped, pig-stuffed pig. Ronnie assured me Igot his 5-star vote. Wew. PS - I can't really tell if you can tell how the voting is going, but if I am reading it right, I fell overnight. I really thought i'd gain with all my late-night friends. The quail guy shot out of nowhere, going from (i think) sixth place to (i think) first. Then it appears that the guy with the wrapped pork shoulder is close behind (hmmmm, sausage wrapped in pork. Know what that needs? bacon.), then the bbq sauce guy. Then i'm neck-and-neck with the father-son team. Sigh. I'm hoping that the other entrants used up all their friends the first day and that I still have a lot more in the bank. So get out there and vote!"

Jim recently added the following important note:
Here is a direct link to my video, if that helps anyone: http://grillingcontest.mariobatali.com/kickapps/_pork-uploadmov/video/273891/27485.html Also, it is best to avoid the Firefox browser (it has a problem with the site). Explorer and Safari are fine with it - please vote!

Chillin Backstage at OCT Hello Dolly!

Lots of fun has been enjoyed both offstage as well as on. Here is a fun picture of Patrick (Cornelius Hackl), David (Barnaby Tucker), Marci (Irene Molloy) and Amanda (Minnie Fay) backstage before a recent performance of Hello Dolly at Ocala Civic Theatre. This has been a fantastic opening production in the 59th Season at OCT. This production was directed by Susu Sparkman.

Bring Me Cold!

I am tired of the heat! As much as I love all things associated with Florida and warm, there comes a point in the summer when it's been enough. At this point I am praying for a cold snap, or even better, something like this! This picture was taken by Sarah last year at a conference she attended. This shot was taken out her room window, I'm jealous!

 

Barnaby & Cornelius at OCT Midnight Studio

What a fun night! OCT has such a great and talented bunch of people who come together three times a year to enjoy the celebration of all. Here is a brief glimpse at David and Patrick (better known as Barnaby and Cornelius in the current production of Hello, Dolly! at Ocala Civic Theatre.

Be sure to check my prior posting of Billie Thatcher (OCT's own Dolly) singing at Midnight Studio!

OCT Midnight Studio - Billie Thatcher sings "Some People" from Gypsy!

Last night was Midnight Studio at OCT. This is a variety / talent show of cast and crew from the current show and a few other locals who wish a stage to test their material. This happens after the performance of the 3rd Friday Mainstage Musical Performances each year (that makes 3 Midnight Studios a year). Once again, this was packed with many interesting, memorable and at times, less than memorable performances. The beauty of this event is the support for everyone who participates - the true spirit of teamwork! Everyone is welcome at no charge, just be aware that you never know what you will experience - each show is truly unique. One of those amazing performances is below, our dear friend Billie Thatcher (who plays Dolly in OCT's production of Hello, Dolly!) sings "Some People" from Stephen Sondheim's musical Gypsy.

Here it is - the amazing performance by Billie Thatcher. Enjoy :)

Sam Sam the Magic Man!

In the life of our family, this is the most amazing pet ever - Sammie! He is refered to as: Sam Sam, The Sam, Dog, The Samster, Sammie Dog, Samareno, Hey You and Hey! Here is a great shot of Sammie after his recent shaving - the kids still think he is the cutest dog ever, however he looks much less like a Yorkie and more like a Jack Russell :)

A Fresh Flagler Day!

A couple of weeks ago we decided as a family to wake up very early and head east to Flagler Beach for breakfast at The Pier Restaurant (seen here to the right) and to enjoy some fun in the sun and sand on the beautiful pink beaches. We hadn't been to the coast for a long while so it seemed like a great opportunity. The kids all slept (as did Sarah) on the trip over. Unfortunately we didn't make it for sunrise, however this is the amazing view we did enjoy. If you ever get a chance and want to enjoy a quaint Florida beach that still has old-Florida charm and a down-home feel, make it to Flagler Beach - you won't be disappointed.

Moment of Beauty!

Here is the amazing view we experienced after a wonderful time of fishing and fun on the lake. It is such a treat to enjoy the grandeur of nature in the glimmers we are given. It was also amazing to see how everyone on the boat seemed to go silent at the same time enjoying this moment of beauty!

A Closer Look - A Bit Fishy!

Rebekah resembles a young Jimmy Houston in this energetic pose. It is an amazing memory when you catch your first big catch - way to go girl, we are proud of you! Keep hooking them! Thanks Tom for the fun :)

Master Fishergal :)

Can it be? Here is Rebekah's first catch - we were't having much luck with any nibbles or bites at all and the girl of the century finds the only hungry fish! Way to go Sis, you are a master fishergal!

Palin / Clinton - Amazing fun!

Check out this amazing opening scene from last week's SNL. Tina Fey does an amazing job as Sarah Palin... enjoy!

Vote for Jim - Marion Batali's Ultimate Grilling Challenge!

I was contacted today by a great friend of mine since 6th Grade – Jim Webster. Jim currently works as an editor for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper, but on the side loves to cook. Jim submitted a video recipe for Mario Batali’s Ultimate Grilling Challenge and has progressed to the quarterfinals. He needs our vote to make it even further, so please check out this article (and video) and please vote online for Jim. Please visit this link for all the info and to vote: http://blogs.tampabay.com/dining/2008/09/jim-websters-ou.html

Here is a recent email from Jim that will assist all who help:

hi everyone! many of you know that i am a quarterfinalist in the mario batali grilling contest. to make it to the semifinals, i need votes. my recipe is called pig-wrapped, pig-stuffed pig. first i made an orange-fennel sausage, then stuffed it inside a butterfield pork tenderloin, and wrapped the whole thing in pancetta, which is an italian bacon. to help me advance, go to mariobatali.com/grillingcontest, register (it requires an e-mail address and setting up a log in and password), then go to my video, which is called pork-upload.mov (i was not aware i was picking the ultimate name of my entry when i uploaded the file), and give me as many stars as you deem appropriate. i have been suggesting five. ;) you can rate others if you like, but you don't have to. by registering to vote, you will be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of mario's new book. after you vote, it would also be really helpful if you encourage your friends to vote for me too. you can refer them to me or my blog. you can go to my blog (jwscoop.blogspot.com) for more information and for updates. and let me know if there are any questions i can answer. also, if you are on facebook, join my group Vote Pig-Wrapped Pig- Stuffed Pig 08. thanks!
jim

Happy Birthday Sarah, guess which one?

Happy Birthday to my precious wife Sarah. I would never dare share the age of my beautiful wife, but the coincidence of her birthday with the "It's A Small World" anniversary is uncanny! Thanks Sarah for your love and support, you are an amazing lady and I am honored to call you my wife, thanks for sharing your life with me!

I'm taller, no I'm taller!

I'm taller.
No, I'm taller.
What? I'm taller.
No, I'm taller.
Who says? I'm taller.
No, I'm taller!
I'm older and taller, you are younger and shorter.
No, I'm younger and taller and you are older and shorter.
What? You've got to be kidding - I'm much older and taller while you are much younger and shorter.
Who me? I'm much younger and taller while you are much older and shorter.

Ok guys, let's settle this once and for all - you are the same height!