At Home: Arena Football

My husband and I decided to check out Arena Football this year and we got season tickets to the local team. Last night was the first game of the playoffs. We have really enjoyed going to all the games. Here's a breakdown of the games:

The game begins with a big whoop-de-doo. A long line of motorcycles parade through the arena leaving a noxious smell of gasoline behind. We were a little shocked the first time they roared through, but now we have come to enjoy it.

We have the star spangled banner.

Then the play begins. Note the field is only 50 yards long. This leads to a lot of offense and not a whole lot of defense. Before this season, the league didn't allow having dedicated defensive players. Everyone had to play both offense and defense. Now, there is dedicated defense and it makes for very exciting games because an inception is very easy to run back.  Also note the side walls. Nothing is out of bounds except if you are over the wall.

The field goal is very small. It's the small rectangle in the field. The other two large rectangles are used at kickoff. Kickers can bounce the ball off the screens. This delays the catch - allowing the defensive line to reach the catcher.

And this leads to very high scores.

Are You Watching? Rescue Me

This first part of this season of Rescue Me fell flat for me. I feel like the writers are just recycling the plot lines from previous seasons. Tommy’s drinking. Tommy’s trying to quit drinking. Tommy is reckless. Tommy sees dead people. Colleen is out of control. Janet is involved with Tommy’s fellow fire fighters. Sheila is crazy. We have seen it all before.

The show isn’t taking the risks it used to. There have been hints of previous genius – the witty banter between Sean and Mike, the gutsy speeches of Lou. But that is about it. I thought the most recent episode "Blackout" would be the one to push the envelope, but even that missed the mark. Tommy wasn't as contrite or disgusted as he should have been.

I hope the show gets better throughout the season, but I don’t have a lot of hope.



What do you think?

Hey Good Lookin'! What's Cooking? - Pasta Carbonara

I got this recipe from http://www.bethenny.com/. It gives the taste of carbonara without all the fat. I am definitely a big fan.

1 pound pasta

3/4 cup soy milk

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons butter (regular or vegan/soy)

8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy

1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes



1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and yolks, parmesan cheese, half the garlic salt, and half the pepper.

3. When the pasta is done, drain it and quickly put it directly into the bowl with the egg mixture. Toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs.

4. When the pasta is coated with the egg mixture, mix in the butter, bacon, red pepper flakes, and the remaining garlic salt and pepper. Serve immediately.



To cook the bacon - I use our toaster oven. Put foil on the bottom of a sheet pan with enough of an edge to prevent the grease from spilling over. Lay out the bacon. Put in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes. I like to check on it and stir it around a little at the 10 minute mark. Cook a little longer or a little less depending on the texture you want.

Hot Topics: Reclining on Airplanes

It's Wednesday. That means it's Hot Topics day here at Ask Angie. However, my brain is fried and I am a little bleary eyed from too much travel to take on a substantive issue so it's time to do a poll!! Yay! Please look over to your left. Today's poll in inspired by all my travel:

When do you recline on an airplane?
- All the time - It's part of the "space" you purchased with your ticket
- Only on long flights
- Only when the person in front of me does
- Never - it's bad karma.

I tend not to recline just because it drives me crazy when the person in front of me does it. Especially when he hits the resistance of my knees and then flings his entire body weight against the seat to try to get it to go back more and I yell ouch! and then everyone feels uncomfortable but he still keeps trying to force the seat to recline more. Hypothetically, of course.

So what do you think? Weigh in at the poll on the left and leave your comments below.

Ask Angie: Trashy Pics on Facebook

I got this question: My cousin is a teacher. She has been posting pictures I consider inappropriate on her Facebook page. I have tried to talk to her about it, but she just blows me off. What should I do?

I understand this concern. There have been many examples of school districts cracking down on employee’s Facebook pages. Many employers are now checking social networking sites before making offers. Some teachers have been fired for what appeared on their site.  One teacher was forced to resign because a parent complained about her holding a drink.

As for how to raise this with your relative, I think you need to make sure she has all the information and then walk away. People have the right to make poor choices and all we can do is make sure they have the information of what the consequences for those actions will be. I would say something like:

“I want to talk to you about your Facebook page because I love you and I want the best for you. I don’t think you understand how serious having these types of pictures on Facebook can be. A teacher is Arizona was fired because a parent complained about a photo on her Facebook page where she was holding a drink. I know that your page is private, but with all the changes to Facebook – there is a very good chance that those photos could become public. Maybe instead of posting photos directly on your page – you could link to an online album that is password protected or just email the photos to your friends. I don’t want to nag about this. I just want to make sure you have all the information. I am not going to bring this up again. I love you and I just don’t want you to be surprised if something does happen.”

And then you really have to walk away and not mention it again. I would recommend defriending her on Facebook so you are not tempted to mention it again. Good luck!

Whatcha Reading? Some Great Summer Reads

The One That I Want: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch


The One that I Want has appeared on a number of summer reading lists so I decided to check it out. The story revolves around a small town cheerleader and baseball star and the end of their 14 years together. It raises question about what really is happiness and what is just coping. This is one of those books I read in one setting just because I was enjoying the story. I actually laughed out loud a number of times. A lot of other readers have been inspired to pick up lost projects or pursue long forgotten dreams. I can see how that could happen. Definitely worth a read.





The Opposite Of Love by Julie Buxbaum
 I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of a young woman navigating the romance world. The thing I love about the book is that it focuses on the process the woman goes through – not the back and forth of the relationship. Buxbaum also explores the theme of what you really want versus what you think you want. Definitely check it out.




London Is the Best City in America by Laura Dave
This delightful read centers on making choices. The heroine’s life is basically on hold by her decision not to make hard choices. The book reads like a great romantic comedy – you know where it’s headed but it’s fun to go along for the ride.

The Brewing Report: Flying Dog

This round of beer tasting involved a Chicago beer lover. She calls   The Map Room home so therefore she is highly qualified. The first brewery we tasted was Flying Dog. Flying Dog began as a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado and is now brewed for our at-home pleasure in Frederick, Maryland. The Map Room Girl's first comment about Flying Dog was  "any beer that quotes Hunter S. Thompson is f-ing awesome". And I have to say that I agree. So let's get started.

Doggie style pale ale - This is a very drinkable pale ale. It's light with just enough bite to be able to tell it is a pale pale ale, but overall very mild.

Snake Dog IPA - This is definitely an IPA - it has an in your face bite and bitterness, but a fruity note at the end that helps balance it out.

Old stratch amber lager - The initial reactions were blah. Part of that could be because we sampled this after the pale ales so we were expecting a stronger flavor. It has a very slight malt taster. The flavor is okay but  wouldn't pick it out as an amber in a blind test.

In Heat Wheat Hefeweizen - this is one of my favorite beers. It is full of flavor. The Map Room girl calls is banana; my husband calls it lemon, and I think it just a nicely balanced citrus flavor.

Whatever you call it - I like it!

Tire bite golden ale - very smooth, great summer beer, light but has good flavor.

Overall, we were very impressed with this group of beers.

They seem to find the right balance of drinkability without sacrificing flavor. Cheers!