tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88285265175675319952011-08-03T21:18:02.572-04:00the last earl on horsebackGrotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.comBlogger811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-55806437951949785192011-02-13T16:59:00.000-05:002011-02-13T16:59:59.561-05:00

Wine-braised pork with juniper, sage, lavenderMushroom sage leek polentaOrange-scented roast beets So, first of all, there aren't pictures of the process or the finished / plated product - it's only in retrospect that I thought to write this one down.  Retrospect, I say because my wife, mid-dinner, looks up and says "This one's a winner.  You should write it down."  Fair enough, intertubes.  Here

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-20732983752778015902010-10-22T23:03:00.000-04:002010-10-22T23:03:25.562-04:00

I am not a violent person. But there is one particular situation that arises, year after year, that briefly pits father against son in my parents' home - a simple matter of greed. Ironically, this happens every year at Thanksgiving. Unironically, it involves my mother's pecan pie. There are certain things, good things, great things, for which it is difficult to be strictly thankful.  This pie

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-33445155332031449212010-06-26T21:50:00.000-04:002010-06-26T21:50:40.875-04:00

I was all set to steam-clean the carpets at our old apartment today in preparation for our vacate date. Luckily for me, I stopped off at the front desk to get the official forms for my wife to sign. "All you have to do is vacuum the floors, clean the counters, and all that" said the secretary, but I had to verify. "You mean you don't want us to deep clean the carpets?" She waved me off. "Oh no

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-995614258146133372010-01-21T18:03:00.001-05:002010-01-21T18:06:29.539-05:00

Aside: I really don't mean this blog to be purely devoted to my experimental cuisine. It's just, that's the most of what I do for fun lately. Hopefully more interesting things soon.caramel pears in dessert crepesbourbon buerre noisetteblack walnut and brie white sauceWe'll see how it turns out...

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-71427637156675434792009-11-08T21:55:00.002-05:002009-11-08T22:50:13.438-05:00

Tonight, my dear wife and I celebrate our six months' wedding anniversary. Six months! So short and yet so long. We've been counting down to this particular anniversary for some time, because - colloquially - the folks who make it six months tend to make it for good.Not that there's any doubt of that. As good a woman as I have somehow enticed into marrying me, I'm never letting her go. Too

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-41063066509493040472009-10-08T07:28:00.003-04:002009-10-08T07:31:24.110-04:00

The question is, what’s the best way to look at a team’s performance on the whole? We basically have three important units by which we measure a football squad. The first – and most ultimately important – is the scoreboard. The second is yards, either yards given up by the defense or yards claimed by the offense. And the third is turnovers. Being an engineer and seeing three units, my

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-30244839693539444822009-08-31T18:33:00.004-04:002009-09-22T09:12:45.056-04:00

I get the feeling sometimes that there are two distinct groups of people who visit this blog. Firstly, there are the folks who are here because they know me in real life and they themselves are awesome. They're mostly here for real-life-ish updates and maybe to see what bizarre thing I'm cooking. Secondly, there are the folks who come to Grotus' Acorn primarily for the football- and

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-75126758041735779832009-08-14T06:20:00.006-04:002009-08-14T10:04:54.203-04:00

pretty stunnedI woke up this morning and loaded up my run of sports sites in Firefox. As usual, I end up skipping to THABOTN because Jay's videos auto-play and they start off with that goofy music. "This again," I think to myself. "I'll just shut that off." Thus my day begins: as your body grows bigger, your mind must flower, it's great to learn 'cause knowledge is power! Chris Todd: starting QB

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-20986804174450060102009-08-08T14:15:00.005-04:002009-08-08T14:36:41.043-04:00

Tonight, the wife is post-call and exhausted. It's always good to have a hearty, rib-sticking sort of meal when you're post-call. So, I'm making chicken and dumplings.My recipe is a little bit different from the norm, though. For the chicken, I use boneless chicken thighs. These little beauties give you all the dark flavor of the thigh meat - so much better than a measly old chicken breast -

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-16340495019456423582009-07-16T05:24:00.004-04:002009-07-16T07:22:53.974-04:00

First off, credit where credit is due: it has been remarkably bearable offseason, and that's in large part (for me) due to The Joe Cribbs Car Wash. I've wanted to write about Auburn football, and I've tried, but my posts always go something like this: "What Jerry said."That said, I couldn't disagree more with the latest post on Tyrik Rollison and the possibility of burning his redshirt. I think

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-67047277506926936482009-06-10T07:00:00.001-04:002009-06-10T05:10:05.478-04:00

Something you have already guessed: your humble blogger is a bit of a nerd. And, I really nerd out on football. It is a great sporting frontier of obstinate complexity. Twenty-two men with different, overlapping and constantly fluctuating jobs operate from a multitude of formations on a field that, conceptually, is massive, continental, vast. This is no pitcher-vs-batter game, is not even as

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-41158409289157167552009-05-15T08:15:00.001-04:002009-05-15T20:10:47.267-04:00

Edit: WIFE! WIFE! WIFE!Recently, I was playing Monopoly with my darling wife. The first game, I got lucky and bought all four railroads and the orange set of properties. I leveraged everything for hotels and won that game handily. But the second game brought the nightmare scenario: all properties purchased, no monopolies.Rather than restart the game, we began bargaining. I resolved to hold

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-68158331492089879292009-04-24T09:36:00.001-04:002009-04-24T09:38:56.985-04:00

StatisticsTea is better caffeine for you than coffee,ennobled by the language of Confucian leaf.Like a wet thumb looking for proper tack,my mousewheel chirps - a cricketrelentlessly counting Farhenheit on the hearth.Blood vessels constrict through a chemical sieve,splintered by the thicket of keels.My cup is cold as eelskin, too particulate to divine.I let pass my lips the lees of a Chinese river.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-56966428386834653832009-04-11T22:45:00.004-04:002009-04-12T17:29:08.341-04:00

I'm back home for Easter with the folks (God bless my single Monday-Wednesday class!) For fun, here's what we're eatin' for Easter dinner:Ham with ginger-orange glazePeas and pearl onionsSlow-cooked butterbeansHomemade potato saladSister Schubert's dinner rollsLemon meringue pie7-Up pound cake with strawberriesRecently, my Mom got me to listen to a bit by this comedienne, Jeanne Robertson. In

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-39868755151215011662009-04-05T21:01:00.004-04:002009-04-06T10:44:30.771-04:00

I never knew a fortune cookie could be ominous, until I got this one today:What aid will I soon require, O mystical pseudo-Chinese pastry? What mighty forces have chosen this bastardized polygonal confection as their mouthpiece, their prophet, their 911 operator? Good evening, sir. The A-Team will arrive in the nick of time. Do not call or email - all lines are monitored by your enemies.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-16161829935102752682009-02-27T15:00:00.001-05:002009-02-27T15:00:00.287-05:00

All my favorite metal bands eventually go prog. I caught up with Poison the Well right on their album You Come Before You. Didn't even listen to Cave In until I ran into Antenna. Between the Buried and Me most recently released their excellent but concept-y Colors. Opeth laid a lot of flute and english horn into Watershed. The Deftones just went plain weird. Not to say these aren't fantastic

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-65129215450144750102009-02-14T16:00:00.004-05:002009-02-14T16:07:29.052-05:00

My dog napped on a sheet of newspaperthat I'd been reading, having made a ringof punctures in the commentary, forshe never let us trim her nails. The wingsof birds out back could not tempt her from sleep,though twitching legs and quiet yelps betrayedher dreaming impulse - rustling in her deepunfettered mind were feathers of the preyshe never caught. Or maybe did. I can'tbe sure. I do know that

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-15299630135680238032009-02-04T06:01:00.007-05:002009-02-04T06:21:58.961-05:00

This fall, if you are flying in the general area of Auburn University on a Saturday night, please take care to divert your Cessna around Jordan-Hare Stadium. We would hate to chip the paint.War Damn Eagle.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-7286286632017538362009-01-30T15:30:00.000-05:002009-01-30T15:30:01.142-05:00

You may recall some certain family lore I shared with the intertubes last fall (hint: Phillip Marshall's mustache) and subsequently had to correct. Well, the whole story is even more clear now, thanks to my Mom who wrote me some time ago to further elucidate:Before it becomes some family legend that Dad met me at Auburn, Dad and I met at work, when I was a secretary at the State of Alabama,

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-19254732827914753232009-01-30T14:30:00.000-05:002009-01-30T14:30:00.468-05:00

What a YearI may have - no, absolutely I have - picked the weirdest season possible in which to begin writing about Auburn football. From the Tony Franklin hire to 3-2 to ChrisToddGate to Spread Man Walking to Zombie Nallsminger to Tubby Fired and Chizik Hired to Gustav to the inexplicable firing of Clinton Durst... I can't remember any season in which college football as a whole left me so

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-49305011523089329882009-01-28T10:56:00.005-05:002009-01-28T12:41:01.943-05:00

As suggested by one of my friends, maybe I should let y'all know how everything panned out.This was easily one of the most fun meals I've ever made.First and foremost, the gnocchi. I formed my recipe from two different recipes I found online. One by Mario Batali was a little more complicated than I'd wanted, calling for parsley, pepper and nutmeg in addition to the egg, ricotta, and flour. I

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-49465690356686143522009-01-27T14:50:00.004-05:002009-01-30T14:25:17.074-05:00

Been a while since I've done one of these. It's been an absurdly hectic fall and most of the time, the blog has been eat up with the bewildering Auburn football season. Hopefully that hot can of angry is going to cool down sometime soon.But in the meantime, my fiancee and I were lucky enough to catch "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network. It was a half hour of foodie people raving

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-71362172273927756112009-01-22T18:10:00.013-05:002009-01-23T15:20:36.961-05:00

...really, what?I was still basking in the glory of our Christmas windfall. The Malzahn-Taylor coup. What the hell is happening on the plains? I leave the blAUgosphere for a few weeks and this is what happens.First: the guy I don't miss.This (courtesy of the JCCW.)Now I'm not one to assign all sorts of moral imperatives to the coaching of college football. It's a business, bottom-to-top. The

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-11317073703359385902009-01-08T11:35:00.001-05:002009-01-08T07:46:52.267-05:00

The problem is as follows: Suppose that there is an airplane on a treadmill, a treadmill as long and wide as a runway. The treadmill is designed such that its speed exactly matches the speed of the airplane's wheels, but moving in the opposite direction. Can the plane take off?It's a neat question, if only for the visual of a 747 on a treadmill, its turboprops amounting to the world's largest

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-7130974327737142142009-01-05T21:12:00.005-05:002009-01-30T14:25:32.913-05:00

We live ever at the whim of our muses and my schAUdenfreude1 demands this: the Sugar Bowl was the best game all year that I didn't get to see. Thank God it's on hulu. I may yet go view the game2... or I may not. My angry blood demands I revel in their losses, but it loses the forest for the trees - every yard forward a crime. Like a good horror movie, it's hard not to wince even when you know

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-62577199426442008292008-12-30T07:53:00.016-05:002008-12-31T15:58:02.933-05:00

First of all you've got to understand, it's a bleak picture I have in my Auburn brain.Like some other Auburn bloggers, Tuberville IS (WAS) Auburn to me. I was 15 when he took over from Terry Bowden, and living in the football hell that is central Virginia. He's all I know practically of football at all, and the Tommy I knew was a rock in the tempest, a JetGate-defying long-hauler, a man whose

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-24978768268608149112008-12-14T10:57:00.004-05:002009-01-30T14:25:32.914-05:00

Oh brother.Maybe Not as Bad as He Appearswe are ever the contrarianYes, Chizik has been phenomenally awful at Iowa State. Yes, it would be much more encouraging if Auburn had hired a coach with a proven track record of winning. But this football program has a history of discovering and developing talent. For instance, this guy:Gorgeous!We think fondly on Borges' tenure on the Plains, and

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-44169590024151290872008-12-07T11:24:00.003-05:002009-01-30T14:25:32.914-05:00

Let it be know that I will entertain no scenario in which losing to Bama is considered to be "good" thing. And by "good" I even mean, "just this side of morally reprehensible." But with Florida beating Bama in the SECCG, there's a hell of a silver lining. Bear with me.Exhibit A: Don't get me wrong: I'm not clever enough to cry sour grapes about the Iron Bowl - dammit I love me some grapes. I

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-33499131648031969702008-12-05T16:16:00.007-05:002008-12-07T11:20:25.579-05:00

I was a bit let down to see that Cap'n Leach wouldn't be coming to the Plains, but not really surprised.For one, the patterns wouldn't have fit. If you look at the history of Auburn football coaches post-WWII, a very clear pattern emerges. Auburn alternates between short-term benchwarmers and long-term coaches that we frankly run into the ground. When the Honda Accord finally coughs up its

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-68908969851913156312008-12-01T17:38:00.008-05:002009-04-16T13:35:20.404-04:00

In an earlier post, I posted a video of Bo Over the Top and remarked that I, as nascent humanity, was enwombed somewhere to the left of the YouTube screen. Here it is again:Glory!Well, I was wrong. Says my Dad:In that clip, you're on the opposite end of the field, on the opposite side of the field from the camera. We had to look for the referees' signal(s) on that play.Our tickets were (

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-69831148018486363612008-11-30T05:33:00.003-05:002008-11-30T05:52:27.402-05:00

post-gameEvery tiger fan who lamented the "non-competitiveness" of the Iron Bowl had their wish granted: welcome back to the past, tigers. This is easily the worst defeat I have ever seen my tigers suffer at the hands of the Crimson Tide. The historical frame I put it in: 36-0 in 2008 looks very much like 35-0 in 1973. Maybe I'll think more about this game later.But for now, it's Sunday. Go

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-40027895019635067442008-11-27T09:00:00.004-05:002008-11-27T09:24:51.582-05:00

So real life has conspired to keep me off the blog lately. Don't look at me like that. I've been to Winston-Salem, Johnson City TN, Nashville, Cleveland, Raleigh-Durham, Pittsburgh, Hershey, Huntington WV, New York, Richmond, Rochester, New York, Columbus Ohio, and Greensboro in the past three weeks. In that order.But it's the week leading up to the Iron Bowl. I am compelled to write

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-13302901116535167542008-11-03T08:11:00.007-05:002008-11-03T09:13:19.079-05:00

Didn't see the Ole Miss game. Didn't really have to. From reading the numbers, I can clearly picture what transpired.Welcome to Waffle House! How would you like your 2008 Auburn Tigers?I'll have mine, spread, Hatted, Johnsoned, Petrinoed, Stewarted and Nutted... but not Croomed. Going Through the Progressionas bright spots go, this is clearly a checkdownI was happy to see that wacky pass-run

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-12999041890416692932008-10-24T18:29:00.003-04:002008-10-24T18:49:22.868-04:00

By Nate! In a comment on a recent post, he suggested two occasions in The Swamp that could be the game that sparked my deep admiration for the Tiger defense. I'm almost certain it was '94. But you know what the kicker is? Just you read, wait till the very end when he twists the knife. He writes:You're either thinking of (maybe) 1993:http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-52841709795274881652008-10-23T22:11:00.008-04:002008-10-24T15:14:03.469-04:00

What a terrible season. And what a terrible game.In spite of our bottomless cellar of defeat, I was looking forward to our Morgantown brawl. Earlier on Thursday I took the second round of nine-hour computerized standardized tests to which all medical students are subjected - I was mentally exhausted after two weeks of study and a long day under the microscope. But the game was on - what luck!

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-74430971192531228362008-10-22T11:09:00.004-04:002008-10-22T12:31:02.583-04:00

sounds fairSeeing as I gave McCain's plan a shakedown, it's only fair - as was pointed out here at the Acorn - to similarly examine Obama's. So I'll do that on Friday. It's a bit more complicated, though, and there's a lot more material to sift through. Unlike McCain, Obama's plan is available in the easily-digestible soundbite form, and as a much-more detailed .pdf. And I feel compelled to

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-84449168379414014272008-10-17T23:06:00.005-04:002008-10-18T10:27:57.727-04:00

McCain's plan to solve the problem of rising health care costs and the growing ranks of the uninsured:Allow people to buy health insurance across state lines, opening competition for health insurance plans nationwide on an individual basisGive a tax credit ($2500 to individuals, $5000 to families) that will provide the money to purchase a basic planRecoup these costs by making employer-sponsored

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-87356302619362779052008-10-13T08:09:00.004-04:002008-10-13T08:54:23.281-04:00

Grotus' Acorn has simply nothing more to say about the Arkansas game. I'm completely spent.Dr. Schadenfreude, or, how I learned to stop worrying about burning redshirtsAgain - Chris Todd is an Auburn tiger, and will remain so as long as he straps on pads and wears the blue jersey. And even with that... remarkable performance on Saturday, he's probably done more for the team than I ever

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-6089819246172632122008-10-11T20:08:00.009-04:002008-10-13T12:00:33.322-04:00

I watched a heads-up jump pass sail, mallard-like, over the arms of #32. #32 who sat on the absolute frontward edge of a yawning, chasm-like hole in the razorback endzone coverage. #32, who chose to stand right on the hip of the linebacker who spied Kodi Burns, Kodi Burns who threw the jump pass that arced harmlessly over a crowd of turning helmets like a migratory bird. Mysterious, bound for

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-36381017931274009592008-10-11T18:28:00.005-04:002008-10-11T19:33:10.041-04:00

I'm watching the Arky game. We got done with the Folk Festival early and returned home just in time to miss the first sputtering Auburn drive. God has mercy.And I watched the first half from then on. I've been scribbling plays down but it's just not worth it to post them indelibly on the intertubes, where they will remain an object of shame as long as there are electrons buzzing viciously

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-10791960883081689372008-10-10T14:04:00.015-04:002008-10-13T12:00:33.322-04:00

DisclaimerConsider this my attempt to forget about football for a little while.I could get the Arky game on ESPN360, but will be celebrating good food and engaging in amateur enthnomusicology at the Richmond Folk Festival. Cajun food + Inuit throat singing = yes. So maybe I'll stat-box the game on Monday, or simply read whatever excellent analysis is turned out by the blAUgosphere. If we're

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-1621422532963433732008-10-08T21:54:00.005-04:002008-10-09T16:04:52.273-04:00

As you undoubtedly have heard, Tony Franklin got the boot.Personally, I don't have much to add as to why - this has been more effectively detailed elsewhere in the blAUgosphere. Suffice to say that on the spectrum that ranges from CTF = DEATH to CTF = Bobby Fischer I'm somewhere in the middle.So your guess is as good as mine, although I'm inclined to agree with my dad when he says there must be

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-77104121409177391132008-10-07T15:55:00.004-04:002008-10-07T22:48:44.222-04:00

Another day, another level of confusion for these, your 2008 Auburn Tigers.A more measured approachfirst of allIf, as you read this blog, you realize that you fit these criteriaYou are very interested in Auburn footballYou did not get sent here from The Joe Cribbs Car WashYou are not my dad...then you should read what Jerry wrote in his most recent Monday Knee-Jerk. Or re-read it.Spare a moment,

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-76831598738245291652008-10-05T06:42:00.006-04:002008-10-05T10:32:24.613-04:00

After the LSU game, I felt like puking. My fiancee was very patient with me as I prowled the blAUgosphere for post-games and recaps and analyses, for anyone to tell me that what happened didn't just happen, like ripping up the lawn looking for my housekeys. In contrast, I didn't see* the Vandy game, but I'm just not motivated to comb the intertubes today. I'm pretty tired of

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-23055246864203598932008-09-27T18:59:00.008-04:002008-09-27T22:04:25.796-04:00

It's one thing to say we're wasting our time as a team with Chris Todd, who will continue to improve but will also continue to lob Krispy Kremes to opposing SEC secondaries. I still believe that if we get things* sorted out, we can have a solid winning season even though we will lose to Bama.** We'll go to a bowl and it'll be a letdown like hell, but we'll survive.It's another thing entirely to

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-8838562765433843642008-09-27T16:41:00.009-04:002008-09-27T22:04:25.796-04:00

I can barely watch this game. The defense is belching yards and missing tackles and taking horrible angles again and we'd be absolutely gutted if it wasn't for UT's boneheaded quarterback. Sooner or later they'll put the second-string guy in and we're going to anoint another field general, I can just feel it. What the hell is happening to our team?Can't do the PBP this time. Ech.Edit: I'm

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-62337898088974977222008-09-22T09:38:00.016-04:002008-09-22T13:54:31.326-04:00

What just happened? Am I the only one who didn't expect any of that? Hello?I mean, just look at it. We couldn't run but we could really throw. The defense got bricked off at the point of attack and wore out over the course of the game. Special teams sucked. The offensive line was mortalized from the get-go. A relatively high-scoring game was lost by Auburn in the trenches. What resemblance does

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-5831757545240891422008-09-20T20:38:00.016-04:002008-09-22T11:30:21.446-04:00

Getting a late start on the blog here. War Damn Eagle!From the 5 - time to see what we can do in the red zoneTate plows into the IONARZR*. Todd under center, Tate takes the handoff - TATE OVER THE TOP FOR A TOUCH! WAAAAAAR EAGLE!!!This is the drive we wanted as Auburn tigers - long passes, good adjustments by the coach, a quarterback who maintained his cool under pressure, throwing to Tommy Trott

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-79789043640151460842008-09-19T11:25:00.013-04:002008-09-22T11:30:30.540-04:00

As an Auburn fan, there are three goals for any season. First and foremost, embarrass Bama or break their hearts, but either way beat the tar out of 'em. I don't buy it when Auburn fans say they're glad Bama's getting more competitive. My father instilled in me the same gritty, biting tiger blood that was forged in his Montgomery boyhood during the reign of the B'er. A deep-seated hate that

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-71616665668284987622008-09-15T05:45:00.015-04:002008-09-27T22:04:52.489-04:00

The Mississippi State game marked the second Auburn game in a row that I didn't get to watch. Last weekend was a wedding in Pittsburgh (during which a helpful hostess kept me up to date on the score.) This past weekend, my fiancee hiked up to Hanging Rock. Plus, she doesn't yet have cable. But I've learned my lesson, tigers. You can't miss a single game if you're an Auburn fan because hey, a

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-53388192129977056242008-09-12T17:10:00.005-04:002008-09-12T18:44:55.758-04:00

As luck would have it, my fiancee matched at Wake Forest for her residency. And I mean, pure luck as in someone suggested it to her and she thought, sure, why not? And boom! It ended up being her favorite place. And apparently they liked her, too. So naturally, it's imperative that I also match at Wake, as the nearest program is an hour away in Charlotte or an hour away in Durham. Crap.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-57541034717387011692008-08-30T22:30:00.004-04:002008-08-31T11:56:21.583-04:00

That was the weirdest Auburn football game I have ever seen.First half play by playSecond half play by playI love it when a plan comes together! (from the Auburner)Start with what's easy:The Defensenever-ending psychological traumaWould-be skill players beware: the Auburn defense is an unending chain of demons whose only joy in life is the ruin of dreams, a bottomless pit of ravenous beasts,

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-70922758100245886502008-08-30T20:57:00.005-04:002008-08-30T22:24:30.696-04:00

Kickoff return is fumbled and recovered by Auburn! Thanks to Merrill (still pissed) and Spencer Pybus.1D Trips far left Fannin in motion, handoff and go Super Mario go!1G Lester takes the handoff and up the crease he goes to the two!2G 2 Lester again on the pitch, around the outside and TOUCHDOWN AUBURN ('s offense!)Byrum nails it through and we have officially scored. Maybe this 100% running

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-8109990803596937672008-08-30T18:34:00.010-04:002008-08-30T22:24:30.696-04:00

1835: ~30 minutes to kickoff. I have beer, I have steaks, I have ESPN360.com. Everything's in place.1904: Here come your Auburn Tigers!1908: PPL set to receive. Kickoff - WAR EAGLE! Decent return to the 24.1909: Kodi Burns coming in first.1D three receiver set, out route incomplete2D 4wr screen incomplete3D 4wr Quarter blitz is Kodi-fied for 23 yards! Make 'em pay.1D Brad Lester up the gut

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-48538207329010283862008-08-30T10:50:00.035-04:002008-08-30T16:55:13.130-04:00

Lo and behold, my medical school internet connection bestows upon me the glory of ESPN360.com, which on this day will broadcast the Auburn-LaMo game. I'm not the best at the play-by-play but I'll try to make it worth someone's while. War Damn Eagle!I'm watching the Appy State - LSU game first because, hey, that's all we've got here.1140: LSU just came out in a pistol set? Has the world lost

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-21224592707488882442008-08-23T18:55:00.003-04:002008-08-23T19:18:02.031-04:00

Here's to you, Daisey.You were the runt. The one cairn in a pedigreed litter born a step behind your siblings, a dog that learned quick not to like dogs.And you gave up your birthright as a rodent hunter. You loved - LOVED - birds. The first night we had you in the house, you devoured an entire bucket of KFC chicken bones (a dangerous meal that you somehow survived.) You spent countless hours

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-91396100119884495282008-08-20T23:43:00.006-04:002008-08-21T05:14:37.252-04:00

Spare moment on call again, because of my own peculiar meteorology.See, medicine has strange weather-based terms to describe a doctor's tendency to attract or not attract patients. Some people are black clouds. Black clouds are inundated with new admissions, nursing pages, and patients' problems the moment they step on the hospital grounds, and usually have to fling their pagers away at the end

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-46882365312763339162008-07-28T17:12:00.003-04:002008-07-28T17:15:22.033-04:00

I'm up to my neck in alligators (and it's greater to be a gator hater.) But I saw this today. For all the med students out there:

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-35766286685415414582008-07-15T22:50:00.008-04:002008-07-16T00:49:08.164-04:00

(As they say, it cain't wait.)You may recall a certain chart I made.Now don't get me wrong, it's a fine chart in my humble opinion. But I discovered how it could be improved. It's so simple - what makes anything better? Less Be'r Bry'nt. So I subtracted his years out of the equation. Nod your head to this:Do the math: one post-WWII Iron Bowl minus Paul Bear Bryant equals sheer domination.*

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-26378263318679524272008-07-15T20:43:00.005-04:002008-07-15T21:43:07.835-04:00

So I bought and steamed broccoli tonight. My mother will know the significance immediately.Broccoli Jong-Il! I knew it!In my sophomore year of college, my parents were kind enough to buy me food and frozen vegetables at the local Wal*Mart. My mother lovingly suggested that I accept free food in the form of broccoli florets, and in the audacity that only comes with youth I declared "I am a

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-72037544377952713172008-06-24T22:08:00.003-04:002008-06-24T22:22:24.420-04:00

It's a long, hard offseason.With football months away, we turn again to vinegar, the secret ingredient in so many delicious things. Tonight's recipe is easy. I made this soup, and made my roommate try it. The first words he said were "Is this a recipe... or is this your fascination with vinegar?" But he had to admit, it works better than you'd think.French Lentil Soup* all ingredients are "

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-61815951483872432692008-06-10T19:26:00.002-04:002008-06-10T19:31:23.141-04:00

Recent news: I was pretty flattered when The Joe Cribbs Car Wash discovered and cited my Iron Bowl smackdown chart o' doom. Mostly I was impressed someone could make sense of its chaos. So thanks, Jerry! War Damn Eagle.I don't know if I should even say this, because my father is the only person who reads my blog, is interested in Auburn football, and was not directed here by the JCCW. But

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-77502845002185610512008-05-21T13:31:00.005-04:002008-05-21T14:16:14.212-04:00

So first of all, I'm engaged. Here's the rock:I am 100% certain that sign behind him does not say "DORK."Don't hurt me, Dwayne.And here's the ring:And here's my lovely fiancee's finger:More on this to come. Also: my thumb is sans stitches times four. It looked pretty gnarly at first and I couldn't use it too well, but by today we're almost back to ramming speed. What's more important to make

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-20213292565728231192008-05-03T01:23:00.003-04:002008-05-03T02:04:06.554-04:00

When I was in sixth or seventh grade, I went to Boy Scout camp at Powhatan Scout Reservation. Boy that was fun - mountain lakes, A-6 intruders, copperheads and best of all: woodcarving. It was my very first scout camp and they were already going to let us use knives. Awesome!It's been said that a sharp knife is a safe knife, because you're less likely to be using a lot of pressure to make a

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-4172007493007578252008-04-28T19:33:00.005-04:002008-05-03T02:03:49.141-04:00

In what seems to be a recurring theme...Recently, McCormick started selling lavender. It's a really lovely herb (floral?) that has a sweet, mild, flavor with just a hint of tarragon or anise. My jar of lavender has been sitting on my microwave, waiting for a use, and tonight I worked it into a basic dish I do a fair amount of. Balsamic vinegar is another fantastic ingredient, with its deep,

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-37408294553755957582008-04-19T13:02:00.005-04:002008-04-19T13:07:14.722-04:00

Tonight, my girlfriend and I are entertaining another couple. Our friends are pretty gourmet... and we're in a bit of an arms race. They blew us away last timeWith that in mind:Assorted cheeses: hard sheep's milk cheese, parmagiano, Midnight Moon, sopressataolive tapenade and crostinifig and goat cheese quesadillasmarinated juniper and alder-grilled salmon steaksgrilled mixed vegetablesgreen

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-51127812159971666212008-04-14T14:33:00.003-04:002008-04-14T22:29:25.669-04:00

So I like to experiment on the stove, simple sautés and all that. But really, any "training" I have mostly comes from watching Iron Chef at one in the morning (they make some weird dishes.) We're basically working de novo here, and as you can imagine, my more daring experiments often end up tasting like crap. Such as last night, when I put some slivers of pan-fried pork in a wrap with

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-85996632795830283472008-04-05T17:18:00.003-04:002008-04-14T22:29:25.670-04:00

Tonight, I am making my wonderful girlfriend her long-awaited Valentine's Day* dinner:seared scallops with sautéed lobster mushrooms and grilled endivelobster crêpes in orange-cognac saucegrilled scallions and butternut squashcroissantsrosé and sauvignon blancvanilla-bean infused crème brûlée with fresh berriesmalvasia d'oroWish me luck!*Gulp.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-77181126701934573502008-03-27T19:24:00.009-04:002008-03-27T20:37:23.122-04:00

During the long layoff from 1907 to 1948, there were a number of attempts to renew the historic rivalry. In 1908, the two teams agreed to compromise on the financial issues that lingered after 1907, but there was a total scheduling debacle and the season lapsed. In 1911, Alabama offered to play but Auburn declined. In 1923 again the offer was made, but Auburn president Dr. Spright Dowell

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-57726649252215052072008-03-23T11:56:00.001-04:002008-07-15T21:43:33.773-04:00

One thing that I've always been curious about is the coaching matchups between Auburn and Alabama. I don't care what kind of university you have, how much money you pay your players, or what recruiting base you hope you claim. A good coach can take a bad program and make it good, and a bad coach can take a college football powerhouse and turn them into San Diego State.So how do the coaches match

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-11916295609127342232008-03-20T14:19:00.002-04:002008-07-15T21:43:38.971-04:00

So with a lot of finagling and back-bending and base-covering, I managed to get off work today to be with my girlfriend for the Match.The Match is kind of an arcane process by which senior medical students get paired up with the programs that they like and that like them. Here's how it works: med students apply to residencies. If the residencies like them, then the med student gets an

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-24364447032916541612008-03-17T19:57:00.004-04:002008-03-17T20:33:57.872-04:00

So if all goes as planned, I'll be a pediatric neurologist in seven or eight years.Ha!Seriously, pediatric neurology. Sort of a strange choice (judging by most people's reactions.) Of course the surgeons all asked what I want to be when I grow up, and every time I said peds neuro, I got pretty horrible reactions like "What makes you want to do that to yourself?" or "Oh God..." or simply "Why?"

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-54176703713719934342008-03-12T23:47:00.004-04:002008-03-17T20:59:29.801-04:00

(Ok, of the few people who read this blog, I don't know who will understand this, but...)A lot of people dog Rich Rodriguez as being a sort of flash-in-the-pan peddler of a gimmick system. But I disagree with that. He's a real student of the game. For one, there's the famous offense he's made popular, with Pat White running the single-wing game out of a 21st-century shotgun spread set. It's

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-29270799274103751642008-03-10T10:41:00.005-04:002008-03-12T23:36:40.455-04:00

There are times in everyone's life when they believe they've almost died. Maybe they have.For me, there was the first time I went rappelling, and nearly leaned off the fifth floor of a parking garage without being clipped in. Or, when a car tagged my back wheel as I biked through downtown. Or, when me and my white-as-can-be best friend and I took a wrong turn in Portsmouth and ended up on

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-23071930206405458232008-03-01T21:54:00.007-05:002008-03-17T20:59:01.969-04:00

So surgery is coming to a close soon. I have only one day of actual work left. How's that? Literally, I needn't ever step into an OR ever again unless I decide I want to. And I don't think I'm going to miss it. Don't get me wrong - it's a tremendous privilege afforded to few, and yes, one that I've earned - but I just ain't no surgeon.The interns (who rotate between surgical services every month)

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-58167170086955212412008-02-20T19:51:00.000-05:002008-03-17T21:00:48.594-04:00

Call night again. My resident (again) cut me loose as a goose. Tonight will probably be much busier because we got a critical mass of snow. What do I mean by critical mass? Just enough snow to make the roads funky, but just little enough to seem cheery and inviting. Much less, and it's basically rain. Much more, and either the roads are plowed or no one is willing to brave the weather.

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-64161485852470841722008-02-16T19:14:00.000-05:002008-02-16T19:33:22.214-05:00

Med school (seemingly) is all about learning in what seems to be the least efficient way possible. For instance, the first two years, you spend most of your time in the classroom* learning from PhD's who want you to learn what they enjoy. Then you spend 2-3 months fearfully cramming into your brain all the information that the writers of the USMLE want you to know (which may or may not be what

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-79275048062198455832008-02-15T20:12:00.000-05:002008-03-17T21:00:09.462-04:00

It's high flu season. And I've gotten some foreboding reports.First of all, I caught a wicked good flu last weekend. And not just a rhinovirus, a real honest-to-God hates-your-guts influenza. Rocked me right in the face. For folks who don't know, most people who say they have the flu don't actually have the flu. They've got a rhino, a corona, or some other virus that makes you feel crappy, and

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-38666749774820918802007-11-20T18:39:00.000-05:002008-02-20T20:11:24.941-05:00

[Written sometime in the fall, remembered just the other day.]As third-year medical students, we spend our fall and spring semesters rotating through various medical specialties - surgery, medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, psychiatry, family medicine, etc. - so we can have some small clue as to what we want to practice. Currently, I'm on pediatrics, and I love it for the most part. I was

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-43341307743650361582007-11-20T17:29:00.000-05:002008-03-17T21:00:28.644-04:00

It should be said I'm an Auburn football fan. Big time. My Mom and Dad met at Auburn, my Dad was an Auburn fan during the horrible Bear-induced drought of the 70's, and I was at the 1982 Iron Bowl in the womb - and when Bo went over the top for the winning score, my father in his joy knocked my pregnant mother over and down the seats. As they say, it explains a lot. My blood (physically) is red

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828526517567531995.post-27576078723605186042007-11-20T17:17:00.002-05:002009-06-07T23:22:47.418-04:00

I am a 26 year old engineer-by-training, MD, pediatrics resident, eventually to be a pediatric neurologist.The title of this blog is: Grotus' Acorn. It's taken from two poems by Seamus Heaney, Terminus and Grotus and Coventina. Both are worth reading. However, this isn't a blog exclusively about Heaney, poetry, or Irishmen. It's a blog that finds its inspiration between. Between two traditions

Grotus' Acornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09388437722442326725noreply@blogger.com0