....say that all is well, and that I have gobs of energy and the sun is shining and the champagne is chilling and well, that is not the case but as things have it, not too terrible either. I have two kinds of ribs going in the oven. The ribs that I bought yesterday from that wonderful Polish Meat Market are slowly cooking now. One set was done with a homemade sauce of ketchup, worcestshire, molasses, salt, fresh ground pepper, tarragon vinegar, japanese shoyu, curry blend and some original Missus Dash ( man dat bitch know spices!). Whisked together and rubbed onto par cooked ribs and covered in the 250 degree oven - I can already smell them.
The other set of ribs is a dry rub. Yes, the ribs were also par cooked. I used a smoked salt, some jerk seasoning and some blackened seasoning....these too are covered and will cook slowly.
This will be served later with veg and the leftover coconut rice with cashews I made the other day.
Good hearty food on a snowy, miserable day. My son and his roommate will need this kind of food for they will venture out late for one of their poker tourneys. No, these tourneys are not for money but more for fun and learning. Heaven forbid anyone gets a swollen head and decides that they are destined for poker greatness.
The housemate comes downstairs to get some coffee and we get into this conversation about gambling, booze and herbs and when it is cool to offset one's nervousness with an infusion of the aformentioned "helpers". Well we all know alcohol lowers one's inhibitions and in gambling that can either go for you or against you and as to some weed, perhaps that makes one too mellow to get down and dirty?
I started to talk of my Vegas trips (lots of fun) and casino adventures in foreign lands and if it is one thing I have observed is that generally-speaking women prefer the slots. I have a few theories about this. Firstly, women as a rule (I am the exception as are others I know and whose works I enjoy) are not risk-takers. Real gambling, not slots, involves cunning, risk, machismo and is not about a "thrill". Yes, it is thrilling if one scoops up the pot or gets that rare flush hand but otherwise table gambling as in poker, old school, is all about perception and dominance.
Women like slots. It's as if they can be a risk-taker, get their thrills and feel triumphant but in a solitary way. And if they lose there is no audience to mock them or admonish them. That comes later if they become slot addicts and start spending money that is not theirs to spend. Alcohol definitely plays a role in this behaviour as it really loosens inhibitions in women (once again not all women) and that cavalier devil-may-care attitude takes over.
To me these women are trapped in lives that have become or already have been for years, mundane. They are too scared and too ensconced in their routines to go off on a trip alone or with friends to let loose. Or, conversely, they are trapped in a loveless marriage and are stuck in the main role of caregiver, not allowed to or are allowing themselves to have some fun. Hence, gambling in the local pub (there are these horrible VLT's everywhere it seems) during lunch or after work or on the way home from shopping, fills that void in their lives.
I have observed these individuals for many years and to be fair it is not just women who are addicted to slots but many seniors and yes, men of a certain age. You can see the unhappiness etched on their faces and a certain resignation. Resigned to what I do not know for you can rarely engage a slot jockey in a friendly conversation such is their dedication to that machine they are playing on.
I don't know. I have enjoyed gambling from time to time, have my peccadillos and superstitions about it but I do it for fun and rarely alone. I think when something ceases to give pleasure that perhaps it is time to do an assessment of sorts? Yes, I know - that sentence could be attributed to damn near anything in life when one really thinks about it and is that too idealistic or selfish?
Something to ponder on a dreary, painful and cold Sunday.....damn but those ribs will be good served with mashed garlic spuds and corn.....boo yah!!! (notice how I changed my mind as to the sides?)
Now in keeping with the importance that today carries? GO SAINTS!!!!!! Thanks to the lovely "Saintsations"....pictured at top. This team is the underdog but I have fond Superbowl memories of another underdog team, the Broncos, kicking some ass and - in the spirit of gambling and risky endeavours - making me some cool coin.
So, life can be good after all.
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