Candleblog

…I was awakened by a phone call from my cousin Jessica, who was due to fly to Vermont from Illinois later that day. She said “well we’re obviously not coming today.” I said “what? Why?” She said “turn on your TV.” I watched the towers fall and then I got a call from my friend [...]

Emily and I are heading out on Friday for a little vacation in my ancestral homeland (northern Illinois) to hang out, play games and drink like fish with my extended family. This is just a little post to say hi and check in on things me-related before we leave. It’s worth mentioning that this blog [...]

[UPDATED below] Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow and families will be coming together for dinner all over the USA to share the big meal. Football will be watched. Pie will be consumed. And inevitably, in some homes, politics will be discussed. Family members love each other, but they don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on political issues. Political [...]

We take Thanksgiving fairly seriously at the Stoneking/Simmon household. We take it so seriously in fact, that when I just tweeted about how I’d gotten a 13 lb. pre-turkey for making stock that I’m going to brine and roast on Saturday, I got a direct message from a friend who said, “You really don’t mess [...]

I don’t talk much about it on this blog, but I’ve played guitar since I was about 16 or so. I started playing to impress a girl and when that didn’t work out, I delved into the instrument anyway. I’ve always been mostly a solo player (I’ve never been in a band) and it’s only [...]

You’re no doubt familiar with the popular Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup slogan, “two great tastes that taste great together.” And indeed, chocolate and peanut butter is one of the great flavor combinations of all time. My own personal version is dipping Ghiradelli Espresso Escape bars (60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate with espresso beans added) in all [...]

On New Year’s Eve, my Uncle Harry sat down with the Simmon cousins in the midst of Simmstock 2009 to play jug on the Louden Wainright song, “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road.” Before we began, he treated us to his world-famous rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” for which ABC News dubbed [...]

Our lost weekend in the midwest has come to an end and I’m back sitting at my desk at work. I wish it didn’t have to end but I’m glad to be home. I had only limited access to the internet on the trip so I was almost totally unaware of what was happening in [...]