Thursday, December 5, 2019

Three Beautiful Things 12/04/19: Hugh and Stu, Teriyaki and Tonkatsu Sauces, Blow Out City USA

1. Hugh Crosier and I were teammates, in 1966, on the Kellogg Little League All-Star team. Soon after the All-Star tournament, Hugh's family left the Silver Valley and I haven't seen Hugh since. Well, this morning, Hugh, Stu, and I firmed up plans to all get together this Friday in Spokane. Hugh is attending a luncheon on Friday in Spokane Valley, is done in the afternoon, doesn't fly back to Seattle until in the evening, so he has the afternoon free to get together with Stu and me and we can talk about our lives over the last fifty-three years. I secured a studio apartment to stay in on the South Hill in Spokane, saving me driving back to Kellogg at night. Carol and Paul agreed to take in Charly for the night, so everything is set. I'm eager to break bread, have a beer or two, and yak away with with Hugh and Stu.

2. At Yoke's today, I made an impulse purchase -- something I rarely do! I bought a bottle of Panda Express Teriyaki Sauce, thinking I'd try it out with rice and salmon patty tonight. Now, I am not a even remotely a teriyaki connoisseur. I have only eaten at a Panda Express once while waiting to fly out of Baltimore Washington International. Not long ago, I ordered a Bento box in Spokane at an Asian bistro that included teriyaki chicken. It was flat to me. But, I thought, why don't I try some other teriyaki offerings? I'm not ready to say, once and for all, what I thought of the bottle of teriyaki sauce I bought today. I was prepared to chuck it if I really didn't like it. I didn't do that.  I used to buy a product called Bulldog sauce in Eugene. I think it was tonkatsu sauce. The sauce I ate today stirred my yearning for that Bulldog sauce I used to enjoy. I think I see another very small and modest food project taking shape.

3. I went over to Christy and Everett's to watch Gonzaga play Texas Southern. I must admit, it's been a disappointing week in college basketball. Now, granted, I knew Gonzaga would crush Texas Southern -- and they did, 101-62. But I expected better from each of the Big Ten/Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge games I tuned in on. But, no, they were all lopsided games: Louisville dismantled Michigan. Duke crushed Michigan State. Maryland drubbed Notre Dame. Ohio State routed North Carolina. Purdue owned Virginia. I didn't see one close game. I do my best to accept that we live in a fast-paced, ever-changing, unpredictable, fluid, and mutable world -- but I did not expect every one of these games to be a rout. Oh, well! We might see some closer tilts in the coming week or so, especially as Gonzaga faces three very good teams:  UW, Arizona, and North Carolina.

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