Distracted Driving

I was recently walking my 2 dogs in my neighborhood, stepped off the road into a driveway, had to crouch down between an approaching car and my dogs to protect them, when she drifted off the road and hit me. She was reading a text message on her smartphone at the time, and "didn't see us." I ended up with some hip injuries, but at least my dogs were okay.

I thought about how things have changed since I started driving almost 30 years ago. Cars back then were lucky to have even an AM radio and that the locks, windows, and everything were MANUAL to use. Now? They are so digitally involved that you can't POSSIBLY process it all mentally. DRIVE. Now to step down from my soapbox, here are some facts about distracted driving.

Most American culture is focused right now on how "distracted driving" is related only to texting, but guess what? There are a LOT of things that are considered distracted driving. Things like:

• Eating and drinking (I see this all the time)
• Grooming (applying makeup or even shaving)
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation/GPS system (which is why I don't have one)
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
• Using a cell phone or smartphone, even hands-free/Bluetooth
• Texting

Distracted driving can be classified in 3 ways; visual (taking your eyes off of the road), manual (taking your hands off of the steering wheel), and cognitive (using your mind for something other than driving). Whenever you do any of the above, you run the risk 23 times more likely that you will be involved in an accident. Simply reading a text means your eyes are off of the road for approximately 5 seconds. At a speed of 55 mph, that is equal to driving the distance of a football field while blindfolded. How safe is that?

Add to it, that most states in the US have laws about distracted drivers. There are different ones for adults and minors. Some are considered primary and some are considered secondary. Some states even ban the use of a cellphone at all. I suggest you go over to the Distraction.gov website and find out what the laws are in your area. Click HERE for direct link to the state law page.

Drive safe...stop distracting yourself from those around you...

Spork

It took my son asking me to take him to Taco Bell for dinner one night, to remind me of something I've forgotten,  sporks. I was born before man landed on the moon, and the first Woodstock but didn't get introduced to a spork until middle school in 1980. In elementary school, we still used metal utensils, but at middle school, that all changed. In high school, I stopped using a spork because I only went to the salad bar, and we were allowed to have forks. Hadn't used one since. But I digress.

Sometimes the mind wanders, and while walking the dogs the other night, I began to ponder the "history" of the spork, so today I did some "research." I'll summarize it below for some easier reading.

• Spork is the combination of "spoon and fork"
• The word first appeared in print in 1909
• Another name for it is a Foon, a combination of "fork and spoon"
• Almost identical items (terrapin fork or ice cream fork) were first patented in 1874
• The "original" sporks also had a knife edge
• The knife edge was removed for use in schools, prisons, etc.
• See the link HERE for more information about the history

Sporks have been slowly resurfacing in popularity lately for campers, hunters, and people searching for an easier way to eat lunch at work. I suggest Industrial Revolution or Think Geek if you are searching for a good one.

Good luck in finding what fits your eating needs, and SPORK YOU...

Butcher vs Grocery Store

Pheasant

Think about the meat you eat and where it comes from. I fished for trout, bass, walleye, and even perch growing up. Hunted whitetail deer, small game, ducks, and pheasant (my favorite). I learned from my grandfathers and father how to clean game, filet, and butcher it by hand to provide dinner for a family.

In today's day and age, not as many people do it, they just "run to the store." Find a local butcher shop. Most modern butchers have all of the things mentioned above, fresh, organic, and are willing to wrap up the amount that you want. How much more organic can you get than by getting it from nature and not from a company that "prepackages" the product? Do you get to choose the amount you purchase?

True butcher shops have given way to having a "deli" counter in the grocery store. The deli makes it appear as fresh, offer a lower cost than pre-packaged, but to be honest, it is all similar, and most of the deli offer is sliced pre-packaged meat. A common phrase butchers have started using is "those that can't butcher, go deli." I watched the receipts from my last grocery shopping, priced it out with the local butcher and I would have saved $12.30 if I bought it from her. And, she runs "specials" every month which end up being less expensive than the grocery store.

But the key thing here is about "nutritional content." Fresh meat from a butcher is a heck of a lot lower than the "manufactured, processed, packaged" ones that you get at a grocery store. I'd rather have quality and nutritional availability than worry about all of that. Plus, I can purchase a smaller amount, saving a few dollars.

Gibbs Butcher Block

Another strong point to make, is that you can NEGOTIATE or BARTER with a butcher. If you desire a specific cut or trim, they'll do it; a grocery store won't, you get what you get. I am fortunate that I have a butcher shop nearby... find yours. Another benefit of a butcher is that they get their meat from local farms. I am fortunate that I can get fresh fish from Lake Erie, local beef, local turkey, local bison, and local pork. Ever have a cut of bacon from bison? Try it is you can. They also make over 200 recipes of home-made bratwurst. They hire county sheriffs on the weekends to direct traffic, that's how busy they get.

Spring is coming, so you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be out in the streams and fields... rod and bow in hand...

Futsal Builds Confidence and Ability

My son, like me, started playing soccer at a very young age. He's been playing for several premier leagues for the last 9 years. I coached a couple of seasons when the league needed it, my Dad did it too. We've spent a LOT of time in the living room and backyard passing & juggling the ball. Even my 2 dogs play with the balls that roll around the apartment. Because he likes it, I decided to find better training. A few seasons ago, we discovered futsal. He loves playing and it has improved his soccer skills. He currently plays for HOS Futsal.

To help "define" it, visit this LINK but I'll summarize:

The origin of Futsal (Five-a-Side Soccer) can be traced back to Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when Juan Carlos Ceriani devised a five-a-side version of soccer for youth competition in YMCAs.  The game is played on basketball-sized courts, both indoors and out without the use of sidewalls.

The rules of futsal are a little different than "traditional" soccer, but the point is that it trains new players on the TECHNIQUE and SKILLS of foot skills. Pele played futsal for a few years before he started playing soccer. Plus, they might actually enjoy the very active way the game is played. It is very fast paced and can "turn on the corner," but it is very enjoyable to watch.

I'm so inspired by watching him play, that I am switching over from reffing roller derby to become a futsal ref.

SPAM® Anniversary

I was remiss in my duties last year by not writing an entry to celebrate the 75th anniversary of SPAM®, but did write one about finding it in single serving slices (click HERE). I'm not going to go into a complete history of it, you can go to SPAM.com or Wikipedia and read it. It was introduced by Hormel in 1937 to assist in feeding the WWII soldiers in the field, and according to Wikipedia gets its name by shortening the words SPiced hAM.

Was grocery shopping the other day with my son when we noticed the special logo on the SPAM® can. He asked me to buy 2. So why am I buying 2? He replied, "in 50 years I can put one can online in an auction, maybe it will be worth money and the other one is because I want to open one when it reaches the expiration date (11/2015) and see what it looks like." Amazing how the mind of a 13 year old can work some times. So, we got them. Will probably be the only items in my pantry that I'll never get to use.

A person would have to pretty much be in a coma to have grown up on Earth without knowing about SPAM®. Okay, maybe you've never eaten it, but at least you know about it. I was a little surprised to learn how many different versions there are (14), they make one with bacon in it, there are packages of single slices, and there is even one made with 100% lean TURKEY instead of pork. Learn something new every day.

I grew up eating it occasionally (grandfather, friends houses, Boy Scout camping trips, etc). As an adult, I've used it to make my MREs a little more filling when fishing, kept a can or 2 in the office for a last minute lunch, or just because it was the last remaining can of food in my pantry. I've used it in eggs in a skillet and it was good. I'm not going to bore you with a lot more drivel, I just wanted to celebrate the anniversary for something that supported soldiers that needed it and others all around the globe that still want it and honor it more than most of us in the U.S. do.

Making a Hawaiian Steak for dinner...slice of SPAM®, slice of pineapple, touch of honey, in a folded fajita... YUM