ESPN: I hate you

Well, I think it's ESPN that I hate. I'm not sure who's in charge of setting the televised game schedule. What I am sure of is that I hate whomever decided to put the NCAA women's basketball game on Tuesday night.

I'm sure some geezer sports fan (Karly) will tell me that the women's game is always played the day after the men's game. To that I say "Pooey." And gosh darn it, I wish Butler had won. Anyway, as if women's sports didn't have a hard enough time developing a following of, um, anyone, this important game must compete against some of the most popular shows on TV.

Stanford and Connecticut female athletes faced off on ESPN while the competition got hot on FOX's "American Idol." TNT aired the season finale of "Southland." CBS finally decided to show a new "The Good Wife." And ABC's "Lost," which is nearing its series finale, was on to further confuse its loyal fans (Amanda).

Seriously, can't we find a slightly less competitive time slot in which to air the NCAA women's championship game? Perhaps next year it should be played on an opposing network during the Super Bowl.

Easter baskets and mallets

After a morning of eating candy and watching yellow dust settle on every available surface, we ventured to the park for a picnic and croquet. This is the third year that Jeff, Anne, Luke and I have played. Our friends Andy and Stefanie joined us for the first time. We hope they return! Here are some photos:


Stefanie and Andy were dressed to win. And Andy did. Twice.


This might not look like good conditioning mere minutes before a rigorous croquet match, but the guys finished one-two-three in both games. I guess we can all learn something from this.


Anne, Stef and I put on our game faces. Note: next year, chug beer instead.


Now don't be mistaken. Anne isn't behind. Everyone is just afraid of her swing.


This is a fast-paced, action-packed game. Obviously.


Andy gets serious about his croquet stance. Jeff grabs another beer.


I have no idea what's happening in this photo.


Um, isn't this cheating? It appears Jeff is moving the ball with his foot instead of his mallet.


What? How did that wine get on the croquet court?


Anne reacts (poorly) after a particularly "interesting" shot.


Luke and Anne won't let their losses diminish their enthusiasm. Oh wait, yes they will.


Jeff and I relax after losing the grueling lawn game.


It's important to rest between rounds of croquet. It's also important to stay hydrated. Apparently Miller Lite is more effective than lemonade.


This picture will help me remember how all these pieces fit into the box.


Ew. Yellow dust was everywhere. Thank goodness I was wearing socks and taking Claritin.


Anne gave me this adorable little basket. It's like a stuffed animal and basket in one. Love it! There were also three mini vodkas inside. Chocolate + alcohol = happy Dawn.


Jeff got this Easter "basket" for me. It's a pitcher filled with candy. I'll use it for many summer gatherings. The pitcher, that is. The candy will be gone by the end of the week, of course.

Food isn't scary in bite-size portions

I love food festivals because they help me conquer my food fears. I'm an adventurous eater when it comes to bite-size portions, but I'm afraid to order things like ceviche, pork belly and oxtail off a restaurant's menu. I mean what if I order something that I don't like? I'm stuck with an entire plate of it and a serious case of diner's remorse.

At last night's Toast of the Town, a food and wine festival, I tasted several small items that I wouldn't ordinarily have tried.

Here were my favorites:

Duck confit with pickled ginger and sweet plum sauce (Green Island Country Club)

Florida hoppers (shrimp) with jumbo asparagus, wild watercress and lemon vinaigrette (Hot and Hot Fish Club)

Lobster-scallop ceviche with lime, garlic and jicama (C'Sons)

Red pepper champagne bisque with basil chiffonade (C'Sons)

Oxtail ravioli with contemporary succotash (RiverMill Event Centre)

Deviled quail eggs with lobster, Georgia caviar and blood-orange vinaigrette. (The Basil Leaf)

Unfortunately, I was too busy racing around tasting food and sipping wine to take any photos, but the presentation of some of these dishes was photo-worthy. A curried crawfish was scooped in a tiny ice cream cone and duck confit was served in a small partially hallowed-out breadstick. The ceviche was set in a tiny martini glass. They were almost too cute to eat. Almost.

I'm back... with deli

It's been so long since my last blog post. I'm sorry faithful readers. You've probably been wondering what sort of daze Dawn has been in. Well, I've been working, eating, sleeping, working, attempting to workout, overeating, feeling guilty about overeating, promising to workout more often, working, drinking wine, wondering if I'm drinking too much wine, working. Let's just say I've been in a work-sleep-eat-wine daze.

Anyway, I'm going to be better. About blogging, that is. Not about drinking less or working out more.

Anyway, today was Deli Day in Columbus. Every year before Easter/Passover the Jewish Ladies Aid Society holds a fundraiser. It's a delicious fundraiser because sack lunches with corned beef sandwiches, chips, cole slaw, pickles and sweet tea are sold. Everyone sits outside on folding chairs and eats his/her lunch on what is always a beautiful summer-is-coming type day. Then we eat some of the best desserts imaginable. Cheesecakes, brownies, lemon mousse, chocolate cake, red velvet cake and my favorite, coconut cake. Now I really need to workout!

Here are some photos:


Lily, me and Sonya


Me and Jeff


My co-worker friends Tim, Lily and Sonya.

Uniforms vs. outfits

I have, on occasion, made comments about my like or dislike of certain football team's "outfits." Jeff has always quickly corrected me. Athletes wear uniforms. Models wear outfits.

Tonight while watching men's skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Jeff didn't correct me a single time when I referred to the skaters' attire as outfits. In fact, when he saw the Belgium skater's skeleton-like bodysuit, Jeff decided "costume" was the right descriptive term.

However, when snowboarders were shown on TV, Jeff referred to their jean-like pants and jackets as uniforms.

So what does Jeff think a piece of clothing needs to become a uniform? A number.

It takes a calf to cheer up a Colts' fan

Is it silly to be depressed that your team lost the Super Bowl? Yes. But I still am. I can't believe the Colts lost yesterday. It's just too sad.

I'm not sure when I became the type of football fan who has a bad day when her team loses, but it's happened.

It didn't help that I had to take all kinds of crap from my co-workers and so-called friends today. Arg. "Just wait until next year," I'd say, but my heart wasn't in it.

The only thing that's made me feel better today is to watch my favorite Super Bowl commercial. It's the sappy Budweiser ad that starts with the calf and colt (ironic, huh?) running along a fence together. Here it is:

This year, I love Oscar

The Oscar nominations were announced today. Find a list here. This year 10 films were nominated for Best Picture instead of the usual five. I'm happy to say (or write) that I've actually seen three of the 10 films: "Avatar," "Up in the Air" and "Inglourious Basterds." If The Academy hadn't expanded the list of nominees, I very well may not have seen any of the nominated films. This would have caused me to feel like a pop culture moron. While this may be accurate, I'm glad I can pretend it isn't.