Captain's log

   Stardate... unknown. I'm sure the dyed-in-the-wool Trekkie can tell you but I can't. One of the Star Trek magazines I used to get had a system of inverting the date to create a 'stardate', nothing practicable or 'true' according to the physics of faster-than-light space travel, I'm sure. I knew a kid at one time, he might have been thirteen at the time, who could have explained it to me, I'm sure. But I'm doubtful he could have made a drawing of Mr. Spock that actually looked like him. What do they call that? The various human abilities and the way they present themselves, math versus art, right brain, left brain... oh, man, the Alzheimer's is advancing, I think...

   Watched Ice Age last night, a funny little diversion. Including a Star Trek reference, no less. For a pop culture geek like myself those kinds of things make these modern cinematic marvels worth watching. The CG animation is a wonder, of course. And some have a rollicking, snappy story. But catching the goofy 'in jokes' is the fun part.

   There's a chicken in the pot today, I'll probably get to make the stuffing. Just one of my many and diverse culinary abilities. When I tended my short course of studies at Millersville there was a little eatery, a Greek pizza joint, across the way called The Sugar Bowl. Don't ask me why 'sugar bowl'. What does that have to do with pizza, I ask you?!? At any rate, their pepperoni stromboli became a perennial favorite for my pal, Pat, and myself. We were regulars and got pretty chummy with Nick and his momma and the Ms. Pac-Man machine. We had an art pal, E.(Edward) Scott Baer,a big football player, really nice guy, who drove delivery for them for a while. I remember he had a real fascination with werewolves, a number of his drawings and lithographs were lycanthropic themed. Try saying that three times fast- lycanthropic themed lithographs, lycanthropic themed lithographs, lycanthropic themed lithographs.

  Once I moved back across the river, married and so forth, it became a pilgrimage of sorts to go back a few times a year and treat the kids- and myself -to those big, greasy, cheese-laden delights. Eventually, after Nick's Momma died, I decided I needed to try my own hand at stromboli making. It's not complicated, of course- you stuff enough stuff and cheese in there and make sure the bread is done through and you're golden -and anything my wyfe didn't have to cook was great by her. Since she's taken up a more or less vegetarian diet I made a steamed vegetable version this past week. My son and I stick with the stick-to-your-ribs meaty boli, pepperoni and deer burger with red onion. I've made chicken and onion, cheesesteak, turkey, even tried the 'standard' ham and salami once or twice. But the boy and I decided next time we need to try a bacon cheeseburger boli, should be fun.

   But I digress... as if I had anything of great import to record herein.

   Nope, that's it.