The Reluctant Midwesterner

2011-05-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well hello one and all. It's been a while since my last post and some pretty exciting things have been happening to me, The Reluctant Midwesterner.

I have been taking guitar instruction for about 6 months now and I can't believe how much my playing and confidence has grown. Having a guiding hand to see me through the fundamentals has been just what I needed. Scales and theory has been a bane to my guitar existence in the past. But now I relish running up a down scales and recognizing lead patterns in my favorite songs.

Also, I'm heading back to the North Woods for the month of June and the fish better watch out.

TRM

2010-09-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

Talk about lame potatoes...It's been over a year since I last posted to my blog. To say not much has happened that was worth blogging about would be less than true. I've has possibly the best summer of fishing ever. I got to spend 3 weeks at a pop at cool weather locales in the height of the sultry Midwestern summer. Wisconsin being one and Colorado (my favorite place on the planet Earth) the other. It's been a pretty sweet summer to say the least. Coming back to work this fall has been relatively smooth. Everyone seems to be happy to be where they are, and the clients are equally as happy with the new faces in new places. Overall, a great time to be me. Looking forward to posting more.
TRM

2009-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post this to my blog. This is the link to the photo album documenting my grandest adventure. Enjoy.

Joey's Great Adventure

2009-06-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, summer break is underway (has been for a few weeks) and I'm starting to feel decompressed for a change.
My vacation began immediately the afternoon of the 15th. 5:00pm saw me on an airplane for Philly. Ah, sweet sweet home. The trip was prompted by the wedding of my cousin Jed (an event that only served to show me how old I've become) and gave me opportunities to see people (family) I haven't seen in years and years. I made me realize how much I've missed out on. I understand that a career, family, distance, disagreements, etc. make the myopic focus of one's day to day life seem so consuming. I just can't help but feel I've missed out on an awful lot in the long run. I am hopeful that the future is rich with family long missing from my life's experiences.

2009-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Greetings all and Happy New Year! A month late, but heartfelt none the less.

It has been an interesting Janurary on so many levels. Work has been surprisingly smooth, thanks to some great hires in the offseason and falling food prices due to slacking demand from the restaurant industry.
I hope things pick up a bit in the economy as many of my colleagues and friends in the business are suffering considerably.

This past week I received news of the passing of an old girlfriend to cancer. It hit me pretty hard. She and I were together for almost 5 years. Years that shaped me like no others. We parted rather bitterly, things were said that could never be taken back. But as time passed, I found myself thinking of the good times and how she opened my eyes to so much of the world and the possibilities that life had to offer. I wish I could have thanked her, wish I would have had the courage to call or write her and tell her that she made a difference in my life. It is now too late. I think she may have known (probably never gave it much thought though) that this kid from the projects has made good, due in no small part to her towering presence in my life. Her family gave so much to me, opportunities, encouragement, and most of all, love. I am forever in her debt and hope that she knows that she will be missed.

Rest in peace Sharon.
TRM

2008-10-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? My beloved Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! I have to say, the 3 inning game was just the perfect length and really ratcheted up the intensity of the moment. My family watched with me, and they, not being from Philly and knowing the full extent of the pain and suffering I've had to endure as a Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, and Flyers fan, found great entertainment in my hypergeekout during the game. My heart was literally racing at the top of the 9th inning and when Tampa got a runner on first and then he stole second, the one run lead looked pretty nebulous. Brad Lidge has a way, in spite of the perfection of his 2008 season, of making things more interesting than necessary. I am so relieved that the curse of Billy Penn has been laid to rest and now the Eagles have no more excuses. It's a good day to be me. GO PHILS!
TRM

2008-10-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

October 2008 and I am so enjoying the Autumn of my 46th year on planet earth. I haven't had much to write about recently but I need to keep my blog somewhat active or I'll lose it.

Work has been challenging this year to say the least. I've had more "Human Resource" issues in the last 3 months than I've had in the 5 years I've been employed with this company. This past summer has seen some of my key personnel move on to different jobs (and I am happy for them) and has forced me to bring on and train new people. It's amazing how someone can interview so well and so not deliver on expectations. Is it my "training" that leaves them ill prepared to execute their jobs? I think I am pretty clear on the expectations prior to hiring. I need "Chefs" not "cooks. I also am amazed at how the experience of culinary school makes some believe that they are qualified and deserving of respect that has historically needed to be earned in this career field. The arrogance of youth never ceases to surprise me. In hindsight, I was as guilty of the crime of arrogance as any. I am glad that humbleness came to me eventually and allowed me to succeed and thrive in my chosen vocation.

On the poker front, I have voluntarily banned my self from Pokerstars for 30 days. I was running so terribly bad (horrendously bad) that in order to save my bankroll from sure evaporation, I had to stop myself from playing untill I figure out where the leak in my game was. Still working on that........update to follow.

I have not been fishing since my trip to Colorado over the summer (which was AWESOME). I need to get down to the crystal clear spring creeks of my my early middle age and work them over like I know how. It's kind of hard though since my main fishing buddy and I are no longer speaking to one another. I should give him a call and see if he is still mad at me.

Catch you all later. I hope to be posting with more frequency. Aren't you all lucky?
TRM

2008-02-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hello. 2008 is underway and I'm in fine spirits. It has been so long since I last updated my blog I wonder if anyone gives a rat's ass. Hard to say if anyone reads this blog but I guess it doesn't realy matter as it is just an outlet for me to chronicle the musings of The Reluctant Midwesterner.

Poker playing is going well, kind of treading water $$$'s wise but Stud Hi tables are keeping me solvent and allowing me to play Hold Em tournies (which my results are decidely mixed). I've been playing solid poker, getting my money in ahead most of the time but the poker gods allow the donkeys to outdraw me time and time again. Boo frickin Hoo ...............LOL.

Work has been going well. It boggles my mind how fast the year is going. Life.....faster.........me.......older...................shorter of breath and one day closer to death. But not yet.

2007-11-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well well well! It's a beautiful November Sunday in the heartland and I'm listening to my beloved Philadelphia Eagles on the web and reveling in their early 7-6 lead over the dreaded redskins. If only L.J. Smith could have held onto the ball..........sheesh!
On the college football note, my Alma Mater is kicking some serious butt and moving up the rankings and have a legitimate shot at a BCS bowl and maybe, maybe even a national championship title shot. They need to win 3 more games and then see where the chips will fall.

M I Z Z O U

HURRAY HURRAH MIZZOU MIZZOU

On the poker front, I have been treading water for over 6 months. I have hovered at my initial buy in level forever and can't seem to get any traction with my bankroll. I have been trying to practice good bankroll management and I guess I've been successful with that. I would really like to score a major win and move up in limits and grind the bankroll up to a big payday buy in level. I must be patient and not go broke. Hard to do at $1-$5 level.

Well I need to go check on a function at one of my accounts. And my Eagles are now trailing 13-7. Oh the humanity!
Peace Out

2007-10-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the backside of 45. It's been a looooooonnnnnggggg time since my last post. So much has transpired over the last year. Still Chefin' and still sweatin' the personel issues that make my job harder than it needs to be sometimes. Truth be told, my crew kicks serious ass. There isn't a better team of culinarians anywhere in this state. But situations force me to make decisions I wish I didn't have to. More on this after it transpires.

My son turned 10 this week. Double Digits!!! Makes me feel the passage of time full force. It's what I call the relative fraction theory of time. To a 10 year old, a year represents a tenth of his life (duh!). This explains why summer break always seemed to last forever in grade school. At 45, that fraction is significantly smaller and it seemed that memorial day was yesterday. Summer gone. Winter fast approaching.

Spent a few weeks on the east coast this summer. A little Rehoboth Beach time, Philly time, and New York, New York proper like. A great town that NY is. Great food, great shows (saw Spamalot....freakin hilarious!) and just seeing NY through my son's eyes was amazing. I want to go back someday with a ton of $$$$ and do it large. Hell, even this "budget" trip set me back more than care to remember. But worth every cent.

Looking forward to actively blogging about the life of the less Reluctant Midwesterner. Peace out.

2006-09-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

In my last post (which I wrote in August, but posted in September) I spoke of my career and how I "wasn't preparing food much anymore". Well, with personel issues falling out as they have the last month or so, I have found my self with a spoon, whip, sautee pan in my hand more than I hoped. It has been really refreshing to be in a kitchen again, though the standing on tile floors for 8-10 hours a day has been a lot rougher than I remember. Today I did a buffet for 200+ people and created smiles by the mile. Very satisfying!
Last week, I went to Clark MO. to the Amish produce auction like I do every Tuesday, and there I saw a flat of Rhubarb. Instantly my mind pondered the possibilities. I recalled a dish I created when I was the head chef at a little bistro in my town. I made a warm compote with rhubarb & granny smith apples on which I placed 2 slices of lightly seared Fois Gras. Over this I drizzled a brandied caramel and PortBalsamic reduction. Beautiful dish. Big hit. I miss those days sometimes. Creating on a small scale, having a handful of employees...........working more hours than I care to remember but what an opportunity. I love my job and the quality of my life, but working with "off the beaten path" ingredients is very very appealing.
Being a chef is a very cool occupation. It's not for everybody, but when it good, it's really good.

2006-08-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

To other people, being a chef seems like the coolest job in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. The simplicity of food in it's raw state, so beautiful in its own right, provides an incredible palate in which to create an edible work of art. To take that "palate" and fuse flavors, colors, textures, aromas............to make someone sit up in their chair when the plate comes to the table, their eyes open wide, pupils dialate as if they're about to make love, that's what it's all about.

But interviewing employees, dealing with sales reps (though I thoroughly enjoy and respect my principle rep from Sysco), equipment warehouses, creating menus, etc., etc. is daunting to say the least. I am an executive chef (in the truest sense of the word), I manage a crew of about 50 employees and rarely ever prepare food anymore. I guess that was the plan all along ( I've "made" it...so to speak). I have a quality of life my peers in restaurants, hotels, and clubs don't have. Being off nights, holidays, and summers provides me with the opportunity to be with my son more.

My son and I went fishing for trout last week and had a great trip. He caught more than me (I love when that happens, 'cause it'll keep him interested in going more often), but often we just hang out and play games on the PS2 or Omaha (he is a prodigy at this game). Big plans involving physical activities run into the reality of my "advanced" age and my artificial knee. Being a father of an 8 year old in my 40's taxes the energy levels somewhat. I really need to get into shape. One of these days.............I am starting to realize that I am running out of "these days." Before long my son will not want to hang with me and I'll be on the outside looking in. I am so dreading the arrival of adolesence. Maybe I'll dodge that bullet, but I seriously doubt it. Oh well
*********************************************************************************************

2006-07-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been neglegent of my blog(n). I often wonder if I ranted more, took it down a notch or two, got it muddy, so to speak, if then I would be compelled to blog(v) more frequently. Let's find out.

Lately in the news, Israel, Hammas and Hezzbolah have been banging with tremendous ferocity. The world at large is quaking in it's collective boots. Oil markets are skyrocketing, talk of WWIII is on the lips and minds of cable news/talk radio pundits across America. I, for one, hopes Israel stomps a mudhole in Hezzbolah's, Syria's, and when the time comes, Iran's ass. It is quite evident that the administration (GW and crew) don't have the political/intestinal fortitude to bust that move. Nuclear ambitions have run amuck and they need to be checked. International policy should state, "If you are not currently in possesion of nuclear weapons, you cannot have them." If the situation in the Middle East does not scream for a serious consideration of energy independence, nothing does.

And now for something completely different................

I was recently surfing through the YouTube universe and came across a video blog by LonelyGirl 15.
The music used in this video is by Lisa DeBenedictis. I was absolutely and uterly transfixed by the vocals. Searching the web, I found the re-mix community has taken this beautiful song and painted masterpieces of every color and genre. I really love, love, love this woman's voice. I really must say that one of the greatest joys of digital music is finding undiscovered gems where you least expect to find them. I encourage you to sample to your hearts content.

Well, my summer is fast approaching it's end. I have been interviewing potential employees, assessing equipment inventories, and just generally fluffing the pillow of the bed I'll be sleeping in for the next 9 months. I have a theory about the passage of time. It's called the "Relative Fraction Theory." Simply stated, When you're 6 years old, 1 year is a 1/6th of your life, now I'm in my early 40's the slice of the pie is almost sliver like. So fast.............summer, my life, my son' s steady march to adolescence, this passage of time accelerates towards the eventual conclusion of my existence.

2006-05-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Certainly, it has been way too long since I've updated my blog. My father's visit has come and gone. I must say that it was rather pleasant. Not much of consequence was discussed, as I thought not much could be gained from a rehashing of the past, especially a past that was rather painful. I mean, not so much painful as incomplete. I mean, when someone was really not an active participant in your life as a child, what can you say except it was his loss. I suspect he feels that very strongly. Anyhow...........

School is out for the summer and my vacation started 2 weeks and 2 hours ago. I am playing a tiny little $1 tournament and have made the final table. I have been running terrible lately and try to limit my play to S&G's to keep my losses to minimum. 7Stud H/L is absolutely killing my bankroll. I think I play a decent game of it. Fold more than most, play only premium draws, but the off times when I try and make something happen..........LOSER!

Well, I have been thinking of my Uncle in California a bit lately. He was my hero growing up. Surfer, adventurer, ..........

NEW FLASH..............just busted out with a pocket 4's vs. J9 offsuit. Nobody respects preflop raises in a $1 tournament. Oh well.......:{

........I had recently tracked him down and corresponded with him anticipating a trip to California. Long story short, trip never happened and I've slowly slipped into this void of non communication. Same thing with my father, he has been back for over a month and I've talked to him once since his trip. I believe once you gt into the habit of not talking to someone (for any reason, but especially after a period of estrangement) it becomes real easy to just keep not calling. I'll try to get over this habit.
*L*T*

2006-03-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

Been a couple of weeks since my last post. A lot has happened since then............

My father has arrainged to visit over spring break. He will be flying out from Philly and staying with us for the week. I have to say, I don't really know much about my father and he knows very little about me. Recently he has become a widower as his second wife of over 30 years passed away this past Janurary. My sister tells me that this experience has changed him dramatically, made him more open about who he is and how he feels. I don't know what that means. I guess if you haven't deduced by now, my father and I have been estranged for the better part of 37 years. He left me and my sisters and mom when I was 7. Completely and absolutely disappeared. His parents and siblings participated in this abandonment. It was an incredibly difficult thing to get over. Sometimes I don't feel completely over it. My son, who is 8 has been somewhat inquisitive as to who my father is. I can't really answer that question. Who is my father?
I guess I'll find out soon enough.

2006-02-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

I am playing a 9 man .05cent/.10cent NL table on PokerStars (and having my way with it) and listening to the most incredible guitarist to emerge since Michael Hedges............her name KAKI KING!
Power, energy, layers and layers of richness.......music that moves me more than I've been moved by music in a long long time. I DL'd her album "Legs To Make Us Longer" off of ITUNES and have been transfixed for an hour straight. I heard an interview with her on NPR a while back and was absolutely blown away. A show I will definitely see when she comes to my neighborhood.

Anyhow, I was pondering my blog lately, thinking I might explain the title "The Reluctant Midwesterner". Well, 11 years ago (my god, it has been that long) my lovely wife wanted more from life than the grind of real estate management, wanted to attend graduate school. Since I love her so much, I told her to start applying. Well, this and that aside, acceptance was an afterthought and soon we were off to our new life as midwesterners. May 1995 began one of the hottest summers (with overnight lows dipping into the low 90's) I had ever experienced, especially in light of my love affair with summer in the mountains of Colorado. I groused and grumbled that we would be leaving "here" the day after she graduated. My "reluctance" to be a midwesterner was well stated (perhaps overly so). When I called home to my family and friends, I would go on and on about how "out of here" I was as soon as she graduated. Well, after a while, the heat subsided and friends were made (as I tend to be socialable) and a co-worker, born and raised in my new town, took me under his wing and showed me the nooks and crannies of my new state. Smallmouth, Kentuckies, Crappie (my new favorite fish), and even my beloved trout were in abundance if I knew where to look. And now I do, and now my stay here is much more palatable. In all actuality, I won't leave here ever unless an opportunity for my wife or myself makes it impossible to say no. I think I may be losing some of my reluctance. We'll see.
*L*T*

2006-02-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

February 6th in the Heartland, today was colder than it has been in quite a while. I really wanted to get outside and chase some "urban trout" at a local lake, but I couldn't really muster up the wherewithall to gather my gear and go. The state conservation department stocks lakes in urban areas with "trophy trout area" restrictions in place. Meaning no bait, soft rubber lures, etc. Well, if you were to ask the local riff raff sitting on their buckets with jars of Power Bait next to their tackle boxes, "We be fishing for them catfish" is the common refrain. That is why I have yet to go and experience "Urban Trout Fishing". I really detest poachers and those who disrespect a resource, treating it as if it was their birthright and they can do as they damn well please with it. To be a conservation agent just for a day, I would have writers cramp at the end of that day after issuing tickets to the scum of the earth. Truth be told, I'd rather pistol whip them into unconciousness. But fortunately, I'm a bit more civilized than that. But not much!
Starting off on this journey called my blog, I wondered about the tone of my writing, should it be loose, informal, writing as I would speak or should I keep it formal. I guess we'll see as it unfolds.

2006-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhogs Day!
It is early Feburary and it has been unseasonably warm here in the Heartland. I have been running around without a coat, rolling the window in my car down, and smiling when my gas bill comes in the mail. My thoughts have turned to trout fishing a lot lately. In Colorado, winter fishing was a passion of mine. I enjoyed the solitude of it. Under the right conditions, the warmth of the afternoon sun would make me forget it was Janurary or Feburary. A midge hatch would bring the trout to the surface, and evidence of my terrible eyesight.
Here, in my new home, winter trout fishing take on a different skew. Being hundreds of feet above sea level as opposed to thousands, trout tend to act pretty much the same year round. I have to wear waders this time of year, but other than that, the same flies, tatics, and structures produce fish time and time again. The rivers are less crowded but sharing is still necessary, as the resources available are quite limited in preportion to the population. There are still some places where solitude can be found, especially on the weekdays. Maybe I'll sneak off in a couple of weeks and chase me a few McClouds.
*L*T*

2006-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. I live here in an undisclosed location in the heart of this great country we call America. I am originally from the Philadelphia area and have lived in numerous other locales all across this country. I have lived in my current location longer than anywhere else in my entire adult life. Before coming here, I lived in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Summit County Colorado. The mountains, snow, rivers, forests.........I miss them terribly at times. Living in the midwest has tempered many aspects of my persona. The pace at which my life proceeds has been slowed to a much more pleasant and mangeable level. Though through it all, a part of me longs for the mountains that were such a part of my life.
I am a family man, a chef, a fisherman, and lately a voracious poker player. These topics and more will be fodder for the ramblings of the man you now know as the "The Reluctant Midwesterner".
Thank you and welcome.
*L*T*