RIP Crabapple Tree

You were lovely for the four days of the year you bloomed.
Today, my buddy Gary cut you down and now the sunlight streams in.



I have a blank canvas in which to build the outdoor room of my dreams--oohh the possibilities.

Google knows.

I think it knows too much actually.

Here I sit, laptop in the couch nook listening to So You Think You Can Dance on the TV. I hear the TV cut to commercial and the voice of Michael Strahan and I perk up--part NFL pre-season hopes part crush. He's doing a commercial for Dr. Pepper and how he loves the delicious mix of the 23 flavors.

I think, "hmmm... 23?" So I tickety tickety tap tap tap it into the googler. I get as far as 2-3-_-f-l- and Google fills in the rest and with one click, here's the list.

The 23 flavors/ingredients of the famous Dr. Pepper soda secret...

1. Amaretto
2. Almond
3. Blackberry
4. Black Licorice
5. Carrot
6. Clove
7. Cherry
8. Caramel
9. Cola
10. Ginger
11. Juniper
12. Lemon
13. Molasses
14. Nutmeg
15. Orange
16. Prune
17. Plum
18. Pepper
19. Root Beer
20. Rum
21. Raspberry
22. Tomato
23. Vanilla
    

Did Google know what I was watching? I'll have to plug that into the googler next.

Pizza Paradise

Warmer days and crops in the ground mean there are many summer pleasures on the horizon. Today's musings were brought about by my buddy Kirk putting a stake in the ground and scheduling our summer pilgrimage to The Pizza Farm.

The Pizza Farm (formally known as A to Z Produce Farm) is the front yard of a working farm in Stockholm WI, about an hour southeast of Minneapolis and one of the coolest secret/insider things I know about. During the summer months on Tuesday nights only from 4:30PM to 8:00 this family turns their farm into a wood fire pizza kitchen.

Each of the ingredients is either grown on the premises or from neighboring farms (happy pig sausage) and the outcome and the ambiance can best be described as casual summer awesomeness. I am certain this pizza ranks as some of the best pizza I will ever have. Top five for easily--and that includes empty placeholders for Italy.

Now, all you get is pizza in a box so the rest of the experience is up to your own design. Some families have tables with place settings and even a little centerpiece, others come with simply a six pack and picnic blanket. Good times with great friends and phenomenal pizza.

Stay tuned for pictures and the 2010 rundown after we make the trek in late July.

Dear Ticketmaster

I would have more respect for you if instead of an $8.75/ticket "convenience" fee you just called it profit, overhead, jets, genital waxing.... whatever it is you do with the money.

Because frankly I cannont fathom just who exactly you're conveniencing with this crap.