Super Bowl Update

As one decade ends and a new one begins, I actually find it hard to go back and review all the life I've lived in the past 10 years. Mostly, I'm just happy to still be alive and kickin'. I'm glad to be at a start of a new decade. It's fun to think of the new adventures that may await us rather than to worry away about how something else is ending. In 2000 I was 20, not yet out of college, knowing very little about myself or the world around me. Now I'm 30, and while the world around me still presents a lot of mystery, I have a much better understanding of myself and where I want to be heading. So on this last day of the last year of this past decade, I want to say a huge thank you to my family and friends and assorted partners in crime for sharing this journey of life with me the past 10 years. The love and support and laughter you have offered are what I remember most. I love you!

In more general terms, I think it's been a decade of technology, and a decade of fear. A decade of war, and a decade of hope. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same, so I assume that in the next decade, life will go on in the world much as it always has - barring a 2012 cataclysm, an alien invasion or the Rise of the Machines. All of which I guess could happen! But y2K was a total bust 10 years ago, so don't go painting your "End Of The World!" crazy-person poster just yet.

2009 had some great opportunities for me. I'm glad that I made a long list of resolutions of things to do at the beginning of this year and wrote them down and referred back to them. I managed to do a lot of them, even if some remain unattended (tennis lessons, i swear i will get to you in 2010!). But I said I'd read at least 12 books and I wound up reading about 18 or 19, along with a dozen plays. I said I'd see 12 Broadway shows, and I did that too. I aimed for seeing friends in 12 non-Broadway shows, and overshot that goal by more than double. I went skydiving. I took a vacation by myself out of the country (which i WILL finishing writing about in 2010!) I was in a play. I wrote a play. I wrote at least 12 blog entries per month. I ran my second marathon under my goal time. I did this and I paid all my bills on time and kept my apartment on my own thanks to a steady day job. So I did pretty good in accomplishing the things I set out to do. I look forward to going even further in 2010.

So thanks for a good solid year, 2009! And thanks, 2000's, for all the new creature comforts like blackberries, reality tv, dvr's to record reality TV, the internet, HDTV, ipods and of course the slap chop and the snuggie that the world got to experience these past 10 years. Thank you to wonderful organizations that I've worked with including (but not limited to) the Nitestar Program and the Children's Tumor Foundation. Thank you to Squaresoft/SquareEnix for the several Final Fantasy video games I really enjoyed playing. Thanks for an Obama victory and the success of In The Heights. Thanks but no thanks to 2 terms of the Bush Administration, the fear-mongering that it imposed upon our nation and the world, the extreme fundamentalism and sensationalism that continues to hold far too much sway in the world, and of course those freecreditreport.com commercials I loathe with every fiber of my being. You gotta take the good with the bad I guess. Nothing's perfect. We can always hope to improve.

In the next ten years, I'd like to see some cures for the diseases and genetic conditions that affect so many people throughout the world. I expect to see some equal rights for gay people, some universal health coverage here in the States and hopefully some effing flying electric cars. It's time, folks. Also, it might be nice if the Knicks had a roster that could bring us home a championship as well.

Personally, in ten years I hope to have started a family, found creative success and saved some money (to pay for the family I've hopefully started). Also I really want to meet Rafael Nadal somewhere along the way. I hope to have ten more years of long New Year's Resolution Lists filled with my hopes and dreams and goals, and scratches across all of them to mark their achievement. I hope that for all of you as well, along with good health and prosperity. Raise a glass and toast the new decade! Cheers!

If you are looking for something to get you in a bouncy festive holiday state-of-mind for New Years, might I suggest the following two videos. I saw them on the Rachel Maddow show a couple days ago and knew they needed to be reposted. They were created by the AV clubs from Shorecrest and Shorewood High Schools, two rival schools with too much time on their hands in the best way possible (and such similar names it's almost too good to be believed).

The first one is produced by the Shorecrest video department. The info connected to the video tells us it is "directed by Nathan Kartchner and Cody Will-Braton, James Huffman as creative consultant Director of photography and Steadicam operation by Kollin O'Dannel. Thank you everyone for your support and cooperation. Sign up for Trent Mitchell's Video production class!!!!!!!! " And seriously? Sign up for that class. Their single tracking shot production of "Hey Ya!" through the halls of the school is massively impressive. By the time they get to shaking it like a polaroid picture, I challenge you not to have a gigantic smile plastered on your face.




The Shorecrest AV Club then challenged their school-rival Shorewood (as one naturally would) to have their AV Club come up with something better. I dare say Shorewood rose to the challenge. Check out their rendition of "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates. I know what you're thinking: Hall & Oates over Outkast. Normally, I'd agree with you. However, they shot this thing in REVERSE! The kids are all actually running around backwards and mouthing the words phonetically backwards so that when they play the video backwards and the audio forwards it all magically syncs up. And again it's one take!! From their info connected to the video they simply say "When Shorecrest challenged Shorewood to make a Lipdub video they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Ideas are already floating around for our next video, sign up to Mr. Ballew's Video Production classes to take a key part in it."



Mr. Ballew and Mr. Michell have to be kings of their respective schools right now. I really don't see how either of them are gonna top Shorewood's reverse video, but healthy competition can really spark some ingenuity. I look forward to Shorecrest's response to Shorecrest, and Shorewood's response to the response of the response. Forget those SAT's kids! Bring me some more music videos!!

Sigh… Well, we were having a really hard time figuring out what we wanted to eat on this particular night—we wanted it to be fairly close and quick. Oh Yumm used to be one of our favorite places for such a meal, but after the last dinner visit, when the service was really abysmal, we hadn’t been back. This time, while it appears that they have worked on their service issues, unfortunately, these problems were replaced by kitchen execution issues.

It looks like they have turned what was one of their best waiters into a maitre d' of sorts—he greeted us and seated us. Unfortunately, when we asked for a larger table (a 4 top) even though there were only 2 of us, we were told no, that there were people coming in for those tables (last time we were there they actually gave us the larger table when we asked, they were just grumpy about it). If they really needed the tables, this would have been fine. But as we left, all of the tables for 4 in our section sat empty. This really annoys hubby to no end for several reasons. First, we always order tapas—once you get 4 (or more) plates on the table as well as your own plate to eat from, a bottle of wine, water, etc., you are out of room. We had to sacrifice the bread basket and plates in order to fit everything. As we were walking out I thought hubby might lose it. I mean it is one thing if you have reservations booked for these tables, but if you are just saving them with the idle hope that some larger parties will come in, at the expense of paying customers, that are already there, this seems risky. And it was a Tuesday night at 5:45; I mean how many restaurants in this city are full on a Tuesday night?

Ok, enough about that, let’s get to the food. Well, first a quick note about the service. Like I said, our server was very friendly and attentive and everyone seemed enthusiastic on the whole. We ordered tapas—the fried calamari with sambal aioli, the artichoke fritters with lime chili aioli, the flatbread pizza with pesto, smoked Gouda, caramelized onion and kalamata olives, and the baked chipotle goat cheese with marinara and crostini. The thing is, even though we specifically told the waiter that he should just bring them out as they were finished in the kitchen (as is normally the way with tapas), they brought them all out at the same time. Unfortunately, it was pretty clear the calamari had been sitting a bit because it was barely warm. Now, I love the calamari here on the whole, the batter that it is fried with is super light and airy, and the calamari is not chewy or anything. However, when it is just warm, and not hot, it loses quite a bit. The sambal aioli was a slightly spicy aioli that was tasty and complimented the calamari nicely.

Now the artichoke fritters must have been fried last, because they were exactly the right temperature (uh, hot) and were served in a metal cup lined with wax paper which was also great for keeping them warm (maybe try that with the calamari). They were really delicious. Basically, just little deep fried artichoke hearts served with a similar aioli to the calamari. Although, according to the menu, it was “lime chili” I thought it was the same (as did our server when I asked him). But it was just as tasty.

The goat cheese was nice as well, and served at the appropriate temperature. It was a basically a plate of warm marinara sauce with a nice portion of goat cheese flavored with chipotle chilies. It was nice. Hubby especially liked it—and the crostini were appropriately toasted and held up well to the cheese.

Now, when the server placed the flatbread on the table, even he took one look at it and knew it was burned…I will give him credit for that, he instantly said he would take it back and have a new one made, which we took him up on. When it came back, it wasn’t so burned for sure. Unfortunately, the mini flatbread pizzas have always been one of my favorite items at Oh Yumm, but they have changed the crust from what used to be a thin tortilla that was crisped up in butter, to what looked and tasted pretty much like pita bread that was grilled in a panini press. It wasn’t crispy and it was too dense. The toppings were a really nice combination, but the crust just detracted too much for me. I told hubby as we ate it that I wouldn’t order it again, although he disagreed.

We also wanted dessert and the server read off a long list, with several good sounding items. What we really wanted was the chocolate chip bread pudding which is our longstanding favorite and when we asked, we were told it was on the menu. I don’t know if he just forgot to mention it, or if they just keep it around for people who ask. It was just as good—and I have always really liked it.

Unfortunately for Oh Yumm, it seems just as the get one thing fixed, another problem seems to show up. Hopefully one of these days, everything will get worked out at the same time.

Oh Yumm! Bistro
5615 N. Illinois
Indy, 46208
317/251-5656
www.ohyummbistro.com

Eleven-year-old Pranav Chavan is a 6th grader at Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s-Belfield School. The picture below  was taken when he recorded today's Civic Soapbox essay "How Lucky We Are."

Pranav's essay is, in my opinion, an extraordinarily perceptive and unsentimental piece of writing about the interrelatedness of the human family. It's not just extraordinary for an eleven year old; it's extraordinary for anyone.

When I went to St. Anne's-Belfield to record Pranav, I liked him immediately. He's slightly squirmy, obviously very bright, fun to talk to, courteous, but still opinionated. As we chatted, I learned he likes to swim and play soccer, and that he wants to go to Duke--both for undergraduate and medical school.

Other tidbits gleaned:

Pranav loves America for the opportunities it offers. "It’s a country where the speech of liberty is allowed which is one of many people’s desires," he said.

The only subject in school that gives him trouble is his first year Spanish. He also speaks a little Hindi.

Both of Pranav's parents are nurses at the University of Virginia Hospital. He and his family are Seventh Day Adventists.

So where did Pranav's extraordinary essay come from? What experience could make an eleven-year-old think so deeply about the human condition.


Both of Pranav's parents are from India; his mother from Nagpur; his dad from Pune. The whole family, which also includes Pranav's two sisters, makes frequent trips to India, visiting mainly in Nagpur, where his grandmother on his mother's side still lives.

At one point when Pranav and I were talking, I asked him whether he was going to practice medicine (after he graduates from Duke Medical School) in India or here in America. This is a transcription of what he said:

I think when I grow up, I’ll go back to India so I can help people less fortunate than us. I want to become a doctor so I can help people who are sick. This summer when I went to India and we went to the mall and on the roadside we saw this child dying. Because they were very sick. And the mom was begging for money. She did not have any money. When I grow up I want to go back to India so I can help children like these. The mom was comforting her child. The child was on the sidewalk.

If you didn't hear Pranav's essay, I urge you to listen to it. You'll find a link to it on our website.

May you and your family have a wonderful holiday. May you all be filled with good food and good cheer.

And thanks for being part of the WMRA community.

I'll see you in the New Year.

There weren't a lot of us around the office yesterday. Those of us who came in were, I think it's fair to say, focused on getting done what needed to be done, and then getting out of there for the next 10 days! This means you'll just be hearing Sara Prince and Dan Easley on WMRA for a week or so--voices you haven't heard for a while.

Frankly, I need a break--from tasks, from deadlines, from fundraising (you, too, on that one, right?). What I, however, do not need a break from is daily contact with the WMRA community. How did I ever come to rest amidst such beautiful country, among such interesting people?

Take Kieran Tang (pictured left), who's in the first grade. He came by the WMRA studio recently with his mother, Eva Robertson. Eva, who's a fine writer and blogger, was there to record a Civic Soapbox. Kieran was there to see how radio worked.

After our recording session, we three took a look at the current WMRA art exhibit of work done by students from Harrisonburg and Eastern Mennonite high schools. Kieran made a lot of astute comments on the artwork, particularly the pictures.

"Do you draw?" I asked.

"Sometimes," he said.

"If you ever feel like it," I said, "I'd love to have one of your pictures."

"Okay," he said.

Yesterday when I got back from the gym there was a gift bag and a note sitting on my desk. Inside the bag was a rolled-up picture  The note was from Kieran. It said: Here is my picture. It was hard to do.

I unrolled the picture. It was remarkable, fully filled in with bright, beautiful Crayola colors. The image was of a head, very striking and compelling.  I plan on framing it and hanging it in my office, right there with Charlie's photographs and the page proof from my essay in the New York Times Magazine.

Yesterday I also got a visit from Becky Martinez, an old WMRA intern and boss of WXJM, the JMU student radio station. As an undergrad, Becky interned at NPR on the arts desk and, after graduation, worked at NPR on a variety of the shows for close to two years. When she wasn't working, she babysat Scott Simon's kids.

About six months ago, Becky moved back to be the roving reporter for the Staunton News Leader. She stops by to visit from time to time, bringing coffee and journalistic chat. Yesterday's chat was about Virginia's courting of Stephen Spielberg's Lincoln biopic (starring Liam Neeson) and about tiny girls with pink guns shooting bears. Becky's writing about both subjects for the paper.

Oh yes, we also chatted about today's piece (lead story on the front page, no less) about some of  Staunton's beleaguered local shops.

As if that weren't enough community enrichment of my life for one day, yesterday I also got to have lunch with Chuck Slott (whom many of you will remember as WMRA's long-time classical music announcer), semi-retired writer and reporter, Chris Edwards, and Bob Bersson, activist, artist, and musician. Bob had been to the recent J Street Congress, which was convened around the idea that the "security and future of Israel as the democratic home of the Jewish people depend on rapidly achieving a two-state solution and regional comprehensive peace."

Bob had also recently visited Israel and could talk first-hand about the shocking treatment of Arabs there, both behind the West Bank barrier and in general society.We had a long lunch, learning, exchanging views, asking and answering questions.

Is this the community to live in or what ? Happy holidays to me! And happy holidays to you. May we live long and prosper as fellow WMRAers!

NOTE: One more blog post tomorrow on a very interesting student at St. Anne's-Belfield School who wrote tomorrow's Civic Soapbox.

And then, no posts until January 4th. Even bloggers need occasional breaks.

A couple of careers ago, over a span of about eight years, I co-owned three restaurants in Charlottesville.

My favorite was the first. It was in an old house on a dead-end street close to the University. There was a five-item blackboard menu that changed constantly. We were always cooking, so that when we ran out of one thing, we could offer something else. Each entree was served with a salad and bread. There were always 2 desserts--a fruit crisp and something else.

My partner and I ran it for five years, but it stayed open under the same name until just this year. I had great fun there while I stayed, and I stayed just long enough.

I'd never worked in, let alone run, a restaurant before co-opening that one. But I did love to experiment in the kitchen. My partner had cooked his way through law school at a pancake house, so why not give it a try?

The way I remember it, the night before we opened, I realized I needed to come up with a bread. And from somewhere came the muffin recipe that became the muffins, so popular we were never allowed to serve any other bread.

When thinking about what to blog about on this Christmas Eve Eve Day, the day that my family kicks off the winter holiday Ritual of Festive Eating, I thought it would be nice to pass that muffin recipe on to you. It's easy, the muffins store well, and they make a nice alternative to all the sweet breakfast breads that are around this time of year.

I had to call my daughter to get the actual recipe. I'd lost it through years of baking mostly by just throwing things together. Lizzie, who's a brilliant cook, is also an organized one, and so had kept up with it.

So, here 'tis.

Martha's Cafe Muffins

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

.5 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

.5 tsp baking soda

.5 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

6 T melted butter

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix together (don't beat, just mix). Spoon into muffin pans. Bake till done (20 minutes) at 375degrees.

I usually use a little less sugar and buttermilk, because I like a toothy muffin. You can also add bran, oatmeal, or raisins, if you take out a little of the flour.

General note: I love baking with buttermilk. It gives a tang and makes things tender. I recommend trying it in pastry, as well, for quiche or any kind of non-dessert pie.

This was the first beautifully functional building associated with the University of Virginia and Charlottesville to garner national admiration.

BEST NEW ARENA: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Va.
The University of Virginia spent $140 million to build John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006. The arena is a perfect size (capacity 14,593), includes state-of-the-art practice, training and academic facilities, and it blends perfectly into UVA's stately campus.

Charlottesville architectural firm VMDO were JPJ's lead designers. Bob Moje, one of the firm's founding partners, had this to say about designing the current Pantheon of college basketball (and yes, he channels Thomas Jefferson, de rigueur when talking about U.Va. architecture):

I am a little biased, but it was pretty cool to have JPJ named the best new arena of the decade. It is a pretty remarkable accomplishment for the University.  Thomas Jefferson's vision for the University was to strive for excellence in all areas so the students would have the opportunity to be exposed to all sorts of experiences. I think that the arena has helped to do this by bringing all kinds of events and people to the University that otherwise would not come to a relatively small city like Charlottesville. Athletically it sets a very high bar which is in keeping with the goals that the Athletic Department has set for itself. The competition at the highest levels of the NCAA is fierce but the University's Athletic Department has been attempting to match Jefferson's dream of excellence in all areas. This venue certainly contributes towards that goal.

I remember when Bob Moje and his partners founded VMDO in Charlottesville in 1976; back when Charlottesville as a community was just starting to make the transition from Old Boy enclave to what it is today. And you know, when I stop and think about it, that march is perfectly symbolized by VMDO's own march to international recognition for innovation and excellence in the designing of public spaces.

I remember U. Va.'s arena-before-this-one, U-Hall, with great fondness. After all, when it opened in 1965 it, too, was heralded for its innovative round shape and multi-purpose functionality. And it housed those really, really great years of U.Va. basketball when Harrisonburg's Ralph Sampson decided to go to college close to home.

But it never quite worked for concerts, something for which JPJ arena cannot be faulted. I mean after Bruce Springsteen deems a facility appearance worthy, what else is there to say?

I must add, as a long-time, dedicated rock-n-roller it was The Bomb to have the Boss play in one of WMRA's communities. So you go! VMDO.

I did ask Bob what VMDO is up to these days.

We are working on some other cool things. Just finished what is probably the "Greenest" school in Virginia up in Manassas Park. Next to open will be the home for The Jefferson Fellows which should finish this winter, and we are just starting a new high school in New Orleans which is part of rebuilding that community from the devastation of the Hurricane.

NOTE:  Today, U.Va. men's basketball has yet to rival the acclaim garnered by its praise-worthy digs. But for those of us (which certainly includes me) who still care about U.Va. men's basketball, I'd like to add that the 'Hoos were home in JPJ last night, and they beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 68-37.

ANOTHER NOTE: Tom Duval, who is this blog's Higher Power,  just informed me that VMDO has been a WMRA underwriter, and that I would do well to let you know that as well.

I was on the train yesterday and the dude standing in front of me was reading a book called "CALCULUS for the Practical Man." I thought this was the most ludicrous book title I'd ever seen. I mean is there calculus for the practical woman? What about calculus for impractical people? Was there a whole series of calculus books out there for all different kinds of people? (Turns out there is not. It was a series of books but it was about different areas of mathematics all meant for Practical People. All other types of people are left out of it. There is, of course, Calculus for Dummies as well.)

I did a little research on Amazon.com about this book for the Practical Man, and I found out that this is a book that's been around since 1931! It's description goes like this: This book on simplified calculus is one of a series designed by the author and publisher for the reader with an interest in the meaning and simpler technique of mathematical science, and for those who wish to obtain a practical mastery of some of the more usual and directly useful branches of the science without the aid of a teacher.

The description is much longer than that, but trust me you'd get bored reading it (i sure did). Even if I didn't think it was weird to write a math book for Practical Men, what makes this dude reading it consider himself to be a Practical Man? He's a good-looking dude, but his jacket is way too light and not seasonally-appropriate. That seems impractical in handling the winter weather. He seems to have a pretty girlfriend standing next to him who is properly dressed in a bright red winter coat, so he gets bonus points for having a practically-dressed partner. But seriously? I think the book he's reading is a little out of his league. And how is that book train-reading? He should be reading one of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or The Lovely Bones. or The Lost Symbol. Or Catcher In The Rye, if he wants to be all old school about it. Right now I'm reading World War Z and loving it. But not a book about Calculus! How can he focus on that? I judge him Impractical! This book will do nothing for him! Perhaps he should consider reading "Fake Calculus for Subway Posers" instead. Just a suggestion,

The picture above was taken this morning after the 1 a.m. strict party-line vote to end debate on the Senate's $871 billion health care reform bill. All signs point to a final vote on the bill, itself, on Christmas Eve.

It has not been a pretty process.

Conservative Democratic Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson had held the vote up until he got what he wanted. Among his wishes, more restrictions on abortion coverage and a provision requiring the federal government to cover Nebraska's costs for expanded Medicaid coverage after 2016. No other state is currently slated to receive such a benefit.

There are quite a few such inglorious provisions in the Senate bill, according to The New York Times.

Truthfully, a large part of me just wants the health care debate to go away. It's the holidays, my daughter arrives this week, we just got a record December snow storm, and, most of all, I'm tired of keeping up with the debate itself. It's ugly, it's undignified, it's been going on forever (in terms of my all-too-American attention span). How much longer do I have to keep plowing through long, complicated, depressing articles--which seem to be mainly accounts of  name-calling, legislative back-biting and skulduggery?

Surely, what's been going on in Congress during the health care reform debate would be more appropriate in third-grade lunchrooms than in the great halls of American government. I mean, do these people even recognize the truth anymore. Where is their dignity?

But then I think about my five-times-a-week, fairly grueling workouts at the gym and my nightly yoga sessions. Charlie calls those sessions "flopping around," which leads me to think I don't appear any more dignified during them than our lawmakers have during the health care debate. Yet I've come to accept those undignified activities as what it takes to keep me keeping on the way I want to keep keeping on as age and old sports injuries work their black magic on my body.

Could it be the same with American governance? Is Ben Nelson et al's  holdup of the Senate bill just the dark underbelly of a process that, in the end, does a pretty good job?

Oh dear, such complicated, gnarly thoughts to be having the week that winter holidays begin. . .

I do know, however, that as things stand now, I cannot afford to get sick--as in  long-term or catastrophically sick.

This means, as a responsible American Citizen, I'm duty-bound to keep up with the unseemly process of legislating health care reform; for, my fellow Americans, as a democracy, our legislative process is only as intelligent and thoughtful, as ethical and responsible, as conscientiously well-informed as we citizens push ourselves to be.

There are some--sigh--good articles today in The New York Times (on last night's Senate vote) and in CNN (comparing the House and Senate bills). And a good comparative interactive graphic in The Washington Post.

I'm happy you've taken the time to visit our new site. Stay tuned all year for news, events and special offers from Renee's Contemporary Clothing.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my readers? You guys give me tons of recommendations and really, I do try and get to as many of them as I can. Recently, we ventured to Papa Roux based solely on a reader recommendation—it is located out at 10th and Post and that is certainly not an area I am familiar with and I never would have found this one on my own.

Another reason I have just now gotten around to this place though is that I really wanted to take hubby with me on this one. Papa Roux is a Cajun restaurant that specializes in many typical New Orleans cuisines, including several types of “po boy” sandwiches. Hubby was an undergrad at Tulane in New Orleans and spent 4 years eating his way around the Big Easy. He also has close relatives that have lived in New Orleans for many years, so even before college he spent a lot of time there. Therefore, I knew he would be the person to tell me the authenticity factor (at least of people I know).

After finally getting there (and realizing we should have gone a different way that would have saved us a good 10 minutes) I was pleasantly surprised by the place. It is very well-marked and once we stepped inside, the place was buzzing with lots of lunchtime diners. This is a place where you order at the counter—and the people working there seem genuinely friendly and like they actually like their job. That was nice. They wanted me to know when you order a full meal; you can have as many different sides as you want free of charge. This was a nice way to try several items.

The main thing we ordered (we both ordered the same) was the shrimp po boy sandwich. Shrimp and oyster po boys were hubby’s fave in New Orleans, so he wanted to give this one a try. I just love shrimp, so that was my choice too. The first thing we (mainly he) noticed was the bread. Apparently, it is pretty authentic to a po boy sandwich, and apparently one of the most commonly screwed up items outside of New Orleans. Now these rolls are traditionally toasted, and these were not. But, they were freshly baked French rolls, with a thin, somewhat chewy, somewhat crunchy crust. Hubby says that since they are usually toasted, they are usually, a bit more crunchy, but other than that, he thought the rolls were pretty authentic and I thought they were delicious. Big, but a great flavor, and soft, but still just a little chewy.

Now, apparently, these po boy ingredients (at least with shrimp and oysters) are normally fried, which I am sure would be good as well, but Papa Roux is going their own way by not frying the shrimp. They are I am guessing boiled, and are totally properly cooked (not chewy and hard) and they are shrimp, not the huge prawns you see most of the time on shrimp dishes. The shrimp are actually from Zirlott’s Gulf Products—shrimp caught from the Gulf, which are true local shrimp (well, local to New Orleans). The sandwich is also topped with the house recipe Cajun sauce and the house “creamy tangy” coleslaw. I am telling you that sauce is amazing. Just the right amount of spicy combined with a big of tanginess from the mayo base—it was really outstanding. I guess a typical cheap po boy in N.O. would be the fried seafood, mayo and shredded lettuce. These are going beyond that by turning the mayo into a flavorful sauce and the lettuce into tasty tangy coleslaw. I liked the additional flavors that this entailed and so did hubby. In fact, he told me he used to basically try and make a similar sauce on his po boys in N.O. by adding Louisiana hot sauce. Which by the way, they had on every table in huge bottles (ok, hubby swears that the only real hot sauces in N.O. are either Crystal or Louisiana hot. If you see Tabasco, he says, walk away. Anyhow, he is partial to Louisiana hot, and it's the only kind we have at our house, so he was happy to see it all over this place). So I guess, really the sandwich wasn’t really authentic, but one restaurant owner's own version of a po boy, but I thought it was really good and so did hubby. So variation is good. They also have pork and chicken po boys, which actually are fairly prevalent in N.O. as well, and hubby used to eat a chicken po boy quite frequently in college. He is certainly intrigued to try one of them next time.

We also tried several sides—the red beans and rice, the Creole with rice, and the cornbread. And hubby was happy to see Zapp’s chips, in spicy Cajun crawtator flavor (I know that sounds strange, but basically just seasoned chips that are native to N.O.), which we also shared a bag of. They were quite tasty, and they had them in several flavors. The red beans and rice were tasty—hubby really liked them a lot, although he likes a little bigger plate or bowl to mix them together. I thought they were quite good as well. The Creole is a vegetarian tomato sauce with some rice in it—the flavors were nice, not really spicy. Not really that exciting just on its own—maybe with something else. The cornbread was a little too dry for me—but you don’t need it anyway if you get a sandwich—that bread is great.

They also have daily specials—and on the day we were there, one of them was the Chicken chili Frito pie (Thursday in case you're wondering). Chicken chili served on Fritos with sour cream and cheese—sounds like not the healthiest option—but a very popular one I saw. And I have to say, I was certainly intrigued. I may have to give that one a try…

Anyway, it was a great lunch and we were glad we went. It isn’t a huge place, maybe 10 tables, and it clearly has a good following of regulars. But if you want something different, that the owners are really putting their soul into, and that location works for you, you should give it a try. I know we will, regardless of the drive.

Papa Roux
8950 E. 10th Street
Indy 46219
317/603-9861
www.paparouxindy.com

An article about NPR's Tiny Desk Series in The Washington Post.

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I love the image of heads bobbing along to the music without even looking up from their computers. . .

In back of my house, where the wind blows across the slope of Little North Mountain which is just a pasture or two away, the snow is falling horizontally. And, by the way, you can't see Little North Mountain. You can't even see the pastures. All you can see is the fence.

Late yesterday afternoon, I was on the phone with Joe Matazzoni, who lugs around the title of NPR's Executive Producer, Digital Media, and still manages to be a lot of fun. Before we got around to talking about assignments, we talked about something much more pressing: sledding.

Charlie and I, I said, have the American Flyer primed and ready on the breezeway. Joe said he had sledding promises to keep with his five-year-old son.

Joe wanted to know if I was taking my grandchildren on a fast ride down the impressive country hill we live atop.

Nope," I said. "I'm taking myself!"

"Don't break anything!" said Joe.

Charlie has been out to feed the birds and take this picture of Little North Mountain draped in an invisibility cloak.

He also reported that the snow is too deep for sledding until the road gets pushed. Then, he said, it will be perfect!

I have a to-do list a mile long and I can't do any of it. At least any of it that involves driving. What a gift to be forced to have a simpler day.

Evidently, it's at least as snowy east of the Blue Ridge. This e-mail came in from Lee Catlin, Albemarle County's Community Relations Director:

Weather conditions continue to cause serious driving situations in the County.  Yesterday evening and last night local police and fire rescue personnel were busy rescuing motorists from stranded vehicles, with particular problem areas being the Thomas Jefferson Parkway and Scottsville Road.  At some time at around midnight, stranded motorists began to be transported to the Monticello and North Garden fire stations, with a total of about 25 being sheltered there overnight.  Officials are now in the process of opening a shelter on UVA grounds at the Aquatics and Fitness Center.  Albemarle County has declared an emergency and we are receiving National Guard assistance to help sweep Scottsville Road (Route 20 South) and Monacan Trail (Route 29 South).  There are about 100 cars with people in many of them on Scottsville Road and about 75 tractor trailers and another 100 cars stranded on Monacan Trail.  Most of them have been there since 5 pm yesterday.

Albemarle County Social Services personnel are staffing the Aquatics Center shelter.  The Red Cross has been notified and they are taking their trailer full of cots and blankets to the Aquatics Center.  The National Guard is transporting people from the fire stations to the shelter.

Rescue worker and VDOT worker are hampered in their efforts by the significant number of stranded/abandoned vehicles on roads throughout the county.  Residents are strongly encouraged not to drive until conditions improve.  Anyone with a four wheel drive vehicle that can help transport hospital personnel and other essential workers is encouraged to call the Emergency Communications Center at (434)979-INFO.

It is officially a day to stay home. And, for once, do a whole lot of not much!  A gift? A frustration? A bit of both, perhaps?

But then, since wisdom suggests that we accept the things we cannot change, I think I'll just go with it and experience the unbearable lightness of relaxation

As we continue our steady pace toward Christmas. there is much fun to be had with tree- trimming, holiday parties, office parties, present-wrapping sessions and family gatherings (hopefully there's also some time for each of us to sit with a cup of nog and relax in front of the tree). At all of these times, it's good to have a solid Christmas playlist of songs to get you in the Holiday Spirit. Christmas albums are huge product in the music industry this time of year, so you've got a lot of covers of standard carols from which to choose for your set list. You've got your standards from Brenda Lee and Bing Crosby. You've got your Judy Garland-as-Debbie Downer version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." You've got everything from your Chimpunks Song to Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas is you." Along with that, you've got your old school religious fare that have been covered by pretty much every major artist out there. Although these SHOULD be enough, I wanted to suggest a few much-loved but possibly overlooked songs, that add some odd-ball charm to any yuletide itunes library. Here are 10 songs you shouldn't forget this year:

1. "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" - John Denver & The Muppets. The whole Denver/Muppets Album is a treat, but if I had to choose one song that stands out for me, it's this one because of the classic exchange between Gonzo and Piggy. Piggy is alarmed that the group demands "Piggy Pudding." but Gonzo assures her it is Figgy Pudding, made with figs (...and bacon.)

2. "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" - Performend by Annie Lennox and Al Green. End Theme from SCROOGED! A movie that I have not seen on TV nearly enough this Holiday Season. There are other versions of this song, but this one is the one to go for, in my opinion. It cannot be denied, and should not be forgotten at Christmastime!

3. "Christmas Vacation" - Performed by Mavis Staples. Another Classic Xmas song from a Classic Xmas Movie. Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation! I remember as kids, my cousins and I totally dug the opening animation to this movie and watched it over and over and over again, listening to this song. The rest of this movie is pretty damn funny too. :)

4. "Dominic, The Donkey" - written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg, and Lou Monte, sung by Monte. The song describes a donkey who helps Santa Claus bring presents to children in Italy. Is it a novelty song? Is it onl loved by Italians? Is it somehow poking fun at Italians? I don't care. I love it. When Santa visits his paisons, with Dominic he'll be.Because the reindeer cannot climb the hills of Italy.

5. "12 Pains Of Christmas" By Bob Rivers & Others. This IS certainly a novelty song. I enjoy it because Christmastime, as lovely as it is, is filled with tons of crap that fills us all with lots of anxiety. I also like that as the song goes on the "carollers" stop naming the pains and start complaining about them when it's their time to sing. She's a witch! I hate her! Oh, I don't even KNOW half these people! It never gets old for me.

6. "What's This?" - Performed by Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Xmas. Part Halloween Movie, Part Christmas movie. This song is all about the wonder and joy of discovering winter and holiday cheer. It's delightful.

7. "All Alone For Christmas" Performed by Darlene Love. This song is from the Home Alone 2 Soundtrack. I don't believe I've ever seen Home Alone 2, even as a child. I do remember waking up one December morning when I was just a kid, and the song playing on the radio was All Alone For Christmas and I was like "what's this from?" and the radio lady told me it was from Home Alone 2. I still have no interest in seeing the movie, but I do have affection for the song.

8. "Christmas Wrapping" Performed by The Waitresses. This song (along with Last Christmas, by Wham) is the quintessential 80's Christmas tune. Oh sure, there's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" but I like the randomness of this song much better than Band Aid's offering to the Christmas Cannon. I think it's the saxophone that really makes the song.

9. "One More Sleep Til Christmas" - Kermit The Frog & Others. Muppet Christmas Carol is another great Xmas Album from the Muppets. You can't go wrong with One More Sleep Til Christmas. But you could also enjoy "It Feels Like Christmas." "Marley and Marley" and perhaps if you like to torture yourself emotionally during the Holidays (and who among us doesn't?) You could treat yourself to Michael Caine dueting on "When Love Is Gone."

10. "You're A Mean One. Mr. Grinch" Performed by Thurl Ravenscroft, not Boris Karloff - don't be fooled! He only did the narration. This is as classic as they come, but you might forget it as a Christmas Song, because it doesn't really mention Christmas. But all us Grinches out there need an anthem and this is it! The lyrics from Dr. Seuss can't be beat.

Honorable Mention: "The Snow Miser Song/The Heat Miser Song" from A Year Without Santa Claus. This song feels like it goes on for like 10 minutes. That's probably a result of it being two songs back to back. It's a catchy tune, though! If you're a fan of AYWOSC, then you are probably a fan of Heat Miser and/or Cold Miser. Depends on whether you prefer a White Christmas or a Green Christmas. You prolly think the other Miser is "too much."

A FINAL NOTE: My favorite Christmas Song is "Holly Jolly Christmas" as sung by Burl Ives. This is probably because it's the "happy ending song" from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is also my favorite Christmas TV Special. HJC is my favorite of the songs in that special, but it's hardly the only good one. You've got "There's Always Tomorrow," "We're A Couple of Misfits" and "The Island of Misfit Toys."

Enjoy your carols, everyone! And oh by golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year!

What is this worry about texting and “eroding” our interpersonal skills, raised by Tim Groeling, associate professor of communication studies at UCLA, a couple of days ago in the LA Times and referred to during yesterday morning’s Morning Edition? What, exactly, are the interpersonal skills Mr. Groeling’s worried about eroding?

I’m old enough to have been raised by a mother who was raised by an Edwardian mother. This means I was taught Manners growing up, which means I was taught that good human interaction followed rules. Human beings got “interpersonal” with each other within the confines of established rituals. If you deviated from either rules or rituals, you were automatically Rude. Of which there was, according to mother who had it straight from the great Ms. Manners in the Sky, no greater Social Sin.

I also had engraved calling cards and a stack of white gloves as a child, for making formal “calls” on ancient great-aunts, because that was what made ancient great-aunts comfortable.

It wasn’t until a kind housemother in girls’ boarding school explained it, that I understood what those rituals and rules—those manners—were for. They were established so to that people who didn’t know each other—or didn’t know each other very well—could still be comfortable around each other. And so that people would always know how to put other people at their ease no matter what the social situation might be.

Manners, the code name for those rituals and rules, were at heart about civil interaction.

Well, times do change. And changing along with the times has been the comfort zone of social interactions. Things are a lot less formal, a lot less structured. I don’t “call” on anyone anymore, ancient or otherwise; and, heaven forbid, that someone “call” on me, even though I am creeping up on ancient-hood.

What still endures in our social interaction is an appreciation for—and, indeed, a reliance upon—civility. Civility is the enduring, indeed the ineludible, foundation of any kind of skilled interpersonal interaction.

And I, for one, see no reason why one can’t be delightfully civil in 140 characters or less. . .

. . . and I am getting ready to drive to Staunton. Big WMRA community doings (fingers crossed, pleased) hopefully in the works.

But no early morning take-off is going to stop WMRA's maniacal blogger! Just, perhaps, tempt her to blog quickly by borrowing heavily.

But first, one note of business, or "bidness," as Flannery O'Connor refers to it in Sally Fitzgerald's fine collection of her letters, The Habit of Being (which, incidentally, is the one book I'd want with me if I were stuck on a dessert island with just one book.)

Call for Essays: Please consider submitting a Civic Soapbox essay geared for the new year. What are your hopes, worries, plans for 2010? Or perhaps, what changed in your own life or your view of life in general during 2009? Serious, fun, autobiographical or contemplative; to use a famous phrase from a former president: Bring 'em on!


Now, on to the borrowing.

I found a wonderful profile of NPR's famous and fabulous Kitchen Sisters, which I enjoyed mightily and thought you might as well. To tempt you into clicking on the link and reading further, I've transcribed the first two paragraphs below. . .

Kitchen Sisters explore obscure culinary worlds in 'Hidden Kitchens' (latimes.com)
The public radio hosts seek out little-known food rituals.
By Jessica Gelt,

Food brings people together, just as much as a lack of it can tear them apart. What we cook, how we cook it and when we eat it says as much about ourselves as our body language and our choice of friends. How communities come together through food and the richness of the resulting culinary traditions is of particular interest to Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, better known as National Public Radio's "Kitchen Sisters."

Since 2004, the women have been searching for and chronicling cooking and eating rituals in unexpected, under-the-radar places across the country. The stories began airing in 2005 as "Hidden Kitchens" on NPR's "Morning Edition" and spawned an eponymous book. Now with the winter holidays and their attendant family meals upon us, the women admit that, try as they might, they just can't get away from food. It informs nearly every project they touch.

If I've tempted you to read further, here's the link.

Greetings All! Another SYTYCD season has come to a conclusion - this one a bit hastier than most. I talked last week about how odd this season has been, and the (too soon) Finale this week continued in that head-scratching tradition. The final performance show featured NINE dances (the top 3 guys each partnering with the top 3 girls equals nine routines!) but for the first time in forever it's NOT two hours long. They've shoved it all into one hour. Why? Because Gordon Ramsey is teaching us how to cook dinner LIVE AT 9PM. I don't eat dinner at 9pm, nor do I have a tv in my kitchen so this whole project to me seems a little ill-conceived.

Seriously, what is Fox thinking? Because the show was only an hour long we get no rehearsal footage, no solos, no same-sex dances and no interviews between Cat and the finalists about their journeys this season. I call bullshit. Give the Finale the attention it deserves, Network!

The only thing that redeemed this travesty of TV scheduling was that finally all the dances were kinda awesome. All season the routines were a little wonky, and then last night it seemed the gloves came off (along with most of the costumes. It was as if the costume department saw the order for 18 costumes for just six dancers this week and said "screw that, all the guys can go shirtless!") and the choreographers and dancers all really threw down. A brief recap of all the routines:

Kathryn and Ryan - Samba, choreo. by Jason Gilkison. If this show was So You Think You're A Chiseled Bad Ass MoFo, Ryan would certainly win. He's shirtless and shaking everything is mama gave him HARD in this routine. Dude is solid muscle, which helps if you have to flip a girl up over your head and catch her on your back as Ryan does in this routine. Kathryn is looking great too and moves well. Although the judges heap praise on her, I actually thought she looked a little off-balance at the beginning. I give the effort a solid B+.

Ellenore and Jakob - Broadway, choreo. by Tyce Diorio. The music is "I Gotcha" from Fosse and the costume and style reflect what you'd think of Fosse. Tyce's Broadway routines can be very hit or miss from me but this one hits. Ellenore and Jakob rule as partners. This one is fun and sexy and sharp. This one gets an A.

Ashleigh and Russell - lyrical jazz, choreo. by Sonya. I totally dug this routine. Ashleigh is Russell's guardian angel and i think the movement is just beautiful. The judges really focus the attention on Russell, who indeed is great, but I thought Ashleigh was very very strong as well. I'm glad these two got to dance together after last week's injury. I give this an A+.

Ellenore and Ryan - jazz, choreo. by Gary Stuart. I didn't really go for this routine on first viewing, but going back to it again today, I really liked it. It was intentionally robotic, which Nigel didn't care for, but Mary Murphy and I appreciated for its weirdness. It didn't really feel like Jazz though. This routine probably didn't inspire a lot of votes, but still I would give it an A- for execution and commitment.

Ashleigh and Jakob - foxtrot, choreo. by Jean-Marc. Ashleigh and Jakob make a great dance couple and they once again look great doing this. Foxtrot isn't the awesomest of dance styles to pull from the house, but I thought Ashleigh and Jacob did a solid job and always dance beautifully together. Their partnership was a real highlight from top 20 down to top 10. Grade: A-.

Ellenore and Russell - Paso Doble, choreo. by Jason Gilkison. This was good, but I've seen better Paso Doble's on this show. Possibly on this season? Russell is not really the driving force he needs to be, which Ellenore compensates for by being a fiery wraith of a dance partner in an awesome dress that works for the occasion. It would've almost been boring without her added spark and she really saves the dance for me. Solid B+ effort, but not as good as some of the other numbers already tonight.

Kathryn and Jakob - Contempo, choreo. by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. For this one we're dancing to a Michael Buble cover of "At This Moment." I don't get the appeal of Buble, just like I don't get the appeal of Hannah Montana, but I know people like his style The dance itself is totally awesome. It gets the encore presentation of the week. Adam calls it a total game changer, which means after witnessing this dance, Joe Lieberman has embraced Health Care Reform, Bin Laden turned himself into the authorities, The NY Senate reconvened to vote in favor of Gay Marriage and Michele Bachman freely admitted herself to a mental institution. If not, at least their dance was the best of the night for a well-earned A+.

Ryan and Ashleigh - Contempo, choreo. by Travis Wall. The marrieds dance together and I don't want to hear massive backlash from the public because someone voted hard enough to keep them in and it was probably YOU. The dance between them is a beautifully tender experience as you can tell they are genuinely happy to have made it as far as they possibly could, while probably internally conceding that neither of them could actually win the title. Ryan's not as good as Ashleigh in the routine, and Nigel's right that she has better dance chemistry with Jakob, but it's still fun to watch. For that I say, A-.

Russell and Kathryn - Hip Hop, choreo. by Tabitha and Napolean. This is totally in Russell's wheel house and he does not disappoint. Kathryn throws down really well too. It's acrobatic and hard hitting and all the little things work. She's up on his shoulders. She's throwing him around. It's really good. Since it's the last competitive performance of the season, it's nice to end on a Grade A performance like this one.

So overall there was a very very solid show crammed into this hour. We didn't have time to really breathe (or blink even) for the entire hour. but the performance level was high and I expected to see a few of this week's performances get encores in the finale. This week's dances didn't do anything to sway my opinion of how the final six would shake out. 6. Ryan 5. Ellenore 4. Russell 3. Ashleigh 2. Kathryn 1. Jakob. feel like if Katherine had a separate Final Four week, she'd have been able to rally the underdog vote and win it all. Even with Nigel telling her on Tuesday how she'd been his favorite for weeks, I didn't think it'd be enough.

This brings us to the LIVE* Finale (* -33% taped footage.)! We're gonna see several favorite dances from throughout the season, several pointless musical filler performances, an extend commercial for Avatar during the show and a music video for margarine during the commercials. Also the contestants will be getting whittled down from 6 to 1. So exciting! The first group number is a new Top 20 dance which is only top 19, i think so that the one alternate kid who replaced Billy (Elliot/Jamie) Bell could participate next season instead. It was a really cool number the non-finalists all danced around awesomely and then revealed the top 6 against a giant red backdop as if they were glam-rock X-Men. (For The Record if they were X-Men: Ryan is Colossus, Ashleigh is Jean Grey, Ellenore is Jubilee, Russell is Bishop, Jakob is Iceman and Kathryn is Kitty Pryde. Legacy would've been Wolverine... sigh.) After we get done with that they recap eveything from last night I aleady recapped and then get to the favorite dances. Lemme just tell you all the routines that got Encores:

Meet the Top 20: Hip Hop with Legacy, Kevin and Russell
Top 10 Wk: Jakob and Ellenore, Sonya Tayeh's "Tore My Heart" Contempo
Meet the Top 20: Tappa Tappa Tappa with Philip, Bianca and Peter
Finale: An Original Jive Choreographed and Performed by Ashleigh and Ryan
Finale: Kathryn and Jakob, Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden's "At This Moment" Contempo
Top 18 Wk: Nathan and Mollee, Nakul Dev Mahajan's "Bollywood Prince"
Top 8 Wk: Legacy and Ellenore, Travis Wall's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" Contempo
Top 16 Wk: Russell and Noelle, Sean Cheesman's Frog Prince African Jazz
Meet the Top 20: Contempo with Arianna, Channing, Jakob, and Nathan.
Finale: Russell and Kathryn, Tabitha & Napolean's Hip Hop
Meet The Top 20: Top 20 Wade and Amanda Robson "Bar Scene" Number

If we take a quick look at these selections, do we notice a trend? 4 of 11 Dances from before the Official Start of Competition and 3 of 11 Dances from the night before. One of the remaining dances was new, leaving only 3 dances to represent the rest of the ENTIRE COMPETITION. That's not good. That means there were several weeks where apparently nothing memorable happened. In my opinion, the Tappa Tappa number and the original jive shouldn't have been included in the finale. The Tappa was not that good the first time around, and was worse last night. And there was no need for a ballroom number between the Marrieds. They got their moment together the night before. Instead, they should've given the nods to Kathryn and Ryan's Cha Cha from Top 8 and anything from Ashleigh and Jakob's time together (I personally enjoyed the Cane Dance from Top 16, but they were all really good.)

We also got some "special" performances throughout the night:
*Leona Lewis sang horribly in front of a jumobo screen commercial for Avatar.
*The Groovaloo's hip hop danced.
*Adam Lambert sang "Whataya Want From Me" wearing a grey suit with some weird extra black material on his right shoulder. I hope that it wasn't an upcoming Project Runway challenge to design an outfit for Lambert to wear on the SYTYCD Finale, because if that was the winning design, the upcoming season of P.Runway is in serious trouble.
*Mary J. Blige sang "I am." in front of other images of herself on the big screen.
*Jennifer Lopez came in on a giant high heel shoe, telephoned Santa and then sang and danced to "Louboutins," nearly exhausting herself.

All of these performances could've been skipped and nobody would've cared. The Groovaloo's and MJB were pleasant, but unnecessary. J-Lo was fun and bizarro in her now-usual way. Lambert didn't kiss anyone. Leona Lewis was just TERRIBLE. It saddens me to say that, because I usually like her vocals, but they were WAY off during the show. Pitchy doesn't begin to cover it. And the giant Avatar commercial in the background was tacky - even by Fox standards. It's annoying to think we might've gotten more dances if these "special" performances weren't there.

So now to the real business of who won. Well JUUUUST as we approached the first elimination, the whole effing system broke down. And I don't mean my DVR for once. I mean the show itself. Let me set the scene: Cat's in the process of calling everyone out on stage when her mic cuts. She makes her way to center stage, and she's just standing there all alone. The theme music plays. Someone (turns out it's Nigel) is yelling offscreen. Then three of the six dancers come on looking flustered, and some techie finally comes out with a hand mic for Cat. TRAINWRECK. Still, Cat walks away from it unscathed and is ready to move forward. On with the show! Just one little problem: half the finalists are still missing! But wait, here they come! Sort of... Ellenore and Ryan take the stage and they're helping Russell, who appears to be injured and in tears. What the hell happened backstage? "I messed my leg up," he says to Cat as a matter of not really explaining. But he's crying so what do you do? Cat reasonably asks if he's seen the doctor and Russell says that he has. But it looks like he totally can't walk on his own. Thank goodness Colossus is there to haul him around the stage. Surely none of the other finalists would be strong enough.

Realizing there's nothing else to be done but get on with it, Cat announces who las landed in sixth place...




And it's Ryan. No surprise there, but it's a bit awkward because Ryan is the only thing propping up Russell right now. Cat keeps everybody where they are and positions herself next to Ryan and they do their best to stay focused on his goodbye and not on Russell's injury. They do a tight shot of their heads so we at home can pretend that Russell is crying merely inches away from Ryan and Cat. She throws it to Ryan's video journey, where we learn that Ryan's been very muscular and just a wee bit weepy throughout his time on the show. He wasn't always the best soloist but he was great at partnering and did some good routines. When the clip show is done, it looks like Russell's been taken offstage, with the other dancers who are still in the competition. Cat handled the whole thing like a total pro and it's shit like this which would've sent lesser reality hosts totally off the deep end, Deely didn't panic and ske kept the show rolling. This is why she needs a Reality Host nomnation and win from the Emmys. She makes the whole show so much better than it would otherwise be. So for your consideration, Cat Deely, Ladies & Gentlemen!



We now resume our regularly scheduled elimination of the contestants...



in fifth place was Ashleigh. Damn, my whole ranking is now thrown off. I thought she'd be higher on the list, but she wasn't gonna win, so I guess it doesn't totally matter. She and her husband got the unique experience of taking the season-long journey together. She had a great partnership with Jakob. She made it to the final without even dancing in Top 8! So you can imagine that she feels very thankful for making it to the end.



In fourth place is our lovely Ellenore. Cat called her "one of the most original, wonderful characters we've ever had on the show." It's totally true. She danced two of the best routines of the season and she was a delight the whole way through. She never really got a ton of voter love, but she always impressed with me with her commitment and technique. Rock on, lady.


In third place came Kathryn. I was a little surprised that she wasn't top 2. As I said before, if she had another week, she probably could've made up the difference in the vote. She had many great performances throughout the season with Legacy and she was also great with Nathan, Ryan, Russell and Jakob. She was the dark horse, and while she didn't make it to the top of the rankings, she was certainly a great dancer and competitor.

It came down to Jakob and Russell. They ae very different dancers and it's neat that they were both at the top at the end, but...



Jakob took second place. I was a little sad for him. I thought he was the best dancer this season. He was really incredible. I'm sure he has a great dance future ahead of him. At least they did a clip package for both he and Russell before they announced the results. Usually whoever comes in second gets totally screwed out of any acknowledgement on this show. This change felt like an improvement. Jacob jete'd his heart out all season and was just as worthy of the title. I hope he stays in the SYTYCD Family in future seasons.



RUSSELL WINS! I thought he had it in him. I honestly forgot to really consider him as Kathryn came on so strong and Jakob was so continually impressive. Russell's krump is AMAZING though and his solos always showed how talented he was in his own dance genre while the routines showed how versatile he was. Dude just has a loveable personality to boot. Good on you, Russell, for taking the title. I only wish the network hadn't mismanaged your season so badly. You and your fellow dancers deserved better. But enjoy the spoils of winning and I will look for you and Kathryn in the Adam Shankman-produced Oscars this year!

So that's it for this season! I know this recap was VERY long, but if you've been reading them all along, I hope you enjoyed it. I really think this wasn't a bad season, it was just treated badly.The problems I had with this season had nothing to do with the dancers who I thought were a really dynamic top 20. I had a big problem with the set and lighting design detracting from the actual dance, but I felt like the camera work started to adjust to it in recent weeks. I had a problem with some of the routines, but I think giving the choreographers some time off to pursue other projects in between seasons will be good. I had a HUGE problem with how Fox scheduled the show, but hopefully they will just keep it to a summer schedule and it can be a big fish in a small pond, instead of getting roughed up by Baseball in October. I love that Travis and Sonya came into their own this season, but I want Mia Michaels back among their ranks. Cat continues to only get better and better at hosting this show, even as the situations around her get crazier and crazier. Give that woman a raise. And a well earned vacation. And an Emmy.

See you in 2010, SYTYCD! Hopefully with Billy (Elliot/Jamie) Bell and Natalie. Remember Natalie? She auditioned for Seasons 4 and 5 and was cut FOR NO GOOD REASON! Please bring her back! PLEASE!