Six More Weeks Of Winter And My Broncos By 4½

On January 6, 2014 Proof agreed to become a co-author at this site.  Today, I saw at his site a wonderful cartoon created by John Cox.  I was so enamored by it that I decided to steal the idea and create a Photoshop™ of his brilliant work.

T.S. Eliot once wrote, “Immature Photoshoppers imitate; mature Photoshoppers steal; bad Photoshoppers deface what they take, and good Photoshoppers make it into something better, or at least something different.”  (A note from our attorneys: This is not a real quote.)

Today we celebrate Groundhog Day and that other important thing—the Super Bowl.  Throughout the regular season I have taken guff from Proof, Woodsterman and Stogie who are staunch 49ers fans.  They stooped to calling my Carolina Panthers the “Angry Kitties.”

It was all good-natured fun.  First my heart was broken when the 49ers won the trench war against the Panthers on January 12th.  One week later, their hearts were broken when the Seahawks defeated their beloved Niners 23-17 to become the NFC Champions.

Today, we are one.  We will be cheering on the Broncos and Peyton Manning. Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter.  And…the Broncos by 4½.

Go Peyton!  Go BRONCOS!

Groundhog Sez Go Peyton

Sunday’s Super Bowl is Peyton Manning’s chance to become the first QB to lead two franchises to Super Bowl titles.

Manning, following a nearly career-ending neck injury, has produced the most prolific passing season in NFL history.  With him at the helm and his now famous “Omaha” play calls, he led the Broncos to a 13-3 record throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns.

Seahawks corner and jackass, Richard Sherman, spewed his noise from the hood to describe Manning’s passing style saying, "His arm, however, is another story.  His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks."

Thursday morning, as Manning addressed the media for the final time before Sunday’s game, he lobbed a good-natured shot back at Sherman, "I believe it to be true as well," he said with a big smile. "I don't think that's a real reach, what he's saying. I've thrown a lot of yards and touchdowns with ducks. I'm actually quite proud of it."

Damn right.

What does the groundhog have to do with all this?  Sunday is Groundhog Day.  I hope Sherman and his Seachickens find themselves in a time loop similar to the one Bill Murray found himself in in the movie Groundhog Day and they watch Peyton Manning throw duck after duck after duck.

GO BRONCOS!

Super Bowl Sunday: Big Doings At Casa De Curmudgeon

The Big Bash for the playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers was a big hit with my neighbors a couple of weeks ago.  It was such a smash in fact that they demanded we do it again for Super Bowl Sunday.

The pressure has been mounting since I agreed to do it.  How do I top my last get together?  So I thunk and I thunk and I thunk.

I decided to go with one of my all-time faves—Frogmore Stew.  The Frogmore is very much like a Low Country Boil.  The big difference is crab legs are added to the boil.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Isn’t Seattle known for its Pike Place Market, the world famous fish market?  True enough.  Let me remind you that Peyton Manning was born in Nawlins.  For the uninitiated, that’s Cajun for New Orleans.  The Frogmore seemed like the perfect tribute to Peyton since it is closely associated with southern Louisiana and the Gulf south.  You see the connection now don’t you?

Frogmore Stew has as its ingredients Kielbasa Sausage, corn on the cob, new red potatoes, shrimp and Alaskan King Crab Legs.  You throw the potatoes in a 65-quart stock pot and let them boil in water to which some Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Crab Boil is added.  You add a couple of tablespoons of concentrated shrimp and crab boil and let the spuds boil for about 15 minutes.

Next you add the corn cobs which are broken in half.  Let those cook for another 15 minutes.  Then you add the Kielbasa sausage.  After about 10 minutes you add the crab legs and shrimp.  After the seafood has boiled for about 5 or so minutes you’re ready to drain off the water and dump everything onto a table that is covered with newspaper.

Place a bunch of ramekins on the table filled with drawn butter and shrimp cocktail sauce for dippin’.  Cut up some lemon wedges and you’ve got one helluva feast.

Clean up is easy.  You just roll everything up in the newspaper and toss it in the trash.

I’m going to stop by the party rental store on Saturday before I head off to work and pick up the three 6-foot banquet folding tables I reserved.  Sunday morning I’ll go the grocery store to pick up the 20 lbs of crab legs and 20 lbs of 10-15 count Gulf shrimp I ordered in advance.

I’ve already made some orange and berry blue Jell-O shooters and the Party Planning Committee is in charge of everything else.  I can’t do it all for cripes sake.

All the party-goers have been carefully vetted to make sure they are Broncos fans.  Seahawks fans are banned.

If a Seahawks fan should breach Casa de Curmudgeon’s DEFCON 5 security system, the ferocious junkyard dog Sophie will crawl in their lap and lick them to death.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Super Bowl Sunday.  Be safe on the road, don’t drink and drive and be sure to root for the Broncos.