South to Seventy - Day Two

It is officially the second day in my trip South To Seventy. I am sidelined in Jersey (not at all seventy degrees) and I couldn't be happier about it. One day and evening has turned into two and although I would be completely content turning it into ten I know I am leaving tomorrow morning for the Dirty South. I am so fortunate to have spent the last two days here - I know it is a really big deal in my life, I can just tell.

Updates:

I have completed twenty seven pages in my CYOA book. I have included twenty five students so far. I still have a lot to go but there is some pretty decent writing in there. I really think that the students are going to like it quite a bit. I just need to keep up the work with it!

I have only completed one song so far which I can chalk up to my much preferring to spend time not working while I am here. Once I'm on my own again I will be doing more of that (although I'm pleased with how much writing I have accomplished in addition to just enjoying myself here).

I'm off for now, more writing to do, another holiday celebration. It may not be seventy degrees where I am but I feel awfully warm inside today.

South to Seventy - The Epic Journey

My trip south to seventy begins tomorrow mid-day after an early Christmas breakfast with my mom. I will be updating as I am able to along the trip - just letting everyone know where I am, what I am doing, and how my goals are coming along.

First, I have eleven pages completed from the CYOA book, which means 129 to go. Daunting, not really - it was actually a ton of fun to write those eleven pages. This will be the big you just need to sit down and actually do it one.

Second, I wrote a first draft of the lyrics of one of my songs. It's more of a theme song than anything else and after re-reading it I can't help but feel that it has a negative feel, which is totally not my intention. Looks like I'm going to have to toy with the lyrics but for now here they are. I will not be recording the album though during my trip, I will be recording it with a real musician after I get back (so I will still be writing all of the songs). I have included the first verse here. Anyone out there wanna be my musician and record all my songs? Currently entertaining offers!

I'm driving south to 70, one way to clear my mind
Only stopping for gas
Stopping to write
Stopping to see what I can find

PS. Thanks odd southern band that has a logo for my trip...

'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

And here I am, sitting in my mother's house. I have a smile on my face and I am genuinely content. I have a terrific mother and a terrific father. I have the most amazing students anyone could wish for, ever, seriously. I have a few really terrific friends. I met a spectacular woman. I'm staring down the proverbial barrel of the best food ever made courtesy of my mother, seventy degree weather on a bike, an amazing Christmas Day (and night), I could not possibly ask for more.

I hope that each and every one of you appreciates the things you have been blessed with as much as I do.

Merry Christmas.

Beaver Nelson "Exciting Opportunity" Album Review (by Matt Dickson)

According to the Beaver Nelson webpage (www.beavernelson.com) Beaver wrote the songs on this album while painting a house in Texas. I'm pretty sure that there is no reason for me to tell you that, but I'll try to create some correlation. Beaver shows that he is clearly a talented multi-tasker. Having the ability to write an entire album while painting a house cannot be an easy task. Beaver shows more of that multi-tasking by providing not only the words for these songs but the majority of the musical arrangements too. I was slightly confused by the beginning of this album. With a name like Beaver Nelson I allowed myself to have some preconceived notions, and he did not live up to any of them for the first three songs of the album. I sat through pop music that was slightly contrived and lacking imagination. Basically music that appeals to very few (if any).

Then the fourth song came on, If You Name a Thing it Dies. Wow. "If you name a thing it dies/ No matter what you try/ If you take it in/ And make it yours/It's not what it was anymore." First lines of the song! This was a great hook and held me through the entire song. This was a beautifully scripted piece of music, and I was shocked that Beaver Nelson created it considering the first three songs of the album. PLEASE do not let the first songs of this album fool you. Beaver Nelson is incredibly talented, and he showcases that talent throughout the rest of the album. The musical styling shifts from pop to something I cannot genreize (not a real word...but it should be). The lyrics and the music begin to really take shape and tell stories. I will leave those stories up to your interpretation, but freedom seems to be a general theme throughout the songs. Humility, the sixth song on this album, shows the lyrical strength and insightful storytelling capabilities of Beaver. The last few songs are more country driven, and Beaver seems to shine with this outlet.

Beaver takes it up a notch with a truly wonderful sad bastard song, titled Nothing Seems Real. This was by far my favorite piece on the album. Haunting lyrics that follow a great rhythm and deliver with each word. Nothing was wasted here, straight music to the soul. This is a song that will be making it on mixed CD's (sorry Andy I haven't had a tape player in about 15 years) and my iPod. Take the time to download it (legally please) and enjoy. The entire song works, but the lyrics burned through me. "Why am I back here?/ Why I am I surprised?/ Just to touch something I once prized/ A growing boy and a shrinking man/ Can't hold nothing with tired hands." Please don't listen to this if you're going through a tough break-up; you'll probably cry for days.

Back to multi-tasking. Beaver Nelson has shown that he can paint houses, write, arrange, play, and sing songs. He can also create incredible pieces of music and create some songs that should have been painted over or scrapped entirely. Beaver Nelson was able to write an album that has themes throughout the songs which tie it together. I hope that he continues to find the freedom and inspiration to create full album themes. I hope that he tours and everybody reading this takes the chance to see him if possible. Mainly I hope that other singer/songwriter's listen to Beaver Nelson and take something away from his music and apply it to theirs, you know multi-task.

On Following Your Own Advice.

Today in school I waxed poetic about how folks need to get up and do something, anything. Just care about something enough that they go and learn something and then do something they've never done before. I railed against the idea that it's alright to just sit at home and watch TV during break because at the very least there were seventy hours of time that they wouldn't be in school normally and they should do something with that time. So I'm going to.

I have plans with a truly amazing woman on New Year's Eve which I am terrifically excited about but prior to that I figured out what I will do. I get off of work on Wednesday, December 24th. After seeing both the folks on the 25th I'm hopping in my car and heading south. This isn't just a road trip for the sake of road tripping, there are several very specific things I intend to accomplish.

1. I will be writing a book. Not the great American novel, a Choose Your Own Adventure book for my students to read that has them in it. 140 pages.

2. I will be writing ten songs. I have no idea what ten songs yet. I haven't written them although I have some ideas. In addition, they will be better than anything I have recorded before (whether that is any real task is debatable).

3. I will be driving south in order to hit 70 degree weather - if only for a day since I will be bringing my bike and I would love to take a nice long bike ride outside without dressing like a tool for it and being incredibly uncomfortable.

Although I am sad that I won't see my students for such an extended period of time I'm excited to do something new, something exciting, and something funny. I hope that each and every one of you who has time off takes a few minutes to learn something, fix something, change something, or just do something meaningful.

Free Download Reviews - Aes, Matt Pond, Paul Wall

There are three releases that you can get online for free right now that I'm going to share short little reviews of right here;

1. At www.definitivejux.com you can get a two song Aesop Rock 'holiday gift' with some art by Jeremy Fish (the genius who did the art for "None Shall Pass"). "Tomorrow Morning" is catchy although a little heavy on the audio clips, a little light on the level of wordplay I've come to expect from Aesop's best writing. Obviously worth it because of its free-ness although it is certainly not his best work. The instrumental actually is kind of more listenable than the version with lyrics (that just sounds mean but it's some awfully catchy music).

2. At www.mattpondpa.com there is a free nine song ep (cleverly/not-so-cleverly titled "Freeep") available for download. Incredibly pleasant, I could (and have) wake up to turn this on to get dressed and put myself in a good mood. "Imperfect" is just nice. "Amazing Life" is almost a country-ish Pixies, clearly a compliment. The instrumentals ("#1", "#3", and "#5") are pleasant. And I guess I could just go on and on about how pleasant it all is but that's really all I have to say about it. Good background music to life but not the soundtrack to it.

3. Go to http://www.raptalk.net/skeetv/ and you can download the DJ Skee mixtape of the new album from Expensive Taste (the self proclaimed "supergroup" of Paul Wall, Skinhead Rob, and Travis Barker - that's not really that super). Good lord this album is terrible. Aside from the god-awful DJ'ing that is being perpetrated on this, Skinhead Rob barely appears on it, Travis Barker is replaced by samples much of the time, and Paul Wall proves that he is only capable of talking about purple booze and grills. Download this only if you are interested in never respecting any of the three of them again.

A.C. Newman's "Get Guilty" CD Review

If an album can catch me in the first verse with the genius of its lyrics then I know I am going to be in for a real treat. A.C Newman blew me away with the first few lines; "There may be ten or twelve things I could teach you/After that well you're on your own/and that wasn't the opening line/it was the tenth or the twelfth one/make of that what you will."

Genius.

It took little work to make what I wanted out of the sophomore solo album from the frontman of the New Pornographers. Nearly every song is contagious in some way, starting off with "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" and it's majestic use of drums and cymbals, Newman barely stops to take a breath from his lyrical poetry. He glides through a piano riff and a guitar reminiscent of some of the best classic rock on "Prophets". The future first single, "Submarines of Stockholm", is infectious but isn't at all the exception to the rule, the whole album goes from 60's garage rock to indie to folk flawlessly. There are even times when I hear touches of what made me fall in love with the Talking Heads (my personal favorite "Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer" for example). The whole time though you can tell it isn't even on his mind to lift someone elses style (if that was the case he'd be answering to too many groups to mention) - he just made an album where he created his own style that just has aspects to it that are reminiscent of some of the best aspects of other groups/genres.

"The Palace at 4 AM" could have been released thirty years ago yet still sounds fresh and original. "Elemental" is similar in that I could imagine it being played on classic rock radio today. At the same time though it's kind of too cool for it to be lumped in with that whole mess.

This is pretty much the catchiest album I've been fortunate enough to hear this year and it's not being released until next year. You can however get one of the best tracks off of the album on his website (http://www.acnewman.net/). Until then you'll just have to wait for the rest, although it's worth it for the ten or twelve songs on the album which will teach you what truly great songwriting is.

Rudi's Portsmouth Restaurant Review

20 High Street
Portsmouth, NH
603.430.7834
www.rudisportsmouth.com/

Some of the best restaurants in any city can be the hidden treasures tucked down side streets and passed around by word of mouth. Rudi's Portsmouth is and is not one of these restaurants.

Situated on High Street right outside of downtown, Rudi's is no task to find thanks to a nice storefront and proper signage. It is located off of the main drag though and the entrance is behind everything giving it the feel of not being downtown at all. It is certainly still downtown and even though foot traffic and atmosphere might make it not as bustling as say, the Brewery, there were still a decent number of folks at the bar area an in the restaurant by 7 PM.

The waiter, Thom, was polite if not particularly personable and was quick to prepare fresh bread for pre-meal snacking. It's fresh-out-of-the-ovenness made it special yet the flavor did little to enhance it. The same would go for the butter which was hardly flavored at all as well. The glass of RK Riesling I had with it was deliciously sweet and the Dark and Stormy my guest had was 'good' according to them.

For the entrees they ordered the Rudy's Burger (8 oz. prime beef, lettuce, tomato, onion & choice of cheese) and I ordered the Beef Two Ways (Braised short rib with sweet orange barbecue sauce & Pan Seared 4 oz. tenderloin with roasted garlic red wine glaze, mashed potatoes & spinach). The fries and garlic aioli sauce that came with the burger were the highlight of that entree and mine was an entirely different story.

The tenderloin was properly cooked rare, was soft (tender if you will), flavorful (enough) and the roasted garlic red wine glaze was excellent (although more would have made the otherwise average mashed potatoes taste much better). The short rib on the other hand was much softer than necessary, almost to the point of mushiness. The sweet orange barbecue sauce was more of a sour, barely orange, Asian flavored sauce than barbecue. Only one half of each meal was exceptional, and even then it would be pushing it to say it was truly exceptional in comparison to other steaks or short ribs I have tasted.

For dessert we ordered the banana cream pie (which I'll have to take my companions word on as being "the best" ever - I'm not a banana sort of fellow). The Chocolate Bundt cake though was average at best. Fluffy and filled with liquid chocolate it was clearly very fresh but lacked any discernible kick to it. The chocolate was average and only the whipped cream added any real flavor. A black coffee was freshly made for me and it was strong and flavorful.

As a restaurant, Rudi's is adorable. Great atmosphere (minus the completely out of place sports bar), romantic but not overdone, comfortable but not too much so. Unfortunately the food landed more in the average category which is a shame since the atmosphere is set for a truly spectacular dining experience.

Ignatius Macfarland: Frequenaut! by Paul Feig

Creating something meaningful is an impressive accomplishment. It's one of the biggest things you can do in life. Create something that matters to folks other than yourself and truly makes some sort of difference in their lives and you have made the world a better place. For many folks a little TV show in the late 90's going by the name of Freaks and Geeks did just that. It let people know they they weren't alone in their immense feelings of isolation in their formative years and that there were things that could help you survive and people who felt the same way you did. Unfortunately the ratings didn't pan out (didn't that happen to Arrested Development and Family Guy...) and so it was cancelled but that isn't why I bring this up. This show was genius, I'm talking the best show ever made, hands down, in terms of plot, cast, acting, and premise. And Paul Feig was responsible for it all.

When I bought the newly re-released full season of Freaks and Geeks in yearbook form (super cool and yet totally not worth the ridiculous price tag) I was so incredibly excited to see, while sitting in my classroom, an insert that creator Paul Feig had not only written a book, he had written a book for middle schoolers. So I immediately went online and ordered it. After school ended I couldn't hold back so I drove to the nearest book store (which didn't have it) and then went to another, larger book store farther away which did. I sped off and got situated so I could being reading what I was sure was going to be my next favorite book (Goodbye Mr. Sherman Alexie, the guy who created Freaks and Geeks is an author now, what did you do before writing?)

And oh boy did it go slowly.

Paul Feig wrote or co-wrote one third of the episodes for my favorite TV show ever and as such I led myself to believe that he would be a terrific writer of material for young adults and children. And in the television / movie sense he most certainly is. How he translates on paper is an entirely different story.

Completely lacking vivid description even the most lucid imagination (such as my own) had trouble imagining the worlds he was trying to create in Frequenaut. At times it even sounded as if Feig had given up instead of putting forth the effort to better describe them as well. There was little to no character development which made it hard to care much about Ignatius or Frank Gutenkunitz (the evil bully from the beginning of the story). The thing about television is you can have someone corner another person and call them "Sam Rear" and because you see it you can infer so much about the situation (as long as the acting is decent enough). If you write something like; "Frank cornered me and called me "Sam Rear" and I was really upset." You are not likely to grab the attention of the reader.

And so this book goes for 353 uninspired pages. Maybe I was expecting too much, that is possible. Whether it is true or not though I know as a reader I deserved more than I received. I guess I'll just wait until he makes something else I can watch, until then I can just be thankful for Freaks and Geeks.

One Last Chance.

One last opportunity to get the new collection of my writing/musical stylings, I'm down to only a few left. Send me your address and I'll send one out.

Oh, and go download "Chicken Fried" by the Zach Brown Band, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, and "The Harbor Is Yours" by Aesop Rock and tell me you aren't smiling after listening to those three. Go ahead, just try.

And if you would like to contribute something please send it along! Thanks!

On Being Discouraged.

I wonder on a daily basis about what the hell is going on in other folks' heads. I mean, do other teachers question their usefulness on a daily basis as I do? Or do they just sort of plow through thinking, 'I'm a trained professional, I am doing this right and if they aren't learning it they aren't trying hard enough'? Do chefs end their shifts thinking, 'Man, oh man, I should have made that fourth steak better than I did, there's no way they were properly satisfied with that'? Am I the insane one for doing that? Or am I the sane one?

I ended today feeling incredibly discouraged and questioning absolutely everything that I did today (in my professional and personal life). Was I not polite enough, was I too short with the students, did I make it clear what I was teaching, did I learn anything, did I teach anything at all? The honest answer is I'm not 100% sure what I accomplished today other than making myself a little self conscious about what I am capable of as a teacher and a human being.

I do know a thing or two about discouragement from my life though.

I know that while not everyone is as hard on themselves as consistently as I have a tendency to be I also know that not everyone has such a sturdy sense of self as I am capable of. I know that even though today was discouraging and I felt that I was a failure of a teacher at the end of the day that on the average day I do much more good than bad and I am proud of that. I know that not every day in life will be roses and puppy dogs as I tell my students but I also know that I should try to do a better job just being content with a smile from a student who is excited about the poem we are reading. I know that I should just keep trying my hardest and not let my discouragement change how I treat my students as that is unfair.

I know that tomorrow I will wake up and I will no longer be discouraged and I'm going to spend tonight trying to make sure what I plan for tomorrow will work. Now I just need to figure out how to plan for how I react if it doesn't go how I'd like it to. In the classroom and in life.

I also know that I have no idea what that picture has to do with this post but it makes me optimistic about life.

One Small Step For Landmines "If You Could Get Over Me" EP Review

If mediocrity was a trembling feeble voice, it would be that of Kevin Allen, lead singer of One Small Step For Landmines. The sort of whiny self-involved uber-sensitive voice that lets you know just how much he feels your pain. How, yeah, life isn't fair all the time, but I'll be darned if we're not going to rise above it, you and me together. And that is really too bad too because the lyrics on their newest (free downloadable) album are actually pretty nice. Unfortunately, the soothing acoustic guitar doesn't overpower the incessant feebility of his voice. Nor does it overpower the sheer stereotypicalness of this album as a whole.

There is nothing new here (other than the fact that it is super cool they are giving the album away and it comes with insert art that you download http://www.myspace.com/onesmallstepforlandmines , oh, and that they are doing a really great benefit show for Invisible Children), so I guess I mean musically there is nothing new here...

If you like sitting alone and moping or maybe even holding someone and being sensitive while contemplating hair-do's this could very well be an album you are going to want to pick up. I on the other hand will pass and hold out for their first instrumental.

Tropic Thunder and Step Brothers Movie Reviews

Back in the day Will Ferrell was a genius, oh and so was Ben Stiller, and John C. Reilly was a reputable actor. Then came Semi-Pro (and to a slightly lesser extent Talledega Nights), and along came Meet the Fockers and Heartbreak Kid and I became disillusioned. Is this really what you are going to do from now on? Simple swear centered humor, that's embarrassing as hell. All the while John C. Reilly is starting to make movies like Dewey Cox (he was Happy Jack in 'Gangs of New York' for God's sake!) I felt as if I was in a vortex of absurd insanity. A world where a two minute online video about a child swearing from someone I used to respect would get as much press as a movie. A world where real actors realized that story line means nothing when the movie going masses are so simple minded. A world I was no longer proud to be a fan of comedies in; it made me sad.

After a self imposed ban on the two of them this year I decided I would give them one more opportunity to redeem themselves and I went out and acquired Step Brothers and Tropic Thunder. These were both movies that I was excited at the possibility of seeing, movies that I thought actually looked good. More importantly though these were two movies which, if they were not good, were going to be putting the proverbial nails in the coffins of two actors I used to absolutely adore.

Step Brothers is a generally hilarious, at times touching, at times not funny at all in the vein of Semi-Pro (although very rarely), and as close to an Old School as Will Ferrell is ever likely to make again. A buddy comedy about two really pathetic and endearing buddies that occasionally takes the cheap laughs route but more often is clever than anything else. John C. Reilly is definitely the highlight of the movie as Dale and although I didn't respect him as an actor per se after it, he guaranteed that I will hold said nails for now, no coffins getting shut after this movie.

Tropic Thunder is an oddity of a movie. It has been some time since Ben Stiller made a truly hilarious movie and Jack Black has done nothing but disappoint me since School of Rock. Robert Downey Jr. on the other hand has been doing awfully well lately with Iron Man coming out this summer and if you've read anything about him on my site you know how I feel about Jay Baruchel as an actor. Cast aside the premise was genius and for that reason alone there was little that could ruin it for me.

The first two thirds definitely made the last third look terrible and cheers to Matthew McConaughey for being great as the Pecker and thanks Tom Cruise for reminding me why I don't respect you at all. Ben Stiller made one creative movie and although it would have been exponentially more impressive if he hadn't gone for quite as many cheap laughs (Jack Black offering fellatio during a heroin withdrawl for example), he still managed to make a movie that I laughed at and wasn't that embarrassed by (which I certainly couldn't say after Along Came Polly).

Both Stiller and Ferrell have each afforded themselves one more opportunity with me and although I may not be the most important guy in their world maybe they should start thinking a little bit more about the movie going masses who aren't just asses and cater to them a little more; it can really pay off.

Interview with Matthew Schofield (Cash from 'The Pain and the Itch')

Could you give me a brief history of your acting experience please.

I've been performing on the Seacoast for about two years currently.

How did you get involved in the Players' Ring?

I got cast in 'Alice in Wonderland' which opened in May '07. It was the first show I did on the seacoast and I made several excellent contacts through my experience with it.

How does the Players' Ring differ from other theatres that you have performed at?

The only other venue I've performed at is the Mill Pond Center in Durham. It's different from other theatres in Portsmouth and the surrounding communities in that it gives local playwrights an opportunity to put their shows on stage in a way that no other theatres currently offer. It's also a way for local companies to put on established pieces that you wouldn't otherwise see. A good example of that being "The Pain and the Itch", which isn't the kind of mainstream entertainment that might find its way into a bigger theatre's schedule. All told, the Ring is one of the friendliest venues for local actors and writers to see their pieces onstage.

You play Cash (in The Pain and the Itch) - a distraught brother, over-involved brother-in-law, personal care physician for your (potentially) abused niece, what aspects of that character are you? What aspects were the hardest to play convincingly?

Cash is someone who says exactly what's on his mind at any given moment. He's incapable of bullshit which makes him the polar opposite of his brother, Clay. He's a fun character to play because he's so unaffected and brutally honest with everyone...which is certainly something that few of us are in our day to day lives, so it's definitely enjoyable to be able to let go of one's natural inhibitions and just say the kind of horrible things we'd otherwise censor. I would say the hardest thing to play convincingly in a character such as that would be making him be more than just a prick who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Making him in some small way someone you the audience member can identify with and perhaps see some unsavory aspect of yourself in. I think in their way Cash and Kalina are the most honest people in the show because of how they are incapable of not telling it how they see it; ironically a trait in them that I think leads them into the conflicts they have with one another.

There are some terrifically uncomfortable scenes in TPATI, how does doing it in a theatre that holds fewer than affect your performance? Has anyone ever gotten vocal in the audience? I know it was hard for me on occasion not to yell something at someone who was being particularly aggravating in their character and I'm pretty laid back.

The best aspect of the Ring is the intimacy between the audience and the actors onstage and in a show like this that’s even more apparent than normal. It makes for a much more intense experience for the audience because there's no comfortable distance between the ugliness and them. As an actor you can really feed off the energy of the crowd in a small space like that. You don't find too many audience members being vocally disruptive but every once in awhile someone will make comments out loud that can be distracting but you just have to plow through during moments like that and they typically don't last long.

What is the role of community theatre?

I think the role of community theatre is basically what I said in describing the great qualities of the Players Ring. Namely giving local artists the opportunity to practice their craft be it performing, writing, directing, etc. Also to give audiences the chance to see works performed that they might otherwise not get the chance to see.

How can folks who are interested in acting take the first step in a town like Portsmouth to get involved?

I would say to anyone who wants to get involved to scan the local papers for audition notices. "The Wire" and the "Spotlight" both tend to have current listings for auditions and keep them updated regularly. The Players Ring also holds an annual cattle call audition in July for their upcoming season which is a great opportunity for someone to get noticed and put their face out there.

Future plans, productions, etc.?

I'm currently involved in two more shows this season at the Ring. Polish Joke by David Ives in late January and Play Ball, a locally written baseball themed vaudeville style production that's at the end of April.

Dead Poets Society : Carpe Diem.

It seems a bit much to review a movie that is nearing twenty years old, especially a movie that made little more than a splash in the cinematic world of most folks (myself included) - so I wont. Starting a poetry unit at school though and considering using at least a few scenes from DPS forced me to watch the movie again and although I still could focus on what I did not like about the movie, I instead choose to focus on what I found valuable about the movie.

1. Life is precious; you truly must seize the day. This does not mean that every day of your life you must do something thrilling and death defying and courageous and exciting (such as skydiving), it just means that whatever you do you must do to the absolute peak of your capabilities. You may be a teacher - teach like your hair is on fire (bad book - good quote). You may be an artist - create as if it will be your enduring masterpiece. You may be a mechanic - fix everything to the absolute best of your ability. Let people around you know that you love them - not by saying it by showing it. Make yourself proud of yourself by the way you act and interact. Seize the day.

2. Life can be incredibly sad but never forget that there are people who care about you. I have never, nor will I likely ever, meet someone who absolutely no one cares about. I hope, if nothing else, that those people in my life who I care about know that I would always be there for them if they were in need and that I do in fact care.

3. Happiness is non-conformity. Find joy in being yourself. Be proud of who you are and be accepting of who other people are.

I couldn't help finding myself with chills as a teacher on occasion while watching this movie. I have a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and I only hope that I can make a fraction of the difference a man like John Keating would.

Muddy River Smokehouse Restaurant Review

21 Congress Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Phone: 603.430.9582
www.muddyriver.com

BBQ is the single greatest food in the world. That isn't an opinion or a judgement call, it is a scientific fact. Now, this isn't to say that BBQ can't be the crappiest thing I've ever eaten but it would be incorrect to say that it wasn't the crappiest form of the greatest food ever created. I've traveled all around the United States specifically to try BBQ. You read that right, I've gone to Kansas City with the intention of eating some BBQ (we're talkin' Arthur Bryants, Gates and Sons, Rosedale, Jack Stack). I went to Texas (Smitty's, Iron Works, John Mueller's). And I went to Minturn, CO (Kirby Cosmo's). Honestly, the last one there blew the others out of the water. No kidding, it's just the best BBQ I have ever had. That is neither here nor there though as we are talking about Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Suffice to say though I've eaten a lot of BBQ and spent my fair share of time trying to recreate many of these things at home (usually to no avail). Muddy River in Portsmouth though offers a few dishes that could stand head to head with their counterparts in KC, Texas, or Minturn, Colorado.

Ribs;

Delicious and offered in three styles (St. Louis, Texas, and Baby Back). The St. Louis are the messiest and the most delicious. Sticky, sweet, just about the best rib I've ever had. Definitely hold their own to, and possibly even surpass, the ribs from their namesake home state.

Pulled pork;

Good although depending on the night it can be dry (even lathered in a slightly too oily sauce). When the pork is good it is amazing, when it isn't at the top of its game it is no better than what I make at home with an oven and an allrecipes.com sauce.

Sides;

Muddy fries are heart attack inducingly good (fries, or even better, homemade chips, slathered in cheese, bacon, sour cream, and scallions). The sweet potato fries are flawless - crisp and delicious.

Beer;

What a terrific selection of locally made beers and specialty beers (Shipyard, Long Trail, Redhook, Rogue, a great selection of British favorites and more) - something literally for everyone (except children of course...)

Great atmosphere with the picnic tables and giant fake trees, not to mention the ginormous black board with the menu listed on it. Fun place to grab a meal, grab a few beers, make a mess, leave contented. Although occasionally hit or miss with some items, it would be impossible to come here and not get at least a few hits throughout the course of the meal.

Christmas at the Ramada by Dawn Potter

In response to my request for guest contributors, Dawn just sent me an excerpt from a longer, 4-part poem that is coming out in 'How the Crimes Happened' (CavanKerry Press, 2010). I know few other living poets who I find this pleasurable to read. Thanks Dawn for sharing. Happy Holidays and enjoy!


1. The Lobby

Ramada nearly rhymes with armada
a disarming coincidence, O notes,
as she shoves apart the glass doors

for lingering K and they step into
a Wonderland of holiday cheer
so cheerless she pictures just how hard

the squirrel-faced girl at the front desk
must have laughed when, the day
after Thanksgiving, a burly crew

of Portuguese teens crammed the pale
lobby with misshapen Edwardian carolers
and a giant twitching Santa with a gold-

lamé belt and a broken nose. Across the grubby
carpet, two mechanical elves lugubriously
negotiate a seesaw; the check-in counter

is bestrewn with large rats sporting Mr. and Mrs.
Claus outfits; and toward the lounge, a pair
of handyman snowmen wash and sweep

with the enthusiasm of wind-up convicts.
“Ramada/armada, ramada/armada,”
murmurs O. The air is lightly filled

with the tones of Christmas carols
so faint they might be the rustling
of bat wings. The lobby smells of dust

and industrial rug shampoo.
Beyond the night-time glass, asphalt looms.
The lights of Route 6 tout good prices

and fun. Cars stuffed with after-dinner
shoppers mutter past, tires scraping sand,
satisfaction imminent as a blizzard. O signs up

for a smoking room, a king-sized bed. K thumbs
postcards and examines a rat. In their veins,
the spirit of Christmas surges like bourbon.

Zampa Restaurant Review

8 Exeter Rd. (Rte. 27 & Hwy. 125)
Epping, NH 03042
(603)-679-8772
www.zampa.com

The old adage that location is everything isn't always that true - but it certainly does help. Zampa, located on a busy stretch of 125 in Epping across from a gas station and bordering no other establishments may have a prime location to spot it while driving home in rush hour traffic but it doesn't have much else to say for itself. From the outside, it looks cute (yes, that's the best was to describe it) and unassuming (read: small) but the inside has an entirely different feel.

Although definitely still cozy, Zampa has two rooms, a main dining area with a bar in it and a smaller more removed side section where we opted to enjoy our dinner. The decor itself was terrific, simple tile tables in checkerboard fashion, Christmas decorations galore, lights, very cozy with relatively comfortable chairs. It didn't hurt dining there on a Monday night either as we were afforded the smaller room entirely to ourselves and the only rowdy-ish person in the place was a middle aged man talking to anyone near him about politics who sounded like a talk radio host droning on in the background. The separation of the rooms made for a nice private dining experience.

The waitress brought the wine menu along with breadsticks accompanied by a delicious chipotle aioli sauce. She was enthusiastic about the entire menu and although one of the first things that caught my eye was not available that night she explained the several specials that were taking its place. We ordered a bottle of Due Torri (Italy) and the Lavender Honey Spare Ribs as an appetizer and placed our orders for dinner.

Our server was attentive with water and the ribs arrived shortly after, four large ones served with homemade chips. The ribs themselves were melt-in-your-mouth soft and although they were not bland by any stretch of the imagination they were not particularly flavorful either. As for the chips that were served with them they were soft and as such not particularly enjoyable. The Due Torri however was quite delicious and went well with the meat.

As it should be with any good dining experience, the food came slowly, the wine poured at the same pace. Our waitress brought out our main courses as we were nearing finishing our bottle of wine.

I ordered the Steak Frites alla Zampa rare (a Porcini dry-rubbed and grilled 12 oz. certified Angus New York Strip steak finished with a Chive compound butter) and had the pommes frites as recommended. We also ordered the Bigoli Bowl (Zampa-made thick extruded wheat pasta tossed with a sauté of wild mushrooms, winter leeks, fresh sage
and garlic in a hazelnut pumpkin cream accompanied with grilled rosemary foccacia). The presentation was nice and although the tables were small they fit our meals and drinks with just enough space to not feel crowded.

The steak was cooked properly rare yet was not particularly impressive. It was chewier than a Niman ranch steak should be expected to be, no matter how it is cooked and although the chive compound butter helped it was still a pretty average piece of beef. The pommes frites and the sweet potato that were served with it though were two completely different stories. Each was a veritable explosion of flavor and had they been served as the main course with a smaller piece of steak it actually would have been a completely acceptable meal.

Although the word bigoli actually means extruded wheat pasta it aptly fit the giant bowl of pasta and extras that were served with it. The homemade pasta was thick, and relatively al dente as a result as well as delicious. Wild mushrooms were certainly in abundance and the hazelnut pumpkin cream sauce wasn't overpowering at all - all in all a terrific bowl of pasta.

Halfway through the meal we opted for a bottle of 2 Princes Riesling (Germany) which was a perfect combination for the pasta and actually proved to be a delicious wine to pair with dessert as it was much sweeter than the Due Torri.

For dessert we shared the Mississippi Mud Bourbon Cake which was served warm with a good deal of homemade whipped cream. Little bourbon could be tasted and the warm chocolate cake barely even tasted homemade. Also, as much as I love a cup of diner coffee, the coffee I ordered here resembled it a bit too much for a restaurant that had just served such a delicious dinner.

All in all Zampa was an enjoyable experience. The atmosphere was beyond relaxing, the waitstaff was friendly and helpful, the food, overall, was quite good, and although I had some reservations about some aspects of what we had ordered I would not hesitate to go here again.