Text 2090, 103 rader
Skriven 2006-06-13 10:39:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: talking to oneself 801
==============================
Nothing's working. The new modem is at Carol's, and I am not.
I'd counted on stealing wireless, but it doesn't work. I've
been going off to the club/office to get Ethernet, but I
find that although the Ethernet works, my brain doesn't, and
I can't concentrate for long periods (nothing long-lasting I
hope, just this nagging low-grade headache).

What's the solution.

Spider solitaire. That and Tylenol, which I shouldn't be
taking.

This was always Carol's game - I did Freecell and got pretty
good at it, but I couldn't figure Spider out at all. Until
two days ago. Breezed through a couple hundred games since
then.

Questions about Spider solitaire.

1. Why the name? My guess is that, as with many other
things, it sucks you in gradually, and "once tasted, always
wanted." And then you're hooked.

2. Does it get harder as you play? I was doing Medium,
and once I got the hang of it, my success rate went from
nil to 33% and then took a plunge to 25-ish. I had a run
of about a dozen losses, which got frustrating, until I
started analyzing the hands. You play with 4 decks, i.e.,
208 cards. On one game, I was doing fairly peachy, and
then ground to a complete halt. I hadn't seen any black
tens. This means that 0 of 182 cards played were black
tens, and 4 of the last 26 cards were. This seems to be
a somewhat small probability event. Other games show
similar anomalies. One game didn't have an 8 come up
until there were only 29 cards left. I gave up doing the
numbers shortly after, but the trend is like this. I gave
up on Spider solitaire shortly after. But will perhaps
give it a go again for a game or ten this evening.

3. Does turning off the animation feature make the game
harder? I have never won a game with the animation
feature off, about half the games I played.

Bored minds want to know.

Okay, I'll start working on my travelogue now.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Grilled Quail and Andouille Sausage Ragu
 Categories: Emeril, Games, Sausages
      Yield: 4 Servings

      8    Semi-boneless quail, split
           Down the back and back bone
           Removed
      2 tb Olive oil
           Essence
    1/2 lb Ground andouille sausage
  1 1/2 c  Chopped onions
      1 c  Chopped green bell peppers
      1 tb Chopped garlic
      2 c  Fresh tomatoes, peeled,
           Seeded and chopped
      1 c  Dry red wine
      2 c  Veal reduction
    1/4 c  Chopped green onions
      1    Recipe of Wild Pecan
           Dressing
      1 tb Finely chopped fresh parsley
           Leaves
      4    Pieces of crusty French
           Bread

  Preheat the grill. Season the quail with 1 tablespoon of the olive
  oil and Essence. Grill the quail for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
  Remove from the grill and set aside. In a large skillet, over
  medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When
  the oil is hot, add the sausage and render for 3 minutes. Add the
  onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for
  3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Stir
  in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2
  minutes. Add the wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 2
  minutes. Add the veal reduction and bring the mixture back to a boil.
  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the quail, cover and simmer for 10
  minutes. Remove from the heat. To serve, spoon the Wild Pecan Rice in
  the center of each plate. Place 2 quails over each pile of rice.
  Spoon the sauce over the rice and garnish with parsley. Serve with
  crusty bread.

  Yield: 4 servings

  SOURCE: Emeril Live! Cooking Show Copyright 1998, TV FOOD NETWORK;
  SHOW #EMIB69 - TAILGATING

  MM Format by Dave Drum 12 January 2000 FROM: Uncle Dirty Dave's
  Kitchen

MMMMM

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Try Our Web Based QWK: DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)