The Playoffs Are On The Line

The playoffs are on the line. This says it all.

Seventh Night of Hanukkah Train

It's the seventh night of Hanukkah. The little Hanukkah train races around its track, passing the great synagogue, and circling the menorah. We're trying a new format for this night's movie. Click here to see it.

Sixth Night of Hanukkah Train

On the sixth night of the Festival of Lights, the little Hanukkah train travels once more along its track, circling the menorah. Click here to see it.

Bottom Union Posts Our Carp Caviar Promo

Bottom Union has posted the Carp Caviar Promo we submitted as part of their December game. Compared to the works of art submitted by others, our entry is pretty lame, but it is the first one that discusses the merits of gefilte fish. Well, as the Taoists say, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" and, if you give a man a jar of gefilte fish, that's a good nosh.

Fifth Night of Hanukkah Train

On the fifth night of the Festival of Lights, the little Hanukkah train's journey around the menorah is better lit as five candles and the shammos guide the way. Click here to see the movie.

Happy Anniversary!

This is the anniversary of the day that Mr. and Mrs. Great Stone Face were wed.

Darling, thank you for all the wonderful years.

All my love forever and ever,
Moose

4th Night of Hanukkah Train 5766

On the fourth night of Hanukkah, our little train continues its nightly journey around the hanukkiah, the Hanukkah menorah. Click here to see and hear it in motion.

3rd Night of Hanukkah Train 5766

The little Hanukkah train continues to travel around the menorah on the 3rd night. Click here to see it.

Carp Caviar Promo

Bottom Union has asked viewers to submit Carp Caviar Promos during December 2005. You can view our entry by clicking here.

Drifting Away Thoughts

January is fast approaching and many of our friends who work for the Federal Government in DC are retiring. Some will go onto post-retirement jobs, maybe as consultants back to the Feds. Others will just enjoy themselves, buy that cottage in Florida with the terra cotta roof and the palm trees, play golf and tennis, and travel.

If you still have "little ones" in college or a few years to go until retirement age, you just wave goodbye, go back to your desk, and sigh.

Virtual 3rd Night Menorah

In preparation for the third night of Hanukkah 5766, take a look at Steve Garfield's Virtual Menorah.

Hanukkah 5766 - Second Night

Click here or on photo for video.

The little Hanukkah train continues on its track around the menorah as we light the candles on the second night of Hanukkah 5766 (2005).

It's traditional to eat food cooked in oil during Hanukkah, to commemorate that the one day's amount of oil used by the Maccabees to rekindle the Eternal Light in the Temple at Jerusalem miraculously lasted instead for eight days. Tonight, instead of potato latkes, our family fried some breaded (matzoh meal) chicken cutlets. In Italy, instead of fried potato pancakes, Jews eat fried chicken on Hanukkah. With some tomato-basil sauce, it goes great with spaghetti.

Hanukkah 5766 - First Night & Day

Well, quite a busy 24-25 Kislev 5766 (25-26 December 2005). Today, it was the post-Dec. 25th sales, but yesterday afternoon, we saw "The Producers". It was very funny all the way through. Don't expect it to be like the film with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. It definitely is a Broadway musical transferred to film -- very broad and in your face. Try to count all the lines stolen from previous Mel Brooks films, although I never heard "It's good to be the king." Also, stay until the very end; there's even more after the credits. We went with friends and ran into two other families from our synagogue at the theatre. I'm sure there were plenty of Jews there on Dec. 25th. After the film, we got together for an early dinner at Todai (a Japanese buffet in Fairfax, VA) with two families we've known for years. Our kids have grown up together and now all are in college, grad school, or the working world. Then, it was back home to light and bless the shammos and the first candle of Hanukkah 5766. Chag Hanukkah Sameach, a Very Happy Hanukkah to all! Click to see little Hanukkah train travel around the first candle of Hanukkah.

Latkes & Football

Redskins 35, Giants 20 - Hooray!

Got up at 7 a.m. this morning and made hamburger patties for our tailgate. We loaded the propane campstove, table, & gear in the van. Seven of us left for FedEx Field at 9:15. Traffic was surprisingly great. Since Hanukkah starts tomorrow night, we feasted on latkes (from a mix I made on site), then on burgers and beer (soda for the -21 kid). I highly recommend making burgers with Rudy's "Sause" from Austin, TX. The weather was outstanding today -- in the 50's and clear. And, of course, the Redskins won. The traffic coming home was horrible -- got back at 6:30 p.m. Long day, but it certainly made for a delightful start to the holiday season.

Hanukkah Train

Click picture or here to view video.

As promised, in anticipation of Hanukkah starting on Sunday night, here is a little video of our N-scale Hanukkah train traveling around the menorah.

Dec. 25th is Coming!

Click the photo for a close-up of the Hanukkah Express!

Well, Dec. 25th is quickly approaching -- and you know what that means! Movies and Chinese dinner! The Stone Faces are thinking about being nontraditional this year and going to a Japanese buffet. Last year's candle wax is being cleaned off the menorah and the track is being put down for the Hanukkah Express. Then we'll switch from east Asian food to west Asian food -- latkes and sufganiyot!

Capital Punishment: Washington Routs Dallas, 35-7

Click here for video.

On Sunday, December 18, 2005, the Dallas Cowboys had absolutely no answer for the Washington Redskins. On a day in which Drew Bledsoe was sacked seven times and committed four turnovers, Washington quarterback Mark Brunell fired four touchdown passes in the first half as the Redskins dominated Dallas, 35-7, in pivotal NFC East game at FedExField. Sunday's loss means the Redskins (8-6) are now tied with Dallas (8-6) for second place in the NFC East. Both teams are two games behind the first-place New York Giants (10-4). It also marked the Redskins' first season sweep of the Cowboys since 1995.

ALCES, ALCES! RAH, RAH, RAH!

Click here to view video.

Brake for moose. It could save your life.

Dallas Week

The roads were icy this morning. Accidents all over the place. Got into work late. But, it's Dallas Week, so things are alright. The game is on at 4:15 p.m. Sunday. Make or break time for Washington. Go 'Skins!

Ice Ain't Nice

Schools closed early or didn't open. Roads icy. Evening meetings cancelled. At least the office party went well, and we all got home safely.

Savory Palmiers ("Elephant Ears")

Can you believe we were asked for our palmier recipe? Basic recipe's from Barefoot Contessa. Some changes: Use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. Spread 13"x13" square with half jar of Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (stir to get oil incorporated). Forget 3/8" slice business. Just keep slicing roll in half down to 16 even slices. Rechill in fridge about 10 mins. Eyeball till brown, flip & eyeball again. Another filling: mix half jar of Peloponnese Kalamata Olive Spread & half cup of grated romano cheese. Olive/cheese spread is drier and pastry puffs up more than pesto.

North Pole News

Click here to view a video. Yes, Northern Virginia, there is a Vlog Santa. On December 11, 2005, we appeared on his show at Minnesota Stories, when he answered our question about Rocky & Bullwinkle. Cool.

Well, tomorrow is Thursday, the day of our office party. The weather report predicts some snow and lots of freezing rain.

We baked some (96) savory palmiers for the party, some filled with sun-dried tomato pesto and others with black olive tapenade mixed with grated pecorino romano cheese. The recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa. Mrs. Great Stone Face has her office party on Friday, but she has a lot fewer folks at her office, so she suggested we split the palmiers up 2/3 for me and 1/3 for her.

We hope the weather allows us to have the party. A lot of people worked very hard to make and/or buy food. If it's delayed, we guess we'll try to freeze the pastry. Did you know it's going to be 79 ° and partly cloudy (20% chance of isolated thunderstorms) in Port St. Lucie, Florida, tomorrow? You can learn a lot from Joe's Disco Weather Central. Here in the DC area it'll be 33 ° with ice pellets.

Stay safe and don't fall on the ice -- you might break your fifth metatarsal bone.

Some Moose Just Don't Belong

Please be advised that, while this Blog is operated largely for and by entities of the moose persuasion, we have nothing to do with this woman.

Redskins Beat Cardinals to Stay in Race

Click here to view video.

Redskins 17, Cardinals 13

More snow. More yuck. Brrrright signs.

More snow tonight and into tomorrow. WHY am I here? Oh well, at least parties start this weekend. One Saturday night in Maryland and an open house in Fairfax on Sunday. The kids are filtering home, at least most of them, through New Year's. THAT'S why I'm here.

Yuck, snow

Well, we got the first snow of the season. At least it wasn't too bad. I was able to get out of the driveway and go to work. Is that good? I spent last weekend in Florida where the temperature was in the 70's -- today near 80. Why am I here?

Bad News and Good News

Well, the UNH Wildcats lost to Northern Iowa on Saturday and are out of the NCAA Div. 1-AA football tournament. Bummer. On Sunday, the Redskins won large. Hurray.

Mr. Six & Dan, Best Friends Forever?

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has been appointed nonexecutive chairman of Six Flags Inc. by a unanimous vote of the board, the company said on Dec. 1st.

Wildcats vs. Panthers - Dec. 3rd

UNH WILDCATS vs. NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
SAT., DEC. 3rd - 11:00 a.m. (EST)

This second round game of the NCAA I-AA football playoffs is in Durham, NH. It'll be on ESPN Game Plan (pay per view) and tape delayed on ESPN-U at 9:30 p.m. (EST). Of course, it'll be on radio & TV in New Hampshire -- no good for UNH fans in Northern Virginia. Yahoo! will carry the audio on the Internet starting at 11:00 a.m. (EST) the day of the game.