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October 5th, 2009

Day 5: Phoneticism Fanaticism

It’s hard to swallow, this issue. There’s something that we, as a nation, need to get out on the table. Yes, it’s time for…something, something…third eating-related expression. As we speak, there is a subset of delicious candy items that goes by a name that is being horribly butchered and distorted.

I am speaking of Reese’s. Those delightful confections produced by a division of the Hershey’s corporation.

This moniker, I think we can all agree, was chosen because “Reese” was someone’s last name. Who was Mr. or Ms. Reese? The visionary genius who first had the idea to combine peanut butter and chocolate to create a snacking experience unlike any other? I have no clue. What I do know is that you say the last name in question like this: “Ree-sss.”

I’m sorry, but it’s “Ree-sez.” They are “Ree-sez Cups” and they are absolutely “Ree-sez Pieces.”

I am at a loss as to why some folks choose to go with “Ree-sees” as their pronunciation of choice.

I guess it really bothers Kate, as she recently called both Steph and Bliss out when she heard them her utter this treat’s name.

Bliss did present a pretty good argument for the two of them when she pointed out that if you say it like that, when you say “Reese’s Pieces” the two words sound just alike. I’d never thought of it that way and the more I considered that fact, the more I realized that it is not even close to true. For it to work that way it requires “pieces” to be said “pee-sees” as in “This will be a pee-see of cake” or “Does anyone want this last pee-see of pizza?”

What was funny was how this small problem dawned on the two of them, just as Bliss finished stating their case. “I think ‘Ree-sees’ is the way it’s said. [Steph nodding emphatically.] Then when you say “pie-ces” it…will…rhyme? [Steph, no longer nodding, clearly lost in thought.]”

In conclusion, don’t listen to the Ree-see-ers of the world. Their reasoning is a complete pile of fee-sez.

Tags: 14 posts, Family, Friends, Happenings - 1 Comment »

November 6th, 2008

My Fellow Americans…

it’s a few days after the big event now and I know what’s on everyone’s mind: “How was the beer you made?”

Pretty darn good, friends.

Because Jerry and I served it at the absolute earliest point when it was ok to do so, it was on the bitter side. We had to stop in at the homebrew store the morning of the party to have Jerry’s keg looked at, and one of the employees tried it and told us that in a few weeks it would “mellow out.” (I’m not sure what a guy who can sip on a sizable glass of bitter beer at 10 in the morning without so much as flinching’s definition of “mellow” is, but I find this encouraging.) The flavors of the spices and roasted pumpkin (that we steeped rather than actually added) were pretty subdued, which does seem like a sophisticated and desirable result, but you’re also dealing with a guy who uses a garden trowel to add nutmeg to his hot cider. The way I see it, we basically have a Pale Ale on our hands. Pale Ale is a type of beer people either love or they hate. I’m on team “love”; whether it “mellows” or not, you won’t hear me complaining.

The five gallons in the keg disappeared during the party, meaning at least some folks came back for seconds and thirds.

But now, let’s move on to the foreign exchange students that showed up at the party.

Last week, our friend May, who is in grad school, mentioned to a classmate from Japan that she was attending our Halloween party over the coming weekend. That classmate took this as an invitation to the party and later in the week shared with our friend that she had bought her first ever Halloween costume (as they do not have Halloween in Japan) and was very excited to be attending her first Halloween party. In addition, she asked if she could bring a friend who was also here from Japan and two friends who were here from China, as they now had costumes and had never been to Halloween parties either…. There’s no way I could have set that record straight and uninvited these people? Could you?

May called Steph to fill us in on the situation and make sure it was ok and, sure enough, well ahead of May, dressed in the exact costumes that foreign TV and advertising probably shows everyone in the US wearing on Halloween, they arrived.

And the pumpkin, the princess, Dracula, and the killer from Scream were ready to do this Halloween thing right. After entering our house and shakily making introductions to a few of us, they seemed to loosen up and their cameras came out and the questions started flying. (Incidentally, can you formulate, without flipping over to Wikipedia, a rational answer as to why we celebrate Halloween? One of the guys asked me this question and I believe my response went something like “Would you care for another beer? I made it, you know.”)

Steph assembled some impromptu treat bags for the four of them, with candy and various Halloween party favors. They found this extremely exciting. I think they were also fascinated that we had all just chosen whatever we wanted as costumes — that some outfits were scary and some were funny and some were just plain irreverent. There was no aesthetic or theme holding everything together, which, when you think about it, is a little strange. This is not to say they weren’t over the moon everytime they saw someone dressed up as something they recognized. I think the biggest response was elicited by Thurston’s Mario costume or that of our friend Megan who, with no prior knowledge of our of Asian guests, came dressed as a panda.

I don’t think they would have had the time they did if so many of the people we know weren’t so damned inclusive. Steph and I both are both highly sensitive to situations where someone could feel left out — probably because, at numerous points in past, that someone was us — and we both tend to go out of our way to try and make “outsiders” feel welcome. I knew we couldn’t attend to our foreign guests and play hosts at the same time, and I felt torn about what to focus on for a brief moment, before I realized the exchange students were already engaged in lively conversations and photo shoots and candy-eating sessions.

If you ever decide to go out on a limb and attend an event that is completely ingrained in an unfamiliar culture, pray it’s with a group like our friends.

Tags: DIY, Food, Friends, House - No Comments »

July 15th, 2008

Mustache Superlatives: No Longer Just an Excellent Name For a Band

Yes the ’staches came out to shine at SarahRice’s “’Stache Bash” last Saturday. It was truly a red-carpet gala event. Here’s the rundown of some of the night’s best ’staches:

1. Best Dressed….
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