Depsite my running around yesterday finalizing my Christmas errands, I took time out in the afternoon to watch the Redskins game while I wrapped presents. I had been stuck on the Beltway in pre-game traffic: cars with Redskins' flags flapping on the antenna, a "Dallas Sucks" van broken down on the shoulder. I had seen an entry on the blog The Blinding Glare of the Obvious (quarterback: Lizzie) who had posted about football, so I left a comment, to which she responded immediately, then our blog pal Chairborne Stranger (quarterback: CS) started making entries from Iraq, where he is serving in the military, in response to what we were saying. It all got a little surreal at one point where CS was pretending to go to the kitchen to fix us junk food snacks.
I admire Joe Gibbs for making the sign to kill the playing of "Momma, Don't Let Your Sons Grow Up To Be Cowboys," toward the end of the game. Class move on his part. HOWEVER...sometimes Gibbs weirds me out with his juju's of never cracking a smile during a game, the drop-to-your-knees prayer strategies, etc. It's almost like he's got a black cat bone and mojo around his neck like he's waiting for Baron Samedi to come waltzing out on the playing field.
I mixed up cookie dough at half time, and I was already resigned to baking in advance of the end of the game if things got really sucky. They didn't, and I was able to watch it all the way through. It was worth it, even if I was still baking cookies at midnight.
Postscript: Today the Washington Express picked up a blurb on this piece, which was nice, but off to the side they said "Washington Cube finds Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs to be rather creepy." Nothing could be further from the truth. I was being flippant when I said he weirded me out with some of his on the playing field habits, but the truth is many people involved in sports, theatre, and other endeavors develop little patterns and rituals to not jinx themselves. I jokingly referred to superstitions, but in Mr. Gibbs' case, I know that is not it. I am sure he is well aware of the dangers of hubris, but it's not even in the man's nature to gloat in victory.
Some time ago, I saw an interview with Mr. Gibbs regarding his race car business and how he handled employees. He is the dream employer. He shows so much respect to his employees, and he sets such a superior moral and ethical level of operation that I can't think of a better person to work for (and with) in any occupation. To me, Joe Gibbs sets the model and standard we should all be pursuing in our careers, and I can't praise him enough. I am so embarrassed that they printed out that I thought he was creepy, when nothing could be further from the truth. The Express has made me regret my tease. Mr. Gibbs is a role model for us all.
My Mother's Christmas
Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the white and brown sugar, the softened butter and eggs in one bowl. Mix the baking soda, flour and salt in another bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture, and then add the vanilla extract. Work in the oats. Roll into logs about the size of a sushi roll (6 inches long x 1 1/2 inches wide) and wrap each roll in wax paper. Freeze or harden the dough. When ready, cut the logs into pieces about 1/2 inch thick (you may need to shape them slightly back into "rounds"), and put on ungreased baking sheets. Space about 2 inches apart, because the cookies do spread, sometimes up to four times their size. Bake ten minutes* and cool on racks. Makes five dozen. These freeze well.
*I tend to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through bake time, no matter what type of cookie I am making.
*** Remember: You can also find Washington Cube at:
Washington Cube http://washingtoncube.blogspot.com/
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