Inquiring Minds Want to Know.....

Way back in the 70's, I attended a Boy Scout camp where we were taught how to use firearms, as well as the bow and arrow. I also had an Uncle (Uncle Marvin) who used to take us out shooting in the back 40 of his farm (yes, farms really do have "back 40's. His was full of cowpies and old farm machinery.) That is the sum total of my experience with guns. But even I know enough about hunting to know you never whirl around at shoot at things behind you. You keep to your 30 degree line of site (or something like that. I know the rule had a degree involved which meant that you don't just fire blindly) Keeping your shooting to things in front of you isn't a big deal, especially when you are "hunting" a bunch of animals that were just released from a cage, which hardly seems sporting to me in the first place.

But back to my main point: Who among us, dear readers, would be able to shoot someone, go home and have a cocktail and a good meal, decline to meet with a law enforcement officer, wait until the next day to make it public, and then schlep it off on your hostess to handle? These are all parts of the official story. These are also the hallmarks of a really bad guest.

If for some reason I had shot a friend or acquaintance, or even something I was actually hunting, I can tell you unequivocably that I would be horrified, and drinking would be the last thing on my mind. In all honesty, I'd probably be throwing up. Even in the week before my Dad died - who I most certainly did NOT shoot - and up through the funeral, I had absolutely no desire to drink. That has to be some sort of record for me, but I just didn't want to. What was happening was way too intense for alcohol.

I don't know what happened down in Texas. But I do know this, just from Cheney's version of the story: This guy is a jerk and a sociopath - and he has no business being our Vice-President.

And just to bring this back to furnishings and china (to keep a certain Eagle Scout happy): If I were serving quail, I would have a side of Polenta or a roasted root vegetable blend, with a mixed green salad and a berry viniagrette. I would use the Metlox Navajo, and pair it with a nice solid Cab/Merlot blend. But Quail isn't that good. It's sort of like Cornish game hen, so I would probably never serve it. I'd opt for duck, if I wanted game. And I'd buy it at the store.