Thursday, April 23, 2009

How come Matty and Sonny never played this sport?

Competitive firefighting. The best event is a combination of drag racing and ladder climbing. A verbal description of it can't be adequately comprehended by anyone who hasn't had at least a few beers. You have to see it done to appreciate it.

This video also has the drag racing, hose laying and hose control event.

You'll have to check out some of the other related videos if you want to see the competitive ladder climbing and bucket brigade event. That's pretty nifty too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ZSSwTsmrY&feature=related

Incidently, I celebrated Earth Day by picking a couple of plastic supermarket bags of broccoli rabe. I steamed it for three minutes and then mixed it with a bulb of chopped garlic and a bunch of olive oil while it was still hot. I sprinkled on salt several times as I gently mixed it. It took a surprising amount of salt. I was careful with the timing of the blanching and gentle with the mixing because I took a lot of flak from Mom and Aunt Mary one time for turning a batch of rabes too mushy.

I saute'd a nice portion for a few minutes in olive oil to take the heat out of the garlic and we had that with dinner. The rest is in four freezer containers that will provide the makings of a lot of sandwiches. I like it with boiled ham on either a seeded hard football roll (which is the best as long as one has teeth strong enough to handle it) or on sliced seeded split loaf from Corropolese. I also like to put a little mayonnaise on that sandwich, which used to make Pop nuts when he saw me do it. Pop had a very negative opinion of mayonnaise.

1 comment:

Angie said...

Hey Sull....I believe that Matty and Sonny would have participated in this sport in their "physical days" if it existed. I am sure Matty could have shared some similar stories from back in the day of military training and fire fighting. Will have to check with Matthew to see if something like this did occur. As for Sonny, I can see him in the driver's seat!!! You will have to ask him about the days when he would take my father's 64 Chevy to the races and the next day the State Police, while having coffee at Babe's, would tell my Dad that they saw his Chevy on the track last night!!! lol
Loved the broccoli rabe recipe and yes, I too, went out yesterday to celebrate Earth day by putting on my green sweater and taking my own plastic bags to the supermarket and filled them up with paper plates and plastic forks so that I don't have to do dishes anymore. Now I can help with the drought out here, but continue to fill up the Pacific!! :( j/k