New day at the Herald and News

It was a big week at the Herald and News. We celebrated the last press run on the old press last Saturday and initiated the new press on Sunday night. And then there was a big grand opening on Friday with the governor, a senator and many longtime subscribers. Joanna is just happy to be rid of the annoying negative machine at the old building, and excited about using more color in the paper. A photo of the new press (big blue) is to the right.

And the living is easy

After living in Alaska for eight years, Joanna collected a very large wardrobe of sweaters, thick socks and long-sleeve shirts. Well, it took a while, but her closet has finally caught up with the Klamath Falls climate and its 90-degree July temperatures. Her toes are finally getting used to seeing the sun — bring on the flip-flops and the short-sleeve shirts!
Attached you will find a lovely photo of Steve at the Wynoochee dam in Washington. We went to visit Steve's mom and stepdad and had a peaceful Fourth of July week. Even Elvis went on vacation.
Don't fall down!

Birthday Cakes central...Return of the "Slot System"...Grass, Weeds, lots of weeds...Elvis Event of the Week

It was Birthday Week at the Herald & News. Two of Joanna's co-workers celebrated turning another year older, and to show them her appreciation for their work, she promised to bake them both their own cake. Well, she had an editor seminar in Reno, NV this week, and was out of town for the birthdays. It fell to Steve to bake the cakes. Thank goodness both Amanda and Ross wanted carrot cake! Thank goodness for Channel 12 Janet. She came by and helped Steve with the cakes. We also made carrot cupcakes for a baby shower she was going to attend. She was in charge of the dry ingredients and Steve dealt with the wet ingredients and the shredding of the carrots. The above picture is of Ross making a wish before blowing out the candles.
While in Reno, Joanna was able to use her "Slot System" and won $13. She also enjoyed a traditional German meal of some sort of sausage with potato pancakes and beer and something else ending in "zntl." She had a good time, learned lots and was missed by Steve and Elvis.
The weather has turned, and spring is here. It will be close to 80 degrees a couple of times this week, and Steve's assault on dandelions resumes. Right now, the dreaded weeds have the upper hand. With the help of a weed whacker, a trowel, a bit of pesticide and some pluck, the war will be won. Joanna also plans on a return to gardening. Not one to disheartened by a complete failure of all crops last year, J-Mark has washed her grass-stained coveralls and is ready to overcome Earwigs, weeds and poor soil to grow herbs, flowers and perhaps a crop of corn. Come on down in late August and have an ear.
Little dog has not had any playmates for quite a while, but in Elvis Event of the Week , he renewed his friendship with Buddy the Beagle. The same beagle that was involved in the Thanksgiving dinner roll incident, which led to Elvis being on steroids. He sure misses Tucker and Fred!
That is all. Have a great week, and remember; don't fall down!

Can you say "Hot Dish"?...Mary Ann McBride,MVVP (Most Valuable Vacation Partner)...Elvis Event of the Week

Steve was afraid to make Hot Dish. A child of the Midwest, Joanna knows the comfy food of the plains. Not merely a casserole, but an institution. An intimate portrait of "down home cooking" in North Dakota. Hot Dish is the unpretentious offering of a great meal, made for the soul. Made from, and for the generous Midwest heart. Steve did not think he was up to challenging Joanna's treasured childhood memories of this most American of meals. but he had to try. Here is the recipe he attempted.

Hot Dish (Norte Americano Tamale Pie)
from "Hot Dish Heaven" by Ann L. Burchhardt


1/2 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound of ground pork
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14oz can of diced tomatoes
15oz can of whole kernel corn, drained (or two cups frozen corn)
packet of taco seasoning
1/4 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or two jalapeno peppers, minced) optional
1/2 cup of corn muffin mix, mixed with 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk, or
use your favorite cornbread recipe for the topping!

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown beef and pork (or substitute ground turkey!) in a deep skillet. Drain. Saute onion and garlic. Return browned meat, adding tomatoes and corn. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Fold mixture into 9-inch round or square casserole dish.
Make muffin mix. Spread corn muffin batter over the casserole. Bake for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy with your favorite salsa, guacamole or green sauce.

Joanna invited her Sunday night co-workers home to try a heartland meal. It was served with Avocados and tomatoes, chopped and topped with garlic and lime juice. The verdict; acceptable. Petrie, one of the sports writers, asked for a standing invitation for Hot Dish. Of course, he takes about 90% of all his meals from McDonald's, so a home cooked meal is always a treat. Joanna said it was just fine. If you have a Hot Dish you would like to share, please post it as a comment!
Have we mentioned how much we love Mary Ann? Well, we love her more than 100 sockeye! (Which is a whole bunch!) Having her in Phoenix for three days was the highlight of our trip. We recommend having Ms. McBride on your next break. She will increase your fun by a factor of 10! She was a blast. She drives. She goes to In-n-Out Burger. She makes funny faces for pictures. She is not mugging for the camera in the picture above, but showing off her beautiful nails with Joanna. Watch out for her impulsive jumping for joy and the overwhelming good times she brings with her! (By the way, Mary Ann makes a great Tater Tot Hot Dish!)
Running around loose in the Herald and News is something dogs do not do. Ever since the Herald and News cat, Boris, was banned, animals of any kind are generally not welcome (even cute ones, like Elvis). Especially off leash. The Elvis Event of the Week is his five minutes of rampaging around the newsroom, jumping on many busy journalist, greeting them with his happy little bark. A visit not soon forgotten by the H&N, quickly forgotten by Elvis and forever remembered in our blog.
Support KRBD this week with your pocketbook during their fund drive. Outstanding public radio for Southern Southeast Alaska. Please check out their link!
Have a great week and don't fall down!

Cracker Jack, where is the Cracker Jack?...I scream, you scream..."Double double, if you please"...Elvis Event of the Week

All is well in Klamath Falls! We had an Opening Day party on April 1st. Baseball is underway, and the Reds are going to win it all. You heard it here first. Anyway, many friends made appearances, hot dogs were had, beers were drunk, double plays were turned and Cracker Jack was consumed. Two things about Cracker Jack; first, the prizes in the box are not what they used to be. What happened to whistles? Temporary tattoos? psychedelic spinning tops? Today, you get a a weird, fold-it-yourself-stupid thingy, which really is not fun or cool. Second, you cannot buy the Carmel covered popcorn and peanut treat at Yankee Stadium. How is it possible the all-american treat cannot be enjoyed during america's pastime in the house that Ruth built? It is un-American. Anyway, thank you to the Millers for the Cracker Jack we had on Opening Day.
While in Arizona, one of the places we had to take Joanna was the Sugar Bowl, in downtown Scottsdale. A famous soda shoppe. That's right, we spelled it with two p's and an e! Mary Ann stuck with the old stand by, chocolate chip mint. Steve had a Chocolate-Raspberry Camelback soda. Joanna ordered a cherry soda with coffee ice cream. Not a good mix. Stick with chocolate. Steve and Mary Ann know how to order ice cream.
The other eatery we had to visit in Phoenix was the In-n-Out Burger. Returning from a game we saw not one, but two In-n-Out Burgers. Mary-Ann insisted we go to one before we leave. So, on our final night together, we did not go out for Sushi, which all of us wanted, but went on a quest for fast food. Thank God for Mary-Ann. She drove us all around the greater Phoenix area, looking for the In-n-Out. We went from here to there. There to way over there. Back to here. Over there again. Finally she got us to the Promised Land. We ordered our burgers. Got our picture taken with the In-n-Out associate who took our order. We each received a bumper sticker. The Jeep now proudly sports a burger sticker.
Elvis Event of the Week: Elvis was attacked by the mean next-door daschsund while on a walk with Joanna. The stupid little doxie chomped into Elvis' tail. Elvis was not hurt, but he lost some tail fur.
Don't fall down!

Ressurection Day...cute nails...bumbling, stumbling...tropicana, not toplesscanna!...Elvis Event of the Week

Happy Easter! Today is the day the Lord has made! We sure miss our friends from all over the country. We hope to make a visit to Ketchikan this year, and Joanna is heading to Minot girls weekend in August.
The picture was taken at Peoria Sports Complex, Spring training home of Your Seattle Mariners. The happy couple had a great time in Az with Mary Anne. Ms. McBride took Joanna for her first manicure. Apparently, according to Dr. Lisa, Joanna had a bit of a "cuticle problem." At the end of the day, both ladies had lovely nails, and Mary Ann had her little piggies done, too!
At a nice fish house, Joanna Markell took the the most amazing fall. While being lead to our table, J-Mark missed a step and proceeded to fall for over 20 feet, and banged her shin into a table/chair. All we know for sure is she took a dramatic fall in front of all to see. The entire stumble took over five seconds. A trip off the stairs. One second. Staggering about, before hitting table or chair, twenty feet across the room, another four seconds. Time it took for everyone in the restaurant to become concerned, zero seconds. It was amazing. The waiter was apologetic, the restaurant manager checked on her condition, hostesses came over to make sure Joanna was okay, a little old lady offered Joanna a cane (she took it), Steve and Mary Ann apologized for laughing. When we got back to K-Falls (without another fall, thank goodness!) there was a message from the restaurant's corporate headquarters, checking on our little Joanna. She is recovering. She no longer needs a cane.
While in Vegas, we said hi Pete Ecklund's family. Peter Jr. is doing great. But don't call him Petey! He hates that! Anyway, we attended a "Burlesque." Topless dancing, singing, topless dancing, a comedian, more topless dancing, a bit more singing, just when you thought the topless dancing was over, there was more. All topped off (pun not intended) with a non-topless gay Paris Can Can. Truly the the highlight of the show. Tumbling, dancing, and everyone wearing clothes!
Elvis Event of the Week: Little E had a walk with Channel 12 Janet, one of our friends here in K-Falls. He thought she came by to dog nap him. She chased him around the little house for about 15 minutes before he let her put the leash on him. They took a walk around the neighborhood, which Elvis took advantage of to eat cat poop. Say what you will about dog owners not picking up after their dogs, "outside cats" are much worse! No one picks up after their "leavings" (except maybe Elvis).
That is all for now. Take care, and don't fall down. And don't let the Attorney General fire you for political reasons, and then lie about it!

Joanna Markell, Super-American...George Washington, loser, S & J, also losers...Winner by knockout, Steve!...Little Red Grill

The drive between Reno and Vegas eight hours long. It seemed longer. We took a rest stop in Hawthorne, Nevada, America's self proclaimed "Patriotic Heart." Joanna got into the spirit, and posed for the picture above. "Don't Mess with America!"
While in Reno, Steve took a tip from Joanna and laid $20 on George Washington over Vanderbilt. Bad bet. The only team to score over 100 points in the NCAAs this year was Vanderbilt. Against George Washington. We had the gamble in us, but no payoff.
Our first night in Vegas, we walked up the strip and Joanna found more luck on the slots. So did Steve. While in Paris Casino, Steve saw a bank of Rocky Balboa slot machines, and as a tribute to our friend Nate Root, Steve played $1.00 on the nickel slot, and won $20.50! "Adrian! Adrian!", was Steve's chant after the big payoff.
Thank you again to Rod and Lynn for the little red grill. We used if for the Opening Day party and a couple other times since. If you make it down to visit us this summer, we guarantee you a hot meal off the grill. Burgers, hot dogs, Michelle's vegetables, fish, you name it we will grill it...on the LRG.
Watch this blog, Hot Dish recipe coming soon!

Play the slots, win big (if you are Joanna)...Road kill count...Brother Andrew...bad beat at the poker table...Elvis Event of the Week

We are back from our vacation. We had a great time. J-Mark won over $200 in the Nevada casinos. They were happy to see her leave! Steve managed to lose about the same amount at the craps table. Craps tip: bet against the roller!
The drive was uneventful, except for the detour Joanna tried to take. We almost ended up in San Fransisco. "Turn left Joanna, turn left!" Steve was heard to say. After the brief adventure down the wrong road, it was clear sailing to Reno.
It was a nice drive. The road kill count for the whole trip:

Deer: 1 cats: 7 possible cats: 10 coyotes: 2 bunnies: 10

hoses, pretending to be dead snakes: 1 unidentified: more than 20!

Andrew Markell joined us in Reno for our first night of the trip. It was good to see him. He is doing well. He showed us around the Biggest little City in the World, and then took us to a nice Chinese restaurant. Thanks, Andrew!
After dinner we went back to the casino to try our luck. Staying at the Circus Circus, we tried their casino first. Signing up for their players club got us $10 in free slot play. Joanna luck began. She turned the $10 into $20. Andrew and Steve lost their free money. Joanna then doubled her winnings. So, before opening her purse, Joanna had won $40! She has a system. If you want to know what it is please email her, and she will break it down for you. A warning; the system did not work for Steve!
The big event for Steve (after losing $20 at the craps table) was playing in the casino poker room. Lots of fun. He won a few hands. Then lost everything on a pair of pocket Aces to two pair.
The next morning we bid Andrew goodbye and began the long trip to Vegas. Over eight hours driving. Our advice - Do not listen to the book Blood Dimonds on a road trip. The opening chapter is very graphic. Exposed blood vessels! That's all we are saying!
Elvis event of the Week (while were on vacation): Jennifer and Amanda from the Herald & News took great care of little pup. The big event for Elvis was discovering "Hug Time" with Jennifer. He was not wanting for affection!
Oh yeah, sorry about A&M, Melanie. We thought for sure they would win one more game. We also took George Washington over Vanderbilt.

Vacation...let it snow, let it snow, let it STOP SNOWING!...J-Mark's Oscar party is a hit...Elvis Event of the Week

We are excited for our upcoming vacation. We are heading to Phoenix via Reno and Las Vegas. Reno is our first stop, March 11th. Jennifer from the Herald and News will be Elvis sitting. Our little pup will be helping Jennifer close ad sales during our vacation! Dog treats are for closers!
J-Mark has had a tough couple months. We were planning on visiting Ketchikan in January, but she had to train two new people and work extra hours since Christmas. She is looking forward to the break. Steve has been working steady at the library, checking out items, checking in items, shelving items, destroying books (believe it or not!) and putting on a good public face for the Klamath County Library.
Winter has returned to K-Falls. Steve has broke out the snow shovel. About six or seven inches in the last week. It has been snowing during the day and below freezing at night. It has made it a challenge for Elvis to go outside and "TCB" if you know what we mean...The snow in the yard is a bit higher than his "big hunk o' burning love."
The Second Annual Joanna Dinner featuring the Academy Awards was well attended. About 15 of K-Falls Culture starved folk showed up to watch the show and enjoy Joanna's enchiladas (Less than one person showed up to watch NASCAR with Steve, just before the Oscars). Alas, this year, we did not win the Oscar pool. But, Joanna did come in second place. Damn you Pan's Labrinth!
The NCAA's are coming up. Steve has been involved in a pool quite the time with Alaska Tim Barry, and last year Joanna was winning her office pool for the first two rounds. Our hot tip is Texas A&M. They can score when they want, and play great defense. Take them into the third round.
Elvis Event of the Week: Helping Joanna prepare for the Oscar party, little dog got enchillada sauce on his fur. A little sour cream, and he was good to go.
Take care, and don't fall down!

Back and blogging...ichiro, ichiro, ichiro...Oscar party is set...Alaska Kitchen Scene unveiled...Elvis Event of the Week

Happy February, everybody! We are doing well, and enjoying the fine weather of south east Oregon. Much different from south east Alaska, for sure! No rain! It has not rained this year. And not too cold, either.
Spring training is in our future, with a stop in Vegas. Former Joanna co-worker, Maryann McBride is planning on meeting us in Pheonix. Between March 11th and the 20th, we will be in Sin City or watching the Mariner's prepare for a horrible baseball season. Little E will be holding down the homefront, with Jennifer from the sales department of the Herald and News. She loves Elvis, and will take great care of him, and use him to help close some deals, she says.
Joanna's second annual Oscar Party is set. She is celebrating Mexician filmakers, with her enchiladas and picking up tamales from our favorite taquria. Steve will be making Randy's famous Salsa (the gallon size!). Elvis, as usual, will be in charge of greeting guests and jumping on them when they come through the door.
We are proudly displaying our friend Terry Pyles cool new print, "Alaska Kitchen Scene," featuring fellow Ketchikan artist Dave Rubin. It looks great on the wall (sorry Hall. It replaced one of your big pictures). The photo above is of Joanna and Elvis admiring our newly framed print.
Elvis Event of the Week: After about three hours of working with him, Steve taught Elvis to sneeze on command. Thats right, Little E will say, "achoo" if you ask him to, quite the neat trick.
Take care and don't fall down.