Odd bits

A couple of random things since today I spent mainly cleaning and getting ready to be gone for a week.

Overheard on the street last week and never, ever heard on the streets of Abilene: "I sure did fancy that mackerel pate."No lie, I actually heard a woman say this to her friend.

I thought I would find the British to be substantially healthier than Americans, especially in this community where there is alot of walking. Not so. The dish that England is famous for is fish and chips. This is essentially a platter sized serving of the #1 combo at Long John Silvers. Wash it all down with a warm, dark beer... now who feels like getting a little exercise?

I often think of Abilene as a college town and it is in it's own way. There are other college towns, like College Station and Norman, Oklahoma. None compare to Oxford, England. In the Oxford University system there are 59 colleges right here in Oxford. I don't know how many foreign universities maintain a campus here, as ACU does but I've seen shirts from several American universities and I routinely see groups of students speaking Italian, German, Spanish and some asian languages that I am not able to identify. Higher education is the primary industry of this city.

We had fajitas tonight. We imported some seasonings. However, we bought our sour cream here. I thought the food in Iowa was flavor-deficient... these people sell sour cream that has no flavor whatsoever.

I have to give it up for their cheeses, though. They've got some national pride tied to their cheese making and it's well deserved. We've tried several different varieties and been well pleased. They offer a rating system, from 1 to 7 for the intensity of the flavor. For example a slice of double Gloucester (similar to a really creamy American cheese) is a 1. The Red Leicester we have in our fridge is a 2 and tastes like a good, solid cheddar. Stephen Shewmaker bought a cheese rated at a 7 but I don't know if he's gotten up the courage to try it yet. Apparently, the way they make the 7's is to allow the cheese to cure and age for a much longer period of time. I guess it's like the Glenlivet... 12 years in a musty farmhouse before it sees the light of day.

I'm regaining my love for the Land Rover. The divine Mrs. L drove a Discovery for a couple of years and I really liked it alot. It's offroad capability and it's unique design made it very attractive to me. I may have to find myself an old Series 2 or Series 3 Defender when I get back to the States. That is, if I can survive the culinary onslaught.