Griffin Is Good, But Is He A Superstar?

We all knew this was coming.  We could see it when he was at that small, Christian high school in Edmond winning four straight state championships.  We witnessed him match up against the best collegiate talent in the country as he left us breathless and led the Sooners to the Elite Eight.  Those of us in Oklahoma have known for years what the entire world is beginning to understand…Blake Griffin is pretty good.

No team has found a way to stop Griffin from getting to the rim (courtesy sportsjury.com)

Kobe and Lebron are the faces of the NBA, but this season, no player is hogging more highlight time than Griffin.  The Clippers power forward is good for at least one jaw-dropping dunk per night and as a rookie, he’s already being mentioned among names like Karl Malone and Tim Duncan.  Griffin may not be a superstar yet, but that day is coming soon.  To those that say Griffin is overrated (you know who you are Skip Bayless), stop for a second to consider the evidence.

Through 41 games, Griffin is putting up 22.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.  Wednesday night against Minnesota, he finally snapped a streak of 27 straight games with a double-double.  If you want to put Griffin’s numbers in perspective, he’s the only rookie in 25 years to record a double-double streak of 20 or more games.  Shaq never achieved those numbers.  Neither did Dwight Howard or Tim Duncan.  Only eight players in NBA history have averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds in their rookie seasons.  If Griffin keeps up his pace, he’ll be in a select club with household names like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, and David Robinson.

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Mama’s Chimichangas

I’m not sure what recipes I will choose when I have cooked all the Mexican recipes in the Stockyards City Cookbook, but for now I still have a few left to choose from!  This week I am cooking Mama’s Chimichangas.  I hope you have a hungry group when you fix this because like the other dishes I have made, this one makes a lot of food.  The recipe calls for 8 inch tortillas but I used the 8 inch as well as the 12 inch size, giving everyone an option depending on how hungry they were.  So, let’s get cookin’!

MAMA’S CHIMICHANGAS

by Patricia Parent

1 lb. Cooked Beef, Pork, or Chicken
1 jar Salsa (16 oz.)
1 can Refried Beans (16 oz.)
1 can Diced Green Chilies (4 oz.)
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
16 Flour Tortilla (8 inch)
16 oz. pkg. Montery Jack of Cheddar Cheese
Cooking oil (optional)

Cut cheese into sixteen 5 x 1/2 inch sticks.  Shred meat (about 3 cups).  In a large skilled, combine meat, salsa, beans, undrained chilies and taco seasoning mix.  Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.  In another skillet, heat tortillas one at a time, over medium-low heat about 30 seconds per side.  For each chimichanga, place 1/3 cup meat mixture on tortilla near one edge.  Top with a cheese stick and fold in sides.  Roll up, starting with cheese side.  Place in a a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

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I Am Wife, Mother, Working Girl….and Monster Slayer?

The Monster Fighter!

My three year old son is in a “fighting monsters” stage. He has several toy swords and we’ve spent many a dreary Saturday creeping through the house on a hunt for big, mean monsters hiding in various nooks and crannies.

Sometimes our nemesis is black, scaly and breathes fire. Other times our target is an alien from outer space that has come to kidnap us. Regardless of the monster’s characteristics and the outcome of our hunt, I inevitably end up reminding him at bedtime that monsters are only imaginary and can’t hurt us.

But is that really true?

Nolan claims to be the resident monster slayer, but little does he know that his momma has faced some very real monsters through the years. In fact, my experience slaying monsters is vast and I am always on the lookout for one to show up in an attempt to throw my perfectly balanced life off kilter.

The monsters I face are freakishly intelligent, know how to weaken my defenses and attack me where and when I’m most vulnerable. They are cunning and show no mercy. And they all have the same eyes…..piercing and green. Very green.

If you aren’t exactly following my Shakespearean references, I’m talking about envy. Continue reading I Am Wife, Mother, Working Girl….and Monster Slayer?

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The 2011 Imaginary Family Project – Week 3

#3 of 52 : LORNE HUGHBERT
2001 Imaginary Family Project week 3 - Lorne Hughbert

 

External Photo Clues:
None

Imagine:

Box 3, Photograph #16

Always the life of the party, this is a photograph of Lorne Hughbert doing his best Red Skelton impersonation.  I took this on the evening of December 31, 1958 at my New Year’s Eve Party celebrating the ringing in of 1959. We were in the basement room at my home on Chautauqua Avenue.  Lorne attended the party with my friend Paul Noth, who is in the dark suit, laughing along.  At midnight the boys pretended to dance a tango together, Lorne with a long silk rose in his mouth. Everyone laughed at the antics of these confirmed bachelors.

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Shaking the Saddlebags #2: The Fantastic Fear Trifecta

 

Here's Molly, in all her trainer glory. She's the one who ignores my whimpering, keeps her calm (when I'm anything but), and remembers to ask me if I need a drink or a break every once in a while. I'll post a photo of Brennen next time I write about my saddlebags.

Note – occasionally I write posts about my relationship with myself.  This is one such post.  It’s about my relationship with my Saddlebags.  You can search “Saddlebags” to catch the history of these posts, or go here for the entry prior to this one.

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I hate going to the dentist.  I have a past childhood, former adolescence and present adulthood so filled with dental trauma that I know I’ll never get over the all-encompassing fear I face every sixth months of my life.  Seriously.

When I was a kid, I had four permanent teeth removed for braces, I had four wisdom teeth removed prior to getting braces (plus a little piece of my jawbone – they had impacted, and having no where else to turn, went downward…into my jaw), cavities galore, more shots than I’ll ever be able to count…I puke when the dentist tries to give me laughing gas.  Can you tell I’m serious here? I really, really hate going to the dentist.  Now, I’m in the process of getting crowns because of all my cavities and I’m only finished with number three.  I have to get seven.  I also hate it when people tell me dentist stories…and I’ve just put you through an entire paragraph of mine. Oh my heavenly days – please forgive me! I have a point.  Really…

My point is that I fear going to the dentist.  I hope that’s clear.  But I have realized since last November that I’ve been fearing going to the gym, practically at the same level of intensity…to shake my saddlebags, remember?  I mean I really worked myself up on how hard it was going to be to start a workout regimen again, and I had to literally drag myself into the gym the first time.  After generating so much lactic acid that I became nauseous and spent some quality time over the toilet, I decided that working out wasn’t just scary – – it was horrific.  So horrific that it took me six full days for my muscles to quit aching from the first workout.  I recall not being able to sit on the carpet during Thanksgiving because the prospect of getting back up meant moving my legs, arms and abdomen and that would induce pain…Pain!

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Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.