Dave and Liz at the Big E

West Springfield, Mass., is home to the Big E, the annual state fair of each of the New England states, a six-for-one deal that still isn't quite as grand as some of the state fairs of the Midwest but delivers on the promise of animals, rides, games, music, beer ...

And, of course, food.

We decided this time to fill up on a variety of fair confections until our stomachs couldn't hold any more and report back on the ups and downs of the cuisine. Our taste buds are hopping while our bellies are popping.

1. London-Broil Steak Sandwich: Our first stop was to the stand with the (fake) flames shooting out of the top of the booth. With that kind of decoration we figured it had to be good. But overall, it was mediocre, not much different from a Philly cheese steak, with some veggies and nacho cheese to top it off. Dave succeeded in spilling half the toppings on the picnic table. The steak itself was kinda dry and flavorless. Quite a disappointment.

2. Soft Tacos: We had much better luck with the tacos across the way. The tattooed man serving 'em up didn't look very Mexican, but he sure knew how to work the tongs, throwing a variety of tasty toppings over greasy, seasoned ground beef. One bite, and Liz had grease dripping all over her chin and wrist, always a good sign. Dave succeeded in spilling half the toppings on the picnic bench.

3. Clam Cake Fritters: We had high hopes for these fried snacks, packed into a cellophane bag and served up hot in the Rhode Island exposition hall. They weren't bad, but they didn't really offer much more than a carb boost. We couldn't really taste the clams over the chewy, fried dough. Still, with a little salt, it was a nice intermediate dish on our way to potato heaven.

4. Maine Baked Potato: The Maine expostion hall is know for its long line of people waiting for the state's loaded baked potato. Butter. Sour cream. Chives. Bacon Bits. Mmmm..... Or so we thought last year, even though we decided against waiting in the line. This year we had to try it ... and it was worth the wait. But when we say loaded, we mean LOADED. The full compliment of condiments rises several inches high, with a sour cream allotment that easily could total a cup and a half. We decided against the sour cream and stuck with the butter, chives and bacon bits, even scooping off some of the butter, which the woman had heaped on by the spoonful. Not necessarily worth the hype, but still a great tater.

5. Corn Dog: No fair excursion would be complete without a mustard-laden corn dog, or at least says Dave. The mustard is a no-no for Liz, who prefers ketchup. This is a running disagreement between the otherwise happily married couple — mustard or ketchup, ketchup or mustard. In this case, Dave took charge with the mustard, much to Liz's chagrin. Good corn dog, says Dave. Wait until next year, says Liz.

Bonus item — Strawberry Shortcake: This was Liz's choice. It was between a carmel apple or strawberry shortcake, and it's easier to share the shortcake. Piled high with whipped cream, the sugar-soaked strawberries melted nicely into the biscuit bottom. It was good eatin'!

Conclusion: So, the real reason we go to the Big E is the slide. The video below speaks for itself.

Motel Madness: Manhattan/Mohegan

OK, not quite a motel, in fact nothing like it, when I spent Friday night in the city because yet another hurricane had screwed with my schedule.

This time, Ike struck late Friday night, so I worked late overseeing our coverage and had to get back into the office by 7 a.m., which meant a nearly impossible turnaround if I had to ride the train home and back. So my boss offered a hotel, and I didn't waste any time arguing.

The place was called the Muse Hotel, about a block from work. The second I walked into the room, I felt guilty. First of all, guilty that my employer was putting me up in a 17th floor room with a fleeting glimpse of Times Square, two flat-screen TVs, a minibar (Heineken for $7.50), a whirlpool bath, a leather couch and cute little square bars of soap. And doubly guilty because I should have been sharing such a cool experience with Liz.

Maybe someday, when we have $400 to burn without the hope of work reimbursing me.

The other motel experience, which was closer to a true motel, thankfully was shared with Liz. On a whim Sunday we decided to run up to the Mohegan Sun casino for a little spontaneous fun. It's about a hour drive, and we got a cheapo hotel for $80 that offered a shuttle van to the casino.

It was our first trip to one of Connecticut's two Indian casinos, but not as eventful as it sounds. We stuffed our bellies at the casino buffet and I lost $90 at blackjack. I think I would have had better luck had I moved to the poker room, but Liz wasn't really enjoying the gambling scene so we just headed back to the hotel.

To quote that old Third Eye Blind song, I guess we lead a "semi-charmed kinda life, baby." Not really all that glamorous, but at least a little excitement on the weekends to get us through our work week.

No Parking On Saturday

When I got home from work Friday near midnight, I was frustrated to find NO PARKING signs up and down our street. We have to have permits to park on the street as it is, so this no parking on either side was inconvenient. I risked getting a parking ticket anywhere else.

When I got up this morning, I expected road crews to be there repairing the street's surface or digging a hole to repair some utility lines, but the street was empty, and I was pissed.

But then I heard it. Drums. A simple snare drum cadence. A parade?

I then opened the blinds to find hundreds of police officers in uniform marching down our street. And it still didn't click until I saw the hearse.


Sgt. Dario "Scott" Aponte of the New Haven Police Department was killed in a crash late Tuesday with another cruiser on his way to a domestic violence call. The other cruiser's driver, Officer Diane Gonzalez, remains in critical condition at Yale New Haven Hospital.

This in front of my building this morning was the funeral procession. I've never seen anything like it, besides maybe on TV. It was the guys dressed in Scottish garb that really made it seem extraordinary. My picture doesn't do it justice.

There I was still in my pjs -- pj bottoms with cats on it. (Needless to say, Dave isn't very fond of them.) I wasn't wearing shoes and had on an old t-shirt. (Dave was at work for all of this.)

A few other residents of our building stood there with me. No noise, except the drums.

I had to take pictures -- I couldn't help myself. I'm a journalist.

It was a sad but extraordinary sight.

Salem 2

We are back from Salem after several hours of driving in the rain. We had beautiful weather while we were there, and we left just in time.

We made it to the Putnam House in Danvers on Monday after a stop at the Danvers Historical Society. They are repairing the house, and the lone man working on it was kind enough to explain to us the process of restoring it. Next door to the house is a candy/ice cream shop called Putnam Pantry. It's owned by Galo Putnam, who is a descendant of Thomas Putnam, Israel's grandfather.

We then toured The House of the Seven Gables, which was built in 1668 and built upon and rebuilt several times. Nathaniel Hawthorne, who lived in Salem, never lived in the home but just used it for the setting of his book. He never actually saw the house when it had seven gables.

Salem is rich in maritime history. It was a major harbor until the 1820s when ships grew in size and could no longer reach Salem's more shallow waters, prefering the deep waters of Boston and New York harbors. This morning we took a tour of The Friendship, a boat replica of one that was built in 1797, that is docked at Derby Wharf. We also toured The Custom House, where Hawthorne worked.

It was truly a wonderful trip, and we'd love to go back again. You can see our photos from the trip by clicking here or in the slideshow below, which is on autoplay.

Greetings from Salem, Mass.

We are on a much needed mini-vacation in Salem, Mass., home of the Salem Witch Trials. I have always wanted to visit here because it's, yes, family history.

Ann Putnam was part of the circle of girls whose accusations of witchcraft sparked the trials and the deaths of 20. She was 12 at the time when she and a group of other girls around her age were diagnosed as victims of witchcraft. They then began pointing fingers at those who they claimed were the witches. Years later, Ann apologized, acknowledging that she was swept up in the hysteria.

Ann was a cousin once removed from Gen. Israel Putnam, a general in the American Revolution who commanded the troops at Bunker Hill. We believe my father is a seventh generation decendant of Israel. (One of the many things on my list of things to do is to prove this with birth and death certificates and try to become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.)

On Sunday, we toured the Salem Witch Museum, learning about the trials. We also strolled the pedestrian-friendly downtown and ate fresh seafood at a restaurant along Salem Harbor.

We also watched the Bears defeat the Colts in a surprise upset!!!! GO BEARS!!!!!!!

Today, we are headed to Danvers, formerly part of Salem, to visit the Putnam House, where Israel was born and where twelve generations of Putnams have lived. The house is now owned by the Danvers Historical Society. We also plan to tour Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables.

We hope to post photos later today.

Road Race & Gustav

Dave ran the 31st Annual New Haven Road Race on Monday. It was 20K. He finished 441 out of 2090. Awesome! Here he is near the finish line. Dave wrote about the race on his Northeast Runner blog.

The best part was that they had free beer for the runners!


The bad part was that he later got called into work because of Hurricane Gustav. It's going to be another six-day work week for Dave.

Thankfully, the storm wasn't as devastating as it once appeared. My cousin Ben and his fiancee Kira -- who are getting married in New Orleans in November -- evacuated to Florida. My step cousins also evacuated. Who knows what property damage was done.