Matthew’s Blog

While many believe Spring officially starts on Easter Sunday, I do not.  Spring is in session when I hear loud smacks off leather, bats cracking, and dirt flying.  Spring is in the full swing of things when baseball season starts.  Surprisingly, baseball and Easter have a lot in common.

As you might have been searching your back yard earlier today for eggs, reigning NL Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum, was laying a big egg on the diamond.  He is looking to “spring forward” and recover from his 7+ run earned run average over the last two games (Yes, corny joke. There are plenty more to come).  The opposing pitcher in today’s Giants vs. Padres deul was Chris Young, who made the Giants put up a goose egg (close enough to an Easter egg) for the first six innings.  He hasn’t looked this good since before last season’s stint on the DL when he got jellybeaned in the face with a come-backer during a start. His nose split wide open and blood oozed out kind of like a cracked Cadbury creme egg.

Anyway, with this being one of the major holidays in our calender year, it would be fitting to reference another Holliday; Matt Holliday that is.  He is starting off this year with a new team, the Oakland A’s.  He previously was on an offensive powerhouse in Colorado, home of the Rockies, and how is the part of an anemic offensive club in Oakland.  It is like having a basket full of candy one year to getting one filled with that damned Easter grass.  I hate that stuff by the way.  You always wind up with a strand or two in your mouth when trying to eat the buried jelly beans or that last Reese’s peanut butter cup that found its way into the bottom of the basket, but I digress.

Even history says that Easter and baseball are linked.  Hall of Famer Walter Maranville, at 5′5″ and 155 pounds, who played 23 major league seasons, was nicknamed “rabbit” for his small stature and speed.  Below is a picture of Rabbit and some fans who know exactly what I am talking about (maybe the only ones).

The next time you think of Spring think of a ball game, and an egg hunt.  Happy Easter!

They have the right idea

images from vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/…/15/index.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rabbit_Maranville_1914.jpg

The UConn women’s basketball team began their inevitable journey to St. Louis for the women’s Final Four (knock on wood) in Storrs, CT.  As the number 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the women had the advantage (like they even needed one) of playing on their home court at Gampel Pavilion for their first two challenges (if you can even call them that).  I had the privilege of rooting the team on for their beat downs of Vermont and Florida in the round of 64 and 32 .

The women have an average margin of victory of 30 points per contest in the first three games of the tournament. After their most recent win over California, the lady huskies are just 40 minutes away from joining the UConn men in the Final Four.  With their big three of Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and the emergence of freshman phenom, Tiffany Hayes, the Huskies look unstoppable as they take on the #6 seed Arizona State Sundevils tonight in Trenton, NJ.  Even Kaili McLaren, who I call the Vlade Divac of women’s basketball (a sensational passing big man, or I guess big woman in this case) , is adding some significant production from the bench.

Check out ESPN 2 tonight to watch and root on the Huskies as they attempt to take the next step in their search of the Women’s National Championship.  If they pull it off, it will be their 6th title in the past 10 years.

Our view of the court.

The main admissions events during the trip to Texas was a guidance counselor luncheon and an informal informational meeting with accepted students. The luncheon involved around 30 high school guidance counselors from the Houston area, most of whom had students who have applied or were interested in UConn. The event started off with a presentation, then a brief statement about our college experiences by Tommy (my co-worker and roommate) and I. We then spent the rest of the afternoon answering as many questions as possible while still attempting to scarf down all of the food present.

The event was held at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant, a family style Italian place. Family style essentially means you will be bloated for the rest of the day. Courses continued to be brought out and I couldn’t deny them. There is nothing that a college student loves more than free stuff, especially free food. I especially loved being asked how I liked cooking on my own while I was downing a gourmet piece of cheesecake (and yes I cannot cook).

The next day involved a trip to Panera Bread for a get together with accepted students. The group of students were really excited to hear about a campus that they had not been able to visit in the past (Storrs is not close to Houston to say the least). We spent a few hours answering questions and giving them an idea of student life here at UConn. One of their first questions was the weather difference (not really surprised).

These two events were a great way to get in touch with students and counselors from a different region of the country. To my surprise, I found out that Texas was one of the top out of state applicant pools for UConn. If any out of state students are reading this right now and have any questions, feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

That cheesecake was amazing

I think I am taller than that plane

Up until last Thursday, I had never been on a plane.  My father had a bad experience flying when he was younger and decided that all family vacations would involve rent-a-cars.  Thus, when I knew I would be flying to Houston for the office of undergraduate admissions, I was a little nervous.  My roommate Tommy and I were to leave from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, and I was excitedly awaiting the moment to be told to fasten my seat belt, and if necessary use my seat as a life preserver (I am lying about that part).

When at the airport, I had to look like a fool.  I was excited to empty my pockets and load my laptop into the big plastic trays to be scanned.  My head was on a swivel like a tourist in a big city for the first time.  Even the airport Macdonalds seemed cooler than ususal.  Then after about an hour wait, we got on our flight.

I did not realize the plane that the Wright Brothers invented was still in use.  The plane was three seats across, and if i stood upright, my head would be scraping across the ceiling.  We were lucky enough to sit right next to the engine on the right side of the plane, which serenaded us with a beautiful humming noise for the duration of our flight.  I went to stretch my legs and found myself sitting on Tommy’s lap (might be a bit of an overexaggeration).  However, the flight itself went rather smoothly and we got to our destination about 15 minutes earlier than expected.  Check out some pictures of our shenanigans.

Tommy is amazed by the moving floor

The spacious interior of the plane

The Undergraduate Admissions Office here at UConn decided to bring students along with Admissions Officers to different locations around the United States in order to help with the recruitment process.  You probably read a bit about the trips through Charlayne’s blog when she traveled to Los Angeles a few weeks ago.  If you haven’t, admissions representatives travel to different locations around the country speaking with students (who have applied, been accepted, or are just interested in UConn) and guidance counselors to help increase interest in UConn.  I was lucky enough to be able to go on the most recent trip to Houston this past weekend (praise the Lord for being a telecounselor).  The trip itself was 3 days and marked the first time I have been to the Midwest, on a plane, or stayed in a big city for a weekend.  I know I seem really sheltered, and probably am.  Anyway, this week will be a special blogging week for me, where each day a new installment from an escapade or admissions event will be featured.  Keep tuning in each day for something new.  Tomorrow will feature a recollection of my first ever plane ride.

Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (of Who’s Line is it Anyway fame) brought their improvisational skills to UConn’s Jorgensen Theater of the Performing Arts this past Saturday. If you have ever watched the show, Colin is the funny bald Canadian and Brad is…well he is not Ryan if that is what you are thinking (the tall goofy guy). Anyway, the skits included Who’s Line classics and some not shown on television, for some obvious reasons (ABC family barely allows Wayne Brady to have a V-neck t-shirt because it is too risque due to his cleavage). The last, and probably the most memorable act of the evening involved blindfolds and one-hundred mousetraps strewn about the stage floor (I know that sounds like a masochist’s dream, and maybe it is). Colin and Brad had to perform their sketch blindfolded while trying to avoid the mousetraps from snapping upon any and every portion of their body. After bumbling and stumbling around on stage every few minutes when finding a trap dangling from his toes, Colin decided to play a prank on Brad. Colin collected individual mouse traps and would locate Brad based on his voice. From there, Colin would sneak around the stage trying his hardest not to set off any traps to give away his location. Finally, when close enough, he would whip the mouse trap in the general direction of Brad’s loins (with surprising accuracy). Overall, it was a great show and was extremely fun due to the ability of participation from the crowd. I think the only time I stopped laughing was during intermission.

Jorgensen is the center for all entertainment other than sporting events here at UConn. Bands such as Gym Class Heroes, John Legend, and Ben Folds have all performed in the last couple of years. Other acts including the National Acrobats of China, Jungle Jack Hannah, and the African Children’s Choir will all be featured this semester. Students usually get discounted tickets for all events (which is essential for poor college students like myself). If you have any questions about shows here at UConn feel free to ask!

Below is an image of the two and a video of the two on the road. Check it out and check out colinandbradshow.com (where I got the mousetrap picture).

Colin, Brad, and a few traps

video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1D2OGg-LSw&eurl=http://www.eavalon.net/colinbrad/videos.cfm

As a biology major, the majority (by majority I mean ALL) of my reading consists of scientific textbooks and articles. However, with my biology requirements all completed, my psychology minor and my last general education requirement class are the only things standing between me and graduation. General education courses are required classes from different content areas encompassing the different schools around campus. The general education courses are designed to give students a perspective on different cultures, groups, and individuals that will prepare them for future challenges/changes. This semester, I chose to finish off my requirements with an english course entitled, the short story.

The class itself requires students to read multiple short stories per week and write reflections on them. There is also a separate component where we learn how to write effective short stories. I originally was nervous about the course seeing as the only outside reading I would do would consist of ESPN articles. However, it turns out that reading these stories are a nice change of pace from my stringent science/psychology routine. My professor also does a great job of encouraging class participation and cracking a few jokes to loosen people up each class period. For example, A recent story consisted of a man who was trying to make his way through an Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter. He was not fortunate enough to make it, and our professor said that this might be the most uplifting story of the year because he “died with dignity”. Yes, I know it is a bit morbid, but it is entertaining. Anyway, if you have any questions about general education classes or anything else about UConn feel free to take this opportunity to ask me.

It was a few nights before Halloween and I was in New Jersey. What is scarier than that you ask? The addition of a crazy ticket salesman, a miniature corn maze, and a psychotic clown with a chainsaw were the only things that would have made it worse…and it happened.

After a treacherous 8 minute drive from Charlayne’s house, we arrived at Shady Brook Farms in Mount Hope, New Jersey (the name says it all). A haunted hay ride and corn maze were the two major attractions at Shady Brook. When purchasing tickets we saw a frightening creature answering the phones and doling out tickets. I was lucky enough to document this event before she saw me. The hayride itself was a tumultuous journey through a dark farm on a wooden bed being dragged by a tractor. Ghosts, goblins, and the occasional child who thinks they themselves are scary (basically everyone) would jump out from the bushes.

Since we barely survived the hayride, Charlayne and I decided to take on something a bit more tame, the corn maze. A woman who had the eeriest and raspiest voice I had ever heard (it probably was from smoking seeing as she sucked down 3 cigarettes while we were waiting to enter) told us about the maze and what to expect. We didn’t expect to get lost, but we did. Hours seemed to go by with endless walking through this maze of maize. Charlayne got so ravenous and crazed that she couldn’t resist eating the corn laying on the ground (I know it’s sounds crazy but you would do the same surrounded by large plants in the dead of night). When we finally crawled out the exit exhausted, I was nearly decapitated by a psychotic clown. I did document it via digital camera. I hope you can handle the horrific pictures.

I have to admit I like watching Rachel Ray. There is just something about her raspy voice and continuous macaroni and cheese dinner recipes that just does it for me. I also watch NFL live and Sportscenter as much as I can. Now that I have attempted to restore some of my masculinity I will continue. While watching Rachel, she was suggesting a dinner recipe for burgers. These were not just any burgers, but patty melts. During the episode, she had Tom Jones on as a special guest, of which Mrs. Ray has an unhealthy obsession. I haven’t seen a crush on an older man like this since Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner, but I digress. After watching the episode, I had to try those beefcakes out.

In order to create this bountiful feast I needed the help of my own Rachel Ray, fellow blogger Charlayne. She worked with all the delicate features of the meal including: perfectly toasting the buns, painstakingly slicing the cheddar cheese into evenly sized chunks, flipping the burger (bun and all) on the pan to melt the cheese properly, and caramelizing the onions. I was stuck with the grunt work. I kneaded the meat covered in Worcestershire sauce, pan cooked the patties, and slapped the onions on the finished burgers. It turned out to be absolutely delicious and relatively inexpensive to make (perfect for poor college students like myself).

Here are some pictures of the final product accompanied by some sweet potato fries and the recipe. I am also including a picture of myself to compare beefcakes. You decide which is better (I know it will be a touch decision).

Beefcakes

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 8 thick slices good quality white bread (each about an inch thick)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 8 slices sharp white cheddar cheese

The last picture of my old camera

Horsebarn hill, the hallmark of UConn’s agriculture program, is not strictly useful for education. It is also a remarkable sledding locale; something my room mates and I took advantage of in the wake of our most recent snow storm. I gathered some sleds and a snow tube from the early 90s (I have no idea how it still keeps inflated), and prepared to head out to Horsebarn hill. Before leaving, I figured we should take a picture to commemorate our first sledding experience of the winter. I set up a makeshift stand to balance my digital camera out of a napkin holder and our kitchen counter. When Tommy went to press the button to start the timer, the camera went tumbling onto the kitchen table, and landed right on the zoom lens on the kitchen floor. Luckily, we were able to get one picture off before it broke for good. I love how something bad happened even when I purposely took the picture inside to prevent potential damage to the camera in the elements. We drove (despite the fact that it was a 15 minute walk) to our destination and began the festivities.

After about an hour of attempting to safely sled down the hill without annihilating young children, the police came. Apparently there was a “nearby” electric fence (by nearby I mean hundreds of feet from where we were sledding) that could be dangerous. The police officer suggested we go to an even bigger hill that was free of electric fences. This location proved to be even more dangerous than the one we were removed from.

There was significant sleet coming down when we got to the monstrosity that is this portion of the hill. We tried our best to sprint up the ominous mound but could not make it. When at the top I decided to try the snow tube out since it provided the fastest ride of all the sleds. On the way down, wind and sleet was rushing into my face, eliminating efficient sight. I came across a snow ramp most likely made by snowboarders and hit it full speed. My obstructed vision prevented me from avoiding the ramp. From there everything slowed down. I went flying into the air, lost my tube, and thought I might lose my lunch. I had time to imagine all the bones I could break or injuries I could incur from this undesired leap of faith. I hit the ground like a ton of bricks and flailed around like a rag doll thereafter. Luckily I was just a bit shaken and had no real injury. I now have a new nickname for our location due to my incident, Horsebarn Hell.

If you have any questions about the UConn agriculture program please don’t hesitate to ask.