What You Don't Know

A younger friend recently asked me to comment on the decade of a person's twenties, as of course I am an expert in such a topic. It got me to thinking that as life takes you on your journey there is simply so much you just don't know. As luck would have it, part of the beauty of life is finding knowledge, gaining experience, and growing into someone who is wiser than the younger version of yourself. Inevitably, we all learn some things the hard way, and that is not always beautiful. Eventually you find yourself in a place where you simply don't know what you don't know, and have the maturity to realize it.

When my mom last visited here in DC, we toured the National Geographic Museum to experience, what was well-documented and vividly retold, the story of two expeditions racing to be the first in history to reach the South Pole. Both teams made it there, but only one team made it home; the other team froze to death in the snow and ice. It was not a matter of courage or of determination, but rather a battle against the unknown. One team was better prepared.

As it turns out, life is a battle against the unknown. Variables are everywhere, and even some of the best plans fail. Friends will disappear. People will die. Politicians will disappoint. The company for which you toil will actively work against you. Terror will strike. Even God may say no to your prayers. What on earth can you count on? There is one certainty, aside of course from death and taxes, and that is uncertainty. The sooner we accept that, perhaps the better. This is not to say we give up, nor is it to say we should have no faith. On the contrary, uncertainty in the world is what gives us purpose in our ability not only as a variable, but in our ability to affect other variables (too algebraic?).

When we are young, we spend a lot of time seeing the world in the manner which it affects us. As we grow, we learn that we can and should actually work to affect the world. Throughout that path we grow from idealists to pragmatists. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an example of a man who not only had a dream, but acted on a purpose to attain an achievable peace. It is only through purpose that we navigate through this sea of uncertainty and only in our resolution that we find success. It takes a good bit of life to come to that understanding.

But, what do I know?

"Thy purpose firm is equal to the deed. Who does the best his circumstances allows, does well, acts nobly; angels could no more."
-Young

The God Card

America, from day one, has been bold. The very act of signing the Declaration of Independence would have been considered evidence of treason if we had failed in our endeavor to confront tyranny. Are we a perfect people? Hardly, but our boldness has been part of what defines us and has made our experiment great. Today, we can be proud of many things. Not only do we struggle for peace, justice, liberty, equality, opportunity, and charity in our own land, but we have chosen as a people to share this vision with the world. The United States have always been at our best when we have been a light of the beliefs that inspired our founding. We have been at our worst when we cower and selfishly act to destroy, ignore, or pervert any part of that vision.

It is interesting to note that "God" has been indispensable to the mission of our nation even from the time of settlement (by the White Man). The argument used to claim our independence relied upon the theory that God gives us rights that may not be usurped by man; a bold statement. The belief in a Creator - not to be confused with religion - is the basis for who we are as Americans. The reason for which "in God we trust" is that He holds the key to our argument for why we should be free. Thomas Jefferson could very well have written, "We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men are born equal with certain unalienable rights." He did not; he played the God card.

As a bold people, our thirst for freedom and rights has endured and grown, and in some ways this can be self-defeating. Many have even asserted their right to be God-less, which does not logically follow my argument, but we afford ourselves this right nevertheless. An unfortunate pitfall in the journey of America is the notion of rights uncoupled with responsibilities. Every man will fail, but we will ultimately not succeed if we do not seek responsibility; that's what leaders do. Otherwise, we are simply impudent. Our mantra of "God Bless America" might seem selfish, were it not for our belief that our country exists only because God gave us the right to operate in this fashion - so it's actually a prayer. When we say or sing, "God Bless America", we are humbly recognizing one of the greatest gifts of our lives. If we are to boldly rescue this country from the fate of obsolescence, which I believe to be imperative, it will be necessary for us to make and keep promises, work toward standing undivided, and, yes, express ourselves in a culture of morality deserving of such a gift.

God Bless America.

This is a Test

"Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records."
-William Arthur Ward

"This is a test. This is only a test."

Remember that annoying public service broadcast interruption that would break into your normally scheduled programming on television? It was designed to test an alert to be used in case of emergency; but really it broke in on my valued time with Vanna White or Three's Company. You couldn't wait for those emergency alerts to be over! However, somehow we knew it would serve some greater purpose.

The more you live - notice I purposely substituted "more" for "longer" - the more you learn about interruptions and obstacles. I remember studying the concept of adversity when coaching soccer with the goal of helping my teams through troubled times. One of the trials of a coach is how you confront defeat and somehow turn it into a teachable moment and an opportunity for growth. One fact I learned was that a lot of times you lose because you put yourself out there, and putting yourself in a position vulnerable to losing is, indeed, necessary in learning to win. Adversity, in short, is a test. It's only a test.

The saying, "everything happens for a reason" always rubs me the wrong way. I get it; it's all part of a plan, and either God or the forces of nature will always steer us toward some equilibrium. However, to me that theory always seems to propose that we are powerless, when contrarily the "reason" is that we are presented with an opportunity to be an active participant in our own rescue. Winning is what happens after the hurdle of the last thought of giving up. Adversity gives us that opportunity.

It's all a test.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Barbara Claypool was a fine woman and a good mom to a great friend. She was fiesty, friendly, fun, and generous. Apparently, known to her son as "Bulldog", I could never bring myself to call her that.
May she rest in peace.

Waking Up With John Kerry

Well, I woke up in Boston this morning. It happens. Actually, I woke up in Providence and then went back to sleep. One morning, I woke up in the French Riviera - now that's where you want your eyes to crack open from hours of darkness. Thanks to the invention of train travel, or as I refer to it - "the choo-choo".

Still rubbing my eyes from my eight-hour choo-choo slumber, upon my arrival at Boston South station, I was greeted by a media frenzy! Now, that is exactly why I have my personal assistant always put out misleading Tweets such as "out golfing" or "golly, this Big Mac is off the hook" so as to avoid such harrassment. However, I snuck past, undetected, a press conference featuring the mayor and Senator John Kerry and got a few photos myself. I'm thinking about my newest photo exhibit "Guys Who Do Not Live In The White House". I already have McCain and Fred Thompson on film. It's gonna be great!

Boston is a great city. Due to the nature of me being between jobs, and I've been here before, this day has been dedicated to relaxation, photos, and (of course) food. I actually write this from a park bench in the Public Garden - excellent place with a large pond, ducks, and swans. It's been a fantastic day of excellent weather, but getting a bit chilly as the dusk falls into night. Off to find some seafood!

Un Buen Jaleo

By our definition, "jaleo" is an "uproar". Imagine a party, if you will, where everyone is having a great time, the music is roaring, people are dancing and moving about, and things seem at the cusp of being out of control. It aint a party 'til something gets broken, right. Jaleo - it's borderline madness.

Jaleo is also the name of a popular 18 year-old Spanish tapas restaurant, begun in Washington, DC. It is amazing the care and dedication that goes into imagining, preparing, creating, explaining, managing and executing the daily and nightly flood of tiny dishes of deliciousness. From the mind of the wizard... excuse me - "James Beard Award winning" wizard/chef Jose Andres - to his enthusiastic chefs, to the meticulous cooks, to the proudly invested service staff, somehow most of these little plates find their way to the right tables and end up satiating hundreds a day, every day.

At its best, Jaleo is Spain - only better - in America, without the siesta. Of course, any jaleo is never sustained perfection, only an intoxicating whirlwind of a moment. A good jaleo would be the moment of the event when you realize you are truly at a party. It's a tough name to live up to. Well, we try.

I have enjoyed a great many moments at Jaleo DC and have come to know a wealth of people during these six years. A lot of it was fun, wasn't it? Salud!

Markito.

A Last Supper

Ridiculous, really.

We had a great meal Saturday night. I had long had the idea to orchestrate a wine-paired meal at Jaleo in Washington, DC, but never had anyone given me the green light... so I gave it to myself. This was an event six years in the making, attended by five close friends and myself. We did it right.

First Course paired with 1+1=3 Cava from Penedes:
Spanish "Pan de Cristal" tomato bread
Escalivada Catalana - chilled roasted eggplant, peppers, onions
Gambas con Gabardina - beer-battered fried shrimp w caper mayonaise
Huevo con Caviar - organic fried egg w American sturgeon caviar

Second Course paired with Esencia Divina Albarino from Rias Baixas:
Vieiras - seared scallops with mojo verde and hazelnut-almond romesco
Judias Verdes - warm green beans salad with apples, grapes, apricots
Pulpo a la Gallega - boiled octopus and baby potatoes with pimenton
Pan con Tomate - tomato bread with Pasamontes Manchego cheese

Third Course paired with Neo from Ribera del Duero:
Arroz con Butifarra - rice with artichokes, pork sausage, and mojo alioli
Setas al Ajillo - sauteed garlicky mushrooms with herbs
Garbanzos con Espinacas - moorish chickpea and spinach stew

Fourth Course paired with San Roman from Toro:
Tortilla de Setas - Spanish omelette with mushrooms and goat cheese
Lomo de Iberico Bellota - seared acorn-fed Iberico pork loin

Dessert Course paired with Lustau East India from Jerez:
Flan al Estilo de Mama Marisa

After-Dinner Beverages:
Estrella Inedit
First Fruit Cidra


... fue un buen jaleo.