Friday Faves 7/10: Wedding Hitches, Dating Around, Zucchini Fritters, Disco Dancers, and West Cork

A wedding story:

This Tuesday was our third wedding anniversary. Tiff and I were married on Friday July 7, 2017. Every wedding has its hitches; ours was harmless (as most are) and funny (in hindsight).

The wedding took place at a church in Charlestown. I prepped at our condo with my buddies, a five minute walk to the church. Tiff, her bridesmaids, my sister, and my mom were at the Liberty Hotel on the edge of Beacon Hill. Probably a ten minute drive to the church. Tiff called two Ubers to drive her and her bridesmaids to the church. My mom and sister rode in the second car. Unfortunately, the driver in my mom’s car plugged in the wrong St. Mary’s Church and hopped on the Mass Pike heading west, on a Friday, in July, Pre-pandemic.

Our wedding was supposed to start at 4:00PM. This was after the priest asked another couple (who was more proactive than us) to move their wedding in the smaller chapel below the church to 5:30PM. This allowed for us to use the 4:00 window (because… we booked the reception venue BEFORE the church…whoops…).

Okay, back to the Uber adventure. My sister knows Boston, but not well enough to catch the Uber driver before the perilous turn down the Mass Pike towards Seattle. My mom doesn’t venture 10 miles from home behind the wheel, her driving experience is like those old colonization video games when area that has been explored yet is black until you push your character into the void. There wasn’t much hope of fixing the problem before it manifested into a panic.

So now, everyone is filling the church, it’s getting close to 4:00, and there’s no sign of my mom and sister. Not ideal. My sister is doing a reading at our wedding and my mom is MY MOM! While all this is going down, I’m not hanging in the back sipping from a flask of delicious bourbon. Instead, the priest thought it would be a swell idea for the two of us to wait in the wings to ensure I don’t see Tiff when she arrives at the church.

So, while I’m sitting awkwardly with the priest, surrounded by all his priestly things, my brother pops his head in to let us know that mom and Careena are heading back to Boston from Anchorage, Alaska and it might be a while. Remember it’s a Friday in July and my mom and sister are trapped in a tunnel underneath Boston. On a Friday, in Boston. On a Friday. In July.

My discussion with the priest had reached the point where the awkward silences were broken by commentary on my watch and my socks. It was now after 4:00, and the concern was we might have to start the wedding without my mom and sister. The 5:30 wedding in the chapel began looming large because 4:30 was the lasest we could start..

The wonderful singer, who was filling the church with “Ave Maria” for the 45th time moved onto the 46th time when my brother peeked in on the priest and me again to let us know that they were getting close, but the rain was making the trip tricky.

Again. A Friday. In Boston. In July. In the freaking rain.

At 4:20 the singer stopped suddenly and the organist blared the first notes of our processional. The priest jumped up and told me to follow him (and keep my hands out of my pockets. But how am I supposed to hide my chewed up finger nails???).

According to everyone that saw it, my mom stepped out of the car, walked into the church, gathered herself, and marched down the aisle like a champ. Yes, she might have aged 2-3 years during her cross-country road trip, but she was steely-eyed and determined to not allow it to effect the rest of the wedding.

And it didn’t.

There is nothing more humbling than moments in our lives when we are faced with great, swelling emotions in front of the closest people we know. Sometimes those moments are planned and other times they are spontaneous. The moment from our wedding that stands out to me are seeing those doors swing open and getting my first glimpse of Tiff as she walked down the aisle (20 minutes after the planned time…). The church is build above the street, so guests walk up into the building and then up a flight of stairs into the main section of the church. The massive doors swing open and Tiff literally walked up the steps, so the reveal was this crazy moment when I only just the top of her head and then she slowly appeared. It was similar to how we met, when she wandered up the steps in into my apartment after she replied to my add for a roommate on Craigslist.

Three years later, during a pandemic, those moments of stepping back and just taking it all in have evaporated. Currently, those moments that do exist are filled with a tinge of fear, faces covered in masks and a strange, unknown future ahead of us.

But when I think back to that wedding I am so grateful for those moments Tiff and I captured over the course of the night, watching everyone around us dance, eat, and sing. The people we love meeting each other on a beautiful July Friday night after the rains cleared out.

Here’s to many more wonderful memories for all of us. And I hope we all manage to carve out some positive moments in the next six months of 2020.

Best Watch

Dating Around - This show is delightful. It is glossy Netflix at it’s best, if you ask me. Yes, it’s a dating show, but different than any other dating show. Each episode shows one person on five different dates. However, each date is at the same restaurant, which allows for really cool transitions from one date to the next. There are no confessionals from the participants, you’re just watching the five dates happen as they’re woven together. At the end of the five dates, one person is picked for a second date, which we see the beginning of as the show ends. The other fabulous part of this show is the various ages and orientations of the participants. This isn’t all gorgeous millennials, and my favorite episode from the first season was an old New Yorker in his 60s looking for a little twilight love.

Best Listen

I’m Going Down (Bruce Springsteen cover) - Every now and then this song pops up in my life, and it always grabs my attention. The original is an exceptional song, and Vampire Weekend does a fabulous cover.

West Cork - On our 12 hour drive home from Ohio on Sunday, this Amazon podcast pretty much got us through New York and Massachusetts. The 14 episodes cover a fascinating unsolved murder in the far reaches of Ireland in rugged West Cork. The prime suspect is an egomaniac and the twists and turns of small town Ireland, poor policing, and a lack of resources leads the French government to get involved because the murdered woman, Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was a well-known French woman who loved visiting her house in West Cork. It’s a free download on Amazon here.

Best Eat

Zucchini Fritters - On Tuesday night, we celebrated our third wedding anniversary with a dinner at Alcove in Boston. It’s a walkable distance from our condo, close to the TDGarden, and they have an excellent outdoor space to eat. It’s not jammed on a sidewalk; instead, they have a big space just outside their doors. The food was delicious and the standout was the zucchini fritters with a sesame dipping sauce. To Alcove’s credit, the portion was solid, too. Big chunks of zucchini, I’m willing to bet the we ate nearly an entire zucchini between the two of us.

Best Drink

Disco Dancer - In Springfield, Ohio there’s a brewery called Mother Stewart’s (the landing page will give you the “itchies” in this day and age…). We’ve been trying to get to the brewery for years, but every time we’re in Ohio around the holidays it’s closed. The building and space is very cool and perfect for CoVid-times; we had some beers and sat outside. The beauty of driving to and from Ohio is the freedom to bring stuff home, so we brought some Disco Dancer back with us. It’s a delicious IPA, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s got a hint of sweetness to it, which I am finding I like in beers (Bud Light, I’m looking at you). A good summer IPA.

A Little Rain - This was a wonderful beer to sip on while sitting out on Alcove’s patio for dinner on Tuesday night. It comes from a brewery called Small Change, and their story is really interesting. It’s a husband and wife team that doesn’t actually have a brewery and borrows space from other brewers. I am by no means a hop expert, but I’ve found that mosaic hops are in many of my favorite beers. A Little Rain is an American Pale Ale that comes in a cool can. It has a fruity/citrus taste and the low alcohol percentage makes this a must drink. If you come across it, buy it and spread the word.

Best Plugs

The Imperfect Game - We’ve spend nearly 7 months researching ten small English soccer clubs. Our most recent episode closes up this little series. Both and I select our all time Starting XI using only players that have suited up for the ten teams. Spotify. iTunes.

Friday Faves 5/29: Back on the Course, Dream Team Podcast, Italian Subs, Home Before Dark

Best Activity

On Monday afternoon I stood on the first tee for the first time this year and promptly topped my tee shot 50 yards in front of me. I tried again, re-teeing and knowing that my golf game is going to have some rust, but not enough to top another tee shot 50 yards in front of me, right? Wrong. As a topped my way down the first three holes of my opening round of 2020, I didn’t care much about the result of the round. It was an odd one to be sure, playing in a foursome with two strangers, who were friends of the organizer of the foursome.

Driving out of the city for only the second time all spring, it was one of those baby step moments that gave me a bit of hope. There are things we all miss doing, and I’m fortunate that some of my favorite things require wide open spaces, so they’re safer than other “out-of-home” hobbies. However, it also made me realize how far we need to go. The sensation of hopping out of the car and meeting a new person without a hand shake, and instead a wave from a safe distance, was awkward. Not being able to commune in the clubhouse or on the driving range before the round was weird. Killing the 15 minutes before the round around the corner from the first tee, unable to approach until it was completely clear felt strange.

While we’re slowly getting portions of our lives back, the experience is going to be so different and require patience and understanding and self-awareness. If this pandemic was a marathon, we’d be on mile 20. Half the race comes in the last six miles. Our bodies and minds are exhausted and screaming at us to just give in, quit, stop worrying. Instead, let’s keep moving forward and taking care of each other.

Best Watch

Home Before Dark: This Apple+ show is a small delight. Hinde Lisko is a 9 year-old amateur journalist whose family just moved back to her father’s childhood home in Washington state. It’s a far cry from Brooklyn where Hilde used to ride along with her journalist dad and help him investigate stories. When an old friend of Hilde’s dad ends up dead, Hilde thinks something suspicious is going on and starts to dig for the truth. The show isn’t GREAT, but it’s a solid, charming show that we keep sitting down to watch each evening. Hilde can be a bit too precocious at times, but it’s been a good one so far.

Tiger, Phil, Tom, and Peyton in The Match 2: This was a great afternoon of golf viewing. Tom Brady sucking at golf brought a lot of people joy. If we weren’t in a pandemic, Tom Brady splitting his pants on national TV after holing out from 150 yards would have exploded the internet. Here are my grades for the players, course, and programming.

Best Read

Notes From Our Homes To Yours: This is a cool NYTimes interactive page where a bunch of reporters and editors and writers are keeping some sort of journal. There’s something in here for everyone, the formatting is cool, as many of them are written in Google Docs, so they’re living, breathing things. Here’s the link.

Best Listen

The Dream Team Tapes: Author and journalist Jack McCallum is The Dream Team expert. He wrote a book on the 1992 Olympians in 2013. He interviewed them all and kept the cassette tapes. This pod weaves in McCallum’s narration with the interviews from ten years ago. It offers solid insight into the making of The Dream Team and its personalities. The podcast made a bit of splash this week when the third episode had Michael Jordan saying he wouldn’t play on the Dream Team if Isiah Thomas was picked. Which makes MJ look like a liar in his very own documentary.

Best Eat

Sheet Pan Italian Sub dinner: Yep, another sub, just not meatball this week. This wasn’t quite an Italian sub , but more like an Italian sub bowl with a sidecar of bread. It was delicious. Here’s the NYTimes cooking recipe.

Best Drink

Homemade Shandy: The thermometer tipped the 80 degree mark this week. Crack open any lager, pour it in a glass, add some lemonade (3:1 beer to lemonade ratio?) and enjoy! Or just buy Leinenkugel shandy, but it isn’t the same.

Best Plugs

The Match 2: I wrote about the Match 2 this weekend where Tom Brady embarrassed himself. Here it is.

The Imperfect Game Podcast: Southampton was this week’s club of choice. If you’re looking for insults based on having sex with fish, then this pod might be for you. Portsmouth and Southampton hate each other, and it’s glorious. I researched the clubs hero Matthew Le Tissier, who is a delight to watch gallop around the field and score amazing goals. iTunes link.

Friday Faves 5/15: Cheeseburgers, Sketching, Jaylen Brown Dancing, Bissell Brothers, and Wind of Change

Best Activity

Sketching - I have never been much of a drawer. I doodle on my notes or while I’m on the phone or in a meeting, but last week I came across a NYTimes article about sketching and the positive impacts it can have on our mindset, even if you just take 10 minutes a day. So I did, I took 10 minutes a day, put a simple object in from of me (coffer mug, wine bottle, a vase), and just tried to sketch it. I watched a couple youtube videos and bought some pencils and a sketchpad.

The thing I’ve found the hardest about sketching is the imperfection of it all. Nothing comes out on the paper as I picture it in my head. However, this, I think, is also the value of the exercise. I have a limited ability and I’m trying to acquire a new skill on my own, and I’m doing it for no one else but myself. The better sketches happen when I stop caring, or I don’t get tied up in making it look “perfect” or “realistic.” It’s an activity I look forward to each day, and something I think about when I’m not sketching. After just a week, I am looking at objects differently: the light, the shape, my perspective. At times, I’m even ranking items: I could draw that… oh, man, I could not draw that, yet.

Like any new hobby or activity, improvement will come. With a visual activity, I’ll see the improvement from page to page, sketch to sketch. When everything around us feels stuck, it’s a nice feeling to flip through a week’s of sketches and see the passing of time and some slight improvement.

Best Watch

TaylorMade COVID Relief Golf Match - On Sunday, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, and Dustin Johnson will play a 2-on-2 skins game at Seminole Golf Course. Live sports are slowly making their way back. The golf course might be the star of the show though. Seminole is a golf geek’s architectural wet dream and is rarely, if ever, shown on TV and has never hosted a professional only tournament. Tune in on NBC at 2PM on Sunday… here’s the low down via GolfDigest.

Jaylen Brown dancing - This is the new, “Heading into the weekend like…” video. I’ll be honest, I hate on LeBron James for his stupid-ass videos. I know that if LeBron did this, I’d roll my eyes. You know why LeBron wouldn’t do this? Because he’s too far from the camera… you can barely tell this is Jaylen Brown.

Also, how about his hype-man in the background? Just stupendous. I choose to believe this was filmed on the side of 95 North in Wellesley.

Enjoy…

Important Jaylen Brown update: pic.twitter.com/gHLRWTNFF4

— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) May 14, 2020

Best Listen

Gossip in the Grain - Streaming music has certainly altered my listening habits. There’s a saying in the NFL, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.” I’d say, “If you have access to all the music, you have access to no music.” I end up in these closed loops because of the algorithm. Ray LaMontagne’s newest single, We’ll Make it Through was brought to me by the robots behind Spotify. I hadn’t forgotten about LaMontagne, but I hadn’t listened to him in a while. I popped on “Gossip in the Grain” one evening this week, it was one of the rainy evenings, the type of evening you could picture LaMontange writing a new song.

Wind of Change Podcast- Could a rock ballad have possibly ended the Cold War? This podcast investigates the likelihood that the CIA wrote the hit song “Wind of Change” by German rock group the Scorpions in 1990 to become the “soundtrack to the revolution.”

Best Read

A History of the World in 6 Glasses - I finished this book last night, and it was a great, quick read. It discusses the impact of beer, wine, rum (and other distilled drinks), coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola throughout history. The book doesn’t bounce around from era to era, it follows time linearly, each drink gaining influence at different times in history. The section on the Opium War blew my mind.

The Making of Marcus Rashford - The young Manchester United star has been making an effort to feed the less fortunate in Manchester. A solid story about kindness, empathy, and perseverance. NYTimes.com.

The Outer Banks is the Show of the Year….- I wish I had written this piece. Really funny, but also full of hard truths about a really great, fun TV show. It won’t win awards, but it might win this quarantine. -SFGate

Best Eat

Summer Cheeseburgers - It was 70 degrees in Boston on Thursday. It was delightful, so we decided to fire up the grill and make some cheeseburgers. Now don’t be fooled, these were quarantine burgers to the max, frozen and thin (I went double patty…). Nothing special, some pickles and ketchup on the top. No fries. No frills. But cracking a beer, firing up the grill, and sitting out on the deck as the sun set on the end of another pandemic day was a calming slice of normal.

Best Drink

Substance by Bissell Brothers - Tiff loves Bissell’s Lux beer. In search of an escape one day, she decided to drive up to Portland and pick up some Bissell Brothers beer. She also grabbed their flagship beer called Substance. It’s a delicious IPA that isn’t super heavy or overwhelmingly bitter or hoppy. I look forward to the day we can go back to Portland, eat great food, and have a couple beers in Bissell’s tasting room.

Friday Faves 5/8: Killing Eve, Jack Kornfield, Italian Soccer, Home Made Alphabet Soup, and Mezcal

I used to stand in the school hallways and ask students to take off their hooded sweatshirts because they were out of dress code. I used to hold kids in detention for multiple dress code infractions. Middle schoolers would often have an answer for why they were wearing their hoodie: they were heading outside or they were just coming back inside (hoodies were allowed outside) or the building was too cold (and hoodies are the only thing a teenager can wear to stay warm…). Some would just say the rule was unfair and they should be allowed to wear hoodies (if I could have worn a hoodie every day to work, I would have, too.).

It was exhausting and I hated it. All teachers hate fighting kids on dress code. It’s like fighting the tide while playing whack-a-mole, but without tickets to collect for a prize at the end.

This hoodie issue is now haunting nearly everyone in our country, except the hoodie is now a mask. I’ve heard the refrain, “Just put on a mask! We’re not asking that much!” Just like teachers used to say, “Just take off your hoodie, it’s so easy!”

Obviously, there is a stark difference between hoodies and masks because masks are made to protect people and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. However the attitude about dress code in middle school feels similar to the mask issue in public. Hoodies are comfortable and it the dress code and stupid and it doesn’t matter, teenagers complained. Masks are a nuisance and they don’t really do anything, idiots say.

I guess that means, deep down, we’re all middle schoolers even after we’ve grown up. Many of us seek comfort (rules and/or public safety be damned), while others follow every rule. Then there are those in the middle with a mask shoved in their pocket, waiting to see what everyone out in public is doing before making a decision.

Best Watch

Killing Eve: I realize I’m late to the game with this one. But it’s on Hulu, so Tiff and I decided to give it a whirl. While each episode has a moment where we’re watching the TV through sweaty, nervous fingers, clamped over our eyes, it’s an excellent show. The premise is that Sandra Oh, playing Eve, is an American who works as a British spy. She’s tracking a ruthless assassin throughout Europe, but the assassin is also tracking her. The show harkens back to old school spy shows: the soundtrack, visuals, and hopping around from different ancient European cities. It’s excellent. It’s on Hulu. Watch it.

Best Listen

Jack Kornfield : I’ve listened to a bunch of interviews with Kornfield recently because he possesses an incredible ability to state things plainly and beautifully. His entire website is full of wonderful texts about mindfulness, and he’s a great listen/read if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed during this pandemic. Here’s a link to a podcast he does with Sam Harris of Ten Percent Happier.

Best Read

My Season WIth Verona: This was a wonderful book. Tim Parks spent one season following his favorite football team, Verona, throughout Italy. He travels to every away game, in many different ways. Cars, trains, buses, planes (public and private). It’s a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. The characters are insanely passionate, angry, and loving. Park’s writing brings them all to life. The team’s rollercoaster season couldn’t have been a more perfect subject. Read the first chapter, depicting an overnight bus ride to Bari, and you’ll be hooked.

I found myself learning a lot about Italy’s culture; the schism between north and south is deep and intense. He doesn’t get bogged down in match report writing, but when he does offer blow by blow recaps, they’re riveting and impactful to the story. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, this is an excellent read.

Flattening the Truth by David Eggers: Eggers might be one of my favorite writers. This tongue in cheek piece is great and sad and scary and funny. - NYTimes.com

Spaghetti and Meatballs Make No Goddamn Sense Together: A solid, old-fashioned mailbag article by Drew Magary, a witty writer who made his name at Deadspin, and he’s a worthy Twitter follow. Sometimes I hate him and sometimes he makes me laugh. Here’s the link.

Best Eat

Tomato Alphabet Soup: Comfort foods have become more and more the name of the game. I made this soup using this NYTimes recipe. You’ll need a blender or immersion blender and about an hour of time, but I was very impressed with it. You could double the recipe and have dinner for a couple nights and maybe even a lunch.

Best Drink

On Sunday, Tiff and I zoomed with my brother and his girlfriend as a pre-game for ESPN’s The Last Dance. We thought it would be fun to each pick a cocktail and then teach each other how to make them on the call. A distance learning bartender class if you will.

We made a Chelsea Sidecar and a Mezcal Sour. I found the Chelsea sidecar in this amazing book we were given a few years ago called, quite simply, the Ultimate Bar Book. It’s small and looks classy as hell. We noticed it in bars over the years, so you know it’s good.

Chelsea Sidecar: Lemon twist, 2 ounces gin (we used Barr Hill), 3/4 ounce Cointreau, 1/2 ounce lemon juice. Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon. Toss in the liquid ingredients together with ice and shake, shake, shake! Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Mezcal Sour: This was my brother’s drink of choice. I cannot remember how to make it off the top of my head, it involved egg white, honey, mezcal, muddled basil, a “dry shake” and then a “wet shake” after adding the egg white. It was delicious.

Mezcalita: We never have Mezcal (or any tequila) in the house, so I did a little research and found this drink; it was perfect for a Cinco de Mayo dinner. It was delicious and easy to make, and the orange and lime juice will help fight off scurvy. After all, we’re basically all on our own little ships right now.

Best Plugs

Four Questions Parents Should Be Asking About Their Child: I wrote a quick parenting/distance learning piece with four questions that parents should be asking themselves about their child as a learner. They’ll make them better parents when school returns to normal. Here is the link.

The Imperfect Game: After a week away from the mic, Both and I are back on the bike talking about Sheffield Wednesday’s heroes and villains. We learn a new British insult (what is a yob?) and discuss a striker that drank a bottle of champagne on New Years Day for breakfast, scored a goal and then hopped in net and didn’t allow a goal. iTunes and Spotify

Friday Faves 4/24: The Last Dance, Fiona Apple, Dutch Baby, Tacos, and the Flying Coach Podcast

Best Activity

9:00pm on Sunday for the next four weeks is booked. Why? I’ll be watching “The Last Dance”, ESPN's documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The first two episodes aired last Sunday night, each episode is one hour long and it was a wonderful appetizer for what’s to come. The pessimists might say that “The Last Dance” didn’t shed new light on anything. I’d agree, it reminded me of things I already knew and gave a few small interesting snippets of new information, while tapping into that 1990s nostalgia: sneakers, music, sports. Nike even did a special drop of a pair of Jordans during the airing of the documentary. They sold out. Guess those stimulus checks are being used….

I’m most excited for more behind the scenes footage from the 1998 season. The Bulls granted the NBA complete access to the team for that entire season. It was locked away in a vault and had reached Bigfoot mythical levels. It was only seen by a few, and were those people really telling the truth? There wasn’t much of the hidden footage it in the first two hours. I’ve read that the footage is used more and more during the documentary.

The buzz I felt when the show started was akin to the feeling I have at a game, a big game. The anticipation and excitement were playoff levels, maybe it’s because I’ve been cooped up inside for 5+ weeks and I’m losing my mind or maybe the documentary is just really that good.

Tune in to ESPN on Sunday night at 9pm EST and if you missed last week’s, I recommend tracking it down. Live internationally (or have a VPN…)? It should be there, too.

Best Watch

Las Vegas Mayor with Anderson Cooper: This is an incredible, scary, sad, riveting, confusing 25 minutes of TV.

#BlackAF: A new Netflix sitcom that has a Cosby Show meets Curb Your Enthusiasm vibe to it, but with way cooler sneakers… The writer of the show, Kenya Barris, plays himself and stars as the father of six kids. The premise of the show is that his daughter is making a documentary for her NYU college application. Barris a sad sack dad; he’s always grumpy and has very little time for everyone’s nonsense. Barris wrote Black-ish, and it seems like this new show has received mixed reviews over the last week; I never watched Black-ish, but a big critique of #BlackAF is that it’s derivative (except with swears and stuff…). I think the show is funny, the episodes typically have a bit of a heavy topic baked into it. Barris has signed a $100 million deal with Netflix, so we’ll see what else he has in store and if #BlackAF is signed for a second season.

Best Read

Roy Keane - The Second Half: I grew up idolizing Roy Keane, the captain of both the Irish national team and the Manchester United teams of the 1990s and 2000s. I tried my best to wear his number when I played and played the same position as he did. He was tough and a great leader. This is his second autobiography, written with Irish novelist Roddy Doyle. The timeline covers Keane’s sudden exit from Manchester United, his retirement, and the beginning of his managerial career at Sunderland, Ipswich Town, and the Irish national team. Keane is open and honest, at least he seems to be. It’s a quick read, thanks to Doyle’s fantastic writing style, and Keane shares some interesting stories (i.e. Doubting his club’s ability to perform on the pitch because their pump-up song in the locker room was Abba’s “Dancing Queen.”)

Best Listen

Flying Coach Podcast: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr have a podcast! It’s a good listen, and the most recent episode covers how they both manage the drafting and scouting process. And Carroll spoke about the prep for the virtual NFL Draft (which started last night).

Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple: This is a whacky album, what else would you expect from Fiona Apple? Her first album since 2012 earned a “10” from Pitchfork (a freaking 10) and this opening blurb…

Fiona Apple’s fifth record is unbound, a wild symphony of the everyday, an unyielding masterpiece. No music has ever sounded quite like it. 

Best Eat

Tiff’s Brownies: Just more motivation to run nearly every day…

Dutch Baby: On Sunday morning I opened up the NYTimes cooking app in search of a pancake recipe. Staring me in the face was something called a Dutch Baby. I had never heard of it before and thought it looked delightful. It was very simple: flour, milk, sugar, and nutmeg. Here’s the recipe…

Chickpea Tinga Tacos: This was a Hello Fresh recipe. Poblano peppers, chickpeas, and a southwestern spice in a skillet, topped with pickled shallots and tomato salsa on a flour tortilla. A really good and simple recipe.

Best Drink

Angelica by Lord Hobo: Lord Hobo never fails to impress, and the Angelica is no different. The can stands out because it’s white and gold, different from every other can they have, which is black. Angelica is described as a “Hazy IPA” and at 5.5% ABV, it’s a great quarantine beer that won’t make you wondering what day it is when you wake up the next morning…

Best Plugs:

The Imperfect Game: There were too many heroes to only choose one for this podcast, so Both built a team of Everton Avengers, led by 1980s manager Howard Kendall BUT not 1930s superstar Dixie Dean. Howard Kendall lead Everton to numerous trophies, including the Cup Winners Cup and the greatest night in Goodison Park history when they defeated Bayern Munich in the semi-final.

On the flip side, Martin Atkinson, a referee not afraid to flash a card, draws a lot of ire from Everton fans for an incredible amount of bad calls and indiscretions. His name came up a lot in Sean's search for an Everton villain. However, when an 18 year-old generational talent asks for a transfer and then enjoys incredible success at Manchester United, only to return when his tank was empty at age 32 and then leave a second time for D.C. United, you have to make him the club's villain. Wayne Rooney grew up an Everton fan, signed with them at age 9, scored boatloads of goals in the junior ranks, and then left just as Everton were coming on hard times.

iTunes and Spotify