You heard about the incident where the police pulled over a vehicle for making a U-turn in an unauthorized area? Turns out it was one of those new-fangled autonomous vehicles. The officer couldn’t write a ticket because there is no block to check for “robot.”
That got me to thinking. That could be an easy way out of my next ticket. I’ll just slide over into the passenger seat and tell him it wasn’t me. It was my self-driving truck.
I’ll let you know how that works.
As I’m perusing my daily news stories via Apple News and Google News (yes, I use both), I usually come across an article that claims this that or the other about recipes. Most of the time I click on them and I think what an idiot the author is. Like that time someone claimed this expensive Seiko watch was now on sale at Walmart. Total rubbish. Sure it was a nice watch. But no, not one person has ever bought it for over $1000 like the article claimed.
Which takes me to today’s news. I clicked on the story fully expecting to bullshitted. Or is that bullshat? Either way I was pleasantly surprised. It was not bullshit. Why Mexican restaurant salsa always tastes better than homemade. The big reason stated is to use quality veggies and roasting them. You can roast them in a pan, in the oven, on a griddle or on grill. Use a grill and add some wood for smoke. I personally love that smoked salsa, but Carol doesn’t so I don’t do that too often. Alternatively, you could blanch the veggies instead – that is throw them in boiling water instead of roasting. For about 10 minutes. Then blend.
My simple red salsa recipe is Roma tomatoes, jalapeños (or Serranos if needed when jalapeños are not in hot season), red onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. For example, in that order, yesterday I used 5,4, 1/2, 5 cloves, half a bunch, 1, and to taste (probably about a tsp). I roasted the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic on the Weber grill until they had the charred appearance I wanted (lots), transferred the peppers to a ziplock bag so they could steam for about 20 minutes, stemmed everything and transferred whole to my food processor. I don’t even bother to scrape the peppers. Pulsed a few times to get them somewhat chopped. Added the cilantro, squeezed the lime juice and added the salt. Processed on high until it was the consistency I wanted. Perfecto.
That’s just my ratio. And just the start. Play with it. Throw some cilantro leaves on top when done. Add more of one and less of the other. Add more spices if you like. Mexican oregano and cumin are a good start. Try different chiles. Go beyond processing and turn that shit into a red smoothie. Makes a great red sauce. If you do that add some avacado and/or cream to make it more smooth.
If you haven’t already figured out this secret, go ahead and give it a shot. You’ll bring your salsa game up to the next level. Playing around with it by varying the ratios is half the fun of trying out new salsas.
I’d like to say that I have never met a salsa that I didn’t like, but I’d be lying. There was this “Mexican restaurant” in San Angelo, TX we visited that was absolutely horrid. Tasted somewhere between tomato sauce and ketchup. If your salsa is that bad you might as well crack open a jar of Pace or Old El Paso. That would have been preferable over what they were serving. We ended up leaving and going to a Dairy Queen instead for tacos.
I was making my routine stop at the Fort Bliss Class Six to get my Barrel Proof Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel prescription refilled and I saw this Devil’s Reserve being offered as a sample. Alongside one of Cuervo’s better quality Tradicional Reposado. Plus she gave me the shot glass. #winning.
For those that don’t know shit about fuck (to quote Julia Garner) when it comes to tequila, the Tradicional is probably your lowest high quality Cuervo. Just a tad above the Especial Silver that does not claim to be 100% agave. But that’s OK. It serves its purpose and has its following. My real go-to (100% blue agave) tequilas consist of 1800 Silver or Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver/Plata. They are both excellent for either sipping or making my margaritas. Both are produced at the same place, or Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) 1122.
Pro-tip: if you find a tequila you really like, look closely at the label and determine what number the NOM is. Then you can find another brand that might be cheaper that is made at the same place. All bottles of tequila must have the NOM on there.
So then. NOM 1122 is the La Rojeña Distillery. Owned by Jose Cuervo, produces many other brands as well to include 1800, Gran Centenario, and Maestro Dobel (which has a fantastic crystolino that I despise on principle – why the fuck are you going to age something just to filter the age out and make it a silver again and charge twice as much? They can piss right off.)
But I digress. I’m here to tell you about the new Devil’s Reserve. Made with what is most certainly NOT 100% agave, especially since it has pineapple and jalapeno (flavors or the real deal? Who knows?) in the mix.
Regardless, this stuff hits the spot. You start off with that classic tequila flavor, but a hint of sweet, sweet pineapple and a slow afterburn of the jalapeño. Clocking in at 30% alcohol, a full 10% lower than your standard 40%, it’s pretty smooth. Except for the jalapeño.
MSRP off their website has it starting at $21.99 but I’m sure you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Class Six had it today (Friday, September 26, 2025) for $15 plus that spiffy shot glass.
Go ahead and listen to that devil on your shoulder and get you some.
As we age, we all know the usual suspects. Eyes start failing. Needing reader glasses. Sore joints. Needing to take a moment before getting out of bed. Craving the fresh taste of urine. Wait, what? That’s not normal, you say? Fine. I was just checking to see if you were paying attention. Most recently I’ve discovered a psychological change. A change in my perception and assumptions.
I’ve heard said that it takes 8 consecutive times to break/make a habit. That probably goes for our thought processes as well.
Use to be, I’d feel a wet spot on my skin and think to myself, hey, I’ve got water on me.
But now?
This morning?
I felt a wet spot on my skin and thought, oh shit! I’m bleeding!” Upon further inspection, I was not bleeding. It was, in fact, just some water from something I had been wiping off. How did I get to that bloody conclusion so fast?
Probably because that has been what it was for the past 8 times maybe? Stretching back maybe a year. I thought I must have come into contact with water, or a liquid, I look down at my hand to see it and HOLY SHIT IT’S BLOOD! I’M BLEEDING! WHERE THE FUCK AM I BLEEDING FROM?
After the initial shock I investigate the source of this blood. Lo and behold, I’ve torn myself. I’ve also heard that happens to aging skin as well. Reach into the cabinet to put something away and scrape the top of my hand on the bottom of one of the shelves and there it is. The skin tears. I start bleeding.
I reach down to pull the pin out of the trailer hitch and it releases sooner than expected, causing my left hand to slam into the side of the truck – skin torn. Now I make sure to wear gloves when doing that.
Hitting the double nickel and watching the expired warranty effect take place sure is fun. I know, I know. All my older-than-I friends will still call me a young whipper snapper and tell me the worst is yet to come. I hear ya.
Why isn’t anyone trying to reach out to me about this some extended warranty?
I heard some grinding coming from the brakes in my RAM. I’ve been waiting for them to start squealing, letting me know it is time to replace the brake pads. Only this was more of a cement brick being drug across a concrete driveway kind of sound. Not the sound I was hoping to hear. And just a day away from hooking up the trailer and heading up into the mountains!
So off to this Brake Master I’ve used and trusted for years. The kind that will tell you no, you don’t need to replace this just yet if it warrants. I just knew that there’d be some other recommendations. Sho ‘nuff. Rear shocks leaking. Rear differential showing some moisture around the seal. And why not throw in a brake fluid flush since it’s all apart anyways. Brake Masters informed me that they knew I came in here for the brakes and they can totally do that today (4 rotors and pads all around) but it would certainly save a little coin if I took care of the others while they already got it up there. Why not.
Brake Masters has come a long way from when I had to use them last. So long in fact, they asked if this was for the Firebird. Haven’t had the FireChicken for a while.They texted me a link to approve the inspection. It soon populated with actual pictures of the worn items and cost estimates. Pretty nifty.