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Today started out as a tough day… A long night, then I awaken to downpours that don’t show any signs of slowing. Not the best setup for the long work day ahead, but time to soldier on like we always do.

However bad as the hum-drum may be, nothing takes me from “Hero to Zero” faster than bullshit, which I’m now forced to believe because it’s popular opinion.

When I was a kid, it was spider eggs in bubble gum, spider eggs in a cactus, a ghost that appeared looking for its arm whenever a car went off the road…

Those “Old Wives Tales” from my youth, somehow managed to make their way around the globe by simply being told in a movie, and then being repeated at adolescent parties. It was an antiquated system by todays standards, but it worked like a charm.

I don’t ever recall those old wives tales disrupting my life, but that’s no longer the case.

High powered computers and software are now the norm, and they’ve both made it into the hands of bored kids and shitheads all over the globe. Now, instead of having to wait until the next house party to tell your scary ghost tale, you can simply photoshop a pic of Princess Diana hovering over a poparazzi-car-wreck, throw it on youtube at 12pm, and it’ll make the 6 o’clock news.

This is what we all have to deal with every time we try to simply check our email or the weather.

CLICK-BAIT! The Taboo, never discussed, well guarded secret of the internet.

It’s funny that mainstream media has the balls to cry “fake news” on everyone except themselves, and yet whenever you go to any accredited, mainstream-media website, you’re instantaneously barraged with banners…

“The IRS doesn’t want you to know about THIS secret”, “This wardrobe malfunction nearly shut down the Teen Choice Awards”, “Armed and dangerous Kidnapper is on the loose in this US neighborhood, click here to find out where it is”.

Is this not fake news?

To a person with a brain, this is an obvious ploy to attract attention and erroneously inflate traffic statistics… But who among us is falling for this stuff? Someone must be, in fact, the majority must be, because the world is spending billions of time and money to create it… And no amount of education seems able to dispel it.

Today I read on FB (from a reliable source) that “China didn’t steal our jobs, corporate America gave them away”. That is a blatant lie.

The reality is “We” gave them away. We demanded cheap products, and we refused to pay for quality goods and services, so manufacturers were forced to send production overseas. And… because we’re “lying” about the reality of the situation, the cycle will continue.

But at what cost?

The American economy and our system of ideals and beliefs is the cost.

This is no victimless crime. Parents are pulling their kids out of school, walking away from their family homes, and committing suicide over the “hype and ruin” that mainstream media and the government have created.

This is a problem that we have the solution for, but we’re not executing the plan, because we’re still pretending that “someone else is to blame”.

Here’s an example: You need a landscaper, you’re too cheap to hire one, so you hire “some guy” to do it instead. Bam… You just cost someone a job and you hurt the economy.

Of course, the opposite of that is, you need a landscaper, you hire one, his business prospers, he hires more workers, buys more equipment, the equipment dealers hire more workers, the workers all get paid and go shopping, so the stores do more business…

That’s economics… But for some reason, even though it could save America, it’s wildly less popular than Paris Hiltons crotch as she’s exiting a limo.

If we all have to be stuck in this situation, than so be it. But if we’re here simply because we’re idiot’s, too lazy and consumed by pop culture to even bother trying to make a difference, then everyone needs to shut up about all of the “proud American crap”.

There is no pride in bastardizing the world that our grandfathers died to build. Talk is cheap. Waiving the flag at the soccer field, is not a substitution for “United we Stand”.

As the saying goes… If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.

If you have reproduced or you plan on reproducing, please teach your kids about economics… And the dangers of believing bullshit.

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Its been several weeks since I’ve written something new, but you know the old saying… “If you don’t have anything to say, keep your mouth shut”.

Its less commonly known than the ever-popular “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then shut the fuck up”.

But my version is based on intelligence, whereas in the later version is based on manners, and it’s clear that society can no longer be trusted with those.

We live in a world where it’s better to hate someone and not mention it, than it is to be honest about yourself so that others can judge you accordingly.

People no longer seem to have their own opinions, which is funny considering how many times that we’ve gone to war to protect them. Nevertheless, most folks seem to be merely repeating and speculating on social media, and all hopes for any originality are completely gone.

Even “artists”, the people whom make a living off creativity and originality, have completely sold out to the lowest bidder.

Just look at the biggest box office hits over the last decade… remakes of Marvel Comics… And the biggest hits in the music studios? Covers of 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s top 40.

We continue to get our information from a source that popularized the Kardashians and the cinnamon challenge, and we continue to put quantity over quality.

Why?

We won’t accept cheap cars, food, alcohol, clothes, or phones, but when it comes to information and entertainment, we’ll scrape road kill off the highway before we put forth any effort.

I belong to a “lost pets” group, and nearly everyone there who’s searching for their beloved pets, state that “their collar fell off last week and that they didn’t get a chance to put it back on yet”. However, the same folks wouldn’t dare leave the house without their iphone.

Why? Because they care more about the land of make believe than they do about the life that they’re actually living. Which wouldn’t so bad if we all called bullshit… But for some reason, we all just “like” it and post some generic condolence.

We’re a bunch of politically correct pansies, and this is what you get when you take no action in life.

When I was a kid, if your pets collar was off and you didn’t put it back on, you were a lazy, dumb-ass… And… if I wanted coffee, I’d have taken it cold from my grandmothers counter.

But today’s 14-year-olds are commanding their parents to drive three towns away to find a Starbucks.

Well fresh off of the Memorial Day weekend, we here are grateful for the sacrifices of our forefathers, but we take it a step further by preserving the ideals that they died for.

Now that’s unique.

In the coming weeks, new doors will open, old doors will close, old friends will wither, and new friends will arise.

This is the land where truth prevails, and popularity and status hold no value here. If you’re wondering what this place is all about… It’s not complicated… It’s just forgotten.

The Golden Rule. Google it.

If it makes you nauseous to pretend that you believe everyone’s bullshit, you’re not alone.

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Left to right – Courtney, Mike, and Jayke

Did you ever hear a song that you love, but you just can’t listen to it because you don’t like the artist? For me… That’s Kickstart my Heart from Motley Crue. A badass tune from a band that I don’t care for.

Of course… there are also bands that I adore, with songs that I despise… Like Crazy, Crazy Nights from Kiss! Where’s that throw-up emoji when I need it?

It’s a lot more difficult for me to fall in love with music. Maybe it’s because I’m a musician myself? I always thought that made me more forgiving of bands… but now I see that it makes me more cynical.

I don’t just want a catchy tune… I want the band to be cool too, I want their sound to be awesome, and I need them to be among the 8% of people on the planet, who don’t deserve a flaming bag of shit thrown at their front door.

Maybe you’re surprised that great people can be found in disguise and in unusual places? So if you judge a book by it’s cover, then you’re on the wrong website and you probably won’t ever find yourself at a Goddamn Gallows show either.

But if you’re like me…

You hate having popularity jammed down your throat. You prefer to stumble upon it when you least expect it, and sure enough, that’s how it went for me with the Goddamn Gallows. A beautiful thing when I least expected it.

I first saw them when they toured with the Koffin Kats in Philly… And while I don’t remember most of that night, a few days later, I saw them again at Roxy and Dukes in Jersey. On this particular night, The Koffin Kats wrapped up first, so I was on my way out the door… But as I was leaving, the Goddamn Gallows came on and played “Down With the Ship” off their new album ‘”The Trial”.

I turned around, gave them my full attention… And the hook was set.

Courtney – Bass and Vocals
Uriah – Drums and Vocals

I will forever describe that tune as Oscar the Grouch singing a nursery rhyme, and I loved it! So when I got home, I bought all of their albums.

Their genre was all over the place. One minute I thought that I was listening to John Denver, and the next minute I thought that I was listening to Necrophiliac from Slayer… The line between those two was a complete blur.

Mike – Lead Guitar and Vocals

Over the next few weeks, I struggled to make sense of it all and to find my “comfy zone” within their very large catalog… Finally, it was time to put their music to the test. And my two-step authentication process… Never fails!

Step One; clean my house with your music on shuffle. If I don’t have to hit skip… Then you’re in.

The Goddamn Gallows passed this test with flying colors… Scoring extra points because I was inspired to grab a beer and hit repeat a few times.

Step Two is a bit tougher; it requires me to shake your hand. That’s not so easy when a band is touring all over the world, 320 days a year. So when I heard that the GDG were coming to the Stanhope House in Stanhope New Jersey, I got ready to do some driving.

2.5 hours to be exact.

I arrived at 3:30 in the afternoon, and at 3:30 on show night, a band is always in a state of flux… They don’t know whether they want rest, alcohol, food, or action, and in my experience, the choices that you make early in the day have a lot to do with how your night will end. So, I opted to stay away from them until show time.

The bands manager Mike and I went for lunch, which consisted of my pre-show ritual… a juicy steak and frozen margaritas! After that, we headed back to chill at the merch table while we waited for the show.

As the evening unfolded, the rest of the band crept out from wherever they had been lurking… Each resembling a vampire whom was unexpectedly awoken from a 100 year slumber, but each just as cool as the ice cream man.

I was instantly confident that I didn’t waste a two and a half hour trip on a bunch of nut-sacks.

I’m high-strung and OCD, so I envy people that can just roll along, and the GDG roll better than most bands that I’ve seen. Relaxed, calm, and enjoying the evening… Not running around like primadonnas who were out of Aquanet.

I got to spend some time with Courtney (the bass player) and Uriah (the drummer) before the show. Both were down-to-Earth guys that I’d have gladly driven 3 hours to hang out with, even if they weren’t playing any music.

I barely got to see Mike and Jayke before the show. However… They’re rockstars, so you need to give them their space if you expect to juice them for a killer performance… At least that’s what they told me.

And that they did deliver!

The band hits the stage, and unless you’ve ever seen them before, you can’t possibly be prepared for what’s about to unfold.

Even if you were lucky enough to guess how it was gonna go, it’d be some place else long before you ever had a chance to brag about it.

Their cross-genre attack immediately explodes in your face, leaving you intrigued, captivated, and hot on the heels of toe tapping. And just when you think that you have them pinned down, the wind kicks up and the tide has changed.

Stand there long enough, and you’ll likely be inclined to start throwing bodies around the room.

To say that they’re diverse would be an epic understatement, to think that it can’t be done would be a rookie mistake… Whatever they do, they do well, and you’re well aware of the fact that they wrote the book on it all.

The audience was at full attention at all times, and it was clear to me that no amount of sweat, beer, or volume emanating from the stage could keep them at bay for very long. It wasn’t just a big crowd… It was a good crowd too.

A tough, rockabilly, punk gang on the outside, but decent humans on the inside… And that’s just how we like em’. Good people.

The Maker

The absolute last thing that a busy, adrenaline fueled stage needs is an idiot crawling around with a camera, but whenever an idiot is needed… I’m on it! The band let me creep around and get some good photo’s and video… and I made it out alive, so next time, I’ll bring better camera’s, cigars, and a bottle of bourbon.

I got to hear “Down with the Ship”, “Load your Guns”, and a cover of Venom’s “In League With Satan”… Which oddly enough is the first song that I ever learned on bass guitar about 35 years ago.

I couldn’t have been happier with the band and their performance.

The show was awesome, the talent was amazing, and when I started worrying that it all would be over too soon, it was clear to me that the GDG had also passed Step Two with flying colors.

If they were playing there every night this week, I wouldn’t have missed a single show.

To me, the Goddamn Gallows represent the little remaining great about America… You can be who you want to be, go where you want to go, and do what you want to do. Some of us choose to plant our ass on the couch and fritter our life away, others carve their path through the world, fully embracing everything that life has to offer.

The Goddamn Gallows have done this, and they’ve earned my praise and support.

They may represent the American dream… But behind the scenes, the dream requires incredible sacrifice. Life on the road, away from family, pets, comfort, and the security of a home, isn’t for the faint of heart.

When you consider that they’re doing it for you… How can it not inspire you to show up with a big appetite for a good time?

Take it from me… If you do, you will.

Go to their website, sign up, follow them on social media, and get out to see their show. You won’t regret it.

And… It’s a scientific fact that seeing a Goddamn Gallows show will dramatically improve your street cred… So it’s likely that you’ll walk out of there being up to 70% cooler than you’re telling everyone you are on facebook.

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I arrived at the venue several hours before the doors opened for the show, and I was greeted by Jesse, the manager at the Stanhope House.

He was super cool and very accommodating… Especially considering that at this point, I was nothing more than a fan whom wandered into the show 3 hours too early.

The Stanhope House

The Stanhope House itself was awesome.

  • Good parking
  • Great beer selection
  • A terrific menu with delicious food served right on the premises
  • Plenty of shopping and attractions close by
  • Unusually courteous and helpful staff
The Stanhope House
The Stanhope House

The place itself was a cross between a road house and a Ripleys Believe it or Not… In other words… PERFECT! Lot’s of cool stuff to look at inside… Very nostalgic and authentic as well. Even a few families with kids were in there eating and having fun.

This venue is about 2.5 hours from home for me, and based on the quality of service and entertainment that I received, I’d have no trouble making the trip regularly.

If you have other dining requirements, or if you arrive early like me, there are plenty of other food joints close by. I had a nice big steak in town while I waited for the venue to open… and there’s a White Castle too.

So… hat’s off to Jesse for taking good care of my friends and I, and to Jen for being a great bartender. Keep the beer and soap dispenser stocked, and we’ll be back often my friends.

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Promo poster

NOTE: Special thanks to Armya for making this come together, 11th hour style. If I wasn’t ordering from Ticketmaster, and paying who-knows-what for fees, I’m not comfortable… Brown Paper Tickets managed the ticket sales for this venue, which is cool for some… besides, I thought to myself, there’s no way this show is going to sell out. It did.

We both contacted the venue… Armya was successful; I wasn’t… explaining one of the M’s in SCTMMC stands for Music, which we wholeheartedly support on our website. He spoke with owner Andreas Kleinert who reserved two tickets for us at the door, in the name of journalism… Scroti style… which begs the question… Why wasn’t I forwarded a Press Pass?

Located at 251 W. Fifth Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, The Shrunken Head offers live music, open mic nights, and may be extremely easy to locate, in the day time. Not so much, at night. My friend and I were having problems finding it, but deduced the venue was located behind the fleet of vans and trailers parked in front of the establishment, belonging to none other than the groups we were here to see… screw GPS, Siri! We’ll find our own way!

Goddamn Gallows skateboard

The first person I introduced myself to was Nick Magoteaux, SH’s sound engineer. Super nice guy, and after reading the reviews, seeing and listening to his efforts both before the show and during, my hat is off to him… Nick didn’t disappoint, both helping the bands manage their sound, setup and teardown… solid effort, Nick!

I also met Mike ‘Snappi’, the manager of the GD Gallows, who just so happened to be working the merchandise displays.

Spidey and Snappi
Biram merch


Urban Pioneers merch

… again, super nice! I asked how he knew Jimmy Jam, and he whispered in my ear, “It goes back to our old cow tippin’ days.” That’s when I left, to go get a beer.

Having not paid our entry fee yet, I inquired of the bartender how they collect. She said well before show time, they corral everyone back out of the bar, and then process tickets from a list, probably printable through Brown Paper Tickets. Sure enough, our names were written in, at the end of the list, just like Andreas and Armya had worked out.

Pre-show crowd

Stage, audience view
Used gear for sale, anyone?

A couple of tall PBR’s and we were ready to be entertained, and indeed we were…

First up, The Urban Pioneers.

Martin, Jared and Liz

The group consisted of Jared McGovern on banjo/guitar, Liz Sloan on fiddle, and Martin Sargent on double bass. What a great opening act! Their feel good performance consisted of original songs that encompass old time hillbilly music, western swing, rockabilly, and even a few gypsy type songs for good measure. Jared may have been the front man, but all three contributed vocally, and very well, at that. Whether playing banjo or guitar, Jared fast paced strumming carried the band through their well-timed set… even broke a string midway through, never missing a beat to finish out the song. No drums, mind you… in between booming bass notes, Martin was also playing a percussive slap on his double bass. Made me wonder how long it takes to pick this technique up to be proficient? I’m thinking he’s been playing a while. I saved the best for last, though… Ms. Sloan was a spitfire on fiddle. My goodness, could she play! Very expressively, too… great job guys!

The Urban Pioneers
Martin Sargent, on DB
Martin, Jared, Spidey and Liz

Next up, Scott Biram…

Scott Biram

… jam master, one-man band extraordinaire! His setup consisted of about 3 Gibson acoustics and a couple of electrics, including an Explorer… and, were they well worn. From the way he played, these instruments were not faux relic’d, at all. A beat driven stomp provided the vehicle for most songs, with the audience joining in, as well. Definitely, a Texas blues influence in his playing, and at one point in the show the glass slide made an appearance… phenomenal.

Biram, jamming out

Our headliner for tonight, which you have heard our fearless leader highlight one or two times, here and there, was none other than the GD Gallows!

The Goddamn Gallows

I caught up with the bassist, early on, and asked if I could get a pic with him for our website… super cool guy, too!

… and, this is what I got in return… I wonder if he knows where my nose has been.

After replacing a noisy instrument cord, they commenced bringing it. My buddy and I…

Spidey and T’Challa

… only stayed for about 3 of their songs, as it was almost midnight, and I had a pumpkin carriage to return, before getting charged another day’s rental. The Gallows did not disappoint! Musically tight, with a great overall sound, their genre is hard to nail down. If you kegged a mix of rockabilly, punk, and metal, with a smidgen of bluegrass thrown in for good measure, from the tap you would get a healthy dose of the Gallows. At one point, the lead singer/guitarist morphed into what I considered a real life animation, straight out of ‘The Mask’, speaking in tongues between verses, which fired up the audience even more.

Rounding out their sound, the rhythm section consisted of a 3-piece drum set, a thunderous double bass, and a rock solid second guitarist who doubled, sometimes tripled up instrumentally, providing support with mandolin, banjo, and possibly a flugelhorn.

GDG bassist

Overall, a great night to spend with some outstanding musicians! Much thanks to Andreas, Snappi, The Urban Pioneers, Scott Biram, and The GD Gallows, as well as our own Armya for making this all possible. I highly suggest if the entourage stops at a town near you, it’s well worth the trip to see them live.

Love and Peace,

Spidey2112

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The Goddamn Gallows

This band has grown on me at an alarming rate. I met them on tour with the Koffin Kats, and it’s hard to say whether I had more fun goofing off with the GDG or listening to their music… Fortunately for me, I don’t have to choose.

Nowhere Left to Roam

As with the Koffin Kats, the GDG have an extensive music catalog… And that makes them a Grand Slam in my world. I throw on one album at the gym, another at work, another back in the studio… And then I still have a few albums left to crank up during my weekend war mongering.

The music is folk… I guess, but it has pepper on it… A lot of pepper. Think the Kingston Trio meet the Sex Pistols. I’m never bored while listening for sure. There’s plenty of diversity, intriguing hooks, first class writing, and outstanding talent pouring out of the speakers.

If you’re a fan of hard-driving music that gets you moving, and looking for something completely unique, then look no further. Wailing vocals, accordion, metal guitar, banjo, upright bass… It’s addictive.

They tour regularly and their live show is straight-up captivating, so I urge you to check their schedule and get to a show! They’re a musicians band, so whether you like their genre or not, you’re going to walk away in love with the band and a fan for life…

And if you’re lucky, I might even buy you a beer.

Take it from a guy who only steers half of you wrong 70% of the time, Support this band my friends. You’ll be glad that you did. Heck… if you post a pick at a GDG show, I might even send you a Genuine, Luxurious, Industrious Dudes SCTMMC Hoodie. Come and take it!

7 Devils

Here’s their Touring Schedule: https://www.thegoddamngallows.com/tour

The bands albums are available on their website through Itunes here: https://www.thegoddamngallows.com/music

And Amazon, Spotify, etc. as well.

Check out this interview with the band: https://thepreludepress.com/interviews/2018/4/11/qa-with-the-goddamn-gallows

The Bands Bio…

Spit from the heart of America’s Rust Belt, arising from a night of flophouse violence. Drifting across the states, they cemented their sound in Portland, OR and later in Los Angeles, CA, where they lived in abandoned buildings, squatter camps, storage units and shoebox apartments.

In 2007, they left everything behind and spent the next 4 years living out of whatever vehicle would get them to the next town. Building upon their original sound of twanged-out, punk rock gutterbilly (Life of Sin 2004 and Gutterbillyblues 2007), they began picking up stray musicians along the way and adding to their sound; washboard, accordion, mandolin and banjo (Ghost of the Rails 2009 and 7 Devils 2011) creating a sound referred to as “hobocore”, “gypsy-punk” or “americana-punk”, while never being stuck in any one sound.

Enter 2018 and The Goddamn Gallows have reinvented themselves once again with The Trial. From rockabilly, psychobilly and punk rock, to bluegrass and metal, The Trial infuses disparate sounds into a new strange recipe of seamless genre bending profundities.

Chock full of impromptu antics of the shocking variety and hauntingly eclectic instrumentation, The Goddamn Gallows have made legions of fans with their legendary, live shows.

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16 oz jar is $5.99

When you first bite into one of these you are greeted with a wonderfully complex pickling spice combination.  Then the heat sets in, a lovely complex pairing of jalapeños and crushed red pepper flakes.  With a nice semi-crunchy texture and enough asparagus flavor shining through the spices to make sure you know what you’re devouring. 

These are a great snack, a wonderful compliment to any relish tray, or even just a quick grab with a Go-To, these little fire stix’s bring it in a big way.

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Style? Triple IPA

Appearance? Nice, medium depth gold.

Smell? A bouquet of sweet, citrus, and mild pine. There’s also a sort of “prickly fruit” character as well.

Body? Medium bodied. Creamy mouth feel.

Taste? For me, it’s not as promising as the nose. It has an almost “stereotypical” DIPA profile. The hop and malt balance is there, but the higher abv makes its presence known. I’ve had other beers with an equal, or higher abv that were better integrated into the profile. Because of this, I’m left a little flat on the Gobsmacked.

Overall? The “prickly fruit” character on the nose comes through in the finish, but I wish there was more going on in the middle of this brew. This is the third beer I’ve sampled from this brewery, and so far, none have wowed me. I’m not sure how far they’re distributed, but should you come across any of they’re brews, I’d suggest you try them.

Because one man’s “meh”, is another man’s “amazing!”

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Style? Double IPA

ABV? 8%

Smell? A combination of hoppy citrus with a soft, sweet candied character. Quite inviting.

Body? Smooth and creamy. Very drinkable.

Taste? An approachable hop profile that’s not too citrusy. A bit bitter, but not overly so. It leads into a pretty dry finish, reminiscent of a lager. At 8%, it most certainly doesn’t drink like it. The higher abv is well hidden.

Overall? A tasty brew. It’s not the most complex, but what it has is done well. Well worth trying if you’re a fan of IPA’s. Even if you’re not, it’s done in a manner that makes the style very approachable.

In closing,
As taste is subjective, I say try what you want, and drink what you like.

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Start with 2 pounds skirt steak (cut into smaller pieces to fit snug on bottom or pot)

Juice 1 lime

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

7 clove diced garlic

2 tsp oregano (use dried)

1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2-3/4 tsp pepper.

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (this is the magic)

To make the rub-

Mix together all dry ingredients then all lime juice.

Cut steak into smaller hunks so you can fit them on the bottom of crockpot.(they will not fit perfectly-don’t worry).  Rub the meat on both sides.. Then place into crock.. Sprinkle the garlic on top with cilantro.. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.. Shred meat and reserve the juice.. ***Word to the wise** Try the meat before putting on table for family.. If you have a hard time chewing cut into smaller piece especially for the kids.

You can serve the steak on soft tortillas with the fixings like tacos.

You can place meat on a roll and eat like a slider or you can make a veggie side and mashed potato.