Culture vulture

X-treme theater
For months I’ve been hearing about a group of young wrestlers who stage matches in back yards and any other location that will accommodate their ring and their sometimes startling acts of physical daring-do. So when my friend and occasional colleague Matt Hogan invited Culture Vulture to attend a match being presented at his downtown Chico nightclub, Mr. Lucky, you can bet that there was no hesitation in accepting the invitation.

I’d be less than honest if I didn’t confess that I was expecting something fairly hokey and amusing—a pleasant if slightly unusual diversion to pass the time on a Tuesday evening. But what I encountered transcended my expectations by nearly infinite degrees of brilliance, humor and physical prowess.

It was the most entertaining piece of live theater I’ve seen in a year that included quite a few excellent productions. Not that full-body slams outside the ring and leaps from the top of a DJ booth onto an opponent are prerequisites for exciting theater, but keeping a fairly large troupe of performers together and motivated while presenting high-energy, somewhat improvisational and very physically demanding performances is worthy of respect, and well worth checking out if you get the chance.

A hearty “Bravo!” to the young daredevils of the MainEvent Wrestling Federation.

X-treme eating
The holiday season can be a challenge for a dedicated grazer such as Culture Vulture. Our normal style of nourishment consists of snacking throughout the day rather than eating regular meals. But during the holidays there are many meals that can’t be passed up.

Sunday afternoon found Culture Vulture and the lovely I. Daphne St. Brie at my mother’s house in the charming hamlet of Orland feasting on the best homemade split-pea soup ever to grace a bowl, accompanied by whole fresh crab dug from the shell and drenched in melted butter. A wilted lettuce salad with a side of sliced avocado and some homegrown oranges completed the gustatory ensemble, which was fantastic, filling and sufficient unto the day.

Normally, such a fine repast would have us contentedly digesting for the rest of the day and into evening, but on this particular night we were also attending the holiday dinner party put on for the employees of York Publishing by Matt and Patrice York at the Redwood Forest Restaurant, so only a few hours after the first feast we were sitting down to another beautiful salad, sumptuous chicken picatta accompanied by rice and vegetables, a glass or two of fine merlot and a choice of chocolate mousse or cranberry and apple crisp.

A fine time was had by all, and during this period of life without a kitchen, the meals were much appreciated.

Three cheers to people who feed us!