Kevin_Clarkson's blog

Yesterday was our Christmas Eve. My son Matt, his lovely bride Autumn and my grandkids are off to Soldotna today to spend the holiday with Autumn's family. So, we planned yesterday evening as our special get together. And, it was a perfect time for it.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without certain things. The most obvious, well, Christ, of course, family, cheer and good will. But, for me also its the memories of sitting in the living room late in the evening and into the night and reading a book by the lights of the Christmas tree.

Over the years I have read many a good book this way that stand out in my mind. I remember reading Doctor Doolittle as a boy, The Lord of the Rings as a teen, many a Tom Clancey and John Grisham Novel as an adult, and of course, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

I have to say that I was not overly impressed with Cincinnati. Maybe, in fairness to my Buckye friends, it was the fact that it was raining the entire time I was there on my recent deposition trip. The City just had a darker feel to it, and many downtown shopping spaces were eerily empty. I walked through a huge mall that perhaps had 10 shops in grand total. The recession has hit Cincinnati hard.

On a recent deposition trip to Boston I visited Paul Revere's home and the Old State House, the cite of the Boston Masacre. History feels so close when you walk the Freedom Trail through this historic city.

Old State House in Boston

I love to buy and read unique books, and so while at the bookstore near the Old State House I noticed a couple titles that I just had to get: George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior and Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.

I have tried really hard to just ignore the Occupy Wall Street stuff going on -- on a recent deposition trip to New York I made sure to stay clear of Wall Street.

But, this morning I decided out of curiosity to research just exactly how much one has to make in order to fit within that "Top Wage Earner" category on whom some want to raise taxes. The result of my research was exactly what I expected, but nonetheless it was shocking. Here it is:

Top Wage Earners According to IRS

Top 1% -- over $380,354

Today was the first “what's left in the fridge day.” You know, the day at the end of your vacation when you stop buying new things at the grocery store and instead go with what you have. It takes just a tad more imagination to cook this way. But sometimes it produces some really delicious meals.

Still grillin, of course, but I went with the ever popular – in my home, with my kids anyway – “Salt and Pepper Chicken.” Oh, and a New York Steak for me – there was one left in the fridge and I just had to put it to good use. What can I say.

Decided to try something a little harder today, and since we are only here a few more days I am trying to use what is in the fridge, rather than buy more stuff. So, today was Ahi day on the grill. This is a harder fish to cook, as I found out today, and takes a lot more thought and planning.

So, as usual, started with a run down to the beach, then shoes off and down the beach and back, and then a few dips in the waves, before, shoes back on and, ugh, up the hill to the house. Great work out, but my legs are tired.

I never used to eat breakfast. For years I would just sip coffee and orange juice while reading the newspaper and scanning the internet. Now, mind you, I love breakfast, but it was the one meal that I sacrificed in an effort to cut down on my overall food consumption. I figured that if I ate less total food in the day, and exercised, then it would all be good.

Nothing to post last night cause I took the night off and we went to Lahaina for a sunset dinner at Buba Gump Shrimp Co. Great food, great view, great company. Had so much fun I left my camera at the restaurant, but the kind staff kept it safe for me.

Heh, went back for the camera this noon and had a real laugh of a surprise. Parked, walked to the restaurant, collected my camera, and then did some t-shirt shoppin. Always gotta get a nice Maui t-shirt, for me, Matt, Autumn, Joey etc. etc. The stores love it when they see Kevin comin.

Okay, this one was all Kevin. Made it up on the spot, but used lots of ideas from others, like my favorite cheff Bobby Flay. I love to take a general idea and then just as-lib like crazy, to make it all mine. Problem is, I usually don't remember what I did, heh, so I can never repeat it. But, I'm writing this one down.

Okay, that Mahi Mahi was so darn good yesterday that I just had to grill something else today. I mean, a long day of laying on the Wailea beach and bobbing in the surf can really make you work up an appetite.

So, I went for chicken today. Took another Bobby Flay recipe and gave it a Kevin flare. Bobby calls it Dry Rub Fo Yo Chicken, and this is Kevin's Maui style. Take chicken breasts (or other parts if that is your thing) and then clean, dry, and set it out on a platter on the counter. Want it at room temperature.

Warm sun, cool breeze, surf and sand, you know its gotta be Maui. Relaxin is so easy here. Wanted the bar-b-que for the 4th to be perfect, and had a hankerin for Mahi Mahi. Oh yeah.

Decided to go with a sure thing, a recipe I borrowed from Iron Chef Bobby Flay -- yes I admit it, I watch Iron Chef -- and ad-libbed just a tad. He calls his recipe Tirado de Mahi Mahi, I just call it Bobby Flay's Mahi Mahi Kevin style.

Place your Mahi Mahi filets on a cutting board in the kitchen -- let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pop a Heineken, enjoy.

I found myself nodding in agreement with Julia O’Malley’s Aunt Barbara yesterday morning as I read Julia's column about fish sharing and hoarding. Reminded me of my Dad. As a youngster I originally hated the trips with my Dad to the homes of friends where he delivered the fileted fresh and smoked salmon and steelhead he had caught. Most of these people I did not know well, and socializing with strangers was not something I relished at a young age.

I love a good argument. By that I mean an oral argument before an appellate court. Over the years I have argued before the Alaska Supreme Court going on twenty times, before a Ninth Circuit three-judge panel four times, and once before the Ninth Circuit En Banc panel. In fact, my very first court appearance as a baby lawyer, barely two months after I passed the bar, was before the Ninth Circuit.

He slept in a car seat in the back of our Bronco II as we drove up the Alcan. After graduation we packed the car as full as we could with all the belongings that we had not sold, along with Matt, and headed north. Took the Alaska ferry from Prince Rupert to Haines, and then drove the rest of the way to Anchorage. He was just 7 months at the time.

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.” Henry David Thoreau

My mind has been wandering lately, wandering back to gentle memories of rivers and the peaceful solitude of watching the water run. It’s that time of year.

You and I will meet again,
When we're least expecting it,
One day in some far off place,
I will recognize your face,
I won't say goodbye my friend,
For you and I will meet again.
-- Tom Petty

“May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other."
Genesis 31:49

Allow me a momentary diversion from constitutional law. I just can't think about it today. Another day, another time we can share ideas like neighbors over a good cup of coffee.

Every Spring I get out my calculator and set it down on my desk next to a stack of receipts. Ever the optimist, I punch the numbers adding up prescription drug costs, doctor charges, health insurance premiums. Then I gather business related expenses and repeat the process. I plug the totals into Turbo Tax, and what is the end result? Every time, nothing, zip, zero, nada is deductible.

Remember principle? A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief. It's a concept that from most appearances these days it would be easy to conclude our society has forgotten. But, not everyone, not those at Brigham Young University.

The name that his mother, "Gramma Carroll" gave him was "Malcolm." But, everyone knew him and called him as "Tommy." Why? Well, it wasn’t the middle name, that was Gilbert. No, it was just plain ol’ grandfather's prerogative.

Upon learning that the boy had been named "Malcolm", his grandfather promptly announced -- "you've gone an' named my grandson Malcolm? No sir, that just won't do. I'm callin' him Tommy." And so it was from that point forward.