Welcome to NaBloPoMo!

Hurricane Sandy didn't stop the mailman in my neighborhood.  He showed up as scheduled both Monday and Tuesday (which is more than I can say for my electricity).  The mailman's work ethic is especially admirable given that my mailbox's contents wouldn't justify a trip to my house when it's sunny and 75.

Tucked in the Tuesday mail stack amid the campaign flotsam and jetsam -- I get both since I vote in a swing state--was one worthy piece of correspondence: a postcard from Food & Friends advertising a Thanksgiving pie sale.

The proceeds help feed almost 2,900 children and adults in the D.C. area who suffer from devastating illnesses like cancer and HIV/AIDS.  The chance to cross an item off the Thanksgiving cooking list while supporting a charity appeals to the philanthropic multi-tasker in all of us, so F&F seems to have come up with a winning formula.

F&F's flavor roster, on the other hand, concerns me.

If I think of the pie flavor lineup in terms of a relay, the first three legs -- pumpkin, apple and pecan--have proven track records. No one stresses about how they'll perform in the clutch holiday meal situation.  Good relay strategists understand the importance of assigning the last leg to the team member who can bring it all home.

For this critical role in the pie flavor medley, F&F selected Almond Amaretto Brownie. And not just any Almond Amaretto Brownie, but "US Airways" Almond Amaretto Brownie. Huh?

I understand that dire financial straits can spur a business to diversify its portfolio, but since when are airlines in the pie making business? The last time I looked their core food competency consisted of packaged peanuts.

Three plausible explanations for F&F's baffling choice come to mind:
1. Nothing says "Thanksgiving" more vividly than airports and tasteless food.
2.  F&F wanted to give real meaning to the term "anchor."
3.  F&F hopes to reach a specific market segment.  The plane pie may be targeting people who use baked goods at this time of year to send a certain message to their relatives, namely, "I hate your guts."  This last scenario seems the most likely.  After all, it's about time somebody stepped into this market and gave fruitcake a little competition.

Speaking of holiday challenges, November is National Novel Writing Month, when writers are encouraged to crank out an entire novel in a thirty day period.  "NaNoWriMo" (can't blame 'em for cutting it short-they're gonna need all the extra letters they can get this month) spawned a blogging equivalent, "NaBloPoMo." NaBloPoMo invites bloggers to post something on their blogs every day.   Splatospheric is going to participate, not just because the challenge is more manageable, but because it's fun to say "NaBloPoMo." NaBloPoMo, NaBloPoMo, NaBloPoMo.

So beware: over the next 30 days, a few posts just might splat. You can curse me for those if you want, but whatever you do, please don't send me a US Airways pie.