I Just Had To
I've been jonesing for something off the smoker. No pulled pork this time because I still have some pork in the freezer. I mainly needed the smells of smoke and meat cooking. And I opted for a rack of ribs.
I set the weber grill as a small smoker. The fire was indirect and I set a water pan for moisture.
A nice rub on both sides.
Good help via Max.
After two hours wrapped in foil they go back on the grill with sauce.
I Truly Believe This
“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”
– Francois-Rene August, Vicomte de Chateaubriand
Happy March
New kid on the block is Max. He's a two year old Border Collie who's been passed around. He has found his forever home here.
Tee loves him too.
Meanwhile, back in the gym....I continue my efforts to fitness.
Likes and Dislikes
I like big butts and most everything about women.
I like public art.
I don't like the death penalty.
I like the ocean.
I like order and tradition.
I don't like cold weather.
I like open air bars and restaurants next to water. (Must be warm)
I like wine, scuba, golf, and appealing designs.
I hate badgering assholes.
That's about all for today.
Red Neck Eiffel Tower
Every small southern town has one or two of theses old water towers. This one is in Mint Hill, NC.
Bars and Pour Houses
A new pour house is opening in my county where they'll make craft beer, people will gather, and proudly drink beer with local musicians playing. This is now considered being cultured. They aren't bars or pubs but pour houses.
When I was a kid, the pour house was clandestine back room at the Amoco Country Store in Bragtown, where poor old sots gathered around the wood stove to drink Budweiser. They were talked about in an unfavorable manner.
If I Were A Rich Man
About mid month of November, I'd call ahead and tell my people to get my St Croix villa ready. Scrub and mop, clean the pool, and provision with the foods and beverages I love. Make sure there is plenty of charcoal too.
I'd enjoy Thanksgiving, football, and all the silly celebrations. Christmas would be warm and relaxing.
Janurary and February is a no brainer. Warm and lots of festivals. Great sun and swimming.
About now, I'd call my people back home and tell them to prep my home. Clean the yard, scrub the house, and provision it with all the things I love.
Then, and only then, after I experienced St Patrick's day on St Croix would I venture home to summer. Just in time for the Masters and Kentucky Derby.
If I were a rich man.
Free Almost TV
I installed a medium range directional antenna with an amp and tripod. Total cost less than $80. I live just east of Charlotte, NC and I'm pulling in 34 channels crystal clear. All networks. The amp made a huge difference. It's pointed at 285 degrees witch again makes all the difference. If I add Sling with Netflix I might be done. Total monthly cost? $28 a month vs over $100 and still get ESPN, and other cable channels on Sling.
I have options. I like options*.
*includes Roku stick $45 one time purchase, sling TV app at $20 a month, Netflix app at $8 a month.
Old School Thermos
Back in Janurary on our passage from Antiguia to St. Croix, it was necessary to keep hot coffee flowing for nightly watches.
The coffee? A vintage metal percolator on a gas stovetop clamped into position on a piviting stove top. The coffee was strong and hot. It was kept very hot by a novel idea...a 25 year old thermos bottle.
I had forgotten about the simple pleasure of owning and using a thermos. Gigi and I used to keep one for traveling until one day the glass inner container broke and the vacuum seal was distroyed. For some reason I never replaced it.
So impress I was that I just ordered a new one liter thermos from Amazon for $28. Goodbye hourly stops not for coffee while traveling up the highway.
Cars
I remember when one could buy a new economy car for less than $2000. A luxury car was $10,000. Premium gasoline was $ 0.299 a gallon.
I have friends that bought Corollas in '74 for $3,400. Great cars with AC and basic otherwise. They were dependable Toyotas.
My first new car was $5 ,000 and I haggled all day. When I broke thru the $10,000 a car sales price mark, I questioned my sanity.
Then $25,000..... Then $50,000.
I want a Tesla.
Hanging Up The Cleats
Yours truly, Reggie Hunnicutt, has retired honorably from weekly operations of Extreme Tailgate Society effective 2/8/16. I've hung up my cleats. Rode off into the sunset. I'm waiting now for the call from the hall of fame of tailgaters.
I plan to stay on as social media mainstay, and be a resource for season and logistic planning. A tailgate think tank so to speak.
I am willing to mentor young minds with strong backs and creative ideas. We need some volunteer fill ins. Inquire within. There is plenty of time to plan next seasons run to the Super Bowl.
The whole process is fun. It's a block party of friends every other week during the season.
Going forward, I will not be attending the tailgate weekly as I have for 16 years. I will watch the game at the local pub or from home.
It has been an honor to help grow this tailgate club over the last 16 years from 5 to 150 tailgate participants. I cherish the friendships I've made while doing something I love. Cooking, marketing, football, and socializing.
Thank you all to those who attended our tailgates and helped build this club.
Reggie
Sharks
This was a Caribbean Reef Shark, a rather large specimen. Typically I see 3 to 4 feet sided sharks on most dives. This guy was over 6 feet, and was courious as to what I was up to.
What I was up to was killing a lion fish, and stopping my thumb from bleeding. The smell of blood was irrestable and he came to investigate.
Breakfast
I like to get a good breakfast before a morning dive. Just a plan old regular breakfast, nothing fancy.
I've suffered breakfast frustration on this St Croix trip.
The Golden Rail moved and my new tryout restaurant Toast, well, their interpretation of grits was not really like any grits I have ever seen in 59 years of roaming the earth. $7 for a blob of grits too. That means I have about $10,000 worth of "Toast" grits back home in my cabinet. I'll have to adjust my net worth up a bit based on market prices of cooked grits. I'll give Toast another try next trip. Just not the grits.
And Angry Nate's, my goodness that was good but very expensive for a diner type breakfast I desire.
I did drive to the new Golden Rail and the breakfast was dead on at a reasonable price. It's just not on my way to anywhere.
Chillin on St Croix
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| A handy bar at the dive boat! |
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| Waiting on a Night Dive |
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| Breakfast and Boobs |
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| Staying cool out of the sun. |
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| Chickens everywhere. |
The Passage
One thing on my bucket list was to do a passage, especially a night passage. For those who don't know, in the yacht cruising world, a trip between islands, or any travel of duration is called a passage.
The desire to be at sea on a small (42 foot) boat, out of touch with the world appealed to me. I longed to hear the creaking of the boat, the sea leg balancing act, and the freedom knowing I was in a place that no one else was seeing. It's like camping in the middle of the ocean.
One cannot willie nillie take off to the sea without preparation, planning, and weather watching.
My friend Ken faced a long passage of 30 plus hours traveling between Antigua and St Croix. Ken was on his way from Grenada to St Thomas to catch a plane to Boston to meet up with his wife, Vicki.
So I, along with our friend Steve joined Ken on the 32 hour voyage.
Connecting the Dots
Rarely does adventure present itself, especially at my age. Mostly my very active life is down to golf and scuba diving.
Since the back surgeries I've taken it easy. Not my chosen lifestyle, but necessary as I try to preserve joints, aches, and pains. Healing from some foolishness takes way too long.
The opportunity has presented itself for me and a couple of pals to make an open water passage of 105 miles from Antigua to St Croix. Two days sailing.
This has been a bucket list item that frankly, I doubted I'd ever do. But next week, if the stars align, I'll be making said trip.
There's a lot of last minute prep for me. I just can't up and walk off without making plans.
Richard
I first met Richad in 2003. He was a pan handler on St Croix and a regular fixture. He was also a friendly person and a notorious abuser of drugs.
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| Richard in 2008. |
The last time I saw Richard was 2013. He was withdrawn, angry, and looked worse than ever. I assumed he was dead.
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| Richard 2016. |
Flash forward a few years and it's obvious Richard has had some rehab, and dental work.
I wish him well.
This Isn't Like Me
At the store yesterday I was craving some Guinness. The kind in the tall can with the nitrogen injector that puts out the smoothest and best foam. So good. Tastes like a beer milk shake.
Along with that I picked up a six pack of local craft brew Copper. So good.
This after finishing a six pack of Anchor Steam last week.
The six pack of light beer sits.
Its That Time of Year
I love a great Anchor Steam beer. The pride of San Francisco. This craft beer was the Grand daddy of all craft beers. Sam Adams is a Johnny come lately along with a few thousand more. Winter is my favorite time for a full body beer.
This time of year I begin stalking the nonstop flight to St Croix. I hope to meet my pal Ken there as he stops by on his cruiser.
Phfrankie's Phfabulous Sun Dried Tomatoes
My dear friend Phfrankie Bondo shared some of his home grown creations last summer. One was a shallow mason jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.
Now for a California fella this is normal fare. Being that I'm southern and all, sun dried tomatoes are a bit out of the norm.
I set the jar in the pantry and forgot about them. Until last night.
Good heavens they are good. Perfect in the salad.
St. Croix
Much later than usual, St. Croix is booked. First class airfare, fancy remote parking, my favorite villa.
A night dive is scheduled.
Five weeks and I'll be transferred back to greenery and spring like weather. Warm blue water, and night skies that rival a planetarium.
Sipping beers during the day and driving on the left hand side of the road. I've been going for 13 years. I hope many more.
Galaxy
This is an amazing picture of galaxies. Unthinkable time and space.
I've had two amazing dogs named Galaxy that both died before the age of six.
I love the word Galaxy, and the name for a happy, smart dog. But I'll never name another dog Galaxy.
Things I Have Witnessed
I actually knew a person who was hit by a bus and died.
I actually knew someone who was a double murderer and was put to death by the state.
I saw a Saturn V rocket launch in person.
I once played with two lion cubs.
I saw a total eclipse of the sun. 100%.
I have been shot at and heard the bullets go by.
I know a wealthy man who gets someone to change his bed linens daily because he likes fresh sheets.
Old Family Photo
Circa 1925
My mother sitting on her fathers lap looking at her baby sister. Mom is now 91.
The Gym
Been doing weight training now twice a week for 10 months.
Today I did 10 X 3 presses at 90 pounds.
20 X 3 butterflies at 30 pounds
12 X 3 leg lifts at 60 pounds.
20 X 3 dips (my body weight)
10 X 3 biceps lifts 20 pounds each arm
10 X 3 over head lifts 30 pounds
8 X 3 inclined presses at 60 pounds
10 X 3 not sure what to call it at 30 pounds each arm
20 X 3 side lifts at 30 pounds
That was a workout. About 30 minutes non stop.
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