Sunday Game One

I literally busted my ass today getting ready for Game One. I have no idea how many are going to show. My last head count was about 40, but it could be more. We have enough food. I love this shit.

The chuck wagon is loaded, the wings are seasoned, BBQ is slow cooking and I am about to fall out at 7PM. I am so tired and have yet to have built up my stamina after my surgery.


At some point in the night, I'll transfer the Boston Butts and wrap them in foil to a 200 degree oven to rest until the morning. They will fall apart and strands of steaming hickory smoked goodness will spill forth, fit for a God. Man that is good eating.

Gigi is making her banana pudding that is serious good.

154 Days

I love this food.


Best deal on St Croix. The Chicken Shack.

A Lesson Learned

One must have a jar of pickled eggs at every tailgate to have a shot in the NFC post season. The last time I had a jar of pickled eggs was 2008 and we went 12-4 in the regular season. The pickles are just to make sure. Naw...we're not superstitious.

Today

Today I will be rubbing my butt and dry rubbing my chicken.


And watching silly liberals rattle their swords.

A Lot Changes

A lot remains the same.


Me a few years back....more than half a century ago.

Today

Strange day. I have spent the last 3 work days screaming at the idiots that make my business happen. Get this...I pay them to help me yet they put out obstacles to prove their worth. I was so pissed last night that I woke up a few hours and was fuming.



I cleaned number 3 this evening with oven cleaner in an annual rite of football. Damn these webers hold up well. It looks new and this one is 6 plus years old.

I met Gigi at the grocery store this afternoon and while we were in line the power went out. They gave us our groceries. Cool. I wish I had beer and wine in the basket.

Sunday

So Sunday is a pretty big deal. I have the feeling that we will see a record crowd of around 40. That is likely my capacity with the equipment I have and the time I have. Typically I have about 3 hours to set it up, cook, serve, and tear it down in time to watch a 1 PM game. I get there before 9 AM, start fires, unload, get the wings on because that takes an hour plus, and start tearing down at 12.

I'm cooking about 30 pounds of BBQ which will render maybe 20 pounds of pulled pork after the fat is cooked away and the bone removed.

This will be my first tailgate in my chuck wagon. This should work well for me. It is lower to the ground so it is easy on my back. I can load it well in advance and not tie up my truck. I can unload it anytime and still have my truck free. I can park it in a spot for Monday night football and reserve the space. I can tow it with my jeep. It has a cool bottle opener on the side. Plus I can throw a tarp over it and say, "Screw it". I can't do that with my truck.

I will start the BBQ on Friday night with a good dry rub after trimming excess fat. The saturday afternoon around 3 I'll fire up the smoker, load it with wood and charcoal, and begin the long, slow, cook.

About 3 AM I will transfer the wrap the pork and place it in a 200 degree oven for a few hours to render that last bit of tenderness. Then I'll wrap the pork in towels and place them in a big foam cooler to retain the heat. I will pull the pork at the event.

Then I need to clean and scrub the smoker to have it for a record wing cook. I plan to dry rub wings saturday night and bag them for sunday. Once the pork is done I'll use the smoker as a large hot smoker at 350 degrees to cook 20 pounds of wings.

I'll also cook some of my sausages and have the grill ready and hot for anyone who brings food to grill. It sounds like a lot of trouble and it is, but I love the challenge, and love the food and people.

I only get to do this 8 times a year if we don't make the playoffs.

The bitch is the clean up once I get home. Greasy, dirty pans and pots. Everything has to be scrubbed and put away.

Still it is an event and I love it.

My Father Was Cool

My Mother still is.


My dad at about 60 years old. He loved the coast of SC and NC. Death got him young at 61.

Now you can see where I get my charming looks.

This Day

I like Labor Day. Several labor days I traveled down to St Croix to dive. The past few years I haven't done so.

My father died on this day 31 years ago. He had been dead longer than I knew him. Strange how life is.

This is the time of year when southern gentlemen take their frozen deer out of the freezer, wrap it in some tasty food like bacon, and consume because they'll be killing another soon. I never did develop a taste for venison or a passion for hunting but I get it.

Today i'll head to the quarry for a couple of leisure dives. My diving usually abruptly stops now to be resumed on the new season next February. Today will be dive 123 and 124.

Hand Crafted By The Amish

Made in Intercourse, PA, so you know you are getting a quality screw.

This model is from the Jedediah Hunnicutt collection. Hand crafted using Southern yellow pine and stained in the tradition of the Amish Tail Gaters, using the finest Timber Oil.



Here we see the stain being painstakingly applied using only moose bristle brushes.


Next, market umbrella mounts for shade on hot fall Sundays. Then, button this bad boy up and load it for the inaugural game. The drop leaf braces should be in by Tuesday.

What a Swell Day

I washed the Jeep and drug out the trailer.


The season opener is in one week so we have to get the rig ready.


Of course it has a walk up bar with a drop leaf.


Extended it makes a nice place to socialize and dine. I'll stain it tomorrow.


Plus the kicker was our local college team won its first ever football game 52 to 7.

A swell day indeed.

Here's The Deal out 10 Days

I'll take it. I hope it holds for Tailgate 1.

Ham Biscuits

When Its Bad Its Bad

I have a buddy that I went to school with back in the 70s.

He had a bad wreck two days ago. When the police got there he was being robbed (Durham).

Come to find out the reason for the wreck was a seizure, caused by two massive brain tumors, caused by unknown lung cancer.

Now go forth and enjoy your day.

So Dry

And it ran around on four feet eating grass.




Maybe a dollop of mayo?

So Dry

Right out of the box, salt on top of dry and brittle as an old egg shell.

Why?



I was hoping they would be juicy, tender, and less salty. Perhaps ketchup?

Great News

While the world turns, and Obama slowly changes from Jimmi Cawduh to George W with WMDs....the markets sell off in fear waiting for missiles to fly from a man who said he could negotiate foreign policy...all of this is out of my control.....a silver lining.

Within miles of my house, a shiny new Bojangles is rising from the chaos. Oh sweet country ham biscuits! Mine, all mine.

Muffin Stumps and Shoes

What did you expect?


Someone in the office is eating the muffin caps and leaving the stumps. Not me.


Check out my baaaad ass new shoes. Better than PF Flyers I tell ya.

Game One

What Has Been Seen

i’m apologizing in advance for the mental image you’re about to get.