uncommonly feeble and random thoughts

So now we have a place on the porch to hide the crap. A mere couple of hundred bucks at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I must take a pic to show. How did I forget that?

This blog editor is way too clunky for what I want to do with a lot of pix etc. So I moved all my grill stuff to: goo.gl/S14Q2 Be wary.

It hit me once the spirits left me.... My dome thermometer is calibrated to my grill surface temperature, but for direct heat! When I placed the oven thermometer on the indirect grilling surface (where, please note, the meat was), it read 150 degrees. Which is the internal temp at which I pulled the meat. So with the dome showing 225, the briskets dutifully rose to the indirect temp and quit. Next time (and there will be one!) I'll go with cook surface temp rather than dome temp.

It appears inauspicious and yet, to the trained eye of the Bubba, it's the start of a great adventure. Brisket! Two three-pounders from Mert's Meats in Okemos. We wanted one eight-pounder, planned the party, but this was all they could supply. Always an adventure... adjust and adapt. All right, let's get this party started! Scoured a bunch of sites and books and decided on a combo plan. Two sites of note: http://dizzypigbbq.com/recipesBrisket.html http://www.thesmokerking.com/page1a.html And of course, Steve Raichlen and his bible How to Grill . So I decided on two rubs, Cowboy and Cajun, since I had two briskets. Mixed both 50-50 with brown sugar. Coated both briskets with mustard, real thin just to hold the rubs. Then on with the rubs and wrap with off-brand Saran Wrap (read somewhere the original has a scent). Then overnight into the 'fridge. The rubs were just store-bought concoctions. Next day around 10 am, bring out to get to room temp. Next s...

President's Day... Have a break in work action... Linda has stepped down from the MDE. Big budget work now in others' hands. Oh wait, there's a household budget implication too. Hmm. Back to burgers, goodbye prime cuts. Puck is now a 70 lb Labrasissy (ooh, ooh, it's cold and snowy, let me in!!!). Just bought a Furminator brush (more than $70) which seems to do a great job. On the dog that doesn't shed. Sheesh.

It makes sense that I post every seven months or so. Good match for how interesting my life is. We did acquire a puppy. Puck the Wonder Labradoodle. So far so good. Born June 1, came to pee at our place July 28. I've been busy working on my high school class reunion web presence. Plus a few hours here and there for the Michigan Dept. of Ed. - high quality professional learning for teachers, where is it actually happening (it is) and what are they doing. Coming soon to a conference near you. Linda's been way busy, in charge of NCLB for Michigan. Just orchestrated the state's visit from the GAO. Yep. Linda spearheading an audit. Incongruous and counterintuitive for those who know her, but true is true. And she belted it out of the park, no steroids needed. Not nearly the boatin' I'd have liked this summer, but it's nice to have the option. Ditto scuba... I can dive, I just don't . I think Jamie's scuba interests are now toward spring break. ...

Hard to believe there's so little to say, and a whole Internet upon which keyboarded drivel can be inflicted. Talk about the show about nothing. The rink is soup and Mother Nature is 0-2 in two consecutive seasons. O where is the winter of my youth? Howling winds, driven snow, days off school... No matter. Best constructed rink ever, best rink liner ever (this one actually holds water!), and best lighting scheme ever. But no ice. So we are compensating for this by logging beaucoup ice arena hours, following (bringing? not!) Jamie to venues throughout Michigan, studying Google maps and handheld GPS directions to the Ice Cube, Eddie Edgar, Devon-Aire and various other Colisea (right?) and arenae (right?) . Boy do we know how to partee.