Back

Its been an interesting summer, but its time to get back to blogging. I've got a few essays percolating in the back by the brainstem that'll be here in the bit stream soon. Topping this are thoughts concerning paedo- vs. credo-baptism. Having held both views, it'll be fun to put 'er out there. Too, in thinking about the coming scatstorm/turdnado (also known as decision '12), I'll be discussing how Dr. Ron Paul could be simultaneously, the best and worst man for the desk in the oval office. Finally, some thoughts as to what its gonna take to clean up the mess bequeathed to us by POTUS 44. Don't change that dial. For now, how about a little Buffet!

A Birth Announcement

Congratulations go out this morning to Garland and Debbie Westmoreland, a fine brother and sister at Celebration Church, on the birth of their first Grandchild!

Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and
guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he
stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise
him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which
passeth understanding abide all the days of his life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Brisketquest - IV

The journey which began last Sunday at the meat counter at BJ's has come to its conclusion. This Brisket's smokey, savory goodness is the crown jewel of this evening's celebration! Yum!

If you look carefully, you'll spot a westie who's hoping for a piece of some brisket action.

Brisketquest-III

And now, the brisket enters the vertical water smoker for a 4.5 hour Hickory therapy session.

Brisketquest-II

When we last left our hero, he was completing the seasonings for the Centerpiece of Monday's Independence Day celebration. That is, a six pound beef brisket. This afternoon, the cut of meat was "rubbed" with the dry seasonings (the sweet Virginia fire).

In the foto, the brisket is already wrapped in the wrap to allow the seasoning to work its way into the cow. Rubbing the cut was a bit strange, as it felt as though one was giving a backrub to a corpse. Anyhoo, the cut is now resting in the refrigerator and will move on into the smoker tomorrow. From there, it'll become acquainted with the mopping sauce.

Brisketquest

This Monday's Independence Day's menu has a six-pound brisket at its centerpiece. I've learned that seasoning is just as critical as the choice of woodchips when preparing this cut. This morning, the "rub" and the "mopping sauce" were created. Let me share the recipe for each

Rub "Sweet Virginia Fire"

• 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of chilli powder
• 2 Tbs fresh-ground pepper
• 1 Tbs sea salt
• 1 Tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tsp ground caraway seed

Mix well and refrigerate

Mopping Sauce "Silver Bullet Baste"

• 12 Oz Coors Light
• 1/2 Cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 Cup olive oil (EVOO)
• 1Tbs Texas Pete
• 1Tsp fresh-ground pepper
• 1Tsp chili powder
• 1Tsp crushed oregano
• 1/2Tsp Cayenne pepper

Mix well and refrigerate for 24 hours or more to allow for the flavors to coalesce

Tomorrow... The Rub begins.

If Necessity is the Mother of Invention, Duct Tape is its Godparent.

It's June. June means that its time to roll out the Intex pool for Austin. When you're five and a halfpint, a ten foot pool is a big affair. At this stage in your life, you can just about do laps in the thing.

I love this pool. The geniuses who designed it created what's ostensibly a non-rigid structure, the Goodyear Blimp of pools. The inflatable ring at the top serves to provide its initial form. Then, as the pool fills, the ring floats on the water to the point where it reaches capacity. It has a small filtration system that can also hold the chlorine tabs, preventing your one thousand gallons of water from becoming a soupy aquatic mess. The pool would be perfect were in not for the inflating of the ring.

Last year, it took close to ninety minutes to inflate the ring using a combination of lung, pump and air compressor power. This is not a fun way to spend a hot, humid afternoon. It was at this moment where the old Deacon had a brainstorm.



I'd seen sites on the web built to celebrate feats of Redneck Engineering. Some things were ingenious while others were deathtraps. So then, with the idea in place, it was off to the garage to retrieve the leaf blower, a funnel and the sacramental item linked to all redneck engineering efforts... Duct Tape.

The idea worked like a charm (refreshing as these things apparently go awry most times). I was careful to start the blower on its lowest speed, not knowing how the narrowed aperture would affect the blower motor. The motor was tweeked up to around 50% power output with no issues. The ring that took nearly ninety minutes to inflate last year was fully inflated within four minutes. Gotta love that Duct Tape!

Empowerment, Growth & Maturity

Its a beautiful Saturday morning here in Suburbia Majora. Its the type of day for gardening, yard work, and a soak in the pool. Thats not happening here, as family has dropped in from out of state and Mrs. Catbird and I are playing docent at a local museum.

I've been thinking this week (a novel exercise?). I had a front row seat at an event that, though very uncomfortable to watch, caused me to think about personal empowerment within the family of Faith. I want to touch on this in the post(s) that will follow this one. I'd like to consider empowerment versus toxic disempowerment.

Thursday Reverie