King of the Grill

Brad has taken on an interesting hobby: smoking brisket. He's trying to perfect the process. I have to say, I'm enjoying this hobby. He's smoked 3 briskets since June and they keep getting better. He has the rub and sauce down - salty sweet with a little kick. We've learned that untrimmed cuts will be moister, but take much longer to cook and obviously have a lot more fat. He's also been using a spray mister with a secret concoction that also makes the brisket very moist. Here’s a picture of his latest attempt. This is an untrimmed 12lb slab.

Broady: The opossum killer...

Brad told me last night our dog Broady killed a rat in the yard (gross!). I go to let the dogs in before bed and see Broady's catch on the deck...it's not a rat! It's a baby opossum!

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well. All I could think about was my dog going back out side and chasing me down with a slobbery baby opossum corps! So at 5:30 a.m. I finally woke up and laid there in bed contemplating how I'm going to get this thing off the deck.

I go out the front door, open the garage and get the rake. Then I go around to the back yard, leaving the gate open,  and opening the garbage can lid as I head around to the deck where I saw it last. Oh, did I mention I don't have my glasses on and it's an hour before sunrise?

So I go to where I saw it last on the deck but it's not there! Good! Something must have gotten it! I scan around and just as I'm about to go back in I see a ball of fur next to one of the patio chairs. I squint to try and see what it is but I already know. Barely able to see it in the dark and without my glasses, I try to scrape up the gnawed-on little critter with the rake but it wouldn't come up! So I tried from a few different angles...it was somehow stuck between two boards....I couldn't imagine how it could be so stuck because I didn't have my glasses on. I finally manage to snag one of the paws...I don't know how because the rake is pretty spread apart. I take a few steps and drop it! Ugh! So here we go again! I try scraping it up again and AGAIN it's stuck???...Finally I snag the paw and just as I am lifting up the rake....it raises its head and looks at me!!!

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

...so that is why the neighbors saw me creep around my own house in the dark with a rake, scream and run through the front door with jazz hands!

By the way, Brad is handling it. My suggestion was to toss it over the fence of the really nosey lady who once kidnapped our dog! Maybe she can nurse it back to health.

It's Football Season!!!

Well, Brad has a new manager (finally!). I just paid for my books for the fall semester and start classes on Monday. Got my grades from the summer and got an A in both my classes (not sure how, lol!). So I get to keep my 3.9 GPA. Let's see how this semester of Macroeconomics, Accounting, and Government treat me!

Brad and I will be grilling up our fish from the coast! Text us if you want to come join us. Not sure if it'll be Saturday or Sunday. Just let me know.

It's football season and the Seahawks won their first pre-season game last week against the (hated) Chargers. This new QB, Jackson, is going to take some getting used to. Had to watch Hasslebeck in his first game as a Titan and he did great! Congrats also to the Cowboys who one their first pre-season game.

Texas is still in the midst of one of the hottest, driest summers on record! I can't wait for the cooler weather...something about the kids going back to school that makes me miss the smell of maple trees and frosty mornings. Autumn is my favorite time of year. Brad loves the summer. What about you? What's your favorite time of year?

Empty Nesters

Well the day has come. After 5 years together and only 6 months of living without roommates or house guests, Brad and I will now be empty nesters. It’s very bittersweet. My brother Woody and his daughter Erika have found a lovely apartment, actually the same complex they lived in before they moved to Illinois. The 2^nd floor unit they have is totally remodeled with new carpet, laminate flooring, new cabinets, sinks, and brand-spanking new appliances (I’m so jealous). My sister Beth will be living with them just until she gets a place of her own, but the unit across the hall is available. She really did a lot to get Woody and Erika’s stuff moved and I know Woody couldn’t have done it without her.

Erika is sad that she won’t be going to Nichols for 5^th grade, but her new school is a block away. She should be back in the area and with her old friends for middle school. Woody’s plan right now is to save up over the next year for a down payment and then look in the neighborhoods around ours for a home to buy. I’m sure moving stuff down stairs will be a lot easier than moving it up them.

So what are we going to do with an empty house? Well, we plan to keep one of the rooms as a guest room. Brad and I have accumulated a small collection of Seahawks and Longhorns memorabilia, so we plan to make that the theme of the guest room. The other room we’ll use for our exercise equipment for now.

It sure will be quite and I know the first day I come home to an empty house I’ll just cry! But they'll still be there for dinner tonight! Yippy! I’m so happy for them and excited for what the future holds.