Do you ever think that sometimes things just seem to get away from you? That is my life for the past few months. Time has taken off at a fever pace and I can’t seem to catch up. Since my last posting in January (Wow) a ton of things have transpired.  We finally have finished our basement….almost ….to get some much needed living space and sanity for everyone in our tiny house. It’s going to be real nice after it’s all over…..lots of money and time.  The quality is great because I didn’t do any of it and we hired a professional (Thanks Mike for all your help!). I am so much better at things mechanically than visualizing something and building it. I have a new found appreciation and respect for those people who have the skills to do what a true craftsman can accomplish. I did paint and put the tile down in the bathroom. For me that’s a big deal…..and now feel I should host my own show on DIY network. It turned out good I think.

Work for some reason has been extra frustrating. I don’t know if it is because I am busier than ever or it people all around me are losing their shit. Everyone I deal with lately is having some sort of issues with delivery, quotes, staffing and a general I don’t give a damn attitude. The last few months have been the worst. Everyone at our office is absolutely done with this little time period of frustration. Is it that hard to call someone back? How about paying me? Sick of it. That’s the main reason I am finding the time to do this post….I am done with idiots.

Also since my last post we have purchased and RV! Something that I was/am excited about especially after finding out that we are having another boy next month. It was something that I always wanted to do as a kid and now it makes so much since as I am now a parent.  Even if it gets used only a few times a year…that means it takes us out of the regular weekend modes and forces us to interact. Its going to be great in the coming years.

I have also become a Nascar Fan since my last post…..something I never thought I would ever….ever….ever say. I got in a pool at work and started paying attention to what was going on and now as a RV owner it gave me the prefect reason to get a 6 other drunks together to actually see a race and camp at the track. That is exactly what we did in April at Kansas and we have officially become fans. Going back in October and can’t wait.  This is a topic that deserves its own post in the future.

Since this blog was intended to be about BBQ…..I would like to at least add a bit on this topic to this post. Because of many factors….up until recently I have not been able to do much Q’in. We use the Kettle all the time for dinners. Steaks, chops and veggies are a regular fare off this grill. Please take a note of the word “Grill”….While I use the grill almost as much as we use the oven it’s not BBQ.

Here are some photos of the grill in action.

By my Definition BBQ is only when you have the combination of long cook times, hardwood and temperatures of 250F or lower. Now that we have cleared that little issue….last weekend for Ali’s B-day she requested Ribs. I pulled the Smoker out of the Garage and gave it a dusting and fired it up. Typically when I cook I like to be regimented in the process….stick to strict timelines and techniques. I always….always…always use fresh un frozen meats and at minimum try to maintain the temp in the smoker within 5-10 degrees. This cook was a bit different because I completely went against the grain. We used two spare rib slabs that had been in the freezer since March….. Set the vents to what I thought was alright. Threw an umbrella over the cooker and sat down and had a drink or two or three. I did make my own rub…It turned out pretty good and is a variation of the famous Memphis rub found at Charlie Virgo’s. Instead of keeping a running time sheet vs temp I just took a few looks at the meat and it looked good….foiled it….added some beer and threw them back on. Then when I was getting hungry took them off and sauced them. A quick bit of heat from the “Grill” and on the table they went. Guess what? By far one of the best tasting ribs I have ever done.  Don’t know why other than I have done it enough to know what looks good by sight. I kept a rough account for the time but didn’t let it rule things. In the end it was what BBQ should be. The whole experience was laid back and relaxing and the result was excellent.