Decade in review:

From the worry of Y2K and the end of the world as we know it...until today.

Wow, that was a fast 10 years.

2010 will begin at midnight...and a new beginning will arise out of the ashes like the Phoenix reborn. What will the future hold for us? I haven't a clue...But hopefully it will be brighter.

In the decade past: A lot of things happened in my life in that short amount of time.

I was single again after 15 years of marriage
Had just barely survived the 80's recession
The 90's slowdown
The 2000 recession
The auto industry had been in turmoil again (3rd time by my count)
Lost touch with old friends
I was still trying to recover from the death of my father
I was drinking too much to try and kill the pain
My son blamed me for everything, my daughter still loved me
I almost went insane...for the second time
I met an angel that pulled me out of the ditch
I changed my life and my attitude, I cleansed my soul of pain
I looked at life differently
I met Julie, I fell in love and I married my soul mate
Moved out of the apartment and bought our first house
Was very happy
Made new friends
Robyn was born
Sold first house and bought second house
Really focused on and developed my cooking skills
Learned to cook real barbecue
Did 2 years in Memphis in May
I left after politics got in the way, I don't play games in cooking
Butt kissing never suited me
Work was headed into uncharted territory and took me with it
Company changed hands 3 times and we became slaves to the kings
Worked related stress has taken its toll
My bowling has really suffered the last 3 years
Lost money in the stock market just like everybody else
Lost my faith in humanity
Lost myself for awhile, but regained my footing in the realm of things
Lost a friend

Who knows what the New Year of 2010 will bring. All I know is I've made it through another year with the love of my wife Julie and our daughter Robyn. My son has lost the chip on his shoulder towards me and we are getting along fine. My oldest daughter is doing well in her life as well.

In these years I've made new friends from New York, Brooklyn, Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Australia, Colorado and many other fine places from around the world.

What will 2010 bring?

I don't know...but let's stand beside one another, open our eyes and find out together...

Happy New Year!!!

B.D.

Wordless Wednesday...

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."

Simply Tuesday...

Picked up the new truck and she is a sweet ride. As many of you know, I have always been a Ford man for many years.

Not so anymore...

I bought a Chevrolet.

Why?

Because I have bought Julie two vehicles from Tom Bannen Chevrolet, so I decided to buy a truck from them. They have always treated us right so I forked out the money for a new truck.

The first non-Ford vehicle I (myself) have ever owned. Do I worry about what everybody else says about GM ?

Nope...

Remember...I work in the auto industry. It's my choice...

B.D.

Weekend Report...

Yesterday, I did my part to help out the economy. I bought a new 2010 truck.



Yep, sure did...

My Black Stallion has 102,000 miles on her, is 9 years old and was starting to show signs of giving me some trouble.

Now, a few folks wanted that truck, and she is a good truck, but I wasn't about to run the risk of selling her to them and then she comes up lame. So I traded horse and saddle for a new saddle and pony.

I'll pick up the new ride Monday.

Well, Christmas has come and gone...kids are happy, grandkids are happy, everybody is happy. Except for me...I don't like cold weather. I know, it could be a whole lot worse and I'm glad it's not but still...

The wind around here for the past four days has been rip roaring plain old nasty. And yes, I know it's December and fixing to be January but that still does not change the fact...

People ask me, "are you cooking anything?" Ah, noooo...does it look like it?

I would cook some chili...



...but nobody really wants any because it's not done on the grill or the smoker, it's done (heaven forbid, aaahhhhh!!!) on the stove...

So...I'm just hanging back chillin' but I'm really just trying to stay warm and ride out Old Man Winter and his bad temperament. Same old crap every year...

I enjoy the change of the seasons!
I don't...

I like cold weather!
I don't...

I want it to snow 2 ft.
I don't...

Why are you such a grouch?
Because I can...

Enjoy your day!

B.D.

Merry Christmas...

Ah Christmas time...

The time of year for last minute deadlines, did we forget anybody, did we spend enough, did we spend too much, clean the house from stem to stern to only have it destroyed in less than thirty minutes.

Well mannered kids become wrapping paper demolition demons in thirty seconds flat.



Food is devoured by folks that act like they haven't eaten in weeks. Don't even try to hide the candy...

Trying to get sugar loaded, adrenalin hyped, toy overloaded pumped up kids to go to bed. And dealing with the never ending question...

IS THAT ALL ???

Ah Christmas...what a wonderful time of year...



Just kidding...

Merry Christmas!
B.D.

A Red Neck Christmas...

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the trailer
Not a creature was stirrin' 'cept a redneck named Taylor.
His first name was Bubba, Joe was his middle,
And a-runnin' down his chin was a trickle of spittle.
His socks, they were hung by the chimney with care,
And therefore there was a foul stench in the air.

That Bubba got scared and rousted the boys.
There was Rufus, 12 Jim Bob was 11
Dud goin' on 10 Otis was 7.
John, George and Chucky were 5,4, and 3:
The twins were both girls so they let them be.

They jumped in their overalls, no need for a shirt,
Threw a hat on each head, then turned with a jerk.
They ran to the gun rack that hung on the wall.
There were 17 shotguns they grabbed them all.

Bubba said to the young'uns, "now hesh up ya'll!
The last thing we wanna do is wake up yer Maw."
Maw was expecting and needed her sleep,
So out they crept out the door without making a peep.

They all looked around, and then they all spit.
The young'uns asked Bubba, "Paw, what is it?"
Bubba just stared he could not say a word.
This was just like all of the stories he'd heard.

It was Santy Claus on the roof, darn tootin'
But the boys didn't know they was about to start shootin'!
They aimed their shotguns and nearly made a mistake
That would have resulted in venison steak.
Bubba hollered out, "don't shoot, boys!"
That's Santy Claus and he's brought us some toys.

The dogs were a-barkin' and a-raisin' cain,
And Bubba whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.
"Down, Spot! shut up Bullet! quiet, Roscoe and Enos!
Git, Turnip and Tater and Sam and Bosco!"

"Git down from that porch! git down off that wall!
Quit shakin the trailer, or you'll make Santy fall!"
The dogs kept a-barkin' and wouldn't shut up,
And they trampled poor Pete who was only a pup.

Santy opened his bag, and threw out some toys.
Bubba got most, but left a few for the boys.
Since the guns had been dropped he just might not die.

He jumped in his sleigh, told his reindeer to hurry.
The trailer started to wobble Santa started to worry.
Just as the reindeer got into the air,
The trailer collapsed, but Bubba didn't care.

He was busy lookin' at all his new toys.
Then a thought hit him, and he said to the boys:
"Go check on yer Maw, make sure she's all right.
That roof fallin' on her could-a hurt just a might."

But Maw was OK, and the girls were too.
They fixed up the trailer it looked good as new.
And as for Bubba, he liked Old St. Nick,
But Santa thought Bubba was a hick!

Bubba had a nice Christmas, and the boys did, too.
And the Taylors wish a Yee Haw Merry Christmas to you!!!



From all of us here at MacDaddy's Grill - Merry Christmas to you!

Simply Tuesday...

I finally got to cook the steaks for Julie's birthday. (three days later)

And I have actually gotten a few things done around the house. Although I am far from finishing my To-Do list, I did make some headway on it. As the old saying goes-Steady as she goes boys.

We're meeting the girls tonight for what has become our annual Christmas Throw Down. We eat, we talk, we enjoy a few cold libations and we all enjoy good company and friendship.

By Wednesday afternoon, rain will be moving again. It's not cold enough for snow (sorry my sweets) but they say we will get some heavy rains Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I might be able to cook again by the weekend.

My Black Bear is at the car wash for her Holiday bath so she'll smell nice and pretty for Christmas. (If she can't eat it, she'll roll in it) That dog is all about smell. Some good, some not so good...



B.D.

Weekend Report...

Well finally...the craziness from work is lifted off the shoulders of this lowly ole white boy. It may be twice as bad when we go back, but right now work takes a Holiday.

Right now it's colder than a "Well Digger's butt" in Alaska.

But Friday and Saturday was not the case. We got some rain from that big storm system that was parked on the backside of Texas. It rambled on up across half of Tennessee, then on up the East Coast. They got the snow Julie wished for.

You see...Julie always wishes for snow on her birthday.



And I always say "be careful what you wish for."

We've gotten the rain several times, but not the full mix of rain and cold to produce that white stuff. So once again we had the rain, but not the cold. She got her wish for snow...

...it just missed us by a few states that's all.

Next year honey, wish for snow in Texas and we might get it here.

So what's up this week?

Try to get a few things done around the house.



Meet up with the girls for our annual Christmas throw down, get ready for the Christmas festivities with the family and just try to relax.

Be politically correct - Happy Christmas & Merry New Year!

Maybe even cook something...

B.D.

Happy B-Day to my wife...

Today belongs to my wife Julie. It's her birthday...

Julie is my wife, my best friend and my soul mate. Julie and Robyn are two of the best things that has ever entered into this here country boy's life.

Happy Birthday my darling...

I love you with all of my heart and soul. Thank you for loving me...

And thank you for coming into my life.

I'd be lost without you...

B.D.

Simply Tuesday...

Not much going on right now except living at work for the last three weeks.

Talk is going around about a take over or a sell to PGW a spin off company from PPG Glass Works.

All I know is I'm getting pretty tired of all the BS that has camped out in my life for the last three years.

Now...I'll be nice and not call any of these fine upstanding folks names such as Morons or Dimwitted Dip Shits wearing ties or College Rejects from the Stone Age or...

...well you get the point. I'll play nice, but I do wish they would make up their minds and tell the truth for just once in their life.

I know you would rather hear about cooking and recipes and grilling and barbecue and the likes...so would I.

But until these fine folks (that I did not call names by the way) make up their frigging dimwitted burnt out light bulb for a brain mind up...

It may be a long dimwitted winter...

B.D.

Weekend Report (part 2)...

Smoked some chicken thighs on R2D2 last night. Folks let me tell you, me and this little WSM smoker are going to be good friends. Although it is not a real tight smoker, this thing holds temperature really well.

We work next week, then we're laid off until Jan. 4th. That will give me some time to get some much needed things done around the house.

Then I can get out my toys and play barbecue guy! Woo-Hoo!



I want to try some Ribs and Beer butt chicken and a few other things while I'm off.

Maybe make some smoked Oysters or smoked Mussels or Clams or Fish or smoked Grilled Cheese Sandwiches or smoked Peanut butter and Banana Sandwiches or...

The possibilities are endless.

May be time for the Lab coat to come back out of retirement...

B.D.

Weekend Report...

Ah the holidays...

Rude people, bone chilling cold, high winds, Christmas music playing before Halloween, the smell of perfume drowned people going about their pathetic little lives with not a clue in sight.

Cell phones a ringing
Cash registers a ringing
Bell ringers a dinging
People a sneezing
The wind a breezing
Tis the season

To be a grouch...



Ho-Ho-Ho!

B.D.

This & That...

I'm sorry guys and girls that I have not posted anything. I have been working 12 hour days and that takes a big dent out of my life.

To update...

I cooked on R2D2 last weekend and the leg quarters were the bomb. Today, I bought the Weber Genesis E-310 gas grill. I've seen a lot of great reviews about this grill, so I bought one. (I just caught the mistake of saying Genius instead of Genesis E-310, my bad)

My Holland that is 8 years old is pretty much shot. My Char-Broil is okay, but never met my standards for cooking so it's history too.

So my cooking arsenal now consist of-two Weber charcoal grills, the Smokey Mountain gas smoker, the two WSM smokers, the Weber E-310 gas grill and Big Momma.

Now if only I had time to cook something...

B.D.