The King Of Bother

2010-06-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting video of a catchy tune my son made up.

Kind of funny.

Powerder Room painting

2010-02-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

Jen spruced up the powder room last weekend. I am very proud of her because she was able to do the whole job for $6.00. She got the paint from the "oops" rack at Lowe's for $5.00 and the border for $1.00. Check it out.

Upstate NY food

2010-02-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

Last weekends trip to upstate NY had mixed emotions. The purpose for the trip was very sad because we were attending a funeral for Jen's Grandpa Sugar. The service was very touching and it was nice to see the family again after being a way for a year. The up side was that we were able to visit my BFF Clint Meyer et al. While visiting we were able to eat two foods that I miss now that I live in the awesome state of NC. We had fish fries from the Parkside Diner in Sea Breeze, our old neighborhood. NC doesn't really have fish fries on Friday like up north. I think its because there aren't really many Catholics in the south. We also ate pizza from Mark's Pizzeria. Pizza has to be what I miss most from Rochester. The pizza in NC is just nasty with paper thin crust (like a cracker), minimal toppings, and no flavor. For those of you that may be interested in seeing what good pizza looks like and what a fish fry is, look below.

This pie was very good. It did need more sauce but as you can see there are plenty of toppings.

You can see how thick the crust is from the front view. The crust had great flavor. I liked dipping it in the wing sauce.

Here is the side view showing how a good pizza should be able to support itself when picked up.

Clint is totally enjoying the pizza.

Battered fish fry with mac salad instead of Cole Slaw. Jen was happy to eat the Cole Slaw that was shredded instead of minced.

Fun with Zach.

2009-12-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thank you for contacting Time Warner Cable Chat.
We hope that your session with Technical Support was helpful.
Below you will find the chat transcript that you requested. We recommend you keep this for future reference. Our Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! - if you need to contact us again, please visit http://www.timewarnercable.com for any questions relating to your Time Warner Cable service, or for Road Runner specific assistance please visit http://help.rr.com.

Julian Rebello: Thank you for contacting Time Warner Cable. At the end of our chat you will be given the option of taking a brief survey. My name is Julian. Please give me a moment while I access your account.
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Julian Rebello: I need to escalate this request to our Sales Department. I will transfer you to that support group. Do you have any further questions before I transfer you?
Matthew: How do you transfer me?
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Matthew: we really didn't do anything
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Zach: Welcome to Time Warner Cable s SALES Chat; now featuring Roadrunner Mobile .

Navigate the internet whenever you want, wherever you are! With Road Runner Mobile TM , your favorite Internet service now goes wherever you go. No more searching for hot spots your entire town becomes one. Connect anywhere in the 4G Mobile service area at super-fast mobile broadband speeds. Experience the same internet speeds and quality of service that you are used to having at home, away from home. Lightning fast speed on the go!

My name is Zach. How may I assist you with your order?
Matthew: my parents are coming to town and my mom,dad, and cats want to watch more cable.
Matthew: I would like to increase my channels to include the animal networks
Zach: All right. I need your address related to the account please.
Matthew: *** Collington drive. They will be her tonight with all the cats.
Zach: Are you closer to Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, or Wilmington?
Matthew: Greensboro I believe. 27302. My parents are coming from Rochester.
Matthew: I don't really care for the cable box though, the remote is hard for everyone to use
Matthew: Is that ok?
Zach: ok to upgrade your cable package it's normally an extra $30 a month before tax. I have you at just $27 a month after tax.
Zach: You can downgrade the cable back to local channels anytime.
Matthew: ok. are the animal channels included. My mom and the cats like to watch the animals
Zach: Correct.
Matthew: ok what about the cable box?
Matthew: the remote is difficult to use
Zach: The cable box is required.
Matthew: my dad has fat fingers and Brixies paws are too big for the buttons too.
Matthew: Can I use our special remote?
Zach: You can program it so that your remote works.
Matthew: Ah nice.
Matthew: do you know if it's shark week?
Zach: This week, I am pretty sure no.
Zach: We can send the technician out there as soon as tomorrow.
Zach: We have a 3:30 to 5:30 time available.
Matthew: Good because socks gets scared and hides under the couch and is a pain to get her out.
Zach: Also, a 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. time is available.
Matthew: Ok. Will i have to put the cats in their carriers?
Zach: If you feel that they might not be friendly, then yes.
Matthew: 10 are pretty friendly but there are 5 that can be snipy
Matthew: I'll put those guys away
Matthew: Tomorrow will be fine
Zach: What's your best available contact phone number for the technician tomorrow?
Matthew: ##########
Matthew: That's the home number
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Matthew: that's purrrfect.
Zach: ############# is the work order number.
Zach: You're all set!
Matthew: Thank you.
Zach: Thank you for allowing me to assist you on Time Warner Cable Sales Support. Have a nice week!

Hanukkah the festival of lights.

2009-12-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

Although the Bay Field has many awesome features, and we love them all, it's missing lighting is some areas of the house. The closet under the stairs has zero lights and zero outlets. We store a lot of stuff in that closet and trying to find anything is difficult without a source of light. Jen was trying to get the Christmas decorations out using a flashlight. How awkward? I put on my Tim "the tool man" Taylor hat and went to work.

New kitchen light fixture.

2009-11-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

While the turkey was roasting I replaced the light fixture in the kitchen over the island. The one that the builder installed was not giving off enough light.

We got this nice unit from Lowes. Jen and I figured that we could get some light over to the sink. If this doesn't help getting more ligth over the sink then I'll have to install a light there too.

This unit does put out a lot more light. It uses xenon bulbs.

Thanksgiving Turkey - Brined

2009-11-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

This was one of the best turkeys I've ever made. It was very juicy and tender.

Even More Garage Mods

2009-11-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Jen requested that I make some shelves in the garage to help organize the place better. I wanted to make a space for the outdoor furniture cushions. I am fortunate enough to have a good amount of wood that I scavenged from the work sites' waste bins in the development.

As you can see, everything fits nicely and the cushions are out of the way. Pretty soon we'll be able to park a car in there. :) Let me know what you think.

More garage mods

2009-11-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

The other weekend I had a gentleman install and mount my HD (UHF) antenna on the roof and run a cable into the living room. I had planned to do this myself but for the price it was worth paying the gentleman to do the work. Plus I'm afraid of heights.

My goal in this project was to move my router, cable modem, and VoIP phone unit to the garage. This has allowed me to clean up the area behind my TV in the living room. The "cable guy" ran a separate line for my cable modem to the garage.

He also ran my Ethernet cable to the living room to accommodate my HTPC.

I wired my home phone lines to a block then connected my Power Phone unit to feed the house lines the phone connection.

Once the cables were connected I was able to scan for channels and with my antenna I found 30 channels. I installed a 2 gang electrical box on the wall. The four plugs are just enough for the units plus a feed to strip on my work bench. I mounted the strip in front of my bench which makes it easy and accessible for my power tools, etc.

My ultimate goal is to run my HD antenna into the TV tuner in my HTPC. Then run MythTV. I'll be able to record TV in HD and watch from any PC in the house. Then I'll run the cableTV line into the TV for live TV watching.

MUTEMATH weekend

2009-11-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

The long awaited MuteMath weekend has come and gone in a flash. Jen and I had the best time seeing our favorite band on Friday and Saturday. Some thoughts: Rush has a song called Limelight where Neil Peart writes "I can't pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend." That may be true for Rush but not for MuteMath. I have never seen a band connect with their fans on a personal level before like MM does. Of course it's smart marketing to get to know the fans and be accessible, further solidifying the bond that is already made through the music. In my opinion MM is the type of group that doesn't patronize us. They really do want to meet and get to know the fans. We have seen the group more than a dozen times over the last 3-4 years and they have gotten bigger and bigger going from driving from venue to venue in a van to traveling in a tour bus complete with roadies to setup and break down. Each time giving the fans face time after the show to sign autographs and answer questions. I'm not sure how long it will last, as they keep moving up a notch but we'll definitely take advantage if it while we can.

Halloween Pictures

2009-11-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

This year Collin wanted to again be Link from the Legend of Zelda video game. The last time (2yrs ago) I used that seaming tape that you iron together seams. It came out awesome but Collin wanted a costume sewed so he could wear it after Halloween too. (Cosplay?) The Shield and sword were made at my friend Brian's house because he has a ton of awesome tools for woodworking. The sword has a laminated handle and a piece of lattice wood for the blade. Collin helped design and sand the pieces. Conner drew the graphics on the shield and Jen painted it. I was impressed with Conner's ability to draw the Ocarina of Time shield from memory.
Katelyn and I sewed the the tunic. Yes, I did use a sewing machine. I'm surly secure in my masculinity.

Conner went simple this year and was a pumpkin. There's not much to say about C0nner's costume but I'm glad to only have made one this year.

Jen's just pretty. Did anyone notice the pumpkins there on her chest? I did.

Katelyn was Marilyn Monroe and won a contest for best costume. She starte to sew her own with a pattern but that was getting too involved. She got this dress from one of Jen's coworkers. It was an old wedding dress. My Mom and Kate modified it. She looks awesome. I'm glad JFK wasn't at the party she went to.

Jen is my little sunflower. Hot glue guns are awesome. What a fun costume.

Katelyn Rocks

2009-10-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

Now that Kate is 15 and has her drivers permit, she needs to know some basics about auto maintenance and repair. This weekend Kate and I changed the front brake pads and engine oil. When I told her what we were doing this weekend she wasn't very excited. She's smart though, and knows who's boss. And who has the car keys. She did very well with some coaching. I believe she learned a lot and it was nice to spend time with her doing this project. In case anyone doesn't think that a girl can work on cars, here's proof.

Garage Clean up

2009-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

I finally got the garage cleaned up with some help from Jen and Collin. I made a base to an old entertainment center to give me something to put my tools in. I have pictures of the progress.

I'm a mac and I'm a PC.........Apples and Oranges

2009-10-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about the advertising spot that Apple (Mac) has been running where the cool hipster (Mac) is compared to the geeky guy (MS Windows). This is very misleading to uninformed users. To me, it's comparing apples to oranges. A Mac is a computer and Windows is an operating system (OS). When the regular Joe goes into a store and asks to buy Windows they are escorted to the software section of the store. Frankly I don't think that its fair to compare the two. I'm definitely not a Windows follower. I prefer the value that Linux brings to the table. After getting frustrated with Vista I've installed 2 Linux boxes at home.

If you look at what Mac has done then you can see that they've created a Unix base OS (Mac OS X) to run on specific hardware in which they sell. If you get the hardware married to the OS and only sell that combo then you'll have an immensely stable system. To get that in a Mac you have to spend an immense amount of money. Windows doesn't have that luxury since it runs on so many different hardware components. I'm not sticking up for Windows but just showing the poor comparison.

I'd like to see Mac and Windows try to compare themselves to Linux. Some might say that Linux is hard to get set up and administer but that's just not true. Get the right hardware and you'll have a very stable system with everything a casual user needs.

How much does Linux cost? Try $0.00. I like that price. The real price I pay is the time it takes to tweak the OS to work with my crappy hardware. I've got all the software that I need available to me for free, from the open source community. I even heard that Mac OS has access to the same free software. Wow. You can pay $0.00 for an OS and for the same software that Mac users can get? It's sounding better and better. If you want software for Windows you'll almost always pay for it.

For me it comes down to price and for my money I prefer Linux.

Another Blow Out Haw River 38 Air Cavs 0

2009-09-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Conner's game went well. In 55 seconds HR kicked off, recovered the on sides kick, ran an offensive play for a touchdown. The boys are developing more and more confidence and skill. With the score 30 - 0 at the half, Conner got more playing time. Here is a good play he had.

Collin's game was the opposite. They lost 38 - 0 against Gibsonville. Collin is getting more contact and is starting to understand better what to do. I'm proud of both the boys and enjoy watching them whether they win or lose. Here is a play Collin was in on.

I just read a really good review of Armistice

2009-09-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this review that I read on MUTEMATH's newest album Armistice.

You can find it here or you can read it below. My favorite line is "it's like Muse playing over Rush with Phil Collins writing the songs."

Author's Rating

Vocals

8.75

Musicianship

Lyrics

8.75

Production

9.5

Creativity

9.25

Lasting Value

9.5

Reviewer Tilt

Final Verdict: 91%

Member Ratings

Vocals

9.13

Musicianship

9.46

Lyrics

8.42

Production

9.33

Creativity

9.67

Lasting Value

9.42

Reviewer Tilt

9.13

Average: 92%

Inside AP.net

View Artist Profile

View News Articles

Buy the Album or MP3s

MUTEMATH - Armistice

Reviewed by: Chris Fallon (09/22/09)

MUTEMATH - Armistice
Release Date: August 18, 2009
Record Label: Warner Bros.

For the follow-up to their self-titled 2006 debut, caps-happy MUTEMATH not only changed up their typeset (who'd they let vote on this change? Kanye West and Travis Barker?), but the Louisiana quartet set it upon themselves to "embarrass" the very album many people claimed was the return to progressive pop music bands like Genesis and The Moody Blues brought to mainstream audiences years ago. Keeping their Cajun-flavored soul intact, MUTEMATH is a glossier band than any jazz musician could ever imagine pursuing, more hook-friendly than Radiohead and never as monumentally lavish as Muse. However, Armistice wants to be all said styles.

There's not enough Twilight-approved songs to get MUTEMATH onto MTV's radar, yet there isn't enough indie moodiness to speak to those who enjoy neatly-trimmed beards and Ben Gibbard. MUTEMATH walks down a lonesome road, and in-between Paul Meany's smooth vocals and a mammoth wall of sound lurking behind him, what makes Armistice so damn captivating is how it's a collaborative effort that proves MUTEMATH changed that typeset for one very important reason: they are a unified front. No, I said front, not font ... although, to be fair ... that would have been funnier.

Working with producer Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Counting Crows), the band has taken their creatively complex and overwhelming sound, gone all Spinal Tap with it and used their own dramatic inner-forces to reconstruct the very record they first released. Littered with songs that are vividly spastic and feel like Meany is defiantly belting out hymns for his own insecurities ("No Response"), MUTEMATH is bigger than whatever momentum was garnered through "Spotlight," featured on that hip teenage vampire film about ... hip teenage vampires and ... that one girl who looks stoned all the time ... and Paramore or something? I should probably IMDb that movie for a plot synopsis, but damn it, there's simply no time! But I digress...

Herring has, oddly enough, assisted the band by breathing new life into their frontiers, and given them the tools to build something that any fan of dark pop music will feast upon. "Clipping" might be the band's biggest reach, scattering Meany's soft vocals with heavy distortion, and with "The Nerve" kicking things off with a jolt of electric boogaloo (okay, it's not quite that funky), there is hardly anything that will instantly reel listeners in with sincere immediacy. Yet that seems to be the intent: Armistice plays like Coldplay's X&Y without the lush choruses; it's moody, it's dark, and it's more of a moth than a butterfly. Now, due to it's severe distance from their debut, it appears as a sophomore slump, but slow down, my avid little cynic: Armistice could not be any brighter; it's like Muse playing over Rush with Phil Collins writing the songs.

On the album cover for the record, the band stands in front of what appears to be gates to their own world. For each of us, it's easy to spread out the metaphoric language and pick away at what it could all mean. However, it might be better off to the individual to decide where they would prefer Armistice to take them; it isn't a record that caters to a nationwide "kid-tested mother-approved" taste test -- no, this is an album that will speak to everybody in different ways, and may take an investment to really get into. You see, despite all the easy comparisons one can draw this album to, MUTEMATH are staking a claim in pop music for the advanced music fan, embarking on dark-pop that is far from the Cure and more complex than Jimmy Eat World. Some of the best albums you'll ever hear are ones that you have to spend real time with, and Armistice just might be the most challenging pop record you'll ever find yourself listening to several years down a road that MUTEMATH paved themselves.

Recommended if You LikeColdplay's X&Y; Genesis' Abacab; Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank; Muse's Absolution; The Postal Service's Give Up

Choice Cuts"No Response," "Backfire" and "Armistice"

Track Listing1. The Nerve
2. Backfire
3. Clipping
4. Spotlight
5. No Response
6. Pins and Needles
7. Goodbye
8. Odds
9. Electrify
10. Armistice
11. Lost Year
12. Burden

Band MembersPaul Meany: vocals/keyboards
Greg Hill: guitars
Roy Mitchell-Cardenas: bass
Darren King: drums/samples

Online VitalsOfficial Site | Official Myspace

PurchaseAmazon MP3

My garage is a dump!!!

2009-09-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

Since moving from NY I have not had the motivation to tackle the huge project of organizing my garage. When I look at my buddy Brian's garage I get slightly envious. He has a ton of great cabinets and work benches to store his tools. I just have plastic totes. Needless to say I can never find my tools without spending an enormous amount of time searching through bins and boxes. Falling over piles of stuff that hasn't been unpacked yet.

What a dump this place is.

Well this weekend I got a little initiative and started organizing my tools. This is looking better. I don't like that gap there but I would have missed the stud on the opposite side.

This is a start. I'll work more on it this week if I have time.

Haw River 44 - Eli Whitney 0

2009-09-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

Last night was Conner's first football game. It must have been cold because Conner wore his helmet from about 5:50 till after 9:00. I kept asking him to take the it off but he didn't want to. He was the only kid on his team walking around before the game with his helmet on, and mouth guard in. On the way home he commented on how sweaty his head was. Well duh...........

I helped run the chains on the side lines. That's a trick my dad used to pull when I was playing so that he could see every play. It's the best seat in the house. It got dark and our camera doesn't do well taking pics at night. I had to put a massive fill lite on this one.

Even though Conner is the smallest kid on the team, he was around the same size as most of the opposing players. That mad me feel better. I'm very proud of him.

Football season is starting

2009-09-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

Football season is upon us folks and it is a little more special this year. Why? You ask. Because my boys have started their first year playing football. It has been fun getting out in the yard to teach them how to hit and tackle each other.

I got some video of Collin doing blocking drills. Conner was too far away and parents aren't allowed on the field so I didn't catch any of Conner

Labor Day Weekend Ribs

2009-09-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Since starting a huge debate on the smoking meat forum about whether to foil ribs or not I decided to smoke some ribs on Saturday. I've got family in town and wanted to give them a treat. I got some pork spare ribs from my favorite meat market, Kenyon's, and made a little magic.

I did use the 3-2-1 method which is 3 hours smoking, 2 hours wrapped in foil in the smoker, 1 hour un-foiled in the smoker. This is one way to get fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Meat-in pics

2009-08-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Bacon cheese cake , Bacon ice cream, Flank steak, ribs, Pig pick'n, chicken wings, meat loaf cake.........and more.

The meat-in was an awesome time of indulging in savory meatness. I met a lot of fun people and some not so fun. I must admit that I was out bothered. I was demoted from the King of Bother to a mere serf of bother. My throne was taken from me.

The headliners for me were the bacon cheese cake, waffle fatty, flank steak.

I think that I would like to start a meat eating day for my cronies here in NC.

Meat in

A Debocle of a trip

2009-08-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

1530: Leave work en route to airport
1610: Arrive at Chapel Hill pediatrics to catch a ride by Jen to airport
1620: Leave CHP
1650: Screen through security checkpoint in RDU
1745: Board plane
1910: Take off from RDU to CLT (Charlotte)
1946: Miss connection to ROC
2000: Land at CLT
2030: Eat bad airport Chinese food
2150: Board aircraft en route to BUF
2352: Land in BUF
0015: Meet Clint in front of BUF
0030: Buy Caffeinated beverage from gas station
0135: Arrive at Walmart in Henrietta
0225: Arrive at Clint's
0245: Start fatties
0350: Finish fatties and bantering with Clint's guests
0400: Sleep on couch
????: Let the cat out because it's dumb
0551: Put fatties on smoker
????: Let cat in because it's making so much noise
????: Punch cat
0830: Woken up
0850: Take off fatties to enjoy

IM TIRED!!!!!

Random pics from vacation

2009-08-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Look no orange.....nice chicken though.

This is dangerious without a life vest. You can drown in a teaspoon of water.

WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

My pretty girls.

Wednesday we took a break from cooking

2009-08-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

The adults went out to eat in Bryson City on Wednesday instead of smoking/cooking. It was a good day because the sun was out quite a bit. Most of the week we had rain at least once a day. I took a nap and relaxed.

We had some Italian food which was very good. A nice change of pace food wise. Clint and Julie enjoyed it too. Clint found a boyfriend out front.

Nice mountain view from the campground.

First full day for vacation in the smoky mountians

2009-08-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

We arrived in the smoky mountains yesterday afternoon and set up camp. The campground is very nice and quaint. The cabin is very accommodating and fully equipped with AC.

We got things situated and headed to Clint's RV and visited with them for a while. Well till midnight. It was great fun catching up after a year in NC.

We had an awesome time tubing down the creek and the kids liked building a dam to make a little water slide between rocks.

Later we smoked some chicken. Of course.

Bartering in the South.............for cheese

2009-08-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Of the many things that makes the South such a better place to live, bartering is one of them. I find that bartering takes place a lot more than in the North. I have a chance to get some homemade cheese this weekend from a fellow who sells it at the market during Saturdays at Saxapahaw. I'm trading some of my awesome BBQ for some awesome Brie and other cheeses. I find that cheese is really the other white meat. I'm very happy to use my skill in smoking meat to get free cheese. I know that it isn't free if I have to spend money and time making my product, but who cares. I'm getting free cheese. I'm already firing up the smoker to make a fatty for the fatty throw down contest. So free cheese for me.

ARMISTICE==Awesome!!!

2009-08-06T04:44:00.001-07:00

Jen and I drove to Charlotte to preview the new MUTEMATH album Armistice. I admit that I was a bit nervous because of all the press and info on the internets regarding the delay in making the album, etc. People were saying how they had all these songs written and ready to record but then was told they sucked and then scrapped them. I must say that I am very happy with the new album. It is consistant with the quality and inovation of the self titled album. I noticed that the guitar work is a lot more in your face then the last album. Most songs are radio friendly but a few are too long for normal air play. I really enjoyed the songs and can't wait till the 18th when I get the digital download of the album.

I encourage everyone to take a listen when you can. Give it a few days of listening to really get into the music. If you can see them live at any time I strongly recommend it. They are such awesome musicians and thier shows are very dynamic. Jen and I will be spending a weekend in Nov attending shows in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville. It will be nice to see them again and their new stage setup.

I heard from Levi (intern with teleprompt) that on Sept. 27 MM will be on Letterman again and they'll be playing a new song called Backfire in which they just made a video for. That song is awesome.

Check them out yo. You can check out a new song called "the nerve" by going to this page

MUTEMATH listening party

2009-08-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so stoked!! Tonight is the listening party in Charlotte. Jen and I will be listening to the new MM album Armistice. I've heard so many good things about it so far. The few tracks that I was able to download after getting the VIP package are very satisfying. It's been a long time since they've released new music.

This is where we will be listening to the new album.

Just wondering?

2009-07-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

If someone worked at Duke University can that person still be a UNC fan? Or even the spouse be a UNC fan? Or visa versa.....

I bet there are a lot of occurrences of that situation in these parts.

The kids are back in town.....the kids are back in town

2009-07-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yes you heard it, the kids are back. I am so happy to have them too. My kids are the best. (Sorry for you if you have kids) We had a bon fire the night we got home. It was so fun hearing about there time away. They did so much. Niagra Falls, Fantasy Island, Camp, Go Karts, Sea Breeze park, swimming, etc. Can you believe that Conner had the nerve to say that he wasted his whole summer away from home? Hello??? He'll be plenty board by the time school starts.

So it's back to normal again. This morning I stepped in a little ball of clay on the floor. I'm like "what is that sticking to the foor?" Where did that come from?

Duh the kids are back in town.

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!

2009-07-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

We're off tomorrow to Hagerstown MD to meet my mom and pick the kids up. It's been a long time and I really miss them. Jen and I did get a taste of what it will be like when they are all grown up. Now back to reality. We'll stay the night and drive back on Sunday. It will be nice to get some commotion back in the house.

He's a maniac.............maniac!!!!

2009-07-22T03:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the my first lesson on welding metal. I'm so excited to learn this skill in preparation for building my own custom smoker. I was a guest of metal artist Gary Boyce who is famous for building the 30 foot double helix that stands outside LabCorp's corporate office. Gary wanted to start me out building a small table. He certainly had more confidence than I did. I asked to run a few practice beads first. I wanted to practiced a little before diving into a small project. Started to get the feel of the motion for laying down a bead on my practice pieces and the welds came out pretty good.

This is my work station

I started in on the table by cutting the stock on the band saw. This thing is cool it cuts by using gravity. There is an adjuster on the hydrolic arm that regulates the speed at which it "falls" onto the metal.

Once I got the stock cut I had to grind off any burs.

At one point as I was welding I noticed a strange odor. It turns out that it was my hair burning. I was like...."this is awesome." One strange observation I noted was as I progressed in the project my welds were getting worse instead of better. I suppose that is what happens when you're new at something.

While putting the pieces together I made sure they were square and level. I like to measure twice and cut once so to speak. Gary on the other had likes to eye ball it. He says "I'm an artist not a fabricator." That was funny to me because it reminded me of Star Trek.

Here is the base of the table that I made. Gary said that He'll/We'll make a top for it after I grind down my pillows of metal that I call welds.

Gary said that I did well for my first time. I find that after my first time welding that I'm inconsistant but have great potential. One thing is for sure I'll be spend a ton of time grinding those welds down.

No meat this weekend

2009-07-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

After smoking meat on Fridays or Saturdays for almost a month, it was sort of strange not firing up my beloved smoker. On the other hand it was nice to get a full nights rest. This weekend was vary nice. Very relaxing. Jen and I made a fire on the back patio and spent some quality time together. I also played a lot of WOW. Fun times. Jen even made me a cake :) It was really good. She made orange jello filled white cake with a pudding like topping. My mom used to make me that cake when I was a kid. So cool and refreshing.

pork chop or NYS??

Happy Birthday Chris

2009-07-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, poker last night turned into a really nice gathering in the back yard next to the smoker. Just chillin and grillin. What a good time we all had. The wings were totally righteous. The Jalapeno poppers (ring stingers) were very tasty with the bacon. Everyone was waiting patientlly for the fatty to finish cooking. There were no complaints on any of the food. We had some drinks while shuckin and jivin about work and life. Part of me wished we had started up a game of poker but another was just happy to relax and hang.

I hope Chris had a great birthday. I know I enjoyed it.

Here is the Q-view of the food.

4 butts to rub..........And smoke this weekend.

2009-07-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Got another gig this weekend. I'll be making enough Pork BBQ for 50 people. My future welding mentor's daughter is having a 16th birthday party. This won't be a drop off event, I'll be serving up the sandwiches myself. So on Thursday night I'll have those butts rubbed and cooling in the fridge for Friday night.

Additionally I'll be hosting a poker party and serving some smoked chicken wings. With the kids away at camp we'll really be able to let loose.

Q-view of the weekends smoke.

2009-07-06T03:27:00.000-07:00

Despite all the troubles with my remote thermometer everything came out awesome. I received many compliments on my BBQ. Here are the before and after shots of the chicken.

I put them in a brine for 6 hours and then rubbed them with my chicken rub. They went in the smoker for 3 hours.

This is what some of them look like after 3 hours. I did mop them to keep them moist.

Here is a shot of all the pork that I smoked. I forgot to take one of the finished product but you can see that in my previous posting.

Here is my latest mod for the smoker. I got these wheels from Harbor Freight. Now I can push this around the yard easily. Or down the street again if need be.

Next smoke will be on Friday. I'll probably smoke chicken wings for the poker game and then another Boston Butt for the birthday party I'm catering on Saturday night.

Last night was LAME!!

2009-07-04T08:43:00.001-07:00

I went to start my meat smoking and found that both my remote thermometers were flaking out. I had Jen run to walmart at 10:00pm to buy a new one. Of course this one has a nice screen but when you set the temp and it is reached it starts beeping until you reset it. It was annoying to tweak the smoker temp with that alarm going off. So......the bottom line is I was out of sync with my normal routine and got no sleep. Maybe 2 hours at a time.

Murphy showed up and layed down the law.......loser.

I've got about 15 minutes to get the pork off and wrapped in towels and into the cooler. Then the chicken will get thier time in the CharGriller. I have to be at Cecils at 4pm. I'll keep you all posted.

KOB

What are you.....Chicken?

2009-07-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be very fun. I'll be smoking a ton of meat. I have a catering gig for a chap from church who is having a nice get-together in celebration of our Independence from Briton.

The order: pork BBQ for 50 and chicken for 20. (36 lbs. of pork, 15 lbs. of chicken)

My fridge will be packed with half chicken swimming in brine and rubbed pork shoulders wallowing in spices. I'll post my results.

KOB

Different Van

2009-06-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the awesome Dodge Grand Caravan that we bought from my uncle John is getting ready to retire. With 205,000 miles it is still kicking. We found another Caravan in Matthews, NC which suits our needs exactly. It even has a DVD player in it. That is Jen's favorite feature. Never mind the towing package or the new struts. The engine is very clean and well maintained too. She says it has power everything too. Ooo!! I liked the newish tires and the fact that there are new gaskets on the oil pan and transmission. It's weird the different advantages that men and women see in the same object. Either way we are both happy. The kids will like the DVD player the most.

Tubing and Swimming

2009-06-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Had a great day on Saturday. It was "lake day" at Hyco Lake with Crosslink Community Church. We met at the late and a few of the congregation had their boats there giving rides on tubes. Generally I don't like to go to the beach because I'm fat. I don't like it for two main reasons.

1. I'm fat and have numerous rolls. If I take my shirt off then I'll be embarrassed that my rolls and blazing white skin will show. The embarrassment is rooted in the fact that I'd prefer to feed my face with unhealthy food than exercise. Or at least I have most of my life.

2. I may see some really fat people with their rolls exposed. I don't like vomiting and that can occur at the site of some of the people at the beach.

I did have a really good time. I eventually made it into the water at the end of the pier. The bathroom was just so far away. The water was very warm, like 75 degrees. It was refreshing nonetheless.

The kids and Jen went on the tubes and had a blast. When Collin finally fell off he panicked and yelled for his mommy. We could hear him from the shore. I knew that was going to happen. Jen subluxed her shoulder. She admits that she isn't 20 anymore.

The food was pretty good too. The church supplied the hotdogs and eveyone else brought sides. We all commented on how much we love Crosslink. We have made awesome friends and are really growing in our faith.

Back Splash it's a Gas Gas Gas

2009-06-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

In our new home we have a small problem behind the sink. The problem is due partially to the cheap matte paint that the builder used in the house. Don't get me wrong the color is nice and I'm very happy with the Centex but whenever you wash your hands in the sink, water gets splashed a little on the wall behind. The matte finished paint shows the little droplets, and that gets annoying. Jen picked out what she wanted and I finally had a project to start. I even finished this one. Check it out, folks.

New MuteMath Album and Tour

2009-06-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

I like the new MM song "the nerve" off the new album "Armistice". I can't wait to go see them on the fall tour. The new album comes out on August 18th and that seems so far away. Looks as though we will be able to go to Atlanta to catch them in Nov. Nice thing is that the next show is in Charlotte on the way home the next day. We'll catch that one too. Maybe we can hit Nashville too on Sunday. What a great road trip that will be.

You can hear the new song on their web site http://www.mutemath.com/armistice/

They call it FATTY......and it's smoked

2009-06-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is the only fatty you'll find me smoking. I've been wanting to do one for a few weeks now. Oh the choices are limitless. For my first ever fatty I decided to go with a breakfast fatty. My family was very excited for me to make it. I used both hot sausage and regular so half was spicy. I put in cheese, scrambled eggs, and home fries. and the whole thing wrapped in BACON. In the words of Jim Gaffigan, "the only thing better than bacon......is more bacon." Just the idea of making a lattice work of bacon brings a smile to my face and a frown to my arteries.

Cheese........the other white meat!!!
Home fries and eggs added

Here I am rolling my fatty.

BACON!!!!!!!!

The verdice: Conner liked the sausage inside, Collin liked the bacon on the outside, Kate and I liked the whole thing. Jen was away for the weekend and didn't have any. Too bad for her.

Bar Needed

2009-06-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

I really need to find a bar the will want me to sell some awesome BBQ on Saturday night. I have a few orders for BBQ this week and would like to max out my smoker's foot print to make some extra cash. I'm on the hunt. I'll check in Mebane first since it's my home town. Maybe there's a place in Burlington that is busy on Saturday nights.

Dickie-Do's BBQ got good reviews

2009-06-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a success. The free samples that I gave out at the Screen on the Green went over like gang busters. Jen even made a prize winning sauce (vinegar based). I gave out business cards while receiving rave reviews of my BBQ. The best part was getting the smoker to the location. I sat in the back of the van whilst Jen drove about 5mph. I lifted up the side without the wheels and rolled it down the street. It was total ghetto action. We got going too fast for a second and the wheels got ovaled out because of the heat. Well, I guess it's time to work on that wheel mod.

Preping for this weekend

2009-05-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm getting prepared for this weekends smoking of the meat. I made the rub last night and rubbed my meat last night. The fridge and kitchen smells like rub and meat. MMMMMMM. This weekend I'll be giving samples of my pulled pork BBQ at the Screen on the Green event in the neighborhood. It should be pretty funny watching me tow my smoker down the street to a friends house close to the event to set up. Tonight I'll pretty much tend the fire and play some WOW.

At work on the holiday

2009-05-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to work all day on the holiday. I get a little overtime (4hrs) so I'm cool with that. I smoked 2 pork shoulders this weekend with some of my new mods on the smoker. I flipped smoker side char coal holder over to act as a tuner for the heat and smoke coming from the firebox. This really evened out the heat on both sides of the smoker. I did find that I could keep a more consistent temp but needed to open the vent more than I did in the past. The pork came out good. I can't wait until Friday when I can smoke some more shoulders. I'm going to give out samples on Saturday at the Screen on the Green event in our neighborhood. There is a common area where Centex is showing a bugs life outdoors. I figured this would be a good place to get feed back on my meat.

Dickie-Do's BBQ

2009-05-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

What a great name for a BBQ joint. I'm considering selling some sandwiches on Saturdays to make a little extra dough. My idea is to come home on Friday after work and Smoke 30 -40 lbs. of pork shoulder and then by Saturday afternoon be ready to satisfy the public's need for smoked meat. Does anyone know of a cool place that allows people to do such a thing? I suppose that I won't get many responses because I only have one follower on my blog. Oh, well. Let me know if this is a good idea or not.

KOB

Beef Brisket.........MMMM

2009-05-18T07:13:00.001-07:00

This is my beef that I rubbed. I haven't had a lot of success with brisket until now.

This is the smoker in action. I just put the wood on the coals.

After 24 hours and 36lbs. of charcoal. It was awesome!! Notice the pink ring around the meat. Pretty good penetration.

Big Pork Shoulder.........pass the BBQ sauce.

2009-05-18T06:12:00.001-07:00

The other weekend I smoked a Pork shoulder. Here are my pics of the event.

The skin must come off. The smoke can't get through a football.

This what happens after I rub my meat.

Here it is on the smoker ready for 24 hours of cooking.

The finished product. It was oh so good.

Welcome!!!

2009-05-18T05:23:00.000-07:00

This is in fact my first blog entry. What will this space on the internets be about? Well, I will be posting personal entries regarding my interests. What are my interests? I'm glad you asked. At the moment (atm) I'm into smoking meats, playing WOW, building/fixing stuff, and cooking good food. I'm sure that there are many more things that will appear on this site but that is still to be determined (tbd). Please feel free to leave me comments. If you dare. I may use this space to rant about things that make me cross, so feel free to be offended. I believe that it is not your right to not be offended. :) So look at my meat and learn how to fix stuff by looking at my projects. There is one thing for sure. I will bother you.