Quite possibly the best ribs I ever made. This was 2 full racks but was fallin off the bone so easily. This is the final sauce up before eating.

A Day in the Dells

Spent Friday and Saturday in the Dells. Talk about weather swings. Cold, Warm, Storms, really cold.

Did some school shopping for Joel and Kiki, raced go-karts, ate, swam at the hotel pool and finally played minigolf.

No Paul Bunyan. HiltonHonors Gold gets me free breakfast.

See the pictures here. Dells Pictures

Crap - work sux when you take a long vacation. Still waiting to get more pictures from the rest of the Doods.

Here is one to hold you over.

Yes I am a giant here. Actually one more step back and we would be in the lake.

Yes I am back from vacation in Canada. I need a vacation from this vacation. More to post as I get dug out from work and get all the pictures from everyone.

-JT

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you have a great day.

Apparently I am not posting enough. : P Now that I am linked to Jenny's Blog I may get 3 readers. So I x - linked to hers too( see the side bar). Now there will be no posting starting Tuesday night as I am in Canada, roughing it for the most part.

Other than Wednesday night (laying out side) it has been a miserable week. I can only hope this carries into my fishing vacation next week. Time to put on a happy face so at least everyone else isn't bothered.

Good times.

Laying on your back at 11:30 at night on the deck is not great for the comfort (even with a blanket), but the show above was very nice. The Perseids meteor shower. Perfect viewing. Moon was very low and behind trees. All the light off and the house shielding as much stray light from the south as possible. Mackenzie and Joel and Travis and I were out from 11 to 11:40Pm. We saw at least 15 really good ones. Large, bright and long tails. As well as more than 10 smaller ones. Worth staying up for.

Great Taste of the Midwest

Home from the Great Taste of the Midwest. Rain all the way there. Sun came out just in time...to make it nice and hot and muggy. Other than the mud on some parts of the ground it was great weather. We attacked the fest differently than last year. Moderation was the key and because of that we were able to get through all the tents. Had some really good beer, some interesting flavor and one or two that need to go back to the drawing board. More styles, aging methods, ingredients and more breweries that ever. Good times.

Hope to get tickets for next year!

Well tore up the bathroom. pics to come. Registration for Joel tonight - Sophmore year. Yikes. Then get geared up for the Great Taste of the Midwest. In Madtown. My liver is already doing exercises to be ready. No not really, ok maybe.

Happy 31st Birthday to my little sister!

August is here already

Holy shit, It's August 2nd already. Man, 1 more month of summer vacation. next weekend is beerfest, then 1 more week and off to Canada. Somewhere between there I intend on getting the bathroom done. Starting tomorrow. ...

Saturday was a loong day of shopping and running around. Ordered a fire door for the garage to kitchen entrance. Not cheap, but it will match all the other doors - 6 panel pine and oak jambs. Ran into Mom by complete coincidence at Mayfair while Kiki got a ton of school clothes (30% Gap coupon, thanks Nicole!). Picked up the Wii sports resort with Joel's gift cards and Kiki's cash. They played well past 1:00 AM. Actually that's not saying much because we did not get home from errands and dining until after 10 PM any way. Not sure I can do another 11 hr shopping trip again. Although Tracy will tell you sitting on a couch at Mayfair really does not count. That's where I saw Mom, felt like an old man, getting ready to sleep with the wife shopped.

Today, Joel and I washed and vacuumed both cars, first time I did them by hand all 2009. Dad would NOT be happy with me. Before that I just finished mowing the law for the first time in 5-6 weeks and the right axle broke on me. Dumped the mower deck straight into the dirt. The absolute farthest from the garage. Luckily I was just finished. So I dragged the jack to the spot, lifted it up jury rigged the front wheel and limped it to the garage. About 150.00 in parts to fix. The tractor is 12 yrs old and thats the first thing to ever really ' break'. I have bent some things just out of abuse and use but never like this. While at it, changed the oil and the air filter. 304 operating hours. Doesnt seem like much for 12 years, but that's the equivalent of running it more than 1 day straight every year. Think about driving around the yard for over a day.

Made citrus tequila chicken thighs on the grill. Weber recipe of the week, Really good and juicy but I expected more citrus, using lime and orange juice in the marinade.

Not too much more to say other than Saturday is beer fest in Madison. I may have mentioned that...looking forward to that.