Friday was a long day at work because my entire department was out for one reason or another. We're a smallish retail shop and I make up part of the MIS department, which means that not only do I get to create new programs and support old ones, I also get to support people who's printers stop working and whatnot. Having only one of me there meant I got nothing done on the programming task I was supposed to do, plus I had a good bit of shopping to do when I got home (food shopping).
Saturday started innocently enough - celebrating my co-worker's son's second birthday. The "cake" was actually a collection of cupcakes completely iced over the top with a Finding Nemo theme - very cute and very convenient to "cut" apart. Straight from the Publix bakery - all of you with small kids should take note. Plus it helps with easily managed portion control. Saturday evening, Kim and I drove out to BFE's west end - Kennesaw. We ate dinner with Brendon and Heidi and Heidi's mother at an
O'Charley's. The meal was actually a sort of comedy of errors - Heidi's fancy drink came in a glass with a big chip out of it, enough that she sent it back for fear of finding glass in her drink. Heidi's mother was at dinner too, and her steak quesodilla should have been more accurately called a gristle quesodilla. However, My fish sandwich was pretty good, and I don't think there were any problems with Brendon or Kim's meals either. After dinner we went to do something most of us haven't done for more than 10 years -
ROLLERSKATING. It was so bizarre to have a group of adults in the roller rink that the person charging admission asked us if we just wanted to go in to find some kids. Anyway, things were going along well until Kim tried to get all fancy on us (standing and moving at the same time) and fell down, bruising her knee. She spent the rest of the evening sitting out while Heidi, Brendon, and I made dozens of laps around the rink - dodging all the unpredictably falling children. Both Brendon and Heidi managed to fall down too - leaving just myself and Heidi's mother without injury. Still, despite the trauma, everyone had a good time and Kim and I left when the blisters on my feet forced me to take the crappy rented skates off. What is it with those skates? It feels like there are huge
hobnails inside the things. Note to self. If ever planning on rollerskating again,
Dr Scholl's insoles are required equipment.
Sunday I spent cooking up a storm. Kim invited twelve people over for dinner and we cooked up four whole smoked chickens, a huge fillet of salmon on cedar planks on the grill, roasted potato wedges, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and we had brownie sundays and pecan pie for dessert. Everything came out great. I had a sea salt herb rub on the chicken (not as powerful as the paprika and chili rub I normally use but still quite good) and I smoked it over cherry wood. We had so much chicken that we only used three of the four - the extra whole chicken went home with one of our guests. The salmon was a huge hit with a
ginger teriyaki rub cooked on
alder wood planks. I must have had the heat in the grill up too high though because despite soaking the planks for four hours I kept catching them on fire and I eventually had to pull them out and cook the salmon right on the grill. I think the planks are salvagable though - maybe some steel wool on the charred parts... They're supposed to be good for several grillings. Good times were had by all, even the young children. In fact, I was told I was welcome to prepare Sunday night dinner every weekend from then on... Right at the end I tried to break out the Xbox 360 to show it off but we didn't even get past the game intro scenes before everyone had to take off. Oh well, next time.
-- Matt Ranlett