You Might Be A Smoker Grill Geek If...

...you combine your homemade flower pot smoker with the store bought smoker and then automate the temperature control using HomeSeer.

Flower pot smoker: $45
Store bought smoker: $40
Combine the two to make the most delicious baby back ribs ever: Yummy!


So Scott, why don't you give us a quick tour through all this smoker stuff:

A Visit, A Meal and Blueberry Wheat Beer

Yesterday was a rare treat for Scottie and me. Our friend Holly, the one who is the reason that Scott and I met, was visiting along with her parents, her two boys, her sister Heather, and Heather's two boys. Unfortunately, Heather and Holly's husbands were unable to join them on this trip.

Scott met Holly and Heather way back in 1987 during their first summer as Walt Disney World cast members. I met Holly and Scott the summer of 1988 during my first summer at Disney. Needless-to-say, we have a fun and happy history and have made it a point to keep in touch despite living in different states.

We all met for lunch at Top Of The Hill Restaurant and Brewery in Chapel Hill, where our good friend, George (whom I also met at WDW in 1988 and was best man in our wedding) is a brewer extraordinaire. George and Gwen, George's wife and my dear friend, and their two boys joined us as well. Unfortunately, our children were in school and were unable to join us, much to their dismay!

Anyway, let me stop here and tell you that it is no secret that I am not a great lover of beer. However, I asked George to suggest something he made that I might like.

Oh my.

If you are ever in Chapel Hill, NC, please make a point to visit Top Of The Hill and try their award winning beer. The Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat just won a gold medal and apparently blew the doors off Samuel Adams and other "national brands." I am here to testify that is delicious and I even took some to go!

But back to our visit. It was really nice to eat and chat with friends with whom we have such a fun history. And although we only see each other in person about every 4-5 years, we are able to fall right back into our comfortable rapport and enjoy our short time together.

Jacob, Isaac and Gwen. Jacob is showing how
big a fish he caught on a recent trip to Michigan.

Scott towering over Heather (L), Holly (R),
the Colonel (Holly & Heather's father, R. background)
and Holly & Heather's boys.
George gave us a quick brewery tour.
In front of a huge mural of Franklin Street and Top of the Hill
after yet another UNC-CH basketball championship :)
(L to R: Holly, Jacque, Scott, Sam, Josh, George, Gwen, Jacob & Isaac)

Shiver Me Timbers...Redux

Ok, I promise this is the last post on this subject, but I did a little tweaking to Will's room and I wanted to capture the updated look.

I had ordered some stickers that arrived a little late but they add just the right little details to make the room look perfect!

(Click on the pics to make them bigger to see the detail)

Yo ho, Yo ho...Well, You Know The Rest

This past weekend I was finally able to make good on my eight month old promise to transform Will's bedroom into a Pirate room.

Scott seemed a bit skeptical when I explained how I would paint the sky, island and ocean but it was my project and he dutifully handled all the higher painting and trim work.

I think it turned out well, with a lot of credit going to the Olive Kids Wallies that gave it a little less amateurish look. They were very easy to apply.

I still need to find a coordinating blue bedspread but Will is thrilled with the room. In fact, he woke up first thing this morning, gave me a big hug and and said, "Thank you for my pirate room Mommy." And, really, that is what makes it worth every minute of work."So Will, what do you think about all this pirate stuff?"

Too Much Of A Good Thing

So there I was, working away in my home office, writing a script for a Director to record as a VoD (video on demand), answering emails and instant messages, all while listening to conference calls.

I am that multi-tasker. And most of the time being that multi-tasker is a good thing.

Since it was lunch / potty break time, I stood up and as I wandered past the laundry room, realized that the dryer was done, so naturally I opened the dryer door and started to fold some clothes.

At which time I noticed a plastic tub Scott uses for brining chicken sitting on top of the washer instead of sitting on the shelf above the washer where it belongs.

So I turned around, grabbed the step stool so I could put the tub on the shelf and when I moved the stool I noticed approximately seven and a half years worth of dust in the corner.

I then went directly to the closet and grabbed my Dyson and, with the appropriate attachments, began to suck up the dust dinosaurs along the baseboard.

About this time I turned and noticed the dryer door was still open (clothes still in it, mind you) and thought I would suck the lint off the filter.

When I went to replace the filter I thought, "Man, there is a ton of lint way down in there."

Before I knew it I had changed vacuum attachments, grabbed a flexible rubber tube (about 1/2 inch in diameter), inserted one end of the tube into the vacuum attachment and the other into the narrow crevice where the dryer lint filter goes and was trying to suck up the massive amount of lint that, for goodness sake, could cause a fire in there some day!

And then I thought, "What in the heck am I doing?!"

So I stepped away from the Dyson, closed the dryer door, backed out of the laundry room and returned to my desk.

Never folded the clothes.

Never ate lunch.

Never made it to the bathroom.

And that is why working from home requires way more self-discipline than sitting in a cube in an office somewhere.

And it is also why being that multi-tasker can really be too much of a good thing.

She Went Down in the River to Pray

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.
( by Alison Krauss)
We could not be more blessed or more proud to call this little girl our own.

Too Cool For School

Eliza Grace heading out this morning for the first day of 3rd grade!

The Beach

We spent last week in a little cottage on Holden Beach.

We spent hours playing in the sand and surf.

All four of us are sporting the best tans we think we have ever had.

The kids and I got our nice tans using SPF 60.

Scott used SPF 15 and 30, thus he had a day or so of burn. Silly man.

My happy place is definitely the beach.

This trip we were able to be slightly less vigilant while watching the kids.

I actually read a book WHILE they played in the water.
It was blissful to say the least.

Eliza Grace catching some waves

The water was chilly on occasion, which had Will acting and looking
like a little old man, all wrapped up in between swims

We had a fun afternoon outing down to Myrtle Beach's Broadway at the Beach

We lit a few sparklers in honor of Independence Day.
Why is it people say "Happy 4th of July" instead of "Happy Independence Day?"

And now for your viewing pleasure...and apologies in advance for the wind noise!

Futility

Riding the waves

Will dancing. Yes, that is dancing.

Will rides one in.

A big one:

Fearless One