Spring

Because yesterday was so flippin' sweet weather-wise, I'm excited to officially announce the return of Barbecue season. Barbecue season is cool for me because it's the one time I'm allowed to cook, and I cooks real good. I've got skills that I honed at a
world-renowned institute and it's a good time for me to show 'em off. Actually, anybody can grill, and Mandy does all the prep work on the meat. I just throw it on and try not to burn it (which is actually all I learned at the aforementioned institute). She posesses (sp?) chef-like abilities with her cooking, and I gained 15-20 pounds in two years because of it.

At our house, barbecues tend to turn into an event. Not just a typical 3 hour night--people generally start showing up around 5 p.m. and most don't leave until 3 or 4 a.m. A lot of drinking is usually the theme, mixing in various activities like bocce and chasing the girls around the yard. Once dinner is consumed, it turns into hippie fest.
Stacey and I bust out guitars, a bonfire is lit, and we play and sing along until the wee hours in the morning.

This is me after about 12 bottle of Miller Lite last year. If you look real close, you'll see the Rollie Fingers-esque moustache that I'm sporting. Mandy and Stacey prouced the eyeliner pencil and figured it'd be a good idea to see if I could have a 'stache that's nastier than the one I grow organicly. I thought I looked like one of those old-time bareknuckle boxers, with names like "Gentleman Jim" and such, which is why I struck that pose. Everyone was laughing at me, not with me (which is what I thought at the time.) Screw 'em. The plan is to host the first Barbecue one week from this Sunday. By that time the yard should be dry and the weather should be a little more consistent. All are invited--the more, the merrier. Dinner is pot-luck-style, guests supply
their own forms of inebriation and any other activites outside of Bocce, Catchprase, and guitar-playing. Last year we had some great turn-outs, and we're looking to top that on a regular basis this year.


Softball starts in about 3 weeks--yet another reason to hail the return of spring. Another season of sliding headfirst, diving at line drives, and generally anything else that could lead to personal injury to drive Mandy nuts. She rules--she hates that I play, but goes to a lot of the games and is usually pretty good at inflating my ego afterwards, saying things like "You played really well tonight" and "Hey! You're not injured!" What a gal. This will also mark the beginning of a full-on assault of softball posts on this blog, complete (hopefully) with stats and pictures. I find it hilarious that anyone would keep stats on their D-League softball team, which is exactly why I'm going to do it. Who wouldn't want to follow a team named "Shampoo Your Mullet?" Especially when given water-cooler conversation fodder like "Chad Buege broke out of his slump going 3-4 in the first game last night", or "sure, they started out strong, but can they finish the season? Every year they start tough and then collapse." Names like Chad Kraml, Jason Kelvie, and Dan Boeser will become household names. Or not. But you'll see--when you run into me at the bar this summer, you'll ask me how the team is doing, and if you've been reading, you'll be able to stat-drop during the conversation. Or maybe you won't.