Summer kick-off? Brr!

[Georgie]

We Easterners are having one of the coldest, wettest, most depressing Memorial Day weekends ever. My summer job at an oceanfront hotel began last night and the poor guests are freezing. At least I get paid to sit there and shiver. They're shelling out big bucks for the privilege! I want to hear about barbecues, sunny decks and good wine! What's everybody doing?

[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 05-24-2003).]

[Innkeeper]

Praise the Lord for the much needed rain. We have a daughter and a granddaughter (by another daughter) up for the weekend; and we are having a great time. Went out to breakfast in one direction, and then went down to Camden in another direction, visited several neat shops, came back up this way, stopped at the super and the coop and picked up some goodies, went to church, came home and had a super supper. We have "occasional" rain tomorrow and "chance of" rain on Monday; but who cares.

[hotwine]

It hit 92F here today. I sweated over a hot welding machine, doing some work for an old friend. Neighbor inaugurated his new smoker and shared results, so I didn't have to fire up the pit. Was plenty hot already! Gave him a bottle of Cline Syrah for the inauguraton. Will probably incinerate something after church tomorrow.
Got a chance for rain tomorrow evening. Otherwise, we're...

Waitinonrain (as the foreman signs his correspondence. Even USPS recognizes it as a legitimate name for his rural address.)

[hotwine]

Georgie, I trust you're checking I.D.'s, strip-searching guests for contraband, and monitoring their viewing habits on their rooms' TV's, to keep 'em all straight. Also look out for shenanigans in the pool at night. Rowdies can really get out of hand, ya know.

RowdyinTexas

[Botafogo]

It only got up to about 70 here today and was foggy all day to boot.... Roberto

[Kcwhippet]

Made it up to 47 here, w/ on and off drizzle.

[Georgie]

Didn't see anybody scary enough or cute enough to warrant strip searching this weekend.

Hotsie, the place in which I work is a 33 room, 128 year-old hotel in a historic Methodist Camp Meeting town. It's a charming, Victorian, and DRY town. Only in the last few years have people gotten brave enough to BYOB to the restaurants. Many raised eyebrows by the town fathers. Pool? Honey, we's at the beach! Roll out the front door, cross a small street to the boardwalk, next step you'll find sand betweeen your toes along with a gigantic pool to the east.
I sure wish you could send me some of that barbecue you're talkin' about!

[winoweenie]

Hit 103 here and 9% humidity. Bought a new grill and broke it in with some 2 inch prime N.Y. strips. Works like a charm. Still recovering from last nite so I'll make a brief post in the A.M. Happy Memmy to ALLS! ww

[Drew]

Been in the 50's here with tons of rain. The local news media has been reporting how we have gotten more rain since April 1 than Seattle!, over 7 inches. I live in the woods and we look like a rain forest...at least I don't have water issues.

DRew

[hotwine]

Sounds like a neat old hotel, Georgie.

Neighbor's new pit isn't really a smoker, so I misspoke. It's his own vertical design, consisting of a 5' length of 24" pipe, set upright on a 2-wheel trailer, capped on top with a chimney; and a propane ring on the bottom that heats a steel cone, which radiates heat upward across two grills. So there's no smoke flavor at all. He had to baste his brisket with a honey/Dijon mustard sauce to give it any flavor. And he seems to have put the wine away for another day.

I much prefer smoke to gas for barbecuing...more skill and patience required, but it affords more opportunities for swilling wines, too.

[Innkeeper]

A funny warm yellow thing appeared in the sky this afternoon. That's the good news. The bad news; it woke up the black flies. No problem; it gave me an excuse to give up gardening for the rest of the day. All clean and happy now!

[tandkvd]

My first holiday off since New Years Day, got rained on playing golf with my son yesterday. Afterwards we had the kids over and grilled steaks. I had been reading post on Taurino Salice Salentino, and picked up some to go with the steaks. What a different tast of wine! I'm still trying to learn to pick out the flavors.
Strong smoke and earth flavors? Does that sound right?
I did like it though. I think it would go better with lasagania.

All in all was a great day with the kids!

Hope it doesn't rain out The 600 tonight. It's only about 5 miles down the road.

[Georgie]

I gave up my propane grill a few years ago and went back to the old charcoal briquettes. To me it just doesn't taste grilled without some smokey taste (not to mention that starter fluid..)
I just got home from singing a solo at a memorial service for the father of one of our church members. I didn't know this man, but, I wish I had, judging from the wonderful things people said about him. The service was really an uplifting experience. I was going to forgo a party at some friends' house this evening, but being at that service reminded me that we should make the best of the time we have together. Glad to hear that many of you are doing the same with friends and family this weekend. It's really true; we only go around once.

[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 05-25-2003).]

[quijote]

It's been sunny but cool here in Brewtown--highs in the 60s. Today I went shopping for a table-and-chair set for the balcony of the condo that I'm closing on next week. I'm one happy Quijote! This will be my first time at homeownership, and I'm having a lot of fun planning for the big move in early June. I'm sure I'll celebrate with some delicious vino. I wish everyone a great holiday!

[Thomas]

Spent the day on LungEyelun' with a few friends from boyhood days, plus wives. Terrible weather but a wonderful day, and my team won the bocci game.

Great Pinot Blanc from Beyer (Austria), fine Cotes de Bergerac--Chateau Masburel, and a nice Pinot Grigio from Banear, Friuli.

The antipasto, steaks and grilled vegetables were good too...

[Bucko]

Warm and partly sunny here. Just perfect for "running nekked" thru the woods, not that I would ever do that sort of thing (I caused a cattle stampede in the past and learned my lesson).

Carole and I are both on call, so our weekend is shot as well.......

[Innkeeper]

The evening was too cool for grilling, so we broiled boneless pork chops in homemade BBQ sauce, with potato cakes, and spinach. Amazing how much more you have to fix for four than for two! Washed it down with Bodegas Crotta Tempranillo, Snapple, and milk.

[winedope1]

Weell, as you might have guessed, its been a rainy and cold one here too. Spent most of the weekend helping a firend to do shopping for a new house. Walked for miles through Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart and countless furniture and paint stores, but now he's ready and its always more fun to do this stuff with someone instead of by yourself. The most fun part was opening up the pool. The sellers were kind enough to allow us access to it this weekend so that we could get it started (chemicals, etc.) This way, it will be ready by the time he moves in. We did this Sunday in the rain, but it will be worth it later on. Consumption was at a minimum sice I had a lot of driving to do, but it was a fun weekend despite this and the weather. Hope all had a good one. Back to work in the am, but at least there aren't any early surgeries! Best to all, WD Gee, looks like I've been spending time in WW's typing class! Well, if we can't have the weather...

[This message has been edited by winedope1 (edited 05-26-2003).]

[ShortWiner]

Came back last night from a weekend in Oberlin, OH, seeing my younger sister graduate from college. It was chilly, but warm and clear enough for the ceremony. Better, we got to see an outdoor production of her honors project in theater, a Chekhov short story that she adapted and starred in. She was brilliant!

[Georgie]

Nice to hear a big brother brag about his sister! Good for her!