I'm Back!!!!!!!

WARNING!!! F-BOMBS AHEAD!!! (Just a few!)

OMG - my computer crashed!!!! My work computer died last week. It was traumatic. My IT guy showed up and immediately started saving my accounting stuff and I yelled at him, "What the fuck are you doing? I don't give a shit about American Contractor. Save my fucking chili recipes!!!" Thank God he's as whacked out as I am and rolled with it.

If it weren't for short term memory loss, I'd be able to remember all of the things I need to talk about. First and foremost, Gary and I saw Hank III last Wednesday night and stuck around to meet him. We got autographs and a picture with him. Of course, I got nervous and made a fool out of myself. My husband will never have to worry about me going off with Hank or some other hot musician that I stalk (Charlie Robison) because I act like a bumbling idiot when I get around these people. I was so nervous I couldn't even take a picture. What a dumbass. Gary had to take the picture because I was so freaked out. It's like the time I met the Supersuckers. We went back to their dressing room and I just sat there like a complete mute. God...so embarrassing....

Anyways - Hank was great. My fiddler (and other potential stalking victim) was absent, though. He broke his collarbone last year and still isn't able to play. That kind of sucked for me since I normally watch him the majority of the time...especially on the Hellbilly stuff. He has an almost completely different band now - no Joe Buck, either. Still - Hank's amazing and I'm not complaining at all. I hope to see him again soon. He only did one old song - his dad's "If You Don't Like Hank Williams". No old Hank or Johnny Cash. I was hoping he'd do DAC's "The Ride". His version is great. He did one song from his new album and mostly "Straight to Hell" stuff - which made me happy! He also did the original version of "Long Hauls" (The Devil is My Friend) and without that horrible, Curb Records forced guitar solo. It rocked...he rocked...and as I told my husband..if my tubes weren't tied....LOL!!! I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!! (well sort of but not really). I better shut up because he reads my blog and he laughed about it the first time...he might go bat shit crazy the second time. Maybe I should delete it...naahhh!!!

Does anyone else have a six year old daughter that likes to sleep topless? I don't mean panties only, either. P sleeps in either tights or jeans (or pj bottoms) with no top on. I'm really concerned that this could lead to a certain kind of career that also involves a pole. God Bless her...she is her own unique little person. There is never a dull moment with that child. Last night she got Gary a beer out of the fridge (should I share that?) and then informed him that she wasn't going to drink beer when she was a grown up, she was going to drink wine like Mommy. I love it! We had a Pod meeting at the Ellis Co. Children's Advocacy Center (our Pod's charity for cook offs) and Paige freaked out because she wanted to go outside with Gary while he smoked and drank his beer. I was like, "Paige, this is the absolute last place that I need you to advertise your extensive knowledge of beer and cigarette brands." I'm just waiting on CPS to show up at my front door one of these days. Oh God..and the worst...her TEACHER told me what an imagination Paige has and some of the stories she tells them about mommy and daddy are a hoot. WTF???? I threw up in my mouth when I heard that. I can only imagine what she shares with them.

I can't remember if I have any recipes to share. I don't think I've done a lot of ground breaking type cooking recently. I have been able to bust out my dutch oven a few times and cook outside. I'm really looking forward to warm weather so that I can do that more often. I do have quite a few fish and veggie recipes to share for dutch oven cooking. I'm going to experiment with mussels and clams this summer. I haven't cooked them before in my DO, so this should be an adventure. OMG - Marsala's in Ennis has the most amazing mussels in white wine sauce. They also have toasted garlic in the sauce. I was in HEAVEN!!!

I thought I had a reason to go off about CASI, but Dave Hewlett set me straight on a few things. A Pod is not hosting the GP meeting this year. It is being hosted by two individuals. That kind of creeped me out, so I emailed Dave and he gave me the 411 on everything. A separate bank account has been set up and the checks are made payable to the GP Meeting, not the individual (which I flipped out about!!) and Dave is also helping keep track of the expenses. I thought that was a good move on CASI's part considering they tend to operate under the cloak and dagger rules the majority of the time. And no...still haven't let go of that sponsorship check, either.

Janice Miller has decided to seek re-election as Executive Director. How does everyone feel about that? I think Janice is a nice lady and my heart goes out to her and her family over the recent health issues not only her parents, but herself, have had to face. Still, do we keep with the same ol, same ol on the Board or do we push for new blood. Do you think that this current group of Directors are doing all they can or do you think they need a few more years to gel as a group before an accurate opinion can be formed? I want to know what happened to the issues brought up to the Governance Committee. They are not addressed anywhere in the minutes from the last board meeting. Did the Board discuss them privately? Why? And if they're the concerns of the membership, why not discuss them in an open forum where they can be heard by those in attendance? I'm willing to bet those people who choose to attend the meetings care about the concerns of the other cooks and want to be in on the solutions that might be available to some of the problems out there. The summer meeting is being held at the Arlington Elks Lodge in June and I plan to be there. I'll try to schedule my various (and numerous) trips down the Guadalupe and Comal around it. Lord knows I'm not going to cook chili in the heat...might as well float down the river and drink some cold Miller Light!

Have a great Monday...I promise to be back tomorrow spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy :)