The Big Sautee

So my summer is underway now. I am finally in the Caribbean. It is hot, humid, and absolute chaos. But it is great, with lots of coconuts, mangos, the blue sea, and lots and mucho espanol!



But wait, didn't I say Sautee in the title? Yup. My summer started with a week of staff training in Gainesville, GA, followed by a week with the Sautee camp crew. And it was a great two weeks, lack of sleep aside (not like I have gotten caught up on it here!). At training week, we had first aid training, roller skating (where I fractured my pinky pretty badly), and many a late night worship jam session. In fact, I even have learned a worship song in Swahili! It was good times.



We learned about building roofs, shingling, decking, building stairs and wheelchair ramps for decks, and lots of other stuff. The food was way better than I would have ever expected. I don't think there was a single meal that wasn't beyond my expectations...kudos to Scott! Yeah, staff training week was practically like a week where us as camp counselors and such got to be campers. It was very good.



Then I left Gainesville for Sautee, GA to help set up the camp there. This camp is also where the office for TEAMeffort is temporarily being located during the summer camp season. Yeah, I got to help move that, too. That's what happens when your camp doesn't operate for the first week. But it was cool. I had a great time hanging out with the Sautee staff and some of the others as they slowly trickled out to their various camps, as well as the office crew.



Turned out to be an extra blessing to be so close to home that first week. My guitar decided to start having problems with buzzing frets and strings not ringing out, etc. So I was able to take it to my friend Ryan's dad, who is an excellent luthier. He got the frets leveled out, smoothed out the bridge, and even repaired some fretboard cracks for free. Also turned me onto some nice new strings, DR black coated strings. They sound great I think.



While working at the Outpost (the Sautee campground's name), I spent several trips to the White county dump...while it smelled like someone sliced open a Tauntaun, it was fun letting the guy there get all the junk off our trailers with his backho. If it wasn't for the smell, that'd be a fun job. But it is for the smell, so I would hate it. But aside from that, the renovations at the Outpost are amazing. I've stayed there three times before, and they have done some great improvements to it. Especially the River House, where they also revamped the backside of it to create the office.



It was great making new friends, both at training week and while stationed in Sautee. I miss them, and hope they are having an excellent summer. Mine is pretty good, I must say. More to come...but for now, I must rest. Buenas noches!

Life after Brussel sprouts

So, it has been a while since I last posted anything. 2 months and 2 days, to be exact. Well here I am writing at 8:11am, tired and sleepy, but needing to blog before classes. Hopefully I can get something worth reading--or at least worth writing--in before I need to leave. If not, the hopefully I will take the time later to write more before the summer comes.

The past 2 months and 2 days have been extremely busy and crazy, both good and less than good. But I would like to think it has been more good than otherwise. Overall, I don't think too much has changed in my personal life. I still look about the same, save for a few more greys. I haven't been practicing my French like I should. And I am still in the spring semester at GSC, though it is rapidly approaching its end. However, next year at the school is still up in the air. Hopefully I can attend, because another year and I could graduate with my first-ever associates degree. Unfortunately, the fact that I haven't worked a steady job since November 28th is beginning to rear its ugly head, and work is difficult to find. It will remain difficult to find until I return from my summer job.

Where will I be this summer, you ask? Somewhere in the Caribbean, working with church youth from around the US who will be spending a week at a time doing missions work. I will even be utilizing my guitar in this post, so that will be extra enjoyable. I'm working with an organization called TEAMeffort, based out of Gainesville, GA. This is my first summer working with them, but our church did utilise them last summer for our senior youth mission trip to Jamaica. The company seems to be a very well developed company and is run very well. And that will be my summer, roughly 2.5 months capped with a week in Puerto Rico with the whole staff at the end.

Between now and then, I also still have my gig. Gig? Yes, gig. I have been making music at Natalie-Jane's Cafe in Clarkesville for the past month or so, every weekend. I'll be continuing that until I leave for the summer. It has been very successful! And hopefully it will continue to be very successful when I return from Jamaica. The food is very good and business has been very good, and I seem to have caused a little buzz with my playing, which makes me feel very good. I basically play acoustic guitar, sing and use a program called Band-In-A-Box, which accompanies me with arrangements of songs that I put together with midi and real recordings. Pretty nifty deal I think.

I still may need to get a part time job on top of it, which would effect my school schedule most likely. But however things need to be, then I'll accept it and re-evaluate when the time comes. Until then, it's time to get on with the current events. Glad to finally put something back on here. Hopefully my next entry won't be nearly as long as 2 months and 2 days!

Sprouts For Dinner?

Ever had brussels sprouts that were not slimy and soggy? My recommendation? Don't boil them, sautée them! Found this recipe, and it was like heaven in a condensed little cabbage. Now, don't misunderstand me. I actually am one of those weird people who enjoys those soggy, slimy brussels sprouts. I have no qualms about eating them at all. However, I know many people won't touch them, or will at least squirm as they chew.

So, I called up my granny and asked if I could fix her dinner (I had a motive behind this...I knew she'd have better pans and more space to cook, but still I was glad to cook for her). So we designed a little menu. First thing to fix was the last thing to eat. The desert-ish dish would have to be started on first, as it would take the longest to prepare. Nothing surprising here, my signature cranberry souffle. This wasn't my idea, though. She wanted me to make it for her. Who was I to say no to my granny--I say that as if I never have. So, I did. I had to let her help though...her kitchen.

Well, while this was finishing up, we sliced up some of those "new potatoes." I guess that's what they are called. They are tasty. We sliced most of them in halves, but one we sliced half in thick chips, and the other half was cut in quartered style. They all turned out great in their own ways, but overall, I liked the chip sliced ones the best. Anyway, after washing them (this is before we cut them), we flash boiled them, just so they would be softer and nearly cooked throughout. Don't want to fry them raw, they won't cook as well--burn on the outsides while the inside tries to cook. After lining the bottom of the 10" pan with olive oil, I dropped in the potatoes. While the skin sides cooked some, I sprinkled sea salt, thyme and sage on the inner sides. Then I eventually flipped them onto their flat sides and salted and seasoned the skins. They turned out awesome, I ain't gonna lie.

So, now for the main dish, the brussels sprout "slaw," not to be confused with cole slaw. Taking a pound of fresh sprouts, we halved them long-wise. Then we chopped the halves into thin slices. Putting this aside, 3 oz. of pecans were chopped into fairly course pieces (really just broken up a little). These were placed in the stainless steel skillet and browned over medium heat for about 2 minutes until they were toasted (stirring constantly so they couldn't burn). Sure did smell good! After the pecans were toasted, I added 3 tablespoons of butter and stirred it in until it was thoroughly melted and the nuts were well coated. Immediately, in went the sprouts along with some freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Stirring over the medium heat constantly, the mixture was ready in about six minutes, bright in color, tender yet crisp in texture. I took it off the heat and moved the slaw into a bowl, mixing in 3/4 cup of Craisins^®. I like brussels sprouts, yes...but this? Man, you just have no idea how good it was, and it was so easy to make. Here is a sample of the finished product.

What next? We shall see. But I will definitely be doing this one again! Brussels sprouts get a bad reputation, and it's all because they get a bad cooking. The sprouts could even be cooked this way without the pecans if you are allergic. This is one of three recipes I'm looking forward to doing with them, and this one will be hard to beat.

The Blizzard of 2010

So, we finally got some decent snow in the north Georgia mountains. This is the most snow I've seen in a handful of years. In fact, I believe that the last time I saw it snow enough to stick at all, I was in Minnesota and North Dakota. That was a good bit more snow, but I will take this. I don't think we could handle that much snow here (although I do fondly remember the blizzard of '93 being similar to what I saw up north). I could go for a few more hours of snow, but it is coming to an end. We got about 2.5 inches here in Demorest, though I'd have loved to have seen about 4 to 6 inches. I guess that comes with the joys of being unemployed!

It gave me a good excuse to get out of the apartment and walk around a little bit. So, I bundled up to brave the winter storm, and set out on my trek around the block. The highlight of my trek was probably Demorest Park. It was beautiful. There was snow on the gazebo, and a blanket of white all across the grass, with the pathways being the last to get covered up. The blue sky turned to a silver-grey, illuminating the city in a silvery glow. And with the wind having died down from the previous few days, the cold air was actually very refreshing to walk about in.

It was nice not having to drive anywhere. I would be hard-pressed to find anything more stressful and mood dampening than having to drive in the snow. It's doable, but it requires too much concentration and care. I would rather walk around and enjoy the beauty of it all. And I did. And if any of you were a part of the snow storm, I hope you did, too!

Gingerly speaking...

So the past week has been like Gingerfest 2010. I have cooked more with the little rhizome than I ever thought I would. My friend Toby had posted something about bottling ginger ale on his Facebook status, and that caught my eye. I love good ginger ale or ginger beer, not the Canada Dry or Schweppes stuff (although it's OK, too), but stuff with lots of real ginger in there, so you can feel the spice of it. So, he directed me to some good recipes and I have spent the past week whipping up some good eats. Just for the record, this is what the raw "root" looks like (not really a root, but that'll do for now):

So, after you peel it, it can be sliced and candied, like this:

This becomes a great combination of sweet and heat, although some people aren't fans. The texture is pretty chewy, though it does harden after a while, but always has some chewiness to it. So, if you look below the cooling rack, you will notice a big pile of crystallized ginger sugar. That's a lovely little bi-product that I like to toss into coffee or tea. It adds a nice zest, and can be seen in the picture at the top (the one with my name in it).

So, you have to boil the slices before you actually add the sugar, and then drain the water off of them before, as well. So, what do you do with all that gingery water? Waste it? I think not! Behold, my caramel ginger syrup. Not nearly as spicy as the candy, but it is definitely in there, and very sweet and caramely:

So, if this wasn't enough, we still have the ginger ale to get to! The hardest part of this is having to wait a few days to test the product. I bottled my first bottle two and a half days ago, and sampled it today. It tasted great, but lacked the fizz I was expecting. I'll have to experiment further with it. But I do have a second bottle going, as well. Here they both are, and never-you-mind the the labels. Neither label deserves to be on there, but at least they help me differentiate between the two batches:

There you go, my latest misadventure. It was fun though, for the most part. I still have a ways to go on the brew, but aside from that, it has been a cool--or hot--success. Stay tuned for more mayhem and merriment!

OK, so I wrote this little devotion for the upcoming TEAMeffort staff devotion book. My first time doing a devotion...well, that's a lie. This devotion is actually a rehashing/updated/abridged version of a devotion I gave with a group from church, but that is mentioned below. It's one of those messages that God put on my heart, and I hope it speaks to you, or whoever else may read it. Feel free to borrow it, if you want; just don't forget to cite your source! lol




Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-9
"...⁷The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched [Elijah] and aid, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." ⁸So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God…"

In July of 2009, I experienced my first mission trip. Not sure what to expect, I was shocked when God had me cutting massive lengths of rebar & wire, mixing & pouring concrete, and signing in tongues (ok, so it was sign language, but it was new for me)! I'll admit, I'm usually lazy, but the hard labor was surprisingly enriching. We worked hard that week, both in the construction and in spending time with our deaf friends. For the first time in ages I could go to bed at night satisfied with myself, and know I would rest well.

Jesus touched me that week, and renewed our relationship to new heights. If you've been on a mission trip, I bet you have a similar story to tell. That's the gospel of what we do. Unfortunately, there is also a disappointing follow-up we're all susceptible to. All the other parts of our lives that draw us away from our God, they don't just disappear. I came home, and life‒or death‒went on. I had never felt so close to God, only to again fall so far from my Father. I fell into a darkness and despair all too familiar, and self-pity began to take its toll on me.

Finally, I heard God calling out to me. I was asked to give a devotional during a church mission trip. I don't know why, but I turned to 1Kings, chapter 19. Elijah had just called down fire from Heaven, put an end to the 450 prophets of Baal, & summoned the first rain in years‒huge stuff! But Jezebel vows to have him killed, and guess what! Elijah tucked his tail and ran, begging God to take his life. After God had provided such victory, the man lost faith, ready to give up. But God wasn't about to give up on Elijah, renewing his strength and comforting his spirit. Our God is THE awesome God! We reach such peaks through Him, only to fall once again to our chains of flesh. But in the darkest moments, God waits for us to hear His gentle whisper, eager to lift us up as only He can.

I hope that as we depart for our summer stroll in His mission field, that you walk with Him, talk with Him, draw closer to Him. And after the summer highs, should autumn cause you to fall, and winter chill your spirit, I pray that you will remember that God is always there, always has been, and always will be. Like any good father, He does not want us to fall. But when we do, He is the perfect Father, waiting to restore and renew us.

No autographs, please!

My life has been full of weird little moments of awesome experiences. I've gotten to make music around the globe, eat snails in France, and even record music with some amazing musicians. But one moment just recently stood out in my memory. When I first moved to Nashville, back in 2001, I spent about three or four months traveling with a Christian-Rock act. Byron Keith was the guy's name. That was a pretty fun time, until September 11th struck and we started losing gigs because of the economic crunch the churches and such were feeling.

During one trip to Wilmington, I got to do something really neat. Our guitarist had a mildly unhealthy obsession with Dawson's Creek. OK, let's face it, any obsession with that show is very unhealthy, but at least it's off the air now. So, Marty decides he is going to take a promo package to Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, because he thinks it is his destiny to get on the show and meet Katie Holmes. A few hour later, he gets a call, and they ask him if he would like to do some extra work. They actually need a few extras, and guess what...the first and last episode of Dawson's Creek that was worth watching was born (and guess which one of us got the most face time). I would direct the viewing audience to the following time markers for this video: 0:45, 1:19 and 1:52. Look over the "director's" left shoulder, and behold!

And without further ado, Eli's Creek!

Time-Life is the devil!

How did those "best of an era/genre" CD compilations become SO popular and memorable? I was flipping through the TV last night, trying my best to find something to fall asleep to. Then I see a club I used to play with in Nashville, with Mickey Gilley and LoriAnn Crook pitching the Time-Life Golden Age of Country Music CD set. In typical fashion, I could not sleep, nor turn the station. The five second or less song clips, as always, kept me hooked, but to top it off, I had to keep staring at the walls of the club during the sales pitch segments to see what all I recognized. So many memories, and not just the music!

And to top it all off, my friend Kelly and I are chatting about this on Facebook, because she saw a comment I had posted there about the infomercial and was talking about watching it, too. But her favorite is the Best Of The 70's...and you know what? Guess what I asked her..."Is that the one with the guy from Air Supply on it?" Why yes, yes it was! How the hell did I know that? lol...darn you, Time-Life!

Clef Hangers, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Ye Olde English!

Tonight was a blast. Our singles' small group from church had dinner at Diane and Ventia's townhouse, and I was the only guy with four girls to contend with. But I managed. We all arrived between 6:30 and 7, and no one left until after midnight. Crazy! I tried out a new dish to take, but I wasn't thrilled with it. Everyone else thought they were OK, at least. I fried plantains, about three different ways. I fried two plantains with 1/4 inch thick round pieces, one with thin lengthwise strips, and one I cut into inch thick round pieces, fried slightly, smashed 'em flat, and fried again. The strips were my favorites, kinda crispy like a potato chip, but mildly sweet. But I also brought chips and salsa, as an emergency contingency plan.

The dish of the night has to go to Miranda, though. Dude, I have never had such a delicious strawberry cheesecake. Rather than a firm type of cheesecake, it was more of a whipped consistency. Pour that onto a gram cracker crust, top with meticulously chosen, sliced, and arranged fresh strawberries, and I had to have a second piece. Sorry Miranda, but I cannot help but keep talking about the cake. OK, I guess I can. There was a lot more that went on, and I am sleepy.

Lots of good music was enjoyed throughout the evening, and lots of gaming. We played a couple of rounds of Bananagrams--Sarah about freaked out when I said I had brought it...and she smoked us on both rounds, lucky bum! Then a lovely game of Cranium was enjoyed by all, but won by my team. We were just too good; it wasn't even a contest, really.

But I think the highlight of the evening for me was Ventia's history lesson in the English language. Good points I never really had realized or thought about. For example, after the Norman invasion and conquest of England, the nobility used French, and the English, who were at this time servants and lower class people, were the only ones to use English. Had it not been for the bubonic plague, English may have died...yay, plague! Just a little linguistic trivia, brought to you by the letter V.

And now, I'm off to bed. Early to rise, so the less late to bed the better!

Parlez-vous?

OK, so school is getting back into full swing after the December break. So far, it is going very well. Last semester was my first semester back to school in exactly ten years. Went in planning on a major in early childhood education, but mid-semester I decided I would rather major in foreign languages. Call it a mid-life crisis, but heck, I have always enjoyed picking up words and phrases in other languages, and the idea of being bi-, tri- or even somewhat-lingual has always appealed to me.

During my first semester at Gainesville State College, I took French 1002 and Biology 1102 (plus the matching BIOL 1102 lab). Both classes would satisfy requirements for the early childhood associates portion. Well, as I began to feel well about my progress in the French 1002, it struck me! I enjoy the language, I love visiting foreign countries (I miss Europe), and I don't envy the prospect of teaching as much as I thought I did (and if Sonny Purdue gets his way, I really won't envy it at all). Why not pursue the linguistic direction?

Well, I haven't found a convincing answer to that question yet, so I'm still pursuing it. Fortunately, all of the classes I took that first semester will still be useful toward satisfying the new major; in fact, it works out now to where two more courses transferred in from Troy State will now be useful toward the new degree. Hey, it is now a no-brainer, right? And I hope to follow up last semester's three A's with a repeat performance. But more on that later. As for now, I am sleepy, and this is enough for one night's work.