She's Ready and Waiting

I got the call yesterday that my new smoker has been completed and ready for pick up. A coworker of mine used to work for UPS, and was able to get me a good deal with UPS Freight. She will be picked up today, and hopefully delivered TOMORROW ... just in time for Dawn and I to be leaving on vacation.

It's Time To EXPAND

Dawn's whole thing has been I can't have a new smoker until she gets her "something shiny". Well, she's got her something shiny so I've ordered my new smoker. It still has about a week till it should be ready, but she's on the way. Dawn already has plans to go out of town with a girlfriend to go wedding dress shopping (for the friend not Dawn ... this trip) for the 25th. Therefore, I will be having an all day smokefest on my new Lang 36 Original Patio smoker.

No worries, there will be PLENTY of pictures of my new smoker once it arrives. There will also be a special introduction of Leroy The Angel Pig.

I also have a new Maverick remote thermometer that I'll be able to break in at the same time.

Time to lock it down ...

Dawn and I have been dating just shy of 2 years now, and last night we began a new chapter. We've been friends for years, and I figure if she can still put up with me after this long ... I need to snatch her up. She's mine all mine, and nobody else can have her.

I liked it so I put a ring on it ...

Time to start firing it up

Due to the accident, my Q has been put on the back burner a bit. I was able to do the butt a few weeks ago, but still haven't dove completely back into Qing. However, that is about to change. This weekend I will be doing my first set of ribs in a few months, and I'll do a few smoked Chicken Breasts for Dawn.

On the 30th I'll be doing a cook for some friends for the start of the Gamecocks Football season. I'm not sure what'll be on the menu just yet, but you know it'll be something good.

Big things are coming soon ... stay posted.

I'M BAAAAACCCCCCK

I'm still on Doctor orders to only eat soft foods, so I decided to make a pork butt. It's not exactly a "soft food" but I figured I'd be able to pull it fine enough to swallow it down if I had any problems.

I took my 9.13lb butt out of the package and got 'er ready.

Created my very first own injection. Dr Pepper 10, Water, Ac'cent, Salt, Cayenne, Onion and Garlic Powder.

I then went to town with my injector and filled it up all over to spread the flavoring.

Threw on a nice layer of Simply Marvelous Sweet Seduction rub.

Around half way through the cook I busted out my fancy smanshy new thermometer Dawn got me for my bday. That my friends is a Super Fast Thermapen that reads in 3 seconds (that's very important when you have the door wide open letting out heat).

After an hour rest it was time to pull. I pulled the butt out a little earlier than I usually do, so it was a little tougher than I normally get. The flavor of the injection and the rub was DELICIOUS though. I will definitely take this recipe and play with it some now.

The most important part of this cook ... I was finally able to eat some pork again ... and oh was it good. Like Michael Jordan ... I'M BAAAAACCCCCCK!!!!!

Update

I realize I haven't done an update since surgery, but I'm not dead. Everything went well with surgery, and I'm on my way back to normal (well as normal as I can possibily be).

I ended up spending over 4 hours in surgery and 3 hours in recovery. They put 5 plates and stents in my nose to hold it in place. My first check up visit was a week after surgery, and they removed the stitches and bandages. Then I went back a week and a half later, and had my stents taken out. I'm on day 2 of no stents and it's weird having to remind myself to breathe through my nose. After not being able to for a month I guess I forgot how to do it naturally.

A good bit of the swelling has gone down now, and I return to work tomorrow. There's still some swelling in my nose, cheeks, eyes, and upper lip but nothing compared to what it was. I keep being told how I'm starting to look "like myself again" ... I'm not sure if that's good or bad yet haha.

Anyway, the cooking will fire back up next Sunday. I'm going to do a Butt, and tear it up real small so I can eat it. I'm still on a "soft foods" diet since I can't chew anything, but I'm starving and I'm tired of soup ... and I haven't cooked anything in over a month so it's killing me.

Thank you everyone that has keep up with me, and said good things to whomever to pray to.

Cack Fall Down And Go Boom

If you're wondering why one would have an outdoor cooking blog and not have a single upload for Memorial Day. Well, first thing Saturday morning I had a bit of an accident. I went to the restroom and had a slight "fall". Dawn came running in the restroom once she heard the crash. I explained to her how I just got up too fast and was dizzy but I'm fine. I've since told her that I only remember the first few seconds of that conversation, because I was OUT. I got around her and was heading back to the bed when the lights went completely out. I went down and face first into the solid wooden bed frame.

She immediately called 911, and we spent the next numerous hours having every type of heart and brain scan you can think of. The good news in, they're saying the blackout was due to "vageling". Which from everything that I got. I jumped out of bed too quickly and the blood didn't get to my brain quick enough and that caused me to get off balanced. That's when I was able to catch myself, but didn't completely recover before I decided I was fine and could move along.

Day 3 the swelling and coloring really started kicking in. The pain wasn't that bad, because the swelling was really keeping it back. The swelling was uncomfortable, but nothing really MAJOR.

Day 5 I was able to get my stitches out, and set a surgery date. As you can see the color is REALLY showing it's "face" now.

Surgery is set for Tuesday June 5th. They're expecting multiple pins and plates, and possibly a few stints. They're also talking about maybe (which I'm REALLY hoping not) wiring my mouth shut, so everything will be as stationary as possible.

So tonight went straight down the crapper. I've learned that the Dr had Tuesday open for surgery, but between the 3 possible hospitals. They couldn't find a single room until NEXT Monday the 11th. Surgery is set for Monday at 12:30. Looks like I'll be spending the night in the hospital.

Also, while eating dinner (soup) I realized 2 of my teeth on the upper left side felt funny. I went to investigate and they were chipped ... Hello gutter, I'm hanging out in you.

Day 10 ... So I've since found out that the Dr has in his notes that he may have to wire my mouth for surgery, but he expects to be able to cut those wires by time that I go home. I'm honestly OK with the idea of spending the first night in the Hospital. With so much going on with my air ways. I feel more comfortable with machines monitoring me to make sure I'm actually breathing.

The weekend went pretty well. We went and saw MIB 3 (which is possibly the best of the series), and picked up a few items for my game room.

My final scab came off on my nose, and it doesn't look AS BAD as I was expecting. We've already began putting some scare fixer upper medicine on it, so hopefully in time it'll "go away."

Yesterday I went to my dentist and he did xrays for his own curiosity, and mentioned that everything looks normal so that's good news. He also was able to grind down my chipped teeth, so that makes me feel a LOT better now. He told me he could grind down the other side, or I could get braces to pull these teeth down a hair so everything is even (length wise). I told him that I could careless about them being even at this point. I was just ready to be fixed.

5 DAYS TILL SURGERY.