Monday Miscellany

 

Was there anything else happening besides basketball this weekend?

Basketball definitely was the main entertainment dish both here at the Lovestead and in Colburn over a weekend of nice, so-so and crazy weather. 

Still, other stuff got done, even a main dish for the main dish. 

My first real attempt at pulled pork turned out to be as successful as the ZAGS game where it was consumed in Kaiser buns and the trimmings.

While visiting with our next-door neighbors on Saturday (Leslie is pictured with a few of her family members below), Leslie asked me about the vinegar in the pork roast. 

Having been told by Bill to pour in some vinegar while I slow cooked the roast in the oven, I could not be too definitive when she asked if I really put vinegar in the roast.  

So, I just blamed Bill and left it at that during our conversation.  Later, in the day when the roast seemed to be taking forever, even for slow cooking, Bill said, "Just keep pouring in the vinegar."  

So, I did, and a couple of hours later, the meat had finally entered its falling-apart stage. 

With ease, I picked off chunks of the roast, which had initially been seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a bottle of Stubs honey barbecue sauce,  and pulled them apart on a plate before dumping them into a bowl. 

Since our slow cooker had broken its handle a while back, Bill offered to go to town yesterday morning to buy a new slow cooker. 

Upon his return, I dumped the meat into the cooker, sprinkled some Worcestershire sauce on top, mixed in another full bottle of Kraft honey barbecue sauce and let the meat cook again for a couple of hours. 

Seems like a lot of time invested for a basketball game sandwich, but even if I say so myself, the resulting sandwich experience, albeit messy was worth every minute of effort. 

My choice for pulled pork in a bun included melted cheese on a warm bun, a lettuce leaf, a pile of sliced dill pickles, Best Foods mayo AND a couple of spoonfuls of coleslaw freshly mixed at the Yoke's deli. 

Heavenly! Every messy, delightful bite. 

And, the other ZAG fans in the house seemed to like their sandwiches too.

The nice part was that we waited until halftime to eat.  By that time, the ZAGS had a solid 10-point lead, which meant that we didn't eat nearly as fast as we usually do when the games are tight. 

Once again, it was a great game, accentuated by humor, coming mainly from Gonzaga star Drew Timme, who makes a practice of giving his facial hair a new look with just about every game. 

His "stache" antics along with a few other subtle jabs accompanying smooth basketball moves during games tickle the funny bone. 

Drew has quite a following who like to emulate his "stache," including sports commentators who even came up with and modeled their own "Drew Do's" prior to yesterday's game. 

And, if that isn't enough, his mom who refuses to approve of the various "staches" but rightfully has great pride in her talented, funny son, says she'll be wearing her "Drew" earrings through the tournament. 

And, that's what we love about the ZAGS.  They are winners on numerous levels. 

The 29-0 ZAGS play for a chance to compete in the Final Four tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 PDT on TBS.

Three more wins for a perfect season.

After the ZAGS game, the predicted winds started working their way through our area.  

Happily, they weren't as bad as predicted, and from what I heard this morning on the Spokane radio station, the damage they caused was moderate compared to similar events in the recent past.

We could see signs of their presence this morning as a yard ornament blew from the kennel west of the house and landed about 50 feet away in front of Bill's pickup. 

As always, panels blew off the greenhouse and the usual cones, limbs and bark will need to be cleaned up in the yard. 

Speaking of what did happen and what could have been, I just read that the big freighter blocking the Suez Canal is now free from where it has been stuck for several days. 

While this was still a factor, someone on Twitter posted a photo of what that might be like on our Long Bridge.  Since our Long Bridge gets shut off frequently from traffic accidents, it might not be that big of a deal. 

Well, the weekend has ended and another busy week lies ahead, especially with the birthday bunch.  

Today my brother Kevin is celebrating a milestone.  Happy Birthday, Kevin. Enjoy your day.  

Happy Monday.