Uncle Bud on Keeping Busy

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"You're looking at it. Me and this chick flick."

"No, seriously, what are you doing?"

"Oh, seriously? Seriously I was going to bust out some abs so I can look more like Ryan Reynolds. Have you seen that guy?"

Family Dinner Series Weeks One and Two

Uncle Bud and I, along with Bud's best friend, have started a new tradition over here at the barn where we gather together on Tuesday nights for Family Dinner. Bud gives me twenty bucks and mans the grill. Bud's best friend brings over a kielbasa, triscuits, and humus. I plan a menu, grocery shop, cook the meal, clean the house in preparation for guests, and take care of the general cleanup afterwards.

The definition of "Family" is "an even distribution of responsibility" after all......

For Family Dinner Week One, we invited Frazz and Adam for a delicious feast of Thai Peanut Noodle Salad and a mix of Beef and Chicken Kabobs, marinated in a Soy Ginger Sauce.

Conclusion? Delicious!

For Family Dinner Week Two, we invited one of Bud's coworkers who shall, for public school working reasons, remain nameless.

[Side note: Bud's Best Friend has also chosen to remain nameless (some people are not as keen as I on having their lives published on the Interwebs), but he has yet to choose his alias. And so, Bud's Best Friend, you are from this point forward to be called "Alias". Until you put down that Xbox controller and think of something more creative.]

Anyway, for Family Dinner Week Two, I prepared a Red Bliss Potato Salad with Peas, Green Peppers, Red Onion, and a Honey Dijon Vinaigrette, along with Turkey Burgers Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Bacon, topped with Spinach and Tomato. FROM SCRATCH.

Conclusion? I made three red-meat eating boys LOVE turkey burgers!

Not, bad, kids. Not bad at all.

The Family Dinner Series fits in with two of the goals on my Mission: Life List, which I will share more about soon. Those goals?

1. Cook more adventurously.

2. Eat more adventurously.

Care for some photographic evidence?



Week Two's ingrediants! I went shopping with a $40 budget, and spent $49. Not terrible.



Turkey burgers in progress! My first time working with ground meat, and I stuffed it! High five, me!


Cooked to perfection on the grill. Way to rule your role, Uncle Bud. Nice work to you too, Alias.



Hey! Boys! Want to be on the blog!?

Guess not.

Stay tuned as the Family Dinner Series continues!

An observation...

Columbus Day is not really much of a holiday anymore. Schools and government workers have it off, but no one else, really. Stores are open.... Planet Fitness is open........

In Kennebunkport, on the other hand, Columbus Day is a very special kind of holiday. Exodus Holiday #2.

Exodus Holiday #1? Labor Day.
Exodus Holiday #2? Columbus Day.
Exodus Holiday #3? New Years.

On Labor Day we lost our so-called "Summer Residents". Today, we lose our retired summer residents, the snow birds / beach bitties that are bound for Florida, the Bush family, the entire extended Bush staff, and Bush Secret Service (plus families).

Yesterday, driving through the Port was stop and go at about five miles per hour.

Tomorrow? We fly.

Uncle Bud on Hair Care

"If you plug in my hot rollers, I'll go to the bar with you."

"You look like THAT and you think hot rollers is all you need?"

"..."

"Alright. Where are they?"

WWJD

Last week I had the opportunity to interview the director of an upcoming community production of 'Godspell', which somehow lead to me watching an hour and a half of a dress rehearsal for the performance. I had never seen the show before... yet quickly realized that I knew all the music. Do the rest of you have parents who played Broadway musicals on vinyl throughout your childhood?

Anyway. I wrote a preview of the show for the Coast Star and tried to have a little fun in the process. Check it out!

Holy Entertainment!: It takes a community to produce this 'Godspell' - 10/7/10

Uncle Bud on Winter

This winter is Uncle Bud's first winter in Maine. And after spending five winters in Buffalo (population 270,000), and every previous winter in West Hartford, Connecticut (population 61,000), he knows he's in for a bit of a change living in Kennebunkport (population 3,700).

"I'm going to buy a wii tonight."

"You're buying what tonight!?"

"I'm going to buy a WII tonight. I'll need something to do here."

Back in black! (and white!)

After an extended break from the local newspaper, I'm back. And very excited about it. While my break from writing was plenty full, I still missed running around town, meeting new people, and spending my Sundays writing on deadline.

My life without deadlines, it turns out, is chaos.

For my first assignment back, I met Helen Revis-Rose, a local Kennebunk-er who just published her first book, Brave: A Memoir of overcoming shyness.

Shy no more, Kennebunk author shares her story - 9/29/10

Check it out!