4th on the lake

Yesterday was a good day.  It was very laid back but good.  In the afternoon one of my senior high guys came over and we watched a little Wimbledon.  Actually it was really good yesterday.  After we were done we drove into Storm Lake and played 27 holes of disc golf.  I still haven’t shot a round under par yet.  It seems like I can’t quite break the +1 I have been shooting there lately.  Although I did ALMOST ace (hole in one) hole 3.  It was sweet.  I told him I was going for an ace.  Just about 10 inches higher and it would have been great.

After playing disc golf we went out to the Crippin’s house and had supper.  After supper we rode their wave runner.  It has a 4 stroke engine which mean this thing goes fast.  Yesterday I was getting on it Nick said, “Be careful - it’ll do 60.”  It was a lot of fun.  I got it up to 54 then got into some big wakes from another boat so I had to slow it down.  After we got done riding the wave runner Dr. Crippin took us out on their boat for the fireworks show.  We literally sat under the freworks as they went off.  We were just about  75-100 yards from where they were shooting them off.  Below are my favorite pics from the night;

i’m in a funk…

I don’t know why but lately I have been in this funk.  Today I have a serious case of DRA (Dirty Rotten Attitude).   I’m not sure why.  Maybe part of it is still moving into a new community.  Don’t get me wrong everyone has been really nice so far.  So tonight it’s off to go grocery shopping then home to grill me some chicken breasts on my new grill.  It’s pretty sweet.  I’ll post about it possibly tomorrow.

disc golf @ mandeville park

I went over to Storm Lake this afternoon and played their disc golf course at Mandeville Park.  It’s a moderate 9 hole course.  I shot 2 over on 18 holes.  I think that was pretty good considering it was my first time.  I definitely think I can hit at least 4 under for 9 holes once I get the course down a little better.

Here are my dislikes about the course.  The markings are alright.  They are just stepping stones in the ground with no distance marking on them.  It’s a pure guess when you step up to the tee pad.  They really need signes marking the wholes with distances on them.  Also the need a sign telling what it is, how to play it and rules on the sign.  I think this would get more traffic on the course.  But this is just my opinion.  I’m looking forward to play it again.  It’s a great lay out in a great location right across the street from the lake.

throwdown with bobby flay

So last night was the night.  We had our own version of the ‘Throdown with Bobby Flay.’  Sure Bobby wasn’t there but it lived up to the hype.  Although this was just a “practice run’ it was very official.  We couldn’t start cooking until we got the call from the judges that they were on their way.   We had to “dress” our burgers on a plate once they were done.  The judges actualyl judged our burgers on;

• originality
• presentation
• taste

So the menu was burgers on the grill.  We had to come up with our own recipe.  We had Blue Cheese, Fillet Mignon, and Cow that Oinks.  Mine was Cow that Oinks.  Here is my recipe below;

• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 slices bacon
• 6 slices of pepper jack cheese

The directions are pretty simple.  First of all mix all of the ingredients up into a large mixing bowl.  Then you add the meat in and mix in with everything else.  Form your patties and wrap a piece of bacon around each burger securing it with a toothpick (as you would a fillet mignon burger).  Grill for about 5-7 minutes on each side.  You may want to flip occasionally as the grease from the bacon will produce a nice grease fire.  The egg in the meat does make them most so be careful as you are turning them on the grill.  There you have it.  Pretty simple.

Here’s how the score came out;

Blue Cheese Burger = 14 points

Cow that Oinks = 13.5 points

Fillet Mignon Burger = 12 points

I think the judging was rigged.  I mean the cook that one was the owner of the house we grilled at.  I’m demanding another cook off in a neutral site.

Over all it was a lot of fun.  I would do this again in a heartbeat.

mac revival?

I am ashamed to admit it. That is that maybe I was too quick on my review of the mac in my office. The more I get used to the mac in my office the more I like it. I have discovered some new features on it that I like and it’s proving itself little bit by little bit. I think now all I need is to set up a donation button so all of my readers ca donate to my “help Chris buy a Mac Book Pro” fund.

Want to contribute? Let me know. Am I serious? Yes.

the great grill throw down: part 1

So I have been invited to attend a grill “throw down” tonight.  The idea sounds fairly intriguing to me.  I’m all for competition and that’s what this is.  Here’s how it works;

• a select number of people are invited over as the “cooks” (I am one of them tonight)
• you are supposed to bring enough ingredients to make 6 hamburgers from your recipe
• your burger will be judged by the judges - oh yeah it’s a competition
• a guest list is comprised and people are invited

It’s sounds like fun to me.  I’m all for meeting new people.  I am a little apprehensive about it though.  The guest list is comprised of couples and singles - yeah it sounds like an attempt for a set-up to me.  Why would I come to that conclusion?  The two cooks are both single guys.  I will make another post sometime tomorrow to let you know how this went.  I will try to take pictures of my burger.

I hate to lose at anything….I’m expecting to win.

it’s official…

I have to start working out again.  I’m debating buying a membership to a gym vs buying a bike and saving money in the long run.  If I buy a memebership to a gym I’ll have to drive 20 miles round trip to get there and back and with gas at $4/ gallon I’d rather not.

So now I’m in the market for a sweet mountain bike again.  This time it will be a keeper.  Anyone know where I can get a Gary Fisher around Storm Lake….I love those bikes.

Chics dig strategy

I’m going to have to remember this one.

books i’m reading

I bought 3 new books today while in Sioux City. Well 2 books and a new study Bible. I am really looking forward to reading both of these books.

The 2 books are:

staff outing: sioux city, ia

Today Jay and Gary took me to Sioux City for a staff outing.  They wanted to show me around Sioux City.  It’s only 1.5 hours from us and it is where some people do go to have major surgeries in the area so it’s good to know where the hospitals are there.  Honestly it was nice to get away as a staff.  It was a time of team building as well just kind of hanging out.  We laughed and also talked about different issues we are facing in our culture and church.

We even ate at the Olive Garden while conducting our staff meeting….and the meal was free.  Free food is always a good thing in my mind.  They also showed me where some disc golf courses were and recommended different things for the students to go and do there.  I appreciate the fact that they took me around and showed me these things instead of letting me find them out on my own.