Summer is moving along and gaining momentum. I often gauge the progress of this season by my garden, which currently seems to be in a holding pattern. My attempts at drawing Humming Birds has been largely unsuccessful. Nonetheless, things look pretty good out there - although last year at this time, I actually had Sunflowers in bloom. Once again, I'm reminded of how gardening is among other things, an exercise in things like acceptance and patience.
I haven't started riding yet this season - I know, what am I waiting for? I've been doing a lot of other things and basically dragging ass on getting out there. This year I'm a bit obsessed with my outdoor space and making it look better. Plants, patio lights, new grill - all of this seems to work because in these uncertain times, going out a lot isn't something I really want to do. My work is out, and now more than ever, I kind of want a break from being out.
My line of work is severely altered these days - and it may well stay that way forever. Do I like it? No - because in a line of work that I once fought to get out of and stay out of, I've come to love it more and I've come to love great food and drink more, and get excited about both of those things. All of that carries into my home life. I don't want to get political, but it's impossible for me to have any confidence in this administration - and promoting the opinion of a washed up game show host over that of our nation's leading infectious disease expert is troubling. However this virus got here, denying that it is once again gaining serious momentum and putting down medical experts that have advised on it is dangerous. Nothing like this should be politicized, yet it has been and it continues to be.
It's hard to hear someone say that anyone like me is living the high life. I'd never been on unemployment as long as I was. I didn't like the shut down, and with how severely my industry has been affected, being back at work is just as stressful as the day I learned we were shutting down. No matter which side of the fence you're on, there hasn't been consistent actions in how we're dealing with this collectively - statewide or across the country. No, I don't want the entire country to shut down again - I want us all to be safe. I don't want to be one of the asymptomatic carriers and pass something on to someone who might get sick, or even die.
I could go on about my thoughts on all of this, but I won't. I've heard some very disturbing remarks made that are both insensitive and completely callous regarding human lives and I've heard people outright say that lives of people in certain age groups are about to end anyway, so why is anyone worried? Am I worried? Absolutely. I happen to love my work for numerous reasons.
I have to focus on the moment, do what I can to keep myself healthy, and take moments for what they are. Pandemic or not, we live lives in moments that are never guaranteed. So I do what I can. Focus on things I like and can actually do something about: Working out, learning to cook new foods in better ways, photography, writing, bicycling, nature.
I've kind of always loved pictures of food - and I've taken quite a bit of criticism for my love of photographing - hell, I'll even post pics of the same recipe that I'm making for the umpteenth time in the hopes of making it look better. I love pictures of good food that make me think things like 'I want to make that - I want to eat that, damn that looks amazing...can I do that?. I take quite a bit of shit for posting some of these pictures too, fine - it's easy enough to turn my give-a-shitter off when people who bitch about 'em are either sharing drunken stories (which can be fun from time to time) or something every bit as self indulgent as food I make. People say things like close the grill cover! - guess what? Seeing food on the grill is a wonderful memory, and sometimes one that I like capturing in a picture. I have fond childhood memories of my grandfather standing at the grill making his BBQ chicken. I still haven't mastered it - I've finally realized that he stood there the entire time, patiently turning the meat, and if that chicken ever came out less than perfectly cooked - with the sauce that he made from scratch, I never knew about it. So for anyone who hates me posting a picture of food with my grill lid up, deal with it or find something else to look at. It ain't that hard to do.
So yeah, I'll take pictures of food on the grill - before I close the cover, midway through the cooking process, right up to plating it. A few years back at work, Mytro was doing these Chill On The Grill nights - parking across the street, I could smell how good that food was and it only got better as I walked across the street to work. How does one not get excited about food when you have that kind of experience? I'll take the whole grilling experience, the sight of the food on the grill, the smell of the grill as it nears being ready for the food to go on, and once you start to see and smell what's in store. If anyone in Cleveland knows of a place that has that kind of grilling out experience that's anywhere as good as what Mytro was doing a few Summers back, hit me up - because I wanna go & try it. These days the experience is closer - he does the smoking right out back.
So I pull into a parking space, open my car door and the smell hits me instantly. It's one of my favorite things about Summer. This week it was smoked chicken, last week brisket, the week before that it was ribs. Can't even tell you how good it smelled out that back door. Makes me wish I didn't have to work so I could come in and eat. And it makes me want to up my own grilling game at home. Serious work to do there. Summer - 1,000 Words of Summer, to be exact. I'm actually a little over today. Time to get a move on, lots to do before work tonight. Peace, good people - stay safe, wear a mask.
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