Happy Birthday America!

King Automotive

For any automotive doohickey or Thing...
make sure you only get it from King...

Tin Man from the mountains

This is a tin man I met on the way into the mountains. He didn't mention anything about trolls or gremlins ahead...

Queens Parking

Queens parking is out back...this us where the Fun People Shop!

Appalachian Trail

This was out in the western part of the state and up into Tennesee. While driving on the way back we saw a sign that said "trail" and so we hit the brakes. If I had continued to follow Guinan on this trail, we would have ended up into Maine and we could also head south from here, down into Georgia. Now that is a long walk!

Liberated Gardenia

I liberated this gardenia from the other house last year. It was almost dead and only 1 real branch, and now I think she likes the sun.

Real Reel

Saturday Matinee time!

1932 Roadside Diner

This is along US-70, somewhere between Durham and Statesville. As always click image for a bigger version and to see the inset of the interior.

Grilled Apples

Today is my first time grilling steaks on the new charcoal grill. I'm going to have some yellow squash from the garden plus tomatoes from the farmers market. I looked around the kitchen to see what could grill with the steaks and I spotted the fruit dish. What follows is how I fixed some granny smith apples using the grill. I'm writing this as I invent this dish, good or bad :)


Ingredients:
- Granny smith apples
- citric wash (1 tbsp of lemon, lime, etc juice in water)
- Oil, corn or other vegetable
- Honey or sugar
- Salt
- Pinch of cinnamon

Peel and core, slice into rings and put the apples into the citric wash. Why the citric wash? The acid in the juice will keep the apples from turning an ugly brown. Just a teaspoon to a couple cups water will leave no taste in the apples, adjust up for more lemon or lime flavor. Tip: Peel the apple, dunk in wash, core, dunk, slice, dunk. Apples: You should try granny smiths, because they will hold together under handling.

Marinate in oil and honey or sugar. So here is my logic for the oil, probably false. It will allow the apples to come to a very high temperature without burning too fast. And the honey will carmeliz along with some apple. I love carmelization, the browning of sugar with high heat, its like the absolute best sweet flavor in the world when you do it on the grill. In hindsight next time I'm going to marinate longer in the wash and skip or seriously reduce the oil.


Sprinkle a bit of salt on the apples and Grill. 2-4 minutes per side but make sure a good sear happens in the first side.

I ate about half the dish, then thought I'd try some cinnamon. Both ways were good.


PS: Carol gave me the idea to blog this after posting her recipe. Sans green peppers :)

Killians of Conover

Pictured is the business of Killians. Way back when, there was a hardware store next door, and that eventually turned into...something, tire dealer I think. Supposedly one brother or another got it, and the other got this place. And even if I am on a first name basis with the Craters of Conover, I still don't know.

Anyway, it makes for an interesting picture to me. Dad refuses to do any business whatsoever with the Killians. He says they lied to him and he won't even stop to take a closer look at the plane up top or the train engine. I seem to remember this, vaguely...

I'm a Pepper Shirt

Okay, is this shirt a shade of red, or is it pink? What do you think?



Here it is closer. I wore this shirt to my sisters husbands memorial weekend cookout. I like the shirt, it has a message that comes across loud and clear. Don'cha think?

Mountains

Here is a collection of pictures from my excursion into the mountains.

A pleasant looking valley...


Started with the first trail that I followed into the mountain forest...

Mountain Stream...

Dark Skies...

And even darker skies...

This is why they are called the Smokies....it looks like smoke billowing out from the trees


Townies...

I was told the rhododendrums were in bloom...

Memorial Cookout

It was Memorial Day, the beginning of summer, and the start of many cookouts. Rick has a cookout each year, and it looks like it just keeps getting bigger. I've posted pictures from the day complete with horseshoes and kids, dog and food over at flickr. It was a nice relaxing day, just what I needed to get away from it all for awhile.


I don't have a picture of me in any of them, that being the curse of the photographer. I was wearing a Dr. Pepper shirt that said in big ol' letters across my chest "I'm A Pepper." Now I thought the shirt was red, but mom tells me it was pink. She gets confused about things sometimes, and I aint so great with colors, so who knows? And anyway I've come to decide that I like or don't like a color based on what I see, not by the name it goes by.

The real eventfor me was finally meeting my brothers son. He is only 4 years old and already I can see a kindred spirit. I think I just might watch out for that boy, make sure he grows up to all he can be.



Just before the food was served, the girls joined in the Space Room to chat...



That was the start to me memorial day weekend. There's lots more that happened, such as being enroute into Maine, and the tin mans brother from Oz. Just keep watching here for the next few weeks.

Red Roof Inns

Kinda like them, but the rooms could do with a bit more of the indirect lights. But that might be from the handicap rooms I get, with their bigger bathrooms I can use for the puppy. They really could use a lamp with a shade next to the bed, though. Even handicapped people like lamps.

This one here in Johnson City is the third Red Roof Inn I've stayed in the past year. Twice now at the Hickory one, and a really crappy one in Roanoke.

14th NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Announcing the 14th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, presented for you by the Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham, NC, August 13-16, 2009.

Every year the film festival brings to the Southeast's premiere festival the best, brightest, most diverse and truly entertaining films devoted to the LGBTIQQA community. Every year the festival continues to break records in attracting the best films, and ever increasing numbers of audience attendance.

Visit the Carolina Theatre festivals web site to explore the titles for this year Best Ever Film Festival at http://festivals. carolinatheatre. org/ncglff/ today!

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Okay, so this is not official anything. Some of the films I've screened so far are good, but theres no telling what will actually show. Fairly certain to get a showing is Make The Yuletide Gay with local fave Rob Williams directing. Then we get together tomorrow night to discuss what we'd like to keep and what to jetison, and I personally have enjoyed watching the shorts Thirteen or so Minutes; The Golden Pin; and Babysitting Andy. The only feature I like of those I've seen (still many to go, tho) is The New Twenty.