Re: Happy 4th Of July


"mlbriggs" <mlbriggs@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:pan.2007.07.05.23.53.34.758950@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:15:11 -0400, Matthew wrote:


"mlbriggs" <mlbriggs@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:pan.2007.07.05.00.04.24.312387@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:58:05 -0400, Matthew wrote:


"jofirey" <jofirey@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Mishi" <pstott@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 13:01:10 -0700, "jofirey" <jofirey@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <evgmsop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
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Matthew wrote:

Happy fourth of July to all those who celebrate it

Enjoy the BBQ and the fireworks

Have a safe and fun 4th

Remember protect the furballs tonight

I think fireworks here are pretty well confined to specific,
licensed displays (and the rules are being strictly enforced).
Campfires are verbotten, too, and off-duty firemen remain on call.
With humidity in the
single digits, and an expected high temperature of 116 F today,
wildfires
are a distinct possibility, and they are taking no chances! (If
fires happen, they won't be any that could have been prevented.)

Our local track record for the license fireworks is so dismal I don't
think
we even get them this year. The crowds and traffic are unmanageable
and we've had a couple of severe injuries.

I'll be glad when its over for this year. I love fireworks, but it
is just
so hot and so dry and there are so many idiots when it comes to
playing with
them. (A few of whom I'm related to)

I'm very glad we no longer have a wooden shake roof.

Jo



Hi Jo,

My home town and a few around there send their fireworks out from a
dock or parking lot, so they go out over the lakes/rivers nearby. I
used to go to Morristown, NY across from Prescott, PQ, Canada - they
set theirs off over the St. Lawrence River. It was neat watching the
huge ships going up river. If there happened to be one on this
stretch of river when the fireworks went up, they would sound their
horns.

Our cats do not like fireworks. We have a field day here in town, and
they set them off less than 1000 feet away. Pretty to watch, but
every cat in the house needs a bottle of rescue remedy - that is,
after they come out from under our bed.

Mishi

I grew up in Washington DC, so I have excessive expectations as to
fireworks. But at the same time I shudder at all the money that will
literally go up in smoke tonight.

Our local fireworks display has been financed for many years my the
local newspaper. Professional pyrotechnicians and sent up over a lake
from a tiny island in the lake. But they still managed to send one
into the crowd resulting in an amputation for a child. That was the
second injury in the last few years.

I just seems to me that the holiday has been reduced to a bunch of
people getting drunk in public, eating take out fried chicken and
behaving like fools. But I'm an old grouch and I'm quite sure
children are having as much fun as I used to.

Jo

Dang Jo If I knew you were being a grouch ;-) I would have told you
to
come over and help me out at my BBQ blow out. I have been busy all day
cooking and preparing for the store employees there will be about 100
or more here in an hour. We are doing fried chicken but it has been
soaked in butter milk and honey for over 12 hours and the crust has
paprika, oregano, with some other secret herbs. that is one of the
item. I took a break and let the helpers finish the small work I have
been working the last 3 days for this. Fireworks will be shot off I
got permit and a firefighter going to be here so it will be legal. We
are using the neighbors field it has been raining for the last 3 days
so the ground is soaked. I am telling every one tonight that I am
retiring those who don't make it will know at the meeting on Sunday.

Items on the list

Flank steak stuffed with fresh mozzarella and mushrooms oysters, clams,
mussels all soaked in a chardonnay brine Blue crabs caught this
morning turkey legs injected with a honey base broth chicken wings
soaked in buttermilk covered in a honey BBQ sauce with smoke chipotle
chopped fresh
stuffed portabella mushrooms with blue crab meat jerked pork skewer's
with
various vegetables roasted vegetables and corn on the cob BBQ ribs with
Italian seasoning and my secret sauce Coleslaw, macaroni salad, red
potatoes salad Mash potatoes mixed with baby spinach and roasted garlic
Country fried lamb skewers ( something I saw on food network) Stuffed
pork
chops with cornbread with dried apricot stuffed artichokes with cheese
and
shrimp and of course hotdogs, ground chuck burgers and other various
necessary BBQ items

Well cooled off enough talk to everyone later back to cooking the
guest are starting to arrive


What a feast! How many helpers do you have to prepare all of that for
100 hpeople? Purrs for a sane and happy celebration. MLB

Thanks

I made all of that myself. The helpers 4 of them made sure when I put
things on the grill or in the oven that when the timer went off they took
it out and move it to the warming dishes. They did all the moving and
setting up of the items. That is where I have been for the last couple
days. I was in my glory I loved it but glad it only happens once a
year.
I am a tired old man

I played dinner impossible last night I had all the employees and their
families show up plus neighbor and friends. I had at least 200 plus
last
night but it all went off with now problems

Right after I took my break, a friend showed up with his pull behind
truck
BBQ trailer. He brought a wild hog and deer that he had cooked up to the
party plus almost everyone brought a covered dish or something. There
is
so much food left over everyone left with a huge doggie bag and my
refrigerator is stuffed

We got to watch over an hour of fireworks last night where I live in
Florida there are 2 close cities and the county. They shot off their
fireworks one right after another you could see them great from the
field
we were setup in. The rain stopped before. I had bought several
displays
such as these
http://www.fireworks.com/fireworks_gallery/search.asp?page=3&keywords=&pcode=&cat=3;Assortments&color=&sound=&effect=&price=300&x=20&y=12
Plus many of the guest brought there own so we had our own huge display.

There furballs came out about 3 am about 2 hours after the party. I
had
kept them locked in their room last night to prevent any oops I let the
cat out. I had the house except for the kitchen blocked off. I brought
in port potties for the bathrooms. Sorry I still don't trust everyone
too
many strangers were going to be here last night.

Off course they were very skittish but I made it up to them by giving
them their own plate of venison; which was gone and the headbutts and the
meowing came next saying we forgive you but more daddy and NOW!!


I had a great time last night. All my employees showed up and I told
them that I was retiring. Most of course are worried about their jobs
but I told them the contract I have is that all full time employees;
unless they done something stupid, for the next year are guaranteed their
job position and hours at the store. I apologized to the part time
employees and told them that the company will review their jackets and
make their decision to keep them or not but they have to make some room
bring their own employees in.
All senior employees that have a 401k it will be turned solely over
to
their name so they can do with it what they want. I have a couple of
employees that have a pension I told them it will be cashed out and given
to them before the turn over. I told anyone who wants to leave will make
get a small severance pay according to their time in to the job. Their
insurance plans are good till next May but I don't know if the company
will continue it that was not my call. They would get 2 weeks paid
vacation will the store went under renovations when the company is taken
over. I feel bad for the part timers but I had to do what was best for
all not just the few

A few asked me were the ex was when I informed them what happened their
comments was about time I smartened up. I told them thanks but how come
they did not tell me earlier it would have saved a lot of hassle ;-) I
was waiting for her to show up last night and try and ruin everything but
nope she never showed and my night went of fine. . So I am worn out and
going to take a nap before I finish the dishes.




All in all it sounds like a wonderful party. The port-a-potties was a
wise touch. Not a good idea to let partyers wander through you house.
My only suggested would have been to hire a couple of people to help with
the clean-up, especially to wash dishes.

Are you able to freeze some of the best left-overs? MLB

Oh yeah I got enough hog and venison till next season. And the rest
what was left is in the freezer such as the flank steaks, pork chops, turkey
legs. I made enough for everyone to have at least one. The seafood;what
little was left, gets thrown out don't want to freeze that not worth the
smell or worry along with the vegetables. I can get Florida Rock shrimp and
Florida blue crab all year long here.

The chicken wings, hot dogs and hamburgers were the bulk of the
leftovers. Everyone devoured the country friend lamb skewers and my BBQ
ribs with my Italian seasoning secret recipe. I guess they like my gourmet
cooking better then the regular stuff.

The employees cleaned up before they left last night and the bigger part
of the dishes were taken back to work by the employees this morning to clean
up. I borrowed a lot from the deli department at the stores. All I had was
my stuff which the dishwasher did the bulk of the work. I paid the lawn
guys extra today to pick up any trash and gave them each a plate of hot
food. Ever seen how fast a teenagers works when the smell gourmet food
cooking on the grill and it is for them but they need to finish before they
can eat. Maybe I ought to tell the schools that secret :^). Their dad was
laughing his *** off when he got done before them and set down to eat. The
look his kids gave him it was priceless. I thought I was going to pass out
from laughing so hard.

I am bringing some back on Sunday morning when we have our store
meeting. I can see my employees all moving slow that day and blaming the
boss for getting them stuffed and having to work. Life is good being the
boss


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