Pecan Lodge is certain to give you the meat sweats

It was overcast, windy, and threatening rain when the soccer game finished, and we went in search of some 'cue. TheKiddo and I wondered aloud if the line at Pecan Lodge would already be out the door at 11:15. We had considered visiting many times, and hadn't yet because our Saturdays are typically packed with back-to-back activities which makes the usual line we've seen a concern about our schedule issue. 

After a bit of a discussion we decided we'd head that way to find out, and it really wasn't all that cold anyway.

We rolled slowly past on Main and were glad to see there was no outside line. As soon as we hopped out of the car, we were thrilled. The aroma of smoke smothered us from half a block away. 

"Good decision," said TheKiddo as she took my hand to cross the street. 

The line was to the door when we entered, and the folks behind us were the first ones out the door. So we'd arrived at an ideal moment. 

The line lasted about half an hour, which was plenty of time for us to watch people, scout out tables we hoped would be open, and decide on our lunch. We settled on splitting a three meat platter - brisket, ribs, and sausage - with a sides of mac & cheese, fried okra, and rolls.

The food was heaped onto the tray in a gloriously gluttonous display. We actually started giggling. Almost immediately, we shut up with reverence as we tucked into the divine.

The brisket was smoked-meat perfection. A crusty exterior, with plenty of spice that was wrapped around tender, moist, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. We originally thought we'd have some left over to save for later. The foolishness of that concept was quickly apparent.

We were cramming it into our faces with both hands along with huge scoops of the bacon mac & cheese. 

While barbecue joints aren't typically known for their sides, I'd be tempted to roll into Pecan Lodge just to snag some of this. We all know this isn't probable. I'm unable to enter such an establishment and leave without smoked meat. It just doesn't happen. 

Like the brisket and mac & cheese, the sausage was simply sublime, and we've vowed to try the jalapeno variety on our next visit. 

The only disappointment, and frankly it's a matter of context, was the ribs. They had wonderful flavor and a delightful crust similar to the brisket. They just didn't fall off the bone, and match the tenderness of the brisket.

After devouring everything we could manage, which was almost everything on our platter, we sat for a few moments sipping tea and telling jokes. 

After several minutes, TheKiddo looked at me and said, "Daddy. I've got the meat sweats." Then she pushed out her chair, stood up, and started for the door.

There isn't a stronger endorsement for barbecue than that. We'll be back, and we'll be back often.

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7 Business Lessons Learned From Tomatoes

Vegetable gardening feeds the mind, spirit, and body. Most people, however, only focus on the edible end results. I've enjoyed some success growing tomatoes. I'm defining success as the harvesting of far more tomatoes than I could either can or consume on my own.

While harvesting recently, I realized that tomatoes have reinforced some crucial business lessons.

1. Plant deep roots.
When planting a tomato seedling, you'll want to bury most of it in the soil so that it has plenty of space to form roots. This helps the plant grow due to the nutrients the roots absorb, and ensures that it doesn't topple easily in winds or under the strain of the fruit it produces.

Any job is the same. Though the roots will be an understanding of the corporate culture and history of the company you join; research into the products and processes of the organization; and a steep learning curve about how you fit into the organization as a whole.

Learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. 

2. Protect yourself from obvious issues
Cut worms are dangerous. They will kill healthy plants with ease. You probably won't see them until it's too late. So prepare for them when planting.

Dangers in business are usually easier to both see and avoid. Toxic co-workers of every variety - from the constantly lazy to the ruthlessly ambitious - wander around every company. You will have to work with them, but you don't have to be their friends or become embroiled in office politics in the process. 

3. Pay attention to early growth
Tomatoes need some babying early on. They require extra attention in order to mature properly. A job is the same. That steep learning curve must be climbed as quickly as possible for you to be effective at what you're doing. Besides, companies don't wait for employees to learn. They'll prune you out of the garden without hesitation. 

4. Feed and water regularly
Make it a habit. For a tomato it's all about water and sunlight. For you, it's all about knowledge and building your skills. The more you learn, the faster you'll grow. 

5. Train for the direction you want to grow
Tomatoes have a tendency to spread out in any direction. That's why they're put in cages. So they grow the proper way and don't take over a garden - or droop so low that the fruit is rotting on the ground.

Identify the skills you want - not just the ones you need to do your job effectively. Learn them. Practice them. It's how you'll thrive. 

6. Identify and eliminate pests immediately
Don't let pests feed on your plants. With tomatoes you can spot them easily. Some can be squashed between your fingers. Others, such as birds, can be avoided by simply picking the tomatoes before they're fully ripe (as long as they have the proper size and aren't green they will finish ripening on your kitchen counter).

In business, the pests will assume myriad forms. From the co-worker who wishes to wax poetic about his weekend fun or the colleague who wants to define every negative thing the company does, the pests will consume your most valuable assets - time and focus. Avoid them.

You don't have to be rude, simply let them know you have something urgent to handle. It's work, after all. 

7. Enjoy the process as much as the end result
Like the plants, you'll grow - wiser, smarter, more experienced - as you produce. Enjoy it every minute you're able. It will make the final product that much tastier. 

8. The season will end
Like tomatoes being planted to produce fruit, you were hired for a job. Do it. Do it to the best of your ability every day. One day, you'll be done. The project may be finished. The company may decide you're expendable. You may receive an offer to do a job elsewhere.

When the time comes, move on and plant yourself in the next job. 

J.Hilburn — Magazine

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Father's Day - I love the idea. I hate the name.

Every year, Father's Day rolls around and provides a day when we think about the men who helped give us life. We thank them. We honor them. We give them a tie or a beer, and some alone time with the TV or a grill.

Until TheKiddo™ arrived, I never thought much about the day beyond a card and a phone call. Now, each year when it returns, I realize how much I loathe the name of it. My loathing is based on the chasm that exists between being a father and being a dad.

Anyone with a pulse and a sperm count can be a father. They don't have to do anything other than provide half of the genetic coding.

You know the guys I mean. They were there for the conception, and mostly absent since. They were off doing their own thing, unconcerned about participating in and celebrating the life they had helped create. Your own father may have been one of them. 

Sure, they helped bring another human onto the planet. They didn't necessarily help make that human a good one, a kind one, a productive one, or someone you want to know. Not all fathers deserve thanks, and honor. Every dad does.

Dads are fully present. They do everything possible to help their kids—and all kids they encounter—be happy, and healthy, and productive.

They coach sports, including the ones they've never played. They chauffeur even if it's to 5 a.m. practices or games. They teach all they can about any possible topic, and learn just as much along the way. They help bandage scrapes and kiss bruises—even when the bruises are to egos. They make Jell-O at midnight for feverish kids with no appetite. They comfort during illness even if it means sleeping on a cot in a hospital room.

Dads watch. Dads guard. Dads protect.

Dads do all that, and expect nothing in return. Dads know full well that when the cameras are on, the kids will say, "Hi mom." It's okay. It's part of the job. There's no complaining. There are no hurt feelings. Dads do whatever it takes to raise happy kids, regardless of the accolades.

Dads are present, because that's what matters. And that's why Father's Day should be Dad's Day.

The act of becoming a father is brief. The art of being a dad takes a lifetime to learn, and it cannot be perfected.

Thank you to all the dads from whom I have learned. And thank you to all the dads from whom I will learn.

Enjoy this day. Tomorrow, it will be all about mom again.

May 18, 2014 - Sweet Potatoes

What began as a science experiment—causing shoots to grow from sweet potatoes suspended in water—has become the most recent addition to the garden.

Have tried several times over the past three years to grow sweet potatoes. Each attempt ended with very few actual tubers. Starting with the shoots cut from the potatoes suspended in water could yield better results. At the very least it won't yield worse ones.

Planted four varieties:

1. Japanese
2. Jubilee
3. Garnet
4. Something picked up at a grocery store—it was the start of the experiment

We'll see what happens.

May 4, 2014 - Tomatoes At 5 Weeks

Despite an early April chill, the tomatoes are starting to show impressive growth. Healthy doses of compost tea on a weekly basis have helped them survive the vagaries of Texas' springtime weather.

I spent part of today training them back into the cages, and it looks like next week will be the right time to pull off the plastic.

May 4, 2014 - Potato Boxes At 10 Weeks

Potatoes continue to grow well. I added more soil — I'm using mostly soil from the garden amended with compost — to the boxes this week, and next week, I'll need to build them higher.

It's possible that I'll add the final two layers of wood to the Purple Viking, and only one more layer to the Purple Fingerling.