Tennis and BBQ

We had a really nice couple of days last weekend, punctuated by fabulous weather. Granted, it was a little warm, but there was enough of a breeze to make it pleasant, especially after all those days of rain. On Saturday, N asked if we could play some tennis, so we headed over to the rec center and hit the ball around. I will say this, he’s become quite the good tennis player. Sure, he’s not ready for Wimbledon (we’ll wait until he’s nine), but last year he struggled to get the ball over the net, and this time, he was hitting it beautifully.

Not only that, but was hitting nice backhanders. He used to position himself so that he could always hit on his forehand, which as anyone who plays tennis knows is not ideal because it leaves you scrambling for position. Last weekend he was actually purposefully hitting backhands, and doing a great job. In fact, we were having some nice rallies, and played for awhile. At some point I was wondering if he was getting tired or bored, but he wanted to keep going. I was all for it. He did a great job, and I can see one day soon playing games with him.

After tennis, I broke out the lawnmower and took on the grass. With all the rain and then the sunny weather, the grass has been growing like crazy, and every week it needs a trim. I mowed about 80% of the lawn, which takes about 4 hours, including some pretty decent hills, all with a push mower. After all is said and done, however, it sure does look a lot nicer. You can’t beat the smell of fresh cut grass in the summer, or for that matter, the sound of a distant lawnmower.

For supper, we decided to barbecue and build a bonfire. Our fire pit is coming along nicely, I dug it out a bit so it is actually a pit, and we have some new devices for our BBQ. First off, we got a rack to cook fish. Barbecuing fish is a challenge because it gets flaky and falls apart on the grill. This rack encloses the fish and allows you to flip it without disturbing the fish. It’s amazing. We marinated catfish in chimichurri, grilled some filets, as well as some asparagus. We also had corn on the cob.

The fish cooked beautifully, though I might consider a different marinade. It’s nice, though, when the fish gets crispy from the grill. The filets were from Cloudland, and I have to confess, their beef has a strong beef flavor, almost gamey, as the saying goes. I’m much more aware of it because we don’t eat much meat, and I have to confess, I’m not so into it. Real beef lovers can appreciate it.

We also tried out our charcoal starter, which is supposed to eliminate the need for lighter fluid. Our kid’s dentist, SB, even scolded me for using lighter fluid, he kept telling me to get a charcoal starter. He and I always talk about cooking, he’s a gourmand, though I think people might think we’re sissies because of it. Can’t say I blame them.

Either way, the charcoal starter worked beautifully. We just stuffed some newspaper in the bottom, put coals on top, and let it go. It worked way better than lighter fluid, and faster. The coals really got fired up, and they were hot from the get go. When I use fluid, the coals seem to take forever to get really hot. I love this thing.

After supper, we hung out by the fire pit and the kids roasted marshmallows while I suffered from back pain. I hate being such an invalid, but does it ever hurt.

Then again, I should stop being such a sissy. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to hsarik and mawie for the pics.