Max's Miscellaneous Musings

This year, MaxBabe and I gave each other the gift of not having to buy each other any gifts.  Instead, I got her half a Weber BBQ and half an outdoor setting, and she got me the other halves of the BBQ and outdoor setting

It was news to me that Weber make anything apart from the kettle style BBQ.  To me, the two go hand-in-hand.  But it turns out that they make more traditional style BBQs as well as the kettle style.  We got ourselves a Weber Big Family Q300, and it is truly magnificent.  It was news to me that food cooked in a Weber is intended to be cooked with the lid down.  It really cuts down on the cooking time as well as maintaining the meat's tenderness.

MaxBabe is loving the BBQ.  She is the chef of the house, no doubt about it, and loves the idea of cooking many of our lunch/dinner meals on the Weber.  Once she discovered that the Weber can be used to cook pastry dishes, she declared to me that she would never use the oven again!

Just as well, because our oven chose yesterday to shit itself.  Even on the "super duper nuclear reaction hot" setting, it doesn't heat anything.  I think the element must be b0rked.  Anyway.. point being that the BBQ is multi-talented.

MaxBabe decided to roast a chicken in the BBQ.  She got the chicken from our local butcher.  The chicken was massive, not one of those namby-pamby things you find in Woolies.  So of course, the Weber guide to cooking times, being for a much smaller chicken, was of little use to her.  She spent much of the cooking time fretting that it wouldn't be just right.  At first, it wasn't quite right, being a little too pink for comfort, so back into the Weber it went.  About ten minutes later, we had the perfect roast chicken for dinner.  The skin was delightfully crispy, and the meat was juicy and tender, without being undercooked.  She also made roast veges and garlic bread in the BBQ.  Overall, dinner was a resounding success!

I spent yesterday morning on the bike.  The ride was just superb.  I went out early, so the streets were dead, plus the paths were pretty much empty as people were either sleeping in or spending time doing the xmas thing with their families.  The few pedestrians I encountered on the path were all nice, replying in kind to my "good morning" greetings.  Only one person mentioned Christmas in his greeting, which I found at once odd and welcoming.  I think I've reached xmas saturation.

Anyway, it was a very pleasant ride.  There is a section of the ride that is notorious for headwinds, and they did not disappoint.  Well, when I say they did not disappoint, I mean, they were there, in force.  Which is disappointing for me, but completely in line with what a headwind should be doing with its life.  So perhaps I should say that the headwinds met expectations!  Anyway, I pushed pretty hard through the headwinds and made it to Nudgee in near-PB time.  Very happy with that!  Turned around and pretty much noodled all the way home.  Despite stretching when I got home, I spent the rest of the day struggling to go up and down stairs.  Even walking was tough!  But I'm happy with the ride.

Speaking of rides, I can't recall if I've mentioned this or not, so I'll mention it at the risk of duplication.  At the start of 2009, I set myself the challenge of riding 2000Km in a year.  As of yesterday's ride, I have completed 3881.2Km.  Yes, that's nearly FOUR THOUSAND KILOMETRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My challenge now is to complete 120Km of riding before the year is out.  I'll do it, too, even if it kills me!!