Happy Birthday, Daddy!

For those of you that have known me a while, you might know this guy as Mr. Kevin, Kev, or Mr. Doel (but he’d yell at you for that!).  For those of you I’ve met more recently, this is my dear, ole Dad- Kevin Doel.  His birthday is this weekend, so why not kick it off on Friday with a birthday shout-out.

In reflecting on my Daddy-o’s birthday, I’m amused at the place my thoughts go straight to.  My first instinct is to tell you all about my childhood memories with this guy.  While he’s certainly had a profound impact on my life as an adult, I really think the foundation is laid so early in life. 

Me and Dad on a chrorus trip circa 1997

Before I get into the details, I'll share a few highlights about this guy as he rounds the corner to age 56:

• He's an Ironman Triathlete. Just saying.
• He's a hard core cyclist- the guy finishes century rides before most of us have had our coffee.
• He's a proud father of three.
• He's a computer scientist... which makes him responsible for all technology questions by default.
• He's a former Toronto Blue Jay, by way of the AAA team in Dunedin, FL.
• He's an incredible chef, albeit an amateur with no formal training, this guy can crank out some incredible recipes.
• He can eat things spicier than I can even be in the room for. Example: he eats scotch bonnets like we eat grapes. H-O-T.

Mr. Kevin and the Doel Kids

More importantly, he's the guy that taught us that it was ok to be ourselves, it was ok to wear mix-matched outfits to school if we liked it, exercise was important and necessary, you didn't have to clean your plate but you sure had better get some veggies in that body, it's OK to debate and express differing opinions as long as you do it with respect, and so many more great gems of life. And- did I mention he's a creative nickname giver- Squeezer Dang, here.

Dad and Me in Eger, Hungary last summer

So with all of that said, here's to you Dad!  Happy Birthday!!!

1999

Love,

Squeezer

A girl and her grill... a love story.

We recently purchased a grill. A real, official, grown up, GAS GRILL!!!  Sadly, I think I was more excited about the grill than Mike was, but he was gracious enough to set me free at Lowe's in search of 'the one.'  With Mike's truck keys in hand and a taste for a grilled burger in mind, I was on a mission.

After a 30 minute Q & A session with Jim from Lowes, I was loaded up and on my way home with this new baby:

Ain't she a bute?  There are so many things to consider when making a purchase such as this.  I think gas is a given, or is it?  And- do you need the side burner, or does it take up space and get used rarely?  What's the difference between infared heatingand just regular gas burners?  Does it matter?

I was blown away by all of the options available for a novice griller. I mean, seriously- Lowe's even sells BBQ sauce and cook books in the grill section. I'm sorry, but I'll save my edible items for a store that remotely resembles a grocery. But, I did fall victim to the allure of the scrubby bruch/scratch pad thing and the matching set of tongs, prongs, and spatula. Mike made me return them for 'smaller' ones because we don't have Go-Go-Gadget arms, apparently.

Soooooo... with that said. I'm working on capturing some of my grilling masterpieces on digital film to share with you. Stay tuned for that.  I only wish I could share the wonderful smells of cooking hunks of meat and veg with you through this blog.  If any of you have a spare white grilling chef hat (You know, Like at Long Horn and Texas Road House) feel free to mail it to me at the beach  :)

Yours in grill marks,

Whitbo