Kevin is in for a tough summer. It’s his own fault, really.
Yesterday, the sun came out. Now in Portland, this means you rush into the attic to dig out your shorts and sandals hoping that by the time you unpack and change, the clouds won’t have rolled in yet. So while I was frantically digging through my sweaters looking for my tube top, Kevin was outside cleaning the Barbe.
Yup, that’s right. Sun = summer = BBQ. Even though it is just the beginning of spring, the temperature did reach a balmy 58 degrees which is close enough for Kevin. He whipped together that old charcoal grill which had sat dormant all winter. Piled on the coals and a generous helping of lighter fluid, and made fire. (He also asked me why he can’t use lighter fluid in the fireplace. Sigh.)
I believe at this point I had changed into summer gear and located a pair of sandals only to be horrified at the pale and icky color of my toes. This called for drastic measures so I began an emergency application of nail polish.
Meanwhile, Kevin prepared the first marinade of the season. This is a very important action as it will define the rest of the grilling season. After going all winter long, I figured Kevin might be a bit rusty on the exact proportions of his secret sauce but I was too busy applying my second coat of polish to really watch what he was doing. After letting the coals heat for 20 minutes or so, he headed outside with the pork chops and the fate of the summer resting on his shoulders.
Sure, it smelled good cooking but BBQ always smells good. Artie planted himself right next to that BBQ and just drooled and drooled and drooled. That was a good sign. Twenty minutes and a few turns later, Kevin emerged from the smoke with a plate of smoldering chops.
We tasted.... and they were delicious. Absolutely scrumptious. OK, maybe we had just missed the taste of BBQ. Maybe we were especially hungry after working all day long in the yard. Maybe the direct sunshine activated some long dormant taste glands. All I know is that was the best BBQ I had eaten in ages.
After stuffing our faces (and Artie’s), we rolled away from the table and groaned around our puffed bellies. Although it was delicious, Kevin knew he was in trouble. That first BBQ set the bar and it set it high. Now, for the rest of the summer, he was going to have to match that showing. I don’t know how he’s going to do it, but I’m going to stand by him.
On a side note, I did manage to enjoy the sunshine. Fully prepped, I sat on the deck, shivering, but refusing to go inside and put more cloths on. Besides, it was like 60 in the direct sun. And that’s practically tropical. I’m surprised I didn’t burn.