Today's the Day!

So I guess I'm going to start blogging. I guess this is a good bit like thinking aloud but with the written word. My plan is to throw out some of my day to day stuff to encourage and discourage people from thinking...hey I can fry a mean chicken so I think I should open a restaurant.
My dad started working on his barbeque techniques in about 1987 or so. I can remember eating some crappy pork. He started out with an old propane tank that someone with a blow torch turned into a smoker. We started competing in 1989. Our first contest was in Cleveland, MS at Octoberfest. This weekend is our 18th Octoberfest competition. Our team has changed over the years. We've gone from a fabulous party team to a bunch of old folks who bring their kids and turn in early.
I can remember one Octoberfest while I was at Delta State. (Maybe it's bits of all 4 years and I don't really remember an entire one at all.) My roommate and I took my cousin and our friend Paul out to the college bars after a long afternoon of drinking. I found out that it's not good to take a couple of older brother types out to places where your college friends are mackin'. I should have known it wasn't a good idea when they locked some dude in a port-o-john because he was being obnoxious. One contest since I've been married I shot tequilla with Linda Hitt and my mom and well if you were there remind me. I spent the entire next day of competition sitting under a tree with a wicked hangover. I think Linda judged us the next day and still calls out for the 'Bad Roark' to come play.
We've had fun. About 4 years ago my dad was downsized from Mississippi Chemical. He started working on the restaurant then. About 3 years ago I agreed to join his maddness and enter into the restaurant business. Some days I can capture the absolute fun that we have going to competition. Some days I can see that it's possible to continue wishing and hoping and working. Some days feel like 4:30 at a contest when you're trying to pack up, repack, clean up and know you didn't make it to the finals.
How about a little recipe I tried this week. It's weird, but it is yummy. We couldn't decide between BBQ meatballs and spaghetti. This was our compromise:

BBQ Spaghetti
Meatballs
1lb ground beef, 1 small onion, 1 egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs mixed together. Roll into 2 inch balls and brown.
Sauce
3 cups your favorite BBQ sauce (as long as it's Ubon's!), 2 cups bottled marinara sauce, 1/2 caramelized onion
Pasta
I prepared 1 box angelhair

After meatballs are browned, add them into the bubbling sauce. Let them simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove meatballs and toss sauce with pasta. Arrange 2-5 meatballs on top of pasta for serving.

My 4 year old loved this.