Laboring Over The Saturday Menu

Tomorrow is one of the most - probably the most - important football days of the whole year for me.... the legendary Florida v Florida State Rivalry game.

In years gone by (1996, for example), this game had National Title implications.  This year, its really nothing more than the Sunshine State Civil War.  And its intense, folks.  Husbands and wives go days without talking to one another - no kidding.

And on odd number years, its hosted by the Gators at "The Swamp" in Gainesville.  Gainesville and the entire University of Florida I personally hold in contempt.  I'll leave some of the personal reasons for another discussion, but suffice it to say its going to be a rough day this Saturday for Central Florida Law Enforcement.  All the trailer parks around Gainesville - and there are many - will be emptied out, its residents at the game supporting UF.  Cat burglars throughout the region know they have easy pickins of any trailer park that day (provided they can get past the Rottweilers tied up in the carport).  Therefore, local cops have to have one eye on the manufactured communites and one eye on the game.  Its a tough gig to be a Gainesville Cop (or Alachua County Deputy Sheriff if said manufactured home Gator Community is off a dirt road).  Parole and Probation officers, however, have an easy excuse for taking the day off and watching the game.  They can simply tell their superiors that Cletus and Bunny were at the game, and unless they were going to stand outside the restrooms at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with a plastic cup, there aint gonna be no urine sample on Saturday.

At any rate, it'll be the first day of the Thanksgiving weekend where I can actually grill something (tonight I'm being drug kicking and scratching to an Indian Restaurant by my wife and her friends.  I'd rather be hanging out at Sunny Acres with Cletus and Bunny and working the rabbit ears on the TV).

So.... what to make?  I'm half tempted to fix a carnivore's delight... you know, a mess of ribs, wings, meatballs... the best finger foods, something fun.  Keep you posted.

Jeff H.