SURPRISE!

The Jags lost, but that's no surprise. However, the Bonnaroo 2013 dates have been a released, and that is. Here's Carrie, the dancing dog, with the big reveal.

Root Beer Pulled Pork

It was a busy weekend. My mom drove up from Tampa for a visit, and to witness the Jags get destroyed. I also had to conduct a lifeguard training at work, which was a success, but I forgot to post for Food Friday. So, here is what you missed. This recipe is for root beer pulled pork sandwiches. These sandwiches are great for tailgating! You will need a slow cooker and these ingredients:

• 3 pounds of pork roast
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cup of Maggi: Sweet Chili Sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 packs of King's Hawaiian sandwich buns 
• 5 cups of your favorite root beer

Start by trimming the fat off the roast. Once the fat is trimmed, sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on all sides of the pork. 

In a sauté pan, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn to medium heat. Add the pork, and brown all sides.

In your slow cooker, add 2 cups of root beer, 1 cup of diced sweet onion, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, and the pork. Let the pork cook for nine hours on low.

To make the sauce, add 3 cups of root beer and 1 cup of chili sauce to a medium sized pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, lower the temperature, and simmer for one hour. Occasionally stir.

After one hour, remove the pan from heat, and set aside to cool down. Put the pan in a fridge once it has cooled.

After nine hours of cooking, remove the pork, and add into the sauce pan. Pull the pork apart with two forks. 

With a slotted spoon, scoop all the onions from the bottom of your slow cooker, and add to the pan. Mix the onions, sauce and pork until its evenly distributed. 

Finished! Now your're ready for some football.

Thinkin' Thursday: Terraforming Mars

Lifeguarding at a pool gives you a lot of time to think, and at five in the morning I tend to have VERY random thoughts. Luckily, I work with some of my best friends who actually encourage my pondering adventures. Let's take Tuesday morning for example. It's dark outside. You can see the stars perfectly. So what do I start thinking about? Outer space of course! I begin a conversation with a fellow guard that somehow leads to terraforming Mars.

I decided to do a little research when I arrived home. I discovered the terraforming of Mars is actually a hot subject. Type terraforming into a Google search, and "terraforming Mars" is the second keyword that appears. Who knew? So, according to Dictionary.com, terraforming means to "alter the environment of a celestial body in order to make capable of supporting terrestrial life forms." This process would take centuries to complete

The latest Mars rover is on a mission to discover if humanity can terraform Mars. There's certain requirements that need to be met to achieve this goal. According to io9.com, we must overcome the following challenges:

                                          1. The surface temperature must be raised

                                          2. The atmospheric pressure must be increased

                                          3. The chemical composition of the atmosphere must be changed

                                          4. The surface must be made wet

                                          5. The surface flux of UV radiation must be reduced

There's many theories and strategies on how these challenges will be realized. To read more on this interesting random thought visit http://bitsylink.com/?AYMVR. Here's a video of theoretical theorists, Michio Kaku, discussing the terraforming of Mars.

Jacksonville Events with Art and Punk

Other than the Jags game, which I'm going to, there's some interesting events occurring this week around the Jacksonville area. The Riverside Arts Market is taking place this Saturday from 10:00a to 4:00p. I've never attended the market, but from my understanding, it's good entertainment and even better people watching. You'll find little boutiques selling art, instruments, home decor, organic food and much more. There will be street performers and LOTS of hippies. It's definitely worth a check.

Another event taking place this weekend is the Amelia Island Blues Festival in Fernandina Beach. I'm a huge blues fan, and this festival looks really fun. The event will kick off at 5:00p on Friday, and will last all weekend. According to The Florida Times-Union, there will be "more than 10 performances including Beech Street Blues Band, The Nouveau Honkies & David Gerald Band." You can buy a three day pass to the event for $40 in advance.

One event I'll be missing, unfortunately. Guttermouth, an early '90s punk band, will be playing Jack Rabbits this upcoming Monday on September 17. This band reminds me of high school, skateboarding, inside anarchy jokes and mosh pits. I still blast them in my car on a regular basis. If you ever grew up with a little rebellious nature, or still feel like a punk, then it's definitely worth a check. Tickets are only $13 dollars. The venue is small, VERY local, but has a homely vibe to it. Enjoy this video!

Nexstar Interview

I had an interview today with Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. The interview went as smooth as butter. I should be receiving a call next week to come back and meet the director. Hopefully I'm offered a job. Here's a photo of professional me. 

Hurricane Leslie

This last week was tubular for sure! Jacksonville Beach was hit with head high swell thanks to sweet Leslie. Her gracious gift let me surf for three days straight, and it was a blast. I definitely caught some of the best waves I've had all summer. Tasty nugs! Leslie was such a blessing, it even caught the attention of Transworld Surf. Zander Morton claimed Leslie provided "a never ending buffet of barrels" fot the East coast. I now have an ear infection from being in the water so much, but it was well worth it.  Here are some pictures provided by Void Magazine.

I think a Jags win would have been the only thing that could have made last week flawless. My blood pressure was way too high watching them play the Vikings. The Jags played decent. I was actually impressed with quarterback, Blaine Gabbert. I just wish the receivers were more on point. Redemption is this Sunday in Jacksonville against the Texans. I'm going to the game, so the Jags better not disappoint. If I'm "all in," then they should be too!

Structure

It's been a crazy few weeks. On August 3rd, 2012, I graduated from the University of North Florida. Swoop! I moved into a new apartment as well, which I've been enjoying thoroughly. Living by myself has been sweet bliss, but I hate to say I've put responsibility on the back-burner. After ending five years of college it's easy to lose track of what's important. My blog has clearly been neglected, so I've decided to add a little structure! Every weekday I will post on specific topics. So, here is the weekly schedule:

Media Monday: Movie quotes, media and music!

Tubular Tuesday: Sports, outdoor activities, and all things tubular.

Wicked Wednesday: Jacksonville events that are worth attending.

Thinkin' Thursday: Most likely random thoughts. Might be scary.

Food Friday: Food, food and more food.

Surprise Saturday and Sunday: It's a surprise! I can't ruin it.


Might as well catch up on lost time. Let's dive into Media Monday with a movie quote. How about a little inspiration from my favorite green Jedi. Master Yoda once said, "Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." This quote can't be more relative for me. I'm at the stage of my life where there is no more trying, just doing.

I thought it would be interesting to highlight social media and how it affects politics. I believe the upcoming election will be greatly determined by social media. Charlie Warzel, writer for AdWeek would agree. According to Warzel, journalists are using Twitter, now more than ever, to follow the political spectrum. Warzel writes, "newsrooms across the country have bent to the social network's will." You can read more about social media and politics at http://bitsylink.com/?CTXII.

I leave you with this live video of Sleigh Bells from The Terminal. They rock, and Alexis Krauss is smoking. Enjoy!