Seafood Platter
One of the many things that separates humans from the rest of the animals on this planet is the ability to create on demand and use fire at will. Without that one basic, yet fundamental ability, life on earth would be sorely different than it is today. Virtually everything that we create, use or develop depends upon using that skill. Sure, we could have continued on with stone tools to work with wood and other soft materials, but the abilty to create metals from ore is what really started humankind onto the path of technology that we now depend upon for nearly every aspect of our lives. We have been using fire in all sorts of primitive ways for eons now and you would think that fire safety would by now be inborn and bred into our psyche and that you should naturally have a basic understanding of how it works. In other words, the shit hurts like a bitch when you touch it, no? Yes!!
We went out to dinner last night at Middendorf's on Lake Maurepas just northwest of New Orleans for some of the best seafood around. The fried catfish is their specialty and they can cook it like nobody's business. People come from all over just to eat there, it's always a good experience and the place is out in the middle of the swamps on the edge of the lake. The occasion was my dad's birthday and my mom brought along a beautiful cake to slice up after the meal. My sister was in from Dallas and my brother, his wife and two teenage sons were also there to join in on the mini celebration. After everyone was suitably stuffed with a wide variety of seafoods it was time to cut the cake. I watched as my mom took out 3 candles and stuck them in the top of the cake and attempted to light them using my lighter. She ended up burning herself because she angled the lighter downward with her finger above the fire rather than below. I could see instantly that the way she was holding would lead to disaster but I was too late to stop it! She burned her finger! I dutifully pointed out the correct way to hold the lighter, the candles got lit and the wish was made as we sung happy birthday.
Witnessing my mom burn herself immediately reminded me of an incident that I was a part of years ago on a construction site. One of my crew members had burned his hand badly with a welding torch and had to be sent to the doctor for care. He had some lame ass, mumbo jumbo excuse for burning himself, something about his hand slipping or something and it really made no sense to me. But, as the supervisor on the job I had to fill out an accident report describing what had happened, etc. One of the questions on the form was "What was done to insure that this type of accident never occurs again?" I filled in "Instructed employees not to aim welding torches at their hands." Which, even as smart alecky as I was being was the absolute truth, I told them not to aim the torches at their hands! You would think that this would be an unnecessary warning, wouldn't you? Apparently not, maybe we really aren't as smart as we think we are, hehe.
Before turning in the report I had to have the man read and sign it. When he saw what I had written he yelled out "This make me look stupid!" I just laughed and said yes it does, funny huh? And then I turned it in. I think he was pissed at me for quite a while, hehe.
Oh yeah, I ordered the seafood platter for dinner, damn, that sucker was piled high with shrimp and oysters and a huge stuffed crab and lots and lots of fried catfish and fries and holy shit, that fucker was good!! Yummy, but I couldn't eat it all!! But don't worry, I brought the leftovers home for lunch today. I think I'll use the microwave to reheat it though, them fires can sure be tricky!!!
We went out to dinner last night at Middendorf's on Lake Maurepas just northwest of New Orleans for some of the best seafood around. The fried catfish is their specialty and they can cook it like nobody's business. People come from all over just to eat there, it's always a good experience and the place is out in the middle of the swamps on the edge of the lake. The occasion was my dad's birthday and my mom brought along a beautiful cake to slice up after the meal. My sister was in from Dallas and my brother, his wife and two teenage sons were also there to join in on the mini celebration. After everyone was suitably stuffed with a wide variety of seafoods it was time to cut the cake. I watched as my mom took out 3 candles and stuck them in the top of the cake and attempted to light them using my lighter. She ended up burning herself because she angled the lighter downward with her finger above the fire rather than below. I could see instantly that the way she was holding would lead to disaster but I was too late to stop it! She burned her finger! I dutifully pointed out the correct way to hold the lighter, the candles got lit and the wish was made as we sung happy birthday.
Witnessing my mom burn herself immediately reminded me of an incident that I was a part of years ago on a construction site. One of my crew members had burned his hand badly with a welding torch and had to be sent to the doctor for care. He had some lame ass, mumbo jumbo excuse for burning himself, something about his hand slipping or something and it really made no sense to me. But, as the supervisor on the job I had to fill out an accident report describing what had happened, etc. One of the questions on the form was "What was done to insure that this type of accident never occurs again?" I filled in "Instructed employees not to aim welding torches at their hands." Which, even as smart alecky as I was being was the absolute truth, I told them not to aim the torches at their hands! You would think that this would be an unnecessary warning, wouldn't you? Apparently not, maybe we really aren't as smart as we think we are, hehe.
Before turning in the report I had to have the man read and sign it. When he saw what I had written he yelled out "This make me look stupid!" I just laughed and said yes it does, funny huh? And then I turned it in. I think he was pissed at me for quite a while, hehe.
Oh yeah, I ordered the seafood platter for dinner, damn, that sucker was piled high with shrimp and oysters and a huge stuffed crab and lots and lots of fried catfish and fries and holy shit, that fucker was good!! Yummy, but I couldn't eat it all!! But don't worry, I brought the leftovers home for lunch today. I think I'll use the microwave to reheat it though, them fires can sure be tricky!!!
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