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Wednesday, July 05, 2006 

And so it begins

It's been a busy few weeks and all signs point to things getting busier before the end of the month. I've been a bit edgy lately and only just realized what my deal was - I'm getting nervous about the Barbecue Competition!

The big event is just over two weeks away and there's a lot to think about. And the thing is - it's pretty much my deal. To be sure, I've got a team of friends and family who'll be there to give me a hand, but in the end - it's all up to me. This is my food, my contest and thusly my show to run.

I've started to buy stuff for the event. Next week I'm ordering all of my meat, and as usual I'm not quite sure how it's going to get paid for! I've replaced our broken tents, purchased storage containers, buss bins and tools for the contest. The weekend before the event I'll be pulling together all of my spice rubs (I'll be selling them at the site as well) and sauces. Plus, of course, I'll be trying to get one final nighttime practice run in.

This is my second year in the contest. I have a much better feel for what's expected of me and what the pace will be like. I'm pretty confident that what I produce will put me somewhere in the middle of the pack, which would be a great improvement over second-to-last. But, I'm nervous about it nonetheless.

It's funny but I don't remember being this nervous last year. This is probably because I didn't know what to expect. This year I do, and I think I'm ready, but there are a million things to consider and I'm responsible for almost all of them. Plus, I need to be prepared to tell my teammates what I need from them. Lots to do. Not much time. But, I think I'm well on my way and I'm looking forward to it. I know my food is better than last year. Now all I can do is organize, prepare and practice. The rest of it will fall into place.

Cheers,

Chris