Category Archives: Life

Happy Jayoween

The Saturday before Halloween Jay and I got together for our annual tradition of watching horror movies and carving pumpkins. This year Willy joined us.

This year Jay carved a clown for my Mom:




My pumpkin will remain unpictured.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 1600
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/2
EXPOSURE: 1/80
DATE: 10/29/16 – 21:59
LATITUDE: 42.05533°
LONGITUDE: -93.87070
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Jay and Willy
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Start Over” – Flame featuring NF

Young, Scrappy, and Hungry

Man, I still really haven’t edited all of the State Fair flower pictures. Well, one more down.


Iowa State Fair Flower

Many more to go.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 320
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
DATE: 08/16/2016 – 8:16
LATITUDE: 41.59517°
LONGITUDE: -93.55154°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: BABY GOT RACK
EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “My Shot” – Featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz & Nate Ruess

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 59 – ROAD TRIP

ROAD TRIP saw some of the regulars drop out, but the ones that did participate went all in. But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You just want to see the submissions.

Here they are:


WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - BECKY PERKOVICH 1
Becky Perkovich 1

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - BECKY PERKOVICH 2
Becky Perkovich 2

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - BECKY PERKOVICH 3
Becky Perkovich 3

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - BECKY PERKOVICH 4
Becky Perkovich 4

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 1
Carla Stensland 1

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 2
Carla Stensland 2

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 3
Carla Stensland 3

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 4
Carla Stensland 4

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 5
Carla Stensland 5

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND 6
Carla Stensland 6

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - MIKE VEST 1
Mike Vest 1

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - MIKE VEST 2
Mike Vest 2

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim

WEEK 59 - TEAM AUGUSTIN - ROAD TRIP
Team Augustin

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - TERESA KAHLER 1
Teresa Kahler 1

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - TERESA KAHLER 2
Teresa Kahler 2

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - TERESA KAHLER 3
Teresa Kahler 3

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - TERESA KAHLER 4
Teresa Kahler 4

WEEK 59 - ROAD TRIP - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

A healthy and diverse collection of submissions. Something to think about. This is the second time a picture of Pete Kostelnick (Boone native, Iowa State Graduate, and World Record Holder) has appeared in a WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE submission. Once when he was running through Boone. Now again when was finishing his world record trek across the United States in New York City. Do you think he will show up again? Yeah, I kind of doubt it too.

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 60 - LANDSCAPE
LANDSCAPE!

LANDSCAPE is something I personally sometimes struggle with in my photography. At least I feel that I do. Not to the level where I struggle in my faith that God loves murderers and child molesters and rapists just as much as me. But it is a struggle nonetheless. Did it just get dark in here? I feel like maybe it just got dark in here…

But what is LANDSCAPE?

all the visible features of an area of countryside or land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.

That seems like a fair definition. However, for our sake. Feel free to consider cityscapes or waterscapes. I know a guy that LOVES cityscapes. He works in a booming metropolis. He gets infinite PTO and he doesn’t allow his underlings to listen to Bachman Turner Overdrive. Maybe he will finally throw his hat into the ring with a lovely cityscape taken on his lunch break. We’ll see.

As always… feel free to interpret the theme however, you see fit.

HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge. It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very open landscapey Monday.

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Nick’s

Last week’s The Iowa Pork Producers announcer their annual winner for the best tenderloin in the state of Iowa. Unfortunately, they always get it wrong. Wrong!

I can point to the year The Lucky Pig won. A disaster of a tenderloin. Or even worse is the year that Gramma’s Ktichen in Walcott won. I wouldn’t wish that tenderloin on my worst enemy.

Yet somehow the tenderloin at Cole’s in Slater keeps getting ignored.

It was with the soft bigotry of lowered expectation that Scottie D. and I hopped into his truck and headed towards Army Post Road to Nick’s this year’s winner.

Here are a few pictures:


Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

Tenderloining at Nick's

But what is the verdict?

We were blown away! For once, the Pork Producers got it right. The tenderloin is a good thickness. The breading had a good flavor. The bun to meat ratio was right on. The bun was toasted. The waiter (Tyler) that served us was passionate about the product. The only things I would take points away for are really minor things. The bun could’ve been toasted a little more. That being said, the bun was excellent and comes from the South Union Bakery. The only other thing is that it could come with more onions. But these are both things that can be remedied in the ordering process. The more you know.

Bonus

They also served some of the best onion rings I’ve ever had. I’d put them right in the same league as Dublin Bay’s Black and Tan Onion Rings and Jethro’s Buttermilk Soaked Onion Rings.

So where does it rank?

This is where it gets really hard. It definitely belongs in the pantheon.

Once you are talking about this level of greatness it really is getting overly picky. Cause my favorite can change from week to week. For now, I will rank it second.

1. Cole’s – Slater
2. Nick’s – Des Moines
3. Legal Limit – Boone
4. Country House – Colo
5. Darrell’s Place – Hamlin

I’ll probably be heading back sometime soon. I can save you a seat in the Camry if you want. Book early. Tickets sell fast.

Can You Smell What the People’s Champ is Cookin’?

I’m sure I mixed up that pro wrestling reference. I don’t watch pro wrestling. I went to college.

That being said, here are some pictures from Baby Got Rack’s day at the Pufferbilly Day Barbecue Contest:



Marcus whipping up a batch of Marfins. Not to be confused with Scuffins. Which is an entirely different thing.


That’s not Tone’s. That is our proprietary rub.


Vote 5! Stay alive! It sounds like a threat but, well maybe it was a threat.


Not all of our trophies are on display. That Coke can might have been self-awarded.


I made 6 gallons of Thick Soul Sweet Tea. Secret ingredient… more sugar.


Marcus’ sidewalk chalk rendition of Sir Pigs-a-Lot.


Pork loins going on Fat Boy. (The bigger smoker isn’t really named Fat Boy.)


Chicken coming off Little Man. (The smaller smoker isn’t really named Little Man.)


Scottie D. and I (mostly Scottie D.) brokered a deal for a silver pig from Paradox. We partnered with them (Baby Got Rack is all about synergy) at first to borrow the pig for the day. But then we sweetened the deal with a gallon of Thick Soul Sweet Tea and a ton of barbecue and that pig came come with me. Part of the partnering process included our bull getting a picture taken with their bull. If you have never checked out Paradox, I would highly recommend it. It is a pretty sweet store with some pretty sweet stuff.


We handed out pork loin sliders. Marcus cut the meat. I cut the buns. Scottie D. worked the crowd.


Scottie D. working the crowd.


The line for Baby Got Rack! Is that famous Flat Earth Theorist Joe Lynch in the crowd. You better believe it!


Bull working the crowd. My Mom pouring people stiff cups of Thick Soul Sweet Tea.


Did we win the kid’s vote? You bet your bottom donut! I’m being told that most people don’t use donuts for currency. I’m confused.


Baby Got Rack currently has two kinds of barbecue sauce. S + M and for the more daring sorts Anaconda Picosa. Story about that later.


Look at that line! People’s Champs!


Mmmmmmmm… Do you want to know what is in our injection? Love and goodness and other stuff.


Maybe we’ll do pork loin for my birthday next year. Maybe I won’t do a birthday party next year. One never knows.


Fat Boy cooling off.


This guy stopped by in the morning when we didn’t have any food to give out. We recruited him to come back and HE DID! Feeling the Baby Got Rack love!


Always time for a selfie with Bull!


Look at all these votes!


Note the silver pig.


People’s Choice!

First, thanks to Carla for taking many of these pictures.

Second, 2 quick stories.

Story 1

I told you we had two sauces: S + M and Anaconda Picosa. Anaconda Picosa is our spicier sauce. Scottie D.’s job while working the crowd was to explain the difference between the two sauces to the people. One guy approached the table and Scottie D. said, “Are you trying the Sweet + Mild?”

The guy stared Scottie D. down. There was 5 seconds of silence. Then he said, “Do I look Sweet + Mild?” He paused and then continued, “I’m an anaconda!”

He might’ve flexed after that, I’m not sure because I was laughing so hard.

Story 2

This one is creepier.

One of the other barbecue combatants arrived at Baby Got Rack’s tent early in the morning. To deliver this message:

“I’m going to win the People’s Choice Award this year. My niece… well she’s smokin’ hot. When it is time to give out samples, I’m going to have her come up here and hand out the samples dressed all sexy.”

There was some manly banter that I definitely don’t want to bore any females in the audience with.

A few hours later, he came back. This time, he had his niece with him. Holding a pan of samples for us to try.

“See what I’m saying?” He blurted out.

All I’m going to say is he better get a sexier niece for next year, cause you know who went home with that People’s Choice Award!

Finally, if you want to see all the Baby Got Rack images from 2016 (there might even be a picture of that niece in there) click on the link below:

BABY GOT RACK – 2016

That concludes the competitive barbecue season for 2016, but I’m sure Baby Got Rack will be back with a vengeance in 2017! Winning all the hearts and minds and trophies!

The People’s Rack

Team Baby Got Rack competed in the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest this past Sunday.

I will take away many cherished memories from this Sunday, I’ll share those when I share the majority of the Baby Got Rack images at a later date.

Here is what is important to know.

At this contest we debuted our two signature barbecue sauces:

Sweet + Mild
Anaconda Picosa

We also debuted our new signature drink: Thick Soul Sweet Tea.
We also debuted our new logo: Sir Pigs-a-Lot.
We also debuted a mascot, that at this time we are going to just call Cow or Bull.
We also attempted to debut a new signature style shirt to go with our signature fedoras. We weren’t quite there on that.

But what about the results? Well it wasn’t our best day. But even on a tiger’s worst day, it still gets to be a friggin’ tiger! We came home with the People’s Choice Award for the second straight year. Proving that you can’t spell D-Y-N-A-S-T-Y without Baby Got Rack.

Here is the team picture (with Cow or Bull) from Sunday:



Photo Credit: Melissa D.

Another unofficial category we dominated was The Fun Department. As you will see in a later post where I tell some of the stories of Saturday. Including my favorite guy from the day, who delivered the best line of the day.

In closing, I would just like to thank all the people that came up and supported us (helping ease the pain of Baby Got Rack Superfan Willy McAlpine’s absence), like my sisters and Mom, WB Joseph Lynch and his posse, the Howard Clan, the Thornburgs, and the Petersons to name a few. And of course, those that were there in spirit. Too many to name.

And to Sara for loaning us her chalkboards. To Jay for offering us the use of his can opener too!