Category Archives: Pufferbilly Days

Baby Got Rack, Carla, Contests, Flat Earth Joe, Jesse, Mom, Pufferbilly Days, Scottie D., Teresa

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

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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!

Baby Got Rack, Carla, Flat Earth Joe, Jay, Jesse, Mom, Pufferbilly Days, Sara, Scottie D., Teresa, Willy

The People’s Rack

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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!

Baby Got Rack, Contests, Pufferbilly Days, Scottie D.

Baby Got Awards

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For the third time in as many years I was an auxiliary member of the award winning competitive barbecue team Baby Got Rack at the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest. In many ways the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest was a much bigger success than in previous years. There were 15 teams competing and I’d guess that there were over 200 people there milling around and trying the free samples from the teams competing.

Here are a few pictures from the competition:


As you can see, Baby Got Rack came home with multiple awards. 3rd Place for chicken. 2nd Place for pork loin, 3rd Place overall (no trophy), and the first ever Peoples Choice Award. It is not a coincidence that a well-documented “Man of the People” like me and Scottie D. would work for and attain such a prestigious award.

The secret to Baby Got Rack’s success, besides incredible teamwork and charisma? Well, Scottie D. makes the injection and House makes the rub. Other than that, you’ll have to spy on one of our team meetings.

If you are an aspiring graphic designer and work for the price of next to nothing, Baby Got Rack is looking for a logo to help brand the team on its adventures moving forward. If you have ideas and sketches, I might be able to get you invited to the next team meeting. However, you might be searched for a wire. The world of competitive barbecue is cutthroat. We take no chances.

If you are the observant type of person, you may have noticed that this is the second appearance by Scottie D. in less than a week. That is not completely random. All part of a new philosophy that I’ve adopted. He just doesn’t know it.

My new philosophy has a name. If you ask, I won’t tell you.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On an unrelated note, as the barbecue contest is really beginning to take off, it seems like the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest is beginning to peter out. There were less than 20 photo entries this year. I haven’t entered the contest in probably 7 or 8 years. In that time all of the best photographers I know have also stopped entering. I don’t know why they stopped entering, but I know the reasons why I stopped entering. Those reasons don’t stand up to scrutiny when placed under my new philosophy. Therefore, if the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest returns next year, I intend on throwing my hat back into the ring. Hopefully, I will get my hat back afterwards. I like that hat.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One other personal note, I had another great personal victory on Sunday. While shopping at the book store in Boone I found a book I have coveted for years and years and years. A book that I would have gladly paid a princely fortune to obtain. Only I didn’t have to pay a princely fortune. It was in a collection of books that were available to take as many as you could fit into a bag for 2 dollars, American.

At this time I will keep the details of that book a secret to only those that would understand its greatness and significance. However, believe me, you will be hearing about this book again 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.”*

*That was a clue, in case you are denser than osmium.

Animals, Art, Black & White, Christianity, Evie, Football, Iowa State, Jen, Logan, Micky, Naima, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad, Sara, Self-Portrait, Shawn Lockner, Shorty, Still Life, Street Photography

Instagram Update

Since most of the random pictures I’ve taken are of the “can’t-quite-publish-yet” variety, I thought I would publish some of my favorite Instagram pictures of the last few months.

Since I got a new phone and have been able to get back on Instagram.

Of course, if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen all of these pictures before.
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen most of these pictures before.
If we are friends on Facebook, you’ve seen a few of these pictures before.



The Living Legend


My New Bike


Stay Classy


Lake LaVerne


What my Birthday Cake will Look Like Next Year


I Want this Sign


Me


On the way to the Dog Park


The Essence of my Life


Cyclone Tailgating


Andrea’s New Church


Pickle’s


Josh and Andrea


Whole Family


Gracie


Ready?


Mini Train!


Sara and Shawn – Pufferbilly Days Parade


Boone First United Methodist Church


Recently donated to the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group


Luckiest Son-of-a-Gun I Know


Visiting Derrick


Tenderloining without my Partner – Legal Limit


Making Pickle Relish


Logan at the Block Party


Barn I wish to Photograph


Smith Wedding


Best Part of Thomas the Tank


Touching the Baby


Thomas the Tank


Junckner Photo Shoot


Vi Fellowshipping It Up


Creepy Work Thing


Tailgating in Style


Playtime!


Hot Dog Cart Day!


Trapped


Most accurate artist depiction of Iowa fans I’ve ever seen!


Cyclones!


Experiment


Another Experiment

Instagram may have replaced Twitter as my favorite social media outlet. Not as useful as Twitter, but probably more fun. Plus I may have an addiction to the Photo Map feature. Even though what that feature tells me is that I need to road trip in the worst possible way.

Black & White, Brandon, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Jay, Night, Pufferbilly Days, Sara

Think I’ll Go Eat Worms

Here is a look at the pictures that the committee had to choose from, but received no love.


2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Guess I’ll go eat worms,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Long, thin, slimy ones; Short, fat, juicy ones,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Down goes the first one, down goes the second one,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Up comes the first one, up comes the second one,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Nobody loves me, everybody hates me,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Think I’ll go and eat worms,

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Long ones, short ones, fat ones, thin ones,
See how they wriggle and squirm

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
I bite off the heads, and suck out the juice,
And throw the skins away,
Nobody knows how fat I grow,
On worms three times a day
Ohh… nobody loves me.”

Great song, isn’t it? I’m kind of partial to this version:

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
I’m goin’ down to the garden to eat worms,
Long thin slimy ones, short fat fuzzy ones,
Ooey gooey, ooey gooey worms.

Long thin slimy ones slip down easily,
Short fat fuzzy ones don’t,
Short fat fuzzy ones stick to your teeth,
And the juice goes slurpin’ down your throat

Becky, Black & White, Contests, Flowers, Night, Pufferbilly Days

Becky Perkovich

Becky made the final selection.


2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
Misplaced Plant

Becky also had other pictures that she liked. They are below with the reason she liked them.


2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Fire Pit – Everyone can relate to this photo.”

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Fireworks Fallout – This photo is original”

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Color Daisies – This photo feels hopeful.”

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Story St Fire – There may be lots of these photos there (like trains) but it’s relatable.”


The weirdest thing is that I don’t even think that there was a single train photo there this year.

“Interesting.”

“Yes. Provocative.”

Black & White, Boone FUMC, Contests, Formal Portrait, Logan, Mom, Night, Pufferbilly Days

Charlotte Bennett (Mom)

My mom doesn’t own a computer or even know how to use one, so I had to bring her over to the Honest Abe office to have her look over the pictures for her to pick one.


2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee
“Pardon and Sanctify Me”

I actually thought that she would pick this one. It is a picture of the cross on the top of our church. It actually looks much nicer than that now as it has been recently painted during the tuckpointing process. It is prettier now, but perhaps not as photogenic.

There were a couple of other images that she also considered.


2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee

2009 - Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee

The truth is that she doesn’t like the picture of Logan’s eye at all, but she thought it was artistic. I don’t think any of my weirder images got much love, but at least this one got mentioned.