My first time making LA Galbi

 It was a dark and cloudy Monday night in June in Vermont. The air cool but heavy with the threat of an evening thunderstorm. Birds singing all around me and yet in my head Ronnie Van Zandt singing over and over again in my head, play me a song Curtis Lowe.

It was on this night that I decided to finally cook one of my favorite Korean dishes, LA Galbi. I understand that it is best cooked over a wood or wood charcoal fire. For this reason I decided to set up at the Weber Grill that’s been stored out in the backyard. This is not the best option For my usually very fluent cooking style. Many days and nights I can balance the outside deck grill and burner running inside to the kitchen to tend to food prep and other side dishes sautéing on the stove. There will be none of that tonight. 

If it involves my grill out on my deck or my wok and pans on my stove my cutting boards my chef knives, I can move through that space like Jackie Chan almost with a rhythm. But tonight, here I am out in the backyard what feels like miles away from my kitchen and from my deck just trying to make this wood fire work. The whole scene screaming to me that perhaps I need an outside kitchen.

My inexperience with this shines through here, but not for long.  These delicious sections of meat are usually snipped up with kitchen scissors and enjoyed.

I did do pan seared Asian cucumbers, rice and carrots, but it was nothing compared to the left overs the next day.  There are more beef short ribs in my freezer downstairs.  Yall hold on, I got this.

This is the last day of our aquaintance as tears go by

 This is the last day of our acquaintance, I will meet you later in somebody's office

I'll talk but you won't listen to me, I know what your answer will be

It is the evening of the day, I sit and watch the children play. Smiling faces I can see, But not for me

I sit and watch as tears go by

My riches can't buy everything. I want to hear the children sing. All I hear is the sound Of rain falling on the ground.

I sit and watch as tears go by

It is the evening of the day. I sit and watch the children play. Doing things I used to do They think are new.

I sit and watch as tears go by

We had to let go today.  I have had many cats and some of them I felt were pretty important to me, to my family.  But I was surprised to find that when one of these guys is interwoven into your small children growing up, it takes on a depth I did not expect.  Anyone that knows this boy would know from these photos that there is a terrible pain seen in his eyes.  It brings on a sadness I cannot bear.  Bogie was over 20 pounds the better part of his life, but today he was just over 14.  He was basically a cat that really thought he was a dog.  He was funny, ate furiously, a troublemaker and got his face scratched up dozens of times by his smaller, but alpha sister, Lava.

I always thought Bogie would be the last to go, but things can change so fast.  The hardest part for me is how his story is woven into that of my sons.  When Liam was 5 and Noah was 2 and a half, we had a cat, but he was mostly an outdoor cat.  One day, this very exotic long-haired stray showed up in the yard.  We started feeding her and the boys fell in love with her.  She was not used to staying in so she was out one night.  One night, we heard the unmistakable sound of a predator killing an animal.  We were certain that it was this new little girl cat.  Liam and Noah were devastated.  Donna had learned that there were free kittens over by Wendell Vet Clinic, so she left with the 2 boys on a Saturday afternoon in August of 2008 to find a replacement kitty.  Of course, I knew, that they would come home with 2.  Liam had picked the girl and named her Lava and Noah had picked the boy and named him Bogie.

These kittens grew up with my boys, 2 of our dogs, and each other.  Bogie became HUGE!  I nicknamed him Richard Parker after the Bengal tiger in Life of Pi. He acted far more like a dog than a cat.  He loved Noah so much.  When Noah would get out of the shower, Bogie would lick his hair dry for an eternity.  He was a trouble maker and got his nose torn up more times than I could count by his sister Lava for messing with her.  Once in a while, he would find his way outside, and for the next 2 days, we had to separate the two of them because Lava would try to kill him because he smelled different.  I mean relentlessly pursue him like she was a Terminator!

Today, as we were about to take him for his final ride, I set him in the grass, just so he could see that one more time.  It was the least I could do for such a noble friend and family member.  Donna, Noah, Liam, Haylie, and I were all with him as it should be. Noah is now 15 and Liam is 18.  Time continues its pursuit.  I am so sad about this day and also thankful that he was ours.

I chose Sinead O'Connor's Last Day of Our Acquaintance, even though it is a break-up song, it was what was in my head on the sad drive to Claremont.  On the way home, in the wake of Charlie Watts passing yesterday, As Tears Go By because that sums up my insides today.

The next day: Lava is walking around the house crying a very sad cry.  These two were together every single day of their lives, until today.