The "The Pitmasters Of Maryland!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in a lounge chair watching my son-in-law Dave and his friend Art prepare the evening meal.  Started the procedure close to noon in hopes of having the meat ready by 5:00 PM.  They are going to give me a lesson in smoking meat which will take place in Dave's new smoker which he and Art and a few other friends built a few months ago.  

The Mencarini Smoker!  The guys that spent time building this piece of art.
 are from the left: Art Himes, Son-in-law Dave, Matt Bryne and Ed Radwinsky.
Click on images to enlarge them.

I was impressed with the quality of the smoking unit that they built.  They first poured a cement slab that is close to four feet wide by about five feet deep.  They dug into the ground a few inches in order to have the bottom of their smoker sitting below the ground level to give it a better base and to help prevent it from cracking in the winter weather.  After the base was poured and dried, they used concrete blocks and mortar to build the the actual unit that sits on the concrete base.  It stands four blocks high with one end having the bottom row missing with an opening that will allow a grate to enter on which the smoking material is placed.  Once the grate is pushed into the smoker, steel panels can be closed to keep the heat inside or opened to allow air to flow through the smoker to build up more heat.  A second grate sits about a foot from the top to hold what is being smoked.  The top is made of exterior plywood and is hinged in the center so it can be easily opened.  The top is the only part that may need to be replaced over time.  The smoke created in the unit escapes through a metal standpipe on the opposite end.  On top of the standpipe is a fitting that will prevent water from entering into it.  An opening was provided to place a temperature gauge to help keep track of the temperature inside the smoker.  I attempted to take photographs so I could show you how impressive a job they did in making Dave's smoker.  Hope you understand, thru my photos, how the smoker operates.  Now, why did Dave go to all the trouble to build it in the first place?  Well, smoked meat is freaking awesome!  Smoking adds flavor, tenderizes and turns some of the worst cuts into a wonderful meal. Follow my visual story to see what is needed to have your own smoking unit. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Dave stands next to the smoker that he and his friends built in his backyard.

A better look at the smoker. The base of the smoker was poured concrete about half-a-fot thick.   The gray area is made of concrete blocks with an opening left at the bottom on the side facing the camera.  A  metal tray of steel mesh was constructed that can be moved in and out of the cement blocks with metal handles.  When it is completely inserted in the smoker, steel doors can be closed to prevent air from entering the unit.  The metal doors can be seen on either side of the smoker in this photograph.  The top is made of exterior plywood and is hinged in the center to make for easy opening.  The far part of the top holds a metal standpipe made out of sheet metal which has a cover on the top to keep rain from entering.

Art, Dave' friend, prepares the charcoal that will be used to create the heat.  On top of the charcoal is placed chips of hardwood that can carry flavoring for the smoking procedure.  Today they added an applewood to the mixture.

A fire had been started in the metal device to the right using charcoal.  It will be poured over the small piles, one on the left and one on the right.  The pile has the charcoal and flavored wood mixture.

Art is preparing chicken wings for smoking with a variety of spices.

Both piles are ready to be ignited with the burning embers in the small container.

Art is pouring the hot embers over the charcoal and wood pieces.

After both piles have been started, the metal grate is pushed into the smoker and the metal panels closed.
These panels can be opened or closed to control the interior temperature.

This tray of pulled pork was smoked a few days before and keep refrigerated until today.  Art is preparing it with apple juice and seasoning and it will be placed in the front of the smoker so it will warm while the wings and other meats smoke next to the charcoal and wood mixture.

This is the thermometer that is inserted into an opening on the top of the smoker.  It tells the interior temperature of the smoker.  Controlling the temperature is important.  The best temperature is close to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  

The top is opened and a second tray above the heat source can be seen.  This tray holds the already smoked pulled pork which can be seen in the far left in the back.  The two round trays in the foreground will hold the wings that have been flavored.

Art is adding the wings to the metal trays which are held on the upper level metal tray.  
They will be directly above the small fires that have been burning and producing smoke.

Art is checking the wings and making room on the metal interior grill for a few other types of meats.

Checking on the smoldering embers to see if they need replenished.

The heat source  seems to be smoking nicely.

To prevent them from smoking too rapidly and burning out too soon, the metal doors on either side must be closed to prevent extra air from flowing over them.

With the door closed and the unit working perfectly, you can see the smoke rising from the standpipe.

Another view from the other end of the smoker.

The top has been opened and a few other types of meats have been added to the upper level metal tray. 

Another check on the progress of the meats.  The smoking process began before noon and will be ready about 4:00 PM.  It is a slow process.  Most meets need to be smoked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees with poultry being cooked to 165 degrees.  Below...the wings look delicious!

The "Son-In-Law Test" Story

Our daughter at the age of 4.

It was an ordinary day.  March 7, 1996 and our daughter, Brynn, was expecting her boyfriend of a couple months for supper to meet her mom and dad.  Big day in any daughter's life let along an evening where her mom and dad had

prepared a special test he had to take before being offered supper.  Test was known as the "WOODS' FAMILY BOYFRIEND TEST".  Brynn had meet this young man in a children's literature class at Millersville University where they were both students in the Elementary Education Curriculum.  She had a few dates with him and finally asked him to supper to meet her parents.  Hey, I'm sure a free home-cooked meal looked great to him so he told her he was all in for the meal.  Well, he didn't realize that before he would eat, he had to take a questionnaire and his answers would decide if he would eat that night.   The top of the questionnaire asked him his name, address, phone #, SS# and birthdate.  

Story in the local paper telling how Dave proposed to Brynn.
It is in my archives from Thursday, March 25, 2010.

What followed were 17 questions that would give us a look at his smarts and common sense as well as his sense of humor which is one of the most important traits in our family.   Well, didn't take long before we were sitting at the table having a good meal.  Recently, Brynn called and told her mom that she had just found the "Boyfriend Test" and had sent a copy to us.  So much fun to read the questions that he answered that March day.  A few of the questions were more important than others to me such as:  Question #2 which read - "Do you watch Leave it to Beaver?" which was one of my favorite childhood shows, #7 - "Have you ever eaten chicken pot pie?" which my wife is a pro at making, #13 - "What is one thing you must eat at every meal?" which was very important to me, and #17 - "Who is the greatest girl you ever met?"  

Brynn and Dave's Wedding day.

Well, he aced the test and we gave our approval and a little over a year later, on May 9th, they were married in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania.  To this day I believe it was that test that gave us a look at what this young man had to offer our daughter.  Carol and I now have two fantastic granddaughters, Courtney and Camille.  Courtney will be entering college in the near future while Camille will be a high school junior next September.  I'm sure Dave knew the test was just an opening for him to meet his girlfriend's parents who happened to be his future in-laws.  It was one meal I know none of those involved in it will ever forget.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The "Official" WOODS' FAMILY BOYFRIEND TEST follows.... (click to enlarge)

The "Congratulations Are In Order" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shaking hands with my son-in-law Dave to congratulate him for being one of the 24 members of the 2019 Inaugural Class of the Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Coach Dave Mencarini

Quince Orchard High School is located in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland.   He taught at the high school for many years and was the head football coach for quite a few of those years.  During the years he was head coach he experienced many memorable moments.  In 2004 he became head coach and had 8 wins and 2 losses that year.  After that year, it all got better, if that's possible.  Since that time his teams played for the State Championship three times, winning the 2007 4A State Title, going undefeated at 14-0.  Another year he lost in overtime during the State Championship.  Then, during his 10th year at the helm he won his 100th game with a win in his third game of the season  Many of his players have gone on to play at Division I colleges.  

Decorations adorn his home garage after his 100th win.

In 2011 The Washington Post named him the "Coach of the Year" in the state of Maryland.  Dave and his staff built "QO", as they are known, into one of the state of Maryland's elite programs.  For the many years he spent at QO before moving to Urbana High School in 2014 and eventually to the University of Maryland, he was rewarded by being named to the first ever Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Dave getting drenched after winning the State Title.

Dave, along with 23 other outstanding coaches and athletes, made up the school's first ever class.  The school only opened in 1988, thus not having an athletic hall of fame until this year.  My daughter Brynn, Dave's wife and mother of their two young girls, posted a message on the school's website where she wrote:  "Proud of you Dave.  I loved being part of the QO family and community.  Excited to see Lisa, Bañi, Travis and Dake on here too."  Bañi Gbadyu went on to play middle-linebacker for Penn State and then help coach Mannheim Township High School where I taught at one time.  The members of the inaugural class will be honored on Friday, October 4th before the home football game that night.  My wife Carol and I wish to congratulate him for this remarkable accomplishment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Collegiate Football Signing Day At The University Of Maryland" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my daughter's home in Urbana, Maryland dunking a piece of cake in my glass of milk when my eye caught an article in a newspaper that was published in the December 21, 2017 Washington Post.  It featured my son-in-law Dave sitting at a conference table in the "war room" with the Maryland University head football coach, DJ Durkin looking over his shoulder while Dave was working with a program called Teamworks.  

Dave has been a high school football coach for many years and joined Maryland's staff about a year ago.  The Teamworks  program has been a revelation in recruiting of high school football athletes.  No longer is a fax machine needed to sign prospective players to a national letter-of-intent.  The program can be used to email a document that the prospect can sign on their mobile device, share with their parents or guardians and forward back to the University of Maryland; all in a matter of minutes.  Signing day was Wednesday, December 20 this year and about two hours after signing was allowed, Maryland had used the program to sign 20 of the 22 players they would end up signing that day.  Close to 100 major college programs now use Teamworks to sign their recruits.  Dave is involved in the process since he is the Head of Player Personnel and I can't imagine how excited he must have been that day.  After he received the signed papers he had to forward them to the director of recruiting operations who had to make sure they were all filled out properly and signed.  The program has revolutionized the signing process on signing day.  During Coach Durkin's first two years at Maryland his assistants would have to send signing documents to recruits by a PDF email attachment or by way of a FedEx paper form.  They would then have to be signed and dated and returned to Maryland.  I know it may sound fairly easy, but it wasn't.  Their top recruit this year, a Maryland High School offensive lineman, received his offer at 7:01 am, had it signed and delivered back to Maryland in five minutes.  In years past that would have been impossible, but this year by 7:18 it was official.  By 8:11 am Maryland had signed 20 players and by 8:25 am all 22 had signed and it was time to depart the "war room".  A list of the players which signed with the University of Maryland was published in the Washington Post and as I looked over it I was impressed with the physical size of the players that were recruited.  A defensive tackle is 6'3" and weighs 315 pounds, a tight end is 6'5" and weighs 245, a center is 6'2" and weighs 290, another defensive tackle is 6'5" and weighs 335, and the list goes on and on.  And, these are high school players that are being signed.  Maryland was ranked among the top 20 national classes in the recruit signings with five of the top 300 rated players in the nation.  Football is big money for our nation's collegiate programs and you need a winning program in order to attract the top players.  Maryland's class this year should help gain prominence in the rankings and having their signing day go so easy because of the new Teamworks program has taken the stress out of signing day.  Now those new signees need to step up and make the Maryland Terrapins one of the top teams in the country.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "It's Been A Long Journey: Part III - Game Day & Where Is My Allegiance?" Story

The back-seat gang: LDub, Carol, Courtney and Brynn.

It was an ordinary day.   Sunny with tempera- tures in the low 50s and just a slight wind.  Perfect day for a football game.  Months ago my son-in-law Dave asked if the family would like to go to the Maryland vs. Penn State football game at Maryland.  Dave is on the staff of the football team at Maryland and said he could get us tickets if we wanted to see the game.  I should tell you that Carol and I have been fans of Penn State for many years and going to the game would be tough since we were told that if we came to the game we would have to wear Maryland school colors and cheer for Maryland.  

Maryland Marching Band enjoying pre-game preparations.
Click on photos to enlarge!

Well, family matters more than allegiance to any football team, so we accepted his invitation and traveled to Urbana, MD to visit with our daughter and son-in-law as well as our granddaughters and go see the game.  It was the final game of the season and with both teams in the Big 10, the game should be fun to watch.  

I just had to add one Penn State photo.  Thought this was
such a neat sign on the back of the truck that brought
the Pep Band to the game.

Carol and I along with Brynn and grand- daughters Courtney and Camille hopped in our son Derek's truck along with grandson Caden and headed to the stadium which is about 45 minutes from Dave and Brynn's home in Urbana.  Dave gave us a parking pass and with my Handicap placard we were able to park right next to Gossett Team House.  

Pre-game National Anthem.

The excitement was evident from the moment we stepped from the truck and saw the Maryland Marching Band close by preparing to enter the stadium.  We entered Maryland Stadium through the Team House and found ourselves in the end zone next to the large scoreboard.  Maryland and Penn State fans were finding their way to their seats in the beautiful stadium.  In a few minutes Dave made his way towards us on crutches.  He had recently had knee surgery and was partially immobilized.  We all were wearing special passes that Dave had given us and decided that our son Derek and the three grandkids would sit in seats Dave had been given and the rest of of would watch the game from the mezzanine.  

Flags from all the Big 10 schools fly above the stadium.

Now, before I tell you what followed, I should give you some background information about the coaches and players.  Penn State coach James Franklin happened to be an assistant coach at Maryland from 2000-04 and again from 2008-10.  He at one time was expected to take over as head coach at Maryland, but that never happened.  Franklin went to Vanderbilt and then to Penn State.  He still has many friends at Maryland.  

Penn State enters from the Team House.

Four of Penn State's best players are from Maryland and Franklin has recruited one of the best high school players from Maryland for next year.  Before the game Franklin took a walk around the stadium and made a few stops for hellos and hugs.  Well, the National Anthem was sung without any problems, the team captains met at mid-field, the coin was flipped and the time-clock hit 00:00.  

The Maryland "Terps" enter with fire and "booms".

The Big 10 TV cameras are rolling as Penn State takes the opening kick-off ... and goes down and scores.  Wow!  And ... it didn't get any better after that for the Maryland team and fans.  I wound my way along the pathways to mid-field to take some photos.  As I entered the seating area high above the stadium, a woman attendant saw my pass and told me I could sit in the chair on the end of the row with the padded seat.  

Handshake and coin-flip.

Wow, again!  Spent the first half there and then wandered back to the rest of the family.  One thing I found interesting was the many time-outs that were called so TV stations could show their commercials.  During those time-outs the teams gathered in front of their respective benches and just waited as did the crowd.  

Plenty of fans from both sides at the stadium.

At the end of the third period we had seen enough and headed for the truck.  If you haven't heard the score by now, it ended Penn State 66-Maryland 3.  Awful!!  Penn State certainly didn't need our support anyway. They actually had many more fans in the stadium than Maryland did.   And, Maryland didn't do any better with us yelling for them.  The day was still a fun experience and our family had a great time even though the team we were cheering for had not won.  Oh well, there's always next year!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Penn State's Squon Barkley gains yardage.

This is what happens during a TV commercial.  Players, coaches and fans just wait for the commercial to end and then someone runs on the field and signals the commercial is over.

Tommy Stevens heads into the end zone for a touchdown.

Maryland quarterback Max Bortenschlager passes. 

#1 D.J. Moore heads through the Penn State defense.

Penn State's Cothren Parker blocks a pass.

Camille, Courtney, Caden and Derek enjoying the game.

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley passes for yardage. 

Sun begins to go down at Maryland's Stadium.

Maryland kicks a field goal and the fireworks fly.  Sorry to say we only got to see this one time during the game.