3/11/2020
(Above: Shelving Madre and I installed in her workshop earlier.)
Active Summary: Today I woke up and performed the morning regimen. This was ensued by a little bit more writing, a call to Nettles Beef Processing, and then some shelf assembly for Madre’s workshop. After assembling the shelves, I helped install them and also aided her in moving more of her belongings down from Oldhouse and into her office.
The next portion of the morning consisted of my visiting Padre at his studio for about an hour and then cooking a delectable lunch of burger-steak and potatoes on the grill. After lunch, I had to help a couple Centurylink line-layers relocate the internet line to Jacobhouse because they cut it while installing Madre’s internet. IT has since been fixed.
(7:20 PM Update:) This afternoon consisted of some Macroeconomics work followed by cattle activities, including: cow catching / vaccination, calf capturing / weighing, checking the beef herd, and tending to a Master Blend email. Now, I’m typing up this entry as a couple sweet potatoes bake in the oven.
(8:53 PM Update:) Just finished dinner and brisket preparation! Here are some pictures.
TIL: Today I learned that one must completely coat potato slices in olive oil to achieve optimal taste and texture. By ensuring that every slice is slathered, the potatoes brown above the grill’s flames rather than burn – a phenomenon that occurs because oils / fats help diffuse the heat over the entire surface rather than allowing it to accumulate in one place. The result is potato slices that are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
I also learned a couple terms related to selling beef: hanging weight and packaged weight. Seeing as there are those who read this blog who are a bit put-off when it comes to butchery, I will simply provide a couple comparisons and leave out the specifics. Live weight is to hanging weight what hanging weight is to packaged weight. More excellent information and percentages can be found at meatchris.com.
Commentary: I have not changed my current course of academic pursuit, nor do I plan to at this time. I still intend to begin an online Bachelor’s Program at UF this coming August 2020. However, today as I slogged my way through seemingly endless electronic pages and clicked my way through equally endless quiz-assignments, I realized that the education system – at least the education system I am presently part of – is merely a means to an end. I had hoped for some form of enlightenment or knowledge to be found in the classes I selected… and there very well could be if it was not piled on in such prodigious proportions. 52 quizzes, 2 discussion posts / replies, 4 30-minute homework assignments, and a 1.5 hour exam. All given in less than a month’s-worth of time. For a single class, that is absolutely ludicrous.
It is my hope that UF’s classes will prove to be more inspiring.
Final Note: Tomorrow I plan on performing the weekly cleaning for Jacobhouse, visiting the Farm Market, and smoking a sizeable brisket. Macroeconomics assignments shall also be completed.