Kessil

Other hobbies

Year round hobbies are mountain biking, scuba and indoor skydiving. The kids love them as well so we get in some good family bonding time.

In the summer we spend a fair amount of time in the delta wakeboarding & wake surfing and in the winter we try to get in as many days as possible skiing and snowboarding.
 
Cooking is a big one, and I've been working at perfecting my brisket and tweaking beef and rib rubs. I'll sorta lump baking and homebrewing beer in this; though it's been a few years since my last batch since, when I get back into brewing, I want to do all-grain again and do it right.

Creative writing. Poetry, prose, and everything in between. One of my favorite pieces over the past couple years was a short article titled, "Building a better wizard through gene editing" which blends my science background with my love of the Harry Potter universe.

Music. I'm not a great guitarist, but I love playing both guitar and drums, particularly anything with a beat that requires a double bass pedal.

When we actually have the space for it, I want to get into woodworking and/or (preferably 'and') blacksmithing. I've grown really fond of DIY projects and would like to move that to 'artistic/crafting' as opposed to 'just fixing stuff around the home'.
I grew up in Oklahoma where BBQ is a way of life. When I first moved to the bay in ‘99 I remember a coworker invited a bunch of us over to his house for a summer BBQ. I was so excited not having had good BBQ in a while. When I showed up they had a Weber with hamburgers and hotdogs cooking ‍♂️ I was like “this is grilling out, not BBQ”. Fast forward 15 years, when we built our outdoor kitchen I insisted on putting in a large dedicated built in pellet smoker which gets a lotta use Doing brisket well is definitely an art, we should compare notes some time or better yet compare finished products
 
I grew up in Oklahoma where BBQ is a way of life. When I first moved to the bay in ‘99 I remember a coworker invited a bunch of us over to his house for a summer BBQ. I was so excited not having had good BBQ in a while. When I showed up they had a Weber with hamburgers and hotdogs cooking ‍♂️ I was like “this is grilling out, not BBQ”. Fast forward 15 years, when we built our outdoor kitchen I insisted on putting in a large dedicated built in pellet smoker which gets a lotta use Doing brisket well is definitely an art, we should compare notes some time or better yet compare finished products
This is the dream. Right now I'm limited to a gas grill when grilling at home, but I'm jonesing for the day we move into a SFH and I can either build a full outdoor kitchen, or have the space for a few different grills. Not sure if you've read "Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", but it's been really eye opening and has helped me a lot with some good tips and tricks.

And I am 100% onboard with sharing notes and finished product!
 
I enjoy cooking and trying new techniques.

I actually bought my first pellet grill last week and made a 17lb brisket over the weekend. it turned out pretty good and other people who I invited said it was better than the other local bbq places.
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I grew up in Oklahoma where BBQ is a way of life. When I first moved to the bay in ‘99 I remember a coworker invited a bunch of us over to his house for a summer BBQ. I was so excited not having had good BBQ in a while. When I showed up they had a Weber with hamburgers and hotdogs cooking ‍♂️ I was like “this is grilling out, not BBQ”. Fast forward 15 years, when we built our outdoor kitchen I insisted on putting in a large dedicated built in pellet smoker which gets a lotta use Doing brisket well is definitely an art, we should compare notes some time or better yet compare finished products
Sorry for this ‍
♂️
that is the hand slapping face emoji. Not sure why it is coming through as the male sign on the computer ...
 
Gardening - I have the collector bug with named roses same as with my acros, I mail order a new rose from Jackson and Perkins every year to try out. I try to collect ones that have really great scents - Tahitian Sunset, April in Paris, Honey Parfume and Kiss me Kate are some of my newest.
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I’m trying to get into fancy hibiscus this year, ordered some from a guy in FL this year who is like the Cornbred of hibiscus but they’re still tiny and will probably take a year to grow out before I can even plant them.
my gf is getting into house plants. it adds a nice to touch to our place
 
Year round hobbies are mountain biking, scuba and indoor skydiving. The kids love them as well so we get in some good family bonding time.

In the summer we spend a fair amount of time in the delta wakeboarding & wake surfing and in the winter we try to get in as many days as possible skiing and snowboarding.
i was getting into mt. biking last year, then i started a new job. havent gone since oct. bike is literally in my dining room just gathering dust. sad
 
I grew up in Oklahoma where BBQ is a way of life. When I first moved to the bay in ‘99 I remember a coworker invited a bunch of us over to his house for a summer BBQ. I was so excited not having had good BBQ in a while. When I showed up they had a Weber with hamburgers and hotdogs cooking ‍♂️ I was like “this is grilling out, not BBQ”. Fast forward 15 years, when we built our outdoor kitchen I insisted on putting in a large dedicated built in pellet smoker which gets a lotta use Doing brisket well is definitely an art, we should compare notes some time or better yet compare finished produ
I enjoy cooking and trying new techniques.

I actually bought my first pellet grill last week and made a 17lb brisket over the weekend. it turned out pretty good and other people who I invited said it was better than the other local bbq places.
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that looks good
 
Been into RC almost as long as aquariums. Used to race 2wd buggy and truck back in the day. Now im into 4WD competition and scale crawlers. Axial based mostly.
Been into RC almost as long as aquariums. Used to race 2wd buggy and truck back in the day. Now im into 4WD competition and scale crawlers. Axial based mostly.
i wouldnt mind watch a 4wd competition. do they have them here in the bay are
 
I enjoy cooking and trying new techniques.

I actually bought my first pellet grill last week and made a 17lb brisket over the weekend. it turned out pretty good and other people who I invited said it was better than the other local bbq places.
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My wife has offered to get me a smoker for my birthday ... I dunno how many times since we've been married. My response to her has always been "I need to lose weight, not have new ways to make pounds of food".... but yeah that does look quite tasty.
 
Well, thanks to Apon (Arnold), I'm into archery now with my kids!
Also yesterday I went to Sunnyvale Rod and Gun to do some "Cowboy action shooting" which was really fun. No stress like a regular pistol competition (which I do on occassion, but not lately), just a bunch of guys talking about dumb stuff and shooting easy targets while dressed like cowboys.
 
Fishing and camping/backpacking/hiking, though I haven't been able to get out much in the last year since having my first kid. I also enjoy home DIY renovation so have done everything from tiling bathrooms to building cabinetry.

For fishing I typically do saltwater. We rent skiffs out of Capitola or kayak out of Monterey for lingcod and rockfish. When I lived closer to the coast I did a lot of surf fishing for striped bass. In the winter I'll target trout in the reservoirs. This last Saturday I was able to negotiate with the wife for a guy's day out, so we chartered a guide in the Sacramento delta. Got my limit of eating sized ones ~22" and also caught (and released) my personal best at 42"!
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Last summer was my last backpacking trip in the Cathedral Lakes area of Yosemite. On trips I'll always carry my ultralight rod to throw spoons for trout.
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I backpack here years ago too. The ranger at the permit desk ask us if we wanted some pads of butter for snack? I asked why, he said it will be cold tonight. It was cold and clear when we went to sleep. Woke up to 1 to 2 ft of snow the next morning! so hard to find trail in the fresh snow.
 
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