5lb bone out pork butt!
Pre heated the grill until 225f and with supersmoke
Yellow mustard and Kansas BBQ dry rub before going in
Smoked until it but 160F with an apple cider spritz every hour. (Photo 1 is during one of the spritzings)
Pulled the butt out and upped the heat to 250F
Wrapped in foil with some apple juice and maple syrup and smoked until the probe got to 203F
Rested for an hour and photo 2 is pre shred.
Am going to shred it shortly and split it between a Korean BBQ sauce and traditional BBQ sauce.
Happy weekend everyone!

Can't decide. We're retiring couple with older kids who live in UK and we want them to be able to visit comfortably. Maybe grandkids at some point. We're torn between a townhome in a nice community, walk to coffee etc and N Bethesda metro. Community pool. But only small patio garden. And HOA which always said we didn't want. OR Fairfax - bigger - SFH, bigger yard, no HOA, but not so close to coffee, Metro etc. We've moved from CA so don't know DC metro area that well. Any comments, thoughts? Help! I'm just flipping back and forth. It's driving me crazy. 😱😎

Soo for context - I go to church every Sunday am (this is NOT an invite for discussion re religion) Most weeks we have people over for lunch afterwards. This week we’d been away until Saturday afternoon and had a loooaad of unpacking and washing to do and the house was in chaos. I requested that we take this week off having people over but hubby was keen so I agreed we could have people over in the garden. Hubby wanted to do a BBQ but I felt that was a lot of effort and needs a decent amount of clear up and as I will be doing it monday (he’s in work) so requested we just get some pizzas and oven food to make it simpler. Stuff we didn’t need to use many utensils for etc. I took our 10m old home afterwards and he was going to get the food etc.
When he comes home, he’s bought get BBQ stuff, buuut tells me ‘we’ll just do it in the oven’ so it’s still oven food as I requested. I was annoyed as I felt he hadn’t listened to me and didn’t acknowledge why I wanted simpler food etc. he says I’m overreacting and it’s just as easy to cook - I’ve told him it’s not the same but he says I’m being an AH and making a big deal out of nothing. Am I?

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We moved house recently. It's the 7th house our cats (2 brothers; 6 years old) have lived in. They're indoor cats and they've never had a problem using the litter box exclusively.
Our new place has an indoor welcome mat that's set into a recess in the floor; it's a standard rough beige thing (made of coconut by-product I think?). A few weeks ago (a few weeks after moving in) I saw one of the cats pawing at it, and I stupidly thought it was cute. Then we started to notice stains on it and yep...cat pee. We cleaned it and used a cat deterrent spray on it - no luck. The vet told us the cats might be seeing other cats through the window panels in the front door and reacting by marking their territory, so we covered them up - nope. We put foil over the (re-cleaned) mat to scare them away, but this is completely unsustainable as we have to jump over it to get out the front door. We bought these to cover the mat thinking they'd be easier to move around while we find another solution, and our cats will literally tiptoe through tiiiiiiny gaps in them to piss on the mat again (oh, and they poo on it too sometimes).
At this point I feel like they've decided that's where they pee/poo and I have no idea what to do now.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Demographics: South Korean immigrant (but lived in CA for pretty much all my life) at a decently-sized CA East Bay Area HS
GPA: 4.0 UW/4.603 W
Class Rank: Top decile; actual rank is top 5 or so but that info isn't sent to colleges
Coursework: 10 APs (HuG, World, APUSH, Bio, Calc BC, Lang, Physics C Mech, Chem, Gov, Stats). Mostly 5s with a couple of 4s. Multivariable Calc. HonorsChamber Orchestra + Honors Jazz Band.
SAT: 1570 (800 M/770 EBRW)
Awards: Not really anything notable; Rotary Music Scholarship for 6 years in a row, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, A couple SciOly medals, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Semifinalist
ECs:

• Tae Kwon Do (2nd Dan Black Belt, Demo Team, TA for classes)
• Piano lessons (8 years, completed NGPT High School Diploma in Social Music after consistently receiving top talent awards for 6 years straight)
• Violin lessons (1 year, have been playing since 6th grade)
• High School Honors Chamber Orchestra (3 years, Co-Concertmaster, selected for many honors, performed at Carnegie Hall)
• School clubs (very involved)
  • National Honors Society (secretary; hoping president next year)
  • California Scholarship Federation (president)
  • Science Olympiad (co-team captain)
  • Nature Club (president)
  • LEO Club (member)

Work: Pretty empty; did a paid summer internship for elementary summer school TA plus tutoring in math/ELA for about a year
Hooks: Not really applicable but my dad did his post-doctorate at Stanford if that counts for anything
LOEssays: 10/10 LOR from AP Bio teacher + 8/10 LOR from AP Calc/Phys teacher. Hoping for decent essays
Intended major: Biotech/engineering on pre-med track
Chance me for top universities in California plus maybe a few good unis nationwide. Applying EA to Stanford and RD to UC Berkeley, UCLA, some other UCs, and idk where else. Recommendations are greatly appreciated! I'm low on options mainly bc I don't know how to start looking. I want to aim for T20 schools.

I’m concerned about cross contamination as I always get stomachache after eating Korean bbq or other bbq in general. I use One thong for placing the raw meat on the grill, and another tong to put the cooked meat on my plate.
The issue is what do I use to flip the meat on the grill to cook the other side? Do I use the tongs for the raw meat or do i use the tongs for the cooked meat to flip the meat on the grill?

hello! i'm visiting houston for a week for a wedding, but realistically will only have ONE day to explore (preferably in/near downtown.) it's a monday (i know most museums have free admission on thursday and are closed on monday) so i'm feeling a bit lost on what to do. i grew up in houston from birth to middle school, but i never visited tourist attractions/museums. i'm excited to be back in 20+ years and showing my partner around, so any advice is very much appreciated :)
so far i have on my list:
- hermann park (japanese garden highlight!)
- chinatown
- HMNS (is it worth $25/person + $12 each for butterfly exhibit???)
- PitRoom BBQ, Lai Lai Dumpling House, Bonchon,
- Houston Funeral Museum is pretty far from where we will be... and Contemporary Arts & MFA are closed on mondays :(

Just returned from a 2.5 week trip in Japan.
I started in Tokyo, before flying to Kagoshima and making my way back through Kyushu. I was by myself, making friends along the way.

TOKYO (Kuramae)

Tokyo was exciting and overwhelming. I really enjoyed staying in Kuramae on the east side. It was really peaceful at night along the Sumida river.
The first night I got in, being totally delirious from sleep deprivation, I ran around Asakusa in the dark. With the day trippers gone, I had Senso-Ji almost to myself.
I stayed in a hotel/hostel with a popular, upscale locals bar and cafe on the first floor, which led to a lot of commingling between travelers and locals. (named Nui). Fantastic idea.
I found a few tiny music venues in the neighborhood which were exclusively filled with locals. Me and some new travel buddies I met were welcomed as tourists, and it led to fun interactions with the bands and random Japanese.

• Asaka’s Gold Sounds
• Pure’s Sound Market

Ueno and the area around the national museum definitely deserve a visit, as does Asakusa obviously. But it’ll be busy. Save for a quick trip, I stayed out of Shibuya/ Harajuku which I didn’t enjoy.
The most interesting day trip was to Fukushima area. I used a legit tour outfit (Real Fukushima) run by the community and was able to go into the exclusion zone area, and make visits to areas that were devastated by the tsunami. We stopped by one of the few combined community centerestaurant/market centers that had reopened since the disaster. It had such a hopeful feel to it after hearing about the problems getting folks to return to the area.Was a great experience overall.
The food in Tokyo was incredible in general and the 24 hour conbinis and ubiquitous vending machines were awesome for drinks and late night snacks.
Out of all the izakayas I went to, only one server was annoyed to deal with English speakers. The rest were friendly and inviting. Always useful to know a handful of Japanese and get your phone translation ready so you don’t burden them.
By far the highlight of my time in Tokyo was being able to attend the Kanda Matsuri festival around Akihibara. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The mix of ancient and modern, with the mobile shrines being paraded while chanting in front of Akihibara’s high tech backdrop was wild.
If you get a chance to attend a local traditional festival — any festival — do it.

KAGOSHIMA

Kagoshima was a cute little city. You won’t need a lot of time in the city itself. The Sengan-en garden was beautiful, as was the ferry and bus around the Sakurajima volcano. I did both in a day.
I stayed in a really cute guesthouse called Hostel Tomal. It was a group of private Japanese style rooms in an old building that had been rescued by a sort of art collective group. The owner was very nice and helpful and spoke English.
At night, it’s a quick walk up to the observation point which has a great view of the city lights. (If using Google maps, keep going through the parking lot when you reach the top). This is really popular during the day for the view of the volcano over the bay.
The entire city was surprisingly calm and quiet at night, especially outside the entertainment district. There were very few western tourists walking around, but I did meet a few.
Food highlights: - western cafe called “CAFESHOP”. Delicious sausage omelette and croissant after eating Japanese style breakfasts for a week. - little curry place called “Friend and Bird”, nice old man running the shop.
If you are into table top games or just want a fun bar to drink and hangout mostly with locals, there is a place called “NEWGAME BAR” with a flat fee.

ASO

I made an overnight stop at Mt. Aso, which was a quick express train from Kumamoto. It’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you are spending a lot of time in the cities. It was incredibly peaceful, I just biked around all evening.
The guesthouse I stayed in was lovely. It was run by a Japanese guy who had worked in California for a time, so he had all this American memorabilia and a big flag flying which I thought was cute.
There is also a great “red beef” restaurant there called “あか牛丼専門店 ごとう屋阿蘇店”.

FUKUOKA

Fukuoka was probably my favorite place, and I stayed for 4 nights.
I was in Hakata, at Webase. It’s sort of a cross between an upscale hostel and a hotel. My private room was equivalent to a business hotel, but had the benefit of a shared kitchen, common space and rooftop patio.
Walking around Hakata, Nakasu, Tenjin at night was beautiful and a lively experience. Similar to Tokyo in that way, but more relaxed.
I ended up at a local music festival out at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park over the weekend. I was one of very few western tourists at the show, and this led to meeting some locals which gave me a ride back and took me to dinner. We went to a local izakaya that looked like an abandoned building on the outside (intentionally) and had a secret doorway. They called it the “ninja house” which was just a joke I think. (The place was called “Chinpunkampun Haruyoshiten”). They did get a chuckle out of making me try to find the hidden door. This experience was easily the highlight of my entire trip. Google voice translate works very well and really makes these experiences possible.
I also took a day trip up to Kitakyushu to see the Sarakurayama Observatory via cable car. It’s a quick trip and definitely worth the detour. Nanzoin was also beautiful to see, but I think I had more fun just stopping at random train stations out that way and walking around.
Food highlights: - really cool Izakaya called “Takenoya Kawabata” - modern Yakiniku place with great beef that will serve a single person called “Yakinikutokasudon Tatsunosu Nakasukadomis”

HIROSHIMA

I only had a short time in Hiroshima, and did the typical route of the Atomic bomb dome/museum and Miyajima/Mt. Misen.
The Atomic bomb museum and surrounding area was a very somber and emotional affair, but important to see.
Miyajima and Mt. Misen were as spectacular as everyone says, but be prepared for lots of crowds. I think I most enjoyed the ferry ride over the most. Absolutely beautiful.
One major food highlight to point out:
“Hakushima Brunch”. The most adorable cafe you’ll find in Japan. Run by a lovely older couple who opened it when they retired. They were so happy to see tourists and interact. The French toast was fantastic and very cheap, and they gave me free home made matcha.

YOKOHAMA

When I got back to Tokyo, I headed to Yokohama the night before I flew out. I didn’t have much time to see everything, but the harbor around the Gundam factory was absolutely stunning at night. Train ride was worth it just for the view.
After two weeks of almost exclusively eating Japanese food, I found an American style BBQ joint (including wagyu brisket!) there which was fantastic. In fact, some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had period. Place is called Midtown BBQ Yokohama.
Overall, I had a wonderful trip. Be polite, greet people in Japanese, don’t fear the trains, get off the beaten path when you can, and get ready to walk like you’ve never walked before.

Got my BA in ACCT might get my MACC or do rando courses and take CPA. But also may move if can get a job (i can) right now with some superv exp/costruc work but entry level acct 0 exp.
I am looking to go to state seasons are fine (ie winter,summer,fall, etc all fine.)
dont want like TX, FL, CA, NYC, WA, DE, NJ, AZ, NM.
I like the middle area more i think like WY,SD,ND,WI,OH,IN,IL,IA,MS,AL.GA.SC.NC,VA,WV,KY,KS,NE,TN,ETC.
only concern with colder spots are: Asthma (dont like the congest feeling from wild coldness), old people (dont want sick or slip and boom taken out by some stupid harsh winter when they prob could get 20+ years still)
I want to get like a LCOL with a good pay. So I can have animals, land, home, etc at kind of younger age. Temps arent 2 concerning, crime rates/rising big factor, enviroment/natural disasters are a concern (ie dont want wildfires ie CA or i 10/20 years for my area to be struggling for Water (AZ)?).
Not that I plan 2, but I would prefer a "logical" idea for gun stuff, mostly with this is just if someone is breaking into my home/still on my prop/ attacking me/ being a danger (crime going up i dont want to get charged on some BS if someone tries to rob/home invade) (NJ),
I would prefer low retirement tax implications (this would not be for my ie not for my 401k withdraw but for elderly people who I will be taking care of their disburstments ie SS/ annuity/ forget other shit but perhaps a benefit state to the. On that topic a state with no inheritance/death tax.
medical care/something within 4 hours for major surgery pref ie cancer (sure most places have this i not could use plane/drive from Lcol savings (doubt needed 4 me, old people mb but both good health, poor knees. a decent cancer screening state would b good (do those rankings even exist?)
States with entertainment of some level would be a plus:
really anything just need something:
ie i like Bball, (Indiana (maybe lcol with high pay), bull riding/horse riding (viewing not doing) might b cool, golfing (for old people not me), socialization opportunities for old people maybe?, swimming, fishing, catfishing, sewing, farming,hunting, gardening, mudfishing, College football clubs, nba teams, nfl teams, mlb, museaum, historical marks, hiking trails, national parks, scenery.
One day in my LCOL decent/high pay job I hope to have someone working for me that can solve these questions so I dont have to both yall. Also if needed I dont have a ACCT focus. I do like taxes (dont know anything at all from college at all at all.) I dont mind other ie just standard act1 etc. jobs. I have few years supervisor exp and lots of years for construction fam business. I plan to like on applications if I cant get anything 55k+ legit ie 3 year supervisor? 3 year supervisor that used _____ required skill for 1 year, ads/customer service/ job req/ finance planning/budgeting @ construction ( I did actually do this just in no way what a pro co. would do more like hours as a kid figuring our product price/costs/ pricing/ft etc. I can say I did that family business for 8+ years idk how that looks resume wise but I include skills in there a job might want ie communication or whatever.
for the like req skills somehting like
bill dot com or
quickbooks
pivot/vlookup
sql
would few dedicated hours of yt not get me to a beg level to start a job? like Bill dot com get invoice bring to there, document how Co. wants??
sql will get my ass but not applying for many with that in req.
Thank yall
​
for initial home looking 3 be 2 bath 3+ acres, if in cheap lcol then 3bed 2 bath 10+ acre. wouldnt mind 2 angus 1 dairy cows, chickens, garden (havent hcosen size yet not big deal), water supply if possible, need ac/some newer stuff (dont want to buy some shitter that needs hella fixing ie fucked roof or shitty porch etc.
trying to stay between 200/700k settlling more at that 350-550 range.

I love Korean bbq wings but I haven’t found any good ones in the area. Anyone know a spot that’s got those delicious, super crispy crunchy wings?
I’ve been to Kalbi but the wings were just eh. But the bbq tables in the back were really fun