Dry Rub Recipe

It’s the start of the barbecue and grilling season again and once again we are all outside doing our thing. The age old question with smoking comes into play with brisket and ribs – wet rub or dry rub. I know that both sides have their heated proponents and I don’t want to anger anybody. I certainly do not want to start a regional fight, but apologies made, I do prefer the dry rub myself!

The problem that I find with so many wet rubs is that there is often too much sugar in the mixtures, which can burn on the meat, even at the low temperatures found in smokers. And if you are using bottled barbecue sauces those preparations are loaded with salt, preservative chemicals and sugars – not exactly what you want to put on a fine cut of ribs or brisket.

Here is my recipe for the dry rub that I use for smoking or grilling. It is a spicy, yet not over the top rub with I think just the right combination of salt, sweet and spice. It won’t burn readily (yes there is some brown sugar, which can be omited if yiu are concerned), and if you are using fresh dried spices it should keep in a sealed jar or container about six months.

3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. coarse salt (Kosher)
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 Tsp. crushed Mexican Chili Piquin (red pepper flakes will do)
1 Tsp. cumin
1 Tsp. oregano
11/2 Tsp. brown sugar

Mix all of these ingredients well and seal tightly until ready to use. Pour out what you intend to use into a small bowl to apply to your raw meats if you don’t want to use it all. This will prevent contamination from hands handling raw meat. Rub this in your meats thoroughly; for best results refrigerate the meat overnight or for at least an hour or two before grilling or smoking. I always have a fresh batch of this spice mixture in my pantry. It works great on beef, pork and even chicken.

If the mix seems too spicy or not sweet enough experiment with the portions until you come up with a combination that works for you. I prefer Kosher salt because it has a better flavor to me and being coarse, it’s not as salty as regular table salt. Enjoy!

Why Do Most New Year's Resolutions Fail?

You know we’ve all made them; losing weight, stop smoking, reduce or cut alcohol intake, save money, spend more time with family…… the list goes on and on. Yeah, I’ve made and failed at more resolutions than I can remember to count. In the end I’ve always ended up disappointed with myself and ultimately backtracked on my promises. We all have done it. It got so bad for me that I eventually stopped making such resolutions, mostly because I really didn’t believe in them or myself.

An article in The Journal of Clinical Psychology by John Norcross and others who report that about half of the population makes resolutions for the New Year. But most of us begin to backslide by February, and by the end of the year we are back in the same place we started. What causes this?

There is also research by psychology professor Peter Herman, who cites what he calls the FALSE HOPE SYNDROME. In that condition he believes that we make unrealistic resolutions about changing something in our lives which we don’t believe in. Ultimately we fail and our self-esteem suffers after taking the hit.

For me that observation is spot on. I used to make resolutions about weight and money, none of which were reasonable or specific, and I knew deep down that I wouldn’t follow up on them. Take my diet, for example. With a full-time career and being often consumed with things going on in my professional life it is all too easy to eat poorly. Out on band and choir trips with kids or pressed for time after a long day, one can easily make the wrong choices about food, and I did. I realize now that those poor choices were really an excuse for not wanting to think about better choices or not understanding that great food taste does not have to be unhealthy food choices. More on this theme in a later post!

Author Ray Williams has written in Wired for Success (Psychology Today, December 2010) that our behaviors have to be rewired in order to have long term success in our resolutions:

“The other aspect of failed resolutions lies in the cause and effect relationship. You may think that if you lose weight, or reduce your debts, or exercise more, your entire life will change, and when it doesn't, you may get discouraged and then you revert back to old behaviors.

Making resolutions work is essentially changing behaviors and in order to do that, you have to change your thinking and "rewire" your brain. Brain scientists such as Antonio Damasio and Joseph LeDoux and psychotherapist Stephen Hayes have discovered, through the use of MRIs, that habitual behavior is created by thinking patterns that create neural pathways and memories, which become the default basis for your behavior when you're faced with a choice or decision. Trying to change that default thinking by "not trying to do it," in effect just strengthens it. Change requires creating new neural pathways from new thinking.

So, if you're going to make New Year's resolutions, here are some tips to help you make them work:

1. Focus on one resolution, rather several;
2. Set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 10 pounds in 90 days would be;
3. Don't wait till New Year's Eve to make resolutions. Make it a yearlong process, every day;
4. Take small steps. Many people quit because the goal is too big requiring too big a step all at once;
5. Have an accountability buddy, someone close to you that you have to report to;
6. Celebrate your success between milestones. Don't wait the goal to be finally completed;
7. Focus your thinking on new behaviors and thought patterns;
8. Focus on the present. What's the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal?
9. Become physically, emotionally and mentally aware of your inner state as each external event happens."

The key takeaway that I have from this is to have a reasonable goal and put a common sense plan in place that is achievable. That includes developing a support system. or some way to do period checks to make sure that the plan is being followed. Without such provisions it is easy to see why our New Year’s promises to ourselves fail so much; the goals are too big, too non-specific and we have nothing in place to guide us and to check our progress. We say we’re going to change something in our lives, but we forget to ask ourselves how we are going to go about making these changes and what will the timeline for completion for the changes look like. So in the end we either end up at the starting point of a disappointing circle or giving up all together.

In the end we all want to improve our lives. I know that I have certainly been guilty of making grandiose goals with no way to be accountable for these goals. One of the mistakes we all make is to wait until year’s end to start thinking about these failures. Let’s get a head start and start working toward improvement now!

======UPDATE!======

My progress has been more than satisfactory. Most people want to take off too much too soon - that almost always comes back on. In my case I have lost about 35 pounds now since January 2nd - and this is April 20th. There is a long way to go, but a pound or tww a week is all I am asking myself to do - that's a deficit of just 3,500 calories a week. Portion control, eliminating junk food, cutting back o social drinking (which are hidden calories) all have been beneficial, even if I have slipped a day or two in a week with an extra slice of pizza or grabbed a cupcake at work on staff treat days. It's all okay! Just get back on track the next day!

I've learned that the body is a savvy machine, but it can be persuaded to go along with the program if we commit our minds to improving our health. That is the key - our minds! More positive reports to follow!

Blog Writing and Updates!

When one decides to sit down and start a blog, it is easy to say "Okay, I have so much to say and have all of this time to say it". Then, life (in this case work) happens, and suddenly that time becomes like wisps of steam on a cool day - gone in a flash!

That's what has happened to me with this blog. So much to say and so little time to say it. Fortunately none of what I had to say was particularly important, so I suppose it can wait a little longer. I do have several more recipes to add, which I will eventually get to, and some comments to make about our elected representatives in Washington, who are not doing the job they were sent to do, regardless of which side of the aisle they sit on. I'll see if I can come up with a coherent statement to make on this in the near future. It's sort of like trying to make sense out of something nonsensical. I'll probably do no better than the millions of other Facebookers, Tweeters, bloggers and pundits out there flailing away at this mess, but at least I will have cleared my throat!

Okay, so back to updates. First, my shoulder; this is the seventh month since I had the rotator cuff surgery. It's coming along nicely, though it is in no way completely normal feeling yet. That will take a year to regain the strength that it had prior to surgery. Every so often it reminds me when I am reaching for something in an awkward manner that I need to remember to keep it in a little closer to my body. I am lifting some light weights, started in rehab a few weeks after the surgery. The goal is to build back muscle density around the repair site. It's a work in progress. It seems like I run into somebody weekly who have just had the surgery or have a diagnosis and need reassurance. Yes, things do get back to normal but it does take some work!

The other update surrounds the Mazda CX-5 that I bought in December. So far, it has been stellar at the gas pump, averaging exactly 32 miles per gallon in an mix of street and highway travel. The car will not not give you jack rabbit starts from a stop, and can be a little sluggish, but it does like to rev. I have never punched a car off the line anyway, so I have not really noticed any real lag in acceleration. There is always the option to shift through the gears manually if I needed to, but I haven't. The car's comfort has been good, and I really like the blindspot hazard system, which works well.

Someone did back into the car in a mall lot three months into ownership of it, causing about $1800 worth of damage to the rear bumper, hatch and right taillight. Parts took about a week to arrive, but once they did the car was restored to new condition. I did miss it during that period, relegated to driving a not so cool Altima, which bugged me for some reason.

And of course I started my 22nd year at Sahuarita High School this fall, the year beginning very smoothly for the most part. I have a student teacher working with me from the University of Arizona this semester, a choral major. It's a challenge to teach my classes, only because I am a hybrid music teacher, so to speak. I have taught instrumental and vocal music my entire career. Many vocal majors might balk at directing a jazz ensemble and teaching a guitar class if they have no instrumental background, but my student teacher plays flute and marched in the Pride, making it an easier assignment. We've got a great year lined up with many wonderful musical events and achievements to enjoy.

The Grammy Signature School buzz is still very much in evidence from our selection last April. We've used the money to upgrade and repair instruments. We were going to buy a new more mobile digital piano for our choirs and jazz band, but a man in the community eliminated that need by donating to us gently used two year old Yamaha professional grade keyboard a couple of weeks ago. We are looking forward to hearing this instrument with our groups.

One of the new things that is going on at school is the remake acoustically of my rehearsal space. The choir/jazz band room was built in 1998 with almost no proper sound insulation. Choir singers enjoyed the liveliness of the room, but man it was tough for a band to play in. And in the evenings the drumline rehearses in the room. It was definitely a hazard to one's ears. I've suffered from this over my time working there and have lost considerable hearing. I am currently using hearing aides.

This summer the district began making changes, extending the sheet rock between the choir room and the band room all the way to the ceiling, above the ceiling tiles. The tiles themselves were changed out to include those which can diffuse sound. What is happening this week while we are off is the completion of the work. Sound panels are going in on the walls of the choir room (yes, they never installed them in 1998), and sound cabinets, containing sound absorbent material, are being installed in the corners of the room. When instrumentalists use the room, opening the doors will soak up the boomy sound of drums and bass. Closing the doors reflects sound, which suits choir rehearsals. I can't wait to hear the results next week!

Post Rotator Cuff Surgery Update - Two Months

I am so behind in this update; where do I begin? To start, I returned to my teaching duties two weeks after the surgery. That return was eventful because two days after I came back to work our choir performed at the Eastern Arizona Large Ensemble Festival. They did will, despite my one-handed conducting. I was told by my surgeon that wearing the sling was a six-week proposition. Every time I was out of the house I was admonished to wear it; if anything it was a reminder to others that I had a bum wing. The day that I ditched the sling at work wouldn't you know it but a teacher who hadn't see me for a while clapped me on my bad shoulder! Yeow!

I was also told not to drive for a week. Well, I’m a fairly non-compliant patient, so I pretty much ignored all of these instructions. I waited five days on the driving before going off on my own to pick up some things at Target one day the following week. It was only a 4 mile straight run down one road from my house, so it wasn’t quite so bad. Turning was a bit of a challenge, but I figured out a way to do that safely and efficiently.

As far as pain was concerned I definitely felt soreness and stiffness during the pre-physical therapy period, and sleep was still a challenge. However I found that I was able to lay in bed sooner than I could with the previous surgery on my right shoulder. I used pillow bolsters to support my arm and shoulder and was soon able to stop wearing the sling for nighttime sleeping. That was so much more comfortable.

When I had the surgery on my right shoulder back in 2010 I remember having a lot more pain and struggling with my sleeping situation for several weeks. I also remember having problems doing simple tasks like wielding a spoon or a fork. But of course I am terribly right-handed. Doing anything with my left hand has always been a problem. Let’s face it – I am such a klutz left handed!

Physical therapy began the week I returned to work. It consisted of passive motion exercises. The therapists put me on a bench and then stretched and moved my arm and shoulder themselves. It’s hard to voluntarily give up control of your arm! You want to “help” the therapist, but doing so actually makes them fight with you. I learned to just close my eyes and breathe deeply during these sessions. That helped to keep my shoulder relaxed and the therapists happy.

There were four or five sessions of this type of activity, the goal of which was to begin increasing my range of motion. The first resistance exercises involved an overhead cable/pulley exercise in which my right arm pulled my left arm up high from a seated position. This was hard and painful, but I noticed that I could stretch the arm pretty high if it was aided by the right.

Once I could extend the arm (with soreness and stiffness), we began to work with very light resistance using a beach ball or very light elastic bands. From there I graduated to very light dumbbells, one to two pounds over the next four weeks.

At this point I am now up to five pound weights and stronger elastic bands. After my initial PT sessions ended I am on my own now, with the weight, bands and stretching program running three days per week, about 45 minutes each session. The last fifteen minutes of those sessions are reserved for icing.

The challenge is strengthening muscles attached to the reattached rotator cuff that basically shut down after surgery. It’s a process of many months of work to get it feeling anywhere near normal. There is still stiffness and pain as I use the shoulder more and more, and I have to remember to keep weights like milk jugs close to my body when lifting them. The same thing is true for extending the arm, as in drive-thru restaurants and banks. That can be uncomfortable, but if I make a conscious effort to use the arm it goes much better than reaching for something instinctively without thinking. That’s when the shoulder says to me “Hold it buddy, are you sure you want to do this?”

I fully expect to have my shoulder completely back in about six months, if I can keep consistent with my rehab schedule. There is a lot of work there yet to do, but I am already able to do more than at any other time since I tore the tendon in the shoulder. I’m looking forward to a time when my shoulder does not remind me that I am still healing!

***Rotator Cuff Surgery Day 5 Update***

I was able to move about quite a bit on the fifth day, including a short trip out shopping with my wife, though I can't drive just yet. I also began the first prescribed exercises, which consists of leaning over a table and letting my left arm dangle in a circular motion in three sets of ten reps. This is to be done three times per day.

The biggest change was my move out of the sling, which prior to the 5th day had been on 24 hours a day. The instructions say that I can leave my arm free if I am at home in a "controlled" situation, but I am to where it outside. The sling is a very supportive device, but wearing it for extended periods can cause my arm to go to sleep. I have been wearing it off and on for an hour each time.

The biggest step forward for me was not wearing the device to bed. I was able to tuck a pillow under my arm for support and slept in relative comfort the night before. Sleeping is always a challenge with this surgery. The added activity has increased my level of pain, however, and that is to be expected. The shoulder is quite sore in the evenings, but pain management has been effective. The pain, when it comes, is more in the category of a dull ache as opposed to a sharp pain. However, moving my arm in the wrong direction unsupported will bring a sharp rebuke, so I know my limits at this point.

I have received calls daily from both my orthopedic surgeon and the anesthesiologist to check on my progress. I do feel that if I have a problem I can reach out quickly for help. I'm scheduled for my first post-surgery exam on April 8, and physical therapy will begin a few days after that.

If I had to characterize this experience thus far in comparison to my first shoulder surgery, I would have to say that it has gone better. Time will tell but I am looking forward to regaining my full range of motion in my left shoulder without pain!

Arthroscopy: The Day After

Here I am typing, one handed mind you, but I am typing! Day two was better than I expected based on my first rotator cuff surgery three years back. The seemingly clumsy attempt at administering the pain block by the anesthesiologist turned out to be a benefit, because the extra numbing agent that he used really deadened the pain for much longer than 24 hours. I lasted for all of Day Two as well. I was in no pain from the surgical site and experienced only soreness in the general area.

Now I did take the Hydrocodone as prescribed, but at this point I am starting to feel like I won't need it for the Day Three and beyond. I also used plenty of ice today, something that will continue for many more days. I moved about the house frequently today, getting the mail, fiddling with a new cordless phone system and programing a new remote for the living room television. Apart from that, I read and generally just hung out with my family and watched more of the basketball tournament. It's been a pretty good experience thus far, and much better than before.

I still must sleep in a reclined position again tonight, but I have a feeling that because I am not in much pain I may actually have a better chance to sleep tonight than in previous nights. I surely miss my bed, but it is not so bad. Tomorrow begins a new challenge as I remove the bandages and begin the first very light exercise of the arm. I can also finally shower as well!

Arthroscopic Surgery

I've been through this before. In 2009 I was rear-ended in an auto accident, resulting in a tear of my right rotator cuff tendon. I didn't discover that the injury had occurred until weeks later. The surgery in May of 2010 repaired the partial tear successfully and I recovered well from it, though I was surprised to find that sleeping was very difficult. I had to sleep for nearly two weeks in a recliner, because laying down created challenges. Also, owing to the fact that I am terribly right-handed, learning to use my left hand for daily functions those first two weeks post-surgery was definitely a challenge.

Physical therapy truly helped to strengthen my shoulder, but it was time-consuming. I recall going to therapy for eight weeks, two to three times a week. The good thing about all of this was that I was on summer break from school for most of this, so I had the time to get well. I was even able to sneak in a Jamaica trip during this period (though I was still in some discomfort at that time).

When I learned a few few months ago that I had suffered a full-thickness tear of my left rotator cuff, it was not terribly surprising. The shoulder has been painful and lacking complete range of motion for a long time. I used to lift heavy weights, foolishly I might add, and I had known that for quite a while that things were not quite right in either shoulder, but with these types of injuries people usually self-treat with an analgesic and go on with daily lives.

In the case of the auto accident, trauma changed my attitude that with respect to my right shoulder. What led to the re-evaluation of the pain in my left shoulder was a fall last September. I found that I suddenly could not lift my left arm more than a few inches without strong pain in my forearm. This was exactly the same pain that I had experienced in my right shoulder and I knew that it was time to see my orthopedic surgeon again.

The thing about the shoulder tendons (and there are four which controls arm motion) is that they don't get much blood supply to begin with, so damage in this area can be slow healing. The Acromiom bone, which is the bony extension which overhangs and protects the upper tendons is subject to developing a hooked appearance due to normal arthritic conditions. Even without much physical abuse, this bone can dig into the top tendon, the supraspinatus, and partially tear it. A fall or other traumatic occurrence can aggravate the existing tear and result in the condition that I am experiencing there. It is a common injury which is especially frequent with men in my age group. This diary is intended to help others going through the same thing that I am experiencing. Yes it is a little scary, but knowing what lies ahead is a great tool and preparing for this procedure. There will be several updates to this article as I work through this.

Day of Surgery

My last meal, per per-surgery instructions, was the night before, about 7:30. I have not taken any aspirin or NSAIDS for the last week prior to today. I was allowed Tylenol, which I needed last night. I felt some apprehension before going to bed, but my spirits were lifted by the Bulls beating Miami to stop their winning streak! This morning I woke early, had just a sip of water with my prescribed medication per instructions for my reflux condition.

After watching Sports Center, I drove with my wife, Linda, to the surgery center, where I checked in and paid what I owed of the surgeon's bill. They called me right away and I went on back to the prep area, where I was asked for the first of a dozen times my name, date of birth and the procedure and location I was there for today. The nurses wee very efficient in prepping me. I was all hooked up to the various lines in about twenty minutes. I was told that I had to take off my wedding ring. Now, I have not been able to get that ring off for about 20 years. When they said it would have to be cut off I asked for some ultrasound lubrication and presto! It came right off after a little bit of tugging effort. I'll have to get it stretched! My doctor came in next to diagram on my shoulder where he would be working and after a few jokes, he left to prepare.

The trouble came when the anesthesiologist began to administer the nerve block in my neck. It seems that my anatomy is not textbook on the left side; it took him four attempts using an ultrasound guided needle to find the correct nerve to stick. After the second attempt he asked me if I would like something to "take the edge off" through my IV line. Of course I did! After that I didn't care much what he did.

When I was appropriately numbed up Linda was brought in for final hugs and kisses and I was wheeled into the operating room and transferred to one of the most uncomfortable, narrow beds I've ever been on. I remember scooting onto it and being asked to push myself a up little higher. I heard the anesthesiologist say "nite-nite" and the next think I knew I was propped up on another bed, bound up in a bandage and the fitted sling we had to buy days prior to the procedure. Linda was sitting by my bedside and I slowly came to consciousness. There was no pain whatsoever from the site, but my calves were very sore. Apparently they had to flex my legs in an awkward position on the surgical bed during the procedure.

I was told that the surgery went as planned and that it took about 40 minutes. I went into surgery on time at 1 pm, and was out in recovery by 2:00. I was given some cold water and applesauce and I noticed that my throat felt very raw, from the tube they ran down my throat during the procedure. I was told to cough once or twice per hour throughout the next couple of days to help keep my lungs clear. I was able to stand very quickly, Linda helped me to get dressed and the nurse went over with us the doctor's post-surgical instructions once more. Linda is a Registered Nurse, so I had no concerns about not understanding directions. She always maintains charts of blood pressure, meds and so forth on a regular basis, so I knew that I was in good hands with my wonderful wife.

I was home by 4:30 and ready to dine, since I had fasted since the night before. I opted for breakfast - eggs, coffee and a slice of toast, which I was able to palate just fine. Dinner was equally light - soup. Much of the night I was troubled most by the bindings that I was in. They don't want my arm to move too much these first three days, so I find it awkward to sit in chairs or rise cleanly from the sofa. I was given hydrocodone and 600 mg ibuprofen to take every four and six hours respectively, but the pain block they gave me was still working well, as it did throughout the might. As I say, I don't sleep well in a recliner and tonight was no exception. I am not allowed to lay flat for several days so that the repair can set without complications. I was not in pain, but I was uncomfortable, napping on and off all night long. The first two nights are always the worst.

More to come!