Pokemon GO-Free Zone
By Jim Turner
The advance team glided around the point, arriving from the south on the rising tide,
and drifted to the sandy north side shore. According to plan, the first item taken off the boat
was the flag—so our Coast Guard leader proudly did the honors and planted our Stars and
Stripes solidly into the sand at the edge of the point. Next came the folding tables. Igloo
coolers filled with food, ice and beverages, followed by the charcoal grill, bags of supplies
and several colorful umbrellas. Soon the little island was ready, and we declared ownership,
at least for that morning. Then our captain boarded his boat and retraced the route to home
base and to the crowd of waiting settlers eager for a ferry ride back to the camp and to the
anticipated festivities. Still others of us arrived from points west and north, bringing our
own personal contributions to the happening, and the beachhead was soon filled with a
joyous band of geriatric revelers. It was party time.
What now seems to have evolved into an annual event came together this year on the
third Saturday of July when about 25 folks gathered at the secret land mass for our summer
sandbar party. Most of the members of the crowd were experienced enough, or just plain
lucky enough, to avoid getting stuck on the shoals, and we arrived with both our dignity and
our appetites. Some of the gang members were virgins to the sandbar experience, and their
excitement was nothing short of contagious. The few younger members of the group gladly
offered hands to the less agile, boosting the unsteady souls with creaky joints and troubled
muscles up and out of boats and helping to make steady those early steps in the soft sand.
We were a grand troop, adorned with big brimmed hats, our bodies protected by gaily
colored cover-ups and tees that displayed bawdy slogans. The small areas of our bodies
that remained uncovered and exposed to Sol were slathered in UV-70 lotions. But the most
memorable and the most glorious part of the whole sandbar scene was the array of wide
smiles and the beautiful laughter resounding from the cluster of friends. I was reminded
of that scene from the 1975 movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in which Jack
Nicholson “borrowed” a bus and took the inmates for a joy ride.
Many, if not most, of us brought our smart phones so we could record the memories that
otherwise would morph into something different. Some folks were even bold enough to
post real-time scenes to Facebook to share with friends absent from the 2016 edition of the
beach party. The best I could tell; no one was searching for a Pokemon GO site. Different
strokes for different folks, as somebody once said.
According to my grandson’s phone app, there were multiple Pokemon creatures hanging
out in Atlantic Station. I picked up Marshall from camp at the local aquarimn one day
in late July and, at his request, brought with me his iPhone with the Pokemon GO app
already open and ready for him. My plan was to hit the AB Ice Cream store for two scoops
of healthy dairy on a big waffle cone. Since our little buddy loves Subway, we’d planned to
stop there and get more delicacies for his dinner and round out the adventure with a visit
ON THE GRILL
Grill Cooking Tools
By John Clarke
Choose the right tools for the job
Choosing cooking tools that are specifically designed for the outdoor grill can improve
the overall outcome of your grilling experience. In all likelihood, your favorite indoor
utensils are not suited to cooking on the grill and may result in compromising your
personal safety and food quality. A few thoughts on the basics:
Spatulas come in all sizes and shapes, but you will need to find one that has a long blade
to allow easy flipping or moving of large or delicate foods. The best choice Will be a spatula
that has a firm handle, most likely made of wood, with the blade running the length of
ihe handle. Grill stores will have many to choose from and even stores such as Walmart
or Lowes might have what you need. A check at big box stores or on the internet may also
produce good results.
The second tool I like to have handy is a set of long-handled tongs. You can find many
options, but ones that are about as long as your spatula will be suitable. The length of these
tools is important in preventing burns to your arms. A short tool in the 14 to 16-inch range
from your kitchen might work directly over the fire, but a longer version will be necessary
for your overall cooking.
to Food Lion for bread, milk, blueberries and salty potato chips. I mean the kind cooked in
oil and with extra salt. You must understand that this is my one and only grandson and it is
my duty to see to it that he learns to make good decisions about his food choices in order to
grow into a strong, healthy young man. I think we did okay.
I signed the form at the aquarium to collect Marshall, and when he had been released for
the afternoon I asked “How was camp?” “Good,” he said; “Did you bring my phone?” From
that moment on in the car he was quite animated and repeatedly shouted such comments
as “yeah,” “ah, man,” “dang-it,” and “Straight up ahead. Poppy. There’s a site in Atlantic
Station. I don’t have that character. Man! There is a gym!” So I was forced to play along with
a game that was alien to me. I don’t understand the goal of the Pokemon adventure. I don’t
know the characters, how to keep score or even if scoring is a part of the whole concept.
As I learned from Marshall and then verified with Google, there is a collection of weird
creatures. Pikachu, Charizard, Abra, Pinsir, Squirtle and Porygon are just a few of the names
I found. Someone has determined that the most popular character in our state is Eevee.
What is a little disturbing is that naming one’s child after a Pokemon character is currently
the “in thing.” I hope I don’t get a grandchild named Pinsir.
Some of these guys are nautical, others are landlubbers and still others fly. Each is
determined to have a certain level of power, which is given a numerical value. These values
cause the creatures to be either vulnerable or dominant. When two or more of these dudes
meet in the same space (a gym), they do battle and the one with the higher power apparently
wins the duel and claims the gym as his/her own. The winner then stands ready to defend
against others. Got it? It sounds a little like life.
Okay, so here is my not-very-detailed summary of Pokemon GO. The first step is to
download the app on your smart phone or other device. This action might take midtiple
attempts before you are successful because a minimum of 300 million others are trying to
do the same thing at the same time. Once the application has downloaded to your screen,
you can begin the chase to possess as many of these aforemeiitioned characters as possible.
You accomplish this by walking from place to place with your nose stuck on your phone
or, if you’re lucky enough to have me as your grandfather, you will be driven in an erratic
manner as we seek out the treasures. To be fair, it is a clean, wholesoine game that is getting
kids outside and causing them to be active. They are truly engaged in the hunt and share
these exploits with their friends. The risks of walking into signposts or in front of a moving
bus are real, and that does seem to aggravate the whole process.
I have begim making our plans for next year’s sandbar party by creating a sign. It will be
the second item off the boat, following the flag, and it will be erected in the same general area
as Old Glory. The design will be a white background, 36 inches square, which displays a red
circle with a diagonal stripe. Inside the circle will be the words “Pokemon GO-Free Zone.” In
smaller letters beneath the circle will be printed the words “Cell Phones for Camera Use Only^
I’m already looking forward to the next trip.
Gloves, mittens or pot holders are another must-have since you may need to touch the
food, grill surface or an item on the grill (such as a cast iron pot). If you have a hot fire (over
500 degrees), simply opening a ceramic-style cooker could cause a burst of fire as a rush of
oxygen meets the hot coals. You may also want to have food-safe gloves to handle meat that
you are planning on “pulling” (such as a Boston butt), as they will keep your hands cleaner
and help to prevent tools from slipping out of your grip.
A grill cleaning tool for before or after a cook is also a necessity. Many of the scrapers
have a steel brush or pad to assist in the cleaning process, which is great, but you will want
to be sure to wipe your grill with either an oiled folded paper towel or a soft cloth. Though
not well documented, there have been reports of steel fibers being found in food and
ingested, with the result being a trip to the emergency room. See cbsnews.com/news/grill-
barbecue-metal-brush-dangers to learn more about this risk.
At any rate, if you do not clean your grill when you finish cooking, be sure to heat it
up to burn off the residue before starting a new cook. As it burns down and the smoke
diminishes, run your tool over the grate, and flip it over to get the underside as well. You
could add a step and use a wet brush to sweep over the grill top, but always wipe it down
well, and you should be all set. If you are using a wire tool, make sure it is not too worn or
coming apart—a sure sign it needs to be replaced.
There are also all-wood tools (oak blocks) that are long and flat. The hot grill will eventually
burn grooves into the wood, creating a safe and easy-to-use cleaning tool.
After you finish cooking, you can allow a charcoal grill to continue to operate with
the vents opened and the lid closed to burn off the grill and keep it clean. If you use this
technique with a gas grill, be sure to remember to turn it off so you don’t allow it to run all
night and go through an entire tank of propane. Determine the best method for cleaning
your grill and stick to it.
(Continued on page 29)