One weekend, while Selene’s parents were visiting, it was decided that I would show off my grilling skills. We had a veritable smorgasbord planned out and prepped — chicken, steaks, burgers, and kebabs… but the pièce de résistance was a chunk of provolone cheese that had been hand-cut into generously thick slices, lightly brushed with oil, and sprinkled with herbs.
I had never actually grilled cheese before, but I felt no trepidation toward the approaching attempt. Over the years, I’ve seen that you can smoke or grill just about anything. In fact, I even watched someone smoke a cobbler once… and it was probably the greatest cobbler that I’ve ever eaten in my life. So how hard could it be? Surely all of my years of experience in front of charcoal had prepared me for this moment.
The fiery assembly line seemed unstoppable — plates of food ran to and fro. We started with the chicken, if I recall correctly, and then the kebabs. Shortly thereafter, I established a joint operation of burgers and steaks. All cooked to perfection. And with those successes under my belt, it was finally time for the cheese. It would be my crowning achievement.
The delicious smells were intoxicating. My confidence had grown to brashness. Like a seasoned hibachi chef, I juggled my tools and threw the slices of provolone against the grates. The separation between man and machine became hazy. I was at one with the grill.
Drunk with power, I closed the lid. I didn’t need a timer for this — I would just feel it out. I imagined the applause that would soon be my reward for triumphantly carrying this fantastic fromage back inside. The smoke needed ample time to penetrate and saturate, however, so I stood in wait. It was going to be delicious.
And then, a moment of utter terror. As I lifted the lid, I discovered that the provolone was melting through the grates. Most of the slices had already been lost forever in the coals below, like sinners damned to an eternity of hellfire. I grabbed my tongs and quickly sprung into action, grasping at a slice that was barely still clinging to life.
Of the entire batch, I saved but two. The souls that I lost that evening still haunt me to this day.
But of the remaining cheese? Well… It was delicious. Icarus might have flown too close to the sun that fateful day, but he certainly ate well later that night.
Good morning and happy Monday, friends!
Selene and I have been completely engrossed in an Apple TV series called For All Mankind. It reimagines the 1960s space race, but with Russia winning… and then the entire world shifts its focus to being “first” at everything… the first lunar base, the first colony, the first to Mars. It’s very dramatic and captivating… and for the most part, believable.
But aside from the time sink of binge watching, I’ve been furiously writing! I finally broke the 60k word mark in my book, which is cause for celebration. Small successes help drive me toward the final end goal.
In other writing news, I started a short series on magickal ways to use music. I think it will be two parts in total.
I’m also getting ready for Pagan Pride this weekend in Broward, FL. It’s been so incredibly rainy this past week that I’ve got a slight fear it could be a wet day. If you wouldn’t mind sending a small bit of energy toward keeping us dry on Saturday, I think I’ll be making request to the land and weather spirits soon.
And by the way, our sunflowers are coming along nicely.
Progress!
Selene’s are on the right. Mine are on the left. She started her seeds a couple weeks before I did. I’m not sure how much taller they’ll all get before flowering, since they’re in pots, but I’m excited.
I’m starting my edits to Alexian’s interview — this will be the next full episode of M3… and in addition to that, I’ve got so very many exciting guests to reveal in the near future.
Mabon is coming up soon. Anyone have any exciting plans for the Autumn Equinox?
And… elsewhere in Florida, we’ve got Phoenix Festivals Autumn Meet going on this weekend. Lots of cool peeps will be there, so if you’re close to Apopka, you should check it out!
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more!
Aerik Arkadian 
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