Family and friends can attest to the fact that I caught "BBQ brain" early this year. There's just something about a ten-year anniversary that feels so significant, so I can't help but get even more wrapped up in planning for this year's TR BBQ than usual. Now, with a scant one month left to wait, all that preparation is coming to fruition as things shape up to be better than ever. Now that the BBQ is nearly feature-complete I wanted to tale a moment to share some of this year's change log.
Thanks to Asus, the cottage's Wi-Fi is vastly improved (and we have a review of that equipment coming soon). The upgrade to the live stream, courtesy of the Ricoh Theta S, means that gerbils who can't make the trip can at least attend vicariously. Based on feedback from the BBQ thread, we've got a fully stocked arsenal of Nerf weapons and a separate cornhole tournament just for the kiddos. I've mentioned the cotton candy machine we'll have on hand before, and further "testing" has proven that it's pretty sweet. There'll also be a new raft, a piñata, a giant kite, 3D printed trophies, Turris demos, and a few more surprises that I'm keeping under wraps until the big day. I might even have a secondary live stream if the contraption below cooperates.
We need to devote an entire paragraph to the BBQ's legendary fireworks show. TR's lawful good firebug, SHOES, is looking to take things up a notch this year by setting up a one-fuse show. That means the entire haul of pyrotechnics will be mounted to boards and professionally choreographed for maximum effect. Such a plan requires some advance notice, though, so if you're one of the generous gerbils that usually contributes to the fireworks fund, please consider doing so before the end of the month so we can pack in as much powder as possible. All the details are in this post.
Historically, there's only the one-week reminder left to go before the BBQ is upon us. That's not much notice, so if you're reading this now, and you can make it to Holland, Michigan on July 23rd, why not put it on your calendar? New gerbils are always welcome. If you're a regular and you haven't confirmed that you'll attend yet, please do so in the thread—it helps a lot. Oh, and don't forget about the fancy new shirts and hats we're doing this year. If you would like one, make sure to reserve it before the end of the month—they're custom-made and take time to process. Hope to see you there!