MONDAY - Nov. 9, 2009

Terlingua, ICS Hill, food, chili, friends and charity

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Greetings from you star reporter, Jim Stoddard. Just got back from "the bowels of Texas" (Terlingua), and wanted to give you all a wrap up of the Tolbert side festivities. Look for the video soon...

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Attendance on "ICS Hill" (known, as such, because all our ICS cooks cook there) was down this year. We sorely missed Bob and Kathy Plager and Al Henry! This year ICS attendees , beside me, included Bruce Jones, Sue Schools (had to remotely park), Bob Hall, Mick Joplin and newbies Bob and Gail Kyle. Weather was fantastic. Friday was bean, black-eyed pea, rib/chicken/brisket smoking day. Truett Airhart got 7^th place in ribs and final table brisket, and I got on finals table, as well, with my beef brisket. Both of us were ecstatic, as this was the 4^th or 5^th time smoking brisket and had never gotten a place or final table.

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The charities; ALS Association (Lou Gehrig's disease), Big Bend Education Association, and the Terlingua Paramedics.

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Food? Of course! Non-stop. Thanks to Truett Airhart, Joey Sutphen and his crew. Large breakfasts Friday and Saturday of scrambled eggs, biscuits out of the smoker, homemade brown gravy and fried pork tenders, jalapeno cheese grits, bacon, ham, fried pies.....need I go on? But wait! There's more! Lunch...dinner....smoked beef brisket and ribs, beans, blackeyed peas, ham, tamales, chili....and then much experimentation with fried foods.....Ohhhhhhhh....

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Then came Saturday. Red chili day. ICS Hill congregated in front of the Turners Goat Gap Gazette motorhome, as tradition dictates. ICS Hill has never been skunked out of a chili trophy ever since its inception, but it looked like this year, it could be the case. After calling third place, we all reverted to blank stares. But wait....who is that running up to receive 2^nd place? BRUCE JONES!!!!

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Then the wait for the final number to be called. The anticipation, the agony, the hope... "5970514"! It sounded so familiar. I had looked at it a thousand times, but now it looked surreal. I waited, holding my excitement. I didn't want to be wrong. Again, they called, "5970514! Who has it!!!" It WAS me! What a feeling!

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Good time was had by all. Kathleen Tolbert Ryan puts on a great family friendly cookoff; laid back, relaxed and a great time to chill. We all invite you to ICS Hill next year, and if we can talk Clif Dugan back, we will have three Tolbert Champion flags flying high! I'm serious. Make plans to join us next year! You won't go home hungry!

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One last thing. We saw many cooks visiting from the CASI side. The feeling is so mutual at the cook's level. We all enjoy cooking chili, visiting with friends, and helping our charities. You chili officers and "old chiliheads" out there who have problems with your members cooking in other organizations? Back off and stop harassing them. They are having fun and will still keep cooking for you. Leave them alone or they won't come back... The past is the past. "Nough said. God bless. See ya down the trail. Your star reporter signing off.

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This was a great chili article in American Way Magazine on board our aircraft.

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http://www.americanwaymag.com/chili-parlor-frank-x-tolbert-terlingua-texas-1

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Jim Stoddard

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P.S. From Bob & Kathy Plager: We are so happy for Jim Stoddard winning the 43rd Annual Original Terlingua International Championship. He is a true Champion now, and we are so proud of him. We just wish we could have been there to help him celebrate his "Big Win".

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Tolbert Championships

Nov. 7, 2009

Terlingua, Texas

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1^st JIM STODDARD

2^nd R. BRUCE JONES

(Both are members of the ICS Hill Group)

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