Homemade Tamales... What was I thinking???

So, I'm hardly one to blog very much.... but after my crazy task I decided to take on this weekend I figured what the heck! I decided to take my aunt up on her offer of finally giving me my grandma's tamale recipe on one condition.... we make them together! I figure fair enough, if I'm getting the recipe it's only right I help make them, plus being a hands on kind of person, I can then learn from first hand experience. I guess the first red flag about the amount of time and hard work that goes into these rolled up tasty treats should've been the fact that I had to go to 3 towns in search of the Boston Butt!!! I started off in Kyle, Tx at the HEB Plus... I live about 8 miles down the highwayin the next town over but I figured I'd go to the Plus grocery store because they should have EVERYTHING! Wrong! So I then worked my way to my hometown of Buda, right outside of Austin... Nothing! But I did walk out of there with a tip from a very nice person who informed me of the .67 cents a pound deal going on about 16 miles north up I-35 and soon found myself in Austin!!! Finally (3rd times a charm) I found the Butt! I also found the nice little adult beverage store right next door!!! I bought the beverages but decided to just save them for drastic measures because I new I had alot of work ahead of me! My night of prep didn't end until 1:30a.m (no alcohol included) and it began again at 5a.m. today!!! It's now 4:30p.m. and I still have about 10 more dozen to roll and cook!!! Now I'm indulging in the alcohol!!! Stopping at the liquor store yesterday after my search for the Boston Butt might've been the best decision I made involving this whole homemade tamales ordeal!!! Wish me well!!!

Sylvia