I'm here to report that the corned beef was delicious. But when isn't it? There's not much you can do to ruin a corned beef. I can only take so much credit for the results, though I'm very attentive to how I prepare it. After cooking I trim the most obvious mounds of fat, so it's leaner than what you usually get at a restaurant.
I'm especially happy to say that my plan worked and there are plenty of leftovers. I know that at least Nathan and I will enjoy another full meal of it this evening. (Kristi is "eh" about corned beef; she enjoys one meal of it, and then that's it for a while.) Then, depending on how much remains, I want to make a nice corned beef hash to serve with eggs. If not, then we'll do that another time.