Varmint's Pig Pickin'

[Zeb A]

But, brother, that's the charm.  

Right. We stopped because we'd seen so many cars back here in Maine with the bumper stickers. While we weren't expecting the Hilton....

I guess other people have since discovered its unique charm as I haven't seen a bumper sticker from there in the last couple of years.

It is good you stopped. It is bad luck to drive by South of the Border without stopping and paying your respects to Pedro. Better yet, you should buy the tackiest thing you can find.

[Marlene]

Sign me up as a maybe.  I just looked at three one-way tickets for a total of $500, which sounds entirely feasible.

Kathy

From Washington State??? That'd put you in the lead for greatest distance travelled!!!

I want special mention for coming from another country

[Varmint]

Sign me up as a maybe.  I just looked at three one-way tickets for a total of $500, which sounds entirely feasible.

Kathy

From Washington State??? That'd put you in the lead for greatest distance travelled!!!

I want special mention for coming from another country

Marlene, you're the reason that this is an international event!!!!

[Marlene]

[Nick]

It is good you stopped.  It is bad luck to drive by South of the Border without stopping and paying your respects to Pedro.

Pedro's lucky he didn't get his balls shot off on our way out.

[Nick]

In all fairness I have to say that the help at SOB were nice people. It's a case of the owner being too tacky and too greedy. As an example, when we went to buy beer on site there was only Miller or its derivitives. Since I can't stand Miller, I asked the counter person why that was. She said the owner of SOB also owns the Miller distributorship for the area and wouldn't allow any other kind of beer to be sold on site. She was helpful in directing us to the closest off-site store with a wider selection.

But, plastic Pedro was lucky that night.

[Nick]

Nickn from Maine is probably going to come, as the peer pressure is hell.  Plus, Katherine needs a ride.  And he wants to make sure that Maine is well-represented.  Finally, he'll regret it for the rest of his life and burn in hell if he doesn't come.

Varmint (and Katherine), after lots of thought, I'm not going to be able to make it. I'd really like to get there and meet everyone and have some good eats - and maybe help tend the pig - and meet Jaymes too.

But... in May I traveled to Blacksburg in southwestern Virginia to attend my daughter's graduation. Western Virginia is beautiful and I'm glad I got to see it. It was getting from here to there that got to me - and it would be the same getting to your place. There follows part of an email I sent to my daughter after I got back to Maine -

".... I think it was culture shock what with leaving Maine and all. It's okay to go to NH and Vermont, but once I get down into the craziness further south on the interstates, I lose it. So many people, driving so many cars. It's like the human species is way out of control."

That's gone into my thinking about why I can't come. It predominates my thinking about why I can't come. If it weren't for all the stuff in between, I'd be there. Maybe other people that have their roots in the country will know what I mean.

[Holly Moore]

Understand from whence you are coming, but:

1. Where is it written that one must travel by interstate?

2. Where is it writen that the best distance between two points is a straight line?

Cut across Mass, drive down from Albany, through the Poconos, the Shenendoah Valley and then cut back to Raleigh. Or, from the Poconos aim for the Delmar Penninsula and cross over to VA on the Bay Bridge/Tunnel.

What's another few miles for the opportunity to watch Varmint roast a pig?

[Jaymes]

Nickn from Maine is probably going to come, as the peer pressure is hell.  Plus, Katherine needs a ride.  And he wants to make sure that Maine is well-represented.  Finally, he'll regret it for the rest of his life and burn in hell if he doesn't come.

Varmint (and Katherine), after lots of thought, I'm not going to be able to make it. I'd really like to get there and meet everyone and have some good eats - and maybe help tend the pig - and meet Jaymes too.

But... in May I traveled to Blacksburg in southwestern Virginia to attend my daughter's graduation. Western Virginia is beautiful and I'm glad I got to see it. It was getting from here to there that got to me - and it would be the same getting to your place. There follows part of an email I sent to my daughter after I got back to Maine -

".... I think it was culture shock what with leaving Maine and all. It's okay to go to NH and Vermont, but once I get down into the craziness further south on the interstates, I lose it. So many people, driving so many cars. It's like the human species is way out of control."

That's gone into my thinking about why I can't come. It predominates my thinking about why I can't come. If it weren't for all the stuff in between, I'd be there. Maybe other people that have their roots in the country will know what I mean.

Oh fer crissake all RIGHT!

I'll come get you.

[Nick]

Holly, I hear you and I'd love to do it that way. Take a week gettin' down and digging all the stuff off the highway in between. It would be great.

But, I've had my own business for thirty years or so and been through the ups and downs. It's beginning to look like we may be facing a significant down. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do about this - probably ride it out the same as I have the rest.

So, it ends up that I have to deal with the craziness of the interstates between here and there - or, take a more leisurely route (which I'd really like to do), and while I'm fuckin' off along the way, wonder just what I'm doing having such a good time, spending money that I'm not sure how I'll replace if things keep headed in the direction I think they may be headed.

I'm really giving all this stuff serious consideration - and I know that this is not a hallmark of this site - eat and be merry - but it really boils down to make a quick run to NC and join what seems like millions of others making quick runs - or take a slow (and enjoyable) journey - or just stay home and make sure I'm ready for winter.

I know everyone's going to think I'm crazy. I probably am.

[Jaymes]

and while I'm fuckin' off along the way...

Never mind.

[Xanthippe]

It's like stopping to see the Thing when driving I-10 through the desert... just something you've got to do.

I used to live in Tucson - about 40 miles west of The Thing.

So it amused me to give people, who were driving from the east to visit me, directions from The Thing.

As in "after you reach 'The Thing,' go 38 miles to exit #122, then right...etc."

Tickled me no end.

Omigosh, The THING!! Jaymes and mcdowell, I thought my two sisters and I were the only people who would openly admit having stopped there! Amazing. My first visit, I fair to collapsed on the ground in a sodden heap of laughter -- and that was on the walkway lined with fantasia wood animal sculptures, before we even got inside the, er, um, The Thing.

Edit: What dear Mr. Varmint said. I really, really, really want to attend the Pig Pickin', so's if any of you care to offer me a lift on your private jet . . .

Edited July 4, 2003 by Xanthippe (log)

[Jaymes]

It's like stopping to see the Thing when driving I-10 through the desert... just something you've got to do.

I used to live in Tucson - about 40 miles west of The Thing.

So it amused me to give people, who were driving from the east to visit me, directions from The Thing.

As in "after you reach 'The Thing,' go 38 miles to exit #122, then right...etc."

Tickled me no end.

Omigosh, The THING!! Jaymes and mcdowell, I thought my two sisters and I were the only people who would openly admit having stopped there! Amazing. My first visit, I fair to collapsed on the ground in a sodden heap of laughter -- and that was on the walkway lined with fantasia wood animal sculptures, before we even got inside the, er, um, The Thing.

X (if I may call you that) -

Do you remember some years back when there was this kind of short dumpy woman and she was married to this 6'5" glangly guy - typical tall skinny dude, big hands, big feet, big Adam's apple -

And they both decided to get sex change operations at the same time. So they wind up this world-class-weird-looking couple - funny short dumpy rather feminine husband, and giant crane of a wife, still with the big feet, big nose, enormous Adam's apple...

Well, they were all over the news at the time - magazines, papers, TV - everything.

They were from Benson, home of The Thing.

So they're interviewing one of the locals and he says: "Oh great. Like Benson needs this publicity. First The Thing, and now THIS!"

[Nick]

and while I'm fuckin' off along the way...

Never mind.

What's up with you? I didn't say I was gonna get it on with every woman along the way. There's a difference between fuckin' and fuckin' off.

Jason, Sorry I know this is a food site.

[Jaymes]

and while I'm fuckin' off along the way...

Never mind.

What's up with you? I didn't say I was gonna get it on with every woman along the way.

Okay, well then REALLY never mind.

[Nick]

Okay, well then REALLY never mind.

Good enough.

Varmint, I bet you didn't plan on havin' a transcontinental spat as part of the pig pickin' .

[Katherine]

If the only reason you feel that way is because you don't like to drive in traffic, I drive like a crazy person. I've driven to Florida probably a dozen times. I can get us to the open road south of DC, and you can pick up from there, in the boring part.

[Nick]

If the only reason you feel that way is because you don't like to drive in traffic, I drive like a crazy person.

Just what I need for such a trip. Praise the lord and pass out the tranquilizers.

[porkpa]

Doesn't anybody on the Southeast page speak of anything else? Sixteen pages already and the event isn't even close. I'm so jealous that I can't be there.

Porkpa

[Xanthippe]

Omigosh, The THING!!  Jaymes and mcdowell, I thought my two sisters and I were the only people who would openly admit having stopped there!  Amazing.  My first visit, I fair to collapsed on the ground in a sodden heap of laughter -- and that was on the walkway lined with fantasia wood animal sculptures, before we even got inside the, er, um, The Thing.

X (if I may call you that) -

Do you remember some years back when there was this kind of short dumpy woman and she was married to this 6'5" glangly guy - typical tall skinny dude, big hands, big feet, big Adam's apple -

And they both decided to get sex change operations at the same time. So they wind up this world-class-weird-looking couple - funny short dumpy rather feminine husband, and giant crane of a wife, still with the big feet, big nose, enormous Adam's apple...

Well, they were all over the news at the time - magazines, papers, TV - everything.

They were from Benson, home of The Thing.

So they're interviewing one of the locals and he says: "Oh great. Like Benson needs this publicity. First The Thing, and now THIS!"

Yes, Jaymes, call me X, Madame X, Xan, or whatever . . . but just call me!

How could I forget that "world-class-weird-looking" transgender couple?!? Best argument against sex change operations I've seen to date!

So they were Bensonites, eh? Goodness. Poor Benson, home of The Thing . . .

[Varmint]

Wow, I'm away for a couple of days and we get into a spat!!!! The fact that any of you are coming is pretty damn amazing. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate folks coming from all over the continent. I figured maybe 10 or 15, tops. Well, when it became an "event", the pressure started being applied (some of it from me, of course!). I just want everyone to know that it's great if you can come, but let's let everyone decide on their own whether the trip is too much. Down here, people wouldn't necessarily drive an hour for a pig pickin', as they're pretty damn common. Granted, this one should be better than the average pig, but it's still a pig roast!

Thanks, y'all. I'm going back to my beer.

[Varmint]

For those who really want to count down the days until the pig pickin', Fat Guy worked this up for me:

Go here for a countdown to the big event (this counts down to 7:00 AM (EDT) on October 11). Click for the Countdown Page!

[joler]

squeal!

[Rachel Perlow]

Very cool.

Update on our travel plans. We just checked out the RV rental place and decided to instead drive down in our car and stay in the hotel with the group rate that allows doggies.

[Varmint]

Very cool.

Update on our travel plans. We just checked out the RV rental place and decided to instead drive down in our car and stay in the hotel with the group rate that allows doggies.

They got them a Caddy, It's as Big as a Whale, and it's about to set sail . . . .