Blogging weekly ain't easy. I know last week's blog was incoherent, at least in places. I intend to clean it up at some point. I meant to do it two days ago.
I usually try to get these done Thursday night and set them to publish at close of business Friday. Right now it is 10:12 PM 5/25/2012 and I am at my brother's house in Gee's Bend, Alabama. (When asked where it is I usually reply "go to the middle of nowhere, and turn off the paved road.") This blog may be shorter than usual. I just want to get it posted by midnight. Maybe I'll have two incoherent in a row. That won't surprise anyone.
I do have a topic though. Some might call it serendipity, or coincidence, or divine guidance. Looking back I think it was actually inevitable.
A couple of days ago I was talking to my neighbor and mentioned I was making this trip. She asked what route I would be taking, and I said I'd probably go through Mobile. So of course we got to talking about cool places along the coast. I mentioned the FloraBama Lounge (which I still haven't been to. I've fallen behind in my dive bar exploration.) She told me about a place called The Shed. She told me the story behind it, described the place (as much as it CAN BE decribed) and said they had good barbecue. She did mention that it was at exit 57, on Highway 57, but that didn't mean much to me.
Anyway, I took the day off to come here, dragged around the house and got on the road about 10. Traffic on the Interstate came to a halt several times for no apparent reason. Somehow I forgot it was a holiday weekend. That happens I suppose. Anyway, traffic had just started moving along in Mississippi, I was planning to stop in Mobile for lunch and gas, I had just checked my GPS (figuring about half an hour) and my clock (it said 1:00. straight up) and looked up to see a sign: The Shed, Exit 57. Moving into the right lane there was exit 57. Some things are just meant to be.
I'm not gonna try to describe The Shed. I know I can't. Go see it for yourself. Thank me later.
I have come to prefer sausage over any other barbecue. I know it's harder to judge, the sausage itself overwhelms the cooking technique, but I like it. I'll have ribs next time. There WILL BE a next time. I had the sausage plate, with collard greens and potato salad. Over the past half century or so I've had a lot of barbecue. Over the last decade quite a bit of barbecued sausage. If I've had better, I don't remember it. The potato salad may have been the best restaurant potato salad I've ever had. And I had a diet coke. The next time it will be a beer.
Anyway, I have 996 days until retirement. I'm in triple digits now.
Hmmm ..., I wonder what time I'll be passing exit 57 on the way home ....
Now you kids get off my lawn!
