Restaurant Review: Blue Pig BBQ (Ardmore, Oklahoma)

On our return trip from Texas, Saturday, 22 January 2011, Terry and I passed through Ardmore, Oklahoma just in time for lunch.  After cruising through the main drags of the city, we ended up back at the first exit from I-35 and decided to try the Blue Pig BBQ establishment.

Blue Pig BBQ in Ardmore, OK
Blue Pig BBQ in Ardmore, OK

The advertised special for Saturdays included catfish, something I hadn’t eaten since an after work dinner gathering at Jazz at the Legends with my former carpool buddy a few months ago.   When I asked our waitress about the special, she reluctantly informed me they were already out of catfish (and it wasn’t even noon yet!).

So, I scrambled to select my second choice, and settled on a hot link sandwich and sweet baked beans.  Terry asked the waitress which she preferred, the pulled pork of the chopped brisket.  She indicated the latter.  Terry ordered the chopped brisket and sweet baked beans.  We also ordered onion rings as an appetizer.

Our appetizer arrived promptly and we enjoyed the treat, soon followed by our sandwiches and sides.  My hotlink was a garden variety offering on a plain white hamburger bun.  Being a bread fanatic, I just shake my head at why barbecue places don’t offer better bread.  Another oddity, instead of plates (paper, styrofoam or otherwise), our food was served on a paper lined serving tray.  A bit of an ‘ich’ factor for me, but I survived.

While I wasn’t overwhelmed by my hotlink sandwich, the beans proved above average (slightly below Famous Dave’s Wilbur beans and even farther below Jack Stack’s beans which are the apex of baked bean heaven).

An interesting short lunch (we were completely stuffed and ready to hit the road in about thirty minutes) but not a repeat stop for us on our next trip to Texas.

Recovering from Our Mad Dash North Yesterday

We cut short or trip to Texas, visiting our kids in Plano and Denton, due to forecast inclement winter weather for today (Sunday).  We crossed into the Flint Hills at 5:15 pm on I-35 northbound yesterday and reached the Matfield Green Service Center a few minutes later.  Just in time for the start of a spectacular prairie sunset:

Flint Hills Sunset
Flint Hills Sunset

To see the other photos I took with the normal and telephoto lenses for the Pentax K100D, please follow this link:  Flint Hills Sunset Saturday Evening 22 Jan 2011

And Now, For No Particular Reason, a Rant About Facebook (via Whatever)

Scalzi on Facebook

A friend of mine noted recently that I seemed a little antagonistic about Facebook recently — mostly on my Facebook account, which is some irony for you — and wanted to know what I had against it. The answer is simple enough: Facebook is what happens to the Web when you hit it with the stupid stick. It’s a dumbed-down version of the functionality the Web already had, just not all in one place at one time. Facebook has made substandard versions … Read More

via Whatever

SciFi & Fantasy Book Club (GoodReads) February 2011 Fantasy Theme Poll

February Fantasy Theme Selection Poll
for
GoodReads Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club

 

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club 4224 members

Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!
 

Books we’re currently reading

The Lions of al-RassanThe Lions of al-Rassan
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Start date: January 1, 2011 

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Final Jeopardy: Law

From last Thursday on Jeopardy, I was a bit surprised none of the three contestants (none of whom were attorneys)  got the answer right.

The final category was Law and the  clue was: In 1790 the USA’s 1st law governing this protection gave it a term of 14 years; today it can extend well over a century.

The first contestant stated: “What are Patents?” … wrong

The second contestant stated: “What is haebius corpus?” … wrong

The third contestant stated: “What is witness protection?” … wrong

The correct answer was: “What is a copyright?” … which my husband can confirm I got way before the end of the thirty second song.

Kudos to Terry for getting “What is amnesty?” from this clue: This pardon, especially for political offenses against government, is from a Greek word for “forgetting” in the category From the Greek.

 

FBCS Run-Off Poll: Riftwar v. Malazan

Fantasy Book Club Series’s read book montage

Fantasy Book Club Series 193 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed FortressStormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010

Traitor's KnotTraitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010

Peril's GatePeril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

View this group on Goodreads »
 

Share book reviews and ratings with Fantasy Book Club Series, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Book Swapping Update

While I still frequent BookMooch, I’ve resigned myself to never being able to use the nearly two hundred points I’ve accumulated by giving away nearly four hundred books.  So my inventory, such as it is, will stagnate at BookMooch, as I start using GoodReads Bookswap.  I’ve posted a dozen books available for swap.

I inventoried some of the some of the three hundred books I have unread at home today.  It’s time to winnow out the chaff and reduce the flood of books to a trickle.

Book Review: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

3 out of 5 stars

Read in January 2011

I flew through this book, faster than I thought I would. Perhaps it was the font size and white spacing; perhaps it was the compelling story. Told in the first person by a backwoods ‘barbaric’ young woman called to the very center of the world, unbelievably as the heir, who just happens to be her grandfather. Completely out of her element, but not without heart, courage and brains, Yeine proves equal to the challenges of brutal court politics.

I can’t say I enjoyed this story, but I can appreciate the ingenuity of the writing. I did not need the reminder that humans, weak, broken, fallen humans, can stoop to such depths of depravity and but one young woman opens her eyes and sees the truth and has the courage to do what should have been done centuries ago.

I may change my rating from three to four stars, because as a debut novel it excelled. I will continue to ponder it’s impact on my reading soul and update this review after a few days.

I read this for the Beyond Reality book group at GoodReads in February 2011.  This month (February 2014) the Fantasy Book Club Series group began reading the Inheritance Trilogy (the entire series).

Fantasy Book Club Series (GoodReads) Selecting Next Series to Group Read

Polls open until midnight Saturday night (15 January 2011).

Fantasy Book Club Series’s bookshelf: read

Fantasy Book Club Series 190 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed Fortress
Stormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010
Traitor's Knot
Traitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010
Peril's Gate
Peril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

View this group on Goodreads »

Share book reviews and ratings with Fantasy Book Club Series, and even join a book club on Goodreads.


 

Members are Selecting the Next Series for Group Read

A dozen fantasy series were nominated, including Black Jewell by Anne Bishop; Corean Chronicles by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; Deverry by Katharine Kerr; Tales of the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee; Fortress by C.J. Cherryh; Inda by Sherwood Smith; Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist; Malazon Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson; Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock; Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan; Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; and Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly

Results of the poll will automatically be visible after midnight on Saturday 15 January 2011.

FBCS Nominations Average Ratings (from GoodReads)
Series Author Number Published All Avg Ratings Total Avg Rating for Series
Black Jewels Bishop, Anne 9 36.89 4.10
Corean Chronic
les
Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 7 26.69 3.81
Deverry Kerr, Katherine 15 55.92 3.73
Flat Earth Lee, Tanith 5 21.01 4.20
Fortress Cherryh, C.J. 5 18.69 3.74
Inda Smith, Sherwood 4 16.28 4.07
Riftwar Saga Fesit, Raymond E. 4 16.27 4.07
Malazan Book of the
Fallen
Erikson, Steven 9 38.48 4.28
Mythago Wood Holdstock, Robert 5 19.27 3.85
Riyria Revelations Sullivan, Michael J. 5 20.35 4.07
Saga of Recluce Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 16 61.81 3.86
Windrose Chronicles Hambly, Barbara 4 15.45 3.86

Roxy Is Watching You!

Yes, that’s Roxy, my favorite Rottweiler, eyeballing you from my blog header photo, sporting her new pink collar.

If you squint just a bit to the right of her head, you can see an unfocused Apollo guarding her back.  He’s my other favorite Rottweiler.  But you can’t see his new red nearly identical collar.

Aren’t they cute?

Here’s a similar closeup of Apollo:

Apollo Posing for His Close-Up
Apollo Posing for His Close-Up

And because I just can’t leave well enough alone, and will change my header photograph the next time I take a nifty photograph, here’s the photo I used to crop the shot above from:

Roxy Watching Me
Roxy Watching Me and You