Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

CrealCritter

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I might add a pig pickin is way more than just a hog roast. Sure the hog is the star of the show but there is a literal smorgasbord of authentic to the region foods. Big pots of Brunswick stew, fish (east coast) whole deer (western) chicken, turkey, slaws, beans, etc... But perhaps the most notable are in finishing sauces. You can tell where your at by the type of finishing sauce that's made usually in 3 to 5 gallon pots. I've never been to a pig pickin with less than 100 people present. Its a awesome time for sure!

The last pig pickin I attended was at friend name Jim. Jim lived like 1/2 mile south of the Virginia line in north central NC. He made 3 finishing sauces. East NC, West NC and south central VA. Each one was totally different. My favorite is eastern NC finishing sauce its apple cider vinegar based.
 
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CrealCritter

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Interesting! I do enjoy making my own bbq sauce.

BBQ sauce is different than finishing sauce. The way hog is eaten at a NC pig picking. Everyone picks at the hog gets their meats they want with knifes and large forks / tongs. Then everyone scoops out their own bowl of finishing sauce. You dip the meat in the sauce and eat it that way. Generally speaking the hog is cooked with dry rub of cooks choice of blended seasonings because a hog is fatty and naturally bastes it'self as it cooks.
 
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sumi

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Makes two of us! I bought some lovely pork chops earlier. It's tempting to throw one on the cooker now, but it's a bit too late in the evening for that! lol
 

frustratedearthmother

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Today will be packaging day for ex-piggy. She's been hanging out in the cooler, on ice, since Sunday. Time to get her in the freezer.

I need a new vacuum packer - mine is old and worn out. It still kinda, sorta works, but sporadically. I'll be heading to Wal-Mart at lunch to see what they have as a possible replacement. If they don't have something wonderful and reasonably priced I guess I'll be getting freezer paper, lol.

The plan, at this time, is to do another pig this weekend - weather permitting. So far, it sounds like Sunday might be the day, maybe. We need practice, lol. Will be using a different weapon this time and hoping for better aim...sigh.

I'm watching udders in the pasture really closely. I could potentially have does due by the 4th if Conan did the deed the first day he was in the pasture. Not so sure he was successful that soon, but I need to be prepared anyway! Problem is I'm running out of dry places to put these does. It just won't stop raining! ugh
 

baymule

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Pig pickin' I sure have missed the boat on that one! Sounds like a lot of fun.

Raining here, a drizzly nasty mess.
 

frustratedearthmother

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This is a rant....you've been warned!

It's been a long week and I'm glad it's over. One of my best buddies at work today sent me a thank-you note....thanking me for always being on his side, and helping him out and also to let me know he'd been fired. WHATTHEHELL? I'm so sad for him. He was the dispatcher in our campus police department and I LOVED working with him. In fact, he always helped me more than I could ever have helped him.

A few minutes after I got his note (hand delivered by one of our officers with tears in her eyes) I found out our Chief of Police is also leaving. I know he's eligible to retire so I hope that's all that's going on with him. I simply do not know what is going on at our campus. I've been at this position for almost 16 years and before that I was part-time for a couple of years and before that I was a student worker and before that I was a student. All together I've been on that campus in one capacity or another for over 20 years. Back in the day I could walk across campus and know, by name, every other employee that I saw. Everyone could! We were a family. Someone got sick and didn't have any more sick time - we would donate our time. It was such an atmosphere of care and even the students knew it and benefitted from it.

We were named in the top 10% of community colleges in the United States year after year after year. We don't get that anymore. :(

About 5 years ago we got a new president, most of the administrative team retired and/or moved on rather than work for her and she brought in brand new bulldogs that she'd worked with before. The place went to hell in a handbasket.

This is a campus where we had numerous employees with 30, 40, and even 50 years! Lots of them! Where else do you have that kind of atmosphere? Everyone loved their jobs, everyone helped each other and we all knew everyone's name. I walked across campus the other day and did not see one single person that I could readily identify. At the Christmas get-together there were infinitely more people there that I did not know than people that I did know.

I counted up my time and could technically be out of there by October or November. Staying through my next birthday in January would probably garner me a few more dollars a month. Not sure it's worth it.

I feel no loyalty at all to the college anymore. I still love my job, my coworker, and our students. I'm even ok with our new boss now. She made a total 180 after our talk. She works hard, understands our regulations now and puts in her hours. I've got no more complaints. But I'm not going to miss it when I'm gone. I'll still volunteer with the program if they need me to - but I'll be glad it's not mandatory.

Enough of that...
 

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