“Particular” is how I would describe the parents bringing their kids to one of the colleges in town. To Greg, I call it something else and that involves my potty mouth. Yep, it’s that time of the year again. Back in my old area of Indiana, school started August 17th but here it starts September 8th and it’s even later for the colleges.
Yesterday Greg and I went about our errand day and noticed a shift in personality that the town takes on when the “college kids” come back or rather while their parents are here. I don’t remember ever experiencing this when I graduated and lived within the Purdue University area.
As I’ve mentioned before, choppers fly in and expensive vehicles get parked on sidewalks in front of stores because walking is just too much, I guess. We’ve had some alumni come through on nice looking motorcycles and beautifully restored cars, many convertibles. I’ve fantasized more than a few times about jumping in and going joyriding which always ends in the owner laughing with me and we grab a beer to discuss how I thought “she” handled.
I can’t help but hear conversations on the sidewalk from some alumni since I live above a high pedestrian traffic area. I happened upon one where some men were talking about places they’ve been in the world and things they are working on in their companies. I swear one guy sounded like John Goodman.
These times are usually bittersweet- I sometimes find myself wanting to throw something out the window (depending on the discussion) or find myself staring with a weird awestruck look on my face that scares them away. I imagine it isn’t very pleasant to find a twenty-something woman child with her nose pressed into the screen and a maniacal expression on her face, throw in the excited grunts and it’s a sure thing that I am a scary sight.
Last year, we went to Target (it is the wind beneath my wings and had me at hello) where we heard a woman, whose son was starting college, asking the Target employee how to use laundry detergent……. I stood there probably not hiding my shock. I wouldn’t have believed it had I not seen and heard it for myself. Yesterday and a few days before, I can be found at Target a few times a week, two different families were yelling at the girl at the register for what, I don’t know but it was rather rude. I don’t know how long this will last with the parents because I’ve been told that more than a few families move here while their kids go to school and go back to a summer home when school is out. Sometimes I think this town needs an enema.
Anyway, I made slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches for a picnic lunch on our hiking day in Red Wing. I talked about this a bit yesterday. I also discussed the homemade barbecue sauce recipe in a previous post. I came across this recipe about a month ago but ended up changing the rub and other ingredients so I turned it into my own tender dish.
Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Serves 6-8 (using 5 lb. bone-in pork shoulder)
Ingredients:
5 lb. bone-in pork shoulder
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ cups beef broth (or 2 cups if not using beer)
1 Cave Creek Chili beer or your favorite ale or lager-optional (you can read about it here)
1 cup of water
Day before: Make the rub by mixing salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cumin, thyme and pepper together and then rub the (not frozen) pork shoulder. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Day of: Place chopped onion in bottom of 5 quart slow cooker and place the pork in top of that, then add broth, beer (optional but highly recommended) and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, about 7 hours in, I shredded the pork and placed back in for the remaining hour. I drained a bit of the liquid form the slow cooker and placed it on warm for serving and I also drained the pork before serving. Top with homemade barbecue sauce or eat alone, it’s very flavorful.