It Sure Is Hot In Heaven!

Sunday morning I left Kevin with his indefatigable energy and began a trek southeast to Atlanta. About three or four hours from Louisville I stopped for lunch. Now, all week the weather had been perfect... it'd been a blessing. However, on this day the weather was brutally hot and unforgiving. My solution to combat the elements? Pulled pork and ribs! Carl's Perfect Pig in White Bluff, TN had been recommended to me as an essential stop on the tour. It did not disappoint! Located about forty miles west of Nashville, Carl's Perfect Pig is not a slice of, but simply is hog heaven! Nothing fancy about this joint. The restaurant is a rather unassuming brick building along a rather unassuming highway. Inside I enjoyed the best barbeque of my life! Normally I'm a dyed-in-the-wool pulled pork guy. However the first bite of a Carl's rib changed that tune. There is something so incredibly wonderful about eating good food when really, really hungry. I savored every bite as my feet did the happy dance. I probably hummed a little too...

There is what appears to be a handicapped ramp leading into the restaurant. After having one meal at Carl's Perfect Pig I realized the ramp was in place so the proprieters could off load bloated, happy customers from the building.

More and more I'm discovering how warm and gracious people can be. It's infectious! After eating I walked around taking photos. One woman, I'll call her "Church Lady" commented on my 24 Hour Church Of Elvis glow-in-the-dark t-shirt. She offered me a pamphlet from her church. Now, in NYC there are always people approaching me for one thing or another... usually money. Over the years I'd built a formidable shield around myself to keep trespassers away. In the last week my guard has begun to drop. This is a good development. Church Lady had such a warm, zen-like affect that I accepted her gift and thanked her. Who knows? I may actually read the thing. I could absorb some philosophical nugget that will help guide me on my path. Church Lady's companion seemed very interested that I was from NYC. She was curious to hear about how New Yorkers had changed since 911. She had trouble grasping that people were jumping out of the buildings. I reassured her her friends in NY were a resilient lot and thanked her for the kind thoughts.

A final thought. As I was paying for my meal I casually mentioned to the cashier I was from NYC and made a special trip to White Bluff just to eat at Carl's. She told me to hold on before leaving, spoke to THE Carl (he was working on this day... bless his heart), then presented me with a complimentary beer coozie. My lip quivered. I'm becoming more and more touched by even the smallest gestures.