Week 10 in Atlanta

We made it to week 10 here and things are starting to become normal. I think the topic for this week is BBQ and intellect. Interesting combination if you ask me, but you didn't but since it is my blog, I don't care. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing. I do love America. Ok let's cover the easier of the two topics: BBQ. We have now eaten more BBQ in 2 months than I did in 14 years in Seattle. Now, for those who are reading this in Seattle, Dixie's BBQ sucks. Carolina smoke in country village in bothell is average, Milts BBQ in Bellevue is good, but the best is Stan's in Issaquah. That is truly good BBQ. Now, let's talk about BBQ in Atlanta. Our first experience was Shane's which is a chain BBQ place here. But, being a chain, I was pleasantly surprised. We had their sampler platter.. The pulled pork was really good, and after going back 3 or 4 times, they were very consistent. The ribs were tender and very good, and the sauce is great. The sides were really good too, but I recommend the buf-q sauce for the chicken. Great flavor and not too much spice. Now, we have also eaten at swallow in the hollow, spiced right BBQ, and Dreamland. Swallow in the Hollow in my mind is overrated. Their sauce is very unique and you either like it or not, I did not really like it. I had a half chicken which was ok. The Mac and cheese there was amazing though, il give them that. The location and atmosphere is pretty cool there though. Service was good, but if the food is average and the service is good, that isn't the whole package. Now Dreamland has the best service out of all of them, fast, friendly, and on top of your drinks. The BBQ is good flavor and love their BBQ sauce. Good sides but didn't really like their beans that much. So this all leads me to spiced right... Located in historic Roswell, it was great! All of it, the fried okra, the coleslaw, the beans, the pork, the sauce, etc... It is a small place and pretty poppin on Friday night with live blues. The two kids that work there were nice, it is a different vibe than dreamland, just a BBQ joint, order at the counter and tada. Love the smell of that place everytime I drive by. Truly my favorite BBQ in the Atlanta area that I have had. Apparently, a1 BBQ up the street is pretty good, but I haven't been there yet. So go checkout spiced right if you are in the Roswell area. If you want more of a sports bar vibe go to Dreamland. If you want something to take home quick, go to Shane's. So that is a brief overview of BBQ that I have experienced here. Now on to the more difficult topic...intellect. You often hear of the southern charm, southern hospitality, etc... Well, that is true, we have met some really nice people here... Friendly, share their stories, and love to talk. But I have realized that they are like that because that is how they cover their lack of other skills. Like common sense, book smarts, and general logic. You know how smart people aren't usually the beautiful people, and the beautiful people aren't that smart, that is how things get balanced out. The unattractive people are the nicest. The stupid people are generally stronger or cuter. Well, in Seattle people are smart, make real decisions, and have a general air about them regarding their beliefs. Here people are horrible drivers and are very friendly but lack basic intelligence regarding logic, common sense, and operate in a slow fashion not because of the pace of life but because it takes them that long to process what is going on. Why are drivers so bad here? It takes them longer to process their environment. I am not going to be mr humility, I am smart, I always have felt that. Yes, always. I'm not the strongest or most physical person, but I am a problem solver. I am a great driver too... Why? Because I am a aware and awake. We are adjusting to the southern lifestyle but I think I am realizing that being polite and being smart are not mutually exclusive. Imagine if Seattle people were nicer to strangers, but they are not usually due to past experiences and self preservation. Here they don't really care, they are trusting people almost to fault. If something bad happens, they move forward and don't worry about it. Seattlites process it and wonder how they can prevent it in the future. They think of the whole experience and solutions. They are innovative and open to new ideas and experiences. People are very set in their ways here. They don't like change or innovation. There are of course exceptions, but as a vast generalization, they do what they do and keep doing it, for no other reason than, that is how they have always done it. Questioning ideas, process, and thoughts come from elsewhere, and they change because some manager or supervisor tells them to change. They are quick to change when a fear of their security is affected, or a person of authority suggest change, but it often doesn't come from within. It is fascinating to watch, but here is a question that came up.. If you are an A person working with A people, and you go to a place with C people do you move back to the A people or do you help the C people raise the bar. Keep in mind you have it easy with the C people and with the A people you have to work harder but with more challenges. So do you coast at the c level, or strive to fight to raise them to the A level. It is all work.... And a tough decision. I'll leave you with that question.... Thanks for stopping by...