BBQ Goodness at AppleWood

Do you like BBQ? I like BBQ. And not mediocre BBQ either. I've been eating the stuff since before I could walk if you put a plate of just so so ribs in front of me I'm burnt out on the things to the point I'll probably just eat the bread that goes with it and call it a night. Same thing goes for even modestly good pulled pork. That being said I can't go into a city without trying their smokey goodness at at least two different places. Typically I go to the cities 'best' and the runner up to see what they have to offer. Typically it's good not great and I end up wondering why am I eating BBQ again when I don't really enjoy it. There are a small handful of exceptions.

I made my way into Kansas City for a spell one summer and everyone raved about Oklahoma Joes BBQ. It's run out of a gas station and I've never been when their wasn't a line running out the door and that's during church hours on a Sunday. I drove past during lunch on a Saturday once. No Barbecue is the worth the wait I saw. This place has won oodles of awards and is generally considered awesome right up there with Jack Stacks (I wasn't fond of this place so no paragraph for them.)

Oklahoma Joe's was somewhere I could go and have some pulled pork and baked beans and enjoy my meal with modest satisfaction. It was good, not the best I ever had but good. Then traveling with the man like I do we mozyed on over to Independence, Mo. You know birthplace of Harry Truman. Big historical site all that jazz. Stopped at a little bbq joint with no reputation no awards yet and had the best barbecue I have had in years. Apple Wood BBQ (http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#) was absolutely delicious. They had sauces that had some heat they they had some with the tangy but my favorite turned out to be the apple bbq sauce. I saw it in the line up and decided why not, best choice I ever made. I loved the stuff. Then I got mine with a baked sweet potato with honey butter and brown sugar. My man got rib tips with the fries and baked beans and a burnt end sandwich. We went halvsies. It was all delicious. The rip tips were cooked perfect. The fries weren't the out of a bad steak fries these were honest to god fries. Everything was so delicious. I'll admit the burnt ends were not my favorite but I've never been a super fan of them.

Then about that time where we know we're about to eat to much we know we should stop but it's so good you don't want to. The owner comes on over and  says "I hope you saved room for rum cake."

My man replied, "I don't think we have room for desert."

He nodded, "I'll bring you a sample then let you decide."

So a moment later he came back bearing two small squares of rum cake and I had decided. I needed me a slice of his aunts rum cake. I hadn't had a rum cake that good since I was a little girl. I think the best part was we ate til we were stuffed. Spent $20 between the two of us and had enough leftovers I got to do it all over again for breakfast this morning. Compared to the rest of the barbecue we got in Kansas City, it was a steal.

So if you ever happen to be doing the tourist thing in the Kansas City area hop on over to Independence. It's a cute little historical site with BBQ that is just as good if not a bit better (close call) than the cities best. So help keep deliciousness in business.

Apple Wood BBQ
1003 E 23rd Street Unit E  
Independence, MO 64055
http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#



Later in the week I'll talk about the Varsity in Atlanta. Don't let me forget.

Corset missing the rum cake.
Signing off.

Stephen King's On Writing

So being a wannabe author like I am, I tend to write a lot and read a lot. So when a friend of mine raved about how amazing Stephen King's book was called "On Writing" I had to check it out and for the most part it was time well spent. I agree with a lot of the things he says and the process he went through writing various books. It was nice to read about an author who wasn't afraid to admit he didn't come from the swanky area of town and just happen to make it big. Knowing that there are authors who fess up to having had to actually work to be able to write for a living and all the struggles he faced was inspiring to me. I could read through and identify that I had been in a situation like that and it sucks but it doesn't mean the sky is falling or that you should give up on writing.

The one issue I did have is how in part of his book he declares that you are as good a writer as you will ever be. He says that it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer and equally impossible to create a good writer out of a competent one. This irked me the wrong was as it does many because I look down at my work and if this is as good as it gets I should just stop trying to write a book and create a pseudonym to write erotica for life. Most of those readers don't care how well it's written.

Thankfully I am in a position where I don't believe that. Not at face value anyway. I am using my write to interpret his words to come up with a different meaning that is implied. Some people just get it. Have you ever met one of those kids that picks up an instrument and starts to play and it sounds beautiful despite the fact they can't tell you what they are holding? I think writers have those people too. I think that is where you get people like Yeats from. They pick up a pen and it just works for them. That doesn't mean that if you can't do that you shouldn't write. It means you shouldn't expect to grow into be a savant or grand master. You may just have to settle for being a good writer. Or in the case of some people (like Stephanie Meyers) you should just get down on all four and thank god and your publisher/advertisers for gullible high school kids and their mothers trying to reclaim their youth.

I might go on a rant as to why the Twilight series is bad for society but that is for another day. Right now I'm trying to talk about an author worth reading. So as I was saying, I am taking my time to interpret his words. If he disagrees then he should have been clearer on the subject. I would probably have a rabid fan girl moment if he commented on this to tell me I'm wrong.

At any rate I feel I am starting to flake away at you. So here's some end notes. This past month I have submitted my short stories to see about that whole publishing thing. We'll see how it goes. I think I might have some pretty new rejection notices to hang on the wall but that is ok with me. Writing isn't for the faint of heart. It takes a thick skin, knowledge that if you have a five percent acceptance rate you are doing it right, and that if at first you don't succeed try and try again. It's all about the persistence and pigheadedness when people tell you there isn't money to be made in writing.

Crossing my fingers to be published,
Corset signing off.

Game of Thrones

So I just walked the first episode of Game of Thrones and I am seriously considering not continuing. I mean it was honestly a bad idea what they did. SPOILER ALERT

So you know how in the book when Khal Drogo and Dany first shack up she was like no I don't want this because she was afraid. So Khal Drogo was all gentle and persuasive until SHE SAID YES. Well in the TV series all that happened is she started to cry we find out the only word Drogo really knows in her language is no and then he strips her down and bends her over and cut scene. So he raped her? No that is not what happened and to me that is a story breaking thing to have the viewers think. She may have been unhappy at times but she did grow to care for him and love him.

Then there was the casting. Everyone was too pretty. Even the people who were described as being but ugly looked too pretty. Like the Imp. He was supposed to be a bulbous dwarf and ugly as sin but they cast his character like he's just a hobbit or something. Then there was his older brother the Kingslayer. I'm sorry but his character walked on screen. He's also a lot more brunette than blond and the first thing I thought is Look! It's Gaston! Then you can insert some Beauty and the Beast flashbacks.

Anyway time moves on they change some more things I don't really approve of it. Like Bran's age. He morphs from seven in the book to ten in the TV series. So how old is Dany supposed to be? The actress is obviously over eighteen as she has some nudity going on but the character was Sansa's age. Closer to thirteen. A lot of the dialogue rings true from the book but they change the context where it was said or in the methods. Such as when Bran fell. It was more than he caught them going at it like rabbits. He heard them plotting.

So with many a sigh and much woe I  am a little put off from watching episode two. However there is so much praise surrounding it that I might trek onward. I really did enjoy the books but I am reserving judgement for this.

Corset Tsking from a distance,
Signing off

Batman Arkham Asylum

I am starting to feel that I am becoming a little overly critical of video games these days. I started playing Batman Arkham Asylum and I was just really under enthused. I think I would have had the same amount of fun if I'd sat down and either A: Watched the old batman cartoons or B: Played old school Spawn. I came into this game knowing that it was just a beatem up action game but I was still expecting something a little more interesting. You really have no choice about where you go when so it feels a little bit like a dungeon crawl and the most interesting part is the cut scenes.

I find that is why I keep playing. My favorite part is the interctions between Harley Quinn and the Joker. Being a fan of their relationship I watch to see how it plays out and if that means I have to do something mindless where I don't even need to look at the screen all the time then fine. Now I know what some of you are thinking, why not just up the difficulty level. Long story short. I did. I still just have to find the area with the enemies and attack repeatedly till I stop catching slow motion trick shots out the corner of my eye. If they have guns? Well that's even easier. I switch between latching onto things in the sky and and glide kicks.

Now to be fair I never said I didn't like the game I said I had higher standards. I'll admit I am having a lot of fun hosing things down with gel and setting them on fire and blowing through walls and the like. It's amusing honest. The plot is mildly gripping too. My favorite part so far has been dying where you get the cute little cut scene or dramatic lines. It's adorable. I am just having a hard time getting super excited about the game. Now when it's done I will more than likely play Arkham City which some people have told me is the best game they  have played yadda yadda yadda. I don't think it will be that good since I am actively anticipating Mass Effect 3 and Bioshock Infinite and I still haven't gotten my hands on Assassins Creed Revelations yet. However I will give it a fair chance. I'll post an update when I finish the game. I'd hate to be so rude towards it and not have the decency to apologize IF I find something redeemable about Bats.

Longing for a table top game,
Corset signing off

Heavy Rain: Railroad Edition.

Hey guys. As promised I've been playing Heavy Rain and now I have another short bit to say about it. I feel awfully deceived. I wanted the game because the premise was I would have choices and if I killed a character it would change the plot and choices I made mattered. Well I've been playing the game and have come to the conclusion that it's all a lie. Not in the sense that the cake was a lie, but an actual lie. I was playing and I found if I followed a set of actions Ethan would end up yelling and throwing things at Madison. My response was bad Ethan! It was near a save point so I loaded and then reloaded. I took every possible choice set I was offered and the only thing that changed was how long it took me to get him throwing things. Well Damn says I. So I let the fight happen. Afterwards I am offered the choice to be angry or apologize. First time I chose apologize. Second time I chose be angry which led to an extra speech blurb before being rerouted to apologize. I have to say my primary motivation at this point for continuing to play the game is to see if I can drive my character off the rail road tracks I seem to have found. I don't think I am imagining this but I haven't really heard anyone else complain about it. I have a hard time believing I am the only one who tried to change the outcome of a situation on the spot rather than a do a full blown second play through. I think I am going to start over so I can try and kill/let everyone involved die. Let's see what happens then. And NO I won't just youtube it. Where is the fun in that?