Roasted Garlic Pot Roast / Hippie Wins
Since we are talking Pot Roast here it’s a good time to tell one of the many tales that I heard as a child. It could just be family lore and I am sure embellishments were made throughout time. Either way, it always gives me a giggle so I thought I would share it. Feel free to change characters as needed to make it your own.
Sometime in 1970-something a young man is headed back from a sausage run. Yes, we do sausage runs here, that should tell you how much Cajuns love their sausage. After running his errand he heads back to his shift at the bar with the 100’s of lbs of Sausage needed for the weekly specials. Rolling along the interstate in his VW Van just him, sausage and his trusty black lab, his giant mane of curly hair blowing in the wind, shirt off and Birkenstocks on, he crossed a long bridge. At the bottom of the bridge, waiting for him were the ever diligent State Troopers. Could they have found a better poster boy for Hippie troublemaker? Lights and sirens fill the air. The State Trooper saunters over to the window knowing he has found his perfect criminal. Now this young man isn’t known for respecting authority so a verbal argument ensues. After one too many smart-ass remarks the hippie finds himself handcuffed to a tree his furry friend tied to the next tree over. Confident they have found a sure thing for a possession charge the Troopers start searching the van. They start searching every nook and cranny all the while yelling at him that he will see - they will find his stash. Man and dog bark back in response.
Right before they are about to give up, they find it. The tiniest roach you ever did see. The Trooper grabs it between his fingers and heads over to his suspect. His bear claws pinching this tiny bit of evidence, he starts shaking it in the suspect's face. “I told you. I knew we would find it. What do you have to say now?” Without a beat, the young man leans forward and grabs the roach with his teeth and in a second swallows the roach. Down it goes, never to be seen again. As the Trooper stares in awe at what just happened, the young man says, “ Go get it now”.
There is no end to this story. Or maybe I just stop paying attention because what's going to be interesting after that? Anyway, I love the mental image of a rebellious youth and his trusty companion getting the upper hand. I bet there is a family somewhere telling the story of the time their Uncle State Trooper was outsmarted by a hippie with quick reflexes. I like to believe that in the end everybody got a good laugh out of it and went home with a story to tell. So there’s my pot story to go with my Roasted Garlic Pot Roast. I mean it makes sense they both involve eating.
P.S. - The hippie is my Dad and I couldn't be more proud of the man that raised me and made me who I am.
