The Adventures of Krystal Kid: Lets get Square at the Fair!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Lets get Square at the Fair!

In case you haven't been paying attention, the Krystal Square Off qualifying tour has been going for a while and there's been some amazing results so far. Much like last year, Humble Bob is putting up amazing numbers, and last weekend in Atlanta, Pat Bertoletti blew the previous qualifier record away with 85 Krystals, the third highest total ever. (And if you hurry, Brian, there's a great picture of Pat with Krystal Kitty on the Square Off Web Page.)
I have decided that tomorrow will be the official "unofficial Wilmington, NC Krystal Square Off Qualifier" hosted by me at an undisclosed location in my kitchen. I do realize that I have an unfair advantage given that:

I am the only person in Wilmington with Krystals
No one else in Wilmington knows I have called for the Wilmington Qualifier
It's too late for the real professional eaters to get here in time to beat me
No one knows where my kitchen is
No one else can fit in my kitchen when I am in there
I won't be answering the door after 4pm

While it may be a bit presumptuous of me to say I should win it all, I do like my odds.
Next weekend happens to be "Fall Break" where I work. It coincides with the Azalea Festival here in Wilmington. "Fall Break" means "Friday off" but since I always get Friday off, it's not that special. However I will be taking advantage of the long weekend to get out of here once again. It's going to be a big weekend.
The same weekend, the Square Off will be returning to Perry, Georgia, and the Georgia National Fair. The first set of dates posted on the Square Off site listed the 5^th (Fri) to the 7^th (Sun) as the dates, but like last year they have added Thursday the 4^th in, too. At first I felt I could make it, barely, if I left immediately after work on Thursday. But since then I have been scheduled for a class on that Thursday afternoon that wont be done until 4pm.
Yes, college profs have to take classes too. If you work in the medical or heath care field, you know all about "HIPPA." In fact if you GO to a doctor or dentist you should know about HIPPA. (And no that's not a large aquatic mammal in snazzy clothes.) Well for schools, we have FERPA. Basically FERPA says we can't share educational records with anyone except the student without the student's prior written permission. So mommy and daddy cannot call me and ask what junior made on the test. Well I suppose they CAN call and ask, but I will tell them to ask junior. FERPA is lawsuit sort of stuff, so I can't skip class. (And skipping class is a bad bad thing, kiddies!)
So with that said, I will probably be leaving right at 4 on Thursday and with the 7 hour drive I will arrive super late at night. But not too late for a late night Thursday Krystal run!!
Friday the Square Off doesn't start until 5pm, so I will spend the morning in Macon and Warner Robins visiting with friends. Krystal Sunrisers for breakfast, I think. (If you'll be available during the day on Friday and want to catch up with me, email me.) I will certainly be stopping by my Krystal on Vineville Ave to see Bernida and the gang. I have a new recipe I want to try out, and where better to give it a swing? Wanna come have Krystals with me for Friday's lunch? Email me!
Friday evening, it's to the fair. See the Krystal folks, Kenny, Brad, Kitty, Keith, etc. I also hope to eat some burgers and get another t-shirt, even though I look rather horrid in yellow. (If you call me "Big Bird" or "School Bus" I'll kick you in the knee.)
Saturday, while the fair and Square Off are in full force in Perry, I'll be heading down to Vienna (after a Krystal Scrambler for breakfast) for the Big Pig Jig, and an ATO alumni event. Brotherhood and Barbecue. Can it get any better? Well sure it can! That's why I'll be bringing my own barbecue sauce! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
After the Pig Jig I might hit the fair again, or go visit with more friends in the area. Sunday morning I hope to sleep in, but not so long I miss the Deluxe Breakfast at Krystal! Then I head back to the fair for the Regional Square Off Finals at 4pm. Then it's back on the road to Wilmington, with a stop in Pooler, GA, to restock my Krystal supply and stuff some chili pups and chiks down my throat.
While I was planning this road trip, I had hoped to stay up near Macon. But I reconsidered after I read this article yesterday:Two shot in car at traffic light on Vineville AvenueIf you look at the location of the shooting on a map (zoom way way in):
View Larger MapThis shooting happened less than 100 feet from where I used to live. I drove through that intersection every day for the past 10 years.
Given recent events, I believe I will be stayin in Byron, GA this trip. It's a nice central location between Perry, Vienna, and Macon. Plus I'll be smelling distance away from a Krystal and Hotlanta Wings (great wings and the a great Philly Cheesesteak).
The reason to go through all this trouble? Well sadly, the Square Off Finals this year are on a Sunday. I teach class at 9am on Monday. Throw in the 8 or 9 hour drive between Chattanooga and Wilmington, and the fact the Square Off will end at 5pm, and I think you see my problem. I will be there in spirit, and I will be glued to my TV, but sadly, I will not be there in person.
Were you counting how many time I'll be eating at Krystals on my trip? Can you tell I'm missing FRESH, hot, small, square burgers? Oh it's gonna be a good trip. Except for the South Carolina part. Krystal Lovers get more in the sack!.