Saturday, May 24, 2008
Shouldn't a banquet have food?
As you'll recall the original reason for my trip back to Macon was for the annual Mercer Computer Science Honors banquet. You can read the invitation in my post here. As you can read in that post, this banquet sort of fell apart without Penny there to direct and manage it. Invitations weren't mailed out, attendance was lower than usual, and then there was the food. Or maybe I should say "and then there wasn't the food." Check out the tables:  Normally the schedule for the banquet starts with the food, then the guest speaker, then presentations of the awards and coveted coffee mugs to the graduating seniors. Somewhere in there they also recognize the alumni. This year since it was determined that I'd graduated earlier than anyone else, I was the designated fossil. After the food and the awards, the final event of the evening is usually the induction of the new members of Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computer Science honor fraternity. Normally, with the inductions being the last event on the schedule, everyone has a chance to run and hide from Dr. Allen so they don't have to be in the initiation ceremony. Unfortunately, with the food snafu, the schedule was rearranged, and no one had a chance to run and hide. And you can forget claiming not to be a member of UPE, as Dr. Allen prints up a list of members and brings it with him. As punishment for losing the camera shoot out, there was no way I was going to avoid being in the ceremony. Especially since, at one point, I think I was even president ("Upsilon") of the Mercer Chapter. (They say it UP-silon, not OOP-silon, which all Greeks know is the proper pronunciation.) With all the celebration and ceremony out of the way it was finally time to get some of the food that had miraculously arrived while we were inducting new members. Choosing your seat at a banquet like this is always tough. If you are a software guy (like me) and you find yourself alone at a table of hardware guys, then you'll be tortured and ridiculed all night. And of course the reverse is true. Us software guys show hardware folks no mercy. Don't even get me started on the pompous networking guys, that everyone hates. If you've looked through the pictures of Penny at Mercer's CS page you may have noticed me just off to the side in a few pictures. Rather than wading into the whole hardware/software/networking war, I usually sat with one or two seats of Penny and Carol Ann. Molly one of Penny's favorite student workers would also usually sit at the same table within a couple of seats of Penny. This year, without Penny and Carol Ann, it just seemed natural that Molly and I wind up sitting together. It sort of helped ease that feeling that something or someone was missing. Sitting there, eating dinner, you couldn't help but think about Penny, who at the time had only been out of surgery for a few hours. I couldn't help but find myself asking WWPD? (What Would Penny Do?) Well if you read my post on Penny's nicknames for me you know exactly what Penny would do. She'd put me in awkward, uncomfortable situations and then take pictures of it. I know that because she did it last year, too.  Me and Molly at the 2007 banquet/cookout   Much better!  |
Friday, May 23, 2008
Circle K takes Macon
When I arrived in Macon and headed to my hotel something odd caught my eye.  So after my extended quest for a Circle K really all I needed to do was to go back to Macon? That's just cruel, Circle K. And certain NOT the way to get off my "fecal roster" (as my dad calls it). Oh I went in. I laughed at their wimpy 32 ounce "thirst busters" and I walked out. You cannot tempt me anymore Circle K. Your powers are useless against me! As I headed back to my hotel from a hair cut (and a stop at Krystal for breakfast and another Freeze, orange I think) I saw something else.  Of course you'll notice the signs all over the front indicating they are not open. When I moved that was a Food Lion that was barely in business. I am unsure if the Pig came in, opened, and then closed, or if they are in the process of moving in. Either way, it won't do me or Heidi any good. With all of these new sights freaking me out a little bit I decided I simply needed to find something that reminded me of good old Macon. So a little further down Eisenhower, I found it:  And then, across the interstate from my hotel, my favorite sign:   |
Labels: Macon
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Dr. Freeze (and Pam!)
| Despite having eaten almost a pound of steak, and salad, and soup, I had to make haste to Macon. I had several people to see and some Krystals to eat. Next stop: Pooler, GA. There it was:   As soon as I checked in, I placed a call to Dr. A. Ever since my post about him we'd been emailing about catching up with each other. In yet another Krystal Koincidence, I was heading back to macon anyway, so we made plans to do dinner on Friday. On my long drive to Macon it slowly occurred to me: Who would know more about Brain Freeze than "Dr. Freeze" himself? (If you've watched his video, linked from the post above, you'll understand the nickname.) I met Dr. A and his wife Pam for dinner at the super gigantic chinese buffet out by I-475. I hadn't seen Pam in ages and she's lost a lot of weight since then. (Don't worry Pam. I found it. Or it found me!) Dinner lasted a coupe of hours as we talked about the old days, and the days in between. So much has changed and yet so much hasn't. After dinner, we made our way, where else, up to Krystal on Zebulon Rd. With a couple of Krystals and Freezes in hand (cherry for me), we got a few pictures. I also decided to spring my question at that point. What did Dr. A think was the secret to the Brain Freeze and more important, how would one avoid it? After a long discussion I think the answer we came up with was: I don't know. Apparently more research would be needed. Sadly, I was unable to make off with my own bucket of liquid nitrogen, so I am having to come up with a slightly less lethal test for Brain Freeze. Of course the results will be posted here eventually (if I survive!) As a side note, had I been paying attention to the Krystalist blog, I may have seen that they linked to my Straw Poll post that studies straw sizes as a possible reason for brain freeze. Had I seen the post it might have reminded me to bring my Bubble Tea super straws. Sadly, I forgot them at home and Macon doesn't have a bubble tea place that I know of. But I didn't let the lack of a super straw stop me from the persuit of brain freeze. In fact, over the entire weekend I managed to try all seven Krystal Freeze flavors, and got brain freeze on 3 different occasions. 
There is sure to be more on Freezes, and my Brain Freeze research in the future. But lets not get too far ahead, there's plenty of weekend recap left. |
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Dinner with Andrea
| While KrystalAdventures has more or less been on hold for 2 weeks, MY adventures have not. So that means I now have about 15 very busy days and 2 or 3 adventures to catch up on. While I am trying to get a handle on that, let's just go ahead and get the best part out of the way first. The first weekend of this month was the bi-annual Alumni reunion of my fraternity. These guys have been getting together every two years for quite a while and I am honored that about 6 years ago they invited me. I missed the event 2 years ago, but was determined not to miss it this year. It is such an amazing feeling to be among all of that brotherhood even though most graduated 30, 40 and 50 years ago. In fact on Friday I was the youngest person there by at least 10 or 12 years. (For those Mercer ATO's closer to my age that are reading this, it makes me sad to see the lack of participation by the younger crowd year after year. Missed opportunities to connect and reconnect with that which makes our fraternity great, our brothers. Yeah, I'm calling you out!) Anyway while planning my trip I decided that I always have such a blast it would be a shame not to share the weekend. So I summoned up the nerve (that took about 3 weeks) and I invited Andrea. I technically met Andrea about 12 years ago, but due to her career taking her all over, we lost touch until about 2 years ago and we've been emailing since. Because I was in the middle of finals, and Andrea's life was rather chaotic, it took a while to get our plans set, but she was able to come down for the Saturday evening banquet.      |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
whoa nelly!
| As Krystal Adventures moves forward from our week long celebration and memorial of Penny, I did have an interesting side note to pass along. Not many people know that at one time many years ago Penny worked at Krystal. Many times over the years Penny provided me with valuable insight into "life behind the counter." When I was in Macon this last time (May 2nd) after leaving the hospital where I visited Penny, I made my way over to Krystal. After all, I can't get THAT close to my old Krystal and not stop by. Of course I also had a few things I'd been planning since I stopped by the previous weekend. When I stopped by for breakfast the previous week to catch up with Bernida, I discovered that Krystal HQ is not only reading my blog, they are now using it against me. Apparently after reading my post with multiple references to the red haired waitress at Andy's, Krystal had gone out and located a cute little red haired girl and placed her at my old Krystal on Vineville Ave. I asked Bernida about her and said that if she'd been there a year ago I probably wouldn't have moved. Bernida then informed me that she (the cute red haired girl) was in management training and Bernida was going to try and keep her at the Vineville store once she finished training. So let's see, cute little red haired girl, working for Krystal, trained by Bernida, and just down the street from where I used to live. Well played, Krystal. Well played! I had planned on my return trip to get a picture with the cute little red haired girl, but she wasn't in. Much like in the Peanuts cartoons, apparent YOU are not supposed to actually see her. But I did. Well played, again, Krystal! But Krystal wasn't finished there. Oh no, they had more taunts in store for me. When I was there the first weekend I saw the sign for the two newest MilkQuake flavors.  On my return trip I told Bernida my plan. She also though I was nuts, but she made it anyway. Cause Bernida rocks!  Between the two trips south I was also able to finally try ALL of the Krystal Freezes (reviews to follow later). I felt I had finally caught up on all that was new and tasty at Krystal. Then I saw this:  Look at some of the new Freeze Flavors that are just out of the test kitchen and tell us which one you would buy. Watermelon, Strawberry, Banana Popsicle, Lemon, Blackberry, Peach, Tropical Punch, Mojito The test kitchen has been busy coming up with new MilkQuake flavors: Smores (Graham Cracker crumbs, Choc Shake, Marshmellow syrup), French Vanilla, Key Lime Pie (with graham cracker crumbs), Banana Split, Cotton Candy, Peanut Butter and Jelly (made with real Peanut Butter), Triple Chocolate (Choc. Shake, Oreos, Choc. Whipped Topping) There you have it folks, the test kitchen is now cranking out delicious goodies faster than I can get to them. They're just rubbing it in that I live in Burgatory now. Maybe it's time I get back to the KrystalAdventures test kitchen and start cranking out my own delicious goodies and make those at Krystal HQ jealous of me!! I am, technically, on summer vacation. (Is this starting to sound a bit like The Summer of George?)  |
Labels: Macon
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Penny got "called up"
| If you were to ask Penny her favorite Macon Hockey players, there wouldn't even be a moments hesitation. She liked most of the goalies (Brian Elder, Chris Madden, Jean-Ian Filiatrault, etc) but her real love was the tough guys like Phil Valk, Jason Renard, Andrew Rodgers, Chris Waltz, Mike Payne, and Andrew Katzberg. I think Penny's preference for players really did reflect her personality. She liked the goalies, the players you depend on from start to finish. Your last line of defense. She hated, however, when the goalie would leave his net to go chase down a loose puck (as Steve Vezina was fond of doing). I suppose Penny saw it as abandoning your post or forgetting what you job really is. Penny never abandoned her post and never forgot her job. She was the backbone of the department and everyone depended on her from start to finish. Her preference for the "bad boys" might seem out of place if you knew Penny. Often players like Valk and Renard are thought of as "Goons." Players who only fight. This is, of course, not their real job. In hockey the correct term is "Enforcer." Once you understand the job, you can see that, in a way, Penny was also an enforcer. The enforcer's job is actually quite simple:
And enforcer is like a police officer and a cheer leader all at once. Looking back on it, Penny was sort of the enforcer for the Computer Science Department. Not that she'd drop the gloves and pummel students who were getting out of control. Penny was always looking out for the students. She also protected the faculty, though some would never admit it. She made sure everyone played fair. And when times got rough and people got down, you could ALWAYS count on Penny to say or do something to lift their spirits and get them back in the game. I suppose God's hockey team is in the playoffs right now. It is that time of year. And maybe his team is down a bit, or maybe someone is taking liberties with his star player. God's hockey team needs an enforcer. So Penny's getting called up from the minor leagues to the majors. It was always so very sad when one of "our players" got called up to the higher leagues, knowing if they do a good job they won't be coming back. Bittersweet feelings. You wish them well, all the while knowing that means they won't be back. Penny's good. Penny's really good. I figure once she's over the boards that first shift, God's going to see how well she patrols and controls the the ice, and she'll have a permanent spot on the team. Penny won't be back. She's made it. It's very sad for our team, but it's very very good news for Penny. I am sure the team in Heaven is waiting for her and will welcome her warmly. She made it. |
Labels: Macon
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Got a Penny, give a Penny
| I have changed the background for the remainder of this week as Krystal Adventure goes into mourning for the loss of my dear friend, Penny. Penny's funeral is tomorrow and as much as I would like to be there, it is abundantly clear that will be impossible. There simply isn't enough time. BUt when you think about it, there never really is enough time. I am so very grateful that I did get to see Penny last Friday even if only for 30 minutes. I do need to thank Courtney for helping me to see how important that part of my trip would be. My freshman year of college, I missed seeing my grandfather before he died by only a couple of hours. I swore I would never let something like that happen to me again. Penny's funeral is tomorrow around 3pm. If you think about it tomorrow around that time, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to pray for Penny and her family. I am lucky that the semester officially ended for me today, as normally at 3pm on a Wednesday, I am starting my third class of the day. Though I will not physically be in Macon tomorrow, I will most certainly be there in my heart. I think this may be the first time since I moved to Wilmington that I actually regret not living in Macon. I do know that Penny was sad when I left Mercer, but was very happy and exciting when I finally escaped Warner Robins. On my last trip down and back to GA I stopped to fill up my truck and buy a cold drink. My change wound up being 29¢. I told the girl "just drop all the pennies in the dish." The dish was of course, the well known "Got a penny, give a penny. Need a penny take a penny" dish. Looking back on it, it is now very easy to see. For the longest time, we've all been in need of a Penny, and we got to borrow one. But now, God needs a Penny, so it's time for us to give one back. We should just consider ourselves very very lucky for being allowed to borrow her as long as we have. |
Labels: Macon, Mercer, Warner Robins, Wilmington
"Get to know Penny"
| Starting back about 2002 Mercer's Computer Science Dept. started having annual banquets to honor graduating seniors. All alumni were also invited to attend. That is the banquet I attended two weeks ago in Macon. In fact the CS Web Page still gives the details: All students and alumni in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Science, and Computational Science are invited to attend the end of year spring banquet to be held at 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 26th at the Woodruff House (located next to the Mercer Law School on Coleman Hill). The meal is free for all students and alumni. Recognition will be given to graduating seniors and UPE inductees. A great southern buffet menu is on tap including the following items. Southern Fried Chicken, Sliced Ham, Southern Style Green Beans, Garden Salad, Tomato, Onion, & Hot Pepper Tray, Corn on the Cob, Macaroni & Cheese, Rolls, and Banana Pudding. Friends & family are also invited to this event. We ask for $10 per guest. Hope to see you there! When I arrived at the banquet (late as usual), I noticed there weren't as many people as usual. It was quieter than usual. I also noticed the place wasn't set up. I started to wonder if I was early instead of late. I merged in with the group of alumni closest to my age range (Dave, Scott, Matt, Bobbie) to find out what was going on. I then found out that all the wonderful food discussed above was not there and was not coming. Apparently the catering had gotten screwed up. "If Penny was here she'd be pissed!" I said. "If Penny was here you know this would never happen" was the reply. This was greeted by a round of nods, because we all knew it was true. I first met Penny when she started at Mercer back in about 1992. It quickly became clear to me that Penny was important to know. She made things happen and she got things done. Sometimes she even made miracles happen. You need a pencil? a pen? paper? a floppy disk? a mint? chewing gum? three ping pong balls, a rubber band and a magic marker? Somehow Penny made it happen. I once saw a student ask Penny for help because the student missed a class. Somehow Penny was able to produce a photocopy of notes for the class. To this day I don't know how she did that. Penny taught me many valuable lessons over the years, but one of the best was that most people draw their organization charts upside down. They put the presidents, VPs, directors and deans at the top and secretaries and janitors down at the bottom. Those at the top feel they have the most important jobs. In reality if it wasn't for those "at the bottom" nothing would get done. Ever. I see it sort of like the tires on your car. Everyone takes them for granted. They mistreat them. They don't check the air pressure or the tread wear. They even kick them on occasion. Those "at the bottom" get no attention and no respect. Yet when they're not there, you're just stuck. When I was faculty at Mercer (a job I got in part due to Penny) I would always tell my students "Get to know Penny. She can get things done no one else can." If you ask me for something, I will forget. Penny never forgets. If you need me to do something for you, I'll screw it up. Penny doesn't screw up. And Penny enjoyed that part of her job. I remember one day I had a particularly complicated photocopy job. (Yes, there is such a thing!) I was in the copy room behind Penny cussing up a storm as I kept screwing it up. Eventually Penny walked in and took the papers from me. "You give these to me, and you go back to your office now." Five minutes later I had my copies, sorted, stapled, and perfect. Even after I left Mercer, Penny still got things done for me. I had been tyring to get a book for a class I was teaching. I tried to get the book from the school I worked for and making little progress. A week later, Penny handed me a brand new copy of the book. Penny made miracles seem easy. Penny did the impossible, effortlessly, every day. And she laughed, smiled, and joked the entire time. I would occasionally get forwarded emails from Penny. Not the stupid annoying ones that EVERYONE passes around the internet. Penny's were always thoughtful, wise, useful, interesting, and funny. Pretty much little electronic copies of Penny. I pray for Penny. I pray for Carol Ann. I pray for Penny's children Ricky and Amber. But I also pray for the Computer Science Department, and the students. I suspect the banquet was just a glimpse of the future without Penny. The Computer Science Department has lost a wheel. Which normally might not be that bad except I think, in this case, the department is a unicycle. |
Labels: Cheese, Macon, Mercer, Onions
Monday, May 05, 2008
Penny
For years when I went to the Macon Centreplex for a hockey game, I always got there an hour before game time. I would enter the arena with a mighty and unmistakable "WHOOP!" which was usually greeted by loud laughter from Penny who ushered the games for years and was often the only other person there that early. Penny loved hockey as much as I do. Penny and Andrew Rodgers, Feb, 2000 I put on my Phil Valk Whoopee Jersey and walked into the Medical Center. I have had one person tell me that since Penny was in a coma she wouldn't be able to see that I was wearing "Valkie's" jersey. Tell me that again and I'll punch you in the mouth. Trust me, Penny knows. Carol Ann greeted me and walked me back to Penny's room. I managed to stand there for about 17 seconds before I had to step outside and break down for a minute. I don't deal well with hospitals. Period. Penny died Sunday morning. Molly, one of Penny's (and my) favorite student worker, forwarded me this email this afternoon: I am glad you got to see Penny as well. I know you are not supposed to do this over email, and I apologize, but I have never had to do this. Penny passed away Sunday morning. Dr. Digh called me yesterday to tell me. I am forwarding you an email her sister-in-law sent me on Saturday. Molly, I wanted to e-mail you because I know you were very important to Penny. I have some really bad news...Penny has had more strokes and they said it is beyond repair. They are going to turn off the machines tomorrow (Sunday) that were sustaining her to this point. They have put up signs that only immediate family can see her now at the NICU until the end. We will keep everyone up to date on the plans that are being made. I really wanted you to know how much she appreciated you and cared for you. Thank you so much for everything you did for her. Please let me know if you need anything. Be blessed... thankfully i only had one final exam to give at 3pm. I have found that I am an emotional shark. As long as I keep moving and talking, the AngerFearSadnessDepressionFrustrationPain doesn't have a chance to sink its claws in. But now I am home. I am quiet. and I am still. All of my emotions are sitting just outside in the hallway waiting for me to join them. And it is finally time. Visitation - Tuesday, May 6th 5-7 pm at Macon Memorial Park on Mercer Univ. Dr. Funeral - Wednesday, May 7th 3 pm at Macon Memorial Park Donations in lieu of flowers to: The Penny Cato Memorial Fund 1670 Rivoli Drive Macon, GA 31210 Penny J. Cato, Administrative Secretary in the Computer Science Department of the College of Liberal Arts died Sunday after a brief illness. She was a member of our Mercer family for over 15 years and was loved by the faculty and students she served. She was a giver known for thinking and doing for others before she thought of herself. She walked among us with joy and with a firm spiritual foundation. She deeply loved her children, Amber and Ricky, and was a committed friend. She loved the South, The Braves, hockey, John Wayne, country music, and butterflies. If you go and visit the offices in the Computer Science building, you catch a glimpse of the person Penny was - sassy, spiritual, opinionated, loving. Hugs were her signature. Several of her faculty have called her the Mother Hen. She pushed to get her work done, always doing so with grace. One of the quotes on the bulletin board says, 'Laughter is God's Sunshine, Take time to Laugh for it is the music of the soul.' With her passing, some of our joy is gone. But, as she would say, you have work to do and smile! Love, Penny |
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Checking in and checking out
| Sorry its been so quiet around here lately. With dealing with Penny's situation (she's been put into a coma to allow her brain time to heal from the trauma of 15+ hours of surgery.) To job stress (finals started today). To late nights of watching the Detroit Red Wings kick the ever loving snot out of the Colorado Avalanche. To a double handful of other things keeping me emotionally stirred up and off balance. I really just had "nothing left in the tank" to be posting here. In fat I am not really sure I have anything now either. But I have finally decided it's time to get up off the floor, put on my big boy pants, and take my life back. The Red Wings finished sweeping the Avalanche tonight with a crushing 8-2 win in Colorado. I am more or less half way through with giving my exams, and everythings graded and submitted so far. I leave tomorrow for a weekend getaway in Cordele, GA for my fraternity's bi-annual reunion. A weekend in the great outdoors with my brothers (and Andrea) should help me clear my head. But most importantly, I have worked in a side trip to go by and visit Penny in the hospital on my way down. I can only believe that a visit would be good for Penny and good for me. I don't think it's at all disrespectful to also pick up some Krystals while in Macon. Penny would probably be upset if I didn't. And I don't have to worry about Andrea stealing any of my Krystals, since she's a vegetarian. Maybe I'll buy her a MilkQuake and an apple pie, if she's good. Or maybe I'll buy myself one of the new Peanut Butter or Banana Pudding MilkQuakes and just not tell her. It'll be our secret! |
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The perfect gift for the Krystal Lover in your life
| If you were watching the Krystal Coke bottle on eBay that I mentioned the other day, you probably noticed something went wrong. Tiffany gave the scoop over at Krystal-Lover Blog. Apparently eBay in their infinite wisdom waited til roughly the last minute to yank the auction because it violated some rule of theirs. The bidding had surged over the $600 mark by that point. Thanks eBay! Way to go out of your way to screw a charity auction! Anyway, Tiffany has put the bottle back up for auction again here. The bidding currently sits at $305 with about 3 1/2 days left. Sadly since the last auction was well underway, a lot of bidders now know just how high this could get, so watch for the snipers to go bananas on this one! Now if $305, or $600 (or perhaps $1000) is too rich for your blood, have I got a deal for you. Actually I did see a Kreed that went for less than $20 (plus about $20 for shipping) a few months back. Wouldn't this make a fantastic gift for the person you love that loves Krystal? You could hang this on the wall of your dining room and when you bring home a sack full, it'll feel like you're eating in the Krystal dining room. Well, back when the stores displayed the Kreed in the dining room. Why am I not bidding on this incredibly unique and valuable item? Well first of all I already have one. It is perhaps the most prized item in my vast Krystal Kollection. The second reason I am not bidding is that I wont be around when the auction ends, and I fully expect a bit of sniping. No when this auction ends, I may very well be sitting in a Krystal stuffing down a pile of Border Burgers. (Those are the Krystals you get at the last store before you enter Burgatory.) This weekend I am headed back to Macon. My itinerary is quickly getting packed as I make plans to see folks. The central reason for the trip is a banquet hosted by the Mercer Computer Science Department. Apparently they haven't yet figured out that if they keep inviting me, I keep showing up. I had hope to get to see Penny, but her surgery got delayed and is actually tomorrow morning. About the time I will be rolling out of Wilmington, she'll be rolling into the OR. It's going to be tough driving 9 hours with my fingers and toes crossed for her. While in town I will certainly be getting my fill of Krystals, and should finally be able to have a Krystal Freeze, or two (or seven?) And I hear the spicy chicks are back. And we all know the only thing better than a regular chik is a spicy chik! OK, maybe a spicy chik with RANCH! Mental note pick up some ranch dressing prior to hitting Krystal. And Doritos.) Second mental note write that down on paper because you'll forget in 10 minutes. So rather than wishing me a safe journey, I am rubber, and Penny is glue, your wishes will bounce off me and stick to her this weekend. Tonight I shall sleep as visions of Sunrisers and Cheese Krystals and Chili Cheese Fries dance in my head. After this weekend they shall all be dancing in my stomach! |
Labels: Cheese, Chiks, Chili, Macon, Mercer, Wilmington
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
I'm not a one trick pony (or piglet).
| Most of my past few posts have had a running "back story" to them. The problem is, it's a secret back story you don't know yet. I haven't yet figured out how to say what needs to be said, so I dance around it instead. Just like today. Tomorrow is secretary's day. Our department secretary, Ulene, is crafty, so we have no hope of surprising her on Secretary's day. So we got sneaky and did it today! I'd be willing to bet that trick won't work next year. Anyway, starting about a week ago the top secret "who's bringing what?" list started going around in Email. I could feel the unspoken peer pressure:  The picture above is from Chris' Christmas in Conyers. (And yes for those utterly confused by my multiple Chris references in my previous post, I did just say "Chris" Christmas Party.) Sadly, I never got to make one in Macon, but I managed a save by baking a red velvet cheesecake with my mother just after Christmas.  So to please the masses I added my name and "Cheesecake" to the list, and was greeted with great sighs of joy and relief. But in the spirit of being sneaky and crafty, I had a plan. I'd been telling them ever since I brought my first cheesecake that I can make others. I keep telling them "I'm not a one trick pony!" No one seems to care. No one has ever asked for anything else. It's assumed I'll bring in the turtle cheesecake. You know what they say about assuming right? I decided that since they'll always ask for the same thing, it was up to me to force the issue. I decided to go with my original "Reese's Cheesecake" made with Reese's Peanut Butter and Hershey's Chocolate.  Of course there were plenty of confused looks when I opened the cake caddy and there sat a very un-turtlish cheesecake. I then had to explain it was chocolate and peanut butter (no caramel). This was greeted with nods and smiles. Then they attacked my cheesecake, forks, spoons, and knives flying everywhere. I do hope I have shown them I am not a one trick pony. Sadly, it occurred to me later this afternoon that I have probably just convinced them MORE than I am "the cheesecake guy." So next time I think I need to go the complete opposite of cheesecake. And that is where I got stuck for most of today. What is the opposite of cheesecake? The best I could come up with was fish. But I don't eat or cook fish. I was stumped. Then Colby came to the rescue. You may remember Colby, the finder of all things Pork. He introduced me to Chocolate covered bacon. He sent me the link to the Wake-n-Bacon Alarm Clock. The latest example of Porkfection from Colby: Chicken Fried Bacon With Cream Gravy! For your own safety, do NOT read the "Nutrition Facts" on the right hand side! But wait! There's also a video! Oh I can feel my arteries clog up just thinking about it! And maybe we can have cheesecake for desert? What? You don't really feel like cheesecake anymore? GOOD! |
Labels: Bacon, Conyers, Macon, Recipe
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Don't forget the 10¢ deposit in Michigan!
| During a recent run through eBay I stumbled on something that shocked me. A Krystal Coke bottle for over $100? Actually, that isn't outrageous, as a few bottles have gone for astronomical amounts of late: A 65th birthday (1997) bottle with the cardboard tube sold for $200.00. I think this may have simply been another eBay Sniper-fight, but GEEZE! A 70th birthday (2002) bottle for $74.99 and another for $133.63 both with the red velvet bags. I've seen these two different bottles go for big money in the past. The big thing is for them to have the tube or bag. Occasionally you'll see one pop up with a certificate as well. Those bring bigger money, of course. The bottle I saw the other day wasn't a 1997 or 2002 bottle, though. It was a 2007, 75th birthday bottle. Like these:  You can get the bottles on eBay now, and prices have stabilized at roughly $10 a set plus postage: $9.99 currently, plus $12 postage or $9.99 currently, plus $7.70 postage. Postage rates may vary as these are likely calculated to ship them to me. Of course you'll still find people trying to get rick off the clueless masses who don't know how to shop on eBay and insist on charging outlandish amounts like $25.99 plus $10 shipping. Anyway, this clearly shows you why a 6 month old bottle listed at over $100 raised an eyebrow. Then I Clicked On It. The first thing I noticed was the red bag. 75th bottles didn't come with a bag. Then I noticed the contact name in the listing. That's Tiffany that you've heard many a mention of here at Krystal Adventure. Suddenly it started to make sense. (Yeah, so I am a bit slow some days.) This is a special bottle. A very special bottle. Signed by the Krystal King, James F. Exum Jr., number 75 out of limited run of 500. With a red bag and a certificate also signed by the King. Oh yes, this was special indeed. The newest and hottest (coolest?) Krystal Blog on the block, Krystalist.com had the scoop, of course. This is a charity auction with proceeds going to Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I am unsure if this is an "official charity" of Krystal or not, but you may have noticed if you go to the Krystal Lovers Lounge at Krystal.com on the right side on the "bulletin board" is a link to FCA's website. It's been there for a long long time, too. While I would certainly love to own this exceptionally rare piece of Krystal memorabilia, the current price is sitting at $510.00, and it ends tomorrow around 11:21am (eastern time zone). What is likely driving the price so insanely high is that it is not only a Krystal Kollectible, but it is a Coke collectible. I know a couple of Coke collectors and those people are crazy. All in all I think it's a great idea. I am only sorry I never got around to giving a link and props to it sooner. If you think that the price is a bit too rich for you, don't let that discourage you. I am quite sure FCA would love for you to contribute even if you don't get a Coke bottle. And then you won't have to drive all the way to Michigan to get that 10¢ deposit back! And speaking of Michigan. The Red Wings finished stomping on Nashville today to move into the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. What may have been their undoing was the loss of their captain, Jason Arnott, in what I think will go down in history as the first celebratory concussion on sports history. After scoring a big goal 2 games ago, he got mobbed in the corner by his team mates, getting slammed to the glass, then piled up while he lay on the ice. He was slow to get up, and didn't play any more. The camera caught moments of him sitting on the bench in obvious pain, screaming about something. They announced he didn't play the last two games due to a concussion, haven't officially said what caused it. I'd bet a $510 Coke bottle, his team mates gave him a concussion celebrating his goal, and thus indirectly knocked themselves out of the playoffs. It was fun to see that after Nashville had beaten on Detroit for 3 straight games, they started beating on each other instead. Go Red Wings! |
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A Penny for my thoughts.
| I've mentioned Penny here a few times in the past. Penny's known about my Thursday Krystal thing longer than most folks. She even gave me a Krystal Calendar at one time. I finally had to take it down off the wall since it's a 1999 calendar. (I do get to reuse it again in 2021.) She also knows first hand how much I dig Cadbury Creme eggs. Traditionally she brings me my first so she can see me eat it whole. And oh the countless hndreds of hockey games we've been to. Last October when I returned to Georgia for the Perry Square Off, I had hoped to catch up with Penny. It turns out that weekend Penny's health took a serious down turn, eventually leading to surgery. Recovery has been slow and steady, and I got to see her when I passed through town back on Christmas vacation. A little slower moving than usual, but still the same Penny. Well I got an email Monday night that she's going back in for surgery today (not sure what time). I don't know all of the details on the surgery, but when there is talk of using an artery from one portion of your skull to replace an artery in another portion of your skull, that sounds pretty darn serious to me. Over the years Penny's done a good job of looking out for me, especially when I was teaching at Mercer. I could do my job without fear of screwing up because I always knew Penny had my back. Even after leaving Mercer, when I ran into trouble (as I often do) and couldn't find a solution (as often happens to me) Penny would always seem to have the simple and obvious solution. Well now that the tables have turned and Penny needs help, I am sure you understand my frustration at being completely unable to help. Even if I knew I could do it, there simply isn't enough time for me to go to medical school, serve my residency, and become a surgeon. Not to mention I am 9 hours away now. Frustration. Time and again in my life I have to relearn a few things. When you keep throwing your hands up in frustration and desperation, it would be more effective if you'd just put your hands together instead. It always seems that when all else fails the last place I find myself is probably the first place I should have been: saying a prayer for Penny having faith that things will work out for the best. I usually feel guilty praying and asking for things. Frankly, I think I have far exceeded my lifetime quota of blessings. Heck as much as I've screwed up in my life, I'm lucky I'm not dead. But since I am asking for something for Penny, not myself, I think it'll be ok. If you feel so moved today to take some time out and send positive thoughts or prayers for Penny, I would be grateful. I have been stressed this week with the end of the semester approaching. But then you take a step back and realize that, compared to what Penny's dealing with, is the end of semester stress really that tough? No, it isn't. So Penny will be in my thoughts today, and I hope to catch up with her next weekend while I am down in Macon for a Mercer Computer Science Dept. function. I also hope to catch up with Brian, Bernida, and a bunch of other folks on my whirlwind trip through town. |
Monday, April 14, 2008
Brian's chillin' with Krystal Freezes
Recently, Brian took my Krystal BrainFreeze challenge to heart. Here is his emailed report:I have officially tried every Krystal freeze offered!And if that report isn't enough for you, here is his video report (required viewing for all former Mercer folks as Brian gives us a Papa Joe and Trimble update): I actually knew the answers to Brian's pomegranate queries. As luck would have it, the night before I caught Brian's video, Alton Brown had covered Pomegranates in his Good Eats episode Fruit 10 from Outer Space. (You can catch it again as it repeats later this month on Food Network.) Also, be sure to catch Alton's Man Food Show tonight at 11 and again at 2am. Alton makes "Mini Man Burgers" which are sort of like Krystals, until he smears mayonnaise on them and I throw up. As always, Alton delivers tons of interesting facts on pomegranates. I already knew that many people feel that the "forbidden fruit" that Eve gave to Adam was not an apple, but a pomegranate. I do wonder, though, if someone was influenced by the story of Persephone, Hades, and the Pomegranate Seeds. I knew that pomegranates and hand grenades had something in common as well. I did not know, however, that grenadine was originally made from pomegranates. I, like apparently most folks, believed that grenadine was made from cherries and came from the island of Grenada. (It doesn't.) Anyway, due to a "scheduling quirk" (that's a fancy way of saying my job) it appears that my next shot at a Krystal Freeze will be in roughly 2 weeks in Macon. Mercer's Computer Science Department has an annual seniors and alumni banquet and while the distance has drastically increased (9 hours instead of 9 minutes) I am going to try and make it. It's going to be a whirlwind trip and with Krystal Freezes everywhere, you might even say it'll be a blizzard! I won't say that, though, cause Dairy Queen already makes those. |
This post was a test of Blogger's Scheduled Posting Feature
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Ice cream = yummy
| With the impending Brain Freeze challenge, I decided to go into training. While assembling my Easter Peepsicles I had to buy a box of Popsicles for the sticks. I could have bought just sticks at the local craft store but what am I to do with 500 Popsicle sticks? Actually I know a billion things I could do with them, but I don't really have that kind of free time these days. So my training has consisted of eating Popsicles (actually, pudding pops) on a regular basis, hoping to build up a cold food tolerance. Honestly, though, I don't usually keep ice cream in the house. Me and dairy don't get along for the most part. If I have a big bowl of ice cream I have to chase it with a glass of water or I'll be feeling quite yucky for the next day or so. But when you're in training, certain sacrifices must be made, right? Actually, if I do buy ice cream it is pretty much one of three varieties:
With a baby on the way and law school looming, Jack chose to ride a bike most everywhere leaving their station wagon for Tina to drive. Made plenty of sense, saved gas money, and also allowed Jack to stay in shape, and pregnant Tina had a car in case of emergencies. Jack always was kind of smart like that. I spent my summer working at Mercer's Post Office. Running all over campus and up and down stairs lugging 50 pound buckets of mail all over. That allowed me to save gas money and stay in shape, but oddly it didn't really save me much money. I just made me sweat. A lot. I apparently am not kind of smart like that. One afternoon, as I sat on the couch recovering from work, there was a frantic knock on the door. I opened it to find Jack, obviously excited and slightly sweaty. He had what seemed a simple question. But since he was pre-law, I should have known any "simple question" from Jack was a loaded question. Jack asked: Jack was riding his bike home from the Law School, which entails riding it up Georgia Avenue. Those familiar with Macon and the Law School know exactly the torture I speak of. The Law School is perched upon the highest point in Macon, yet somehow every road around it seems to go up hill both ways. As Jack was pedaling up hill he came upon an ice cream truck. Not the clown music kind of ice cream truck that attracts children for miles. This was a freezer truck meant to deliver ice cream to grocery stores. The driver flagged Jack down and told him that his truck was broken down and without being able to run the engine the ice cream was going to melt. He made Jack the offer of a lifetime: I am unsure if Jack had completely thought out his plan or not. If he had he is even more brilliant than I had ever thought. Personally I would have taken one or two cartons and been happy with that. Jack must have taken like 20 or 30 quarts. I mean it was a lot of ice cream. You always hear the stories of pregnant women and their ice cream cravings, but how much ice cream can a girl eat in 9 months? I asked Jack how much he got and Jack's reply was simple: "All of it." It was everywhere. Once Jack got home he either realized his problem (too much ice cream, no time, and even less freezer space) or he put his master plan in action. Jack and Tina started calling everyone they knew. Even though it was summer time, there were still plenty college friends in town. They apparently made everyone the same offer they made me: You simply can't beat coming home from a long sweaty day of delivering mail and kicking back on the sofa to a big bowl of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream (and a tall glass of ice water). That was probably one of the greatest summers of my life. To this day, I can't have cookie dough ice cream without thinking back to that summer. I guess I need to thank Jack for introducing me to Edy. |
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Pizza Persuit
| One of the dining experiences I have missed since moving to Wilmington is, as I call it, "Cheap Crappy Pizza." I do have to be up front by saying that the pizza is not REALLY bad, otherwise I wouldn't eat it. It's just inexpensive, and you wouldn't go bragging to your friends about having it for lunch. Back in Warner Robins we had Shakey's Pizza. Here's the link for the chain: Shakey's. And here's a few pictures I found of the Warner Robins shop. (sniffle) And for those of us who were in Macon in the late 80's and early 90's who could forget Shakey's out on Mercer U. drive. (sniffle) Ahh yes, you now understand "cheap crappy pizza." Actually as far as Shakey's in Warner Robins goes, I found it to be well worth the trip. The pizza was "cheap and crappy" but the fried chicken was always great. I regularly ate way too many fried mushrooms, and the MoJo's, oh my Lord, the MoJo's. Think THICK sliced potato chips or skins battered and fried. Get a small bowl of ranch from the salad bowl and it was deep fried heaven. It made rushing to Shakeys and back to work worth the effort, especially since you can count on the Price Is Right being on the big screen. I miss Shakey's! Once I got to Wilmington I started to look for a suitable replacement for Shakeys and was coming up empty (and hungry). Driving up and down College Rd. I couldn't help but notice the CiCi's Pizza over on the right. CiCi's is nothing new. We had them in Macon and also Warner Robins, I believe, but I had never been. I had been warned repeatedly about CiCi's. Due to their incredibly cheap kid's menu, CiCi's was apparently where parents took their kids "off leash" to eat and run rampant, like the dogs around the corner here in Empie Dog Park. It was explained very clearly to me: Do NOT go to CiCi's on the weekends or the evenings. I should only go to CiCi's when kids are in school. One tiny problem with that idea, however, was the fact I had a J-O-B. Any time the kids were in school I was at work. One person told me that the "CC" in the name stood for "Crazy Children" and another told me it was for "Concentrated Chaos." I didn't dare go against the warnings/threats, so I just never went to CiCi's. Besides I still had Shakey's. As I grew more and more hungry and more and more desperate for cheap crappy pizza, it finally occurred to me. I now have Fridays off! (I love my job!) So I started making plans for a Friday CiCi's pizza buffet extravaganza! I was walking on garlic scented clouds as I walked in the front door and was greeted loudly by the girl at the register. I don't really remember what she asked me as my eyes were wide as a large pepperoni pizza while I looked around the place. The one thing that was clearly missing, though: Kids! I got a little salad with lite ranch dressing just to make this a legitimate "meal" before I stepped up to the wall of pizza. The guy behind the counter told me "Hi! I'm Tommy. If you don't see anything you come ask me and I'll get it or make it!" I liked Tommy. I think I stacked up 6 slices of cheap crappy pizza on my first run through, and almost didn't have room on my plate for the 2 cinnamon rolls at the end of the buffet. Thankfully they were sort of stick and they held tight to the rim of my plate. I sat down at my table, took a big swig of my beverage, and raised that first delicious bite to my mouth. Then, through the front window, I saw something horrible. Not one, but two school buses had pulled into the parking lot. What appeared to be millions of children began streaming (and screaming) from the buses towards CiCi's. Apparently the field trip from a local middle school had stopped for lunch. I followed the lead of most of the others in CiCis as they ran to the buffets and stocked up a second or third plate before it was all demolished by the kids. I think made what I lovingly refer to as a "Pizza Sandwich." you take two side by side slices of pizza and fold them along the cut separating them, so it's crust on top and bottom and filling inside. This arrangement allows you to firmly grip the sandwich with both hands with minimal topping/filling loss as you shove the sandwich into your face. I find I can eat 30% more and 30% faster this way. I do need to warn you though, that you should wisely choose your two halves for your pizza sandwich. CiCis has dessert Pizza and I suspect an apple cinnamon pizza slice won't go well with the pepperoni and mushroom. But now that I say that, you know I am going to have to try it someday. But not today. Some Friday, I mean. |
Labels: Macon, Mercer, Warner Robins, Wilmington
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter Lunch
| Upon arrival at Krystal yesterday I made my way quickly to the counter. I had noticed no signs inside or outside about the new Krystal Freezes, so I was a bit nervous. (More on that is a moment) I did however notice a sign sitting in the middle of the counter. Each word produced a small giddy little squeal as I read them from top to bottom: Cheese(squeal) Ranch(squeal) Fries(squeal) Obviously I knew what I was getting. So I placed my order. Feeling nostalgic I went with the #1 add cheese and ketchup, up sized my coke, and added chili, cheese, and ranch to my fries. I took my number and grabbed a seat. Soon my order was delivered to me in all its glory:    Now let me address the whole Krystal Freeze thing and the "BrainFreeze Challenge." The Krystal in Murrell's Inlet is a franchise store. For those that didn't know, MOST of the Krystals out there are owned by the Krystal Company. There are some that are privately owned/franchised. These franchise stores are sort of the "renegade" stores. They don't always do exactly hat Krystal does. This gives them the freedom to do the Ranch Chili Cheese Fries and other exciting things. They also have some combo meals I haven't seen anywhere else. The other side of the coin, though, is that they don't always carry the items that come out of Krystal HQ. I spoke with the manager of the store briefly about the freezes. He was at first surprised that I knew about them. Then he noticed I was wearing my brown "Krystal" t-shirt. (I didn't even realize I was wearing it.) He asked if I worked for Krystal. I pointed to the pictures of the two KLHOF members on the wall and told him I was also a member, number 22. He then wanted all the details on when I was inducted, where I was from and whereI now lived. He also agreed that Wilmington is a pretty big town not to have a Krystal. I told him "In due time." Anyway, he said they were thinking about the Krystal Freezes, but had not decided yet if they would carry them. They really wanted to see how they did at other stores before they committed to them. On the one hand I can't imagine a FROZEN fruity beverage wouldn't sell this spring and summer in Myrtle Beach. But then there's bound to be lots of seasonal snow cone, slushie, and icee vendors out there who could provide a larger flavor selection, and perhaps a cheaper price. I think if Krystal could push the fact that their are made with REAL sugar, they could lock up a section of the market no one else could access. But then I'm not the one in charge so I don't get to make the decisions. I simply told him I'd be back in a month or so and hoped he'd have them in at that time. He thanked me, shook my hand, and I was on my way. So the brain freeze challenge is on hold. Well my part of it anyway. The next time I can get to a Krystal that has them I will dig in. Currently it looks like I may be back in Macon the end of March, and I may stop by my old stomping grounds to freeze my skull. I guess, like in Murrell's Inlet, we'll just have to wait and see. |
Labels: Cheese, Chiks, Chili, Macon, Wilmington
Friday, March 14, 2008
Cherry Blossom Battle
The following two pictures were taken at the Smithsonia for the sole purpose of annoying the crap out of my friends in Macon. Heidi checks out the Cherry Blossom swag.  Both Macon and Washington have Cherry Blossom trees (Yochinos to be exact) and they both have festivals. But because Washington, DC is u>Washington, DC they get to call theirs The National Cherry Blossom Festival. Macon is simply The Cherry Blossom Festival or sometimes just "Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival." In recent years, though, Macon has begun calling their festival "The International Cherry Blossom Festival." I'll be honest, I didn't know Washington had Cherry trees and a festival until someone told me about it while explaining why Macon's was so much better. Now that I am away from macon, though, I have found that most folks know of Washington's Cherry trees but few have heard of Macon's. If you review the web sites you'll quickly find that Washington got the Cherry tree ball rolling with a donation from Japan. (And that's my Asian reference for today.) While Macon certainly gets attention from Japan due to the trees and festival, the original Cherry Trees were all from a local, Mr. Ficklin and his "odd tree" on his farm. Further review will show that while Washington has a longer festival (by a week) Macon has FAR more trees that Washington and the number grows dramatically year after year and they give away and plant thousands of them suckers each year. I have yet to experience a DC Cherry Blossom Festival, but I have survived plenty of them in Macon. When they tell you the whole city turns pink, they are not kidding.  Sadly, one year they even made the Macon Whoopee hockey team put on horrid white jerseys with big pink flowers and lettering and dubbed them "The Macon Cherry Blossoms." Thankfully, the objections of EVERYONE forced the team to only wear them for warm ups. With this Cherry Blossom controversy surrounding me, there's really only one thought going through my head: So far this year I have had the itchy eyes once or twice but nothing full blown yet. I think here in NC, on the coast, I am just out of the reach of the cursed Cherry pollen. But I can't help but wonder if there's something else out there, just about to bloom, and ruin my nirvana. |
Friday, February 29, 2008
Always plan spring break in pencil
| In December, I started fleshing out my plans for my Spring Break. Basically I had a choice of 4 destinations: Jacksonville, FL; Macon, GA; Conyers, GA; or Pennsylvania. I opted to do a PA trip. Stopping off at my brothers in DC on the way up, then following Emily's Toybox around for 3 or 4 concerts in eastern PA. Once they released their March schedule I had my plans set. I'd be hitting Shippensburg, State College, Hershey, Northampton, Pennsberg, and King of Prussia, PA. Only concerts in State College, Northampton, and Pennsberg. The other three were special places I wanted to get by someday. (I suspect only one or two people reading this will know why.) I was nervous about the weather up north, but figured I'd press forward anyway. I started locating hotels and getting driving directions. Lets call this Plan A. Then the IRS decided they wanted to be my proctologist and everything changed. Apparently the state of Georgia is rather PO'd that I left. By my calculations, NC owed me $32, I owed the feds $750, and I owed GA $1275. That is not a typo. Plan B: Sit at home and sell everything not nailed down on Ebay to pay my taxes. Then I happened to find out that my parents would be doing some interesting things for Spring Break and those would be a heck of a lot cheaper than a huge trip to PA. After all, family trips are free! (Well, free for me. If you come along, we may charge you a cover fee.) Plan C: The first weekend (starting today actually) a trip to my parents, where we'll be meeting up with 2 of my aunts and uncles for the weekend. We'll be doing some in state travel to visit several family related sites. Then the last weekend of Spring Break we'd be going to visit my brother and his family up in DC. Then I get an email that my father's plans up on Gettysburg, PA have changed and he wont be leaving til late Sunday or Monday. Plan D: I go visit my parents the first part of spring break as in Plan C, but spend the rest of spring break at home, possibly selling everything I own on Ebay to pay my taxes. Then I finally break down and go get my taxes done by a professional. I hope I don't go to jail. Now instead of me owing Uncle Sam $750, I only owe them $450. NC now owes me $52, but the real kicker is that instead of owing GA over $1200, they now owe me $25. Plan E: It's my spring break, I own a truck, and I'm over 18. I can do anything I want. So today I'm going to my parents, as in plans C and D, then next week I am going to drive myself up to DC and drive back whenever I want to. This is where things currently stand. I have had one small addition, but it won't change Plan E. On Monday morning I have been invited by the librarian of a local elementary school to come read a book to some children. Of course I'll be taking "The Big Orange Splot" again. Me and Mr. Plumbean will reunite to educate and entertain children. I am contemplating the purchase of a huge fake handlebar mustache for my Plumbean impersonations. Hopefully there will be a few pictures. If I wear the fake moustache there will be no pictures. Anyway, I am sorry there are no links in this post. It certainly deserves a few. I may come back later and edit this post to put some in. But for right now I am trying to get out the door before plans have a chance to change again! Until I can get back to a working Internet connection (Monday?) I hope you have a great spring break! Oh...... sorry! |
