Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Fourth Anniversary

Place: Palmer's Deli & Market
Lunch: "The Melt" sandwich, potato salad, pickle, brownie, Pepsi

Palmer's is one of those delis where you walk in to a menu with a million sandwiches and sides available, and the help looks annoyed with you if you don't know what you want immediately. They're overpriced and they're rude. Naturally, they do an insane amount of business.

Overheard in the office from a woman who got roses for her anniversary...

"The first year we were married, he sent roses. And I said "What are you doing? I hate roses!" So then he sent roses again the SECOND year! Then the third year, he sent a bouquet and I said "Where are my roses?" And he's like "But you HATE roses!" And I said "Yes, but now it's a tradition!" Honestly."

If she were married to me, I would send her divorce papers on the fourth anniversary.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

They Eat Horses, Don't They?

Place: Fazoli's
Lunch: Baked spaghetti with meatballs, breadsticks

There's a REALLY cute blonde dining with a guy who looks German. He even has a stocking cap with a brim that makes it look like a German army helmet that was knitted over. She is on her phone with a friend going "blah blah blah giggle blah blah blah" and he looks bored out of his mind. Like he's going to fall over.

E-mail conversation I had earlier today:

(bish): "Come on, didn't you miss me a little?"

(me): "Of course, silly. Weren't you visiting your brother in Siberia or something? I here they eat penguins there."

(bish): "Switzerland and it's horses. SOOO not kidding."


I ate at an Idaho truck stop that had rabbit on the menu once.

But never horses.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The Goblet of Money

Place: Culver's Frozen Custard & Butterburgers
Lunch: Northwoods Walleye sandwich, cheese curds, Culver's root beer

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" came out on DVD today. History shows that if you go to one of the major discount chains on release day or the few days after, you can get major releases on sale...usually around $16.

So I dropped by Super Target, the Target with amazing super powers. Sure enough, there it is, on sale for $15.97...IF you want the barebones single-disc edition. The two-disc edition is $22.97.

Welcome to the newest greedy scam of the major film studios.

It USED to be that a two-disc special edition didn't require extra cash. For the three previous movies, the only edition released was the two-disc edition, which you could buy for the going sale price (which, as I recall, was around $15-$17.) Now you get the single-disc edition for that price which lists NO extra features of any kind on its cover, or you pay more for the two-disc set with its fancy 3-D-ish cover and list of extras.

This is rather annoying without even getting into the price difference. Suggested retail price (translation: fake skyrocket price only mall music/movie stores would be stupid enough to charge) of the single-disc edition is actually $28.98, while suggested retail of the two-disc set is $30.98, a difference of two dollars (he said in his best Bob Barker voice). Target is getting $7.00 more for the two-disc set. A quick check online proved that Amazon was doing close to that as well with a $5 difference ($15.99 and $20.99). Best Buy was getting $14.99 for the single-disc and $20.99 for the two-disc set, a $6 difference. The retailers are just as guilty as the studios.

Scoundrels.

There's actually four versions of the DVD on display: The full-screen single-disc edition, the widescreen single-disc edition, the two-disc "special edition", and an eight-disc box set which includes all four movies in two-disc editions.

Of course, you could always go with the "no-disc" edition, and tell the studios and retailers to go screw themselves. But you won't. And I didn't either. THIS time.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

the First Church of the Auditorium 12

Place: The Cheesecake Factory
Lunch: Pepperoni pizza, strawberry lemonade

I woke up this morning with one thing in mind...

Chili.

I had a craving for chili.

When it comes to chili, it works out like this for me (in order): Steak n Shake, Huddle House, Waffle House, Big Boy, Jason's Deli.

And Jennifer's, but I can't go bugging her at any hour of the given day to make me some chili.

Problem: Steak n Shake is a two hour drive. Huddle House is a fourteen hour drive. Waffle House is a three hour drive. Big Boy is a six hour drive.

I debated driving to Steak n Shake. I really did. Ultimately, I should have. But I wanted to see a movie that started at 11:30, so I decided to stay in town.

Jason's Deli is the "last resort" desperation stop for chili because it's local. It's also not quite on par with any of the aforementioned, but it'll do. It's "Texas style" meaning no beans. Or very little beans.

Jason's Deli's posted hours state that they open at 10:00am seven days a week. I arrived at 10:25am and found the doors locked.

The entrance was locked. The take-out entrance was locked. The delivery driver entrance was locked.

The lights were on. People were inside. They saw me. They ignored me.

At 10:35am, I arrived at the multiplex. The food court in the mall it's attached to doesn't open until 11. The restaurants around the mall lake don't open until 11. Except for one. So that's where I had lunch.

The Cheesecake Factory's strawberry lemonade can solve almost any crisis just by existing. It really can. But it doesn't solve the fact that the Cheesecake Factory doesn't have chili. They have the most extensive menu you've ever seen, but it doesn't include chili. And even if it did, it would probably be some goofy crap with 1,800 ingredients. I want a chili that is meat, beans, and a meaty chili tasting gravy.

Then I went to my movie. As I passed Auditorium 12 on my way to Auditorium 18, I saw church literature on a table and heard preaching.

Auditorium 12 plays host to worship services on Sunday morning.

I know this is becoming a regular alternative use for auditoriums, but it's the first time I've ever actually witnessed it in action.

I just kind of peeked from the door. I didn't actually go in.

Fascinating. But they'd better wrap it up..."Pink Panther" plays in there in about an hour.

When I got home, I found a simple and quick chili recipe on the back of the Gebhardt Chili powder label. Chili powder. Garlic. Salt. Cumin. Tomato sauce. Beef. Onion. 20 minutes. Beans optional. I used red kidney. I also tossed in a little unsweetened cocoa.

It wasn't great, but it wasn't half bad.