Waffle House

Spending the past few days in Atlanta, I continue to be amazed at the overwhelming market dominance of that most ghetto of 24hr breakfast diners, Waffle House. 

No matter where I drove around- downtown or the 'burbs- Waffle House is to Atlanta what Dunkin' Donuts is to Boston surely.  Go ahead- try to dispute that.

In any case, no matter how much I try to diss on these oh-so-Southern diners, I've got to admit that their food is always pretty good and so dang cheap.  Although I'm sure that a few clogged arteries might be coming your way if you eat from them every day. 

Anyways, those are some of my deep thoughts while down in the South.  hehe.  =)

Free Slurpees today

What a perfect day to grab a free Slurpee at 7-11! 

www.slurpee.com

Thanks for the heads-up from all of you!

Dunkin' or Starbucks?

Just had an active lunch debate with my co-workers about Dunkin' Donuts vs. Starbucks.  Our office is totally split between both and it always makes for a humorous affair when our respective passions come into play. 

Let me clarify, before I say anything else, that I'm a Starbucks fan, first and foremost.  Something about Dunkin' just doesn't cut it for me.  People say that Dunkin' uses better beans and what-not but the best beans in the world don't matter if you try to squeeze as much coffee as possible out of those beans.  Dunkin' is just too weak for me both in regards to caffeine and taste.

In any event, I try not to express total ignorance to D&D lovers as I'm more than happy to compromise on occasion.  However, I will have to admit that I will never go to Dunkin' if I need that proper buzz fix. 

Anyways, I'm always curious about this endless debate- I'm sure we're all in different camps with this so let's try to put a truce and be kind to each other.  Dunkin' and Starbucks lovers unite!

Schilling closing it up

Just heard that Curt Schilling, a fellow Alaskan brother,  will now be the closer for the Boston Red Sox, most likely for the remainder of the season.  Personally, I think this is a stroke of brilliance on behalf of Red Sox management- his makeup is setup extremely well to be a more than effective closer.  And, it would allow the team to take advantage of Schilling's dominant skills while he can still slowly rehab from his lingering ankle injury. 

Now let me clarify that I am not a Red Sox fan as I am a die-hard New York Mets fan, but I have a high level of respect for the Sox especially since they so brilliantly humbled those damn Yankees.  In any event, it should be exciting to see Curt Schilling in this role and I don't think that there are many naysayers opposing this move for the short-term. 

The Fenway Experience

Went to Fenway last night to see the Red Sox play the Indians with a good buddy of mine.  Honestly, we couldn't ask for a better night as the conditions were perfect although it did seem as if it would rain before the game. 

In any event, it didn't hurt that we had seats a few rows back behind home plate.  I was actually attentively watching this game inning by inning, pitch for pitch.  This was only the second time in my life that I've had seats this good at a park and it was definitely one to cherish.

There's something about seeing the game from that intimate perspective behind home plate- I instantly developed a greater appreciation for the speed at which the pitchers were throwing and the amazing tenacity and skill on display by the batters. 

Unfortunately, the Red Sox ended up losing the game in the 9th Inning after holding a 3-run lead.  The silence that took over Fenway when a Grand Slam was hit by the Indians' Travis Hafner to right field was utterly amazing.  The whole crowd was so into the game and you could just feel that deflation permeate throughout the Park. 

Despite this unfortunate outcome, I developed such a greater appreciation for the great fans that fill up Fenway Park and that undeniable electricity that Fenway provides despite its lack of modern amenities compared to other ballparks. 

I hope that Fenway doesn't go away anytime soon for sure.  It truly is a special place that houses not only a most special team but some truly special fans.  And I say this as a lifelong New York Mets fan- go figure. =)