Normally when I get back to my dorm room, oops I mean hotel room, after a day of training I will sit down, read through the various blogs, do a little work for my former employer in Virgina, and then settle in and watch TV until I fall a sleep. Yeah I know I lead a pretty exciting life.
During the training day food is kept in front of us all day (and I must say it hasn't been to bad either) so when I get back to my room I don't go out for anything to eat. Not so tonight. While I was reading through tonight's blog posts (which by the way is my days highlight)I got a craving for some warm food, I mean good old burger and fries type warm food.
When me and the wife lived in Arlington up to road from us was a place call Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I never really knew what it was all about but I was sure they served burgers and fries. And naturally I assumed it was fast food type food. I try to limit myself on the fast food because it is one item I can really do without. If I eat it once a year that is a lot. The wife and I talked about going to the Five Guys joint but we never got around to it and I always wondered what kind of burgers they had. When I took a walk the other night up to the local college hangout area I saw the Five Guys place and thought maybe I will try it while I am here. So tonight when I got that craving you know what popped into my head, yep Five Guys Burger and Fries.
I threw on my coat and it was about a 5 minute walk and I was there. I went inside and it was just what you would expect from a college hangout. Loaded with college kids getting their nightly nutrition. This place was packed and the ordering line was long but I thought "I am here, I don't have anywhere I need to be and I am going to get my burger and fries." The menu? Burgers and fries. That's all, maybe there was more but that is all I saw. What type of burger do you want? They have it. Toppings? What do you want, they probably have it too. My choice? Double bacon cheese burger with grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, hot sauce with Cajun seasoned fries (hey if you are going to the hospital you might as well make it worth the trip.)
I know this all sounds like a fast food restaurant but it is not. You place your order like fast food and you pick up your order like fast food but in between it takes about 10 minutes to get your order. From what I could tell everything was cooked after you ordered. While you wait there is a large box of peanuts that you are free to help yourself to eat.
When they called my number for my meal I grabbed it and went back to my room since it was only 5 minutes away. Once I got back to my room my stomach was growling from the smell coming from the bag of food. I opened up the bag and the first thing I tried was the Cajun fries. Not bad, made from fresh potatoes, (I know this because they pile up bags of fresh Idaho Potatoes in the store they use for the fries)I would rate them up there with Micky D's. (I compare all fries with Micky D's because they are still the best out there.) I should mention when they pack the food in the brown lunch bag they put the burger on the bottom and the they put a Styrofoam cup full of fries on top of it. Once both of these items are in the bag they then dump in another small pan full of fries on top of everything. You don't get cheated on fries.
Now for the reason I really went there, the burger. I unwrapped the the burger from the foil and set it on the table and admired it. Two beef patties, check, grilled mushrooms, check, grilled onions, check, melted cheese, check. If this thing taste as good as it looks I will be in heaven. I picked it up and bit into it, mmmmmm, good flavor, a little sloppy (all good burgers are a little sloppy from the natural fat in them), love those grilled onions and mushrooms, the cheese is melted throughout the burger, all in all this is a pretty darn good burger. I would have to say maybe the best burger I have had in a long time. Most places I go and have a burgers anymore serve near fat free burgers and I am sorry to say they just don't have the taste of a good ole greasy burger. My only disappointment was the bacon. Not really anything to write home about. The next time I think I would order it without the bacon.
Overall I would have to give it 4 out of 5 forks. While it is not the best burger I have ever had (this honor still goes to the Yukon Inn in Paradise Michigan) it would rank right up there. I would put it on par with Clyde's Drive Inn in St. Ignace and the Boulevard in Midland. If you ever get the chance to go to a Five Guys Burger and Fries go, you won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Dearly Beloved We are Gathered Here Today..........
My plan tonight was to write another post about my training class I am currently attending but every now and then something happens or you get an idea that just has to be done while it is current. Such was the case today.
Rumors started today about 10:00am and were confirmed at noon, Brett Favre has retired. Wisconsin is mourning, everybody is wearing black and the flags are at half mast. I did the right thing and offered everybody my condolences and then offered them Jon Kitna from the Detroit Lions. They weren't amused to say the least.
To fully understand the Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packer phenomenon in Wisconsin you need to live here once. This team is everything to these people. People live and die with the Packers. The waiting list for season tickets is 70 years. When the Packers were on Monday Night Football or on TV during the playoffs I would never see a car go by our house. It is a great time to go shopping because the stores are all empty. In the fall people here either wear hunters orange or green, around here Green Bay Packers green. You can't go anywhere without seeing a Packer coat or jersey, normally No. 4 jersey, Brett Favre.
Brett Favre is a character. He loved playing the game of football. I don't think I have ever seen anybody who enjoyed the game of football more than Brett. Brett once said "They pay me to watch film and practice during the week, I play for free on Sunday."
The memory I will always have with Brett Favre is the Monday Night game he played after his fathers death. Every pass he threw up in the air that night a receiver would come down with it. Even if you didn't like Favre you couldn't help but root for him on that evening. You need to look no further than this night for everything that symbolizes Brett Favre.
Brett is a hero here in Wisconsin, more popular than mayors, governors, senators and congressmen. I am sure they will erect a statue of him. For sure they will name a street after him just like Vince Lombardi and Mike Holgram.
For the last two years Favre has held the people of Wisconsin hostage. He would take months to decide if he was going to play or retire the next year. I, for one, am glad he finally decided to put the people of Wisconsin out of their misery and announce his retirement early this year. I didn't have a problem with Brett playing the last two years, shoot I wouldn't have a problem with him playing again this year. Brett deserves to decide when he wants to retire, he has earned that right.
I wish Brett Favre the best in retirement. The people of Wisconsin will miss him terribly, heck the whole NFL community and all fans of football will miss him. He truly is an icon not only in Wisconsin but across the entire football crazed country.
I will leave you with this video.
Rumors started today about 10:00am and were confirmed at noon, Brett Favre has retired. Wisconsin is mourning, everybody is wearing black and the flags are at half mast. I did the right thing and offered everybody my condolences and then offered them Jon Kitna from the Detroit Lions. They weren't amused to say the least.
To fully understand the Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packer phenomenon in Wisconsin you need to live here once. This team is everything to these people. People live and die with the Packers. The waiting list for season tickets is 70 years. When the Packers were on Monday Night Football or on TV during the playoffs I would never see a car go by our house. It is a great time to go shopping because the stores are all empty. In the fall people here either wear hunters orange or green, around here Green Bay Packers green. You can't go anywhere without seeing a Packer coat or jersey, normally No. 4 jersey, Brett Favre.
Brett Favre is a character. He loved playing the game of football. I don't think I have ever seen anybody who enjoyed the game of football more than Brett. Brett once said "They pay me to watch film and practice during the week, I play for free on Sunday."
The memory I will always have with Brett Favre is the Monday Night game he played after his fathers death. Every pass he threw up in the air that night a receiver would come down with it. Even if you didn't like Favre you couldn't help but root for him on that evening. You need to look no further than this night for everything that symbolizes Brett Favre.
Brett is a hero here in Wisconsin, more popular than mayors, governors, senators and congressmen. I am sure they will erect a statue of him. For sure they will name a street after him just like Vince Lombardi and Mike Holgram.
For the last two years Favre has held the people of Wisconsin hostage. He would take months to decide if he was going to play or retire the next year. I, for one, am glad he finally decided to put the people of Wisconsin out of their misery and announce his retirement early this year. I didn't have a problem with Brett playing the last two years, shoot I wouldn't have a problem with him playing again this year. Brett deserves to decide when he wants to retire, he has earned that right.
I wish Brett Favre the best in retirement. The people of Wisconsin will miss him terribly, heck the whole NFL community and all fans of football will miss him. He truly is an icon not only in Wisconsin but across the entire football crazed country.
I will leave you with this video.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Back to School
I sit tonight here in my dorm room at the University of Wisconsin writing my latest post. Yeah you heard me right, in my dorm room. At least that is what it feels like. I feel like it is 1977 and I am back at Michigan Tech. The only difference is the halls don't smell like urine or like some freshman just lost his cookies. Also I have my own private bathroom.
The building I am staying obviously isn't a dorm room but rather a hotel room. But my understanding is the building used to be a dorm. It sets among all the student housing, apartments, frat houses, and other assorted residences here on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Yep, I am a Wisconsin Badger for the week.
I can look out my window (I am on the 7th floor) and see the dome of the capital of Wisconsin about 6 blocks away. It is a very nice view. I didn't take this picture because my batteries died when I tried to take a picture from my window. But at least you get the idea.
I am here for training. (A guy once told me you educate people and you train animals. I told him I didn't think I could be educated so I would just stick to the training.) I am taking a course for designing and engineering process piping systems. Most of the stuff we have done so far I have done before but there is always something new to learn so that is why I am here, plus my boss told me I should go. I am waiting for Thursday and Friday because they are going to do the CIP (clean in place) plumbing systems. CIP systems are used a lot in food plants where they have to wash everything down a least once a day. It looks like a do it yourself car wash wand they use to spray everything down. Blah, blah, blah, who cares right?
Anyway about a block up the street is a street named State Street. This must be the local college hang out because it was full of restaurants and bars. It reminds me of Georgetown in Washington DC only Georgetown is just a little more upscale. State Street here looks like, well, like a college town hangout place. Old buildings, a multitude of colors and just about anything a college student would need to survive the university jungle. College students everywhere with their book bags strapped to their shoulders going here and going there. I felt just like one of them with my own bag strapped to my shoulder.
The biggest difference between U of W and MTU is of course size. When I went to Tech there were about 5500 students. U of W is a Big Ten school and I am sure there are tens of thousands of students here. The campus buildings are all jammed together here. It doesn't help the capital of Wisconsin is just up the road either.
The roads are narrow too. They allow cars to park on the road, at least only on one side of the road, and with the snow piled up everywhere there is only room for one lane on some of the roads. What a mess.
I am told the campus is really pretty and it probably is. In the summer. It sets on the shoreline of a large lake overlooking the other side of Madison. I would like to come back in the summer I think my impression of the campus would be much better.
Well I better get back to studying or whatever college students do these days. Actually I am watching the food network. They are showing me how cheese is made.
By the way on my way to Madison yesterday I passed by Columbus Wisconsin and there was an exit that pointed the way to the Christopher Columbus Museum. I guess I was unaware Christopher Columbus landed in Wisconsin with the rest of the pilgrims when he discovered America. Did I miss history class the day they went over this?
The building I am staying obviously isn't a dorm room but rather a hotel room. But my understanding is the building used to be a dorm. It sets among all the student housing, apartments, frat houses, and other assorted residences here on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Yep, I am a Wisconsin Badger for the week.
I can look out my window (I am on the 7th floor) and see the dome of the capital of Wisconsin about 6 blocks away. It is a very nice view. I didn't take this picture because my batteries died when I tried to take a picture from my window. But at least you get the idea.
I am here for training. (A guy once told me you educate people and you train animals. I told him I didn't think I could be educated so I would just stick to the training.) I am taking a course for designing and engineering process piping systems. Most of the stuff we have done so far I have done before but there is always something new to learn so that is why I am here, plus my boss told me I should go. I am waiting for Thursday and Friday because they are going to do the CIP (clean in place) plumbing systems. CIP systems are used a lot in food plants where they have to wash everything down a least once a day. It looks like a do it yourself car wash wand they use to spray everything down. Blah, blah, blah, who cares right?
Anyway about a block up the street is a street named State Street. This must be the local college hang out because it was full of restaurants and bars. It reminds me of Georgetown in Washington DC only Georgetown is just a little more upscale. State Street here looks like, well, like a college town hangout place. Old buildings, a multitude of colors and just about anything a college student would need to survive the university jungle. College students everywhere with their book bags strapped to their shoulders going here and going there. I felt just like one of them with my own bag strapped to my shoulder.
The biggest difference between U of W and MTU is of course size. When I went to Tech there were about 5500 students. U of W is a Big Ten school and I am sure there are tens of thousands of students here. The campus buildings are all jammed together here. It doesn't help the capital of Wisconsin is just up the road either.
The roads are narrow too. They allow cars to park on the road, at least only on one side of the road, and with the snow piled up everywhere there is only room for one lane on some of the roads. What a mess.
I am told the campus is really pretty and it probably is. In the summer. It sets on the shoreline of a large lake overlooking the other side of Madison. I would like to come back in the summer I think my impression of the campus would be much better.
Well I better get back to studying or whatever college students do these days. Actually I am watching the food network. They are showing me how cheese is made.
By the way on my way to Madison yesterday I passed by Columbus Wisconsin and there was an exit that pointed the way to the Christopher Columbus Museum. I guess I was unaware Christopher Columbus landed in Wisconsin with the rest of the pilgrims when he discovered America. Did I miss history class the day they went over this?
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