So, the internet is awesome. We just had a high-tech Amish weekend. I was able to find a bunch of area attractions and restaurants online before our trip. I even went crazy enough to make a spreadsheet beforehand of possible attractions. I had links to their site, other noted sites, and any online coupons that I found. I even added the latitude & longitude thanks to Google maps, so I could make a custom POI file(complete with a custom icon) to export to the Garmin. We didn’t hit all the attractions that I had discovered beforehand, and we hit a few that I didn’t find ahead of time… but it really helped us plan our time so we weren’t rushed & so we were always moving in the right direction. It was OCD-level madness, but it helped make an easy time of things once we were there…
..and it was easy to refer to once I popped it up in Google Documents, whenever we were at the hotel or some place with WiFi. It was lightning quick to check prices, hours, and anything else I needed to know. If they didn’t have something listed on their site, I emailed them ahead of time… and most were quick & gracious with answers.
Here’s a revised list of the places we did end up visiting:
In the next few posts, I’d like to detail what we did & finally where we ate. (Still waiting for UrbanSpoon & AllergyEats to add one more place where we ate before I do the full food review blog…)
Who wouldn’t love this? The best part is that I’m old enough to have actually owned a ghetto-blaster/boom box like the one Vader’s holding in the shirt… and I did. I also own 600 copies of the Star Wars movies in various edits & formats (thanks, George Lucas), and now I can watch them in this new shirt. Maybe I ought to walk around with my ghetto blaster blasting the Star Wars soundtrack?
A shirt fit for a Star Wars geek!
Tags: Darth Vader, Ghetto Blaster, Picture of Product, Using Product, Boom Box, Star wars
Well, I’m sure everyone does to a certain extent. I hate them for the obvious reasons of comfort/germs/privacy just like (I’d imagine) everyone else. I mean, everyone would rather do business on their own throne, am I right?
Well, I’m sure everyone does to a certain extent. I hate them for the obvious reasons of comfort/germs/privacy just like (I’d imagine) everyone else. I mean, everyone would rather do business on their own throne & all alone, am I right?
I hate public facilities for other reasons that are somehow more annoying than the obvious…
They’re never stocked properly. Okay, I guess this one’s obvious. Sorry. Perhaps I should also say “rarely” instead of “never”, but I’m ranting here. If something’s not out completely, the dispenser is jammed which is worse because it’s there but you can’t get to it. Soap? Toilet paper? Hand towels? Who needs ’em, right?
TP Quality. If I can see through it and have to go bad enough that I’m actually pooping in a public bathroom, you can guarantee that I’m going to wad it so much that you should have just bought the better stuff anyway.
The “hey we cleaned it 10 min. ago” sign-in sheets. Yeah, “cleaned”.
Sink design. There seem to be a lot of sink designers out there that have never actually washed their hands. When the faucet hangs about 2 inches over a sink basin with a large slope… my knuckles are hitting porcelain and my palms remain dry until I pull some contortionist-like moves that should probably get me into the Olympics. Did no one think about that when the bathrooms were being built or remodeled? No one has tried the sink out, regardless of the inevitable “Employees Must Wash Hands” sign? Perhaps I am doing it wrong. Is there a secret? If there is a better way, I am but your humble student.
Water. It’s never quite right, is it? Scalding, freezing… a minor inconvenience I guess. Most public sinks that I encounter have the all-on-splash-my-shirt setting and the just-above-a-drip setting with not much in between. I’ll also mention the “oh no I leaned on the counter and it looks like I peed my pants” moment here. The auto-sinks at Walmart stores feel like there’s a tiny elf with an eyedropper in there just waiting to wash your hands.
Foam soap is just terrible. Quit it already. I’m over it, and you should be too. It dissipates so quickly & leaves my hands feeling either not clean at all at best or almost sticky at worst. The watered-down liquid soap that was used regularly well into the late 90’s and early 00’s is just fine.
Technology isn’t your friend. I’m the last person to run a tirade against technology. But sometimes, the more there is to it, the more there is to go wrong.
The auto-flush toilet was probably the first to appear. While noble, I have perfected my boot-flush and elbow-flush techniques… so I don’t need it, even if it does work. Everyone’s heard the tale of someone who was auto-flushed upon amid doing business on the john. No one wants to be the victim there, right? Especially of the ones that look like a mini hurricane in a bowl.
The Hand Dryer. I believe the correct ratio is 1 out of every 3 hand dryers (hot or cool) actually functions. I haven’t done any studies, and I’m not sure if this is the factory QC acceptance level, but it seems about right. I’m saying 1 out of 5 for the no-button auto kind. You can quote me on this.
The hands-free paper towel dispenser. Jammed, not working, empty, gives a 3″ square or enough to dry 1 finger… then takes 10 minutes to give you enough for the next finger. So much here to go wrong.
The hands-free soap dispenser. There’s no soap in it, because it’s all on the floor. Or, if it’s an in-sink unit, there’s always a bottle of Softsoap or Dial there because the in sink unit is always empty or broken.
The hands-free sink. See my previous comment about elves & eye droppers. It also helps if the elf isn’t sleeping.
Pfft. The auto your-ass-stinks dispensers make it smell like poop and flowers. That helps.
What’s next? Someday there will be butt-wiping robots or poo-burning laser beams. I’d like to go on record now as voting against this.
The pee trough. These are rare nowadays, thank goodness.
The Surprise. Unfortunately you know what I’m talking about. Stop it, people.
The trash can. Full or overflowing? Yes. The in-sink or in-wall ones are a joke.
The multi-tasker. I don’t want to hear you on your phone while you’re pooping. The person on the other end doesn’t want to talk to you while you’re pooping. I don’t want to talk to you while I’m pooping. Phones and pooping do not mix.
The dweller. What’s with people that just hang out in restrooms? What are you doing besides making me nervous? If you’re not using the facilities or freshening up… get out.
What did I miss? I’m sure something in public restrooms annoys you too. What is it? Am I wrong with any of the above statements? Have any horror stories? Hit me with comments…
I love barbecue, or BBQ or Bar-B-Q or whatever you want to call it. This isn’t going to be a blog about what you think the “real” definition of barbecue is (wet/dry, smoke/no smoke, slow & low/fast & hot, sauce/no sauce, charcoal/gas, grill/pit)… the purists all claim to be right, and the term can be applied to the meat (or veggies I guess), the cooking, the spices, the sauce, or the gathering. If you want to argue/learn about the differences, check out Wikipedia.
Since I’m just a fan of barbecue, not a professional BBQ cook, and live in Pittsburgh not the south*… I won’t take a stand on the issue. I like all varieties. (Although, would chipped ham barbecue be “Pittsburgh Style” BBQ? I’d support that.)
I was inspired to write about BBQ today because I recently had an excellent dinner form the Pittsburgh Barbecue Company. It reminded me of my three favorite barbecue joints. I was just wondering what other people thought of them, and what other awesome local BBQ joints might not be on my radar.
Rowdy BBQ
Rowdy BBQ Tagline: “We think of you when we pull our pork!” – I swear this place used to be called Brentwood Express or have it in the name somewhere… but now the site’s commercial strictly says “Rowdy BBQ”, so we’ll go with that.
At any rate, this is my favorite barbecue sauce. I love this stuff! It’s a sweet yet spicy sauce. They have a killer menu with all kinds of fun things like “The Big Pig”, “The Whole Hog”, and the “Knuckle Sandwich”. I usually get the ribs/chicken combo with some fries and eat just enough to make myself almost sick. The ribs are always cooked perfectly, sometimes the chicken is dry, but not “ooh I can’t eat this” dry. The fries are awesome, and this is the only place out of my 3 favorites that even has fries. (They used to have excellent pierogies, but I don’t think they’re on the menu anymore.) I’ve had the Big Pig & the brisket sandwiches, they are awesome. I want to try the cheese steaks, but at pulled to the BBQ offerings every time I’m there. I want to buy the sauce to bring home, but then I won’t have an excuse to go there. The parking lot is chaos, and you’re eating about 5 feet away from the traffic on Rte. 51 when you’re on the one site… but I can never wait to get home to eat, gotta eat it there! (And, I’d miss the rowdy rooster!)
Pittsburgh Barbecue Company Tagline: “That place on Banksville…” – This place is the closest to home for me, and is pretty damn tasty BBQ. The sauce is a little more tangy than sweet. I go for the brisket or pulled pork here more often than the ribs… but the ribs & chicken are damn good. I like their mac n’ cheese. It’s got a tasty homemade feel. They have a pretty minimalist menu, but I really like that. They know what they do, and they do it well. My wife Bethany loves their baked apples side. The cornbread is excellent too. They seem to be a little expensive here, but again, it’s worth it. You definitely get what you pay for… the meat portions on the sandwiches are huge.
The sauce is nice & peppery. I get a spicy tingle every time we dine here. There’s also a nice outside dining area, and although sparse like Rowdy BBQ, you’re not eating amid exhaust like you are on Rte. 51. It’s got a nice little log cabin/shack feel inside. They also tout a bunch of “#1’s” on their site, most recent being Pittsburgh Magazine’s “Best in the ‘Burgh 2010”. This place is no secret, even if it is hiding back off of the main road.
Clem’s Cafe Tagline: “Home of the nice racks, big breasts, juicy thighs, and warm buns! ” – This one is way out there, but really worth the drive. They have an excellent tangy sauce… I can taste the vinegar in it, but it blends well with the overall flavor. The best part about Clem’s is that hands down the meat is always falling off the bone on the ribs… and always always juicy with the chicken. I like the mac & cheese here, and the ability to get the Boylan’s root beer or birch beer.
The dining facilities are great, it’s always a nice place to sit & eat. They have a concise menu, again not too much, you know exactly why you’re there… for the BBQ!
So, where else should I try? My #1 criteria in finding a cool new BBQ place is that they don’t have shrimp(or any other shellfish) on the menu… like Rib Cage BBQ. I like the BBQ places because of the limited menu & no chance of cross-contamination. It’s nice to be able to completely relax at an eating establishment.
I would love to be able to get some turkey at a BBQ place though… either deep-fried & topped with some sauce… or in a pulled-pork style or brisket-style sandwich… or turkey legs. Man, I love turkey legs.
So, flood me with commentary!
*There are a number of people around here that do indeed think we are a southern state… “Pennsyltucky” and all…
—– Forwarded Message —– From:Food Allergy Initiative <info@faiusa.org> To: [-mE.] Sent: Monday, May 9, 2011 4:26 PM Subject: Fw: FAAW – FAI’s Give It Up Campaign & Poster Contest
Food Allergy Awareness Week — May 8 thru 15, 2011
“Give It Up!” for Food Allergy Awareness Week
Food Allergy Awareness Week is here! Join FAI’s 2011 “Give It Up” advocacy campaign and show your support for the 12 million Americans with food allergies—including some 3 million children. Here’s how it works:
Show your support by giving up a favorite food for the week, a day, or just one meal.
Write your elected officials, urging them to increase federal funding for research that will lead to a cure. (If you wish, you can add your story to the letters we’ve prepared for you.) The federal government only spends about $28 million a year on food allergy research—far less than on other important diseases. It’s time to solve this major public health problem!
Enter our poster contest! Enter on your own, or have family and friends join in the fun. You could win a Divvies gift certificate!
Since 2007, Food Allergy Awareness Week has put the spotlight on life-threatening food allergies. FAI and other concerned organizations will be conducting activities throughout the week.
Read a statement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—the agency responsible for most federally funded food allergy research.
Our Mission
FAI supports research to find a cure for life-threatening food allergies; clinical activities to improve diagnosis and treatment; public policy to increase federal funding for research and create safer environments for those afflicted; and educational programs to make the hospitality industry, schools, day care centers, and camps safer.
World (and Lunar) Domination 