From: Food Allergy Initiative <info@faiusa.org>
To: Me <me@my.email.address>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:30 PM
Subject: Message from FAI & Research America
| Finding a cure for life-threatening food allergies. | July 19, 2011 |
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Category Archives: Consumer Advocacy
I am computer smart & very good with organization.
Worst resume ever? Perhaps. It’s pretty funny though… so maybe if the writer can harness the chaos, it can be put to good use. I wish I could take credit for writing or even finding this, but I can’t. It comes from a note posted on Facebook by my good friend Mike. I asked him if I could steal it to share with a wider audience, and he agreed that it’s too good to not be shared.
So, grab a cup of coffee, and pretend you’re looking to hire someone…
[Mike’s forward: This comes from my pal at a local coffee shop. This kid came in and insisted on including this resume with his application. I have not edited it for content, spelling or punctuation aside from anything containing his personal info. Have fun!!]
Resume of, AUTHOR.
Address: (Something, Pittsburgh PA 15219.)
Best way to contact: E-Mail.(email@college.edu.)
Attending college at: (College.)
Major of study: (Graphic Design, moving up to Game & Art Design.)
Degree earning: (Bachelor’s Degree, “4 years.”)
Years done so far out of 4: (almost a full 2 years total.)
Skill’s & Talent’s, which PERSON can bring to this job offer, is as followed:
- I have both my Adobe & Microsoft skills.
- I wield the knowledge & understanding on, how to properly function these programs.
- I am computer smart & very good with organization.
- I am a hard worker & I get stuff done right the first time around.
- I am very well, at English & speaking.
- I understand details very quickly & fluently as well.
I take direction extremely well & work as hard as I can, in order to guarantee success at whatever it is I am presently doing.
- I am a team player & can be greatly independent upon my efforts put fourth in my work too.
- I can give great advice to fellow students, if I do not know an answer to a question I will first try to see if I can figure it out, or guide them to the correct person in position to answer their questions.
- I am passionate at everything I do, I never waste time I work first & leave the relaxing time for when it can be enjoyed without consequence.
Background & Job qualifications.
You are probably asking yourself:
- “Why should I consider hiring, this college student?
- What makes him, stand out more than any other college student. who may be applying?
- Does he have the ambition & determination, to follow through with this job position?
- Will he ever fail me, or let me down in anyway imaginable?
- Can he be trusted & reliable, to do this type of work?
” These are all very good questions & I can inform security, that I can honestly answer them all, both correctly & factually, while backing up everything I am about to explain with evidence. ”
- I feel you should consider my employment, cause I am a working type of person almost 95 percent of my time, my life is what I do, in this cause art & employment, I seem to never stop moving or working on something important, while others party with friends I am either figuring out life arrangements, school finances & study, or just creating neat art, cause that’s what I came to an art college for.
I believe what makes me stand out, is my never give up attitude, my spunky side which shines through as a bubbly personality, my humor can be a personality trait in particular settings, I naturally love people & always give my all & best to help them, I would give a homeless guy the remaining dollar in my wallet & I have done that a lot, so I just believe with every good employee, comes a caring strong individual. I am a determined student, with one option only, success. Failure is a given, but I never allow it, it will never be3 a option for me, if I want this dream career & lifestyle I have to want it, I have to live it & most importantly I have to fight for it full throttle. I brought my GPA up this quarter from a 1.7 now is at a peaking 2.4 /2.5 & there are still a few grades that need to placed in their, but I know how I did by communicating with my professors, it will at least be a 2.5 if anything. I can guarantee excellent & efficient work ethic, delivered daily without any questions ask. I am up for change, so if details in the work environment turn to the left or to the right I am on the ball & never respond negatively to a changed course or daily pattern. I am a Full-Time Student, at the COLLEGE, in the Graphic Design Program (Bachelors Degree.) I came for Game & art Design. though my art work from high school, passed in insanely well, my mathematics’ is what I am working on in order to move up & soon enough I will do just that.
Personal Cover Letter.
I am a very determined person. I believe in promotion, even where it seems, down right impossible. I believe anyone of us, can succeed at what we dream. It’s not where you come from, that makes who you are today, It is what you went through & how you handled it, in order to get to where you are today. I do not believe in using your pass negative experiences, as an alibi, nor do I agree with, failure being an option. I came from a rough life, beofre I became the young successful man I am today. I was the boy on the streets, the boy with no father or mother, nor anyone to love him. I came from Foster Cares, an endless amount & I went through life’s tragedies at an early age. Though my life was difficult, I still dreamed of a brighter tomorrow, with that said, I always said I BELIEVE. I never listened, when family & outsiders use to say, give up that’s a fairy tale dream-life it will never happened I still held my head high & believed, their must be more to this world Everyone can not simply be this horrid, their must be a better life, out there just waiting around the bend, sure enough after 17 to 18 years of my life, I found out that I was in fact very correct. There was a dream-life outside of tragedy & despair & that’s what I found today, for 2 years right out of high school I jumped on the college bandwagon & never stepped off since, still dealing with tragedies sure we always will, but I deal with them, get through them, the mature way, the professional way & I still do what my work & schooling expects of me.
I did have a part time job at the local Dunkin’ Donuts, but ran into, some scheduling details that weren’t that well explained in this case, every week was a new schedule & it began to confuse many employees working on the site. I worked as a very hard worker for a solid month, to the point that, the Assistant Manager taking over soon, said I wish I was in charge right now cause you would still be my employee, he apologized & said you the only one here who cleans, closes & runs this shop like a professional & to the book, like me, everyone else seems to slide on through & slack off, he said my apologize. This was very difficult it hurt very badly to where I cried a bit, I never been rejected in that fashion, so I think we all, get that wake up call, that proves to us even if your doing everything in your power to be the best employee, sometimes life still happens, all we can do is cry, move on & change for the better in the end I am also applying for 2 part times or one Full time position this quarter I have to find a place to live come September 1h & I expect to be okay, come fall something tells me I will. I guarantee, though I work part time, I will have more than enough time to work for you, this is without questioning, I would have never applied if I couldn’t bring the goods to the table, trust me. Many days I sit bored in a dorm silly, cause I don’t work that day or classes are finished, so I have all the time in the world I am a hard worker & I believe living life to it’s fullest, takes effort in order to receive it’s glory
Did he get the job? Please, share your thoughts! I’d also love to know how much of this was put through Google Translate. Think any of it was? I hope some of it was, anyway.
What’s your favorite line? There are so many good ones! This should replace the standard lourem ipsum.
Our weekend of dining in PA Dutch country
Well, if you’ve been keeping up, you read about my plan for our trip, what we did on our trip, and maybe even the email from the Amish Village owner. This one’s all about the food. We ate a lot while we were out that way, but we didn’t hit the regular buffet/smörgåsbord places like Miller’s or Dienner’s.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know about my shellfish allergy. Buffets can be a nightmare for someone like me… not only do I have to worry about cross-contamination in the kitchen (like on shared cooking surfaces, utensils, or fryers), but I have to worry about my fellow slovenly patrons carelessly flinging bits of deathfish on to adjacent foods, or better yet inadvertently dropping some off of their plate while at a different table. No thank you. No worries though, with the internet I was able to do a lot of research ahead of time on shellfish-free and allergy friendly restaurants.
Classic Breakfast Sandwich on Ciabatta
The continental breakfast at the Super 8 in Lancaster was lacking, so we decided to check out the Prince Street Cafe first thing on Saturday morning. We were quite glad that we did! I had an email exchange going on before our trip with the manager that put me totally at ease. I noticed there was no shellfish on their menu, but I emailed them to be sure. It ends up that they do occasionally have a seafood soup and it would be in-house while we were there, but I wasn’t worried about the cross-contamination there after hearing how it was prepared and seeing that they acknowledged food allergies on their menu by offering gluten-free and nut-free options. I can’t stress enough what a relief & pleasure this type of email exchange was.
The place was packed and we got there shortly after 9:00am. The line before us went quickly & there were thankfully menus posted prominently in two places near to where you order. My wife & I both chose the classic breakfast sandwich on ciabatta, I opted for the addition of bacon. I also had an iced tea, and added some honey which was available on the counter… which made it absolutely perfect. The sandwiches were great, the eggs were cooked perfectly (by a microwave of all things, I think), the cheese was beautifully melted & the ciabatta was nice & fresh. I dug the nice slab ‘o bacon too, it didn’t overpower the sandwich.
All-in-all, this seemed like a great place to hang out. The employees were friendly, there was a really diverse crowd, it was very relaxing. We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in the area, perhaps for a lunch or even just some coffee.
Turkey Sandwich w/ Mild BBQ Sauce
I hadn’t seeked-out Jakey’s before our trip. I did find a business-card sized ad in the giant tourist brochure display wall in our hotel. I saw the word BBQ, and it was all over. I mean, I do love BBQ. I did find a menu online before going in, and again no deathfish, but I did do the usual awkward asking if there is/was every any shellfish prepared there before ordering & after looking over the menu. After a no from the waitress, a confused look, then a double-check with someone in the back, we were good. My problem in general with BBQ joints is that I want everything. Thankfully they usually have sampler or at least combo platters.
Since we were there for lunch though, and doing some touristy running-around, I came to the sad realization that I shouldn’t fill up on BBQ. I opted for the barbecue turkey sandwich with the mild sauce, and my wife went for the chicken sandwich. Sadly, you don’t see a lot of turkey BBQ ’round the ‘Burgh… so I was glad to have that as a choice. I had a side of fries, & Bethany got the macaroni salad. My sandwich was delicious. The turkey was nice & juicy, and there wasn’t so much sauce that you couldn’t appreciate the taste of the meat. I did grab the spicy BBQ sauce that was provided on the table… for the sandwich & for some french fry dipping. It wasn’t really all that hot for being the “spicy” sauce, but it was really good. I’d like to try the other meats & the Carolina-style sauce… Maybe some corn fritters instead of the fries? We’ll be through again when we’re back that way!
Added bonus, it had a real BBQ joint kind of vibe… it shared space with a T-shirt shop that sold all kinds of stuff, from religious to raunchy. The tables had that red & white checkered pattern tablecloth, and there were while plastic outdoor type chairs. The guy behind the counter who I must assume was the owner or at least a manager was very cool to his employees who seemed new, telling them they were doing a good job. He even sent out extra fries for us, apparently there weren’t enough on my plate when it came out! Ha ha. Our waitress did quite well, especially if she was new. The order was correct, quick, and we had sweet tea refills without even asking. Add this place to my list of favorite BBQ joints!
Family-Style Meal
Now, this place was just incredible. Again, I checked out the menu online beforehand, and asked the hostess about shellfish when we arrived. No deathfish in sight (or hidden in the kitchen), so I was good to go. It looks like a quaint little farmhouse with a beautiful garden on the outside, and once inside it doesn’t really lose that farmhouse appeal. We were seated in a room off to the side with smaller tables, as large tables filled the front room (& I believe around back) and were full of mostly families with a bunch of children. Our waitress could have played Granny in the Tweetie & Sylvester cartoons if they were to be made into a live action film.
On the way in the door, you opt in for (& pay for) the buffet, and then if you make it through that, you can order desserts à la carte. We didn’t make it to dessert. Why? Well, they managed to stuff me full of literally everything on the menu. I actually had everything too. It was quite comforting to not have to worry about any cross-contamination or hidden ingredients… and it helped that everything tasted perfect. first they brought out applesauce, pepper cabbage (a kind of cole slaw with red bell peppers & a vinegar dressing), chow-chow, and apple butter w/ white & wheat bread. It was my first time trying chow-chow, and I loved it. It tasted like bread n’ butter pickles, but was a mixture of cauliflower, carrots, green beans, cucumbers (pickles), kidney beans, and maybe peppers and onions? Next, she brought out everything else… Fried chicken, sausage, hamloaf, green beans, corn, buttered noodles, potato stuffing (I’ve heard it called potato filling), & sweet potatoes. All their meat comes from Stoltzfus Meats, right next door. The fried chicken was excellent, the breading was perfect & the chicken itself was delicious & succulent. I could eat potato stuffing all day… I mean carbs + carbs, covered in carb-filled gravy? Yes please.
I could go on, but you get the point. If you catch me on a craving & a free day… I just might drive out there to get a meal & come right home. It would be worth the drive! I wish I had room for the tapioca pudding.
Steak & Egg on 6" Ciabatta
It’s odd mentioning it with the other places, but we did eat breakfast there. I’m from the other side of the state where we have Sheetz & Get·Go… so of course I had to try a Wawa. I’m a huge Sheetz fan, and had it in my head that I already liked Sheetz better. I may be wrong. The girl that made our sandwiches was really friendly, and offered to help us with the touch screen if we needed it. (We must have appeared to be n00bz while we were blipping through checking out the entire menu.
My sandwich not only ridiculously large, but they eggs were really fluffy. I think the menu said something about them containing cheese? Whatever they do with them, it works for me. I got a steak egg & cheese sandwich and it was delicious. Wawa has the same problem as Sheetz & Get·Go as far as wrapping sandwiches though. No matter where I get touch-screen gas station food, there’s always more sauce/ketchup/dressing on the outside of the bun than the inside. You’d think that someone would have come up with a solution for that by now. Perhaps it’s a tie. Maybe Sheetz is still my favorite. It’s pretty close though. (Luckily, there was no deathfish on the menu, so it’s a safe place for me if not classy. Ha ha.)
Strasburg Railroad Trackside Café
Turkey sandwich, hamburger, & fries.
We stopped here to get some lunch after the first train ride of the day at the Strasburg Railroad. It was an OK cafeteria-style kind of joint, sadly cash only. I checked out the menu when we got in there, & did ask if they ever cooked shellfish. I was told they didn’t & felt safe. I got a turkey sandwich & Bethany got a burger, and we shared some fries. My sandwich was pretty good… but Bethany wasn’t a big fan of the burger. The fries seemed a little old for some reason. I think we both wished we had just went back to Jakey’s. Ha ha.
Overall though, I guess we got what we paid for, it was a nice cheap quick & convenient lunch. I did like the fact that they had up signs warning about the use of peanut oil for those with peanut allergies. For a family attraction & with food allergies on the rise, this is a responsible thing for a business to do.
Splits & Giggles
First off, best name ever for an ice cream shop. Secondly, the guys that own & run the place are very cool. I also can’t believe I didn’t pause to take a photo of the ice cream. This was another place that I had scouted-out beforehand, and found through either Urbanspoon or Allergy Eats. I saw that their menu was devoid of deathfish, so I sent the now standard just-to-be-sure email. They had a soup containing seafood, but it hasn’t been in-house for a while… so I was safe. These guys were really cool via email, and even dropped me a line about special hours for that Sunday when they noticed I didn’t stop in on Saturday.
I was hoping to make it there for a lunch or light dinner topped off with some ice cream, but as it happened we were heading home well after lunch & way before dinner, so we decided to ruin dinner & just have some ice cream. It was a good call. I had a hot fudge sundae in a waffle bowl, and Bethany went for rocky-road in a pretzel cone. The ice cream was great, and the place was really cool. It had a nice neighborhood vibe. They even took a bowl of water out for some customers who were outside eating some ice cream whit their dog. Next time we’re in the area, I’d like to get in & try one of their panini sandwiches. They get bonus points for the line “Please alert us of ANY food allergies or concerns you have before ordering.” on their menu.
Well, that was all of our meals while on our road trip. I won’t include the Hardee’s that we hit on the way home… it’s probably best for them if I don’t comment.
Ever been to any of these places? Let me know what you think!
Props to the Amish Village!
OK, so in my blog about our trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country, I mentioned the Amish Village & their “interesting” tour guide. The more I thought about it, the more a few things struck me as odd, so I slightly altered my original post to include the questions that were asked by the people taking the tour & answers given by the guide… and then I did something goofy. I decided to contact the Amish Village to tell them about it. I sent them this using their webform:
> From: Eric <my.email@ddre.ss>
> Subject: Tour. Guide.
>
> Message Body:
> Hello,
>
> My wife & I were in the Lancaster area this past weekend celebrating our anniversary. You have a beautiful area, and an excellent attraction. I enjoyed a view of the Amish lifestyle, and the stores & displays on site. I did learn quite a lot about the use of propane for lighting, refrigeration, and retro-fitting things like electric mixers.
>
> You. might. want. to. audit. your. tour. guides. though.
>
> Confused? Me too: http://wp.me/pwqzc-Ap
>
> Just some things that I noticed that were contradictory to some other tours & info that we had heard…
>
> Thanks!
> -Eric
>
> —
> This mail is sent via contact form on Amish Village http://theamishvillage.net/dev
And this was their reply…
From: Shane Ackermann
To: Eric <my.email@ddre.ss>
Sent: Thursday, June 2, 2011 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: Tour. Guide.
Eric-Thanks for emailing. I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed Lancaster area. We work hard to please our customers and have a unique attraction, after all, you are our life-blood. I saw this blogspot earlier today via google alerts and have already spoken with our team. Must have been an off day, he is one of our best.
Again, thanks for the feedback and please let me know next time you are through the area.
All the best-
Shane Ackermann
The Amish Village
Owner
704-726-6957ps- great pictures. Would you mind posting them to our FB page? I just started it and it needs some customer pictures.
First of all, Google is awesome for picking up my blog with Google Alerts. Second, and more important… Mr. Ackermann is awesome for having them set up for his business, so he can actively keep up on any sort of press and/or online musings. It’s great to see someone actively using technology to keep up with their business & help get the word out. The ridiculously quick reply didn’t hurt either.
Check out their Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Amish-Village/217619698257614 (Maybe check out their Twitter page too!)
Hopefully I’ll be able to upload some photos for them in the next few days.
Again, I’d like to stress that it’s definitely a cool/fun place to visit. Just read up on the Amish first, & grill the tour guides when you’re there! Ha ha.
PA Dutch Country Attractions
So, I already blogged bout my plan for Amish country, here’s what we did while we were there…
The Downtown Lancaster Visitor Center, the Heritage Center Museum, & the print shop upstairs by the .918 Club. – Yeah, all of this was in one building. The visitor center was my first stop because I had a decent dialog going before our arrival in the area with Henry at the center, and whoever is behind the goLancasterPA Twitter account. I wanted to say hello & give a personal thanks.
I printed this...
After a quick hello, we went on to the Heritage Center Museum for some cool Amish artifacts & hands-on toys, a quick history lesson, and a bunch of other area artifacts like some beautiful paintings, clocks, furniture, & more.
Upstairs in the print shop, we got an all-out printing demonstration from Mike Donnelly. I’ve always found that kind of stuff interesting from printing & graphic design to the art of fonts & printing. It was an unexpected surprise & it was right up my alley! I even got to make a few small prints on some antique presses!
Angry Young & Poor – Yeah, not exactly in with the theme of everything else, but I used to order from this place back when paper ‘zines & catalogs were a thing… so I had to stop since I was in the area. Dude behind the counter seemed cool, and I picked up a Sloppy Seconds CD.
HAven not Oven
The Dutch Haven – This was a store that looks like a windmill. While there, I bought some Amish root beer & tried a sample of shoo-fly pie. It felt like a toruist-trap boardwalk kind of store, but you’ll have that in tourist areas. They seemed rather nice. Also, we learned that you need to go here before Jakey’s Amish BBQ, and you’ll get a %10 off coupon.
- yuk yuk yuk
The Outhouse – It was a like a Cracker Barrel store & a Spencer’s crashed into each other. It was full of local stuff, goofy stuff, kitch, and a bunch of silly coin-operated jokes. Fun, but once we saw it, we don’t really ever have a need to go back.
Ed’s Buggy Rides – I had an amusing online exchange with Ed … or someone at Ed’s Buggy Rides. It went sort of like this…
Ed's Buggy Rides
From: MeSent: Monday, May 23, 2011Subject: Prices?Hello,My wife & I are planning to be in the Lancaster/Strasburg area this weekend celebrating our anniversary.I was wondering what your rates are for buggy rides?Thanks,-Eric
Simple enough right? (I mean, a website ought to list that sort of thing, but…)
From: Mrs Brenda Littler <klittler@verizon.net>
To: Me
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Subject: Re: Prices?Please call 717-687-0360.
Pimpin' Amish Buggy
Heh. Don’t email info@edsbuggyrides.com, just call ’em I guess. The tour did prove to be awesome though. We took the tour with another couple, and our driver/guide was quite knowledgeable about the Amish history & way of life. He was able to easily answer any questions that we had. We also stopped at a working Amish farm where I had a glass of homemade Amish root beer, and Bethany bought a Quillow from the craziest salesman ever, a 13 or 14 year old Amish girl. We weren’t getting out of there without buying something. She was showing us every quilt, wall hanging, toy, and canned good in the place. I wish I could have taken her picture. For having a seemingly communal/communist lifestyle (from each according to his means, to each according to his needs – right?), this girl was a killer capitalist! (Oh yeah, that was J & B Quilts and Crafts – they’re at 157 N. Star Rd., Ronks, PA 17572)
Stop. Yell. Ing.
The Amish Village – The Amish village was a tourist trap, but it was a cool visit. The. Kid. Who. Gave. Us. The. Tour. Yelled. Syllables. Instead. Of. Speaking. Normally. He also wasn’t very good with Amish trivia or history. He said some stuff that contradicted the heritage museum, and other things that I’ve read. He also didn’t answer questions very well, or talk about the Amish men’s clothing or the significance of their hats – which our guide on Ed’s Buggy Rides had already told us about. He talked a lot about the dresses though, and knew a lot about them. Did you know the outer part of an Amish woman’s dress is pinned on with straight pins? Dude knew. He also assured is that the pins don’t jab you, and you get used to it after the first few times. Yeah. If I were the owner, I’d make sure dude wasn’t in there trying on the dresses at night.
After the upstairs bedroom tour, a woman asked about the hats… he said there was no significance where our earlier guide told us about the distinction with the rounded vs. flat indicating if the wearer has children. Then again, downstairs… a man asked about why they use animals in the field… the tour guide went on a tangent about rubber taking them too far away from home… where from what I understand they use horses to ensure that everyone tills a fair amount of land.
It was cool to see a mockup of a typical Amish house, and learn about their extensive use of propane in lieu of electricity for things like lighting, refrigeration, heat, and running things like retrofitted electric mixers.
The Hangover Part II – OK, we were out of town and decided to just relax and catch a goofy movie. The Garmin found us a local theater, we went, we laughed our behinds off. I’m guessing the Amish would not appreciate or even understand 99% of this film.
First Class!
475
The Strasburg Railroad – We took a first class ride on this train and it was just awesome. It’s the first time that either of us was ever on a train. (Unless you count the T.) It was fascinating just to see & feel how it worked. This history behind the railroad in general is quite interesting. We sipped drinks & took photos while the train chugged along and we listened to a narrative about the countryside & the railroad itself. I would say this is a must for anyone going to the area. Next time we may hit up the railroad museum across the street, or the toy train museum. Also, next time, we’d like to ditch the Super 8 in favor of the Red Caboose Motel! This was a relaxing way to spend part of the day, & there was plenty there to entertain us for a while. Next time, we may do the picnic lunch where they drop you off for a picnic in a great little picnic area, then you ride back on a different train.
Choo-Choo!
The Choo Choo Barn – The other area train attraction that we did go see was the Choo Choo Barn. This was a model train display with amazing attention to detail, it reminded me of the one here in Penn Hills that they do around Christmas. There was a fire scene were a house “caught fire”, complete with smoke, every 15 minutes… then a little firefighter popped out with a hose and put the fire out with real water. I mean, it was crazy. I wish I had better photography skills to catch all the crazy stuff in there with the odd lighting & night scenes.
Attention to detail.
One photo I did manage to get though, was a blurry one… but proof of a man taking a pee in the top floor of one of the train stations. You know the guy laughed for hours after putting that one in.
All in all, we had a wonderful weekend in PA Dutch Country, and it was an excellent way to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We liked it so much that we hope to make it a regular trip! We’ll never run out of things to do over that way. I could spend all day taking buggy & train rides!
You can check out all the photos from out adventure here… from my Nikon D60, Bethany’s Fuji Finepix Z, and both of our phones: Grid View / Slideshow View
😀
The next blog will be about the food. I had to break it down. This post is already incredibly long!
High-Tech Amish Country Weekend
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:
…and a Google Map of all the attractions is here: Lancaster PA Road Trip
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…)
WordPress would like to help you with your hate crimes.
All I had typed of my last blog (I hate public bathrooms.) was this…
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?
…and, these were the suggested tags:
HatePress
Way to go, WordPress!
Are there hate crime protocols for public bathrooms?
Do a lot of race-ethnic-religious relations happen in public bathrooms?
I must be missing something.
WordPress may have redeemed themselves though. I had finished this, and saved to post… but these suggestions came up:
McHate
Bravo, WordPress. Bravo!
I hate public bathrooms.
Image by StartTheDay via Flickr
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…
OMG. WTF? BBQ!
My PCP is going to hate this post.
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!)
Check ’em out on the web: Website | Facebook 1 | Facebook 2 | Urbanspoon
Pittsburgh Barbecue Company
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.
Check ’em out on the web: Website | Facebook | Twitter | UrbanSpoon
Clem's Cafe
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!
[I need a YouTube video for these guys!]
Check ’em out on the web: Website | Facebook | UrbanSpoon
Which Pittsburgh (or SWPA) BBQ place is your favorite? I’d love to do a blind taste-test of all their sauces some time.
There are other places I have in mind that I’d like to try, like The Flame BBQ, Two Brothers Bar-B-Q, & No Bull Bar-B-Q. Anyone been to any of those? Thoughts?
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…
From FAI :: “Give It Up!” for Food Allergy Awareness Week!
From the FAI…
—– 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:
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TODAY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Please help us get the word out! Share this e-mail—and be sure to take a look at these news stories:
- NBC Nightly News and MSNBC ran a compelling three-part story on the impact of food allergies on children, which cites results from an upcoming FAI-sponsored study and features interviews with 6-year-old Lily Martin and 15-year-old Morgan Smith—Colorado students with life-threatening food allergies.
- 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.
Phone: 855-FAI-9604 | Fax: 917-338-5130 | info@faiusa.org
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That’s right, it’s FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK!
World (and Lunar) Domination 