Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts

Friday, January 24, 2025

Grand Canyon


I have to say, I'm a little weary and not entirely up for blogging.  My belly is full of a tasty but not at all heavy dinner (typical for a conference meal!) from room service (not typical for a conference meal).  I've been doing work for meetings ahead.  It's my one night to myself.  And I kind of want to change into comfy clothes and watch a little more Letterkenny and get to bed earlier than last night when I was up late working on some thing for conference.

But you, my few and rare readers, deserve a little something, perhaps?

So, before things fade from my mind, let me dial back almost a week now.

Last Saturday, we headed out on the road.  Those two up front,


me in the back,

working away on a document with a tight deadline.  My head down much of the way, not seeing all of the scenery.  Oh, I got out of the car to stretch my legs in Barstow,

and again in Ludlow where we captured the glory of the old Route 66




before scarfing down a DQ lunch (in order of best to least good:  fries, chili dog, Blizzard). 

At some point we crossed the Colorado River

and were in Arizona.  I worked on until dark.  We arrived at the El Tovar,


a grand old national parks lodge/hotel barely in time for our dinner reservation, dropping our things in the suite,


eating a meal that was fine but not great, and then wandering a little in the lobby. 

And then it was time for bed.

If you have read the blog this past week, you'll know that Van got altitude sickness, and we decamped the next day to Phoenix (where I still am, days later and with days to come).  We did, however, drive west along the rim from the hotel toward Hermit's Rest, capturing some shots of the the magnificent setting before the clouds began to roll in. 













And yes, it was cold. 

Poor Van.

We didn't spend long at the rim.  It was soon off to Phoenix with me, yes, in the back seat doing work....

Thursday, July 08, 2010

weakness

I love food.

No, not a surprise, is it. Nor should it be a surprise that I have a reputation as a food snob. Pricey mushrooms, name brand chocolate. People have me tagged.

So. Bloody. Unfair.

Let me start by saying that I am a VERY good dinner guest. I recall years ago someone I already didn't care for terribly much joking that you could always tell where I sat at dinner parties because it would be near a large potted plant, and remnants of my dinner that I couldn't stomach would have been hidden there. Hmmmm... nope, still don't like him years later.

Anyway, I have my weaknesses. Not that I'll reveal them ALL, but they are there. And so, in DC, I indulged one: fast food burgers and fries. Mmmmm... fries. Crispy, soft on the inside, hot, salty. Oh so good!

I met up with Dan for lunch one day at the recent conference. Limited time and, on the weekend, limited good options nearby. Almost by chance, though, we came upon a Five Guys outlet.

I know we have them in Chicago, but I've never been. Hey, I have food snob cred to keep up - I almost never go get fast food beyond Subway, Sbarro, or burritos in the student centre at lunch. This was my maiden expedition, and Dan offered good advice on ordering.

Ultimately, though, it was a good burger and an embarrassment of fries. A small order, in the cup, then more shoveled into the bag. No, please, don't stop. Heaven!

No dessert - gilding the lily if there were. Just a full belly and... hmmmm... did I go nap afterward? I can't recall.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

29

Thank you Iowa!

Going by my friend Geoff's rules on what constitutes visiting a state (or province, or country), I am now up to 29.

The rules:

  • Must leave the airport
  • Must do one of the following:
  1. use a lavatory
  2. eat a meal
  3. sleep overnight

Almost two weeks ago now (!!), I got in the car and hauled myself (and another librarian) across the flaaaaat expanse of Illinois, stopped for a delicious lunch, drove over the Mississippi, and on in to Iowa as far as Iowa City. A small conference, a presentation to be made. Not at the University, mind you, though I got a bit of a look at what seemed to be a handsome campus.
No, I mostly stuck to the small area around the hotel on my one night stay.


I wish I'd seen more.

That said, I will credit Iowa for this: New Zealand soft licorice in the store. I was so very tempted to by up all the bags!

Friday, August 07, 2009

I am not a snob (yes I am)

Hey, I secretly love Hamburger Helper. I throw crap together for my dinner when I'm alone. I survive at work on nutrition bars.

Ok, I am a food snob. But I'm truly not THAT bad, am I?

Don't answer.

But I think I shocked Jeph and simultaneously presented him with a delightful opportunity when I (of all people) suggested that we have our Saturday lunch at the infamous Chick-fil-A. Infamous in that Jeph talks a lot about fast food and especially that chain. Well gosh, he's being such a good host, why not indulge him.



And that was before I even knew they had waffle fries!



I've been taken to task on Facebook by friends about the anti-gayness of the chain and doubtless will be taken to task again for this post. Apologies to them, and thanks to them for informing me better of these things. At least it will serve to make me a food snob with better convictions.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

this is what Jeph grew up eating

More food photos to come, have no fear. As if we didn't photograph every single morsel!

(actually, we didn't, but many photos still to come!)

The NBF, in case it's never come up, graduated high school in Hawaii. A military brat, go figure. His background gives him a particular affinity for such things as Twiglets (oh wait - Jeph, is that right?) (Allison, you like them too?), kim chi, and these treats:




Is this what we call taking one (or two) for the team? Prizes to anyone who can identify these - other than Jeph, that is!

:-)

Monday, November 19, 2007

See Jeph?

We do eat junk food on rare occasion.

You can pick your jaw up off the floor now.

No, I'm not in the photos, so there's no "blackmail" material floating around out there. Rest assured, though, Conrad was not the only one enjoying the A&W (are there even any A&W restaurants in the US anymore????) onions rings. Breaded. They rock, seriously. And they rock even more for being served in a bilingually labeled bag.Rondelles, indeed! This was in Merritt, I should say, en route to Salmon Arm. A town of 7088 in the 2001 census, and of that number, 175 spoke French as a first language, and 20 others were bilingual. Happily, they, too, could order and enjoy the rings!