tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6752128530265092282024-03-14T02:03:57.649-04:00Around the State in 70 Steaks. And Shakes.A quest to visit every Steak 'n' Shake in the state of IndianaMarcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-17250674747755394732014-03-29T20:57:00.001-04:002014-03-29T20:57:23.842-04:00Stop #58: Reed Road, Kokomo (#145)Jen and I were not done in Kokomo after our stop at Essex Drive. But, what do you do when Kokomo has broken your heart?<br />
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<i>What DO you do?</i></div>
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You drown your sorrows in milkshakes at the OTHER Kokomo Steak 'n Shake!</div>
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<i>Goldie's a big HIMYM fan like me, apparently.</i></div>
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<i>Also, I totally free-handed that. Maybe.</i></div>
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So Jen and I headed to the next SnS on Reed Road.</div>
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We each ordered a Red Velvet milkshake with fudge drizzling. Then waited.</div>
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For forever.</div>
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Jen got to work on solving the Steak 'n Shake puzzles on the back of her placemat.</div>
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<i>Cruel puzzles taunting us with a spring while we sat in a snow-covered Hell.</i></div>
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Then things got worse: Our shakes arrived, but the server had to tell us that they were out of fudge drizzling and had to use chocolate syrup instead. We didn't mind that so much, but when I took off the lid to my cup, I nearly wept.</div>
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<i>Where's the top quarter of my shake?</i></div>
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It was sadly low on the shake. Seriously, I'd had one sip at this point. And as big as my mouth is, it can't fit THAT much shake. </div>
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Also, I had no spoon to fetch the cherry.</div>
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Basically, Kokomo decided that it wasn't going to break our hearts just once. It was going to break our hearts again, and again, and again. </div>
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... Then again, I did have a mostly-full tasty shake to try to take my mind off my broken heart. As long as the lid was on.</div>
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Meanwhile, Jen distracted herself from the sadness by stealing my placemat and continuing the puzzles activities.</div>
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<i>Jen might be a masochist, looking at all these spring-y things amidst a blizzard outside.</i></div>
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Sadly, with this stop, our "tropical" vacation was over: Jen had to work, and I had some tears to shed in the privacy of my own home.</div>
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And, of course, we did get a postcard for all you lovely readers.</div>
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<i>Reverse: Next time, just go to Florida. <br />There might be giant gross bugs, but there's also beaches.<br />And 81 Steak 'n Shakes.</i></div>
Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-42326617598376108142014-03-16T21:10:00.000-04:002016-05-09T14:03:08.341-04:00Stop #57: Essex Drive, Kokomo (#244)After one of the most miserable winters in my memory here in Indiana (seriously, it's been like a billion inches of snow and temperatures so low at times that you can throw boiling water outside and get snow), I decided I'd earned a vacation. A quality vacation, better than any vacation I've had before. One to a place everyone's heard of.<br />
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Because after you put up with a billion inches of snow, don't you deserve bodies in the sand? After you put up with temperatures so low that you can throw boiling water outside and get snow, don't you deserve a tropical drink melting in your hand? After your pipes have frozen five times and you've had work canceled thrice for weather-related reasons, don't you deserve to get away from it all?<br />
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Way down in Kokomo?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintRSWTUu2tdtrhORBzM1SIAQP2Mbfw-p_8cnsjel4a0rG_kRmgUzr2Dj8F8hLTY_19wFtjcOEIbUKLqx5nwcG4cdgyxdvkd28hCHkmnQ8OLWW_63XAkCX_OnMrI9oR8IETcTOI_-xg5Y/s1600/sns57sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintRSWTUu2tdtrhORBzM1SIAQP2Mbfw-p_8cnsjel4a0rG_kRmgUzr2Dj8F8hLTY_19wFtjcOEIbUKLqx5nwcG4cdgyxdvkd28hCHkmnQ8OLWW_63XAkCX_OnMrI9oR8IETcTOI_-xg5Y/s1600/sns57sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I invited Jen to join me on my tropical paradise vacation. Where I happened to know that they had not one, but TWO Steak 'n Shakes for the enjoying.<br />
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But you know what, lovely readers?<br />
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Kokomo is a LIE.<br />
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<i>Behold: The saddest vacation picture ever.</i></div>
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Okay, technically, Kokomo exists, but the beach promised by the line of sand in the song? The warmth promised by the tropical drink melting in the song? The pleasant vacation promised by the steel drums? <i>John Stamos?</i></div>
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It's a lie. It's ALL a lie. Kokomo had inches of snow on the ground when we arrived, a temperature a whopping two degrees above freezing, and nary a ray of sunshine to be seen, save for my artwork.</div>
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My heart was broken.</div>
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Fortunately, the two Steak 'n Shakes were NOT a lie.</div>
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At the first Steak 'n Shake we went to, the one on Essex Drive, our server, Patrick, was very friendly, and seemingly a bit confused by our decision to take a vacation in Kokomo. (Well, Patrick, you live here. You know what it's like. We've apparently been fed a diet of lies all our lives thanks to the Beach Boys.)</div>
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Jen managed to keep an upbeat and "let's enjoy our vacation anyway" attitude.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJQXpuXwF5P5C3s5HG86L3qFvRdn5rBIYMRRKLaAcSBzwBSaHqtXk9h7gOEEeR-JNmR5w_H2UmKwShoxTzwg9siKf-OOL4idyOaDmpLg1kpOUvrMinyhojoYa7peBlgykuDgdA3ZZGa8/s1600/sns57jengetsfestive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJQXpuXwF5P5C3s5HG86L3qFvRdn5rBIYMRRKLaAcSBzwBSaHqtXk9h7gOEEeR-JNmR5w_H2UmKwShoxTzwg9siKf-OOL4idyOaDmpLg1kpOUvrMinyhojoYa7peBlgykuDgdA3ZZGa8/s1600/sns57jengetsfestive.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Probably because she wasn't just standing outside <br />in a puddle of melted snow wearing flip-flops and shorts.</i></div>
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And convinced me to follow suit with my own as-close-as-possible-to-tropical-melting-drinks-thanks-to-drinky-umbrellas shot.</div>
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<i>Pictured: Faking it.</i></div>
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To mend my broken heart, I ordered what has become one of my favorites at Steak 'n Shake, a veritable comfort-to-Marcy food: the Guacburger.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E4vbY8siaidUPIEl9Lbjsjf-Aafs2HEvZVpZwR1iFjMRpU1ApFrnpuHD1rVVy7EbAKENFtHbegL6lwKZvSeK-cKDMUNwqO4CPIFG4Z3U5zU8N5u9C2eDsg7z9LCrw2HmEuqxUyladTg/s1600/sns57guacburgerandfries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E4vbY8siaidUPIEl9Lbjsjf-Aafs2HEvZVpZwR1iFjMRpU1ApFrnpuHD1rVVy7EbAKENFtHbegL6lwKZvSeK-cKDMUNwqO4CPIFG4Z3U5zU8N5u9C2eDsg7z9LCrw2HmEuqxUyladTg/s1600/sns57guacburgerandfries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow.</i></div>
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<i>The hope is the burger; <br />the promise, the guacamole. <br />The better tomorrow? Apparently fries.</i></div>
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Belly full, I was able to get over the fact that I could not find a beach in Kokomo to sun myself on. Though, as photographic evidence proves (and the photographic evidence of a rare variety, I promise), my legs definitely needed it. They do not see the light of day but once every ten years, kind of how Davy Jones' legs wouldn't see the light of day but once every ten years when he gets to set foot on land. Except his legs probably see more sunlight by virtue of being on a pirate ship in the in-between years.</div>
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But my vacation was looking up. I'd had a burger, I'd had a wannabe tropical drink, and I had the traditional "group shot" with Jen.</div>
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Though more fitting is the shot of the postcard variety.</div>
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<i>Reverse: Wish you were here! Because misery loves company!</i></div>
Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-6796270311812679782014-02-24T19:26:00.000-05:002014-02-24T19:26:42.729-05:00Steak 'n Shake Quest: Back with a Vengeance!Sometimes life gets in the way of things. Which is sort of sad, but on the other hand, in this situation you can take that statement to mean that my long absence from the quest does not mean I have died (unless you wanted me dead, in which case, this isn't sort of sad, it's entirely, 100 percent sad).<br />
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No, it means I continue to live, and in a state that has made it difficult to maintain my questing duties, though I still reside in Indiana. (State! Indiana! Ha!) New jobs, new homes, new planets. One of these listings doesn't impact me and was not a part of why the quest paused. And the hint is, I have not been able to verify yet, for-real and in-person, that there is NOT a Steak 'n Shake on Mars for me to add to the quest.<br />
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But never fear. A stop post, a for-real stop post, is on the horizon.</div>
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In the meantime, I do have some sadness/happiness to confess. The quest has been on pause for so long that I have officially had to add another stop to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag9j7Ynguct4dHNnSmNpOEJGMUV5Y2ZHRENjd1NrdVE&usp=sharing" target="_blank">list</a>. Sadness, because the name of the quest is now officially wrong (though I won't change it because "Around the State in 71 Steaks. And Shakes." just doesn't have the same pleasant ring to it). Happiness, because MORE EXCUSE FOR QUESTING!</div>
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I discovered this addition from the Steak 'n Shake Facebook page several weeks ago.</div>
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See all those happy people in that picture? They're happy because Batesville just got its very own Steak 'n Shake! Prior to this, their closest options were all at least 20 miles away, and two of the three were in ...<br />
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... OHIO!</div>
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So the good people of Batesville definitely deserved this. </div>
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And patient quest followers, you have definitely deserved a 71st stop to make up for my absence of more than a year. You've also deserved exactly what's coming ... in the next stop-post.</div>
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Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-15853967700473020002012-07-26T20:16:00.002-04:002012-07-26T20:16:44.210-04:00Interlude #5: 71st and Woodland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On my birthday, I did two awesome things.</div>
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First, I ran from zombies. </div>
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I technically did not survive. But I also didn't literally die as I did the event, so there you have it.</div>
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And because I did my first 5k in the afternoon, I figured I earned a bit of a treat later.</div>
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Not only that, but Steak 'n Shake on my birthday was also a good opportunity for ...</div>
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... the return of the Brett!<br />
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It's true. Brett is done with his program in Wisconsin. So he's back in Indy, and he moved in while I was running for my life.<br />
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I had earned a Frisco melt and fries.<br />
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And Brett earned a simple shooter.<br />
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<i>Brett hungry!</i> </div>
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Our stop was pretty quick, as we were all a bit tired from our exertions for the day, so we took a moment for the traditional group shot.<br />
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Of course, Brett messed up the first one. <br />
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Also, this officially marks the end of Catch Caragher, unless he leaves Indy again before the Quest is complete.<br />
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Eventually, there will be an "Answers" post to that game as well. And some of the places I've hidden him will blow your mind.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-15225140129127816082012-07-26T19:29:00.000-04:002012-07-26T20:17:06.450-04:00Stop #56: New Castle (#619)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After our stop in Richmond, Splenda and I left scary-close-to-Ohio territory and made our way to the next stop, and the stop that really motivated Splenda to join me on my trip for the day.</div>
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That's right: We went to New Castle.</div>
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New Castle, home of many a Butler Basketball player, all of whom Splenda appreciates greatly due to them playing basketball for Butler.</div>
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I, too, am a fan, because they shoot many ...</div>
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That is, they shoot a lot of 3-pointers, and 3 is my second favorite number. 3 is also the highway you take to get to New Castle, which is where, as I've already mentioned, many Butler players are from.</div>
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Once we got there, with basketball on my mind, I got excited by the Steak 'n Shake measuring stick by the door, 'cause according to it, height is measured in Steak 'n Shake characters. I am apparently Goldie Fries tall.</div>
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Most Butler basketball players are Milkshake tall, or taller, apparently. <br />
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Since we had had lunch in Richmond (close enough to Ohio to warrant worrying about being poisoned, I might add), Splenda and I decided we only needed milkshakes this time around.<br />
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Splenda was glad to finally get the chance to try the Nutter Butter milkshake. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aUD5GroHiEF2bl51BNPhSpGILXfRm_SaUVjHyStN-_VKzuxxi7eDXJL4TcBg-qJCTPxnLuSYqIEGqrqQf7DXYjgBDOL5P2Ol65WDqIDaQKDDhktm5OtP0jDqwTIyseVtkhtPwbhyphenhyphenqwM/s1600/sns56splendashakeb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aUD5GroHiEF2bl51BNPhSpGILXfRm_SaUVjHyStN-_VKzuxxi7eDXJL4TcBg-qJCTPxnLuSYqIEGqrqQf7DXYjgBDOL5P2Ol65WDqIDaQKDDhktm5OtP0jDqwTIyseVtkhtPwbhyphenhyphenqwM/s320/sns56splendashakeb.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Meanwhile, I was glad to get the chance to have the brownie bits milkshake.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgEtYLtKfp2l1pAZ0vnA-I-BSPpvnm7Y1I0A0p0CRfG-yK8wvmZIV9Uoo1AOLpW0FAMUGwwzYVv6DWKf7D-SR_VTy4yVXtHN6kQM4QnNHM1H1SpQ7Gym-OJj8r4EfyzA1_S-RXXJQZ_4/s1600/sns56marcymilkshakeb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgEtYLtKfp2l1pAZ0vnA-I-BSPpvnm7Y1I0A0p0CRfG-yK8wvmZIV9Uoo1AOLpW0FAMUGwwzYVv6DWKf7D-SR_VTy4yVXtHN6kQM4QnNHM1H1SpQ7Gym-OJj8r4EfyzA1_S-RXXJQZ_4/s320/sns56marcymilkshakeb.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Sad to say, this is my before face. The shake itself was a bit of a disappointment. If you go to Steak 'n Shake and you're craving both brownie and ice cream, please, don't waste your time on this milkshake.<br />
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Get the glorious, wondrous brownie sundae. For reals:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_VRrtmKlDFjrU_tOqsbvlVuw-2sA43eDHUDuKrUX8yxhjulzLM6Pr2X2vI7psuRoxgyIlA5qUzQRYsLlb0u3vzXy2y6Dl17WQKlTeH0avdArbZmQwow7Q0o9i7DKdz7bfTpOjXhoOiM/s320/sns09marcychocolatedetermined.jpg" width="297" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Someone about to take on a delicious, delicious combination of ice cream and brownie.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgEtYLtKfp2l1pAZ0vnA-I-BSPpvnm7Y1I0A0p0CRfG-yK8wvmZIV9Uoo1AOLpW0FAMUGwwzYVv6DWKf7D-SR_VTy4yVXtHN6kQM4QnNHM1H1SpQ7Gym-OJj8r4EfyzA1_S-RXXJQZ_4/s1600/sns56marcymilkshakeb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgEtYLtKfp2l1pAZ0vnA-I-BSPpvnm7Y1I0A0p0CRfG-yK8wvmZIV9Uoo1AOLpW0FAMUGwwzYVv6DWKf7D-SR_VTy4yVXtHN6kQM4QnNHM1H1SpQ7Gym-OJj8r4EfyzA1_S-RXXJQZ_4/s320/sns56marcymilkshakeb.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Someone about to take on a not-so-delicious combination of ice cream and brownie.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After we finished our shakes, Splenda and I decided to do our group shot with Darnell Archey, Zach Hahn, and Chase Stigall, the very boys who had motivated us to stop by that Steak 'n Shake that day.</div>
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</div>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-44367846405803820212012-07-22T11:59:00.001-04:002012-07-26T20:17:19.200-04:00Stop #55: Richmond (#235)In early June, I headed dangerously close to Ohio in order to continue with my Steak 'n Shake Quest.<br />
<br />
Dangerously close.<br />
<br />
But then, what's a quest without a bit of danger?<br />
<br />
And so, Splenda joined me for her first Quest Stop and ventured with me to Richmond, Indiana.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyNyo1aK6LCSSsoOq7duVsrkyGR1RrpeCLdwPNaXQAnZhqI_Q9m4rSy_djyVrtdnIjjRDWbVNeqnrae7ZP3dxOQIDIcQguQxGvoq_kAhLWhMAQJO6A6Q7vjcOz1LYfS51R0C56txhIMs/s1600/sns55sign01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyNyo1aK6LCSSsoOq7duVsrkyGR1RrpeCLdwPNaXQAnZhqI_Q9m4rSy_djyVrtdnIjjRDWbVNeqnrae7ZP3dxOQIDIcQguQxGvoq_kAhLWhMAQJO6A6Q7vjcOz1LYfS51R0C56txhIMs/s320/sns55sign01.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Being as close to Ohio as we were, we decided to tempt the fates, and actually venture into Ohio.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE9UEFf0O7hcy6leLMZUTC5dvjvdJ2cL7Ob0EQO_7AO1KF8Lql6AdSS-l-6qcoYNMy_atkGRNM731WhT2zQ85f5GqANpVk-dfStQM_FaF3s4SAZUh_EFBO1E4fu-iMujPnHBuio2pVBo/s1600/sns55bridgeovernothing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE9UEFf0O7hcy6leLMZUTC5dvjvdJ2cL7Ob0EQO_7AO1KF8Lql6AdSS-l-6qcoYNMy_atkGRNM731WhT2zQ85f5GqANpVk-dfStQM_FaF3s4SAZUh_EFBO1E4fu-iMujPnHBuio2pVBo/s320/sns55bridgeovernothing.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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See? That's the bridge over nothing, the path to nowhere, the sure sign that you are headed for ... <i>Ohio</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA3T4LE8SupAv1zo_sqRiftQ3Kq-R5FjeF4jI-fy2MZQP-mZOPLsSqYUU197LgbB3G0M6qLHQvzVp2V0Ya20PUzmeSyQlfciCrw_H1LPueEWEN8b9ueKLmzvHfRXll9WRIqbxxyzjctg/s1600/sns55inohiosad.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA3T4LE8SupAv1zo_sqRiftQ3Kq-R5FjeF4jI-fy2MZQP-mZOPLsSqYUU197LgbB3G0M6qLHQvzVp2V0Ya20PUzmeSyQlfciCrw_H1LPueEWEN8b9ueKLmzvHfRXll9WRIqbxxyzjctg/s320/sns55inohiosad.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Confirmation: That's us in Ohio. You can tell, because Ohio is the only reason to be so sad.<br />
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Don't believe me? Think we just got close to the bridge and turned around? My trusty(ish) navigator pal, GPSy, can show you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQEr3J3oujkzE_KuLut0BG2JujlF_H856A5RoCUIVySp-0qyCiElJSzCg07xop9ATIbQpeS9Z2LuI0v7XVEI3Bj-lb2M0cRkDPenQ1toDl6IwHz3S9_yZZu_8aDwOxkvwrRUrZpNer_c/s1600/sns55ohioongpsy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQEr3J3oujkzE_KuLut0BG2JujlF_H856A5RoCUIVySp-0qyCiElJSzCg07xop9ATIbQpeS9Z2LuI0v7XVEI3Bj-lb2M0cRkDPenQ1toDl6IwHz3S9_yZZu_8aDwOxkvwrRUrZpNer_c/s320/sns55ohioongpsy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Think I used my awesome awesome tech skills to confuse my less-than-genius navigator and trick it into saying we were in Ohio?<br />
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Not so. Against my better judgment, I went into that gas station we were stopped at and contributed to the Ohio economy by buying gummy worms.<br />
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And what did my receipt reveal?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3Xjeg6F6wfJI2RRAI955J8vnU6wpgibiHvF1dUSARiiNZBSEOcs5mQTqy9ZnFSSqlGlpitWtF-J_NzxYrWEaS5YIfoUUQnKrJyYd6KgitHgZauXxWLEaMxwNBFYeHTmG70cT262jr7Y/s1600/sns55newparisohio.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3Xjeg6F6wfJI2RRAI955J8vnU6wpgibiHvF1dUSARiiNZBSEOcs5mQTqy9ZnFSSqlGlpitWtF-J_NzxYrWEaS5YIfoUUQnKrJyYd6KgitHgZauXxWLEaMxwNBFYeHTmG70cT262jr7Y/s320/sns55newparisohio.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
That Ohio somehow thinks they have a new and improved version of one of the top international cities. Pfft. Ohio. You so silly!<br />
<br />
And dangerous. So Splenda and I high-tailed it out of there.<br />
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But of course, the primary focus of this trip was Steak 'n Shake, and not our death-defying adventures into *shudder* Ohio.<br />
<br />
We had come this far east for Steak 'n Shake.<br />
<br />
Though we did continue to make fun of Ohio once we got there. <br />
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First, I drew some artwork.<br />
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgfREjWjvQkQBhBWrbF7qicG7yjwZ4fsYBGAA40pB8Tyw2vbMH5I1CKr5pVHTeQRvNZf7N7EzXrntYc6j0NOnwaeFZHPGcscevEz0wpGjyVJU0mMAtGoDMs9p7mA39-ryBpz4Q0JHcKM/s1600/sns55indianaohio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgfREjWjvQkQBhBWrbF7qicG7yjwZ4fsYBGAA40pB8Tyw2vbMH5I1CKr5pVHTeQRvNZf7N7EzXrntYc6j0NOnwaeFZHPGcscevEz0wpGjyVJU0mMAtGoDMs9p7mA39-ryBpz4Q0JHcKM/s320/sns55indianaohio.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A look at my interpretation of the states.</i> </div>
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Then Splenda tried her hand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hkd9htM3Fb8tiJ2mvT1y1mxf8GCDmE3QojVfwXchKdfXKEyQ72wM1E64tgwrJa-V-Y7FK43cVQ3XtRUzfOwARIxy_RVHM-ClJni3xhKSxXZ87x4C46IMxcyhkrNbS7wf6BUk5ljOclk/s1600/sns55closeupsplendadrawing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Hkd9htM3Fb8tiJ2mvT1y1mxf8GCDmE3QojVfwXchKdfXKEyQ72wM1E64tgwrJa-V-Y7FK43cVQ3XtRUzfOwARIxy_RVHM-ClJni3xhKSxXZ87x4C46IMxcyhkrNbS7wf6BUk5ljOclk/s320/sns55closeupsplendadrawing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A close-up of the finished product for those who wan to see her awesomeness.</i></div>
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Though we realized partway through our visit that we were probably surrounded by Ohioans. Fortunately, they didn't actually attack us or anything. Though we were getting the evil eye from some fellow customers.<br />
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So we called for back-up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_dDa9Kn22238Oocf_0MttFwy1lZN750u1FORnhMMDkNA1VQhrtq6YecHgTtwcEnxLsmjpDn3nGajujpbGsZo14k6HPV6Wi619qBDT6p7vWbm1ocoznFLImqYHvl5PBhuG5pAQdpaIm0/s1600/sns55andbeccatoo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_dDa9Kn22238Oocf_0MttFwy1lZN750u1FORnhMMDkNA1VQhrtq6YecHgTtwcEnxLsmjpDn3nGajujpbGsZo14k6HPV6Wi619qBDT6p7vWbm1ocoznFLImqYHvl5PBhuG5pAQdpaIm0/s320/sns55andbeccatoo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Becca was jealous that she couldn't join us on this quest trip, but I promised we would call her and she could be with us in spirit.<br />
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After chatting with Becca a bit, we went ahead and ordered. I got my standard guacburger and fries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD7_wkezgySOtmUbyowzhPzRKm8lWuheJnugf6W5IwhxKY4FAE5OFGAueu99Mx9zNaJ8vNZUui05kZAePI5HQijj7_AQGaVDcDiPpOquGaLMRMMMJcZEprDxWCeZSt8xC5VodsNvhl60/s1600/sns55guacburger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD7_wkezgySOtmUbyowzhPzRKm8lWuheJnugf6W5IwhxKY4FAE5OFGAueu99Mx9zNaJ8vNZUui05kZAePI5HQijj7_AQGaVDcDiPpOquGaLMRMMMJcZEprDxWCeZSt8xC5VodsNvhl60/s320/sns55guacburger.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After eating (and getting the stinkeye from what we suspected were several surrounding Buckeyes), we did the traditional "group photo" and headed out.<br />
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And, of course, shortly after taking this photo, we stepped outside and confirmed, by looking around the parking lot, that we had indeed been surrounded by citizens of that un-great state, Ohio.<br />
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Frankly, you're lucky to be reading this post from me. Having been that close to Ohio, then in Ohio, then surrounded by Ohioans -- that's almost as bad as driving blindfolded with no seatbelt.<br />
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Also almost as stupid.<br />
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<br />Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-67328591422130130692012-06-04T15:03:00.000-04:002012-06-04T15:03:38.428-04:00For those of you keeping score at home ...For those of you keeping score at home, you likely know that I'm now at 54 of the 70 Steak 'n Shakes in Indiana -- I have just 16 left to hit, plus my planned victory lap at my favorite location, the one where we started it all: Nora, Indianapolis.<br />
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For those wondering why I seem to have slowed recently, the answer may become apparent if you choose to check out my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag9j7Ynguct4dHNnSmNpOEJGMUV5Y2ZHRENjd1NrdVE" target="_blank">GoogleDoc for Quest Progress</a>. I do still have some stops left in Indy, as I tried to save some for later in the quest so that I wouldn't be spending the homestretch being forced to drive 3+ hours away for every single stop -- but beyond those few, many of the stops left are an hour or more away, and often in geographic areas I don't find myself in frequently (I'm looking at you, east-side-of-Indiana-and-subsequently-dangerously-close-to-my-nemesis-Ohio).<br />
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But progress is being made, slowly. Watch for more of my wild and crazy adventures soon!Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-37038064605081448122012-06-01T15:05:00.000-04:002012-06-01T15:05:46.999-04:00Happy birthday to me!Why, thank you Steak 'n Shake! You are SO on the ball with the birthday wishes! I mean, yeah, you're a few weeks early, but that just means I get to bask in this birthday specialness that much longer.<br />
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Steak 'n Shake, your e-club brings me great joy with its birthday greetings and promise of free food stuffs.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-62183178920387410162012-05-28T22:12:00.000-04:002012-05-29T00:03:07.632-04:00Stop #54: Coldwater, Fort Wayne (#173); also, Interlude: Rosemont, ILMay has not provided me many opportunities to make progress on my quest. It has, however, provided me an abnormally high number of opportunities to attend concerts -- and for each of those activities, a stop at Steak 'n Shake was involved.<br />
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And thus, you have a post featuring both Rammstein ...<br />
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... and Lacuna Coil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZaKudPaXVePVqyrt2QRxrJqmkAyDlZhR0ZSXL88k_OUE7dvtmNcpOxFi6DwMjvLNSiULczbxuQxxxmBQmUvEtRadUNJ6s0G7mqSrIJ2YqgdTx5hJKHsjg1kpr9AIReg9hEV8VQkm0oc/s1600/lacuna-coil6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZaKudPaXVePVqyrt2QRxrJqmkAyDlZhR0ZSXL88k_OUE7dvtmNcpOxFi6DwMjvLNSiULczbxuQxxxmBQmUvEtRadUNJ6s0G7mqSrIJ2YqgdTx5hJKHsjg1kpr9AIReg9hEV8VQkm0oc/s320/lacuna-coil6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First up was a concert in Chicago, Illinois, featuring Rammstein the first Friday of May.<br />
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I went with my BBW friend Jen. She was really excited about seeing Rammstein.<br />
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I was really excited about stopping by the Steak 'n Shake in Rosemont beforehand.<br />
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Of course, I was also relatively excited about seeing Rammstein. I was a little familiar with their music, and I've yet to attend a concert that I didn't at least have a marginally positive experience at.<br />
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But mostly, the Steak 'n Shake was what I looked forward to.<br />
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And so, we ended up at the Steak 'n Shake in Rosemont with my friend Kathy, where we saw many fellow Rammstein concert-goers, mostly due to the fact that this particular Steak 'n Shake is just down the road from the concert venue.<br />
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It was pretty exciting. I noticed that on our placemats, new milkshakes were being promoted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDNToA7HRdLfAb3yPaMORMn0WFM5YUnHp6QToRRwJSlt4rXJTkEp43_8JTY0_F0RECBO05OtBSMA8pNwOjiXbDmQ5gJuFhrSRwyZ8weCi9B-rXf4Ggxs5w0C5K0ZbSd7Dd1nszex2BqE/s1600/snsinterludemilkshakeplacemat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDNToA7HRdLfAb3yPaMORMn0WFM5YUnHp6QToRRwJSlt4rXJTkEp43_8JTY0_F0RECBO05OtBSMA8pNwOjiXbDmQ5gJuFhrSRwyZ8weCi9B-rXf4Ggxs5w0C5K0ZbSd7Dd1nszex2BqE/s320/snsinterludemilkshakeplacemat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Specifically, banana milkshakes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS1w7rtOGY2s5VYSQE1DNFjqo6RynMHmNb0BjXlfFe4uYChrif85xKS7u6wSvxUzHKxvlA3M29fwtXxj9x7pFym-yU23NEPK4wTAc89l-KaHsp3BShQkHED-mn_OrIwxi1Xy571c-OyA/s1600/snsinterluderealnaners.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS1w7rtOGY2s5VYSQE1DNFjqo6RynMHmNb0BjXlfFe4uYChrif85xKS7u6wSvxUzHKxvlA3M29fwtXxj9x7pFym-yU23NEPK4wTAc89l-KaHsp3BShQkHED-mn_OrIwxi1Xy571c-OyA/s320/snsinterluderealnaners.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, these were the only two photos I got from that Steak 'n Shake. You'll have to take my word for the fact that I had a Guacburger, side salad with French dressing, and French fries, as well as accepting the following as a "group picture":<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTm87Lo92kUZD_giARfTkvNDPwwIizunBp65VfqdA6YTQZKE0j_ff6HSFgIhoQqXMsqFG8q9gl4zadPrSMzPK7eeuntntoBTHQTHlGd-DLx74Z7pSDIW3puD1IBuoolf-eHFCM7Y0dqg/s1600/snsinterludemilkshakefaces.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTm87Lo92kUZD_giARfTkvNDPwwIizunBp65VfqdA6YTQZKE0j_ff6HSFgIhoQqXMsqFG8q9gl4zadPrSMzPK7eeuntntoBTHQTHlGd-DLx74Z7pSDIW3puD1IBuoolf-eHFCM7Y0dqg/s320/snsinterludemilkshakefaces.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Note: This does not qualify as the Catch Caragher image for this post. Too, too obvious.</i></td></tr>
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Because this was not an official Steak 'n Shake quest, I feel very little remorse for missing these valuable, valuable photo ops.<br />
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The concert ended up going well as well, and I can say that Rammstein has earned a new, if slightly disturbed by content, fan.<br />
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The next Steak 'n Shake stop, which happened on May 19th (and also a little bit in the wee early hours of May 20), was following a Lacuna Coil concert at Piere's in Fort Wayne.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNr2cGGtxHleOFtB3tN7_vsV8NdGzfsVvJHq-hcOVii8zzjJPYI0JlyZ4Ztis-6yIdifzh4SUdm80l3KPtAth05nJS8MNQPMoOvAQbz311ZJRweMMnW1s-Z83cps1iQ7dNp1LaBowZ9Y/s1600/lacuna-coil1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNr2cGGtxHleOFtB3tN7_vsV8NdGzfsVvJHq-hcOVii8zzjJPYI0JlyZ4Ztis-6yIdifzh4SUdm80l3KPtAth05nJS8MNQPMoOvAQbz311ZJRweMMnW1s-Z83cps1iQ7dNp1LaBowZ9Y/s320/lacuna-coil1.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Again, I went to the concert with my BBW friend Jen. Because she is awesome. And in this instance, I had relatively equal levels of excitement for the concert and the Steak 'n Shake stop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLP-CCh0evkBd4-P-yvMWS57EsjVAnzKVGd94wciOv04AFW7QcDP_jyyCfOSH7WEVEf5C7bcU9wETjSGOQAIKidTRQa2fkhyQddO8alxT6BVSXoavAGzpw-I2gO5U2BPensdrKWmxNLmg/s1600/sns54sign.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLP-CCh0evkBd4-P-yvMWS57EsjVAnzKVGd94wciOv04AFW7QcDP_jyyCfOSH7WEVEf5C7bcU9wETjSGOQAIKidTRQa2fkhyQddO8alxT6BVSXoavAGzpw-I2gO5U2BPensdrKWmxNLmg/s320/sns54sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Steak 'n Shake stop #54 took us to the location on Coldwater in Fort Wayne. Just in time to hit rush hour by prom-goers. Seriously, there were about thirty billion high school kids in their prom get-ups when Jen and I got there. But having to wait to be seated wasn't a super-huge bad deal, as we were also waiting for a couple of friends, Sean and Paul, to show up to join us. </div>
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Sadly, this was not the wait for our table was not the most disappointing part of our stop.</div>
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For starters, we were seated without placemats. As placemats are valuable to my Steak 'n Shake stop experiences, I went to the front of the store to pull a variety of mats for our whole table.</div>
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This batch included one kids' placemat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-pn4P54MnELlbtmTuQ4eIEVWQPav4ngHXllTswwdi0L8rAldub32v0f6x7ozt2yO7mHXb1OFLcecvm7rGCjytVLpyulzgmU8GSIVlNHWWO-wKT-CVjcrYJFKWQmybasX4opZLqzWIdA/s1600/sns54frontkidsplacemat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-pn4P54MnELlbtmTuQ4eIEVWQPav4ngHXllTswwdi0L8rAldub32v0f6x7ozt2yO7mHXb1OFLcecvm7rGCjytVLpyulzgmU8GSIVlNHWWO-wKT-CVjcrYJFKWQmybasX4opZLqzWIdA/s320/sns54frontkidsplacemat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Correction: One <i>used </i>kids' placemat.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGMcdZFA3K10bFQ2N4TXH_4xzx-GkJPtmmtjPENabLBfraTRAYBBqkXoogljjYDXGnS-y_gEaDoKmwiKGyiaoR-tvE7q6XVinKAYeEUrTGlyeFFUhH-D7zpr-OcxTk8X41tLcWGU-Ccs/s1600/sns54backkidsplacemat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGMcdZFA3K10bFQ2N4TXH_4xzx-GkJPtmmtjPENabLBfraTRAYBBqkXoogljjYDXGnS-y_gEaDoKmwiKGyiaoR-tvE7q6XVinKAYeEUrTGlyeFFUhH-D7zpr-OcxTk8X41tLcWGU-Ccs/s320/sns54backkidsplacemat.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I swear on my life, I did not connect-the-dots that Steakburger.<br />Also, I did not inhale.<br />Also, I did not have sex with that woman.<br />Most importantly, though, and most true, I did not connect-the-dots that Steakburger.</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Also in the placemat collection I selected was yet another placemat advertising the new banana blended milkshakes.<br />
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And so, when our server arrived to take our orders, Sean felt obligated to ask what the difference was between the Ultimate Banana milkshake and the regular banana milkshake.<br />
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Friends, I cannot put into words the horror Sean felt at the answer. Indeed, Sean had to illustrate just to capture it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0RxPlp9vA4YB2myXtoTp-8-o0CXhfdRVpTRG2aSB-MK2hg-j6yw1wHlhk8JdFhMeKDYJDPEeOlLJKnlkq21IRN1nipVftdjFr5oMAyJDopmBlfuRJsADpnnWKD-lhfeiye18b4_FWYw/s1600/sns54seanpaulscarybananapicture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0RxPlp9vA4YB2myXtoTp-8-o0CXhfdRVpTRG2aSB-MK2hg-j6yw1wHlhk8JdFhMeKDYJDPEeOlLJKnlkq21IRN1nipVftdjFr5oMAyJDopmBlfuRJsADpnnWKD-lhfeiye18b4_FWYw/s320/sns54seanpaulscarybananapicture.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The following is his artistic rendition not just of the answer, but also of the horror he felt at the answer, and the lack of a soul our friend Paul has that was revealed by this interaction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-Ww8fmlwDJEzIlQI9EwmDsp5iswXXnzzbgbMO7Ytp_2OF7UHwk5FpPLbT0uyuVCET-5UVMDFqE8MmcvvyQkBMubeJ7NzzTKamQ9Ba-9fwVsm-7t_yQ-CJeaAYMmWGkNZpVA6XW6pqxs/s1600/sns54artwork.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-Ww8fmlwDJEzIlQI9EwmDsp5iswXXnzzbgbMO7Ytp_2OF7UHwk5FpPLbT0uyuVCET-5UVMDFqE8MmcvvyQkBMubeJ7NzzTKamQ9Ba-9fwVsm-7t_yQ-CJeaAYMmWGkNZpVA6XW6pqxs/s320/sns54artwork.JPG" width="220" /></a> </div>
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Yes, folks, you read that right: Not all Steak 'n Shake banana milkshakes contain banana. Rather than being a banana milkshake containing rather large pieces of bananas, or a banana milkshake that turns you into a banana superhero, or a banana milkshake that comes with a banana hammock, or any of the other various awesome things that an "Ultimate Banana" milkshake could be, the reality is that the Ultimate Banana milkshake differs from the regular banana milkshake in that it is made with real bananas, whereas the plain old banana milkshake is made with <strike>plantains</strike> <strike>fake bananas</strike> <strike>the tears of children</strike> banana-flavored syrup.</div>
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Also, apologies here to Sean, who didn't know until reading this now which of those shakes was syrup and which was real bananas, and had said he would rather keep it that way. The server's actual answer to the question was as Sean displayed above, just a statement that some milkshakes are made with real bananas and others are not.</div>
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As a result, Sean opted not to get any banana milkshakes. Given that I'm not a banana fan in the first place, unless it's artificial flavoring that comes in candies such as runts, was not tempted in the first place. Instead, I opted for a brownie sundae, and was not disappointed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjla4hjcNYXEHa8kX6ZhGvgfKhEikFEyRDVr4hDir9NSX79QpNolIFGTSIs2AyYQjL0JA1oakMPiTqfXhnKlO24DTsaykxSgYp8McNComMtHbRd0S72M3b_kTT3ESEkx31IHRzpv6N4EoM/s1600/sns54brownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjla4hjcNYXEHa8kX6ZhGvgfKhEikFEyRDVr4hDir9NSX79QpNolIFGTSIs2AyYQjL0JA1oakMPiTqfXhnKlO24DTsaykxSgYp8McNComMtHbRd0S72M3b_kTT3ESEkx31IHRzpv6N4EoM/s320/sns54brownie.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pictured: Real cherry, real whip cream, real ice cream, real brownie, real fudge.<br />Real delicious.</i></td></tr>
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All in all, this trip to Fort Wayne and Steak 'n Shake stop were enjoyable, even if in some cases disillusioning. And I got to bring home a piece of artwork, which I promised would be hung on my refrigerator as examples of what my four-year-old step-daughter should aspire to. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_9O2ha9S9nYbcHRnMzdWbt6cSPPnuS7jXYSoQzuJAk-OvTjFEcl3IIeifs-ouVsIJXbhSy3kuSgV2wneKlh07kx4MeSzG0c4A0oVx5n8SkWQwZNBkgXi-AiX-vjr2sasqwLSfKolz6c/s1600/sns54refrigerator+art.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_9O2ha9S9nYbcHRnMzdWbt6cSPPnuS7jXYSoQzuJAk-OvTjFEcl3IIeifs-ouVsIJXbhSy3kuSgV2wneKlh07kx4MeSzG0c4A0oVx5n8SkWQwZNBkgXi-AiX-vjr2sasqwLSfKolz6c/s320/sns54refrigerator+art.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Because I'm nothing if not a terrible stepmother.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And so thanks, Steak 'n Shake #173! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmhZ7adpGQmgAXx-K687fXvsylEleR8ILF5q8N-s4zCy8jEajYj_JI5zK_FbaRloW3IqNeErOvxu2iXOIu19LJv2gsLORFZMuCkKFhFe1kIymkCuDdkJ2VU-zXwH8xPStOAkl5OmVPdM/s1600/sns54group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmhZ7adpGQmgAXx-K687fXvsylEleR8ILF5q8N-s4zCy8jEajYj_JI5zK_FbaRloW3IqNeErOvxu2iXOIu19LJv2gsLORFZMuCkKFhFe1kIymkCuDdkJ2VU-zXwH8xPStOAkl5OmVPdM/s320/sns54group.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-42415388639443069762012-04-03T22:44:00.010-04:002012-04-04T22:24:14.036-04:00Stop #53: Lloyd Expressway, Evansville (#4804801)Now, of course, Jen and I didn't drive down to Evansville to hit up a lone Steak 'n Shake. Evansville contains a second Steak 'n Shake, on Lloyd Expressway.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tu70tbKLc4G1xAPsckkNRYYgRGWW670BSqCNoo3CSuAjt-6oOPosp-JsJ3-wB7z8oyQW5OAUPX9CAFIlV74umg2puXejiWLK84_FANUmJt8drEdU1RxXQYbikK6zrxSZ8xq1qYeSHU/s1600/sns53sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tu70tbKLc4G1xAPsckkNRYYgRGWW670BSqCNoo3CSuAjt-6oOPosp-JsJ3-wB7z8oyQW5OAUPX9CAFIlV74umg2puXejiWLK84_FANUmJt8drEdU1RxXQYbikK6zrxSZ8xq1qYeSHU/s320/sns53sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373450797125426" border="0" /></a><br />But we couldn't go straight form lunch at one Steak 'n Shake to dinner at another. So Jen did some advance research and suggested we play minigolf to kill time between the two. She had found a place called "Adventureland."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU980Ho2iV_uVwKqKIQCi4nF-adIUkz8mxwyipuCTh3BcVHFg3rxG0cSs2wTodCSR967TQaS_WzcoyUkp-26SWK1AFmuK4omO_p6uUSUA-Sne7H6PkjhSapnKP7LJmThk7oQ2eCP5mLM/s1600/sns53adventurelandwonttakeacard.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 78px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU980Ho2iV_uVwKqKIQCi4nF-adIUkz8mxwyipuCTh3BcVHFg3rxG0cSs2wTodCSR967TQaS_WzcoyUkp-26SWK1AFmuK4omO_p6uUSUA-Sne7H6PkjhSapnKP7LJmThk7oQ2eCP5mLM/s320/sns53adventurelandwonttakeacard.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727372401395823202" border="0" /></a><br />And this is where we began to have problems.<br /><br />Because as we approached the entrance, we saw a sign declaring that Adventureland could not accept debit or credit cards. Which was a slight problem, as that was how we were paying for most things on Saturday.<br /><br />Jen whipped out her handy-dandy Smartphone-that-shall-not-be-named to locate another minigolf option. Fortunately, Evansville has a few, and within moments we were on our way to ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tA-n9fCMiQ2U7TePfOEUVFouDKhRTry4F2Oj_8Stu9P2wRqvlmLjuzS6CtoMxGhJdjA1_vqGFQQzX_vMsOj7KPbGKHheunFRKda7wL6JTJrPQd8gsVoG_-D5QlrWyG116X3jdAvknWo/s1600/sns53midgetlinkswonttakeacard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tA-n9fCMiQ2U7TePfOEUVFouDKhRTry4F2Oj_8Stu9P2wRqvlmLjuzS6CtoMxGhJdjA1_vqGFQQzX_vMsOj7KPbGKHheunFRKda7wL6JTJrPQd8gsVoG_-D5QlrWyG116X3jdAvknWo/s320/sns53midgetlinkswonttakeacard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373442713732642" border="0" /></a><br />... Midget Links, which ALSO did not take card.<br /><br />Seriously, something is wrong with Evansville, that no one takes a damn card. At Midget Links, the employee explained that if they were to start taking cards, they would have to nearly double the price to afford the technology.<br /><br />He said this, as I read the signs on the window, advertising that they had WiFi.<br /><br />Seriously. If you can afford WiFi, I would think you <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>be able to afford a credit card reader.<br /><br />So Jen and I were off again. To our last hope for the night: Walther's.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWn8J-qSuUNLvtdW4oR2HdarlG1HP_qP_RIhiRTPI2x9092z-nfIINAri2wMf4NQMtUY-oTweh0Qi9oPMCXY05YGWmHjanBVZU0FrTpHqAAL7_EJkFWD2W6KOzGgfu0gEw-NXwVHeItE/s1600/sns53walthersgolfing.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWn8J-qSuUNLvtdW4oR2HdarlG1HP_qP_RIhiRTPI2x9092z-nfIINAri2wMf4NQMtUY-oTweh0Qi9oPMCXY05YGWmHjanBVZU0FrTpHqAAL7_EJkFWD2W6KOzGgfu0gEw-NXwVHeItE/s320/sns53walthersgolfing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373451422748946" border="0" /></a><br />And, great success, they take cards! AND charged the same price as Midget Links! Take <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>, Midget Links! And Adventureland, who charged a dollar more than both other minigolf entities!<br /><br />And so, Jen and I finally got some minigolf in.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7A0cnoMN3kU9lmu8uC4NqjtNYwgRilZP6tzv1hD_8ErW_NjWbO_aT43zDs8EytmjBrKnjl26iENhkKonGLxrDVFdeMEVjcWwRozMjwyezW4a6OX4kAVBXzZ9iKhe2Nce5CCu_m8mVTU/s1600/sns53jenminigolf02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7A0cnoMN3kU9lmu8uC4NqjtNYwgRilZP6tzv1hD_8ErW_NjWbO_aT43zDs8EytmjBrKnjl26iENhkKonGLxrDVFdeMEVjcWwRozMjwyezW4a6OX4kAVBXzZ9iKhe2Nce5CCu_m8mVTU/s320/sns53jenminigolf02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727372413200636578" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HSt2_puCuaJwN_sTgXzY_TC1O1elXnBk72piKVJGC5e0e1VMbAaZ7fIFpC8rIhT8y4wv5PI7_pHcliQNodhwZgq1pa3pSY3dfgD9VADptkuOpLHxew9b_hvpGPPWLzq35zd5A_fv8Ys/s1600/sns53marcyminigolf01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HSt2_puCuaJwN_sTgXzY_TC1O1elXnBk72piKVJGC5e0e1VMbAaZ7fIFpC8rIhT8y4wv5PI7_pHcliQNodhwZgq1pa3pSY3dfgD9VADptkuOpLHxew9b_hvpGPPWLzq35zd5A_fv8Ys/s320/sns53marcyminigolf01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373092666797410" border="0" /></a><br />Walther's didn't only have minigolf, though. There were also ... arcade games! With tickets! And prizes, prizes, PRIZES!<br /><br />So we got some tokens to get some tickets, to get some prizes.<br /><br />We made some attempts at SkeeBall ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jvs6nGYai-s1SYTlxw1PPW8WPsZZwRmyvMDjY_QalvYeJwn1dmtRzb-bzUusW2CGCEU-vWuT-SMusmuXiYLpBPK8XYD9szejpd0toHH6etuOEE3B5NlKcsTbDAKd8qXnD8pMPyvkisU/s1600/sns53jenskeeball.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jvs6nGYai-s1SYTlxw1PPW8WPsZZwRmyvMDjY_QalvYeJwn1dmtRzb-bzUusW2CGCEU-vWuT-SMusmuXiYLpBPK8XYD9szejpd0toHH6etuOEE3B5NlKcsTbDAKd8qXnD8pMPyvkisU/s320/sns53jenskeeball.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727372417642110386" border="0" /></a><br />... and then a game called Jumpin' Jackpot.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HcsU8Eab6-1jI98cXvAZVLFeJkd0QyKw1zvoczn_wWQ0KhpBoqUQi9nrvtDu1cKW2l86rq7mQ3yI18CFzpvBtFKcDsRnBhXOL7mWlQExPi8auuxPe8Nm26cQaBJ5Fj1QuTulo1Dr1R4/s1600/sns53marcyjumpinjackpot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HcsU8Eab6-1jI98cXvAZVLFeJkd0QyKw1zvoczn_wWQ0KhpBoqUQi9nrvtDu1cKW2l86rq7mQ3yI18CFzpvBtFKcDsRnBhXOL7mWlQExPi8auuxPe8Nm26cQaBJ5Fj1QuTulo1Dr1R4/s320/sns53marcyjumpinjackpot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373086333603074" border="0" /></a><br />But the highlight came when we discovered the DDR machine.<br /><br />And preemptively worked off our dinner.<br /><br />Although you wouldn't be able to tell it from the photos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3zAIEi9NNw0dfXAWlMCkxKfjoDiY4FwiBXaj07qZlyg9FNkuLKzCxw-cF3scarCB24CV8fXG7APYz_suhKvc55g0Gy2VdqX_g0Jq9pO1pPoBF6m2W6RVmxJlKVGUL4lT4IdNkYypc90/s1600/sns53ddr02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3zAIEi9NNw0dfXAWlMCkxKfjoDiY4FwiBXaj07qZlyg9FNkuLKzCxw-cF3scarCB24CV8fXG7APYz_suhKvc55g0Gy2VdqX_g0Jq9pO1pPoBF6m2W6RVmxJlKVGUL4lT4IdNkYypc90/s320/sns53ddr02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727726997944804338" border="0" /></a><br />We actually did a video, but it was too long to upload, and besides, you don't really want to watch us jump around awkwardly while some guy says, "You're doing great!" and a crowd says "Boo!" (not simultaneously) (when Jen is the primary dancer and when I'm the primary dancer, respectively). So you will have to settle for screenshots of part of the video.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4nAGQ0JSgtDBac5iznA2Ezl3Mz8qDg-5bjL6m9hd1tPwV2e3RfMdUCVNwDZ1j2xCklcsunD-7hQgpoRjK4VD0Q1h5dTTTaQmOdkTUaNrnsv-MPrwWgTZ1muSmqvf_jm7r1N0umAbyYw/s1600/sns53ddr01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4nAGQ0JSgtDBac5iznA2Ezl3Mz8qDg-5bjL6m9hd1tPwV2e3RfMdUCVNwDZ1j2xCklcsunD-7hQgpoRjK4VD0Q1h5dTTTaQmOdkTUaNrnsv-MPrwWgTZ1muSmqvf_jm7r1N0umAbyYw/s320/sns53ddr01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727726992369516178" border="0" /></a><br />Once we were done with DDR, we hit the prize counter to maximize the benefits of the tickets we had earned (though, sadly, none of them came from DDR).<br /><br />And from the prize counter, we then headed to Steak 'n Shake to re-energize.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tu70tbKLc4G1xAPsckkNRYYgRGWW670BSqCNoo3CSuAjt-6oOPosp-JsJ3-wB7z8oyQW5OAUPX9CAFIlV74umg2puXejiWLK84_FANUmJt8drEdU1RxXQYbikK6zrxSZ8xq1qYeSHU/s1600/sns53sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tu70tbKLc4G1xAPsckkNRYYgRGWW670BSqCNoo3CSuAjt-6oOPosp-JsJ3-wB7z8oyQW5OAUPX9CAFIlV74umg2puXejiWLK84_FANUmJt8drEdU1RxXQYbikK6zrxSZ8xq1qYeSHU/s320/sns53sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373450797125426" border="0" /></a><br />Where we showed off our fabulous, fabulous prizes, prizes, PRIZES!<br /><br />Jen walked away with ... a new car!<br /><br />No, not really.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmKtTPMLE2wIas-4byyeaOWdR4cly62Vc9dEb3nOx_hLvxnCDURhbDumwI0BGwk8H83Ihk0oYAgcQf3xn14cPq27aTXDHCDCAVvWW9rCMmq_f791m3LLJ2pipWU5Cb8yKIU07G0EswA4/s1600/sns53jenwithprizesprizesprizesexclamationpoint.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmKtTPMLE2wIas-4byyeaOWdR4cly62Vc9dEb3nOx_hLvxnCDURhbDumwI0BGwk8H83Ihk0oYAgcQf3xn14cPq27aTXDHCDCAVvWW9rCMmq_f791m3LLJ2pipWU5Cb8yKIU07G0EswA4/s320/sns53jenwithprizesprizesprizesexclamationpoint.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373070442484850" border="0" /></a><br />Jen was rewarded with a fan, dolphin stickers, pink vampire teeth, and a little green army man, presumably an escapee from the set of "Toy Story."<br /><br />And me?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBKgPzTuWeDoUm-TTUDgEqk-NboZrws7JIWDdCUi7S2p5C5ZajR7IpgzwRDm5jOPliZHjJT6iBMec217GAlfhTA_sEGojdDyMUkN4smybtSNQLE8HRlBvTIeJZ_0FV0vh2YRcackJd8A/s1600/sns53marcyprizesprizesprizesexclamationpoint.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBKgPzTuWeDoUm-TTUDgEqk-NboZrws7JIWDdCUi7S2p5C5ZajR7IpgzwRDm5jOPliZHjJT6iBMec217GAlfhTA_sEGojdDyMUkN4smybtSNQLE8HRlBvTIeJZ_0FV0vh2YRcackJd8A/s320/sns53marcyprizesprizesprizesexclamationpoint.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373439931931810" border="0" /></a><br />My winnings also included a fan, as well as bee stickers, green vampire teeth, a smiley face eraser, and a total loss of self-esteem.<br /><br />... Okay, not really. I'm clearly pretty proud of myself.<br /><br />We noted that, once again, we had come upon a Steak 'n Shake lacking a crane game. Strange things must be afoot in the Evansville, that all the crane games were taken (come to think of it, I don't remember seeing one in the Walther's arcade, either ... strange indeed, Evansville).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg8fB34D1qpMS34wVnzT__1iTRrOLXHatmVUZoRc7FPeqWYgFVWqGvZBrpJIoJPqEWHhU4-_sI-WLGQtF8yzpF69x_EEhv5u7BoMDTlOhfmaFF6GNEl8pLnud7_RCEKweUTDhl3y6eNM/s1600/sns53looknocranegameagain.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg8fB34D1qpMS34wVnzT__1iTRrOLXHatmVUZoRc7FPeqWYgFVWqGvZBrpJIoJPqEWHhU4-_sI-WLGQtF8yzpF69x_EEhv5u7BoMDTlOhfmaFF6GNEl8pLnud7_RCEKweUTDhl3y6eNM/s320/sns53looknocranegameagain.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373080547652706" border="0" /></a><br />Additionally, we noticed that the tables and booths all seemed to be new.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq2s88k1yC4pG1e34w0w6eGnrbFrDgECLdEk6ddAtYooBfLCLNsPkUZF5gGXTMRUWcvkfOVcOIgc0H27xSmjf2dtVhsmq68eSjQgpnYnFJg_Q5pJKflqaccTL00o2sukC23l8epPMocE/s1600/sns53newboothsandtables.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq2s88k1yC4pG1e34w0w6eGnrbFrDgECLdEk6ddAtYooBfLCLNsPkUZF5gGXTMRUWcvkfOVcOIgc0H27xSmjf2dtVhsmq68eSjQgpnYnFJg_Q5pJKflqaccTL00o2sukC23l8epPMocE/s320/sns53newboothsandtables.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373444963112690" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Pictured: New tables and booths.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Also pictured: Goofy girl trying to be subtle<br />in acquiring a photo.<br /></div><br />Turns out, the new furniture is because last winter (right around the time I started my quest, in fact), <a href="http://www.14news.com/story/13963993/car-drives-through-evansville-restaurant">an SUV drove through this Steak 'n Shake</a>. Not the Steak 'n Shake drive-thru -- through the walls and windows and into the dining room.<br /><br />To be fair, it didn't drive all the way through. Just, you know, far enough in that the entirety of the vehicle was inside the restaurant.<br /><br />A waiter gave us some of the "deets," including the fact that that was partly why all the furniture is a different style than most Steak 'n Shakes' furniture.<br /><br />After enjoying our surroundings a bit, Jen and I finally got down to business: food.<br /><br />Specifically, a 3D Grilled Cheese for Jen, and a Guacamole Steakburger for me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzE4-AkLWytdPYQGyWcUbujn7eemOvptG3JpY4YlFpgEHYmmotUqouqbihkuqN1Duohu_0It6Zt1J9RYrBpuHntogOKgrnXUxd76QUjf6rHFTucR9KQ74dYNobcRnQit27XKk3NNrnnc/s1600/sns53marcydrinksthebloodofaguacburger.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzE4-AkLWytdPYQGyWcUbujn7eemOvptG3JpY4YlFpgEHYmmotUqouqbihkuqN1Duohu_0It6Zt1J9RYrBpuHntogOKgrnXUxd76QUjf6rHFTucR9KQ74dYNobcRnQit27XKk3NNrnnc/s320/sns53marcydrinksthebloodofaguacburger.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727373085533532162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I vant to suck your blood!</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">But first, I vant to eat your delicious guacamole.</span><br /></div><br />We didn't stay at this Steak 'n Shake long, as we did still have a few hours' drive to get us back to Indianapolis, and (a surprise, I can assure you, to us) a time-change to consider.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2qMwr3i6t3gQBPAU2tBIHQ4RVqBix6emGo4JmzA1W5QdoF5RbBGPC8_SZetxP22qPOO5YTUx36X4J8TJpkzFQ7ClgKYIdDnIFlddnj6JOaAf6iqwiVJpnlnsusA7N-vgJ6Krnz-5l1Q/s1600/sns53group.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2qMwr3i6t3gQBPAU2tBIHQ4RVqBix6emGo4JmzA1W5QdoF5RbBGPC8_SZetxP22qPOO5YTUx36X4J8TJpkzFQ7ClgKYIdDnIFlddnj6JOaAf6iqwiVJpnlnsusA7N-vgJ6Krnz-5l1Q/s320/sns53group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727372406496501570" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks for the fun times, Evansville! P.S. Seriously, invest in some credit card readers! We may want to come visit again.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-26670715602002514902012-04-02T22:30:00.005-04:002012-04-04T21:54:30.475-04:00Stop #52: East Division, Evansville (#4804802)Just hours after our breakfast at the Bedford Steak 'n Shake, Jen and I made our way to the first of two Steak 'n Shakes in Evansville.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwFkOQmvj7hyCvUjUci1aiU4thwt3sqbbDjNVmf9QiDBYZBqQ0NCqUDuy2kBKEzN6moJFh7hsdY9uGzOugo5Ej5luq1DOBbn9kJcCX4nsdiRNiZGfF5LDNamCW5f03J7bWHZ924NjQdk/s1600/sns52sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwFkOQmvj7hyCvUjUci1aiU4thwt3sqbbDjNVmf9QiDBYZBqQ0NCqUDuy2kBKEzN6moJFh7hsdY9uGzOugo5Ej5luq1DOBbn9kJcCX4nsdiRNiZGfF5LDNamCW5f03J7bWHZ924NjQdk/s320/sns52sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726996928196684882" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, when we first arrived, we weren't terribly hungry. After all, we had just had breakfast a couple hours prior -- it was too soon for lunch. We killed some time at a nearby TJ Maxx, followed by a Target, before heading back to the Steak 'n Shake for the lunches we'd planned since we first got into town.<br /><br />It was pretty warm, so I decided to go for some cooler options: a grilled chicken salad and cottage cheese.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-2FYnOqkrHAU4xkRC_f6S6w4jubDTQt1CETF9SUEM9-KTm3IBlgzLstEyl0bEwwAhyphenhyphenG7vi5mpa6B1t1AWe0xcFDTvsM22heqqZgGm45zHYmgmRHNAQ67oFuZU4pdk0s0w2mRn3kP-1o/s1600/sns52ordercontains.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-2FYnOqkrHAU4xkRC_f6S6w4jubDTQt1CETF9SUEM9-KTm3IBlgzLstEyl0bEwwAhyphenhyphenG7vi5mpa6B1t1AWe0xcFDTvsM22heqqZgGm45zHYmgmRHNAQ67oFuZU4pdk0s0w2mRn3kP-1o/s320/sns52ordercontains.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726996923263128466" border="0" /></a><br />Jen ordered a Wisconsin Buttery Burger and, when done with that, decided she wanted dessert.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQk8mjYla9B9C5lx9Pqc60ho2xgLdLI4vcMfJ6QRxIHOwLyyfg30OxyT7BfKK2lLLpaCkXfLV3BEv5VAQ8YF05Qf30FI-H7qU0m-V4W0ArRJj4oUTNuWdjeJhrAdKpa1snS6bm0uuzAc/s1600/sns52sundaeforjen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQk8mjYla9B9C5lx9Pqc60ho2xgLdLI4vcMfJ6QRxIHOwLyyfg30OxyT7BfKK2lLLpaCkXfLV3BEv5VAQ8YF05Qf30FI-H7qU0m-V4W0ArRJj4oUTNuWdjeJhrAdKpa1snS6bm0uuzAc/s320/sns52sundaeforjen.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726997673419246946" border="0" /></a><br />I got jealous. I wanted dessert too!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0FM0BxekfKlMvsLJZmMskhej4R69gmvXBcCAasK9NCFkXnnxX14vQAEFlazP3YbKZ-jh1xm0H7i8EK4xACVKnB5EwcSWZxAhvUCprwtjE_VaYWLniCyCqtoSJhq41SjH1Cu6c4o-S8k/s1600/sns52tastytastycrayons.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0FM0BxekfKlMvsLJZmMskhej4R69gmvXBcCAasK9NCFkXnnxX14vQAEFlazP3YbKZ-jh1xm0H7i8EK4xACVKnB5EwcSWZxAhvUCprwtjE_VaYWLniCyCqtoSJhq41SjH1Cu6c4o-S8k/s320/sns52tastytastycrayons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726997678193959362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Tasty, tasty crayons!</span><br /></div><br />Unfortunately, before I could actually enjoy my crayon dessert, Jen swiped them away for a color comparison, since I managed to remember to bring my own crayons on this trip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdqxmNjFmw0RtrKpxcgC-qBLWWDvZoYrMMS3NZN0XlQf_9a_pFtesUQM6Essq5mUNo7dslt0HEIGK-9H2jVeyegkpXfYm3pMamCbf1MXJ9TlBEkqOzhbI1xJpAV-fY8QYWUi27X9ZHx0/s1600/sns52crayoncomparison.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdqxmNjFmw0RtrKpxcgC-qBLWWDvZoYrMMS3NZN0XlQf_9a_pFtesUQM6Essq5mUNo7dslt0HEIGK-9H2jVeyegkpXfYm3pMamCbf1MXJ9TlBEkqOzhbI1xJpAV-fY8QYWUi27X9ZHx0/s320/sns52crayoncomparison.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726996913064915618" border="0" /></a><br />We came to the conclusion that the Steak 'n Shake black crayon is better than Crayola's, but Crayola's pinks definitely have something over the Steak 'n Shake one, something more than just the fact that there's two of them.<br /><br />Then, just as we were getting ready to leave, I noticed something peculiar about this Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4TPM9YOeSqt5GnJQV0aSQsyuJ8vAqPwOftD1gjYMcYH4wMj7ZepErGBtQO1nKyyFqcyPomYfQI3i8bgg1GdE5UYZCb0jaLHo7PACB4AYU0BkhzVgs7L-UyMyi25dApJVfTVxgLhnocM/s1600/sns52whatismissinghere.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4TPM9YOeSqt5GnJQV0aSQsyuJ8vAqPwOftD1gjYMcYH4wMj7ZepErGBtQO1nKyyFqcyPomYfQI3i8bgg1GdE5UYZCb0jaLHo7PACB4AYU0BkhzVgs7L-UyMyi25dApJVfTVxgLhnocM/s320/sns52whatismissinghere.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726997678374928434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">That wall ... it's too red. Just too red. What, did you murder someone there?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Anyone else catch it? Something big, you've seen in pretty much all Steak 'n Shakes in this blog up to now?<br /><br />The Crazy Claw. The Crazy Claw has been stolen from this poor Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br />... well, not really stolen. We asked our server, Teresa, about it, and she said that they hadn't ever had one, to her knowledge.<br /><br />Oh, poor Steak 'n Shake #4804802. (And for the record, that is NOT a typo.) You really do deserve a crane game. Any other Steak 'n Shakes out there care to lend a hand?<br /><br />Unfortunately, Jen and I were to discover worse things about Evansville after this. Things much worse than a Steak 'n Shake lacking its Crazy Claw.<br /><br />Of course, we didn't know that when this photo was taken.<br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOap_nyEOnIgkgIN3LjuRl_n0_Y18-SyLfLm6yeb0VU8deL_rVYCFAzu6uzmeV8A5J9XDcPZoFxZgZhIdn9vo5wOAScSsiLuImVbMMdvDp01D0TS-7jnnjrH0iQgxDZbaJTXKxfN3GKHo/s1600/sns52group.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOap_nyEOnIgkgIN3LjuRl_n0_Y18-SyLfLm6yeb0VU8deL_rVYCFAzu6uzmeV8A5J9XDcPZoFxZgZhIdn9vo5wOAScSsiLuImVbMMdvDp01D0TS-7jnnjrH0iQgxDZbaJTXKxfN3GKHo/s320/sns52group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726996918007906098" border="0" /></a>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-74562516212657387532012-04-02T21:43:00.005-04:002012-04-04T21:55:01.612-04:00Stop #51: Bedford (#663)On March 31, the long-awaited day that Jen and I had planned finally came.<br /><br />And we took a road trip to knock out a few Steak 'n Shake stops.<br /><br />Starting with breakfast at Bedford.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqsr4Lze5ZOKveqfbsBYHIKkBC4D_LdgfvhJWyInkMoQffKhnmqodHn7elIIOMR9hyULp8S_T_80cMJPRH1A8PuK8EZfdwI8f8_i4A1PIGr9JnK0EVSnCmHtiOKjJYrARKcCW2q1o2qo/s1600/sns51firstsign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqsr4Lze5ZOKveqfbsBYHIKkBC4D_LdgfvhJWyInkMoQffKhnmqodHn7elIIOMR9hyULp8S_T_80cMJPRH1A8PuK8EZfdwI8f8_i4A1PIGr9JnK0EVSnCmHtiOKjJYrARKcCW2q1o2qo/s320/sns51firstsign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726984581484721266" border="0" /></a><br />I knew pretty quickly what I wanted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH3QwOPJlY32cu_sOxtS27nkde2dZyfg8lAd8TOl6fjVkrqxamfBFBKQ2IbbYFDK2w_5wv_pwrvc9FISsTc-LgfR4v4LLlEhcZ8RxrQIj__xuZ9N8jA8dzk88ahnp2kCLn09f5n2lybg/s1600/sns51breakfastorder.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRH3QwOPJlY32cu_sOxtS27nkde2dZyfg8lAd8TOl6fjVkrqxamfBFBKQ2IbbYFDK2w_5wv_pwrvc9FISsTc-LgfR4v4LLlEhcZ8RxrQIj__xuZ9N8jA8dzk88ahnp2kCLn09f5n2lybg/s320/sns51breakfastorder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726984577536920962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I believe they call this a homestyle breakfast.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />Jen, sadly, was torn.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5Zev_u89ABZAjexIaCCfAKsAdndGknHhySt352Sf9W397kwPhr260AGeQXdfODrkmantjHCw3LYEVsQi6tTe9hSjPkequDtIjGWiSkUTZPkIqkntlYJ9QJ6argajaZda4hu24wJhgYQ/s1600/sns51jenusesamenuquestionmark.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5Zev_u89ABZAjexIaCCfAKsAdndGknHhySt352Sf9W397kwPhr260AGeQXdfODrkmantjHCw3LYEVsQi6tTe9hSjPkequDtIjGWiSkUTZPkIqkntlYJ9QJ6argajaZda4hu24wJhgYQ/s320/sns51jenusesamenuquestionmark.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726984585747997378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Silly Jen, that's what the coupon stash is for!</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />Jen was torn between biscuits 'n gravy, and pancakes.<br /><br />While she was debating the perks of each order, I was reminded of a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QstuIhn8-qI&t=13s">fantastic scene from the movie "Cabin Fever."</a><br /><br />And, of course, if you've seen the movie, then you can probably guess what scene I'm thinking of based on the food options Jen was weighing.<br /><br />If you haven't seen the movie, check out that link and watch the clip. Seriously. I'll wait here. I'd have embedded it, so you wouldn't even have to leave for a moment (also, 'cause I like the scene myself), but the uploader of this clip (and, it seems, all clips of this scene) has disabled embedding.<br /><br />This memory forced me to update the sign for this stop.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuqz0B9vMYFG8IQgYPLDGlU2UFA7nFk4-gNrVgjutpbpDEU7gV7aVzC8CkTDlX0y6w7L8EgyiFBOkBcpf0t6KnXtFnL8Ji5JW8oSUE93hCCLati81HzowLGaRs2IB8hlKsRBQxw38R_w/s1600/sns51signwithpancakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuqz0B9vMYFG8IQgYPLDGlU2UFA7nFk4-gNrVgjutpbpDEU7gV7aVzC8CkTDlX0y6w7L8EgyiFBOkBcpf0t6KnXtFnL8Ji5JW8oSUE93hCCLati81HzowLGaRs2IB8hlKsRBQxw38R_w/s320/sns51signwithpancakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726985710960566706" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pancakes! Pancakes!</span><br /></div><br />Jen eventually settled on biscuits 'n gravy. I hardly noticed, as I was having a passionate affair with my own biscuit, not doused in gravy but just plain.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVJZcYcjckwrLZlVdDu5KknbRz4rnG72JveieMewvUsWGJ3FhtVa5UAxucJK-WlsRs6C8WEHsxs_ohb_wPEjCbaXIPZY33QSPQ6OgUHDi7eoFh0K0BOuIohF7kvngVB78UH4gzn0m33o/s1600/sns51mmbiscuit.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVJZcYcjckwrLZlVdDu5KknbRz4rnG72JveieMewvUsWGJ3FhtVa5UAxucJK-WlsRs6C8WEHsxs_ohb_wPEjCbaXIPZY33QSPQ6OgUHDi7eoFh0K0BOuIohF7kvngVB78UH4gzn0m33o/s320/sns51mmbiscuit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726985701723248050" border="0" /></a><br />Seriously. Steak 'n Shake biscuits are tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDhKYuz-xu7inbLbx59q__cgrNKfZ0D78Q0IhCTsDTWa8AGmQVhxk2944ltEdeVYYx89-8e0hWh3_9_94lhaLi36JvR5FFABLolztunUA5m58Rq8XZQ8Lg5SXrGXm-qh6C27cOOVCIZw/s1600/sns51seriouslymmbiscuit.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDhKYuz-xu7inbLbx59q__cgrNKfZ0D78Q0IhCTsDTWa8AGmQVhxk2944ltEdeVYYx89-8e0hWh3_9_94lhaLi36JvR5FFABLolztunUA5m58Rq8XZQ8Lg5SXrGXm-qh6C27cOOVCIZw/s320/sns51seriouslymmbiscuit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726985708599951074" border="0" /></a><br />So tasty, that when I left, I found myself doing my own version of martial arts, while crying out for "Biscuits, biscuits!"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13Im4QoNzb6a1OrS95BTay7DcaDbgAaUW4W9TyFOmUD1zBU-cuQM68N7QtEVUyk32Yjms11InLGbi-9iW78wrRr-b5ZTkQdDhbybgNGRMKC1ee8wF-N7SXWa0oSCKNEYmS2CXdzOigZM/s1600/sns51biscuitskick.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13Im4QoNzb6a1OrS95BTay7DcaDbgAaUW4W9TyFOmUD1zBU-cuQM68N7QtEVUyk32Yjms11InLGbi-9iW78wrRr-b5ZTkQdDhbybgNGRMKC1ee8wF-N7SXWa0oSCKNEYmS2CXdzOigZM/s320/sns51biscuitskick.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726984573571219154" border="0" /></a><br />Can't say I know who I was doing my martial arts at, but I look pretty darn threatening, don't I? Especially when you add in the unbalanced mental capacity that accompanies the person who is driven to shout the names of breakfast items before launching an attack.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3ed4iXpzDL3jpWxXy27X3BXC7KBwbDVV6RabFQz-niL-VxbkMrz2o2YOje2MNsHYMaVkT2AuH7NZM_oU2N7vfBK7HT_tg9HpPuIU5qTpyO65qUAyjWNv1LR1O1cuGb3rOOpuiLWZoh0/s1600/sns51group.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3ed4iXpzDL3jpWxXy27X3BXC7KBwbDVV6RabFQz-niL-VxbkMrz2o2YOje2MNsHYMaVkT2AuH7NZM_oU2N7vfBK7HT_tg9HpPuIU5qTpyO65qUAyjWNv1LR1O1cuGb3rOOpuiLWZoh0/s320/sns51group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726984585554217778" border="0" /></a><br />And so Stop #51 ended, in a generally positive manner. Jen and I got back on the road to hit our next Steak 'n Shake town: Evansville.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-81292966968007904802012-03-26T19:44:00.010-04:002012-04-04T21:55:24.677-04:00Stop #50: Lebanon (#268)On the Ides of March, Jen and I decided to make a trip to what would be the big 5-0 of Steak 'n Shake stops: Lebanon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9thxQ3HVkoK-u2eYqK1PaWLJ3rWWJ0skvJXlwvFa-zZG3GNMZ9t8ApmfNKIelVUKwOopNQTc_k8CaSEmrzcuYhW0zRzRjw33qVvkoIyGC6OEqsKyBaHRU38lAhAr8wkLD8xWVCsLKkOE/s1600/sns50sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9thxQ3HVkoK-u2eYqK1PaWLJ3rWWJ0skvJXlwvFa-zZG3GNMZ9t8ApmfNKIelVUKwOopNQTc_k8CaSEmrzcuYhW0zRzRjw33qVvkoIyGC6OEqsKyBaHRU38lAhAr8wkLD8xWVCsLKkOE/s320/sns50sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357977180463874" border="0" /></a><br />Jen was super-excited, because she had been looking forward to her opportunity to try one specific new menu item: the new 3D Grilled Cheese.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7SGQ0v4RDDIXwM7fT1FSdMKe0c1WkDi4brp65NLkY9E9oZXd4-2_TY451rHm7x_-QN_f7KkHYYxmwVpY8Gz9aU-pSxjc2b2VD0fwwdhU-AYa5aWJwGDkvi-XM9mbUCCiPwdLyvCWQas/s1600/sns50jenwiththreedgrilledcheesesteakburger.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7SGQ0v4RDDIXwM7fT1FSdMKe0c1WkDi4brp65NLkY9E9oZXd4-2_TY451rHm7x_-QN_f7KkHYYxmwVpY8Gz9aU-pSxjc2b2VD0fwwdhU-AYa5aWJwGDkvi-XM9mbUCCiPwdLyvCWQas/s320/sns50jenwiththreedgrilledcheesesteakburger.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357174387202946" border="0" /></a><br />A 3D Grilled Cheese? Heavens! And to think I've been eating my grilled cheeses in just two dimensions, all these years!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyC7YZFhYbbWkIub-uENsSv5-HCH4vjS80rMRK75TXC_0v2Mm_xvntu4mnSD2_2x-fimlJVs7IUkILQtMAs2AZSBXbLvXequC8vo62srTeykjyHNDIW9qZm77FBb5d2f_AtZ4cbzuHtQ/s1600/quesoemergency.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyC7YZFhYbbWkIub-uENsSv5-HCH4vjS80rMRK75TXC_0v2Mm_xvntu4mnSD2_2x-fimlJVs7IUkILQtMAs2AZSBXbLvXequC8vo62srTeykjyHNDIW9qZm77FBb5d2f_AtZ4cbzuHtQ/s320/quesoemergency.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724363620305021106" border="0" /></a><br />I was also pretty excited, but noted that, both in the picture and in the actual sandwich, the name seemed to be a bit deceptive: there is quite clearly meat on this sandwich.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWkrbNj_1TXS43rgnHQW60iH9Kp7rXOppoFeYTbEgFy0mv6zdMZvvTGRs_jUGLn59b0VEffZPqwyMU7cifaf1VHuQ0QXbnun1PYRAqF7-ZhBgP1F8kGutoMzn-LrrInFRRYO3XjYjzPI/s1600/sns50threedgrilledcheesesteakburgerwithplacemat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWkrbNj_1TXS43rgnHQW60iH9Kp7rXOppoFeYTbEgFy0mv6zdMZvvTGRs_jUGLn59b0VEffZPqwyMU7cifaf1VHuQ0QXbnun1PYRAqF7-ZhBgP1F8kGutoMzn-LrrInFRRYO3XjYjzPI/s320/sns50threedgrilledcheesesteakburgerwithplacemat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357984389867282" border="0" /></a><br />While I do love my meat, to me, a grilled cheese is a sandwich that contains, quite simply, cheese. No added nothin's, no extra fixin's. Cheese between two pieces of bread, buttered on the outside and perfect for grilling.<br /><br />However, a description of the sandwich revealed that there was also a bit of frisco sauce added in the mix, along with the meat and three different kinds of cheese, so I got over my moment of slight confusion pretty quickly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nUCc3nF6ximrOfDTDJjvtb8xJ8rZMUdYdXHJkQKDtbQ_SR9On_PPytOT-nqZ73VQ6EM6jHM1BLb3E_8ZlQ-V46l0Zj6pz4o9wVCWstU0egnUbpTslU_NYnBH04LCbCpTWsnRY0znnr8/s1600/sns50marcyenjoys3dburger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nUCc3nF6ximrOfDTDJjvtb8xJ8rZMUdYdXHJkQKDtbQ_SR9On_PPytOT-nqZ73VQ6EM6jHM1BLb3E_8ZlQ-V46l0Zj6pz4o9wVCWstU0egnUbpTslU_NYnBH04LCbCpTWsnRY0znnr8/s320/sns50marcyenjoys3dburger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357182508778578" border="0" /></a><br />The verdict?<br /><br />It's pretty good. Better than I expected, even. I hadn't known I was a fan of pepperjack cheese until this sandwich. I had known I was a fan of frisco sauce, but this confirmed it. It was delightfully tasty.<br /><br />Jen also thought it was pretty good. And she made plans for when she would get her next one as we ate these ones.<br /><br />However, enjoying the 3D Grilled Cheese (co-starring MEAT), french fries and a nutter butter shake was not the only reason I went to Steak 'n Shake that night.<br /><br />I went because it is March Madness, and with my beloved Dawgs not in NCAA tournament this year, I was forced -- and then delighted -- to participate in another type of bracket competition: the <a href="http://www.burgerbusiness.com/?p=9693">2012 BurgerBusiness Burger Bracket</a>.<br /><br />Steak 'n Shake was, of course, in the pack. But who might they be playing? And where could we expect upsets?<br /><br />Jen and I got down to business.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWSf1jzSRjHZqzgU6b2yxfCFQZZIROJhsXSuglBB4gQNikcivvEX-BnKnoytCOHlufuVnoGZLr0qZ_14kC6F3iKmFfB8bkx_dzEpaaD7jySXLWxlmxCO4k2My34lkMZCuv1Q4Ix9if7U/s1600/sns50marcyfillsoutabracketquestionmark.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWSf1jzSRjHZqzgU6b2yxfCFQZZIROJhsXSuglBB4gQNikcivvEX-BnKnoytCOHlufuVnoGZLr0qZ_14kC6F3iKmFfB8bkx_dzEpaaD7jySXLWxlmxCO4k2My34lkMZCuv1Q4Ix9if7U/s320/sns50marcyfillsoutabracketquestionmark.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357187206896114" border="0" /></a><br />Being a decent basketball fan who enjoys the official tournament and bracket challenge, I decided to use my knowledge of the "teams," likeliness of upsets, and (as in actual basketball bracket contests) general prejudices against certain locations and mascots to determine winners.<br /><br />Jen went a more calculated route: the iPhone.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlPa7f9CFMDsXNluI7mmreNh-RI13E30Rnv1NA3ptunPpqz5EFpdXIkMrbzUPYIaCmWJ1cIjjjMLIihJfGTITkSyQLhArNhdTeeKZWaSRb9M7yKLrM2hIbmM1ZuIYLDc7vXqwZWgzWGg/s1600/sns50jenusesiphonetogetinfoforproperbracketfilling.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlPa7f9CFMDsXNluI7mmreNh-RI13E30Rnv1NA3ptunPpqz5EFpdXIkMrbzUPYIaCmWJ1cIjjjMLIihJfGTITkSyQLhArNhdTeeKZWaSRb9M7yKLrM2hIbmM1ZuIYLDc7vXqwZWgzWGg/s320/sns50jenusesiphonetogetinfoforproperbracketfilling.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357168832651778" border="0" /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Google, what is Umami? ...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It was actually pretty entertaining to see some of the match-ups. For example, a place called BGR, up against a place called Fuddruckers, whose name just makes me smile. A Burger 21 against Sonic, which didn't make sense to me because isn't Sonic more well-known for hotdogs? A place called Blanc Burgers and Bottles against a place called Meatheads, which I surely wouldn't eat at because who wants the head meat? An Epic Burger against a place called Umami, which I commented to Jen before she even looked it up sounded like an Asian place, which doesn't really jibe with burgers, in my mind.<br /><br />And, finally, at least in my bracket, a Final Four match-up between Ray's Hell Burger and a place surely inspired by one of my favoritest movies ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__sodGe-IOCOzmVumMId2v7VZ4kGJCkkkNkKAatAXT6g_iv1Lr3z94stBpMRrg0uLofqhn9zmeflagK09OeEzEVioB24P_phBMeUob6nKWNJgAivqz7Dz3EgRXGgpt8_5ylhKLTtuJuA/s1600/goodburger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__sodGe-IOCOzmVumMId2v7VZ4kGJCkkkNkKAatAXT6g_iv1Lr3z94stBpMRrg0uLofqhn9zmeflagK09OeEzEVioB24P_phBMeUob6nKWNJgAivqz7Dz3EgRXGgpt8_5ylhKLTtuJuA/s320/goodburger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724368177514469058" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, it is apparently a real place.<br />Sadly, I think neither Keenan nor Kel work there .....</span><br /></div><br />Yes. Good Burger.<br /><br />Of course, you had your obvious standards, too, like Cheeseburger in Paradise, Red Robin, McDonald's, Rally's, Johnny Rockets, Five Guys, and, of course Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br />Of course, in my bracket, we all know who wins.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTVJv5LQT59FUINvklMfcfPT_SPZ0FOZ8QEot3wKHREUYrDlYUhsaphwjwz0aJphQPZKMJRCIpN7Ibseb_NL8d7vN7bFB6TQDD6rjzEgBCaAaCPirzCRG0tK6rTLRIDFsaB4qQHYhYrI/s1600/sns50marcywithcompletedbracket.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTVJv5LQT59FUINvklMfcfPT_SPZ0FOZ8QEot3wKHREUYrDlYUhsaphwjwz0aJphQPZKMJRCIpN7Ibseb_NL8d7vN7bFB6TQDD6rjzEgBCaAaCPirzCRG0tK6rTLRIDFsaB4qQHYhYrI/s320/sns50marcywithcompletedbracket.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357972041318194" border="0" /></a><br />And for those who want a better look at all the match-ups, my bracket appears unobstructed by my pen below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNlN_ieNMSBM0vY0mlKJxd8mj6cI_zUqkbc6Xcf2pPhc427NSfbTatL9JNNK9Grmlj5TIfx9Mde19HStdRk-jnZtelqGpeiZRkjIClS6Zmv17zIL1ZT_g9n9sXrN7zoO1MMmKkcFg6FA/s1600/sns50marcysbracketcompleted.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNlN_ieNMSBM0vY0mlKJxd8mj6cI_zUqkbc6Xcf2pPhc427NSfbTatL9JNNK9Grmlj5TIfx9Mde19HStdRk-jnZtelqGpeiZRkjIClS6Zmv17zIL1ZT_g9n9sXrN7zoO1MMmKkcFg6FA/s320/sns50marcysbracketcompleted.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357964897112914" border="0" /></a><br />For the record, those "regions" are as the BurgerBusiness Burger Bracket set them out: named for some of the biggest names in burger chains in this country. I really have no idea how the seeding was determined, but there you have it.<br /><br />And there you have it for Stop #50, as with the conclusion of filling out our brackets, so came the conclusion of our visit to Lebanon and our encounters with the 3D Grilled Cheese.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljRxm-G2nMTlXUXIsONEs7TF09svHQx90taxKGumxZ488eq3kXc_oX8D5hJw0dIdfU4D343HcHgTN3k4o1YC9p9dLmnhqJE3NDFcgBljp_q8PcW4hDzoWXQqsgfUR_qLtqId_WmFp0fU/s1600/sns50groupshot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljRxm-G2nMTlXUXIsONEs7TF09svHQx90taxKGumxZ488eq3kXc_oX8D5hJw0dIdfU4D343HcHgTN3k4o1YC9p9dLmnhqJE3NDFcgBljp_q8PcW4hDzoWXQqsgfUR_qLtqId_WmFp0fU/s320/sns50groupshot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724357158018760786" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-54844323228105281642012-03-15T22:59:00.007-04:002012-03-15T23:20:53.120-04:00Stop #(Square Root of -1) -- Because Sometimes I Think Illinois is Imaginary (Guest Blogger)It's that time again: Time for a post from a guest blogger!<br /><br />This stop's account comes from my good friend and "LJ BFF 4-Eva!", Becca. Becca's been a friend of mine for roughly eight and a half years, and a fan of Steak 'n Shake for what I can only assume to be nine and a half years. We met at Butler, through the marching band (and subsequently Band Greek programs), and Becca was a year older than me. Thus my math -- which is actually more Becca's forte than mine. While I studied writing (Ta-da, a BLOG!), she studied useful things. Which is a fantastic segue into her selected title for her post, which is evidence of those things she understands ....<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Stop #(Square Root of -1) -- Because Sometimes I Think Illinois is Imaginary</b></span><br /><br />I adore Steak ān Shake.<br /><br />No, really. I dream of Frisco melts, cheese fries, chili, and the orange dreamsicle shake (side-by-side shake consisting of orange freeze and vanilla).<br /><br />Why do I dream of these wondrous, delicious foods?<br /><br />Because I live in Minnesota. And Minnesota does not have a single Steak ān Shake ... anywhere.<br /><br />Something is very wrong with this, and not just because there is no Steak ān Shake in sight so therefore it isnāt right. Minnesotans love food! If you need any proof, go Google the Minnesota State Fair and learn about our obsession about food on a stick. (Without spending my entire life doing a ton of research, I can report there were 81 different vendors at the fair last year which had some sort of food on a stick.)<br /><br />But the cherry on top as to why Minnesota needs a Steak ān Shake is provided by the picture below:<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6klwY6yR11mJSulJBjNph-Lw_LBxZoCDtB6uodCfl3z4EhuUWgExcHehZ6Tu4dKxQmCQPxS8brMaHNYSmmPZiYTel1U9YEyfkiLfMRgBZ91I4pbZPs0nIwJ7-v4RClXFfimscgYXv3mk/s1600/beccas01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6klwY6yR11mJSulJBjNph-Lw_LBxZoCDtB6uodCfl3z4EhuUWgExcHehZ6Tu4dKxQmCQPxS8brMaHNYSmmPZiYTel1U9YEyfkiLfMRgBZ91I4pbZPs0nIwJ7-v4RClXFfimscgYXv3mk/s320/beccas01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327199036717522" border="0" /></a></center><br />That Cherry on a Spoon, my Steak ān Shake loving friends, is located in the fair city of Minneapolis which is appropriately located in the great state of Minnesota.<br /><br />And so, Steak ān Shake executives who I KNOW are reading this blog, how can you resist? Think of all the marketing strategies related to shakes you could use with a city that has a giant cherry on a spoon! Itās genius!<br /><br />Alas, no enterprising franchiser has attempted a Steak ān Shake up here in the north, so I have to resort to getting my Frisco melt fix anytime Iām on a road trip near a Steak ān Shake.<br /><br />This brings me to the evening of March 2nd, 2012. I had recently (read: earlier that evening) arrived in the greater Chicago area (read: a suburb) after driving through inclement weather (read: snowstorm in southern Wisconsin) for a weekend of debauchery and wickedness (read: original plan was bar-hopping, but most of us ended up going to see Butler lose a basketball game against Valparaiso instead - we have our priorities). My gracious host and I had just been joined by two endeavoring friends from Indiana (including the owner of this very blog) and a consensus was reached: time for a Steak ān Shake run!<br /><br />As two of the members of this run had been to the Glendale Heights restaurant previously (<a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/07/interlude-3-glendale-heights-illinois.html">see this interlude post from July 2011</a>), we decided to go to the restaurant in Downerās Grove.<br /><br />If you have been paying attention (which Iām sure you are), you believe we had four members in our merry group. However, you would be wrong. We had five:<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xOTa8qdREOhS1yci_WGpLrU5NzMw9WVmRxSSZjFx-zZf472XLXFfdLde_HbQHGpwY6ZiqyPejdrXMiIfB_t1-QzrBlXgY2J_FQLJflE8gFHS-i-JHuCupW2NoNi0WMwYfOGmx_ortao/s1600/beccas02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xOTa8qdREOhS1yci_WGpLrU5NzMw9WVmRxSSZjFx-zZf472XLXFfdLde_HbQHGpwY6ZiqyPejdrXMiIfB_t1-QzrBlXgY2J_FQLJflE8gFHS-i-JHuCupW2NoNi0WMwYfOGmx_ortao/s320/beccas02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327467297377410" border="0" /></a></center><br />He was a small little guy, very quiet, fond of fedoras, and not hungry at all. He just wanted some water in exchange for the fun excursion.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTvBDy2D5dw4X2v1SfzJ-R-kFtGt3FFcCVQNKHFvZD_RtY92hP2c0pmYFtbMwNFh-vt2UCzeu6bMWLgLXwy0tEpqlflVorsTlt8QRQJNB_dbLC4m-WVFWb-sCWDmO62NYmEuCsvTkOJM/s1600/beccas03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTvBDy2D5dw4X2v1SfzJ-R-kFtGt3FFcCVQNKHFvZD_RtY92hP2c0pmYFtbMwNFh-vt2UCzeu6bMWLgLXwy0tEpqlflVorsTlt8QRQJNB_dbLC4m-WVFWb-sCWDmO62NYmEuCsvTkOJM/s320/beccas03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327472798478098" border="0" /></a></center><br />He was, however, very photogenic and not afraid to show it off. He joined in many of our pictures.<br /><br />Firstly, the āgangsters with fedorasā:<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq5jN0_5xBJxL2g6jGDd3WuJtNH43alblNhcKBsT0CzQlhSVgyhI1FDbaGKhP8fb-B3vw-B55e-aNgrY2YC3wgezU6qO7zpSoRk_cj9mUc64MQ94dMWc5V1JpCQ179nzF2ceym3lc4PY/s1600/beccas04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq5jN0_5xBJxL2g6jGDd3WuJtNH43alblNhcKBsT0CzQlhSVgyhI1FDbaGKhP8fb-B3vw-B55e-aNgrY2YC3wgezU6qO7zpSoRk_cj9mUc64MQ94dMWc5V1JpCQ179nzF2ceym3lc4PY/s320/beccas04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327985085205682" border="0" /></a></center><br />(Interlude: Yes, I am in that picture. Iām on the right with the horrible fashion sense of wearing a black fedora with a brown hooded sweatshirt. You may recognize me from such stops as <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/02/stop-2-steak-n-shake-at-54th-and.html">#2</a>, <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/02/stop-3-steak-n-shake-at-michigan-86th.html">#3</a>, and <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/11/stop-39-martinsville-594.html">#39</a>.) (Also, youāre probably sick of me being that one person from Minnesota who comments on every single one of the blog entries.)<br /><br />Secondly, the old people:<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygdkpHUsb69fPJyFXaOnLwN66N_SrYkbJs9kO8rsgm2MSSk-bufOdtNO7ZYZ-QBuT_kYSwb_5r3rAtE0mGAx1WRdZGMg2HRvxFfYRI1-kRHNOcg4nxzR_0fyQluFVMSMmBDlh5au26w4/s1600/beccas05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygdkpHUsb69fPJyFXaOnLwN66N_SrYkbJs9kO8rsgm2MSSk-bufOdtNO7ZYZ-QBuT_kYSwb_5r3rAtE0mGAx1WRdZGMg2HRvxFfYRI1-kRHNOcg4nxzR_0fyQluFVMSMmBDlh5au26w4/s320/beccas05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327989884583538" border="0" /></a></center><br />(Interlude #2: Okay, okay, Rachel and Kathy are really not that old. Theyāre just older than Marcy and I. Thus, old.)<br /><br />My dinner was my basic standard, a Frisco melt with fries. I have yet to find anything in Minnesota that even comes close to the composition of a Frisco melt.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflxwlHBb2784lMzR9v49ULaWyz1d_jHp5c8qCFvefzQ6fZjrWV2ogWOPkrID42X_BFG6i_38FbSG6EfZqJJCOGNxcg50rwF4nDFNhkqpXTGIIR0BKlVjNHQJknBeur3JGkCRq0Jz4O-w/s1600/beccas06.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflxwlHBb2784lMzR9v49ULaWyz1d_jHp5c8qCFvefzQ6fZjrWV2ogWOPkrID42X_BFG6i_38FbSG6EfZqJJCOGNxcg50rwF4nDFNhkqpXTGIIR0BKlVjNHQJknBeur3JGkCRq0Jz4O-w/s320/beccas06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327987221771314" border="0" /></a></center><br />During our dinner, we played the Steak ān Shake story game. Here is the end result, because you know you want to read it:<br /><br /><i>Blue crayons and unicorns are captivating.<br />Most unicorns eat chilidogs.<br />For chilidogs gave them their magic flying powers.<br />After swallowing their chilidogs whole, they leapt high into the sky and flew east.<br />Percival flew with a wombat on the back of a paranoid unicorn.<br />He was searching for the missing horn.<br />The horn was found inside a tuba!<br />āHow did that get there?ā the bird wondered.<br />āPeel back the crayon wrapper before sharpening the crayon,ā responded the hyena, he he he he!<br />The hyena leapt for joy at his great discovery.<br />He leapt so high he touched the moon.<br />Thatās what she said.<br />Throwing babies is not an option. It was dark and they were big, like angry blowfish.<br />Unless the babies deserved it.<br />And in Muckās world, they always deserve it.<br />Because they deserved it, everyone else rejoiced.<br />And there was partying in ALL the land!</i><br /><br />And because of our diminutive guest, we gnome-ified ALL the things!<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnA20fCDWQjjoA6KMNZQ2d8-o8ANFYDG_Q81T7DlNITriK_RYCnfBUPt3X1nxPwj6oIuGm7LHm68v4rXeTwdlB4bWc-D9cYlkbRskY859Ai6d8Y7oZr6PzHqbhM1DkvG9sZOfaoy01ak/s1600/beccas07.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnA20fCDWQjjoA6KMNZQ2d8-o8ANFYDG_Q81T7DlNITriK_RYCnfBUPt3X1nxPwj6oIuGm7LHm68v4rXeTwdlB4bWc-D9cYlkbRskY859Ai6d8Y7oZr6PzHqbhM1DkvG9sZOfaoy01ak/s320/beccas07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720328002827737746" border="0" /></a></center><br />Well, maybe not all the things. Maybe just the sign.<br /><br />All in all, a great Steak ān Shake outing had occurred, and this Minnesotan got her frisco melt.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstJ2F1wiSL8Y6jJOTaKzAMWIxWpvseNj75d-aMkO1rjio2VYAtnh1ls58tl_u17kKQ_00n0f_qMNDg6NcTXeL6I23iFqPjZJcoVy3MoNm9uDS1A7TvbzVs6d8LqBYIfQioO30pUNvHBY/s1600/beccas08.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstJ2F1wiSL8Y6jJOTaKzAMWIxWpvseNj75d-aMkO1rjio2VYAtnh1ls58tl_u17kKQ_00n0f_qMNDg6NcTXeL6I23iFqPjZJcoVy3MoNm9uDS1A7TvbzVs6d8LqBYIfQioO30pUNvHBY/s320/beccas08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720327471086532834" border="0" /></a></center><br />Until next time, Steak ān Shake.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-46133220887198384652012-02-27T14:37:00.010-05:002012-04-04T21:55:35.488-04:00Stop #49: Meijer Drive, Fort Wayne (#315)Stop #49 ended up being one of my first impromptu stops.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDQKnj-yl_-JDhKOPf1nobQbTgckounbdc9LmlvrHongWigmr24XL8SifaCHJVf3rqldmSX1F5yeir1EHeDoqgNaPtXZE-jSYKmktNtoCswDG4E3iEV3DPHJyimYUG6Jbssazka9vY54/s1600/sns49sign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDQKnj-yl_-JDhKOPf1nobQbTgckounbdc9LmlvrHongWigmr24XL8SifaCHJVf3rqldmSX1F5yeir1EHeDoqgNaPtXZE-jSYKmktNtoCswDG4E3iEV3DPHJyimYUG6Jbssazka9vY54/s320/sns49sign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903774161951762" border="0" /></a><br />I was in Fort Wayne for the weekend and had plans to hang out with a couple friends from high school. Sadly, one bailed, which threw off plans for the evening a bit, but happily resulted in our group collectively deciding to go to a Steak 'n Shake I hadn't yet it hit.<br /><br />After we arrived, the server stopped by to take our order. Since this was an unplanned stop, I didn't have my crayon stash with me, and followed up my food order with a request for crayons.<br /><br />"Not as part of my actual food order, but could I have some crayons?"<br /><br />The server helpfully responded with, "Sure! But they are non-toxic, so if you did want to eat them, you could."<br /><br />Oh no.<br />This can't end well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KLa98AL1gse8Dlwq7qsu1UnKZ7WG89Zwky_14mkVrmfArpnK3-EJG9Hk_lDcxi9tURKfdtmfAO9mvZvNk7LKyjTEUsn1lRlKDjlFI6Dbx5Ovy-mI8QTXEHdE_mzRwWzjFusRiMbDyLA/s1600/sns49marcycrayonsexcited.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KLa98AL1gse8Dlwq7qsu1UnKZ7WG89Zwky_14mkVrmfArpnK3-EJG9Hk_lDcxi9tURKfdtmfAO9mvZvNk7LKyjTEUsn1lRlKDjlFI6Dbx5Ovy-mI8QTXEHdE_mzRwWzjFusRiMbDyLA/s320/sns49marcycrayonsexcited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903772549093618" border="0" /></a><br />My crayons arrived with the shakes. I was super-excited, though I was restricted to only blue and red using crayons, so I busted out my pens as well (just for artwork and signage's sake).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7IkGWmCdJbncf0Vp2aMgfz9hDv8VsmeiFqPqTRxbiuokEDaHplx-qcWlHlV1P1FvwWs9ju1x6MVzfQ-9xXL-2BTlpT1J-MQyZelryHZ66J3fQibfEF__AXkLxj-v1Ts5I0LGeu5WcYs/s1600/sns49marcychoosestheredpill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7IkGWmCdJbncf0Vp2aMgfz9hDv8VsmeiFqPqTRxbiuokEDaHplx-qcWlHlV1P1FvwWs9ju1x6MVzfQ-9xXL-2BTlpT1J-MQyZelryHZ66J3fQibfEF__AXkLxj-v1Ts5I0LGeu5WcYs/s320/sns49marcychoosestheredpill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903495554730114" border="0" /></a><br />When faced with a red-pill-blue-pill option, I decided to follow in Neo's footsteps and choose the red. Because I wanted to know the truth about the Matrix.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRopiO-teVPfNNlqTnCVFZ1MsTdt0NOg-Qh7rgC-04AjfXnqwCvs6hMw7EJRvIeMd-VKUzp3LaCKb06R8JraQCsdD6wjuVIm54jLUayF9Od53sejQkY2UZO5nsdk8rtsvo16HVIPD0fI/s1600/sns49crayonreaction.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRopiO-teVPfNNlqTnCVFZ1MsTdt0NOg-Qh7rgC-04AjfXnqwCvs6hMw7EJRvIeMd-VKUzp3LaCKb06R8JraQCsdD6wjuVIm54jLUayF9Od53sejQkY2UZO5nsdk8rtsvo16HVIPD0fI/s320/sns49crayonreaction.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903476667446274" border="0" /></a><br />And that's the face of someone who has regrets. Not the regret of selecting the red pill over the blue pill. The regret of eating a crayon. Because that is going directly to my hips.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApAjiQqIGAr2xW4fpKVAtxX7rzyYQ5l6HddZLNm0Hz46ackMrgPzg1qFUcZhu-6oPdzZsQt5kwm01n3Ufw6vDgfgyV7O4KxKtRS5K5lzQpv1WQ9iJSsSULGlW3whbe6M8SjVGxXpPs7o/s1600/sns49dinnerplusacrayonyeahisaiddinner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApAjiQqIGAr2xW4fpKVAtxX7rzyYQ5l6HddZLNm0Hz46ackMrgPzg1qFUcZhu-6oPdzZsQt5kwm01n3Ufw6vDgfgyV7O4KxKtRS5K5lzQpv1WQ9iJSsSULGlW3whbe6M8SjVGxXpPs7o/s320/sns49dinnerplusacrayonyeahisaiddinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903491265397170" border="0" /></a><br />When my actual food finally arrived, Sean forced me to put the crayon on my plate, as it was now officially a part of my Guac-Burger, fries, and Chocomazing milkshake order.<br /><br />For the record, I did not eat any more of that crayon. What you see there was left on the plate with a few stray fries and some renegade guac.<br /><br />Despite the fact that we decided to go to Steak 'n Shake in part because one of our party members bailed for the night, Sean decided to make him present at Steak 'n Shake all the same.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqohVUXyjOzaavVIBMwmCzcAX2gK3nLb3y1tqV2XHs_RHO-xAfvE172RyeCWNvZtLBPzZjLWCbkhPQHdz83tnqY9xC9_7AxgXUgKk8JOaQgyUqwVjdRCCPDOPUrGd1HVdM1hx-qEmUlxQ/s1600/sns49benmaybejoinsus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqohVUXyjOzaavVIBMwmCzcAX2gK3nLb3y1tqV2XHs_RHO-xAfvE172RyeCWNvZtLBPzZjLWCbkhPQHdz83tnqY9xC9_7AxgXUgKk8JOaQgyUqwVjdRCCPDOPUrGd1HVdM1hx-qEmUlxQ/s320/sns49benmaybejoinsus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903471593436114" border="0" /></a><br />Yup, the Ben you know and love from stops <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2012/02/stop-46-college-bloomington-222.html">#46</a> and <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2012/02/stop-47-liberty-bloomington-242.html">#47</a> was the one who bailed.<br /><br />This'll learn 'im.<br /><br />It was a pleasant stop, and as we left, I realized I'd want to come back to this Steak 'n Shake, so I can play their crane game, and win ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoVKIJqhtA0L32yIdJ4aZ9-UFnzjNX4T90uq-QKl49RrKcRw8tncuRKu0u8UxTKocwSf2HgPvpLBpTdOTRtMw8zxQF74MYFHokraj4tBvhFpjWmd37wnGYqYAZiWKSsHoqJCs_ADRSuU/s1600/sns49cranegame.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoVKIJqhtA0L32yIdJ4aZ9-UFnzjNX4T90uq-QKl49RrKcRw8tncuRKu0u8UxTKocwSf2HgPvpLBpTdOTRtMw8zxQF74MYFHokraj4tBvhFpjWmd37wnGYqYAZiWKSsHoqJCs_ADRSuU/s320/sns49cranegame.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713909265630396386" border="0" /></a><br />... the actual Steak 'n Shake characters! We have both "Goldie" (the fries) and "Shaker" (the milkshake). The only one I don't see is "Sizzle," the hamburger.<br /><br />And yes, <a href="http://www.steaknshake.com/games/">those really are the names of their characters</a>.<br /><br />Thus ended Stop #49. Thanks much to Sean and Jody (and Paper Ben) for talking me into this impromptu stop!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvdbqnjtKNjOA3OOrr0vJTP7Fm6cD7DKJm6JLa351B9ovVHGOHt3ksA2H5FfzaCA7p28dRQvfimXv5F4vCiX3dbRVZGP0i4heZnm1bqxynPeWAQYbPiFL6fMBbkTjTSmsVRlleFIqpH8/s1600/sns49group.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvdbqnjtKNjOA3OOrr0vJTP7Fm6cD7DKJm6JLa351B9ovVHGOHt3ksA2H5FfzaCA7p28dRQvfimXv5F4vCiX3dbRVZGP0i4heZnm1bqxynPeWAQYbPiFL6fMBbkTjTSmsVRlleFIqpH8/s320/sns49group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713903495893194290" border="0" /></a>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-1590870499541535192012-02-26T19:24:00.008-05:002012-04-04T21:55:44.799-04:00Stop #48: North Meridian, Carmel (#224)In late December, I decided to hit up yet another Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo1MimE5-KHrSxUVa30YvrVaCEaxLSeM54VRZkyzhydA4Yi0XnCYHwa8_ayN386B-igBFsKcDhSxtha3Hvbpj6E_lSlcV5PpBAhqwnux6O-pgZ6pYTRNha3-tSaJeivYfgbCw_CcU-K8/s1600/sns48sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo1MimE5-KHrSxUVa30YvrVaCEaxLSeM54VRZkyzhydA4Yi0XnCYHwa8_ayN386B-igBFsKcDhSxtha3Hvbpj6E_lSlcV5PpBAhqwnux6O-pgZ6pYTRNha3-tSaJeivYfgbCw_CcU-K8/s320/sns48sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622796397910082" border="0" /></a><br />In part because it was on my way to paying that pesky speeding ticket I earned on my way to completing Stops <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/11/stop-40-ireland-south-bend-225.html">#40</a> and <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/11/stop-41-in-933-south-bend-576.html">#41</a>. And in part because, progress!<br /><br />Also in part because I finally wanted to see what a Steak 'n Shake breakfast was like.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzVhE9-zMERcNrXAKYk1U-nKD3qJr7lSN_EivQNdMnzYPsK-UlxWR3DlL2rNDD21yEZu-He49j4qp19WH53aXZ6UWMlDRBRcr0aQ674GJqfhFWy9HnENefXHO98M9z1FGg1cOw-m98m0/s1600/sns48bfastplacemat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzVhE9-zMERcNrXAKYk1U-nKD3qJr7lSN_EivQNdMnzYPsK-UlxWR3DlL2rNDD21yEZu-He49j4qp19WH53aXZ6UWMlDRBRcr0aQ674GJqfhFWy9HnENefXHO98M9z1FGg1cOw-m98m0/s320/sns48bfastplacemat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713620558542091618" border="0" /></a><br />It's true! I've now had a Steak 'n Shake breakfast. But we'll get to that in a minute.<br /><br />Jen joined me for this stop because she was free, and she too wanted breakfast.<br /><br />Before making the stop, I invested in some new crayons, since Bloomington stole mine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTRHD32F6rwUKujF4-1ACtCoL3K15BgBg0q_GQWLxQ_reMWRzwMx3kr5dEGKfFEPsIO70VczvzIgFpJqRyHtV6NiCJ2f_13DSV0EKpzhO-_Xp8k6meZmq4eY6q9kOXDct1Yba6kdPNYE/s1600/sns48newcrayons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTRHD32F6rwUKujF4-1ACtCoL3K15BgBg0q_GQWLxQ_reMWRzwMx3kr5dEGKfFEPsIO70VczvzIgFpJqRyHtV6NiCJ2f_13DSV0EKpzhO-_Xp8k6meZmq4eY6q9kOXDct1Yba6kdPNYE/s320/sns48newcrayons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622788568850562" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see, they were exciting. And even more exciting once you opened the box to discover ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZgX73UBE9w-1P2gED11l6hvEL7q4nnb5ZpS0f26h3WzaMT4CtB7ZaxNPUp3DkZbTPZ3GhSn1t9a4zbN-SPYnaWb8azBK8oftftOlUKEcxakjSHCBbQK4C6B0vy9m1J53rntKXSY2AMk/s1600/sns48gelfxcrayons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZgX73UBE9w-1P2gED11l6hvEL7q4nnb5ZpS0f26h3WzaMT4CtB7ZaxNPUp3DkZbTPZ3GhSn1t9a4zbN-SPYnaWb8azBK8oftftOlUKEcxakjSHCBbQK4C6B0vy9m1J53rntKXSY2AMk/s320/sns48gelfxcrayons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713620572515967282" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW4qtG3iHocQMrJlWwqNOGK8sq0CcTBBf1lR5mX5NCGqoWvnkTrja_7oQS8OXCpmxTtXTBWGnTxiQtwXkwcGtsHcBTBFB7Fhr1GAZcBzmKomcHKr34xK6MEdvI_D3-mxTcbhqIZWaV1w/s1600/sns48metalliccrayons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW4qtG3iHocQMrJlWwqNOGK8sq0CcTBBf1lR5mX5NCGqoWvnkTrja_7oQS8OXCpmxTtXTBWGnTxiQtwXkwcGtsHcBTBFB7Fhr1GAZcBzmKomcHKr34xK6MEdvI_D3-mxTcbhqIZWaV1w/s320/sns48metalliccrayons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622786393196658" border="0" /></a><br />... GelFX crayons AND Metallic crayons! And by Metallic crayons, I don't mean your standard gold, silver, and bronze. I mean those pictured above: Big Dip O' Ruby, Cyber Grape, Sheen Green, and Steel Blue (not in that order).<br /><br />And how do they look?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7rgcdB-oDCk0btw13FefbGDXmDmGsvstZ7GPm8DQ9WZ5Hw0VcF7oOVHwPRfsyzRlKAu0Z4BSjCVkDhm_Asj_oEYtsSXXOqLZB-zroAqk6-DHlQELI5l-RRkqkkZmQekBo9Tsf3Gm5Ro/s1600/sns48signwithcrayons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7rgcdB-oDCk0btw13FefbGDXmDmGsvstZ7GPm8DQ9WZ5Hw0VcF7oOVHwPRfsyzRlKAu0Z4BSjCVkDhm_Asj_oEYtsSXXOqLZB-zroAqk6-DHlQELI5l-RRkqkkZmQekBo9Tsf3Gm5Ro/s320/sns48signwithcrayons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622966483836802" border="0" /></a><br />... well, not super-different from normal crayons. Especially those GelFX once. Gel effects, my ass. Looks just like a regular blue crayon to me. The Metallic ones really did have a bit of a sparkle to them, so they were okay.<br /><br />I also noticed that the placemats that weren't advertising the breakfast deals (namely, all-you-can-eat pancakes) were advertising special shakes for the then-upcoming Valentine's Day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LoXizBy5EyarQKP9t18vD6_e2T8km-3Jpq3vJAJm5wKkkqXZNO3455iL-tze-RTwPycMjLgFkX-xsKWLP96bOJUi4aI3FffzBRftEYcJvCylE-mg1gUneCDUPPjpAnWJPqikrWb1kHY/s1600/sns48valentinesday01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LoXizBy5EyarQKP9t18vD6_e2T8km-3Jpq3vJAJm5wKkkqXZNO3455iL-tze-RTwPycMjLgFkX-xsKWLP96bOJUi4aI3FffzBRftEYcJvCylE-mg1gUneCDUPPjpAnWJPqikrWb1kHY/s320/sns48valentinesday01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622964456925762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh Steak 'n Shake, you do know how to steal a girl's heart!</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2bkP2xxq0YDwhkrvasLFNOWLdVP2Awe4eJDMXUyHLgD6hpdE8lIm_MPHbj3OLjkAOj9rwZXtKCDrehu8-f6gpVkkPXmcQHpwUeD8eTL2ysUWNNiU2QdtKTSZZHPzoThCvEGJxj3EeFk/s1600/sns48valentinesday02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2bkP2xxq0YDwhkrvasLFNOWLdVP2Awe4eJDMXUyHLgD6hpdE8lIm_MPHbj3OLjkAOj9rwZXtKCDrehu8-f6gpVkkPXmcQHpwUeD8eTL2ysUWNNiU2QdtKTSZZHPzoThCvEGJxj3EeFk/s320/sns48valentinesday02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622970426500178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">My husband only wishes I would express such love for him.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></div><br />Thankfully, breakfast arrived before I could get much more physical with my placemat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3VDPmKY5o8o23CTq92DvBBoWO9gYCP55VpJ6_uGx7gi2peCCU6t5K8r1EhB4Em8NjTglmrcPY9JgJhpEmUzHGl2FebAhDZ_WwwpHPlJ1lQev3N5HBzWzSl7c8hRqym8jaxK1hGS85eI/s1600/sns48breakfastexclamationpointlookatallthatsyrup.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3VDPmKY5o8o23CTq92DvBBoWO9gYCP55VpJ6_uGx7gi2peCCU6t5K8r1EhB4Em8NjTglmrcPY9JgJhpEmUzHGl2FebAhDZ_WwwpHPlJ1lQev3N5HBzWzSl7c8hRqym8jaxK1hGS85eI/s320/sns48breakfastexclamationpointlookatallthatsyrup.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713620559581828386" border="0" /></a><br />Breakfast, and a lot a lot A LOT of syrup.<br /><br />So how is a Steak 'n Shake breakfast?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBPtbEnIjdg1bzy5ThphKRaIA5zysdlDLlBQJ8VZUSA9XeP-_nc3Z2ilA_-XSkrIV0k7AgrXiqMXIjoiyXrWWxV0_mizS1SYAEixEa-zv6unHO5EUrMxrsyjkmKw16-eLVkw54mpxdE/s1600/sns48baconbaconbaconitsbacon.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBPtbEnIjdg1bzy5ThphKRaIA5zysdlDLlBQJ8VZUSA9XeP-_nc3Z2ilA_-XSkrIV0k7AgrXiqMXIjoiyXrWWxV0_mizS1SYAEixEa-zv6unHO5EUrMxrsyjkmKw16-eLVkw54mpxdE/s320/sns48baconbaconbaconitsbacon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713620556734097778" border="0" /></a>Well, the bacon is tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qNc3oGwj_yXpT0DrZoT6Ly3jzj6UGM-bVdjLxH65oP3joKJxsFPZz2HUVd7T7n0uQF4Gip-f9BjUt2lXXZpAKvBTF15BFpm9Ry4OBRGb1VrSTVM17DN59dApDkFxnZM-ydB1nCGQNEQ/s1600/sns48eggs.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qNc3oGwj_yXpT0DrZoT6Ly3jzj6UGM-bVdjLxH65oP3joKJxsFPZz2HUVd7T7n0uQF4Gip-f9BjUt2lXXZpAKvBTF15BFpm9Ry4OBRGb1VrSTVM17DN59dApDkFxnZM-ydB1nCGQNEQ/s320/sns48eggs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713620565536758914" border="0" /></a>The eggs are all right.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQemC9hIXlBfi-OMFROkTc6gxlptqHXue1daYFqb6S-NTpwUcHhExJcf8P2KlbU3WAl6p6ZhD6XuFIoWJZ74oLWbj5qrkIsCnNyaRbg85rvjXBp-82NICGi2YI8bdtBTcw47hXki1Oqs/s1600/sns48pancakes.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQemC9hIXlBfi-OMFROkTc6gxlptqHXue1daYFqb6S-NTpwUcHhExJcf8P2KlbU3WAl6p6ZhD6XuFIoWJZ74oLWbj5qrkIsCnNyaRbg85rvjXBp-82NICGi2YI8bdtBTcw47hXki1Oqs/s320/sns48pancakes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622792828341106" border="0" /></a>And the pancakes were delicious. Which surprised me -- I normally don't like pancakes, unless they're the Dadly Dude's blueberry pancakes made at a campground. If I liked pancakes, you'd be reading a blog about visiting all the IHOPs in Indiana, not Steak 'n Shakes.<br /><br />But these pancakes (I should probably note, they did contain chocolate chips) were delicious. I could have eaten more.<br /><br />Thanks, Steak 'n Shake, for that now-tempting All-You-Can-Eat pancake breakfast. Need I remind you I'm trying to <span style="font-style: italic;">lose</span> weight?<br /><br />Following our tasty, tasty breakfast, we asked Ron, a server passing by, to take our picture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBmA9b5TXqOaapV9-9XRCI0ocSpyM9IceixJsoUpsRXf0q-Of_FVL1aaAujqRedwi6DIr2VA1wkQ3hgJY8jGODy53mYoBJWarLR8s2_Tce3Xu9qBF2IN8PbxgEyb0QswHPrEM3j88R6k/s1600/sns48group.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBmA9b5TXqOaapV9-9XRCI0ocSpyM9IceixJsoUpsRXf0q-Of_FVL1aaAujqRedwi6DIr2VA1wkQ3hgJY8jGODy53mYoBJWarLR8s2_Tce3Xu9qBF2IN8PbxgEyb0QswHPrEM3j88R6k/s320/sns48group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713622785781550354" border="0" /></a><br />Which Ron did, then followed by professing HIS love for Steak 'n Shake, also. Ron really loves his Steak 'n Shake. If I were to find a true replacement for Brett to finish out this quest, by God, it should be someone with a passion like Ron's.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I caught neither last name nor number, so my friends and acquaintances will just have to continue to suffer for my sake.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-43434157762611896502012-02-25T21:47:00.005-05:002012-04-04T21:56:26.193-04:00Stop #47: Liberty, Bloomington (#242)After the College stop in Bloomington, Ben and I moved on to the Liberty location ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB76hPSOEWNsWyc1i2184-ENbtAKkKujiX19NDhwMN96QaX3x20t7TEGjsFHSypJupSoTziJ22A1I0pNBT1KFOUv6_myv5_8OGJXmkulLmGV2dnI-Bz8GMoVUiOf78uhnU5RmW4VPZ_c/s1600/sns47sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB76hPSOEWNsWyc1i2184-ENbtAKkKujiX19NDhwMN96QaX3x20t7TEGjsFHSypJupSoTziJ22A1I0pNBT1KFOUv6_myv5_8OGJXmkulLmGV2dnI-Bz8GMoVUiOf78uhnU5RmW4VPZ_c/s320/sns47sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272259799399090" border="0" /></a><br />... where we would finally get our milkshakes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisROloZtoyEsMODF_OLvq1q96WGOjaeuwcWQletcn0CJPQ6_CYPEQy8qtrE1K7w9-FkM7BrUFzy2H34vRupwlIRCL4UtGyCi51RLpn5mesgpzak8xJjz71rKVcIOVGr-fiAdEBdOQF9Dc/s1600/sns47milkshake.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisROloZtoyEsMODF_OLvq1q96WGOjaeuwcWQletcn0CJPQ6_CYPEQy8qtrE1K7w9-FkM7BrUFzy2H34vRupwlIRCL4UtGyCi51RLpn5mesgpzak8xJjz71rKVcIOVGr-fiAdEBdOQF9Dc/s320/sns47milkshake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272138034342082" border="0" /></a><br />And isn't it glorious? That, of course, is my eggnog milkshake.<br /><br />Ben, once again, decided to make his own sign as we enjoyed the milkshakes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuP-LChrDMRJ3strz25KChSrPmTIOaNMEUgcGPb03eHVMcdSIObUCR5Du5WDQI58aiLJJsF4tnlrSxn07S0fSWSiSD8SbsNtV5gE2CF9RwXeRYQckCgHu-eQJ6cg3AhtQzmgdP6ilbls/s1600/sns47bensign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuP-LChrDMRJ3strz25KChSrPmTIOaNMEUgcGPb03eHVMcdSIObUCR5Du5WDQI58aiLJJsF4tnlrSxn07S0fSWSiSD8SbsNtV5gE2CF9RwXeRYQckCgHu-eQJ6cg3AhtQzmgdP6ilbls/s320/sns47bensign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272125684741842" border="0" /></a><br />Those are, of course, snakes. I don't know why; I have never seen any snakes at Steak 'n Shake. Maybe on a plane, but never in my beloved SnS.<br /><br />With no snakes, the stop proved to be relatively uneventful. Ben and I were in and out pretty quickly, even if we didn't notice until a little too late that our water glasses obscured our signs as we took the requisite group picture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGa-SIZ88h9YAEyHw02vLfCLLopsdZphmGE_h_aT-W3LS3KeFaWhlzIDBbdhOATwemYoSNC8lrpemceolTj_rc3yDxkrdFzOoKCaFhvyivUaPMd4Z1zm0Jr-X728zstUMfUo2RpOLtdE/s1600/sns47group01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGa-SIZ88h9YAEyHw02vLfCLLopsdZphmGE_h_aT-W3LS3KeFaWhlzIDBbdhOATwemYoSNC8lrpemceolTj_rc3yDxkrdFzOoKCaFhvyivUaPMd4Z1zm0Jr-X728zstUMfUo2RpOLtdE/s320/sns47group01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272130700684626" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6LsRbcBliCbESk_gh7HQ0PTydLVXqn_EIObajdPBxFeQkF5IFWv6El2rW8khrt0nzFIj-o65bFbhJqPkttqEysDf4Q8-A1pk5f5fcCm4TIacuyOAoMXzkbDSgHfA7xzguBUDW6tnsPA/s1600/sns47group02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6LsRbcBliCbESk_gh7HQ0PTydLVXqn_EIObajdPBxFeQkF5IFWv6El2rW8khrt0nzFIj-o65bFbhJqPkttqEysDf4Q8-A1pk5f5fcCm4TIacuyOAoMXzkbDSgHfA7xzguBUDW6tnsPA/s320/sns47group02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272131920842050" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYc-YZjI5aD4bQw1vcYai6MArOzaVt12tZ55ndOaEC4-hHzPJ-DK_y44-t592Dl-riw7qHoL7ZBQRuknbnw268gH9vjht6My4YjH_0tYQA-I3Wl5pX9Jr31Ioj-JcfN7wLf_HOX_4skY/s1600/sns47group03.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYc-YZjI5aD4bQw1vcYai6MArOzaVt12tZ55ndOaEC4-hHzPJ-DK_y44-t592Dl-riw7qHoL7ZBQRuknbnw268gH9vjht6My4YjH_0tYQA-I3Wl5pX9Jr31Ioj-JcfN7wLf_HOX_4skY/s320/sns47group03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713272134333018978" border="0" /></a><br />Though I did realize, after the fact, that I left behind my stash of coupons. Which means that Bloomington made off with two of my valuable possessions for Steak 'n Shake questing: my crayons, at the College location, and my coupons, at Liberty.<br /><br />Dear Bloomington,<br />This means war.<br />Or, well, small battle. Which I plan to win.<br />Sincerely, MarcyMarcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-4202967236670636052012-02-24T22:50:00.004-05:002012-04-04T21:56:36.091-04:00Stop #46: College, Bloomington (#222)As Christmas drew near, I realized I needed to make my way back to Bloomington to knock out the remaining Steak 'n Shakes with my high school buddy, Ben, before he left town. Considering he graduated in December, I found myself really cutting it short with my mid-month visit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCsZjzl9sx-M6obm-13Fa90xhF-B3t4fcAvzYx9GpoYlbUpUsCbFddqM_jdytQOrmrIOhIwGWn0nNDNwVrzJGLVjlYRdJQmuwi0DxME42af8HPHkVL7lExcEBPD9GOXwL8puxEudhIkU/s1600/sns46sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCsZjzl9sx-M6obm-13Fa90xhF-B3t4fcAvzYx9GpoYlbUpUsCbFddqM_jdytQOrmrIOhIwGWn0nNDNwVrzJGLVjlYRdJQmuwi0DxME42af8HPHkVL7lExcEBPD9GOXwL8puxEudhIkU/s320/sns46sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712922966012658098" border="0" /></a> Our first stop was the location on College.<br /><br />Ben made his own sign ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqn8gCHOVBXkOTEJO95fn-5O0HPq0KlekL2LMLcKdxKZnqbzxp-T_53YCIP_nwAvnOjU7-ZvU_aTsY57mwQxJOy0SCL4V6mYIBRUtEaEXfvgBNcIUNr2Sg8PnWtfNDR6aDKf14u0WKFpE/s1600/sns46bensign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqn8gCHOVBXkOTEJO95fn-5O0HPq0KlekL2LMLcKdxKZnqbzxp-T_53YCIP_nwAvnOjU7-ZvU_aTsY57mwQxJOy0SCL4V6mYIBRUtEaEXfvgBNcIUNr2Sg8PnWtfNDR6aDKf14u0WKFpE/s320/sns46bensign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712922946458879314" border="0" /></a><br />... very much influenced by the fact that we were reminiscing a bit about high school while we were out. Because, high school.<br /><br />While we reminisced, and talked about not-high-school a bit (Ben's upcoming interviews, my new married life), we enjoyed quality Steak 'n' Shake: chicken tenders and fries for me, and for Ben ...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3kO1z8Ioi02D213B7cwvEXahDyVka0ftcrwgoXURypMYPdkIe_DmalnpSeDYqVHsU8AR4eSU-rFTMlN3dOL9WnTUeEFjOv445n-VGLP-oWIQxNjfFYUW7wbf8xdSZBtaR_GWMjRd3Pc/s1600/sns46bensalad.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3kO1z8Ioi02D213B7cwvEXahDyVka0ftcrwgoXURypMYPdkIe_DmalnpSeDYqVHsU8AR4eSU-rFTMlN3dOL9WnTUeEFjOv445n-VGLP-oWIQxNjfFYUW7wbf8xdSZBtaR_GWMjRd3Pc/s320/sns46bensalad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712922944522596946" border="0" /></a>that, plus a Frisco Melt platter. Ben was actually a bit surprised by the salad, as it looked much different from the last time he had had a salad at Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br />It's true, they've gotten much better since the my obsession with Steak 'n Shake began. My first Steak 'n Shake salad was lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced cucumbers. Then, at one point, it turned to lettuce, diced tomatoes, and diced cucumbers. And now, that rainbow of veggies. Much tastier. Probably also healthier. A-plus, Steak 'n Shake. A-plus.<br /><br />We held off on the milkshakes at this stop, though, knowing we'd be hitting another Steak 'n Shake within the hour.<br /><br />On the way out, we noticed a crane machine in desperate need of a player, given how close this stuffed animal was to falling out. We could've used the help of my college buddy, Kobi, who was probably the best crane machine player I've ever met.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGd5zTOknBGtPCW4LOMUrobdd8r7z_UQvJ_eKSMpkP8QiUxTE6U7mjHtb77Rfr_uDVrykEcKQFcVKehBudzeX9LJlP8AlL7pm_Lr-tF5zDr1lq4SOEugg3t6nm8KUOY1NRploGKHRei0/s1600/sns46winningcranemachine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGd5zTOknBGtPCW4LOMUrobdd8r7z_UQvJ_eKSMpkP8QiUxTE6U7mjHtb77Rfr_uDVrykEcKQFcVKehBudzeX9LJlP8AlL7pm_Lr-tF5zDr1lq4SOEugg3t6nm8KUOY1NRploGKHRei0/s320/sns46winningcranemachine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712922965848195586" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, in my excitement over the crane machine, I neglected to notice that I'd left my box of crayons on the table. I didn't notice, in fact, until we got to the next Steak 'n Shake.<br /><br />And so ended stop #46.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPgXEbNdIOgPvFfiG-XMjzQe2cOT_BDY8kkrH-5Jn-Ciey0_oPLU4QNvQD6u4zhxLqH9ZHTBoNYGqUC2sB1HCgW10zF14K2YUj33JuBG7W4uDjXxd2xfqXli0J6V385iePQao1bPV_z8/s1600/sns46group.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPgXEbNdIOgPvFfiG-XMjzQe2cOT_BDY8kkrH-5Jn-Ciey0_oPLU4QNvQD6u4zhxLqH9ZHTBoNYGqUC2sB1HCgW10zF14K2YUj33JuBG7W4uDjXxd2xfqXli0J6V385iePQao1bPV_z8/s320/sns46group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712922951631566242" border="0" /></a>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-63943025697865836732012-02-24T21:59:00.005-05:002012-04-04T21:56:47.890-04:00Stop #45: Portage (#456)Our Black Friday trip continued on to the Steak 'n Shake in Portage.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMDQT897nc02l7eswEvmeooEUv0zu9fuWotmSL8Bja5srCEZhhn-y8U0X5xG5r6aenr9wirY1B2Jgipxqnm9v_53BwiCU19HkjleefOkErWoXdtTd27lB5-v4fkjL828dlTK7fQ-M85Y/s1600/sns45sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMDQT897nc02l7eswEvmeooEUv0zu9fuWotmSL8Bja5srCEZhhn-y8U0X5xG5r6aenr9wirY1B2Jgipxqnm9v_53BwiCU19HkjleefOkErWoXdtTd27lB5-v4fkjL828dlTK7fQ-M85Y/s320/sns45sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712908765237044802" border="0" /></a><br />But not before we had the chance to make the stop that was the whole reason Jen came on this trip:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASC6sZpxMHiT7H9Rafk5DNDCgFsFaew6tGMei9zu58hfPxVv5Sq0HtTr754Go1lhaJoYY-W8v0LS2LhvsVLy2XaQEHGGDSeXlzdq6jlqR6xErMNGjiHjXv-Xydzo1ILZnkLYd92XXsGI/s1600/sns45bbwoutlet01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASC6sZpxMHiT7H9Rafk5DNDCgFsFaew6tGMei9zu58hfPxVv5Sq0HtTr754Go1lhaJoYY-W8v0LS2LhvsVLy2XaQEHGGDSeXlzdq6jlqR6xErMNGjiHjXv-Xydzo1ILZnkLYd92XXsGI/s320/sns45bbwoutlet01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712908769509183378" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, I had to bribe Jen to join me on this excursion with a trip to the Bath & Body Works outlet store. But, clearly, we both made out like bandits, so it wasn't the worst bribe in the world.<br /><br />Once we got to the Steak 'n Shake, we again decided to leave a gift for our server, because it was still technically Black Friday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh551lymtftgQUJAZmacfP_u5kwRst5iDkGDjtabpWG5BdAQ1AMSOyuafEImTi5Sh2-eYAQi7Hr4AOJbvCf5okQUn9nsh-eMEX6KS5pJtV4PWg7eFUFozXH1TKPs9A0yyhdLYw-TXSwBHk/s1600/sns45giftbag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh551lymtftgQUJAZmacfP_u5kwRst5iDkGDjtabpWG5BdAQ1AMSOyuafEImTi5Sh2-eYAQi7Hr4AOJbvCf5okQUn9nsh-eMEX6KS5pJtV4PWg7eFUFozXH1TKPs9A0yyhdLYw-TXSwBHk/s320/sns45giftbag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712909947307324066" border="0" /></a><br />And so, Dallas too received some gifts and a Thank-You card for working on what is normally not the most happy day to work.<br /><br />Meanwhile, we enjoyed some milkshakes (also cheese fries, for me). Strangely, between the three of us, we covered all the bases of the holiday milkshakes that Steak 'n Shake had to offer: White Chocolate for Jen, Eggnog for me, and Peppermint for Liz.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigN4BaF1mInmFkwgiMIzb-XtFln1hIUrcYpN0rXzKXyk0M5kP1PKY-TCWgwO20lUCyXA4Z-fl1vuYeUcFbsR2Z7tyEVcs3cP-ScZkTn1ViEEhXcmYbrI-xfH7cj96k_Z5HVpPrTM55fkQ/s1600/sns45milkshakes01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigN4BaF1mInmFkwgiMIzb-XtFln1hIUrcYpN0rXzKXyk0M5kP1PKY-TCWgwO20lUCyXA4Z-fl1vuYeUcFbsR2Z7tyEVcs3cP-ScZkTn1ViEEhXcmYbrI-xfH7cj96k_Z5HVpPrTM55fkQ/s320/sns45milkshakes01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712908770177002786" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvDSjPl6rVGbyOB7lYFuhjXpl58nv-BOLkGkJ95lN-MFVmOnXYh1TKP9-USF1XfI_8Dj2cq_hLZAjXaJ-WVFUkY1X7Y7bAbLx2PreCOaIDdYkFCxhJuLnompHkVVuGLSUQ1oq5-nlhgg/s1600/sns45milkshakes02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvDSjPl6rVGbyOB7lYFuhjXpl58nv-BOLkGkJ95lN-MFVmOnXYh1TKP9-USF1XfI_8Dj2cq_hLZAjXaJ-WVFUkY1X7Y7bAbLx2PreCOaIDdYkFCxhJuLnompHkVVuGLSUQ1oq5-nlhgg/s320/sns45milkshakes02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712908779887571954" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXWRKX1GVfA-IBnZLagnEVIXL1U13jjg53FftA5Ka68E3MdZaoDoxSmXG2BBzAif0DGbX93COjGk1fq_xu4QaqGqWhSUS1hiX4h9K0IJ2viZkjpvjJjHIb9XupChYZ4mZEqC27aZ66Co/s1600/sns45milkshakes03.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXWRKX1GVfA-IBnZLagnEVIXL1U13jjg53FftA5Ka68E3MdZaoDoxSmXG2BBzAif0DGbX93COjGk1fq_xu4QaqGqWhSUS1hiX4h9K0IJ2viZkjpvjJjHIb9XupChYZ4mZEqC27aZ66Co/s320/sns45milkshakes03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712908782943709986" border="0" /></a><br />Then we decided we'd make an excellent advertisement for the Steak 'n Shake company, what with our smiling and happy faces over the holiday specialness. Obviously.<br /><br />And thus ended Stop #45. Thanks, Portage! I never have to go to the Region again!Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-48817607803466505162012-01-18T19:47:00.011-05:002012-02-24T21:59:16.740-05:00Stop #44: Michigan City (#236)On Black Friday (I know, this is a vastly delayed post), I decided to knock out the rest of the Steak n' Shakes in the Region.<br /><br />Starting with Michigan City.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTUYcoQJONnfjka5CbTKfKWVzkZqK-vjA360pfBoqmQK7aCwXM7Xi-aNrhBQ83_0PzRNB17dOQ-PxIGIaifrxunnxw5_gW-Cy3QlkxINitduOL3tZ-mIskW-nYX_UJI9y5WIw-QHFZWM/s1600/sns44sign.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTUYcoQJONnfjka5CbTKfKWVzkZqK-vjA360pfBoqmQK7aCwXM7Xi-aNrhBQ83_0PzRNB17dOQ-PxIGIaifrxunnxw5_gW-Cy3QlkxINitduOL3tZ-mIskW-nYX_UJI9y5WIw-QHFZWM/s320/sns44sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699139482154909234" border="0" /></a><br />Jen and I had to work on Black Friday because, well, it was Black Friday and we work in retail. Once our shifts were over, we packed up to head northwards, where we met up with Liz.<br /><br />Because it was Black Friday, we decided to show our appreciation for our server, whoever she may be, for working on what can be such a hectic shopping day.<br /><br />Behold, as Jen displays the gift!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mwXknTMWAN5AMVNj0NAyb80DR2utM_-eb6CslD9LWHPo0Ar7MNKSY8l7KIL_eOxvMFH09ydxu56igaLaSA08oI0Vdznto6Vv6-Rf0sFKtw8JA3hEpb_fs8ye6a-CGUbaehTBMcpnew4/s1600/sns44bag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mwXknTMWAN5AMVNj0NAyb80DR2utM_-eb6CslD9LWHPo0Ar7MNKSY8l7KIL_eOxvMFH09ydxu56igaLaSA08oI0Vdznto6Vv6-Rf0sFKtw8JA3hEpb_fs8ye6a-CGUbaehTBMcpnew4/s320/sns44bag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699145651461971458" border="0" /></a><br />The luxurious floral print bag came with the full-size ritual in the Paris Amour fragrance as well as a pocketbac and clip, and floral print nail file. (insert *Ooooohhh!" and "Aaaaaahhh!" here)<br /><br />We even had a thank you card for our server.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIli6DlhXtE7BjJAz2SbLWsHzWXSW8pzWB1sH_RNS_HGyJZKdcqk_p5S9J446EYvR9YodWsGXmTj44IQQ-poiXeGDsPTF1fOlYD8FFu4axhOJSbkgTg6YikQvsQhIhExLuAYlFs1y0Vo/s1600/sns44thankyoucardfront.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIli6DlhXtE7BjJAz2SbLWsHzWXSW8pzWB1sH_RNS_HGyJZKdcqk_p5S9J446EYvR9YodWsGXmTj44IQQ-poiXeGDsPTF1fOlYD8FFu4axhOJSbkgTg6YikQvsQhIhExLuAYlFs1y0Vo/s320/sns44thankyoucardfront.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699150001148636018" border="0" /></a><br />And once seated, we had a chance to write our thanks to Alejandra.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3asqih6iiu2zKrlzUllT98KSPxpVcJwxP97sZfwoKWiz4lInDFXqtvtKbtRQd06CV3OHwUte6K_2ue51h6DekWS3DjlKl125_W2zlYMALp3WwejmFmcrNbszyO11wl8fofmVQxqxbqQY/s1600/sns44thankyoucardinside.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3asqih6iiu2zKrlzUllT98KSPxpVcJwxP97sZfwoKWiz4lInDFXqtvtKbtRQd06CV3OHwUte6K_2ue51h6DekWS3DjlKl125_W2zlYMALp3WwejmFmcrNbszyO11wl8fofmVQxqxbqQY/s320/sns44thankyoucardinside.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699150007865433906" border="0" /></a><br />We got pretty excited too, before leaving, when we noticed something that made us think Alejandra would really appreciate the gift.<br /><br />Of course, we had to be sneaky in getting pictures to prove it. So Liz and I posed while Jen framed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXPidqF3lx6X0JOpENsZE6tKCkb9z7yi-7nZnuMw0SRPczCt1Dt7Glg9R0f_CQNfQqoWeH2LxIsSnEde_v5c4G5d8L9tNPphIKaS29UygNFqefxa_W4mjeI1LHEhn6v_KTlYZQnlTz-k/s1600/sns44sneakypic01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXPidqF3lx6X0JOpENsZE6tKCkb9z7yi-7nZnuMw0SRPczCt1Dt7Glg9R0f_CQNfQqoWeH2LxIsSnEde_v5c4G5d8L9tNPphIKaS29UygNFqefxa_W4mjeI1LHEhn6v_KTlYZQnlTz-k/s320/sns44sneakypic01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699149326856406178" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUrC3mjOAnJFNLMnXz1pnEnrujH4eqkhSyyXK9vQQSUMjZwWYqqUfLrszp3X3M0LvcOgVVGmstJ6YDrkR27QpGRHdsrlAopXwaTjfv3x-NSTK556wzXRiB2RachyM8Fz_Rj9xQ0j_afc/s1600/sns44sneakypic02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUrC3mjOAnJFNLMnXz1pnEnrujH4eqkhSyyXK9vQQSUMjZwWYqqUfLrszp3X3M0LvcOgVVGmstJ6YDrkR27QpGRHdsrlAopXwaTjfv3x-NSTK556wzXRiB2RachyM8Fz_Rj9xQ0j_afc/s320/sns44sneakypic02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699149329928913698" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXLNznbqJ0xxr-ANMpB9CbnhHElCNoCVC-FNWdfmRlwUHgYk-l2R6cfSjeq_G7ja_25ixTHvk9KKarz0qFb6G-_tZmxOSYqD6q1zLbWpCkhQEkM33wtsiKgCgu72qjQR63d4Vj7CJ1Fk/s1600/sns44sneakypic03.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXLNznbqJ0xxr-ANMpB9CbnhHElCNoCVC-FNWdfmRlwUHgYk-l2R6cfSjeq_G7ja_25ixTHvk9KKarz0qFb6G-_tZmxOSYqD6q1zLbWpCkhQEkM33wtsiKgCgu72qjQR63d4Vj7CJ1Fk/s320/sns44sneakypic03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699149336064490978" border="0" /></a><br />You see that? That is a pair of ladies getting excited about something <span style="font-style: italic;">in a Bath & Body Works bag</span>. And while you can't see it in the picture, what was especially exciting for us was that the product in the bag was in the Paris Amour fragrance. Jen spied it as they pulled it out of the bag, which happened to not happen when we were taking the picture but does not negate the fact that it was indeed the very fragrance we brought as gift. Score!<br /><br />Also "Score!" was my meal for the night. Chicken tenders with honey mustard, and fries with honey mustard.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsz0qHTR2tifqah1JlbrqWyK4Jl6kH_RZtfXywjpG2CvBfTU08KMdiHEx9SQaqk2KDD8YeyPArpG63pYHrdfd_TLDeHi7gfP1VyWeW1w-RnntkdC10LOafY2tDaW1SnzC4lBwVdJ1PTE/s1600/sns44dinner.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsz0qHTR2tifqah1JlbrqWyK4Jl6kH_RZtfXywjpG2CvBfTU08KMdiHEx9SQaqk2KDD8YeyPArpG63pYHrdfd_TLDeHi7gfP1VyWeW1w-RnntkdC10LOafY2tDaW1SnzC4lBwVdJ1PTE/s320/sns44dinner.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699139482248039826" border="0" /></a><br />And, most notably, water with lemon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLpUZP52TMpQm-f2wy320ty2UOOABcnx46q9YxJcmAAK-cuq6_NXJbf2CExzbK6pJQJpJugrk-sjAXvpzwF9AEAbKcbufHXf3UxdPySReppvS61tLAio9amKiSsdnnEBwozu412Aio-A/s1600/sns44waterlemon.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLpUZP52TMpQm-f2wy320ty2UOOABcnx46q9YxJcmAAK-cuq6_NXJbf2CExzbK6pJQJpJugrk-sjAXvpzwF9AEAbKcbufHXf3UxdPySReppvS61tLAio9amKiSsdnnEBwozu412Aio-A/s320/sns44waterlemon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699139484810599666" border="0" /></a><br />Which allows me to do spectacular things to ensure I get my fruit quota for the day.<br /><br />First, you take the lemon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZACQ34o4tX-d4ucX016zsik4dP7ITmELd-3SgydnjQwl7w-mSNLtgzxipX0_-dggYqiBVvXyly_a-a7-yjug2bbz8D_K8tAg7-IjdAo3ldJkD6CNH0szjjNQno9sU2bW_PVK7LgOja24/s1600/sns44lemonsugar.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZACQ34o4tX-d4ucX016zsik4dP7ITmELd-3SgydnjQwl7w-mSNLtgzxipX0_-dggYqiBVvXyly_a-a7-yjug2bbz8D_K8tAg7-IjdAo3ldJkD6CNH0szjjNQno9sU2bW_PVK7LgOja24/s320/sns44lemonsugar.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699147426485987010" border="0" /></a><br />Then, you add a sugar packet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSUfuDUNnT3Qb-tsXsKYX5j4bSaa47-_yIiPqoXtX7e9Np4CjtOVFYiUOhFLcT9rPt7nNhIaKItdXXZvLuNfMXbNMzgAD9qsvRVZkIEhiwt1Ko3R6CGJjfBZwoKn98O2f-7EAGF6r1HA/s1600/sns44eatalemon.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSUfuDUNnT3Qb-tsXsKYX5j4bSaa47-_yIiPqoXtX7e9Np4CjtOVFYiUOhFLcT9rPt7nNhIaKItdXXZvLuNfMXbNMzgAD9qsvRVZkIEhiwt1Ko3R6CGJjfBZwoKn98O2f-7EAGF6r1HA/s320/sns44eatalemon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699145653877557410" border="0" /></a><br />Then, enjoy!<br /><br />This particular lemon was almost as enjoyable as my last lemon, which came from a lemon bouquet I enjoyed with my favorite Jaydeth a few years ago.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApTwSWRbE8uVfrwGCF9S6ooRoi6126L3KXU9Ybgr2fx3wVe5RU94Yybs0NZi5DVMOvh6jPDrE0Ta5r_RQWP4e62vaGE_yj9LiUruGJYpwAfZy4jvNs1IXQIKxwLXSO9ZvhsKYalqNjDU/s1600/sns44oldlemons.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApTwSWRbE8uVfrwGCF9S6ooRoi6126L3KXU9Ybgr2fx3wVe5RU94Yybs0NZi5DVMOvh6jPDrE0Ta5r_RQWP4e62vaGE_yj9LiUruGJYpwAfZy4jvNs1IXQIKxwLXSO9ZvhsKYalqNjDU/s320/sns44oldlemons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699149325488871074" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jaydeth, myself, and a lemon bouquet.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Circa 2008.</span><br /></div><br />Mmm. Lemon.<br /><br />After we finished dinner, we decided to get back on the road, to accomplish yet one more goal for the night, and another Steak n' Shake stop.<br /><br />And so we settled down to take the requisite group photo.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOBjR655zHP6YYnP3bWnNv0uN0G3HSrrSR3wfzWqeavXOhS64O2P0k-IjW4xMEOtQDTtFxVumfFqb_r2zkSP0lVF5R4Dj9x0pw0Gpbl8W6U3cmPNxfjqAG2_CP-vbexFnUF6ESAc3QQw/s1600/sns44group01.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOBjR655zHP6YYnP3bWnNv0uN0G3HSrrSR3wfzWqeavXOhS64O2P0k-IjW4xMEOtQDTtFxVumfFqb_r2zkSP0lVF5R4Dj9x0pw0Gpbl8W6U3cmPNxfjqAG2_CP-vbexFnUF6ESAc3QQw/s320/sns44group01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699147404436551474" border="0" /></a><br />When Jen pointed out that she thought I should be in the middle. You know, given the sign and all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvSDyUfXEvIqVib5M18pGtKOpxWo4Kx92f_TE2Xhw3uMD2ajrFxSq-Rjc3RrYDAdw8fs4TXkalMe6R0F3AuGcJ-HSn7PvJS1c7IRJyJLOpxdfeotgMvgPDSJRJpjPQBDZBVb6vQJAwMY/s1600/sns44group02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvSDyUfXEvIqVib5M18pGtKOpxWo4Kx92f_TE2Xhw3uMD2ajrFxSq-Rjc3RrYDAdw8fs4TXkalMe6R0F3AuGcJ-HSn7PvJS1c7IRJyJLOpxdfeotgMvgPDSJRJpjPQBDZBVb6vQJAwMY/s320/sns44group02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699147404457878898" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyopmk5ZYZqkMgwrdlRN-_FXJKvFfCd3pXUYDKZTMSf6atqN3PyYC2Qi_7HHKXp9M2nwub0RkThtgbYhjCjpvlyF_jP2_tk2kLIkHrqh_l0XjZ6OR9iZdpxZgSqiQKZSzV3ikf5VxkpRM/s1600/sns44group03.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyopmk5ZYZqkMgwrdlRN-_FXJKvFfCd3pXUYDKZTMSf6atqN3PyYC2Qi_7HHKXp9M2nwub0RkThtgbYhjCjpvlyF_jP2_tk2kLIkHrqh_l0XjZ6OR9iZdpxZgSqiQKZSzV3ikf5VxkpRM/s320/sns44group03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699147411915682402" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlfW743-bRGKORu4nyU_WMsBFxeShyphenhyphen6jQpIi954bOFL6r4-Ie0zoKfTKLxuJoVMNb1aWDDzD-D01W9QSiuERZh9e7Ef30HILJwxtMikUa1xfey7tBE_VhmAf-VQEGoiYQqggPXpRF9YU/s1600/sns44group04.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlfW743-bRGKORu4nyU_WMsBFxeShyphenhyphen6jQpIi954bOFL6r4-Ie0zoKfTKLxuJoVMNb1aWDDzD-D01W9QSiuERZh9e7Ef30HILJwxtMikUa1xfey7tBE_VhmAf-VQEGoiYQqggPXpRF9YU/s320/sns44group04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699147418431552658" border="0" /></a><br />Thank ya kindly, Michigan City and Alejandra!Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-83889429668757756992011-11-25T08:48:00.003-05:002011-11-30T22:51:16.186-05:00Stop #43: South East St, Indianapolis (#25)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTqDpZnw1RvhKtj2iU0vEzo-fobkhNpqc8vsqgrefDm62Xrm_gSeZ2m6n6YO6JNUOeN3rQ3hP9NPryEYQF9CytrYi-xaBduSq08CmZZDWMgEt-NsUWn1LKYUCIZUgz1p-5tYxfdv5XUQ/s1600/sns43sign.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTqDpZnw1RvhKtj2iU0vEzo-fobkhNpqc8vsqgrefDm62Xrm_gSeZ2m6n6YO6JNUOeN3rQ3hP9NPryEYQF9CytrYi-xaBduSq08CmZZDWMgEt-NsUWn1LKYUCIZUgz1p-5tYxfdv5XUQ/s320/sns43sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799385542559874" border="0" /></a><br />Stop #43 took me to not-so-far-away, here in Indy, just after I went to a theater to see the new "Twilight" movie.<br /><br />Before you scorn me for my tastes, or think horrible thoughts about me, or wish I was dead, in my defense:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00zn7KBAt8N4zb-7ubdRjEsUakEEneKKMpoQrY1_suFqQf4r4qQ_hjOtYs9EQ5l5M-QTVSkaw1oB3SAPboaDFj2gxjWVgf70IIOigD9r7M87YX7wtXxSIqkx3_1cTL-Js4vAcBWdW3R4/s1600/sns43twilightmasochist.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00zn7KBAt8N4zb-7ubdRjEsUakEEneKKMpoQrY1_suFqQf4r4qQ_hjOtYs9EQ5l5M-QTVSkaw1oB3SAPboaDFj2gxjWVgf70IIOigD9r7M87YX7wtXxSIqkx3_1cTL-Js4vAcBWdW3R4/s320/sns43twilightmasochist.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799438827330562" border="0" /></a><br />THIS is why I went. THIS is why I've gone to see all of the movies, why I've read the books, why I cut myself when the world is <span style="font-style: italic;">just too much</span>.<br /><br />Okay, that last bit, I don't really do. Getting inside Bella's head is pain enough for a lifetime over.<br /><br />And in case you're wondering about that bizarre belly button on my shirt, my "Twilight: Because I'm a masochist" shirt was actually made for the release of "Eclipse" <span style="font-style: italic;">last </span>year, which is why I tried to fabric-paint on, well, an eclipse.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2unlTANzbVwzDDgF5Xv9_ml_tww4honEVnQp463daAKiKyUO1uZjy0omNbI1pzug4i2ZnjfrlCGy-bVIpUQD_TcMm_0Dy-i_qQT67kyV5z1U1LPoEgmBFwEppmQZiCPO9PwJtUEYQIE/s1600/oldsnseclipseshirt.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2unlTANzbVwzDDgF5Xv9_ml_tww4honEVnQp463daAKiKyUO1uZjy0omNbI1pzug4i2ZnjfrlCGy-bVIpUQD_TcMm_0Dy-i_qQT67kyV5z1U1LPoEgmBFwEppmQZiCPO9PwJtUEYQIE/s320/oldsnseclipseshirt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678798469125185330" border="0" /></a><br />You might be thinking that you really don't want to hear my thoughts on this movie. You might be here for the Steak n' Shake of it all, or for the anagrams, or for the Catch Caragher. But today, I feel like talking about this movie. And, as Robbie Hart once said in a movie I love dearly, "Well I have a microphone, and you don't, <span style="font-style: italic;">so you will listen to every damn word I have to say!</span>" Yeah, that's how this "review" is gonna go.<br /><br />Of course, by microphone, I mean blog.<br /><br />So how was "Breaking Dawn: Part 1"? I've got to say, in my opinion, it's been the best of the series so far. Now, don't mistake that for me saying that the movie is <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>. That logic would be similar to saying that Mussolini was a good guy 'cause he wasn't as horrible a dude as Stalin or Hitler. "Breaking Dawn Part 1" is no Hitler ("New Moon" for the shirtless shot of "RPatz") or Stalin ("Eclipse" for the OH GOD ALL OF IT), but that doesn't mean we should give it an Oscar, or a Nobel prize.<br /><br />The first ... solid third? of the movie is basically the wedding you wish you weren't invited to, followed by the world's most lame honeymoon videos by that couple you wish didn't know you because OH GOD IS RPATZ REMOVING HIS SHIRT AGAIN MAKE IT STOP. KStew's walk down the aisle had to have been four miles long for all the long, meaningful, intense facial shots between her and RPATZ THANK GOD YOU'VE GOT A SHIRT ON THIS TIME. Thankfully, there wasn't too much dialogue in that chunk of the movie, meaning our stars should have been able to better focus on their actual acting skills.<br /><br />Oh, wait. Nope, no side benefit of that, after all.<br /><br />I also think something should be said for some inconsistency when it comes to this part of the series. Inconsistency as in, "Dear Bill Condon, Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!" Inconsistency as in, there were shots from that honeymoon that should only exist in your worst nightmare in which Edward was wandering around in the sunlight, yet failed to sparkle. Now, don't misunderstand me -- I do not prefer my vampires sparkly, and there's too much of the slow-mo sparkle-action in all the other movies as it is. But if you've established that vampires in <span style="font-style: italic;">your </span>world sparkle in the sunlight, you can't abandon that trait just because it got boring. And Bill Condon, by agreeing to direct Stephanie Meyers' wet dream (seriously, the whole story started from a dream she had, so I'm going to make my assumptions from there because sometimes my mind is in the gutter and clearly sometimes hers is too), you are agreeing to adapt to the vampires in her world, irritating though they may be.<br /><br />My final big complaint is the finesse with which wolf telepathy was conveyed. This movie takes what is basically my favorite part of any of the books -- the part where we abandon Bella and her vapid and pointless existence and go hang out with some characters who are actually interesting for a change -- and destroys it with a nearly incoherent mass of confusion that just sounds atrocious. After that, who wants to hang out with the wolf pack anymore? It's almost as painful as DEAR GOD RPATZ PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON.<br /><br />So now that I've made clear that you maybe don't want to go see "Breaking Dawn Part 1" and, hell, maybe don't want to read "Twilight" in the first place, what might you want to do instead?*<br /><br />Let me recommend some books that actually might have value! Or, at the very least, entertainment that doesn't make you want the main character to die!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ctCFYh1FrG91IPkR5RPcBPWCQvJbjypI9VCyT1oYAa5DP2GK_wz1AaYqsvzxTH8mlWhf3xv6eHfYcc-EtoTPgs-b861VfTScRtI9snSwQgiy49bBZV-v5NLa4_67UHbeGlN741lyNWA/s1600/sns43insteadoftwilight01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ctCFYh1FrG91IPkR5RPcBPWCQvJbjypI9VCyT1oYAa5DP2GK_wz1AaYqsvzxTH8mlWhf3xv6eHfYcc-EtoTPgs-b861VfTScRtI9snSwQgiy49bBZV-v5NLa4_67UHbeGlN741lyNWA/s320/sns43insteadoftwilight01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799375035090002" border="0" /></a>1. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pact</span>, Jodi Picoult<br />I'm just tossing this in 'cause it's my favorite book from this author, but you can't go wrong with most of her stuff. Most of her stuff revolves around a court drama and a hidden piece of evidence or fact that changes everything at the last minute. This one, specifically, involves the suicide pact of two teenagers gone wrong, in which only one teenager actually dies, leaving the other to look like a suspect in her murder. A fun romp for any interested reader!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP8ftJRVv8QrSptZu7gQwcgcDebDwd6FqUbP0a3y0OJuDzoW9ueitRVPC0A8tLdA8OqOwsVYVk3zD6MYespPdTz9V-QK4v_Rl8X4npzZehDtVOBXjSlpSz27LjpntS7MFOW3UOpApHmU/s1600/sns43insteadoftwilight02.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnP8ftJRVv8QrSptZu7gQwcgcDebDwd6FqUbP0a3y0OJuDzoW9ueitRVPC0A8tLdA8OqOwsVYVk3zD6MYespPdTz9V-QK4v_Rl8X4npzZehDtVOBXjSlpSz27LjpntS7MFOW3UOpApHmU/s320/sns43insteadoftwilight02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799376193084274" border="0" /></a>2. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Half, </span>Stephen King<br />Stephen King has some decent stuff out there, but <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Half</span> has been my favorite, and was the book I managed to squeeze in two and a half times during a three-week trip to Australia and New Zealand back when I was in 7th grade. (Hey, in the days before e-readers, you had to make do with the total number of books you could actually fit in your suitcase, which was, in my case, two.) Plot centers on a writer who has written under both his real name (one genre) and a pseudonym (a completely different genre). When he tries to "kill off" the pseudonym and come clean to the public, the pseudonym decides it doesn't really want to be dead. Fun fact, apparently there was a sort of old-school computer game based on this book, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9hX9QO3nj3MV2qtbCglbrbxQsKJDuuwXS_e-FOo1rQ2Lbd8giXcH9azAaKjyx8Ml4vfvSCyzf0CmTvlHq-zDpsT3Pd_tYvOvhsaRf9aJ1iMOiS7SZHPxWASuhrD1Mzy1l_Clzb6YDNE/s1600/sns43insteadoftwilight04.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9hX9QO3nj3MV2qtbCglbrbxQsKJDuuwXS_e-FOo1rQ2Lbd8giXcH9azAaKjyx8Ml4vfvSCyzf0CmTvlHq-zDpsT3Pd_tYvOvhsaRf9aJ1iMOiS7SZHPxWASuhrD1Mzy1l_Clzb6YDNE/s320/sns43insteadoftwilight04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799378898194658" border="0" /></a>3. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort-of History of the United States<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Dave Barry cracks me up. He will probably crack you up, too. If he doesn't, it's because you have no soul. <span style="font-style: italic;">Slept Here</span> is my favorite Barry book, as it's basically turning history on its head and I apparently find that amusing.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEhF9KuhQOyxniWpkQ_7giaqbahUkWivSc-KD128Rsego6KGXCSGgtECYWpxjZgKBwLDH-ww-2Bzudpm4KswB9CkY7yuFX4z19SwN9upg4ZrsJ_-e02vjNpZX4TKpY7UtuAPXk379oAQ/s1600/sns43insteadoftwilight03.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEhF9KuhQOyxniWpkQ_7giaqbahUkWivSc-KD128Rsego6KGXCSGgtECYWpxjZgKBwLDH-ww-2Bzudpm4KswB9CkY7yuFX4z19SwN9upg4ZrsJ_-e02vjNpZX4TKpY7UtuAPXk379oAQ/s320/sns43insteadoftwilight03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799375801585650" border="0" /></a>4. <span style="font-style: italic;">Invisible Monsters</span>, Chuck Palahniuk<br />This book made me want to have Chuck Palahniuk's babies. From the same author that brought you <span style="font-style: italic;">Fight Club</span> is this story about a girl who used to be super-pretty but who had her mouth shot off in an accident and now she travels around the country with a pair of people who are as f-ed up in head as she is to look at. Then again, she may also be as f-ed up in the head. There are three instances of plot twist in this book that made my jaw drop. My only regret with this book is that I can't go back and read it for the first time all over again, getting all those surprises fresh again.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">*</span>Read the fine print: I'm all in favor of reading at large, so if you read "Twilight" because the alternative is, well, not reading at all, then I appreciate the attempt. I just also hope that you do someday graduate to something else, even if it is only Harlequin Romance or something.</span><br /><br />These are the things you could do instead of reading (or watching) "Twilight" if you are unlike me. Then again, if you are a masochist as well, "Twilight"! Have at it!<br /><br />Speaking of acts of masochism, on this particular Quest Stop, I finally got around to trying the FritoBurger.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusLV7YKUpInzwyK258Wg2UNSlhxbBv1pd90rqvA7b2vvVWuKjlsJtLL4_mMaaUzJ04pZ8f-HnIlLzfTc-AaeSt_28qpmKIhSenbUlzP_hRXbUUSrq1UTcTueVmf8DJJ3zIZMqq3pLjcg/s1600/sns43fritoburgerpreview.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusLV7YKUpInzwyK258Wg2UNSlhxbBv1pd90rqvA7b2vvVWuKjlsJtLL4_mMaaUzJ04pZ8f-HnIlLzfTc-AaeSt_28qpmKIhSenbUlzP_hRXbUUSrq1UTcTueVmf8DJJ3zIZMqq3pLjcg/s320/sns43fritoburgerpreview.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799186858126498" border="0" /></a><br />I know. It's scary to look at. Imagine how it felt to eat it.<br /><br />And if you can't imagine it, enjoy this pseudo-film strip!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinb8QAweKtKkIY-Mxa3tmX8GESwEU82GUVfQOU4YbI4xd3MbthdnPnG_5Ig99Hl8kJyfcxRLtyetr04TpUl6aiI9d8tECT5Qx7xkmgdRfzy23hJlrnOXx3ouuuvi1ardyYC-bSncCoInU/s1600/sns43fritoburgerdubious.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinb8QAweKtKkIY-Mxa3tmX8GESwEU82GUVfQOU4YbI4xd3MbthdnPnG_5Ig99Hl8kJyfcxRLtyetr04TpUl6aiI9d8tECT5Qx7xkmgdRfzy23hJlrnOXx3ouuuvi1ardyYC-bSncCoInU/s320/sns43fritoburgerdubious.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678798478178017970" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwiP_-Xe27GX2fG2b9TiNSm7ASewfGJZ29lr3pPDSShZsBbh0CP0PhQBMD2xx-k79g2vNsLeFym6SgZ4rG9k75obStSVMNwjeapXdlOMw_Oir7IveiDncV9DCjEF-KSjL35tG6JYZCsA/s1600/sns43fritoburgeramireallydoingthis.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwiP_-Xe27GX2fG2b9TiNSm7ASewfGJZ29lr3pPDSShZsBbh0CP0PhQBMD2xx-k79g2vNsLeFym6SgZ4rG9k75obStSVMNwjeapXdlOMw_Oir7IveiDncV9DCjEF-KSjL35tG6JYZCsA/s320/sns43fritoburgeramireallydoingthis.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678798476660123746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6agXecTfomBU0audE8lbQjA7zGCUzMOy-Cy3LUfqDGPiXq9WT0XfiqPbtj75X2OZGLgXVxTAa2GEKuUOKXeBLlRsiCAA6m91Rztq1VKjmC656YerrblidC6xcvSr5qffEgiugw_JhZpw/s1600/sns43fritoburgerohgodohgodohgod.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6agXecTfomBU0audE8lbQjA7zGCUzMOy-Cy3LUfqDGPiXq9WT0XfiqPbtj75X2OZGLgXVxTAa2GEKuUOKXeBLlRsiCAA6m91Rztq1VKjmC656YerrblidC6xcvSr5qffEgiugw_JhZpw/s320/sns43fritoburgerohgodohgodohgod.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799176583496642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfqdN2AnU_fTB3l5qhh82xRQOtWDIHV6EfCOPHcnq3tBs-8Xy9msfl6L8DikQB6HWAI_l0u9LNyZwEJJTPxJ_JQm_cYob4f_h9Gk6e3GyirhoRWeBLbu_aREIx35jzsuputX0GFOPbLE/s1600/sns43fritoburgergetitoutofmahmouth.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfqdN2AnU_fTB3l5qhh82xRQOtWDIHV6EfCOPHcnq3tBs-8Xy9msfl6L8DikQB6HWAI_l0u9LNyZwEJJTPxJ_JQm_cYob4f_h9Gk6e3GyirhoRWeBLbu_aREIx35jzsuputX0GFOPbLE/s320/sns43fritoburgergetitoutofmahmouth.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799174358936930" border="0" /></a><br />And of course, the aftermath:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkwAIjd9QYq7WXYRksfjw18cpRbIMwh4fOKfv04_CCksZR8xsFmWa18fDmTeb4aCWLnONjZK48fGPbCpgm2JoTtWauRJLQ3K9FZftq6fa8mx1EoOfrrJLApeSxbpNjmDKiiL1sXvdWCA/s1600/sns43fritoburgerfinished01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkwAIjd9QYq7WXYRksfjw18cpRbIMwh4fOKfv04_CCksZR8xsFmWa18fDmTeb4aCWLnONjZK48fGPbCpgm2JoTtWauRJLQ3K9FZftq6fa8mx1EoOfrrJLApeSxbpNjmDKiiL1sXvdWCA/s320/sns43fritoburgerfinished01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799146179784498" border="0" /></a><br />I actually cut it in half so that Husband could "enjoy" it with me. He has a more varied ... palate ... than I do, meaning it might not actually be the worst thing in the world, and I wouldn't necessarily know it.<br /><br />And he did imply it was not the worst thing in the world. However, I don't think either of us will be ordering it again.<br /><br />Fortunately, I anticipated the above, and got real food too: my favorite standby and reward for being brave, a Guacamole Steakburger and french fries.<br /><br />In the end, it turned out to be a pretty good day: "Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1" followed by a Fritoburger.<br /><br />Then again, let me remind you:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00zn7KBAt8N4zb-7ubdRjEsUakEEneKKMpoQrY1_suFqQf4r4qQ_hjOtYs9EQ5l5M-QTVSkaw1oB3SAPboaDFj2gxjWVgf70IIOigD9r7M87YX7wtXxSIqkx3_1cTL-Js4vAcBWdW3R4/s1600/sns43twilightmasochist.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00zn7KBAt8N4zb-7ubdRjEsUakEEneKKMpoQrY1_suFqQf4r4qQ_hjOtYs9EQ5l5M-QTVSkaw1oB3SAPboaDFj2gxjWVgf70IIOigD9r7M87YX7wtXxSIqkx3_1cTL-Js4vAcBWdW3R4/s320/sns43twilightmasochist.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799438827330562" border="0" /></a><br />Though I think no one else suffered quite as much as I did, as only two of us went to see the movie, and only two of us (one of us being different from the former pair of two of us) actually tried the Frito Burger.<br /><br />The rest escaped unscathed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2unlTANzbVwzDDgF5Xv9_ml_tww4honEVnQp463daAKiKyUO1uZjy0omNbI1pzug4i2ZnjfrlCGy-bVIpUQD_TcMm_0Dy-i_qQT67kyV5z1U1LPoEgmBFwEppmQZiCPO9PwJtUEYQIE/s1600/oldsnseclipseshirt.jpg"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Hu-_Wp-MTDyCWIvLUwNc1pxpo2k9kk9vHjUxSRTfUHswFfnoigIrC6KzZGOOo_RiHXy8A_bBq0WEL3WZhSp4R4cio_lo1mUqW8I6WC9etUBZPN78qKG7Nb8mXxYHoVXzz0qilh93yT4/s1600/sns43group.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Hu-_Wp-MTDyCWIvLUwNc1pxpo2k9kk9vHjUxSRTfUHswFfnoigIrC6KzZGOOo_RiHXy8A_bBq0WEL3WZhSp4R4cio_lo1mUqW8I6WC9etUBZPN78qKG7Nb8mXxYHoVXzz0qilh93yT4/s320/sns43group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678799186783966434" border="0" /></a>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-10757127557415352522011-11-24T23:29:00.005-05:002011-11-24T23:55:43.448-05:00Stop #42: College Mall, Bloomington (#166)Stop #42 happened as the result of hearing of a fabric arts show/sale the second weekend of November, in Bloomington.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP1AtFr0AZyJo37P98ubXZGXXcM_9mA0IFE47m2TLL8du5ynbsuDxqYqG1Kbvpq4qAniPVCYNUVBwly6HnwkEBrvOkOyKBcv-6QPWqydhBQmOfqw88pCLCuYx2CRiVltsDUIeRkuv7Jo/s1600/sns42sign01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP1AtFr0AZyJo37P98ubXZGXXcM_9mA0IFE47m2TLL8du5ynbsuDxqYqG1Kbvpq4qAniPVCYNUVBwly6HnwkEBrvOkOyKBcv-6QPWqydhBQmOfqw88pCLCuYx2CRiVltsDUIeRkuv7Jo/s320/sns42sign01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678787521813906434" border="0" /></a><br />Emily thought it sounded like fun. Jen also thought it sounded like fun. I thought it sounded like a good opportunity to squeeze in another Steak n' Shake. Also like fun.<br /><br />And the proof that three ladies had taken over the Steak n' Shake:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1RF63nT3qpxmU6vJzj5DV-B4eyKkVo77S63_nvSadi6h5Ee682tLRjTS5zXQvQNHR8rjPTgiw273UMExXZlZTYkcrvpFv9M3_VhJWEFdaxaLkojaaUFq7zwIxtT0ZlgoFvuLGRtujBc/s1600/sns42pursestakeover.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1RF63nT3qpxmU6vJzj5DV-B4eyKkVo77S63_nvSadi6h5Ee682tLRjTS5zXQvQNHR8rjPTgiw273UMExXZlZTYkcrvpFv9M3_VhJWEFdaxaLkojaaUFq7zwIxtT0ZlgoFvuLGRtujBc/s320/sns42pursestakeover.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678787515019867042" border="0" /></a><br />Yup. Maybe I should clarify "three crafty ladies," as I know one of my bags was there due to knitting projects, and I can only assume Emily too brought knitting, and Jen crocheting, as that's basically always the case.<br /><br />Speaking of Jen, she is no longer a Steak n' Shake Quest virgin!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FaK1mUGzTEL1kya4cPgDx9rRNCJonMkIBnwcAVOnLPUL_tVOaAFAnGAynl4AUMUsTS4aiEz9JcV-C8F4SmN6O1j2T10RviAhmRRIErpvprIA5SDxb9B2y9F8mP3Op9iCR0DOi_vqBHQ/s1600/sns42jenwithsign.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FaK1mUGzTEL1kya4cPgDx9rRNCJonMkIBnwcAVOnLPUL_tVOaAFAnGAynl4AUMUsTS4aiEz9JcV-C8F4SmN6O1j2T10RviAhmRRIErpvprIA5SDxb9B2y9F8mP3Op9iCR0DOi_vqBHQ/s320/sns42jenwithsign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678787504974608706" border="0" /></a><br />Meet Jen. She added artwork to my sign 'cause she's awesome.<br /><br />Did I mention this Steak n' Shake was in Bloomington?<br /><br />In case you had any doubts:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nZnAfcFc9n_HBD5BjOYKtg4KsZ2I0OFWPYQJEUVUnDTxasqclR_XfLke_RN-vXV4fhdmJehdcSS_Esq6ZYBqizG82Lwe354FQA-Zq58X_UTxVdGnlzqKo8KZX8JfW-oFacwCnxzcMMc/s1600/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberone.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nZnAfcFc9n_HBD5BjOYKtg4KsZ2I0OFWPYQJEUVUnDTxasqclR_XfLke_RN-vXV4fhdmJehdcSS_Esq6ZYBqizG82Lwe354FQA-Zq58X_UTxVdGnlzqKo8KZX8JfW-oFacwCnxzcMMc/s320/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberone.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678786261245153074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Indiana Hoosiers wall liner.<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsigYt5TGZk9dg5OhEt1heqn3jxe9m5_0ctkvhqlGgxD-MdE1QjESdDalXz428W6RyfOGyAK4m7lVQhBoZUJ7BDdLQK9_zK2r26lLv32pIoCxsbC7CDcLX0mTTtbBQ7stT4FvaLVYCq4/s1600/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberthree.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsigYt5TGZk9dg5OhEt1heqn3jxe9m5_0ctkvhqlGgxD-MdE1QjESdDalXz428W6RyfOGyAK4m7lVQhBoZUJ7BDdLQK9_zK2r26lLv32pIoCxsbC7CDcLX0mTTtbBQ7stT4FvaLVYCq4/s320/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberthree.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678786266274915746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Indiana Avenue street sign, inside.</span><br /></div><br />Still have doubts?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWgFYLE-U8EaSsy9mzunpTfyyCoJrrC2CAX0PB-GX-zkZhXjl4PPfNS4dcD84znxdU9vKYGp7FKNc6vHRB0pddaJCTntMojkwy_5yrqtG1Q_HRyGtML8pntk-YLp_5JauW8evikEYLJo/s1600/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumbertwo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWgFYLE-U8EaSsy9mzunpTfyyCoJrrC2CAX0PB-GX-zkZhXjl4PPfNS4dcD84znxdU9vKYGp7FKNc6vHRB0pddaJCTntMojkwy_5yrqtG1Q_HRyGtML8pntk-YLp_5JauW8evikEYLJo/s320/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumbertwo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678786266067342034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Hoosiers hand in the claw game.<br /></span></div><br />And best of all:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsLU3eRUmWRTEsY-s0q2xYMZDgP9RihY_kccL7VsSGop61Nid__gn6VBVihIiORmckRrl9w3jDiHthQZkDob8jVGKO5mzX-3PErH9PhcUxRnRZNDRX_y0KNUIyx61tuqX4-jSUHKVT4w/s1600/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberfour.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsLU3eRUmWRTEsY-s0q2xYMZDgP9RihY_kccL7VsSGop61Nid__gn6VBVihIiORmckRrl9w3jDiHthQZkDob8jVGKO5mzX-3PErH9PhcUxRnRZNDRX_y0KNUIyx61tuqX4-jSUHKVT4w/s320/sns42bloomingtonsnssignnumberfour.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678786256558773970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Indiana Hoosiers sign below SnS sign.<br /></span></div><br />Unrelated to the IU hysteria in the place, but this was the first stop where I noticed a promotion I almost can't pass up ....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYVyzO7r8bfIheFlR7NhMUpRhK9GABRjPhTEgWBhnMF7QdVP7PbfTiwiH0gQib8RVlb5TC-ZaEr1i9ss0FVUMH7uoe4I9Ani3bwf86fmuO02VnZ8ZKUg3XlIpyBR9N7qto_bS_JQs18w/s1600/sns42buygiftcards01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYVyzO7r8bfIheFlR7NhMUpRhK9GABRjPhTEgWBhnMF7QdVP7PbfTiwiH0gQib8RVlb5TC-ZaEr1i9ss0FVUMH7uoe4I9Ani3bwf86fmuO02VnZ8ZKUg3XlIpyBR9N7qto_bS_JQs18w/s320/sns42buygiftcards01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678786274232388802" border="0" /></a><br />Apparently, if I buy myself several gift cards for $20, I'll get a $5 gift certificate for each of them.<br /><br />I may have just found a way to finance the rest of my quest ....<br /><br />My posse ended up ordering milkshakes all around -- a Butterfinger one for me. Complete with whipped cream mustache, apparently.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqXAdl_O45cp7qF83B9Ldp_rt9eY4PbMnJgRdfi8n0I7WabtexAABf4DU1e2q8-h5LX8sPsjxig150ZnX4ItbLLISoCJ3B_jngiQw11cOpbgWNCQyCROg6PJKkjdUV6nniwPY60D8p_c/s1600/sns42marcymilkshake.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqXAdl_O45cp7qF83B9Ldp_rt9eY4PbMnJgRdfi8n0I7WabtexAABf4DU1e2q8-h5LX8sPsjxig150ZnX4ItbLLISoCJ3B_jngiQw11cOpbgWNCQyCROg6PJKkjdUV6nniwPY60D8p_c/s320/sns42marcymilkshake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678787503789735698" border="0" /></a><br />We didn't stay long, as we really did want to get back to the home base. Jen also had to check on her puppies. But we did have an enjoyable time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG39tpljJp0BfxDszBtaEE-_iJhsBp5CzRzHnkA1i7ovw4zsC3HWY1cfZ13zNhi0SxETklp14xCUT5G7ZQB2JrmN4ZVw3lNLCBTiaL4GX-O7TlAIF0F68OdSiRE5VyH7RE1pF4KZRkgI/s1600/sns42group.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG39tpljJp0BfxDszBtaEE-_iJhsBp5CzRzHnkA1i7ovw4zsC3HWY1cfZ13zNhi0SxETklp14xCUT5G7ZQB2JrmN4ZVw3lNLCBTiaL4GX-O7TlAIF0F68OdSiRE5VyH7RE1pF4KZRkgI/s320/sns42group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678787496573839922" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks Bloomington! I'm sure I'll see you again soon. After all, you still have another two SnS locations for me to visit!Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-74466293925606735212011-11-23T08:27:00.004-05:002011-11-23T08:31:03.842-05:00Intermission: Things that make me smileI've still got a couple of stops to post on, but first, I would like to post something that just makes me smile like none other today.<br /><br />Blogger is fantastic in that, in looking at the stats for your blog, it lets you see what links people are using to get to you, and what Google keywords they are using to get to you.<br /><br />Here's a recent screenshot, with my favorite circled.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJNb_6HRenJyuocg1Q6lX4LiRKBJI3pdEmZ_9Wlz3SyLn3d7xMSq8CO6jyhbCTc-aLAwGnurFamP_tbStg9mV3VyuaCGI6SBYiVPi9br9zxn780LQ6_2r1Cef5FVKbGw9wMcusCX7v2A/s1600/gangsterswithfedorasgotosteaknshakeb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJNb_6HRenJyuocg1Q6lX4LiRKBJI3pdEmZ_9Wlz3SyLn3d7xMSq8CO6jyhbCTc-aLAwGnurFamP_tbStg9mV3VyuaCGI6SBYiVPi9br9zxn780LQ6_2r1Cef5FVKbGw9wMcusCX7v2A/s320/gangsterswithfedorasgotosteaknshakeb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678182759330219554" border="0" /></a><br />That might be hard to read, but it definitely says "gangsters with fedoras."<br /><br />That's right. People are Googling "gangsters with fedoras" and are finding my Steak n' Shake blog. Thank you, SeƱor Mizener, for making that possible.<br /><br />I love the world. :)Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-76939307363451260642011-11-21T21:39:00.007-05:002011-11-21T22:17:05.222-05:00Stop #41: IN-933, South Bend (#576)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIzQ1lgb50W8FYzK00i4Jktld-GAuhvfMpO234anNpj65_1rJnnCu8in2ZlHTW25l3E8o0TfwMUoPgOMIDkfDH2WtGQ02IFcXZH3fo0HEnFHVR7qMtCYcOBbnhF6aIEGGt1ytb8G-ecQ/s1600/sns41doublechocolatemilkshake.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHVv_e_cSPoO9O4AH_zTIYLHFGEuppxf_Ur-eNRspMagN9TowMrA8YmUNzaZbcgPvQT4s5CL2qFKh_0Y3OGdmWNukMvL0cX3ZIGKjck8vuxphnZDsdm-qsRd1s4gt_mSZcQAvscTeDcw/s1600/sns41sign.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHVv_e_cSPoO9O4AH_zTIYLHFGEuppxf_Ur-eNRspMagN9TowMrA8YmUNzaZbcgPvQT4s5CL2qFKh_0Y3OGdmWNukMvL0cX3ZIGKjck8vuxphnZDsdm-qsRd1s4gt_mSZcQAvscTeDcw/s320/sns41sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677646244065909154" border="0" /></a><br />Stop #41 happened mere hours after Stop #40, and mere miles away.<br /><br />I was joined by the legendary Kyanne and her fellow Notre Dame grad student, Ankit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtk0SchxLJW1vXQZ4R8I7jhA12KfQI2-lX0EUk6JI4_2rxVXre2TZ67QFhP9pnCCOLrPmSLx9Aq0lW8Zrj_HYUpbTooSlip8H0NpBjIpnv4aBO-IVVPaWGhYFcp_xbZ2kTt-KfYUk-vo/s1600/sns41kyandankitmakeart.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtk0SchxLJW1vXQZ4R8I7jhA12KfQI2-lX0EUk6JI4_2rxVXre2TZ67QFhP9pnCCOLrPmSLx9Aq0lW8Zrj_HYUpbTooSlip8H0NpBjIpnv4aBO-IVVPaWGhYFcp_xbZ2kTt-KfYUk-vo/s320/sns41kyandankitmakeart.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677646251036736706" border="0" /></a><br />You may remember them from the <a href="http://asteaknshakequest.blogspot.com/2011/05/stop-18-mishawaka-226.html">Mishawaka stop</a>, in which I drooled profusely over Shaun Morgan and crew. Of course, you may remember it better for the creepy picture featuring three Bretts.<br /><br />While I worked on the sign, they worked on some artwork:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwFVZV135OtLbgry4oQbszIKJfO2Q5qNMZOT2B1tSjgCFRP6Y05awaqDtxUS_h9basMmJEAhu6jJvicERIx8wYrIpXXWDI4hqaXfUNnbW8C-Rty4N9hxVhxa0sXz2OiWItHhYV3Zi6uo/s1600/sns41officerronpicture01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwFVZV135OtLbgry4oQbszIKJfO2Q5qNMZOT2B1tSjgCFRP6Y05awaqDtxUS_h9basMmJEAhu6jJvicERIx8wYrIpXXWDI4hqaXfUNnbW8C-Rty4N9hxVhxa0sXz2OiWItHhYV3Zi6uo/s320/sns41officerronpicture01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677646261338456274" border="0" /></a><br />From Ankit, a small person with a ginormous Steakburger.<br /><br />And from Kyanne, an illustration of my drive up on that particular day, in which Officer Ron pulls me over and gives me a speeding ticket.<br /><br />It's true. My streak of not just not getting pulled over for speeding but legitimately not really speeding anymore anyway ended as construction and We-Wish-We-Were-Big-Town, Indiana<br />stop lights put me way behind schedule.<br /><br />And I was sad.<br /><br />Fortunately, Steak n' Shake was able to supply me with a Western BBQ Double Steakburger and fries.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvbD0CyVdIZM0tHRUHuqZFVZpGI398tSOsb8kbfyPKy4R4xDGaSfXMifRqFWADNMwW_h9wL097LuFndvIjx77VoTwl4R1z5HvbZyEw6wdAuB0H4c8XfLkBvSAgLTOxt1XpSD35QMuaGk/s1600/sns41westernbbqburger.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvbD0CyVdIZM0tHRUHuqZFVZpGI398tSOsb8kbfyPKy4R4xDGaSfXMifRqFWADNMwW_h9wL097LuFndvIjx77VoTwl4R1z5HvbZyEw6wdAuB0H4c8XfLkBvSAgLTOxt1XpSD35QMuaGk/s320/sns41westernbbqburger.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677649620940014050" border="0" /></a><br />And when that wasn't quite enough, they brought me a double chocolate milkshake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIzQ1lgb50W8FYzK00i4Jktld-GAuhvfMpO234anNpj65_1rJnnCu8in2ZlHTW25l3E8o0TfwMUoPgOMIDkfDH2WtGQ02IFcXZH3fo0HEnFHVR7qMtCYcOBbnhF6aIEGGt1ytb8G-ecQ/s1600/sns41doublechocolatemilkshake.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIzQ1lgb50W8FYzK00i4Jktld-GAuhvfMpO234anNpj65_1rJnnCu8in2ZlHTW25l3E8o0TfwMUoPgOMIDkfDH2WtGQ02IFcXZH3fo0HEnFHVR7qMtCYcOBbnhF6aIEGGt1ytb8G-ecQ/s320/sns41doublechocolatemilkshake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677646248264643538" border="0" /></a><br />And when <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>wasn't enough, Kyanne, showing the kind of generosity you could only get from a true friend, let me steal her cherry.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0W1Hq1i3-e-YzFKGJx3zwpafdsAxMlFdZOEUGTIQROz4J-0YKf4biPiD9sAmFsxV-JDtpbr6GI5kkMVYhfEAfpai56qpYHi2nQfmg9LNknlur1ewS0L26gmlJzMT4CWilI8GUIyRiEg/s1600/sns41stealingkyannescherry.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0W1Hq1i3-e-YzFKGJx3zwpafdsAxMlFdZOEUGTIQROz4J-0YKf4biPiD9sAmFsxV-JDtpbr6GI5kkMVYhfEAfpai56qpYHi2nQfmg9LNknlur1ewS0L26gmlJzMT4CWilI8GUIyRiEg/s320/sns41stealingkyannescherry.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677649619841444066" border="0" /></a><br />For you cynics out there, I guess it's also possible that it's not so much generosity of a true friend, but of someone who doesn't like whipped cream and pseudo-faux cherries.<br /><br />But I opt for the generosity thing. :)<br /><br />After we finished our artwork and food, we decided to head out so we could make it to Kyanne's apartment for a round of <a href="http://www.catan.com/">Settlers of Catan</a>. Which was spectacular, as I recreated I-80/I-90 around some fields of brick and wheat.<br /><br />Next brilliant idea? Settlers of Can. AT Steak n' Shake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7X390DXfAhoAqsA1pn7uKZRhB7iHZBg_lsQMpXWZA6sN9qNpbGzabfujgTekCKd9pJAgd3wTbqVZ80G_3HFNo22j2c6fp15T-4rHaTgb6d5uRLXZ56ItWF8Uai-qWbV8uo6-zhP_RgU/s1600/sns41group.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7X390DXfAhoAqsA1pn7uKZRhB7iHZBg_lsQMpXWZA6sN9qNpbGzabfujgTekCKd9pJAgd3wTbqVZ80G_3HFNo22j2c6fp15T-4rHaTgb6d5uRLXZ56ItWF8Uai-qWbV8uo6-zhP_RgU/s320/sns41group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677646253189861810" border="0" /></a>Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675212853026509228.post-74635889683131039142011-11-21T21:05:00.011-05:002011-11-21T22:18:06.205-05:00Stop #40: Ireland, South Bend (#225)With class canceled on Friday a couple weeks ago, it seemed a terribly appropriate time to make a trip to a Steak n' Shake that was a good distance away.<br /><br />And so, I headed to South Bend. Which is decidedly north.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6QBmJfH6LCSOcTldPO048arlZe-oIZHRiiLkgIh7KyR7R-Y9cf84ikxgPnnSYupHmG-HKQjLMdjgP5Hq6hvr-aSZPmC8lq13Q0LaCX5bNmLOZbDwzduxoAEJ-zDg8xL8Fhj1kYN5r8o/s1600/sns40sign01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6QBmJfH6LCSOcTldPO048arlZe-oIZHRiiLkgIh7KyR7R-Y9cf84ikxgPnnSYupHmG-HKQjLMdjgP5Hq6hvr-aSZPmC8lq13Q0LaCX5bNmLOZbDwzduxoAEJ-zDg8xL8Fhj1kYN5r8o/s320/sns40sign01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677636266339135490" border="0" /></a><br />Stop numero uno (and #40 in this quest) for the day took me to the location on Ireland, where I met up with my friend, Kate.<br /><br />I got a California Double Steakburger and fries.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnF0U15nVJD5hTn23vboKkei_kpRRlqEX8XHBGG_bjZ7pdduH2JERy_X5CH5gl8Rth3BSJFf8HVQRGImxRh2dK4uBaqf70Ia0Q_1PQnAn2Z-uOYiaXOM3UQvu80F0ECZAM3CqaJxw620/s1600/sns40snssalt01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnF0U15nVJD5hTn23vboKkei_kpRRlqEX8XHBGG_bjZ7pdduH2JERy_X5CH5gl8Rth3BSJFf8HVQRGImxRh2dK4uBaqf70Ia0Q_1PQnAn2Z-uOYiaXOM3UQvu80F0ECZAM3CqaJxw620/s320/sns40snssalt01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677637354590735218" border="0" /></a><br />Meanwhile, Kate got the Chili 5-Way and the world's most crooked milkshake.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH7vNsCDDEkr0b-dC_fo3LvPxZ1HpE__upEQc-jniC1SkYI4sDJAdD2cj8Xocmj6izoyUxRvcQd2FQb4VYrVFlGuE-J2ZpGZip1haOKWg2d4fdcH7fZqcCKVVKs6GAGxu4MMT-wTg_yA/s1600/sns40katescrookedmilkshake.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH7vNsCDDEkr0b-dC_fo3LvPxZ1HpE__upEQc-jniC1SkYI4sDJAdD2cj8Xocmj6izoyUxRvcQd2FQb4VYrVFlGuE-J2ZpGZip1haOKWg2d4fdcH7fZqcCKVVKs6GAGxu4MMT-wTg_yA/s320/sns40katescrookedmilkshake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677638273042098674" border="0" /></a><br />Seriously, it came in a crooked glass.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy22BkOD6gXl5VH1ZFVueJJFkaIRF5nhR7swj1etdGqmqEhG-4rEoDwVmX3QauqFWKIWvTaIc9yVy7PJVBBbLGSdOTRVlvvxQPFxdpI3O7W6lzhg3ktE72pWKjUqYoNVrj_Zl8kyzRefU/s1600/sns40milkshakeiscrookedseriously01.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy22BkOD6gXl5VH1ZFVueJJFkaIRF5nhR7swj1etdGqmqEhG-4rEoDwVmX3QauqFWKIWvTaIc9yVy7PJVBBbLGSdOTRVlvvxQPFxdpI3O7W6lzhg3ktE72pWKjUqYoNVrj_Zl8kyzRefU/s320/sns40milkshakeiscrookedseriously01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677639368431884754" border="0" /></a><br />Need more proof? I shall use terrible paint editing to prove my point, the same as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XvvkJcZM-w">the paranoid folk who see inappropriate sexual references in every single Disney movie ever</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMPEPXUJNpSkFigD39PgqXg3HHH1d4iNB53dQt3KdnOvwTcoSJQbrCP2AQRfjKQqiSXLe-fabXLLNKK8E6dmuoQnc2_DHndkLuT3BO8aFtczzyg8W93kSGIB_BVGE7RghF1fqqlchNHc/s1600/sns40milkshakeiscrookedseriously01likechicagopoliticiansbutmoretastynotthatispeakfromexperience.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMPEPXUJNpSkFigD39PgqXg3HHH1d4iNB53dQt3KdnOvwTcoSJQbrCP2AQRfjKQqiSXLe-fabXLLNKK8E6dmuoQnc2_DHndkLuT3BO8aFtczzyg8W93kSGIB_BVGE7RghF1fqqlchNHc/s320/sns40milkshakeiscrookedseriously01likechicagopoliticiansbutmoretastynotthatispeakfromexperience.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677639372822571810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">That milkshake's as crooked as a Chicago politician!<br />As crooked, but more tasty!<br />Not that I would know from experience or anything.<br /></span></div><br />I've got to say, this Steak n' Shake had one of the most interesting interiors to date.<br /><br />First off, the bar was pretty cool. It didn't have an angled corner or anything.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUeX_YhdaabhomE0uRtHfhSI863XpW76VQh8s48rbEcbTVYQvDQLHsx0XFZEAKjLn1Y6njORXJyKi5UgAkb3nwVB2nyMG5HkPUs-zmEpUhmU0NV4b7LjVyQT9lVmt2E8Ej4CVsIORmp0/s1600/sns40barisawesome.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUeX_YhdaabhomE0uRtHfhSI863XpW76VQh8s48rbEcbTVYQvDQLHsx0XFZEAKjLn1Y6njORXJyKi5UgAkb3nwVB2nyMG5HkPUs-zmEpUhmU0NV4b7LjVyQT9lVmt2E8Ej4CVsIORmp0/s320/sns40barisawesome.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677638267361880882" border="0" /></a><br />And then there were mirrors, where most Steak n' Shakes have only windows.<br /><br />Mirrors that looked almost two-way to me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51RfHlW7rm1TF4ibNkWSdmqsmSvRAbHB6fKOOuxu7psFO6oHKW6gOu1xanTKwyz7jcsndyBokMlb3TdA5nptrEAiWjtwXln0iIIMz6tZNohYuarKT3w04zGiSF-5m_Lz7rMO33LPtaZY/s1600/sns40mirroslookonewayquestionmark.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51RfHlW7rm1TF4ibNkWSdmqsmSvRAbHB6fKOOuxu7psFO6oHKW6gOu1xanTKwyz7jcsndyBokMlb3TdA5nptrEAiWjtwXln0iIIMz6tZNohYuarKT3w04zGiSF-5m_Lz7rMO33LPtaZY/s320/sns40mirroslookonewayquestionmark.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677639373002428530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">It's called "Marcy's attempt at being discreet."<br /></span></div><br />One of the servers, Angela, told me that they're not -- that the mirrors are there instead of windows because the district manager's office is back there.<br /><br />Frankly, though, that makes me more suspicious, and the fact that I didn't get to go test my theory didn't help, either.<br /><br />Angela made me a little sad, not only for denying that the mirrors were two-way, but also because, upon hearing about my quest and how far I'd gotten so far, she stated that the 30 I had left was "a lot."<br /><br />Frankly, that might be true, but considering I've got 40 out of the way, more than half and 10 more than how many remain, it was a bit discouraging.<br /><br />Thankfully, the guy that I presume was the manager due to his attire was more supportive. Dude Looks Like a Brian, as I will call him because, well, he looked like a Brian (and lacked a name tag, so I had to fill it in myself), actually seemed excited about the quest.<br /><br />He was also happy to take our group picture for the shot.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbFT73P3mYVnx-xsMXRY94Iy5hG70RGiJd8RXxu5HlyEkg83dyX8lpJ_REg7qBqAM_FLpjltM1c-4LMdnTUfr5HVhbm0Ue95loQlgUn3GLhb9VG90ZVJ_wINO9IMBQRhSvn7B0zjZLsM/s1600/sns40group.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbFT73P3mYVnx-xsMXRY94Iy5hG70RGiJd8RXxu5HlyEkg83dyX8lpJ_REg7qBqAM_FLpjltM1c-4LMdnTUfr5HVhbm0Ue95loQlgUn3GLhb9VG90ZVJ_wINO9IMBQRhSvn7B0zjZLsM/s320/sns40group.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677638269303703298" border="0" /></a><br />Just before he recommended a Steak n' Shake in Michigan City, putting me frighteningly close to that city with politicians whose crookedness rivals the South Bend milkshake's.Marcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16782987783859476309noreply@blogger.com5