My Favorite Burgers

Whenever I am back at home in California, there are two food pilgrimages that I make: In-n-Out & Del Taco. The funny thing is In-n-Out is so popular that whenever I meet anyone who isn't from CA but has visited they always ask me if I miss In-n-Out. The truth is, I only miss it, once I'm back and I am actually devouring a double double with fries. Only in the past two years have I graduated to ordering my burgers animal style (mustard, pickles, grilled onions). So without further ado, this is the list of the best burgers I've ever had. Taste, presentation, and overall emotional satisfaction plays into rankings, which is why toxic white castle slides in at number 8.

3am, the morning of Black Friday on the way to Best Buy, St. Louis, MO after a fierce beer pong tournament

White Castle Girl: And to drink?

Me: I'll have an orange lamburst please.

WCG: Excuse me.

Me: You know, orange LAMBURST

WCG: We don't carry that would you like a coke?

Me: No, orange lamburst, the damn orange Hi-C.

Steven: Brandon relax, that's orange lavaburst.

Me: Oh, from this angle, nevermind.

1. Blanc Kobe Burger (KC) http://www.blancburgers.com/

2. Chefburger's The Widowmaker(KC) Chef Burger

3. The Brick Burger (KC)

4. Shake Shack (NYC) http://www.shakeshack.com/

5. In-n-Out Doube Double (CA) http://www.in-n-out.com/

6. Culver's Butter Burger (KC) http://www.culvers.com/

7. Tommy's Chiliburger (CA)

8. White Castle Sliders http://www.whitecastle.com/

9. Winstead's Triple Steak Burger (KC) http://www.winsteadskc.com/history.php

10. Paddy O'Quigley's (Overland Park, KS) http://www.oquigleys.com/

Barney Stinson, You're My Hero

This has been a legendary couple of months for me. Mostly because I've adapted to living outside of my comfort zone. It started back in October with casually acknowledging strangers, exanded in November to holding actual conversations with random cuties, and blew up in 2009. Anyways, last night was Monday night, I met up with an old friend, Tim, we caught up and he told me he had a blog, which I fully expect him to link mine in. That reminded me that I also had a blog, but ever since I bounced from Florida to Phoenix back to California, I haven't had anything awe inspring to write about. I mean I suppose I could have written about the Super Bowl but I think that has been done. Everyone is disapointed for the Cardinals and Kurt Warner, yes they are 2nd only to the Cubs as the professional sports franchise with the longest championship draught but, then I remember how they make more money PLAYING football then I will ever see, and then I don't feel sorry for them anymore. Besides, I was just in Phoenix and the town didn't seem to give a fuck. Pittsburgh is another story, the Steeler's fans, those mofos were setting cars on fire after they won, imagine how many people would have died if they had lost.
I can write about Tim anytime, but Monday nights at 830ET/730CT on CBS is when How I Met Your Mother comes on. I've been religously watching the show a little over a year now thanks to my buddy Kevin. This show is so singularly meaningful that I have almost nothing in common with anyone who doesn't also watch. I usually only get this passionate about movies, in fact, there is no other show I watch on tv (I'm not counting re-runs of Family Guy on adult swim). HIMYM is in its fourth season. It is as far as I can tell, the 21st century version of Friends. It is about a group of yuppie friends, two of whom are married to each other (Chandler/Monica = Marshall/Lily), one of which bangs a lot of chicks (Joey = Barney) that have palacial apartments in New York City. The premise of the show is that, the main character Ted recounting to his teenage children, tales about him and his friends from the time when he was 26 until he meets their mother, a yet to be determined date later. Initially, I only agreed to watch the show because it co-stars, Neil Patrick Harris a.k.a. Doogie Howser, M.D., my first role model. However, it is easy to become quickly enamoured with the lives of all the characters. Cleverly written, the show frequently exploits flashbacks to tie apparently insignificant details from one episode to another.
The show is a gem, it gives me faith that the sitcom is not dead, that respectable television still exists amongst the sewage of Survivor and I Love New York 2. A proud owner of the first three seasons on DVD, I have done everything I can to convert all of my acquaintances into HIMYM fanatics. I know at least one if not the only person reading this blog is a fan. Tonights episode was average but, it beats the shit out of American Idol.

So what was your favorite Super Bowl spot?
Mine was a tossup between Conan doing the commercials for Finland and the Doritos guy throwing a snowglobe at his boss' nards.

Live From New York: Part 2 of 3

So my first night in New York I took a cab to the interview dinner at Old Homestead’s. Cabs in New York have a TV in the back that always starts with a clip of Regis and Kelly talking about how fun cabs are to ride now that you can watch a TV that gives you the weather and news. Talk about acting, I don’t think Regis has taken a cab since before I was born. Anyways, dinner was superb. Everyone had Caesar salad, calamari, filet minion, chocolate cake, and overflowing glasses of wine. We spent 3.5 hours eating and drinking before we migrated to a bar in the meat packing district. In contrast to Miami, ladies were not a plenty. What I learned though, was that there are people everywhere and getting around is extremely convenient.
I got back to my hotel around 1am and decided that, although I had more than enough to eat at 7pm, that it was time to see if the city truly never sleeps. I got dressed again, went outside, and within a block of my hotel were a couple of girls that may have been out, or may have been working, wasn’t sure. But all the pizza and sandwich places I walked by earlier were closed. I made a call on my cell phone to an intermediate New York visitor who suggested I could possibly get mugged. I managed to find a deli next door to my hotel and got a bagel with lox, and cream cheese. So I guess that not every shop or street is bumping 24/7 in NYC, but, if you know where to go you can get almost anything. Still won’t ride the subway until part three. I have no idea what to say tomorrow when lifelong New Yorkers ask me how I like Kansas City. Thankfully, they don’t judge, I tell them it’s ok, but, they know they should only take my word for it. Never vacation in Missouri.
I woke up at 4am, completely dehydrated, the tap water here looks like watered down milk, so I do the unthinkable and grab a $7 bottle of water from the mini-bar, but it so was worth it. I haven't been disappointed or scared or accosted yet, but it is coming.

Live From New York: Part One

Ever have a couple of days that blur together in a good way. When I got on the Long Island Rail Road two days ago I was still 50 miles away from Manhattan but, I instantly experienced an information overload. First newbie mistake, purchased an off peak ticket during peak hours, paid with a crisp twenty, and the freaking machine gave me back ten quarters. A homeless man walks up and asks for a $1.25 to catch the bus, I reach in my pocket and hand him approximately eight quarters, or so I thought until, when I pulled out my ticket and realized that I had received gold dollar coins, not quarters from the machine. Sensing a Karma refund during this trip. Of course, by this point, I can see the train pulling up to the station and I have to frantically bags and all purchase a new ticket from the kiosk, but I make it.
The girls on the train were very Staten Island, at least, according to what I’ve seen MTV’s True Life: I’m From Staten Island. They were very tan, had obnoxious nasal accents, wore too much make up, were dressed to impress, and somehow it was all very alluring. For the first time in months, I listened to my iPod without skipping songs, I just let the soundtrack happen, I found some of it very fitting for the occasion.

Ben Folds – Learn to Live With What You Are
Wings – Maybe I’m Amazed
Sloan – Everything You Are
Spoon - Everything Hits at Once
Alice in Chains – I Am Inside
Notorious BIG – Juicy
Prince – When Doves Cry

I should back up, I have never been to NYC until now. Growing up in LA, I had the west coast attitude that NYC was just a more dangerous, cold, crowded, expensive version of Los Angeles without cars, and yes it is scary, cold, congested, hella expensive, and the majority of cars seem to be taxis. In LA though, I could never land at an airport 50 miles from downtown, and in 70 minutes be there for only ten bucks.
Climbing the stairs out of the subway, I felt dwarfed by the buildings, only when I looked straight up could I see the sky. I schlepped my bags from Penn Station to my hotel five blocks away and on the way walked by no fewer than 8 Sbarro’s, 2 H & M’s, 2 Footlockers, 15 ATMs, and 1 Empire State Building. It was 25 degrees outside, but I never felt cold, the adrenaline from jumping into the current of people hoping I was walking the right direction for 20 minutes kept me warm. I already know, that I going to need to come back. It’s overwhelming, I’ve only been in Manhattan five minutes, and I’m already running late 23 years.

Progress

Well, it has been almost three weeks since I started writing in the blog again. I set some goals for myself back then of things I wanted to achieve before I start work. I think the part that has made the most progress is on the making new friends. I had a great time in Miami with my potential future co-workers. The scene is very different than in Kansas City. In KC I am always distracted by the extreme douchebagery in this town. In Miami, a car drives up and six hot ladies get out. In Kansas City, any hot girl is always accompanied by her boyfriend who is wearing a baseball hat. Every bar has 5 guys for every girl. At the "hot spots" they let fat chicks dance on the tables. In Miami there is no shortage of girls. If you are hungry late at night in KC you go to McDonalds, if you are hungry late at night in South Beach you go where ever you want, Sushi, Gyro, Pizza, Sandwiches, anything, open till 6am. As for building a new wardrobe, I bought one new shirt, its nice, but I think I'm going to need a paycheck to really reach that goal. As for going to NYC, I have a plane ticket to New York tomorrow for my interview on Friday. I am only staying an extra day and coming back Saturday evening since I have another interview in Florida I have to go to on Sunday. At least now I can say I was there even if I don't get to see all that it has to offer. I hope I don't get mugged.
I met some residents and applicants who had been skydiving, I never thought I would consider it, but for some reason I feel like I am missing out. This is clearly a time for change. Interviews are almost over, it has been fun, but, I am so sick of airports. People are incredibly rude and when they are at the airport, it becomes magnified. Like the two women sitting next to me on the plane who began singing like they were playing rock band or something. Or the guy who waws having a conversation with his daughter, that was sitting seven rows in front of us. Or the guy who was having a conversation on his cell phone when the flight attendants already told him to put his phone in the off position. What about the guy who was yelling at people entering the security line because they were walking faster than him to the line entrance. How about the fat man I sat next to who refused to put down the arm rest in between us. And that douche in the pink shirt wearing sunglasses with a backpack that snapped at the flight attendant when she told him he would have to store his backpack in the overhead bin. Turn off your freaking phones people, shut your mouths, and take a nap.