"Eating my Words"...a tale of Cheeseburgers

You know it's bad when you've got cheeseburgers on the brain. In Greenwood, a small city with a population that hovers around 20,000, we have several small joints that serve Cheeseburger specials every day for $5 and some change, including drink, fries and/or onion rings. Even though I have lived in Greenwood for over two years, I have only eaten at one of these establishments.

So with this in mind, I am surrounding myself with a few burger aficionados and we will conquer the small joints in town, thereby reviewing each places' "Cheeseburger Plate Special."

Last Friday Kathy, Karen and I visited the Garden Grille at 12:05 pm. The parking lot was full and the smell of grease hung in the air.

We each ordered the lunch plate, with drink and fries or half-and-half (that would be half fries and half onion rings for you Yankees that need assistance with local lingo). Comments were jotted down on a PRO/CON notepad between bites. Karen used many adjectives in her review. Kathy loved the burger, commenting that it needed pickles and had a little too much mayo. We all agreed it was a freshly made whole beef burger (not a frozen patty) and made for a messy lunch. The burger literally slid off the bun.

The staff scored huge points for hospitality, refilling drink glasses and serving hot, hot food. I am very particular about my meal arriving hot. At the Garden Grille your fries and onion rings are brought to the table piping hot!!

So, Karen's notes are as follows:

PROS: Real Beef, not prefab, but a hand-patted burger !!-- She ordered a cheeseburger all the way with 1/2 and 1/2. Her meal cost $7.24.

Crispy Fries

Friendly Environment

CONS:

Only that it was a messy burger, but, oh yes... a roll of paper towels was provided for our table.

Kathy agreed with all of the above but added the following comments:

Burger was messy due to a little excess mayo. She forgot to order pickles on her cheeseburger and this was very important. She had the cheeseburger special with fries, no onion rings. Her tab came in under $6 bucks.

Denine: Cheeseburger plate with 1/2 and 1/2, no onions on my burger.

PROS: Real beef! Super good fries and onion rings. Friendliest restaurant staff I've met in a long time.

CONS: Mayo caused burger to slide off of bun. Forgot the pickles too and prefer, ketchup, mustard and mayo combo. The beef had a slightly salty taste, not bad just different.

We must compare to other joints, but this was a great first experiment. And none of us southern gals could finish the food on our plates. So, Garden Grille gets high marks for fast service, hot food, hospitality and a tab of $7.24 for the Cheeseburger Special 1/2 and 1/2.

Next up: The Dixie where they serve a pickle Coke!!

My Skydivng Adventure

Saturday morning the thermometer read 32 degrees- yes, freezing my friends. I was scheduled to arrive at Sky Dive Carolina, located in Chester, SC at 9am sharp. After registering and signing not 1 extensive waiver but 4, releasing the school from any liability in the event of my injury or possible death, I ran to the bathroom for my first nervous tinkle of the morning.

In the lobby were other first time tandem jumpers, most of whom were barely 21 years old and college students at USC. Yes, it's true I was the oldest person jumping that morning. Okay, not including the already trained professionals. Actually, I wasn't sure why I was the oldest person there, but I can tell you that it was not at all comforting for my 45 year-old ego.

So, first you sign your life away, agreeing that even your future heirs may never sue the skydiving company for anything. Then your group is taken into a room for actual jumping instructions. Part 2 was a hilarious instruction video featuring a lawyer (in suit and tie) reminding you that you just signed your rights away. Should you chicken out at this point, your $50 deposit is gone forever. Seriously, the video in all fairness gave you the basics: Keep your chin up, cross your arms and arch your back when exiting the plane. Landing correctly was also briefly demonstrated because each tandem instructor has his own method hitting the ground safely. Again, such comforting advice.

Next, an cool instructor entered the room and said, "Uh so did you watch the video?" "Any questions, ha ha?" He was wearing a jumpsuit unzipped to the waist, and spoke in this like totally surfer dude language. I thought he just woke up and hadn't had his first cup of coffee yet this morning. Nice... Nobody asked too many questions. I think we were all too afraid of being the stupid one in the class, raising our hand only to be humiliated. I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong. So, I leaned over to my husband and said, "Okay this is what you do for exit, this is what you do for landing right?" He nodded. Time for nervous tinkle #2 which would be my last before my jump.

At this point we were suited up in a lovely gray jumpsuit, a rubberized helmet and goggles that reminded me of Madonna's bra, all pointy and uncomfortable. We walked outside and into the hangar with our instructors and were put into harnesses suitable for beasts of burden. Two straps between the legs, straps at the shoulders and another belt around the waist. My instructor kind of lifted me up and into my harnesses and then began the fun process of tightening each individual belt to the point of killing any circulation in my lower half.

I chose to have my adventure photographed and videotaped so my camera man Quincy began to pepper me with questions. He was in my face every second on the ground and in the plane. And then of course, he jumped out of the plane a second before my jump so he could record my exit and take lovely still photos of me, mid-air screaming JESUS! or AWESOME! He encouraged the thumbs up sign too, alot. I think he was also there to remind us jumpers to breathe because it is a known fact that first timers tend to hold their breath and panic :)))

I can honestly say this was the biggest thrill ride of my life and it was over all too soon. Free falling is an amazing experience and my instructor also let me steer the parachute right or left. After the initial fear of jumping out of the plane, everything else allows you to see God's beauty and creation first hand. It was amazing and I look forward to Jump #2 next spring... So for now, I proudly cross this item off my 101. Another fear conquered, another amazing story for this middle-aged mama. P.S. My instructor's name was Alan. Coincidence? I think not.

By the way, here is the video of my jump!

Until next time breathe.

Free Fallin'

Here is my theme song for the day: Free Fallin'

More 101

#6--Jump out of an airplane without breaking any bones. Scheduled to jump this Saturday 11-at 9 a.m. May purchase Depends undergarments as backup plan.

#47--Visited Chicago and loved it. Never saw Oprah or any celebs but I did see my childhoodriend Michele Cinna from home. Heard great blues & rock while there. Ate at Hot Doug's. Life is complete.

#87--Visited Athens, GA in October.

#100--Love Letter to my Mom (see post prior to this one).

A Love Letter to Mom

Mother, Mommy, and then my Mom

Caregiver

Playmate

Gram’s love

Sunday School at Hope Lutheran

Summer camp where I learned to love Jesus

Swimming at Aunt Julie’s, Drive-in movies and Kennywood Park

Best cook in the world—homemade sauce & meatballs, grape leaves & stuffed olives

Anise bread for the holidays

Mancini’s Bread every day, provolone cheese and Beto’s pizza

Rough years in Jr. High, temper tantrums too

Carnegie Assembly of God got me straightened out

Apology letters to each other. Do you remember those notes we’d write?

Confidante in High School. Bruce, being at Gram’s house, love & graduation. Median School. My first car!

A new beau, this Allen from Virginia

How will you support my daughter you asked?? A ring and a promise to care for me

No worries Mom cos I’m sure he’s the One and I’m going to be Ok

Allen, my lover, my soul has been all that and more

Leaving behind Pittsburgh and my family…job in DC is calling--despair

Baby on the way, JD the blonde haired blue eyed peanut. You all came to take care of me. Colicky child #1

Toddler and Bethany kicking in the womb. Again you came. A boy and a girl, both within 2 years; colic again!

Maryland, the good years. Inner Harbor…you keeping the kids for weeks in the summer!

Bethany’s dance recital, a memory for sure. Fleetwood, Oley, Vacation in St. Pete. Riding out the hurricane and Universal Studios—we all jumped!

More trips back & forth with Megz in tow. Wave pool, Hershey Park. Yay!

Kids are growing up too fast. High schoolers now and graduation looms.

2004—JD graduates; 2005—B graduates. Colleges far away. Heartache over Jordan. Missing Bethany.

Our relationship is changing; Can you feel it? What can I say? I’m a grown woman too. Not always on the same page, but the love is always there Mom, it’s always been there. Respect and love. Remember that you pointed me to Jesus. Remember that you loved me no matter what I did or said. And I love you all the more…

Denine

Windy City

Chicago is by far one of the most beautiful cities in the US, hands down... I could stay here for a month to eat, eat and eat some more. But truly it offers so much to do with its array of museums, blues music, shopping districts and of course hot dogs. Pictures to follow but I want to go on record by saying that Anthony Bourdain knows what he's talking about when it comes to finding the best hole in the wall eateries. Hot Doug's was well worth the trip!