You’re My Boy, Blue

Sad news was received on Tuesday as it was revealed the Blue II, former mascot of the Butler Bulldogs passed away over the weekend.

He was just nine… 63 in dog years… He served as Butler’s mascot from 2004-13… He died of congestive heart failure.

Just last week I was cruising the internet doing research on an upcoming blog entry - The dogs of college football… And that’s when I first read about Blue II’s retirement… In the busyness of a hectic May, I never noticed that Blue II, the mascot for the Butler Bulldogs had stepped aside to be replaced by his brother, Butler Blue III… His final appearance as the mascot was walking with Butler’s 2013 graduating class.

 

Often, as an animal mascot gets passed the expected midway point of his life a successor is picked out and the mascot steps aside to make the transition smooth… Nothing could be more demoralizing than to have an animal mascot serving its term pass away… But much like the passing of a former President, even though they don’t hold the office any more, it doesn’t make the sadness less extreme and the occasion less solemn.

And so it was with Blue II… He was the bulldog roaming the baseline for Butler men’s basketball’s Final Four runs in 2010 and 2011… He was a renowned Twitterer with nearly 14,000 followers… He was known as Butler’s Mascot, America’s Dog.

I’m sad I never got to meet Blue II… I know people who did and I consider them to be lucky.

Regionally famous Bob Ballou with the most handsome person at the Final Four.

He was a dog… And everyone knows that dogs for the most part are better than people… They always love you… They think of others more than themselves... And they never lie… Except when they poop in the house and try to pretend like it wasn’t them.

Dogs laugh with their tails… Even Butler Blue who had a small one… Now I’m just rambling… But I feel like I needed to say something… I watched this video over and over last night… I smiled… I cried… I laughed… I cried… Butler II was an amazing dog... He exemplified all that is good about America... He was Butler's Mascot, America's Dog.

How do we know that all dogs go to heaven?... Because Blue II is there now… He told us in his tweet.

How do I know that all dogs go to heaven? Because I'm there now. It's been a great ride. Thank you all, God bless @butleru, and #GoDawgs
— Butler Blue II (@ButlerBlue2) September 3, 2013

He'll always be missed.

Put the Biscuit in the Basket!

It’s common knowledge among the “in” crowd that there are two things that Sir Mix-a-Lot really likes.

Big Butts and Biscuits.

It didn’t reach national acclaim like “Baby Got Back”, but “Buttermilk Biscuits” is Sir Mix-a-Lot’s greatest artistic endeavor.

(Listen to music while reading)


With that in mind, I was surprised to find that National Biscuit Month is September and not August, the birth month of Anthony Ray (Sir Mix-a-Lot)

Biscuits are a magical item… So much better than normal bread… They’re more versatile than English muffins… They can go places that the dainty croissant wouldn’t dare go…  Unlike scones, they can be the entire meal… Just slather them in some sausage gravy.

I have lofty goals in life… Find the world’s best cheeseburger… Find the world’s best bbq ribs… Find the world’s best mac-n-cheese… Find the world’s best cheese fries… Find the world’s best sweet potato(e) fries… But sadly the one thing I should pursue and woefully neglect is find the world’s best biscuit… I’ve had a few good ones in my day, but not being a breakfast person I tend to overlook one of the crown jewels of the food you put stuff on or in world.

With that being said, this May I was lucky enough to stumble on the epicenter of Biscuitopia… The International Biscuit Festival… I was on a trip with Aggie baseball that took me to Knoxville, Tennessee… As we checked into our hotel on Thursday I gazed out to a bunch of tents being set up on the street… Balloons on the mailbox is the international sign for "party over here"… Tents on the street are the international sign for a "festival of fun"… After checking into the hotel, I sprinted… Sprinted as fast as a morbidly obese person can sprint… It appeared to be a walk… Down to the tents to see what was brewing… That’s when I spotted the sign… International Biscuit Festival… And it’s this weekend!

I immediately sprinted back to the hotel to jump on the computer to see what this was all about… It appeared to be a walk… BiscuitFest.com… It has everything… A food writing conference… a “biscuit bash” gala… a biscuit bake-off… biscuit bazaar selling products to help you become a better biscuiteer... Miss and Mr. Biscuit Pageant… a biscuit songwriting competition… a biscuit brunch… and the thing I would be gunning for... a “Biscuit Boulevard”, where biscuiteers would be slinging their biscuits… The Biscuit Boulevard would be open from 9 am-3 pm on Saturday… Our bus was leaving for the ballyard at 10:30 am… That didn’t leave much time for biscuit gobbling… But a time limit and the light rain falling that morning wouldn’t stop me… At first the ticket seemed steep… $10… For a chance to sample five biscuits.

I've got a golden ticket!

But after the first two, I realized that it was well worth it… The first one I got was a mouthful… Literally and figuratively… Candied Benton’s Bacon, Clabbered Cream, Honey and Balsamic Reduction Buttermilk Biscuit… And then a Sweetwater Valley Smoked Cheddar and Onion Biscuit… The People’s Choice Award winner Andouille Shrimp and Grits Biscuit… With time running short, I managed just one more biscuit… The Pimento Cheese Buttermilk Biscuit.

Candied Benton’s Bacon, Clabbered Cream, Honey and Balsamic Reduction Buttermilk Biscuit

Andouille Shrimp and Grits Biscuit

The only disappointment of BiscuitFest was purchasing a XXL t-shirt without giving it a lookover… The thing is a Large at best… I will never ever ever get to wear it… I don’t think it will fit around my left thigh.

The 2014 International Biscuit Festival is slated for May 15-17… Sadly, unless some unforeseen circumstances occur, I will not be at Biscuit Fest Oh-Fourteen… But hopefully you will.

If you’re in Knoxville when it’s not International Biscuit Festival, go to Tupelo Honey Café… They have amazing biscuits!

The biscuit at Tupelo Honey Cafe in Knoxville... Get there.

I won’t say the following are the best biscuits in the world… I need a lot more sampling to make those claims… but here are some other notable biscuits I’ve tried recently that have, in the worlds of Chris Matthews, gave me this thrill going up my leg.

Maxine’s on Main – Bastrop, Texas

Look at this photo! Biscuits and Gravy with Bacon!

Hullabaloo Diner – College Station, Texas

Biscuits and gravy with eggs and home fries at Hullabaloo Diner... It's worth the hullabaloo.

Waysider – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The rest of the meal was Cracker Barrelish (good but not extraordinary), but these biscuits were near perfection.

Big Bad Breakfast – Oxford, Mississippi

The biscuit was one of the main attractions with the Dear American Airlines... The rest of the meal was toasted sourdough, country ham, egg and cheddar cheese with a side of grits.

11-Worth Café – Omaha, Nebraska

The Robert E Lee... Two sausage patties in between two 2 large biscuits... Served with hash browns and smothered with their semi-world famous country gravy.

Let me know where I need to get some biscuits! … And hopefully we run into Sir Mix-a-Lot

The Quintessential Quintet for the Week (8/30/13)

Five Things From The Week That Was!

1. Zoo View!
I just stumbled across this fantastic new addition to Google Maps Street View... They’ve gone inside of zoos and took a look around... Street Zoo!... or Zoo View!... Now you can check out the zoo before you go.   

Check out the zoo before you go!

2. Artwork
I recently got some Americana art work… Recently being February 2… Armadillo Day posters... Armadillo Day is one of my favorite days of the year… If you’ve always come up with a lame excuse for not going like you have to get a hair cut or have to take a dog to a spa day, we’re probably not friends... February 2 and I just got them framed... After initial sticker shock of how much it cost to get framed (I thought the lady was quoting me the price for all three photos, when it was in fact the price for each frame job individually) I’m delighted at the prospects of having the classiest office at Kyle Field.

Two of the three posters that will make office W143 the classiest at Kyle Field

3. I aint falling for no banana in my tailpipe

Tuesday was National Banana Lover’s Day... Everybody should have celebrated that day, because everybody loves a banana!... I celebrated with Bacon-Wrapped Bananas with Cajun Maple Glaze... They’re amazing… The recipe I ripped off is here.

Bacon-Wrapped Bananas with Cajun Maple Glaze on Moose Plate

4. Two birds one stone
I like to take themed photos and have places for them on Facebook.. One I call “Famous People I’ve Almost Met But I Was Too Afraid To Talk To” (grown adults wearing athletic jerseys outside of the tailgating/game attendance setting) and another is called “Deal Closers” (people who wear BlueToofs around even when they’re not driving in a car)… Friday I got lucky and hit two categories in one photo!... Feel free to send me photos at tdick16@hotmail.com or start your own themed albums!

A guy closing deals AND Johnny Football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. This week’s dog… Reveille VIII
With the opening of college football season, we’re honoring, the First Lady of College Football... Reveille VIII... She’s a Rough Collie and the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets, but she’s also a regal beagle!... Here's a historic timeline of Reveille on AggieAthletics.com

I captured a photo of the largest moving picture of an American Collie ever produced!

Hughes Your Daddy!

What are you going to see when you go to Chicago?

Wrigley Field? It’s okay the first time… No real need to go the second time.

Navy Pier? Meh… Every town with lakefront/oceanfront property has a similar place.

Sears Tower? You’re really far up… and the shits could fall down any time.

What am I going to see when I go to Chicago?

Places from John Hughes movies!

On a recent trip to visit my friend Keith Olenik, AKA Shooter, AKA Shooter McGavin, AKA Ollie the Goalie, AKA The Netminder, who moved to Chicago a few years back, I partook on the semi-ultimate Hugheserism.

It was the Fourth of July and Ollie the Goalie and his apartment buddy Mike were getting ready for the party they were hosting and I didn’t have much to do, so I threw on my Shermer High School Wrestling Shirt and Hit the Road!

Shermer High School Wrestling Rules!

The first visit was stop was 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines…. It’s now the home of an Illinois State Police headquarters… Back in the day it was Maine North High School which served as the exterior for the high school in Breakfast Club… If I had someone along with me, I would’ve recreated the parents dropping the kids off for Saturday school scene… But alas, there was no one there.

Shermer High School now... Five-Oh.

Shermer High School then... Tapin' Larry Lester's buns together.

The next visit was 2604 Lincoln Street, Evanston… The Russell House… From Uncle Buck! It’s everything I thought it would be… I imagined Uncle Buck inside making some big-ass pancakes for the kids… I wanted to park my 1995 Volvo Luxury Sedan in front of the house and snap off some photos, but the neighbors were all eyeballing me… And I have some couth… So I just paced back and forth in front of the house a couple times and snapped off some photos.

The Russell's house now...

The Russell's house then... love the Oldsmobuick!

I didn’t find the next stop to be photo worthy… New Trier High School in Winnetka… It was the school from Uncle Buck, but it had such a face lift that it was nearly unrecognizable… Or I just remember the movie wrong.

After the disappointment, I regrouped and headed to 671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka… The McCallister home!... From Home Alone!... The best non-Christmas movie set at Christmastime ever made… Once again, I had too much couth to turn on the water and run like the wet bandits… So I scurried along and snapped a few shots before the neighbors called the cops.

McCallister's all dressed up for Christmas in a non-Christmas movie.

McCallister's house now.

Side Note… In scientific polling, 74 percent of all people agree that Home Alone is a movie that took place at Christmas and not a Christmas movie.

I was re-energized and headed to the Glencoe Union Church… Where Ginny Baker got married.
Jake: Married?
Long Duk Dong: Married.
Jake: Married?
Long Duk Dong: Yeah. Married
[closes door]
Jake: [turns around, under breath to himself] Married?
Long Duk Dong: Married! Jeez

The Sixteen Candles Church now

The Sixteen Candles Church then

And it’s where Jake was waiting out front for Samantha! … There was nobody waiting outside for me. :(

Matt Dillon waiting by the Porsche!

These days Matt Dillon would have to diagonal park.

Side Note… For about 15 years of my life, I thought Jake Ryan was played by Matt Dillon... I had no idea who Michael Schoeffling was.

It was getting close to Fourth of July Party time, so I made one last stop… Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook… Ferris Bueller’s school!... If I had someone along with me, I would’ve recreated the picking up Sloan Peterson scene… But alas, there was no one there.

Sloan Peterson... Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-ow!

Principal Rooney musta notta let her out of class.

I had the 1995 Volvo Luxury Sedan parked out front waiting for her.

Glenbrook North’s football field was also home of the Judd Nelson football field scene in The Breakfast Club, but they were re-sodding the field, so a fist-raising selfie was not in the cards… Every time I’m on a football field I want to re-enact that scene.

Unable to recreate due to re-sodding of football field.

As a bonus, on the drive back home to Texas I was able to stop by the Sun Motel, Braidwood… Which was the Braidwood Motel in Planes, Trains and Automobiles!... It’s a real shit-hole now.

I love these guys... One of the best movies ever made.

It's a real shit-hole... I woulda re-created the scene, but i didn't want to get molested.

I still have places I need to get to… I’d love to lay in the front lawn like the Donger… Minus getting the canine cologne… And I’d like to see Cameron’s house with the Ferrari garage and Jake Ryan’s house… But that’ll have to wait for next time… Between Wrigley Field and Navy Pier.If you want to see them yourself... Here's a good reference ... Or just give me a heads-up... I'll come check them out with you.

The Slopper!

Rarely am I surprised by a food offering… I’m tuned in to what’s going on in the food world… I used to watch the food TV… I read the food magazines… I partake in in-depth perusal of the food interweb… I know about most regional food offerings.

On my recent trip home from Colorado I was surprised for the first time in a long time… A wonderful surprise.

Timing up meals on trips so they line up with places offering with unique and worthwhile food is one of the keys to making good travel plans.

I thought I had effed this one up… I left my aunt and uncle’s house near Boulder, Colorado to go back to Texas at 6 am… I was taking the Pueblo route to try to find Cousin Eddie’s house… It was supposed to be on US Route 50 East of Pueblo… The course was going to put me in Pueblo at breakfast time… With no other major food destination until Amarillo, six hours away… If I was lucky, I’d find a Cracker Barrel... If I wasn’t lucky, I’d be eating a sausage biscuit from The Flying J.

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s Googling-And-Driving… Or Yelping-And-Driving… As I approached Pueblo, I started my quick research on what to see and where to eat in town… That’s when I came across something I had never heard of before… Multiple references to The Slopper.

The Slopper!

A cheeseburger smothered with red chile or green chile or chile sauce… I don’t know how I had never heard of this before… Pueblo is known for them… It’s their shtick.

Gray’s Coors Tavern (how great is a Tavern named after Coors) and Sunset Inn are the two main names in the town when it comes to The Slopper… I couldn’t wait to try one of them… I was giddy with excitement… But shit!... It’s 8:30 am… Neither one opens until 11 am… The roller coaster of emotions is unreal… Going to have to eat at Cracker Barrel :(… Going to get to eat The Slopper! :) ... Going to have to eat at Cracker Barrel :(

I wonder if they have Coors?

After finding a hotel that was allegedly used in National Lampoon’s Vacation and not recognizing it, so thusly not photographing it, I decided to take one last stab at the GoogleYelpUrbanspooning… That’s when I come across “Musso’s Restaurant”… Three or four people, who I think I can trust, gave reviews on various sites alleging they had the best slopper in town… There’s a science to reading reviews… Never trust someone who has just reviewed one or two places… They’re a plant… Never trust someone who loves every place… Never trust someone who hates every place… My women’s intuition also allows other sciences to sort through the veracity of the reviews… Three or four people were calling this the home of the best The Slopper in town… And they’re open for breakfast! … We’re back in the game.

I got to Musso’s at 9 m… It was about half full on a Sunday… I reckon people eating some vittles before heading to church… I had the nicest waitress… I think she wanted to make out with me… At least that’s what I always think when they constantly refill my beverage without me having to ask.

I gave a fake lookover of the menu… How was I going to order anything but The Slopper

When it came out, it was a sight to behold… I love green chile… This was an open faced double cheeseburger smothered in green chile sauce… The sauce didn’t overpower the cheeseburger, which I reckon would’ve been a pretty solid cheeseburger without the smothering… It also came with some pretty legit fries fries… In all, it was a hardy breakfast… I’d give it a 4.5 on the Yelp scale.

The Slopper at Musso's Restaurant

While eating my meal, I did some Googling-And-Dining, which I almost do as well as Googling-And-Driving… From all that I read, Gray’s Coors Tavern and Sunset Inn were supposed to be a step ahead of all the others and Musso’s was in the next tier… If Gray’s Coors Tavern and Sunset Inn’s The Slopper was better than what I just ate, they have to be pretty amazing, because Musso's was fantastic.

NOT MY PHOTO - The Slopper at Sunset Inn

Pueblo may never be a destination for you, unless you are intent on finding Cousin Eddie’s house, but it should most definitely be “on the way” to somewhere... For The Slopper.

My only regret is giving the menu a fake lookover... As it turns out, Musso’s, which is also known for its homemade Sicilian sausage sandwiches, makes ‘The Italian Slopper’ with sauseege instead of a cheeseburger.

After my inspiring meal, I hit the highway in search of Cousin Eddie’s house, which I never found… But it didn’t matter, because I was happy with what I did find… The Slopper.

I’ll Be at the Library!

When I moved to Texas, I promised myself I was going to do Texas stuff… I spent a year in Georgia for graduate school and didn’t do any Georgia stuff besides work the Olympics, but that really isn’t Georgia stuff… That’s corrupt Europeans taking kickbacks stuff and white trash selling bootlegged items stuff with some sports going on… I worked in North Carolina as an intern and really didn’t do much North Carolina stuff, except audition to be an extra on Dawson’s Creek… Turned down because fat kids don’t go to Cape Side… I don’t want your life… I spent two years in New Mexico and really didn’t do much New Mexico stuff… In my years in New Jersey, I did Jersey Shore stuff, except having to see the butt doctor and the tan part of GTL, but not really much of the other Jersey stuff.

I once worked by Cape Side High School... Pre-scientologist Joey... Meeeeeeee-ow.

That guy was my doctor... We didn't get that friendly. #truestory

So here I was in Texas… Didn’t know nobody… Nobody liked the carpetbagger… If I was going to see Texas, I was going to have to go all by myself... All by myself… Don't wanna be all by myself… Anymore… All by myself… Don't wanna live all by myself… Anymore.
 

So the first week, towards the end of each work day I would scour the sites like Austin360 and Austin Chronicle to see if there was any Texas stuff going on… The first four or five days, there wasn’t much going on, but then August 27th came.

August 27, also known as my sister Alexis’ birthday… She was born when I was a freshman in high school… I was always the baby of the family and then on that day I became Malcolm in the Middle, singing the Meow Mix song.
 

Any how, August 27 is also Lyndon Baines Johnson’s birthday!... LBJ! … The real LBJ… I always cringe when people refer to LeBron James as “LBJ”… His middle name doesn’t start with a B… His mom may be dumb, but she’s not that dumb to name him Le  Bron  James… But I digress… That’s some of my Clevelander coming out.

Any how, on this August 27, the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum was having a birthday party for President Johnson… He wasn’t there… He’s dead… But I went… Because this was something Texasy… And it was literally 100 yards from my office as the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum are on the campus of TU.

It was a grand old party… I had fun, but really never got around to looking at the exhibits and hwat not… I went to the party again the next year and then went with co-worker Travis in 2008 for the big 100th Birthday blowout… It was a shindig to beat all shindig with all sorts of dignitaries… But I still never looked around at the exhibits.

My first time seeing the sights and sounds in the grand building was in October 2010 as a break from Eat Me Austin III: Sisterhood of the Traveling Fat Pants… A six-stop eating tour through Austin… I loved it… I learned… And I love learning… It ranks up there with BBQ and pie.

It was also the site of my first-ever Twittering mishap… I wanted to Tweet “I’m at the LBJ Presidential Museum and Library… The only library for made for the President who had JFK killed” on my personal Twitter account… In the middle of the Tweet, my phone crashed… When the phone rebooted, I forgot that it would go to the Texas Baseball default Twitter account… In my forgetfulness, I sent out the Tweet… Immediately upon hitting the “send” button, I realized my horrifically funny mistake… It took me about 30 seconds to delete that Tweet, but of course in that 30 seconds all of the only flaming liberal Texas Baseball fans saw the Tweet and sent their anger in my direction… It’s not the last Twitter mishap I’ve ever had... Anerica!

In addition to possibly having JFK whacked, LBJ was a close-talker.

Any how it was a fun visit and like I said, I learned a lot… And it was worth the price… Which was free… Best bang for the buck in Austin.

Two weeks ago, I made a return trip… And it’s 150% better… They refurbished most of it, so it’s almost a whole new place… The videos are now state-of-the-art and the presentation and signage was brought into the 21st century… The Library will soon be charging a nominal fee, but until then there is a transition period in which they’re suggesting donations… Even when there is an admission fee, it will be worth the price.

My return visit to the LBJ Library and Museum... I Farleyed It!

There’s nothing more American than a Presidential Library and Museum… Don’t believe me?... Try to find one in Communist Russia… Or Socialist Europe.

Generally, the “Library” portion has a majority of the Presidents’ papers, records, collections and materials and scholars and researchers can peruse through the documents by appointment… The “Museum” portion is open to everyone and has permanent displays pertaining to the President and then some temporary exhibits to "keep it fresh".

“Who had the first Presidential Library?” you might ask… None other than Rutherford B. Hayes… That’s right… Rudy… Rudy… Rudy… Rudy... Dates back to 1909.

You might be surprised to find out that not every former President has a Library and Museum… As a matter of fact, just 22… Notable Presidents that currently don’t have one include John Adams (John Quincy Adams has one), James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson and Chester Arthur… Most of the "Libraries" and "Museums" are housed in the same complex, but Gerald Ford has his Museum in Grand Rapids and his Library in Ann Arbor... 130 miles apart.

They like Ike!

The “Presidential Library System” is a network of 13 libraries overseen by the Office of Presidential Libraries under the direction of the National Archives and Records Administration… Every former President since Herbert Hoover now has one.

The National Park System administers some “birthplaces” and “homes” and other historic sites for numerous other Presidents which are also often well worth the visit.

Much like with frisky co-eds, the busts are often my favorite part of a Presidential Library

If you like history and/or you like politics, Presidential Libraries and Museums are fantastic places to visit… So far I’ve been to six, including LBJ, George HW Bush (on the campus of Texas A&M - I'll take you when you don't visit), Ronald Reagan (Simi Valley, California), Richard Nixon (Yorba Linda, California), Dwight D Eisenhower (Abilene, Kansas) and William McKinley (Canton, Ohio)… The only one that disappointed a little bit was the McKinley one… They aren’t part of the Office of Public Libraries, so they’re struggling to stay above water… With that in mind they’ve added a “Fascination Station” and “Discover World” to talk about dinosaurs and robots… Basically trying to attract kids… Unless McKinley had something to do with dinosaurs and robots that I don’t know about.
 

You can't hide this excitement!

President McKinley is well recognized as the first U.S. President to ride a dinosaur, so this makes sense in his library and museum.

Unless you’re a right-wing whack job or the more common left-wing whack job, you can enjoy the Presidential Library and Museum no matter what the party affiliation of the inhabitant.

I’ve added the ones I haven’t seen to my ever-growing bucket list… Coming up soon the Ulysses S Grant Presidential Library in Starkville, Mississippi; William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock and George W.Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.