I don't normally write about myself. However, I have, on occasion, run across blog posts where bloggers reveal interesting facts about themselves. So here for your enjoyment are some random things about me:
1. How many books do you have on your shelf waiting to be read?At last count it was somewhere around 40. If I would just stop visiting used book stores like
this one (my personal favorite) I might be able to catch up on my reading. Here are five random titles from the "to be read" shelf:
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns GoodwinJohn Adams by David McCulloughSecond Objective by Mark FrostOpening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season by Johnathan EigThe Faith of The American Soldier by Stephen Mansfield2. One of my favorite foods is pizza - especially Chicago style.I love pizza. It's one of my great weaknesses. My first exposure to truly wonderful pizza was a college trip to Chicago (in the dead of winter, no less - oh to be young and foolish) where I was introduced to
Gino's East. Chicago style pizza is by far the best and Gino's is the place to get it.
Giordano's is a close second and is my preferred choice when in Orlando. By the way, you can order from both places by mail. It's worth the price.
My work takes me to Louisville every year and the trip would not be complete without at least one order from
Wick's Pizza. Just forget about the diet and dig in.
If you're looking for something a little more unusual in pizzas, try
Blossom Cafe in Charleston, SC. They bake their pizzas in a wood-burning oven and offer more exotic topping combinations than your ordinary pizzeria.
Another Charleston-area pizzeria worth mentioning (and a little on the unusual side) is
Evo. The thing that makes their pizzas so good is that they use only local, fresh ingredients.
3. My other favorite food is hot dogs.Another food that is not diet-friendly, I became a hot dog snob living (briefly) in Chicago.
Nathan's and
Hebrew National may be the best known and most readily available all-beef hot dogs but nothing beats
Vienna Beef. Any self-respecting hot dog joint in the city will serve them and they are absolutely the best. If you're willing to pay the price, you can purchase them on line alone or in a kit that allows you to make them the way Chicagoans eat them.
4. The person I've seen perform in concert the most times is....James Taylor (four times). Runner up:
Chris Rice (twice). They are the only two performers I have seen more than once.
5. When travelling, my favorite places to eat are....First of all, I always make it a point to have at least one meal at a local restaurant. I've made some great discoveries by willing to break out of my comfort zone and try some place that is unique to whatever town I'm visiting. But it's inevitable that when you're on the road you'll hit some chain restaurants. Here are my three favorites:
Fast Food:
Chick-Fil-A. If it's a chicken sandwich you want, where better to go than to the original source. Plus, I love the fact that our of conviction, they are closed on Sundays.
Casual Restaurant:
Panera Bread. I love bread and I also love pastries. This has the best of both worlds. It's also a place I could eat any meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) and be truly satisfied.
Sit-down Restaurant: Sometimes a little longer respite from travel is needed and
Cracker Barrel is the perfect place. I love the down-home, Southern style cooking plus you can get breakfast any time of the day. It's also one of the few chains that is consistently good at every location.
