Posts Tagged ‘Searcy’

there’s a sweet, sweet tea in this place

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Tonight, I called up my best friend Brandon and his wife Joy to see if they wanted to go to dinner. This is a nice arrangement since they are two of my favorite people. Also, Claira comes with them, so I always have a cute date. (She doesn’t talk much, and she’s only thrown up on me once so far.)

Brandon wanted to try the new deli in town, McAllister’s. Apparently, when a restaurant opens up with a brand new staff, they go through a test run, like a recital or something. I’d never heard of that before, but it seems like a good idea. Joy explained that they typically do this by invitation, but tonight they let us in anyway. Brandon always was a smooth talker.

Hands down, the best thing about this rehearsal dinner (beside the fact that it’s not for a wedding) is that they provide free food… and there is a lot of food. I had veggie chili and a veggie baked potato. In retrospect, that was too much food. These baked potatoes are gigantic… easily as big as two or three of the normal-sized variety. For those who feel more carnivorous, there is a fine selection of roast beef, chicken, and even salmon. If you can manage to eat anything else when you’re finished, you may also take on one of their eight desserts (yes, there is cheesecake, freaks).

I’m wagering the entire staff was on hand for this ordeal, because they were on the ball. I dare anyone to try and finish a glass of their sweet tea (of mythic proportions) before a server offers to refill it. I’m not kidding, three different servers offered us refills in the space of 60 seconds. As for the tea, it may not be Philip’s addiction from Starbucks, but it’s very good if you like Southern style sweet tea.

At the end of our meal, Yolonda and Haley (forgive me if I’ve misspelled the names) introduced themselves, asked how we enjoyed our meal, and then got to know us. In addition to her work with McAllister’s, Yolanda runs a cleaning business and interacts with some of the Harding professors on a regular basis. Haley just returned from a year long mission trip in Honduras. I suspect I’ll be seeing more of them, as I intend to return after they have their grand opening. Yolanda told me that they even offer free WiFi, so I can do my homework or stalk facebook from there.

If you have the opportunity, I recommend checking them out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need get going… too much sweet tea.

Left to right: Yours truly, Yolonda, Haley

Left to right: Yours truly, Yolonda, Haley

grammar fail

Saturday, September 27th, 2008

Today I saw this while I was walking to campus:

tag

your it

His what?

D to the B

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

I’m sitting here at the Saturn dealership in Little Rock having my car checked out, listening to my man Dave Barnes (see I was movin’ forward, I thought I was fine), thinking about the events that have conspired to bring me to Arkansas on a rainy Tuesday morning.

In many ways, it feels like I’m picking up where I left off four and a half years ago. I left Searcy in December of 2003 with no clear idea of where I was headed or what I was doing. If you’d asked me whether I expected to spend 4 years in Pensacola, I’d have laughed. If you’d asked me whether I planned to return to Searcy, I might have laughed harder (He’s gonna meet me where the mountain beats me, and carry me through.)

In others, though, it feels like I’m starting a brand new chapter–despite the familiar scenery. When I left, I was still dating the girl I thought I would marry. Now I’m decidedly single. Four years ago my brother wasn’t married, and now I’m about to be an uncle! (I always thought that love was frightening, I always thought it’d be so rough.) Before, I had never worked at a “real job,” I certainly had never been responsible for the work of other people, and I had no clue about the world of finance. Now I have been a fence builder, a substitute teacher, and a supervisor at a bank call center. For all the failures, disappointments, and surprises the this time has offered, I feel more like a man and less like a boy than I did when I left. I have learned how to keep a more realistic perspective on my emotions, and how to do fulfilling things even when I’m in a holding pattern. I’ve also learned a lot about how not to do things. I’ve learned that I love my parents as individuals and not just as caretakers, and I learned that maybe I’m not as smart as I think.

I don’t know how long I’ll remain in Searcy this time around. I’d wager it won’t be much longer than it takes me to finish this program, but I’ve been wrong before. What I do know is that I’m thankful to the God who has brought me this far and who loves me despite my ignorance and my flaws. (I need you now and forever, just stay right here with me; don’t ever leave.) He is truly the great redeemer, physician, and teacher. Praise Him for all this and more!

In the meantime, looks like this repair is going to cost me (this is the sound that’s made when a heart breaks.) It’s still raining, and I’m still smiling. : )

gotta love wifi at saturn

gotta love wifi at saturn

i met miss vickie at subway

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Since I’ve arrived in Searcy, I’ve developed a good working relationship with my local Subway. The staff recognize me now and have made fun of my sunburn, going so far as to chide me not to get burnt again last weekend. I like it there.

The main reason for my patronage is that every day, they offer the “wrap of the day” at only $2.69. You can also order a fresh fit meal if you wish, for which the total comes to $4. I like Wednesdays because that is when they offer the Veggie Delite wrap. I’m not quite sure why that isn’t a perennial “wrap of the day,” since it is the same as any other wrap, minus the meat. I’ve been tempted to order the daily wrap and have them leave off the meat, but I digress.

This week I noticed that they put a sign up, advertising a new flavor of Miss Vickie’s chips (buttermilk ranch). Let me give credit to my Canadian friend Dan (not my old roommate, for those who know him) at church because he told me all about these chips from Canada. They are kettle-cooked, which is a northern thing, I guess (thanks, Sara).

I usually don’t even eat chips anymore because I’m trying to eat healthier, get in shape, and rid my body of the chemicals that reside in so many of our foods. However, I feel pretty good about recommending Miss Vickie’s buttermilk ranch chips, for a few reasons. First, they are delicious. I’m going to have to be careful not to go buy a cart-load from Kroger and chow down all night. Second, they contain no HCFC. This means that I’ve found a tasty chip that I can feel comfortable indulging in moderation.

Thank you Canada, for contributing this great snack food to our society, and for having a very catchy national anthem.

thumbsup