Justin and the 72 oz Steak

While we were in Amarillo we had to hit up the Big Texan Steak Ranch. After all, it's the home of the Free 72oz Steak. You can't be in a town, see something like that, not check it out, and call yourself a human being. Come on...

Going into this, we all knew Justin is a little bit crazy. None of us had any idea he was 72 oz crazy... But I mean, who can blame him? At first glance it almost seems possible. Eat a 72 oz steak... Get it free... Pretty simple, right? 

Not so much... It's actually a "steak dinner

". A shrimp cocktail,  a dinner salad, a baked potato, a dinner roll, and oh yeah... a five pound steak. Still in? Oh wait, you have to do it all in one hour, on a stage with the whole place staring you down. Still? Me either... But God bless he went for it. 

And let me say that you haven't lived until you've seen a five pound steak.

I thought I could almost hear "God Bless America" floating faintly on the Texas wind. Well, it was either that or the sound of like 10 million starving Africans saying, "Come on?!?!?!"

But, none the less, it was impressive... And he really stuck with it... He was on pace through the first 20 minutes... He didn't make it, but he got about 45 oz, the salad, shrimp, and dinner roll... So, all in all, I'd say it was a triumph of gluttony. 

Justin may be one of my heros. 

jb

I Love Red Robin

Red Robin is the best. It reminds me of hanging out in high school after a football game or something. Plus, it just rules. We try and stop whenever we can... Found one in VA like 10 minutes away from the hotel. Miguel and Justin ordered pizza, but they forgot the golden rule... "Good things happen to you when you go to Red Robin."

Natalie, Joe, and I loaded up and went to find it. Not only was there a Red Robin, but in the mall parking lot right next to it there was a freaking CARNIVAL! Holy crap... Cotton candy, ferris wheel, carnie folk... Everything you could want in a mall parking lot and more. 

Nat was so excited I thought she might explode. We really wanted to ride some stuff, but for being a mall parking lot carnival they sure thought a lot of themselves. It was something like $8 to ride the ferris wheel once... F that noise... So we just walked around. Nat got her carmel apple... Then we left...

...I love Red Robin...

jb

Hootie In A Huge Chair

Way bigger than a chair should rightfully be...

And for that matter, way happier that any normal person should
rightfully be to be sitting in a huge chair...

jb

I Love Truck Stops - Part 2

Best aerosol brand ever... just says it all...

 

jb

USAO

The women's group at USAO in Chickasha, OK were selling some pretty amazing merch at their booth. 

Nothing like seeing a bunch of eighteen-year-old boys walking around with buttons that say I <3 Vagina and not knowing why. All the proceeds went to support local women's shelters though, so that helps a little with the pain. 

I got these for my mom. (She's a women's health physician)

Wow. 

jb

 

I Love Truck Stops - Part 1

If I could describe Joe in one picture... This would be it.


We were in a truck stop somewhere in South Carolina and they actually had a fake tiger-skin rug. Who goes into a gas station and says... "Chex Mix? check... Beef Jerky? check... Giant fake Tiger-skin rug? Ummmm.... Oh, there it is. Check."

I love truck stops.

Mr. Belding

Some days everything falls into place and your life just makes sense. Today was one of those days. We are in St. Louis playing a national college booking conference. After our showcase I was sitting down by the booth watching Natalie get mobbed by college kids looking for autographs and rice krispy treats. All of a sudden Miguel appeared from around the corner and said, "I just saw Mr. Belding!!"

I laughed it off assuming he meant he saw some crazy guy walking around that looked like Mr. Belding. After all, he's Chilean, you never know where he's coming from. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw that something had changed in him. Only the real Belding could inspire something like that. I knew he was telling the truth.

So we took off across the giant expo hall... Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, there he was. The man that governed the High School of my youth. Mr freaking Belding. It was awesome.

We got our picture taken with him. It was great.