What's Up With Wendy's???

Since the passing of Dave Thomas in 2002, Wendy's Restaurants seem to have been on a steady decline.  It used to be you could count on getting a really good burger and fries from one of the locations for a decent price.  The Frosties were great too.  Not any more.

Franchises are closing.  The ones that are open often seem dirty and understaffed.  The last three times I ordered (3 different locations) the food tasted terrible (burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and the berry frosty).  Nasty is the only word to describe it!  When the drink is the best part of the meal, something is majorly wrong!

Not to single out the little red haired girl, my experiences at McClown's and Burger Kinger haven't been much better. Maybe fast food (which I really shouldn't be eating anyway) has just become substandard.  It doesn't seem like Arby's, Chick-Fil-A, and Taco Bell are so bad.  Perhaps I should just stick to them if I'm in a hurry.  Anyway, I just had to beef about it (LOL). Until next time.

Chicken, Chicken, Chicken...and You Gonna Like it

Any of you who lived in Pittsburgh in the 80s and 90s remember the commercial with restaurateur, Lou Pappan, saying those words. Pappan restaurants closed their doors in 2007, much to the chagrin of locals.

I'm going to use that same phrase to describe Raise the Roost Food Joints awesome chicken.  If your lucky, you can find one inside your local 7Eleven.  Raise the Roost has locations across the Northeast and as far south as South Carolina.  While visiting Charleston, I stopped to get gas and discovered one by accident.  It was love at first bite.  Great tasting chicken, potato wedges, and biscuits!  Lucky for me I found one not far from where I live in da 'Burgh.  

If ya see one, stop by and get some bird.  Trust me on this one.  Hey, have I steered you wrong yet?

Soccer - Pittsburgh Style

My son and I went to see the Riverhounds play at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh.  Even though the Hounds lost to Louisville  1- nil, great time had by all.  They had fireworks after which was a first for the Riverhounds. It was a beautiful night.  Take a look - the 'Burgh makes a great backdrop!

 

Cats Always Land on Their Feet...Skates

Congratulations to the Florida Panthers for winning their first Stanley Cup.  They beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7.  It was a hard fought series.  Both teams played amazing hockey.  Very enjoyable for hockey fans to watch.

 

Passed the Taste Test

Hey All,

I wanted to share some new stuff (to me) that I have discovered as of late.  

The first is Gaelic Ale by Highland Brewing.  Smooth.  Easy to drink.  Try some.

Next is Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea.  Awesome!  Can't stop drinking the stuff.  

Garden Veggie "Flavor Burst" Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips rounds out the group.  Addictive!  Trust me, eat one and off to the races you go.  Crazy good!

Well that's it sports fans.  Try 'em and see of you like 'em as much as I did.  Thank me later.

 

If It's June, We're In The Carolinas

My cousins from across the U.S. decided to have a family reunion in Ocean Isle, S.C.  On the way down, we took some time to visit George Vanderbilt's amazing estate Biltmore in Ashville.  What an absolutely incredible place.  It is truly awe inspiring.  The building, the grounds, the history. Loved it.  Go down to the winery and sample some of the wines they make on site.  It is well worth it and very enjoyable.  We ended up buying several bottles while we were there.  Bringing home a bit of Biltmore with us you could say.

Next stop Ocean Isle, N.C.  We had a beautiful rental right on the beach.  The water was decently warm.  Temps were in the 90s.  The ocean breeze made it bearable.  It was great to see my family.  Some of us it has been over 40 years since we have seen one another.  Many stories and memories shared and new ones created.  One of the "goobers" in this picture is me.  Any guesses as to which one?  

Last stop, Charlotte, S.C. We love traveling through the South.  If you followed my blog long enough, you know we've been all over Florida, Tennessee, San Antonio, Birmingham, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Myrtle Beach, and Nags Head.  (Many more destinations down the road!).  Charlotte is beautiful!  We stayed at a small B & B (the Bijou).  We explored The Market (hundreds of vendors).  Ate at Lewis Beef - Soooooooooooo good!!! Did the harbor tour (saw Fort Sumter, some dolphins, and a bunch of Southern Mansions.) Took the bus tour the next day - tons of history (Colonial to the Present).  The last night, we did the dinner walk.  Four different restaurants.  Great food, met some super nice folks, and had a very enjoyable time.  Stopped at my favorite supermarket before we left....Harris Teeter. We don't have them in Pittsburgh and it's a treat when I get to shop in one and get things I can't buy here.

All in all, a wonderful week.  As always, it is great to be back home.  Thanks for checking out my blog.  I am grateful that you do.  Be safe out there!

When the Dust Settled

These two miniatures are from the Dust Tactics: Operation Cerberus game.  The female is the Axis sniper/assassin Angela Wolf and the other is called The Chef.  Angela comes complete with sniper rifle.  The Chef has a napalm canister and two hand-held flamethrowers.

I painted Angela much like she appears on the box cover.  I changed the gray uniform of the Chef to olive drab.  These two will be added to my ever expanding Weird War collection.  Someday they will reach the gaming table....someday.

Power Up

I've been on a kick as of late building/painting terrain.  I purchased this Gothic Generator from Secret Weapon Miniatures last year.  It is a super cool looking model.  I painted it black, then coated it with glitter.  Some copper color areas were added in a few spots and then everything was given a clear coat.  I made a custom base for it  The only issue was assembly.  The clear green rods were too long and had to be cut down,  Then they were too big for the holes in the base and had to be filed down some.  The big issue was getting the rods to line up so that the top could be attached.  NO FUN!  It's all finished now and looks pretty decent as far as I'm concerned.  Take a look.  As always, thank you for taking the time to view my humble little blog.  Until next time.

Fantasy 4 Played

I just got these D&D Miniatures in the mail today.  I ordered them from Barnes & Noble.  $20 for 4 of the smallest miniatures that you have ever seen.  The one in the middle (the largest one) is broken off its base.  I thought the Scarab thingy was a token.  I know Kobolds are small, I get it. The other figure is smallish compared to other D&D figures I have.  Now they are on clear bases.  Okay, so I'll have to paint them to fit in with the rest of collection.  Not a big deal, but a bit of a bother. It just seems like there is not much here for the money.  I know the price of everything keeps going up, but this just seems like I'm being ripped off.  It might be time to end the D&D miniatures collecting.  There are plenty of other options out there.

 

Vat's Happening??!!

While I was looking for some WH40K Miniatures I bought last year, I came across this piece of terrain that I forgot I even had.  This is a Chemical Tank.  It was a 3D print that looks amazing. I painted the liquid with shades of green, yellow, and a bit of orange.  The tank was painted gray with charcoal support columns.  The pump and bolts were painted a dark silver.  When everything dried I gave it a wash of black paint and later went in with some light gray highlights.  

I added some rust to some to the metal areas,  I used the old super glue and water trick to created the overflow down the side of the tank. (Pour the super glue onto the area you want to create the flow.  Let it sit for a second or two.  Dip you finger in water and touch the superglue areas you want to raise. Repeat until you get the desired texture.)  When it dried I painted it the same way I did the liquid.  When it dried I went back and gave all the green areas a coat of sparkle paint to give a metallic feel to the chemicals.

I added two decals; a Danger Sign, and a Toxic Waste Sign.  I clear coated everything and called it a day. I plan to add this to my Chemical Plant Project whenever I get to it. Take a peek.  Don't get too close!!!

 

The Far East

 ...well, Pittsburgh, anyway...I mean it is in the eastern part of the U.S.A., ...whatever.  For the past several months, I have been enjoying some products I have to rave about.

I love Chinese food.  I literally could eat it multiple times per week.  To fill in those times when I can't get to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, I have found some great munchies from Pagoda.  Their Chicken Egg Rolls are super.  Just follow the directions on the box and they turn out perfect.  Dip them in some hot Chinese Mustard by Ka-Me for a real treat (hot & spicy, but not over the top).  Also good is the Crab Rangoon.   They come with a sweet dipping sauce.  Put them in the air fryer and they are done in no time.  Fabulous!!!

If you haven't tried Pagoda Products yet, I encourage you to do so.  They are reasonably priced and very enjoyable. "Chi Hao He Hao"