Thoughts

Some random thoughts as I'm watching the Nathans hot dog eating contest:

1. Where do they get these titles on ESPN and/or who thinks up these competitions? "Cheese fries specialist." "Beef brisket buffet-eating champion." "Specializes in meat on the bone." "World jellied cranberry sauce champion." "Major League Eating's only faith-based eater." (What's a faith-based eater?)

2. We lived near a French restaurant that was an institution in Hell's Kitchen. It had been there for years until it got evicted by the landlord, who claimed he wanted to tear the building down so he could build a condo building. They finally ended up closing in the spring after fighting the eviction in court for years. Last Friday, I looked out the car window and was shocked. They had just taken down the Le Madeleine awning in the past week or so, and what was there now? A new red awning. For a new French restaurant. Looking like a mini-branch of a French restaurant near my office. So, the landlord lied? Not that I should be shocked, but I am. I really thought he evicted them so he could tear the building down, not put in a new restaurant. It's so close to the apartment, and I don't want to hold it against the tenant, but the actions of the landlord... just shady.

3. How do you eat 171 pieces of sushi in 6 minutes? (Or was it 8, I don't remember.)

4. I don't recall previous summers having these types of rain threats. Nowadays it's like a threat of scattered thunderstorms daily. It's like living in Florida. I need a poncho.

5. And I want to go back to Epcot.

6. It's hard to eat while they're eating hot dogs. Because the face-stuffing is actually kind of gross. And our TV cuts off half of the tracking chart on the top corner of the screen. People only have half names.

7. Yesterday at work we had an ice cream social as a summer associate event. It was Coldstone and I was expecting large cartons of premixed combinations, but they had the slabs and mixed them for you, just like in the store. I ended up getting vanilla with a brownie, Oreo and rainbow sprinkles. The only thing missing was cake batter ice cream. Mmm. Cake batter ice cream.

8. I don't know how you can compete in major league eating and eat this much, and still be so thin. Or competitively eat cannolis. Or pickled jalapenos.

9. I can't wait to see Wall-E.

10. Kobayashi is awesome. I don't understand why these commentators think it's such a big deal "if the belt stays in America." It's not like Americans don't like Kobayashi. Seriously. And the 5 dog eat-off? So disgusting. At least this way the commentators don't get to whine about America not winning on Independence Day. *eyeroll*