What's on your Tuesday Menu?

Wow, that was quite the travel! Happy belated birthday Mr. Oliver. I also dread conversations and stress over them, I hope they go well.

Thanks! I told my boss today I'm looking for other positions. That was the fun one! :) the rest is a day in the life, so to speak.

Baby Oliver potato for reference. I don't miss the shark teeth days.

I hope your boss supports whatever is best for you. I think I can smell the puppy breath!

that puppy is adorable!!

re: job search - are you hoping to stay in the area? A big life change like that can be so invigorating!!

He's definitely adorable, even after his eyeliner came in and he got his feet under him. After that, the world is his oyster..

Yep, I'm going to see about staying with the company and in the area. I've changed jobs internally a number of times...technically even careers based on focus area changes. I like my little house and have a plan to get it paid off in the next couple of years. If I were looking to move it's definitely New England...but that's probably still in the future. Now a remote job would be awesome, though too much hermit risk!

Whew, what a trip! I'd love to hear a recap of successes and challenges throughout the trip.

Hmm. Successes...I did it! There were questions around the "what if something goes wrong? " piece that I decided couldn't be solved by just staying at home and waiting. I cleared my mind since there's tons of time for introspection. The driving part for me is freeing. Very little in way of itinerary other than ideas on where I want to go. I succeeded in completing my partially unintended hot dog circuit. The michigans in Plattsburgh were planned. The Greek dogs in Eerie and the dogs in Toledo were something I'd looked at but weren't officially on the books for this trip. The great hot dog circuit is closed in my mind. I discovered new local places, which is one of my great joys in travel. Local tea shop? Farmstead on the side of the road? Unique, ethically sourced local chocolate shop? Yes, please. I absolutely squirrel off on random things, and that's part of what I like having the space to do. Oh, car setup! I had my camping mattress in the back and it's pretty darned comfy with the magnetized curtains blocking the windows. Priuses are really efficient at regulating car atmosphere so the windows don't fog. I got time on the water. Time with friends. Time meeting people and having great conversations. Good food. Fall in New England. Learning new things.

Challenges: it's a LOT of driving. I needed to make sure to stop and touch grass for breaks and water. It does always mean bloat and retaining water for about a week. Driving at night is great for passing through cities and avoiding traffic but man, oncoming headlights are bright! Don't fall down...I skipped hiking in Acadia after that incident in Bar Harbor, though if I'm being honest, some of it is also because there was a huge line just to get into the park. Weather was beautiful and everyone was out. I'm still too food focused, even after packing my protein bags. Work in progress. The rest is just...dust in the wind.

Here endeth my narrative. I love these trips. They would drive most people crazy. :)

That all sounds great. My favorite part of traveling is usually the local flair in the way of people, food, farmers markets, coffee shops, artisan creators, etc. Can we have an extended conversation about hot dogs? Did you get to Atlanta to try a Varsity Dog? What do you think of Sonoran, Seattle, Rutts Hut rippers, coneys original vs Greek, etc. For the hard hitting question, how do you feel about gourmet sausages with fancy toppings?

Have you had a Puka dog?

I would try just about everything on that menu just because it's unique. Is that local to you? I'd almost go out in Chicago to try that. I've been the one who got the wild boar sausage in Germany, the reindeer burger in Sweden, and the Camel burger in Texas. I'd like to think I'm adventurous...but then I'm foiled by foods I can't trick myself into trying.

I lived in metro Atlanta for a long time...the fried pies at the Varsity stood out to me more than the dogs. I'm not familiar with most of the rest but had heard of coneys because New York. Greek dogs were my favorite from this trip (New York Lunch in Eerie). Everything I tried this time was chasing childhood memories from that recipe my mom used to make based on the sauce from M&M red hots. There were more hot dogs eaten on this trip than in the last year for me. I do have a freezer full of artisan sausages that need to be eaten.

Yes to all of the local flair! I'd rather track down the local spots than get stuck in the tourist traps any day of the week. If I had the capability to bring back everything there's a lot I'd buy from locals. Hard to strap some stuff to the car. Dogs are also a limiting factor for what I can do but wouldn't trade them for the world. :)