Initiation

I proudly can say I have now eaten at The Varsity at 61 North Ave in Atlanta. And, it was mmmmm, mmmmm good! I had the #1 (2 chili dogs with onion rings and a Varsity orange drink), and took a chocolate shake for the drive to Augusta.

I'll start with last things first: the chocolate shake was delicious. I ordered it at the same time as everything else, so it sat (stood?) on the table the entire time I ate (approx. 20 minutes--hey, I was soaking up the atmosphere), and yet was still too thick to suck through a straw without applying enough force to nearly blast out my own eardrums. Wonderful.

The chili dogs were excellent, too. Just the perfect blend of chili meat sauce (no beans) and mustard, great dogs, and soft, but not soggy, buns. The freshly diced onions are good enough to eat by the spoonful by themselves as a snack. Speaking of tasty onions, the onion rings are a thing of beauty: light, flaky breading, and onions that melt in your mouth.

The Varsity kicks ass! And, it's an easy drive from the airport: I-75/I-85 North to the exit at 14th & 10th, right on 10th, then an almost immediate right on Spring St...The Varsity is on the right hand side. Then, when you're finished, you can make a right on Spring St, go a couple of blocks and veer left to get to I-20 East to head to Augusta, GA...if that's where you're stuck for the week (like me).

Thumbs down to I-20 between Atlanta and Augusta: boooooooor-ing!

Thumbs up to the general flow of traffic in the Atlanta area, though. People seem to enjoy driving at a quite speedy pace (average speed was at least 80 mph, with 95 mph far from unusual).

Hey, someone tell me who wins the good awards tonight. I can't stand watching all those egomaniacal fuckers tripping all over themselves to kiss each other's asses.