Friday, June 21, 2013

Death on a Bun

Krazy Jim's Blimpyburger is moving from it's house-like home near campus where it has been as long as I can remember. So I had to go there for a burger yesterday:


The line was long. I just heard the land was bought by the University of Michigan. The last couple years I fully intended to eat there, but kind of lost track. Years ago, I ate there rather frequently. As the sign says, they have a low-fat menu option--water. Another sign advises to get that "freshman 15 (pounds) by October"--at Blimpy's, of course.

Of course, I blew that process at the Deep Fryer Nazi station. Memories of how to order the burgers came back to me as I stood in line. But when the surly deep-fry chef asked if I wanted anything from the deep fryer, I simply blurted out my burger order--correctly I should add. She simply gave me a look and repeated her question without any elaboration. The joy of her job was nowhere in sight.

"Oh. No, nothing from the deep fryer," I replied. This is where you get vegetables, after all.

Why you insolent whelp! The last time I ate a burger here you weren't even born! Nice Sysco cap. I had a hand-painted Hobart t-shirt at your age!

I didn't say that. Quite possibly, she wouldn't care one bit.

The fry cook was pleasant, at least. Or perhaps I simply ordered right.

And the cashier was nice, and smiled.

I didn't get a pop. The last time I was there, they had no fountain drinks and they were proud of it. Apparently in the last quarter-century they added a pop dispenser. I'll not be part of that, I assure you.

As a bonus, I got $2 bills and a Kennedy half dollar as change, plus a 1936 penny! I haven't gotten a good penny in ages, it seems. Until yesterday, I had no pennies from the thirties. Just how far in the past is this monument to fried death on a bun?

So I sat and ate my triple burger with bacon and cheddar cheese on a regular bun.

Then I rolled downtown to have a couple pints at my favorite Irish pub in town while I read a book. Then back home to cook dinner for Mister and Lamb.

Ah, a lovely day. I'll have to return for more burgers in the next weeks before they close down. They're to reopen elsewhere, as I understand it. I hope so. Wheat germ and smoothies we have aplenty.