I'm Hungry.

Well, it is 9 a.m., and I am already thinking about lunch. There are a lot of great places to choose from, so it is hard to narrow it down. So, maybe it is good that I have started my contemplation three hours before the actual lunch hour.

Oh, where to begin?

A few friends and I tried a new Italian place, Napoli’s, a couple of weeks ago. It was great, especially the bread. OMG the bread. Homemade, hot out of the oven. So good!

Alright, I have to admit, I am like a Mexican food addict. Ask anybody, I am always hungry for some chips and cheese dip. There are lots of Mexican restaurants to choose from, but my favorite is Guiterrez. What sets it above the rest? One word—guacamole. I don’t know what they put in their guac, but whatever it is, it is awesome!

So, about a year ago, when I was still new to Salina, I went to pick up a rental car next to this barbeque place. I felt so sorry for the people that worked at the car rental company, because it smelled like barbeque heaven in their office. I would be hungry all day if I worked there! Anyway, it took almost a year, but I finally had lunch at The Hickory Hut. And it tasted even better than it smelled! No kidding.

Ok, another favorite is Martinelli’s Little Italy. It is in downtown Salina, which is a super cute area. Anyway, the pastas here are awesome, and they have a great lunch menu. Not a bad place for happy hour, either!

Ok, I could probably write for hours about great places to eat, so I’ll only mention one more place. And, yes, I am saving the best for last.

If you walk out of my office, take a left and go down the stairs, you will be at my favorite place to eat. The K-State at Salina Cafeteria! Kate Chambers is in charge of the operation down there, and the woman knows what she is doing. She has something like over 10 years of experience, and makes some tasty dishes. Mini corn dogs are my fave! And every week, she prepares a special themed lunch. For Easter, she even dressed up like a bunny. That's Kate and my friend Jason at Easter lunch.

Wildcat Saturday!

And so another week begins…. Ugh. It is always hard to readjust after a long weekend. My Labor Day weekend was fun and relaxing. Especially Saturday, spent at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, home of Wildcat Football. Lots of students, faculty and staff from Salina made the drive over to Manhattan for the six o’clock game.

I met my friend, Michael (you know, the webmaster) at the bookstore in Aggieville around three in the afternoon. The bookstore was a zoo—everyone was getting new purple gear to wear to the game. It took me a few minutes and a phone call before I found Michael. He was in the checkout like with a new K-State hat for himself and a couple of little cheerleader outfits for his daughters- too cute!! After he checked out, we were off to the stadium for some tailgating…

Before the game, we hit the K-State at Salina tailgate right across the street from the stadium. They brought up this monstrous grill and were throwing on brats and burgers when we arrived. There is nothing like the smell of burgers on the grill on a game day. Ahhh… We relaxed there for a bit, and then headed over to the stadium for the game. And what a game it was!

A crowd of around 45,000 cheered on the Cats to a 45-6 rout of the Mean Green from North Texas. I saw the Cat Cannon club down on the field, shooting shirts up into the crowd. (In case you aren't familiar-- Since 2000, the Cat Cannon, a contraption built by mechanical engineering technology students on our campus, has blasted T-shirts into the stands at the Manhattan football stadium for the fans.) Man, people just go nutty when those guys walk by! Everyone wants a shirt. I tried to get one, but no luck. :( Maybe next game…

By the end of the fourth quarter, I was beat. What a great day. I can’t wait until next Saturday when we will do it all again! GO STATE!