26 Feb 2010

R: Due to the snow flurries expected during the day and the accumulation from the previous night, Kennett Square public schools were closed and Rosama had the day off. We spent the morning talking and catching up over oatmeal, then we played around online looking at blogs, food and FB profiles of people we like and those we don't. After lunch however, we started to get bored and as H had the car all day we were more or less confined to the house. Naturally, both of us got cabin fever, and it was decided that shoveling the infamous driveway to the house would be a good way to get moving and kill time. Since there was only one shovel, Rosama did all the shoveling while I talked and threw snowballs at trees (I can be so useful at times). I have to admit, I was surprised at my sister's perseverance. Her driveway winds up a sloping but still intimidating hill. She and H have been parking their car at the bottom of the driveway to save them the effort of clearing the entire driveway every time it snows (which is a lot this year), but she also wanted to clear a narrow footpath for making the trek from car to cabin. I would have given up less than a quarter of the way up, and several times I suggested we take a break but she just went right on shoveling until we reached her front door. Now that's a real woman.

C: I took some really nice photos today. Ones that would almost allow me to call myself a photographer. I had a beautiful one of the sun, shining around the corner of Washington Street as I waited for my bus this morning. I had another lovely, perfectly focused shot at local landmark, Eagles Deli, in Cleveland Circle where we had a casual dinner tonight. I was still debating which would make the final cut tonight.

Then she walked in.

I was fairly distracted by her at first, if only because she is not even five feet tall, probably 70-lbs at best, and a non-college student by herself in the Boston College area. She kept looking towards the counter as if she were waiting for someone, but no one ever came to her booth. Finally, the dizzying smell of fresh fries wafts by, and I look over to see one of the staff holding an entire tray covered in fries. M and I turn to each other in disbelief - that's a whole lot of fries! - only to see a second server trailing behind, with a bacon cheeseburger stacked at least a foot high. The burger-bearer, crouched to her eye-level, announcing the time (this photo was timestamped 5:08PM, just before she started). She had 60 minutes to finish the Eagle's Challenge: 5-lbs of burger, 20 pieces of bacon, 20 slices of cheese, 5-lbs of fries, 1 Deli pickle and soda.

I'd seen this only once, and on Travel Channel's Man Versus Food. Adam Richman failed; his decision to save the fries for last defeated him. I've seen him eat pound-after-pound of oysters, pancakes, burritos, and ice cream. How could she think she could tackle this? We were just finishing our meal when hers was delivered, and I was reluctant to leave.

I ran across the street to CVS, bought a blank card and scribbled, "Let me know how it goes. pixelatedays.blogspot.com". When I dropped it off at 5:33PM, it looked like she was already halfway through the burger. She cheerful thanked me through her latest chomp, seemingly unfazed by the quantity she had already consumed and the amount she had remaining.

If she doesn't respond here, I will check the restaurant's Wall of Fame. Updates pending for now.