In the 23 years I've had season tickets, today's football game was a truly unique experience. And I don't mean because #5 Ole Miss scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and #9 Georgia only won because they scored on every possession until they knelt on the ball to run out the clock at the end of a 43-35 game. (What happened to defense?!?) No, I mean it was unique because we didn't make it to the stadium to watch it.

We tried. Mom and I left the house on schedule (rare for us) at 11:30 with the intention of making it to Athens two hours before the 3:30 kickoff. After almost 40 minutes of travel, on I-285 just past the exit for I-75, traffic stopped. Despite Google continuing to insist that we'd be out of the traffic jam in just "15 minutes," the next 4 miles took 2 hours. Eventually we learned that the source of the trouble was that somehow a box truck had overturned on a straight road and blocked three of four lanes of traffic not more than a half mile before the next exit, Jonesboro Road.

By the time we were finally past the accident, I calculated that even if everything went perfectly for the rest of the route to Athens, there was no way we could arrive, park, and make out way to our seats in Sanford Stadium until very near the end of the first quarter. So we made the decision to cut our losses and turn the car around and watch the whole game at home on TV instead. Somehow, it took almost 40 minutes to get home.

I was disappointed. Mom was disappointed. We were looking forward to the big game environment, where someone hatched a hairbrained plan to "stripe" the stadium in black, white, and red, requiring me to wear white instead of my typical red to a home game for the first time. That's probably why there was an accident. I didn't wear red and it broke the universe. Sorry, universe. (And if you saw the game on TV, you may have noticed the white end zones, but deciding to put the black stripe on the sunny side of an afternoon game? Are you trying to kill those people? Good on them for refusing the assignment.)

Sure, you can't always get what you want, but if you try, you might get what you need, so we made the best of a bad situation with some soft pretzels, Mexican Coke, and Culver's custard (Mom's idea for cushioning the blow) as we watched the Dawgs scratch out a win from our sofa with poodles and a havanese. That's my kind of unique.

(I took a picture of us in in our "Stripe the Stadium" whites in front of the TV showing Sanford Stadium pregame, but Mom looks better in this one in our back yard, so it's the one you get.)

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Culver's pulled a sneaky Grand Opening on Monday, August 1. I wouldn't have known about it if not for friend Randy's text notification. That's true friendship. Thanks, Randy.

For future reference, I'll just leave this here. (As a former Boy Scout, I know the value in being prepared. You never can tell when the urgent need for a ButterBurger® may arise.)

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Life sucks.

My health care situation has me depressed. The day after I got the news that my health insurance was useless, I got my premium bill in the mail. Thanks for literally nothing, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia.

Vince Dooley came out in support of Donald Trump yesterday. Maybe it's time for a coaching change. (Of course, I'd probably be just as irritated if Dooley came out to support Hillary. What a shitty election season.)

Mom and I drove past the site for the new Culver's in Newnan. I postulated that I was probably over-excited for their burgers, which probably weren't as good as I remembered. Mom said that if I was badmouthing Culver's I really must be depressed.

Have I mentioned that life sucks?

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[2016-04-22 1:01PM] Ken: Hey Walter. Did I wake you up? Where's that place near Keith you said had such great hamburgers?

[2016-04-22 1:07PM] Walter: No. I've been awake for at least 30 seconds now. Food is Culver's.

[2016-04-22 1:09PM] Walter: 252 S 400 Center Lane Dawsonville

[2016-04-22 2:11PM] Ken: The burgers better be good! I never expected someplace you liked so much to be a Pepsi thrall.

[2016-04-22 2:11PM] Walter: Heh. I drink the lemonade

[2016-04-22 2:14PM] Ken: Okay damn. This food is really good dude

[2016-04-22 2:14PM] Walter: Ha! A Culver's Convert! Yes!

[2016-04-22 2:15PM] Walter: I'm so green with envy right now

[2016-04-22 2:16PM 2016-04-22] Ken: That wasn't my intent but I can understand why. At least they at building one near you now

[2016-04-22 2:16PM] Walter: Go ahead and gloat, north-sider

[2016-04-22 2:17PM] Ken: Lol

[2016-04-22 2:18PM] Ken: I got a double and now I'm going back for a single

[2016-04-22 2:19PM] Walter: Just keep rubbing it in...

[2016-04-24 12:18PM] Ken:

[2016-04-24 12:18PM] Ken: You have turned Robin and I on to Culvers in a big way. On our way back home and couldn't help ourselves. This...is not to taunt you by the way.

[2016-04-24 2:43PM] Walter: You're dead to me.

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Friend Cooper proved his worth this week by notifying me that a Culver's is being built in Dawsonville (252 S 400 Center Lane, to be exact). Pay attention Keith: since you live closest to Dawsonville, from now on I will be requiring you to bring me a ButterBurger® whenever we hang out.

According to the Gainesville Times It will be the first Culver's in the state of Georgia, although the article does state "More restaurants are expected around the state in coming months." Welcome to delicious, Georgia!

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I finally have a replacement for Wendy's as my favorite burger chain. Considering that they serve Pepsi and not Coke, I think you'll recognize the significance of my declaration.

Say hello to Culver's. Recommended by the boss of a friend, the Culver's ButterBurger® is better than anything I can find around my house (now that Wendy's has decided that they only make burgers for yuppies). Welcome to delicious™ indeed!

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