Crush

I had hoped the trip to Lincoln was to be the first stop on a weekend double - Lincoln on Saturday to be followed by a Goldenpalace.net competition in Denver on Sunday. Unfortunately the Denver date never materialized. But Lincoln was still on, and the location was just close enough to allow for a road trip.

Friday T & I get the car, take the doggies to their camp, and finally get on the road about noon. No big happenings on the drive. Lots of this.







On the way we make one stop.



There are a couple Taco John's in the Denver area, but going to one there would not be quite right. I had left the camera in the car, and by the time I thought about it I was enjoying the beef and potato burrito too much to stop and go get the camera. But even without photos the burrito and the potato oles were quite delicous.

Onward. More of the same. We drive in to Kearney at about 7. From here we'd have about 2 hours to Lincoln. We decide we could do that, or go to Cabela's in Kearney (there's no IKEA this time), find a place to sleep, and go to Lincoln tomorrow. We do that. Only we didn't know Cabela's closed at 8. No worries though. I guess Tommye is not much in to shopping. After driving that much.

Leaving Cabela's, we decide to eat.




I had heard about Runza, but never visited. Between the Potato Oles and Runza I believe my fried food quota for the day is filled.

We go searching for a place to sleep. Kearney has the expected Holiday Inn, Motel 8, and Hampton Inn, but it also has the Western Motel! To me these trips to competitions should be about the experience and about doing stuff you would not normally do. Going to Lincoln, Nebraska to eat kolaches. Going to Las Vegas to eat grilled cheese. Sleeping in the Raleigh-Durham airport. Mall of America. And staying in the Western Motel.








The next morning it is on to Lincoln. Fuel -


2.52?!?

On the way I ponder out loud. There's a Toyota dealer billboard, a Ford, Honda. I wonder if there is a Lincoln Lincoln.

We get to the Fair. Raining. Check in with Mike and Matt. Check out the animals. A little before the contest the rain stops, and the skies somewhat clear. Stage is set, a crowd begins to form. Intros. Crowd keeps getting bigger. MCastellano is on fire!

Participants, in order of announcement:
Jason Smith (30), 210 lbs, 6-2, 25
Mike Drasen, 170lbs, 5-10, 39
Brent "Zero" Curtis, 240, 6-2, 33
Joel Varuch
David Amiel
Mike Nafziger, 335lbs, 6-1
Me
Jason Erb (35) 228lbs, 5-10
Frank Wach (26)
Bertoletti (4)

I did not get pictures, but Tommye rolled the video on the scene. I will get that up.

In the weeks before this event I had some kolaches from the Kolache Factory in Denver. In Lincoln the kolaches were quite a bit more airy but larger. And cherry-filled*. The kolaches in Denver were 3 ounces, so I will say in Lincoln there were, with the liquid, 4 kolaches in a pound. Bertoletti consumed about 11 pounds in 8 minutes. Whoa. I was glad one of the top guys was there to provide measurement to what us others did.

Results
Bertoletti 44
Erb 24
Wach 22
Nafziger, Amiel, Varuch 19
me 18
Jason Smith 17
Brent "Zero" Curtis 9
Mike Drasen 8

After us, Goldenpalace.net sponsored another amateur grilled cheese contest. I had a great time getting to actually watch a contest and getting to watch Mike work it was fun.









With that, we get back in the car. Get gas.


2.49??!!??

Nebraska has bountiful amounts of corn, and some great looking potato trees.

(* - just my luck. When Tommye went by the Kolache Factory one day to pick up some kolaches she called me. "What do you want?". "Maybe lemon, apricot, even apple. But NO CHERRY".)