Can we get some freakin' Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, or atheists...

[Easy Mac]

what would jesus do

[ISiddiqui]

He'd eat a chicken sandwich on Sunday, dammit!

[Scholes]

Minnesnowta does not have Chick-Fil-A's, only KFC's. And save for the Mashed Potatoes, they're horrible.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Better still is Taco Del Mar, with their mondo-sized Mission-style burritos...can you tell I like Tex-Mex style food?

Dude, say it ain't so! Of all the mission style burrito's in the Seattle area, Taco Del Mar is by far the worst. Don't know if you get to Bellevue much, but there's a little place called Casa D's where you can get either a regular (still bigger than TDM) a Super (one and a half burrito's) or a Super Duper (Yep, two full sized burritos). It's on the corner of Bellevue Way and Main. Ask for Bud. There's also a Casa D's in downtown Seattle, but I've never been there.

There's a new Chipolte opened up about two blocks from there. Admittedly, they've got much better ingrediants than Casa D's, but they haven't figured out how to build a burrito yet. You end up with all rice in one bite and all meat in the other. They are getting closer, so give it a few more months.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JHandley

There's a new Chipolte opened up about two blocks from there. Admittedly, they've got much better ingrediants than Casa D's, but they haven't figured out how to build a burrito yet. You end up with all rice in one bite and all meat in the other. They are getting closer, so give it a few more months.

Don't hold your breath. We've had a Chipotle's like a few minutes from me down here in Georgia and they STILL do the same rice-in-one-bite, meat-in-the-next (unless your mouth is REALLY big) a year after it came around. Though it's still pretty damned good, especially the spicy shredded beef.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by JHandley

Dude, say it ain't so! Of all the mission style burrito's in the Seattle area, Taco Del Mar is by far the worst. Don't know if you get to Bellevue much, but there's a little place called Casa D's where you can get either a regular (still bigger than TDM) a Super (one and a half burrito's) or a Super Duper (Yep, two full sized burritos). It's on the corner of Bellevue Way and Main. Ask for Bud. There's also a Casa D's in downtown Seattle, but I've never been there.

There's a new Chipolte opened up about two blocks from there. Admittedly, they've got much better ingrediants than Casa D's, but they haven't figured out how to build a burrito yet. You end up with all rice in one bite and all meat in the other. They are getting closer, so give it a few more months.

Oh, I know all about Casa D's - used to work about 1.5 blocks away from the Bellevue one in '95, and I hit up the downtown Seattle one all the time when I was at the Art Institute (BTW, either the downtown one shut down or moved). I love Casa D's, and prefer it to TDM. If we're talking one-off places though, the best one I've had is at Ooba's in Redmond - similar to Acalpulco Fresh, but even better ingredients.

That said, for a chain, TDM is quite good.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

The wife is leading a marriage enrichment retreat for adoptive families this weekend, and I'm speaking to a Sunday School class of parents of teens

No offense... seriously... but how are either of you qualified to do what you're doing on Sunday?

All the youth leaders at my church actually HAVE kids.

Like I said... no offense.. I just find it a little odd... not, like, Michael Jackson-odd, just odd...

[sooner333]

We have a cool place near campus for burritos...it's called Moe's, I think it's a chain, but it just came here this year.

[ISiddiqui]

Moe's is pretty good. We have 'em in Atlanta. There is a place called Willie's that makes the same burritos, but with different rice. Don't know if there is some co-ownership going on, but the burritos are strangly similar.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Jeez, what's with all the love for Chick-Fil-A? I've eaten from that place several times in my life, and it's OK, but some of you guys act like you're about ready to blow Foghorn Leghorn just so you can get a piece of chicken meat. Calm down, boys!

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

No offense... seriously... but how are either of you qualified to do what you're doing on Sunday?

All the youth leaders at my church actually HAVE kids.

Like I said... no offense.. I just find it a little odd... not, like, Michael Jackson-odd, just odd...

Apparently, 17 years of youth ministry experience trumps actually having raised kids in a lot of people's minds. {shrug}

I get multiple calls every week for advice on raising teens, and have somehow developed a reputation in our community as a "go-to" guy on this--probably because I've been here longer than anyone and have given useful advice in the past. I've gotten plenty of calls that start off as follows: "Hi, Ben. We've never formally met, but you know my son, John. Well, I'm having trouble with him, and I was talking to my good friend Sally Smith about it, and she said you really helped her when her son Tommy was having trouble 3 or 4 years ago..." It also, I'm sure, has a lot to do with the (sad) fact that the typical church youth minister in this community is a 25-year-old, fresh out of seminary, doing the youth pastor job until a "real job" an associate or senior pastor comes along. I heard a stat somewhere that the average stay at any one church for a youth pastor is less than one year, and the average total time spent as a youth pastor is less than two years. Compared to that, 11 years in DeKalb County and 17 years total makes me a "grizzled veteran," I guess.

In all seriousness, I know nearly all of the full-time youth pastors in our area, and there's really only one of them who could garner any level of respect with parents as to having actual wisdom, a guy named Matt. Ironically, Matt is the youth pastor of the church that asked me to speak there yesterday. Matt and I are very good friends, co-laborers (we've both volunteered with one another's ministries), and kindred spirits. We really see eye-to-eye on the shortcomings of the evangelical subculture to which we both belong. Matt, along with a couple in the class who I know well, had a lot to do with this particular invite. Basically, Matt really wanted a "respected outsider" (his words) to back up the things he's been telling the parents in that church, so he recommended to the couple to mention my name to the leader of their class. This church also has a school that runs from K-->8. I've also spoken to the parents of the 7th and 8th graders there in the past. This time, they actually gave me a list of specific things they wanted to ask me--a list WAY too long to cover in the time allotted, and immediately after I was done the class leader asked me back. I guess it must be somewhat useful; they keep inviting me back. FWIW, here's the list of questions they had for me:

Originally Posted by The Sunday School Class Leader's E-mail

3/20/05 Ben Lewis:



Our Youth and Their Challenges
What kinds of issues/stresses/challenges/things are our kids exposed to that we don't know about?
Are our kids overcommitted? (sports, academics, youth group, etc.)
What are our kids afraid of?
What are our kids most vulnerable/susceptible to?
Educate us on the culture they are exposed to, i.e., bead necklaces, xanga.com
What are the warning signs (depression, drugs, stress, etc.) we should be alert to

Our Youth and Their Parent's Mistakes
What mistakes do you see parents making?
Fill in the blank as yourself/the youth worker: "I wish those parents would _________________________"
Fill in the blank: "I wish those parents wouldn't ______________________________________, __________________________, ___, _______________, or _________."
What concerns do you have about our kids?
What insights do you have re achieving the right mix of parent/disciplinarian and friend?
When should we as parents intervene versus allowing kids to "find out the hard way?"
When should we as parents be proactive versus passive
What are effective/ineffective consequences?
How do we balance giving advice/direction and just listening/being empathetic?
How do we shift from a focus on sports (and other good things) to a focus on spiritual things?


Our Kids and The Ultimate Outcome
Do you see a difference between our kids and kids that are not "churched," i.e., do you see evidence of Christ working in their lives?
We need some encouragement - what positive feedback can you give us about our kids?
What does a typical genuine "teenage" faith look like?

As far as SWMBO, the marriage enrichment retreat that she leads isn't really based on whether or not you have kids. The one this weekend in particular just happened to have been offered through the agency she works for to parents of adoptive kids as a service (heavy discount for them), but she does this retreat for newlyweds and up. Most of the teaching is on implementing Biblical and common-sense principles into how couples communicate wants, needs and frustrations with one another. It isn't a "parenting" retreat, but a "marriage" retreat.

[Buzzbee]

Couple of comments:

Ksyrup - You really should try a chicken biscuit one morning. I think the taste of the biscuit really helps overcome the "but it's chicken in the morning" syndrome. The biscuit aspect gives it 'breakfast food' credibility. They really are tasty.

Franklin - Ben might actually be in a better place to advise about teenagers than those that have them.

1) You will never hear "Well, with MY teenager we..." which is good. Not all teenagers are alike, don't face the exact same issues, and not all parents have the same skills or relations with their kids. What works for one, may not work for another.

2) Because Ben and his wife don't have kids, teenagers don't see them as 'Johnny's dad' or 'Katie's mom' and therefore are more likely to open up to them. They aren't afraid that if they open up about stuff that it will get back to thier own parents.

3) Ability to be objective. Because they don't have children they can truly look from an outsiders view and give an untainted perpective. Sometimes, in tough situations, this is an asset rather than a liability.

Those are aspects aside from Ben's experience with youth. Obviously the items listed above alone don't make someone qualified to offer advice, but Ben's experience reinforces those aspects. I can tell you that Ben is very capable and qualified to discuss parenting of teens.

[Ryche]

Damn you, now I have a Chick Fil-A craving and we don't have any in Minnesota.

[Pumpy Tudors]

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Ryche

Damn you, now I have a Chick Fil-A craving and we don't have any in Minnesota.

There are two in Minnesota, at the student unions of Minnesota State and U of M Twin Cities. Thankfully the 2nd is just a short walk away.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Oh, I know all about Casa D's - used to work about 1.5 blocks away from the Bellevue one in '95, and I hit up the downtown Seattle one all the time when I was at the Art Institute (BTW, either the downtown one shut down or moved). I love Casa D's, and prefer it to TDM. If we're talking one-off places though, the best one I've had is at Ooba's in Redmond - similar to Acalpulco Fresh, but even better ingredients.

That said, for a chain, TDM is quite good.

Heh...I work 1.5 blocks from Casa D's now. I'll grant you that, for a chain, TDM is probably the best one. Ooba's is very good too, but I'm not fond of Acalpulco Fresh. I'd still prefer Bellevue Casa D's because of Bud. He really makes a great burrito. He makes burrito's of love.

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Though it's still pretty damned good, especially the spicy shredded beef.

Well, that's the other problem with Chipotle, there is really only one acceptable meat for a burrito, Pork. Chipotle doesn't carry pork. Spicy beef probably is good too, but with a good pork burrito, it doesn't need to be spiced meat.

[Bo Jackson's Hip]

Chick-Fil-A seems to hire the smart teenager who probably has a 3.9 GPA, 1275 on their SATs who plan on attending a major university, instead of say a McDonalds who hires anyone with a pulse. That's why the line moves faster.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JHandley

there is really only one acceptable meat for a burrito, Pork. Chipotle doesn't carry pork.

BAH! Spicy beef and chicken are acceptable for a burrito . I hardly ever have pork on my burritos. Just isn't as good. I've had it a few times at Moe's, but I prefer the chicken or beef.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

BAH! Spicy beef and chicken are acceptable for a burrito . I hardly ever have pork on my burritos. Just isn't as good. I've had it a few times at Moe's, but I prefer the chicken or beef.

You poor misguided soul, you

I was with ya on the beef, I could be talked into the beef, but chicken?? Chicken!?!? When you eat the chicken burrito, aren't you afraid of spilling something on your dress, Nancy? Of all the good uses for a chicken, a burrito isn't close to one of them

[Ryche]

Originally Posted by mckerney

There are two in Minnesota, at the student unions of Minnesota State and U of M Twin Cities. Thankfully the 2nd is just a short walk away.

Damn, didn't know that. Still a pain to get to though if you're not on campus. Used to have one in my student union in Colorado too. God those things rock.

[CamEdwards]

Good golly. I can't believe parents actually asked you those questions, Ben.

[Raiders Army]

I call it Chick-A-Fil for some strange reason.

Just be glad that they're open at all. When you're deployed, there isn't a Chick-Fil-A open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays either. We did have a Burger King though.

[KWhit]

And while we're at it, can we please get a store to sell some beer on Sunday, too???

Oh yeah, it's illegal in Georgia.



Damn Bible-belt.

[st.cronin]

This actually makes me happy, that a company is putting values before profits. It gives me hope for the future.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by JHandley

Heh...I work 1.5 blocks from Casa D's now. I'll grant you that, for a chain, TDM is probably the best one. Ooba's is very good too, but I'm not fond of Acalpulco Fresh. I'd still prefer Bellevue Casa D's because of Bud. He really makes a great burrito. He makes burrito's of love.

I'm almost afraid to ask what that might mean.

Originally Posted by JHandley

Well, that's the other problem with Chipotle, there is really only one acceptable meat for a burrito, Pork. Chipotle doesn't carry pork. Spicy beef probably is good too, but with a good pork burrito, it doesn't need to be spiced meat.

I'm with you there - my burrito of choice at Casa D's is the chorizo (spicy pork sausage). I can live with the beef option at TDM, but I sure wish they had chorizo.

That said, chicken actually works in certain burritos. Some of the burritos at Ooba's are meant to be eaten with a fork and knife, so the spilling issue is moot, and the seared, spicy chunks of chicken they use work. I get the Burro Grande with chicken which has generous amounts of guacamole added (mmmm, guacamole...) Add in the pico de gallo and all the salsas I add and it's a big, messy, wonderful treat. I'm getting hungry thinking about it...

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by KWhit

And while we're at it, can we please get a store to sell some beer on Sunday, too???

Oh yeah, it's illegal in Georgia.



Damn Bible-belt.

You can't buy it in Massachusetts either. Damn Puritans. Be thankful that at least you don't live in a dry county. I'm missing the excitement over chicken. Now if they had a Beef Fil-A, I'd be all over that.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

I'm with you there - my burrito of choice at Casa D's is the chorizo (spicy pork sausage). I can live with the beef option at TDM, but I sure wish they had chorizo.

That said, chicken actually works in certain burritos. Some of the burritos at Ooba's are meant to be eaten with a fork and knife, so the spilling issue is moot, and the seared, spicy chunks of chicken they use work. I get the Burro Grande with chicken which has generous amounts of guacamole added (mmmm, guacamole...) Add in the pico de gallo and all the salsas I add and it's a big, messy, wonderful treat. I'm getting hungry thinking about it...

Actually, this whole thread got me and a buddy in the mood for a burrito, so we're gonna be heading over there in about 30-45 minutes. I'm not sure I'm ready to accept chicken in a burrito at this point in my life. With GT and the Zag's out of the tournament, I don't see anyone left in the bracket to knock out UW before the final four and I'm not ready for that much upheaval.

[Fritz]

Ever think of going to a Bojangles, music boy?

damn they are slow in georgia.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Fritz

Ever think of going to a Bojangles, music boy?

damn they are slow in georgia.

We don't have Bojangles. They have it in NC and SC, though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

We don't have Bojangles. They have it in NC and SC, though.

Umm, actually Ben ... http://www.bojangles.com/bojangles/l...s/georgia.html

Nothing convienient to you, but they are here.

Of course, there's nothing at a Bojangles worth a damn except the awesome BoBerry Biscuit, but still ...

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Umm, actually Ben ... http://www.bojangles.com/bojangles/l...s/georgia.html

Nothing convienient to you, but they are here.

Heh. I stand corrected. Never noticed one in Georgia. Kind of odd that none are in Columbus, Macon, Savannah, or even that close in to the A.T.L., either.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Heh. I stand corrected. Never noticed one in Georgia. Kind of odd that none are in Columbus, Macon, Savannah, or even that close in to the A.T.L., either.

I only knew it for sure because of
a) Used to hit the one in Dalton when I was dating/engaged to a girl there years ago. And still hit the same location when we pass through going to my in-laws.
and
b) Hit the Covington one occasionally for a hot BoBerry fix. Not often enough really, but still, I knew it from being on my beaten path.

[Ben E Lou]

Dola:

Ok, that's even a little more odd at a second glance. Doesn't look like there are any right along I-85, either. Maybe a few along 75, and probably several (Augusta-area, primarily) along 20. You'd think the Atlanta--Charlotte and Atlanta--Birmingham interstates would be important places to put 'em.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JHandley

I was with ya on the beef, I could be talked into the beef, but chicken?? Chicken!?!?

Yeah, Burrito-snob, CHICKEN . Especially cooked in an Adobe sauce after being grilled. Better than shredded pork anyday .

[Buzzbee]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Dola:

Ok, that's even a little more odd at a second glance. Doesn't look like there are any right along I-85, either. Maybe a few along 75, and probably several (Augusta-area, primarily) along 20. You'd think the Atlanta--Charlotte and Atlanta--Birmingham interstates would be important places to put 'em.

I believe there used to be a lot more, but many of them were closed due to profit concerns for the corporation. I believe the increased competition from Popeye's caused them to pull out of areas where there is a heavy Popeye's concentration. Compare the Bojangle's and Popeye's locations and I bet you find Popeye's in large cities vs. Bojangles in more rural areas. Just a theory of course.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

Good golly. I can't believe parents actually asked you those questions, Ben.

Care to elucidate? I didn't really notice any that struck me as particularly odd or surprising...

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

I believe there used to be a lot more, but many of them were closed due to profit concerns for the corporation. I believe the increased competition from Popeye's caused them to pull out of areas where there is a heavy Popeye's concentration. Compare the Bojangle's and Popeye's locations and I bet you find Popeye's in large cities vs. Bojangles in more rural areas. Just a theory of course.

Man, have I really not been paying attention well? I went to a summer enrichment program at Clemson the summer between 10th and 11th grade, and that was the first time I'd ever even *heard* of Bojangles, but I really liked it, so I'd think I'd have noticed a few if I saw them on a semi-regular basis. I dated SWMBO long-distance for 2 1/2 years, she living in the Triad, and me in DeKalb, so I got quite familiar with I-85 during that time, and with fast-food places in SC and NC where I could grab a quick something en route. Bojangles and Biscuitville were my favorite "out-of-state" (at least in my mind) finds. Now granted, until I moved to metro Atlanta ('91), I didn't drive on the interstates that much, but I sure haven't noticed 'em since then.

[ISiddiqui]

Btw, just went to Chipotle, and they DEFINETLY have shredded pork (Carnitas). I'm not sure what JHandley was smoking . I thought I had it there before.

[dawgfan]

Carnitas is OK, but chorizo is far, far better. Then again, I'm not a big fan of shredded meat, whether it be beef, chicken or pork.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Umm, actually Ben ... http://www.bojangles.com/bojangles/l...s/georgia.html

Nothing convienient to you, but they are here.

Of course, there's nothing at a Bojangles worth a damn except the awesome BoBerry Biscuit, but still ...

Bojangles has the best sides of any chicken restaurant (cook them with bacon, just like God intended), their steak biscuits are great, and they serve breakfast all day. I had CFA for lunch yesterday, any guess where I'm going today?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sorry Homer J, just different tastes I guess.
I've never had anything except the BoBerry's and the occasional chicken biscuit that was anything more than tolerable at best. I'm sure different franchisees have different standards, but many of the Bojangles I've encountered had problems with cleanliness, service, and food quality.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Care to elucidate? I didn't really notice any that struck me as particularly odd or surprising...

Bump for Cam to comment if he would. I'm curious about what he meant...

[cuervo72]

You know you haven't gotten enough sleep when this:

Originally Posted by SkyDog

(we've both volunteered with one another's ministries)

is read as this:

(we've both vacationed with one another's mistresses)

--------------

As for Chick-Fil-A, we have one here in Frederick; I like it but the sandwhiches never quite seem big enough. Never had them for breakfast (not on the way to work), but I see nothing wrong with chicken that early. Heck, I've done much odder. I'm still bummed the Hardees in G'Burg closed...

And I apologize for not being Cam.

[Cringer]

Isn't Cam in Houston for his show and the big NRA convention?

Ah, I'm sure he is still making online time though, sometime, so nevermind me.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

...to run Chick-Fil-A on Sundays???!!!


Man, I got a hankerin' for a chicken biscuit this morning.

I think the few we have here in SoCal are open on Sundays.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Bump for Cam to comment if he would. I'm curious about what he meant...

Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Just got tired of reading this thread and craving Chick-Fil-A.

Maybe you didn't find those comments surprising because you talk to parents like this all the time. I found all of them surprising because I talk to my kids all the time. I just found it sad that these parents are relying on a complete stranger to tell them what's going on with their kids, rather than taking the time to get to know their kids themselves.

God bless you for what you're doing, though. I don't think I'd have the patience.

[kcchief19]

Great. Now I want a Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I really miss that place. When I was in Orlando for a convention in January I ate there three times, even though I was on expense account.

[QuikSand]

Fun thread.

We had a CFA open in our town recently -- nothing really special, in my view, just another strip of suburbia moving incrementally closer to looking identical to every other such strip. Anyway, there were about 30 tents full of people sleeping over for a night (in the rain) in advance of the "grand opening." I'm told it's a thing. Weirdos.

[Ben E Lou]

Wow. Yeah, CFA has long been my #1 choice for fast food, but even when I was eating a lot of it, it was nowhere near worth camping out.

[Dutch]

The Southern Chicken sandwich at McDonalds is normally just as good and there's no wait.