Midmonth Madness: April

Since it's been a crazy, crazy week, I decided to do another midmonth post and cover several things at once.

First of all, I have conquered the Double-Down.  And, quite frankly, it was delicious.  I was pretty accurate in the way I finished my previous post.  I tried one, I liked it, but I don't really have any desire to make it part of my regular routine.  Really, the hardest part was when they asked me if I wanted it grilled or crispy, as I'm partial to both incarnations of KFC.  So I did what any quick thinking, hungry lady would do; I asked for half-and-half.  And they were very accomodating; there was a grilled piece on the bottom and a crispy on the top.  My only complaint of the sandwich in and of itself is that it was far too messy to actually eat as a sandwich by the time I got home.  The cheese was all melty everywhere and it was quite saucy, to the point where even the little wrapper-thingy wouldn't have helped.  So I ate it with a knife and fork.  In fact, this is where my only complaint comes in; It's really not all that different (in basic build and concept) from some fancy stuffed chicken breast dish you might find in a sit-down restaurant; it's just a fast-food version.  It's probably similar in calories, too, although I'm sure a homemade version would have less sodium.  It was a little spicy, but in a good way.  I'm also a little sad that they no longer carry corn-on-the-cob at my local KFC, which would have been my side of choice.

Edit: After writing all that, I've found that Serious Eats did two posts on the Double-Down that echo my sentiments exactly: A homemade Double-Down that looks really, really good, and a discussion of how the 'phenomenon' is really just jazzed up Cordon Bleu.

The topic of the day is pretty much the same on all entertainment websites: LoCo!  I'm not a huge fan of George Lopez (no offense, he's funny, but if I'm up that late it's going to be Craig Ferguson), but I've always been a Conan fan, and will be no matter what network he's on.  I'm very, very glad he got a deal, and though I don't have the cash or the time to go see his live tour (the nearest performace is nearly 5 hours away, so it would require time off from work, etc), but I can't freakin' wait until he's back on TV.

Also, although I wasn't really impressed with SNL on the whole this week, I really liked Tina Fey's bit on Weekend Update.

"When your body looks like a dirtbag's binder from 7th grade metal shop, it doesn't bode well for your character."  Right on.

Finally, there was a letter that hit close to home in Dear Abby this week, and I thought I'd put my two cents in on that as well.  It's the second letter, about a kid not wanting to go to prom.  I feel like Abby hit the nail on the head, and I'll share my story as to why.  I was a total social butterfly most of high school, but didn't go to the first major dance, my freshman homecoming.  The guy I wanted to go with had another date (who, incidentally, ended up an in-law of mine after she broke up with him, and married her husband, MrMMO's cousin), and I didn't have the nerve to go stag.  Instead, I went to the movies with one of my friends.  Did I miss out? Nah.  There were other dances I had plenty of fun at, and was able to smile at doing something unique and a little nonconformist instead.  This sort of topic came up on Easter as well, because my younger brother-in-law 's girlfriend is going stag to her senior prom; the school's rules won't allow my BIL to attend because he's a couple of years older, even though he's an alumnus.  I figured she'd be crushed that they can't go together, but she's taking it all in stride, instead focusing on details like her dress and how much fun she's going to have with her friends.  She's classy like that.  My point is that all the fancy high school dances and whatnot aren't special in and of themselves, but are what you make of them.