Top 50 Series: 22-Try The Hummus at Hooligans

So! The other day they were playing the movie Up! on the lawn of the Student Media building and I took this opportunity to stop by Hooligans and check out the hummus. I am no stranger to Hooligans, but I usually just order hot wings or a Greek salad.
So anyway, I settled down in my lawn chair with warm tin-foil-wrapped slices of pita bread and my little cup of hummus. I guess there's not much you can say about hummus other than it comes from chickpeas and has a small puddle of olive oil on top. It doesn't really even have that much taste to it. Still, I guess it feels like a right of passage. I will say that I didn't eat half of it and was full!

So I guess that's one more I can cross off the list!

22. Try the hummus at Hooligans

Tommorrow I'll be posting my articles about my uber-fun weekend: Greekfest Friday and Guerrilla Theatre on Saturday. (Ok, so maybe I was a little sarcastic when saying that Greekfest is "uber-fun" but it was interesting enough.) So I will post my articles and maybe give a little more opinion that I was able to in the articles.

Top 50 Series: 13- Breakfast at The Waysider

The waitress looked over her shoulder at us as we walked through the front door from the screened in porch. "Ya'll just sit anywhere, Sweetie," she directed towards me. We weaved through the tables crammed into the tiny house-turned-restaurant and found a 4-seater in the corner.

The font used on the sign outside and the style of furniture would have fooled me into thinking it was a German restaurant like the one my mother, sister and I used to frequent in Texas, but there was no mistaking that The Waysider Restaurant served nothing but very, very southern food. As we sat down, I noticed we were seated by a framed picture of Nick Saban blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Framed newspaper articles and Alabama paraphernalia covered the walls of the entire space, providing an interesting, but maybe overwhelming, decor. Even a picture of former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson and his father dining at our exact table was hung and we sarcastically remarked about our good choice of seating. Potted ivy snaked from hanging baskets from the ceiling, giving the place an even more distinct 'grandma's house' feel.

The waitress that greeted us came over to give us tiny glasses of water and stated that her name was Dixie. Fitting, I thought, since she referred to me as "sweetie" and even "honeybunny". I was in the mood for pancakes, which isn't unusual, and ordered coffee, blueberry hotcakes and sugar-cured ham.

While waiting for our food, I glanced around the room and was taken aback by the mix of people seated at 9 a.m. A group of post-menopausal women with their collars popped, for some reason, sat at a table for eight and handed birthday presents to the head of the table. A duo of men in their early-thirties that gave off the vibe they'd be into Dungeons and Dragons sat in the middle of the room eating out of steaming bowls. A lone older man clad in a golfing shirt and black sandals with white socks sat reading the newspaper. He was obviously a regular because the waitresses knew his name and he didn't find it rude to yell out to them across the room, holding up his empty plate, when he ran out of biscuits. Finally there was the college-aged couple, looking around as curiously as we were.

We received our food quickly and were not disappointed. The pancakes were the perfect ratio of fluffy to dense, the blueberries were fresh and the ham was so perfect it had to have been fried by my Mawmaw.

I left so stuffed I came back home and napped for two hours. I believe The Waysider is perfect for tourists looking to experience a little bit of Tuscaloosa, but it's also a staple for regulars- like the man with black sandals and white socks.
 
I will officially cross out 13. Have breakfast at The Waysider
One down, 49 to go!
 
Love, H.

Beginning of series: Top 50 Things to Do Before You Graduate UA

While reading the back-to-school edition of the Crimson White's Mahout, I came across a feature named "Top 50 Things to Do Before You Graduate." While scanning through the list, I realized that even though I've lived in close proximity to the campus for almost ten years, I've only completed a handful of the activities. So I feel that it's fitting that I begin my blog on a series that will allow me to try new things. Over the course of this year, I will complete as many activites as absolutely possible and blog about it here! (Where else?)

1. Pull an all-nighter
2. Step foot in every library
3. Paint up for a football game (or any game)
4. Play some sort of pick-up game on the quad
5. Go to Kentuck
6. Eat at City Cafe (and at least once for breakfast)
7. See an Alabama football game
8. Travel abroad
9. Attend an SGA debate
10. Study on Gorgas Library's steps
11. Try a sport or activity you've never tried
12. Have a picnic on the Quad
13. Have breakfast at the Waysider
14. Take pictures of all your favorite spots on or around campus
15. Get to know international students
16. Wear pajamas to class at least once
17. Travel to an away game
18. See the Million Dollar Band play on the Quad on game-day
19. And watch the band practice on a regular day
20. Go see the Guerilla Theatre at least once
21. Have a rack of ribs from Archibald's
22. Try the hummus at Hooligan's
23. Eat at IHOP really late at night
24. Eat at Lakeside Diner at 1 a.m.
25. Attempt the "Mugshot" at Mugshots
26. Tour the Gorgas House
27. Attend a show for a local band
28. Play an intramural sport, especially flag football or softball
29. Experience the student section at a football/basketball game
30. Go to a charity even sponsored by a sorority
31. Take a random road trip with friends
32. Once you're 21, have a drink at every bar in town
33. Spend time at the Riverwalk
34. Count how many squirrels you can see on the quad
35. Listen to the campus radio station, 90.7 The Capstone
36. Attend a performance at Moody Music Building
37. Study in Gorgas Library late at night during dead week
38. Explore a side of campus where you don't usually venture
39. Invent a game in the hallway of your dormitory
40. Order late-night French fries from Quick Grill on the Strip
41. Tailgate on the Quad
42. Take a break and float in the lazy river at the Rec Center pool
43. Attend a guest lecture
44. Do the 'Rammer Jammer' cheer
45. Wander around campus at night with a friend
46. Take a swim in Lake Tuscaloosa
47. Go to a fraternity band party
48. Support smaller UA sports
49. Take a haunted tour on Halloween
50. Write a letter to the editor of the CW

As I scan through the list, I see things that I've already experienced or that will be less challenging (Tailgate, listen to 90.7, anything to do with eating...) but there are also things that I know are going to put me outside of my comfort zone (Go to a frat band party, wear pajamas to class, attempt the "Mugshot") but I guess that's an important ingredient in the recipe for a good year: getting out of your comfort zone.

It should be interesting! Keep checking back, I'll attempt one or two this week..

Love, H.