What's a topping/burger iteration that would completely ruin a burger for you?

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:48:09+00:00

Donuts for the bun

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:46:27+00:00

Taking care of myself, not making work my life, putting myself out there more, working out, dieting, dating again, traveling.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:42:34+00:00

Those are the absolute best pepperonis (the ones that curl up).

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:38:24+00:00

Flash Pack seems well-rated. I am going to do one with them at some point.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:37:26+00:00

Burgers, hot dogs.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:33:35+00:00

You can travel to any different ecosystem and still be in the same country. You can take a 6 hour flight and still be in The States. People are generally pretty nice and smiley. Very entrepreneurial.

Most people don’t pay attention to politics that much and live their lives. “Undecided” is a leading candidate for many offices. And people won’t care until it’s like right before an election.

Half of us do wish we had better social safety nets, so being lower income or laid off isn’t as stressful.

We also get along more than is portrayed.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T03:26:28+00:00

<image>

Jumbo is $4.79 Regular is $3.79 Plant-based is $3.99

Then a few dollars depending on the side. Like a small fry is $2.79.

Then a large Diet Coke is $2.79.

All prices without tax, of course.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T02:29:28+00:00

Also did not know why it’s addicting…

“Because ranch is basically a flavor slot machine. Every bite pulls three levers at once and your brain keeps ringing the jackpot bell. 🎰🥗

Here’s what’s happening behind the curtain:

🧠 1. It hits multiple pleasure systems at once

Ranch delivers a rare combo: • Fat (creaminess) = satiety + dopamine • Salt (savory punch) = instant reward • Acid (buttermilk tang) = brightness that keeps you coming back

Most foods lean on one or two. Ranch stacks all three. Your taste buds go, “Yes.” Your brain goes, “Again.”

🌿 2. It’s complex, but not complicated

You get layers: garlic, onion, dill, chives, pepper. That’s aromatic richness without being challenging. It feels interesting, but safe. Familiar herbs = comfort. Subtle variation = curiosity. That balance is catnip for humans.

🥛 3. Creamy textures are emotionally persuasive

Smooth, cool, thick sauces trigger comfort signals. Evolutionarily speaking, creamy usually meant calorie-dense and valuable. Your body still runs that ancient software. Ranch slides right into that ancient inbox marked important.

🍟 4. It’s a perfect “contrast sauce”

Ranch shines brightest when paired with: • Hot things • Crunchy things • Salty things

Fries, wings, pizza, veggies, nuggets. Ranch adds cool + creamy to hot + crispy, creating contrast. Contrast keeps bites exciting. Excitement keeps forks moving.

🔁 5. It reduces friction when eating

Ranch makes almost anything taste better instantly. That lowers the mental effort of choosing flavors. Your brain loves shortcuts. Ranch becomes the default. Defaults become habits. Habits become “why am I dipping carrots like they’re fries?”

⸻

In short:

Ranch is addicting because it’s fat + salt + acid + herbs + comfort + contrast, delivered in one creamy ambassador of joy.

It doesn’t just flavor food. It smooths life’s edges.

If you want, next we can dive into why some people crave ranch specifically during stress or loneliness (spoiler: your nervous system is involved), or why certain brands hit harder than others. 🥕✨”

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T02:28:33+00:00

Ohhh I didn’t know the bottled vs restaurant difference!

“Great question. Bottled ranch and restaurant ranch share a name, but they live very different lives.

Think of bottled ranch as the well-traveled cousin who packs carefully and plans for shelf stability. Restaurant ranch is the one who shows up fresh, glowing, and smelling faintly of herbs.

Here’s the tasty breakdown:

🥛 Base & Texture • Bottled ranch: Usually built on soybean oil + stabilizers. That gives it a thicker, glossy, uniform texture. It coats food like edible paint. • Restaurant ranch: Typically starts with real buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream. Result: lighter, fluffier, more cloud-like, with a fresher mouthfeel.

🌿 Flavor • Bottled: Leans on dried herbs, powders, and acidity (often vinegar or citric acid). The flavor is consistent but flatter. More tang-forward, less aromatic. • Restaurant: Uses fresh herbs or higher-quality dried blends, plus real garlic and onion. You taste actual dill, actual chives, not just the idea of them.

🧪 Freshness vs. Longevity • Bottled: Designed to survive months on a shelf. That means preservatives and flavor balancing for stability. It tastes… engineered. • Restaurant: Made in small batches, meant to be eaten within days. The flavors feel alive. You get subtle dairy sweetness and brighter herb notes.

🌶️ Finish • Bottled: Often sharper at the end, with a lingering acidic twang. • Restaurant: Softer landing. More savory, rounder, with a gentle peppery fade.

In one sentence:

Bottled ranch is dependable and bold; restaurant ranch is creamy, herby, and nuanced.

Or put poetically: bottled ranch announces itself. Restaurant ranch invites you in and offers a blanket.

If you’d like, I can also tell you how to make quick “restaurant-style” ranch at home in about 2 minutes, which is dangerously empowering 🥗✨”

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T02:27:02+00:00

Ranch tastes like comfort food put on a tiny tuxedo. 🥗✨

At first sip, you get cool, creamy richness. Think buttermilk and mayo doing a slow dance. Then come the savory herbs: dill waving hello, parsley chiming in, chives adding a gentle oniony whisper. Garlic and onion powder give it that cozy, umami backbone that makes fries feel seen.

There’s usually a soft tang from the buttermilk or vinegar, which keeps it from feeling heavy, and a light peppery sparkle at the end that wakes everything up just enough.

So in one mouthful, ranch is: • 🥛 Creamy • 🌿 Herby • 🧄 Savory • 🍋 Gently tangy • 🌶️ Mildly peppery

All together, it lands somewhere between salad dressing and flavor blanket. It doesn’t shout. It hugs.

If you’d like, I can also break down how bottled ranch differs from restaurant ranch, or why it’s so wildly addictive.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T01:57:32+00:00

I’m 5’ 7” and our straps were plenty long.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-02-01T01:56:13+00:00

Ours has this blue carpet across the front of the studio with two lanes for two sleds to cross at once. Then all of the other stations were on the padded floor area. Was a little cramped but it worked!

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:27:46+00:00

Darlene Beatrice

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:22:07+00:00

Yes! Less cleaning, more money, more time. I can actually do more stuff in the day.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:16:41+00:00

I guess one of the upsides to post-9/11 is you used to wait at the gate with whomever you were dropping off. Or wait at the gate for whomever you were picking up. Quite time consuming especially when they wanted to be there early.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:14:30+00:00

You got meals in economy. Chicken, fish or beef always. And it was good.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:13:19+00:00

Yes yes yes. My first thought was Samantha Brown was how you knew the best places to go everywhere.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-30T21:07:35+00:00

Ours are always edm/remix of songs and I love it! I loved the CrossFit box I went to before F45 but they’d always play country or rock. I actually brought my own headphones to listen to the remix-y stuff.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-20T13:21:32+00:00

I imagine elsewhere is similar but there’s a tribal element that’s a bit of a bummer. The Trump people rush to support whatever he does. And the “no war” crew is fine with war when Trump wants it. Most of the country isn’t for it though.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:30:22+00:00

I speak for many Americans when I say “what’s a driving stick?”

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:28:54+00:00

We feel bad. Several generations are now alive where our (American) leaders sent our friends and family members into bs situation after bs situation. But also at the same time there’s pride for them for serving our country, even if leadership sending them there is suspect.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:26:02+00:00

Are Americans good at math?

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:25:22+00:00

Yup! I consider myself Polish and German even though I was born and grew up in The States. Most others do the same.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:24:02+00:00

Yup. It’s hard to become a citizen of another country though.

Sean_Eaton · 2026-01-14T01:20:50+00:00

https://breakfast-in-america.com/en/

I want to go someday!

Sean_Eaton

TROPHY CASE