Saintless

I have always adored the story of Helen Keller. I remember reading The Story of My Lifeas a young child, and being inspired by the obstacles she overcame. They seemed so impossible, and yet she didn’t let that stop her. And so, when I watched this video of her with Anne Sullivan, it brought tears of joy to my eyes:

What amazing women both of them were! And what a treat to see them tell this story!

Here is the email I got from Rep. Jason Chaffetz:

Dear Misty,

In response to the increased public interest in town hall meetings, I have changed the location of my Salt Lake County and Fillmore meetings to a larger venue. The August 26 meeting in will now be held at Elk Ridge Middle School (3659 W 9800 S) in South Jordan. The September 2 meeting will be held at the Old Territorial Statehouse (50 W. Capitol) in Fillmore. The time for both events will remain the same: 7:00 PM and 5:00 PM respectively.

Also, I have pasted the complete list of town hall meetings below, with the updates highlighted in yellow.

Utah County

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

7:00 PM

51 South University Ave.

Third Floor Ballroom

Provo, UT 84601

Salt Lake County

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

7:00 PM

Elkridge Middle School

3649 W. 9800 S.

South Jordan, UT 84095-3260

Sanpete County

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

1:00 PM

Greenwood Student Center

250 E. College Ave.

Fillmore

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

5:00 PM

Old Territorial Statehouse

50 W. Capitol

Fillmore, UT 84631

Delta

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

7:00 PM

Delta City Office

76 N. 200 W.

Delta, UT 84624

Thanks,

–

Jason Chaffetz

Member of Congress

I’ll be attending the Salt Lake County one.

A group of us were invited to a special sneak preview of Smashburger today. We got to try literally everything on the menu, and I must say – it was fabulous!

I had been skeptical of the idea of them smashing the burgers when they go on the grill. Everyone knows that if you squeeze a burger, all the flavorful juice comes out! But, their method works, and it works well. Apparently, when they put the burger on the grill, they smash it for 10 seconds or so, to sear it. And all the juice is locked in! There’s a reason that their slogan is “The best burgers you’ve ever tasted”.

The first burger I tried was the Mushroom Swiss. It came with veggie frites, which were amazing! Flash fried asparagus, carrots and green beans.

The next item that showed up at my table was the Baja Cobb, with chicken, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce, then topped with spicy chipotle sauce, guacamole and jalapenos. Yum!

A Chicago Dog made it’s way past me, and I was pretty thrilled by it, too.

However, I think the Chili Cheese Dog was the best thing besides the burgers and veggie frites:

Ok, so I have to admit – when I tasted the various burgers, I was thrilled, and thought nothing could top that amazing burger patty. But then I ate the Veggie Frites and couldn’t decide which was better. But, somehow that Chili Cheese Dog ranked right up there. I’m indecisive, I know!

This monster of a salad also made it’s way by my table, called The Smashwedge. Everything is better with bacon, right?

Did I mention the Häagen-Dazs shakes and malts? The closest I got to a photo of one of those was @michaelkreagan about to put a spoonful into his mouth.

This post would be incomplete if I didn’t mention the smashfries, which are tossed with rosemary, olive oil, garlic and some other herbs. I couldn’t get enough of them! While I adored the veggie frites, if we’re talking potato based fries, there are none better than smashfries!

I’ve heard a few people trying to compare it to 5 Guys Burgers, but I can’t say that I think there is any comparison. I recently went to 5 Guys with some friends, and while the burger was pretty good, I didn’t care for the fries at all, and I left feeling like I needed a shower to rinse off the grease. While Smash Burger isn’t exactly health food (unless you’re going for the salads), it wasn’t extra greasy. And the perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked burgers really are to die for.

Here is our very full and very satisfied group right before we left:

I think I’ll be back with my kids in a couple of weeks, after the initial rush has died down just a bit, and I’ve recovered from the feeling of having literally tried everything on the menu.