Lincolnite

If you're a local soccer fan you'll want to check out the Creighton Bluejays tonight at 5:00pm as they take on the Charlotte 49ers in the College Cup on ESPNU and ESPN3. I know several of you regular readers like to keep tabs on Creighton so this is definitely something you don't want to miss. The Jays are vying for their first national championship in any sport. I know there are several watch parties up in Omaha but so far I'm not aware of any here in Lincoln. If you know of one, please let us know!

The Missus and I ate at Village Inn on Van Dorn Street (just east of 48th Street) last night, as is our quasi-tradition each year on our dating anniversary. I say "quasi-tradition" because we haven't actually kept it going very well these past few years. Fifteen years ago we ate at Village Inn all the time, as many Southeast High School students did back in the day. These days VI just doesn't have the same appeal to us. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised that VI has completely upgraded its interior. The tables are a bit crowded and some of the decor is cheesy as hell in its attempt to be "hip", but overall it's a nice look. (Just one question: why didn't they change out the old, cigarette smoke-stained ceiling tiles?) Even the service had received an overhaul since the last time I stepped foot into a VI. Our waitress Bubbles, in particular, was a hoot. When we arrived the restaurant was probably a good 80-85% full, but service seemed to be humming along just fine. Overall the experience was ... nice. Nothing about VI is going to blow you away, but they've clearly stepped up their game since my last visit. I've got to give them credit for that.

The Missus and I began dating fifteen years ago today. Our first date followed our appearance with the Lincoln Southeast marching band in the Star City Parade. It wasn't much warmer for the parade that morning than it is right now. Happy anniversary, The Missus!

Some store called Ulta Beauty is opening next to Trader Joe's at SouthPointe. I would've let that news pass by, but I know plenty of folks have been longing for a Best Buy at SouthPointe and when I saw that a new store was opening next to Trader Joe's I thought maybe this was it. Nope. Better luck next time, Best Buy fans.

Now's your last chance to guess the name of Lincoln's Haymarket Arena because an announcement will be made at 10:00am. Jack Mitchel is reporting that it's a local business, although my understanding that that's based on hearsay rather than anything solid. So who do you think it is? Some of my guesses include:

• Pinnacle Bank
• Union Bank
• Nelnet
• ConAgra
• BNSF
• Bryan LGH

I could go on -- I haven't mentioned any insurance companies, for example. What are your guesses, serious or otherwise? UPDATE: Hey what do you know? My first guess was right! Pinnacle Bank Arena is the new name. Commence celebration and/or whining.

Ignite Lincoln is fast-paced, inspirational evening of talks designed to get you thinking. The third iteration of the event is coming up on January 26, 2012 at The Bourbon Theatre. The first year and second year were a huge, standing-room-only success. The event is particularly fun and unique because of its format. Speakers have just five minutes to get their ideas across. Each presentation is accompanied by twenty slides, and the slides automatically advance after fifteen seconds. It's a quick and simple process that requires clarity and brevity. Of course, in order for the event to be a success it needs presenters. If you have a great idea you want to share with your fellow Lincolnites, submit a proposal to speak. I'm thinking about submitting a proposal this year. I have two ideas worked out in my head, but I would like to brainstorm some more ideas before I settle on one. Got an idea for me? Let me know and I'll put it into the mix. Heck, maybe I'll even ask you folks to help me choose my topic. A limited number of free early-bird tickets will be available. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about their availability. And then get one, because you know you want to be there. Have any of you attended or spoken at Ignite Lincoln in the past? Tell us about it!

Before Robbie came around I was a baseball umpire. After he arrived ... well, I just didn't have the time to be an umpire on top of all my other responsibilities and activities. Since that time, my umpire gear has sat around waiting to be used. In my car. In the garage. in the basement. I've tried giving it away before and so far nobody has taken it. This is my last attempt. Please please please somebody take this stuff off my hands. Mask; chest protector; shin guards; plate shoes; shirts; hats; plate brush; count indicators. It's all there, and it's all inside a giant duffle bag. And it's free. There's got to be an umpire out there who wants a bag o' free gear. Anybody? Bueller?

The Missus and I ate at the new PepperJax (27th and Pine Lake) last night. We waited in line a whopping 45 minutes. Yikes. First off you may be asking, "Mr. Wilson, why would you wait 45 minutes when you could have just scooted over to Cheesesteak Grille at 16th and Old Cheney and had a perfectly delicious sandwich from a small, local joint?". That's a reasonable question. I have two answers. Had I known I'd be standing in line that long I would have gone elsewhere; the line didn't look that bad. And I wanted to give P'Jax a try. I figured a little standing around wouldn't kill me. The bizarre thing about the long wait is that the line wasn't even all that long. (For perspective, when we arrived the line was backed up to the front door.) I've waited in similar lines many times. Heck, when I went to UNL the line at the Union's Subway location at lunchtime used to be at least that long every day, yet they managed to get people through in about ten minutes. The ordering process isn't the same at each restaurant, but it's comparable enough that it makes me baffled at the 35 minute difference in service times. No doubt you want to know if it was worth it. ... Kind of? Look, I love the customization options available to diners. There are plenty of cheesesteak-friendly toppings available. They can be added on the grill or placed on the sandwich post-grilling. There are several sauces available, most of which I found to be very tasty. You have non-philly options if that's your druthers. In short, the whole concept just works for me. But my sandwich itself -- a steak philly with onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and jalapenos -- was merely good. Now don't misunderstand me here. I'm saying the sandwich was good. I would gladly eat another one, today even. (Who's buying?) But I won't wait 45 minutes for good, particularly when there are perfectly good burritos (Chipotle), pastas (Noodles & Co.), and burgers (Crave) right next door. The biggest complaint I have about the sandwich is the meat. It was surprisingly chewy. I don't order a philly for a jaw workout. OK, it wasn't that bad. But right away my first couple bites took longer than expected to process. I was surprised. Again, don't take away from this that I hate the joint. I don't. Far from it. I will happily go back. But if the line is more than a handful of people deep, I'll steer elsewhere. There are only a few foods I'll wait more than ten minutes to order, and frankly this isn't one of them. UPDATE: LiquidRetro's take on PepperJax