Since I last promoted the 1st annual ChipperThings/WacoFork Chess Tournament, the thing got real.
In several ways actually.
For one thing, we've had about a dozen early commitments from players, including a couple of legitimate expert bracket favorites. We invented a way to break the entries into expert and novice brackets using something I'm calling the Personal Player Rating, which means each player will rate themselves on a scale of 1 (you're fairly certain you know how all the pieces move) to 100 (you can play a game without looking at a board). One of the early entries rated himself an 85 and another has played games without a board in the past.
Sometimes life is a chess match.
This is not the most uplifting of metaphors because it means that sometimes we are all put in a position where it is completely necessary to be combative and manipulative. But that's just the way it is sometimes.
It's one of those weeks that just feels different.
While there could be some newsworthy restaurant stuff happening this week — I'm going to be checking on Sergio's on Austin Avenue and, of course, BJ's Brewhouse continues to take shape near the Richland Mall — I feel like many of us are consumed either with spring break or March Madness or SXSW in Austin or possibly a combination of all of them.
My favorite sports event of the year, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, is upon us. And so I can't resist challenging all of you out there who dare to take on my college hoops-game-picking prowess.
So this WacoFork adventure is getting close to its first birthday. We launched on April 7 of last year and since that time we've been pumped to see a steady increase of participation with us.
Already this year, we've welcomed plenty of new enthusiastic web and iPhone app users as well as restaurants who have joined us. Not to pat ourselves on the back excessively, but we feel like WacoFork is becoming a thing with a place in our town.
Just a quick hit blog today with a couple of WacoFork reminders.
If you're out with friends and family doing some holiday dining, keep us in mind and write a review. Remember, we're giving away an iPad2 when we hit 1,000 reviews and we're getting closer every day. We're about 300 reviews from that goal and every review you write gives you another entry and a better chance at winning the big prize.
The fruit cake is in flight.
On Thursday, we purchased a large fruit cake from Collin Street Bakery in order to conduct a little experiment (or play a game, depending on how seriously you think we take ourselves). So I announced via Twitter and Facebook that we would give away this fruit cake to the first taker. The only catch was that they had to let us know, if they passed it along, to whom they gave it.
Wow! This is one heavy pastry.
Before I go any further, let me just say that Collin Street Bakery had on display many delicious looking holiday treats. I almost bought a fudge pecan pie, which is my favorite kind of pie. But that's not what I was after.
I wanted a fruit cake.
All of the things in the picture with this blog are things that we here at WacoFork want you to have. In fact, we're going to give them to you.
You're thinking there's a catch, right? There is, but not a big one.
Oh, baby, it's a beautiful Monday morning.
As I sit here at my favorite coffee shop, it's sunny and 75 degrees. The high today is supposed to be 88 and the overnight low is predicted to be 54. Is it time to break out the hoodie? A man can dream.
Friends, we made it. I kept telling myself all summer that God gave Texas the heat because He knew we could handle it. I believe that. But He also blesses us with the pleasure of feeling like a day on which the high temperature is 88 degrees is a little slice of heaven.
We know you want a WacoFork app. We want one too. It's been in the plan all along.
But when will it ever get here?
Well, it's like the story my dad used to tell about the cat whose tail got run over — it won't be long now.
Click "Read more" for a link to a quick demo that shows some of the things our app will do in helping you make the best possible restaurant selection here in beautiful Waco.
