I just lost my job. No, not the one for writing this article--my day job. You didn’t really think I wrote this article for a living did you? While the lack of a paycheck does present certain obstacles, the newly found free time also opens up some great possibilities. I can finish off my autobiography. I am also going to finally get back to some daytime soaps. It has been a good 25 years since I have tuned into General Hospital or Days of our Lives. Are Luke and Laura still married? Are they still alive? Perhaps now I can even get next month's article to the editor on time. Well, before for I set production expectations too high, I had better figure out whether or not I am going add One life to Live to the list and make it Soap Opera trifecta. I am also sure that my wife is pretty darn excited about having me around the house with her 24 and 7.

I will also have more time to go out and eat. Next month I am going to tell you about a New restaurant at 4641 Watt Ave called California Cuisine, but I want to give you a little taste (pun definitely intended) of it this month. California Cuisine was formerly The Waffle Inn, and just like when it was the Waffle Inn, you can still get a great breakfast and or lunch. But the dinner menu has elevated itself, thus the appropriate name change. Also they have done a very nice remodel on the dining area. More on that next month.

Who doesn’t like a good burger? You sir, over there in the puka shell necklace and toupee, please put your hand down and leave the room. Now for the rest of you who are all about good burgers, I have some good news. We now have a Jaspers Giant Burgers at 5751 Watt Ave. Jasper’s occupies the space that was previously filled by the teriyaki/donut place. I know it is a shock that that little slice of culinary genius didn’t work out. After all, who among us doesn’t want to chase their sushi with a couple of jelly filleds?

Anywho, me and my buddy Noel had lunch at Jasper’s recently and derived great pleasure from its larger than life burgers. Yes, if the name did not clue you in, believe me when I tell you the burgers are quite enormous. They are more than any one human should eat in a single sitting. The operative word there being should, because Noel and I both did. As a matter a fact, Noel finished his first and then began eyeing what was left of mine. Or perhaps he was simply fascinated by my recent manicure. Either way, my point is (and yes I occasionally have one) besides simply being large, the burgers were also extremely good. At Jasper’s you can follow up your hamburger with some frozen yogurt. Granted that does not flow quite as well as say salmon teriyaki and a chocolate éclair, but then what does?

Though I will go into more detail on California Cuisine next month, I want you to know it is okay to give it a try before then. I did stop by for lunch last week and had a pretty awesome Philly Cheese steak. Now I did have a debate with the waitress about whether or not we can call a Philly cheese steak California Cuisine, a debate I am proud to say I handily won. The poor girl lost focus after her eye caught my awesome manicure.

Well, until next month, I hope all goes well for you and yours. And hey, don’t worry about me and my job situation; I will get back on my feet. I will get back on my feet about 3:00 each day as soon as the credits roll and the sands run out of hourglass on Days of our Lives. Joseph P. Kennedy once said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going." However, in my current state, I have chosen to lean on the inspirational words of Patti Labelle who sang, “itchy kitchy iya dah dah."