Flipping for free pancakes!

Today I'm celebrating National Pancake Day with IHOP.

They say that some of the best things in life are free. From 7am to 10pm today, International House of Pancakes (IHOP) will give you one free short stack (3) of their famous buttermilk pancakes. National Pancake Day coincides with Fat Tuesday or Mardis Gras in the USA. Some say that National Pancake Day originated several centuries ago when the English prepared for fasting during Lent. Because strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, pancakes were made, using up the supply of eggs, milk, and butter. IHOP simply asks that you consider making a donation to Children's Miracle Network, which supports local children's hospitals. IHOP hopes to raise $1,000,000 for Children's Miracle Network or other local charities on this day.

Cruising around the track at Daytona

Today I'm celebrating The Great American Race, watching the 51st annual Daytona 500. While the heat is already rolling during the season-opening event on the tires for Daytona, the ticket prices were rolled back from $99 to $55 in some areas, an economic stimulus package to make the
NASCAR racing more affordable for the devoted fans. The race is running with a capacity crowd near 200,000. The star drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hope to battle for 200 laps, 500 miles, rolling past the finish line before the rain rolls into town. The press and fans enjoyed Grammy Award winner and country music star Keith Urban as he performed in the pre-race show. I expected to hear Julianne Hough singing the National Anthem, but that was NOT her. I wonder what happened. Tom Cruise (whose ex-wife Nicole Kidman is now the wife of Urban) returned to the racetrack where he filmed "Days of Thunder" to drive the pace car during the opening pace laps. The winner? the race is still on.

The grand slam is a hit out of the park today!

Today I'm celebrating the FREE Grand Slam at Denny's today!

In today's economy, it's great to hear good news about FREE offers. Today, Denny's offered its Grand Slam breakfast free to customers from 6am to 2pm. I unfortunately was unable to get to Denny's today to catch that fabulous offer. There are many reports of people standing in line for the free breakfast. I love the Grand Slam -- but I prefer 4 slices of bacon instead of the bacon plus sausage. Denny's was once a popular place for me and my friends during a long night of exam prep or after long rehearsals and performances. After tearing down a set and loading lights up through the evening, the Grand Slam is a great treat for the crew after midnight. It's always been a popular place for breakfast too when meeting my friends before the start of a busy day. I have to admit though --- it has been awhile since we've been to Denny's. I'm not sure why -- I guess it's partially because the new IHOP is a bit closer and is a central location to the group. However, I'm impressed with Denny's offer today! It is reported that Denny's paid $3 million for the Superbowl ad, but expected 2 million customers to take its offer on the free Grand Slam today. I understand that rain checks were available for those who could not wait. I also hear that some neat coupon books were available to the first guests who ordered the free breakfast. Way to go Denny's! You're now at the top of my short list for breakfast. I can practically hear that bacon sizzle now!
If you made it to Denny's today, post a comment --- tell us how long you had to wait.