Why I Oughta...

Adding this too-cute coaster from The Bell & Anchor in Sag Harbor to the 'virtual coaster collection' here on the blog.  Oh...you don't know about the coaster collection?   Check out the posts here .  Pretty spectacular, right? The Bell & Anchor was a neat little restaurant and bar right on the waterfront by a working pier in Sag Harbor.  I think Nat found it.  It was a great pick. We didn't have a water-view, but had a really great (big!) table and everyone - but me - enjoyed seafood and shellfish of various varieties.  We sat at the bar for a big waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive and I was stationed right next to the bar tending station with the fruit and such that was awaiting various drinks.   Mixed in amongst the cherries and lime wedges were sticks with three HUGE olives on them.  I house'd 3 stick-fulls while drinking my local beer.   (I forgot what I was drinking but looking at their site, it was the Southhampton Publick House Keller

On Sunday, I posted the photo of Fudgie The Whale from Carvel that I spotted when we were on Long Island.  But...he wasn't alone.  Eric "Fred" Norris' favorite - Cookie Puss - was also there in the freezer case.  I didn't forget about him!

 I turn back up to the office after being away for more than a week and I am greeted with the yellow grass and cleanup that lays ahead for the crew following this weekend's Lollapalooza. Doesn't look too bad.  The grass will come back. The fountain is working perfectly.  Seems like the kids didn't trash the place even though some rain came through. I've never been to this version of Lolla.  The one in Chicago.  I have, however, been to at least one of them.  I *think* two of them. When they were a touring thing that came through the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park. Based on this listing of acts , I for sure went in 1994.  That would have put me in the summer after my sophomore year.  Sounds about right.   I went with my High School crew that included Matt, Steve, Neil and Mark.  We saw the Beastie Boys which was pretty awesome. I also think we went in 1995.  Correct me if I'm wrong Matt/Neil.  But...I *think* we saw Sonic Youth that year, right?  But.

If you are a Howard Stern fan, you can't go to a Carvel stand and not seek out a Fudgie the Whale cake, right?   On our trip last week, Nat and I took the kids to get cones and while I was there, I grabbed this photo of the cake.  Alas...I didn't get the cake, though.  For shame, right?  For shame. Fudgie the Whale has his own Wikipedia entry where celebrities of all kinds pledge their undying love for Fudgie.  From the post: According to his wife Beth Stern, radio host Howard Stern considers Fudgie the Whale his favorite Carvel product. She discussed this with Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Andy Bernard, a character on the show The Office, requested a Fudgie the Whale cake for the group birthday celebration in the "Survivor Man" episode.

That pesky 'e' at the end of *my* version of Jacobe. Yeah...that's right.  I'm Thomas Jacobe Parrillo. I endured many a first-day-of-class roll call that included plenty of "Ja-co-bee's", so by now I'm used to it.  But... hey Coke ?  Can a brother get a little love for an odd spelling of a biblical name?!

Before the month gets away from us - and I have to turn over the wall calendars to August - wanted to call out this little Disneyland history nugget.  60 years ago today - July 31st, 1955 - the Casye Jr. Circus Train ride opened at Disneyland. That's exactly two weeks after the park opened.  Wonder why the train wasn't ready? As a side note, we've been to the Disneyland Resort three times and have yet to ride this thing.  Check out this POV video from MouseSteps:

Getting him started right with the Good Guys on the South Side - as any good Dad would do, right? He'll have no memory of this night we spent together, but I will never forget it.

We have one of those plastic kid kitchens.  You know the type. Ours was, unfortunately, scrawled with crayon marks from one of the coloring rages that The Bird is prone to do.  Scribble here.  Scribble there.  Mark the fridge door with purple crayon.  Scribble in the microwave with red.  A real art-ist! Anyway...here's a tip for you:  spray a little WD-40 on wipe it with a paper towel and it comes clean in a second.  For some, this may be old news, but not for me.  Also...to be clear....I'm not the first guy to figure this out, just check out the ole' Google for other folks' take.

What is this, the blog of a tween who has a ridiculous Instagram name and uses 12 emoji's per post?   Nope, just that of a upper-thirty year old suburban Dad who's wife gave him a limited edition Disneyland Jungle Cruise t-shirt.   First selfie taken and posted anywhere.  Let's not get too used to it, mmmmkay ?

You can't send us to a Sox game and not have us seek out the big Mickey Mouse up by the Fundamentals level out in left field.  That's what every family does, right?   The Bird here can't read so the big 'please keep off' sign didn't stop her from posing with her guy all dressed up in White Sox colors.   We arrived about 45 minutes before the first pitch and did a tour around the lower bowl concourse before settling into our seats.  It was hot.   Like sweaty hot.   And we lasted about 1/3rd of an inning before one of the girls started to complain about being 'bored'.  Seriously.  1/3rd of the FIRST inning.