Late Night Rabbit Holes

You know how it is. It’s getting late, but it’s not that late.

You’ve either streamed everything you currently find interesting, or you’re totally overwhelmed by too much choice. Reading seems like work. It’s a little too late to start playing music and wake up the rest of the house (who are quite sensibly sleeping at this hour). You could just go to bed, but you’re just not quite ready yet. Housework is out of the equation completely. So where do you turn?

YouTube. And you’ll stay there for hours. Apart from the standard dog/cat/cute kids/AFV-type rabbit hole, the possibilities are pretty much endless. We’ve all got our favorites, of course, but in case you’re looking for something new to check out, I’d like to share some of my go-to channels with you.

Okay, so these are actually all pretty well established, but chances are you may not be aware of all of these channels. If any are new to you, why not give them a chance? If you know them all, maybe check back in on your YouTuber friends. They probably miss you.

LOST IN THE POND
-Laurence Brown discusses the differences between American and British culture. Sometimes this pertains to linguistic differences, sometimes the differences in how we live our day to day lives, holidays, cultural (and pop cultural) differences, and more. Laurence is a native Briton, but has been living in America for years with his wife, and has recently become a full fledged citizen. Being a bit of an Anglophile myself, I very much enjoy this channel, both for the information and the humor. Or, humour. I read that last sentence in Laurence’s voice just now in my brain, and if you’ve ever heard him speak, you did too.

ASHLEIGH BURTON (AKA Millennial Movie Monday)
Ashleigh (or awkward Ashleigh as she is known on social media) is a Millennial who watches older movies for the first time, reacts to them and discusses her feelings about each film. The reactions are recorded live, but heavily edited due to copyright laws. I know some people don’t like reaction videos, but I do IF the subject is interesting, and IF the person(s) doing the reacting is likeable and fun to watch. This channel has plenty of both. Ashleigh is very much at home in front of the camera (sometimes a little too much-but in a fun way) and is very good at verbalizing her thought process and emotional reactions. She covers all sorts of movies from cult classics to blockbusters, and while I don’t watch any reactions to movies I have not seen myself, when I do watch I have a good time. Movie buffs, check this one out.

LOST IN VEGAS/ROB SQUAD REACTIONS
This is a two-fer, since the channels are both fairly similar. Both channels are run by African Americans reacting to a wide variety of music.

Lost In Vegas tends to be a bit more extreme in their musical choices, and have more of a “street” vibe (you have no idea how old I felt typing that). Thee guys also tend to break down the music a little bit more from a critical point of view, and can be a little harsh when they feel the need. Yet they virtually explode with delight when they find something they love and it is a joy to watch. George and Ryan are awesome.

Rob Squad is kind of the other side of the coin. Hosted by Jay and his wife Amber, these reactions tend to be a little more positive overall. While they do still break the songs down both musically and lyrically, much more credit is given to the vibe of the song and how it makes them feel. The goal here is to spread positivity through sharing musical experience and I am here for it. They also do some movie reviews, if you’d like to investigate those.

THE TRY CHANNEL
A rotating cast of Irish people try food and drink from around the world. It goes pretty much how you’d think. While I don’t always agree with their opinions on the American foods, the reactions are often hysterically funny. Watch enough of these videos and you’ll find your favorite TRY channel personalities (Dermot Ward and Justine Stafford are mine), and, maybe, some new foods to try yourself.

DAVE’S ARCHIVES
I’ve mentioned before how I like to watch old commercials at night before bed, partially for the nostalgia, but also because it helps clear my mind before bed and has a calming effect. Well, there are quite a few channels to choose form, but Dave’s Archives is the most expansive. It’s fun to see how many commercials in a given collection I remember, how many I don’t, and how many I had forgotten about until they come back to life on my screen. It’s also neat to see some big time actors before they were famous hocking burgers and soda. Thanks Dave, if that is your real name, for keeping the memories alive.

There are plenty more channels out there, of course, but this is a pretty good group of channels to keep you busy for a while. As for me, it’s late as I type this and I need to go to bed soon. Maybe jus a little YouTube before I drift off…

Pursuing Equality Through Movies and Rock And Roll

I was going to title this piece “Girl Power Weekend”, but that seems a little bit trite and flippant (if not condescending) and the intention is anything but. So bear with me while I discuss this weekends events and try not to sound like a total cloth head.

Saturday evening my wife and I went to a retirement party for a friend of hers. They taught in the same school for years and have been friends socially for just about as long. While I haven’t actually seen either of them teach, I know that they both put in hours of work both in and out of the classroom and give their all for their students. The retirement is definitely well deserved and we were happy to be a part of her celebration.

During dinner, there was much talk of the newly released “Barbie” movie. Any doubts I had as to whether or not I wanted to see the film in theaters were quickly put to rest, since everyone there were discussing the themes of the movie and what it had to say. Since it’s being sold primarily as a comedy this intrigued me. so a quick google search indicated that we could stay at the party a respectable amount of time and still catch the late show, so we did.

Okay, so I’m going to try to discuss this movie without spoilers, but I can’t promise I’ll succeed. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and want to avoid such things, feel free to skip ahead to Sunday, where I’ll tell you all about a cool concert I attended. No hard feelings if you do. See you there!

Much has already been written about “Barbie” the movie. There has been a large positive reaction from many people, and it is a certified blockbuster. There has also been a sizeable negative reaction. In my opinion, that’s exactly what any piece of art worth the price of admission should do. It means that the creators have hit a nerve, and you can’t do that properly without ruffling a few feathers along the way. So, naturally, I’m on board!

What I’ve noticed is that most of the negative reactions have come from people who have made a career out of negativity and a supposed superior moral stance. There have also been some complaints by some parents. I’ll try to address and/or counter these main complaints as best I can with my own ideas. Let’s start with the parents.

There has been a small but persistent outcry by some that there are some inappropriate jokes/scenes/ideas for children in the movie. Well, duh. It’s a PG-13 rated film. Your kids are not the intended audience. The anger you feel is your own fault for not doing your research before going to see the movie. Go back and watch some classic PG rated movies from the 1980s and see what used to be allowed in movies kids could go and see. Trust me, you’re getting out easy here.

The other argument from some upset mommies and daddies is that Hollywood shouldn’t be making movies for older audiences about a kid’s toy. Well, perhaps. I understand that idea, but the fact is that that’s not what happened. The film makers made a choice to try and elevate the concept of a movie about a doll into an examination of the human condition. Whether they were successful or not is up to personal opinion, of course, but that was the intent. Again, do your research before seeing the movie. Besides, most of the innuendos will sail over the heads of virtually all littles. What you’re angry about here people, is that your kids may actually have questions about what they saw, and you’ll have to (gasp) have a conversation with them about the film, and perhaps the world at large. Which is what a good parent should be doing anyway, but for some reason this scares the crap out of some folks. And we wonder why this country’s in such a mess.

Okay, let’s move on to the (mostly male) pundits who have problems with this movie and have condemned it. Let’s get sane!

Clueless Complaint #1-“Barbie” is anti-male.
Nope. Anti-Patriarchy, perhaps, but not anti-male. Seems like you’d have to be a fairly toxic male yourself to have this take. True, the Kens in the movie are not portrayed as the brightest bunch, but it digs into the reasons why. While Ken doesn’t really function well in Barbieland, his experience in the real world is confusing to him and he misunderstands much. When he brings a surface level understanding of the Patriarchy back to Barbieland, it is revealed that he can’t really survive in that role either. Ken’s story arc is that he must stop letting others define who he is and figure out who he really is inside. Only then can he be happy and successful. So…what’s wrong with that?

Clueless Complaint #2-“Barbie” is woke.
Y’all need to stop using the word “woke” to mean “anything I don’t like, or makes me uncomfortable”. That’s not what the expression means, that’s just the result in your case. “Woke” is also not a synonym of “liberal”. It’s just about being aware of the social problems in society, how they affect other people, and working towards a more fair and equitable world for all citizens. Being willing to help your fellow man or woman, and take steps for the betterment of our country/world shouldn’t just be a liberal idea, but a human one. It’s certainly a Christian idea, wouldn’t you agree? So again I ask, what’s wrong with that?

Clueless Complaint #3-“Barbie” is a feminist film-and that’s bad!
Okay..see.. I just… really? Hang on, let me… (deep breath)… okay.

“Barbie” is certainly a movie with a positive message for women, and if that’s all feminism means to you, then I guess it is. Here’s the deal though, there are lots of nuances here that people aren’t grasping. Barbie goes through her own crisis in this story. She has thoughts of self doubt, self-image issues, and a sense of not knowing where to fit in. Kinda like Ken does. She has to acknowledge her own responsibilities in her lot in life. She must choose to stop letting other people define who she is and figure out who she really is inside. Only then can she be happy and successful. So…what’s wrong with that?

At the end of the day, no one in the movie comes off as all bad. The central message is about finding yourself and being who you are no matter what the world tells you to be. This is not a bad thing. So why are people so upset?

It seems to me that it all boils down to the following ststement: “This movie challenged my ideas, opinions, and (possibly) identity, and I don’t like that. It made me think about things in a way that made me uncomfortable. Therefore, this movie sucks and no one should be allowed to see it.” Sound about right? You know, now that I think of it, this sounds kind of like what the conservative side accuses the liberals of doing all the time, doesn’t it? The “no cancel culture” people are canceling the doll movie. Give me a break.

Look, art, if it’s any good, damn well should make you think. It should make you uncomfortable every once in a while. It should present alternate ideas and force you to come to terms with them. Entertainment is one thing, and it’s all well and good, and there’s a place for entertainment for its own sake. Art, however, is special and, much to pretty much everyone’s surprise, that’s what “Barbie” is.

Is it a perfect movie? Of course not. I can knit-pick it as a film a little bit, in terms of pacing, stylistic choices, and the effectiveness of the humor. Still, I think the ideas and messages included are more important than the delivery here. It’s a fun film with serious undertones. Overall, it’s a winner if viewed with an open mind.

Okay, let’s move on to Sunday and a much less controversial topic. Probably.

I went to see a concert on Sunday by the band Paramore, who I’d never seen live before. In fact, it’s only been the last few years that I’ve become familiar with their music. They’ve been around, I just didn’t pay attention and rather unfairly dismissed them out of hand.

My bad.

I genuinely have enjoyed the band’s last two records, which were a bit of a departure from their core alternative/emo/pop punk/whatever sound. Since I liked these new records so much I went back and investigated the old stuff, and turns out I like it too. I think perhaps I was just into different styles when they were a newer band so they slipped past my radar, and I made the mistake of assuming I knew what they sounded like without actually taking time to investigate. I try not to do that, since past experience usually proves me wrong on my assumptions. Turns out they have always been more diverse than I gave them credit for and write highly enjoyable songs.

I bought tickets to the show based on both my own curiosity about the band and the strength of the entire bill. More on that in a minute. I had no idea how popular Paramore had become over the years! The Enterprise Center in St. Louis was sold out. That’s 22,000 people, most of whom knew and sang along with every word. That’s always a fun and exciting environment for a concert.

And what a concert it was! Paramore’s lead singer. Hayley Williams, is an amazing frontwoman. It’s almost impossible not to watch her. She is highly energetic, pretty much constantly moving, dancing, and leading the crowd in sing-alongs, all while belting out some powerful vocals herself. The band is also full of musicians who make it look easy-and those are usually the best ones. Production wise, they kept it fun and interesting all night with lots of confetti, pyro, and a moving light rig that made for a truly memorable evening.

If that wasn’t enough, the opening act was a band called The Linda Lindas. For those not in the know, The Linda Lindas are an all female pop punk band, made up of young girls between the age of 12 (whaaaaat?) and 18. They are fantastic. The band moves from down tuned slow punk rock groovers to fun, infectious, new wave-ish pop punk. Their songs are about the joys, disappointments, and insecurity of the teenage years, and, um, pet cats. Well, they are teenage girls after all. When they talk to the crowd it’s all semi-awkward, demure teenage girl speak, and then they start playing and blow the roof off the place. They are one of my new favorite bands and I can’t wait to see what their future brings. Well done.

I include this concert review in this topic because there is still, for some unfathomable reason, a bias against women in music, and rock in particular. The thought is that women just don’t rock as hard as men do. They’re not tough enough, they pretty up the songs too much, or they don’t understand the music like men do.

What a crock. Sure, sometimes women have a slightly different perspective on things and approach certain aspects of the music in ways men might not instinctively do, but that’s what makes it interesting. That’s what makes it good. The music business is no joke, even on a local level, much less the national stage. Anyone who has the guts to step on the stage is tough as nails in my book, no matter what the genre or the gender. Last night’s show was proof positive and case in point.

So the theme of the weekend seemed to have been one of equality between the sexes, although I didn’t know it going in and certainly didn’t plan it that way. It just kinda happened. I was inspired by strong women this weekend, both on the stage and in my life. I saw a movie that made me think about equality and my own role in the process, both as a male and as a human. Never once was my masculinity threatened, nor was sex an issue with the enjoyment of the arts.

I guess we still have a ways to go when it comes to equality. You’d think we’d have this together by now. All we can do is keep working together for a better tomorrow, I suppose. Keep up the good fight, y’all, and I’ll see you next week.

All About Pepper

Here’s a life update for you.

Regular readers know the sad tale of our dog Elvis (who is still very much missed), but there was more going on in the world of Brink family pets than I had shared at the time.

See, while all of the drama was going on with Elvis, we were also cat sitting my in-laws cat, Nala. She stayed with us a little over a month, and the girls fell in love with her. So much so, in fact, that they began to ask if we could adopt a cat. The answer at the time was a no, because we already had multiple animals to deal with, and it seemed like an extra expense that we couldn’t commit to at the time.

Enter Percy.

Percy, not an animal, is daughter Tessa’s friend from school who’s cat recently had kittens. Percy is on a mission to find these kitties good homes. You see where this is going, right?

Well, with Elvis’s passing, a position in the pet department opened up. As much as we love our doggies around here, we also love animals of all kinds. Except for snakes. And spiders. Ew. Yuck. Thbbpth! Anyway, apart from our dog Zoey (sweetest girl EVER!), we have a turtle, Leah, and have in the past owned fish, and, yes, a cat.

So, meet Pepper. She’s a grey and black tabby, fifteen weeks old, and weighs about 4 lbs. Pepper is full of energy, and seems to be an affectionate girl. She is still in the “getting accustomed to things” phase, so she hasn’t met Zoey yet or even made it out of Tessa’s room and into the basement at large, never mind the rest of the house. All in due time, cats need a gradual introduction. We are making sure she’s up to date on all necessary shots and gets the all clear form our vet before introducing her to the rest of the house.

We know that Pepper will be a great addition to our home. Dogs and cats are quite different, and though they both serve essentially the same purpose, they do so in different ways. Whether it’s play time or cuddle time, a furry friend will not be far.

Our aim has always been to build a house of love, and that goes for family, friends, and animals too.

Welcome home, Pepper.

Oh, just in case you were wondering, she is named after The Beatles. Technically, she’s Sgt. Pepper, but she’s not all hung up on titles, so she just goes by Pepper. She’s cool like that. We went through a few other Fab Four inspired names (Penny, Eleanor, Rita to name a few), but given her markings, Pepper was the definite winner.

Summer Vacation Round Up 2023: Galveston Texas

This past week the Brink family went on our Summer vacation to Galveston, Texas. For those not in the know, Galveston is an island city on the Texas Gulf coast. It’s a big tourist spot for many Texans and other Southerners, though people come from all over to stay and play on the island. While we normally like to do a lot of the touristy things when we visit these types of areas, we kept it to a minimum this time out, spending most of our time on the beach and in our condo, venturing out mostly for food and only a few activities.

On the way down we built in an extra travel day so we could visit my cousin Terry and family who live a few hours outside of Galveston in McGregor, Texas (a suburb of Waco). While we do keep in touch through social media, I hadn’t actually seen my cousin in a while (barring a few family funerals) and I hadn’t seen his family for even longer. We had an enjoyable visit with some good home-smoked brisket, lots of laughs, and plenty of playtime with their dogs. It was great to see everyone, and I hope we can do it again sooner rather than later.

The next day it was off to Galveston for four days of fun and relaxing on the beach. Well, it would have been had I not goofed up the reservation at our resort. Instead of booking Sunday night-checking out on Friday, I booked us Sunday night, checking out Thursday. Which left us with a day long hole in our schedule. Not to be discouraged, we simply looked at the extra day as an opportunity to check off another state, so instead of heading back through Oklahoma to Missouri as we came, we decided to go through Louisiana and spend some time in Lake Charles on the way back. It made for a little more driving than I had anticipated, but wound up working out just fine. We ate dinner by the lake and had a nice evening. Besides, we decided to save the touristy stuff in town for Thursday anyway, so we still got a lot of Galveston in before we left.

While vacations are meant to be spent having fun and unwinding, they can also be times of learning. With that in mind, here are the big things that I learned on our trip.

-Beaches Are Messy
I know that there are “beach people” out there, and if you love beaches, that’s awesome, you do you. My kids loved it, especially the boy, and I found it pleasant enough while we were on the beach and in the water, though I can’t call myself a “beach” person. The thing is, I wasn’t a big fan of the sand getting absolutely everywhere, along with the mud and sticky seaweed. I have heard it said that “the beach never leaves you” and that’s true, because you can’t get rid of it. They don’t show you that part in the movies, do they? Nope. Also, the seagull poop is whole other level gross-once that stuff is on any object you own, it’s basically time to get rid of that object, because it’s not coming off. Someone should figure out how to turn seagull stuff into an adhesive-they’d be rich.

Also, you have to do a lot before you do the beach. You have to set up your chairs, towels, tents, umbrellas, cooler, and what have you as soon as you are able find a spot, after lugging all of that stuff to the beach in the first place. Then you drag it all back. That’s a lot of work, man. Too much working, not enough playing for my tastes. However…

-Hermit crabs are pretty neat
One thing I did enjoy more than I thought I would was walking along the beach collecting seashells. I didn’t have a shovel or anything so I was basically just picking up small shells I thought were pretty. Sometimes, though, there’d be a little guy (or gal) in there and I got to play with a tiny crab for a while. A little girl in the tent next to us was digging up some bigger ones with her sand toys, and noticing me and my little bitty shells, brought me over a bigger crab to look at which was one of the most adorable things I’d ever seen. The gesture, not the crab. Although it was cool too.

-Dolphins in the Gulf appear more black than gray
Usually, when you think dolphin, you think gray. At least I do. However, we rode the Bolivar Ferry out of town on our last day in Galveston, and you can see dolphins from the ship as you make the run. I was surprised by how dark they were in color, appearing almost black. Maybe that’s just how they look from a distance, or maybe there are different kinds of dolphins in different parts of the ocean. I don’t know, I didn’t research this or anything, but it struck me as interesting anyway.

-Seafood really is better by the ocean, but prep is everything
Okay, so this one is kind of common knowledge, but you never truly know how anything tastes until you experience it yourself. I had seafood in two restaurants on back-to-back days. The first was at Jimmy’s On The Pier which was located, well, on a pier. It had a cool, vacation-y vibe to it, as we ate with gulls flying overhead and the ocean underneath us. It was a fun experience and the food was good, but maybe not great. The next night we went to Miller’s Seawall Grill, located on the Seawall (kind of the main strip in Galveston), and was an all purpose American restaurant. The fish there was phenomenal, and I had basically the same stuff as I did at Jimmy’s. Both featured quality ingredients, both are recommended by me, but Miller’s was just a little better.

-Moody Gardens is a must
All right, let’s talk tourist stuff. Quality tourist stuff. Moody Gardens is a little bit hard to describe. They call themselves a “public, non-profit, education destination”, but that sounds boring, and from our experience, the place is anything but. In fairness we didn’t do everything there is to do at Moody, but what we did experience is top-notch.

Moody Gardens consists of three pyramids. Just go with it. One is called the Discovery Museum, which we were not able to do, the other two pyramids include a rainforest, and an aquarium, which we did do.

The rain forest zoo pyramid was absolutely incredible. It begins with a few caged exhibits and informational features, but then you make your way up to the top of the pyramid and step out into a rain forest! Many of the animals roam free, so birds are constantly flying overhead, and walking next to you along the paths. I hear tell that monkeys also live in the pyramid, with staff keeping a close eye on them, but we didn’t see any. A new exhibit featured a kamado dragon as well, which was actually quite beautiful. The floor of the pyramid has river beds where some big ol’ fish and turtles stay, along with parrots, and the Roul Roul birds who for some reason loved to swoop out of the trees and land right next to me, scaring the crap out of me every chance they got.

We also saw a sloth in the trees from the ground, but he was difficult to spot. The only animals caged in exhibits were the bees, ants, some lizards, snakes, and the spiders. Oh, and the fruit bats too, but their cage was right in the middle of everything where you could see them plainly. This is a truly immersive experience that deserves to be seen by all-and when you buy your ticket money goes to conservation efforts so no guilt, y’all. Just be forewarned-it’s humid as all get out.

The aquarium was a lot of fun, too. I have been to others aquariums, and they are all similar to some extent. This one had an interesting set up, as you spiraled through the pyramid to get to each new exhibit. There were tons of interesting sea creatures (and one mammoth sea lion) and since I love that stuff it was a real treat for me. It was also a treat to be in the air conditioning after the humidity of the rain forest!

As mentioned, there is more to do at Moody, with the Schlitterbahn Water Park right next door, a golf course, and a hotel, it can be a multi-day vacation in and of itself. Moody Gardens is quite pricey-so look for some discount packages if you go- but it is well worth the trip if you ever find yourself in Galveston.

-On a long car ride, there’s only so much Yacht Rock you can take
I’ll admit it, I love Yacht Rock. Yacht Rock in Summer to me is like Christmas Carols in Winter. It’s part of the charm. However, I usually listen to it in small bursts of 30 or 40 minutes tops as I run around town. On the open highway though, it got a little too relaxed. Fortunately, we were listening to satellite radio all trip and we listened to everything from early ’60s classic rock to ’80s hits, ’70s and 80s hard rock, 90s alternative, and even some modern pop music. Normally, as driver, I rule the music selections with an iron fist, but this time I loosened it up and gave everybody a little something they enjoyed. Just with a little yacht-y smoothness mixed in.

-Holiday Inn Express And Suites have pancake machines
For some reason, daughter Melody was fascinated by this machine and its workings. She even recorded a video of the machine doing its thing on her phone. Odd kid. The wife blames me. She’s probably right. Anyway, these machines are much less messy than the do it yourself waffle iron you often see at hotel breakfast set ups, and are less likely to burn the guests. Plus I love pancakes more than waffles, so I’m all for them. During travel days we stayed at these hotels and while they aren’t super fancy they are quite nice for the price. Some are newer than others, but all of them we stayed at were good, and free breakfast is always a win.

-Louisiana rest stops are intense, man
Some rest stops are really nice. Some not. It’s always good when you find a pretty, spacious one with a travel information center inside, as they are generally cleaner and more well maintained than the standard ones. Sometimes these rest stops are at the shore of a lake or pond. The one we stopped at in Louisiana had a lake, some nature walking trails, a small dock, and two signs. One sign said “Feeding Wildlife Prohibited”, and the other very specifically stated “DO NOT FEED ALLIGATORS”. Okay, Louisiana…

-Blue Bell Ice Cream lives up to the hype…mostly
Texans are big proud of Blue Bell. Like, almost irritatingly so. In fact, when there is a shortage of Blue Bell, it gets downright dangerous out there. My wife is an ice cream super fan, so she was very interested in trying Blue Bell, and since I am always up for trying new foods we bought some pints to have at the condo. I can say that when it comes to flavored ice cream (cookies and cream, mint chocolate chop, etc.) Blue Bell is top-notch and delicious. But their regular vanilla was weird. It had an unidentifiable aftertaste I did not care for, and a slight grainy texture. Maybe they didn’t mash up the beans all the way? I’m not sure. Anyway, if you get Blue Bell, skip the plain and get some kind of weird flavor concoction, you’ll have a good time.

And finally, what my regular readers have surely been waiting for:

-Buc-ee’s vs. Wally’s: I still love Wally Bear
So, as mentioned before on this blog, Buc-ee’s is kind of famous as the biggest gas stations/convenience stores in the country-mostly located in the South. Wally’s is the Midwest version. Both feature not only gas and snacks, but souvenir items, freshly made sandwiches, jerky, ice creams, barbecue, camping gear, and more. Both have passionate fan bases, though Wally’s is a relative newcomer with only a few locations.

Now, because I’m me and it’s fun to stir the pot from time to time, I walked into Buc-ee’s wearing my Wally’s hat. I then came face to face with the beaver himself for an awkward photo op. Being a Midwesterner my politeness kicked in and I happily took the picture while quietly repping my home-bear. It was funny to me, but I’m sure nobody there had any clue what I was giggling about.

Okay then, all that said, Buc-ee’s is bigger (at least twice as big with about three times the stuff for sale crammed in), there’s more selection, it’s brasher, bolder, louder, very crowded, and yes, more impressive overall. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a crowded department store during the Christmas rush. It was fun and nice, but it felt like the Corporate Overlords were in control. Wally’s on the other hand is small by comparison, but still has an independent feel to it, like they are still experimenting with the model and figuring out what works. Wally’s has heart-and it has my heart.

Also, after (quite happily) devouring like five packs of Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets, I still don’t know what the hell those things are. I mean, they’re tasty, but…what are they???

Well, there’s your snapshot of the vacation this year. If you ever get to Galveston, check out some of this stuff. Wherever your adventures may take you: safe journeys. See you back here next week for more MonDAVEs.

Not Loving This

Okay, so, McDonald’s, right? I have issues. Things have changed man, and I don’t mean the food.

McDonald’s used to be a lot different. It used to be fun, bright, and colorful. Along with the 1970s brown decor were splashes of red and yellow to brighten up the place. The color scheme changes slightly on the 80s but was still identifiably and unmistakably McDonalds.

Kids were rewarded with trips to McD’s for good grades, academic or athletic achievement, or even just good behavior. Every kid loved going to McDonald’s and getting their happy meal with the free toy inside, no matter how crappy the toy may be. We loved collecting those, and also begging our parents for an extra buck or so in order to get the collectible Garfield or Peanuts glasses.

Their advertising was great too. Like the restaurant itself, the ads were big and happy, bright and beautiful. Sometimes they told a nice story. Remember the one with the senior citizen going back to work? Or how about the commercial with the little girl’s recital? Heartwarming stuff to be sure.

There were more campaigns you’re sure to remember as well. “You Deserve A Break Today” was a big one. Remember which sandwich kept the “hot side hot and the cool side cool”? Sure you do. The McDLT. Remember when they started staying open for late nights and the Mac Tonight campaign had us all singing along?

Then, of course, there were the McDonald Land characters. Ronald McDonald took us to a fantasy world full of Fry Guys, little puppet McNuggets, Mayor McCheese and the Hamburglar, and, um, whatever it is that Grimace is supposed to be (someone once said a taste bud, but I have no idea how correct that is), and more. Some have called a few of these creations creepy in retrospect, but as young children, most of us loved the characters and their silly adventures as much as we loved going to the restaurant itself.

But that’s all changed now. Somewhere along the line, the vibrant colors all went away and were replaced with drab, boring shades of tan and beige. McDonald’s decor has gone from tesembling an excited child with a joyful future to that of a depressed middle-aged man who’s given up on the even the most remote possibility of fun. Which, of course, mirrors the fates of its core audience, but still. Next time you go inside, take a look around you and notice how drab and awful your surroundings have become.

The ads are just bad now, too. Dull, uninspired, and boring, it’s a shame what the once brilliant McDonald’s ad campaigns have become. They have officially “Ba dap ba ba bad” their way into irrelevance. I’m supposed to be loving this? I think not.

The last straw has to be this whole “Grimace Shake” fiasco. Problem one is the fact that nobody can seem to agree on what the purple concoction actually tastes like. Problem two is, although they brought our beloved Grimace back, they changes him into a three year old boy…er…thing, instead of the ageless, Dim-witted, but good hearted lump we all knew and loved.

Okay, so I was actually excited at first that they brought Grimace back. “If this takes off,” I thought to myself, “we might actually see the McDonald Land characters come back, and Mickey D’s become a happy place again. They a re actually fixing it!” My celebration, however, would be short-lived.

What happened next was not McDonalds’ fault, but instead that of the social media menace known as Tic Toc. Or was it Twitter? Doesn’t matter. Anyway, the “Grimace Shake Trend” started when some little punk with no respect posted a video wherein people who drank the Shake immediately died. Funny in an anarchic way I suppose, but then it became a “thing” and just about everybody with a cell phone started doing it too, all trying to outdo one another by making each video feature more “gore” in the guise of purple shake being strung everywhere.

So, as a result, the promotion has basically been ruined, and unless the McDonald’s people are willing to let their characters be perverted like that, the characters have virtually no chance of coming back. Thanks for wrecking it, Tic Toc, or Twitter, or whatever. Now instead if a bright, happy Mcfuture we have to go back to a drab, boring, no future, which may make for a great Sex Pistols song, but sucks for a Hamburger joint.

Look, McDonald’s is in no danger of folding anytime soon, I know. It’s still fast, convenient food that is tasty, and will satisfy when you want it too. It’s just that it used to be an almost magical thing and I feel like it could be again. But we are a long way off, and we’ve got a long way to go.

Thanks for indulging this rant. Let’s all grab a quarter pounder, or maybe some nuggets and fries, and meet up here next time for another edition of MonDaves.