Pizza Shuttle.

As anyone with half a brain will tell you, a good hometown has GOT TO have some good pizza. This goes double for anyone that grew up in Chicago (being the home of deep dish) or perhaps New York, but I can't speak for them. And if you don't know it already, I like eating in general. To be more specific, I've grown up with an eating contest atmosphere at most meals in a family of 4 boys. It was almost always unspoken, but there was something to be said for eating as much as or more than they guy next to you. It's still like that to this day, but we're all getting older and our feats of gastronomic fortitude are becoming increasingly rare.

I know, I know... "get to the post, Jackass!" Well, I had the opportunity in the last month or so to find what is actually regarded as one of the best pizza places in MKE. This title is not placed by me, but by some of the local publications I have read. Also, I suspect there are far fancier pizza places than Pizza Shuttle, but only they have such a niche carved out... carved out of mozzarella, dough, and pizza sauce.

Their niche, in my humble estimation, is semi-greasy, cheap, college pizza. This is not to say that it doesn't taste good, as they always get high marks in reviews. However, for those of us that are fans of Gumby's Pizza (ooh, Pokey Sticks), I would say this is very reminiscent of that style: a little greasy, a little cheesy, and a lot of volume.


This is the remnants of a dine-in only 28" pizza... Just barely held up by the table.

Not only that, but they have one of the biggest menus I've ever seen at a pizza joint. It's literally 8 full color pages, folded up like a small newspaper. You expect to be able to order pizza, but I did not expect to be able to order such things as: gyros, chicken fingers, wings, custard, beer, etc. This is a versatile place and also delivers everything. Yes, Margaret, you can get Brownie Fudge custard sundae delivered right into your grubby little hands.



Of course, the variety in people is almost as good as the variety of food. I saw lots of different people from all walks of life... and that's just the employees. Plus, we don't have to worry about the old saying "never trust a skinny chef"... trust me.

To top it all off, this is about 3 blocks from my place - totally walkable and they have a photo booth. What better way to end a gorging than to stuff yourself and all your friends in an enclosed space for pictures!?! "Say cheese!!"



Finally, I can write all this and I've not even had the pizza yet, just the custard. I'm saving the pizza experience for when I really need it - after a long, hard ride or long, hard night of drinking. I just know Pizza Shuttle won't let me down. Get on the bus, Gus.

Results, Poll #15, Amore.

Love seems to get a lot of press and often the rap for things that go wrong. Why are we fat? Because we're emotional eaters. Why do so many people get divorced? Because they lost their love. Why are strip clubs so popular? Because love don't come cheap. So, what did the readers of t.c have to say about being in love?

9 people (64%) chose "Yes, I know it with all my heart" - awww, sweet [barf].
0 persons (0%) chose "No, not ever" - phew.
3 people (14%) chose "No, but it'll happen" - that's good, stay positive... it's an attractive quality.
2 people (21%) chose "Dunno, how can I tell" - can we Google for more info on knowing if you've been in love?

I have to say, I'm not exactly shocked by the results, and maybe happy that the majority of us have been in love. "They" say you live longer when you're married and not single; I better get on the ball if I want to live as long as the rest of you.

And who's not filling the polls out now?!? We gotta get the total respondents back up there!

Cubs Forever.

I never really knew what I was getting into when as a kid of 7 or 8, I was taken to my first Cubs game. The only way one in a family of 7 kids could see the Cubs when I was growing up was to go with Grandma and Grandpa. For some years, my grandparents were crazy enough to host each of us, one at a time, at their house for about 5 days. We got to eat what we wanted, watch TV "during the day", and do fun things that weren't plausible with 5-7 kids at one time. I had to hear about my brother and sister's good times for a few years, but soon enough I was going on my own "summer vacation" and planning my own trips. I can't remember the year, opponent, or much about the first few trips, but I do remember my grandparents being about as excited as I was, the hotdogs, the chocolate malteds, the souvenirs, and also the general feeling you get from being in Wrigley. Did the Cubs win? I've no idea... but a Cubs game isn't usually about that.

The Cubs Forever program was a great show and I couldn't help but think about the stories I've heard about Wrigley from older fans (My grandma saw a Bears game there), the memories of watching games in the cool basement during the hot summer months (My uncle has the Pirates vs. Cubs playoff series on VHS still), the good times I've spent seeing games there myself (I have a foul ball on my bookshelf), missing games b/c tickets were too expensive (Yankees vs. Cubs), and all the great players and staff over the years. I suppose it's a sign of me getting older, but I can rattle off many names, all of which bring up some memory or picture: Caray, Cey, Davis, Dawson, Dunston, Maddux, Matthews, Ramirez, Sandburg, Sutcliffe, Santo, Soriano, Sosa, Wood, among many. These are players that we've cheered for over years and Cubs staff that have made the games more memorable.

If you consider yourself a Cubs fan and missed the original airing of Cubs Forever (fan status now debatable), set your DVR to catch a re-airing or find the book/DVD at your local (or mega) bookstore.

More comparisons.

I wrote a recent post about the street signs up here in MKE that remind me of places in Chicago/IL. It happened again in a slightly different way as I rode along some of MKE's lakefront. Many of the properties seem similar to the Northshore in Chicagoland. I think it's even called the same nickname up here. Still, very nice, quiet, neighborhoods, and lots to look at.

This first shot reminds me alot of the lakefront in Chicago or Evanston. I know, duh - it's the same lake dingleberry.

This house and lot could literally be in Kenilworth or some other neighborhood I'll never live in. It also required special street to be put into the neighborhood and some other interesting public infrastructure. If you drive all the way back here, they make sure it's only b/c you live here. Of course, if you have time to kill on a bike, you can pretty much get anywhere you want.

This last one seemed to be the best use of property entrance framing the lake. I mean, that's what people want to see when they "arrive at the lakehouse!", right? I thought they did a good job here.

Results, Poll #14, 4 Seasons.

I guess I was one of the few that's been wanting to get out of the long winters lately:

2 people (15%) already do live in nice weather places - lucky (?).
3 people (23%) thought about it like I did.
5 people (38%) might have thought about it, but have given up.
3 people (23%) just love bulky sweaters, the break from body grooming, and hot cocoa.

Perhaps I should run this again, but in the dead of winter. Though, this weekend we did have 40 degree nightly temps, less sun, and winds in the 25-35mph range - winterish.

Commercials.

No doubt I watch my fair share of TV. And I don't have one of those fancy commercial-skipping machines from the cable company... so, by default, I watch my fair share of commercials too. Many miss the mark or don't resonate with me, but every so often a few get my attention.

Just some commercials that made me laugh or said "whoa, different!" (all on youtube):
> New Balance Love/Hate Bench
> Farmer's Insurance Rush Hour
> There can only be one: Iguodala & Hamilton

Earth Day.

Yeah, that's right, Earth Day is TODAY! You didn't really remember either, did you? Until you hopped onto Google and saw their holiday logo. I heard on the radio this morning, and then rememebred something I heard last week too. I did not have a big green event planned though. In fact, all this forgetfulness helped me remember the first few Earth Days as a kid (er, teenager?). It used to be a big deal and our class/school would do something to help our planet.

In that spirit, I will once again plug GreenDimes. They can help reduce junkmail at home, but for a slight upcharge, you also get some cool green accesories. I happened to have the opportuinty to use my packable shopping bag the other day on my WholeFoods trip... and I have to say - one of the nicest reusable bags I've tried. It's small, light, and literally & figureatively green. When in use, it seems strong, comfortable, and still literally & figureatively green.



I'd also challenege you to stop using disposable items, when you could very well use a reusable one. For example:
> A resusable shoping bag instead of new paper or plastic [duh, see above]. This can be at all stores, not just grocery. And if you look hard enough, I bet you could find some colorful, cool, trendy, dare I say, fashionable ones now... maybe at WholeFoods, or Trader Joes, or Marshall Fields, wait, Macy's (yuck).
> Bringing real silverware into work instead of using plastic each day at lunch. I'm not sure if this will go over so well at my office though, whadda ya think?
> Get washable dishcloths instead of using papertowels for everything. Maybe those infomercials from that annoying yelling guy aren't so bad if the product works.
> Don't let Starbucks give you a new papercup AND hand protector cozy thingy (OMG) everytime you buy your half fat, no foam, carmel, mocha frappucino. Instead, bring in a cool reusable mug. Go ahead, I say you can treat yourself to the fancy stainless steel one you've been eyeing. The Earth says it's ok to buy it.
> Use your hand and a bucket of water instead of toilet paper... ok, just kidding on this one... but you don't need to be a roll-hog!