An Important Public Service Announcement- Donut Holes to Make Triumphant Return

This is a short public service announcement sure to bring hope to the hearts and minds of St. Charles area residents and visitors alike. The latest insider information we have pertains to the creation of a Community Center right here in the Chuck. While there can be no real replacement for the gem of a YMCA that we have, the best news is not in the workout facility or pool or whatever blah blah blah. The REAL story here is that the plans include the addition of a DUNKIN' DONUTS that will be ON SITE. Unbelievable I know. For those of us who have mourned the demise of a childhood institution and the scant availability of real donut holes, this is an honest reason for rejoicing. The news states that the convention center will be built at the current site of Chuck E Cheese and the defunct K-Mart and Big Lots (which may be the worst retail establishment ever). Fear not, plans are to relocate the Chuck E Cheese nearby. With no disrespect to our fond memories of cheap pizza and skee-ball, Chuck E Cheese never measured up to Showbiz and it has become a glorified Wal Mart lobby with 25 cent helicopter rides and bacteria ladened ball pits the only attraction for toddlers. And, for those who have not been to a modern Dunkin Donuts in recent years cannot begin to understand what we have been missing in the Lou since the last one (?) in Des Peres closed some time ago. We patronized one last fall in Philly before tailgating at a Penn State game and it has evolved into the best things that any breakfast establishment could offer. If you could imagine the Dunkin of old merged with STL Breadco (or Panera for non-St. Louisans), Starbucks and Jack in the Box. Same great donuts, good coffee, acceptable bagel selection and even greasy breakfast sandwiches for the morning after a bender. If this fantasy come true pans out, MGW will be longing for the pad at Sun Valley Lake and we will mourn having lived mere feet from this glorious new addition to our community. We will stay tuned to developments as they unfold...a new day has dawned for the Chuck.

Best 4th of July EVER!!!

This post is courtesy of an email from Mr. Greg Vest, the newest addition to our fantastic blog:

Since I hardly feel qualified to approach the netherworld of blogging or Facebook or MySpace (I'm always worried that the guy from Dateline: To Catch a Predator is monitoring MySpace and I may say something inappropriate) and since the internets are a technological marvel I avoid (I've only recently upgraded to expanded Matt TV that includes ESPN) I share thoughts the old fashioned way..the antiquated world of e-mail. What does it mean that Big L has more blogging experience than me? Oh yeah, he's retired. So I fully expect a full and detailed blog from Joff or Jon about The 2008 O'Fallon Heritage and Freedom Festival, or better known by the Gin Blossoms lead singer as "the best 4th of July EVER."

My first Big Head Todd show was perfect for a 30+ year old with a pregnant wife. Perfect weather, sitting in a lawn chair and drinking beer with good people. Resignation Superman, Please Don't Tell Her ( I Love Her), Broken-Hearted Savior were great live. Somehow, in the 45 minutes between BHT and Candlebox, the hoosier element increased ten-fold. I did not realize that the people who like Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar and Korn also like Candlebox. Luckily we were not right at the front of the stage so we saw fewer women flashing their girls and giving the forefinger/pinky salute to the devil. As the sun went down and our group grew to include Brian and Cindy and Lily, Joff and Amy and Xavi?, Jon and Johanna, Brandon and Angie and Kaylyn (in utero), we were struck with nostalgia of Matt and Vicki's fateful beginnings as the anticipation of great mid-90's music was building. They played the good ones minus 29...Allison Road, I Found Out About You ( I forgot about that one!), Hey Jealousy, Until I Fall Away, etc....The last time we saw them was a long damn time ago. Crazy.

Though we have tried for 6+ years to be in a place to attend a newborn class at St. John's, I was ill-prepared for the shocking realizations we experienced today. Luckily, we attended the class with Brandon and Angie (and a few other pregnant couples, one that included Mr. Sourpuss himself). Attending a family member's funeral would be funny if Brandon was there. Tell Joff I can't wait to read his blog entries after attending such classes. And he should name his first son Billy Ruben since Brandon and I ( and maybe Jar?) are having girls. Billy Ruben (or scientifically bilirubin) has something to do with the liver and jaundice. Rachel could probably explain it to you. After seeing detailed photos of circumcision, i question the accepted practice in our culture. The first nine days of a boys life are spent experiencing a black and blue pecker that may or may not be infected with excruciating pain in the special regions. Would it be better at 13? With the newly detailed scientific advances in child-rearing, it's a wonder any of us are alive to read this. We drank from plastic bottles that should have scarred our brains, we were given tylenol in large enough doses to put us to sleep, we rode standing on the back seat of the car as soon as we could stand (or tumbling around the back of the station wagon were you lucky enough to have one), we slept with the ever-dangerous blankets in our cribs and we ate in restaurants or flew on planes where there was a vaguely defined smoking section.

I guess this writing stuff really is cathartic, but so is solitaire and fantasy baseball. Jon, if there is some way to share these simple thoughts with the "blogosphere", I suppose I could learn. I mean, Big L does it, right? I look forward to your blog about the best 4th ever...Happy Birthday America, you are AWESOME! Matt, it would have been better were you there...seriously.