Things my cat makes me learn about others through Google

I finally got a new ID tag for Tuesday, our cat. He's an indoor pet, but I've always made sure he's had a current tag, just in case of emergency. To be truthful, though, I also have a paranoia that one day he'll find an escape route, some sort of secret passage in a closet, a trap door only he has noticed, and crawl past treasures hidden and forgotten by time in the walls, past bricks of gold and bags of silver, through some sort of ventilation duct and eventually out onto the busy streets of West Hartford, a cat free from human clutches. 

Either that or he'll walk out when the door's open.

Regardless of the plausibility of either circumstance, he needed an updated tag, if, for nothing else, to at least make him identifiable. So, I made the trek to the pet store in Bishops Corner to buy a new little metal oval. The self-service machine inside engraved it for me as I waited and watched, and the smell of a cage of birds nearby provided a farm-like atmosphere. In only about 2 minutes, the gold plate was completed. I took it in my hand and read it to make sure the machine (and by "the machine", I meant "I," the person who typed in the information) didn't misspell anything.

I'm Tuesday.

I'm lost. Call

860-XXX-XXXX

Everything seemed fine. Though, looking at the tiny ID in my hand, I couldn't help but feel a bit ripped off. $6.50? Really?

Getting the new tag on Mr. T was pretty easy. And, after doing so and sitting down on the couch, the cat jumped up behind me and, beginning to purr, proceeded to burrow his head into my hair. This isn't uncommon for Tuesday. In fact, it's a trait he seemed to pick up about 8 months ago, completely out of the blue.

Once the session was over and Tuesday settled in for a nap, I got up and turned on the computer. I had been meaning to find out where this relatively new sign of affection generated from, and to see if anyone else out in the world shared such a pet experience. And today seemed to be the day to find out. It was time to learn what this hair sniffing meant.

After my search, I'm still wondering. Though, some Google queries did provide a few funny web links.

I started with a search for "cat hair smelling" (in hindsight, not the best phrase to use). Of course, this lead mostly to websites devoted to cats that smell. From "Is it normal for a cat to smell?" to "Cat hair is not sexy," the gamut was run on follicle odor. But, I did learn through Yahoo Answers that it is OK to wash one's hair with cat shampoo. So, if I'm ever in that pinch . . .

Of course, this cat shampoo link made me wonder who was in such a desperate situation that they had to pose such a question. I mean, is this James Caan in Misery typing away? Is this person stuck in a house with no supplies? If so, shouldn't they spend their online time asking for a rescue team to find them? Honestly, don't worry about your hair! We're coming to save you!

I refined my search to "cat smelling human head," thinking this would weed out the sites devoted to smelly felines. And, thankfully, it did. But, it also weeded out any site willing to answer why my cat decided to start loving my hair. Oh, and there was a strange UK Yahoo Answer post debating whether a dead cat smells "bad" or "really bad" if confined to a small space.

I did not click to find out.

Finally, I went for broke and searched for "cat smelling MY head." Again, I did not find my answer. The only site of interest in the bunch attempted to answer the age old question, "How do you tell someone they smell like litterbox?" (a question stressing the minds of man for generations). There was also a vegetarian that claimed to love the smell of cat food and who wondered if cat "waste" had an invisible smell. 

Now, I don't know what kind of smells this vegetarian is accustomed to, but if they're usually VISIBLE, I think they should question the type of "plants" they're eating.

In the end, I was unable to find an answer to my question. I only can assume that Tuesday started to do this odd little act out of boredom. Why he waited until the age of 6 to begin, I'll never know, but I don't mind. As long as he doesn't start wielding scissors while he's back there, I think I'll be safe. 

My own "Mary Worth"

I've gone on and on about how much I think Mary Worth is the dullest comic strip on the planet. 

So, I decided to do something about it, a little "putting my money where my mouth is," if you will.

I present to you Ben's Mary Worth (part one of a potential series). Click to make it bigger:

Though this may seem obvious, let me state that this is meant as a parody, and in no way is associated with the actual Mary Worth. I did use the original artwork. However, the words are my own.

West Hartford restaurant round-up: fast and furious edition

For the few readers wondering, the answer is "no." I haven't visited The Corner Pug yet, even though it won the inaugural "where should Ben eat next?" poll on this very site. This is not due to a lack of effort, I assure you. In fact, I tried to go about a week ago, in the rain, but couldn't find parking. And, since I am made of sugar, walking in the rain causes me to melt. But, I will visit the Pug. Soon. I promise.

Now that that's out of the way, I figured I'd devote this round-up to quick meal establishments and take-out. Thus, the "fast and furious" title. And, for today's scorekeeping duties, we'll be using floating Vin Diesel heads. 

Two areas will be covered today: Park Road/Street and Blue Back Square.

Okay, let's get started.

BLUE BACK SQUARE

Moe's Southwest Grill - 54 Memorial Rd. West Hartford, CT - For a quick meal, Moe's is one of the few choices in the Square. The chorus of "Welcome to Moe's!" that greets patrons as they enter is nice, but can be annoying as one sits and eats, especially when it's shouted each time the door opens, even when people are leaving the restaurant. 

Besides the noise, the food is pretty good. Primarily a burrito joint, the quality of one's meal really depends on who is preparing it behind the counter, as some employees seem to care more than others when it comes to equal ingredient distribution. This means that one is often left wondering if there is any sour cream in their burrito right up to the point when it explodes into their mouth in one globby, sour bite. 

Burritos come with free tortilla chips, though the chips are kind of bland. There is also a salsa station that offers plenty of dipping options.

Overall, for a burrito place, Moe's does a decent job. They don't offer anything you haven't found in a burrito before, but what they lack in originality, they make up in portion and decent ingredients. Moe's gets 2 1/2 Vins (out of 4):

The Counter Custom Built Burgers - 50 Memorial Rd. West Hartford, CT - Literally next door to Moe's stands The Counter. This is the newest addition to BBS, having now only been in operation about three weeks. Not as "fast" an establishment as Moe's, The Counter is really a restaurant one needs to visit when they have more than 15 minutes for lunch. That being said, it still sells itself as a kind of hip diner, and food is delivered very quickly to patrons.

The gimmick at The Counter is their "build your own burger" option, which allows one to choose everything from patty size to cheese and toppings, sometimes to dizzying results. And, one really nice thing is that the burgers come cooked medium unless otherwise requested (something Plan B still needs to work on).

The burger I had was tasty and juicy. The beef had a nice flavor and the patty wasn't a thin hockey puck. All of the ingredients were fresh, as well, from the lettuce medley to the tomato. The french fries that I ordered were pretty standard shoestrings, but they were crisp and I didn't find a soggy stick in the bunch.

Plan B is still a better option for a burger in town, but The Counter offers a bit of a quicker twist on a similar formula of mouth-watering, interesting burgers. The Counter gets 3 Vins: 

Au Bon Pain - 51 Isham St. West Hartford, CT - I don't like Au Bon Pain. Never have. To me, Au Bon Pain is the kind of place that thinks it is "better" than other fast food places. And, because it is "better," it charges you more for less. I always got an elitist vibe from the place, which actually makes it a good fit for BBS. I don't really have anything else to say about this place. If you like Au Bon Pain, then this one is exactly like every other one you've ever been to.

PARK ROAD/STREET

Quaker Diner - 319 Park Rd. West Hartford, CT - A West Hartford institution, the Quaker Diner is pretty much exactly what a diner should be: simple, friendly, inexpensive, and tasty. It's a place where you can spot the regulars very easily. And there are a lot of regulars.

Offering basic diner "greasy spoon" fare, the Quaker doesn't go out too far on any culinary limbs, but what they make are good, simple, comfort meals. This spot gets 3 Vins:

Barb's Pizza - 353 Park Rd. West Hartford, CT

Lena's Pizza - 2053 Park St. Hartford, CT

In the mood for thin crust pizza? Don't mind dropping a bit of money? Then head on over to Barb's for some take-out. Want some better pizza? Then head on over the border to Lena's.

Overall, the crust at Barb's is good, but not great. I love thin crust, but the dough here isn't very special, which is disappointing. Plus, the cost of a pie is a little steep. I don't want to bash the place completely, though, as the pizzas I've had from Barb's were enjoyable. They just looked better than they tasted.

The pizza from Lena's, on the other hand, both looked AND tasted great. Though I've heard from some locals that the quality of the pies have diminished at Lena's over the past years, the small amount of food that I've had from the restaurant was quite good. Generous toppings, chewy-crunchy crust, and delicious sauce make for a terrific pizza, and Lena's serves on all fronts.

Barb's gets 2 1/2 Vins. And Lena's gets 3:

A.C. Petersen Farms - 240 Park Rd. West Hartford, CT - I really want to like this place. I really do. The service is great. The atmosphere is fun and retro (it reminded me of what Friendly's was before it went insane in the early 90s). And the place makes their own ice cream.

But, now having been to A.C. Petersen's twice, I just can't recommend it for a meal. There really isn't anything here that you can't find at another lunch joint, and probably prepared a little better. Everything is pretty standard, deep-fried fare, though the club sandwich wasn't bad. It just feels like you're eating boxed, frozen foods. 

I'll go back to A.C. Petersen for dessert, but I'll skip the meal. Sadly, this restaurant only gets 2 Vins:

Agree with me? Disagree? Let me know. Leave a comment.

Sunday night thoughts

I have come to realize that any activity - ANY ACTIVITY - can be sung to the chorus of Gloria Estefan's "Rhythm is Gonna Get You." Seriously, give it a try. I do it all day long. It just sticks in my head. I find myself driving along, singing things like: Going to get groceries, driving to get groceries, going to get groceries . . . driving to get groceries . . . to-day!

The movie Meatballs has been on cable nearly non-stop lately. One ill-advised morning the Professor and I began to watch it, curled up on the couch, munching away at breakfast and reading the newspaper. 

Let me tell you, the theme to that movie (Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the good times?) is so ear-splitting it's unimaginable. Yet, like Gloria and her ever malleable melody, it gets bludgeoned into your brain until you seriously begin to wonder if you're beginning to go a little crazy. If you haven't ever heard this theme, consider yourself blessed.

That being said, the Professor and I enjoyed watching Meatballs.

The Phillies will be in the World Series. There, I've said it. My big fear, though, is that they won't be playing the Red Sox.

How did Red Robin get into the Park Road Parade yesterday? Seemed to be a bit of an odd choice for a parade that appeared dedicated to celebrating local, home-spun culture.

I was happy to see a sign yesterday for a Yard Sale mixed within the swarm of Tag Sale signs.

Last night (afternoon/evening), the Professor and I went to our friend's 30th birthday party. There were quite a few people there that I knew from high school or earlier, people I haven't seen in quite some time. And, nearly all of them now have babies (or multiple babies). 

Oh, and they all brought the kids along. 

It was, needless to say, a bit odd. Seeing babies and three and four-year-olds slashing through the crowd, knowing that the parents of these children are the same age as myself, I couldn't help but feel old. Then, after they all left to put the kids to bed, the rest of us, the singles and the child-less couples, drank beer and played Mario Kart on the N64 and made fools of ourselves playing a pathetic round of "pin the tail on the donkey" (originally set up for the children) and everything seemed to even out.

Time to retire for today. Or, as Gloria Estefan would sing (in my head):

Going to sign off now, going to sign off now, going to sign off now . . .  going to sign off now . . . Good-night!

Park Road Parade

Today was the 10th annual Park Road Parade. Being new residents, the Professor and I felt we had to attend. The event would allow us to really see the people of West Hartford and to hopefully begin to feel part of a community. So we got ourselves out the door and made the short walk to the parade route.

When I wasn't busy diving for candy, I took some pictures. Unfortunately, my batteries kept dying on me, so I missed out on a bunch of the floats. Here's some of what I was able to get:

Lego TV intros

People seem to animate just about anything using Lego blocks. Here are a bunch of TV intros redone with Lego people.

First, we have The Simpsons:

Next, The A-Team:

Lego M*A*S*H:

Knight Rider:

And, lastly, here's an entire segment from David Letterman featuring Jack Hannah, all done in Lego:

Gillette Castle

Yesterday saw the Professor and I drive to East Haddam to visit Gillette Castle.

If you've never visited the castle, here's a bit of background. The "Gillette" in the castle's name is William Hooker Gillette. An actor in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Gillette is best known for his portrayal of the character Sherlock Holmes, a role he performed over 1300 times in his career (fun fact: it was Gillette who came up with the phrase "Oh, this is elementary, my dear fellow." Later, this became the most famous of phrases, "Elementary, my dear Watson."). With the wealth accumulated over his career, Gillette decided to build a semi-retirement home for himself atop a hill in East Haddam that was part of a chain known as the Seven Sisters. Not a builder or architect by trade, Gillette drew up ideas and had professionals interpret them into the castle, which stands on 184 acres of land. And, because of his career in theater, many of these ideas came directly from the stage (like lighting and wall soundproofing).

The castle is really quite a treat to visit. Gillette included many interesting oddities for visitors to discover, from the amazingly intricate doors (no 2 are alike in the entire castle) to the Tiffany light fixtures to his specially crafted fire extinguishing system, activated when a small icicle shaped piece of wood in a hallway's far end is tugged. There are even a series of mirrors that Gillette had installed to allow him to spy on his company, either as they attempted to raid his liquor cabinet, or as they first entered his main living room, simply by standing at the doorway of his bedroom. Being an actor, he also had the banisters on the second floor landing lowered to give an illusion of height as he stood above his audience below.

After his death, the state of Connecticut bought the estate from the executors of Gillette's will (a will that, it should be mentioned, insisted that the property not be sold to "some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded."). They turned it into the park it is today and have done a great job maintaining the property.

It wasn't until I walked into the main room of the castle that I realized I had been to the castle once before. I remembered it instantly from a visit I took as a child with my parents and aunt. I remembered thinking the mirrors were very cool and planning on having a similar spy system installed when I built my castle as an adult. Needless to say, I'm still working on the whole "castle" thing.

If you've never been to Gillette Castle, I recommend a trip. They close after Columbus Day, so time is running out. However, they open again during the holiday season, when they erect a 19-foot Christmas tree in the castle's main room.

The Halloween costume

A very important season is upon us. The time has come for crucial decisions. Decisions that may very well impact our lives for years to come.

I'm not talking politics.

I'm talking Halloween costumes and the inevitable Halloween party you'll have to attend.

A great costume, and you'll be talked about for years to come. A bad costume, and you'll be laughed into a mini-Snickers fueled binge. And we all know mini-Snickers are gateway candies. Before long, you'll be hitting the full-sized bars and, of course, you'll then get into meth.

Avoiding such horrors isn't very difficult. In fact, there are only a few simple rules to follow. And, since I have plenty of time on my hands, I present these rules to you now. Enjoy!

1. No costumes can come from a failed movie franchise. 

Sure, maybe YOU went to see Speed Racer or The Love Guru, but no one else did. So, stay away from the embarrassment of not only admitting to liking these movies, but of explaining to everyone at the party who you're supposed to be.

Note: this rule doesn't apply if you're attending a hipster party. If you find yourself in such a situation, dressing this way may actually score you some points.

2. If your name isn't Shia, do not try to be a character played by a guy named Shia.

This rule applies to pretty much any movie character played by a thin, hunky Hollywood-type. Truth is, if you don't have the body of said hunk, you end up looking pretty stupid when you try to dress like their character. Case in point, may I present to you the "Mutt" costume from Indiana Jones and the one with the aliens that really was the worst of the series:

Even the guy in the photo knows that this was a mistake.

3. Lay off the ethnic stereotypes

This should be an obvious one, but these costume places are bound to get you in this department. Here's a costume that transforms a man into a taco:

Is the sombrero really needed? Do you think someone would see this and say, "You know, I can't quite place what you're supposed to be?" What's even more horrible is that on buycostumes.com, where I found these pictures, the Taco costume has various accessories like handlebar mustaches and maracas that can be purchased. Maybe you can go for broke and carry around a pinata, as well.

Better yet, why don't you go and insult the Italians instead:

I doubt the pizza is included.

Actually, this costume wouldn't be half bad if you turned it into a Chef Tony costume. You know, the creepy infomercial guy that sells the knives and covers for bowls:

I'd totally dig a Chef Tony costume. But, again, this may only work at a hipster party.

So, there you go. Follow these three easy steps, and you'll probably escape your Halloween with minimal to no ego bruising. I'm not saying you'll be the belle of the ball, but you won't get jumped by teenagers while you walk home, either.

Signing off, here's the funniest costume picture from buycostimes.com. Watch out for this little guy. He's out to enforce my rules. And he doesn't take excuses.