The Fix Is In!

I’ve been working hard at losing weight the last few years. And when you lose weight you know that you’re going to need to either buy some new clothes or perhaps have them taken in.

But one thing I didn’t take into account was that my rings would need resizing. Fortunately I found a local jeweler who spoke my language. They’re a locally owned and operated small business, they utilize high-tech tools, plus they embrace social media! How could I not love Belle Meade Jewelry and Repair in Nashville?

In fact, check out this cool video they shot of the actual process of resizing my ring.

If you live in middle Tennessee I highly recommend them, and if you don;t…. they’re definitely worth the trip no matter how far away you live. Tell Scott I sent you!

Road Trip!

A few weeks ago on my podcast The Mason Minute I was reminiscing about one of my favorite childhood restaurants Shakey’s Pizza.

Growing up I used to love going to Shakey’s to watch them make the pizza (both tossing it and baking it), listen to the Dixieland and Ragtime band, and take home one of those fake straw hats to wear.  Plus, did I mention that the pizza was real good too?!  I think you could consider Shakey’s the 1960’s and 1970’s version of Chuck E. Cheese before there was such a thing.

But by the late 80’s and early 90’s the restaurant world had changed greatly and Shakey’s were closing throughout the U.S.  The last one I remembered seeing (and eating at) was in Bloomington, IL when I lived there in the early 90’s…. that was until a few weeks ago!!!
Pictures From Shakey's in Auburn, AL
Pictures from Shakey's in Auburn, AL
While I was doing some research about Shakey’s for my podcast, I noticed that their Wikipedia page indicated that there were still some Shakey’s open in America…. and that one of them was just a few hours away in Auburn, AL.  So I grabbed my wife and did what any red blooded pizza loving guy (without kids) would do.  I hopped in the car and took a road trip to Alabama.

And as you can tell from the pictures above, we had a great time; and best of all the pizza tasted just like I remember it did!  The modern Shakey’s did a  great job of displaying the brand’s history by using some of the old wall signs pictured above, and they also had display cases filled with mementos from years gone by.

I chatted with the store manager and he told me that this location had been open for a few years, and he didn’t know if there were plans to expand into more states.  Right now there are nearly 60 locations in the U.S., and roughly 50 of those are in California, so finding a Shakey’s near you could be rough.

I mentioned to him that I had eaten at Shakey’s many times throughout the years (and literally from coast to coast). When I mentioned that most of the American Shakey’s had disappeared for a decade or two, he was shocked. I guess some days it pays to be an old-timer!

I don’t know if we’ll get back Auburn anytime soon, but if you find yourself near one of their new locations make sure you stop in for lunch or dinner. You’ll be glad you did!

If you’re an old time Shakey’s Pizza lover like me, I’m sure you’ll love the picture we found from back in the day…

An Old Time Shakey's

It’s Yesterday AND Today

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http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/e762/I was scrolling through my Twitter feed this afternoon, when I saw one of my friends post a link to the above item.  I thought it was too good to be true, and in a way it was…. for now!

After doing some research, I found out that the overlords at Think Geek posted this as an April Fools joke back in 2010, but obviously someone thought is was as brilliant an idea as I do, so they have actually produced it.  It’s called the iCade and it turns your iPad into a classic (and I do mean classic) video gaming machine.  It like the technology of yesterday has merged with the technology of today.  Check it out HERE.

Sadly, we’ll have to wait a few more months.  They’re currently in production and are expected to be ready by sometime in June.  The Think Geek gang teamed up with Ion (the folks who bring us the USB turntable) to make this cool gag a reality.  They’ll cost about $100, but I think they’ll be well worth it to ancient gamers like me.

Atari has already jumped on board to make available some of their most loved video games from our youth.  Supposedly they already have Asteroids ready to go, and hopefully will also be bringing us classics like Centipede, Space Invaders, and Missle Command.  I’m sure video game legends like Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong won’t be far behind.

I’m just hoping that there’s some way that they can recreate Tempest!  I promise to post pictures once mine arrives.

Peeps!

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I’ve talked about my love for Marshmallow Peeps before.  You can read about it here. But a few days ago I was running some errands and had to stop by my local Target store.  And as I was walking past the Valentine’s Day candy section, it was almost like these brand new Peeps jumped out and grabbed me!

I Heart YouI have to admit, they didn’t grab me in a good way.  I love my Peeps when they’re little yellow birds, or even when they’re cute white ghosts.  But giant red “I Heart U” peeps just don’t do it for me!

Maybe it was the bright red color that would I knew would stain my mouth and make me look like a zombie, or perhaps the off-putting size.  I don’t know, I ask you…. Does this say Happy Valentine’s Day?