Pistachio Ice Cream & Great Friends

Dick Zigun said we should chug our beer? Okay, since he said so.

Went to my second home, Coney Island, on Friday night and helped the Annual Congress of Curious Peoples choose their new members. There were five categories and after we all had a thorough and educational discussion led by James Taylor, we made a decision on a certain category, and welcomed in the new inductee with a chant and a drink. And by drink I mean (if possible) an entire drink. And Coney Island Lager comes in a 22 ounce bottle.

A great time was had by all.

When all of the categories were finished, the audience was cleared of any children and the rest of us were treated to a very special act by Charlotte Sometimes - a new take on the "human pincushion."

After the show I had the honor of buying Norman a Kid's Meal from Nathan's. If you haven't already heard, the Kid's Meal is the way to go if you want a hot dog, fries, and a soda, because it's much cheaper. Yes, of course it's hillarious to see grown men buying Kid's Meals, but it's part of the fun. Especially when you're drunk.

The next day I slowly made my way back to Coney, this time with my cameras and mini-tripods. I checked in with the other people recovering from the night before just as the Sideshow was opening for Alumni weekend shows. This is where performers of Sideshows past came back to work there for a bit. Eak the Geek was back, as were Tyler Fyre, Thrill Kill Jill, Little Jimmy, The Great Fredini, and the Penguin Boy (who still works at the Sideshow).

I finally managed to get over to the Lola Staar gift shop when it was open, and had some great tacos & conversation about Coney and our projects. Since it was freezing, she closed her store early and went home to warm up and I went to back to wandering Coney in search of fun.

Skee-ball was calling, so I got in my regular practice and scored a bunch of tickets - trophy of champions.

Then it was time for an old Coney favorite - pistachio ice cream. The best place for it now is Denny's right next to the Museum, so I bought one and snapped a photo of it. Damn, thinking about it is making me want more.

Anyhow, I also took some other cool shots, including the Grandma's Predictions machine where Grandma is getting visions of the Lovers. ConeyLovers, perhaps? Hmmm...

Derby Girls Know How to Party

Went to the Gotham Girls Roller Derby season opener at LIU last night, after walking there from Union Square (crossing the bridge was awesome with the nice weather). Being an LIU grad (and mischievous) I decided not to wait on line with the others waiting to get in and just snuck into the campus so I could check out my old stomping ground. Saw the artwork in the LLC building, relaxed outside the Honors Lounge, and sucked up some fresh air while checking out the warm-ups.

Then I headed inside, assisted by Regina Dentata of the GGRD's Manhattan Mayhem, who allowed me to hide behind her as I ninja'd my way in. The Gotham Girls killed both visiting teams, but they get respect for trying. Awesome matches and a great start to the season.

Afterwards a bunch of us partied until the early hours of the morning, and a lot of fun was had by all. Thank you to everyone who made it such an awesome night.

It's a good thing the only thing I had to do today was go have a giant Italian meal with my Brother, his girlfriend Lizzie, and our families. We always joke that when they get married, her side of the church will look like Italy and our side will look like the U.N.

SHOWBIZ!

Last night I went out for dinner and drinks with some friends and family, and afterwards we went to the late night show of "This is Burlesque" at Corio, 337 West Broadway and Canal Street in Manhattan. Between Murray Hill and the World Famous Pontani Sisters, they put on a hell of a show, with comedy, dancing, and always something for everyone. So go check them out!