Peace Out Andrew Dub!

Last night local celeb and uber famous painter Andrew Wyeth died in his Chadds Ford home at the age of 91. He painted "Christina's World" as well as many other super well-known works. He was the son of NC Wyeth and many of their family paintings hang on the walls of the Brandywine River Museum right around the corner. If you have never been there, I recommend a trip, it really is quite a beautiful collection of PA art, especially that of three generations of Wyeths. RIP Andrew.

Epic Jedi Battle Exposes True Identity of Dr. Zibbs!

At last! We finally met. Dizzle, Zibbs, Beeps, Smoochies, Pumpkin Eater and newest member Swedish Chef. It was like that scene in Star Wars The Phantom Menace, when they bring Anakin in front of the Jedi council, except during our meeting a giant light saber fight broke out. I managed to get a few blurry pics of the action. Among them is the infamous Dr. Zibbs. Let me tell you folks, he's a formidable opponent. In addition to looking quite stunning in a purple wig, he and Swedish Chef managed to disrupt the balance of the galaxy when they forced Mercury from its orbit where my dog, thinking it was a ball, ate it.

This all happened after a fab night watching MPW at the Note. Zibbs threatened to show, I snapped my fingers, and whallah! He appeared. We ended up hitting it off and after the show a giant group of us headed back to The Falls at Franklin Pointe (the name of our palatial estate) and had a good ole' time. Zibbs did a great job summing up the night. So be sure to check out That Blue Yak for all the deets.

Now on to the pics:



The battle begins!



Who is that????

FIGHT!!


Time out, where's Mercury?



Found it. Dang, it's chewed.
Now you asked for it!

AHHH!
It's on!

I shall have my revenge!

MPW at The Note - Be There or Face the Wrath of JDizzle

Howdy Townies,

This Friday is not only Old Fashioned Xmas in Dub-C but legendary entertainers Missing Palmer West will be playing at The Note. They are opening for The Shackeltons and Cheers Elephant so get there early (10ish). Tickets at $6 advance and $8 at the door.

See you there.

Guerilla Drive-In

Just wanted to give a shout out to John Young and the chaps at The Note for having us over for September's Guerilla Drive-in Movie. This month was Cannonball Run II and it did not disappoint. I had no idea there were so many stars in that film. We were supposed to watch it over at the Marsh Creek Speedway, but got rained out. If you haven't heard of the Guerilla Drive-in, check out the rules here, read John's blog here, and hope to see you for next month's film.

Thanks John!

PS: Rumor had it that Dr. Zibbs was gonna be there. But as far as I know, he was a no-show. Hummm, I'm starting to wonder if he really exists? Or maybe he just has a terrible facial deformity that he's trying to hide.

Here's a pic from my phone with the stage in back.

West Chester's The Bomb

Today I came home to blocked traffic in town. No one could get through the center of town. The cars were being rerouted. Once I got home, I took my dogs for a walk to get some information. They had every street and sidewalk roped off within a 2 block radius of the Mosteller garage.

I asked a few guys in yellow vests who were blocking Walnut street to tell me what was going on. All they said was "There's been a police incident in the garage."

"An incident?" I asked, "Like what?"

"Just go home and watch the news."

"It's a bomb isn't it?" I asked.

"Just go home and watch the news." They said.

Not sure why they couldn't just tell me what the deal was. Anyway, I was right. Here's the full story. Scary stuff.

Also be sure to head over to That Blue Yak to read Zibbs' harrowing tale about his narrow escape.

The Note

Hi Townies, I hope you are having a great weekend. Last night Beeps, Marc, Krista, Scott, and I went to the grand opening of The Note, a new club/ music venue/ bar on Market Street that is owned and operated by BAM (Of Jackass fame) and Donnie Moore (Previous owner of Rex's). I have to say that it is FABULOUS! Having been to many, many, many music venues in my life (especially as groupie/ roadie for several of Beep's bands) I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful, well planned, great sounding places of them all. Ok, granted I was a bit on the tipsy side upon arrival (we showed up around 10:30ish) I still think this is an accurate recollection. The only other music venue in town that even comes close (And i'm strictly talking stage and sound) is 15 North, but they book the WORST cover bands and cater to the college crowd. A total waste of a great space.

The Note reminds me a little bit of Johnny Brenda's. It has a huge raised stage, great lighting, side bar, and balcony with upstairs bar. The walls are exposed brick with the most beautiful chandeliers and wood floors. And now that the non-smoking ban has gone into effect here in PA, I hope that the floors remain burn-free. But unlike other Philly music venues, there's TONs of room, you can see the stage from virtually any place in the bar, the sound is clear and not too loud, and the atmosphere is upscale and filled with beautiful people. Scott and I spent many minutes picking out our favorites.

The other thing that was great about last night is that the bartenders didn't know the prices of a lot of the drinks so I think we ended up getting several freebees. Both Donnie and BAM were there as well as Ape and Phil Margera. Of course it seemed that Donnie was the only one working. BAM hung out on the dance floor with his friends and parents. I'm assuming his part in this whole thing is strictly monetary. I was hoping to see Tony Hawk, but no dice.


Overall, it was a great night. We had a blast and I'm looking forward to returning. It also looks like Missing Palmer West have been offered a gig there sometime in mid October so stay tuned. And I can't wait to hear them play in a venue that knows what the heck it's doing. I know there were many people in Dub-C who resisted its opening, but I say good job guys, it's a fab addition to the growing culture in this town. Kudos!

No, Really?

So as you know, from these posts, I have been obsessed with the Stephenie Meyer book series about teenage love and vampires. Well, the last and final book in the series, Breaking Dawn, comes out on Saturday. And the more I Google it day and night (cause it's an obsession don't forget) I find that I might have to worry about actually just FINDING a book to purchase that day. So I decided to be a smart shopper and reserve my copy at Chester County Books and Music. Now remember that JDizzle doesn't read. Often.

Here is a transcription of how that call went. (Name has been changed to protect the innocent):

Scott: "Hello, Chester County Books and Music, this is Scott, can I help you?"

Me: "Yes, I'd like to 'reserve' a book or whatever it's called. You know, before the book comes out so I can be sure to get a copy when it's released."

Scott: "Sure, what's it called?"

Me: Breaking Dawn

Silence. I think he's typing to look it up.

Scott: "Is that that stupid..."

Me: Silence. My cheeks redden with embarrassment. I think to myself "I know I'm like the only 30-something, happily married woman, reading these novels, but is he passing judgment on my reading selection? Seriously? The guy works the register at the book store and HE'S poo-pooing my novel choice? I mean, I get that I'm not in high school, but maybe I'm buying it for my daughter as a gift instead of buying for myself." (I don't have kids, but he doesn't know that.)

Scott: Silence.

Me: "I think it comes out on Saturday."

Scott: "That's an odd time for a book release."

Me to myself: "Did he just call me a liar? First he craps on my book obsession and now he's calling me out?"

Scott: "Oh, Stephenie Meyer. Got it. And you're right , it does come out on Saturday."

Me: "Great"

Scott: "What's your last name?"

Me: "Smith."

Scott: Laughing "No, really?"

Me: "yes, really." Did he just called me a liar AGAIN?

Scott: "What's your first name?"

Me: I tell him.

Scott: "It will be here for you on Saturday for pick up."

Me: "Thanks."

We hang up. I knew there was another reason I didn't read.

BANGO!

The wait is over. Finally Bango is available to any one who decides to view it. Are you ready for action? Adventure? Love? Betrayal? and Forgiveness? Do you have 10 minutes of your life to spare? Do you love cowboys with bad teeth and a penchant for ripping off their shirts? Do you like drunk hobos and chase scenes? Do you have a soft spot in you heart for a gorilla with a short fuse?

Then you are ready to watch the single greatest love story of our time. Directed by yours truly and filmed on the streets of Dub-C in the summer of 1999, Bango is a existential swath through the town of West Chester, PA (Long before Bam, before imitation gorillas ran the brick-laden streets unlicensed and before people in West Chester decided to make their own gorilla suits.) It is the brain child of 5 inebriated 20-somethings with a camera and a lot of time on their hands. And if you look close, you will see my cameo at Jitters.

Without further ado I bring you...

Bango!

More Ice Cream Tattoo Pics

Here are two more funny pics from our ice cream quest. Thanks John! Beeps' face is priceless!


Photo by Julie Gottesman gottesmanphoto.com

Ice Cream + Tattoos = Good Times

Tonight we headed over to partake in the Ice Cream Tattoo Quest. We got our ice cream cone tattoo and score cards and pounded pavement over to the first location.

Here's Beeps and Smoochies at West Chester Scoop. Yum. Our favorite place. We shared one small bowl of chocolate crunch stuff. The price is right but the service could have been delivered with more of a smile. We didn't care tho. They gave out free donut samples and the ice cream was great.

Next we headed over to Rickey's. Great service, a better selection, but the "recommendation" of clown berry or whatever it was called, was just so-so.



These creepy puppets hung on a display near the counter.


One kick-a$$ benefit to buying ice cream at Ricky's is the free toppings. 27 of them. We got sprinkles.
Next we headed to Sprazzo. Great place, great ice cream, great service, not so great price. We shared a tiramisu and an orange.

Finally we hit up Kaptain K's. Despite the fact that they can't spell, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk-up window right on Gay street as well as the black raspberry ice cream.

After we received our last star, we headed back to HQ to get our flames. John did a great job with the tats.


And just for the record. Here's a before:

sans flames... (notice that I was being environmentally responsible by brining my own spoon)


And flames. John hooked me up with a pink and red, sparkle, flame, hybrid.


Great event Mary and John, can't wait to see what's next!

Ice Cream Tattoo Quest

Tonight in Dub-C, WC Dish and Guerilla Drive-In are sponsoring a fabulous ice cream and tattoo event. What they have in common I don't know except they are both super sweet. Here's how it works. Those interested show up at the courtyard at The Lincoln Room a.k.a. "HQ" (Just a side note: I saw Dirty Marie take a crap in this very same courtyard about 8 years ago). Here you will get a sweet airbrushed tattoo of a basic ice cream cone, a score card and a map to 5 ice cream shops in West Chester. You travel around to the shops, eat ice cream, rate them, and then get a star sticker from each shop. Once you've collected 4 stickers, return to HQ and get some even sweeter flames tattooed above you ice cream cone. Plus your feedback helps determine the best shop in town.

Good times. Beeps and I will be there and hopefully we will be bringing a posse of tattoo lovers. Hope to see you there!

West Chester Celebrity Sighting

Last night Beeps and I decided to head out to Iron Hill to grab some grub and a beer or two. I had been craving a heaping plate of their delicious nachos and Beeps happily obliged. We bellied up to the bar facing the door so we could oogle at all the people at the front door waiting for tables. We both ordered the Hefe Weizsen (sp?) and they were delish. When our nachos arrived I plunged right in. I was about fist deep when Beeps said

"Hey, Cole Hamels is here."
"Holy crap really?" I knew he lived in Dub-C and our friend/ Chef over at Spence has served on him several times (apparently he gets his lucky turkey sandwich before games), but this was my first time seeing him out.

The hostess greeted him at the door, but instead of whisking him away to his special "celebrity" Iron Hill table, he was put on the waiting list and handed a buzzer, just like everybody else.

"The hostess must not know who he is." I thought. Then my mind flashes back to the reoccurring column in US Weekly Stars: They're Just Like Us! Now I know it's true.

So, of course people are flocking to him like the awesome mound master that he is, furiously shaking his hand for that slaughter over the Red Sox the other night.

I was star struck! My heart said, "Go say hi you jerk. He's like 20 feet away." but my head said "You are so not the desperate groupie kind. Plus he lives here, you live here. It's no big deal."

And Beeps, who is the biggest Phillies Phan EVER (Maybe not as nuts as Turkey), sat there nibbling on nachos like he wasn't even there. But I knew he must have been dying inside!

Well, I listened to my head, but not before trying to snap a few incognito pictures from my camera phone. Of course getting the guts up to take that out was, in itself, hard enough. I mean the guy was looking right at me. That's just stalker weird. I tried anyway but before I could get off a shot, Cole's little blinking buzzer went off and he and Heidi floated to their awaiting seats.

Hopefully to order a plate full of delicious nachos.

First Bango ©™® now Marley & Me ©™®

The buzz around Dub-C is that Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are in town filming "Marley & Me". The director and producers must have heard that "Bango" was also filmed here and thus they made their trip out.

Here, Jen and Owen are standing right outside my favorite restaurant Kooma. They are also right across the street from Jitters Sports Bar where the infamous drunken bar scene and chase sequence from Bango were filmed.



I heard that in order to prepare for this scene, the director told Jen and Owen to channel their inner Bango.




For those of you unfamiliar with the magic that is "Bango", it's a love story between a cowboy (with bad teeth and a penchant for ripping off his shirt) and a gorilla named Bango. The film follows them through a typical day on the town that quickly turns dramatic when they pick up a local waitress who is being stalked by the town's drunken yet lovable tramp.

I don't think that Bango is available online, however I know the director and the staff at High Five Productions so I think I can pull some strings. Stay tuned.

Until then, enjoy this teaser trailer for "Bango Two":

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Heads up all you West Chester folks who hate driving the Schuylkill or 95 to get to Philly. There's a proposal in the works to open up the R-3 line to West Chester. If that becomes reality, we can count on the train instead of our designated drivers, to get us home after a night of debauchery in the city.

Simply go here to sign the petition!

To read more about the proposal, head over to WC Jim's site.

Dub-C Is on The Map!

Guess what folks? If you ever wondered where the inspiration for Hometown Hangover came from, you can now feel the magic yourselves by taking a Google Maps Street View tour of your own. Just go to Google Maps and type in "West Chester, PA" then choose "Street View" and click on any of the blue areas. Then click on the arrows to do your own walking tour of the town. No need to worry about being hit by cars that run red lights or the homeless folks barking at you, this is as close as you can get to the real deal with out actually being there.


Some points of interest:

Be sure to click on the corner of S.Wayne and Gay st. to gander at Rex's Bar. Where many nights of magic and dirty martinis materialized.

Click on Market and Church and peer up to the 3rd. floor of the Manito Title Insurance building to reminisce about parties with JDizz and Beeps. Where Jeff and I spent a long night on the rooftop with the laser widow, and where Turkey flashed her goodies to the neighbor boys.

Hit the corner of High and Gay to gaze at Iron Hill and remember good times past at The Restaurant & Bar.

Be sure to stop by Everhart Park and take the dogs for a walk.

and finally,

Visit Rosedale and Church to do a couple of long overdue keg stands.

The 4-Way Impaired

In town here we have many, many 4-way stops. Almost every intersection is a 4-way. It makes sense for us. We're too small to have traffic lights everywhere and too big to trust each other on the road.

I'm sure you all know what 4-ways are. Everyone stops and the person that got there first proceeds through the intersection first. If it's a tie, the person on the right goes first. Sounds simple right? Well, there are a lot of 4-way impaired people out there.

You've got several profiles:

1. The coaster - This moron doesn't believe the rules apply to him. Instead of coming to a complete stop at the intersection, regardless if you are already there, he slows down and just coasts through without regard to you or any small children who may be at play.

2. Mr. Far-sighted - This guy never learned what the big white line across the intersection means. He pulls out over the line and prevents you or any other driver, especially large trucks, from making a turn onto his road. Thus he panics and throws the car into reverse only to learn the hard way that another Mr. Far-Sighted has just pulled up behind him.

3. Joe Hospitality - I'm all for politeness while driving. I think we would be a happier people if we could just be courteous on the road. HOWEVER, this is very dangerous at a 4-way. Every once in a while there's that happy-go-lucky asshole that, although he was there hours before you, decides to wave you on. Now you have an unexpected decision to make: do you return the wave, saying "no man, you were here first, you go" and then proceed to get into an inching-forward battle? Or do you say thanks and go, trusting that he will not blind-side you half way through the intersection? Or does he know something you don't? Like maybe there's a broken water main ahead and cars are being swallowed by its collateral sink hole.

4. Mr. All-Business - This is basically "The Coaster" but with a cell phone stuck to his ear. This guy is way too important to be bothered by pedestrians, rules, or other drivers. He has an important lunch/ suck-up meeting with his CEO followed by a chest wax, and mani/ pedi at the Adonis Spa for men.

And finally...

5. Mrs. It Sure Looks Like a 4-Way - This genius seems to channel 4-ways from another dimension, because they AREN'T THERE! There are several requirements you must meet in order to obtain a driver's license and being able to see is one of them. This lady is either blind or schizophrenic because she imagines that there MUST be a 4-way even though it's a 2-way! This happened to me TWICE this week. I came to a stop at a 2-way and a woman approached from my right and stopped in the middle of the street and looked at me like I was crazy for not going. So I sat there mouthing to her "There's no stop for you!" This seemed to make her angry so her wave became very forceful like I had the problem. Now I could either go and risk a blind-side from my left, or I could return that wave and again mouth the words. But alas, I was in no mood for confrontation so I just checked left and proceeded through the intersection at her insistence hoping that some pedestrian saw the whole incident and agreed with me that she was a moron.

So there you have it. Now I feel better having ranted about WC driving. Get me a beer.

There's No "I" in Family

Sorry about the delay in posts. This weekend was a busy one. Thursday Beeps and I went to Doc Macgrogan's oyster house and had some delicious food and then met some teacher friends for drinks at Vincents after. There I managed to get good and drunk thanks to Billy the bartender who just kept filling up my wine glass. So needless to say Friday at work I was pretty much useless although we did manage to get out 4 proposals.

Friday night Beeps and i just chilled, played with the pooch and went to bed early. Saturday was fun. I went shopping for b-day gifts for my nieces and nephew in preparation for a Sunday b-day party. Saturday evening we met up with Beeps' family at his parent's house. We had delicious pizza and some yummy wine. Beep's sis Leigh was in town from Vegas with her son Max. He likes money.




Sunday my sister Sam and I headed down to Jersey to meet up at my Mom's house. She was throwing a b-day party for my niece Meg who turned 17. It was a tea party. How cool is that? Her friends came and my mom made lots of sandwiches without crust. We drank tea and ate cookies and whatnot. It was fun. My mom also gave me a painting that she did of our dog Joey. It's awesome!

This is my niece Sadie. Way cute right?









Then it was back to dub see where I changed into a new outfit, took a quick "tops and tails" sponge bath, and headed back out the door to see the Decemberists at the Mann. It was great. We just got back and I'm exhausted. The show was amazing. The band played with the Mann orchestra. Just beautiful stuff. Good times. Beeps bought a print at the show that we plan to get framed. It's really nice.

Now I'm going to go to bed. Later.