beetrock

Pride of Saint Louis, Ted Drews is the self-made god of unique upside-down custards. The concretes, as they are also known, are made so thick that the cup can easily turned upside-down without spilling a precious drop of ice cream. Fascinating indeed, especially since this is always demonstrated by the staff before they hand you the cup. In the winter, Ted Drews sells Christmas trees, making this year-round ice cream/tree business an ongoing Saint Louis tradition. My Tart Cherry concrete beat D’s Dutchman on all accounts!

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So yesterday I committed a crime. Forgive me, all the lefty, anti-corporate vegaquarians of the world, for I have sinned. I failed you in the worst way possible. I got a Big Fish sandwich at a Burger King along the Jersey Pike.

I urge everyone to note that my sin was not that of conviction, but rather one of expediency and despair. In addition to the BK, New Jersey Turnpike presented no option other than McDonalds, Popeyes or Nathan’s. Of course, some will say that I could’ve avoided this misdeed by dining on a Carvel cone. Read more…

Three weeks ago Lydia and I took a road trip to the tiny islands off the coast of Maryland and Virginia with the intriguing names of Chincoteague and Assateague. Apparently infamous for their wild pony population, the islands not only played up to our immigration-induced love for untamed animals, but also presented an opportunity to escape the City of the Yellow Devil. Improper Gorky scholars, Lydia and I were far from anti-capitalism when we got into the freshly vacuumed, Budget-leased Ford Taurus. Heading west on Bay Parkway we were prepared for whatever fate had in store for us. One Cinnabon-smelling bathroom and a hundred miles of New Jersey Turnpike later, fate landed us in Baltimore, Maryland, outside of my first-ever place of full-time employment. Read more…

What I learned about Moscow: It’s huge and allergy inducing. It’s also very pretty, but um… did I say huge? I mean I am no stranger to a big city, but this ancient capital is a true giant. Compared to all the other large cities I know it is not only densely populated, it is also extremely broad and solidly massive. No narrow streets here, no small three story buildings, nothing tiny about this city. Perhaps that is why I feel lonely and dwarfed or perhaps it’s PMS, either way walking around Moscow I feel tiny.

Other highlights of my visit to the homeland’s capital include the tour of local coffee and eating establishments. So far pure delight. Read more…

Today my Godson and I went to a brand new shopping center, built where a children’s ground once stood and where dog owners used to walk their pets. The shopping center, reminiscent in size, shape, and steel lining to a Titanic, or some other massive ship, filled me with a feeling of anxiety as we approached. Dragging Kirill away from mean Russian drivers I guided him to the automatic doors.

I remember that when I was Kirill’s age automatic doors could be found only in one location in Saint Petersburg and seemed to be the most amazing thing that ever existed. Kirill passed through without even noticing.

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