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The Chronicles of Nani On Video

I am overcoming my inability to type with my ability to talk (and talk and talk and talk) I'll be posting a video every week on my YouTube channel. I'll be posting those videos here too along with an occasional regular blog in the mix. (As long as my hands are up to doing the extra typing.)

You'll be able to watch the videos here, but I encourage you to stop by my channel at YouTube once I'm up and running to follow me and get my numbers started!


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Contact Nani at
chroniclesofnani@gmail.com

Monday, June 2, 2008

Monday Mug Shot

Happy Monday to everyone! I have a couple of things I want to post before getting into the Mug Shot today. First off, I did receive a Red Wings photo to represent the other side in the hockey signs. This one isn’t a current sign, but a photo from a previous Red Wings win. It came from my brother, Dave, who doesn’t live in Hockeytown anymore, so there aren’t as many signs all over, but I think his leg counts as a sign of some sort anyway. He gave a calf to the cause with a tattoo of Steve Yzerman holding the Stanley Cup down the length of it! (For me, not even Pete Rose or Al Kaline, but then again, if I have a tattoo, it’s the kind that comes off with baby oil!)

So here is Dave’s answer to the call for Red Wing Pride, somewhat reminiscent of his tattoo...



Of course, pictures of signs supporting the Red Wings or Penguins, regardless of the outcome of the series, are welcome and will be posted all week! Send them to chroniclesofnani@gmail.com


MORE FREE ICE CREAM!
I also wanted to add another great birthday freebie link! The Baskin Robbins birthday club isn’t as generous as the last one was, but their ice cream is generally a bit less expensive too! Joining their club gets you a coupon for a free scoop for your birthday! It depends on the location and how regular a customer you are too, I suspect, but some locations will trade you the free scoop for a two-scoop sundae for the price of a one for your birthday. But that’s personal bartering and varies from franchise to franchise! The promotion is a fee scoop in a cup or cone!





Now on to the Mug Shot!

Screams Ice Cream
Hell, Michigan

I don’t own this mug...yet! It’s a birthday present, but I asked if I could photograph it for the Mug Shot and the giver said “suuuuure.”

David and I carpooled with friends, Dave B and his son, Jacob, to travel across Michigan to see Tori’s 8th grade spring musical, “Katastrophe Kate.” Tori played Snakebite Sally, she had the first spoken lines and Sally is a main supporting female character. She did really well! It was a cute show and I have to admit that I was very impressed with her stage presence, not surprised, because she IS bigger than life, but impressed with the quality of her acting!

I also got to meet my brother’s new girlfriend, Laura, and her kids. I haven’t said this in a very long time about any of the women my brother has dated, but I am so happy to say that it was a great first impression. He’s finally moved up! ;)

Our group of 12, who was at the play to cheer on and support our Snakebite Sally, returned to his house after the play for an after party and hockey party. When the video games started after the game, I found Rina and Jacob playing poker and asked to sit in. As far as how I did against a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old, let me just say that last time I wrote about my poker skills, I had gotten 4 aces. Remember that, always, I had 4, very well-played, aces in the beginning of May!

At this point you have to be wondering how this all goes with the mug. Well, we’re about to get there, about to walk the tightrope of propriety glancing down at way out of reach good taste in the world of puns!

We left in plenty of time to get us back to Toledo in time for David to get to his OT Sunday evening shift at work. Plenty of time, that is, for us to make a stop we’d talked about on the way to the Michigan western coast. The conversation went something like this:

Nani: “When we stop at the train shop for David tomorrow, we’ll almost be in Hell!”
Jacob: “What?”
Nani: “You’ve never been to Hell?”
David: “We’ve been to Hell...”
Nani: “...and back! We had ice cream!
Jacob: “Oh...Ice cream in Hell?”
Nani: “Yep, awesome ice cream in Hell, but no water tower.”
Dave B: “What would they do with a water tower in Hell?”
Nani: “Put out fires?”
Dave B: “There really is a city called Hell?”
David: “Yep, with ice cream. We’ve even seen it frozen over!”

We played with the concept, in good hearted jest, suggesting we could all go to Hell, and decided that we indeed, should go to Hell on the way home!

Please know that the giggles here are not made up by me, they are all real! If you’re going to Hell from the Michigan Paddlesport and Model Train Center, you’ll see the sign directing you to go left to go to Hell. It’s right in front of a large dead tree. The left turn is at Darwin Road. If you’re caravanning in a couple of cars, you get to really mean it when you say, “See you in Hell, my friends!”

Hell, Michigan is an unincorprated little hamlet about 15 miles out of Ann Arbor. They have a great swimming hole created by the water dam in Hell Creek, so people can got to Hell and swim at the dam. You can get Hell souvenirs, like this coffee mug, when you stop at Screams Ice Cream. When David and I went there for the first time, it was at the beginning of Nanifest XL, in 2006. You could still get commemorative T-shirts and other wares from the big holiday on June 6, or 6-6-06!

Sunday, the four of us stopped at Screams for ice cream. I had the Raspberry chocolate cup swirl in a waffle cone! I don’t remember what all everyone got but Jacob was chuckling at the coffin full of sundae toppings. He got a coffin of mints too. Dave B and I both squished pennies. Regular readers know I can’t resist the opportunity to add to my squished penny collection. Mine is Screams Ice Cream from Hell penny and Dave got a “Damn Lucky Penny.” David bought me this mug, to be put away for my birthday!

All in all, it was a great weekend - and a helluva trip home!

Read more about Hell, Michigan

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love that mug! Sometimes I think I already live in hell!!! Love your story!

seamhead gypsy said...

So Hell, Mi is 15 miles from Ann Arbor huh? Hmm... I've been to An Arbor, actually thought it was a nice place but I know quite a few people who would say that Hell is Ann Arbor.

At least I know better and now I know where to go for some hellish good ice cream too! :-)