Friendly's: Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

(You will live! Friendly's, you're going to live! It's too soon! Too soon to say good-bye...)

Today on Gawker, I read some truly horrifying news. Apparently, Friendly's is $225 million in debt, and on the brink of filing Chapter 11. This is the worst news ever. I love Friendly's. My one true lament about living in the city is that there are no Friendly's close by. I bring this up with friends every now and again and they all say the same thing: a Friendly's would never survive in NYC. I don't understand why! We have every other awful chain here, why not one that serves mediocre food and delicious delicious ice cream desserts? But apparently they were right and I was wrong, as the whole franchise seems to be going under.

I am not ready to say goodbye to the SuperMelts, the Fribbles, the Happy Ending Sundaes (yes, that's what they are called) the crispy chicken salads, the place mats you can color on in crayons at any age, and of course the free refills of soda. I will never be ready to let it all go. The news has brought back a flood of memories about my favorite little chain restaurant where, as the slogan says, "The Ice Cream Makes The Meal." Damn, right it does. Let me share with you a few stories...

* As a little boy out at Friendly's with my family, I decided I would not get mint-chocolate chip ice cream in my sundae as I always did. I informed my mother I would try another flavor. For some reason, she discouraged me. Perhaps she thought that as soon as it came out I would turn my nose up at it and request the MCC? But I relented and told the waitress when it was time to order dessert that I would have the mint chocolate chip. She said she was sorry but they were out of mint-chocolate chip. My mom then made some off-hand remark "that I must have ESP" and that's why I was fine with going with another flavor when my favorite wasn't an option. I spent the next several decades believing I had some low level amount of ESP, looking for signs of superior mental and believing that it was always strongest whenever I was in a Friendly's. 

* There was a time in maybe 10th grade or 11th grade when my group of friends was at Friendly's and I faced off with my friend Becky as to how much soda we could drink in one sitting. Friendly's gave free refills, which only seemed fair since the glass was filled 85% of the way with ice. So I know I had root beer, and I think Becky did too, but Becky might have had coke or diet coke. That's not really the point. The point is that I got sick off the root beers. I didn't throw up or anything. I just was not feeling good at all during the late stages of the Refill Challenge. I was not meant to be a competitive eater/drinker just a constant one. I think we both stopped tied at 5 or 6 sodas. This was with a full meal. And we probably stopped not because we were so sick, but because we both acknowledged we would need room for dessert. How I was not a fat child and never had a cavity is a mystery to me. Also, I never learned my lesson with free refills. I will drink and drink until my stomach and bladder are ready to burst. This is evidenced by two Pink Lemonade Ordeals in Disney World (each one several years apart, same on-site restaurant though. I'm SO classy on Disney vacations.) and also just recently during a heat wave when again I could not get enough Pink Lemonade here at home before I made myself physically nauseous. But that one time in Friendly's with the root beer challenge started it all.

* My absolutely favorite dessert is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae. I take mine with mint chocolate chip (as noted earlier). Some people find the flavor of combo of mint and peanut butter an unpleasant prospect but it's my FAVORITE, especially Friendly's peanut butter syrup and their own MCC ice cream. My friend Sandi who I met during HS also loved this combo, and if you find someone who likes the same somewhat off-beat dessert as you, I swear you've probably met a friend for life. I know I did! :)

(picture this with mint ice cream and we're good to go. If you don't it sorta looks like someone mashed up a calico cat and stuck it in a sundae dish. It doesn't look that way with mint chocolate chip ice cream!)

* In college, there was a Friendly's within driving distance of Wesleyan. I didn't have a car, so I didn't go their often with friends. Occasionally I did. I remember a sign language dinner there that was particularly fun - and actual deaf people came over to talk to us! But mostly I saved my Friendly's visits for when my Dad came to visit. He hated Friendly's. He always wanted to go to one of the nice restaurants around campus. I didn't care. I was getting my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae and he was picking up the tab! Now before you judge me too harshly, bear in mind that he was coming to visit on some occasion that had to do with celebrating ME. Like it was around my birthday, or he was coming to see a show I was in or something. If he came during his birthday, I might have gone  somewhere else.* I at least made reservations for the family at Tuscany Grille for when I graduated. See, sometimes I was thoughtful.
* - This is a lie. My dad's birthday is my half-birthday and I would've claimed half-birthday privileges to go to Friendly's. I know I'm a monster.

Usually my phone conversation with my dad before he came up to visit went like this:

Dad: Where do you wanna go out to eat for dinner?
Owen: Friendly's.
Dad: WHAT? NO! Not Friendly's!
Owen: Yes, FRIENDLY'S!
Dad: We always go there! I want to go somewhere else!
Owen: WELL I WANT TO GO TO FRIENDLY'S!! IT'S MY DAY!
Dad: AWW! C'MON, OWEN!
Owen: NO! FRIENDLY'S!
Dad: Aahhhh.... shit.
Owen: YAY!! FRIENDLY'S!

It's not like I chose to go to Wesleyan because there was a Friendly's nearby, but it sure didn't hurt its chances in the selection process either. Anyway, one time Dad came up and I think I was in a show, this must have been spring of my Junior year, and he took me and my girlfriend Gracie to Friendly's before seeing the show. I remember I was REALLY sick with a fever that day, but I refused to say so out loud because I had a show I had to do that night and I really wanted my sundae and would sit through dinner in order to get it. (Oh, side note: I keenly remember Friendly's having a smoking section that was not separated by ANYTHING. It was the same air. Now smoking is outlawed everywhere.) So I'm not feeling well and I open the menu to choose between the two entrees I always get and I notice there is a new item on the menu. This was amazing since the menu at Friendly's was basically the same for the last 100 million years. The new item? A Fishamajig.

(to this day, it's hard to look at a fishamjig without my stomach getting tied in knots.)

That's right. A thing-a-majig made out of FISH. And the name was registered name no less! So basically it was mystery fish blended up and served with melted cheese. I can't remember the rest of the description. I just know that at the time, the idea of the fishamajig made me want to puke all over my coloring book-style place mat. My Dad and Gracie are talking about all sorts of things and I'm just sitting there trying not to throw up. Finally, I pull it together, close the menu and wait for the waitress to take my order as a cold sweat from the fever runs down my brow. The waitress stops first at the booth directly behind me and what does the person sitting there order? You guessed it! A FISHAMAJIG! So not only would I have to think about a fishamjig, i was going to have to smell it all throughout my meal. Somehow I made it through. I kept my mind focused on the peanut butter cup sundae that awaited me  and held my nose and got through it. My dad and Gracie didn't know how bad off I was until I told them about it later. Such a good actor I was! And of course my performance later that evening on stage was equally sublime.

One last short tale before I wrap up. Several years ago I was on my way to New England to share a nice weekend away with some friends at their families house. His mom picked us up at a train, I think (the details are kinda fuzzy in my head) but I know it was late and we were driving through CT and we were relatively close to the Friendly's near Wesleyan and I somehow convinced everyone it was a good idea to find it and eat a late dinner there. I don't know how I did this. Maybe I just kept saying "FRIENDLY'S" really loud over and over again until everyone thought the only way to shut me up was to go there. Of course we got lost and went well out of our way from our actual destination, but I'm pretty sure my friend's mom eventually got us to a Friendly's, even after I was more than ready to give up the quest. The rest of the weekend was lovely, don't you worry.

So as you can see from this small spattering of stories, Friendly's holds a special place in my mind, in my heart and in my stomach. So many fun memories of youth and early adulthood. If this really is the end... well, please don't let this be the end. I'm not ready to sing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables at a Friendly's memorial service. Will someone at least show me how to mix a Fribble before they all close their doors for good? I don't want future generations to grow up in a more un-Friendly world... and I need that peanut butter cup sundae....

A Year Without Cookies - Week 39

 (it's that time of year again.)

Week 39. Look at that end-cap of goodness pictured above! This is what greeted me when I went grocery shopping this week. I wanted to buy every box! Unfortunately for me, it says "cookies" right on the packaging. Mallomars don't really count as cookies do they? are they baked like cookies? I'm gonna have to think long and hard about this one and at the very least buy a few boxes to store in my freezer. Don't they look amazing? And a total steal at only $4.89 a box!

This week I mentioned I was at 39 weeks to Co-worker Suki and she remarked that she was 36 weeks into her pregnancy. She has been sick nearly every day for 36 weeks an I have been hungry for cookies every day for just as long a time. Who has walked the tougher road? It's hard to say. But I am fairly certain that she only has about four weeks to go (or maybe less. that baby seems ready to arrive at the party a little bit early to me. She's so big! Is there really a whole month left of baking in the oven... like a giant delicious cookie??  mmm.... delicious baby-shaped cookies...) and then after that I will continue to soldier on for another 12 weeks. So all things considered, it's a toss up.

Next week is week 40! FORTY WEEKS! I am stunned it's gone on this long. It's the 4th quarter of the year. And with it comes the biggest test of all. Holiday Season. Oh, boy.

A Year Without Cookies - Weeks 37 & 38

(Orlando's Top Chef "Surprise" is that there's no root beer float in this root beer float.)

Well, it has been two more weeks and still no cookies or soda for O. Marathon training has picked up, and my desire for cookies has increased exponentially. We are almost at 40 weeks in the year, folks. Surely I'm not going to be giving in now just from an increase in appetite... although some "friends" on the FB never miss an opportunity to suggest that I break and indulge in a cookie. It will not happen, Underminers! You have no power over me!

The other night at dinner I was splitting a dessert with someone and as we going over the many delicious options on the menu, one was a sundae that had a cookie base at the bottom. My friend suggested I just eat until we got the bottom layer so that he could enjoy the entire cookie. Listen, I'm not that disciplined or that nice. Once I was digging into the sundae I was not going to stop. And even if I could, was he going to leave me with that much more of the other layers to compensate for him getting the full cookie layer? Unlikely. Ice cream was ordered instead.

The temperature has dropped slightly here in NYC which should be conducive to a drop in the desire for a cool refreshing soda, but the humidity this week has been horribly obnoxious, so refreshing drinks are still in demand. Speaking of soda, this week I caught an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts where this contestant made a root beer float that had no root beer float in it. Seriously, you can take a look at it up top. This dessert was rated poorly by the judges and almost got him sent home. But MAN, it made me want a real root beer float. I mean REALLY...

Week 39 is just around the bend! The last of the weeks in the 30's. The end of the year seems to be approaching at lightning speed!!

United States of Rafa 2011 - The Finals

(Positive spin... hmm... 1st is the worst, 2nd is the best?)

 Ooof.  I hate that Novak Djokovic!

No, but seriously. What can you say? Our Hero, Rafael Nadal tried his best. He tried to find solutions to weaken Djokovic throughout the match. Nothing worked. He tried moving back when Djok was painting the lines. Didn’t help. He tried moving in to crowd him and break down his volley. Didn’t help. Novak is just playing fearless tennis right now. Everything is working for him. Despite some momentary bouts of tiredness (which mostly come from not losing ever and having to play every tournament to its end) his game right now has no flaws. He is brimming with confidence and positive energy. There are no solutions to be found when facing that kind of opponent. Rafa fought hard, but Novak just couldn’t be beaten. It won’t always be that way, but this year that’s definitely the story for these two. Right now, Novak’s got his number.

The match itself was frustrating as a Rafa fan. He went up 2-0 and the start of the 1^st set and then lost the following six games to lose the set 6-2. He was up 2-0 in the second set and went on to lose the set 6-4. They would play these exceedingly long games with multiple deuce points and Rafa had many chances to capitalize, but Novak always came up with something amazing to rip the game away from Rafa in the end.  The third set tiebreaker was amazing and the one real triumph of the match for Rafa. Each player was firing and returning retrieving these unbelievable shots. The spectators at Arthur Ashe were gasping, the people watching with me at Midtown Tennis Center were shouting (it was a pro-Nadal crowd). It seemed impossible that Nadal had to work so hard to win a point. He was winning them, Novak seemed to momentarily slow down just a hair and Nadal took the third set. I was excited for him to take the set, but it felt a little like their match at Wimby this year, where Rafa lost lopsided first and second sets and the got the third but faltered again in the fourth. I was on the subway coming home for most of the fourth set and when I got above ground and saw the score was 5-1 favoring Djokovic my heart sank. I know he tried his hardest. It just wasn’t in the cards this time. I felt bad for him, because I saw how hard he was playing, I see how hard he plays every match.  

The situation reminds me of a Buffy quote from the end of Season 3: As justice goes, it’s not unpoetic, don’t ya think?  I mean, I can apreciate the irony. For years Federer could beat anyone on the planet except Nadal, and right now Nadal can find a way to beat anyone… except Djokovic. How many of Nadal’s  Grand Slam Finals came at Fed’s expense? More then half of them – SIX! (4 French, 1 Wimby, 1 Aussie.) It’s a sucky situation, but Nadal has been on the better side of that equation a lot. Now he’s on the worse side. He’ll be back on the good side again. That’s what makes it a rivalry for the ages. :)

Novak’s win doesn’t diminish all the amazing success that Rafa has enjoyed for the past several years. Rafa may only have three titles so far for the year which is less than usual, but it’s still a great showing and he did compete in the championship match for six other titles, which means he is playing very well overall. And the year’s not over because it’s the longest effing season in sports, so there's still time for more success! Rafa will fight and win another day! Vamos!

United States of Rafa 2011 - Semifinals

(Back in the finals again!)

Our Hero, Rafael Nadal will get the chance to defend his 2010 US Open title tomorrow, after defeating no. 4-seed Andy Murray in the semifinals on Saturday 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. It was a very solid performance from Rafa. I think I only saw a couple points of it while it was unfolding, as I had a lovely wedding to attend just that evening. But I was happy to check the score on my phone once the reception was in full swing and saw that Rafa had one. After that shaky first round match, he's really played a fantastic tournament.

So the final will be a rematch of last year's final. Djokovic against Nadal. Ugh. It amazes me that only a year ago I felt GOOD about this match up. Nadal has lost 5 finals to Novak this year, including the Wimby Final. I really hope Nadal can take it to him tomorrow afternoon, but recent history and Novak's unbelievable success throughout the year would suggest that at the very least Nadal is not the favorite to win. That's kinda okay though, Rafa feeds off struggle and feeling like the underdog. I know my guy has it in him. I just hope it translates on the court tomorrow.

I can't believe Novak even made it to the final this year. Somehow, his semifinal with Federer turned out to be a crazy repeat of last year when Federer had match point against Djokovic on his serve and somehow Novak came up with these total go for broke insane shots that landed in and wound up shifting the whole momentum of the match right at the end. I felt so bad for Fed. I wanted him to win!! Hopefully history from last year will continue to repeat itself and Rafa can take another Slam title. I just want him to be able to play his absolute best and if Djokovic still beats him, then there's nothing else that can be done. You just have to say "too good." But despite my pre-match fretting, there's no reason to believe Rafa can't win again. He's a champion. He's playing amazing. Only one match to go. He can get it done. VAMOS!!!!

United States of Rafa 2011 - Quarter Finals

(Rafa is all freakish intensity as he destroys Andy Roddick in the quarters.)

The US Open continues to zip along now with clear skies as we try to cram all the later rounds of play into the next three days. Luckily, all the extra matches in a short amount of time does not seem to be having an ill-effect on Our Hero, Rafael Nadal. He completely pummeled Andy Roddick in their quarter final meeting yesterday, taking it in straight sets 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. It was a shame for Andy, who could not shake off the fatigue from an intense battle with David Ferrer the day before in the Round of 16 to put up any sort of fight against Nadal. I was actually surprised Roddick managed to get passed Ferrer, who has been playing really well this year and is currently no, 5 in the world. Roddick gave that match his all, and it was not enough recovery time for him to be at his best again. He just had no weapons against Nadal who was in rare form, even by his high standards. One telling stat: Nadal finished with 22 forehand winners compared to ZERO for Roddick. Zero? That's unbelievable! Not typical Roddick at all. Rafa took the opportunity of facing a hampered Roddick to secure the match in under 2 hours. That means he comes in the fresher man against Andy Murray (who had a hard fought win over John Isner yesterday) when they play their semifinal match... this afternoon. Stay healthy, guys! Whichever one of you meets Federer or Djokovic in the Final on Monday is gonna have a tough mountain to climb!

Fun facts: it's the second time this year the top four men have advanced to the semifinals at a Grand Slam. It also happened at the French Open. Also it's the third straight major, Nadal and Murray will face off in the semis. Rafa beat Murray in 3 sets at the French Open and in 4 sets at Wimbledon..We liked the results at this year's French! Let's see that happen again! We want Rafa over Murray in 3 quick sets! Vamos!

A Year Without Cookies - Week 36

(get this boy some cookies!)

Another week down and no cookies and no soda. This week seemed to breeze by with the Labor Day weekend mixed in. I didn't face too much horrible temptation this week. Except once when it was really humid out and I walked into a little deli and there was a delicious looking cold bottle of root beer staring at me through a freezer door. IT was a tough 10 seconds of longing before I broke away.

This week's exciting discovery was that I'm thinner than I thought I was! Oh, not by a lot. It's not like I'm in line to star in The Machinist 2: A Year Without Cookies, or something (but seriously, what a great title!). I was trying on my suits yesterday, though, for my friend Jessie's wedding which is happening TONIGHT (so excited to see her and party with some of my oldest friends!) and I was ready for the suit pants to maybe be a little tight since I haven't been doing my usual running regimen all summer but nooooo, oh, they all fit so nice! It was a lovely moment. I mentioned my good news on the FB and my friend T, suggested it might have something to do with my no cookies and soda crusade. I'm gonna to go with that theory. Thank you, Year Without Cookies, for giving me some breathing room in my dress-up duds! I will try to post photographic evidence of me looking smooth upon my return from the ceremony in Philly!

United States of Rafa 2011 - Round of 16

(Rafa loves the US Open so tenderly...)

After what was pretty much 48 hours of constant rain in NYC, Our Hero, Rafael Nadal, advanced to the quarter finals with a straight sets victory over Gilles Muller on Thursday 7-6(1) 6-1 6-2. Because of the crazy rain, Rafa's bottom half of the draw is in a race to play catch up, and the tourney will still have to end on Monday instead of Sunday. That means in 5 days (Thursday through Monday) the players in Rafa's half will have to play 4 best-of-fives matches. That's a lot of hardcourt tennis and it puts whoever gets through in the top half of the drawer at a definite advantage heading into the Championship Match. We can only hope that Rafa has some easy matches against tough players so he has enough left in the tank to face either (hopefully!) Federer or (regrettably, probably) Djokovic on Monday.

So far so good. Rafa had a kinda tough first set, but that was mostly because he fell behind 0-3 back on Tuesday morning when the tournament tried to make them play in the rain. Nadal was NOT pleased with that decision. Upon resuming the match two days later when it was not raining, Rafa quickly climbed back into the driver's seat and then Muller was kinda like "whatevs. it's over." and the next two sets just breezed by. 

Up next is Andy Roddick, and this is not a match up I like. I'm not particularly worried for Nadal, I just take no pleasure in seeing Roddick lose. I want Roddick to do well also. But if I can choose only one, of course I choose Nadal. Hopefully it will be a non-taxing three-set victory! Vamos!

Run For Your Life If You Can, Little Boy - Take 4

(In 18 weeks, my next Finisher's Pic will feature Mouse Ears!)

This week started my 18-week training period for the 2012 Disney World Marathon. That's right, lovelies. 2012 is less than 18 weeks away! So yeah, if you are sitting on some New Year's resolutions or accomplishments for 2011, it's really time to get on it!!

Saturday night I had this incredible dream about running. It involved dodgeball, sleepwalking track teammates and me Latin-ballroom dancing with Angelina Jolie to a song called "Heaven" which doesn't exist in real life. Trust me that it had these amazing brass section "Pow! Pow!" moments where we hits these awesome poses. As great as all the window dressing of the dream was, the best part was really how much I enjoyed the running. I was running around on this track at night and just loved it. I wonder for how long in real time I was running around that track. In the dream it felt like I kept going and going, but it probably was just a matter of minutes or seconds in my head. If only I could zip through the actual marathon that quickly, 18-weeks of training would not be required!

I've begun a new intermediate marathon training schedule (that downloaded so easily into my outlook calendar! I was impressed! In previous years I had to add all my daily runs manually.), and while I will miss the NYC Marathon in November, it was definitely the right choice to give myself the summer off from training and take a longer hiatus from running. Running a different race and training at a different time of year, along with taking tennis lessons in the meantime, was just the mental and physical change-up I needed to keep things fresh. Plus, running through all 4 Disney Theme Parks is gonna be awesome!! We'll see how awesome I think it is when I have a 20-mile run to complete in mid-December, but for now it's all good. "Run, Owen Run!" is back up and... well, running!

United States of Rafa 2011 - Round 3

(Rafa is a fierce competitor! No cramping his style!)

So Our Hero, Rafa Nadal, won his third round victory over David Nalbandian on Sunday, taking it in three sets - 7-6(5), 6-1, 7-5. The first set is a great example of why I love Rafa so much. He was down 5-3 serving at 0-30, and it seemed like he should lose the set. He was not playing his absolute best. Nalbandian was playing his absolute best. Yet somehow, with his back against the wall, Rafa found another gear! Against the odds, he won the game, broke in the next game, won the following game and then took the set in a tie break! Nalbandian must have been so pissed! To play a set so well and somehow still lose??? That's the brilliance of Nadal. Until it is literally game, set, match against him, you have to still give him a better chance than pretty much anybody to turn his fortunes around.

So he wins the match, but all anyone can talk about it is the leg cramps he suffered during his press conference. It was unfortunate timing but not all that shocking that his legs would cramp after the match. It was incredibly humid on Sunday and he was sweating a ton during the match. But the cramping in the presser was kind of an intense moment. If you haven't seen it, you can see it here. Watch as no one moves to help him for over two and half minutes!



Rafa is fine. It was a momentary thing. I saw him on the practice courts today and he was not suffering at all. :) Here's hoping he has an easy uneventful win over Gilles Muller in the Round of 16. Vamos!

A Year Without Cookies - Week 35

(Pick you poison.)

Another week successfully avoiding cookies! But I came across the craziest soda fountain you ever did see. On my trip to see Spy Kids 4, I noticed that the good people at Loews E-Walk 42nd Street have brought their soda dispensary technology into the 21st century. Instead of filling your cup with 85% ice and 15% soda behind the counter, they now give you a cup and send you over to this giant dispensary station which holds every kind of soda known to man (or perhaps just owned by Coca-Cola Company. I did not notice if Pepsi products were also available. I did not get soda, but there was a lemonade option. So i pressed that button on the screen. Yes a screen! And then a sub-screen of 5 additional flavors of lemonade I could have. Grape Lemonade? Tempting, but I stuck with regular old fashioned lemonade. I got Migu a Sprite and that also had an additional sub-screen of flavors to choose from. Grape-flavored Sprite? I might be back to try that one in 2012.

It's a veritable wall of soda. So many delicious possibilities! I would not want the unenviable task of going into the guts of that machinery whenever a certain flavor ran out. It must be an endless maze of tubes and vats of soda in there. But at least we the consuming public can reap the benefits. It's not Star Trek-level replicator technology, but we're getting there. In the meantime, we can control the ice to soda per cup serving ratio. That's progress!!

United States of Rafa 2011 - Round 2

(Rafa swings into action in the Second Round!)

On Friday, Our Hero, Rafael Nadal, reached the third round of the U.S. Open when Nicolas Mahut retired from the match with an abdominal muscle injury trailing Rafa 6-2, 6-2. Nadal's form was much much better in the second round than it was in his very long 3-set win in the first round. That's a good sign! Unfortunately, because the match was abbreviated, there's not a lot more to take from the match, other than to say I like Nadal's blue shirt that he wore for Round 2 a lot better than the yellow one he wore in Round 1. Stick with the blue, Rafa!

There have already been a record 14 players who quit during singles matches through three rounds of this year’s U.S. Open. That's crazy! The previous record for an entire Grand Slam tournament was 12 at Wimby in 2008. I don't know what the issue is, but it's hard for me to believe ALL of these players couldn't continue. What kind of conditioning are they doing throughout the year that they can't stick it out for 3 sets at the final Grand Slam of 2011? I mean, we're talking less than a week of play. I'm sure there are several legitimate injuries and I'm not a physician to make the call on personal health issues, but FOURTEEN? I think some people need to show a little more heart when they are down in the score and just finish it out.

Luckily Rafa doesn't seem hampered by injury. You know he's gonna give it his all every time he's on the court. He next plays David Nalbandian in the 3rd Round, who can often times prove to be a tricky opponent. I know Nadal can make it to the second week, so I can see him on the practice courts at the Open on Monday! Vamos!