Toots was a small ice cream/hamburger stand that used to sit on the corner of Central and Montrose here in Chicago, having operated for 55 years. I spent a lot of time there during high school, as it was located nearby. The place closed in 2006 so the land could be converted into a mini-mall, however this sign near the corner of Central and Addison still exists.

Toots sign painted on apartment building

Now on the spot where Toots used to sit is another small restaurant called Scoops, along with a Dunkin Donuts, currency exchange, mobile phone place, and nail salon.

More options, less character. (Literally. I miss that creepy bald Toots guy!)

Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Is this your Laughing Place? (2009)

This picturesque desert setting is actually situated near Splash Mountain, in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I shot this during a family trip in December 2009.

There was just something about this scene that was peaceful and relaxed, which is great contrast to the typical frenzied pace found at a Disney theme park.

It's still pretty early in biking season, but I've already been pretty active this year. In fact, I've put over 100+ miles on my new bike tires so far.

It's hard to miss Steve wearing this shirt!

I'm doing a lot more riding in traffic and on main city streets, which presents its own set of challenges, including the avoidance of "dooring" collisions with parked cars. Needless to say, it's been an adventure so far!

My friends Bryan & Jen Sampson were concerned for my safety with this increase in urban riding and bought me the shirt featured in the photo above. Although, since the printing is written backwards, does that mean that the only way it will be read is by the driver in their rearview mirror AFTER they've rolled over my body?

Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Pepto Castle (1996)

Did you know that Walt Disney World is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year? Probably not, because Disney has pretty much given up on park-specific commemorations in favor of soulless global marketing initiatives like "Let the Memories Begin." The Magic Kingdom and a few surrounding hotels opened in 1971.

Jump back to 1996, when the resort was celebrating its 25th anniversary. Back then the campaign was officially known as "Remember the Magic," but fans know it as "The Year of the Pink Castle" — one of the biggest marketing blunders this side of Reedy Creek. During the event, Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom was literally painted pink. Brightly-colored inflatable decorations were then added to make the whole structure look like a large birthday cake.

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One of my favorite TV shows is The Amazing Race, the round-the-world reality show on CBS.  I've watched since Season 1, Episode 1, which aired 10 years ago in 2001, right before 9/11.  Since that time, there have been 18 seasons of the Race here in the U.S., as well as internationally-licensed editions, including 4 versions from Asia, 3 from Latin America, and 1 each from Brazil, Israel, China, and Australia.

The Amazing Race 2 on DVD

Reality shows traditionally don't lend themselves well to reruns since you know the outcome.  However, I would argue the travelogue aspect of The Amazing Race actually helps in this sense, while knowing the outcome removes stress from the watching experience.

Over the past few years I've been working my way through rewatching every season of TAR, including the foreign editions.  This is usually accomplished by watching downloaded versions of the show found on the 'net or pulling out VHS recordings, as to date there have only been two seasons officially released on DVD (Season 1 and Season 7, both issued in 2005).

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Amy & I recently finished up rewatching all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, a task we've actually done many times (that's 251 episodes for those who are counting).  We enjoy watching the show and the many ways it reinvented itself over the years with the cast transitions.  The nice thing about the DVD releases is that you can watch episodes with the laugh track turned off, which is how the show was aired in the UK.  The strong writing is evident without the fake laughing, making it far more enjoyable.

Potterisms on the Bathroom Wall

As we neared the end of the series, Amy took it upon herself to chronicle the various quirky quotes by Colonel Sherman Potter, which she termed as "Potterisms."  As has previously befitted our Ticket to Ride scores, these quotes made their way to our bathroom wall, which is coated in chalkboard paint.

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Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Please don't call this a "big, silver golf ball"!

"Since the dawn of recorded time, communication has revolutionized our lives and changed our world.  We now have the ability and the responsibility to build new bridges of acceptance and co-operation between us; to create a better world for ourselves and our children as we continue our amazing journey aboard Spaceship Earth."

The iconic symbol of EPCOT Center, er, Epcot, is Spaceship Earth, an 18-story geodesic sphere that opened with the park in 1982. I took today's photo during a trip in 2009. Thankfully, it wasn't ruined by a stupid Mickey wand.

It houses a ride originally sponsored by the Bell System (1982-1984) and focused on communications.  This theme was continued when AT&T (1984-2004) picked up the sponsorship after the breakup of the Bell System.  In 2007, the storyline was changed to reflect general technology, thanks to sponsor Siemens AG (2005-present).

Epcot has changed a lot over the years, mostly for the worse, but Spaceship Earth remains an element that still reflects the World's Fair feeling of awe found in the original EPCOT Center.

In September 2008, we went Mac. Since then, I've been very happy with my experience, except for one thing.

Apple couldn't build a good mouse if their life depended on it.

Tiki Gods Say: Begone Apple Mighty Mouse, Aloha Logitech!

My iMac came with the Apple Mighty Mouse, this stupid looking thing with a tiny trackball. On the plus side, it was Bluetooth-compatible, thus I didn't need any extra wireless USB receivers to make it work. On the downside, it really sucked up battery power. I constantly found myself recharging the batteries.

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Earlier this month, our blog here at SteveandAmySly.com has garnered the attention of some high-traffic, Chicago-based websites.

First off was a story on TheExpiredMeter.com about my successful parking ticket battle with the city.

Blogger Makes Beating Parking Tickets Look Easy

We also got an "Odd Obsessions" shoutout from GapersBlock.com regarding our ongoing coverage of the CNA building's lighted window messages:

Odd Obsessions: CNA Window Art

Thanks for the mentions!

Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Mom, Amy, & Karen startled in Injun Joe's Cave (2009)

Tom Sawyer Island is one of the fun areas to explore at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.  It's still a themed space that hasn't been completely corrupted by modern Disney branding and love of all things princesses, pirates, Pooh, & pins.  Disneyland's version, on the other hand, got a Pirates of the Caribbean redo a couple years ago, with mixed results.  And while some unique elements of WDW's Island aren't in place anymore, such as the eatery Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn, it's still an adventure for any age.

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