Dreaming Of Chasing Bunnies

Sammy looks very sweet napping on my bed.

Frozen Fountain

Detwiller Plaza Fountain
Main Street - Hellertown, PA
We found this fountain last week when we went to see Chikara: King Of Trios at the American Legion in Hellertown.  It's in a little park on Main Street that also includes a clock tower.  The clock tower was built in the 1980's, but the fountain dates back to the 40's.  Although it can't be seen in the winter when it's frozen over like this, the fountain is lit with fixtures that were repurposed from General Electric exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair.

Introducing Sammy

Meet the newest member of the family.  This is Sammy.

Shopping Through The Snow

Hazleton Shopping Center
Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
Give it a few weeks and the plow pile will be taller than the sign.

At Least They Spelled Cantonese Right

Brothers Buffet
Fairlane Village Mall - Pottsville, PA
Where else can you get "Mandain", "Amercian" and "Japanaise" food all under one roof?  What are you waiting for?

West Hazleton Snow Shoveling

Photos From King Of Trios

The Patriot wrestled as a part of Team USA.  This was Tom Brandi, not Del Wilkes.

The ICW Texarkana Television Champion, "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney

This is 20 year old Shiima Xion.  Not long ago, he toured in Japan with DDT. 

Chikara mainstays Shane Storm (left) and Jigsaw (right).

Kudo from the Kaientai Dojo promotion in Japan.

Yoshiaki Yago from the Kaientai Dojo promotion in Japan.

Miyawaki from the Kaientai Dojo promotion in Japan.

King of Trios

Chikara King of Trios (night one)
American Legion Hall - February 16, 2007
Hellertown, PA
Chikara is a unique company and one of the most fun pro wrestling promotions I have ever been to.  What other show can you go to see luchador ice cream men, a 64 year old wrestler and a patriotic wrestling gorilla?

This show was Night One of what will be a three night tournament of six man tag team matches.  We had a lot of fun and got to meet and talk to a bunch of the wrestlers.  Included on the card were Claudio Castagnoli teaming up with Los Ice Creams, rookie phenom Ricochet and veteran Tom Brandi performing as The Patriot.

Los Ice Creams: El Hijo Del Ice Cream and Ice Cream Jr, joined by a suspicious, tie-wearing Swiss ice cream.

El Hijo Del Ice Cream takes down Crossbones while Ice Cream Jr and Claudio Castagnoli look on.

Team USA (from left to right): Jay Jaillet, US Ape and The Patriot (Tom Brandi).

Ice Cream Jr holds Chuck Taylor up for El Hijo Del Ice Cream to dive off of the top rope.

Claudio Castagnoli was unmasked for his second round match against The Kings of Wrestling.

Results:

• Up In Smoke (Cheech and Cloudy) defeated The New Jersey All-Stars (J.C. Ryder and Lucky)
• ShaneSaw (Jigsaw and Shane Storm) defeated 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
• King of Trios Round One Match
  Los Ice Creams (El Hijo Del Ice Cream, Ice Cream Jr. and Very Mysterious Ice Cream*) defeated The Order of the Neo Solar Temple (Ultramantis Black, Crossbones and Hydra)
  *Claudio Castagnoli under a mask
• King of Trios - Round One Match
  The Iron Saints (Brandon Thomaselli, Sal Thomaselli and Vito Tomaselli) defeated The Fabulous Three ("Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney, Mitch Ryder and Robbie Ellis)
• King of Trios - Round One Match
  Kings of Wrestling (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Gran Akuma) defeated Team USA (The Patriot, "Kid USA" Jay Jaillet and USApe)
• King of Trios - Round One Match
  Kaientai Dojo (Kudo, Miyawaki and Yoshiaki Yago) defeated defeated Team DDT (Danshoku Dino, Masamune and American Balloon)
• Nobutaka Moribe defeated Shiima Xion
• Maxime Boyer defeated Ricochet
• King of Trios - Round Two Match
  Kings of Wrestling (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Gran Akuma) defeated Los Ice Creams (El Hijo Del Ice Cream, Ice Cream Jr. and Very Mysterious Ice Cream*)
  *still Claudio Castagnoli under a mask
• King of Trios - Round Two Match
  Kaientai Dojo (Kudo, Miyawaki and Yoshiaki Yago) defeated The Iron Saints (Brandon Thomaselli, Sal Thomaselli and Vito Tomaselli)

*Update: This show was released on DVD under the name "King of Trios - Night 1".  It is available on ChikaraPro.com.

The Artwork of Keith Lee

Matador and Señora paintings
Keith Lee
These paintings have been hanging in my grandparents parlor for as long as I've been alive.  I think they bought 'em in the late 1960's.  For some reason, my grandmother was going through a bullfighter phase when she was picking out decorations for the house, because she has a ceramic bull statue too.

I never knew much about the artist, and it's not been easy to find information about him, but here's what I was able to find.  His name is Milton Lee, but he signed his work as Keith Lee.  He was born on October 12th, 1927 in Chickasha, Oklahoma.  He died less than four years ago on December 6th, 2003 in Granada Hills, California.  At some point, he had a studio on Forbes Avenue in Granada Hills.

Update: I've found other paintings of his on eBay that I really like.  This pirate ship panting is my favorite so far.  It reminds me of the end of The Goonies.

Grandpa's 70th Birthday

Happy 70th birthday to the best grandfather in the world.

Coffee At Wegmans

Market Cafe
Wegmans - Wilkes Barre, PA
My grandparents and I stopped for drinks on the way to the mall.