Jennifer Aniston Doing Yoga, John Daly As Santa Claus & Clay's Son Needs Christmas Ideas From Dad
I wasn't 100% in the Christmas spirit until last night
One of the big questions this year for my wife and I has been 'Where should we take the kids to see Santa?' There's always Bass Pro across the highway where the kids will want to buy $100 in dart guns. There's always the Christmas wonderland where there's typically a meltdown over not wanting to leave because the little one hasn't ridden the train enough. There's always the little shack at the outdoor mall with the creepy Santa as a last resort.
Then, Friday morning, I see a local business owner mention how Santa's going to be at a legitimate frontier cabin that was saved and is now located in a village of 1,500 about 20 miles from us. BOOM, I'm in. First of all, I learned a long time ago to trust the farmers and local business owners in these small towns to know where the real action is at.
So there we were last night inside a house built in the late 1850s or early 1860s with a fire going, Santa doing his thing, and our 4-year-old smiling from ear-to-ear. No long lines, no screaming kids, no pissed-off parents, nobody trying to sell our kids Chinese-made junk. Just Santa, a crackling fire, a Christmas tree and three old-timers near the back -- presumably from the local Lions club who puts on this Santa appearance -- making sure Santa didn't run out of goodie bags to hand out to the children.
I'm not joking when I say it nearly brought me to tears. We were in and out of that 19th-century cabin in about 15 minutes max. The kids were happy. Mrs. Screencaps was happy. I was happy.
It was right there as we walked back to our car that the holidays officially started. Thank you to the Elmore Lions Club. We'll be back.
• Randy in Tennessee writes:
I’ve been reading Screencaps since day one and as a food person especially enjoy the food pictures.
I saw Sean’s email the other day about local businesses and wanted to write you. My wife and I own Water’s Edge Chocolates in Tullahoma, TN, which is between Nashville and Chattanooga. We’re about 20 minutes from Jack Daniel’s distillery, 10 minutes from George Dickel distillery and 30 minutes from Nearest Green distillery, so we get visitors from around the country that stop by on the whiskey trail, which might be of interest to many Screencap readers.
Also, going back to the summertime topic of “do hard things” I would recommend anyone with younger kids to read or listen to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books. We have two boys 7 & 4 and have been listening to the audible version of the series when we drive in the car. The boys love the books and my wife and I are constantly reminded how soft we have become as a country and people after listening to their way of life and what they went through.
Have a Merry Christmas,
• Sean O'C in Colorado writes:
I really enjoy screencaps so just a quick observation and comment. I thought this the last time Paulina posted, but definitely again today. She looks different somehow. I'm guessing some type of plastic surgery? A little more generic-looking, if that makes sense. I wonder if anyone else has thought the same thing?
And one comment about the hunters. I totally support hunting. There is a need for it in wildlife management. I'm also a second amendment supporter. But having said that, I'm also an animal lover and could really do without the trophy pics of dead animals. I quickly scroll past. I just don't like to see that.
Anyway, keep up the good work. Are you having a white Xmas? Here in the Denver area we've had almost no snow at all this year. Feels weird.
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• Indy Daryl wants to send me down a rabbit hole with the topic of dive bars:
Screencaps this week has got me thinking about something I would love to hear about: what’s the best dive bar you’ve ever been to? I’m talking back alley, out-of-the-way places that are so unique you can’t help but be impressed.
Mine is a fine establishment in Madison, WI named the Le Tirge Lounge. I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times and it never disappoints. You can hardly see because the lights are so low. There is a 1960s jukebox in the back. The tag line on Google is: “snug, cash-only watering hole set in a strip mall with tiger-dominated decor & a classic jukebox.” Let me tell you, tiger-dominated doesn’t do this place justice. I am talking wall to wall tiger EVERYTHING. Posters. Bobbleheads. Porcelain figurines. Wall art. Lamps. And everything in between. Every piece of decor in the place is a tiger. And you better believe I visit every time I am able!
I fee like screencaps readers would have endless stories to tell about their favorite places!
• Back in 2014, Boston Eater tried to define "dive bar" and concluded: "Because in a world of incessant strain to be something newer and better, of continual movement and transition and keeping up, in a world saturated with the effort of constantly becoming, the dive bar—like it or not, take it or leave—simply is. It is what it is. It is what it was. It is what it always will be, as long as the door is still open and there’s a place to set a drink."
I like my dive bars to be places that aren't trying to be dive bars. I need a pool table, bad lighting, Busch Light cans (without trying to be talked about as a cool place that serves Busch Light cans or PBR), a few bar flies to keep things interesting, a bartender who's seen a few things and customers with a wide variety of occupations. And I don't want the place serving food. Bags of chips and jars of sausages on the bar is a perfect setup.
And I don't want to hear a group of suburban men walk up & ask to see a bourbon list.
• Mike in Pasadena has a great suggestion for those looking to add a bathroom to their basements:
Adding to the basement remodel convo, I put one of these in my Sisters' basement last summer for my elderly father, so he doesn't have to navigate the stairs every time he needs to use it. https://www.saniflodepot.com/ she didn't have a bathroom or a drain below, the main drain was above in the ceiling and this thing works like a charm - it handles the sink and the shower drain too. (did all the work myself)
If Tim G., and Jim M (with that great bar) don't have a bathroom down there already this is a great option.
• Mike J. has a sports weekend story to share:
Finally getting back to screencaps after a week away. Had to share my epic sports weekend from 2006 for me and 4 friends.
Friday Scalp tickets to Game 3 of the Tigers ALCS series. Tigers win. Walk out into a cab straight to Joe Louis Arena for Red Wings game. Wings win. Saturday get up go tailgating for MSU-OSU game. Two of us leave after tailgate other 3 guys go to MSU game (MSU lost). Two that left are at Game 4 of ALCS to see Magglio walkoff HR to go to World Series. Leave game go to strip club. Sunday all 5 guys get up to go tailgating for Lions game. And then the most unbelievable part of the weekend...Lions won.
Baseball, football, hockey, college, and pros in one weekend all within an hour of my house, and saw four wins for the home teams.
• And finally, Beau in Toledo has a message for United Airlines, who kicked a man off a flight this week for wearing a woman's thong as a mask.
My message to the mask police at United:
(That picture was taken last year, ftr)
GameWornJersey
• Have a great weekend. I need to go put together my white elephant gift for a Christmas party.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com