September 2010 Archives

So last Wednesday was "Conecticut Day" at The Big E.  For those of you who have never been to The Big E...well you need to turn in your New Englander status card because it's pretty much a yearly staple of all things New England, including giant butter sculptures, amazing food, rides, vendors of all sorts, and various 'state houses' (inside the Connecticut house is where you'll find the chocolate covered bacon, in case you were wondering).  Really, it's like a state fair on steriods...and butter.  Here's some photos from our trip to MA to celebrate CT (I know, odd, right?):

This is the Big E's official mascot.  Still not sure why they chose some sort of giant rodent, but hey, really, who am I to judge.  I mean, it works for Chuck E. Cheese, right?  (btw, do you notice the serial killer looking guy all the way to the right?  He was a creepy dude.)

I included this photo because I just really like this guy's mustache.  The Fu Manchu has always said 'I'm bad ass, but I like to party'.  I feel like this guy might be bad ass, but likes to party.  Actually I feel like most of the guys attending The Big E should have had Fu Manchus...or mullets... 

Yup, there is a place called "The Pork Palace" and yes they cook on a giant pig shaped grill.  I couldn't make this up if I tried so I just had to get a picture of it. 

Go ahead and tell me this isn't the creepiest tractor you've ever seen.  It looks like something out of that Stephen King movie Maximum Overdrive - in other words like it's going to come to life on its own and try to run everyone over....but smiling that goofy smile the whole time.   

You thought I was kidding about that chocolate covered bacon didn't you?  The sad thing is that these guys are like the first booth you see when you walk into the Connecticut exhibit.  Well, at least we have our priorities straight.  I was a little nervous about that. 

No offense to Frankie but after the chocolate covered bacon...we made a left...

Finally, do you know what this is?  It's a farm sculpture..made out of BUTTER!!!  Not only is it a butter sculpture but New England's largest butter sculpture.  Who knew there was such a competition out there.  Maybe next year we could enter our own butter sculpture in the form of yours truly.  That would be rad...or a big fat waste of butter.  We haven't decided yet. 

So, as you can see The Big E is quite the entertaining day out.  We highly recommend you experience this at least once.  Make sure you also check out our Big E photo gallery for more proof of just how fun it can be.

Until next time,

Chet 

Sorry I haven't blogged in so long (sounds like something I should be telling a doctor) but I've been on tour.  It wasn't as cool as being on tour with a band, but almost as much, we were out on our College Campus Tour.  This was me and a few select friends driving around the state in our 24 ft RV - The Green Machine - visiting various college campuses in CT.  Let me tell you something, college campuses today are a blast and the food isn't half bad either. 

First Stop: University of New Haven

Of course our first goal was to make friends with the school mascots.  Below is one of our MCs Moriah with the UNH mascot.  Unfortunately this big blue mascot accidentally smacked her in the face at one point.  It was actually pretty amusing and we got it on tape but we think he called ahead to his mascot friends because this was the last mascot sighting we had.   

O.k., super duper kudos to UNH for getting a guy to juggle fire on the first day students are back on campus.  I'm pretty sure this was their way of having a living metaphor for what college life is actually like - juggle a lot of stuff and at the same time, don't catch anything that burns.    

UNH was fantastic to us.  Special thanks to everyone there for having us out.  Also special thanks to the nice ladies from the Olive Garden for giving us free cake.  Seriously, bribe me with chocolate and you'll get a mention in this blog too.  I have no shame.

Second Stop: University of Hartford

The kids at UHart were so nice.  They did keep mentioning the "red caps" on campus so for a quick second I thought they were all communists.  But I realized later that the "red caps" are just nice upper classmen helping their frosh brethren out.  Like this guy below who insisted mom and dad get in the picture with him.  Oh, frosh, what a frosh thing to do.  Have I mentioned how much I like saying 'frosh'?  Frosh, frosh, froshy, frosh, frosh...

I hate to poke fun of people willing to pose for pictures with us...oh who the hell am I kidding, that's what this whole blog is about.  O.k., here goes, picture this dude in a green hat and green socks and I swear he looks like a leprechaun.  No? 

It was soooo hot at UHart that day.  Special thanks to the student who hooked me up with a quarter so I could rock the vending machine.  There is a special place in heaven for you my dear girl. 

Stop Three: University of Connecticut

Ah, UCONN, the biggest of all CT campuses, and how do I know this?  Because we had to park the Green Machine 625 miles away from the Student Union where we were set up.  O.k., maybe I'm exagerating that distance but it sure felt that way by the end of the day.

So on this entire tour we were giving kids a chance to win a Dunkin Donuts gift card as a thank you for coming to talk to us.  Some people were way more excited to win than others...like this dude who started screaming, "YES!  VICTORY!!!"  It's only worth $5 chief, let's dial that down a notch.

So when someone asks you, hey do you want to have your picture taken with our giant ball for charity.  The answer is always yes my friends. 

UCONN was a blast...except for that flat tire we got in the RV on our way home.  Did you ever try to change a flat tire on a 24 ft RV?!?  No, me either, we called someone else to do it for us.  Special thanks to that dude for rescuing us from having to sleep outside of a creepy, deserted place called Kathy John's.  That is the beginning of a bad horror movie my friends.

Stop Four: Eastern Connecticut State University

So this was easily one of the two best stops we made on our tour.  The kids out in Wllimantic know how to have a good time.  We had a great location inside their student center and some ding-dong gave us all great entertainment yelling "winnnnneeeeerrrrrr" like a carnival employee on a remote boardwalk every time someone won a D&D gift card.  Good job by that guy.

See this guy here?  He showed up in almost every picture.  We think he might have been a little 'special'.  It's really nice to see ECSU is truly an equal opportunity school.  Good luck in your studies little buddy. 

Well I got an offer I couldn't refuse and these lovely young ladies convinced me to go back to school.  They said I could stay in their dorm room too.  I was on it in a red hot second...then I realized I couldn't afford school on what I'm getting paid...which is to say nothing.  Where the hell is my union rep when you need him?     

ECSU really was a blast.  Thanks to all who came and visited with us and special thanks to the young lady who went searching the campus for a Coca-Cola for me...which apparently is nowhere to be found on the campus.  Strike one, ECSU.  Strike one.

Stop Five: Trinity College

Trinity had the unfortunate distinction of being sandwhiched between our two best tour stops.  But the folks there held their own and gave us reason to come back. 

Did we mention our 'special' friend followed us from ECSU to Trinity?  Yeah, he did.  

One of the best parts was we could go upstairs and look down on the kids at Trinity to get photos.  I figured it will be the last time we can ever do it, because metaphorically speaking with the education they're getting they'll be looking down on us real soon.  Ha!

Thanks to Trinity for having us out and thanks to the dude who told us about the chili dogs.  We owe you.

Stop Six: Central Connecticut State University

CCSU might have been the best stop out of all of them.  We had a beautiful day, parked the RV in the middle of campus and met A LOT of students. 

How awesome was it?  Try so awesome we were throwing CT.com frisbees off the roof of The Green Machine!!!

How about so awesome we had a line 30-40 deep for most of the day waiting for their chance to win a D&D gift card!!!

Yeah, that's pretty damn awesome if you ask me.  Special thanks to the folks at CCSU for letting us set up shop in the middle of the action. 

Make sure you check out all the photos and video from the tour.  Plus go vote for who you think the best campus was and you could win a 32" flat screen TV and more!!!  Who loves you?  That's right, Chet and The CT love you.

Until next time friends, stay classy.

Chet