Tonight's the Night, Tonight's the Night!

The subject heading is actually the punch line to an old joke.  If you know the joke drop us a line and you could win something.  Maybe a bar of soap, maybe fame and fortune, with Team H.O.P.E. you just never can tell.

Yes, tonight is our Happy Hour / Ladies Night at Sneakers Sports Grill.

We will be there from 5 to 9.  Or thereabouts. 

Our special signature drink of the evening is the NIPPLE - ITA This drink has a tequila base - thus the 'ita',  which in Spanish is used as a diminutive.  So the name Margarita means 'little margaret'.  But just like newspaper people like to use the word 'gate' as a suffix to designate a scandal, we have noticed that many beverage people use 'ita' or 'rita' to designate a tequila drink.  If there was an actual Señor José Cuervo, you know he must be spinning at the idea of what a generation of bartenders have done to his simple Agave distilate. 

Luckily we are not purists.   Not in any sense of the word.  It's a good thing we're not purists or we would never think to offer PINK MARSHMALLOWS!!!  Yes!  Sneakers has an outdoor fire pit and we will have pink marshmallows for those of you who prefer your fun just a little stickier and  less alcoholic.  I guess you could have both a couple NIPPLE - ITAs and some toasted pink marshmallows.  . . . .  If you're Willy Wonka!  I suspect a normal person with a normal sweet tooth would choose one or the other. 

So whatever your inclinations and tastes you want to come to Sneakers tonight! 

30

Pink Lights, Big City

Okay - I have a small confession to make.  

I'm not really into  high-end restaurants where they brag more about their architecture  than about their  food.  The sort of places that disdain using decimals on their menu prices.  The sort of places that serve duck confit tacos.  

I also tend to avoid trendy boutiques. I never like the music playing and some of those sales ladies with the six inch heels are a wee bit scary.  

Is there a word for he opposite of a snob?  Someone who dislikes something merely because it is high-class?  If there is - that's not me.  I personally do not want to ever, ever, ever eat Pate de foie gras but I'm glad to know there are places it's available.  And if I were to ever to win the lottery I imagine I would need a $400 handbag to lug around all that cash. 

 It's just that here and now I am into chicken fried steak, peach cobbler, Wranglers, tie dye t-shirts, and the music of  The Highway Robbers.

So it came as something of a surprise to my friends and family that I am making the trek to Scottsdale this month. For those of you not familiar with the valley, Scottsdale is to Chandler what Beverly Hills is to Fresno.  (That should be a question on the SAT)  Scottsdale is just 20 minutes from Chandler; but you get the idea.  

Why am I going to Scottsdale?  And not just any part of Scottsdale; but the very tony Waterfront and Southbridge district?? 

Becuase the amazing people at AIBH are once again hosting  The Pink Light District  ! They are covering the canal bridge with pink lightbulbs.  You can purchase a Pink Light Bulb HERE.   Why do you want to buy a light bulb that you don't get to keep?  It's a fundraiser, silly.  AIBH does some incredible work here in the valley:

The Arizona Institute for Breast Health, a local non-profit organization, offers a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer a second opinion, completely free of charge. The volunteer team of physicians and medical professionals are breast health experts whose specialties include breast radiology, breast surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, reconstructive surgery, and breast pathology. This team evaluates the best medical and surgical options for the preservation of a woman's life, body and emotional well-being, as well as the continued quality of her life. In a caring, expedient and objective manner, the team will provide a comprehensive evaluation and recommendations for treatment. 

The Patient Advocate at the Arizona Institute for Breast Health organizes the breast cancer cases for weekly discussion and supports each patient through the process.

If that alone isn't enough to make you buy a pink lightbulb - look at what all those pink lights look like:

And it gets better and better!  The specific date that Team HOPE is heading to the pink light district is Sunday  October 26th.  Why that date?  

Remember these folks?

Yes!  The Pink Ribbon Tour is coming home.  There will be a homecoming at the pink light bridge from 4-7 PM on Sunday, October 26.  The Pink Ribbon Tour will be selling t-shirts and collecting donations.  They are allowing Team H.O.P.E. to set up a table and sell stuff and collect donations.  I am so excited about this event that I promised the team I will wear shoes and play nice and even  pronounce all those g's at the ends of words! 

Lookin forward to seein y'all

30

you make me wanna walk like a camel

So I did something interesting yesterday.  I walked 5 Kilometers in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Which is different than the Breast Cancer 3-day Benefiting Susan G Komen for the Cure.  By about 2 and half days and 57 miles!  But hey, I read somewhere that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a easy 5K fun walk!  So I walked.  Me and 35,000 other people. 

It’s been a few years since I have attended an event with more than a few hundred people and I had forgotten, apparently, that I distrust crowds.  Crowds are basically mobs awaiting the proper stimuli.  And a mob is a riot just waiting for the starting pistol.  Not that I think tens of thousands of people wearing pink* are going to start turning over police cars and breaking windows and burning courthouses**.  Especially 5K type of people.  Now marathoners and 3day walkers are obviously half unhinged, so they should be watched closely! 

 

I probably shouldn't make jokes because some people see absolutely nothing funny about the cult of the ribbon.  Both sides have their fair share of zealots.  Of course every important event in human history began with a handful of zealots; we simply change the names of the winners and the honorable  to ‘visionaries’ and refer to the losers and madmen as ‘madmen’. 

 

I had to look up my local newspaper online to find out how many people were at this event and the article was accompanied by five pages of comments. 

One comment and response I would like to share.  The first person seemed to have a pink ax to grind and was complaining about how breast cancer gets all the attention.  Among other things he said:

           

how about instead of singling out breast cancer we do the right thing and just have cancer awarness. 

 

To which phxguyintx responded:     

        

Go ahead. No one is stopping you. Let me know how it works out. If I'm in town I'll walk/run/bike/ride/whatever. 

 

 

I believe phxguyintx is not only correct in the fact of his response (to the best of my knowledge the SGK Pink People have not yet implemented any laws saying that all charitable events must be about breast cancer) but also in the tone of the response.  No defensiveness, no anger.  Although, to be honest, I suspect that phxguyintx is NOT his real name!

 

I will be doing another walk soon for another cause and will have lots to say about it.  Until then we have to remember our 3day ladies here at Team H.O.P.E. and Simply the Breast.  Remember awhile back when I talked about the temperatures dropping below 100?  Well a few days after I wrote that the temperature went back into the triple digits.  Now they are back down and will supposedly stay down until next spring.  In fact this morning it was 45 degrees on my back porch! That’s just too dayum cold for us desert people!  

But after asking you to feel for our ladies out in the heat; I guess asking for sympathy for their poor shivering bones would be a bit much! 

 Oh – speaking of being cold. . . . .  As you may or may not know – we are celebrating happy hour and ladies night at Sneakers Sports Grill this Friday night.  Sneakers has a great outdoor patio.  (Last time I counted there were 8 TV’s on the patio and all of them were tuned to some sporting event or another!  I was going to complain until Jeannie pointed out that this is a SPORTS bar.  Oh.  I guess that makes sense.  And at least there are less TV’s on the patio than in the rest of the place.   If you like TV sports at your sports bar then Sneakers is definitely the place to go.)  As I was saying – Sneakers has a nice outdoor patio right next to a manmade lake. (please don’t feed the ducks)   One of the features on the patio is an outdoor firepit.  And Friday night there will be a fire!  And Team H.O.P.E. and Simply the Breast will have MARHMALLOWS!  I still haven’t ever made homemade marshmallows and I’m guessing this isn’t the week to learn how.  Maybe next year.

 

I still haven’t told you about our signature drink have I?  Sneakers will be proudly serving Nipple-itas!  It’s a luscious little pink drink that isn’t a margarita and isn’t a piña colada but is better than both!   When I first told my husband about this drink he asked, “Isn’t that a cactus you cook with?”  No, dear, that would be Nopalitos.  Although it is interesting to note that nopal pads have aeroles, which are never to be confused with areolas.

 

I think I will close up now before we get into something too goofy or too vulgar.

 

Hopefully we will see y’all Friday Night!

 

* Actually most people were not in pink.  The official Komen shirt is white with those pink and green symbols that look like ribbons with heads.  (I would show you but I guess Komen is very adamant about trademark infringement. 

 

Okay – I just looked it up and if I am critiquing a logo as opposed to using it I am allowed to show y’all.  Not that I am critiquing, or being critiqual. I’m just glad that we were able to get Mr. Winchester to make our logo and not whomever SGK hired! 

But as I was saying before I so rudely interrupted myself – the official t-shirt is mostly white.  Teams are allowed to design and wear their own team shirts – but these were not supposed to be pink;  which is only to be worn by survivors.  Who knew there were so many rules?  

 Apparently there is no rule against dying cactus pink.  Or maybe it was trick photography!

 

** If anyone were inclined to riot it would have been over the fact that there were no port-a-potties along the route.  Not a single one.  And because this is down town – the court house and other government offices were closed.  The police department was open but they had a sign on the door stating that they would not let you use the restroom.  And the two cops in front of the door looked serious about keeping people out!  

Sneakers has large clean restrroms!  There is no TV in the ladies room; not sure if that is an oversight or if Keith is being kind!

And finally - the title to this post is part of a song lyric.  Anyone know who or what?

30 

Well isn't that special?

Here at Team H.O.P.E. we are still relentlessly searching our supermarkets for the elusive pink ribbon products.  Because we are so dedicated and so inquisitive and so intelligent (and because we walked in the doors) we finally found another one!  

Kellogg's Special K!  I purchased the chocolately delight version because it is chocolately!  And because I'm a little bit too old to eat cocoa crispies for breakfast.

There at the bottom of the box was a simple pink ribbon on a field of pink and this logo:

On the back of the box is an inspiring story from a Breast Cancer survivor.  And another pink ribbon.  And a statement that "Prevention is the Key" followed by the encouragement to do self exams and get yearly mammograms.  

I hate to be a nitpicker but that would technically be 'early detection' rather than 'prevention'. 

There is also a statement that "Knowing is Half the Battle".  Yada yada yada, check out side panel to get started today.  So I checked out the side panel.  Apparently my chocolatey wheat flakes contain wheat and milk.  Maybe they meant the other side panel.  

Here we go.  Another pink ribbon.  And the encouragement to

"Become Part of the Search for a Cure."

 There are four things I can do to do my part.  I can donate and participate in one of the "many great organizations".  I can "Be a friend" and lend my ear to a loved one facing breast cancer.   (this here is me refraining from making snide comments about how I had planned to shun and ignore my loved ones)  

Kellogg's also recommends

"Show Your Support".

 Which means,

"Buy Pink Ribbon Products to help raise funds for research and show that you care."

And finally I can

"Speak Out".

  Okay I am already donating and participating.  I would like to think I am being a friend.  I guess you could call what I do speaking out.  So let's address the "Show your support"

"Buy pink ribbon products to help raise funds. . . ."  

 

So can I assume that buying this pink beribboned chocolatey delight will raise funds for research?  One would think so but there is noting on the box, or in the box, or printed on the little chocolatey pieces that says anything one way or the other.  I was going to look closer at the flakes to see if the information was there but I was afraid I would see a religious image and then that would be a whole different story!

I know!  I'll visit the Kellogg's website and learn more.  Nope - not a word!  No pink ribbons.  Nothing.  So I go to the Special K site.  Nothing.  I go back to the box and pore over it more closely.  There at the bottom of the inspirational story is a web address "For more inspiring stories".   I don't want more inspiring stories - I want to know how buying this box of cereal is going to help anything.  But since this link is all I have I go there.

Finally!  We have some serious pink!  Isn't this pretty?

First thing - apparently this is not just a Kellogg's thing; it is a Kroger Grocery Store thing.  Okay, let's find out how much money is being donated and where exactly it is going!  

With the help of key vendor partners who share our commitment to eradicating this cancer – and providing support to those who face it – the Kroger family of stores once again will be Giving Hope A Hand by investing $3 million for breast cancer awareness, treatment and research in the communities we share.

 

Funds raised by the annual cause-marketing campaign will assist dozens of local organizations fighting breast cancer in our communities across the country – supporting research projects, funding mammograms and educational outreach, and assisting local support groups for women and families. All of the funds are spent in the communities where our customers and associates live and work.

Hmmmn?  They aren't exactly making it easy here.  I want to defend companies who do nice things.  I am very trusting of both their motivations and their actual contributions.  I'm trying here, Kellogg's and Kroger, and you give me vague words like awareness?  

Technically that means you can use part of that 3 million to print your boxes since the pink ribbon and the inspirational story would constitute 'awareness'.  I don't think you would do that - that would be tacky and exploitative and just plain wrong - but you don't give us any specifics and the more cynical people are going to wonder!  

So apparently the act of purchasing this product does not raise any more money than not buying it since the three million is already dedicated.  But buying this box does "show that you care."  Show who?  I'm sorry but this is the sort of pablum that gives the anti-ribbon folks so much ammunition.  I believe that Kroger is motivated by more than just the profits available in Cause Marketing but they really and truly should do a better job of presenting it!

I feel so bad bashing the people that make me feel healthy having chocolatey delight for breakfast.  Maybe I can find something nice to say about the "Sharing Courage" website.  

It's pretty.  And I adore this font:

And the stories of the women are inspiring.    I would just have liked the stories better if each one wasn't "proudly sponsored" by pepsi or special k or keebler or maxwell house.  

Finally, there is a feature on this site that allows one to send a ribbon to a friend or loved one.  The ribbon is nice and as I stated earlier I love the font.  Here is a line from the site:

Breast cancer affects us all, in one way or another. You can join us in the fight against breast cancer by sending our pink ribbon of support to someone who inspires you. Include a personal message or just send a simple "thank you" for their courage and inspiration. Together, we're making a difference, one ribbon at a time.

And here is the default message that goes to the person you are sending a ribbon to:

Thank you for inspiring me. You’re in my thoughts. Please visit http://www.sharingcourage.com to see more inspiring stories.

And finally here is an interesting little disclaimer:

I understand that my personal message will only be delivered to the recipient and will not be posted publicly on the site. However, the recipient’s first name, city and state (if provided) WILL be publicly displayed on the site and will be viewable to anyone who visits the site.

So there you have it. I am neither recommending or not recommending this product.  I hate people who criticize other peoples' efforts to help the world be a better place.  But at the same time I did not find much here I want to praise.  

Have a wonderful day and please give others' the benefit of the doubt whenever possible, no matter how difficult they make it!

30