Sometimes the decisions of corporate America completely astound me but in the end I am kind of glad that things shook out the way they did. Allow me to explain.

This evening, after a last minute trip to Target so I could have a green shirt to wear tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day, somehow the topic of the Shamrock Shake came up.

It’s not entirely unheard of if you haven’t any clue what a Shamrock Shake is. Growing up as a child of the 70′s and 80′s the Shamrock Shake used to be clutch. They were an annual event we looked forward to just as much as we did the televised showings of Snoopy Come Home, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Dr. Doolittle. I can’t tell you the last time I actually saw a commercial for a Shamrock Shake so let me whip out this gem to get you caught up.

OK, so the quality isn’t so hot but you get the idea.

Now sometime in the last month we, as a family, dropped into McDonald’s for a “special” lunch and we were quite surprised to discover the Shamrock Shakes were there. This being the first time I’ve seen them in a McDonald’s in AGES we jumped at the chance to have one and the wife and I experienced our fond memories of our child hood when life was simpler, felt safer, and we were young enough to not care that we were eating at McDonald’s.

As I mentioned above tonight, on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, the topic of the Shamrock Shake came up again and we decided to allow ourselves another small treat and go by the same McDonald’s to take in the tasty treat one last time. As we pulled up to the drive-thru we placed our order and we were told, “Sorry, we don’t have them any more. We stopped serving them in February.” In the word’s of Phil from Modern Family, “WHY THE FACE?!?”

I have no idea what goes on in the world today and I don’t know the rules of Shamrock Shake selling at your McDonald’s franchise. All I know is that I was completely astounded that on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day I couldn’t actually get a Shamrock Shake. Do they not understand why it’s called a Shamrock Shake or why they offer them around this time of year? I’m willing to give the franchise the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the owner opted in to ordering Shamrock Shake fixings but didn’t want to be stuck with them after St. Patrick’s Day or maybe McDonald’s corporate only offered the mix for a certain amount of time to make sure they weren’t stuck with minty ice product muck as well. In either scenario it’s just not good business.

Those of you that frequent Starbucks during the fall season know that they too offer a seasonal drink. Once September/October roll around they start offering the caffeine addicted the special “Pumpkin Spice” line of products. You can get a Pumpkin Spice just-about-anything-on-the-menu. They don’t offer them just up until Halloween, Thanksgiving or anything else associated with the Fall. They are clever business people. They sell all the Pumpkin Spice fixings and each store does this UNTIL THEY SELL OUT! It’s not a very difficult concept to understand and customers who can still get one in January are excited and feel special because they get to enjoy them even when it is out of season. Amazing concept, right?

Truth be told I’m glad that they didn’t actually have them. I didn’t have to give up the calories/points for the shake and still got to enjoy a treat later in the evening. It all worked out in the end. You would think, however, that McDonald’s corporate and all the franchise locations would realize that there is real money to be made off of the Shamrock Shake. Want proof? Take a minute to look at this web site dedicated to people hunting down and finding the Shamrock Shake. I’m just sayin’.

-Will

---

Please watch this video and then go to http://www.hopefornatalie.com

Hope For Natalie Nakatani from Patrick Biesemans on Vimeo.

---

Today I write within this online journal with the hopes of committing my fears to the digital medium and as such purging them from my system so I can keep my mind on work. I don’t know if it will work but it can not hurt to try.

I don’t know if there is an art to moving. I know there is an art to packing, and I don’t appear to have the finesse to master that art. I see closets and just want to put everything in it in to a box. Mark it hall closet. Move on to the next zone. This drives my wife nuts. Don’t blame her. Can’t help it though.

This pattern of bad packing is culminated in the shed/garage. The ultimate home for crap, especially for a pack rat. Maybe that is why I am not good at packing. I hoarde things. I have boxes of wires and cables and things. Do I need them? Inside I tell myself yes. In reality I know it isn’t true.

So yeah, the shed. I couldn’t find my audio mixer after the last move and in the process of searching for it I decimated the shed. On top of all of the packing inside I have to unload and repack the shed. My mind toils on the right way to do this. The fastest way to do this. I don’t waste time with the easiest way to do this because the only easy way is to burn it. Gasoline, match, done. Not the desireable way to go though. Kind of dangerous too. Real easy though.

Damn. I hade more here. Writing about it did help. Feel better about the forthcoming chaos.

-WW

---

Hello whoever the heck reads this. Welcome to the New Year.

Between my last post and this one I have received a letter from my missing garden gnome McMullen. Apparently he and his wife Isabella were confused when they woke up to find themselves on a strange porch (we moved in October and apparently when they aren’t moving they also aren’t awake so they didn’t know we had moved). This has lead to them now going on “walkabout” to try to find us. Good luck McMullen.

So here we are in 2009. We’ve got a new President waiting to be sworn in, economists telling us we haven’t seen the worst of it yet, and now here in the San Francisco Bay Area we have racial tensions peaking due to a police shooting at Fruitvale BART in Oakland. Happy New Year!

They say things have to get worse before they can get better (whoever “they” are I just have to say that’s a pretty dumb statement… it’s like saying, “Wouldn’t you know I found it in the last place I looked.” Of course you did… why would you keep looking after you found it?!?) and we’ve really hit damn near rock bottom. I’m hoping this is the point where we get to start ascending again. We’re ready.

-WW

---

Today is Monday, I am on a commuter train bound for San Francisco and I am scared.

I am sure that the above statement implies that there is some type of disaster or tradgedy occuring (problem with the tracks, medical emergency, giant monster terrorizing the city) however my fear has nothing to do with the train or the commute. My fear is stemming from the knowledge that my home will soon be visited by up to 28 family members who will all be hungry and looking for my family to feed them. You may view that as a typical family gathering, as do I, however if something goes wrong that I also see the setting for an angry mob!

I jest of course. I know that my family would all put on a smile if something went wrong. All of the recipes are tried and true so that really isn’t a factor. It helps to calm the nerves. There is still, however, the nerves that come in to play because of “the bird.”

When it comes to Thanksgiving the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. It must look good, it must smell good, it must taste good. Many people have many recipes that they swear by to make the perfect turkey. I myself have stood by those ovenroasting bags for a juicy and tasty turkey. It has worked time and time again. Naturally I m going to stick with it, right? Nope.

I saw a recipe on Food Network that I am dieing to try that involves a lot of butter, herbs, and a roasting pan full of goodies for both flavor and moisture. I know I shouldn’t be experimenting but I just ant resist.

Will this prove to be the folly of a fool or a culinary adventure? I’m going to find out, that’s for sure.

This year I think I am also going to try to make turkey soup. I haven’t done it before and I’ve got such a big bird this year I think this is the time to try it.

Here’s hoping all of our feasts turn out great!

-WW

---