Oh how I love a self-imposed chip challenge! I even love “making” my friends do it. Well in this case one friend tried three bags of chips. It was suppose to be four bags but one got lost…lost in my stomach. But in my defense they were all different kinds and they were the small bags, you know the ones filled mostly with air? It doesn’t matter anyways. I was proud that I was able to control myself from going back to the store tonight to pick up a large bag of my favorite new chip flavor Greek Tzatziki. The last time I did a taste challenge was back in March during Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” ( http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2016/03/for-chips-worthy-of-challenge.html ) annual contest for the best new flavors. It was the first time I did my own private taste test to share with the world. Who knew I would be back at it again so soon? In honor of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lay’s has decided to take that inspiration and turn it into f...

Every so often I do something I have done a thousand times before ( http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2013/08/for-gigi-my-inspiration-in-breaking.html ) when it suddenly occurs to me that I really don’t know why. There are just so many minutes of our days that are performed out of habit and because it is a “normal” part of our culture. But as a sociologist I know better than to take those rituals for granted. Today this is the one I have chosen to tackle. In a world where reality television reigns supreme I find it fascinating that we still perform these tasks in hopes of obtaining good luck. Even without religion present there is always hopefulness. During my research I found a lot of sites that said the same thing but with no real reasons of how these traditions got started. From what I can figure they boil down to wishes we hope to come true, as there probably isn’t anyone who wouldn’t like a dream or two granted. Let’s start with candles. The Ancient ...

Now that we are done with the three posts about my day in Connecticut, we can return to my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. There is one neighborhood that is going through a revitalization to end all revitalizations, Coney Island! For me it all began when I noticed that the Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue/ Q Train stop had some major work done. Just by looking at it from across the street it was like the old was new again and shiny. The lights that surround the building bring a bit of glamour back to a neighborhood that has been long known for anything but that. When I was a teenager, roughly fifteen years ago, there were only three things to do in Coney Island, and you wanted to do them as fast as physically possible. It was the get in and get out mentally. You ate a hot dog from Nathan’s ( http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2013_05_01_archive.html ), rode the Cyclone roller-coaster if you had a death wish, and looked over at the...

Alas we arrive at my final activity in Connecticut, a sunset dinner at Breakwater Restaurant. This was probably my favorite part of the day as well although it is a tough choice. Before I even write this I am already craving this meal more than that milkshake of my dreams from this afternoon.  But I may as well tear off the Band-Aid and get right down to business. For starters we need to talk about the view. And what a view it was! It was actually the first video I posted on my Snapchat. There was a marvelous pink sky as the sun was setting. There were others eating outside like we were but the noise level was perfect. Actually everything was perfect, like I was in a movie perfect. I took as many pictures as I could but that beauty along with our celebration created a perfect storm of happiness. Keep in mind I only had one drink.  Yes that Champagne and peach beverage was perfect too. For an appetizer my table shared fried calamari that...

   After my marvelous breakfast ( http://bit.ly/2a3OuNa ) I was off to the races. Well not technically, technically I was off to the docks. As I drove towards New London, Connecticut I was taking in the sites. There were many delightful little shops, beautiful art showcased on buildings, and I could see we were coming upon the water. New London gave off this old town vibe while seemingly acting perfectly modern.    “The city of New London, Connecticut, has been an important port since the Revolutionary War, when it served as a base for American privateers raiding British Ships. In the 19th century, the revenues brought into the city by whalers helped build what now forms the city's charming center, filled with historic homes, taverns and shops.” Or so says Trip Advisor. It was a simply wonderful environment to find myself in. I hadn’t planned on being there for long and as I would find out later that was a mistake. I was in New London for o...