Category Archives: FNSC

Derrick, FNSC, Jay, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Monica, Schmidt, Willy

Black Plague Pizza

In my quest to catch up, I’m going to just copy and paste an email about a recent experience I had a new local pizzeria. So if you were the one who received this email, you might want to skip reading this and go back to your normal job duties.

This experience took place on Friday the 13th. Apparently not just a bad day for Templar Knights.

Earlier in the week, Jay brought up wanting to try this new pizza joint in Ames. I had heard the story of how it opened because it was on CNN. I had heard two reviews of the place. One from Jon who loved it. One from Corey who hated it. Corey’s main hatred was generated from the fact that they claimed to serve the pizza with “sauce” on top of the pizza. In actuality the sauce was diced tomatoes. I told this to Jay because he does not like tomatoes as a warning.

Originally we started with 3 people. During the day I sent an invite out to Jen and Derrick to see if they were interested. Then I went home from work to meet the cable guy.

That afternoon, Monica called and wanted to see if she could join us for FNSC since she wasn’t doing her normal birthday dinner.

I called Jay and we worked out a time for when we would meet there. He told me that Willy was not coming because he had run 35 miles that day and felt he should take it easy. He also had big plans for Saturday night. He was going to a birthday party on Saturday night for his friends that he goes to the fights with.

So it was going to be me, Monica and Jay. About this time, my internet was turned on and I saw that Jen had sent me a message saying that she would be interested, but Derrick was out because he was running sound for Dennis’ surprise birthday party at Deano’s.

I called Jesse to tell him what time we were meeting because he had expressed some interest in trying the new pizza place, plus he had my new speakers in his car. Jesse said that he was in.

About 5 pm, my doorbell rang. I went to the door and was surprised to see Willy there. I told him that Jay said that he wasn’t coming.

He said that he had decided to “Man up.”

Then he gave me a partial bag of ice. The rest of the ice from the bag he was using to ice his legs.

Then Jay came over. He was insistent that we leave right at 5:30 to hold to some schedule that he had made in his head. Willy and I told him that wasn’t “the way things worked”.

We eventually left and met Jen and Monica at the pizza place. FNSC was supposed to consist of Me, Jay, Willy, Jesse, Jen and Monica. 6 people. On the way there, Willy started to get sick.

We ordered two large Chicago Style pizzas. Mr. Meaty and Louie’s Supreme. The price: $69. That is not a typo. That did not include drinks. They told us it would be 1 hour 15 minutes. We asked if we could change the order to delivery and we would eat at Jen’s place. They said that would add 30 minutes to the time we got our pizza.

There was no place to sit, so we ordered the pizza as Carry Out.

Order was placed at 6:20.

Jesse called to say that he had called home and found out that he couldn’t come out.

Jen went home.

Jay, Willy, Monica and I went to Wal-Mart. I needed to buy a toaster and some microwave popcorn. Monica (not making this up) bought a rake so that they could rake up all of the cigarette butts in their yard.

Jen called and said that Jill would be joining us. Willy continued to get worse.

We went inside. There were some tables available. I ordered some drinks and changed our order to Dine-In. They gave me a number after the lady stared at a computer screen for quite some time. I had no faith that the number she gave me was somehow connected to anything on her computer screen. Jay said that if the pizza wasn’t ready in 5 minutes, he was going to leave and take Willy home.

The pizza wasn’t ready in 5 minutes. Jay left.

Jen and Jill arrived. FNSC turned into Me, Jen, Jill and Monica. With two large Chicago Style Pizzas.

A little after 8 pm we were still sitting there (talking about hair) when one of the owners approached our table. He shook my hand and introduced himself to me. He asked how long we had been waiting. I said that we placed our order at 6:20. He asked what time it was. I didn’t not know. He looked at his cell phone and said “Is it really after 8?”

“If you say it is.”

He gathered some information and then went back and came back with a pizza. It wasn’t exactly hot. We told him we had two pizzas. He said, “I hope those dumbasses didn’t accidentally give it out.”

He came back with another pizza. It was not Chicago Style. Somebody pointed this out to him. He took it back and came back with the right pizza.

When he brought back the right pizza he said, “You must have thought we were running a special: 1 pizza for the price of 2!”

The Mr. Meaty pizza had next to no flavor. The Louie’s Supreme wasn’t bad. I like tomatoes, but I could have done without them on top of the pizza. Tomatoes are not a substitute for sauce, which the pizza had none.

At the end of the night, we had 9 slices of pizza left. I took 3 of them to Deano’s for Derrick. I later found out that he took 1 bite and threw the rest away.

Although this experience was very negative, I would be willing to give Black Market Pizza one more chance. I am not willing to give their Chicago style pizza a second chance though.

Alexis, Becky, Carla, Eric, FNSC, House, Jay, Jesse, Linda, Scottie D., Shannon, Teresa, Willy

Friday Night Paint Prep Club – Part B

More pictures from paint prep night.


Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
I got those green chairs from my Aunt Linda to with a sweet white table she was throwing away. Those chairs are surprisingly popular. That is also Shannon showing off her taping skills.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Carla painting the bathroom.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Life Lesson: When working on a ceiling fan, don’t ask for the fan to be turned on when your heads are still in the blades.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Eric dumping out a bucket.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Eric taping it up.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Willy, Jay, Me, Becky, Shannon and Alexis.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Alexis and Teresa washing walls.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Becky and Teresa in the basement.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Teresa and Becky priming the cupboard doors.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
Becky on curtain duty.

Day 2 - Things Start to Look Different
A stack of cupboard doors.

Another health amount of work had been accomplished. The house was ready for painting day.

Alexis, Art, Candid Portrait, FNSC, Formal Portrait, Holidays, Jay, Movies, Night, Scottie D., Willy

All Hallow’s Eve

I had a pretty good Halloween.

I hosted FNSC. I made chili. I made cornbread from scratch. I made apple cider. Jay made a blueberry buckle. Willy showed up in a costume. We watched some movies from a bygone era that some people might characterize as strange. However, I think I might have found proof that rabbits will jump off a table in one of these movies. A classic from the 1970s known as Night of the Lepus. A phenomenal movie.


Halloween - 2008
Jay’s annual sweet pumpkin.

Halloween - 2008
I can not compete with Jay, so I made a stick figure to accent the disparity between our pumpkin carving skills. This annoyed Jay for some reason. I don’t often do things out of spite, but I might have to make the stick figure my annual pumpkin because it both annoys Jay and because the simple stick figure grew on me as the night went on. I don’t think it was just the apple cider impairing my judgment either.

Halloween - 2008
The candles in Jay’s pumpkin.

Halloween - 2008
Scott and Austin; Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of the Howard kids or the Davis clan. I’m going to get that done next year.

Halloween - 2008
Jay carving his second pumpkin.

Halloween - 2008
I had to buy a new flash recently because, well I don’t want to get into that story. This might have been one of those blessing in disguise type things. I really like my new flash.

Halloween - 2008
Although I’ve gotten glowing feedback on my Cider, chili, little smokies and cornbread, I think I’m going to have to research a new recipe for pumpkin seeds before next year. They take a decent picture at least.

Halloween - 2008
I think if Willy dressed like this every week, he would be irresistible to the womanfolk. He probably already is though.

I also didn’t get a picture of Alexis this year. I think she kind of phoned it in any way. She went to school dressed like Hannah Montana, but she showed up for trick-or-treating in her gymnastics outfit.

The best part about Alexis showing up was that she didn’t even ring the doorbell. She just walked right in with her friends and said:

“Where’s the candy?”

She was showing off for her friends just a little bit.

Automobiles, Becky, Candid Portrait, Commercial, FNSC, Formal Portrait, Jay, Shannon

Euphonious

Friday was an interesting day.

Of course there was the high of it being Free Gyro Day, but the rest of the work day went rather uneventful.

It was near 5:30, the time I was going to run out of hours and check out for the week, when my phone rang. This was a bit of a surprise and it caused my dart throw to completely miss the paper with the raccoon on it that has been put up as a makeshift dartboard in the hardware area.

I answered the phone and it was Shannon.

She asked if I was interested in taking a ride in the Ames Party Bus.

This was an interesting development because I had engaged in a few conversations with Becky earlier in the day about how she could put the rebuilt starter in the bus by herself. She had asked me what she should use as a jack to hold the starter in place while she tightened the bolts.

My answer had been simple: “Shannon.”

“Really.”

“She tells me how tough she is all the time.”

I don’t know if it was really my advice that she followed, but after Shannon got off work they managed to put the starter in and the bus started.

Below are some pictures of the adventure.


Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

Ames Party Bus

After the cruise around town, I headed to a special FNSC. It was special because Jay had made caramel apples.


FNSC

It was also special because it was a perfect night for sitting around the fire bowl until 1:30 in the morning.


FNSC

Unfortunately that left me a bit tired for the trip to Kalona the next day.

FNSC, Jay, Jaycees, Jesse, Kalista, Kelly, Saydie, Shannon, Taylan, Willy

Shafted

Friday night was the big Jay home cooked meal extravaganza. Willy choose not to join his brothers for this meal. Even though a week earlier he begged me not to go to the Ames on the Half Shell Appreciation Party because he needed a home cooked meal.

Although I was moved by his pleas, I had already made a commitment to attend the party and I was looking forward to getting the sweet AOTHS calendar that Shannon had designed.

Because I could only make an appearance at FNSC on that Friday Jay and Willy held a weenie roast in Willy’s garage. I stayed at the weenie roast log enough to eat a couple dogs and clean the gutters of Willy’s garage because… well if you know Willy, you know why.

Let us just say that because the gutters were clogged, rainwater was pouring out of the gutter and nearly falling onto the grill.

“What are we going to do about this?” was the question of the night. So I grabbed Willy’s ladder and unclogged his gutter and the weenie roast was saved.

I don’t like to brag, but the word hero was mentioned a couple times.

Jay rescheduled his home cooked meal for the next Friday. Willy decided he “needed” something else more than he needed the home cooked meal. He needed to race.

Well below is a very poor camera phone picture of what Wily missed.



You will have to trust me that it tasted much better than this picture makes it look.

Another highlight of the night was Auxiliary Member Jesse Howard’s presence. Plus Kelly, Kalista, Saydie and Taylan all became full Auxiliary Members. So despite the fact that Willy shafted his brethren, it was a successful evening.

FNSC, Jay, Jesse

An Announcement

As of yesterday, my dear friend Jay is no longer a “Corporate Sellout”.

There is an old bit of knowledge that dates back to the dawn of man. I think it might be found in Leviticus. That bit of knowledge is “Bros before hoes.” Jay has long been a big proponent of this knowledge and for the last few years has never failed to live by it.

I’ve never been big into this precept, but I do believe in putting “Bros before dough.” Meaning you put your brothers (friends) over monetary concerns. To not put your bros before cash would make somebody a sellout. If they chose to take that cash from an evil, heartless, soulless corporation, that would make them a Corporate Sellout.

Things weren’t always that way for Jay. Look at how tight he was with his bro Jesse.


Eastern Iowa Road Trip - 2006

Eastern Iowa Road Trip - 2006

However, I’m not what you would call psychic, but I have always been able to smell evil on a person. In this picture below, I might have been smelling what Jay was to become.


Eastern Iowa Road Trip - 2006
I’m giving Jay “the look”.

As of about 10 PM last night, Jay removed the shackles of corporate tyranny and has placed his bros back where they belong.


Eastern Iowa Road Trip - 2006
As Jay looks into the future!

I don’t know what choices Jay will make now. I do know (in my heart) that he has learned from his time as a Corporate Sellout the proper spot to place his bros in his priority hierarchy. I look forward to welcoming him back to Friday Night Supper Club with both arms wide open.

FNSC, Jay, Jesse, Teresa, Willy

Smell the Mendacity

I said that I would not post a full image of Jay until he returned to Friday Night Supper Club. Tonight he made his return. To celebrate I post this old timey picture of a much younger and carefree Jay.




Jay, Jesse and I had made plans to attend Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Stephens Auditorium. Jay actually shed his sellout label and told the man that he was taking a Friday night off. He joined Willy and I for FNSC at Okoboji Grill.

Jesse sent me a text message 37 minutes before the curtain rose stating that he would not be joining us. We could not get Willy to join us because he is not very secure in his sexuality. That is a shame because although I’ve been known to work miracles now and again, the window was just too small and Jesse’s ticket went unused.

I have not read the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I have seen the movie starring the great Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. I knew that the movie had to change the subtext of the main character’s homosexuality to his refusal to grow up. However, I felt in this production of the play the question of his homosexuality was still unresolved.

I’m now curious to know how this issue is dealt with in the play. In the movie I believe that they used the actual phrase “cat on a hot tin roof” once. In this production they used the phrase at least 4 or 5 times. It felt really awkward and  I would like to know what was in the original play.

Overall, the play was good but not great. It was the third show I’ve seen at Stephens this season. Hairspray would still be the highlight of the season for me, but I’m still going to see Chicago in the next couple of weeks.

Teresa and I are also going to some kind of party in a couple of weeks where they announce next season’s slate of shows. That is pretty sweet.

Animals, FNSC, Jay

I Need to Eat

See the insect in the picture below:


It resides up on the head of Jay Janson-Corporate Sellout. I can’t bring myself to post a full picture of Jay. He has decided that having a job and being able to support himself is more important than FNSC. The man got a job after almost 6 months of the hippie lifestyle. Due to this job he is taking a sabbatical from FNSC. When he puts his priorities back in order and comes back to FNSC I will consider posting a picture of him and not just the top of his head.