The following transpired on March 27.

Shannon and I went to see the Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour at Stephens Auditorium. The show consisted of an all-star lineup of current Blue Note musicians playing the songs of some of their greatest composers.

One of the performers in the Blue Note 7 was Ravi Coltrane. I was particularly excited to see him play because I will never get a chance to see his father, John Coltrane, play. John Coltrane is definitely one of my all-time favorite musicians and this was the closest I will ever get to seeing him perform.

The rest of the 7 was extremely impressive as well:

Peter Bernstein
Bill Charlap
Lewis Nash
Nicholas Payton
Peter Washington
Steve Wilson

But even though some of them are more accomplished musicians than Ravi Coltrane, he was still the thing that most excited me about the concert.

Before the show we went to Wallaby’s to complete our survey of area restaurant bloomin’ onions. Okay, we were really only comparing the bloomin’ onion of Wallaby’s to the bloomin’ onion of the Outback Steakhouse, but the verdict is as follows:

Sauce – Wallaby’s easily has the superior sauce.
Onion – Outback’s breading has a little bit more flavor.

The concert lived up to expectations. Earlier in the year I had seen the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra with Teresa. The Blue Note 7 were easily superior.

There are only two things a guy could complain about:

1. When introducing a piece composed by Wayne Shorter, Coltrane paused for applause, there was next to none. I’m not going to pretend that I would know who Wayne Shorter was if he didn’t play with Miles Davis, but I don’t know how you don’t know the name of the saxophonist who played on Prince of Darkness, Nefertiti, In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. He was handpicked by John Coltrane to replace him John Coltrane left Miles to pursue his own group. Yet, there it was, silence. My heart broke a little bit. But everybody knew Herbie Hancock. Who also played with Wayne Shorter in Miles’ quintet of the mid-60s.

2. They only played for 90 minutes. Actually after the show, Shannon pointed out that they started late, so they actually played for less than 90 minutes. They were so good that it only felt like they had played for half an hour.

After the show we stopped at Hy-Vee. I believe my immediate need was for some Pledge, but while I was there I looked for Toast ‘Ems.

My grocery buying skills over the last few years have admittedly atrophied, but I was most disappointed when on a recent trip to the Hy-Vee in Boone, I could not find any Toast ‘Ems. Normally this wouldn’t upset me, but after a conversation with my dietitian, Sara, I have started eating breakfast.

I had always heard the breakfast hype about how breakfast was “the most important meal of the day”. I have proven for years that it can’t be that important. I never eat it. But Sara showed me that it was important to eat something within the first hour of waking up because it starts your metabolism for the day.

I don’t know if that is true, but I’m treating it like Gospel truth because she will be able to write prescriptions in another year.

Since, I can barely get out of bed in time to take a shower before heading to work, I need a breakfast that is fast and easy. It better be tasty as well. I’m not cutting my shower short for grapefruit juice.

The perfect answer is Toast ‘Ems. Some (uneducated in the world of the breakfast pastry) consider them to be the ghetto version of Pop Tarts. While it is true that they are decidedly cheaper than Pop Tarts, they are also decidedly more delicious.

We walked down the breakfast pastry aisle, but there were not any Toast ‘Ems. Well, that isn’t exactly true. There was one box of Cherry Toast ‘Ems left.

I picked up the lone box of Toast ‘Ems and headed for the checkout line. I was in a fairly depressive stupor, heavy in thought with the concern that Toast ‘Ems were going out of business.

When the checker scanned what could very well be my last box of Toast ‘Ems ever I was thinking about all the formerly happy families of former Toast ‘Em families. Shannon noticed that they were selling Toast ‘Ems 3 for $2.

She pointed that out to me and said, “That has to make it worse.”

That’s right twist the knife.

I took a few pictures of my potential last Toast ‘Ems.

The black represents a world with out Toast ‘Ems. In case you need everything spelled out for you.

Breakfast Pastry Goodness.

I did check the Toast ‘Em website hoping for encouraging news, but it wasn’t to be. There website clearly hasn’t been updated, since 1997. It looks like an 8 bit Nintendo game.

It even includes an animated .gif. I know hard to believe. But I couldn’t resist lifting it to post here.

I’m saving up my vacation time to visit Toast ’em Wonderland.

Anybody care to join me?