Do I even really need to tell you that my pup of a dog (Irving Brown Socks) turned 3 whole entire years old yesterday?! Well – of course I do – otherwise you wouldn’t have had any idea at all – and now you do – and everything is more gooder.

Did he get presents? Oh Johnny – you had better believe that he did . . . one of those throw the ball stick/scoop things, an awesome nylabone frisbee, a toy that looks like a stick – a stick that squeaks and – of course – some chicken/cheese sniffers.

Was he the most excited to finally be “legal” in dog years for the sips of beer that he has been sneaking? Well – why don’t you take a look at that photo – and tell me just how excited he is . . . I would personally say that he is fit to burst – like a pinata full of candied excitement.

Hooray for dog!

Here is the wanted notice for the lost cat “Shadow.”

It is very sad to me that “Shadow” is in the wild – especially when he has friends (that are looking for him/her) that go to the trouble to make such an amazing sign.

So “Shadow” – if you are reading this (which would be odd) then go home . . .

You are on notice.

Okay – maybe I said a harsh word or two in my (semi) recent review of the meal that I had over at Ressie Mae’s Soul Food [for the quick record – the meal consisted of candied yams, green beans and the mac & cheese . . . for a longer record of the events go here to read the review – which for no record other than mine was linked to from midtown lunch – a nice and nifty food blog].

But now look who has a proverbial slathering of Soul Food eggs (if such a thing even exists) on his face . . . I’ll give you one quick guess . . . it’s me.

Ressis Mae’s is all gone . . . and I will never darken it’s doorstep again – more importantly – I will never get the chance to try their (from what I’ve heard) so – so good fried chicken (and waffles). It has taken me a couple of bits to get around to writing this eulogy – mostly because I didn’t want to come across as crass – in a “Your restraunt closed – and I had a bad experience there and blah – blah – blah!” type of way – and I also didn’t want to come across (completely) in an emotional wreck “I work in an odd and (semi) food-desolate area – and what will I ever ever do . . . there is nothing for me to eat . . . anywhere . . . I’m just going to go to Duane Reade and suffer.” kind of way (whatever kind of way that even is – I’m not so sure).

But what I will say is that it is unfortunate that a restaurant right around the corner from my building is gone – leaving in it’s wake half-a-dozen of those cookie cutter “upscale bodegas” with soups/cookies/sandwiches/stir fry/pasta types of places – that just have so so much of that – uhm – individuality – right?!

So – now I venture out – towards 9th avenue – where I can only hope some form of yummy food lives . . . and when I say “lives” – I more probably mean “hides in the shadowy wilderness of the cities canyons” – just waiting for me to begin the hunt – so mount up – cow pokes – because it is certainly “get some vittles time!”

Yee-Haw!

Etymology for the word Vittles:

Victuals
c.1303, vitaylle (singular), from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. vitaille, from L.L. victualia “provisions,” noun use of plural of victualis “of nourishment,” from victus “livelihood, food, sustenance,” from base of vivere “to live” (see vital). Spelling altered 1523 to conform with L., but pronunciation remains “vittles.”

Oranges . . . or more specifically . . . clementines (which are those tasty tasty little no-seed, easy-peel oranges that come in small boxes with netting on top).

As we are walking – not just today – but a lot of days – as well – I was eating a clementime (for the record – there was one huge seed that I found – and had to spit out) . . . and so Socks (determining that ownership of all of my possessions are around 10% his) made a head nod gesture. That was his indication that – maybe – it was time to hand over a piece of a section. So I did.

Recently – as we were working on some serious frisbee action (and when I am sitting here saying serious – you must know that I really mean seriously serious) – pieces of clementine were used as the treats to make him stop destroying the frisbee – and get ready for the next round.

I guess that the point of all of this is that my dog eats small oranges . . . what does yours eat?

And for the sake of inclusion . . . if you don’t have a dog (cat, gerbil, monkey or macaw) theeeeeeen – I guess . . . uhm . . . what do you eat when you play with a frisbee?!

I guess . . .