The next total solar eclipse visible from the United States will be in April 2024. That’s a mere seven years from now.
As marvelous as Monday’s celestial event was, the stars that were most on my mind this week were Helen Henny, Mr. Munch, Jasper T. Jowls, Pasqually and, of course, Chuck E. Cheese, otherwise known as The Pizza Time Players.
The band of dream — or nightmare depending on one’s sensitivity — inducing animatronic characters are staples of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants across the country. They, along with the ear-splitting noise of video games, wooden balls thumping along in skeeball machines and industrial plastic bouncing off childrens’ tender heads in the multi-colored ball pits, were part of the entertainment provided children who were lucky enough to go to the restaurant for a friend’s birthday party or daddy’s Wednesday night dinner time visitation.
But earlier this week the restaurant chain announced they are breaking up the band. Seems kids today are too sophisticated to appreciate the wonder of 1970s robots covered in shag carpeting miserably lip-syncing to cover tunes of today’s pop hits.
At a time when virtual reality simulators are available via smartphone accessories and attention spans are as long as a shark’s toothy smile, kids have little desire to watch something their parents thought was cool 30 years ago.
It may be the collective pop culture of the restaurant industry has not suffered such a blow since Jack in the Box blew up its drive-thru clown in the 1980s.
The Pizza Time band’s breakup is not immediate. The group’s presence at restaurants will be phased out over the next few years, probably before the next total eclipse rolls around. Better drag your kids to catch one more performance before it is too late
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If a World Series is played and a team from South County is not included, do the games really count?
As August ends and the boys of summer start putting away their gear it is a small surprise to realize that for the last two weeks the Little League World Series has been underway.
The final game is scheduled to be played Sunday (the finalists have yet to be determined at press time).
Not since 2015, when boys from Sweetwater Valley Little League made an appearance at the national youth baseball tournament has South County had a direct stake in the outcome. Residents in this neck of the woods have become accustomed to seeing lads from Chula Vista give it their all in Williamsport, Pa., a sort of final hurrah not just for their sons but also for the carefree days of summer and youthful exuberance of playing ball.
The kids have spoiled residents here. But they have also given them something to look forward to. There is always next year.
