I don’t go to OG anymore. My decision has to do with healthy-eating and healthy-living choices that I have made to keep my diabetes and coronary disease issues under (better) control. The memories of happy family times at OG, however, remain a major component of my good-times memory landscape.

I also have fond memories of Shakey’s Pizza, especially the one on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood California.

There was a piano player and Mom loved to request The Entertainer, from the movie The Sting (Mom was a huge Paul Newman fan). It got to the point that when he saw us walking in, he would stop whatever he was playing and start up with The Entertainer. I think that Dad was mildly jealous of the piano player.

There was also the time that my brother, his high school football player friend and myself were asked to leave because we were eating everything in their lunch all you can eat menu. Those were the days.

I took my college sweatheart, and now wife, on one of our first dates to Shakey’s. I accidentally bit into a hot pepper and my face turned crimson red and I sweated profusely...my wife couldn’t stop laughing and I knew right there and then that I had to marry her.

Alas, as you mentioned, there are now only a handful of Shakey’s around. Sad times.

You are absolutely correct about those powerful connections and why it is usually not a good idea to insult people’s choices of eateries.

Now, how about the scent of a freshly opened box of crayons...Nirvana!