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A Pandemic Halloween is Not as Scary as You Think

Looking back at the year 2020, people had to completely change their normal holiday traditions in order to be safe as COVID-19 made it's way around the world. As fall of 2021 begins to approach us, Halloween is getting closer each day. With the Delta variant now taking the world by storm, how our fall will look is still unknown.

I have been reminiscing back to last year. Being that Halloween is my favorite holiday, I remember the feeling of knowing Halloween was cancelled, and that hit close to home. My girlfriend and I had to spend our Halloween indoors. I did not have very high hopes for a fun and spooky day.

Of course, you can't have a proper Halloween without candy. So the night before Halloween festivities were supposed to begin, we walked to the car to go on a journey to find the perfect combination for our candy bowl. We lived in an apartment complex, and we always hear the sounds of our neighbors footsteps and jingling keys. Spreading a bit of Halloween cheer, no matter how small, was a task I had to complete.

As I carried the assortment of brightly colored candies out of the poorly lit Walgreens, the cool autumn breeze complimented by the sweet smell of the treats in my arms helped me to get into the Halloween spirit. I was literally as happy as kid in a candy shop.

When we got back to our apartment, we turned on the lights and set out bags on the table. We were greeted with the whiff of our campfire air freshener, which made me feel as if I was in the great outdoors camping under a starry sky and a calm lake. Hopefully, in that scenario, Jason Voorhees wouldn't be there.

We mixed the candies around in the bowl and set it outside, not before we each picked out some treats to have in the morning. After a long day of candy hunting, we drifted off to sleep as Hocus Pocus played on repeat in the background.

Spending Halloween inside all day turned out to be not only relaxing, but extremely entertaining as well. Watching as many horror movies and Halloween specials as we could, accompanied by the smell of buttered popcorn and hot chocolate, helped to make our Halloween as normal as it possibly could be. Our costumes this year were nothing but simple: themed pajama pants and cozy pumpkin socks.

As the sun began to set, our long day of Halloween movie marathons and candy for all meals came to an end. I was really satisfied with this Halloween, and it was much better than my Halloween in 2019. While all my friends were enjoying their Halloween celebrations in Maryland, I was hundreds of miles away in New York with a 101 degree fever.

No one is really sure how our Halloween will look this year. The future of the pandemic is something that is hard to predict, and the only way we can go forward is to take it day by day. So even if I spend yet another Halloween indoors, if I learned anything from Halloween 2020 it's that sometimes the simple things turn out to be better.

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One Last Ride: My Final Summer Lifeguarding

I have worked as a lifeguard since I was 15 years old. It was the first job I have ever had, and the longest job I have ever had as well. Throughout my time lifeguarding I have had two different jobs, one at LuHi day camp and the other job is just working at community pools near me. My job at LuHi ended last Friday, and I’ll be done with my other job this coming Friday. In June of next year, my lifeguarding license will expire. However, I will most likely not lifeguard again after this week. 

Walking into my last day at LuHi was a weird feeling. It felt like any other day working there, except in the back of my mind I knew it was my last day there ever and it felt strange knowing I wouldn’t be back. Luckily for me, it was a nice sunny day. As much as rain is nice where you work as a lifeguard, I was really glad my last day would be spent in the sun.

I started my day grabbing acai bowls for my boss and I, since the last thing I wanted to do was to eat the school food that LuHi serves to staff and campers. It’s not bad, but it’s not my preference either. As I walked up the stairs with the food in my hand, my boss greeted me with a smile and a goody bag. Acai bowls and goody bags are a great way to begin a 6 hour shift. 

There are four sessions in total at the camp, each being two weeks long each. The fourth session is always the lowest amount of kids, so it’s always my favorite session to work. As much as I love working with kids, seeing so many of them in the pool at once and trying to keep them all in check can get really stressful. Especially when kids don’t listen. I cannot even count the amount of times I had to yell, “don’t run on the pool deck,” this summer. 

Overall, the day was really fun. We taught swim lessons, watched the pool, listened to music, and even ordered pizza for lunch. As much as I will miss LuHi, I am glad I went my last day without eating or even looking at their food. That is one thing I will not miss. Sorry LuHi!

As I was sitting in my chair in the shallow end, 20 kids turned into 10, and 10 kids turned into two. The day flew by so fast, and before I knew it the pool was empty. When the pool was finally deserted, and it was just me and my other coworkers, we said our goodbyes and I left the parking lot for the last time ever.

It’s a bittersweet goodbye saying goodbye to my first two lifeguarding jobs. So many long days, some saves, and many friends made along the way. As much as I hate going into work sometimes, I am going to miss it. 

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My Favorite Comic Book Stores on Long Island

As I may have mentioned in previous articles, I have loved comic books since I was a kid. I still read them even today. For a while, I struggled finding really good comic book stores on Long Island. Now, I finally have some stores that I go to whenever I can, and I am here to recommend them to people who may be interested in checking them out. Here is my list of the best comic book stores on Long Island.

1) 4th World Comics

4th World Comics and Toys is located in Smithtown, New York. This store has a fairly big selection of comics and collectibles. Inside, the store is extremely organized and it is very easy to find what you’re looking for since everything is labeled and the workers keep track of what they have in stock. The prices for the comics and collectibles are very reasonable, and they even have deals there such as a 50 cent comic blowout which includes select comics. It is 50 comics for $22 or 100 comics for $40. In terms of the amount and variety of comics they carry, this store would be the one I recommend for people who are either looking to find something new to read, or looking for something specific.

Address: 33 NY-111, Smithtown, NY 11787

Website: https://www.fourthworldcomics.com/

2) Amok Time Toys and Comics

Walking into Amok Time Toys and Comics, your eyes will not know what to look at first. This shop has so much stuff it is overwhelming at times. Comic books are definitely not the top priority of this store, I think they more so specialize in vintage figures and collectibles. However, their selection of comic books is still very big and if you ever go here, you could get lost for hours just looking at all the cool things they carry.

Located in Hicksville, New York, the shop itself is very hidden. That is the reason I did not discover this place until very recently. You would never be able to find this store unless you knew about it, which is why I really wanted to include it in my list. This store deserves more recognition.

I think my favorite thing about this store isn’t the comics or even the collectibles, but the masks they have. They’re just so cool to look at (and expensive too). If you like horror movies like I do, this is the store for you. There are tons of horror memorabilia in this store, including $500 life sized Chucky dolls. This shop has a bit of everything from almost every well known fandom you could think of. If you ever pay a visit to this store, don’t forget your wallet.

Address: 108 New South Rd suite c, Hicksville, NY 11801

Website: https://amoktime.com/

3) Best Comics International

If you live in New Hyde Park, definitely visit Best Comics International. It’s in the name, this is one of the best comic book stores I have been to. I love this store because it’s such a cute and simple store. I have only been there once, but the customer service there is great. The lady helping me was extremely kind. She helped me find everything I was looking for, even going to the back and finding some comic books I was looking for that weren’t displayed in the front. All of the comics I bought from here were anywhere from $3 to $5, which is a really good price.

Also, if you’re looking to sell old comic books or even toys, you can sell them at this store and they’ll buy them from you! So, whether you’re looking for a nice selection of comic books, or even trying to sell some that you don’t want anymore, this shop is the place for you. You can also check out some of their stuff auctioned on eBay if you look up the user ‘BestComicsWorldwide.’

Address: 1300 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 11040

Website: https://www.bestcomics.com/

4) Newbury Comics

The final place I am including on my list is Newbury Comics, which is the place I have been to the most and the first good comic book store I found near me. Unlike the other stores, Newbury Comics is not exclusive to Long Island, so if you’re interested in this store there may be one near you! The one I am specifically reviewing right now is located in Smithtown at the Smith Haven Mall.

Despite comics being in their name, Newbury does not specialize in comics. They have a decent selection of comics, but out of all the stores I reviewed the variety of stuff Newbury carries is the largest, so comics are not their top seller. Aside from comics, they sell clothes, figures, collectibles, and even have a really cool and well priced vinyl record section.

Locations: https://www.newburycomics.com/pages/locations

Website: https://www.newburycomics.com/

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The Sunset at Long Beach Boardwalk

Long Beach, Long Island is hands down my favorite place to go when I’m home. Despite the 40 minute drive, nothing can beat the feel of the ocean breeze on your body and the view of the sun setting by the ocean as you walk down the boardwalk.

Last night my friend Justin and I decided to go down there to see the sunset on the boardwalk, since Hurricane Henri was now past us and it was finally a beautiful day. We got to the boardwalk about 5 minutes before the sun was supposed to set, so we made perfect timing. The way the boardwalk looked right as the sun was setting was a gorgeous view. It was a bit cloudy out, and the temperature was shifting from warm to cool. The color of the sky was fading from a light blue to an orange and yellow mesh. People were jogging, riding bikes, and just walking up and down the boardwalk laughing with friends and family. 

The walking on the boardwalk is always so peaceful, even when it’s crowded. The sound of the waves and the seagulls in the sky usually drown out the loud chatter of the people around me. Justin and I got lost in a conversation and didn’t even realize that we walked all the way to the end of the boardwalk. By the time we got to the end, the sky was a dark blue and the sun was no where to be found. We stopped for a minute, caught our breath, and made our way back to my car before the mosquitos would come for us.

The scenery on the boardwalk is just so beautiful, I could never say no when someone asks me if I’d like to go there. Rain or shine, cloudy or sunny, I love to just walk along the boardwalk and look at the beach and the things I see around me. There is nothing more calm and peaceful than watching the sunset on the Long Beach boardwalk. 

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My Top 3 Horror Movies Featuring Female Queer Representation

As seen in my bio, I am obsessed with horror and thriller movies. As someone who is apart of the LGBT community, it is always comforting to see LGBT representation in media, especially when its women. Recently, I have discovered many amazing movies that have featured this type of representation, and I would like to share them with anyone who is interested! Disclaimer: I do not own any of these movie trailers by any means, all credit goes to their respective owners. Mild spoilers ahead.

1) Fear Street Trilogy

Fear Street is a trilogy released by Netflix on July 2nd, July 9th, and July 16th in 2021. The story follows a group of teens who live in a town called ShadySide, which has been plagued by a curse for centuries. The teens try to break this curse and each movie goes back in time to the roots of the curse to show viewers where it all began. The first part is Fear Street 1994, the second part is Fear Street 1978, and the final part is Fear Street 1666.

Deena, who is the main protagonist, is shown in the beginning of the first movie going through a hard breakup with her ex, named Sam. Most viewers assumed that Sam was her ex-boyfriend. However, it was soon reviled that Sam was actually a girl, and Deena’s ex-girlfriend. Deena and Sam’s romance plays a big role in the plot of all three of the movies, especially in the last part. I loved the way their romance was shown on screen, and how it had a huge impact on what the movies were all about. Aside from that, the casting of these movies is phenomenal and the storyline in general is very intriguing. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves slasher movies, and is a fan of Goosebumps. These movies are based off of R. L. Stine’s Fear Street books, and he is also the novelist who wrote the Goosebumps franchise. These movies are rated R.

For more information about the representation in the Fear Street Trilogy, I linked a very good article here: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/07/18/fear-street-lgbt-queer-lesbian-gay/

2) The Perfection

The Perfection, was was released on May 24th, 2018 by Netflix, is another horror movie that not only features female queer representation, but is probably one of the most disturbing psychological horror movies I have ever seen. I love movies that make you have to rethink about what you just watched, keeping you at the edge of your seat until you reach the end with your mouth wide open, not fully grasping what you just watched. With so many unexpected twists in this movie, I had to watch it twice to really understand the whole thing and find things that I may have missed. However, that is not a complaint. I loved this movie, despite some of the backlash it got on it’s reviews.

The Perfection follows a woman named Charlotte, a cellist who had to leave her music school to care for her sick mother. Charlotte was the top of her class. When Charolette returns to find a new student, Lizzie, had taken her title as number one, both girls go down an evil and sinister path. The one spoiler I will give for this movie is that these two women have a connection between them that goes beyond a friendship.

I don’t have many words to describe how I felt while watching this movie, or even what I saw when watching this movie. It was a gory and trippy movie, but really good nonetheless. It is one of those movies where you really just have to watch it to understand. Alison Williams and Logan Browning, the two lead girls, do an amazing job with their roles and through their acting help to portray how disturbing the plot of the movie is. 

If you have a weak stomach, or are very cautious of triggers, I recommend looking into this movie more before watching it. If that doesn’t apply to you, and you are up for the challenge, then I recommend checking this movie out. This movie is not rated.

Here is an article featuring an interview of Allison Williams and Logan Browning talking about the queer representation in the film: https://www.advocate.com/film/2019/5/31/allison-williams-and-logan-brownings-gay-chemistry-perfection

3) What Keeps You Alive

I saved this movie for last because this was the first horror movie I ever watched that featured two female main characters that were not only in a relationship, but the focus of the movie. What Keeps You Alive is a Canadian horror film, released on March 10, 2018, that follows one of the most used horror movie storylines. A couple, Jules and Jackie, go on vacation in a secluded cabin in the woods to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Of course, if you know anything about horror movies and cabins in the woods, it never ends well.

What sets this movie aside from the other ones I reviewed is this romance is less of a romance because one of the main characters tries to kill her girlfriend. Despite this, the queerness of the film does not die out as the movie goes on, it only gets stronger which sets a huge statement for horror movies featuring queer characters. The movie did not use the characters gayness as a weapon, or a tool to lure in their victims, which is something that happens more times than not in movies that feature queer killers.

This movie is a classic slasher movie, and a classic movie about love turning into betrayal. However, that simplicity tied with the LGBT representation this movie has is the reason why I loved watching it. I love classic horror movies, and it was really cool to be able to watch a modern horror film include aspects of typical slasher movies in the past. This movie is rated R.

For a more in depth review of this movie that talks about the plot and the queer representation, you can click on the article linked here: https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/24/17778170/what-keeps-you-alive-horror-movie-review

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SoBol: Delicious Acai Bowls and a Fresh Way to Start Your Day

My hours for work are almost always early, and I usually have to be up by 7:00 a.m. to be able to get ready and be on time for work. Going to work on an empty stomach is something I hate doing, and I do not have lots of time to spare before my shift starts. That is why SoBol is always my go to for a quick and easy breakfast option.

SoBol is a mostly Long Island based restaurant that specializes in making acai bowls, smoothies, and more. They make their own granola, and even offer a nut free option. Their bowls are always fresh and great for me and my nut allergies!

Whenever I go to SoBol I get an acai bowl, so I know more about their acai bowls than anything else they make there. SoBol's acai bowls are completely customizable, and they offer a variety of different options for toppings you can get on your bowl including (but not limited to): bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mangos, almond butter, chocolate chips, and chia seeds! Extra toppings cost anywhere fro $1.00 more to $5.00 more depending on how many toppings you get.

Acai bowls are not the only type of bowl they serve. SoBol also makes green bowls, pitaya bowls, sunshine bowls, and even an over night oats bowl. More informations about their different bowls can be seen at the end of the article.

There are three different sizes for their bowls: kids, classic, and super. The kids bowl, which is the smallest bowl, is $9.50. The classic bowl, which is the standard size, is $12.80. The super bowl, which is the largest size, is $18.45. I usually get the standard size (shown below) which is the perfect size for me!

As mentioned before, this is a mostly Long Island based restaurant, so there are many locations scattered across the island. Their hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., so this is a great place for an early morning breakfast or a late evening snack. If you work early hours like me, or are just looking for a quick and easy breakfast option, SoBol is the perfect place to go!

More information about SoBol:

Website: https://mysobol.com/

Locations: https://mysobol.com/locations/

Menu: https://mysobol.com/express-menu/

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The Hunt for a Hole in One

Last week, my brother Matthew, my friend Justin, and I were looking for something fun to do. After a while of deliberating, we decided to pay a visit to Bayville Adventure Park, located in Bayville, New York. This theme park has it all with water rides, rock climbing, miniature golf, an arcade, and is located right by the beach!

Because we spent so long making a decision, by the time we got to the park most of the rides were doing last calls. The only thing that would be worth our money was mini golf, since the course was open later than the other rides. We had no problem with this, as we were all really excited to be able to spend time playing golf by the beach on a beautiful summer night. 

Bayville’s miniature golf course is also pirate themed. As a kid I loved pirates, and I even had a pirate themed communion party in second grade. So clearly, I was very excited to play on this course. Going into this mini golf treasure hunt, I had one goal in mind: to get a hole in one. 

There are 18 holes in total on this course, with each hole greeting us with some hints left by the pirates to help us find the buried treasure. At the beginning of the game, my chances of getting a hole in one were very high. I was feeling very confident that I would leave this course with the buried treasure and a hole in one.

As one hole turned into five, and five holes turned into nine, we were halfway done with the game and I had yet to see myself get a hole in one. On hole number 10, Matthew was able to score a hole in one. On hole number 12, Justin somehow was able to get a hole in one and spent five minutes jumping up and down with joy. As happy as I was for them, we were reaching the end of our adventure and I was still trying for that hole in one. 

After one hour, 18 holes, and four lost golf balls, I did not end up getting my hole in one. I came in second place, which I was pretty proud of considering it took me eight tries on two different holes to get the ball in. Overall, being able to play mini golf while feeling the cool summer breeze, watching the sunset, and hearing the crash of the waves on the beach is the perfect way to spend a summer night. Despite not getting a hole in one, the three of us did have a pretty memorable time.

More information about Bayville Adventure Park:

Website: https://bayvilleadventurepark.com/

Address: 8 Bayville Ave, Bayville, NY 11709

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How to Make a Long Distance Relationship Not Feel so Far Away

I have been dating my girlfriend Mackenzie for over a year now, and although we go to college together a lot of our relationship has been long distance. While she lives in Maryland, I live all the way in New York. A fun five hour drive to Maryland. We both work during the summer, so meeting up for a dinner date isn’t always an option.

The pandemic put our relationship into a whole new gear, and we had to learn fast how to adapt being apart after being together almost everyday. It wasn’t an easy journey, but it’s not impossible either. Now, we both look forward to our virtual date nights. Here are a couple things we do to make our virtual date nights memorable.

1) Movie Nights

Mackenzie and I are both suckers for movies. From horror, to crime, to sci-fi, watching movies together is one thing we love doing whether we’re together or not. So, watching movies over the phone was the first thing we did when we started doing long distance. We always have a laugh trying to sync our televisions so they play at the same time, and sometimes we have even found ourselves accidentally watching two completely different movies. Regardless, movie nights are always a great option for virtual date nights (especially when I’m the one who gets to pick)!

2) Game Nights

Our ‘game nights’ don’t really consist of anything else except Mario Kart, but you can choose any game to play as long as it can be done online! We both have Nintendo Switches, so it is very easy to connect with each other online and play together. Our games of Mario Kart get very intense, and since we are both competitive it is very hard for us to get bored of playing. While I root for my girlfriend with everything she does, Mario Kart is something I always hopes she fails in (sorry not sorry).

3) Making Playlists

I love making playlists for Mackenzie, so almost every month I will make her a playlist and send it to her while we are on the phone! It’s always a good time listening to music together and seeing her reaction to all of my music creations. I also always try to have a theme with my playlists which make them even more creative and enjoyable to make. Not only is this a cool thing to do for long distance couples, but it’s also fun to do in your free time!

4) Apps

This is a very broad category, but there are so many apps that are made for people who are dealing with long distance relationships. One app Mackenzie and I found is called Tuned. It’s an app where you can update how you are feeling, send virtual cards, play games, and just write each other little notes. Honestly, this app is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for things to do with their long distance partner! The link to the app is here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tuned-a-new-app-for-couples/id1488796752.

With the technology we have today, there is so much you can do to make the best of a long distance relationship. I treasure all the time I spend together with Mackenzie, whether it is over the phone or in person we always make the best of whatever situation we are in!

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A Change of Plans, Thanks to Hurricane Henri

If 2020 taught the world anything, it was how to adapt to ‘unprecedented times.’ That phrase was used time and time again as people transitioned from living their normal daily lives to being quarantined in their home for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And learning how to make the best of a bad situation was definitely something I learned throughout the pandemic.

Now fast forward to 2021, we’re still in a pandemic but have a bit more normalcy in our lives. I bought tickets for August 22nd to go to the Brooklyn Comic Con with my dad, my friend, and my brother. As a girl who has loved comic books since a kid, I thought this would be a well deserved day after weeks of working almost everyday. 

I work as a lifeguard, so when I see rain in the weather forecast it is usually good news for me. When I’m not working, I hate the rain. And once I saw this alert on my phone, my hopes of going to the convention were gone and I needed a new plan (and a new story to write about). 

I still deserved a fun day off after a long week of working. My day started with my brother storming in my room, asking to play video games. We decided to play CupHead, one of my favorite games. After hours of versing the same boss, and screaming at the television (as if it wasn’t our fault we couldn’t get past the level), we ended up beating the game. So, my day was off to a good start.

A long day of playing video games resulted in us three becoming extremely hungry, so when my grandfather called us and said he was making lasagna upstairs our ears starting ringing. We rushed upstairs with my parents and were greeted with a homemade dinner feast: Lasagna, meatballs, garlic bread, and some peach cider my mom got from a farmers market in Virginia. I love doing restaurant reviews, but nothing will ever beat my families cooking.

My day on August 22nd did not turn out at all as I planned, but having a simple day just spending time with my family and eating at the dinner table with them will always be a fun day for me. I didn’t end up going to the convention after all. However, I read some of the convention reviews online and not many people liked it, so maybe the day was better spent at home with my family. Thanks Hurricane Henri.

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Burgerology: Testing Out a New Restaurant

A couple nights ago my family, friend, and I decided to try a restaurant we have never been to. The restaurant is called Burgeroloy, a science themed burger place in Huntington, New York that offers a wide variety of unique burgers as well as some pretty cool appetizers and drinks. In all honesty I was initially drawn to this place because of their mural of Grogu, however their burgers is the reason I would like to go back. 

I always love restaurants that not only let you customize burgers, but offer a long list of options to do so that go beyond just the typical things you would get on a burger. From sunny-side up eggs to onion rings and mac & cheese, there were so many cool combinations to make your own burger. I decided to try one of the customized burgers. I got mine with an egg, avocado, and blu cheese. It was honestly amazing and I’m excited to see other cool burger combinations I can come up with in the future. My friend decided to get one of the burgers on the menu, which came on a pretzel bun and was covered in mac & cheese and bacon. 

Aside from the burgers, I decided to try one of their drinks. I went with Diago’s Ultimate Long Beach Iced Tea, and I was not expecting my drink to come out smoking and lighting up. A lot of the drinks served here are supposed to look like science experiments. Some of the drinks are even served in test tubes!

For the appetizer, we went with the sampler so we could try a bit of everything. It came with a big pretzel, loaded fries, wings, and cheesy tater tots. The presentation was really nice, and I love how the pretzel was the plate for the food. 

Overall, Burgerology was a really cool experience and the food is amazing. I love restaurants that have a theme to them and stuck to that theme, and Burgerology pulls off the science scene very well. It’s always nice to try a new restaurant not sure what to expect and leave satisfied.

The other cool thing about Burgerology is that it has a few locations on Long Island, so you don’t have to live in the Huntington area to go there. There’s even locations in Queens and Manhattan. For more information about locations, food, and more you can visit their website here: https://www.burgerologyusa.com.

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How Family Game Night Turned Into a Weekly Murder Investigation

During the pandemic, when we were all locked in our homes and lived a new type of life, my family decided to start a family game night. We tried a couple different games such as Monopoly, Pictionary, and Candy Land. However, we finally landed on a game that we could not stop playing: Clue. Specifically, the Family Guy version of Clue.

What started out as an innocent “let’s try this game” turned into a tradition so intense that during game night it’s every man for himself. It has even gotten to the point where sometimes we put money in the middle and winner takes all, because we are all so confident that we will win. 

We don’t play without an audience. Our three dogs always sit around and watch the action take place. Sometimes they even try jumping on the table to get a good look at what’s going on. Other times they are fast asleep.

When we played again last night, we all sat in a circle while my dad shuffled the cards. We all got out our notebooks where we write down everything that everyone says to try and narrow down the suspects. 

After a while, my dad claimed that he knew who committed the murder. However, his guess was wrong. My brother then said that he knew, however he was wrong too. Next, I tried to make my guess, but I got the room wrong. My mom didn’t even want to try and guess, she needed more time to gather her findings together. Finally, my other brother went. He got it right, thanks to our mistakes.

No matter who wins or loses, I always love family game nights playing Clue. Sometimes even my friends and girlfriend have joined in on the fun, to really see what our family game night is all about. Maybe one day we’ll grow tired of Clue and try a different game, but I can promise whatever game we decide will turn into an intense family battle.

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Fun Things to Do at Broadway Commons (Besides Shopping)

Broadway Commons is a mall located in Hicksville, New York. It is only 15 minutes from my house, so when I need to go shopping I usually go there. However, this mall offers more than just a shopping experience. 

Round One is an arcade that opened up a couple of years ago in the mall and ever since then my friends and I have gone there as much as we could. As someone who loves video games, having an arcade so close to my house is amazing!

I went there with my brothers a couple of days ago since they just recently expanded the arcade and we had a blast. Our main goal was to win as many tickets as possible, and we exceeded that goal. 

The Wack n Win game is one of our favorite games. You have to hit the hammer at the right speed so it lands at the top, which is the jackpot. We ended up winning the jackpot two times, scoring around 1,500 tickets. 

Aside from games that win you tickets, we always go to the racing games. We are all very competitive so we go all out when racing. We played the Mario Kart arcade game. It was a close race, but I was able to get first place, which my brothers weren’t too happy about.

Round One also has a downstairs area below the arcade with pool, ping pong, bowling, karaoke, and a bar! It’s such a fun place that I could spend hours there and not get bored. Round One is a chain arcade, and there is also one at the Towson Town Center if anyone near that area would like to go there! If you would like to see more locations here is their website: https://www.round1usa.com.

Another really cool thing about Broadway Commons is every year during the summer there is a week long carnival that opens up in the parking lot. I go almost every year. This year, I took my girlfriend there since she was visiting the week the carnival was happening. 

We went on some of rides including the swings, the ferris wheel, and the slide. The view from the ferris wheel is always really cool, and even though I’m not a big fan of heights I still love going on that ride. 

Broadway Commons also has a movie theater in the upstairs food court, which I recently went to with my family to see the new Black Widow movie. If you live on Long Island and haven’t been to Broadway Commons, check it out. I do love the stores there, but if you aren’t really a shopper there are other fun things to do!

[ctbarbella]

Milky Ways: An Out of this World Ice Cream Shop

Milky Ways is an ice cream and cereal bar that just recently opened up a new shop in the town of Huntington, New York. As someone who is a huge lover of both cereal and ice cream, when I heard this place was opening I had to check it out!

Milky Ways infuses cereal into the ice cream and offer various toppings and syrups. The first step is to choose which style of ice cream you want, which can either be a cup, a cone, or a milkshake, along with a flavor of either vanilla or chocolate. Then, you choose the cereal you would like blended into your ice cream. They offer a variety of fan favorites including Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Fruity Pebbles, and Cocoa Puffs. Finally, you choose your toppings and if you would like any drizzles or whipped cream. 

They even some specials such as Cookie Monster, which is Cookie Crisp blended with cookie crunches, cookie dough and chocolate drizzle, and Cactus Jack, which is Reese’s Puffs and bananas topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and chocolate and peanut butter drizzle.

As someone with severe food allergies, including peanuts and tree nuts, I am always cautious when entering a new place to eat because I always have to be careful of cross contamination. However, the staff there were very accommodating and helped to make sure my experience was enjoyable. I ended up getting vanilla ice cream with Cinnamon Toast Crunch and bananas!

Sadly, I could not have my cereal infused into the ice cream because of cross contamination with nuts. However, that does not change my opinion about this ice cream shop. The ice cream alone was amazing and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my favorite cereal. I very much enjoyed what I got! My brother and dad were able to get cereal infused ice cream and they loved it so much they already want to go back to try different flavors! 

If you are ever in the Huntington area I recommend checking out this shop. There are also two other shops on Long Island in Coram and the Smith Haven Mall. Overall Milky Ways is very cute, well decorated, and the ice cream is amazing with so many different cereal combinations and toppings to choose from! If you would like to find out more about the shop visit https://www.milkywaysicecream.com!

[ctbarbella]

317 Main Street: Creative Eating and Learning How to Cook with Chef Eric Levine.

317 Main Street is a restaurant located in Farmingdale, New York. Owned by Chopped Champion Eric LeVine, this restaurant offers creative food and drinks, live entertainment, cooking classes, and Chef Eric himself will even make his way around the dining room to talk to his guests.

The effort the workers put into the dining experience for the guests is amazing. It is clear they care about both the quality and presentation of the food, as well as hospitality and making the guests feel welcome and comfortable.

I have been to this restaurant multiple times since discovering it last year, and every time I have went I have gotten to speak to Chef Eric. This is why I wanted to bring my best friend, Justin, to this specific restaurant. Chef Eric is a five time leukemia survivor, and my friend Justin had recently got diagnosed with leukemia. He really wanted to meet Chef Eric, talk to him about his experience with cancer, and try his cooking.

When we got to the restaurant they were very helpful with accommodations and helped us choose a table that my friend felt comfortable with, as well as being careful with food allergies and cross contamination. Both Justin and I got burgers. While I got one of the burgers on the regular menu, Justin got one of the burgers of the week.

Every week, the chefs create a “Burger of the Week.” These burgers are temporary, but extremely cool and creative. The burger of that week was a triple blend burger topped with siracha mac and cheese, fried jalapenõs, fried onion rings, cheddar cheese, and cheeto crusted fried tomato. The burgers of the week are always posted on the restaurant’s Instagram @ 317mainstreet!

About halfway through the dinner, Chef Eric came over to our table and both he and Justin talked about their experiences with chemotherapy, remission, and dealing with diagnosis in general. Justin left the restaurant with Chef Eric’s contact and a signed copy of his book, “Bowls, Burgers, and Jars: Season by Season with Chef Eric LeVine.”

Aside from the dining experience, Chef Eric also has a cooking class he offers almost every month. Each class has a different theme and the guests are given out instructions on how to make each meal as well as a live demonstration from Chef Eric. After the demonstration, all guests are given samples of the meals made so they can try it.

Each meal is also accompanied by a drink which also has instructions on how to make them. Here are some of the foods and drinks that he taught during his last to cooking classes:

Crab and Corn Cakes with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce / Carrot and Apple Matchstick Salad with Radishes.

Sweet Tea panna Cotta with Ginger caramel

Pancake Shot with Butterscotch Schnapps, Jameson, Orange Juice and Bacon on the side.

These are just a few examples of the food and drinks you can try at this cooking class.

Overall, Chef Eric Levine’s 317 Main Street offers such a unique and interesting dining experience, and anyone living or visiting Long Island should definitely pay a visit!