This issue was great! But I want to focus on something you do so well, Anne. It's hard to interview people without judging them, but if you can accomplish that, you'll find gold. You are an interview master, Anne. I felt so uneasy when I read the exchange between you and Ninja where he said he's an alcoholic and you said you're in recovery. In lesser hands, that scene could've gone sideways. But you lead with humanity and humor, and what I love about that approach is that you find people as they are, and you put them forward, warts and all, with so much respect and dignity. Well done!
Wow Mr. Estrin! You know how I told you I keep a file on my phone of compliments I got that make me feel good so I can refer to it when I'm feeling down? Just pasted this one in at the top! Thank you!
I used to own a coin-op laundromat in St Paul in the early ’80s that put me through college… I keep thing I want to buy another one with grown up money and almost did in 2019 in Saugerties … in the middle of town, cool building… I loved the building, but the business made no sense… all those out of order signs triggered my “I should see if it’s for sale and fix that” bug… but … that’s a bad idea buying a coin-op laundromat… right?!?
Gerard! I get it, as I have a THING for laundromats, esp. the coin-op kind. If you have to use the coin-op laundromat, it says either you are very young, or have a lot of free time, or life just hasn't worked out the way you wanted. And for whatever reason, this creates a very specific sort of resigned atmosphere that is, in its own odd way, delightful. So yes, please buy the laundromat! I will write the story about it.
This laundromat exchange made me smile and is full of wisdom. I now make an occasional trip because the one near me has a dog washing station. For $17 you get to give your dog the full treatment and not mess up your place. It is perfect for that halfway point between grooming sessions since you can't even step into a groomer for $17. My day in the life at the laundromat (1) I throw in the oversized load. (2) Then Denny goes into the wash station for $17 ($1 a minute). (3) Once he is dried and ready to go, the oversized load is done with its cycle of washing. (4) Then it is off to the Guatemalan chicken place across the street so we share some beans and chicken afterwards. (5) Generally, by then, I go in and run another dry cycle (the big items are never dry) (6) read a book and (7) take in some people watching. Next time, maybe I will ponder the existence of the resigned atmosphere. If Gérard pursues the laundry I hope he adds the dog washing stations as you get an expanded crowd.
And I absolutely would add the dog washing station! There would be so much stuff in there … bakery, bbq, coffee, books, music, dog washing, laundry, tailor… but you’re never know what exactly just locals sign up to do… whatever while people did their laundry… a little chaos but just fun stuff… like the Ax-Man surplus store on University Ave in St Paul growing up in the ’60-70s… never knew what they had but you went in every week… like that sort of feeling…
So true!! There really are only those two type of people there 😀😀😀 It was for sale … I think 2018? But it looks like the other laundromat expanded into the space. I just loved that building, was gonna turn it into a coffee shop/laundromat like Rough Draft is up in Kingston, except laundry instead of books… local musicians, artists and authors do shows in the space. The owners wanted WAYYYY too much money and I had too much experienced running valuations for a laundromat. If I were to guess, they settled for a lot less just to get out and retire… https://saugertieslaundry.com/
OMG!!! Dude is living my retirement lifestyle dream!!!! I would just hang on the patio everyday… smell that BBQ all the way over here. We have got to make that interview happen… how do we do that?!? I gotta fly in and camp out there?!? (My son used to live in Bed-Stuy, on Decatur… he’s up in Kingston now… where I should be FT!!! )
I have to agree. I was also thinking about when I lived in the city, and how my self-protective instincts kicked in immediately whenever I thought someone was hitting on me or a little too desperate for conversation. I probably could have been a lot less guarded. Except with the guy that hit on me on Randall’s Island on 9/11, when I was walking home to Queens from the Bronx. That guy can go f—- himself. Read the room, bro! Not the day.
You nailed it, Mr Estrin! I was reading this week’s installment and thought, Anne really must have magic powers because it seems like she can have a first class conversation with just about anybody and get the best out of them! Well done!
“Every time I come out of prison, this place looks different,” is a dense quote. There are worlds compressed in there. I’m going to think of it unprompted months later.
I got the impression there was more prison time in Ninja's life than out-of-prison time, DD. Including long stints in solitary confinement, which he referred to as "the box."
Anne, this is what you do best. PEOPLE. And Ninja is already up there with some of your greats and I have not finished reading your encounter yet! The rest is, as always, great, but maybe your first Cafe Annie Bedside Companion should be about Ninja and the like, who new followers can find in your archive. Well worth the effort. And I loved the cemetery comparison.🐰aka Kevin
I just finished my read (your post came just a I put some small homemade pizzas in the oven, then a dozen rolls. I am a bread maker). All great people. And I love the 15’ feral pigeon. I want one. Do you know how much such a wonderful work of art costs? 🐰aka Kevin.
I hung in that hood for a short time in high school, most of the guys were already in and out of jail and they were max 18-19 years old. Sort of dated this one guy who was just out of Rykers. Good heart, just a terrible start in life. I'd bet Ninja and he knew each other, at least back in the day, we're all about the same age. Often thought about what happened to him, but reading about Ninja... It's sad. Probably not much different.
When I moved back to Brooklyn in '99, I sometimes drove to this station on street cleaning days when I had to move the car anyway. Shaved 20 minutes off my commute. All that said... I literally NEVER NOTICED any of this. Kinda feel like need to go back :D
Loved hearing about your Newkirk experience, Maria. I've been thinking a lot about Ninja. Could things have gone differently for him? Of course they could have.
It is also funny what you said about never noticing a lot of this. I'd been to the plaza many times before writing story but when it wasn't until I actually spent a day there purely for the purposes of NOTICING that I saw a zillion things I'd otherwise never have seen. It's a real luxury, to be able to spend time that way.
Yea it's wild. I grew up on the D/Q. My mom lived at Ave H, and I would walk to Newkirk from there for a while to get the express. I guess it was just always in a hurry, like you said right... noticing is a luxury.
(Yes, back in my time it was NOT the B, but the D that ran here and I was super confused when all of a sudden the D didn't go there anymore. Later my friend's mom said that hilariously it was (?) an MTA "project" that took so damn long people actually forgot that the B was the train supposed to be here. Like an entire generation was confused 😂 )
Well, it seems his name really is Aharon, but I think some readers have questioned whether a) he is real or b) he is actually Anne’s friend. So I think I’d have to say it’s the former option in your comment!
There's a whole stretch of subway stops along the BQ line that's just so strange and quaint. I used to get off at Ave H to go to Brooklyn College and there are actual rocking chairs outside that station. Like you can sit in them and rock as if that station was your home and the chairs were on your front porch. I did it often just for the novelty.
I didn't know the history of Newkirk Plaza though! I remember getting off at that stop for the first time, must have been in 2007 right after they spruced it up, and I was so confused because I exited onto the street, but also I didn't??
Aharon's description of the area feel spot on - "It's like the end of a really bad movie, where everybody learned the lesson that actually the big city is no good, because that's where Satan lives, but there's always a home you can return to."
What a stewpot of a place. A real slice of humanity. Never been there, and I probably never will, but damn if I don't feel like it's just a little bit special of a place!
What a fun idea Marina! I'd load the bus with not just readers but also the craziest locals, and everyone could take a turn driving the bus around the city where ever they wanted!
Thanks Mark! Now I am thinking it how great it would be to launch a new Substack and travel the country and only write about the people and stores at old malls.
Today's post was chock full of nonsense and that is MEANT AS A COMPLIMENT. A long comment like the old days is the result
(1) I don't know the formal process to propose a revised definition to Webster's and other proprietors of dictionaries for new entries but I propose non sequitur -- "I am loving and caring but I am a Leo" -- the ABSOLUTE ROFL line in this post IMO.
(2) Observation based on my desire for definitions...open air markets have existed for centuries and probably millennia -- hard to pin down where the first of anything is unless we bother with a definition. My opinion would be unless there is a communal parking lot, some "strip malls" are just a string of random shops that are largely adjacent. This unfortunately excludes the Greeks, Romans and Chinese unless the parking lots accommodated tie-ups for the indentured servant carriers, rickshaws and the like.
(3) Question not asked but perhaps related -- I love when I travel to observe what happens to previous shopping hotspots. This makes your example quite cool as it has survived for over a century!!! This is an extension of people watching and also gives me a sense of what the place is really like. I think it says LOADS about the places we choose to live about whether these spots spiral into decay OR they are nurtured and maintained to remain a reasonably satisfying place we choose to go to. If modern American commerce continues to flourish I can see a future where some American cities will just tear down the whole city and build a city 2.0 and call it progress. My FAVORITE modern example of this is the proliferation of ghost cities in China. Pseudo-Milan and Pseudo-Paris seem absurd. The only place we seem to do this so far is in Las Vegas. I suppose anyone who admires "developers" and think they bring value (and perhaps even might be good at something else completely unrelated are off their rocker). I am not sure where the line is but taking a nip on a milk crate seems perilously close to off course :) I live in the Twin Cities. A city named Edina (popular answer in the NYT crossword puzzle) is credited as the home of the first indoor shopping center -- big deal -- what is worthwhile IMO is that it remains largely still a thing after almost 75 years and has never become a dump. My hometown in WNY seems more aligned to lets build stuff and largely leave decaying monuments because we forgot to paint and vacuum after about 20 years. Whether the original idea was good, bad, or indifferent, for me, there is always value in taking care and investing in making things last and remain viable. Taking care of stuff, not tearing it down or letting it decay is something worthwhile for some of us.
(4) Special shout-out to the cemetery comparison -- wonderful!
1) The "Leo" quote did not make me laugh until you told me it made you laugh and then finally it struck me so funny I am ROFL too!
2) Indeed, what makes a strip mall a strip mall? Just between you and me, I am not sure Newkirk Plaza actually qualifies, but it's a better headline than "open air plaza."
3) I'd love to visit that 75-year-old mall! And yes it'd be fun if we just found ways to reuse everything.
(1) Great minds (2) If you enjoy Newkirk Plaza, imagine what an old middle eastern bazaar is like :) -- I love the St Paul Farmer's Market they sell everything it seems and lots of dogs (3) https://hennepinhistory.org/americas-first-indoor-shopping-mall-southdale/ -- a birdcage!!! (4) you earn it every week
The mark of how AMAZING your Newsletter is what it drives me to do. I looked up Yelp reviews of the barbershop. The first one was so dang specific to the person's challenges in haircutting I fear I will be chuckling for the rest of the day. Instead of providing the link I encourage you to enjoy the hunt for MJ T.'s review. P.S. in order to drive you to explore, today's hint is Minnie will love the review.
This issue was great! But I want to focus on something you do so well, Anne. It's hard to interview people without judging them, but if you can accomplish that, you'll find gold. You are an interview master, Anne. I felt so uneasy when I read the exchange between you and Ninja where he said he's an alcoholic and you said you're in recovery. In lesser hands, that scene could've gone sideways. But you lead with humanity and humor, and what I love about that approach is that you find people as they are, and you put them forward, warts and all, with so much respect and dignity. Well done!
Wow Mr. Estrin! You know how I told you I keep a file on my phone of compliments I got that make me feel good so I can refer to it when I'm feeling down? Just pasted this one in at the top! Thank you!
I used to own a coin-op laundromat in St Paul in the early ’80s that put me through college… I keep thing I want to buy another one with grown up money and almost did in 2019 in Saugerties … in the middle of town, cool building… I loved the building, but the business made no sense… all those out of order signs triggered my “I should see if it’s for sale and fix that” bug… but … that’s a bad idea buying a coin-op laundromat… right?!?
Gerard! I get it, as I have a THING for laundromats, esp. the coin-op kind. If you have to use the coin-op laundromat, it says either you are very young, or have a lot of free time, or life just hasn't worked out the way you wanted. And for whatever reason, this creates a very specific sort of resigned atmosphere that is, in its own odd way, delightful. So yes, please buy the laundromat! I will write the story about it.
This laundromat exchange made me smile and is full of wisdom. I now make an occasional trip because the one near me has a dog washing station. For $17 you get to give your dog the full treatment and not mess up your place. It is perfect for that halfway point between grooming sessions since you can't even step into a groomer for $17. My day in the life at the laundromat (1) I throw in the oversized load. (2) Then Denny goes into the wash station for $17 ($1 a minute). (3) Once he is dried and ready to go, the oversized load is done with its cycle of washing. (4) Then it is off to the Guatemalan chicken place across the street so we share some beans and chicken afterwards. (5) Generally, by then, I go in and run another dry cycle (the big items are never dry) (6) read a book and (7) take in some people watching. Next time, maybe I will ponder the existence of the resigned atmosphere. If Gérard pursues the laundry I hope he adds the dog washing stations as you get an expanded crowd.
Haha this is my idea of a PERFECT DAY!
That’s a rom-com right there… a story of a day at the laundromat told on real time. The people you’d meet!
And I absolutely would add the dog washing station! There would be so much stuff in there … bakery, bbq, coffee, books, music, dog washing, laundry, tailor… but you’re never know what exactly just locals sign up to do… whatever while people did their laundry… a little chaos but just fun stuff… like the Ax-Man surplus store on University Ave in St Paul growing up in the ’60-70s… never knew what they had but you went in every week… like that sort of feeling…
Oh… and a few grafs about business diversifying reminded me of this fun little thing 😀😀 https://medium.com/monkey-with-a-loaded-typewriter/im-a-joker-i-m-a-smoker-i-m-a-midnight-toker-e1a52ebae7c3 SO NEW YORK!!!
So true!! There really are only those two type of people there 😀😀😀 It was for sale … I think 2018? But it looks like the other laundromat expanded into the space. I just loved that building, was gonna turn it into a coffee shop/laundromat like Rough Draft is up in Kingston, except laundry instead of books… local musicians, artists and authors do shows in the space. The owners wanted WAYYYY too much money and I had too much experienced running valuations for a laundromat. If I were to guess, they settled for a lot less just to get out and retire… https://saugertieslaundry.com/
There is a combo bar/laundromat in Bed-Stuy.
https://www.instagram.com/pearl_lees_washtub/?hl=en
I've tried interviewing the owner to no avail.
OMG!!! Dude is living my retirement lifestyle dream!!!! I would just hang on the patio everyday… smell that BBQ all the way over here. We have got to make that interview happen… how do we do that?!? I gotta fly in and camp out there?!? (My son used to live in Bed-Stuy, on Decatur… he’s up in Kingston now… where I should be FT!!! )
*thinking … ok, not sure why substack put my note here but … well, here we are. 😀😀
I have to agree. I was also thinking about when I lived in the city, and how my self-protective instincts kicked in immediately whenever I thought someone was hitting on me or a little too desperate for conversation. I probably could have been a lot less guarded. Except with the guy that hit on me on Randall’s Island on 9/11, when I was walking home to Queens from the Bronx. That guy can go f—- himself. Read the room, bro! Not the day.
AMAZING
Damn. There's clueless and then there's that guy. Yikes.
You nailed it, Mr Estrin! I was reading this week’s installment and thought, Anne really must have magic powers because it seems like she can have a first class conversation with just about anybody and get the best out of them! Well done!
“Every time I come out of prison, this place looks different,” is a dense quote. There are worlds compressed in there. I’m going to think of it unprompted months later.
I got the impression there was more prison time in Ninja's life than out-of-prison time, DD. Including long stints in solitary confinement, which he referred to as "the box."
I keep thinking about him, too.
I used to get my hair cut by Leon, and now I get it cut by Artem!
NO WAY!!!! That makes me SO HAPPY Paul!
Artem, btw, suggested several ways I could improve my look if I get my next haircut from him.
Ha! I haven't observed many (any?) female customers there, but he does seem to be pretty adept with multiple hair styles.
I confess that I miss the shop name "Leon's Fantasy Cut," which was just AWESOME. But that's NYC for ya — always changing.
I know! I actually told Artem that "Leon's Fantasy Cut" was a great name. So funny.
Damn I love this newsletter lol. Great issue!
Ha great to hear that. Thank you Steph!
Anne, this is what you do best. PEOPLE. And Ninja is already up there with some of your greats and I have not finished reading your encounter yet! The rest is, as always, great, but maybe your first Cafe Annie Bedside Companion should be about Ninja and the like, who new followers can find in your archive. Well worth the effort. And I loved the cemetery comparison.🐰aka Kevin
Oh I'm so happy you enjoyed this one O L O, as I know last week's party animal story did not go down well with you.
And I like the idea of compiling the people encounters. Thank you!
I just finished my read (your post came just a I put some small homemade pizzas in the oven, then a dozen rolls. I am a bread maker). All great people. And I love the 15’ feral pigeon. I want one. Do you know how much such a wonderful work of art costs? 🐰aka Kevin.
The sculpture is by the artist Iván Argote, aka Kevin. It looks like he lives in Paris, so he's not so far away.
https://ivanargote.com/
Maybe he will make one just for you!
Definitely gonna get up to some fuckery today. Also, looking forward to that pigeon!
Haha, can't wait to hear what that entails, Betty-Ann!
Prolly some crimes
If a future issue of Cafe Anne doesn't feature you wearing The Rat Pack uniform, I'm canceling my subscription.
Thank god the swag is in black, Amran. They MUST have been thinking of me.
I love this piece. Feel like I was there. A touch of Americana. Can’t wait to visit there sometime.
You might have nailed it, Toni. It does feel a little more "Americana" then a lot of NYC. But a VERY NYC version of Americana.
So glad you enjoyed the story!
I hung in that hood for a short time in high school, most of the guys were already in and out of jail and they were max 18-19 years old. Sort of dated this one guy who was just out of Rykers. Good heart, just a terrible start in life. I'd bet Ninja and he knew each other, at least back in the day, we're all about the same age. Often thought about what happened to him, but reading about Ninja... It's sad. Probably not much different.
When I moved back to Brooklyn in '99, I sometimes drove to this station on street cleaning days when I had to move the car anyway. Shaved 20 minutes off my commute. All that said... I literally NEVER NOTICED any of this. Kinda feel like need to go back :D
Loved hearing about your Newkirk experience, Maria. I've been thinking a lot about Ninja. Could things have gone differently for him? Of course they could have.
It is also funny what you said about never noticing a lot of this. I'd been to the plaza many times before writing story but when it wasn't until I actually spent a day there purely for the purposes of NOTICING that I saw a zillion things I'd otherwise never have seen. It's a real luxury, to be able to spend time that way.
Yea it's wild. I grew up on the D/Q. My mom lived at Ave H, and I would walk to Newkirk from there for a while to get the express. I guess it was just always in a hurry, like you said right... noticing is a luxury.
(Yes, back in my time it was NOT the B, but the D that ran here and I was super confused when all of a sudden the D didn't go there anymore. Later my friend's mom said that hilariously it was (?) an MTA "project" that took so damn long people actually forgot that the B was the train supposed to be here. Like an entire generation was confused 😂 )
I love how your non-friend Aharon said, “don’t quote me,” and you did anyway 😜🤣
And, if Adams had any management skills at all, he’d put that rat swag on sale for everyone to buy. He’d get his Rat Czar’s salary funded in 48 hours!
Amy that would be so great if rat swag sales funded the Rat Czar's salary. Amy for Mayor!
Meanwhile I will earn my rat swag the hard way and then make a killing selling it on eBay.
LOLOLOL!! Love!
Ooh, I hope you’ll write about the requirements involved in getting that swag. And the eBay part!
This cracked me up too, Amy! And what will keep me up this night: Is it Anne's "friend" Aharon, or is it her friend "Aharon"?
Well, it seems his name really is Aharon, but I think some readers have questioned whether a) he is real or b) he is actually Anne’s friend. So I think I’d have to say it’s the former option in your comment!
Jessica and Amy, in case you missed it, Aharon addressed some of these issues here:
https://annekadet.substack.com/i/143746917/whats-the-deal-with-your-friend-aharon
Clear as mud 🤣
There's a whole stretch of subway stops along the BQ line that's just so strange and quaint. I used to get off at Ave H to go to Brooklyn College and there are actual rocking chairs outside that station. Like you can sit in them and rock as if that station was your home and the chairs were on your front porch. I did it often just for the novelty.
I didn't know the history of Newkirk Plaza though! I remember getting off at that stop for the first time, must have been in 2007 right after they spruced it up, and I was so confused because I exited onto the street, but also I didn't??
Aharon's description of the area feel spot on - "It's like the end of a really bad movie, where everybody learned the lesson that actually the big city is no good, because that's where Satan lives, but there's always a home you can return to."
Eden! I spent a whole day in those rocking chairs and got one my most favorite ever stories!
https://annekadet.substack.com/i/136689069/a-day-at-the-avenue-h-stop-my-laziest-story-ever
You will be surprised, I bet, by the story behind those rocking chairs.
Glad you enjoyed Aharon's comments. He really is the best.
omg Anne, that was a great issue! And Aharon strikes again with another very NY observation: nothing can just *be* 🤣
What a stewpot of a place. A real slice of humanity. Never been there, and I probably never will, but damn if I don't feel like it's just a little bit special of a place!
Thank you Justin! Makes me so happy to know you feel you caught the vibe.
Thanks for making my Monday a funday! It’s just like I was there! When the Cafe Ann Bus Tours start rolling, sign me up.
What a fun idea Marina! I'd load the bus with not just readers but also the craziest locals, and everyone could take a turn driving the bus around the city where ever they wanted!
Maybe everyone can sit on a milk cart
Old malls, like old people, are a little worn out but full of stories. Another winner.
Thanks Mark! Now I am thinking it how great it would be to launch a new Substack and travel the country and only write about the people and stores at old malls.
Oh, Ninja what a life!
Meanwhile, I'm still chuckling about the Rat Pack. I'm picturing Frank Sinatra's withering expression, while Dean Martin splutters with laughter.
"The Rat Pack don't do litter picks," Frank says, unamused.
Helen can you imagine a movie where Frankie and Dean join Mayor Adams on booze-soaked rat hunt? This must happen!
Yesssss!!! And Sammy Davis junior is driving around in his dustcart, singing and being awesome!
Today's post was chock full of nonsense and that is MEANT AS A COMPLIMENT. A long comment like the old days is the result
(1) I don't know the formal process to propose a revised definition to Webster's and other proprietors of dictionaries for new entries but I propose non sequitur -- "I am loving and caring but I am a Leo" -- the ABSOLUTE ROFL line in this post IMO.
(2) Observation based on my desire for definitions...open air markets have existed for centuries and probably millennia -- hard to pin down where the first of anything is unless we bother with a definition. My opinion would be unless there is a communal parking lot, some "strip malls" are just a string of random shops that are largely adjacent. This unfortunately excludes the Greeks, Romans and Chinese unless the parking lots accommodated tie-ups for the indentured servant carriers, rickshaws and the like.
(3) Question not asked but perhaps related -- I love when I travel to observe what happens to previous shopping hotspots. This makes your example quite cool as it has survived for over a century!!! This is an extension of people watching and also gives me a sense of what the place is really like. I think it says LOADS about the places we choose to live about whether these spots spiral into decay OR they are nurtured and maintained to remain a reasonably satisfying place we choose to go to. If modern American commerce continues to flourish I can see a future where some American cities will just tear down the whole city and build a city 2.0 and call it progress. My FAVORITE modern example of this is the proliferation of ghost cities in China. Pseudo-Milan and Pseudo-Paris seem absurd. The only place we seem to do this so far is in Las Vegas. I suppose anyone who admires "developers" and think they bring value (and perhaps even might be good at something else completely unrelated are off their rocker). I am not sure where the line is but taking a nip on a milk crate seems perilously close to off course :) I live in the Twin Cities. A city named Edina (popular answer in the NYT crossword puzzle) is credited as the home of the first indoor shopping center -- big deal -- what is worthwhile IMO is that it remains largely still a thing after almost 75 years and has never become a dump. My hometown in WNY seems more aligned to lets build stuff and largely leave decaying monuments because we forgot to paint and vacuum after about 20 years. Whether the original idea was good, bad, or indifferent, for me, there is always value in taking care and investing in making things last and remain viable. Taking care of stuff, not tearing it down or letting it decay is something worthwhile for some of us.
(4) Special shout-out to the cemetery comparison -- wonderful!
Mr. Dolan!
1) The "Leo" quote did not make me laugh until you told me it made you laugh and then finally it struck me so funny I am ROFL too!
2) Indeed, what makes a strip mall a strip mall? Just between you and me, I am not sure Newkirk Plaza actually qualifies, but it's a better headline than "open air plaza."
3) I'd love to visit that 75-year-old mall! And yes it'd be fun if we just found ways to reuse everything.
4) Thank you!
(1) Great minds (2) If you enjoy Newkirk Plaza, imagine what an old middle eastern bazaar is like :) -- I love the St Paul Farmer's Market they sell everything it seems and lots of dogs (3) https://hennepinhistory.org/americas-first-indoor-shopping-mall-southdale/ -- a birdcage!!! (4) you earn it every week
The mark of how AMAZING your Newsletter is what it drives me to do. I looked up Yelp reviews of the barbershop. The first one was so dang specific to the person's challenges in haircutting I fear I will be chuckling for the rest of the day. Instead of providing the link I encourage you to enjoy the hunt for MJ T.'s review. P.S. in order to drive you to explore, today's hint is Minnie will love the review.
Three cowlicks! Haha!