The Wolverines are Coming!

No, you don’t have to add wolverines to the list of blood-thirsty creatures like fishers and the Montauk Monster, invading our state. I’m talking about the football team. According to The Hartford Courant, in 2010, the UConn football team will open their season against the legendary Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. To return the favor, Michigan will play UConn to start the 2013 season in East Hartford.

It’s Sonic Good

Fox 61 News is reporting that there will be a Sonic Drive-In opening up in Wallingford, which is a good place for it, because according to the Anti-Couric living in Wallingford is like living in the 1950s. This is, no doubt, crackerjack reporting on FOX’s part, as they’re basing the story on an ad seen on Careerbuilder.com looking for managers. So now when you see those Sonic commercials you won’t have to get angry that the nearest one is in Virginia or somewhere, but simpy drive on over to Wallingford…and beat up a Choate kid or two on the way.

Tag Sale THIS WEEKEND to benefit the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective!

Here’s the scoop kids, Tommy’s Restaurant in Middletown, hosts of the fabulous Wednesday Night Supper Club, is hosting a Tag Sale to benefit the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective on THIS Saturday, August 1, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tommy’s Restaurant is located at 825 Saybrook Road in Middletown, Connecticut 06457.

Now the Gay Guru urges you to check it out for a few reasons….and here they are, in no particular order:

Sex & the Suburbs: Dating in the Recession

So we’re all looking for ways to save money these days, and one sure fire way is to find someone to shack up with so you can split the bills. Here are a few ways to get you to that point without spending a ton of money because a) you have to find someone and b) it takes at least a few dates to convince someone to move in…for most of us, anyway. While we at The CuT are pretty frugal (cheapskates), I did enlist some help from friends and local young professionals for some of the information below.

Taste of Hartford 2.0

When I was little, I remember the Taste of Hartford being on Constitution Plaza and consisting of what seemed like hundreds of booths with tasty treats. I remember it being pretty much the same as I got older, but it seemed like fewer booths and pretty darn expensive because I was a poor college student. Then it went away.

Now, version 2.0 of  Taste of Hartford is another of the Beat’s attempts to be like NYC, Boston, and DC,–all of which have held  Restaurant Weeks for several years. Personally, I’m all for this concept, thieved from the big cities or not. From now until August 9 (they extended it from the original August 2 ending), over 30 Hartford restaurants will feature a three-course prix fixe menu for $20.09. This gives those of us without fat paychecks the chance to eat at some of the pricier restaurants without going into debt.

Is The Courant f*ing with me?

When you think about fighting birds, the images you muster probably involve huge, cocky roosters with spurs…not pansy ass canaries. But it looks like mo-tards who are involved with fighting animals have moved on from old school cock fighting, and have decided finches and canaries are where it’s at. Either that or The Courant is just trying to fu*k with my head.

You thought drunk-dialing was bad…

Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of getting a little tipsy and calling and/or texting someone we shouldn’t. Sometimes it’s just an embarrassment, and other times it’s the beginning of another ride on the not terrible, but going nowhere relationship merry-go-round. But there is a bright side; next time you find yourself drunk-dialing someone, just be glad you aren’t this chick:

Is that a snake in your pocket?

I barely know where to start:

HARTFORD — – A 20-year-old driver told police his baby pet snakes are to blame for a multi-car crash he caused on Main Street Monday morning.

Angel Rolon, of New Britain, lost control of his SUV as he and a passenger scrambled to catch the two snakes, he told police. He said they escaped from his pants pockets and slithered down near the gas and brake pedals, police said.

Waterbury Chili Fest Turns the Heat Up

Yesterday, The Boyfriend, The Friend, and I headed down to Waterbury for the 2nd Annual 5 Alarm Chili Fest benefiting the Waterbury Neighborhood Council. Let me be honest, I try to avoid Waterbury  unless work takes me there, and even then I go begrudgingly. However, being a good (or at least agreeable) girlfriend, I went along for the ride.

Welcome to CT

So I stopped by The Courant’s website today, and now I’m thinking about moving. Here are a few screen captures to explain why:

Cirque Comes to CT (sort of)

So you no longer need to travel to Vegas to see Cirque…you can just travel to Simsbury (incidentally ranked #57 in CNN’s top 100 towns to live in the U.S.)!

The Connecticut Theater Festival is putting on a production of Cirque de la Symphonie featuring the Hartford Symphony Orchestra at the Simsbury Meadows this Friday night. Tickets are a reasonable $25 in advance for lawn and $320 for a table of eight ($40 a ticket if you have seven friends). While there may not be as many “in the air” acts as the full Cirque du Soleil (let’s call it “cirque lite”) it still promises some fantastic music that should be familiar to everyone– including Carmen and Bolero. For such an extensive and expensive production, these ticket prices really do fulfill the Festival’s mission of  “extraordinary events at popular prices.”

Darkwing Duck Wreaks Havoc on Hartford

If you were traveling home last week and saw two men with guns drawn walking on an overpass above 91 in Hartford, don’t fret! These guys weren’t just another statistic. Local filmmaker Effrem Adams was filming a scene for his live action adaptation of Darkwing Duck. Sounds like an exciting scene, right? Well, there was one teensy-weensy problem: no one driving by knew it was for a film. Mr. Adams also failed to tell the Hartford PD that they were going to stage a shootout, complete with fake, yet semi-realistic looking firearms, in a very public place.

Adios Macaroni Grill, Hola Plaza Azteca?

My family were pretty loyal patrons of the Macaroni Grill in Manchester for birthdays, celebrations, and whatnot. So, it made me a little sad when it closed down a while ago. However, the faux-stone building has a new tenant –Plaza Azteca Restaurante–a chain from south of the border. And by border, I mean the Mason-Dixon line, as it is based in Virginia.

Gathering of the Vibes

I’m not personally much for huge concerts where drunks are wandering around peeing in public, and hippies are too busy chasing around imaginary creatures to notice what’s happening on the stage, hence my avoidance of all things Dave Matthews since college. But since The Gathering of the Vibes is taking place in Connecticut we here at The CuT think it’s our duty to plug it–despite the horrendous name.

Riverfest: No Deal

When I was a kid we would go to Riverfest every year. We’d stay all day while the ‘rents got hammered and I rode my bike around, played on the makeshift slip-n-slide, rolled down hills in giant blow-up contraptions, and bought bracelets that said my name on them. I went a few times for the fireworks after they moved it to Hartford, but for the most part I’ve just watched them from Wickham Park. This year, though, the promise of a “Deal or No Deal” casting lured me back. I thought about tipping my loyal readers off to the potential of a million dollars, but I decided that was against my best interests. Don’t feel cheated; it was laaaame.