kidsburgh!

Yesterday I got an email from Eat 'n Park. They wanted to let me and my readers know about their summer specials for kids.

I wasn't sure if I should do it. Eat 'n Park may be a Pittsburgh tradition, but I haven't personally set foot in the restaurant in years, so I can't provide a very authoritative review. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Eat 'n Park is directly responsible for the free-wheeling lifestyle I enjoy today, so I figured maybe I owe them a favor.

This story dates back to the summer of 2002, when I was pounding the pavement of Murray Avenue, with a moderate amount of optimism and a CMU degree that was still fairly fresh. I worked my way further and further down the street, filling out applications with less and less enthusiasm and a growing sense of inevitability as I passed one boutique after another and inched ever closer to the striped awnings of the Eat 'n Park franchise. Finally, I found myself filling out a standardized application test with a number two pencil and returning home to wait by the phone for the call I was sure would soon arrive.

Two weeks later, I had learned a couple of important things: there is never, ever an acceptable reason to be late for work (or at least, you should never admit it in a job application), and apparently I was more or less unemployable. Three weeks later, I had started to look seriously for freelance work, and I've never looked back. So thanks, I guess, Eat 'n Park.

Anyway, their summer specials start today and last until the end of July. There are lots of kids' meals available for 99 cents, and all include free goody bags and smiley cookies for kids under ten. For more information, see this website.