Entry 0012: Saturday 10032026

The twelfth entry in Members Only Periodical Column (aka MOPC Blog)!! Twelve is my favorite number.. I wore it my sophomore and junior years of high school because Phil was older and got to pick his number before me and so I had to wait to wear that two-three till my senior year (cuz he didnt play that year.. love Phil! miss ya man!).. I didnt wear the one-two my freshman year because I didnt make varsity (shed some tears over that for real doe.. were they wasted tears? who knows..) and Im sure I wouldnt have worn it soph/jr years if number three had been available (cuz Ben Wallace).. but one and two make three and I couldnt get anything wear the digits added up to 23… so twelve.. its my favorite number now.. I was given it as much as I chose it.. i chose to embrace it after forsaken the brazen two-three.. its mine now (and hopefully others’ as well.. its a pretty good number and with 8 billion people and an affinity for lucky numbers <100 its unlikely that twelve is just Simple D’s)

Its funny how we choose things.. its funny what we see in things.. growth is as much a part of who we are as any fleeting image of us will ever be.. plants that dont grow usually turn out to be made of plastic..

Now, in this twelfth entry, permit me to recall the tenth wherein was mention made of the undeniable value of a ship made of pure gold.. just as Im sure a golden ship is less valuable than friendship, I am sure that a road paved with gold is more valuable than one paved with cement.. Ole Simple Dan was lucky enough to walk a road paved with gold today.. it shone and glinted and glittered under a sun that will burn bright tomorrow and it did today, as it did when Wally and Edwin fought in the war to end all wars, as it will until Drew’s Edwin’s grandchildren have come and gone..

No, it was paved, this road Simple D walked today, with the kind of gold having 79 for its atomic number (see the picture below).. it was paved with the fallen leaves of some delightful trees.. nonetheless, I could not have smiled more and enjoyed the cool midday breezes if it were paved with 79 proton-ed malleable metal.. further, I could enjoy it in peace for if it were paved like fort knox, surely people would be killing each other over it like it were black friday.. further further, I could walk it and enjoy its shine without a dragons hoarding glut and enjoy my volcano poke bowl before walking it again knowing it may be my gold paved road to walk again tomorrow (or it wont #outcomeneutrality).. anyways, time to take my elevator ride to my goldmine and mine the day’s gold..

Cheers!!

Simple Dan

P.s. edits and the promised photo coming soon

Entry 0011 - Monday, Sept. 28th, 2026 CE

I like pirates… you know.. as long as they are not killing, looting and raping me and my people (whomever they may or may not be).. I dont know how much Id like to be an actual pirate.. the smells, the scary seas, policing adversaries, other pirates.. some people choose the life from the get (and of these some continue choosing it whilst others, like Tom n Huck n Joe give it up).. for others (like Princess Buttercup’s dear Wesley), the life chooses them.. funny how most of the adventures this naive bartender puts his dern self in whilst comfy in a local library chair (where Simple Dan sits writing this) are adventures he’d never really wanna go on if he knew they meant getting off his lazy ass and forsaking this safe, warm throne for that of a cold, frightened, hungry sojourner..

Mainly, I bring this up to say a small number of things: 1) i dont wanna leave the comfy chair of daydream to start rewriting the text… hopefully, a little nudge out the door comes along with some gentle treatment up front allows the first steps of that adventure to fall in a timely manner this autumn.. 2) I have clipped what will be the newest episode to hit the www after weeks of deliberation regarding whether or not to release some or all of what will surely be questionable content.. nevertheless, this fappy camper will follow the road out his front door with the understanding that this morning’s fog clouds his vision of impending predicaments and perils but there is a mighty sun that dispels all veils in its proper time and is always ready to warm the heart of the simple-hearted adventurer..

Cheers,

Simple Dan, fappy camper in search of adventure and clueless road-joiner

P.s. it has been said that if you give a Simple Danny a keyboard and enough time, he will eventually produce Shakespeare… he hasnt produced anything about Horatio or witches Othello or sonnets or nothing but um… he has stroked out this blog thus far and may someday get around to rewriting ‘The Text’… TTFN!!

Entry 0010: Sunday, 09272026

A wise feller once said that as a gold ship is more valuable than a silver ship, as a silver or gold ship is more valuable to the pirate than the wooden ship upon which he sails in search of freedom and plunder (cuz if he had a pirate ship made of silver or gold he could stop with the plundering should his heart be oriented toward freedom and not plunder), as a platinum or diamond ship is more valuable than a ship made of gold, nothing is more valuable than.. um… well, friendship.

I dare to say Ive made a friend over the last year or so. The kind of friend who I believe believed in this ole salty scallywag before he was ready to believe in his self in many ways (and, in whom, I truly hoped I have believed.. whatever that may be worth to them). So often, a crusty seafaring fella on the unpredictable seas is saved by the light of the sun playing in and off of the eyes of a kind-hearted lady at port as the sun plays in and off of those Caribbean waters which fail to imitate the eyes of this fair gal (having color of a kind with them very same pirate sheltering seas). Without just such a friend calling this poop-deck swabber on, he might have found his self swabbing poop decks for much much longer.

In hopes of shared hope in a calm and reviving port tonight, here’s lookin’ at you kid,

Simple Dan

P.s. ive heard it said that, ‘teamwork makes the dream work;’ but this sail in search of wind prefers to say, ‘teamwork is the dream working’

Entry 0009: Thursday, September 24th, 2026

This morning, you simple goose and tweeting birdy, Simple Dan, was cooked (as the kids are wont to say)… verily, around six seven this very morning, your goose (sans mustache) was cooked upon arising.. there were early worms to catch and other tasks on his mind.. and they were ‘a simmer’ as this bird was couped up in his coup (apartment).. whose hand graciously opened that coup’s latch and let him wander out into the chill, fresh autumn air, this cooked goose cannot say.. he waddled over to the gardens and waters of purgatory creek park, honking like the cooked goose he was (in spirit if not in visible voice.. thank God he didnt wantonly poop everywhere like them real geese coming down from Canadia during this migratory season!!).. as the reviving airs filled his breathe and the cool sights restored his gaze and the sweet sounds soothed his earbells, some semblance of repose let him take in a curious sight → over the waters a flock of presumably migrating birds of a feather circled about.. with the sight and smells and sounds and feels (especially of the breeze over them unmired waters) and tastes (the fecund air fighting this cooked goose’s fowl morning breathe) getting to be some degree of what they can (of themselves and as they play with and for each other), a notion nosed its way into my mind (if not my heart and spirit also): are these avian pilgrims circled in search of food (perhaps) or that the flock may be gathered into one as the sleepy heads are rousted from there beds by the call to the skies? Simple D, your humble cooked goose, cant rightly say; for: in them classes where they taught us about the behaviors of birdies and ‘sitch from out them big fancy books, his mind and heart were outside, where birdies fly (and honk and poop… especially the canadian geese) and turtles surface and fish splash and bees buzz and naive bartenders portraying themselves as cooked geese takes in all that this mighty world has to offer (and mabe even what some of whatever lies beyond it has to offer too → cannot two things be true?).. who knows? probably the smart people who write them big fancy books… oh!! speaking of books! this cooked goose just finished reading Tom Sawyer yesterday and now is kinda feeling like this all could be interpreted as one cooked goose’s pour and unconscious imitation of a real honker (ole clement Clemens)… whatever.. time to roust my midwestern ass and follows the calls of the flock to which I desire to belong, save this entry, get ready and head across that very same purgatory creek park and serve my community by helping them buy the kind of stuff suitable for getting their selves out under this gorgeous silvered sky..

Cheers!!

Simple D, cooked goose and paragon of honking/pooping excellence

Entry 0008: Wednesday (or October?)

The third hour approaches as our simple-moggin hero, the adventurous Spacedan Spiff, looks out the window of his spacecraft (apartment) onto a young-green prairie swamp under a sky so blue you could mistake it for that under which Bugs Bunny encountered some diminutive extra-terrestrials in that one movie with His Royal Airness (btw I found a cool pair of Js yesterday for thirty-five american dollars that fit my footsies!!).. anyways.. Ive def seen Space Jam.. and Ive def read Calvin & Hobbes.. Ive also seen the HBO program Newsroom; and, yet, though it sits upon my shelf, Ive never read the classic novel, Don Quixote…

Why is ole Simple D writing to MOPC’s reading audience about any of this? Probably because he likes hearing the sounds of his own keystrokes… possibly because Sir Danny, the Simple often ruminates regarding: 1) his unwillingness to actually pick up and enjoy those books on his shelf he desires to try to read, 2) how easy it is for him to think he knows a damn thing about Cervantes’ classic novel because it has been cited by and has inspired things he has seen (Newsroom, etcetera)… is it then appropriate for our rum’n’coke and rum’n’coke accessories expert to sign off:

Cheers!!

Simple Dan Quixote, knight errant and defender of the pour, king of giving his self nicknames and titles, and blog-moggin extraordinaire?

P.s. this blog entry reads here as I read it, once upon in a time in a coffee-cup store.

Entry 0007: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

The ninth hour has passed us here on a luminous prairie like six seven minutes ago. Soon, Simple D will try to catch some ‘zzz’s before he reports for duty at 5:00. Permit him, now, to share some gratitude with the reading audience: today has been quite lovely (apart from this morning’s hangover).. I had me some eggs and sausage and toast and coffee.. I did my morning stuff with acceptable difficulty.. I filled my water supply over there at a chilly Frederick Miller Spring.. I tested my footsies and wrist at Miller Park there.. I walked out my front door and let the day’s road direct my steps.. I bought some nice socks.. I saw some cute kitty cats.. had me some lunch.. watched one of my favorite flicks (Babette’s Feast).. got to write this entry.. gonna hit ‘save’, try a snack, try a nap, get up, get ready, take the elevator down the ole salt mine and mine my salt by serving the community of which I am lucky to be a part!!

Cheers,

Simple Dan, the People’s Man

Entry 0006: Wednesday, September 16th

It is a cool autumn morning over a sun-blessed swamp here on the prairie where Simple Dan sits, grudgingly writing this entry (for now, and since the last entry, he so typically (historically) finds himself lacking courage); nevertheless let the noble Spacedan Spiff limp (foreshadowing) bravely into the unknown!!

What, then, is courage? We have all surely heard alcohol referred to as ‘liquid courage’ (or social lubricant)… why might we all accept this label for that slightly tolerable little poisonous molecule, ethanol? Is it because we find it easier to speak what is on our minds and in our hearts when warmed and numbed by the boozie woozies? I dont know… however, I know a couple things: 1) I must get ready and go to work within minutes, and, 2) I am glad I mustered up the courage to submit this little entry without any of grandapa’s ole cough medicine (even Bob triumphed via baby steps).

TTFN!!

Simple Dan, naive bartender is pursuit of authentic courage

P.s. is it wednesday? or rocktober?

P.p.s. looking forward to shooting our little Octoberfest episode soon!!

Entry 0005 - Monday, August 24th, 2026

It is 10:10 here on another `glow-y’ overcast prairie morn over the swampy Purgatory Creek (and by glow-y and overcast its that kind of lit day where the sun doesn’t burn ur skin yet everything is surprisingly luminous… almost in a spooky way… but such is the nature of sky and light over swampland? im sure its the excess methane… we will have to ask Rockin Rob, the Rad Researcher next time he graces us with his presence).

Anyways, we greatly look forward to shooting with the one and only OG bartender, Ballpark Frank, today as we discuss just how much Danny hates blenders and iced cream drinks!! I’m sure the next post will struggle like this one to be of substance but soon, perhaps, we will have that episode with Rob up, and, soon about there, the one with Ballpark and frozen White Russians (hoping the owner of Coom’s Corner someday graces us with his presence so that we can talk with a real life Chicago bar owner about the pros and cons of malort and my life’s work which pertains to making an enjoyable cocktail with malort as the principle spirit… plus hotdogs - ballpark franks or otherwise).

Lowkey wanna shoutout one of the early supporters of this little project of ours: hope ur convalescence is a grace and kinda hope you’ll join us as a guest for a gin-centric episode one of these days.

Sincerely, Simple D: miscible offering pouring comrade

Entry 0004 - Friday, August 21st, 2026

It is nearly 10:00am here on the prairie where I sit at my desk with luminously overcast Purgatory Creek just over my right shoulder. In this fourth entry, I will keep things pretty brief and just mention a few things about the current state and charted course for MOPC:

  • On Tuesday, the 18th, we had a fun shoot (Take 0011) with Rockin Rob, the Rad Researcher, who shared a couple bourbon-based recipes (and a whole lot of hot science-y knowledge) with yours truly, Simple D, and my gracious cohost, the Dapper Drew. Look for it to be out soon (we let our guests review their appearances before posting them for the three or four viewers we might have) as Rob will hopefully get to check it out and sign off on it soon!

  • We are hoping Nick starts working with us to bring some MOPC content to the social medias and maybe even to help us start Memers Only Posters Corner!! (More info as available)

  • Looking to get the one and only Ballpark Frank to join us for an episode centered around blended dessert drinks as we all know how much veteran bartenders like him enjoy using blenders and also scooping ice cream and getting their hands and workspace all sticky!

  • My nephew drafted us a dope coat of arms for the show (Members Only Players Coat) and we hope to be bringing it to the fronts of tshirts and hats so that we can sell em and people can buy em and rock that MOPC Swag (aka Members Only Players Confidence)!!

Well, that is about what I got for all you Members and Players and MOP-Curious out there! Until we meet (also even if we never meet), stay thirsty (in moderation)!!

Simple Dan, naive bartender and blender-phobic fella.

Entry 0003 - Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

It is nearly 9:00am (the third hour) here on the prairie as I sit down to write out today’s entry. There is much on my mind: troubles at work, an MOPC shoot at noon today, finances, the summer cold with which I’m contending, work tonight (where the trouble is), this, that and other things (#whelmed = overwhelmed by the anticipated trials x underwhelmed by the associated likelihood of desired results → `whelmed’), Nevertheless, it is upon us members and players to lean into the fact that a life well lived is often lived hand in hand with such circumstances; therefore, permit me to share one of the first lessons I learned as a `baby bartender’ (see Nina in Cape Fog episode) from a veteran bartender → slow down to speed up.

When a bartender is `in the weeds’ (no end in sight and urgent tasks in front, on either side and probably behind), it is upon them (should they desire to be their best) to maintain their equanimity. While it may seem like equanimity implies a static and stable state, experience tells us that we as people are always in motion: to and fro, forward and backward, side to side, woo woo woo (love P). So, when the world around us gets faster and faster, the veteran bartender finds ways of slowing themself down (leaving the drink ticket printer to print uncontrollably in order to take a drink of water, eating an olive from the fruit tray, or just taking a deep breathe with empty hands and recognizing that sooner or later the printer will stop printing and the guests will stop hollering).

Additional tips and tricks for bartenders and servers seeking to maintain their repose and equanimity include but are not limited to: keeping some candy handy, if a bit of chocolate can help Harry Potter recover from a dementor attack then perhaps some sour watermelon gummies can put enough of a smile on a weeded bartender’s face to inform the rest of their person (and mabe calm the folks from whom demands are the primary stressor #feedbacksystems and #multifactoroptimization (Rolo)), doing a whipped cream popper, shotgunning a redbull, etcetera (woo woo woo)…

As the third hour approaches and I must be about things other than writing today’s entry, I bid all members, players and MOP-Curious a good day.

Cheers!

Simple D, bartender who stay calm in da weeds

P.s. dont forget to keep an eye for the episode of MOPC which we will be shooting today with xtra special guest Rockin Rob the Rad Researcher!

Entry 0002 - Monday, August 17th, 2026

It is twelve minutes past the third hour on this sunny and cooling morn on the prairie. I had planned on using today’s entry in this little blog to holler at one of the original members and players and speak of his virtues and the lessons I’ve learned from being his companion here and there on this long (and often lonely) road we call `life’; however, as there are only forty-five minutes remaining until I must take the elevator down to the ole salt mine and serve my community, I will save my thoughts on my friend JP and those MOPC themes which he has helped bring to life in the spirit of this naive bartender. For now, then, permit me to share what I recite before every shift of mine as it both serves to display the spirit of MOPC and complete my readying routine:

  • may I be blessed (happy);

  • may my shift be blessed (happy):

  • may the work of my hands be blessed (happy): may it be steady and purposeful;

  • may the words of my mouth be blessed (happy): may they be gracious and kind;

  • may the movements of my heart be blessed (happy): may they be tender and vulnerable;

  • may the expressions of my form be blessed (happy): may they be meek and gentle;

  • may my guests be blessed (happy): even the troublesome and stingy;

  • may my coworkers be blessed (happy): even the troublesome and stingy;

  • may my managers be blessed (happy);

  • may my owners be blessed (happy);

  • may my community be blessed (happy).

It is 9:20 now and I have yet to embark on the colloquial `triple-S’; therefore, I bid all members and players and MOP-Curious a blessed (happy) Monday!

Cheers,

Simple Dan: naive bartender and Cuba Libre expert

Entry 0001 - Sunday, August 16th, 2026

We are halfway through the eighth month of the Julian year, here on a sunny morning overlooking Purgatory Creek where this `royal `we’’ sits, writing this first entry for the Members Only Periodical Column (aka the MOPC Blog). I (we) hope to keep this short and sweet as we (I) are prone to overdoing things or not doing anything under the oppressive burden of overdone designs; and, so, we will share a bit of what has been, what is, and what we hope is to come:

The spirit of MOPC has been tugging at our heart and niggling at our mind since we can remember (we love people and community and celebrating, stories and knowledge and comedy). The name `Members Only Players Club’ was first heard about a half decade ago and we instantly fell in love with it (though we knew not what with it to do): we tried finding other members and players with whom to open a little watering hole of our own under this name, and we tried writing short stories about a little watering hole with such a name, and we tried to start this little podcast-centered project with folk here and there. Now, five years or so is a long time to wait for something so near and dear to one’s heart (and, of which, the non-realization thereof, chafes one’s mind); thankfully, (though we cannot say when - and this is something about which I (we) must write else when) my cohosting member and all-around-player, the Dapper Drew, was gracious enough to explore this avenue with us (Simple Dan).

So, here we (all members and players) are: we have a little show with some footage available on the podcast page of this site, and we have this little site (on which you are reading this little blog entry), and we have each other (us members and players) and the hope for a little watering hole of our own (whatever it may look like). Oh ya! and we have `the Text’ (which I should rather be working on rewriting)!!

May our shows be entertaining and uplifting! May all members and players and MOP-Curious be blessed (happy)! May our little community grow in health (if not in size or wealth)! May Our Purpose Cometh!

Sincerely, Simple Dan (naive bartender and rum’n’coke expert)

P.s. is what you get if you remove the `q’ and the `r’…

P.p.s. my nephew is kindly working a Members Only Players Club coat of arms (or MOP-Coat)!!