In the midst of The IP’s recent move, he uncovered a collection he relegated to the corner of a closet back in 1999. Safely stashed in an American Tourister Tiara suitcase, it languished, alone, forgotten, forsaken…until a week ago when The IP opened it for the first time since.

The bulk of this matchbook collection came from a yard-sale purchase in Skokie, IL. Buying a collection is kinda cheatin’ if you ask The IP. After all, some Skokie dude spent his whole life grabbing these matchbooks from countless hotels, restaurants, bars, etc. He did all the work. And you can actually read a good chunk of this guy’s life from his matchbooks. WTF? It’s matchbooks from Hawaii, Wyoming, California, and lots of custom wedding matchbooks with the name of the couple embossed in some tacky way, sometimes with a little cartoon wedding couple underneath the names and date. And this guy was “MR.” Chicago; holy crap and WTF! By the looks of it, he went to every restaurant in the Chicago MSA!
Matchbooks are a disapearing art. With matchbooks, you gotta grab one’s attention in such a small space; get a message acrost in a simple and punchy way. Let’s look at a few from The IP’s collection in detail:

This one struck The IP as a bit weird. WTF? Why would a place called The Wagon Wheel have a giant, wood-frame indoor pool with palm trees? Did they actually have such indoor pools? And this place was in Rockton, IL. WTF? “Hey, let’s go to Rockton!” Why was this guy at the Rockton Wagon Wheel? What’s up with Rockton?
The IP wants to jump into that pool! There’s nobody there! Look at that pool!
But The IP found this sad notice on the InterWebs:
VILLAGE OF ROCKTON
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
JUNE 19, 2007
…items 2, 3, and 4 on the agenda relative to the development of the former Wagon Wheel property by TCS Real Estate. Roll call: all ayes. Motion carried 6-0.
Motion by Winters second by Flodeen to approve the second reading of the following documents relative to the former Wagon Wheel property and TCS
Real Estate:
1. Ordinance authorizing the issuance of a $524,246.00 Tax Increment Allocation Revenue Note (Wagon Wheel Site Redevelopment Project Area) Series 2006, of the Village of Rockton.
2. Covenant to Enter Into an Easement Agreement between the Village of Rockton and TCS Real Estate, LLC for an existing water tower, denoting rights of ingress/egress to remove or to place utilities, wire, pipe or other transmissions lines on the former Wagon Wheel tower.
3. Easement Agreement on which water tower, water well and appurtenant shed structures are currently situated upon on the former wagon Wheel property.
Maybe they will build an Applebee’s or an Olive Garden in its place.OK. What about this one:

The IP vaguely remembers this sub-chain of hotels. Unfortunately, this matchbook’s staple, the one that is used to hold the matches in place, has oxidized and stained the cover. Now it looks like Mr. Sandman is hurling a big dookie in his sleep. Oh well.
This one is great:

They’re willing to “Teletype” your next reservation at one of their own chain’s hotels for FREE!! WTF? Things never change…except for the technology of teletype.
The IP will continue to peruse his matchbook collection and share some of its highlights now and again.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to FM! No, not the radio frequency, the IP coworker recovering from a total hip replacement. The IP and FM think alike in many ways. Check out the little giftie he gave The IP just before he went under the knife:

Who dares The IP to actually put this on his car? It would be fine while he was driving; it’s leaving the car to go into the grocery store he’s worried about. We’ve still got folks around here proudly displaying their Bush 04stickers. WTF!
Oh, BTW, check out jojo’s nice motion panorama of our Piedmont Park over at his site. It proves that some parts of Hotlanta are actually quite nice. WARNING: There is also a picture of some rude heteros at his condo’s pool…disgusting!!!