Peaceful, 909 feeling

The 909 Saloon — with a peace symbol, no less? This was spotted not in the Inland Empire but on the other side of the country, specifically, in downtown Fredericksburg, Va., by Brad Kaylor, Ontario’s deputy police chief, who was attending the FBI academy in Quantico and snapped this shot for the folks back home.

The name, unsurprisingly, has nothing to do with an area code on the West Coast but rather relates to the saloon’s address, 909 Caroline St., according to the “about us” portion of the saloon’s website, which says the bar pays homage to the owner’s love of classic rock, hence the peace sign.

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Geico money man

Geico was filming a commercial in downtown Pomona this week and the photographer known as Ren sent me this image. It is, he says, a man covered in (fake) money. (Do his friends tell him, a la “Swingers,” “You’re so money”?) A second photo showed two long rows of of parked motorcycles along West Second. How does the man wearing money factor in? I’m sure it’ll all make sense on TV.

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Not a column

By the way, the following was supposed to appear in the paper today, but didn’t, to explain my column’s absence:

“Laid low by the flu, columnist David Allen missed Monday’s Upland City Council meeting and instead spent the evening at home under a quilt watching ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ on DVD. He probably got the better part of that deal. His column should return Friday.”

And it should. I’m back at my desk, at least for half a day. I’m still a little achy, a little breaky, but better.

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Restaurant of the Week: Burger Zone

Burger Zone, 1520 N. Mountain Ave. (at 6th), Ontario

In the Gateway Center off the 10 Freeway, Burger Zone is a locally owned fast food restaurant. I’ve driven past it frequently for two years, generally after stops at the comic shop in the same center, without ever going in. Needing lunch the other day after a comics run, I thought I’d give the place a try.

A banner over the entrance touts a $3.99 combo with a 1/4-pound burger, fries and soda, so I went for that. The result was what I expected, which was a decent meal but nothing special, but for $4.31 with tax, it was a cheap lunch.

Burger Zone has breakfast (eggs, pancakes, burritos, french toast), lunch (other burgers, other sandwiches such as pastrami, club and chicken fried steak on a bun, tacos and burritos) and dinner (shrimp plate, fried chicken and more). No salads.

Burger Zone’s next-door neighbor is a health clinic and two scrubs-clad employees were having lunch when I was there. Conversely, maybe too many burgers will send you over to the health clinic for treatment. Could be a win-win.

Kidding aside, there’s no need for you to drive across town, much less across the valley, to go here, but if you’re in the neighborhood, the restaurant is clean, the food is okay and better to support a local restaurant than a chain.

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7-Eleven, more coming to Upland

The Colonies gets all the major retailers (Target, Toys R Us, Nordstrom Rack, etc.), but the humble corner of Monte Vista Avenue and Arrow Route has a few smaller-scale businesses coming. It might seem like Montclair or Claremont, but it’s Upland.

There’s a small irony that a 7-Eleven will be located a block or so east of Claremont’s border; a planned 7-Eleven on Foothill Boulevard in Claremont was blocked by neighbors a couple of years ago. Now there will be a 7-Eleven close to the colleges anyway, but Claremont won’t get any money from it.

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7 warning signs your girlfriend might not exist

(With apologies to Manti Te’o.)

7. Never picks up the check.

6. Forgets your anniversary.

5. She never introduces you to her imaginary friends.

4. You go on a couples cruise. You’re charged the singles rate.

3. Frequently find yourself asking her, “Is everything okay? You seem distant.”

2. You can’t get no satisfaction. No no no. Hey hey hey. That’s what I say.

And the top warning sign your girlfriend might not exist:

1. She dies of cancer and you feel nothing. Nothing!
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