Like it says on the shirt:

[captainsblog]

Among all the once-mighty grain silos on Buffalo’s waterfront, General Mills still makes its signature brand of cereal in and around them, putting that oaty smell all over the air. (I used to enjoy the occasional Cocoa Puffs day even more, but I haven’t caught much kookoo in the air recently.) You’re just used to it. But every once in awhile, the product becomes more up close and personal.

Which is how, this morning, I wound up hanging out with a cereal bowl, a dog and a Hall of Fame running back:

(No, not O.J.)

I saw the post overnight from our friend Sarabeth, one of the servers we met on one of our early random acts of anniversary:

One of my favorite things about Buffalo is how it lives up to its reputation as the City of Good Neighbors. Once again, we’ve been recognized as one of America’s Friendliest Cities 👋🏼

As part of their Good Goes Round program, my partner Cheerios is rewarding the beautiful people of Buffalo for their good deeds! Tomorrow, Oct. 16 from 7:30 am to 1 pm, head down to Fountain Plaza to get yourself a free breakfast and try out a virtual high-five machine — allowing Buffalonians to high-five each other live from across the city.
 
I’ll be there from 7:30-8:30 am, overlapping with our beloved local Buffalo Bills legend Thurman Thomas (he’ll be there until 9:30). For each high-five given, Cheerios will donate $5 to the Thurman Thomas Foundation which supports local Buffalo families and scholarships to Erie Community College, up to $10k.
 
As a Buffalonian, I smell home whenever I open a box of Cheerios, and it’s no wonder since the brand has been a proud part of the Buffalo community since 1941, where they make the Cheerios that are delivered all across the nation. You’ll know the smell right away when you open your windows and smell a fresh batch enveloping the city! Hundreds of Buffalo citizens help in the process of making this iconic cereal and keep the good going round in the community.
 
Hope to see you there!

How could I pass that up? 

I’d kept in touch with Sara and fam as she moved across the country and back, married and began her family- but we hadn’t connected in person since that first night at the dear-departed Bully’s.  I was up early enough to get out the door, dog in tow, for our usual morning walkies, so I figured, why not take the walk downtown?

The street team for the event was bigger than the crowd at 8:15 a.m., and after putting in my high-five (Pepper wasn't tall enough to offer a high-twenty)-

 


-they asked if we wanted a picture with #34.  Do fish have lips?

Do dogs want Cheerios?



Why, indeed they do. And, please, Sir, can I have some more?



We hung till close to the 8:30 Sarabeth had said, but eventually she commented on one of those pictures and said I'd just missed her- but she was right around the corner:)



I have beautiful friends. (Married one, didn't I?) Her equally beautiful hubby waved from across the street, and her exceptionally beautiful youngun was in the back of her car.  With, of course, Cheerios:



That blur in the foreground would be Pepper. Fox liked her very much despite the bad manners;)

After that, it was back home, for proper clothes, ordinary work and typical annoyances, but I think I now know what to run out for in an emergency if we ever run out of dog food:)