I’ll Get You For This, Whole Foods Fresno

The Fresnan
e53c65af-dfe3-4a17-9f17-fdb93277b46d I’ll Get You For This, Whole Foods Fresno
They thought they could fool me with the blue cheese and caesar dressing

You mother. fuckers. You did it to me again, Whole Foods Fig Garden. I built my salad only to discover NO FUCKING RANCH?!?!

Are you getting back at me for this post? Is Jeff Bezos so cheap he is instructing you not to put out ranch?!

When you start filling the salad bar in the morning, the first thing you should put out is the ranch. If you don’t have it, put up a sign that says “We are out of ranch. Salad bar closed indefinitely.”

I am putting your salad bar on suspension for the next year. Also, you suck.

FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

The Fresnan
img_3838 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always
Saturday starting at 1:00 and ending sometime really really later

If you are on ‘Fresno Internet’, I’m sure you have seen that FresYes Fest is Saturday.

If you haven’t been before, my number one tip is to go early. It starts at 1:00 so go at 1:00! (Unless you are not broken like me and enjoy large crowds then go whenever)

322e0f91-8101-4350-9b7c-f0c444957fb5 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always
This is an all ages event and free to get it, fyi.

I plan to stick around for Bill Clifton & The Chicken & Whiskey Band’s set there in the 3-4 mid-afternoon sweet spot, then I will have one foot out the door – time to hit the road.

Reason being, that is the time (4:30ish) when the lines really start forming. The mess starts happening. The youth begin to takeover. People from weird places like Clovis start showing up.

And that’s totally cool and stuff – I just don’t want to be there for it. My curmudgeon self won’t endure.

The only thing that might get me to stay is Joshua Tehee hosting a stage:

b5a64b3b-b839-44da-b724-026254bf0384 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

I can’t say I have heard of any of those bands which is totally cool because I am ready to be impressed or whatever – it has been too damn long since I’ve seen some local talent live.

I also might stay for beer – if there are no lines. Also can stay for taco variants:

06f41928-95e0-4db1-b7b5-b80adc96428e FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

But again, you gotta be there early, even for tacos.

“Where the fuck do I park!?” Like, dude, wherever. Look at the map:

9b3b3e44-f39d-42d5-b768-79154d238cc6 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

Alrighty, well, it doesn’t exactly hold your hand and show you where to park but just act like you’re going to a Grizzlies game or jury duty and you’ll be fine.

But also, maybe get your Uncle to give you a ride down there and just wing it for a ride home – make an adventure out of it. One year I walked over to The Raddison and got an Uber home from there.

Anyway, it will be fun, even for grumpy dudes like me. See ya out there EARLY. ✌️?

Open Tab #1 – These Are Fresno Things

The Fresnan
img_3788 Open Tab #1 - These Are Fresno Things
Photo by Eric Bentley

Dude, I can’t stand that damn astroturf backstop area at Beiden Field!! It’s been around for years and everytime I see it I cringe. I am sure it’s practical to take care of, but it looks like total garbage. Why???!?!??

Anyway. So, some other thoughts and things I noticed being a Fresnan the past few days:

Is it just me or is this Pearl Jam tour poster really bad? I mean, it doesn’t even look like them and I think maybe someone used an old Commodore 64 to design it. Glad they are coming to town though.:

img_3780 Open Tab #1 - These Are Fresno Things

This is the time of year you can see the Sierras (with some snow still) while driving around town and it’s great.

I saw Kopi’s car in front of the Market the other day. I looked for him inside but didn’t see him. I am a dork.

Yeahhhhh a cool (kinda underground) local show coming – don’t bother DM-ing Garry:

img_3781 Open Tab #1 - These Are Fresno Things

*closes tab*

Thanks for reading! ✌️

Memory Map: Palm & Bullard

The Fresnan 2 Comments
img_3453 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
Palm & Bullard nerdy ‘memory map’

As I have noted in the past we have some good groups in town keeping old Fresno pictures and memories alive. I would like to add a nerdass entry with my memory maps – hand drawn maps of an area of Fresno with memories of things that once were.

Today we are at Palm & Bullard.

NW Corner

cc4e53b4-3772-4ea2-a2d0-c6798f36e178 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
Opus 1 hasn’t changed a bunch
  • Home of the Opus 1 shopping center. It’s always been there since I have been alive.
  • Outside of a few shops changing to something else, it’s the same.
  • There used to be a cool little record shop. It was around at the tail-end of the 80s and maybe at the beginning of the 90s. Now would be a great time for it it be there again. I believe it was in the spot that the Grape Tray is in.

SW Corner

img_3459 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
This in not the actual one but it’s damn close
  • At one time a nice little Foodland Market. Then a Walgreens. Now a yarn place of some kind. Has a neat little green space next to it where Bullard kids would go have their fights after school.
  • Foster’s is still there and thankfully hasn’t changed… like, AT ALL.
  • There once was one of the Fotomat places that looked like the one pictured above.

NE Corner

4f9756b2-03de-4201-b9db-778647a194ca Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
As it is today and stuff
  • Old Save Mart location. Still empty. Seems like it will be empty forever. My Grandmother lived in the apartments behind the shopping center and we got to bring the carts home when shopping – for some reason I thought that was cool.
  • There used to be a Sierra Nut House. Now there is a car wash.
  • Bullard Village Drugs was the jam before all the Walgreens and CVS style places took over. Good magazine section and a good Pharmacist.
  • Bullard Liquor is now nothing.
  • The dry cleaner is still there and hasn’t changed. ?
  • Mama Mia’s is thankfully still there – home of my favorite gnocchi in town.

SE Corner

d79250bf-6b43-44d7-9405-310165614fbb Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
  • 7-11 has always been there. Not a whole lot has changed. Although when I was a kid there was a little video game room where the Slurpee machince is now. I dropped many quarters into those.
  • There was a little one of those Fresno PD phones on the side of 7-11 (maybe it is still there). Ironically, the parking lot is where Bullard kids would go to find out where the “illegal” parties were at.
  • The 76 station is now one of those dinosaur gas stations.??

Feel free to share any history or stories you have about the area, in the comments.

I have another memory map post about Blackstone & Shaw too.

???