I'm really just kidding, I swear. Even if you are all afraid of the dark.

Of note: there are still Chi-Chis Restaurantes in Montreal and Toronto, apparently.

"Restaurante!"

God Canadians, will you ever stop being so cute with those superfluous "e"'s, so very foreign to people like me, who's terrible ancestors are from Arkansas and probably think you are all French commie lesbians?

So how many people Did I just offend there? Two? Three? 33,212,696?

If anyone's Canadian and has photos of these still-functioning joints (jointes?) please email.

Creepy! Abandoned! Weird Star-Wars-ish public art!

whoops. i kind of had a kid and forgot all about this. it happens.

in the comments, some kind and gentle soul posted the link to their public photos of a Creepy Abandoned Shopping Mall, once home to a (now Creepy, Abandoned) Chi-Chis and then a (now Creepy, Abandoned) "Backstage Restaurant"

http://picasaweb.google.com/mcbabb/20080712WaverlyPlace#

Hooray! I love Creepy, Abandoned things that were turned into other Creepy, Abandoned things.