Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

Department 56 diners always make me hungry for a grilled hot dog. Gus's Drive In looks like a fun place to eat. You can't find too many restuarants with car hops these days. I was on a business trip to Chicago recently and tried to find Superdawg - a legendary hot dog emporium - and ended up at the shipping warehouse. Very dissapointed! This piece was introduced in 2001 and retired in 2003. It is from the Original Snow Village. Shelly's Diner , introduced in 1999, is going to be an anchor piece in one of our Original Snow Village vignettes this year. This 1993 piece from Original Snow Village, Dinah's Diner , is a new addition to our collection. My wife saw the burger and shake at the top and we had to have it. The North Pole Series Elf Land Diner was retired in 2005. The Black Cat Diner from the Original Snow Village Halloween is a favorite piece at our house. The cat on the roof looks strangely similar to our black cat, Azrael. She is not the cat from the Catzill...

While we eagerly await the arrival of the " Howl Radio " limited edition piece (only 9000) from the Original Snow Village Halloween set, we are very excited about the " Black Cat Diner ", a 2002 piece. The piece has a good sized black cat perched on top of the diner, and it looks just like Azrael, our own black kitty. The diner is designed with fun little details like the "Skeleton Crew", which are the workers inside the diner, one being a skeleton with a chef's cap and the other a feline helper. The light bulbs circling the diner's roofing are flashing pumpkins. The other animation is the cat's glowing eyes. The diner comes in a " Halloween Gift Set " that includes an autumn tree, a bag of leaves, and an accessory called "You Go First!" depicting three trick or treaters. The diner also has an outside eatery, where a weary waitress takes orders. Could she be a witch? Quite possibly....