Yesterday I got busy doing things and running errands and right around the time I was getting ready to go to work I realized I had forgotten to go somewhere to do this week’s People of Peoria segment. I thought about ditching the idea and just putting up a note saying that there’s no post today. Then I thought I could just stop in at The Costume Trunk and take a photo of my friend and one of the nicest people in Peoria, Steve Spain and so that’s exactly what I did. His photo is directly below this! I love it when things work out just like a Police album title.
People of Peoria: Person Number 23—Steve Spain
I first met Steve Spain while doing a blog post here on MBIP, all the way back on January 4th, 2013. Holy freaking moley, that was over five years ago!
Back then I realized I had driven past Steve’s store, The Costume Trunk probably a bazillion times and never stopped in. On that day I learned that the Costume Trunk is the oldest business on Main Street and Steve opened it up in 1937 on a drizzly Tuesday afternoon. His original business partners were Fibber McGee and Molly Lanz-Jones, Inc.
In 1953 Fibber and Molly died in a bizarre gardening accident and Steve promptly took the insurance money and bought the space next door. He’s worn camouflage protective plastic gear and nose plugs while watering his plants ever since.
Below are answers to five questions I asked Steve before I had to go to work and eat my lunch (ham and sneeze on wry). Miles away in the distance a train hiccupped. Gesundheit.
The Peoria Favorite Five List
What’s your favorite summer activity in Peoria? I’d have to say cooking out. I like making pork chop sandwiches, ribeyes and hamburgers. I used to cook brats, but no more. (The brat revelation is kind of sad.)
What’s your favorite place for a milkshake in the summer? I’d have to say Steak ‘n Shake, it brings back memories of my youth.
Who’s your favorite Peoria person? Marty Wombacher! I bet you get that a lot! (Actually no one has ever named me before and it's causing me to sob uncontrollably right now!)
What’s your favorite curse word? Shucks. I try not to curse too much.
Who would you like to give a shout out to? Jon and Angie Walker at Urban Artifacts right around the corner! They’ve done a lot for Peoria!
The Official People Of Peoria Shout-Out: Here’s to you Jon and Angie from Urban Artifacts, someone out there loves you!
The People of Peoria Curse Word Count List
The bi-weekly tally of curse words revealed in this series.
Eight shits, three fucks, two shitballs, one stinkin’, one dang-a-lang, one good lousy, one fuck-all, one dadgummit, one crap, one son of a bitch, one godammit, one poonsnatch and one shucks.
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