I’m going to Sesame Place tomorrow with my friend and her 3 year old. A 38 year old man should not be as excited about it as I am. But there are reasons. There are always reasons.

I appreciate the Muppets on a level that you could never comprehend. I grew up on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock. I watched Muppet Babies every Saturday morning. I’ve seen every Muppet Movie, including stuff like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. I’ve seen Follow That Bird (and NOBODY’S seen that). Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas is still my favorite holiday movie, and I’m sure it always will be.

I owned this

and this

I cried when Mister Hooper died, and it took me years to stop hating Elmo for usurping Grover as the cute one.

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is the best sock puppet band ever.

It’s an obsession, an addiction, but I don’t need a cure. My manchildness runneth over.

I haven’t been to Sesame Place since I was 10. One of my big lamentations about not having children is that I don’t get to experience that childhood joy again. I’m lucky that I will tomorrow.