Well, was your Memorial Day weekend a great one? It is the trademark for the start of summer. Here on Hysteria Lane we had off and on rain showers on Sunday and Monday. Wasn't too conducive to outdoor activities and barbecues. We (my current wife, Sue and I) shopped all Sunday afternoon in the rain. On Monday, I didn't accomplish much. We did have a wonderful lunch at Applebee's. Well, it was mostly wonderful. In an unusual tribute to good health I ordered a side salad plus a club sandwich. I ordered the club without lettuce and tomatoes. Unbeknownst to me, the side salad came with tomatoes which isn't that unusual. My problem is I don't like tomatoes and I failed to inquire just what comprised a side salad. I had these tomatoes to deal with. Shouldn't be a big deal except these were the consistency of pickle relish. It was very laborious to remove the bits but I did succeed. Daughter Debby, the younger, didn't have as much luck with her chicken fajita roll-up. Just a little over half way through it a strange hair showed itself. Our waitress kindly made things right and the desserts were fantastic.
This was the prelude to supporting our daughter in her telephone upgrade quest. She didn't need support, we just kind of forced ourselves upon her. We sat there, occasionally asking a stupid question or two. Looking like two old farts toddling along with their daughter to the rest of the world. One would think we would know better but we don't.
Today we are being brought to you by potatoes. Yes, that is right potatoes. We have joined the Idaho Potato Group in looking for their Potato truck that has been missing for a couple of years. You may have seen a commercial about that. It is a little known fact that one has to eat 11 pounds of potatoes to put on 1 pound of weight—a potato has no more calories than an apple. The potato was not known in Europe until the seventeenth century, when it was introduced by returning Spanish conquistadors. At first potatoes were thought disgusting and were blamed for starting outbreaks of leprosy and syphilis. As late as 1720 in America eating potatoes was believed to shorten a person's life.
Anyone thinking of going out west to hunt for game? A lot of mid-westerners do. I am not one of them however. I am not against bearing arms or the hunting. I personally do not like to eat wild game. I don't believe in wasting life just for the sport of it. I belong to a firing range for target practice and such. But a word of warning to all of you hunters to always check the state and local hunting laws to make certain that you are not violating the law. For instance, when going to Arizona it is illegal to hunt camels. Anyone caught will face stiff penalties.
Anyone who has followed “Drivel Over Coffee” for any length of time knows of my passion for French Roast coffee. It really is more than a passion. I think it is borderline addiction. Every morning I must have my fresh ground French Roast coffee. Don't get me wrong, I get my fix in the morning and that is usually it for the day. I imbibe in other liquids such as juice, water, Diet Coke, and an occasional sip or two of a fine wine. Here is a little educational information comparing water with wine. To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine and those who don't and are always seen with a bottle of water in their hand: As Ben Franklin said: “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria”.
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. Coli) – bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop annually. However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and fermenting. Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health. Conclusion: it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of S#&t.
Now that we are in summer, do you have your vacation plans made? Really? Great! We (the family – the current wife, daughter Debby, the younger; Jenny, the elder, Sven, the chef and LG) have an August trip planned. We will be heading north into Minnesota. We are going to try to find a lake where we can hang out. We have heard from friends that they have a few to choose from. We contemplated several other venues but getting the times to coordinate between 5 adults is darn near impossible.
Back in the summer of 1964, I had graduated, planned a fun summer before going off to college. The music of '64 was and is ringing in my ears. Songs like “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison or how about “Where Did Our Love Go?” by Peter & Gordon. The number one song on Billboard on this date in 1964 was “Love Me Do” by the Beatles. Check out www.the60sofficialsite.com for a good dose of '60's nostalgia.
Our country is chocked full of things to see. Most of which I have not seen. I want to explore before I get old. Oops, maybe I should say “before I get older”. Take the Grand Canyon for instance. I've never been there. Did you know the Grand Canyon was not seen by a white man until the Civil War? It was first entered on May 29, 1869, by the geologist John Wesley Powell. It has been over 140 years and I still have not seen it. Who knew?
It is not often that I recommend anything to my followers. What! Well, maybe once in a while. We have a friend that has created a very nice blog entitled “Road Tips” A Sales Guy's Guide to Travel, Food and Music in the Midwest and Beyond - and Much More! This is written by Will Veber. Will has been at it since 2005 at least and has compiled quite a list of eateries around the country all of which he has personally visited. His opinions are usually very good. Road Tips can be found on Facebook or his website www.roadtips.typepad.com If you are traveling, keep “Road Tips” handy and try his recommendations.
SHOUT-OUT TIME – Let's pass along our best wishes to Fluffy's dearest, Bellsy. Bellsy had surgery a couple of weeks ago. Reports are that she is getting along pretty well. She is busy with therapy which we all know is boring, hurts, and tiring. Let's hope Bellsy is up and busy as usual. Word has it that “Tinker Bell”, I mean Fluffy is administering ample amounts of support and love. Keep it up Fluffy.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service. – TA!
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