When it’s 5-10 below zero in Pittsburgh, you go (fried) fishing with friends

When I awoke Wednesday morning, I looked out my bedroom window and saw a snow-squall.  I turned on the local news and heard “The snow will continue off & on until noon, but it’s only 8 degrees out there—with the wind chill it feels more like 5 to 10 below zero.  All city schools are on a 2 hour delay.”

Oh no… I was scheduled to go on my first senior outing since last May, to the North Park Lounge in McCandless Township.  That is, if I could make the 3/4 mile walk to the Lutheran Senior Center first.

So I bundled up good and headed out, with a couple shop-stops along the way to warm my face and defrost my glasses. 

I was almost sorry I made the trip when I was told 23 people were scheduled to go, and all but 10 cancelled. 

Fortunately, the ones who DID make it were some of my favorite people at the center.  As for the Lounge, we never saw the place—it was so busy we were herded into their enclosed patio.  Here’s some pics of my friends and our good eats.

Mary needs a couple minutes to look at the menu.. Mary you look lovely today and I am really digging those glasses!Is this picture perfect or what?  They don’t come any better than Evvie and I dearly love her.

Dennis is looking a little out of sorts, waiting for his first double shot Bloody Mary.  He didn’t blink an eye when I asked him for an invite to his apartment above the bakery, he just said of course and rattled off his phone number.  He owns a lot of police memorabilia, and has lived at the same address for 40 years!“Debbie, thanks for saving me a seat at the cool kids table.  Can I share your photo on my blog?  I want to show you to my online friends.  Thanks Deb!”Rose is 92 years old and God bless her, going strong as ever.  Here she is with her customary draft of beer, filled with ice.  That’s her year-round lunch drink.Mary’s food arrived first, a mushroom & swiss burger.  Those hand-cut fries were sizzling hot and seasoned perfectly.And finally…  a one pound fried fish sandwich with fries & coleslaw.  (I requested those onions.)  These come in two sizes, Large & G-I-A-N-T.  I ordered the giant to take half home for dinner, as did Deb & Dennis.  It was excellent. 

We all laughed and carried on (Mary was cracking me up good, demanding to know why Evvie gets all the attention) and I was doing pretty well aside from a little tumble I took on the Access shuttle on the trip home.  (A dizzy spell from I-don’t-know-where.)

But I’m very glad I got to go, I missed everybody—and as cold as it was, the very next day we got a real blizzard!

I wasn’t looking for anything, but wasn’t expecting this either, if that even makes any sense :-)

What is this?  Three conversations that went in directions I didn’t expect, which gives me something to blog about I suppose.  Of course I’m shaking my head in disbelief at the fires in California and Frump’s latest shenanigans, but meanwhile, here at least, life goes on.

A couple weeks ago I was talking to my sister, and remarked as soon as I had this long covid under control (still having relapses) I needed to go to the dentist—specifically, a dental surgeon and get molar implants.  

I am missing all my molars in my lower left quadrant—the last one (a stump) broke off and my dentist said could not be built up or support a partial denture.  I was told a dental implant bridge will cost $15,000 and that is not including the bone graft surgery I’ll require beforehand.

My sister said “Well, my coworker needs $50,000 worth of dental work.”  Did that make mine not as bad compared to his?  I guess so, but I’m still anxious and afraid to get this started.  I wrestle with TMJ a lot, and people have shared some scary stories about their implants on Reddit.

Last week I got a letter from Steiner Realty (my landlord).  They were apologetic, said the cost of everything is out of control and they hope I remain a tenant--but effective April 1, my rent will be $880.00 per month.  That’s a $40.00 increase.

I’m used to my rent going up $20.00 a month every year, but this is double that!

When I told my friend Diana, she said “That’s nothing.  My son and his wife pay twice that for their place!”  She’s right, twice mine is a lot!  But they live in beautiful Salt Lake City Utah and have jobs and I don’t.  My rent is still high where I live and I worry this $40 increase will be the new norm come next year.

This past Friday I went to the store for some milk & eggs, saw they had Spicy Pineapple Ham on special—that is good stuff.  I could just picture it on some King’s Hawaiian rolls.  After I got both and was checking out, it occurred to me some Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips would go perfectly with these spicy ham sliders.  I don’t know why I even thought of chips, it’s probably been 2 years since I last bought a bag. 

I asked the cashier if I could run back and get some, she said sure.  I run over, grab a bag, Carol rings them up—$5.99.  What!  It’s not even a big bag, and they cost $5.99?  Did I just crawl out from under some rock?

Before we moved to the farmhouse in 1970 and still lived in town, my mom often sent me up the street to Howard’s Market for items like milk, lunchmeat, cigarettes. 

If we were having a cookout, Mom would tell me to grab a bag of DiMarco Potato Chips, produced in nearby Uniontown Pa. 

They were 49 cents for a large bag. Yes yes I know—that was over 50 years ago but still.

Back in the present, I said to Carol—“When did potato chips become a luxury item?  $5.99 for a bag of chips, how can people afford to eat these?”   

Carol said “Consider yourself lucky you’re not buying cigarettes.  Mine cost $13 for one pack.”

I said “Yes that’s awful, but you don’t NEED to smoke.  I DO need to eat, there’s a difference.” 

Carol snapped “You don’t NEED to eat chips.  Go grab a can of beans!”  I laughed and said okay, I’ll shut up.  I said I was sure she’s heard plenty already about the steep price of these chips. 

She said “I hear it every day about meat and cereal and other things, but not about potato chips!”  OKAY CAROL.

I wanted to crawl back under that rock I must’ve recently crawled out from.  By the way, the ham sliders were delicious but those Ruffles potato chips really hurt my gums.

 

 

Video Review: I live in Squaresville now, but even I have my limits

When I was in high school in the late 1970s, my mom went thru this phase where she was calling everybody a turkey.  At first it was amusing, then it got old pretty fast. 

One day after telling us a corny joke, I suppose I rolled my eyes and she said “Doug you turkey!” 

I said “MOM PLEASE STOP CALLING ME A TURKEY.”  She said “What’s wrong?  Don’t you want your old mom to sound cool?”  I said “Yes but that’s not cool.” 

She said “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”   I laughed and said “NOBODY says that—only the Sweathogs did, and that was 3 years ago!”  

She said “Sit on it, Potsie!”  All I could do was shake my head.  Hopeless!

I wonder what kids say today?  Doesn’t matter.  I live in Squaresville now and I’m not SUPPOSED to know.  I remember way back in 1975, watching Soul Train one Saturday on tv.  Don Cornelius introduced the Sylvers, who came out and sang “Boogie Fever”.  They had good moves, an awesome sound and even the term “boogie fever” sounded funny and cool.

Three years later on The Love Boat, when Captain Steubing invited his sixtysomething dinner guests to join him on the dance floor and boogie, I wanted to throw up.

The reason I’m sharing this nonsense is because the other night I came across this video from 1968, and watched in disbelief.  With some help from the ‘Young Folk’, Liberace was on his way to becoming a Flower Child.  I couldn’t help but think about the real flower children, the hippies in San Francisco with flowers in their hair.  The squares were taking over.  I suppose that’s what they always do.

Okay, I’m done—if you have a couple minutes, check this out and tell me if ya think it’s bussin or crashy.  (That’s “now” talk for awesome or crazy trashy!)