Smartie's Bar & Grill #68

A friend delivered a load of hay last night and I am going to start mulching my garden. I planted some squash and cucumbers yesterday, to add to what I have already planted so far I have chives, onions, peppers, spinach, potatoes and tomatoes they are all doing nicely.

 

Ive been to your lovely neck o the woods. Where i struggle to keep a fern alive thru the summer, they grow wild up there. "People in Oregon dont tan... they rust." Price you pay for beautiful scenery.

 

Back in the day, you couldnt qualify for a mortgage with a bad check on your record. And remember Checktronic, the godfather of check approvals? Get in bad with him and you were screwed.

 

One of the last times I ate at KFC was in 2007.The reason I know the
year is that I was in the Big city to buy a new motorcycle.
I was trading in my Honda V-twin for a similar size V-twin Suzuki.
I had a couple hours to blow.They had to do a few set-up on the New
Bike.Like charging the battery and running to make sure it sounds right.
It was after lunch around 2:30 and I hadn't had lunch.
I went to a KFC I musta past a few hundred times { directly across the street
from the Famous - Wild and Wooly - Video store.
I ordered an original recipe and took to a table.The place was empty.
I used to use their bathrooms about once a month.They had a sign that
read ... Must be a Patron in order to use. This was the first time in all those
years I bought food.
The Original recipe was sitting in a warming bin.It was not fully cooked.
I knew right away there was something wrong with it.It was slightly
purple and barely warm.I knew what they did.They short-shrifted the cooking
time in order to let sit and stew in the warming bin.Instead of fully cooking
and having to toss out after the holding time expires.I was a Mcd Mngr. so I know
all about holding times.McD had a policy that after the burger is wrapped
you place a time card in the holding bin for those that just came up.
Position it in the holding bin with first in and first out.
Mcd expects anyone calling production { tells the cooking crew how
many trays of burgers they need.} to Toss product after 10 minutes.
So Production callers stretch the time card numbers and also just leave
in the warming bin for up to a half hour.Especially at closing time.
But to Not fully cook the food is a Mortal sin in Fast Food.
That KFC was empty and there was like one employee both taking order
and also cooking.I felt like ... Ta hell with it.I ate as much of the chicken
as I felt safe with.Probaly about 25 %.Normally I would have raised
holy hell with Management.But like I said ... there was no Management
around.

 

Where windshield wiper replacements and Gortex clothing are NEVER on sale.

You should hear people celebrate sunshine and warm weather ... for about a week. Then all you hear is how uncomfortably hot it is and how we could REALLY use a little rain.

Companies that remove moss from your roof advertise on radio and TV ...

It’s so much a part of life here that you hardly ever see an umbrella. People throw on a hat and pretty much ignore it.

If the average daily temperatures were a little higher, this place would be a tropical rainforest.

But ... the “rain people” like it.

 

That brought back memories ...

Knowing exactly how long I could float a check ...

Clipping coupons out of the newspaper ...

Buying “Beer” beer ...

The combined value of our two cars when we married was about $1000 ... maybe.

I didn’t bring a TV into the marriage, but my wife did - a black and white with rabbit ears.

Our two bedroom duplex had drapes in only one bedroom, so we pinned an old sheet over the other one.

A $146/month car payment was a gigantic financial burden.

 

I stayed at the Timberline Lodge one time. Felt a little haunted (after The Shining) because the room doors were like closet doors (thin wood with a gap at the bottom so you could see shadows walking down the hall), but loved relaxing in the outside hot tub, surrounded by steamy hot water, looking at snow. Superb.

 

I worry about kids today insisting they deserve to start out adulthood with a 'livable wage'. Without the struggle, do you really appreciate the fruits of your labor?

 

Ron Paul is plugging those Freeze Dryers.Says he uses it for
a lot of stuff like Lasagna and even Ice Cream.
Lasts 25 years.How does he know it'll last 25 years.
Who had a comparable Freeze dry unit available 25 years
ago to test and back-up that claim.Maybe he's going by stuff like
Army K-Rations.Or the newer MRE's { Meals Ready to Eat }.
So why 25 years instead of 16 years or 23 years.When you see very rounded off
numbers put yer guard up.Like the Closing statement on a Home.
You see Prorated Homeowners at $ 500.Or property taxes of $ 900.

 

What do Potato heads think of all that rain.?

 

Another economical dish that we had back when we had to save money to get by month to month, but we still have from time to time, is a pan of hamburger pie. Hamburger, mixed vegetables out of a can, in pie crust with cheese. You ever done that one?

 

Potato heads???

 

Totally agree.

 

McDonalds used to get all it's spuds form Idaho.
Oh my bad.You from Oregon.I git the 2 mixed up.
What is Oregon famous for.? Besides the Oregon Trail.
Oh yeah ... Lumber.
Which brings me to a wonder full Movie Directed
and starring Paul Newman and also Henry Fonda.I'd love
to get a copy of.
- Sometimes a Great Notion - { 1971 }
Arguably The Best Logger movie ever made.
Shot in Oregon.

 

Perfect for chopping through with an axe ...

 

Ok ... Now I got ya.Willamette is famous as is Oregon for the
best Pinor Noir in the U.S.

 

Pale Rider was shot in Oregon too.

 

Funny you mentioned that. My wife and I went to a tasting room about 4 blocks from our house a few days ago and bought a bottle. We live right smack dab in wine country. Small craft breweries are also all over as well.

Hey, when it’s pouring outside, there’s always ... lol.

 

I only like the spicy dishes at Popeyes.

 

And Pinot Grigio.

 

I can't eat much Popeye's. I like the flavor well enough, but don't like the free oil-change that comes with it.

 

It is hard to pump the oil out of the "Louisiana Kitchen".

 

I saw a older Kirk Douglas/Henry Fonda movie yesterday.
It was one of those western-style oddball comedies.Wasn't half bad.
- There Was a Crooked Man ... - { 1970 }
Douglas plays a rather charming thief.The first scene has him
and his band of robbers sneak into the home of a wealthy guy
as he prepares to feast on a platter of fine Homecooked fried chicken.
Just as he and his brood are about to chow down ... we hear the click
of a few pistols.The rich man is played by character actor Arthur O'Connell.
Douglas's first name in the movie is Paris.A black servant lady dressed
like Aunt Jemima brings in this huge platter of fried chicken.
Paris keeps talking about how there ain't nuthin' finer than
just cooked fried chicken.But ya can't wait until it gets'
cold.So after he spent like 10 seconds finding the safe that O'Connell
insisted he never had,with like a Million bucks in { O'Connell insisted he
was saving for a rainy day } Paris and his boys load up their saddle bags
while geting permission to use an old pair of unwashed woman's
pajamas since the safe was so flush with money.
All the while Paris is talking Fried chicken as he passes around
that big platter of just cooked fried chicken around the table.
There was the wife and like 3 male relatives at the supper table.
Plus O'Connell.Plus that Fried chicken.

 

Do you 'ave any Spam?

 

Might need a lot of Tabasco sauce.