The Escape

Image Source: Luciano Meirelle

Gene eased the Harley out of the garage and walked it quietly down the street.  So intent was he on getting away unheard, he would not start it for three blocks.  Safely away, he fired up the big bike.  He loved these early morning rides along the coast.  A great escape from the "honey-do" list.

Written for Friday Flash 55.

Breakfast at the Wienery

It's not just for Hot Dogs!

You don't judge a book by its cover so don't judge a restaurant by its exterior, or even its interior.  We were hungry and not interested in having to track down breakfast, so we asked at the front desk of our hotel if there was any breakfast within walking distance.  The desk clerk said there wasn't much in the way of breakfast, but that The Wienery did serve breakfast.  We had walked by it the night before and hadn't given it much thought.  Now it seemed like our only option if we had any hope of getting breakfast before lunch time.

414 Cedar Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN

Here's a look at the inside.  It is simply laid out, bordering on worn out.  But don't judge it before you sit down and enjoy a unique breakfast experience. 

The Wienery has changed hands several times since it opened in the early 1980s, and is now owned by Pat Starr.  The Wienery was voted the city's best hot dog for 3 consecutive years. 

This morning, however, we wanted breakfast and we wanted it fast (at least I did).  We studied the menu for something that would be filling and on the table quickly.  We chose the #6 Wienie MacMuffin, an egg and cheese sandwich on an English Muffin with your choice of meat.  Of course I chose bacon!

Now all these items are prepared fresh to order while you wait.  It is pretty much a one-man show, and he had to make a quick trip to his car across the street for the groceries.

Was it good?  You bet.  It was like walking into a friend's house and having them whip up breakfast for you right on the spot.

And...he has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

This place gets two thumbs up from me, so if you find yourself in the Minneapolis area, I highly recommend checking out The Wienery.  Click here if you can't see the video.

Quote of the Week

Yesterday is but a dream,
Tomorrow is only a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Salutation of the Dawn

- Kālidāsa (The complete works of Kalidasa) 

This is a lovely way of saying we should live for today, and make every moment count.  It is all too easy to get caught up in the "should haves" of the past, or the "got to's" in the future that today slips through the cracks.

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Hey Diddle Diddle

Image source: Curt Merrill

Hey diddle diddle the cat played the fiddle 

and the cow slept in until noon

The little dog did laugh and cavort 

and then he began to croon

Did She Really Ask That?

Image source: Miriella's photostream

Back before hubby and I were married we went to visit some of his old friends, a get together held in the home of one of the guys.  The location - a former slave cabin...deep in the woods...in South Carolina.  No, it wasn't creepy, just different. 

I was a little nervous about meeting these particular friends because I wasn't the super outgoing, confident woman I am today [wink], and they were all super brains, you know the kind who can make you feel inadequate just by looking at you.  Did I mention they were musicians, too?  I felt a bit  like a goldfish who had just flopped out of his bowl - can someone give me a hand here?

However, this is what really made it  different.   Would you like fries with that?  Can I buy you a drink?  These are normal questions asked by strangers.  Upon our arrival, and at the point where one would be escorted inside and offered a drink, our hostess asked?  "Would you like to use the bathroom?"  

Pause.  What?  Um- maybe later, but I will take a jumbo-sized margarita if you have one...thanks!  No, I didn't say that...I just accepted her unique hospitality.

What was even more strange than the question, though, was the facility itself.  It was separated from the rest of  the room by a curtain.  Just a curtain to flap in the breeze.  No door, no lock for privacy, just a curtain.  Hubby-to-be  stood guard.  That was our first and last such get together.

Got a "strange" story to share?

Quote of the Week

  

Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart. 

- J.C. Ryle

Instead of relying on others and what is going on in our lives for our happiness, we should look within ourselves.  Therein lies the root of true happiness.

Tick Tock

The old clockmaker squinted through the lens at the tiny gears.  They must mesh perfectly or it won't be accurate, and his clocks were always accurate.

Image source: tibchris' photostream

Ah, but maybe it's time to retire, to let his apprentice take over.  After all twenty years is a long time to stand in someone's shadow.

"Daniel, it's your turn."

Written for Friday Flash 55.

My House is a Fortress

Tuesday was just another day, or so I thought.  It was one of those picture perfect days, not too hot with a nice breeze.  The yard needs mowing so I change, grab a bottle of water and head out the door. What makes today different?  I close the door (I usually leave the inside door open).  OK, so you know that sinking feeling you get when you realize you've accidentally done something stupid?  That's how I felt the moment I heard the door click behind me.  I was just going to mow the yard...why did I close the door?

I reached back to check, hoping against hope that I hadn't done what I thought I just did.  Yep...locked.  Grrrr!  

Now what?  I assess what I have with me.  My pocket knife, chap stick, nail clippers and a bottle of water.

A cardinal who often visits my window sill.

Being the resourceful gal that I am, I pulled out my pocket knife.  Just for the record, I have no lock-picking skills and the knife didn't do anything anyway.  I walked around the house...thinking.  We have a few basement windows, but they don't open from the outside.  Neither do any of the other windows - they are securely locked from the inside.

There's no choice...I must call hubby and confess.  Since I don't have my cell phone, I trudge up the street to the convenience store to use the phone, make the call, and trudge back.  As usual, he takes it all in stride, explains his need to take an unplanned half day of vacation and heads home.  

It'll take at least an hour for him to get home, so I figured since I came out to mow the yard, I might as well do it while I waited.

The good news from all of this...my house, although a modest brick ranch, is really a fortress.  With the doors locked, no one (especially me) is getting in.

Care to share your best lock out stories?

Quote of the Week

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi

Our thoughts, words and actions are like dominoes.  One affects the next, and it affects the next and so on.  We are the happiest when all the pieces flow smoothly, and are in sync with one another.

A Miracle

Image source: Striking Photogrphy by Bo

The wildfire burned hot, and smoke filled the evening air.   Scores of firemen had been battling it for hours, when someone shouted "over here".  There in the bank of a nearly dry creek was a small cave.  Crouched inside was a boy and his dog.  It was a true miracle on that hot August night.

Written for Friday Flash 55.  While this is a work of fiction, devastating wildfires continue to burn in Arizona.  Let's keep these people in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those affected by the recent floods and tornadoes.

Happy Birthday Mom!

June 8, 1925 was a very important day in my life.  I wasn't actually born then - that is my mother's birth date.  You can see the significance for me, right?  I'd like to share with you a little about the woman my mother was.

She grew up on a farm in a small town in Maine during the Depression years, and life on the farm gave her a great love of nature. 

During her teen years, she watched her two older brothers leave to serve in World War II, and she graduated high school two years before the end of the war. 

She didn't talk much about her early life, so I don't know a lot of the details.  After finishing school, she worked different jobs before going to work for the phone company.  During this time she met my father, who was in the Air Force and stationed in Maine.  When his service was completed, he moved back South to work for a trucking company (he was originally from Virginia).  She followed him to Winston-Salem in 1952, and they were married in 1956.

In the 1960s, she saw the assassinations of President Kennedy in 1963 and Senator Kennedy in 1968.  Together we watched the first man walk on the moon, and played badminton and kickball in the back yard.  Some of our best times were outdoors, and I got my love of nature from her.

She was a smart, talented and creative woman, but she never nurtured her talents.  Everything was put aside for me.  I was her focus.  She was completely selfless to the point of going without so others didn't have to.

I still have the Halloween treat bag she painted for me.  It is one of my treasures.  I used it as an example to make Halloween bags of my own a few years ago.  Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most as we get older.

One year we spent long hours making Christmas decorations from styrofoam shapes, beads, glue and old Christmas cards.  That was such fun, and we decorated our tree with them.  I even used them as a history project in school.

My high school graduation fell on her birthday, and I thought that was cool.  I also thought I was grown.  It took a while for me to realize how wrong I was.

She watched with much trepidation as I grew up, got my license, got a job, and eventually moved into an apartment.  I was still her little girl, and that never changed.

When I married, she acquired a son whom she loved.  She and Daddy always referred to us as "the kids", and continued to do for us even though we both had jobs and our own home.

There are many times when I still wish I could ask her something, tell her what I've been doing or just have her over and cook for her, like she did for me for so many years. Many of our conversations centered around food.

There never comes a time when you stop being your mother's child.  That bond is always there.  She taught me values and to treat others with kindness and respect, and filled my head with knowledge you don't get from books and school (common sense).

I am proud to be her daughter, and even more proud to have been her friend.  If I ever manage to be half the woman my mother was, I will consider that I have succeeded in life.

Happy Birthday Mom.  I miss you!

Quote of the Week

A day is Eternity's seed, and we are its Gardeners.  

- Erika Harris

Tend your garden carefully, for what you do today will influence all your tomorrows.

A Tortured Soul

Caught in a world between the living and the dead.  
A lonely, dark place where forgotten spirits dwell.  
She cries out but no one hears.  
"Why?" she sobs.  "This wasn't supposed to happen.  
 My little boy won't remember; my husband will forget.  
I never realized how precious life is.  
Few do until it's too late."

Written for Friday Flash 55

The Wrong Number?

I've heard that life's little embarrassing moments make good stories, so here goes.  Fortunately, I was home alone with no witnesses.

I was calling hubby the other day on his Blackberry (company phone) because when he's on the road he uses the GPS on his Droid (personal phone) to navigate.  Apparently it is like some people and can't talk and navigate at the same time.  No problem - I've got the Blackberry number programmed into my cell phone.

I open my contact list, scroll down to his name and click.  I select the number and hit "call".  Doing good.  About that time the home phone rings.  Great!  With the cell phone at one ear, I grab the handset and glance at the caller ID.  It's showing the city and a number which usually means it is someone's cell phone.  I should answer this - it could be a friend calling.  Did I mention I didn't have my glasses on and didn't get the number?  Never mind, it gets better.

I answer the call while waiting for hubby to pick up, and I hear a woman's voice.  This is weird -  I am hearing it through my cell phone.  Oh crap, have I called someone else by mistake?  How embarrassing!  I start to ask who I have called and explain that I was trying to call my husband, and must have gotten the wrong number.  But wait...and this is where it really gets embarrassing...what I am hearing on the cell phone is the same thing I am saying into the other phone.  It turns out the "friend" who's call I answered was me.  I picked our home number instead of hubby's cell number.

Now I talk to myself  frequently;  it just doesn't usually take two phones to do it.

Note to self:  Put on glasses before making phone calls.

Care to share an embarrassing moment?

Quote of the Week

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

- Eleanor Roosevelt 

Wise words from a wise woman.  Embrace each day and revel in that which makes it new for that is what keeps us from growing stale.

Memorial Day Tribute

Image source: Rusty Russ

Memorial Day weekend has become the kick-off for summer activities, parties and vacations.  But more importantly, it is when we honor all those who have served our country and kept us safe at the risk of their own lives - many of which ended far to soon.  Let the flag wave and the bells ring, for Freedom is anything but Free.

Two of my uncles served in World War II, and I have many pictures taken during that time.  It is not something they liked to talk about.  My Uncle Charlie was awarded a medal, and although I've searched high and low, I can't find the paper with the information so I don't know what it was called, but he got it for bravery, leadership and refusing to leave his men under fire even though he had been injured. 

He was one of the special men in my life.  He was a carpenter by trade, and like my father, he was never afraid of anything. 

Here he is with the WWII flag.  Notice that this is not like our flag today.  This flag has only 48 stars.

Uncle Charlie

So when you plan your celebration, light up the barbecue, or pop the top on that first beer, remember those whose sacrifice made it possible.

And now I would like to leave you with this thought - something Uncle Charlie would say now and then.  

If a man's sick he's not well and everything he eats goes to his stomach.  

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner - All Grown Up

Image Source: Vistavision

Little Jack Horner alone in the corner
Regretting his recent lie
He tippled his rum - said what have I done
I'll be in this mess til I die

Not Winning!

Background:  As I've mentioned before, I still own the house where I grew up, and it is less than 2 miles from where we live now. I went there to wash the car because there are paved driveways.  Below is an excerpt from an e-mail I sent to my hubby detailing my attempt to vacuum and wash the car. He laughed and suggested I share it with you.

The back driveway

"Went over to blow out the driveway, vacuum out the car and wash it.  Frustrating!  I only had one cord, so too short.  Went to get the black cord on the box.  Attached to the battery charger, so I drug out the heavy orange one and figured out how to set it up.  Blew the driveway.  Unplugged the blower, hauled out the blue vac, and cleaned the car.  OK on to the real frustration.  I hunted for the car wash brush.  Found it, managed to get to it.  Good.  Had soap, brush and bucket.  Go out to get the hose.  Pull it out and no nozzle.  Back to the basement.  Found a nozzle I thought would work.  Needed a washer.  Put one in.  Back to the front, put the nozzle on.  Good.  Turn on the water.  Hose not connected.  OK, connect the hose to the weird dual thingie on the spigot.  Leaks.  Flip both switches.  Leaks.  Take the hose loose, take off dual thingie, put hose back on.  Leaks.  Phooey!  Check back driveway - no shade.  Put everything away and came home."

I guess you could say I was "not winning" that day.  Got any frustrations you'd like to share?

Quote of the Week

Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak.  Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world.  Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.

- Allen Klein

We are the artists of our lives, and they are only as bright as we paint them.

Where Did All The Words Go?

Image source:  Chris Halderman

No words anywhere, nothing, zip, nada.  Where did they all go?  Was it something I said?  Have I taken them for granted?  Maybe they're all in hiding, deep in the night in the furthest crevasses where light never reaches. Maybe they're being held prisoner and being forced to make sentences.

Please help find the words.

Posted for Friday Flash 55.