Had to take a day out

Just heard that the game is on again for this Saturday. Of course it was supposed to be on for last Saturday also so we’ll see. Hope so, I’m going stir crazy.

So crazy that I took a bit of a run around today. Supposed to stay off this foot but it’s a question of mental vs. physical health. Besides my car hasn’t been run for over a week, needs the exercise. First stop was the Farmer’s Market about 15 miles away. Zern’s is great, all kinds of shyt there though I can’t do a lot of strolling around to browse. Main problem is it is only open on Fridays and Saturdays so not a large window time wise to play with. Speaking of not a large window time wise it seems it was even smaller than expected. When I worked my trips were usually on Sat since the place is usually packed come the evenings. I found out a few months ago on a previous trip that they don’t open until 11 am on Sat. I had shown up around 10 and had time to kill. Today I’m smart; I don’t get there until 11:30. Real smart, everything still shuttered. I see people walking around getting ready so I figure OK, Friday, maybe a 12:00 opening. Hang around until a bit after 12 but nothing seems open. OK, change of plan. Time to hit the book store.

Original plan was to hit Zern’s then travel down Rte 100 to the 422 Expressway and then the Expressway to the book store, back down 422 to the supermarket, a Wegmans, great place with lots of goodies, then the liquor store and home. Not exactly a great circle route but as reasonable a loop as can be made with those places in mind. Zern’s not being open just screwed up those plans. Oh well. Hit the bookstore but not much on the shelves for my taste. Found a copy of Fear Itself by Walter Mosley. Mosley writes some great stories set in the Watts section of LA in the 50’s. Looked a bit better than the copy I already have and was only a buck so I picked it up and I’ll keep whichever one is better and sell the other. Next I hit the manga section for my daughter. I know this one is going to cost me as the last time I had her there she found a copy of Inu-Yasha and she started that series. Next time I was there I found 20 more to the series sitting on the shelves. I got her 2; let’s not get out of hand here. That being so I know I’m getting 2 more. I get to the shelves and get a nasty surprise. The 18 I left last time are still there, they were nos. 15 to 32. I had picked up 13-14. However I saw issues 1-12 sitting there also but looking different than the others. I figure what the hell; I’ll get her 2-3 to go in order as she has 1. Then I look. The damned things were $15.95. WTF? The pricing is half the cover for paperbacks but that still means $8 for these which is more than the price of the other ones new. Why so damned expensive? (For any Canadian readers I have you guys getting an even bigger reaming, they want C$ 25.95 for them. That’s hard cover territory. Can’t figure the discrepancy either as the C$ isn’t that far off the US one) Anyhow I got 15 and 16, lots cheaper, but I know that my daughter is going to spot these others and I’m going to get reamed somewhere along the line. Luckily I’ll be able to keep her occupied with the other volumes on her next trip as I can do a 2 or 1 offer but this summer is going to be tough. Anyway she still made out better than I did and now I’m back off to Zern’s.

Get back to Zern’s and surprise, most places are still closed. My main stops were the nut shop and the butcher’s. I find someone behind the curtains at the nut shop and ask what time they open. She says about 2. It’s about 20 mins. to so I head over to the butcher shop to check on them. On the way over I decide to stop for lunch and grab a crab cake sandwich at the seafood snack bar next stall to them. Nothing spectacular but not expensive and probably a lot better for me than the usual couple of corn dogs I cram down my throat when I’m there. Figure by the time I finish places should be open. Woman at the stand is very nice and as there is no business we have a nice chat. I finish my sandwich and head to the butcher shop.

While I used to visit the butcher’s when I held my old Lapub picnics around this time mainly because they had great ribs, I only went there for jerky this time. I used to frequent another stall but they have since closed so this has become my place for jerky. They have a great selection of it but the damned stuff s so expensive, even here, that one has to limit oneself unless the funds are in great condition. I also don’t eat as much jerky as I once did, too many crowns to risk it they way I once did. Ah to be young once again. As it is the stall is no longer a butcher shop. They now call themselves a deli and the cases are filled with an even larger variety of jerky, different types and sizes of cured sausages and salamis and cheese. Doesn’t really make a difference as I’m only after jerky but the larger selection is going to make behaving myself difficult. They have regular beef, steak and turkey, all in various flavors from regular to blazing hot. I like the steak but it is softer than the others and while easier on the teeth, disappears too fast so I’m getting plain old beef as I’ve never been big on turkey. I skip the various flavors of hot, the Cajun and the garlic and get a half pound each of original, teriyaki and PA Dutch sweet beef. Should last me awhile. On to the nut shop

Place was finally open. Nuts there are about ½ to ¾ the price in stores not to mention the greater selection. Also a good selection of trail mixes and dried fruit. My main staples are pecans, plain and glazed, pistachios and dried cherries. Picked up about a pound of each. They had some dates so I got some of them. Usually pick up some Turkish figs there too. They’re about half the price of Calmyrnas and just as good IMHO. Didn’t get any on this trip though. In a couple weeks. Also skipped the date nut rolls. Love them and so does my daughter but already bought the dates and don’t need to overdo it. Pick some up when my daughter comes down again. Next stop.

Next to the nut shop is the candy stall. This place is fantastic though I exercised restraint. It’s the only place left that I know of where you can get jujubes. Had to forego the pleasure however. Damn crowns again, not to mention too much sugar is a no-no these days. Years ago I used to cause jaws to drop when I’d ask for 5 lbs of the damned things. Would keep them on my desk at work. Hey, didn’t get up there that often. At least two co-workers pulled fillings when they raided the stash. The risk you take with jujubes. They also have one of the greatest selections of what used to be known as penny candy that I’ve seen since the sweet shops of my youth have closed down. It just ain’t a penny anymore. It’s a real bitch, you have money and you’re old enough that there are no longer parental restrictions on the good stuff but now your so old your body tells you to forget it. Anymore I only stop there for licorice. While they have a big selection of it my taste is for plain black, foreign made if it’s available. American black licorice is ok but Australia and the Netherlands have it all over us for licorice. Aussie has a much more intense taste while Dutch is kind of salty tasting. Finnish, Italian and German ain’t bad either. Unfortunately only US and Aussie are available here. Actually two types of US are there. Standard Twizzlers and a new brand, Kenny’s. Never heard of the Kenny’s before and the girl tells me it’s a bit harder than the Twizzlers and offers me a piece to try. Actually it’s also a bit more intense in flavor though not as strong as the Aussie. It’s also cheaper than Twizzlers. So I decided on a half of each and a pound of Aussie. Yes I know, the sugar again but every so often I just get a jones for black licorice and I have to poison myself. Also picked up some spearmint leaves for my mother. Wherever she usually gets them hasn’t had any her last couple trips and she’s been suffering withdrawal symptoms. Gotta help out where I can. Ok, finally done here, onward and upward.

Head back down towards home. Wegmans trip canceled as it’s now out of the way. Liquor store next stop. Quick stop there. Couple bottles of red and, since it’s pretty warm it’s umbrella drink season. Don’t feel like mixing so a couple bottles premixed stuff. A bottle of Rum Runner for the game tomorrow night and one for home. Want to pick up another bottle for home but forgot whether it’s Bahama Mama’s or Hurricanes that have the passion fruit in them. I hate passion fruit so guess I’ll have to pass on the second bottle. Will send my dickheaded nephew you out on a run later this weekend. Make a quick stop in the supermarket next door to the liquor store, just a simple one not as fancy as Wegmans, looking for some fruit pops. Useless visit as all they had was plain popsicles, did get fudgesicles though couldn’t waste all that extra walking, and my day of travel was over. Head home for pizza for dinner and a large Rum Runner and to bore everyone with this missive. Hell, when you don’t get out a lot and are as simple as I am you make the best of what is there. Now a short trip for poker tomorrow night and another week of sitting home behaving.

Thanks for the listen.