Super Duper, The Boys Are Back In Town

This is going to be part of a few Spring themed writings over the next few weeks, I’ve had a couple already, which is proof that the thermometer is supposed to be going in the right direction.  Have we had a day above 60 degrees yet?  No, but we will- I am absolutely sure of it!!  

Hubby and I made it to (and from) the Tigers Opening Day festivities last Friday and yes, they won!  Opening Day was bigger than we’ve ever seen it – AND, there is starting to be more girls.  

By the way, ladies, if you are single and live in a city with a baseball team that has opening day festivities and you stay away?  Well, then you deserve to be single.  No, really, the odds at one of these events are 20 to 1, easily, and that is me guessing the odds from this year’s turn out in Detroit – I can remember years ago when I was one of eight girls I saw all day, yes , eight - all day (the line to the ladies bathroom was non-existent, fabulous – I know)  That was a good decade ago – but still, the odds are so in your favor ladies.  Put it on the calendar for next year, take the day off and head downtown – I can’t believe I even have to tell you this – common sense my dears – c’mon already…..

Anyway – I like to go there for the people, it’s a great place to be in a hub of happy, live, buzzing activity.  You get to chat it up with all kinds of folks, I love it.  Plus there are still places you can celebrate for free, no ridiculous cover.  The Fillmore Theater and State Bar always have live music and the game on the HUGE screen.  This is my favorite place, although the beer selection is decided for you that day by the sponsor of the event – it hasn’t been good the last few years, but that’s ok, we’re not there for the beer.

And the last few years Grand Circus Park has had live music and goings on all day too – when the sun was out you almost didn’t notice you could still see your breath.  Which brings me to the socks.  

A man was running around with Superman socks on in the park.  He himself was not dressed oddly, or was he obnoxious in any way – BUT, he had on Superman Socks.  Apparently Superman is a theme with the Tigers?  I know we have a lot of super players, but I hadn’t realized there was a Superman theme, see hat below, it’s officially MLB Licensed, who knew?

I did miss getting a picture of him in his socks, he rolled his pants legs back down, so I had to go in search of one – which is why the gentleman pictured above is standing on a track and not in a park – but they are indeed the same socks!  And they are just as super!!!  Aren’t they?

The “Boys of Summer” are definitely back in town and are winning (for the most part).  Keep it up and we’ll get to a game when the weather realizes it’s in a short named month and it’s supposed to be warm.  Until then, my gloves are still in my pockets and my boots are still by the door…. Go Spring!

Twice Re-Used

Ah yes, apparently I re-used a used zip lock baggie….

Wow, this is always something I said I wouldn’t do, you know, put something in a zip lock, store it, use it and then re-use the same bag to store something else.  We all remember the days when our mothers did this – don’t we?

For a week there would be four slices of bologna in a bag, then she’d make the last sandwich for your lunch, cut up an orange, pop the orange in the old greasy bologna bag and send you off to school… You’d open that orange bag looking forward to a sweet treat and be hit with the overwhelming smell of processed meat, mixed with orange – ah, the aroma never leaves you – does it???

Clearly, the meat in a baggie thing still lives on – only I did it in the opposite order.  

I have a good habit of writing on the bags what the cooking instructions are for whatever it is I am freezing.  I do this a lot when I don’t want to keep a big package in the freezer for just one item.  This item didn’t come in a package, it’s the remainder from a full ring of homemade kielbasa from Srodeks in Hamtramck (if you live in the Southeastern Michigan area – go there – they make THE best sausage in town, I get the chunky stuff).

Noted on the bag - if you can read my cooking instruction for this little leftover end of frozen kielbasa - it says, “Run under water, add bananas, milk and berries – Blender”.

Hmmm. Never put a sausage in a blender before – do you think it goes well with the bananas?? Yuck-o

Here’s what used to be in the baggie – it was Acai mush, frozen in a package.  I couldn’t use it all at once, so I clipped the end up with a paper clip and popped it in a ziplock – the bag never actually got dirty, the Acai was in a bag already, it just wasn’t a re-sealable one.  

Therefore my mind found it ok to re-use the used ziplock.  That is until I pulled it out and read my cooking instructions – which at that point, well, I wanted to cry.

So, that’s it – I’ve re-used a used baggie.  Holy crap, this is a major “you are turning into your parent’s” moment.  And I so wish to avoid the multiple smells of my lunchtime youth….blech.  

Oh the many sights and smells flooding me right now.  

Did any of you have those desks that opened?  The top was hinged and you kept your lunch in the desk – then at lunch time you’d clear everything off, put your paper and pencils back in the desk and pull out your lunch – everyday for a year.  Yep – another awful smell reminder from my youth – all tied to lunches, sandwiches in baggies and old lead pencils…

Help – bologna, bananas and pencil lead – oh my, with a dash of old lingering peanut butter, wafting through my memories.

Please – does anyone have a flower, it’s a shame it’s too soon for roses or lilacs, yes, lilac would do nicely. Oh how do I get those smells to leave my head, cut grass anyone – no grass is still brown – damn. 

While I’m at it, anyone remember Olive Loaf?  Yeah – what the hell was that? Who ever thought that was good?  “Ah yes, what can we put in this pink processed meat to make it standout?  Oh – of course – Green Olives!!”  Can you say sodium tidal wave?

So happy to be out of my youth – so, so very happy.  

Skating and Chatting

Ah – Happy Spring!

Here’s what I love – when kids are out playing basketball in the driveway and skateboarding down the road.  

Who cares that it is downright cold outside?  Its Spring Break, they’re off school and gosh darn it – they are going to be outside doing the things of summer, even if their digits freeze off.

I wish I had a photo of the boy that is the picture above.  I’m driving down the road and here’s a kid about ten or eleven, swishing back and forth on those bendy skateboards.  I’m coming to the cross walk and I look up and see he’s on the phone.  Multi-tasking those boys…. I see this more often than not – kids on their boards on their phones – man, even when I was young I could never get the hang of skateboarding, let alone talk and ride.

Here’s the thing – he just didn’t glide out in front of me, oblivious to the car from not paying attention while on the phone, or thinking that he was a punk kid and had the right of way, complete with evil glare, nope – he saw a car coming and stopped at the cross street, like I did, just like he had a stop sign.  

My guess?  His butt has been scraped across the ground in a droopy pants ruining kind of way or bounced off car hood before, face to face through the windshield with a shocked driver and he’s now a little more attentive. 

Good, I like that!  I can remember when there were shit kids in the area that would lie across the road and dare you to hit them.  I always worried that some senior citizen would – without even realizing the dare…  And you could never help but feel – serves your dumbass right.  But as far as I know, those boys grew up and moved away – all alive and well.  Yep, don’t miss them - a bit.

Anyway – I like the new round of kids, out playing hoops and skateboarding.  We had a football game in the parking lot across the street last weekend.  Makes you feel like kids are being kids, and all is right in the world – at least right now, during Spring Break.

The only thing is – I don’t see any girls. Yeah, I bet they are warm in the house, watching the amateur sports out the windows – no freezing digits on them…in fact, if their digits are anything like mine- they just got a new joyful spring coat of polish!! 

Orange, in honor of our Detroit Tigers home opener Friday - see you there!

It's A Triple CH' Day!

What’s a triple CH’ Day you ask?  Well, it’s a pretty damn good day if you ask me!!

You see, I just made it up to celebrate the Triple CH’s gifted to us.  

Our neighbor from the next road down from ours is fabulous.  Have I mentioned we love our neighbors (at least a dozen times you say?) – Yeah, well, we still do and make it a baker’s dozen!

Anyway, this lovely gentleman was a long time confectioner in the area and is just closing up his last store (of over 40 years).  The name isn’t going away, his daughter bought him out and will have a store of her own 20 miles from here – but his last store, which is three blocks away, is closing up shop.  Easter was his big send off.

I went in to take a few pics of his smiling face behind the counter and to say goodbye to the store.  At which point I found myself immediately in the back room having a glass of red wine.  A very LARGE glass of red wine.

I also found myself holding a box of chocolate filled eggs “on the house” – to add to the three other boxes he brought over two days ago.  This man can make one mean rum cherry…. Not to mention other yummy concoctions.

Anyway, while I was in the back, there was this really cool turquoise folding chair – from the 60’s.  I said, oh don’t throw that out – it’s great!  And he said – ok I won’t, I’ll see if my daughter is taking it to the new store. 

The next thing he said was, I made 16 chicken legs last night - I just can’t get the hang of cooking for one – come over around 6:00 after I close the store and take some home for you and your hubby for dinner.  Free food and I don’t have to cook tonight???  Hell yeah!!!

He is from the old country, cooking, canning, making chocolates and homemade ice cream is something he does very, very well.  He could have made millions on his ice cream - it’s that good!  Turn down food from him, never.

I almost finish my giant glass of wine and head straight home.  I had errands to do, but not now.

At about 5:45 I hear his truck horn in the driveway, holler for the hubby and head out the door.  He tells me he has a present for me.  It’s the lovely turquoise folding chair.  He so rocks!

I then walk over to his home and pick out our chicken dinner for the evening.  As I’m thanking him for all the delightful goodies he bestowed upon us today, it hits me – thanks for the Chocolates, the Chair and the Chicken, ha ha, it’s a three CH day!  

Dinner, desert and a place to sit, man, this is my new favorite kind of day!!  Dziękuję Mr. S!!