A hidden gem

No I didn't find a diamond here at the house hidden behind some wall and be rich forever, but found a great place in Boyertown that holds an activity every year called Duryea Day. It is a car show sponsored by the Boyertown Historical Vehicle Museum and they have it every year on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. It is surely a hidden gem once you discover it. Elliot and went on Saturday and was a lot of fun for both of us. Cars of all kinds, as most car shows go and the fun was interacting with the owners. They eat it up the attention when you compliment their cars and the stories they begin to tell are enjoyable and they don't seem to want to let you go so you can move on.

While we were looking at this one car, the owner came up and offered to let Elliot sit in it so I could take a picture. He actually lifted Elliot in the car, so he would not get his feet on the white carpeted running board. I complimented the owner, telling him he did a good job on the car. He then told me he didn't do anything, as this was the "only car" he had that he bought already finished and is so much easier than fixing a car up by yourself. So he must have others. Made me wonder where people like him get all the money for this, but I got a good picture of Elliot sitting inside.

Soon Elliot and I were getting thirsty and after we depleted our own supply we took along, we found a stand for food and drinks. The prices were normal and not like buying things at a typical event. You know, $5 for a bottle of water or a soda and so on. As we found the place to rehydrate, things were winding down at the show. Since the show was in the community park in Boyertown, we passed by a huge playground and the stand to buy the drinks was only a few feet away. There was no long line and just one guy was in front of us. He ordered a cheeseburger and a Coke. As watched him being served it was like a flashback to the days when I was a kid and the place to go was Schell's in Muhlenberg.

Schell's in the 60's was a place where you had to get out of your car an order at a window. There was no indoor seating there back then and you had to eat in the car. This was typical for back in those days and something I will never forget. The problem with Schell's, they didn't have hamburgers. Their big thing was hamburger barbeque's and fries. I longed in those day for them to put hamburgers on the menu and they soon did. What sent me back on my little flashback, the guy who ordered the cheeseburger on Saturday, I watched the server walk back with a pair of tongs and dig a burger from an aluminum pan with pre cooked burgers soaking in their own juice and throw it on a roll. So retro, just like I remember Schell's doing once they upgrade to hamburgers in the 60's. Throw it on a roll, add a slice of cheese and you have your cheeseburger. So simple and tasted so good.

Elliot got his first look at a Chevy Corvair. It was a small family car in the early to mid 60's. The hood and trunk were opened and as he looked in the front, he looked at me and asked, "Where is the engine?" I said it was in the back. He was a bit puzzled and as we looked back at what we all know as the trunk, there was this little flat looking engine with a fan and a belt on top. I told him how this was something that Chevy came up with, no radiator with what we have now as a water cooling system and the engine was cooled just by a fan. That was why corvairs, had vents on the "trunk, cover for ventilation. I also old him how many of the classic vehicles he saw on Saturday, were typical family cars in their time period and nobody ever knew how these cars would be classics someday.

So it was a good day and Elliot learned some interesting things about cars from the past. He liked comparing engines, whether they were four, six or eight cylinder. He liked what was know as the slant six, made by Chysler and we had one with that old beige wagon we had when we bought our house here on Perkiomen. Had to explain the difference to him about a V engine (V 6 and V 8) and the straight models. Elliot now wants to go back to the Museum in Hershey and take a good look away from the crowds and hot sun.

Got lots of pictures and hope to share soon.

Dental work.

Okay all of you listen up, seroiusly. I finally made an appointment to get my mouth back into good shape. If I break it, I want you all to come over to my house and scream at me. The appointment is for August 28 at 9:30 in the morning so please pray for the dentist...lol. I lost a ton of fillings which I spent a good buck for over the years and as as you all know, my dental hygiene habits were never the best. Why do fillings fall out? Because if you don't keep brushing, decay finds it's way beneath them. I honestly didn't know that. I thought it was just because I have a habit of chewing ice from my sodas and other drinks. Duh on my part. If any you think my mouth is shot, I'm giving it a shot to not keep it shot. Just think, no more breath mints and no more turning my head while talking to someone within a few feet away. Those with good smell can smell it anyway, but that hopefully will be something of the past. We can't get back what we lost, but can still gain some things back when we take the right steps. So true with teeth and so many other things in life. I'm just glad I'm finally doing it again.

I have no idea of the outcome, whether I will have to either deal with getting the fillings replaced, or maybe some teeth extracted and having them replaced as well. My front teeth are fine, but all the damage is with the molars. I do have a nasty habit of chewing on ice and I did lose some as a direct result, but I'm sure that wasn't the only reason. "We can rebuild him. We have the technology........", as from the famous intro from the old TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man". Speaking of money, when I made the appointment, the gal on the phone could see on her computer (as she commented) that it has been a long time since I was there. I made the remark that Dr. Wetmore may be able to book a cruise once he get s finished with me. She laughed and said, it probably isn't that bad. Made me feel kind of good.

So it looks like I will be spending a lot of time at the dentist for a while and as I said, pray for Dr. Wetmore. I'm sure he will have a good time on a boat at the Caribbean on my expense this winter. At least I will have another part of my health taken care of by the end of this year. I have an appointment with Dr. Braun in early September and I plan to have a lot of other things taken care of on the next few months and don't plan to leave this planet for a long time, God willing.

Ignoring a problem is so easy, but they will never go away until we face them.

Love you all.

original movies vs. remakes

I just got finished watching the newer version of "The Producers". I really like the new version, but as seeing the original, I was a bit disappointed. I like all the actors that star in the new version, but it is just not the same. The Producers was Mel Brooke's first movie, yes, before Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles. If one didn't ever see the original, they would not be aware of the differences. If they did see the original, maybe they would feel the same way as I do. The remake is very good and follows the original plot, but what is missing most is what happens during the play on stage. The original shows the play in the movie, "Springtime for Hitler" and the antics going on depicted in more detail. To me that is the highlight of the movie. I was never a big Dick Shawn fan, but he played Hitler in the original better than any other actor I could think of. He also played the son of the nagging mother in law on the film, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and did a great job. Other than that, I never saw him in any other movies and no place on TV, other than talk shows or game shows. in the 70's. His role in both movies were similar. His cool, "Baby, baby", "Daddy-O" persona fit both films. If you would do a search on this guy, I'm sure he was a hit on Broadway.

As "The Producers" was Mel Brook's first movie, he wanted Dustin Hoffman to play in one of the starring roles. He gave Dustin a call and Dustin told Mel he was not available as he was flying to California to audition for a movie with his (Mel's) wife for a new film. It was an audition to star with Anne Bancroft for the movie that became a world hit, "The Graduate." As it was, film history was in he making.

There have been so many remakes of many movies over the years and if I may say, watch the original first. All are entertaining, but always fun to see what the differences are, not only for the technological but to see what the modern movies may have left out in plot . From my perrspective a lot is added to the newer versions, but look for the things that may have been left out.


That is Hollywood, as they say.

The Pope in the pizza.

On Friday evening after picking up Elliot, we stopped at Pizza Hut for dinner. We had some pizza left over, had it boxed and brought it home. We got home, after finding a parking space way up the block, brought everything in the house for the evening and began preparing for our weekend away at my granddaughter's Birthday party at State College with all the family. On Saturday morning, Elliot and I got picked up and we spent a nice weekend away from the house. It was one of the nicest weekends I have had in as far as I can remember and hope to do it all again someday. Anyway, on the way home on Sunday after a big lunch at the local Ponderosa Steak House in State College, food somehow entered my mind. I remember having the leftover pizza from Pizza Hut in the refrigerator and figured it would make a good snack for me later after I got home. Later that evening I went to the fridge and there was no pizza. I figured with all the excitement on Friday evening, I might have eaten the pizza and simply forgot that I did. I made myself something to eat and got ready for bed.

Monday morning on my way to work, I walked up to my car and saw something on the car roof. Sure enough, total recall now kicking in, There was the pizza. The lid was opened and all three little leftover slices were all exposed. It sort of made me laugh, wondering how many people must have waked by all weekend and saw it sitting there.

What makes this more humorous, the birds up in the tree made this pizza into a pooperoni pizza by adding a little of their own bird dropping topping. Made me think about the old gag on Saturday Night live back in 1980, find the Pope in the pizza , but now it was more like finding the "poop" in the pizza....lol. There was no bird poop on the rest of the roof of the car (unless the rain washed it off, but I doubt it). Did you ever try to wash bird poop off a car without having to rub the crap (pun intended) out of it? Anyway, momma bird must have been doing her job quite well. Her babies seemed to have been trained to hit a small target with great accuracy. It's funny what you notice about something so gross and soggy on the top of your car so early in the morning, while you are still half asleep. Has this ever happened to any of you?....lol. Especially as you attempt to to pick it u off the roof. The thing was a waterlogged, all swelled up and a mushy mess. One try to pick it up was almost a near disaster.

Luckily I keep plastic shopping bags in my trunk, because it is obvious someone like me needs them. I held the bag open and tried to slide the whole mess off my roof. Splat, one slice is now in the gutter, another slice spilling all over the place, just grazing the outer part of my work bag. It was disgusting. Some of it just missed the open pouch where I keep may wallet, comb, work ID, etc. Luckily my reflexes aren't so good in the morning and turned slow enough or maybe some of this gunk would have slid in if I reacted faster. As humorous as this all was, my attitude might have changed if that would have happened. I should have just left it all fall into the street, catching one third was better than nothing. I was doing good to this point and didn't want to blow it and lose my temper. All turned out fine, everything else got in the bag, no gooey mess down the side if the car threw it all away at the trash can at the company parking lot. It could have been worse. All's well that ends well.

I could have let the rest on the roof....lol.