MORE CLEANING-THE BASEMENT & ATTIC!

     No wonder in later years I owned and operated a residential cleaning service. It seemed as a I was growing up in a huge old farm house, that was all we ever did was clean. I'm not sure if we did it twice a year, but, we did clean the basement and attic at least once a year.

       One thing I remember was going to nearby Laurel and purchasing a sweeping compound that had an red oily base to soak up the dust and dirt on the floors. We bought a lot of that stuff. I bet no one had a cleaner and as neat a basement and attic as we had in at least 3 counties! 

      Remember, a lot of basements were just dirt floors and not poured concrete like ours. It was also the complete size of the entire house. Same for the attic. It was nailed down wide wood plank flooring. As aside note from our attic we could see the Court House in Newton decorated at Christmas over 20 miles away. 

       There was a small attic on top of the main attic. I never remember going up there or why it was designed that way. I always wish I would have somehow as it would have been quite a view!

I DIDN'T NEED STINKIN' GPS!

       After I received an inquiry about doing some windows here in Williamsburg, I asked a couple of locals who have lived here in town all their lives. The street was East Washington and both individuals weren't sure. This town is only 3,000 in population and by all practical terms not that big. How could you not know any street and living here for ever?

        I did find it on my own. But, being a realtor for 15 years in Des Moines, Iowa, I prided myself in knowing pretty much every street not only in Des Moines, but, most of the nearby suburbs including Ankeny. I made it a point to know the evens and odds of addresses by which side of the street they were on. Also, if an address was 1200 35th, I could tell you what the nearest street was running the other direction.

        I didn't need any "stinkin" GPS devise. It was called using your old brain. I would bet that today many Realtors don't know their streets and just rely on their "tech" assistance! 

DECISIONS! DECISIONS! DECISIONS!

        Last night I drove over eat at the "Lucky 6 Lanes" bowling alley and restaurant on highway 6 outside Marengo, Iowa. I have talked about this place before. It is extremely clean, totally updated and great comfort food all the way around. 

       My intentions were to have either a tenderloin, which is out of sight, a hamburger which is just like your mother used to make in a caste iron skillet, or a fish in the basket, which someone had recommended. When I sat down at the counter, I looked over and posted was the "Special of the Day."-- A Hot Pork Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Oh, No!

        I was not disappointed. That was the best Hot Pork or Beef, I had in a very long time. The gravy flavor was out of sight! Sometimes, you have hard decisions to make and you just have to make them!

A GOOD DRINKING MEMORY!

       A customer at the Burg Grocery this past week was talking about making a Brandy Alexander the after dinner ice-cream libation! That took me right to the days of the late 1960's and 1970's when there was a restaurant in Windsor Heights, Iowa called Gi-Gi's.

       It was located on University Avenue and back down a narrow walk-way to its entrance. It was owned by Lois and Howard Young at the time. The one reason you went there was not only the good food, but, was the magnificent and smooth ice-cream drink-"the Brandy Alexander! If I was ever to drink again, and I don't plan on it, that would be the treat that would take me there! 

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M LOOKING AT LAZ-E BOY!

        When I was a very younger man, I always said that I would never get a Laz-E Boy type chair or lounge as it represented something that you got when you got older. All through the years, I either purchased a down filled straight chair with an ottoman or for years had a sectional and laid down while watching TV. 

        What has changed my thinking now is that I live in a small home and only have had room for a couch. It has been very uncomfortable and I just feel it is time to change. My next question is whether to buy a brand new chair or find one used to make sure that this is what I want to do before thinking of spending big money on a new one. 

        One thing I still don't do now that I am older is count out change from my plastic coin purse like old men do. I will never go to that extreme. When I start counting out those coins, I know the end is near!


  

"WHERE DID YOU GO EXCITING ON YOUR VACATION?

       One of the managers at the Burg Grocery got back from her vacation of last week. As always, I ask someone who has taken vacation time the same question. "Where did you go exciting on your vacation?"

         I don't ask it to be cute or funny, but, am always interested when people travel or engage in interesting events. It's just in my nature, I guess. The response was pretty much as I had expected. "Just stayed home!" 

       That response is usually the case and her answer was no big surprise. But, just once it would be a pleasant surprise to hear someone say the following: "We just got back from Egypt and took a mini-cruise down the Nile and visited the Great Pyramids on camel-back!" That may be a stretch, but, something along those lines would be better than going nowhere.  

STOMPED EGGS!

        While helping a lady out with her groceries yesterday, the conversation quickly pivoted from the weather to what we were having for supper. I mentioned that my choice for the evening was a breakfast type meal including toast a ham steal and some eggs "sunny side up."

       The lady's response to the eggs was that she and her husband preferred eggs that were cooked well done, hard, and then turned over and "stomped!" I started to laugh as I had never heard the stomped part. To each his/her own!