Me-too-ism

In my travels, I often drive through Findlay, Ohio. Findlay proclaims itself, 'Flag City USA'. All right, let it be as they say. I have no reason to doubt it, even though I suspect it's just a ruse of some sort.

About 10 miles after Findlay is the little town of Arlington (also in Ohio). The sign welcoming you to Arlington also makes a proclamation. It announces Arlington as 'Flag Village USA'.

You know what I think?

I think Arlington has sibling issues.

Speaking of which, I notice that Detroit this morning has an excessive heat warning as we are facing a potential record high of 96. Fair enough. But then I noticed that Hessel, Michigan, about 320 miles north, has issued a heat advisory. It's supposed to reach 82 up there today.

Really, Hessel? I think that's taking me-too-ism a bit far.

Canadian potato chips

I like rippled potato chips better than regular. They're heartier; they don't leave chip dust in the bottom of the bag or bowl and I don't believe they leave so much grease on your hands. Yep. I like rippled chips.

The other day I bought a bag of Italian sausage flavored chips. They're okay, but I never thought of there being a difference between spicy Italian and sweet Italian. These were spicy. And it's odd to taste a flavor where you don't feel that flavor should be. Italian sausage flavor should be in Italian sausages, not chips. But it was the only bag left and it was on sale. I had to buy it.

Of course, being the last bag left at a sale price could mean one of two things. Either they are really popular or they are really not so popular. Ah, ya pays ya money, ya takes ya chances. But I'll probably never find Italian Sausage potato chips again.

The Canadians were way ahead of the curve on potato chips. Years before we had them in the States they had dill pickle, ketchup, and most wonderfully of all, salt and vinegar chips. Now I see here in Michigan chips flavored 'all dressed' and purported to be the most popular flavor in Canada even though I've never seen them in Canada nor do many (if any) of my Canadian friends claim to know anything about them. Then again, I'm not exactly known for hanging out in Canadian party stores examining their potato chip emporiums.

I like rippled potato chips.

Oops, I've come full circle. Time to stop.

The not bad motor

I'm probably guilty of it too, but I do wonder if people always hear what they're saying.
A customer brought a machine into the Shop this morning. It had to be kick started. That is, it would hum when you hit the 'on' button but you needed to hand spin the pulley before the motor would turn. "What's wrong with it Cosgriff?"
I answered that until I got into the repair I would not know, but it could be as bad a blown motor. "They're can't be nothing wrong with the motor, Cosgriff, because I can kick start it."
He didn't hear what he said.
Of course something is wrong with the motor because you should not have to kick start it. Besides, if nothing's wrong with the motor why are you in my Shop talking to me?
Some people's kids...

Five years

Hey Pops, how are you today?

It looks like they finally finished the Logan County courthouse down in Bellfontaine. How long have they been working on it, maybe six, seven years? It's been awhile I know. I gather that 2018 is Bellefontaine's bicentennial and they wanted it ready by the Fourth this year. They got in under the wire.

I took in a Model R on trade last week for ten eight foot cables. Not a bad deal, I don't think. It all depends on what it sells for though, huh? We'll do all right with it.

Mom's doing okay physically but her mind ain't what it used to be. She talks about you all the time, saying that's she's glad we boys took after you. I fancy that by and large we have but that's flattery. I see a lot of you in your grandsons though. The apple doesn't fall too far from the grandtree, maybe?

The Tigers are doing well despite a rebuilding year. They play a home game at 3:15 this afternoon, and who knows why? I can't recall them ever playing at such a time, even on a weekend or holiday let alone on a normal end of June Monday. I'm almost tempted to go...

It's busy at work, so I guess I should go. Five years, eh? Sure don't seem like it.

Until next time,

Marty

A Sunday thought

Today on the Catholic calendar it is the feast of the birth of St. John the Baptist. Baptism is, I say with supreme understatement, critical to our lives as Christians. Even Our Lord had Himself baptized, because He came to fulfill the law not abolish it, and the law calls for baptism.

But why is it important? In the words of a very humble Dominican, Fr. Thomas Hennessey, as he baptized my daughter, "We now know that young Abigail shares in the Divinity of Christ." With baptism, Christ comes into our life. He becomes a part of us. And that is why it is important.

The Weather Dad

Yes, I'm supposed to be helping my daughter with her yard sale. I'll be back out there in a minute.

You see, the skies look iffy. So I'm doing what every dad does in this internet age when the sky looks iffy.

I hopped online to check the radar. What's wrong with a little planning?

And for your information, it looks like it's going to stay clear until after the sale is over. So there.

Pops and the horse barn

There once was a guy in the neighborhood who hung around the old barn quite a bit. I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name.

One day Cloyce stopped by simply to chat, as was his wont. For whatever reason his 9 year old daughter was with him. For whatever reason he asked me Pops how old the Shop was, so Dad went into an abridged version of his standard tale of the Shop's origion. It was our drain snake shop, me Grandpa Joe's welding shop afore that and a mechanic's shop afore that. Afore all that, and Dad had gone back a around a hundred years by then, it was a horse barn. Cars had not quite caught on in early 1900s and many folks in the area still had a horse and buggy for getting around.

"A horse barn, eh?" Cloyce asked approvingly.

"That explains the smell," young Miss Cloyce opined with a pinched up nose. From the mouths of babes.

"Cute kid you got there Cloyce," said Pops with a wry laugh.