Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Hudson - Rust & Crust


Hudson - Rust & Crust
Originally uploaded by sisudave.

There are two Hudsons, both rusted out, parked right adjacent to each other behind fence at auto junk place Rte 25 south side of town. Since vehicles are packed in so tight this is only real shot I could get.
I rememeber when I was a kid and these came out. My friends father who lived in same apt. building as us got one - think it was their first new car. All previous ones Jimmy used in his construction business. I was fascinated as first car I saw where you stepped down to get in the car. He used to sleep it off in the car Sunday mornings after Saturday nights at the Knights of Columbus. Man a couple blocks over from us was the Hudson Dealer. They had 3 cute blonde girls and all us kids played over there. They were one of the first to have a TV and invited all us kids to watch lots of times. I especially remember Ed Sullivan Show, as one of the first ones.

Ou neighbor, Dominick, on the third floor was the first in our apartment to have a TV. No cable in those days so he had big antenna attached to side of wall up at the roof. They were real good about having us kids upo to watch TV,too. Remeber Lil al;ways had treats, like popcorn, also. In those early days they had a lot of big events on the TV and I particularly remember watching The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. Even though had seen the real thing in New York , that was still a tremendous treat. In those days people troed to all kinds of things to enhance their picture. I think Dominic put a big magnifier on his. Of course in these days we would say YUK that just distorts the picture and it was already snowy enough. But we all thought it was just a marvelous thing.
My brothers were older than me. They decided they wanted to get us a TV. My father was against it. I don't know why he was funny about things some time when it came to his family. I never did figure him out completely, especially in that regard. he used to work extra besides regiular job to make his "drinking" money. Always turned the regular paycheck over to my Mom from day they were married. he didn't care anything about managing it and always did other things for his own pocket change. only he kept in in his shoe and he would often take his coins out of there just to show us kids how much change he had. I couldn't ever figure out how he could walk around wuith that money in his shoe - he probably didn't and just use a little slight of hand in fromt of us.
Anyway my Mom appointed me to sneak over and see if Pop was watching TV at the Bader's which she suspected. They were the people who owned the bakery across the street where he worked and spent a lot of time with them. I remember they always had a small table in back room of the bakery with a bittle of booze on it. I think that was part of Pop's and the bakers salary. I think she had told him that if she found out that he was watching their TV she would let the boys get us one. I don't remember the outcome, but do know that Gus and Herb went to see Mr Asherman (another Baker) who owned the Apartment building and Mrs. Asherman said "sure the boys can have a TV." Hooray for her. I always thought it funny that after Mr Asherman died, the Mrs eventually married again, to Gus Anderson - not my Pop. but another man with same name.
I remember evry day running out of Washington Sciool and looking for the antenna on top of the roof. Finally it was there and our lives, as with most other Americans coming into the TV age, were to change and never be the same. Our antenna was put up on the chimney o higher than Dominics. That made him mad and all I ever remember about him from then on was complaining that our antenna interferred with his reception.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Weskora Hotel - Ossining, New York


Weskora Hotel - Ossining, New York
Originally uploaded by sisudave.

This is a vintage penny postcard. I received the site in an e-mail from a friend today where I found this:
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/special/ppcs/ppcs.html
My Hometown, Ossining, New York.
I never saw this hotel, and never saw a picture of it until now. It burned long before my time, but I heard about it. My folks were young married couple living on Broadway(hill to the left where you see other buildings), probably about 1925.. They lived at the bottom of the hill which would have put them right behind the hotel.. It must have been one of the biggest fires in town. My Mom said they were up all night long making coffee and my Pop taking it to the folks battling the fire..
So in my time there was just the old brick parking lot with a diner at the back of the property. The diner couldn't have lasted there long either as was gone by time I was in High School, but was around when I was a kid. A bunch of us kids in the Washington School area hung around in Cardinale's Liquor store. A guy named Tony took care of the place for the Cardinales. Tony was crippled(I think from Polio) so he couldn't go away to the service in WWII like so many of the other young guys. We used to play rummy in the back room. One day he sent us to buy sandwiches at the diner. We had BLT's. It was the first one I ever had. It was Delicious! I can remember running home to tell my Mom about this great sandwich I had. I have had lots since but I always hold the mayo..

Monday, February 05, 2007

They Want Your Pits


They Want Your Pits
Originally uploaded by sisudave.

If you find a pit in your Cherries, OregoN says to send it to them and you'll get a surprise in return. I mailed it in today. I told them it is not really a complaint by me as I don't mind. In fact, I suggested they try marketing cans of unpitted cherries. I'd like to see the cherries not mashed and no problem spitting out the pits. Then you could imagine you were eating fresh ones right off the tree.Probably not a good idea for the tart ones that you make the pies out of though.

Cherries generally don't grow or produce well here so you pretty much just see the ornamental cherry trees. in South Carolina.

Apparently I have the gout and now taking a pill for that, too. Also one for pain if I have another flare-up, but haven't needed. I always understood it was a disease of Royalty (King Henry VIII) so have been eating lots of the Royal Anne's, but also Bing and making pies out of the tart red cherries. Cherries are supposed to be one of the comfort foods for gout so I have been eating plenty. No problem as I love them - just wish they were cheaper.