Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Things I learned on my summer vacation (2007)

Solvent cups are great for packing vitamins, meds, and other small items.

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Ashland, Ohio, claims to be "the world headquarters of nice people."

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Jesse's Café (139 Brighton Ave, Long Branch, New Jersey) is a wonderful mostly-vegan restaurant. The baba ghanoush is spectacular.

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Ratatouille is a noun made from two verbs: ratouiller (to disturb, shake) and tatouiller (to stir).

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Manhattan Special is an espresso soda from Brooklyn, New York, bottled since 1895. It is everything Coke Black wants (and fails) to be.

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Older wine — a 1989 Bordeaux, almost brown in color, earthy in taste — is very different from the 2005, 2006 stuff I buy.

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Fuller's earth is a special-effects material used in simulating explosions. When you see the dirt flying up in a big plume, that's Fuller's earth.

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Desert Spring is a house-brand imitation of Poland Spring.

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"Oprah and her friends are just a call away." (Slogan on a cell-service kiosk in a New Jersey mall.)

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Rob Zseleczky can play a note-perfect guitar part for "Scarborough Fair."

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My sister-in-law Susie can draw manga characters.

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Most events in one's life happened "fifteen or twenty years ago."

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KARL BUSH EATS HOAGIES. (Painted on an overpass in Pennsylvania.)

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Singing along with Pete Seeger while driving lightens and brightens all moods.

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Coming back is so much nicer when the house is decluttered.

Related post
Things I learned on my summer vacation (2006)

comments: 6

Anonymous said...

You are right about the carbonated espresso. I would love to try that again. Great post, Dad.

-Ben

Michael Leddy said...

We will find it again, somewhere. Thanks, Ben!

sapphirepaw said...

Having noticed that overpass many times on trips to Erie, I finally stopped and got a picture of it. Your entry here is the only other reference to it that I've found.

Michael Leddy said...

Thanks for sharing the photograph!

Anonymous said...

I knew Rob Z. years ago and he can play guitar in a way that gives you a skin-orgasm. I consider myself lucky to have had him in my life, however brief!

Michael Leddy said...

He’s quite a musician, as I am reminded every summer.