Al's Little Store.

Convenience stores, humbug! We had a real one in  Wallace long before there was a Circle K or a 7-11 or a Mini Mouse Mart, or any other mart. Yes, we had the real deal, and there is nothing like it now days.
I did a lot of bike riding in the summer in Wallace, and the best place to go to get a nice cool pop after a hot summer ride was , you got it, Al's Little Store.




Now, Al's was special for a lot of reasons. First of all, he was open until 10:00 PM, which was unheard of in those days. He cut his own meats, (imagine that in a convenience store in this day and age). and he loved the kids coming into his store to buy pop, candy, ice cream, and chips. Gosh darn, there was an ice cream bar called a "Nickel Stick", and seriously, it only cost a nickel to buy. Pop was ten cents, and a small bag of chips was only about ten cents. Al's was the place to go after basketball practice since it was only a block from the gym. Many nights during my sophomore year, the last year I played, we would stop by Al's and load up on pop and chips, or maybe pop and Twinkies. Ah those were the good old days.
I did a lot of bike riding in the summer in Wallace, and the best place to go to get a nice cool pop after a hot summer ride was , you got it, Al's Little Store.




Mr, Uhlman, you ran a great little store and you were way ahead of your time.  I wish it were still there.

Happy Birthday to My Daughter

Today is a special day, because it is my daughter's birthday. I love you, Sweetie, and now you are a parent, too. One year ago today, you found out that you were expecting.

Thought for The Day

If we cannot see God in everyone, then we cannot see Him in anyone. -Paraphrased from Wayne Dyer's lecture on Inspiration.

Fun With Headlines

Here is one that I read this morning. It is sad and hysterical at the same time.

"Kodak to file for bankruptcy -then there was a sub heading that said -Pictures of Kodak's bankruptcy filing

So, I made up my own for television news

"Kodak to file for bankruptcy--Film at 11"

The Voice of the People or Silence of the Lambs?

Once again I wonder why we talk about "democracy" when we don't even have it in our country.
Yes, call me what you want to, but I believe in actual democracy. Now, if the so called "representatives" elected by the people, heeded the will of the people who elected them, then and only them would I say representative democracy works.

Why am I babbling about this again? Well, a certain lady mayor in a certain Idaho city once again spurned the will of the people, as did several other so called council persons, elected to do the will of the people. What would have been wrong with an advisory vote on a certain project concerning "public" lands? Yes, the people own McEuen, not the mayor and not the council. Voters, take notice, and remember this when election time comes again.

Snow!

 Well, what a surprise. It finally snowed in Northern Idaho. Wow. now, we can redo Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho

My Budding Genius Grandson at Three Months Old

But, I can breathe

I take what my doctor calls " the miracle drug from hell", and that is precisely what prednisone is. I am on it all of the time now. I used  to be take a small round once a year or so, but now it is 20-40 mg a day everyday. Yes, prednisone reduces the swelling in my lungs so that I can breathe, but the side effects are brutal. it is the drug that keeps on giving-10 pounds , 30 pounds 40 pounds-wow, I now weigh more by far than I have ever weighed.Oh well, I can breathe. My lung doctor says that we will worry about the side effects later. Well, one of the side effects is loss of bone density, and in October I fractured a vertebrae without even doing anything, But, I can breathe. Breathing is good. My doctor also said that I will ,not maybe, develop diabetes sometime from the prednisone. But, I can breathe,and breathing is good. Prednisone, the miracle drug from hell. Oh well, every life has to have a little hell in it, right? But, I can breathe, and breathing is good, and I am thankful.

Whoa, What was that again?

Here is my new favorite line from an old television show, "The Beverly Hillbillies".
In this episode, Jethro is in a psychiatrist office, although he thinks that he is in an MD's office. The psychiatrist is asking him questions about his family members and then says " Do you have any brothers?',to which Jethro replies, " No, sir, but I have a sister who has one."

My Other Blog

For those who do not know, Pineapple Upside Down Cake is mine, too, It is a totally different type of Blog than this one is. It is more spiritual, positive thinking, short commentary type of thing Please feel free to visit it. It is listed under my blogging buddies

Bottoms Up

HOUSTON -- Investigators say a woman caused her husband's death by giving him a sherry enema, leading to alcohol poisoning.
The enema caused his blood alcohol level to soar to 0.47 percent -- almost six times the legal intoxication limit in Texas, a toxicology report showed.
Tammy Jean Warner, 42, was indicted on a charge of negligent homicide. She is also charged with burning the will of her husband, Michael Warner, a month before his death on May 21.
Michael Warner, a 58-year-old machine shop owner, had a long history of alcoholism but couldn't ingest alcohol by mouth because of painful medical problems with his throat, said Lake Jackson, Texas, police detective Robert Turner. The enema was a way he could become intoxicated without drinking alcohol, Turner said.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/national/article/Woman-accused-of-giving-husband-lethal-sherry-1165596.php#ixzz1j4RTphg3

Wow, I would hate to see how this guy gave a toast!

The Lights of God

I love Christmas lights, and Coeur D Alene  does it up like no other place that I have lived in. It is a treat for the senses. However, this morning as I was driving my wife to work, the lights of man had to take a distant second place finish to the sight that we beheld. The Moon was as beautiful as I have ever seen it this morning. The lights of God or nature certainly can outdo the best that mankind can ever imagine. I was simply in awe. What a treat, and what a great way to start the week.

Happy Birthday, Son

There was never a dull moment that year. I was a student at Northwest University, worked full time swing shift in a hotel 20 miles away, and my ex was due any minute with our first child. The load in school was brutal, money was tighter than a drum skin, and Christmas had just passed. I am sure every college student who has gone through similar things can certainly relate. Life was stressful, but it was also pregnant with promise and hope for a bright future.

It was snowing that night, January 4th, and it was cold. I was working in Tacoma and living in Kirkland,usually a very easy freeway drive at night, but with it snowing, well, let's just say it made the journey an adventure.

I finished my shift at midnight in Tacoma, went out to my car, unburied it, and headed through town to the freeway. Let's just say that that it was a wild, slick, spinning, adventure, but eventfully, I pulled safely into the parking lot of our apartment in Kirkland. I entered our little place, and to my surprise, my ex was pacing back and forth in the living room. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that she had eaten a large piece of pecan pie and was having indigestion. OK, we were a little naive. OK, we were a lot naive! I was so tired from school and work that I figured I would just go to bed and everything would be all right. Well,  about two hours later she woke me up and said" I don't think that it is indigestion."

Off to Overlake Hospital we went, and sure enough, about  6 hours later, I was a father, and my son, who is named after me, was born.

How time does fly. That was 40 years ago today. I was 20. That makes me 39 year old now, Wow, my son is older than I am.

Happy birthday, Son I love you.

Morrows and More

Mrs. Castle scared the dickens out of me. There is no other way to put it. I had been hired to sweep the floors in Morrows starting after school from 3 -5 PM, and then again on Saturdays. Once a month I was suppose to wash the outside display windows, which was no easy job. I was a freshman at the time, and this would be the first of two times that I would work at Morrows.

Mrs Castle was the bookkeeper for the store, and her offices were at the top of the staircase . Part of my job description was to sweep her office each day and empty her trash as well as to mop her office as needed. She was one of those angular older women who looked and talked tough. You sometimes wondered if they had a secret in their pants. She was stern with me from the very moment that we were introduced, but I thought that I also detected a twinkle behind those thick glasses.

I brought up Mrs. Castle, not to pick on her, we actually became quite good friends over the next several years., but rather to one again emphasize how different it was back in the late sixties and early seventies as far as work ethic goes. Mrs. Castle not only made one fearful of her, she also made one want to please here by doing one's job in a professional and complete manner. I wanted her praise, and over time, I earned it. All of the  store owners in Wallace, and most of the employees were proud people, and it showed in their work ethic. Ah yes, those were good days.

Fun with Headlines

Here are some headlines from he world of sports. They can be very humorous , well, at least of you have a weird sense of humor like I do.

Cards sweep Columbia Basin-wow, that must have taken a long time to do, and I wonder how many brooms they used in doing it

 

 

Report: Dolphins to interview Fisher-OK, that would be an interesting interview to hear. I did not know that Dolphins cold talk Fish talk.

 

Here is a new one from the local paper today

Viks Walk Past Lewiston. How did they miss it? The smell should have tipped them off, right?

 

 

More Morrows

Stores were so different back in the sixties and seventies than they are today, and I believe that comes down to the simple element of pride of ownership. Merchants were no that much unlike artists when it came to their wares. They were creative in the displays, inspired by color, moved by patterns and shapes, and fussed over their display racks like a mother over  her newborn. Everything had to be perfect, and that was all part of the overall packaged experience of shopping.

Aisles were kept clean and clutter free. Clerks were expected to be busy at all times. If they were not busy selling or providing customer service, then they were busy straightening up shelves, arranging merchandise, matching dress shirt with ties that actually matched. Imagine that! Heck, even the overalls and jeans were kept neatly on shelves.

Yes, it was a different time and age, but it would not hurt us to go back to taking pride in our work, and great customer service seem to be a thing of the past.

More on Morrows tomorrow. Have a great New Year , everyone..