197 The Week!

DMV and Car Inspection--The SAME Week

My sermon for the week is DO NOT TRY to do both of these vehicle-related, patience-trying chores within days of each other. 

Should you think you can get it done, I guarantee you will feel at least one of the following: angry, frustrated, bewildered, ready to crawl in a hole, drink, curse, or shrug your shoulders and get out your credit card!

So at the beginning of last week, I took my car for its annual inspection. I have a cracked plastic lens cover on the back driver’s side brake/signal light. This happened last April. No police or regular service mechanic has remarked on this. HOWEVER, when I went for the inspection, I was told I needed new tie rods on the front. Still no mention of the back light cover. 

Our favorite mechanic at our regular garage said that we should get the tie rods done at the dealership since they should be under warranty. We went to the dealership with this kind advice. 

The dealership could find no wear on the tie rods (do they not want to do warranty work?). However, we have trusted our regular mechanic, Scott, though any number of cars. His advice made sense and hoped we could save some money. BUT, the dealership would NOT pass inspection on the car because of the cracked brake light cover and slapped a big ole REJECTION sticker on the car and said the tie rods were okay.

Did we ask them to inspect it? No, not really, but it had come up in conversation that our mechanic suggested tie rods be looked at before inspection. So…back to Scott who will happily do all the work needed but must charge for it. C’est la vie!

In the meantime, 2019 is the expiration of my driver’s license. And the year for the vision test and the new photo. I checked the DMV website which suggested the best time (lowest volume time) was between 1 and 3 p.m. I got in line at 1:25 p.m. I got to the counter to fill out my request for license renewal at 2:15 p.m. 

Thankfully, I passed the vision test, got renewed, and it took only until 4 p.m. How lucky for me that this was the “down time” at DMV.

The following photo is a slow time at Virginia DMVs:

I do have some sympathy for the folks at DMV. Many needed questions and renewals can be done online now. The people who come and wait are those of us who are instructed to come. 

There was a man behind me who had been there four hours he said to get his license reinstated. He was NOT a happy camper. “I’m all good now! Let’s just get the @#$^ing thing done!” 

Down the row from me were a father and daughter who were arguing loudly over how much the car he was putting her name was worth. “It ain’t worth much. It’s a piece of junk!” Meanwhile, a toddler is screaming to get out of his stroller. Mother lets him out and hands him a juice box and he immediately starts running around the room. You have the picture; I need not elaborate.

So my car is in the shop being repaired today. I walked out to Dear Husband’s car to go pick him up. FLAT tire! So here I sit. His car goes Thursday for new front tires and service. Wonder what will happen next?

Oh, yeah, the circulator on the furnace has quit for the second time this winter. The repairman came this afternoon. Glad it’s not too cold out. So far, Dear Husband and I are taking this in stride and AAA is on the way to change the flat tire, and the furnace repair is later today. My biggest concern running through my mind is

Here’s to better days! Glenne      

196 Beards!

What is it about beards!

Everywhere you look these days, facial hair seems to be very popular. Beards, mustaches, goatees--you name it and it’s there.

For the first time in his seven decades, my husband has joined the trend with a beard after 30 some years with a mustache. His reason--it is nice not to have to shave. I am not sure if that is the case for all the other millions of men who sport facial hair, but it makes a great deal of sense.

If only we women could not shave various parts of our bodies! But of course, for many reasons, we diligently shave and shave as often as needed. But this is about facial hair which we women make sure is not anywhere to be seen on our feminine faces.

But men can get by with not shaving and sporting a look that is trendy and often handsome. 

Trimming does seem to be important so the lumberjack look is not evident. My husband was treated to a lesson in trimming by our son who has sported a beard for years. He even had a special trimmer to keep him looking neat. And would you believe my husband, who is not one to shop or buy anything that is not a necessity, also bought a trimmer.

What in the world is happening! Could this be a reaction to the present political situation, a rebellion like in the 1960s, or just plain laziness? I am really not sure but when I check out the research, I find that the trend seems to be staying. Shape is an option with a longer look or shorter, cropped look.

Grandfather with
a slight mustache

Facial hair has been in my family for years as my grandfathers sported mustaches, and my dad and uncles would go back and forth with beards and mustaches. I think they too would decide it would be nice not to shave and took breaks from the daily task. It usually didn’t last long and they were back to the clean-shaven look. 

My dad sometimes sported the pencil look which put him in some famous company such as Clark Gable and Errol Flynn. 







My maternal grandfather had the most perfect handlebar mustache. Not sure how he perfected it but it was a classic.

Maternal grandfather with
a handlebar mustache

Perfect Handlebar

My further research revealed that not shaving can help in improving skin health. Acne is hidden and the razor does not cut places on the skin when shaving is stopped. Who knew that! Women don’t have that choice, but for men, it can be a great solution to covering up irritated skin by letting the hair grow.

Throwback: Errol Flynn with a
pencil-thin mustache

Movie stars are not exempt from this phenomenon as many of them sport the scruffy look. Even the five o’clock shadow beard seems to be okay in this fashion statement. Pro athletes also follow with various styles of facial hair. High schools don’t seem to prohibit beards or mustaches for students and athletes--of course, many guys can’t really grow too much facial hair at that age.

Whatever your fancy, it is nice to have that option if you so desire. I wonder if women could grow that much facial hair if the trends would be different--maybe a little color here and there and possibly some braiding. Men don’t seem to care if the gray comes through, but I think the women would.

Embrace the choice the men in your family make--both my son and son-in-law have great beards that are the trendiest! I think my husband was following them with his recent bearded attempt!!

Frances                    

195 Cooking hacks

Cooking Hacks

I watch a few cooking shows, but I am not into fancy foods. I have, however, discovered a few fun shortcuts when we don't do my favorite shortcut--eating out!

A favorite when I am cooking anything with a liquid component is a can of Rotel's spicey tomatoes. Many people mix it with Velveeta to make a queso dip, but I have never done that. Instead, I add it to my chili, bean soup, baked chicken, broccoli cheese soup (more about that later), baked chicken, and anything else I can think of. 

Rotel has gone the way of Oreos--there seem to be more varieties on the shelf each time I look. Since we have been on a low fat, low carb diet for what seems like forever, my husband Harry wants everything to be spicy!



Another ingredient that is very convenient is Mrs. Dash's salt-free Lemon Pepper. Fresh lemons are the best but this is a great substitute. Since another common spice that I often use is garlic salt, I don't need lemon pepper with salt.

In fact, my standard spice blend for fish and poultry (the only meat proteins we eat) is garlic salt, lemon pepper, and Hungarian paprika. Hungarian paprika is said to be sweeter (I have not noticed that) and spicier than regular paprika. I do think the final product tastes spicier.

I make a quick sauce from fat-free yogurt and salsa. It can be a little runny but will liven up plain baked chicken.

I like cheesy broccoli soup but am too lazy to take the time to make the soup base. I add fresh or frozen broccoli and shredded cheese to Progresso soup (and sometimes part of a can of Rotel) to make a soup that I tell myself is somewhat healthy.

If we are talking high fat, then I go to ricotta cheese. I once had some left over from lasagna, so I threw it into a cream soup. Yummy! It is also wonderful in spaghetti sauce. 

My favorite spaghetti noodle comes from spaghetti squash. If you can manage to hack it in half, then remove the seeds, it cooks quickly in the microwave. All you need to do is scrape out the "noodles."

I look for low-sugar spaghetti sauce. Why does the sauce need sugar? I enhance store-bought by adding sauteed onions and mushrooms. And maybe some Rotel?

What are your favorite go-to ingredients? Comment and let us all know!

Trish            

194 Remembering

Wish I could remember

Oh, my, dear Readers, I wish I could remember more “stuff.” And more names! Some of the things I have forgotten I probably never learned very well in the first place. Much of what I wish I knew “off the top of my head” without muttering or running through the alphabet is probably not really important – except to me and right at that very moment!

I want the recall NOW! Not at 7 a.m. the next morning! I am also much, much better at recognition than recall. Isn’t it embarrassing not to remember names? Sometimes I just look at someone I know and just draw a BLANK!

Here are some examples that I think will make you laugh, or roll your eyes, or wonder what on earth is going on in Glenne’s aging brain.

Dear Husband and I were watching Top Chef and the group was off to Macau. I knew it was somewhere around Hong Kong and Singapore. Maybe? I wasn’t sure. 

Then Dear Husband asked, “Is Singapore a city or a country?” I had to Google Macao, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Singapore is both a city AND a country. How about that! And, yes, there they are - all three.

And every weeknight we watch “Jeopardy.” I am not too bad with the answers, but I really feel sorry for those contestants who are not fast on the buzzer. They know they know – they just didn’t know soon enough. [And so very sad for Alex Trebek!] 

Telephone numbers are the bane of my existence! I can remember my entire AMEX card number plus that little four-digit secret code. I do know what it means: CVV = card verification code. (Dear Husband was a banker for many years.) I can remember my checking account number, too. 

Yet when I look up a phone number I will be unsure of it before I can pick up the phone. Seven numbers--only seven! I wonder whether I am distracted by what the phone call is about or.... Another possibility is that I rely so heavily on the numbers being programmed in my phone. Surprisingly though, my math skills do not seem to have deteriorated. My bank account thanks me.

Words to songs! Pshaw! I used to be able to sing whole songs, now I am lucky to remember a phrase or two. Daughter Mary (snarky comment) reminded me that “our songs” had lots of “doo-wops” and very few lines that were different – lots of repetition - and most were in major keys with the melody line loud and clear. Here is a cut from “At the Hop.” Ah, let's go to the hop:

Let's go to the hop (oh baby)
Let's go to the hop (oh baby)
Let's go to the hop
Come on, let's go to the hop!

Yes, I could and can remember that! Okay, dear daughter, just because you can sing Sondheim, doesn’t follow that I could or can.

I am wondering now whether there is such a thing as “mature age dyslexia?” Is the wonderfully smart genealogist on “Who Do You Think You Are?” named William Henry Gates or Henry William Gates? I think the former but I wouldn’t put any money on it. And what on earth is the name of that lovely older British woman on “The Great British Bake Off?” I have no earthly idea except her first name is Mary. 

And I think about Cher. I never forget her birthday because she and I are EXACTLY the same age!! And I had to “cher” this cartoon with you to remind you of Daylight Savings Time: Punny, huh?

Enough of my complaining for this week. I should go start dinner, but I can’t remember whether the chicken was two days ago or last night. And what on earth is the name of that medicine that is advertised on TV to help memory loss or beginning dementia? Oh, never mind! Its side effects will send you to the E.R. immediately.

Stay warm! 

Wish I were still savvy - Glenne      

193 What a Gem!

Those of us who remember the days of going to the movies where there was only one screen, and a second movie--if it is was a double feature-- can take a nostalgic trip back in time to the Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, N.C.

We took our grandkids recently to the iconic building in the small town not far from where they live. We had not been to a theater like this in years!! It brought back so many memories and created new ones for our seven-year-old and eleven-year-old grandchildren. 

A quick look at the web site of the theater revealed the history of the building. It originally opened in 1936 but was destroyed in a fire in 1942. Luckily, it was rebuilt in 1948 and remains open for everyone to enjoy, boasting it is one of the oldest-single screen movie theaters in continuous operation today. There are others in the country but not many. 

It is probably one of the largest theaters too with more than 900 seats. And guess what, you can still sit in the balcony. Our grandson was especially taken by the balcony which I am sure is the first time he had seen one at the movies.

We regularly take them to the movies when we visit. Our daughter-in-law had told us about this one about 20 minutes away so we decided it was time to take in this nostalgic structure. And since the showing was the Lego Movie II, we knew it would be a hit. Definitely, the $4 ticket price for everyone (shows before 6 p.m.) was a draw.

We often visit the Paris theater in NYC (a single-screen theater with old velvet seats) when we get a chance, but this is closer and more reasonable. Both of these theaters are a little on the shabby side but that adds to the ambiance as you think of how many people have passed through these doors and sat in these seats. Movies have defined us in so many ways and bring the same art to us all whether in large cities or small towns. 

This adventure definitely did not disappoint. The concession stand was very thrifty with a large tub of popcorn for $4 and the service was quick. 

No worry in finding a seat as there were plenty to go around. Forget the large chairs that rock, we were back to the short seats that didn’t move at all. A little stickiness on the floor was to be expected but not a game changer.

The place was packed with many, many children but that is the norm with this type of movie. Everyone behaved as the movie was enthralling.

The ticket booth out front was exactly as we remembered from our past. The marquee and lighting beckoned movie-goers to come on in. There were several showings the day we went so choices were plentiful.

My mind would wander as I sat in this theater so reminiscent of the ones we attended when we were much, much younger. The Logan Theater in Logan, W.Va. opened in 1938 with more than 1,000 seats. It was very similar to the Gem and also had a balcony, but did not manage to stay open as the Gem has. 

In our youth, we often went to movies on Sunday afternoons with siblings, cousins, and friends. The films would run continuously so we never worried about coming in the middle of the movie. We would stay and watch it again or leave during the part playing when we arrived. And no one ran you off when the movie ended. You could stay all day. Fifty cents would buy the ticket, popcorn, soda, and candy.

The only modern amenities at the Gem are the use of credit cards and online ordering of tickets as well as social media including Facebook and Tweeter. 

Otherwise, it is a true blast from the past and definitely worth a visit. Our grandkids loved it and next time want to sit in the balcony.It is a treasure that hopefully will continue operating for many years to come. If you aren’t near Kannapolis, N.C., look up single-screen theaters and maybe you will find one close to you. I hope so--it is worth the visit.

For more info, visit gem-theatre.com

Frances