Time to Say Goodbye

  

 Time to say goodbye……goodbye to the warm weather, goodbye to sitting beside the nice blue water of the backyard pool.  Goodbye to the family picnics. It’s time to say hello to raw, rainy November and hello to its chores of yard cleanup and plant trimming to prepare for winter.

I used to enjoy doing these jobs. The exercise and fresh air were just what my body needed after the excesses of the summer season.  Unfortunately this aging body was no longer capable of that sort of pleasure. It was goodbye to the body needed for these tasks. It’s amazing how this change into an “old man body” seems to have happened like overnight.                   

But, as evidenced by the picture, I’m damn lucky to have a family that for some unknown reason cares enough to help this old fart out. Must be my great Chili that I serve after the job is completed. Since this took place the day after Thanksgiving It was nice to have grandchildren visiting from New York and New Hampshire to come over and help out.

I apologize that this Blog is so brief, but I've overdone a bunch of things today and this worn out old body is starting to ache and seeks the sanctuary of my magic recliner.  I'll do better next time.

                                                A mystery helper arrives to join the crew.

Picnic times are over, but I thought I'd send you a recipe to spark up those burgers and sandwiches:

                                            Guy’s Sriracha Mayo

                                            1 cup mayo
                                            1/2 cup sour cream
                                            4 grilled green onions chopped
                                            1-1/2 tablespoon sriracha
                                            1 tablespoon honey
                                            1 tablespoon lemon juice

                             Mix all and divide among burgers or sandwich of your choice. 

What happened to the Blogs?

 

Where’s your Blogs?   I’ve received several inquiries like this that made me both happy and sad.  Happy to know that there are people out there that appreciate and miss my literary genius…….only kidding, but sad because my laziness has kept me away from the keyboard.  Actually I don’t think it was laziness that kept me away, it was that damn Cov-id situation.  It stole years from my life.  At my age time becomes a valuable asset so you would like to enjoy it as much as you can.  Having to sit in the house watching the “Boob Tube” does not count as enjoyment in my book.

In addition, the Cov-19 thing has managed to screw up so many things. It’s almost too sad to write about it.  I didn’t feel you wanted to hear more about all the bad situations it created.  Astronomical gas prices, being robbed with increases in the grocery store, finally going out to restaurants that haven’t enough help to serve you, and losing your appetite after reviewing the menu prices.  I could keep going on, but by this time you’re aware of all these things.  So it isn’t being lazy that kept me away from the Blog, but just plain sad that I couldn’t find enough good stuff to pass along.

With a name like “Rhino Roars” I’m supposed to and am entitled to bitch and moan about things in my exciting life.  I feel I’ve accomplished that task in my past nearly 200 entries, but so many of them have been repeated so many times I feel I just have change my way of looking at things and recognize some positives. Take for instance, all the new jobs that have been created.  Not new, but greatly expanded.  In the super markets all the price labels on the shelves are now brand new.  How nice they look and just check the many new ways they’ve used to present all those so called “great deals” in efforts to confuse us.  Printers must be working overtime to stay up with the constant, all most, changes. And just think of all the part time workers that had to be hired to come in at night to sit in a chair and insert all those new ones on the racks.

Before I forget, I’ve actually had a few good things to report.  Recently I was lucky enough to get a plumber to come to the house on time as promised) to do four fairly minor repairs.  Job well done and price fair.  That for me deserves a definite high five.  Even had a few medical things go well…..some surgery, problem fixed.  A diagnosis change that solved a problem.   See Bill, everything can’t be bad.

I cannot end this Blog without bitching about Television.  Probably my imagination, but don’t you think that they’ve even gotten more numerous and longer?  And don’t you agree that 90% of them are either for cars or drugs you never heard of before.

Hey, I’m stopping now, have to save some for the future.   Before I end I apologize for taking so long to send something and also to thank you for continue reading.  By the way thought you should know I’ve kept my brain alive by constant novel reading on my Kindle……..just a little over 1000 books since my Kindle purchase.

Here’s the long awaited recipe:  New Britain Connecticut is home to several restaurants claiming they make the greatest of hot dog sauce.  Here’s one from one of them.

METROPOLE HOT DOG SAUCE

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound hamburger

2 cups water

3 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon celery salt, Salt and pepper to taste

Brown onion and garlic in oil.  Add meat and brown slightly.  Add water and stir to break up meat as fine as possible.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until mixture thickens.

 

The Super Senior 70 th Anniversary

 

The other day my wife Marge made me aware that in 2022 we would be celebrating the 70 year anniversary of our graduation from New Britain Senior High School.  “Would be celebrating” was probably the wrong phrase to use since our 60th anniversary celebration held at the Hawk’s Landing golf course was intended to be our last.  In fact the balance of the classes bank balance was donated to the New Britain Industrial Museum in November of 2015.

Having been involved in many past reunions Marge and I kind of sat back and began to reminisce.  We both wondered how many of us old timers would be interested in having some sort of get together to celebrate the past 70 years. With so many people not reading a paper anymore we would have to rely on sending the inquiry out in social media.

We began thinking how we could advertise the inquiry and started to get a little silly about some of the stuff we could use in our announcements such as:  

Location access from parking lot…….transportation provided.

Food……super soft menu. Mashed potatoes, meatloaf, vegetables, soft ones especially over cooked.  Denture glue available for loosening due to hard, chewy bread rolls.

Drinks…….semi-open bar, not open long.  Option, long open bar serving extremely watered down drinks.

Entertainment…….Recorded, slow numbers, stand in one place dance with make believe moves.  Sound level load for those with forgotten hearing aids or low battery situations

For the young at heart…….wheelchair and walker races.

Canes would have to be holstered to avoid possible conflicts

Medical…….trained staff for emergency situations.

I do hope no one takes offence to these old age attacks, but since Marge and I are at the ripe old age of 87 we feel it gives us the license to make a little fun.  Please ask any interested to lend us their thoughts concerning a little get together.  They can respond to this Blog or email me at:   bill.wisk@gmail.com

Thanks in advance

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Can’t forget to include the usual recipe.  Here’s a little salad I make for Easter.

Beet Salad

3   15 oz. cans of sliced or whole beets

2   tablespoons vinegar (I use cider vinegar, but regular white

     is also fine)

2   tablespoons sugar

1   Heaping tablespoon of prepared horseradish      

Drain the three cans of beets and temporarily reserve the beet liquid.  Shred beets in a food processor to desired consistency.  Dissolve sugar in vinegar and mix with beets.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add and mix the horseradish with the beet salad.  If you feel the salad is too dry, add some of the reserved beet juice.  Discard remaining beet juice or use as a base for beet soup or borscht.

Refrigerate and let flavors meld for a couple of days….enjoy.