More changes

This little restaurant has become a favorite breakfast spot for SWMBO and me. It's a sister place to the Apple Pan restaurant in Prescott.

But lately there have been some disquieting signs. Sometimes the restaurant was open, sometimes it wasn't. I stopped in at the Apple Pan in Prescott today and talked to Sue Ann, who gave me the bad news that was confirmed by a sign in the window.

She said they had worked hard for 2-1/4 years but they just couldn't make it at that location. So it's gone. Sue Ann said business is down at the location still open. I asked her if that was because of the recession. She said she didn't know but she hoped so.

She also said the opening of the big new Roberts Marketplace just across the street also had something to do with their decision since that place will soon have a pizza restaurant and a deli.

So it goes.

Black Robbers

I couldn't resist putting this story on my blog. It came from one of my regular correspondents. See what you think.

BLACK ROBBERS (A True Story)

On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room.. 'I'll be right back and we'll go to eat' she told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator. As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was very tall and had an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: 'These two are going to rob me.' Her next thought was: 'Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen.' But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.

A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. 'My God' she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore. Then one of the men said, 'Hit the floor.' Instinct told her to do what they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down on her. 'Take my money and spare me', she prayed.

More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, 'Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button.' The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. 'When I told my friend here to hit the floor,' said the average sized one, I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am.'

He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

The woman thought: 'My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.' She was too humiliated to speak. The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.

The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.

The next morning flowers were delivered to her room; a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred-dollar bill. The card said: 'Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years.

It was signed: Eddie Murphy & Michael Jordan.

Changing of the guard

Last November I posted a report on changes coming for Roberts Marketplace in Prescott Valley.

The familiar little red and white building would disappear to make was for a new, much fancier Roberts Marketplace.

Monday was the day and by the time I visited on Tuesday, there was nothing left but rubble being loaded up and hauled away.

I think you're going to like the new store. It is much bigger, roomy and has several new touches.

There will be a Postal station to serve customer's needs.

And supposedly a pizza restaurant in a front corner.

From what I've seen so far, I can tell owner Robert Hamill: job well done!

Mom and Dad

Check out this stylish couple.

Bonnie and Clyde?

Well, I know it's a photo of my mom and dad from somewhere back in the 20's.

But I thought it kind of resembled the infamous outlaws. SWMBO said "No, your dad with that jaunty hat, looks like FDR!" (SWMBO is older than me.) She added that if Dad ever heard that he would be enraged. He grew up in a Republican family and thought Roosevelt was the devil.

Strangely enough, I grew up in a Republican family, too, but Richard Nixon changed my attitudes for good.

Yikes! An award!

Wow! My pal, Malicious Intent, has given me an award! Unaccustomed as I am to public accepting all I can think of is thank you.

Mal says about me: Go there for peace and quiet. Shot posts, lovely pics...nice guy too! And there are not too many places on this planet on-line or in real life to go for some peace.

Proximidade is described as follows. This blog invests and believes in proximity- nearness in space, time and relationships. Nominated bloggers are exceedingly charming, they aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. This blog award should be sent to another eight bloggers and they, in turn, should forward it to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade in your blog announcement.

Well, now.

Okay I nominate Meggie at Life's Free Treats. She lives in Australia and has become a good friend, sending me humor and great animal pictures by e-mail. Her blog is a mix of occasional rage at her GOM, great musings on the past, wonderful pictures of the creations in her magnificent garden and more.

Miss Kitty at Kitty's Bloggy Bits in England. She is the master of sock puppetry and loving mother of her two "smalls".

Darlin' Dawn at Twisted Sister up in far eastern Canada. She rants, she rages, she tells great jokes and she's very attractive . . as are her sisters.

Oh mustn't leave out my nearby pal Grannie J at Walking Prescott. She has not let age or emphysema keep her down as she walks the town with her camera close at hand.

And an outstanding poet and photographer, Sweet Lucy at Box Elder in the Brittania region of France. She's a Brit but has lived, with Tom and Molly, in France for some time. Her blog is a marvel of excellent taste.

Oh, just thought of another one. Joan at Charleston Daily Photo. Joan is another expatriate. She's Canadian but lives in South Carolina where she entertains one and all with tales of her adventures and, again, terrific photographs.

Gee, they're all girls so far. Better include a couple of guys. Tombo of Tombo's Blog from nearby Prescott is a self-styled computer geek whose posts run the gamut: photography, food, videos, books, a little bit of philosophy. Always interesting.

And finally there's my buddy Mike at Tongue in Check. He is a great writer, especially considering that he's an engineer in real life. His posts can leave me laughing madly and printing them off to read to SWMBO and e-mail to others. Don't let the photos on his site fool you - -there's a lot more to Mike than the babes.

So there you go. If you don't know all of these blogs, check them out. They're all worth your time.

Young Catalyst

You who read this blog or who have met me know me as a fat old man.

Well!

SWMBO has been going through photos today and she brought this one in to show me. My first reaction was . . "Oh, gawd, hide that one." But then she commented (somewhat snidely I thought) "Remember when you had ribs?"

After pouting for awhile in the other room, I came back and asked her for the photo. I figure you, my blogger friends, deserve to see what Catalyst looked like when he was . . . A Greek God! Well, O.K. A Norwegian . . . whatever.

The photo was taken, we believe, in Cuyutlan, Mexico in the late 80's. All I can say is "what a difference 20 or so years makes."

Enjoy!

Sunday morning visitor

When I awoke this morning I looked out my window and discovered a visitor. Cats love this perch because it gives them the sun on a cold morning and also the elevation with which to survey the surroundings.

After that first photo I tapped lightly on the window to get this full face shot.

After studying me and the camera for a short time, my visitor decided a slow retreat was the best strategy.