USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Nosmo King]

The best pizza shop in town went out of business seven years ago. Orlando's Pizza was a mainstay here from 1953. The owner/operator, Orlando, pushed out large Sicilian (square cut) pizza. He was perpetually covered in flour and displayed a .45 revolver on the butcher block counter where he kneaded and rolled the dough. I think the gun would have exploded in his hand if he ever had to fire it as it too was perpetually covered in flour.

Orlando worked the big gas ovens in a mysterious way. A pan of pizza was slid into the second oven from the top, another was in the top oven and taken out to have mor sauce spread on it then slid into the bottom oven. Meanwhile, in the third oven, a pan would be taken out and laden with cheese. Orlando tended to sweat over the pizza and more than once I watched as a bead of sweat rolled down his nose and onto the pie. In the old days, when smoking held no unpleasant connotation, the ash from his Lucky Strike would flavor the sauce too. The place smelled of oregano, flour, Brycreem and cigarettes.

I remember as a wee bairn not being able to see over the counter. But Orlando would snap off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and toss it to the little kids to play with. Of course those drams of dough went home and eventually got stomped into Mom's carpet. As a teenager, I would visit Orlano's, sometime with a date. Orlando would slip in a couple extra slices if you brought a girlfriend.

Later, as an adult, Orlando and I would discuss the trials and tribulations of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was fun in the Roberto Clmente and Willie Stargell era, less enjoyable during the 20 years of Pirate losing seasons.

Orlando was a devotee of trivia and would quiz his customers. If you knew what the only man made object visible from space, you could walk out with a few free slices.

The pizza sold for 20 cents a slice and probably cost Orlando a dime to make. Pepperoni and mushroom and extra cheese were the only toppings at Orlando's.

Every four years the high school alumnae association throws a big all class reunion. Expatriates of my home town flood back home. Everyone wants Orlando's pizza. Alas, I want Orlando's too.

 

[Ringel05]

Got up this morning, got ready and finally hit the road just before 9AM headed up to Roswell for the wife's interview. About an hour out, just as we were at the Border Patrol Checkpoint on Rte 54 they called and had to reschedule so we turned around and headed home. Tomorrow we have to be up by 5 and out the door by 6 at the very latest that should give us about a half hour leeway.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good morning everybody. Thinking about Ringel and Mrs. R on the road today and have my fingers crossed for them to have a good interview. Thinking about Peach and her family today as they say the final goodbye to her mom. Thinking I need to turn off the overhead fan in the office as it is quite chilly this morning and will be cooler than it has been today. I hear the city trash truck rattling the big roll-a-way trash containers up the street. Awaiting the appraiser due later this morning.

And thinking that today is like so many days in our collective lives. Happiness. Sadness. Melancholy. Excitement, anticipation, hopefulness but also some anxiety. Inevitably a flash of anger and/or frustration mixed in. And the mundane that we are all grateful for.

Okay I've waxed philosophical enough for one morning. Off to see if the coffee is ready. . .

 

[Nosmo King]

A few more thoughts of Orlando's...

There was no delivery from Orlando's. There was no phone at Orlando's! If you wanted pizza, you WENT THERE. You stood in line, told his assistant how many slices you wanted and any extras you want, then moved along with the line until your pizza was presented to you in a white cardboard box secured by a red gumband.

There was a 17 inch Black and White television fitted out with rabbit ears draped with tin foil so maybe, just maybe a ball game could be seen.

The pans of pizza were taken from the oven, dutifully sliced into 28 pieces and spatulaed into the boxes. The boxes themselves were assembled by a variety of town drunks who met up with Orlando in the late afternoon. A barter system of either free pizza or a couple of bucks was worked out and the drunks would sit in the front window folding and assembling pizza boxes by the score.

There was no dining in at Orlando's. It was strictly a cash and carry set up.

Orlando died several years ago and left the legendary pizza shop to his son. The son baked with the same ingredients, minus the Lucky Strike ashes and beads of sweat. But he made only so much pizza dough every day. Once he ran out of dough, he would close the shop and that usually happened around 3:00 in the afternoon. For the last six or seven years of operation, the restrictions became even more dire. Still no phone, and if you wanted pizza, you had to be there around lunch time and then take the slices back home. I think he just wanted to make enough money to keep the lights on and make his boat payment. Any thought of further profit just did not interest him.

And then HE died seven years ago rendering our little Rust Belt town without the fabulous pizza. But, there's hope. A new pizza shop just opened in the East End neighborhood. The sauce tastes remarkably similar to Orlando's. But the crust is thicker and chewier. I think they need to start smoking and turn up the heat.

 

[Nosmo King]

We are experiencing a problem that one might believe we should have had before. The Spring rains are causing hillsides to slip. Our town is built on three hillsides. The one to the west is giving way. Due to poor soil drainage and the steep slope, the hill is caving in on itself and, so far, has taken four homes along with it. The foundations are pushed in, front porch roofs have collapsed and water, sewer and gas lines have been ruptured.

The downhill side of Lisbon street is gone and the city engineers have erected Jersey barricades and a temporary traffic signal. Heading downhill, one can clearly see the extent of the damage so long as you're stopped at the light.

We do not have natural disasters here, aside from flooding. And that effects only those who chose to live close to the river. It's too wet to have wildfires, too hilly and too far east to suffer tornadoes, and too seismically stable to have earthquakes. But not stable enough apparently not to have the occasional hillside disaster.

 

[Foxfyre]

We are experiencing a problem that one might believe we should have had before. The Spring rains are causing hillsides to slip. Our town is built on three hillsides. The one to the west is giving way. Due to poor soil drainage and the steep slope, the hill is caving in on itself and, so far, has taken four homes along with it. The foundations are pushed in, front porch roofs have collapsed and water, sewer and gas lines have been ruptured.

The downhill side of Lisbon street is gone and the city engineers have erected Jersey barricades and a temporary traffic signal. Heading downhill, one can clearly see the extent of the damage so long as you're stopped at the light.

We do not have natural disasters here, aside from flooding. And that effects only those who chose to live close to the river. It's too wet to have wildfires, too hilly and too far east to suffer tornadoes, and too seismically stable to have earthquakes. But not stable enough apparently not to have the occasional hillside disaster.

Sorry about that Nosmo. Distressing for it to happen to anybody's town and people. But you could move here where you wouldn't even have to worry about hillside slippage. No tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, extreme cold, extreme heat, tsunamis, or landslides. We are extremely seismically stable and the 8 or 9 point strength earthquake that is possible under south Albuquerque is about as likely to occur in our lifetime as the Wyoming cauldron becoming active. And we do have two Krakatoa strength cataclysmic volcanos within a hundred miles of Albuquerque but those two will most likely remain dormant in our lifetime.

But here you would give up fog and rain and beautiful green terrain and water running under all your bridges. Static electricity and dust is common with residual smoke from distant forest fires. The land is harsh and sometimes cruel though it does present its own style of beauty.

Every place has things to commend it. And some to condemn it I suppose. Fortunately we don't all choose the same place as the best place or it sure would get crowded.

 

[Nosmo King]

We are experiencing a problem that one might believe we should have had before. The Spring rains are causing hillsides to slip. Our town is built on three hillsides. The one to the west is giving way. Due to poor soil drainage and the steep slope, the hill is caving in on itself and, so far, has taken four homes along with it. The foundations are pushed in, front porch roofs have collapsed and water, sewer and gas lines have been ruptured.

The downhill side of Lisbon street is gone and the city engineers have erected Jersey barricades and a temporary traffic signal. Heading downhill, one can clearly see the extent of the damage so long as you're stopped at the light.

We do not have natural disasters here, aside from flooding. And that effects only those who chose to live close to the river. It's too wet to have wildfires, too hilly and too far east to suffer tornadoes, and too seismically stable to have earthquakes. But not stable enough apparently not to have the occasional hillside disaster.

Sorry about that Nosmo. Distressing for it to happen to anybody's town and people. But you could move here where you wouldn't even have to worry about hillside slippage. No tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, extreme cold, extreme heat, tsunamis, or landslides. We are extremely seismically stable and the 8 or 9 point strength earthquake that is possible under south Albuquerque is about as likely to occur in our lifetime as the Wyoming cauldron becoming active. And we do have two Krakatoa strength cataclysmic volcanos within a hundred miles of Albuquerque but those two will most likely remain dormant in our lifetime.

But here you would give up fog and rain and beautiful green terrain and water running under all your bridges. Static electricity and dust is common with residual smoke from distant forest fires. The land is harsh and sometimes cruel though it does present its own style of beauty.

Every place has things to commend it. And some to condemn it I suppose. Fortunately we don't all choose the same place as the best place or it sure would get crowded.

When everything is taken into account, at the end of the day I think I'd rather put up with Spring floods than a drought. How could I plant the window boxes at Pimplebutt without a reliable source of water?

 

[ChrisL]

 

[Ringel05]

Literally just got home from Roswell...... Started out with 4 1/2 hours sleep, the wife got less than that, we were out the door by 6 AM. The interview went well, she has all the required skills in spades but the CEO expressed concerns she'd be bored, she thinks she answered that concern. Drove back in heavy winds and dust storms, I'm exhausted and ready to take a nap.

 

[Ernie S.]

Had a preliminary hearing set for the divorce at 9 AM in Bay Minette, AL (1 hour drive) I was up at 6:30, a time I more or less forgot existed. I walked into the courthouse at 9 AM and sat for 3 hours before being sent home. Something about another case was expected to last 3 hours and would occupy all of the afternoon schedule. So, I wasted 5 hours including drive time, not to mention, I paid a lawyer $150/hour to sit on her hands.
Yeah, so, I get home and try to take a nap not happening! Gotta be at Doc's at 8. Should be out of there about 3:30 AM.

 

[Foxfyre]

Had a preliminary hearing set for the divorce at 9 AM in Bay Minette, AL (1 hour drive) I was up at 6:30, a time I more or less forgot existed. I walked into the courthouse at 9 AM and sat for 3 hours before being sent home. Something about another case was expected to last 3 hours and would occupy all of the afternoon schedule. So, I wasted 5 hours including drive time, not to mention, I paid a lawyer $150/hour to sit on her hands.
Yeah, so, I get home and try to take a nap not happening! Gotta be at Doc's at 8. Should be out of there about 3:30 AM.

Well we will include you in the frustrated part of my pseudo philosophical musing this morning. There really should be some kind of compensation for inconveniencing people that way not to mention the expense.

 

[Montrovant]

Thought I'd just leave this here.

Scrolling the page up and down really makes it move.

 

[Ringel05]

Okay, just woke up from a 3 hour "nap", musta needed it. Now about 2 minutes after I posted the last post the wife blurts out a rather sardonic laugh. They already sent her a thanks, no thanks email........ all of that for naught.

 

[saveliberty]

Philosophically speaking, I think you all need donuts in your coffee.

 

[WelfareQueen]

Date night for Sherry and me tonight. We went to a seafood place on the Gulf Coast. Sat at a table outside right near the water. The food was great....(loved the seafood bisque). Sherry got the fish and chips and, of course, had a strawberry daiquiri.

The Temp was about 80 with a nice breeze. People who hate Florida are nuts.


Luv ya Sherry.

 

[Sherry]

Date night for Sherry and me tonight. We went to a seafood place on the Gulf Coast. Sat at a table outside right near the water. The food was great....(loved the seafood bisque). Sherry got the fish and chips and, of course, had a strawberry daiquiri.

The Temp was about 80 with a nice breeze. People who hate Florida are nuts.


Luv ya Sherry.

We're just livin' the life, baby. I'm so lucky to have a guy who still loves wooing me.

 

[gallantwarrior]

We are experiencing a problem that one might believe we should have had before. The Spring rains are causing hillsides to slip. Our town is built on three hillsides. The one to the west is giving way. Due to poor soil drainage and the steep slope, the hill is caving in on itself and, so far, has taken four homes along with it. The foundations are pushed in, front porch roofs have collapsed and water, sewer and gas lines have been ruptured.

The downhill side of Lisbon street is gone and the city engineers have erected Jersey barricades and a temporary traffic signal. Heading downhill, one can clearly see the extent of the damage so long as you're stopped at the light.

We do not have natural disasters here, aside from flooding. And that effects only those who chose to live close to the river. It's too wet to have wildfires, too hilly and too far east to suffer tornadoes, and too seismically stable to have earthquakes. But not stable enough apparently not to have the occasional hillside disaster.

Landslides suck, too. Welcome to the wunnerfool world of Nature.
Sorry to hear how your town is suffering. How are things in your part of town, NoSmo?

 

[blackhawk]

 

[blackhawk]

This is one of the many things that makes fishing fun.

 

[Nosmo King]

We are experiencing a problem that one might believe we should have had before. The Spring rains are causing hillsides to slip. Our town is built on three hillsides. The one to the west is giving way. Due to poor soil drainage and the steep slope, the hill is caving in on itself and, so far, has taken four homes along with it. The foundations are pushed in, front porch roofs have collapsed and water, sewer and gas lines have been ruptured.

The downhill side of Lisbon street is gone and the city engineers have erected Jersey barricades and a temporary traffic signal. Heading downhill, one can clearly see the extent of the damage so long as you're stopped at the light.

We do not have natural disasters here, aside from flooding. And that effects only those who chose to live close to the river. It's too wet to have wildfires, too hilly and too far east to suffer tornadoes, and too seismically stable to have earthquakes. But not stable enough apparently not to have the occasional hillside disaster.

Landslides suck, too. Welcome to the wunnerfool world of Nature.
Sorry to hear how your town is suffering. How are things in your part of town, NoSmo?

As far as I know, the soil is solid under Pimplebutt. But I do know that my town is riddled by unmapped and abandoned clay mines. Subsidence rather than soil drainage is the concern.

The hillside slippage happened on the far west side of town, one of the three hills upon which my town sits. We have steep ravines that came about after the glaciers that scoured out the Great Lakes stopped (a point geologists call the Terminal Moraine) and began to melt. The resulting run off made our ravines. If you stand on top of the ridges, you can clearly see that everything would be relatively level and flat had it not been for glacier activity.

Where I live is on the east face of the center hill. My house faces north, so the rising sun lights up the kitchen side and floods into the right side of the living room. From those two rooms, I can see Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The slippage happened on Lisbon Street in th west end. Lisbon Street was scratched along side of the slope. The downhill side of Lisbon is what slipped taking out four homes there. The state geologists just issued a report stating the cause is poor soil drainage and the steepness of the roadbed. Oddly enough, the gas utility had just completed excavation and installation of new gas lines in that neighborhood. While I trust science and the geologist report, I am suspicious of the contractors doing the gas line installation. Who knows? Maybe they did not backfill and compact correctly. Maybe they left a cut open too long. So long as the official report calls it an act of nature, liability claims cannot be brought by the home owners.