A Short Jog and Goodbye Big-Boy

Happy Saturday. In Latin this day is: ‘Bruma’ which is derived from brevima, brevissima (“shortest”) or better yet: it’s the winter solstice as being the shortest day of the year (started at 4:21 AM Eastern time this morning).

However, relating to that period of the year use the word; ‘brumous’ which in the 1850s referred to days made up as being foggy, grey, rainy, cloudy, or murky: i.e. Wintry. And that’s exactly what our week back home in the ‘Nati has been like, brumous. And this definitely calls for a hot mug of coffee.

The Ramblings – will be short since as soon as these are done, I’ll be off to participate in the “Mt. Adams Egg Nog Jog”. This Mount Adams jog is great. A late year, event with a route around and about one of the city’s prettiest hillsides with its live theater, Conservatory, art museum, parks, and Ohio River views.

Last Weekend – was perfect. Perfect except for our GPS generated route which we used to avoid “lake-effect” snows. I never knew that one half of the nation’s traffic lights were situated in the little towns we blew through on the trip.

It was both fun and relaxing to have a few days in Michigan. Great seeing Marcia’s sibs. And a huge thanks to both Dia and Paul for putting up with us.

Also, after a year of refusing to walk with one, Paul handed Marcia a beautiful cane which she’s been using ever since. When she first walked into the room, we were all startled. Marcia was standing ramrod straight. She actually looked ‘statuesque’.

As a bonus, my love for Dutch dishes were catered to the extreme – Ouwe Amsterdamer Kaas, Gehachtballen. Dia, ever the kitchen fiend, baked “kruitkoek (the Dutch version of English Christmas fruitcake – but tastier); and I was given the recipe. This week I busily assembled all the fixings, guess what I’ll be up to later this weekend. Thanks guys!

About five miles before reaching home I managed to capture one of those meaningless highlights that nevertheless, people find quite meaningful – the F150 crossed the 94,000.00-mile mark.

Mentioning Food – I ran across this little video preparing a deviously more involved simple item – the Pancake. Like preparing food? You’ll appreciate this fun video – Pancakes prepared by 12 different chefs:

The Death of Big-Boy – My earliest memories of Cincinnati include Frisch’s Big-Boy restaurants – about 80 of them in the region. Basically, these were a ‘burger joint’ that thought themselves a family restaurant complete with some talked about deserts (especially Pumpkin and Strawberry Pie).

I first met one of my really good friends, Walton Lee, at Frisch’s. In nearby Mariemont was Frisch’s Mainliner drive-through – during the 1960s and ‘70s this place was the teenager’s ‘meat market’ and as such the place where brother George met Sandy. My uncle Harry would celebrate springtime at Frisch’s with fresh Strawberry Pie – exclaiming “extra whipped cream please.” Everyone has a Frisch’s Big Boy story.

But over time things do change. A handful of years ago Frisch’s was sold to a financial holding company. The money ‘squeeze’ had begun. This past month, in small groupings, clusters of Big-Boys closed. This past week it was the commissary which shut its doors. Laid off (days before Christmas) was the man who had prepared their amazing deserts for 40-years without a day off. And yes, around and about, one does hear people talk wistfully about “Big-Boy.

Now some fresh coffee for Marcia when she gets up, and some protein (couple of eggs) for me before heading out. With a ‘feel-like’ temperature of 18F (-7.8C), hardly any wind, and dry, conditions couldn’t be better.

Life is AMAZING!

And a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Alexander Graham Bell — the inventor of the telephone — who received a patent for the device on March 7, 1876 suggested that we answer his invention by saying —? One of these is correct.

1) “yes?”
2) “ahoy”
3) “hello”
4) “hi”
5) “greetings”
6) “you alright/good”