Notebooks, Dead Frogs, Student Council Elections and so much more....

 

Every afternoon around 4 pm if I’m sitting at a particular spot in my home, I can see the middle school students from Fort Clarke walking home from a long day of learning. Most if not all, have backpacks jammed with every school book in their locker causing them to lean forward as though they are climbing a steep hill. They make me think back to my school days and how very different it was.

My book carrier in junior high and high school was a vinyl zippered three-ring notebook. With a pocket on the front inside for pencils, a sharpener, a change purse, etc., subject dividers separating the lined notebook paper, and room for a couple books, I had everything I needed for the day. Extra books lay across the top, and I carried them hugged to my chest, which discouraged running. I usually decorated the outside of the vinyl with flowers, hearts and dubious initials. In study hall, I tried to complete the homework assigned in the heaviest books to make my load a little lighter.

I always rode the school bus home happy to be the last one picked up in the morning and the first one dropped off in the afternoon. Seat friends were always older or younger since no one in my class rode my bus. I can remember watching for the yellow bus in the mornings, seeing the headlights coming through the fog sometimes and hurrying across the yard to be in my spot before the bus got there. I don’t think I could make it up that tall step today if my life depended on it!

I remember that vinyl tan notebook spread open on my desk in Biology, colored pencil in hand, ready to sketch out on notebook paper a frog that we were about to dissect. The room smelled of formaldehyde and the frog was not green as I had expected but a mottled beige color. I was happy to let my partner do the cutting up as I drew Mr. Frog and all its parts. Mr. Horst, our teacher who I seem to remember being there only one year, walked around the room eyeballing what everyone was doing. He discouraged shenanigans with a frown and a very serious demeanor, and it worked.

My Biology classroom was on the second floor in a corner room of the building with lots of windows for light, and it was always on my morning schedule. After, I remember going through the double doors and down the concrete steps to study hall in the library which was directly below. In my Freshman year (9th grade), my guidance counselor, Mr. Rutledge, talked me into running for Student Council treasurer, and it was during one of these study halls that I made my first political posters. One I remember in particular. It was an anagram of the word “treasurer”, T for trustworthy, R for reliable, E for earnest and so on. I won that election but my most vivid memory is how sad my opponent, Janie Phillips, looked when the results were announced. I don’t remember celebrating at all.

Across from the library was our big auditorium, and it was there that we held all our extracurricular activities, Friday night dances, plays, holiday celebrations, cheerleading practice and, of course, morning assemblies if something special was going on. We always sang the State song, Our Delaware, at the end and I can remember being proud to be a Delawarean, the very first State to ratify the Constitution of the United States of America, “Oh our Delaware, our beloved Delaware!”

In my mind’s eye I can see my best friend, Sandra, on stage in her role as Lady Macbeth saying “Out out damn spot!” I hear Dion singing Runaround Sue as I jitterbug with another friend, Nancy, and we laugh and surreptitiously search for our current crushes on the crowded dance floor. I see Mrs. Fry, our football cheerleading coach, frowning as our jumps are not high enough, big blue H’s on our sweater fronts.

Funny how a student coming home with a backpack can trigger so many childhood memories. That tan zippered notebook may be long gone, the frog drawing discarded years ago, and the vote-for-me poster forever lost, but the girl who loved drawing, learning and cared about people hopefully remains recognizable today.

I'm Just An Old Salty

 

Salty food is my downfall. I never saw a potato chip I didn't like, especially those big ones with the burnt edges. Utz, Ruffles, Lays, Wise, you name it, I would eat it no matter the brand. Don’t give me Pringles, though. No fakes for me. I want real chips! In my younger days (and probably now if I allowed myself) I could eat an entire huge bag of chips at one sitting. And it's mostly unconscious eating, one chip after another, while I'm doing something else, reading or watching a movie. I'm on autopilot with the old hand going into and out of the bag.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when all those different flavored potato chips came out, sour cream, vinegar, pickle, barbecue, wow. I got so used to eating the vinegar chips that if I only had plain, I would douse them with apple cider vinegar from the bottle, shake them up a bit, and then drink the little bit of salty juice remaining in the bottom of the bag. I loved them so much. But I’m not that picky. Just show me the bag.

Once, a long time ago, I went on a potato chip diet, only allowing myself to eat chips, thinking that perhaps that would turn me against them, and I would never crave potato chips again. It didn't work. I ate chips for three days, and the next one still tasted as good as the first.

So the only way I found I could stop eating chips was not to buy them. I don't buy any kind of snacky salty food because they make me want chips even more. You wouldn’t think anyone could eat saltines or oyster crackers like they were chips, but you would be mistaken. If it’s salty and crunchy, I will snack on it. When I get to the point where I can't stand it, I buy the tiniest bag (1 serving of 150 calories) I can find. That’s always the one hanging just above the check-out line at the grocery store. I devour it immediately when I get home, and that will satisfy me for a month or so. I don't think I will ever lose my craving for potato chips. Although it sounds wacky, chips are my comfort food.

At my last check-up, I complained to my doctor about gaining some weight even though I hadn’t eaten my favorite food (chips) in months. I was surprised at her response, but my potato chip brain ate it up, so to speak. She said, “Don’t worry about a little extra weight at your age. It may come in handy during a health problem when you’re not able to eat very much. And life is to be enjoyed. Eat some chips.” Imagine that? Sounds a little like good cop, bad cop.

Aside from chips, my favorite ethnic food would be pad thai, my fav meal is eggplant parmesan, my fav beverage is coffee, and my fav fruit is a toss up between blueberries, strawberries, or mangos. My fav protein is cheese anything, especially macaroni and cheese like my mom made. And bread and butter pickles on white bread would be my most unique or weird food combination. I'm not sure if any of this story made anyone hungry, but I could really use some chips right now! But please please please, do not give me any!

USPS

 

I'm a "snail mail" member in an online group and so I send cards every once in a while. Cards are the only thing I mail...except for my tag registration renewal and I'm not sure why I'm still mailing that. They do charge a fee for paying online, ridiculous. I really don't trust the mail, and recently I have let my anger get the best of me over something stupid! My mail person stops and goes so fast, slamming up the mailbox door so that several times lately it has not "caught" and drops back down to hang open. And now that we have started getting our daily rain showers, my mail (actually garbage mostly) gets wet. So, enough already! I went into the USPS site and entered a complaint. I wish I had done it days... weeks sooner because the problem was corrected immediately. This was the email I received back TWO days after I voiced my complaint.... "Thank you for taking the time to notify us of your experience. Your USPS® Service Request 88249401 has been marked as closed. I have instructed your carrier to ensure that they close the mailbox after delivery. The substitute carrier will have an alert card for your address to ensure this is the case regardless of who is delivering. I apologize for this as it is unacceptable. Please accept our sincerest apology for any trouble this may have caused you. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you again in the future." And, yes, no more door hanging open. Who knew the post office could be so cooperative? Let's hope it continues.

Aldi

 

Who has been to Aldi? There’s a new one near me on Newberry Road. My daughter came to visit last Sunday, and we decided to check it out since neither of us had ever been to one.

First, she had to put little Murphy in his “cage” in the house since it was too hot to leave him in the car for any length of time. Who knew how long we might be? After chasing him around, he was finally secured and already moaning to get back out.

The ride was short, less than two miles, and parking was no problem. We remembered bags and a quarter…for the cart, you know. Even though we had never been there, we had done our homework. I took a list, a short one. The first thing on it was bananas, and, big surprise, there were none with the explanation of a fungus that was making them difficult to get.

For a Sunday, there were quite a few people doing their shopping and all seemed to be intent and purposeful, not talkative. Unlike my grocery store of choice, no one smiled, moved out of the way, or said “excuse me” when warranted. No music played in the background. It was pretty solemn.

So back to my list, I did find sugar at a good price (4 pounds for $2.79, for the hummingbirds), a nice-looking cantaloupe ($2.29) which was not on my list, some salad greens ($3.29), a large “cheap” jar of low calorie mayo ($2.89), brand unknown, and a toy for Murphy, also not on my list. I’m used to dawdling and looking about when I grocery shop, but my daughter, like the other shoppers, was all business, and she was soon ready to check out. With one register open and a long line, I have to say the buggies sped right through, and then, I saw why. Bagging by the buyer was done at a counter at the front of the store. Items at check-out are put back into your cart.

As they say, when in Paree, we bagged our own so the check-out time was relatively quick. I found I liked deciding what went where in the bagging department. Outside, we could either take the buggy to the car and come back with it to regain our quarter, or get our quarter back now and carry our bags. We opted to carry as there wasn’t a whole lot.

It was a different experience, not unpleasant though, and I plan to return for a better look with more time to browse. It’s so close that I can’t resist.

As promised, I returned to Aldi on a weekday and had a much better experience. I have to rave about my hummus find, an Aldi brand with pumpkin seeds. It was all I ate for lunch for three days, so good, and at $2.98 a real bargain. The go-with was a find as well, sour dough thin-sliced onion bread which I toasted and then spread with the hummus, a perfect combination. I found several absolute bargains compared to what I pay at Publix. A dozen large eggs were $1.66, a quart of almond milk for $2.49 and a container of strawberries for $1.79, unbelievable.

And the customers seemed more at ease, not rushing to shop and not rude. In fact, because I had only a few items, a young man ahead of me offered to let me go first, but I declined since I was intent on soaking up the ambience of Aldi. There was one woman with a child who talked very loudly as I was making my rounds through the store. She seemed to be explaining all her purchases to her four year old, what she was going to make, how great it was going to be. I wasn’t sure what to make of her, but I scooted down another aisle and soon lost her. And as I was having trouble reaching for my hummus, another kind lady grabbed it for me without me even asking. “I’m a little taller than you,” she said.

Another unexpected surprise was seeing my neighbor doing some shopping. We had a great chat about her very talented daughter who just turned thirteen. She is a budding artist whom I have done my best to encourage with books and supplies. They will be celebrating her birthday late, in June, with tickets to Hamilton in NYC!

So, I think Aldi (or Aldi as I discovered they pronounce it in Germany where it originated) is in my future. Returning the cart for my quarter means no extra work to me as I always return my cart at Publix. I need those steps! 

Another surprise I discovered online is that Aldi guarantees your satisfaction or they will replace and refund, no questions asked. And for those in the know, holiday items show up in the store around six weeks in advance of the particular holiday.

The savings are pretty stupendous, and I’m sure I will make lots more discoveries. I have created an Aldi account online to receive an email of their new weekly ad on Wednesdays (a day before Publix). I’m thinking I will like Aldi, at least I will give it a shot. Publix seems to keep going up on their prices every time I go to the store, and BOGO items are not the deal they seem when the single item price has doubled. Maybe a little competition is good for the soul…as well as the wallet. And doesn’t the underdog always try harder?