Missing Mondays

It's Monday and I haven't done a Missing Monday in yonks.

This is a post where I talk about things that I've been missing.

This week it is a list of things.

1. Concerts: I haven't been to a show since I saw Gordon Lightfoot in Greensburg, 2..or is it 3 years ago. That was when I had a life.

2. Road Trips...again in the last 2 years, I haven't traveled more than 25 miles from my house because of my mom and dad's health. And I so want to go to the Botanical Gardens in Morgantown, WV!

3. Cold weather...I'm listening to Christmas songs to take the edge off the 95 degree temps we had. Seriously...this is not my kind of weather. I'm covered in sweat and we don't have whole house AC.

4. Pretty clothes...At one time I didn't care what I spent and I owned some gorgeous clothes..then I got money smart...sigh

Missing Mondays

I haven't done a Missing Monday in a long while, but today mom and I were talking about something and it got me to thinking. I miss G. C. Murphy's.  I loved this store, especially the restaurant. There were Murphy's in Charleroi, Belle Vernon, Uniontown and Greensburg.

They made the best burgers and hot dogs around. Its funny, but the toasted hot dog bun is what got me thinking about this store. There aren't may places that toast up the hot dog bun like Murphy's used to do. Those were some good dogs!

The other thing that I loved at the cafeteria was the club sandwich. Why are there no good club sandwiches anymore?

Our Murphy's in town was big. It was on two floors. I loved going downstairs.

Here's a funny story. When I was a little girl I was in one of the Murphy's with my mom and dad. I can't remember if it was the Charleroi or the Belle Vernon store. It was summer because they had the kiddie pools out. And like the bad little girl I was, I was playing around them. Until the pool fell on my head!

That was the last time I ever played near those pools!

Missing Mondays

I miss summer vacation. Not just a few days off of work but the long May to August we had when we were in high school. The time when all you had to do was kick back and read on the beach chair in the yard, or drive to the lake or the yearly trips to Erie or Lancaster. Mmm now I'm missing Good N' Plenty and their fabulous chicken.

~sigh~

Mind you, I don't miss high school one iota.

But I do miss vacations and days off for most holidays..and SNOW DAYS. OK, I don't want any snow days right now, but you get my point right?

I want some time off!

And while I'm at it...I'm missing a time when I didn't care about politics, because seeing all the repugnant canditates for 2012 is making me a bit sick to my stomach and putting me in an even bigger need for a vacation!!!

So what are you missing?

Missing Mondays

Today I'm missing Isaac's in Lacaster, PA. Don't worry, it is still there, I'm just not and this is the time of year when they have their fabulous made with local corn, corn chowder. Best soup ever.

They make sandwiches that would make Primanti Bros look sad and pathetic, and as I'm a Burgh girl, that is almost a sacriligious statement.

I went there last year, and it was love at first bite.

No joke!

I love Amish cooking but these sandwiches and soups were to die for! There are a few of these restaurants in Central, PA, a few less than Primati's, so not quite as ambitious. I'm really hungry for that corn chowder right now, and maybe one of their really awesome sandwiches.

Missing Mondays: Where Are My Goggies

rThe neighbor's Sharpeis are gone! I've heard rumors that he had fines from the code enforcement officer and he had to get rid of them. I haven't seen Bella, Bear or Layla in days.

I'm heartbroken.

I loved those dogs. I gave them treats and lovins' almost every day.

This is Bella, my treat lovin' goggie!



I miss them so much! Why take the dogs, the guy has 30 freaking chickens and turtles in the yard! Grrr!

Missing Mondays on...erm..Thursday

My mom and I were talking about restaurants the other day. Hmmm, and I wonder why my waistline is always EXPANDING! We got to talking about things that have changed in a lot of restaurants and that's how we got to talking about salad bars.

I think every fast food chain had a salad bar in the 80s.

Wendy's had a crazy awesome salad bar. Burger King had one too, and you could either make a salad on a plate or in a pita!

Please say that someone remembers this?

Then there was Rax. Oh how I miss Rax Roast Beef and their salad bar with the best cream of broccoli soup.

~sigh~

I think those salad bars prompted places like Ponderosa to expand their salad bars to the gi-normous food bars they have now.

Do you know what?

I liked the small salad bar that we had in our local Ponderosa when I was little. I also liked when you walked cafeteria style to get your meal there and at the similar York Steak House and they handed you a little black bowl of salad greens with your choice of salad dressing.

Everything is so much bigger now, but I'm not sure that its so much better. Something has to suffer for our gluttony. I guess its our waistlines and quality. What do you think?

Missing Mondays

I was looking through my flickr albums yesterday and I realized I haven't been to Pittsburgh in a year! At least not for a fun trip. I'm not even sure if I was in the city for work much last year.

I miss the city. I miss Phipps Conservatory. I miss The National Aviary. I miss The South Side and all the shops and restaurants.

I have a car now, but my weekends are always so crazy that going to the city always gets pushed back. Heck I've not been to the casinos in over a year. I can't remember when I was last at Wheeling Island, and I've never been to The Meadows which is only a half hour from me, and the Rivers, though its supposedly gorgeous, is in such an awkward spot that I have no desire to go there.

I've missed two Christmas displays now, as I haven't made it to the city for the holidays since 2007.

This is where I heave a big sigh.

I may have given up clubbing years ago, but I still love Pittsburgh, and I really really really miss the city and all the bridges and fun things to do. (and places to eat)

Missing Mondays

I miss my metal window fan. It was ancient as you might have guessed, because all fans seem to be made of nothing but plastic these days.

Two words for you: PLASTIC SUCKS!

This old fan could cool down my room better than an air conditioner.

It died last year, damn it and the fan that replaced it doesn't do half the job this one did. It is not fair at all.

Why does everything have to made out of plastic?

I really think it has to be the joy factor. You know, "Joy, I'm not allowed to have any."

Grrr.

I really miss that fan.

Missing Mondays

Sometimes I really wish I were a kid again. Usually when my nephew laments not being an adult. I've never quite understood why we force our kids into adulthood these days, filling their schedules until they are little mini-robots. Hell, most kids I know don't really know how to play at all, unless it involves an electronic game of some sort.

~sigh~

Right now I long for summer vacation. 2.5 blissful months without a care in the world. To just lay around on a deck chair and read. Its not fair that you only get lazy time two times in your life when you are young and when you retire.

It doesn't seem fair. I only have 5 days of vacation a year and 1 was used for my dad's surgery and another day is going to be used for an unpleasant procedure I have to have done on my birthday, one that I'll be paying for, but that will get me started on my health care rant...and its too early in the morning for that.

Damn I wish I was a kid again. Just so long as its not the summer I had to read 3 classic novels that weren't fun reads at all.

Missing Mondays

Today I'm missing the strawberry soy frappachino I had yesterday at Barnes & Noble but flew out of my hand and landed on the ground at the mall yesterday.

Damn it, I only had a few sips out of it and I lost all my whipped creme.

I still have no idea what happened, because that cup was literally airborne! The lid cracked and frapp was everywhere...OK whipped creme was everywhere.

I was a very sad girl when that happened, because that was 4 bucks that flew out of my hands.

I was so shocked at what happened I let out quite a squeak. Two odd little geeky guys, bless them, asked if I was all right.

Yup, I was fine. Sadly the $4 drink was not.

I probably won't have one of those tasty treats for a long time now.

All that strawberry whipped creme goodness gone! Without the benefit of consuming it!!

How sad is that?

Missing Mondays

What am I missing this week? I'm missing a time long long ago when reality tv did not exist. Back in the day when there were no shows like Survivor, The Bachelor or American Idol.

These shows need to go.

All of them.

Sorry, Bilbo, Dancing With The Stars needs to go too. Had they not put Kate Gosselin on this season, I might have let them pass.

Also the shows like Dancing and Idol...why can't they be weekend shows. People do watch the telly on the weekends!

I'm so sick of the networks taking the cheap way out. That goes for BBC America too, as they'd rather play all the reality based shows from across the pond then anything that might be entertaining....besides...Doctor Who.

I mean, c'mon, they are just airing Series 2 of Ashes To Ashes...when Series 3 is half over! Oh and word to SyFy and BBC America; Sarah Jane Adventures! We want them!

There is entertaining telly out there, but geeze, why does it have to be so hard to find?

Missing Mondays

Every week I talk about something in my life that I miss. Right now I'm missing flower shows, either at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh or Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.

I have a love of flowers that I got from my mother. When I was young, I always wanted to rush through these places. I'm not sure why. They were always beautiful, especially Longwood. I do remember always loving The Chime Tower there, and I still do.

There's something very magical about these places. I think its because the flowers and displays are just so beautiful that you get transported into another world. Phipps has been a favorite place until the fancy shows they've done, caused the prices to rise, and with more notable artists exhibiting their glass in with the flowers like The Longfellows that were displayed their last year.

I can't believe I haven't been to Phipps since last July. I'm making a mental note to go there the next time I rent a car, which will likely be in July. It just seems a shame that I'm missing out on such beauty because my car freaking SUCKS!

But I will get there damn it! I will. I will not miss both of these places much longer!

Missing Mondays

Today is April 26. It just hit me right now. Its pouring down rain and I think its supposed to do that all day, so I will no likely be able to go to the cemetery.

Today marks 2 years since Grandma has been gone. It doesn't feel like that long. Two years since I walked down to her house to check on her shortly after 1 p.m. on a Saturday.

I still can't go in the upstairs without crying. I still can't remember anything I said to her the night before, except that I was busy doing something not very important at all and I have never really felt like I said what needed to be said. Plus I will always feel like I should have been there, even though I know that there was likely nothing I could have done to help. I would have just panicked and screamed just as I did 4 hours later.

So yeah, today is April 26 and I miss my grandma.

Missing Mondays

I miss weekends being relaxing. Somehow even when I have 2 days to do whatever I chose, I don't feel like I've de-stressed. Something always happens to work my nerves up so I just can't feel calm and ready to start another week.

Take this weekend for example: I had a great time on Saturday in Wheeling. I enjoyed all the book stores and all the food. Wheeling has some great restaurants, chain and locally owned.

Yesterday was another story.

I was on my way to La Fiesta for dinner, or rather, we were about to go there, when I noticed something hanging from my father's car. Oye! Not what I wanted to see, so we took my piece of tin, which suddenly felt a lot more reliable. I don't take it far because it likes to play games with my head.

The last time I took it further than say 15 miles it decided to show me the engine light. Nothing was wrong, the car just wanted to tell me, that it went further than its comfort zone and it wanted to make sure I was shaking the whole way home.

Yeah, that's the kind of car I drive. I'm taking donations for a Ford Focus...feel free to leave tips! Yeah right.

So besides the health issues both my parents have that keep me up at night with worry, I had the car to add to it. Glad that turned out to be nothing as well, but I'm sick of being scared about stuff.

I miss having peace of mind, or rather a piece of my mind left!

Missing Mondays

I always seem to be missing something food related and today is no different. When I was in college there was a little restaurant in downtown, Charleroi On Mon, called Monty's Place. My parents used to go there for breakfast a lot after morning mass during the week and so did I.

Don't laugh! I went to morning mass fairly regularly throughout college. I was kinda religious.

But back to Monty's, talking about the Catholic church right now just makes me angry.

This place made the best omelets in the whole of SW PA. Plus they had a waitress that could remember everyone's favorites. It was always fun to throw her off and order something different every now and then.

This was a great family restaurant during the day. It became too much of a bar at night and that's probably why its not still around. It attracted some not so nice types later in the day.

But oh how I miss those omelettes! They were so good. The only place I've had a super great omelette like that since was in Atlantic City....Mmmm...now I'm missing Jersey and the Deli Omelette. Damn!

Missing Mondays

If I were brutally honest I'd have to say that today I miss having the day after Easter off. The only time that occurred was when I was in high school though, and I really don't miss high school at all.

Another thing I'm missing today is Chunky Bars. Anyone remember these strange square candy bars filled with peanuts and raisins?

We used to have them in the house all the time when I was a kid.

I think they still make them, they just don't sell them anywhere where I can buy them. That's probably a good thing too, because I'd be the size of a barn with Chunky bars around.

Yes, they were that good!

I want a Chunky NOW!

Missing Monday (on Tuesday)

In the last week I've really been missing "the people and things that went before." If I wasn't shedding tears for gram, I was crying over Mutchka or Purrbee or Itchy or Coco. I miss all of them dreadfully.

I know in the next 30 days I'll be missing grandma more as the anniversary of her death approaches.

For as long as I live I don't think I'll ever be able to forget coming into her dark house and calling out for her. Then rushing up to the top of the steps to find her lying on the floor, already gone.

The fear still shakes me. I can even hear my own screams echoing.

I was so afraid. I was scared to touch her and she was my grandma, but that knowledge of death kept me from doing it, as if death were contagious. I remember clinging to my mother, and crying..."she's gone."

I felt so powerless.

That was probably the most life changing event I ever experienced. I would give anything to change April 26, 2008. The worst day of my life.

Gram..I miss you.

Missing Mondays

Since I got the freelance job reviewing music I find that I actually miss enjoying music.

Why is that?

Because I end up spending hours listening to one particular CD that I may or may not love or care about and then I have to write about it, at least 500 words if not more.

It really has sapped my love for music in recent months and that's not to say I haven't received any great CDs. I have adored the music by Shady Cats.

I don't feel like I get the chance to really sit down anymore and enjoy something just for the sake of listening to something and that's really not fun at all. It is also something I really never thought I'd say. I'm just not enjoying music as much as I used to. That's criminal if you ask me.

I want to enjoy music again!

Missing Mondays

I'm missing a couple of different things today.

1. G.C. Murphy's: I loved the 5 & 10. What I loved the most about these stores was the little diner/restaurant in each one. These stores had the best club sandwiches and hamburgers. I remember eating there with my mom and dad growing up and also with my grandma when she took me downtown.

2. Used book stores: When I was in college there were alot of them in the area. There was even one in my little hamlet of Charleroi On Mon. Now I have to travel at least a half hour to find a good one, other than Goodwill.

3. Harvest House: This was an awesome cafeteria style place located next to Woolworth's in South Hills Village. They made awesoem croquettes and roast beef. It really sucks that this place went out of business so that a Pimp-acrombie and Bitch store could open and Woolworth's closed for a Liz Claiborne store.

Anyone want to let out a big sigh with me?

Missing Mondays:

Of all the things I've lost, my mind is what I miss the most. No joke! Today I'm totally missing my sanity as I'm struggling to make my bills this month with what little cash I do have. Not to mention trying to figure out when I can get to the Notary to get the registration on my car renewed and then inspected.

ARGH!

Oh sanity, wherefore art thou?

I have a mountain of books on my To Be Read pile aka the TBR pile and about 5 CDs I want to listen to for either reviews or my artists to watch column over at mossip. Plus as a certified tv addict, I have about a dozen shows I need to catch up on at some point. All of which makes me a very cranky girl.

Have I mentioned that I have an editor that is totally making me whack nutty? More whacknutty then my regular boss?

ARGH!

Sometimes I'm not sure if its worth it. The freelance job that is.

So if you see my mind wandering about. Can you please send it back home.