Text 4667, 111 rader
Skriven 2006-08-21 22:39:38 av BURTON FORD (1:123/140)
Ärende: Picnic 2006
===================
Hi Everybody                  8/21/06 5:17 PM

I might be a little late here.   [g]

We had a great time at the Picnic.  My not reviewing it is not because of
indifference.   Just some sort of ennui that has affected me.

It was my kind of picnic.  Inside [no bugs], intimate [I knew everybody],
lots and lots of new foods to try, and at least two old favorites [Dave The
Sacs Smoked ribs, and Shipp's Bread Pudding.   Dave kept saying <some> of
the ribs were dry or overcooked, but I don't agree.  The first piece I had
I picked up myself, and it was dark [black?] around the edges. I like
carbon sometimes [truly] and I enjoyed the very edges that were black.  The
ribs were so good I never bothered to put on any BBQ sauce at all. [sorry
Dave]  Never even tasted the sauce.  After Dave mentioned the dryness [that
I didn't find] I asked him to pick out a piece for me.  I think he thought
I was a little loony but he did it.   That piece had no darkness, was a tad
tenderer, and maybe a bit juicier, but being myself I  really enjoyed both. 
Harrumph, and one or two other pieces I think.  Can't remember for sure.    
[Sure Burt.]

I hope Dale and Gail aren't offended, but I had two helpings of their bread
pudding, and never used their sauce either.  [Looking blandly around and
saying "I was watching my sugar"]   It was awfully good that way. I can't
think that the sauce could have made it any tastier.  I did a small taste
of the sauce and the peach schnapps was a very nice change to the first
time I tasted it..... was that in Canada?   

I won't refer to the list [Michaels] of foods that day [Sunday picnic day]
or any of the other days.  I'm just going to run over what come to mind
today.

We pulled into the Red Roof Motel Wednesday afternoon.  I called Dave and
he and Maryanne, Lyn, Manny and Shirley and I went to The Texas Steakhouse. 
Nice place, fuddy deco, a kind of family place I think.   The steaks were
just great, ours anyway.  We had 6-8 ox sirloins, tender and nicely medium
rare.   You could pick out your own steak from the meat cutters case, but
we did not.  Luck of the draw sort of thing.  Oh, and we shared chicken
wings.  I can't remember if they were supposed to be Buffalo Wings but they
had very little if any heat.  Good tasting tho'.   I wish we had a Texas
Steakhouse near us.  Great prices compared to what we pay around our area. 
Also they had rolls that were highly touted by little Dave..... I mean by
Lyn.  [g]    [e.g.  in food and humor]   The buns were indeed extremely nice
with the cinnamon butter they were served with.  Great move Lyn.   Oh, and we
had chili too... not very hot [spicy hot].   If I remember it was a little too
warm for Maryanne.   It's nice not to be the pepper wimp in the group anymore. 
 [Nya nya, Luv]  For years I couldn't even eat the heat that Shirley could. 
Some of you may remember when I would get swollen lips from a little capsicum. 
 I'm improvomg.

The next day at the ungodly hour of 7am Dave picked us up for our one day
trip to NYC with he and Lyn and Manny.   It's been discussed so I'll just
zip a little.  Breakfast at Dave's, with his magic touch with eggs and some
of his homemade hash.  On to NYC.  The Two Decker Tour Bus, ala London
buses, was a fabulous idea.  I had been to NYC several times, but from the
top of the bus I saw parts of the city I had only read about.   Butch and I
got drenched, soaked to the skin in a sudden thunder squall.  The
lightening finally forced us down stairs, only because of the umbrella cum
lightening rod I held in my hands.   The sandwich in the Carnegie Deli was
staggering.  It was heaped with 4 or 5 inched of pastrami. [$12] I didn't
measure so I may be exaggerating, but I really was stunned.  And the bowls
of big dill pickles was fascinating.   I differ from Dave in that I think
it's leaning to tourism, by making huge sandwiches etc., was ok.  I don't
want to go all the way to NYC and have a standard sandwich.  I got a kick
out of the flummery and wall pictures.   Differences make the world go
'round, eh Dave?.

Friday am we had breakfast at the Country Diner, run by a former cop.  Very
nice, friendly place, not a traditional railroad car diner, but a more than
acceptable diner type.  I had a breakfast sandwich with egg and kielbasa on
a polish roll.  Shirley had ditto w/sausage patties.   $10 tab.... with
tip!

Then we went shopping and wound up at DTS's in late afternoon.  Micheal,
Ruth, Manny, Joan, and Shipps were there.  Lovely time, gabbing, loafing,
and oh my, eating!   DTS made chicken wings that I could barely resisted
fighting of the others.  But as it turned out I'm glad I didn't do that....
there were a few left uneaten.    Lets see, I remember Matty made Jewish
green stuff, quackamole, with matzo crackers, liked it.  There were
burgers, fried plantain and other stuff.  I gloried in the whole day.  
Except when they all tried one of the bottles of wine I brought.... the Wan
Fu Saki.  It was a bottle I had in my cellar for 10 or 15 years, from back
when our DIL Molly would only drink Saki and not other wine.  I just
thought folks would like trying a different kind of wine... it's rice wine.  
Unfortunetly Dave had a good Saki that was tasted first.  My Won Fu was
awful.  One of the 4 or 5 wines I have ever poured down the sink.  I let
Micheal do the honor and have pics of the occasion.  [YES SEAN I WILL}   I
think everyone thought I brought a bad wine just to torment Michael but
that's not true.  It just happened to be bad.   

I also brought 4 or 5 other wines that we never got to.  Fortunately for me
as it turns out.  Michael reminded me that the 3 Beaujolais  [2 villages
and a Morgon] were 2002 vintage and actually over aged for the type, having
lost it's fruitiness.  I had wanted Michael to do a simple wine tasting
like we did in Hap's Tacoma Picnic.  But it would have been not so hot a
tasting.  The wine is good to wine slobs like Shirley and I, but it would
not have fared will in a tasting that was meant to inform about Beaujolais.  
I left them all to Dave.  I hope he enjoys them.   They should be at least
ok, not spoiled, or vinegary, or anything like that.

More later.

Burt



---
'Til we read again. Burt               /~~.
  x=Newark, in New York State     ,~x~    |       
                                 `-------.;_
 * Origin: Try Our Web Based QWK: DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)