I had physical therapy scheduled for this morning, and tomorrow I am supposed to see the doctor regarding my leg.  I’ve only seen him once so far, and this morning the PT told me I didn’t have to wear the leg brace so I carried it out to my car in my hand and cancelled next week’s PT session.

This has been quite an experience since I passed out coming from getting the CPAP device, July 2, 2019 and fell creating a hairline fracture of my right knee.  The same leg where I had major surgery about 26 years ago after blowing out ligaments while playing tennis.  But, neither the pacemaker or my leg have caused me any real pain.  A little soreness for a few days after the pacemaker was put in, then some itching, where I think the hair was beginning to grow back on my chest (shaved for the surgery).  And, a few twinges of minor pain, for a few days, when I turned my leg the wrong way but no real pain while it has healed.

Still, the event has been equivalent to hitting the wall during an auto race at a great rate of speed.  I have fought depression and still do some, but the few friends and relatives I have, stepped in to help me when I was helpless, and fortunately, I was able to learn to drive with my leg brace on once I was shown that I could, if I moved my driver’s seat way back, get my leg while wearing my brace into the car and in reach of both the accelerator and the brake pedal.

I used the online grocery order service via WalMart and they offered home delivery for $8.  I only used this once, before I was able to drive again, and then one of my first WalMart walk-abouts was to return a couple of items that I had mistakenly ordered (16 oz. Olive Oil, and small bag of a Splenda/Sugar mix).  The olive oil was too small an amount, and I don’t know why I ordered something that actually had sugar in it.  Still I placed my order online on Wednesday, and scheduled it for 7 – 8 pm that Friday.  The WalMart delivery person knocked on my door at 7 pm and offered to put my groceries up, but I just said to put them on and by the dining table.  I don’t recall how much I tipped.

Things to remember:  Rollator from Amazon.com for $55.  A couple of plastic urinals.  A couple of extension grabbers.

I’m coming back from lunch today and realize that I don’t have my cellphone with me.  I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t hooked up to the charger cable in my office when I left, and when I get back, no… it’s not there or in my pocket… or in the car, under the seat???

I think, that I must have left it at the Rainbow Restaurant at breakfast so I stop by there.  No they haven’t got a lost phone.

I go home.  It’s not hooked up to the charger by my chair.

I return to the office and login to Consumer Cellular to see if they have instructions for finding a lost phone.  They do.  Google Android Device Manager, which I had installed some time ago.

I go to Google Find My Device and it pulls up a map showing my phone appears to be in the parking lot next to the Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet, where I ate lunch today.  *Later I realize that the icon for my phone isn’t showing in the parking lot, but in the exact location, in the building where the cash register is located… and that is where I picked it up later.  It must have fallen out of my pocket as I was reaching for my wallet to pay the bill.

I called and the girl that answered asked if it was a Samsung phone.  I said yes.  I asked if it had a green case and she said yes.  I told her I would stop by in about an hour and a half… I have a conference call at 2pm.

Boy!  That is really, really, really… great that it worked!

North Carolina Weekend on PBS and Bob Garner was visiting.  He made the place seem much bigger than it actually was… but since, they have expanded and more than doubled the seating capacity.

I like their Pulled Chicken.

They were giving some of this away about a year ago, and this picture seems to have been posted a few days ago, so I hope they are selling this now.  It was great!!!  Very “earthy” in flavor.  It is turnips, although you couldn’t tell what meat they had used to season it with last year.  I thought the seasoning might have been hog jowl.

ADDENDUM [01/31/22]: I stopped in on the way up to Raleigh on Monday. As I was ordering, I asked if they had any turnips. The female clerk said they had some a couple of months ago, but had none now. Brian went back to check and there was no plan to have any more this year. The past couple of years, they had turnips in February. I had come to think that they made them when they had a “hog killing,” but that doesn’t sound like the case now. I said, “then I guess I’m going to have to bring my own and let you cook them. — I have been enjoying cooking various country side dishes in the past several months. If you have the right seasoning meat, the finished product can be quite enjoyable. I have fixed some good butter beans, blackeyed peas, and green beans & potatoes. I learned from, not by asking, but by tasting, how to cook good steamed cabbage. Seaboard Station Restaurant doesn’t season their cabbage with meat, or at least I think not. They don’t season their blackeyed peas with meat either… and that doesn’t make for really good peas. The cabbage has to have just a slight amount of sweetness added. Too much sugar, and it makes the cabbage too sweet.

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About two weeks ago, I decided to go to K&W Cafeteria for lunch.  I had not been in a long time.  As I neared the location, the parking lot was abandoned and the grass had begun to grow high.  I felt a sense of melancholy and said to myself, “Well, they were like Sears…”  I regrouped and drove on to JKs Restaurant and while there googled and found that K&W had not gone out of business, but only moved across the street to a new location.

Day before yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the new K&W.  I will write more of this when I have the time, but here are some pics.  A really nice change!

Corrugated tin ceiling tiles.  The same food choices as previously.  Very modern seating areas with large flat-screen TVs.

There is a separate Cafe section (below):

I originally created this info as a page and not a post. It is several years old now.

I had breakfast at Famous Toastery in Southern Pines this past Saturday morning.  Afterwards I rode around Pinehurst and then decided to do some grocery shopping before heading back home to Fayetteville.

I stopped in to the Fresh Market and bought some Carolina Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, some olives and pickled cauliflower, Peppadews, a bag of potatoes, some Ale Nuts, Wasabi Peas, a loaf of whole seed, Rye bread, and some seeded crackers.

As I was coming up on Lowe’s Foods, I decided to stop in (I had not been to this location before.) and get some corn on the cob.  I did not wander about the store, but almost immediately found a Tomato Bar and saw some little yellow grape tomatoes.  If you were at a farmers market, it would be standard practice to try one before buying it.  I looked down and saw a sign that said just that… try it, get a container and fill the container.

I also started to take a few pictures of the tomato bar and a nearby Produce Manager asked if there was something wrong.  I said, “Oh, no.  On the contrary, there is something right.  These little yellow tomatoes are delicious.”  We had an extended conversation.  He suggesting that I try the larger red (local – greenhouse) tomatoes.  I bought one and had it in a tomato and bacon, with mayo, on whole seed Rye bread sandwich for lunch once I returned home.  *It was a good flavored tomato.

I walked over and bought a couple of ears of corn on the cob, in the husk, and later realized it was a white, sweet corn.  The husks looked withered, but the corn was fine for my Frogmore Stew for dinner.

I didn’t roam about the store, but went to the checkout and stood briefly behind a man and his young daughter (a baby, but sitting up in the cart).  He started to move the cart around to the side of the checkout and caught the cart a couple of times on the edge of the checkout.  I almost said something like, “Well, he hasn’t even started drinking and he’s running into things.”  Not sure why I started to say that, unless I had subconsciously  picked up on the gist of his purchases.  *I stopped myself, and looked down at his purchases.  Not all, but most of the items were various beers.

I had purchased a mix-n-match six-pack of assorted beers at the Fresh Market.  *I don’t like the flavor of beer, but every once in a while, I think about giving it another try.  Here was my chance to try several beverages without having to waste my money on a six-pack of each.  I bought an Angry Orchard “Rose” that I had seen recently advertised.  One of the Stella Artois, another cider and a dark lager.

I tried the lager for lunch and yep, hated it, but I decided to use the rest in the Frogmore Stew.  I had the Angry Orchard Rose for dinner, and with a little “sweetner,” that became palatable, pleasant.  The Carolina Shrimp were large (21-25).  The Andouille Sausage was a little chewy.  The potatoes were good, and I added a chopped onion and the two ears of corn cut so that there were six smaller sections.  Added the Old Bay Seasoning, some chicken broth (beef would have been okay, if I had it).

Forgot that I left the corn on the cob in the husk and microwaved them for a little less time than I normally do, and then cut them up and added them to the stew for that last little bit of cooking and flavoring.

I used one of my mid-sized, glass bowls and put all the Frogmore Stew in it with just a little liquid.  I remembered from the previous time that I shouldn’t have a large bowl of liquid to slosh around, while I’m watching TV from, my easy chair;-)

 

• Pataks Hot Curry Paste

  

•  S&B Hot Mustard (Chinese, for egg-rolls)
• Salsa Ranchera
• Tiger Sauce  
• Chicken Wing Sauce 

I had my engine replaced for my 2011 Honda Civic at a Blacks Tire location on Ramsey Street.  I trust this location, although replacing an engine means there is abundant opportunity to forget to tighten or add a forgotten nut or bolt.  Below is a picture of both the Civic and the Camry parked in front of Blacks Tires last Saturday morning.

The Civic is now Jeff Mitchell’s car… and problem.  A “smoke” test had revealed that a couple of bolts had been forgotten and had caused the car to cut off at high speed.  But, the engine was under warranty so, we were checking to see if Jeff could be reimbursed for towing and/or correcting the missing bolts problem.  The Blacks Tire rep was nice, and took the info to pass along to “corporate” HQ.  It probably did not hurt the cause to bring Ashlyn Mitchelly along as a tough negotiator.

Ashlyn, Jeff and me headed to the Rainbow Restaurant just a short distance up the road for breakfast afterwards.

As we are seated, I realize that ordering something for Ashlyn could be a problem.  She ended up getting some hot chocolate… and I think she and Jeff turned in to Dunkin Donuts after we left the Rainbow.

 

I took off last Friday and headed down toward the Coast.  Indeed, Helen’s Kitchen was again open and I had my favorite breakfast of country ham, eggs over medium, home fries, biscuits, red-eye gravy, and coffee, leaving a good tip because it made me feel good.

Looks like fresh yellow paint on the walls, and definitely a new wood floor.  The paintings of Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison were gone, but most of the other items had been returned to the walls.

I then went to the Onslow County Library on Doris Avenue.  I like the bathroom, and then to quickly peruse the current issue of Our State Magazine.  Before leaving, I asked a Librarian at the front desk if many people checked out the movie DVDs.  She said yes, and I asked if they would be willing to take some DVDs that I wanted to donate.  She said, “Yes.”  No reason to try to palm them off on the Library if they didn’t want or had a demand for them.  *I have two dresser drawers full of movie DVDs, most of which are Sci-Fi, but not all.  I plan to take them down the next time I visit Jacksonville… a couple of months.

I then headed up to New Bern with the goal of heading on to the Minnesott Beach – Cherry Branch ferry.  I used the navigation in the car, and made it to the ferry just before they started loading.  Only about 10 cars total, so we were on and heading across the water in no time.  *I used the “head” on the ferry.

Instead of going right to Havelock, I turned left and came the long way back into Beaufort.

I drove along the waterfront in Beaufort and then headed back over to Morehead City.  I stopped at the Belk in Morehead City… to use the bathroom, and to see what they had.  *They had a pair of men’s Nunn-Bush sandals and it looked like they were marked down from $70 to 20.99 in red ink pen.  No clerk was around, and I couldn’t find a box for the shoes, and they did fit, so I took them down to a far end register.  The woman clerk checked and instead of being $20.99, they were a little over $10.  I also bought a belt, marked down from $34 to $25.  They fit fine, and they have heavy-duty soles.

 

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Not quite a year later, I revisited Salem, VA and Macado’s Restaurant to try another Pastrami Reuben, with fries.

The sandwich was different.  It was a good sandwich, but it wasn’t the Pastrami Reuben that launched a thousand ships.  I wish I had taken a picture of the original experience.  I think the bread was different.  The way the pastrami was layered in the sandwich was different.  I wrote about the “large cut” french fries, well these were crinkle cut… and I know I would have said crinkle-cut, if they had been crinkle cut.  *Overall, the original experience was life changing, but this second visit wasn’t;-)

I can’t find any pictures of Macado’s french fries that aren’t crinkle-cut, but here is somewhat how I remember them from the original experience.  Rustic, rough cut… an expereince.

I do see from other Macado’s pictures that the pastrami was layered, not like the return experience.

Now that I look at the photo above, this looks more like corned beef (a true Reuben), but the pastrami was layered in a thick pile on the original sandwich.

And, there was a dill pickle, and a small cup of catchup which went well with the thick fries.

Here is what I had this time.