Eisenhower and Me

Is is just me? Or are potential candidates announcing their run for the office of President the United States of America coming forth earlier every four years?

In the previous months of this year, when the first person made their announcement, I immediately dreaded all the news and political media commercials that would be splattered in our faces day after day until November 2016.

President Eisenhower- Public Domain from Presidential Library

I can turn heads in a roomful of people when I mention that I once saw President Eisenhower in person and from only a few dozen feet away at that. I guess that really "dates" me. "Wasn't he the president before Lincoln?" some teasingly say.

When I was in the fourth grade my teacher announced that we would get the next day of school off. Whoopee! The President of the United States would be visiting our little town of Chula Vista and we could use the day to go see him with our parents.  

On the map of California, Chula Vista is the little dot located a speck north of the Tijuana dot. Within Chula Vista, the largest area of lawn to accommodate a big crowd of people was at the local Golf Club. For this special occasion, a temporary wooden stage was built, about ten feet above ground.

I remember the day as being warm with a beautiful blue sky and a few scattered puffy clouds. My single-working mother ran out the door calling,"You kids be good. Do your chores. Lunch is in the fridge!"  My younger sister went next door to play and I saw my big brother go off in another direction with his friends.

I decided this would be a great opportunity to see a real live president. I put on my best clean shorts and sleeveless summer blouse, slipped on my flip-flops, and brushed my hair into a neat ponytail.  I  cleaned the dust off  from my bike and rode down the street to the Chula Vista Golf Club. The ride is a few miles away so as I biked I checked out the neighborhoods to see if any friends were out playing in their front yards. Nope. So I continued toward my destination.  

Amazingly, this was the time before elaborate security checks were done. When I arrived at the golf course, I got off my bike and walked it along on the grass lawn to where a large crowd of people were gathered.and there HE was, standing at the podium on the makeshift stage. With my bike, I inched up through the crowds to get a better view of this important person. Honestly, I remember exactly what I thought at that moment: President Eisenhower looked old and bald and his speech was boring to my ten-year old mind.  

After a few minutes, I had enough. I carefully guided my bike out of the horde of people. About that time, the lunch back home in the fridge was calling to me. But not before I stopped at the 7-11 convenience store to get a cherry slurpee.

That evening my mom was in the kitchen busy cooking dinner. Over her shoulder she asked, "So, what did you kids do today?" My sister replied she played with Janice. My brother said he and his friends worked on model cars. I told her I went to see The President.

"Oh, that's nice," she said. "Do you kids want more toast?"     

Drive-In Theater Thrill

This past weekend we didn't have to travel far to enjoy one of America's  vintage pastimes: the Drive-In Theater. We have one here in our home town of Fort Collins. At least once or twice every summer we try to make it over to the Holiday Twin Drive-In Theater where its motto is "the place to be!'

Growing up in southern California, our family frequently went to drive-in theaters to see movies. It was cheap admission and we could bring our own food. I was so delighted when we first moved to Fort Collins to find there was one here to take our own kids to.

Last I checked, there were about 400 drive-in theaters remaining in the United States. At one time there were as many as 4,000. This particular theater is only one of six still operating in Colorado. It's a family-owned business. The owners and staff are so well organized directing all the cars, vans, and trucks tucking them all neatly into their parking spots.

There are two screens each featuring the latest features and the sound is broadcast over your vehicle's radio (sadly, the old speakers perched on a pole are gone). The movie doesn't start until dusk which in summer hours can be as late as 9:30 p.m. . But the customers take advantage of this by throwing frisbees, footballs, and playing board games. Little toddlers run around wearing their pajamas and many pet dogs (on leashes) accompany their families for the evening.

Eating also helps to pass the time quite nicely. Many people have tailgate meals. Fold-up chairs, tables and blankets are brought along for their drive-in theater picnics. We no longer bring food from home because the snack bar has handcrafted burgers and bratwursts grilled on an outdoor barbeque. The aroma is hard to resist! Buttery (not artificial) popcorn is a movie-watching-must. On the car radio's frequency, the theater owners broadcast popular music tunes from the 1960's, which even entrenches more fun memories for me. Yes, summer life continues to be good here! 

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

My husband has gone on a press trip to Saskatchewan.

Here's a brief report of his first evening there - a medieval feast and a Shakespeare play!

http://originalglobalgumshoe.blogspot.com/2015/07/shakespeare-on-saskatchewan-river.html

A Summertime Memory

He was the last passenger to board the fully booked flight, yet, still lucky enough to get a window seat. My grandson, Chase, at nine years of age, was flying all by himself from San Diego, California, to Denver, Colorado, to visit Ron and I.

How brave!

I could hardly tie my shoes at nine years old! In fact, I can't recall anything at nine. I remember a few things at ten, but nine? A total blank.

I needed to think carefully about what we could do for a memorable week's vacation. I really didn't want to drive for hours in the car to get to an amusement park or travel on a long twisting road through the Rocky Mountains. I concluded we would find enough variety of activities locally.

Since we have over 126 miles of bike trails in our little college city, I decided that biking would be a fun and healthy activity to fill our cool summer mornings. We found a good deal on a used bike for Chase; $50. It's painted a pretty florescent turquoise with lime-green tire rims. Quite spiffy!

         

One morning we took off down the trail for what became a four-hour bike ride. We stopped frequently along the way. We threw small stones into the creek; Chase always threw further. We built a fort with dead tree branches but we didn't crawl under because there were bugs lurking underneath. Yuk! Two found lady-bugs brought us luck. A tiny frog, the size of a thumbnail amused us for awhile until Chase released him into a water puddle. The mini-frog quickly took refuge on a green leaf as we watched him float gently away down the creek. We build rock towers where a large bed of rocks laid along the water's edge. Chase got his tower up to nine rocks, mine only held eight, then tumbled over. A too-hot sun and a bit of hunger induced us back home. Despite legs decorated with mosquito bites, it was a good bike ride.

Two summer blockbuster movies helped cooled us off from the afternoon heat. We visited a video arcade where Chase scored up enough ticket points to win a neon orange stuffed toy tiger, whose name was christened, "Tiger", so apropos. An afternoon thunderstorm kept us inside playing with a toddler cousin. And an authentic English Afternoon Tea filled our tummies with scones, tea sandwiches, and hot Earl Grey Tea.
   

Silly faces in the photo booth

We watched old re-runs of the Twilight Zone series in the evenings eating bowls and bowls of popcorn. Chase liked the episode named, "To Serve Man". The "friendly" aliens convince the earth's people to board their spaceships, only to secretly fattened the passengers for good alien meals after take-off. "Eww, gross!" he said.

During the week's vacation we ate summer food: grilled hot dogs, barbeque beans, pizza, strawberry jello, cold chocolate milk, and two trips to Dairy Queen for dipped ice cream cones.

Yeah, a pretty simple week of everyday activities but so much more fun when sharing them together. I realize that some of my readers won't relate to this post. That's okay. I really wrote it so that, unlike me, Chase will have at least one week of memories in his ninth year of life.

HAPPY SUN

As I was packing his suitcase this morning, he said, "I had a really great time, Grandma!"

"We did too, honey". But I was also thinking, "bittersweet"; somewhat like the lemonade that kids sell at their stands in the summertime.  

Improving My Posture With Pilates

 PILATES

Twice a week I go to my Pilates class. It's held at a local gym, on the second floor in a room lined with mirrors from floor to ceiling. Weather permitting, I ride my bike, which only takes 13-14 minutes. If I stop to pet a stray cat on the bike path, it might take longer.

For several years, my daughter, Erica, kept urging me to go with her to a Pilates class. I always seem to find excuses of some sort. Judging by what I knew about Pilates, which was zero, I just kept putting it off. Then one day, I caught a glimpse of my poor posture in the mirror of a dress shop. It was time to join a class.

I tell my friends that going to a Pilates class is like going to a chiropractor. It helps to realign all your bones and muscles. It's a really good overall stretch and strengthening for the whole body. My teacher, Julie, is so precise in her instructions of each position, that I am able do the exercises with my eyes closed, if I so choose.   

CURE FOR A SICK BODY

The Pilates method of exercise was founded by Joseph H. Pilates. He was born in 1883 in Germany . His father was a prize-winning gymnast and his mother, a naturopath. Pilates was a sickly child and as a result began to study exercise to improve his health. During his lifetime, he was a diver, bodybuilder, gymnast, boxer, and a self-defense trainer.

In World War I, German citizens living in Great Britain were placed in interment camps. Pilates efficiently used his time there  to improve his concepts of physical exercises. He focused on methods that built flexibility, strength, stamina and posture. He trained his fellow inmates and upon leaving the camps, they all were in great shape. Eventually he migrated to New York City where he and his wife, Clara, opened a studio and both taught Pilates exercises into the 1960's. Many ballet dancers are among devotees of the Pilates methods.

On the mat next to mine, is  a petite woman who just amazes me. Dede is in her early 70's. Sometimes I glance over at her and her little body is doing the advanced Jack-Knife-Rollover position perfectly. I asked her how long has she been doing Pilates. She told me it has been about ten years and that she will continue until her dying day! She had been an orthopedic nurse and after seeing what all the damage of non-exercise can do to a body, it scared her into not going down that road.  

Are you finding it uncomfortable to sit in a chair? Take a Pilates class

I have been going to my Pilates class faithfully for two years now, with the exception of when we travel. When we are on the road, I bring along an index card listing some of the Pilates movements which amounts to about 20 minutes of exercises (about one-third of a class hour). It's easy to do a short workout on a clean large hotel bathroom towel spread on the floor.

Traveling can cause back pain from sleeping on different beds or carting around excess luggage (in our case, camera equipment). I'm grateful to have a convenient and portable form of exercise to engage in. So like Dede, I too, diligently grab my pink exercise mat and with good posture, attend a Pilates class. 

Jus Cookin's Restaurant, Lakewood, Colorado

 JUS COOKIN'S RESTAURANT

I should feel a bit guilty about posting this week's blog because only locals can partake of going to this restaurant. Unless, of course, you are planning a trip to the Denver metropolitan area, then you will definitely need to put this eatery on your must-do list while in this part of the country.

My travel writer husband Ron, had read that Jus Cookin's was listed as Food & Wine's 23rd best chicken in the U.S.A. We drove on a Sunday to Lakewood to see what all the fuss was about. We pulled into the parking lot of a building painted a sunny yellow with white trim , black shutters, and pots of colorful flowers placed around the exterior.  I felt like we were visiting grandma's house for Sunday dinner.

Inside, the owner, Char Modlich, gave us a warm greeting. Char, an elegant pretty lady with bright eyes and a gorgeous smile, graciously gave us a few minutes of her busy time to share with us the story of her and husband, Steve's "mom and pop" restaurant. In a short moment, Steve wearing a chef's apron, came out to join us.

Jus Cookin's has been open for 27 years, but moved to this new location about 12 years ago. Working with their neighbor, Bill Jarvis, they had the building specially constructed for their business needs. (And yes, they are all still great friends !) Steve said "we are simple people, serving good food, made from scratch; kind of like the food we ate when I was growing up in the mid-west. " The husband-and-wife team of 36 years of marriage, make a great team. Char's eyes twinkled when she talked about Steve's kindness and caring toward their customers and employees. She said that he is very enthusiastic about the food they serve. He is so extremely meticulous about cleanliness in the kitchen, which is probably the reason for being placed in the top three clean restaurants in Colorado. 

Steve's fried chicken moves through quite a process before it  even touches the canola oil. The chicken is drenched in a brine, egg wash , flour and bread coating, all with special seasonings. He told us the recipe, like most good recipes, evolved from a lot of trial and error.

I'm one of those people who gets excited over a very good cup of soup. I wasn't disappointed when I ate a cup of navy bean soup and also consumed about half of Ron's homemade chicken noodle soup. The chicken noodle is on the menu daily along with a soup-of-the-day. The soup was served with a tasty yeast roll that puffed up like a big bubble and was light as air: not over-filling. 

Ron had a plate of fried chicken, along with homemade mashed potatoes and a golden gravy with a side of freshly made cole slaw. His look said it all; he was happy. I just had to try the chicken pot pie. Underneath the flaky crust was chicken, veggies and a light, creamy  gravy. Indeed, grandma would be proud of these chicken dishes. Steve shared with us that 95-100 chicken-related dishes are served on Sundays. 

Char insisted that we must try their seasonal Raspberry Cobbler "before it disappears for another year." How could we resist that? The cobbler was filled with large, fresh, sweet, raspberries glistening like shiny red jewels in the dish. Instead of being smothered in glops of dough, the dessert has a thin layer of baked crispy cookie-like dough. Gracing the top was a perfect  ball of creamy vanilla ice cream which completed this traditional American treat. And to tempt us further, Char said we must come back at the end of July to try their very popular Peach Cobbler, lovingly hand-made only with Colorado-grown peaches. Oh, dear!   

I really shouldn't put this in writing but I have a feeling that some readers can relate with me. When we got back to the car, I was so full, I had to unbutton the top button of my white jeans. Then after a minute, for more comfort, the zipper had to be pulled down an inch ... or two.  Yup, just like when we use to leave grandma's house after Sunday dinner.