Gastronomic Nostalgia

We all remember certain favorite foods from our childhood. For me, growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, some of my favorites were pizza from either Dino’s Pizza or Pizza Perfect and unique sweet pastries from a company called TastyKake.

I took a solo road trip back to the homeland last May for my first visit in more than 20 years and was able to enjoy all three treats from my youth. After I returned home, I was a little disappointed to think that it might be years before I sampled my favorites again.

Sadly, no one has yet to find a way to ship a hot pizza from 750 miles away. And, surprisingly, Jen thought it was a bad idea for me to drive that far to get a pizza.

“But they both make damn good pizza!”

“No.”

So Dino’s and Pizza Perfect were out.

Butterscotch Krimpets. KandyKakes. Chocolate Juniors. As far as I know, TastyKake sells its product in stores only on the East Coast. I heard a rumor a few years ago that you could buy their product at Jewel supermarkets in Chicagoland but couldn’t ever find any.

And then, one day early this fall, it hit me. The Internet. Maybe TastyKake sells its stuff online. No. That would be too convenient.

I found the TastyKake Web site. And there it was. The magical “Shop Online” button. As a big surprise, I first ordered a variety case for my sister that included a t-shirt and had it shipped directly to her house. She was clearly pumped when she called me to say she’d received it and I was happy to help take her back to her youth.

I finally ordered a case for myself last week. It arrived yesterday and I baptized Jen into the church of the holy TastyKake. The kids will get to enjoy some today.

It’s times like these that I wonder how we ever got along without the Internet. Now, if someone would just figure out a way to ship me a hot pizza from Pennsylvania, life would be perfect.

Restaurant Soft Drink Scam-O-Rama

There we were Saturday night. Out for with some friends at a new Asian grill place. The waiter asked if we wanted drinks and my friend asked how much the pop was, which, as we know, is never listed on the menu. $2.29.

And, then it hit me. $2.29 for a pop (or soda, as they call it on the East Coast). Even with unlimited refills, I’d have to sit there half the night guzzling Coke to make it financially viable. Why this was such a realization at that moment, I don’t know. Maybe because when I doubled it if Jen were to order a pop, we were talking $4.58. Crazy. When I can buy a 12-pack for $3.50 or less at my local Target, it’s not hard to make that decision.

So, I ordered water and resolved, right then and there, that I was done ordering pop in restaurants. That’s it. Done. Finished. Not anymore. Just can’t justify that kind of expense.

Buying pop in a restaurant is one of the biggest ripoffs on the planet and it’s getting worse. Markup on pop is astronomical, as restaurants struggle to maintain decent margins in a plunging economy. But, $2.29? Umm, I think they’ve crossed the line.

I’m not a big pop drinker anyway so it’s not like this is that much of a sacrifice. So, from now on, it’s water with restaurant meals and an occasional fountain Coke from the local Quik-E-Mart when I’m really parched.

Mumbling in a Winter Wonderland

It’s been a bit of a mental snowstorm for me lately. So, here are a few random piles of snow and slush from the Mumbler’s driveway as I get ready for 2009.

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First of all, in honor of Illinois Gov. Rod Bjagojevich, I would like to offer this blog up to the highest bidder. For a minimum bid of $50,000, I will write about nothing but you and will do so in glowing terms.

I’m so proud to be an Illinois resident right now. Someone suggested to me that maybe our next Governor should start in prison and then have to work their way out, instead of our current system. It’s really not a bad idea.

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I can’t remember any time in my 30-something years of existence that Christmas was not all about shopping. I’ve fought against it for the last couple of years and we’ve really dialed back the gift-giving and gift-getting frenzy on both sides of our family. However, when it seems that “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” are covered with more journalistic ferocity than the Iraq War, you know something’s wrong. A worker getting trampled to death at a Wal-Mart in Long Island didn’t exactly hurt my argument either.

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If you call me and don’t leave a voice mail, it doesn’t count. Really.

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I’ve survived another year without a Blackberry or similar device. Surprisingly, I was able to do my job effectively, maintain relationships with friends and family and still function. Watching many of my colleagues with the device, I’ve developed a new term:

The Blackberry Lean. This occurs when someone in a meeting leans back slightly to check their Blackberry in their lap, hoping that no one will notice. News flash: it’s much more obvious than they think and quite annoying.

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Really torn on the proposed bailout of the American auto industry. On the one hand, I realize the impact that a bankruptcy by one or more of the Big Three would have on the overall economy, including ours locally, and the downstream industries that would be hurt. On the other hand, the situation they find themselves in was entirely avoidable, had they had some foresight to develop higher-quality, more fuel-efficient cars and not count on cheap gas forever. Come to think of it, they could have paid me far less to run those companies into the ground than the multi-million salaries the current CEOs are earning.

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Newspapers and magazines continue to struggle under both the weight of the faltering economy and the Internet onslaught. However, as media companies shed jobs and reduce the size of their printed products, I keep coming back to one thought as it relates to print versions: if, let’s say, The New Yorker writes a great 9,000 word profile on someone that I really want to read, I just don’t see myself curling up to my computer to read it or printing it out on 20 sheets of laser printer paper. I certainly feed my media junkie habit online but I still like the feel of the newsprint in my hands. Old school meets new school.

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Speaking of school, I finished up another semester of grad school and it feels nice to be at the front end of a five-week break until next semester. Between that and some major work on a winning political campaign this fall, I was really burning the candle at three ends. Among the important projects I’ll be taking on during my hiatus will be a viewing of all 21 James Bond movies on DVD that I own. I’m calling it my Vacation Bond-A-Thon. You may join my wife in rolling your eyes. While you’re doing that, I’ll be polishing my Walther PPK and enjoying a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred.

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Finally, I hope this blog finds you happy, healthy and ready to celebrate the end of one year and move forward to a new one. Team Wuori has had a productive year and we're extremely thankful to be blessed with family and friends that make our lives fun and interesting.