Postcard from Buffalo (or the Buffalo area)

On our road trip from Chicago to Boston, we spent the night in West Seneca, NY, which is just outside of Buffalo.  One might not think it would make a great stop, but they would be wrong for two reasons:

1. Beef on Weck
2. Wegman's

Once settled into our hotel (did I mention that we ended up staying in Hampton Inns the whole time and that they've become our new favorite mid-priced hotel chain?  Comfy beds, friendly staff, good breakfast, good deal!), the Boy called his friend Biff, who's from Buffalo, for some dinner recommendations.  That was the first time I ever heard her--or anyone--utter the phrase "beef on weck."

Granted, I've never been in upstate New York, and I only just got regular access to the Food Network, but I'd never heard of this local specialty.  Basically it's a big roast beef sandwich, but the bun is a kummelweck roll, which is a big bun with caraway seeds and salt.  Lots of salt.  I must learn how to make this bun!

I had my beef on weck at Schwabl's, an old school joint that served up a mighty mighty good sandwich.  The beef was piled high, and the roll was coated in salt.  Even though the sandwich was huge, I managed to scarf it all, especially the bread, which was so good.

We also enjoyed a cocktail, which made the next stop a little tougher:  Wegman's.  Wegman's is a grocery chain that the former consumer goods researcher in me has been dying to go to.  It's one of the best grocery chains in the country--good quality, good service.  They've constantly been innovating (for example, according to their website, they've been recycling plastic bags since 1990), and have become one of the companies that sets the standard for other groceries.  

And there was one right out the back of our hotel.

I'm not sure what the Boy really thinks when I beg to go to a grocery store, but after our Schwabl's dinner (and cocktail), we went over there and wandered around.  Even though I wanted to buy a good number of items, I somehow managed to control myself.  We did walk out with a few "taster" apples.  These were small apples--maybe about half of a normal apple (or 1/3 of a big apple).  They were crispy, slightly tart, and the perfect snack.  So tasty!  

All in all, a great night in Buffalo!

Bronzed

Dear US Gymnasts Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney, Elise Ray, and Tasha Schwikert,

Congratulations on winning the Olympic bronze medal for women's team gymnastics!  In 2000!

You've got to give the IOC credit for staying on the case for nearly ten years to prove that China fielded an underage gymnast, but they got sufficient evidence, and now you finally rise from fourth to third in the official rankings and get the medal you earned.

I'm just curious--how did you find out about the news?  Did the medal just show up in the mail?  Does this help ease any disappointment you might have felt at the time, or did you have "we almost had it" feelings over the last ten years?  What did Bela say?

At any rate, it's nice to know that justice was served, and that the situation was made right.

Congratulations again!
Your pal,
Jill

Postcard from Toledo

Toledo for lunch?  Toledo for lunch!

On our first day on the road as we moved from Chicago to Boston, we were gunning to get to Toledo by lunchtime.  Why would anybody care about Toledo, Ohio and food?

Tony Packo's, that's why.

Jamie Farr helped make this Hungarian hot dog joint famous while he was on "M*A*S*H*."  It's not that far from the highway, where an industrial area meets an ethnic neighborhood (and the sign does just say "ethnic neighborhood."  It's up to you to figure out it's Hungarian).

Hungarian!  When we first decided to move to Massachusetts, I asked some people who my new nationalities would be.  I figured that I'd lose the ability to walk around a Polish neighborhood or slip into a German restaurant that reminds me of Munich, but that didn't mean I wouldn't get to explore other nationalities. I didn't think about what we'd find along the way.

What is a Hungarian hot dog?  Well, the dogs are sliced in half lengthwise (you can get double meat--I first thought that meant two hot dogs, but no, it's just one whole one), and it's got mustard, onions, and a secret sauce (spicy chili with paprika, which warms you up inside).  Dish delish!  I also tried the chili mac--instead of macaroni noodles, the chili is piled on spaetzle and topped with shredded cheese and onions.  I also made room for a few deep fried pickles (and wished my metabolism would allowed me to have digested more, that's for sure).

The ambience also helps make the place--the walls are covered with autographed hot dog buns and other bits of Toledo lore.  They've got a full bar (sadly, the special Tony Packo blend bourbon was not yet available, much to the Boy's chagrin), and of course, the shop, which is actually tucked into the back and doesn't draw attention to itself.

This lunch was a fabulous stop along the way--a nice way to experience America!

A Blow-My-Mind Moment

Dear Phil Zepeda,

Hey there!  Perhaps you remember me, the girl you went on a couple of unfortunate dates with back in the late 1990s.  I actually just wanted to reach out and say congratulations on a nice television appearance the other week.

The Boy and I just got Direct TV, which is kind of exciting--it's actually the first time I've had pay TV since, well, since the apartment I was in when the two of us went out.  This past Friday it got hooked up.  I was flipping through the channels when the Boy came home from work and saw that I could catch a repeat of "Celebrity Apprentice" on CNBC.  I clicked on the channel, and there you were, accepting a check for your organization!

I gasped and said, "I dated that guy!"

The Boy took a look at you.  "Is that Phil?  Of 'Phil and Jill'?" he asked.

"Yes.  Yes it is."

And by now you must realize that this isn't quite just a congratulations.  It's also a thank you for giving me one of the better "bad date stories" in my small repertoire of dating stories.  You may not remember that date, but it's emblazoned in my head.  A graduation picnic for some people in your Master's program way out in B.F.E. St. Charles, IL.  I was wearing a white polo and khaki shorts that was literally the only clothes in my closet that were clean.  When I opened the door to greet you, you were wearing the exact same outfit, which threw me into a bit of a panic, but you assured me that it would be OK.

Thank goodness I happened to know one of your classmates, since I wasn't very good at small talk, especially when almost everyone at the party told me some form of, "Jill?  You're with Phil?  That rhymes!  And you're wearing the same outfit!"  What do you say to that, when you're not the one who just got a fancy communication degree and can talk that off?

While there were many reassurances of how cute it was that we were wearing the same outfit, the only other thing I remember from the day was that at some point I slinked off into the living room and ended up engaging in a bunch of Holocaust talk with some of the older crowd.  What a way to remember a picnic, right?  Rhyming names, matching outfits, and Holocaust talk!

After that, we didn't go out again.  Actually, I'm not sure we ever talked either--played a little phone tag maybe, but ultimately, everything just faded away, to be filed in the "If We Ignore It, It'll Disappear" category.  Which it did.  Which was good.  Better to end this mismatch quickly, than prolong something that wasn't right.

At least I got an excellent story out of it.  And I've learned to never wear a white polo and khakis ever again.

Thanks again--and congratulations once more on your television appearance.  It blew my mind to see you on my TV screen.

Your pal,
Jill

Petty Fraud

Dear Citibank,

When I answered the phone the other day and I heard the computerized "This is Citi Fraud" voice on the other end, I have to admit that I felt a wave of dread splash over me.  The Citi Voice has called me before, and that resulted in your team stopping a pretty big fraud (I think a computer purchase is big); however, I had to deal with all the hassle of closing a credit card account, getting credit reports, and changing a few automated charges.  Pain in the butt, no matter how you slice it.

I located my credit card (yes, I still had possession of it), and I waited with baited breath to hear the possible fraudulent charge.

"Did you charge $55.14 to a BOOKSTORE?" bellowed the Citi Voice.

Citi Voice called me over $55.14?  And seemed surprised that I'd been shopping at a bookstore?  Yeah, I know I've cut back on the bookstore visits, and I've been paying cash when I do buy books, but really.  It didn't make sense.

Oh, I know.  Maybe this got triggered because I'd just changed my address, and I've had problems swiping my card at some gas stations with newer pumps that will sometimes ask for the zip code, but I can't remember which zip code my card is under.  But even with my old address, no other charges triggered Citi Fraud?  Like maybe a $1000 down payment on a car?  But $55.14 at a bookstore did?

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining here--it's more funny than anything else.  Still, I'd love to know how fraud notices get triggered and how many fraud calls get dialed on a given day.  It's tough to keep on top of this crime, and you're doing the best you can.  Thanks for keeping an eye on my account--I do appreciate it.

Your pal,
Jill

What Is This "No Parking Zone" You're Talking About?

3/29/10

Hey Dummy! [That would be the owners of a Nissan Ultima with Florida plates and an Eagle Talon with Illinois plates...and I'd so love to put their plate numbers on the Internet, but I'll be nice.]

Thanks so much for ignoring the "no parking--residential move" sign.  It's made our move out of here an absolute nightmare.  Why?  Well, we hired movers, who came with a big truck and we needed our loading zone plus the two spaces behind it.  We prepared--got the no parking signs up two days in advance--but you chose to ignore it.

I hope you don't believe in karma, because you're in for one hell of a bad time.  Because of your actions, our moving van had to block traffic for a good 15 minutes (twice)--the people trapped in cabs must've loved watching their meters climb and not be able to move.  In addition, your actions turned our move from a "short shuttle" to a "long shuttle," which added $75 to the cost of our move.

So thanks. We appreciate your courtesy.  Please do us one more favor--try not to be such a moron.  I realize it might be difficult for you, but for the sake of our community, please try.

Your pal,
Jill

[note:  I did leave this note on the windshields of both cars that parked in spots we'd tried to block out so that our moving van could fit in front of our building--our building that has no alley, so the only place to park a van is out front.  What a bitter, bad day our move was--the moving crew sat around for an hour while we desperately tried to figure out where they would park on our narrow, crowded street littered with other moving vans.   They finally ended up parking illegally in someone's driveway a couple of doors down, and the people who owned that house were incredibly cool about letting the van stay parked there.

The "no parking" signs were a lame "pretty please, don't park here" thing--no towing involved if you did park there (a "tow-zone" sign would involve a permit and a few hundred dollars).  The alderman's office wasn't much help, but they were about as nice as they could be with an irate constituent.  Apparently most people are pretty good about not parking when they see those signs.  We didn't have that experience.  Go figure.]

Home Sweet Home--Hopefully

Dear Apartment,

Please fit all of our stuff.  We seriously didn't think we had much, but apparently we were wrong.  We'll get creative about storage.  We'll consolidate.  Just please, work with me today because I'd really like to finish unpacking our boxes.  The mess is driving us nuts!

Your pal,
Jill

Running in Circles

Dear Boston Marathon Organizers,

Today is the big day!  The marathon kicks off in an hour or so, and it's a gorgeous day for a race.  It's my first marathon experience in Boston, and I couldn't be more excited...except I can't figure out how to get around to see any of it.

The race apparently runs only a few miles from my house, but it looks like I'm going to have to go downtown to the finish line, because that's the only place I can figure out how to get to. Between the small course map on your website and zero info for spectators, I had to rely on the Boston Globe's coverage and spent a good amount of time figuring out how to get to a viewing area via public transportation that's not going to take as long as it will take the elite runners to run the race (a. I know better than to try to drive, and b. My bike got lost in the move--or else I'd totally be on my bike).

Granted, there are probably some buses running that are probably closer to home, but between the lack of info on your site, and wallowing through the MBTA site (it doesn't help when you don't have a big system map that you can refer to in order to learn the system...learning it piecemeal online is tricky), I just can't find them.

I have to say that this situation shocks and surprises me.  The Boston Marathon is the granddaddy of all marathons.  Why it doesn't have better spectator information on its site is incomprehensible.  Maybe next year you could make some tweaks to your website to make it a little easier on all the people who are trying to figure out how to watch for the first time.

Thanks for your time.

Your pal, Jill