Recipes and recipes for success have something in common.

Saturday, January 30

What a busy day!

I have a full day of work ahead of me, and we are going to have friends over for dinner, so it’s off to an early start.

First off – time to gas up the car.  I stay in the borough and go to the Sunoco station at Whites Road and South Valley Forge Road.  You know – the one that’s one third in the borough.

Regular gas is $1.88.  Wow!  Always nice to save money.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  1

After that, it’s off to Corropolese Bakery on South Broad.  I wish I had enough time to make a dessert for tonight’s dinner.  But I don’t.  And the one from Corropolese will be much better, anyway!

A really good selection of desserts – I choose the Tiramisu Cake.  Will let you know what everyone thought of it later.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  2

It’s now lunch time,  and I’m on my way home.  A quick stop at the Subway on South Broad for a Chicken Teriyaki sub.   Fast, friendly service.  Yes, I know it’s a chain.  But a chain that franchises its stores.  Meaning the owner is most probably someone local-ish.  And the workers, too.   Did you know that Subway is the largest franchise chain in the world – with more stores than even McDonalds.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  3

So now it’s time to make dinner.  I’m trying something new.  And a bit irrational.

If you’re on Facebook, I’m sure you see all those quick and easy recipe videos that always pop up.  Tasty!  You know the ones.  They are filmed in a high speed, condensed version.  All of the ingredients are pre-prepared.  You see the entire recipe from start to finish in one minute.

You know.  Like in real life.

Well, this one caught my eye:

So it’s Beef Wellington for dinner!

I quickly find out how real life differs from the video.  First off, they don’t show the prep work.  The onions and mushrooms flying all over the kitchen as they are being chopped.  The video doesn’t let you now that the smoking hot oil that is used to sear the meat will splatter all over your arms.  Tiny, little molten hot balls of oil searing not only the meat, but little red circles into your forearms.

The video did not tell you that there are other steps involved (thankfully, I also downloaded the printed recipe).  Like refrigerating the filling after cooking.  And slightly freezing the seared meat before assembly.

The video does not tell you that the puff pastry is persnickety.  It comes with its own sets of rules and regulations on how to handle so it doesn’t break apart, or become too sticky to use.  The video doesn’t tell you that you have to roll the puff pastry to make it big enough to fit the filets.

The video doesn’t tell you a lot.

But, I do have to say.  They turned out pretty good.  They looked like the video.  Everyone seemed to like them.  I will make them again (and it will be easier, because I already know the pitfalls).

This recipe taught me a lot about the Recipe For Success in revitalizing Lansdale’s business district.

The plans you see will always look good.  They will be condensed.  They will make it seem like things can happen in a short amount of time.

But in reality, that revitalization is going to be a lot like my Beef Wellington experience.  You will find that things are not always as easy as they seem.  That things take longer than you anticipate.  A lot longer.  That the finished product is going to end up slightly less than picture perfect.

But perseverance is key.  If you diligently slog through the mess, you’re going to end up with something nice at the end.

Oh, and the Tiramisu Cake from Corropolese Bakery was amazing!

So, today’s score:

THREE opportunities to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

Let’s see what today brings!

We pause a moment to mourn a dead battery

Friday, January 29

In this cold weather, we hear a lot of things.  Things that often don’t sound good.  Like “click-click-click-click-click-click-click.”

Know what that sound is?  The sound of a dead battery. 

Yup – that’s what one of the cars in our family sounded like.

After playing a round of “who gets the working car,” Ken and I went to jump start the offender.  Of course, the dead battery car was parked nose in.  And the battery was on the opposite side of the car that was doing the jumping.

But we finally got it figured out.  And drove the care over to Murray’s Garage on the corner of Derstine and Richardson.

Mike Murray and his team have taken care of our cars for years.  And have gotten us out of jams like this one – without an appointment.

Murray’s Garage is also a winner of Lansdale’s Business of the Month Award – well deserved.  Murray’s past incarnation dates back to the 1940s – as a Texaco Station.  A great bit of history.

Eagle eyed Mike also noticed the car was a few days away from having an expired inspection.  And a worn set of front brakes.  Well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles!

Lansdale Shopping Score:  1

Dinner took us to one of the most popular places on Main Street.   The aptly named Main Street Pizza.  And its memorable web site, www.thebigsliceonmain.com.

Main Street Pizza has great pizza and sandwiches.  But its also a lot more than that.  It’s a great sit-down BYOB Italian restaurant.  The dining room is done in rich, dark wood and hand painted murals.  There is almost always Sinatra playing on the stereo.  And on this Friday there was even a roving magician doing tricks tableside.

Always friendly, always good – stop by Main Street Pizza for a meal if you’ve never tried it!

Lansdale Shopping Score:  2

So, today’s score:

TWO opportunities to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

Let’s see what today brings!

It’s Souper Bowl Time! And that’s not a misspelling.

Thursday, January 28

Hard to believe we are just a little over a week away from the Super Bowl.  See – I do know how to spell it.  More about the Souper Bowl in a bit.

After working hard all morning, I had worked up an appetite.  And wanted to try something new.  So I perused a menu for the Queen of India on Walnut Street.  Wow – everything sounded really good.  Some nice Chicken Tikka Masala sounded like a plan.  I call the number, and . . . disconnected.

So, I guess the Queen is dead.  Long live the Queen.  But really – what do we have to do to keep businesses open in Lansdale?

That is not a rhetorical question.  Because some people don’t seem to know the answer.  The answer is easy.  Patronize them!  I want you to sit down and make yourself a promise.

"I’m going to spend xx% of my money on Lansdale establishments."

Now I know it’s not going to be 100%.  I’ve proven that’s pretty much impossible.  But you can do a pretty high percentage.  If you try.

Well, I still have no lunch, and I’ve worked up even more of an appetite climbing up and down off of my soap box.  So I turn to one of my favorite standbys – Amber Asian Café on West Main Street.

Amber Asian Café has a nice mix of eastern Asian food, with Chinese, Thai and Japanese items all well represented on the menu.  For lunch, they have great bento box meals, that are so huge, they can easily feed two people.  I phone my order in, and then drive over to pick it up.

Remember the snow we had a few days ago?  It still is doing a number on our streets and parking lots.  There is just nowhere to put it!  As I pull into the parking lot at West Main Village, I see a front end loader and a huge truck loading and hauling mountains of snow away.   Where they are going to dump it, I have no idea.  But I applaud the shopping center owner for working hard to free up more parking spaces.

And then I also see this.

Really – who has the nerve to park diagonally in two parking spaces when the lot is down by almost half its spaces?  Obviously, this guy.  Tempted to go and slip the front end loader guy some cash to bury this car, I decided I need the money instead to pick up my order.

For ten bucks, here is what I got:

 

My choice of soup, a salad with the best orange-ginger dressing in town,  a California roll (for the squeamish, it has no raw fish in it), my main dish of Sesame Chicken, fried wantons and rice.

And it is all good.  Really good.  And a bargain.  You truly need to give this place a try!  But don’t take two parking spaces.  Because I just might have some more money in my pocket for the front end loader guy.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  1

Later in the day, I had to go return a Christmas present.  Well, return the item that replaced a Christmas present that had already been returned.  Returning gifts is something I hate doing.  But it’s off to Marshall's we go.

For all you people complaining about the way Lansdale handled the snow, please take a side trip to the Airport Square shopping center.  Then you’ll see what poor snow removal management looks like.  I would go halfway down an aisle, only to find it completely blocked by a mountain of snow.  Some areas slicker with ice than a skating rink. 

But I returned what I had to.  And then wanted to go to dinner.  Since we’re at the mall area, we decide to just eat at one of the restaurants there.

Uh-oh.  I think Montgomeryville must be the last place on earth that has food.  Because it looks like everyone in a fifty mile radius has come here to eat.  Every restaurant we drive by has people spilling out the doors, because the crowds waiting for tables are overflowing the lobby.  And forget about parking.

So back to Lansdale we go.

A quick stop at the Hillcrest Shopping Center State Store for a bottle of wine, and we’re on our way.

As a note, the refrigerator of chilled wines at the back is a nice touch for people who are going to a local BYOB.  Except the wine in there was really no cooler than the bottles on the shelf.  Sigh.  Our State Store system . . .

Lansdale Shopping Score:  2

So it’s off to our dinner destination.  One of the best BYOB restaurants in Lansdale.  Ristorante Toscano on North Broad Street.

A winner of Lansdale’s Business of the Month award, Toscano’s and owner John Bruno are a great asset to our town.  Great Italian food, attractive upscale dining room, and great service.  And amazing specials.

And the Souper Bowl.

John likes to celebrate the weeks leading to the Super Bowl with his own twist.  Soups that pit the two competing teams against each other.

Denver Buckhorn Bean Soup vs. Carolina Chicken and Rice Soup.

I had Denver, Ken had Carolina.  Both were delicious.  But really.  Go Denver!

John has a whole menu dedicated to the two teams:

DELIGHTS OF DENVER

First Course
Buckhorn Bean Soup

Second Course
Cherry Creek Salad
This salad of spinach, shredded chicken, cherries, dates, apples, pecans and cheddar cheese drizzled with an apple cider vinaigrette is a popular item on the menu at John Elway’s Colorado Steakhouse. This is a fitting choice for those who appreciate “old” quarterbacks and especially for Broncos’ fans, who appreciate Elway as the General Manager of the team.

Third Course
Lamb Stew
Colorado ranks fourth in sheep population in the U.S. – definitely not to be confused with mountain goats.

Dessert
Rocky Mountain Brownies a la mode
These should not be confused with Colorado’s now-famous “Mary Jane” brownies.

Beverage
Orange Crush soda
In the 1970s, this was the nickname for the Broncos’ defense.

CAROLINA CRAVINGS

First Course
Carolina Chicken and Rice Soup

Second Course
Shrimp and Grits
Grits is made from ground maize (corn) and was a staple of Native American culture.

Third Course
Carolina Barbecued Pork
with both white and dark meat

Dessert
Moonshine Poached Pears with Butter Pecan Ice Cream
The mountaineers of western Carolina were known for their moonshine, and did you know that, in some years, North Carolina produces about 3,000 tons of pecans?

Beverage
Pepsi
Pepsi was “born” in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898, where it was first introduced at Caleb Bradham’s pharmacy.

Not only is John a great and inventive chef – he’s a great football fan, too!

Stop in before the Super Bowl and enjoy this wonderful menu.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  3

I’m back in the grove!

So, today’s score:

THREE opportunities to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

Let’s see what today brings!

Mind Your Business!

Wednesday, January 27

A late start today, because yesterday was another day when I spent no money at all.

But when thinking about what to write, I saw this replica of a revolutionary era coin that was sitting on my desk.  Known as the “Fugio Cent,” it is believed to have been designed by Ben Franklin.

You remember Ben.  The electric Philadelphian.  Inventor of bifocals, lightning rods and many other useful things we still use today.  Including the flexible urinary catheter.  Yup.  Good old Ben invented that, too.  Odd that we don’t seem to learn THAT one in school!

Anyway.  What can we learn from Ben about Lansdale businesses from this coin?  On one side, he had the saying, “Mind Your Business.”  Many people believe that he meant that quite literally.  As a successful businessman, Franklin understood that commerce was key to the success of a fledgling country.

As it is to Lansdale, Pennsylvania today.

What do we learn from this?  Quite a lot.

For Lansdale businesses:

·         You mind your business when you make it as attractive and appealing to area shoppers.

·         You mind your business when you take care of the outside of your establishment – making your town look as good as it can.

·         You mind your business when you keep you establishment open during the hours people want to patronize you.  That means evenings and weekends.  Don’t give up after a few evenings and weekends with little traffic.  People have to learn that you are open!

·         You mind your business when you advertise and promote your business.  Advertising not only brings people into your business, but into our town.

·         You mind your business when your business minds others.  Get involved!  Join a local business association or Chamber of Commerce.  Get involved with local civic groups.  Support local charities.

For Lansdale residents:

·         You mind your business when you shop at them.  Spending money locally will make a better town, helping not only our business district, but our neighborhoods as well.

·         You mind your business when you help spread the word that Lansdale is open for business.  When you tell people about your great experiences in Lansdale, they will want to come and see what you are talking about.

·         You mind your business when you help business owners know what your wants and needs are.  Can’t find what you’re looking for in a store?  Let them know!  They will become a better business only when they can hear your feedback.

These lists are, of course, only a start.  There are many other ways you can mind your business.  Go on – there is a comment section below.  Share ways that business owners and residents can help “mind your business.”

Now Ben was a believer in unity.  He understood that the “United” in United States was more than a word.  He put the words “We Are One” on the obverse of the coin.

Those words ring true today.  Unless we work at our revitalization as one, we will not achieve the goal we are looking for.  Businesses, business owners, home owners and residents all need to work together to build a vibrant Lansdale.

How do we start?  By getting involved.  Here’s a great opportunity.  The Penn Suburban Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Discover Lansdale is putting on a great event with Google – Let’s Put Lansdale On the Map.  Thursday, February 11, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lansdale Borough Hall.  Register at www.pennsuburban.org.

I hope to see a lot of people there.  So we can all, as the coin says, mind your business.

Be Like a Stick Figure

Tuesday, January 26

Well, this is my last full day in Harrisburg.  And a day of no shopping – either in Lansdale or out.

So we’re going to talk about a Facebook fad instead.

I know a lot of you are on Facebook.  And unless you have been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you have been seeing a lot of stick figures.  Stick figures telling you to be a lot like Bill.  Or Mary, or Tom, or Sue, or <fill in your own name>.

You know that stick figure.  The one wearing an ice-cream sundae on his head?  Well, it might be a knit cap.  But I think it’s an ice-cream sundae.

This has become such a “thing” that Time has even written about it.

That stick figure tells you about an annoying habit that people have.  Or sometimes an inspirational endeavor.  And then tells you to be, or not be like Bill.  Or Mary, or Tom, or Sue, of <fill in your own name>.

Now you can go to a web site and fill in your own name, and it will give you a random saying.  And allow you to “try again” if you don’t like the first one.  Find one you like, and it lets you post it to Facebook.

It might give you:

“This is Bill.

Bill doesn't annoy his friends by asking stupid questions.

Bill simply googles them instead.

Bill is smart.

Be like Bill.”

Or:

“This is Bill.

Bill is going to celebrate a new age.

Bill doesn't complain he is old.

Bill knows he is more mature.

Bill is smart.

Be like Bill.”

So find one you like, and post it.  And it has taken over Facebook.

How smart is this generator, I wonder?  Can it truly capture my essence?  I’m sure it’s just a dumb generator,  because I’m seeing the same things over and over.

So I went over to the web site and typed my name in.  This is the one I got:

 

Whoa!  The random generator is a little smarter than I think!

Back to Lansdale and back to shopping tomorrow!

So, today’s score:

No shopping at all

Let’s see what today brings!

Up on the roof

Monday, January 25

If it makes you feel any better, the streets here in Harrisburg really stink, too.  Now that the snow at the curbs has turned to ice, it’s almost impossible to deal with. 

So today we’re going to look up, not down.  Up on the roof.

Where there is also a lot of snow.  Hopefully, not snow that is melting and leaking through your failing roof.

Because I am out of town, and can’t shop in Lansdale, today we are going to talk about one of those large expenditures you don’t make every day.  You make this expense perhaps once during your ownership of a home.

Because a good, quality roof lasts thirty years.

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of roof replacement, perhaps it’s time to lighten things up with one of my favorite roof jokes:

Dan has to go out of town for a while. He asks his friend Curtis to watch his house and take care of his cat while he's away. So after a few days Dan calls to see how things are going. Curtis tells him, "Hey, I have bad news.  Your cat is dead".

Dan says: "What?  You can't just tell someone like that! You have to break news like that to a person more gently.... like, right now you would tell me that the cat is up on the roof and he won't come down. Then next time we talk you tell me he doesn't look so good, but he just won't come down. Then after a couple of days, THEN you tell me he died....get it?"

Curtis says: "Yeah, I think I understand....um, by the way, your mom's up on the roof."

We put a new roof on a little over two years ago.  The old one was shot.  It was time.  But, boy, was it expensive!  Roofs will cost you an arm and a leg.

A good friend and neighbor almost lost his arm and leg.  When  he fell off his roof after going up there to try and fix it after a storm.  Lesson from that?  Don't go up on your roof - especially if it's in bad weather!  Hire an expert.

According to data from the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 40 workers are killed each year as a result of falls from residential roofs.  This does not include homeowners who fall from their own roofs.  Youza!

So, when our neighbor mended, he had his roof replaced.  I asked if he would recommend the roofer.  And he did.

We talked to a few roofers, and decided on Dave Zeiger of Keys Renovation.  A local Lansdale guy.

He did a good job at a competitive price.   Just as he was recommended to me, I will recommend him to you.

My advice to you is to get you roof replaced before it starts leaking into your house.  

As John F. Kennedy once said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” 

We’ll overlook the fact that Kennedy used that as a metaphor in his 1962 State of the Union speech to urge congress to enact measures to stave of future recessions.

We’ll just act like he really knew about roofs.

So, today’s score:

ONE opportunity to shop/eat in Lansdale met (in the past).

Let’s see what today brings!

A Tale of Two Cities

Sunday, January 25

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

No, really.  It was both.

We woke up Sunday morning after a snow storm that lasted over 24 hours and looked at at the start of a sunny day.  And over two feet of snow. 

Now, Ken had spent hours outside on Saturday trying to keep up with the snow.  While it didn’t look like he made a dent, when compared to neighbors who did nothing, we were happy we only had half a mountain of snow to deal with.

We had walked through the neighborhood during the storm on Saturday to go to a birthday party.  I am not going to miss cake and ice cream!  And the roads in our area on Saturday were a mess.  It was a blizzard, after all.

But Sunday morning, the side streets had at least been plowed.  Not perfect by any means, but plowed.

It’s 8 a.m. and we have a choice.  Go out and start shoveling, or call the West Main Diner and see if they are open.

Easy choice.

I made the call, and yes.  They are open for business!

We of course decide to walk to the diner.  In the street.  Because the streets were, although not perfect, much better than the sidewalks.  The sidewalks were, for the most part, not shoveled at all.  And remember, it's the homeowners who are responsible for the sidewalks.

Great breakfast, great coffee, great service.  Even on the morning after a blizzard.

Main street was, for the most part, clear down to the asphalt.

Fortified, we walk home and start tackling the snow clean up.  Stopping on the way to talk to neighbors.  

Now, I know that big snow storms start big discussions.  With big opinions.  I’m going to say that the borough did a good job.  Not perfect, but you can’t expect perfection.  It was over two feet of snow!

Our biggest issue with the sidewalks?  Where to put all that snow.  Think about it – the borough has that problem ten times over with the streets!

I heard complains that the streets weren’t plowed close enough to the curb.

I heard complaints that some streets weren’t done at all.

And I’m sure some complaints were warranted.  But before you complain, ask a few questions.  Did you have a boneheaded neighbor who did not move his car off of the snow emergency side of the street?  That can be enough to stop a plow from coming on your block.  Place blame where it is needed!

And curb to curb service?  I’m sure the borough will be out today to plow more.  I didn’t expect perfection.  And all those cars that look like giant snow beetles with their windshield wiper antennas?  I bet half of that snow gets thrown into the street when the cars get cleaned off.  And then those car owners will blame the borough again for the icy patches in the street.

I also didn’t expect to see so many neighbors put lawn chairs along side of my house.  Yes, that is a coveted, legal parking street.  But once you leave, IT IS NO LONGER YOUR SPACE!  There are so many chairs out there, it looks like people are waiting for some odd winter parade to come rolling by.

When I left, I put no chair out.  Want a nice parking space?  Go to my house.

Because I won’t be back for a few days.  Here comes the tale of the second city.

I had to drive to Harrisburg for a set of meetings starting early Monday morning.  The roads were fine.  Except for the upside-down car on the Northeast Extension (in the other direction).  The highways were mostly clear, but tight.  And very lightly traveled.

It was a nice trip.  Seeing the beauty of the snow as I traveled westward from southeast Pennsylvania to the rolling hills of south-central PA.  As the sun started setting, it turned picture postcard perfect.

Then I got to Harrisburg.

Yes, I knew the mayor had banned all traffic through Sunday morning.  So the streets could be cleared.

But they were not.  It was still messy.  I put the truck in four wheel mode.  I was wishing Harrisburg could have got it together like Lansdale did.

I saw one other car.  When I got to the hotel garage, I snagged a perfect spot on the first level.  The garage was mostly empty.  Odd.

Odd, until I got in the hotel, and found out that the mayor had extended the travel ban until 5 a.m. Monday!  With $250 fines for people caught driving!  Whew – dodged a bullet there!

So my take away is this.  Snow happens.  Usually not this much.  But when it does, Lansdale knows how to respond.  Both the borough and its citizens.  Not perfection – but that is an unrealistic goal.

It could have been much worse.  It could have been Harrisburg.

ONE opportunity to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

Let’s see what today brings!

I think a saw a picture or two of snow today

Saturday, January 23

So – what did today bring? Two feet of snow.  A snow storm that is likely to be remembered for years to come.

Needless to say, we did no shopping today.  In town or out of town.  We hunkered down, and started the day with the traditional snow day breakfast – French Toast.  After seeing pictures of stores completely emptied of eggs, milk and bread, what else is there to do but make French Toast?

I did spend a good part of the day trying to remember how we used to survive massive snow storms without Facebook.  And YouTube.  And Instagram and Snapchat and all those other social media outlets that allow us to share pictures and videos of the snow.  Which we could have seen if we just looked out our windows.

Not Microsoft Windows – but those large glassy things sprinkled throughout our houses.

But – just in case you missed it, here is the Washington Zoo panda.  It’s just that cute.

I do want to thank the hardworking people of Lansdale Borough.  It was sure difficult keeping up with the snow storm that would not end.  But everyone in the borough, from management to communications, to public works, fire and police did a great job of keeping up with, then winning the battle with the snow.

Thank you.

This picture, from the Lansdale Facebook page, sums up our borough.  Even in the midst of a major storm, life is in motion.  And while we sit at home with our hot chocolate and YouTube, our borough employees worked tirelessly to get us back up and running.

Lansdale Borough, I salute you and thank you.

So, today’s score:

No shopping – a snow day to be remembered

Let’s see what today brings!

Shave and a haircut, two bits.

Friday, January 22

Today seemed dominated by one topic.

Snow.

Everywhere I went, it seemed all people were talking about was the impending snow storm.

Resisting the urge to run out and buy eggs, milk and bread (how can anyone get through a snow storm without these items is beyond me),  I decide that I am going to tough it out.  No French Toast for me!

I did go and get my hair cut.  Now we have many choices when it comes to getting hair cut in Lansdale.  Lots of choices.

The first choice, when you’re a guy, is this:  Barber or Salon?

Like Coke vs. Pepsi or Tasty Cake vs. Little Debbie, this is an argument that will never be settled.

With no offense to the wonderful salons we have in town – my choice in the matter is a barber shop.  While we have a large selection of barbers in our borough – I think there are six at last count – I go to the one that I think is the granddaddy of them all.  Molettiere’s Barber Shop on West Main Street.

Our town has history.  And a wonderful small-town feel.  Molettiere’s is one of the reason’s we have that small-town feel. 

Felix Molettiere opened his shop in 1955.  Ken remembers getting haircuts from Felix as a small child.  And we both remember getting them from him up until a few years ago.  Felix cut hair in Lansdale up until the time he died almost three years ago.  When Felix passed away, Tony DiDomizio wrote a beautiful article about Felix.  CLICKHERE to read it.

Molettiere’s Barber Shop is decidedly old school.  And that’s what I like about it.  Little has changed over the years.  Well, a few years ago they did switch over to a flat screen television.  That was revolutionary.

While Felix is no longer with us, his son Tom is.  Tom moved from the fourth chair to his father’s chair in the window.  Every time I go by and see him there, I do a double take.  Because I expect to see Felix there.

Molettiere's, with its old fashioned cash register, takes me back to my childhood every time I get a haircut.  It is a time capsule of barber shops across the country.  It is a slice of Lansdale and a slice of Americana that generations of local men have experienced.

When I go to Molettiere’s, I go to whichever barber is free.  Tom or Monica.  I got my hair cut by

Tom and Monica

Monica today.  I remember when she started working there.  It was a bit of a change – a lady barber in Molettiere’s.  But let me tell you something.  She’s good.  Perfect haircut, and perfect barber patter (and isn’t that one of the joys of a haircut?  The chat with the barber?).

What makes Lansdale, Lansdale?  Many things.  But Moelttiere’s sure is one of them.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  1

The rest of the day was filled with rearranging work things, and squeezing as much in as I could that I knew I wouldn’t be doing Saturday or Sunday.  This is not weather to go out and look at houses!

But we did decided to go out to dinner.  You know.  Before the snow.

And we went outside the borough.

Why?  Because someone kindly gave Ken a gift card to the Rising Sun Inn in Franconia Township.  Rememberthat list of animals from yesterday that aren’t allowed in Lansdale?  Franconia must be a little more accommodating.  From the stuffed one on the lobby, to the strip steak of one on my plate – the Rising Sun is known for its Bison.  And it’s good.

Good food, great service, and not too far – you should try it.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  Zero (But I could have)

And if it wasn’t for the gift card, we most probably wouldn’t have had dinner there.

So here’s my take away – and my challenge to you.

You know the drill.  In order to make Lansdale a more vibrant place, and to attract new shops and restaurants to town, we have to spend money in our existing establishments.

So go to your favorite Lansdale shop or restaurant.  And buy a gift card.

And then give that gift card to someone who might never think of patronizing your favorite place.

Invest in our town and expose others to its gems.  A double dose of good.

Give it a try!

So, today’s score:

ONE opportunity to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

ONE need met outside the borough when I could have stayed here

Let’s see what today brings!

A Rhinoceros, hyena and hippopotamus walk into a Lansdale bar . . .

Thursday, January 21

Yes, I took this photo.  And was this close to a hippo.
With no barrier.  Ask me about it!

If I started a joke with the line, “A Rhinoceros, hyena and hippopotamus walk into a Lansdale bar . . .” you would know that the scenario would be impossible.

Because it’s illegal.

Yes, folks.  My searching around Lansdale has found that there is a long list of animals we are barred from having in our borough.  It’s the law.

What started me on this hunt?  As you may have noticed, we eat lots of eggs.  But it’s okay.  Ken takes cholesterol medicine, and I just read the articles that say that eggs are, once again, good for you.  They used to be killers.  But are edible again.

So I say to myself, “Why not cut out the middle man and raise chickens in my back yard?  Mmmmm.  Fresh eggs.”

Before I start looking for a Lansdale store that sells chicken coops, I thought it might be prudent to check our borough code.  It’s easy to do.  It’s on-line:  CLICKHERE to view the Lansdale Borough code book.

Search for Chapter 48.  Animals.

Section 48-12 tells you all of the animals that are prohibited in the borough:

No person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Borough any of the following animals, which classification shall be broadly construed:

(1)  All poisonous animals.

(2)  Apes: chimpanzees (Pan), gibbons (Hylobates), gorillas (Gorilla), orangutans (Pongo) and siamangs (Symphalangus).

(3)  Baboons (Papio, mandrillus).

(4)  Bears (Ursidae).

(5)  Bison (Bison bison).

(6)  Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

(7)  Coyotes (Canis latrans).

(8)  Crocodilians (Crocodilia) 30 inches in length or more.

(9)  Deer (Cervidae), includes all members of the deer family, for example, white-tailed deer, elk, antelopes, moose.

(10)  Elephants (Elephas and Loxodonta).

(11)  Game cocks, i.e., fighting birds.

(12)  Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamidae).

(13)  Hogs.

(14)  Hyenas (Hyaenidae).

(15)  Jaguars (Panthera onca).

(16)  Leopards (Panthera pardus).

(17)  Lions (Panthera leo).

(18)  Lynxes (Lynx).

(19)  Monkeys, old world (Cercopithecidae).

(20)  Ostriches (Struthio).

(21)  Pigs.

(22)  Piranha fish (Characidae).

(23)  Poultry (ducks, chickens, swans, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl), except as permitted in § 48-5.

(24)  Pumas (Felis concolor), also known as "cougars," "mountain lions" and "panthers."

(25)  Rhinoceroses (Rhinocerotidae).

(26)  Sharks (class Chondrichthyes).

(27)  Snakes which are poisonous, nonpoisonous or constrictor.

(28)  Snow leopards (Panthera uncia).

(29)  Swine (Suidae).

(30)  Tigers (Panthera tigris).

(31)  Wolves (Canis lupus).

Dammit.  Right there.  #23.  No chickens.

There goes my fresh egg fantasy.

But the law also doesn’t allow for the rhinoceros, hyena and hippopotamus scenario.  They are banned, too.

As is an animal that I actually had to go and look up.   Siamang?  Never heard of that one.

Do I quibble a bit about #12?  Hippopotamuses?  I always thought it was Hippopotami.  The only place I had heard Hippopotamuses before was in my least-like Christmas song:  I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas.  

Where, at one point in the song Gayla Peevey pluralizes the hippo as hippopotamuses.  Because she needed to rhyme something with rhinoceroses.

Double dammit!  Now I will not be able to get that song out of my head for the rest of the day!

And then oxforddictionaries.com tells me, “ . . . the plural hippopotami is now generally taken to be either funny or absurdly pedantic, and the usual plural is hippopotamuses.”

Absurdly pedantic?  I think I’ll go with funny.

This section of the borough code is most helpful.  In section 14 I learned that I can keep a coatimundi (requiring a trip to Wikipedia) if I have a permit.  Or a crocodile that is under 30 inches. Or a jaguarondi (another trip to Wikipedia).  Or a kinkajou (I should just keep the Wikipedia page open).  Or a margay (what would I do without Wikipedia?).

I’m not sure about you, but I think I would rest easier if I knew my neighbors didn’t have coatimundis, crocodiles, jaguarondis, kinkajous or margays running around.

As it turns out, the code tells us you have to have five acres to keep those animals.  Whew.

Gratuitous picture of my cat, Schrodinger

But I do have animals.  From the permitted list.  Cats.

Now cats are interesting creatures.  Every day you put a few ounces of food in them.  And they reward you with three times that weight in feces.  Yes.  We are talking cat feces.  Feces that get buried in ten times their weight of kitty litter.

And it’s time to go and buy more kitty litter.  For two reasons.  First, the cats are going to be pooping.  And I also hear a rumor that we are in for a big snow storm.

For all you non-cat owners – kitty litter is pretty versatile.  The regular kind is a great traction aid.  It has gotten me out of snow or mud on more than one occasion.  Keep a bag or two in the trunk, just in case.

The clumping kind of litter is great for solidifying old cans of paint.  You’re not allowed to throw out cans of liquid paint – but make it solid and you can!

I usually buy my kitty litter at one of those big box pet stores.  But now that I’m trying to shop in the borough, it’s time to go to Pets Plus in the Pavilion on South Broad.  Since they remodeled, it’s really an attractive store.  You may remember when it was a carpeted store.  Well, stores that allow dogs shouldn’t be carpeted.  The store used to have an odor.  No more, with the nice wood laminate flooring!

So we go to the kitty litter aisle.  Lots to choose from.  But no 40 pound bags of non-clumping litter. 

The good stuff without the dust.  Could they be sold out?  There is a shelf that is full of nothing.  Could snow storm crazed shoppers have added kitty litter to their list of eggs, milk and bread?

We ask a very helpful clerk.  Who tells us they are not out.  They just don’t stock it.

A pet store that doesn’t stock big bags of regular kitty litter?  I’m shocked.  So I send Ken to a pet store outside of the borough.

Not too sure how to score this one.  I tried.  But it’s going to be:

Lansdale Shopping Score:  Zero (I would have if I could have, but it’s something not available in the borough)

Since Ken is going to be out if the borough, and in Montgomeryville, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

But not in the pet store!  Do that, and they will never let you back in.

I have a Chipotle gift card.  And I’m not afraid to use it.  I give it to Ken and tell him to bring back lunch.  A nice chicken burrito with rice, beans, tomato and guacamole.  Hold the e-Coli.

Lansdale Shopping Score:  Zero (But I could have)

Now – if you read yesterday’s post about marketing, here’s an interesting follow up.  Ken got his meal for free.  When they went to put the lid on his burrito bowl, it had a special sticker on it that rewarded him with a free meal.

Nice surprise!  One that has left me feeling good about Chipotle, and making me want to go back.  Because I KNOW I can win another free meal.  (Have a gambling problem?  Call 1-800-GAMBLER.)

A late dinner at a place we’ve visited before.  The Lansdale Tavern.  If we were a TV network, this would be our Cheers.  Our friendly waitress remembers the kind of beer we drink.  We ran into a neighbor who was having a nice dinner while grading school papers. 

And I had a great meal.  The General Tso’s Chicken Wrap with onions and peppers.  A decidedly

American rift on a classic Chinese dish.  It was excellent.  So good, it should be on the regular menu.  I’m told (and will have to test this out) that you can order it even if it’s not on the special board.  Do so – it’s that good.

Great food, friendly ambiance, but no rhinoceros, hyena or hippopotamus in sight.

So, today’s score:

ONE opportunity to shop/eat in Lansdale met.

ONE need met outside the borough when I could have stayed here

ONE need not fulfilled by a Lansdale establishment.

Let’s see what today brings!