Duanesburgh Diner – January 27th, 2015

Tags

Duanesburgh, Duanesburgh Diner, NY, Price Chopper, stocking storm supplies, storm of the century, the year 2000, Thompsons lake

The Old Men of the Mountain went to bed on Monday night the 26^th of January, along with everybody else scared out of their wits, because the OFs thought they were going to wake up to the storm of the century. That is not too hard to do seeing as how we are only beginning the 15^th year of the century. However, what the OFs woke up to was nothing, notta, zilch. Route 88 was dry, Route 7 was wet in spots, and the secondary roads had a tad of snow on them in certain locations. However, as the reader will note at the end of this little report, that news did keep some of the OFs at home, the names of the hardy ones who made it to the Duanesburgh Diner in Duanesburgh are listed here.

Needless to say the first topic of the morning was the weather, or the non-weather, at least for the localities of the OFs. Some OFs reported hearing the snowplows going by early in the morning with their plows down spewing sparks. The OFs are sure there was a reason for this, and noted that for one thing plows are better than an alarm clock to wake the OFs up. One OF mentioned when the weather people are right he is glad the plows are out there because if he can get out of his driveway he is sure the roads will be passable.

One OF said he went to Price Chopper on Monday and the place was a zoo. Especially down the soda/potato chip aisle. Another OF said that it probably had nothing to do with the weather, people were just making sure they had their goodies ahead of time combining the “storm of the century” on its way, and the Super Bowl coming up. “Well, it was packed,” the OF said, “And when stores are packed like that I can’t think,” the OF concluded, “It is lucky I came home with anything close to what was needed, and I did forget one of the things I was sent to the store for.” “You OG, you would have done that anyway, even if it was a balmy, sunny day and only two people are in the store,” another OF retorted, “You are just like the rest of us ─ you need a list!”

The OFs continued chatting about the weather that didn’t happen. One OF mentioned that weather people don’t make unreliable forecasts on purpose. What if the next time a storm is really coming and people have a tendency to think back to this one and not take it seriously ─ go about their business and there are lives lost. What is the weather guy going to do then? Say, “I told you so”?

This discussion was weather-related, especially to us, because so far this has been a cold winter is our area. The OFs also talked about ice fishing. The way the weather has been the OFs have noticed a few ice fishing contests are being advertised. One thing the OFs noted was that the ice should be thick enough to support a tank. Some of the OFs used to ice fish, and some may still haul out the tip-ups, bundle up and get out there on the ice. With all the ice huts that are available now, they are like man-caves out on the ice. Comfy and well-stocked. The movie “Grumpy Old Men” depicted this sport very well.

The OFs talked about the size of some of the fish that were hauled out of the lakes while ice fishing and this led to a brief discussion on Thompsons Lake and Warner Lake. One OF mentioned that fish should have a good place to winter in Thompsons Lake because it was so deep. This OF said that Thompsons Lake was a kettle, and about 600 to 800 feet deep. In checking this out it was found that this OF added a 0. Thompsons Lake is about 60 to 80 feet deep. That’s deep enough for fish to winter anyhow.

Some of the OFs were snowplow operators on the Thruway. One OF said that one day the forecast was for a large storm so everyone was called in to get ready. The storm did not show up ─ at least initially. The supervisor (to keep everyone busy because the workers were there and many on overtime) assumed there wasn’t going to be a severe storm. He had the operators paint the snowplows. The operators, like good little soldiers, started painting the plows. They were just about finished when the storm hit like a ton of bricks. Out they went to do battle with the elements, however, many of the plow blades has just been painted. This wet paint came off and mixed with the snow and when all those anxious drivers who were in such a big hurry passed the plows their windshields became covered with yellow-painted snow. The OF said many of the vehicles had to have the paint taken off with lacquer thinner.

As reported before most of the OFs are not news junkies, except when the weather people are giving the weather. Once they catch the weather report most of the OFs then go on about their business. The weatherman on Channel 6 apparently got it right and said he did not expect that much snow in our area. Again it is apparently ─ the other guys were in panic mode. “What did we do?” was a rhetorical question asked by the OFs when all we had were crystal sets. As stated before weather is what it is…deal with it! Help those that need help, and you should try to be like the ant and not the cricket. The OFs have spoken.

The hardy OFs that made it to the Duanesburgh Diner in Duanesburgh, on well-maintained roads as good as summer time were: Roger Chapman, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Harold Guest, John Rossmann, Frank Pauli, Lou Schenck, Jack Norray, Mace Porter, Mike Willsey, Warren Willsey, and me.

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Country Café on Main Street in Schoharie – January 20th, 2015

Tags

engines, multi-car pile-ups, new cars, wisdom

Tuesday, January 20^th, the Old Men of the Mountain charged off to the Country Café on Main Street in Schoharie, where the breakfasts are man-sized. One OF who generally orders a la carte enough for two or three OFs ordered just one item from the special board and needed a box to take some of it home; this OF does not have a dog.

As we get older, the OFs (as we GET older ─ wasted words ─ the OFs ARE old) have a fear of falling. The OFs consider that fear is one of the best reasons for using Tim Conway steps in the winter time in many places. This was brought about by the icy driveways from the one day that the temperature climbed to above freezing and then went right back down. All the driveways and most of the walk- ways of the OFs were like that…ice under a coating of light snow. The OFs definitely do not want their feet to skid out from underneath them as they crash to the frozen ground. Two problems are now in place; either something is going to become broken, or the OGs will be down and won’t be able to get up. Being down and not able to get up is a problem at any time, and any place. Some OFs carry a cane not that they need it to walk with, but often times when the OFs bend down to pick something up they need something to push on to get back up.

The OFs also talked about all these multicar pileups all over the country ─ and this is a big country. The OFs wondered why there have been so many in recent times. There have been icy roads before and nothing like the magnitude of cars that are involved in these pileups. The OFs had some reasons why this is happening. The best reason is “too close, too fast” and that coupled with distracted driving makes the matter even worse. From the videos it looks like most of these vehicles never even slowed down. As one OFs nephew’s wife said (as she was being pressured into getting things ready for Thanksgiving) in exasperation, “WHAT’S THE FREAKING RUSH”? That is exactly what the OFs were wondering…what is the freaking rush? Where is everybody going in such a hurry?

One OF blamed it on the new cars. The OFs have mentioned this before, and it seems like the OFs are prophets in a sense. The older cars required concentration to drive. The OFs had to listen to the engine and know when it began to lug and the vehicle had to shift down. Conversely, as the engine began to rev up and run free it was time to shift up. The OFs also had to know how to take turns using speed, slowing down when entering a turn, and adding power half-way through the turn, because there were not many vehicles with power steering. Today cars practically drive themselves, the cabins are quiet, and most ride smooth, like old Chryslers or Buicks. Today, after driving five miles the driver has a tendency to lose concentration, and to substitute for all this the drivers today go to their tunes, or phones, or whatever to keep from being so bored driving they might fall asleep. Looking at those videos of the pileups it appears to the OFs that many cars and trucks that kept piling into the mess ahead of them were in that state of mind.

The OFs continued discussing driving. One of the OFs returned from visiting family in Atlanta, GA so many of the OFs who have been to the Atlanta area began to talk about traffic in and around that city. At times, on the major roads around any big city, strangers who are not sure of where they are going may be in one of the center lanes and see the sign for their exit. Now it becomes a big whoop if the driver can get over to exit at their exit. Traffic may carry the uninitiated down two exits before he/she can exit. (Canada has alleviated this problem by installing “collector lanes” that allows one to move over and select their exit from the comfort of this lane).

One OF said he thinks it is the time of day because this OF was on one of these roads in Atlanta and in one of the center lanes when he spotted his exit. The OF put on his blinker, and a tractor trailer in the next lane over slowed up and let the OF in. To get over into the next lane, a tow truck slowed up and let him in, and to get into the final lane (so the OF could get off at his exit which was approaching rather quickly) a city bus slowed and let him in the far right hand lane and the OF made his exit. Just like anything else at times it is not all bad, but it is scary. Yet it is still too close, too fast.

We have mentioned before that some of the OFs are hikers and we’ve told of some of the work they do to maintain trails and hiking destinations. This morning the hikers were talking about their hiking. It should be noted that this scribe is not a hiker ─ this scribe is more of a lover, a thinker, and a painter of where the hikers hike. Apparently, like all enthusiasts of whatever hobbies they have, weather does not deter them and these OFs were talking about hiking, working on trails, and contending with whiteouts. More of the OFs should bundle up and get outside even for a little bit. These OFs maintain that just 20 minutes or so of good clean air will help keep you fit. Plus the added exercise of donning fifteen pounds of clothes just to get out would help in the fitness department too.

Those OFs who put on just enough clothes to make it to the Country Café in Schoharie, and use calories to keep warm, were: Roger Shafer, Chuck Aleseio, John Rossmann, Harold Guest, Mark Traver, Glenn Patterson, Roger Chapman, Frank Pauli, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Jack Norray, Mace Porter, Lou Schenck, Bob Benninger, Bob Fink, Elwood Vanderbilt, Gil Zabel, Harold Grippen, Warren Willsey, Mike Willsey, and me.

 

Mrs K’s Diner Middleburg – January 13th, 2015

Tags

cold, cold weather, parkinsons, polio, Troopers

The Old Men of the Mountain met at Mrs. Ks Restaurant in Middleburgh on Tuesday the 13^th of January 2015, and that is one 13^th of the year out of the way with that is not on a Friday. Now we have February, March, and November to look forward to. Not that the OFs are superstitious or anything.

Many of the OFs are looking for January to be over. Some of the OFs think that once February is here winter is on the wane. Although some say it can be a nasty month, and March can be the month of snow and mud. Some March days feel like spring has sprung, and these days are then followed by a wintery blast, so that has many of the OFs shivering more so than in January. So much for the weekly weather report. It is what it is ─ deal with it.

 

Many of the OFs have relatives that are or have been NY State troopers. At one time the OMOTM had a retired trooper that joined in on the breakfast with the rest of us. With the advent of all the recent notoriety about police and the dangers they are in the OFs began talking about troopers then and now. As none of us at the table is or was a trooper the OFs could only relate what occurred with their friends and relatives, and there are some big changes.

Early on the troopers were treated like soldiers in the army; they actually had barracks. They stayed right there and were away from home. The uniforms, though basically the same color were quite different. The OFs told humorous stories about the situations their friends and relatives got into as troopers. Some of the OFs told of how they have had to use the troopers, or how the troopers have had to come and see them. The rural areas like the Hilltowns when the OFs were young rarely saw a trooper; they were not that many and those that were assigned to these areas had a lot of geography to cover. Also, the OFs don’t know when it changed or even if it has, in fact, changed but there seemed to be less tickets issued back then. It seemed the troopers were part of the community, and really were peace-keepers.

It seemed, as one OF neatly put it, the troopers knew who to cuff and who were just good old boys settling things the mountain way and not bad people or criminals. The gray uniform still carries the respect it did then and probably will continue to garner the respect that has built up since 1917. One OF added as long as they keep politics out of it, it will.

Almost a continuation of last week the OFs brought up the health issue again, only this time it was why some people who apparently maintain a healthy life style wind up with some horrendous diseases. The OFs picked out people that have brain cancer, and pancreatic cancer. People that are active and thin keel over with a heart attack. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for much of it as far as the OFs can understand. Then there are those, one OF said, that break all the rules and are still chewing on their cigars at 100 years old. One OF thought there should be a percentage chart in doctor’s offices that show what the percentage of NOT getting a nasty disease is (when the people who play by the rules) as compared to those who do not play by the rules chances of GETTING some serious malady that is going to do them in. The OFs used examples of smoking, drinking, being sedentary, and constantly at the food trough.

The OFs harkened to when they were younger and there were very few rules on what to eat, wear, drink, and go. Then again one OF said, “We had little choice of what to eat, wear, and drink, and also a horse didn’t get you very far.” “We aren’t that old, you old goat,” was the reply but most of us did eat from the garden, and butchered our own meat, plucked our own chickens”.

Last week’s disease topic was basically polio. This Tuesday the issue was another nasty ailment ─ Parkinson’s disease. There are medications for this problem but what was brought out by the OFs was when someone in the spotlight contacts this or that disease and begins to champion it ─ what a difference that makes. The OFs brought up how much Michael J. Fox has done for Parkinson’s awareness, treatment and research. The OFs thought the people in the trenches and doing the grunt work seem to make little headway, then someone in the limelight gets involved and bingo! There is that positive spike.

A short comment that this scribe did not pick up at the time, (some people think on their feet ─ right or wrong ─ this scribe is a mull-it-over type and thinks about it, sometimes for days) and this is the comment, “If we die, do we have things in order so our kids don’t have one giant puzzle to solve?” That is a good thought but what’s with the “if”? Shouldn’t that be when? The way it was said may be normal, but it sounds like we have a choice. This scribe thinks there is no choice it is not if but when.

Those OFs attending the breakfast at Mrs. Ks in Middleburgh and all bringing their rabbit foots (feet?), which leaves a lot of 3-legged rabbits running around, were: Chuck Aleseio, Otis Lawyer, Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Roger Shaver, Roger Chapman, Harold Guest, John Rossmann, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Mace Porter, Jack Norray, Lou Schenck, Elwood Vanderbilt, Harold Grippen, Ted Willsey, Jim Rissacher, and me.

Middleburg Diner Recollections – January 6th, 2015

Tags

flu, immunization, influenza, polio

Tuesday January 6^th, the first breakfast of the Old Men of the Mountain of the New Year, was at the Middleburgh Diner in Middleburgh. It is now year-wise 2015 (and temperature-wise five to seven degrees) and what does the year hold in store for the OMOTM other than be cold? By the tone of the chatter this morning not much ─ even the temperature is pretty normal for January.

The OFs have seen so many old years go, and new years come, so that when compared one to another nothing much happens, but when the years are strung together a lot does change…a whole lot. This scribe does not want to start listing a multitude of changes here in transportation, communication, medicine, morality, the reader can do that themselves just by comparing any topic from 1930 to 2015 and note the changes. From diapers with pins to Pampers, one of the best subjects for changing the scribe can think of.

One sign of progress during that period of time is the small matter of immunization in the medical field. Now the OFs get a shot to ward off this or that. The OFs were talking about having gotten their flu shot. The media is advising us that the shot we had is not going to handle the type of flu that is out there, but it will lessen the severity of it. Again, every little bit helps. Polio in our country and throughout much of the world is about obliterated because of a vaccine. The OFs are familiar with this disease because of knowing people who have contracted it. TB is another disease that can be conquered; pneumonia another. Get a shot and the chances the OFs will come down with these problems are slim. The OFs could go on and on in just this one segment of progress in the 80+ years they have crawled (then got up and walked) on this sphere.

As the OFs become older they find they do less and less decorating for the holidays. Holidays here meaning not only Christmas, but Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, or any other holiday the OFs celebrated in the past. This year most of the OFs have their decorations down, because not many were put up. When is the appropriate time to put the decorations away until next year? As far as the OFs go there isn’t any. Put them up whenever, and take them down whenever, or never take the outside decorations down. “Why?” the OFs ask. “It just has to be done next year anyway.”

Over the years the OFs have accumulated boxes and boxes of ornaments and these boxes are stashed in the attic, barn, or cellars of their homes. Many of the OFs add to their collections just because of good marketing, or because the decorations just look pretty. Now, instead of one box, many have quite a few boxes and some these boxes now are never opened and never used. One OF said Box Number One which hasn’t been opened in 20 to 25 years must have some super collectible ornaments in it by now.

Decorating to one OF is a lot of fun, and the whole family gets into it. This OF has a manger scene he built and painted himself and he still drags it out each Christmas.

The OFs were wondering why it is that the smaller the tractor the more the parts cost to fix it when it either breaks or wears out. Some OFs have a small tractor, not a lawn mower type tractor but a do-it-all small tractor. It is not only one OF that thinks his tractor is a Cat D7, but most of the OFs fall into this category and they try to pull a two-ton log with a 1/2 ton tractor. That is why things break and the manufacturer is smart enough to realize this is going to happen, so to make a good profit they put a hefty price tag on parts. Or the service shop tacks a good price on the parts that are prone to breakage to increase their margin to pay for parts they have to carry that are probably never going to move off the shelf. This is where the OFs shine. Over the years they have developed a little trait called ingenuity. This becomes obvious when an OF says such and such broke and another OF says he had the same problem and fixed it with duct tape and baling wire, and tells how he did it. If you think this is just a joke just watch the NASCAR races sometime and see how much duct tape is used after a car has had an altercation with the wall at 190 miles per hour. Sometimes cars finish with two to three rolls of duct tape holding them together. Duct tape is the OF’s friend. This scribe thinks some of the OFs are held together with duct tape.

Referring to last week, the OFs that took the wrong turn more than once leaving the Hilltown Café in Rensselaerville were followed (unbeknownst to them) by other OFs that left the restaurant but knew where they were going. This morning The OFs who knew questioned the other OFs and asked if they got home by noon. The OFs that knew where they were, saw the other OFs turn right when they should have turned left or gone straight said, “I wonder where those OFs are going, they are going to get lost.” Yup, they were right. The right-turning carload of OFs did take quite a circuitous route and wound up about 300 yards from the Hilltown Café after driving for nearly half an hour.

The OFs that that made it to the Middleburgh Diner in Middleburgh, and who did not even worry about the vehicle not starting (that seems to be a thing of the past) were: George Washburn, Glenn Patterson, Harold Guest, Roger Shafer, Otis Lawyer, Chuck Aleseio, Mark Traver, Robie Osterman, Roger Chapman, Lou Schenck, Mace Porter, Don Wood, Bill Rice, Henry Whipple, Bill Krause, Elwood Vanderbilt, Harold Grippen, and me.

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