Doing it all before the snowstorm hits - Finally take Nelson out to dinner

Did my errands in Hatboro this morning. Parked in the under-new-mgmt-Galaxy Diner parking lot. Under previous owners - at least two, I believe - it had a constellation of horrible items. How, I wonder, can eggs and corned beef hash taste bad?

Passed the military recruiting office and decided to ring the bell. I asked Sergeant Schmidt if he could get me an interview with a vet who'd seen war combat. Wanna put it in the Compass.

He said someone would call me.

Would you believe him?

 The day passed by so quickly. I've been trying to take my friend Nelson, the custodian at Abington Prez, out for lunch, but I never give him enuf lead time.

Finally we made a date. I'd pick him up around 3.

You know what? I couldn't find his goddamn apartment. I used to drive him home many times after New Directions meetings.

I couldn't find Easton Road.

What's the first thing to go when you have Alz's?

Then he told me the Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts.

Aha!

I picked him up and off we went to Colonial Quy Bau

If you're gonna eat, you gotta do it right.

Nelson Yeardley, orig of Greenville, PA, near Ohio, loved the 'complexity' of the coconut, mushroom veggie soup we both ordered.

The man was impressed and so was I. We were swooning with delight. And then out came....

Golden bags.This Thai appetizer had a superb crunchy top and the bag below, tied with green seaweed, contained the equivalent of gold coins but it was edible... food.

I ordered a vegetarian dish of Asian eggplant, tofu and a hostess of vegetables in a delicious ginger bean sauce. The woman above is 68 yo.

Nelson and I were kvelling over the food. He is a true connoisseur - frequently goes into Town to fine restaurants and is a member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art - and couldn't get over the wonderful quality at Colonial Bay.

Forgot to take a pic of Nelson's huge mound of chocolate cake with whipped cream on the side. He loved the presentation and offered me the first bite.

How could I refuse?

I ordered the creme brulee, which was outstanding. He loved it too.

We sipped our decaf, which couldn't hold a candle to Egbert's. Nelson drinks two cups of Maxwell House in the morning which he enjoys.

We sat and talked quite a while. I learned a lot about him. His grandfather was a doctor who was a healthy eater. Nelson does exercises every day in his one-bedroom apartment. Nelson has a driver's license but doesn't own a car. He either walks everywhere or takes public trans.

When he visits his sister in western PA, he rents a car and drives everywhere, including little backstreets which are still dirt roads. It's all former farm country.

I was anxious to get home and get on my bicycle. I always feel this way when I've gone off my diabetes diet.

To our shock, the snow had already begun to fall when we left around 6:15. We cleaned off the car and Nelson directed me to his apartment bldg.

The main roads were fine. Wet. No problems.

So what do I do?

I take Edgehill Road home. It's a backstreet.

Ruthie, you do not take the poorly traveled backstreets in the snow.

Well, so far, so good, as I traveled at 20 mph. One guy actually passed me at high speed. I was switching from FIRST to SECOND gear.

Then when I went around a curve my car began to slide. I just steered the best I could and prepared to slide slowly into someone's front yard.

Oy, was I nervous.

Then I chugged up the hill that is Overlook Avenue, where 10 yrs ago, I was coming home and slid nicely into a schoolbus.

Shifting gears, I made it to the top, then down the hill on Cowbell, slowing down, slowing down, pumping my brakes, and then rounding into my driveway.

My tire tracks.

What a relief it was getting home. Immediately I went to Scott's cuz I knew he'd be worried about me.

I got great books outa the library and can't wait to start reading.