CARLE'S IN BUCYRUS A REAL GEM

Located off the beaten path in Ohio, on the Old Lincoln Hwy, in a quaint old town called Bucyrus… there is a neat little place, my hubby and I discovered on the way home from a trip to Maryland. It’s called Carle’s Bratwurst. It is open Monday-Saturday, from 9am-6pm. It has been family owned and operated since 1929. Carle’s boasts having a deli, a small grocery store featuring imported foods and wines. There is a full service butcher counter with a variety of meats. And there is an in house Chef (Wannabe)… who hosts cooking classes, throughout the year for the locals. Carle’s also showcases a famous eat-in/carry-out hot bar with approximately 50 seats. Bucyrus’s German heritage runs deep and Carle’s is the last original bratwurst maker in the area. We stood in line to buy our meal. The wait took a while. My husband got one of their famous bratwurst’s with a couple sides. I got myself, the daily special, which was stuffed peppers. The portions were generous and the prices more than affordable. Nothing over $6. My hubby grabbed us a seat, since seating is limited. The tables all had doily’s and silk flowers. Very charming, indeed. Needless to say, we loved our window view, looking out at the small town. We lingered, savoring the moment. The food was down home country and delicious. According to my husband, the bratwurst had a unique flavor, he couldn’t get enough of. He really loved it. It was unlike any bratwurst he had had before. So after we ate, we shopped for some at the onsite grocery, to take back home. You never know what you’ll find when you’re headed down the road. Carle’s is a real gem, and we were happy we stumbled upon this unique Bucyrus landmark. 

PS) For the record, Carle's did not pay my husband or I for this endorsement. It was our pleasure.

 Carle’s Facebook page 
https://www.facebook.com/carlesbrats 

A TRIP TO THE BEACH IN THE SNOW

More snow is on the way here. Temps have been below zero all week. Winter is wearing out it’s welcome as far as I am concerned. So I have found a way to keep warm. And it involves a confession. I am embarrassed to say I have become a bit of a voyeur. But I do not think that it is a bad thing. Since I can not afford a pricey vacation, at this time… I have become an armchair traveler, instead. Everyday between 5pm to 7pm… I sit here at my desk, and watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico, down in Panama City Florida.  I do this via a BEACH CAM on my computer. Along with the spectacular view… I get to people watch too, as folks stroll along the waterfront.  I live vicariously through them, imagining myself there. It has brought me such joy… to tune into the live feed… of sand and surf. It is the best entertainment there is… because it is real life, in real time with real people. And I’m grateful technology has afforded me this luxury… at this time in my life… when mobility issues make such a walk along the beach, to see a sunset, impossible.. not to mention how many miles I would have to travel to do so. Until I discovered the BEACH CAMS I missed the surf and sand. There was a restless yearning I had to be part of it again, since I grew up having the ocean as such an integral part of my life. And thanks to Seahaven Beach Resorts Beach Cam (http://seahavenbeach.com/panama-city-beach-web-cam/) and Schooner’s Beach Cam (thanks sonya for telling me about this one)(http://www.schooners.com/multimedia/beachcam.htm ) the beach life is once again in my life. And that makes me happy, on snowy days, like this… when Cabin Fever rears it’s ugly head and there is no place to wander, except online.

PS). Just so you all know... 

The Seahaven Beach Cam 

changed it's camera location, this week,  

so you no longer see the sunset. 

SHARI'S BERRIES & MUSSELS

We decided to switch things up a little bit this year. Instead of doing the same old thing for Valentine’s Day, we wanted to try something different. No roses or boxed candy. No dinner out.  We opted for something more intimate here at home, just the two of us… without the hustle bustle of a crowded restaurant. So my hubby bought home, a good loaf of multi-grain bread. The kind that comes wrapped in paper, not plastic. Then I rustled up a couple plates of mussels, sautéed in wine and garlic. Simple, but elegant.  And the piece de resistance, were chocolate covered strawberries from Shari’s Berries for dessert.  They were sinfully delicious. And we were delighted we had deviated from our usual fare. 

ROTO ROOTER TO THE RESCUE

At around 10pm last Saturday night, it became apparent that our sewer line, somewhere outside was backed up. This happens because of the tree roots growing out there. So about once, every year or two, we have to call a plumber. Experience has taught us, when this occurs, we need a company with at least 160 feet of snake to reach the problem. It was a situation that obviously required an expert’s hand. So we called ROTO ROOTER. That is the only plumber in the area with that much snake to handle the problem.  They said they’d be out early Sunday morning. Sunday came and damn near went before they arrived. He was supposed to be here at 10am, but didn’t arrive until almost 4pm. By this time it was snowing and windy outside. Temperatures were dropping. Not ideal conditions to be working in. Not to mention the fact it would soon be dark. So, we weren’t sure he could finish the job. But another night without a working toilet was not an option. This needed fixing now. Our backyard was a big muddy mess and the plumber had to cut away some of the bramble in his way. Then he went to work on the blockage. It was labor intensive. He needed help. My hubby assisted by running the water in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, to help clear the line. That way we avoided muddy boots coming in and out of my house. The minutes ticked away, the bill added up... snow flying, plumber outside working, my hubby in here, running from room to room.We should have gotten a discount for my husband’s participation. Thank goodness we had a coupon for $40 bucks off. Unfortunately… the plumber told us, he couldn’t take it because we needed that extra snake footage. Needless to say, we were slightly perturbed. Being senior citizens… saving a dollar here or there, really counts... so the hubby and I decided we’d complain to the main office about him, not honoring the coupon, they advertised. But surprisingly, we didn't have to, because he suddenly had a change of heart, when writing out the invoice... and did indeed give us the discount. Thank goodness. Ended up costing almost $250. But it’s got a year's warranty. Guess I shouldn’t complain, at least now we can FLUSH. Thank you ROTO ROOTER.

GOODBYE TIME WARNER CABLE, HELLO STREAMING

With our cable bill almost $200 a month without any extras like HBO, we are being bled dry by Time Warner. With Social Security and a part-time job as our only income, that is too expensive. The main bundle they give us is overpriced and includes channels and programming we do not want. They won’t let us downgrade. But they will let us add on to that existing bundle, for more money, which defeats the purpose. We are just trying to save a buck here. Time Warner refuses to negotiate a new package deal with us at a more reasonable cost, despite being long time customers. All we want is basic cable, no frills. We simply can not afford to continue at these OUTRAGEOUS rates. So we are going to cut the service. In order to do this we have been exploring our options. Dish TV and Direct TV don’t offer the local programming we like. And the thought of a satellite dish on the property is just not that appealing. So we decided to go another route. We are going to embrace new technology. We bought an indoor UHF antenna to pick up locally broadcast channels through the air. Then we purchased Amazon Fire TV to stream TV programs and movies from the internet. To get more content we also signed up for Amazon Prime. We have been experimenting with these things to try to ween ourselves off of the cable tv. But it is hard to teach an old dog, new tricks. We love our DVR that comes with cable tv service, and so far have been unable to cut the cord with Time Warner because of it. But as the monthly bills for cable continue to pile up, it will get easier to do. Have any of you said goodbye to cable?  Or are you hanging onto it, like your landlines?