Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Aliens, Cookies and Bagels


Yes! A day without rain! We actually saw the sunshine of the Sunshine State yesterday, enough so that I wished I'd had my hat with me when I walked outside. (And of course I didn't because I haven't needed it at all for the past week, and it's buried at the bottom of the suitcase.)

There are still lakes of rainwater all over the place, but they're subsiding. Who knows what today will bring, though!

I neglected to mention that on the way home from lunch with Cherie and Lynn on Monday, I stopped off for a brief visit with my college pal, known in blogland as E. It was a very short visit but it was great to see her. I happened to be driving past her house and thought, "Why not pop in?" I'm sure she was surprised to find me, of all internationally-dwelling people, on her doorstep! I stayed just long enough to damage her living room blinds, give her unhelpful advice about Facebook and fail to repair her camera.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. We stayed close to home. I read in the morning and went with my stepbrother in the afternoon to a couple of local thrift stores. I found this $1.99 t-shirt at the Salvation Army:


It's navy blue, and that's the back. Berger Cookies do still exist, by the way. I've never heard of them before but I love the local charm of the shirt.

And just in case you're curious...


...this was my 99-cent shirt from the day before. It's black with yellow lettering. Its origin is a bit of a mystery -- apparently there are Sunshine Bagels shops near White Plains, NY and near Fort Lauderdale. I'm guessing it's from the latter, based solely on proximity, but who knows? I just like the name and the minimalist charm.

I mean, if Urban Outfitters came out with these t-shirts, people would pay $30 each for them. You know?

I love a good thrift store.

Finally, we all went to dinner last night, after fishing my 92-year-old step-grandmother out of her waterlogged mobile home park. (A feat that required circuitous driving to avoid oceanic puddles, where bacteria-laden children frolicked.) My stepbrother and I capped off the evening having a beer with my stepsister and her husband at their favorite haunt, a glassy TV-lined sports bar of indistinct character.

(Top photo: Florida is full of absurdity!)

5 comments:

The Bug said...

Love that alien :)

At first I thought those were potatoes on that shirt. I don't think I could ever wear it, knowing that it's cookies - I'd forever be looking for cookies (or cookie dough!)...

ellen abbott said...

first, I would never pay $30 for a t-shirt. second I don't wear advertising. I sure don't pay to wear advertising. love hearing about your trip though.

Steve Reed said...

Bug: I know! Part of the charm of the shirt is those bizarre cookies-that-don't-quite-look-like-cookies.

Ellen: I'm with you when it comes to big companies. I would never wear a shirt that said Starbucks or Coca-Cola or Citibank. But somehow this doesn't even seem like advertising to me. Even though I suppose it is. I'm so disconnected from the products that they're just abstractions.

Kevin Wood said...

I bought some of these cookies from a Jewish deli last fall when I was in Baltimore--in this very same packaging! They are quite delicious. yum!

Sharon said...

What a fun post. Love the t-shirts and alien garage. But, I really LOVE your description of getting your grandmother out of the mobile home while dodging the water. Written so colorfully that I can almost picture the scene.