The retro saying - "40 Winks"


When I was suffering from a chest cold last winter, I told a couple of my work mates that I would give anything for a quick 40 winks.  While one of them chuckled, the other was perplexed by the phrase.  He of course was a wee lad of twenty something, and wasn't familiar with the term.




The term "40 winks" was a widely used phrase when I was growing up.  It simply refers to taking a short nap (somewhere other than bed) that would roughly be equivalent to forty blinks of your eyes.  Of course.. no one really believed that said nap would in fact be that short, which made the phrase in itself kind of humorous.  This is because many of the folks who used this phrase most often, and would always push that nap well beyond a mere 40 winks.



For instance, when staying over at my Grandparents house, I would often let my Grandfather know I was going to head out to the local 7-11 to get a Slurpee or a snack, and he would reply with "That's fine, I'm just going to sit here and get 40 winks".  Those 40 winks would usually equate to a 40 minute or hour long nap.  I'd laugh because inevitably, he would again state he needed 40 winks in the late afternoon, or before dinner.


My best friends Old Man would religiously take his "40 winks" after lunchtime.  He would usually say something like "I just need 40 winks, and I'll be right as rain".  We got a kick out of it, because his head would drop wherever he was sitting at the time, and he was down for the count for at least a half hour or so.  Many an afternoon we would giggle upon watching my friends mom clear the lunch dishes, as he sat at the head of the table dead asleep and totally undisturbed.  If he happened to make it to his easy chair, his 40 winks could easily stretch an hour to an hour and a half.  And.. when he awakened, he would jump out of his chair refreshed and ready to take on the world.


Now that I'm in my 40s, I don't often need to grab 40 winks.  The exceptions are when I'm feeling under the weather, or when I've had an incredibly busy and productive day.  My sweet spot for taking my forty winks would probably be between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m., and my 40 winks usually equate to about 15 minutes.  It doesn't seem like it would be beneficial, but the times I do happen to take 40 winks, seem to give me a reset, and energizes me for the rest of the day.


Those 40 winks very well may stretch into the half hour to hour range as I get older, but that's fine.  At the very least, it may give my kids some humorous stories to tell someday.


The movie theatre where I saw STAR WARS back in 1977..

I was near my old stomping grounds in Fort Collins Colorado recently, and took a moment to take this picture.


The old Foothills Twin Theatre in Fort Collins, Colorado


Back when my family moved to Fort Collins in the 70s, this was one of the only movie theaters in town besides the two Drive-In theaters within city limits.  In its heyday, this was a two screen theater, and was always buzzing with activity.

As you can see.. the building has long since been anything but a movie theater.  The last tenants (a tire shop) modified the building in the late 90s, and installed garage doors on both sides of the building.  The building as it sits would not even resemble an old theater if not for the faded marquee that was never removed from the building facade.

I stopped not only to snap this picture, but also took a quick walk around the front of the building to reminisce.  My old man took me to see STAR WARS at this theater among many other classics throughout the years.  My Dad and I didn't converse much when I was younger, and going to see movies together was a way we found to connect.  My Dad who was always quite frugal, spared no expense when we would go to the movies.  I always was able to get a large soda, popcorn, and any kind of candy I wanted.

Other movies I vividly recall going to see with my old man were; The Man from Snowy River, Caveman starring Ringo Star, Song of the South, The Rescuers, UFO - The Unidentified Flying Oddball, The Black Hole, and Superman I and II just to name a few.  I even carried on the tradition with my own son, and took him to this
same theater during the 90s to see movies like TWISTER, Men In Black,
and Space Jam.

It's a strange feeling indeed to visit a place that had such a big impact on your childhood, only to see it abandoned and barely recognizable.  While it is sad, I at least have many fond memories of going there with my Dad and Son that will last a lifetime, and that's what really matters.




STILL waiting for the McDonald's MEGA MAC to come to America



This an older article I'm moving here from one of my other blogs.  Enjoy..

About 5 years ago, my good friend "Doc" Moore e-mailed me during his vacation in Japan. Knowing of my fast food fanaticism, he wrote to inform me about a new hamburger that McDonald's was promoting overseas called "The MEGA MAC." This hamburger was just like the regular Big Mac, but with four beef patties instead of two.  He told me he planned on trying one, and promised me details and pictures of his adventure as soon as he got back to the states. I quickly checked the McDonald's web-site to see if there was any chance that the promotion would be heading to the U.S. The web-site had no information on the MEGA MAC, so all I could do was send their customer service department an e-mail, and wait for a response.


A couple of days later, Doc e-mailed me and confirmed that he had in fact dined on the massive "Mega Mac", and sent me details and pictures for all to see..



Good Old "Doc" outside a Mickey D's in Japan.


As you can see.. he can hardly wait to make his lower G.I. tract and arteries earn their pay! Many people wonder why anyone would try eating one of these monsters. For people like me and Doc, it's probably for the same reason a mountain climber desires to a conquer a new peak... because it's there!


Doc and the Behemoth MEGA MAC!
Here's Doc with the Monster he soon after devoured.  

So how was it? Here's his blow by blow account..


"I managed to make it to McDonald's and had myself a Mega Mac, I just had to try it. I felt like my cholesterol went up ten points for eating it though. I got a few pictures and got a short video of me holding it. It was not much of a burger. The patties were small, I assume it has about the same amount of meat as a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese (which is my McDonald's weakness other than the Mc Rib). It looked impressive though. It was so damn greasy, that when I smashed it together to make it a little easier to eat, grease shot out of all sides and instantly soaked through the buns, it was kind of disturbing. Once I started to eat it (after the grease explosion) I squished it together, and there was not much more to take pics of. It was a mess and fell apart. The burger was no better than a normal Big Mac and to be honest, I never eat Big Macs. I always go for the Quarter Pounder with cheese or "McRib" myself! I am sure I will have a stomach ache later from eating all of that grease."



He came.. he ate.. he conquered! Thank you Doc Moore, for pushing that pile of saturated fat through your cardiovascular system... all for the sake of our curious minds. We salute you!


Why We'll most likely never see the MEGA MAC in the U.S...
The same day that Doc sent me the information on the Mega Mac, I also received a response from McDonald's customer response center. I had originally asked them if there were any plans on bringing The MEGA MAC to the states, and their response was as follows..



Hello Darrin:

Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's with your questions about the Mega Mac Sandwich served in Japan.

Before we open restaurants in other parts of the world, we study the culture to determine local customer preferences. In most cases, we serve not only our standard menu items, but occasionally we try to offer items which reflect that country's culture. Because customers tastes, customs and dietary preferences vary from country to country, you will find menu items tailored for a specific countries customers, that may not be offered elsewhere.

We operate our restaurants on the philosophy that "the customer is the reason for our business." Ultimately, it's our customers who decide what products we offer.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's. We hope to serve you again soon under the Golden Arches.

Latonya

McDonald's Customer Response Center



Choosing to read between the lines, I took this response to mean "No".

I guess I can't blame them for not bringing this sandwich to the U.S.  McDonald's is already under a microscope and has been picked on a lot over the last few years by advocate groups and greedy lawyers. They've been blamed for having a huge part in grossly contributing to America's obesity epidemic, as well as our nation's increase in diabetes.

BUT... don't pee down the back of my neck and tell me that it's raining.  I don't believe for one minute that McDonald's did research, and found that Japanese customs reflect that an artery pounding Monster Burger such as this one, is a good fit with the Japanese culture. Rather.. it seems like Mickey D's is trying to push a bit of our Western culture on them. Getting them used to the "Bigger is Better" mentality, and having it permeate their culture could only mean more dollars for McDonald's in the future. Do I truly believe that this is part of some "master plan" by McDonald's? I don't know. The whole deal just kind of seems weird to me.

Various McDonald's promotions feature healthy good looking people sometimes participating in vigorous physical activities. These ads and promotions look like an advertisement for a health food store rather than a fast food restaurant. Please, quit trying to act like something you're not.  Mickey D's has tried really hard to change their image over the last few years, and maybe it's worked for them. I'm sure it's at least helped them to keep a lower profile and get people off of their back, but this American isn't buying it. The new leather couches, the fancy architecture, and the wireless internet in their new restaurants aren't blinding me. McDonald's is what it is, a fast food restaurant, and I'll never view them as anything otherwise.

Not that I'm hating on them or anything mind you.  Believe me.. if the Mega Mac ever made its way to the U.S., I'd probably be one of the first people to be blogging about it.


Flashbacks abound while retro treasure hunting



On one of my last retro treasure hunts at the second hand store, I came across a few items that took me on a nice trip down memory lane.  Check out what I found..




My grandfather had one of these lighted magnifying gizmos that he used to read the bible and numerous publications with.  This must date back to the 60s or 70s from what I gather.  Close inspection shows that this one had never been used.  A steal at $1.49, I went ahead and snatched it up.  While I won't be using it to read, I do have plans on using it for some of my hobbies like model building, bicycle restoration, and working on electronics. 




My mother bought me all manner of Avon cologne over the years when I was a kid.  I remember my brother and some of my friends owning Avon chess piece decanters like the ones above back in the 70s.  I couldn't believe there were multiple unopened sets of these decanters in one of the thrift stores I visited.  I'm thinking they were an attic or closet find of an old Avon rep.



Boxed sets like this really make me want to get one of those new VCR thingy's.





My mom had a crock pot just like this one when I was growing up.  I'm pretty confident that this thirty something year old crock pot still works incredibly well to this day.  They really don't make appliances like they used to.





Before the days of weed eaters, this is how I used to edge the lawn after I was done mowing.  I used a pair of yard shears exactly like these for years, and am surprised I didn't get carpal tunnel syndrome from using them.

This retro treasure hunting session has lit a fire under me to start doing this more often.  Whether or not I end up buying anything, these treasure hunts usually offer up an exciting and nostalgic walk down memory lane.   I'll make sure to share any new finds from future treasure hunts right here.




How to say "Cheers” in 13 Languages for International Beer Day on August 7th

by Darrin Vindiola


Beer connoisseurs rejoice! It’s International Beer Day on Friday.. August 7th.

Regardless if you’re a die-hard micro-brewed IPA fan, or would rather sip on a cold can of domestic beer, leading language learning app Babbel wants people to come together and celebrate beer culture from all over the world.  Check out this handy graphic below..




If you need a little help pronouncing the above toasts, the list below should help..



English – Cheers!

German – Prost!

French – Santé!

Italian – Cin cin!

Portuguese – Saúde!

Spanish – ¡Salud!

Swedish – Skål!

Danish – Skål!

Dutch – Proost!

Norwegian – Skål!

Polish – Na zdrowie!

Turkish – Şerefe!

Russian – За здоровье! (English transcription: Za zdaróvye! )

Hope this list provided courtesy of Babbel, helped to expand your beer drinking mind!  If you are interested in seeing what Babbel is all about, and want to learn about their language learning app, check out the info below..


About Babbel

Babbel’s vision, that anyone can learn languages, has driven its success through high-quality, professionally curated courses from a team of education experts, authors and language teachers, combined with modern technology. Babbel, a market-leading app for online learning, makes it easy for independent learners to access 14 different languages, ranging from English to Indonesian, either from home or on the go, with a smartphone or tablet.

 

Babbel is led by founders Markus Witte (Chief Executive Officer) and Thomas Holl (President), along with Lorenz Heine (Chief Innovation Officer) and Markus Corallo (Chief Financial Officer). The company employs a team of more than 300 at its headquarters in Berlin. The service is available worldwide at Babbel.com and on iOS and Android mobile devices. Corresponding to the user's mother tongue, Babbel offers its courses in 7 "reference languages", which are used as the display language on the platform.

For more information, visit www.Babbel.com


The Grilled Pork Chop, Egg & Cheese Biscuit at Carl's Jr. and hardee's

Yes folks.. another Carl's Jr. post. I promise I'm not on their payroll or anything like that. It's just that circumstances had me dining there more than usual this summer. And.. when I eat something utterly delicious, I often like to blab about it to anyone who will listen.

That being said, meet my new go-to breakfast sandwich in Northern Colorado.. The Grilled Pork Chop, Egg & Cheese Biscuit from Carl's Jr. and Hardee's!



People are used to enjoying bacon, sausage or ham for breakfast but pork chops have been a rare treat until now. The new Grilled Pork Chop, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, is available now at all participating Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® restaurants. The savory new breakfast sandwich features a grilled, boneless, pepper-crusted pork chop, fluffy folded egg and a slice of melting American cheese, served on the chains’ award-winning, freshly-baked Made from Scratch™ buttermilk biscuits, baked fresh inside the restaurants every day.

I swear you could put just about anything in a Hardee's/Carl's Jr. fresh baked biscuit, and it would taste divine! While the whole sandwich balances perfectly, if you are a pork purist, you can get a slice of the grilled pork chop by itself in a biscuit, which is incredible as well! Either way, thanks to Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, pork chops just might become a new classic breakfast meat.

The new Grilled Pork Chop, Egg & Cheese Biscuit is available for $3.29 and may also be ordered in a combo meal with Hash Browns and a drink for $4.99. I SO hope these great sandwiches stay on the menu for awhile, as they are fast becoming a staple in my morning routine once or twice a week!

Ronda Rousey.. The next Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Commercial Star

In case you've been under a rock and haven't heard.. UFC fighter “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey’s epic title fight from last weekend is burning up the internet. On the heels of her awesome brawl and major win, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's has announced that Ronda and her amazing knock out, will be Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s newest commercial star!



Debuting in just a matter of weeks, "Rowdy" fans will surely be keeping their eyes peeled for this newest Carl's and Hardee's promotion!