Depressing Times OT

[vanbuskirk]

In the past month, I have lost:

1. A roofer who had roofed 10 houses for me:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081217/LOCAL1802/812170350

2. A glass man who could fill any order for me:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081212/LOCAL1803/812120432

3. My favorite bakery where Greg and I, and wives, got bread 2 years ago, is closed.

Scholar's Inn Bakehouse 317-726-1000

701 Broad Ripple Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220

My world is shrinking. Bob

[randroid]

Bob,

I have been fortunate lately in that my friends, family, and favorite haunts are all still with me, but sometimes we all need to hunker-down and carry-on. Thing is, this hunkering grows wearisome. I feel your pain, brother.

-Randy

[greg g]

Last year the city of syracuse had its highest number of murders in years. The new year has seen 8 already, getting off to an alarmingly rapid start.

Most of these have been related to the illegal drug trade, but as people lose , their saving, thier retirements, and the hope for the future, life gets cheapened. The news just carried the story of the local carpenters union retirement fund being nearly wiped out in the Madof investment scheme disaster.

The growing cottage idustry around here is clean outs of forclosed homes.

with crews getting paid by banks to clean out and clean up properties.

Crazy times are likely to get worse before they get better. Keep your eyes open and wach your six.

[Norm's Coupe]

A lot of our old haunts have closed down over the years. It's just a sign of the times. When bad things happen, I look at this way. Time to change and usually the change turns out for the better. So........just keep a stiff upper lip and keep going and things will work out, probably for the better.

[Flatie46]

There's a place in Bristol I used to go to Ralph's. Had the best burgers! Walgreens bought the property. Not many good mom and pop burger joints around here.

[BobT-47P15]

We had a burger joint called Bill's Hamburgers in the next town to us,

Webb City. Wendy's bought the place, tore it down, and built a new

restaurant.......as the spot is right across the street from a Wal Mart.

We went to closing day of the burger place......

[aero3113]

I'm sure the owners of the burger place made out pretty well if a Wendy's bought them out $$$$$$'s

[moparjack44]

Local watering hole I have been going to since mid 60's has been bought and will be torn down for a new motel:mad: .

Ziggys, started in 1955, first pizza in this county, best pizza ever, and the coldest beer. No wine and liquor, just cold beer. Same family owned since it opened in '55.

The good go young:( .

Jack

[Tony Cipponeri]

Wow this talk reminded me that I haven't been to Nessy Burgers in a long time. A little mobil home, converted to a burger joint. They have the best steak sandwich in the world there. There is no inside seating only about 4 picnic tables in front, under a cover. They do a booming business. It is off of th15 freeway and highway 78, north San Diego County HMMMM good. Tony C

[BobT-47P15]

Aero.....I think the owner of Bills Burgers was kinda ready to retire,

anyway. I think he did get a pretty good price for the place.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Lots of the ole hangouts from my youth are long gone..lots of friends gone also..my area is just beginng to show signs of the town shift in our direction..see some acreage now showing up divided into 3 to 5 acres lots..better than a subdivision..sometimes I think people will not be happy till every tree is cut..standard process here..clear cut the land for pulp/timber...sell to a developer...county taxes go up...lol

[greg g]

I have noticed in my recent travels that the developers won't apparently be satisfied until all towns in the country look alike.

You know the section with all the car dealers and the area with the Best Buy, Target, Mickey D', Olive Garden, Chili's, Applebees, Kohls, Office Max, Home Depot and Lowes, etc. are all in the same order. We have a joke with my daughter that we can tell we have changed towns because we just passed an IHOP.

[Norm's Coupe]

I have noticed in my recent travels that the developers won't apparently be satisfied until all towns in the country look alike.

You know the section with all the car dealers and the area with the Best Buy, Target, Mickey D', Olive Garden, Chili's, Applebees, Kohls, Office Max, Home Depot and Lowes, etc. are all in the same order. We have a joke with my daughter that we can tell we have changed towns because we just passed an IHOP.

Speaking of IHOP. I use to like IHOP for breakfast when I was on the road. However, the ones we have around hear now are more like fast food places. A new one opened up a couple of years ago. Wife and I tried it once and said forget it.

[Don Coatney]

Interesting thing about IHOP is all the waitresses only have one leg.

[greg g]

Didja ever notice that they are all named Illean?????

[Frank Elder]

Some of us guys were telling oldies last week. I trotted out, what kinda wood don't float?

Nobody in the 35 and younger range had ever heard of Natalie, how sad is that?

[brian hood]

I am sorry to hear about the murder rates and crime in your area's. I live in a rural area of South Alabama. If we have more than 2 serious crimes in a year, our world comes to an end. We hear all of the stories from the news stations out of Mobile and Pensacola, but they are 40 to 60 miles away. In fact, I usually leave my keys in my cars and shop to keep from losing them. I will pray for you.

Brian

BTW- It is cold today! Our high's will be in the low 60's!

[BobT-47P15]

We have an IHOP that is two or three years old by now.....when built, they

could not find any person to buy the franchise, so it was company operated.

May still be. It seems to me that no one from the company did much to

train the employees, as service is not so great and they seem to always

mess up your order. Either bring the wrong thing, or don't bring some item

at all.

Last time we were there about a month ago (had not been there for

probably a year), we were sitting and waiting to be seated. Some customer

was giving the cashier a hard time saying he did not receive some thing he

had ordered......and he did not feel he should have to pay based on such

poor service. Don't know the final outcome of that deal.

So, we don't plan on returning anytime soon.

However, IHOPs in other cities have been better than ours.

[blueskies]

I'm sure the owners of the burger place made out pretty well if a Wendy's bought them out $$$$$$'s

May be, but everyone else lost out on the deal. Mom and Pop establishments will soon be long forgotten, while people cattle call for the next engineered "food" place.

I'm fortunate to live in an area where there is only one chain restaurant, a poorly executed McDonalds. And no-one wanted them, not sur how they stay in business. No big box stores, no fast food, no strip malls, no shopping "centers", no sprawl development of any kind. The nearest place to get any of that stuff is 70 miles away.

All of my wifes family lives in Vegas, and it boggles my mind to drive for 20 miles down Craig road seeing the same chain stores and housing developments repeat again and again and again every few miles. Absolutely no sense of place, nothing to take pride in, no variety, completely anonymous living. Even the houses they live in seem disposable, just waiting for the neighborhood to get bad enough before they move on to the next one. Don't know why anyone stays there...

I love living in a small mountain town, where everyone knows your name.

Pete

[Plymouthy Adams]

Lignum vitae.....this is wood...hard stuff...sinks like a rock...that is my answer to the question

[JerseyHarold]

Having worked for a large builder, I heartily agree that all houses (and developments) look alike.

My wife and I watch those home-buying shows on House and Garden TV occasionally, and I have flashbacks to my earlier job when they show the newer homes......same tile and fixtures, 'builder's beige' paint, six-panel colonial interior doors (some with three hinges, some with two), and everything else. Like the homes were stamped out with a cookie cutter. YUK!

[Young Ed]

And people wonder why I bought a 50+ year old house..... Even with that age the neighbors house and one across the alley are the same builder and layout. Not quite identical and lots of stuff has changed on them since the 50s.

[james curl]

I moved to Georgetown Texas in 1976, it was 6700 people with all of the business around the Courthouse Square and all auto dealers within two blocks of the square. Now we are 50,000 plus with more shopping and more restaurants than you can believe all of the big chains. If Greg G were to come here he would recognize the place, just like the area he knows.

[greg g]

And likely many of the business around the square are shuttered. Life is better though. Now istead of buying US made items from your neighbors, you get to buy imported stuff with the money going who knows where. Oh yea maybe Young Ed can tell use where Target sends its money, It certaily isn't to the bank across from the courthouse. (no offense Ed, we all gotta work for someone.)

[Grandadeo]

Wow this talk reminded me that I haven't been to Nessy Burgers in a long time. A little mobil home, converted to a burger joint. They have the best steak sandwich in the world there. There is no inside seating only about 4 picnic tables in front, under a cover. They do a booming business. It is off of th15 freeway and highway 78, north San Diego County HMMMM good. Tony C

Tony, please go into El Lay at Rampart and Beverly to the original Tommy's and have a big sloppy one for me and Norm. We're having withdrawals.

Lee