On a roll!

Of course what is "on a roll" to me would be just another day to most folks.  I started with the gym so I couldn't make up any excuses to skip it if I waited.   I then drove to Grocery Warehouse, which I don't go to very often because it is so difficult to get through the traffic and into the parking lot.  At least it is for me, who always chooses the easiest way rather than the most direct or quickest!

I didn't buy much, and pushed the cart around with Christmas wrapping paper in it, but after I checked out I realized someone must have removed it from my cart.  Strange.  I was in a good mood and realized I was actually humming along to "Joy to the World"!  I don't even care for Christmas music - traditional and certainly not the newer stuff, but nothing was going to spoil my mood today.  I had a really nice person to talk to in line with me, and I was soon on my way home.  I decided not to get in any more Friday traffic and will go to the dollar store for Christmas wrapping paper, early some morning.

One impulse item I bought was a box of 6 White Castle hamburgers.  What a treat it was when I lived in Cincinnati to get a big pack of them right off the griddle.  We never called them "sliders" and I was an adult and visiting a cousin in Chicago before I ever heard that term.  We went to White Castle and  ordered "White Castles".  I ate 4 of them for lunch today - being that I haven't had any for so long I'd say they were good, but nothing like walking into White Castle and getting them just off the griddle.

Another Cincinnati favorite is Skyline chili.  Years ago when I was very young, there was nothing like a trip to "the chili parlor" to get chili spaghetti.  You could also order it with beans, onions, and cheese, or also called a "5-way".  There were a lot of Greek immigrants in Cincinnati when I was young, and they owned the chili parlors.  The chili is totally different than any other kind - nothing at all like southwestern style - but it is a style all it's own.   The Greeks are gone from the chili business now and other new chili places have cropped up, but to me the old Skyline and Empress were the best.  You could also get a "coney island" which is a smaller than regular size hot dog, on a steamed bun, and covered with chili and whatever else you liked - beans, onions, cheese.  Oh so good, and there are still a lot of Skyline restaurants in the area.  I doubt I'll ever go back to Cincinnati but I'll always miss some of the food that I grew up with. 

Enough reminiscing about food.  I think I mentioned that my appetite has really increased.  I weighed myself at the gym today and was up another pound!    There may be a time when I'll have to cut back on the intake, but right now I'm loving it, including the weight gain.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend, and watch out for the traffic if you decide to go out.  I still have Christmas shopping to do, probably not on the weekend however.  I don't know where all the presents are going to go when we are at Jeannie's on Christmas Eve.  There will be the Secret Santa gifts for the adults, and of course, all the kids presents from everyone.  The tree Jeannie bought at Apple Hill last week is a bit larger than she realized.  They have a huge formal living room and the tree take up half the room!  I can't wait to see it decorated.  I'll try to remember to take a photo of it.