Daily Deliveries

At home in Mabel, in front of a 24 inch iMac, I order stuff from the likes of Amazon (rice cooker); Barnes and Noble (Books on how to spend more time in front of my iMac); Upton Tea (Sencha-Gyokuro).

In my downstairs lair, out of the corner of my eye, I can see every car and truck (food supply to the nursing home across the street) that passes my window. There aren't many, because we live on a back street, almost like a cul de sac (bottom of the bag). So every time a Fed Ex van or UPS truck stops, I race to the door to beat the driver before he rings the bell.

It recently dawned on me that everything could be delivered to my doorstep. No need to go shopping. No need to drive anywhere. It's Nirvana! I would never have to leave home. Just punch the right computer keys, wait several days and, Voila, everything shows up. After a few more technological breakthroughs, there may be no need to get out of bed.

Thanks to a New York Times video, we have a new  way (thankfully) of preparing a sweet potato. Instead of tossing it willy-nilly into the oven for 45 minutes, and then dropping the clumpy thing on a plate, we (Susan) grate the peeled sweet thing and saute it with olive oil, garlic and a garnish of sage. Yummy and fast (five minutes). Now, who said blogs aren't informative?

Why Palisades Park? Because I was born there, in a flat over the Banner Grocery store, the youngest of five kids. Since age 17, mine has been a circuitous route which has now led to Mabel, MN (near Decorah, Iowa), and, yes, I shoveled snow this afternoon. Why Mabel? My wife 

Susan grew up on a farm here abouts and so we have returned to her roots. 

Some things I like about living in a small town: It's quiet; little pollution, unless you count fertilizer and stuff like that during planting season; and a whole new set of jokes. For example, I don't have to use turn signals when driving in town because everyone knows where I'm going. Also, everyone knows who is doing what in town, but I still read the newspaper to find out who got caught. 

That's all I can think of; besides, it's almost time for the evening news on TV.