Dan Antion

Hard to Say No – #1LinerWeds #JusJoJan

Last week, while some people were glued to their TV watching the quadrennial changing (or reaffirming) of the guard, I was on my way to have my wife’s car’s oil changed. There are not many exciting things in my life these days, so when I get the chance, I try to make things an event. I made the appointment for 8:30 am, so I’d have time to swing by Great River Park and stop at Maddie’s for breakfast. I am sorry about those pictures – please keep in mind that on Wednesday morning, I will also be remembering that breakfast while I nibble on toast.

My day got more exciting after I left home. As I was pulling out of the garage, the Check Engine light came on. I shook my head and laughed, at least I was going to the right place. By the time I arrived at Great River Park, it was snowing. There was no snow in the forecast, but that didn’t stop Mother Nature from raining on my parade. I had to keep reminding myself that I had my wife’s car. My car is all-wheel drive. Hers has those skinny little low-profile tires that are sketchy at best in the snow. Great River Park is at the base of the river side of a levy. The entrance is steep, and curves and ends near boat ramp. I made a quick pass, grabbed a few pictures (I shared last week) and climbed back to relatively flat terrain.

When I got to Maddie’s there was a brief welcoming ceremony – I haven’t been in months – but the waitress was surprised that I opted for a booth instead of my usual place at the counter. I told her that it was because I wanted pancakes and I thought I might want to spread out. She asked if I only wanted pancakes, and I said that I also wanted two fried eggs and bacon. She suggested the “Hungry Man Special.” I said no, as I thought that was too much. She corrected me:

“Even if you don’t get the potatoes, the Hungry Man Special is cheaper than two eggs with a side of pancakes, and you get twice as much bacon.”

Who can say no to twice as much bacon?

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. And, given the time of the year, it’s also part of Just-Jot-January. If you have a one-liner, I encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

The carousel feature does not seem to be working (today) with the Tiled Mosaic gallery. It is working with the thumbnails. Click on any image to start the show. Thanks to Don for calling my attention to that.

85 comments

  1. Your breakfast reminds me of the “Full Monte” in the UK. I love it: kippers, sausage, bacon, blood pudding, eggs, potatoes, grilled egg, mushrooms, baked beans, and toast. The only part I don’t like is the English baked beans – too sweet. A meal like that lasts the whole day. Hope the car was OK. We opted for regular tires on our VW for a smoother ride.

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    • This breakfast did carry me through the day. I’ve tried the English breakfast and although I ate the beans, but they weren’t the highlight. The car was OK. They think it’s a sensor that’s beginning to fail.

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    • Thanks for pointing out the absence of the “Carousel”,” Don. At least that’s what WordPress calls it. Apparently, it’s not working with the Tiled Mosaic gallery option. I changed the gallery format to Thumbnails. The carousel shows up, but I don’t like the look on the page. Time to call the Happiness Engineers…again.

      I hope you enjoyed those eggs. I just finished an apple :(

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  4. Well, I know one thing – I’m having bacon this morning. :-) I’m sure it is quite frustrating to Maddie to have the manufacturer sequester that squeaky piece in the middle of the toy. Maybe there should be a zipper. :-) Someone already mentioned it, but I couldn’t enlarge or move from one photo to the next. Technology – it’s not easy some days.

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    • Enjoy the bacon, Judy. Maddie has mastered the art of removing the squeaker. Then she pulls out everything else. It’s amazing how much stuffing is in a small toy!

      I switched Gallery options, and the slide show is now available. Time to call the Happiness Engineers. Well, after I clear the driveway and sidewalk. We got a few inches of snow overnight.

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  5. I check my emails before I eat breakfast. Now I’m starving! And there is no bacon in my future. Well, my immediate future. Love the pictures! We got a blizzard up here yesterday as well. I am hoping it will do the right thing and bugger off. But since They are calling for colder temperatures in the next few days, this may be our taste of winter. May it be our last!

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    • We got a few inches of snow overnight, Pam. I’ll be tending to that, shortly. Sorry about the bacon. If it’s any consolation, I just finished an apple. We are supposed to get some very cold weather here for the next few days. I don’t mind the snow, but I’m not fond of the cold.

      Stay safe, and try to stay warm.

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  8. Bacon, bacon, bacon! Who doesn’t love it, or at least like it a little? It’s the meat lover’s nectar of the gods and I sure wish I had that in front of me this morning. I suppose a toaster waffle will have to do.

    Oh that Maddie and her sweet face! She’s such a cutie!

    Happy Wednesday Dan. Make it a good one!

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    • Thanks Mary. I really need better timing on these posts. I need to write them, but hold off posting them until a day when I’m going to be having a nice breakfast (he says after finishing an apple).

      Maddie has been checking out the few inches of snow that fell overnight. I’ll be moving that out of the way soon. I guess I get my exercise today ;-)

      Happy Wednesday.

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  9. My oatmeal sure didn’t taste like bacon!🤗

    Got a good laugh from Maddie’s rearranging her turtle’s body parts. Murphy follows the same ritual, except the first thing she works on is removing the right rear leg of her stuffed animals! I swear she wants her babies to look like her. Murphy’s right rear leg was amputated three days after we brought her home from the shelter because her previous owners destroyed it from abuse. 😡😢 She does fine with three legs. Amazing really.

    The photo of the heart shaped leaf…..you know that’s going to become a Valentine’s poem from Pam, don’cha?! Lol.

    I love the way the sky looked Wednesday morning. Like is was packed solid with snow.

    Keep that home fire burning! We had a couple of inches of snow and some ice, but all in all not as bad as predicted. Stay warm……and don’t slip!
    Ginger

    Think positive. Test negative.

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    • That’s funny about how Murphy “fixes” her toys. I knew she only had three legs, but I didn’t know why. That does make me angry and sad. I’m glad she gets around well – she lucked out with her forever home.

      Sorry about the pictures. My apple didn’t taste like bacon, either.

      I love it when Pam (and others) are inspired by a picture I (or Maddie) thought was interesting. We won’t be walking today. I’m trying to figure out if I’m going to be following behind a snow blower or pushing a shovel. I think it might be good for the snow blower to be run…yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

      Take care, Ginger. Stay safe.

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  10. That breakfast looks wonderful, Dan. I can’t even remember the last time I had bacon. The only time I tend to have it is when I go out with friends for breakfast and I haven’t done that in almost a year. I guess that I am going to have to break down and buy a package the next time I make a trip to the grocery store. I love seeing Maddie tear into the stuffed animal. My former dog used to do the same as did a little cocker spaniel that I used to watch. She enjoyed playing with the empty shells as well as with the assorted legs and other body parts.

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    • Bacon is best when shared with friends, Mike, but you should treat yourself to a few slices.

      Maddie plays with the empty bodies until we can no longer recognize who they were. She loves it, and we like to see her having fun.

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  11. The leaf stuck on the ice is such a pretty photo, Dan–might I even say ‘artistic.’ I really like it. That is one good waitress you had. Remembering the last time we ate out was February last year–right before Covid. I like cooking, but I sure to miss eating out. Our Gov is mad because Biden called out Florida….haha no kidding! We are doing such a crappy job of getting the vaccine out. Now I think gyms and restaurants might have to close again. I can’t keep up. Guess I’ll keep on cooking!

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    • I hope they get things to settle down soon, Lois. I miss eating out. I still go out, sit at the bar while ordering takeout, but only if the bar is nearly empty. There are places around here that are set up nicely for breakfast. Every other booth is closed off, and they have plexiglass barriers where necessary. I generally feel good eating breakfast, but I’m wary of eating dinner, where there are multiple trips by the server and he/she is handling other tables.

      FL seems like is has not taken this very seriously from the get-go, but I only know from the news.

      I’m glad you like the leaf picture.

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    • We had 3-4″ of snow with some freezing rain mixed in. It made the stuff very heavy, but fortunately the bottom was still snow so the snow blower moved it very easily. I would not want to have had to shovel this stuff.

      I add a nice breakfast to any early morning task. I’m sorry about the pictures.

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  15. Ah the turtle had a squeeker-ectomy. Yesterday’s storm predictions started out south of us and eventually ended up going north of us. So what kind of bump in the road does one need to hit to wear out an engine sensor ?

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    • Yes, the operation was successful, but the patient more or less died on the table. All the stuffing has been removed. You might say the turtle is merely a shell of itself – or you might not, but…

      It might be the sensor or the purge valve. It’s the gas vapor system. The same light you get if you don’t put the gas cap back on after filling the tank, but that wasn’t the issue here.

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  17. I was nibbling on toast with extra crunchy peanut butter and now want pancakes with bacon! I haven’t had either in ages. She would have sold me on the Hungry Man breakfast too. 😀😋

    The clouds look dramatic and really cool. We’ve got a storm rolling though now that brought snow. I can’t even see the clouds. I hope we get a break between now and the next storm so I can get out for a walk.

    Diva Dog used to do that with all her squeaky toys as well. Only one pig toy she didn’t. She carried it around like a puppy.

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  18. I would never turn down twice the bacon! We have really missed an occasional breakfast out. It’s easier than making all that at home. Nice little snow you had. Looks like Maddie enjoyed it all.

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  19. There is nothing that gives the heart a flip flop like a check engine light. You did well on the breakfast. To pass on potatoes is showing real conviction. It looks like daylight walking is much better than dark. Loved the snowfall on Maddie. Glad the car was okay.

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    • That little light does set off a few internal alarms, John. Looks like it was a fluke or something that will lead to a minor repair (if it comes back on). It was hard to pass on the potatoes, but I wanted two pancakes. I don’t think I could bring myself to order one pancake, even though theirs are large. She did put a spoonful of potatoes under the toast ;-)

      Maddie enjoyed the snow today. More than enough to enjoy, but not so much that I have to clear paths for her. I had to clear the driveway and sidewalk(s) but that went fast.

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  20. So far, despite the leniency in wearing a mask in this small town, there aren’t any restaurants open for in-house business. To say the least, I’m rather jealous of your circumstances up north, Dan. You did get your wife’s car served in spite of the slippery roads, didn’t you?

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    • I was on time for the service appointment despite the slippery roads and stopping for breakfast. We are full-on masks throughout the state and all bordering states, so coming and going is pretty easy. The restaurants are allowed to be open at 50% capacity, unless they do something to mitigate the spread. So, they either have Plexiglas between the booths, or they close every other booth. It works pretty well for breakfast, as there isn’t a lot of interaction with the waiter/waitress.

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  21. Fortunately I had a nice breakfast this morning and am enjoying a mocha from a new coffee shop near us, so I’m full and don’t feel food envy. :-) But snow! Oh, yeah. The high mountains of Arizona got blasted with it over the weekend and first days of the week and I can see the snow-covered peaks from just a short distance from the house, where there’s empty space. It made me SO very happy to see. :-)

    Maddie’s toy reminds me of when we had a rescue pit bull (loving-est dog ever) and I brought home a squeaky toy. She loved it, but it was gone in about one hour. :-) We bought toys like miniature tires that she could play with and would last much longer.

    janet

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    • I’m glad you can get your snow fix when necessary. I need to see it once in a while. We ended up with 3-4″ so it worked out well. We’ve had some success with “tough” toys, but every now and then, I pick up an inexpensive stuffed toy that she can simply destroy. It took about 90 minutes before the turtle was inside out, empty of all stuffing and soaking wet. Today, she’s still carrying around the empty carcass.

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  22. Dear Dan,
    we like the art of car maintenance as well. We remember reading Pirsig’s “Zen or the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” many, many years ago.
    We envy you for snow. Unfortunately, we hardly have any snow here at the coast. We miss the snow desperately.
    For us, pancakes for breakfast sounds very funny. We usually have Greek yoghurt with fruit and a sandwich with Blackforest ham or cheese. Preferably very dark bread.
    Keep healthy and happy
    The Fab Four of Cley
    :-) :-) :-) :-)

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    • Greek yoghurt with fruit sounds like a much healthier breakfast than pancakes, but it’s not an everyday thing for me. When I’m home, I have cereal or fruit and toast (pumpernickel, rye or sourdough).

      I also remember reading “Zen or the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” and I used to do all of my own maintenance on my cars and trucks (and my motorcycle when I had one). I stopped trying to keep up with maintenance after I bought a new car in 2008. The difference between that car and my 1999 SUV was enough to make my head hurt. Maintenance required many special tools and something as simple as changing spark plugs required removing more parts than I dared attempt.

      Take care!

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      • We got new Volvo SUV and experienced the same. It’s actually all electronic elements.
        Your breakfast at home isn’t that different from ours. It took a long time until the English folks discovered rye bread and sourdough. But now we can get decent bread even in our village. Yet our dear Master bakes our bread quite often.
        Cheers
        The Fab Four of Cley
        :-) :-) :-) :-)

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  23. I certainly couldn’t say no to bacoooon…that breakfast looks good to tje last crum, Dan. Glad you made it safely through Mother Nature’s unannounced snow storm. 😉Too funny. Having pancakes and may need to spread out. 😂😂😂👍🏻

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  24. Who indeed! My husband got talked into buying a giant container of salad mix because it was cheaper than buying the bag I usually get. I have eaten enough greens in the past week to qualify as a rabbit.

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  26. No one can say mo to bacon, especially expertly fried like that! Have fun breaking the ice Maddie, I’m jealous! We hadn’t had snow removal on the apt complex for three days! So much for getting out.

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  29. Hi Dan – did the car get fixed … I hope so – and you didn’t slip slide too much on the way home. That breakfast sounds delicious … especially as it’s getting towards lunchtime here! All the best – Hilary

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    • The car’s problem was minor, Hilary. Either a bad sensor or a wearing (small) part. We have to wait to see if the warning returns, but we’re in no danger of it failing or facing a big repair. We’ve had more snow since then, but luckily we’ve been able stay off the roads for it.

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    • I hope you get your chance soon, Dan. There’s something about having breakfast in a diner that just makes the day better. Double bacon is nice, too. We are under a mask and distance mandate here. The restaurants I’ve been to are in total compliance and have made it feel very safe inside.

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  33. I dunno, man, but if we’re ever in a brekkie joint together, you can have my bacon. The dog usually gets it after. Also, If you ever feel like writing an expository essay on the merits and troubles associated with all wheel drive, please do.

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            • In my limited first-hand experience, AWD is better than two wheel drive in many situations where traction is questionable (rain/snow) but 4-wheel drive is better in the snow. We’ve owned 2 of each type since 2000. But, as car makers extend technology into the drive train and traction control, I think the difference is getting smaller. Still, my FWD Jeep was better in snow than either of the AWD cars I’ve owned, including the one I have now. But, the Jeep had so many other issues, it wasn’t worth it :(

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            • Sorry about your Jeep. I love the look of Jeeps, but never enjoy driving one, particularly manual. Rough on the hand, the Jeep shifting.

              I really appreciate the insight. What about tire replacement for FWD and AWD If one tire is irreparable, then you must buy all 4? Annnnd, have you experienced that scenario?

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            • We’ve replaced tires in pairs. As long as you rotate them regularly and they aren’t too far gone. When we put two new tires on one AWD, it was a back tire that failed (sidewall damage) so we rotated te front tires to the back and put new ones on front. The front tires wear faster.

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            • Okay, that’s the same…
              I REALLY appreciate your time here, Dan. My husband is knowledgeable, really, alawt, but I also think he’s biased and independent research is important. Thank you so much.

              Liked by 1 person

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