A "SPIEDIE" TRIP

Stephens City, Virginia October 22, 2007
O.K. So the month, (give or take a week) that I was home went very quickly. I did manage to pack in alot of stuff. I met some really nice new people, and reconnected with two people that are very important to me. Here are some of the highlights: I went to a wonderful wedding in Ithaca and got to show Mikey around my college town. ( believe that a Seinfeld episode about worlds colliding sums that one up.) It was actually a great great time. I got to see three vintage World War 2 planes, and meet a wonderful man named Art. He not only knows about airplanes, but he is one of the #1 ranked billiard players in upstate NY. I have a huge crush on him. I even went up to Glens Falls to see him play in a tournament staged for my benefit. Oh did I tell you that Art is 91? Two things to note about that posted photo: My dad's USC hat, and the cool plane in the background. (Dad wants me to marry John David Booty the quarterback from USC, so that he can say his daughter is Judy Booty. I said that Doug Flutie is actually more my type and almost age appropriate and I could be Judy Flutie, but whatever.) So it was a good trip, and I think Chumley and my parents really got on well. So that brings us to today. My buddy Larry is driving back across the US with me. It will be more of a straight forward trip this time. But if anything interesting takes place I will take some photos and blog about it. I am not the wonderful food writer that Julie is, but I did have a terrific culinary bonus today. Evidently in Binghamton New York there is a specialty sandwich called a Spiedie. It consists of a 12 inch long skinny hero type roll packed full of either pork or chicken cubes. I opted for the pork. The meat was sublime; moist, tangy, with a hint of lemon, salty and tender. Who knew there was a specialty sandwich called a Spiedie? I went to school in Ithaca,
One hour away and have never heard of it!





But my mom, who was the only art teacher in Chenago County in 1946, has heard of a spiedie! We got a hot tip that the best key lime pie in the United States is in Little Rock Arkansas so at the very least I will report back on that. Keep my friends in the the Fire Zones in California in your thoughts. JM