The very sentence itself seems completely surreal but its true. In the seven years since I began this blog, I've been posting whatever interested me at the time -- and those of you reading this now were kind enough to visit over the years when something interested you. For that alone, I am very grateful and I hope I've managed to give you a chuckle or present an interesting fact or two. If this 1000th post can be called anything like a "milestone", I feel I would like to dedicate it to one person whom I think first started me on this road.
In 1983, my first job was at Rustler Steak House and my first boss was Cindy. After only about three months on the job, Cindy suggested that I might want to start writing a weekly newsletter. I had putzed around writing for most of my life but I never considered writing for a deadline. Yet here I was, taking the plunge and consenting to writing a weekly two-page-minimum (but usually longer) newsletter to be read by all my co-workers and bosses. That newsletter ran from 1983 until the store closed in 1986. Throughout that time, Cindy was nothing but completely encouraging and supportive towards me; I really don't know if I'd be doing this blog or any of the other writing I've done (which include being twice published in national magazines) if it hadn't been for her early support. So, there you have it -- a place to lay the credit or the blame! In my eyes, writing has been both an excruciatingly arduous process and an immensely fulfilling one which probably has kept me sane all these years. I am extremely grateful to her.
Right now, Cindy is in the process of leaving us. I wish with all my heart there was something I could do or anything I could write to erase that bitter fact. In this case, words are powerless. Cindy is in hospice care without pain and resting thankfully. Her endless capacity for helping others and putting them before herself is at an end but all the people she's helped and who love her would form a line which would stretch as far as the eye can see until it disappeared over the horizon into the sun. Cindy, as you prepare to take that step over that sunny horizon, none of us will forget what you've done for us over the years and how much you've meant to every last one of us. With a heart overflowing with love and gratitude, I dedicate this 1000th post to your unconquerable spirit and your endless giving heart.
With love and mittens,
Your Rickster Rick
Showing posts with label Rustler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rustler. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
THIS IS THE 1000th POST IN THE LAND OF CERPTS AND HONEY. The very sentence itself seems completely surreal but its true. In the seven years since I began this blog, I've been posting whatever interested me at the time -- and those of you reading this now were kind enough to visit over the years when something interested you. For that alone, I am very grateful and I hope I've managed to give you a chuckle or present an interesting fact or two. If this 1000th post can be called anything like a "milestone", I feel I would like to dedicate it to one person whom I think first started me on this road.
In 1983, my first job was at Rustler Steak House and my first boss was Cindy. After only about three months on the job, Cindy suggested that I might want to start writing a weekly newsletter. I had putzed around writing for most of my life but I never considered writing for a deadline. Yet here I was, taking the plunge and consenting to writing a weekly two-page-minimum (but usually longer) newsletter to be read by all my co-workers and bosses. That newsletter ran from 1983 until the store closed in 1986. Throughout that time, Cindy was nothing but completely encouraging and supportive towards me; I really don't know if I'd be doing this blog or any of the other writing I've done (which include being twice published in national magazines) if it hadn't been for her early support. So, there you have it -- a place to lay the credit or the blame! In my eyes, writing has been both an excruciatingly arduous process and an immensely fulfilling one which probably has kept me sane all these years. I am extremely grateful to her.
Right now, Cindy is in the process of leaving us. I wish with all my heart there was something I could do or anything I could write to erase that bitter fact. In this case, words are powerless. Cindy is in hospice care without pain and resting thankfully. Her endless capacity for helping others and putting them before herself is at an end but all the people she's helped and who love her would form a line which would stretch as far as the eye can see until it disappeared over the horizon into the sun. Cindy, as you prepare to take that step over that sunny horizon, none of us will forget what you've done for us over the years and how much you've meant to every last one of us. With a heart overflowing with love and gratitude, I dedicate this 1000th post to your unconquerable spirit and your endless giving heart.
With love and mittens,
Your Rickster Rick
The very sentence itself seems completely surreal but its true. In the seven years since I began this blog, I've been posting whatever interested me at the time -- and those of you reading this now were kind enough to visit over the years when something interested you. For that alone, I am very grateful and I hope I've managed to give you a chuckle or present an interesting fact or two. If this 1000th post can be called anything like a "milestone", I feel I would like to dedicate it to one person whom I think first started me on this road.
In 1983, my first job was at Rustler Steak House and my first boss was Cindy. After only about three months on the job, Cindy suggested that I might want to start writing a weekly newsletter. I had putzed around writing for most of my life but I never considered writing for a deadline. Yet here I was, taking the plunge and consenting to writing a weekly two-page-minimum (but usually longer) newsletter to be read by all my co-workers and bosses. That newsletter ran from 1983 until the store closed in 1986. Throughout that time, Cindy was nothing but completely encouraging and supportive towards me; I really don't know if I'd be doing this blog or any of the other writing I've done (which include being twice published in national magazines) if it hadn't been for her early support. So, there you have it -- a place to lay the credit or the blame! In my eyes, writing has been both an excruciatingly arduous process and an immensely fulfilling one which probably has kept me sane all these years. I am extremely grateful to her.
Right now, Cindy is in the process of leaving us. I wish with all my heart there was something I could do or anything I could write to erase that bitter fact. In this case, words are powerless. Cindy is in hospice care without pain and resting thankfully. Her endless capacity for helping others and putting them before herself is at an end but all the people she's helped and who love her would form a line which would stretch as far as the eye can see until it disappeared over the horizon into the sun. Cindy, as you prepare to take that step over that sunny horizon, none of us will forget what you've done for us over the years and how much you've meant to every last one of us. With a heart overflowing with love and gratitude, I dedicate this 1000th post to your unconquerable spirit and your endless giving heart.
With love and mittens,
Your Rickster Rick
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Whoa-oa-oa-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo
Whoa-oa-oa-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo-Whoa-ooo
Hey baby, I'm talking to you
Stop yourself and listen
Some things you can never choose
Even if you try, yeah
You're hangin your head again
Cause somebody won't let you in
One chance, one love
Your chance to let me know
We can't go on
Just running away
If we stay any longer
We will surely never get away
Anything you want...we can make it happen
Stand up and turn around
Never let them shoot us down
Never,
Never
Never,
Never run away
AHHHHHHH . . . HERE'S TO GREEN EYES. . .
Monday, May 21, 2007
FINALLY! CECE PENISTON! Oh. No. Wait a minute . . . FINALLY AT LAST THE SOLUTION TO THE FIVE HOUSES BRAINBUSTER. The answers to the 2 questions are:
QUESTION 1: The Russian drinks diet soda.
QUESTION 2: The American owns a spider monkey.
Here's how they all shook out. The order of the houses appears up top there.
THE YELLOW HOUSE:Russian man
plays racquetball
owns a camel
drinks diet soda.
THE BLUE HOUSE:
Swede
plays pool
owns a rat
drinks coffee
THE GREEN HOUSE:
American
plays charades
owns spider monkey
drinks lemonade
When broken down this way, the five houses fulfill all 15 statements. Thanks to everyone who played. I hope you had fun and didn't lose your mind TOO much.
Since there was no winner, the prize (of a kiss from me) will not be awarded. Just a news flash, though: the kiss I was gonna give ya was made by Hershey. So get over your bad selves!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
THE FIVE HOUSES: THE RETURN OF THE RICKY RICKY RICKY TRICKY QUICKIE QUIZ.
Cerpts that Live in the Past brings you something REAL OLD. Back in April of 1985 (when I was writing the Rustler Newsletter), I put in this brain teaser that ONE of my readers probably remembers (on account-a he's so old too). It was called "The Five Houses". You're pretty good if you can do it in 30 minutes or less. You're going to need a pencil and paper for this one. And whoever gets the correct answer and posts it in the comments FIRST wins a prize: I will give them a kiss! That's right. . .male or female. . .I will give them a kiss! So, now that I've guaranteed NO ONE will try to figure out the puzzle; here it is:
You are asked to study the 15 facts below and then answer these 2 questions: 1) Which man drinks diet soda? 2) Which man owns a spider monkey.
There are five houses. In each house lives a man of a certain nationality who has his favourite drink, his favourite game, and his own pet. Every fact must be taken into account to answer the two questions.
1. There are five houses in a row, each having a different colour.
2. The Englishman lives in the red house.
3. The green house is to the right of the white house.
4. The Italian owns a puppy.
5. Lemonade is drunk in the green house.
6. The Swede drinks coffee.
7. The man who plays backgammon owns a toad.
8. The man who plays racquetball lives in the yellow house.
9. The man in the middle house drinks milk.
10. The Russian lives in the first house.
11. The man who owns the camel lives next to the man who plays pool.
12. The man who owns the rat lives next to the man who plays racquetball.
13. The man who plays solitaire drinks vodka.
14. The American plays charades.
15. The Russian lives next to the blue house.
OK, now GO!
Monday, April 30, 2007
TWITERPATED TIME. Well, things get a little silly in the Spring. Daffy even. Irrefutable evidence of this fact??? Check out the two posted videos below this. Now picture Daffy (Duck, that is) bouncing all over a mountain lake whooping "Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo". Well, in that spirit. . .
"Everything is Twiterpated in the Spring,
Skunks smell sweet, rabbits sing,
Daffodils go daffy and the bluebells ring,
the whole wide world's in love.
Froggies turn soprano and the birds sing bass,
squirrels go nuts every place,
there's a twiterpated look on every face
cause everyone's in love.
When you can't control a grin
when your head's inflated
Love just socked you on the chin
Pal, you're twiterpated!
Things begin to happen when a boy meets girl,
deer meets doe, squirrel meets squirrel
it's a topsy-turvy twiterpated world
when everyone's in love."
And I love Thurl Ravenscroft (1914-2005)
. Requiescat in Pace.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Sleep
Sleep tonight
And may your dreams be realized
If the thunder cloud passes rain
So let it rain
Rain down on him
Mmm mmm mmm
So let it be
Mmm mmm mmm
So let it be
Sleep
Sleep tonight
And may your dreams be realized
If the thundercloud passes rain
So let it rain
Let it rain
Rain on him
-- also sprach U2
As the sun hides his head
For another nights rest
And the wind sings
His same old song
And you on the edge
Never close, never far
Always there when I needed a friend
Yet it's hard living life
On this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Spinning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
There once was a time
Never far from my mind
On the beach, on the 4th of July
I remember the sand
How you held out your hand
And we touched for what seemed a lifetime
Now it's hard
Leaving all this behind me now
Like a schoolboy so lost
Never found until now
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Yet it's hard
Living life on this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Turning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye.
- - Ranger of the Night.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
20 YEARS AGO IN RUSTLER HISTORY:
When Marlton Rustler Steak House (the greatest job in this or any other universe -- and here's an arial view of the Marlton Rustler on Route 70 back in the day with the old Gino's next door) 
closed down in May 1986, those few, proud and faithful transferred to Cinnaminson Rustler (yeah . . . they couldn't compare in a million years). Let me set the scene. ***WARNING - THIS BLOG CONTAINS RUSTLERSPEAK***
Lil Ole Me was working the greeter box ("Party Hienyiew") and our own beloved Paulster Paul was working salad bar. Our own beloved Cheekies had already punched off and was waiting for me to get done work so we could go frolic somewhere. (I promise he wasn't going to "410" me"). I was watching the clock (as was my wont) since I had 10 minutes to go in my shift. There I was calling back the orders all these dates were placing("Uh....one yellow five, one brown two and a lunch at the Y please.") as I innocently placed those plaques down on the rabble's (read: customers) tray. One of the rabble was an old man slightly younger than the Milky Way Galaxy. Slightly. Anyway, Paulster Paul, being the dutiful and thrifty employee that he was, was dutifully and thriftily spraying down the salad bar with a spray bottle of filled with water. 
Suddenly, the old man squawked: "What's that you're spraying there, sonny?" "Water." replied Paulster Paul. "Hmh." snorted the oldster, "Smells like bleach to me." Annoyed at the persnicketiness of senile citizens, Paul repeated emphatically, "No. It's water!" But then Paulster smelled it. Oops. Yeah, you guessed it! Some idiot (read: Cinnaminson Rustler employee NOT originally from Marlton) left a bottle of bleach water up by the salad bar where no such bottle should ever be found. "Hurtin' for certain without a curtain like Richard Burton who's no longer flirtin'!" "Cerptsy," said Paulster, "Close down the salad bar for a while!" Cue the mad scramble to take every crock of salad bar goodness (now contaminated with bleach) off the salad bar and replace them all. Cue the ENORMOUSLY obese manager Big John to come wobbling out at a frenetic pace in full panic. Cue Cerptsy and Paulster to start giggling. That is, until Cerptsy realizes that he's going to have to stay on the clock an extra HOUR before the whole salad bar is replaced and he will have to postpone frolics with Cheekies. Major bummer, dude. The only bright spot was, of course, when Big John clobbered himself on top of his head with a rack as he was rushing the tall cart into the back room. Ah well, Cinnaminson Rustler was extremely lame anyway and, when they closed down a mere 3 months later, we weren't surprised (or that sorry). Next time remind me to tell you about the time when a customer asked me if a potato comes with the meal and I answered, "Yeah, if they time it right!"
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
IT'S FINALLY LEGAL!!! The year: 1985. The place: Rustler Steak House (remember those?!?!). 
A 19-year old me is quietly working on the front line (behind the front counter for you non-Rustler alumni). Just then, somebody rolls a cart full of clean dishes up to the area where I'm working. It's this new kid we just hired; even younger than me. 
He's only been here for about a week or so. I don't even know his name and he certainly has never met me either. Two strangers in aprons and blue-checkered shirts. I continue working, not taking any notice of him (because I'm a shy bastard) and this kid proceeds to stack the clean dishes on the shelf. Finishing his task, this new kid turns his cart around to leave. Suddenly, he turns back towards me and says, without a prelude of any kind: "Do you know that Alucard spelled backwards spells Dracula?" Now, I've never spoken to this guy in my life and here he is blurting out this incredibly random statement. He doesn't know who the hell I am and there's no reason in the world for him to say this to me. "Yes," I reply, somewhat non-plussed, "I did know that." (What a snappy comeback!!! Our kid can REALLY think on his feet!) The guy then nods and wheels his cart away. That's it. The end of conversation. 
This is a true story. I swear to God! He just turns and walks away without another word or explanation of any kind. Needless to say, I was fuckin' puzzled (that's me looking fuckin' puzzled on the right)! Not at the fact that this stranger made such a vague, random statement (which most people would contemplate calling the authorities over to see if they were missing a mental patient). However, I love horror movies and had just taped "Dracula A.D. 1972) off the TV; said Hammer horror film features a character named Johnny Alucard!!! (That's him pictured below getting the "cold shoulder" from Christopher Lee). 
Now what made this strange kid say this particular sentence to me out of the blue??? It can only be called fate or destiny or whatever new age term is fashionable these days. All I can say is: my first thought was "Here is one strange pup and I've got to get to know this guy better!" And I did. And to this day, 21 years later (I suppose that means our friendship is finally turning LEGAL!!!), I still consider this guy my best friend. The daffy dope! He has seen me thru my ups and downs (quite a few downs in the last decade) and has always been there for me. He's supported me when I was in the depths and has made my life more incredibly fun and enjoyable than it ever would have been if he hadn't made that stupid-ass random statement to me all those years ago. 
Hail Cheeks, the doddy extraordinaire!!! Now I don't know if everybody gets such a good friend in life but I hope so. Because there's really nothing better in the world.
A 19-year old me is quietly working on the front line (behind the front counter for you non-Rustler alumni). Just then, somebody rolls a cart full of clean dishes up to the area where I'm working. It's this new kid we just hired; even younger than me. 
He's only been here for about a week or so. I don't even know his name and he certainly has never met me either. Two strangers in aprons and blue-checkered shirts. I continue working, not taking any notice of him (because I'm a shy bastard) and this kid proceeds to stack the clean dishes on the shelf. Finishing his task, this new kid turns his cart around to leave. Suddenly, he turns back towards me and says, without a prelude of any kind: "Do you know that Alucard spelled backwards spells Dracula?" Now, I've never spoken to this guy in my life and here he is blurting out this incredibly random statement. He doesn't know who the hell I am and there's no reason in the world for him to say this to me. "Yes," I reply, somewhat non-plussed, "I did know that." (What a snappy comeback!!! Our kid can REALLY think on his feet!) The guy then nods and wheels his cart away. That's it. The end of conversation. 
This is a true story. I swear to God! He just turns and walks away without another word or explanation of any kind. Needless to say, I was fuckin' puzzled (that's me looking fuckin' puzzled on the right)! Not at the fact that this stranger made such a vague, random statement (which most people would contemplate calling the authorities over to see if they were missing a mental patient). However, I love horror movies and had just taped "Dracula A.D. 1972) off the TV; said Hammer horror film features a character named Johnny Alucard!!! (That's him pictured below getting the "cold shoulder" from Christopher Lee). 
Now what made this strange kid say this particular sentence to me out of the blue??? It can only be called fate or destiny or whatever new age term is fashionable these days. All I can say is: my first thought was "Here is one strange pup and I've got to get to know this guy better!" And I did. And to this day, 21 years later (I suppose that means our friendship is finally turning LEGAL!!!), I still consider this guy my best friend. The daffy dope! He has seen me thru my ups and downs (quite a few downs in the last decade) and has always been there for me. He's supported me when I was in the depths and has made my life more incredibly fun and enjoyable than it ever would have been if he hadn't made that stupid-ass random statement to me all those years ago. 
Hail Cheeks, the doddy extraordinaire!!! Now I don't know if everybody gets such a good friend in life but I hope so. Because there's really nothing better in the world.
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