Mary and I were at Jack and Benny’s Old North Diner for breakfast in Columbus. The neon sign was actively winking. Here’s the history of Buster Brown Shoes, popularized at the 1904 World’s Fair. Yes, that’s his little dog Tige by his side.
My sister remembers the X-Ray Shoe Fitting Machine where she could see the bones of her feet. Click to read the story about that device. Yikes!
Ooops it’s already Fall.
My son Mark drove me and my sister downtown so Mary could catch a 1:10 AM bus to DC to visit some friends. We’ve had a nice couple of weeks together, first in New York City and then with the family in Columbus.
After we dropped her at the Greyhound station, he drove me around the downtown area so I could get a few nighttime shots of the city. The Ohio Statehouse- just a bit of it as I shot it from the car window. Had the 70-200mm Canon L series lens on the camera. I should have gotten out of the car but we were on our way to take Mary. I had envisioned flags flying as they had been the last time we drove by in the daytime, but not even a breeze.
Ohio Statehouse (Greek Revival) Built 1839-1861
Christopher Columbus in front of City Hall- a 3-ton bronze statue- Uncrated Oct 10, 1955 A gift from Genoa
LeVeque Tower- second tallest building- Art Deco with red white and blue lights on it tonight for the upcoming Fourth of July
The Palace Theatre
The Columbus Fire Department Memorial Eternal Flame
(You hear about “noise” in a photograph. This is a fine example of “noise”)
The Santa Maria in Battelle Riverfront Park on the Scioto River
City buses lined up headed north
The Columbus Dispatch Neon Sign across from the State Capitol Building
Thanks Mark for the just past midnight tour of Columbus downtown.
Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
My sister took me there for lunch on Thursday. We shared a hot pastrami on rye with both fresh and pickled pickles. I’d never been to Katz’s before but would definitely go again. Everyone gets a ticket upon entering. You have to show it when you leave and pay, even if it is blank like mine was as Mary treated.
I sat at the table while she got in line for the carver to carve the meat. I can tell you the sandwich was delicious. as were the accompanying pickles.
A huge menu and lots more to order but half a sandwich was plenty. A nice woman let me photograph her matzoh ball but I didn’t think the photo looked good enough to post.
Before we went, Mary answered my query by googling and finding the chow hound telling the difference between pastrami and corned beef.
While we were there she pointed out the sawdust on the floor. Lots of celebrities photos and neon beer signs from floor to ceiling.
I’d heard of the slogan- Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army but didn’t remember the song which is also my sister’s reference. Thanks Mary.
A popular spot for lunch. Fellow diners at the deli.
Hot Pastrami on Fresh Rye as photographed by my iPhone.
Two kinds of pickles. both delicious, iPhone shot again.
You can order a six foot sandwich to go for $275
(Took this with the Canon 5D 50/ 1.2L lens, no flash)
Packing up the six footer in a special box. Plenty of muster and mayo went with it.
Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army
Food eating contests aren’t really my thing- in fact, I don’t understand the urge to prepare and practice for such an event! Or what one might feel like afterwards.
But today when my sister pointed out this sign, I tried to fathom what the numbers meant. And the countdown ’til July 4th is visible on this sign.
My sister found a stat on a guy who in 1972 ate 19 and in 2012 the guy ate 68! That’s quite an increase in consumption.
Did I mention that this effort takes place in TEN MINUTES time??? I don’t even want to witness this contest in person but I find it amazing that it exists.
This is an INTERNATIONAL contest. You can read more about it here And yes, there is an International Federation of Competitive Eating who approves such contests.
You don’t just show up. You have to qualify. Joey Chestnut has been winning since 2007 but competition is nipping at his heels.
There’s a female champion, Sonya Thomas.
A little controversy- this guy’s photo was removed from the sign in 2011 and last year Takeru Kobayashi wasn’t allowed to compete and ate hot dogs on the rooftop in Manhattan? Check out his other food competitions if you wish- includes cow brains and Twinkies but not eaten simultaneously, different contests at this link. My sister said when he is not competing he eats cabbage and fasts. Good plan.
He pioneered the Solomon Method- break in half and eat both halves at once then eat the bun. (or something like that)
You can jump and down while you eat them. Or sway side to side.
Mary found the sign AFTER we had each consumed one hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard. I was reminiscing about visiting Nathan’s on Coney Island with my 3 kids in November 1991. When we were there at Thanksgiving the place was deserted.
And if hot dogs aren’t for you there are the frog legs….
(note the calories listed on each menu item)
Neon. An inert gas. 2/3 the density of air. When put into electric signs it glows, catches your eye. You can read about Neon Signs here.
Not sure how much neon signage you have in your neighborhood but there’s a lot around the city.
I was filling up my car’s gas tank and looked across the street.
After I screwed on the gas cap, I got my camera out of my school bag. I had the long lens.
Another day I’ll go and visit the interior and ask if the Neon Doctor is in.
Good to know there’s a place that can restore and repair the neon signs.
From across the street. Shot with a Canon 70-200 lens L series.
Cropped shot. I will get energized and go and actually visit the place after school one day. 
My mother was into homemade whole wheat bread with wheat germ added. She’d scald milk, boil water, crumble a cake of yeast. Knead and knead, place it in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, let rise, punch it down, rest – then shape the loaves.
Let them rise again. this time in battered aluminum bread pans covered lightly with waxed paper.
The aroma filled the house and after it was baked we’d eat a slice with butter and honey when it was still warm.
What I would give to have my mother make a couple of loaves again, turn them out of the greased bread pans. Saw off a slice with a serrated edge.
But when I was a kid, I saw a big white truck with red and yellow and bright blue balloons all over it. WONDER BREAD. I wanted my mother to buy WONDER BREAD. I’d eaten it somewhere and was fascinated you could roll it into a ball! Hard to believe but true. I begged my mother to buy WONDER BREAD. Oh how I longed for the colorful balloons on the wrapper.
Embarrassing to admit, but true.
She never did.
I saw this sign by the abandoned Wonder Bread Bakery in Columbus OH. ( click to read about construction of Wonder Bread LOFTS that started four days ago)
“Who ya gonna call?” The Neon Doctor. They repair and buy old signs, too, or create a custom sign for you!
