This and that ...
Mile-high times: Potsdam Times reporter Alex Jacobs had her vacation extended a day when United Airlines canceled the flight that was supposed to get her home from Colorado on Sunday. Terrorist trouble? Nope. Winter weather woes in Denver? Nope. “They told us the plane was broken,” she said. Glad they figured that out before boarding.
Remember Scotty?: Former Times reporter Scott Bronstein – who wrote nearly 3,500 stories during his tenure here, but is still perhaps best known as the guy who in Dustin Hoffman “Rainman” style could rattle off the drink specials for each day of the week at all of the Potsdam bars - turns 40 this week. This is the guy who in his 20s made the journalistically sound but questionable move from a job-comfort standpoint of ratting out our boss's boy for underaged drinking while on a recruiting trip to SUNY Potsdam. He's now writing a blog and translating news items from Spanish to English for the Web version of Panama's largest daily paper, La Prensa. http://blogger.prensa.com/scott/ And he does this with very little grasp of the Spanish language. Feliz cumpleaņos (Happy birthday), Scotty.
Futbol fever?: There is a Manchester United flag hanging outside a home on Waverly Street in Potsdam. Give yourself a point if you knew that Manchester United is an English football team. Score another point if you knew that English football is soccer. You get nil if you didn't know either of these things, but a bonus point if you knew that nil is the preferred way to say zero in soccer scoring.
Day 149 of “Thai Cuisine – Coming soon:” The sign went up last summer on the cursed building in Potsdam. Still no pad to be priked. Could it all have been a mean joke on all us St. Lawrence County foodies?
Welcome to Julian's: The restaurant recently opened on Market Street in Potsdam, where the Indian Carnival used to be. It took me a while to notice the subtle “Julian's” painted on the awning over the door, so I wonder if they are low-keying it until they get into the swing of things.
Good luck Matt: High school student Matthew J. Flynn II is going to announce his candidacy for a seat on the St. Lawrence County Legislature from the steps of the courthouse building (cue the theme from “Rocky”) in Canton next week. That's when I expect to find out why an 18-year-old kid would want to spend his first summer after graduation campaigning for a job that at least two current legislators don't want. Maybe he's trying to impress his prom date?
Living and dieting update: Note to self - don't start a diet a week before your favorite bar owners invite you to their “Christmas” party that features two hours of free drinks and food. That said, I am about five chicken wings shy of three pounds lost during week one of my diet quest. Looking at a tough week two, however, as I am going to a birthday party in Panama. The week coming up may may make the Tardelli's bash seem like time spent at a health spa. Stay tuned.
