By Paddy Notar
Turnagain Times Correspondent

Whoops! Last issue I wrote that it was a good time to look for Great Belize mushrooms in Hope. The mushroom is King Boletes. Spell check got me on the Boletes part. Belize is a tropical country that we should all visit soon. Thanks to Kevin in Moose Pass for the correction.

According to the New York Times Food Encyclopedia the year was 1914. Late one evening a leading lady of actor Charlie Chaplin came into a restaurant and said, “Reuben, make me a sandwich, make it a combination, I’m so hungry I could eat a brick.” He took a loaf of rye bread, cut two slices on the bias and stacked one piece with sliced Virginia ham, roast turkey, and imported Swiss cheese, topped off with coleslaw and lots of Reuben’s special Russian dressing on the other side of the bread. He served it to the lady who said, “Gee, Reuben, this is the best sandwich I ever ate, you ought to call it an Annette Seelos Special.” To which he replied, “Like hell I will, I’ll call it a Reuben’s Special.” His name was Arnold Reuben and he lived from 1883 – 1970.

The Rocktoberfest is going to happen on Oct. 7 and 8 with Nervis Rex and The Council of Smokers and Drinkers. $15 gets you admission and a filled beer stein. $5 gets you general admission and kids under 12 get in for free. Get a babysitter and go have some fun. Bringing someone under 12 years old to see a band that has the name “The Council of Smokers and Drinkers” might be a little over the top. But they are good. Columbus Day marks the end of the Alyeska-lift assisted mountain biking season. The last day is Oct. 10 and it goes on from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy the scenery and, as always, wear a helmet or risk losing your head.

The one event you absolutely have to show up for is the Girdwood Community All Sports Swap. It’s going on Saturday, Oct. 22, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Daylodge. Bring your gear, whether it’s snowboards or bibs and trade it out for something else. It’s good to move old stuff out the door and bring in something fresh. With the economy so lousy trading in the stuff you don’t want and possibly getting something you do is a pretty good proposition. By the way, your significant other doesn’t count, just sports gear.

I haven’t gotten by Maxine’s to do a write up because I’ve been eating French Toast at the Silvertip. I love this French Toast. The spices are perfect with just the right amount of nutmeg and they serve it with a side of yogurt, nuts and fresh fruit. It’s really good. Don’t walk, run and get some. Tell Sandy, Paddy said hello and she’ll give you some free syrup. Maxine’s will, yet again, have to wait. The anticipation of great food is torturing me but such is life. I’ll get there soon. Also, don’t forget that every Wednesday is open mic night at Maxine’s. Bring your friends and your instruments and let it all out. The fun starts at 8 p.m.

Who was the only major league baseball pitcher to win the Cy Young award for his 27 victories and still have his team finish in last place? Answer in a bit.

If you’re heading into town check out the grand re-opening of Carr’s on Huffman. If you haven’t been there in a while you won’t recognize the place. They did a nice job, and the three new roundabouts make traffic flow a lot better. We’ll see if people can handle them in the winter.

Answer to trivia: Steve Carlton, of the Philadelphia Phillies won the Cy Young award in 1972 while his team finished in last place.

Well, that’s it for this column. The days continue to get shorter, the snow is accumulating, and it’s almost time to switch the tires over so we can dig up the asphalt with a false sense of security. Just drive safe and according to the conditions of the road and you won’t have any problems.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tim was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages. So ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.” Think about it and enjoy the last days of fall.

Email me at:
paddytimes@gmail.com.