Memories: Riding The Step Van – Dad was the GM of a small chain of 5, 10, & 25-cent stores called Ralph’s. He arranged to use the company van to drive back and forth to work, a matter of a few miles. That was smart since we did not have to buy two cars; think the mid-1950s.
The term step van was coined because it allows the driver to step up quickly on the low van steps built under its doors. Some models allow the driver to stand upright inside, even when the truck moves. Since its inception, the step van has become a standard for delivery trucks.
The truck was a bright blue with Ralph’s Logo on the side! There should have been flames painted on the side also!
At Christmas time, the stores became busy, and during December, Dad would come home at 5:00 pm for dinner and then take the Step Van to the “Valley,” meaning over the Hollywood Hills, to three of the stores in Van Nuys. Sometimes we would make two trips after dinner. I would help him load and unload the van, which I thought was great fun!
Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neighborhood with the more urbanized parts of Los Angeles to the north and south, between Ventura Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. The road was a series of turns, almost switchbacks going up to the top and then back down.
The van was packed to the hilt with all sorts of merchandise. I would sit up front, on the engine compartment cover, without a seatbelt as we would drive through Coldwater or Laurel Canyon. The engine got hot going up the hill, and I could feel the heat on my bottom where I sat and held on for dear life.
I can see Dad’s arms going 100 miles per hour, steering that van through the hairpin curves. It was like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride but for real! Oh, it was NOT an automatic! Great fun! Sometimes I can still smell the brakes and clutch burning! Those were the days!
Today we are off to get a tooth looked at and hopefully removed. The Endodontist was the same one Mary used last year to treat a tooth issue, so we already liked the guy. We were first in line, meaning we had to be up and moving at 5:30 am to get to his office in Huntington Beach at 8:30 am.
He removed the temporary cap and shook his head; that tooth could not be salvaged. Mary was in the room only because a) she was also a doctor and b) because the doctor and she hit it off. Mary got a first-row center seat!
I asked him, “How do you stop your mouth from freezing in the snow? Grit your teeth!”
The doctor was hilarious!
We asked if he could pull the puppy, and after checking the front office, they had a cancellation at 1:00 pm, so today was the day!
We had time to kill and did not want to drive back home, so where should we go? Chico’s, of course. We moved about 1/2 a mile to the local Chicos, and Mary walked through the store, and nothing jumped into her arms!
As we departed, she mentioned “Discovery,” an American Cancer Society store selling second-hand everything. OMG, they knew Mary was coming. She found a beautiful forest green evening gown, size, and favorite color! It was fantastic, and the dress said to her, “I want to go to Hawaii and dance on the ship!” It will get that opportunity. She picked up several other things, including a Chico dress that she liked for about a quarter of the price! Mary hit the jackpot!
After the shopping soiree, we headed for the Himalayan Grill for lunch. I asked the doctor if I could have Indian food or if that would gas him. He said he also loved Indian food; it was a match made in heaven!
We had a phenomenal lunch complete with a glass of wine (I was trying to kill the pain ahead of time!). Mary ordered too much food, but we could take it home.
The cast iron plates were hot hot hot!
Their new establishment is quite lovely and has a great harbor view. They do a lot of takeout and catering business.
We got there before the crowds.
Introducing Mary to Sweet Nan was fun; the nan is stuffed with sugar, raisins, and sliced almonds. We had this for dessert and decided to bring some back to the office with us.
We brought two orders of sweet nan back to the office.
The main ingredients of classic papadum are Black gram (also known as urad flour or chickpea flour) and Water. Salt. We had mango chutney, mint yogurt sauce, and lime pickle sauce.
The papadam was delicious.
Mary’s dish was cooked to her order; almost ZERO spices! The marinating took longer since they had to remove the spices from the recipe, but the salmon was excellent.
What do you call a Hindu who rejects the gods and prays to a slice of bread? A Naan Believer.
I was telling Mary about curry when the waiter ran over and grabbed the pickles and chutneys. I wish he’d stop taking sides.
MAry’s salmon was enough for two!
Back to the office, we went and made it just in time. By 2:30 pm, we were on our way home minus one old rotten tooth! The procedure was painless, and we will see him in two weeks to have the stitches removed. He placed cadaver bone in the opening, and in about six months, we will begin implanting a new tooth. At least I will not have to worry about a toothache mid-pacific ocean!
On the way out the door, I asked, “Why do we call them dental x-rays and not tooth pics?”
We stopped by the CVS to get some prescriptions and then headed home.
We were going to visit our friend in Villa Park but knowing she would not be feeling well; we decided to go home instead. We hope she calls us when she decides to join us at the Elks or go out for a while; time will tell. Until she decides to get better by going out, she will remain in the same condition.
At home, we messed around in the garden, with Mary doing all the heavy work; I am not allowed to lift anything or do strenuous exercise for about two weeks; they do not want the stitches to come loose. Mary planted more squash and some tomatoes. I helped by handing her the tools and other items she needed.
Finally, our order for Scotchguard arrived, and I completed protecting our new furniture.
I had the remaining vegetable soup for dinner, which was perfect as it was quite tasty lukewarm.
We watched a movie entitled “Extraction II.” Summary: After barely surviving his grievous wounds from his mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take on their next mission.
By 9:00 pm, we were crashed. I had to sleep sitting up and get ice packs every couple of hours, plus more meds. The doc made sure that happened.
