Pepperoni, Please

My sister-in-law is expecting a full account of my trip to the United States just before the Christmas holidays. I figured I’d better start writing before senility kicks in and at least get some of my memories down on e-paper. I spent the first few days with my family preparing for and celebrating Thanksgiving; after missing them for year it was a much needed event. The rest of the time was spent scheduling visits with friends. We do miss our friends a great deal, and keep hoping they’ll get the urge to move Down Under, or at least visit.

I also attended to some serious business: shopping. I’m not sure if I actually ended up with anything after the requisite returns, but at least I got to push around one of the few inanimate objects I miss from the US: a proper shopping cart. These are trolleys which behave themselves. You can actually push one around without making your lower back cross with you, or knock over displays (or people) as you wheel it around the store, or send your muscles into a permanent spasm as you (futilely) try to prevent the thing from angling off into someone’s car. These carts stay straight when you push them, because only the front wheels have all-way casters.

The other item I seriously miss from the US is proper pepperoni. At least, I think its proper; Andrew thinks its a cultural weapon. There’s not too much else I miss food-wise, other than refrigerated dinner roll dough and potato bread.

While Melbourne beats New York when it comes to coffee, there is a favourite restaurant of mine that makes the best coffee anywhere. They also make the best pastries and cakes, so if you’re in my old stomping grounds and have an event to bring something to, I’ll get you directions to Bon Appetit.