Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Chicago


During this Covid-19 period, we, as a people, have forgone our historic inclinations to travel far and wide. I, for one, miss the travel bug of climbing into a shiny metal tube destined for faraway locales or even a hop into my truck to careen down long stretches of asphalt to little known backwaters to meet new people and locate some little known facts or places.

I should preface by saying I did recently do just that by transporting my new wife (and dogs) to Texas from their home in San Diego. A long and arduous trip in June in the midst of a heat wave. Well for Diane, any temperature above 90 is a stay on Mercury. It involved a side trip to a friend in Prescott (I am informed it’s pronounced “Prescutt”), Arizona, El Paso, Texas and ultimately to our home in Aubrey, Texas. The dogs, Oliver and the elderly Gordo, handled it well with several stops for potty breaks and two nights in “Dog-Friendly” hotels. It was reminiscent of a similar series of treks I took back in 2005 to move my family from San Diego to Frisco, Texas. I did experience some PTSD flashbacks.

We left the beautiful mountains of California for the flat, high and low deserts of the southwest and, what I like to refer to as the “no FM zone”, where only the most powerful AM radio can be heard as distant crackling dis-embodied voices of radio pastors preach their fire and brimstone sermons for Sunday, as you stare out the windshield at the straight ribbon of concrete to a point you’ll be in about two hours from now. No…we didn’t have Sirius Radio. There was one point where there was no cell service and the old Google Maps failed us.

 But I digress. This tale involves a courageous break in a never-ending shifting quarantine status and a deep need to get the heck out of town. Our friends Chad and Sara had invited us on a one-day foray to Chicago, Illinois. Yes…a little weird but it was as a gift trip for their daughter Lorna and they wanted to make it a party. We were also joined by another friend, Jack. Now I’ve been to a lot of places but never to Chicago. Well, I did make it to Chicago O’Hare Airport for business and pleasure but never to the city. Diane was similarly disposed and agreed it would be cool to go into the City. Thus we got some CRAZY cheap tickets on American Airlines, direct from DFW, for a Wednesday trip to the inner-city.

A little background: Chicago’s first permanent, non-indigenous resident was a trader named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a free black man from Haiti whose father was a French sailor and whose mother was an African slave. He came there in the 1770s via the Mississippi River from New Orleans with his Native American wife, and their home stood at the mouth of the Chicago River. In 1803, the U.S. government built Fort Dearborn at what is now the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive (look for the bronze markers in the pavement). It was destroyed in 1812 following the Battle of Fort Dearborn, rebuilt in 1816, and permanently demolished in 1857.

Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago was ideally situated to take advantage of the trading possibilities created by the nation’s westward expansion. Today, 50 percent of U.S. rail freight continues to pass through Chicago. It is the confluence of the Chicago River and the Des Plains River which run into the Mississippi River and, of course, Lake Michigan. It is also the start of the "Historic Route 66" which begins at Grant Park on Adams Street in the front of the Art Institute of Chicago. Oh…let’s not forget The Blues Brothers high-speed chase scenes in downtown Chicago and the Bob Newhart Show.

We can’t forget the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Interestingly, the Chicago Fire Department training academy at 558 W. DeKoven St. is on the site of the O’Leary property where the fire began. There’s the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) which was the tallest building in the world until 1998. There is the Trump Tower, which was supposed to be the tallest building in the world until the people of Chicago objected (and then Mayor Daly) and it ended up being the third tallest after the World Trade Center and the Willis (Sears) Tower as of 2001. Since then, there’s been a bunch of new buildings much taller in Asia.

So at O-Dark Thirty, Diane and I made our way to DFW to begin our day. Luckily for them, there was an open Dunkin’ Donuts right there at gate C-12 or Diane might have had me make a trip into town to get her coffee, mini-bagel and cream cheese. Some disappointment, due to a mask miscommunication (I’m sure everybody’s had one of THOSE), she ultimately didn’t get her mini-bagel but, being a real team player, accepted her regular bagel. Turns out, Diane’s not a big morning person…who knew?

At the appointed hour, we hopped on a FULL flight of masked travelers in our 737 and two hours later (with no food or drink service) landed at O’Hare. With only carry-on, our exit was swift and we made our way to the Ground Transportation side and our Uber. Chad had arranged for an UberXL luxury car and we jumped into our Lincoln Navigator and a drop-off at Millennium Park. This is a large walking park in the heart of the city. Also there is the “Cloud Gate” or more commonly referred to as the "Bean". Of course, we’ve all seen it many times on TV but it’s pretty cool when you’re there looking at its amazingly reflective surface. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close because of Covid concerns and the recent spate of rioting/protesting where it had been graffitied. Still cool to look at.

Speaking of the protesting, we got there after all the big-time rioting/looting took place but there were still ample signs of the craziness that had occurred. As we walked down Michigan Avenue (locally referred to as the Magnificent Mile) most businesses were open and many still had their layers of plywood over the broken doors and windows. I couldn’t help but notice the only stores hit tended to be high-end stores like Ferragamo’s, Tiffany’s and, wait a minute…the Disney Store? I am struggling to understand the connection between Black Lives Matters and the destruction of the Disney Store. Wow. 


One of the stores left untouched was…the big Starbucks Reserve Roastery. This is the biggest Starbucks I’ve ever seen: five, count ‘em, five floors of coffee  and goodies to eat including a rooftop café. Hey...they even serve alcohol. 

There was a large visible police presence on Michigan Avenue. It seemed every few yards there were either uniformed cops standing around or patrol cars parked in the street. I felt safe but the locals say all the fun is after dark and the Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, has basically instructed the police to stand-down and not engage the protesters. All in all, I do want to say Chicago seemed very clean for a major city. Except for random graffiti, the streets were clean and I didn’t see any trash or many homeless on the boulevard.

And now the pizza debate. One of our missions was to taste deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. I’ve been to “Chicago Brothers Pizza” in San Diego but I’m sure that’s not the real thing. First of all, it’s not IN Chicago. So our friends have been to Chicago before and have sampled a place called “Labriola’s.” 

They thought it was good but wanted to try another Chicago staple, "Giordano's" by the Navy Pier. After walking ALL the way down the pier, we discovered we had to back-track because the joint was back at the beginning of the pier (at the end of the day, those with step counters on their phones had us at like a MILLION steps).

Anyway, we get ourselves seated and had several mask exchanges with our Eastern-European server who set us up with two pizzas and some pasta for Lorna. One pizza was a traditional thin-crust and the other was a deep-dish pepperoni. Ok…my Italian heritage kicked in and I got snobbish. 

We cracked open the deep-dish and were immediately accosted by a river of cheese emanating from the cup-like crust. When I bit into said pizza, all I tasted was the cheese. The crust was tasty and crispy. Now I’m not a complete snob and I’ve never met a pizza I didn’t like but I was a little underwhelmed. I did try Sara’s Gluten-free thin-crust which was good but the crust was a little overdone. Of course, wherever you go, the locals will have their favorites and if you’re brought up in a region where that’s the norm, then that’s what you’ll like and order. No problem. And I should point out, those I spoke with had other pizza joints they thought were classic Chicago Pizza, so the take-away is…we’re just going to have to return and try another joint and keep trying until we’ve hit them all. 

So after a little shopping and coffee drinking, we met up with our Uber driver who whisked us back to O’Hare with plenty of time to get through security and hop on our 2/3s full flight back to DFW on a spacious 787. We did what can only be characterized as a carrier landing at the end of 17 Right and then spent the next 20 minutes (big airport) returning what was left of the aircraft to the gate. All-in-all, a pretty nice 18 hour day of fun and frivolity. We’re thinking about doing something like that again. With the crazy low Covid prices for tickets, it’s a little hard not to.

Not sure what to say about this, found in the Chicago O'Hare Airport Terminal. So....who cleans out the bin and where does it go? Hmmmmmm.....



Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Everybody's got their sh*t



No....not me, digital model
It has become apparent in these “Covid” times that people are under great stress.  Now, I certainly do not wish to diminish or make light of the current world situation.  But I do have to point out some incongruities (hey…  somebody’s got to do it).  As I like to point out, everybody’s got their sh*t (I even had a tee shirt made).  But it’s times like these where it really starts to show.

These times can bring out the best or worst in people.  I’ve discovered both.  The current crisis has provided us with numerous opportunities to view other people’s stuff online.  I’m talking about well-meaning people who have decided that publishing their latest crazy video on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook is the way to go for all to see; sometimes well-received but sometimes ill-advised.  It is clear to me that people have waaaayyyy too much time on their hands.  Now, I understand, we are prisoners of our homes and really can’t get out much.  And once cabin fever sets in all bets are off.  With screaming kids, home schooling, disinfecting everything that moves and a partner you’re living with (that person your mother warned you about) who has turned out not to be the same person you first met or married.  This can be seen in a very humorous but poignant YouTube video “Woman in the Closet”

I’ve seen it in action.  I’ve attended a grocery store not too long ago where anxieties were high and there was the smell of paper products in the air.  We had all dutifully lined up for senior shopping time and when the doors opened (this was before strict separation was in place) a flurry of humanity, I would like to say trotted, but actually ran, toward the paper products aisle.  I was not in need of paper products but I tagged along to watch the insanity.  There I watched grown people zigging and zagging their way like wide receivers on the football field to get to their precious paper product. What’s up with that anyway; did people really think we would never see toilet paper again? Most took it in stride but there was at least one person who “lost their sh*t.” Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and a very nice store worker reached back into their cart and personally handed them their precious toilet paper.  Crisis averted.  It’s kind of like survival of the fittest yet more like a civilized “Lord of the Flies” scenario.

I will confess I have cheated death on several occasions during my state’s “lock down” orders.  Thus far, I have made flights to California and driven to other than retail stores.  During those forays I have seen people in various states of compliance from wearing masks, not wearing masks, wearing gloves, not wearing gloves and even the occasional grocery bag over their heads (true story).  I have enjoyed hearing experts tell all that wearing masks was first not necessary, then recommended and then mandatory, while not telling us where we could access or purchase said masks.  Once this was recognized, it was suggested that everything from pillowcases to bandannas were authorized.  Once government gets going, it’s hard to stop making rules that suit their agendas. Diane and I did our civic duty and volunteered at  The Rock Church in San Diego (three hours, I have the finger blister to prove it) to help assemble N95 style masks for the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services. We dutifully tied rubber bands together to be attached to the blank face masks.  Very rewarding stuff.

Don’t get me started on all the stimulus talk. I need to point out that the once derided monthly check put forth by Presidential candidate, Californian Andrew Yang, was one of the first suggestions for the stimulus.  The stimulus ended up to be a nonstarter not to mention the poorly implemented small business stimulus.  Let’s face it: it’s an election year and people in power love to give free money to enhance their positions in an election year.

Old stuff
Shiny new stuff
On a personal note, I do need to point out one other thing.  In my travels to California, I’ve been tasked to fix items to repair my lovely fiancées’ condo so she can lease and/or sell it in the State of Taxation (California) she lives in.  I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that whenever you take apart anyone’s plumbing it never stays simple.  As soon as you turn the first wrench, there is a cascading effect (sometimes water) that occurs where you end up replacing everything to make it work.  What started out as a simple change of bathroom faucets, turned into a battle of wits with aging copper parts.  After an entire afternoon of jousting, I came out victorious with no leaks the first time.  Amazing....sorry, I digress.

Now, I’m not much of a sports guy but I recognize the importance of sports in today’s society.  You can tell that importance when you tune in to ESPN and wonder how entertaining it is to watch Super Bowl 2009 in its entirety like you already didn’t know the outcome.  Let’s not forget all of the outdoor activities that have been put on hold.  Outdoor concerts, parades, chili cook offs and even evening strolls along our beaches have been taken from us.  This has provided many of us with a “bunker mentality” that has driven most of us to relieve ourselves of this “stay at home” situation.  And thus, we are now seeing people protesting (clearly violating physical distancing mandates and frankly scaring the hell out of government officials) and asking to open up their states to get back to “normal” or perhaps the “New Normal” that will be our future.

The other thing is the change we are seeing in the marketplace.  Since this thing got started, it’s become the business owner’s mission to up their game and comfort us with the knowledge that they are sanitizing everything for our safety.  I mean, I’m watching a commercial for a plumber where he is spraying down and sanitizing his entire truck.  How is sanitizing his truck going to make my life better?  Another thing we’ve seen is a newfound embrace of technology (that’s been around for years) providing contact-less consultations, meetings, home visits and purchasing apps never before seen. (Where were you guys before this?) The same has happened in schools, grocery stores and (for goodness sake) hospitals and medical centers. It seems everyone on the planet has suddenly discovered soap and water as an avenue to good health.  Who knew?


Daily, we hear about things and activities that are being taken from us.  It seems like a never-ending list of disappointments.  Some not so disappointing like when I heard today that, due to commercial pressures, Chip and Joanna Gaines were having to delay their latest addition to their Magnolia Empire, the “Magnolia Network” they were about to start.  Oh no, what will we do without more Chip and Joanna? AND the Scripps National Spelling Bee. There is no justice! I mean, we already have the plague, now I’m looking out the window looking for the locusts. How will we manage?

Fox 4s Evan Andrews and dog Penny
I wanted to point out another thing about all of these “at home” celebrities, newscasters and others.  It gives one a unique opportunity to see into the lives of the people you may see every day looking all official and dressed to the nines.  I challenge you, the next time you watch your favorite newscasters or celebrities, look beyond the made-up faces to what’s going on behind them.  Check their bookcases and collections of art, photographs and most of all their pets.  That vaunted newscaster and their “fair and balanced” style is shattered when you realize that they are secretly that scary “cat woman” everybody makes fun of on YouTube.  And let’s not forget the “One World: Together at Home” concert.  I did enjoy the music and saw many famous acts but Charlie Puth needs to make his bed and put his clothes away before going on worldwide television.  Seriously, his mom must be beside herself when she saw that.

Charlies bedroom studio

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The Cruise that Never Was

MS Oosterdam
This blog was supposed to be about my wonderful Mexican Riviera Cruise. I had booked the trip months ago to get my long time friend (and now fiancee...more on that later) Diane her first cruise experience. I had booked a fantastic rate for a balcony room on the Oosterdam with Holland America. Diane lives in San Diego where we were to debark from so I thought it would be an easy trip for both of us.

Then Corona Virus struck. The cruise ship Diamond Princess was held in Japan, people were sick and dying and it seemed like the Apocalypse was upon us. In the weeks before the cruise, we were inundated with doom and gloom newscasters telling us we were all going to die and the end of mankind was just around the corner. Diane and I were being asked daily by friends and family if we were still committed to the cruise after all the cruise ships seemed to be quarantined or often not allowed to port for stops or even just returning to home ports. There came a string of missives from the cruise line stating our safety was paramount and they promised us a great adventure AND an added cabin credit of $200 to keep us from canceling. Awesome! Cabin Credits, right cruisers?

Mostly due to my former occupation and the experience that came with that, I've never considered myself an alarmist and I wasn't about to start now. Ok, some would suggest that when all others are losing their sh*t around you...it may be time to re-evaluate your position (sorry Mr. Kipling). My experience dictates one constant, people are well meaning but they're going to screw up. They can't help themselves. I just need to point to the massive hoarding that took place after the first announcements of staying home and riding out the storm. There was never a hint of a food shortage or a complete halt to the production and distribution of toilet paper or paper towels (I'm still mystified at THAT nonsense). I believe people have been binge watching Zombie movies like "Walking Dead" for too long. I know this because, in my state, Texas, gun and ammunition sales went up 100% in the week we went into stay-at-home was enacted.

So Friday night before departure, I'm literally zipping up my bag for the trip to the airport in the morning when I get an email from Holland America saying the cruise was canceled and we were entitled to a refund or future cruise credit. I get the cruise line was acting prudently and clearly afraid of future fallout lawsuits from sick passengers or quarantining people on their ships. All bad press for the publicity department.

Ok...I still have lemons (a really low fare round trip to San Diego) and can make lemonade. I can still go to San Diego and visit Diane and friends. This will NOT hamper my vacation. It's San Diego in the Spring for goodness sake. How bad can it be? How wrong I could be.

I could see the handwriting on the wall when I got to Love Field. Love is the headquarters for Southwest Airlines and is usually a bevy of activity. Security has like 20 lanes and usually there are lines even at O-dark thirty as I was. Nope, I literally walked right up to the TSA guy, handed my phone and ID to him and waltzed through X-Ray and retrieved my carry-on in about five minutes. The hold-up was I had neglected to remove a juice box for my grandson I keep for our outings. They were treating it like a plastic explosive. I saw it as the TSA tech walked up with it and I pulled it out, unannounced, and caused a stir, but I apologized for my cavalier attitude and they sent me packing.

One of 30 people on my flight
Anyone familiar with the Southwest boarding policy knows we had to lineup so the Agent could get us aboard in an organized fashion. I had checked in 24 hours before and got an A-59 assignment....Ok, I have NEVER gotten an "A" assignment before. I was doing air high-fives the day before. I get in my spot and can't help notice the few passengers lined up. The Agent then calls, "Let me have A 1 thru 30 for boarding." Nobody moved. A 1-30 was sans passengers. The Agent realized this and then said (to my dismay), "Well......let me have A,B and C passengers for boarding." I was one of 30 people on a stretch 737-800. There was no pushing or shoving or waits while people put their bags into the overhead. Victory was ripped from my hands. I was robbed.

The trip to San Diego was quick and quiet...not a word was spoken among the vastly scattered passengers and the crew was equally quiet and unseen. After the safety briefing, they only appeared to distribute drinks and some snacks. They kept the night-lighting on and you caught an occasional ghost-like flight attendant wander up and down the aisle to collect trash as we entered final approach.

Now California had not locked down yet so Diane picked me up and took me to Old Town Mexican Cafe for my favorite breakfast. We drank lots of coffee and had our fill of their handmade tortillas (best on the planet). You know, the kind you just want to curl up with a tub of butter and try to catch the melted goodness running down your wrists as you eat.

Diane lives in Chula Vista, California and we needed to pick up some stuff for her condo so I had my first real experience with crazy grocery stores. We got to the Walmart and the shelves were bare. I'm not talking just paper products, entire aisles of bread, pasta, eggs, dairy were gone. Let's not even mention the lack of sanitizing and cleaning products. We saw people walking out with pallets of water. It was like those disaster movies.

So the first night I had Diane ask her sister Carol and Brother-in-law John to join us for dinner. They picked the  Dolci Cafe Italiano  in Rancho San Diego. There we had a wonderful dinner. I had the Lasagne Bolognese, Diane had the Pollo Parmigiana. The Lasagna was interesting in that it wasn't the traditional wide pasta in cake form but a  Pappardelle style wide Fettuccine pasta...really done well. During the evenings discussion was Diane's future plans to Texas. Diane recently retired and wanted to taste the wide open spaces and State tax-freedom of my adopted state.

We have been friends for about 20 years and had been long-distance dating for about a year and I had decided to propose to her (with witnesses) on the cruise we were supposed to be on that week. I had the presence of mind to bring the ring with me that night expecting to propose over dessert. So the conversation moved on to when we were getting married. Diane's response was something like,"Well, I don't know, he (that would be ME) hasn't proposed yet."

Ok...let me digress, in the past couple of months I was getting photo texts of pictures of rings and subtle hints as to where I could locate similar rings for sale. Let me point out the descriptions of her wish list were for "big ass" rings. The photos were evidence of a need for something significant to wrap around her diminutive (size 6) finger. I dutifully located and purchased said rings. I then had a family member do a cursory temperature check of the family's response to a proposal. I got the go-ahead and had planned on a proposal at the first Formal Night on-board so we could get photo evidence for future generations. Those plans were dashed when Covid-19 showed up.

So there we were at dinner when her remark about proposing hit home. Not waiting for dessert....I kicked my chair out from underneath me and got down on one knee (which is a significant undertaking at my youthful 65) and pulled the BA ring out of my pocket and proposed. Well, a very pregnant pause took place and my future bride and sister got vapor lock as I awaited her response. Thankfully, future BIL John had the presence of mind to take some phone photos of the moment as I had to prod dear Diane to come up with a verbal response, "Ahhhh...you're supposed to say something." Thankfully she said yes and it was hugs and applause all around the restaurant.

I should point out, our female server quickly made her way to the table as she was informed by the kitchen staff I had proposed and she was a little miffed she had missed the event. As a sign of her congratulations, she offered us a free dessert which we gladly accepted  and shared a Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache...Wow. And, right on queue, two days later California closed restaurants except to drive-up and pick up only.

So for the next week, as the stay-at-home order took hold, we did a lot of book reading, movie watching, dog walking and home cooking with an occasional meal delivery (Door Dash) of Olive Garden delights (they didn't include bread sticks...Bastards!). Luckily, we had brave friends and relatives who took us into their homes under the cover of darkness, for dinners (thanks Carol and John as well as Frank and Michele).

The week went relatively fast and I found myself back at the Lindberg Field Terminal saying goodbye to my newly ringed fiancee' (I was reminded its Fianee' feminine and Fiance' for the male).

I saw a familiar check-in the day before my departure when I checked in late and STILL got an "A" assignment. When I got to the airport the next day, again, I was the only person walking through security at 4 pm on a Monday, usually a busy time for Lindberg Field. I stood at the entry point and couldn't see a way through the chicane of barriers. Waayyyyy back by the X-Ray machine a TSA guy called to me, "Sir...just come straight back", and waved me toward him. Again, I was the only person going through and took me maybe three minutes to get to the redressing area. Up to the gates and was presented with an empty terminal. There were more Gate Agents than passengers. I got a snack and sat at my gate. When it was time to go, we all were called up to the Gate and just walked our way to the plane. There were 10 of us going to Dallas and three were Southwest employees deadheading back to Dallas.

Wait...I saw this on "Airplane"
Back at Dallas, I made my way through a completely empty Terminal. The only place open was a Dunkin' Donut shop at the top of the stairs to exit. I was hungry and got my plain Old Fashion and a cup of their coffee. I quickly got my bag from the turnstile and out to my pickup in record time.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Maple & Motor

As it goes with family, there are times when you have to step outside the box and help out. My son, William, had moved from my house in Aubrey, Texas to his own digs in a pretty nice apartment complex in South Dallas.....literally a stones throw away from Dallas Love Field  (the sacred home field of Southwest Airlines). I'm saying he's actually on final approach to Runway 35.

Anyway, we went to our local big box furniture store, Nebraska Furniture Mart in The Colony, Texas and picked out a nice three piece sofa set. You must understand that my son is about 6' 6" and needs a lot of space to stretch out on so some puny 6 foot couch wasn't going to hack it, no...we got the extra long model.

So we got to the pick up area and a couple of able-bodied Nebraska workers loaded all three pieces into the back of my Tacoma pickup (quite an accomplishment, I thought). They roped that thing down like a calf at the rodeo (it is Texas after all) and off we went back to Dallas.

It was a second floor carry for you professional furniture movers. Although the first two pieces were easy, the long couch was a bit more trouble making the turns on the back stairs (we tried the elevator but apparently a six foot couch would have made it inside but no....we had the supersized couch, no-go).

After bumping and scraping our way up to his apartment, we were able to assemble it and even distributed the included throw pillows.


Ok, fun stuff over (you may all know I'm waaaaay passed my prime on furniture moving), my son recommended we go to a hamburger place just down the street called Maple & Motor.

Guys autograph
The owner, Jack Perkins, joined the Dallas dining scene in the fall of 2009 when he and partner Austen Wright opened Maple & Motor Burgers and Beer on Maple Avenue. The story goes that the major cross street by the restaurant used to be called Motor Street but as a plethora of Medical Centers took over the area, they changed the name to Medical District Drive in 2008, Thus the name for the restaurant. Its kind of a hole-in-the-wall place but has a huge following on Yelp. One of the things that attracted me was that, Guy Fieri had done one of his "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" segments there. I ordered a standard Cheeseburger and my son had the same but added a sunnyside up egg and bacon. We shared an order of Tater-Tots.


The burgers were huge with ample portions of beef, onion, tomato and lettuce. I had to cut mine in half so I wouldn't send the contents cascading onto the plate.

The Tots were nicely baked so they weren't greasy, nor was the burger patty. Ordering was quick at the counter and everything was delivered quickly. Drinks were from the dispenser with free refills. Parking wasn't a problem but William said there were days he'd come for lunch and there was a line out the door. Apparently one of the go-to places in that part of the world.

The meal was filling and we got out of there for what I thought was a reasonable $14 a person. If you're ever in South Dallas, have a layover, long stop-over, or need a meal before climbing onto a jet for home, make sure you Uber over to Maple & Motor Burgers and Beer.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Letters to Mamie



I don’t normally write reviews of books but I was in bucolic Waxahachie, Texas (Crepe Myrtle Capital of the world…or so the sign says) cruising the antique and curio shops (yes…I really have taken up the practice) in search of the unusual when I came upon the book which caught my eye.

Now, these little Courthouse Square shops often have lots of classic Americana, ancient medicine bottles, real wooden secretary desks and a plethora of dishes, jewelry and family heirlooms from bygone eras as well as an amazing number of funny T shirts (Diane), hanging signs and coffee cups on subjects which would (possibly) make your Mother cringe as she pulled out the bar of soap.

As an amateur historian of little stature, my eye was immediately drawn to the title, “Letters to Mamie” by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Compiled by their son John S.D. Eisenhower, they are an interesting window into the Eisenhower story during World War II. Mamie apparently kept all 319 letters the General and future President wrote during those harrowing days up to the first Allied invasion of Africa in November of 1942, the Invasion of Italy up to and soon after D-Day until the end of the war. Alas, the future President did not keep any of her letters.

Image result for mamie eisenhowerThe letters were kept in a box in the Eisenhower home until Mamie offered them to John in 1972 after the Generals passing in 1969. John reviewed all of the letters (all handwritten by a man who normally dictated all his correspondence) and then set them aside. John had himself graduated from West Point on D-Day and spent some time attached to his fathers command during the war. John is an accomplished writer himself, having written one of the defining historical accounts of the Battle of the Bulge, “The Bitter Woods”.

Finally, in 1976, he began editing the letters for publication. It should be noted that these letters were never included in the Eisenhower papers ensconced in the Eisenhower Presidential Library so they are a unique outside perspective into the inner thoughts of Eisenhower during those troubling times. The book was published in 1978 a year before Mrs. Eisenhower’s passing in 1979.

John describes his fathers mood as “pensive” on his last visit home after being told by President Roosevelt he had been chosen to lead the American effort in Europe to plan, stage and execute the invasion of Africa and the ultimate liberation of Europe. Realizing, though a graduate of West Point class of 1915, Eisenhower missed WWI and had yet to prove himself in the field. Noted for his formidable skill set as a planner and organizer, he was still a Lt. Colonel when suddenly promoted by Roosevelt to Major General (unheard of at the time) to begin operations for the invasion of Europe. He was thus thrust into the world of proven military leaders like Churchill and Field Marshal Montgomery. Hey…congratulations on your promotion above more experienced officers and if you find the time, liberate Europe and defeat Hitler. Tough gig I’d say.

These letters not only show his affection for “Mrs. Ike” as he often referred to his wife, but some of the frustrations he was experiencing in his new role, the politics of disparate national leaders like DeGaulle and Stalin as well as his own Government and military like Patton. At the same time rigidly censoring his letters but often closing his letters with an oft-repeated plea that she not “forget” him.


Image result for dwight eisenhower young
Mamie and Ike
Eisenhower has a real connection to North Texas, where I live. He was born on October 14th, 1890 in  Denison, Texas and his boyhood home is a State Park in Denison today. In 1892, the family moved to Abilene, Kansas where he spent most of his life. He met Mamie Doud while stationed in Texas and proposed to her Valentines Day, 1916. His mother was a self-made historian and had an extensive library of history books Eisenhower read which led to his interest in the military. His mother wasn’t very supportive of that. She was a Mennonite and later Jehovah’s Witness who hated war and was very disappointed when Eisenhower applied and then was admitted to West Point.

Little has been known of the perils Eisenhower faced while in that theater. He hated being stuck behind a desk and, often flying in terrible weather, flew many times throughout the British Isles, Africa and most of Europe in cantankerous transports and bombers while German aircraft still plied the skies to get real-time reports of battle. Because of this rugged schedule (and his constant struggle with cigarettes) he constantly fought a resilient flu throughout most of the war.

Eisenhower often refers to his loneliness and how much he misses Mamie. At one point he voiced to friends a need for animal companionship. He said he couldn’t speak to people about his mostly secret work but a dog couldn’t repeat anything and it would stave off the loneliness. So his co-workers got together and bought him a Scottish Terrier puppy named,“Scotty.”

Even in the most troubling moments, he notes that Mamie had moved back to their home from Officers Quarters and took the time to remind her to make sure she started their car occasionally to keep the battery up and to make sure she got the oil changed and drove it around to keep things running well. Even while dealing with the Nazi threat they still had to deal with the mundane day-to-day husband and wife stuff that make it marriage. His biggest complaints are the constant meetings, press conferences, political and diplomatic dinners and working lunches with people he really didn’t like being around. He wasn’t a big fan of big egos.

Interspersed in his letters Eisenhower often showed concern over the new world order and how it might effect our Democracy and the future world map after WWII. As you recall, Eisenhower first coined the phrase and his fear of the “military-industrial complex” and how it threatened America and its policies overseas. Eisenhower often voiced admiration for the Russian’s fighting spirit but always spoke cautiously about the future Communist leader’s intentions after the war.

As the successful African landings took place, the stress of his first real test of his plans really mounted. In one letter, he refers to Mamie as his “counter balance” and wished she were there,

“No one else in this world could ever fill your place with me-and that is the reason I need you. Maybe a simpler explanation is merely that I LOVE you!! (His emphasis) which I do, always. Never forget that, because, except for my duty, which I try to perform creditably, it is the only thing to which I can cling with confidence.” Algiers, December 30, 1942.

Image result for dwight eisenhower
As the battles went on, moving through Tunisia, there was a stalemate at the Kasserine Pass which caused Eisenhower a lot of angst as his drive to rid North Africa of Germans came to a halt. Rommel had put together a substantial defense and the Allies were stalled and suffering. In the early days, Eisenhower had noted that the suffering and risk had been shared equally by his staff as well as the front line troops. But as time had gone by, he noticed the staff had fallen into a more office routine. Eisenhower was a real proponent of leading from the front and often took time to meet with troops (at great peril) close to the battle to talk and shake their hands. So among his staff and senior officers, he instituted the philosophy: Nobody who is not in a foxhole has a right to complain.

Of course, in wartime, soldiers can stray. He had initially brought over secretaries and staff from the U.S. in England (women Mamie knew personally) but now on the Continent, more women soldiers in the form of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp (WAACs) were doing the clerical work. Always concerned for his wife’s feelings, he ended one of his letters:

“Well my love, I’ve had a whole half hour alone. Seems like something must have happened to the place. I love you all the time-don’t go bothering your pretty head about WAACS-etc-etc. You must hold the thought that I’m not so worn out by the time this is all over that you’ll just have a wreck on your hands; because I’m on the run to you the day the victorious army marches into Berlin!” Algiers February 15th, 1943

From Algiers he reemphasized his love for Mamie:

“It would be difficult to tell you how much I agree with your idea of just getting together after this war is over and never letting anything part us again. Sometimes I get so homesick for you, I don’t know what to do. But I always know this-for me there is only one woman and only one ambition with respect to a woman-that is to come a-running to you and hold on to you firmly-forever." Algiers February 28th, 1943

Image result for kay summersby
Kay Summersby
Much has been made of the alleged affair between Kay Summersby and Eisenhower, mostly of a book she wrote, “Past Forgetting: My Love Affair with Dwight D. Eisenhower” after diagnosed with cancer in 1973. Since then, there has been much evidence that Summersby was not involved in the book but it was “ghost written” after her death, a complete fabrication according to those in the know.

There is mention of Summersby in a few letters, mostly talking about her service as a driver in England and then her engagement to a young US Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Richard "Dick" Arnold who was killed by a land mine during the African Campaign. Eisenhower thought she was an excellent driver asked her to join his staff in Africa and ultimately to become his personal secretary as well. To Mamie he wrote:

“So Life says my old London driver came down! so she did-but the big reasons she wanted to serve in this theatre is that she is terribly in love with a young American Colonel and is to be married to him come  June-assuming both are alive. I doubt that Life told that. But I tell you only so that if anyone is banal and foolish enough to lift an eyebrow at an old duffer such as I am in connection with WAACs-Red Cross workers-nurses and drivers-you will know I’ve no emotional involvements and will have none.” Algiers March 2nd, 1943

After successes in North Africa and Italy, Eisenhower was tasked with planning and executing the invasion of France (no pressure). By 1944, Eisenhower was interested in the politics of the time in that they had Roosevelt since the beginning of the war and he wondered aloud how he might have a new commander-in-chief to deal with (not initially in that Roosevelt returned for an unprecedented 4th term that year). He wrote to Mamie:

“Judging from the newspapers the political pot is really boiling at home. Of course the local papers don carry the full story of American politics, but I do see enough to know there are quite a few people that would like to be President. I wonder how many of them really believe they could swing the job.

I wonder how I’ll feel about staying in the Army a while after all this is over. I suspect I’ll want to retire to go our own way-but we can never tell that far ahead. But so long as you are right with me I don’t care much what I do.” London April 24th , 1944

Even during this pressure cooker period leading up to D-Day, Eisenhower had to respond to an inquiry of Mamie’s about payment of taxes. He wrote her:

“I suppose you’re keeping up the income tax payments. After I came back from the U.S. I paid our residue on 1943-which, as you remember was about $450. But I asked the Captain from Stoner’s office to keep in touch with you to keep up payments during ’44. (Yes Tonia….even the Eisenhowers had to pay the IRS).

Of course, everyone knows the story of the ending of World War II, constant pressure from both the Allies from Europe and those pesky Russians from the east put the nail in the coffin of Hitler and his sometimes reluctant Generals do save the 1000 year Reich on May 8th, 1945. With Hitler’s death and the end of hostilities, Eisenhower became a witness to Hitlers efforts to eliminate Jews and other cultural groups in the final solution. Eisenhower was clearly moved and appalled by what he saw, mandating that residents of neighboring towns to the various death camps be forced to see the evil and destruction which they blindly ignored for years.

Eisenhower was relieved on November 10th, 1945 and made it back to his beloved Mamie. After the war, he served as Army Chief of Staff (1945–1948), as president of Columbia University (1948–1953) and as the first Supreme Commander of NATO (1951–1952). Although he promised Mamie he would hang up his spurs and just end his days in Abilene, Kansas with her, in 1952, Eisenhower entered the presidential race as a Republican to block the isolationist foreign policies of Senator Robert A. Taft; Taft opposed NATO and wanted no foreign entanglements. Eisenhower won that election and the 1956 election in landslides, both times defeating Adlai Stevenson II.


This book is not just about history, although it certainly contains many little tidbits which make Eisenhower come to life, it is a testament to an enduring love between two soulmates married for 53 years when Eisenhower passed away on March 28th, 1969. He was 78. Mamie survived him by ten
years passing away on November 1st, 1979 at 82.