A welcome coda

Remember my query a few weeks ago about where to find recordings? Once again I must thank wildsnowflake who posted this reply: "You need to visit Vintage Vinyl in Fords (by Rt. 1). Don't let the name fool ya... they actually have current releases (CDs, DVDs, AND RECORDS!)too. It's been named one of the best indie record stores in the nation by various magazines including Rolling Stone. Lots of in-store events." Duly noted and on my list of where-to-go this weekend!

Schmear campaign

Re: my post of a few weeks ago regarding my search for a good bagel shop. I tried a couple of places that met my geographic requirement (not more than 7 miles from home) but am I asking too much for a hello, a smile, a pleasantry? I could be their new best customer in disguise; a simple greeting says a lot. So the quest continues; please let me know where you find all of the above plus a good authentic bagel (and bonus if you can also tell me where I can find bialys...)

A Good Sport

No I'm not turning into a jock. In fact for the several years I have lived uphill from Efinger Sporting Goods my curiousity was limited to watching them build the new facility and then, almost overnight, raze the outgrown one (I still remember the Carvel store on its corner!) Finally I had a reason to go in (to get a pedometer for Herb and his new treadmill) and I anticipate going back again. What a neat place! Reminds me of outdoorsy stores in the Adirondacks where you find locally-made fishing lures alongside worldwide brands like Nike (and it has the same kind of longevity--Efinger is New Jersey's largest independent sporting goods retailer and has been in business two years short of a century). Walk in and you come face-to-face with a 1000 gallon shark tank (who knew sharks could be so little and cute-looking!) It's a 50,000 square foot facility with separate departments for each classification of sporting activity, but as big as it is you still get a sense of its mom 'n pop origins, thanks to very helpful and friendly (but not inyourface) personnel. Even better, the staff I ran into personally knew the sport they were servicing: eg. fishermen in the fishing department, golfers in the golf department (which is headed by an LPGA pro), cyclists in the cycling department (I am told they have the most extensive BMX collection in Central Jersey and there are experienced mechanics on duty). And the lines they carry, from the familiar to the hard-to-get, including Orvis, Nike, Patagonia, North Face, Raleigh, Saucony, Calloway, Taylor Made, Coleman,Sorel. And my favorite thing about a store--a large parking lot.
Efinger Sporting Goods is located on West Union Avenue in Bound Brook, just 3 blocks away from 287.

Tee Party

Every summer I go away to a destination that coincidentally is a golf resort. Consumed with guilt that I am not a golfer I always take one beginner lesson every year, promise the instructor and myself that I will keep it up when I get back home...and never do. Well this was the year I swore I really would do it. And did. Did you know that Somerset County's first--and only--virtual golf club and pro shop is a convenient drive away at 250 Route 202/206N in Somerville? At Raritan Ridge Indoor Golf Club there are five greens simulators so waiting time to practice your swing is just about nil (and each simulator spot is very private--for most people I guess to aid in their focus and concentration; for me, very relieved that no one could see my lame attempts to be Michelle Wie.) An on-site pro shop with all the latest products from Ping, Nike, Callaway, Titleist and others, sports programming on strategically-placed widescreen TVs and you can even check your email (Wi-fi hotspot). There are summer special prices (half hour $15, a monthly pass $59.99), golf lessons and of course when all the outdoor courses are under snow, indoor is the way to go--fore!

Listen to the Music

Where do you buy your music? Are there still, oh what's that quaint phrase?, "record stores" around? Please write in and tell me where to go.
Admittedly I am like everybody else--I download music onto my iPod (my taste runs the gamut from ABBA to Zappa and everything in between), make purchases on Amazon.com and do the occasional in-person (Best) Buy. Ever since Sam Goody's closed at the mall (and don't even get me started on the departure of my most favorite browsing emporium, Tower Records), I have missed the singular pleasure of flipping through those racks of CDs alphabetically arranged by genre, composer, top sellers, et al.
And now a plug for some alternative music. No, I don't mean hip-hop or metal. Opera. It's been borrowed by pop culture for years, everything from Della Reese's recording of Don't You Know (Musetta's Waltz from La Boheme) to the Spatini Spaghetti Sauce commercial (La Donna E Mobile from Rigoletto) to Spike Jones spoofs and countless cartoons ...all of which leads to a quick aside: in my non-writing professional activity I had opportunity to work with Beverly Sills and she really was everything you've read: charming, gracious, bubbly, down to earth. Opera. Try it. You may like it.

Sally Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July!
This is being written from Revolutionary War Central: not far away is a field where, as the historic marker indicates, from May 28 - July 2, 1777 the troops of George Washington's Continental Army camped out due to its strategic location high about the Raritan Valley (makes sense when you realize our main street bears the name Washington Valley Road!)
Since this did not turn out to be a beach day, it appeared likely that most of us engaged in a uniquely American holiday pasttime--shopping. A quick surveillance trip to the Bridgewater Commons mall (strictly for research purposes, I muttered to myself) confirmed that theory.
Fourth of July in the middle of the week? No long weekend? Bummer! But at least the weekend is only 2 days away.

Farm Report

When I lived on Long Island and made my ritual Sunday morning stop at the local bagel store, up on the counter was the glorious sight of picture-perfect giant ripe tomatoes which always bore the label "New Jersey," assuring the crowning touch for a lox and cream cheese bagel. Now you may hear people coo over California produce ("ohmygd...the strawberries were as big as golfballs!") but nothing gets the salivary glands working overttime like the phrase "Jersey Fresh" and it doesn't get much fresher than here in central NJ (think about it: almost guarantee that wherever you reside a working farm is within 5 to 10 miles). "My" farm is English Farm, located in Liberty Corner. Amazingly it is now in its eighth generation of family ownership. A working farm, the site includes a seasonal farm market (July thru October selling eggs, vegetables, flowers and Harrison Brook Farm herbs; eggs sold November thru May) and barnyard animals (a memorably funny visit last summer was when one of the pigs kicked up dirt from behind his fencing and onto Herb's new slacks--well, I thought it was funny!) including bantam chickens and a warren of rabbits (today I saw Ralph, Monique and Lindsay) right by the parking section. My purchases included Rainier cherries, garlic, dark plums, a few apples (I like to cut up in cereal) and genuinely sweet corn.
Looking ahead into the fall there are hayrides, pumpkin picking and annual History Day celebrations. By the way, English Farm is situated where colony-sympathizing French troops, under the leadership of General Rochambeau, camped out prior to the Battle of Yorkville 225 years ago.