Romeo Lunch 3-16-11

The Romeo Gang met for lunch today (3-16-11) at 12 noon in the North End at Strega Ristorante located at 379 Hanover St. You can see the web site and menu at the link … http://www.stregaristorante.com/
It was Restaurant Week in Boston and you could get a three course lunch for $20.11. However, you really need to double that price when you add the cost of drinks, coffee, dessert and tip.

I decided to take the Commuter Train from Wilmington to North Station and then walk over to the North End. I also met Joe Loduca and Joe Lapiana on the train. They got on the train in Lowell, which was two stops before me. The train trip into Boston from Wilmington is only 28 minutes and you don’t have to worry about parking. With a Senior Citizens Charlie Card, the round trip ticket only costs $5.20. What a bargain !!!! You can even plan a trip and have all the stops mapped out for you. Just go to the link… http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/trip_planner/
We decided to take the early train at 9:31 AM so we could walk around the North End streets until noon and visit some of the historic highlights. It was raining pretty hard and you needed an umbrella to stay partially dry. I had an extra stocking cap and gave it to Joe Loduca to keep his head dry. Joe Lapiana and I had remembered to take a small umbrella.

We walked up and down the various streets and passed some restaurants that we had eaten at before. We then went into the Old North Church and sat in some of the family pews that were donated to the church in the 1700s by its parishioners. Some of the parishioners are actually buried under the church pews. We then wandered over to North Square and saw the Paul Revere house and Scared Heart Church. We went into Sacred Heart and read some of the memorials and then went into the lower church chapel. You can light some candles here, make a small donation and say a pray for deceased family members. I remember visiting Scared Heart Church in the 1950s with my family during various religious holidays such as the Feast of St. Anthony. We would also meet some of my aunts, uncles and cousins there and attend mass for a deceased family member.

We then walked through a park from the Old North Church and passed a statue of Paul Revere on a horse. I remember taking a school trip to the Freedom Trail in 1958 and still have a BW photo that I took of the Paul Revere Statue with my Kodak Brownie Box Camera. I even developed the 120mm film myself. I was a member of the school Photography Club and we had a little dark room built in an unused custodian’s closet. As we passed the statue, Joe Loduca told me that his two uncles applied the bronze-copper finish to the statue when it was installed in the 1950s. We sometimes forget all the old trades that our grandfathers had like stone cutters, sculptors, painters, and masons when compared to the new trades in electronics and computers.

At noon time we walked over to the Strega Ristorante and hung our now soaked coats on the rake to dry. Shortly after the others arrived and the waiter took drink orders which were Italian Beer (Peroni) , soda, and seltzer water. The Romeos in attendance were Joe Lapiana, Paul Girard, Steve Winter, Jim Kearns, Ed DeSchuytner, Mark Ryan, Jim Terlizzi, Joe Loduca and Joe Pignatiello.

We then ordered from the special menu for restaurant week. You could have a three course meal for only $20.11. (Nice play on the price and the year 2011). The menu read Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert. The Appetizers were Antipasto, Calamari Salad, and Caprise Salad. The Entrees were Chicken or Veal Parmigiano, Eggplant, and Lobster Ravioli. Dessert was Cannoli, Tiramisu and Cheese Cake.

The meals were served promptly with plenty of bread and dipping oil. The waiter also kept filling the drink glasses. The meal was very good as we devoured every morsel. As we ate and drank the conversation was vigorous as it bounced around the table. The usual topics were discussed – politics, taxes, health care, movies, TV, and the Japan Earthquake.

There were two large tables filled with young college students from Iowa on a Band Conference. On the wall above the window facing the street were 10 flat screen TVs all playing mafia movies like the Sopranos, Casino, The Godfather, Scarface, Donnie Brasco, and Heat. You could see some of the movie stars like James Gandolfini, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino.

Ed D. said his son now lives in the North End with his wife and they love the inner city atmosphere. His younger son also lives with the older brother and works for him as the house butler doing all the shopping and cleaning. Ed also talked about a new Blue Ray DVD Player with WiFi that allows you to import movies over the internet from Netflix. They are available at Best Buy. The best ones are (Magnavox, Sony and Insignia). Insignia is the Best Buy brand and one is selling for $129.

Jim Terlizzi talked about some new movies that he has seen and how you can get a movie review on the website called Rotten Tomatoes. Jim has recently bought an iPod but hasn’t had much luck setting up an ITunes Account so he can download free APPS. I then tried to show him how easy it was but unfortunately Strega Restaurant does not have Open Wifi.

I then just showed Jim and Ed and Joe Lap. some of the new APPs on my iPod, some of which you can download free and others cost $0.99 and up. The latest one I got was (Camera+) which gives you more features than the regular iPod camera. I also told him that the iPod has become part of my daily life. Each day I check my iPod Calendar to see what appointments are coming up. I then read my email from friends and family. I then check FaceBook for posts on my Wall. I then check any text messages from family at TextNow. If I have WiFi I go on the web and check the latest headlines on the Boston Globe or Fox News. Recently, I have been checking my Bracket pics on the NCAA March Madness APP. On this APP you can get the box scores and also watch live basketball with Streaming Video. I also have loads of other APPS that perform a variety of tasks that you can do elsewhere but now it’s all in one place for me.

Jim K. talked with Ed D. about buying a new car. There are a lot of incentives for slow moving vehicles but the hot ones don’t offer too much. Most are still offering low finance (2.9%) and 5 year warranties. More brands are also now offering good gas mileage which is great, as the price of gas continues to rise. Jim K. said that a Toyota Prius which starts at about $23,000 and is the gas/electric hybrid gets 48 mpg (EPA-Highway). Originally it was advertised at 60 mpg but that is with a lot of coasting down hills.

Joe P. recommended the next Romeo lunch to be at the Exchange Street Bistro in Malden. There is validated parking in the CBD garage across the street. I recently saw an Ad in the Boston Globe Food Section for the restaurant on 3-16-11. Other restaurants were also recommended. Paul mentioned one in Salem, Jim K. in Lynn and Joe Lap. in Woburn.

Joe P. recently joined the St. Joseph’s Society and will be helping plan the charitable events in the North End like St. Anthony’s Feast parade. Joe Lap. also belongs to the Society and will be attending some annual dinner banquet with Joe P.

Jim T. and Jim K are very active with the Salem State Collaborative and are constantly planning events like teacher workshops and the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program. They have to keep participants constantly informed of events through emails. Recently Jim K. used a new email service called “Connect”. I think that is the name. It sends out emails automatically for organizations with reminders and also has reports that allow you to see who is receiving and opening their emails. Unfortunately, out of 1500 mailings only a few are opening their mail. That’s what happens when you get too much “Phishing” and Junk mail.

Before you knew it the time just flew by and it was now passed 2:00 PM. We paid the bill although most thought that it was twice what was expected. We said are goodbyes until next month when Jim T. will send an email and let us know the time and place. Some of the Romeos had parked their cars near by and others had taken the train. As we walked down Hanover Street we first made a few stops to buy pastry at Mikes Pasty Shop and to buy some Italian Wine at the Liquor Shop.

You can see some photos of the trip around the North End Streets and the Lunch at Strega at the web link below … https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo31611#

Comments are always welcome… markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 2-16-11

The Romeo Gang met for lunch today at Salvatore’s Restaurant in Medford located at 55 High St. in Medford Square. Go to www.salvatoresboston.com for menu and directions. Although there is public parking nearby, the lot was filled. After driving around for a while and found parking behind St. Joseph’s Church on Rte. 16 a short walk away. City parking is always a problem and the snow piles have made it worse.
The restaurant is built on the site of the old Depositor’s Trust Bank which is known for the infamous 1980 robbery there. The robbery took place on the Memorial Day weekend and was committed by a group of corrupt policemen. The thieves broke into the Optical Shop next store and then gained access to the Depositors Trust bank vault by cutting a hole in the roof. The robbery was committed over a three day period where the thieves would return each night after making sure all was clear. An accomplice policeman walking the beat out on the main street made sure all was safe. Although the exact amount is not known, it is estimated that 1-3 million dollars was taken from deposit boxes including money, jewelry and other valuables. It is also rumored that the infamous Whitey Bulger (Winter Hill Gang) used the Deposit Boxes to hide their loot. You can see more info about the robbery at the following links …. Court Evidences …. http://masscases.com/cases/app/25/25massappct229.html  and stories about Whitey Bulger … http://www.boston.com/news/packages/whitey/globe_stories/1998/whitey_and_the_fbi_part_1_0719.htm .

The restaurant has several locations in Medford, Lawrence and Boston. In addition to the restaurant, the owners also operate Sal’s Pizza located in many cities north of Boston. Salvatore’s in Medford is the newest restaurant location and is advertised as an upscale restaurant and bar, offering unique Italian cuisine at reasonable prices. Most everyone arrived about 12 noon and we were seated in a function room in the back. To our surprise, this was the location of the old bank vault and even had the giant metal vault door opened at the side. The room could accommodate about 20 people although only 8 Romeos were present for lunch and one more for dessert. The Romeos present were Joe Loduca, Joe Pignatiello, Ed DeSchuytner, Jim Terlizzi, John Tweedie, Jim Kearns, Mark Ryan, Steve Winter and Joe Lapiana. Picture frames adorned the room walls containing news clippings and photos and movie memorabilia about the infamous robbery. One picture frame had the Movie Title “The Cops Are Robbers” with Ed Asner.

You can see it at Amazon.com …. http://www.amazon.com/Robbers-Edward-Asner-James-Keach/dp/B0009GX27S However, the movie is about NY Cops and not Boston/Medford Cops? I looked up the original book on Amazon and found it by the title “The Cops Are Robbers: A Convicted Cop’s True Story of Police Corruption” written by the author Gerald Clemente (the bad Boston cop). See it at …. http://www.amazon.com/Cops-Are-Robbers-Convicted-Corruption/dp/0933341709. After the waiter seated us he continued to tell some more about the vault and the robbery and point to an opening in the ceiling where the thieves entered. It is no sealed.

The waitress soon took are orders for drinks which were Peroni on tap, diet soda, and wine. We then ordered from the lunch menu Linguini with Mussels, Veal Piccatta, and Eggplant Parmesan. The food was served quickly with plenty of crusty bread and oil for dipping. After the main course we had coffee, cappuccino and a few desserts to share. The conversation was lively as usual with Joe Lod. cracking jokes and others talking about health insurance, social security benefits, TV, latest movies and travel.

Jim K. talked about the extra cost of bags on airline trips. However, he and his wife pack an extra bag of clothes that they donate to a local charity on trips to their island destination. Jim T. talked about skiing in Italy and the great time he had. I asked him about his trip to Egypt last year and the current turmoil. He said it was much safer then but the street hawkers were a nuisance trying to sell their wares. Joe Lap. said his trip to Germany was great but has put off any current travel until the unrest in Europe settles down.

Steve W. was celebrating his 85th birthday today and wanted to buy a round of drinks. We all said it was on us and toasted his longevity. John T. came after lunch since he was working supervising student teachers for Emmanuel College. Jim T. talked about the benefits of GIC health insurance with Medicare and no co-pays. He said you get Medicare at 65 but that the age for Social Security Benefits keeps going up. I think its age 66 now. Joe P. talked about going skiing on St. Patrick’s Day. Ed D. Talked about getting ice and snow off is house roof using nylon stockings filled with ice melt (Calcium Chloride) and it really worked. Joe Lap. works part-time for Novartis Pharmaceuticals doing educational workshops and protocols.

We talked about diets and doctor checkups and how doctors always harp on losing weight. Joe Lod. said he hated going back to his cardiologist after gaining some weight and didn’t want to listen to him complain. So he bought a pair of pants two sizes bigger before going to the doctor. At the visit he pulled out the larger size waste band and said he was really trying to lose. The doctor said, keep up the good work. Leave it to Joe to come up with that idea. Joe also said that in a few years they will be putting a tax on medical devices like heart monitors. Before you know it, there will be a death tax.

We then talked about where to eat next month and several suggestions were made including the Exchange Bistro in Malden, The Cordon Bleu School in Cambridge and Giovanni’s in the North End. Since it is Restaurant Week in Boston we decided to go to the North End. Jim T. will send out the particulars.

Mark talked about the latest APPS for the iPod and showed a Credit Card Reader that he uses when at craft fairs selling his crafts. Although you have to have WiFi to use them it’s another way customers can pay for items. The Apps were either SQUARE or PayAnyWhere and are free at the APP Store but they charge a 2.75% fee for all sales plus 15 cents to process the credit card transaction. Mark also talked about the increase in fees charged by Comcast for triple play (phone, internet and TV). He got the $99 dollar package for two years but now pays $154 with taxes.

Ed D. talked about getting a Blueray DVD with wifi adapter from Best Buy for $109. Joe Lod. and Jim K. have the blueray DVDs with Netflix and really like the streaming video capability. This allows you to get unlimited streaming videos for one monthly fee of about $9.

We then talked about the Jeopardy TV show with contestants competing against the computer called Watson. It was now 2:30PM and the hours just fly by when you are having good conversation. We then said our good byes till next month.

You can see photos of lunch at Picasa Web Albums … https://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeoLunch21611#

Comments are welcome…. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 1-1-11

The Romeo gang met for lunch today at The Loft Restaruant in North Andover on Rte 125. You can see directions and info at the website below…..  http://www.loftsteakandchophouse.com/

Eight Romeos showed up for lunch and greeted each other with enthusiasm. We were then seated at a long table that was already arranged for us. Jim always calls ahead and makes reservations.

I was first to arrive and checked out the place for its wifi availability and was pleased to see that it was available. I turned on my iPod and checked my email and Text-messages to see if there were any “important” items that I had missed in the last hour. This is becoming addictive.
As the other Romeos arrived we checked to see if they brought their toy "iPod" with them. Well it really is more than a toy. Its like having a mobile office in your pocket. (Phone, Computer, PDA, APPs, Address Book, Calendar)

Like excited school children we asked each other if we had seen this new APP or that. Ed wanted to bring his but left it on the kitchen table. Joe Lapiana had already loaded pages of APPs on his and was explaining them all. Jim also had his but hadn’t loaded any APPs. I told him he had to register first at the iTunes (APP) Store with his info, password and credit card. For the next half hour he was fixated on entering the info but was having trouble. Joe P. kept asking (and teasing) him when/if  he was going to join the group for lunch. He finally put it down.

Joe Lapiana and I finally figured out how to use the FaceTime APP where you can have a video phone conversation between two iPod owners. Each had to have the correct email address on their respective iPods.

We finally ordered drinks and food. Most had beer on tap and martinis and non-alcoholic beer and soda. Some ordered the steak tips, fish and chicken. Everything was served quickly and was delicious. We also had cups of chowder or onion soup and salads.  Later we ordered dessert to share and coffees.

The conversation was lively and we talked about politics, the latest shooting in Arizona and some upcoming trips. Jim was going skiing in Italy and later on a cruise. Nice to have millions. Those teachers get paid too much.

The Romeos present were Paul Girard, Joe Lapiana, Joe Loduca, Joe Pignatiello, Jim Terlizzi, Mark Ryan, Ed DeShuytner and Steve Winter. You can see some photos at the website below…… http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeoLunch11111#

We also talked about Peter Gabriel who recently had a blood clout and is at the Beth Israel Hospital. They removed the clout and he is recovering nicely. However, he will be going to the Regional Rehabilitation Center in Woburn for a while.

We talked about the upcoming snow storm and everyone was getting ready. I told the story about having flat tires on my Honda Snow Blower in the last storm and having to get new tires for $153. What are they made of ---- Gold?

We then decided on the next date and place in Salem. Jim will send out an email.

Comments always welcome ….. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 12-21-10

The Romeos met again for lunch today, 12 noon, Tuesday, 12-21-10 at Rocco’s Restaurant in Wilmington, MA. You can see the web site and menu at the link…..
Go to www.roccosma.com for more information.

Everyone arrived on time and we were seated in the solarium which is a glassed in greenhouse on the lower level with seating for about 60 people. Upstairs there are booths and tables for smaller parties. In addition, there is a horseshoe shaped bar with seating for 30 people.

The Restaurant just celebrated its 70th year in Wilmington and was started by Rocco DePasquale and now run by the two sons, Chucky and Mattie. It has been a favorite family place for generations and serves excellent food including seafood, steak and especially Italian.

As soon as we were seated, the waitress took our drink orders and passed out menus. The ten Romeos present were: Jim Terlizzi, Joe Lapiana, Joe Loduca, Peter Gabriel, Steve Winter, Brother Tim Paul, Jack Tweedie, Joe Pignatiello, Ed DeSchuytner and Mark Ryan.

The waitress quickly brought drinks which consisted of apple martinis, beer on tap, and sodas. It is hard to choose from such a large menu with choices ranging from sandwiches, to pizza, to lunch specials and full course meals. I started off my order with a Shrimp Scampi in white sauce with Angel Hair Pasta and house salad. Others ordered the Clam Plate (Large Bellies), Turkey Tips with side of pasta, Meatball Sub and Veal Cacciatore. In addition there were Caesar and house salads and refills on the drink orders.

When the food came, it was super size and delicious. The red sauce on the pasta was excellent and the white sauce had just the right amount of oil and garlic. I said they add just enough sugar to the red sauce to take out the sometimes bitter tomato taste. Jim and Joe Lap, then had a discussion on which was better (sugar or no sugar) in “real” Italian sauce.

During and after dinner the conversation bounced around on a variety of topics from the current news. Ed said the “Toys for Tots Theft” recently on the news had a good turnout of new givers. Toys-R-Us donated 50 thousand dollars in toys and private donors gave money and toys. There were enough gifts for this year and next.

Ed, Joe Lap, Jim and Mark talked about the IPOD Touch and all the things that it can do with all its APPS. It’s like a Magic Box. After, Mark showed his IPOD last month, the rest bought their own as a Christmas present. It’s like a pocket size mini computer. You can use it as a Web Phone with Text Messaging, email, surf the net, get the news, get GPS, Address and Phone Book, Date Calendar, Music, Photos, Camera, Radio, eReader (Books and Newspapers), and play games. I find a new APP every day that you can download from the Apple (ITUNES) store. Most are free and others start at $0.99.

Joe Lap. recently returned from a trip to Germany. He took a boat excursion down the Rhine River and was treated like a king. Because of the large amount of snow in Europe, the rivers were running very high and the last part of the trip was rerouted by bus because the boats couldn’t get under the bridges with high rivers. To make up for the inconvenience, the passengers were given a $500 allowance on their next cruise.

Brother Tim talked about flying in the winter weather. The air is much clearer with greater visibility. Joe Lap. asked how often he could fly. Brother Tim said that to keep his license current he had to do 3 landings a take offs per month.

Joe Loduca then told a few jokes to keep us all laughing. Ed D. then said he heard a joke in church told by his priest. After a brain freeze he remembered the punch lines. …. “Three men waited at the Pearly Gates and were told that they had to take something out of their pockets that was about Christmas. The first man took out some keys and shook them like Jingle Bells. The second man took out a cigarette lighter and said that the flame was the Light of Christmas. The third man pulled out a pair of women’s panties and said these are Carole's”.

We then ordered coffee and a few desserts with plenty of spoons to share. Mark then handed out “Photo Christmas Cards” with a collage of photos of 14 Romeos. Pictured were all the 14 Romeos that attended the lunches this passed year. The card also read – “Season’s Greetings” – The Romeo Gang.

You can see some photos of the group at the link below……
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeLunch122110#

Suggestions and Comments Welcome…. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 11-16-10

The Romeos met again for lunch today, Tuesday, 11-16-10, at the Beacon Grille in Woburn, MA. You can see the web site at … www.thebeacongrille.com

The nine members present were Ed DeShuytner, Joe Loduca, Paul Girard, Steve Winter, Joe Pignatiello, Jack Tweedie, Jim Terlizzi, Joe Lapiana and Mark Ryan.

I arrived early and sat at the bar waiting for the others. They soon arrived and the waitress brought us to a special meeting room called the Baldwin Room. It had a round table with seating for ten and sliding doors, for private business meetings. The room was very pleasant and didn’t have that background (white) noise you usually get from a crowded restaurant.

The waitress took our drink orders and gave us lunch menus to look at. As soon as everyone had arrived, she took our meal orders which consisted of burgers, steak, fish and salads with bowls of smoky tasting chowder.

In a short time, the meals were served promptly and were quite good. The chowder was meaty and tasty. After dinner, we had some coffee, cappuccino and desserts with spoons for sharing.

As always the conversation touched a variety of topics from TV, to the latest movies, to politics, to the church pedophile scandal. We all new some priests who were caught up in the fiasco, some innocent and others questionable. We also talked about Bishop O’Malley’s latest trip to Ireland.

Joe Lapiana said that Ireland had already paid out a billion dollars in law suits. Joe Loduca said that the money comes from the collection boxes in all the Catholic churches around the world. Each church is assessed an amount to send to Rome and pay its bills. Only a small amount goes to the upkeep of the local church. Most priests are hired as private contractors and must deal with their own retirement funds and health insurance. When they retire, they can go back to the monastery to live.

Jack asked about flat screen TV advice and what size TV the Romeos had. Depending on the room size, the sizes were from 32 inches to 52 inches. Joe Loduca then told one of many jokes which kept us all laughing. He then said that he asked a sales clerk “How big his was and could he lift it and put it on the table”.

Joe Lapiana then talked about watching the TV show “Two and a Half Men” and all the off color jokes they get away with. He said that they never swear on the show but make sex jokes by innuendo.

Mark then continue to demo his new Ipod Touch hand-held electronic device. It seems to be a miracle machine and could do a million things. It can act as a phone with Skype and a wifi connection. He demoed it by calling Ed’s cell phone. It can store thousands of songs and photos,

Mark showed the photo album from the last Romeo meeting. It has thousands of Apps that can do any number of tasks like keep a calendar and date book, or list of phones and addresses, or watch the latest News programs on TV. It can download the news from the Boston Globe or NY Times. It can play news clips from Brian Williams and NBC. It can get the weather.

It has a GPS App and can find directions to any address. It has Google Earth where you can get a map of any place on earth and through satellite photos zoom right down to street level. I showed a satellite view of my house in Wilmington and zoom down to my garden.

The IPOD Touch cost about $200 and there are no other fees. You only need a Wi-Fi connection of which there is more and more each day in restaurants, libraries, airports, malls, homes and coffee shops. All the places you would be anyway. Of course you could also by a Smart Phone (Like the I-Phone) and you need to pay the $60 per month service fee. However, the IPOD Touch does not have any service fee.

You can down load Apps easy. There are now over ten thousand. Most are free from the ITunes Store. I also downloaded several books which I can read at off times while waiting for an appointment at the dentist or doctor office. The text is small but it reads just like the other electronic readers like the Kindle from Amazon.

The time went by quickly as we all laughed at each others comments and jokes and it was now approaching 3 PM. Before leaving we decided on the next Romeo date and place and then said our good-byes until next. Jim will send out an email to let everyone know about the next date and place.

You can see photos of the Romeos today at the link below…..
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo111610#


Comments welcome…. markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 10-20-10

The Romeos met again for lunch this month on 10-20-10 at 12 noon at the I Pazzi Restaurant, 50 Maple St., Danvers, MA. You can see the menu and other info at the link below….. http://www.ipazzirestaurant.com/

The Romeos in attendance were Mark Ryan, Paul Girard, Joe Lapiana, Joe Loduca, Joe Pignatiello, Ed DeSchuytner, Jim Terlizzi, John Tweedie and Peter Gabriel. You can see some photos of the group at the link below…….. http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/Romeo102010#

Parking was limited on the main street to only one hour so we all found off street public parking a short distance away. As soon as we all had arrived the waitress gave us menus and placed homemade bread on the table with small dishes of oil and vinegar for dipping.

We ordered a couple bottles of red wine and the waitress poured a little in some glasses. We then raised our glasses in a toast to Joe Balsama who had passed away this week unexpectedly. We then all reminisced about all the fun times we had when Joe told his stories with a funny but dry humor. Joe’s wife said that he always talked about the Romeos and they were a big part of his life.

The lunch menu was limited with some appetizers, salads and a few pasta dishes. However, everything was made special, cooked to perfection. Some ordered salad with mussels, or tuna, Caesar or house. Others ordered the Panini chicken sandwich or Ravioli.

Everything was delicious and very filling. After, we had coffee and cappuccino and dessert. We ordered a few desserts and spoons to pass around. The main desserts were Tiramisu and Panna Cotta.

The conversation was lively and the topics varied around the table. We talked about politics and the misinformation that you get in the political TV ads and also from the phone calls. Everyone accusing everyone else but no one have a plan to fix the economy and unemployment.

Paul mentioned that there was a cigar shop a few stores down which started a conversation between a few cigar smokers (Joe Lap, John T. and Paul). The ice cream store next stored tried to petition an ordinance to not allow smoking within 50 feet but lost. The ice cream store now plays loud music out to the sidewalk to deter customers.

We then talked about dental care and Jim said he switched a few dentists since they were trying to influence him to have unnecessary expensive dental work. I then told a funny story about getting some dental work done at the Brighton Marine Hospital when I was 18 and went to Maine Maritime Academy. I got there on the bus and train in 1966. I had not been to the dentist for years. I needed 11 fillings and had two wisdom teeth pulled and plenty of nova cane in one sitting. After, I took the bus home to Chelsea and half way there the drugs wore off. The next day, I was due back at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine. There had been a huge snow storm and the only way I could get there was to hitch hike. My father drove me to Portsmouth, NH and I thumbed the rest of the way. The following day, we were out to sea on the school ship; a 300 ft hospital ship; and my gums were throbbing to beat the band. We were on a 3 month training cruise to South America. Those were the worst days of my life. Smelling the salt air, ready to vomit because of the rocking boat and my gums swelled up like Popeye. However, things got better in a few days and I learned a lot about working on a ship and the sailors life.

The conversation then switched to the latest round of murders in the newspaper and whether the guilty should get the death penalty or life in prison. Everyone had an opinion from swift revenge killing to incarceration. Ed D. said that he was out in Arizona recently and they have a privatized prison system there were the state pays $42,000 a year for each prisoner. That way they do not have the cost of upkeep of state prison buildings nor do they have to pay state prison workers.

We next talked about legalizing marijuana. Again the opinions ran from yes to no and that it was a drug that can be misused. However, California has legalized medicinal marijuana and seems to be doing ok. Maybe if it were legal it would reduce the drug traffic across the Mexican Border States.

The time went by quickly and it was 2:30 PM before we knew it. We paid the bill and then decided on a date and place to meet next month.

Comments and suggestions always welcome: markryan82@comcast.net

Romeo Lunch 9-28-10

The Romeo Gang met today at noon for lunch at Aprile’s - European Restaurant in N. Chelmsford. This new restaurant just opened on Labor Day and is owned by the son of the original restaurant owner from the North End of Boston. The old place closed several years ago during the Big Dig construction.

As you may recall the old European Restaurant was on Hanover St., a well known place in the North End of Boston frequented by many people from the surrounding communities as well as the locals. I remember going there as a child in the 1950’s with my family and later with friends. It was a great place for a late night pizza or for a Sunday afternoon dinner. You can see the new restaurant menu and some photos at the link below …… http://www.aprileseuropeanrestaurant.com/

The Romeos attending were Jim Terlizzi, Paul Girard, Joe Pignatiello, Steve Winter, Mark Ryan, John Tweedie and Ed DeShuytner. You can see some photos of the gang at the link below… http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeoLunch92810#

I arrived early at 11:30AM and decided to walk around the old Mill complex that houses the new restaurant and several other businesses. I spotted a store next to the restaurant called the Music Academy and walked in to talk with the proprietor. He was a young man in his late 40s and standing at the counter. I am an amateur piano player and always enjoy picking someone’s brain about the subject. We talked about playing “Fake” Music which is real sheet music with only one staff of notes rather than two where the left hand chords are written as letters above the C-Clef Staff rather than as notes on the Bass-Clef Staff.

After a while I noticed some Romeos arriving and told the waitress that we may expect 10-12 people. After only seven Romeos arrived and we heard why some were not coming, we ordered drinks and read the menu for our dinner choices. Although there were pasta, steak, fish and sandwich selections on the Lunch Menu, most Romeos chose the Scallops, Salmon and Haddock dinners with some bowls of Italian Escarole soup and/or salad.

As we drank and ate, the conversation bounced around the table. Although we sat at a long rectangular table with four on one side and three on the other, it was hard hearing what everyone was saying unless they were next to you.

Jim Terlizzi just returned from a two week trip to Turkey and talked about how great it was to see the historic sites. However, it was exhausting since every morning they were up at 6AM and on the tour bus at 7AM. He went with a local group of several people.

I then told a story about my brother-in-law “Bob” who stopped for coffee in Revere at a D&D. Bob went into the D&D and stood in line. Another short man came into D&D and stood behind Bob and began complaining that Bob took his parking place. Bob said sorry and offered the guy to order ahead of him. The man kept on complaining and getting more agitated, like he was having a fit of “DD Road Rage”. Another man with a pony tail, muscular and with tattoos entered the D&D, overheard the commotion. The tattoo man grabbed the short man by the hair and pushed him to the ground. He then dragged him to the door and through him out and told him not to return. At this point all the employees ducked behind the counter.

The next day Bob returned to the D&D and said he was sorry for the commotion and asked why they all ducked behind the counter. The D&D manager said that a few days earlier another man caused a commotion and pulled a gun but then ran out. No one was shot but they were worried that the current maniac also had a gun.

What is this world coming to? Does everyone have to settle a disagreement with a gun? Ed D. told a related story about his relative who is a policeman in Chelsea. One night, there was a call that gun shoots were heard at Bellingham Square. The police immediately responded and arrested two suspects with no guns. Searching the area, they found 15 guns scattered around that were quickly tossed into the street, alley and trash cans so that no one would be caught with one in their possession. How easy is it to get an unregistered gun?

Today, four people were shot to death in Boston. Is everyone mad at the world? Does life have no lasting value? Are we watching too many TV shows and video games where all the characters come back to life after getting shot a zillion times?

On another note, Joe P. said he recently saw a presentation of “Wicked” in Boston and said it was terrific. The $95 tickets were a gift. We also talked about the theater shows that are available at the Stoneham Theater and cost less. I said that the Stoneham Theater has a deal for patrons to try out the theater on the first Thursday of each month and can pay what ever they want.

Jim then talked about seeing the movie “The Town” with Ben Affleck and said it was pretty good. It has got good reviews online and in the Globe. I said that I saw it too and went to the Showcase Cinema in Woburn on Tuesday where senior citizens can get tickets for the early afternoon show on Tuesdays for only $4.50 each. “I just love the senior citizen discount”.

Ed and John talked about teaching online courses and how the quality of student achievement has gone down. They want an “A” grade but don’t want to study too hard for it. Ed gives exams for each unit he teaches which are strictly timed. There are 80 multiple choice questions including problem solving where the students are given 60 minutes to answer online. Ed can tell how long each student takes to answer a question and also if they are trying to find the answer in the book.

Steve Winter said he was doing better after being stung by angry wasps in his back yard. Evidently he was working at his compost pile where the wasps had made a nest. In a few minutes he was stung by 20 wasps and had a reaction. His wife called 911 and he spent 6 hours at the hospital.

Lastly, I recently bought an IPOD Touch with the new built in camera and wifi. I have been having so much fun with this new gadget. I feel like a kid again exploring all the APPS that it has and all the things that it can do. It’s like having a mini computer in your pocket. I showed some of the Romeos what it does at the lunch.

The cost is about $229 at the Apple Store. The IPod Touch has a touch screen where you tap on applications or flip pictures and screens with your finger. It has over 250,000 applications that you can download from the Apple Store. Some a free and some have a cost.

These APPS include Music, Video, Games, and other applications on the Touch. It also has two cameras that can take stills and videos directed at you or at the scenery you are looking at. It also has a phone application called SKYPE where you can call another computer with SKYPE for free or another phone anywhere in the world for about only $0.02 a minute. The IPOD Touch is like the IPhone except you don’t have a $60/month phone bill. The only draw back is you need to be near open wifi network.

You can get a SKYPE account for free download on the internet. If you have one or get one send me an email. I would love to try out the “video” phone call with others.

Comments and suggestions always welcome….. markryan82@comcast.net