Dave Squatch Ward: Who's a Fat Bastard - Pitt bull with a pork chop!

June 7, 2014

Today was a great day. Got up at 9 am this morning and the coffee was ready to go. Cousin Rob was up earlier than us and got it ready. So he said. Turns out he forgot to push the button. He has a beautiful Martin guitar and let me play it. I played one of my originals for him.

Nice Guitar.

Fifteen minutes later we were gagging down some primo java and headed for breakfast. We went into down town Pottstown to what we were told was the best breakfast in town. Nestled in the shadow of the nuclear power plant, the restaurant was packed.

Is this why the Pancakes are so big?

We waited a few minutes, and were seated at a table in the window. Like monkeys at the Zoo!

Monkeys at the Zoo.

I ordered a Philly Cheese steak omelet. It came with a huge pile of Potatoes and Toast. I never ate the potato or toast, I just ate the omelet.

I never ate the potato.

Cousin Rob had a Spinach , Asiago and tomato omelet with a blueberry pancake the size of a hubcap. I drooled. If you can eat three of them they're free. Six weeks ago, I would have tried.

Pancake.

Rob took us to Valley Forge, that's where George Washington crossed the Delaware River and had his winter camp. Rob had a CD that took you through the tour. Driving along at fifteen miles an hour the CD was in sync with the road. Lots of stops and chances to walk around.

Filling the doorway of a twelve man shack.

The house that George and Martha Washington lived in is still there, and compared to what the enlisted men lived in was a palace.

Can George come out and play?

His office.

Martha's Kitchen

Though his Winter Camp at Valley forge was never attacked two thousand men died of disease. At the end of the tour there is a church and of course, a gift shop.

I'm a Dandy yank my Doodle.

Captain Americas Shield circa 1776.

Kosher Pickle from the gift shop.

Did I ever tell you my pickle story? When I was seven years old, I was in the German Deli on Broadview Ave in Toronto. In the middle of the store was a big wooden barrel full of Kosher Dills. This was before they started wrapping everything in plastic. I have always loved anything pickled. I pulled the lid back on the pickle barrel, and the fumes hit me full in the face. I went down like a tree and hit my head on the tile floor. My mother told me that there was quite a pool of blood and it took seventeen stitches to close the wound. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance sewn up and released. My Mom took me back shortly after that, to show them I was alright. They gave me a pickle out of the barrel. They gave me one every time I went in. I went in a lot! It was like I won the Pickle lottery. I was a happy kid.

After Valley Forge, Rob suggested we go into Philadelphia to see the sights. About a half hour drive from where we were. We started at the Waterworks taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine.

Waterworks Park Pilly

I don't know if you are aware that the Rocky statue is at the Art Gallery. You are now.

Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabitt out of my hat.

Da da da da da They moved it. It used to be at the top of these stairs. Now it's at the bottom. I'm okay with that! I'm pretty sure that if I tried running up those stairs like Rocky did, I would have created massive amounts of projectile vomit.

Vomit inducing stairs

Lisa has been asking about Philly Cheese steak since we hit the city of brotherly love. Not yet my love! First we had to go see the Liberty Bell. First we had to find the Liberty Bell! Much like Rocky's statue, they moved it. We walked and walked. Then we walked some more. We finally found it in a glass box near Constitution Hall.

Constitution Hall

The Liberty Bell

This picture was taken through the window, because they shut off access at five o'clock. There were still a hundred people in line when they did.

We then headed to South Street to get a cheese steak sandwich for Lisa at Jim's. It's a Philadelphia landmark and the line was huge. Lisa was as determined to get her sandwich as a Pitt Bull with a pork chop. Rob and I crossed the street to a bar with no line up to have a beer. Miles of walking and 28 degrees builds up a thirst. I had a PBR and Rob had a Guiness. My first beer in a month went down like a hundred dollar hooker. Slick and fast! I ordered another. I am not a big drinker these days, and after a couple of sips on the second beer, I had lost my enthusiasm for it.

As I sat there staring at the beer I didn't really want , Rob ordered another Guiness. That's when the Keg blew. Out of Guiness. I paid the tab and we went off in search of Lisa and her sandwich. We were gone fifteen minutes and she had just gotten her food.

Jim's famous Cheese Steak. So big it makes people look like ants!

South Ave is like Haight Street in San Fransisco or Commercial Drive at home only bigger. Dozens of bars and restaurants line the streets.

Great name for a bar?

We made our way down to the nine hundred block loking for Percy Street BBQ. We saw it on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Lisa had just eaten, but ordered a couple of appys so she wouldn't feel left out. I guess? Collard greens (They taste like Collars) and

Mac N Cheese. I had ribs and coleslaw and Rob had Chilli, pulled pork coleslaw and Corn bread.

Them!

The ribs were okay, mine are better. They kind of tasted like Pastrami!
Making our way back to the car, we saw a guy on a motorcycle flashing a gun. Him and his buddy took off down the Street and all of a sudden Cops where everywhere.

We didn't stick around in case they started shooting. Got back to Robs an hour or so later. We said our goodbyes and took a couple of pics using the self timer before going back to Charlies. A two hour drive.