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Monday, July 20, 2015

WHILE YOU’RE UP - a cranky re-run

WHILE YOU’RE UP
This cranky re-run is from July 2012

I came from a family of after dinner snackers.  It wasn’t that we were overeaters or had insatiable appetites; it was because we had a “depression mom.”  Mom wasn’t depressed, far from it, but she grew up during the depression.  Food was scarce and you had to stretch your meals while she was growing up.  While I was growing up food was not scarce, but mom still prepared dinners as if they were.

For a family of five (including three growing boys) there was never enough dinner for seconds.  Even the first round was barely enough to satisfy our large appetites.  The result of having a “depression mom” was sometime after dinner we were all starving and needed to raid the refrigerator.

The daily waiting game in our house after dinner, while watching TV,  was who could take the hunger no more and had to get up for a snack. 

Generally it was me.

AS I pulled myself out of my chair and headed to the kitchen I was assaulted with the same questions.  First my older brother Chris asked, 

“Where you going?”

“Ah…to the kitchen.”

“Whatcha getting?”

“PBJ”

“While you’re up could you make me one to?”

“Ah…OK.”

“You going to get anything to drink with the PBJ?”

“A milkshake.”

“Can you get me a glass too…while you’re up?”

“Sure.”

I hated to give up a glass of milkshake.  I was planning to drink the whole  Blender’s worth. 

Dad always wanted the same thing.

“Can you get me a liverwurst sandwich?  You know…as long as you’re up.”

“Sure Pop.”

I hated the smell of liverwurst.  It almost made me hurl.

“Oh and how about a glass of root beer…with ice…while you’re up.”

“OK”

Then the hunger pangs hit my oldest brother Jim,

“Hey Joe, can you heat up some chili from the can for me…As long as you’re up?  And a glass of milk.  While you’re up”

“OK, why not?”

I would miss an entire episode of “The Brady Bunch” putting together snacks because I was up, and I never learned.

I was always up first.

15 comments:

  1. Hahahaha! I think we grew up in the same house!!! :D And my dad was a liverwurst guy too! I LOVE it! - You always bring back such great memories Joe! Reason #6,897,224 that I love your blog!

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  2. Well, at least you missed the Brady Bunch.

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  3. They knew, didn't they, that you would be the first up. They calculated and they waited until you did get up. I think you were designed to always be first up.

    betty

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  4. Being a depression person, too, I know it all too well. I haven't heard the name liverwurst in years. That was popular in our house too.... actually it was a real treat when we could afford it.

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  5. This sounds familiar. I think it happened in many families.

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  6. I think I might like liverwurst.

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  7. Maybe it would have helped to take everyone's order and start the snack preps well before the show. Oh, well, live and learn.

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  8. My mum tackled things differently. Plates were loaded and we were encouraged to finish everything on them, that way we wouldn't get hungry before bedtime, or breakfast, so there was no need to be messing up the kitchen again. and we always had dessert, which we called sweets, after dinner.
    Missing the Brady Bunch was a good thing.

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  9. We usually have dessert while watching TV here. Fortunately, it's an open floor plan here, so I don't miss anything!

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  10. Good grief you were their short order cook. Bwahahahahahahaha. At least you went to be with a full tummy.

    Have a fabulous day Cranky. ☺

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  11. This reminds me of a cartoon I once saw where a woman is shouting down the stairs at her husband, "If I'm wrong and there isn't a burglar down there, make me a sandwich!"

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    1. If I ever find that cartoon it'll be in my post!!

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  12. I think all those who have undergone a war atmosphere knows how to value food and that in turn makes them a "depression mom"

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  13. Goodness, you certainly were accommodating. They knew just how to play you.
    Hum, liverwurst?? I use to love it. Wonder if they still make it ?

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