Subj : Re: cell service was: To : Barry Martin From : Nancy Backus Date : Thu May 21 2020 17:40:42 -=> Quoting Barry Martin to Nancy Backus on 13-May-2020 08:47 <=- BM>>>> We more or less swore off late last year because of the over-salted BM>>>> gravy, gristly steak (my cut wasn't as bad but a super-cheap cut), BM>>>> and a salad that had more rust on the lettuce than a junkyard car. NB>>>> Then perhaps it wasn't just the bridge construction and the pandemic NB>>>> that did them in... maybe just gave the push to finish them off... BM>>> Quite possible. Did a quick check to see if any reason was given BM>>> eventually -- no -- but was reminded a few other nearby locations have BM>>> also closed (Davenport, Clinton...). NB>>> Also Village Inns...? so a sort of chain....? BM>> Yes -- I thought they were national. Sort of a Denny's instead of BM>> being known for the Grand Slam Breakfast it's their pies. NB>> Haven't seen any around here, so apparently it's a regional chain NB>> instead of national... BM> Apparently -- now that I think of it I don't recall any when I was BM> growing up. Probably a websearch would show where they actually are... ;) NB>>> The mini-strip malls do have the benefits of easier parking and NB>>> access to the individual stores... There's one near-ish us that has 6 NB>>> different restaurants in it... 3 of which are on our list of NB>>> regulars... :) I think there are 10 (maybe 11 or 12 max) stores total NB>>> there... BM>> I kind of did a 'wow!' on your one strip mall having six restaurants; NB>> It is a bit of a mind-boggle... ;) The mini-mall is within fairly easy NB>> walking distance from Strong Hospital, so there are often hospital NB>> personnel as well as students that walk over there for lunch.. There's NB>> a Country Sweet ribs (local chain, I think), a chain pizza place, and NB>> a takeout Chinese place holding down one end of the mall, and in the NB>> middle is SEA (SouthEast Asia) Restaurant (Thai and Vietnamese), and NB>> holding down the other end are Abyssinia (Ethiopian) and Sultan NB>> Restaurant (Lebanese)... the latter three are the ones we eat at... :) BM> Being within walking distance of the hospial is a good location! BM> Quite sure the staff gets tired of the good but naturally limited BM> selection of food from the hospital's restaurant. so quick walk offers BM> a variety of choices. This plaza has been there for years, as have some other free-standing places between it and the hospital, and up the road a little... and recently, a major project of dorms, stores and restaurants also opened up nearby, so there are lots of choices now.... ;) BM> ...Wonder how many times the rib place has seem the med student and BM> surgeons 'dissecting' their meal?! Those may be considered finger food around here... ;) BM>> I'm recalling usually only two, maybe three around here. Could get to BM>> the six with adjacent mini-malls. :) NB>> The six is unusual for here, as well... :) There's another strip mall NB>> not too far from us that has I think 5 in it, but it's a larger one to NB>> begin with... That one has two Vietnamese restaurants that we frequent NB>> (right next door to each other), plus a diner, a Chinese takeout and NB>> maybe something else... BM> Odd the two Vietnamese restaurants are adjacent. OTOH could be handy: BM> run next door for something like the housewife does for a cup of BM> sugar. Richard thinks that maybe they are related to each other... and there's plenty of business for them both to survive... ;) It also appears that they took turns being totally closed for the shutdown... the one was open until March 26 for takeout and then the other reopened March 27 for takeout... The smaller of the two is the one now closed... maybe they decided it was a good time to take a vacation... BM>>>> Bridge construction has restarted and the Iowa-bound span's arch is BM>>>> almost completed: need the keystone piece at the top and as of earlier BM>>>> this week they're calculating and rechecking to be certain it fits BM>>>> properly. With that piece installed they can start the deck for the BM>>>> cars -- and pedestrians? Not sure where the trail is to be -- the BM>>>> elevator is on the Illinois-bound lane but they were also talking BM>>>> about the bridge trail to continue to connect with the rest of the BM>>>> trail system. NB>>>> Maybe the trail will be two-way traffic on just the one span...? BM>>> Possibly. I've looked in the past but not found anything, which seems BM>>> odd as the plans have been presented to the public since before BM>>> construction started. Just not looking in the right place. And it'll BM>>> be a surprise to me when I do find out! NB>>> Eventually... maybe it'll turn up in the news releases when the bridge NB>>> is ready to be opened to traffic... :) BM>> Quite sure that will occur! Kind of a big splurge this morning as they BM>> will be putting the keystone piece in some time today to finish the BM>> arch of first span. With that installed they can start building the BM>> decking. ...Just checked the live view: nothing going. I didn't see BM>> any activity -- had to look at the water ripples on the Mississippi BM>> to make sure it was working! NB>> Maybe it was done in the afternoon...? Under normal circumstances NB>> there probably would have been some sort of fanfare and ceremony with NB>> the keystone going in... but not now, with no crowds/gatherings NB>> allowed.... BM> The keystone piece was installed later that morning. They said there BM> were over a thousand bolts to hold it in place, and the other sections BM> also had an equivalent number. They also said now the span is BM> assembled they have to go back and tighten all the bolts -- probably BM> left "finger tight" to allow for shifting. Makes sense... BM> Now to start the other span! Yup... :) BM>>> So that's how Illinois is keeping their numbers down: transfer BM>>> patients to Iowa!! BM>>> There are numerous smaller hospitals on both sides of the River and BM>>> not unusual for a transfer to a larger hospital here in the Quad BM>>> Cities. And the hospitals here have transferred patients to the BM>>> even-larger hospitals: University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City (IA), BM>>> the one in Peoria (IL).... NB>>> Probably evens out... ;) With yours being a multiple city complex, NB>>> there'd be more of that crossing borders and all... ;) There's NB>>> transfers here among the local hospitals as necessary, and there are NB>>> a number of smaller hospitals in surrounding communities as well... NB>>> And in an emergency, with no beds available here, patients have been NB>>> airlifted to other cities... I know Pittsburgh PA has taken our NB>>> patients on occasion... BM>> Yes; I haven't heard of an out-of-beds issue locally but I was BM>> originally to be taken to Genesis East when I fractured my femur and BM>> due to I'm thinking it was a car accident they had me on hold for a bit BM>> (we were sitting in the store's parking lot for a while) while the BM>> decision was made where to take me -- ended up to Genesis West. Not a BM>> bed situation but more to keep from overwhelming the emergency staff. NB>> Similar thing happened when I broke my ankle... closest hospitals NB>> were too busy, so I was taken to a different one... all four of NB>> our city hospitals are close enough to where we live that any of NB>> them would have been ok for us... :) BM> Yes, all three here are easy enough to get to. The one I was BM> originally supposed to go to has a bit of a preference because we're BM> more familiar with it than the other two. None are all that BM> complicated to get around in; the most complicated thing is probably BM> finding the car after the visit! Those pesky ramp garages... ;) We've got them here.... ;) ttyl neb .... Every civilization that has ever existed has ultimately collapsed. --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452) .