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Where you can spend Uncle Sam’s money

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By Bill Wundram | Thursday, May 1, 2008 4:23 PM CDT | () comments

MAY’s bonus: Any day now, you should be getting a check from the government to stimulate our economy.

We can fret and stew that however we spend our money, a hunk of it will go to some overseas market. That’s not so. Typical: Our down-home farmers markets — with radishes and rutabagas — are waiting for you to open your pockets this weekend.

There is still another certain way to keep the money here at home. That is to spend it at garage sales, since they are some of the only U.S. businesses left in the U.S.

Red roses for a blue lady

There’s an angle at the end to this lovable tale.

Lisa Decker, a registered nurse at Genesis Medical Center, East Campus, spots two women getting off the elevator carrying a giant bouquet of red roses.

It took Lisa off guard when the younger one said they weren’t looking for anyone in particular, just someone who needed cheering-up. They were directed to a little lady who had been feeling blue.

“They couldn’t believe someone would bring her flowers. She was tickled pink. It made her day,” Lisa says. “They stayed and visited. It melted my heart to know there are people who could be so thoughtful.”

As the two women left, Lisa thanked them for being so kind. The young woman pointed to her mom and said it was her idea.

“Some guy gave me the roses and I really don’t like him. I wanted to throw them away, but mom said to bring them to someone in the hospital.”

This I miss…

PEOPLE with pencils behind their ear.

A STICK SHIFT on my car, downshifting from third to second, hitting the gas. Va-ro-o-o-om.

IOWANA SPECIAL ice cream cones, with pistachio nuts and cherries.

MARYCREST College.

DOUGHNUTS from Kresge’s. They tasted so good, fried in grease that was old motor oil.

Update from the rumor mill

A rumor being whispered is that Mike Whalen, Bettendorf, the winning Midwest restaurateur, has bought the good old defunct Cove Restaurant on Interstate 80 and is going to convert it into a first-class roadside eatery.

“Not so,” says Mike. “Maybe in my younger days I would have considered it, but not now.” Such a spot, just like his Machine Shed, would be a natural.

No one can say who bought that giant green dinosaur that was a landmark at the Cove. The auction house is mum. Those who were there say it went for $4,600. That’s lottsa money. But then, it’s historic, in its mastodon-ish way. It was in the Sinclair Oil Co. exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

Words we never hear

In our world that is spewing potty talk, we don’t hear these epithets anymore. No one says, “That’s ducky.” Or “That’s all-righty.” Or “hunky-dory.” How’s about “good-o” or “keen.” Or “okey-dokey.” Or “swell.” Or “gosh-darn.”

Oh, heck. Those words aren’t cool these days.

Bill Wundram can be contacted at (563) 383-2249 or bwundram@qctimes.com.