Column

I was in line at Safeway the other day and asked the twenty-something clerk, as we do with almost every social interaction, “How are you?” This is a polite gesture and unless posed to a close friend in time of need, requires very little outside of “Fine, how are you?” But she decided to answer, “I am sooooo tired.” I wanted to grab her and explain that we are ALL tired and you will be tired for most of your life. Honestly have you ever had somebody reply, “Very well rested, thank you.”

We are a people on the go and moving at often break neck speeds. The sheer area that we live in require us to be busier than most, simply to stay here. Here is a quick list of why I am personally tired: 1) I started a new company this year. 2) I have a three year old, an eighteen month old and one on the way. 3) I am moving 4) I have two jobs…but I love the station that I am in right now. My life is full. The problem often is, getting my belly to match.

We all know that 2 pm feeling of, “I can’t believe I haven’t eaten more than an Altoid today,” and we start to panic. I need food and I need it now, but I have no time. Unfortunately our programmed minds drift immediately to the Golden Arches or the King, and that is wrong on many levels. So here is what I do in different “need food now” scenarios:

Pre-Packaged

I often work from Peet’s Coffee in Alamo and at that haunting 2 pm hour, nothing pleases me more than getting the Cheese and Fruit Box for $5.95. Three different cheeses, apple slices, sesame crackers and a handful of almonds. Perfect—it keeps me good until dinner.

Trader Joes in Danville has a host of amazing pre-packaged salads for under eight dollars. Oddly, most have chicken so vegetarian is hard to do, but they hit the spot in the time it takes to check out.

Hot and Served

This is a really bizarre lunch option but I find myself doing it more and more often. Costco for lunch, and no not the free sample circuit, although that is wonderful and inexpensive but requires time invested. I don’t even go into the full store part but opt for the enormous slice (or two) of cheese pizza for two dollars a slice. The most time you are going to spend is finding parking.

Sandwiches

Jersey Mikes recently opened in Danville and I am excited they did. It is a conveyor belt operation that serves quality sandwiches for under ten dollars. In this town, you can easily spend thirty on two deli sandwiches that are created by Vincent Van Gogh himself and take a month to make. Jersey Mikes builds, wraps and rings, and you are out the door.

Sweet Tooth

Esin Restaurant was created on the dessert prowess of owner/operator Esin. Her dessert menu is second to none and if you know what you want you can call ahead and have it all bagged up, waiting. Sauces are always separated in plastic ramekins and the cost is under seven dollars. This is something I get for my wife on the way home from my Costco Pizza.

Yannis Taverna has, hands down, the best baklava that I have ever had, and larger than most tiny squares, but you are still going to want to get two.

So there you go. Just a couple of quick ideas to get quality food into your empty tanks without creating a “dining out” budget and proof that there is no need to get fries with that or supersize anything.

Q. This summer I planted three New Guniea Impatiens in pots and grew them in partial shade. They’re doing well. Will they survive the winter or should I bring them inside?

A. New Guniea Impatiens will not survive the winter months outside because of the cold. They can be grown indoors; however, your biggest challenge is to keep them blooming and prevent the growth from getting leggy. Both of these issues are related to the low light condition found in most homes. This may or may not be an issue, depending on your overall plan. If protecting them from the cold is your main objective, then it’s not a big deal. All you need to do is keep them watered. You’ll need to move them into a heated room so a garage is not suitable. They’ll grow more compactly in cooler rooms kept under seventy-five degrees. In late March, you move them outside, cut back the growth and feed them. I prefer Osmocote as you’ll only need to reapply the nutrients every four months but there are plenty of other excellent options. To keep them blooming indoors, you’ll need a location that receives at least four hour of indirect or direct sunlight. This can be challenging during the winter months. The Agro Sunlight from Hydro Farms is a grow light that can help resolve this problem. It’s available at many independent garden centers. New Guineas should survive outside as long as the nighttime temperatures stay above forty degrees but I’d moved them inside by Thanksgiving to be on the safe side. Ultimately, it’s a judgment call on your part. For me, it’s not worth all the trouble to overwinter them.

Q, My lawn is dead from the lack of water since I did not water it all summer. Is there anything I can do to help it come back this winter? It’s really crunchy and brown with lots bare spots.

A. Once a grass has turned brown from the lack of water, there isn’t a magic solution one can do to revive it other than to start over. Now, there are many seasonal grasses that turn brown or go dormant during the summer months but they still require some moisture. They’ll green up in the fall. Once a grass gets to the straw color and crunchy it’s past the revival point. Reseeding a lawn now is not an option as the grass seed germinates poorly with the short days and cool nights. You’ll need to wait until next March. Another option is to replant with a water-wise lawn substitute in the spring. The nursery professional at your favorite garden center can suggest some ornamental plants. The EBMUD book, Plants for Summer Dry Climates, is a fabulous resource of water-wise, attractive plants with great pictures. Keep in mind, they will require watering during the summer months but don’t require as much as a lawn and less when established. It’s not advisable to do nothing as your property value will suffer. One of the lessons learned from previous droughts is the cost to replace a lawn, trees and shrubs is not off-set from not watering your plants.

Buzz Bertolero is Executive Vice President of Navlet’s Garden Centers and a California Certified Nursery Professional. His web address is www.dirtgardener.com and you can send questions by email at dirtgarden@aol.com or to 360 Civic Drive Ste. ‘D’, Pleasant Hill, Calif. 94523 and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Buzz.Bertolero

One of the very few advantages of being so darned old is that I remember the glorious days of Radio. Yes, before television, families sat around their floor-model radios in the evening and let their imagination do wonderful tricks as we listened to very popular radio shows. So, get your grandparents to help you answer the following:

1. “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” These were the opening words of what popular show?

2. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll played all the parts in what radio show, which was the radio sensation of the 1930s?

3. What show featured the noise of our hero opening his closet followed by the sounds of all the contents falling on the floor?

4. What show always began with the playing of the William Tell Overture?

5. Whose show featured the Mean Little Kid and Clem Kadiddlehopper?

6. What bandleader had a quiz show called “That’s Wrong, You’re Right”