Our Neighborhood Shoe Repair Store

April 27, 2009June 16, 2014 / ludlumdrive / Leave a comment

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Tucked in between Haagen Dazs, AT&T and Hair O’Dessey in the Pollo Tropical strip mall, is Miami Lakes Shoe Repair.

As often as I have been there, it never donned on me that the proprietor’s name was not Sal but Dom. I really don’t know where I got the name from but as his wife put it, “you must have assumed that because he is Italian”. We all got a kick out of it and laughed about it but honestly, I was a little embarrassed by it. As often I have been there, I should have known.

The thing I love about the place is how courteous and pleasant the couple is – yes, they work together and have been for the past 13 years. They are always gracious, attentive and understanding of their customers even taking their time two years ago, in a busy Saturday afternoon, to help me out with my car when it suddenly died in front of their shop. Funny he is Italian but always passes for a Latino whereas his wife, a Latina from New York could pass for an Italian.

Perhaps, the reason why we keep on coming back and Dom has been at the same location for the past 29 years, yes 29 years, is the quality of work he puts out; it is superb. The master craftsman is always in display. Just when you thought that there is nothing else to salvage of your favorite shoe or bag, here comes Don with his canning mastery. He turns it around and with great skillfulness, and knowledge of the subject, a few hours or days later, delivers the product to you as if it was new; but he is also quick to tell you when you should buy a new pair.

They have become a fixture in town and at time when businesses and strip malls are closing, we look forward to Dom’s 29 more.

Humm, It Helps to Keep Quiet Sometimes

April 23, 2009April 23, 2009 / ludlumdrive / 1 Comment

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Perhaps, if Cheney had kept his mouth shut – instead of running around like a lost goose – and shown a little more Respect to the new dude in town (hello, he holds the key now), Obama would not have laid the big one on the Bush Administration?! Hard to tell but it still is a possibility.

C’mon Cheney! What did you expect? You have been parading around the wrestling ring, criticizing Obama’s action claiming it to be disturbing and not helpful even though you knew the truth all along. That’s not the way it is done on the streets. He – Obama – can be wearing the blue tie all he wants but he is giving you a lesson on how it gets done. One take; that’s all it takes.

Dude, (someone please smack me) you can you call him a rookie all you want, imprudent, whatever comes to your mind (aren’t you cousins? I guess it does not count) but his response to your calling on his inability/inexperience is sizzling. He flips the switch and now you have been made into a scrambled egg (coincidentally that’s how I like my eggs). And for this, he is being called a flip flapper. Ok, you asked for it, now eat the egg slowly and drink orange juice. I really don’t know what your intentions were but you could have at least given the boy a year before going into the blabbing fest.

I am however, a little like Nelson Madela and the ANC – African National Congress. It is past let’s move on, bring in the reconciliation committee. On the other hand, don’t do to others what you don’t want done onto to you.

Waterboarded 183 times! Waterboarding to simulate drowning! I tell you, a current took me once, out to sea and I tell you it is not a laughing matter. It ain’t pretty. It is one scary earthquake. You see cucumber, macaroni, cheese, broccoli, everything passing before your eyes and you barely have time to grab hold of one less again eat them. You literately @^%& in your pants and when you are done back in this mother earth, you say Amen to the Almighty Jesus and plea with him not to be so wicked to you again.

You see, I smelled a rat and got very dizzy when I heard Cheney processing his lovely smirk on TV so soon. For someone who left the White House in a wheelchair, he should have stayed there and ridden into the sunset. Bush did; he has taken the high road and I applaud him. Now, we learn that not only Cheney but also Rice approved the harsh interrogation program. Oh brother, I mean, oh sister, don’t know what to tell you. I am still gasping for air every time I think about my almost drowning experience but he dragged you into this.