Dining Out At Ollie's

You can't walk in the door without meeting someone you know. I'll be back later with how things went tonight.

(Ok, I’m back. It was too late to post this after I wrote the tease.)

Ollie’s is one of the old Ollie’s Restaurants, now totally separate from each other, but many of them kept the name and the outdoor sign. Cheaper that way. It’s a family place and usually pretty full every time I go there. One well-known local, and a daily diner, passed away and they made his booth a sort of shrine. I have to eat there some day.

Last night, I met two people who were occasional readers on my radio show many years ago. The husband also taught me trumpet; I helped the wife get a job at the newspaper where I am a columnist. They both now work at a motorized wheelchair company nearby, along with a current radio reader.

In another booth was a contractor and member of the NYC musicians’ union, who produces radio and tv shows having to do with music. I helped him with a forthcoming show about the Scranton Sirens, a seminal jazz group which was the starting point for many of the later famous big band leaders.

On other occasions, I’ve met co-workers, people from my church, friends from around the Valley. It’s quite the meeting and eating place.