User avatar
Douchebag
Master Diver
Posts: 216
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:17 pm
Location: Edge of insanity

End of an era

Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:56 pm

On my last visit to Monterey (thanksgiving timeframe) I made it a point to stop by the Breakwater deli where I was fiending for a smoked salmon sandwich. I walk in and am politely greeted to come on in....WTF is going on here? Where's the rude bark of, "What do you want?"..Where's the evil stare of the angry Russian lady when you take too long to decide what you want? Where is the absolute absence of any customer service whatsoever? What happened?

Turns out that the ARL (Angry Russian lady...ask any Monterey diver who that is and they'll know right away) sold the business to some polite jagoff who actually respects his customers like 4 years ago. Really? It's been that long? Before any of you spout off with, "Well the menu should be the same"...No, it wasn't. Here's why: Her husband was a classically trained chef at the CIA, they had a serious smoker setup outside in the seating area where the smells would waft across the parking lot and instantly instill hunger pangs in any diver just surfacing. When I visited, the smoker was gone. In its place were two weak home depot GAS grills. Gas? Are you f-ing kidding me? And where was the picture of her and her kids on the wall whom all shared the same scowl that, no matter how bad your day was, would instantly bring a smile to your face and then side splitting laughter as it was discussed outside eating probably the best SMOKED GODDAM SALMON SANDWICH ever. Yeah, I said it...EVER.

The vis was 50+ feet that day and jesus h on a stick do I miss diving Monterey...but it just wasn't the same.
Image
Image
Image

User avatar
Ron
Site Admin
Posts: 1748
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:51 pm
First Name: Ron
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Contact: Website

Re: End of an era

Mon Dec 18, 2017 11:20 pm

I hate when stuff you love dies. It’s like when you skip your company Christmas party where you could have kissed some important ass to see episode 8 of Star Wars and some jag off social justice warrior director ruins your movie by unceremoniously killing off every character you love amidst some thinly veiled plot about “being woke.”

I realize now why old men hate everything. I’m only crowding 40 and I detest like 95% of everything in modern society.
The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed. -JYC

User avatar
Herman
VDH Moderator
Posts: 1315
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 1:45 pm
Location: Raleigh NC

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 7:52 am

I completely understand, nothing I hate more than to see a "under new management" sign on a favorite place. Here in North Carolina, we (used) to love our BBQ but today it's almost impossible for find properly cooked BBQ. For the uneducated, BBQ is not cooking steaks or hamburgers on the grill, that is grilling, BBQing is a long slow process cooking off the heat with the heat coming from hardwood coals. Back in the day, even a half assed place had a stack of hickory wood behind the place and smoke coming out of a brick fire pit. Today you are hard pressed to find one cooking on GAGGGGGG gas, much less wood. And don't get me started on the junk that is covered in some kind of thick goo served in some places and called BBQ, I feel your pain and understand your loss.
Herman

User avatar
SurfLung
Master Diver
Posts: 1763
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:03 pm
First Name: Eben
Location: Alexandria, MN
Contact: Website

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:32 am

Back when Jill and I were in the computer business back in 1983, There was a place called Brooklyn Closeout. The lady who answered the phone was Mrs. Friede. She was abrupt, direct,... Some would say rude... But she always gave us good deals on closeouts that would sell like hotcakes to our customers. One day my sweet little wife Jill tried to negotiate a lower price... OOPS! Jill said, "How about a dollar less?" Mrs. Fried said, "Oh, you're so cheap!" And hung up. Jill was stunned.

For a few short years, we earned a place in Mrs Friede's heart... And she had a big one under the gruff exterior. We learned a lot from her. And now, out of all of the suppliers we've had for 30 some years, I never forget her name and I still get a kick out of remembering her response to Jill's "negotiation".
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

lexvil
Diver
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:28 pm
First Name: lex
Location: Sonora, ca.

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:34 am

I dive Monterey nearly every weekend, sometimes during the week if a buddy who still works can get the day off. The salmon sandwiches were really great but few regulars eat on the breakwater. I hear there is a place upstairs that has a divers special burger at a great price but I haven’t tried it.

Glen of glens Aquarius II sold out to breakwater scuba who usually has it open for fills on the weekend, Glen was a gruff angry guy, I found him entertaining most of the time but I also heard from a lot of people that they would rather carry their tanks to the other end of town rather than listen to his rants, I get it, life is to short to put up with angry people in recreational activities.

I missed out on the thanksgiving epic conditions to drive to Ventura and dive “just OK” conditions in the Channel Islands, should have stayed home.

User avatar
antique diver
Master Diver
Posts: 2210
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:50 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: North-Central Texas

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:02 pm

Ron wrote: .... I realize now why old men hate everything. I’m only crowding 40 and I detest like 95% of everything in modern society.

Hey... I don't hate everything!

Well, maybe crappy dive boutiques, restaurants that "used to be great" until new owners ruined them, people that talk too fast on the phone, dive shop personnel with crappy attitudes that know nothing of value about diving, the painful experience of flying to dive destinations, etc. Did I mention crappy dive boutiques?. Oops, I am starting to sound a bit older... :roll:

Oh well, I still love this forum (and practically all you guys)! :D
The older I get the better I was.

User avatar
ScubaLawyer
Master Diver
Posts: 1649
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:25 am
First Name: Mark
Location: Laguna Beach, CA

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:26 pm

antique diver wrote:Oh well, I still love this forum (and practically all you guys)! :D
PhotoPictureResizer_171219_082124868-960x719.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

User avatar
Ron
Site Admin
Posts: 1748
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:51 pm
First Name: Ron
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Contact: Website

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:52 pm

You guys forgot flying with people on airplanes who dress like hobos. Flying in a sport jacket these days makes everyone think you are an air marshal. It's all bare feet and pajama pants and mouth breathers.
The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed. -JYC

User avatar
ScubaLawyer
Master Diver
Posts: 1649
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:25 am
First Name: Mark
Location: Laguna Beach, CA

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:27 pm

Ron wrote:You guys forgot flying with people on airplanes who dress like hobos. Flying in a sport jacket these days makes everyone think you are an air marshal. It's all bare feet and pajama pants and mouth breathers.
As a kid in the 1960's I remember having to wear a jacket and tie (clip-on) when I traveled with my parents by air. Most of the men also wore hats (and not baseball caps either). I recall one flight on National Airlines (remember them?) from Los Angeles to Miami where I looked around and saw a sea of hats on folks in most every seat. I think that was the same flight where my dad and I were going to Jamaica (after attending his International Brotherhood of something-or-other convention in Miami) with plans to do some spearfishing. I had a short speargun in my carry-on bag. Can't do that anymore. :D
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

User avatar
Ron
Site Admin
Posts: 1748
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:51 pm
First Name: Ron
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Contact: Website

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:55 pm

ScubaLawyer wrote:
Ron wrote:You guys forgot flying with people on airplanes who dress like hobos. Flying in a sport jacket these days makes everyone think you are an air marshal. It's all bare feet and pajama pants and mouth breathers.
As a kid in the 1960's I remember having to wear a jacket and tie (clip-on) when I traveled with my parents by air. Most of the men also wore hats (and not baseball caps either). I recall one flight on National Airlines (remember them?) from Los Angeles to Miami where I looked around and saw a sea of hats on folks in most every seat. I think that was the same flight where my dad and I were going to Jamaica (after attending his International Brotherhood of something-or-other convention in Miami) with plans to do some spearfishing. I had a short speargun in my carry-on bag. Can't do that anymore. :D
It's crazy too, because I consider myself very much a modern person. I don't own a landline telephone. I don't have cable TV. I have a stand up desk. I have a gym in my house. I use IoT devices to track my caloric consumption and macro-nutrients. I feel like I'm pretty...with it so to speak. I have an IT engineering job, so I'm far from a Luddite. None of that precludes me from wearing decent clothing in public, saying excuse me, please and thank you, or just being quiet and not swearing in public.

My wife and I wonder a lot when the world we grew up in stopped being that place. I feel like a guest in America sometimes, instead of someone who was born here. Like I no longer understand the customs of this place.
The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed. -JYC

User avatar
antique diver
Master Diver
Posts: 2210
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:50 pm
First Name: Bill
Location: North-Central Texas

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 7:22 pm

Ron wrote:
ScubaLawyer wrote:
Ron wrote:
My wife and I wonder a lot when the world we grew up in stopped being that place. I feel like a guest in America sometimes, instead of someone who was born here. Like I no longer understand the customs of this place.
Think how you might feel when you get to age 70. You may want to move away from the city to a small town in the country. :D BTW, there is a nice little 6 acre place for sale across the road from us. You might have to adapt a bit to neighbors that have horses or cows, and drive pickups instead of BMW's and such; as well as having deer munching on your lawn while you watch the sunrise.
The older I get the better I was.

swimjim
Master Diver
Posts: 1694
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:28 am
First Name: Jim
Location: Belgium WI

Re: End of an era

Tue Dec 19, 2017 8:55 pm

When it comes to food, I generally figure out how to make it myself if I can't get it anymore. My first wife was Puerto Rican and she made awesome rice. I have learned how to make it just like she did. I also taught my self how to make proper chili. Good enough to win the dive clubs chili cook off three times running. Eben has tried some, he can vouch for it!
I wouldn't really call myself a cook. It's kind of like rebuilding your first reg. It works when your done and it may require a little tweaking. But every batch is a little better moving forward.
I guess though what DB was referring to really was the "vibe". That cannot be replaced. But if you get the recipe right, it will take you back.

Jim

User avatar
georgeaustin
Master Diver
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:41 am
First Name: george
Location: Los Angeles CA

Re: End of an era

Sun Dec 24, 2017 12:40 pm

In the mid 1960's, My 80 year old grandfather had a girlfriend in Tahiti. I remember taking him to LAX to board his Pan Am Clippership for his flight. Every man at the airport wore a suit, tie and hat. Every woman wore a dress and pearls. In those days, you could purchase your air tickets with 10% down and be billed for the balance in 30, 60 or 90 days directly from the carrier - and you could set up a payment plan with low interest as well.

The last time I was in Las Vegas, ( 2 months ago) i didn't even recognize the place. What a dump. Everyone walks around in flip flops, bermuda shorts and vomit stained T shirts and carries one of those giant shotgun cups filled with cheap beer or some frozen blue liquor drink. Parking lots are filled with wannabe monster trucks or those heavy, low on horsepower and loud Harley Davidson "lifestyle" bikes.

I hate that Beadles Cafeteria in Pasadena closed. We used to get dressed up and go for the custom cut Prime Rib on Friday evenings. You didn't walk in that place without at least a sports jacket either. There were actually interesting people in there as well. Ancient gypsy ladies and Cadillac salesmen celebrating a good month with a Spencer steak and a dry, dry, dry martini.

We went in to Beadles on New Years Eve in 1992 and Rodney Dangerfield was holding court in the center of the dining room - drunk as a skunk and side splittingly funny - hell, NOBODY was talking but him.

Yep, pretty much hate everything now.

You tell some flash, distracted, punk ass waiter you want a Spencer steak nowadays and they don't even know what it is. We don't make a decent Cadillac anymore but if you want a hamburger and a T shirt, America is the place to go. Oh, and by the way, You should see the looks I get when I mention to a Harley Davidson "Lifestyler" that his engine is made in Taiwan and only assembled in the USA. Priceless.

crimediver
Master Diver
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:38 am
Location: Richmond, Va

Re: End of an era

Sun Dec 24, 2017 9:04 pm

I remember flying TWA as a small kid in the 60's and they would always bring you up into the cockpit to meet the Captain and he would give you a set of pot metal gold TWA wings. And you did dress up to fly.

Last old school flight I remember was in 1973. I had been bumming around in Spain and found a percussion blunderbuss with a nice brass bell on the muzzle. I picked it up for 100 bucks in a flea market in Madrid. It had a British side lock on it dated 1873. It was unloaded. I wrapped it up in an old curtain and tied up the bundle with twine and carried it aboard the plane on my way back to the states. In Heathrow I had to switch flights and security had me unwrap it and barely blinked and eye and let me carry it on the plane for my next leg back to the states. No sweat carrying it into the states either in NYC.

I suspect things would be a bit different today.

A couple of years later I sold that blunderbuss and it paid for a years college tuition.

I have bumped into that gun a couple of times over the decades at gun shows in Virginia Beach and each now owner has a tale of the history of the gun that is pure B.S. when I ask them about it. Just like the old regulator a person got from an old navy diver....

User avatar
Robohips77
Master Diver
Posts: 805
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:26 pm
Location: Southwest in the Buckeye State

Re: End of an era

Wed Dec 27, 2017 12:14 pm

Ok so I have spent the better part of 15 minutes reading this post. (on government time no less). All I can say is Don't sweat the small stuff. Change is inevitable and make sure your bug out bags include your vintage gear. Mine does. :wink:
First dives? 1967 and I never lost the fever.

Return to “General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests