#Bucks County Restaurants

[phillygrub]

Guru's Indian Cuisine in Newtown Unveils Autumnal-Inspired Menu

Guru’s Indian Cuisine, located at 203 North Sycamore Street in Newtown, PA, is rolling out an inventive autumnal-inspired menu on Friday, September 22, in celebration of the autumn equinox. Proceeds from the seasonal menu will benefit Happy Tails Rescue Retirement Home in Morrisville, PA. The new menu at the beloved Bucks County Indian restaurant owned by Chef Ashni Kumar Guru and his wife Priya…

[paulpingminho]

[thetarotman]

Four Witches Have an Adventure in New Hope, PA, Part II

Well, between the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and Rice’s Market, we were ready to eat, especially the Priestess of Grove Argentum. I suggested we check out the New Hope Ferry Market. I discovered the Ferry Market, when my life partner and a fellow Gay couple went to New Hope, PA, in February, 2023. One of the first things I noticed about the New Hope Ferry Market were the variety of…

[louisferrignojr]

i started thinking about 8x06 and i got mad again. I'm literally never not going to be mad about that fuckery. god help me from the restaurant scene with the “yOu'Re AlLOwEd tO LoOK” bullshit, Buck being flustered because a woman is flirting with him SINCE WHEN??? at worst he would have flirted back (accidentally or on purpose), at best he would have said no can do, I'm celebrating my 6 month anniversary with my boyfriend here. “I don't know what the Kinsey scale is” HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT or the fact that he doesn't know his boyfriend is gay!!! after 6 months!!! and the worst is they wrote this scene only as a set up for Tommy to talk about his past of dating women for the Dramatic Reveal

which sucks even worse because the fact is that Tommy's ex fiance could've been literally any random woman from the greater LA county area and it would have made so much more sense without retconning Abby's and Tommy's canon from s1 & s2!!!!! her boyfriend broke up with her because he was an asswipe who couldn't handle that she was caring for her sick mother, not because he was gay!!!! Tommy sat at a bar with his colleagues and said he doesn't date because women can't handle his job because he was gay and closeted, not fucking engaged!!!!!

you want Buck freaking out because his boyfriend hurt people because he was living a lie, fine. you want to put him in a room with Josh and have him wax poetic about glee, fine. both of these things could happen without the mutual ex connection. literally bringing some nonsense fanon theory into your show... for what, exactly? we know you didn't plan it that way since the beginning, so it doesn't make you look smart. we know you stole the idea from the fandom, so it doesn't make you look good. it served no purpose and ruined already established satisfying canon facts. was it to have Maddie make a homophobic joke about a woman she never even met turning men gay? after her brother had explicitly told her he still likes women? you wanted that biphobic joke in there? congrats, you ruined Maddie's character too in this scene. well done.

fuckass tim minear when i catch you....

[travelena]

England 🇬🇧 - London, Cotswolds & Cornwall

Day 1 - London

Dishoom for lunch! We went to the covent garden location though there are many and each has a slightly different decor/vibe. Then walked around Soho and Big Ben, etc. Then we did dinner at Kricket which was mid.

Lots of places we wanted to go but ran out of time: Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Borough Market

We did have one dinner near the airport which was fantastic: Zayani Indian Restaurant

High tea locations I researched: the beaumont, sketch, Oblix at the Shard (great view), Petersham Nurseries (whimsical, but in richmond), The stage at the Londoner (moody bar interior), The Ritz (pianist), The orchid lounge, the bloomsbury, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, The Savoy, Claridge’s, The Orangery at Kensington Palace

Other London food recs though so many more: Dishoom (indian), Da Maria (italian in kensington), Daphne’s italian- cool atmosphere, Villa Mammas - middle eastern, Fait Mason - middle eastern w/ cool interior, Chet’s (thai), The Tamil Prince (order the channa bhatura), Malaysia Deli, Lyaness (cocktail bar), Tayyab’s (punjabi food, lamb chops)

Day 2 - Oxford & Cotswolds

Stopped at Oxford on our drive to the Cotswolds and it was amazing - could've spent more time walking around campus. We had a quick lunch at the Vaults & Garden near the Radcliffe Camera. We didn't have enough time but I would've liked to go into the Bodleian Library and walk around Christ Church meadow. Lots of old buildings and you really feel the history here and can imagine all these brilliant minds sharing this space through time. Then we left Oxford and went to Burford for a quick cream tea before going to our Airbnb on a very cute lush estate with horses and chickens and walking paths through the rolling hills. Could have also stopped at Bibury if time allowed on this route but we didn't have enough. Had a nice dinner at The Willow in Bourton-on-the-Water.

Day 3 - Cotswolds

Went to lower slaughter, bourton-on-the-water, Upper slaughter, stow-on-the-wold. Walked through the villages and enjoyed the quaintness. The main things to do are walk around and take it in, there are some nice countryside walks to do as well. Overall, all about slow living and would be a nice weekend getaway from London. We also spent some time enjoying our accommodation and doing countryside walks near the horse paddocks as well. Overall, very bucolic but the countryside honestly looked like Bucks County Pennsylvania.

Day 4 - Drive to Cornwall

Drove to Cornwall, this day was cold and rainy and I was sick. Didn't do too much except drive. All the drives took longer than the GPS predicted. If more time would've stopped at Dartmoor park on the way and done a hike (Hound Tor hike 2-3 h, or wistman woods 1h, or saddle tor & Haytor Rocks). We stayed just outside St. Ives

Day 5 - Cornwall

Drive to Sennen cove→ Land's End-> porthcurno beach → pedn vounder beach (nearby and gorgeous but can't remember if we went or not) →Mullion cove→Kynance Cove (enjoy Lizard)

We did a lovely afternoon tea. at Polurrian on the Lizard and then cliff walk from the property. This was a highlight!

Walked around St. Ives at sunset - gorgeous!

Cornwall food places I researched: Porthminster kitchen (st Ives - had a great whole fish here), the sea room (st Ives), hub box (st Ives), the Cornish bakery, silco is a cute cafe w tapas in st Ives, harbour fish and chips, moomaid (ice cream st ives)

Day 6 - Cornwall

Went to the beach on the other side of St. Ives and walked along the path from Godrevy Point stopping at Fisherman's Cove. Phenomenal cliff walk - could've gone much farther and hiked more of the coast. Pretty much anywhere along the cornwall coast is gorgeous, could spend much more time exploring/enjoying this area.

Day 7 - Bath

Stayed at Brooks Guesthouse which was cute. Met up with Edith and walked around, saw the old Georgian style buildings around the Royal Crescent where they now film lots of period pieces. Then had drinks next to Bath Abbey (there is a tour/ticket you can get to go inside as well) and saw the dam & Pulteney Bridge. Other attractions there are the roman baths and the Jane Austen Centre. Went to dinner at Bandook which was pretty good but small portions. Tash and I had drinks at The Botanist which was an absolute highlight - live music, gorgeous interior, and amazing cocktail menu. Still thinking about this a year later.

Tips:

Could've spent some more time in Bath, London & Cornwall. Other cornwall plces I would like to go are: Perranporth, Porthtowan, TintagelNorth Devon, Dorset National Landscape. Would've also liked to do a Jurassic Coast road trip and seen the seven sisters and cliffs.

If more time in Bath I would've liked to do afternoon tea at the Pump House

Would've stopped at Castle Combe if more time.

[fanbloggingpursuedbyabear]

The Deluca-Bishop and Diaz-Buckley Guide to Navigating a Relationship Where One Partner Figuratively and Literally Cannot Stop Running Into Burning Buildings

A few days after making this post, I started to work on a Maya Bishop meets Evan Buckley crossover fic. I finally finished it. I would like to thank @firefighterbracket for the inspiration. This was a lot of fun to write. The working title of this document was "Reckless Bisexual Childhood Trauma 'Siblings.'"

This fic is set a few months post-canon and complies with known canon as of May 3, 2023.

------------------

“You died, Buck. Again. You can’t just walk that off.” … On the other side of the curtain, a similar conversation played out. … Carina paused, taking a deep breath. “And you. You almost died, Maya. Again. We need to talk about that.”

Content Warnings: Mentions of Death, Hospital Setting

Read on AO3

Read on Tumblr below the cut

“This is so good,” Maya said between mouthfuls of pizza. “It is much better than anything we could have had in Seattle.”

“You didn’t need to fly me all the way to California just to eat pizza,” Carina teased. “What’s this about?”

“Even though the ‘official’ reason I’m in LA is a department-sponsored training on fighting brush fires, I thought it’d be nice to take a short vacation as just the two of us.” Maya paused to analyze the expression of her wife, who had just stopped eating. “Is everything okay?”

“I am just so in love with you,” Carina confessed.

“Oh-” Maya giggled. She lightly shook her head in an attempt to stop the rising rosiness on her cheeks. A little flustered, her eyes scanned the view of the city from the restaurant patio when she suddenly felt something was off. She tried to distract herself by digging a hair tie out of her purse and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, but Maya’s off-put feelings only intensified.

Carina, noticing this change in her wife’s behavior, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you smell that?” When Maya received no answer, she continued. “I think I smell smoke. Something around here is on fire. I should go.”

“Maya, stay,” Carina pleaded. “I am sure that the local fire department is perfectly capable of handling it.”

“But-”

“Maya, you just said it yourself. You are not at work. You are on vacation with me. Let’s enjoy it together, please.”

“What if someone needs-”

“HELP!” a voice called out from down the street, finishing and answering Maya’s question. A man in a purple polo shirt and khakis ran around the corner at the end of the street and stopped to catch his breath. Again, he called out, “I need some help!”

Maya jumped out of her seat and started sprinting down the sidewalk, leaving her small crossbody purse on the table next to her pizza. “Sir,” she shouted, “my name is Lieutenant Maya Bishop. I am an off-duty firefighter and paramedic from the Seattle Fire Department. What do you need?”

“I’m the principal of the school just down the block,” the man responded. “There was an accident in one of our science labs, and the fire department is still five minutes out. I need help with the kids.”

Carina didn’t even try to stop her wife. She just sighed, pulled $40 out of her wallet, and tucked the cash under a plate on the table. Carina grabbed both her purse and Maya’s purse and ran after her wife.

----------

The step-down unit at LA County General Hospital had been able to get some new beds when COVID hit, but they weren’t able to get new rooms. This meant that some rooms held more than one patient. The step-down staff generally tried to avoid more than one person per room, but when the ICU and step-down were at capacity, only a privacy curtain separated one bed from the other. Most of the kids injured in the fire had been diverted to pediatric hospitals or placed in the PICU, but the influx of other patients meant that LA County General’s step-down had to start doubling up. 

Having seen another patient on the other side of the curtain as he walked into the room, Eddie kept his voice down as he talked with a newly-awake Buck. “They’re treating some kids and adults for second-degree burns and smoke inhalation, but no one has stayed dead.”

“What do you mean, ‘stayed dead’?” Buck asked.

“You carried a kid out to triage, and Hen noticed that you looked bad. She wouldn’t let you go back inside until you got some Oxygen and she did a workup. You were drenched in sweat, so she couldn’t get the leads on the monitor to stick. She got them to stick, but she only got two seconds of monitor readout before you arrested. You were in asystole for 72 seconds. It was Hen that caught the hyperkalemia and brought you back. You should call her.”

“Do we know what caused it?” Buck followed up. 

“Not with certainty. The doctors think it was a combination of the beta blockers they started you on, the amount you were sweating, exertion, and probably something else.”

“How long until I can get back to work?”

“You died, Buck. Again. You can’t just walk that off.”

“I was dead for a shorter amount of time this time. I can’t stop being a firefighter -- it’s what I’m meant to do.”

“I don’t want you to stop being a firefighter. Take it from someone that has tried not being a firefighter: you don’t need to quit your job to save your life. You just need to make your health and safety a priority, Evan.”

On the other side of the curtain, a similar conversation played out. Upon waking, Maya looked around the room for Carina, and a sense of relief washed over her when she saw Carina seated in a chair pulled up next to the side of the bed. “Carina,” Maya said, though her strained voice had a hard time escaping the nonrebreather mask over her face. She pulled the mask down and tried again. “Carina, is everyone okay?”

Carina, finally hearing her wife, looked up to see Maya holding the mask away from her face. “Maya, the mask stays on,” she instructed Maya. When her wife obliged, replacing the mask, Carina continued, “No deaths. Some kids and teachers with smoke inhalation and a firefighter that collapsed.” Carina paused, taking a deep breath. “And you. You almost died, Maya. Again. We need to talk about that.”

“What’s there to talk about? It’s not my fault that I-” Maya’s tone shifted to defensive before she stopped her sentence short, realizing what Carina might want to discuss. “I had a duty to help!”

“You also had a duty to stop when the LAFD told you not to continue without protection. I know that you know that stopping wouldn’t have lost you your job. I know this wasn’t about your job, but it still felt like you were choosing being a firefighter over me. I had to watch you run into a burning building, and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Carina stood up from her seat.

“Carina, I’m sorry. I-”

“I know, and I know that you are working on this with Diane. I love you, bambina, but I need you to ask yourself if you really value your life.” Carina steps toward the door. “I’m going to get some coffee,” she says as she opens the door.

Moments after Carina stepped out, Dr. Abbasi entered the room. She glanced over at Maya. “Hi, Maya. I’m glad to see you’re awake. I’m Dr. Abbasi, the critical care attending assigned to your care. Do you have any questions for me right now?”

“How long do I have to be here?” Maya coughed out the question, following it with a round of loud, wet coughing. 

Dr. Abbasi quickly grabbed a paper cup from across the room and handed it to Maya. “Spit,” she instructed. After Maya lifted the mask and spit a glob of phlegm into the cup, Dr. Abbasi placed the cup on the table next to Maya. “You don’t want to keep swallowing that stuff; it’ll keep you sick. We want to keep you here overnight for observation and continued treatment. I can discharge you once you stop spitting up, your blood gases are good, and you can maintain oxygenation on room air.” She paused to allow Maya to digest this information. “Is your wife around? I’d like to speak with her.”

“Carina went to get a cup of coffee,” Maya responded, not showing her anxiety about when Carina would return.

“Okay. I’ll check back in later.” Dr. Abbasi smiled and walked over to the other side of the curtain. She was pleasantly surprised to see another patient awake. “Hi, Evan. I’m glad to see you’re awake. I’m Dr. Abbasi, the critical care attending assigned to your care. Do you have any questions for me right now?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Okay. Let me know if something comes up later,” Dr. Abbasi responded. “Mr. Diaz, can I talk to you in the hallway?” She walked out of the room, taking Eddie with her.

Maya stared up at the ceiling. “Evan, huh?”

“Yeah, though my friends call me Buck,” Buck replied.

“Why Buck?”

“It’s short for my last name, Buckley. What about you?”

“Maya. I overheard that you had died again. What’s the story there?” Maya reached for the cup and started to cough again.

“I, uh, was struck by lightning a couple months back. According to Eddie, I was dead for 3 minutes and 17 seconds. I was in a coma for a while, and I had this really weird dream. I didn’t get any of that this time around.”

“Struck by lightning? How’d that happen?”

“I’m a firefighter, and there was this apartment fire during this big thunderstorm, and I was on the ladder, and I, uh, don’t remember too much after that.” Buck let out a small nervous laugh. “So, uh, what do you do?” he asked, attempting to change the subject.

“I’m also a firefighter, but I work in Seattle.”

“Seattle. What brings you to the great city of Los Angeles?”

“Brush fire response training. I was going to spend the next few days here as a mini vacation with my wife, but I think I ruined that.”

“How did you ruin it?”

“I ran into a burning building and almost died. I got distracted by the kids needing help and wasn’t thinking. It was stupid, and I-”

“I, uh, I get it,” Buck interrupted her. “I’ve ignored evacuation orders to save civilians on more than one occasion. I’m the first one to volunteer for dangerous rescues. I am constantly putting myself in danger and not thinking twice about it, or even once for that matter. I, uh, understand the guilt, too. Maddie, Cap, Eddie, and Chris have feared for my life more than is healthy. It’s a lot.”

“It is,” Maya agreed. “Why do you keep doing it anyway?”

“I can’t stop,” Buck admitted. “It’s just a, uh, part of who I am.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was born to be a bone marrow donor for my older brother. It didn’t work, and he died before I could even register that he existed. My parents were so beside themselves with grief that Maddie and I were pushed to the side. Even though I didn’t know what had happened at the time, they blamed me for his death. I acted out hoping that they would notice me, but they just got mad at me when I got hurt. I never really grew out of it, but I have slowed down.”

“How did you figure all that out?”

“Therapy. Lots of therapy.”

“Oh.”

“Not the answer you had hoped for?”

“No. I have worked so hard to get back to a good place with my wife, to rebuild her trust in me, and I just acted like none of that ever happened. How I acted today is how Maya from a year ago would have acted. I’m not supposed to be that Maya anymore.” Maya paused to take a deep breath. “How do I stop?” She coughed another glob of phlegm into the cup.

“I’m not sure I can help you with that one. I’ve died twice this year.”

“Right. How do I fix this?”

“I’m not the right person to answer that question either, but I know someone that might be.”

Just outside the room, Carina sat in one of the two chairs conveniently placed next to the door, clutching a white to-go cup of lukewarm hospital coffee. Though her eyes were glazed over and her vision blurred, she was determined to not start sobbing.

A few feet away, Eddie finished his conversation with Dr. Abbasi. As he headed back to the room, he noticed Carina’s worried expression. He recognized her as the companion to Buck’s roommate and took a seat next to her. “You look like you could use someone to talk to,” he said. Realizing he hadn’t introduced himself, he added, “I’m Eddie Diaz. My friend in there is Buck.”

Carina turned slightly to face Eddie with her bleary eyes. “You’re a firefighter, right? You were at the school fire earlier today?”

Eddie nodded in response.

Carina continued, sounding a little unsure, “I’m, um, Dr. Carina DeLuca. My wife in there is Maya. And I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Eddie replied with a hint of skepticism in his voice. He looked away from Carina to stare down the hallway, but he didn’t get out of his seat.

After a slightly awkward 30 seconds, Carina broke the silence. “Your friend in there, Buck? Is he going to be okay?”

“Physically, he’s going to be fine. Emotionally, I can’t really say. It’s the second time he’s died on the job, and he still wants to keep going.”

“What do you mean, ‘the second time’?” Carina took a sip of her watered-down coffee.

“Buck was struck by lightning a few months ago. His heart stopped for 3 minutes and 17 seconds. He came back with new math superpowers and a whole ‘life is a gift’ philosophy. He had just really started to process what it meant to have died. He was finally starting to understand that he is not expendable. Then he died again through no fault of his own.” 

“I don’t know how to respond to that.”

“That’s okay. How is Maya?”

“I don’t know,” Carina admitted. “The smoke inhalation injury was pretty bad, but the attending that admitted her said that she’d make a full recovery with proper care and rest. I’m not even sure I can convince her to stay in the hospital once she’s off Oxygen, not to mention resting when she gets discharged. Asking Maya to take a break is like asking a baby to stop being cute: she doesn’t know how to.”

“So Maya is the off-duty firefighter that ran back in after Cap told her not to?”

Carina sighed. “Yeah.”

“From what I’ve heard, she sounds a lot like Evan. A couple of years ago, he sued the city because he was benched while on blood thinners-”

“Let’s not give Maya any ideas,” Carina interrupted.

“Until the lightning strike, he lived for the danger. Even after his attitude changed, he still didn’t know how to stop trying to save everyone but himself,” Eddie finished.

“You could say that last part about Maya,” Carina responded, beginning to fidget with her wedding ring. “I want to help her, but I don’t know how. She almost killed herself after shutting me out for months. She wouldn’t let me in, so the only thing I could do was commit her, and that almost destroyed our relationship. I don’t think I can take it happening again. I love her too much for that.”

“You can’t always wait for them to let you in. Sometimes, you have to kick the door down yourself. It’s what Buck did for me, literally.”

“Did that help?”

“It saved my life, my career, and my walls.” Eddie’s phone buzzed in his pocket, letting him know that it was almost time to pick Chris up from school. “I need to go pick my son up from school. I should probably check in with Buck before I go. Are you coming back in?”

“I think I need I little bit more time. Can you tell Maya that I went to grab something to eat?” Carina asked Eddie as he got up from his chair.

“I’ll let her know,” Eddie told her. He opened the door and walked into the room.

Inside, Eddie turned to Maya first. “Maya, your wife wanted me to let you know that she went to get something to eat.”

“You saw her?” Maya asked timidly.

“We ran into each other in the hallway?” Eddie said.

“Is that Eddie over there?” Buck asked from the other side of the curtain.

“Yeah. I need to-”

“Great,” Buck cut Eddie off. “Can you do something about this curtain? Maya and I have been talking. It turns out we have a lot in common.”

“I’ve heard.”

“You have? What did Carina say about me?” Maya followed up.

“She loves you,” Eddie replied. He pushed the curtain back so that it bunched up against the wall, allowing Maya and Buck to see each other. Eddie then turned his attention to Buck, turning his head to lock eyes with Buck. “Buck, Carla’s off today, so I need to go get Christopher from school. We’re going to pick up some dinner, and then come back here. Please don’t let him sweet talk you into doing his math homework again.”

Buck smiled softly as if to silently giggle at Eddie’s last statement. “Does the team know I’m awake?”

“Yes. I told them after my conversation with Dr. Abbasi. Shift doesn’t end for a couple of hours, but they’ll stop by later. Maddie is on her way.”

“Thanks, Eddie.”

----------

Maddie arrived at the hospital about 20 minutes later. As she walked into the hospital room, she ignored Maya and headed directly for Buck’s bed. “Oh, Evan, I am so glad you’re okay.” She placed her black purse on the floor as she took a seat on the edge of the foot of Buck’s hospital bed. Maddie looked her brother in the eye and rested a reassuring hand on his leg. “Eddie told me what happened. That must be a lot to process. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, Maddie. Really. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I’ve been worrying about you since you were little. It’s not something I can just turn off.”

“You’ve mentioned that before.”

“Well, it’s true.”

“I know that you are here to check on me, but I was hoping that you could help me with something else.” Buck glanced over at Maya. “Maya, this is my sister, Maddie. Maddie, this is Maya Bishop, an Olympic gold medalist-turned-firefighter from Seattle.”

Maddie looked across the room to find Maya. “What did you play?”

“I ran the women’s 10,000-meter in 2012.”

Maddie just nodded lightly in response. She looked down at her hands and twiddled her thumbs, hoping that someone else would fill the silence. 

“You don’t seem too impressed. I was the US’s first gold medal in women’s athletics that summer. It was a big deal,” Maya said, sarcastically offended.

“I didn’t really watch,” Maddie admitted. “Doug said that running wasn’t a sport worth watching, and I didn’t care to pay attention while I was at work.”

Noticing his sister’s distress, Buck was eager to change the subject. “So Maddie, Maya here needs some advice. She and I have strikingly similar patterns in behavior, and she’s going through a bit of a rough patch with her wife. I figured that between you raising me and you building back your relationship with Chimney, you might be able to offer some guidance.”

Maya looked up at Maddie with a hopeful-lost-puppy look in her eyes. “I keep messing everything up. I’m worried that she can’t love me anymore. It’s like I’ve stabbed her in the heart, and the moment it starts to heal, I twist the knife.” Maya pulled the mask off her face to wipe away the tears that had started to fall onto her cheeks. 

Maddie got up from Buck’s bed and crossed the room to take a seat at the foot of Maya’s bed. “Hey. We are not going there right now.” Maddie paused to get up to grab Maya a tissue. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Where should I start?” Maya asked half-jokingly.

“Whenever you think is good.”

“Okay.” Maya let out a shaky breath, which was followed by a coughing fit and another glob of phlegm into her cup. “After I was demoted, I started working out really hard and pushing everyone away. It got to the point where I almost died, but instead of accepting the help I needed, I kicked Carina out. It’s taken us months to rebuild our relationship. I wanted to take Carina on a short vacation, but I ran into a burning building and almost died again. Now I’m stuck here, and Carina seems pretty upset. How do I fix this?”

“Have you talked to your wife?”

“Not since she walked out after I woke up.”

“Eddie did,” Buck added, “but he would only say that Carina said that she loved Maya.”

“Why did you run into a burning building?” Maddie asked.

“LAFD was five minutes out and the kids needed help.”

“Then why is your wife mad at you?”

“Because I ran back in after LAFD showed up and told me to stop.”

Maddie shifted her weight around, trying to piece together what may have happened. She remembered Bobby sounding quite angry about a civilian on the radio during the school fire earlier that day. She tried to put that out of her mind as she followed up, “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Maya sobbed, tucking her hands under the elastic coming from the side of her mask to cover her eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.” Maya started to cough again, a wet hacking interrupting her sobs. The monitor over her head flashed as her Oxygen saturation values slowly fluctuated downward.

Maddie, noting the cup on Maya’s bedside table, grabbed the cup and brought it to Maya’s chin. She slowly lifted the mask off of Maya’s face and allowed Maya to cough a smoky glob of phlegm into the cup. “Maya, it’s okay to not know, but I do need you to slow your breathing a bit. Would you like me to walk you through some deep breaths?”

“I got it,” Maya replied as she attempted to take some long breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

“Good,” Maddie said to a now-calmer Maya. “Can you tell me why you think your wife can’t love you anymore?”

“I haven’t been able to move past it. I’m supposed to be a better Maya, but I can still hear his voice in my head. ‘No one loves a failure. People want a winner.’ I want to stop scaring my wife, but I don’t know how. All I know is ‘eyes forward.’ How can Carina love me if I’m failing at this?” Silent tears streamed down Maya’s face.

“I don’t think you’re failing,” Buck chimed in.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s hard. Getting the things our parents taught us about ourselves out of our heads is hard. I would know.”

“He’s right,” Maddie agreed. “I still hear the voices of my parents criticizing me in my head, and I’ve been working on that for a long time. You said that you wanted to stop scaring your wife. What did you mean by that?”

“I do these stupid things, and I get hurt, and then I push everyone away.”

“That is something I can help with,” Maddie responded. “The first step to getting your wife’s trust back is taking your recovery seriously, but I think you already know that.” She turned her soft face from Maya to glare at her brother. “You just probably weren’t ready to say it to yourself.” Maddie thought about adding, ‘That goes for you too, Buck,’ but her glare said it for her.

Having a much clearer mind, a sudden wave of slight panic and embarrassment came over Maya. “No, no, no,” she said. “I did not just have a breakdown on a total stranger again.”

“It’s okay,” Maddie reassured her. “I work at 911 dispatch. I speak to total strangers having the worst day of their lives all day. I just normally can’t see their faces.”

Maya stared down at her hands. “Thank you, Buck. Thank you, Maddie. Thank you.”

15 minutes later, Carina’s voice punctuated a soft knock at the door. “Maya, I’m coming in.”

As Carina entered the room, Maya began to speak. “Carina, I’m sorry. What I did was not okay. I didn’t mean to scare you, and-”

“Maya, please stop talking. I know you’re sorry, but I need to say this now, or I’m worried that it’ll never get said.” Carina took a deep breath. “I love you, but I cannot have you keeping me in the dark. I am worried about you, and I don’t know how to help. I want to trust that you are getting better, but then you pull things like this, and I don’t know if I should believe you.”

“How can I-”

“Maya, let me finish. I would like to sit down with you and Diane.”

“You want to go to couples’ therapy?”

“No. I want to have a real conversation with you and Diane about how I can best support you. Is that something we can do?” Carina walked over to Maya’s bed, tentatively taking a seat just past her wife’s feet.

“Yeah. That can be arranged.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Carina spotted a stack of papers on the bedside table that hadn’t been there before. “What’s that?” she asked, gesturing toward the stack of papers.

“Yes. That,” Maya said excitedly. “That is a copy of my medical records release form to give to Grey-Sloan when we get home. They already filed one here.” She cracked a shy smile. “I also filled Andy and the Battalion Chief in on what happened. I have a couple days of desk duty lined up for when I’m scheduled to go back to work.”

“Wow. Maya, I’m impressed.” Carina grabbed the release packet off the table and paged through the fully-completed form. She didn’t recognize the witness signature on the last page. “Who is this?”

“It’s Maddie, Buck sister.” Maya pointed to Maddie, who was quietly speaking with Buck on the other side of the room.

Carina glanced across the room, not having registered that the curtain had been pulled back when she walked in the room. “Thank you, Maddie.”

Maddie perked up and looked over at Carina. “You don’t have to thank me. This was all your wife’s idea.”

“It was?” Carina asked, shifting her gaze back to her wife.

“Yeah.” Maya let out a proud giggle and locked eyes with her wife. “What’s that look for?”

“I want to kiss you so bad right now, but your mouth definitely still tastes like smoke.”

Maya reached for Carina’s head and leaned in to press their foreheads together. “How’s this instead?”

“You still smell like smoke,” Carina remarked.

Buck looked at Maya and Carina longingly. “You two seem so good for each other. I wish I had someone who looked out for me and understood me like that.”

Maya slowly pulled away from Carina. “What about your husband?” she asked innocently.

“My what?”

“Your husband. What was his name? Eddie?”

“Eddie’s not my husband,” Buck replied, realizing that while that was certainly true in a legal sense, he wasn’t so sure if he acted like it wasn’t true at all.

“You look at him like he’s your husband. He looks at you like you’re his husband. You talk about him like he’s your husband. You might not be married, but he is your husband.” Maya squeezed Carina’s hand.

“How did you know? You and Carina?”

“When something bad happens, the first person I look for is Carina,” Maya offered.

Buck considered what person he would go to in that situation. He started a running tally. Eddie: 1

“When I have a bad day, all I want is to be in Maya’s arms,” Carina added.

Eddie: 2

“I’d be a completely different person if it weren’t for Carina.”

Eddie: 3

“If I could call anyone in the world from the hospital, I’d call Maya.”

Eddie: 4

“I think I get the point,” Buck responded before Maya could add another item to the list. “I could say all of those things about Eddie. What, uh, what now?”

“You tell him,” Maya instructed.

“H-how?”

Maddie pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Eddie. “You have fifteen minutes to figure that out,” she informed Buck. “He and Christopher will be here shortly.”

----------

Eddie got back to the hospital with Chris about an hour after he left. Chris rushed over to Buck and gave him a big hug. “Buck, you have to stop dying on me,” Chris demanded. 

“I’m trying my best,” Buck half-joked back.

“It’s time for homework,” Eddie told Chris, placing his backpack down next to the chair on the far side of Buck’s bed. He looked up at Buck to say, “Maddie’s text said you needed to tell me something?”

“Eddie, these past few months I’ve been looking for someone that really sees me. In doing so, I overlooked the one person in my life that does: you. I am not afraid to be my full, true self around you. Eddie-”

“Just kiss him already,” Chris interjected.

“What did you just say, bud?” Eddie asked, slightly taken aback by Chris’s demand.

“Oh come on!” Chris continued. “The two of you have been in love for years. How come I noticed but you didn’t, Dad?”

“I agree with the kid,” Maya added.

“Me too,” Carina agreed. “The way you talked about Buck in the hallway is the same way I talk about Maya.”

“I wasn’t exactly expecting to make a speech right now, so I don’t have much to say. Evan, you-”

“Just kiss him and get it over with!”

“Fine.”

[irregularincidents]

Los Angeles restaurateur Clifford Clinton was a surprising man in a lot of respects. Born 3rd August 1900, Clifford spent much of his childhood in China as his parents did missionary work, and after witnessing the starvation and violence following the 1898 to 1900 Boxer Rebellion, he supposedly made a vow to never let people go hungry.

As such, when he started his first cafeteria in 1931 (named Cliftons after smashing together his first and last name), he published his business policy on his cheques,

"Regardless of the amount of this check, our cashier will cheerfully accept whatever you wish to pay or you may dine for free."

This proved to be good timing, as when thousands of people fleeing to California out of desperation caused by the Great Depression, many found they were able to get a decent meal at Clifford's restaurants at a time when many Californians were actively hostile to the newcomers.

Additionally, Clifford bucked racist trends of the time by staunchly refusing to segregate his businesses, in a time when many restaurants refused to serve African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. When racist customers would complain about this in customer feedback forms, Clinton would publish their comments in the restaurants' newsletter and admonish them, at length.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Clifford being very loud about his views lead to his drifting into the world of local LA politics, which at the time was a haven of corruption and vice under Mayor Frank Shaw, a man with the dubious claim to fame of possibly being the most corrupt mayor in the city's history.

Clifford first drew the ire of Shaw after he was hired to look at the state of the kitchens at the LA County General Hospital, where Clinton found significant amounts and of favouritism and waste, leading to his giving a list of recommendations of how to fix the budget and improve the quality of food being served. This unfortunately put him in Shaw's firing line, as he had once overseen the hospital, and he retaliated by siccing health inspectors on Clinton's establishments.

In turn, Clifford became an increasingly vocal critic of the corruption both in City Hall and in the LAPD, the latter of which (in addition to its own institutional problems) served as the enforcement arm of Shaw's administration. As such, he was hired to join Citizens Independent Vice Investigating Committee (CIVIC), an organisation aiming to eliminate organised crime within Los Angeles city governments.

To this effect, CIVIC hired a former cop by the name of Harry Raymond, a private investigator fired from the LAPD 90 days after being made Chief of Police due to his publicly saying he wanted to get rid of corruption, and set to work.

Shaw was accused of of influence peddling of city jobs, including police positions, and winking at brothels and gambling dens. The LAPD, meanwhile, began wiretapping Clinton's phones and in 1937 "someone" blew up Clifford's house with a bomb that had been placed in the kitchen.

This wasn't the only "mysterious" explosion, however, as three months later in January 1938, a car bomb grievously injured Raymond filling him with 186 pieces of shrapnel. In the subsequent trial, due to expert witness testimony by rocket scientist and Aleister Crowley devotee Jack Parsons, LAPD Captain Earle Kynette and two assistants, were convicted on four counts of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to murder, and malicious use of explosives.

As Kynette was a member of the "Spy Squad" tasked with, well, spying on Clinton and his family, a line could firmly be drawn from the work of CIVIC and the attempted murders of Clinton and his family and that of Harry Raymond.

In the subsequent fallout from the trial, Chief of Police James Davis was forced to resign, while a Grand Jury investigation that finally linked Shaw with multiple vice rackets led to his being removed from office by a special recall election. The judge that oversaw the Grand Jury, Judge Fletcher Bowron, replaced him as mayor.

In 1944, Clifford funded a Caltech scientist Dr. Henry Borsook $5000 of his own money to produce a food additive that could be used to provide proper nutritional values for less than 5 cents a meal. Surprisingly, Borsook (in collaboration with French chef Mme. Soulange Berzceller) created Multi-Purpose Food (MPF), a flavourless high-protein food supplement that can be added to meals.

The profits from this invention, in addition to money gained from selling the restaurants to his children, led to Clinton and his wife founding the non-profit Meals for Millions in 1946, which distributed meals across the world to starving and malnourished people.

Clinton would eventually pass away in 1969, leaving the world somewhat better off than before. ...And that's not even getting into the sex aid business he was reportedly tangentially involved in with his mistress Terri Richmond, with whom Clifford's wife was allegedly aware of and supposedly fine with...

[acnewsworld]

McDonald's adds security after threats - ac.news

Over the weekend, Trump manned the fry station and served customers at the drive-thru in Bucks County, sparking one of the most intense meltdowns from left-wing critics.

Now, franchise owner Derek Giacomantonio has had to keep the private security team he initially hired for Trump’s visit to safeguard his restaurant and staff, following a surge of threats and hostile messages from..... Read more. 👇

[yespat49]

Quand Trump se paye une frite sur le dos de Kamala

Capture d’écran TikTok C’est le sketch hilarant (ou consternant) du week-end : Donald Trump faisant des frites dans un restaurant McDonald’s de Bucks County, en Pennsylvanie, et les servant, hilare, aux journalistes venus assister à la scène. Chemise blanche, cravate rouge, le tablier autour du ventre, le candidat à la présidence se penche au comptoir du « drive » et lance à la cantonade :…

[bllsbailey]

Here's How You Knew Libs Were Going to Melt Down When Trump Visited McDonald's

Over the weekend, Donald Trump worked at McDonald’s in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was an ace-campaign stop. The photo opportunity was a home run, which broke the minds of liberals everywhere. The ownage was so complete that all they could do was cope and seethe as Trump made fries, served customers at the drive-thru, and made a mockery of Kamala Harris’ purported stint at the fast food giant.

The fact that liberals cannot wrap their heads around this move shows how detached they are—and yes, of course, the customers were pre-screened: Trump got shot in July. It’s as if the liberal media thinks we’d be shocked to learn that this was a political stunt, and that Trump never worked at McDonald’s. 

What a Watergate-like scoop! 

It served as another incident where endless mockery of this industry is warranted, but we did get a snifter of the mayhem that was to come with this piece: some “ex-McDonald’s chef” claims that making those fries is difficult (via NY Post): 

Manning the fries at McDonald’s is no small potatoes. Pennsylvania mom Rayanne, a staffer at the fast-food franchise, tells The Post she often clocks in for shifts at 4 a.m., prepping the kitchen to serve up those crispy sticks of heaven come lunchtime.  It’s a task confirmed fast-food fan Donald Trump may be tackling in her home state this weekend.  [��]  “Being a McDonald’s employee is more difficult than a lot of people imagine,” Mike Haracz, an ex-executive chef for the restaurant chain, told The Post, casting doubts about white-collar Trump’s upcoming blue-collar gig.  “Unless the scenario is fabricated in his favor, he will not do a good job.”  A former manager of culinary innovation for the U.S. menu, Haracz, 40, from Chicago, tells The Post it takes a certain je ne sais quoi to excel at the potato post. 

Enough. High school kids cook these fries. Also, it’s a French fry—he’s not making steak tartare or Beef Wellington. Some are trying to turn French fry making into a process akin to crème brulee. Everyone knows this is nonsense, which is why, among other factors, the meltdown was predictable.

The Left melted down, but we had some fun:

Trending on Townhall Videos

[phillygrub]

Asad's Hot Chicken Opening Brick & Mortar in Bensalem

Asad's Hot Chicken Opening Brick & Mortar in Bensalem @VisitBucksPA 🔥🐔 #hotchicken

Are you ready for some hot and spicy chicken, Bensalem? The Nashville hot chicken craze is taking the Philadelphia area by storm, but Asad’s claims to be the first in Philly. Asad’s Hot Chicken, famous hot fried chicken stands in Northeast Philly, is finally opening its doors in Bensalem! With its irresistible flavor, Asad’s Hot Chicken will surely become a fan favorite in the area, especially…

[paulpingminho]

[totalproroofing]

Exploring the Charm and Heritage of Telford, PA

Tucked away in the picturesque landscape of Montgomery and Bucks Counties, Telford, PA, is a charming small town that offers the perfect blend of historical significance, outdoor beauty, and a warm community atmosphere. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, there’s no denying that Telford has a unique charm that makes it stand out among Pennsylvania’s many small towns.

A Town Steeped in History

Telford has a rich history that dates back to the 19th century. It was initially known as County Line due to its location straddling Montgomery and Bucks counties. In 1857, the town was renamed in honor of Thomas Telford, a famous Scottish civil engineer known for his innovative contributions to infrastructure. While the city has grown and modernized, it retains its historical charm. Visitors can still admire the beautiful Victorian homes and historic buildings that serve as a reminder of Telford’s past.

The Community at Its Core

At the heart of Telford is its tight-knit, family-friendly community. With a population that values connection and tradition, Telford offers a peaceful environment where neighbors genuinely know and support each other. The town hosts various community events throughout the year, including the Telford Night Market and annual holiday celebrations that unite residents. These events promote local businesses and strengthen the sense of belonging that defines life in Telford.

Enjoy Nature in Telford’s Parks

For nature lovers, Telford is surrounded by scenic parks and outdoor spaces offering plenty of recreation. Centennial Park, a local favorite, is great for families to enjoy picnics, playgrounds, and sports fields. The nearby Perkiomen Trail provides a serene setting for hiking, biking, or enjoying a peaceful walk through nature. The town’s proximity to lush forests and open spaces makes it an ideal place to explore the great outdoors.

A Growing Hub for Local Businesses

Telford is home to various local businesses, from cozy cafes to boutique shops and family-owned restaurants. These businesses contribute to the town’s unique character and provide a personalized experience often missing in larger cities. Whether you're enjoying a meal at a local diner or browsing a specialty store, the local economy thrives on community support, and Telford’s residents take pride in supporting their neighbors.

A Convenient Location

One of the many advantages of living in or visiting Telford is its convenient location. While it offers the peace and tranquility of a small town, it’s just a short drive from bustling cities like Philadelphia and Allentown. This makes Telford the perfect place for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life without being too far from urban conveniences. Whether you're commuting for work or planning a day trip to explore the surrounding region, Telford’s central location makes it easy to do both.

A Great Place to Live and Visit

Telford, PA, is more than just a quaint small town; it’s a vibrant community that offers residents and visitors a high quality of life. With its affordable housing, excellent schools, and welcoming environment, Telford is an ideal place to raise a family or enjoy a peaceful retirement. The town’s modern amenities, historical charm, and outdoor activities make it a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the best of Pennsylvania.

Whether you’re drawn by its history, natural beauty, or sense of community, Telford, PA, has something unique to offer everyone. From its historic roots and local events to its scenic parks and thriving small businesses, this charming town is a hidden gem in the heart of Pennsylvania. Visit Telford and discover why this small town continues to capture the hearts of locals and visitors alike.

Is Your Commercial Roof Ready for the Season?

Don't wait for leaks to disrupt your business! Regular maintenance is critical to a long-lasting commercial roof. Our team at Surface Solutions provides thorough inspections and maintenance to keep your roof in top shape. Whether minor repairs or total replacements, we've got you covered. Schedule your evaluation today and protect your investment! #CommercialRoofing

[dadjokestop]

Gather 'round, folks! Get ready to enjoy a delightful collection of story jokes that will have you rolling with laughter! These aren’t just any jokes; they come packed with punchlines that lead you down a winding path of fun. Perfect for sharing with friends, family, or anyone who could use a chuckle, these story jokes are sure to brighten your day. Let’s dive into this hilarious adventure! 1. The Talking Dog A man sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale." Curious, he knocks on the door. The owner says the dog is in the backyard. When the man asks the dog, “What have you done in your life?” the dog replies, “I’ve helped police catch criminals, worked as a therapy dog, and even been in the movies.” Amazed, the man asks the owner, “Why on earth would you sell such a remarkable dog?” The owner shrugs and says, “He’s a liar! He didn’t do any of that!” 2. The Restaurant Bill A couple goes out for dinner. When the bill arrives, the husband says, “I’ll pay for the meal, but you’re going to have to pay for the dessert.” The wife laughs and asks, “Why?” The husband replies, “Because it’s a sweet deal!” 3. The Farmer’s Secret A farmer tells his friend he has the most productive cow in the county. His friend asks, “What’s your secret?” The farmer grins and says, “I give her plenty of moo-sic to listen to!” 4. The Magic Fish A man catches a fish that says, “If you let me go, I’ll grant you three wishes!” The man thinks for a moment and says, “I wish for a house by the beach, a car, and a million bucks!” Suddenly, a million ducks fly over. The man shouts, “I didn’t want ducks!” The fish replies, “What did you expect? I’m a fish, not a genie!” 5. The Detective’s Case A detective is trying to solve a case about stolen donuts. He gathers all the suspects and says, “Someone here is guilty, and I’m going to find out who.” Suddenly, a voice shouts from the back, “It’s the guy with the hole-y alibi!” 6. The Ghostly Prank A group of friends goes to a haunted house. One friend jokes, “I bet you all a hundred bucks that I can scare the ghost.” He walks in and screams. The ghost responds, “You owe me a hundred bucks for that!” 7. The Tired Computer A computer is tired of all the work it has to do. One day, it decides to take a break and says, “I need some bytes of rest!” 8. The Secret Ingredient A chef is famous for his secret ingredient in his famous chili. One day, a customer asks, “What’s the secret?” The chef leans in and whispers, “Love… and a little bit of spice!” 9. The Lost Penguin A penguin loses its way in the desert. When a passerby finds it, he asks, “What are you doing here?” The penguin replies, “I’m just trying to find my ice cream truck!” 10. The Lazy Dog A dog lies on the couch all day while his owner is busy cleaning. Finally, the owner asks, “Why are you so lazy?” The dog yawns and says, “I’m just paws-ing for a break!” 11. The Astronaut’s Joke An astronaut is on his first mission to Mars. He calls home and says, “I’m feeling a bit spacey today!” His friend replies, “Just make sure to keep your gravity in check!” 12. The Wise Owl A wise owl sits in a tree, and a rabbit asks, “What’s the secret to life?” The owl replies, “The secret is to always be hare-raising and owl-some!” 13. The Chicken and the Farmer A chicken approaches a farmer and asks, “Why did you cross the road?” The farmer shrugs and replies, “To get to the egg-citing side!” 14. The Library’s Secret A kid walks into a library and asks the librarian for books on paranoia. The librarian whispers, “They’re right behind you!” 15. The Balloon Artist A balloon artist is asked to make a dog. He twists and turns the balloon and proudly presents a masterpiece. The crowd gasps, and one kid asks, “Why is it so deflated?” The artist smiles and replies, “It’s just popped with excitement!” 16. The Lonely Snowman A snowman sits alone in the park, looking sad. A child approaches and asks, “Why are you sad?” The snowman replies, “I have no chill friends!”

17. The Magic Mirror A man looks into a magic mirror and says, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The mirror replies, “Honestly, you need to work on your self-reflection!” 18. The Chef’s Surprise A chef prepares a fancy dinner and says to the guests, “Tonight’s special is a surprise!” One guest asks, “What kind of surprise?” The chef winks and replies, “The one you won’t see coming!” 19. The Cat’s Advice A cat sits atop a fence and a dog approaches. The dog asks, “What’s your secret to being so cool?” The cat replies, “I just know how to keep my paws and claws in check!” 20. The Baker’s Dilemma A baker makes too many loaves of bread. When asked how he feels, he replies, “I’m just kneading a break!” There you have it—20 story jokes to tickle your funny bone! These jokes are great for sharing with friends and family, bringing laughter and joy wherever you go. So next time you’re in need of a chuckle, just remember these fun tales!

[sentientbentley]

US fans:

This is a FREE East Coast meetup. It is in PA (Bucks County) and some attendees have volunteered to do pickups from PHL and TTN.

We have private spaces reserved at a local Sheraton (Langhorne). As guests, we also have access to their lounge, restaurant, & heated pool!

Join us for:

Activities and games

Presentations

Cosplay

Welcoming and inclusive fan community

Details and Discord link in post!

The contract is signed! The deposit taken! And the hotel room booking link is live (over on our discord: https://discord.com/invite/Z8kFr6cDyc MUST BE 18+ to join the discord but any age to attend the Meetup, thanks!)

If you won't be joining us in discord but WILL be joining us at the event, please message me so I know to account for you in our guest list.

We have a lot of fans arriving Friday, October 18 and checking out Sunday, October 20, 2024.

The Ineffable Society Meetup itself:

Saturday October 19, 2024

1pm to 10:30 or 11pm (official discussions and activities to start at 2pm.)

Sheraton at Bucks County Langhorne, Pennsylvania

If you're old enough to watch or read GOOD OMENS, you're welcome to join us! If you're under 18, you must attend with a responsible adult guardian.

We've booked 3 event spaces for our use. We will have a *masks policy* in effect in these spaces and the foyer outside these spaces to help protect vulnerable attending fans.

You don't have to pay anything to attend the Meetup! We are crowdfunding for coverage on supplies we may need and event space rental, but that is all optional.

Langhorne, PA is accessible by public transit. Join our Discord server and we can arrange pickup/drop off from the local train station (SEPTA) or Trenton Regional Rail.

If you're flying in, you'll want to either head to PHL (Philadelphia) or TTN (Trenton). We can arrange pickup/drop off from there if you're unsure about navigating further local public transit! Come chat in the Discord!

The last day to Book the hotel at our discounted room rate of $149/night will be **Wednesday, September 18, 2024**

Again, that booking link is in our Discord, but you can also message me for it directly if you're not planning to join the Discord.

Looking forward to seeing the locals, day trippers, and adventures coming in from across the country to celebrate our shared love of Good Omens!

[gastronomasonoma]

The spirit of the road house is alive at Buck’s Place in Sonoma.

On the west side of town there is a new yet old restaurant and bar called ‘Buck’s Place.’

Its recent incarnation as Buck’s is relatively new. But as an old building on the corner of Grove Street and Riverside Drive, it can be traced back over 115 years.

As noted by the Sonoma Historical Society in the early days of the 20th Century many families made their way to the El Verano area upValley to a restaurant and dance hall called “Little Switzerland.”

Built in 1906 it was the place to go especially during summer, to enjoy good food, libations and lots of dancing, mostly variations of the polka.

Named in honor of the scores of Swiss immigrants who made Northern California home after the Gold Rush, “Little Switzerland” continued in operation with different owners “off & on” so to speak, until 2017 when it became The Reel Fish House & Grill.

Before automobiles were ubiquitous across America, a train would bring people from San Francisco and surrounding towns into the valley for the summer season.

Still, even as people began to travel more by car into the 1920s & ‘30s, the essential ‘roadhouse’ was a destination that attracted both local and out-of-town visitors.

Something akin to a “Public House” or “wayside inn” in Europe, roadside places were common throughout North America from the late 19th Century onwards.

As historian Doug Beckstead noted on his Roadhouse history website. “Roadhouses sprang-up along the Yukon River in the 1890s to accommodate travelers.”

“At least eleven roadhouses once existed, he said, along the trail between Eagle and Circle in what is now Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.”

“Many roadhouses doubled as a homebase and supply point for fur trapping and mining operations,” said Beckstead. “Others roadhouses were also woodcutting locations and fuel stops for the wood-burning sternwheelers plying the river in summer months,” he added.

With many rural areas in Northern California, some semblance of a roadhouse persisted and this was especially so for an area like Sonoma County. Russian River, Bodega Bay and winding stretches of road leading to Mendocino were ideal for something like a roadhouse or a roadside cafe to emerge.

Enter into the scene, just after World War II, an unusually “flamboyant” personality like that of Texas-native, Juanita Hudspeth Musson.

She and her husband Richard opened a restaurant in Sausalito that garnered as much notoriety as it did acclaim.

Over the next 10 years or more, ‘Juanita’ as she was simply called by everyone, moved her “Galley Restaurant” establishment to several locations.

Financial difficulties and contract disputes, including investigations by the IRS followed her as Juanita was a poor manager.

She was known to be of “eccentric” temperament which often resulted in her becoming either kind and hospitable or rude and belligerent to customers as well as staff.

Regardless, her presence in the San Francisco Bay Area was legendary.

In 1964 upon leaving Sausalito, she reestablished her restaurant to the El Verano area, near Fetters Hot Springs resort. For the next 40 years into old age, Sonoma was her home.

Still, just like what happened in Sausalito, Juanita’s in Sonoma would also have praise for good food, yet there also would be chaos that accompanied it. In 1969 her restaurant was damaged in a fire.

Eventually bouncing back by reopening again, Kathleen Hill, the food & wine editor for the Sonoma Index-Tribune noted.

“Regulars would either be shocked or thrilled to see a monkey on her shoulder. If not a monkey then a parrot here or there, or – when Juanita was so moved – a hoisting of her muumuu to show off her enormous bosom.”

When Juanita died in 2011, a memorial gathering was held at “Little Switzerland.”

Ironically, as “Little Switzerland” became yet another new restaurant venue in 2019 as “Reel & Brand,” new owners and business-partner investors became entangled in litigation in 2022.

Hopefully the “ghost of Juanita” and the chaos that underlined her restaurant ventures in Sonoma will finally be put to rest as Buck’s Place takes over such a storied spot.

The ambiance is welcoming as the food is delicious. Basic Italian-American food, with a bit of artesian sensibility. The Italian meatball sandwich is very satisfying, especially with fresh basil and a sesame seed toasted roll.

With a glass of sparkling red wine out on the back patio listening to live music, what could be better on a summer afternoon or evening!

Yes! The spirit of the road house continues. Any visitor to Sonoma, may this be an invitation. If it so happens that the upscale experience of a winery tour, is tiring- that of the “tasting room experience,” then dear visitor, get-away from the plaza, to relax and be more easy-going of a different place and time, like the rural Sonoma of sentimental legend. Make a visit to Buck’s Place at 401 Grove Street on “the springs-side of town, El Verano. See Buck’s Place website for details.