I teared up more than I expected listening to the re-broadcast of the last Morning Show at The Fitzgerald. Since I was in the theatre, none of the re-broadcast should have been a surprise, but 15 years does dull the memory and I ended up crying just as much as I did that day. At the end when Neal and Leandra did “End of the World”, I completely lost it. (I simply could not explain this to YA who happened to come upstairs right at that point.)
When I went downstairs to make a little dinner, I decided I needed comfort food; Ralston Hot Wheat Cereal was on the docket. Ralston isn’t making the hotel cereal any longer; I’ve known this for a couple of months, but I still had my container in the freezer. When I measured it out, I had exactly enough for one serving. Somehow it seemed fitting that the last of one of my favorite comfort foods was eaten after hearing the re-broadcast.
I’ve done quite a bit of research and I THINK that Wheatena may be close. I did purchase some last month but haven’t tried it yet. Fingers crossed that it’s close. The Ralston has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, so we’re talking DECADES. I’m trying to take it in stride, but it’s hard.
Concerning the LGMS and the final broadcast, I am definitely seeing the bright side, as I would not be part of this fabulous community without the Trail! The Morning Show probably wouldn’t still be on the air at this point anyway and we baboons keep going and going!
What’s a product you’ve had to learn to live without?
Trail Baboon 
Worse than having a product disappear entirely is seeing it whittled away—watered down or cheapened by degrees—until it’s not the product you originally valued. Manufacturers and retailers seem to think their consumers can’t distinguish the difference as long as they keep the same name for the product. They think customer loyalty resides in the brand name.
Given a choice of diminishing the quality of an item or raising the price and keeping the quality, I would prefer the latter. We don’t get that choice. Retailers and manufacturers are doing both simultaneously.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In fact, brand names that retain a certain calculated cache of quality and familiarity are for sale as commodities to companies that share no history or commitment to that brand.
LikeLiked by 3 people
VS, Red River Cereal may be a nice replacement, but it has flax and rye and other grains in it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, I looked at Red River when I was doing my research. It’s not as close as a match to the Ralston as the Wheatena is. But if the Wheatena doesn’t work out, I’ll probably give it a try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always have a box of Malto-Meal in the cupboard. The air smells like Malto-Meal here, or popcorn balls, every day. It’s not officially Malto-Meal company anymore, although Post bought the brand and the cereal is still available.
Not a product, really, but I’ve learned to live without a life partner. It’s not always easy. It’s a lesson re-learned every day.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Malt-o-meal is my second favorite, after Ralston. Cream of Wheat runs third. Despite the fact that oatmeal is a hot cereal, I don’t consider it as part of this trio. It’s kind of a class of its own.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it’s a different grain, for starters.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I also eat several of the Malt-o-Meal cold cereals. In addition to being a better value, having lived in Northfield for a few years, I think of it is my hometown cereal.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Me too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I grew up with Cream of Wheat and Malt-O-Meal. One sure way to get me out of bed on a school morning was for Mom to yell up the stairs that breakfast was ready. If I didn’t get to the table soon enough, the cereal would get cold and lumpy. I haven’t had either of these for decades.
Right now I have had to learn to live without walking unassisted or driving. I still have at least 2 – 3 weeks of no weight bearing on my right leg. The heavy splint should come off next Tuesday and be replaced with a boot. I’ve also had to live without showering. Kneeling by the bathtub to do a sponge bath isn’t nearly as easy or quick. Hair washing is done at the kitchen sink with my right leg resting on a chair. Times like these are when living alone demands creativity and determination.
LikeLiked by 4 people
About 20 years or so ago, I broke the 5th metatarsal in my right foot. I didn’t think much of it for the first night. I limp/hopped around on it that evening, then I iced it, aced it, and elevated it and went to bed. When I got up the next morning, I realized how big a problem it was. I drove myself, carefully, all the way from Waterville to the Northfield Hospital. They put a temporary cast on it and asked me where my husband was. (It never ends…) They didn’t think it was possible for me to drive myself home and I agree that it wasn’t the best idea. To be safe, I took gravel much of the way home so I would avoid other cars. I made it without any problems, but I don’t recommend it. The next obstacle was stairs. I lived in a split-level entry house, so I crawled up and down. I didn’t have a knee scooter. It was almost impossible to carry anything, crawling around like that. I remember trying to drag a meal to the chair on a tray and spilling everything on the light-colored carpet. I felt so discouraged. On top of those struggles, it was late August and it was just gorgeous outside. All I could do was lay on the couch with my foot elevated, watching the black walnuts fall out of my huge walnut tree. I did go to work but it was painful and hard to elevate my leg under my desk. After I finally got the walking boot, it was a few weeks before I could bear weight. I remember my foot and leg felt like a ton of weight, a real boat anchor, and it throbbed.
My fracture wasn’t nearly as bad as yours. I didn’t have to have surgery, the fracture stayed in place and all it needed was stability to knit back together. So I can’t imagine your pain and frustration. If you need help, please don’t be afraid to ask.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am fortunate to not be dealing with much pain. Initially it was extremely painful but that only lasted a few days. Now it’s mostly discomfort from the cement block attached to my lower leg and Advil keeps it tolerable. The non weight bearing is tough, as is not being able to drive. Thank goodness for knee scooters – there are a godsend. My indoor one has a small basket attached which makes carrying things much easier. As much as orthopedic issues are a pain in the a**, they are usually fixable with not much in the way of lingering effects. In the grand scheme of things, this is really just a “minor” blip. My timing could have been better, though….
LikeLiked by 2 people
Has anyone else noticed that the variety of cookies has dwindled? I used to love Nabisco (I think) Cup Custard, a sandwich cookie; also Mystic Mint. It looks like Keebler still makes Vienna Fingers but I don’t ever see them. (Of course, I don’t often go to the biggest supermarket here… guess I should try them.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m not sure there’s a way I can write this without sounding snooty so here goes. I don’t know about whether cookies are dwindling in grocery stores. I’m trying to remember. Except for holiday colors of Oreos (which are always on end caps), I don’t remember the last cookies I actually bought in the store.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Your comment about the Morning Show – it probably wouldn’t still be on the air at this point, regardless of what happened back in 2008 – brought to mind something very similar my sister said about our mother. My mom died a little over twenty years ago, and after maybe a decade had passed, my sister commented that she probably wouldn’t have survived that long, and if she had, she wouldn’t have been in good health. It’s just a part of accepting losses. With the passage of time, each loss gets folded into your history, and you realize it would have happened later if it hadn’t happened sooner.
Today would have been my mom’s 100th birthday.
LikeLike