A day off

Because of the computer meltdown at the Bulletin (and our sister papers), getting Friday’s column into print meant writing it a second time, from memory and my notes, when the first version proved inaccessible, as noted in Friday’s paper.

However, rewriting Friday’s column consumed the time I would have spent writing Sunday’s column. I’ve maxed out on vacation time and was committed to taking Friday off (and probably two days next week). The only way to throw together a column for Sunday was to stay late. Working overtime Thursday to take off a few vacation hours Friday isn’t very logical, and so, spurred on by the continuing computer difficulties, I gave up and went home.

Thus, no Sunday column. It’s the first time I didn’t write a column since spring of 2005. Usually I go to great lengths to fill the space for vacations, but then, that was before this blog entered the picture, sopping up stray material and time.

I knew the streak had to end sometime. It’s a relief, really, because for vacations and an upcoming news assignment I’m likely to miss a few more columns this summer, and we might as well get used to the idea. Well, me more than you.

When you realize my space is filled with something else, it’s only a couple of seconds of disappointment, or maybe even relief, but of course I like to imagine it’s a crushing blow.

That said, I’m personally committed to posting seven days a week on this blog through its first anniversary in September, and I haven’t missed a day yet. What can I say, I like to set weird goals for myself.

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Restaurant of the Week: Brandon’s Diner

This week’s restaurant: Brandon’s Diner, 8689 Base Line Road (at Carnelian), Rancho Cucamonga; also 870 E. Foothill (at Campus), Upland, and 10271 Magnolia, Riverside.

Brandon’s is a hugely popular breakfast spot, and maybe lunch and dinner spot too. For whatever reason I’d never been there. An online review at the Dinerwood site (an LA guy, he’s also reviewed BC Cafe) caught my eye a while back, so last Saturday, a friend and I went in for breakfast to the Rancho location in the Sunrize Center. Even at 10:30 there were five small groups waiting for a booth, but the wait wasn’t long.

Inside, Brandon’s is surprisingly old-school: tile floor, booths, a long counter with swivel seats and signs with regular daily specials. The kitchen is in the back, not behind the counter. They have the full complement of breakfast items as well as sandwiches, Mexican food and dinner plates, plus beer and wine.

I had the half French toast combo with two eggs and two sausages ($7.45); my friend had Polish sausage, two eggs, home fries and two French toast halves ($7.95).

The French toast was very good, thick and dusted with powdered sugar. They also have a French toast variety with the name Cinnamon Revolution, which seems to promise a spice insurrection in your mouth. (“Vive le Cinnamon Revolution!”)

The sausage links were plump, some of the best I’ve had. However, my over-medium eggs arrived over-easy.

My friend’s Polish sausage, split and grilled, was tasty, and the scrambled eggs very nice when flavored with the two (!) kinds of salsa brought to the table. However, she described her watery coffee as perhaps the worst she’s ever tasted. “This is like gas station coffee,” she said, before quickly deciding that even gas station joe is better.

So Brandon’s isn’t perfect. That said, we enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere, and also the people-watching.

The clientele was diverse — whites, blacks, Latinos — and included a Goth couple, the woman in white gloves, the man in Kiss-style platform boots, striped pants and a belt buckle that read “666.” Goths tend not to smile so it was hard to tell if they were enjoying themselves. They certainly livened the place up for everyone else.

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Chino in Chino

On my way back from an interview Wednesday afternoon in Chino, I stopped in at Comic Madness, a comic shop in that burg, for my weekly fix. Music was playing as I browsed but I wasn’t paying attention.

Suddenly a lyric jumped out at me: “Got a wife in Chino, babe, and one in Cherokee/First one says she’s got my child, but it don’t look like me.”

Of course it was “Friend of the Devil” by the Grateful Dead, a song I’m well acquainted with. First time I’d ever heard the Chino line while in Chino city limits, though.

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