Hardtack

For as long as I can remember, I have been hearing about hardtack. Seems like in all the old TV westerns, there was some mention of hardtack. This past week I did some reading about hardtack and did a search online to see where you can get it commercially. Turns out it is not very popular in Alabama. There is one brand, Sailor Boy Pilot Bread, that is available in a few western states and in Alaska. You can buy it online from a few places although the shipping is kind of high.

While I was searching online, I came upon a website that had an "authentic" recipe for hardtack, just like the Union troops were issued during the war between the states. It looked simple. 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix it up,  roll it out to 1/2 inch thick, cut it in 3 inch by 3 inch squares, punch some holes in it like those in saltine crackers, put it in a 375 degree oven and bake it 30 minutes on one side, flip it over and bake it 30 minutes on the other side. That is all there is to it. I had everything I needed in the kitchen to make it except a rolling pin and I picked one of those up yesterday at Target.

So, today was my day to make hardtack. I followed the instructions and sure enough, my hardtack turned out just like the pictures on the internet. As soon as it cooled off, I picked out a piece to eat. As you would expect with such a simple food with a simple recipe, the description of hardtack is simple. One word sums it up. Hardtack is HARD. It is not as hard as a diamond. I would say that it is harder than a chicken bone but not as hard as a quartz rock. It actually tasted pretty good, kind of like a saltine cracker.

I read where the union troops would dunk their hardtack in their coffee and the British sailors dipped theirs in  grog to soften it up. After trying it, I can see why. It is supposed to have an outstanding shelf life. I read today that recently some hardtack originally issued during the war between the states was discovered and it was still edible. The article did not say but I suspect that,  that 1860's hardtack had to be soaked in coffee or some other liquid before it could be eaten.

Finance Companies and Cell Phone Carriers

Back in the late 60's or early 70's there was a man named Corbin, I think his first name was Joe, that lived in Rockford and worked at the marble quarry in Sylacauga. He and his riders made the trip back and forth the 20 something miles to the quarry 5 days a week in a 1959 Chevrolet.  Joe drove this 1959 Chevrolet, a beater by anyones standard (although at the time I had never heard the term beater, we just called them cars) for a long time. It suffered from  a good many mechanical problems  and as my daddy ran a shop and Joe and his riders passed by that shop twice every day, many if not most of the repairs were made there. Years passed and the car grew older and more tired. Finally one day Joe brought the car in and daddy or one of the mechanics that worked there diagnosed what was wrong with it. I don't recall what it was, but whatever it was was going to cost more to repair than the car itself was worth. The recommendation was made that Joe junk the car and buy something a little more roadworthy. Joe said he couldn't afford to do that because he still owed $2500 on it. Keep in mind that this was, at best a $1500 car when he bought it used several years before. Seems that he had run into some financial difficulties a couple of times over the years and was having trouble making his payments so the finance company that was "toting his note" had refinanced it for him, along with the accompanying fees, et.al.

Daddy told him that if it were his car, he would take it up to the finance company and leave it with them. Joe said he would but then he would not have a way to get to work or haul his riders. Daddy had an old 1962 Ford station wagon that was visibly as rough as Joe's 1959 Chevrolet but was mechanically rock solid. He told Joe that he would let him have it for $400 and he could pay him $10 a week until it was paid for with no interet charges. The deal was struck. Joe took the Chevrolet, that he had probably already paid $4000 or $5000 on and left it with the finance company and hitched a ride back to the shop. He took the Ford wagon and started using it to make the daily trek to and from the quarry. Within less than a year, it was paid for. Years later, when I was down in Rockford, I would see him pass by in that Ford wagon, still running strong and fully paid for. The moral of this story is don't do business with finance companies.

About 15 years ago, I got a cellular phone. My original carrier went out of business and I had to switch to another carrier. Then a couple of years later my daughter got a phone with a company that had free calling between their mobiles so I switched to that company. That was about 12 or 13 years ago and I have been with them ever since. Recently I had occasion to call their customer service about a matter and while I was talking to them, it came up that I was still under contract. "How can that be? I have not gotten a phone from y'all in years." Well it seems that I called in 18 months ago and added a $5 data plan to my service. I had purchased a used smartphone from a third party and it needed to use data. When I did, they "renewed" my contract for 2 years. They say they told me. I say that they didn't. Turns out, anytime you change plans with my current carrier, they renew your contract, even if you are not currently under a contract. I am not a happy camper and intend to deal with my unhappiness forthwith. The moral to this story is don't do business with cell phone carriers that require contracts.

Any comparisons that you want to make between Finance Companies and Cell Phone Carriers will probably be appropriate.