Bruce, Pork Roll, Taylor's Ham, Jersey Girls

We all had the day off to go see Bruce Springsteen today. Better than eating Godiva Chocolate, and with slightly less guilt since I gave us all the day off, not just myself.

The band did three songs from the new CD, Jacob's Ladder, Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep, and a song many of us only know from "Little House on the Prairie's," Mr. Edwards, Old Dan Tucker.I've seen Bruce in concert several times, including at Seton Hall in the 70's, Madison Square Garden in the 80's, and Giant's Stadium a few years back. It was wonderful seeing him in a small venue like Convention Hall, where he could speak and be easily heard by the crowd. I'm not a rabid Bruce fan like so many people are, but I like what he does for our home state, and he really does kick butt when he gets going with a band.

Kate, that would be me, introduced herself to Robin Roberts of Good Morning, America after the taping, and Ms. Roberts graciously agreed to allow a photo of herself on the website. We spoke for a brief moment, and it turns out both of our fathers were from Union, NJ.

She is lovely, gracious and very patient with the fans that approach her. When she asked me what kind of commercial web site I'd be putting her face on, she said "Pork Roll? Sure I know Pork Roll. Taylor Ham, right?!"

Don Wright of Porterville

I love Don Wright. He calls me "Katie Girl." I've only allowed two other people in my life to call me "Katie" and they were both over 70 years old also. They all sing the K-k-katie song from World War One to me.

K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy,
You're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore

I'm hardly a girl and beautiful just doesn't cut it at my age, but I love it. Don calls in his orders and tells me how he came to love Habbersett Scrapple, worked for NASA for years, helped land the Space Shuttles, and now resides in CA with a four poster bed made in 1750.

I also love Paul Windmuller. He had a mild heart attack in January and since they call Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese, the Triple By-Pass sandwich, or "Heart Attack on a Hard Roll. I hope to hear from him less for pork roll, and more just to say hi in Instant Messenger!

Wonderful customers and so many have a story to tell. Marion, who hadn't had Taylor Ham since 1945 when she married her returning war veteran boyfriend and left Philadelphia. She woke up one morning in April, 2006 and when her husband said he'd prefer sausage to bacon for breakfast, she said "I want pork roll." She said hadn't even thought of it in 60 years and it popped into her head. Two days later she was in Minnesota sharing a roll with her husband of 61 years.

Walt in Michigan who knows the old neighborhoods and food emporiums I've gone to since childhood. Jon Feraro, owner of St Louis' Jersey Style Pizza. He can talk politics, history, pizza, and more.

Vito who calls in orders and curses liberally in every sentence and justifies it by saying "Hey, you're an F#*%ing Jersey Girl, you gotta be tough enough to take it."

Mike, the "pork roll pervert" who thinks we haven't already heard every dirty joke imaginable. I can tell when he calls because when anyone else answers the toll-free line, they say "OH, it's you. Here is Kate." Mike will no doubt read this blog and be terribly proud of himself.
There are so many more.