Mr. Potato Head at His Best!

Five hundred thousand pounds, give or take a few thousand. If I have done the math correctly, that is approximately how many pounds of potatoes my dear husband peeled over the course of our twenty-two years at Fred's News. About one month of those twenty-two years someone else peeled them. Had the chore been left up to me, patrons would of learned to love the peels! Every afternoon after the rush, Bill would load up his large potato buckets with whole scrubbed potatoes, fill with water and set them on the huge stove to cook until tender. He was very particular about the cooking process. "There is a fine line between cooked and turning to mush" he would say with that voice of authority. "Yes dear!" was my very dry reply, knowing that he was extremely picky about HIS potatoes. The nickname "Mr. Potato Head definitely fit. For a time he would wear a "Mr.Potato Head" tee shirt every morning. Bill always tried to finish peeling and cutting the potatoes before our first customer arrived. They were always amazed at just how fast he was. Many complained he removed too thick of a layer of potato, but Bill's reply was simple and to the point. "I've been doing this long enough to know what makes a good home fry." He was right, people came from all over, "just for the potatoes."

Through trial and error, Bill soon learned if you put the potatoes on to cook, set the timers, PLEASE!!! Many a time he would make a mad dash to the upstairs kitchen, realizing he had forgotten the potatoes. Yes, there were a number of times the process would have to start over. Usually I would use these "too cooked for home fries" potatoes, for our over the top potato salad. Of course, Bill always reminded me that I too had forgotten the potatoes. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, like I didn't have enough to remember, let alone those God-damn potatoes!! I didn't even care for home fries...although as potatoes go, I have never met a potatochip that I didn't love! So to save our marriage, we invested in a couple of new timers!!! I guess its all in what your priorities are, his was potatoes.

Did Bill ever complain about having to peel all those potatoes? Absolutely, my dear husband would not be who he is if he didn't complain, it is part of his personality..remember "Cancer the Crab". Did he peel them fast? Another absolutely! I'd make him a few cups of strong coffee as he was peeling and lamenting at how many potatoes he had to "f#@&ing" peel, but by breakfast's end, the compliments he had received on how perfect HIS potatoes were, it was all worth it! It became a game, I'd instigate, he'd play along, moaning and groaning, but knowing full well, HIS customers loved HIS potatoes. He was definitely a "Mr. Potato Head!"