We have learned a valuable lesson today, Gentle Reader, about the dangers of letting yourself disconnect completely from popular culture. Behold:
Okay, we never watched “The Sopranos”. And while we were vaguely aware of what the opening credits were like, it wasn’t until today that we actually watched them. (As an aside, the reason for watching them was that we’re planning Patty (In Dallas)’s visit here [EEEEEEEE!], and wanted to give her an idea of the difference between the drives from Philly and Newark.) The first minute of the credits is, in reverse, our Devils season-ticket experience! It made us so nostalgic, all that Turnpike awesomeness. But the image at 0:37… that just blew our minds.
You see, when we had season tickets, we went to every single game, every year. All the preseason games, all 41 home games, and the two or three playoff games before the end of the first-round flameout. Our glory days only lasted 3 1/2 years, but that’s still roughly 160 drives up and down the Turnpike for our beloved Devils. Needless to say, the entire 90-minute drive became highly ritualized for us, with its own mythology and wildly-spun fictions. We had to say hello to the melted Javy Lopez life-sized blow-up doll on the tarmac at Newark. There were always hearty greetings for Trevor “Big Trev” Linden at the Linden refinery plant. And, most importantly, there was Hydro-Puf.
It’s hard to say what prompted the start of Hydro-Puf’s story, but suffice to say that it ended up thusly: Schnookie and Eric Fichaud (don’t ask) lived in the old, run-down Hyrdro-Pruf factory after the Exit 15 divergence, and in 1997 Fichaud tried to go to the All-Star Game in San Jose by kickboarding through the Panama Canal on his kickboard named Hydro-Puffie. Every time we drove past Hydro-Puf, we all heartily greeted Fiche, and discussed all the amenities his dilapidated surrounds had to offer (like the hot tub on the top of the crumbling industrial tower). There is no more beloved landmark on the New Jersey Turnpike for us than Hydro-Puf. Every time we drove past it — for any reason, Devils or otherwise — we giggled. Every time we took the train into the City, we craned our necks to see if we could catch a glimpse of it, even though we knew we couldn’t. Every time we flew into or out of Newark, we hoped against hope to see it from the plane. Hydro-Puf is as much a part of our Devils experience as the Meadowlands itself. Even after the “F” fell off and it was saddled with the indignity of being called Hydro-Pu.
And all this time, it was featured prominently on the opening credits of “The Sopranos”. Who knew??
Hi Fiche!
Well, now we HAVE to take the Turnpike somewhere. Even if it’s just to the Hydro-Pu and back!
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Totally.
Well I’m all over a trip to Hydro-Pu! We could just go up and back and up and back and up and back all week!
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The funniest part of that story for me was “even after the ‘f’ fell off”. For some reason, signs with missing letters is never not funny to me. Especially going from Hydro Pruf to Hydro Puf. I still call Auto Zone the O Zone because of the missing
“AUT” on the one near my apartment in Syracuse.
I love signs with missing letters! I’m all about adopting the missing-letter names over the real ones. Although I will never accept Hydro-Pu. No, it’s Hydro-Puf, now and forever.
A friend of mine in high school once made his dad drive us way out of our way on a field trip just so we could laugh at the Trust Company Bank sign that had lost it’s “C O M P”. “Trust Any Bank”. Hee!
A friend of mine saw a Roy Rogers on the Thruway but it only said “Roy Ro” because of the missing “gers”. We thought it kind of sounded like Scooby Do saying Uh Oh. But my personal fav is a Cayak Rental down in Watkins Glen that now says “Yak Rental”.
But my personal fav is a Cayak Rental down in Watkins Glen that now says “Yak Rental”.
I can’t even begin to describe how pissed I’d be if I ended up with a kayak instead of a yak.
the Burger King on Rt 1 used to have a sign out front that said “Now Hiring Closers”
if it wasnt so busy i would have jumped out and stolen the C
I can’t even begin to describe how pissed I’d be if I ended up with a kayak instead of a yak.
I kind of wanted to go up to the desk and ask on the price of a yak, but I realized the poor kid probably gets asked that about 685 times a day and wouldn’t be amused.
if it wasnt so busy i would have jumped out and stolen the C
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
if it wasnt so busy i would have jumped out and stolen the C
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Oh, it’s originally Hydro Pruf? I was wondering why the UF was so far from the P! (My reading comprehension isn’t what it used to be.)
Exit 15 divergence
I think you mean Exit 14.
But anyway, I see that ever single time I drive from my parents house in Bergen County back to our place here in Somerset! I will now think of you guys as I pass!
I think you mean Exit 14.
Oh, right! Whoops! Oh well. I think everyone gets the idea. (It’s been a while since we’ve driven up there… :D)
It’s been a while since we’ve driven up there
I recently went to the Meadowlands for the flea market, and it was so different from what I remembered that I thought I was in an alternate universe! I took Exit 16W coming from the South, and I got diverted onto Rt. 3 and then Rt.120. It was horrible!
I hadn’t been there since the CAA funeral featuring the Sens in 2007.
Morning, all!
I still get a kick out of the “God Loves You” sign along the QEW on the road to Toronto. It’s on my list of landmarks on that road, along with the Pirate Ship, the skyway and the red concrete.
What’s also delightful about the Turnpike is of course the smell around Exits 14 and 13!
What’s also delightful about the Turnpike is of course the smell around Exits 14 and 13!
my 3.5 yr old daughter asked me about that last week, and instead of going into some unintelligible discussion of pollution, oil processing, smog, smut, and smoke, i told her it was me.
my 3.5 yr old daughter asked me about that last week, and instead of going into some unintelligible discussion of pollution, oil processing, smog, smut, and smoke, i told her it was me.
You realize she will now tell all her friends, “Daddy stinks”. But you still did the right thing.
KenF, that’s fantastic! So she thought either A) you had rancid gas, or B) you were in desperate need of a shower, depending on what flavor of odor was present that day.
HA! Sue, i’m sure she does that anyway. although she calls them Hiney Burps.
and Pam, she’ll choose A, since the stink was temporary.
Hiney Burps.
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the Sopranos opening sequence always reminded of the drive from my parents house in Bergen County to Rutgers a trip I made far to frequently.
Anthony, I’m with ya. Exactly
instead of going into some unintelligible discussion of pollution, oil processing, smog, smut, and smoke, i told her it was me.
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I think “smog, smut, and smoke” would be a good IBP byline! :P
The Sopranos opening credits were awesome, and when it was a filler episode they were the best thing about the show!
This drive is why wives of the Devils players would seek out the wives of guys who got traded to the Devils. The would take the newbies to the nice suburban non-industrial wasteland parts of N.J. ASAP to keep them from flipping out over the fact that their spouses just got traded to a hellhole. Or so I’ve heard…
I think “smog, smut, and smoke” would be a good IBP byline! :P
Don’t forget about Columbo!
I think “smog, smut, and smoke” would be a good IBP byline! :P
Don’t forget about Columbo!
and poo!
My dad is a HUUUUUGE Sopranos fan and I think my family’s all seen every season now.
I always got confused and mentally convinced myself that sign said “Stay Puft”.
Someone stole the “R” out of the sign at Tip Top Tailors back in 2005 – http://carolbrowne.com/item/2005/11/vandals-are-funny
And also, I just thought of something. Do you Ookies talk with an “accent”? ZOMG! I really hope you do. That would be so awesome!
Wait, wait, wait…say “spider”. Does it sound like “spidah”? OH PLEASE tell me!
Visit from Patty (in Dallas)? Imagine the accents there! Good times. Y’all. Heh. I want to come! I’ll say “eh” and everything.
I think “smog, smut, and smoke” would be a good IBP byline! :P
Don’t forget about Columbo!
and poo!
Always with the poo! And Columbo. :D
Carol, that sign is AWESOME! I love that it says “BITCHES” now, but used to say “BRITCHES”. I can’t decide which is funnier!
And I hate to disappoint you, but no, we don’t have Jersey accents. We recorded some podcasts two years ago that are still on the sidebar over there, if you wanted to listen to our dulcet tones. Back when I used to answer phones for a living, someone once absolutely floored me by pegging my accent to south Jersey. Other than the swallowed, gutteral central “T” (Like in “mitten” or “Trenton”), I didn’t realize we had a distinguishing accent in these parts. Turns out there’s something regional to the way we say “right” all the time. And there I was thinking it was just more polite phone manners to say “right” instead of “uh huh… uh huh… uh huh…”. :P Now, Patty, on the other hand, is like a Texas caricature! (Just kidding.)
We should totes have a big regional accent get-together! Everyone can spend the whole time playing up to their region’s stereotypes!
We should totes have a big regional accent get-together! Everyone can spend the whole time playing up to their region’s stereotypes!
That sounds like fun!
I’ll bring the Flat A, use of the word “the” before highway numbers, and random use of the possessive to describe places. That’s Buffalo English, folks.
Now, Patty, on the other hand, is like a Texas caricature! (Just kidding.)
Hey now! Oh, wait. That’s probably true. :D
I even have steer horns bolted to the hood of my Corolla.
use of the word “the” before highway numbers
Californians do that, too! In movies about Texas, you can always tell they don’t really know us when they say “the 635″.
(Usually you can easily tell that their Texas accents are terrible, too.)
I even have steer horns bolted to the hood of my Corolla.
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: She does. They’re wider than the car.
use of the word “the” before highway numbers
I was thinking that was a perfectly normal way to say things, but then I tried to imagine calling the road from here to Philly “the 95″, and I realized how totally Buffalo that sounds. :P
They’re wider than the car.
It was embarrassing to be seen with her car at first, but then I realized it was worth it because everyone got out of the way when they saw the Steerolla coming.
Hey there IPB, how y’all doing? ‘Sbeen a while!
the Steerolla
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Hey Mags! How’s summer vacation treating you?
I’ll bring the Flat A, use of the word “the” before highway numbers, and random use of the possessive to describe places. That’s Buffalo English, folks.
Amy, I’m taking notes… I can bring my flat A, but we don’t add “the” to highways, so I’ll have to work on that. We say “Pop”. Do you guys do that? My r’s are pretty hard. A friend from PA told me all of us from Rochester sounded like we were always being sarcastic. I don’t think that was the accent though.
I don’t think that was the accent though.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I think I have that part of the Jersey accent, too. :D
We say “Pop”. Do you guys do that?
Good heavens no! Boomer, who grew up in Chicago, told us that her mother wouldn’t let her say “pop”. It had to be “soda”, because “pop” was what people from the wrong side of the tracks said. :P
Ookies, when I heard the podcast, I thought you had South Jersey accents!
I’ve never referred to soda as “pop” either. That’s so country!
Anyways, g’night!
Pam, I’m mortified! I can’t believe I sound so South Jersey, when I’m a Central Jersey girl! :P
Sorry for being so late, but I want to be the Texas caricature. I have the accent, slow cadence, and say no g at the end of any word. I can also mispronounce any word longer than e letters. In my house we had tacas (at least according to my Dad) instead of tacos. Lastly, I have the boots and Myra’s Dad’s Stetson. I could go on but I’m fixing to go to bed.
longer than e letter (Hope I got that right)
sorry that would be 3 letters. It is time to say goodnight.
Hub, :^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I’m so sorry you didn’t order tacas at that fabulous restaurant we went to after the game in Dallas last year! That would have been awesome!
I could go on but I’m fixing to go to bed.
Also, we say fixing to do stuff. :D
And it’s neither soda nor pop around here. It’s Coke. If you tell somebody to get you a Coke, they’ll ask you what kind. Then you can say Dr. Pepper.
We say “Pop”. Do you guys do that?
Absolutely. It’s pop, not soda.
It had to be “soda”, because “pop” was what people from the wrong side of the tracks said.
Well, there are railroad tracks about a half-mile from my house, but my side is definitely less trashy than the other side. But pop is said on both sides of the tracks. So, I’m not sure what my point is here. Heh.
And it’s a beautiful Saturday morning. It’s not raining and I’ve already been to the farmers market. I got some gorgeous zucchini, a huge onion and some potatoes. The potatoes this one farmer sells are amazing. I’ve bought them the last three weeks and I cannot get over the difference between farm potatoes and supermarket potatoes.
I grew up with soda and say that…but I’m from Northern CT. I did a language/pronunciation test and it analyzed me as mostly Northeastern US with some other things thrown in. I guess if you spend over 20 years in New England (including most of undergrad – and the one year I wasn’t there I was in England), it sticks with you.
I spent 2 years in the midwest for grad school and did a summer internship in Charlotte, NC and most people thought I talked funny. I guess I did.
Amy, it’s a gorgeous day today here, too! It’s like the single most gorgeous July day ever! I’m so glad for your farmer’s market haul! I think potatoes tie tomatoes for the single largest absolute value between the difference in taste from supermarket to farm. They’re the most work-intensive of all our crops* but we keep planting them because a real potato is just so phenomenally delicious. How are you preparing your delicious potato harvest?
*It should be noted that we plant potatoes the hard way, but there’s a super-duper easy way to do it — just fill a garbage can partway with dirt and toss some seed potatoes in. In a few weeks, toss more dirt in the can. Repeat. Repeat. Then, at the end of the potato-growing season, dump dirt out of can and reap zillions of pounds of potatoes. Amy, you should totally do that next year in your yard!
Boomer, who grew up in Chicago, told us that her mother wouldn’t let her say “pop”. It had to be “soda”, because “pop” was what people from the wrong side of the tracks said.
Does this mean that Michigan is the wrong side of the tracks? I remember all my former co-workers in the Michigan office saying “pop”. I would say something about the Canadian office but the closest I remember any of them saying is beer.
But pop is said on both sides of the tracks. So, I’m not sure what my point is here. Heh.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And I’m so excited for your potatoes and zucchini, Amy! Yummy! That’s about all I got from my farm this week — a couple bunches each of onions and scallions, a handful of zucchini, and four pounds of potatoes (to go with the 20 pounds we grew ourselves and the four pounds I got last week). I was all cranky about it because they apparently had tomatoes on Wednesday, but now that I think about it, it’s a pretty nice haul to have. :D
Does this mean that Michigan is the wrong side of the tracks?
Oh, most definitely. You can’t get wronger-side-of-the-tracks than Michigan. (Just kidding. I have no beef at all with Michigan, and, in fact, suspect I’d very much like it there. Other than the whole “Red Wings” thing. :P)
I would say something about the Canadian office but the closest I remember any of them saying is beer.
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I would say something about the Canadian office but the closest I remember any of them saying is beer.
Not surprising…I work with several Canadians (including my business partner here and we have a Toronto office).
I was informed that they often refer to Canada Day (July 1st) as 24 Day because so many of them will take one or more 24-packs of beer and head off to a National Park.