Now where was I?

 

 

Those of you who know what this sign means know both where I was the last couple of days and what quality food is.

 

John & Mary's has been a sub sandwich institution in Buffalo for 70 years, the first restaurant was opened exactly 70 years ago at the site of this very picture that I took on Harlem Road in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga.

My folks used to talk fondly about John & Mary's when I was a kid and every once in a while on our trips to Buffalo, we'd stop for lunch at one of the locations, usually outside the city. When I started going to college in Buffalo, John & Mary's was one of the only places that I knew that was neither fast food nor dorm food. So I'd go to the Sheridan Drive location quite a bit.

A year or two later, I met a girl. Wouldn't you know, she knew about John & Mary's. Even better, her home was mere blocks from the original J & M's! Jackpot! I can't tell you how many take-out dinners came from the place between 1987-90.

Most of the John & Mary's are still there -- I know -- because the place still means so much to me that I go out of my way to find the Harlem location to make sure it's still there.

I have not found a better-tasting sub anywhere -- certainly not where I live now.

So, anyway, I was in Buffalo for a couple of days visiting relatives. Again, it's been too long.

It's always nice to be back home. Every time I go there, I am always impressed that no matter who I am seeing, they could be vastly different people, from very different backgrounds, conversation will always turn to the Bills. It happened this time as well, most of it was lamenting about how the season ended.

It's nowhere near football season -- although the Buffalo newscasts repeatedly reminded me that the draft is just two weeks away. The offseason doesn't stop anyone in Buffalo from talking about the Bills.

So it's appropriate that I pick up where I left off with this blog with a continuation of the package that I received from Sports Cards From The Dollar Store. Last week I showed the 2022 Heritage Dodgers that I received, here's the rest:

Sure, Bills cards, of course.

There was a lot of talk this past weekend about Stefon Diggs and blasting of the former Bills GM who allegedly said the Bills "couldn't afford" to re-sign Diggs. There was also talk about how the Bills are looking for cornerbacks in the upcoming draft and, oh yeah, somebody showed me their Josh Allen votive candle.

Nobody talked about Keith Ford. He hasn't played for the Bills since 2018.

You definitely can find Sabres fans in Buffalo, but with the exception of someone mentioning the old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and a passing reference to Jack Eichel, the Sabres didn't come up during my Buffalo weekend. The Bills have a stranglehold on the city that only can be broken when a Stanley Cup is on the line.

 

Some older Sabres and Sabres cards. Dominik Hasek is still my favorite Sabre to collect. Hasek was once busted for speeding on street that I traveled all the time while living in the area. The speed limit there is 35. He was going like 77.

Doug always sends me 1991-92 Pro Set cards. Very appreciative! I steadfastly refuse to put a want list up for these, probably because I'm afraid I'll get the idea that I have to complete both the English-back and French-back sets.

 

The rest of the cards in the package were Dodgers, most of which were new to me. Doug can send some fancy stuff. I don't think I'll ever buy a Museum card myself.

 

How about some Chronicles action? It will take me a good minute to figure out what all of these are, but I always enjoy getting them.

 

Finally a couple of autographed cards, including I believe my first signed Zach McKinstry card.

The Dodgers didn't come up during my Buffalo weekend ... well, unless I brought them up.

Not every city can be perfect. Even if it has the most perfect subs.