In order to not have my cardiologist worry, especially if he happens to be reading these posts, I keep my candy consumption to a minimum. As much as I would like to binge and have unfettered consumption of chocolate my experience and body is suggesting otherwise. As you say, getting old is not for sissies.

My back is almost healed and I will probably start riding again this weekend. This latest injury is another reminder of aging and the change in rebound time from things. Chocolate was a diversion from reality.

I will inquire about the source of the chocolate next time I’m in. Not sure how closely the store is connected to the manufacturing facility a few hours away. And regardless of where the original source is — it does taste great!

I’ll take your advice about the local Vespa mechanic and chocolate! Especially as the scooter gets older. Who knows what it will need…

Having had friends in the bakery/chocolate trade have found France has perhaps the nicest bulk chocoloate, supplied in slabs for lack of a better term.

The slabs are usually one inch thick by maybe 12 to 18 inches square.
Basically in this form the chocolate can be scraped off to fall into a hopper on very low heat, Sometimes the chocolate can be also scraped in very thin pieces to cover say the top of a cake, which has been previously iced in chocolate or white chocolate.

These slabs are either dark chocolate w/o sweetener and light chocolate with and without sweetener.

Chocolate as supplied from the wholesaler is often quite bitter, probably as bitter as sucking on a lemon or similar.

Chocolate as a food substance has many variances; often “we” the purchaser never see the process and work which goes into producing the items prepared forretail sale.

Perhaps when you’ve recovered from your ordeal Steve, request a quick tour, behind the scenes so to speak. You’d be amazed at what goes into preparing the product.

Now what you should do is take some form of ice cream produced at The Penn State Creamery and introduce it to thick chocolate syrup, warm, and fresh from the kettle.

Mmm good!

Your cardiologist will have a fit; however just once in a while indulge yourself and Kim.
You’ve earned it, just do it. Oh, and take photographs of the “happening” and let us all observe the ritual.

The shop may have molds which may be filled with warm chocolate, allowed to cool and filled again many times. I believe there is a commercial mold, in fact many different molds
of motorcycels and scooters. Ditto vehicles, animals etc. The depth of the chocolate in the object is dependent how many times the mold is filled with liquid chocolate and then allowed to drain out, and partially dry, then repeat as many times as needed to fill the cavity inside the mold. Yes, have worked in the hsop at Christmas, and easter, doing choloate related chores; after a while you become mexmerized by the smells and flavours drifting inthe air. Strangely, after my shift is finished I don’t want to even contemplate a taste of chocolate.

Biting into such an object can be most delightful. One alternative is to alternate the types of cholate used in the mold, dark on the outside then perhaps white or maybe milk chocolate. It can be most interesting.

Sadly my friends sold their shop two years ago. Their property was far too valuable to to house a chocolate and pastry shop. These days the location is a very deep excavation, the start of yet a multiple story condo tower.

They have both semi-retired, having made their money. Sadly no other outlet locally has the quality of their chocolate though there are other similar shops ’round.
It is similar to locating and keeping a good mechanic for your wheels; good reliable honest mechanics are not common; best keep those you know. And remember them at Christmas, not with a bottle, rather something manufactured from chocolate.

Trust your anatomy is healing; getting old is not for sissies!

I think what the tub on the URAL would be really good for is making fudge or salt water taffy. Park it over an open fire and go to work!

I bet if a little research was done we would find there are far more of us out there, at least in terms of chocolate and back problems. The scooter riding is the part that moves us into an elite group!

Only once have I made the terrible mistake of putting chocolate in the pet carrier. What a sad, sad day…

Looks like a place I’ll have to visit should I ever make it to California again.

Don’t you hate reality. Would be cool to live in a dream world….

I have a few things I wish I still had but nothing I couldn’t get again if I really wanted it.

You really getting an Elio?

There are still a lot of 70s Hondas for sale around here and many in good shape, or at least good enough for a project bike. Every now and again I think of having a project bike but I quickly put it out of my head…

Did you calculate how many boxes of chocolate would fit in a URAL’s sidecar?