Live & Kern

The man who robbed the bank that my grandfather and great-grandfather had owned has been arrested. I tried to tell you that robbing banks doesn’t pay. For $2,670, he now faces a minimum of 10 years in prison for Class A felony. (I don’t know what he’s been charged with, but that’s my best guess.)

Slightly related, while going through old newspaper articles, I discovered that my great-great-grandfather’s general store was robbed Jan. 19, 1910. (It’s the paragraph that starts with “Burglars.”)

The Marshall Republican didn’t offer many details; I hope to check the archives from other papers in the area soon.

Last week, the bank that my grandfather and great-grandfather owned was robbed. A man wearing a motorcycle helmet and long black coat walked in with a handgun. He walked out with about $2,500.

This is not the first time the bank has been hit by a motorcycle helmet-wearing robber.

In the ’80s, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet walked in and robbed the bank. My grandfather owned the bank at the time, but had the day off. He often rode a motorcycle; the bank employees thought it was him, fooling around. It wasn’t.

Growing up, my mother often repeated two pieces of advice. One: “Never rob a bank. It’s a federal offense. If you’re going to rob a business, you’re better off with the local grocery store.” (Two: “If you break the law, call the cops. Because when I show up, you’ll want to be under their protection.”)

Years later when I was in college, my friend Jon and I discovered we had lived in neighboring small towns. (My family moved before I started second grade.) And that his father was the helmet-wearing man who robbed my grandfather’s bank.

Last week’s robber is on the lam; last time, it took several months to catch the robber.

For a couple of years, I’ve been collecting headlines for Story of Man. Tonight, Twitter friend Lance Kidwell caught a great newsfeed juxtaposition.

Week made.

I have too many tomatoes, so I came up with a tomato salad recipe tonight.

Tomato Salad

3 tomatoes, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup croutons
6 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup Italian dressing, or 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar with 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Slice, chop, crumble and mix it up.

Now I need to figure out what to do with too many zucchini squashes.

I came home with lots of fresh-from-the-garden produce last weekend. Here’s what (part of it) turned into. (Bonus: What salad isn’t better with bacon?)

7-layer salad

6 cups lettuce (or lettuce and spinach)
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup sliced radishes
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup peas
1 to 1-1/2 cups salad dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, layer lettuce, onion, radishes, crumbled bacon and peas. Top with salad dressing (I used Caesar dressing, but do whatever you like), spreading it to cover the peas and touch the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle cheese to the top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for at least two hours. Toss before serving, if desired.