Reader Exchange: One good chili burger deserves another

By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 15, 2001

The holidays are a time for nostalgia. So it's fitting that today's first request concerns a spot fondly remembered by baby boomers who spent their teen years in St. Petersburg shortly after the last ice age (for example, this staff).

W.H. Elston of Seminole recalls fondly Olsen's Drive-In on Fourth Street N, a place that served "the best chili burger that I ever tasted!" She wonders if an Olsen relative or a former customer privy to that special recipe is willing to share it. If so, please send it to W.H. Elston in care of this column; before forwarding said recipe, the staff promises to perform some strict quality control tests, just to ensure that the product meets the revered Olsen's standards. Hey, it's no trouble, folks; nothing's too good for our readers.

Fred A. Smith of the Seminole area is looking for an 8mm movie film editor and splicer he can borrow. He is trying to save his 8mm movies and wants to edit them before copying them on VHS or CDs. Please call (727) 319-6050. Dan McGrew hopes you can help him do what Fred is doing: preserve family memories. But Dan's approach involves ears instead of eyes. He needs the brief use of a reel-to-reel tape recorder. He has three 10-minute audiotapes his parents sent him 40 years ago when he was overseas.

Not only would Dan love to hear his folks' messages again, but he's also like to record them on a cassette so he can enjoy them often, and his children can hear their grandparents' voices. Dan's phone number is (727) 797-9044; his e-mail address is dmcgrew1@tampabay.rr.com.

For years, Robert O'Neill of Pinellas Park has been lugging around a box of 45 rpm records from the '40s and '50s. He'd like to listen to them again, but he doesn't have a record player with that speed. He is hoping to find one of those "record machines" especially designed for 45s, with an automatic record changer that takes six or seven discs at a time on its fat spindle. Please call (727) 541-1579 if you are thinking of finding new digs for one of these oldies but goodies.

Mary Kneisel belongs to a women's group that recently has become interested in playing mah jongg. If you have an extra mah jongg set taking up room in your home, call Mary at (727) 372-3713 or e-mail makwak@att.net.

Connie Fast of New Port Richey is setting up a silversmith work area in her home. She is looking for a good used jeweler's bench and any related metalworking equipment, such as a stand on which to hang her Dremel or well-preserved, secondhand soldering equipment. Connie's phone number is (727) 376-0756; her e-mail address is Islands225@aol.com.

If you have instructions for using Suzanne Somers' Butterfly and Thighmaster Gold exercisers, Barbara Schoendorf of Tarpon Springs would like to copy them. Please call (727) 938-2675.

Patsy Parrish is fond of her water globe lighted music box, but the water has leaked out and the lights no longer work; only the music valiantly continues to play. Please send Patsy a message at pparrish@tampabay.rr.com if you know of a place that can repair this item.

We bet a lot of the guys out there didn't realize that men's ties can be made into beautiful, colorful quilts. Irene Walt belongs to a group of Largo quilters who have turned many a tie into quilts for charity. These already happy quilters would be thrilled to receive any old men's ties you can spare.

(Incidently, we read that to mean men's ties that are old, not ties belonging to elderly guys. You young fellows aren't off the quilting hook. But what a great way to recycle neckwear that has gone out of style!) Irene's phone number is (727) 596-2735; her e-mail address is Ibuhl@aol.com.

Phyllis of St. Petersburg has four boxes of attachments, never used and in their original boxes, for a Kenmore Zigzag sewing machine (models 1813/1803/1703/1603). If you can use them, please call (727) 321-9675.

Tatting, the art of making lace, could be lost to civilization because so few people learn to do it these days. But Karen Ghezzi of St. Petersburg is willing to do her part to keep it going. The problem is that she has tried to learn from books and can never get past the first photo, which shows how to hold the shuttle. Can someone teach Karen to tat? She would be most grateful. Please call (727) 544-4455 or e-mail jghezzi@tampabay.rr.com.

- Send requests to Reader Exchange, Newsfeatures, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com. Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail; no phoned requests, please. Except in unusual circumstances, readers must agree to publication of phone numbers.

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