THE TOPIC OF PLASTICS & FOOD
The topic of plastic is interesting. Now that RFK is the 2025 Voice for Health and Safety, it will be interesting to see how life changes because of eliminations to our food and diet. The problem with plastics is plastic is in everything! From the grocery stores, food packages, straws, containers, and even certain tea bags are made of plastic! Plastics have been found inside birds and other animals. It washes up to shore at the beach. And now we are learning when autopsies are done, there is plastic inside the human body!
The first time I was introduced to plastics was when I was a teenager. A Recruiter set up an appointment for me to go on an interview in Downtown, Chicago to apply for a job. I applied and got a job at a Plastics Products Corporation. I was informed how Plastics were going to revolutionize the way we live! At the end of the day, I quit and never went back. I did not even go there to pick up my check.
MOVING DILEMAS
Curious minds got me thinking about life before becoming an adult and moving. Out of all the things I’ve done in life, moving stuff is the hardest job in the world! Decisions about what to discard, donate, or pack are very time-consuming and require a lot of brain work.
The easiest move was when my house caught fire because of aluminum wiring, and I was forbidden to enter the property. While it was being rebuilt and the professionals in charge of fire restoration ordered the dumpster and threw out things I did not need, I did not choose what was discarded. Nearly everything I owned was gone and not salvageable. The second easy move was when I was relocated, and the Company was in charge and paid for the move. I just had to concentrate on my job and leaving one state to move to another.
GROWING UP & THE TOPIC OF PIZZA
Growing up I ate fresh food from the bakery, the farmer who pulled the wagon through the streets to sell fruits and vegetables, and my mom shopped at the butchers and the fish shops. There was no such thing as Walmart Centers, Cosco, or other Super-Duper Stores. To this day, I avoid them like the plaque.
A lot of our habits are formed in childhood. Back then, on rare occasions (like New Year’s Eve), I went to the Chicago Pizza Place, ordered Pizza for my parents and siblings and waited for fresh pizza while I was watching the Pizza Man throw the dough up in the air and catch it. It was fun and I didn’t mind the long wait. The Italian smells were out of this world!!!
Here in Flower Mound, yesterday, I had a taste for homemade Pizza. I went to the most famous Restaurant that makes Italian food in Flower Mound. I asked for a small cheese Pizza. When I asked how long it takes, I was told, 5 to 10 minutes tops. Now, I am no dummy. I have made homemade Pizza, and I know it takes a lot longer, but I digress….
CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL
Cigarettes and alcohol do not appeal to me. I could not stand the smell of cigarette smoke or smelling alcohol. When I moved to TX in 1997, there were no Taverns in Irving where I worked or in Flower Mound. To this day, hard liquor is not available, but some stores sell beer and wine.
In 2007, Flower Mound voters approved the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premises consumption but not liquor. Mixed beverages were also approved for sale in some restaurants, but all customers, regardless of age had to give the Waiter their Driver’s License to hold until you were ready to pay your bill. The sale of bottled liquor was not allowed in Flower Mound. To buy liquor for off-site consumption, Flower Mound people had to find a liquor store in another town.
Today, alcohol sales are regulated by state laws that dictate the days and times when different types of alcoholic beverages can be sold:
- Liquor Sales: Liquor stores in Texas are only open Monday through Saturday, from 10 AM to 9 PM. They are required to remain closed on Sundays and certain holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.
- Beer and Wine Sales: Grocery and convenience stores can sell beer and wine Monday through Saturday starting at 7 AM. On Sundays, sales are restricted to begin at noon and must end by midnight.
- Local Ordinances: Businesses must also comply with local ordinances that may add additional restrictions to alcohol sales. Retailers, restaurants, and bars must follow licensing requirements from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to sell or serve alcohol. Failing to comply can result in hefty fines, temporary suspensions, or even permanent revocation of a business’s alcohol license.
Texas lawmakers have updated alcohol regulations to reflect modern consumer needs, especially during and after the pandemic. These changes include:
- Alcohol Delivery Services: Texas law now allows authorized retailers and restaurants to deliver alcohol directly to customers’ homes. This service has become increasingly popular in Austin due to its convenience.
- To-Go Alcohol Sales: Restaurants can now sell sealed mixed drinks to-go as long as they accompany a food purchase. This adjustment was introduced during the pandemic and later made permanent.
- Expanded Sales at Events: Certain laws now permit extended hours for alcohol sales during special events or festivals, which are common in a city like Austin.
Businesses and individuals should carefully monitor developments to comply with these updated laws. Learn more about these changes at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Comments(16)