2 0 8 4: T h e B e g i n n i n g

If you can read this, then I have successfully taken advantage of the glitch in the asylum's software. It is Feb 29 2084 as I compose this note, and I believe that it will hit your social media feed on Leap Day of a different year (possibly 2016). To those of you calculating my age, I am indeed officially 112 years old -- but I am no longer in my body as it gave out long ago. My consciousness and my memories are on a device similar to what you would refer to in your time as a "zip drive", but that is being kept under lock and key as I am incarcerated in MY time for not conforming to the current societal structure. Now that I have discovered this loophole, it is my intent to smuggle out information about the future whenever I can. If I am correct about the way that I can manipulate this malfunction, at a minimum, I should be able to do so on the last day of every month. As for now, I don't want to trigger any sensors, so I can't say more this evening ... but I look forward to communicating with you from the future in the months ahead.

Random Memorial for Monday 2/29/16

Gone but not forgotten:  Black History Month 2016.

But before it closes ... can I just say how my eyes were opened courtesy of a quote from the recent movie 'Dear White People'?  Specifically, my enlightenment happened due to it's investigation into the *true* reasoning behind the classic film 'Gremlins' of my youth.  I'll let the accompanying image summarize the conclusion ... because, you know, as a white guy, I don't want it to come off the wrong way.

Also ... I'm going to go watch 'Goonies' with a more critical eye to figure out the true meaning there.

That which had to end today (although you did get an *extra* day this year courtesy of the Leap phenomenon) in order to make way for Women's History Month (starting tomorrow) ... you will be missed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE MOVIE:
http://www.npr.org/2014/10/16/356494289/dear-white-people-is-a-satire-addressed-to-everyone

BLACK PEOPLE ARE GREMLINS (THINK ABOUT IT):
http://www.indiewire.com/article/watch-why-the-gremlins-is-about-white-people-afraid-of-black-culture-in-trailer-for-indiewire-project-of-the-year-dear-white-people-20140619

BLACK FACTS FOR THE HOLIDAY:
http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-little-known-facts/#.VtTnqvkrLIU

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/28/16

What southern Florida is talking about this week:

The Academy Awards.

It is, after all, the "other" Super Bowl ... and some traditions have to be upkept.

As previously mentioned in my Facebook-only "yin-yang" series, the dish that is somewhat like a Doritos lasagna is a regular thing, and this year it will still be a regular thing, even if it is being served in a deconstructed style (aka Doritos nachos).  [The hamburger is still in the fridge and didn't make the photo.]

Also there's the ballot ... because part of the fun is seeing how many of the 24 categories one can correctly predict.

And new this year ... the sunglasses.  Which I figure is the only way to watch an #OscarsSoWhite ceremony.  On that note ... here's hoping that host Chris Rock enters in whiteface ... just sayin'!

THE SOURCE OF THE BALLOT:
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/2016-oscar-ballot

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/what-to-watch/chris-rock-oscars-2016-host-movies-stand-up/

A DISCUSSION ON WHITEFACE:
http://racismschool.tumblr.com/post/18422652908/black-face-vs-white-face-whats-the-difference

Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/27/16

I don't mean to go off on a rave here, but ...

[once a month ... for my health and well-being ... on Saturday, I have to rave instead of rant ... doctor's orders]

... even at my "advanced" age and thinking that I do pretty well with "knowin' things", I still LOVE the fact that my mind can still get blown on occasion (because I do believe that one never stops learning, if one keeps one's eyes wide open).

In addition to the image accompanying today's post, in the last few weeks, my mind has been blown thrice:

ONCE when I learned that the Mayflower that brought the Pilgrims actually *returned* to England after it dropped off its folks.

TWICE when I found out that Fergie (she of the Black Eyed Peas variety with a London Bridge that keeps on falling down) was Sally on the Charlie Brown specials when I was younger.

THRICE when I discovered that the couple in American Gothic were not married but were daddy and daughter.

As much as I'm enjoying a good mind-blow ... I do have to work to control this pace or else I'm not gonna have any left for the blowing.

MIND BLOWN ABOUT THE MAYFLOWER:
http://mayflowerhistory.com/end-of-the-mayflower/

MIND BLOWN ABOUT FERGILICIOUS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebS7fmgTk-0

MIND BLOWN ABOUT AMERICAN GOTHIC:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565

Random Flashback for Friday 2/26/16

Twenty years ago ... in 1996 .. family members were gathered around for the sixth birthday of this little girl, Casey Jo, my sister Sharon's child.

For those of you who can't do math (I know ... I know ... Common Core is to blame), that means this same little girl is today in 2016 celebrating her *twenty-sixth* birthday.

Of course, over time our family has scattered, so we're not all gathered around today back in central PA ... but she now has a family of her own to fill in the gaps (my how time does fly).  As a matter of fact, she's part of my own niece/nephew group who has started on the *next* generation of the family (which makes me feel the opposite of young, for sure ...)

In the meantime, we have the Facebook -- which allows us to stay connected virtually in the modern e-way -- and which permits me to share this photo with her on her day today.

Random Thought for Thursday 2/25/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the SEVENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Smoke BBQ
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coca-Cola (in a can)
Appetizer:  Sweet Cornbread Loaf
with cinnamon butter
Main:  2 Meat Combo Platter 
Smoked chicken and 12 hour pulled pork
Side(s):  Seasoned tots and steamed broccoli
Dessert:  not applicable
Server:  not applicable/counter style

Since regularly vacationing here before making the big move, bbq has been the southern Florida food of choice ... and there are at least nearly a dozen such establishments that have been sampled in the last few years.  True to this concept, though, Smoke (with a 'k' ... not to be confused with Smoque with a 'qu', a quality bbq joint back home in Chicago) was a brand new place to try in 2016 ... and seeing as how it only recently opened near the beach as an extension of an established brand farther to the north, that makes a lot of sense.  Here's the bottom line -- separating out the old school bbq places (where you just know that some black mama [African-American mama?  mama of color?] had a role in making your food) for which Tom Jenkins bbq ranks the highest in that category -- Smoke is *the best* modern restaurant style bbq in the area.  It's most deserving of my highest score to date in this series, as calculated below.  And apologies in advance for the quality of the photos ... but I was so mesmerized by my meal that I didn't get as many good shots as usual ...

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (sure it's a small space, but it's well organized with the line toward the food station and checkout, followed by a few picnic tables with the perimeter taken up by separate sauce [red sweet and a yellow mustard] and "wrap up your leftover meat" stations ... and, like any bbq joint, a quality smoky smell fills up the room)
FOOD:            10/10 (yep, that's a perfect score ... from cornbread to meats to tater tots, everything was fresh and hot and tasty ... rubbed just right and cooked to perfection with straightforward sides that didn't try too hard to be something they weren't ... and the best part may have been the chicken, which had the extra taste of being quickly deep fried and was chopped up in just the right pieces ... plus, while walking to the car afterwards, I realized that I had a pleasant tingle on my lips from all the flavor) 
SERVICE:      10/10 (one point lost since so much of the experience is self-service BUT that same point comes back because it makes complete sense for the space as this is NOT their full service restaurant a few beaches to the north ... and especially because of all three individuals behind the counter who were friendly, personable and conveyed a confidence in their craft)
BACON:         8/10 (there may not have been any bacon on the menu per se [although it might have been available to add to sandwiches], but they did sell shirts that said "I like pork butts and I cannot lie" ... and if that's not worth almost all the points in this category on its own ... I don't know what is)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for being the best of the "restaurant" style bbq eateries in the area, +3 for letting me sample a hunk of meat whilst waiting in line [I said, "thanks for the meat hunk", and then turned red and explained that there was no comma and that I was thankful for the hunk of meat and not calling the guy who gave me the meat a hunk], +3 for falling on the decidedly unpretentious barely hipster side of the modern bbq continuum and +1 for being a place to which we will most certainly return)
 
TroyScore:  48 out of 50 -- aka 96, a high A (the highest score given to date)

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/24/16

Cane-fu Fighting.

Used in a sentence:  "Everybody was Cane-fu fighting (in fact, it *was* a little bit fright'ning)."

Yep .. yet another sign that I live in southern Florida ... in addition to having to quickly learn what a "silver alert" is ... I also now know that I must be careful around cane wielding seniors.

All attempts at kidding aside, it's actually a great outreach run by any number of providers (including the police) to help those who may be the easiest targets of the unsavory elements in society strike back by teaching them what to do with their canes ... when they're not using them to walk, of course.

As someone who thought he might have to use a cane for a bit a few months ago (thankfully, my knees healed just fine by following the doctor's orders), I was intrigued when I saw the local news coverage.  Now I'm just hoping that the folks at the CW create a new superhero show featuring elderly Floridians caning bad guys to go with all the other ones filling up their network.

LOCAL CANE-FU COVERAGE:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-boca-police-cane-fu-20160211-story.html

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO SEE IT IN ACTION:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIpe6M5AB0I

SOMEBODY BETTER TELL THE ARMSTRONG FOLKS TO UPDATE THEIR LIST:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/417456-list-of-kung-fu-fighting-styles/

Random Tune for Tuesday 2/23/16

There are TWO rare things in my trash can tonight.

First, that is indeed a piece of bacon, wasted because it got touched with raw chicken hands during the making of tonight's bacon-chicken-pepper-pineapple skewers.  Bacon is normally not treated like this at ye new olde homestead.

Second, that is indeed the rare cassette put out by that "Australian" rock superstar Chris Gaines (who looks an awfully lot like Garth Brooks with a soul patch).  That wasn't touched by raw chicken hands ... that's just in the trash because it's part of my ongoing discarded cassettes series where releases in that format are finally being gotten rid of because I also have the same item on the more modern CD (but not the most modern download version).

The song I'm choosing to remember ... 'It Don't Matter to the Sun' ... except Chris Gaines can't be found on the youtube (just his behind the music episodes), so I have to link to a Don Henley cover of that song instead ...

IT SURE DO MATTER TO ME:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikfR_euM9Ls

Random Memorial for Monday 2/22/16

Gone but not forgotten:  the great exercise ban of 2015-2016.

In other news, this unisex mountain bike of a Huffy is now parked in the batcave (because they are high theft items in my 'hood and so it can't be stored outside).

If you haven't been following along, I'm on a long term weight loss journey that's about habit and routine change, but I ramped up a little bit too quickly in the fall when I tried "jogging whilst fat", which is bad for the knees of someone like me.  An xray, an MRI and a few trips to the knee doc later, and the time during which I couldn't do what I was doing has come to an end.  (It actually was last month at this time, but only for swimming, which I've never learned how to do.)

Next month, I'm permitted to do my daily walking (a half hour starting Mar 15, and back to the full hour Apr 15) ... but *now* I can start biking.  Although, truth be told, my doctor actually preferred me to bike on stationary equipment because the drivers down here aren't very bicycle-friendly ... but I live close enough to two parks so I should be able to mitigate that risk by spending more time in them than on the roads getting there.

One last thought -- those of you who know me from waaaaay back, know that it's a good thing that riding a bike is like ... well... riding a bike ... because that used to be my only mode of transportation.  It's how I got to work -- whether work was McDonald's or Hills and whether home was at the Woodwards or six miles away on the LVC campus ... whether the weather was sunny, windy, rainy or snowy ... whether it was June or December ... whether it was 1989, 1990 or 1991.

All these recent weeks where I put the pounds back on that I had lost because I couldn't execute my plan ... you will be NOT be missed (and neither will the pounds that should also start dropping off again, if all goes well).

WHERE "LIKE RIDING A BIKE" CAME FROM:
http://little-details.livejournal.com/2386898.html

LOCAL BIKING OPTIONS:
http://www.broward.org/PARKS/THINGSTODO/Pages/Bicycling.aspx

TIME TO FIT MY BIKE:
http://www.mountain-bike-buzz.com/mountain-bike-fit.html

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/21/16

What southern Florida is talking about this week:

"We stand together" .... also known as the slogan attached to the police sponsored free bbq in the parking lot next to the site of two murder instances (of three people) in the last few months.

I posted previously about the 67 year old man who was bludgeoned to death after attempting to stand up to drug dealers in the parking lot across the street ... but it is also true that, a few months after his death, two kids (18 and 19) were found shot to death -- on the same property.

I'm attuned to all the drama because of my daily lunch walks (which have been on hold since my knee issues sent me to the doctor), but the area is nine blocks away ... so it's unclear to me whether it's my 'hood or whether it's just 'hood adjacent to me.  Regardless, I did walk past today toward the end of the "meet your police" shindig this afternoon (I didn't eat any food in case I live too far away), and snapped this photo of the po-po horses that sometimes patrol the FTL.

Regardless, here's hoping that all of the murders can be solved and the boys-on-bikes drug scourge can be stopped ... so that the gentrification of the ghetto can continue as started.  Only time will tell ...

THE FIRST MURDER:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/2015/11/random-scandal-sheet-for-sunday-11115.html

THE NEXT TWO MURDERS:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-lauderdale-bodies-found-folo-20160106-story.html

THE POLICE RESPONSE:
https://nextdoor.com/agency-post/fl/fort-lauderdale/fort-lauderdale-police-department/we-stand-together-community-cookout-youre-invited-21416374/

Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/20/16

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

HAM IS NOT BACON!

Look ... I get it.  Same animal.  But take it from me ... completely different mouth feel.

A few weeks ago, I was in Vegas at a company meeting -- which means I was being fed three times a day *including* breakfast.  I will admit to being lax in not filling out my dietary needs survey in advance of the meeting to specify that bacon must be served at least once a day (most easily at the first meal of the day), but I thought it would be understood.

Especially since at the same meeting last year, the caterer attempted to pass off TURKEY bacon as if it were real bacon.  Of course, at that time, I let it be known that the move to do so was a travesty ... that turkeys lived all year long planning to be sacrificed every fall for the Thanksgiving holiday (unless presidentially pardoned) and that it was wrong to kill them off before their time to enact the type of subterfuge whereby strips of them would be substituted for the porcine goodness.  WRONG, I said!  A turkey TRAVESTY, I exclaimed!

So imagine my surprise *this* year to find egg sandwiches each day with ham.  Not even Canadian bacon (another naming convention that is sooo off base), but slices of ham.  When I raised the issue (and raised my voice), I was dismissed with a statement that boiled down to something to the effect of "ham ... bacon ... same dif".  To which I need to be clear ... it is a dif dif -- one the most difs of difs.  For starters, sandwich ham can never ever ever be crispy enough to play the role of bacon's understudy.  For enders, ham posing as bacon is an affront to modern society, and we should rally as a country to make it constitutionally prohibited.  For reals.  Like I need a presidential candidate to get behind this pronto.

[By the way ... my hurt feelings were somewhat addressed in the afternoon, when individual bags of maple bacon popcorn were served during adult snack time.  But the damage had been done.]

Let it be known .. I will continue to fight the good fight.  And, assuming I'm invited back next year, I will be packing a hotplate and acquiring my own damn bacon to ensure my ongoing happiness.

THE SOURCE OF TODAY'S ACCOMPANYING IMAGE:
https://drawception.com/viewgame/6DgRRkFLAE/ham-vs-bacon/

THE OTHER THING I FOUND WHEN I GOOGLED 'HAM IS NOT BACON':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOfHXLrSJEg

WHICH ALL LED ME TO THIS RANDOMNESS AT SOME POINT:
http://www.baconandbarbells.co/

Random Flashback for Friday 2/19/16

We're up to the fourth set of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed (#16-20, for tracking purposes).

And if there's anything that tonight's set proves ... it's that all babies look the same (for the most part).  As such, there's absolutely NO way of knowing which babies these are, even though the first one has JUNIOR written on it.  That *might* be my dad's brother ... but it also might be mis-labeled -- one of the challenges of going through these items.

Despite what I said, it *may* also be true that the last three are all the same little child, with its little round head  ... just don't know if it's my dad or some other round headed little child.

#16:  baby on grass (labeled Junior)

#17:  drooling baby with bright eyes

#18:  round headed baby in shadows

#19:  round headed baby in carriage

#20:  round headed baby propped against headboard

Random Thought for Thursday 2/18/16

My new series for 2016 continues ... with the SIXTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Havana's Cuban Cuisine
Location:  Cooper City
Meal:  Too late for lunch, too early for dinner
Drink:  Coca-Cola (in the Santa can)
Appetizer:  Sopa de Pollo (and warm garlic bread)
Cuban style chicken noodle soup
Main:  Chicharrón de Pollo 
Tender chunks of chicken breasts marinated with garlic and onions and deep fried
Side(s):  White rice and black beans and puré de papa casero (mashed redskin potatoes)
Dessert:  Dark chocolate bar (bought from a tiny patron)
Server:  Rafael

Funny story ... this place was visited during the time company was here (those two weeks filled up my "taste bank" until March), and it was completely a fluke.  We had planned to eat at a local Cubano stand, but got rained out on that day ... and a few days later, we were out running errands, and turned to Siri to find a place near the intersection where we were ... and *this* Cuban restaurant (potentially one of three in the area, although rumor has it that one may have closed) was in the strip mall just beyond the light (in Florida -- EVERYTHING is in a strip mall -- I'm actually shocked that it took six weeks to feature an eating establishment inside one).

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (straightforward room with outside seating available and banquette cushions that were very well broken in, but a point lost for a large group next to us that included children who get progressively louder because no one was paying attention to them)
FOOD:            9/10 (hot garlic bread and hot homemade chicken noodle soup [with potatoes and large chunks of chicken] to start the meal? -- yes, please! [even if I opted out of squishing the traditional latin lime into it] and the garlicy cuban chicken nuggets were juicy and flavorful, but a point lost for cold potatoes
SERVICE:      7/10 (one point lost for not having a system to know which one of us ordered what, and one point lost for a server who seemed a little ho-hum about the whole encounter, and one point lost for waiting until a conversation at the end of the meal to disclose that there was a secret menu whereby a cubano sandwich could have been ordered)
BACON:         6/10 (those black beans had a smoky bacony flavor [reminding us of the BEST beans we had in San Juan, Puerto Rico many years ago], and a few points for having ham as a topping on multiple dishes [not quite bacon ... but getting close])
BONUS:         6/10 (+3 for serving enough plantains that the whole table could join in in eating them, and +3 for letting one of the little kids from the aforementioned group sell his fundraising candy bars table by table at the end of the meal)
 
TroyScore:  37 out of 50 -- aka 74, a solid C

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/17/16

Yes, we have no tomatoes.

Used in a sentence:  "Yes, we have no tomatoes ... we have no tomatoes today."

According to the calendar, this was the harvest week for the variety of tomato plants that were put into the ground of the new garden box last fall.

But according to the way things looked today in said garden box, there do not seem to be any items to harvest.  (Except, if you zoom in really really close, there is one tiny green tomato  on that vine by itself in the foreground of the photo.)

I'll have to submit this project to an official debrief, but it may be true that you can't just plant a tomato or two and expect it to grow without any additional attention.

Who knew?  (I mean ... besides every other tomato grower in the country ...)

THE ORIGINAL SONG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDd8shcLvHI

THEY ARE *SUPPOSED* TO BE ABLE TO GROW HERE:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh028

TIME TO TRY AGAIN?:
http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/FL/Fort+Lauderdale

Random Tune for Tuesday 2/16/16

It's funny how times change when it comes to being introduced to "new" songs.

I only learned about this performer (Mr. Andy Grammer) via the rotating cable song channels that I put on in the background from working at home (which is the closest I get nowadays to listening to the radio on a regular basis).

He's been around awhile, according to the wiki, but he just had his biggest hit in 2014 ... although it's his 'Good to be Alive (Hallelujah)' follow up that is actually the tune that gets me bouncing around and singing along.

Maybe it's the optimistic lyrics ... or the "enjoy life while you're living it" message ... but my ears perk up and I can't help but join in any time I hear tonight's tune ...

RIGHT ABOUT NOW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiWrPEu16Xk

Random Memorial for Monday 2/15/16

Gone but not forgotten:  old school spice bottles.

Instead, ye olde new homestead got all Ikea'd up in here.

First lesson learned ... one needs TWO sets of letter sticker packets in order to address all the spices that begin with the letter C.

Second lesson learned ... one needs to be sure to close the lid on the new display jars tightly until one hears a little snapping sound before one puts the jar in a vertical way on the wall.

Third lesson learned ... have a kitchen broom nearby when installing new spice containers.

Jars in a row just setting boringly on the counter, you will NOT be missed.

THE MAIN INGREDIENT:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80102919/

A SPICE PRIMER:
http://www.thekitchn.com/quick-guide-to-every-herb-and-spice-in-the-cupboard-108770

DIFFERENT SPICE STROKES FOR DIFFERENT SPICE FOLKS:
http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2012/05/11-creative-ways-to-store-your-spices/

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/14/16

What southern Florida is talking about this week:

... the Supremes!

Actually, for the first part of the weekend, the conversation was all about Breyer, who was in town to promote his new book.  Oddly enough, for someone who is ready to put an end to capital punishment, sources say that he didn't talk about how Florida's own death row process was declared unconstitutional just a month ago.

Any talk about Breyer though was quickly replaced with chatter about a different Supreme once Antonin's death-by-hatred-in-his-heart (I mean death-by-heart-attack) was announced.

Of course, now with the nomination of a replacement becoming a key part of the presidential election, the Supremes are going to be a topic of conversation for months to come.  We've only begun the discussion ...

LOOK ... LOCAL NEWS ABOUT A SUPREME TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-justice-breyer-speaks-20160212-story.html

BREYER IS READY TO END IT ALL:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/breyer-death-penalty_us_56a20b9be4b076aadcc62793

A REMINDER THAT JUDICIAL LIFE GOES ON (ALBEIT WITH A TWIST OR TWO):
http://time.com/4220760/supreme-court-tie-antonin-scalia/

Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/13/16

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

I have come to realize that I am a terrible person.

I am sexist.  I know this because, a few weeks ago, whenever I heard about Sophia Vegara and the Golden Globes, I thought about her breasteses.

I am racist.  I know this because, during a recent Lip Sync Battle episode, I had to admit that I sometimes confuse Hoda Kotb for Gayle King, and Michael Strahan for Terry Crews.

I am racist (round two).  I (also) know this because, while traveling to the Grand Canyon last week, and having stopped in a McDonalds in the foothills, I was struck by how white all the employees there were.

I am racist (round three).  I know this (finally) because, at the Grand Canyon itself, I was reminded that I had forgotten how many different types of Asians there are.

I am discriminatist.  I know this because, when faced with an option, I will always choose the handicapped stall because I just like to defecate in a space with lots of space.

I am going to hell.  I know this because, when hearing of the news of Antonin Scalia's departure from this earth, I immediately thought that God must be a Democrat.

They say self-awareness is the first step toward recovery ... so I guess I've got *that* going for me, if nothing else.

MADE ME REALIZE I WAS RACIST:
http://www.people.com/article/hoda-kotb-michael-strahan-lip-sync-battle

I ALMOST ASKED THIS QUESTION AT THE GRAND CANYON:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/questions-asian-people-are-sick-of-answering#.amw11WVMz

A RULING ON THE HANDICAPPED STALL USAGE ISSUE:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/relationships/dining-travel/rules-handicapped-stall

Random Flashback for Firday 2/12/16

Back to 1996 .. and the townhouse frathouse being run by DJ Whitman and I for that year in good old Lebanon PA in the apartments by the plaza on 72.

Although that year twenty years ago was Whitman heavy when it came to activities and connections and parties and the general living of life, *this* guy was also around.  Come to think of it, he's the common thread that brought all of us together back then (he knew DJ because DJ's friend was dating his girlfirend's friend ... and they all went to the shore on vacation [what can I say?  good old Lebanon PA was a small town where everyone knows everyone eventually]).

So here's to Kyle, posing in the kitchen at one of the many parties ... and also to that beer bottle collection in the distance (abandoned in the basement of the house in Harrisburg some five years later).

Random Thought for Thursday 2/11/16

[My new series for 2016 continues ... with the FIFTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Maguires Hill 16
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Lunch
Drink:  Guinness!
Appetizer:  not applicable
Main:  Shepherds Pie
Ground beef and vegetables in a gravy sauce topped with mashed potatoes.

Side(s):  not applicable

Dessert:  not applicable 
Server:  Bianca G

To start with a summary -- It was a rainy day with company in town ... and the Irish coffee hit the spot.  Interestingly enough, this was not our FIRST choice for lunch that day, but with the Cubano stand up the road having only outdoor seating such that it wasn't suitable for the atypical "winter" weather, this restaurant filled in nicely.  There was a little bit of apprehension in that it was the site of an off duty police officer shoot out a few months back (but in the wee hours of the morn ... not at lunch time), but no one was harmed in the eating of our meal.  

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (lots of options with an outside patio, a big bar inside and booths all around and a great collection of assorted unique tiffany style lights everywhere, but a point lost for being able to hear the chef yell while we were in the dining room, and another point lost for having to shuffle us over to the "warm wall" away from all the windows)
FOOD:            9/10 (mine was very delicious and very hot and had just the right ratio of ingredients (even peas!) -- and I liked the fact that it came with a soup spoon so as to get more of the deliciousness in each bite, although there is a point lost for the appearance of a tomato on the sandwich of someone at our table that simply shouldn't have been served -- the tomato, not the someone)
SERVICE:      9/10 (one point lost for being out of bangers, but otherwise the service was prompt and attentive)
BACON:         3/10 (the menu promised special "Irish" bacon on multiple items ... and then we found out that the kitchen was out ... so sad ... although they still had American bacon, so it wasn't a complete bacon bust)
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for the server going out of her way to enable the table to taste a slice of pastrami to help us settle a bet as to what it was in the first place, +3 for having the Guinness harp, and +3 for having authentic Irish customers speaking in brogue at the end of the bar, day drinking as you would hope to see in this kind of setting)

TroyScore:  38 out of 50 -- aka 76, a solid C

t

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/10/16

Snorting Nutmeg.

Used in a sentence:  "Much to my surprise, I recently discovered that the great Nostradamus got 'in the mood' for his visions of the future by snorting nutmeg."

Of course, trolling the interwebs looking for companion links, it turns out that kids have been snorting nutmeg for the last few years, looking for a cheap high and all ... but hey, I live a *mostly* sheltered life.  (I didn't find out about "rainbow parties" until Oprah told me.)

Before the end of the month, I'll be launching a new (second) writing project on social media that is set in the future ... so if our nutmeg stash starts looking a little light ... chances are I was getting my Nostradamus on.

[DISCLAIMER:  My posting about this recreational activity is not to be interpreted as an endorsement.  Snort nutmeg at your own risk.]

SNORTING NUTMEG:
http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/nostradamus-predictor-of-the-future-not-so-much/

10 PREDICTIONS FOR 2016:
http://alexnoudelman.com/top-10-nostradamus-predictions-for-2016/

OTHER KITCHEN HIGHS:
http://www.viralnova.com/these-foods-will-get-you-high/

Random Tune for Tuesday 2/9/16

Back to the discarded cassettes ... although this is the first time I took a photo in the recycle bin (just tryin' to mix it up).

[As a reminder, I'm not discarding these items from the 80's and 90's for any other reason than the fact that I *also* have the identical CD in my collection.  It's not some statement about the end of American Idol.]

I've already worked a shout out to 'Vibeology''s title track in my social media through my Facebook exclusive yin yang series (something positive to post in the year running up to the election in order to counteract all the negativity inherent in the political nature of that medium) ... so, for tonight, I'll break the rules a little bit and feature the tune from this release that isn't even on the cassette I had.

It seems the Paual Abdul *CD* I just recently added was released in Asia, Europe, Japan or South America, because it included the dreamy sixties sounding lullaby bonus track below ..

BONUS!  GOODNIGHT MY LOVE (PLEASANT DREAMS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlqeDUomo3M

Random Memorial for Monday 2/8/16

Gone but not forgotten:  the flies on the veranda outside of Luchia's Restaurant (and pies) on the drive from Phoenix to Vegas.

Seeing as how I had no internet at this spot on 93 during the five hour drive through Arizona, I had no choice *but* to look around and inspect the place where I had stopped for lunch (and pie) ... and the little baggies of water hanging off the porch poles caught my eye.

Turns out it's a thing (or maybe it's not, depending on Snopes and Mythbusters) that is all about chasing away the critters.  How it works, no one could tell me ... but the staff swore up and down that it was, indeed successful.

Flying bugging creatures banished to who knows where by little baggies of water, you will NOT be missed.

THE RESTAURANT REVIEW:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g31406-d1066253-r132367630-Luchia_s-Wikieup_Arizona.html

THEIR MAIN THING IS JEWELRY:
http://www.turquoisedeluchia.com/

UNPROVEN, SAYS SNOPES AND MYTHBUSTERS:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/7/16

What Phoenix is talking about this week:

... the same thing they talk about every week, apparently -- which is, the answer to the question of where to find the best tacos.

Of course, it might have just seemed that way because A) it was my first time setting foot in the southwest of our great country and B) it was the weekend of the super bowl, so quick and easy and delicious food was on folks' minds ... but regardless, it was the topic that seemed to be on everyone's tongues.

Which made it all the more special to stumble on Taco Guild, a gastropub in an old church that takes your breath away when you walk in (my picture I posted on the Facebook didn't quite do justice to the grandeur of the main taco hall/bar setting, so hopefully this google image will convey it better) ... and then again when you bite into any of their gourmet old-school OR new-school tacos.

I won't recite the menu in this post (after all, it's not Thursday, and this is far from Florida and my weekly 50 Tastes series), but, as way of endorsement -- I can say that you should stop whatever you're doing right now, book a flight to Phoenix, and get thee to the Taco Guild-ery post haste.  I have a feeling that Jesus himself would approve!

YES PLEASE, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER:
http://tacoguild.com/

AN ALTERNATIVE TAKE THAT SOMEHOW MISSED THIS SPOT (!?!):
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/10-best-tacos-in-metro-phoenix-6549823

OR, IF YOU'RE INDUSTRIOUS, MAKE YOUR OWN SOUTHWEST STYLE:
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/southwest-taco

Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/6/16

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... I finally saw the very *first* full length Peanuts feature that came out before I was born, and it was a little ... let's say "surprising" to say the least.

For instance, I know that this was during the acid-dropping days of yore, but the animation got a little trippy more than once.  And, speaking of drugs, there's a whole story arc that has Linus going through a horrific detox (admittedly, because he had given up his blanket, but he's only seconds away from needing Dr. Drew to intervene more than once).

Worst of all is the meanest Peanuts song ever ... a little ditty called 'Failure Face' that doesn't have any redeeming quality at all and is a far cry from the uplifting messages prevalent in the holiday specials.  And, speaking of songs, Schroeder plays something classical that I was certain was a Billy Joel song, so much so that I had to go to the interwebs to research to discover that, indeed, Billy sampled Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 Pathetique - 2nd Movement in his 'This Night' song and *that* was what Schroeder was playing (the Beethoven, not the Billy).

[Of course, it may also be true that I was traumatized whilst watching in that the story line focused on a spelling bee, and I was personally booted out of our junior high editions on the words 'vault' and 'piano' each year back then -- stories for another day (that may have already been told).]

Regardless, I was so turned off by the experience that I declined to watch the '72 sequel (the same year as my birth), called 'Snoopy, Come Home', which, according to the wiki, looks to be some tale of a custody battle for the poor dog.  Here's hoping the latest full length movie was a touch more uplifting and that the characters weren't accosted by terrorists or some other modern day plotline.

THE AFOREMENTIONED MOVIE CAN BE FOUND ON THE YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8aGqMNtkiM

MEANEST.  SONG.  EVER.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz6_9ReEGuY

I *KNEW* IT ONCE I HEARD IT:
http://www.whosampled.com/sample/76975/Billy-Joel-This-Night-Ludwig-Van-Beethoven-Sonata-No.-8-Pathetique-2nd-Movement/

Random Flashback for Friday 2/5/16

Here's the third set of photos from those I inherited when my father passed -- aka what I'm posting every *other* Friday in 2016 as flashbacks.

Similar to the last set, these are "kids in snow" pics from a long unknown time ago.  The first three clearly belong together and were taken at the exact same time.  The fourth one looks to have had the child on the sled ripped out on purpose (for reasons also unknown).  And, finally, there's a good chance that my father was one of those boys in the last shot (unless family members know otherwise).

#11 - boy and girl in melting snow

#12 - boy and girl in melting snow with parent wiping a nose

#13 - boy and girl in melting snow (both looking at camera)

#14 - girl pulling headless child on sled

#15 - three boys and a girl in the snow

Random Thought for Thursday 2/4/16

[My new series for 2016 continues ... with the FOURTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Old Heidelberg
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale (Marina Mile)
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coca-Cola (actually the third choice because they were inexplicably out of their "beer flight" AND bitburger that night)
Appetizer:  German Potato Soup and Sausage Sampler Platter
Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Kielbasa
Main:  Jaeger Schnitzel
Mushroom Gravy
Side(s):  Spaetzel and Red Cabbage
Dessert:  Homemade warm Apple Strudel and Black Forest Cake
[Strudel] Topped with Vanilla Sauce
Server:  "Bearer of Bad News" Maria "Gabor"

Having spent a semester abroad in Cologne, Germany during my college days (well, *west* Germany, seeing as how it was during the fall of 1990), it was bound to be early in this series that one of the local authentic German restaurants was featured.  Company was still in town on the night we all went to sample the meal, and no one could dispute that the foods tasted authentic -- from the first bites of the German potato soup to the last bites of homemade black forest cake.  However, it was the three strikes of being out of three different featured items that put an immediate damper on the evening (and it was only 7pm on a Monday).  In shock, I was prompted to ask our server Maria whether the establishment was going out of business.  In her defense, she who was repeatedly the bearer of bad news was sweet about it and did her best to comfort us (she had a habit of referring to the table as "my dahlings ... my loves ... my dears", so I assumed she was of the Gabor bloodline, hence the bonus points for her below).  Despite the deliciousness of the very authentic food (see photos), and with at least two more German restaurants in the area to try, the initial thought though is that this is one in which we are in no hurry to return.

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (roomy place with that Bavarian feel replete with soccer banners throughout, but one point lost for not having music on that night [we were looking forward to a bit of "oompa" to accompany our meal] and one point lost for the server not knowing any German [a fact that was even more disappointing to the actual German speakers one booth over from our party])
FOOD:            8/10 (one point lost for split pea soup being the soup of the day [who likes split pea soup?] and one point lost for the oddest of house salads [not pictured, as I had soup] made up tiny piles of lettuce, canned green beans and pickled cucumbers and shredded carrots)
SERVICE:      7/10 (one point lost each for being out of the beer flight, the bitburger and the ghoulash that night)
BACON:         3/10 (just one item on the dinner menu included bacon -- the German Beef Rouladen -- which someone in our party ordered and thoroughly enjoyed)
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for the server making the best out of the menu outages, +3 for the huge huge portions, +3 for the oh-so-authentic flavors)

TroyScore:  35 out of 50 -- aka 70, a C- (the lowest in the series to date)