Inequality - get over it

Im watching ESPN and theyre talking about the lack of black coaches in college football Im sick of this shit already. Do we ever hear complaints about the lack of white players in basketball? No. Why? Because there arent as many white players that are better than the black players that dominate the game. Im a long time hoops fan and I still get a laugh when there are more than 2 white dudes on the court at the same time. Im not bitter about it though. Perhaps there arent many black coaches because they just arent any good? Maybe they are at a slight disadvantage, not because of color, but because they havent established the right relationships? Bottom line is that Im tired of the goddamn race card coming up as a cop out. Prove your better and EARN the fuckin job.

You know, I cant help what happened hundreds of years ago with the slaves. Im not Doc or Marty McFly and I cant go back in time in the Delorian to change history. Im tired of hearing about it. Granted there are a lot of people who still look at other races as "inferior", but those people are jealous and scared to admit that they are the inferior ones. On the flip side, the ones who usually play the race card are usually the lazy ones looking for a handout. Get over it.

At least ESPN made up for it by airing the Tony LaRussa DUI tape from his arrest in Jupiter, FL. It was awesome! He was stumbling all over the place and after his rendition of the alphabet I expected the cop to pull a David Spade and say, "Excuse me, did I catch a "niner" in there?"

Done Got Old...

I turn 30 next month. It hasnt really been a big deal to me because Im still a kid inside. However, while jogging yesterday morning, I went to take a deep breath and somehow pulled a muscle in my back. Boy did it hurt. I was yelping just putting on clothes! Then I had to go to the dentist for some drillings thanks to my awesome decision to not have my teeth professionally cleaned in almost 4 years. Yup, bad idea on my part. You can brush and floss all you want, but nothing takes the place of a professional cleaning. The dentist was impressed that it was only as bad as it was! So, I had 2 on top and 2 on bottom but they cant novicane top AND bottom, so she just did the top. I said, "I want you to do as many as you can cuz I dont wanna come back" so she asked if I minded if we did the bottom ones without. I said that was fine because my back hurt so bad that some tooth pain could only make me feel better at that point. I was right. It didnt really hurt that bad and my back felt great lying in the chair. That was until I had to get up again. I iced it all day and took ibuprofen and it was feeling WAY better when I got home. Then I went to sit on the couch and BANG! It felt like someone had shot me in the back with a taser. It took every ounce of lifeforce that I had to get myself up, turn out the lights, and crawl into bed. But my back still KILLED and I was starting to panic a bit. Luckily, my neighbor is a physical trainer who works with a ton of athletes and I was able to call him and have him come over to stretch me out. I barely slept last night and Im still hurtin today. This officially sucks.

Back to the point of this post... Its a huge wake up call that it doesnt matter how you feel all the time, your body is eventually gonna slap you upside the head and say, "Smarten up kid". I have been running a lot lately to prepare for a ski trip next month, but I clearly need to do more and do it more often. The days of being a skinny puke who could eat whatever and do whatever are gone Im afraid. I feel like a piece of me has died haha.

I'll leave you with a little Junior Kimbrough that has been remade by other artists like Buddy Guy and the Heartless Bastards... Its called "Done Got Old".


well, sometimes I feel old
can't do the things I used to
'cause I feel old

sometimes I feel old (4x)
can't do the things I used to
'cause I feel old

remember the day, baby
that's passed and gone
said I could love you
once in a time (?)
nothing has changed
but I feel old

can't do the things I used to
'cause I feel old

I don't look like I used to
I don't walk like I used to
I don't love like I used to, oh
but I feel old

can't do the things
I can't do the things I used to
'cause I feel old

Have you ever wanted to tell yourself to "go fuck yourself"?

Normally when I get emails forwarded to me I trash them. If they are forwards that have been forwarded over and over again, chances of me reading it lessen even more. Well, I guess I trusted the source today because I actually opened all of the forwards until I got to the end and hit the link to this site. Its pretty damn cool. The site is called SitePal and you can type in text and the computer character will speak it back to you. They even have a link where you can create a character for free, though Im sure there is a catch somewhere. The site is for businesses as well, but lets face it, most of their traffic is probably coming from people like me who want to hear a computer say, "go fuck yourself" and "man that chili went right thru me, I gotta take a dump" haha.

Check it out for yourself!

A must read if you need a laugh...

If you are ever wanting to laugh your ass off, you gotta visit The Best Page in the Universe. Ive been reading this guy for years and he never fails to crack me up. Ive read his most recent post about 5 times and each time I still laugh my ass off. Other posts are equally as funny, so if you need a laugh I recommend cycling thru.

Enjoy!

Ramblings...

- I have sat by many a douchebag on many a flight and lately Ive been geting peppered with horrible flightmates who either have screaming babies (and do nothing to calm them) or they dont believe in deodorant. Another frustrating one when you just wanna relax and youre sitting next to the guy/gal who is really annoying and struggling to find things to talk about so they just start blurting random open-ended questions at you like, "So what do you think about (insert current issue here)?" Ultimately, you always want good flightmates, preferably attractive ones. Sitting next to an attractive person on an airplane just improves the experience that much more. Youre row is like a fantasy sports team. Ultimately, you want a good balance of attractive row-mates, but its almost impossible that youll go 2/2 in this category. So, you pray for that one stud traveler and hope that no one else sits in the row or that you don get stuck with a dud who ruins the whole damn thing. Because I fly a ton, I usually get to sit up front and board early, so watching people walk by is like the "row draft", only youre not the owner with the pick. Youre more like the MVP QB that has to play with said pick. You cringe when you see a big mama/papa walking down the aisle and then rejoice when you realize they, and their horrible odor, are definitely in the back of the plane as they pass you. Then there's the depression when the mom with baby sits anywhere within a 5 row radius, or the celebration when the cute girl in the business suit sits next to you and chats for a bit. On my flight yesterday, my fantasy seat draft went horrible, but I was able to make a HUGE free agent signing. I was stuck next to Sir Reeks Alot when the old couple in front of me decided to take their screaming baby to the back (I think it was making a lot of chocolate pudding) to be near the bathrooms. This cleared the way for me to make the ol' switcharoo and I ended up sitting next to a nice Columbian girl who was very well endowed. Killer trade!

- There has been some talk about a law that would fine people for wearing baggy pants that hang down past their ass and show their underwear. While I agree that this look is pretty ridiculous and I still cant figure out how they get their pants to stay on that way, I have to say that this law is absurd and violates freedom of expression. Some people in favor of the law are African Americans who feel that this style of dress creates a bad image for their race and they believe said image will improve if this law is passed. Rather than focusing on baggy pants, which mainly focuses on African American males, how about we have a law that fines girls, or better yet, manufacturers who make and market extremely short mini skirts, shorts, overly-exposing tops, etc, to young girls? It might cut down on girls being called "whores" and lead to less rapes. Just sayin...

- Its awesome to be a fan of Boston sports right now. The Sox won it all, the Pats are undefeated and making a bid for a perfect season, and the Celtics are looking pretty tough to beat with Pierce, KG, and Allen running the show. Not to mention the Sox resigned Schilling and are negotiating with Lowell for another contract, plus BC has made quite a run before losing their first game last week. Bruins dont look too bad either (which is a miracle in itself). Just another day in the greatest sports city in the world.

- Drove thru my first snowstorm of the year on Tuesday up in Buffalo, NY. Pretty cool. Cant say I miss the cold weather, but I definitely miss the snow and skiing. Ski trip planned for December in Vancouver, so I hope they get dumped on SOON!

- Speaking of Buffalo... I am amazed at the number of hot girls up there! I have some friends in Miami that are from Buffalo, so I was aware of them and some of their friends being hot, but damn! I didnt think there were that many good looking women in such a cold and boring place! Everywhere I went there were cute, if not hot, chicks. Makes a trip to Buffalo that much more enjoyable...

- I think I need to send out a heartfelt apology to the 20 or so passengers who were crammed inside the same little plane as me on a 45 minute flight from Buffalo to JFK. I had gone to Friday's for dinner the night before and their Jack Daniel's BBQ gave me the absolute worst gas Ive probably ever had (Ive probably said this 1000 times in my life, but this was the worst). Anyways, I couldnt bear holding another one in, so I let one silently escape, hoping it would be buried in my seat. Unfortunately, the seats were leather and the gas ricocheted off and seeped out into the air of the cabin. I pretended to be asleep while biting my lip to keep from cracking up and alerting everyone that I was the culprit, but I have to admit, this was a bad one that I almost couldnt even stand and it was my own. Sometimes I think they should send me over to Iraq and feed me BBQ and then use my ass during interrogations. I swear, after 15 minutes in a 3x3 room with me, any terrorist would gladly give up Bin Laden's location!

- Speaking of farting... Isnt it funny how you can always tolerate the smell of your own no matter how bad they are but if someone else farts the smell is unbearable? Why does this happen? These are things I need to know...

- Ok, getting away from toilet humor... This is my favorite time in Miami. The weather couldnt be more perfect. Warm during the day, cool at night. Itll be like this until mid-March and I love it. Time to break out the blazers!

Thats about all I have to offer right now. I needed a quick break from work and now I need to leave my office for a second cuz I just farted...just kidding! Hahaha!

My Neighbor Gets OWNED on People's Court

One day, a bunch of us neighbors were hanging out in the courtyard of our building having some drinks or a bbq or something like that. Its a regular thing where I live. Anyways, our neighbor walks up and looks all distraught. He explains that he was just on People's Court as a plaintiff trying to retain a deposit for a would-be renter who didn't complete the deal for one reason or another and that the judge went off on him and embarrassed him, saying he was a disgrace to UM Law. I felt bad for him but figured it wasn't a big deal. He was REALLY bummed and a bunch of us spent about 30-45 minutes telling him to get over it, life goes on, etc. He had never seen the show before and wasn't aware that the judges tend to make fools out of people because thats what makes good TV. Thats the main reason I hate those shows. I think the judges are so goddamn disrespectful just because they feel they can be. I didn't really think my neighbor's case could've been that bad, then I saw this clip... Ive been cracking up all morning!

IKEA Opens in Florida; Mentally Defective Show Up in Droves

I was just watching 7 News and they were interviewing some of these dumbass morons who are CAMPING OUT in front of the store and I cant stop laughing. It might take me 20 minutes to type this because I cant stop laughing, but here's some quotes from some fatass morons who were interviewed. I think the best part is that they are all DEAD SERIOUS.

"They have really unique items. Its just a fun store, I mean, just look at it. Even the outside is different!" (points to a boring ass concrete blue wall with a white trim)

Then they interview the lucky 1st person in line who got there MONDAY MORNING...

"I went to the website, (giggling) and I made a list (laughs hysterically)...of things I might want to buy."

Uh, okay, she went to a website and made a list of some stuff she "might want to buy" and then decided to wait outside for 48 hours to "maybe buy it"? If youre not already either cracking up or scratching your head as to why any human being would behave this way, let it be know that this woman has never been to an IKEA store before. Oh, but she will get a free chair for being one of the 1st 100 customers that she will have to assemble. That might be worth the 2 days of pay she likely squandered by waiting in line.

This final one took the cake for me because the girl was so serious when she said it...

"I guess, like, the whole chair thing really sold us. Like, the whole chair thing and just, like, the whole experience. Like, my grandma said, 'Its a life experience.' and like, she really wanted us to do it. She said, 'I would do it if I could stay there all night.' So..." (shrugs shoulders and nods with a face that either explains, "It was obvious what we had to do" or says "yeah, Im a fuckin nutjob")

My Trip to the new Whole Foods Market in South Miami

I went to the Whole Foods yesterday in South Miami (I still say that location is NOT Gables) and I gotta say, I wasnt really too impressed.

Their veggie selection was adequate, but I dont think it was any better than Milams or Fresh Market. Maybe they have more "organic" (see also: absurdly expensive) produce, but thats about it. I did like the variety of mushrooms though.

The seafood selection sucked I thought. There were mussels and clams that were dead and sitting in the case, the "fresh tuna" looked previously frozen, and nothing really jumped out at me overall. One thing I did notice is that they must have customers that LOVE salmon because they had it prepared just about 15 different ways.

The meat case was decent, high priced (as expected) but decent. The chicken selection wasnt great though. They had a good deal on ribeyes, but the ribeyes looked disgusting and LOADED with fat/gristle. I know this is a characteristic of a ribeye, but it was far from "marbling". I liked the sausage selections, but Fresh Market has all of the same ones and they are less expensive (I never thought Id say FM is less expensive than anywhere else on earth). I tried the turkey andoullie and the veal/spinach/feta and both were pretty good. When it came time to buy a steak though, I settled on going with a more reasonably priced option at Milams.

The two areas I really liked at WF were the wine and cheese sections. The selection in the cheese section was unreal! I wasnt prepared for that kind of variety, so I basically sat there staring for about 15 minutes and then decided I needed a gameplan for the next visit. The wine selection was pretty sweet too. Lots of variety and I liked the layout. I wish they had a few more options in the $10-$15 range though. I also thought some of the wines were overpriced (Marques de Riscal 2002 is about $13.99 MAX and they had a 2004 at $18.99). Also in the wine/cheese section was an area with scoops where you could get all different kinds of salts and sugars. I thought this was kinda cool, but I cant imagine many people taking advantage of it. Then again, its not like salt/sugar goes bad.

I didnt really care for their prepared food section that much. It was pretty good, but I like the FM one better. The rest of the store was decent and they had all of the pantry items you'd expect. I also think FM's "snack bag" section is better. This is the area with all different kinds of nuts, sesame sticks, etc. Another thing I didnt like about the store was that, outside the prepped food sections, everything is seems really crammed.

Overall, it was cool to check out the new Whole Foods, but I wont be commuting from the Grove to shop there unless I have a recipe that calls for something rare that I know they are likely to carry. I guess its a nice option for that neighborhood since they carry a lot of different items than Publix or Gardners do too. This could explain why some people in that area are acting like its God's gift to grocery shopping haha.

Dank Recipes: Seafood Wontons with Cilantro Vinagarette

I cook a fair amount and I like to take pics of the finished product. Why? I have absolutely no idea. I found this recipe for Seafood Wontons with Cilantro Vinagarette in an Asian cookbook awhile back and its damn good. I decided to make it again this past weekend so I thought Id share. Its a light meal that I serve on top of a salad even though the recipe doesnt call for it. The cilantro vinagarette makes a killer salad dressing. The water chestnuts inside the wonton filling provide an awesome crunch and add a really fresh and clean flavor, while the green chili gives a subtle kick. This recipe is pretty easy to make, it just takes time to fill and seal all of the wontons. Another thing I like about this recipe is that you can boil the whole bunch, eat what you want, and then save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. When you want leftovers, you can either nuke em in the microwave or boil a pot of water and drop the wontons in for a few minutes (this is how I roll...) and they still taste great. This is key when you live alone and travel a ton for work. I imagine that you could go the less healthy/more flavorful route and pan fry the wontons too. Adding them to a soup broth would probably kick ass as well, especially if youre sick like I am right now (...wontons boiling as I type).



Here's what you'll need to get your wonton on...

(Serves 4)

8oz raw shrimp, peeled/deveined
4oz white crabmeat, picked apart
4 canned whole water chestnuts, diced fine
1 scallion, chopped fine
1 small green chili, seeded, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 egg, separated (white for filling, yoke for sealing wontons)
20-30 wonton wrappers
salt, fresh ground pepper
cilantro leaves

For the cilantro dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped pickled ginger
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons diced red pepper

Time to get it on...

1.) You could either go the slow route finely dicing the shrimp or the fast route in the food processor on pulse - you only need to pulse it once or twice. Ive done both and they each work. Dicing gives you bigger chunks, processing is waaaaaay faster and makes stuffing the filling a helluva lot easier. Either way, add it to a bowl along with the crabmeat, water chestnuts, scallion, chili, ginger, and egg white. Season with salt & pepper and stir/fold all the ingredients together.

2.) Lay down a wonton wrapper on a board, paint the edges with the egg yoke, and drop some of the filling in the middle (a little ball about the width of a quarter). Then fold one corner over its opposite to form a triangle and seal the wonton but make sure to press out all the air as best as you can. Then, bring the 2 side points up over the filling and pinch them together to get a tight wonton shape.

3.) Fill a pot halfway with water and bring to a boil and add the wontons, a few at a time. I get about 12 or so in a fairly large pot. Most will sink, while the ones with a little air inside will float a bit. Remind you of anything else? When they are ready, they all start to float and the wontons become translucent, showing the cooked seafood on the inside (this is usually about 3-4 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and keep them warm while you drop in the next batch.

4.) Make the cilantro vinegarette by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl. Plate the wontons on an empty plate or on top of mixed greens or baby spinach, then drizzle with the dressing and top with some cilantro leaves for looks.

5.) Chow down!

Pandora Radio

I never get to listen to music at work, mainly because I dont have speakers on my office PC but also because Im hardly there and when I am Im normally on the phone a lot. Today though, Im on the road and working from a hotel and I just remembered this kickass site that I used to use at my old job to listen to music for free. Its called Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com) and it basically acts as a personalized radio station for you. You type in the name of an artist or particular song that you like and it will play music that is similar to what you type in. For instance, I typed in "John Mayer" and it played a JM tune followed by some blues by Clapton, Otis Redding, Ben Harper, and Buddy Guy. You can rate each tune with a "thumbs up/down" and the program will hone itself even more to what you want to hear. I wanted John Mayer for the blues, not his more pop-like stuff, so when Dave Matthews came on I gave it a thumbs down and it skipped to the next track. Each artist/song that you type in will create a "station" that you can refer back to any time you log on so you can make a bunch of different types of stations to listen to that cover all sorts of musical genres. All of this is for free too! Be sure to check it out, you'll thank me later. ;)

Restaurant Review: Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering

One thing that I really find annoying when going out to eat is a boring menu. Items like "Steak & Potatoes", "Chicken & Rice", and "Seared Tuna & Salad" are way too safe and are also things I could easily make at home with minimal effort. I like food that combines different ingredients, sauces, and/or spices that make you think, "I like all of these things on their own, but can they really work together?", before you realize that they can and do very well. Its funny because when I was a kid I used to hate that my mom couldnt just make plain food. Her dishes would always have some spice, sauce, or twist to them and my unrefined palate wanted plain just like all the other kids had when I ate at their house. These days, when I dine out I want creativity, dammit. Luckily, I stumbled upon a restaurant that chants that same mantra. Its a little slice of heaven known as Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering and the food is anything but ordinary.

Whisk is located in a tiny strip mall on Le Jeune Road in Coral Gables, just off of US1. Owned and operated by the brother/sister tandem of Brandon and Kristin Connor, this tiny eatery really makes the best use of what little dining space it has. The layout of Whisk consists of 3 glass top tables with wicker chairs as seats along with a tiny stainless steel countertop with a few stools to sit on. The walls are creatively decorated with pictures of actual Whisk menu items, a chalkboard lists daily specials, and there are also shelves filled with supplies, though most are hidden from view by white curtains. Its cozy and inviting, and for those claustrophobic diners, orders can be called/faxed in for pickup.

The menu offers home style, gourmet dishes with ingredients obtained from local and organic purveyors. There are lots of healthy sandwiches, salads, and entrees, all of which sound delicious on paper. While looking over the daily specials last Friday, I found myself making the same sound in my head that Homer Simpson makes when he thinks about chocolate covered bacon. Its sort of an "Mmmmm..ahhhhhgggg" followed by some drooling. On my visit, I decided on one of the house specialties - Dry Marinated Skirt Steak with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola & Sliced Avocado Salad. I opted to have the meal without the onions since I have never really been an onion fan. This is where things got interesting. I got my entree and was told that the chef, Brandon, was going to give me some of the onions in a little cup on the side because they were so good that I HAD to at least try them. I chuckled and said, "Ok, I'll give it a shot." I figured if someone was that confident in his food that he would make a ballsy statement that a non-onion eater should try his caramelized onions, then the least I could do was give it a shot. I took the first bite without the onions and it was great. The steak was cooked to a spot on medium rare, which is a big deal to me. It was nicely marinated and the hefty portion of gorgonzola allowed me to take enough while ensuring I would have enough left for each remaining bite. After a few bites of the avocado salad, which had a killer mustard dressing, I decided it was time to try the onions. I piled a few on a bite of steak, added some gorgonzola, and took my first bite. The gorgonzola was the first thing I tasted, followed by the steak, but then there was this great flavor from the onions that was a perfect compliment. I sat there in disbelief as I chewed... I was eating caramelized onions! Up to this point, just looking at them made me shudder. Abandoning all of my inhibitions, I piled the rest on the steak and chowed down like it was my job to leave nothing but traces of steak juice on the plate.

Damn, that was good. The bill, including my iced tea, came to about $19 and I left a $6 tip because I was on a high from liking a vegetable that I had previously loathed. I will definitely be returning to try other menu items and I recommend this place to anyone looking for dynamite food made with fresh ingredients. Be sure to visit their website as well for catering and other services. Bon Apetite!

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering
4702 S. Le Jeune Rd.
Coral Gables, FL 33146
786-268-8350
www.whiskgourmet.com

Bacchus Wine Bar - South Miami

I was visiting my old stomping grounds in South Miami on Wednesday to do some shopping and decided that Id grab a bite somewhere new. I had heard about Bacchus Wine Bar from a little publication that South Miami puts out to promote area businesses and keep people informed about ongoings in the community (I wish the Grove would do something like this...) and a friend had also recommended it after attending a wine tasting there. So, I headed over to check it out.

Bacchus Wine Bar is located on the "corner" of US1 and Sunset Ave. I say "corner" because its really not on the corner, but the building it shares with other tenants is. Basically, its next to Origin Bistro and you can access the parking lot by driving on the street that Deli Lane is on. They have free valet if you remember to get your ticket validated, which I thought was pretty sweet even though I had walked there from Sunset Place. Upon entering, I was greeted by the 2 owners - a husband and wife tandem whose names Ive apparently forgotten and I dont happen to have the business card they gave me, so we will just call them "Mr. & Mrs. Bacchus" for now. They were extremely friendly and offered me a seat at the bar. The inside of the wine bar is decorated with purple ceilings, a black granite bar, couches, tabletops, and a stage where live music plays on Thursdays (also their wine tasting day) and Fridays. Various paintings and mirrors decorate the walls and give the spot a homey type of feeling. The place is pretty new, so I wasnt surprised to be the only person at the bar. There were a few people sitting at a table on the other side of that bar, but other than that it was empty. Mr. & Mrs. Bacchus said that Thursdays and Fridays draw a big crowd and I was surprised when they said that a lot of UM kids go there as well. They said the UM crowd is mostly the intellectual type and that many of them follow the band that plays there on Thursday.

I sat down and looked over the wine menu. I didnt see many I was familiar with, but Im no wine expert so that didnt surprise me. There were a few glasses in the $8-$9 range, but for the most part, the wines were $11+ and $32+ for the bottle. Its definitely way more worth it to grab a bottle at those per glass prices, which I thought were a tad high. The bottle prices were very competitive and marked up about 50%, which is pretty standard. Anyways, Im a big Pinot Noir fan so I settled on a glass of Sideways which, according to Mr. Bacchus, was one of their most popular wines and had experienced a lot of popularity due to its connection with the movie Sideways. I was hungry as well, but I didnt see anything on the menu that really jumped out at me. The menu is filled with appetizers, all of which have a Greek myth themed name to them like "Theseus Shrimp". Pricing on the food was a tad high I thought as the aforementioned shrimp came to $20. Not knowing what the dish looks/tastes like though, I guess its unfair for me to judge, but $20 for an appetizer is going a bit overboard. Who knows, maybe it is the size of an entree? I settled on the small Bacchus Platter which was a plate with assorted meats, fruits, and cheeses for $10 which, at first glance, seemed small but definitely was well worth it in the end. The quality of the food and the assortment justified the price and surprisingly left me somewhat full after I finished the plate. Now, reverting back to me not being a wine expert, I will not attempt to describe Sideways Pinot Noir outside of saying this: Its damn good, very smooth with what I would call a slight buttery taste to it, not too fruity, not too high on the acidity, and goes great with a meat/cheese/fruit plate. I enjoyed it so much that after dinner last night I went and picked up a bottle for $16 at the liquor store.

Mr. Bacchus and I engaged in conversation about various wines and how we both will get hooked on a type of wine but like to be open to trying new ones. He then poured me a few different types of red wine to taste, which I appreciated and enjoyed. Its always nice to find a place that has knowledgeable owners who get you interested in trying new things based on their passion for food or wine. I finished up my last sample and asked for the check as I was headed to Town to meet a friend for a cocktail. Mrs. Bacchus gave me 50% off on my glass of wine as a kind gesture which I appreciated and they didnt charge me for the tastes I had with Mr. Bacchus either. I would definitely recommend checking this place out with friends, or heading over for their wine tasting nights on Thursdays. Food and wine are both great for bringing people together and its nice to have a cozy little place like Bacchus Wine Bar as a venue for enjoying a nice bottle of wine while listening to some live jazz and blues.

Bacchus Wine Bar

5904 S Dixie Hwy
South Miami, FL 33143

(305) 663-3368

Restaurant Review: Baleen, Coconut Grove - Miami Spice Edition

Baleen, located on a private island named Grove Isle in Coconut Grove, was my second stop for this year's Miami Spice month. Having dined there on a regular night, I knew what to expect - stunning decor, serene views of the bay and downtown, and delicious food.

I met up with the rest of my party of 7 and the hostess brought us to a nice, long table outside. Right off the bat, my friends commented that "this place is sweet!" When I made the reservation I let them know we'd be doing Miami Spice so they had the menus ready along with a wine list. We ordered a great wine, 2003 Truchard Pinot Noir, which was reasonably marked up 50% at $60. I had the thai lobster bisque for my appetizer and man was it good. The broth was a traditional bisque with an added twist of coconut milk, sake, and jasmine that really reminded me of tom kha gai, which is one of my favorite thai dishes. Add in a fat piece of lobster tail and this dish had it all.

For my entree, I thought about the short ribs but I didnt want that hearty of a dish. Some in my party had that dish and said it was really tasty but very filling. I went with the wild king salmon, mostly because it came with a three potato black bean hash, corn nage, and chipotle cream that sounded awesome. The salmon was good but it was slightly overcooked, not enough that it was too dry, but I like my salmon more of a medium rare. The hash had a nice sweetness to it due to the sweet potatoes and, although I thought it was a separate item, the corn nage was mixed in with the hash which added a nice fresh flavor. I wish that the dish contained more of the chipotle cream as the amount on the plate was about the size of a quarter and only added flavor to a few bites.

I opted for the apple tart for dessert and I did not care for it at all. Im not a dessert person really, but I dont need to be in order to point out that this dish missed the mark. First off, it was not warm as advertised and the pastry was really dry. The almonds totally overpowered the dish to the point that I think someone may have overdosed it with almond extract. The ice cream could have saved the dish, but the portion was minuscule.

The overall dining experience could have gone better. I was really disappointed in the fact that it took about an hour to get our appetizers, then another 30-45 minutes before the entrees arrived. During this time, we consumed 3 bottles of wine and it gave some of us the impression that it was intended to boost the tab at the end of the night. We had an 830p reservation and finished dinner at 1130p which was unreasonably long. I thought the food could have been better as well. The appetizers were great, the entree was good but not great, and the dessert was two thumbs down. If I hadnt been there before Id have questioned ever going back, but I know they can do better and Baleen is just a great atmosphere to dine in. So, grab a date and head over to Baleen to give it a try yourself. If the food falters, at least you will have a nice evening under the stars overlooking the bay that will definitely end with a goodnight smooch, guaranteed. ;)

Damn kids! At least they made me reminisce...

This was supposed to go up Tuesday but I got busy...

Last night around 10 or 11pm, there were a few of us sitting in the Courtyard of my condo building enjoying some wine as we do a few times a week when 3 kids came and jumped in the pool. I figured that they were sneaking out or something and just let it go so they could have a little fun like I did when I was that age. Well, they acted a little strange when a fellow neighbor came out of his place and they kinda left but sorta hid in the bushes to see if we cared that they were in the pool. Then they jumped back in and then got out and kinda hid over behind some bushes watching to see if anyone cared that they had been making noise in the pool. Then they left laughing. Well, I walked by the pool a little while later and noticed some strange brown substance floating in the pool and some more that had sunk to the bottom. At first, I thought it may have been the classic Caddyshack prank of the old Baby Ruth in the pool, so I fished some out with a leaf to check it out. It definitely WASNT a Baby Ruth. It was human feces. These kids took a shit, or a few shits for that matter, in the pool. We went to look for them (they came from the 2nd bldg in my complex) but they were nowhere to be found outside. Ive seen a few kids in the building but Im not sure what unit these kids came from. There were 3 of them, 2 scrawy little pukes and one that was taller with a moppy skater hair cut. I reported this the next morning so we could go about doing whatever is necessary to clean the pool. This is a disgusting act.

Now, on a "today" level, this really sucked because I like swimming in that pool. Luckily it was during the week and we had the pool drained, cleaned, loaded with chemicals, and refilled. On a "when I was that age" level though, this is downright hilarious. If I were those kids, Id be laughing my ass off for weeks. I used to be one of those punk kids. In the summer, my friends and I would go "pool hopping" and would also engage in our favorite pastime - chuckin'. Chuckin' was when we would hide in bushes, behind houses, or anywhere out of site and throw stuff at passing cars. Eggs, little crab apples, acorns, etc, all made great ammo. The best were snowballs though because they would make an awesome explosion when you nailed a car. I loved hitting the big door on a minivan because it made an awesome "boom!" Only problem with snowballs was that, if you had to run, you had to run like crazy because you left footprints which could be tracked. That or you could always run to a nearby street by yourself and just start walking down it, playing the "Im innocent" look and using the excuse that you were walking to a friends house if someone questioned you. There would always be a group of at least 3 of us and sometimes up to about 10 or more so it was always funny to see multiple projectiles nailing a car or van or truck. We were young, so we always looked out for "teenagers" aka "kids in High School that could run fast and most likely would kick our asses if we got caught." I only got caught once in my life at the age of 11. I nailed a teenager car with a water balloon and then my shoe came off in some mud while I was running which caused me to fall and made me easy prey. The kids made me wipe off their car and give my name and friends' names so they could "call our parents". Of course, being the little bastard I was I gave them all fake names and numbers haha.

I really could go on for ages about this game we would play. The adrenaline rush was awesome. This game lasted for years. In fact, after me and a roommate lost about $350 each one Sunday gambling on football games we went downstairs, put some snowballs in a bucket, and then chucked em at passing cars from our apartment window. I was 22 at the time hahaha. I guess in many ways, I'll never grow up. :)

Mike Vick case has nothing to do with racism

There is a new article on espn.com that tries to help others understand why many blacks in the Atlanta area view the Mike Vick thing as a case of racism. I dont mean to sound insensitive to the African-American community, but I think its absurd that espn.com would publish such an article. I understand why they did though. Mike Vick is a football icon. He generates interest in sports and espn.com is all about sports. They just want the benefit of Mike Vick the football star and could probably care less about Mike Vick the inhumane law breaker who feebly tries to smuggle weed thru airport security and runs a dogfighting ring.

Granted we dont have all the hard facts but I, for one, hope he goes to jail. I do not think this is a case of racism in the least bit and that kind of crying out seems like a major smoke screen to me, a la OJ Simpson. Even Vick's BLACK buddies are going to rat him out. The guy is a total scumbag in my book. He was given the talent to make a difference for himself, his family, his fellow African-Americans, and the Atlanta Falcons and he has done nothing but blow it every year. Time for the law to start applying to these celebrities and sports athletes. Lock em all up.

Restaurant Review: Table 8 - Miami Spice edition

Yup, its Miami Spice month again and I think Im going to try and take advantage of it better this year. I say that every year and it never really happens but, hey, the intention is there. Friday night, I took my first Miami Spice trip of the season.

I met up with a group over at Table 8 inside the Reagent on South Beach. I was there late and I hate being late. But fortunately this is Miami and I ended up being the first one there. We had a rez for 9pm but had agreed to meet around8-830 for a cocktail at the bar. The bar was pretty cool. Its set more on the Ocean Drive side of the building and its kinda like an inside/outside bar. You get the breeze and sounds of being outside but youre under the cover of the building. Theyve got huge fans that blow all over the place and keep it cool, and for the ladies who wonder what this might do to your hairdo, they will gladly redirect as requested. I asked a female bartender what types of bourbons they carried and was set to order a Woodford on the rocks when the other bartender mentioned that they also had Blantons, which has a nice kick to it with a semi-smooth caramel-like flavor. Typical of South Beach, this drink cost me a cool $18 with tip included. I didnt care because I already had a buzz going and Im pretty much numb to the South Beach tax at this point. I even gave them an extra tip by dropping some bourbon knowledge on 'em. Each bottle of Blantons has a killer cork that has a Derby horse and rider figurine on top of it. Near the foot is a little circle with a letter that is either a B, L, A, N, T, O, or S. If you put them all side by side and spell BLANTONS it looks like the horse is running the race.

Everyone finally arrived and we were seated in a comfortable booth. The waiter came and passed out both regular and Miami Spice menus and I ordered a bottle of red wine for the table ('03 Latour Noir). He returned with bread, water, and wine which was quite biblical. We all decided on the spice menu. Earlier in the day, I had asked some fellow food bloggers what a "Warm Boucheron" consisted of so it made me look all smart when I was the only one who knew what it was. So, thanks for that. Anyways, I ordered the warm boucheron and really enjoyed it. The warm smoked goat cheese was served with some tasty avocado and a balsamic roasted onion which I actually liked too and I am not an onion fan at all. One person had the soup and said it was excellent while another got the salad and found it to be nothing special.

For entrees, nearly everyone ordered the skirt steak with avocado gremotala and crispy plantains. One person ordered the olive oil poached salmon. I thought about the chicken, but I had seen a pic of it earlier on the website and didnt find it appetizing so my mind was made up. The steak was cooked to a nice medium rare as ordered and the sauce and plantains were a nice addition. It didnt blow me away, but it didnt leave me wanting more either. I had a bite of the salmon dish and found it to be cooked well but I thought it couldve used a bit more flavor to it.

Now, Im not usually a dessert person. Maybe I'll do an occasional creme brulee but thats rare. WIth Miami Spice, I'll usually give it a shot. This time it was the best item of the night. I had the vanilla panna cotta, which is sorta like creme brulee without the ramekin but more pudding-like in texture/flavor. It was served with a not-too-sweet raspberry sauce that tasted great with the vanilla. I couldve had about 3 more of these and still wanted one more.

All in all, I thought the experience was pretty good but nothing wowed me and made me want to come back again sometime soon. It was, well, good. With all the options these days, good doesnt really cut it anymore. It is nice to know that you can get a solid meal there though, and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Id recommend giving it a try though. We all have different tastes. Not quite sure about the value though. I got out of there for about $70 which included my meal, portion of the wine bottle ($60/4 people), tax and 18% tip which was added on.

I will likely go to the bar again sometime though. In fact, I went to check out the free Common/Erykah Badu concert across the way on the following night and had a girl say to me, "Hey you were at my bar last night!" I didnt recognize her and was trying to remember what the hell I did on the previous night (I had been drinking on the beach all day at this point) when she said, "You were drinking Blanton's and told me about the horse race..." Now thats a good bartender!

Why I live in the Grove

You know, it always seems like people who live in the Grove just love to bitch about the Grove. Why does anyone live here then? Id like to see a post on something like that. "Why I live in the Grove." So, Im posting it on my blog. Please take a second and add to it.

Spam is annoying

I dont understand email spam, I just dont. It really doesnt matter how many times I get an email from Devry or the University of Phoenix, Im not signing up. I also dont need a Guide to Cabinet Refacing, or anything from Target, JetBlue, or JC Penney. I literally get 4-5 of these daily and each one gets sent right to the Junk Email folder. Somehow, these idiots that send these things are able to switch email addresses and they end up in my inbox again day after day. What is the point of spam? Does anyone actually click on these emails and open them? If so, are they so excited by the ads to buy something or enlist in school? I doubt it. Funny thing is I got 3 of these emails (Cabinets, JC Penney, and U of Phoenix) while I typed this...

So, what is the point of "blocking" senders on my junk email if they just morph into another address? How can this be stopped?

The New Delta Airlines

On Friday, I drove thru one of the worst lightning storms Ive ever seen to FLL airport to hop a flight up to MA for a weekend on the beach in Gloucester with the fam and friends. Lightning was EVERYWHERE and the strangest thing about it was that the bolts were really, for lack of a better word, thick. As I approached the airport, I saw a few bolts of lightning totally annihilate the runway with sparks going everywhere. "Great", I thought to myself, "Im definitely going to be delayed..." When I got to the airport, I asked an employee if they were going to shut the airport down due to the storms, a common practice at airports like DFW, and he said "Nope, they wont have baggage handlers out on the runway, but the planes that are loaded will take off." I asked if that was dangerous seeing that lightning striking an airplane didnt really seem like something that you would want to happen, but he said it was fine and it happens all the time. I guess you learn something every day... Luckily, the flight was only delayed for 15 minutes.

So, back to the point of this whole story. I was flying Delta Airlines who had recently emerged from bankruptcy with a new logo and new service to international destinations. I also found out soon enough that they have some new planes. When I boarded the aircraft, a MD-88 with 2 seats on the right side and 3 on the left, I noticed that everything looked new. The lights were a nice halogen bulb that lit up your seating area for reading, the seats were new leather seats and really comfortable, and there was plenty of leg room in every seat which was key for long legged people like myself who like to stretch out on a flight and catch some zzz's. During the flight, they take on a similar approach to that of JetBlue where one attendant comes around with snacks (a decent assortment of munchies like Sun Chips, Cheese N Crackers, etc.) while another attendant takes drink orders. I had a nice nap, woke up for a snack and a beverage, and then we landed. I will say that the seat did start to become a little uncomfortable, but that was probably because it was new and hadnt had many asses in it to break it in.

Fast forward to today, where I am currently blogging at Logan Airport terminal A. My flight was scheduled to leave at 945am, so my old man and I hopped in the car at 615am to make the trip. It took about an hour or so with traffic and on the way I got a courtesy call from Delta advising me that my flight was delayed until 1030am. THis made me a little pissed because I absolutely LOATHE delays, but at least it was only until 1030am. I arrived at the airport and checked in only to find out that the delay was now until noon... No other flights to hop on either. Not happy. After getting thru security, I sat down and plugged in my laptop and began the wait. I got another call from Delta advising about the noon departure, then another one saying the same thing, then another call saying we would be departing at 11am. "Thats a good sign...", I thought. THen the dude sitting next to me who had gone to the ticket counter saunters up and says that we arent leaving until 3pm!!! Now Im pissed. I call Delta and talk to some really nice and apologetic customer service people who try to help me out but no other flights that make sense (i.e. - have earlier departures/arrivals, go to FLL where my car is and not MIA) are available except a 315p flight w/ a connection in ATL that would put me in FLL at 1030pm, which also didnt make sense. So, here I sit broken hearted, came to fly home but havent departed...ugh. Travel woes continue...
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UPDATE:

I was able to hop a flight to LaGuardia on a shuttle with a connection to West Palm. From there, Delta would shuttle me to FLL so I could get my car and drive home to the Grove. Right now, Ive been sitting at the airport waiting for a flight that was supposed to leave at 820p. Its now 855p and we're waiting for the plane to pull up to the gate... This is the worst flying experience Ive ever had and I fly about twice a week. Total bullshit.
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UPDATE #2

Got to PBI last night at about 1250a, 1.5hrs late. By the time I got a shuttle to FLL, got my car, and drove to my place in the Grove, it was 3am. Im a zombie at work today. Only sorta funny thing about the trip was the cute Italian girl sitting next to me falling asleep on my shoulder while I was asleep. She was married, of course...

Restaurant Review: French Kiss, Coconut Grove

The French have brought 2 great things to America - French cuisine and French kissing. So, its only fitting that an ambitious restaurateur attempt to combine the two for an unforgettable experience. OK, so we aren't talking about making out with your escargot in a bed of pommes frites, but we are talking about French Kiss - a relatively new restaurant hidden away in Coconut Grove that specializes in French cuisine.

French Kiss is located on 2779 Bird Road right next to Flanagan's in Coconut Grove. The restaurant is set back a ways, which allows for a decent little outdoor area for dining. There is also seating inside and a small bar that contains a nice variety of wine and beer. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a lovely woman who was the wife of the owner. She welcomed us and gave us our choice of seating, and we opted for the screened in outdoor deck. As we looked over the menu, our waiter came by and offered us complimentary champagne with a very thick French accent that my female companion loved. Its always nice to go to a restaurant where the people are from the country where the cuisine originates. In this case, we were being served by some legit Frenchies, so I knew we were in for some good food served with some great sauces.

Our waiter brought out some menus along with some french bread that was fresh from the oven and served with a creamy tarragon butter that I could not get enough of. The menu has a variety of appetizers, salads, and entrees. I opted for the escargot - my all-time favorite - while she ordered the french onion soup. I was blown away by the portion of escargot. Usually, escargot comes in a dish with 5 to 6 divots around the edge and one in the middle, with each containing 1 escargot. This one was LOADED with escargot and had 2-3 per divot! I was in heaven and took down another loaf of bread by dipping it into the garlicky pesto juice. My lady friend said the french onion soup was great as well, especially with the crusted cheese and large croutons on top.

One of my favorite things about eating out is finding out the specials for the day. I get bored with menus pretty easily as most of them are similar to other restaurants in some way, shape, or form, so having the option to order off-menu items based on availability is appealing to me. Today, I was in luck. Not only did they have some special entrees that sounded great, but one happened to involved scallops, another one of my all-time favorites. The scallops were offered with creamed leeks and came in a lobster bisque broth and, seeing that I had already devoured almost 2 loaves of bread, I thought it would be a nice light course. Now, I cook a lot at home and if there is one thing Im great at its cooking scallops to perfection. Well, the chef at French Kiss must have that talent too because these scallops were spot-on perfectly cooked. Nicely seared outside, tender as all heck on the inside. The leeks and lobster bisque complimented the dish perfectly and I was able to resist mopping up the little remains of the bisque with another piece of bread even though it took a lot of willpower to do so. She had the salmon which came with pan-roasted potatoes and some crispy green beans with a nice butter sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly as well and the beans and potatoes had a great crunch to them that contrasted the smoothness of the salmon.

My willpower was on a roll, so we resisted the chance to sample some dessert. Id had their creme brulee on a previous visit and it was a nice, creamy vanilla that hit the spot just right. Instead, we opted for the check and spent a few minutes enjoying conversation over a glass of savignon blanc. My date was happy to see that our meal only came to $90, including a 20% tip, and mentioned . Not bad for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 4 glasses of wine, not to mention the free champagne and killer bread and butter. With a polite, friendly, and welcoming staff to compliment great food, French Kiss definitely earns a "highly recommended" rating.

Caught up in the Current

Wow, its been a long time since I last posted, but this topic deserves some plugging. Sometime over the last month or so, I stumbled upon a new TV network called Current TV. Apparently this station has significant involvement from Al Gore. It also has significant involvement from Google. There are few commercials, I have rarely seen more thn 2 in a row, and there are no "shows" so to speak. Rather, Current TV is all user created content broken down into what they call "pods". They even have assignments for viewers to create ad content for their advertisers. They pay $1000 if your ad is accepted and shown on Current TV, and you could earn up to $50,000 if your ad is liked enough by the advertiser to be shown in other markets. It's really tough to describe exactly what this network does. Its a hodgepodge of news, sports, culture, hobbies, and current issues facing the world today. Its almost as if you are allowing someone else to surf the internet for you. Ive learned about an electric car that does 0-60 in 4secs and looks like a ferrari, Ive learned about conflict in Israel/Palestine, Ive found a few new bands that I like that were featured in a "pod". Ive learned about different festivals that take place all over the country. I cant really say much more about it besides telling you to check it out. Its on Comcast and in Miami-Dade (or at least the Grove) its channel 107. I think these guys are really onto something...

www.currenttv.com

The Trip from Hell...

OK, so Ive been traveling a ton and the whole blog thing sorta lost its appeal. Im sure the 2 people that read it slowly cried themselves to sleep... Well, I had to post this story since it was absolutely ridiculous. Absolute nightmare of a road trip from Miami to Tulsa to Dallas to Houston and back to Miami.

So, I left Sunday for tropical Tulsa, OK with a connection in Dallas. Flying on the weekends for work kinda sucks, but Ive been getting so annihilated from going out so much that it was nice to have to "tone it down" on a Sunday. I get to Dallas and board the Tulsa flight. Should be an easy hour trip but the pilots decided to show up 90mins late in Dallas...go figure. Got to the hotel at just after midnight after taking a cab where the cab driver started screaming at someone in Arabic. I think he was pissed at the dispatch because he kept screaming, "Gligamesh ish beck naka gilgamesh leeba tatkainalsdhliajsdf dispatch gilgamesh suresh asdjfasjdhglasdjrfasd dispatch gilgamesh suresh dispatch hasldkfalsghalsdjl alsidfjla sidfliuf aisjdf l; dispatch!!!!" over and over again.

The next day, I visited some accounts, wrote some good biz, and got done early. Had a 640p flight to Dallas but got to the airport at 2p so tried to fly standby on the 440p flight. Well, the 440p flight gets cancelled ("mechanical failures") and the 640p gets delayed 45mins (no fuckin reason)... At least the bar was right next to my gate and I met a cute chick who was more of a sports fan than most guys I know. At first, I thought she was just quoting crap she read on espn.com that morning, but this chick was legit. We spent about 2hrs throwing back a few brew-has, taking sports, and making fun of the dork next to us with the bluetooth earpiece - awesome times! I still dont get why people wear those stupid things in public. Anyways, I finally board the plane and get to Dallas at 845p only to find out that they left my bags in Tulsa. Reason for this - "TSA didnt have enough time to get my bags on the plane". Thats right, 5hrs early and they didnt have time... I mustve said, "Fuck" about 100 times to the poor baggage lady because she kept giving me the "not enough time" excuse. I was doing my best to hold back rage but it slipped out a little when I ranted, "Lady, gimme another excuse please. Even lie if you have to! Tell me they thought y bags were radioactive, that they were WMDs, that they thought my electric razor was a grenade, but dont tell me they didnt have enough time when I was there 5 fucking hours early!" Went out for a good bite to eat and a much needed whiskey before heading to the hotel for some shuteye. Captain Fantastic at American Airlines said that I would have my bags delivered by 10am so at least that wasnt so bad...

Its 9am and I call the "lost baggage hotline" to get the status on my baggage. The computer attendant tells me that they arrived in Dallas at 8am and "will be delivered to me within the next 6 hours." Gee, 8am + 6hrs = 2pm last time I checked. I knew that lady was full of shit when she said 10am... Well, bags showed up around 1145am and I headed out to a crappy meeting then broke for lunch before heading to the reps office to train a new guy. From there we hit up another customer for a meeting that sucked because we didnt write business right then and there, but the customer was a really cool guy and we chatted for awhile about Miami, Superbowl, Vegas, gambling, etc (all the important stuff) and got to know each other better so at least that was good.

Then it was time to fly to Houston. My flight was supposed to leave at 830p out of DFW but it was raining like hell so it was delayed to 930p. I was afraid it would be cancelled so i cancelled the flight and called Southwest cuz they had flights at the other Dallas airport (Love Field - which was closer). The lady on the line for Southwest said they had "plenty of availability" on about 9 flights that left every 1/2 hr and that there were no delays longer than 15mins because of the rain. She said it shouldnt be a problem getting on the 6. 630, or 7p flight. When we left, it was POURING out. It was so bad that we were driving down a hill and there was 3+ inches of water on the road in the MIDDLE of the hill, not at the bottom. "This cant be good" I think to myself. I get to the airport and they can only get me on the 830p. Its 545p... I ask why and they tell me the airport has been shut down for the past 2hrs due to weather...go figure. I guess captain McSmartypants left that out of her "you should have no problem" report 15 minutes earlier.

The airport is a total madhouse, people EVERYWHERE. The line for Chili's was at least 50 deep and there were no chances I was gonna spring for McD's or some other shit food. At least they had the most awesome thing Ive ever seen at an airport - BEER CARTS! Thats right, people walking all over the airport throwing down beers like nothing. It was like being at a Pats game! I slammed down a few Heinekens and then realized I would need to wait about 3 more hours before my flight had a chance to leave so I hit up Chili's and made it thru the line relatively quickly, no thanks to the douchebag lady that told me there were single seats that you didnt have to wait in line for - I got out of line only to be sent back... Two double whiskeys and some boneless buffalo wings later, Im ready to check on my flight since the board says we should be boarding in 30 minutes. Guess again... The Dallas-Houston terminal at Southwest is a total free-for-all. Flights from 4pm thru 8pm are taking off at different times from 2 different gates and mass confusion has ensued. One guy next to me just had a total meltdown and started flipping out and swearing like crazy while me and another girl watched and laughed. Its always easy to make friends when youre experiencing travel woes because everyone is completely helpless. Finally, after 4hrs of waiting, I get placed on the 930p flight and when I ask if my bags will be on my flight I get a "maybe, maybe not" answer. "When the weather gets like this, we just start shipping bags on whatever flight we can just to get them there", the attendant tells me. Oh, that makes a lot of sense...

I land and check the baggage carousel dont see my bags but then the girl who I had talked with earlier directed me to a big pile of bags and sure enough, mine were there! First piece of good luck! Now its pouring outside but luckily the hotel shuttles are under cover and the shuttle driver is reasonably sane. Got to the hotel at 1130p that night, 3hrs later than expected...

Its now Wednesday morning and Im really looking forward to geting out, seeing customers, and getting the fuck outta Houston and back to Miami. At around 7am, I get a text from my rep who was supposed to pick me up to go visit 4 accounts. He is 3.5hrs away in Austin where he lives and cant leave because a bridge is under 3ft of water... Go figure. We scrap the day and I check to see if I can get an earlier flight than my 7pm scheduled filght since its 1145am. There is a 2pm flight and its a 35 minute drive once the shuttle gets here to pick me up. Im gonna go for it, so I shower, pack, and make plans to head to the airport. I talk with "Keisha" who tells me that "Leroy" will be there to get me around 1230p. Its gonna be close sportsfans. Im really depending on Leroy... Leroy shows up and is on good spirits. He grabs some free coffee at the hotel and we head out - love that move. If I was a shuttle/cab/bus driver, I would never pay for breakfast or coffee ever. "Time is of the essence " I say to Leroy as we head out. "Man we gon' be there in 30 minutes, youll make it, I'll get you there." Leroy is the man. He starts telling me how this airport ride is "all Leroy" because he does it on the side for some extra cash. In fact, Leroy has had enough of this job and is trying to get a few bucks to help him out on his bus trip to Atlanta tonite. He is quitting the job after making a few "cash runs" and is leaving to start up at his old job in Atlanta later on that night. His current employer has no idea - awesome. Im loving Leroy time right now especially, because he's flooring it and basically pushing cars out of our way by honking and flashing high beams. "As you can see, Ive got a little bit of road rage in me...", he says with a laugh. Then he launches into a story about how his girl is a no-good drunk on drugs and that she "aint gon' see him no mo'" after waking him up in the middle of the night to ask for a smoke and then getting pissed because he didnt have any. "I felt like chokin her out but I kept my hands to myself. I dont need that shit. Instead, I went out on the porch and to' up all her underwears and shit and then I left. She wont see me no mo'!", he tells me. Leroy is single-handedly turning this trip around for me at this point. After a little silence, Leroy gets deep and asks, "If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?" Pretty broad question, but I say that I wish that everyone would just get along. That earns me a high-5 from my man Leroy who agrees and goes on a rant about how between sex, race, religion, etc., there's too much fighting and hating goin on these days.

We're finally at the airport and I wish Leroy luck in Atlanta and give him a nice tip. I really hope things work out for him cuz he was a nice guy that seems like he actually gives a shit about contributing to society and making a living, which is more than I can say for about 50% of the people who live in Miami. I hustle up to the AA counter and ask if I can make the 2pm flight and Im in! I catch a break and get an exit row aisle seat too! Talking to my boss, I say "I finally caught a break, go ton the early flight, got an exit row aisle, AND we're about to leave". Im feelin good now - its almost over. We board the plane...

...and end up sitting in the plane on the runway for 2 HOURS waiting for weather to pass so we can fly...UNREAL. Didnt help that the pilot let about 7 Continental flights sneak in front of us. Got home at 7p and couldnt have been happier. I helped an old lady grab her bags and then mine were then the 5th and 7th bags to come out - thanks karma. What a trip. There were points where I couldve had a total meltdown but I kept laughing because it was quite comical how everything that could go wrong, did. Ive really come full circle. Years ago, Id have been the guy at the airport flipping out. Now, I could almost care less. Im in airports so much these days that I almost enjoy them. Now Ive got a nice 2 solid weeks in Miami before my next trip so I'll have time to get caught up on housework and catch up with friends. Then its off to Newark, NJ where I will probably be stranded in a blizzard...

Enough hating on the Patriots

Most people that know me know that Im originally from Boston and have been in Florida for almost 6 years. We Bostonians are die-hard sports fans, so when I moved I brought my sports allegiances with me. I am a die-hard Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins fan. Ok, so I kinda gave up on hockey altogether, but I still manage to keep up with the B's in the standings. After dealing with years upon years of turmoil as a Red Sox fan, watching my beloved Celtics transform from an NBA dynasty to an embarrassment, and dealing with crappy Patriots teams, I finally caught a break. I had began to LOATHE Drew Bledsoe during the 2001-'02 season because he was a loser. He just had this "loser funk" about him that, no matter how good he appeared, you just knew he would never win it all. I was begging for a change and didnt mind waiting another 5 years if it meant finding a winning QB. Well, I got my wish when Bledsoe got his clock cleaned against the Jets and in walked Tom Brady.

The Patriots went on to win the next 3 out of 5 Superbowls and we Bostonians FINALLY had a winner to rally around. It was uncanny what this team did to Boston Sports spirits. I felt that their model of, "no superstars, no ridiculous contracts", should be applied to every team in life. Isnt that the American way? Be typecast as the underdog, disrespected by the media, and then use that as fuel, work hard as a unit and succeed? Apparently not everyone shares the same sentiments. After the Pats went on to win another 2 Superbowls, the haters came out of the closet. Im sure that more than half of these people were rooting for the Pats to win that 1st SB, but after watching them dispel another 2 teams they began to hate on them.

I guess I really dont understand how you can hate on this team? Their QB is the ultimate role model - doesnt cheat with steriods, doesnt blame teammates for losses, doesnt whore himself out in advertisements. Their coach is the ultimate football geek. He loves the game and formulates a strategy to beat his opponent. He also keeps all the bullshit out of the media's hands, which is quite possibly the thing I love most about the Patriots and also possibly why others hate on them. For some reason, fans and the media love to hear all the bullshit. Drama like Terrell Owens causing problems on every team because of his ridicluous ego, and other guys that ridicule teams with celebration dances, trash talking, etc. when theyre losing the game. Its stuff like this that the Patriots dont stand for. They also wont pay people ridiculous contracts based on 1 year of good performance. The mentality is this - If you want to win, take what we give you and come put in 150% every day and youll achieve Championship status. Its worked with many guys so far and its awesome to see it still continue. Guys like Deion Branch and David Givens who wanted ridiculous contracts were shown the door. New guys that were total jobbers on other teams came in and whattya know, we're in the AFC Finals.

Given all of this, I just dont see how people can hate on the Patriots outside of being just plain jealous that it isnt their team winning. If Tom Brady & Co. were to start acting like assholes, Id understand the logic behind hating on this team. Until then, stop with the jealousy and stop your crying. The Pats have a good chance to head to the big dance again this year, and it would be perfect because theyll be in my (somewhat new) backyard and Id be going to the game!

I dont wanna hear it!!!

If there is one thing I cant stand, its people that disrespect other people. One thing that really gets me fired up are the assholes who need attention so badly that they have to play their goddamn music at levels that arent even suitable for the human ear. Why? What is the point? Do you want to become deaf at age 15? Are you that much of a loser that you need people to pay attention to you even if its because they find you annoying and want to rip your jugular out? I really dont get it...

When I was 16, I had just got my license and I liked a lot of rap music. However, being from a small town that consisted of 99.8% white people with nice upbringings, .1% hispanics, and .1% jews/blacks, I never got into the whole "lets play rap music as loud as possible" thing because it just didn't fit my style and its surroundings. My friends loved to blast music in the car and I place about 99% of the blame on them as to why I always ask people to repeat themselves cuz Im not sure what the hell they said from being half deafened at an early age. Sure, I liked that music, but I didnt feel the necessity to project my likings upon people who either a.) could care less, or b.) didnt want to hear that bullshit. For me, it was a respect thing. I will respect you and not subject you to the music I feel like listening to and you respect me by not judging me based on my listening preferences. And whattya know... A few years later I really grew a large distaste for rap music, but mainly because it became a bunch of bullshit with no core to it at all. Dont get me wrong, this isnt about rap music alone. Its about all the assholes who drive around playing their music at levels that are unsuitable for most eardrums, no matter what genre it is.

Im serious when I say that Im investing in a company that develops trendy hearing aids for 16yr olds. This shit has gotten out of control. I was driving home from work the other day, getting fired up by listening to some Rolling Stones before going out to pound some brew and whiskey with a buddy. I had my recent favorite, "Cant you hear me knockin?" on the tuner at a decible level suitable for my car only, when all of a sudden Paco and his 1996 Ford Taurus rolls up blasting some latino bullshit that was making his trunk and doors rattle like a mo' fo'. Now Ive gone from fired up in a good mood to fired up in a bad mood, and I aint even drunk yet. I really dont get the whole point of this bullshit? When did it become a requisite for coolness that you had to annoy everyone in a 1 mile radius with you obnoxious music? And when did i become cool to drive a car thats worth $1000 and put a $2500 stereo system in it and make it sound like total shit? We as a society need to lose this bullshit right now.

My frustration peaked today on a flight from Miami to Charlotte. Im sitting next to some dude that feels it necessary to tell me his life story about living in South America (I dont give a shit), commuting to Washington DC (see also - I dont give a shit) and flying in general (ooh look, we're on a plane... whoop dee frickin doo!!) All things aside, he seemed like a nice guy and one that I certainly could dominate in the quest to gain the middle armrest (which I totally annihilated him on, giving him maybe a total of .5 milliseconds of comfort for his left arm...rookie). Then, as Im reading a nice article in the sky mag, he starts listening to his iPod... Not only is he listening to spanish bullshit at 7am (which I find hard to take really... who listens to salsa at 7am? Dont you kinda need to be in party mode for that music? Or at least dancing? This is something about the Latin culture that I dont understand and have little desire to actually understand...) Well, its now 8am and we've got another hour or so before we get to NC and he is blaring this shit into his ears. Im wondering if he even has eardrums left at this point. Im enraged, but not because its bothering me and my quiet time, but more because its showing a total lack of respect for everyone within a 4 seat radius. I collect my thoughts, suppress my rage, and decide its time to ask him to turn the shit down... So, I tap him and say, "COuld you do me a favor and turn that down please" while giving him the "you better do what I say or you may find out that a human as well as a small carry-on item can fit under the seat" look. He respectfully obliged and got a little red in the face from embarrassment (probably because he was listening to total pussy music at this point) and turned down the bullshit spanish crap. I felt a wave of silent applause erupt around me. One dude gave me the, "thank god you did that man, I was going insane" look. That pretty much justified it for me.

I guess the point of this whole rambling is this... If you want to listen to music, do so at a respectable level. I dont wanna hear your bullshit and neither does anyone else. Youre not going to gain any sort of positive attention from playing music loud, youre just gonna continue to look like a total asshole. Take your loud ass music and shove it!

Im going to shoot you and your dog...

I live in a nice area of Miami, very laid back, very informal. Another trend of this area is that everyone seems to have a dog. They even have constructed "dog parks", little fenced in areas where dogs can run around off of their leashes and play with other dogs. Unfortunately, because a lot of dog owners are the laziest assholes around, I constantly have to deal with the smell of dog shit in the neighborhood. I also have to remind myself and every friend that visits to be sure to watch out for dog shit when we walk to the bars.

This is one thing that really pisses me off. Ive gotten into near fistfights for asking someone to pick up after their dog takes a dump on the sidewalk outside my complex. If you have a dog, you better be prepared to pick up shit. That, or go live out in the middle of nowhere where no one has to smell that shit, like Nebraska. Another thing that I just dont get is how I can gorge myself for an entire day and not have to take a dump, but feed a dog a 1/2 cup of food and you get at least a pound of turds! Its unreal! I dont get how you put such a small amount of food into a dog and an enormous quantity of waste comes out?!?!

The people who piss me off the most are my neighbors in my condo complex who allow their dogs to take a crap RIGHT IN OUR COURTYARD!! Some of these dogs are big too and take massive dumps. When they get busted, they choose to be even more lazy and walk their dogs in the parking lot so they can shit there. This baffles me because the parking lot is probably further away than walking outside of the property to let the dog shit somewhere else. I just dont see why, dog owner or not, you would want shit in your yard. Now we have "No dog poo" signs all over the place which are funny, but also an eyesore. It really is a shitty situation...pun intended.

With all that said, Im buying a pellet gun and leaving a warning that if I catch anyone's dog shitting on the property, Im popping a cap in their ass. I feel that Im within my rights on this one. I love dogs and have one of my own. I dog-sit all the time. I either pick up the crap or I bury it in the ground. I wish everyone else would do the same.

Shocking...

Ive been making a solid effort to exercise and be more healthy. Now, if you saw me, you would probably be like most people and say, "You dont need to worry about that man..." But, I do. After 29 years of drinking beers like no tomorrow, my metabolism is finally beginning to let me down and Ive formed a little beer belly that Id like to eliminate. Lack of cardio is most likely the main reason for excess fat in my case. Its a personal thing and I like to look good. This is probably the "vanity rules" mentality of Miami rubbing off on me, but its not a bad thing in this case. So, I set out about 2 weeks ago to start running for the first time in probably about 2 years. One of the owners of my company has been training for a 1/2 marathon and said I should make sure to take my time to get the most out of it, so I followed this advice. When I originally set out, I planned on just doing a mile, but the next thing I knew I was doing a little over 1.5 miles! I was pretty pumped about that. I ran in H.S. and always used to get shin splints that would hurt like a bastard for a few days. This time, they started to hurt around 1/2 mile but I tried to power thru it and then by the time I stopped, my shins were just about numb. My breathing was money though. Thanks to 12 yrs of smoking cigarettes, I usually get winded at about 3/4 of a mile. I havent had one in 5yrs though and I think that Im finally starting to reap the benefits of that.

The next few times I went out, I ran 1mi (because I wanted to be quick so I could get to the Heat game in the 1st quarter) and then the next 2 times I ran just under 2mi. Well, last night I really surprised myself... I went out intent upon running 2 solid miles. My shins started to ache around 1/2 mile but I put a little more weight on my heels and was able to power thru it. My breathing was money and as I approached mile #2 I said to myself, "OK, Im not too tired and my breathing is good - just keep going until the end of the block..." Next thing I knew I had completed 3 miles - a personal all-time high! I probably couldve kept going another mile breathing-wise, but my calves were starting to get really sore, so I quit while I was ahead.

Im pretty damn proud of myself and am fired up to see how far I can push it next time.