Hey, some people, you just can't anywhere.Monday, August 31, 2009
Control Your Kids: No Screaming...
I saw this sign politely posted at the funeral home...
Hey, some people, you just can't anywhere.
Hey, some people, you just can't anywhere.Blanket, Pillow, Hot Water Bottle...
...No, I have not contracted swine flu or anything like that. I was at work this morning and someone alerted me to what was no doubt the most important breaking news event of the day. Yes, Macaulay Culkin, it turns out, just may be the father of Blanket, one of the late (he should rest in peace) Michael Jackson's kids. Egads...
Whatever, I'm not hear to gossip about the poor guy or his real father Macaulay or his recently departed father, MJ, the new king of pop, but rather, I'm here to tell you just how immature my co-workers and I can be.
Of course, we just had to assume that if MJ had no part in the actual making of Blanket, with an estate worth a few bucks, why not produce numerous additional offspring and name them accordingly. So we started a list of potential names.
If you have Blanket, then you must have Pillow, Comforter, Sheets, Quilt and Nightlight (I think if the child were female, you could call her NiteLite).
I suspect it would not be a stretch to sire a Lampshade, Drape or Carpet if a Blanket comes easy. But why stop in the bedroom? I like the idea of Tile, Toothbrush and Curler (with a sensible nickname of Curly if you like). Wanna get really original? Meet my daughter Crest, son Pepsi-dent, and our dog, Dentyne.
I suppose we could take a tour of the house and knock-out a complete list of household names for the children of Macaulay Caulkin, but really, what's the point. That was so 2002.
Whatever, I'm not hear to gossip about the poor guy or his real father Macaulay or his recently departed father, MJ, the new king of pop, but rather, I'm here to tell you just how immature my co-workers and I can be.
Of course, we just had to assume that if MJ had no part in the actual making of Blanket, with an estate worth a few bucks, why not produce numerous additional offspring and name them accordingly. So we started a list of potential names.
If you have Blanket, then you must have Pillow, Comforter, Sheets, Quilt and Nightlight (I think if the child were female, you could call her NiteLite).
I suspect it would not be a stretch to sire a Lampshade, Drape or Carpet if a Blanket comes easy. But why stop in the bedroom? I like the idea of Tile, Toothbrush and Curler (with a sensible nickname of Curly if you like). Wanna get really original? Meet my daughter Crest, son Pepsi-dent, and our dog, Dentyne.
I suppose we could take a tour of the house and knock-out a complete list of household names for the children of Macaulay Caulkin, but really, what's the point. That was so 2002.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Strange in 78250: Don't Do It...
While out and about this afternoon, we happened upon a guy taking a little nap. I suppose there is nothing strange about this, considering I have been known to take an unscheduled nap on occasion myself.
What I wondered was, do you suppose this guy is waiting to be picked up, or had he just been dropped off?
And this guy was apparently investigating the contents of a dumpster near the HEB at Grissom and Timberwilde. I know times are tough my friend, but if you are looking for a comfortable place to sleep, I'd recommend you hop a bus to the Via place over on West Avenue.
What I wondered was, do you suppose this guy is waiting to be picked up, or had he just been dropped off?
And this guy was apparently investigating the contents of a dumpster near the HEB at Grissom and Timberwilde. I know times are tough my friend, but if you are looking for a comfortable place to sleep, I'd recommend you hop a bus to the Via place over on West Avenue.Lunch Report: Beef & Bourbon...
Beef & Bourbon over on San Antonio's east side on Rigsby off of Loop 410 south has been a long time favorite of my wife's family. I'm not sure how they found the place, but we have gone there a few times a year for as long as I've been in the family. That was why it was sort of shocking that we actually considered walking out of the place today.
I should tell you first that we got off to a late start with lunch. In fact, we sat looking at the Google with our Entertainment coupon book in hand searching for a place to eat for probably twenty minutes, then because we were both super hungry, decided to go in the general direction of a particular barbecue place and see if anything caught our eye. That was probably the first mistake. I'll spare you the details but we zig-zagged ourselves through the city looking at potential eating spots, and it seemed as though anyplace that caught our eye was not open on Sunday. Finally, the idea of Beef & Bourbon popped into my head and we just headed straight there. Only problem was, it was at least 2PM and we still had not even had breakfast!
It almost looks like the place has been remodeled or painted or something since my last visit. I know the sign is different. When we saw the "Help Wanted" on the marquee, we had no idea it would have a real impact on our lunch.
When we walked in, the lady at the register told us to just find a seat anywhere. We found a booth and sat down and started to look around at the other diners. After we had waited for about five minutes, it occurred to us that there were several other tables where nobody had glasses of tea or food of any type. We did see a few waiters hitting tables on the other side of the room, and from what we could overhear, there were apologies issued, but no real details of what was going on.
Now understand, we were both really, really hungry. A few more minutes had gone by and still, no waiter, no nothing. My wife was the first one to mention getting up to leave (we have only done that at one other place that I can recall), but when I saw the cash register lady walk up to a table of folks who had come in after us, I was already getting up to walk out. But the lady took their drink order, then came and asked us what we'd like.
Then, a busboy walked by our booth and muttered that he was about to walk out. That of course got our attention, and now, we were going to stay even if it took all night to find out what was going on (and get something to eat).
Beef & Bourbon is like an older style restaurant. I would say that most of the patrons are of grand parenting age, and today, the crowd was clearly the "just got out of church" bunch.
I often feel under-dressed if I go into the place in shorts or even jeans since many of the folks wear a jacket and tie to dine, but really, casual is okay. In fact, anyplace that has the menu built into the place mat on the table, I think casual is pretty much authorized.
As we sipped our tea and ate about 4 or 5 packs of crackers each, we overheard a waiter tell some folks at a table near us that the server for our section was M.I.A.; one bus boy had been hauled away by the police just moments earlier and two other waiters simply did not show up for work. Once again, we started thinking about getting up and leaving a few dollars for the iced tea and heading out. But as if on cue, the cash register lady came and took our order.
The waiter that had been serving the other people came and brought us our salads and apologized for the service and thanked us for being patient. There seemed to be three waiters working the room we were in (there are several different rooms in the restaurant), but the guy who helped us was clearly busting his ass to make things work. My wife also mentioned that if she had seen wait staff milling about doing nothing, she'd be upset, but all of the waiters were running in and out of the back trying to keep things going. No telling what was going on in the kitchen. By the way, the salad is always good but the highlight is the home made (I'm assuming) Ranch Dressing. If they sold this stuff by the bottle, I'd buy it.
My wife told me that if I was trying to make up for not taking her to Texas Roadhouse the other day, this wasn't going to work since instead of steak, she was ordering the fish platter. The fish is a a large plank of Cod or something, fried to a golden brown and served with thick steak fries. The tarter sauce also seems to be freshly made in the kitchen and has a good taste to it.
I ordered the rib eye steak with jumbo shrimp and a baked potato loaded. I forgot that "loaded" means they give you a packet of sour cream and a little cup of government cheese. I suppose it is all good, but my preference is to have it all fixed up in the kitchen so it is nice and melted when it comes to me. They can't touch the baked potato at Texas Roadhouse, but really, as baked potatoes go, it is fine. The steak was fine and I was glad to see that the cook understands what "medium" means. The two shrimp that came with the steak were huge and very good. Not over fried at all and they had a good taste.
Aside from the rough beginnings and almost getting up to leave, once our order was taken, things were fine and our waiter really went above and beyond to accommodate all the diners in the place, and we tipped accordingly. When we left, our waiter stopped us and apologized again for the service, but really, we think he made the best of a crappy situation.
Beef & Bourbon is a quiet dining experience. There is no loud music blasting or TV's showing football; you can actually talk at a normal conversation level and not leave the place with your ears ringing. On the other hand, you won't break the bank trying to fill up. Portions are generous and the price is more than reasonable.
Have you been to Beef & Bourbon? Has your busboy been taken down with a taser? Tell me about it or leave a comment below.
I should tell you first that we got off to a late start with lunch. In fact, we sat looking at the Google with our Entertainment coupon book in hand searching for a place to eat for probably twenty minutes, then because we were both super hungry, decided to go in the general direction of a particular barbecue place and see if anything caught our eye. That was probably the first mistake. I'll spare you the details but we zig-zagged ourselves through the city looking at potential eating spots, and it seemed as though anyplace that caught our eye was not open on Sunday. Finally, the idea of Beef & Bourbon popped into my head and we just headed straight there. Only problem was, it was at least 2PM and we still had not even had breakfast!
It almost looks like the place has been remodeled or painted or something since my last visit. I know the sign is different. When we saw the "Help Wanted" on the marquee, we had no idea it would have a real impact on our lunch.When we walked in, the lady at the register told us to just find a seat anywhere. We found a booth and sat down and started to look around at the other diners. After we had waited for about five minutes, it occurred to us that there were several other tables where nobody had glasses of tea or food of any type. We did see a few waiters hitting tables on the other side of the room, and from what we could overhear, there were apologies issued, but no real details of what was going on.
Now understand, we were both really, really hungry. A few more minutes had gone by and still, no waiter, no nothing. My wife was the first one to mention getting up to leave (we have only done that at one other place that I can recall), but when I saw the cash register lady walk up to a table of folks who had come in after us, I was already getting up to walk out. But the lady took their drink order, then came and asked us what we'd like.
Then, a busboy walked by our booth and muttered that he was about to walk out. That of course got our attention, and now, we were going to stay even if it took all night to find out what was going on (and get something to eat).
Beef & Bourbon is like an older style restaurant. I would say that most of the patrons are of grand parenting age, and today, the crowd was clearly the "just got out of church" bunch.
I often feel under-dressed if I go into the place in shorts or even jeans since many of the folks wear a jacket and tie to dine, but really, casual is okay. In fact, anyplace that has the menu built into the place mat on the table, I think casual is pretty much authorized.As we sipped our tea and ate about 4 or 5 packs of crackers each, we overheard a waiter tell some folks at a table near us that the server for our section was M.I.A.; one bus boy had been hauled away by the police just moments earlier and two other waiters simply did not show up for work. Once again, we started thinking about getting up and leaving a few dollars for the iced tea and heading out. But as if on cue, the cash register lady came and took our order.
The waiter that had been serving the other people came and brought us our salads and apologized for the service and thanked us for being patient. There seemed to be three waiters working the room we were in (there are several different rooms in the restaurant), but the guy who helped us was clearly busting his ass to make things work. My wife also mentioned that if she had seen wait staff milling about doing nothing, she'd be upset, but all of the waiters were running in and out of the back trying to keep things going. No telling what was going on in the kitchen. By the way, the salad is always good but the highlight is the home made (I'm assuming) Ranch Dressing. If they sold this stuff by the bottle, I'd buy it.
My wife told me that if I was trying to make up for not taking her to Texas Roadhouse the other day, this wasn't going to work since instead of steak, she was ordering the fish platter. The fish is a a large plank of Cod or something, fried to a golden brown and served with thick steak fries. The tarter sauce also seems to be freshly made in the kitchen and has a good taste to it.
I ordered the rib eye steak with jumbo shrimp and a baked potato loaded. I forgot that "loaded" means they give you a packet of sour cream and a little cup of government cheese. I suppose it is all good, but my preference is to have it all fixed up in the kitchen so it is nice and melted when it comes to me. They can't touch the baked potato at Texas Roadhouse, but really, as baked potatoes go, it is fine. The steak was fine and I was glad to see that the cook understands what "medium" means. The two shrimp that came with the steak were huge and very good. Not over fried at all and they had a good taste.Aside from the rough beginnings and almost getting up to leave, once our order was taken, things were fine and our waiter really went above and beyond to accommodate all the diners in the place, and we tipped accordingly. When we left, our waiter stopped us and apologized again for the service, but really, we think he made the best of a crappy situation.
Beef & Bourbon is a quiet dining experience. There is no loud music blasting or TV's showing football; you can actually talk at a normal conversation level and not leave the place with your ears ringing. On the other hand, you won't break the bank trying to fill up. Portions are generous and the price is more than reasonable.
Have you been to Beef & Bourbon? Has your busboy been taken down with a taser? Tell me about it or leave a comment below.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Dinner Report: Salad Creations in Alamo Ranch...
Daily reader and fellow Silver Creek resident Ida, told my wife about this place in Alamo Ranch called Salad Creations* about a month ago. My wife went in and got a salad to go and it was huge enough for us to share for dinner one evening. And it was extremely good.
We have been meaning to go back and my wife ended up printing off some coupon for a buy-one-get-one Panini situation, so this evening we went over to check it out.
Inside the place is very bright and clean. When you walk in they give you the now popular greeting that many newer establishments have been using. Years ago, I think Cici's Pizza was the only place that would have the entire crew yell at you when you came in and thank you when you leave. I know, it is embarrassing for the workers but kinda fun for the people eating there. One time when I walk into Panda Express and they all yell to welcome me, I'm going to say, "Oops! Wrong place". Then turn around and leave. That would be cute.
Anyway, back to Salad Creations. If you look at those salad container things on the walls, those are actually refrigerator units - a pretty sweet idea for keeping the salad chilled. And, the place was loaded with options for you to toss into your salad. We also noticed that one of the folks preparing food gave a customer samples of the different dressings so they could be sure they liked a particular dressing they had never tried before. Great customer interaction.
But we were there for the Panini. My wife ordered a Turkey Cheddar & Bacon with Ranch dressing. They prepare the sandwich from scratch, then stick it in one of those Panini presses to give it a good toasting. We both thought the sandwich was good, well made and the cheese was melted just enough.
((I apologize for this picture of my half-eaten sandwich))
I ordered a Cuban sandwich. The man who took our order and turned out to be the owner, asked me how it was and I had mentioned to him that I was used to having a Cuban sandwich served on a Cuban bread roll. But about a bite or two into it, the simple flavor of the ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and pickle with Deli mustard was enough to take my mind off the Cuban roll missing. The bread, by the way is very good.
We also ordered a cup of the chili that was one of four soups available. It was awesome. This is not a chili you will find at a "who can burn your throat chili contest", it is a very flavorful, meaty, tomatoey, and beany type of concoction that was extremely wonderful. I bought it with the intention of tasting it, then taking it home for a snack later. In the end, I finished my Cuban, the entire bowl of chili and spent an extra five minutes on the treadmill to make up for it. 
Okay, so the atmosphere is closer to Which-Wich than Panerea Bread, but I can see this place being a big hit for the fitness minded person looking for something healthier than the Chili's across the street. And not that I'm Mr. Healthy Eater or anything, but good taste can also be good for you.
Try the sandwiches, the salads and the chili. Salad Creations in Alamo Ranch is a quick Tasty Treat.
*Click on the Google Maps link. It just makes me giggle that the street view is a mound of dirt.
We have been meaning to go back and my wife ended up printing off some coupon for a buy-one-get-one Panini situation, so this evening we went over to check it out.
Inside the place is very bright and clean. When you walk in they give you the now popular greeting that many newer establishments have been using. Years ago, I think Cici's Pizza was the only place that would have the entire crew yell at you when you came in and thank you when you leave. I know, it is embarrassing for the workers but kinda fun for the people eating there. One time when I walk into Panda Express and they all yell to welcome me, I'm going to say, "Oops! Wrong place". Then turn around and leave. That would be cute.
Anyway, back to Salad Creations. If you look at those salad container things on the walls, those are actually refrigerator units - a pretty sweet idea for keeping the salad chilled. And, the place was loaded with options for you to toss into your salad. We also noticed that one of the folks preparing food gave a customer samples of the different dressings so they could be sure they liked a particular dressing they had never tried before. Great customer interaction.
But we were there for the Panini. My wife ordered a Turkey Cheddar & Bacon with Ranch dressing. They prepare the sandwich from scratch, then stick it in one of those Panini presses to give it a good toasting. We both thought the sandwich was good, well made and the cheese was melted just enough.
((I apologize for this picture of my half-eaten sandwich)) I ordered a Cuban sandwich. The man who took our order and turned out to be the owner, asked me how it was and I had mentioned to him that I was used to having a Cuban sandwich served on a Cuban bread roll. But about a bite or two into it, the simple flavor of the ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and pickle with Deli mustard was enough to take my mind off the Cuban roll missing. The bread, by the way is very good.
We also ordered a cup of the chili that was one of four soups available. It was awesome. This is not a chili you will find at a "who can burn your throat chili contest", it is a very flavorful, meaty, tomatoey, and beany type of concoction that was extremely wonderful. I bought it with the intention of tasting it, then taking it home for a snack later. In the end, I finished my Cuban, the entire bowl of chili and spent an extra five minutes on the treadmill to make up for it. 
Okay, so the atmosphere is closer to Which-Wich than Panerea Bread, but I can see this place being a big hit for the fitness minded person looking for something healthier than the Chili's across the street. And not that I'm Mr. Healthy Eater or anything, but good taste can also be good for you.
Try the sandwiches, the salads and the chili. Salad Creations in Alamo Ranch is a quick Tasty Treat.*Click on the Google Maps link. It just makes me giggle that the street view is a mound of dirt.
On Big Feet and El Chupacabras...
I received an e-mail from Loren Coleman, a noted cryptozoologist who blogs at Cryptomundo, letting me know that he made use of of a few pictures from the story we did on M.K. Davis. Aside from being a place to eat, MK Davis is a guy who does some research on Bigfoot. Anyway, you can see the post here. I found it to be an entertaining use of of my burger pictures.
I e-mailed Mr. Coleman regarding us Texans and our preference for the Chupacabra and come to find out, a cryptozoologist would know that the correct usage of the word is Chupacabras.
The good news is, if you need to know more about MK Davis, Chupacabras or Bigfoot, you can see Mr. Coleman at the Texas Bigfoot Conference in Tyler, Texas, speaking on September 26.
I e-mailed Mr. Coleman regarding us Texans and our preference for the Chupacabra and come to find out, a cryptozoologist would know that the correct usage of the word is Chupacabras.
The good news is, if you need to know more about MK Davis, Chupacabras or Bigfoot, you can see Mr. Coleman at the Texas Bigfoot Conference in Tyler, Texas, speaking on September 26.
Paint Drive: Saturday 29 August in Silver Creek...
Got some extra paint in your garage? We will be participating in an A-Team paint collection tomorrow, Saturday the 29th of August at the parking lot of the Silver Creek Soccer Fields located on Timber Path between Tezel Road and Timberwilde, between 9AM and Noon.
Please share this information with your neighbors, family members and friends around San Antonio. You do not have to live in the Great Northwest to participate in this collection effort, however, If you live outside of San Antonio and want to make a road trip of it, try to get here before noon!
Please, if you have any latex (not oil-based) paint that is in reasonable condition, not all dried up, and at least 1/3 of a can, we will take it. Any color will work. This paint is used to mix-up into neutral colors in support of ours and the City of San Antonio Graffiti Task Force efforts to cover tagging.
If you cannot make it to the drive but have paint to donate, e-mail me and I will gladly pick it up assuming you live nearby - not say, West Virginia.
Please share this information with your neighbors, family members and friends around San Antonio. You do not have to live in the Great Northwest to participate in this collection effort, however, If you live outside of San Antonio and want to make a road trip of it, try to get here before noon!
Please, if you have any latex (not oil-based) paint that is in reasonable condition, not all dried up, and at least 1/3 of a can, we will take it. Any color will work. This paint is used to mix-up into neutral colors in support of ours and the City of San Antonio Graffiti Task Force efforts to cover tagging.
If you cannot make it to the drive but have paint to donate, e-mail me and I will gladly pick it up assuming you live nearby - not say, West Virginia.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Dinner Report: Cheddar's Part Two...
I pulled a fast one on my wife this evening. When I walked in the door from work, she immediately announced that it was ham sandwiches or I could take her out for steak. I knew she had Texas Road House on her mind and I was quick to respond with, "Let's go."
So as we drove down Culebra towards Loop 410, I quickly jumped into the right lane instead of the left prompting her to remind me that TRH is located near Ingram, not Military. And that was when I suggested she try the steak at Cheddar's.
You may recall that we had a good experience at Cheddar's on our first visit but since then, have not been willing to endure a 45 minute wait to be seated. My thought was that if we got there early enough (it was before 5PM), we could beat the rush, and if not, TRH was just up the road.
This time around, the parking lot was as empty as I have seen it since before the place opened, and we were going to be in luck. One of my brothers in FLA swears by Cheddar's Cajun seasoned catfish, and just last week, our neighbor Gus added his complete endorsement of said entree. So I knew what I was going to have. I thought it would be easy for my wife to just order a steak since that was what she wanted, but she instead studied numerous options on the menu (and they do have a lot to choose from) before settling on the 8oz steak.
On the first report, I could not say enough about the good service we experienced while several of you readers left less than glowing comments about your own experiences. I guess today was our day for seeing the difference.
Nothing happened to make me not want to return, but suffice it to say that things seemed to be in slow motion. I have never waited 15 minutes for a beer in a restaurant, especially after the waiter brought my wife raspberry lemonade instead of the raspberry tea she ordered. After a while, he came out and told me they were changing the keg and it would just be a few more minutes. It was a few more minutes several times before I did receive the Luke warm beer. Thankfully, I've lived in England and can easily revert to old times. Plus, it would have been rude to ask for some ice cubes. The waiter was certainly polite and apologetic, but still...
Anyway, that is minor, minor stuff. It happens at the best of places and I simply can't let stuff like that get me upset, especially when I can come here and whine about it.
Onto the vittles. My wife got the steak, a baked potato without sour cream, and some baby carrots. In spite of pointing to the white stuff on the potato, the waiter assured her there was no sour cream on it. Once she picked off the sour cream, she said her baked potato wasn't that great. I had a bite and thought it was fine, but compared to TRH, I'd have to go with the baked potato at TRH every time. The baby carrots were very good - she liked them and so did I!
The steak was simply not as good as TRH. I had a small bite and thought it was good, per se, but unfortunately, my wife had TRH on her mind and even if I would have done my own happy dance upon tasting it, I don't think I would have swayed her opinion.
The Cajun grilled catfish that I ordered was brilliant. It comes served on a bed of some sort of rice (that was a tad bit undercooked - in fact a little hard), and it came with two sides. I selected the green beans and the mashed Idaho potatoes.
My green beans were simply wonderful. I usually am not a fan of the flat style, but they were cooked - in fact, they may have been simmering on the stove for a week for all I know, but they were delicious, and I will definitely order them again. The mashed potatoes with gravy were simply excellent. Again, compared to the semi-warm baked potato my wife got, my mashed potatoes were outstanding.
I am usually a fried catfish type of guy, and fried catfish nuggets are even better. Our first time to Cheddar's, I didn't order the cat because of the fact it wasn't fried. But thankfully, I was told how good it was and now I am telling you: Order the Cajun seasoned grilled catfish and you will not regret it. It was melt in your mouth good, the seasoning was not overdone in any way and combined with the sides, it was well worth the less than stellar service. Next time, I hope to say good things about the bed of rice it comes sitting on.
Have you tried the Cajun grilled cat at Cheddar's? Do you like the steak there? How was your service now that they have been in operation for a few months? Tell me about it or leave a comment here.
So as we drove down Culebra towards Loop 410, I quickly jumped into the right lane instead of the left prompting her to remind me that TRH is located near Ingram, not Military. And that was when I suggested she try the steak at Cheddar's.
You may recall that we had a good experience at Cheddar's on our first visit but since then, have not been willing to endure a 45 minute wait to be seated. My thought was that if we got there early enough (it was before 5PM), we could beat the rush, and if not, TRH was just up the road.
This time around, the parking lot was as empty as I have seen it since before the place opened, and we were going to be in luck. One of my brothers in FLA swears by Cheddar's Cajun seasoned catfish, and just last week, our neighbor Gus added his complete endorsement of said entree. So I knew what I was going to have. I thought it would be easy for my wife to just order a steak since that was what she wanted, but she instead studied numerous options on the menu (and they do have a lot to choose from) before settling on the 8oz steak.On the first report, I could not say enough about the good service we experienced while several of you readers left less than glowing comments about your own experiences. I guess today was our day for seeing the difference.
Nothing happened to make me not want to return, but suffice it to say that things seemed to be in slow motion. I have never waited 15 minutes for a beer in a restaurant, especially after the waiter brought my wife raspberry lemonade instead of the raspberry tea she ordered. After a while, he came out and told me they were changing the keg and it would just be a few more minutes. It was a few more minutes several times before I did receive the Luke warm beer. Thankfully, I've lived in England and can easily revert to old times. Plus, it would have been rude to ask for some ice cubes. The waiter was certainly polite and apologetic, but still...
Anyway, that is minor, minor stuff. It happens at the best of places and I simply can't let stuff like that get me upset, especially when I can come here and whine about it.
Onto the vittles. My wife got the steak, a baked potato without sour cream, and some baby carrots. In spite of pointing to the white stuff on the potato, the waiter assured her there was no sour cream on it. Once she picked off the sour cream, she said her baked potato wasn't that great. I had a bite and thought it was fine, but compared to TRH, I'd have to go with the baked potato at TRH every time. The baby carrots were very good - she liked them and so did I!
The steak was simply not as good as TRH. I had a small bite and thought it was good, per se, but unfortunately, my wife had TRH on her mind and even if I would have done my own happy dance upon tasting it, I don't think I would have swayed her opinion.
The Cajun grilled catfish that I ordered was brilliant. It comes served on a bed of some sort of rice (that was a tad bit undercooked - in fact a little hard), and it came with two sides. I selected the green beans and the mashed Idaho potatoes.My green beans were simply wonderful. I usually am not a fan of the flat style, but they were cooked - in fact, they may have been simmering on the stove for a week for all I know, but they were delicious, and I will definitely order them again. The mashed potatoes with gravy were simply excellent. Again, compared to the semi-warm baked potato my wife got, my mashed potatoes were outstanding.
I am usually a fried catfish type of guy, and fried catfish nuggets are even better. Our first time to Cheddar's, I didn't order the cat because of the fact it wasn't fried. But thankfully, I was told how good it was and now I am telling you: Order the Cajun seasoned grilled catfish and you will not regret it. It was melt in your mouth good, the seasoning was not overdone in any way and combined with the sides, it was well worth the less than stellar service. Next time, I hope to say good things about the bed of rice it comes sitting on.Have you tried the Cajun grilled cat at Cheddar's? Do you like the steak there? How was your service now that they have been in operation for a few months? Tell me about it or leave a comment here.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
San Antonio (McAllister Park) Advances
I'm not a fan of Major League Baseball, but I can't help but enjoy the the Little League World Series each year. This time, it has been even more enjoyable watching the group from San Antonio's McAllister Park simply kick ass.
If you hadn't seen it, the SA team beat a talented Staten Island team to advance to the championship game.
Now if only MLB were this entertaining.
If you hadn't seen it, the SA team beat a talented Staten Island team to advance to the championship game.
Now if only MLB were this entertaining.
Timber Path Bridge Construction Update
The worst part about school starting this week is that the construction project along the stretch of Culebra from Loop 410 north to where Culebra splits personality and names (Tezel, FM 471, Grissom if you like), is not complete.
One part of that construction effort is the bridge that takes Timber Path out to Culebra. It sure would have been nice if it was finished in time for school. Oh well.
But, as these pictures show, progress is being made and who knows, by the Fall Festival or Winter Celebration (Thanksgiving or Christmas to you and I), maybe we will be driving over the top.
One part of that construction effort is the bridge that takes Timber Path out to Culebra. It sure would have been nice if it was finished in time for school. Oh well.
But, as these pictures show, progress is being made and who knows, by the Fall Festival or Winter Celebration (Thanksgiving or Christmas to you and I), maybe we will be driving over the top.Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Code Compliance Class in GNW...
Tuesday evening, my wife and I made the short trip down to the lodge of the Great Northwest where we were joined by a dozen fellow residents eager to learn about the ins and outs of Code Compliance. I know, we live exciting lives now that our kids are grown.
The event was hosted by our Deed Restrictions Architectural Control Officer (DRACO) Jose Morlett and he arranged for a City of San Antonio Code Compliance Supervisor, John Kelly, from Housing & Neighborhood Services to provide us with an informative and interactive briefing.
During the meeting, I took note of a handful of items that may be of interest to local readers.
The first thing that I was not aware of - and I am usually up on these types of things - is that you can report code violations directly to the city via the Internet. Is your neighbor growing chickens in the back yard? Get on the City's 3-1-1 page and click on the Code Compliance page and you can turn them in without even mentioning your name. How convenient is that? Of course, you can also just dial 3-1-1 on your phone and the dispatchers can make a report.
Here is another thing I was not aware of: we only have three Code Compliance officers covering the portion of District 6 from Loop 410, north. That is a big area friends, and the officers have loads of complaints to follow-up on. And given our record number of 100+ degree days, the officers are only in the field for about six hours a day.
The Code Compliance folks look for a host of issues such as dead cars parked in your yard, trashy yards (Officer Kelly showed pictures - they were impressive) and things that are, well, not compliant with city code. Did you know that you cannot park a car on the grass in your front or side yard? Did you know that if the vehicle in your driveway is not capable of starting and moving at least five feet to the front and five feet to the rear, they will have it hauled away to Pick-n-Pull and demolished? No trip to the impound lot, your little weekend project goes strait to the crusher! And, there is no cash for your clunker involved.
I was not aware of the fact that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act is going to create some havoc for folks fairly soon. The ADA requires that the sidewalk right of way be at least 36" unobstructed. This came up when I asked Officer Kelly about people being cited for having a basketball hoop on their sidewalk yet they can have a big huge cement decorative mailbox placed squarely over the sidewalk. Turns out, the ADA folks are going to attempt to get the city (and communities everywhere) to enforce the 36" right of way. So what do you do if you have a mailbox mounted on your sidewalk? I'd suggest you start thinking about building a 36" sidewalk around it. One idea the city has is to push for the Post Office to install more of those community type mailboxes and make home owners remove the mailboxes on their sidewalk. I don't like that option one bit! We'll see what happens.
Of course, one of my big complaints is graffiti and especially businesses that simply ignore it when they have been tagged. Officer Kelly reminded us that under current city code, as long as the business is occupied, they cannot force the business owner to cover the graffiti. If the business is vacant, they can force the owner to cover it.
I personally would like to see more customers of businesses exercise their privileged as customers and ask the owner to cover it up. Simply put, in this day and age, part of the cost of doing business is maintaining your storefront. If a patron got sick and barfed in the middle of HEB, would you continue to shop there if they refused to clean it up? Why then would you do business at a gas station or video store that won't take the time to clean up vulgar tags sprayed across the front of their building?
Officer Kelly had lots of really good information and answered questions from the audience, often fielding questions from residents who were slightly perturbed (I'm putting it mildly) about perceived inaction by his department. What we found though was that in some cases, action was taken, people were cited or perhaps went to court, and the judge basically let the violators off easy. But thankfully, Officer Kelly passed out his card and took notes, street addresses and made a list of violations he would personally look into.
I have always found that by attending these types of meetings, you can really get straight to the person who can help you out, a whole lot easier than counting on a voice at the end of the phone. I hope that the folks who came to the meeting with complaints got the help they deserve.
After Officer Kelly gave his talk, DRACO Jose Morlett expanded on several areas and how the Deed Restrictions differ from the City Code, and likewise how they are handled. I urge you to read the next issue of Passages where Jose will have a full article on many of his efforts to better enforce some of the crazy things you see as you drive around the area.
Got any chickens living near you? Don't forget to check out the Code Compliance web page and learn more about what is allowed and what isn't. And if you have a problem with a neighbor parking in the yard, give Jose a call.
The event was hosted by our Deed Restrictions Architectural Control Officer (DRACO) Jose Morlett and he arranged for a City of San Antonio Code Compliance Supervisor, John Kelly, from Housing & Neighborhood Services to provide us with an informative and interactive briefing.During the meeting, I took note of a handful of items that may be of interest to local readers.
The first thing that I was not aware of - and I am usually up on these types of things - is that you can report code violations directly to the city via the Internet. Is your neighbor growing chickens in the back yard? Get on the City's 3-1-1 page and click on the Code Compliance page and you can turn them in without even mentioning your name. How convenient is that? Of course, you can also just dial 3-1-1 on your phone and the dispatchers can make a report.
Here is another thing I was not aware of: we only have three Code Compliance officers covering the portion of District 6 from Loop 410, north. That is a big area friends, and the officers have loads of complaints to follow-up on. And given our record number of 100+ degree days, the officers are only in the field for about six hours a day.
The Code Compliance folks look for a host of issues such as dead cars parked in your yard, trashy yards (Officer Kelly showed pictures - they were impressive) and things that are, well, not compliant with city code. Did you know that you cannot park a car on the grass in your front or side yard? Did you know that if the vehicle in your driveway is not capable of starting and moving at least five feet to the front and five feet to the rear, they will have it hauled away to Pick-n-Pull and demolished? No trip to the impound lot, your little weekend project goes strait to the crusher! And, there is no cash for your clunker involved.
I was not aware of the fact that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act is going to create some havoc for folks fairly soon. The ADA requires that the sidewalk right of way be at least 36" unobstructed. This came up when I asked Officer Kelly about people being cited for having a basketball hoop on their sidewalk yet they can have a big huge cement decorative mailbox placed squarely over the sidewalk. Turns out, the ADA folks are going to attempt to get the city (and communities everywhere) to enforce the 36" right of way. So what do you do if you have a mailbox mounted on your sidewalk? I'd suggest you start thinking about building a 36" sidewalk around it. One idea the city has is to push for the Post Office to install more of those community type mailboxes and make home owners remove the mailboxes on their sidewalk. I don't like that option one bit! We'll see what happens.
Of course, one of my big complaints is graffiti and especially businesses that simply ignore it when they have been tagged. Officer Kelly reminded us that under current city code, as long as the business is occupied, they cannot force the business owner to cover the graffiti. If the business is vacant, they can force the owner to cover it.
I personally would like to see more customers of businesses exercise their privileged as customers and ask the owner to cover it up. Simply put, in this day and age, part of the cost of doing business is maintaining your storefront. If a patron got sick and barfed in the middle of HEB, would you continue to shop there if they refused to clean it up? Why then would you do business at a gas station or video store that won't take the time to clean up vulgar tags sprayed across the front of their building?
Officer Kelly had lots of really good information and answered questions from the audience, often fielding questions from residents who were slightly perturbed (I'm putting it mildly) about perceived inaction by his department. What we found though was that in some cases, action was taken, people were cited or perhaps went to court, and the judge basically let the violators off easy. But thankfully, Officer Kelly passed out his card and took notes, street addresses and made a list of violations he would personally look into.
I have always found that by attending these types of meetings, you can really get straight to the person who can help you out, a whole lot easier than counting on a voice at the end of the phone. I hope that the folks who came to the meeting with complaints got the help they deserve.
After Officer Kelly gave his talk, DRACO Jose Morlett expanded on several areas and how the Deed Restrictions differ from the City Code, and likewise how they are handled. I urge you to read the next issue of Passages where Jose will have a full article on many of his efforts to better enforce some of the crazy things you see as you drive around the area.Got any chickens living near you? Don't forget to check out the Code Compliance web page and learn more about what is allowed and what isn't. And if you have a problem with a neighbor parking in the yard, give Jose a call.
Good Afternoon Fellow Drivers...
I try to avoid long winded rants about terrible drivers in San Antonio unless of course I can provide you with photographic evidence to illustrate my points. But it has been brought to my attention by informed readers that I am myself being a bad driver when I speed down Culebra or Loop 410, knee on the wheel and camera zooming in and out for a good shot of the other offender. So, with that in mind and without any pictures to support my claims, I just want to offer a few notes.
With the start of the school year underway, it is good that many of you have learned to put down your cell phones and adhere to the 20 MPH limit in school zones. But may I also remind you that, in spite of your best intentions, you do not get bonus points for going 20 MPH outside of the school zones. No, I’m not talking about the person who intuitively slows down when children are walking to school but haven’t yet reached the official school zone. For you, I applaud your common sense and alertness. My complaint is with people who lose all situational awareness and, as if stuck in some sort of trance, do 20 in a 45, not a school, a zone, or a child in sight.
There are two things that I dislike immensely. One is people who are not ready to go when the light turns green. I’m not talking about the person who alertly checks to be sure some idiot isn’t running a red light before proceeding into the intersection; I’m talking about the lady yapping on the cell phone while doing her make-up while yelling at her kids in the back seat to turn down the Disney movie playing on the little DVD player. I have said this before; you need to treat the red light the same way a golfer plays ready-golf. When the light turns green, yell “fore” and go!
The other thing is people who go extremely too slow when they are near a police station or can see a police car within a mile of them. No, no, I don’t expect you to brazenly zip by an officer, doing sixty in a forty, but please, again, how about a little common sense.
I have not had a speeding ticket in years, so Lord knows I am due. In fact, writing this pretty much guarantees that I will get one, just because people who brag about not getting tickets probably deserve at least one every few years. But for those of you who are extremely too cautious, here is a little note: it is okay to do the speed limit (or slightly above) in order to maintain a positive flow of traffic, even when a police officer is present.
My daily commute takes me right past SAPD’s Westside substation on Culebra and it amazes me how people who are driving perfectly normal suddenly freak-out when they see police cars hit the street. They immediately position their hands at 10 and 2, and reduce their speed to 5 or 10 miles below the posted limit.
I also notice what the police officers are doing. They are busy looking at their fancy laptops so they can go out and look for criminals. They are not immediately pointing radar speed guns so they can issue the first ticket of the day someplace miles from the patrol they are trying to get to.
And in the afternoon, it is the same thing. Do you suppose some officer wants to pull you over for doing three miles over the speed limit when he is literally minutes away from the end of his shift? I think not. I don’t think officers are lazy, just realistic.
You paranoid drivers who drive in packs and want to block me in so I can’t get around you, that is what makes for a good dose of road rage. Forget the speed limit or the speed you are going. If you find yourself driving in the left lane with open space in front of you and a car is up on your bumper behind you, you are going too slowly. That is the rule and if you violate it, I think the Electric Chair is suitable punishment. Let me be clear: if you are doing 100 MPH, even in a 30 MPH zone and there is free space ahead of you and you have a guy on your ass behind you; get the hell out of my way!
Also, If you are driving and the car in the lane next to you is going the same exact speed as you, either speed up or slow down so that those of us behind you two morons can get around you. Otherwise, you are creating a blocking situation which leads to road rage.
And finally, a note about road rage. In spite of my displeasure with your impolite driving, road rage is something I simply don’t participate in regardless of how bad my fellow commuters piss me off. I am a laid back enough person to recognize that there is simply no place, including work, that I have to be in such a hurry that I can’t just relax, turn up the radio and enjoy the drive behind your pathetic, slow, ten miles under the speed limit, ass.
The fact is you could be preoccupied because you are reloading. Take your time my friend; I have plenty of space on the disk in my camera, and I enjoy posting your antics from time to time (as long as I can safely take the picture). Drive like an ass, just don't shoot.
With the start of the school year underway, it is good that many of you have learned to put down your cell phones and adhere to the 20 MPH limit in school zones. But may I also remind you that, in spite of your best intentions, you do not get bonus points for going 20 MPH outside of the school zones. No, I’m not talking about the person who intuitively slows down when children are walking to school but haven’t yet reached the official school zone. For you, I applaud your common sense and alertness. My complaint is with people who lose all situational awareness and, as if stuck in some sort of trance, do 20 in a 45, not a school, a zone, or a child in sight.
There are two things that I dislike immensely. One is people who are not ready to go when the light turns green. I’m not talking about the person who alertly checks to be sure some idiot isn’t running a red light before proceeding into the intersection; I’m talking about the lady yapping on the cell phone while doing her make-up while yelling at her kids in the back seat to turn down the Disney movie playing on the little DVD player. I have said this before; you need to treat the red light the same way a golfer plays ready-golf. When the light turns green, yell “fore” and go!
The other thing is people who go extremely too slow when they are near a police station or can see a police car within a mile of them. No, no, I don’t expect you to brazenly zip by an officer, doing sixty in a forty, but please, again, how about a little common sense.
I have not had a speeding ticket in years, so Lord knows I am due. In fact, writing this pretty much guarantees that I will get one, just because people who brag about not getting tickets probably deserve at least one every few years. But for those of you who are extremely too cautious, here is a little note: it is okay to do the speed limit (or slightly above) in order to maintain a positive flow of traffic, even when a police officer is present.
My daily commute takes me right past SAPD’s Westside substation on Culebra and it amazes me how people who are driving perfectly normal suddenly freak-out when they see police cars hit the street. They immediately position their hands at 10 and 2, and reduce their speed to 5 or 10 miles below the posted limit.
I also notice what the police officers are doing. They are busy looking at their fancy laptops so they can go out and look for criminals. They are not immediately pointing radar speed guns so they can issue the first ticket of the day someplace miles from the patrol they are trying to get to.
And in the afternoon, it is the same thing. Do you suppose some officer wants to pull you over for doing three miles over the speed limit when he is literally minutes away from the end of his shift? I think not. I don’t think officers are lazy, just realistic.
You paranoid drivers who drive in packs and want to block me in so I can’t get around you, that is what makes for a good dose of road rage. Forget the speed limit or the speed you are going. If you find yourself driving in the left lane with open space in front of you and a car is up on your bumper behind you, you are going too slowly. That is the rule and if you violate it, I think the Electric Chair is suitable punishment. Let me be clear: if you are doing 100 MPH, even in a 30 MPH zone and there is free space ahead of you and you have a guy on your ass behind you; get the hell out of my way!
Also, If you are driving and the car in the lane next to you is going the same exact speed as you, either speed up or slow down so that those of us behind you two morons can get around you. Otherwise, you are creating a blocking situation which leads to road rage.
And finally, a note about road rage. In spite of my displeasure with your impolite driving, road rage is something I simply don’t participate in regardless of how bad my fellow commuters piss me off. I am a laid back enough person to recognize that there is simply no place, including work, that I have to be in such a hurry that I can’t just relax, turn up the radio and enjoy the drive behind your pathetic, slow, ten miles under the speed limit, ass.
The fact is you could be preoccupied because you are reloading. Take your time my friend; I have plenty of space on the disk in my camera, and I enjoy posting your antics from time to time (as long as I can safely take the picture). Drive like an ass, just don't shoot.
Monday, August 24, 2009
That was Quick...
My friends at Dictionary.com tell me that a hiatus is a "break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc". They did not specify a specific amount of time in order for the break or interruption to be considered a hiatus, but I expected to take at least a month away from posting my reports here.
In addition to the handful of comments, handful of e-mails and handful of conversations requesting a speedy return, I think the slight nudging from my wife to keep things going has prompted me to take a brief hiatus from my brief hiatus. Honestly, she has had her camera at the ready pointing out various odd things that would be worth alerting eager readers to. It is hard to resist.
There were Christmas trees in August already on display at Hobby Lobby. Okay, I don’t find that so unusual considering, in a month of 100 degree days, who doesn’t need more shade?
There was a guy with pink hair in the HEB. Really, is that so odd these days?
I have often suspected that kids rebel this way when their parents make childhood a difficult thing. How is a kid supposed to swing on this? You'd paint your hair too.
And how is a kid supposed to play basketball on a moving court? I wanted so bad to follow this guy, just to see if he made it to wherever he was going.
In spite of not having plans to provide any reports on places we ate, the habit of photographing one’s vittles prior to consumption is a tough thing to break. These sammies came from Spoonz, the grill at HEB Plus. And they were quite tasty.
And let's be honest; when you are stopped at an intersection, don't you notice the crooked toes of people in other cars? My wife does. I just take the pictures.
And it wasn't just my wife; regular reader Lee (you know him as Anon E. Mouse) could not help but tempt me with field reports filed with his camera phone. A spiffy Micro Bus in the '50 is only made better when you know pizza won't be long.
And sure enough, I received reports of progress on the Pizza Hut as well!
So in a single word, my recent hiatus can best be described as:
And I'll post again when I can....
In addition to the handful of comments, handful of e-mails and handful of conversations requesting a speedy return, I think the slight nudging from my wife to keep things going has prompted me to take a brief hiatus from my brief hiatus. Honestly, she has had her camera at the ready pointing out various odd things that would be worth alerting eager readers to. It is hard to resist.
There were Christmas trees in August already on display at Hobby Lobby. Okay, I don’t find that so unusual considering, in a month of 100 degree days, who doesn’t need more shade?
There was a guy with pink hair in the HEB. Really, is that so odd these days?
I have often suspected that kids rebel this way when their parents make childhood a difficult thing. How is a kid supposed to swing on this? You'd paint your hair too.
And how is a kid supposed to play basketball on a moving court? I wanted so bad to follow this guy, just to see if he made it to wherever he was going.
In spite of not having plans to provide any reports on places we ate, the habit of photographing one’s vittles prior to consumption is a tough thing to break. These sammies came from Spoonz, the grill at HEB Plus. And they were quite tasty.
And let's be honest; when you are stopped at an intersection, don't you notice the crooked toes of people in other cars? My wife does. I just take the pictures.And it wasn't just my wife; regular reader Lee (you know him as Anon E. Mouse) could not help but tempt me with field reports filed with his camera phone. A spiffy Micro Bus in the '50 is only made better when you know pizza won't be long.
And sure enough, I received reports of progress on the Pizza Hut as well!So in a single word, my recent hiatus can best be described as:
And I'll post again when I can....