Old Business, Part II

Good Morning America** has been airing a series this month entitled "$100 a Day in May." You can see all of the video clips from that link. I have watched a few of them so far, and there have been some pretty good tips, but I don't know if any of these (even combined) are going to net anyone I know $3,100 ($100/day in May?).

As I view episodes that are worthy of comment, I will post on them....and I guess there is no better place to start than with the first installment. The idea is simple enough -- the government is holding your long lost and forgotten dough and all you need to do to claim it is step up and show your hand. I don't think that there's anything more simple than this kind of free money -- heck, it was already yours (at one time).

The story claims that (a) one in eight people have money held by their home State Treasury; and (b) the average claim amount that one is owed is over $900.

I have seen this type of story before on the news -- it seems like it is something that usually airs during sweeps month (hark, it's May!). They run the names of those with money to be claimed once a year in the local paper. It really does seem like the government and the media are doing their part to make you aware of this missing/found (guess it depends on how you look at it) money. Still, I have never bothered to check to see if I have any of this outstanding money. I guess I figured I was pretty on top of my finances and there would be no way that I could be missing money somewhere. There have been some times in my past when a "found" +/-$900 would have come quite in handy, and still I never checked.

Now, though, there is no reason for anyone not to check. All you need to do is consult with your home state's unclaimed property office, which is usually the State Treasurer. Still not sure if it is easy? How about a comprehensive web site that lays out each state's web site and physical address? Realistically, you are about four or five clicks away from finding out if you have any unclaimed property being held for you.

Why am I giving a hard sell on this? Well, guess who found some unclaimed property? It wasn't mine -- I already told you that I know my finances well enough to know that there are no outstanding pots of gold. My deceased father, however, has some unclaimed property in New York. I am not sure if I have access to all of the information I will need to claim it -- I know that I need a death certificate, which I do not have, and proof that he lived at the address attached to the claim, which I also do not have. I am pretty sure that I can get a copy of the death certificate from the State, but I don't know how I would prove that he lived at the address listed (which is the apartment in which we lived before we moved out to Long Island). I will admit -- I am pretty curious. I know that it could be 10 bucks -- but, I suppose it could be a few hundred, no?

I figure that the curiosity will kill me if I don't pursue this, so I may throw a few flares up and see what I can find. If there is anything worth posting, I will let you know. If it is a long lost lottery ticket, the name and focus of this blog will change drastically! My first new post will be titled "The Following People Can Kiss My Ruby Royal Red Keester..."

**Hat tip to Boston Gal's Open Wallet, an excellent daily read

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Old Business, Part I

If I were better at this blogging thing (or, if I haven't spent the 15 of the first 18 days of this month traveling), I would have already mentioned American Airlines' Aadvantage 25th Anniversary celebration. Way back when (1981 -- I think the Earth was still flat), American Airlines launched the first airline loyalty (frequent flier) program. Obviously, in the last 25 years, there has been an explosion of programs, such that loyalty clubs have expanded well beyond the bounds of airlines and into most people's every day lives. You can get a punch card for your sandwich or coffee purchases, points for car rentals and hotel stays, cash back (and other perks) from credit card purchases, and even earn points that you can redeem for free condoms.

But, I digress....

American Airlines is offering a new deal a day for the first 25 days of May. Some of these are pretty good, and many are still available through the end of the month. There are also a few sweepstakes for which you can register to win some Aadvantage miles or other prizes. You do need to get on this, though, as many/all of these deals expire at the end of the month.

Some highlights:

Save 25% on an award ticket flown over the summer.
25 Aadvantage miles per dollar spent on flowers through FTD.
2500 bonus Aadvantage miles for a stay at an Intercontinental Hotel (Holiday Inn, for instance).
Double miles on your next AA flight.
25,000 bonus Aadvantage miles for getting AA MasterCard (enough for a free domestic ticket).

There are more deals -- some may appeal to you more than these. There is a scroll at the bottom of the page that will take you to previous day's deals. Keep checking back for the next week or so for the rest of the deals to come, as well.

Think of me fondly when you are using your newly found mileage wealth for fun and happiness.

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Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Zorn's has been serving home-style meals on Long Island for more than 60 years now. I frequent the East Meadow (1939 Hempstead Turnpike) location whenever I am in town and staying up the road at the Long Island Marriott. This place is simple, yet delicious. I am fond of the fried chicken here, but have never had anything that I would not recommend.

Cafeteria-style is the order of the day. Step up to the counter and place your order. The counter attendants will prepare your plate. Everything is really packed "to go," but they ask if you will be dining in.



The accompanying sides are exceptional and varied. My personal favorites are the stuffing (back/middle) and the mac and cheese (front/right), but friends report that the creamed spinach is also quite good, as are the steamed vegetables.



Reminding people that fried chicken is healthy is important! I don't know if you are really trying to watch your waistline that you REALLY want to eat a lot of fried chicken, but it is nice to know that this stuff is not AS unhealthy as it could be!



This is a pretty standard meal for me -- fried chicken (quarter, white meat) with stuffing and mac and cheese. The chicken is very tasty -- crisp on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside.



While breast meat can dry out very quickly when improperly prepared, this chicken is nearly perfect.



Usually, the stuffing has more "bits" of meat in it than it did on my most recent visit. Hopefully, this was just a one shot deal and not a permanent change in recipe. The mac and cheese was slathered in a cheddary sauce that requires little else but a dash of salt and pepper to bring out the full flavor. My only other "minus" for Zorn's is that they have eliminated freshly brewed iced tea from their list of available fountain beverages. They do offer Snapple, which I am pretty sure is an absolute must if you serve any kind of food anywhere in New York. I don't drink soda, so the availability of tea is pretty high up on my list of must-haves. For take-away, this is not an issue, though, and even eating in-house, they do have bottled water and bottled teas and fruit beverages.

The Zorn's dining room has the feel of an 1800's country store. Wood is the predominant feel -- the tables and chairs, the counters, the floors, and even the roof structure all go along with the theme. The place bustles at lunch and dinnertime, even though Zorn's clearly specializes in take-away meals. There is also a small outdoor seating area, which is ideal for springtime.



Zorn's is one of my favorite places on Long Island, and a true local treasure. If you haven't been, you should add this place to your "musts" when on the Island. One odd note...while I have always found the staff very professional and polite, it seemed as though my picture taking may have made some of their employees uncomfortable. Is there a spate of fried chicken espionage going on around the East Meadow area? Seemed a little odd - even though I do realize that many people do not photograph their food before eating it!

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Site Layout Update

I have added the ability to keep up with updates automatically. On the right sidebar, you will find links to add this blog to your "My Yahoo" page, which is something that I use daily, as well as a few others. I have subscribed to feedburner, so there are likely a few more feeds that I can add if demand warrants. Really, though, the whole reason to do this is to have my own feed show up on "My Yahoo," which will hopefully guilt me into posting more frequently. When there are no new posts for three days, there is a "no new posts" message that comes up under the site. I don't want to see that, so I will try to post more frequently.

My plan is to add the restaurant reviews in a separate archive on the sidebar, as well. I am not sure if I will organize chronologically, geographically, or categorically. I may try a few different views until I come up with something that I like. If you have any ideas, please post a comment.

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"I am the Lord, Your God..."

Relax, I am not getting all Jesus on you. The quote above are the first words uttered by President Josiah Bartlet in the pilot episode of "The West Wing." I had almost forgotten what a wonderfully written and powerful show this USED TO BE. I know that very few television shows can keep up the quality writing and fresh style for too long, but the first year(s) of "The West Wing" were some brilliant television.

Last night, the show ended it's seven year run with a closing look at the Bartlets and the gang who made life in the White House, well, interesting. There is a new president taking office, and we won't have the opportunity to see the transition team, because NBC mercifully axed this dying quail before the ratings plummeted to zero. I guess the reason for quoting the First Commandment was the powerful delivery in which Martin Sheen made his entrance in the first episode. Seems the whacko fundamentalist Christians couldn't identify which was the First or the Third Commandment. Enter stage right, POTUS.

Sheen BECAME the President. Come to think of it, I am pretty sure that I would rather have him (and his wacky family) in the White House than the guy who occupies the REAL West Wing right now.

A few newspapers have taken the time to memorialize "The West Wing" with tributes this past week. The New York Daily News did a "Best/Worst" column; USA Today offers a less-than-stellar epilogue; and even Yahoo! offered a good-bye. Each makes a case for their favorite scenes or moments, but all leave out what I consider to be one of the most pointed moments in the Bartlet administration -- and the scene which made me a fan of the show. Bartlet enjoins a Dr. Laura-esque character in a debate about the Bible, as she claims that the Bible says that homosexuality is an abomination.

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? [silence in the room] While thinking about that can I ask another? My chief-of-staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police?

"Here's one that's really important, 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side-by-side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you.

"One last thing. While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the ignorant tight-ass club, in this building when the President stands, nobody sits."

This scene takes place on the heels of an assisination attempt, and some of the senior staffers are still not handling it all too well. In this case, Toby (played by Richard Schiff) wanted to step down from his post, but was talked out of doing so by Bartlet. As he walks out of the room, Bartlet simply turns to Toby and says "THAT'S how I do it," referring to keeping focus.

I am going to try to remember that sharp, biting dialogue as the memory of this show. It was a stark yin and yang moment -- seeing the first and last episodes in sequence.

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Stuff You Oughta Know About Boycotting Major League Baseball

Me? Not hardly. I made Opening Day this year in Houston (saw them "raise" the National League pennant -- see the photo, you'll know what I mean) and plan on visiting Shea Stadium later this week. I had a comment left on an old post that I knew warranted a reply, but knew that no one, including the guy who left the comment would ever see it.

I guess the real reason I'm commenting on this entry goes back to '89 and the time I spent 6 months working in Huntsville, AL. The Huntsville Stars were a AA affiliate of Oakland. I went to an early season game which had little attendance. We sat down in the first row of seats where during warm-ups you could actually hear the "sssssssssssss' sound as the balls rolled through the grass. You mention the pop as the ball hit the mitt, but I'll never forget the "sssssssssssss." At a game later in the season I managed to snag a foul ball on the fly along the third baseline. This game was pretty well attended as the reigning Ameican League MVP was doing a rehab assignment in Huntsville with his brother Ozzie. Jose Canseco didn't hit the ball I caught but I'll never forget it.

One of my favorite baseball moments ever involved Ozzie Canseco. I was dating a girl who not only tolerated my obsession with baseball, but actually supported it. She was a fan -- a Red Sox fan, but a fan nonetheless. We had a long distance relationship, but she was down visiting me during spring training. We went to a game when Ozzie Canseco was trying to make the Expos (I think that this was just following the strike season). My girlfriend was fascinated with Ozzie. He was standing on the dugout steps and she wanted him to turn around and pose for a picture. Ozzie, thinking that she was goofing, was having no part of it. Well, she wasn't goofing (well, she was eventually goofing, but it could have been avoided if he had just taken the darn picture) - she really thought he was cute.

Ozzie was steadfast in his refusal (if I were that good at ignoring her, we may still be dating??), and now she is getting a little ticked -- not to mention a little pickled courtesy of the ballpark beer. So, the gang in our section (who are also now trying to get Ozzie to turn around for the picture) becomes amused when she says "Come on, Ozzie...your brother would turn around!" Needless to say, Ozzie didn't turn around....and things got worse. I think by that point, Jose had around 300 major league home runs, and Ozzie had none. She felt the need to point that out. Now, the whole crowd is in on the act -- "Hey, Ozzie, does your wife look as good as Jose's?" Of course, the one that finally got the poor guy to turn around came from the girl I should have married -- "Hey, Ozzie, does Jose send you an allowance?" That got the picture...and one that is surely worthy of a nice frame.

The other point the commenter made was that he no longer attends major league baseball games, just minor leagues. It sounds as though he is still bitter from the 1994 strike that eliminated the World Series that year. I guess I can understand, but the notion of athletes being spoiled or taking their lives for granted doesn't surprise me - never did. While I am still a Mets fan, the reality is that I go to baseball games as more of a stadium "collector."

A few years ago, a buddy and I started an aggressive effort to get to every major league stadium. We are progressing nicely. I have been to 22 of the 30 active major league stadiums and a few that are no longer in use. This year's travels will give me the new St. Louis stadium, Cleveland and Toronto, and I will only be missing five (Colorado, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Washington, and Seattle). Toronto is the last major league ballpark that both my buddy and I are missing. After the summer, I will still be missing the five above, and he will only be missing Pittsburgh and Texas. We have enjoyed the journey much more than the baseball. I remember only a handful of the specifics of the games, but I can still see some of the details of the ballparks etched into my memory. If you haven't been to a major league game since 1994, you are missing out on some GREAT ballparks -- PNC in Pittsburgh, Miller Park in Milwaukee, Comerica Park in Detroit, Turner Field in Atlanta, PETCO in San Diego, and AT&T Park (was PacBell and SBC previously -- can't get these phone company mergers and takeovers straight) are all in my Top 10 Favorite Stadiums.

Of course, if you want to skip the pros, my single favorite sporting event that I have ever attended is the College Baseball World Series, held every June in Omaha, NE. Rosenblatt Stadium is a PHENOMENAL place to watch a baseball game. The flags flying in the outfield represent the eight schools that make the trip to Omaha. The stadium seats 20,000+ fans, but feels as intimate as a lower division minor league ballpark. The food is good, the ticket prices are very reasonable, and the whole city embraces the event like nothing else I have ever seen. Go to Omaha -- you won't regret it.

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A Night With the King of the Blues

I like live music. I usually don't even care who's playing. I like local cover (garage?) bands, and I like major concerts, too. Obviously, when it comes to the major stadium concerts, costs can get very prohibitive -- probably not in line with the mission of paying down debt. Every now and again, though, something comes along that you really just can't pass up -- and something that I just couldn't pass up came strolling into town this past Friday night.

Legendary bluesman, B.B. King, played the House of Blues in Orlando, and I was able to secure one of the sold-out tickets. This was a stark contrast to my trip to see Billy Joel at the nearly 40,000-seat Carrier Dome in Syracuse, as the HoB only "seats" 2,200. Of course, the tiny venue doesn't really have more than a couple of hundred physical seats -- so, this was 2-plus hours on my feet, plus the waiting time outside the venue. Still, the opportunity to see two RockRoll Hall of Famers in a little over a month -- for under a hundred bucks -- seems like a good way to spend some time.

Let me tell you this -- at 80 years young, B.B. King flat out rocks. I don't mean that he plays well "for an 80-year old." I mean he would put a lot of today's artists to shame. He still wails away on Lucille for darn near two full hours. He still belts out the tunes and his patented monologues with relative ease, from atop a chair set in the middle of the stage. He doesn't move around much -- doesn't milk the audience for encores -- when he's done, he's done. But, he wasn't done until nearly 11 pm, with an 8:30 start time, that sure seemed more like 9 pm. The bulk of his band has been touring with B.B. for some time -- his bandleader, "Bugaloo" Bolden, has been with him for almost a quarter-century. Needless to say, these guys know what they're doing, and they know how to make the "King" look good.

They focus on the songs folks want to hear -- "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother," "When Love Comes to Town" (which, by the way, King is quick to tell you is a song that he co-wrote with Bono, for the U2 project 'Rattle and Hum'), and, of course, "The Thrill is Gone." Still, one of my favoites from the evening was King (and the audience) singing and humming "You Are My Sunshine."

If this legend is coming to your town any time soon, GO! The tickets in Orlando were about $40 a throw. Opportunities to see someone who transcends musical legend won't continue forever, and I know that I am glad that someday, I will be able to tell my tale of seeing the great B.B. King. and

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Just How Much is None?

The other night, I had dinner with a close friend. One of our conversation topics was debt consolidation and finances (yes, this friend is close enough that we can talk about such things and still leave friends). We have previously discussed my desire to become debt-free, and the small steps that I am taking to make that happen. His life is different than mine -- wife, kids, big house, car payments, better paying job, etc. I don't really know who is "winning" or even if we are keeping score, but he is happy, as am I -- and we are living our lives very, very differently.

I mentioned in the course of conversation that I have applied some of the principles I have learned from a personal finance radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show. I like Dave Ramsey -- well, I started to like Dave Ramsey a little more once I figured out that I had to weed out all of the God-related stuff. I believe that the personal finance ideals are good enough without the aspect of formal religion that I am willing to overlook that aspect of the show. Most days, he does not shove religion down your throat -- other days, it seems like I am listening to Rev. Jerry Falwell. Anyway, Ramsey preaches that debt-free means no outstanding debt except for a personal mortgage (15-year, fixed rate). When I told my friend this, he looked dumbfounded. He asked what are you supposed to drive? When I answered "a car that you can afford," he looked a little dumbfounded again.

He told me that he is resolved to having a mortgage (30-year, fixed) and at least one car payment -- maybe two. He looked at me like I had six heads when I said that I would never have a car payment again. Mind you, I am fortunate. I "inherited" an almost new vehicle last year -- no payments, and very reliable. If I am not able to save for a new car when I am ready to purchase one by the time this one needs to be replaced, I am doing something very wrong. He admitted that this was a sound plan, but he was skeptical that I would have the means, the fortitude or the stamina to make this plan work. I don't know how it will work out -- but, in a few years, one of us is going to be right.

I still need to pay off my outstanding student loans and a couple of hundred dollars in 0% credit card debt. When that is done, all that will remain is a relatively small mortgage. Frankly, I don't know when all this debt will paid off, but I know that I am on the right track.

On the other hand, I worry about my buddy. I tried to share what I am doing without preaching or telling him what to do. I know that not everyone makes the same decisions, but I have tried to outline for him all the questions he should ask before moving forward. Here is a guy who makes significantly more money than I do, and owes even more -- without the student loans. He borrowed money from his 401k plan to finance the closing costs on his recent home purchase. He told me at the time that he planned to repay the 401k loan with the proceeds from the sale of his previous home. To date, the old home has been sold, but the 401k loan is still outstanding. He argues that he is paying himself the interest on the loan balance -- and could pay off the remaining balance if he needed to change jobs or the loan was called due for some other reason. He cleared a substantial profit on his old home, and told me that he was planning on paying down his new mortgage with the proceeds from the sale. That never happened. He still has this money - and I think he is waiting for some Ralph Kramden-like scheme to parlay that money into something bigger -- but, the outstanding debt that he needs to deal with would just scare me to death.

We ended our conversation with him telling me about his plan to purchase a recreational boat. I know that it makes more sense to me to want to pay off the outstanding 401k loan, pay down the mortgage, save for the kids college education, pay off one of the cars, etc. than to buy a boat, but I hate to think of myself as judging someone else. Just doesn't seem like the way I would handle the situation myself. But, he does believe that because he doesn't have any credit card debt, that he is debt-free.

I know that there is a reason that I am single. Finding someone else who could think like I do about relationships is one thing - but, realizing that many people my age are still in full on accumulation mode and have different financial goals than I do, makes the thought of finding "that perfect someone" even more remote.

So, the question remains, how much money do you figure one can owe, and still consider themselves debt-free?

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Stuff You Oughta Know...About Stuff That Fascinates Me

Inspired by a post by Madame X, I have always been curious how some people found their way here. There are a handful of people who know me in real life who know that I write here. That number will likely grow soon. There are people who follow links that I post on some "foodie" web sites. But, the real curiosities are the people who find me through a search engine.

So, what things to those in cyberspace want to know that I know? The following is a list, chronologically, of the last people to arrive via a search engine:

free pass to universal studios (these exact words were used twice)
how to get RJ Gators VIG card
understanding fafsa efc computed
hertz five star status
what i wish i knew in high school
fafsa strategy parents
round rock donut calories
how many calories in krispy kremes blueberry cake donut
monument cafe chocolate cake
round rock donuts ingredients
free meal on birthday miami fl restaurants
travel whore
universal studios, "free pass" mail
jewish ramiken
continental elite seating
"Continental Confirmation Number
olin mit admit
living wage uva
travel with kids
Ed Glaze “Gary Larson”
round rock donuts nutritional info
early withdrawl retirement penalty ca pers
doughnut cake tower

The only one that I can't quite figure out on my own in "jewish ramiken", but google clearly knows more than I do.

A few things are plainly evident -- other people are just as baffled as I was when they received a free admission ticket to Universal Studios; people are always on the lookout for a free meal; and I am, in fact, a "travel whore" (easily my favorite of all the search terms that brought folks to my blog).

I wonder about the people searching for the nutritional value of donuts. Donuts have no nutritional value -- THEY'RE DONUTS. For that matter, if you are concerned about the nutritional aspects of donuts, the simplest answer is to not eat them. I don't think we need a Surgeon General's warning here to know that donuts are not health food. How many calories are there in a donut? A LOT! That said, Round Rock donuts are some tasty little morsels, and I don't care about their lack of nutritional value.

I am also more than just a little curious about the those folks who are searching for FAFSA information and filing strategies at this time of year. Please let all of these people be parents of high school juniors. I guess that is way too much to ask. If you are the parent of a senior, FAFSA filing strategies are not likely to help you now -- unless you are being a little proactive and starting on next year. It blows my mind how little information is passed along from most high school guidance offices to parents. I realize that due to my job, I should know more than the average person about this, but it is staggering to think of how much misinformation is out there.

I hope that the folks who searched found what they were looking for....well, except for the guy who was looking for a travel whore.

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Wings...wings...and more wings...

On my recent trip through upstate New York, I had the pleasure of four days in the Buffalo area on my itinerary. For a foodie like myself, Buffalo presents a few good local options -- tasty red hots, roast beef on weck, and, of course, the area's namesake, Buffalo chicken wings.

In a case of fortuitous luck, my hotel was right up the road from one of the legendary Buffalo wing places, Duff's. I have eaten a few chicken wings in my time, and Duff's are the best that I've ever had. Duff's is a little dive bar in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst. The dining area is small and the servers seem like a bizarro version of the cutesy, bubbly, teenage Outback-style waitress -- it seems like that's what they are shooting for, but the long winters must make these poor girls just a little crustier, because they are neither engaging or particularly efficient. Complicating matters is that this place can very busy on popular dining out nights. Friends have told me that they have waited for upwatds of an hour for a table -- and signs warn folks that they will only seat complete parties and will not split checks. Personally, it seems like a lot of rules just to get chicken wings, but these are some dandy wings.

I went on my first night in town. As a matter of fact, I drove straight from the airport to Duff's (in my own defense, it had been a long day of travel) to get take-out wings. I arrived around 8:20 pm and it took about twenty minutes for a 20-piece order of wings and a small order of fries.

Read more about my wing adventure below the fold...
The first thing that I should remember for next time is not to order 20 wings when you don't have a refrigerator in the hotel room! The wings at Duff's are sizeable, meaty wings with a crunchy exterior and a tender inside. The sauces available are hotter than most. They claim that their medium is hotter than most places hot wings; their medium hot are extremely hot; and their hot are not for the faint of heart. There is a local place that serves wings on a scale of 1-9, but anything higher than a 3 and you are taking a big risk if you are not used to their flavors.

I ordered the mediums, and they had some serious kick. I don't know if eating in my hotel room was the ideal way to enjoy these fabulous wings, but, it still worked. Maybe eating them in the hotel is just further evidence of their quality -- I don't know how many other wings I would have been able to fully enjoy. Notice from the picture the foil-lined bag in which the fries are packed for take-out orders. Fries do not travel well -- for even a short distance. But, with this packaging, they held up better than most. Of course, no human could possibly eat as many as Duff's packed for their SMALL order! Yes, the entire styrofoam lid was filled with that heaping order of french fries.

I have co-workers who now refer to my food picture taking fascination as "food porn." So, without further ado, today's food porn picture, which is currently the wallpaper backdrop on my laptop...



While in Buffalo, I also had the opportunity to go to the Anchor Bar, the home of the original Buffalo wing. I don't need to reiterate the old story here, but if you are interested in how Buffalo wings came into being a little more than 40 years ago, here's the scoop.

There is something to be said for visiting the original, but these are no longer the only game in town, nor are they the best. Don't get me wrong -- Anchor Bar makes a tasty wing, better than most can find outside of Buffalo, but in this wing-loving town, the locals seem to have found better places to spend their wing money. On the night that I went (in a somewhat large group), the wings seemed to be overcooked, and the flavor in the sauce was somewhat lacking. Anchor Bar doesn't claim to make the hottest wings, nor do they think that heat alone makes a good wing -- a claim which I happen to agree with, but these wings could use a little boost of flavor.

The beer at Anchor Bar was cold, and the building, itself, should be a must see for anyone on their first trip to Buffalo. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures to commemorate the event, so I may be back, as well!

If I could get past the weather in Buffalo for about nine months out of the year, I think it could be a town for me. Buffalo is an egalitarian, bar-food kind of a town. I am looking forward to my next visit -- part of my summer baseball trip itinerary. After the trip to Dunn Tire Park, I am sure I will be on the lookout for a few more places to eat in this excellent food city.

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The Search for Great BBQ Continues...

Proving once again that I need to stay more current on postings, it has now been over a month since I made my visit to Taylor, TX to lunch at Louis Mueller's BBQ. This is going to be a tough post because not only has a month passed, but I have since visited Luling City Market in Houston, TX and Dinosaur BBQ in both Rochester and Syracuse, NY. You'll also recall that I had just visited Kreuz Market just a few days prior, too, so I hope I don't confuse my BBQ tastebuds.

I started my trek north from Round Rock to Dallas with a detour about 15 miles east to Taylor. I felt like a complete mo-mo when I realized that I had driven past Louie Mueller's BBQ not once, but twice! You wouldn't think that a town as big as Taylor would be able to accommodate fine driving like that -- but, I even exceeded my own expectations this time.



Louie Mueller's is destination BBQ -- that which is worth driving X miles off the main highway to enjoy. Folks have been doing just that for quite some time, as Mueller's is legendary Texas 'Q.

The procedure at Mueller's is pretty much the same as the other Texas BBQ joints. Walk up to the counter, grab a tray, and tell the guy with the knife what you want to eat. I ordered a small portion of the beef brisket and a couple of ribs. The cutter hacked me off a sample piece of the crust (some folks call them 'burnt ends') to tide me over until I made it to the table. This reminded me of my favorite NY delicatessen, Katz's, where the cutter always offers up a sample taste. Here, a 1/4 pound of brisket, two ribs, a couple of slices of Mrs. Baird's white bread and a spackle-bucket sized iced tea run right around $9...considering the taste and the atmosphere, a true Texas-sized bargain.



The beef had a great exterior crust -- smoky, with a salt and pepper rub -- all the while maintaining a flavorful, pink interior with just enough fat to keep it flavorful and moist. The ribs were good -- thick and meaty, with a little bit of a spicy pepper kick. The styrofoam ramiken of sauce in the background is a thin, tomato-vinegar sauce, with just enough zest to add the right flavor to the meat. The sauce is light enough to add, without overpowering the intended taste of the meat. I am sure that it was not better than Kreuz, but it was definitely the second best 'Q I had in the last month -- and that actually says something.



One area where Mueller's excels is in decor. The aged wooden tables are adorned with an anique Listerine bottle filled with more of the delicious sauce, some hot sauce to kick up their own flavorings, salt, pepper, and an old Dr Pepper bottle filled with toothpicks. Trust me, you will use the toothpicks, especially if you order the ribs! The tables, themselves, are worthy of mention. Well, not the tables, but the collection of mismatched chairs. I LOVE places like this -- some folding chairs (my grandmother used to call them bridge chairs), some painted, some lacquered, some stained...all a true piece of Americana.

Adding to the scene is this cork board that sits on the wall to the right of the counter. The collection of business cards that are contained therein are a history unto themselves. Some of them looked so aged that they may have been left there when they were fresh off the first printing press. I left a Travelin' Man business card somewhere on there --so, if you make your way to Louie Mueller's, see if you can find me!

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Stuff You Oughta Know...Before Starting a Sit-In

Originally, I meant to post more of a humorous take about students protesting at the University of Virginia. Last week, their wireless internet access was turned off, and outsiders were not allowed to bring food to the protesters. I admit it....I thought it was funny. How else would you expect to get today's students to fall into line? Take away their ability to play "Doom" online, of course.

Instead, I read today, that the 17 students involved in the sit-in were arrested for trespassing. Arrests are a lot less funny than missing internet access.

I remember a friend telling me about similar protests last year at another school. Her school is a private, Top 20 USN&WR school, where tuition and fees run over $40k per year. She thought it was ironic that the same students that were protesting the living wage (they were also protesting some employees lack of access to additional university benefits, like tuition reimbursement) would be the same ones protesting if the school had to raise tuition and fees to cover the costs of the additional wages and benefits. She also saw some degree of folly in students driving to the protest in their Eurpoean sports cars, funded by Daddy.

My gut says that the same thing is true at UVA. I am all for people standing up for what they believe, but all too often, those protesting know less about the issue at hand than anyone. They spend so much time spewing rhetoric that they forget that there are two sides to every issue, and consequences for their actions.

When I was a senior in high school, almost every student walked out and marched on the district's administration building. Our teachers picketed nearly every morning for about a month long period in the spring, fighting for higher wages. Who could possibly be against teachers making more money? More than that, what students wouldn't find any excuse to get out of class and take a nice leisurely walk through town in warming spring weather (wasn't like it was pouring rain the day we all did this!)? The reality was that we were pawns in the disagreement between our teachers and their employers. Did they deserve fair wages and benefits? Sure, but who was I to know what a fair wage was? Where would this additional money to pay for these added benefits come from? I didn't know -- I just knew that the girl who sat next to me in my Government class was kind of hot, and heck, if protesting meant spending the day with her and her hot friends, then I was all for it. Who says I can't take a stand on an issue?

I don't know any of the students that were arrested, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that I had a much more significant relationship with my teachers than any of these people have with the "underpaid" workers for whom they are fighting. I still recognize the folly of that protest years later.

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Mail That Makes You Smile

I remember when I was a kid racing out to the mailbox to get the mail. Excluding the week or so preceding my birthday, the odds of me finding anything in that mailbox for me was pretty remote, but I still chased after the mail more than the average barking dog. A I've gotten older, I get more mail -- but, the only difference is that now I usually don't want it! I figure that most adults now feel roughly the same way I do about mail - bills, bills, and more bills. Occasionally, the bills are interrupted by a pre-qualified credit card offer, an offer to consolidate my student loans, and a carpet steamer advertisement.

This week, though, the mail was pretty good -- and it isn't even my birthday!

I received a free park-hoppper ticket to Universal Studios -- no obligation, otherwise. I have seen the "free offers" that require a time-share presentation. Yuck. No -- this was an actual, bona fide, free ticket to Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure. Attached to the free ticket was another coupon offering an additional six tickets (who is really going to Universal by themself?) for only $35, which is a sizeable discount.

I can't think of the last time that I paid to go to one of the central Florida theme parks. It seems like if you live here for any length of time, you just know someone who knows someone who has a friend that always has free tickets. Plus, I am not a theme park junkie. I could do without standing in outrageous lines for hours to spend less than five minutes on rides. Factor in the overpriced food, screaming kids, and European tourists (tour-ons, for you locals) and it just doesn't seem like a way I would want to spend my day.

I have a friend who works part-time at Disney. She gets access to the annual Christmas deal for employees (almost enough of a reason to work at Disney!). She gets a ticket (park hopper) for herself and up to three or four friends, free popcorn and drinks in the park, a 30% discount on souvenirs, and a 50% discount in the restaurants. We usually go on one of to see the holiday candlelight processional, where "famous" (B-list celebrities, usually) people perform a holiday reading and high school choruses sing holiday tunes. While I am not a huge Christmas fan (could be my Jewish upbringing?), Disney really does the holidays right. And, for free, the price really can't be beat, either.

So, I will likely use my free pass to Universal, and if I have friends visiting from out of town at some point, I may even use the $35 discount coupons, too.

If you want to read more about my good mail this week, check below the fold...


People that know me, know that I am a travel whore. I love to travel and I love even more the perks I get through airline miles and hotel points. This week, the travel mailbox overflowed, as well.

Apparently, there is a class-action lawsuit against Starood hotels. Apparently, I am a member of the affected group. Apparently, I have no recollection of how I became a member of the effected group. I received two $14 discount coupons off of a future paid stay at the listed Starwood resort properties. Of the listed properties, which I assume are the ones that were mentioned in the lawsuit, I have only stayed at the Westin Diplomat and the Westin Savannah Harbor. The Diplomat waived the resort fees for me, but I may have paid them in Savannah. Even stilll, the Savannah stay was only one night -- and it was a cash and points night, so I didn't really gripe about the resort fee. You can only use the coupons at the listed resorts, and the odds of me paying to stay at one of these places is pretty remote, but it is a nice gesture. I also received a similar coupon for $3 for a concurrent lawsuit fighting other unfair automatically billed, but undisclosed fees. Of the hotels listed, I can only assume that my infraction occurred at the former Four Points by Sheraton in Rochester, NY. I remember them billing me for a hotel safe that I never used. The charge was removed from my bill at the time, which amounted to a minor inconvenience at check-out time. Of course, that hotel now operates under another brand, so I won't be using my $3 discount there. Of the other hotels listed, there is one at which I stay periodically for business, so if I get the chance to use it, I will. If not, the circular file will see some new contents.

I also received my Hilton Hhonors credentials for the year. I (somehow) managed to earn Silver VIP elite status with them for the coming year. I think my last paid stay at a Hilton property was at the Milwaukee Hilton for the 2004 NACAC Conference. I had one award stay last year. So, somehow, Hilton felt that was worthy of their silver elite status. The letter that accompanied my new card also offered me the opportunity for a fast track to Gold VIP status. If I stay four times or ten nights in two months starting May 1, they will bump me up to gold status until next April. Mmmm....whatever. I am Platinum Elite with Marriott and Starwood, and prefer those programs to Hilton's. Still, I may manage four one-night stays during May at the Hampton Inn Commack, if it fits into my travel schedule. I did always like THAT hotel.

My Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star credentials for this year also came this week. Enclosed was a certificate for a free one-day rental! Joining Hertz #1 Club Gold is definitely one of the best things I have done to make my travel life easier. The perks of Five Star are just a bonus. I usually get a one-class upgrade, but sometimes the upgrades are less than desirable -- right now, I don't really want a giant, gas-guzzling SUV. But, being able to arrive at the airport, take the rental car shuttle to Hertz and walk straight to my car and drive away is a huge, HUGE time saver. My last non-Hertz rental was when I took vacation last year to southern California. My buddy took care of the rental car, and we waited no less than two hours in line for a car at Thrifty. The long queue was just a volume issue -- there was no shortage of cars. They just couldn't move people through quickly enough.

Lastly, my quarterly statement arrived from my Fidelity 403b retirement plan. I will take a gain of 5.7% for the first quarter -- and hope that things continue on that upward trend. I suppose tracking money that I CANNOT use for almost another three decades might be a little obsessive, but I like to know that I am making progress towards a reasonable retirement.

Something tells me that my mail luck may not continue into this week, as I am expecting a few bills to arrive, but I can always hope, right?

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Picture of the Day!

Picture sent from fellow Roadfooder, the Mayor...



I have never been to Nashville, TN, but I am confident that on my first trip through town, I am going to Judge Beans BBQ. I don't care if the food is no good, but apparently these folks really know how to party. I guess some people are going to be jogging, too, but I hope that is optional.

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Once every hundred years

Early Wednesday morning, something will occur that only happens once every hundred years, so the likelihood is, this will be the only time that we see this in our lifetimes.

At two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 am, on Wednesday morning, the clock will officially read:

01:02:03 04/05/06

I just thought that you should know.

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Life Without Huey, Riley, and Granddad

I don't know how this bit of information escaped me when the news came out early this month, but I don't know how I will make it six months without new strips of Boondocks. Aaron McGruder is taking a sabbatical, and as big a fan I am of the comic strip, I hadn't heard that this was coming. How DID I discover this news? Well, this is how:


While many newspapers have decided to carry alternate strips in McGruder's absence, it appears as though, at least to start, the strip will be printing from the beginning, starting yesterday. For those of you, like myself, that started reading Boondocks after it became popular, this is a good time to check out some of the older work. Since the nature of the strip is poking fun at current events, some of the older material may seem a bit dated. So far, though, the first two strips are just setting things up.

Other artists have taken sabbaticals at the height of their strips popularity, too. I recall Garry Trudeau, Gary Larson, and Bill Watterson all taking a break from Doonesbury, The Far Side, and Calvin and Hobbes, respectively. Larson and Watterson eventually ended their strips. Come to think of it, I can hardly believe that it has been more than 10 years since Watterson ended the original strip. Anyone remember the final panel? Let's go exploring:



I get my comics reading through my 'My Yahoo' page. I have Boondocks, Fox Trot and Non Sequiter. If I didn't read these, I would never see the comics anymore. If you use this feature, you can set your own preferences to get any number of strips if you want. A good diversion for a part of the day. I have 'My Yahoo' set to give me news headlines, information about my beloved Mets, and other cool stuff like headlines from The Onion, too.

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The Best Ninety Cents I Ever Spent

OK....I have left you in suspense long enough! I know that you have been on pins and needles to know just what could the Travelin' Man have spent 90 cents on that would warrant a blog entry. Well, maybe not pins and needles, but one person emailed me to find out when this long-awaited entry would come. So, without further ado, here's to you, Mr. When Are You Going to Update Your Blog Guy....

The aforementioned "Bushie" pointed out one of the local places that folks need to know about in our journey around Round Rock. Round Rock Donuts simply make some of the finest donuts around. I don't know if I could ever tell anyone how to get there again, but if you head towards downtown Round Rock, and look for the water tower pictured to the left.

Just beneath that water tower, you will find the place that many of the locals swear by. However, in an ironic twist, a family from Georgetown, TX visited campus on the one day that I was in town last week and when I raved about Round Rock Donuts, I was told that "Mom" prefers Krispy Kreme. The only logical conclusion is that "Mom" is completely off her gourd. On a side note, I think that in instances like that, I should be able to factor poor food choices into my admission decisions. If a mother is going to choose to eat Krispy Kreme over these incredible doughy creatures, I really should be able to call into question the family's ability to make a good college decision, no? Can you see this conversation develop....

Travelin' Man: "So, you got into town last night? Where did you end up grabbing dinner?"
Mom of Prospective Student: "Well, we like Italian food, so we ate at the Olive Garden."
TM: "Hmmm....I don't think this is the RIGHT university for your son. Have you looked at the school that advertises on TV late at night? You know, the one with Sally Struthers hawking degrees in court reporting and cosmetology? They might be right up your alley."

OK...I'm back from fantasyland now. Back to the donuts...


The building did not appear to have any indoor seating, but it looks like some folks like to sit on the outside patio-style furniture and devour these tasty treats. It is not visible in this picture, but under the white awning on the left side of the building is also a drive-thru convenience line.

More below the fold...

This being my first visit, I opted to go inside and check things out. I was a little late for the morning rush, but there were still quite a few customers inside. My guess is that their little parking lot can get quite full at times. They do make more than just donuts, but donuts were my mission for the day. I perused the display case and decided that I wanted a chocolate glazed Round Rock donut -- which looked like a chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme (just giving you style, not substance), but with a definite yellow-ish tint. I was told that the coloring has to do with the ingredients used - I have heard that it is buttermilk that causes the color and someone else told me that it could be real eggs. I don't know, but they sure looked good. They didn't have the original Round Rock donut in the case, and I wanted a second donut, so I asked the lovely woman helping what one other donut one should try on one's first visit. She recommended either the plain cake donut or the blueberry cake donut. I am not a huge fan of blueberry -- and also like to taste things as naturally as I can when trying for the first time -- some places like to hide behind glazes or sauces, I prefer without initially -- so, I ordered the plain cake donut.

The woman went to the back -- I just assumed that they would pull my order from the case in front of me, but apparently not. She returned with my order prepared in a bag and asked for ninety cents as payment. These are sizeable donuts, mind you -- and just FORTY-FIVE CENTS each. As she returned my change from the dollar bill I offered, she leaned over the counter and told me that she prepared a special bag for me -- since it was my first visit! She also warned me to grab a good supply of napkins, and recalling a story that Bushie told me about another fellow he introduced to these donuts, I heeded the advice.

I made it as far as my car before I had to rip open the bag. I found FOUR donuts inside. In addition to the donuts I ordered, I also found an original Round Rock donut -- piping hot, straight from the oven -- and an additional cake donut, which I can only assume was the blueberry variety that was recommended.



Well, while finding four donuts was a fortunate surprise, it also forced me to alter my eating plans, as I was also heading off to Taylor to go to Louie Mueller's BBQ -- one donut was going to be my limit, regardless of the quartet of beauties staring me down currently. I decided to go with the original -- and I was not at all disappointed. The bag was almost leaking through with the warm glaze, and it wasn't before long that my fingers were covered with a sticky, sugary mess. I can only tell you that I was ready to lick clean my camera after taking this photo:

I am glad that I started with the glazed donut, because I am sure that the fresh-from-the-oven aspect added to the overall quality. It was the best donut in the bag -- and maybe, the best donut that I have ever eaten. The chocolate covered was also delicious, and I tried to envision the same freshly baked experience. Two thumbs up. The cake donuts were good, too, in a very different way. If you are not a fan of super-sweet, this is the way to go. I am not 100% sure that blueberry was the flavored cake donut, because it did not have much of a fruity flavor, and it was actually colored pink. The server may have included a different variety, but I am just not sure. This was my least favorite of the group, but that is more from speaking highly of the other three than knocking this one.

I stuck to my plan of initially eating one donut. Following my meal at Louie Mueller's, I drove straight through to Dallas -- about 3-plus hours. The chocolate glazed and the plain cake were consumed on the highway. The (insert flavor here) cake donut was the late-night, post-work snack in the hotel room. Way too many calories for one day, but so worth it.

Upcoming posts will include my trip for BBQ, the NCAA Tournament, the recent SAT exam flap, and my subsequent travels to upstate New York. Stay tuned....


Edit: Round Rock Donuts was featured in the Dining Out: Best of 2006 post.

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Lunch with a Rogue Roodfooder

My name is not Al Gore, and I did not invent the Internet. I have, however, had web and email access for as long as I can remember, and have participated in many of the advancements to our society brought forth by such technology. I used email when it was *gasp* text-only! For that matter, I used espn.com when it was text-only. I have bought and sold stuff on eBay. I have instant messenger accounts with four major food groups. And, of course, I have used online dating services (mostly with less-than-pleasant results). But, except for a few people that I met from online dating, I haven't really "met" too many of the people I know from online life in person.



Tuesday, I had the fortunate opportunity to dine with someone I had only known previously from interactions in an online chat forum at roadfood.com. "Bushie" met me for lunch and a short tour around his home town area in northern Round Rock and Georgetown, Texas. Bushie suggested the Monument Cafe in Georgetown, which has been recommended by the Sterns.



I don't know if my picture taking is getting any better, but I do like the looks of the sky above the Monument!

If you want to see the food, continue below...
Service in this diner-esque place is quick and attentive. We were seated almost immediately, even though the place was doing a brisque lunch business at around 11:30 am. I got the impression that the place is probably frequented by many local regulars, but you are immediately given the impression that there are no strangers here for long.

Monument serves their full dinner menu after 11 am and has lunch specials daily. Bushie ordered the smothered steak, which was accompanied by Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and asparagus. I was more in the mood for a burger, and found a 6 oz. Kobe beef bacon cheeseburger. One of the options for burger sides was "half and half" -- half an order of fries and half an order of onion rings. As I had previously been advised that the onion rings were notable, I opted for the combo sides.



You will also see a fresh glass of iced tea on the table. One of my favorite things about the Monument is that the server is ever-present with tea refills -- long before your glass reaches empty. They don't just walk around with a pitcher and top-off, they offer a fresh glass, with garnish, without asking, from the time we ordered until well after the bill was paid.

Both of us agreed that the meals were good -- not overwhelmingly spectular, but surely passable. Looming over our heads was the dessert menu, however, and here is where the Monument excelled.



In the foreground is the Monument Cafe's famous chocolate pie. Hey, if Michael Stern says so, then who am I to argue? I am, however, jealous that he takes a much better picture than I do! On the back/right is a slice of hummingbird cake. I admit to never having heard of this specialty, but was told that it included pineapple, cinammon, mashed bananas, and pecans in a cake covered with a cream cheese frosting. I don't know if it is clear from the pictures, but the chocolate pie also includes a thick pecan crust, which makes for a fabulous flavor combination.

After the meal, Bushie showed me around some of the residential areas of Georgetown. I am a closet fan of older architecture -- especially churches and the like. We passed by Southwestern University, which also offers some splendid architectural views.

All in all, an excellent meal with great company. Bushie is only the second person I have ever met from roadfood.com, but both experiences were surely ones that would make me want to meet more folks who share the same love for food not offered by corporate purveyors. I look forward to my next such encounter.

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STYOK About BBQ Mecca

That's right, folks. Lockhart, TX...with a population of just over 11,000 is Mecca for BBQ fans. I am pretty confident that all 11,615 residents can smoke some beef brisket better than you and me. Fortunately for me, Lockhart is just a short half-hour drive from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport -- and double fortune for me, my flight got in this afternoon around 12:30 pm. By the time I gathered my bags and found my rental car, I was ready to chow down. Face it, after two flights connecting me from Orlando to Austin with only one small Biscoff cookie package, I was ready to put away some 'Q.

I have made the trip down TX-183 a couple of times now. Each time, I try to convince myself that I am going to get off of the main road and check out either Black's or Smitty's and each time I end up pulling into the vast parking lot that precedes Kreuz's Market (pronounced as though it rhymes with 'fights').



The building is massive. The place was busy, but not at all full when I arrived (past the lunch rush), and nearly empty when I left. I suppose I should have asked some more history of this building, but I wasn't into being too chatty. I think that there was a plaque on the outside of the building that says something about a refurbishing in or around 1999. It may have been built (or refurb'ed) in 1999, but it has an old feel. Decorations include an odd assortment of old cash registers and scales, that give the impression that a nearby antique store exploded and the shrapnel landed at Kreuz's.



The menu -- "spartan" can only describe the selections. They keep things simple here, and simple works. I thought that the last time I was here, the lean beef (shoulder) was more expensive than the brisket (fatty), but now they are the same price.



Continue on down below the fold....

I wanted to sample a number of items this time around. The last time I was here, I didn't have a camera -- and, as you can tell from the photos, I am still learning to use this one! I ordered a small portion of lean shoulder beef, "fatty" brisket beef, and three pork spare ribs. This was more food than I could eat, but still ran only about $12.


If you need a scorecard, those are the pork ribs at the top, the shoulder clockwise to the right, and the brisket on the left. Plain white bread accompanies this fine meal -- and nothing else, except an iced tea (absent on photo day!).

My favorite was the shoulder. It had just enough fat to keep it moist, and some intense smoke flavor, especially on the blackened "bark" that you can see on the edges. I tried to get a close up picture, but it came out way too blurry to use. I scarfed down the shoulder meat without stopping to breathe much. I thought that the brisket was too fatty for my liking. I know that you tend to get less flavor without the fat, but this was so fatty, there didn't appear to be much meat. It was really the only disappointment, and since I had over-ordered, I didn't much care that it wasn't too good. The ribs had a brilliant peppery flavoring. Again, I tried the close-up photo to show the peppered crust from the rub:


I found the ribs quite good, even though some of the folks there told me that I would do better ordering the ribs at some of the other barbecue joints in town, and just outside of town.

One of the surprises to the day was the friendliness of the staff. They were more than helpful when I asked to take a few photos, accommodating me in any way they could. Where would I get the idea that the staff wouldn't be friendly?


Again with the blurry....GRRRR. I will get better, I promise. Anyway, the sign is still readable, and surely gives you the gist. I like that they don't serve sauce -- I like the flavor of the meat, and I am not generally a condiment guy anyway. The fork rule is just funny -- and, it is true, I didn't see a fork in the place. I also knew to come with cash from my list visit there. There is also a sign (you can see it -- blurry again -- in the photo above with the antique cash registers) that prohibits outside drink from being brought in. It just seemed like a lot of rules (even joking or half-joking ones) for a place with such all-around friendly folks.

My favorite sign in the place, though, was this one:

I tried getting this shot at various angles, and this was the best I could do. It says "Vegetarians enter here....Normal people down the hall." Behind that door is a vast, brightly lit dining room where the bulk of the patrons were sitting when I arrived. I tend to prefer to eat in this room, which is a bit darker, but has much more of a homey feel to it:



The chairs in this room are all emblazoned with the Kreuz logo:


Before I left, I asked the pitmasters in the back if they would allow me a quick picture. This one shows the wood fire burning and the sausage sitting on the far end of the smoker. They only opened it for my photo, and just to show the indirect method for smoking their product.



All in all, Kreuz Market gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from me. I will still try to hit one of the other 'Q joints the next time I get down this way, but I make no promises. It seems as though the car just knows to pull into the Kreuz parking lot without much steering from me.

I am sure that they have an address, but I have no idea what it is. Just drive south on 183 from Austin and it will be on your right. If you miss it, you're just not paying attention.

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What ever happened to customer service?

I don't rant that much.

OK...I rant a lot. But, only when it is justified. Usually, the justification that I need comes in the form of dealing with morons (which, around the office, are affectionately called "mo-mo's").

One such mo-mo was encountered this week while trying to contact Continental Airlines (CO) customer service department. I think that I know a little bit about the ins and outs of traveling, but every now and again, I need some clarification on the airlines' bizarre rules and procedures. This is especially true when I change my "loyalty" (think of a stiff breeze) from one airline to another. I tend to know the rules that I need to know - and those tend to be the ones that I utilize most frequently.

I had the recent opportunity to obtain Gold Elite status with Northwest Airlines (NW). Without getting into a lot of minutiae over airline alliances, status, upgrades and the like, just know that I needed to know how my status would help me get an upgrade or elite seating assignments with CO. I should point out that I knew that my status WOULD get these benefits, I just wasn't sure how.

I thought this email to CO's customer service department would help elucidate things for me, just a little:

I purchased, this evening, a ticket from MCO-IAH on 3/30/06 and returning on 4/4/06. The Continental Confirmation Number is XXXXXX.

I am a (newly minted) Gold Elite member of NW WorldPerks (#100000000). I was informed by Northwest WorldPerks' customer service line that I would be eligible to upgrade to First Class, based on availability, and that I would be able to secure elite seating on Continental Airlines flights. I entered my WP number into the reservation, but I was not allowed to select elite seating on the seating chart.

So, my questions are, (a) Am I allowed access to elite seating on CO flights; and if so, how do I secure my choice of seat; and (b) does CO recognize my status level automatically and queue my upgrade request.

Lastly, can you also tell me in what order priority is determined for awarding elite upgrades? I understand that Platinum elites would get access ahead of Gold elites, but do all CO OnePass elites get access ahead of all WorldPerks elites (i.e. CO Plat, CO Gold, CO, Silv, NW Plat, NW Gold, NW Silv) or is it based on status within the respective programs (i.e. CO Plat, NW Plat, CO Gold, NW Gold, CO Silv, NW Silv)?

Thanks for all of your help. I look forward to flying with Continental soon.

Best regards,
The Traveling Man

Pretty clear what I am asking, right? I think so. I think that someone who works in the customer service department of an airline's frequent flier program would think so. Well......not so much.

Thank you for contacting the OnePass Service Center.

OnePass offers a promotion that matches the elite status of some other airline frequent flyer programs with an equivalent level in the OnePass Elite program. The airline you are inquiring about is not eligible to participate in the match program.

Ange Smith
OnePass Service Center

WHAT? Where on earth did ol' Ange think that I was asking about a status match to CO?

I am not so naive to think that canned email responses are not used -- and, actually, are probably appropriate in many situations. I use them myself because I often get asked the same questions over and over again in my job. However, I don't think that this person even read my email. I guess that they might have skimmed it, or simply sent it through an email filter that looks for keywords and this is the response that was shot out.

Technology should be used to ENHANCE your customer service, not replace it. The only impression that I got after dealing with CO here was that there customer service department is nothing short of shoddy.

Needless to say, I was pretty peeved. The chances of me flying with CO are pretty remote unless I have to anyway, but this is nothing that would make me want to fly them more.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I sent a reply to this email telling them that my question was not answered, and they responded back with an apology and the correct answer to my original questions. However, there should be no need to take that extra step.

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One of the Best Things About Living in Florida

For me, anyway, spring training makes that Top 10 list!

Today, I sat one row away from this....



Sitting that close and hearing the "pop" in the catcher's glove is an awesome experience.

I will also post soon about last week's experience at the World Baseball Classic.

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Stuff You Oughta Know...Without Being Told by a Judge

Sometimes I have a hard time separating the real news from the fake news. Newsworthy today, however, is that new school teachers should not have sex with their students.

I can't imagine anyone needs a judge to tell them this, but apparently, they do. An Orange County (FL) judge says that new schoolteachers should sit through a half-hour presentation that would tell teachers "how damaging such relationships could be."

The judge wants to be accompanied for his presentation by a man he sent to jail for having sex with one of his students. That teacher is now serving a five-year sentence. In a related story, the jailed teacher thinks that this is a good idea!

Friends, we have a nominee for Moron of the Week. There are times when your actions are beyond what society deems acceptable behavior. Trying to defend those actions will often find you placing your oversized hoof into your mouth.

"When you're dealing with a high-school environment and you're a 22-year-old college student, you can easily get involved with a student when they're 16, 17," he said.

Aside from the fact that I don't buy into this for a second, how, exactly, does this explain his own situation? He was a 28 year-old man when his relationship began with a high school FRESHMAN. When I last checked, high school freshmen are either 13 or 14 years old. An argument could be made that a 22 year-old guy could pick up a 17 year-old girl at a club, not realize how young she is, and find himself in a uncomfortable situation -- or worse, a relationship. BUT, a 28 year-old man and a 13 year-old girl is acceptable in what circumstance?

And, yet, the man still couldn't remove his giant foot from his mouth.

"I don't think it's fair that I'm labeled as a sex offender and am grouped with other guys that are truly malicious and harm and kill little kids," he said. "There was nothing violent about my crime. Nothing against anyone's will."

Proving to me that this guy still needs a lot of therapy, he still has no concept of what he had done as being wrong. He seems not to get that having a position of power -- an educator, classroom leader, or really any position of authority (later in life, this may become your boss?) -- gives you an unfair advantage in assessing the emotional attachments of those assigned to your care. I have no problem lumping this creep in with the other pedophiles.

As far as the original story goes, fortunately, the head of the local teachers association finds the presentation proposal "insulting."

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Less than a week until baseball...

My tickets for the World Baseball Classic arrived yesterday. I am now officially psyched.

The first game of the tournament in Orlando has the Dominican Republic team playing Venezuela. The amount of baseball talent that will assmbled on that field (even with the guys who have bailed out already) is almost inconceivable. The infield for the DR team will likely include Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Tejada, and Adrian Beltre. Their backups will include Rafael Furcal, Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, and Pedro Feliz. The outfield is almost as stacked, and their pitching is pretty solid, too. The Venezuelan team is not quite as loaded, but their pitching may even be better than the DR team. Starters for Venezuela include Victor Zambrano, Johan Santana, and Freddy Garcia. Throw in a few position players like Bobby Abreu, Magglio Ordonez, Omar Vizquel, Miguel Cabrera, Ramon Hernandez, and more, and this is shaping up to be quite the first-round game.

The only downside to this great matchup is that it is the first of the six games that will be played at the Orlando venue. I have lawn seats, which are general admission. That's OK - I usually buy the cheap seats whenever I go. I am just not familiar with this venue, so I am not sure where to scope out the best "seats" in the lawn area. I suspect that some of the other games, we will be able to sneak into the actual seating area and find some empties. That tactic has been perfected after years of attending the College World Series in Omaha. The only tickets I have ever purchased for that have been the general admission booklets, and we have never sat out in the general admission area. Of course, we usually attend the early round games there, not the packed finals games.

The only plan I have for Tuesday is to show up REALLY early at the stadium. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd be glad to hear 'em.

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Free Money!!!

I always wondered what it would be like to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater!

In a previous post, I mentioned a new site that outlined the best rewards for shopping online through various web portals. While shopping for the best travel deals, as I prepare for spring season, I found that I was missing out on some ways to maximize value from my work travel. So, since a colleague once again asked me today "Where DO you find this stuff?", I figure that I should share with you all.

Ebates.com is one of the most comprehensive web shopping portals on the net. They give you a rebate kickback for every qualifying purchase you make when you link to a store through their web site. The gist of it is that the store pays ebates a commission on your purchase (in the same way that web based advertising works). Most web sites keep this money as their advertising revenue (full disclosure -- when you make a purchase through the Amazon.com link on the side of the page, I get a commission -- so, do that, will you?). Ebates, instead, sends you a check for a portion of the commissions (I assume that they keep a percentage for themselves, but fair is fair).

For the other college admission folks that may read this, know that ebates offers rebates for Hilton, Hyatt, and Sheraton brand hotels; Expedia and Travelocity; and more. It may be possible to get rebates on your hotel purchases, airline tickets, and rental car fees for all of your work-related travel. Of course, since you already know how important my points are to me, you should know that this will not infringe on any other point-earning opportunities. On top of that, you will also be able to get rebates on clothing, gifts, and many other online purchases.

If you sign up through my link, we both get an additional $5 added to our accounts. I hope to have a sizeable check sometime after the end of spring travel -- just in time to spend on summer vacation!

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When you just need to be DEMOTIVATED!

There is a one day sale at one of my favorite web sites today and today only!



This is one of the lithographs hanging in our office, and there are many more just like them at despair.com. To access the one-day sale, you will need the sale password, which I am glad to share:

username: NEW
password: LEXUS

I am pretty sure it is their quaint sense of humor that I like best. From their email promoting the sale:

Yes, prices during this Blackout will yet again be so low you'll be forced to cry out, "How can you rip-off artists even sleep at night?! I HATE YOU!"

I love crap like that! I am kind of hoping that the Boss adds this one to our collection:

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This better be good...

Yeah, so I haven't posted in nearly a month. I stink. I will try to make some new stuff worthwhile.

My previous post briefly delved into my fascination with collecting airline miles and hotel points. Just this week, I have discovered a new web site to make sure that you get the best reward available for every purchase. You can browse evreward.com by category (all travel sites, for instance) to find the best available discount or mileage opportunity for any online shopping activity. There are SO many sites listed that I had no idea offer any kind of renumeration. Of course, the part of me that is really bummed is the one that thinks of how much I could have received in travel rebates (on the company nickel) that I have never known about. Uggghhh!!!

Some highlights and lowlights of the site -- some of the discount amounts advertised on the listings are not accurate. For example, a search on Wal-Mart, which is advertised at a 9.6% discount, reveals that the best cash back discount is from Upromise.com and is only 4%. On the other hand, it also shows how you can get cash back on a reservation at Hyatt Hotels ($1 per booking through ebates.com) PLUS mileage (or hotel point) earning opportunities. They also have a downloadable feature that will alert you to any savings opportunities that you might be missing, with the opportunity to re-route you through the correct portal.

All in all, this new site, which is still in "beta testing" gets two thumbs up and The Travelin' Man Seal of Approval.

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Using my travel powers for good!

Good for me, that is. I have not really discussed my bizarre fascination with airline miles and hotel points accumulation. I try to share some of my favorite deals with those who know me well -- and who also understand and support this obsession. This one is A-1!

Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport offers what may just be the best travel promotion in the industry. Faster Free Nights (FFN) is their deal where they offer you a free night stay for every two stays paid with a Mastercard. Last fall, I was able to get a rate of $75/night at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas through Travelzoo. I was able to secure two one-night stays at that rate while I was in Dallas for business. Two stays = One free night!

Sidenote -- as great a deal as this is, it even gets a litte better. You can only use single FFN awards on weekend nights, or you can use them for a mid-week stay (when hotels are usually more expensive) if you stay for a minimum of three nights. Starwood hotels offered a similar promotion last year and I was able to acquire five free nights -- but, they had to be used on weekends, which somewhat limited their use-ability.

This coming weekend, I will be using my free weekend at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale. I have read some less-than-flattering reviews of the place, but for a one night place to crash, I am sure it will do. Rates this weekend run a minimum of $350 including tax -- with most of the upgraded rooms pushing $400. Cost out of my pocket = $0 -- gotta love the company expense account; gross revenue to Hyatt = $150; Reward = $350/night room for nothing in high season in south Florida. On top of all that -- the award nights were supposed to be used by January 31. I was fortunately able to beg for a five day extension to use the award this week.

I like Hyatt hotels, the Gold Passport program, and Faster Free Nights. I wish that they had more hotels in areas that I travel at competetive rates. They have recently merged with Amerisuites and Hawthorne Suites, so perhaps there will be more hotels in my travel regions in the coming months. Hyatt is not running Faster Free Nights right now, but I will be sure to post the next time that they do.

Marriott Rewards, however, is running their MegaBonus promotion. This one is targetted (the offer is not the same for everyone, but as far as I know, if you have a MR number, then you are offered something), but offers a bonus on stays during the traditional spring travel season for college admission counselors!

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