I had a very enjoyable trip to San Antonio to visit my family this Christmas, I got to see a number of sights, enjoy some good food, meet some relatives I haven't seen in years, and make it a very good holiday.
Last night I got to check out the well known River Walk, and it's definitely something worth checking out once, and taking a boat tour of as well. There's so much of it though that I will have to come back and hit it up, especially if I can spend a few hours there. Just have to be prepared for it to be like driving and trying to park in Baltimore.
I got the opportunity to hit a few Chinese places for lunch, liked going to Regent because their Mongolian beef was actually hot and spicy. Of course I hit plenty of Mexican food places as well. There are a lot of Taco Cabanas here, which I haven't seen since they vanished from Las Cruces. If you get a chance though, hit up a Mama Margies. They make great tortillas and refried beans, plus the one near my parents place is open 24 hours. For a funny story from today, some of the ladies there were calling my brother Jesus, including saying "Bye Jesus!" as we were leaving.
The one thing that is screwed up though about San Antonio is the layout of their streets. I can't freaking figure out what kind of madness the city planners had in mind. There was a lot of relying on the GPS this weekend and even then mistakes were made because roads were not always clear and neither were directions. Also, they don't light up signs on street lights very well, it's about as bad as Baltimore. I'm sure that if and when I try to go find a bar to hang out at the next time I am in town, I will make at least two wrong turns to get there. On the other hand, as much as traffic and drivers can suck around here, I've dealt enough with driving in DC and Baltimore to handle it.
I definitely had fun on this trip, but I am ready to come back to Baltimore as well. There is a lot to do for me when I get back. I'll be back though, there's still roller coasters to ride and places to explore.
December 27, 2009
Visiting Six Flags and Sea World
One advantage of being down in San Antonio is that because it doesn't snow and stays fairly decent weather-wise, amusement parks stay open way longer than they do on the east coast. With that opportunity available, I took advantage of my visit to see my parents by going to both Sea World and Six Flags in San Antonio.
On Monday morning I drove to Sea World and the parking lot was pretty empty, probably because it's the week before Christmas and people are leaving for vacation or whatnot. I got inside, got a map of showtimes, and first it was off to ride Shamu Express before heading to one of the theaters to watch the Polar Express in 4D. Basicallly they take and cut the original movie down to an 18 minute interactive movie. It was cute and all, the kids would like it, there certainly were a lot of them there. I timed it to be able to walk right over to the sea lion stadium and watch the sea lion show. It featured one of the stars, Clyde, trying to get into the Christmas spirit. There's various stuff that happens throughout, including leaps out of the water by the sea lions, and an otter running around. I enjoyed seeing their re-creation of The Night Before Christmas.
After the sea lion show, I had about 40 minutes to kill before the Shamu show, so I walked over to the Great White roller coaster and got in a few rides on that one. It's a B and M coaster that's similar to Afterburn at Carowinds so there's lots of turns and loops. Since there was basically no one in line, they said you could stay on it if no one was waiting in your row. I got to ride in the front and the back before it was time for me to head over to Shamu stadium.
The Shamu show was good to watch and I got awesome pictures. I purposely sat up high so I could get good pictures and not risk getting soaked. The one thing that blew my mind with that show was watching the trainers basically be able to stand on the noses of the whales and be pushed across the pool or even have them stand as the whales put them in the air. It was a blast to watch and I got awesome pictures of it.
After the show I walked across the park and got in a few rides on the Steel Eel. This coaster is like Steel Force at Dorney Park in that it doesn't have any loops or other elements, it's your basic out and back coaster, but it goes across the park, so it is a good long ride. Don't bother with riding in the front, the back is a much better ride. You get some sick airtime as you go up and down the hills.
From there I wandered the park and hit all the various exhibits that were open. I saw the penguin house, then went over to the sharks and coral reef aquarium. After getting out of those it was feeding time for the dolphins so I bought a tray and got to feed dolphins as well. With that tray came a coupon for buy one get one free for feeding the sea lions, so I went over and fed the sea lions as well. One of them was very vocal about getting fish from you, another one tried to be cute by slapping the water with his fin to get your attention.
Before leaving the park, I hit Journey to Atlantis, got wet on that one since it's the giant raft down the slide. Luckily it was a sunny day at the park.
Tuesday morning I was going to take my brother to Six Flags, then I found out they don't open that park until 4 PM, whereas Sea World had opened at 10. So we got to wait until the late afternoon. I would also find out that they do things a bit different there, as some parts of the park were closed. Only 5 of the 8 coasters were open and that didn't include their biggest one, Superman (jerks!). However, we did make a good evening of it. Our first ride was on boomerang, because since it is the same as the Carolina Cobra at Carowinds, it means there is only one car, so it's best to ride it soon after the park opens, before the line gets long, especially when everyone else is going to Goliath. We worked our way back to Tony Hawk's big spin, which my bro absolutely loved. Next I went on the Romp Stomp a Bomp (don't judge me, I wanted the credit :-P) before we went over to Goliath. Goliath is a lot like Talon at Dorney Park, and the line for any row but the front was short, so we managed to get on very quickly.
Our last new coaster to ride was the Road Runner Express. It is the first time I have seen a steel coaster disguised to look more like a wooden one. I think we had the most fun on that coaster. One thing that we had seen that was put in for the holidays was a sledding hill for folks to ride down. My bro and I each took turns riding and got a picture of the other going down the hill. Since I couldn't go sledding after the big storm in DC, might as well do some sort of sledding here, right?
From there we repeated some of our rides, doing Tony Hawk, Goliath, and the Roadrunner again. I did try going through some of the shops to find some fun souvenir of Six Flags, but there were no good magnets, or even good Wile E. Coyote items. I thnk it's because it's late in the season.
It's too bad that the other coasters were closed, so I gues I will just have to try and get back to San Antonio next summer to ride those missing coasters in my list. Both parks were fun, especially when I haven't been to a place like Sea World for a few years.
On Monday morning I drove to Sea World and the parking lot was pretty empty, probably because it's the week before Christmas and people are leaving for vacation or whatnot. I got inside, got a map of showtimes, and first it was off to ride Shamu Express before heading to one of the theaters to watch the Polar Express in 4D. Basicallly they take and cut the original movie down to an 18 minute interactive movie. It was cute and all, the kids would like it, there certainly were a lot of them there. I timed it to be able to walk right over to the sea lion stadium and watch the sea lion show. It featured one of the stars, Clyde, trying to get into the Christmas spirit. There's various stuff that happens throughout, including leaps out of the water by the sea lions, and an otter running around. I enjoyed seeing their re-creation of The Night Before Christmas.
After the sea lion show, I had about 40 minutes to kill before the Shamu show, so I walked over to the Great White roller coaster and got in a few rides on that one. It's a B and M coaster that's similar to Afterburn at Carowinds so there's lots of turns and loops. Since there was basically no one in line, they said you could stay on it if no one was waiting in your row. I got to ride in the front and the back before it was time for me to head over to Shamu stadium.
The Shamu show was good to watch and I got awesome pictures. I purposely sat up high so I could get good pictures and not risk getting soaked. The one thing that blew my mind with that show was watching the trainers basically be able to stand on the noses of the whales and be pushed across the pool or even have them stand as the whales put them in the air. It was a blast to watch and I got awesome pictures of it.
After the show I walked across the park and got in a few rides on the Steel Eel. This coaster is like Steel Force at Dorney Park in that it doesn't have any loops or other elements, it's your basic out and back coaster, but it goes across the park, so it is a good long ride. Don't bother with riding in the front, the back is a much better ride. You get some sick airtime as you go up and down the hills.
From there I wandered the park and hit all the various exhibits that were open. I saw the penguin house, then went over to the sharks and coral reef aquarium. After getting out of those it was feeding time for the dolphins so I bought a tray and got to feed dolphins as well. With that tray came a coupon for buy one get one free for feeding the sea lions, so I went over and fed the sea lions as well. One of them was very vocal about getting fish from you, another one tried to be cute by slapping the water with his fin to get your attention.
Before leaving the park, I hit Journey to Atlantis, got wet on that one since it's the giant raft down the slide. Luckily it was a sunny day at the park.
Tuesday morning I was going to take my brother to Six Flags, then I found out they don't open that park until 4 PM, whereas Sea World had opened at 10. So we got to wait until the late afternoon. I would also find out that they do things a bit different there, as some parts of the park were closed. Only 5 of the 8 coasters were open and that didn't include their biggest one, Superman (jerks!). However, we did make a good evening of it. Our first ride was on boomerang, because since it is the same as the Carolina Cobra at Carowinds, it means there is only one car, so it's best to ride it soon after the park opens, before the line gets long, especially when everyone else is going to Goliath. We worked our way back to Tony Hawk's big spin, which my bro absolutely loved. Next I went on the Romp Stomp a Bomp (don't judge me, I wanted the credit :-P) before we went over to Goliath. Goliath is a lot like Talon at Dorney Park, and the line for any row but the front was short, so we managed to get on very quickly.
Our last new coaster to ride was the Road Runner Express. It is the first time I have seen a steel coaster disguised to look more like a wooden one. I think we had the most fun on that coaster. One thing that we had seen that was put in for the holidays was a sledding hill for folks to ride down. My bro and I each took turns riding and got a picture of the other going down the hill. Since I couldn't go sledding after the big storm in DC, might as well do some sort of sledding here, right?
From there we repeated some of our rides, doing Tony Hawk, Goliath, and the Roadrunner again. I did try going through some of the shops to find some fun souvenir of Six Flags, but there were no good magnets, or even good Wile E. Coyote items. I thnk it's because it's late in the season.
It's too bad that the other coasters were closed, so I gues I will just have to try and get back to San Antonio next summer to ride those missing coasters in my list. Both parks were fun, especially when I haven't been to a place like Sea World for a few years.
December 22, 2009
Big Job News
I mentioned a while back that a supervisors position had opened up in my department and I had applied and interviewed for it. While I had felt I had done well with the interview, I also knew I was competing against twelve other people for the position, and some of them would have longer tenure and possibly more supervisory experience than me and could have a better shot at earning the job. However, I at least took a shot, and even if I didn't get the job, I'd at least have the experience and knowledge of what they could be looking for if another position came open.
Last Tuesday I had a pretty hard day at work with some stuff going on with a project that I had been pulled into. After hours and hours of coding and such, it was getting to the end of the day and I was looking forward to a reprieve with my planned trip to Bourbon Steak with my friends. The phone rings, and I'm not sure of the name on the display, but I figure it's one of the folks over in the sponsoring division and they have a question or want to report something in one of the programs that I need to look at.
I pick up the phone and the woman identifies herself as being from HR. Already that makes me wonder what is going on. She continues and tells me that she would like to make an official job offer for the supervisors position that I had applied for.
I nearly fell out of my chair.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I was actually being offered the supervisors job. This was completely out of the blue for sure because my bosses had been tight-lipped about the recommendations they had made or if they had even heard anything about the decision from the higher-ups and HR.
I asked if I could give my decision by tomorrow (I needed time to process this). She was fine with that, but wanted to know by morning. I put the phone down, and proceeded to try and actually start breathing again, because I still could not believe it. Once I got my mind cleared, I started rationalizing what had just happened, but I still couldn't believe it.
I could have waited until morning to say yes (which is what the back of my mind was screaming anyway) but I said screw it and decided to call back HR and give them my answer. Could that have been bad form? Perhaps, but considering they had originally wanted to get my choice immediately, I didn't think they would mind. I got to the voicemail of the contact person and left a voicemail letting them know I would accept. Five minutes later she called me back to confirm my decision.
So from here on out, I will now be in a supervisory role in my department at work. For me that means I will be taking the lead on certain projects, but also overseeing someone in their roles. I admit that it has been a while since I have been in this capacity, but I will work to learn and do the best I can. I don't think I would have been picked if my bosses didn't think I could do well at it.
It still feels a bit surreal though, but I will get used to it in time. With this, it certainly was the reason why the timing of going to Bourbon Steak was perfect, getting to celebrate at a nice place with good friends.
Last Tuesday I had a pretty hard day at work with some stuff going on with a project that I had been pulled into. After hours and hours of coding and such, it was getting to the end of the day and I was looking forward to a reprieve with my planned trip to Bourbon Steak with my friends. The phone rings, and I'm not sure of the name on the display, but I figure it's one of the folks over in the sponsoring division and they have a question or want to report something in one of the programs that I need to look at.
I pick up the phone and the woman identifies herself as being from HR. Already that makes me wonder what is going on. She continues and tells me that she would like to make an official job offer for the supervisors position that I had applied for.
I nearly fell out of my chair.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I was actually being offered the supervisors job. This was completely out of the blue for sure because my bosses had been tight-lipped about the recommendations they had made or if they had even heard anything about the decision from the higher-ups and HR.
I asked if I could give my decision by tomorrow (I needed time to process this). She was fine with that, but wanted to know by morning. I put the phone down, and proceeded to try and actually start breathing again, because I still could not believe it. Once I got my mind cleared, I started rationalizing what had just happened, but I still couldn't believe it.
I could have waited until morning to say yes (which is what the back of my mind was screaming anyway) but I said screw it and decided to call back HR and give them my answer. Could that have been bad form? Perhaps, but considering they had originally wanted to get my choice immediately, I didn't think they would mind. I got to the voicemail of the contact person and left a voicemail letting them know I would accept. Five minutes later she called me back to confirm my decision.
So from here on out, I will now be in a supervisory role in my department at work. For me that means I will be taking the lead on certain projects, but also overseeing someone in their roles. I admit that it has been a while since I have been in this capacity, but I will work to learn and do the best I can. I don't think I would have been picked if my bosses didn't think I could do well at it.
It still feels a bit surreal though, but I will get used to it in time. With this, it certainly was the reason why the timing of going to Bourbon Steak was perfect, getting to celebrate at a nice place with good friends.
Bourbon Steak
What happens when you get a bunch of us foodies together, and we decide to go for what could be a memorable meal? You end up at the Four Seasons in DC, specifically at Bourbon Steakhouse.
A few weeks ago, my friend Shaw_Girl made the suggestion that we all go to Bourbon Steakhouse since we had heard many good reviews about it and their one-year anniversary was coming up. A reservation was made for Tuesday the 15th, and we were all set to go. BG and I reviewed the menu online before heading over there so we had an idea of just what we were getting into. This would be the first time that any of us could try steaks that were dry-aged and then poached in clarified butter, which sounded really good. To also help set what would be the later tone of the evening, several of my friends had been following Bourbon Steak on Twitter, and when one of them had asked a question about dress code out loud, he had a private message within minutes with an explanation. I was liking that they were paying attention to us.
For me it was a matter of hopping a Metro train after work and getting over to the Foggy Bottom Metro station before taking a walk over to the hotel. It was a clear and cold night, but I was prepared for that. I got to the restaurant and met up with everyone at the bar area. SG was having their specialty hot cocoa, which after I took a taste of it, I was placing an order for it immediately. I think I've been ruined on hot cocoa because I will never make one that good at home. One of our companions ordered their apple cider, which is made with some Maker's Mark. If you're not a chocolate lover, go for the apple cider, especially in the dead of winter.
We were taken to our table and seated, where we would find a card from the staff member who manages the Twitter account for Bourbon Steak addressed to all of us by our Twitter usernames. It was welcoming us to dine with them that evening. I admit that was a very nice touch. After being seated, the manager came by and said hello to us, and the staff member who provided the card said hello as well. I think it was because they were aware of us coming and wanted to make sure to make a good impression on us.
We made small talk for a while as we looked at the menus and tried to decide what we wanted. Luckily we had a very nice waiter who was friendly and willing to answer questions about what was on the menu. He also didn't hesitate to let us know what some of his favorites were, which I think helped a few of us in the decision making. He also knew how to market and be very convincing. I wasn't originally going to order an appetizer, but he convinced me to do so. I went with an iceberg wedge appetizer, their 16 oz rib eye cooked medium, and a side dish of roasted spaghetti squash with prosciutto. The popular side to order that evening from our table would be the truffle mac n cheese because we were all curious to try it.
After our order was placed, the complimentary fries were brought out. These fries are seasoned and rendered in duck fat, and they were very tasty. The flavors that I remember were dill pickle, cheddar cheese, and southwestern, and they came with bbq sauce, sour cream, and a third sauce I can't remember. I could have easily eaten a pile of those fries.
Another item that came to our table was the mini rolls that had truffle butter on them. Those disappeared fast at our table just because of how good they tasted. There should be a place on the menu to order more of those, they were so good. There was just the right amount of butter on them to where you would not think of asking for more, and they were perfectly flaky too.
The appetizers came and while my iceberg wedge was good, with the cheese and the smoked bacon, a better choice that evening would have been the roasted chestnut soup due to the cooler weather. KM got that one, and I took a taste of it. The soup was very smooth and creamy, and the bit of foie gras that I got in my spoonful was perfectly tender. TF got the Tuna Tartare and I tried that as well. They make it right at your table and it was the perfect balance between the tuna, tomatoes, garlic, and other spices. It would make for a great summer appetizer.
Our entrees eventually arrived and for a few minutes we had nothing but exclamations about how wonderful the steaks were. RS and I had both gotten our steaks medium and they were cooked perfectly pink, with no sign of gray. Whatever rub they used on the steaks added a nice flavor kick to it without overpowering the steak, and it was oh so tender. Each piece of steak could just melt in your mouth. I had ordered a 16 oz steak and I would not be surprised if it was still about 16 oz after cooking, there was so much of the meat there, I don't know how I finished it that evening.
The sides that we had gotten besides the squash and mac n cheese were the brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes. All of the sides went fast because they could easil/y be served family style, and each one will feed two people for sure. While everyone did rave about the truffle mac n cheese, the surprise hit of that evening was the roasted squash. I had expected the squash to be your basic roasted squash and garnished with the prosciutto, but they added a twist to it. The squash had also been cooked in butter and cream and you could taste that flavor throughout. Oh man did we talk about that squash all night. I highly recommend the squash if you go.
Ultimately though the meal part had to come to an end, and it was time for dessert. Since most of us were stuffed from the massive meal we had just consumed, we opted to share different desserts with one another. SG and I shared the tiramisu, RS ordered the root beer float with sassafras and cinnamon ice cream and chocolate walnut cookies, KM ordered the bitter chocolate cake, and TF ordered the coconut candy bar. I was expecting a layered tiramisu, but that's not what came out. Bourbon Steak did a deconstructed tiramisu, so there was cubes of espresso soaked sponge cake arranged across a plate with dollops of mascarpone mousse and chocolate sorbet, with a few bits of spun sugar. As we tried the dessert, we discovered there were bits of chocolate covered espresso beans mixed in, which gave it a nice crunch and didn't overpower the other flavors. I tried a bit of the coconut candy bar and that is another dish I would recommend. The chocolate walnut cookies were warm when they were brought to the table and very tasty. I didn't get a chance to try the bitter chocolate cake, but I probably would have liked it. I love dark chocolate as it is.
Throughout the meal, we had a running commentary among ourselves and on Twitter about the food and our experiences with Bourbon Steak, along with pictures of what we were having. Luckily it seems the servers had no problem with us doing this. The one comment we did note for sure about our service was not only that they were good at what they were doing, but they clearly were engaged with making sure we were well taken care of. Even better was that they weren't hovering around us and interrupting the meal. We were there for over 3 hours and at no time did we feel rushed. That was a big plus because as it was, we were enjoying the company of one another and none of us had to be anywhere later that evening, so we were going to enjoy our experience. The only time we were watched closely was when we were getting all the payment stuff together so that he was there immediately after it looked like we had it all together. It was busy that night, but we still got to linger.
The other thing I liked was the environment of the restaurant and the attitudes from the employees in that it felt like a very nice place to sit and have dinner, but you were not going to be looked down upon if you didn't show up in a business suit or a cocktail dress. I felt we were treated very well there and the employees understand that if they respect us, we will respect them right back, and that includes not getting any sort of a classist attitude.
Ultimately I recommend Bourbon Steak greatly as a place you can take someone for an excellent meal. Just be prepared to drop some cash there because you're probably looking at about a $60 per person minimum for dinner. Think about it though, you're dining at the Four Seasons, so it is not going to be like you're dropping in at a Denny's there. However, my attitude is that every once in a while it is nice to go to a really good restaurant and have an enjoyable meal experience. Besides that, the timing of when we went that night was perfect, because that Tuesday afternoon, I would have a reason to celebrate...
Some thoughts that we came up with on doing next time was that we noticed that out on the patio they have fireplaces where people can take out drinks and sit at during this cold weather. It would be awesome to head to the bar at Bourbon Steak on a Friday night, order their hot chocolate or apple cider, and sit out there with some folks to chat after a long work week. Add on some of that roasted chestnut soup and you've got a meal and a drink right there.
A few weeks ago, my friend Shaw_Girl made the suggestion that we all go to Bourbon Steakhouse since we had heard many good reviews about it and their one-year anniversary was coming up. A reservation was made for Tuesday the 15th, and we were all set to go. BG and I reviewed the menu online before heading over there so we had an idea of just what we were getting into. This would be the first time that any of us could try steaks that were dry-aged and then poached in clarified butter, which sounded really good. To also help set what would be the later tone of the evening, several of my friends had been following Bourbon Steak on Twitter, and when one of them had asked a question about dress code out loud, he had a private message within minutes with an explanation. I was liking that they were paying attention to us.
For me it was a matter of hopping a Metro train after work and getting over to the Foggy Bottom Metro station before taking a walk over to the hotel. It was a clear and cold night, but I was prepared for that. I got to the restaurant and met up with everyone at the bar area. SG was having their specialty hot cocoa, which after I took a taste of it, I was placing an order for it immediately. I think I've been ruined on hot cocoa because I will never make one that good at home. One of our companions ordered their apple cider, which is made with some Maker's Mark. If you're not a chocolate lover, go for the apple cider, especially in the dead of winter.
We were taken to our table and seated, where we would find a card from the staff member who manages the Twitter account for Bourbon Steak addressed to all of us by our Twitter usernames. It was welcoming us to dine with them that evening. I admit that was a very nice touch. After being seated, the manager came by and said hello to us, and the staff member who provided the card said hello as well. I think it was because they were aware of us coming and wanted to make sure to make a good impression on us.
We made small talk for a while as we looked at the menus and tried to decide what we wanted. Luckily we had a very nice waiter who was friendly and willing to answer questions about what was on the menu. He also didn't hesitate to let us know what some of his favorites were, which I think helped a few of us in the decision making. He also knew how to market and be very convincing. I wasn't originally going to order an appetizer, but he convinced me to do so. I went with an iceberg wedge appetizer, their 16 oz rib eye cooked medium, and a side dish of roasted spaghetti squash with prosciutto. The popular side to order that evening from our table would be the truffle mac n cheese because we were all curious to try it.
After our order was placed, the complimentary fries were brought out. These fries are seasoned and rendered in duck fat, and they were very tasty. The flavors that I remember were dill pickle, cheddar cheese, and southwestern, and they came with bbq sauce, sour cream, and a third sauce I can't remember. I could have easily eaten a pile of those fries.
Another item that came to our table was the mini rolls that had truffle butter on them. Those disappeared fast at our table just because of how good they tasted. There should be a place on the menu to order more of those, they were so good. There was just the right amount of butter on them to where you would not think of asking for more, and they were perfectly flaky too.
The appetizers came and while my iceberg wedge was good, with the cheese and the smoked bacon, a better choice that evening would have been the roasted chestnut soup due to the cooler weather. KM got that one, and I took a taste of it. The soup was very smooth and creamy, and the bit of foie gras that I got in my spoonful was perfectly tender. TF got the Tuna Tartare and I tried that as well. They make it right at your table and it was the perfect balance between the tuna, tomatoes, garlic, and other spices. It would make for a great summer appetizer.
Our entrees eventually arrived and for a few minutes we had nothing but exclamations about how wonderful the steaks were. RS and I had both gotten our steaks medium and they were cooked perfectly pink, with no sign of gray. Whatever rub they used on the steaks added a nice flavor kick to it without overpowering the steak, and it was oh so tender. Each piece of steak could just melt in your mouth. I had ordered a 16 oz steak and I would not be surprised if it was still about 16 oz after cooking, there was so much of the meat there, I don't know how I finished it that evening.
The sides that we had gotten besides the squash and mac n cheese were the brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes. All of the sides went fast because they could easil/y be served family style, and each one will feed two people for sure. While everyone did rave about the truffle mac n cheese, the surprise hit of that evening was the roasted squash. I had expected the squash to be your basic roasted squash and garnished with the prosciutto, but they added a twist to it. The squash had also been cooked in butter and cream and you could taste that flavor throughout. Oh man did we talk about that squash all night. I highly recommend the squash if you go.
Ultimately though the meal part had to come to an end, and it was time for dessert. Since most of us were stuffed from the massive meal we had just consumed, we opted to share different desserts with one another. SG and I shared the tiramisu, RS ordered the root beer float with sassafras and cinnamon ice cream and chocolate walnut cookies, KM ordered the bitter chocolate cake, and TF ordered the coconut candy bar. I was expecting a layered tiramisu, but that's not what came out. Bourbon Steak did a deconstructed tiramisu, so there was cubes of espresso soaked sponge cake arranged across a plate with dollops of mascarpone mousse and chocolate sorbet, with a few bits of spun sugar. As we tried the dessert, we discovered there were bits of chocolate covered espresso beans mixed in, which gave it a nice crunch and didn't overpower the other flavors. I tried a bit of the coconut candy bar and that is another dish I would recommend. The chocolate walnut cookies were warm when they were brought to the table and very tasty. I didn't get a chance to try the bitter chocolate cake, but I probably would have liked it. I love dark chocolate as it is.
Throughout the meal, we had a running commentary among ourselves and on Twitter about the food and our experiences with Bourbon Steak, along with pictures of what we were having. Luckily it seems the servers had no problem with us doing this. The one comment we did note for sure about our service was not only that they were good at what they were doing, but they clearly were engaged with making sure we were well taken care of. Even better was that they weren't hovering around us and interrupting the meal. We were there for over 3 hours and at no time did we feel rushed. That was a big plus because as it was, we were enjoying the company of one another and none of us had to be anywhere later that evening, so we were going to enjoy our experience. The only time we were watched closely was when we were getting all the payment stuff together so that he was there immediately after it looked like we had it all together. It was busy that night, but we still got to linger.
The other thing I liked was the environment of the restaurant and the attitudes from the employees in that it felt like a very nice place to sit and have dinner, but you were not going to be looked down upon if you didn't show up in a business suit or a cocktail dress. I felt we were treated very well there and the employees understand that if they respect us, we will respect them right back, and that includes not getting any sort of a classist attitude.
Ultimately I recommend Bourbon Steak greatly as a place you can take someone for an excellent meal. Just be prepared to drop some cash there because you're probably looking at about a $60 per person minimum for dinner. Think about it though, you're dining at the Four Seasons, so it is not going to be like you're dropping in at a Denny's there. However, my attitude is that every once in a while it is nice to go to a really good restaurant and have an enjoyable meal experience. Besides that, the timing of when we went that night was perfect, because that Tuesday afternoon, I would have a reason to celebrate...
Some thoughts that we came up with on doing next time was that we noticed that out on the patio they have fireplaces where people can take out drinks and sit at during this cold weather. It would be awesome to head to the bar at Bourbon Steak on a Friday night, order their hot chocolate or apple cider, and sit out there with some folks to chat after a long work week. Add on some of that roasted chestnut soup and you've got a meal and a drink right there.
December 21, 2009
Reflections on my 26th Year
Yes I know it has been well over a month since I turned 27, humor me. This is also post number 500, woohoo!
Another year is down already? Where the hell did it go? It certainly has been a busy year for me, but I think that because I was having so much fun with it, time just flew by.
Some highlights from the last year:
On the dating front, I was with TB for a few months, but ultimately that didn't work out due to schedule conflicts and life changes. I used the rest of the year to stay single and learn more about just what it was I liked and what I wanted. It also was a summer of drama for some of the couples that I knew, so it just gave me incentive to stay single. I started to ease back into dating in the late fall, but it's still staying very casual.
I've come to realize that I am a person that tends to march to the beat of a different drum. It took me an entire summer of hitting my head against the wall to figure that out, but that's no surprise because of my innate stubbornness. I am attracted to a certain type of guy, and that kind of guy tends to be what is known as a "cub" which is part of the "bear" community. Of course, the bears and cubs tend to hang out together, so if I want to find one, I head to where they hang out. Here's the thing though, I came to realize that most of them are very vested in the bear community and tend to only stick with that. I got bored with that rather quickly, yet I kept on trying, just to see if I could find anyone who wanted a bit more than just going to the same bars every week and always hanging out with the same people. It turned out that the answer was no, so I finally had to admit to myself that I just didn't fit in with them and had to move onward.
I am also beginning to think that when it comes to some folks, I am too steady for them, and they tend to take advantage of that, whether they realize it or not. I'm loyal to my friends, almost to a fault at times. If I make plans with someone, I will stick to them, I rarely break them unless I absolutely have to. I am also usually the one that can head out there and meet up with folks. I think that because I am so steady and don't just flake, people will forget that they can call me up to hang out. Usually in order to hang out with them, I have to be the one to call them, every...single...time. It gets old after a while. With some I have hit the point where I'm just not bothering to call them anymore just to see if they ever bother to call me or what. So far I have been proven correct that I have had to be the aggressor, because they certainly haven't been calling me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.
I am looking forward to the next year because I think it is going to be exciting. I plan to continue with my having fun and going for new opportunities as they come along. I think with a bit of work I could crack 150 coasters, especially when I take advantage of the free trip I earned from Southwest earlier this year. I am thinking of going to California and hitting some of the parks there, but also going to San Francisco since the last time I was there, I was 10.
27 should be an exciting year for me, I had an exciting 26th, and I plan to keep it up.
Another year is down already? Where the hell did it go? It certainly has been a busy year for me, but I think that because I was having so much fun with it, time just flew by.
Some highlights from the last year:
- Parents came to visit and I took them to their first NFL game.
- I wrote a paper that was accepted for publishing and presentation at an international software users conference.
- I rode my 100th roller coaster in the world at Carowinds in Charlotte, NC on July 3, with a ride on Thunder Road (North Carolina).
- Nearly went to Europe because of the aforementioned paper, but had my body decide to stop me from going (appendicitis).
- Put myself on the waiting list to become a season ticket owner for the Baltimore Ravens, and switched my license plates to Ravens plates.
- Visited Las Vegas for the first time in my life.
- Logged lots of miles in the car traveling to various amusement parks and camping.
On the dating front, I was with TB for a few months, but ultimately that didn't work out due to schedule conflicts and life changes. I used the rest of the year to stay single and learn more about just what it was I liked and what I wanted. It also was a summer of drama for some of the couples that I knew, so it just gave me incentive to stay single. I started to ease back into dating in the late fall, but it's still staying very casual.
I've come to realize that I am a person that tends to march to the beat of a different drum. It took me an entire summer of hitting my head against the wall to figure that out, but that's no surprise because of my innate stubbornness. I am attracted to a certain type of guy, and that kind of guy tends to be what is known as a "cub" which is part of the "bear" community. Of course, the bears and cubs tend to hang out together, so if I want to find one, I head to where they hang out. Here's the thing though, I came to realize that most of them are very vested in the bear community and tend to only stick with that. I got bored with that rather quickly, yet I kept on trying, just to see if I could find anyone who wanted a bit more than just going to the same bars every week and always hanging out with the same people. It turned out that the answer was no, so I finally had to admit to myself that I just didn't fit in with them and had to move onward.
I am also beginning to think that when it comes to some folks, I am too steady for them, and they tend to take advantage of that, whether they realize it or not. I'm loyal to my friends, almost to a fault at times. If I make plans with someone, I will stick to them, I rarely break them unless I absolutely have to. I am also usually the one that can head out there and meet up with folks. I think that because I am so steady and don't just flake, people will forget that they can call me up to hang out. Usually in order to hang out with them, I have to be the one to call them, every...single...time. It gets old after a while. With some I have hit the point where I'm just not bothering to call them anymore just to see if they ever bother to call me or what. So far I have been proven correct that I have had to be the aggressor, because they certainly haven't been calling me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.
I am looking forward to the next year because I think it is going to be exciting. I plan to continue with my having fun and going for new opportunities as they come along. I think with a bit of work I could crack 150 coasters, especially when I take advantage of the free trip I earned from Southwest earlier this year. I am thinking of going to California and hitting some of the parks there, but also going to San Francisco since the last time I was there, I was 10.
27 should be an exciting year for me, I had an exciting 26th, and I plan to keep it up.
December 15, 2009
Latest Pictures
I am finally playing catch-up on all of my pictures and uploaded a bunch tonight to Flickr. You can either start here, or click on one of the pictures below to jump* through and see whatever you want to see.
St. Georges Oktoberfest
King's Dominion
Washington Capitals
Baltimore Ravens
White House Christmas Tree
I hope you enjoy viewing these pictures :-)
*Photos will start at the beginning of the set and may be different from what appears here.
St. Georges Oktoberfest
King's Dominion
Washington Capitals
Baltimore Ravens
White House Christmas Tree
I hope you enjoy viewing these pictures :-)
*Photos will start at the beginning of the set and may be different from what appears here.
Paying Up
One of the many things I tend to get into as a sports fan is doing the trash talk with fans of rival teams, especially when their team is playing my team that week. Perhaps sometimes it can get me into a bit of trouble.
A few weeks ago, the Ravens were going up against the Vikings and there is a woman at my church who is a Vikings fan. Of course we are giving one another hell about who is going to end up losing the game and the conversation became a bet. If the Ravens won, she had to wear a Ravens jersey to church, if the Vikings won, then I had to wear a Vikings jersey to church. Well unfortunately the Ravens lost (thank you Hauschka) so that meant I had to pay up on that bet.
Don't I just look thrilled? Not only did I have to wear a Vikings jersey, but it had to be a Favre jersey. I also paid up on this bet the weekend that the Ravens were going to play the Steelers, so it did make me worry that I'd be bringing the Ravens some bad luck. However, the Ravens would go on to smack down the Steelers that evening, and I got to watch it all happen at The Bank :-D
So I guess that one could say that I should really watch my mouth and not make stupid bets like this, but really, it was all in good fun. At least I am not like the guy who bet his TV on the outcome of the Redskins game!
A few weeks ago, the Ravens were going up against the Vikings and there is a woman at my church who is a Vikings fan. Of course we are giving one another hell about who is going to end up losing the game and the conversation became a bet. If the Ravens won, she had to wear a Ravens jersey to church, if the Vikings won, then I had to wear a Vikings jersey to church. Well unfortunately the Ravens lost (thank you Hauschka) so that meant I had to pay up on that bet.
Don't I just look thrilled? Not only did I have to wear a Vikings jersey, but it had to be a Favre jersey. I also paid up on this bet the weekend that the Ravens were going to play the Steelers, so it did make me worry that I'd be bringing the Ravens some bad luck. However, the Ravens would go on to smack down the Steelers that evening, and I got to watch it all happen at The Bank :-D
So I guess that one could say that I should really watch my mouth and not make stupid bets like this, but really, it was all in good fun. At least I am not like the guy who bet his TV on the outcome of the Redskins game!
December 09, 2009
A Grim Anniversary
Ten years ago today I would end up receiving tragic news. Tenny Gatewood Jr., a friend of my family and police officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, had been shot and killed while attempting to arrest burglary suspects. He had gotten a call of a break-in at a store and ended up chasing down a car with the folks suspected of breaking in and stealing beer, a father and son. He attempted to arrest the father, which led to a struggle, the father called to his son for help, the son came out to help. The struggle escalated, and the son got a hold of Tenny's gun and shot him in the head with it. He would later die at the hospital. The two suspects were found, charged with murder, and eventually went to prison.
For me I first got wind that something had happened when my mom called and said the main road was blocked because a cop had been shot and they were looking for the suspects. Don't ask me how I knew it, but in the back of my mind, I knew the cop was Tenny. An hour later the phone would ring again, and my father would come downstairs to confirm my worst fear, it was Tenny, and he was dead.
Ten years, it's hard to believe it's been that long now. It feels like it could have been yesterday, even if I was in a much different place when it all went down. Hell, I was still in high school when this happened. I still get choked up a bit thinking about the funeral that would occur a few days later. It really is one of the saddest things to watch a funeral for a cop, hopefully you never have to go through something like that.
I wonder how his family is these days. This day has to be especially difficult for them, but I hope wherever they are now that they are at least happy the other 364 days of the year, and that they have the strength to make it through today.
The one thing I still have yet to understand (and I probably never will) is why this took place. I know that there is a very widely held belief that God does everything for a reason, but the reason to take Tenny away escapes me. He was a good man who worked very hard to take care of his family, and was one of the nicest people in the world. Even if he tried to play scary dad with me when I took his daughter out, he knew I was going to respect him and I was going to respect his daughter, and so we got along well. Why God would allow him to be murdered, I don't get it.
I stopped by the Law Officers Memorial tonight in DC to pay tribute. It's harsh to know that I personally know someone whose name is carved into the wall there.
Rest In Peace Tenny, You're not forgotten.
December 08, 2009
The Blind Side
I, like many other people, have now gone out to see what is currently the number one movie in America, The Blind Side. It is based on the book The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The book itself talks first about the left tackle and how it would become an extremely important position in football, especially after Joe Theissman's career was ended because his "blind side" wasn't covered. A big part of the book focuses on Michael Oher, who at the time the book was written, was playing for Ole Miss. Now he plays for the Baltimore Ravens and was their first round draft pick in 2009.
So the movie is based on the story of Michael Oher. He was one of those kids who was kind of lost in the system and looked like he had no future until Leigh Anne and Shawn Tuohy take him under their wing and make him part of their family. That's all I am really going to say about it because to say much more will give away the movie, even if it is known how it ends :-P
The characters were well played, I enjoyed watching Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron. Remind me to never mess with Sandra if I were to meet her. I am surprised at how much different Tim McGraw looks when he's not sporting a goatee. Kathy Bates was good as well, one scene made me go "you bitch!" The movie itself was also well paced, I didn't feel like any scene was dragging on for too long, and there was enough going on to keep things interesting. Just be prepared for some emotional moments.
If you haven't seen the movie, go see it in the theaters, it's definitely worth it. I will be adding this movie to my "must buy" list of DVD's.
December 03, 2009
Jacket Hunting
Last Friday, I did go out to take advantage of Black Friday, and one of my places to hit was Macy's because I can usually find some rather insane deals there. In fact, it has come to where my Mom and I will call one another with "damage reports" to see who bought what, and how much money we saved off of retail.
I'm perusing the racks, and I happen to wander into the sportswear section, and I run across this nice jacket at 50% off. One problem though, I'm at the Macy's in Marlow Heights, smack dab in the middle of Redskins territory, and I'm a Ravens fan, so no, I was not buying it that morning.
I decided to do a little online hunting to see if there were any online stores selling the jacket for that price. There weren't any, they were all at the full price. Now of course it became my mission to obtain said jacket in Ravens colors. My next step was to try another store, in this case, the thought was to try the Macy's at Columbia Mall since it was between Baltimore and DC. I ended up meeting with my buds TB and CW to hunt for the jacket and possibly do other shopping as well. I get to the Macy's and start walking through the men's section...I can't find any team apparel anywhere, so I ask someone. It turns out that this Macy's doesn't sell team apparel.
Say what? With the sheer number of folks I saw walking around in team apparel at the mall, there's a market that particular Macy's is not tapping. We tried looking through JCPenney and Sears for the same item, but they weren't carrying the jacket. I did run across the jacket at a Foot Locker, but they wanted full price for it. Screw that, not when I can get it for half off.
My next tactic was to start calling other Macy's (thank you VZ Navigator business search). I tried the Glen Burnie and the PG Plaza Macy's before I started to look at some of the entries on the list. It occurred to me that my next call should be to the Owings Mills Macy's. (Trivia for Ravens fans: Why would I think to call the Owings Mills location?) I make the call, and sure enough, they report they have a section of Raven's gear. Half an hour later, I'm pulling into the town center and heading into the Macy's. I find the jacket in the size I want, confirm it's still at the sale price, and make the payment. The guy at the register recognized me as the slightly crazed person who had called looking for Ravens gear. Seriously, the phone call went something like:
Him: [Intro]
Me: Do you carry sports team apparel?
Him: Yes we do
Me: Do you carry Ravens apparel?
Him: We have a big section of that.
Me: I'll be over immediately, I've been searching for this particular jacket all day but I was stuck in Redskins country!
(Yeah, I get crazy when I'm on a mission for a bargain).
So mission accomplished, I got the jacket and I love it, and at a price that no one else had it for, even if it took some work to find it. Macy's also is not helping me right now by handing me coupons for stuff, because I can think of a few more bargains I wouldn't mind getting my hands on.
I'm perusing the racks, and I happen to wander into the sportswear section, and I run across this nice jacket at 50% off. One problem though, I'm at the Macy's in Marlow Heights, smack dab in the middle of Redskins territory, and I'm a Ravens fan, so no, I was not buying it that morning.
I decided to do a little online hunting to see if there were any online stores selling the jacket for that price. There weren't any, they were all at the full price. Now of course it became my mission to obtain said jacket in Ravens colors. My next step was to try another store, in this case, the thought was to try the Macy's at Columbia Mall since it was between Baltimore and DC. I ended up meeting with my buds TB and CW to hunt for the jacket and possibly do other shopping as well. I get to the Macy's and start walking through the men's section...I can't find any team apparel anywhere, so I ask someone. It turns out that this Macy's doesn't sell team apparel.
Say what? With the sheer number of folks I saw walking around in team apparel at the mall, there's a market that particular Macy's is not tapping. We tried looking through JCPenney and Sears for the same item, but they weren't carrying the jacket. I did run across the jacket at a Foot Locker, but they wanted full price for it. Screw that, not when I can get it for half off.
My next tactic was to start calling other Macy's (thank you VZ Navigator business search). I tried the Glen Burnie and the PG Plaza Macy's before I started to look at some of the entries on the list. It occurred to me that my next call should be to the Owings Mills Macy's. (Trivia for Ravens fans: Why would I think to call the Owings Mills location?) I make the call, and sure enough, they report they have a section of Raven's gear. Half an hour later, I'm pulling into the town center and heading into the Macy's. I find the jacket in the size I want, confirm it's still at the sale price, and make the payment. The guy at the register recognized me as the slightly crazed person who had called looking for Ravens gear. Seriously, the phone call went something like:
Him: [Intro]
Me: Do you carry sports team apparel?
Him: Yes we do
Me: Do you carry Ravens apparel?
Him: We have a big section of that.
Me: I'll be over immediately, I've been searching for this particular jacket all day but I was stuck in Redskins country!
(Yeah, I get crazy when I'm on a mission for a bargain).
So mission accomplished, I got the jacket and I love it, and at a price that no one else had it for, even if it took some work to find it. Macy's also is not helping me right now by handing me coupons for stuff, because I can think of a few more bargains I wouldn't mind getting my hands on.
December 02, 2009
Out of Left Field
I've kept rather quiet on my blog about this subject, but there has been the potential for a rather big change when it comes to St Georges. About a year ago, St. James in Old Bowie reached out to us because they were in a situation where they were facing closure by the diocese, no thanks in part to the current recession. Rather than have to be forced to close, they examined their options and decided to explore a merger with St. Georges, which we accepted the idea of exploring as well.
So for the past year we have been in talks with St. James and toying with being a merged congregation. This has included shared worship services and social events, and getting to know one another. There have also been a number of meetings, both shared and apart, with consultants about the merger and what the next steps are. It hasn't always been easy either, along the way we have discovered that there are some differences that needed to be worked on, both within ourselves and with one another. One such item was having children participate in worship. Not everyone was comfortable with the idea that the kids were helping with the elevation of the bread and wine or with reading parts of the Great Thanksgiving. Also there would be those kids who were being kids so they would get noisy or wander and such, and while it wasn't minded so much at one chapel, it was a potential problem in another (think carpet vs hardwood floor and the noise level) so there was that issue to work out.
Another issue was the perception that not all members were so accepting of the GLBT folks that attended. Now I can't say I witnessed any of that personally, but there were folks who hinted that they had issues. I don't know for sure though, I think one or two of the stories were folks who were being so hypersensitive about perceived slights that they were quick to take offense.
But anyway, so there was a lot of work being done on the part of both parishes, and especially by the Merger Exploration Team. If anything they were making sure to keep us up to date as often as possible about what was going on.
So ultimately the final decision was looming. On December 14, each Vestry was going to meet and vote to decide whether to merge, or to end the process, or even extend the process if a bit more time was needed for some reason. Imagine my surprise today when I got this letter from my priest informing us that the St. James Vestry had met to see where they were in the merger process, and decided to vote to end the process now rather than wait until December 14.
This was not what I was expecting. I had not gotten the sense that folks from St. James were done with this process a bit ahead of time, and that they would decide to just let St. James close and leave rather than merge with St. Georges and keep going as a new entity. However, I can also understand some of the reasoning behind their decision. This process has taken a lot of work this past year, and when it has been the same people who have been involved throughout the process, it can lead to burnout, and I suspect that is a bit of what happened here. Still, I don't think this was a waste of our time either because it gave both parishes a lot of insight as to what was going on and how things could be different. St. Georges was probably coming due for a bit of a shakeup anyway because we have been coasting along for a few years now, and now we have some knowledge of where we are falling flat and could stand to fix.
I certainly hope that we made folks from St. James feel welcome enough that they will decide to come over to St. Georges. They were certainly gracious to us, especially when we were doing the play last month. There was a potential conflict with some dates, and they saved us a lot of trouble by letting us use their parish hall for a weekend of performances.
So from here on out, who knows what could happen or where God is calling us, but God certainly has a reason for why things have happened the way they did, and hopefully we can figure out how to take that experience and use it in a positive way.
So for the past year we have been in talks with St. James and toying with being a merged congregation. This has included shared worship services and social events, and getting to know one another. There have also been a number of meetings, both shared and apart, with consultants about the merger and what the next steps are. It hasn't always been easy either, along the way we have discovered that there are some differences that needed to be worked on, both within ourselves and with one another. One such item was having children participate in worship. Not everyone was comfortable with the idea that the kids were helping with the elevation of the bread and wine or with reading parts of the Great Thanksgiving. Also there would be those kids who were being kids so they would get noisy or wander and such, and while it wasn't minded so much at one chapel, it was a potential problem in another (think carpet vs hardwood floor and the noise level) so there was that issue to work out.
Another issue was the perception that not all members were so accepting of the GLBT folks that attended. Now I can't say I witnessed any of that personally, but there were folks who hinted that they had issues. I don't know for sure though, I think one or two of the stories were folks who were being so hypersensitive about perceived slights that they were quick to take offense.
But anyway, so there was a lot of work being done on the part of both parishes, and especially by the Merger Exploration Team. If anything they were making sure to keep us up to date as often as possible about what was going on.
So ultimately the final decision was looming. On December 14, each Vestry was going to meet and vote to decide whether to merge, or to end the process, or even extend the process if a bit more time was needed for some reason. Imagine my surprise today when I got this letter from my priest informing us that the St. James Vestry had met to see where they were in the merger process, and decided to vote to end the process now rather than wait until December 14.
This was not what I was expecting. I had not gotten the sense that folks from St. James were done with this process a bit ahead of time, and that they would decide to just let St. James close and leave rather than merge with St. Georges and keep going as a new entity. However, I can also understand some of the reasoning behind their decision. This process has taken a lot of work this past year, and when it has been the same people who have been involved throughout the process, it can lead to burnout, and I suspect that is a bit of what happened here. Still, I don't think this was a waste of our time either because it gave both parishes a lot of insight as to what was going on and how things could be different. St. Georges was probably coming due for a bit of a shakeup anyway because we have been coasting along for a few years now, and now we have some knowledge of where we are falling flat and could stand to fix.
I certainly hope that we made folks from St. James feel welcome enough that they will decide to come over to St. Georges. They were certainly gracious to us, especially when we were doing the play last month. There was a potential conflict with some dates, and they saved us a lot of trouble by letting us use their parish hall for a weekend of performances.
So from here on out, who knows what could happen or where God is calling us, but God certainly has a reason for why things have happened the way they did, and hopefully we can figure out how to take that experience and use it in a positive way.
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