Smart Phone

You may have noticed I don't post as often when we're not traveling about.  Normally, I post once a week, but our daily lives aren't that interesting, so it could be longer between posts until we go somewhere.  I know you're all heartbroken.  We're already discussing where we'll go this summer.  At this point, it looks like Paris, Berlin, and either Madrid or Valencia in Spain.

Last week, we went to dinner at Candela's with Robb's niece Wendy and her husband Steve. Candela has changed muchly since we were last there.  It's bigger, the menu has changed and the prices seem to be higher.  I guess that's what happens when a restaurant becomes successful. The food is still good, well actually great, although I wasn't crazy about the presentation of my Trout Andaluza.  All in all, it was a good meal and we had a nice conversation with Wendy and Steve.  At the end of the meal, Wendy introduced us to a dessert wine she had brought (Candela is a BYOB place although you can buy from their wine list).  It is ChocoVine and it tastes very much like Bailey's Irish Cream.  I really like it.

After we left Candela's, we drove to a store named To The Moon.  It's a tiny place and I couldn't believe all the stuff they've got there.  They have just about every candy ever manufactured from the forties until now.  I even found the milk chocolate bar with hazelnuts that I just brought back from Europe.

In other news, I finally succumbed to the smartphone craze.  I was already pissed at T-Mobile because they wouldn't replace Robb's phone without charging us way too much. Tiger Direct sent me an email advertising the HTC EVO 4G, which is the latest, hottest mobile on the market.  So far, Sprint is the only company offering it, and since I was looking for a new mobile company (and since just about every electronics site I checked said it was the best) I went for it.  It's kind of expensive, but I get unlimited calling to and from any mobile phone in the US, unlimited text, Pic and Video messaging; unlimited emails, web browsing and messaging; all calls free after 7PM weeknights; and nationwide long distance.  It also has an 8 megapixel camera and it can shoot HD videos.  Here is the first picture I took with it.  I think it's a pretty good deal.  But there are two really great features; the HTC EVO has a 4.3 inch screen so I can easily see what's there, and I can use the phone as a WiFi hotspot no matter where I am.  I've already used it to post on Twitter.  EDIT:  Since I ordered the phone, I found another site that's offering the same deals for $40 less per phone.  I am currently negotiating with TD for a matching price or a refund.

Am I the only one who has noticed how things are getting smaller and smaller, while the prices rise and rise?  The other day, I bought what I thought was a half-gallon of Edy's ice cream.  A half-gallon is two quarts.  What I got was 1.8-quarts (and that was with 20% more).  Breyers is even worse; I only got 1.5-quarts.  I think we need to start an email campaign telling these companies that we won't buy their products until they give us the full size for which we're paying.  I've already fired off emails to Edy's and Breyers.  Our local supermarket, Publix, still sells half-gallons of their own brand, and it's just as good if not better than the others.  The same is true of coffee.  The usual containers have 39 ounces.  But when they're on sale, have you noticed they're only 33 ounces?  I've already gotten a reply from Breyers.  They're so unhappy that I'm unhappy. They're going to send me a coupon.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg, it seems to be true of just about everything sold in this country.
  

Here's something fun: The Tone Matrix.

An ingenious French anti-ronflement (anti-snoring) solution?

Hasta la próxima, amigos.