Friday was my birthday. Robb took me, Wendy and Steve to the HiLife Cafe to celebrate. Actually, I guess it was more to commemorate than celebrate because no one celebrates being this old. We had a bottle of champagne and a good meal. Robb, Steve and I had a roasted pork dish which was very good. Wendy had a goat cheese salad. The goat cheese was lightly battered and fried. It was so good. I was the last to finish. I don't really mind getting older, and if it wasn't for the COPD, I would probably be in excellent condition. At least, that's how I feel. It's difficult to think of myself as old, except when I look at the skin on my arms. Yuck!
Since the drug companies here won't let me buy more than a month's worth of my medicine at a time, and since we will be going to Europe in another week and a half, I bought my drugs from a pharmacy in Vanuatu. Yes, I know all about the FDA's warnings about drugs from other places. I know, also, how the FDA will pass any drug from which they receive enough money. I have bought drugs from this company many times before. Never had a problem and don't expect any this time.
I spoke to a really nice guy at AT&T the other day. When I asked if he had ever been out of the country, he replied he had not but wanted to go to Ireland, when and if he gets the chance. When I told him about getting high speed internet, multi-channel TV, free phone service to nearly the entire world and all that for only €30 per month, he replied, "Wow, we're really ripped off in this country aren't we?"
Of course, since most of the people in this country never leave it, they have no idea how badly we are over-charged for just about everything. And when you tell them, they are in such denial (not the river) that they refuse to believe it. As the saying goes...none are so blind as those who will not see. Since that applies to at least eighty percent of Americans, don't expect any changes in your lifetime.
It’s Official: Google Can Sell Power Like a Utility. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted Google Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of the search giant, the right to behave like a utility. The order grants Google Energy the power to sell energy, capacity and services at market rates.
It has been an interesting week chez nous. We hired a maid to come in every other week. Her name is Carmen. She's from Brazil. Wednesday was her first day and she was here for about five hours. She is so thorough that she didn't even finish before she had to go, but promised to make up for it next time. There were only a couple things she didn't get to, but one of them was something we didn't think she would do at all because none of the other people we've had in would even think about cleaning our breakfront with all the glassware.
In other good news, I finally sold the four-wheel suitcase I bought in Germany. I had listed it a couple months ago in Craigslist. One guy called about it, but he didn't want to pay the $50 I was asking. I waited about a month and put it back in on Monday for $75. I had two inquiries and the second one came over on Friday and bought it for his daughter for her trip to.....Brazil.
NOTE TO MOBILE PHONE MAKERS: PLEASE, DO NOT PUT THE VOLUME CONTROL ON THE SIDE OF THE PHONE! THANK YOU.
Does anyone ever wonder why, in spite of the billions of dollars collected through various charities, no cure for anything has been discovered? You don't suppose it's because the drug companies, the insurance companies and the medical practitioners would lose millions if cures were discovered? Nah, couldn't be that.
Here is another example of how badly we're ripped in this country: "The annual premium for a policy providing replacement value for the house and its contents in case of fire, water, or storm damage was just 250 euros ($365). In California, we had been paying about $1500 (€1027) a year for similar coverage (which did not include earthquake insurance). I subsequently bought a car in Saint-Aignan and had it insured with AXA as well. Again, the annual premium for a full-service policy — liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage — was much lower than it had been in California for a similar policy." Americans will never learn! We are ripped-off in just about every way you can imagine, we are behind in just about every category used to measure the greatness of a country, and yet we go blithely on our way talking about living in the greatest country in the world. Some people, instead of waking up when reading this, will undoubtedly reply that if we dislike the US so much, we should leave. Well, just as soon as the dollar is worth more than fifty cents. Does anyone remember just a few years ago when the Canadian dollar was worth about fifty cents? Well, now it's the US dollar that's worth less. We have the slowest internet service in the world, but pay the most. We have the worst mobile phone service in the world, but again, we pay the most.
As if all that wasn't bad enough, Monday it was learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. Many citizens have no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform... in all of its forms.
Dumb Law of the Week: In Arkansas, a man can legally beat his wife once a month!
Saturday night, Robb and I went clubbing. We started at Georgie's Alibi with a margarita. It was somewhat weak, but much better than the last one we had there. We finished our drinks, and walked over to Bill's Filling Station, passing the open Gay Mart on the way. It didn't even occur to me until right now, that it was after midnight and the store was open. In Bill's, we came across a signed poster of RuPaul from 2007. It just happens that we went there for that show with our friends from Toulouse. We waited and waited, but after a couple hours, (s)he still hadn't appeared and we (the audience) were told it might be a couple more hours, so we did not get to see RuPaul. Neither did we get our money back. We had another margarita. It was stronger than the one we had had at Georgie's. We left Bill's and started walking down to The Manor. But Robb had picked up some gay mags and wanted to leave them in the car, so we detoured. Once we got to the car, we decided we might as well drive down to The Manor, because it was a bit further than either of us wanted to walk. We got lucky and came across a guy pulling out just across the street. After we had parked, four young girls (think early 20's) came over to ooh and ahh over the car and us. Lordy, I can't believe we're so old that young guys and girls think we're just so cute. The Manor was jumping with the biggest crowd we'd seen so far. I ordered our margaritas, we found a table where we could check out the action and hung out. The drinks at The Manor were nondescript and served in a small plastic cup. They were also the most expensive.
I was sitting on the balcon the other day and just happened to notice that one of the palm tree spears I showed before, was in the process of opening into a frond.
There's a whole new business happening online now. They're called “Penny Auctions”. Some clever person took the idea of eBay and figured out a way to make more money while giving less. In order to "bid" on an item, you have to purchase "bids". If you run out of bids before you win the item, you have to purchase more. Their big draw is the low bids that "win" the items; like getting an iPad for $30.
This asshole will just not give up: OAKLAND, Calif. — Here we go again. A California religious radio impresario who predicted — wrongly — that the end of the world would begin on May 21 revised his prophecy on Monday, saying now that the end is due in October.
Sunday was a horrific day. Two of Robb's cousins (twice removed) came in to visit their mother (Helen, who lives on Miami Beach). Elandra flew in from Dallas and Claudia drove down from New Jersey with a stop in Atlanta to visit her daughter. Elandra, was getting into the Fort Lauderdale airport around 13h00. She and Robb agreed to meet at the airport and drive to the Sage restaurant, where we would wait for Claudia. Of course, our car only holds two people, so Robb had to drop me at the restaurant first. It took a bit longer than any of us anticipated, but they finally showed up. Then we had to order lunch. I checked the menu and decided the best thing for me would be a crêpe, so I ordered the Crêpe Nanette (with apples and brie). I was hoping for a regular crêpe, but this thing was big enough to feed a family of four. Then the real horror began. Elandra started talking. Mother blah blah blah...sister blah blah blah. It seemed like hours until Claudia called and said she was very close. I guess they're all so used to putting each other down that they don't realize how very boring it can be for someone outside the family to listen to them. Especially if you can't just get up and walk away.
We have four new trees in our 'garden' area (the area between the buildings). I'm not sure what kind of trees they may be. One appears to be some kind of palm tree, another is kind of gray-ish, and the other two look like regular trees. Two of the trees were planted where we had lost trees. The palm-like tree replaced the one that died because of the cold, and the other one replaced a tree whose roots were damaging the pool.
If I should suddenly disappear from Open Diary, you can find me at Le Rêve Français.
I never liked the Sperminator from the first time I heard of him, many years ago. It just seems appropriate that he's a homophobic Republican who cheats on his wife.
Dumb Law of the Week: In Arizona, it is illegal to hunt camels!
Flashes Light Up Sky Over Fort Worth. This video is fantastic!
I don't know about you guys, but I found this to be hilarious: Delaware Adopts Civil Unions. The bill, which passed the state house and senate by wide margins last month, was signed into law at the Queen Theater in Wilmington....
I hope you all will have a happy last week of your life. Oh, haven't you heard? According to Harold Camping (the same guy who predicted the end of the world in 1994, be sure to scroll down to the reviews) the world is coming to an end on May 21, 2011, at approximately 18h00. So, if you were planning to watch the six o'clock news this Saturday, too bad, you will be the news. According to the dimwits at ebiblefellowship.com/, it's true. Of course, that doesn't mean you should stop sending your donations. So, happy End of the World, folks!
While shopping in our local discount warehouse, I came across Magnum Ice Cream Bars. You may remember how I raved about them last year in Europe, so I was extremely happy to find a place that sells them in the US. Then I got the idea to check our local supermarket, and sure enough, there they were. But no one sells, nor have they even heard about (apparently) my favorite, the Magnum White. So, of course, as I am wont to do in these times of email, I fired off a bunch of emails to various markets around the area. A few contacted me wanting to know where I had seen, or eaten, these delicious treats, which is how I discovered this particular bar was unknown to them.
Robb and I watched the Eurovision finals live online. Only one of my top three choices made it to the top ten; Georgia. Robb liked Greece. The winner was Azerbaijan, which we had to Google to find where it is. The one thing that always stands out when I watch Eurovision, is that almost all the songs are performed in English. I say almost all, because France refuses to speak English, even though it's mandatory in their schools. Italy didn't do that well, but I know at least one other person who will like them.
I bought two SIM cards from different companies. The first is from Roam Simple, a Canadian company, although the card they sent me is for O2, a UK company. I got that one, even though their rates are a bit high and you have to pay for everything; incoming, outgoing, texts in, texts out, even voicemail. But I have an $18 credit from the last time I used them, so I will use that until my credit is gone and then I'll switch to the other. The other is from Roam4Zero, a slight misnomer, and another UK company. But their rates are rather fair. These rates for the Czech Republic are pretty much standard throughout Europe; Incoming $0.00 / min, Outgoing to local landline $0.50 / min, Outgoing to local Cell $0.50 / min, Outgoing SMS $0.70, Incoming SMS Free. There are two distinctly different Roam4 websites. Roam4Less and Roam4Zero. Roam4Less is very similar to Roam Simple, with which you pay for everything, and the Roam4Zero which has rates like the ones I've shown. There is another company named Roam4Free, which is in no way connected with the other two. Oh, the Roam4Zero card is usually about $29, but I got them on eBay for $10 with no shipping charge.
Saturday, Robb and I did another thing we haven't done in a long time. No, again it wasn't that. We met Wendy (Robb's neice) and Steve (her husband) for lunch at a place named D'Angelo's. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I don't eat breakfast or lunch. It's usually much too late for breakfast, by the time I get up somewhere between 11:30 AM and 13h00. At the restaurant, which was very nice, we had a bunch of stuff from the Tapas menu, including roasted sweet Italian sausage over escarole and beans, turkey & chicken meatballs in roasted pepper thyme sauce, polpo – octopus carpaccio, olives and tomato pesto. I ate a couple pieces of calamari and a couple of pesto covered french fries. But I ate quite a bit of the polpo because it was very like the polpo we had in Barcelona. Steve and Wendy didn't care for it. We had a nice, long chat (about an hour and a half) and then we left.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about seeing bushy palm trees for the first time. Some people got the idea that they're bushy because they needed trimming. But that's not the case, because as far as I know, I've never seen anyone trim a palm tree. Nor have I ever seen one that needed trimming. Here is a picture of a 'regular' palm tree and here is a 'bushy' palm tree. Can you now see the difference? These 'regular' palms have been here since long before we moved in, and in fact, were barely up to the balcony of the apartment below us. The palm trees don't need trimming because they 'trim' themselves. It's not easy to see, but in this picture, you can see what appears to be a spear sticking up from the middle of the tree. You can also see one in the picture of the bushy trees. This will eventually become a new frond. Shortly after that happens, one of the older fronds on the bottom will fall off.
Monday night, Robb and I did something we haven't done in a long, long time. No, not that. We went to a bar after eleven PM. Normally, Robb would be getting ready to go to bed around midnight (I usually don't go to bed until about one or two AM). But at midnight on Monday night, we were sitting on the outdoor patio at Georgie's Alibi drinking margaritas. They weren't very good, but they were considerably less than I remember paying for drinks in the good ole days. It was nice to be out and about for a change, but we didn't get to bed until about three AM and I really felt it on Tuesday.
Friday afternoon, Geoff invited a bunch of us to his place to watch the Royal Wedding of Kate and William. I could not care less about the Royal Family and their affairs, but I loved being able to see the beautiful buildings both inside and out, not to mention the beautiful carriages after the wedding. Also, the champagne we drank didn't hurt at all. Of course, that was three days ago, so now Geoff is not speaking to me again because I agreed with something he said. I think I'm pretty much done with him this time, it takes too much effort to befriend him; you just never know what's going to set him off.
Saturday night, we had dinner again at the HiLife Cafe. I had the Pasta Purses, "delicate purses stuffed with creamy goat cheese and roast hazelnut in a mushroom Madeira wine sauce with a hint of Brie cheese". The HiLife now features "half-portions" for people like me who cannot eat the huge mounds of food served in restaurants. I considered getting the half-portion of the Pasta Pockets, but changed my mind. It's a good thing I did because what I was served would have equaled a half-portion in any other restaurant. Robb had the Blueberry Hill, "Grilled NY Strip Steak served with our homemade Mashed Potatoes and Smoked Blueberry Sauce topped with Bacon dressed Arugula Salad."
I saw this headline today: Medicare's Math Problem: Taxes - Benefits = Trouble. The REAL problem with the Medicare program is the incompetent people running it and the amount of money stolen from it (and Social Security) to support other favorite programs of the Washington politicians.
NEW YORK (AP) - Apple denied that the iPhone has a privacy problem Wednesday - and then promised to fix it. It took the technology giant a week to respond to a brouhaha over how the devices log their owners' movements. So, tell me, how do you fix a problem that doesn't exist? Will Apple lovers ever get it? This is what Apple claims cannot be done.
I was walking around the complex grounds when I happened to look up at the apartments in the complex next door and noticed the palm trees. Now, remember, they've been there for several years, but this was the first time I actually looked at them. What a surprise I got. I've never before seen a bushy palm tree.
A couple days later, I was again walking around our complex and what to my surprise did I find growing all over the place? Yep, bushy palm trees. I particularly like this group by the river with the bench. I also like the view from the bench. I finally saw some relatively large fish in the river and tried to get a picture, but I guess they were too far under the water, because the picture was great but I couldn't see the fish. The water in the river is surprisingly clean.
There is a guy who lives on the first floor of our building whom I call Beer Boy. The reason I call him by that name is I don't know his real name and because he spends most of the day drinking beer after beer after beer. He usually shows up at the pool, around eleven in the morning, by which time he is already well into drunkeness. He sits in the sun for several hours, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and sometimes, a cap. Robb once asked if he was worried about getting skin cancer, and he replied that was the least of his worries. I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to see someone who spends a lot of time in the sun, but their skin looks like old, dried-out leather. He obviously doesn't work because he is always here and he is always drunk. We assume he is on some kind of disability. He is friendly but he is definitely one of the many strange people living in our complex.
I've been looking for an HTC mobile phone because they are pretty much the best on the market at this time. But more than that, they have a large, 4.3-inch screen. Also, I want an unlocked phone that I can use when we go traveling, and the HTC would be ideal because along with the large screen, it has a great camera for single shots and videos. I tried to get AT&T to unlock my phone, but they won't do it before 4 August. We'll have less than a month left at that time, and I really don't want to have to take two phones. My reason for mentioning this is that I thought I had found a wholesaler who would be willing to sell just one phone. So I contacted them and agreed to wire the money by Western Union. Apparently, Western Union saved me from being ripped off, because they refused to pay the wholesaler because he was on their blacklist. I have since learned that people and companies who insist you send money through Western Union (or any other way that entails giving them 'cash') are most likely to be scams. So, kiddies, if you deal with a company who won't accept credit cards, or at the very least PayPal, be very wary.
Why we measure speech in noise. The ability to detect speech in noise plays a significant role in our communication with others and our overall sense of sharpness. Here's an example: You're at a restaurant, celebrating your sister's birthday with a big group of people. It's a boisterous crowd, and many conversations are going on around you. You want to join a conversation with two old friends sitting nearby. Can you separate the background noise from their words well enough to participate?
Saturday evening, we drove down to Miami Beach to have dinner with Robb's elderly cousin (once removed). Who uses such terminology? We were supposed to eat in the building restaurant, but it had closed a day or two before. His cousin (Helen) didn't discover that fact until just a short while before we got there. It's not really surprising. The area is full of decent restaurants, and unless they advertised, no one would know they were there. So their clientele is pretty much limited to the people who live in Costa Brava. There are twenty-two floors and, according to their ad, 216 apartments, but it's not enough to support a restaurant where the food is mediocre at best.
Helen suggested a nearby Greek restaurant. Of course, our car only holds two people, so we had to take her car and her assistant, Claudette, drove. When we arrived, I saw the name of the place was Sardinia. My geography isn't all that great, but I know that Sardinia is nowhere near Greece, and is, in fact, Italian. But one must remember, Helen is ninety-two. Robb and I had what they called "sea bass", and although it was delicious, it wasn't like any sea bass we've ever had before. If you read about our experience in Café Seville, you'll recall that I complained about the noise. Compared to the Sardinia, Café Seville was quiet as a tomb. While we were eating, three guys sat at the table next to us. One of them remarked, "This is the first time we haven't talked to each other in forty years." Sardinia is situated near the shore, and I tried to take a couple of pics but they all came out very blurred.
Thursday was Robb's birthday. He's now (mumble mumble) years old. To celebrate, Robb, Geoff and I went to the Hi Life Café. Ricky was supposed to join us but he had to fly back to New York for a meeting of some sort, so it was just the three of us. We were surprised to learn that Chuck and Carlos had sold the restaurant, although Carlos has remained on as the chef. We started by sharing the appetizer; Creole Calamari (Fresh calamari sautéed in a garlic fricassée). For our main course, Robb and I had the Jumbo Sea Scallops (Seared jumbo scallops served with a ginger accented sweet potato mash and grilled asparagus then finished with an orange glaze). Geoff had the Blueberry Hill (Grilled NY Strip Steak served with homemade Mashed Potatoes and Smoked Blueberry Sauce topped with Bacon dressed Arugula Salad). As usual, the food at the Hi Life was excellent. Because it was a special occasion, we downed a couple bottles of Veuve Clicquot.
Saturday night, we went back to Café Seville for dinner. I had Fillet of Red Snapper Olé, sautéed with artichokes, mushrooms, leeks, lemon juice, garlic and white white. Robb started with a green salad, then had Dolphin with a tomato and jalapeno mix. Our dessert was Tres Leches Cake. Ramon Justicia, an excellent guitarist, was playing, but the other diners were so loud and rude, we could barely hear him over their din.
Thought I had found a great deal on an International SIM card online. It was less than most others, we would have been able to call each other with no charge and to make it even better, I could pick it up at our local Best Buy store. So I ordered it and we went to Best Buy on Friday to pick it up. The clerks evidently don't do much "pick up at the store" transactions, and it took quite a while before I got my cards and we could leave. I should have become supicious when I had to call to set up my choice of "plans". It turns out that it isn't an International SIM at all, it's a US mobile company. The rates are pretty good, but it's not what I need. Now, I have to take it back to the store. Maybe tomorrow.
I've "Tweeted" several European mobile companies, including Vodafone, T-mobile, and O2 to see if they have anything worth buying. There appears to be a Czech company from which you can get a SIM, but it's really only good in the Czech Republic. I want one that's more universal. I do have some European friends checking around for me also. I may just end up going back to RoamSimple, a Canadian company that I've used before with good results.
Saturday night, Robb took my recipe for Poulet de Framboise, used blueberries instead of raspberries, and made a fantastic dinner. My dessert was Raspberry Elegance.
Poulet de Framboise: 4 Chicken Breasts (Vegetarians can substitute whatever), 6 Oz Brandy, 18 Oz Raspberry Puree, 6 Oz Lemon Juice, 1 Tbs Nutmeg, 6 Oz White Vinegar, 1 Lg Shallot (chopped), ½ Pint Heavy Cream. Brown chicken on both sides until about ¾ done. Remove chicken from the pan. And deglaze with brandy. Add the rest of the ingredients and reduce by half. Return chicken to pan and cook until done (I always cook the chicken in the sauce).
Wednesday, we ate at Sage. We had a nice seat near the window. I had the Gratinée (pasta with a great cheese sauce, scallops, shrimp, clams and mussels). Robb had Coquilles St. Jacques en Croute; Fresh scallops served in a puff pastry with a light and creamy fennel sauce. Served with new potatoes and fresh vegetables.
Thursday afternoon, we went to the Galleria. We entered by way of Macy's luggage department. They were having a sale. I bought another four-wheeler, because (1) it's at least fifty percent bigger than the one I bought in Frankfurt, (2) it was fifty percent off and (3) I got another twenty percent off because I applied to renew my Macy's card, which I haven't used in over fifteen years. Robb needed a battery for his watch so we stopped at the Fast-Fix kioske (you can just barely see Robb standing at the counter). It has been there for years and they're very reliable. I even managed to resist thegoodies at the next booth. Then, we took off to find shoelaces, stopping at Williams-Sonoma to check on pots and pans, but didn't find the kind for which I was looking. None of the shoe stores in the Galleria sold shoelaces so, after picking up Robb's watch, we had to drive to the shoe repair place in the Coral Ridge Mall.
Of course, now that I've purchased a new suitcase, we'll have to stop traveling because our fridge is too full of travel magnets. We have no room for more.
Saturday, we spent an hour or so in Dave's apartment across the hall, from where I took this picture of the west side of the complex.. Actually, it's Dr. Dave because he's an independant Doctor of Optometry. Anyway, he had to work and asked us to house sit while the carpetman put carpeting in his second bedroom.
These (there are at least two of them) are so cool. If I was one of those "air guitar" guys, I would definitely buy one. Of course, for the "air guitarists", reality has to once again rear its ugly head; one must actually know the chords to the songs they want to "play".
Apparently, today is my day for finding things in France with strange names. We start with L'Ogasme Glace on Paris Through My Lens by my friend Virginia.
If I had not seen this on a French website, I would not have believed it. There is a small town named after me, just 35 km from Chartres and it's famous cathedral.
How many hundreds of people died before the rest of the world "rushed" to the aid of the Libyan rebels?
Bad Choice Logo of the Week:
All the pictures were taken with my phone and my shaky hands.
We went to GayMart, which is conveniently next door to our Credit Union, to get cards for Geoff's birthday which was on Thursday. We went down to his apartment around 15h00 and gave him the cards and a couple of little presents. We couldn't stay because he had a "friend" coming over, so we arranged to come back later. When we went back later, Billy was there. Billy lives down the hall from Geoff. He lived in Prague for several years, so we get to ask questions of what to expect and what are the best places for this and that. While we were there, I took a picture of a beautiful sunset, which we don't get to see often because we're on the wrong side of the building.
Today's first quiz. How many of you are aware that our solar system is a binary system, meaning there are two stars, not just the one we call the sun?
Today's second quiz. Is climate change a possible result of the earth's magnetic pole reversal?
Another slow week. I don't mind them because I spend most of my time on the computer anyway, but it drives Robb up a wall. He always wants to be out doing something. Most days, he'll go for a walk through the neighborhood. I've tried to accompany him from time to time, but I find it's difficult for me to walk more than a couple of blocks in this Florida weather. I don't have as much trouble in Europe, as you should know if you've read this journal for any length of time.
Our phones are acting crazy. When we turn them on, they both indicate "No SIM card in phone". It doesn't seem to be a problem with my phone, but Robb cannot receive calls and everything goes straight to voice mail. I'm not sure what the problem might be. I called AT&T and although they very nice, they had no idea what the problem might be either.
We're having a little drama here at the condo. A few years ago, the president of the Board of Directors, was ripping us off like crazy. Things like; we would need a service and he would set up a company and hire himself to do the work for more than a regular company would charge. It took a while for us to catch on because no one really paid attention as long as the problems were handled. But then we noticed that everything was costing more and more. We finally got rid of him and his three croney board members who voted for whatever he proposed. Now, he is trying to get back onto the board. The poor fool doesn't realize that we have all this information that could effectively cost him his job with American Airlines and/or send him to jail if we decided to press charges.
