Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Alotta Crocs
Seems like most people either love Crocs or hate them with a passion. I am with the first group. I have had a pair of Crocs Hydros for 4 years now, have literally walked all over the country, gone to convention, etc., & they still basically look & feel like they did when I first purchased them.
Lately I've been trying to find a replacement for them & getting a bit anxious about it since Crocs has now discontinued the Hydros--the style I prefer. Hydros look more like a shoe--they cover the ankle & are really light, so light they float in water. I found a couple of pairs (not in my size) & one pair on eBay listed for $70. Since I only paid $49 for them brand new, I passed on that offer.
Now, I often say that I'm the luckiest person I know. Here's another example:
Randy & I were at Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago. I shopped all day & looked everywhere I could think of trying to find a pair of Hydros, to no avail. At the end of the day Randy decided to wash his truck. I told him to drop me off across the street at the Tanger Outlet mall & I would meet him back out front in half an hour.
About 4 or 5 stores in I spotted a Crocs store. What? I didn't even know there was such a thing! I went in & found out that I was there on their opening day & everything was 70c- 90% off. Yep, it was Crocs nirvana for me.
I walked out of the store with (gulp) 8 pairs for me & 1 for my aunt. What did it cost you ask?
$63.42
In case you're wondering, that's an average of $7.05 per pair! Pretty good huh? Randy was mortified--he is in the latter group of course.
And yes, I did find a pair of Hydros.
Check it out:
Lately I've been trying to find a replacement for them & getting a bit anxious about it since Crocs has now discontinued the Hydros--the style I prefer. Hydros look more like a shoe--they cover the ankle & are really light, so light they float in water. I found a couple of pairs (not in my size) & one pair on eBay listed for $70. Since I only paid $49 for them brand new, I passed on that offer.
Now, I often say that I'm the luckiest person I know. Here's another example:
Randy & I were at Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago. I shopped all day & looked everywhere I could think of trying to find a pair of Hydros, to no avail. At the end of the day Randy decided to wash his truck. I told him to drop me off across the street at the Tanger Outlet mall & I would meet him back out front in half an hour.
About 4 or 5 stores in I spotted a Crocs store. What? I didn't even know there was such a thing! I went in & found out that I was there on their opening day & everything was 70c- 90% off. Yep, it was Crocs nirvana for me.
I walked out of the store with (gulp) 8 pairs for me & 1 for my aunt. What did it cost you ask?
$63.42
In case you're wondering, that's an average of $7.05 per pair! Pretty good huh? Randy was mortified--he is in the latter group of course.
And yes, I did find a pair of Hydros.
Check it out:
Friday, April 17, 2009
Good Deal on Acer Aspire Netbook
Newegg.com has the Acer Aspier One Netbook for $345 (shipped). It comes with 1 gig ram, a 160 gig hard drive, built-in wireless, a webcam, card reader, bluetooth, & 3 USB ports. The user reviews gave the battery really good reviews as well. It weighs 2.9 lbs--perfect for traveling with.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Hendersonville Restaurant Review Binion's Steakhouse
Well, Ol Bob is right, it really is the best steak in town. It's also one of the best salads as well. I decided to review my last meal there, even though I've been going there since it opened several years ago.
One thing I like about Binions is that it is very consistent. I always know what to expect. The staff is cheery, if you come between 12noon & 1:30 pm or between 5:30 & 7pm, it will be crowded--count on a wait in the evening. There are barrels of roasted peanuts sitting around to get you through the wait.
Binions has a gambling/old west motif. Kind of what you expect at a steakhouse--rough floors, red-checkered tablecloths. The staff is uniformly cheery.
I ordered a sirloin, house salad, steamed veggies, & unsweetened tea. All came out quickly & they got the order right. Come to think of it, I can't remember them ever making a mistake on my order. Nice.
The Binions house salad is so good. It's not made with that "bag o salad" stuff that I can't stand. You know--stale lettuce, purple cabbage, & little carrot sticks. Yuck. The salad had fresh lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, onions, & the best blue cheese dressing in town. It's probably PYA or Sisco but I don't care--it's good!
The steak was tender & cooked exactly as requested. The vegetables were...well they were vegetables. Nothing especially good or bad there.
The tea didn't taste like it had been made yesterday. I really don't like skanky tea & have been known to send it back.
It's nice to have a good mid-priced restaurant that is consistent. I know what to expect from Mr. Quattlebaum's restaurants & that is important to me.
Now if we could just get him to take that damn music off of his website! It messed up my mp3's when I was trying to get the link for you : )
One thing I like about Binions is that it is very consistent. I always know what to expect. The staff is cheery, if you come between 12noon & 1:30 pm or between 5:30 & 7pm, it will be crowded--count on a wait in the evening. There are barrels of roasted peanuts sitting around to get you through the wait.
Binions has a gambling/old west motif. Kind of what you expect at a steakhouse--rough floors, red-checkered tablecloths. The staff is uniformly cheery.
I ordered a sirloin, house salad, steamed veggies, & unsweetened tea. All came out quickly & they got the order right. Come to think of it, I can't remember them ever making a mistake on my order. Nice.
The Binions house salad is so good. It's not made with that "bag o salad" stuff that I can't stand. You know--stale lettuce, purple cabbage, & little carrot sticks. Yuck. The salad had fresh lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, onions, & the best blue cheese dressing in town. It's probably PYA or Sisco but I don't care--it's good!
The steak was tender & cooked exactly as requested. The vegetables were...well they were vegetables. Nothing especially good or bad there.
The tea didn't taste like it had been made yesterday. I really don't like skanky tea & have been known to send it back.
It's nice to have a good mid-priced restaurant that is consistent. I know what to expect from Mr. Quattlebaum's restaurants & that is important to me.
Now if we could just get him to take that damn music off of his website! It messed up my mp3's when I was trying to get the link for you : )
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Freebies
We have a few things at the office to give away--some lamps, old computer books, etc. If you know someone with a yard sale coming up or a fundraiser let us know. We don't have time to deliver or package & mail, so keep that in mind. I'll get a list up here in the next few days.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe
Sunflower seeds are often overlooked by those looking for healthy alternatives to today's foods, but they shouldn't be. Sunflower seeds are high in protein, low in carbs, & may be the best source of vitamin E. (think heart-healthy).
They have a mild flavor that works well when mixing with fruits. Another great thing about them is that they are cheap--about 1/7th of the price of raw cashews.
Here's a great drink to mix before you do strenuous work.
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup blueberries
1 cup pure water
2 cups ice
2 tbs raw agave nector
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 bananna (not too ripe)
Set Vitamix to variable/low. Put water & vanilla in Vitamix. Slowly add sunflower seeds, blueberries, & agave nector. Mix till smooth. Add ice & increase vitamix speed till mixture is the consistancy of a milkshake.
Enjoy!
Add sunflower seeds
They have a mild flavor that works well when mixing with fruits. Another great thing about them is that they are cheap--about 1/7th of the price of raw cashews.
Here's a great drink to mix before you do strenuous work.
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup blueberries
1 cup pure water
2 cups ice
2 tbs raw agave nector
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 bananna (not too ripe)
Set Vitamix to variable/low. Put water & vanilla in Vitamix. Slowly add sunflower seeds, blueberries, & agave nector. Mix till smooth. Add ice & increase vitamix speed till mixture is the consistancy of a milkshake.
Enjoy!
Add sunflower seeds
Monday, April 13, 2009
Alien Encounters on April 12
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A Great Deal on Verizon Blackberry Phones
Verizon is offering a BOGO on Blackberry phones till 4-24. It will automatically enroll you in the "new every two" plan, which is basically what usually happens when you buy any of their phones at a discounted price.
I've been a Verizon customer for a long time now, since they were Bell South Mobility DCS (about 10 or 11 years ago). I don't think they are perfect, but I am happy with their customer service & their coverage. My "re-up" date is 4-23 but the guy at the store (in Skyland) allowed me to re-up today. Those folks at that store have got it together. They are so laid back & have always treated me well. Just a plug for them, in case they're working on comission.
I ended up with two Blackberry Storm 9530's for $99. I used my $99 re-up credit to buy the $199 phone (which is selling on bestbuy.com for $599), then got another one just like it for free. I ended up paying $99 for both phones.
I love saving money!
I'll review it as soon as I have time to take a good look at it. Right now all I know is that I can send & receive calls & that the touch screen is going to take a bit of getting used to.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Restaurant Review - Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Tom & I love good french fries. Through the years we have tried many restaurants, just on a friend's recommendation about their fries. So naturally we were pretty stoked to hear that Five Guys had opened near our office & that they had hand-cut french fries.
You can't help but notice all the glowing reviews & news articles about the restaurant when you walk in. As a matter of fact, it was their main decor. There were probably 50 reviews, pics of other Five Guys restaurants, & testimonials on the walls. The main colors were red & white, & it basically looked like a burger joint--exactly as expected.
The sound system (Bose) was kicking out some excellent classic rock-not too loud, not too quiet either. Just the way I like it.
I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, & a soda. Tom ordered the exact same thing. They assigned us a number & we sat down to wait...and wait...and wait some more. It was 2:30pm when we got there & it wasn't crowded at all so we were a little surprised at how long it took to get our order ready but it wasn't an inordinate amount of time so we were ok about it.
When our food came out they set down a brown paper bag on the counter & called our number. That was a little surprising since we were eating in & most places give out trays but again, no big deal, probably some kind of burger joint theme or something. There were bulk boxes of roasted peanuts being sitting out & we noticed a couple of people chowing down. Interesting. This is certainly not something I've ever seen anywhere but at a steakhouse. Kind of nice I guess, if you're into roasted peanuts.
When we opened the bag we literally could not see the burgers in the bag at all--there were so many fries spilled out. So we split the bag open & laid it on the table & proceeded to eat one of our favorite meals--burgers & fries. The burgers were alot smaller than expected. Also, for some reason I was surprised that they were obviously fried. As a matter of fact they reminded me of the burgers my Mom used to make (probably the point). The lettuce & tomatoes were fresh, the bun was fine, the condiments were as ordered, but there was just nothing spectacular about the burger at all. Seriously, nothing at all except that it cost $4.99 just for the burger. The fries were definitely hand-cut, but they were so greasy that they literally soaked through the bag & on to the table before we were through eating. Yuck! The fries were $2.59 each (regular size).
Within 30 minutes of finishing the meal we were both feeling a little queasy. Don't get me wrong, I love love love a good meal of burger & fries & had high hopes for this place--especially after reading all the rave reviews posted on their walls. But considering the fact that our bill was $19.32 for only a so-so meal that left us a bit queasy afterwards, I won't go back. Not even if I'm really hungry.
The same meal at the diner down the road from my parents house would have cost about $11 & we would have had someone bring it to our table on a plate & probably make conversation & smile a little too.
Call me picky, whatever, just don't invite me to meet you there...
Here is their website.
You can't help but notice all the glowing reviews & news articles about the restaurant when you walk in. As a matter of fact, it was their main decor. There were probably 50 reviews, pics of other Five Guys restaurants, & testimonials on the walls. The main colors were red & white, & it basically looked like a burger joint--exactly as expected.
The sound system (Bose) was kicking out some excellent classic rock-not too loud, not too quiet either. Just the way I like it.
I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, & a soda. Tom ordered the exact same thing. They assigned us a number & we sat down to wait...and wait...and wait some more. It was 2:30pm when we got there & it wasn't crowded at all so we were a little surprised at how long it took to get our order ready but it wasn't an inordinate amount of time so we were ok about it.
When our food came out they set down a brown paper bag on the counter & called our number. That was a little surprising since we were eating in & most places give out trays but again, no big deal, probably some kind of burger joint theme or something. There were bulk boxes of roasted peanuts being sitting out & we noticed a couple of people chowing down. Interesting. This is certainly not something I've ever seen anywhere but at a steakhouse. Kind of nice I guess, if you're into roasted peanuts.
When we opened the bag we literally could not see the burgers in the bag at all--there were so many fries spilled out. So we split the bag open & laid it on the table & proceeded to eat one of our favorite meals--burgers & fries. The burgers were alot smaller than expected. Also, for some reason I was surprised that they were obviously fried. As a matter of fact they reminded me of the burgers my Mom used to make (probably the point). The lettuce & tomatoes were fresh, the bun was fine, the condiments were as ordered, but there was just nothing spectacular about the burger at all. Seriously, nothing at all except that it cost $4.99 just for the burger. The fries were definitely hand-cut, but they were so greasy that they literally soaked through the bag & on to the table before we were through eating. Yuck! The fries were $2.59 each (regular size).
Within 30 minutes of finishing the meal we were both feeling a little queasy. Don't get me wrong, I love love love a good meal of burger & fries & had high hopes for this place--especially after reading all the rave reviews posted on their walls. But considering the fact that our bill was $19.32 for only a so-so meal that left us a bit queasy afterwards, I won't go back. Not even if I'm really hungry.
The same meal at the diner down the road from my parents house would have cost about $11 & we would have had someone bring it to our table on a plate & probably make conversation & smile a little too.
Call me picky, whatever, just don't invite me to meet you there...
Here is their website.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Mediacom is now Morris Communications
Well, Mediacom is out of here. Morris Communications bought mediacom's WNC holdings last February & are promising better service, more local hires, better customer relations, you name it & they're going to do a better job of it.
Of course as far as I can tell they've never actually owned a cable service before but hey, why should that stop them? Well, the whole bankruptcy thing with the Morris Publishing division is a bit of a bummer but why worry about a little $9.7 million payment till it's due again? (April 24th). After all, they got one extension, getting another one should be no big deal. By the way, the $9.7 mil is just the interest payment. The total debt is reported to be $278 million. But why worry?
Truth is, I really do hope they do well here, because what's the alternative? I have too many trees in my yard to use satellite...
Here's the local number: 828 697-1371
Of course as far as I can tell they've never actually owned a cable service before but hey, why should that stop them? Well, the whole bankruptcy thing with the Morris Publishing division is a bit of a bummer but why worry about a little $9.7 million payment till it's due again? (April 24th). After all, they got one extension, getting another one should be no big deal. By the way, the $9.7 mil is just the interest payment. The total debt is reported to be $278 million. But why worry?
Truth is, I really do hope they do well here, because what's the alternative? I have too many trees in my yard to use satellite...
Here's the local number: 828 697-1371
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Another Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe
This drink is so simple but it's my all-time favorite. It never fails to be the perfect answer to a sweet craving.
Strawberry/Chocolate shake
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup pure water
2 cups ice
1 cup ripe strawberrys
1/2 cup raw chocolate powder
3tbs raw agave nectar
Combine cashews & water. Blend till smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients, saving the ice for last. Ease the Vitamix up to variable/high & blend till smooth.
Enjoy!
Strawberry/Chocolate shake
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup pure water
2 cups ice
1 cup ripe strawberrys
1/2 cup raw chocolate powder
3tbs raw agave nectar
Combine cashews & water. Blend till smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients, saving the ice for last. Ease the Vitamix up to variable/high & blend till smooth.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Happy Birthday Lady Day
Today would have been Billie Holiday's 94th birthday. She was one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, & anyone lucky enough to see her perform never forgot it.
She worked with several of the greats--Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, etc.
Like so many of the jazz greats, she eventually sucumbed to addiction & died of liver & heart disease in NYC at age 44.
Here is a link to a few tracks that are public domain.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Seneca Guns
Last Thursday afternoon Randy & I heard a very long, very loud boom/rumble. It actually shook the building we were in. The sound lasted at least 15 seconds, probably longer. It got steadily louder till the building started to shake--that lasted at least 2 or 3 seconds, then gradually quieted down.
The island we were on was practically deserted at the time & there were no thunderstorms or rain happening either.
Later that day I was talking with my Mom & happened to mention it & she immediately said "oh, you've heard the Seneca guns!" She said that she & my Dad had both heard them a couple of times on that island (on th NC coast) & a local had told them that the term for them was Seneca guns. So I did a little research & found out that nobody really knows what they are or what causes them. These sounds have been documented as early as 1824 & have been heard around the world, primarily near water. There's some speculation that they are seizmic in nhature. Here are some possible explanations for them (from Wikipedia):
The island we were on was practically deserted at the time & there were no thunderstorms or rain happening either.
Later that day I was talking with my Mom & happened to mention it & she immediately said "oh, you've heard the Seneca guns!" She said that she & my Dad had both heard them a couple of times on that island (on th NC coast) & a local had told them that the term for them was Seneca guns. So I did a little research & found out that nobody really knows what they are or what causes them. These sounds have been documented as early as 1824 & have been heard around the world, primarily near water. There's some speculation that they are seizmic in nhature. Here are some possible explanations for them (from Wikipedia):
- Meteorite impacts
- Gas escaping from vents in the earth's surface.
- With lakes, natural gas from decaying vegetation trapped beneath the lake bottoms suddenly bursting forth. This is plausible, since Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake are two large and deep lakes.
- Explosive release of less volatile gases generated as limestone decays in underwater caves.
Military aircraft (though it cannot explain occurrences of the phenomenon which predate supersonic flight). - In some cases, they have been associated with earthquakes.
- In North Carolina, that they are the sound of pieces of the continental shelf falling off into the Atlantic abyss (but there is no geological evidence to support this)
- A recent explanation is that the noise is very distant thunder which has been focussed anomalously as it travelled through the upper atmosphere
Here is another pretty good attempt to explain the noise.
I'm happy to report that the mysterious noise was the most exciting thing that happened while we were out of town.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Good Deal
If you've ever been to Broadway at the Beach (in Myrtle Beach) to shop then you've probably been to the Beyond the Wall store. It's filled with unusual posters, wall hangings, etc.
There have been several times that I've been there but didn't buy anything because I didn't want to have to carry it around with me.
Friday the gal at the counter told me that if you go to their website they have a bunch of stuff on sale & if you call them (instead of ordering from the website) they ship it out to you with no shipping charge. That's pretty cool : )
Here's the link to their site.
Here is the phone number: 843 443-9001
Happy shopping!
There have been several times that I've been there but didn't buy anything because I didn't want to have to carry it around with me.
Friday the gal at the counter told me that if you go to their website they have a bunch of stuff on sale & if you call them (instead of ordering from the website) they ship it out to you with no shipping charge. That's pretty cool : )
Here's the link to their site.
Here is the phone number: 843 443-9001
Happy shopping!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Basia Is Back
"It's That Girl Again" was released on March 24th, feeding the hordes of Basia-crazy fans left over from the 80's.
Basia puts on one of the best live shows I've ever seen, nothing short of perfection. She has a three octave voice & has been performing with musical partner Danny White for years now.
If you get a chance to check out her new release, do so
Here's a link to the Amazon site, complete with customer reviews, track samples, etc.
Enjoy!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe
I love garlic & I love my Vitamix, so this just worked out.
Garlic Bread Spread
One medium avacado
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
Blend together till smooth. Refrigerate. Spread on heated bread.
The avacado is a healthy replacement for butter/margarine. It still has the creamy texture, but without all the unhealthy fats. The sea salt does not have it's natural minerals leached out by processing.
Now if I could just figure out how to make really good italian bread that was not so bad for me...
Garlic Bread Spread
One medium avacado
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
Blend together till smooth. Refrigerate. Spread on heated bread.
The avacado is a healthy replacement for butter/margarine. It still has the creamy texture, but without all the unhealthy fats. The sea salt does not have it's natural minerals leached out by processing.
Now if I could just figure out how to make really good italian bread that was not so bad for me...
Thursday, April 2, 2009
We Fought The Stump And The Stump Won
Our beloved pink dogwood died after it split in half from a pretty bad ice storm 3 years ago. We tried to save it, to no avail. Poor little thing, it's time had come. Fast forward to this past weekend. My husband BamBam couldn't pull it out, nor could he dig it out, but he had another trick up his sleeve. The giant engine on the giant truck that is used to pull the giant boat could surely take care of it in a flash. That tiny little stump was no match for sheer horsepower.
Wrong.
Here's a picture of the unyeilding stump:
Wrong.
Here's a picture of the unyeilding stump:
Now what do we do?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fool's Day
I like April Fool's day but don't participate. I do like reading about some of the pranks pulled by companies, people, etc.
Wickipedia has a great article that lists some well-known pranks. Click here to read up.
Wickipedia has a great article that lists some well-known pranks. Click here to read up.
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