5 On the Fifth -- Florida Birds

This is an idea from State of the Nation UK -- taking five photos and share them with the world on the fifth of the month.  It has been quite a while since I posted one of these, but better occasionally than never.  I, once again, chose to ignore their "theme," which was lines, and decided to show photos of various birds I've photographed while in Florida this winter.

Shane Will Pull Through--It's A Miracle!

Shane got the flu this week.  He had to come home from work on Wednesday and was off again yesterday.  He had a raging fever of 101, but he was feeling better today and went back to work.  Maude enjoyed nursing him back to health.  It was touch and go there for a while, but it looks like he's out of the woods.

Losing My Capital Bikeshare Virginity

I joined Capital Bikeshare (CB), and although it was freezing cold today, I popped my CB cherry.  CB is like zip car for bikes.  There are 110 stations around the city and in Arlington, VA, containing 1,100 bikes. Members can insert their keychain toggle and take a bike for a spin and return it to any station you want, as long as there is a space available.  The first 30 minutes are free.  Up to an an hour cost $1.50.  The next half hour cost is another $3 and the next half adds $6 (for a total of $10.50).  Each additional half hour escalates the price to ridiculous amounts.  They emphasize it is designed for people to make short trips around the city.

I got my keychain toggle last night in the mail, so on the way home from work tonight, I decided to go for a spin even though it was barely 40 degrees.  I inserted my toggle and saw the light turn green, indicating that I should have been able to release the bike from its dock.  I pulled and nothing happened. I tried again.  I tried another bike.  I was having no luck.  Finally, I got one loose and off I went for a very short ride.

The reason I joined is to be able to ride home from work.  It is about a 7 mile trip.  There is a station near where I work and a station near Eastern Market Metro, near where I live.  I'm hoping I can make it in less than 30 minutes... about the same time it takes to ride the subway.  It seems like a fun way to get a little extra exercise.  I am hoping it gets warmer soon.

Where Has All My HDL Gone?

At work, they offer a free heart profile, which involves pricking my finger and taking my blood to get a reading on my cholesterol and blood sugar levels.  I got the bad news yesterday.  My HDL, my "good cholesterol," plunged from a relatively low average 43 to a disappointing 29.  While my overall cholesterol was down, my ratio of good cholesterol to bad went up from a barely good 5.1 to a not so good 7.

I, of course, spent some time on the Interwebs looking up just what this meant.  One site said a 5 point drop in HDL can mean a 25 percent increase in your risk of heart disease.  So, how do I raise my HDL levels?  It can be done.  Here are some tips:

Stop Smoking.  Unfortunately, I already don't smoke, so that doesn't help much.

Lose Weight.  My BMI (Body Mass Index) is a little high and I do have some belly fat, but this is America.  Relative to the population, I'm not exactly huge.  But I do want to lose 15-20 pounds.

Exercise.  I run with a blue sponge damn it.  I guess I could do better.

Eat Healthy Foods:  Salmon, avocados, walnuts (high in Omega-3), soy, orange juice, cranberries, etc.  Working on eating better.  I also have been taking fish oil pills.  Yum!

Alcohol:  This one is my favorites.  I should drink 1 to 2 drinks a day.  It's for my health.

Shane and Laurie On the Town

We went out on the town with Laurie, who is the wife of Shane's step
brother, Trent. She is in town on business from Massachusetts. We
went to a swanky Italian restaurant in downtown DC, and then to the
W hotel roof bar for a drink. It was so much fun, we made plans to get
together tomorrow night. I had a filet of sole stuffed with crab meat
served with a tomato sauce. Laurie had the rigatoni dish below. Shane
had a cheese pizza.  It was all delish!

Shane Subways Toward Home

We ride the subway home after a night on the town with Shane and my
sister-in-law, Laurie. Shane isn't really that pale... It's just bad
lighting.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #277

You better hurry... This kinda bargain won't last long!

or

Can't beat that view though.

or

It's just that much less grass to mow.

or

The bad news is that the previous owners claims it's haunted.

These are my ideas for my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #277.  Let me know if you like any of them or if you come up with a caption too!  They all can't all be winners.

Any Hope for Our Backyard Palm Tree?

It has been a cold, dry winter in SW Florida, and it has taken a toll
on the palm trees we had planted in our backyard. This one is by far
in the worst condition. We are crossing our fingers it and its sister
in our backyard will make a comeback.

AirTran Computer Glitch Wreaks Havoc

I traveled home from Florida today, and luckily I got to the airport plenty early.  When I arrived, the place was in chaos.  Since we have no printer at our Florida house, we have to check in and pick up our boarding pass before going through security.  Usually, there is only a few people in line when we get there.  Today, I never saw such a crowd.  

I quickly learned the problem was AirTran's computer system was down.  Each person had to be checked in manually.  I was worried I was going to miss my flight, but I quickly realized they had to get lots of people on lots of flights.  Also, since I wasn't checking a bag, I got in a a relatively short line to just get my boarding pass.  Although there were only about 10 people in my line, it still took more than 45 minutes to get to the front.  By then, the computer started working again and I made it with time to spare.  

Remember when it was fun to fly?

Dinner at "Trendy" Punta Gorda Restaurant, Torch

Since it was our last night together in Florida, Shane and I went out to dinner to a new restaurant (for us), Torch Bistro in Punta Gorda. The restaurant's Web site describes the place like this:  "When stepping into the doors of Torch Bistro you ask yourself..."are we in Charlotte County?" With the modern and sleek look of the restaurant the design reminds you of a Miami or New York style restaurant."

From the outside, the place is lit up with numerous tiki torches.  When you step inside, you can tell they are going for a modern look.  There is a glassed in bar area with sports programming on the TVs. We were seated at a small table for two on the wall on the other side of the bar. Glittering glass-like beaded curtains divided the rooms.

Though we were told we couldn't get a reservation for four at 6:30 (we had originally invited Shane's folks to join us) the place was about half empty when the two of us arrived for our reservation at 7:30. What I didn't really like about the place was the noise.  Though it wasn't that full, it was loud in there. They need something to absorb the crowd chatter.  It must be really bad when it is busy.

Anyway, we both had nice glasses of Cabernet and ordered steaks. They brought "bread" to the table, which were really bread nuggets. No need to worry about filling up. We got about four bite-size pieces.  They brought us a good salad in deep white square bowls. I had a tangerine vinaigrette, which was very good.

Our steaks came and they were surround by some sort of green sauce. We are not sure what that sauce was, but it was not the best looking presentation of a steak. The steak had a tiny dollop of mashed potatoes covered with a beef gravy and all that was covered with several well-done pieces of asparagus. 

The steak was OK, but I wouldn't say this was as nice as the River City Grill, another restaurant we like in Punta Gorda. We'll give Torch another chance, though... sometime.

New Bedroom Set Decisions Decisions

Shane and I went furnisher shopping in Florida today.  We need to get a bedroom set for our guest bedroom in the Florida house.  We're having a bit of a disagreement about which set to get.  Shane wants that boring white set while I think the luxurious dark set is perfect.  Actually, we both hate the dark set.  We came around the corner and saw it and both our jaws dropped at it ugliness.  We are thinking about the white set though.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #276

How long before this Stockholm Syndrome starts to kick in?

or

I'm willing to work with you on your commitment issues Clive.

or

Jesus Christ! You can't have to pee again!

or

If you ask for that Blackberry one more time, I'm going to shove it up your ass.

or

You ALL can't be gay.  

or

After the amazing rope escape trick, perhaps you'll make your sausage disappear.

These are my ideas for my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #276.  Let me know if you like any of them or if you come up with a caption too!

Foggy Day at the Beach

This wasn't taken at night.  This was at about 1 p.m. today at the beach in Florida.  It was foggy at the house when I woke up, but the fog burned off by mid-morning.  So, I went to the beach.  It was foggy at the beach when I got there, but I figured it would soon burn off.  It did clear up somewhat by 3 p.m., but it seemed to get worse again by 3:30.  It was not a great day at the beach, but I was at the beach and not at work... So... It was a good day.  Compare this photo to the clear days posted a few days ago.  It was foggy.  However, it didn't prevent me from getting a sunburn on my face.

Where In the World is Shane?

Shane is traveling on business... again, and here are two views out his 30th floor hotel window.  Can you guess where he is?  Here's a hint; he ain't in Kansas.

Back at the Beach

This was my day, and I plan on a rerun tomorrow.

My Week In Florida Begins

I arrived in Florida today to perfect weather, and it is supposed to stay beautiful all week.  Shane has to go on a business trip, but is meeting me down here later in the week.

Don't be jealous, but here's the forecast for the week in Punta Gorda:

Sun Feb 20 Sunny 82° 54° 0% 82°F Mon Feb 21 Sunny 82° 57° 0% 82°F Tue Feb 22 Partly Cloudy 81° 55° 0% 81°F Wed Feb 23 Mostly Sunny 83° 54° 10% 83°F Thu Feb 24 Sunny 82° 56° 0% 82°F Fri Feb 25 Sunny 82° 54° 0% 82°F Sat Feb 26 Partly Cloudy 80° 55° 10% 80°F

Elaine Comes Over and Goes Ape

Our friend, Elaine, came over tonight and we celebrated Valentine's Day.  We went out for Indian food and it had an odd effect on Elaine.  This may look silly, but we nearly had strokes laughing about this.  It takes so little to amuse some of us.

Dr. Weil's 5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

I have been drinking green tea at work like crazy lately.  I like it without any sugar or sweetner of any sort.  It is very relaxing.  It also has another effect that other warm liquids seems to have in that it triggers a certain need to go to the bathroom.  Sorry... TMI.  Anyway, Dr. Weil just tweeted the 5 reasons to drink green tea, so I swiped them and printed it below.  It is from his blog. BTW, my green tea is decaf.  

5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

Looking for a simple resolution to improve your overall health? Start drinking green tea. My beverage of choice, green tea is a potent source of catechins - healthy antioxidants that can inhibit cancer cell activity and help boost immunity. Need more reasons to drink green tea? It can also:

1. Lower cholesterol levels and rates of heart disease
2. Help protect against bacterial infections
3. Promote joint health and stronger bones
4. Reduce inflammation
5. Enhance the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and “superbugs”

Green tea is available in a wide range of varieties - introduce yourself by substituting a cup of green tea for a cup of coffee and you will soon be enjoying the health benefits of this delicious beverage! Learn to appreciate the subtle fragrance of good-quality green tea and use tea time to unwind, meditate and take respite from your stress du jour.

This is my gay birds teacup. 

Where In the World Is Shane?

I don't think this one will be too difficult to get.  It was just a train ride from here and he went and returned in the same day.  It's New York City.  We were just there this past weekend, but Shane had to go back today for the day.

My Favorite Part of the Grammys-Mumford & Sons

Valentine Dinner at Home--Happy VD!

This is how we celebrated VD.  Shane cooked and I cleaned up.  The menu included a boneless pork chop, baked potato and steamed green beans.  We drank a bottle of Starmont cabernet sauvignon (2007).  Dessert was chocolate ice cream.  We love sitting in the the bay window and Maude always joins us.  It was a nice evening. Hope you had a good VD too.

I Love Me Some Mama Cass

As Sammy says, "You all know the most fantastic lady of the now sound." Born Ellen Cohen in Baltimore, MD, she grew up outside of Washington, DC, in Alexandria, VA, where she renamed herself Cass.  I love me some Mama.   

We See Spider-Man--Turn Off the Dark

Shane and I went to see Spider-Man today and it is not as bad as recent critics would have you believe. It wasn't the greatest show either, but it was not boring.

If you are a kid expecting non-stop action, you may be dissapointed.  It is a musical after all and they stop the action for a U2ish song every once in a while. There were lots of restless kids in the crowd  making lots of noise--mostly from eating and drinking during love songs.

What I did like was the staging. I sat in the front row of the lowest balcony, aka The Flying Circle. Several times during the show Spidey would fly across the orchestra seats and land on a platform about 6 feet away. That was pretty impressive. The sets were pretty amazing. One especially amazing one was a horizontal skyscraper showing the street below as if the audience was hanging out the window. It was worth seeing the show just for the visual effects. I assume that is the work of the director, Julie Taymor.

A few of the songs were fairly good. You could easily recognize they were Bono and The Edge songs a mile away. They often started with the familiar U2 intro. Although, one of the best musical moments in the show is the Green Goblin singing "I'll Take Manhattan," not a U2 song. I won't be buying the soundtrack.

The show is too long and the story ends with a whimper when it should have some sort of twist or surprise. The story could be much better.  There is not even a point when Mary Jane learns of Spider-Man's identity. The first act is much better than the second.

I wouldn't see it again, but I'm glad I saw it. I'm glad I had the seat I had--it was a great seat. Shane sat in a side box and he also liked his view. I was worried whether he was going to like the show, buy i think he liked it more than i did.  If you go, don't get a rear orchestra seat or you'll miss a lot of the action. I would recommend the Flying Circle, side boxes, or front center orchestra--in that order.

Elaine's Doesn't Serve Lunch

We are in NYC for the day and Shane wanted to take a cab up town so we
could eat at Elaine's. Perhaps he should have done more research, as
Elaine's is not open for lunch. He and my two nieces, Megan and
Nicole, can't hide their disappointment.

Lunch with Mom in Havre de Grace

I had the day off today, so I took the train north last night to visit my mom. I took her to the Tidewater Grill on the river in Havre de Grace, MD. This shot was the view from our table. We both had crabcake sandwiches. It was good! Those are real geese. Shane is coming up and we're driving up to New York City to see Spider-Man on Saturday.

The Human Centipede--Yes, I Really Watched This

I'm not proud that I watched this movie, but it was available for free on Netflix, so... what the hay. It was the only film I've seen available on Netflix that had a one star rating. It is such a ridiculous film that it is hard to really not laugh at it. The movie is chocked full of cliches... the trampy girls whose car breaks down outside the evil doctor's home... the evil laugh of the crazy doctor at the suggestion he is crazy... the Japanese man who regrets that he can't hold in his BM when the girl surgically attached to ass is forced to eat the result... all that sort of thing. It was a train wreck I had to see.

Don't Look for Me on Jeopardy

I love trivia.  I play Qrank everyday and have been known to enjoy a game of Trivial Pursuit.  It should come as no surprise that I like to watch the occasional episode of Jeopardy.

Several weeks ago, Jeopardy promoted that you could try out for the show by taking the contestant test online.  I thought, "what the heck."  So, I signed up and took the test last night.

It consisted of 50 questions in which you had to type in the answer within 15 seconds, including reading the question.  I'm not expecting a call to try out for the show.  I did horribly.  I'm not sure how many questions I got right, but it wasn't that many--maybe 20.  It was hard.

I had seen the movie, District 9, but I couldn't remember the country in Africa where it took place.  It was South Africa.  I am very familiar with the choreographer of Chicago and subject of All that Jazz, but couldn't think of his name in 15 seconds--Bob Fosse.  Some of the stuff they asked, I just had no idea.  If they asked about TV sitcoms, I might have had a chance.  So much for my dream of being the next Ken Jennings.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #275

Stop that bangin' or that will be the only bangin' you'll be doing!  

This is my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #275.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too!