Living In Florida

cooking again

2013-05-11T22:40:55Z

I just grilled the first fresh local sweet corn (from the local market stand, guaranteed to be the first of the Zellwood Florida harvest) of the season with steaks for dinner. Yum.

Grilling season!

2013-04-10T23:37:30Z

First grilled steaks of the season tonight for dinner with part of a bottle of red wine split between us. Yum.

Check your sources!

2013-02-06T23:00:24Z

Someone on my Facebook wall picked up an article about impeachment hearings starting against President Obama in March. I did a quick google search and discovered the source was Weekly World News (now only an online edition). Snopes also already had it covered.

cooking

2012-06-11T23:53:45Z

cooked for Terri and Tony tonight

they brought home blackberries from a local u-pick, and rejoined Sam's Club

Grilled Steaks
grilled corn for Terri and me
salad
Blackberry buckle with Vanilla ice-cream

cooking

2012-06-11T22:42:09Z

I cooked for myself this evening - Scallops Picata with sauteed baby bella mushrooms over whole wheat noodles - it was wonderful

new coffee machine

2012-02-05T18:14:58Z

bought recently Cuisinart 12 cup grind and brew; http://www.cuisinart.com/products/coffee_bar/dgb-625bc.html used this morning for the first time - WIN!

Straz center 2012-2013 Broadway season ticlet offerings!

2012-01-29T19:37:34Z

The new season offers the singing and dancing nuns of Sister Act, Cole Porter’s classic Anything Goes, feel-good romps with ’80s hits like Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s “I Will Survive” and Flashdance’s “Flashdance – What A Feeling,” the chilling return of Jekyll & Hyde, the poignant and spectacular drama War Horse, the exhilarating and evocative Traces and the all-singing, all-dancing celebration of the Gershwins in ’S Wonderful.

In addition to the eight-show series, the Straz Center will also present Green Day’s American Idiot and, based on the hugely popular movie, Elf The Musical, the “endearingly goofy” (USA Today) story of a man raised as an elf at the North Pole who goes in search of his human family. Plus, The Straz presents the triumphant return of Broadway’s biggest blockbuster, Wicked, the story of what happened before Dorothy dropped in on Oz. Season ticket holders will be able to add any or all of these three shows to their package.

I'm impressed, and will probably buy 2 tickets again, adding Wicked (which I've seen once, but would def pay to see again)

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

2011-11-23T21:30:39Z

I'm actually cooking this year (mostly tomorrow, though I did a bit of prep today) Turkey breast, cranberry jelly, dressing, gravy, green beans with onions and mushrooms topped with fried onions, creamed onions with peanuts, and salad. Light on starches, since my friend is a diet-controlled diabetic. It'll be Tony's and my 31st wedding anniversary (we'll be celebrating it later, when we could actually get a reservation at Victoria and Albert (I've wanted to eat there for practically ever, but we never seem to have actually planned for it, and you have to plan for that). Other things on the agenda for the weekend include a trip to the Orlando auto show, and seeing the new muppet movie.

fancy dinners out

2010-11-07T04:54:10Z

we had two fancy food and wine pairings out this week

first was Thursday night at a local restaurant "red wing" with pairings by the local distributor "southern Food and wines"

Reception wine
Seaglass Riesling

OK. not particularly memorable

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
With a Balsamic Spritz
Paired with Angove Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rose

not enough balsamic spritz on the salad, but an OK pairing

Butternut Squash Ravioli with an Amaretto Creme Sauce
Served with Joel Gott Chardonnay

the wine was too lemony for the sweetness in the squash Ravioli; I would order it another time with the Riesling served as the reception wine

Grilled Duck Breast with a Balsamic Cranberry reduction
Fresh Green Beans
Accompanied by Jargon Pinot Noir

the beans did not seem to go well with the rest, though the wine matched the duck well in my opinion

Cider Citrus Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Potato Medley
Served with Napa Cellars Merlot

good match

Baked Apple Cranberry Crisp
With Montevina Terra d'Oro Moscato

what's not to like about a Moscato?

good meal for the price; about $45 a person

tonight on the other hand...

Todd English's bluezoo
hosted by Todd English and Kathy Benzinger

(I must start by saying we went to the wine dinner at Benzinger Sat Labor Day weekend 2010 in Sonoma, and I found out about this opportunity there, and Kathy remembered me there from a previous wine tasting Tony and I had done at a previous Disney Food and Wine Festival)

(Kathy saw me as we were waiting in the bar seating area and remembered me)
reception: wines or blueberry vodka martinis(Tony, Terri and I all chose the martini) with various appetisers:
Buffalo chicken with blue cheese sauce(several sauces were in [plastic bulbs with the appetizers speared onto them)
scallops with truffled caviar in lemon garlic vinegrette (winner for me)
Bacon wrapped scallops with some sauce (bulb)
barbecue pork with pork rind(plated)
bay scallops with sauce (plated)
(wish I'd taken better notes - there were more apetizers)

amuse
crispy oyster...
rockefeller flavors
benzinger, "sangiocomo", chardonnay,
carneros

2 oyster bits(PEI oysters, fried) with a deconstructed rockefeller sauce

1st
hawaiian yellowfin tuna...
yuzu, daishi noodles, avocado
benzinger, "signaterra", "casey's block", sauvignon blanc,
mendocino county

3 small tuna blocks, avocado sauce dots, yuzu foam on tuna, 1 noodle

2nd
pumpkin agnolotti...
nantucket bay scallops, sage
benzinger, merlot, sonoma county

best served course up to that point, though the scallop and
truffled caviar appetizer was still in my memory - the tiny sauced slightly sweet pumpkin filled raviollis and tiny scallops were a surprisingly wonderful match for the lighter merlot

3rd
wild striped bass...
parsley root, crispy farro
benzinger, "signaterra"' "bella luna", pinot noir,
russian river valley

a heartier course, had other root vegetables in the veg portion, good match

4th
wagyu tenderloin...
artichoke and porcini ragout, macaire potato
benzinger, "signaterra"' 3 blocks, red blend
sonoma valley

what's not to like - great beef served at the right temp, mushrooms and potato casserole, and a red with it

(I think this is where Todd English arrived at our table at my request to get a chance to meet him)
5th
brilliat savarin...
acacia honey brulee, concord grape, brioche
benzinger, "tribute"' bordeaux blend,
sonoma mountain

cheese course

6th
"chocolate melange"
by Chef Laurent Branlard
"first press" cocktail

4 different chocolate presentations - a truffle, an ice cream, a homemade marshmallow with dark chocolate shavings, and a layered thing with chocolate sheets between chocolate creme - the "cocktail" was first press fresh grape juice from this year served in egg shaped solid ice eggs broken with a wooden hammer at table

new book!

2010-10-19T20:59:05Z

My first edition of Cryoburn arrived today. I'm up to chapter 12...

Aussiecon 4 website down?

2010-07-19T18:30:40Z

Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at www.aussiecon4.org.au.

???

TV

2009-10-27T23:11:07Z

Christine Valada of the Pro Photo Gallery is on Jeopardy tonight

arrived in Montreal

2009-08-05T00:13:22Z

well, the airport area anyway. staying at Fairfield Inn and suites by the airport tonight and moving to the Intercontinental downtown tomorrow. Cell mostly turned off due to not finding a suitable CA airplan.

jcbemis @ 2009-01-20T09:11:00

2009-01-20T14:09:43Z

Snagged from ann_totusek and wouldyoueva and celticmom1967.

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done this year.
- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! I may or may not ask your opinion on sizes, colors, allergies, etc.
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to repost. We can all make stuff!!

travel follies

2008-11-25T01:33:37Z

Tony and I went to Philcon with Terri this past weekend. On the way home last night one very upsetting thing and 2 annoying things happened, all a bit related. In the Philadelphia airport we had to wait a long time for a wheelchair. When a person arrived with it, he headed for the elevator with me and my coat and backpack, and Tony and Terri headed for the escalator. As a result, we ended up in very different places going through the security, and as a result, there was no one to watch my stuff on the far side of the scanning macines, and TSA moved my stuff to a table which it turns out was not seeable by the security cameras, and my laptop went missing (TSA and the guy pushing me did a lot of finger point as to whose fault this was) I did a police report as well as the TSA incident report. Then, there was not a wheelchair to meet is in Ft Lauderdale either.

As a result Tony and I went out today and bought me a netbook, for using in travel,which we think might fit in his CPAP case for going through security. At least it was only $300.

voting

2008-10-30T16:00:25Z

We voted today, after I finished researching who I wanted to vote for after dinner last night. Our early voting location (one of 8 in our county) has had over 10,000 voters since early voting started, and there were lines today at 10:30amish - the process took us a bit over an hour I think.

San Diego ComicCon

2008-07-18T19:25:10Z

I'm looking for a friend who is going to stop by a booth for my favorite online game and pick up any freebies they're offering - Last year they offered a play-it-yourself pamphlet version of the game - I might throw $$ at you for stuff from them too. Let me know if you would be willing to help.

update

2008-07-18T19:22:25Z

Westercon was wonderful for me - I got to see a lot of friends, recharging my will, and Cara (the horse I own two shares of) won for the first time. I'm back in PT, and started walking around the house with a cane rather than crutches this week. Tony and I went out yesterday afternoon and I saw my first movie since before the knee replacement - Prince Caspian.

outing

2008-05-19T18:06:41Z

Tony took me out for sushi for lunch today, so we figured out how to check me out in anticipation of this weekend, and I asked when we got back about meds missed when I was out if I stay out between therapy and bedtime; they said they could either give them to me early or give me them to take with me depending - as long as I slept here and didn't miss any PT, it would probably be ok with the insurance.

Sushi! Yay!

rehab

2008-05-14T16:31:46Z

So now I'm in a rehab facility - the activity therapy room has an old desktop that patients can use; use is limited - I get tortured in PT once a day, and am beginning to feel more like I belong here today - they brought me a tv (each bed is supposed to have one; mine didn't) Speech therapy and Occupational therapy both said I don't need their services (which I totally expected). I am getting tired of institutional food already (sigh).

this hospital has wifi

2008-05-09T15:11:46Z

my brain is nor functioning on all cylinders yet - 2 percoset every 4 hours may have something to do with that, but Tony brought me my notebook. rt knee still hurts like sin, and I'm prob in hospital until Sunday or monday, then possibly a week of rehab depending on insurance coverage but they say I'm not recovering badly so far.

6 mo breast follow-up; knee

2008-04-22T00:11:20Z

I had the 6 mo breast follow-up appt this morning; the 1mm spot has not changed in 6 months; the surgeon thinks it is a bit of calcification, and doesn't need a biopsy even. I will be seeing her for annual mammograms and followups in the future, though, and we will continue to watch this spot.

On the other front my right knee is definitely scheduled for "hinged knee replacement" May 7

more medical stuff

2008-03-25T03:58:49Z

I had another MRI a couple of weeks ago and the follow-up appt this afternoon. My ortho started by saying something like "I hate it when I Get a call from a radiologist and he starts by saying 'what did you do to this patient?' ". It turns out the ligament repair from last spring has deteriorated, probably partly from reduced blood flow in the leg during healing, and the upper bones are sliding behind the lower. Knee replacement may be in my future, I have a consult with the other dr in the group Thurs AM, but will prob not get a chance to post again after that until Sunday (I'm an event registrar; the event runs Thursday afternoon to Sunday noon.) AT least that explains why I still have no range of motion and pain.

DeepSouthCon 46

2008-03-16T01:23:36Z

So, the awards ceremony was just held...

the Rebel goes to Kelly Lockhart for the Southern Fandom Resource Guide (among other things)

the Phoenix (presented by John Ringo) goes to Jim Baen, accepted by Toni Weisskopf

home agan briefly

2008-01-15T23:46:22Z

GAFilk was great; Tony got me here Sunday evening, then continued south to get Terri home for work Monday; I went to community ladies lunch out Monday, then tried to get money for next trip, only to discover that my atm card had expired back in November when I wasn't noticing; Tony will have to deal with it. Went to dentist and late sushi lunch today; Tony will be back tomorrow afternoon. I have Vascular surgeon appt Thurs AM, then we go by car to Terri's to fly Fri AM to Arisia. Looking forward to seeing old and new (met over internet) friends there this coming weekend.