SpicyGreenTurkeyDeluxe sandwich/Mint CCCIC sandwich

Just created a new variation on the basic Turkey & cheese sandwich & thought I would share it with you...

Ciabatta Bread... my personal favorite for most sandwiches
Turkey - I went Hickory smoked
Cheese - Cheddar
Heirloom tomatoes - I used a green zebra
Aioli - garlic mayonnaise
pickles - stumbled unto Habanero Dill pickles at a small green-market
Maldon Sea Salt & ground pepper

Spread the aioli on both sides of the bread, layer first the tomatoes & sprinkle w/salt & pepper, followed by the turkey, then the cheddar, topped with the habanero pickles....freaking awesome!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice cream sandwich...

This is quite simply all about the ingredients...simply take mint ice cream (I use Adirondack Whiteface Mint Chip) & sandwich it between mint chocolate chip cookies (I use Dean & Deluca's) For a summer treat...this is about as yummy & refreshing as it gets...without a pool & alcohol that is...

Bangkok Haunts

Sorry to break your hearts but NO this is not a guide to haunted brothels on Patpong Road in Bangkok... it's a recommendation for the fiction of John Burdett. He writes murder mystery thrillers set in Bangkok, Thailand & does an amazing job of wrapping various elements of Thai culture into them. The murders are always gruesome(cobra's, Bobett's, snuff) & everything from Buddhism, prostitution, the drug trade, Jade trade, Katoeys, farang, corrupt cops, corrupt military, FBI, CIA, terrorism & the supernatural via an Eastern perspective are weaved into these tales.

What make these stories so enjoyable is that they are told from an eastern perspective....so their views on prostitution, ghosts, etc... are quite different the our Western concepts...

The protagonist Sonchai Jitpleecheep is possibly the only non-corrupt cop in Bangkok. He is half Thai-half farang(Farang (Thai: ฝรั่ง) is the generic Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry). His father is a GI he never met while his Mother was a high-end prostitute who now runs a brothel on Soi Cowboy where he works part-time. He's connected to his corrupt police chief Vikrom & his partner Lek is a katoey. His pregnant wife, an ex-prostitute is carrying he believes the reincarnated soul of his best friend...

All 3 books in the series have been great & his latest is the best....read them all....

HealthCare Reform

I'll make this real easy for you...instead of going into what is being addressed, what is NOT being addressed (ie...tort reform) & what "mis-information" (read lies) are being presented...simply answer the following question...

I Would Like My HealthCare Administered by the DMV.... YES or NO...

Now that you have answered the above question...(regardless of your current political affiliation & feelings on the current administration) you have a clearer understanding of how you really feel about the proposed HealthCare reforms...feel free to thank me later...

Love Stinks...

Yeah...yeah...but not like you think. For I have witnessed true love recently. We all have our views/thoughts/fantasy's over what love is...I have heard friends say that they thought they knew what true love was when they met their wives...but found an even deeper love the first time they saw their first and then subsequent children...(names are not mentioned to save them from the wraith of their loving wives...who probably feel the same) but recently I saw it taken a step further... On South Padre Island with the temperature in the late 90's (before 9am) and the heat sapping our energy like a solar vampire my friend Terry's daughter wanted out of her carriage and it was because she made poop-a-doodles in her diapers...well Terry picked up Jazzy and put her and her steaming diaper full of shit on his shoulders and walked her back to the condo...now that my friends is "true love" and it doesn't smell like roses, candy or perfume...it smells like...

Dubrovnik, Croatia

For those of you looking into taking a vacation from work or a vacation from looking for work...or are funemployed/trust funded/rich...etc... may I suggest Croatia's Dalmatian coast...I was there for a week in Dubrovnik the whole time but did hit some of the islands for day trips. I've traveled all over but have yet to see a city like Dubrovnik. It was originally built by the Ragusa's during the 11th century...that's right the rocking 1200's...and still stands today. It's a totally walled in city built of stone that had running water and even the world's first pharmacy...which is still open today. Aside from it's main thoroughfare the stratum it's all narrow side streets that go up steep stairs...for the record almost everything you will go to is either on the main level or up one flight. The exception is if you want to hit the Buza Bars for a drink or a dip...

The water at the beaches...which are shingle (rock...even once you get into the water) and even after a week they were killing my feet (aqua socks are the way to go...but I'm just not sure if I'm an aqua socks kinda guy...so I endured the pain) is extremely clean and gorgeous shades of various blues. My hotel's was the best and it was in a grotto...my first grotto...and while there were no waves...the water & scenery were so beautiful I was fine. Banje beach right outside Polce gate was also very good & had a great view of Lopud Island and the City's walls.

One thing I found odd was that while they had great beaches and bars... the concept of happy hour seems to have eluded them. Also nightlife is not exactly wild...more of a cafe culture vs. a party culture...even at night people sat around or were hanging around up steep stairs outside of the bars (most were tiny...remember built in the 11th century before I guess the beer hall made it's way down from Vikings)

The food was good...I think they may have more pizza places per square block then we do it NYC and it was good especially if you like shrimp still in their shells on your pie... Fish oddly enough was very expensive ( I heard they may have somewhat over-fished the Adriatic) so only had it a few times...great cured hams and meats. Their beer was pretty good and they have a developing wine industry which is starting to produce some pretty good stuff. Mixed drinks for some reason averaged $12-15 buck...3X that of beer or wine so I didn't bother & heard they were lousy. Gelato on the other-hand was great and  came in many flavors. I introduced a couple of shops to the affagato (had to get the espresso at the only take out coffee shop in town...again a cafe culture). So if you get one...you can thank me for introducing it.

Overall...very good trip...unique and very cool city...gorgeous water, plenty of islands and grotto's etc...Check it out before they overbuild it & the Russians take it over...(The French and Italians are going out of their way to kick them out of their Rivera's because they are the worlds most obnoxious tourists)...

I finally figured out how to add pics (the icon that looks like a pic...4 years of college...4 years of college) so enjoy...for the record...even with my rooftop pool...I'm going through some serious grotto withdrawal...

Obama Throws Like a Girl...

For a guy who I thought was supposed to be in good physical shape & an athlete...he throws like a girl...maybe the next time he calls W on the bat-phone for advice on N.Korea, Iraq, Iran etc...he can ask him to swing by & ask him to show him how to throw a strike...just a thought...