Pasta Nostra Restaurant Review

I've been wanting to try out the restaurant Pasta Nostra for a while. It's located in Laurel and, it sounded like a decent restaurant. Pasta Nostra is located just off Van Dusen Road at the Laurel Park Shopping Center across the street from the Laurel Regional Hospital. It serves Italian food including pizzas and calzones. The restaurant is a bit different in that in you walk up to the counter, place and pay for your order, they give you a number and then, you find a seat and wait for your food. There aren't any waitresses. or assigned seating.

Food wise, I tried their fried calimari, salmon imperial and profiteroles. Their fried calimari was approximately $7. They gave a decent serving and, I thought it was good calimari. They didn't give any pieces that were rubbery i.e. impossible to eat and they gave a reasonable portion of marinara sauce. The salmon was nice and included a small portion of pasta topped with crab meat. I thought the salmon good but the portion seemed small. The salmon cost approximately $11. The profiteroles which are cream puffs covered with chocolate sauce/pudding and chocolate powder were good. You received three cream puffs with plenty of chocolate sauce. The profiteroles cost approximately $6.

All totalled, I spent under $30 for lunch. I thought the food was decent. The decor of the restaurant isn't anything special. Service was good and courteous. Overall, I'd say Pasta Nostra is a decent restaurant though not one I'd go out of my way to try. Location wise, it isn't very easy to get to unless you're travelling on Interstate-95 in which case you take the MD-198 exit for Laurel, turn right at Van Dusen and look for the center on your left. There is plenty of parking. Bon Appetit!

Update: This restaurant has either closed or changed its name to Bella which is operating in its location. I don't know when Pasta Nostra closed.

Pictures

I've been posting some of the pictures I took of Australia and New Zealand on http://www.exchangetravelstories.com/. I've tried to post pictures that others haven't posted already like my picture of people climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge or my underwater photos of the Great Barrier Reef. I plan to post a picture I took of Independence Hall and a couple I took of Colonial Williamsburg. To my annoyance, I can't find the pictures I took of New York City. I suspect I may have dropped them off at Sam's Club to be developed and forgot to pick them up. Because of that, I may have to make another trip to the Big Apple. For your viewing pleasure, here are a couple pics I took of Colonial Williamsburg.

Updating Resume

I worked on updating my resume today. I haven't touched the thing in months and that was a big mistake. I had a lot of updating to do. I remember either Marjorie or Ellie telling me I should keep it updated but, I didn't because I didn't think I'd need to use it again. Once you pass your probationary period with the Post Office, you have to mess up BAD in otder to get fired. I wasn't going to mess up that bad. With me planning to leave the Post Office in a couple months, my resume became very important again. I checked a temp agency and one of the things they asked you for was your resume. So, I've updated the thing and I may send it to my sister Ellie to review. She is extremely knowledgeable about such things as she played that game for years.

Globus Travel Site

As I mentioned previously, Globus now has a website (http://www.exchangetravelstories.com) where travellers can tell of their adventures on various tours with the Globus chain (they have 5 different travel companies). I decided to tell of the G'day Australia tour with Auckland add-on I took back in January 24, 2004 to February 8, 2004. It was the best tour I've ever been on. Our tour guide Jann Elphinstone was absolutely fantastic. I got to do so many cool things and the people in our group were so nice. I was terribly saddened when it was over. It's because of that tour that I'm looking so much to the Scandanavia tour.

Anyway, I had to do my narrative in six parts: Sydney, Cairns, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Melbourne and Auckland. We'll see if they post them. Also, I looked for stories on their tours to Scandanavia. I'd like to know how good they are. Sadly, no one has posted anything from those countries. It looks like I'll have to find out when I go on the tour.

Oxygen Senser

Thanks to sensers and small computers, cars are able to run far more efficiently than ever before. The down side is when one of these gizmos decides to go kaput. Sometime either Saturday or early Sunday morning, the oxygen senser on my car decided to bite the dust though I didn't know that was the problem. The only thing I knew was the check engine warning light came on and stayed on. I checked the owner's manual and it said take the car to the dealership. To me, if you have to take the car to the dealership, it has to be something serious. I was scheduled to work today at the Post Office but, I didn't want to keep driving my car if there was something seriously wrong with it. I never forgot the time I drove my Plymouth Laser and I thought the alternator was acting up. It turned out I was wrong. The timing belt had slipped and the intake valves were smashing into the piston heads. I ended up trashing the engine. Because of that experience, I decided to take the car to the dealership as soon as possible. I called the primary carrier for the route I was supposed to work and thankfully, she was able to work. I called my acting supervisor (the regular one is on leave) and he said it would be fine as long as she covered the route.

This morning, I drove to the dealership before it opened so I could be one of the first one's in line. To my annoyance, the dealership was booked up and the repair representative said it would be tomorrow before they'd get to my car. Damn! As the Post Office wouldn't like me missing two days of work, I decided to rent a car. That ended up costing $40 a day.

Then, luck shined on me. The dealership was able to check my car and it turned out to be the oxygen senser. Better still, they had one on hand. Better better news, I'd be able to get my car back today. The bad news, it was going to cost $340! Ouch!

Oh well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that this will be the last car repair for a while. We'll see.

Dogs

Since I was a kid, I've liked dogs. However, I'm learning to be a lot more careful around them as a mail carrier. Dogs are one of the major hazards of being a mail carrier. At my initial orientation, I remember the mail carrier who briefed us telling us of the two times he was bitten. I was less than thrilled at the news of this danger. I don't like the thought of getting bitten. I find it very annoying when owners assume their precious pooches won't bite. The way some of the dogs have charged at me, I wouldn't bet on that being true. One carrier I know at the Laurel Post Office broke his right shoulder because of a dog. What happened was a German Sheperd sized dog snuck up on him and the next thing he knew there was this 100 pound dog with snarling teeth nearly on him. The carrier tried to get away from the dog but unfortunately he tripped on a tree root which sent him flying into a tree. The impact broke his right shoulder. The shoulder eventually healed but, he still has a good size knot in his shoulder from the break.

The main defense we have against dogs is dog spray. As far as I know, it's a form of mace for dogs. I haven't gotten to try it out yet so I don't know how well it works. I make sure I carry it with me on city routes as there is a higher risk of dog attack on those routes. On a rural route, I can retreat to the safety of my truck. When your on foot, there aren't any places of safety. To my annoyance, the one time I really needed the dog spray, I didn't have it. I was helping a city carrier on a route that was mounted i.e. one you deliver from your truck. In order to deliver mail on one part of it, I had to get out of the truck. When I approached one of the mailboxes, a small black dog came charging out at me barking its head off. Twice, it charged me. Luckily, I was able to keep enough distance between us. I'd have sprayed the dog with dog spray but, I'd left the dog spray at the Post Office. I plan to keep the dog spray with me just in case.

Review

I wrote another review for tripadvisor.com (http://www.tripadvisor.com/). This one was on the Laurel Museum. Part of the reason I visited the museum was just so I could write a review on it. A little stupid I suppose but, I wanted to write another review. To my annoyance, the internet ate my first draft of the review and I had to write it again from scratch. Still, I think it turned out all right. Now, I have to wait for tripadvisor to review it to make sure I didn't use any profanity or other no-nos. It should appear on their website in 3 or 4 days. It's kinda cool being an author of sorts. Now, I have to find another place to visit so I can write a review on that. I may need to take a trip to Washington D.C. or Baltimore. We'll see.

Gift Shop

Yesterday, I made it back to the Laurel Museum so I could check out their gift shop. My previous visit, I arrived so late that by the time I was done looking at the exhibits in the museum, they had closed the gift shop. The lady who ran the shop highly recommended so I made a mental note to come back and check it out.

Like the museum, I found the gift shop to be small. They have some books on Laurel as well as Maryland for sale. They also had some children's books that explained various things like how a mill worked and who the miller was. There were also some fancy mustards produced possibly by one of the members of the historical society. It was a decent enough offering considering the size of the museum.

Another reason to visit the gift shop was you got to see what the kitchen areas would've looked like for those who lived in the house. They also have a 20 minute video you can watch that can tell you more about them and possibly about the house. The volunteers who ran the gift shop were very helpful and one was very knowledgeable about Laurel.

Overall, I found the gift shop to be all right. Like the museum, it is very small. Another problem the museum has is its location. Barring a visitor taking Interstate-95, it isn't easy to get to. Parking is also a problem during the summer as you have to compete with swimmers for spots on the street. Lastly, the volunteers are a blessing and a curse for the museum. They are a blessing in that they are very enthusiastic about the museum and Laurel. I found them to be very informative. They are a curse in that they limit the hours the museum can be open. The museum is only open 3 days a week and never more than 4 hours at a time. This can make it difficult to visit the museum. If you happen to be in Laurel on a day the museum is open, it would be worth a short stop but, I wouldn't make any special trips to see this museum. For all the hassles, it isn't worth it.

Beer Review

I continue to try different beers and ales from Corridor Wine Store on MD-198 (see earlier blog on that store). The latest I tried was Lord Chesterfield Ale. It's made by the Yuengling Brewery at its plants in Pottsville, PA and Tampa, FL. I thought the name Yuengling was Chinese but, it isn't. It's actually German. The brewery founder David G. Yuengling emigrated from Aldingen, Germany and founded the brewery in 1829 (Source: http://yuengling.com/faq.htm). The Yuengling Brewery is the oldest in the U.S.

Lord Chesterfield Ale sells for $5.49 for 6 12-ounce bottles at Corridor Wine Store. I found the ale itself to be a bit bitter and harsh. However, it doesn't have a strong alcoholic taste. I was surprised to find out it was rated at 5.4%. It is the most potent of all Yuengling products.

Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed with this ale. Price wise, it is very affordable. Per the Yuengling website, Lord Chesterfield Ale is currently only available on the east coast except for Alabama (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina & Alabama). However, the brewery is expanding their markets and it may become available in time in your area if you don't live in one the areas they currently distribute to.

Sven

I visited a person I knew at Medieval Times today. Herb, also known as Sven, was the chief castle guard at the Baltimore/Washington Medieval Times that I used to work at. After I gave notice and left the castle, I didn't have any contact with anyone from the castle nor have I visited the castle since. I tried to contact Herb because I ordered a chainmail shirt which I latered cancelled. Since I was leaving the castle, what did I need a shirt of chainmail for? I asked for a refund and Sven promised to give me my money back. Unfortunately, I didn't get my money back before I left and, I didn't feel like calling him as I was leery of having any contact with anyone from the castle. I sent Sven a postcard reminding him of the refund I was owed and, I didn't hear anything from him. I assumed my money was gone. It was a great surprise when I heard from Sven yesterday. He had my money and, he wanted to give it to me. He suggested I come over the next day. I said "Sure!"

Sven lives in the Northeast part of Baltimore County. I'd never visited that part of Maryland so it was interesting to drive out there. I found Sven and his wife live in a small home there in a pleasant enough neighborhood. When Sven contacted me, I was stunned to find out he'd left Medieval Times. Sven had been there since they opened the Baltimore castle. He is extremely knowledgeable about the Medieval age. He is fantastic around kids and he did an awesome job of working one of the spotlights. I couldn't imagine the castle without him. They have lost someone priceless and who was very devoted to the castle.

We chatted about the castle. I found out Randy, the person in charge of the actors at the castle, was found to have a benign tumor the size of a football. After the operation, he started taking therapy which continues to this day. I hope its successful. I also found out that the new storyline should be out in November. I'm curious about the new show and, I'd be willing to go back to the castle to see it. I found out that Corwyn, who became the new chancellor, is doing an awesome job. I was delighted to hear it as Corwyn paid some serious dues at the castle. He worked there for 3 years in security before finally getting his shot at chancellor. He is also a super person and is a case where a good person came out on top.

Sven showed me his weapon collection and some of the weapons he was making. He told me of his re-enactor days when he was Duke of a re-enactor Duchy. It sounded seriously cool. Sadly, a real life schemer became Chancellor and ultimately dethroned Sven and became Duke. I hope one day Sven and his wife can start a new group as I'm sure it would be an awesome and fun group.

Sven also mentioned his movie career. One day, you may get to see him on the silver screen. He has been auditioning for various parts. I hope he gets one as it would be cool to see him in the movies providing it isn't a horror flick. If it is a horror flick, I will congratulate him on getting the part but, I'll pass on the movie. Sometimes, I have too good a memory. When I watch a horror flick, the images stay with me a LONG time. If I want to sleep well, it behooves me to stay away from horror flicks.

It is amazing how time flies when you're having a good time. I arrived at Sven's house around 1 p.m. In no time, I found it to be past 7 p.m. It was time to head back. I'd enjoyed hearing the stories of Sven's family and their various adventures. They've done some incredible things and, they're not done yet. He and his wife have a great zest for life. I look forward to visiting again, hearing more of their adventures and finding out about some cool part he'll win in some movie.

Music Review

On November 22, 1977, John Denver recorded the album John Denver - Live at the Sydney Opera House. It was originally intended purely for Australian audiences. Later, it was released in the U.S. with a few changes. In the U.S. version, the album producers included the songs Today, Calypso and Me and My Uncle. The album showcases why Denver was a favorite in concert. Easygoing and appreciative of his fans, he encouraged them to sit back and join in on any songs they felt like joining in on. Combine this with some great songs like Rocky Mountain High, Today, Annie's Song and his signature songs Thank God I'm a Country Boy and Take Me Home, Country Roads and his fans were assured of a magical night.

The album has a superb set of songs. It starts off strong with Rocky Mountain High and keeps a pleasant tempo throughout. For U.S. fans, there is one song that may throw them. For his Australian audience, Denver performed Moreton Bay which tells of the terrible treatment of an Irish convict banished to Australia. Early in its history, Australia was used a dumping ground for convicts by Mother England (as the U.S. was until the American colonists complained). The album also features It's A Sin To Tell A Lie which apparently was a favorite of Denver's mother. Denver tells of when he first performed the song for mother at Carnegie Hall as she and his Dad sat in the audience. For me, Take Me Home, Country Roads was an early Denver favorite. My Grandmother Wilkes lived in a trailer in the backwoods of Bowling Green, Indiana. It was thoroughly country. I remember visiting my Grandmother, hunting for crayfish in a stream nearby, nearly jumping out of my shoes one time when I saw a large black snake in another creek I was exploring as well as fishing for catfish in a lake about a mile away. The song resonated with my memories of the visits to my Grandmother.

Overall, the album is excellent and a pleasure to listen to. It makes me wish I could've seen Denver in concert. Sadly, I never did. If you would like to experience what John Denver was like Live as well as relax to some of his best songs, this would be an album for you.

Laurel Museum

Today, I visited the Laurel Museum in Laurel, Maryland. I've been wanting to visit it for a while. It's one the main attractions of sorts in Laurel. The museum is located on 817 Main Street, just across from one of the city pools and nearly at the end of Main Street. It's housed in a house that was built for mill workers. Where the swimming pool is located, a cotton mill was operated that made cotton cloth for Clipper ships built in Baltimore and Conestoga wagons. The first floor of the house holds the various exhibits. The museum has a hodge-podge collection of articles. They run from a 12-pound steel cannon ball from the Civil War era to a gown worn by Mamie Eisenhower, wife of President Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower is the only U.S. President to have ever lived in Laurel. He and his wife lived there for a short time while he was stationed at Fort Meade. There are also old photographs of school classes as well as businesses from days gone by. The museum has a nice little collection. To take in the whole museum which isn't that big, it should only take 20 minutes at most. Admission is free.

There are some problems with the museum. First, the only parking available is on Main Street. The swimming pool makes the parking situation worse as visitors would have to compete with swimmers during the summer months. Conversely, I suspect visitors could use the swimming pool parking lot when it's closed during the fall, winter and spring. The second problem is that the museum is only open 3 days a week. It opens on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lastly, the museum isn't in a location easy to get to. The quickest and easiest way to the museum would be to take Interstate-95 to the MD-216 exit for Laurel. You would turn right at Main Street and go nearly to the end of the street. The museum is located on the right and has a sign in front. The museum's website can be found at http://www.laurelhistory.org/museum.html. The museum is run by volunteers from the Laurel Historical Society.

Additional Note: One additional plus for visiting the museum is the chance to take a quiet stroll in the Riverfront Park. A sidewalk leads from the museum to the park where one can walk among numerous shade trees and view the Patuxent River. The park has 1.5 miles of paved hiker/biker paths. It has 3 small picnic pavilions for rent. When not rented, the pavilions are available on a first come first served basis. For further information on the park, check the following website: http://www.laurel.md.us/prfac.htm#Riverfront.

Update

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July. Mine was terribly uneventful. I used it to catch up on some things like laundry and grocery shopping. I made a trip to the credit union so I could deposit my paychecks and my retirement check. I had nice conversations with Harvey and my Dad. I found out from Harvey that he paid off the Scandanavia trip. Now, both of us get to wait for our documents from Globus. The documents are the official notification from Globus that were going. I don't remember if there is anything in them we have to give to our guide when we reach Copenhagen. There will also be a couple luggage tags that we're suppose to put on our luggage. Lastly, they'll contain information on optional tours we can take while we're on our tour. An example would be a trip to the Wasa Museum in Stockholm. The Wasa Museum is a museum the Swedes built to hold the Swedish warship Wasa which sank on its maiden voyage. It was top heavy and capsized. Thanks to it sinking in lots of mud and the cold waters of the Baltic, it was superbly preserved. In the 60's, the Swedes raised the ship and a museum was built for it. It is the only surviving 17th century warship in existence (I think). I plan to sign up for that trip. Another optional tour is one where you can see Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-tiki and Ra ships. Heyerdahl was a famous adventurer who proved via the Kon-tiki that it was possible that people in South America could have had contact with the Polynesians. A documentary film was made of Heyerdahl's Kon-tiki voyage which won an Academy award. I think it would be interesting to see the ships.

I found out from my Dad that my sister Ellie will be flying home for a visit in a couple days. I hope she has a nice time.

For me, the rest of the week, I'll be working at the Post Office. The primary carrier for rural route 10 took the entire week off so she could go to Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. She was really excited about it. I had mixed feelings . I was pleased to get 40 plus hours i.e. a very sweet paycheck but, I hate doing her route. Recently, we received three more new substitute rural carriers and my supervisor had to find work for them. He decided to take rural route 7 from me so he could give it to one of the newbies. I wish he'd taken rural route 10. I like 7 because it has a nice mounted part. 10 is all multi-boxes. Also 10 has a lot of people that move in and out which means you end up taking a lot of mail back to the Post Office where you try to forward it on (depends on if they put in a forwarding order). It promises to be a hard week.

That's all that is happening at my end. This coming Sunday, I hope to visit the Laurel Museum. It's a small museum run by the Laurel Historical Society. I'm curious to see if it's any good. I plan to write up a review on it for tripadvisor.com. I'll let you know what I thought of it. Cheers!