I first heard about Coca Cola's (Coke) freestyle soda machines via Royal Caribbean. The Royal Caribbean cruise line is slowly deploying the machines on their cruise ships. Sadly, I haven't been on 1 of the ships that have the machines. I remembered that the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans grocery store has 1 of the machines (they actually have 3 as I found out later), I decided to go there and try their machine out.
I found the machine very simple to use. You put your glass in the machine. You touch the screen. You press for ice in your glass then choose what soda you want. The machines offer an astounding 125 different Coke products, some of which you won't find on your supermarket shelves. For example, I decided to try Vanilla Barq's Root Beer to see what it's like. The machines I suspect are a huge plus for places that carry them as they cut down on the amount of inventory the store or in Royal Caribbean's case ships have to carry. Also, since they're very simple to use, customers can use them themselves freeing up staff to do other tasks. At Wegmans, all they had to do was collect my $1.69 plus tax and give me a glass to put my soda in.
I really liked the Coke freestyle machines and, I look forward to using them again at Wegmans. I can't wait to get to use them on Royal Caribbean's ships. The machines will offer cruisers a greater choice of sodas and more convenience. Happy Drinking All!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Rita's York Peppermint Milk Shake
Yesterday, I visited the Laurel, Maryland Rita's Italian Ice for a Root Beer Misto Shake. They didn't have Root Beer ice yesterday but, I was able to get the equivalent of a Creamsicle Misto Shake which was just as good. While enjoying my shake, I noticed they had advertisements in their shop for a York (think peppermint pattie) Peppermint Milk Shake. I really like peppermint so, I inquired about the item. I found out, it isn't listed on the boards listing what custards and ices they have. It's something of a special product you have to know about to get. I decided to put that on my list to try.
Today was the day I got to try their York Peppermint Milk Shake. It was a reward to myself for moving 2 loads of my stuff to EZ Storage. My move is slowly coming along and, I should be out of my current apartment by the time my lease comes to a final end.
I found the shake had a very considerable chocolate flavor to it. Chocolate lovers should like it in that way. However, I found the peppermint flavor to be rather weak. I mentioned this to the lady running the Laurel shop and, she kindly got me some more peppermint syrup which helped some but, it still wasn't what I would call a very good PEPPERMINT milk shake. To me, it was more of a chocolate milk shake with a trace of peppermint. I think they need to use more peppermint syrup in the recipe.
Overall, it was a nice treat but, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I think Rita's Root Beer Misto or Creamsicle Misto shakes are better. FYI, the Laurel Rita's is now open 7 days a week again. During December and January, they had reduced hours which could be annoying at times. I remember having a hankering for 1 of their misto shakes only to find them closed. While I was there today, they seemed to be doing a decent amount of business especially with the cold weather. Hopefully, the winter weather will be behind us soon here in Maryland and, a Rita's ice will be even more enjoyable with the warmer weather. They're a great way to cool off. Happy Sipping All!!!!!
Today was the day I got to try their York Peppermint Milk Shake. It was a reward to myself for moving 2 loads of my stuff to EZ Storage. My move is slowly coming along and, I should be out of my current apartment by the time my lease comes to a final end.
I found the shake had a very considerable chocolate flavor to it. Chocolate lovers should like it in that way. However, I found the peppermint flavor to be rather weak. I mentioned this to the lady running the Laurel shop and, she kindly got me some more peppermint syrup which helped some but, it still wasn't what I would call a very good PEPPERMINT milk shake. To me, it was more of a chocolate milk shake with a trace of peppermint. I think they need to use more peppermint syrup in the recipe.
Overall, it was a nice treat but, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I think Rita's Root Beer Misto or Creamsicle Misto shakes are better. FYI, the Laurel Rita's is now open 7 days a week again. During December and January, they had reduced hours which could be annoying at times. I remember having a hankering for 1 of their misto shakes only to find them closed. While I was there today, they seemed to be doing a decent amount of business especially with the cold weather. Hopefully, the winter weather will be behind us soon here in Maryland and, a Rita's ice will be even more enjoyable with the warmer weather. They're a great way to cool off. Happy Sipping All!!!!!
Weaver's Turkey Jerky Review
One of the products I particularly like at Beiler's Meats located at 9701 Ft. Meade Road in Laurel, Maryland is Weaver's Turkey Jerky. The jerky has a nice flavor and is cheaper than their various beef jerky's. Also, the jerky doesn't have any Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), has a good shelf life (up to a year) though it must be refrigerated once it's opened and, I believe is lower in fat than beef jerkys. Lastly, it's cheaper than other beef jerkys (this may not longer be true, see update) . Beiler's sells it for $16 a pound (definitely not true any longer, see update) though the shopper can save a $1 a pound if they buy an entire 2 pound package of the jerky like I do (no longer true). The only downside I see to this turkey jerky is it's not widely available throughout the United States. The jerky is made in Lebanon, Pennsylvania and is limited to various markets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware (based on information from their website http://godshalls.com/. I believe the reason I can get it in Maryland is because Beiler's is part of a Dutch Market in Laurel.
Overall, Weaver's turkey jerky is good jerky for those who like jerky. It has gotten more expensive recently (at one time Beiler's was selling it for $13.50 a pound) but, it's still a very good product. Jerky lovers may not be pleased that it comes in only the standard flavor unlike Oberto's which offer their turkey jerky in teriyaki and peppered as well as regular flavor. But, it's still a good product and worth buying providing you can find it. Happy eating all!
Update January 1, 2016: A couple days before New Year's, I stopped by Beiler's Meats at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market and decided to get some more Weaver's Turkey Jerky. I confess I haven't bought it in a while and, I got one heck of a shock when I found out how much the price has gone up on it. The jerky is now selling for $19.50! a pound though you can get a 20 cent a pound discount at Beiler's if you buy an entire 2 pound package of it. I don't know why it has gone up this much though part of the reason may be the avian flu that hit a bunch of turkeys here in the U.S. and caused turkey prices to go up. However, that is very much a guess on my part. I still think it's very good jerky. However, the high price may discourage some folks from buying it and, I can understand that. I won't be buying as much of it myself. Cheers all!
Overall, Weaver's turkey jerky is good jerky for those who like jerky. It has gotten more expensive recently (at one time Beiler's was selling it for $13.50 a pound) but, it's still a very good product. Jerky lovers may not be pleased that it comes in only the standard flavor unlike Oberto's which offer their turkey jerky in teriyaki and peppered as well as regular flavor. But, it's still a good product and worth buying providing you can find it. Happy eating all!
Update January 1, 2016: A couple days before New Year's, I stopped by Beiler's Meats at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market and decided to get some more Weaver's Turkey Jerky. I confess I haven't bought it in a while and, I got one heck of a shock when I found out how much the price has gone up on it. The jerky is now selling for $19.50! a pound though you can get a 20 cent a pound discount at Beiler's if you buy an entire 2 pound package of it. I don't know why it has gone up this much though part of the reason may be the avian flu that hit a bunch of turkeys here in the U.S. and caused turkey prices to go up. However, that is very much a guess on my part. I still think it's very good jerky. However, the high price may discourage some folks from buying it and, I can understand that. I won't be buying as much of it myself. Cheers all!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Wasa Museum
Another neat ship I told the lady at EZ Storage about was the Swedish warship Wasa. The ship was ahead of its time in that it was the first double decker warship. If the ship had worked, it would've given the Swedish Navy a huge advantage in naval combat. Unfortunately, ship building at that time was hit and miss and, this ship missed. The ship was top heavy. Swedish naval authorities knew the ship had problems. Swedish Vice Admiral Klas Fleming was present during a test done at the ship's pier where 30 men ran up and down the rigging. The ship nearly capsized at the pier. Fleming is reported as saying he wished the King (Gustav II Adolf) were there. Presumably so, the King could see the problems his ship had.
On August 10th, 1628, the ill-fated ship set sail. It didn't even make it out of the harbor before the ship heeled to port, took massive amounts of water through its gun ports and capsized. Later, in 1956, Anders Franzen researched and searched for the sunken Wasa. With the help of diver Per Edvin Falting, he successfully found the Wasa. He would arrange salvage and, in 1961, the Wasa returned to the surface. In 1990, the museum that displays the Wasa was opened (Source:http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/The-Ship/Life-on-board/).
The ship is incredible and 95% original. It looks very much like a ghost ship. Also, the ship is huge. The museum that holds the magnificent ship is approximately 3 stories high. In my opinion, this museum is one of the must see museums in Stockholm. The ship is really impressive and is a time capsule into the 17th century. As far as I know, it is the only surviving 17th century warship in the world. I highly recommend this incredible museum. A web site with information in English about the ship can be found at: http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/
Solar Boat Museum
While visiting EZ Storage, I told one of the very nice ladies who runs the place about the incredible Solar Boat Museum. I told her how big the boat was, what it was made of and the history of it. Then, I tried to show it to her from my blog and found out to my disbelief, I never posted a picture of it on it. So, this is for her.
Here's my story about the solar boat. I arrived a day early into Cairo, Egypt so, I'd have time to recover from the long (10 hours 45 minutes) flight from New York City as well as get adjusted to the local time. I'd learned the hard way during my Globus Scandanavia tour that this could make a big difference at the beginning of the tour.
The Avalon Waterways people were waiting for me at Cairo International and patiently guided me through the process of getting my Egyptian visa. After that, they got my travel friend Harvey and I in a van which drove us to our extremely nice hotel the MENA House Oberoi. It was there that we met of the finest tour guides I've ever had Sami Hassan.
Once I was checked in, I met with Sami and, he asked if Harvey and I wanted to do something with our free time. As we were in reasonably good shape, we said sure. It turned out there were 8 or 9 us that flew in early. All of us were game and, Sami took us to the pyramid complex where we paid the 100 Egyptian Pounds to get in then led us to the Solar Boat Museum which cost us another 50 Egyptian Pounds.
The Solar Boat Museum is a museum that holds a special boat that was built for the Pharoah Cheops (also known as Khufu) to be used supposedly in the after life as the pharoah sailed round the world. It was approximately 70 feet long, made of Lebanon cedar which were apparently floated down to Egypt in rafts and was held together by special grass ropes. The boat didn't have ANY nails in it to hold it together. The boat's special grass ropes were woven through the specially drilled boards in a way that would hold the boat together. What was special about the ropes is that the grass would contract when it was watered causing the ropes to pull the boards of the boat together forming a water tight seal. The boat was buried in a special crypt/pit right next to Cheops's pyramid in pieces in a precise order so that it could easily be put back together in the afterlife. The boat was discovered in 1954. After much study, the boat was put together and displayed in the Solar Boat Museum. It is an absolutely incredible boat. Seeing this ancient boat was one of the highlights of my tour of Egypt and an unexpected bonus I wouldn't gotten to do were it not for my flying out a day early as well as for the great tour director Sami Hassan. I would heartily recommend folks check out this incredible museum. It's in the pyramid complex and behind the Great Pyramid. Here is a link to a webpage that tells more of the history of the boat: http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/the-solar-boat-museum/
EZ Storage Laurel Maryland
Back in January, I decided it was time to move out of the apartment I've lived in the past 11 years. I came up with a plan where I'd move a lot of my stuff into storage first so, I could get the apartment cleaned then see about moving into an apartment some where else. One place I was familiar with storage wise is the EZ Storage facility on 8401 Contee Road in Laurel, Maryland. I've delivered mail there and, it looked like a nice facility. A big plus about the facility is they have units that are climate controlled i.e. they stay a certain temperature year round.
According to the companies website, they offer free tours of the facility and, I decided to take them up on it. I found out all the climate controlled units are in the basement level. All units have a sliding lock bar which you attach a lock to so, they are secured. The units vary in size from what would be a standard closet space to one on par with a 1 car garage. The bigger the unit, the expensive the monthly rent on it. You can find out what each size unit will cost you on their website and if the size unit you want is available at the facility you want to use. Rental agreements are from month to month and, the rent payment must be made by the 28th of each month. You can pay online if you wish at their website.
Security at the facility is very good. There are 3 layers of it. First, you must have a code given to you by the staff at the facility to get through the locked gate. Second, you must use that same code to get into the building and be able to raise the garage doors so, you can bring stuff into the facility. Third, you have the key lock on your unit. Also, there are surveillance cameras so staff can watch who is in the facility.
Hours wise, the facility is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The office has boxes for sale as well as packing tape and locks to secure your storage compartment with. Small boxes cost $2.19 each, medium boxes are $2.99 each and large are $3.99. EZ Storage has a deal where you buy 9 boxes and, you get the tenth box for a penny. I don't know the price of the packing tape. They have 2 types of locks for sale - a steel lock for $8.99 and a brass lock for $12.99. As far as I know, they both offer the same level of security for your unit.
Staff wise, I found the staff very helpful and courteous. The partners who run the facility are equally nice and are willing to answer any questions potential customers have about the facility.
Overall, I was very impressed with the EZ Storage facility at 8401 Contee Road, Laurel, Maryland. It's very clean, well run and very secure. I like storing my stuff there though moving it there has been a big time pain. Still, it's cheaper than using professional movers. I'd highly recommend this facility to anyone. Good luck on your move!
According to the companies website, they offer free tours of the facility and, I decided to take them up on it. I found out all the climate controlled units are in the basement level. All units have a sliding lock bar which you attach a lock to so, they are secured. The units vary in size from what would be a standard closet space to one on par with a 1 car garage. The bigger the unit, the expensive the monthly rent on it. You can find out what each size unit will cost you on their website and if the size unit you want is available at the facility you want to use. Rental agreements are from month to month and, the rent payment must be made by the 28th of each month. You can pay online if you wish at their website.
Security at the facility is very good. There are 3 layers of it. First, you must have a code given to you by the staff at the facility to get through the locked gate. Second, you must use that same code to get into the building and be able to raise the garage doors so, you can bring stuff into the facility. Third, you have the key lock on your unit. Also, there are surveillance cameras so staff can watch who is in the facility.
Hours wise, the facility is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The office has boxes for sale as well as packing tape and locks to secure your storage compartment with. Small boxes cost $2.19 each, medium boxes are $2.99 each and large are $3.99. EZ Storage has a deal where you buy 9 boxes and, you get the tenth box for a penny. I don't know the price of the packing tape. They have 2 types of locks for sale - a steel lock for $8.99 and a brass lock for $12.99. As far as I know, they both offer the same level of security for your unit.
Staff wise, I found the staff very helpful and courteous. The partners who run the facility are equally nice and are willing to answer any questions potential customers have about the facility.
Overall, I was very impressed with the EZ Storage facility at 8401 Contee Road, Laurel, Maryland. It's very clean, well run and very secure. I like storing my stuff there though moving it there has been a big time pain. Still, it's cheaper than using professional movers. I'd highly recommend this facility to anyone. Good luck on your move!
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