Dave and Busters

After I saw the movie "The Queen," I drove out to Arundel Mills Mall to play some arcade games at Dave and Busters. Dave and Busters are a chain on arcade/restaurants where you can play various arcade games and have something to eat or drink. They also offer large screen tvs where you can watch various sports events.

In regards to the arcade games, They have a large variety of them so there is something for everyone. If you want to play skeeball, shoot basketball hoops, shoot at targets or drive a simulated race car, they can accomodate you. In my case, I heard they had a trivia game where you can compete against as many as 5 other people. The higher number of people that compete, the higher the number of bonus tickets you can win. The disadvantage of competing against 5 other people is that only the top 3 win tickets. The bottom 3 get zip! I found it fun competing against others and trying to win the maximum number of tickets. The tickets enable you to win various prizes. Some of the prizes are very nice and some are very cheap. I suspect it would be cheaper to buy one of the prizes vice what it would cost you in playing the various arcade games and trying to win enough tickets. Yet, I think buying the item wouldn't be as much fun as winning it.

Overall, I found the arcades to be a lot of fun at Dave and Busters though it is very easy to spend some serious money playing the games. I would definitely watch what you spend there if you take kids there. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. They do check IDs as I found out personally to my surprise. In regards to the food and drink they offer there, I haven't eaten or drank anything there since the place was known as "Jillians." I can't make any kind of recommendation as far as their food and drink. I have no idea if they offer good value in regards to their food or beverages. Perhaps in time, I'll try them out in that regard and then post something on this blog about that.

Movie Review - "The Queen"

I finally got out and saw the movie "The Queen" today. I've been meaning to get out and see it ever since I read about it in one of the royalty magazines I read. The movie is about Queen Elizabeth II and the week of Princess Diana's death. It tells the story of a lot of things that happened behind the scenes and out of the public eye. It's a fascinating movie in that we get to see a lot of maneuvering behind closed doors and the difference of values between generations as well as the enormous hype the press did on Diana's death. The British public took some of their grief and frustration over Diana's death out on the Queen. The public blamed the royals for the ostracism of Diana not realizing that Diana didn't want to play by the rules and so caused some of the ostracism herself. We see how the royals were frustrated by the two personas of Diana. The public persona was one of a princess who was very caring and supported a number of worthwhiled causes. The behind the scenes persona was of a princess that didn't want to play by established protocol and upstaged her husband Charles who was the whole reason she became the celebrity she became. If Diana had never married Charles, she never would've become the figure she became. There is no question Charles did Diana wrong in not giving up his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles but, in royal circles it would've been expected that Diana would've turned a blind eye to it and carried on. She refused and took the relationship to the public doing damage to the royal institution. Public opinion ignored Diana's lack of loyalty to the royal institution and instead saw her as something of a saint and victim. To make matters worse, the press were quick to seize on the lack of a response from Buckingham Palace as this helped sell more papers. It didn't matter to them that their stirring things up could've harmed the monarchy. Fortunately, we see how the Queen managed to calm things down in a speech. Time helped things further. Two months after the crisis week, the issue was no longer an issue. The Queen survived the crisis and moved on though undoubtedly stunned by what had happened.

Overall, I thought the movie "The Queen" very well done. It was fascinating to see all the moves that went on behind the scenes. The movie is definitely one for adults. I think kids would find it boring and wouldn't understand what all the fuss was about concerning Diana's death. Another reason the movie appealed to me is because I'm a bit of an anglophile. I love England and find it a beautiful and fascinating country. London still remains my favorite city. If you're a fellow anglophile, I think you'd find the movie fascinating in that regard. If you want to see the movie, you may have to hunt for it as the number of theaters showing the film is dropping. I guess the newness has worn off and other new movies are coming out. Still, the movie is one that might be worth looking for. If you're an anglophile or are simply fascinated with the British Monarchy then you'll want to see "The Queen."

Medieval Times

I got to be the executioner today at the Medieval Times castle I work at. It was only the third or fourth time I'd played the executioner. The person who normally plays it (Solomon) is in Florida on vacation. I found it fun and a challenge. It's fun in that you get to play a character that is somewhat sinister. It's a challenge in a number of ways. The executioner is only able to communicate through grunts and mime as he had his tongue cut out (rumor has it for talking too much). The executioner must also be scary but not too scary. You want to give the kids a small fright but not scare them away from the castle. Also, the executioner helps make money for the castle by selling spoof pictures of people having their head chopped off. Today, the photo girl and I sold 8 pictures which was pretty good considering the crowd we had.

I also got to use my first four free tickets to the castle. One of the rewards of working at Medieval Times is getting four free tickets on your birthday and four free tickets on Christmas. I used my birthday tickets and treated a friend who works at the Post Office, her daughter and two of her friends to Medieval Times. I enjoyed getting to treat them to the show and hope they had a fun time. I'll find out when I work at the Post Office Wednesday.

Lastly, I got to battle it out with a Medieval Times co-worker in a trivia competition. We had a competition series of the best out of five. The one who won would become the acknowledged trivia champion between us. Things didn't go well for me initially as I lost the first two matches. The second one was particularly crushing as I lost the match on the second to last question. To my surprise, I came back and won the last three matches. The deciding match was a nerve-wracking affair. I took the lead on points BUT I only had 2 life forces left (you get 5 to start with). The thing that cost me the second match was life forces. I lost my last life force on the second to last question so I was very anxious at only having two. I didn't want a repeat of the second match. Thankfully, two was enough and I won. Someone once said "Victory is sweet." and they weren't kidding. I'm savoring my triumph and plan to have some more fun by reminding my co-worker who the trivia champion is. Considering how cocky she was about her trivia skill, it'll be fun to remind her who won the competition.

Patuxent Research Refuge

The Patuxent Research Refuge is a little known gem to be found between Laurel and Bowie, Maryland. It is composed of over 12,750 acres of land dedicated to wildlife research. The refuge has a visitors center where visitors can find out about the work the refuge is performing. The refuge also has trails where visitors can take peaceful country walks. Lastly, Cash Lake is open during certain hours for fishermen. Fishermen must hold a current Maryland fishing license and obtain a permit from the refuge if they wish to fish there. Below are some pictures I took of the refuge.

This is the entrance to the Visitors Center.

This is a statue of a timber wolf family. The statue can be found in front of the visitors entrance.

This is Cash Lake.

These are two pictures of Lake Redington.

Casino Royale

I found out from the Rotten Tomatoes website (http://www.rottentomatoes.com) that the 2006 version of Casino Royale with Daniel Craig will be out on DVD on March 13th. This a movie worth adding to anyone's movie collection. Craig played an excellent Bond and the producers succeeded in making Craig's "Bond" a lot more realistic and grittier. Bond actually bleeds in this movie as well as show some feeling for the main lady character Vesper Lynd. Price wise, I've seen a price range of $15.91 (http://www.overstock.com) to $22.24 (Deep Discount DVD.com). List price for the DVD is $28.99. A number of places are already accepting advance orders for this DVD.

Payraise

To my surprise, I found out I received my first payraise from Medieval Times this last paycheck. I saw my latest paycheck was larger than what I expected and I wanted to know why. I found out that my boss Mike Verelli put me in for my first yearly payraise and it was approved. I knew I was approaching my first complete year at the castle and that Medieval Times allegedly awarded yearly payraises. I started working at the Baltimore/Washington castle the end of February of 2006. It's hard to believe I've worked there for almost a year now. Working at the castle was a total break from my previous life in the U.S. Air Force. It was an enormous change. It's a lot more relaxed working there. At the castle, you can grow your hair as long as you want. In the Air Force, if my hair was 1 inch longer than regs specified, I was told to get a haircut. In the castle, I can call the General Manager by his first name. In my last unit, I always called my commander Sir!

I've found it really interesting working at the castle. You're part of a huge team (over 200 people) that works to put on a very complicated show and dinner at least 5 times a week. It takes a lot of teamwork to pull it off. The kitchen staff must have all the necessary plates, bowls and mugs ready for the food servers to use. They must also prepare enough food to serve a 4-course meal to between 150 and 1,000 people. The food servers must put on their costumers and set the proper number of place settings in their assigned areas. Group reservations must tell the people who work the seating assignments how many groups are going to come to the show and how many are in each group. Security must coordinate with the people who hand out seating assignments when they need their equipment set up. Ticketing personnel must be ready to print tickets for customers, confirm reservations and sell tickets to those who decide to see the show on the spur of the moment. Sound and lighting must coordinate with security as to when they'll need castle guards at the main entrances to the castle. Gift shop personnel must make sure that all the shelves are full stocked and they're ready to deal with customers. Bar staff must make sure the bar is full stocked and the beer and soda taps are working. Back in the stables, squires are busy grooming and preparing the horses. Knights are busy practicing various routines and getting their costumes together. The actors and actress who play the King, Princess, Ambassador and Lord Chancellor must put on their costumes and go out to the castle entrance to meet customers. The Lord or Lady Falconer must bring the falcon to the castle, put on their costume and show the falcon to customers as they arrive. Heralds put on their costumes, prepare their instruments, practice the notes they're going to play and go to the front of the castle to help direct customers to either the King or Princess so they can get their picture taken with them. When it's time, the heralds must know when to go into the arena to play their part in the show. Squires must have the right horses ready for the knights to ride. Food servers must be ready to direct people to their tables. Sound & lighting personnel must know which spotlight to go to and what acts they're going to spotlight. The people in the sound & lighting booth must know when to play certain music, activate certain lights and turn on various special effects machines. The King, Princess, Lord Chancellor and Lord Marshall must know where they need to go so they're in their proper place for the show. There is so much that must be done and incredibly, it does get done. When the show is over, food servers will quickly clean up their assigned tables. Squires will put the horses back in their stalls and make sure they have plenty of hay and water. Sound & lighting personnel will turn off the spotlights, amplifiers and put away the microphones. Gift shop personnel will close out their cash registers and turn them into cash control. Security personnel will lock the main gates and turn off all the main lights to the castle. Wardrobe personnel will collect all the costumes and start washing them so they'll be ready for the next show. In effect, the castle will go to sleep for a little while till it's time for it to start ramping up for another show. It's a fascinating process and it's neat to be a part of it.

King Picture

Here is the promised picture of me wearing the King's costume at Medieval Times. As you can tell by the smile on my face, I got a big kick wearing the costume. It was a lot of fun having this picture taken.

U.S.S. Constellation

While visiting Baltimore's Inner Harbor earlier this week, I took a picture of the U.S.S. Constellation. The Constellation is one of a number of attractions they have at the Inner Harbor (I plan to tell of some of the others in future blogs). The ship is the only remaining U.S. Civil War ship afloat. It is also the last wooden warship the U.S. Navy built. Afterwards, the Navy built ships that were powered by steam. The ship is a sloop of war and carries 16 8-inch guns on its gun deck and various other guns on its main deck. The cost of admission is $8.75 for adults and $4.75 for children. For an additional fee, visitors can rent an electrical device that will tell you aspects of the ship at various points on the ship. During the summer months, reenactors tell of life onboard the ship and show how the guns were worked. The ship has been faithfully restored to how it would've looked during the Civil War. I've toured the ship and found it very interesting. It gives a nice glimpse of life on board a wooden warship (it was no bed of roses). For further information on the ship as well as other programs they offer see http://www.constellation.org.

Canon Rebel XTi Camera Outfit Review

In previous posts, I've mentioned that I was going to buy a Canon EOS 30-D digital camera. The camera had all the features I wanted with one significant drawback. It's very expensive. Because of the cost, I kept dithering about it. Then, this past weekend, I set up a meeting with a friend for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The Inner Harbor has some interesting sights and I wanted to show them to those of you who read my blog. I have a Minolta Maxxum 7000 35-mm camera which takes fine pictures but, I would've had to have to shot an entire 24-picture roll of film and I didn't think there was that much stuff there I wanted to take pictures of. Also, it would've taken 3 or 4 days to get the pictures developed unless I wanted to pay for some 24-hour service. I felt using my Minolta would've been too much hassle. I decided it was time to buy a new digital camera.

I belong to two discount shopping clubs in Maryland: Sam's Club and Costco. I'd seen the digital camera display at Costco a number of times when I'd walked in and decided to see what they had. It turned out they had a nice Canon Rebel XTi camera outfit for $799. The outfit included camera body, battery, battery charger and an 18-55mm lens. The only thing I'd have to buy was a compact flash memory card. The camera had similar features to the 30-D with it being $400 cheaper and I could get my hands on it right now. I decided to buy it. This is the camera I used to take the picture of the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe I posted yesterday. So far, it seems like a pretty decent camera. I look forward to using it so I can post some nice pictures of places around Maryland and where ever I travel to. I did learn after I took the Baltimore pictures that I needed to drop the resolution for photos I'll post here. All my Inner Harbor pictures came in at around 4 megs a picture. Yikes! Still, those of you who read this blog can now expect to see pictures "oooo" of Maryland and where ever else I end up traveling to. Hopefully, you'll enjoy them and they'll make this blog a bit more interesting. All text makes for a very boring blog. Cheers all!

Advertising on Cell Phones

I received a poll from Harris Poll Online (http://www.harrispollonline.com) that asked questions about advertising on cell phones. My reaction to the poll was one of disbelief. The last place I want to receive advertising is on my cell phone. Especially, when I have a set number of any time minutes and presumably the advertising would cut into those. Another problem I would have with advertising on my cell phone is that my cell phone is for important business. I use it contact people when I really need to i.e. I've used it to notify my Dad when I missed my plane when I was flying home for Christmas, I've used it to let my friend Harvey know I was on my way to Richmond so he would be at the train station to pick me up and I've used it to let my boss at Medieval Times know I was running behind but I was on my way to the castle. My cell phone is NOT some place I want to receive frivolous advertising. Hopefully, advertisers will leave cell phones alone. If they start bugging me on mine, I'm going to be calling that number at the FCC (I think that's the right agency) real fast that stops such calling.

New Scanners

We received new digital scanners at the Post Office this past weekend. I don't know why the Post Office decided to go with the new scanners. The old ones seemed to work fine and they were pretty indestructible as I can testify as having accidentally dropped the things a few times. The new scanners are convenient in some ways and give a back-up to the form 3849's we have people sign when we have a package needing a signature confirmation or if its insured. Convenience wise, we no longer have to punch in the last four of our social security number when we log into the scanners. Instead, we have a bar code tag on our Post Office ID cards which we scan. Once we scan that bar code, the scanners will remember our name, social and route we worked that day in its system. In regards to a back up for the form 3849's, the new scanners scan in the signature of the person signing for the letter or package. This gives a digital image which can serve as an additional record to the form 3849. It's possible this image can be shown to the customer who requested the signature from whomever was receiving the mailed item.

Castle Social Event

This past Tuesday night, I went to a social event the Baltimore Medieval Times castle had for its employees. The castle management holds various social events during the year. This gives a chance for employees to socialize and is a way for the castle to pay its employees back for their hard work. Some of these events are very casual while others are more formal. The Tuesday event was more formal in that it was a dress up occasion. Men were expected to wear suits and ties or tuxedos and women were expected to wear gowns. The event was held at the Fountaine Bleu in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The Fountaine Blue is part of a chain of halls that cater for special events such as ours. They provided a full buffet, bar and DJ.

The event started at 7 p.m. Castle employees had to have an invitation which they presented to Jessica (retail manager) who made sure they were on the list of castle employees. After that, the employees were welcome to find a table, set their coats down, get a drink at the bar and make themselves a salad or have a bowl of Maryland crab soup. At 8 p.m., the main course buffet was opened. It featured ham, chicken breast in some kind of white sauce and beef stroganoff with potatoes and green beans. I found the chicken breast to be particularly good.

Around 9:30 p.m., the DJ started warming up the dance floor. This was a particularly amusing aspect of the night as the castle has some real dance animals among its members. A person who works in gift shop by the name of Alvarado particularly distinguished himself by giving John Travolta a run for his money. Also, our own operations manager was hilarious as he did some slick moves on the dance floor. For yours truly, I was content to watch the action but, our HR and promotions ladies weren't going to let me get away without dancing. They summarily got me out on the dance floor and kept me there for at least 10 minutes. It was the first time I'd danced in over 10 years. To say the least, I was very nervous. I managed not to embarrass myself too badly with my two left feet. Later, I did a nice slow dance with a girl who works in Sound & Lighting occasionally.

Overall, I thought the event was really nice. Castle management picked a nice place to hold it and the Fountaine Bleu folks did their best so castle employees really enjoyed themselves. The food was excellent as was the service. The DJ played a good mix of music and helped people loosen up. I think everyone had a nice time. I'm not sure what the next social event will be though whatever it is, I definitely plan to attend it. It was fun mingling with my fellow employees a the castle.

Employee of the Month

It's official. I won employee of the month at the Baltimore/Washington D.C. Medieval Times. I was surprised and delighted. It is really neat winning the award. It isn't some token award as I believe the winner gets a $100 bonus for the month they win it which is pretty cool. I also get to do something of a gag photo they put up on the employee awards bulletin board. In my case, today I had my photo taken wearing the King's costume. By all accounts, I looked pretty good in it. Hopefully, I can get a copy of the photo so I can scan it and post it on this blog. We'll see on that. As it is, I'm pretty chuffed about winning the award and I'm grateful to my supervisor Mike for putting me in for it. He's a fantastic boss and it was really nice of him to do that. Now, I know why he was asking all kinds of strange questions about three weeks ago. It was for the award write-up. One last comment about the award: to my embarrassment, the first time I put on the King's shirt, I put it on backwards. It reminded me of the first time I dressed for castle guard. The first time I put on the castle guard cloak/over tunic, I put it on backwards too. It was kind of funny and I'm sure the lady from wardrobe had a good laugh about it. It was also pretty neat wearing the costume. As they say, it is good to be the King (or in this case fun).

Journal of visit to Middle Earth Sites

I found out from the Council of Elrond website (http://www.councilofelrond.com) that Durham University doctoral student Danielle Smith wrote a journal of her visit to a number of the sites Peter Jackson used for the Lord of the Rings movies. Being a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I promptly visited her website to read her journal. I found it interesting. I also enjoyed some of the pictures she included with her journal. I would recommend it to any Lord of the Rings fan though I will warn you, it'll likely make you very envious of this lady. I sorely wish I could visit the film sites as it would be seriously cool to see some of the places where they shot the film. Anyway, Miss Smith's journal can be located at http://www.dur.ac.uk/d.e.smith/journal.htm. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review

I decided to try another new restaurant that I haven't dined at before. Today, I tried Gunning's Seafood Restaurant in Hanover, Maryland. The restaurant is located just off MD-100 (going toward Ellicott City) at exit 8. When you come to the stop light, you take a left on Coca-Cola Drive and another left on Dorsey Road (Parkway Drive). The restaurant will be on your right in a small strip mall.

Parking wise, the restaurant doesn't offer loads of parking. When I arrived for lunch, I found out that I'd arrived at one of its busier times. I ended up parking in one of its side parking spaces. I got to practice my parallel parking skills which frankly stink.

After I managed to park my car, I walked into Gunnings. I found out they have two areas to eat a bar area with some tables and a dining room. I ate in the bar area though not at the bar. It was obvious that the bar area is where sports fans liked to hang out. There were at least 4 tv sets with at least one broadcasting some sports channel I'd never seen before.

I waited for someone to seat me but after 3 or 4 minutes, I picked a table myself. The table had a couple menus so I scanned them to decide what I wanted. I ended up settling on the cream of crab soup and shrimp salad platter. To drink, I settled on Sprite as they didn't have Root Beer. I then looked around for a waitress and finally had to ask one of the people working there for one.

After about 5 or 10 minutes, my soup arrived. I think someone let the soup cook too long because the soup had the texture of pudding. I would scoop up a spoonful of it and it would jiggle just like pudding. Taste wise, the soup was excellent but, it just didn't seem like soup.

After I finished my soup/pudding, my shrimp salad platter arrived. I tried the house dressing and thought it decent. The shrimp salad was loaded with big chunks of shrimp. I was surprised by this as I'm use to shrimp salads that have smaller pieces. Still, overall I thought the salad was good.

I didn't try any of Gunnings desserts as they didn't have anything that really impressed. Price wise, my lunch ended up costing just under $21 before tip. I thought it was a decent price for what I had. Service wise, once my waitress showed up, the service was excellent and I had no qualms tipping her the standard 15%.

Overall, I thought Gunnings wasn't anything fancy and definitely isn't fine dining. I also wasn't impressed with its choice of seafood dishes. For a seafood restaurant, I would've thought their seafood menu would've been bigger. I would've also liked to have seen their prices for cooked crabs. They stated on the menu they offered them but they never gave a price. Still, they are a decent restaurant with good service. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest, I'd rate them a 3. If you want a nice decent restaurant to eat at, they're worth considering BUT, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. Bon appetit!

Restaurant Review

Every month, I receive an email from the Rewards Network telling me of new restaurants in the program. One such restaurant was Strapazza's. They're five restaurant chain located in Maryland. I chose to visit the Columbia, Maryland restaurant as it was closest to me. The Columbia restaurant is located a short distance from exit 2 on MD-100. The restaurant is one of a number of restaurants and shops in a small strip mall complex. I found parking somewhat limited compared to the parking at Remomo's in Arundel Mills Mall. The restaurant itself had a decent enough decor. Service was prompt but the choice of menu items was more limited than what was offered at Remomo's. I decided to try their fried calimari and shrimp cardinale.

The serving for their fried calimari seemed larger than what was offered at Remomo's. They also gave you more marinara sauce which was nice. Price wise, I believe their calimari cost $1 more than Remomo's. Like Remomo's, they were careful to offer small cut pieces of calimari. I've found that eating a large piece of calimari can be like trying to eat a piece of rubber so I appreciate restaurants that are careful about how they serve their calimari.

The shrimp cardinale was tastefully presented and had an excellent serving of pasta with it. It had plenty of button mushrooms and 6 jumbo size shrimp. Taste wise it was all right though I didn't like the pink sauce that came with the dish. I will chalk this up to my personal tastes. I don't think it was bad tasting, I just didn't like it. You, the reader might have different tastes so don't discard fine dish just because it didn't agree with me.

Overall, I found Strapazza's to be a nice restaurant comparably priced with Remomo's. Due to it more limited appetizer selection (6 items), lack of parking, and distance to get there, I'd recommend Remomo's over Strapazza. Still, if you're heading out on Maryland 100 and get a hankering for Italian food, you might want to give them a try. They're a decent restaurant though not one worth making a special effort to get to. Their website is located at http://www.strapazza.com.

New Year's at the Castle

Normally, I don't stay up to celebrate the new year. It has never been anything worth celebrating to me. However, yesterday I got to celebrate New Year's at the Medieval Times I work because I was scheduled to work there. The preparations for the New Year's bash had begun well in advance. The castle ordered feathery things with New Year's 2007 on them for the bar and serving wenches. They looked like something you might see on a Vegas showgirl. They also ordered cases of some kind of champagne and party favors. The day before the big bash, they had one of my co-workers come in and help fill up something like 150 ballons for the ballon drop. The kitchen staff was kept busy preparing all the carrot and celery sticks, orange and pineapple pieces, broccoli and cauliflower chunks, pieces of cantalope and watermelon, and cucumber and bell pepper slices for the appetizer tables. The day of the bash, I helped them prepare the tables for those items. We also put out small plates, forks and knapkins.

The bash began 8 p.m. when the castle opened for those coming for the event. People began arriving before the gates opened. We ended up having over 600 people celebrate New Year's at the castle. The people tore into the appetizers while they waited for the regular show. It was a bit weird to think that we working the last show of 2006. The show and dinner went fine. At the end of the show, the serving staff gave out noise makers and party crackers. Afterwards, the customers walked back out into the gift show and Hall of Arms (where all the suits of armor are) and sipped champagne while they watched the last 30 minutes of 2006 slip by.

At midnight, the cast of the show fired confetti into the crowd and caused the balloon filled nets to open. People popped the balloons and continued to drink champagne. For myself, I enjoyed some apple juice since I had to drive home and I never drink and drive. I also ate a few donuts they put out for the customers. I thought the castle did a nice job for the bash though like previous years, the event itself didn't excite me. Big whoop! 2007 has begun. Ho hum. I hope 2007 is better than 2006. We'll see. For all of you who read this blog, may your 2007 be better than 2006 and help you fulfill all your dreams. Cheers!

Congratulations!

I just got word that my sister Eloise got promoted at the Trader Joe's supermarket she works at. Ellie has worked there for at least a couple years now. Last year, they accepted her into their management training program because of her right attitude, hard work and dedication. You must go through this training in order to become an assistant manager and full time employee at Trader Joes. Once you complete the training, your name is put on a list. As new stores open or assistant managers quit, they offer the new or open positions to those on the list. Ellie's name finally came up and she got her well deserved promotion. Many congratulations to her on her promotion. I know she worked very hard for it and I'm delighted she got it. Way to go girl!

Job Probation

One of the roughest things employers do in Maryland when they initially hire you is have a period where you're on probation. During this probation, they can fire you for any reason at all. In theory, if they didn't like the color of your hair one day, they could fire you for it and wouldn't even have to tell you why they fired you. With the Post Office, I heard they were different. Their probation was supposedly 90 WORK days vice 90 regular days. This made sense since a substitute carrier might only work for them one day a week. They wouldn't get to observe them very much in that case during a normal probation period. Yesterday, I found out I was wrong on that. It turns out the Post Office does the probation period like anyone else. For me, it was good news as it means I'm in the clear with them. I've been working for the Post Office for over 5 months. I also found out that they have a rule where I can't become a regular i.e. full time carrier until I've worked for them 1 year. Realistically, a substitute carrier can expect to wait a lot longer than that. Also, a sub has to wait until they are number 1 on the list for the next route that opens up. All the other substitute carriers that hired on before you will be ahead of you on that list. Right now, I'm the last one on the list as I'm the last sub they hired and who has stuck with it (there were six of us initially).

Concerning being a substitute carrier, I've found out that there are some plusses and minuses to it. Minuses, a sub gets no benefits and no guarantee of hours barring that they will work one day a week. A sub is also considered a temporary hire though in their case, they can work temporarily for the Post Office for 7 YEARS. A sub also doesn't get paid unless they work. Next week, the Post Office will be closed Tuesday in honor of former President Gerald Ford's passing. Full time carriers will get paid but subs won't. We only get paid for the hours we work. A sub also doesn't accrue any vacation time. Plusses, unlike regular carriers, a substitute carrier can get as much overtime as the Post Office will give them. Regular carriers can only get overtime if they're willing work six days a week instead of taking their weekly day off. Substitute carriers also get to work a number of routes which keeps the job from getting boring. A regular carrier can only work their assigned route. Lastly, substitute carriers get paid for all the hours they work as long as they go over 40 hours a week (see note). Regular carriers get paid a flat salary. If they have to work extra long hours in order to complete they route, they have to suck it up. They don't get paid more for working any extra hours. Note: if a sub is assigned to work a route that is assessed at 9 hours and they take 12 to do it, the sub will have to suck it up for the extra 3 hours unless they work 40 or more hours for that week. The Post Office pays the sub the number of hours of what the route is assessed however, if the sub works 40 or more hours then, they will pay them the total number of hours worked. This is where it can pay off for the sub to work a number of routes as in my case where I sub on three routes every week. Subbing on a number of routes makes it more likely you'll get paid for the actual number of hours you work vice the number of hours the routes were assessed. If the sub is going to be short a few hours of the 40 hour point, they might want to see if they can do express mail deliveries for their Post Office. This could help them hit the all important 40.

News at My End of the Woods

My friend Harvey pointed out to me that I needed to update my blog. I spoke with him on the 26th and he pointed out that on my blog, I had a marquee saying "two weeks till Christmas." Oops! I confess I've been very busy the last couple weeks. Here's why:

Post Office

I've been working 40 hours plus a week at the Post Office. We've been loaded down with packages (presumably Christmas presents) and catalogs. People sometimes slam the Post Office but they really do try to serve their customers. I worked this past Sunday delivering gifts that had arrived at the last minute. We also had a sub come in on Christmas day and deliver express mail. Things should slow down now that the Christmas rush is over. I continue to slog away at the job and feel I continue to improve. I still don't know if I'll stay long enough to get my own route. The pay, benefits and job security are very appealing but, I'll have to wait a long time to get them. We'll see what happens here.

Medieval Times

I've continued to enjoy my job in sound & lighting. I really like playing the role of castle guard and I continue to find operating the spotlight a challenge. I've earned kudos from various folks because I strive to go beyond the minimum. I'm always willing to have my picture taken with customers or their kids. I try to answer any of the customers questions and I strive to ensure they have an enjoyable experience at Medieval Times. It seems some of the bosses have noticed. I know my supervisor is very pleased with me. This week promises to be hectic at the castle as we have two shows every day till New Year's Eve. We also have a New Year's Eve show at 9:30 p.m. I'll get to work the castle that night and will bring in the new year there. It'll be my first time to do that and it should be interesting. For any squire wannabes, I've heard a rumor that the castle is short squires so now might be a good time to apply. The job is demanding and you must be in good physical shape. You do a lot of running and you constantly hustling during the show. Still, you get to be in the show and if you show you have the right stuff, it could be your ticket to becoming a knight in the show. If you're interested, see the folks at the ticket counter for an application.

French

Since I received the Rosetta Stone software I ordered, I've made it a point to study some French every day. I feel I'm making progress though I am getting kicked a bit with the written part. It can be very difficult to catch everything when they speak the various phrases. You really have to listen to catch everything so you can figure out exactly what the speaker is saying. I continue to be really pleased with Rosetta Stone's software. It really does a nice job of teaching whatever language you want to learn.

Airmiles

When I've had some free time, I've dined out and played the airmile game. By my calculations, I'm short about 7,000 airmiles so I can get a free ticket from Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport to Newark Liberty Airport. I should be able to earn the airmiles and get my free ticket. I've also made a down payment on the Scandanavia tour. So far, every thing looks good for me getting to go. Hopefully, it'll happen.

Conclusion

That's all at my end. I'm doing all right and have found the faith to leave my worries in God's hands. I don't know what the future will bring but feel confident that God will ensure things work out. Hopefully, 2007 will be a better year than 2006. We'll see. Cheers all!

Packages

With the Christmas season, a new headache has emerged at the Post Office: the deluge of packages. Mind you, it is a good thing business wise for the Post Office but, for the mail carrier, packages can be a royal pain. The Christmas season sees their package load double to quadruple in volume. This creates problems as the packages take up lots of space in their mail trucks which aren't super big to begin with. They also slow down the carrier as they have to organize the packages, stop their truck at the delivery address, may have to scan the package if someone paid for delivery confirmation and, collect a signature of the package is insured. If the carrier can't get the required signature, the carrier has to take the package back to the Post Office and drop it off in a section for packages going over to the regular Post Office. Later, someone will load up all the those packages and take them over to the regular Post Office so their owners can pick them up.

One thing the Post Office will do to make things easier on their carriers is have one or two substitute carriers (subs) do package delivery. The subs will take almost all the carrier's packages and make a package only run. Yesterday, I did such a run. I ended delivering over 50 packages during the morning. It's a huge help for the regular carriers. It also has a side benefit for the Post Office in that it can help teach the subs new areas of their city. There are parts of Laurel I've never had need to visit. However, I need to know all parts of Laurel so if necessary, I can deliver mail in any part of it. Thanks to doing package runs, I've learned a number of areas in the western part of Laurel. Learning these new areas will help me when I do express mail runs. With express mail, you must deliver all your mail by noon. You need to know exactly where you're going as you don't have any time for mistakes. Conversely, with package runs, you're not under the time gun so you can make mistakes though you try not to. Thanks to doing package runs, I'll now be able to deliver express mail on time to parts of Western Laurel. The package runs have been a win-win as I've gotten some invaluable training and helped make things easier for the regular carriers.

Postal Job

I set a new record hour wise for myself Monday. I worked nearly 16 hours in one day. What happened was first, the primary carrier for route 7 called in sick. As I've previously mentioned, we are short as far as substitute carriers. All of them were already assigned to various routes so we had to stretch them that much further so we could cover the additional route. I was assigned to route 10. I really pushed hard to get it done and managed to finish at 6 p.m. Then, I picked up outgoing mail from two other carriers who were busy delivering mail. All outgoing mail must be turned in by 7 p.m. on weekdays for it to catch the truck going to the mail processing center in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Neither carrier would've made it back in time so it really helped me picking up their outgoing mail.

After that, I helped out one of the other substitute carriers on route 5 for 45 minutes. Once I finished there, I drove back to the Post Office expecting to be finished for the day but it was not to be. To the horror of my boss, Clinton discovered a mistake the made it necessary for me, Clinton and our boss to go back out and deliver some more mail. It ended up taking us over an hour to deliver it. I ended up clocking out at the Post Office at 10:21 p.m.

Tier 1

I received word Sunday that I'd made the necessary number of dining outs to keep my tier 1 status with Northwest Airline's reward dining program. It's been fun working toward that. I've tried just about everything on the menu at Remomo's. From eating there so often, I would recommend you not get their pizza as it is overpriced. Also, you can get better pizza at Papa John's or Pizza Hut. I would recommend you get their chicken parmiagiana as they give you a huge serving of parmiagiana and pasta. I would recommend the plate of mussels as you get quite a few mussels. That said, do plan on getting something to eat if you order the plate of mussels as they won't fill you up. I would absolutely recommend you have their prime rib as this cut of meat has been consistently outstanding. I've had this twice and it is something to savor. The soup of the day has been consistently excellent though I think the bowls are a bit small. For $5, I feel you should get more soup. Their soft drink deal is a nice deal with unlimited refills. I've taken full advantage of that. The smoothies are average priced and good but at $4.50 a pop, I have to cool my smoothie addiction when I'm at Remomo's. I can't say anything about their desserts as I haven't tried any of them in ages. The deal with the tier 1 was I had to spend $20 to get the airmiles. With an appetizer, entree and drink, I had no problem spending over $20. Plus, sometimes, I was so filled up from the meal, I didn't feel like having any dessert.

Airmile wise, the dining has paid off nicely. I have almost 14,000 airmiles with Northwest and may get myself up to the 25,000 I need. 25,000 airmiles will get me a free round-trip ticket from Baltimore Washington International Airport to Newark Liberty Airport so I can catch my flight to Copenhagen for the Globus tour. I could buy the airmiles through Northwest but they would cost more than the flight. I still think it sucks that it costs so many airmiles for such a short flight (163 miles). Oh well. At least the signs remain favorable for me going on the tour. We'll see if it happens.

Rosetta Stone Language Software

Before I begin, I have to put in a disclaimer stating that I haven't received any gift or remuneration for my recommendation of Rosetta Stone's language software. Also, if you should buy the software and you have problems (though you shouldn't), I won't be responsible for those problems. Nuff said on that.

The reason I'm mentioning Rosetta Stone is because right now, they are offering what is probably their best deal of the year on their software. You can get $46 off their level 1 or level 2 software and $80 off their combined level 1 and 2 package. You can get $100 off their level 1, 2 and 3 combined package BUT that is only offered for English and Spanish. Shipping wise, you get free 2-day shipping. Also, if you order by December 18th, you can get a free headset and microphone. In order to get these discounts, make sure you enter in promotion code EMC126. When I placed my order today, I nearly mucked that up and almost missed getting my discount.

Concerning the software itself, I've tried a number of language learning programs and the one I've liked the best is Rosetta Stone. It's easy to use. It helps you pick up the language quickly and it's presented in a nice format. Also, it helps you practice on different aspects of the language. You get practice speaking, writing, and hearing the language. You start out with very basic sentences like "the man runs" and work up to more difficult ones. You also get lots of lessons for your money. Level 1 in French gives you 92 lessons alone. One other plus about Rosetta Stone is they let you try out their software for free. They have demo software that you can download off their website or you can order the demo CD and install it on your computer. The demo software gives you a chance to try out the product and see if you like it.

Lastly, Rosetta Stone participates in Northwest Airlines' Worldperks Mall. What that means is that you can also earn airmiles buying the software. In the case of Northwest, they're offering 9 airmiles per dollar spent. In my case, for the combined level 1 and 2 package I ordered, I'll receive over 1,800 airmiles. If you belong to a different airline frequent flier program, if they have a shopper mall program, you might want to see if Rosetta Stone is a member of their program. Not only could you get a nice deal on the software, you could earn some airmiles that might help you travel to a country where you'll be able to use the language you're working on learning.

Medieval Times

I recently found out about another benefit a person gets working at Medieval Times. Once they pass their probation period, when Christmas comes, Medieval Times awards them a gift certificate they can use in the gift shop. This year, we were given $75 gift certificates. I thought it was really nice of them. I used mine to buy a fleece lined sweatshirt type jacket, a hat and three decks of playing cards (I like to fiddle with cards when I'm bored). I was very pleased with the stuff I bought thanks to the certificate.

Work wise, the my job in sound & lighting continues to be fun. I still enjoy playing the part of a castle guard or dungeon master. Working one of the spotlight continues to be a challenge as you have to work to maintain concentration during the show. After you've seen the show as many times as I have, it's easy to let your mind wander. I also strive to help out where ever I can. Yesterday, I saw they needed help taking chairs down from the tables and setting up the candles and condiments. I jumped in and did what I could until it was time for me to take one of the posts as a castle guard.

People wise, I continue to marvel at the high turnover we have in people. Part of it is that a number of the employees are kids (17 or 18 year olds). They get bored and decide to move on to something new. Part of it too is some of the jobs aren't everything the folks think they're going to be. One kid I know who was working as a squire decided to quit. I suspect he found out that the squire job is demanding and not all fun. As a squire, you groom and tack the horses, during the show you're constanting running to get weapons for your knight or setting up various contests (small ring spear, large ring spear and jousting lanes) and lastly, you get to scoop up all the horse poop (Yuck!). It isn't all glamor being a squire.

Broadway Show - "Mary Poppins"

The finale to our trip to New York City was to see the new Broadway musical "Mary Poppins." It's the same story as in the movie with some new songs thrown in. From the very beginning, the show was a delight. All the actors and actresses did a fantastic job. Ashley Brown played a particularly good Mary Poppins. She was able to deliver some great lines beautifully while embodying the wondrous magical nanny who changes the lives of the Banks family forever. The show offers great laughs, wonderful songs and fantastic dance routines. The sets and costumes were perfect for the show. The show is an excellent example of what is great about live theater. The audience was able to interact with the cast and let them know by their applause or lack of whether they got it right. The show was also perfect for all ages though I think kids will like it in particular.

Overall, I was delighted with the production. It made a great ending to a fantastic trip to New York City. If you're going to make a trip to the Big Apple anything soon, this is one show you'll want to see, particularly if you have kids or are a kid at heart. It will warm your soul and delight your heart.

Tavern on the Green

During our second day in New York City, Harvey and I scouted out where the Tavern on the Green was. From the outside, it didn't look terribly impressive. My friend May Jackson swore that it was an outstanding place to eat. We were to find out that she was big time right!

We had to make reservations in advance to eat at Tavern on the Green. Our reservations were for 1 p.m. We showed up a little early and checked our coats. I was immediately struck by the professionalism of the people working there. All the employees were very well dressed and gave an impression of competence. We made our way to our dining room which was impressive. Nine chandeliers hung from the ceiling and various stucco drawings adorn the ceiling. All waiters work green suit coats and bow ties with the captains wearing black suit coats and bow ties.

The menu was a set menu that we'd prepaid for. We had a choice of appetizer, entree, dessert and cup of coffee or tea. Harvey chose a wild mushroom fricasee which he loved. I tried the Tuscany white bean soup which I found very good. For our entrees, Harvey had broiled salmon with thai purple rice. I had range raised turkey, green peas with pearl onions, sweet potatoe and cranberries. We found both of our entrees to be excellent. For dessert, Harvey tried the chocolate cake while I tried their cheesecake. Again, the food was outstanding.

Our only complaints were our waiter got our orders mixed up TWICE and they charged us $5 for a glass of ice tea and $3.75 for a glass of 7-up with no refills. I thought the charge for drinks was steep.

Overall, the food was outstanding both in taste and presentation. The seating and serving staff seemed competent. The restaurant is expensive. It cost us $48 each for lunch but both of us felt that the food was well worth the price. Dress is upper casual i.e. a nice pair of slacks and shirt for men and a nice dress for women. I wouldn't recommend wearing blue jeans here. If you want an excellent dining experience in New York City, you should definitely try out Tavern on the Green. For further information on them, you can check out their website at http://67.59.176.121/tg1003/newsite/index.asp?headinfo=home. Bon appetit!

Radio City Music Hall

The main reason I wanted to come back to New York City during the Christmas season was to see the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall. They only perform during certain times. Christmas time is one of them. I'd heard from my friend May Jackson that they were spectacular. As it turned out, she was right.

The first thing that impressed me was the hall the show is performed in. It is a beautiful hall and it is humongous. They must be able to seat four or five thousand people in there. Second, thanks to our travel agent, Harvey and I had phenomenal seats. We were only 6 rows from the stage. I was delighted.

The show itself was spectacular. It was filled with wonderful music, great costumes and sets and the outstanding Rockettes. Those ladies know how to dance. Particular highlights were the 3-D trip Santa Claus makes to New York City, the great organists, the moving orchestra, the ice skaters and the stunning living nativity act. A person couldn't help but be dazzled by the show. It was really that impressive. Time wise, the show lasted around an hour and twenty minutes though it should be noted that once the show started, there weren't any breaks or intermissions. The action was continuous and constantly full of surprises. Adults and children would both love the show. It is a show for all ages.

Overall, the show was spectacular, sensational, awesome, breathtaking in its beauty and incredibly impressive. It is an absolute must see if you're in New York City during the Christmas season. Price wise, the tickets Harvey and I had cost $85 each. Considering where we were seated and the show itself, I thought that was a fair price. I was very happy with what I received for my money. I would absolutely recommend this show with the caveat that you try to get good orchestra seats. You should be able to see the show from the upper levels but, it would be nicer to be closer to the action. But above all, do see the show. It'll brighten up your spirits and definitely help put you in the Christmas spirit.

Carnegie Deli

While riding the Downtown Grayline tour bus, Harvey and I heard from the tour guide that two delis located by 57th street made particularly good Reuben sandwiches. I haven't had a good Reuben sandwich in a while so I recommended we try one of them out. Harvey agreed. After we rested and got changed for the Rockettes performance we were going to see that evening; we hopped on a Grayline bus heading up to where the delis were located at. Of the two, we decided to try Carnegie Deli. It was closer to where we were.

When you enter Carnegie Deli, the first thing you see are hundreds of autographed pictures of various celebrities that have eaten at the deli. It's quite an impressive collection. The deli has seating and a server directed to a table where we were promptly served. After scanning the menu, I managed to find the Reuben sandwich. I was initially shocked by the price. They were charging $20.95! The waitress assured me that the sandwich would cover the entire plate. She was right. It did. The sandwich itself was one of the largest I've ever eaten. It was loaded with corned beef. I managed to finish mine and Harvey gave it a good try. For the money, I thought it was good deal. Sandwich wise, I wasn't pleased with it. It just wasn't a great tasting Reuben. I wonder if that was because they didn't use pastrami instead of corned beef. I don't know.

Overall, I thought the Carnegie Deli was a nice deli. The service was excellent. The food was good value and good tasting. I would say give it a try if you're in the area. Personally, I'd like to try more of their sandwiches so I can see if maybe I got just a blah Reuben. I think I could give it a fairer rating then.

Rockefeller Center

Harvey and I also visited Rockefeller Center. It was a pretty area with a small ice skating rink, shops and a huge Christmas tree. The tree itself was huge but not very pretty. Tonight, they'll hold the official lighting ceremony. A tour guide on a Grayline bus we rode around Central Park said that it was expected something like 20,000 people would watch the ceremony.

One really cool thing we got to do while at the center was see the Today Show broadcasted live. Jerry Lee Lewis actually performed a song on the piano just 10 feet from where we were standing. It was fascinating to watch them put the show on and pretty cool too. I'd seen pictures of the Today Show being broadcast from there but, it was the first time I'd seen it in person.

Central Park

I visited Central Park today. I was surprised by its size and rockiness. To me, parks are like St. James and Regents Parks in London. They are flat, grassy with maybe one body of water. Central Park does have some flat spots but, it also has some parts where huge rocks jut out of the earth. Like St. James, it has at least one small lake where you can feed ducks and swans. Another similarity I found between it and St. James are the picture sellers. There were a number of them lined up along 60th Avenue (I think). One nice difference I found was the nice ice skating rink they have. It was neat to watch the skaters. Overall, I thought it was a very pretty park where one could relax from the rush rush grind of the city.

New York City

Yesterday, I arrived in New York City. Harvey and I took the Amtrak train up. The train itself was nice. I particularly enjoyed seeing the various sights roll by the window. It's one thing you miss when you fly. One thing I wish I would miss with Amtrak is their tardiness. They arrived 40 minutes at BWI Amtrak station and were 25 minutes late pulling into New York Penn Station. They're definitely not a mode of travel to rely on when you MUST be some where by a certain time.

After we arrived, we footed it the 12 blocks or so to our hotel the Milford Plaza. I was surprised how busy the hotel was. We had to wait at least 15 minutes to check in. I found my single room to be small and English looking. The wallpaper and pictures remind me of ones British hotels use. I confess for the size of the room, it grates me to think I've paid over $300 a night for it.

Once we'd dropped off our stuff, Harvey wanted an early dinner. I suggested an Italian restaurant called the Southside Cafe which was supposedly less than have a mile away. I'd researched it when I looked for restaurants in the dining rewards program that were close to the hotel. He was game so we went in search of the restaurant. We were able to find it pretty easily. The restaurant is a little small but the food and wine were excellent. They have a fixed prix dinner that will definitely fill you up while not breaking the bank. I had their grilled calimari, angel pasta with fruits of the sea (shrimp, mussels, clams and calimari (squid)) and apple pie. I was throughly pleased with each dish. As Harvey likes wine, we ordered a bottle of chianti which was good as far as I know (I don't know tiddly about wines). The bill came to $98.50 with the bottle of wine which I thought was cheap for the dinner we had. I also have to praise the service. Our waiter Armando did an excellent job. If you're in New York City and your in the mood for Italian food, you might want to try the Southside Cafe.

After dinner, we'd agreed we would see the new James Bond movie Casino Royale. I'd heard it was good. As I haven't seen a movie in a movie theater in a long while, I thought it would be nice to see that one. Also, there happen to be a movie theater just 2 blocks from the hotel (AMC 25). The movie was excellent. Daniel Craig plays a great and moving James Bond. He has plenty of toughness but can also show pain and grief as well when Vesper Lynd dies. The movie definitely has more grit and realism then previous James Bond movies which seemed to get more ridiculous and outlandish. Hopefully, the owners of the franchise will continue with this new tangent on the James Bond series. Another thing I have to praise is the script. Craig has some great lines in the movie and does them justice. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie. I know I'll be looking forward to the follow on movie. Based on the first, it promises to be an action packed thriller.

That's all for my first report from the Big Apple. Today, I get to see the famous Rockettes perform. Harvey and I will also also try to figure out what other sights we want to see. To my embarrassment, I dug out my NYC travel guide and then forgot to pack it. At least I didn't forget to pack anything important as far as I know. Cheers to anyone who reads this.

Golden Corral

I'd planned to eat at Remomo's for Thanksgiving but when I arrived there, I found out to my dismay that they were closed. Worse still, virtually the entire mall was closed. I saw that McDonald's was open when I arrived at the mall but, I wasn't thrilled about eating a hamburger on Thanksgiving. Then, I remembered that the Arundel Mills Golden Corral restaurant was open. I decided to try it. I'd never eaten at that particular restaurant but, I believe all Golden Corral restaurants are the same. They specialize in offering a flat price buffet lunch or dinner. They only thing you have to pay extra for is your drink. My soda cost me $1.29 I believe.

I found the restaurant clean and of decent appearance. They had a salad buffet, entree buffet and desert buffet. All three were included with the price. Each buffet had a good choice of items. I tried the fake crab salad and found it good. From the entree buffet, I tried the roast beef, turkey breast and bourbon chicken. I also tried their cooked corn, boiled cabbage and mashed potatoes. I found all the items in the main entree to be good solid food. For dessert, I had a rice krispy treat.

Overall, I found the food at Golden Corral to be decent food. It won't impress you with its appearance or wipe you out with its taste but it will fill you up. The main thing I liked about Golden Corral was I felt it was excellent value. The meal and drink cost me approximately $16. I thought that was a great price considering wide range of the items they offered. If you want a decent filling dining experience at a very reasonable price, you might want to give them a try.

Chicken Wings

After working a double show at Medieval Times, I ran over to Remomo's restaurant to buy some food to go. At Remomo's, you can dine in or you can buy food from a shorter menu and eat it in the mall or take it home. After spending ten minutes trying to decide what I wanted to get, I settled on their hoagie and two orders of chicken wings. I laughed as I bought the chicken wings because it was largely chicken wings that got me in the airmile game.

While I was stationed in England, I decided to join British Airways Executive Club. I wanted to fly their Concorde aircraft but I didn't want to pay for it. The cheapest price I ever saw to fly Concorde was over $6,000! I thought collecting airmiles was the way for me to get to do it and not kill my bank account. I found that it was easy to collect airmiles with British Airways while in England. When I moved to Northwest Florida, that all changed. I found myself in a bit of predicament as to how to earn airmiles there.

I heard of BA's Executive Club dining program. You could earn up to 10 airmiles per dollar spent at participating restaurants. I thought, that was the way to go. However, when I asked what restaurants participated in the program where I lived, I found out to astonishment that only one group of restaurants participated in the program. It was the Hooters restaurant chain. For those of you who don't know Hooters, Hooters is a notorious chain that specializes in well endowed skimpy clad waitresses and chicken wings. My mouth dropped when I visited a Hooters for the first time. I found out that only the first visit each month to each restaurant counted airmile wise. As Hooters had three (later five) restaurants in the program, I made it a point to visit each Hooters once each month. As I could only each so much food at each Hooters, I looked for ways to buy more stuff. One of them was to purchase chicken wings to go. At one point, I had over 300 Hooters chicken wings in my refridgerator. I marvel that I didn't grow wings considering I ate so many of their wings. This is why when I ordered some chicken wings to go at Remomo's, I had a nice little laugh.

Remomo

As I mentioned previously, I plan to write up a number of blog entries on restaurants I dine at as I play the airmile game with Northwest and British Airways. The first restaurant I've dined at is Remomo's at Arundel Mills Mall. Remomo's serves excellent Italian food though they offer steaks and seafood as well. I dined there three times in the past week. This is what I thought of my visits.

Remomo's offers a nice choice of appetizers. I tried the calimari and minestrone with crab meat. I found the calimari to be well done. One of the things you have to watchful with calimari is getting stuck with large chunky pieces. Eating one of those is like trying to eat a piece of rubber. It doesn't work. To my delight, I didn't have that problem with Remomo's. They also gave a nice portion of marinara sauce that went well with the calimari. In regards to the minestrone soup with crab meat, this was very tasty. It was a nice soup and would be a good start to any meal.

In regards to entrees, I tried the delmonico steak, prime rib and Italian cut salad. I haven't had steak in a while so I looked forward to the Remomo's delmonico steak. I wasn't disappointed. It was very nicely cooked and I savored every bite. The only fault I could find with it was that it was outdone by Remomo's prime rib. Remomo's prime rib is truly outstanding. Both meats come with a nice portion of sweet and regular potatoes but the prime rib outshines their delmonico steak. They include some excellent horseradish sauce which goes with it perfectly. If you want an excellent piece of superbly cooked beef, you won't go wrong with their prime rib. The only complaint I have with the prime rib is that it's only offered after 3 p.m.

If you're not hankering for a nice piece of beef or you want to watch the cholesterol, you might want to try Remomo's Italian cut salad. The serving is impressive and will definitely fill you up. When I saw the size of the salad, I regretted ordering a half order of sauteed mushrooms with it. Oh well. The salad comes with cut pieces of ham and salami, lettuce and onions, Greek olives and tomatoes and is topped by a very nice salad dressing. The salad is a meal in itself and would fill the bill for a main entree.

I also tried the sauteed mushrooms, a strawberry smoothie and Remomo's lemonade. I found the mushrooms decent though nothing to get terribly excited about. The smoothie was good but at $4.50 a glass, it wasn't something that I was going to drink a lot of. Remomo's serves a good selection of soft drinks. They cost $1.99 but come with free refills. I can attest that I put a hurting on them there and was very pleased with their free refill offer.

Some of the things I didn't try was their beer and wine selection. From what I saw of the list, it very good. As I was alone and had to drive, I had to pass on trying them. When it comes to driving, I don't take any chances with alcohol.

Overall, I was very pleased with Remomo's. The service was consistently excellent. The food was delicious and well presented. Cost wise, I thought their prices were very reasonable. Since they're at Arundel Mills Mall, Remomo's is very easy to get to. The only problem there is trying to find a parking space at times. I would definitely recommend this fine restaurant to anyone. If you're in the Hanover, Maryland area, you should give Remomo's a try. Bon appetit!

Rewards Network

One of the easiest ways you can earn airmiles is by dining at various restaurants that participate in the Rewards Network program. There are 11 or 12 airlines that participate in the program. They include American Airlines, British Airways, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and U. S. Airways. Each airline has a link to their particular program. You click on that link and you follow the directions on activating your account. Once you're enrolled, you can earn airmiles at participating restaurants. However, please check the program website to make sure the restaurant you want to dine at that day is offering airmiles. Restaurants can vary in how many airmiles they offer each day. There can also be limits on how many airmiles you can earn at a participating restaurant ex. Remomo's in Arundel Mills Mall, Maryland has a limit of 600 dollars per month. What that means is that you can earn airmiles on your total purchases there up to 600 dollars each month. You won't earn any of any purchases over that amount.

The program has three tiers. The first tier is for those who don't enroll through any airline program. The person dines out between 1 and 3 times a year and will receive 1 airmile per dollar spent at participating restaurants. The second tier is for people who enroll through an airline program or who dine out between 4 and 11 times per year. The member earns 3 airmiles per dollar spent. The program offers some bonus mile opportunities at this tier. Bonus opportunities are offers where the member can earn additional airmiles through promotions the participating restaurant is offering. The third tier is for those who dine out 12 plus times per year. The member earns 5 airmiles per dollar spent. The member also has the best chances for bonus miles ex. at Tier 3, I can earn 5 airmiles through the program and I receive an additional 5 bonus airmiles per dollar spent. Plus, I can receive additional bonus miles depending on the restaurant. I've seen some deals where I could earn as many as 20 airmiles per dollar spent. There is one catch with the tier levels. If you want to remain at tier 2, you must dine at participating restaurants between 4 and 11 times each year. If you want to remain at tier 3, you must dine a minimum of 12 times per year. I find myself in the predicament where I'll have to dine at participating restaurants 23 times in the next month and a half in order to keep my tier 3 status in the British Airways and Northwest Airlines programs. You can expect to see some restaurant reviews in the future on my blog.

The program has some very nice features. One, when you dine at a participating restaurant, you don't have to show any special membership card or tell them you are a member of the program. All you have to do is make sure you use a credit card you registered with the program. Second, airmiles are automatically deposited in your frequent flier account in 6 to 8 weeks. Third, each airline has a website where you can find out what restaurants are participating in the program. The website tells how many airmiles the restaurants are offering as well as maps which show you how to get to the restaurants. NOTE: You should check the website to make sure the restaurant you want to dine at is still in the program. The program adds and drops restaurants every month. If you don't check, you may not earn any airmiles when you dine out. I know this rule from personal experience.

Overall, the program makes it pretty easy to earn a lot of airmiles with your frequent flier program. Also, I've found the restaurants that participate in the program to be consistently good. The program has thousands of participating restaurants throughout the U.S. In my opinion, it's an excellent program and an easy way to earn yourself an upgrade or free ticket.

Disclaimer: FYI, I don't work for the Rewards Network and I haven't received any kind of remuneration for this blog entry. All opinions are my own. I do belong to the British Airways and Northwest Airlines dining programs. I've been a member of the British Airways program since 1997. Because of that, I feel I'm qualified to make some judgements on the program.

Col. R. B. Thieme Jr.

I checked the R. B. Thieme Jr. Bible Ministries webpage today. I was wondering how Colonel Thieme was doing. For all effective purposes, Colonel Thieme has been my pastor for over 11 years now. I don't go to church as I haven't found one near where I live that I like. Plus, I've found it very convenient to listen to Colonel Thieme's bible doctrine tapes. Listening to the tapes, I can go to church anytime I want. Also, I feel the tapes have done a lot for me. They've helped me get through a number of crices in my life. Colonel Thieme himself was something of a character. He was very much a straight shooter who wasn't afraid to pull any punches. Now sadly, he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. My heart goes out to his family. It has to be hard to deal with a loved one who increasingly can't even remember who you are. It also saddens me because he was such a vibrant man. He was so full of life and so driven in teaching the bible. I'll never forget the bible conference I got to go where I got to see him in person. It was really something. I wonder why God struck him with Alzheimer's. He was such a great pastor-teacher and he helped so many advance spiritually. It doesn't seem right in some ways. Oh well, as Thieme would say, God's plan is perfect so we must trust in him. I hope God has granted peace to Colonel Thieme in these twilight years of his life. He certainly deserves it after all the years he worked so hard for God and his plan.

Work

It's been over a week now since I got back to work. It's been both good and bad. I've enjoyed playing castle guard at Medieval Times. It's fun to put on the costume. I also try to do what I can to make it enjoyable experience for every customer I come in contact with. If a customer wants to take my picture, I'm always willing to give my best pose. I also gladly stand by them if they want to do a group picture. I also try to get better at working the spotlight. I try to keep it on whoever I have to spotlight no matter where they're moving which can be challenging. I've been lucky that I have a nice boss in S&L. After being late last Saturday, I'm making a special effort to keep him informed of my work schedule at the Post Office.

Post Office wise, I finished learning rural route 7 this week. The route is interesting in that it is a combination of routes. It has 10 condominiums, 5 kiosks and a mounted part where the carrier delivers to 200 plus homes. The easiest part of the route is the mounted part. For the most part, you never have to leave the truck. You can drive right up to the mail box, open it, take out any outgoing mail, put in the incoming mail, close the box and drive to the next box. The bad part of the route is that there are a lot of deliveries on the route. It's rated at something like 8.8 hours which means it will likely take me 12 plus hours to do it. Aargh!!!!!

I've enjoyed delivering Express Mail at the Post Office. It's a challenge to get it all delivered by noon. The only downside to Express Mail is the hours. The person who does express can figure on working no more than 3 hours. That's better than nothing but it isn't that great.

Working at SHARE wise, I haven't been able to. Worse still, because of my lack of reliability because of my jobs at the Post Office and Medieval Times, they've turned to a temporary hire who by all accounts is doing a good job. I wish I could work more there but it just hasn't been possible. I suspect I'm going to have to let this job go. They need someone who they can depend on to be there every day and I'm not that person.

Airline Credit Cards

Recently, I found out that I was approved for an airline credit card that I applied for. As I try to think of at least somewhat interesting things to blog about, I thought I'd write a blog entry about airline credit cards. With the new credit card I'll be receiving soon, I'll have had four airline credit cards so I feel I know a little about them. Airline credit cards can be useful in helping the consumer earn airmiles for things they would've bought anyway or they can be a waste of money. It depends on how much you use the card. I remember reading an article in the Smarter Travel email I receive every week. The author whose name I can't remember recommended that if you are going to have an airline credit card, you should use THAT card for all your credit card purchases. The author had a valid point. If you charge $3,000 or $4,000 worth or merchandise and services on your airline credit card in a year then, it can be worth the $55 or higher fee you'll have to pay every year. If you don't then, it is a waste of money and a bit of a rip-off. Case in point, I had an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card. The card cost me $85 a year. I only used it 3 or 4 times a year and never charged more than $500 in an entire year. Why is that a rip-off? Because in effect, I paid $85 for 500 airmiles. You can get a much better deal buying the airmiles from the airline vice paying that. This is why it is so important that if you are going to have an airline credit card that, you use it extensively as long as you don't get yourself into massive debt doing so. The more airmiles you earn while using the card, the better deal the card is. There is one catch here. Hopefully, you'll be able to use all those airmiles you're accumulating. As I previously blogged about, in some cases, it is getting harder to get free seats or upgrades using your airmiles. A number of airlines are making it easier than ever to earn airmiles. This is great for them in generating business but it is bad for the traveller as it means there is greater competition for the limited number of free seats and upgrades. Airmiles are worthless if you can't use them when you want. There are travel credit cards that can get you seats on any airline you want. As I don't have any experience trying to get a ticket with one of those credit cards, I don't feel I'm qualified to comment on those cards.

In conclusion, airline credit cards can be a nice way to earn free travel providing you use them extensively. As the unnamed author at Smarter Travel recommended, if you are going to have an airline credit card, you should pick one airline and use their card solely. The more airmiles you earn in a year using the card, the better the deal the card is. If you're not going to use an airline credit card a lot, you'll want to find one that doesn't have a yearly fee. There are a few out there that don't charge a yearly fee. However, most airline credit cards do charge a yearly fee of between $55 and $85 a year. Bon voyage!

Hansen's versus Shasta's Root Beer

This is a review of Hansen's root beer which is sold at Trader Joe's supermarkets and how it compares with Shasta's root beer.

As previously blogged, I bought a six-pack of Hansen's root beer at the Trader Joes supermarket in Annapolis. Hansen's root beer has some immediate advantages. For starters, they don't insert caffeine to give an artificial energy boost. Second, they don't use any preservatives. Their root beer is totally natural. Lastly, it is sodium free. This can be of concern to someone who is watching their blood pressure. In terms of taste, Hansen's has a good smooth root beer taste. It also isn't heavily carbonated so you're getting a decent amount of root beer instead of a lot of fizz. In comparison to Shasta's root beer, Shasta also has no caffeine and no sodium. Shasta does use potassium benzoate as a preservative. So far as I know, I've never suffered any ill effects from that preservative. In terms of cost, Shasta is 2 cents cheaper an ounce than Hansen's. You can also get Shasta in bigger containers such as a 2 liter plastic bottle. So far as I know, you can only get Hansen's in 12 ounce aluminum cans. As far as I know, Shasta's plastic bottles and Hansen't aluminum cans are both recyclable.

So which is the better root beer? Taste wise, I think they're about equal. Price wise, Shasta wins in that category. However, Hansen's is probably the better root beer for you in that there aren't any chemicals in it. Another disadvantage to Hansen's is that you'd have to drive to Trader Joes to get it. Depending on where you live, this can be a bit of a hassle as in my case. Conversely, there are plenty of stores that sell Shasta soda. So, in my opinion, I have to give the nod to Shasta. It beats out Hansen's in terms of price and ease of purchasing. Still, when I'm at Trader Joes, I'm going to make sure I pick up a couple six-packs of Hansen's. I think the fewer preservatives and other chemicals we put in our bodies the better. Cheers!

Back to Work

I got back to work at Medieval Times and the Post Office. Wednesday, I worked as a castle guard and spotlight operator at Medieval Times. To my relief, I did a fine job. The only annoying thing was the restriction I have concerning ladders. Right now, I'm not allowed to climb any ladders. The surgeon didn't want to take any chances with me pulling out the stitches. Because of that, I couldn't get to the spotlight platform. My boss in sound & lighting figured a way to solve that problem. He used one of the lifts we use to work on lights and the sound system. Using the lift, I was able to get to the spotlight platform without climbing. I was sorry to have to put him out like that but I'm very leery about disobeying the surgeon. I want to heal up properly and get back to normal.

Concerning the Post Office, yesterday I delivered express mail. Express mail is mail sent in specially marked large envelopes which has to be delivered by Noon. The Post Office promises to have it delivered to the receiving address by Noon the next day or the sender gets their money back. Because of the money back promise, the person who delivers express mail has to make sure they get all of them delivered by Noon. Depending on the number, this can be easy or impossible. Yesterday, I was given 15 express mail envelopes and packages. The delivery locations were all over town. There was no way I was going to deliver all those by Noon. My Post Office supervisor realized this and had me take only the ones for areas I've delivered the mail. That left with me with seven packages and envelopes. Thanks to me knowing the delivery area, I had no problem making the deadline. I was able to organize the deliveries to where I could take the most efficient route to deliver them. The only drawback to delivering express mail is that carrier can typically work just 3 hours at most. As I'm on a lifting restriction until November 15th, it's better than not working at all. Plus, it does give me a chance to learn my way around Laurel better. I know some parts of it pretty well. Other parts, I don't know at all. The reason for that is because I don't have any need to drive through those parts. Delivering express mail, I have to learn the various parts of Laurel. This can help me in the long run with the Post Office because I'll be able to deliver to more areas for them.

I was glad to get back to work. Money wise, I'm fine but I like having a paycheck coming in. I still want to do that Scandanavia tour next year and the only way I'm going to able to afford that is if I'm working. So, I was glad to get back to the grind. As long as I'm careful and follow the surgeon's orders, I shouldn't have any problems working.

Hospital Bill Shock

Yesterday, I received a summary of charges from Laurel Regional Hospital for my 1 day and 19 hour stay. I confess I am truly stunned by what my short hospitalization cost. My semi-private room cost $633 a day! I have never stayed in a more expensive place in my life. The IVs and antibiotics they gave me cost a whopping $2,100! My chest x-rays were a bargain at $153. The ultra-sound they used to determine I had gall stones cost a respectable $306. I got out cheap on the heart monitoring equipment. That only cost $19. The entire bill came to a mind-boggling $5,876! Next time, I get really sick, I'll tell them to take me to Walter Reed Army Hospital or Bethesda Naval Hospital. I had no idea civilian healthcare cost so much. Thankfully, the Air Force offered me a very good retiree medical health plan. If my understanding is right, my part of the bill will be just $50. If that is the case, I'm going to write an extreme thank you note to Federal Health Services. I'll also count my blessings that I did make the Air Force a career. I enjoyed my time in the service and it looks like I'll enjoy my life as a military retiree thanks to the service. I'll definitely have a lot more peace of mind since I won't have to worry about catastrophic medical bills.

Annapolis Mall

On my list of things to do yesterday was visit Annapolis Mall (also know as Westfield Annapolis). I've gone by this mall a couple of times but I'd never stopped by and checked it out. Here are my opinions on this mall.

Annapolis Mall is a large single level in-door air conditioned multi-store mall. According to its website (http://www.westfield.com/annapolis/), it has 270 stores and restaurants. The mall is conveniently located in that it is just off Interstate-50 and close to Interstate-97. It has plenty of parking (over 3,400 according to the website). Sears, J.C. Penney's and Nordstrom serve as its anchor stores. It is open 10 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It has a free Wi-Fi hotspot so you if you have Wi-Fi capable laptop, you can surf the web for free there (I didn't try that during my visit).

Annapolis Mall seemed very much a run of the mill single level mall. There was nothing exciting or unique about this mall. It does offer a large number of shops including some of the top names such as Banana Republic, Coach, Godiva and Lord & Taylor which can be convenient shopping wise. I bought the 2007 Lord of the Rings and 2007 Zits boxed calendars at one of the Day by Day Calendar Company kiosks. These are the two calendars I make sure I get every year. I like seeing the pictures from the Lord of the Rings movies and I find the comic strip Zits very funny. One downside about buying calendars right now at Day by Day is that you will pay list price. As I remember, around New Year's, they heavily discount their remaining calendars. Border's Bookstore has a nice store here. I stopped by to see if they had a copy of Foreign Affairs magazine. Sadly, the article I was interested must've been in the September/October issue. I tried an Italian strawberry ice at Vaccaro's. I thought it was all right. I was very disappointed by their gelato selection. They only had four flavors to choose from. Lastly, I visited the Today's Pet store. I wanted to see if they had any Pug puppies I could drool over. Sadly, they didn't. They did have a very impressive aquarium with a number of anemone and four pretty tropical fish.

Overall, I wasn't wiped out by this mall. It isn't anything I'd make a special trip for. It does have some nice shops. Westfield, the company that owns and runs the mall has a handy website where you can find if they have a particular shop you want to buy something from. Another aspect I liked about this mall was that it was so close to Interstate (I) 50. When I decided to head to Arundel Mills Mall, it was very easy for me to hop on the I-50 and be on my way. As it is out of my way, I don't see myself using it very much. However, if I lived in Annapolis, I probably would. How much you use it depends on where you live. If you don't live close to Annapolis, I wouldn't make any special effort to get to this mall. My next mall report (if you will) will be on Arundel Mills Mall. Stay tuned.