Let’s go to Jamaica and be alright!!!!!

That’s a catchy title and television commercial. I do need to mention in its on space about the food in Jamaica. As in the previous post, jerk seems to be spicier here in the states than in Jamaica. I thought it was us, but my cousin mention something about it when we came back, he said he notice the same thing when he was there. We search all over for some good Jerk, one of the best places we found was a place called Jerky’s (see pic). They had good Jerk chicken, pork, and this shrimp they had was off the charts. Another was a street vendor after we went to a club one night.

The food at our hotel was ok; well the buffet food was ok. As good as it could be for buffet food. We wanted to make reservation at one of the restaurants at the hotel, but we kept forgetting about the 2 p.m. cut off. Well we finally made it to "Pimento", the Caribbean restaurant, in our resort. And OMG!!!! This place was amazing; we had a five-course meal. The “Fi Wi Oxtail (see pic)” was probably the best thing I tasted while in Jamaica, when she order it, I was hoping that she order the Jerk because I got the “Rum Runners Chop”....and since we always eat off of each others plate.... I am not crazy about oxtail (my mom use to make oxtail soup), but this was different. It had oxtail in some type of sauce, risotto, and vegetables. We kicked ourselves knowing we should have eaten here each night, and I almost kicked her and took her plate. But I was nice because I know she would share…lol

If you ever stay at the Sunset Beach Spa and Resort in Montego Bay, make reservations for this restaurant every night.

Respect Mon (Montego Bay, Jamaica)

I heard that phrase over and over when I was in Jamaica. Mostly or mainly from guys, it was form of a greeting. They would come up and say “Respect Mon” and give me a pound/dap (for the ebonicly challenged, that’s when you bump fist), not a pound of weed. But I did have a bet before I left; to see how many times I would be asked to buy some of the Ganja. The over/under was 7 ½….it came out to be 3. I bet if we would have ventured into town more, it would have been higher.

What can I say about Montego Bay? I had an awesome time, went with “the one”. All inclusive is always a good way to go. Food was decent, drinks were wonderful; I think we had some of the best pina colada’s we ever had. The resort that we stay in was very nice with a lot of activities, games, nice beach, and events to participate in. Overall, I think the resort was good; my only problem was with the bed. The rooms were nice and since I am spoiled on HDTV, I see how TV looks not in HD; back to the beds…..it seems like the fitted sheets did not fit so well. They would unravel when you turned over, plus it was very humid so it was like they were sticking to you also.

Shopping in Jamaica is an adventure itself. We went to the craft market that is where they have a bunch of little shops all clustered together and you can get some good souvenirs and nic nacs. Well everyone once you to come into their space, their favorite expression is “I patient, I will wait for you to come in”. But after going to 3 or 4, they are basically the same and we could not please everyone. Some wanted you just to come in and look but it was like a sweat box and then they would try and make you a good deal on something. It got to be too much and we had to go. Going to the Hip Strip was a lot better, places there were more like stores….so all of that pulling and trying to go to each place was eliminated.

Things I learn in Jamaica
The colors on the flag...green stands for the earth, yellow for the sunshine, and black for the people.
Learn how to say “no”, no I don’t want my hair braided, no I don’t want a ride in your taxi, no I don’t want to buy any ganja.
Everything is somewhat negotiable
If someone asks you for $50, they are probably asking for Jamaican currency and that is about 80 cents USD
The jerk chicken is more spicy here than in Jamaican and I am assuming that is because people here just go crazy with the seasoning.
Take extra clothes, because it is humid and you will take lots of showers and need more clothes.

Beware of the Dawg

Who could have imagined that Butler would make it to the final four? Who could imagine that they would make it to the championship game, play in their home town 5 miles from campus, take Duke to the wire, and almost hit a 30 foot bank shot to win the game? I am not sure too many people, unless you are in Hollywood filming “Hoosiers II: the Qwest of the Dawg”. On a cool night in Indianapolis, Butler almost pulled off the improbable (learn a long time ago, nothing is impossible). Indianapolis would have exploded if that last shot would have dropped.

Theme song for this adventure, in memory of the home town boy (Michael Jackson) “going back to Indiana” for me going back home and Butler going back home to play in the final four. I got to see good friends, have a bbq, hang with friends from IU, have a white castle, and one of those Steak n Shake shakes (strawberry and banana), one of the best shakes on the planet.

Boston Chowder Party

Since I didn’t drink any tea while in Boston, this became a chowder party. I never been to New England, so on my way to the final four, I decided to stop in Boston to see the city.

Even though I only got to spend about a day in Boston, I really had a good time. I got to see Patriots’ Park (where the Pats play and the joining Mall), that was very nice. Went to go see a movie, if you follow me on facebook, you know what happened there. We stayed downtown and ate at one of the famous steak places on the harbor. The steak was good, for some reason when I get a steak at a famous place I don’t get that wow factor. But let’s talk about the Clam Chowder, OMG! It was so good and rich, I think I should have just order a troth of that and I would have been good to go. Even though I was only to experience one bowl, I know Boston has some amazing chowder and seafood; only if there was a way to pipe some in to Phoenix.

I will have to spend more time in Boston to experience some of the history; I did get to drive past Fenway Park. Towns like Boston really fascinate the history lover in me. I imagine how it was in the 1700’s and all of the people before us, doing what they did to build this country. Thank you “the one”. I will hopefully be back and be able to take in more history and venture out to see some of the other New England states.

Birthday '09 - Costa Rica

My fifth annual birthday trip took me to Costa Rica this year, and for the life of me I can not think of a theme song for this adventure. CR was never on the menu; plan was to go to Argentina. I wanted someone of my friends to travel with me and because of an embargo; my boy could get to Argentina but could not get out. Costa Rica was one of those gems that I am glad that we discovered. The currency exchange rate was outrageous, one dollar = 600 colones, so I was rollin’ with over 300K.

There was a lot to do in the CR, one of the favorite things was to go the volcano and see an active volcano; that was pretty interesting. Plus the rain forest and they had a zip line that you could ride through the forest. In our hotel, they had massages for $25/hr, probably one of the best massages that I have ever had. Other than that, Aaron and I just chilled…..went to a couple of the clubs and check out some of the local cuisine. One place we found had the best buffalo shrimp (see pic) and shrimp ceviche….OMG!

Overall, CR was a very good birthday destination. The prices on mostly everything were extremely inexpensive. One of the drivers from the hotel took us on a tour; I wanted to stop at local gas station/convenient store to pick up some goodies for the team at work. Driver was buying cigarettes, told him that I would buy them as a tip……$2 for a pack…Wow! I guess if you smoke, CR is the place to go and stock up on them. The people were nice, food was great, tours were good, and cost wasn’t that much. Definitely a recommendation.

Men's Night out - Dominican Style

Day one was an adventure in the D.R. We you arrive to Punta Cana, D.R the airport is like a big old hut. I swear it was made out of bambo. It was probably one of the most amazing airports that I have ever seen. No jet way, so they bring the stairs to you and you walk on the tarmat to go inside the airport where you are so kindly greeted by two beautiful Dominican women. Of couse this is nothing but a photo op. While you are going through customs they have a band playing for you and you get that tropical feel.

Since the company we booked through never sent me my voucher so I could get to the resort, I took a taxi. Good thing about taking a taxi, it took me about a half hour to get from the airport instead of the standard hour and a half. One thing about the roads in Punta Cana, they are not like our roads; so there are no lines or passing lanes. You pass when you want and how you want. It was an adventure going around cars, trucks, motorcycles, and pedestrians on these streets. Thanks God I made it there safely. Driving through the country side, you get a nice view of the city and the locals.

Arriving to the resort (Majestic Elengance), the first thing you notice is the lobby and the view from the lobby, both are amazing. Since the lobby is on the 2nd floor, when you look straight out you see the resort, the pools running from end to end, and the beach.

After checking in it was time to do some all inclusing....LOL I looked for my friends, who had arrived a day earlier, when I could not find them I went exploring the grounds. After getting a quick bite and drinking a couple of beers and some drinks. I went back to the lobby to see if my boys were there. They were hanging out at the bar having some drinks. They told me that I needed to catch up with them. So after drinking some more beer, couple shots of tequila, bailey's, caipirinha(favorite drink from Brazil), I was caught up and fully buzz after 2 hours of being in the D R. Now Chill, one of my boys, was lit. He had drank like 5 glasses of Remy and other stuff. So we are leaving and we are walking down the stairs. I tell Chill to hold on to the rail a couple of times. He says he is. By the time we got about 4 or 5 stairs from the bottom, all I hear is splat. He falls face down the stairs, it was so funny and we bust out laughing. He jumps up because he is not hurt (except his ego). He claims since we don't have film of it, it did not happen.

In Search of Good BBQ in Phoenix, AZ

Ok, this spring/summer I have been in search of good bbq in Phoenix and/or surrounding areas. Here are my assessment so far:

1. Famous Dave's - this might be my favorite overall in Phoenix. I never trusted a chain before, but the ribs here were really good. I got the St. Louis style ribs and they were cooked really well, now these were not cooked out doors on charcoal, but the flavor was really good. The sauce of the ribs was pretty tasty. They glaze the sauce of the ribs, so your ribs are not smoothered in sauce. They also have about 4 different types of sauce at the table you can try. The sides were pretty good also. The sweet tea was a little above average....but I expect sweeter tea for my sweet tea consumption.

2. Thee Pit - now this place is on the other side of the valley. I ventures over to that side one Saturday. If you have ever seen "Diners, Drive-In's, and Dive's" on the food network, this place was feature on one of the episodes. Now, when I walked in there were basically teenagers serving the food....so I was a little skeptical. I just ordered the ribs to go. By far the best sauce, the ribs were smoked and cook really well. I think I would go back, but its kind of a far drive from my side of town. But I would give it 4 1/2 slabs if I was rating this place.

3. Stacey's - This place was in Phoenix before across from Mrs. Whites. Now its located on 16th and Indian School. Met a friend there for lunch. I actually wanted some fish, the catfish was good but the best, see below. But since I am rated bbq, its above the next one on this list. Atmosphere was pretty dainty, but the staff was great. They actually served grape kool-aid, I can't remember the last time I had kool aid of any flavor. It sure did hit the spot on a nice warm day in the valley. The ribs were good, but just good ok....you see, I got them to go and they drowned my ribs with sauce. Now the sauce was really good, but I dont like my ribs swimming in sauce, see above. I place them 3rd because of the kool-aid and the taste of the ribs. Now my friend had the bbq chicken sandwich and that was very good. Also, had sweet potato fries which were good, could of been better if they were fried more crisp. But for a hole in the wall place, I thought it was really good. Heard they have good brisket, might try them later.

4. Papa Joe's Fish-n-que - this place is located next to my bowling alley, but I never noticed it..until my god-mother mention she went there for lunch. I actually ordered fish, because I heard they had some good fish. The fish was really good and very reasonably price. Fish and shrimp for about $6. Notice that they had ribs and I asked about their cooking method, owner says that he grills them on the grill outside and use charcoal. I came back a couple of weeks later to try them, I actually ate fish again....but I got like a sample. They were ok, I don't think my sample size was big enough. I will go there and just get ribs one day and maybe they will move up the list. But the fish is good. If I was rating fish, they would be above Stacey's.

5. Lucille's - Place I heard about in our new Temple market place. Atmosphere is nice and they had the blue's band thing going on when I walked in. Maybe I was just not feeling well after watching "Hancock" and eating a 1/2 tub of popcorn. The band was good and I mean really good. The ribs were just ok, they were St. Louis style, but I think they had too much fat on the tip part. Most places cut that part off, the sauce was good....but the rib were fatty and just plain ok. Now this place did have the best sweet tea. I mean the sweet tea was really good, I actually got some to go. They also have good corn bread and biscuits. Now I would probably go back for the atmosphere and sweet tea. The ribs were ok, but no reason to drive across town

Where Have I Been?

I have not blogged in over a month, quite frankly...I have not really been anywhere. I guess I do have an exciting year coming up. I will be going to the Dominican Republic in August, Atlanta for a wedding in September, Jamaica in December, back to Bloomington, Indiana (IU) for an Ole School Reunion in October. Maybe in between that I can possibly sneak home to see the folks or maybe go to Canada, or go visit some friends in Indy or Ohio.

I did go to New Mexico in the last couple of months....had not been there since, well you know. I went to my favorite restaurant while I was there, Zia's. I had the Thai ribs, but they were not as good as I remembered.

Well maybe I will blog about something later. Lots on my mind, I really need to get out of the country.....only been out of the country once this year. Can't wait to go to DR....Just wanted to let everyone know that I was still kicking.

Republican Baby All The Way

Link to video: http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/

I was trying to figure out how I would vote in this upcoming election. I was thinking do I really want to get back to the America that I envisioned when I was young, an America of rich ideals, values, patriotism, and loved around the world. After I saw this video (thanks Kamara) my choice has become more clear. I decided to vote Republican!!!!

I live in Arizona and it's a republican state and one of our own is the nominee. My vote will not count anyway if I vote for Obama, so why waste it (it will only go toward the popular vote). God, you have to love this Arcadian system their fore fathers set up. Really an electoral college, that was good idea from 1789 to 1910....but not any more (if you are historically challenge and don't why it was set up that way, read a book or search the web...I am not a history teacher)....and yes, I definitely know.

I kind of like paying $4.25+ a gallon of gas, hey I make a lot of money...might as well give it back to those who need it (the oil companies). Hey, I live 8 miles from work...everyone should live closer to their jobs. I have no problem telling people that I am from the Bahamas when I go over seas (you should hear my Bahamian accent, probably sounds more Jamaican). Come on, do you really have a problem with the government being able to hold you in prison and not tell you why.....hey if it makes me feel safer, who am I to want civil liberties. I kind of like that air puffer machine at the airport.....that air going all through my body....I think I almost came once (but that's another story). All to see if I am carry crack (or blowing between my crack) or some bomb making material. A wise man once said (or not so wise) that when people get scared, they are willing give up their civil liberties or freedom.....hmm makes absolutely great sense to me. Why should we not beat up on other countries (only the strong survives) and that's what bullies do. If they want to beat us up...they need to get stronger...sometimes you have to sacrifice a couple to save a thousand for no apparent reason.....at least gas is cheaper....oh wait it's not. I loved the fact that my cousin came back from Iraq with messed up skin, well at least he made it back, he needed some scars on his body....he thought he was too cute anyway.

So this year, for the sake of no change...higher gas prices, more guns, less prayer, more wars, more bulliesnism (I made that up), and more separation for the rest of the world, vote republican as I am and you should. By the way, a gallon of gas is still cheaper then a gallon of Starbuck's coffee.....and no one complaining about that.....so check out the video and you will vote republican also.

Click on the red hyper links in the message to see video

The views and opinions stated is this post are not supported by Greg or blogspot and its affiliates. These views are strictly comical and for your enjoyable pleasure. Any other content or context you take them in are strictly your own personal views. If you not have a sense of humor and cant laugh at the world....well that's not our problem. My name is Greg and I approve this message/post. Paid for my the people who really are not voting Republican

We Are Jazz'd You're Here

The sign above the corridor in New Orlean's airport said it all "We are jazzed you're here"; I was jazzed that I was there again. The city that I had been to twice on two festive occasions. The first time was when Indiana won the National title in basketball in '87. And the second time for spring break. Each time I had a ball. Sippin' on Hurricanes...that we could call slurricanes....and eating crawfish, gumble, and numerous po'boys.

Why did it feel so eerie walking through a somewhat empty airport at 9 0'clock at night. I can swear that my plane was somewhat full. But it seemed like I was the only one walking down the corridor. I did not know what to expect. I had not been to New Orleans since the early 90's and now I was coming here post-Katrina. The people did not seemed to have that come party with us and you are about to have the time of your life look on their face that I remembered back in the day.

There were so many questions or things I wondered about? How would the French Quarter look? Would it be weird walking through a city were so many passed away because our government failed to react fast enough. The people were just as friendly, dressed just as wild, and still had that New Orleans flare. But things did not seem the same, the pep in their step and even the tourist step were gone. The excitement wasn't as exciting, and the entertainment just was not as entertaining. But the food was still good and the humidity could choke a desert boy like me and make me sweat like a pig. I guess New Orleans will one day have that jazzy feeling that it gave me back in the day....but until that day comes...I still will go there because their po'boys are still the best.

Harbor Seafood and Oyster, Kenner, LA 70065

If you want good Cajun seafood at a reasonable price, where do you go? You go where the locals go? Well the locals in New Orleans go to Harbor Seafood. Tasty little joint about 10 miles from the airport.

On a hot steamy and humid day in Louisiana, we decided to end our trip with some more Cajun food. I must say this place is really really good. As you walk in, you will see most of the locals partaking in the crawfish bake (boil crawfish, corn, and potatoes). I like crawfish but that is just too much work for me for the little about of meat.

~~Setting~~
This place is relatively small but they serve a lot of people. The tables are so close together, that you could eat off your neighbors plate. Which in L.A. would probably not be a big deal. But no complaints because that how they roll in the south. The staff is great and willing to serve and explain anything on the menu to you. And they do have some interesting stuff on the menu.
~~Food~~
When I am in New Orleans, I have to have a po'boy. This time I had the shrimp and soft shell crab po'boy. Now I did not know, that with soft shell they fried it in the shell. But you are suppose to eat it all, hence the name soft shell. It was very tasty, if you never had a po'boy before, I suggest you make it to New Orleans and get one. We started off with an appetizer or fried crawfish (OMG), fried pickles (these were unbelievable good), and fried alligator (no it did not taste like chicken...more like fish). Every thing was great Also, on the menu was turtle soup and some other stuff...don't know if I am that adventurous yet. Top this off with a Hurricane and I asked for a slurricane (that's one with an extra shot of 151 rum) Overall, the food is a must. Now I know why I like the food in New Orleans so much. (Pic...from top left to bottom: Fried Pickles, Fried Alligator, Fried Crawfish)
~~Overall~~
Every thing was great. Top that meal off with about 5 glasses of Southern style lemonade...on a hot humid day, you drink as much liquids as possible. So if you ever venture to New Orleans...stop by the little town right outside of N.O. called Kenner and get you some great Cajun food.

G's rating
Food..... 5 G's
Price.... 2 G's
Overall .. 5 G's

Recipe: Kahlua Drunken Pineapples

Someone asked me why I dont I put recipes on my blog....I decided to add this recipe because it always goes over big at bbq's.

Ingredients:
2 Fresh Pineapples (If you can fly to Hawaii and get these)
1 bottle of Kahlua
Brown Sugar
Optional:
Haagen Daz Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream
Butterscotch snapps

Directions:
Peel and core the Pineapple. Try to leave the pineapple intact.....Cut the pineapple in whole steak cuts. If you cored the pineapple correctly....you should be able to cut it in 1/2 inch steaks cuts and the core is out of the center. Marinate the pineapple in Kahlua for at least 4 hours. I usually do it over night. After finishing BBQ'ing on hot coals...if you are using gas...please dont make my recipe....this is for real people that truly bbq. Coat pineapple with brown sugar and place on grill. Once pineapple and sugar camelizes and you get your grill marks take off.

Two ways to serve this....
1. Got this part from a Brazilian restuarant in Philly.....drizzles some butterscotch snapps on it.
2. Serve with ice cream, Haagen n Dazs pineapple coconut is the best to go with this....sizzles on some chocolate (I make a chocolate drizzle with baileys and chocolate syrup).

Proud to be back in the USA

Before I publish a real post about my adventures in Brasil, I thought I would do a, I am glad I live in the USA post. Its hard sometimes traveling around the world. There are a lot of things you see that makes you appreciate your country and things that make you say, I am glad I have a passport and travel. Its nothing like seeing the sunset on the harbour in Sydney, sun going down after 10 p.m. in Spain, families out on the streets walking and eating ice cream at 2 in the morning in Madrid, red light district of Amsterdam, the glow the pacific has when the moon hits it at night.

But being in basically a 3rd world country like Brasil makes you appreciate the USA more. Its heart breaking seeing young kids beg for change at all ours of the day. Its harder because you have to say no. I actually took granola bars with me and gave those out when kids were begging. Someone accused me of working for Quaker Oats...LOL Walking down the streets and seeing kids laying on the pavement sleeping, no blanket or anything...just a piece of newspaper as a so call pillow....it takes a strong person to be able to walk pass that and not say "dang". Women in that country basically using their looks to get by, sometimes just to get a real meal or a warm bed to sleep or a warm body to sleep next to at night. One thing I noticed that all of the service jobs are taken by the men.....I have never seen a women bartender, server, waiter or anything any of the times I have been there. So now you understand why they do what they do. Basically, there are no jobs for them.

I do love my country and probably would not want to live anywhere else in the world, with the exception of Australia. I dont agree with some of our countries principles....but I rather be here. I was listening to a promo for the nightly news and the anchor said "there are people around the world, that hate the American way of life". The first thing I said to myself, this person has probably never been out of North America. People dont hate our way of life, they hate the fact they we feel that we should impose our way of life on the rest of the world.

Welcome To The Good Life....Birthday '07...Zurich

Wanted to go to Switzerland for my birthday celebration. Last year it was Florida, next year it will Aruba. Invited a bunch of my friends, what start off with 12; dwindled to 4. Well you know how people are. We had a good time. Oh, the title of this blog. While we were in Zurich one of the girls says when her and her friends travel; they always have a theme song for their adventure. We decided on, "Good Life" by Kanye West. My friends and I are charmed, so we are able to do some good stuff in life. Hence, welcome to the good life.

Switzerland was all that and more. Only bad thing is that it did not snow. It rained most of the time we were there, but no snow. We got to see the Alps from a distance, I will definitely go back and see them up close. Things to do in Zurich, we had a lot of chocolate, German sausages (brats), cheese, and beer. We even had an Adult happy meal at McDonald's which consisted of chicken wings, pommes fritas (french fries), and a beer...see pic. The chocolate was to die for and we made a quest to find the perfect cup of hot chocolate. Which we did, and when the waitress asked if we wanted bailey's in it...well, she did not have to ask twice.

Overall, Zurich was really fun and I would definitely go back; I need more chocolate. The food was ok. The chocolate was fantastic. The club scene was crazy. The scenery was spectacular, see pic above of Aaron looking at the Alps. Zurich is very expensive, the people are very friendly but make sure you save for this trip. And you can't beat being with good people and having fun. Aruba is on the table for 2008.....hope that all my friends can join me. If they can't, well you know where to find me in early December.

So in the words of Mr. West "Welcome to the Good Life... Welcome to the good life Where we like the cities who ain't in States Cause they got more culture The good life"

G's Ratings
Food ......... 3 1/2 G's
Price......... 4 G's
People..... 5 G's
Scenery.. 5 G's

In Search of the perfect Chocolate! Zurich, Switzerland

When I decided where I was going to take my birthday getaway this year. One spot jump off the table for me, and that was Switzerland. I heard that the Swiss made the best chocolate, so I wanted to experiences it first hand. A trip of 11 turned into a trip of 4. You know how people are when they travel, everyone says they are going and when it comes down to it. The true travelers stand out.

The Chocolate in Zurich was to die; they had several chocolate stores to choose from and I think we tried them all. I think Sprungli's was my favorite. I think the best thing they had was chocolate covered truffles, and the one's with the Bailey's in them; well let's just say it was heaven on earth. Of course, I bought back chocolate for my friends and family and they were pleasantly happy.

Now my search for the perfect chocolate was for my German Chocolate cake. My father friend use to make the best cake when I was a kid...hers was better than my mom's; which did not make my mom to happy. Now this was a church lady, so get your mind out of the gutter. One day, my brother and I made a box German Chocolate Cake (GCC) for my father. Well she made him one, and I remember my neighbor saying....you better hope Reggie and Greg don't eat all of your cake and he said, "they can eat the one they made". Yeah, I was not too happy. But my mission has been to make a better cake. And even though I surpassed her years ago... I wanted to use some real chocolate and not the Bakers.

I talked to a chocolate expert when I was in Zurich and she told me the exact chocolate I needed to buy to accomplish my mission. Christmas 2007, I finally made that cake with the Swiss chocolate and oh my God. Now one of my secret ingredients that I put in my GCC is baileys. With this fine chocolate and Bailey's. The cake turned out great!! Like one girl said about my cheese cake before, i thought my mouth had an orgasm...LOL

I guess I need to make a day trip to Zurich and get some more chocolate.

Bailey's Chocolate Bar, St. Louis, MO 63104

What can I say about this place, it is wonderful. If and when I have my own restaurant, I would want a dessert place similar to this; but with live music. Its probably one of the best dessert bars I have been to. Located in downtown St. Louis, right off the Mississippi; nice place to chill for after dinner dessert or just to relax with some friends. I try and go here every time I go to St. Louis.

They start you with some little chocolate chip cookies that are to die for, wanted to buy some; but at $.50 a piece for cookies that were no bigger than a nickel...I passed. This time I started off with a Bailey's ice cream martini, those who know me, know that Bailey's is my favorite alcohol. This Martini was fabulous (see above pic). The ice cream was very good, haven't had Bailey's ice cream since I was in Cabo. For dessert I choose the Chocolate cake, with a bailey's creme center, drizzled in chocolate syrup with Baileys ice cream on the side (see pic). It was pretty good, I wanted to brownie but Tonya and my cousin ordered that and my other cousin ordered a mouth watering sundae. The brownie was fantastic, it was layered in ice cream and chocolate...Gosh I am gaining weight just thinking about it.

Bailey's Chocolate Bar is a must see if you ever get to St. Louis. If you just need a different option to hangout, dessert after dinner, just want to chill with friends, or some cool refreshing drinks. This is the place to go in the Louie. http://www.baileyschocolatebar.com/

P.S. Also you cant leave the louie without trying some hood rice...that's Chinese food that you find in the hood or all over St. Louis. Its the best that I ever had and its very cheap.

G's rating....

Food.... 5 G's

Price.... $

Maxim Bar E Restaurante...Rio, Brazil

While strolling down the beaches of Rio looking for a place to eat, we decided to stop in above mention place. Now, we all just wanted something lite to eat. I recommended that my friends try the garlic chicken bites, they are wonderful and have just enough garlic to make you go "that's tasty" and also keep the vampire girls away...LOL Since I have eaten those before on several occasions, I wanted to try something different.

So I settled in on the Brazilian/Cuban entree` (see pic on left). I am so glad that I did. On this platter there was fried chicken breast, fried bananas, bacon, french fries, and it came with something else that I told them that I did not want. I guess you might be thinking, that's a strange combination of food. But it worked. Everything was tasty, especially the fried bananas. My friends help me eat some of this....because all of this food was on a very large platter, that probably could feed about 4 people (well four small people...LOL). I think what really thrilled me was the combination of chicken, bananas, and bacon. Try finding that combination in America. Of course, you have to wash all of this down with a nice premium SKOL cerveja (that's beer for the Portuguese challenged).

Overall, this was a tasty treat and with the great backdrop of beach....almost did not noticed the women in thongs; but that is another kind of post. Price for the meal was the best deal of all, about $8 USD. So, if you ever in Rio, on Copacabana beach, and are strolling down the shore....stop in to Maxim....you will not be disappointed.

G's rating

Food........ 4 1/2 G's

Price........ $

101 + 1 things about me

1. My full name is Gregory Elgin Kindred
2. My Aunt gave me my middle name because she liked Elgin Baylor....played for Lakers
3. I was a Math prodigy when I was growing up
4. I prefer to drink Gatorade over anything else
5. My favorite alcohol to drink is Bailey's Irish Creme
6. Never smoked in my life
7. Never did drugs in my life
8. But I know how to roll a blunt
9. Once I was in a bar and because I was bored, I went to everyone that smoked and bummed a cigarette. I ended up with 34 cigs and gave them to one of my boys.
10. My girlfriend got in a bar fight over me once
11. I got into a bar fight with some Chinese students once
12. When I was in Australia, I went skinny dipping.
13. I once played basketball with Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas...separate occassions
14. I met Tupac the night he got shot
15. I once had a 30 min conversation with Omar Epps and one of the Wayans about nothing
16. I once took a sign language class in college....just for kicks and oh yeah to learn some sign language
17. I was stuck in the middle of Spain with one Euro in my pocket...but if you read my blog you know that
18. I once went on a pantie raid in college...probably be a g-string raid this day and age
19. for my 21st birthday, I drank 21 shots or Tanguaray....I swear I was not drunk
20. I know every book in the bible in order and know how to spell them
21. For some reason, I know who won the National Title in Basketball since '67
22. I have been to 7 final fours
23. I once slept outside all night for Indiana University basketball tickets (season tics)...we won the National title that year...so it was worth it
24. I have been to 40 of the 50 States
25. I have been to 10 foreign countries but never to New York City
26. I once fell out into the Tully River while white water rafting in Australia
27. I scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
28. I cried once in the last 20 years....but I am a sensitive person
29. I play "I always love my momma" on her birthday and mother's day every year as soon as she picks up the phone
30. I was once married in a tom thumb wedding......and I am still friends with the girl today....boy I owe a lot of alimony
31. I was once the preacher that married someone in a tom thumb wedding
32. I danced in a cage once on disco night in college at this bar
33. My favorite movie is "Shawshank Redemption"
34. 2nd favorite is a toss up between "Five Heartbeats", "Hoosiers", and "Its a wonderful life"
35. Favorite all time song is "Footsteps" by the Isley Brothers
36. Favorite group is the O'Jays
37. favorite food is fish
38. Sleep with the TV or radio on because I use to be scared growing up and used to hear things down stairs...needed to drown out that sound
39. My favorite football team is the Pittsburgh "Steelers...all of my life
40. Baseball is Chicago Cubs
41. Never seen the Cubs lose a game in person
42. Once started a snowball fight between Indiana U and Michigan St fans at a football game.
43. Once drove all the way to Shreveport, LA to see a girl on a spur of a moment with my boys
44. Slept in a van on the side of the highway during Freak 'nic '94....woke up by a cop
45. Slept in a Hostel in Madrid
46. Tasted Kangeroo...and no it did not taste like chicken
47. Got stuck in an elevator in the 5th grade for 3 hours in Washington D.C
48. Once picked up a hitch hiker on a highway in a thunderstorm
49. I love swimming
50. I hate a lot of ice in my drinks
51. I drink about a gallon of water a day
52. My eyes are brown
53. I still get chills when I watch the ending of Hoosiers, IU winning the National Championship, and the end of Glory Road
54. I once gave a girl lavender Roses...prettiest roses that I ever saw
55. I was once given Roses
56. I took massage classes so I could give a good massage
57. I am the least bit selfish
58. I believe what goes around comes around
59. My favorite quote right now is "Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up"
60. 2nd favorite is "we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience"
61. I've only had one type of DQ blizzard in my life..."banana split"
62. Brother and I invented a Banana split cheesecake....we checked, no other recipe out there
63. Favorite type of Misty is Grape and Lemon Lime mixed together...have not had any other flavor in 30 years.
64. Love strawberry ice cream
65. girl at work gave me the biggest compliment ever when she ate my banana split cheesecake...I quote "My mouth just had an orgasm".....
66. My favorite juice is grapefruit.....could drink it all day.
67. When I was in grade school I wanted to be an air traffic controller
68. I wore fake glasses in college...just because
69. I will do anything for a friend or a love one
70. I was 7 when I had my first kiss
71. My first girlfriend at the age of 7 was Lisa Webb
72. Saw Lisa at my last class reunion and I was like "whew"...but she had to let everyone know I was her first kiss...so embarrassed...LOL
73. My first love was named Nicole Sims
74. We dated for 8 months before she told her father....her father and my father are best friends. everyone knew but him.....never understood that...his wife even knew
75. I love to sing
76. If I grew up in the 60's I would of been a temp...that's a temptations
77. I can't stand Watermelon
78. Once made girlfriend brush her teeth because she had just eaten watermelon
79. I type pretty fast
80. My first dog was name "Major"
81. i am not a pet person
82. I was life guard certified once
83. I am Scuba certified...but I will never go scuba diving again...twice was enough
84. I spent 2 weeks in Australia all by my self
85. I tend to see the good in people....I usually give people the benefit of the doubt
86. I could be your best friend
87. I dont lose my temper easily...but you dont want to be around when I do
88. I forgive easily
89. Sometimes at night, I just lay in my bed and write...nothing important
90. Once got a ticket in Louisiana and got out of it by telling them it was not me.
91. Sang on stage with a choir at the Gospel brunch in Vegas
92. Once turned $78 into $1534 on the craps tables in Vegas...and left Vegas with most of it.
93. Used to get comp rooms in Vegas at the hotel...no I am not a big baller
94. Read over 100 books in my life time....that's not that many
95. Carolina Blue is my favorite color
96. I would love to go on Jeopardy or Lingo
97. If I could have one dream job...I would love to announce college basketball
98. Everyone in my family would bend over backwards for another member of the family
99. I have swam in 3 oceans, 18 rivers, 4 lakes, 2 seas, countless numbers of pools, and 4 pennisula
100. For the most part, I have lived a charmed life
101. God has smiled on me big time
102. To type this, I had too much time on my hand.

Fulton's Crabhouse.....Disney World, Orlando, Fl 32830

It was my birthday and my new friend, Yolanda wanted to take me out while I was visiting Tampa. So we drove down to Orlando, she knew how much I loved seafood and wanted to drive to this restaurant outside of Disney World. So we went to above mentioned restaurant. The restaurants, shops, stores outside of Disney World are amazing and the atmosphere is purely tranquil. It was nice cool place to visit in the middle of December. Temperature was about 75.

At Fulton's Crab House, reservations are extremely recommended. I must say the food was really good and really pricing. We started off with this amazing crab dip, they actually gave me the recipe for it. I will try and make it one day. My main course was the "Lobster Narragansett (see pic)"....that was a two-pound lobster stuffed with scallops, shrimps, mushrooms, cheese; and surrounded by red potatoes and vegetables. It was very good, might of been too many mushrooms for my liking...but I thought it was pretty good. After a couple of drinks, we were too stuff for deserts. I thought the overall experience was very nice and tasty.....this would be probably a little bit over priced for the budgetly challenged.

After dinner, we walked around and got some Jelly beans for the candy shop and looked at all of the other sites that outside Disney Qorld had to offer. It was a nice time had by all in Orlando and a cool December 17th evening. If you ever in the area, this would be a nice place to try...if this is overly priced for you...there are a lot of others places to eat in this area.

www.fultonscrabhouse.com

G's Rating

Food............ 4 1/2 G's

Price............ $$$$$

G & M Restaurant & Lounge....Baltimore, MA 21090

Since I want to be a travelin' chef/critic. I thought it was time for me to rate some of the restaurants that I been to around the world. My first visit will be the above mention restaurant in Baltimore. When I think of crab cakes, I think of Maryland. I asked around and wanted to know the best crab cake place in Baltimore. Well I kept hearing the name "G&M". Actually, my brother had visited Baltimore and one of our childhood friends "Derrick" took him there before.

All I can say is "WOW". These had to be the most spectacular crab cakes that I ever had in my life. I being a Midwestern boy, love me some crab cakes. I had them at some good places and not so good places. But one thing I found out with the Maryland lump cakes....there was meat and I mean meat throughout the crab cake. Just enough ole bay seasoning to give it so much rich flavor. Most crab cakes that I experienced, throughout the years, had more bread or filling then crab meat; and the meat was usually kind of shredded. But there was meat a plentiful. Me being a healthy male thought I could eat two of these monsters....no can do. Not only are they overflowing with crab, they are very big. Since I was on my way to Amsterdam and did not want to take them on the plane, I tried to stuff myself but was only able to eat one and half.

G & M is located about 2 miles from BWI and yes they do ship. Price for the cakes are $12 for one and about $23 for two. Well worth the price. If you are ever in Maryland, please visit the best crab cake place on the east coast. And if you cant make it there, you can always order from their website http://gandmcrabcakes.com/

G's rating....
Food.... 5 G's
Price.... $$

Love's Mystery, God's Answer

I never been a poetry writer, but one night I was thinking about relationships lost and how they turn. I thought of this poem. I had to write it down before it faded a way. So here is my first attempt at writing something inspirational. Could not think of a name for my poem, but thanks to the lovely Katrina Campbell, she gave me the name

When the love was strong...
I looked to my right and you were right there
I looked to my left and you never left my side
I looked behind me and I saw that you were watching my back
I looked in front of me and there was a window with you in it and you had a light and opportunity

When the love faded............
I looked to my right and you had left
I looked to my left and nothing was right
I looked behind me and you had turned your back
I looked in front and the window became a mirror and all I could see was you walking away.

When I found my strength back.......
I looked to my right and God said "I've always been right here"
I looked to my left and God said "I've never once left your side"
I looked behind me and God said "I've always had your back"
I looked in front and the mirrow became a door and God said "Take my hand child, and follow me"

Instead of trusting people to watch your sides
Know that God is at every side to watch over you.

By Gregory Elgin Kindred
Written October 20, 2006

Anne Huis Openhartig (Anne Frank's House)

Amsterdam, Netherlands.....the history person in me just had to see this. We were in Amsterdam for a day and my No. 1 priority was to see this house. It is kind of eerie when you walk in and see where this little girl and her family hid for almost 2 years. Going up the steep stairs behind the bookcase (for the historically challenged....her family and friends secret hiding place was behind a bookcase in her father's former business). The stairs are very steep, its almost like you are walking up a ladder. Her father was the only one to survive and he wanted the house preserved like it was back then. So there has been no added new furniture or fixing of anything. It was truly a significant historical adventure.

I wish I could of taken pictures inside but this was strictly forbidden. Did not want to get thrown in a Dutch prison. But the memories are etched in my head for all of eternity.

The sad part is that almost 1/2 of the people I talk to, did not know who Anne Frank was.........people should pick up a book sometime. But maybe this was not required reading for everyone.

Pass The Dutchie From the Left Hand Side

I was trying to decided if I was going to call this post "Red Light District" from the TLC song or the title that I decided on in the display. But walking down the streets of Amsterdam, I had to go with the title that I supplied. If you are into drugs especially weed, this is the place to be. They actually have menus for the different types of drugs that you can buy. Anything from weed to heroin. You can smoke from a joint, blunt, or a bong. Now me, I dont indulge in those types of pleasure....but for the curious minds.....some smoke cost you about 6 to 8 Euros. The person I was with said that had the street value of about $80. People smoke in the coffe houses on the streets, everywhere. I think I got sick smelling weed after a while.

The other reason why a lot of tourist come to Amsterdam is because of the Red Light District. Not only can you get drugs in the red light...you can buy pleasure there also. When you enter the district....they actually have red lights...so you know where you are. There are about 200+ women in windows with redlights trying to get you to come in. You get to see all types...big small...black, white, asian, etc. Its almost like window shopping...no pun intended. Amsterdam is not the cleaniest city that I have ever visited. There is trash every where.

Other than that....I had the pleasure of visiting the Anne Frank House...see post of aboove. Also got a chance to partake in the Heineken Experience. You get to see how Heineken was made and invented...plus you get to interact with some games. They also give you tokens for 3 beers while you are there. You can get more from families who are there but don't drink.

Overall, Amsterdam was OK. It was a place I wanted to see but would not probably go back unless a group of people wanted to go. Not much food to write about...they eat pretty much meat and potatoes.

Tidbit about Heineken

Each of the Heineken President added a special feature to the label. Can't remember his name, but one of the Heineken guys added the smiling e on the label. If you look at the label....you will see that the e is kind of sideways....like it is smiling.

Top Of The Morn To You Laddie

Visited Glasgow (for the geographically challenged, its in Scotland) while on my adventure around the world. Not much to write about it. I was there a total of about 6 hours. I was able to go see the rolling hills of Scotland. It was raining, damp, and gloomy. Not I see why the Scots are so pale....they get no sun at all. By the way, they actually talk like that.

My Favorite 3 Inspirational Videos

DMX - Lord Give Me A Sign: Pepsi Smash Exclusive Performance
Yolanda Adams - This Too Shall Pass
Kirk Franklin - Looking For You

Our Deepest Fears.......

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

By Marianne Williamson
This Poem is sometimes attributed to Nelson Mandela but its by Ms. Williamson, Nelson used it in his inaugural speech.

Going to the Big Pink Taco

That is going to be the official name of the Arizona Cardinals new stadium. I had the pleasure of going to the first game in the stadium. My god-mother let me have her ticket because they were playing my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. The stadium is pretty nice. It has retractable roof and a retractable playing field. It is very state of the art. Make sure you take your credit card if you want to buy something for the concession stand. Unlike Brazil where a beer was $1.30, these are about $7.00. Food is ok. The game was kind of boring....my Steelers only played their starters for a one series....the Cardinals kept theirs in for about a quarter and half. Seems like they did not want to lose their first game in the stadium and they did not. Cardinals fans were bragging because they beat the champs...I was like this is preseason...and at the end of the game no one was handing out trophies, confetti was not raining down, and no one was making a "I am going to Disney World" commercial....ROFLMAO

España

Spain was a wonderful experience, especially historically. I learned so much of Spain's history, culture, wars, artist, religion, food, etc. I would definitely recommend Spain as a travel destination in the future. My only problem with Spain is that the people are not most friendly people in the world. They are somewhat rude.

They were so many things to see and do in Spain. Went to the both of the Royal Palaces, museums, Valley of the Falling, topas walk, Picasso exhibits, churches, etc. The art was fabulous over in Spain. A lot of it dealt with the cruxifixation but you would expect that over in Spain. I think historically I liked Madrid a lot more than Barcelona. Maybe because I only spent a couple days in BCN and spent 5 days in MAD. Barcelona seem to be more spread out and prettier, were Madrid seem to have more history and everything was centrally located.

The food in Spain was ok. Now I did enjoy the topas, they were like cheap little sandwiches. Everything else was ok. For instance, my cousin and I ordered a fried seafood platter. Now in most European countries they keep the head on their seafood especially shrimp. Well in this instance not only do they keep the head on, they did not even take the shell off. Now you have battered shrimp with the shell still on. After you took the shell off (batter came off) basically you had a regular cocktail shrimp. One of the drinks I enjoyed over there was a Granizada (its like a lime and lemon slushi...see pic of that and topas) they are very tasty and refreshing. Also, the ice cream is to die for....you can find ice cream almost everywhere in Spain.

Bull fighting in Spain is horrible. Since I was use to what I saw on American TV, I did not know exactly what they did to the bull. They stab the bull many times and you can see blood running down their backs. It was really gross. The poor bull is running around with knives and spears in their back. I was rooting for the bull.

Overall, I think Madrid and Barcelona was in enjoyable. Make sure you speak a little espanol when you go over there.....or they will be ruder to you. But if you are looking for good eats, Spain is definitely not the place to go.

Tidbit about Spain
The Spainish eat the 2nd most ice cream in the world. The way they have ice cream shops all over, that is not hard to believe.

Food: Topas,Paella, Flan, Gazpacho, Churros, and Chocolate
Drinks: Granizada, Cerveza, Sangria, Spanish Hot Chocolate

Atmosphere...............................................B
People........................................................C-
Scenery......................................................A
Food...........................................................C
History......................................................A+
Beauty.......................................................B-
Beers/Drinks............................................B+
Adventure................................................B
Cost...........................................................B
Overall Experience.................................B

O! Xocolata

What do you do when you see a statue of an african queen made entirely out of chocolate. Well you smell it and dig your finger nails into it to see if its solid chocolate. Welcome to the "Museu de la xocolata" (Museum of chocolate) in Barcelona.


This museum tells you everything that you ever wanted to know about chocolate plus it has a bunch of statues that are strictly made out of chocolate. From Mary holding Christ (see pic), Louie Armstrong, to Lady and the tramp. Plus the chocolate that you buy is to die for. Some of the best chocolate that I have ever had.

Sagrada Familia Church

Sagrada Familia Church is located in Barcelona, Spain. This church was built in 1882 by Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 1926). As you can see the church is still being built. They don't expect church to be finished for at least another 50 years. There are many interpretations of his orginal plans. As we walked through the chuch, workers were still working on the building and there were materials roped off everywhere.

This church is amazing. In the front entrance, there are carvings in marble of Jesus from his birth to ressurrection. There are many other carvings in the building. On one side of the church is a square box with numbers in it, if you add the numbers up...up, down, across, or diagonally they add up to 33...for 33 years of Christ's life. The church depends strictly on private donations and entry fees, that's why its taking so long to be built.


Can you imagine a church in the USA taking almost 200 years to be built. Its amazing, I hope that I am around in 50 years so that I can see the finished product.

For Everything Else..........

Traveling to Spain................................$27.10
First Class Upgrade..............................$100.00
Staying in Hostel...................................$36 Euro
Eating Topas while watching world cup......5 Euros
Seeing the Royal Palace in Madrid..............8 Euros
Seeing the great work of Picasso.................8 Euros
Eating Ice Cream in Barcelona ...................2.40 Euros
Topas and Granizada(see pic)...................5.40 Euros
Being stranded in Madrid with one Euro in your pocket because Visa canceled you credit card.........Priceless

Somethings money can buy, for everything else (especially if you don't want to get stuck in
Spain) there is Mastercard

Recepción al mecca del jamón (Ham Espana style)

I did not know that Spain was the capital of ham. They eat so much ham in Spain. They even have a ham museum (museo de Jamon), as you can see from the picture. It is not an actual museum, but its like a pub and/or deli. There are many different kinds of ham hanging all over the place. Some type of ham is usually the main meat in Topas. Topas are like sandwiches, or sometime pieces of meat, olives, or something. Spain is know for their Topas walk. That's where you go from place to place and order topas and beer or sometype of drink. Usually if you order a Topas and have a drink...they give you one of the house special topas for the day. And Topas are very cheap.

O! Canada

Never been North of the border, so I decided to visit Canada for a day. Our neighbors up north and very nice. It was kind of cool up there, so it was nice to get out of Phoenix for a day. Just traveled around Calgary for the day. Went by the saddledome to see where the Flames play. Interesting time in Calgary. Will go back for a longer visit next time.

Picture of downtown Calgary to the left

Food: Perogies
Drink: Good ole Molson

American Stuck In Spain

What happens when an airline that services your planes go on strike? When you are flying stand by, you get stuck in Spain. Never imagine that I would get stuck in a foreign country, but what I imagine came true and then became a nightmare. After Ibernia airline went on strike, they service our planes in Spain, a bunch of their clients bought tickets on US airways so that they could get back to the states. A flight that was undersold by 24, all of sudden became overbooked by 25. I was stuck in Spain. I had 20 Euros left and my bank card. After I use the internet and made some calls, my money started to dwindled. Now I found out that BOA had blocked my card because I did not informed them that I was going to Spain. They saw some charges coming from there and wanted to be safe.

My cousin tried to wired me money to Western Union, but I got to the shop 10 mins after they close. I even tried to go to one on the streets of Madrid and got there late. Now I am stuck in the middle of Madrid. I was able to borrow a euro from an American on the street to get back to the airport. BOA after they took block off my card, they then canceled my card. Luckily I was able to swipe it and get a hotel room for the night at midnight. Even though my card did not work the next day....I did not have to sleep on the streets of Madrid. I was able to get a flight out the next day..but it was a nightmare for that 24 hour period.

Hola de Madrid

Welcome to Madrid, Spain. Madrid was a very interesting city to be in.....from where we stayed, everything was centrally located. Most stuff was about a 20 minute walk from our Hostel. Never thought I would stay in a hostel, but it was pretty nice. Besides walking up the 5 flights of stairs, it was very clean, and she even had internet for the residents.

In Madrid there is so much history. From the Royal Palace, the Prado (Art Museum), Picasso exhibit, Spanish Civil Was, Napolean taking over Spain, and the Spanish way of life; its a wonderful country to visit. The Art was fabulous, never saw so many pictures of the crucifixion from so many different interpretations. But you must take your walking shoes, I think we walked at least 10 miles a day. Next time I go I will definitely learn more Spanish, they habla pequeño inglés.

Went to this monastry where the nuns baked fresh goods. We found it in a Rick Steves book. You can't see the nuns and every thing is done behind this wall. From there we spent a day in El Escorial to see another palace and the valley of the fallen (where 50,000 are buried from the Spanish Civil War). It was very interesting being in the old palace. They have many crypts where many former Kings and Queens and their kids are buried.

Tidbit about Library in the El Escorial Palace
They have some of the oldest books in history in that library. Back in the day, if you checked out a book wrong or did not bring it back. You were kicked out of the country...country as in Spain...not the library, or city, but the country.

Primera Clase a Madrid

Having flown to many destinations and overseas, I was looking forward to flying to Spain; especially flying firstclass. Since the upgrade was only $100, I thought I would give it a try. It was absolutely wonderful. Not only were the seats so comfortable and recline almost to 180 degrees, it was like you were in a whole new world. I have flown first class domestically many of times; this was well worth the upgrade. Our menu consisted of a choice of Maryland Crab cakes, Texan Chili Spiced Filet migon with a chilli sause, and others. I choose the filet migon entre', which was spectucular. With the assortment of hot bread, followed by an excellent dessert...you felt like you were in a nice restuarant. An after dinner drink or three...LOL....an assortment of movies and the 7 hour trip to Madrid seem like only hours. First class is the only way to fly international...now I definitely have to stay at US Airways.

Viva! Las Vegas

Went to Vegas for the weekend for my cousins surprise going away party. He is getting ready to fight that man's (Mr. Bush) war over in Iraq. I will pray for him and hope that nothing goes wrong over there.

His sister set up a surprise party where both his sisters, father, cousins, and girlfriend was going to meet him in Vegas. He called me that Saturday and asked me what I was doing for the weekend. Wanted me to come to Vegas because he thought only his sister (Anjeanette) and cousin (Nina) were going to be the only two there. He said he did not really want to spend the whole time in Vegas with just those two. I told him that I could swing some things and come up there. He was pleasantly surprise when everyone else was there.

The best time was going to the gospel brunch at the house of blues. It was a very spirtual brunch and performance. Got to sing with one of the singers and go on stage and perform with the group. It was pretty exciting. The food was great.....had lots of canjun food

Food: Gospel Brunch (Cajun), Bellagio buffet (Crab legs and anything else)
Drinks: Anything you want in Vegas

A Chef In The Making

This is the day I am going to pursue my dream. I always enjoyed cooking and with god's grace I now can pursue that dream. I will be attending Scottsdale Culinary School and get an Associates degree in Culinary Arts.

Hopefully, I will succeed and one day become the master chef that I have always pretended to be....well that I am actually am already. Cooking has always been a passion and a dream, now its a passion and not a dream.

Brasil: Let's Blame It On Rio

What can I say about Rio. It was amazing. My cousins and I had an awesome time. From time that we landed, it was none stop fun. That are so many photo ops in rio; scenery, beaches, women (lol), mountains, and almost everything. And I have about 200+ pictures to prove it. We went to Christ the Redeemer (Mountain with cross on top of it)...that was pretty nice. Took a picture with my arms extended like christ, I thought it was nice. Received some mixed reactions about it. Went hiking through rain forest and one of my cousins went hang gliding....view from top of mountain was awesome.

Food and drink in Brasil was very good. Brazilian resturants like to serve meat on skewers, and they will continue to bring you different types of meats until you say stop. They had this parmessan crusted filet migon that was to die for. We were well fed, I never seen my cousin eat so much meat. Drinks were very good also. They have this drink called Caipirinha and if you dont watch it, you can get messed up easily.
Went to a Brazilian Soccer game, never really cared for soccer but it was a blast. Crowds dancing in the stands, setting off fireworks, and their passions for their team was unbelieveable. Plus you could get a beer for about $1.25 and it was pouring plentiful. No 3rd quarter cut off on the the alcohol there...LOL Everything about Brasil was nice. Prices of food, drink, souvenirs, and etc. was very reasonable and very negiotable. I spent more on souvenirs then anything while there.

I would definitely recommend Rio and someday I would love to go back. Did I say it is very cheap in Brazil?

Tidbit about Brazil
To say hello in Portuguese, you say Obrigado

Food: Brazilian BBQ, Feijoada, Po de Queijo
Drinks: Caipirinha, SKOL Cerveja (beer)

• Atmosphere....................A



• People............................A+



• Scenery..........................A



• Food..............................B+



• History..........................C-



• Beauty.......................... A+



• Beers/Drinks.................A-



• Adventure....................A



• Cost..............................A



• Overall Experience.......A+

Philly Steaks in the City of Botherly Love

On a recent trip to the eastcoast to visit my cousin in Baltimore. My cousin, her roommate, and I decided to take a road trip to Philadelphia. Philly has so much history, American History, and it was nice being at the center where it all started in America (the good and bad).

We went to get one of the famous philly cheesesteaks in Philly and I must say they were as good as advertised (My cousin and I eating one in picture). Went to see the Liberty Bell. Ended up staying the night in Philly and going out to a club to have some fun. Had an enjoyable time on the east coast. Will not rate this city, only international cities.

Food: Philly cheesesteak
Drink: Good old American drinks

Crabcakes In BWI

Baltimore is known for its Crabs. Had the best crabcakes in my life in Baltimore. Not much to write about the city, only there for a day to see my cousins.

Food: Lump Crabcakes and Seafood
Drinks: American

INDY: Road To The Dome

When one of my best friend's friend offered me Final Four tickets for a buddy pass, I had to jump on that. I actually asked my friend why the hell did he have to ask me anyway. This would be my 7th Final Four and 4th in Indianapolis. I can't say that the games were all that great, actually all three of them were blow outs. I was hoping that George Mason would pull off the upset and make it to the finals. But Florida cut down the nets this year. Plus I got to see and hear "One shining moment in person", if you don't know that's the song they play to show the highlights of March Madness.

Food: White Castles, BW3's, Jack's Pizza
Drink: Baltimore Zoo, Banana or Stawberry Shake (Steak n' Shake)

I Told You That We Will Be Back And Told You That We Would Win!

As I walked out of "The Hoosier Dome" on a cold Nov. 28, I uttered that to Colts fans after they had just beat my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Told them that I would see them in the playoffs in this exact same building. So on a cold Jan. 15, I was estatic win the Steelers crushed the hopes and Spirits of the Colts. Not only did they beat them, they manhandled them....even though the refs tried to give them the game. In the end, the best team won. The Dolts will never be able to beat Pittsburgh.

By the way, three weeks later....The Steelers won the Superbowl

We'll Root, We'll Root For The Cubbies, If They Don"t Win.....

I just love Chicago. I would never lived there but I love being in Chicago in the Spring/Summer/Fall. This time I was there for my Cousins bachelor party. My brother and some of his friends took me to a Cubs game. They were playing the Boston RedSox (whom I hate....because secretly Yankees are my 2nd favorite team). Wrigley field is the most awesome ball park in America. The 7th inning stretch is something you only can truly enjoy in person. Plus the Cubs beat the crap out of the RedSox.

What can I say about the food in Chicago. You have never had a polish until you had one in Chicago or Chicago style pizza. I could go on and on about the food. They say New York never sleeps, but Chicago is the same.

Food: Gino's East (best pizza in the world), Chicago Style Polish, french fries, homerun inn pizza, taste of Chicago (best shrimp)
Drinks: Oh course Budweiser (official beer of the Cubs)