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Blogging Food Movies Shopping Weather

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

The Tuesday night tradition CONTINUES:

1.  Since the rainy season began with a vengeance not quite 4 weeks ago the Homestead / Florida City area (including the northern communities up to Cutler Bay) have received between 16 and 18 inches of rain. My forecast from a few months ago (during the severe dry season) of a much wetter than normal rainy season is right on track. I may not know how to fix things, but I can give you a reasonably accurate weather forecast.

2.  We’re actually at the start of a short dry spell. Thunderstorms should be less numerous over the next several days through this weekend. Any isolated storms that do develop should be quick and benign. Expect lots of bright sunshine during the days with highs approaching the low-90s.

3.  I visited The Falls (Shopping Center) on 3 out of 5 days from last Thursday through this Monday. My economic impact to the mall exceeded $550 combined during those 3 days. Talk about a 2009 Economic Stimulus Package !  Nowadays I typically visit The Falls perhaps 3 to 5 times per YEAR. I feel like I’m reliving my childhood whenever I visit The Falls because it’s the first place I really ever hung out at on a regular basis when I first moved here back in the late-1980s. One thing is for sure. I like how they’ve remodeled the longtime United Artists / Regal Cinemas there. That old movie theatre is in much better shape than another one I know. I’ll have to see more movies there in the future.

4.  TODAY I ate Lunch at Beef O’ Brady’s. I did NOT have the Reuben sandwich there although they do make a good one. I enjoyed the Watterson instead. It’s basically hot roast beef piled high with melted swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in-between two crispy slices of grilled rye bread dude !  I always enjoy great food and great service at the Beef’s. My only ‘Beef’ with the joint is its obscure location in relation to my home and workplace.

5.  In just 8 days I embark on yet another short trip to the northeastern suburbs of Dallas Texas to visit my brother, his wife, their dog, our Mom, our Dad, and their cat. I’ll be there for Father’s Day Weekend. Don’t worry – the blogging will continue every single day with all of the regular weekly series on their normal days.

Categories
Blogging Food Travel

The Search For The Greatest Reuben (Or Pastrami) On Rye – The Saga Continues

During the Summer of 2007 I embarked on an exciting culinary journey to discover, identify, and declare the greatest Reuben sandwich known to mankind (or at least me, myself, and I). I managed to visit (officially) 6 cool places aqui en South Florida as well as a couple of popular joints over in North Texas.

Click on the various hyperlinks below to re-live the Reuben magic that was from my original MySpace blog: 

Part 8 – New York New York Deli – 15 September 2007

Part 7– Bennigan’s – 30 August 2007

Part 6 – Broadway Subs – 28 August 2007

Parts 5 / 4 / 3 – Ruberto’s Pizza & Deli / Bennigan’s / Jason’s Deli – July 2007

Part 2– Arby’s – 22 June 2007

Part 1 – The Original Lots Of Lox Deli – 13 June 2007

I don’t believe that I have even come close to finding that oh-so-perfect Reuben sandwich, and I’m not so sure why I gave up on the endeavour after just 3 short months back then.

In order to right this most obvious wrong I’ve decided to resurrect this madness, and it all starts back up TODAY !

I ate Lunch at Hops at The Falls for the first time in several years. I had eaten there plenty of times in the past ever since they first opened for business. I enjoyed their hot and delicious Reuben sandwich (what a shock) and fries along with cold and refreshing Coca Cola Classic. The Reuben deserved an ‘A-‘ grade (I’m sure I can find better – but this one was rather scrumptious), and the fries I’ll give a ‘B-‘ (hot but a bit tasteless).

Do you know where I can find the greatest Reuben (or Pastrami) on rye ?  Send me the 4-1-1, and I’ll check it out for myself !  MAZAL TOV !

Categories
God

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

It’s the 1ST Sunday of June in 2009, and here are my takeaways from Life Pointe Church in Homestead Florida this morning:

– This was my very first Life Pointe Church service in ‘HD‘.
– That’s right – I have new glasses now, so I can see clearly now.
– The increasingly bearded Pastor Travis led this morning’s teaching.
– It was Part 9 of our current ‘Rebel’ message series that started on Easter.
– This morning’s teaching was entitled ‘Rebel Love: Riot Gear’.
– It was based on 1 Peter 3:8-22.
– God is working in each of us.
– He wants us to be victorious in Life – through the good times and the bad times.
– We must be confident in His authority and His power for victory.
– We must trust our gut only when God is in charge of it.
– We must never trust in ourselves.
– We will never know better than God.
– The only truth comes from God and Scripture.
– His Good News should be our owner’s manual.
– Satisfaction is always guaranteed with God.

1 Peter 3:10-12 (NLT, 2ND Ed.)
10  For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy Life
  and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
  and your lips from telling lies.
11  Turn away from evil and do good.
  Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12  The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
  and His ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns His face
  against those who do evil.”

Categories
History Life Music Television

Saturday Night Retro

June 06TH 1985
June 06TH 1985

That’s me and my little brother standing outside our McLean Virginia house exactly 24 years ago today on the 06TH of June in 1985. It’s the date of my high school graduation, and it was just one day after my 18TH birthday. My high school graduation was held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. There were about 500 in my graduating ‘Class Of 1985’.

6 days after this momentous event I left home and proceeded to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas for Air Force Basic Military Training. (I had no real Summer that year.) 

And now my friends – a real treat. I present to you for your ‘Saturday Night Retro’ review this long lost gem. It’s legendary jazz and blues singer and guitarist Leon Redbone performing the full-length opening theme song of one of the greatest prime time network television sitcoms of the mid-1980s – “Mr. Belvedere”. ENJOY !