Happy New Year......The Old Money Edition(Part 1)

One of my Christmas presents was tickets to a nearby botanical garden.

Okay.....I can hear the sarcastic remarks already.

So a trip to a botanical garden may not delight a lot of folks.

I'm not one of them.

I like historic stuff.

So if some rich guy from the early 1900's takes the trouble to spend a piece of his family fortune, turn his property into a national treasure, and open it up to the public, I have to say "I'm in."

Especially if the place has a top flight restaurant in the middle of the grounds.

So today, Chris and I took a ride to lovely Kennett Square, PA. We spent the afternoon touring Longwood Gardens, located at "Longwood", the former estate of Pierre duPont.

The gardens cover a bit over 1,000 acres. That's a lot of turf to cover. Before undertaking that sort of sojourn, we'd need some energy food.

Seeing as how Longwood Gardens has The Terrace Restaurant, specifically a fine dining restaurant called "1906", we opted to make reservations for lunch.

From the moment we were greeted, I had a really good feeling about this place. The hostess looked up our reservation on the computer and promptly seated us. The first thing I look for whenever I'm seated for a meal is  the cleanliness of the place settings.

You'd be surprised how many times I've sent back silverware or water glasses because they were not properly cleaned.

Our place settings were immaculate. Not so much as even one water spot on anything.

The busboy came right over with freshly baked brioche, butter, and a pitcher of water. The brioche was perfect. Warm, slightly sweet, light, and flaky. My impression of the place was improving every minute.

Chris and I ordered a couple champagne cocktails. She ordered a "Poinsettia" consisting of champagne, cranberry juice, and a couple raw cranberries. I ordered a "1906 Cocktail" consisting of champagne, creme de cassis, and Chambord.

Both were skillfully prepared.

A few moments after our cocktails arrived, our waitress was back to take our order. Prompt, but not pushy. I like that in servers.

Now here's where you'll only get half of the story.

Chris was taking pictures for one of her blogs.

I was taking pictures for mine.

Therefore, you get my side of the story.

I started off with a bowl of mushroom soup.

Why?

Kennett Square, PA is one of the largest mushroom producing areas in the nation.

Click here.

To say it was magnificent is to underestimate it by a wide margin.

It was creamy, earthy, savory, and sweet. The crispy fried onions really set it off.

From there, it only got better.

I ordered a locally grown, cider brined, center cut pork chop. It was topped with a cubed apple relish, and served with Brussell sprouts sauteed in butter, bacon, and lemon juice, and a wild mushroom saute served over grits.

It looked something like this:

I selected a 2008 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay to go with it. I love wines from the Russian River region. This one was no exception. It was mildly sweet, rich but not buttery, had great "legs", and cut through the richness of the mushroom/grits and the sprouts.

For dessert, we split a locally produced butter pecan ice cream. If my butterfat level was low, the ice cream took care of that.

Okay, I published this without finishing the blog.

Mea culpa.

Tomorrow, the pictures from the garden.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

......Left Me A Mule To Ride

News wise, this isn't the biggest thing to hit the wires over the last 24 hours. However, it made my day.

In what can only be described as an act of sheer genius, the Flying Saucer in downtown Memphis added a new drink.

Well, new for them.

Not for me.

Paul Ryburn reports in his blog this morning that the Flying Saucer is now serving "Moscow Mules".

While beer purists might scoff at the notion of a classic cocktail being served on the premises, I for one applaud it.

Kirk, you're a genius.

The "Moscow Mule" and I go way back together.

My late brother Bruce purchased one for me after he'd played 18 holes of golf at the late, great Salem Country Club near Elsinboro, NJ.

It was considered by many to be the "House Drink".

Maybe it was the copper mug that frosted over from the ice inside.

Maybe it was the oh so refreshing taste of lime and ginger beer.

Perhaps it was the vodka that gently yielded to the lime and ginger beer.

Regardless, it was love at first taste.

Sort of like girls, but much less expensive.

Back here in South Jersey, it isn't terribly difficult to find one.

Just around the corner at J.G. Cook's Riverview Inn, they make as fine an example of one that a thirsty soul could ask for.

And the view of the setting sun over the Delaware River doesn't hurt, either.

A perfectly prepared "Moscow Mule" by J.G. Cook's Riverview Inn, July 2011.

Not shown, the Calamari appetizer that showed up two minutes after I took the picture.

The Calamari was just as good as the drink.

While I appreciate just how refreshing a "Moscow Mule" is during the hot, dry Summer months, I also appreciate how one sip of one in January can remind me of the warmer times to come.

The more spiritual among us would tell you that's what "Hope" is.

I'm most comfortable with my assessment.

A week from now, you can see me in the Flying Saucer (live and in person).

I will be more than happy to discuss the merits of a well prepared "Moscow Mule".

A select few will be sipping on one courtesy of me.

As the middle child in a large family, I'm quite used to sharing.

In the meantime, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

Cooking Between The Holidays

There are a couple of topics I could tear into today and work myself up into a full roaring rant.

However, it is the "Holiday Season".

I'll save my rants for the New Year unless something dramatic happens.

We had a nice Christmas out here this year. Hope all y'all had the same.

Last night I made a run up to Philadelphia International Airport to pick up a friend and his family. They spent their Christmas in Walt Disney World.

I'm positive they had a nice Christmas.

Glad I could help out with the logistics for them.

It sort of signaled the closure for my Christmas. All is complete.

I could be planning for New Year's Eve.

Of course, New Year's Eve isn't here yet. It can wait.

That leaves me square in part of the "Holiday Season" I like the best.

If you're like me, Christmas leftovers are fine for a day or two. After that, they become a chore to eat.

Really, how much ham, turkey, or rib roast can one consume no matter HOW it's cooked?

Today, with the leftovers safely behind me, it's back to cooking Winter foods.

Cooking Winter foods is all about having a few already prepared items on hand. Take for example, meat sauce. I always try to have a quart or two of meat sauce, marinara, or any other sort of gravy in the freezer during Winter. The stuff is so versatile, it doesn't make sense for me NOT to have it.

I trundled on down to the basement this morning to see what was on hand.

I spied a quart of meat sauce. It dawned on me I had a bag of large cheese stuffed shells up in the kitchen freezer.

That took care of lunch.

Next to the quart of meat sauce was a package of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Chicken is a fine meal anytime of year.

That took care of the main course for dinner.

In my opinion, the key to cooking on the "in between" days of the "Holiday Season" is to keep it as simple as possible, using as few dishes as possible.

I don't know about you folks, but it seemed like I spent a couple hours every day washing dishes of some sort.

In keeping with my philosophy of "simple and few", this is what lunch looks like:

Cover the bottom of two small baking dishes with meat sauce.
Place two stuffed shells in each.
Top with meat sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Spray two small sheets of aluminum foil with Pam cooking spray and cover baking dishes.
Bake at 410F for one hour covered.

It doesn't get any simpler than that short of gnawing on a stick of pepperoni for 10 minutes.

For the record, I find nothing wrong with the pepperoni "recipe" and have availed myself of it more than once.

You can look for my pepperoni recipe, and other simple favorites just like it in my upcoming cookbook, "I Ate WHAT Last Night?: Air Traffic Mike's Guide to Late Night Drunk Food".


It's been years in the making with plenty of painstaking research. The research has been conducted by some of the most competent experts in the field of drunk dining.


One of the biggest innovations is the recipes are printed in both large clear text and "blurry vision" text. The "blurry vision" text is a patented process the gang over at Air Traffic Mike Heavy Industries, LLC. (the official social think tank of Air Traffic Mike) developed. They think that "ShitFontsed", as they named it, will make it an easy read no matter what condition your condition is in.


We're all very excited.


More to follow.


In the meantime I have to tend to my pasta dishes.


Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.


Air Traffic Mike, ret.

Where's Waldo?

Well, if Waldo is flying on a commercial airliner, one sure fire way to find him is via http://flightaware.com.

I use this site any time I have family or friends coming in to see me, or those that need a lift from the airport.

Personally, I like the site because it gives me all sorts of information besides when the plane is expected to arrive. If there are delays to any of the major airports, the average delay is shown on the left side of the main page. Right now, as of 10:25 am, it is showing there are 1 hour airport delays at San Francisco Int'l Airport and 36 minute delays at Atlanta. That's really good information, not only if your folks are departing from one of those, but also if they are connecting through.

There are a number of services they offer their members such as "Flight Planning", and "Pilot Resources". My pilot friends require no explanation of those services. My non-pilot friends don't need them.

That's all I'll say about that.

It is pretty easy to use. All you have to do is type in the airline name in one box and the flight number in the next box below and *enter*. A new screen will come up. If the flight hasn't departed yet, it will show you the route of flight (at the top/center of the new screen). To the right there is all the other information about the flight, including the type of aircraft, departure point, destination, route of flight, date, duration, status, distance in direct miles and actual miles by routing, and fare information. If the flight is airborne, the next box below will tell you when the flight departed, when it is expected to arrive, the speed at which the aircraft is operating at, and the altitude of the aircraft.

That's a lot of information, and it's free.

For most folks, just being able to find out the estimated time of arrival will suffice.

Still, next time you have someone coming in to see you, you have an upcoming flight, or you're stuck at the airport sitting in front of an empty gate waiting for the inbound that will be your outbound, give them a try.

It'll be more accurate and honest information than you'll be able to get from the gate agent.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

Lazy

That's what I've been lately.

I have given little thought towards writing the blog.

Mostly, I've been doing some research online.

After the first of the year, I'm going to be concentrating on a book project I started almost two years ago. It's a fiction novel set in the near future. The subject was good when I came up with it, and it remains a good subject.

The only problem I've run into is writing the future "history" that takes the reader to where the story begins. For a fictional novel, the story has to have some level of plausibility. The main storyline itself has that. However getting the reader to that point has proved more difficult than I imagined it would be at the outset.

Hence, the research.

History has a funny way of repeating itself in various permutations. The key for this book was to find a time where the circumstances the story needed actually occurred in one way or another.

It took some time, but I'm satisfied that I've found what I needed.

All I have to do now is write.

The story itself is, in my opinion, quite an action tale. It has heroes and villains. Not all of the heroes will survive. Some of the heroic characters are based on real people. People I know personally. They may not have done some of the things that will take place in the book, but rest assured if they had to they would.

One character in particular will be based on a retired Marine friend of mine whose two tours in Vietnam I stand in awe of.

BTW, he won't die in the novel.

In fact, I'm making one exception to one of my personal rules and will actually use his real name for the character he inspired.

Semper Fi, WD.

There are only two people I've shared the actual story with. I needed some feedback and I trust the judgement of both. I told them in confidence and did so about six months apart.

Both had the same reaction.

That was enough for me to move forward on it.

Then I stopped.

My brother Bruce was gravely and fatally ill with cancer.

He would pass away less than a year after I retired.

By the way, there will be a character based on Bruce. Anybody that ever knew him will know which one within three sentences of his "introduction" to the storyline.

After his passing, it was my intention to return to Memphis and finish this project up.

Then, as it is wont to do, life sort of got in the way.

I'm not complaining.

I've had a great run starting from the day I was delivered into the loving arms of my parents.

However, this project in its current stalled state has been bugging me.

I need to finish it and get it out into public.

In what is quite rare for me, I need to do it for me.

Honestly, I don't do a lot for me.

Don't need to.

Like the line in a song says, "I have more than what I wanted.".

So, after my birthday trip January 6 through January 10, I'll resume writing. First up is to review my outline and rewrite anything that needs rewriting. I'm a stickler for keeping the timeline straight. That alone is a good enough reason for even having an outline.

I'll leave you all with this one clue about the story:

Where do you get a navy when you have no navy left?

The answer will take your breath away.

I promise.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

"Off With His Head!!!!"

In a bizarre twist reminiscent of a "Simpson's" episode, some vandals here in South Jersey lopped off the head of a Civil War Statue.

Let's face it, this was no mean feat.

The statue is not a short one by any stretch of the imagination.

It's also made of concrete with the head estimated to weigh around 15 pounds.

Plenty of people are upset. The police chief has fronted $100 of his own money as part of a reward.

Okay so this isn't the first time someone decapitated a statue.

Maggie Thacther "lost her head". She even lived to see it.

Josef Stalin took a low haircut earlier this year.

Then they blew up what was left.

Wow, talk about pissed off.

Meanwhile, back in Bridgeton another statue, this time St. Teresa of Avila had her block knocked off for the second time in two years in 2009.

Ironically, St. Teresa is the Patron Saint of Headaches (among other titles).

I'm beginning to think someone in Bridgeton has a problem with statues.

Normally by now I'd be in a full blown rant.

After all, vandalism serves no purpose. This doesn't appear to be a protest of any kind. It looks to be just some mean spirited destruction.

Unfortunately I can't rant on this one. My own warped sense of humor finds decapitated statues pretty damned funny.

Not that I'd do something like that, nor do I condone that sort of behavior.  One exception, if it's done to make a political statement or in protest. The First Amendment of the Constitution probably covers that in most cases. It doesn't mean you won't get a bill for repairs if caught.

Other than that it's been a quiet week around these parts.

That's a good thing.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

Dear Memphis Commercial Appeal

This is an open letter.

The above is not for my loyal readers and friends. You folks are smart enough to figure that out.

The opening line is for the idiots that run the Commercial Appeal.

I may have to draw them some stick figures.  We'll see.

Dear Memphis Commercial Appeal,

It's with a great deal of displeasure I'm writing this. What once was a great newspaper, is slowly dying a horrible death. In the last 20 years I've called Memphis my home. When I moved here in 1991, I was pleased to see the quality of your product. You had some of the most gifted writers and editors on your staff. Agree or disagree, the newspaper always made its point well known.

In the last five years all that has changed.

In the name of profit ratio, your owners have gutted the paper.

Even in its reduced state you still had some gems. Geoff Calkins and Michael Donahue were then, and are now, two of the best at their craft.

Lose either of them and you may as well torch the building as you finally shut down.

Yesterday you laid off 9 people just in time for Christmas.

Nice job, you fucks.

One of those was Jen Simmons. I like Jen. I find her among the most interesting folks I've met. Maybe you guys should have taken the time to actually read her writing. She brought a fresh point of view to your paper. Her enthusiasm was catching and it made your product a little more hip.

I guess that wasn't enough.

She's a smart young lady and she'll land on her feet.

Make sure you folks in charge repeat that over the holidays. It'll make you feel better as you count your shekels.

When I'm in town, I make it a point to purchase a copy of your newspaper every morning.

Well, I used to.

Geoff, Michael, I love your guys' work. However, in good faith, I can no longer support your employer. The "bean counters" are killing what was once one of the best newspapers in the South. Throwing a young talent like Jen to the curb is just too much.

She made the paper better.

Her "thanks" was being tossed out the door just in time for Christmas.

Scripps Media, do me a favor. Drop the "Media" from your corporate name. Toilet paper has more of a "media" feel than your newspaper does.

Lionel Linder must be rolling over in his grave.

You "bean counters" probably don't remember him.

Maybe you should.

He'd have stood up for Jen and the others.

Count me among your former customers.

Merry Fucking Christmas/Hanuhkah/Kwanza or whatever you soulless bastards celebrate.

I'm sure you're celebrating your latest fucking "cost savings".

Fuck you and all the newspapers you're killing.

Assholes.

I urge each and all of you to not support what's left of the local rag.

I'll understand if you still do so.

Geoff and Michael have families and lifestyles to support.

Then again, so does Jen.

Follow your morals, folks.

I know I will.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.

A Dog's Life

You'd think that a dog would have it easy.

Well, when you look at your dog you probably feel that way.

After all, he/she is/are adopted/invited members of your family.

I know our dog, "Billy" is.

Sometimes I call him a "spoiled brat", but then I remember I had a part to do with that.

Truth be told, he's a top flight dog and a worthy representative of his breed.

Why someone tried to throw him away, I'll never know.

Ain't he a cutie?

11 months ago he was taken to the SPCA in Cumberland County weighing 5 pounds.

Oh........he was also on "Death's Door" as well.

Not that he wanted to be. Like I said, someone threw him away.

That was his reality.

His "reality" has changed a lot over the last year.

He's healthy.

He's happy.

He's loved.

And Oh My God, does he love his "Mom" and "Dad".

We sure as Hell love him, too.

I'm going to repeat myself here.......THERE ARE NO THROW AWAY LIVES!!!!

Nowhere. At no time. At any cost.

He didn't hurt anybody.

He's not a violent dog.

I can honestly say he didn't hurt anybody.


Why?


He's been here since February. It's not his style.

Somebody had it in for him.

Where they left him shows that. He was "dropped off" at the intersection of two rural roads.

His last meal, before he was rescued, was ketchup he scrounged from a cheeseburger wrapper.

The man that saved him could only do so because this little dog collapsed while trying to make it to the "safety" of the woods.

This morning that little dog is laying in the "safety" of my lap. 

He's 8 to 9 pounds heavier. 

He doesn't have to run.

He's done nothing but bring joy to us.

I'm not sure what happened at his last owner's home.

I'm not sure I even care.

If ever I was given the chance to meet the folks.............................

I'd take the "for a ride" and see how they like it.

In that spirit I urge you.......if you want to get a pet for the kiddies (or "chillrin" for my N'Awlins frenns) please go to your nearest SPCA. 

A "pedigree" is just a piece of paper that makes the owner feel special. 

Sort of like decent toilet paper does.

But that too, shall pass.

There are good dogs out there that have all the love in the world they want to give to somebody.

Like our Billy.

All they need is a chance.

Until the next time, all y'all take care of yourselves.

Air Traffic Mike, ret.