"Free "Sliders"..."

Yesterday, I moved an e-mail from one of our popular local restaurants from the "spam file" to my "inbox", and then I opened it...

"In appreciation of your repeat business, and to introduce our new menu offering, we have "loaded" your "frequent dining card" with a free, $7.99 value of three "sliders."  You can choose three, buffalo chicken, pulled pork, or Italian meatball sliders.  The lobster sliders will be an up charge of $5.00"

Tonight I stopped by a downtown location of this restaurant chain, and sat at the bar to take advantage of the offer.

"I received a three free sliders on my frequent dining card offering, e-mail yesterday.  Are you honoring the promotion?"..."Let me check with my manager...Yes, we are, but you can only have the beef burger sliders free. There is a $5.00 up charge for the buffalo chicken, pulled pork, or Italian meatball ones, and a $10 charge for the lobster ones!"..."Well then the offer is hardly free!  I guess I'll have the free beef burger ones then."..."What type of cheese would you like?"..."I'll have Swiss."..."There will be an up charge for the cheese!"..."Then, I'll have the plain ones!"

"Sliders" have become popular offerings at many restaurants lately. They are named because like the old White Castle burgers were in the 1960's, they are small enough to slide down your throat, I guess!  They give you a feeling that you are eating less by consuming three smaller sandwiches in this diet consciousness time of our lives..."The whole would be greater than the sum of its parts!"

I noticed a kiosk with the e-mail announcement on the counter, while the gentleman beside me related that he got the same e-mail for his card and wanted to use it too.  As the kiosk showed that the three other sliders are free, and only the lobster ones have the $5.00 up charge, I called the waitress back to read it.  She checked with her manager and said that I was correct.  so I ordered the pulled pork ones.

The pork sliders had a bq sauce and a thin layer of coleslaw and were delicious!  And as I drank water with lemon, the bill came...$0.00 charge!  I thanked the waitress, and left a  tip based on the normal $8.00 cost, and proceeded to leave...

At the exit the two hostesses and the manager, thanked me for the business and hoped that I would return again soon! 

"Hospital Check-in"

Yesterday morning, I dropped a friend off at one of our local hospitals for her 1:30 knee repair surgery.

At 8:00 that evening, during visiting hours, I stopped by to see how she was doing...I gave my name and identification at the welcome desk, and said I was there to see my friend.  "I don't have that name in this hospital."   "But I dropped her here this morning for a 1:30 surgery"  "What is her name again?  Wait...I do see that she had surgery today, but she doesn't have a room here!"  "Yes she does...she told me that she has a private room on the third floor."   "Oh, here it is...room #... She is not there because she is still in the recovery room, but you can go up and leave a note for her..." 

I went up to the third floor an the room didn't exist...but as I wandered through the halls, by the second staff station, I found the room.  And it was a beautiful one for a hospital...more like a suite in a luxury cruise ship!  And it should...for what price?  Maybe $10,000 per night?   As visiting hours were ending, I left evidence of my visit, and left...

When I stopped by the following the evening, the receptionist said that she remembered me from the night before, and said that my friend should be in her room!  Better!

"Thr Beijing Olympics Coverage...Reflections..."

8:08 PM, August 8, 2008...808080808...Eight an important number in Chinese culture associated with prosperity and confidence...

I was awe-struck from filmmaker Ahang Yimou's Opening to Closing Ceremonies...I have "goose bumps"...not Chinese duck bumps from watching the coverage...what a veritable visual "buffet"...human, not totally computerized art in motion...unified effort...an interesting comparison is my fortunate 1986 to 2005 visits to Xian, China's Terra Cotta Warriors excavations to Brendan Frasier's movie, "The Mummy, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"...

In spite of all of the chaos and trivialities of everyday life, this coverage gave a sense of hope for humanity...it showed the power of the motivated effort and unified inspiration for accomplishment.  The memories from China during these two weeks of Olympics should provide motivating inspiration for change and advancement, here, at home...

For contradiction, the following two weeks showed non-motivating discourse during the Democratic and Republican overly-funded Conventions...

"Lessons For The Next Generation..."

Harvey Oyer, a fifth generation native Floridian attorney and recent author acquaintance of mine, gave a talk sponsored by our local historical society recently.  He introduced his second book for children (but great for adults too) "The Last Egret" that night, during his talk that brought Florida's important history to life.  It followed his "The American Jungle...The adventures of Charlie Pierce".  Both are collections of true stories that were passed down from generation to generation in his family.  In one part of the book Charlie Pierce, Harvey's great grand uncle as a child reached out to befriend a young Native-Indian boy, and begin to bring peace during the Seminole War, the longest war in American histrory. 

The books taught lessons...History should be passed and kept alive to enrich our present and future times.  One family can make a big difference in our world.  The openness of children can bridge cultural boundaries.  One person can change history, and more.

I loved listening to the stories of my grandparents and uncles and aunts and parents.  I absorbed the numerous ones that showed how much a part of world history our family has been.  I recall many...My maternal great great grandmother was a tutor to the Hapsburgs.  My maternal great grandparents had been sent to America separately for an arranged wedding (and we went to their 60th anniversary!).  A relative signed the "Declaration of Independence".  Another grandfather was in the California Goldrush, and was Eastman Kodak's best friend. My maternal grandmother was a friend of Ameila Earhart, and later a freind of many renowned artists and politicians.  One grandfather was president of the New Jersey Medical Society.  Another grandfather was International Vice President of General Electric (he left copies of his autobiography for his grandchildren that outlined his life philosophies and his international travel destinations (that I've been visiting 80+ years later)), and on and on!  My mother is a "wealth of information" on these...and she loves to reflect and share these stories...

Often with today's hectic "live for the momment pace" we forget how important passing lessons from one generation to the next is...It would be ashame if this trend is not reversed...

"The Registration Ticket"

"Customer Disservice, 24-7", contined...

Late in the evening in mid-July, I was driving home tired in a rain storm from visiting my brother in Fort Lauderdale...then flashing lights were noticed in the rear view mirror!  Darn, I'm being pulled over!

The officer sauntered over.  "Good evening.  Do you know why I pulled you over?" "No." "You were going ten miles over the speed limit.  May I have your registration and driver's license? ...You'll thank me...This is a warning for the speed, but I'm giving you a ticket for the "cut" registration (I had cut the blank trim off of the 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inch card so that it would fit in my wallet)...You can go to your local Courthouse and pay the ten dollar fee...Nothing will appear on your driver's record."

The next day, July 13, I went to the Courthouse Clerk of the Court office.  The line was long, with an expected waiting time of an hour.  A clerk informed that if I was here to pay a ticket, I could avoid the line by putting a check attached to a signed copy of the ticket in the mailbox at the side of the waiting room, which I did.

Friday, August 22, in the mail was an official looking letter from Palm Beach County.  "Your driver's license is being indefinitely REVOKED for the State of Florida due to non-payment of a ticket."..."Drat, the office would be closed until Monday!"  I checked my credit union statement to discover that the check to the County had been cashed.  "What happened?  Could this be a government clerical error?  Why should I expect any different?" ...And an over-reaction to a trivial issue...attention paid to this in lieu of dealing with important issues...

I returned to the Courthouse on Monday morning, and surprisingly there was no line!  I approached the attending clerk and handed my ticket and evidence of its payment.  I was told that my revocation had been processed through Tallahassee, and that it would take a while with the manager to clear up the situation.  Fifteen minutes later the manager approached with the clerk to relate that there would be a $7 fee to clear up the revocation with Tallahassee after a $12 "late payment fee"!  I reiterated  that the payment had been made four days after the ticket was issued, and therefore was not late.  I was told that did not matter..."You needed to have cleared this up before Palm Beach County had sent the non-payment case to the Court system!"...As far as Palm Beach County was concerned I was late and needed to be fined..."GOOD GRIEF, Charlie Brown, you can't fight City Hall!"

"Dieting..."

Dieting...it's really life-adjusting...

Adjust your metabolic rate, your metabolism, to make changes.It sounds contradictory, but a way to speed up your metabolism to lose weight,  is to eat more! 

At age 36, I dropped 109 pounds in one year!  I was eating a large bacon and egg breakfast, a buffet lunch, and a "Happy Hour" dinner buffet, along with a half gallon of whole (chocolate usually!) milk daily.  I was proud that I had gotten up to 278 pounds with a 48 inch waist and 39% bodyfat.  a year later, I entered my first bodybuilding contest at 169 pounds with a 29 inch waist and 1.5% bodyfat!  How was this done?

First, I increased my meals from three to six per day.  These were very high protein, with limited complex carbohydrates and minimal fats.  The largest meal was the first in the morning, and the smallest was the evening one that contained virtually no carbohydrates or fats. I gave up alcohol with the initial exception of some red wine, juices, and all sodas.  If I drank milk, it was skim (and really tasted just as good as whole) , and I consumed LOTS of water all day long!  As I would reach a weight loss plateau, I would add another daily small meal, until at the end of the weight loss program I was eating 12 times per day!  Ingesting more, with limited fats, caused the body to burn body fat by the process of nearly continual digestion.  This, along with the addition of increasing amounts of cardiovascular (get the heart rate going) and resistance-training (weight-lifting) exercise, increased the fat-burning metabolism.

While I went "overboard" to train for and enter bodybuilding contests at middle age, the basic principals remain, and worked when applied, by many friends and and business associates.

The following is a representative lose-weight day's meal plan:

Meal # 1, Breakfast:

(4) egg whites,  (3)fresh strawberries, 1/2 grapefruit (if you aren't taking a contradictory medicine), a small cup of oatmeal, and a cup of green tea.

Meal # 2:

1/2 chicken breast and 1/2 sweet potato and 8 oz water.

Meal # 3, Lunch:

albacore tuna or salmon over spinach, and fresh vegetables, with vinegar dressing, a multi-grain cracker,  and iced green tea.

Meal # 5:

1/2 chicken breast and 1/2 sweet potato and 8 oz water.

Meal #6, Dinner:

6 oz orange roughy (fish) and brocolli and 8 oz water.

Initial cardio session:  start with as little as a 1/2 hour nicely-paced walk.

Questions...e-mail me at EHS3Life@gmail.com .

"Meal Deals!"

Affordable eating out is possible!  Over the years, I've become fairly ept at this too!  South Florida really makes this easy!

In the "Fabulous 80's" lots of our restaurants would try to outdo each other with their "Happy Hour" complimentary buffets...if your purchased even an iced tea, you could help yourself to a meal.

Restaurants make lots of profit on alcoholic beverage sales!  Filtered water with lemon, and cranberry juice, club soda and lime are good substitutions if hydration with your meal is your goal!

"Dollar Menus" exist in most of the "fast food" restaurants...and with some creative ordering you can even get a "healthy" feeding!

Check your receipts after you pay your dining bills.  As part of their quality control monitoring, it's popular for many restaurants to give you discounts and/or "free stuff" by going to their follow-up web pages, entering your receipt code, and answering online questions about your dining experience.  One chain gives you a free meal every time you do this, even when your receipt shows a previous free meal!

Check the ads in your local paper or go online to resturant web sites to check menus and prices to get discount coupons before you venture out for a meal!  "Two for ones" or "Buy one, get the second for half price" are common!  In our present economy, even the most elegant restaurants are offering "price fixe" three to four course meals with beverages included.

Just like the "Sienfelds" would do in "Boca Del Vista", the  "Early Birds" can get more than the worms!  Eating before 6:30 in many restaurants, you can get substantial discounts on multi-course meals.

Eating at the restaurant bars or at their hi-tops in the bar areas often provide inexpensive tapas-sized appetizers or full meals for big discounts during certain hours.  "Five Dollar" offerings are common.  One of our local Italian chains offers $2.95 meals from 4 to 7pm and 9pm to closing, Mondays thru Fridays.

Greeks are known for providing economical menus!  Chinese buffets are economical too (and many have limited or stopped thier MSG usage).

Happy economical eating!

"The Motion of the Ocean..."

Travel Tip No. 3

With exceptions, you don't typically feel any motion in today's modern, large ships that cruise most of the more common routes like the Caribbean and Mediterranean.  Northern Atlantic crossings and the South American Cape are two of the exceptions.

Your cabin location affects the amount of motion that may be felt.  According to the pendulum theory, the higher you  are located from the sea level, the more motion may occur.  But the lowest locations may experience vibration from the engines; and if you sleep late, the lowering of the anchors when you arrive at a destination may cause an  early awakening!  Aft locations can also experience vibration.  Central cabin locations in the ship are the most stable.

In the event that you begin to feel nausea, in addition to taking oral medications and wearing behind the ear patches, there are other solutions available.  Get some fresh air on a deck. Get in a swimming pool and roll with the rolls. Don't stare at any waves.   Drink ginger ale and eat some green apples. and don't hop on a top level fitness center elliptical cardio machine!

"Going to Hollywood..."

My family loved to relate this story about a me, a young (dramatic) Leo at age five...

As an "older" aged five young man, I was upset about something for which I was being disciplined.  I went upstairs and packed a small bag, wet into the kitchen to get some snacks, put on my "movie star cap" and dark sunglasses and headed toward the front door..."The stork must have delivered me to the wrong family, and I'm leaving for Hollywood to start the life that I was meant to live!"

My parents said goodbye, be safe, and  that they hoped I would come back home soon!

I proceeded to walk a few blocks to the local police station and then crawled behind the hedge to hide.  I was in a safe spot, with good visibility of anyone coming by.  My next brother bicycled by, looking for me, and I called out to him..."I'm in here...I'm going to teach mom and dad a lesson by making them worry a little longer, but I'm hungry so please get me some more snacks!"

A short while longer, I walked home after deciding to give my family another chance!

You do not always outgrow your childhood personality (in fact as you age it reappears even more!)...and after undergraduate and graduate schools, and after my internship and consecutive jobs, I continued to try to "run away to California"...with a large degree of success  (to be continued)!

"The Newspaper Hold"

"Customer Disservice 24-7", continued...

In additional preparation for a vacation, I called the local newspaper office to place service on hold.  I gave my phone number, and the request was processed.  "Do you want to donate the undelivered papers to a local school?"  I replied to extend my subscription period.  I returned from vacation to find a water-infiltrated rotting pile of delivered papers by the front door.  I called to register a complaint, and received an apology.  The next day I did not receive a paper. I called back to say that the papers were delivered while away, and not after I returned home, to which the embarrassed agent apologized, and did not know how that could happen!  He said that a copy would be sent out.  I returned home to find a copy of the previous day's paper in lieu of the present day!  The following day, the paper was not delivered again!  When I called to say that the day before, I received a paper from the day before that, another agent apologized again, and sent out two copies of the wrong days' papers!  On the third day, normal delivery resumed!

"The Mail Hold"

"Customer Disservice 24-7", continued...

In preparation to go on a two-week vacation, I called my local post office to place my mail on vacation hold.  I was told that "to better serve the customers", a national processing office is handling mail holds and I was given the 800 contact number.  After the typical "dial around", I received the new "automated" vacation hold service.  After reciting my name, phone number, and address, the computer voice related that there was no such person at that address!  An operator would pick up  After finding that I did live in my home, I was given the computer voice again.  After entering my hold dates, i was given a confirmation number to make changes to the hold order.  I returned from vacation 2 weeks later to discover a 24-inch high pile of daily delivered mail!  ...And now when I do this, I "flag down" my mail deliverer, and relate the "hold" personally!

"Tuned-In...Tuned Out"

Using the glad to be alive positive attitude of the popular book to CD, "The Secret", I arrived at my local health club for my daily workout. While attempting to turn into the parking lot, I got "cut-off" by a driver on a cellular phone who accelerated into my "blind spot" without using a turning signal.  I walked in beside  the driver, smiled and said "Hi, how are you?" He made eye contact and said nothing!  The front desk attendant at the club was ending a phone call.  I entered, smiled again, and said "Hi, how are you?" No response!  As I walked to the locker room, I passed sixteen other people before I got a response to my smile and greeting. Most had their I-Pod wires dangling from their ears, and a "zombie" lifeless expression!  With disdain, I mentioned this to the seventeenth individual after he smiled and acknowledged my presence!  The following day it took eleven greetings to get a response!

A few weeks before, I went to the beach in the Hamptons.  Groups of young people were lying on their towels facing each other with their fingers in continual motion, "texting" each other in lieu of talking to (or about) each other...

The human race is inherently "social", but the inhabitants of our contemporary world are losing their ability to communicate.  They are "tuned-in, but tuned out"!

"Work...Just a Job, or Your Passion?"

Our local paper featured a story about the first and current jobs of a number of local individuals.  Since it fell on Labor Day Weekend, it also asked what Labor Day meant to those featured. A friend of mine responded to the last question with the following quotation:

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, and his education and his recreation.  He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his passions".

This close friend has accomplished this with her life.

Yesterday, I attended a very spirited interior designer and architect hospitality design conference in the very "alive" city of Miami Beach.  In spite of our "down" world economy, this conference featured a series of speakers that are designing and managing incredible resorts, boutique hotels, restaurants, and spas all over the world!  Two sisters were running the world firm that had been started by their father 40 years prior.  The 48 year old keynote speaker was introduced as having current projects in every continent except Antarctica! He commenced by discussing his youth in a poor family a poor section of New York City.  He "lit up" when he talked about his life experiences in his professional career.  All of them shared a love of their career choice...they work very hard, but they love the work!

I knew that I wanted to be an architect at age 5!  I wrote this in a little essay on a big piece of 1-inch high lined paper. With the help of my parents, I designed a replica of a Japanese home and garden, and then I wrote a poetic description of it in Japanese Haiku format.

During my elementary school days, I always wanted my parents to move to new homes (and we had moved five times by age 5!)  They would take me to see models and homes for sale (later my mom entered real estate).  We would visit friends' and relatives' homes.  I would leave and go home and from memory draw the floor plans of what I had seen!  I would build furnished dollhouses for my sister and her friends (and myself!).  I would build whole cities in the basement!  Dad and my brothers would add the train tracks and model car systems....

My small (1,200 students from 7th to 12th grade) Westchester County, New York, high school, along with its high academic standards, also went out of its way to encourage students directed passions.  For me, they developed an architectural additional program and provided me with a local architect mentor.  They also allowed the development of true Renaissance individuals by providing access to great cultural events, music and arts enrichment, clubs of every sort, language laboratories, wood and metal shops, national honor societies, student leadership groups, competitive and club athletics, field trips to New York City's museums, theatres, and restaurants, travel, Jr. Achievement business clubs, religious education, etc., in addition to the academic curriculum!  ...I was involved in it all that enriched my background, while allowing me to develop  my passions!...my school years resume included swim team, tennis team, cross country, winter track, bowling team captain, spring track, ski club, ice skating club, Varsity Club president,  Football Half Time Charleston Dance Shows, Barclay's Dance Class, general and madrigal choirs, Sock and Buskin Theatre Club (stage design), Manor Club Christmas show performances, Asano Enterprises Jr. Achievement Company president, NYC Jesuit Center religious studies, Spanish Honor and National Honor Societies, Knight and Lamp Student Tutoring Club, American Foreign Student Exchange Club, Interim Student Government, Drafting and Shop Club, Pelican Yearbook art staff, "Pel Mel" school paper,  "Four star Extra" local newspaper editor, Cub Scout den leader and Boyscout Patrol Leader, Camp Siwanoy Boyscout and Durland Sailing Camps, chess club, lifeguard, and Water Safety Instructor, and took occasional piano and guitar lessons!

I started a business where I would interview people to determine their lifestyle, meet their moving vans, send them away, and direct the placement of all of their belongings! I got a chance to do this with my parents a few times too.  An to this day, I'll go to a dinner party at a home, and at the end after asking the hosts if they'd mind, I rearrange their rooms!

My family and school experiences and performance allowed me to write excellent college architectural school application essays, that resulted in my undergraduate acceptance to University of Virginia Architectural School.  I EXCELLED there!  The undergraduate architecture school curriculum was purported to be the most rigorously time demanding so that extracurriculars were supposed to be minimal.  I managed to maintain an "A" Design GPA while also taking business electives, while also working the equivalent many hours a week in the architecture library, as a lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor, and as manager of the Memorial Gymnasium staffing, to assist with financing this education.  Simultaneously, I pledged and was secretary and alumni chairman of Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity, I founded and was president of the Downhill Ski Club; I played club water polo, I worked to have lighting installed on the tennis courts for night play, was a resident advisor in the new apartment dormitory complex, was head of the Architecture Lecture Series; was on the Architecture Dean's Advisory Board, was a member of the Honor Society, was president of the Architecture School, was a member of the school newspaper staff,  and ultimately was rewarded with Room # 11 West Lawn, one of Thomas Jefferson's original 50 student rooms during my 4th year (not called senior year at the University!), and the Bicentennial of our Country!  The experience was made even more special, because my two brothers and sister joined me at the University of Virginia for their undergraduate and graduate years, in what at the time was a record for out of state same-time family attendance!

My experiences thru graduate and internship education will be discussed in a later chapter of this blog...

Another chapter  will discuss my directed yet diversified career path...

But to conclude for now, on the topic at hand, suffice to say that I was blessed with an early career selection that has been a passion, and have led an incredibly rich in experiences life, that truly allows me to feel that I am following the direction of the quotation in the second paragraph of this chapter! My work and my life are entwined!

A wish would be that as many of you as possible are fortunate to experience this too...

"Purchasing A Pair Of Sandals"

"Customer Disservice 24-7", continued...

In anticipation of doing a lot of walking on my South America trip to Uruguay and Brazil, I decided to purchase a pair of sandals.  I checked the paper to discover that a popular brand was having a sale at a local independent, outstanding reputation store.  I called to verify that the sale was on and then drove to the store.  I approached the sandals area and noticed that they had one pair of that brand on display, reduced to $49 and they looked cheaply made.  a salesman approached and he asked my size, and I asked if that was the only type of sandals of that brand on sale? He replied yes, and that they didn't have my size!

He asked what I was hoping to get in a sandal, and I replied casual comfort, with a high arch support, and ideally something to deal with my heel sur, for a reasonable price.  He rechecked my size, and noted that I have a wide foot.  He then brought out a pair to try...they were $79...and they really didn't look good and weren't comfortable.  He brought out another pair, and they were $99 and were better, but still not great.  He then brought the next pair in a larger size for $119...they were better yet, but my size wouldn't be in stock until after my trip!

I was the only male client in the room and the ladies were getting a laugh out of my shoe modeling search and sarcastic comments!  The salesman then brought out a pair that cost $159, and were very comfortable!  I said that it seemed more than I wanted to spend, but then the ladies started..."They look great.  How many times will you go to South America? You should consider your comfort and pampering yourself.  Go ahead and buy them!"  And so I did, and they are comfortable, and six months later they still haven't fallen apart despite lots of use!

"Frequent Cruise Loyalty Clubs"

Travel Tip No. 2:

When you cruise, be sure to sign up for the frequent cruise club for the line.  After one good cruise, many people become "hooked" on the method of travel!  It doesn't take many cruises to start receiving benefits from the line for your loyalty.  If your schedule is flexible, and you can depart with a short notice, you can sometimes get good deals.  So sign up for the line's e-mail notices of deals!

"Stock Ownership with Stock Purchase"

In response to friends' requests, periodically I'll add some travel tips to this blob...

Travel Tip No 1:

If you cruise regularly there are ways to get discounts that save you money.  When you own 100 or more shares of Royal Caribbean stock, you can obtain Onboard Credit on cruises on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Cruise Lines according to the following schedule:

Cruise Length                                Credit
14 or more nights                           $250
10 to 13 nights                                $200
6 to 9 nights                                    $100
5 or less night                                 $50

Contact Royal Caribbean Investor Relations for more information.

"The FAST Food Restaurant"

This is a chapter of what was going to be my book "Customer Disservice 24-7".  As always, the specific entity is not divulged! 

I love a  "deal", and I practice "grazing" through the day, so the idea of being able to pull into a fast food restaurant and purchase a chicken sandwich from a "dollar menu" appeals to me!

Yesterday, I needed mid-afternoon "fuel" so I stopped at one of our national franchised fast food restaurants.  As there were about 10 cars idling while  expending about $3.75 per gallon gas in the drive-thru line, I decided to go inside.  There were only 2 people in line so I knew that it was the correct decision!  There were 2 employees standing at 1 counter register, 2 employees  at the drive-thru area, 2 employees at the food prep area, 1 sitting on the curb smoking, 1 standing outside on a cell phone, 1 sitting in the dining area on a cell phone, 2 more at the counter talking to a friend, and 2 more wandering around the kitchen area...

The orders were taken for the 2 individuals in front of me, and then it was my turn to order..."For here, I'll have a dollar menu chicken sandwich without mayonnaise and a tap ice water."  "Is that for here, or to go?" "For here..."  "Do you want bottled water?" "No, tap water with ice!"   "So it's one grilled chicken sandwich for $3.79?"  "No,  it's the breaded chicken breast for $1!"   With the correct buttons pushed, the register showed $1.06 with tax.  I handed the cashier $5.06...I received $3.94 in change ($5.06 minus $1.06 equals $3.94?  It must be new math!

I looked toward the drive thru area, and an SUV family at the window was giving their order to a similar list of questions, while the 2 employees seemed more interested in their conversation of the last night's activities!  The floor was covered with french fries and other trash...

My order came up, was bagged, and I asked for some honey mustard sauce while I checked the sandwich to notice no lettuce, but mayonnaise!  The employee apologized and reordered.  Meanwhile, I went through the dining area with litter scattered on the floor and overflowing waste receptacles to the men's room.  There were no towels or toilet paper, the toilets were not flushed, the urinal was "out of order", and the room was generally a mess!

I passed the employees in the dining area still not working, and went back to the counter to pick up my order...meanwhile, the SUV family was at the inside counter correcting their order, and the same cars were in the drive-thru line, with their occupants talking on their cell phones, and with their engines idling...

"Welcome to my life..."

Wow...is this contemporary for a" non-tech", "fight-change", individual!

Like all of my ventures into our modern cyber world, I'm entering"gingerly"...The turning point came two weeks ago when my youngest brother, Dr. Bill, after publishing three books, "My Patients' say the Darndest Things", I, II & III, showed me how he has switched to this format(http://patientssaythedarndestthings.blogspot.com/), and urged me to try it.  So two weeks later, here goes...

For a number of years before going to bed, I'd write a chapter in a book that I was planning to publish, titled by my middle brother, Jack, "Customer Disservice 24/7"...observations of our everyday experiences written with a comic twist...  In yet another attempt to be modern and go paperless, I wrote it on-line, but I didn't "save" it, and when my computer was stolen, so was a good part of it!  My sister is a psychiatrist and she has told me that writing down frustrations can be therapeutic!

As an architect, I'm visual, and I seem to notice a lot of the good and not-so-good of our world and think that this offers a way to share some of these observations.  Meanwhile, friends have consistently been amazed at the "full" life that I lead, and are always asking how they can add to theirs'. I philosophize..."Rest occurs ultimately"... "Don't end a day without some type of accomplishment"..."Balance (religion, family, friends, work, fitness, giving back, hobbies and interests) even if EXTREME is good"..."Think of Thomas Jefferson (and for a University of Virginia family this is easy to do) as a true Renaissance Man"..."While grounded, live while having a diversity of life-experiences"..."Relate to the Seinfeld "Even-Steven" episode...whenever anything negative confronts, a positive thing should be just around the corner"....and more...

Finally, as a child we were fortunate that our parents put the four of us in the back of a Ford Country Squire and took us on family trips.  Then I left New York for undergraduate and graduate college in Virginia,  with a short exchange to University College, Dublin, Ireland (our roots!).  After internship in Princeton, I settled in Palm Beach County, Florida. Ingrained is the European notion of five weeks (not the US two weeks) vacation.  Coupled with my experience life philosophy, I have been fortunate to travel and see a lot.  Most recently I have used cruises as the travel method (84 in 20 years +/-).  With grandparents of "The Great Depression", a dad with a 30+ year progressive illness, a mother that knew how to stretch a tight budget, and on an architect's income, I've learned how to "find the travel deals" too.  And so in response to other friends' urging, I'll use this format for travel tips!

I hope that you enjoy our commencing adventure...  Ed