Claudia y Juan y Jennifer at The Shamrock

Jueves, Febrero Cuatro, Dos Mil Diez!
Some blue skies today, perfect for some pictures of 102 Sauce and surrounding area. I must apologize for the quality of my photos as my camera has decided to begin limping. The monitor is almost gone and only shows ghosts, so capturing Kodak moments will be rare. (as If I could before)
I headed towards the south end of town in search of a place called LaPosada deBucerias. I noticed a large tree, a victim of the big storm..(photos) Many power lines were tangled in it’s branches. Definitely an OSHA training opportunity.
LaPosada advertised Free wifi and some interesting white coffee. (white coffee is roasted very little and has much more caffeine than typical longer roasts, so I was told.) Found the place and the coffee was pretty good, but the internet connection really sucked. Coffee was expensive. So after a cup I left and found The Sweet Thing Bake Shop and Café. Lazaro Cardenas #64. Pablo recommended it. Great place with 10-12 tables and open for breakfast and lunch. I think their signature item is their huge sweet rolls. (or was it the waitresses) Café was 15p and not bad. Real coffee cups, not paper. (Did I ever tell you that I absolutely hate paper cups) A full breakfast cost 40-60 pesos, so one of the most reasonable places in the high end of town..
On the way to my office, I jotted down a few notes about some future dining spots. Eva’s Brickhouse has a 35% discount for dinner between 4:30 and 6:15pm. And Adriatico has 2 x 1 Cervezas from 3-6pm and their brick pizza oven looked very enticing. Sandrina’s was more reasonable than the other upscale places.
While at YoYo Mo’s, I got a call on my Mexican cell phone. Yeah! Pedro was calling from Sayulita using his computer and Skype. Worked great.
Got some more exploring to do, then to head back whilst checking out some local stands for good Mexican tacos. The Crazy Burrito adjacent to the noisy highway looked interesting but right next to it was a tiny place called Loncheria Paz with a handwritten sign which included ‘hambergesia grande con queso 22 pesos’ This I have to try. Half-way home I stopped at the Super and bought some dipping ketsup. Not a bad burger for under $2.00. Nap time.
5pm: Refreshed and rejuvenated, I hiked towards town. The sun was brilliant and beckoned me to la playa. (the beach) I turned North when I got near the water and walked along the road. The storm damage was extensive and workers were scrambling to repair the numerous pallapas over their casas and restaurants. However, the mood of locals and tourists was great and barkers continued to tempt potential patrons into their establishments. “Only for you tonight Senor, cinco cervezas por ochenta pesos!” Time for a pint at me pub!
Sharon was minding the pub when I arrived and there were a handful of tourists enjoying their steak and kidney pies. (Yes they serve traditional Irish pub food) Discovered that Sharon’s brother was owner of a 46’ Sailing Yacht called “Timpani” and it’s rented on a private basis for up to 10 persons. And it sails out of LaCruz just to the North of Bucerias. On some occasions, they have an open Saturday where singles or doubles can join a few others on the boat. From our talk, it appears that it would cost between $80 and $100 USD per person for a 6 hour excursion and that includes food and drink.
Met a VietNam vet, Steve, from Iowa and we traded stories regarding why two Midwesterners were talking/drinking in an Irish pub in Mexico. Natalie arrived a bit later looking stunning and took over the duties. Later a trio of locals from Puerto Vallarta arrived. Claudia and Jennifer, although I don’t think these were their real names. (photo) After a brief chat, it was time to take a hike.
Headed back home with the intent on a good book and Chinese food. Place closed, no Chinese for me! Aqua y Pan y Mermelada Fresa (water, bread and Strawberry Jam) tonight. Passed the 200 page point of my 600+ pg novel. Love it.
Midnight! Buenos Noches!

Miercoles, Febrero Tres, Dos Mil Diez!
Spent the night at P&S, they have an office in their bungalow with a single bed. Even with the storm, thunder and lightning, I slept great.
Wow, what a storm. The beach was covered in jungle growth and many branches lay on the ground. I heard that Sayulita got 3 inches of rain.
Pedro and I went out to breakfast at the Tropical House. (see pic) Nice place and only 20 yards from P&S place, so I didn’t call a taxi, and the owners are Dennis and Eileen. Good food y coffee.
Again, the 90 cent roller coaster called the local bus service to Bucerias was an adventure. I have to admit that it works. Today’s driver seemed particularly in a hurry** and the trip to Bucerias only took 15 minutes including about 5 or 6 stops.
**As if the bus was made by Toyota just waiting for a private recall notice.
The rain has held off so far today, and after a healthy nap, I shall be ready to hit the office.
Got to the office at 3:45, a bit late, but the boss had no concerns with my tardiness. Began some blogging and emailing when the power went out at 4:28. Courtney was quick to bring me a beverage (not sure if I looked distressed or my beverage was near empty. That just might be a double negative) while the pool table action continued…nobody blinked. Including me. Learned that last night’s storm was pretty wild. Power lines down, trees down, attitude unchanged. It’s Mexico.
Power back, 5pm, time to clock out…. Hasta luego! (see you later)
On my way over to The Shamrock, which is usually a 30 second walk, I passed the dentist office. (Dr. Adrian Malja, who is highly recommended and used by ex pats and tourists) As I passed by I thought I recognized somebody in the waiting room, Cindy from the RV park in Sayulita. Sure enough, and her husband John. (tough name to remember) As I was saying hello, I turned to my left and there sat Pablo and Christina, very good friends of P&S. Pablo used to own a house in the jungle just south of Sayulita. He also used to be a commercial fisherman in Alaska and now Christina and he live in WA. They both were having some dental work. (Brilliant John, it wasn’t a vet clinic!) After some chit chat, I scurried over to The Shamrock.
Gilbberto & Natalie were serving and a good friend of hers and Sharon’s, had just arrived, Sarah. She was heading to Australia but was able to spend about a week or two in Bucerias. An interesting young lady who began teaching high school kids in Mass. and has since travelled the world stopping for a few years in Taiwan. I also got to meet Saffron, the lovely young 10 year old daughter of Sharon. From my stories, one might surmise that I don’t just sit on a bar stool during my travels. I tend to greet and engage the person(s) adjacent to or in close proximity of me. (A recommendation by my therapist in an attempt to shed my introverted tendencies.)
A bit later, Pablo dropped in to have a cerveza as he was waiting for Christina to have her new crown installed.
Tonight The Shamrock must have been a magnet for Cheeseheads, because two separate groups came in from the frozen tundra. (see pic) Of course the traditional cheer was given by all: “Ya hey der, how bout dem Packers!” followed by, “Let’s have another round, we’re only here until Friday!”
Later a group of four arrived, with two women who were barely able to stand when they entered the establishment. After some Irish Car Bombs and two wickedly large margaritas, it was confirmed, neither could talk, stand or walk. I have no idea how they were poured back to their hotel. Mexico!
It was a fun night but an early one and I retreated to 102 Sauce by 7:30pm. Dinner consisted of bread and jam and I decided to watch a movie borrowed from P&S called “Into the Storm, Churchill At War” with Brendan Geeson portraying Churchill and Janet McTeer as his wife. Very interesting part of history. I recommend it for history buffs.
As I headed for the bedroom, I remembered that Pedro had also loaned me a book he highly praised, titled “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”: by Stieg Larsson. Ok, I will take a peak at it. 60 pages later …
Buenos Noches!
Midnight, can’t get that book out of my head. Another 60 pages. The best place to read upstairs because of lighting and seating is in the bathroom. I do believe I now have a permanent tattoo closely resembling the shape of a $2.00 toilet seat. I have no way to confirm this as the mirror is too high and good friends haven’t arrived. Perhaps when they do arrive, one of them can lower the mirror.
And another Buenos Noches!

Photo taken at Pete y Sharon's bungalow in Sayulita.

Mary L., Pedro y Sharon con papier. (precious) Sayulita Bungalow

Martes, Febrero Dos, Dos Mil Diez!
Rain? Very unusual, but it’s raining this morning. Not sure of the plan for today. Maybe just read and write. I had planned on heading up to Sayulita, but not sure……maybe a nap will help me decide.
Almost 11:16am and the skies are still spitting. I think the attire for today is flip-flops, my Mexican sombrero and a swimsuit. (yeah, picture that!) I left the umbrella in WI. Will venture out, regardless, when my office opens. (YoYo Mo’s) Meanwhile the coffee is delicious. Back to my books. More on those in a future blog.
Just learned of a new coffee shop called LaPosada deBucerias with free wifi. Good to have an early backup. It’s located on the south side of town. Will check it out tomorrow. (break)

I’m writing from Sayuilta….decided to hop on a bus. Best 90 cent carnival ride for your money. Bouncing all over the place. Exciting also. Take an overloaded bus with an underpowered engine, passing a large truck on an uphill blind turn……now that’s a ride and a half. Worth twice as much!!
Sayulita has changed a bit since I left last March. The main road into town is now a paved 4 lane boulevard with palm trees in the center divide. Several of the other side streets are partially paved, as the town decided to pave one block here and one block there, not contiguous mind you. Nonetheless, an improvement.
Mary L. from Fond du Lac and Alaskan Gail joined Pete, Sharon and I for dinner. Roasted pollo (chickens), papas (potatoes), rice, steamed veggies, and great bread were on the menu. Yum.
After looking at photos of Gail & Mary’s trip to Spain, and some of my German Oktoberfest pics, it was time for bed. A few minutes of darkness when we lost power didn’t seem to faze anybody. Tequila by candlelight is still possible.
Buenos Noches!

Headed back to The Shamrock about 5pm and met a guy named Doug. He’s from Alberta and stays in Bucerias for about 4 months a year. Cheap. He found a place, albeit a rough place (his words), for $250/month. Met another guy from Australia who was packing up and heading to San Francisco via the Baja. Great story teller and with an accent.
A bit later, Jeremy (one of the seed guys) showed up and we had a few cervezas before heading over to The Twisted Rose. There I met the owners Hugh and Simon along with a very stunning cocktail waitress, named Michelle from Fells Point in Baltimore. (see photo) Of course that led to many stories about the cool places in MD. Then the tequila started. (OY) Besides waitressing, Michelle is also a Salsa dance instructor, so when I can get a few friends together, I believe a lesson or two are just what the doctor ordered. (is Salsa dancing relaxing?)
A few minutes later Carol and Jamie, the Canadians, walked in, and the evening was off and running. (see photo) At some point the 4 of us headed back to The Shamrock where we found Natalie and Sharon sipping tequila. (Not true! Sharon & Natallie don’t sip tequila, they slam them.) Note to self: never try to keep up with Irish women. Truly a fun evening. The hike home was brutal.
Buenos Noches!

Ok, I had to go back to my office, aka YoYo Mo’s, but this time I stayed clear of the 5pm happy hour cut-off. Got there about 1pm. Coronas were a whopping 15 pesos. ($1.25) Just felt compelled to take a photo of my work-space. So for 30 pesos I was able to check my email, stocks, enjoy two beverages with lime and update my blog. Not bad. Exhausted I returned to 102 Sauce and a nap.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include a few pics of the beaches of Bucerias. I think it best to let the pics tell the story. And the suffering continues. I see that Fond du lac got up to 18 degrees today. (my bad) Did you see the blue ball in one of the pics? (most guys don’t)

If you wondered where I find all those expensive gifts that I bring back, i.e. shot glasses, bobble turtles, and fine jewelry, here’s my secret….the Bucerias market. (of course you can find other markets that sell the same stuff, but this trip, it’s the Bucerias market)

Lunes, Febrero Uno, Dos Mil Diez!
The café con leche is especially good this morning. I slept in till 8:30 but not sure what time zone I’m in, so it might only be 7:30. For those that don’t know, Bucerias is in the state of Nayarit(MST) and Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco.(CST) The state line is just a minute or two south of Bucerias, but they use CST here so the many visitors don’t miss their planes.
Day two of my diet. Yes, the d-word. One of my goals, and upon doctor’s orders, I have to lose 20 pounds. My blood pressure is on the high side. The plan was to lose 10 in Feb and 10 in March. So the good thing about being 12 blocks uphill from the town/ocean, is that I have to make that trek at least twice a day. One going, one coming back. But I’m going to try for two trips every day. I timed my extensive walk today, and was not very impressed when it only took 9 minutes to get from my casa to my office. (OY!)
Also it was imperative that I relax and try not to get too stressed. If I can’t do that in Mexico, I’ve gotten bigger problems. (no comments, please)
So my Spanish word of the day is: tranquilo. How coincidental is that!

tranquilo, adjective calm
Tranquilo is another Spanish adjective which covers two different English meanings. First, you use it to talk about your state of mind, in which case you use it with estar:
El día del examen estaba bastante tranquilo.On the day of the exam I was quite calm.

I wanted to go for a longer walk this morning, so I headed to the South end of Bucerias. There are a number of high-end restaurants that I wanted to locate. Sandrina’s, Adriatico, Marks Bar & Grill, Eva’s Brickhouse, and Karens Place on the ocean. Most all of them are on Lazaro Cardenas Street. The pics will show my success.

Here is a better photo of The Bar Above and Tapas del Mundo. My camera is beginning to fail, so it's difficult to take photos, but I will keep trying till it dies.

Here is my free internet cafe. YoYo Mo's. Happy hour from 11am to 5pm. 15 pesos por cerveza. Not bad. Connection is a bit slow, but the cervazas don't care.

Bucerias Gardens. Not so impressive from the outside, but wow! the inside is gorgeous. More research on that one. Enjoy.

The Shamrock Irish Pub with the owner, Sharon on my left, and Natalie from Dubllin on my right. I'm the huge blob in the middle. Maybe I should buy bigger shirts....lol They had a Latin/Cuban band ...way cool. Enjoy.

Domingo, Enero Treinta y uno, Dos Mil Diez!
Buenos Dias mi amigos!
So with no coffee pot, hot water, or tp, what do you do? Find some breakfast with a banos. Pedro and I headed into town about 7:30 in search of good huervos rancheros mexicana. After checking out a few places on the beach, we decided on Adriano’s (see pics) It was just opening and not crowded at all so we chose a table overlooking the beach. With high tide, the waves were coming right up to us. Awesome view, fabulous desayuno (breakfast). I have a couple pics of the outside dining area.
Following breakfast we walked around the center of town for a bit and stopped at one of the tour places to check on details. One particular all day cruise departed from PV and included a continental breakfast, lunch, snorkeling equipment and an open bar. (yes, you read that correctly, open (inclusive) bar. The one boat visited Los Arcos (an island), Animas, and Quimixto, the latter two being some really nice coves and waterfalls that aren’t reachable except by boat. (Just south of Puerto Vallarta). January and February are whale watching times, so that’s another plus. So for about 450 pesos, ($35, you get a pretty nice day of touring & swimming & food and drinks) The plans are to check out one of these tours during the upcoming week so that when friends from the frozen tundra get down here (you know who you are), we can repeat that excursion. Remember, I have a 3 bedroom place with tp and coffee, so you are invited.
After that, Pedro decided to catch a bus back to Sayulita, and I headed back to 102 Sauce. Paul, the owner had left a note that he would stop by later, he did. I explained the few minor problems and in no time he had the water heat lit and was heading to the Mega store for supplies. He returned an hour later with a brand new large coffee pot, 4 coffee cups, filters, napkins and most importantly a 12 pack of toilet paper. (Life is now good) He also loaned me his 2nd cell phone with a 300 peso refundable deposit. For those that might want the number, it’s 322-117-9613 (just dial that 10 digit number from a Mexican cell phone) If you’re calling me from a land line, in Mexico, you have to add 045 in front of that. No charge for incoming calls and between 1.5 and 4 pesos por minute for me to make the call. (to Mexico) So that is The Rest of the Story, and it ended very well. Calm and patient! You’re in Mexico!
After unpacking and organizing my extensive wardrobe, a hot shower and nap had my name all over it.
Rested and refreshed I began authoring this blog and went in search of a wifi café. (ok, that’s not entirely true, I was in search of a pub with free wifi, but the first one sounded better) I was told that The Shamrock had free wifi but when I arrived, with a sad face Jess the She-man said it wasn’t working and with Monday being a Mexican holiday, Constitution Day, it was unlikely that they would have it fixed until later in the week. He whispered in my ear, which was for the record, way way to close, that YoYo Mo’s had wifi and happy hour from 11am to 5pm. Off I scrambled and was pleasantly surprised with a table in the pub, electrical outlet and free wifi. Since I had arrived at 4:50pm, Courtney told me that I would get 2 x 1 on the Corona. Sweet. So the fingers were flying and megabits were flowing as I downloaded a few photos to this site. After about a half hour my 2nd cerveza was delivered. However, when I asked for the bill, ‘Yo quiero la cuenta, por favor’ I was told that the first one was cheaper, the 2nd one was regular price.(since I didn’t get it before 5pm) So if it’s two for one, isn’t the 2nd one free? What can you say, Mexico. Now I know. lol
I packed up my electronics and headed back to The Shamrock.
I found what happy hours (5-7pm) at The Shamrock include: cerveza. (2 x 1) Two for one, so instead of the hefty $1.66, the price is now 83 cents. (even for me the math is not that hard) However, the bar was on PV time and it was now 6pm. Not quite sure what they are saying this morning, but did I meet quite the variety of people last night. In no particular order, there were these 3 guys from Wisconsin (ok, that says a lot right there) who are into Renk Corn Seed Research. (hey, you can’t make that up) The one guy Steve, asked me to call his work on Monday and tell the secretary that he was ill, robbed, beaten and hospitalized. (so he could stay longer)
I didn’t want to get him in trouble with his boss until his other two friends told me that he is the boss. Lol One the guys brews his own beer, and a lot of it. He said they usually make 15 batches (5 gallons/batch) each time they brew. His specialty is more of the barely wines and porters. Needless to say we had nothing in common and I didn’t talk to him all night. lol
Carol and Jamie were two friends (at least they started the evening as friends) from Canada. One was a mortgage broker the other….not sure. Let’s just say that Carol was very inebriated and thought I was extremely handsome. Wow, that’s drunk! Jamie realized that she needed to get her friend home and they left in search of a taxi, but not before the obligatory Irish farewell kiss. (not sure who came up with that one, but it worked) Had one of the bartenders laughing.
Got to meet the very Irish owner of the pub, Sharon Bell, with her long red hair. She is in the picture with Natalie. Very friendly and welcoming.
There were about 5 or 6 other characters that for now are nameless, but fun was had by all. To add to the frivolity, a Latin/Cuban band began playing about 9pm and if that doesn’t want to make you dance! (no I didn’t, just bar stool dancing)
Buenos noches!

Mexico January, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
YEAH, the blog of Juan Marcos is back!!!!! Enjoy.

Day 1 Arrival into Puerto Vallarta, First day in Bucerias, Nayarit
After a very short night, heavily blamed on my Backyard friends, I left Fond du Lac at 4am heading to Chicago. (David, one of my roommates, drove me)
I was pleasantly surprised to be assigned a window seat in the exit row. Plenty of room to stretch. The flight was on schedule and I arrived in Puerto Vallarta along with 7 other planes. Customs and immigration was a mad house. But this was my 6th trip, so I knew the secret was calm and patience. (not usually my middle names) What seemed like hours, was probably only 30 minutes. After gathering some pesos from the machine and changing into proper attire, since it was 82 degrees when I landed, I headed towards the bus stop across the street.
Mi hermano, Pedro, suprized me at the airport and snuck up on me. A great way to begin my primero dias. (1st day) After a couple welcoming beverages, we hopped on a bus and for 12 pesos ($1.00) we were bounced Northward heading towards Bucerias.
After a short 15-20 minute ride, we arrived at Mega, one of the larger grocery-type stores in Mexico. A few staples were purchased, tequila y cerveza y café y leche. (the latter two being coffee and milk) Then we jumped in a taxi (the Spanish word for taxi is taxi) My directions slightly confused our driver, but after he made a phone call, we found the owners’ house and met Paul and George. They drove us over to 102 Sauce in Terralta One. (yes, that really is my address for the next 2 months)
The house/casa is located in a sub-division on the North side of Bucerias. It was built about 3 years ago, but the some of the exterior paint suggests they were built many years ago, or the paint/cement is bad. (the latter is true)
Mi casa has 3 bedrooms and a full bath upstairs, and a half bath, kitchen, dinning/living room downstairs. I was pleased to see how clean it was.

After some financial matters, Paul and George took off, leaving Pedro and myself to a bottle of tequila. (not a good thing, or maybe it is a good thing)

A much needed trip to the banos was the start of several discoveries: not only was there no hot water, there wasn’t even water. Worse yet, there wasn’t even enough toilet paper for a constipated juvenile. After being assured that the casa had a coffee maker, we found no such animal. No coffee cups, no coffee, no filters. The owner had also failed to leave a promised cell phone with me so that I could contact him when just such emergencies arose. So what do you do? Hey, I’m in Mexico……..who cares, we will sort it out mania….so after a couple ounces of the country’s universal liquid, it was time to explore. Remember now that we don’t have a car.
After a 12 block walk to ‘north downtown’ Bucerias, Pedro and I began the evening explorations with a stop at an Irish pub. (yes, you read that correctly) The Shamrock Irish Pub and Lounge just seemed to draw us in and dos muy fria cervezas con limons were soon in front of us. (two very cold beers with limes) We met two lovely ladies, Natalie from Dublin, Katie from Bucerias, and Jess with a manly voice(not sure of his/her gender) Most of the places charge 20 pesos for Corona. ($1.65) and 50 - 60 pesos for a nice margarita, but during happy hour they often have 2 for 1. Or (2 x 1) as they would write it. Others have cinco cervezas por 80 pesos. (5 beers for $6.60) So not exactly cheap for retired folks.

All the places listed this evening are within a block of each other, so if you were concerned about our health, don’t be. Place #2 was called the Twisted Rose(now) and is billed at Bucerias’ largest Bar. It was a huge place with a muy bonita (very beautiful) garden bar and outdoor dance floor. Later in the evening they had a Salsa band playing, but we only stopped for one beverage.

Place #3 was called Tapas del Mundo y The Bar Above and as we climbed 3 sets of stairs, we just knew that the view would be fabulous. It was! It has sunset written all over it. We tried their margaritas, which were served in fabulous glasses. (vasos) The Bar Above is known for its wonderful deserts, so this will be a place to keep in mind. Tapas del Mundo, the restaurant below, also has cooking classes. Their ad reads, “Cost $35 USD (or 3 chickens, 2 ducks & 18 eggs) Libations additional.” You just know I will be signing up for that one.

Place #4 was called Bucerias Gardens and was also a large garden setting. Heather was our bartender and we enjoyed a couple cervezas before heading across the street to find food.

Place #5 is called YoYo Mos and it was time for food, and the pizzas looked inviting. Pedro chose a Philly Cheese Steak pizza and it was pretty good. The grande size easily could feed 4 people. The place was a sports bar and hockey seemed to be favorite that night with two Canadian teams brawling. As the saying goes, “I went to fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out!” I also learned that they have a nice happy hour and wifi.....cerveza and internet......a slice of heaven?

Buenos Noches! We managed to survive the 12 block uphill climb back to 102 Sauce. The end of the primero dias!

Tomorrow, The Rest of the Story and How it all worked out!

Sunday, May 24, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Four

The 3rd part of the Family weekend was a Brunch and Silent Auction in the Forum at UCSD. A nice variety of fruits and breads with tons of coffee began the event. Had some interesting talks with two of the parents who worked at Lawrence Livermore Lab. But of course I can't tell you what we talked about or else I will have to kill you. lol

After some more homework and a severe nap, David and I decided to join some his friends, Tommy & guests, at a place in downtown San Diego. The Yardhouse, it was called. www.yardhouse.com The Yard House is an upscale-casual eatery known for its extensive menu, classic rock music, and world's largest selection of draft beer. From classic lagers to more obscure ales and stouts there's a draft beer flavor for everyone. Each Yard House location features a transparent keg room containing more than 600 barrels, some 1,000 gallons of beer, and an endless fleet of tap handles - 100 to 250 - depending on the location. The menu of American cuisine includes an impressive selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, individual-size pizzas, seafood, steaks, ribs and chops.

6 of us enjoyed a nice selection of brews and some appetizers. It was great, but a bit spendy for this WIS guy. The bill was over $200 and we only had 5 appetizers. Oh, for those that don't know, a yard of ale (beer) was a unit of measure. A yard (or yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer; a yard (or yard of ale) also refers to the (variable) quantity of beer held by such a glass.
The glass is approximately 1 yard long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. Because the glass is so long and in any case does not usually have a stable flat base, it is hung on the wall when not in use. As the picture shows, we were only drinking from a 1/2 yard glass. Quite a challenge towards the end. Enjoy!

Monday was my travel day, and just like the trip out, it was absolutely painless. David dropped me off, no waiting in any lines, a bump up to First Class, and on time flights. Arrived in Fond du lac by 7pm that night. Sweet weekend! Thanks David.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Three, Part II

At 6:30 or was it 6pm, we found the banquet room at Eucalyptus Point on the UCSD campus. Tonight was the Awards Banquet and it began with a great dinner. Great salad fixings which I quickly passed.....except for one slice of cucumber. Yes, I now eat cucumbers. One slice a month. The pasta was great.....or should I say the sauces. Sliced turkey with cranberries and roast beef with horseradish sauce. YUM. The desert table was quickly cleaned out. About 80 parents/kids attended this event and again it was a great time meeting more of the parents. Enjoy.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Three, Part I

The day began with a much needed healthy breakfast at Harry's Coffee Shop on Girard Ave in LaJolla. http://www.harryscoffeeshop.com/ The place has been there since 1960 and its a great old-fashioned coffee shop which is very full on the weekend. We only had a 10 minute wait, so not bad. Great pancakes with a side of fruit.

Today was the official first day of the Sigma Nu Family Weekend and two events were planned. The first was a barbecue & games at LaJolla Shores Kellogg Park. Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, kabobs, potato salad, chips, soft drinks (no alcohol permitted on CA beaches).....volleyball.....A gorgeous day for the event and an opportunity to meet some of the other parents of David's frat members. Quite an interesting mix of parents that made the early afternoon enjoyable. A nap was much needed for a slow afternoon. And some homework. Enjoy.

Friday, May 22, 2009 University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Two, part two.

Ok, if the day had ended after Round Table, I would have been a happy camper.......but noooooo, it got better. Two words sum it up.....BEER PONG. Can you spot the 52 year old in the photo? Before the pong evening, Ivy, David, and myself hit the grocery store, Ralphs, and picked up dinner and a 30 pack. It seems that the entry fee for beer pong is a 30 pack. I think I counted at least ten 30 packs that night.

A delicious walnut pear salad prepared by Ivy & David along with some chilled white wine and foccacia bread began the dinner. Meanwhile I prepared my Pesto/Parmesan pounded, stuffed and rolled pork tenderloin on the grill. Some delicious rosemary baked potato slices completed the feast. Good food, great company.

David & Andy, standing next to David (left side) were champions. They played 7 games to win the tournament and never lost. In fact, in 4 of the 7 games, they never drank. That's impressive. Later......Ivy and I played one of the top rated teams, and beat them. Ivy with her shooting, me with my bad humor. lol

Sometime in the early morning we left the scene. What's cool about this frat is that they have designated drivers for any event with alcohol. We used them. Enjoy.

Friday, May 22, 2009
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day Two, part one.

I had a feeling that today was going to be huge and I wasn't disappointed. After a David special for breakfast, we headed to the UCSD campus for class. Yes I was privileged to attend one of David's engineering classes. It's been a long time since I attended a college class. Long time. What! No slide rulers? Here is a sample of my notes: Ƴ(t)=X[H(jω)]cos(ωt+Φ + angle H(jω)) Go figure!

After class I learned that it was a tradition for Sigma Nu's to head to Round Table Pizza on campus for ....... pitchers of beer. Ok, that works for me. I got to meet many of David's friends, with one in particular.....Ivy. (David's girlfriend) See photo. Fun, funny, cute, polite, smart, gorgeous, thin, friendly, interesting, NICE ...... just a few adjectives to describe her.

If you've never been to the UCSD campus, one of the icons is the infamous Geisel Library which is in the background in the photo above. For those that don't know who Theodor Geisel is.....if you've read any of the Dr. Suess books.......yeah.....that Geisel. A really cool person & building.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Day One

RT direct flight from Milwaukee to San Diego with upgrade to First Class.....$200.00

Parking at MKE for 5 days.....$30.00

Italian Dinner for two......$75.00

5 days with my son at his frat house.......priceless!

Left Fond du Lac at 5am heading for the Milwaukee airport (MKE) No traffic. No road closures. No construction. Shuttle bus was waiting for me when I parked. Security lines were only 2 minutes, max. Then they bumped me up to First Class. SWEET! A 4 hour direct flight was a pleasure. When I arrived David had arranged for one of the new Sigma Nu pledges to pick me up holding a sign that said.....Dr. Rosenow. A short 15 minute ride and I was in front of David's frat house. (see photo above) Note David's cool El Camino in the driveway!

David lives a few blocks from the beach (Pacific Ocean) which is usually filled with surfers. (see photo above) He also backs to Torrey Pines, a very nice PGA golf course.

David was at school, so I had time to do my homework and take a nap. He had left a note with misdirection to everything. (just to challenge me) The tp was in the fridge and a cold beer was in the bathroom. Talk about a dilemma!

We went out to eat that night at a wonderful Italian restaurant that was a block away. Yes, we walked. Trattoria Ponte Vecchio, that's a mouthful, was fantastic. We began by sharing the Insalata Gorgonzola with fresh pears in a balsamic vinaigrette. (and two glasses of wine) For my entree I had Linguine Alla Genovese which consisted of spinach linguine with the house pesto sauce. YUM! David had a house special with clams, linguine, and other things. (and two more glasses of wine) A great beginning to a super weekend. Oh, and David had a coupon. For more info: http://www.pontevecchiodelmar.com/ Enjoy.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Once again the powerful gravitational forces drew me to the culinary school for an incredible Mediterranean Cuisine lunch extravaganza! Or was it the invite from a friend to join her? Regardless, it was fantastic.
We both began with cigars. Yes, cigars. Filo cigars. (pronounced fee-low) You may recognize the other spelling Phyllo but they both mean: a flaky, tissue-thin layers of pastry used in baked desserts and appetizers. They were three phyllo pastries filled with feta cheese flavored with parsley, mint, and dill and served with a ‘special’ sauce typically used on Gyros. Total Yum!
Next was a huge bowl of Meadow Yogurt Soup. I wasn’t crazy about the name but the taste was incredible. This was a thick creamy soup, my favorite kind, with rice and mint, that proved to be too much; in quantity, so the to-go containers were used. This was also excellent the next day.
The main entrees were no disappointment. I choose the Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce. (duh, where can get a meal like this for $9.00) It was a large, maybe 8 oz. beef tenderloin cooked to perfection with a blue cheese sauce accompanied with a steamed artichoke and new red potatoes. It also became leftovers. I made a sliced tenderloin sandwich with horseradish on toasted onion ciabatta.
Mary, my culinary partner, had the Moroccan Fish Tagine.
A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين, tˁaːdʒiːn) is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Morocco,which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked.
It was a spicy dish of Cod mixed with tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini along with an array of spices. It was quite savory and one could almost imagine sitting in a café in Morocco while inhaling the compilation of spices that went into making this dish. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but it was very very good.
Only two more weeks of culinary school lunches before they break for the summer. I hope to return either this week or next and shall pass along my review. Enjoy!