Ptoo-ee... what's worse than Coors? Coors Light. What's worse than Coors Light? Welcome, Aspen Edge, a doomed attempt to topple Mich Ultra off the King of Low Carbs throne. SEEEEeeeee yaaaaaaaaaa..... wouldn't wanna swillllllllll yaaaaaaa..... 

Dominos Pizza Delivers...Eventually

- I had a very subtle experience today. I received a coupon in the mail from Dominos promising free Buffalo Wings (with the purchase of a pizza) because a recent delivery had been fouled up and took 90 minutes. When the delivery man arrived 1/2 hour late (after calling for directions to my rather large apartment building), he told me to "keep the coupon" for use on a later order. Because he was late and the pizza, I guessed, was cold, I gave him a smallish tip. He hesitated as he counted back the change I asked for, perhaps thinking I might relent and give him that extra dollar he thought he deserved. As I took my change, he said, "you know, I really do need that coupon after all." As I closed the door, I said, "no problem, I'll go reheat the pizza." I love it when I actually do get in some good comebacks.

Thank God Its Wednesday at Thank God its Fridays

Part of the "new" Atkins menu (yes, I'm kinda one of those, wanna fight?) although I think its just recycled from a previous menu or stolen from someone else as it is indistinguishable from the similar fare at Applebys, et. al. I always like when they ask after you order the real buffalo wings whether you want "Atkins" or regular. It's the same thing, baby, same price even.

TGIFs is near-by, the servers are friendly (they have flair!), the food is relatively cheaper (the beer by the bottle isn't so) and I like the multi-racial clientele. Yes, the food is better across the street at Kinkeads but everything else is nearly opposite of this venerable chain (servers are snobby, food expensive, the clientele is nearly all white are wanna-be white). And yikes, a customer loyalty program - just get so many points and its free chicken wings baby. But where's the TV trivia games!?!

Being an "adventurous" sort, I tried the "buffalo" chicken salad - just 10 carbs and $8.29 (trust me, decent price for downtown DC). Not much "buffalo" in the chicken - I coulda stood for something hotter (more sauce, please) - I missed the so-called pico de gallo - tastes like a spicy ranch dressing to me. The iceberg lettuce was fresh and crunchy and you can't fault them for pairing it with the grilled chicken and cheddar cheese (which was bland). Overall, ambience B+ (a little bit too loud on one side of the bar and some smokers nearby), food: C-.

Beer: Mich Ultra (not cold enough for my tastes), the beer of sweaty working-out yuppies.

Image courtesy tgifridays.com...

The unnamable (a funny guy) writes about San Francisco's coffee guy - who combines a random act of kindness with some sort of performance art.

Yesterday I was having coffee on the porch. And cigarettes. Because I so fucking oldschool. Then I brought my laptop outside because I have a difficult time maintaining “fucking oldschoolness” for more than 4 minutes. When my cup was empty, I had to actually stand up, put down my computer, and walk through my apartment in order to get a refill. And I thought, hell, my computer is out here surfing the interwave without wires, but my damn coffee maker has to be chained to one spot? This is not progress, people. At least one person is making a difference: meet marc, who likes his coffee in the goddamn park, thank you.

Check out the unnamable's full blog here. Now, if you'll excuse me I got to go check the short ribs -- I'm braising for the first time.

Although this is about things that make like more enjoyable, it's also about things that give us more time to enjoy life. This is my "Swiffer" of 2004. If you're like me and do your laundry offsite, having to not carry a big ol' box of Tide is a welcome relief. I just stick this into my pocket, pick up my basket and off I go. Not the most economical thing, though, if you are on a budget. 

An okay cigar - not bad but not worth $9.75 either. I have no idea what the brand is, though, so just be on the lookout for the cigar band. 

Deep Sparkle

I picked up this unusual white while I was up in the Finger Lakes last month and cracked it open for a complement to Orange Chicken and Won-ton soup. Only slightly dryer than a French Vouvray, this went very well with the dish and probably would also work with spicy pork chops or ribs.

Bully Hill's Goat White page

Good News, Bad News

First the bad news: Terrorists are threatening to strike buildings in NYC and downtown DC.

Now the good news - last-minute reservations at Kinkead's are possible:

George Ronetz, general manager of Kinkead's restaurant, several blocks west of the IMF and the World Bank, said some customers started changing their dinner plans soon after Ridge's briefing. (link)

This Website Could Save Your Life

Well, it at least saved my second cup of coffee. See, I've been using this French press for several years now but was always frustrated about how bitter the coffee got on the second cup or if it stood around too long. Even if drip brewed coffee didn't taste as good on the first cup, at least it stayed pretty much consistent if you kept the brew in a caraffe.

Coffeegeek gave me the pointer that the problem wasn't my stirring method or the amount of coffee I was using but it was the GRINDER I was using. Seems the cheaper Braun grinders don't give you a consistent size of grain and its important that your coarsely ground coffee be consistent with the presses.

There's some other stuff on here although its a bit sparser than you might think and one gets the sinking suspicion that its some there's some sort of evil coffee accessory cabal behind the whole thing. However at least one recent article recommended that you don't get into trying your own expresso since its too much trouble and expresso is best experienced in a cafe, preferably with another person. Makes sense to me.

Nevertheless, there's still plenty of good information written by people who actually drink coffee and are very, very, very enthusiastic. Although, that must might be the caffiene typing.