Recently in Restaurant Category

I've never been much of a coffee drinker.  I don't like the aftertaste.  However, I love the smell of coffee.  I'll go to Starbucks and order an Earl Grey Tazo Tea just to savor the smell of the coffee while drinking my tea!  I'm crazy, I know.

But, after reading this CNN article, I will no longer give my business to Starbucks.  I don't know if California is one of the 43 states that allow people to tote guns around with them.  But the last thing I want is to be in a Starbucks, which allows their patrons to bring their guns into their stores if state law permits it, with patrons drinking their new 31 ounce coffee!

Now some hair-trigger, gun-toting, chip-on-his-shoulder nitwit with the caffein jitters can pretend he's back in the wild, wild west when he gets in an argument with the barista over the temperature of his grande mocha latte.  No thanks.

If people feel the need to have guns in their homes to protect them, that's their business.  If people feel the need to have guns for the sport of hunting, that's their business.  But I've worked with the public too long to trust most people's spur of the moment judgement.  Put a gun in their hands at the Starbucks?! No, I won't be around to see how this turns out.

Starbucks, you just lost a customer.

Good grief!

[Image via Wikipedia]

Yes, I've ranted about my AppleTVs world without end!  Well, apparently, one of them was just completely messed up:  the hardware was bad.  Naturally, it wasn't under warranty.  (I think Apple only has a 90 day warranty unless you spend the extra money on AppleCare.  I always do for computers but hadn't for the AppleTV.)

So, I bought a new AppleTV.  My god!  The thing actually works!  After having been plagued with sooo many issues for sooo long with the other device, I was fully expecting this one not to function properly either.  But it works well!  And I purchased AppleCare for this one.

The only thing that greatly annoys me with the AppleTV:  the largest hard drive you can get is 160GB.  That's ridiculous.  I frankly don't give a rip what Apple thinks, Tim thinks he should be able to store his entire media library on the AppleTV hard drive and not have to clutter up the home LAN with streaming audio/video!  This would also give me another backup for the media files!

I do love being able to stream nearly 10,000 photos and music on the large flat panel TV downstairs for parties—like the one held here at the house last Saturday night.  (BTW:  Bristol Farms does a great job catering!!)  My photos just look awesome on the big screen, if I say so myself!  :)

A couple of nights ago, a ferocious wind storm came through (a weather front without rain). I was walking along the sidewalk in Culver City, heading to meet friends for dinner at Fraiche, one of the many delightful little restaurants in downtown Culver City.

The wind was so fierce, debris was blowing into my hair and into my eyes. I've never experienced anything quite so irritating.

The weather became much cooler--dropping maybe as much as 20º. During the night the wind from the ocean was so strong I closed up the house. But too late.

As it so seldom rains, the pollens and dust permeated the air, filled the house, and have sent my sinuses into a belligerent rage. My allergies have been out of control ever since--nose bleeds, burning eyes, burning sinuses, et. al.

Deliver me!

You can not imagine my delight:  the new Crème de La Crêpe restaurant has now opened in Manhattan Beach. Their food is authentic French cuisine and utterly divine.

Toward the end of a perfect meal: a crepe with white wine sauce (an elixir from the gods) and a Nutella, banana, strawberries, creme crepe dessert, the person sitting across the table from me made the most jarring, unexpected, loud sound combination of a mouth-wide-open burp and a hiccup.

The entire restaurant paused for a moment of stunned, jaw-dropped bewilderment at what had just been unleashed on humanity. Personally, I lay prostrate on the floor, arm extended straight up with a single condemnatory finger pointing across the table.

Now I can not be seen in town for weeks!