Our Canine Companion

We are now the proud caretakers of Chili, the dog we adopted this week. Chili, a Chihuahua and Mini Pinscher mix, has touched our hearts, in a way that only a dog is able to do. She is an older dog, about seven years old, according to her vet. Needless to say, we already think that she is the best dog in the whole wide world, but we just might be a little bias, since we have become infatuated with every nuance associated with pet ownership. More about Chili, later.

Kindle Update

My Kindle usage increases daily, as I find more and more publications to read from my home page. The books download exceptionally fast, in less than a minute, and you can read sample passages prior to purchasing, to make sure that the book is to your liking.

I have been able to read the electronic ink on my Kindle, even in very low light, without any eye strain. That's definitely a plus for a device of this type. So far I have not experienced any glitches in the performance of the Kindle. The next generation Kindle will probably include color, but so far I have been pretty much satisfied with the high quality black and white photos that I've seen. The electronic ink works quite well. It's a new way to enjoy reading, in a format that simplifies the process of procuring your favorite publications. Thumbs up for the Amazon Kindle.

Amazon Kindle

My long awaited Kindle has finally arrived. Shipping was only three days from when I ordered the electronic reader, but I say long awaited because I've thought about purchasing a Kindle since the first day that the generation one Kindle debuted. Amazon now has a second generation of this device and that is the model I purchased. It's only been out a few weeks and although it isn't all that different from the first offering, it does have improved graphics and the system has been tweaked to make it even more competitive with a similar product from Sony. The new Amazon Kindle does add a new dimension for an electronic reader - text to speech. It's not like an audio book voice, in fact it's not even close to that format, but it's usable and a nice upgrade from the first generation Kindle.

I can't say that I ever considered the Sony version of electronic readers. It seemed to lack some of the features that I felt were important in such a device. Price wise the Amazon Kindle is a little on the high side of what I think an electronic reader should cost, but when you download a best seller in less than sixty seconds, from anywhere that you have a 3G wireless connection, and for less than ten dollars, the price doesn't seem unreasonable.

I'll do an update on my new Kimble after I become more familiar with all the features of this new electronic reader. I can say that the out of the box experience has been good - two thumbs up at this point. We'll just have to see if there are any glaring deficiencies to be found during the next week or two. I've posted a picture of my new Kimble to the right and at the bottom of the blog page.

Tim's Pups

My good friend Tim, whom I grew up with in the West End of Louisville and who now resides in Tampa, Florida, has a neat way of chauffeuring his "guys" around town. Whether it's a trip to a nearby dog park or a journey to the beach, his recumbent bike, with a trailer attached, makes for a comfortable ride for his much pampered pets. Riding around on a recumbent will get you plenty of inquisitive stares in itself, bring the pups along with their heads popping out of the cool looking trailer and you have a unique mode of travel that curious onlookers just can't help but want to ask some questions about. All the "guys" seem to have great fun during the outings.

Tim often shares with me photos of his canine buddies. You can see a picture of Mickey D, Suzzy Q and Teddy B on their way to the beach for some frolicking in that year round warm Tampa sunshine. Thanks for sharing, Tim.

Colonial Gardens

While surfing some sites, looking for historical landmarks in Louisville, Kentucky, my hometown, I came across a picture of the Colonial Gardens. The Colonial Gardens was one of my favorite night spots to visit back in the day. The Inn featured some great entertainment, both local and national as well. The building was large enough to accommodate a decent size crowd and the prices (cover charge, drinks and food if I recall correctly) were reasonable compared to some nightclubs in town. The article accompanying the picture mentioned the possibility of making the Colonial Gardens a historical landmark. The cost to restore the building would be considerable, but there seemed to be some interest from various groups to proceed with the project. People who opposed the project felt that the building needed to be torn down. They mentioned their concerns about the safety of the structure and the high cost to bring the Gardens up to current building codes. I don't know if anything has happened, one way or the other, but I plan to drive by the location the next time I visit Louisville, to see if the building is still standing. I hope so. The Colonial Gardens holds an abundance of fond memories for many folk who grew up in Louisville.

Ruth's Chris Meal

Dave gave us a great Christmas present this year - a gift card for Ruth's Chris. We have eaten at various Ruth's Chris over the years and we decided to make a return visit to the Pavilions restaurant a few days ago. Ruth's Chris is one of my favorite restaurants, particularly for a steak meal. The attention to detail is what differentiates Ruth's Chris from other restaurants. Every aspect of the meal is carefully attended to - from the preparation of your appetizer to the final sip of coffee after dessert. The service is very attentive, but not intrusive and you are never rushed at any time during your dining experience.

I decided to try the rib-eye steak on this occasion. It proved to be an outstanding choice. Nancy likes the stuffed chicken breast and as usual the meal met her expectations. All and all, just a great dining experience. Thanks for the much appreciated gift, Dave. We really enjoyed our outing to the Fair Oaks Pavilions Ruth's Chris restaurant!

Super Bowl Sunday

A terrific - nail biting, fourth quarter heroics, run Forrest run, etc. - Super Bowl was played this year. Just the way we like it! Seven of us guys got together and rooted for our favorite team, even if most of us hadn't watched a pro football game all year. After all... it is the Super Bowl!

This is the first year we watched the game in HD. I guess the 52 inch Regza provided satisfactory picture quality. At least I didn't hear any complaints. However, I did forget to DVR the game, so we missed some of Bruce Springsteen's halftime show. We shoot hoops during halftime. Our previous game of H-O-R-S-E has been reduced to P-I-G. We're now all of an age that we would be on the court to the middle of the fourth quarter if we played more than just three letters. Besides, we needed to leave enough time to have our dinner meal after working up an appetite from playing hoops!

Food-wise, we always start with a delicious bowl of my famous road kill chili (Beales description) - slowly cooked to perfection the previous night. The chili, along with various snacks, gets us through to halftime. After hoops, we have a dinner meal that usually consist of roast beef or steak. This year I decided to serve a Harris Ranch cross-rib roast, purchased at the Nugget Market. The Nugget has really good beef. Nancy whipped up some mashed potatoes and gravy, along with green beans, to accompany the roast. For dessert, Dave Whiteside brought a chocolate treat that his wife, Eilene, had made from scratch and we had a store bought strawberry cream cheese cake as our other choice. No one left hungry!

So, another great Super Bowl game, that was shared with great friends and good food. What more does a guy need? See you next year!