Upgrading my Phone

I've made the leap to a Motorola Triumph Android phone. It's not the bleeding edge of technology, but it is the first Android phone available over the Virgin Mobile network.

I've been wanting something like an iPhone, but I just wasn't ready for the financial commitment it takes to own such a device. I looked into it - I believe it was $199 for the iphone, and then a 2-year contract of over $100/month to get a respectable number of minutes, 2GB of data and unlimited text. $2,600? No.

On Virgin Mobile, there is no contract. For $40 month, I get 500 minutes of talk, unlimited data and unlimited text. Also, I can tell them to piss off at any time without financial penalty. The rub is you have to buy the phone. I got the Motorola Triumph for $261 off ebay. Not cheap, but much less than the contract type phone.

I never even realized how far these newer phones have advanced. Media player, bluetooth, WiFi, 5mp camera, HDMI output - the list goes on and on. Before I knew it, I had it setup, syncing with the contacts from my Gmail and Facebook accounts. I haven't even begun to look at the possibilities with the 1000's of applications that are available.

One bonus feature (for my ever aging eyes), is the screen size. My LG Rumor Touch had a 3" screen, the Triumph has 4.1" The difference is incredible, and I can actually read things on it.

Now when I travel, I'll be able to use Google Maps and download apps for riding the subways in NYC. And I can continue to bug you people on twitter more easily too.

Sweet

Here's a review which better describes the Triumph.

Sun Dried Explosion

I recently purchased a jar of sun dried tomatoes after seeing them on a cooking show. Their flavor is intense and sweet. Do this:

Chop 1 TBSP white onion and 2 TBSP of sun dried tomatoes. Melt a tad of butter in a small skillet. Saute' the onion for a minute. Add the sun dried tomato and saute' for another minute. Spread it evenly across the bottom of the skillet, and pour in 2 eggs, beaten. Salt and pepper. Once the egg has set up, add shredded cheddar cheese. Fold the omelet (in 3rd's, not in half). Put it on a plate, and hit it with a generous dose of Texas Pete. Sprinkle with a little chopped Parsley.

Pretend that you're a chef, and enjoy.

4Rivers BBQ

I love BBQ, but most of my exposure to it has been from either Sonny's, or my own attempts at smoking meat.

There's a place in Orlando called 4 Rivers BBQ. Anytime you drive past, people are 'literally' lined out the door to get in. I've heard from a couple of the guys I work with that their BBQ is awesome. Well, today I finally went to see what it was all about.

What it's about, is a restaurant that has quickly outgrown it's building, with no relief for this location. This is the original that opened a couple of years ago. They've now opened a second location in Winter Garden and are building a 3rd near where I work.

To cut to the chase, I went at 3PM. They have parking for 20 cars, max. I was lucky to get a space after waiting for 10 minutes. I got up to the door, and was then confronted with another wait - the wait to get in.

Once inside, you snake your way around the outside of the room until you get to the counter. You place your order, get your food and pay the cashier. Once back out the door, the only seating is outside behind the building. There are water-misting fans to keep you cool. Yeah, it's August in Florida. Also, seating is so limited you inevitably end up sitting at a table with strangers. Eating with people I don't know isn't my idea of a good time.

So you have to put up with a lot of inconvenience just to have the 'honor' of eat at 4 Rivers. So how's the food?

I got the Angus Brisket plate. Beef Brisket, if you ask any Texan, is the Holy Grail of BBQ. All the dinner plates comes with 3 sides. I got baked beans, Cole slaw and French fries, the cornerstone of BBQ sides. It also comes with a biscuit, which I thought was a bit weird. Oh yeah, $12.99 which isn't too bad. It's one of the most expensive plates on the menu. One of the sides I didn't get to try, but wanted to, were the smoked Jalapenos. It was a Jalapeno, stuffed with (something), and then wrapped in bacon. Next time.

The sides were good, but no better than those I've had from other BBQ places. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the sides at Sonny's were actually a touch better. What separated this dinner apart from the others I've tried was the brisket.

Wow, they just whack you off a big pile of meat from the brisket. It must have been close to a pound. This isn't sliced either, it's falling apart. Think pulled Pork, but beef instead. They then squirt their own sauce on top of it. It was some of the most awesome meat I've ever had. I was going to take a pic, but sitting with strangers and all, I didn't want them to think I was a weirdo.

I'll go again, but not to that location. The reward is good, but not worth the hassle. Hopefully the new location will address all of the parking and seating issues of the original store.

Kelley and Ruben Move to Brooklyn

Kelley and Ruben moved to Brooklyn last Friday so Ruben can start his job at the hospital. Moving is scary enough, but moving to someplace like New York city has got to be intimidating. I remember how I felt when Amanda and I visited Chicago for 1 day last year. They have a nice small apartment and have left many of their possessions behind, including their cars. Everyone uses public transport there and owning a car can be very expensive.

One of the things they wanted to have was Ruben's TV (a 46" Samsung), which UPS successfully managed to destroy while in their care.

You assholes up there be nice to them, do you hear me !?!

Exciting times. To be young and free again .......

Let's Smoke Some Meat

I got the bug about a month ago to try my hand at smoking some meat. I love BBQ and watched quite a few videos of people smoking pork shoulder (pulled pork), ribs, beef brisket and chickens. I had to give it a try.

This is a propane smoker made by Masterbuilt. I bought it at Sears right before Memorial Day. Kelley helped me put it together which only took about an hour or so. I went to Costco and bought a couple slabs of ribs, rubbed them down with some McCormack Applewood dry rub, put them into a big ziplock bag & stuck them back in the fridge for a day.

I used Hickory wood for the smoker and put the ribs on to slow cook. I smoked them at about 225F for 4-1/2 hours, then pulled them out of the smoker and wrapped them in foil. I set them aside to rest for about an hour.

I'm not bragging here, but these probably were the best ribs I've ever had in my life. Between myself, Kelley, Jodie, Ruben and Tyler, we put a serious dent in the 2 full slabs, barely having enough left to let Brad and Amanda try them.

Smoking is fun and easy, and I'm anxious to try brisket and chicken.

Ruben Graduates from Medical School

My future son-in-law, Ruben, has graduated from Medical School with a Doctorate in Pharmacy.

Ruben is one of the hardest working and fun to be around people that I've ever known, and I'm very proud of his accomplishment.

Now that he's a Doctor, it's time for a residency in a hospital in Brooklyn. He and my daughter Kelley moved there a week ago, and are still trying to get settled in. More on that in another post. Congrats Ruben!

Michele and Eric Expecting

I'm so far behind with my blog, I figured it was time to do some quick posts about all the important things that are going on.

Michele (my oldest daughter) and her husband Eric are expecting their first child in November. This will also propel me into the category of Grandpa, something I'm having a bit of a hard time getting my head around.

I'm super happy though, as is everyone else. It's going to be a big change, but super cool at the same time. The baby will be here before we know it.

Hot Dog Heaven

See this building? This place has been alongside Colonial Drive in Orlando for as long as I can remember, yet I've never bothered to stop there. It's not in the greatest part of town, and was somewhat hard to get to. Recent construction in the area has helped on both of those points.

The other day, I was reading an article on the web about the 10 best places to eat in Orlando. Orlando is a crap hole for food, with nothing but every chain restaurant under the sun lining the streets. I've said that Orlando doesn't have any place that the locals know about and frequent. Well, Hot Dog Heaven was listed in this survey of 10 best places to eat for 'best hot dog in Orlando'. I was driving past it the other day and decided to pull in and give it a try.

At 1:30 in the afternoon, the place was packed. This is a good sign. It's a long skinny building with places to sit against the wall. There's also tables and a very long bench outside. The bench faces the road, so you can sit, eat, and watch the idiots go speeding by. I opted for the bench after placing my order.

I blew my chance to get a genuine Chicago dog while we were actually in Chicago last year. In fact, I'd never had a Chicago dog  before until Sonic added them to their menu. You're stunned, I know, but knowledge of these things even existing doesn't make it down to the south, just as many people up north have no idea what grits are. Anyway, the Chicago dog at Sonic was good, but the Chicago dog is also the specialty at Hot Dog Heaven. I ordered one up with fries and cole slaw on the side.

To get to it, it was the best hot dog I've ever had in my life. There's something about the combination of ingredients (tomato, diced onion, mustard, dill pickle, neon-green relish and hot peppers on a poppy seed bun) that works together to create a flavor second to none. I know some of you may not like all of those ingredients, but if you start messing with it by taking stuff off, you may knock the entire experience out of whack. The fries were crisp and straight out of the fryer into my basket. Just incredible.

I'll be going back, soon and often.

Download the menu!

Hot Dog Heaven
5355 East Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32807-1816
(407) 282-5746

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