To celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and my daughter’s 21st birthday this year, we spent Christmas and New Year’s on a 11-day Panama Canal cruise on the Norwegian Pearl!
food
Making cocktails with Mixel
I had sort of an anti-New Year’s resolution this year: drink more alcohol!
Well, not exactly. What I resolved to do was to learn how to make cocktails at home. Until now, my homemade adult beverages consisted mainly of Seven & Sevens or the occasional Moscow Mule. But sampling a wide range of other cocktails on our cruise last year, plus tasting my brother-in-law’s homemade limoncello over Christmas encouraged me to learn a little mixology myself.
After stocking my home bar with the basics (vodka, gin, tequila, rum, whiskey, etc. etc.) and mixers (simple syrup, lemon/lime juice, etc. etc.), I needed recipes. There’s no shortage of web sites on the internet (like liquor.com) for cocktail recipes, but I also wanted a good mobile app for my iPhone. After trying a few, I found Mixel.
Mixel doesn’t just tell you how to make cocktails. If you stock your bar and fridge with the ingredients you have on-hand, it will tell you what you can make as well. You can search recipes by name (“whiskey sour”) or ingredient (“grenadine”) and filter the results by ingredients you have on hand, different packs, drinks you’ve tried or bookmarked, etc. The app has about 500 built-in ingredients and you can easily add your own. It’s a lot of tapping, but you can add the ingredients, measurements, steps, notes, even customize the icon (glass type, liquid color, garnishes, etc.). You can also add and organize your own recipes into packs and even add multiple bars (I guess if you have one at home and one at the summer house?). If you don’t have an ingredient, you can add it to your shopping list (although that’s a list internal to the app and doesn’t integrate with any grocery shopping apps).
As you might have guessed, it’s called Mixel because of the pixel art graphics which take me back to my King’s Quest days. You can change the color scheme and turn off the pixel font if you want, but I really like the look of the app (I’m using a dark theme, as you can see in the screenshots below).
Mixel is a free, with in-app purchases (for more recipes than the basic 80 included in the free version). After using it for just a day or so I decided to go all-in with the Premium pack.
Spring Training 2018: Day 2
It’s our last day on the west side of the valley. We got up early this morning and after having breakfast downstairs, we packed up and checked out of our Goodyear hotel. Then we drove over to the Cleveland Indians’ Player Development Complex to watch the morning warm-ups and batting practice.
As in year’s past, Rick Danburg was there to talk to the crowd, give the day’s schedule, and explain the general goings-on (which are always “STC” (subject-to-change)). After watching the players warm up on the field, we headed to the parking lot/outfield to shag fly balls during batting practice. I came up empty this year, but my sister did get one. Then it was time to head over to Goodyear Ballpark for the final game of spring training and final spring battle of Ohio against the Cincinnati Reds.
Since it was the last day, everything dated in the team shop was 50% off so we had to do a little shopping before heading to our seats. It was a little difficult getting into Section 111 as the volunteer usher wanted to check everyone’s tickets (c’mon man, it’s the last game of the season!). After the national anthem, 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Jim Thome was on-hand to throw out the first pitch! The game was incredibly crowded … in fact, it turned out to be a record sellout (for an Indians/Reds game) of 10,311! Once again, our Indians were victorious, beating the Reds 6-4.
After the game, we drove across the valley to Tempe and checked into our next hotel. We cleaned up, got dressed, and then headed to our annual spring training steak dinner at Rustler’s Rooste. Despite having call-ahead seating, we had to wait for an hour to get a table, which was a little disappointing, but (as usual) the view and food made up for the wait. For the first time, my sister and I tried the rattlesnake (and prickly pear cactus fries). The snake actually wasn’t bad but I didn’t care for the fries. With full stomachs, we headed back to the hotel and turned in for the evening. Tomorrow, we hike Camelback.
Spring Training 2018: Flying Out
Due to scheduling conflicts, I’m heading out to Arizona for my annual Spring Training trip a little later than usual … actually the last weekend of the season! My brother wasn’t able to make it so it’s just me, my sister, and my daughter (who hasn’t been out to see Cactus League baseball with me since 2012). My travel tech hasn’t changed much from last year: iPhone 7 Plus, Canon PowerShot SX710, and FitBit Charge 2. The new addition is my Surface Laptop (just in case work calls while I’m away).
Today was quite the busy day. We started early driving over to Orlando for my daughter’s saber solo at the FBA State Solo & Ensemble contest at Lake Nona High School. After she received her superior rating, we started back west towards Tampa but made a quick stop for lunch at the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot. After lunch we drove back the Tampa International Airport and my wife dropped us off for our flight to Phoenix.
The five hour flight to Sky Harbor was uneventful and our luggage arrived relatively quickly. The line for the rental car shuttle, however, was really long (not too surprising for a Friday night around spring break time though, I guess). After getting our car (free upgrade from mid-size to SUV!) we drove to Goodyear and checked into our hotel. By now it was 8:00pm Arizona time (11:00pm for us!) and we were hungry. Pulling a recommendation from a past trip, my daughter and I went to Bella Luna in Litchfield Park for dinner and then Yogurtini next door for dessert.
After dinner, I dropped my daughter back at the hotel and then drove back to Sky Harbor to pick up my sister. By the time we were all back at the hotel it was about 11:30pm (2:30am for us east coast travellers) so we crashed for the evening. Baseball starts tomorrow!
Thanksgiving 2016 Road Trip: Day 4
Another college visit today. This morning after breakfast we drove down to Oberlin to visit Oberlin College (my daughter’s first choice currently) for a tour. It was a lot colder here than in Dayton yesterday and there was a lot of snow on the ground. It was good for my Florida girl to see what she’d be getting into, picking a school in northern Ohio 🙂 . It was another informational (and brisk!) tour and afterwards we had Mediterranean for lunch at Aladdin’s before the information session later that afternoon at the Admissions office.
In the late afternoon we went over to my brother’s house to visit with my sister-in-law, niece, and 6-month old nephew. Then it was a late-night dinner at Strip where we were joined by my sister who had had a long day. So it was nice to finally see family on this trip.
Today also happened to be Dick Goddard’s last broadcast on Channel 8 after 55 years. I grew up watching Dick do the weather and hosting his Woollybear Festival every year. Wow.
Thanksgiving 2016 Road Trip: Day 3
Today was our first official college visit at the University of Dayton. We woke up early and were on the road at 7:30am. We crossed the Ohio River into Cincinnati an hour later and at 10:00am were pulling into the visitor parking lot at UD, on-time for our 10:30 tour and information session.
I thought it would be a little weird going on a tour of the college where I had gone to school (met my wife, and even got married!) with my daughter, but it wasn’t that odd. It was cool to see all the changes around campus, and what had stayed the same since I had graduated. It was another beautiful brisk fall day and walking around the campus to see the dorms, library, and buildings was very pleasant.
After the tour we hit all our old haunts which included lunch at Marion’s Piazza and dessert at Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs (where we also briefly drove past Antioch College just to see a really small school). Then it was back to driving … I-675 to I-70 East over to Columbus, and then I-71 North to Cleveland.
By 6:00pm were were in the vicinity of our hotel for the rest of the week on the west side. We stopped at Crocker Park to do some grocery shopping and pick up dinner. Then we checked into the hotel and ate before unloading everything out of the car and getting settled.
Tomorrow is another college visit and then we’ll actually see family.
Driving stats: 7 hours; 350mi
Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2015
It’s the opening weekend of the 20th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival so we spent some time today eating and drinking our way around the world.
It was only the second day so the park was very crowded and there were very long lines at all of the food stations, as we expected. We worked our way clockwise (starting with Mexico) around the World Showcase, sampling the amazing food and drinks available at each country for lunch. Then we took a break in Future World, using our FastPass+ reservations and waiting in standby lines since we were in no rush.
We did have a surprise FP+ experience this time. When we went to check the My Disney Experience app, we found that one of our FastPass+ reservations had changed to a “Choice of Experience.” Apparently the attraction we had a FastPass for (Journey into Imagination with Figment) had an issue so we were able to use the FastPass+ at a selection of rides at any time until 10pm. Unfortunately none of the popular rides (Test Track, Soarin’, etc.) were listed, but it was a nice surprise.
Around dinnertime we took another pass around the World Showcase, counterclockwise this time, to sample more food for dinner. We don’t normally go to the festival on the first weekend, so it had been a while since we had seen it so crowded. I also had the uncomfortable experience of being in line for beer in front of a group of people who had had way too much to drink already and were determined to talk to me, get fist bumps, high fives, etc. (you know the type). That was unfortunately, but luckily I was by myself and not with the family so it didn’t really sully our day’s experience at the festival.
I suspect we’ll be back here at Epcot more over the next few weeks … the Food & Wine Festival is one of our favorite times here.
West Coast Road Trip: Day 5
Today we were tourists in the City by the Bay, and we saw/did a lot!
Our morning started with a walk to Ghiradelli Square, which turned out to be mostly closed that early. There was heavy fog out on the bay and the breeze was brisk, another nice change from the high temperatures we had seen so far on the west coast. We had breakfast at Starbucks and then walked around the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Based on a recommendation from our friend last night, we sought out the Musée Mécanique, an amazing antique arcade that has everything from coin operated puppets to classic video games like Pole Position. My sister, daugher, and I, re-enacted Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals on a classic domed table hockey pole game (and the “Blackhawks” scored at the buzzer to win).
We didn’t have the time to dedicate going to Alcatraz (and the tickets were sold out anyway) so next we walked to Pier 43 to take a bay cruise on the Red and White Fleet. The boat took us out on the bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz Island, and back, with narration of the sights via a walkman-like device. Back at Pier 43, we walked across the street to Boudin’s and took the bakery tour, watching their famous sourdough bread get made. The restaurant itself was crowded so we walked down to Pier 49, got a glimpse of a single sea lion on the docks, and had lunch at the Boudin’s there.
Next we wanted to ride a cable car so we walked back to Hyde Street. The cars were stacked up and the line was loooong so we decided to try and walk up Hyde to Lombard instead. It was quite a workout but we made it and showed my daughter one of the most crooked streets in the country. We waited and took the Hyde/Lombard cable car line back down the hill (which was kinda like a roller coaster ride except your standing, crowded into a small space, just hanging onto a single handrail, and it costs $7/person).
Now it was time to drive around to the places outside of walking distance. We had already checked out of the hotel so we packed up the car and started driving. Our first stop was the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square Park, another famous view. We also drove past the Full House house for my sister. All of this driving reminded me of why I don’t like driving/parking on the hills of San Francisco! By now it was time to move on so we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and caught one last view of the city from Vista Point.
The traffic on US-101 and CA-37 to our next hotel in American Canyon was terrible and we were stuck in bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go gridlock for about 2 hours! We finally made it and after freshening up drove to downtown Napa for dinner at Kitchen Door in the Oxbow Public Market, which was excellent. On the way back to our hotel we snagged some ice cream at Baskin Robbins (hadn’t been to one in ages) and then it was time to turn in.
Our vacation is half over. Tomorrow is our longest driving day but it promises to be a scenic one!
West Coast Road Trip: Day 4
We got up early this morning, saying goodbye to my sister-in-law and brother-in law, and were on the road by 7:30am. Originally we had planned to take US-101 all the way up the coast to San Franciso, but at the last minute, after consulting our maps/apps and estimated travel times we decided to take the less-scenic, but faster, I-5 route through the Central Valley. Our only Roadside America stop on this leg of the trip was at Bravo Farms where we picked up some snacks (like fresh farmers cheese!). The valley was more scenic than we expected, despite the frequent water shortage signs.
We stayed to the east of Oakland on I-680 heading to the Jelly Belly Factory tour in Fairfield and made it before the last tour at 4:00pm. No photos were allowed on the tour but it was amazing to see rows and rows of stacked trays of Jelly Belly beans in various states of preparation. And at the end … unlimited flavor samples (three at a time). Our timing was off again and we ended up in bay area rush hour traffic going back south. We made a quick stop to check out Berkeley and then drove across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco. While driving to our hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf, we made plans to go to dinner with an old college friend. After a quick stop at the hotel to unload the car and freshen up, we drove out to Noe Valley (can there be a valley in SF with all of these hills?) to meet our friend and grab dinner at Holy Kitchen, which was fantastic.
My little sister was flying in from Seattle to join us for the rest of the road trip later that evening, so after dinner we walked around the neighborhood (it was chilly compared to Vegas and LA!) socializing and enjoying the view of Jupiter and Venus in the evening sky. Finally, after saying goodbye to our friend, we drove to SFO, picked up my sister, and headed back downtown to the hotel. It had been another long day for us but my sister hadn’t eaten dinner yet so we walked to the In-N-Out Burger around the corner from the hotel to get her a double-double. We were in bed and asleep by 11:30pm.
Tomorrow we spend the day in San Francisco.
West Coast Road Trip: Day 1
We woke up really early to get downstairs, check our bags, and get through security in time for the 5:30am boarding of our flight from Tampa to Las Vegas. Thanks to our TSA PreCheck status though, we were sitting at our gate with almost 30 minutes to spare.
The flight to Vegas was uneventful and by 7:30am (Nevada time) we picking up our rental car for the week (a black Mazda CX5) and driving out to the Strip. After a quick family photo in front of the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign we headed southeast to the Hoover Dam. It was the second time for me, since I had just come out two months ago, but it was no less amazing. It was, however, slightly hotter! Summer in the desert is no joke. Back at the Strip, we went to Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Ceasar’s Palace for lunch and then walked down Las Vegas Boulevard taking in the sights. My daughter and I rode the Big Apple Express roller coast at New York New York which was neat but in the heat of the day the hot air pretty much slammed into you, not refreshing at all.
We left Vegas in the late afternoon, heading west on I-15 towards Los Angeles. Traffic was fine except for the backup at the agricultural inspection station. We tried Del Taco for dinner since we had heard good things about it but were sorely disappointed and ended up grabbing Starbucks instead. There was also one scary moment, on CR-18, where we thought we were going to run out of fuel and barely made it to a gas station. The rest of the night’s drive was fine, although we were getting tired from the long day considering we started at 1:30am PDT. We safely reached my wife’s sister’s place in Simi Valley and were dead asleep by 10:30pm.
9 more days to go!
