Grilled Cheese

I think that people overlook the brilliance and greatness of a simple grilled cheese. You know the right thickness of a good crusty bread with a nice sharp cheddar. Griddled to a crisp perfection on the outside and a melty goodness on the inside, maybe served with a couple of bread-n-butter pickle slices.

Now I know everyone is going to want to add extras to enhance the sandwich, whether it be ham, tomatoes, tuna, whatever....but then it is no longer a true grilled cheese sandwich. It can be modified by adding or varying the cheeses, maybe a Gruyere, or a Muenster, even introducing a Brie or a little Stilton. Anything else would be sacrilegious in the kitchen.

I guess it can be paired with other things, a nice bisque (your flavor choice), or fresh green salad (for something healthier). But the grilled cheese has to stand alone.

Cigars and such....

As stated in my interests one is cigars, I work part-time in a fine tobacco establishment, with a retail store and private smoking lounge. Through this job, I have been exposed to an unending assortment of cigars over the years. I have smoked everything from Connecticut Broadleaf to Honduran  to Brazilian, and everything in between. So here is a list of cigars that I think are not to be missed...of course they are not ranked in any particular order.

• Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto
• Davidoff Special R
• Davidoff Nicaraguan Puro Robusto
• Prometheus God of Fire by Don Carlos
• Camacho Blackout Robusto
• UnderCrown Robusto
• LFD El Jacko
• Liga Provada #9
• Partagas D No. 4
• Paul Stulac Red Screamin' Sun Robusto
• Avo XO Intermezzo Toro
• Davidoff 25th Anniversary 
• Davidoff Entreacto
• LFD Air Bender Chisel
• Eiroa Robusto
• Cohiba Siglo VI

Now there are some lines, that have several cigars in different sizes and it really doesn't matter which one you hand to me. For example, AF Don Carlos, Davidoff Winston Churchill series, Liga Pravada, and any Davidoff Colorado Claro.

Let me know what you think.

My working life...a renaissance?

A friend posted a question asking what jobs have you done during your life time. It is an interesting question, so here is the list of jobs that I have done....

• Milking Cows (along with other farm chores)
• Dishwasher
• Weekend Cook
• Telephone Lineman
• Military Soldier (intel)
• Sales Clerk (several different stores/retailers)
• Door to Door sales
• Personal Trainer
• Industrial Hygienist
• Security Guard
• Asbestos Abatement
• Substitute Teacher
• Teacher
• Coach
• Movie Theatre Projectionist
• Roofer/Sider
• Framer
• Landscaper
• Lab Assistant
• Truancy/Resource Officer
• Wrecker Driver
• Baseball Umpire
• UPS Delivery Driver
• Engineer
• Consultant
• Project Manager

As you can see, I am kind of a renaissance man. I have a diverse tool set and have been exposed to a lot of different things. I like to be doing something new and challenging. My education is in the sciences and engineering, but I put my self through school swinging a hammer and driving. I have always tried to have a part-time job in a hobby, that explains personal trainer, movie projectionist, umpire, coach, and a few of the sales jobs. Some of the other jobs I just picked up along the way.

So which of this jobs did I enjoy the most...well there are a few I like (outside of the hobby jobs), liked education, loved engineering and consulting (still doing that), my time in the military was interesting, I still work two or three hobby jobs, it is great if you can get paid to do your hobby.

I am currently trying to break into the energy field in consulting, which is going slow, but I hope to do it soon. I would also like to go back to school and eventually get my PhD and teach into retirement at a small university, not so sure about this one, but that is what I aspire to to do.

Jealousy

There is a person that I am jealous of, but not for the reasons that everyone would think. That person is Brad Pitt.

I am not jealous of his rugged good looks, the fact that he is in a relationship with Angelina Jolie, or that he is a great actor.  I am not jealous that he has dated other famous and beautiful women, the movie star lifestyle, or any and everything that comes with all that.

I am jealous of his humanitarian work, that Mr. Pitt has adopted kids from all over the world, his work with the One Campaign, his work in Haiti, Chad, New Orleans, and Sudan, his support of environmental friendly design, and his stance on same sex marriage. That is what I am jealous of.

You may say that it is easy for him because of his status and wealth in society, and that may be true, but that is not what makes the man. It is his vision and doing what he feels is right.

I try to live the same way with the exception of the large bank account.

(Honorable mention in this category- George Clooney and Matt Damon)

New Year's Resolution

Like many, I tried to come up with a New Year's resolution, that would be fun and not have any great consequences if I broke it. So, I decided to grow and groom a handle bar mustache. I have had some kind of facial hair for 25+ years, ranging from a full bread to a standard goatee to just a neatly trimmed mustache.

So why a handle bar mustache? Well, there are a number of reasons, from I think they are neat looking to am I capable of growing one and will I look good with one. The first step was researching, like I do with any and everything in my life. I read articles, surfed through chat boards, and watched hours of YouTube videos, on 'How to' trim, groom, wax, and condition the 'stache. Second step, was deciding and ordering the grooming supplies, which consist of small sharp scissors, a specialized comb, and some wax (there are some that do not use wax and use white Elmer's glue or some kind of hair product) for holding the desired shape. I went with an all natural blended wax made by Petal Pushers Fancy, of course after more in depth research.

Now you can't just cut and trim and have a handle bar 'stache, you have to let it grow out long and shaggy, and be willing to put up with annoyance of this unruly cookie duster. So I actually had the thought since early to mid December. Then following the instructions I witnessed in a video, I made my first attempt at trimming, grooming, waxing, and molding my first handle bar. SUCCESS! I was on my way to sporting a cool look.

After several weeks, the grooming has been routine, and takes just a few extra minutes each morning, before I am on my way. I have received many positive comments from friends, family and total strangers on the upper lip ornament. I have been told that I actually the facial structure to carry off the look.

Looks like I may have found a New Year's resolution I will be keeping for a while....

Wondering...

By nature, I am not an OCD type person. I don't fret over having things in exact order, or the need to wash multiple times a day (or after an activity). I am not driven by a schedule and need to map everything out. But when it snows and I use a snow blower, I have the need to removed snow from walks and driveways and that I have a clean straight edge on the sides. So much that I will make several extra passes to accomplish this. Why just in snow removal? Interesting.....

So it begins....

Okay, so I am looking for something new and interesting to do for the New Year. So why not start a blog, what could possible go wrong?

You will soon find out that I am not a writer, but have my own ideas and wild thoughts and may be should share them. Not sure what this is going to be about, hoping that it comes into itself or develops into something people will be interested in.

So what are my passions....well, umpiring baseball, smoking fine cigars, advocating for the environment and humans, and my kids. So there will be a lot about that, along with whatever else strikes me. I can be sarcastic (surprise!), I lose patiences with those that are not as quick as me in the processing department (I apologize in advance).

So sit back and relax, and welcome to my journey.