Coke vs Coke

Caffeine is a legal drug to which most of us have some addiction.  I need to have some every day.  I start to feel run down and get a nasty headache if I don't have some for lunch.  This is less of an addiction than I've had in the past.

My prefered method of getting my fix is by drinking Coke.  I've never acquired the taste for coffee.  While it smells great, the taste just puts me off.  Of course, Coke goes perfect with my rum.  Other methods people use include pills, gum and chocolate.

So what's the difference between these two Cokes?

The one in the bottle is made in Mexico.  That's not really what's important however.  It is made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  Same 12 ounces but quite a different taste.  The flavor is the same but with sugar the texture is less syrupy.  Most people probably wouldn't notice or care.

Crabby knows what I like and hooked me up with a stock of the Mexican nectar for Christmas.  Until the rest of America catches up, I hope this type stays available.  It is more expensive but then I'm worth it.  Arriba salud!

Paunchy Pooches

America is known as a country of fatties.  There are plenty who point fingers and lay blame.  All manner of foods and additives are targeted but in the end it's a simple equation.  If you consume more calories than you burn off, the excess gets stored.

So eat less and get some exercise.  If only it were that easy.  Apparently even our pets seem to have this problem.  Thankfully Science Diet has a solution.

No longer do our dogs have to suffer ridicule and not being able to fit in their bikini.  They also don't have to bother with exercise.  Everything they need is in this one box.  Unless of course they want an online system to help them reach their goals.

I know I'm going to sound negative towards the system but how about just feeding them less?  They don't have opposable thumbs to get the food themselves.  If the owner can't be bothered with regular food, how exactly will this system help?

So look for my PaunchyPooches.com site to be launched shortly.  For a small monthly fee, I can guarantee even the most difficult dog will lose weight if they follow my plan.  They can track their progress online and gain support from hundreds of other dogs across the country.  The less they gain, the better they are.

(this is all trademarked so don't even try)

The Ayes Have It

Like most men, I'm not keen on going to see a doctor.  Unfortunately it was required to get more contact lenses.  That's how they get cha.  Fortunately, my doc is cool and I have heath care.

When I was a younger beast, I was told the back of my eye was different.  Seems my optic nerve is larger than average.  Yes, you read correctly... I got a lot of nerve.  Factor my huge size in with the myopia and it can be symptomatic of glaucoma.  Doc's are always full of bad news.  To the Bat Cave!

He decides to take some photos of my eyes.  I immediately want to share them on the 'net.  With the size of my nerve, it's like geriatric porn.  Women will swoon, men will be envious.  Meanwhile, I consider what it's going to take to learn braille.

The photos show some irregularity so it's back to the Bat Cave for more tests.  My pupils dilated, eyes numbed, retina scanned and field of view tested.  At the end he tells me I'm exceedingly normal.  I got that written in my file.  You better believe that's what I want a doctor to say about me.  I also want a note from him to show a few people who think otherwise.

Crime in the city

Tofu girl was visiting a friend in New York City.  Unfortunately her friend was working during the visit which meant her days were spent by herself.  She knew I was off and invited me up for the day.  What a great excuse to get into the city.  Of course I said yes.  I'm so glad I wore long johns.

It has been quite awhile since I saw the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.  I think this is the first time I saw it after the holiday.  We got to see the store window displays too.  Then it was off to one the many Irish pubs for lunch.

We were set on seeing a show but still undecided.  It was between a Comedy and Mystery thriller.  I chose the latter, Perfect Crime.  We got our half price tickets are went off to find the Snapple theater.  It was quite off Broadway, up several flights of stairs and could have been mistaken for a conference room.  To be fair, the show has been running since 1987 and we did get seats in the second row.  We both enjoyed the play but didn't figure it out before the end.

After a bit of window shopping and drooling over expensive watches, we landed in another Irish pub.  Just a few drinks before dinner.  And some nachos with the meat on the side for yours truly.  Her friend wasn't feeling well and decided to get some rest.  We finished our day at Alfredo's.  Some wonderful pasta and a couple more drinks.  Even shared a nice dessert.

All good things come to an end and I had to get back to the train station.  It left just before midnight.  There weren't too many people on board.  I figured I could rest on the trip back.  As I sat back with my eyes closed, a very familiar scent drifted my way.  The quiet gentleman in front of me was smoking a spliff and I was finishing my day with a passive high.  If only I didn't have to drive home.

New Year's Eve 2010

To stay at home with the Bandersnatches or go to a low key party at the Colonel's house.  Decisions...decisions.  The ball still drops and the year still changes either way.  The introvert side lost.  So did the Colonel once I showed up.  I was the first to arrive (quite unusual) and noticed the walkway still had snow and ice on it.  I figured I'd help by clearing it off.  The Colonel felt guilty and came out as well.  We had it cleared in no time.  I'm still surprised I get invited anywhere.

I already had one of my special bottles of Champagne chilled for the evening.  Some traditions simply must be kept.  Jekyll upped the ante with a special beer he's stored for 5 years.  It was a 3 liter bottle of Victory's Ten Year Alt.  That's a Jeroboam in the Champagne world.  The difficulty was getting it open because the cork had solidified in the neck.  And it smelled great as we dug it out.  What we discovered was an amazing treat. (details at the end if you are interested)

I ended up sharing my fine bubbly.  Some received it well.  For those that didn't.... theirs went into my glass.

I don't make resolutions.  Resolutions are for the weak willed.  If you really want to change something, do it now.  January 1st is no different than any other day.  Now if you feel the need to make a list go ahead.  Make it something you can actually get behind and accomplish.  Not just lip service.  You'll be much happier during the process as well as satisfied with your accomplishment.  And have a Happy New Year 2011!

Ten Years Alt - This beer was made to celebrate Victory's 10 year anniversary.  The bottle is dated 02-Feb-2006.  I now proudly display it in my bar.  Inside it was cloudy, dark brown ale.  As I said above, it smelled great once we got it open.  The taste was not for the Bud drinker.  It had hints of maple, nuts and a nice roast.  The hops hit me in the middle and the malt finished it.  The beer was flat so even the carbonation turned into alcohol.  Got a buzz after half a glass.  We drank about a third of the bottle.  I got it down to half the bottle over the next few days before it started to go downhill.  Keeping it chilled was easy in this weather but I had no way properly close it.