As seen on Facebook

Oh, poor Schenectady.

I like Schenectady. I also like Troy.

Yes, I am odd but...living life in the suburbs makes your life a combination of a Rush song and a cliche.

Thank Me It's Friday

(not claiming any more divinity than usual as I am making more of a reference to the Batman Begins scene where he demands that the dirty cop "swear to me"...)

• Yes, it is Friday. Are you thanking your creator because They allowed you to see the sunrise, They did not destroy the world, or because you are completely banal?

• It is a gorgeous day in the Northeast and you should plan to spend the evening out of doors. I will be at one of TEA's baseball games and I am really looking forward to it. Teacher Dave gave him a pitching lesson the other day and it has improved his velocity as well as his accuracy.

• I need to pick up summer clothes for TEA and he has told me that his favorite color is aqua. I should ignore that impulse of his because unless you are a Miami Dolphin, aqua does not age well in photos.

• If you are in Troy, The Ruck is given over to the beers of Dogfish Head Brewery. Their beers are very tasty and they have great pub food. (And during the day, you are going to be less likely to run into the young people and the people who give Troy a bad reputation.)

• Oh, I went to the Planning Commission meeting in the City of Troy last night. There will be more on this later. I am torn on an emotional level about the McDonald's discussion but intellectually, come on...

• Finally, TEA still thinks that the pizza at the Hill Street Cafe is great.

A Weekend of Food

Have you ever had a weekend that was just full of great times, great people and great food and you want every part of your life to be like the previous weekend? Yeah, that is a really odd sentence and before I post this, I will think about making it better, but...you understand what I am trying to say. I had a great weekend and great food and the combination of the two were exactly what I needed and wanted and I hope that it is repeatable in the very near future.

Friday

The sliders (with Swiss), shoestring fries and Switchback Unfiltered Ale from McGeary's.

Before TEA's baseball game on Friday night, I needed something to eat and this hit the spot. I love these sliders and may have dreamed about them in the past. The Switchback has become my go-to beer as of late as well. While the game was not great (TEA's team was crushed, the closer for the other team was in tears on the mound, it was really chilly), the meal was wonderful.

Saturday
After a trip to the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market, where I became the Mayor on Foursquare and picked up my normal things as well as putting together a care package* for a friend, I stopped for lunch at Bootleggers on Broadway.

First, something to drink: Mountain Man Coffee from Spill n' the Beans and Harpoon Leviathan Quad. They are both incredibly tasty.

Earlier in the week, I had enjoyed a Cesar Salad at The Balkan in Utica and after I had enjoyed some falafel from Beirut while walking around the market, I wanted something tasty, light, and perfect for sitting outside in the sun and reading. This is a really good salad.

Sunday

Sunday breakfasts are wonderful, aren't they? Duncan's Dairy Bar is still my favorite place (and yes, I miss M.A.D.) and my order, as you well known, is almost always the same. This was rye, poached, home fries, and I was feeling the corned beef hash. My dining companion had the same but with bacon.

For Mother's Day, the family treated my mother to the wonderful food at New World Bistro Bar. For the starters, the table had the Meanhouse Chicken Wings, Pig's Head Torchon (which tasted like heaven!), and local spring asparagus. For the starter, I went with the big plate of the Yellow Curry Shrimp and Fat Noodles. I know that it looks good, but how it tasted? It was the best thing that I had put in my mouth in a long time.

So, that was the weekend, in short, where I was able to spend my time with people I love, doing things that I like to do, and eating some incredible food. I do wish that every moment could be like that. (Okay, I do not just wish it...I actually believe that every moment should be spent with the people you care about and food that it worth eating...otherwise, life because a lot less fun.)

*The Care Package
Sometimes you recognize that the people that you care about need some of the things that you love. In this case, it was peanut butter, pickles, hot sauce, and local honey.

Happy Mother's Day

My mom is awesome. Seriously.

She is a lot more awesome than your mom, but I am sure your mom is great...

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

(plus...she is a hottie. that's not weird, right?)