Did You Say Salsa?

The salsa chips you get at most Mexican restaurants are hard to beat.  I have never  found a really good grocery store chip that compares to them. This summer my wife stumbled upon Tostitos Cantina Thin and Crispy chips. In our family's opinion these are restaurant quality good!

I believe we are experts on this.   We have tried all kind of salsa chips.  We have even tried the chips named after famous Mexican restaurants but they always missed the mark.  These chips from Tostitos have the perfect balance of flavor, thinness, and crunch.  They are just as good plain as they are with your favorite salsa or cheese dip.  I have even tried them mixed in with taco salads.  

If you are looking for a good chip then I would highly recommend these.  Be careful you grab the right bag. Tostitos makes two kind of Cantina chips. The labels are similar. Make sure you get the ones with "Thin and Crispy"on the label.  One other word of advice if you buy these don't just get one bag.  One bag will not be enough. Trust me on this one.

It's a Smaller World

I got a package this past week from England.  I think this might be a first for me.  The package was a book that is not available in the United States.  I bought it through Amazon so I did not have to calculate exchange rates. It was a relatively painless process.  I even got the book in a couple of weeks.

It is truly amazing how much easier it is to interact with people we have never met.  It might be simple things like trying a recipe from a blogger on the West Coast.  Then contacting them via email, Twitter or Facebook letting them know you tried their recipe and liked it.  Most of the time you get a note back.  

I liked a page on Facebook from someone over in England who has a famous cat named Bob.  People from all over the world post pictures of cats that look like Bob.  They call them bobblegangers (for those of you that watch HIMYM it's the same as doppelgängers).    I have a cat that looks like Bob and I will occasionally post pictures of him.  I get "likes" from people whose names I could never ever pronounce.  

I still find it fascinating that when I post something there are people from all parts of the world that have a chance to read it.  I wonder what they think about some of the things I write about?  Are there things that I say that get lost in translation?  More than likely yes.  But, if most of my points or comments get across and the person on the other end gets a good laugh or learns something new then I have set out what I wanted to do.  

Watch Until You Drop

I recently found out my family is doing something that is all the rage right now.  It's called "binge watching".  I saw the term in Entertainment Weekly several months ago.  That was after my family had spent an entire weekend watching episodes of Once Upon a Time.  All of this was was made possible by the wonderful tool called Netflix and their streaming service.

We started out with Netflix several years ago with just the one DVD at a time option.  The first DVD we got was Paul Blart: Mall Cop.  After that one we averaged watching a movie each week. Then Netflix started their streaming service. They offered it free at first.   We watched it some but the titles were somewhat limited.  When Netflix went through their "New Coke" marketing snafu and tried to change their name we remained loyal.  We recently dropped the DVD option and have gone straight streaming.  We have supplemented the DVD option by using Redbox (another cool,concept).

The "binge watching" began with Once Upon a Time .  My kids have their shows which ranges from cartoons to science type shows.  The show that has recently gotten the most views in our home is Psych.  We are up to Season 3 Episode 12.  It's a funny show and its nice to be able to watch one of them when your schedule permits. 

"Binge watching" I know should be done in moderation just like everything else.  I know with the name "binge" in the title makes it seem like doing in moderation would be hard to do.  Some days, some weekends, some times of the year are made for "binge watching".  Who knows what next technological accomplishment will create the next trend?  Perhaps some device that instantly downloads hours of entertainment to your brain in a matter of minutes? Don't laugh we said the same thing about video streaming only a short time ago.  

In Search of the Pretzel Bun

It seems like we have been inundated with restaurants touting hamburgers and hot dogs on pretzel buns.  I've seen enough commercials that I now have to have pretzel buns.  Wendy's, Sonic and Ruby Tuesdays all have commercials featuring pretzel buns.  They look REALLY good,

We have not been eating out very often so I figured surely someone local sells pretzel buns.   I  "Googled" pretzel buns and got nothing.  Last week I saw a post from Publix showing these yummy looking hamburgers.  The buns kind of looked like pretzel buns but they were not.  I commented on their Facebook page suggesting they should add pretzel buns to their bread assortment.  A few hours later I got a response back from them saying "but we already do have pretzel buns".  An angelic chorus of "ahhs" went off in my head.  Could it have been this easy that all I had to do was drive down to my local Publix and try this heavenly concept for a bun?  I emailed my wife the glorious news.  I rushed out at lunch to my nearest Publix to snag a bag of pretzel buns.  You could imagine the look on my face when I found out these do not exist at least at the Birmingham Publix stores.  I was heartbroken.  I called my wife to break the news and before I could tell her, she said Publix does not have pretzel buns.  She had also gone to her nearest Publix and found out the sad truth as well.

That night the family trekked over to Red Robin....(yum).  It just so happens they have a limited time only Oktoberfest burger on a pretzel bun!  The Oktoberfest burger was way too busy for me so I worked with the waiter to replace a regular Red Robin burger with the pretzel bun.  I am not sure if it was the pedestal I had put the pretzel bun on, this particular pretzel bun or the Red Robin Burger .  It was not what I had hoped it would be.  

This has not deterred me.  I am in search of trying other pretzel buns.  I might even try to make some of my own.  I welcome any suggestions on where I can find a good pretzel bun.  It has now become my mission.  

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

The movie Paul Blart:  Mall Cop is one of my guilty pleasures.  It's a very hokey predictable movie.  I've seen it several times.  If I am flipping through the channels and it is on I will usually watch it. It's somewhat permanently etched into my brain.  I even let out a chuckle if I am at the Galleria and I see there are mall cops around.  Especially if they are on a Segway.  

There's a lot of good one liners in the movie.  Here are a few of my favorites.

"Peanut Butter:  It fills the cracks of the heart."

"Safety never takes a holiday."

"No one wins with a head butt"

"The mind is the only weapon that doesn't need a holster"

The lines are all delivered so seriously which makes them even more humorous.  

I did some research on the movie.  The film was shot at an actual mall in the Northeast.  The film was shot during the summer but the film takes place around Christmas.  People who shopped at the mall were a little shocked at seeing Christmas decorations in July.  Also some of the windows in the mall featured swimsuits instead of winter apparel.  I found out by looking at IMDB.com there are a lot of movie goofs in the movie. Next time the movie is on I will have to look for them.

I do like serious movies but sometimes I just want to watch something goofy.  So give me The Three Amigos, The Waterboy, and yes Paul Blart: Mall Cop!

Where Were You?

There are moments in your life where you never forget what you were doing when something significant occurred.  September 11, 2001 was one of those days.  The song Alan Jackson wrote called "Where were you when the world stopped turning?" is such a true reflection of how I felt that day.

I still remember that day being so caught up in what I had to get done.   There were work issues I was dealing with.  There was birthday party planning for our oldest.  Our youngest was due in December.  We also started a major renovation to our house on the morning of 9/11.

I remember getting a call from a co-worker that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  At that time everyone thought it was an accident.  For several hours afterwards, when it was obvious we were being attacked, I found it difficult to comprehend all of the events that were occurring.

By the mid morning the realization sunk in that this was a truly pivotal moment in our country.  So many people were impacted immediately by what was occurring.  A co-worker of mine had a husband in the reserve by the end of the workday he was shipping off to protect some undisclosed location.  We all felt scared, angry, hurt and confused.  Why was this happening?  

Each anniversary of 9/11 causes me to reflect on all of the feelings and emotions that we felt that day.  It still seems like yesterday even though it has been 12 years.  It's hard to believe this has happened long enough now that there are younger people who are too young to remember it.  They can only read about it in text books or watch videos about it.  My generation was too young to experience Pearl Harbor or the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  We read about it but it's not the same as living through it.

Several years after 9/11, I was at an FSU game and they had a beam from one of the World Trade 

Center towers.  I got to touch the beam.  All those emotions from that day came back to me in just that brief moment of seeing and touching that beam.

Unfortunately we will more than likely have many more  9/11 moments in our lifetime and our children's lifetime.  The uncertainty and evil in our world assures that.  I hope when that time comes we will react the way we did in 2001. We came together.  We helped each other out.  We were a lot nicer to each other.  It's unfortunate that it takes events like 9/11 for that to happen.  It's also unfortunate that this generosity and togetherness only lasts a short time before we go back to our old habits.

My hope and prayer is that we never forget what happened on 9/11.

It's All Greek For Me

I know Chobani has been in the press lately because of a less than stellar handling of a recall on some of their products due to some sort of mold that was causing their containers to bulge and to not smell and taste so good.  I am sorry that happened to them.  I am however happy that I had not purchased any of the recalled product.

A couple of years ago I was introduced to Greek yogurt.  At that time I was a regular yogurt eater.  I was a little skeptical of the Greek yogurt at first but thought I would give it a try.  The texture is different than regular yogurt.  It's a little thicker.  The flavor is a little more intense.  Both of these characteristics I really liked.  I started with a couple of flavors at first (strawberry, blueberry and peach).  

What I like most about Greet yogurt is it fills you up and it tastes really good.   It's a pretty satisfying snack.  I have branched out to several other flavors.  Apple Cinnamon  is my favorite.  I also like Mango, Pineapple, and Strawberry/Banana.  Lemon is pretty good as well.  Key Lime is awesome!

I like the nutritional aspect as well.  The extra protein in Greek yogurt is a plus.  The calories are about the same as regular yogurt.  Some of the Greek yogurt brands  seem to be a little more natural.   If you have not tried Greek yogurt I would suggest giving it a try. Although Chobani is good, there are other brands I like. A lot of other companies have gotten on the Greek yogurt band wagon.  The Yoplait 100 brand is pretty good and so is Dannon Oikos.  I am not as big a fan of the Greek yogurt ice cream. I tried the Ben and Jerry's flavors once and I did not like it. Something got lost in the translation. 

Help! I'm Stuck in a HGTV Twilight Zone

I am not knocking HGTV. Next to Disney Channel its probably the most watched channel in our house.  I truly believe it would be a great question for the A.C.T.  "ESPN is to men as HGTV is to women".  I actually don't mind watching some of the programs on the channel.  I actually like watching OTHER people do home improvement projects.  As long as it's not me doing the work I love it.  That's where the problem starts.  I have entered the HGTV Twilight Zone.  Over the last few weeks I feel like I am living HGTV episodes.  I have had to put on many Mr. Fix It hats.  

The first hat was a plumbers hat.  We have had a few leaks and toilets running intermittent times during the day.  I have had to replace various parts of the toilet.  Each requiring various trips to Home Depot and Lowes.  Sometimes I would solve the problem immediately.  Other times it would require a second and third trip.  I am actually somewhat proficient on the inner workings of the toilet.  There has not been very many disasters with these repairs.

The next hat has been a painter's cap.  Our deck needed to be repainted and we went with Home Depot's Deck repair.  I wont go into too much detail on this one.  This is well worth an entire posting.  Let me just say we bought the paint on July 4th weekend and we are not through painting yet.  This project has been back breaking.  We have even been attacked by a swam of Mosquitos.  This has been a group family project.  Children at times can be cheap labor.  If only we had more kids!  We still don't have an ETA yet.  My hope would be before the end of October.  

The next hats are ones I don't plan to wear for the latest breakdowns.  Our stove top started sparking last week. I don't mess with sparking especially on high voltage appliances.  I am passing on this one.  Then our TV decided not to acknowledge the existence of either remote.  I was hoping it was a simple fix with new batteries.  We are not so lucky.  I am somewhat proficient with setting up electronics. I have taken out hard drives on computers and installed memory.  I do not plan on tackling this one.  I know this will require taking it somewhere to be repaired.  Which means I might get it back before bowl season.  At least I got to see the first two weeks of college football in high definition.

If these were the only issues I would not be so worked up but I know it's just the tip of the iceberg.  I see other potential repairs on the horizon that will make me feel like I am in another HGTV episode.  If only I could TIVO to the end and the projects would be finished.  

BTC Free Trail Run at Oak Mountain

This weekend I inadvertently when way out of my comfort zone by running the most challenging trail race I have ever run.  I am a member of the Birmingham Track Club and took them up on their offer to run a FREE trail race at Oak Mountain.  Yes, I said free.  I got a great technical t-shirt made by Merrell a chance to run a competitive race and post race food and refreshments!

There were three trail races to choose from.  There was a 4 mile, 8 mile and 14 mile course.  I chose the 8 mile option. I have run a few trail races before including a half marathon trail run.  I felt like the 8 mile race was doable.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning at Oak Mountain State Park.   I was not that familiar with the course.  I have run at Oak Mountain before but not the trails on this side of the park.  I heard rumors before the race that there were some hills in the course.  I  started to have flashbacks of when I ran the Peavine Fall Run and the Statue to Statue Race for the first time.  What have I gotten myself into?

The first mile started innocently enough.  The trail was narrow and there were a few twists and turns.  There were tree roots to avoid and narrow bridges to run over.  This was nothing new for me on a trail run.  It was right before mile two that made me realize I was going to be challenged.  At 1.7 miles I was  running at an elevation of 665 feet which was about 50 feet higher than where I started.  At this point I would begin a slow gradual climb up very rugged terrain to reach 1,280 feet.  I walked up this hill for way over a mile.  I thought at this point I would finish the race maybe around lunch time (it started at 8 AM).

During this long trek up hill I was breathing pretty hard and I could tell my heart rate was up.  I have to admit the possibility of DNF crossed my mind.  Once I reached the top I was still breathing heavy but resisted the temptation of walking.  I continued a slow steady jog.  It was beautiful at the top of this peak and there was a nice cool breeze.  I got my second wind and started my descent down the trail.

Trail running has a lot of mental mind checks.  I was right in the middle of one.  During miles four through six I did not see a lot of people on the trail.  I was by myself.  I questioned whether I was going the right way.  I kept seeing the blue flags so I was hoping I was on the correct path.  At this point I had not had any major trip ups or falls but as usual I tripped on level ground where there was a minimal amount of rugged terrain.  I scraped my knee a little bit and my palm but nothing major.

I was very happy to see the aid station around mile six to confirm I was on the right path.  I did see a few more runners at this point so that made me feel better.  I did get concerned as I made the turn away from the aid station that maybe I went the wrong way.  I really got concerned as my GPS watch read I had gone eight miles and the finish line was nowhere in sight.  When my watch read I had gone 8.5 miles I really got concerned.  At this point I figured if I am going the wrong way I will eventually see civilization again.

When my watch read 8.7 miles I could see in the clearing I was near the finish line.  I was very happy to cross the line.  I was a little sore and a little tired.  I had a great sense of satisfaction completing this race.  It made me feel like I was back on track with my training.  This race gave me a lot of motivation to continue increasing my training for future road and trail races.

Thank you to the Birmingham Track Club (www.birminghamtrackclub.com), Mountain High Outfitters (http://www.mountainhighoutfitters.com) and the Southeastern Trail Series (www.southeasterntrailruns.com) for putting on this race.  What a great experience this was.  I can't wait to put on my trail shoes and take another run through the woods!

It's a Magic Race

At the end of August the Magic City Half Marathon revealed a new logo.

I have been a huge fan of this race since it was first announced back in 2011.  I circled the date on my calendar and was one of the first people to sign up.  This race will always be special to me because it was my first half marathon.  I could not have asked for a better first half marathon race experience.

I had made the decision in the Summer of 2011 that I was going to set running a half marathon as a goal.  My initial plan was to make the Mercedes Race held in Birmingham as my first half marathon.  Then this race was announced and that it was going to be held in November.  I quickly knew changing my goal to this race was a good idea.

The first year of the race it was named the Ruben Studdard Half Marathon.  I was a big fan of Ruben when he was on American Idol. I knew his initial goal was to run the half marathon.  He ended up running the 5K race instead.  Sometimes you have to modify your goals.  I respected that.  He ran the 5K and finished it.  This year he is  going to be on The Biggest Loser (Biggest Loser Link).  I wish him the best of luck as he competes on this show.

The course takes you into parts of Birmingham you might not venture on a regular basis.  You start out at Boutwell Auditorium just like the Mercedes Race but you go in the opposite direction.  You go toward Interstate 65 and go by Legion Field and Rickwood Field.  Then you work your way back toward Birmingham going by Railroad Park.  The last part of the race takes you up a long gradual hill.  You double back on this hill and head toward the finish line.  The last mile is through a tunnel.  You emerge from the tunnel and head toward the finish line.    Just describing the course makes me excited about the next time I get to run the race again in November!  Here's a link to the course map.

Course Map

The finish line is also something special.  For the past two years there has been a band with music playing.  There has also been a fitness competition going on.  It's a great atmosphere.  The weather has been awesome the past two years.  Both years I have run comfortably in shorts and a t-shirt.

If you are a new runner and only have experience running 5K's and 10K's and have thought about running a half marathon, this is the race for you!  It's a little more laid back than Mercedes since there are less people running. It's at a great time of the year.  To prepare for the race I ran a few 5K's in October and then ran the Vulcan Run 10K the first week of November.  This helped me greatly prepare for the race.

Here's a link to the website to learn more about the race and to sign up.

Magic City Half Marathon Website

Good Luck and Happy Running!

Chick Fil A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce: This Stuff Rocks!

Several years ago I discovered a wonderful condiment that Chick-Fil-A offers for Lunch and Dinner.  It's their Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce.  It's got a unique taste that's great for putting on most of the chicken Chick-Fil-A serves.  This is not the sauce that comes in the plastic dipping container.  This sauce comes in a ketchup type package.  I assume that means Chick-Fil-A thinks it is only being used as a condiment for their Grilled Chicken sandwiches.  In fact we use it on their nuggets and even dip their waffle fries with it. I've been known to even put some on my finger and eat it straight from the package.

This sauce is not something that Chick Fil A voluntarily hands out. You have to ask for it.   My oldest loves this sauce and begs for as many packets as she can from the Chick-Fil-A cashier.  Unbeknownst to her once she got a lot of these packets from a young male cashier that thought she was cute. We also once ordered a party tray of the nuggets and got a good supply of the sauce to last several weeks.  

I am not exactly sure what is in it.  I did some research on line and found out we are not the only ones that have a passion for this sauce.  Apparently there are people with knock off recipes for this sauce.  According to the knock off recipes the main ingredients are honey and Dijon mustard. 

All I can say it's good stuff.  One thing I have not tried this sauce is with breakfast.  With it being Chick -Fil-A Free Breakfast Day next week, (yes, I got a reservation before they stopped them!)  I have already reserved some Chicken Mini's.  Hmmm....that might not be a bad combination.  Perhaps I will give it a try!

Slacking Update: Week One

I apologize again.  This post is mostly for my benefit.  Last week was a good week. I obtained my goal of working out four days.  I ran almost double the amount I ran for the previous week.  It was a good start back.  I did get some grief from the people I normally see at the gym.  They asked me where I had been.  For me, it's good to get feedback like that.  It motivates me.

Most of my gym workouts were pretty good last week except for Friday. I wanted to take a Spinning Class but it was already full at 5:30 in the morning.  Usually I have a backup plan but that morning I hedged all my bets on that I would be Spinning. I had to use the dreaded treadmill.  I tried one of the new treadmills the gym just put in.  It has a large screen where you can program what scenery you want to look at while you are running so you won't be reminded you are running in one place.  I chose the "Road to Oahu".  This was supposedly a scenic road from someplace in Hawaii to another place.  It was really nice scenery.  However, I realized there is no way I could ever run on this road.  It was a two lane narrow winding road with no shoulder. Any runner would not last a mile before getting sideswiped by a car or motor cycle. On top of that after 35 minutes the machine just reset on its own. So I never actually got to Oahu.  It was very disappointing.

I felt so good Saturday I decided to compete in my first college cross country track meet.  Well, not exactly.  I was at Veteran's Park Saturday morning when Samford University was hosting the University of Alabama Cross Country Team.  The course was not closed so I was running at the same time they were.  They finished the course in a lot quicker time than I did.  It was awesome watching them run.  I never really thought about attending a cross country meet but it looked like a lot of fun. The Samford Men beat Alabama and the Alabama Women beat Samford.

Their meet did inspire me to enter a race.  I have a few scheduled later in the year but decided to enter one for September.  It's an eight mile trail race I have never run before so I really don't have a benchmark to go by.  I plan to run for fun and I was planning to run that distance anyway.

All in all it was a good week.  I followed most of the goals I had set for myself.  Except I might have crossed the line on using food as a reward. I mostly blame myself but I also blame that Plain Chicken Lady (Plain Chicken ).  Last week she had to post a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Muffins. Let me just say they were pretty darn good.  Here is what our version looked like and the link to the recipe she posted Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Muffins .

Oh well, I'll just add a few miles to next week's training schedule!

In the Midst of Volleyball Greatness

As you probably know this past weekend was the first weekend of college football.  I watched a few of the games that morning but none of them were that great.  Texas A&M was somewhat interesting but that was about it.  Saturday afternoon I took a break from football, coincidentally during the Alabama game (please forgive me) to attend a Samford University volleyball match with my oldest.

This particular match Samford played the University of Minnesota.  The University of Minnesota is a national power in volleyball and are currently ranked sixth in the country.  This was the first time my oldest and I have attended a volleyball match at Samford.  I was extremely impressed with their facilities and their program.  First off I expected them to charge admission but they did not.  In fact they don't charge admission to any of their home games.  We sat on the front row.  There's really not a bad seat in the house.

Samford played a good game but Minnesota beat them in three straight sets.  There's a reason why Minnesota is ranked so high.  They are a very powerful team.  There roster is mostly Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors.   They only have two Seniors.  This team plays very well together.  They do a great job communicating and are very athletic.  I predict this team will win a National Championship in the next three years. Minnesota's coach also coached the Women's US Olympic team in 2012.  He coached that team to the gold medal round where they lost to Brazil.

I really enjoyed watching both teams play.  I liked the way Samford kept on fighting against Minnesota and I commend them for taking on such a difficult team so early in the season.   This will only make them better as they get into conference play.  I read on Samford's website they were picked to win the Southern Conference.  They have some really good players on their team I think they will have a successful season. I would encourage everyone to attend a match.  It's great family entertainment at an awesome price!

Samford Volleyball 2013 Schedule

As a side note I have to say that Saturday night I did watch the Clemson vs. Georgia football game (great game by the way).  First off ACC!  ACC!  ACC!.  Second I did have my IPad  next to me watching the FSU. vs. LBSU vollebyall game via a feed that LBSU provided.  FSU. beat Long Beach State in five sets.  It was the first time that FSU has ever beaten LBSU.  It was a great match.  Something tells me that FSU and Minnesota might be playing each other in some post season tournament.


Good luck to FSU, Samford and Minnesota this season!

It's Your Responsability To Spell Check

About a week ago the local high schools had their first football games.  This week did not count.  They call them "jamboree" games.  There was one particular game that created a lot of buzz.  Unfortunately not for the actual football game but for a sign the Hoover Bucs football team ran through.  The sign read "Hoover Football Cannot Be Held Responsable For Ruffled Feathers".

I have no idea how this spelling error was missed.  Especialy knowing that several eyes saw the banner while it was being made.  I am not the one to cast stones toward the persons that made the error as I am no Rhodes Scholar when it comes to spelling and grammar.  

Actually, I feel somewhat responsible as I was in Hoover High School a couple of weeks before this game and saw the cheerleaders working on a banner.  I remember smelling that familiar permanent marker smell. I am not sure if it was THE banner but it might have been.  If only I had taken the time to actually look at the banner I might have been able to save some embarrassment to the school.  Or would I?  See I went to high school at one of Hoover's cross town rivals.  My oldest currently attends another cross town rival high school of Hoover.  Frankly the site of that orange and black makes me a little sick to my stomach.  Even with all of this said I would have more than likely taken the high road and made the call out.  

Who knows how it got past everyone at the school. However, I am pretty sure going forward several faculty members will be stopping by the poster making area checking the grammar and spelling for any future banners that are displayed.  I am also sure there will be a few of Hoover's opponents who will more than likely have signs mentioning this gaffe.  I am looking forward to see what their opponents will come up with.   Hmmm...maybe I should print up some t-shirts with #RESPONSABLE on the front.

Welcome Back Twinkies!

This past week I was reintroduced to all of the Twinkie products that were away from us for awhile. There was a huge endcap at the local Wal Mart a few weeks ago and I meant to buy some then but did not.  So this week I took the plunge .  I got one box of Twinkies and one box of their Cupcakes.  The Twinkies were exactly as I remembered them.  Of course I did not eat them plain.  I put a Twinkie in a bowl and put chocolate ice cream over it.  If you have never tried this I would highly recommend it.  As the chocolate ice cream melts it is absorbed by the Twinkie.  You would think the Twinkie would get too soggy but it doesn't. It's a nice occasional indulgence.

The other product I tried was their Cupcakes.  These I just eat straight.  I have not had one of these in years.  It was pretty good.  The classic was seeing my youngest biting into one for the first time.   You could tell he did not know there was creme filling in the middle.  The expression on his face was priceless.

I am glad to see the Twinkie's products are back.  I thought the whole national outcry when they went away was a bit much.  Especially the people who hoarded them and tried to sell them on Ebay.  However, it would have been a bummer if we had lost these.  I have to admit I was not a huge consumer of these but now that they are back I plan to put them in the occasional "treat" rotation.

Hey Publix! This Flavor Rocks!!!

This past weekend I was at my local Publix picking up a few things.  As usual the last stop I make is to the ice cream section to check and see what ice cream they have on sale.  This week they had their house brand on sale.  At most other grocery stores that would be a real downer but not at Publix. Their house brand ice cream is AWESOME!  In the past my favorite flavor has been Chocolate Trinity.  It is some of the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had.  They have a pretty good Moose Tracks as well.  And their Cherry Chocolate Chip ice cream is nothing to sneeze at.

This weekend I discovered a flavor of ice cream called Chocolate Cookie Quarry.  Wow!  It's chocolate ice cream with a Oreo type cookie mixed in.  Instead of it just being chunks of the cookie they somehow figured out how to pulverize the cookie when they mixed it into the ice cream.  It's a taste that is hard to describe.  

Now let me even amaze you even more. The Chocolate Cookie Quarry is not ice cream at all...it's FROZEN YOGURT!  I picked it up not realizing this.  The flavor just sounded awesome.  My first bowl of this frozen yogurt made me loudly proclaim "this is the best ice cream ever!"   The next night I went to grab another bowl and noticed on the carton that it was frozen yogurt.   So then I loudly proclaimed "this is the best frozen yogurt ever!"  My family thought I was really weird but I make no apologies when it comes to ice cream or in this case frozen yogurt.

Great job Publix.  It's going to take a lot to top this flavor!

Slacker: Part Two

This is one of these posts that I write for the benefit of me.  My hope is that it will motivate me a little more in getting back on track.  Last week did not go as I had planned.  I hoped to make it to the gym.  But it was not meant to be.  School started last week for my children and that seemed to throw me off my schedule.  I had a few other obligations that were not really legitimate excuses on why I could not work out.  However I did a good job of convincing myself that they were.

I ended up not going near the gym the entire week.  I did get off my butt on Saturday for a run.  It was a struggle.  I got out to the trail a little later than I wanted to and it was already pretty humid.  I ran for 6.5 miles.  It was not the best run for me, but at least I did get out there.  However, I felt it the rest of the weekend.  It's amazing how quickly your body can forget that running 6.5 miles should be pretty easy.  I should be able to run at least 10 miles.

Here's hoping this week will be better.  I have mapped out a realistic workout schedule.  I have mixed in some cross training with a spinning class and some weights.  I have three runs scheduled.  Two runs of around three miles either outside or on an indoor track and one long run for Saturday.  I hope to report good news next week.  

Cats

I have been around cats most of my life.  Currently in our family we have two.  Both cats found us verses us finding them.  The cat we have had the longest showed up at our door step one day.  She showed up on our deck. We fed her and then we took her to our vet just to get her checked out.  The next thing I knew she was a part of our life.  She was a skittish cat when we first got her but you could tell she wanted to be part of a family.  It took a little work but she adjusted to the other cat we had at the time.

She is a tortoiseshell cat.  These cats have what is called "tortitude".  They are very opinionated.  Not that we can talk cat but this cat does a good job expressing her feelings by the tone of her meows. This cat is very loyal to our family and makes it a point to check on each family member before she settles in for the night.  She almost always sleeps at the edge of our bed but only on the side of the bed my wife sleeps on.  If my wife is out of town she does not sleep on the bed.  She also has this strange habit of bringing a stuffed animal to my wife several times during the day.  The stuffed animal is Swiper from Dora the Explorer.   We sometimes will hide Swiper in various places in the house but the cat always seems to find it.

Our other cat also found us.  We had been at our vet's office for one of our other cats.  The vet often has cats up for adoption that people have found.  This orange tabby immediately captured our hearts when we first met him.  It only took a few visits for us to realize we needed to bring him home.  This cat likes to be the center of attention and has a huge ego.  We facilitated this by entering his picture in the Page A Day Cat calendar.  We were very happy to find out that he made the calendar.

This cat loves to eat.  My wife has done a good job of keeping both cats on a regimented feeding schedule.  We have an automatic feeder that drops food in the morning and around dinner.  It's funny how the cats know about what time the food will be there.  They start congregating around the feeder.  When the food does drop the orange tabby is the first at the feeder.  

(Swiper by the food bowl)

Both cats are very close to everyone in our family.  I can't imagine what it would be like not to have them in our lives.  I do think they help you keep your stress levels down.  They are great with our children. Sometimes they can be a pain but that's another thing cats teach us....patience.

THE Fall Sport is About Start!

Yes, it's about that time again.  THE Fall sport is about to start.  The athletes have been practicing getting ready for the season.  You know what sport I am talking about.   Volleyball season is starting!  I know, I know, that might not be the sport you were thinking I was talking about but in our household it's what we eat, sleep and breathe.  My oldest started playing volleyball a little over five years ago.  I was aware of the sport prior to her starting to play it.  I played it some in college on a intramural team.  I went to FSU and attended many of the women's team games.  Gabrielle Reece played for the Noles when I was at FSU.  The games were a lot of fun to attend. My wife and I even got to see volleyball played in the Olympics when the games were in Atlanta.  We have also been to some UAB games both indoor and sand.

I was really excited when my oldest wanted to give it a try.  However, Fourth grade volleyball was a little difficult to watch. If (that's a big if) you get the ball over the net you are pretty much assured of a point.  Fifth and Sixth grade was a little more competitive.  Most of the girls still served underhanded so they usually got the  ball over the net.  At this age the girls can actually get the ball back over the net to return the serve.   Some girls start serving over handed and if they can, the intimidation factor alone is worth a few points.  

Now we have moved onto High School volleyball.  I can already tell this is going to be more intense.  This summer was spent with "volunteer" workouts.  Practices involved a lot more running and even involved lifting weights with a conditioning coach.  I can see significant improvement in the volleyball play so far.

This year I am getting a little more involved as a parent and will be attempting the role of scorekeeper and libero tracker.  I initially thought how hard can this be?  I found out real quick at the hour plus long training class this was a big deal.  First they had a Power Point presentstion that had about fifty slides.  The guy going over the slides has been doing this for years and did not know how to teach newbies.  After the training class I knew this would require further research.  I found a website with a pretty good Power Point and have been studying it.  The first games are at the beginning of September.  Hopefully I will be ready.  

I am looking forward to the season. I can't wait to see my oldest play.  I look forward to watching the Noles volleyball team play on TV.  Hopefully, we will even catch a UAB game.  It should be a lot of fun.  And yes, I will be watching that other Fall sport with the brown ball.  

The Fizz is Gone

I have a major weakness with my love of carbonated drinks.  I love the taste and could drink them all day.  I have been drinking them a little more than usual lately.  I think this has been one of the factors that has impacted my running performance.  I am not a doctor and do not claim to have any medical knowledge of why this would be the reason.  I have read studies and seen blurbs on the news about why carbonated drinks are bad for you.  I have read that even diet drinks are not that good for you.  Something about the brain thinks its really sugar and it makes you more hungry.  Then I have also read that it slows down your metabolism.  These may or may not be true and I am sure there are plenty of other studies that say the opposite.

If you think about what it is in these drinks it is kind of concerning.  Especially the diet drinks.  All of the artificial sweeteners that have come out over the years start out promising but inevitably some study will come out saying it causes some medical condition.  Even the non diet drinks have corn syrup in them now instead of sugar and supposedly that's not so great for you either.

My opinion is that inevitably everything in excessive amounts is probably not good for you.  So drinking soda is probably OK for you if you drink them in moderation.  I just have a tough time with moderation when it comes to soda.  I think it has to be all or nothing for me.  I have gone cold turkey several times giving up soda.  Usually this occurs during Lent.  I have had success in doing this each time.  But when Lent is over I quickly jump back into my old habits.  

So I am going to try giving them up for awhile.  I will see if there are any noticeable differences over the upcoming weeks.  It's going to be a tough ride but I feel like it is worth a try.

The Child Has Begun to Teach the Parent

I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past few months with my children.  I think the balance has shifted from what I am teaching them to more of what they are teaching me.  Gone are the days of teaching my children the simple basic skills of life.  They have begun to master most of these.   Now it's more often them telling me some fact or skill that I did not know.  Don't get me wrong I do still have them beat on learning life lessons and they still have to be reminded to remember to do certain tasks.  I am not ready to be put out to pasture yet but I do feel like I can now see the pasture off in the distance.

There are some noticeable knowledge gaps.  They definitely have me beat with video games.  That ship sailed several years ago and I know I will never be able to catch up.  Board games used to be a sure bet but that is no longer the case.  Both my kids are very competitive and are pretty ruthless especially when we play Monopoly.  My only hope now are trivia games that have obscure pop culture questions from the 70's and 80's.  

Although I am still pretty tech savvy there are times when they will do something on the Ipad that I have never seen before.  I can still teach them things about a personal computer but who uses those anymore?  I still don't need their help on how to use the TIvo or cable remote.  

Yes it is pretty cool to know your kids are at a point in their life where you can see all the things you have been teaching them over the years actually did process in their head.  It's also cool when they show you something they have discovered and it broadens your perspective just as much as theirs.  

Although my kids are teaching and sharing new things with me, I know that there are still plenty of things left to teach on the parent side. Driving lessons, decisions about college, help with homework are still on the agenda. I look forward to those teaching moments but I have to say the learning moments are fun too.

Starting Over/Slacker

I took a week off and did not exercise Sunday through Friday due to this calf injury thing I have going on.  Well, almost a week.  By Saturday I felt like a real slacker.  I decided to see if I my six days off was enough.  I went to my local gym lifted a few weights and then hit the indoor track for a three mile jaunt.  I wore one compression sock on the bad calf.  And yes, wearing one compression sock is funnier looking than wearing two.   I ran a good pace and felt pretty good. On my third mile I decided to turn it up some and run at a quicker pace.  Another guy was running on the track who was much younger than me.  I passed him on the second lap of my last mile.  I could hear him behind me on the remaining laps.  I kept the pace up and he never passed me.  My last mile was the fastest of the three I ran.  I know it had to do with me not wanting to get passed.  As I was leaving the gym the guy that was running behind me, asked how much I had run and told me he had been trying to keep up with me.  That was a good feeling.

When I got home my oldest child wanted to go walking at Veteran's Park.  I still felt pretty good so I changed into my trail shoes and off we went.  We ended up walking over three miles.  It took about an hour to do that and I got to spend some quality time talking with my oldest.  

These two runs, one was really a walk,  were a good start to getting back on track.  The first run really made me realize that when I get pushed a little bit I perform better.  Now I just need to figure out how to internally motivate and push myself every time I run and/or workout.  

Funny thing happened after we finished our walk.  I forgot to stop my GPS watch.  It was a very cool day so I had the window down when we drove off.    I never lost the signal.  A half mile down the road I heard my watch beep to let me know I hit my fourth mile.  Needless to say that was my best half mile split of the day!

Hello Paul

I think I started listening to the Paul Finebaum show in the late eighties early nineties.  I listened to his show mostly for the entertainment value.   I never took Paul Finebaum as an expert on sports. At least not with the mechanical and statistical side of sports.   Statistics, sports records, positions on a team are not his thing.  I think the only way Paul knows these things is by looking them up on the Internet.  

I did read his sports column when he wrote for The Birmingham Post Herald.  I enjoyed his column and the insight he had on the inner workings of college sports.  His radio show initially had a sidekick.  The sidekick was usually more knowledgeable about sports.  I specifically remember Bob Lochamy.  Bob knew the Birmingham sports scene very well.  However, Paul always did a good job of making Bob his straight man or fall guy.  Paul has always done a good job of generating controversy.  Paul's show really began to take off when the regular callers became a major part of the show.  The first caller I remember the most was "Don from Downtown". 

Over the years Paul lost his co host, changed stations a few times and moved toward a national audience when he was heard on XM radio.  Paul has also benefited on being in the right place at the right time with having the college sports world focused on Alabama the last few years with Alabama and Auburn winning the last four National Championships.   As the year have progressed my listening time for Paul had became very selective.  Some of his regular callers irritated me.  So when they came on I would switch to another station.  I am also not a huge Alabama or Auburn fan so many times I chose not to be a part of the "love fest".  I liked it better when both teams were down.  It made for more interesting radio.

When Paul's show was taken off the air I have to say it was a little odd not being able to listen to him over the last seven months.  Especially when major sporting events broke.  However I did find other stations to listen to and survived.   

Now Paul is back on the air.  I listened to him a few times and it appears he has picked up right where he left off.  The Alabama love fest continues.  The callers are as obnoxious as ever.  I will still listen to him occasionally.  Especially when the football season starts and when the next big controversy breaks.  

Another Summer is in the Books

This weekend is the last unofficial weekend of the summer for my family.  School starts on Monday.  It's hard to believe I am now the father of a junior high and high school student.  How did this happen?

I still remember dropping my first born off to school for kindergarten on the first day.  The drill has changed over the years.  We used to walk our kids into class give them a hug before they start their first day.  They are too old for that now.  We will still do the traditional first day of school picture in front of our refrigerator.  I will still try to sneak hugs before they go on their way.  I will still think about them while I make my way to work. I will still have that same butterfly in the stomach feeling for them like I used to have when I went to school on the first day.  

This year seems different.  My oldest is four short years away from going to college. My youngest is only three short years away from high school.   I totally understand what they mean when it is said time goes by faster as you get older.

This weekend we will try to keep the pace a little slower than usual knowing that the weeks to follow will be crazy with homework, class projects, and other activities.  I am looking forward to what the school year has in store.  It's been a wild ride so far and there is no doubt in my mind it will be just as crazy this year.

So goodbye summer you were not around very long but we enjoyed the extra time you gave us to spend time together as a family.  

My Time Was What?????

I have been experiencing a disturbing trend in the races I have been running lately.  My race times have been considerably slower than the last time I ran the same race.  When this happened for the first few races I chalked it up to marathon training.  I was running a lot of long distances at a slower pace.

Now it's been over six months since I ran the marathon and my times are still slower.  I am now having to rethink my training.  My past race time was over two minutes slower than my time the previous year for the same race.  Now either last year was a fluke or I was really in shape last year.  I do have a sore calf and I could blame it on that but I don't think that is the reason.  

I think it's time to mix up the workouts and push myself more on my practice runs.  I need to cross train more and cut back on the desserts.  I have a real bad habit of rewarding myself after workouts with food.   That one will hurt the most.

I am obviously in a racing rut.  I do have a delicate balance here to make sure I don't make this calf injury worse.  Luckily I don't have any races officially scheduled until November.  Depending how I progress I hope to award myself with a surprise race.

So in summary:

1.  Cut back on the sweets.

2.  Don't use food/sweets as rewards for exercising

3.  Cross train a little more.

4.  Make sure you do speed workouts twice a week.

5.  Don't blow out your calf muscle.

I feel a big commitment to these goals as I am posting them for all to see.  That's what the Internet is for right?  So if you see me out and about and my portion sizes look a little too large or I am slacking too much at the gym.  Feel free to cast a  judgmental gaze toward my way.  I'll get the message.  

Wow! I Should Have Stopped Here Sooner!

After watching the Bizarre Foods America episode about Birmingham I realized how many restaurants I drive by and make the decision not to eat there solely based on the location of the restaurant or the appearance.

Niki's West is a good example of this.  It's in an area of town I don't normally get to and the outside of the building has a circa 1950/60 look.  I know to go there based on growing up in Birmingham and their great food reputation. Otherwise I would never have stopped and eaten there.

Niki's West Web Site

Last weekend I went to The Bright Star in Bessemer.  Again it's not an area of town I normally frequent.  It's not easy to find.  However, the food is great.  The history of the restaurant and all of the pictures and mementos inside the building are an added bonus when you go to eat there.

Bright Star's Web Site

I am often around West Valley Avenue.  There are many restaurants on that road most I am sure people drive by and don't even give a second thought of stopping there.  I think about that when I go to Naji's Pita Gourmet.  I have eaten there for years. But the building is not that impressive on the outside.  On the inside there is a small place to eat and a small market.  The food is always good.  Naji's was one of the first places I ate a pita wrap at.  Their toasted pita chips are addicting. I have been known just to stop in and grab a bag of their freshly baked chips to eat.  

Naji's Website

I don't know that I would always take a chance on a place based on what it does or does not look like.  I think that's the beauty of social media.  It gives a whole new meaning to "word of mouth".  

The Socks Are On

Last week I somehow managed to irritate some muscles, ligaments, bones or something in the calf area of my leg.  This pain was a little more pronounced than the usual soreness I have experienced running.  By mid week I knew this issue was not going away.  I had a race scheduled on Saturday and knew I needed to do something before then.   I looked on the Internet for suggestions and the common theme was compression socks.

I started seeing runners wearing these about a year ago.  I get the basic concept of how they worked.  The socks help get blood flowing back to the heart to be oxygenated and then back to that area of the leg. This helps with muscle and tissue repair.   I still thought they looked funny.  But for me right now these were desperate times.  

I made the decision to head down to The Trak Shak (Trakshak Link) to get some more information on these.  One of the guys at The Trak Shak was very helpful.  He measured my calf.  Yes compression socks are by size.  I found out that my calf is a little on the large side so there were not a lot of different colors to choose from.  I chose black.  I was a little shocked at the price but again these were desperate times.  I went with a brand made by a local company.  The company' name is Dynamic Sports Products.  Click here for their website (XMR Website).  Here is a link to their Facebook Page
(Dynamic Sports Facebook Page).

At home I tried them on.  There are specific instructions on how they should be put on and taken off.  I have to say they felt pretty good and I did feel immediate relief with my calf.  I decided if I was going to have a respectable showing in the race I would have to wear these.   

The Saturday morning of the race I put my socks on.  I have to say I did look funny but more like I was dressed to play soccer than run a race.  I did have a respectable showing in the race but my time was slower than last year. I don't think my injury or the socks had anything to do with that.  That's a topic for a different post.   I do know that I would not have been able to run the race without wearing the socks and I more than likely would have done more damage to my calf.  I will more than likely need to wear the socks for a few weeks when I run until whatever is going on goes away.  Hopefully, it goes away!

Running for Dad

This past weekend I ran in the Baby Steps 5K race held at beautiful Tannehill State Park in McCalla Alabama. This is the third year in a row that I have run this race. I will always make sure this race is on my calendar every year. 

The race was started by two families with a common bond. They both experienced the untimely death of a child. They decided to start this race to help benefit an organization that helped them with their healing process after this tragic event occurring in both their lives. The Amelia Center is an organization that gives counseling and support to grieving families.  Here is a link to The Amelia Center's Website.

The Amelia Center

Both of the couples stories are very inspiring.  Their motto for the race is "Together WE'VE taken BABY STEPS to mend broken hearts".  You can read their stories at this link.  

Baby Steps Web Site     Click the "Meet the Race Directors" on the main page.

Four years ago in August my father passed away. When I decided to sign up for the Baby Steps 5K, I did not know how the race was started.   A couple of weeks before the race I got an email from the race director that the race was a memorial race and those who wanted to could submit a name of a deceased family member.   There would be memorial signs created with that person's name on it. The signs were placed at the beginning and end of the race course.  Suddenly, I had a fitting tribute to honor my dad each year in the way I knew best....running.  I decided to run this memorial race each year in the very month he passed away as a tribute to him.

On the morning of the race I got to the racing venue early.   I found my dad's memorial sign, said a prayer and took a walk along the course by myself.  This morning it was a little more muggy and wet due to all of the rain we have had lately.  As I was walking I came upon a few deer wandering around the park.

I passed by a sign for what I guess was an old stage coach road called the Old Montevallo Stage Road.  I wonder what that road would have been like back then.  What stories were made on that trail and if any of my ancestors might have traveled on it.

As I finish my walk, I get back into race mode.  The race starts on pavement and winds through the park.   The course gives you a good feel of the park. Part of the race takes you by one of the camping areas.  You see people just waking up not realizing there is a race going on.  You smell fresh coffee being made and sometimes you smell someone cooking bacon, hmmmm bacon.  Just when you get used to the course it moves from pavement to trail.  The trail is not very complicated but you do have to watch your step.  Also, there a few hills on the trail.  At this point if you have a GPS watch you know there's not too much left in the race.  You emerge from the trail and hit pavement again.  The last quarter mile is a sprint to the finish.  It's a challenging course for people who run the course and those that choose to walk the course.

In addition to the memorial signs of deceased loved ones, at the end of the race after the awards ceremony,  there is a balloon release.  Racing participants are invited to release a balloon in honor of the memory of their loved one.  It's a very special moment.    I released my balloon, said a prayer and got a little choked up as the balloon rose into the sky.  Around me I saw other families releasing their balloons, some smiling, some hugging and some crying into the arms of their spouse.  

I leave this race with a different feeling than I have from any other race.  Yes, i still have the same soreness that I do after a race.  I still have thoughts of if I had done this I could of had a better race time.  I still check the Internet to see where I placed and if my time was better than my last race.  But, when I run this race I leave with something else.  I think of my dad and I think about how proud he would be of his grandchildren.  I think how blessed I am to have a wonderful loving wife and two wonderful children.  I say a prayer of thanks for all of the blessings in my life.  I pray for all those families at the race who have had to experience the loss of a young child and that God will give them strength.  

Thank you to the Hodge and Nicholas families for starting this race.

Trail Running

Trail running is good therapy for me.  I don't do it every week but about once a month I will either go out to Red Mountain Park or Oak Mountain Park and do a long run via the trails.  More often I will hit the trails at Veterans Park next to Spain Park.

I stumbled (pun intended) into trail running at the first organized run held at Red Mountain Park.  The Resolution Run organized by The Birmingham Track Club was held at the park that year.  On that balmy New Year's Eve Saturday morning I trekked through the new park at a slow pace realizing that I might be a little bit over my head.  That day they offered 2-3 running options.  I chose the longest option.  A ten mile run.   Why I chose this I do not know.  The trails were not marked very well at that time.  I made it through that day with minimal injuries.  It gave me a good impression of how different trail running is to road running.   

Later that year I made the decision to run a race that was strictly via trails.  I don't remember exactly what made me decide to do this but I decided to run the Xterra Half Marathon that was held out at Oak Mountain that year.  It was a warm day in May when the race was held.  It started up the Peavine Road hill on pavement but then we diverted to a trail and that was the last time I saw road for awhile.  I already knew before I ran this race that trail running is more physically demanding but little did I know what I was in for that day.

Trail races are vastly different than road races.  There are very few places along the course for people to cheer you on.  Most places along the trail you have to run single file.  You are constantly focused on the terrain changes.  Any slight miscalculation and you could end up with a twisted ankle, busted knee or something even worse.  I did pretty good during the race and had no major wipeouts.  But your worry is not just tripping.  You have to run single file so you have to be aware of the people in front of you.  I had a few near misses along the way with people falling in front of me.    I also distinctly remember the sound of hearing people wiping out on the trail behind me.  

I don't know if this is true for every trail race but this particular one had very few water stops.  I was not as prepared for this so I was soley dependent on what Xterra provided.  I made it through but bringing a water bottle would have been a good idea.  

Prior to finishing a marathon earlier this year, my first trail half marathon run was one of the most physically demanding races I have ever experienced.  My time was not the greatest but that did not matter to me.   I had such a sense of accomplishment when I finished.

Now that I am a little more confident in trail running I enjoy it more.  I still respect the concentration you need to have while running.  However now I can enjoy the scenery that trail running provides.  There are so many amazing places you can only get to via your feet.  The views you get to see while running at Oak Mountain Park and Red Mountain Park are amazing.  You also will occasionally see wildlife on your run.  I have mostly seen rabbits, deer and a few turkeys.  Luckily I have not seen any snakes yet!  

Even running at Veterans Park you get to run along side a creek and get to hear the relaxing sound of water.  Parts of Veteran's Park remind me of the Ewok planet scenes in Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi.  Which is pretty amazing to me that you can go from an asphalt mecca to these quiet secluded places in a matter of minutes.

I know there are other great places to trail run in Birmingham.  I really want to try Ruffner Mountain and Moss Rock Preserve.  I hope to run in these two places soon.  

I would strongly encourage giving trail running a try.  It's a nice addition to a running regimen!

Did I Land in the Wrong City?

A few weeks ago I took a flight from North Carolina to Birmingham.   Since I flew out of North Carolina I had never been in the Birmingham Airport since it has been rebuilt.  It was a very surreal experience to deplane walk through the jetway and emerge into the new airport terminal.  If I did not know any better I would think I had landed in another city.  I did not have a lot of time to spend on my return trip but saw enough to know it is a very nice upgrade.

Later in the week I had a flight that departed from Birmingham.  This trip I got to spend a little more time in the airport.  The security check point was a little more manageable then before the remodel.  Inside the terminal it was nice to have all of the good eating places after you pass the security check point.  They had some nice places.  You know it's going to be a good start of the day when you see the familiar Chick Fil A logo.  This morning I did not go to Chick Fil A.  Their breakfast menu at the airport is limited to the biscuit side.  I have not been on a biscuit kick lately especially after experiencing the awesome biscuits at Biscuitville.  No offense to Chick Fil A but I am not a big fan of their biscuits.  This trip I went to a bagel place right next to Chick Fil A.  It's set up like a Subway.  You choose the bagel you want and then they ask you what you want on it.  I went with a regular toasted bagel with egg and sausage.  It was pretty good.  The bagel and ingredients on the bagel were all fresh.  

As I was eating I could see that most of the places in the terminal were busy and this was at 5:00 in the morning.  The new airport is a welcome change to what was there before.  I think the new terminal is a great first impression for people who have never been to Birmingham.  There are local flavors represented in the resaurants with Jim and Nicks and Good People Brewery.  There are the usual news stands with locally made and produced products.  There is art work in the airport that is locally made showcasing the city and its history.  I really enjoyed seeing the new airport the way I did. 

Note:  

I know the new terminal airport had a tragic start due to negligence that has yet to be determined.  I hope that it is determined who was responsible for this negligence and measures are put in so this will not happen again.

Airport Sign Tragedy