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Tag: review

Questionable German in Dutch Land

Posted on October 14, 2017 By Tom No Comments on Questionable German in Dutch Land
Rambling, Restaurants, Washington Sabbatical

Lynden-006

I was still on a quest to find a good German restaurant. The Schweinhaus in Bellingham had good sausages and sauerkraut, but was missing some components (like a roof.) After expanding my search area I came across Gretchen’s Delights in Lynden. Laura was busy with Furman work, so I decided to head out to see if this would fit the bill. TLDR; version – It didn’t.

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BowEdison

Posted on October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 By Tom 1 Comment on BowEdison
Restaurants, Washington Sabbatical

BowEdison Restaurant

It was a Saturday night and we were ready for a date night. After considering the many possibilities, Laura made us reservations at the BowEdison.

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Oktoberfest in Bellingham

Posted on October 12, 2017 By Tom 1 Comment on Oktoberfest in Bellingham
Photography, Rambling, Restaurants, Washington Sabbatical

Schweinhaus Bellingham-006

It’s the middle of October. By this time I’ve usually headed out with either Ken, Keith, Glynda, or some combination thereof for a good meal of German cuisine and celebration of Oktoberfest. I have long complained about the dearth of good German food in Greenville, so I was hoping for more options here in Washington. I did a quick online search but, sadly, didn’t find many options. One place did hold promise, so I set of in search of the Schweinhaus in Bellingham.

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The Golden Llama

Posted on September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 By Tom No Comments on The Golden Llama
Restaurants

Untitled

I was out running errands and wanted to grab a bite to eat. The same old same old just wasn’t doing it for me. I wanted something more…interesting. How to accomplish that without risking bodily harm was beyond me. I was about to give up and go to the new Hardees that opened at Pelham and East North Street. That’s when I saw it. A sign saying that the Golden Llama is now open in the BiLo shopping center at that intersection. I had to check it out. To be honest, I didn’t know if it was a restaurant or a weird gift shop.

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New Waterproof Camera – Fuji XP85

Posted on July 25, 2015 By Tom 2 Comments on New Waterproof Camera – Fuji XP85
Gear, Photography

Fuji XP85

Over the Fourth of July weekend we went down to Florida to visit Laura’s sister Amy and her mother. Since we’ve been going down regularly to help out I’ve left a bit of paddling gear and our tandem kayak so that I can do the occasional escape.

I was on my way out for a quick paddle when my trusty Fujifilm Z33WP slipped out of my hand and hit Amy’s tile floor, point down. It cracked the corner of the casing. The camera still works, but it was no longer waterproof.

Untitled

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Asada

Posted on May 21, 2015June 5, 2015 By Tom No Comments on Asada
Restaurants

Untitled

Laura says that I suffer from agoraphobia. While it’s true that I don’t particularly like crowds, it’s not necessarily the crowds that bother me. It’s large, unpredictable groups scrambling for a limited resource. That resource might be limited seating at a venue, but most often it’s food. For this reason I’ve never been a fan of Fall for Greenville.

Food trucks seem to fall into this same category. They seem to be wildly popular right now, especially as something of a novelty in our area. While some of them looked quite intriguing, with interesting menus, they also tend to attract the types of crowds I’d prefer to avoid.

Such was the case with Asada. When I heard that the Latin fusion food truck had opened a brick and mortar restaurant, I had to try it out.

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So You’re Considering a GoPro

Posted on December 9, 2014December 9, 2014 By Tom No Comments on So You’re Considering a GoPro
Gear, Photography
GoPro Hero 3 Black
GoPro Hero 3 Black

This morning I got a message from a friend considering a GoPro camera as a Christmas present. Since I’ve gotten that question several times, I decided to put together a blog post with what I’ve been telling folks who might be thinking about getting one, either for themselves or as a present.

I’ll state up front that I love my GoPro, but sometimes it’s a love-hate relationship. Even though I (and lots of other people) come up with different ways to use the camera, it’s a niche product, and you have to know its limitations. TL;DR version, I wouldn’t recommend it as your sole camera, but if you’re an active, creative photographer, you’ll find yourself using it in all sorts of ways you never imagined when you first got it.

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Bocca Pure Italian

Posted on April 27, 2014May 16, 2014 By Tom No Comments on Bocca Pure Italian
Restaurants

I must have driven by it a thousand times – an old Pizza Hut with the distinctive architecture now converted into another restaurant.  However, this time it caught my eye.  Laura and I were on our way back from a paddling trip.  Later we would be back up this way for a play at Furman, … Read More “Bocca Pure Italian” »

Lone Star Barbecue, Mercantile, and Ghost Town

Posted on July 24, 2013July 25, 2013 By Tom No Comments on Lone Star Barbecue, Mercantile, and Ghost Town
History and Genealogy, Photography, Rambling, Restaurants
Lone Star, South Carolina
Lone Star, South Carolina

We have a tradition of looking for a good barbecue place after our paddling trips. This was no different. Our target for this outing was Lone Star Barbecue and Mercantile. However, this was a two-fer – lots of good food and a chance to explore one of South Carolina’s ghost towns.

Lone Star, the Ghost Town

It started with a bit of miscommunication. The rest of the guys had never been to the town of Lone Star, and thought that the barbecue place was in the town proper. So, once we loaded up the boats, they set off, with me following, toward the town. What they found was the ghost town that I knew. All that is left of Lone Star is the old freight depot, moved from its original location, the large brick Masonic building, and two dilapidated stores. Across the tracks was a small convenience store that may or may not have been open. No barbecue anywhere in sight.

Lone Star Freight Depot
Lone Star

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Skyfall

Posted on November 9, 2012 By Tom No Comments on Skyfall
Entertainment

…or “Sean who??” I believe that James Bond is a Time Lord. That’s the only way to describe his regenerative abilities and ability to change appearance over the past 50 years of movies. In this latest movie, under interrogation Bond himself states that his hobby is “resurrection.” Be that as it may, in this 23 … Read More “Skyfall” »

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