Star Trek: Picard

I just finished the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+ and of all the shows and movies in the world of Star Trek, this last season was by far the best and blew me away.  The first two seasons set up new characters and were enjoyable, but bringing so many of the original crew back for the last season, a very clever plot line and hundreds of starships firing phasers and photon torpedos in vivid high-def was uber cool.  If you're a fan, this is a don't-miss.

https://www.startrek.com/series/star-trek-picard

Killing Patton

Our most recent road trip allowed us to listen to an audiobook called Killing Patton which details the last year of World War II and the odd circumstances of the car crash that ended up killing the general.  It's a fascinating recollection of the battles and individual heroism that defined the war, but the atrocities some German and Russian soldiers were capable of inflicting were very disturbing.  I have a newfound appreciation for Harry Truman, who might have been the only leader back then who did not have a mistress.

https://www.billoreilly.com/killing-patton

Reaching Cincinnati

The screen went black as we watched the Tampa Bay/Detroit NFL playoff game on YouTube TV.  None of the other channels were affected and after 10-15 minutes, I hooked up the antenna below and tuned to WDTN.  Also black.  After a couple more minutes, I had the idea to try the Cincinnati NBC affiliate, WLWT, and, bingo, the game was back.  This antenna is not the one I blogged about back in 2019, but a more recent purchase that promised a 60-mile range and it certainly delivered that, and just what we needed to overcome the root problem, a power outage at WDTN.

The antenna I have is no longer for sale, but at the link below you can find the one I would buy next which advertises a 600+ mile range for $36.  Sounds too good to be true.

https://www.amazon.com/STAYGOLD-Signal-Enhance-Antenna-Supports/dp/B0CSG5G62Q

Old Louisville Tavern

Sometimes you just luck into a great lunch at an unknown restaurant like The Old Louisville Tavern located just south of downtown Louisville, Kentucky.  Chef Elaine went for the Ville’y Cheesesteak and I the Grilled Pastrami Reuben, both of which piled high and delicious.  Great little neighborhood place and if you're ever in the area, we highly recommend bringing a hungry tummy.

https://oldlouisvilletavern.com

Irish Coffee

Chef Elaine makes a wicked Irish Coffee like the two shown below.  Unlike the purest recipe at the link below, she starts with white sugar on the bottom, a half-cup of decaf coffee (this was an after-dinner drink), a good shot (or two) of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Reddi-Wip sweetened whipped cream, and topped with nutmeg.  The average time to drink the whole cup must be under two minutes because it's just that good.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/original-irish-coffee-recipe-759311

Google Maps Timeline 2023

I have Location History turned on in my Google settings and after the end of the year they send me a map, like the one below of 2023, that shows the various cities I've visited.  Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Asheville, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, and a few Florida cities made a lot of driving and a few airplane flights.  It's just nice to recollect the year and while it might spook some that I allow Google to keep this personal information, my cell phone would be a much larger concern if I was paranoid.

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3118687

The Best Of 2023

As is my yearly tradition, I keep track of notable events and experiences during the year then narrow that down to the top ten, and publish the results over on my Life Experiences blog, each coming with a short descriptive paragraph, which you can find at the link below.

https://lifeexperiences.paulishing.com/2024/01/the-best-of-2023.html

Highest Continent

A recent game show question asked which continent (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia) had the highest average elevation. The surprising answer was Antarctica at 7,545 feet above sea level.  That rises to 9,300 feet at the South Pole and tops out at 16,050 feet at Mount Vinson.  I had pictured Antarica as a big, flat sheet of ice, but its reality is much different.

https://www.toppr.com/ask/question/which-one-of-the-following-is-the-continent-with-the-highest-mean-elevation-in-the

Cincinnati Style Chili

I love Cincinnati-style chili and hit Skyline Chili restaurants several times a year.  Still, when Chef Elaine makes a half-gallon of homemade chili sauce I know I'm going to splurge on a super-sized, three-way plate like the one shown below, plus multiple plates in the future since the sauce freezes well.  For those not in the know, a three-way is spaghetti, sauce, and cheese; add onions to get a four-way and beans to get a five-way.  Lots of Frank's Hot Sauce is a must for me.

The video at the link below shows how to make it, but Katie Lee Biegel uses her own spice mix which (IMHO) is way too much work, and a 2.25-ounce packet of Cincinnati Recipe Chili Mix is a better choice.  But the back-and-forth banter between Katie (a Miami University grad) and her co-hosts (none of whom know about Cincinnati-style chili) is precious.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/cincinnati-style-chili-11659386

Martini Freeze

We've upgraded our at-home martini experience with a pair of Martini Freeze cooling cups.  The cooling gel cups freeze solid inside the double-walled chamber and this keeps the martini chilled without the need for a couple of large ice cubes, which of course, dilutes the drink as they melt.  While we're not fond of drinking from plastic anything, this tradeoff is worth it.

We bought ours at our local Von Maur store, Chef Elaine's favorite shopping experience.  Learn a little more at the link below.

https://www.vonmaur.com/Product.aspx?ID=1743270