I spoke to the manager!

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I spoke to the manager!!!

Yes. I did. I actually asked to speak to the manager!!!

Adam and I had a reservation at 5:30 for dinner tonight. The only reason Adam wanted to go there, was because last year, when we dined there the mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake were some of the best he’d ever had. He wanted to relive that.

However, the rest of the meal last year was less than stellar. The service was weird. It started fine, but at some point, the server got annoyed with us, and basically treated us like crap from then on. The timing of the food was weird. Our second course came before we were ready for it, then we waited almost 30 minutes for our main course. When it did arrive the mashed potatoes were cold. Not like they had been plated 15 minutes early. Cold as in, they’d been in the walk-in and just pulled out. When we finally got the warm potatoes, as I said, they were great. But the meal was just weird.

So tonight.

We arrived and were seated at 5:20 for our 5:30 reservation.

We get situated and start looking over the menu. A server assistant comes by and offers water, and we ask for tap. Then after a longer time than it should have been our server arrives. Guess who. The same server we had last year. And it’s awkward from the word go. It’s like we were being waited on by a high school student. She’s asking us about our show, but asking kind of weird questions. It’s clear she knows nothing about the theater world, which is fine, but she keeps asking more and more questions, then responding with no idea what she’s talking about.

At this point, we discuss leaving. This is not the experience we want to have, and it’s not going to be cheap. However, we don’t want to be those people, and really, once we’ve ordered it will be fine.

Finally, she asks if she can take our drink order. And we ask for two minutes. This was a mistake because it’s another five or so minutes before she comes back. When she comes back she asks for our drink order. Adam orders a Kettle One martini, dirty with regular olives. He specifies regular olives. I order a Bulliet Rye Manhattan, not the one on the menu, but a regular Manhattan. We also order our meal. Shrimp cocktail to start. Two apps to share after that. And we’ll split an entrée. She walks away and by now we have decided it will be fine.

Then at least seven or eight minutes go by and she reappears to say that they don’t have Bulliet Rye, and gives me other choices. I choose Michter’s. She disappears again. 90 seconds later our shrimp cocktail lands on the tables.

No sign of the drinks.

And we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

Finally, a runner appears with our drinks. My Manhattan doesn’t look like a Manhattan, but I’ll make it work. BUT. There are three blue cheese olives in Adam’s martini. Neither Adam nor myself like blue cheese. In fact, we both kind of hate it. So he asks for the martini to be remade.

Did I mention that the shrimp cocktail is on the table. We are waiting for our drinks before we eat.

And we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

During this wait we are discussing whether we want to stay. As I mentioned its going to be an expensive meal. It hasn’t started well. And we’ve been there for a bit and we still don’t have our drinks.

It’s about this time the martini arrives and I look at my watch. It’s 6:05. We’ve been in the restaurant for 45 minutes and we’ve just gotten our drinks.

I look at him and say let’s go. We don’t want to make a seen, but we’ve decided we’ll walk down the street, have a cheeseburger, then get a drink at The Rum House before the show. He wants to pay for what we’ve gotten even though we haven’t eaten or drunk anything. I push back but I’m over ruled. The server comes by and he explains that we are going to call it a night and would like our check for the things we’ve gotten.

The server walks away.

And we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

Finally, I’ve had enough. I go to the host stand and ask if we can please pay our check. The host looks at me like I’m crazy. Then the server appears and hands me the check. I give her my card and she goes away. At which point I turn to the host and ask him if he can tell me what time I was sat. He looks at me and smirks and says, “You were seated when you arrived and requested to be seated.” I’m not having that so I say, “Yes, and you have a machine at your finger tips, that will tell you exactly what time we were seated at said table.”

He pushes a lot of buttons, and I can assure you, it takes not one button pushing. The counter is on your name; it will tell you. He says you were seated at 5:20. And I say, yes, it’s been 45 minutes and we’ve just gotten our drinks. And NOW, I would like to speak to a manager!!!

I wasn’t angry during any of this. Just annoyed.

But get this.

We wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

Finally, she appears, just as the server arrives back with my credit card.

I explain that we are leaving, why were are leaving, and she says, I’ll give you my card next time you want to come in let me know and I’ll make sure you have a different experience. I say, we don’t live here and she say’s well let me get a card for you anyway.

By now Adam has arrived, and we wait, and wait, and wait.

Fun fact: Carry your cards on you.

She brings the card. We leave.

We paid 100 bucks for food we didn’t eat or drink. The manager was nice, but if it had been me, I’d have insisted that the guest not pay anything. I’d have immediately cancelled the charge. And I would have made a bigger effort to apologize.

Then we walked to Joe Allen. Got right in, and 15 minutes from the time we left the first restaurant, we had drinks in hand, and our appetizer had just been delivered.

We really didn’t want to be those people, but it was clear we were not going to get the experience we wanted and sitting there was just going to annoy us even more. So we left.

You are the wind beneath my wings.

April 30, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Day 6:

Today was a fairly boring day for Adam and Jeff. Until it wasn’t.

I’ll start with the fun stories for those who only read a paragraph or so.

Adam and I were meeting an old work friend of his. We were going to have a very quick dinner at Legasea, at the Moxy Hotel. It was near her work, and since she got off late and we had a show to get to it had to be quick.

We were running late, and my right knee was being a pain in the ass, so when I saw the long flight of stairs to the second floor, I requested the elevator. We pushed the button and waited. It came pretty quickly. We entered first, followed by two couples and a single man. The single man pressed the buttons we needed and the elevator began to move.

The elevator lifted about a foot, then dropped suddenly about a foot, then the screen you used for buttons went dark. We waited. Nothing. The single man pressed the screen but nothing was happening. At first we were all joking and laughing, until we realized that we were stuck.

I lived in NYC for a long time, and I’ve used elevators all my life, even in some questionable buildings, but I’ve never gotten stuck. It was true for everyone in the elevator.

The man standing behind me announced that we all should stay calm. No one was panicking, but okay. The man on the other side of me popped open a can containing a margarita. I jokingly asked if he had another and he showed me he did. Still no one was panicking.

Soon the single guy, who was next to the screen took control. First, he tried calling for help on the elevator system. No one answered. At my new job, if you call on the elevator it goes to 911. He tried again. Still no answer.

He then pressed the alarm. Now a loud alarm was going off. Still, no one was responding. Eventually, he pried open the door enough to realize we were still on the first floor. He ended up prying them open about 6 inches and suggested we call for help, at which point the woman behind Adam on the other side of the elevator let out a blood curdling scream. Like something you’d hear on Friday the 13^th. The man in charge announced, no more of that, why don’t you let me call for help. So he stood next to the doors and began to call for help.

Here’s the fucked-up part. We could see people walking by, but no one was interested in helping. The alarm is still going off. He’s calling for help. And after what seemed like forever, maintenance showed up, pried the doors open from the outside and let us out. In all it was ten minutes at the most, but it’s a long time to be stuck, when you don’t know the outcome.

Adam was very sweet when we got out. He said, “I was just upset we weren’t standing together so I could hold your hand.”

Once we were out, we walked up the stairs, had dinner and caught up with our friend.

As for the rest of the day:

We had bagels again.

We saw The Outsiders again. With NINE high school groups. (There was a print out of the schools inserted in the Playbill). The show was great. And it’s a great first Broadway experience for kids, as there is fire, and rain, and the sets and lighting are wonderful. And it really is a great score. I cried again, even though I knew how it ended.

After the show we grabbed a snack at Shake Shack, and NYC institution at this point.

After dinner, we saw Beaches.

On the way home we stopped at Dante Apertivo for a night cap. I had the best boulevardier I’ve had all week. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if they’d had Rittenhouse as the base spirit.

Now it’s approaching midnight. I’m sleeping, so I’m going to shower and go to bed.

There are giants in the sky!

April 29, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Day 5:

Not a lot of photos today as we repeated a few things.

Started the day back at Los Tacos No. 1. Who doesn’t love a good taco and fried quesadilla to start the day. Double Topo Chicos today because it was extra spicy.

Then we were off to the theater.

Today’s matinee was Fear of 13. A true story of a man who was sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit. It stars Adrian Brody. I have no photo there as they put a sticker on your camera when you went in. I still don’t know what for, because it didn’t stop people from taking photos. (I did grab a shot of the playbill from online).

They also went VERY out of the way to make an announcement to shut off your phones part of the show. It didn’t work. Six. Count them. Six cell phones went off during the show. And of course, they are always in the quietest part of the show. And I’d like to go on record saying that OLD people are the worst. At both the matinee and the evening show there were old ladies still looking at their phones after the show had started.

The show was serious, but with a good number of laughs. I loved the lighting as it wasn’t big and splashy and spoke more to the kind of lighting I like to create. Adam prefers when things are bright and moving. It was two hours with no intermission, but it moved along at a nice pace. Definitely worth seeing, if for no other reason than to see Adrian Brody in his underwear.

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant up the street from our matinee. Unfortunately, their website said open all day, but when we got there, they didn’t open for dinner until 5:00 and as we had a 7:00 show, we needed to eat early. So we moved on to Joe Allen’s. Joe Allen’s is on Restaurant Row, and for those of you not in NYC, it’s often frequented by actors in the area and the posters on the wall are all the posters from notorious flops from Broadway. Carrie. Dance of the Vampires. The big ones.

We grabbed seats at the bar. Ordered dinner and was waited on by the best bartender we’ve been waited on in forever. I’m surprised Adam sits at the bar there, because every time we do, I make friends with the person next to me and he hates it. I did not do that today, but there was a shared moment when the French Dip that I ordered arrived sans dip. The boat for the gravy was on the plate but it was completely empty. The foodrunner, the bartender, and everyone around me had a good laugh about it. It was delicious once the gravy was brought.

After dinner we went back to The Rum House, where we had the worst service we’ve ever had there. The server was short and snappy; didn’t seem to care we were there and I did something I never do which was to call across the restaurant to get her attention so that we could pay our check and get on to our show. She was busy talking to a table across the restaurant about her botched haircut and I learned that her mother always says don’t not spend money on your hair and your eyebrows. You’ll regret it every time.

Tonight, we saw Giant, a play about Roald Dahl. Who knew he was a bigot. Which is ultimately, what the play is about. It stars John Lithgow, who really is 7 feet tall. Well, actually 6’4”. He commanded the stage and turned in an amazing performance. So far, we are still batting 1,000 with our show selection.

After the show, we returned to our hotel, packed our belongings and moved to the apartment that friends loan us in the West Village. Their daughter, had been staying here this week, so we couldn’t get it until today. It’s a wonderful space, and is next to everything you might need. Food, drinks, bagels, coffee, subways, parking. In fact, we were able to park right in front of our building tonight. Of course, we are supposed to move our car in the a.m. but we usually just pay the ticket so we don’t have to get up early.

Adam and I have seen more straight plays (non-musicals) this trip than ever before. We also made the switch from the mezzanine (the first balcony) to the orchestra this time and we have discovered that there is more leg room and I don’t have to climb as many stairs, unless I have to pee.

We are both having fun, but we are ready to see our kitties and sleep in our own bed.

Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on.

April 27, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Day 3:

The best part of being on vacation is getting to sleep late. We typically have such late nights that we rarely start the day early. It felt nice at 8:30 to turn over and go back to sleep.

We finally got our day started at 11:30. We had a 1:00 lunch reservation so we needed to get up, to have time to stop for coffee and club soda. There is a Starbucks and a McDonald’s about 20 feet from our hotel. What more could a person want.

We got our morning libations and headed south in a cab to SOHO to have lunch at Balthazar. Balthazar is the restaurant Adam and I ever went to that wasn’t a diner in our neighborhood. One that first trip, we got chicken liver mousse, and steak tartare. Both are part of our restaurant favorites whenever we eat out. We also have them at home occasionally when Adam is feeling adventurous when he cooks. His version of both are great.

Balthazar is great, but the tables are SUPER close together. The kind where you have to pull your table out so that one of us can go in. I always sit on the outside, since I usually don’t fit in the tight space and I get super claustrophobic. We got lucky today, we were on the outside table, next to the window. However, it was still tight. Tight enough to admire the gentleman’s Rolex next to us. I love watches, and I have to admit, it was very pretty. And the table that replaced them one of the girls had an engagement ring the size of Texas. The tables were also so close that I felt like I was getting intimate with the super cute server, who kept reaching around me to pour water and wine.

Lunch consisted of chicken liver mousse, shrimp cocktail, frisée salad, and French onion soup for me. We then split a chicken club with fries for our entrée. I have to admit, that by the time the club came, I was stuffed so I picked at the fries and enjoyed the last of the wine.

After lunch we walked across to Hudson Street. It was a perfect day in NYC. Bright blue sky, and warm, but not hot. Not quite perhaps warm enough for shorts, but you definitely didn’t need a jacket.

We took our time walking as my right knee is in the throws of needing surgery. It’s not quite there yet, but the time is fast approaching. I have to take it slow, and not push it. I’d like to keep away from the doctor for at least another year.

When we got to Hudson, we hailed a cab and headed up town to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Neither Adam, nor myself had ever been and we thought it would be a great way to spend the afternoon. We started on the top floor with, as we were instructed to do, with a stop at the coffee shop, for a soda water. We grabbed a table outside on the patio to enjoy the view of the city scape.

We were sitting there, when we were approached to take a photo of a man with a very big, very expensive camera. I stood up to do and he kept speaking to me in a very thick German accent. I had no idea what he was saying. After he handed the camera back to me, he back to talk to us. I could only make out about every third word, but I did understand that before he retired he worked as a gas man installing pipes. He was concerned about the fact that NYC infrastructure is over 100 years old. He then perched his leg up on the railing so his crotch was somewhat in Adam’s face and begin to talk about how you need to have big hands if you want work with pipes.

I was sitting there watching the interaction Adam and the old man (probably in his mid 70’s) and I could see Adam getting more and more uncomfortable. I kind of found of funny, because Adam hates talking to strangers. When the man left to grab his glasses Adam turned to me and tersely said, “Save me.” I laughed and stood up. And we told the man to have a great afternoon and we started our tour of the museum.

It’s a wide variety of modern American Art, with Warhol, Jasper Johns, Edward Hopper, Basquiat, Georgia O’Keefe, moving to really modern art with artists who were born in the 50’s that I do not know. I have to admit that I like the older stuff more than the more modern stuff, but it was amazing to see the political overtones about race, war, etc. in the creation of the different pieces.

After the Whitney, we walked The High Line. For those of you not familiar, NYC took an old elevated railway line on the west side of the city and turned it a park, that wanders up the west side. It’s full of plants and art, and many times you are walking by buildings that you can see into. There are places to sit and in the summer, people sell wares and food etc along the way. It’s a great way to get from The Village north through Chelsea.

When we got to 23^rd Street, we grabbed another cab to go up to Times Square.

In Times Square, we went to The View in the Marriot Marquis. It’s the revolving restaurant and bar on the top floor. We’ve been before and what it lacks in quality it makes up for in scenery.

We took the elevator up to the 47^th floor and got seated at a nice table next to the window.

Do you remember how I mentioned that Adam doesn’t like to chat with strangers. Our server was a chatty Kathy. She asked about his tattoo. She asked where we were from. She would not stop talking. Even when we were ready to order.

Finally, we ordered, and she disappeared. Adam went to wash his hands and she delivered our drinks while he was gone. Thus began a conversation about our drink choices, whether he was a chef, and what brought us to New York. We also learned that she lived in California, Las Vegas, Boston, where she would drive up to Vermont.

Finally, we were on our own to enjoy the view and look at our phones. At which point I asked Adam if he would order a club soda, since she’d conveniently forgotten the one I ordered with my drink. He did and she brought it.

15 minutes later she reappeared to ask if we wanted another drink. We ordered and at which point she cleared our empty glasses. Including the soda water she’d brought that I’d take one sip from. I was soda waterless again.

It really makes me laugh when the soda water shenanigans start.

We finally paid our check, said thank you and left to go thte theater.

Tonight was Titanique. An amazing show about Celine Dion actually being on the Titanic when it sank. It’s a laugh riot. We saw it Off Broadway three or four years ago, and it’s bigger and better on Broadway. Once again, the audience was involved right from the beginning and they never stopped laughing or engaging till curtain call.

After the show, we grabbed a cab, headed back to our hotel and now Adam is watching TV and looking at his phone and I’m about to post this and take a shower.

Tomorrow is another two show day.

They say the neon lights are bright, on Broadway!

April 26, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Day 2:

We slept very late. Almost till 1:00. We were tired from the previous 2 days and the late night last night.

The day started with a text from a friend from Atlanta who was in town. She was on her way home about the same time we were starting our day. It would have been great to see her as we only see each other every so often.

Next up was bagels, at The Bagel Bar down the street. They were delicious.

Then we rushed up town to see Dog Day Afternoon. The reviews had been mediocre at best, and it was one of the last shows we plotted for our trip. We didn’t have high hopes, but we were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed it a lot. The performances were great and the design was amazing. It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie so I’m anxious to get home and give it a watch to see if it’s as funny as the show today was. We were both very happy to have included it in our list.

We had dinner at Gallagher’s. A must when we come to NYC. We always get the crab cake and the carpaccio. Tonight, we shared entrees and had a small bottle of wine. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours before we moved on to our evening show. (However, for the first time ever, Stu the bartender was not tending bar. We see him every time we go).

Of course, we had to walk from 52nd street to 41st street, so we couldn’t walk by The Rum House without stopping in for a pre-dinner cocktail and to see our friend John. We disappointed to learn after many years he has moved on. We had great service, but it was not the same. And he always remembered us.

We finished the evening with Schmigadoon. It’s the stage version of the TV show from years ago. I actually had to push to get Adam to put it on the list because he was convinced it would be meh. I was excited because it is based on the big dance shows of the 40’s and 50’s and I LOVE a musical with big dance numbers. I turned out to be right. The show is a must see if you like musicals. The performances were great. The design is great. And the songs are toe tapping good. And if you happen to be a musical theater fan there are so many throw backs to all of the shows of yesteryear. Samples of melodies. Jokes that harken back to the shows. And characters that play on the characters from these musicals. Billy Bigelow. Gertie Cummins. The Barroness from the Sound of Music. The audience might have been the best part of the show. They were on board the minute the show started and stayed right there till the last chord of music. It was so good.

We are batting a 1,000 so far with our selections.

We called it an evening early. I’m sitting in my underwear, drinking a soda water, typing while Adam is in the shower. We are going to watch some TV and read the Facebook so we can do Day 3 tomorrow.

In ancient days, in winter, when the sun kept sinking lower in the sky, men started to wonder if it could die. “Look,” they said, “The day is being eaten by the night!” Look,” they said, “the darkness is devouring the light!”And they were frightened

April 21, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

I live in Maine.

It’s April 21^st. The temperature today was in the low 40’s. I just checked and at 7:55 p.m. the current temp is 38*. It’s still fucking cold and we are approaching May 1^st. We are ready to turn the off the furnace and pull out the shorts and t-shirts.

When we said we were moving to Maine, AND when we tell people we live in Maine, everyone, and I do mean everyone, mentions the winters. I have to admit that when Adam and I discussed moving here, we never considered the winters. We just wanted to live near our friends and be out of the city.

Next month will mark 14 years since we moved here. Seriously. How did that happen?

And, after 14 winters in Maine, I can honestly say, they aren’t that bad. Yes. They are long. We still have the heat on. Most people are still wearing coats. We had real snow in the west yesterday, and flurries here in Portland. And let me remind you once again, that’s it’s late April.

What I can say, is that Portland winters don’t even come close to comparing to mid-western winters. In 2007, I took a job teaching at Grinnell College in Iowa. It’s in the middle of the state, halfway between Iowa City and Des Moines. For my NYC friends, to get to Iowa, you cross the George Washington Bridge, which is where I-80 begins and drive west for about 17 hours and you’ll find yourself in Grinnell.

First and foremost, my experience in Grinnell was wonderful. Some of the best theater folk I’ve ever worked with. Hands down one of the best TDs. And my first design there, to this day is one of my top 3 shows. It was such a wonderful experience, and was so successful that I aspire every show to be as amazing.

But.

Iowa in the winter is fucking cold.

I lived about a mile from the school. I did not have a car. I would bundle myself up in my heavy winter coat, gloves, scarf, and hat and trek to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My path to school took me past a classic bank building with a digital clock and temperature sign. When I first got there, it was just kind of cold. 32*. 24*. 19*

Then winter hit.

First, there was an ice storm. I never lost power on my side of the street, but across the street they didn’t have power for about three days.

Then the temperature dropped. For more than a week it was -20*. I know this, because I would walk by the bank with the sign and it would say, -19*. -21*. -20*.

Two fucking straight weeks.

On those days there was no hope of staying warm. You just held your breath and marched head first into the storm.

Meanwhile, in Maine.

It gets cold, but hardly ever below 0*. It snows, but the state knows how to deal with it. If it snowed a foot tonight, and stopped at 6:00 a.m. By noon, the streets would be cleared. Like, it never snowed at all cleared. My little side street, would have been plowed a dozen times, and the main roads would be completely clear.

So yes, Maine winters are long. But given the choice of wintering in Portland or wintering in Iowa, I’d choose Portland every single time.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s 60* in Grinnell tonight.

My prompt tonight was ice.

Just picture a great big steak –Fried, roasted or stewed.

April 2, 2026 / fightmasterwrites / Leave a comment

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Nope! Nope! Nope!

That would have been me as a seven-year-old being asked to eat green beans. Or lettuce. Or tomatoes. Or beans. Or broccoli. Or spinach. Or Cheese (except American kraft singles). Or onions. Or liver. Or fish (except fish sticks). Or a whole host of other foods. I was a very picky eater.

For all my parent’s faults, and as I’ve written they were many, they never forced my brother or me to eat foods we didn’t like. There was always an alternative for us. As kids I don’t remember my brother being as picky as me, but I flat out just refused to eat certain foods.

When I started working at Day’s Inn Restaurant in high school, first as a dishwasher and then as a short order cook, my horizons broadened EVER so slightly. I learned that tomatoes weren’t the devil’s food. I learned that bakes scrod was not bad.

When I was 16, I went to prom with my friend Julia. Completely platonic. I don’t even think she planned to go until I asked. I took her to dinner, wearing a baby blue tuxedo with the frilled shirt, at the Marriot Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky.

We ordered strawberry daiquiris, and prime rib. I knew all about prime rib because we served it at Day’s Inn. What I wasn’t prepared for was for the prime rib to be RARE when it landed on the table. I was not about to embarrass myself in front of my date/friend so I toughed it out and ate it. In a word, it was delicious. It was the first time in my life that I learned that steak didn’t need to be shoe leather to eat it. It was melt in your mouth delicious. And I was hooked. No more shoe leather for me.

Through college I was still a picky eater. I remember going to Florida for spring break and my friends were ordering oysters. PUKE. The very thought of putting a live slimy creature in my mouth and swallowing was disgusting. Why would anyone want to do that.

Fast forward to Atlanta and I was still picky. Once again, I went out to eat with a friend at a fancy restaurant and she ordered portabella mushrooms. I was asked if I wanted to share, and not wanting to embarrass myself, I said what the hell. And they were delicious. Yum. Yum. Yum. I’ve been eating mushrooms ever since.

Fast forward to New York City. I’m dating someone who invites me to dinner. We go out and he orders salmon. Medium Rare. At this point the only fish I’m eating is filet o fish at McDonald’s. Once again, I’m asked if I want to try it, and not wanting to embarrass myself I say yes. Who knew that fish could be so delicious.

I could keep going. I go out to eat. I don’t want to embarrass myself. I eat the food. It’s delicious. Rinse and Repeat.

Fast forward to 2009. I meet a boy in a bookstore. I give him my number. He asks me to brunch. I say yes. We meet for said brunch. I order an omelet. I eat said omelet. New boy says he doesn’t like eggs. 17 years later he still doesn’t like eggs.

Meanwhile, 17 years later I eat everything.

Medium-rare steak. Why cook it all? Steak tartare for me.

Oysters. Raw, fried, roasted, baked. Yes, please the more the merrier.

Escargot. Snails. Can we double the order, so I can eat all of them.

Fish. All the fish. Salmon. Swordfish. Tuna. Halibut. Yes. Yes. Yes. I don’t even care if you cook it. Tuna tartare is one of my favorite foods now.

Caviar: Fish eggs? Yes, please. I’d eat it every day if I could afford it.

Vegetables. There isn’t a vegetable I won’t eat. Salad of all kinds is delicious.

Onions. LOVE em. In all foods. On a burger. In a salad. In soup. Yum. Yum. Yum.

I have a very small list of foods that I don’t like. And even then, I will still eat them.

When we went to Argentina in 2023, I said that I’d eat anything on the table, whether I liked it or not.

I’m not a fan of olives. But they started every meal. I ate them.

Sweetbreads. Look it up. Sweetbreads are a delicacy made from the thymus and pancreas glands of young animals, most commonly veal or lamb, prized for their rich, creamy texture and mild, subtly sweet flavor. 50 years ago, I’d probably have thrown up first. They are fucking delicious.

Blood sausage. Blood sausage is a type of sausage made from blood (usually pork), mixed with a filler like grains (oats, barley, rice) or breadcrumbs, and seasonings, then cooked and solidified. Delicious. Yum.

Which brings me to last night.

For dinner last night, Adam served a meal of foods that I would have not eaten probably even 20 years ago. We had French onion soup, with extra cheese, steak tartare with crostini, spring mix with a light vinegarette dressing, and goat cheese tart with an olive tamponade. And for dessert pistachio and lemon bars.

The very idea of little Jeff sitting down to a plate of food that consisted of all his least favorites is still funny to me. But last night, I stuffed my face. It was all delicious.

I’m glad. Life is so much more exciting and wonderful when you like food. I’m very adventurous and will try most everything. I don’t like everything but I will try it. By the way kangaroo carpaccio (raw kangaroo) is delicious.

The two foods that I tend to not eat on their own are olives and blue cheese. I will eat them in a salad or in other dishes, but I prefer not to. Last night as Adam was spooning out the olive tamponade onto my plate, I said “not too much”, and he said your prompt for tomorrow is olives.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Nope! Nope! Nope!

I could keep going. I go out to eat. I don’t want to embarrass myself. I eat the food. It’s delicious. Rinse and Repeat.

Meanwhile, 17 years later I eat everything.

Medium-rare steak. Why cook it all? Steak tartare for me. Hopefully with a raw chicken or quail egg on top.