Charleston, part 3

Mom wanted to go to a black church downtown. We got dressed nicely, drove to the crowded downtown, and... it was closed

Still a lot of churches meeting online only

We went to the First Presbyterian Church instead and it felt so much like the one I went to growing up in New Jersey

Mom had a 1pm timeshare meeting at a Hilton hotel. 

With a little bit of time for lunch, we went to North Charleston to the Tattooed Moose, which was featured on DDD. I mean I didn't know when my next chance would be to try a duck confit club sandwich.

We sat at the bar, it was mostly the brunch crowd, but wow, it was really packed. It's good thing they had a really long bar that holds about 50 people. The garage door was open so we needed our jackets to keep us warm.

So the duck club was really good. The sweetness of the Hawaiian bread really made this the perfect bread for this kind of sandwich. The duck confit was tender, though I thought it got a little overwhelmed with all the other ingredients. The bacon had a nice smokiness, and the garlic aioli was nice and strong. The smoked cheddar, lettuce, and tomato rounded it off very nicely. It's a little messy, but it was fun.

Mom got the Thanksgiving sandwich and this is an underrated gem. That turkey tasted roasted, it was not generic in the slightest. Cornbread stuffing, a little cranberry, crispy onions with gravy on the side. Thankfully, they held the mayo.

And the duck fat fries, well they're duck fat fries. What else needs to be said, other than that you've never had french fries until you've had them cooked in duck fat.

One of the funkiest atmospheres I've ever seen in a restaurant, this is a great place to go.

While mom went to get meeting, I explored King St, one of the 3 main streets of the city. The shopping is top level, akin to Fifth Avenue in New York or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. 

Heros Donuts

Sugar n spice, one of the best I have ever had. 

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, ground coffee in the spice blend.

Charleston Beer Works

Met a couple of girls who had been in town for a Bachelorette party

One works for the NJ Devils

Went back to the hotel to clean up

Husk 

I had made a reservation two months in advance, during my one week in Charleston, I wanted to visit one of the more iconic restaurants in town and I was able to get a spot.

We started with the hearth baked skillet cornbread, which had the tiniest crumbles of Broadbent’s bacon. It was so hearty and satisfying, I could tell that cast iron had been covered with bacon grease! It was more of a savory cornbread, less sweet than what I'm used to, but I liked it.

We split the lettuces with cornmeal fried oysters, radishes, pickled onions, and buttermilk dressing. Six oysters are never enough! they were super crispy and nicely flavored. The lettuces were super fresh and vibrant.

For our main course, we both had the TN Beef Strip with new potatoes, broccolini, mushrooms, and jus. First of all, props to the staff for the beautiful presentation. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium, that faded light pink, and was well seasoned. It wasn't a very large portion, it was five or six decently thick cut pieces of steak, it wasn't a getting a whole steak and cutting as you go. And there wee maybe 4 or 5 baby potatoes on the plate, all of which were bite sized. I could've definitely eaten more, but I was satisfied at then end.

I was looking forward to a real southern dessert like chess pie or cobbler, but they only had two options and I believe both had chocolate, so I had to pass. I really thought they should have offered more options.

I'm not going to say I was totally blown away or it was the best food I ever had in my life. But it was southern food done with some class and I'm glad I got to go.

Back to the hotel

The Beyond Borders crowd was still there

The lobby reeked of packeted parmesan cheese

Bar was closed

Marble slab for ice cream

Got to the airport at 3:45 am. 

Bumped 3 times

I landed at Newport News around 330, drove straight to the office, and worked 4 hours before finally driving home

Charleston-Part 2

Saturday

Morning Kayak in Shem Creek

So many huge birds, herons

Grit Counter for lunch in Mt Pleasant

Our hotel was a few minutes down the street from this place and when I saw they were only open 4 hours a day, 5 days week, I figured they must be pretty good.

After a morning of kayaking, we headed over to create some shrimp and grits bowls. I still struggle with what to add to apple pie grits, but that's neither here nor there. I went with jalapeno cheddar grits with caramelized onions, heirloom tomatoes, local shrimp, and a green tomato bacon jam. Of my goodness, what an amazing combination. The tomatoes were so ripe, the onions added the sweetness, there was the slightest hint of heat from the jalapeno, and the shrimp were maybe the freshest I could remember eating. I think if anything I would have added some bacon just for a little extra meat and flavor!

I like that they have a small counter and you can watch them prepare your dish. And they have a variety of iced teas and lemonade as well as alcohol, along with outdoor seating.

I'm not a grits lover, but if I'm back in Charleston, this is one of the few places I would absolutely return to. Definitely try this!

Drove to some of the local Beach towns

Folly Beach

Couldn't park at all

Sullivan Island

Dunleavy pub

This is the ultimate dive. Tons of license plates and Boston sports memorabilia. As a New Yorker, I can't say it sat well with me, but so be it.

We took seats at the bar and were given a bowl of free popcorn, nice of them to do. For beer, they didn't have a ton of draft options, but I wanted something local and I did get a Park Circle Pale from Commonhouse, which was pretty good. We ordered a bunch of grilled wings, half honey mustard, half medium. they were cooked well, very juicy, I did want the skin a little crispier.

Mom is not a big Buffalo wings fan, so I wound up eating about 75 percent of them. With inflation, wings are just getting crazy price was. I think it was about 16 dollars for 12 wings.

The clientle was definitely regulars, this is the kind of bar where people probably come several days a week. And damn, they drink hard. There was a group of about 15 at the communal table in the middle and two of the women were so loud and obnoxious, even the bartenders started glaring at them. So if you're looking for a bar to have a quiet conversation with someone, look somewhere else.

And remember, cash only!

Philips shoes 

Very upscale shoe store

I helped people figure out On shoes

The store should've hired me right then!

Topsail for dinner 

Thankfully, we got the last parking spot in the lot, behind the restaurant, right next to the dumpster and walked by an employee smoking a cigarette. Not the best first impression, I don't care if you're on break or not.

We walked in and were sat in the side room, it was like the addition room to a house. I guess space is a little tight around that area. We started with bowls of she crab soup, and I wasn't impressed. It had too much sherry. I finished mine but mom asked for a Caesar salad instead, and it was covered with way too much dressing for her taste.

Our entrée was one of a kind, a two pound whole red snapper, I think we got the second to last one. It came grilled and served with potatoes and vegetables. It tasted great, super fresh, and it cost $55, which isn't terrible for two people.

I guess I took it personally

My fault

Led to a fight with mom and a terrible finish to the night

Read my new Merle Haggard biography 

Charleston-Part 1

After getting three three hours of sleep,  the alarm clock woke up at 3:28 am. I had never seen such a long security line at Newport News airport. I believe the line opened right at 4 am, and there were already about 35 people in front of me, and within ten minutes, another 15 had followed behind me. And of course, there's only going to be one security lane at this tiny airport which only has 5 outbound flights a day. It was tight and I think the flight went out full, but I still scored an exit row seat. 

And my goodness this may have been the most turbulent flight I've been in possibly a decade. In one hour, we had three separate periods of severe bumps. But we landed just fine, and I was happy to see my next flight was one gate over from where I landed. I was never even called by the gate agent, my boarding pass was emailed to me. So the flight that was expected the be the hardest to get on turned out to be one of the easiest standby experiences I've ever had. 

Quick footnote. The busyness of life caught up with me too quickly. A month later, I still haven't finished chronicling my travels. So I will instead use bullet points and write brief statements where details are worth mentioning. 

City tour downtown

So many horse drawn carriages

Remarkable classic architecture on the Battery

Lunch at Hyman's 

Shrimp po'boy
I checked in on Yelp, so we got a free Wadamalaw Special (and it's the first time I have ever typed that word). Fried green tomatoes over cheesy grits topped with parmesan cream sauce and cheddar cheese.

City Market walkthrough, tight foot traffic

Lionel Richie cutting board- Hello... is it me you're cooking for?

Citadel campus

Mt Pleasant was the Eastern suburb where we stayed

Those darn side service roads

Drove to Shem Creek

Lunch at Crab House 

We came in just wanting apps and drinks. We ordered the crab dip. I like warm fish dips spread on some saltines.

This was not what I was hoping for. What we got was a scoop of chilled crab salad. We could barely see any crab meat, I don't know if it was even real crab. It was mixed with way too much mayo along with cream cheese and Old Bay. Two bites and I was done. At least we

I can't even remember which cocktail I had, but I remember it had pineapple, rum, and some nutmeg added to it. Pretty good, but still a bit sweet.

Maybe we just ordered the wrong menu item, and it's nice to dine near a spot that's close to the water, but I can't say I was satisfied with my experience.

Checked into Hilton Garden Inn

Confusing hotel arrangement,  the back of the building was facing the entrance road

Bricco Bracco at 4pm

One of the best happy hours

We arrived at 430 and the 30 or so seat bar was already full

$4 Red blend

Huge bowl of Parmesan

$2 Bread and olive oil

Our entree was the Chicken Giambotta. Chicken breast with sweet Italian sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, hot and sweet vinegared peppers, and fried Yukon gold sliced potatoes. I'm a sucker for those kinds of peppers, especially with all that oil and garlic. It just makes you feel so good and side, you know? I felt like there wasn't a ton of meat in the platter, or maybe we just took too much too soon. But wasn't long before we had just potatoes and peppers to finish.

Chatted with some neighbors at the bar

One guy was from Germany

Fruitflies showed up

Hotel bar

NCAA tournament on TV, good to see St Peter's make their run

Sports Stadium Lists

Top 10 Baseball Stadiums I Have Visited

10) Yankee Stadium (New York)

9) Wrigley Field (Chicago)

8) US Cellular Field (Chicago)

7) Miller Park (Milwaukee)

6) Fenway Park (Boston)

5) Busch Stadium (St. Louis)

4) Citi Field (New York)

3) Pac Bell Park (San Francisco)

2) PNC Park (Pittsburgh)

1) Camden Yards (Baltimore)

Top 5 Baseball Stadiums I Would Like To Visit

5) Comerica Park (Detroit)

4) Kaufman Stadium (Kansas City)

3) Target Field (Minneapolis)

2) Petco Park (San Diego)

1) Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)

Top 5 Hockey Arenas I Have Visited

5) Prudential Center (New Jersey)

4) Capital One Arena (Washington DC)

3) Amalie Arena (Tampa Bay)

2) United Center (Chicago)

1) Madison Square Garden (New York)

Top 10 Hockey Arenas I Would Like To Visit

10) American Airlines Center (Dallas)

9) Rogers Arena (Vancouver)

8) SAP Center (San Jose)

7) Little Caesar's Arena (Detroit)

6) Xcel Energy Center (St Paul)

5) Canada Life Center (Winnipeg)

4) Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)

3) Bridgestone Arena (Nashville)

2) T-Mobile Bank Arena (Las Vegas)

1) Bell Center (Montreal)

When a Break Is Needed

I am coming off two consecutive six day work weeks. As Saturday night is about to dissolve into Sunday morning, let's take a moment and try to untangle this cluttered brain.

The Jets draft is now behind us. After four months of heavy anticipation, they had by all accounts, a fantastic draft. I have stayed up till 3 am and 2 am on Thursday and Friday nights, respectively, to absorb content and broadcast. 

I wish I could play guitar or keyboard. As I find and re-discover so much good music from days gone by, I wish I had a way to share it. I'm getting more open to YouTube and podcasting. But honestly, I'm worried about doing something that isn't unique. Sure, there are the sports options. I'm certainly opinionated about that. But there is so much content out there from such smart people, I really don't see what I can do that would be unique. Ah there it is, the fear of being ordinary. Because here's the pivotal question, what makes me one of a kind? Forty years later, I guess I'm the white single conservative Christian from New Jersey who loves real country music, good food, an unusual combination of NY sports, and American travel. As if anyone cares about that combination. 

One thing that I'm smarter than most at is that golden era of country music from the mid 70s to the early 2000s before the pussies like Underwood, Bryan, and FGL fucked everything up. I have one friend I can talk to about this, and she gets it. Other than that, it's like my own secret. And what can I do about it? I don't want to keep it to myself. But I kind of have no choice.

Sunday is coming, as the great SM Lockridge once preached. I have this real desire to get away, yet of course, the weather forecast is calling for rain. I could use a hike in the mountains and a lot of that craft mountain beer. And I'll barely be able to take advantage of it, even if I wanted to. 

Can I do a staycation? I guess. Although I think the only way to get through it would be to stay off social media. And being home alone, it's the easiest distraction in the world. If I'm stuck on a phone all day, I know seeing certain kinds of posts will just rile up my already sensitive emotions.

I guess I feel trapped by my own sins and shortcomings, and some of them I still cannot overcome even after four decades. And these flaws are an essential part of my makeup, so I guess I just have to embrace those fleeting moments of temporary joy and happiness that I may get to experience. But as far lasting joy...I can't imagine living in that way. It's not that I don't want that, it just no longer seems realistic.

Jets Draft Targets I Would Avoid

We are just days away from the NFL draft. Those of us who watch little, if any college football during the fall, suddenly have become draft experts. Guys we didn't know 2 months ago, we could now tell you where they went to high school, their favorite dog's name, and their favorite movie. We get fascinated with certain prospects, then a new name comes along, and we're onto the next name. So with the Jets needing an influx of talent at so man positions and with an abundance of premium picks, it's not just about knowing who to pick. Just as important is knowing who not to pick. With so many players on our radar, who should we beware of? Here are a few well known prospects I do not want to see the Jets draft and my reasons why.

Travon Walker, Edge

When I look at Walker, I see a 3-4 rugged defensive end, as his lower body bend is limited. Plus, he's pushing 300 pounds. In a 4-3 defense, I want my pass rushers to be quick and explosive. I do not see Walker possessing that kind of speed. Instead, I see a good 2-way player who would be good at setting the edge and playing the run effectively. He might even be more suited to play defensive tackle under Robert Saleh's defense as opposed to defensive end. He also has a bad habit of not wrapping up running backs and wide receivers and letting them elude his grasp.

Walker is a better athlete than he is football player, and as a Jets fan, I'm getting tired of guys who win the combine, because they can run fast or bench press well. Then they get to the pros and the 2 or 3 moves they used in college suddenly aren't effective anymore and the bust talk soon begins.

Jahan Dotson, WR

The 5-foot-10, 178-pound Dotson ran a 4.43 in the 40 yard dash which is quite impressive, but his measurables failed in nearly every other combine drill. Most notably, he disappointed in the three-cone with a time of 7.28 (9th percentile), which is not going to work for a small receiver. He has a great ability to make contested catches, as he proved vs Ohio St, but he is widely viewed as a finesse receiver as he will not be likely overpower NFL corners. If he can't find a way to get open space on the field, he's not a WR that will be a primary focus in an NFL offense.

Breece Hall, RB

I've been hearing a lot of arguments for the Jets to take a running back as early as the second round. Now it's no secret running backs are not the premium position they used to be 20 and 30 years ago. So if we're going to take a running back this high, he better be a difference make on the level of Dalvin Cook or Jonathan Taylor.

Breece Hall is the running back that I've seen at the top of a lot of lists of draft pundits, whether it's Chad Forbes, Daniel Jeremiah, Ryan Dunleavy, etc. I have much respect for his production. Hall led college football with 1,572 rushing yards in 2020 and went for 1,472 in 2021. So I watched some film on him and I have to say this was not a running back who left me thinking this was a running back the Jets need to target. 

What impressed me the most was his footwork. He has a very nice spin move to elude tacklers. But not once did I see him stiff arm a defender. Not once did I see him create his own space. His speed was respectable, but not what I would call breakaway speed. What I saw was a patient runner. A runner who thrives on holes being opened for him and then decides where he will run, maybe a Matt Forte. But to me, that is not a running back worth taking with a pick in the 30s when this team has such glaring needs at other positions and already features Michael Carter as a high quality running back.

 He had 800 touches in 3 years, could he be getting a little prone to injury with a such an extensive workload? Especially on our turf? With so many mid round options like Jerome Ford, James Cook, Dameon Pierce, and Tyler Allgeier available in round 3 or later, I would let Bryce remain the only Hall on the Jets.

Lewis Cine, S

Heading into the offseason, I wanted the Jets to acquire two starting safeties, preferably one in free agency and one in the draft.  After the Jets signed Jordan Whitehead away from Tampa Bay in free agency, I was very pleased to see them fil the strong safety role. And I also remain a defender of LaMarcus Joyner, despite him missing nearly the entire season last year due to an arm injury. For one year, he was a plyer worth bringing back into the fold.

So the Jets can afford to draft a safety and let him develop over the course of this season. Specifically, I'm a firm believer in drafting a free safety this year, if one is available. 

So that brings me to Lewis Cine from Georgia. When I watch Cine, there are certainly positive traits. I see hard hits, I see great speed, I see good tackling ability, when he actually does make contact.

Notice the last six words I wrote. Too often, Cine likes to blow opponents up by hitting them high and taking steep angles towards ball carriers, which sometimes leads to missed tackles. His overaggressive nature has led not only to missed tackles, but penalties as well.

But my primary concern is I do not see good coverage ability. In his three years of college, he has averaged a QB rating of 85.7. Too often he finds himself out of position when playing coverage, which is one reason he only had one interception during his senior season. And watching him backpedal, it seems his hips and feet are not moving in synchronization, the balance that we would want from a safety just isn't there. Remember in 2020 when Tyreek Hill made a double move on Ashtyn Davis, left him in the Kansas City Dust, and scored a long touchdown? The same thing would happen to Cine, except now Hill can punish his victim twice a year.

Cine sounds like a box safety who the Jets might be asking to play in coverage most of the time. Add all this up, and you know another safety that fits this description? Calvin Pryor. Hard pass, give me a Daxton Hill or Jaquan Brisker.

The Epitome of Ordinary

Growing up, I hated hearing my parents say I was special. They kept tell me I was, they would cite Mr Rogers and every time I heard him sing that song about you are my friend and you are special, I would cringe. And not quietly. I don't know why that word triggered me, there is no decent explanation for it other than that I was 5 or 6 years old and just didn't know better.

And then I was sent out into the world, to school, to summer camps, to sports teams. And I always felt like an outcast. I was constantly bullied, always made to feel less than. The way I was demeaned only reinforced that I was just another person, basically inconsequential, dispensable, and of next to no importance.

What I would give now to stand out in a positive way. I'm feeling more and more like I'm a guy who doesn't mean a damn thing in the world. Does anything I do really matter in the long term? Why is it I mention to 4 different people I'm coming to DC this weekend and none of them want to see me, they don't even respond? And I see these lousy men get women they have no business being with. I have single days of fun and I'm terrified to look at my budget.

All of this disappointment hit me tonight while I was playing in this kickball league with the young adult singles group I've been associated with for a couple of years now. It was the second week, the field was muddy, the players on our team had no clue what to d o the field, as we have been outscored something like 43-3. And if that wasn't enough, here I go pulling both quad muscles again just like when I was playing softball. I could've been doing deliveries and making money, or attending the Johnny Cash tribute concert, or watching the Mets game. Instead I feel I'm wasting my time and money.

And I'm 40. I've peaked. I try not to feel bitterness. But there's no doubt I've clearly failed at life. Why else am I still single, working a full time job and two side hustles? What difference does my life make? Will God view me as a failure? 

MLB Predictions

 

National League

East

y-Atlanta

x-NY Mets

x-Philadelphia

Miami

Washington

 

Central

x-Milwaukee

St. Louis

Chicago

Cincinnati

Pittsburgh

 

West

z-Los Angeles

x-San Francisco

x-San Diego

Colorado

Arizona

 

American League

East

z-Toronto

x-Boston

x-Tampa Bay

NY Yankees

Baltimore

 

Central

y-Chicago

Cleveland

Minnesota

Detroit

Kansas City

 

West

x-Houston

x-Seattle

Oakland

Anaheim

Texas

 

ALCS

Boston over Houston

 

NLCS

Los Angeles over Atlanta

 

World Series

Los Angeles over Chicago