Our Wedding

Married, January 30, 2010

DeeDee and I decided long ago that a traditional wedding was not the approach we wanted to take. We both agreed that Chantel and Mike's (my sister and her husband) wedding was more to our liking. Chantel and Mike got married at Circles Bistro in South Tampa. A friend married them. The food was excellent and the cake was from Wright's Gourmet in South Tampa. Like Chantel and Mike, we decided to check out some restaurants that we enjoy including Gino's, Tio Pepe in Clearwater, the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor and a few others. We decided on Chateau France in downtown St. Petersburg. Our guests arrived at … [Read more...]

Parenting Recommendation: LearningCents Bank

LearningCents

So, I was talking to a parent who thought this was a great idea and thought I should add it to my blog. Over a year ago, I purchased a LearningCents Bank for Jack.  The bank features Save, Spend, and Give cylinders in which kids deposit their allowance each week. This process helps teach kids the important concepts of money. Since Jack is six years old, he receives an allowance of $6/week.  His responsibilities include filling the dog dish, cleaning the play room and tidying up his bedroom.  Granted, it is not much, but he IS six after all.  Naturally, the older he gets the higher the allowance (7 years old … [Read more...]

Disney’s A Christmas Carol

disacc001

I saw Disney's  A Christmas Carol this weekend.  It is an animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey through Scrooge's past, present, and future.  The story is not new.  It is the same story we have seen many times so I won't bore you with a synopsis of the story, but I would like to comment on the technology and the specifics of the film. Just so you know, I went with DeeDee and Jack.  I was half expecting Jack to be frightened by many of the gothic and intense images which are beautifully rendered throughout the film.  Jacob Marley's ghost is … [Read more...]

Café Don José Review

Ostrich Apperizer - Café Don José

My family moved back to the Tampa area when I was twelve years old.  We spent my elementary school years in Sarasota and returned to live in Temple Terrace.  As many know, Café Don José has been a fixture in Temple Terrace for years.  I remembered when I was a kid looking over at the full parking lot in the Sherwood Forest Center on 56th Street and noticing how Café Don José must be packed that night.  Clearly, this statement is now dated since the restaurant has moved north of Fowler Avenue into its own, very charming building. So, for the last 30-plus years of living in and around Temple Terrace, I had … [Read more...]