#dinner restaurant Jacksonville FL

[seeminglyranch87]

Taylor & Travis Timeline

September 2023 - part 1

September 2 - Travis liked a Louboutin IG post about Taylor's legs ; ) (x)

September 5 - Taylor leaves Electric Lady Studios, NYC

September 6 - New Heights Ep 52 (x) with guest Kylie Kelce on life as an NFL spouse, Jason's Tinder Bio and Setting Up Travis. Personally a favourite episode of mine!

(9:30) When discussing the definition of a "diva" Jason says a diva is" just a famous singer", Kylie looks to Jason with a knowing smile... do they know about Travis' interaction with Taylor?

(20:00) Advice Kylie gives on Travis dating and what he should put on a Tinder profile... "I think you are doing great on your own Trav..."

(25:40) Talking about a tinder profile would Kylie recommend Travis go "Stache or no stache? " Kylie jokingly replies "if they swipe right at your worst, then they'll love you at your best"

(28:00) Jason begins telling Travis how he felt first meeting Kylie after a drunken first date...

Jason tells "it was love at first sight, let me tell you" Kylie replies " he doesn't even believe in love at first sight" Jason responds " I didn't until I met you... it was like fireworks. It was like fireworks exploded the moment she walked through the door..." "I want to feel those fireworks" Travis replies wistfully "It was like you when a movie has like an angel walk through doors and there is only one light on that person" Jason continues "that's what happened, I've always wanted that to happen" says Travis

September 7 - Travis is benched for the Chiefs vs Lions game due to a knee injury (x). Chiefs are defeated 20 - 21. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City.

September 8 - Taylor is seen at Electric Lady Studios, NYC for a suspected album release party (x)

September 11 - Taylor has dinner with Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Zöe Kravitz, Channing Tatum, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne at Emilio’s Ballato Italian restaurant in NYC (x)

September 12 - Taylor attends the 2023 MTV VMA's wearing a very reputation-esque custom Versace look and the VMA's afterparty in a demin look with a red lip (x x)

Our girl cleaned up at the VMA's

ET publishes an article (x)

A source tells ET that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the "Anti-Hero" singer are not officially dating.

A source tells ET, "Travis has been into Taylor for a while and definitely has a crush on her. He is a simple guy that is very funny, charismatic, chill, and loves playing football."

'Kelce', Jason Kelce's Prime Video documentary is released

Rumours circulating (x x) according to The Messenger

"Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out," the source said. "She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago."

September 14 - In an interview on TNF Nightcap (x), Jason Kelce mentions that he saw the rumours about Travis and Taylor but couldn’t comment on their relationship status, saying

"I've seen these rumours. I cannot comment... I don't really know what's going on there, so yeah, I know Trav is having fun. We'll see what happens with whoever he ends up with."

September 16 - ESPN's SportsCenter reporter Adam Schefter & Kevin Negandhi playfully reference Swift's song titles as they allude to Travis & Taylor dating rumours.

"Clearly, Travis Kelce, at this point in time, is trying to Shake It Off and get back out there. He knows how much he's needed and that he's The Man."

"It was a little bit of a Cruel Summer for Travis Kelce with that knee injury but he can see the Daylight, Kevin, he looks like he's Ready For It. And Travis [Kelce] is now tracking to play on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, despite the fact that he was just limited today."

September 17 - Chiefs v Jaguars, Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL. Chiefs defeat Jaguars 17 - 9

Travis returns to play after his knee injury in the Chiefs vs Jaguars game. During the game, sports commentator Ian Eagle makes multiple Taylor Swift song references (x)

"Kelce finds a blank space for the score!"

Taylor goes out for dinner at Zero Bond with Blake Lively in NYC (x)

Go to previous update -> August 2023, part 1

Go to next update -> September 2023, part 2

Return to the timeline

[bike42]

Monday September 4, 2023

Transition day. After our normal morning routine at Trinity Townhouse Hotel, we packed up and walked the 0.4 miles to the “coach stop,” where we boarded #300 to Bunratty. Google maps said it was a 1.5 hour drive, but it took us three in the bus with many stops (most interesting was the university in Limerick). The bus was comfortable enough, however the A/C didn’t work and once again we had a warm sunny day in Ireland (not at all what we’d packed for)! I wore my boots on the bus in order to make room for our bottle of Jameson in our shared roller bag!

We were on the bus with Steve, not sure what happened to Jeff and Connie as we thought they were supposed to be with us, but they showed up at the B&B so they caught a different bus, apparently. We arrived at the Bunratty stop just before 1pm, and called our B&B host, Patricia, and she drove the 1 mile to pick us up. Jeff is in the yucky stages of an oncoming cold, so we napped a bit and then walked down to the castle with Steve, Jeff and Connie. Bill had arrived earlier and was staying in a different B&B. Patricia told us another couple from our group had just arrived and they were resting.

We couldn’t tour the inside of the castle, but it was awesome from the outside. Seemed very intact, and had a nice tower and drawbridge - all the elements I think are needed in a castle!

We got back to the B&B just after 5 pm and Patricia was serving wine and biscuits on her back patio. There we met Joel and Calva (her dad’s name was Calvin) from Alexandria VA/Jacksonville FL.

At 6pm Patricia drove us the 1 mile to town where dinner had been arranged for the group at Gallagher’s Restaurant (here it is pronounced GAL-a-hers). A fine dining restaurant that has been mostly closed since COVID, but they share a kitchen with JPClarkes Pub and open for special occasions (like us). There we had another delicious dinner of non-Pub food and were able to meet many of our fellow participants: Bill (of course), friends Sue and Marynelle from Lincoln NB, Christa & Terry also from NB, Wayne and Sue from Florida and Judee from Alabama.

Back to our B&B where I tried to sleep with a full tummy … luckily I’m reading a great book so I read for a couple of hours.

[richardthurman544]

Caribbean Connection Jax Beach: 3 Unique Things To Do In Jacksonville, FL

Caribbean Connection Jax Beach: 3 Unique Things To Do In Jacksonville, FL Jax Beach is a beautiful waterfront community located in Jacksonville, FL. If you’re looking for a place to relax and enjoy some unique attractions, this is the destination for you. Here are three things to do in Jax Beach that are sure to make your vacation memorable. 1. Visit Jax Beach’s Historical District: This district was once the center of commerce for the area. Today, it houses many unique shops and restaurants. If you’re looking for something special to buy, or if you just want to take a stroll and explore, this is the place for you. 2. Take a Drive Along the St Johns River: If you’re looking to get out and see some natural beauty, head out along the St Johns River. You can enjoy scenic views of the river from various points around town, or even take a drive down to Melbourne Beach for a beach day. 3. Spend Some Time at Jax Beach State Park: This park is home to miles of pristine beaches as well as many interesting attractions such as an amusement park and zoo. There’s plenty to do here whether you want to relax by the beach or explore some new attractions. https://www.c7caribbean.com/portfolio-item/caribbean-connection/

Jax Beach If you're looking for a place to getaway from the rat race, head down to Jax Beach. Here, you'll find plenty of unique things to do that will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed. From shopping at local boutiques to lounging by the beach, there's something for everyone in Jacksonville, FL. Jax Beach is home to miles of white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water. Not to mention, the city has plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stay. Whether you're looking for a day trip or an extended getaway, Jax Beach has it all. You can explore Jacksonville's famous museums such as The Florida Museum of Natural History and The Kennedy Space Center Museums. Or visit some of the city's popular restaurants like Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville or The Gatsby House & Grill. If you're looking for a little more action than museum visits and dinner dates provide, then head over to Daytona International Speedway or Tijuana Flats Amusement Park. Alternatively, take a walk on one of Jacksonville's many beautiful parks including Riverside Park or Jumblenuts Park. Whatever interests you, Jax Beach is sure to have something for you! The Florida Aquarium If you're in Jacksonville, FL and you're looking to explore some unique things to do, the Florida Aquarium is definitely worth a visit. The aquarium has an incredible variety of animals from all over the world, including a shark tank that's one of the largest in the country. In addition to animals, the aquarium has exhibits dedicated to marine life and coastal exploration, making it an excellent place to learn about Florida's coastline and its ecology. The Florida Aquarium is also a great place to take kids; there are plenty of exhibits that they'll love. Ponte Vedra Beach Ponte Vedra Beach is a beautiful beach town located just north of Jacksonville, FL. The town has an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and cultural attractions that make it a great place to spend a day or two. Here are some of the unique things to do in Ponte Vedra Beach: Visit the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse - This lighthouse was built in 1894 and is open for tours on weekdays from March through November. Admission costs $7 for adults, $4 for youth (6-17 years old) and children 5 and under are free. - This lighthouse was built in 1894 and is open for tours on weekdays from March through November. Admission costs $7 for adults, $4 for youth (6-17 years old) and children 5 and under are free. Drive down the Intracoastal Waterway - this scenic highway runs along the coast between Ponte Vedra Beach and Saint Augustine. Although you can't drive all the way to Saint Augustine, you can see many of the same sights as if you were there by driving partway down the coast.

[redgillbistrojacksonville]

Restaurants Near Me Jacksonville FL

Are you looking for the best restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida? RedGillBistro.com is a full-service, family-friendly haven that serves up the best of American-Style cuisine with excellent services in quick time. Order online at redgillbistro.com or call 904-619-1208 to place your order now.

Dinning is a key ingredient to making your travel memorable The Red Gill Bistro is a relaxed Bistro right of the lobby of the Wyndham Garden Hotel. Dedicated to serving delicious real food cooked from scratch with love. Quiet, quaint, and delicious The Red Gill Bistros is a full-service, family-friendly haven that serves up the best of American-Style cuisine.

No matter what you are in the mood for The Red Gill bistro delivers and exceptional array of taste. Start your day with made to order breakfast and then unwind with a delicious dinner, or just relax in the lounge featuring signature cocktails and local craft beers. You can also call for room service and enjoy the restaurant cuisine in the comfort of your own room.

OUR BEST SERVICES

Delicious Bakery Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes

Quick and Easy Recipes

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAYS

Contact

Phone

904-619-1208

Address

The Red Gill Bistro 4660 Salisbury Rd. Jacksonville FL 32256 Located next to the Wyndham Garden Hotel

(Google Map Location)

E-mail

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Website

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[richardthurman544]

Caribbean Connection Jax Beach: 3 Unique Things To Do In Jacksonville, FL

Caribbean Connection Jax Beach: 3 Unique Things To Do In Jacksonville, FL Jax Beach is a beautiful waterfront community located in Jacksonville, FL. If you’re looking for a place to relax and enjoy some unique attractions, this is the destination for you. Here are three things to do in Jax Beach that are sure to make your vacation memorable. 1. Visit Jax Beach’s Historical District: This district was once the center of commerce for the area. Today, it houses many unique shops and restaurants. If you’re looking for something special to buy, or if you just want to take a stroll and explore, this is the place for you. 2. Take a Drive Along the St Johns River: If you’re looking to get out and see some natural beauty, head out along the St Johns River. You can enjoy scenic views of the river from various points around town, or even take a drive down to Melbourne Beach for a beach day. 3. Spend Some Time at Jax Beach State Park: This park is home to miles of pristine beaches as well as many interesting attractions such as an amusement park and zoo. There’s plenty to do here whether you want to relax by the beach or explore some new attractions. Jax Beach If you're looking for a place to getaway from the rat race, head down to Jax Beach. Here, you'll find plenty of unique things to do that will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed. From shopping at local boutiques to lounging by the beach, there's something for everyone in Jacksonville, FL. Jax Beach is home to miles of white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water. Not to mention, the city has plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stay. Whether you're looking for a day trip or an extended getaway, Jax Beach has it all. You can explore Jacksonville's famous museums such as The Florida Museum of Natural History and The Kennedy Space Center Museums. Or visit some of the city's popular restaurants like Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville or The Gatsby House & Grill. If you're looking for a little more action than museum visits and dinner dates provide, then head over to Daytona International Speedway or Tijuana Flats Amusement Park. Alternatively, take a walk on one of Jacksonville's many beautiful parks including Riverside Park or Jumblenuts Park. Whatever interests you, Jax Beach is sure to have something for you! The Florida Aquarium If you're in Jacksonville, FL and you're looking to explore some unique things to do, the Florida Aquarium is definitely worth a visit. The aquarium has an incredible variety of animals from all over the world, including a shark tank that's one of the largest in the country. In addition to animals, the aquarium has exhibits dedicated to marine life and coastal exploration, making it an excellent place to learn about Florida's coastline and its ecology. The Florida Aquarium is also a great place to take kids; there are plenty of exhibits that they'll love. Ponte Vedra Beach Ponte Vedra Beach is a beautiful beach town located just north of Jacksonville, FL. The town has an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and cultural attractions that make it a great place to spend a day or two. Here are some of the unique things to do in Ponte Vedra Beach: Visit the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse - This lighthouse was built in 1894 and is open for tours on weekdays from March through November. Admission costs $7 for adults, $4 for youth (6-17 years old) and children 5 and under are free. - This lighthouse was built in 1894 and is open for tours on weekdays from March through November. Admission costs $7 for adults, $4 for youth (6-17 years old) and children 5 and under are free. Drive down the Intracoastal Waterway - this scenic highway runs along the coast between Ponte Vedra Beach and Saint Augustine. Although you can't drive all the way to Saint Augustine, you can see many of the same sights as if you were there by driving partway down the coast.

[redgillbistrojacksonville]

Order your breakfast, lunch or dinner delivery online from The Red Gill Bistro in Jacksonville, FL instantly. Visit redgillbistro.com for more deals, coupons & menus now.

[gobigorgohome2016]

USATF 15k Champs / Gate River Run

I was talking on the phone with my mom earlier this week and mentioned how I wasn’t going to make it to my great-niece’s birthday party on Sunday, with the race happening this weekend and all.  My mom’s response was that she didn’t even know I was racing.  Let me remind you that, like a true millennial, I talk to my mom approximately 35 times per day.  Apparently racing on the circuit has become so second nature to me that I fail to even tell my mom about it.  

The USATF 15K championships were held in Jacksonville, FL this weekend as part of the Gate River Run. One exciting aspect was that I was able to cross a new state off my list.  I have now raced in 21 states, and have gone for a run in 28 states.  

Since the race was on Saturday, I left for Jacksonville early Thursday morning.  I’m a big fan of arriving 2 days ahead of time, the earlier the better.  As an added bonus, since I have been going to bed earlier it wasn’t a big deal to go to bed at 10 and wake up at 5:30 AM for my 7:30 AM flight.  PS, I LOVE living 15 minutes from the Indy airport.

I arrived to Jacksonville around noon and was able to finish up some work for the day before taking a nap. My roommate arrived around 3, and at 4 PM we went for a run along Jacksonville’s riverfront.  Afterwards, I attempted to find a grocery store, but quickly found myself in an incredibly sketchy part of downtown and retreated. I ran into the ZAP fitness team, and they invited me to join them for dinner.  I was really apprehensive because they were heading to a Thai restaurant, and I wasn’t so sure how my garlic and soy sensitivities could be accommodated.  However, I was STARVING and not really in a position to be picky about food.  

I wound up ordering the only thing on the menu that appeared safe:  Beef pho.  Even though it was a huge gamble, I didn’t have any stomach issues whatsoever, and it turns out that pho is just bone broth with onions and bean sprouts. Major fortuitous win on my part!

After dinner I headed back to the hotel and met my other roommate.  Even though races generally allow you to request roommates, I like to leave it up to chance.  So far, I have had great roommates and made many new friends.  

The next morning, my Oiselle teammate, Andie Cozarelli, texted me about finding a grocery store. She also has food sensitivities, and oftentimes it feels like she is one of few people who really “get” what I go through when it comes to fueling.  A lot of the time I feel self-conscious talking about my food sensitivities, especially because I have been increasingly accused of having an eating disorder.  While that is a whole other blog post in itself, I will just say that it is really nice to have someone I can talk to about the challenges I have in regards to finding the proper foods for my body.  

We found a Fresh Market about 1.5 miles from the hotel and walked over.  Even though these races definitely have a “business” component, one of my favorite parts is catching up with all of my running friends and meeting new ones. What does a runner with food sensitivities buy when fueling for a 15k race?

-kombucha -a bag of pre-cooked quinoa -an 85% dark chocolate bar -vegetables from the salad bar -a can of salmon -Fage Greek yogurt -Magic Hat #9 beer

What food did I pack?

-4 Lara bars (cherry and peanut butter chocolate chip) -1 microwaveable forbidden rice bowl -3 Kashi peanut and hemp crunch bars -3 oranges -3 bananas -3 packets of Justin’s almond or hazelnut butter -4 packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal -1 bag of granola -rice cakes -2 Perfect Bars -3 bags of black tea; 3 bags of green tea; 3 bags of peppermint tea

After the grocery store excursion, Andie, my ZAP friends, and their friend Tim and I all went for a run. I was planning 5 miles in the AM and a 3 mile shake out later, but I decided that 3 mi round trip of walking was already kind of a lot so I only did a 5 mile run.  During our shakeout we saw a pack (flock, murder, group, school?) of dolphins.  

Then I had breakfast (2 bags of oatmeal with almond butter and a banana) with Andie, and we made plans for work.  I had a 1700 word article entitled Can You Run a Marathon without Training? due that day, and she had some work of her own. After a highly unproductive 1.5 hours of work, we took a break for lunch.  I had a microwaveable bowl of forbidden rice (80 grams of carbs in one serving!!!) with some of the veggies from the salad bar and a can of salmon, as well as an orange and part of my chocolate bar.  Then I finished my article.

Next, I had signed up to go with a bus group to The Sanctuary, which is an after-school program for inner city/underprivileged kids.  This was so much fun.  We formed a circle around the kids and introduced ourselves while talking about the role running has played in our lives.  Paul Chelimo brought his silver medal and allowed the kids to try it on. They clearly loved the experience. One thing that stuck out to me is the importance of representation.  These children were primarily African-American, and during the q&a session they were given the opportunity to choose a runner and ask him or her a question.  With the exception of me (I was asked by a little girl if I thought I could win the race) (I said I stand on every starting line believing that winning is always a possibility), the African-American runners were clearly the ones that these children looked up to.  It really bothers me that people become so upset about the number of African-born US runners.  Besides the fact that many of these people are my friends and I know that they did not simply wake up one day and say, “I am going to become a citizen” and then a week later started waving an American flag, I feel we should be more understanding that greater competition and representation in sport makes us all better.  I’m not going to get upset and complain that a non-US native beat me; I’m going to try and get faster.  

Anyway.

After that we had our tech meeting, and then dinner.  The pre-race dinner wasn’t one that I felt comfortable eating – pizza and pasta – so I opted to bring my own food.  While pizza and pasta are two things I love to make at home, they almost always contain garlic, which is one food that I am most highly sensitive towards.  Instead, I brought up my packet of pre-cooked quinoa and the rest of my veggies.  After that meal, I had my “dessert” of Greek yogurt and granola, finished with peppermint tea and a beer.  

Before I went to bed, I was texting with Dave.  Leading up to the race I had been feeling pretty nervous.  I’m not typically nervous going into races, but I’ve known for the past few weeks that I am on the verge of a breakthrough.  My workouts have been going better than ever, and I really wanted this race to be the one that showcased my improved fitness.  I told him I had two mantras for the day (both borrowed from oiselle):  Be a gritty bitch (thanks Sally!), and dig deep, get ugly (thanks Heather!).   I went to bed telling myself I was ready for a breakthrough.

I actually slept very well and even woke up a couple times pleasantly surprised I still had hours left of sleep.  I woke up around 5:20 AM without my alarm and ate breakfast:  two packets of oatmeal, a banana, and Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter. I drank a mug of Jasmine green tea, one of my favorite pre-race drinks.  

I sat in the hotel room and got my gear together, debated the merits of compression sleeves or no compression sleeves, put on my makeup, then realized I would be wearing sunglasses so it really didn’t matter if my mascara looked good or not.  We bussed over to the start line at 6:30 AM and still had about an hour before it was time to warm up.  I sat around with Andie, Obsie, Aliphine, and Tim.  Obsie is my good luck charm at races.  Her positive attitude is infectious, and we first became friends at Twin Cities in 2015, where we both hit the Olympic Trials standard after warming up together.  

I suppose part of my nerves for this race was the fact that I was trying something a little bit different. I really dislike the feeling of being passed during a race.  I mean, duh. Who doesn’t hate that feeling?  In nearly all of the races I have run in the past 2 years, I have started conservatively and tried to negative split. While I don’t always negative split, I do tend to slow down less than other people.  But, I also tend to never actually be in the race.  

My coach and I have been discussing taking a more aggressive approach.  For this race, we decided that I would go out with a group of women that I know are faster than me.  I anticipated the first mile of this race to be ~5:10.  I did something I never do, which is stand directly on the start line instead of 3 – 4 women back.  While this wasn’t exactly my intention, I found myself sharing the lead with Aliphine and Jordan Hasay for the first 2 miles.  I have no idea what our mile split was (I didn’t start my watch for this race), but I do know that we went through 2 miles in 10:41.  So, my strategy kind of worked out in my favor. It wasn’t a crazy fast first couple miles, and if I had simply felt the need to run x distance behind the lead group, I would have probably disadvantaged myself from the get-go. Around 4k the group kicked it up a notch which wasn’t really a move my legs were able to cover.  Instead, I remained steady.  I went through 5k in 16:58, which is an 11 second PR for me. Going into the race, I anticipated the first 5k might be a PR.

After the 5k I started to feel the effects of running a PR and still having 10k to go.  I got passed by a couple girls, which temporarily put me in a mental state of wow. This sucks.  I went through 4 miles right at 22:00, so I realized I was probably going to struggle to hold 5:30 pace.  The toughest miles for me, mentally, were miles 4 – 6.  It was around here that the chase pack passed me, and I began to struggle.  But, when I went through 5 miles I realized that even if I ran 6:00 pace I would hit a 10k PR.  I got a bit of a 2nd wind here and told myself to go for the PR, and if I died after that I could at least say I ran two PRs.  

I went through 10k in 34:41, which was a 20 second 10k PR.  My splits were 16:58 and 17:45.  

Once I got through 10k, I knew it would be a matter of holding on, not dying on “the green monster,” and then using the downhill for home.  

All weekend, “the green monster” had been spectacularly talked up.  I had seen the bridge and foolishy thought my experience at the Pittsburgh Marathon meant the bridge would be a piece of cake for me.  The bridge is 3.8% grade and approximately a mile long.  We were told to expect to slow down ~20 seconds that mile, but most people slowed down MUCH more than this.  

The bridge was death. In addition to the hill, we also had a decently strong wind to contend with.  From the top of the bridge there was 1600 m left in the race.  

I’m pretty bummed that my chip didn’t register a time at 8.3 miles, because I would LOVE to know what I split that last 1600.  I battled with a couple women here, which pushed me really hard in that last mile. My split for this last 5k was 18:08, but this was definitely the hardest portion of the course.  Overall, my splits were 16:58, 17:45, and 18:08.  Those splits aren’t spectacular, but after looking at the results and analyzing other people’s splits, I actually ran fairly evenly. It’s also good to know that I was able to hang on after running two PRs today.  

My overall time was 52:49. I actually split 52:48 for 15k at Houston in 2016, so I can’t claim this as a PR unfortunately.  I’m a little bit surprised because I really expected to be sub-52:00. However, I did hear times were about ~2 minutes slower across the board, so who knows?  I was 18th overall, and 17th out of Americans

I guess I wouldn’t say that this was exactly the breakthrough I was looking for, but there are certainly more positives than negatives.  I proved to myself that I can fearlessly take the race out with the lead pack and that finding myself next to runners like Jordan Hasay or Emily Infeld doesn’t phase me.  I am proud that I did not walk away wondering what if I had started faster?  

I do think that I was a little complacent during 8 – 12k.  I have a secret weapon that I have been working on:  breathing.  With a mile to go, I started counting breaths and I noticed I was able to pick up the pace quite a bit.  I think I had a little bit more left than I should have.  

Something that bothered me a little bit was that I ran the same pace today as I ran at the 10 miler in October, and also the same pace as my half marathon PR at Houston.  I KNOW I am in better shape than I was at the 10 miler, and I strongly believe I am in better shape than when I ran my half PR. But, I have to remind myself that it is impossible to compare races, especially when I had such a different approach each time, and was in vastly different points of my training.  

I’m getting kind of tired of making comparisons.  Maybe it’s the airplane wine that I’m drinking right now, but I want to abolish comparisons between races and days and PRs and etc etc.  I’m a gritty bitch who digs deep and gets ugly, so what’s the point of saying that one race was better than the other?  From here on out I just want to compete hard and be fast.

That’s not too much to ask, right?  

[mrwineguy-blog]

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you're right. — Henry Ford

Hello everyone,

My name is Michael Gallagher and I live in Boynton Beach, FL. I’m 34 years old and have an amazing wife Jennifer, as well as two furry doggies Maci and Rusty. We can refer to them as kiddies! I didn’t grow up in FL but I feel like I’ve spent most of my life here…most of my life being my journey that is. I grew up in Southern IL in a little town called Metropolis. My high school graduation class consisted of 144 students. I hear that’s a good size auditorium class in most parts of the country. Needless to say there isn’t a whole lot going on in my “home away from home.”

On my mom’s side of the family I grew up on our family farm and spent a majority of my early life helping my grandfather and uncle’s with the traditional farming, bush-hogging, throwing bails of hay, even building and constructing grain bins. You name it, I was always available to lend a hand. Now I’m going to tell you, I have a lot of respect for my family and what they have done over the years. My grandfather is a well respected man and has definitely earned a name for himself. My two uncle’s knew right away this was what they wanted to do and worked toward the family business early on. There’s not a weak or selfish bone in any of their body’s and that’s why I love and respect them like I do. I’m saying this because as noble as it may have been, I knew in my heart that I wasn’t meant to become a farmer. I just felt like there was more out there for me and at the time I may or may not have realized it but I did know one thing, I knew one day I was going to make it big, bigger than anyone in my town could have ever imagined!

On my dad’s side of the family my grandfather owned a burial service company. Basically they would prepare burial vaults and upkeep the cemetery from mowing, to any type of maintenance you could think of. My grandfather had about 5 or 6 men that worked for him so as much as I would have helped, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for me to get involved, although I did lend a hand from time to time. My father was actually one of the men who worked for my grandfather. We lived next door to the business so it wasn’t anything to see me running around “the building” during the day when everyone was at work. I was between the ages of 8-14 during this time so if there was mischief to get into, I probably wasn’t hard to find. I’ll never forget one day I knocked over a 5 gallon bucket of motor oil and it pooled out everywhere in one of the work areas. My grandfather found out and told me I wasn’t allowed in the building again until I was 50. He wasn’t serious of course but then again I wonder how much he was joking. Occasionally he would see me running around the property in general and remind me of my ban, as well as tell me that my stepmom Marilyn was calling me, insinuating I should probably run off or go back home. My nickname was Mick growing up so I can’t tell you how many times I heard the words, “Mick, I think Marilyn is calling you!” No matter if he was around the corner or within an earshot he made sure to get the point across every time. I never truly disappointed my grandfather but I always wondered if he knew how much I loved him.

You see, this side of the family wasn’t like my experience with the other side. I always felt like I was working a lot harder to gain recognition for anything I did. My parents divorced when I was 4 and as far back as I can remember my father wasn’t exactly the best role model in the world. He had a bad reputation, especially coming from a small town perspective so from the beginning I had an uphill battle, which I was ok with. For some reason I felt better knowing I had something to prove, something to show everyone that ever wanted to doubt me. Now it’s easy for me to just throw all the “blame” on things such as my father for example, but I can’t sit here and profess to be someone I am, even someone I’m trying to become if all I do is point the finger. My father may have had a bad reputation and he may not have been there for me like I needed growing up, but that doesn’t mean I should be judgmental toward him as a result. He’s my father and I wasn’t perfect growing up either. It was my responsibility to be the best person that I could be regardless if he was present like I needed or not.

I’ll never forget I was really good at basketball growing up. I averaged around 20 points a game, 5-10 boards, a handful of assists and rarely fouled out. I managed myself well in the game and everyone knew how good I was. I always asked my dad to come to my games, which he very rarely did, but one night in particular he actually showed up to one of my home games in the 8th grade. It’s funny because he chose to sit eye level right behind the goal, almost like another challenge for me to succeed being under constant supervision…aside from the fact that I had a game to play. Completely nervous and terrified I knew what I needed to do so I played my heart out. At the end of the game we won and I had 28 points on the night, I wanna say 8 assists as well. I was now set on showing my dad every game how much he had missed out and just how good I truly was. That was the last game my dad ever came to. I look back on this now and even though he never came to another game I still loved him just the same. It would have been easier for me though if he showed a little compassion every once in a while but regardless, it was still my responsibility to love him and appreciate him. I’m sure he didn’t truly want to let me down, so why should I be so quick to cast him away like I probably “should have.”

My mother on the other hand was my primary source of survival. She always tried her hardest and never missed an opportunity to let me know how much she cared for and loved me. Growing up may have been rough and lonely at times but it was absolutely what has molded me into the person I am today. No road is ever perfect in life and I think the ones that are the most bumpy truly define ones character much more than the others.

In my senior year of high school I knew I needed to do something with my life. My grades weren’t anything special, (out of 144 students, I graduated 72 in my class…consider that.) At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do but after hearing a Navy recruiter talk to a few of my classmates one day I was convinced I was going to join the Navy. Nine months prior to graduating high school I signed delayed-entry paperwork and readied myself to leave my home town and “Let the journey begin.” This wasn’t a hard decision because like I said, there wasn’t a whole lot going on in my town. I never partied in high school, never experimented with drugs, hardly dated, all I did with my leisure time was spend it with my fellow church friends at our southern baptist church. We were an active youth group and part of a great church family. We went on ski trips, mission trips, bible studies galore, just about everything you could imagine. We were active and that was good because it kept us out of trouble. I really grew a lot within that youth group and I’ll never forget the impact they made on my life!

Joining the Navy in 2001 was where I truly grew up. I was stationed in Jacksonville, FL and started to learn real quick that the world can be a hard and cruel place. This was where I finally knew what it meant to make it, to survive without anyone there to catch me if I fell. The Navy was a time in my life, a decision that I’ll never regret. Even though the Navy gave me the tools I needed to survive and be the man that I’ve become today, I knew it wasn’t what I truly wanted to do to become successful.

In 2008 in Jacksonville, I met my beautiful wife Jennifer on the beach. The weather was perfect and the beach was packed that day. A couple friends and I were throwing a football around when I noticed Jennifer and her sister sitting up toward the entrance to the beach. I told my one friend to get his 2 year old daughter Danica and have her go over to those “girls” and throw the football down at them, just so I could make the move. Well luckily, it all panned out and I’m here today proudly calling that woman my wife! At that time I had an instant goal and I knew I was willing to do whatever I had to do to obtain it.

Jennifer and I would date for approximately 2 and a half years and eventually got engaged for a year and a half before we married. I asked Jen to be my wife at our favorite restaurant Sambuca in Nashville, TN where we lived. Her sister Michelle was in town celebrating her birthday so at dinner I had a very important task at hand. I needed to manage a way to surprise Jen with my proposal as well as surprise Michelle with a birthday dinner, all on the same night and same place, while conspiring with both parties. Fortunately everything worked out flawlessly and by the end of the evening I was up on a stage in front of hundreds of people asking the woman of my dreams to marry me.

Nashville is where I discovered that I had a passion for wine. It wasn’t much at first but it was intriguing to say the least. I didn’t realize it but this passion would end up becoming my calling. It started when I was working at a local bistro restaurant in Franklin, TN. One day in our PDR (Private Dining Room) we were doing training on bottle service, specifically bottle presentation and wine etiquette at the table. I had no idea anyone could even order a bottle of wine at the table, let alone there was some formality to it. Here I was working at this bistro for over a month and I thought, if someone orders wine from me I’ll probably have to crawl in a hole after it’s all said and done. Fortunately I studied hard and often, asked tons of questions and formulated methods to doing the best presentation I could possibly master. Nobody ordered any wine from me around that time which may or may not have been a blessing although there was more money to be made when more money was spent. Along with that came knowing the wines, knowing where they came from, knowing the history of the grapes and the winemakers, knowing what foods to pair what wines with, so on and so forth. I had only scratched the scratch of the surface and didn’t even realize it, but it didn’t matter to me. Wine in general was starting to become very intriguing to me and I wanted to know more!

Eventually Jennifer and I decided to move to South FL and start fresh. We realized we had nothing holding us to TN and were still relatively young, so why stay in TN if we didn’t have to. Fortunately we didn’t have a plan, and I say fortunately because we knew we had a vision and a goal to be something great and when you have dreams and goals, as well as a strong person by your side who is the same way, you can have, be, and do anything you want! Funny thing because Jennifer’s first job once we settled in FL was selling wine. I took my previous restaurant work and focused on picking up where I left off in TN. I received a couple decent jobs but nothing that stuck so I eventually found another job at a much more substantial restaurant. The actual property had a 5 start hotel attached to it and the owners own some of the countries most popular wine labels in the business. I didn’t realize it at the time but I had just upgraded my pretty good job in TN to something much more accomplished. This would mean more knowledge of wine and more opportunities to grow in something I only had a grasp of. When I interviewed for the server position in the restaurant, the manager asked me a few questions about wine, some of which I knew very well. One question I didn’t know the answer to was, “name the 5 grape varietals found in a Bordeaux.” I may have known 3. This alone can squash you of any opportunity in this business because you have to know certain things to be hired. This manager saw something in me and hired me anyway. He knew there was something about me worth keeping.

I would eventually work in this restaurant for 2 and a half years at a very successful rate and during this time, as much as I loved wine, I did not love waiting tables. I appreciated what waiting tables brought to me as far as the knowledge, my regulars and/or connections, money obviously, but I knew I didn’t want to be a server for the rest of my life. I started looking into the medical program and more specifically becoming a Firefighter. It was somewhat relatable to my Navy days with the structure and comradery easily comparable.

In January of 2014 I left my job at the restaurant to focus on my state exam for EMT, as well as focus on enrollment in the Firefighter program. I knew it was important to devote my time to this while I was moving toward a career in the Fire service. Fortunately for me, I didn’t exactly fulfill my plans of becoming a firefighter right away. My grades weren’t sufficient enough for me to continue and as a result, I was dropped from the program about half way through the course. This also happened to me in EMT. All in all I took EMT and Fire both twice which to most people may have looked pretty bad. To me, which is why I’m so fortunate, I was able to find comfort and redemption in it because it reminded me of how hard I knew I had to work towards those goals, goals that I wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of. Persistence truly does pay off!

Jennifer had enough of corporate America and wanted to follow her dreams as an entrepreneur and start her own workout clothing line, Hallow + Plank. One of the reasons for moving to FL was allowing her to eventually do this and be closer to the industry and market that she felt would allow her business to thrive. Now, getting hired in the fire service is hard…very hard. Some people it takes years to get hired and some never even get the chance. Not to mention it’s nice if municipalities are even hiring to begin with. They say for each Firefighter class of students, maybe ¼ of them will get “picked up.” I never let that bother or hinder me and continued to focus on my goal and chief-aim of becoming a Fireman. I not only got hired once as a Firefighter, but I was hired again by another municipality, not to mention I was the first person in my class to get picked up. In fact, my first department hired 8 people from a stack of 2,000+ applicants during my first eligible hiring phase; I was the 7th person selected. The other department was a better fit for me so I took that job within a year of the other.

During all this time I never lost my love for wine. I still found myself spending hours online looking at auction sites, reading articles and books about various wines, purchasing different wines which at times could take up to hours in the store. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by and I didn’t even realize it. I knew most of the wines I was looking at, but it was a matter of picking the right ones at the right time. Never the less, I loved just being in the atmosphere surrounded by everything in general.

Now I’ve come to a point where I realize that following my dreams is more important than ever. My wife’s business is doing well and she’s constantly learning and improving on things everyday. Ultimately our goal is to live in California where Jen will take Hallow + Plank to the next level and I’ll work in the wine industry where I want to be. My whole life has been a journey that more and more is proving itself to me as the days go by.

Now as far as why I’m here. This blog is an opportunity for me to do a couple things: First, I want to learn as much as I can. I know I’m the one writing the blog but there’s so much to learn in this industry about wine, food, friends and family, ambitions, just life in general. I will never suggest that what I think is always correct or that the information I’m presenting is absolute. A lot of the times I think in life we are so quick to offer what we think, that we shut off our ears for the opportunity to actually learn. God gave us 2 ears and one mouth or one hand when writing…so use them proportionally. The next thing I want to do is empower or inspire others to succeed. We can all learn something from each other so it’s always a win-win when multiple people are on board with one particular topic or concept.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing the things that I think we can all benefit from. Wine is a journey that brings people together and I can’t wait to go on this journey with you!

Cheers

[redgillbistro11-blog]

Lunch Restaurant Jacksonville FL

No matter what you are in the mood for The Red Gill bistro delivers and exceptional array of taste. Start your day with made to order breakfast and then unwind with a delicious dinner, or just relax in the lounge featuring signature cocktails and local craft beers. You can also call for room service and enjoy the restaurant cuisine in the comfort of your own room.

Lunch  Restaurant Jacksonville FL

[sewgeekmama]

This past week I sampled some delicious food from the Not Bad Supper Club, got ready to focus on my future with a Vision Board Party, created a GoFundMe for a new geeky children’s book and gave some cool tights by We Love Colors a test run.

Not Bad Supper Club by Void Magazine

I love pretty food in little portions and the Not Bad Supper Club pop-up dinner at BREW Five Points did not disappoint. It featured six courses created by the talented chefs at The Floridian in St. Augustine and Bellwether in downtown Jacksonville. Both restaurants were featured in the Bold Bites issue of Void Magazine.

Party with a Vision

After talking about it for months, a friend and I threw a little Vision Board Party and it was a lot of fun! We gathered a few like-minded friends, brought out our old magazines and drank and chatted while cutting and pasting our future goals. Everyone left with their very own vision board, a positive outlook for the new year, and I was finding tiny magazine scraps around the house for a week, lol.

Help Publish Our Children’s Book

Speaking of vision boards and goals, a big one of mine is to get this children’s book published this year! The goal is set for October 2020 and the GoFundMe is going on right now at: gf.me/u/xngyvu

Product of Keane Interest: We Love Colors – Tights and Dancewear in Every Color

My featured product/company this week is We Love Colors, where you can find high quality tights and dancewear in nearly every color and sizes up to 8X! I gave their microfiber tights a try in both regular and footless styles.

I fell in love with their hand painted splash color tights, which fit perfectly on my tall self without the usual yanking and pulling to keep them up! I chose my size based on the their chart and the sizing was spot-on. The fit was nice and snug, but not too constricting so I didn’t immediately want to cut the waistband like I almost always have to do to avoid the annoying muffin-top. The footless tights fit great as well, with a nice opaque coverage and ending just above my ankle without any additional tugging down.

They have 50+ colors and styles for women, men and children, and all their tights are all dyed in-house in Miami, FL so they have strict control over the quality of their product. Whether you need tights for dancewear or for cosplay, We Love Colors is the place to go if you want something in just the right color, and tights you don’t have to worry about putting your finger through every time you pull them up. (this actually happens to me often) I’ll definitely be shopping their selection next time I need tights that can handle everything from a cosplay day at a con to a full-on dance production.

Click the image to check out their website for the full selection plus lots of great photos of people in all shapes and sizes modeling their tights:

That’s it for this week! Next week there’s a lot planned with a Jacksonville Mom Night Out event, a preview of a new zoo exhibit and a wine tasting and food sampling for the upcoming Player’s Championship.

Keane Interest: Not Bad Supper, Vision Boards, a GoFundMe and Tights by We Love Colors This past week I sampled some delicious food from the Not Bad Supper Club, got ready to focus on my future with a Vision Board Party, created a GoFundMe for a new geeky children's book and gave some cool tights by…

[afrosandknives]

Episode Ten | Therese Nelson

Therese Nelson is a chef, writer, and founder of Black Culinary History.com, a website and social network she founded in 2008 as a way to preserve black heritage throughout the African culinary diaspora, to celebrate and network chefs of color, and to steward in this next era of modern black foodways. She is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University where she earned dual degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. In addition to her work curating blackculinaryhistory.com Therese works as a private chef based in NYC and is a frequent contributor to food publications focusing on black identity in American gastronomy.

Where to find Therese:

Featured Chef: The Experience: pop up dinner at the Bleu Chocolát Cafe in Jacksonville, FL

Contributing writer for “Women on Food” available in November. Pre-order now!

Presenting at Food and Grooves conference in DC this October, as well as Fire, Flour, + Fork in November.

Connect + Follow

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[superfitfoods-blog]

Superfit Foods provides fresh and healthy meal prep in Jacksonville, Lakeland and Nationwide Shipping. Our Chef prepared fresh meals for your meal prep options, to be delivered weekly at our pickup locations so you can enjoy healthy eating meals to your home or office.

[anachef]

Restaurant Chain Growth Report 01/08/19

(RestaurantNews.com)   RestaurantData.com has released its latest Restaurant Chain Growth Report.

Growing Concepts of Multi Unit Operators Concepts that have grown by at least 5% (if less than 50 units).

Nitro, WV-based TUDOR’S BISCUIT WORLD (founded 1980) has increased by 5 units, from 65 to 70 (8% growth). This family/casual American restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a $4-$12+ per person check average. Seating is for about 50. All units are franchised and trade in KY, OH and WV.

Dallas, TX-based MARISCOS 2000 has increased by 1 unit, from 3 to 4 (33% growth). This family/casual Mexican seafood concept is open for lunch and dinner, with an $8-$20+ per person check average. Beer and wine are served and average unit has seating for about 100. All the restaurants trade in TX.

Michigan-based CHICKEN SHACK (founded 1956) has increased by 1 unit, from 20 to 21 (5% growth). This quick serve chicken restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, with a $4-$12+ per person price range. Seating is for about 40. Catering, online ordering and drive-thru services are available. All locations are in MI. Franchise opportunities are available.

Portland, OR-based PINE STATE BISCUITS (founded 2006) has increased by 1 unit, from 3 to 4 (33% growth). This fast casual concept is open for breakfast and lunch, with a $4-$12+ per person price range. Some locations have full bar service, others serve beer and wine only. Average unit seats about 60. Catering is available. All the restaurants are located in OR.

Charlotte, NC-based BGR THE BURGER JOINT (founded 2008) has increased by 1 unit, from 22 to 23 (5% growth) and entered into NJ. This family/casual burger concept is open for lunch and dinner, with a $6-$15+ per person check average. Beer and wine are served and average unit seats about 50. Catering and private party services are available. About half the units are franchised. Trading areas are DC, GA, MD, NY, SC, TN and VA.

Emerging and Re-emerging Concepts Concepts with 20 units or less who grew by at least 2 units.

Jacksonville, FL-based SHEIK SANDWICHES (founded 1972) has increased by 2 units, from 6 to 8 (33% growth). This quick serve sandwich shop is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a $4-$12+ per person price range. Seating is for about 80. All the locations are in FL.

New York-based RAFAEL PALOMINO RESTAURANTS has added 2 new concepts called THe Flying Egg and Urbano. Other company concepts are B Square Burgers & Booze (1), Cachette Bistro (1), Mesa Modern Mexican (1), Pacifico (1), Sonora (1) and Tapas On Main (1). Overall company increase was from 6 to 8 (33% growth). The restaurants are mostly upscale, serving South American, Mexican, Spanish and American cuisines. Per person check average is $15-$50+, with full bar service and seating for about 150. Meal periods are breakfast, lunch and dinner. Catering and banquet services are available. Trading areas are CT, FL, NY and PA.

New York, NY-based WOLFGANG’S STEAKHOUSE (founded 2004) has increased by 6 units, from 13 to 19 (46% growth). These upscale steakhouses are open for lunch and dinner, with a $15-$50+ per person check average. The restaurants have full bar service and average seating for about 200. Banquet rooms are available. Trading areas are CA, FL, HI, NJ, NY and Asia.

Repeat Growers Concepts previously written about in the past 18 months.

Houston, TX-based SAM’S BOAT GULF COAST KITCHEN & SPORTS BAR (founded 1981) has increased by 1 unit, from 6 to 7 (17% growth). These family/casual seafood and sports bars are open for lunch and dinner, with a $10-$30+ per person check average. Seating is for about 250, with private party service. All locations are in TX. Franchise opportunities are available. We last featured this concept on 11/1/17 (20% growth).

Baton Rouge, LA-based C C’S COFFEE HOUSE (founded 1995) has increased by 12 units, from 33 to 45 (36% growth). This quick serve coffee shop is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner hours, with a $4-$12+ per person price range. Seating is for about 20. Catering and online ordering options are available. Trading areas are LA and MS. We featured this concept on 10/24/17 (6% growth).

Plano, TX-based FOGO DE CHAO BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE (founded 1979) has increased by 3 units, from 49 to 52 (6% growth). The restaurants are upscale, open for lunch and dinner, with a $15-$50+ per person check average. Full bar service is available. Seating is for about 200. Trading areas are AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, NV, NY, OR, PA, TX, WA, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico and the Middle East. We wrote about this concept on 11/29/17 (14% growth).

About RestaurantData®.com Publisher

RestaurantData®.com is an online portal including FoodserviceReport.com the largest provider of new restaurant opening sales leads in the US averaging 850 new restaurant openings per week, RestaurantChains.net focusing on the multi-unit chain universe of companies and 20,000 unique decision making VP contacts inside 7,300 multi-unit restaurants and the Restaurant Unit Locator of 700,000 individual locations with rock solid delineations of independent locations vs. multi-unit locations, size, shape, cuisine, service style, sales, contacts, region, alcohol, seats, etc.  Listings are updated and reviewed constantly and new data is updated daily.

source http://www.restaurantnews.com/restaurant-chain-growth-report-01-08-19/

[mmwm]

Today — the day of winter solstice in the northern hemisphere — it reached 50F in central New Hampshire, and it rained all day. On top of 6-12 inches of snow that’s been sitting on the ground for weeks. Which equals a lot of fog.

I’m hopeful that we’ll keep some snow for Christmas and see a fresh snowfall in a week or two.  But meanwhile, even in spring-like weather, I’m taking 10 days to focus on the idea of “home” for a Winter Solstice creativity challenge on Facebook, whose theme is “Returning Home:”

“What is ‘home’ to you? Are you ‘home’ now? Or do you have a longing to ‘return’ to a place of origin (physically or spiritually)? Can we be assured of a safe return? Is there any assurance at all? Is home a static or fluid place? Does home reside internally or in the people we know? Is home God, nature, or some felt infinite spirit source? Could home be each moment, each breath, each step? What music, colors, images, experiences represent home to you?”

It’s hosted by Ruth Schowalter (who is travelling in Morocco at the moment! yes, I’m envious) and open to all interested.

As some of you know, I’m looking at moving to another locale, perhaps a town in Lower or Outer Cape Cod, or far northeastern Florida (Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island). Or perhaps another town, as yet unknown or discounted by me. At one point, places in Rhode Island, Maine, Delaware, South Carolina, and Georgia have all been in contention. All I really know is that I want to be within 1-2 miles of saltwater (salt marsh, bay, or ocean), in a walkable/bikeable community, with lots of green space and trails, about an hour or so from a big city (like Boston or Jacksonville), with good health insurance and healthcare options, and with good transportation options (Amtrak, local transit, buses and trains to the city).

The ocean feels like returning home to me. Returning to saltwater. Walking and not driving feels like returning home, to childhood anyway. The “home” I seek includes a community that includes a local bookstore, coffee shops where you can lounge with friends for an hour or two, wine bars and restaurants, a farmstand or CSA, a good public library with inter-library loan availability, good veterinarians and medical professionals nearby. And saltwater, which is what’s missing from the home I have. It’s funny (maybe) but the house itself doesn’t matter as much as the place: the amenities of the place, the terrain of the place, and mostly the feeling of the place.

People matter, too. It’s hard to think about leaving friends where I live now. I’ve lived 500+ miles away from most of my family for 25 years, and that’s difficult at times. But I know that I can maintain satisfying long-distance friendships and connections, and I can meet new people, make new friends, and form meaningful community, a second family, around myself. I’ve lived a peripatetic life, by choice and otherwise.

Many friends have moved away from the place I live now, and others will move away, to be near grandkids, to find suitable retirement facilities or climates, or for other reasons. Farewells are sad; but I’m also happy to wave goodbye to people who are pulled in heart and soul to another place.

Everything changes as long as we live. I have faith that true connections hold, over time, over distance.

Those are some of my thoughts about home on this winter solstice, shortest day, longest night of the year.

And here are some of the places in which, and people (and dog and cat) with whom, I’ve recently spent the winter solstice (which is usually on the 21st, every few years on the 22nd). As Ruth asks: “Does home reside internally or in the people we know? … Could home be each moment, each breath, each step?”

2018: NH, appreciating local businesses

NH: shopping at local consignment store, which I love, 2018

NH home: taking photos of a black radish from the local farmstand, 2018

2017: NH, with good friends and good food, at a tapas party and enjoying the CSA share, while the new cat settles in:

NH: at Annie’s house, with Annie, Tom, Caroline, Jim, Natalie, and Connie for tapas, 2017

NH: at Annie’s house, with Annie and Caroline and others for tapas, 2017

Bumblecat settling in on his second or third day living with us, 2017

2016: Fernandina Beach, FL

FL: Fernandina Beach, downtown, 2016

FL: Amelia Island, (Big?) Talbot Island sand path, 2016

FL: Fernandina Beach, shells I found on the beach that day, on a friend’s porch, 2016

2015: Jekyll Island, GA 

GA; Jekyll Island mid-beach, 2015

GA; Jekyll Island, bikes at the then-new village shops, 2015

GA; Jekyll Island, Christmas lights in the historic district, 2015

2014: NH, snowshoeing and enjoying the sunroom stove

NH: snowy trail, 2014

NH home: sunroom with pellet stove giving warmth, snow outside, 2014

2013: on the train

DC: waiting area in Union Station, 2013

Virginia: view across from Richmond’s Staples Mill Amtrak station, from train, 2013

NC: Rocky Mount, view from train, 2013

NC: Wilson, view from train, 2013

2012: Home in NH

NH home: garage door, 2012

2011: NH, the last winter with our dog, Gretchen

And a Solstice party with friends:

NH: with friends at a Solstice party at Candis’s house, 2011

NH: Solstice party and hike at Candis’s house, 2011

NH: Solstice party at Candis’s house, 2011

2010: on the train again

MA: Boston’s South Station, looking at the model train and waiting for the train, 2010

NY: Penn Station, 2010

on the train at dinner, 2010

2009: First Christmas in NH

2008: Last winter in Bath, Maine

Maine home: snow on back deck, 2008

Gretchen bulldog and her ears, 2008

… and then skipping just a few years back :-),

1993: In the Caribbean, on the party boat “Explorer” off St. Maarten

Happy Solstice to you, whatever your weather, wherever you are: home, returning home, away from home, at home anywhere.

  Winter Solstice Today -- the day of winter solstice in the northern hemisphere -- it reached 50F in central New Hampshire, and it rained all day.

[fullruinscollectionuniverse-blog]

It Is Pretty Easy to Obtain A Hold Of the Very Best Hgh Therapy For Sale

For the rest of us, to best serve our audiences, we need to go above and beyond to connect with them. In fact, when I first started speaking professionally, I was only an opening act as a comedian struggling to do a strong ten minutes of material. Now I had to be up there for an hour! What I did to overcompensate was to do anything and everything I could to connect with them. I interviewed people ahead of time, read newsletters, dove into their website, and for sure, showed up early. There is so much I could cover, but what I'd like to focus this article on is what I do when I'm on site at the conference. Last week I spoke for a transportation company, the National Safe Driver Awards Banquet. I even brought my video camera to show you exactly what I do and how I do it.

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JACKSONVILLE, FL – APRIL 27, 2014: A Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Jacksonville. Krispy Kreme was founded on July 13, 1937 by founder Vernon Rudolph.

Tons of new tastes are coming to the Bryan-College Station area. Here’s the latest delicious list of eateries planned for B/CS.

Berryhill Baja Grill Coming to Century Square across from Texas A&M

Berryhill’s relaxed and friendly atmosphere, in addition to their famous margaritas and frozen screwdrivers also make it the ideal spot for happy hours and group dinners. With eight locations throughout Houston, the Century Square location will be Berryhill’s first expansion outside the Houston market. Visit berryhillbajagrill.com for more information.

Casa Do Brasil South College Station

The Casa do Brasil menu will include several varieties of fresh sliced, roasted meats, seafood, a high-end salad bar, and traditional Brazilian entrees. South American desserts like papaya cream and flan will tempt those who saved room. The restaurant will feature multiple private rooms, semi-private rooms, and spaces with audio visual equipment for your next meeting or event.

Chick-fil-A Coming to Villa Maria & 2818

Chick-fil-A has submitted site plans for a new Bryan location across from the Wings-N-More on Villa Maria near the 2818 intersection.

Dat Dog Coming to Northpoint Crossing

Dat Dog, a popular New Orleans franchise chain that specializes in gourmet hot dogs and sausages, is set to open its newest restaurant in College Station, Texas. The restaurant marks Dat Dog’s first location outside of Louisiana and will be owned by franchisee group B&G Food Enterprises, LLC, which currently operates more than 100 Taco Bell, KFC and Long John Silver’s restaurants across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Located in the Domain at Northgate at 101 Church Avenue, the new restaurant is slated to open… continued at QSRmagazine.com

French Fry Heaven Coming to Century Square

The mission of French Fry Heaven is to serve the best fries on earth. The restaurant chain will soon be bringing that mission to College Station, Texas. We first heard a rumor that the chain was coming on the MyBCS.com New Businesses thread, and confirmed on the French Fry Heaven website that a College Station location is listed as “coming soon.”

Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen Coming to Tower Point

The Houston based Tex-Mex chain, Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen is coming soon to the Tower Point Shopping Center at Highway 6 and William D. Fitch.

Harvest Coffee Bar Coming to Century Square

Harvest Coffee Bar serves specialty coffee and a gourmet menu in historic downtown Bryan, Texas. They feature items handmade from scratch with fresh, natural ingredients. Century Square will be the coffee merchant’s second location.

Hey Sugar Coming to Century Square

Hey Sugar will open a third Texas location with 1,495 square feet of space at Century Square dedicated to selling specialty candies, chocolates, cotton candy, and old fashioned sodas. Customers can expect to find old-school classic flavors in the wide selection of treats, but will also discover that Hey Sugar offers a variety of innovative and fun flavors like bacon and merlot.

Hooters Coming to pad site in front of Premiere Cinema

After years of attempts, Aggieland appears to actually be getting it’s very own Hooters Restaurant at 960 N. Earl Rudder Freeway in front of Premiere Cinemas. As for now, the only sign of Hooters is a sign in the field where the restaurant will soon be constructed, notifying the public of their beverage permit application.

Howdy’s Pizza Coming to Tower Point

Say Howdy! to Howdy’s Pizza, a new pizza joint coming to Tower Point. They will offer great craft pizzas, wings, pastas, salads, and more! https://www.facebook.com/HowdysPizza/

In-N-Out Coming to College Station (Rumored Chimney Hill)

Last month, a petition was shared on the The Spirit Of Aggieland facebook group asking the iconic In-N-Out Burger to build a location in Bryan-College Station stating: “You can get a Double-Double Animal Style or 4×4 at t.u., UNT, UTSA and even Baylor these days. It’s time for Aggies to have access to some of the best burgers and fries on the planet without a 100 mile road trip being involved.” In response to the facebook post, College Station Mayor Karl Mooney posted the following: “They are already looking to be in College Station — no petition needed.”

Jersey Mike’s Subs Coming to College Station

Jersey Mike’s, a fast-casual sub sandwich franchise with more than 1,000 locations open and under development nationwide, has a long history of community involvement and support. Started at the Jersey Shore in 1956, Jersey Mike’s serves authentic East Coast-style subs on fresh baked bread – the same recipe it started with over 60 years ago. The company’s mission is to bring its customers the highest quality, freshest made sub in the industry and give back to the communities in which it operates. A store locator and franchise information for Jersey Mike’s can be found at www.jerseymikes.com.

Krispy Kreme Coming to Harvey Rd.

Krispy Kreme’s most famous and best-selling product is the glazed, yeast-raised doughnut known as the “Krispy Kreme Original Glazed®.” Soon, citizens of College Station will be able to get their Original Glazed right on Harvey Road near Post Oak Mall. According to multiple sources, a Krispy Kreme is slated to be built on the restaurant pad site at 1100 Harvey Rd.

Mess Waffles Etc. Coming to Century Square

MESS Waffles, Etc. recently made the announcement that Aggieland has been hoping for since one of our favorite food trucks rolled off into the sunset earlier this year: a bricks and mortar location is coming soon! The new Century Square shopping center across from Texas A&M will be the site of the popular waffle shop’s first permanent location. Mess is known for dessert creations as well as savory, inventive waffle entrees that go far beyond traditional chicken & waffles.

Mojo Burger In Front of the new Embassy Suites, next door to Aggieland Outfitters

“It’s called Burger Mojo and is the latest restaurant venture for the Dallis family, which is best known for Café Eccell and La Bodega,” announced the City of College Station’s Jay Socol in the latest “Is it a thing?” post on the city’s blog. The restaurant is being built in front of the new Embassy Suites, next door to Aggieland Outfitters on University Drive.

Mo’s Irish Pub College Station Coming to Century Square

Lively and festive anytime of the day, Mo’s Irish Pub is the perfect place for game watching and to gather with friends. Featuring Irish American scratch cooking, live entertainment and the perfect pint!

Nam Cafe Coming to Northgate

The sign is up for a new Asian eatery where Jin’s World Cafe was located: Nam Cafe. According to signage, noodles will be a specialty of the Nagle Street’s newest restaurant when they open.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen Coming to University Drive

A new Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is still planned for the former Scott & White property on Highway 6. Planning the site has taken longer than originally anticipated.

Ronin Cooking Coming to the Ice House in Downtown Bryan

Ronin Cooking currently hosts farm-to-table dinners at their Bryan, TX farm. They will soon open a farm-to-table restaurant in Downtown Bryan’s redeveloped icehouse.

Ronin Cooking, best known for fine farm-to-table meals served at their Full Moon Dinners and catered events, will be serving up fresh food at the Ice House on Main’s new farm-to-table restaurant as early as this fall.

Rx Pizza Coming to Caprock in South College Station

Rx Pizza & Bar is well loved in downtown Bryan, Texas. They serve brick-oven pizza, salads, and craft beer & cocktails. South College Station is in for a treat.

Sharetea Coming to Century Square

Tea shop and Taiwanese food purveyor Sharetea is building a location in College Station’s Century Square development, across from Texas A&M University.

Star Cinema Grill Coming to Century Square

Star Cinema Grill will be opening at the new Century Square development on University Dr.

Star Cinema Grill was recently added to the ever-growing list of exciting new businesses building at Century Square. Star Cinema provides movie-goers a full-service restaurant experience delivered seat side while enjoying Hollywood’s latest blockbusters.

Starbucks Coffee Coming to Tower Point

Starbucks Coffee has submitted a site plan to the City of College Station for a new location at Tower Point. Currently, the only fine coffee purveyors south of Rock Prairie are Gogh Gogh, Tipsy Beans, and Blue Baker, so Starbucks should be a welcome caffeinated addition to the area.

Stella Southern Cafe Coming to Hwy. 6 Access Road, Just South of Momentum Bank

Stella, a concept by Michael Lair of Washbangers, will be located on the access road to Hwy 6 just south of the Momentum Bank building.  The food is going to be built around scratch made biscuits and stone ground grits.  And , boy, do we have some great things to slap on those – including buttermilk fried chicken, smoked pulled pork, and chicken fried tofu (what?!) among other things.

Subzero Coming to Century Square

Sub Zero, opening its 12th store in Texas in College Station’s Century Square development at University & South College, uses the freezing power of liquid nitrogen to customize ice cream creations right at the counter. Customers select the flavor and mix-ins of their choice, which are added to a bowl of fresh cream and then frozen in moments with the use of liquid nitrogen. In addition to dozens of popular recipe ice cream combinations, the menu also includes shakes, smoothies and ice cream pies.

Sweet Paris Crêperie Coming to Century Square

Sweet Paris Crêperie will open their third location in Texas – their first location in College Station – occupying 3,750 square feet of retail and patio space within Century Square. Sweet Paris Crêperie will offer a diverse selection of sweet and savory crêpes as well as waffles, milkshakes, salads, paninis, and options for kids.

TaD’s Steak & Seafood Coming to South College Station near Lowe’s

“Coming Soon” signage is up near the South College Station Lowe’s for TaD’s Steak and Seafood. The company currently has locations in Richmond, Katy and Tomball.

Urban Table 40 and Barron Rd.

Chef Tai Lee announced that construction has commenced on a what will be his newest restaurant at the southwest corner of 40 and Barron Rd. The 2 story building will feature a bar on top with views all the way to campus. The restaurant on the first floor will be similar to Tai’s Veritas Wine and Bistro concept, which serves wine and fine food on University Drive near Texas A&M.  Tai’s big news was revealed during his talk at the Governor’s Business conference held at the Stella Hotel earlier this week.

Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar Coming soon to College Station

Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar is set to open a College Station location in 2018. Eat BCS heard rumors about the popular sports bar’s plans for Aggieland, so we reached out to Walk-On’s corporate via facebook. They confirmed a location is planned for “North College Station” in 2018. The sport’s bar and restaurant’s facebook page bills it the “place to grab a bite or a beer, bring the family out to dinner, party with your friends, or head to before, during or after any game.”

Z Bistro & Bar Coming to Northgate

Construction permits have been issued to Z Bar & Bistro for an extensive renovation of the old Loupot’s / Neebo building at 335 University on Northgate. Plans include a 3rd floor with a rooftop deck.

  30 New Restaurants Coming to #BCSTX : French Fry Heaven, Dat Dog, Krispy Kreme, Gringos + More Sponsored by Brazos VIP: Half Off at Local Restaurants, Shops & More Tons of new tastes are coming to the Bryan-College Station area.