Category: Uncategorized

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #3 “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!” May 18, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Memphis, Uncategorized

Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Flight. We ate there last year with our friend’s Gary and Smooch and couldn’t wait to go back. The restaurant offers either samples of dishes (which they call a flight) or you can have a main course if you prefer. Of course we had both.

L to R: Iceberg wedge; Mozzarella and strawberries; Harvest salad
Full order of 3 soft shell crabs.
L to R: Soft shell crab, lobster and filet mignon; duck
L to R: Scallop Benedict; Shrimp and grits; Lobster gnocchi
L to R: Chicken and waffles; Stuffed quail; Lamb rib eye.

We also had two flights of desserts any one of which would have been enough for all five of us. Instead we shared 6! I thought I took pictures but I guess I was in too much of a hurry to sample lava cake, chocolate chip cake, brownie ala mode, apple cobbler, bananas Foster and pecan pie.

Here we are before eating.

L to R: Erica, Patrice, Robert, Lindsay and Robby.

Today was the finals of the BBQ judging. On arrival Patrice found out that she was going to do “on site” judging of shoulder while I didn’t have a morning assignment. I lamented to Patrice and our friend, John, that I was hoping to get a shoulder assignment but maybe next year would be my lucky year. Shortly before the shoulder judging was about to begin, John was frantically waving for me to join him at the judge’s desk. Apparently a judge was a no show and they asked if I could fill in. I happily accepted.

With the “on site” judging you go to the team’s cooking area. The head cook introduces you to the team, shows you their cooker and explains their methods. Finally you get to sit down and enjoy BBQ that you never see in any restaurant in Los Angeles. I couldn’t help myself. The “worst” of the three entries was spectacular.

I returned to the judge’s tent at noon, knowing that at 1:30 I would be judging ribs. I learned this would be “blind” judging where I would be presented with 6 boxes and if something didn’t taste great I could bypass it. Lucky for me there were two that stood out and I had only small tastes of the other 4.

After all the judging was completed we went to visit some of the contestants we had judged. As always they greeted us like royalty. They offered us more food but I couldn’t eat another bite. In fact I had to go back to the hotel to cool off and digest what I had eaten.

Patrice caught a shot of me back at the hotel.

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.

Tomorrow we head for home. Not a moment too soon. I t I spent another day in this town I think I’d explode.

We just got an email from American Airlines that our flight tomorrow morning has been cancelled. Could be an interesting 24 hours.

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #2 “Let’s Eat Some Q!” May 17, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Memphis, Uncategorized

Today was our first day of judging. But before heading over to the park for our 10 AM check-in we went to our favorite Memphis breakfast place, the Blue Plate Cafe. On the table they had this:

Worms for eating or fishing?

I thought they were worms in a bottle, after all this is the South. But I was wrong they were just this.

Nope, Louisiana peppers. For breakfast?

Patrice had waffles, I had eggs and pancakes. Erica shared both of our meals. There was plenty for all of us. We did have to compete with an occasional critter.

An ant learned what happens to someone who tries to take my food. It wasn’t pretty.

After a yummy breakfast we headed over to the park to register. Although the committee is always running late we like to be on time. Unfortunately some bees had another idea. We were stopped by security from passing since they had to remove a beehive along the walkway. Check out this 8 second YouTube video.

Today we had what’s called “blind judging”. Judges are seated 4 to a table and 6 boxes of food are brought to you. Judges first view the food for appearance then dig in and eat. After judging is completed you are free to eat whatever is leftover. I am what they call a finisher for obvious reasons. I wore the shirt today to let everyone else know my mission.

Robert ready for judging.
My mission prominently displayed for all to see.

At the check-in table you receive your assignments. I was assigned only one session and it was poultry. Patrice was given two sessions: beef and seafood. What this means is that Patrice gets to have filet mignon and shrimp and I get chicken! She gets to go to the wedding at the Beverly Hills hotel and I’m invited to the one at the Residence Inn. Needless to say I was not happy especially after hearing her report “Two of the filets were okay but other four were spectacular”. I wouldn’t let her speak when she started to talk about the shrimp.

Tomorrow we will both get pork. Right now we are just resting at the hotel waiting for Lindsay and Robby to arrive. See you tomorrow.

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #1 “BBQ Heaven Here We Come” May 16, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Yes, fans, it’s time for the Memphis in May BBQ Festival and Patrice and I are ready to be judges again. First some history, in 2015 while visiting Memphis, Patrice found a BBQ food tour. That’s where we met our friend Lance who was the owner of Tastinroundtown. Lance has since sold the company, but at that time he was the tour guide extraordinaire. He showed us some fine BBQ establishments and explained to us how to become judges. The following year (2016) we became judges and have been coming back ever since.

This year is very special because we brought our daughter Erica, and tomorrow we will be joined by our other daughter Lindsay and her boyfriend, Robby.

Patrice and I have been judges since 2016 but we received the official Memphis in May BBQ certification in 2018. We take our work very seriously. Today we were reviewing some of the information we received during training. For example “A whole hog entry is defined by Memphis in May as an entire hog whose dressed weight is 85 pounds or more prior to the optional removal of the head, feet, and skin.” My apologies to my darling niece Leslie who is probably cringing after reading that definition.

We then decided to head down to the Festival. It was late in the day and the judging had ended. Today they judged mostly sauces, not a big interest of mine. Erica noted that at 6:00 pm they were going to have the “Miss Piggy Idol Contest” and asked me what it was. I told her I had no idea and that I had never attended it before. I further said that it most likely involved people drinking too much alcohol and displaying women in an inappropriate manner or somehow disrespecting them. This did not dissuade her, so off we went.

I was pleasantly surprised that the contest was not as awful as I had anticipated. There were 5 teams competing. Each team dressed in costumes with a pig styling. They performed songs and danced. The songs were famous melodies with original lyrics (again with a Memphis in May theme). The teams were, for the most, part quite good. And as expected most of them were inappropriate

Team “Swine and Dine” had great choreography.
Team “Swine and Dine”

Notice the crotch protector

Team “Chi Town Cookers” with at least one member who’s not very shy

Time to rest now tomorrow is a big day.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #9 “Getaway Day” May 9, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Leaving Erica is always a very emotional experience for me. Last year watching her at the Bradley Terminal walking out of sight, after having her home for one month, was very difficult. I didn’t blog about that because it wasn’t one of our trips. I did tell you about the last time we saw her in Madrid, in February 2017, when I completely lost it sobbing like a newborn baby when we said goodbye. Well I finally figured a way of leaving Spain and not being emotionally distraught. WE ARE TAKING HER WITH US. Actually since this was a relatively late decision we couldn’t get her on the same flight as us but no matter, she will be with us for another 10 days.

Yesterday was kind of a lazy day. We visited my old language school where I studied Spanish for a couple of weeks in 2008 and made lifelong friends with my teacher (Angélica) and the school’s staff. After a short visit at the school we headed to lunch at a vegetarian restaurant near the school called Yerbabuena. It has long been one of my favorites. Erica’s friend Sofi joined us.

Sofi, Erica, Angélica, Robert and Patrice.

After lunch I was tired and we went back to the hotel to chill. We did go out briefly later in the evening to meet ANOTHER of Erica’s friends, Jaime. We had a drink with him (yes I had a drink) and solved the world’s many problems then headed back to the hotel. After 9 days on the road I was exhausted. Once again I need to get home and back to work so I can recover from my vacation,.

This was another great trip but not without its curiosities. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

London Heathrow Airport Lounge with its maps of Arizona.
Arriving in Prague we were greeted with a huge sign designating the EXIT. Czech people need better vision to see their instructions.
East German car which was no longer made after reunification in 1990. The car had only 2 cylinders.
We didn’t visit this museum but Patrice was interested in going. She said it might give her some ideas on how to better handle me.
Patrice was reaching for Erica’s hand when the guide from Lucy Tours took this picture. I like the way it turned out much better.
We didn’t go to the Sex Museum but this lady leaving seems to have enjoyed it.
Reiss? A relative I have not met?
USC in Prague?
Nope
Bathroom at Erica’s workplace. The message is, “Don’t go unless you really have to!”
Toilet paper dispenser in our hotel room bathroom. Only one piece of paper at a time. Be Green!
Tool kit at the gift shop exiting the Teleférico. Shouldn’t they offer that on the way in not on the way out?

That should do it for now. We need to get home and unpack because next week we leave for Memphis and the BBQ Festival.

Adios.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #8 “Robert Once Again Risks His Life For His Fans” May 8, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

When I last left you I was having dinner with 6 beautiful women. If that wasn’t enough of a daring activity to do for your enjoyment I decided to further risk my life for my fans. Yesterday we took a ride on the Teleférico. This is a gondola system that officially is called Teléferico de Madrid (Madrid Cable Car) and it links Parque del Oeste (Park of the West) to Casa del Campo (which means cottage but refers to a gorgeous public park adjacent to the Royal Palace). It opened in 1969 and the gondolas travel 2,457 meters (8,061 feet) providing its occupants with spectacular views. Upon entering the gondola we got our usual comeuppance regarding our Spanish. I asked the operator ¿Cuánto dura el viaje? (how long does the trip take) to which he quickly replied, “Eleven minutes”.

The views were great. I tried my best to get photos but it was hard because there was a lot of movement of the gondola making using the camera difficult. I did get this great shot.

Two beauties high above Madrid.

I knew it would be hard to top that picture but I did manage to get a few that I think looked pretty good.

I used my zoom to get this shot of the Royal Palace.
Decent shot of the Rose Garden.
View of the Manzanares River.

It was a wonderful, relaxing trip that provided breathtaking views of parts of the city. I recommend it to all.

Patrice the editor here. What Robert failed to tell you was that the pictures were taken by another person in the gondola. He was too scared to let go of the poll in the gondola. I did manage to catch one picture of him during this delightful journey.

Does Robert look relaxed?

After the ride we were in the park known as Casa de Campo. Quickly we saw how Madrid is very progressive and cares for their physically challenged people. This was a handicap ramp for those unable to use the stairs.

Is this a handicapped ramp or a thrill-seeker ride?

In the park we met another of Erica’s friends, Aitor, and his parents (Alfonso and Almudena). We had a very enjoyable picnic in the park and practiced our Spanish. Patrice did great and I think I might have understood a thing or two myself.

Typical Spanish picnic platters.

At night we met ANOTHER one of Erica’s friends. Yes this girl has more friends in Spain than I have had in my entire life in the USA. We connected with Esther and had dinner while watching a Flamenco show. Esther takes Flamenco classes and the show was presented by some of the students from her school. The performance was excellent and the food was also superb. No food pix but here is a shot of two beauties.

Esther and Erica
The Flamenco dancer. Notice pedestrians walking by got a free glimpse of the show.

Today we had the type of experience I have learned to love while in Spain. Patrice has had a cough so we stopped by a pharmacy to see if we could get some medications. I was fascinated by a machine that they had in the pharmacy. The pharmacist explained that they have two robots upstairs that deliver the medication after he types the command on his keyboard.

The chute where the medication comes down after the pharmacist gives the command.

I mentioned I was a doctor in the United States and it was as if I said the magic word because what followed was truly magical. The pharmacist took us upstairs to see the robots in action. He then took us to meet the owner of the pharmacy. Next we got to see a floor dedicated to veterinary mediations, orthopedics supples, and holistic treatments. Finally we got to see the robots in action. In addition the pharmacist told us about the history of the pharmacy including showing us pictures of the aftermaths of the the building being bombed in the Spanish civil war.

We were about to leave the pharmacy when I asked if I could take a picture of him. He then gathered around his staff to pose for the picture. He beckoned Erica to join him and also asked a surprised customer to pose with them. It was truly an incredible visit.

Pharmacist, Jose, flanked by two of his co-workers, Erica and an unknown customer. Just like a visit to CVS or Walgreen’s, no?

If you would like to see the robot in action click the Robot Video Link below. I think it is fascinating. Patrice says it was boring. Click on the Robot Video Link and you be the judge

Tomorrow we head for home. I have lots more to say but need to pack and get ready for our flight home.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #7 “Robert’s Insecurity Showing Through” May 7, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Okay, okay, okay, I guess I was feeling a little insecure. But when only two people make comments when you report a near death experience, can you blame me? Thank you to all the people who reached out publicly and privately to reassure me that they care and were (in Mark Twain’s words) happy to hear that the reports of my death had been greatly exaggerated.

Yesterday was a fun day. After visiting Erica’s compañeros (co-workers) at Juventud y Cultura we headed back to the hotel for a rest. But before that we stopped for what might become a travel tradition for me and that is to get a haircut. If you check a post from our Australian trip [Australia Day 16 Home Sweet Home Faster Than a Speeding Bullet you will see I got a haircut in Melbourne. Patrice, Erica and I decided that I was due so we stopped at the shop next to Erica’s work place and Miguel took care of me.

Miguel making me even more beautiful.

At night we had a wonderful dinner with 4 of Erica’s friends. Eating dinner with 6 gorgeous women in Spain was almost a dream come true. With one of the women being my daughter and another my wife it seems a bit less glamorous, but actually much better. (Patrice the editor here, he better say that if he knows what’s good for him).

From left to right: Romina, Erica, Robert, Patrice, Hilda, Francesca, and Dalia.

Tomorrow we are going on the Teleferico which is a gondola that goes high across the city giving the passengers incredible views of the city. Those of you who follow this blog know who much I love heights. STOP YOUR SNICKERING!

Erica, Prague, Madrid in That Order. Day #6 “Exploring Erica’s World, Does Anyone Care?” May 6, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Today was a day that we had planned to learn about Erica’s life in Madrid but before I get to that I need to know if anyone is out there. Yesterday I wrote about my near-death experience and there were only two comments thanking Patrice for her life-saving efforts? Isn’t anyone reading this thing? Do you not care if I live or die? Do you not know how to post a comment? All of the above? That noise you hear is me crying. The following is for the two people who are following my posts.

This morning we met Erica for breakfast with two of her friends, Niko (from Chile) and Silvia (a Madrileña, i.e. born in Madrid). We had a wonderful meal talking in Spanish (for practice) and English (so I knew what was being said). I was so engaged in our conversation I forgot to take pictures of Niko and Silvia. But I know my friend Joe wants to see food pictures so I didn’t forget to photograph what I ate.

My Spanish favorite, Cafe con leche (coffee and milk but in reality it is more like milk with coffee).
Poached eggs

Then we headed over to Erica’s work. We couldn’t go empty handed so we stopped off to bring them some snacks. There was a nearby market with a variety of shops. We found a “Casqueria” which means a place that sells the innards of animals. Look at the following pictures at your own risk. My apologies to my dear niece, Leslie, who at this moment is wondering if maybe my getting hit by a car yesterday would not have been a horrible thing after all.

Cow snout.
Pig’s ear.
Sheep heart, lung and liver.

There were a variety of other items, and I was in disbelief that anyone would buy any of them. But while we were gawking at this myriad of incredible offerings a woman approached the store and ordered a multitude of items. The butcher quickly went to work cutting up the sheep combination picture above. He chopped the heart, liver and lungs. He then separated out the trachea and esophagus. He diced the trachea but threw away the esophagus. After all who would eat esophagus? The customer initially said she was buying the items for her dog but later confessed she might fight the animal over who gets to eat the stuff. I will not be accepting any dinner invitations from this woman. We decided against buying any of the innards for Erica’s co-workers and instead decided to get some more traditional items such as jamon Iberico (Iberian ham), cheese and cookies (the cookies were my suggestion of course).

Erica’s Work Family at Juventud y Cultura: From left to right Mike, Mar, Erica, Luis, and Ibon .

Erica enjoys working with this crew at Juventud y Cultura. The company sends Spanish students to study abroad and brings foreigners to study in Spain. In addition they also run a high school program and a summer camp where kids from 6 to 16 years old study in Spain for 2-3 weeks. Parents can also come to Spain with the kids. If you are interested contact them at info@juventudycultura.es

New York City Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Day #4 “I Hate This Hotel, I Need Some Horse” 3/26/19

by reissmd, posted in New York City, Uncategorized

Alright, maybe hate is too strong of a word but this place (Westin at Grand Central) is leaving me less than impressed. Typically at Marriott Hotels (Westin is now part of Marriott) they kill you with kindness. I remember being at the JW Marriott in Austin thinking that I had died and gone to heaven. Patrice had all sorts of places she wanted to visit and I didn’t want to leave the hotel. This place has been bad from the beginning. The front desk person was rude at check-in. We asked if we could get a room with a view. The clerk said we could have a view of the Chrysler building. That sounded great. This is what we got.

Not what I had in mind.

The next day at the hotel breakfast I asked the waiter for a mocha and was told “We only have coffee”. On my way out I asked if they had hot chocolate and when I was told that they did I asked if I could get half of a hot chocolate and half of a coffee and essentially make my own mocha? The waiter said I could but the next day when I asked for it he looked at me as if I was crazy, “You want what?”. When I explained I wanted a mocha he said, “Then I will give you a mocha”. But yesterday you told me you only have coffee. “That was yesterday, this is today”. Not the way I like to be treated.

Today we spent the whole day discussing the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation research grant proposals. Patrice and I are “stakeholders” who review the research proposals and give our opinion from a patient’s (or patient’s caregiver, in our case) point of view. Each proposal is rated prior to the meeting starting. The ones with the lowest ratings are not discussed at the meeting. Patrice and I were each assigned 6 proposals to review. All 6 of hers were discussed, only one of mine made the grade. Obviously we know whose opinion they value around here. One of the scientists came up to Patrice after the meeting and told her that she was the best reviewer. Her presentations were succinct and to the point. Then the scientist glanced at me and said, “Have a nice flight home”.

Tonight we had dinner with an old friend from Iceland. John and his fiancé, LaRae, were dining at the same restaurant in Reykjavik as Patrice and I when we met. They are from the States and live in New York. When we met in Iceland we spoke about all the wonders of Icelandic cuisine, specifically gander, whale, shark and horse. The next night at dinner Patrice and I had a window seat and saw them walking by. We got their attention, and encouraged them to join us. We had just ordered horse and wanted them to have the experience with us. Once you share horse together you are friends for life.

After dinner we saw Keri Russell and Adam Driver in “Burn This”. After seeing “Network” two nights ago we were anxious to see another play. I loved “Network”, wish I could say the same about “Burn This”. Adam Driver was very good but I found the jokes very trite. Lot’s of cheap jokes about gays for one thing. That gets very old very quickly.

Tomorrow we head for home. Next trip will be in a month when we visit Erica in Spain. Yippee!!!!!

AUSTRALIA DAY SIXTEEN 3/18/19 “Home Sweet Home, Faster Than a Speeding Bullet”

by reissmd, posted in Australia, Uncategorized

This was a very interesting trip. As you might recall on our way to the land down under we lost a day. Yes, March 3, 2019 was eliminated from our existence. Well on our way home we will accomplish a feat that even my favorite superhero, Superman, would be hard pressed to duplicate. If all goes as planned we will leave Sydney on Monday at 11:15 AM and arrive in Los Angeles,on Monday at 7:00 AM. Yes we will arrive more than 4 hours before we leave. Okay, Man of Steel, let’s see you top that.

There were some other things that I thought a bit curious during our trip that I don’t think I previously mentioned. If there is a duplication please forgive me, my editor is doing some rather unimportant activities while I write. She has been sleeping, packing, and making sure we have our tickets and passports.

LAX Bradley Terminal collecting water bottles. Gratefully the Aussies are not this nutty and we got to take our water from one hot city to another.
I asked our guide what in the world is Parrot Pake? It sounds horrific.
He said it is Carrot Cake.
Do you think Mr. Trump would like this sign?
7/11 Stores seem to be everywhere in Australia.

Starbucks are all over too, but oddly are frequently empty.
Kobe Bryant in Melbourne.
I guess “No Junk Mail” is not a valid request.
EMU not EMOO
Koalas: They just eat leaves and sleep most of the day. What a wonderful life.
$5 to touch a python? They must be kidding, they’d have to pay me a lot more than that.
A bit far to travel for a Brooklyn T-shirt.
But not too far to come for a haircut.
You just have to love Australians, look they combine Burgers and Concrete.
And they love us Yanks. They even warn us when we cross the street.
Time to head for the plane. So that is all for this trip. G’day mate.

AUSTRALIA DAY FIFTEEN 3/17/19 “Robert’s Last Day”

by reissmd, posted in Australia, Uncategorized

No, I didn’t die last night but I did still feel awful starting out the day. They say that you shouldn’t let the weather determine how you feel but I felt awful and it was pouring in Sydney. Today was our last day in the city and I wasn’t going to let the rain dampen my spirits (sorry for the pun). But I will admit traveling is very exhausting and I will welcome a return home. I need to get back to work so I can get some rest.

Last night we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant called Fratelli Paradiso (12-16 Challis Ave, Potts Point NSW 2011). We met my sister-in-law, Fayla’s cousin Samena, her husband, Sam, and Samena’s 97 year old mother, Zara, for dinner. It was a delightful evening even though I felt awful. They are a wonderful couple and we also had dinner with them (and four of Fayla’s friends) when we were in Melbourne. After dinner we took a short ride to their apartment which overlooks the Botanical Gardens. You can also see the Sydney Harbor and the Opera House from the rooftop.

Today we took a walk with most of our group in spite of it raining very heavily. We saw a few sights but I wasn’t very interested because I didn’t feel well. Our guide then announced that, true to his word, he would escort us over the Sydney Harbor bridge. I couldn’t help but think what had to be thinking, “I will escort any of you across the bridge if you are stupid enough to want to do so, in this pouring rain”. Of course he is much too nice to say that (but nothing can stop him from thinking it). I, of course, my hands at my side. Only a few people lifted their hands but much to my disappointment Patrice was one of them so I said I would go as well. The guide looked at me and gave me a look that seemed to say, I thought you were a smart guy. Mob mentality seemed to rule and I think everyone decided to “give it a go” (Did I really say that? I think I might have been here too long).

So, it was off to the bridge we went. Luckily we took the train to the opposite side of the bay and only had to cross one direction. When we got onto the bridge it was raining very heavily. I got soaked. For some reason my previous fatigue had lifted and the virus was no longer an issue. It was just the rain and wind that were the problems. One of the beautiful things about walking across the bridge is to see the Opera House from a unique vantage point. This is what it looked like today.

Actually this is better than it looked to the naked eye.

After this trek many of our warriors went back to the hotel. Patrice and I went on to the Opera House and exchanged our 2:45 pm tickets for the 1:00 pm show. This was Patrice’s idea and turned out to be a stroke of genius. Not only did we not have to wait around for an extra couple of hours, we got much better seats (in the 4th row). As you might recall from yesterday we were going to see a kids concert with the orchestra playing Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. Prior to the concert they had a kids area where a musician demonstrated a variety of brass instruments and taught the children some interesting information. The concert was superb. In addition to the music they had a mime who pantomimed the concert. It was great being in this very special venue.

After the concert we headed back to the hotel to dry off. Tonight we have our farewell dinner with the group. I must admit being as ornery as I am I usually find at least one or two people in a group to dislike but this travel party has proven me wrong. Everyone has been very considerate of each others time and no one has been exceptionally obnoxious (except for me, of course). Our tour guide, Darrin, has been exceptional. He is very knowledgeable but even more important he makes sure every traveler’s needs are met and he is very flexible regarding the agenda. If something comes up that interests the group we are on our way.

There have been things on the trip that have not been to my liking, for example the flies in Uluru and Alice Springs (actually all of Alice Springs) but overall this has been an excellent experience and I look forward to returning to Australia. But next on our agenda is New York. So if you are sick of hearing from me now, just wait, next Saturday I will be messaging you again.

I hope you continue to subscribe and comment on my blog but if you don’t I can only say what I have learned from so many Aussies, “No worries, mate”.

OAT Australia March 3-18, 2019 group.