Tag: writing

One more ballpark day #2 “28 Down and Two To Go”

by reissmd, posted in Milwaukee

Today we made it to MLB ballpark #28 when we saw the Atlanta Braves play the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.  Isn’t that a great name for a baseball stadium? It was especially fun today because I had a chance to reconnect with one of my best friends from college, Larry. 

The seats were spectacular except that the retractable roof did not quite block the sun so it was incredibly hot.  We sat in the shade in some other people’s seats until game time.  By then we had protection from the sun and all was perfect.  The field, the seats, and the fans were perfect. 

The ceremonial first pitch was performed by a fan (sorry I didn’t get his name). He is now 100 years old.

Think the Dodgers would like me to do this when I am 100?

During the game, Patrice was sitting next to the mother of Braves relief pitcher, Brent Suter.  Mama was very proud of her baby (who is a father of 3 boys and he is soon to turn 37).  She was very excited when he came into the game.  When the first batter got a hit I was worried we might have a problem with her but fortunately for everyone he pitched 3 scoreless innings and mama was very happy.  

The big game moment we had been waiting for was the sausage race. Our friends Zara and Chuck are big sausage race fans and they told us to make sure we were in our seats during the 6th inning so we didn’t miss it. You can Google Milwaukee Braves Sausage Race and see what I am talking about but take my advice  and don’t waste your time. 

Our friend Chuck, posing with the sausage boys. Yes, I am worried about Chuck.

After the game we headed to the Pfister Hotel [1424 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202.  Phone: 414-273-8722] at the recommendation of my friend, Jeremiah.  This iconic structure was built in 1893.  Upon entering the building you are confronted with an architectural wonderment. We wandered around enjoying the sights. At the recommendation of the bellman we headed to the bar on the 23rd from where we enjoyed a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. 

Pfister Hotel entry. This picture doesn’t come close to capturing its magnificence.
This is the menu from October 10, 1942. I am interested in the 25 cent shrimp cocktail.

We then walked next door to the Mason Street Grill and had a meal that will make me feel guilty for weeks if not for years to come 

Crab cake appetizer
Interesting take on a wedge salad (it was delicious).

No picture of the filet mignon. I am feeling guilty about ordering it (I don’t want Peta to bomb our home) and eating it (I don’t want my cardiologist to see me eating red meat).

We then had the 90 mile drive back to Chicago where we said goodbye to Larry and were soon off to bed (after first writing the blog)

Friend for close to 60 years. Damn, doesn’t he have great hair. I don’t have great hair but I do have a great hat.

Ciao

Total Eclipse of the Heart, Day #6.  “How Can You Live Like This?”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

I awoke this morning and got out of bed with great difficulty.  I checked the forecast and it said a high of 97° and a low of 77°.  Out of curiosity I checked the temperature for Hermosa Beach and saw the high was expected to be 77°. As they say, “There’s no place like home”

Erica took a poll asking us what would we like to do and where we would like to go today.  She made a variety of suggestions. I voted for anyplace with air conditioning.  We finally agreed to go to Retiro Park.  This is a beautiful park with a variety of vegetation, wildlife, and water.  I’ve been there a number of times and I never tire of going there. Well maybe I would make an exception on a day as hot as today.  When we arrived at the park we found out that the authorities had closed the park due to safety concerns. 

Disappointed that we couldn’t tour Retiro (although we did spend some time looking at it from outside the fence) we needed a back up plan. I was already exhausted but suggested we return to the water park and the group agreed. Soon after arrival I got soaked and my attitude and energy level were completely different. It was a fun time and getting cooled down was superb.

After drying off we went to visit a new friend.  A magician named Augustin who we met at the Magic Live Convention in Las Vegas earlier this month. He invited us to visit him at his home magic museum.  Upon entering Augustin showed us an incredible array of magic memorabilia filling every room and hallway. Even much of his ceiling was covered.  After that he gave us a very impressive 25 minute magic show.  He did some great sleight of hand and card tricks. It was impressive and funny.

Here we are with our new friend, Augustin Dalvi. Notice the pen sticking through Julian’s ear.

Tomorrow will be a sad day as David and Julian will be returning home. It was so great that they could join us. I suspect tomorrow will be a boring blog day because I am looking forward to spending the entire day at the pool.

Ciao.

Total Eclipse of the Heart Day #1 “Why Blog?”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

As many of you know this blog started out as an email to my wonderful sister, Annette, so she could keep our mother (who was in her 90s at the time) informed of what was going on with her baby (me) while I was traveling.  My incredible sister-in-law, Fayla, said “Why don’t you send the email to me because Annette doesn’t get up until ten and your mum (she’s from Australia) really wants to know what’s going on.”   Then other family members wanted to know what was happening so I included them. Friends also wanted in and before I knew it I had an email going to about 30 people.  At that point it became a blog and lots of others (many people I don’t even know) joined in and my travel blog was born. 

At first the blog was a blast but I have to confess at times it has become a burden.  Instead of chilling and enjoying a vacation I’m constantly thinking of potential blog content. Last week we went to “Magic Live” in Las Vegas.  I blogged about the event last year but this year I just wanted to learn some magic (which I did) and chill with my wife.  While at the convention my friend Bill, was boasting that last year he got mentioned in the blog.  He seemed quite proud to the point and I felt a bit guilty about not writing about last week’s trip.  Instead of writing a full blog post I can sum up the trip very briefly 1. Great magic shows and lessons (I learned a lot of new tricks), 2. Great breakfasts at Blueberry Hill, (with Bill and his son, Bill II), 3. And a stay at the Orleans hotel (a total dump where we had cold water in the shower day 1 and lukewarm days 2 and 3). 

That brings us to our current trip. Patrice and I are headed to Spain to see another total eclipse of the Sun.  We are accompanied by our eclipse expert (our son, David) and his youngest child, Julian.   The eclipse will be fun (this will be our 3rd) but the main attraction for me is seeing our youngest child, Erica.  The only child missing is our daughter, Lindsay who is busy at home taking care of her son and making our 5th grandson (due in October).  Of course it would also be great to have Robyn, Robby, Owen, Charlie, and Jesse but they have other obligations. 

The flight to Madrid was a success because David and Julian joined us in LA for the trip to España. The flight was very pleasant with an amazing Iberia flight crew.  When breakfast was brought to us I asked if they had hot chocolate.  The attendant (Christina) said no, but then said, “But I have some hot chocolate mix in my purse” I was awestruck by this kind offer but in spite of my repeatedly saying no, no, no she brought it to me anyway.  It was delicious. 

A scarey looking me with my hot chocholate thanks to the wonderful Iberia Airlines flight attendant, Christina.

The best part of the trip of course was seeing Erica at the airport.  We had to wait over an hour for our luggage.  When we last visited her in December we had to wait about 45 minutes for our luggage.  The take home lesson is take carry on to Madrid or go elsewhere.  As I said, Erica picked us up at the airport.  Yes, she now owns a car.  We will be staying in her apartment. Yes, she now owns an apartment.  She is taking some vacation time from her job to be with us.  Yes, she now has a permanent position at the Irish embassy.  Yes, it looks like we’ve lost our daughter to España.   

I am finishing up the blog and it is about 9:30 pm here.  It looks like it’s mid day in LA.   Tonight, sunset is 9:20 pm in Madrid.  

View from Erica’s apartment

As you can see from the picture Erica has a pool.  The heat is oppressive here (high today in Madrid 97° but only 77° in Hermosa Beach). We hung out by the pool and went for a brief swim.  Erica impressed us by swimming the length of the pool underwater.  I showed her that her old man could do the same while her young friend, Aparna, failed in her attempt.  I only mentioned this because we played a game of Rummikub and Aparna wanted me to make sure to tell my followers that she kicked our butts at the game. 

That’s enough for tonight.  I am starting to fade.  Hopefully I can get a decent night’s sleep and be ready to go tomorrow.  I want to have plenty of energy because we have big plans.  I would tell you what those are, but the actual truth is I don’t have a clue what we are doing. 

Ciao

One More Stadium, Day #2. “A Visit to the Past, Plus Some Comedy”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

This entry most likely will be boring unless you are my sister.  Feel free to stop reading now.  How’s that for a enticing teaser?

We had tickets to a show Monday night and not much planned for the morning.  Patrice asked what I would like to do and I said, “Explore my roots”.  Being the good sport that she is she said “Sure!” and we were on our way.

Thanks to our experience yesterday with our daughter-in-law, Robyn, we felt very confident taking the subway to Queens.  That was our home when we last lived in NYC.  We took the train to Rego Park, Queens and walked a short distance to 99-60 63rd Road.  It was somewhat surprising but I recognized the building as we approached it. We met a current tenant who told us the building was now a co-op (no renters) and she purchased her 1 bedroom unit 2 years ago for $250.000.  We didn’t talk about the cost of a home in Los Angeles

99-60 63rd Road, in Rego Park, Queens. Childhood home of a famous blogger.

We said goodbye to my former residence and then took a short walk to Stephen Halsey Junior High School where my brother attended.  Amazingly I directed us to the school from memory.  I recall “almost dying” there playing stick ball (I got hit in the stomach with a liner that knocked the wind out of me, very scary for a 7 year old).  

Then we headed to Forest Hills HS.  It was also a relatively short walk and nothing looked familiar.  We were both impressed about the beauty of the homes leading up to the school.  I didn’t have any memory of ever being there before.  We introduced ourselves to the security guards who were very welcoming.  Patrice told them that my sister attended the school a few years ago.  I told them 69 years ago to be exact.  I informed them that she was in the class one year ahead of Simon and Garfunkel.  They were not impressed but one of the guards was kind enough to take our picture but more importantly they let Patrice use the bathroom. 

Possibly the first, and most likely the last, time I will be at Forest Hills High School.

Then it was off to PS 206 where I went to school until I finished 2nd grade.  Zero memory of my days there and the staff we met didn’t seem to care that a former student was now a famous travel blogger . 

We then took the train back to Grand Central Terminal.  We had lobster rolls in the station dining area where I received an email informing us that our show for the night was cancelled.  Ugh

Pretty much everything on Broadway is closed on Mondays.  This might be the “City that never sleeps “ but apparently they do take a nap on Monday (well at least Broadway does).  Lucky for us Robyn and her brother Corey had lots of recommendations.  

At their suggestion we went to the  New York Comedy Club (https://newyorkcomedyclub.com). The club has three venues and we went to the one on the upper west side.  This location was very small and had an intimate environment.  We saw 7 or 8 comics and had a wonderful time.  It was a great way to end a wonderful trip.  

Moments before the show from our great front row seats.

We are done traveling until August. If you want to hear from us please provide a like or a comment.  I need to know people are out there because I don’t like talking to myself (Patrice here: He doesn’t like talking himself?  Does he actually think I am listening to him every night?)

Ciao

New York City in May Day #1, “The Arrival”

by reissmd, posted in New York City, Uncategorized

As if our lives weren’t crazy enough, with our upcoming move we decided to make a quick trip to New York City.  The reason for this trip will be discussed later.  One thing we counted on was that a trip to NYC in May would be accompanied by better weather than during the winter or summer months.  Well as soon as we exited the terminal at JFK I was very happy I brought my heavy coat and rain jacket.  It was cold and raining when we arrived and the forecast calls for a 100% chance of rain tomorrow but only 95% on Monday.  It will be clear on Tuesday………. the day we return home. 

No matter the weather we always make the most of our travel experience.  We did get a thrill on the way to the hotel.  Our driver was very entertaining in that he was talking to himself most of the trip.  You’re probably saying he must have been on his phone.  I thought the same, but no, he was talking to himself.  

We are staying at the Le Meridien hotel (120 W 57th Street) .  It’s a Marriott property and has a very nice lobby.  We chose this location because of its proximity to Carnegie Hall.  Yes, we will be going on Monday to hear an amazing pianist. 

The hotel is lovely on the outside and upon check-in we were told about all sorts of perks they offer (e.g. free museum and movie tickets).  We were escorted to our room by a very nice bellman and could not believe the sight we saw.  This has to be the tiniest room I’ve ever seen.  We requested a room with a king size bed.  We got the bed we wanted but apparently floor space is an added option. The room is so small we will need to put the luggage on the bed in order to open it.  

This is ALL the space available to put our luggage. You might be saying “I see a drawer below”. No, that is a safe.

The room sucks but today’s highlight was meeting our son, David, and our grandson, Julian, for dinner.  And you know what that means, yes, food pictures.  Well not tonight.  Sorry but spaghetti and pizza doesn’t make it to the ReissTravelBlog.  Maybe better luck tomorrow. 

Ciao

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #10. “On the Verge of Stardom”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

Today was our last full day in Madrid with our wonderful daughter, Erica.  Every moment with her is a delight because we see her so infrequently.  When we leave tomorrow it will be very difficult for me.  

But let’s focus on today because it appears I’m on the verge of stardom.  It seems as if Erica’s colleagues have not subscribed to the blog yet but another person who I don’t know did.  At this rate of growth I only need to blog for about another 70 years to make this thing profitable.  

I did get an exciting pat on the back yesterday in regards to my blog. I was notified by a neurologist consultant, that one of my favorite patients, Irv, would be having emergency spine surgery last night.  I messaged him to see how he was doing and let him know that I was aware of the problem. Irv confirmed that he was in the hospital about to have surgery and asked me how the Madrid swimming pool fishing was going.  OMG!  Someone about to have emergency surgery is reading my blog?  How could I be more thrilled?

Prior to leaving on our trip, Patrice and I were experimenting with an AI program called Grok.  We asked it if it was familiar with the famous blogger named Robert Reiss.  It said YES!   It proceeded to tell about our recent trip to New York City. That is information it could only have gotten from my blog.  I’M FAMOUS! I’M FAMOUS!   Before I get too excited let me back up and say it got a couple of facts wrong.  It said we went to NYC to celebrate my birthday (we were actually going as a celebration of Patrice’s birthday) and that I was celebrating my 90th.  I’m happy to report although my age is more than I care to admit, 90 is quite a way off.  It reported Patrice’s age as 46. Nothing more will be said about that statement. I asked if it knew if the famous blogger did any other work and it correctly stated I was a doctor for UCLA health.  It said we have one child (off by two) whose name is Lindsay (that is correct).  When I told it that the famous blogger actually has three children it replied that I was correct (thank you for that affirmation) and their names are Amanda and Andrew.   Erica and David, welcome to your new names and Patrice, relax, I don’t have a secret family.  

Breakfast today was at a place recommend by one of Patrice’s friends.   Patrice promised to reimburse me if I didn’t like the meal.  What is wrong with that picture?  Cafe Murillo (Calle de Ruiz de Alarcón, 27, Retiro, 28014 Madrid) is located next to the Murillo entrance for the Prado (a famous museum which we have been to multiple times). The restaurant opens at 12 pm but online we could only get a reservation for 1 pm so we went early hoping to be seated.  We arrived at 12 and told our greeter that we had a reservation for 1.   She smiled at us and asked “Americanos?”

The restaurant was beautiful. Patrice and Erica shared an eggplant parmesan which was small but they liked it very much.  I had the “huevos rotos” (broken eggs) which looked beautiful but was a bit disappointing.  For dessert we had chocolate fondant (also known as chocolate lava cake).  It was served with a scoop of ice cream and this was something I would tell all my patients to avoid.  It was superb.  

Eggplant Parmesan
Broken Eggs
Chocolate Fondant with ice cream. Yes, amazing.

We then toured the Real Jardin Botanico (Royal Botanical Garden).  It was lovely.  I especially liked the bonsai plants. I also liked the free entry, as a professor, even more.

Bonsai that reminds me of the sculpture in Sol.

This is my favorite photo from the garden.

The three of us in the Botanical Garden green house.

After a rest at the hotel we decided our final dinner in Madrid should be a Spanish traditional meal.  So we took a vote between paella, cocido, Jamon Iberica and finally decided on Indian food. 

Tomorrow we head for home.  As usual I will finish our trip with a series of photos that I found interesting and hopefully you will too. 

Adios y hasta luego.

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #5. “A Day of Rest”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

Today is a holiday in Spain. December 8th is the Day of the Immaculate Conception.  In a Catholic country this is obviously a big deal and pretty much everything thing in town was closed so we spent the day chilling out.  Erica perused the web for a possible apartment to buy (tear, tear, she’s not coming back to be with mommy and daddy).  Patrice went to the fitness room to work out.  I sat here thinking what it would take to be a full time blogger. 

The thought of blogging full time seemed quite attractive to me since it would give me a reason to wake up and get out of bed each day and I could get paid to travel.  So we did some research to see what it takes to earn a living as a blogger.  I read that quality over quantity can make for a profitable blog.  A blogger can do quite well with as little as 1,000 followers.  That being said, in view of the quality of my posts I will be needing at least a million followers.  

Another key concept is to know your niche.  I clearly know my niche but unfortunately it’s only things that I find interesting (Patrice here, took him this long to figure that out?). 

Apparently to make real money on a blog you have use product placement in your photos.  That’s like selling yourself to the devil.  Clearly something I’d never do.  That reminds me Patrice took this candid shot of me the other day.  Don’t you think it’s very flattering?

I just happen to have those things on the table when she shot the picture. I would never resort to product placement to earn a buck. Hey General Mills, please notice the box of Cheerios!

After a lot of chill time we decided to go out for a walk and meet up with an old friend.  In 2008, I visited Spain and took a Spanish class when I was here.  One of my teachers was Angelica.  During class I mentioned that I was from California and she said she would be going to California soon.  I told her to come stay with me.  She warned “Don’t say that because I will.”  Well she came to LA and stayed at our house and we have been friends ever since.  Every time I would travel to Spain she would help me make plans.  I have affectionally referred to her as my Spanish mother.  She is significantly younger than me so for her to be my mama that is a real case of Immaculate Conception. 

Patrice, Erica and I met Angelica at a local cafe to have some coffee and talk.  The coffee was delicious and the conversation even better.  I always feel so wonderful seeing her.  She is a wonderful mama but even more importantly she is a regular follower of the blog making me an International sensation.  I consider 1 follower in Spain a sensation.

Patrice had tea.  They brought it with a timer instructing her not to pour it until the 5 minute timer completed.  See below.

Notice the 1, 3, and 5, minute timers.

Erica and Angelica had specialty coffees. See below. 

Barraquito (Left): sweetened condensed milk, milk, espresso, foam, and a slice of lemon soaked in liquor.
Mocca (Right): chocolate syrup, milk, espresso, foam.
Chocolate chip cookie in the center

I had a café con leche as usual. Boring but pretty. See below.

A quick selfie with Patrice, Erica, Angelica, and me prior to parting.

After leaving Angelica we headed to an Indian restaurant close to our hotel for dinner.  The food was superb and I strongly recommend you try Atocha Tandoori located at Paseo de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, 27.  Sorry, no pictures of the food but I did get a picture of the aperitifs they served after the meal.  See below.

Patrice had the mango puree with yogurt. Erica and I had the Crema de Orujo.

Those who know me are aware that I am a non-drinker.  Tonight was the 4th time I have had a Crema de Orujo on this trip.  I might need a 12 step program when I get back. 

Adios

Magic in Vegas Day#4 “No, No, Please Say It Isn’t Over”

by reissmd, posted in Las Vegas

I won’t bore you with stories about breakfast except to say we went to Blueberry Hill again.   It was great again. How this place gets a 3.9 rating on Yelp is beyond me.

The morning session was at times a bit mind boggling,  mind blowing, and mind numbing.  We heard an interview with Penn and Teller and also a lecture about under appreciated Black magicians which were very interesting.  There was a very impressive mentalism performance by an act named Mind 2 Mind. I don’t think many of the men in the audience concentrated on the act after the female part of the duo walked through the audience. (see below) 

The female part of the Mind 2 Mind twosome. This was the reason many of the men didn’t pay attention to the tricks and just stared at her. I of course was focused on the magic.

Patrice here. Do you believe that nonsense he just said? Ask him to name one of their tricks and see if he can name any.

Lastly and most sobering was a talk about an attempt to end piracy of magic books and tricks.  Apparently the pirates not only have stolen money but have also threatened the investigator with extortion and threats of physical harm. Yikes!

The afternoon sessions were great.  I learned some great tricks to do plus some others that although I can’t do were interesting to learn the secrets.  

Dinner was also a show.  Yes we went to Benihana.  We joined Bill and his son Bill and 4 other friends from back home, John, Connie (who told us about Magic Live) and their friends Gary and Cindy. It is always a lot of fun watching and listening to the Benihana chefs and tonight was no exception.

From left to right: Bill II, Bill (Bill II’s dad), John, Connie, Cindy, Gary. Row 2: Patrice, Yours truly, and Owen.

When I asked my magic buddy, Mike, if he wanted to attend Magic Live, he scoffed at the thought of staying at such a cheap hotel as the Orleans.  I have to admit that he was right in many respects.  Of interest there were a couple of things that made the hotel desirable. For example the hotel doesn’t have any pressure filters in the shower so you get a real blast which I really like.  Also the water temperature is extremely hot. I love a hot shower.  Newer hotels tend to limit the water pressure (money saver?) and temperature (possibly to avoid injuring guests and hearing from attorneys?) so the Orleans has my vote in regards to the shower.  Interestingly this morning Owen noticed that the cold water from the sink was hot.  I’ve been to numerous locations where hot water is a rarity (LAX for example) but I’ve never seen any location where the cold water is hot.  Well, not until today.  

The closing show was one more treat to top off a great 3 days of magic. It is late and I don’t want to bore you with details of the show. Actually I need my editor to proofread my posting and she is fading fast so we need to call it a night.

Tomorrow it’s back to home.  I am always happy to return home but I have to admit this trip was very special. I look forward to returning next year. Thanks go to our friends who made it a unique event. Treating us to dinners, driving us to locations, waiting in line to save us seats, gifts for our grandson, showing us the lay of the land for the convention, is too much to fathom. What a wonderful group of friends. I am really blessed.

Not a great photo but definitely a great bunch of people.

No trips planned for the near future but if we head out of town I promise you’ll be the first to know. 

Ciao 

Magic in Vegas Day #3 “Robert Becomes a Magical Star!”

by reissmd, posted in Las Vegas

Another great night’s sleep.  I think I need to leave my phone in the kitchen from now on. 

Last night we were treated to an amazing show which included a mentalist, a juggler (not strictly a magician but still very entertaining), a physical magician, and a guy who had a nonstop supply of cards emanating from his hands.  There was also an emcee who did the best trick of the night.  He took a ring from an audience member.  Another member of the audience helped him make it disappear and the same member of the audience helped him find it.  It was located on the emcee’s toe under his sock AND BOOT! I would tell you how it’s done but I can’t because I don’t want to break the magician’s code of ethics. Also, I have no idea how he did it.

This morning we decided not to risk being killed by a cab driver for hiring them for a one mile trip and ate at the Copper Whisk located in the hotel.  It was closer but clearly a step down from Blueberry Hill.  But what it lacked in quantity and quality they made up in service. For example look how they arranged our service settings.  See below. 

As I recall he dropped the utensils on the table and said, “Here”.

We then attended the general session which showed a mentalist (Brian Curry) who was funny and impressive and a hilarious magician named Piff the Magic Dragon.  His trick was funnier than it was impressive but it was definitely my favorite presentation of the session.  There was a father and son duo who discussed how storytelling and magic presentations are very similar.  They gave tips to performing magicians which were definitely lost on me.  There was also a costume designer explaining the importance of your costume for your presentation.  I think I will stick with a white coat for my performances. 

The afternoon was much more enjoyable.  First we saw another mentalist (Drew Backenstoss) who gave a great show and then told how everything was done.  I definitely plan to utilize some of his tips.  This show was especially enjoyable because I was able to be a volunteer participant.  I was a bit scared because he was trying to predict the PIN of my debit card.  Lucky for me he failed in that endeavor.  After that we saw a close up magician (Mike Pisciotta) who also did a show and proceded to teach us how everything was done.  I got a close up view because again I was picked as a volunteer.  This was spectacular because we got to see a great show and learn some great magic tips. See  below.

Mike Pisciotta explaining how to do his tricks.

We have one more show tonight and then it is off to dinner. This has truly been an incredible experience. 

Ciao

ACP in NOLA Day #2 “More Food”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

Today I started the ACP conference and Patrice toured the city.  She definitely got the best of the deal.  For example I started my day with a talk about pains in the butt.  That was my highlight.  In all sincerity the talk was very informative and gave me some tips that will help me assist my patients.  I hesitated writing that knowing that someone will make some butt jokes at my expense.  Go ahead I can take it.  The rest of the talks were just okay. Patrice on the other hand took a city tour.  Here is the one picture she sent me.

Caesar’s Palace Casino? Do I need to keep a closer eye on this woman?

The afternoon lectures were okay but none were as good as the 7:00 AM Butt lecture. In addition to going to the didactic sessions we have time to go to the the exhibit hall where all sorts of companies are looking to sell their products to doctors. There are electronic medical records companies, drug companies, and a variety of companies looking to hire doctors. I stopped at one of the booths to talk to a recruiter. I cut to the chase, “Would you consider hiring a doctor of my age?” The rep enthusiatically said, “Yes, yes!”. So we had a conversation and I think we might have a deal. I really liked the look of their booth. What do you think?

I later asked if they knew who their oldest primary care physician was at UCLA. They did not, so I told him it was me.

In addition to looking for a job I was availed some health food in the Exhibit Hall. After all this is the meeting for the nation’s elite internal medicine specialists, of course we eat healthy.

Delicious brownines. Not up to Patrice’s quality. But how would I know, did I eat one? No, I ate two.
Hmmm, maybe this is why I’m so thirsty.

That’s enough about food. Well maybe not.

Tonight’s dinner was at GW Fins (808 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112). It was recommended by my friend Andy, who said he had the best meal of his life there. Andy is from Fresno. Should I have been worried?

The restaurant is in the French Quarter and they had a modest dress code (men required to wear collared shirts). They started us off with biscuits. They looked very plan but beleive me they were anything but.

Very tasty biscuits.

Patrice and I both ordered the Scalibut.  Seems like this day started with a lecture about butts and ended with us eating two. The Scalibut dish was Shrimp, scallops, halibut, and risotto.  Also with a few peas to fool you into to thinking you’re eating healthy.

This was amazing and gone in a flash.

I don’t know about you “butt” I’m exhausted. Talk to you tomorrow.