Driving in Jamaica

Now that was a trip! Of course they drive on the left so the steering wheel is on the right. Everything is out of sequence. The turn signal is on the right stalk, not the left as well. I found myself turning on my windsheld wipers a lot.

Roundabouts are interesting to. I sort of got the hang of it before I left but i'm not sure if I like them or not yet. Mostly the drivers are nuts. Most roads are two lane highways so there is lots of passing on the right into oncoming lanes. That's cool if the roads are straight, but of course the main highway winds. Oh yes, they honk a lot at each other and cut people off at the drop of a hat. I felt like I was driving a bumper car. But, despite driving 45 miles from the airport in pitch black and driving the same number of miles back to the airport in driving rain, I did okay. Still a memorable trip!

Vacation Pictures

I took this shot from my room though the screen door as I was searching through the drawer for a pair of swim trunks after lunch one day.  There was a lot rain one day and the next day it was exceptionally muggy.  I'm used to muggy Chicago summers in my youth so the conditions weren't really all that bad. Besides, there was always the pool! Riu Ochos Rios has two identical pools on two connected campuses. That one is for adults only, though they share restaurant and bar facilities.

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A few from the viranda, Riu Ocho Rios on an overcast day.
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Vacation

Tomorrow I'll be flying to Jamaica for a little down time prior to school cranking back up the last week of July. That's band camp for me. I'll be posting pics as the weekend progresses. Alas, I could only afford five days four nights, so I'll make the most of it. Where am I staying? Riu Ochos Rios, about 45 miles from the airport. All-inclusive. Look out!

George Steinbrenner

I suppose that there has been no greater "villain" to the small market clubs in baseball than George Steinbrenner. He passed today at 80, a symbol of executive success extraordinaire, turning a 10 million dollar investment back in 1972 into a multibillion dollar sports empire.
Small market teams have long argued that he drove up salaries, bought up the best players and developed a monopoly with his New York Yankees franchise, funded in large part by his regional sports cable network.
They could be justified in saying that but I actually thing just the opposite is true. Because he spent money like he did, the structure of baseball levied luxury taxes on the Yankees as well as revenue sharing. That money went to the small market teams screaming the loudest. What did they do with it? Build up their minor league systems and develop their own superstars.
While many of those players leave after three years they are replaced by younger better players all the time. And now that Latin American and Asian are now streaming into the leagues the talent has never been better.
Thank you Mr. Steinbrenner.
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Big Papi

Yay Big Papi!! Scores one for the old guys tonight in the Home Run Derby. I'm not a part of Red Sox Nation but I really like David Ortiz. Great for him!

Great Cookie Recipe Posted On The Trombone Forum!

Greatest Cookies Ever Created
Contributed by "slidemansailor"

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1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted organic butter
1/2 cup Sucanat
3/4 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2 fresh organic eggs from range chickens
1 tbs organic vanilla
2-1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon evaporated sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups quick oats
1 cup raw, unsalted, organic nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.), finely chopped
3/4 cup (9 ounces) organic chocolate chips, frozen
Preheat oven to 375°F. Soften butter and combine with sugars in mixing bowl and cream until light and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to batter and mix well. Mix in oats and nuts. Add frozen chocolate chips and mix until distributed evenly. Scoop with a serving spoon into hand and make golf ball sized dough balls. Place on cookie sheet, leaving at least a dough ball's width between them. Bake at 375°F for 11 minutes (less if the dough balls are smaller). Cool on cookie sheet for 12 minutes and transfer to cooling rack for another 10 minutes before serving.




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The Trombone Forum Cookbook
Contributed 2008-05-31