Not Exactly International

We're about to spend a long weekend in Texas. Two days in Houston, two in Dallas and home again, home again.

International Travel News

This is a newsprint "magazine" that we get periodically. For free! We haven't seen one in quite awhile, but yesterday the May 2012 issue arrived. Some items of possible interest...

Passengers who are 75 years old + do not have to take their shoes off for Security at these airports: Orlando, Chicago O'Hare, Denver Int'l and Portland Int'l. This is a change that TSA is considering and those are the test markets.

Good news for people whose children are less than 13 years old. The kids can keep their shoes and light jacket on, but they will get the metal scanner.

Going to be driving in France? On November 1, 2012, all cars -- including rental cars - must carry a breath-alcohol testing unit. If your car does not have one, you will be fined E17 or about $22. The single-use devices cost less than $2.50 and Hertz will give them to you gratis. Avis and Budget are still making up their minds about whether to charge a fee or not.

Japan will be experiencing power shortages this summer and there may be rolling blackouts. Be prepared for subway delays, reduced lighting and air conditioning. The nuclear shut-down took away about 30% of the power available.

China's Hubei Province had an embankment collapse in Qianjiang City which took out a section of the newly-built track for the Hanyi high-speed rail line. No rail cars nor people were harmed.

Going on a cruise? Make sure the ship doctor really is a licensed, in good standing, physician. All cruise lines hire their doctors through an agency so that each doctor is an independent contractor and not an employee of the cruise line.

The doctor recruitment agencies in the US demand a current license for the doctor, but there are no international requirements for doctors and many cruise lines carry a flag of a different nation. You're advised to ask your travel agent or the ship's line for the name of the doctor on the ship will you will be taking and his/her state/country of license.

International Travel News, 2114 28th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818 intltravelnews.com

Photos - Spoiled Much?

The blonde cat is "Streak," the black cat is Minuit. Both are spayed females who will be 10 years old in July and August respectively.

Turning A Frown Upside Down!

Cringe-making, I know. The title...

Richie was hellbent to attend the Clam Chowder Cook-Off at the Redondo Beach Pier yesterday. We went last year and he loved it. I less so. I don't like clams OR chow-dah.

When we parked in the pier parking structure, I pointed to the sign that says: 20 minutes 50 cents" as a warnng not to linger.

Out on the International Boardwalk, no sign of any festivities whatsoever. Richie inquired and was told that at the last minute the chow-dah folks cancelled with no explanation of why. I was pleased because it meant we could get the car back before we paid for parking that would equal the price of the car when new.

But Richie said, "C'mon - let's get a Mexican shrimp cocktail!" nodding at El Baja Chef. We've been there before and liked it.

The shrimp cocktails came in big, heavy goblets on a plate strewn with packets of crackers. The cocktail was a thin, reddish broth with slivers of avocados, chopped sweet onion, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro and, nestled in the bottom of the goblet, were about eight good-sized shrimp.

The broth wasn't as deeply colored as some I've seen so I asked our server how they do it. He was happy to explain. "Clamato, a dash of the salty water we cook the shrimp in -- don't let the shrimp cook too long; they'll get tough - and a dash of catsup for sweetness." It all worked well.

Going home, I got to wondering when the first shrimp cocktail was invented and when did Mexican shrimp cocktails come in? I didn't find "The Invention of the Shrimp Cocktail" but there were references to the late 19th/early 20th century. The sauce has always been spicey using variations of catsup with horseradish, Tabasco or cayenne.

A 1909 recipe: 2 T ctsup, garnished with hard-boiled, chopped eggs and lettuce leaves. Glad the chopped eggs are gone...

A 1920 recipe for the Mexican version:
1 large can V-8 juice or Clamato
2 minced avocados
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and minced
1 medium red onion, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced.

EL BAJA CHEF, 102 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach (Pier) 310-376-0838
Their business card reads "Go to Facebook - leave a coment!" but I leave that to the non-technologically challenged.

In Which We Do Something Different

We woke up to leaden skies and rain. We went to the gym in the rain. We came home from the gym in the rain. Richie got antsy because he'd wanted to go to his beloved Hermosa Beach Farmers' Market; no dice.

Having read the Sports section, piddled around with some filing, he then said, "Well, let's watch the last two segments of "Doc Martin" (a PBS offering) because it has to go back to the library soon."

So around 2 p.m. while the thunder boomed (apparently right over our roof) we watched a television series!

This is unusual in that the TV never goes on ordinarily until 5 p.m. and the BBC News, followed by ancient re-runs of "All In The Family" or "The Yelling Family" as I call it.

A New, Cost-Effective Type of Home Security

I thought of this years ago in another connection. Truck was brand-new and as she is a 1/2 ton Toyota pick-up, I worried that an enterprising landscaper might become unduly fascinated by her. The similar white trucks that I see around here nearly always have professional gardening equipment in the back to explain.

When she was new keys were manual, not electronic. Security systems were not nearly as prolific as they are today. And certainly, they weren't featured on a 1987 $10,000 truck.

And then the idea came. I am totally weirded out by snakes. ALL snakes. What if I put a cardboard box in the passenger seat and put warning signs on the windows that read: DANGER Herpetologist's truck . Live snakes in vehicle.

Naturally I never got around to it. But -- what about home security? So simple ... change signs to read "Herpetologist's home - DANGER - live snakes loose in this house." And put a sign in all of the street-visible windows. Depending on how often you travel and how long the signs have to be exposed to sunlight, even a professional type-setting job would save you money for a long time.

No need for security cameras, armed guards or the local Neighborhood Watch. Just slap your signs up and leave with a happy heart! If you want to take it to the limit, ask a neighbor to bring in the papers and mail and arm him with the pole and loop device that is used in snake catching and transport! Instruct that person to wave it around a lot on entering the property.

If the Shoe Fits...Get Up and Dance

Yesterday afternoon, around 5:30, a friend and I were chatting on the phone. He was complaining that anyone can go online and pull up a picture of your house. He was against it. I argued that if you aren't doing anything wrong, why should it matter? I said that I'd seen an aerial shot of our block and if you didn't know what your own backyard looked like, it was just a photo of a bunch of roofs.

He argued that if they can take a picture of your house from space, what else can they take a picture of? And where is the photo filed? I agreed that if a satellite can upload a photo of your license plates surely they can take a picture of your face.

"I don't like it," he said, and changed the subject.

At 7:30 a.m. today I was going through my e-mails and found that two of my high school friends had both sent me the same message - "See the house where you grew up - go to VPIKE.COM and type in the address!" Knowing that that our first house has long been a freeway ramp, I tried the second. It was there and looked to be in fine shape.

On a whim, I typed in our present address and there was our house with Richie's car parked in the driveway. I was instantly furious! Anyone could enhance the license plate and find the car owner and presumably the owner of the house behind it. That's no one's business!

From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. was all the time it took for retaliation to bite me. Yup, the shoe fits and I'm dancing as fast as I can.