Crab Picking Woes

        Life is full of cruel irony at times. I love steamed crabs, we recently got a crab guy, great crabs, great price, steamed to perfection. The mustard is good, leg meat pulls out every time. The irony comes in the fact I have a dead right hand and a left hand with increasingly less dexterity. I have these beautiful crustaceans in front of me and lack the ability to pick them. My family picks them for me, but where is the fun in that? I start out trying, but it’s like watching a squirrel trying to drive a car. I’ve given up a lot of things, I will not give up crabs!

Cigna Still Playing Games, And Our Friend Turns 50 Today

All my Cigna problems seemed to have been taken care of? We spoke with a young woman, and she spoke English, and she went above and beyond to take care of our problem, kudos to Sabrina. My new eobs were to post by 9/16/11, so I gave it until 9/20/11, then called when they didn't appear. Seemed all had been paid, but 7 claims, with 3 different doctors had been coded wrong and Cigna was going to seek a refund? I've been a professional patient for 25 years, never had them "code" me wrong once, it happened over a 3 month period 7 times with 3 docs? For shame Cigna, for shame!

My friend turned 50 today, she is considerably older than me and the wife, and she has lost her mind! She's not full blown crazy, but she is definitely a carrier. We went out with her and her family to Obrycki's to celebrate with an evening of fine food and revelry, it was very nice. Hope she has a nice, fun filled day, and that she is available to share my day when it comes, way down the road.

Good Friends, Electric Tricycle, and MS and Back Pain

Our friends are coming over tonight, dollar crabs at Bill's Seafood, always a hit. The wife and I were talking, we know a lot of people! Tonight are bowling parents, we have become friends over the years, all that time sitting in bowling alleys. Saturday we are going out to dinner with another couple, then we are having more friends over next weekend. My point is I'm very lucky, I have a lot of contact with humans, I suppose I should stop whining about being home so much.

Went to the local bike shop, wanted to see what I needed to do to turn my Schwinn into an electric ride? The guys at the shop looked at me like I had 3 heads, can you do that they asked? They even said that if I accomplish I should bring it by so they can see. Really? They sold 3 different types of 2 wheeled electric bikes and they are surprised you can do it with a tricycle? When I take over the world I plan of punishing stupid answers. Remember MAD magazine's snappy answers to stupid questions? I'm going to get those guys to write our laws.

The back pain has taken over most of my time these days. The surgeons and pain management folk say a fusion is the only thing really left to help me. No more injections, can't be done after surgery, so surprise, surprise, I'm left with little options. The problem with the fusion is a bigger scare. No, I kid, it's what I do. The problem is they don't think it's really for me, size, age, and I imagine they are a tad gun shy of the secondary progressive ms thing. Until I figure it out, drug me up Scotty, better living through chemistry.

Multiple Sclerosis, Physical Therapy, and LDN Acting Empirically

The girls at therapy tried to kill me today! I asked them both if they got paid extra if they made me cry? I did an exercise bike thingy for your hands that the resistance kept changing, no fun at all watching the clock click down from 8:00 to zero, I was ready for a break at 7:15! They are both happy with the progress I have made, I am more flexible, more able to lift the right leg off the floor. I don't know, it feels to me that I am just more tired, more numb, and did I mention more tired? Only 3 more visits until my evaluation, I hope they have a little graduation ceremony, I do like parties.

The interview I did at Multiple Sclerosis Central seems to be well received, I was worried about that part. I wasn't sure if I was going to tell anyone, but I'm glad I did. I'd like to say the whole thing was me, but without Merly Me recruiting me to do it, and asking the questions, I'd still be wondering the best way to get my message out, thanks. It's also exciting to check back every once in a while and see that there is another response, pretty cool.

The LDN seems to be going well, I'm thrilled that the leg cramps are doing so much better, so if you have empirical evidence that it can't from the medicine have the courtesy to keep it to yourself! I still haven't told the neuro I'm taking it, he's such a nice guy I suppose I'm holding off so I don't hurt his feelings. Empirical is a good word to describe LDN because it's definitions support both sides of the medical opinion concerning it. I loved learning words that the definitions didn't help all that much. So far this year I wanted to do PT, I wanted to start the LDN, and I wanted to eat better. You have to admit, 2 out of 3 ain't bad! It's $1 crab night in Perry Hall, yahoo!

$1 Crabs, Multiple Sclerosis, and Attitude

Do you know the best thing about eating crabs? They fit on almost every diet I have ever heard of, as long as you eat them in moderation that is. The other good things is you can still get them at $1 crab night prices! Oh how I love a bargain, but even better, whether Swank, Atkins, or just cutting back, I don't have to prepare anything! I called Bill's Seafood this morning at around 11 and got 18 of the last 21 male crabs in the $1 crab category. Swish! I'd rather be lucky then good.

The diet goes well, I even think my legs are catching on to what I'm trying to do, they seem to be waking up a little bit. That may sound better then it really is, because they hurt now that the slumber has ended. The right hand is doing better, feels a little stronger too. Now I don't know if this is diet related, or possibly the D therapy that caused it, or if it had anything to do with it at all. Of course between that last line and now, we ate the crabs, and the right hand is dead! So much for a good attitude.

MS is all about attitude, or so I think, or is it what I was told? Don't get me wrong, I can piss and moan with the best of them, but I do think it's important to be upbeat. I feel bad almost everyday, no, it is everyday actually. I complain here everyday, but I don't do it in person. In real time you would think I was the toughest guy in the world, not a care in the world! Here's the thing, this isn't real time, and I don't feel good! That was cleansing, I think I will go up Jerusalem Farms tomorrow and lay in the field and watch birds?

Baltimore Food, Where To Go For Good Eats

Where is the best place to eat in Baltimore? Some would say it would be places like Ruth Chris, or Flemming's, or even McCormick and Schmick's. I wouldn't know, I've never been, the wife has, but she didn't let me go. They're probably good, but it's not real food. Real food is a Captain Harvey's cheese steak, a Coffman's hot dog with everything, or a Casa Mia's crab cake. G &A's in Highlandtown is still going strong, So are the places on corned beef row, as was pointed out in my Aunt's comment.

I wonder about some of the places that I used to love, but haven't been to in a long time. I remember going to Uncle Eddie's in Essex with my father, one of his favorites. My mother tells the story of her father going up with a pot and having the people at Ho Joy's fill it with shrimp egg foo young for the whole family, and him calling it Tojo's. Does anyone remember when Stewart's was still a drill in? They still have the best root beer and something called a steam burger. Perring Place over on Cleanleigh Dr. is one of those place's that people are regulars. They don't have to order, it's Thursday so the waitress knows what they want.

We went a while back to our favorite "local" Italian restaurant, Roma's. Imagine our surprise to find it is a vacant lot now? I don't know if it still is, but it was when we went, and we had coupon! My Uncle's and grandfather still think I used to stop and eat shrimp off of their sandwiches from Zannino's East Point. Perkin's is gone, a great place to go for pancakes. For a long time it was the only restaurant in Perry Hall besides Gino's! Who doesn't love a Pizza John's ground beef pizza? You aint lived until you have the grease from one of those dripping off your elbows!

Like people who know me always say, I'm simple! I don't think they mean it same way I do, but them's be the breaks. I'd rather have a big daddy pub burger from Charle's Village Pub in Towson than I would an expensive meal from someplace that made me wear pants. I also like $1 crabs from Bill's seafood more then $80 a dozen ones from Phillip's. Is Whitey and Dot's still down off Wilson Point on the water? I remember you would go in and pick your steak out of display case. Good Eats! I love food, yeah, it's a surprise, but I do. I'm getting ready to start a cooking club, could be fun, don't ya think? I'm sure I missed a bunch of great neighborhood eats, tell me about them, maybe I'll go give them a try!

Are There Really Dead Zones In Our Oceans?

Global warming, wars all over the world, violence in our cities, and now I read about dead zones in our oceans. Dead zones? Sounds like something Stephen King should write about. Do they exist? How should I know? I don't have a dead zone test kit from Acme. All I can do is decide which of the 2 sides I choose to believe. Like most things the 2 sides are diverse in their opinions of if it exists, why it exists, and who is to blame for it. I sure wish I could believe our leaders, but you know.

So these said dead zones, why are they there? Are they a naturally occurring phenomenon, caused by plant life and small animals, martians who are waiting to colonize the earth, or is it runoff from our crops? Once again, it depends on who you talk to, or listen to. Did we have this problem back in the 50's, and did the government tell us truth about it then, or cover it up like they do now? How are we supposed to decide for ourselves? Should I believe what I'm told blindly because we have a Republican or Democrat in the White House, or in charge of Congress? Please, get real!

Are our fish and crabs going to be gone soon? Is it safe to eat what's left? Is it global warming making the farmers put nitrates into the water? Why don't we send Consumer Reports Magazine in to investigate, they are totally non biased, right? Can it be fixed? How much will it cost to not only stop it, but then to fix it and make it all better? Wow, I'm confused, and just a bit fed up. Do I need to make up some buttons demanding farms are forced out of business? Hm, that means no food, and that's a bad thing. If we can't trust the government, then who do we turn to?

I say we all start growing our own food. They want to make me responsible for my own social security, why not my own food. How much land do I need for my own food? Give each one of us a parcel of land to farm, if I do it wrong and it pollutes, I don't eat. OK, that doesn't make sense, but how about we make the people responsible follow the rules. Farmers have to do what they need to do to fix the problem. Builders can't build right on the water, no matter how nice the houses are. That means for everyone, even the rich. We stop polluting our streams. No more fines, you pollute, you go to jail. There, I came up with a couple of ideas, now it's your turn. Tell me what else we can do, make a comment to help us all.

$1 Crabs In Baltimore County

If it's Tuesday night in Perry Hall, it's $1 crab night at Bill's Seafood! We have gone all over the area and Bill's has the best $1 crabs. It's take out only, but it's worth the trip up the street to get them, the entire mile! We like getting a mix of male and females. I prefer eating them at home anyway, no tipping or bad service. A soda is .25 and a beer for my alcohol swilling wife is .50! I can listen to my kind of music, and there are no annoying drunks, unless my baby has too many .50ers!

We usually throw in a couple different kinds of salad, potato for me, macaroni for her, and some crab soup. Bill has always had really good cream of crab soup. I don't know about anyone else, but I have to have something sweet after having crabs. Bill has some things, but he doesn't have my favorite. I have asked him over and over again, but still no Berger cookies! It's a nice treat for a relatively small price, and to top it off, tomorrow is trash day so the shells are only here over night!

$1 Crabs

$1 crabs have become all the rage lately. We have had them from all kinds of places, eat ins and carry outs. We've had them spicy and peppery. Because they are $1, you don't expect them to be huge, but some of them have had some pretty good heft. Going for dine in crabs that are $12 a dozen is rare! I know, I know, a lot of people say small crabs aren't worth their effort. That's cool, I didn't ask you to go with us anyway!

We have an adventure anywhere we go and strange things have a way of finding us. We went to Timber Creek on Belair Rd a ways back. The crabs were delicious and were a real mixed bag when it came to sizes. We have a set plan when we go. We get a dozen and a half crabs and 2 sodas. Life in the fast lane, right? We enjoy it! All was good in the world. Our bill comes and we obviously had gotten someone elses check. Our bill came to $30. We went up and asked the girl about it and she told us the crabs were bigger then expected, so they charged more! So much for $1 crab night! Cross them off my list.

That's OK, there is more then one way to skin a cat, and I think I've eaten in that restaurant too! Anyway, we decided to go to Port Royal, a little bit further up the road. We go in, place our order, 18 and 2. The girl comes over after about 20 minutes and tells us the steamer is down. We were able to salvage the night with a very adequate crab melt. Take 2 a few weeks later. the place is packed and this time we get our 18 and 2. The crabs are great with a nice twang with the spice. So much so that when the girl came over and asked if we wanted a refill on our sodas we both said sure. Bill time. Here our 18 and 2 came to $28. Seems our 4 sodas were $10! Cross them off too.

Service doesn't seem to be what it used to be. You would have thought someone would have come out and told use before we ate that the price had gone up. How about the waitress telling us when she asked if we wanted a refill that they weren't free refills. They were free when we had the crab melts a few weeks ago. Must be a different menu? I don't need them to chew my food for me, but I'd like the staff not to act like I was burdening them.