Practice round at Capris Isle in Venice, Florida

Long week of work behind me. Not much time for any practice. That is not ideal, but feeling good and a good rhythm is present. This year is over and we are already planning for next year. Looks like a couple more partners will be on board to help go to the next level. It is nice to find people who believe. Most players you spend time with and are not playing as good as they think they can, try to talk your game down as well and for most people successfully so. Luckily what people talk around me does not mean anything to me. Funny, that the pros I play with or the Amateurs in the scratch to plus range confirm my ability consistently :). Now there is a sign. Well today we will play Capris Isle in Venice. A course I have never played. Seems to be a skins game which we can be part of. My main purpose today is mapping the course. So , the game in itself is secondary to a point. I want to play well. But Mainly I want to take a good look at the fairways, greens and possibly take some notes. I will avoid side games and just pay for the skins. I want to be prepared for tomorrow morning. When you do not have much practice time, it is extremely important to make a plan. As a matter of fact, there is players who over practice and do not have a game plan at all. A mistake often done by amateurs and I agree, something hard to get rid off when you do it for years. Course management is a crucial point and if you do it well you can safe yourself a ton of strokes and troubles.

Spoke with a LPGA caddy a few weeks ago and he told me that ability and swing are the foundation, but that the work he does is the final touch. Walking the course. Looking for things, mapping, checking and so on. I do not have a caddy, although he offered that I can call him any me next year and he would caddy for me in the area to help me getting started. My plan for next year is not yet developed. Mainly because I am not at the handicap level I need to be to play other tournaments. 2 or lower is the number I need to have and I am not there. I am not far away, but I am not there. It will take some extra effort to get there. The good news is , I know how to do it because I played at the level before.

Once we hit the 2 mark, I will look at more tournaments to play in. I am invited to several tours who would like me to be part of them, but if I do not have a chance to win any $ I am not spending hundreds of dollars to enter. I am not even playing the local tour here for that reason. What sense does it make to spend 200 $ and not having the scoring to make the money back? I played with dozens of pros and tour pros, so there is no benefit or anything special in it for me. I might consider to play with Freddy :) , Steve or Sergio. But for now those guys are out of question LOL.

Look like I made up my mind for new clubs. Going to change my hybrids and will add a 3 W, which I currently do not have in my bag. All other things stay the same. I am very happy with my clubs.

Wicked Wings - Winghouse right on the Beach in Fort Myers Beach - November 24 2013

 

 

Wicked Wings 61 Avenue C, Fort Myers Beach · (239) 765-9647

I love wings and I like them hot. Unfortunately most of the so called super hot wings I get like from Hooters, Winghouse or Buffalo Wild Wings (to name a few big ones)are simply not hot . Maybe spicy but not hot. Also the quality of those wings is not as it was before. So about 2.years ago we visited Fort Myers Beach and while looking for a parking spot to actually check out the beach we found a small little place named Wicked Wings.
It was an evening to remember. It was so good that I never stopped thinking about coming back which became reality yesterday. We did not make it in time for happy hour. Happy hour runs until 5 pm.There is some beer and food specials you can get. There were about 6 people on the top level. It was pretty windy and fresh.

But take a look at the view we had for our beer and the food which would come with it?

 

 

This was at about 5 35 pm on November 24th 2013 at the Wicked Wings.

 

The server took only a minute to get to us. Ordered a couple beers which came promptly. I ordered 10 wings with the third hottest sauce on the side and large fries as well as fried pickles. Pickles only took a few minutes. They were the best we had in ages. Large and with a good light breading. Ordered another beer while waiting for the wings and fries. They came and the girl apologized for it taking so long.
I told her it is not a problem and she explained that the cook simply left her alone. So she was serving and in between cooking.
I must say she did a great job. The wings were perfect and the fries right as they should be. Especially the seasoning was great. The sauce was what I ordered but not hot enough. Death might be too much but killer would have been it.
Nevertheless the food was great, the beer was very and cold and the young lady did a great job handling the situation.
The bill was 26$.For the great food and the even better view that was a great deal. I am not sure if this is still the same owner, but I sure liked it again and no doubt I will be back as soon as possible. The location is wonderful and I like the size of the place. Makes it kind of cozy. They have around 25 spots up on the deck and at least 50 down in the sand, which is really nice as well.

If you ever get to Fort Myers Beach, you need to stop by there and sit for a while. Have a cold beer and try some food. We will be back soon.

Tech Armor Screen Protector for cellphones - how good are they? - customer review on Tech Armor Screen Protector

 

Tech Armor Screen protector for the HTC One

 

After more than a year of waiting to upgrade my phone I finally decided it is time. But this time I wanted to do a better job protecting my new device. First on the agenda: a good screen protector. Easy to install,good price and with good ratings.
I had no idea how many brands there actually are. So I started reading reviews on Amazon and all over the Internet. After about an hour of research I found that the Tech Armor screen protector was one of the better ones, if not the best one.

 

 Looking for a great deal, I found
what I was looking for on Amazon and ordered a 3 pack for a very good price.
Got the package in reasonable time. Nicely packed I found the 3 protector foils, cleaning towel and bubble remover as well as easy to understand instructions. All was in excellent condition. It said that I could find a video on their website to learn how to install the protector. It was not only easy to find but showed in a simple way how to do it fast and right.
I followed those instructions and it was a breeze to put it on. There is absolutely no bubble, it looks great, fits perfect and the screen functions without a problem or loss of speed. As a matter of fact, I think it is easier to operate now.
I had many others before but the Tech Armor is by far the best one I used so far. There is all kinds of prices out there for this product so I would suggest to look for sales online. Tech Armor screen protectors are excellent. A great product.

 

Here a couple photos and the website to read more about the company.

 

 Came in a nice package. Good protection. I like that it was in a good box.
 
Nice welcome note and the package with 3 protectors

Bubble remover and the micro fiber piece to clean it ( works great)

 
Easy instructions

Official website of Tech Armor

 

China Buffet - 4329 Cleveland Aveneu, Suite 501, Fort Myers, FL 33901 - short review November 17th 2013

In Fort Myers you will find endless options to go eat. But sometimes when you are in a hurry, you got to take what is coming along.

That is what we did November 17th 2013. After arriving at a closed Greek place we said we will try for Chinese Buffet if we find one. This time we did the GPS get lucky thing and found a few. While driving we saw a Hooters restaurant and right next to it we saw a sign : China Buffet.

Pulled right into the parking lot. When coming to the door we saw it will be open until 9 30 pm and it was 8 50 pm. The hostess who greeted us was friendly and when I asked her if we can still get in to eat, she said yes with a smile. A man sitting at a table next to us was not so excited about us being there.

I looked over to the Buffet and saw that there was still plenty of food in the trays. So I was OK with it. We did not even ask for the price. Our server was friendly and asked us what we want to drink.
Got the cokes pretty fast. Then off to the Buffet.

There was a selection of items, but you could see that they did not put any fresh items out for a while.
Of all items I had the soup was the hottest and pretty much the best. Most of the fried stuff like egg rolls and dumplings were dried out and had no taste to it.

The Sushi was good, but there was only 2 items out and when I came for seconds at 9 05 pm, all of the Sushi was put away. The only reason I got some muscles in the cold bar was that I stopped the guy taking them away while I was getting good.

The salad bar I did not try. Was not much there but that looked fresh. Then I went on to the main dishes. The Peking Duck looked good and the taste was good, but it was absolutely cold. The sauce was very good though. All the chicken dishes were OK and almost hot. But nothing special. The orange chicken and the general Tsao chicken tasted the same. The beef dish was not worth the while. Noodles were OK, fried rice tasted good but also was cold.

I tried pretty much all thing but the fish and the crab. I figured that they must have been out too long and I did not want to take a chance. Christiane tried the pudding and liked that the best.

Our server was great. She came 2 times and asked if things are OK and if we needed more coke. That was very nice. We ordered the check pretty fast. The atmosphere and the way it all looked. it was not a place to sit and chat. Also the people where starting vacuuming, cleaning and the guy who was putting away stuff was jumping up in joy when we ordered the check.

The check. Yeah. The entire experience cost us 28 $. If the food would have been any good or the atmosphere cozy and nice I would understand to pay that price. However, the Buffet was not worth more then 6.95 $ each and until today I do not understand the bill LOL. However, we gave the server a very good tip because she was nice , friendly and had a smile all the way and actually thanked us for being there, which nobody else in this place did.

If you want Chinese Buffet in Fort Myers, The China Buffet on Cleveland Avenue is not the place to go. There is a chance that because they closed within 40 minutes of our arrival some things might have happened. But friendly, if you can not keep up your service and standard all the way to the end of your posted hours, don't open a restaurant.

We are back on the road for now , but will be back next week and see where we are going to eat then. Gladly will we share our experiences so you can save yourself some time and money :). We are Germans and travelled all over the World and have tons of experience in terms of food. So we know what to expect when we go eat somewhere. So I think our point of view is pretty simple and not over picky. Comments and communications are always welcome and I will keep writing as we go , try, test and buy.

La Quinta Inns and Suites South on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers, Florida

Business trip to Ft. Myers. We stayed in all kinds of hotels and we never had a very bad one. This trip is about making money and so the least expensive option was what we were looking for. Surprisingly La Quinta Inn South came in as the second lowest. On top of that we are rewards members and love to use this option. So we booked it for 50$ including tax,which that is a great deal.
Check in was starting T 3 pm, which worked great for us. Found it easily as Cleveland Avenue is a large main road in this town. Christiane checked in and was very happy when she came back to the car.
The young man checking her in was very friendly. We requested a room with very good WiFi.

Not only did we get that, but we got a room right by the pool and it was an upgrade to a king size bed. I liked right away. Parking was close.

The room was very clean and clearly a non smoking room. Everything was in order and all items like soap and so on where stocked.

Room has a fridge, microwave, alarm clock and TV. Everything in working order and clean. Nice table with two chairs. A great room for that price I must say.

 

Photos of King Size Room at La Quinta Inn South in Fort Myers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only 20 minutes into me being on there the

front desk called to find out if WiFi is working good enough and if all is OK, which I told him it is.

My next step was to go swimming on the pool and to work with my laptop. Pool area was clean . Pool was clean as well. They have chairs,tables and some sun chairs. They were also clean.

Umbrellas looked good and they even had a lift for handicapped guests. WiFi worked great here as well.

 

I spent about 45 minutes out there and it was nice. Water was perfect and it was quiet. The pool is set back on this property and there is a nice fence separating it from the parking lot.

 

Had some snacks from the vending machines after that. Good price and all functional as well.

Slept really well on the mattress. A/C worked good and it was quiet. The breakfast they served the next morning was simple but good.

Bagels, bread, waffles, oranges and bananas, different cereals, hard boiled eggs. Orange and apple juice was there. The coffee was actually not bad at all. Different kinds of jelly, cream cheese and some spread. So it was all good. I liked the milk. 2 % and pretty good. What was different was that the bread was packaged one at a time. Never saw that before. But once in the toaster it does not matter.

Considering that years ago there was no breakfast in most of those places, this was pretty good.

Check out is at noon. That is great because we could go swimming one more time and get things ready without any stress.

Overall this is a nice place for a stop on the way. Remember, that these hotels are very old places which were renovated by this company. Do not expect that the building is brand new. You can see that this place is older. But the way they did it, it is clean and comfortable. That is what counts and for the price of app. 50 $ you can not complaint.

Make sure you bring all your discount options like AAA, ARRP or whatever you got. Also if you have a rewards card make sure you mention it.

I am satisfied with this hotel. Not a place where I would spend a 3 week vacation, but while on the road or for a couple or 3 days, this is totally sufficient and affordable. When we are back working in this area, we for sure will consider the La Quinta Inns & Suites South in Fort Myers. The location is good. A good place to stay when you travel through.
 

 

 

 

Duracell Cell Phone Car Charger

There is really not too much to tell about this charger other than that w
e were satisfied with our first one and bought this one just a few days ago. For that price you can not expect to have it for years. But if you take good care you might get up to 1 year. The one before this one lasted despite a ton of use from 2 people. This one we bought at Marshalls and got a good deal. It was in it's original package, so I was confident it will be in order. Unpacked it and used it right away. Works great. I had less expensive chargers before and had my share of disappointments. But I guess the brand has at least a little impact on quality and performance. So if you are looking for a cellphone car charger, Duracell is reasonable priced and at least in my experience works good.

Massage Chairs at Simon Mall in Fort Myers

We went on a short business trip to Ft Myers,FL. Since my work is limited on thisb trip, I thought I will check out some stores and so on. So there was Simon Mall. Never have been there. Right when I entered the mall on the Dillards entrance I found those massage chairs. Similar to the chairs you will found on airports.
Since I just made it through my injury it seemed like a good idea to give it a shot. 1$ for 3 minutes.
They looked clean and comfortable.
Put my first dollar in and leaned back. Great feeling from the beginning. Actually does a great job covering a large area. It was so good that I added another 3.$. For an extra 3 minutes.
It really helped me. My back felt relaxed and my muscles soft. This was a good investment. I would suggest that you try them. Will be nice for a break while shopping and the price is reasonable. You can get more time for 5$ or even 10 $.

Vision Airlines - flight from Clearwater, FL to Gulfport, MS - short impression

Vision Airlines Offers, Specials, Info

Vision Airlines St Pete to Gulfport in July 2013

　

We travel a lot and we traveled with many different Airlines over the years. Long flights, short flights, shuttle flights. We saw it all. So last month we did our first trip with Vision Airlines. Our flight was from St. Pete/Clearwater Airport in Florida to Gulfport, Mississippi.

This was part of a trip to The Beau Rivage Casino. Something we like to do on a regular basis.

Checking in was as easy as it can get. The Vision Airline service people were fast, friendly and in a good mood. You are allowed one carry on and one personal and even better, the check in luggage was for free. We took our golf clubs and both hard cases were for free also. If that was because we had a sponsored flight from a Casino, I do not know. If you are paying for the flight I would suggest you ask the booking agent if there is any cost. They have two check in lines. That is sufficient and they are no different to any major Airline.

I am not sure which location that is, but I just wanted to show the fact , that even though it is a small Airline, it is nicely organized. Both Clearwater and Gulfport are nice and clean check in area.

The flight was boarding exactly on time and without a doubt, it was smooth, fast and again with friendly personal. I felt welcome and enjoyed being greeted with a smile.

The airplanes are smaller and very simple. Boeing 767 or 737. But they are clean and in good shape and order. This flight had leather seats. Clearly not a new plane. This plane had some stories to tell. The seats are not the newest and most comfortable. But I thought it was plenty of room and functionality for this flight, which is not more than a shuttle service flight.

I found the bathrooms clean and stocked. Sufficient for the purpose.

The flight was short , but in that short time they offered great service. Providing free drinks ( cocktails only) and non alcoholic beverages. The flight attendants were friendly, fun and nothing like what I saw before on some major airline flights of similar length. We had great fun and actually enjoyed the trip. As a little snack we received some pretzels. Nothing which can curb your hunger, but it goes well with the drink. The most interesting part was the money game, where you can put a $ bill ( 1, 5, 10 or 20) in a bag after writing your seat number on it and then they draw a winner. This is exciting and gets you in gambling mode. There is some good money in some of the bags. The flight was fast, smooth and good organized.

When we arrived we were directed to the buses which were waiting for us to take us to the hotel. No delay, no complications.

Our luggage was transferred to the hotel right away and available after only 2 hours. Over all. Vision Airlines made a great impression on this flight and we look forward to fly with them again. Booking and making reservations I can not review. We booked ours through a promotion from a third party, but everything was as I expected it.

When flying Vision Airlines you should not expect luxury or the newest models of airplanes. Also you you should not expect full food service. But what you can expect is, fast and friendly service, on-time travelling fair pricing for the value.

We are certainly planning to use Vision Airlines  again when going to Biloxi to spend time at the Beau Rivage or any other hotel for  that matter. With or without any special offer, this is a great way to travel to Mississippi from Tampa Bay Area or even West Coast area.

Best Buy on 14th St in Bradenton, FL - Phone upgrade

Best Buy Store

4210 14th St W

Bradenton, FL 34205

Phone: 941-755-8969

After waiting almost 1 year after I was eligible to upgrade my phone, I finally had to give in.

My phone just did not make it anymore. But I will not go into detail about the phone or even about my service provider. Also I will not elaborate about the phone I actually bought today.

But I will give a short description about my shopping experience.

Before I do that I want to say that I worked for cell phone companies as a very successful sales agent and a leading customer service manager. In stores as well as in the field.

After hours of research I found the phone I wanted. Next I looked for the best deal and Best Buy by far had the best sale going on. So we took off down the street to 14th St. This Best Buy location is not only close to our house but it also is a place where I had good experiences in the past.

I knew exactly what I want and since it was an upgrade, I did not have any question in regards to the plan or service provider as well.

As always we were greeted at the door in a friendly matter and with a smile. Walked straight to the cell phone department. This is usually a very busy place. But today I got lucky and only 2 customers where ahead of me.

We found an associate and asked him if they have the phone in stock. He was very friendly and checked if they did. They had 2 phones available and one in the color I liked.

Next he brought me to the service station where I was introduced to a young man and told that he will finish the transaction.

This young man also had a big smile on his face and was very friendly. He asked me a couple questions about what I want to do and then went right to work.

While entering the information we had a nice conversation about phones, travelling and looked at a couple accessories. I felt very relaxed and felt that this associate  wanted  to help me and  had sufficient knowledge to do so.

All together it took only 5 minutes to get the entire deal done and we paid right at this service station.

After a friendly farewell we were on our way. I love it.

 

Upgrading my phone at Best Buy at 14th St. in Bradenton, FL was a breeze and actually enjoyable. The associate was friendly, knowledgeable and absolutely did not push anything on me. Very pleasant I must say. He could feel that I knew exactly what I wanted and did not make any attempt to change my mind. He appreciated that I was a very well informed customer and realized while talking to me, that I had extensive knowledge about the phones, the systems and so on. No doubt in my mind, that this young man would try to get you exactly what you need without trying to sell you what is good for the store.

So if you need to get a cell phone, sign up for service or do an upgrade. Best Buy at 14th St in Bradenton, FL is a good address to do so.

But I do have to mention, that I got lucky today. 2 years ago we were there for a different upgrade for family and it took about 1 hour. It was around Christmas and it was extremely busy. To me, it is worth the wait. Getting good and friendly service and feeling appreciated to me is big deal and for that I stand gladly in any line.

Find Best Buy store in Bradenton on this map

 

 

Octoberfest at the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus in Holmes Beach , FL 2013

My first review of any restaurant in our area was about the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus.
Wolfgang and Brigitte Jahn, the owners of this cozy place now started the Oktoberfest. Running through October.
I have tried many of the food items at their restaurant and found some favorites of mine. The menu they put together for this time certainly looks great as well and I will for sure try some of the food items and the beer.
Surely I will write an article about it. But for now I would like to share the menu and encourage you to stop by and give it a shot. Check out my review to find out when they are open and make sure to make reservations. You never know when it is all full.

Oktoberfest Menu for Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus in Holmes Beach , FL

My favorite beer is the original Oktoberfest beer from Hackerpschorr.
You for sure need to try the Bratwurst delight. One of my favorites and not only does it look good , but the bratwurst is authentic and made just right.

Let me know if you where there and what you thought about the food and the beer. After my next visit I will write again. Check out my first review to learn about the service and how I feel about the place.

Is it safe to sell and buy on Craigslist?

Over the past years of working on the Internet and successfully selling products, private and for business, I gained great experience on how to do it and where to do it.

There is plenty of sales channels you can put your private stuff on for sale or you can offer your services and products from your business.

One of the biggest ones without a doubt is Craigslist.

I sold many items on Craigslist and also offered services on this website. Not one single time was I disappointed or not successful doing it.

Here is what I really liked about Craigslist:

1. It is free!

If you want to sell or advertise you can do so without spending a dime. Paid services might be available, but you are not obligated to pick any of them. Even photos are for free.

2. It is huge!

Craigslist is available almost anywhere in the World. Although Craigslist encourages you to advertise, sell and buy local, you have the option to go global and buy and sell all over. I just recently was on vacation in WA state and sold items from there although I am from Florida. It was not a problem. Craigslist asks you to confirm postings with your email to make sure it is  you and not somebody using your data.

3. It is simple !

This website is super easy to use. Signing up takes a few minute and you are ready to go. Posting items is a breeze. Categories are easy to pick and they have a lot of options. Photos can be uploaded easily and the server speed is great.

4. It is safe

Despite the fact , that was incidents involving people buying and selling on Craigslist, it is pretty much up to you how safe you want it to be.

When I advertise I am very detailed but never give out personal information. When I post photos I make sure they show the item and nothing personal which could tell about me or my location.

I always chose the option of anonymous contact. Meaning, that people who are interested in what I have or offer can only contact me through a private Craigslist email.  That gives me an opportunity to decide if I want to answer the email or not. Follow your gut feeling.

5. It works

I sold all kinds of things on Craigslist. Offered services and successful found some extra work. Family members found garages for their car and even homes for rent or to buy.

How do you start using Craigslist?

Here is the best way to get started and learn how to work with Craigslist.

1. Read all info about the site and its regulations first. Make sure you understand what they allow, what they do not and what the rules are.

2. Sign up and get your own account.

3. Browse advertisements and learn what is out there and how it is written. You can follow ads for days or weeks just to see how they do and if they come back.

4. Find something in your house, make take a picture and posted. See how it goes. If you get any messages etc.

5. If you do get responses, read them carefully. There is lots of spam out there. If something does not sound right, it probably is not. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Take your time and if necessary ready in forums to gather more info.

6. Make sure you always meet in public places. I usually meet at Best Buy , Groceries stores or whatever. This ensures more safety for you and the other party. Do not take unnecessary risks.

7. Take cash only. Especially in the beginning you do not want to take checks or Credit Cards. Over time you can work on implementing those features.

8. If advertising in the personal section , pay special attention. There is a ton of people out there who simply want your money. Read up in one of the forums to learn more about it. You will receive a ton of interesting emails  which tell you that you won millions of dollars, that you can make money fast and much more. Often you will receive links to click on which then lead to paysites. Just pay attention and work with common sense.

Craigslist can be a great place to sell and buy and to meet or connect with business people. All you need to do is follow some simple rules, trust your instincts, do nothing you would not do otherwise.

I certainly will continue to sell and buy through this website.

Questions or comments? Keep it clean and share your experiences.

Sharky's on the Pier in Venice , Florida - How nice is it? short visit review

Sharky’s on the Pier, 1600 Harbor Drive South, Venice, FL 34285

Pretty much every Saturday I am playing golf at Lake Venice Golf Club. Everytime I drive there I see on my right hand side the sign for Sharky’s on the Pier.

Last Saturday, August 31st that was, I decided to stop by. Check out at least the outside bar. I did not want food , as I had something to eat at the Lake Venice Golf Club ( I shall write about that in a yet different article).

I stopped on my way home and for the first time saw how big the parking lot actually is. It was super sunny and there were plenty of people out there.

All looked nice and in order driving in. Right of the parking lot you find 2 hostess stands. There you can sign in if you are there to eat and want to be seated. However, on that day I did not want either. So I said high and I got a very friendly hello back. Both girls were smiling.

Behind that was a little kiosk with things to buy. All kinds of stuff which I did not look any further at. So I waked towards the restaurant and liked it right away. If you want to get on the pier, you have to walk through it. Nicely done I must say.

It was very busy everywhere and since there was not a seat at the bar, I thought to check out the pier first. I walked up there and I loved it.

This is the view towards the South from just the beginning of the pier. It looked really nice.

View towards the restaurant from the pier. Nice view of Sharky’s on the Pier.

I enjoyed looking at the water, fish and the pelicans feeding.

After a few minutes I went back, looking forward to have a beer or two. Got lucky right away and on the round bar right at the entrance I found a spot. I went for a local brewery Oktoberfest beer.

The beer was cold, glas was full and the server was fast. Not that he was very friendly or smiling. But he took the order and I had it like half a minute later. The price was 5.00 $. I thought it was ok. When you think of the location and the name. It actually was fair. I had beers for 5 $ in bars which I thought they should charge 1 $.

However, I was sitting there enjoying the view and talking to my neighbor, a nice retiree from Florida.

 

 

 

View from the bar at Sharky’s on the Pier in Venice, Florida

I did not eat anything during this visit, so I will update this blog as soon as I will be there eating a snack or even a full dinner.

But for now , I have to say, that Sharky’s on the Pier in Venice is a nice place which is well worth a visit for a drink and a walk on the pier. There is plenty of wonderful beach to just lay in the sun or play with your kids. You can fish of the pier or just have a drink at the bar.

They are building a brand new building and expand the complex. One thing, if you think that this construction might bother you, you need to wait.

I know , that next Saturday I will be back there and enjoy the view and a cold beer.

There is also three videos which I made and put it on my youtube channel.  Just follow the link below.

Video with views from the pier to the beaches and restaurant.

Official Sharky’s website

 

 

Custom Search

Himitsu Sushi & Teriyaki in Bothell, WA - Second visit short review update

Himitsu Sushi and Teriyaki in Bothell, WA

You will find my first review about this Himitsu Teriyaki shop.
Just go through my blog and find the first entry.
In my first entry I explained how we found it, how it looks like and how we were greeted there.

I was so happy with this place, that I decided to bring my parents there to have lunch with us.
That is exactly what we did Thursday August 8th 2013. After a short round of golf we showed up at the Himitsu Sushi & Teriyaki .

Again all look good from the outside. Clean and inviting. We were greeted by the same nice lady and I even introduced my mother to her, which made her even more smile.
We were assigned the same table as we had a few days ago.

This time I wanted to try something else for lunch and decided to go with the chicken and beef combo. So did Christiane.My parents ordered the chicken Teriyaki. We ordered the Egg Rolls as appetizer again.
Also we went with the same drinks.

It only took a few minutes to get the appetizer and the Egg Rolls were as good as the first time. Hot, fresh and tasty.

Shortly after we got the Terriyaki.

Himitsu Sushi & Teriyaki in Bothell, WA Chicken and Beef Teriyaki Combo

It looked great yet again and the taste was as good or better then a few days before this day.
My parents were surprised by the size of the platter and what was on it. We ate for a while and we could finish it, but my parents had to take a box to take some leftover home.

After paying I explained the lady that I am in Florida and hope to see her next time. Thanked her for the great experience and she thanked me for coming in.

Outside we all agreed, that it was a great lunch with great food and that we would come back again if we are here and in the area.

I am excited to report , that I visited this place 2 times and both times the quality and service were excellent. Which confirms what I wrote in my first more comprehensive review.

The Himitsu Sushi & Teriyaki in Bothell, WA is one of the best Teriyaki places I have been to in many years and I hope I can come back when I am in the area again. If you have the chance, stop by and if you try something new or Sushi, please. comment or let us know.

You will find the menu we saw in the review from earlier.
Thank you very much for stopping by.

Alaska Airlines First Class Flight Experience - Flight from Seattle to San Diego and San Diego to Orlando on August 12th 2013

This flight was from Seattle, WA with stop in San Diego, CA to Orlando, FL. Some might wonder why I did not write about the flight to WA yet, but I simply did not get to it and will deliver it at a later point.

This was the first time I was on Alaska Airlines and the main reason we were on this flight was that we got lucky and got some miles from family to use for a First Class ticket to visit them in WA. Not that we do not pay for 1st class tickets, but when you fly with a new airline , it is nice to find out first if it is worth it.

This flight started on August 12th in Seattle. Our take off time was scheduled at 5 55 pm. We booked it for two reasons like that. 1. because of the miles and 2. so we have the entire day to get things ready and spend time with family.

Arriving at the airport in Seattle you will find Alaska Airlines right at the beginning of the Terminal. It was not busy , so we unloaded fast and we were off to the check in. Having first class is always a pleasure, because there is short or no lines and the process seems to be more friendly. We did not have to wait more than 1 minute and got called to the counter. The young girl was very friendly, took our ID’s and got the check in down within in 2 minutes including all my golf luggage. One suitcase had 1.5 lbs more than it should have had, but there was no question or comment.

The check in area of Alaska Airlines is very nice. All reorganized with plenty of kiosks for fast check in and a great set up of the counters to make it easier for all travellers.

So from arriving to getting done with check in , we only spend 5 minutes or so. Girl was friendly and helpful. A good start.

Next we browsed through the security in a flash. Seattle offers a premier line for First Class Passengers and others. The line was like 5 people or so. Took us maybe 5 minute to get that done. After both those experiences, my mood was great.

We had something to eat, but that will be part of the Airport review which you can find soon here online. Alaska Airlines seems to use the N Terminal in Seattle, which is easy to reach with the train.

Getting on the plane was yet another easy thing to do. The First Class lane was opened right after children and people with disability and because there is only 16 passengers flying in first class, it takes a couple minutes to get in and settled.

The seats in Alaska Airlines First Class are old leather seats. Not sure what year, but they are older. Nothing too fancy and no foot rest. But the size is good and foot room is good as well. On this flight we had 1C and 1A. Which we usually do not get because of the wall in front of you , which can take space away when stretching. This time I did not think it was a problem at all.

While the other guests were boarding we were offered some water. I was thankful for that, but a little disappointed, because usually I get a glass of champagne or whatever drink I want and would have preferred that over the water or taken it with the water. It was not a big deal. Boarding was fast and we were on our way on time.

After we reached our travel height, we were greeted by Joseph, who was the steward taking care of us 16. He was very nice and smiling all the way with eye contact.

First we were offered a drink. I was going for a Bloody Mary. This is a drink I love to have when starting any flight. It is , if you will , a tradition for me to have that. It took not very long and I had it sitting right on my table. Drinks were served in nice glasses.It tasted great. We have to consider that they do not have a full bar. For that , it was a good drink.

Christiane had some Cabernet. They offer different wines on every flight and mostly regional. I think it was called Red Blend and it was a good wine. I actually ordered one myself when Joseph came along again.

As it was a short flight to San Diego, CA, we did not get the entertainment console. I was ok with that. Next Joseph came out with a snack. Grilled chicken with side salad. Now that was a great tasting snack I must say. The chicken was perfect and with a very tasty orange sauce. Salad looked fresh. A nicely decorated plate. While eating my wine was refilled without asking and anything laying around was taken immediately.

I had a couple more drinks, trying to get in sleeping mode for the long flight. We arrived in time and leaving the airplane was yet another breeze. While leaving I said thank you to Joseph and the other stewardess and found out, that we will have the same staff on the long flight to Orlando, FL. That was great news, because they simply did a great job and were very friendly.

San Diego Airport is not my favorite, but again, this will be a different article.

Our delay was 2 hours which we used to have a snack and a beer. We were scheduled to leave at 10 20 pm.  Boarding  started on time  and nothing but good to report. Alaska Airlines staff members were friendly, organized and with the First Class lane being clearly marked, entering was easy and fast. We got seats 1C and 1A again. There was plenty of storage for our carry on. Had our own compartment to be exact. All 16 seats were occupied yet again.

Same procedure while boarding. We were offered water and the staff helped all people to move fast and made the boarding process a very pleasant  experience without any incidents. Again we boarded on time and were on our way.

The seats on the Alaskan Airlines flight from San Diego, CA to Orlando, FL were almost identical to the other. Those seats had better head rests though. You could adjust them and that felt very comfortable. Other than that, they were the same old leather seats without footrest , but with plenty of room and space to put glasses etc. No power outlet to charge equipment again though. Before we started there was a very young child screaming for a while and one female first class passenger was not too happy and mentioned that to the staff. But the staff did not even get into any discussions and handled the situation perfect. The young child was quiet for the rest of the flight and so the lady had no reason to say something again. Personally I like when children are around on flights and because I travelled starting very young, I know that at times it was a little difficult because of my ears and my impatience as a child.

Joseph started us out with a drink as he did before and his Bloody Mary’s were consistently good. We also ordered the same wine again, trying to stay with what we liked.

Christiane decided to sleep through the long flight ( if you consider 4 ½ hours long). I wanted to watch a movie and have the snack again. About 20 minutes into the flight we got our entertainment console including free headphones, which you can keep.

Although the console is not huge, you can comfortably watch movies and play games. I watched a good movie and was pleased with the quality. If you do that, set the item on the table and you can see well. The head phones are not the top of the line, so do not expect the highest quality, but they do work fine.

I agreed to try the snack and we got a nice hot sandwich with ham and cheese and some more salad, which again was fresh. Tasted all very good. Had one more glass of wine , but then called it a day with drinking. I just had to wave my hand and Joseph took away all  glasses. I am sure if I would have had my empty glass standing there, he would have kept filling it up with the good stuff. I had to drive the next morning, so I did not want overdue it.

I slept about 2 hours and slept well. Christiane was not satisfied with her sleep and not happy that there were no blankets and pillows offered in first class. Not sure if Alaska ever did it. I guess we were used to it from some other airlines here and abroad.

Again we landed on time. For the first time in many years I departed the plane with a handshake and some compliments to Joseph and his staff members.

Getting of the plane and to the bag claim was super fast and our bags were out and ready within 20 minutes or shorter. All bags were there and in great shape.

Alaska Airlines 1st Class Summary

I am not sure what the price for a flight like this is. To me, in this case it would depend on the price. I liked the service very much. Everybody was friendly and you could feel that they wanted to make it a good experience for you. The drinks and the food were both very good and plenty. Alaska Airlines seems to have older planes. The first class seats are off good size, but old, no footrest, no outlet to charge.

Entertainment solution with the console is a good idea and I found it sufficient and easy to use.

Check in and boarding was fast and easy and a friendly experience as well.

I would flight Alaska Airlines 1st class again if the price is reasonable or if I have miles to use again. However, I will first check others before booking.

The biggest thing I did not like was that you do not have access to the Alaska Airlines 1st class lounge. I think it is not acceptable, that after paying 2ooo $ for a flight I have to pay 45 $ to enter the lounge. We had a not so good experience on the flight to Seattle, WA and did not even attempt it on the way back. I will write about it.

Alaska Airlines was a good experience with room for improvement. What was your experience?