Thomas Jefferson’s House

I went to Monticello yesterday.  The total price was $44 for me the wife and two children under six.  The view from the plantation was enchanting.  When I imagined his plantation I had no idea that it would be on top of a mountain, surrounded by other mountains, but it was, and he managed to build some impressive gardens on the staired slopes.  Everything was well-planned and methodic down to the carefully placed containers to catch rain water for drinking. 

It was my favorite trip so far since moving to Virginia about two months ago, and so far we’ve been to the settlements of Williamsburg and Jamestown, the Petersburg Battlefield, Arlington Cemetary, and the Mall at Washington D.C.   I highly recommend the trip if you get a chance.  -antiwasp

Filed under: Culture, Environment, Recommendations, Restaurant, Hotel, Cafe, Business

Dead Fish Grill – Killeen Area/Belton

The Dead Fish Grill is fucking awesome.  I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat a delicious meal at a restaurant on the top of a hill, from a porch with a decadent view of recreational waters, while a tasteful band is playing in the background. 

The food was fantastic.  I had a Po-Boy with fried shrimp wrapped in fatty bacon with buffalo sauce on it.  You can’t beat that shit when it comes with a cold Budweiser!  My wife had several mixed drinks, including a frozen pina colada that had a hint of tropical fruit mixed in the flavor that was original to the Dead Fish Grill, and made my wife smile for the entirety of the meal.

The band was a single guy playing an electric guitar, that sounded acoustic, on the patio over the water.  He played everything from an acoustic version of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” to a wordy and adapted version of the Eagle’s “Hotel California.”  He looked like a retired hippy who was just having fun, and making a little extra change.  His exeptional talent set the mood.  The volume of the music was low enough as to not interfere with conversation, but loud enough to stimulation a great environment to talk in.  

The fucking view was amazing.  The water sparkled with sail boats, fishermen, and jet skis.  The high, tree covered, cliffs off the water accentuated the lake, and acted as a beautiful dividing line between water and sky.  The breeze blowing in from the water carried the smell of the outside grille of the restaurant onto the patio and excited senses that have been untouched for years.  I was a great time, and I know that I’ll be returning to the Dead Fish Grill soon.  -antiwasp

Filed under: Recommendations, Restaurant, Hotel, Cafe, Business, Social Life, Dead Fish G, Dead Fish Grill, Entertainment, Killeen, Live Music, Music, Restaurant

Nervous Nilly Stock Broker

My stock broker is trying to shake me down.  Actually, he’s just placing blame on me.  I called him for the first time in a year and a half, because I wanted to increase my monthly stipend into a mutual fund.  So, statements aside, out of curiosity I asked him how I was doing in the market.  I knew that I hadn’t made back all the money I’d lost since 2007/8-9, and that I’m poorer now than I was a few years ago . . . I can accept that.  What caught me off guard was that he blamed me for my account not making a full recovery because I hadn’t taken full advantage of the down-turn, by way of not pouring excessive amounts of money into the market when it was at its lowest. 

Weird, I just wanted a friendly conversation and maybe a smidgen of re-assurance that I won’t be destitute in 2030, but instead I found an aggressive and stressed out blame-placer with the gall to point fingers at his customers.  Now, I’m nervous.  I guess it’s normal for a person “backed into a corner” to place blame.  After all, no one’s ego will allow them to see themself as the guy that lost the fortune of others through incompetence.  But, I didn’t know my broker was “backed into a corner,” and why the hell didn’t he direct me to the idea that the market hasn’t fully recovered yet?  Why would he accuse me, an investor in his business, of negligence?  Strange.  I really hate dealing with people because I can’t fucking figure them out, but I like the idea that an expert is managing my retirement.  Still, I should probably switch from Edward Jones to USAA.  They don’t have brokers to deal with there, just a website.  -antiwasp

Filed under: Character, Economy, Recommendations, Restaurant, Hotel, Cafe, Business, Wisdom, Economy, MArket, Mutual Fund, People vs. Machines, Retirement, Stock