what do I know

Well I’ve finally put the finishing touches on my Adogo presentation for tomorrow night on the “Mechanics of BlazeDS” and “Remoting and Messaging with BlazeDS”. I originally called the 2nd presentation “RPC and Messaging with BlazeDS”, but I didn’t have an opportunity to integrate SOAP/REST into the picture, so I’m renaming it. In any case, I was able to throw together a pretty cool little sample app that should allow for some audience participation (pending my laptop can spare the memory). Hopefully some of my former co-workers from CFI can make it out. Sebastian and I will be driving out right after work, so see you all there.

Also, there will be food this time around thanks to TekSystems, so worst case, come out, be fed, and ridicule my meager presentations.

Tonight I headed over to the Space Coast .NET User Group meeting, which consequently meets at my new office. They were trying out a similar 2 topic format, as we do at the Adogo, and it went really well. We started at 6:30 PM and ended around 8:15 PM. This evening they covered Workflow Foundation and its tools in Visual Studio 2008 as well as approaches for working cross team by using shared binary interfaces (also went into dynamic assembly loading a little bit).

What really struck me as interesting at the group was the context for conversation that occurred throughout the night. Everyone was pretty much on the same wave length, or at least appeared to be, and was comfortable; this may have been because of most of them work at the same mega-company or that the group has just been going steady for a long time, however. In any case, it was funny to see that the discussions were very different than what I’ve been exposed to in the past at user groups. There was a baseline of understanding for the work that Microsoft has done with varied technologies and discussions ensued relating to their application, not necessarily what they were and how they worked. This may have a lot to do with the average age and experience in the room (a older“wiser” demographic), but it also could be me looking into things too much.

I think I am finally able to empathize with user group members who have been frustrated with the Adogo recently. I went to the .NET user group looking for exposure beyond what I read daily on the web. The topics interest me, but I want more detail to see if I am getting excited over something that maybe isn’t worth it (and vice versa). I found myself looking for code examples during the presos more since I am new to the syntax, but not the concepts. I was eager to take advantage of the work the speaker brought the group. This was something I hadn’t previously thought about in depth. I always assumed people didn’t want to read the manual and I couldn’t see why the same conviction I had for programming wasn’t present in others. I think I now realize that, as are most things in life, it’s a matter of perspective with respect to what’s important to the developer as it applies to technology. This may seem like common sense, but I’m a pretty big moron. In fact, I look at the Adogo and realize, we’re really in a similar boat as the .NET group. Adobe has laid out the majority of the pieces we find ourselves using and until we have a common understanding of their use, it may be unreasonable to expect conversations like what I witnessed tonight without first establishing a baseline. It definitely seems like the sentiment on the mailing list to say the least.

I’ve got the April meeting next month, so hopefully this insight can help me better understand the service that a user group can perform for the community and what I can do to aid in its success.

It’s been a while since I’ve presented at the Adogo, so I figure I owe the group a couple of presentations. Based on the feedback we’ve been getting from the mailing list, I’m going to take a little bit of a different approach to this month’s meeting. We’re going to do 2, 30 minute presentations, one focusing on the conceptual and one focusing on the practical. The topics this month will be “The Mechanics of BlazeDS” (conceptual) and “RPC and Messaging Using BlazeDS” (practical). For those of you who are interested in seeing how Java will integrate with Flex, I will be showing off how to integrate POJO’s for use with RPC.

Hopefully I can keep the presentations short and the content simple and interesting. If anyone decides to stop by, make sure to hold me to that goal during the meeting. Primers should be posted soon. See you on April 1st, same time and place as always.

Well, another Friday night and we wanted pizza. There are plenty of places that we know of which can satisfy this craving, but it was time to try out a new place. Primavera Italian Restaurant was the pick this week. Primavera is located in the YMCA plaza on Wickham. Every time we swing pass by the restaurant it is packed, so we figured this has to be a good sign.

We showed up during the dinner rush but were seated promptly in the back, near the kitchen. We ordered a large pie with cheese (~$10), an order of garlic breadsticks (~$2), a side salad (~$3) with garlic parmesan dressing, and a couple of sodas (~$2 each). The salad came first and was a bit lacking with one cucumber, one tomato, and a few carrot shreds over iceberg lettuce. The dressing however was really good being made of a combination of parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and oil (I’m guessing). The breadsticks were baked fresh for the table with a buttery, garlic flavor that’s easy to enjoy. All was actually going pretty well until the pizza came. We were really hoping for a New York style pizza, but we were met with a pretty bland rendition of cheese, sauce and dough. The pizza was hot so that was nice, but the sauce tasted like something from everyone’s favorite canned chef. After one slice each, we decided to end the meal. I will admit it was tastier cold, but all pizza starts to retain a certain flavor once its chilled. As we were leaving, they had fresh baked loaves of bread that you could take home with you on the counter, so that is a plus. I would like to note that our waitress was also very attentive, so that is definitely another plus.

After some discussion, we’ve decided that we’re going to give Primavera another shot but next time stick to the entrees instead. I’d suggest staying away from the pizza though, it wasn’t a good experience. Hopefully we can find something we like next time. If anyone has any suggestions on what to try, I’m definitely open to hearing them. For now the jury on Primavera Italian Restaurant is still out.

Primavera Italian Restaurant is located at 6300 N Wickham Rd #122, Melbourne, FL.

Well after getting back into town, we decided to end our trip with a visit to a good and reliable Melbourne establishment, Leaning Tower of Pizza Restaurant off of Wickham Road. Leaning Tower has been around for over 23 years, and of that time, my wife’s family has been patronizing them for over 20 years; heck, I’ve been going for over 3 years and love it. Leaning Tower is a family owned business that offers New York style Italian cuisine for reasonable prices. The restaurant is small, but the staff is courteous and very attentive. We quite frequently call our order ahead so it’s ready for us when we sit down and today was no exception.

We ordered the All Beef Stromboli (~$7) which comes baked with sauteed onions, ground beef, fresh spices, red wine, black olives, and mozarella and comes with a side of sauce. We also ordered the Hot Steak Sub (~$6) with peppers (+$0.50) which is made with real steak, onions, and provolone cheese. The sauce, although not as hearty as some may like, is very flavorful and tastes great. In the past we’ve also ordered their tossed salad for the table and it’s a great iceberg lettuce salad with tomatoes, red onion, and carrots; I like their Italian dressing too. If you’re in the mood for pizza, they make a great New York style pie; we order a large with cheese (~$11) for lunch sometimes and really enjoy it.

Leaning Tower is a true Melbourne establishment with great food. They’ve focussed on staying a small and quality establishment that produces a consistent product. They truly do abide by their motto, “NOTHING FANCY, Just Good Food!” If you haven’t tried them yet, stop by and visit.

Leaning Tower of Pizza Restaurant is located at 681 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne, FL.

Well you’re bound to get a few bad restaurants along the road and Los Compadres Mexican is definitely in that category. We stopped off of the Monroe Road exit in Tallahassee on the way home from Louisiana and decided to give Los Compadres a shot. We knew it was risky picking a local Mexican joint, but we’re adventurous so what the hell right? Wow, was this ever the biggest mistake we’ve made.

Upon arriving, the sign says “Under New Management” … I’d hate to see what the old management did. To call our waiter terrible, is an understatement. We ordered a couple beers (~$4), a 4 item combintation of a chalupa, enchilada, taco, and burrito (~$9) as well as another chalupa (~$3), a tamal (~$2), and a side of rice (~$2). We never saw our waiter again until the food was ready and then again when we got the bill. The food tasted as if it’d been warmed over but still cold at the same time. The tamal was what I was looking forward to trying and this was the biggest disappointment. It tasted like it’d be squeezed out of a sausage machine and stuffed with seasoned pork. The corn meal mixture, used to coat the pork, was terrible and, unfortunately, again cold. I doubt a corn husk ever touched this tamal. Everyone at the table pushed their food aside after about 15 minutes and we waited for the bill. Once we got the bill we waited about 15 minutes for the waiter only to find out we had to pay up front. This doesn’t irritate me too much, but we let him know this was our first time in the restaurant, so I was hoping for a little more direction. On the way up to pay the bill I decided to visit the restroom and clean up. There was no way I was gonna clean anything in that restroom. When I entered the restroom I was greeted by toilet bowls filled and covered with crusted vomit (gag). Based on the tourist sized margarita’s being served, and it being a college town, I should have expected this. I ran to the sink, washed my hands, and ran out. When I went to pay the bill, we discovered that we were charged incorrectly (off by $4). By this time I was sick to my stomach and wanted to go, so we took the difference out of the crappy waiter’s tip and fled as quickly as possible.

There are bad experiences and then there is Los Compadres Mexican. When I looked up their location on the map I saw there were a few others in town; hopefully the “new management” didn’t take over those as well. I will admit, it’s possible we caught them on a really bad day, but I doubt it. Los Compadres was awful and I’d discourage anyone who’s traveling through the area from stopping there for what they called “authentic Mexican cuisine”. Someone should tell them that Montezuma’s revenge shouldn’t be included in the package.

Los Compadres Mexican is located at 2102 W Pensacola Street, Tallahassee, FL.

Yesterday I stopped by the Acadiana Adobe User Group in Lafayette, LA for Ray’s presentation on Adobe AIR. He showed off a time allocation app using Flex and then HTML/JS. He was able to show us a few quirks with SqlLite’s DATETIME datatype that Adobe added as well as some gotcha’s with respect to using HTML/JS with Spry. It was cool to see another user group in action. The Acadiana group has been meeting on and off for many years and they all seem to get along very well. Thanks to everyone in attendance for warm welcome and best of luck with the group.

So today included even more traveling and visiting and, on our way back from Baton Rouge, we found ourselves taking the scenic route back to Lafayette on Highway 190. We were hunger (as I always am) so we stopped by Not Your Mama’s Cafe and Tavern at the advise of my aunt. This was an awesome suggestion; I am so glad we stopped here to dine. The restaurant itself is in the middle of no where, but is in an awesome building. The interior is lined with hilarious signs in typical Cajun humor. The bathrooms are even cool, with old style hand water pump-like facets. The building itself is large and from what I was told is always packed for dinner.

We did a lupper (lunch + supper) and kept our order somewhat light this time. We ordered a half and half po-boy (~$12) with fried shrimp and crawfish, a few cups of seafood gumbo (~$5), a cup of the shrimp and corn soup (~$5), and an order of bread pudding (~$7). The meal came with a heavy, but fresh baked bread that tasted great. The seafood gumbo was made with a really dark roux, but had some nice chunks of shrimp and crab in it. The corn soup was creamy and mild and had a great flavor. The po-boy was amazing, filled with lightly battered and tender crawfish and shrimp and topped with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. It also came with fries which were nothing special. The bread pudding for dessert replaced the bread pudding from Frezzo’s as the best I’ve ever had. It had a few cherries baked into a very sweet white bread covered with a praline and rum sauce, served hot. Holy crap … the bread pudding was so soft and sweet it was sinful. I would drive out to the country anytime to eat it, it was amazing!

Overall, Not Your Mama’s is a great restaurant off the beaten path if you live in the Acadiana area. Dining here made a stupendous end of my trip to Louisiana. If you’ve driven by this establishment on Highway 190 and wondered if you should go in, smack yourself for not doing so.

Not Your Mama’s Cafe and Tavern is located at 9025 Highway 190, Livonia, LA 70755.

So it’s been a busy few days. Visiting family always works up quite an appetite. We went out to Zea’s last night in Lafayette and I had a great trout dish (but they are a chain, so they can find their own press). Tonight after visiting the farm and more family, we made our way out to Fezzo’s in Scott for some great Cajun food. My cousin used to waitress at the restaurant and she said that even after doing so, she’d still eat there. That said a lot to me, so I was excited to go.

Again we had a big party at the restaurant and I didn’t see too much of what everyone ordered, but as always I’ll do my best to remember. Now, you have to keep in mind that I haven’t sat down to peel a big bucket of crawfish as of yet, so there was only one thing on my mind. As luck would have it, the special, with the start of season, was boiled crawfish. Fezzo’s had a 3 lb (~$15) and a 5 lb (~$20) portion, each of which came with corn and red potatoes (please keep in mind these were the market prices when we dined, they may change). I ordered the 3 lb portion, at the risk of my cholesterol causing a stroke, spicy along with an Abita Purple Haze. The beer was as sweet as juice, but it didn’t matter, it was time to eat. We also ordered the Fried Boudin Balls (~$7) to start and they were delicious. I still would like to get some boudin from the meat market next to Fezzo’s tomorrow, but man these were good. By the time we were done eating those, my crawfish was ready. My cousin ordered the same and we both dove in. She, and her super metabolism, finished well before me, but it was only because I was savoring what I hadn’t had in so long … authentic Louisiana crawfish. By the time I was done, I had a few stains on my shirt and my hands stunk, but boy was I satisfied. After washing my hands with a salt, lemon juice, and soap concoction that my cousin threw together, I was stink free. Someone at the table got Fezzo’s Cajun Trio (~$14) which gave you the choice of 3 things (gumbo, etouffee, or bisque); they said the crab and corn bisque was excellent.

Now I have tried to restrain myself from indulging in dessert (mainly due to my promise for Lent), but the bread pudding (~$7) was too much to resist. The pudding came soaked in a type of sweet cream, cinnamon, and sugar and topped with a sweet vanilla icing. It was served hot and the portion was huge (enough to split). This was by far the best bread pudding I have ever eaten. After eating everything I realized I was completely stuffed.

Fezzo’s is a great Cajun restaurant and I’m really glad that I was able to make a stop there before I leave Louisiana and head back to Florida. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone traveling in the area; the locals definitely seem to like it.

Fezzo’s, that I dined at, is located at 109 Benoit Patin Rd, Scott, LA.

NOTE: My cousin’s boyfriend was able to get a hold of a six pack of a seasonal Abita beer for me which was made using strawberries. From what he and my other cousin’s husband said, it’s always under demand, so I’m extremely grateful for the gift. I wanted to try one tonight, but I’m going to let them chill overnight so I can enjoy them even more.

Tonight I finally got into Lafayette and boy did I eat well; for dinner, the whole family went out to Don’s Seafood Hut. I have great memories from childhood and years past of going to Don’s. In fact, in our family, Don’s is somewhat of a tradition; everyone from my grandmother to my cousins children are long time patrons. Don’s has been around for long time and has always served some great food.

This evening a large party of us dined together, so I’ve dropped the ball on the pricing info I usually provide, but I do have a run down of the orders. I ordered a cup of the shrimp and okra gumbo (~$4) and the small crawfish etouffee (~$12) which both came with white rice as well as a sweet tea (~$2). Some of the others at the table ordered the spicy catfish (~$15) which was served over rice with shrimp and crab etouffee, crab au gratin (~$12), crawfish au gratin (~$12), and the shrimp dinner which came with a great selection of tasty shrimp dishes (~$21). Dinner was served with garlic french bread and we also ordered an appetizer of the fried mushrooms to start. All of the food was hot and fresh and best of all, tasted great. I’ve been away so long, I’d forgotten what real Lousiana crawfish and etouffee taste like; I’m now convinced that most Cajun places I go to serve Chinese crawfish which are definitely of a lesser caliber. Funny enough, my relatives told me that the premium for Louisiana crawfish is pretty high right now because they can’t find enough people to peel the tail meat due to the legal reform occurring with respect to illegal workers. For now it looks like live and boiled is the way to go for the cost conscience diner.

Don’s Seafood Hut hasn’t changed much from what I remember growing up. That being said, I’m pretty absent minded, so it’s possible it has changed and I just don’t remember things well. Regardless of the situation, the food served at this establishment is delicious. Our server was attentive and considering it was a seafood restaurant, pricing was within reason for most dishes. This was a definite treat for a nostalgic trip home. If you find yourself in the area, you owe it to yourself to stop by; there is a reason they’ve been in business for 20+ years.

Don’s Seafood Hut is located at 4309 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA 70503.