Mad Duck - Clovis

On January 12, 2023, my husband and I met a friend at Mad Duck in Clovis, CA.  We arrived at 6:30PM. The restaurant/bar is located within a shopping center and is surrounded by a sandwich shop, Starbucks a cellular phone store, and other retail stores.  The parking lot directly on front of the restaurant was full, but there was ample parking around the side/back of the building.  

Upon walking in, I felt comfortable and enjoyed the ambiance.  It was very small and cozy.  There are a handful of booths, a handful of high-top tables, and a bar area for seating.  There are a few televisions around the perimeter.  Music could be heard faintly.  All tables had been taken, so I started for the bar, where there were three or four chairs open.  My husband observed a waitress cleaning one of the booths, and we decided to wait for that instead.   

Our waitress was very nice and attentive, for the most part.  We did have to flag down another waiter and waitress during our stay in order to receive attention.  That was due to just how busy it was.  The menu choices were limited.  There were appetizers, salads, burgers, and sandwiches.  There were few plated entrees.  We asked about the advertised "select cocktails" that were on special for the day.  The waitress did not know exactly which cocktails were included with the special.  

For drinks, I ordered a Manhattan, and my husband had one of their IPAs.  The waitress called it the Standard IPA; however, it was listed as IPA.  For food, we ordered a bacon cheeseburger and a broccoli salad.  My husband really liked his beer.  My Manhattan was a little weak in the alcohol department.  The food was good, though.  Our friend ordered a spicy chicken sandwich, which my husband and I tried.  It was spicy, very crispy, and delicious.      

We enjoyed our dinner and drinks at Mad Duck Clovis.  We would definitely return.  

Strong Heart Sharp Mind

Strong Heart Sharp Mind:  6-Step Program That Reverses Heart Disease and Helps Prevent Alzheimer's

by Joseph Piscatella and Marwan Sabbagh, MD

My husband purchased this book for me a year ago.  He knows I am very much interested in physical and mental health.  At 43 years old, I was not concerned about heart disease or Alzheimer's as it related to me personally.  I'm thin, in shape and very healthy.  For that reason, the book sat on my shelf for over a year.  Recently, as I scoured my shelves for something to read, I decided to pick it up and give it a whirl.  So far, it's an easy and quick read.  

The book begins with an introduction of the two authors and explains their interest in the subject of heart and mind health.  Joe Piscatella had an emergency heart procedure at a young age.  Dr. Marwan Sabbagh was born into a family of doctors and from a very early age was intrigued by the workings of Alzheimer's.  The general premise of this book is that diseases of the heart and mind are interconnected.  Much of what can prevent or even heal heart disease can do the same for the mind.  Once upon a time, heart health was all the rage, and rightfully so.  However, brain health is just as important, and the mind and heart are connected.  A heart-healthy lifestyle is also good for the brain.  

A section of the book is dedicated to blood flow, and how although blood flow is important, there are numerous things that contribute to heart and mind health.  Of those listed are:  hypertension, homocysteine, cholesterol and ApoE.  We all know the importance of maintaining a healthy blood pressure level.  I had never heard the term homocysteine, though.  Homocysteine is a blood protein, which, if elevated, can cause stroke, heart attack and dementia.  Consuming too much red meat can result in a high level of homocysteine.  Besides reducing red meat consumption, you can lower your homocysteine level by taking B9, a synthetic form of folic acid.  

ApoE is a gene that can lead to Alzheimer's.  There are various versions of this gene, and if you have more than one type, or if you have a specific type (apoE4), you can be more susceptible to the disease.  ApoE4 can also increase your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which can lead to heart disease.  All of these things, at healthy levels, are good for us.  The problem arises when they are at unhealthy levels.  Research has shown that even if you are genetically disposed to these diseases, all is not lost.  Healthy lifestyle changes can prevent or even reverse heart and brain diseases.

Chapter 3 of the book is dedicated to a scorecard, which consists of 11 categories.  The categories, as well as the optimal levels for each, are as follows:

1. Blood pressure:  120/80

2.  Total Cholesterol:  less than 200

3.  LDL Cholesterol:  less than 100

4.  HDL Cholesterol:  greater than 60

5.  Triglycerides:  less than 150 (less than 100 is optimal)

6.  Metabolic syndrome (discussed below)

7.  Weight:  your ideal weight will depend on your height and can be calculated on the National Institutes of Health website under the BMI section. 

8.  Abdominal weight:  less than 40" waist  for men, and less than 35" waist for women

9.  Glucose:  less than 100.  Once you hit 45 years old, the recommendation is to get tested for diabetes every three years.  

10.  Homocysteine:  5-9 (this is not something that is routinely checked by physicians; you will most likely have to discuss with your doctor and request to have this screening be part of your blood test)

11.  Physical Activity:  at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity per week, or at least 1.25 hours of vigorous physical activity per week.  

 

You are said to have metabolic syndrome if you have 2 or more of the following:  

HDL less than 40

Triglycerides greater than 50

Abdominal weight:  40" or greater waist for men and 35" or greater for women

Blood pressure greater than 130/85

Diagnosed diabetic

If you have two of these five risk factors, there is a chance you have metabolic syndrome.  If you have three or more of these risk factors, you definitely suffer metabolic syndrome.  For more information on metabolic syndrome, I found this informational website metabolic-syndrome.html.

More to come on the remaining chapters....

  

Me N Ed’s Restaurant Review: Annesso Pizzeria

We visited Annesso Pizzeria at 5pm on a Monday night.  This establishment is located in the shopping center located on Friant and Cole.  We have driven by this restaurant many times, and it usually is packed with people.  We were surprised to find the parking lot was not full.  This parking lot, in general, is not easily navigable.  The traffic in and out, including pedestrians, makes for a slow entrance/exit.  The restaurant was less than half-full.  It was warm and welcoming.  The hostesses were friendly but were wearing street clothes.  For a nice restaurant such as this, that surprised us.  We sat at the bar top and ordered from the draught beer selection.  I had the Peroni and Ed had the Menabrea Amber.  They were good, not great.  The beer selection was slim.  Our server was very nice and we enjoyed her conversation.  She was very knowledgeable about the menu and restaurant.  We learned this restaurant is the sister to The Annex Kitchen on Shaw and Van Ness Avenues.  Our server advised the most popular appetizers were the suppli, Jenny's hot wings, and the braised meatballs.  We opted for the meatballs.  They were delicious.  Next we ordered a Margherita pizza.  Yes, pizza again!  It too, was delicious.  We were both served water glasses, which we did not ask for.  With the drought, we don't like to be wasteful, so we would prefer not to be given water unless we ask for it.  But perhaps next time we will just advise them ahead of time.  Overall, we would return here. 

Me N Ed's Rating

Our rating system consists of 13 categories to include the following:  first impression, location, servers, menu variety, ambience, parking, overall cleanliness, drink selection, tvs/music, crowd, lighting, appetizer, and likely to return/recommend.  We rate from 1 to 5.  Annesso Pizzeria received a total of 104 out of a possible 130 points, earning them an 80%.  

Me N Ed's Restaurant Review: Press Box Sports Grill #2

 

There are three Press Box Sports Grills; one is Clovis and two are in Fresno.  We visited the Clovis location (#2) at 5:30 on a Saturday evening.  The location isn’t great, as it is located tucked away behind other buildings.  There was ample parking, though.  The parking lot was littered with empty beer cans; not a great start.  However, when we entered I immediately noticed how nice it looked.  It was spacious with a large bar top.  There were a lot of TVs with numerous sports games on.  We were greeted immediately and sat at a high top table.  I ordered a margarita.  Ed ordered a Lagunitas; no dice.  They didn’t have that.  He then ordered Sierra Nevada.  Strike two.  He settled for General Sherman.  He’s an IPA kinda guy.  Yuck!  Our server advised us the three most popular appetizers were the steak bites, the quesadilla, and the ahi poke nachos.  We decided on the steak bites.  They took a long time to arrive, which was odd because the restaurant was half-empty.  Ed really liked the steak bites.  I wasn't too wild about them.  The steak was tough, but the sauce was good.  The mushrooms were heavenly!  Next time I will order mushroom bites, lol.  We followed that up with pepperoni pizza.  Last time we were there, they were out of pizza.  Imagine that!  But they were redeemed this time.  We love Press Box pizza!  The bartender knew we wanted to watch the Warriors play, so he put the game on a tv where we could see it better, without us having to ask.  Nice!  My margarita was really good, but it was weak.  Weak sauce!  Ed visited the bathroom and he politely warned me against going in myself.  I heeded his advice.  Overall, not a bad experience.  We would return here.    

Me N Ed's Rating

Our rating system consists of 13 categories to include the following:  first impression, location, servers, menu variety, ambience, parking, overall cleanliness, drink selection, tvs/music, crowd, lighting, appetizer, and likely to return/recommend.  We rate from 1 to 5.  Press Box Sports Grill #2 received a total of 95 out of a possible 130 points, earning them a 73%.  

The Bookshop on the Shore

I decided to take a break from self-help and informational books.  I chose this easy-read novel.  It has been on my bookshelf for years.  I think I picked it up at Costco for some cheap amount.  I undoubtedly purchased this book because it had a picture of books on the cover.  This is not my typical read, but it was good to have a mindless book.  It tells of a London woman, and single mother, trying to make ends meet.  When she is pushed out of her flat because of increasing rent, she accepts an offer for two jobs in Scotland.  One as a live-in nanny.  And one as a traveling bookshop attendant.  She experiences many difficulties in her new environment, from ill-behaved children to unaccepting patrons.  The mother of the children she is caring for seemingly abandoned the family; the children are deeply affected.  The traveling bookshop owner, who is out due to her pregnancy, seems to be perfect for the job and the customers are not accepting of the newcomer.  Apart from her struggles to fit in everywhere, she struggles with her mute child, whose father does not take an active role in their lives.  

The author is British and so therefore some words are spelled differently.  For instance, color is spelled colour, and so forth.  There is also some Scottish accents and phrases used in the text.  For example, dinae for doesn't.  If you're not used to these words and phrases, you might not know exactly what they are saying.  I am familiar with these accents and didn't have any issues, but that would be the only thing keeping me from recommending this book.  It was a nice, easy getaway book.  Now, I move on to Limitless, by Jim Kwik.  

 

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo

California Historic Landmark number 135.  We visited this mission on November 27, 2021.  The 2.5 hour drive from Fresno was pleasant.  The weather in Carmel was beautiful;  78 degrees.  It has been restored and is the nicest of all the missions we have visited to date.  Is is located on the south edge of Carmel and is minutes from Highway 1.  The rooms, of course, are closed off.  The courtyard is spacious and very inviting.  There is a museum and a small cemetery on site.  The cost was $10 per adult, and it was well worth it.  Visit about-the-mission for history on the mission.  Apart from being a California Historic Landmark, it is also a National Historic Landmark.  

Photos:

  

David and Goliath

 

I began this book on November 1st and finished on the 10th.  This 295-page book was an easy read, as far as sentence structure, vocabulary and so forth.  As far as flow goes, I wasn’t feeling it.  Gladwell jumps around from one topic to another, it seems.  I don’t feel the transitions were smooth.  The book is separated into an introduction and three parts.  Each part has three chapters and each chapter is devoted to one person, for the most part.  Gladwell interviewed most of these subjects.  

The introduction ties into the name of the book, telling the story of David and Goliath from the Bible.  As the story goes, two armies faced each other from opposites sides of a valley.  To avoid massive bloodshed and loss of life, each army selected one representative to battle it out in the valley.  One representative was David, the other Goliath.  Goliath was a giant.  Massively tall.  David was a small sheep herder.  What would have been the over under on that match?  David was clearly at a disadvantage, right?  So he gathered his faith and courage.  With no armor, he could run toward his enemy with speed and agility.  He came to the battle knowing that he could not take a "knife to a gun fight."  He did not have the weaponry Goliath had.  He would not have lasted in hand to hand combat.  He had a rock and a sling shot.   David could move quickly and precisely.  Goliath, with his massive size and heavy armor, could not.  Gladwell concludes:  sometimes that which is the source of one's greatest strength can also be the source of one's greatest weakness.  Here is a breakdown of the people Gladwell studied:

Part One - When a disadvantage becomes an advantage (and vice versa)

1.  Vivek Ranadive - had never played basketball, but is now an NBA team owner with a net worth of  $700 million

2.  Teresa DeBrito - a middle school principal who deduced too-small classroom sizes could be just as detrimental to a child’s growth as too-large classrooms sizes.

3.  Caroline Sacks - a brilliant student who did not realize her full potential in the field of science.  

Part Two - When difficulty breeds success

1.  David Boies - suffered from dyslexia, but became a wealthy and successful litigator. 

2.  Emil Freirich - overcame an extremely difficult childhood and developed leukemia treatment plans.  

3.  Wyatt Walker - a Baptist minister who partnered up with Martin Luther King.  He used some mischief and sneakiness to achieve his goals during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. 

Part Three - How far can absolute power really go?

1. Rosemary Lawlor - an Irish Catholic woman forced to leave her home in Northern Ireland because she was not Protestant.  

2.  Wilma Derksen - a Mennonite woman from Canada whose daughter was murdered. 

3.  Andre Trocme - a French pacifist and pastor who protected Jewish refugees during World War II.

As an afterword, Gladwell studies Konrad Keller, who warned we could not win the fight in Vietnam. 

As you can see, there is a wide variety of subjects here.  And within each chapter, Gladwell goes into stories about other unrelated people.  What I liked about this book was it ignited in me an interest in people I knew nothing about, amd I have determined to change that.  Mainly:  Emil Freirich, Rosemary Lawlor, and Andre Trocme.  

My next reading adventure awaits……