This past Saturday we went on our first formal tour of the city of Miami. I’ve lived in the South Florida area for years and have visited Miami a few times, but now I finally feel like I really know the city. The tour was operated by the Miami Tour Company which features a unique “GPS guided audio tour”. To view my pictures and video from the experience, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Miami City Tour Pictures & Video - South Florida
Last night we attended the 5th annual Taste of the Palm Beaches held at PGA Commons in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. It was a feast of fine food and drinks from dozens of local area restaurants. All of the proceeds benefited the Big Heart Brigade charity. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
2008 Taste of the Palm Beaches @ PGA Commons
After a family event on Long Island, we took a side trip to visit the Flushing Chinatown in Queens. We ate at the “South North Harmony” Chinese restaurant on 40th Rd. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Flushing Chinatown Pictures - New York City, NY
I sent in my Sony DCR-HC20 Handycam Mini-DV digital camcorder to the Sony warranty repair center to fix the faulty CCD sensor. The camera was displaying a heavily distorted image on the LCD, viewfinder and recorded Mini-DV tapes. For more of the story, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Sony CCD Recall Experience & HC20 Camcorder
The 2008 Street Warriorz Miami Custom Car Show & Drag Racing Series event was held on March 8th at the Countyline Dragway in Miami Florida. The show featured a burn out contest, custom vehicles, and unlimited drag races for just $20. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Street Warriorz 2008 Pictures & Video - Miami, FL
On our way down to Key West for the weekend, we stopped at Robbie’s Marina to see the famous tarpon fish being fed from the pier. It was only $1 per person to watch and $2 for a bucket of bait fish. The excitement of seeing the massive tarpon fish jumping out of the water was well worth the price of admission. Click on the link or thumbnail image below for more.
Robbie’s Marina Tarpon Feeding Pictures & Video
For the third year in a row, we celebrated the Halloween holiday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino located in Hollywood, FL. This huge entertainment complex has ample parking, a wide range of dining choices, a variety of nightclubs, and great laid back bars. For more, click on the link or image below.
Moonfest 2008 was the 17th annual occurrence of this Halloween street party that takes place on Clematis St. in downtown West Palm Beach Florida. Thousands of people came out dressed in scary or risque costumes to enjoy live bands, circus acts, and carnival rides. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Moonfest 2008 Pictures - West Palm Beach, FL
The Opus 5 Restaurant’s 2008 “Upscale Halloween Party” was held on October 28th in The Shops at Boca Center in Boca Raton, FL. We bought our tickets online in advance for $15 per person, which included one free drink and light appetizers. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Opus 5 2008 Halloween Party Pictures - Boca Raton, FL
Shortly after the third or “high mount” brake light bulb burned out, one of the other rear brake light bulbs also expired. Once again, I took pictures of the procedure and created a quick guide. Click on the link or thumbnail image below for more.
Nissan Altima Brake Light Bulb Replacement Guide
I recently installed a very low cost CCTV & DVR security camera system for about $180. We bought the cheapest “Made In China” generic components on eBay and used an old PC desktop computer for the DVR machine. For the full installation guide, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Inexpensive eBay CCTV & DVR Security System Guide
The Florida Caverns State Park is located on the Florida Panhandle in Marianna, FL. We saw bats, spiders, stalagmites, stalactites, draperies, rim stone pools and other calcite formations on the 45 minute guided cave tour. For all of my photos from this visit, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Florida Caverns State Park Pictures - Marianna, FL
When the oven heating element and stove top burners on our circa 1984 Kenmore electric range stopped working, I was eager to just go buy a new appliance. But my sensibility prevailed and I started troubleshooting the problem. The clock, timer, LED lights and LCD display were still working. After about 30 minutes of checking connections, I was able to restore the 220V power supply. Click on the link or thumbnail image below for the whole story.
Kenmore Electric Range 220V Power Connection Repair Guide
We visited the Mote Marine Aquarium & Laboratory in Sarasota on our way home to South Florida from a weekend spent in the Tampa area. This tourist attraction boasts over 100 unique species of native and exotic marine wildlife including stingrays, sharks, dolphins, and manatees. For more, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Mote Marine Aquarium Pictures & Video - Sarasota, FL
Are you a meat eating enthusiast? Then you’ve got to visit one of “The Knife” Argentinian Steakhouse locations in South Florida. We enjoyed a decadent all you can eat lunch at their Sunrise restaurant near the Sawgrass Mills Mall. For this diner’s opinion, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
The Knife Argentinian Steakhouse Review - Sunrise, FL
Our first visit to the American Orchid Society, located in Delray Beach, was in January of 2008 during the chilly South Florida winter. The AOS grounds seemed much more alive with plant, animal and insect life during our second visit in the summer. To see the photo gallery, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
American Orchid Society - Summer 2008
If the third or “high mount” brake light bulb on your Nissan Altima sedan stopped working, check out my guide for how to replace it.
Nissan Altima Sedan Third Brake Light Bulb Replacement Guide
“The Beach Club” is a set of three luxury condominium towers located at 1830 South Ocean Drive, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009. We spent a great weekend there enjoying the amenities, ambience and spectacular views. For all of my photos from the trip, click on the link or thumbnail below.
“The Beach Club” Pictures & Information - Hallandale Beach, FL
The Miami Motorcycle Salon is the largest bike show held in South Florida and has been since its inception in 2006. The 2007 show had to be canceled but the 2008 MMS was the best ever. The show featured live bands, 100’s of custom motorcycles, the Globe of Death stunt show, and a performance by the Coyote Ugly Saloon dancers. To see all of my photos and a video from the event, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Miami Motorcycle Salon 2008 Pictures & Video
The plumbing in our home is over two decades old, so I wasn’t surprised to find that one of the toilets had sprung a leak. After examining it more closely, I saw that water was seeping out from the valve stem on the toilet’s water supply valve assembly. Turning the knob tighter didn’t fix the problem. Not counting the trip to Home Depot, the repair took about 30 minutes and $5 to complete. For all the details, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Leaking Toilet Water Supply Valve Replacement Guide
I bought a new Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 to replace my well worn white MS Natural Elite Keyboard. Unfortunately, the spacebar on the new keyboard is rather stiff or sticky. I searched the web for any possible solutions and tried them all out. For more info, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
MS Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 Sticky Spacebar Repair
It was an intensely hot & humid South Florida day when we visited the Miami MetroZoo. Some of the animals were understandably sluggish but overall it was a great trip. We practically had the zoo to ourselves since the heat kept away the crowds. To see all of my images and a video from the visit, click on the link or thumbnail below.
Miami MetroZoo Pictures & Video - Summer 2008
The Garmin Nuvi 260W GPS is one of the newer portable navigation devices to feature Text To Speech or “TTS”. This makes it much easier to follow the turn by turn voice directions without having to look at the screen to see which street you’ll be turning on. For my complete review, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
The 2008 Florida Renaissance Festival took place at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, FL. Visitors enjoyed the 100’s of costumed performers, the craft demonstrations, the eclectic collection of food, the games of skill, and the human powered rides. To see my pictures and videos from the event, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Florida Renaissance Festival Pictures & Videos
This past weekend I drove up to Gainesville from Ft. Lauderdale with a few friends to watch the University of Florida Gators beat the University of Miami Hurricanes 26 to 3. The game took place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium aka “The Swamp”. I took plenty of pictures and some short video clips from my seat in the 65th row. To view them, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
UF Gators Vs. UM Hurricanes College Football Game Pictures & Video
One of the power windows in my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP four door sedan quit working recently after I heard a loud pop while trying to put it back up. I ordered a new power window motor & regulator assembly online. As usual, I took pictures of the installation process and created a step by step guide. Click on the link or thumbnail image below to view the instructions.
GM Power Window Motor & Regulator Replacement Guide
Hot Import Nights or “HIN” for short is a custom car, truck & motorcycle show that tours the United States. I went to the most recent Hot Import Nights show that took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center on December 15th 2007. There were 100’s of wildly unique vehicles featuring millions of dollars in electronic, body style or performance modifications. To see my photo gallery & movies, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Hot Import Nights Pictures & Videos - Miami Beach, FL
If your refrigerator is leaking water, the cause could be a variety of problems including a broken condensing tray, a clogged freezer defrost drain pipe, a faulty water supply line, or a cracked ice maker unit. For more information and a troubleshooting guide, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
How To Fix A Leaking Refrigerator Instruction Guide
We’ve been on airboat rides before with the Loxahatchee tour company in Boca Raton and also at the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale. Gator Park is located within the much larger area known as the “Everglades National Park”. To see the pictures from our visit and for more visitor information, click on the link or thumbnail picture below.
Gator Park Air Boat Tour & Wildlife Show Pictures
We recently visited the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens for the second time to take advantage of Bank of America’s “Museums On Us” program. The promotion allows BOA customers with a valid credit or debit card to visit any of over 70 attractions across the USA for free on the first weekend of every month.
Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens Photo Gallery
We recently purchased our first pressure cooker after seeing one used in an episode of Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” cooking show on the Food Network.
So far we’ve prepared risotto rice, chicken breasts, red potatoes and faux BBQ pork ribs. For my complete review with pictures and recipes, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Fagor Splendid Pressure Cooker Review
So far only one of the many N:Vision brand CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs that I purchased at The Home Depot about two years ago has since burned out.
I remembered that the packaging proudly proclaimed that the bulbs were covered by a 9 year guarantee. To read the rest of my experience with N:Vision’s customer service and warranty process, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
N:Vision CFL Light Bulb Customer Service Review
I was given a package of the Debbie Meyers Green Bags from a family member and did a quick experiment with two bananas. The package claims that the bags absorb and remove ethylene gas which helps fresh fruits and vegetables stay fresher for longer. To view the results of my experiment which includes before & after pictures, click on the link or thumbnail below.
Debbie Meyers GreenBags Review & Experiment
We recently celebrated a friend’s birthday at a new Latin restaurant that just opened up in Coral Springs. The place is called “Che Boludo Steak House” and they feature charcoal grilled meat dishes & rotisserie chicken with culinary influences from Argentina, Peru and Uruguay.
I’ve been dying to go back again ever since that first experience. If you live anywhere in Broward county, I highly recommend a visit to sample their food. Che Boludo is located at 11010 Wiles Rd, Coral Springs FL 33076.
To read my full review including menu item prices and pictures, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Che Boludo Steak House Review - Coral Springs, FL
During our visit to the 2007 SEMA Car Show, we also visited the Imperial Palace Auto Collections. This attraction is known as one of the largest assortment of classic, historical, antique, exotic, and rare automobiles in the world. To see the 100’s of pictures from the visit, click on the link or thumbnail picture below.
Imperial Palace Auto Collections Pictures - Las Vegas, NV
After my last shopping trip at the local Costco Wholesale Club warehouse, I took pictures of all the products. Then I got out some of our most recent Publix supermarket receipts to do some price comparisons. To see the pictures and product prices, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Costco Wholesale Club Product Price Comparisons
The Village of Merrick Park is a picturesque outdoor mall that caters to the upscale shopper. It is located in the Coral Gables suburb of Miami Florida and includes an excellent selection of retail shops and fine dining restaurants. For general visitor information and a photo gallery, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Village of Merrick Park Pictures & Information
Please also read the Village of Merrick Park Shopper’s Review.
I recently dined at a Benihana Japanese Steakhouse for the first time. I had some idea of what to expect from seeing the hibachi chef & teppanyaki style cooking exhibition shows featured on tv shows such as “The Office” and in the comedy movie “Beverly Hills Ninja”.
To see all the pictures and read my opinion of the dining experience at the Miramar Florida Benihana restaurant location, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
Benihana Japanese Steakhouse Review
I just uploaded all of my best shots from our several visits to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands located on Jog Rd. in West Delray Beach Florida. This 50 acre man made water recycling ecosystem contains over 140 bird species, turtles, alligators, iguanas, raccoons, rabbits and other creatures. For all of my pictures, two videos clips and some visitor information click on the link below.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands Pictures & Video Clips
My main motivation for going to the gym today for a work out was the fact that a Dunkin’ Donuts store is located right next door. A few weeks ago I saw a commercial on Comedy Central about their new promotional campaign that offered free small 16oz (ounce) iced coffee all day on Thursdays from May 22nd through June 12th. As far as I know, this freebie is only valid for South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach County).
If you don’t live in this area or you missed the promo, try making your own tasty treat with my Iced Coffee Dessert Drink Recipe.
I got a letter from General Motors a few days ago concerning a recall that was issued for my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, which features the 3800 Series II 3.8L V6 engine with an Eaton M90 Supercharger. From what I read in the notice, there is a faulty valve cover gasket that can allow motor oil seepage. Those drops of oil can be deposited on the hot exhaust manifolds under hard braking conditions and cause an engine fire.
Here’s a list of the parts they replaced for this recall which was named “Campaign 07035″.
Valve Cover Gasket - GM Part # 24503937
Grommet - GM Part # 25534749
Retainer Clip - GM Part # 12132229
Retainer Clip - GM Part # 88891792
Adhesive (Glue) - GM Part # 12345382
If you received this recall notice for your GM or Pontiac vehicle, please take it seriously and have your local dealership perform the warranty work for $0 cost.
We bought a used SUV a few years ago and were unaware of a recall for it, which resulted in our Ford Expedition Engine Fire incident.
For more information to keep your Pontiac Grand Prix running smoothly, check out some of my other car maintenance updates: Window Motor Replacement, Supercharger Oil Change, Wheel Bearing Replacement, GM 3800 Series II Engine Oil Change, Alternator Replacement, PCV Valve Replacement, ABS TCS Off Troubleshooting Guide.
The first dish that I prepared with our new Fagor Splendid 4 qt pressure cooker was some “fall off the bone” tender & juicy pork loin spare ribs. I made them “faux barbecue” by caramelizing some BBQ sauce on the ribs using the oven’s broiler setting. The total meal prep time was less than 30 minutes. Click on the link or thumbnail picture below to read th details and see the complete process.
Pressure Cooker “Faux BBQ” Pork Loin Spare Ribs Recipe
Ft. Lauderdale’s Bonnet House and Miami’s Vizcaya Museum & Gardens are on the 2008 list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places,” issued today by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Bonnet House and Vizcaya Gardens were placed on the list due to encroaching high-rise developments that threaten the historic value of these sites. To read more about the problems of these endangered historic landmarks and how to save them click the link below.
Bonnet House & Vizcaya: America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
During one of my last visits to Gainesville, I attended a college football game where the University of Florida Gators played against Alabama’s Troy State Trojans at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp). To see the pictures and read about the UF Gator’s 2007 Football season, click on the link or thumbnail image below.
UF Gators Vs. Troy State Trojans Football Game
I recently spent a lot of time trying to figure out why the ABS (anti-lock braking system), TCS Off (traction control system) and SES (service engine soon) warning lights all lit up on the dash of my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. I compiled all my internet research and put together a troubleshooting guide. Click on the link or thumbnail picture below if you’re having a similar problem with a General Motors vehicle.
GM ABS, TCS Off & SES Warning Lights Solution Guide
I was just planning to email some friends about the 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Air & Sea Show that was supposed to take place next weekend (May 3rd & 4th), when I noticed the press release on their website announcing the cancellation. Apparently the event was not able to secure a corporation to become a title sponsor like McDonald’s was last year. I hope the show comes back next year in 2009. In the meantime, check out my pictures and videos from a previous show by clicking on the link below.
Ft. Lauderdale Air & Sea Show Pictures & Videos
The Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach was the last place on our list of gardens in South Florida that we could visit for free using our AHS (American Horticultural Society) membership card. For the pictures and visitor information, click on the text link or thumbnail image below.
Mounts Botanical Garden - West Palm Beach, FL
Every year in December 1000’s of people wearing Santa suits gather in cities around the USA, Canada & the rest of the world to spread holiday cheer. We attended the 2007 West Palm Beach Santa Convention, which was small compared to other ‘cons, but we still had tons of fun. Click on the text link or thumbnail image below to view my photo gallery from the event.
Santacon 2007 Pub Crawl - West Palm Beach, FL
We braved the hectic parking lot and cramped aisles to buy some of the best fruits & vegetables we’ve ever tasted at the Boy’s Farmers’ Market located on Military Trail in Delray Beach Florida. For my review and photo gallery, click on the text link or thumbnail image below.
Boys Farmers’ Market Pictures & Review - Delray Beach, FL
Vince Neil, the 80’s rocker from Motley Crue, just opened up the “Dr. Feelgood’s Bar & Grill” in downtown West Palm Beach on Clematis Street. To see my photos from a visit to this new nightclub, click on the text link or thumbnail picture below.
Dr. Feelgood’s Bar & Grill Pictures - West Palm Beach, FL
