http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dvprevention/?p=13#comment-835
hope you enjoy my work! a lot of emotions went into this piece, i hope i receive feeback
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Well, the end is near...
This will be my last post i am sad to say... I have had a fun time blogging and getting to know everyone, my finals are coming up soon and I need to start studying for those immediately along with finishing this here paper!
but thank you all once again and hopefully I will see you all soon again in the near future,
-Best regards,
Chad Black
but thank you all once again and hopefully I will see you all soon again in the near future,
-Best regards,
Chad Black
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Deadwood is Alive! (Restaurant Review)
Burly elk, fragile quail and duck, rotting, ancient wood, bustling playful bears, pieces of oaks and plants, a lively forest all placed...inside a restaurant? Yes! There is such a place and it is called Deadwood bar and grill. Deadwood is an establishment within my community that is consistently bustling with customers and is off Northville Road in between 6 and 7 mile roads near Downtown Northville. Starting off my experience at the Deadwood, a lush forestry atmosphere engulfs the restaurant with a welcoming presence. Around the limits of the building hang portraits of hunting wild foul and ducks. Along with this hang deer, bear, moose and elk heads, placed around the walls along with stuffed quails and ducks. The largest elk head hangs over a cozy fireplace in the corner of the restaurant, twas where we sat for dinner. While observing these animal remains, a general theme was accumulating. Antlers from wild bucks were used as overhanging light fixtures, the tables and chairs made out of polished, but unrefined wood, and cross-section cuts of small tree's line the wall in the back of the restaurant. This pleasing atmosphere was also accompanied with a sporty aura - having several television sets around the restaurant, showing recent sporting events on their screen. The place was very clean - rugs vacuumed, windows clean, and the floor looked spotless. While all of this decor is pleasant, a lot of unnecessary Christmas decorations over flooded the scenery of the place, somewhat overbearing the customer in this already "busy", but comfortable restaurant. An overall pleasant and satisfying atmosphere that boasts a few services would be ideal right?
While sitting at the table near the fireplace, a few places stuck out as points of interest for servicing. First and foremost, a full-service bar that seats about 12 people stands firm in the front of the restaurant. It is equipped with handmade red oak stools and a television set at each end. Next to the bar area are two solid red oak pool tables. These are free of charge, allowed to play while either waiting for food to arrive or just for leisure activity. Another exclusive feature to the foundation is a WiFi hotspot and lounge area. This area is specifically set up for groups of three to four to take a load off, sit down and chat, or access the free wireless internet via a laptop, etc. while waiting for a table! Did I mention that they also had a outdoor patio? I did not get to embrace this area due to the weather conditions, but from the view from the parking lot, it seemed to be accommodating to both wait staff and customers alike.
The service from the Hostess/waiting staff was remarkably helpful and courteous. Walking into the restaurant, a hostess greeted us with a smile, and saw that my mother, who was dining with me, needed special care due to a recent knee surgery. We were setup a table near the fireplace as requested by my mother and a shift manager came over to us to make sure we were properly taken care of, such as my mom feeling comfortable. We were greeted by a nice looking waitress who took our drink orders in a prompt way. However, our waitress did not come back to often to check on us or to refill our waters, etc. When she did come back, it was very fast and not thorough. Now lets see what is on the menu for the Deadwood!
After becoming situated in our seats near the fireplace, opening up the menu became my first priority. At first glance, the prices looked a little bit over the top and ranged from $7.99 to about $21.99 for dishes and $4.99 to $10.49 for some of the appetizers. After viewing the prices, meal selection came next. There was a very limited amount of choices from this menu, which concerned me. The categories included salads, Prime Meats - Chicken, Veal, Beef, etc., Sandwiches - Burgers, Clubs, etc., and Pastas. On the back of the menu, though, specials are listed that are changed on a daily basis. Here, variety starts to take part in the menu, but it still held to the menu's overall items. There were no "calorie-watcher" foods or any specific vegetarian meals on the menu, which was somewhat disappointing if a person with those needs wanted to dine here. After reviewing the menu and its contents, it was time to order my meal.
An Italian dish caught my eye and that was the chicken piccata. Once we received our meals, the aroma of the chicken and the sauce caught my senses. Looking upon my meal, a side of creamy garlic mashed potatoes were off to one side and on the other side was a side of steamed, lively broccoli. In the middle was three pieces of chicken breasts, which from viewing it, looked very tender. Covering the chicken, but not smothering it, was a light, creamy lemon sauce that incorporated several pieces of lavish artichokes. To top off the chicken were salty capers, which look like tiny black balls, which were dotted around the plate.
To say the least, the chicken was very tender, feeling like butter as it went into my pallet. The combination of the sauce, capers, artichokes and chicken was superb. The potatoes complemented the dish excellently. The broccoli had a slight seasoning on it, which was a little bit peppery, but still had a fresh taste. This was an overall great meal - including a meat/poultry, vegetables and a starch and the price for the serving size of my meal was proportionate. Nearing the end of our stay at the Deadwood, our waitress informed us that customers get one free cookie per customer after their meal after seven p.m. The cookies, while free, did not taste the best and seemed a little dry and a tad cold. After polishing off this desert, my time at the Deadwood came to a close.
My overall experience at the restaurant was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my meal. I would rate this dinner at the Deadwood an A- and would definitely recommend anyone who would like to have a pleasant time with family and friends to stop by and get a bite to eat. I will surely visit the establishment again and my best wishes go out to those that look for great places to eat, because Deadwood is one of them!
Rating: 1 (bad) - 5 (Excellent)
Price = 4 1/2
Service = 5
Food = 5
While sitting at the table near the fireplace, a few places stuck out as points of interest for servicing. First and foremost, a full-service bar that seats about 12 people stands firm in the front of the restaurant. It is equipped with handmade red oak stools and a television set at each end. Next to the bar area are two solid red oak pool tables. These are free of charge, allowed to play while either waiting for food to arrive or just for leisure activity. Another exclusive feature to the foundation is a WiFi hotspot and lounge area. This area is specifically set up for groups of three to four to take a load off, sit down and chat, or access the free wireless internet via a laptop, etc. while waiting for a table! Did I mention that they also had a outdoor patio? I did not get to embrace this area due to the weather conditions, but from the view from the parking lot, it seemed to be accommodating to both wait staff and customers alike.
The service from the Hostess/waiting staff was remarkably helpful and courteous. Walking into the restaurant, a hostess greeted us with a smile, and saw that my mother, who was dining with me, needed special care due to a recent knee surgery. We were setup a table near the fireplace as requested by my mother and a shift manager came over to us to make sure we were properly taken care of, such as my mom feeling comfortable. We were greeted by a nice looking waitress who took our drink orders in a prompt way. However, our waitress did not come back to often to check on us or to refill our waters, etc. When she did come back, it was very fast and not thorough. Now lets see what is on the menu for the Deadwood!
After becoming situated in our seats near the fireplace, opening up the menu became my first priority. At first glance, the prices looked a little bit over the top and ranged from $7.99 to about $21.99 for dishes and $4.99 to $10.49 for some of the appetizers. After viewing the prices, meal selection came next. There was a very limited amount of choices from this menu, which concerned me. The categories included salads, Prime Meats - Chicken, Veal, Beef, etc., Sandwiches - Burgers, Clubs, etc., and Pastas. On the back of the menu, though, specials are listed that are changed on a daily basis. Here, variety starts to take part in the menu, but it still held to the menu's overall items. There were no "calorie-watcher" foods or any specific vegetarian meals on the menu, which was somewhat disappointing if a person with those needs wanted to dine here. After reviewing the menu and its contents, it was time to order my meal.
An Italian dish caught my eye and that was the chicken piccata. Once we received our meals, the aroma of the chicken and the sauce caught my senses. Looking upon my meal, a side of creamy garlic mashed potatoes were off to one side and on the other side was a side of steamed, lively broccoli. In the middle was three pieces of chicken breasts, which from viewing it, looked very tender. Covering the chicken, but not smothering it, was a light, creamy lemon sauce that incorporated several pieces of lavish artichokes. To top off the chicken were salty capers, which look like tiny black balls, which were dotted around the plate.
To say the least, the chicken was very tender, feeling like butter as it went into my pallet. The combination of the sauce, capers, artichokes and chicken was superb. The potatoes complemented the dish excellently. The broccoli had a slight seasoning on it, which was a little bit peppery, but still had a fresh taste. This was an overall great meal - including a meat/poultry, vegetables and a starch and the price for the serving size of my meal was proportionate. Nearing the end of our stay at the Deadwood, our waitress informed us that customers get one free cookie per customer after their meal after seven p.m. The cookies, while free, did not taste the best and seemed a little dry and a tad cold. After polishing off this desert, my time at the Deadwood came to a close.
My overall experience at the restaurant was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my meal. I would rate this dinner at the Deadwood an A- and would definitely recommend anyone who would like to have a pleasant time with family and friends to stop by and get a bite to eat. I will surely visit the establishment again and my best wishes go out to those that look for great places to eat, because Deadwood is one of them!
Rating: 1 (bad) - 5 (Excellent)
Price = 4 1/2
Service = 5
Food = 5
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Black Friday...
Now i did not participate in the amazingly crazy activities at 3 or 4 a.m. in the morning yesterday, but my aunts, uncles, girlfriend, girlfriends mom, girlfriends nana, her friends, my friends...my nana... they all went out very very tired to rush and buy things that great discounts. I feel that there should be more then one of these kinds of days per year... Why? It would boost our nation's economy and that is one thing that we REALLY need at this point.
However everything wasnt as horrid and bad as we all think it is. My girlfriend woke me up at 3 saying how excited she was to go out shopping and she was going to have an awesome time cause she was mostly going out for me...where she then asked me what would i like??!? I told her be creative - surprises are awesome!! but she really wanted me to say something, so i told her my 3 favorite colors, green blue and black. :) She did get bumped by a old lady, but that was on accident... Those old storied of brawls are in the past, thank god!
But yesterday was fun and exciting and i can only hope things get better!
Thanks for reading,
-Chad
However everything wasnt as horrid and bad as we all think it is. My girlfriend woke me up at 3 saying how excited she was to go out shopping and she was going to have an awesome time cause she was mostly going out for me...where she then asked me what would i like??!? I told her be creative - surprises are awesome!! but she really wanted me to say something, so i told her my 3 favorite colors, green blue and black. :) She did get bumped by a old lady, but that was on accident... Those old storied of brawls are in the past, thank god!
But yesterday was fun and exciting and i can only hope things get better!
Thanks for reading,
-Chad
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Happy thanksgiving everyone!! i am so grateful for the things i have in my life...and i hope we all take the time to appreciate what we have...
today ill be going to my Aunt's house and most of my family will be there. I am very excited to see everyone together again because it is rare that we are all together at the same place..
We are cooking up a 23 lbs. turkey (awesome) and setting up basically a buffet for everyone to enjoy.. :D
Hopefully this will be able to take away some of the stress that i have been feeling lately from school and my mother. I really would like to just push everything off to the side, but we all know that this only occurs in a perfect world...and i am no where near a perfect world. Im in the Real world, the world of harsh realities, and the only way to get past it is to look straight a head, keep your head up, and continue to strive forward with what you have in life, taking nothing for granted and everything you do have and hug it and love it forever.
That is my life, and i rather embrace it then push it away.
-Chad :)
today ill be going to my Aunt's house and most of my family will be there. I am very excited to see everyone together again because it is rare that we are all together at the same place..
We are cooking up a 23 lbs. turkey (awesome) and setting up basically a buffet for everyone to enjoy.. :D
Hopefully this will be able to take away some of the stress that i have been feeling lately from school and my mother. I really would like to just push everything off to the side, but we all know that this only occurs in a perfect world...and i am no where near a perfect world. Im in the Real world, the world of harsh realities, and the only way to get past it is to look straight a head, keep your head up, and continue to strive forward with what you have in life, taking nothing for granted and everything you do have and hug it and love it forever.
That is my life, and i rather embrace it then push it away.
-Chad :)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Finally got my car!!
I finally have a car!! Yes!! It is a pontiac Grand Am SE 2001. It has about 101,000 miles on it, which is ok...could have liked a lil bit less on it. I paid 3,100$ dollars for it and i am just overly ecstatic about this. All throughout the term i have been asking people to give me rides and i have been having to wake up at like 7 or 6 in the morning to fit into other people's schedules and let me tell you, it is VERY draining...I come into class and basically want to sleep through my pre-calc class...which is a bad thing yes, but you can catch my drift. :)
It does need a complete brake job done on it though. This will cost a lil bit, but i feel that once i get these done, i am finally going to be independent and can have my own freedom for once in my life! This has made me very happy.
On the other hand, this final project that we recieved in this class is stressing me out VERY VERY much, i have so many things going on in my life, and this is something that looks like we need to constantly keep working on it....and i dont know what to do...
Pray for me...
Chad
It does need a complete brake job done on it though. This will cost a lil bit, but i feel that once i get these done, i am finally going to be independent and can have my own freedom for once in my life! This has made me very happy.
On the other hand, this final project that we recieved in this class is stressing me out VERY VERY much, i have so many things going on in my life, and this is something that looks like we need to constantly keep working on it....and i dont know what to do...
Pray for me...
Chad
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Restaurant Review Website = Difficult...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_50_37/ai_111507751/
It took me a VERY long time to find a decently lengthened article talking about any kind of restaurants at all before I found one that was reasonably ok...The one we saw on Tuesday was awesome, but i could not find ANYTHING close to that at all.... I thought this assignment was very difficult for me.... any thoughts anyone?
-Chad
It took me a VERY long time to find a decently lengthened article talking about any kind of restaurants at all before I found one that was reasonably ok...The one we saw on Tuesday was awesome, but i could not find ANYTHING close to that at all.... I thought this assignment was very difficult for me.... any thoughts anyone?
-Chad
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hype..All the Hype!!
When i first heard about Call of Duty back in 2001, i thought, "Yea, this is going to be a fun game, i could get into this". I played 1, 2, 3 with no problem...Then it happened.
Playstation 3.
Because of the playstation 3, they seperated the series of Call of Duty into 2 different game plays. That is, they created two similar, but different games so one can be played on the playstation 2, which is what i have, and the other on the PS3. Well now COD has done it again with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. All i keep hearing about is this game..on facebook, in the halls, in class, during lectures (which is bad :) ), everywhere! and i have to admit, i am jealous of the people that can afford a PS3, take their valuable time to play this game, and not focus on other things that matter in life. Maybe im cynical, but when it comes to video games, i realized in about Junior year that they are a heavy duty waste of time. Now im a computer gamer, but i mix both homework and games when i play, getting both done at the same time. thats my view on this though...
plus i feel that im picking up the pace within my classes, im more confident about my status in college and maybe life will improve for me overall, who knows!
-chad
Playstation 3.
Because of the playstation 3, they seperated the series of Call of Duty into 2 different game plays. That is, they created two similar, but different games so one can be played on the playstation 2, which is what i have, and the other on the PS3. Well now COD has done it again with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. All i keep hearing about is this game..on facebook, in the halls, in class, during lectures (which is bad :) ), everywhere! and i have to admit, i am jealous of the people that can afford a PS3, take their valuable time to play this game, and not focus on other things that matter in life. Maybe im cynical, but when it comes to video games, i realized in about Junior year that they are a heavy duty waste of time. Now im a computer gamer, but i mix both homework and games when i play, getting both done at the same time. thats my view on this though...
plus i feel that im picking up the pace within my classes, im more confident about my status in college and maybe life will improve for me overall, who knows!
-chad
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