Grub Crawl - Sanford: Hot Asian Buns and Wildflower *Southern California Travel Notes

I tried these two spots in downtown Sanford yesterday at lunch. The first is on Sanford Ave (more inland). About two streets up on the right from the street most come in on. The second is back towards the center. Between Hollerbach's and their market. I found it funny that the first traded their food truck for a brick and mortar and on this day there was a beer and dog event with food trucks and those food trucks were stealing all their business. I also stopped at Taqueria Navarro again to sort out the lengua confusion. They said it sometimes is fluffy/pulled if the mother does it. The usual way if the daughter does it. It was that way this day.

Hot Asian Buns - Shall I start the jokes on where we've seen that sign before? As I said, they were a food truck. I think popular. I think they had a Guy Fieri plate on their wall. Who can read his chicken scratchings? They opened around a month ago. Tiny footprint. Around five tables. I had the pork belly confit bao for $6. It was good. Two slices. Hoisin sauce, preserved mustard greens, cilantro and alot of peanut powder. They also have these baos: Korean Fried Chicken, Pork Asada, Tempura Shrimp, Beef Bulgogi and Vegan Chorizo. All the same cost. Also three rice bowls ($14-$16), wings ($14), fries ($6-$10), teas and a dessert. The place is also dressed in gray and black and off white. Some wood. Some Asian decorations. Order at a counter. Open Kitchen. Three on the line. Only open for dinner W-FR. Noon on on weekends. It was about what I expected. Possible Fav.

Wildflower - I believe they have been there forever. I don't think I had tried them before. Pan-Latin mostly. I think only for dinner most of the week. I have always liked this location. I think it was a bank at one point. They decorate it in an off blue with yellow. White marble floors. Dark, floor to ceiling drapes. Blue and white, Arabic patterned tiles on the walls. Panels. Windows. Black and wood table tops. Stools and chairs. White ceiling. Large, metal, gold ceiling fans. Plants. Around ten tables of varying lengths. A bar at the rear. Mostly Latin women there. Four or more servers. They had a full and brunch menu. I had the chorizo shrimp and grits to go for $14. Good. Plain grits. Tasted rich and creamy once you mixed in the oily chorizo sauce. They may use that roll of $2 chorizo you can buy at Winn Dixie. The shrimp were some the fresher ones I've had in a while. No iodine taste (less one). Mediums. Shell off. Nice firmness. Seven. All in all, I'd call it a successful dish. Good price too. Some items from the brunch menu are: arepa, french toast, chicken and waffles, chilaquiles and fried eggs. $11-$16. The regular menu has hot plates and cold plates ($12-$15) and mains ($16-$25). Things like: ceviche, tostones, flatbread, cachapas, burger, fish tacos and steak. Possible Fav.

*Travel Notes - Southern California: I flew Frontier late nights to LAX for $224. Rented a medium from Hertz for $343. It $100+ more when I booked the flight. Did it again day of and realized the discount. At LAX, I didn't see the signs for a bus to baggage claim. Walked way too far. Ask for it. I drove the 405S to Laguna Hills (taking advantage of the lighter traffic) and stayed at the Laguna Hills Lodge (Booking 8.0) for $106. Double Double combo at In n Out. 

The next day I drove through Laguna Beach (parking meters everywhere) and on to Dana Point. Some pics from the Strand Vista Park. Drove by the Ritz where I challenged my ex-girlfriend's father to a fight (over the phone) after too many martinis (both of us) while in college. Totally her fault. A burger with tots at The Point. Watched the tourny. Back to the 405 and on to San Diego. I stayed at the shitty Riverleaf Inn (Expedia 6.0) on the 8 for three nights at $248. Drove around. Found Old Town SD (close) and a mall. Wine, etc from Ralph's. 

The next day I met up with friends for breakfast of chilaqiles at Breakfast Republic. Then rugby at the University of San Diego (beautiful). We were going to return for a pro match. That didn't happen. More drinking did.

The next day I had lunch of potato taquitos, corvino fish taco and chopped salad with chipotle shrimp with my sister at Puesto at the harbor. Took in the Midway air craft carrier museum ($39). Walked that area.

The next day I walked through Old Town. I drove the 8 east to San Diego State University. Had lunch of beef taquitos at Senor Pancho's. Saw their tennis courts, arena and baseball field. Drove up 15 to Temecula. Did tastings at Gershon Bachus Vintners ($22/6), Danza del Sol ($25/6) and Frangipani Estate Winery ($20/6). All good. I also drove in and out of (if too $) Robert Renzoni ($30/5), Baily Estate and Fazeli. I drove past their equestrian center (Galway Downs). They said it is where they are doing the LA Olympic events. Dinner at Jack in the Box. I stayed at the Signature (Expedia 8.6) near 79 for $174 for two nights. Watched White Lotus.

The next day I drove to the left part of the wine trail. Bypassed Thornton, Churon and Bel Vino because sit down rule or closed. Ended up at the oldest winery - Bella Vista. They were just bought out. They seemed to be selling off the older vintages. Still ok though. $27/6. They gave way more tastes than six. No tip expected. Owner serving. Great hill area views. On to Wiens Cellar. $20/4 or $30/6. Pay in advance. No tip. The guy threw away the slip. Any thing I wanted. Probably would have given me a taste of every bottle. I had to call it quits because it was getting ridiculous. All very good. Wine Enthusiast and Spectator awards. Slipped him a dub. Dinner at BK. I'll interject here that fast food prices were higher in CA. And they had like two people working. Love that working wage. It has no negative consequences.

The next day I drove 79 inland past Warner Springs to Borrego Springs and Borrego Anza SP. Some guy has put statues all over the desert there. Cool. Free. I saw it on that Samantha Brown show. Nice descent down a mountain before that too. They were clearing brush on the road. Some delays. I then took 86 to Salton City for the Salton Sea. I had been a while ago. You can take the first two "exits" (Marina Ave or Salton Sea Beach) and get kind of close or Desert Shores and get right up to the northwest part. Man it smells like sewer. Also some weird memorials on rocks going north on the left side. I drove on to Coachella. It seems like they grow dates there. Off at 62 Ave or so to center of town and the polo fields that they do the festival at. Very Mexican. Back to 86 and I messed something up, so, I ended up on 10. Took it to the Indian Wells exit. Went to the tennis center on 111. They were having the kids' Easter tournament. Took it to Palm Springs. Stayed at the Infusion Beach Club (Booking 7.5) for $100. Dinner of wine and fried chicken from Albertson's. It was ok until they started paving the street in front of the hotel at 12 am. 

The next day I drove through a wind/dust storm on the 10 to LA. Stopped at the replica of the Original In n Out Burger stand (highway went over it) in Baldwin Park. Had a HB at the new space. Discovered I like that better than the double double. It's right on the 10 at Francisquito Ave. Went to DT LA. Had a pastrami sandwich ($28) to go (in fear for my car) from Langer's Delicatessen at 7th and Alvarado. Saw this and the next spot on I'll Have What Phil's Having. Drove Wilshire to BH. Lots of street work. Redoing tar pits. Changed to Santa Monica Blvd. Drove down to Huckleberry on 10th and Wilshire. Just had two mini quiches ($6) because of parking insecurity/uncertainty. Drove up Lincoln to try and get to the PCH. They were turning everyone back. Tried again from the pier. No rights allowed. And I forgot to take the 110 to Altadena when I was downtown. So, no fire news to report. Drove the coast past the airport to a Top Golf El Segundo. didn't play. They have an outdoor pitch and putt there too. Back to LAX. Dropped off the car. Walked the three miles to my gate (missed the bus area again). The usual 45 minute delay loading (same on the way here) by Frontier. Quiet drive home at 5am.

Nice trip. Spent $87 on gas ($4.50-$6). Spent $623 on hotels. $333 on food, etc. $128 on Fast Park. $1648 in total. Good time of year to go. Every other location considered had more Spring Break inflation. Weather was good. Got unusually hot in the desert (90s). Weird flight times actually worked out in the end. Less traffic, etc. I was going to do this trip a week or two earlier to see the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament. Maybe next year. Find notes in 2022 if you want to see which wineries I wen to last time.

The Rev, Ivanhoe Village

I tried this newbie from the Santiago's Bodega people Thursday at lunch. It is next door on Virginia. It stands for revolution. It was first envisaged as Ramen Revolution. It still has those (5 from $15 - $24) plus some pub grub and oysters. I had the fried chicken thighs (3) for $14. They were tempura battered. Small side of napa dikon slaw and hot pickles. I loved it. Really liked the quasi-Japanese pub feel. They played speak easy type music. Some items available were: oesetra caviar, gyosa, fried rice, lobster, steak frites, burger and goat cheese and beet salad. Oysters were a bit rich at $4 per. Lobster was $34. Steak was $41. Burger was $17. Specials. I think the menu will change alot. Wine, beer and sake. The free spicy boiled peanuts were outstanding. The owners were cooking and serving. Around ten tables and a bar. Mostly booths. Maybe a patio in front?. It was empty until I left. Open a few weeks or less. Open Wed to Sunday, I believe. Parking on side or back. It should be a Favorite.

Grub Crawl - Clermont and West Colonial: Dim Sum House and Saigonese

I tried these spots on Tuesday at lunch. The first is in a strip mall off 50. You can make a right on Hancock and the first left on Legends to come in the back way or try and find the small entrance on 50. The other is in Chinatown on 50. Far left corner.

Dim Sum House - The menu said they had the best something in Tampa. I guess that is the original location. I think I learned about them last summer. The menu has a mix of Chinese dishes as well as the dim sum. Fewer dumplings than I expected. They price the dim sum in four categories. They start at $6+. Most are in the more expensive categories. Soups start at double digits. Mains start at $17. The lunch specials are really the best way to stretch your dollar. The portions are very large and come with a spring roll and soup and white rice. I had the cashew shrimp with the corn egg drop like soup (choice of that or sweet and sour). Six, iron tasting, full shrimp. The rice was a bit too crunchy and dry. Lots of fresh vegetables. Lots of cashews. A slightly thickened, light brown/gold, savory sauce. Not salty. It cost a very reasonable $11. I also had an order of har gow for $7.75. Four. Big. Big pieces of shrimp. No real paste. Although they tasted of iron too. The problem was the wrapper. Way too chewy/glutenous. And they were too big to eat in one bite. Fall apart if you try and eat in bites. They delivered both at the same time. At least they delivered the soup and spring roll before that. Four wait staff/hostess. Pretty attentive. One waiter was a chatty Cathy around his section. He was a bit annoying to the rest of us. Twenty tables. Spaced far apart. A big room. And surprise surprise, the color scheme was gray and black with light wood. Is this page one of interior design catalogs now? Basket lamp shades and gold metal wall art. A bar area up front. Became around half full as I dined. Pop music playing. I'm not sure you have to trek all the way out here to get commensurate quality. Like a slightly better PF Changs. Not enough attention to quality or execution. But I'm sure they could if they wanted to. I do have a complaint about plastic chopsticks and slippery dishes. Are you trying to make it MORE difficult on us? Reminds me of the story/joke about the Chinese farmer that is out in the field with his pitch fork and shovel and sycthe and comes in at night and puts them away and pulls out his chopsticks to eat his dinner.

Saigonese - I just grabbed some cha gio (spring rolls) to go because they were the cheapest thing. $5.50. Ok. Pork filled. The usual. I may go back to try a real lunch. They had a full page of snail dishes that I don't recall seeing anywhere before. Concentrate on seafood. It looks cute. Yellow and black. Some 70s bric a brac. Murals. A few canvases of a Vietnamese girl. Iron basket lamp shades. Around ten tables. Obviously it has a Saigon theme. Dishes around $17. Opened maybe three months plus ago, but, still in a soft opening. 

*I also went back to One Stop Dumpling to try some of those colored dumplings. I had the Six Fortunes Soup Dumplings for $11.50 to go. Six. A few types. One was spicy. They placed them in individual tins. Very smart. The soup inside was ok. The wrappings weren't too chewy. Held their form. Let me state that both dumpling orders I had this day were far superior to Zen Dumpling.

Grub Crawl - Longwood, Orlando and Altamonte Springs: TK Coffee, Buzzers, Soni's, FL Bakery and Chayhana

I'm combining two days. I tried the first three spots at lunch on Friday. The first is in the strip mall with Ali Baba on 434 between I4 and Ronald Reagan. The next three are at an ever expanding strip mall on 436 between University and 50. The last is in a strip mall on 436 right before 434. Right side if coming from I4. I went there on Sunday.

TK Coffee & Donuts - They said they started in Tennessee. Opened recently. Two weeks? Franchise look. I had a chocolate frosted donut for $1.69. It was ok. Couldn't really taste the chocolate. They tossed in four donut holes. They were good. Nothing too new or different here from any other donut shop. They had some wieners in assorted baked shells. They looked desiccated. Kolaches. 

Buzzers Sports Bar - Weird menu. The usuals plus Thai, Mexican and Indian dishes. I had a gross cheeseburger with ff for $13. Onion/garlic in the patty (probably to mask the smell/taste). I could live without that. Lettuce, onion and tomato. Fairly fresh. Brioche bun. The meat was about as cheap as could be chosen. Like the pork at Zen Dumpling. Chuck? Worse? I swear I was biting into crunchy things that I thought were vegetables. But when I pulled them out and looked at them, they were "meat/veins". Thickish, shoe string fries. Open a month. Four or five tables with one twenty person, elevated, communal table. Eight person bar. Lamps made out of rope. TVs. Not a huge footprint. Booze. They double billed me!

Soni's Bakery - Opened a week ago. Argentinian. Selection is not complete. They said they will add more sandwiches and empanadas, etc. I had a brownie with walnuts for $4.50. It was good. The cake was a bit unsweet. The chocolate-y part was rich. They had cupcakes and other sweets. Small footprint. A few tables. Looks nice.

FL Bakery - I'm not paying the same or more for a Puerto Rican version of anything. Let alone Anglo interpretations with third world vegetables. They had to search for a girl who spoke English. The place isn't new. I was here once when it was another owner. Still a bakery. I grabbed a 1/4 chicken for $3.25. That is $13 for a whole. Do they think they are Whole Foods? Pass.

Chayhana - Uzbek (between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan/Iran) and Turkish. Chay means tea. Hana is a place where you drink it. I had the boso lagman ($17) and a pumpkin samsa ($3). The samsa was a samosa like puffed, baked triangle. Big. The pumpkin was a bit sweet and savory. A slight kick at the back end. Warm spices. Sesame seeds on top. The boso lagman ws a hand torn flour and water noodle (like long spaetzle) dish with strips of tender beef. Also strips of peppers and onions and an omelette. Scallions. Oily. I liked it. They included a tomato based sauce that I assume is for the samsa. The menu has around seven of these special dishes. A few soups and apps and desserts. The Turkish section has kebabs and shwarma. Prices are a bit below average. They push the QR code. The place is spotless. White, gray and black. Ten tables of four. Plastic plants and plastic under the tablecloth. A few decorations on the wall. Almost spaced evenly. One family was there at lunch. Seemed like one waitress (daughter) and one voice from the kitchen. Bakery case at the register. Open for L and D every day. Open for a few weeks. I'll be back. May be a Fav.

*Also in the first strip mall was the new Pizza v Tacos. They seemingly had no wait staff and their prices were out of line and I don't trust taco people to make pizza and the other way around. The one I saw looked sad.

**Regular Blue Plate mayonaise sucks too.

Grub Crawl - Downtown and Waterford Lakes: Leiah, Tikka Bowls, Gen Korean and Zen Dumpling

I'm combining two days. I tried the first two spots downtown on Tuesday at lunch. The first is next to (not affiliated with) the Hilton Garden Inn on North Magnolia. At the rear of the Courthouse. The second is on South Orange. Just south of Church St. Next to a deli (New York?). I tried the last two today at lunch. They are in that Waterford Lakes mall on Alafaya.

Leiah - Two partners with Ritz Carlton pedigrees. Named after the chef's daughter. Opened a week ago. Long build. It will be a Favorite. I had the Farrotto for $18. It is an original faro risotto dish inspired by Husk in Charleston (kinda). What can I say? Large portion. Oozing with sweet creamy goodness. I'm guessing aged parmesan. Fresh zucchini or squash. I forget. A tomato base. Wilted kale. Freshly made. The faro is supposedly healthier too. The larger grain size is interesting. A real surprise. I thought the description said sweet potatoes. I didn't see pieces of them. But, I could just be wrong on that entirely. Simple, but, fashionable cutlery and china. Cloth napkin. Nice plating (tiny flowers). The menu is small. Around six apps, six mains and three salads. I think it will be a non-static menu. Whatever is best at the time. Apps like octopus carpaccio, bisque and mussels. Around $7 to high teens. Mains like salmon, waygu/pork belly burger, roast chicken, house made parpadelle or linguine and turkey sandwich. Around mid teens to high twenties. Some with sides. The dinner menu is a tasting/prix fixe or ala carte one. A few more items. The place looks cute. Grey with dark blue and black accents. Paintings. Wine rack. Little butterflies and doves. Open kitchen. Around fourteen tables inside and a few outside. Not cramped. Only a skeleton crew so far. But, you get to know the manager and chef. Nice ambience. The Latin music isn't blaring or too current/offensive. I thought it could be a Hilton Garden Inn level restaurant. It isn't. It's much better. I would try and get in before the word gets out. And if you are staying in the hotel or work near by, you have been blessed. Let's hope you have the class/sophistication to appreciate it. It's a little gem. They said street parking becomes free after 6pm. There is a $10 lot next to them. There is free parking nearby (as I have written about before). But with all the people parking there now, I'm not telling any more people. I would like to add that you better make it more successful than the god damn Starbucks (emphasis on the bucks) next door. It's just plain embarrassing.

Tikka Bowls and Tacos - I get the tikka. Tacos? Not so much. Let alone why the mash up. They sell bowls, burritos, naan tacos or salads. You choose a meat (chicken, steak, goat, fake chicken or paneer). Then a sauce and some toppings. They also have biryani, wings and dessert. I chose the chicken with tikka smoked curry sauce (spicy) on the naan (3). They make them look like fat tacos. But, they are naan. Industrial looking. Palm sized. I added some rice (two types), fresh jalapenos, cabbage, pico and sour cream. It cost $11. $1 for goat or steak. It was tasty. Everything was fresh. Good flavors. I just ate the stuff off the naan with a fork at home. Tried to save the naan for the next day. Scarfed it down after dinner. They had yummy sauce on them. Damn time change. You can have beans in lieu of sauce it seems. It must be a chain. The menu had a truncated list that included Dallas. Open for six weeks. Small footprint. A few tables. Order at a counter. They had a tortilla press looking thing that they were warming those and the naan with. Line went fast. Full house. Better than the Indian pizza chain. I guess around the same price as Chipotle (it has been a while). The whole Mexican inclusion must just be to ease dummies into Indian fast food. It barely draws on that culture. It is more of a West Indies experience than Indian. Better than I expected.

Gen Korean - Another that will be unrated. I just walked out. The idiot host was seating everyone by the kitchen and bathroom in an empty restaurant. After no one acknowledged me upon entering. For a restaurant at this stage of its life cycle, you can't still be making these blunders. I'm not surprised on the three times I have popped in that they are empty. Opened a few months ago.

Zen Dumpling - Another huge disappointment. They said the original in Duval. About as good as the Jags. I had some shrimp and pork dumplings to go for $12. Every non-wok item was fifty to one hundred percent (that's double) what it should be. The dumplings (6) were malformed. Seemed like only rubbery pork. Bad flavor. They have a window with guys making the dumplings. It seemed like they were being taught. I hope my order was a work shop. Of course the place was full. Looks ok. Lots of wicker. Grey and blue. Light wood tables. Rock mural. Steam baskets and rolling pins on the wall. Lots of waitresses. Probably needs more cooks. They also have tapas (you had to use a Spanish term), soup and bao. Small. Maybe fifteen tables. Opened recently.

*I tried to include the new pizza place on Pine (Nuri Tavern). They only do lunch on weekends. It looked great. More jeers to the I4 maintenance department. If there is one. I saw them sweeping the toll lanes. Regular side still looks third world. Great p.r. Orlando tourism commission! Let alone the danger/eye sore.

Plumbing Tutorial

Issue: After a tree removal, I started having issues with the plumbing. First the shower in the far bathroom overflowed (eventually drained) after the clothes washer drained its water. Then gurgling/blooping in a toilet between it and the bathroom and the same overflow in the shower. Then that toilet's water level started higher than usual and gradually sank to almost nothing after a flush. The water from it overflowed in the shower.

Estimates: I spent one hour on this because the tree guy claimed if it was a broken sewer line that he had patched it before and it was no trouble. Then he started backing out of it and gave me a plumber that couldn't even come out until four days later. I went to Google and searched for the top ten plumbers in CF. Then clicked on the Yelp result and wrote down a few of their names. I also had an ad from another outfit that I picked up some where and a few flyers I had stashed over the years. I Googled them. I started calling. A few were very helpful in discussing all the possibilities and plumbing in general. I knew nothing. Most wanted $450 to go in with a camera and then snake the drain. They said they had an attachment that could even bore through a root. I scheduled two for estimates because some thought they didn't have the staff (it might have been a whole re-routing issue at this point) or charged just to come out or were up first and I didn't like their cost at the time. I had a $176 ad at the time. I believed that to be a base line. This is the list and what they told me (the number before Yelp is how many reviews):

Drain Doctor: 352-272-7727. Umatilla. 17 Yelp 4.5*. Didn't have staff if big job. $250 camera. $220 clean line. If new main line = $2000-$4000. He spoke with me for a half hour. Nice guy. Tom.

Modern: 689-220-7356. Winter Springs. 95 Yelp 4.6*. Had to have tech come out to quote. He did. Around $450 to do camera and clean. Time limit. May drop price if no clean. Wouldn't guarantee success. Extra if problems (bend). Tried to take control of the relationship. 

Teles: 689-285-5249. Orlando. 66 Yelp 4.8*. $250 camera and $220 clean line. Nice guy. Said he could patch a break. I was saving him if the others failed.

Emerald Plumbing: 407-898-3538. 1258 Google 4.8*. Everyone in my community uses them. I don't know why. Their quotes were dog shit. $180 just to come out and diagnose. $425 an hour to diagnose/camera.

Plumbing Today: 407-904-0949. A flyer. Any old discounts were not in effect. $89 to come out. No flat rate. Nothing done then. May break pipe.

Benjamin Franklin: 321-710-8247. 18 Google 4.9*. $176 drain cleaning special. Free service call/estimate.

I scheduled Modern and Benjamin Franklin. Both came. Texts for on the way and arrival. Modern was a bit too abrasive. See above. Franklin was a bit wishy washy. Immediately backed off the ad price. Went to the $425 neighborhood. Said the ad was just from the access hole to the street (ad states "includes camera inspection, drain clearing and locating the source of the problem". No limitations). I thought the problem was there, so, I didn't argue the point. He tried to upsell some $120 yearly package.

Service: I agreed to the Benjamin Franklin offer because he said he could do it right then and there (not just a quote call) and it was a roll of the dice and the down side was the same quote price I had been hearing. I could also call bullshit if the problem was inside the house and just lose $176. However, he didn't have the tool in the van to open the cap. It is an inny and most are outies. Said he would go to Home Depot. After a few hours, he called and asked if we could do it the next morning because they didn't have the tool. I agreed. He came the next day at 8am. Greased the cap. Had some issues with opening it. Told me I had to pay an extra $200 for a new cap (even before he had opened it). But, it would be the same price (lower) if he had to snake through the back of the house. I was expecting the bait and switch and concentrated on the possible drop from $425 to $380 because I still was unsure of the position of the clog/break. He eventually forced the cap to unscrew. No damage. The right side (from inside) of the pipe was full of water. This meant the clog was on the street side. He put a coil looking thing (attached to a machine) into the hole about seven feet in and water started flowing. He then put the camera in. At first he thought there was no pipe damage. Said he saw some green plastic. I'm still not sure if he meant that he saw it flow away or the piece that was lodged in the coil. Then he backed up the camera and found a break area. I showed him some green pipe the stump grinder pulled out. It was a match. He told me to flush the toilets and run the shower/bath a few times. I did that and checked the clothes washer too. No issues. Even the water level in the toilet returned to normal. He then pulled out a echo locator type tool to pin point the break. Said it usually cost extra. Called his boss to ok it. I think they were trying to justify the extra charge. I didn't really need it because I saw the length of coil that went in and could eye ball the area. I paid via cc on his tablet. They emailed an invoice. Said they would mail a paper one. 

Conclusion: I learned so much. The morning before I tried to fix this, I called some friends and learned of these to access points I have outside my home. Different shapes and sizes it seems. Mine were a knob outside (main line side) on the wall and this circular cap on my front porch. My friends' were on the lawn. Learned the map of my plumbing. I did know where the shut offs are. Learned a bit more from the tech. If I have another clog, I'm fairly certain I can attend to it by sticking a hose or something down to the affected area. A patch may be a pain. Although I think there seemed to be enough left of the pipe and what is over it to make it a non-issue. I'll start digging around (literally) if it continues to clog. Good to know the tree grinding (that I didn't want to do but my HOA insisted on) was the cause and my internal piping is solid. It's amazing how little fluid goes through that big pipe. I don't know how dangly that shard of plastic could have been to cause a dam to clog it. Glad to know I didn't need a retro fit (or any guests had flushed things I didn't know about over the years). I have no crawl space. They would have had to re-route, I guess. I had some friends say you could rent a snake from Home Depot for $50 a day. Another said Amazon sells these cameras. Now I know where to put them if needed again. The internet said plumbers ask $45-$200 an hour. Even a drainage issue is around $400! God help you if it is something more.

Taqueria Navarro, Sanford *CO Travel Notes

I tried this taqueria on 17-92 near 46A today at lunch. It opened ten days ago. They said the style was Jalisco and another region I didn't compute. I had a barbacoa sopes, lengua tostada and a canrintas and asada tacos. All were $3 except the $4 lengua. They were mostly good. I would prefer that they grill the taco tortillas. They were rushing things. The barbacoa that they list as head had more connective parts than meat. That's the luck of the draw I guess. The asada was very diced. The lengua didn't seem like lengua. Maybe they confused the barbacoa and that. Came with a green salsa. They have a salsa bar. They sell: tacos, sopes, quesadillas, gorditas, tortas, tostadas, burritos, tacos grandes, quesadilla chicas and drinks. The top price is $10. The other types are: pollo, chicharron, desbrada, chorizo, pastor, carne molida, jamon and camaron. The place is basic. Maybe ten tables and a few outside. Order at the counter. It was pretty full. Came out quickly. Parking. Open 7D 9a-9p. I found this place by accident. I was returning from downtown Sanford (because the lazy bitches at this new bao place still have a food truck work ethic and only open after 4pm and only five days a week) after a miscue. I'm almost glad it happened. I'll bet this is the better option.

*Travel Notes - Colorado: I flew at night to Denver on Frontier for $68. I rented a car (my choice) from Hertz for the week at $324. Got a brand new one with Sat radio. I slept the first night at a Sleep Inn (Booking 8.1) at the airport for $96. In the morning I drove to Grand Junction. Lunch at McD in Vail. I took the road to Powderhorn and bought my lift ticket for the next day (no dynamic pricing) for $104 and rented skis for $62. That road is very pretty. I then drove back to 70 and Grand Junction. I stopped two exits further on in Palisade because they were touting wineries and I had time to kill. I stopped at the closest one (Grande River Vineyards). I had a flight for $13. Almost all their wine was good. They kept giving me free tastes. I applied the flight price to a bottle. An ok rose. I didn't see that it cost $23. Still a deal with a $13 discount. I'll interject here that all the flight pricing in Palisade was reasonable. The bottle prices not so much. I'll also declare that the wine here is excellent. I was dumbfounded. It was getting late and I tried to try another aside it. They were closing though. I stayed at the Grand Vista Hotel (Expedia 8.2) for two nights at $51 plus $14 parking per night. That is not a misprint. Grand Junction is near skiing, has excellent wineries and a downtown, great scenery and some of the cheapest, ok quality hotels in the country. So much so that I recalibrated my whole trip around it. I grabbed some food at Safeway for dinner. Did this every night.

The next day I drove back to Powderhorn. A great, uncrowded day of sun skiing. I had a corn dog up there. Stopped again in Palisade. Did Colterris Winery and Spectrum Sauvage Estate Winery this time. Colterris was better, but, Spectrum was more cutting edge. They had sparklings that followed the Pet-Nat method and even a hopped one (it was pretty good and the only time I have ever heard anyone trying that). I was the only one at any of these tasting rooms. There is a well marked wine trail.

The next day I changed rooms to a Studio 6 (Expedia 7.2). Mistake. I had a huge, end of hall, quiet room at the other hotel. These pics looked ok and I figured they would make me check out anyway, so, I gambled on variety. It was an extended stay Motel 6 with an ok update, but, sleazy guests and noisier. Before that I explored and had lunch in downtown on Main St. Good jalapeno steak benedict at Dream Cafe and a Truffle Shuffle (prosciutto, dried pear, brie spread, Manchego chips, sunflower seeds) at The Hog and the Hen. Free parking was a bit of a struggle. Colorado is so addicted to this revenue. I drove back to Palisade. Left Red Fox because they didn't have vintage wine. Drove to Carboy (a glass barrel) Winery for a very good flight. Then to Book Cliff Vineyards. An ok flight at a great location. Then I started to drive away from downtown. Great views on the trail. Stopped at a good looking place called Restoration Vineyards. The owner was the ex-biggest after market auto parts dealer in SF. The wine was excellent. They had a food truck. There were other vineyards I passed by. 40+ in all. I love this area because it is like a time machine. It is like many wine regions used to be. Before they became a hassle. I reticently encourage you to drop all of them and come here. I put it that way because I'm afraid you will ruin it for all of us. Like that nimrod on the insurance commercial who says "hey Fam...I'm out here...manifesting abundance...". But, I guess it's too good to keep to myself. I would seriously move here if they had a bigger airport. They even have summer activities. You can bike it. And there is another wine region south of here.

The next day I drove to Glenwood Springs. All the big resorts were doubling down on their ridiculous pricing (ie $259 for Winter Park). I decided I would try Sunlight. It was about ten miles from town. It cost $100. I did that the next day. This day, I drove to Aspen. It was a Saturday and too full. Plus they were super dicks about the paid parking and I had been there many many times before. I turned around and ate a roast beef and cheddar sandwich in Basalt at Mountain Heart Brewing. Had a sample too. Then back to GS. I checked in to the Starlight Lodge (Expedia 8.0) for the next two nights at $101 per. I rented skis for $52 at Hanging Lake Activities across the street (much better quality than PH). I then drove to Ironside Mineral Baths ($100+) and some gondola that goes to an amusement park. It was too expensive for what it was. I might do it when the park is open. It is on top of a mountain like in Barcelona. So cool. Never noticed it before. I parked the car and walked across the bridge to downtown. Almost did the baths, but, it was getting too late. I had a flight at Casey Brewing and a trout (fishy) blt at CO Ranch House. I should say it was around 60 degrees this whole week. 

The next day I awoke early and was one of the first on the mountain. I did this because I noticed the day before that the parking lot near the entrance got full quickly and was muddy. Plus they wouldn't sell me a ticket ahead of time and I didn't want to make multiple trips and it was a Sunday. It was a good move. The mud was still iced over. I got a spot right at the entrance. Ticket line was short. I can't tell you how many hours I almost had the place to myself. It was big enough. No runs I couldn't handle. Great views. You don't need the hassle of Aspen et al. Go there. They also have a deal with Powderhorn where you can get three free days here if you get a yearly pass at PH. I believe that only costs $300. I think they said ski rentals here were $40. I left a bit early because I was worn out and had decided to do the Glenwood Hot Springs pool. I grabbed a pastrami rueben with fries on the way back at the 19th Street Diner. Returned the skis. The baths cost $34 plus $5 for a suit and $4 for a towel. I had been meaning to day this for ages. It was fun. Very historical. Bright sunshine. I then washed off and went across the bridge and had a flight at Stoneyard Distillery and a cobb salad and a flight at Glenwood Springs Brew Pub. I also grabbed a large guac and chips and Qdoba on the way back and drank some remaining wine. I think this town will be a part of most future trips as well.

The next day I drove back towards Denver. There was a big storm coming and I didn't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the Eisenhower tunnel. I had a lunch of a cheesesteak with arugula salad at The Drunken Goat in Edwards. I stayed at the H&H Motorlodge (Expedia 7.8) in Idaho Springs for $89. I drove up to Echo ski resort to see it when it was open. It's another cheaper option. Back to IS. Grabbed a roast beef with swiss and jus at Big B's Soup and Grilled Cheese across from the hotel. Went into town to try and try a cidery. They didn't make there own and I was worried about getting a ticket, so, I left and got some McDonald's. It snowed as predicted.

The next day I drove around Denver. Got off 70 where there is an old amusement park. Stumbled upon a huge comic book store. I'm not that type, but, I had time on my hands. It was interesting. I pretended I was on Big Bang Theory. I then drove down the street next to the tracks and espied Original Chubby's Burger Drive In (since 1967) and assumed that meant it was iconic. I grabbed a DCB (ok). I saw a Mexican place across the street. Walked there. Kike's Red Tacos. They had framed reviews that said they were a food truck and had a 5 star Yelp score. I grabbed a goat birria and asada taco. Both great. I then drove to downtown. Zig zagged every street. When I got to the state house, the usual liberal malcontents were starting a self-serving protest march. I had to drive around it. Gave then all a one finger salute. Stumbled upon their Natural History Museum/Zoo/Golf Course. On Josephine, I think. Back to 70 near the Purina Dog Chow building. Saw the Denver Coliseum. Back on 70 to DIA. Fueled up. Had a Son of Baconator (on sale for $3). Returned the car. The third (secret) TSA area has been closed. Possibly the worst collection of miscreants on the flight. Half hour late leaving as usual. I spent $73 on gas. It cost anywhere form $4 to $2.60. $120 for airport parking. Total Cost = $1928.

Tree Removal Tutorial

This is the outline for removing a a large tree (60-80ft) from your property. There is alot of "divergence" out there, so, shop around or cross your fingers. I tried to do an exhaustive search. A lack of internet enabled data from the State and sloppy/contradictory data when there is some doesn't help. You are kind of at the whim of Yelp, Google, etc. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to find out if they really do have (active) insurance (other than calling their provider and I never did and don't know if they would release that info) and Sunbiz.gov is a mess to find out if they are licensed. Most didn't seem to be. Many had similar names. Bob Vila said the cost should be $200-$760. Average of $400. The internet said $3-$10 a foot or $5 average. 60ft-100ft = $200-$1000. My tree had three "prongs". Not sure if that changes things. Those prices seem unattainable in CF. I was willing to forgo stump grinding and haul away. It's probably best that I had those done.

The Search - I began with Google and searched for tree removal companies in my town. I compiled a list (that I mostly began ignore because of the issues cited above). I noted their locations and phone numbers and if they had reviews. I also gathered info from ads I had accumulated or had been mailed to me and cards placed in my door. I will list all the competitors at the end. I ended up (initially) choosing some guy who confronted me while I was cleaning my yard. That fell through. Read below to see their villainy. The second choice was the very very last number I had on my list. Not sure how I got it. I was going to go with the company that helped remove a part of another tree after Helene, but, they wouldn't schedule me for within three weeks at the earliest. and I was spooked at scheduling bs after I signed a contract thanks to company one. The company I went with scheduled me for the next day. You also have to find out how they are going to do it. Climb. With or without spikes (if pruning). Small Crane. Truck sized crane. Combo. Bobcat. Haul away included? Protections for the home. Ropes. Stump Grinding? Workman's Comp?

The Estimates - This was the easy part. They all showed up the next day. Oral, paper and interactive internet based. Most quotes were without stump grind.

Deangelos Land Services - $600 and they would remove some excess debris. They charged my neighbor $2000!

J&J's Lawn  Tree - $800. $200 removal. $200 stump. $500 trim.

Your Tree Services - $2000. $100 stump.

Classy Oak - $900-$1000

At Your Service - $1600. $200 stump. 

True Outdoors - $900 all in.

Decision - I went with True Outdoors. They matched prices and seemed legit. 150 5 stars on Google. Claimed to have insurance and workman's comp. I didn't verify. The owner suggested he would be onsite (ended up doing the work). Said I could call his insurance co. He seemed to be clean cut and trustworthy. And most importantly, he gave me little time to hem and haw. He surprised me when he said he would meet my price and could do it the next day. Said he had a crane. How could I say no? I signed his estimate/contract on his tablet on the spot. Received a text and email confirmation.

Service Day - They texted the next day at about eleven am. Said they were on their way. A half hour later, four guys showed up. The owner said he didn't want to use the crane (access issues) and would do the cutting himself. I was ambivalent. I didn't want any long cuts to scrape or hit the roof (or my neighbors) because they couldn't shimmy up far enough. But, I didn't want my (or my neighbors) lawn torn up either by a crane. Long story short. He got to cutting. It took about two hours. Only one minor dent in a gutter drain. I could have lived without the bobcat going on to my lawn so many times to pick up debris. They had a guy with a leaf blower on the roof. They cleaned the yard. I ended up paying $60 to remove excess debris from Helene. They emailed me a bill. I paid online. 3% cc fee. The only possible issue was that the guy grinding the stump found plastic pipe debris. He may have hit the sewer line. I had an issue with a back up in my shower three days after this. I called the owner and he said he would stop by. It has been a week and he hasn't. Keep tabs for an update. 

Warning - Here is what happened (or didn't) with Deangelos Land Services. They scheduled me and didn't show. They gave me this price ostensibly because they were doing my neighbors as well. I guess they flaked on her too. I will interject at this point that with hindsight I believe they do the higher paying jobs first. We re-scheduled for a week later. That day the boss (Lex Kovacs) came and said he needed bigger machinery (True Outdoors would disagree). Could we do it the next day? Then it rained. Could we reschedule? "Thank you for being patient with us, we'll get this done". I waited a week and then thought I would get a reasonable due date. FYI the statements in quotation marks are from our (and his sales guy Anthony Siler) text thread. "Welcome back. We will be there asap". I asked if he could be more specific. "I can't, this job is complex and pricing is also too low to plan a day around. So I have to fit it in when I have some softness in my schedule and I am in your area. Your job was quoted to be done on the same day we were across the street. Which is why it is more than 50% off its regular price. If this is urgent, and you don't want to wait for us, I can give you a few other tree companies that I trust. They could get the work done sooner that are a little less busy than we are". He then sent a few links. I texted that we had a written contract and that I hadn't created this problem. I waited a few days. He ghosted me. I texted the Sales Guy to see if they had canceled the contract so that if I found someone else they wouldn't come after me for the money. "Unfortunately we will be canceling our contract with you due to not be able to get the proper equipment to do the job safely. If you insist on taking action, feel free to do what you need to do and I will have our attorneys respond promptly". "You and I know that you have no grounds to take action because in our terms and condition it clearly states that we can cancel the contract at any time for any reason". I then wrote that that would defeat the purpose of an agreement if one side wasn't bound and that since they supplied the contract it would be read against the drafter. He then ghosted me too. I texted that I was trying to keep them from making a poor business decision. Recall that they missed the date they had assigned for me and the neighbor. Then others. Then promised "asap" weeks later. Then immediately backed off that when pressed. Said it was a matter of dollars and cents not availability. Then tried to wiggle out/extend the waiting period without canceling. Then unilaterally broke the agreement.

In the end I will likely not take them to small claims court to teach them a lesson. I believe I (and you) could get the difference between what we bargained for and the additional cost of a replacement as an award/damages. Maybe lost time and punitive damages. A real suit for specific performance is less likely or advisable. However, I am going to hit every ratings service (BBB, Chamber of Commerce, Google, Yelp, Angie's, etc) that I can find. And we have this website and my big mouth. So all in all, I think it will end up costing them more than the difference in whomever they ripped off in place of me.

Conclusion - If you don't shop around you will get ripped off. Don't look like a sucker. Have a low estimate ready to bargain with. Verify as much as you can. Make sure what kind of equipment they have access to (some of them said they would have to rent it). Ask how long it will take and when it will happen and what will happen if it doesn't. I guess you can ask about all the terms in their contract (I assume they will think it gives them all the leverage). And pray nothing bad happens. Because it is a big enough pain in the ass to begin with. I would be there for the cut. Take pics and/or video before and after.

List of Companies (with info) -

J&J Lawn & Tree: 407-774-2076. Longwood. Lic seems inactive.

Tree Doctors America: Orlando. Lic active. Listed as Daytona Beach.

Amazon Tree Care: Apopka. Lic active.

Sunstate Tree: Sanford. Lic inactive.

Angel Oak Arbor Care: S Daytona. Lic inactive.

Higher Standards Tree Care: Daytona Beach. Lic active.

Jean Pierre Tree Service: No lic info. I think this was a business card.

Ben Muriel Landscape & Tree Service: Maitland. Lic inactive.

Legend's Tree Experts: 386-320-9291. No lic info.

A Budgets: 407-327-2520. Winter Springs. Lic active. 3/5 Stars.

Seminole Pro: 407-431-1484. Sanford. Lic active. 5/5 Stars.

JB Tree Care: 407-450-1424. Geneva. Lic inactive. 

Core Tree Service. 386-282-3023. 

McCullough: 407-734-5854. 

Word of Mouth: 407-862-9779. Altamonte.

Classy Oak: 386-500-8105. Daytona.

At Your Service: 321-303-0315. Apopka.

Elite Tree Care: 386-436-0177.

Your Tree Services: 321-303-1677. Deland. Didn't have proper equipment.

Gregg's: 407-866-8022.

True Outdoors: 386-956-1883. 150/150 5 Stars on Google. 2/3 5 Stars on Yelp.

Roof Power Wash Tutorial

www.thisoldhouse.com says it should cost $300 to $1050. www.longboatkeyroofing.net says $150 to $1000 with an average of $452. Asphalt shingles are less. Dirtier is more. There is pressure v soft. That's all the info I was armed with initially. I did no research. I approached a guy doing a neighbors house. He quoted $350 and walkway and driveway for an extra $75. I accepted. His company is Fireman Tom's Pressure Washing Co. 407-459-2032. firemantom@gmail.com. Licensed and insured. License as of 2015 in Oviedo. A+ at BBB. He came on time. Washed all and structure too. Used my faucets. I think only soap or chlorine. Soft. Had to leave to fix broken strap. Put garbage bags around gutters. Left at 5pm. Great effort. No issues. I paid online. 3% credit card charge. I doubt you will find better.