Party with alphageek

Hi everyone-

Dianna and I are hosting a weekend get-together next month to celebrate my recent retirement (YAY!) and the “BIG 60” birthday (YAY???). We’d love it if you could join us. The dates are November 14-16th 2025. Please check this site often for updated information.

We’re planning a casual weekend around doing the things I like to do, since we’re celebrating me! We’ll be staying in downtown Fredericksburg at the Publisher Hotel on Friday and Saturday nights. We don't have a block of rooms at the Publisher... you'll need to make your own reservation.

There are 2 other hotels nearby as well: the downtown Marriott and the Hyatt Place.

 

Nearby are some good food and drinking establishments that we can visit, like the Alpine Chef which serves great German-style beer. We can also walk around town or just hang out. We haven’t set a full agenda yet, but we do have a plan for Saturday afternoon... we’re going to Reclaim Arcade, where we can play pinball and retro video games for a couple of hours (we’ve rented the party room). It is a great place where all the games are on free play (no quarters needed!) and they have good food and drinks too. Another stop will be Harry’s Sidecar for some bourbon and other fine spirits.

We may also watch the Hokies play Florida State (we’ll still lose) depending on the game time (which is TBD). And for those of you who are Commanders fans, they are playing the Dolphins in Spain at 9:30 on Sunday morning – maybe we can win that game?

We hope you can come to Fredericksburg for the weekend. I would really like to see all my friends! Let me know if you can make it. Please RSVP by November 1st. In case you can’t make it in person, we will also try to set up a virtual meetup at some point over the weekend, so let us know if you’re interested.

PS – please… no gifts! The gift is you coming to Fredericksburg for a visit. Really – no gifts – trying to control the hoarding tendencies that are in the familial genes!

Love that Turkey from Popeyes

Before anyone gets on me, there is no apostrophe in the name. I looked it up. You would expect nothing less from the alphageek.

I had to stay home and take care of the cats while mrsag took her Mom to see family. I told them I would miss them and try to take good care of the cats. As of this writing cats are happy and safe.

I would spend Thanksgiving alone in the house for the first time in memory. I was wondering what to do, mrsag said I should get a turkey from Popeyes. No, she did not say chicken, she said Turkey.

Popeyes sells fully cooked cajun turkeys. I am told that there are commercials on television, but who watches the networks anymore? The cost is around $60 if you pick up the turkey and around $100 to have the turkey sent to your house. There is some sort of time limit but I don’t know what that time limit is, just order your turkey at the end of October. The turkey arrives frozen, so don’t wait until Wednesday to think about the turkey. The turkey says fully cooked and comes in a plastic wrapper. See below for more.

I unwrapped the turkey and placed it in a roasting pan, along with the juices in the plastic, for gravy later.

I put the turkey in the oven and let the turkey come up to temperature. There is really no cooking going on, just reheating. Once the reheating is done, there is not much difference in appearance, as the picture below documents.

So, how is the turkey? I found it to be one of the better turkeys I have enjoyed for Thanksgiving. The cajun flavor is infused throughout the bird. The bird is also cooked evenly and not dried out. I think the directions said foil or something. I did not do that and simply heated in the oven until it was the correct temperature. There is plenty of turkey left and I can testify that the turkey makes for a great sandwich. If one is looking to simplify the Thanksgiving process, you could do far worse than purchasing a Popeyes turkey.

You can see some other pots in the background of the above picture. I am going to add a few images of some of the side dishes, just for fun.

Yes, that is cranberries before they are done.

The above are sweet potatoes. mrsag purchased these, and they may be the best I have ever eaten. There is almost not stringiness sometimes associated with sweet potatoes. Perhaps I will write an article on the sweet potatoes. Finally here is a picture of the entire meal, and these are not at all fancy pictures either.

This was a great meal and I am getting to be a better cook. This was not all hard work and the results were well worth the effort. Why would somebody eat on Thanksgiving when one can cook this meal?

Richard Anthony Grotto

Today, this post memorializes the alphageek’s Father-in-Law, Richard Anthony Grotto. He told me to call him what the ladies in shipping called him, Big Dick. For the remainder of this article, that is exactly who I will be talking about.

I am honored that Big Dick is the second most prolific author on this web site. Of any family member, Big Dick was the most supportive and interested in the activities appearing on this web site. I am going to share some of those thoughts of Big Dick with you here.

As I looked for the articles I wanted to use, I noticed several discussions about Manhattans. I did not really drink Manhattans when I first met Big Dick. Over time, as I came to appreciate Bourbon Whiskey more, I began to experiment with Manhattans and to enjoy the simple recipe that Big Dick uses. I thought I would pass along this amazingly complex mastery of a Manhattan.

• Rye Whiskey

• Sweet Vermouth

• Lemon Twist from a fresh lemon

• A glass full of ice

Carefully pour some of the rye into the glass. Next pour in a little sweet vermouth and taste until you like the drink. Twish the lemon into the drink and place the twist in the drink. Enjoy. I never saw Big Dick measure anything in this drink.

During research for this memorial, I stumbled across how a Big Dick Manhattan is made during a post of mine, in his own words:

Close, but no Cigar, Get a nine ounce "rocks" glass, put in 4 to 5 ice cubes. Cover the cubes with your favorite rye - or bourbon - (I prefer rye) and let it "sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
After there has been a proper amount of "melding" - not melting - add the good Italian sweet vermouth - Gallo or Stock - would be fine. Lemon twist - NO BITTERS - please. That's the way I'd do it. Just Sayin' Dick Grotto.

I guess I was close, but anybody who knows Big Dick likes his words better than my description because of the natural flow.

On another occasion, we made a Manhattan using bianco vermouth. Here is Big Dick’s suggestion on how to prepare this variation on his classic above:

"Just wanted to share this with both of you. I'm on my 3rd Bourbon Manhattan with Bianco Vermouth, 2 last Sunday and one today. I'm getting to like this combo! But you have to make it at least equal parts or heavier on the Bianco Vermouth + 6 to 8 ice cubes in a rocks glass that will accommodate at least 6 or more ounces."

In addition to enjoying Manhattans, Big Dick loved to play to the camera. From my review of 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan. The only memorable part of the review is the image below.

mrsag, Big Dick, his lovely wife and I all went to tour the Belmont Distillery. When we went, the explosion in the popularity of whiskey had not yet occurred, so we got to meet Chuck Miller himself. You can read all about the encounter here. Of course, Big Dick got the featured image. Who knew that Chuck Miller would become a whiskkey celebrity?

Playing to the camera.

I think this sums up his contributions. As I created this article, it is clear that I will miss his contributions to the site. I will miss his sense of humor, so here is a memory I have always enjoyed.

I went into the freezer and noticed there were ice storage containers labeled yes and no. I asked Big Dick which one I was supposed to use. He told me to take ice out of either one. I could tell by the look on his family’s faces that I had just been given an honor none of them had: permission to break the system.

Finally, I continue to appreciate Big Dick talking to me as a fellow engineering professional every time we talked. The respect he showed me always moved me to try to be a better engineer so I could earn that respect. Thanks Big Dick.

Hey, Big Dick how you doing?

“How am I doing? I’m gonna tell you haw I’m doing:
I’m raising the roof - I’m bringing down the House- I’m kocking ‘em dead- I’m taking names, and I’m kicking ass!
Other than that - not too bad!
How about yourself, You doing OK?”

— Big Dick AKA Uncle Roc AKA Richard Anthony Grotto

Now if only I could find the material for that Archbishop Desmond Tutu part of this memorial…