according to jeff

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. However, today was a business holiday, not a typical Friday. So I took my family — well, two of them and a friend, that is — to Coral Ridge Mall where we ate lunch in the food court. Today’s choice was Mondo’s Bread Garden.

When we are Coral Ridge around meal time, we often choose Mondo’s Bread Garden. It features a variety of sandwiches and soups, and looks healthier than many of the other choices. (I can’t say whether it actually is or not, but it does look like a healthier choice.)

Today, I opted for half of a Chicken Walnet Salad Sandwich and a cup of chili. Lu chose a cup of Tuscan Tomato soup, which included two slices of freshly baked bread. The chili was just the way I like it: not too soupy and a little spicy. The Chicken Walnut Salad was made with mayonaise and two kinds of mustard, which gave it a little extra zing. The Tuscan Tomato soup was also good, though I often find it more like a pizza sauce than a soup. I find that it is especially suitable as a dip. We’ve always found the portions, whether a sandwich, soup, or cookie, to be very generous and filling.

My only complaint about Mondo’s Bread Garden is the plastic spoons. There’s just something about the spoons — perhaps the thin edge — that irritates my mouth. I always end up wishing that I’d just happen to have an extra spoon from home in my pocket that I could use instead. (Oddly enough, I’ve never just happened to have had a spoon in my pocket.)

Good news for those of you trying to lose some weight following this holiday season, but bad news for the rest of us — I just learned from a reliable source that our Cedar Rapids Krispy Kreme will be closing at the end of January.

The loss of Krispy Kreme leaves us with only one doughnut (aka “donut”) store: Donutland. The Cedar Rapids area once had at least three Donutlands, but I know of only one now. And, since Donutland doesn’t appear to have a corporate Web site, one must wonder if its days are numbered also.

The Krispy Kreme building will reportedly become an Arby’s (which, as you can see, does have a corporate Web site).

I’d rather have a Krispy Kreme.

I just received my health insurance notice of premium increase, so it’s time for another article lamenting the cost of health insurance and health care. For some additional background, read this blog article that I wrote in February, 2006.

When I left Parsons Technology in 1999 and began to work for Laridian, I realized many new benefits. However, one thing that I lost was group health insurance subsidized by my employer. It was necessary to obtain health insurance for my family from the private marketplace.

In 2003, I switched my health insurance coverage from a traditional plan to a Health Savings Account (HSA) coupled with a high-deductible insurance policy. The premise of this combination is that the monthly premiums are low (or at least lower) because the individual is responsible for 100% of the medical expenses up to the deductible amount. The insurance will kick in only after the deductible has been met, which would usually require hospitalization or several diagnostic tests. Thus, the insurance really is catestrophic insurance, intended to cover castestrophic events (such as hospitalization or major illness) but not the other typical expenses such as routine doctor’s visits, dental visits, and new glasses. The individual is then encouraged (via tax policy) to contribute to a Health Savings Account on a regular basis, and pay for routine medical needs with money previously saved in the HSA. The combination of the monthly contribution to the HSA and the monthly insurance premium was comparable to the premium of a more typical policy.

Another advantage of this approach is that it puts a financial incentive to health care decisions. Too many people are able to use their health insurance coverage (or lack of any coverage) as a blank check. This often results in poor choices, such as running to the doctor for every little thing or using the emergency room as your family doctor. By making consumers bear more of the cost for their health-care decisions, accountability increases.

While I still appreciate the philosophy of this approach, I’m less satisfied with how it is working out in real life. Perhaps my disappointment stems from the fact that few health consumers in the US are using the HSA. While I get to be more responsible with my choices, others are not and continue to use the ER for their routine health needs. Thus, the cost of health care continues to increase, causing my premiums to increase as well.

Year		Premium		Increase
2003		$225		—
2004		$275		22%
2005		$327		19%
2006		$415		27%
2007		$532		28%

In four years, my health insurance premium has increased by $300 per month. Plus, while the premium has more than doubled after four years, the benefits and service that I receive have not changed. I’m not receiving any new benefit today that I didn’t also receive in 2003. I’m not receiving any better service today than I received in 2003. Instead, I’m merely paying twice as much for insurance that is not likely to be used during the next year. The provider’s expenses are likely to be limited to adminstration.

In a free market economy, as soon as I’m dissatisfied with the cost or service of my provider, I can shop for a new one. And I have. However, what I’ve found is that changing providers doesn’t necessarily result in a better or less expensive plan. Further, it would likely result in less coverage due to additional pre-existing condition exclusions.

As it stands now, the health insurance providers are selling a product that is a virtual necessity, but the individual buyer has little bargaining power. The provider sets the rate, sets the rate increases, sets the coverage exclusions, etc. The only choice given to the consumer is to accept or reject the offer. To borrow a real estate term, it’s a seller’s market. While that’s good for sellers, it’s not so good for buyers. Unlike real estate, however, the situation is unlikely to change until individuals and small businesses are allowed to pool their business to obtain some bargaining clout.

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry plans to lobby the 2007 Iowa Legislature to allow small businesses to pool together when purchasing insurance. While this doesn’t address my situation exactly, I think this is a good idea, as it would allow more of the free market principles to be in effect.

I also continue to favor the HSA and high-deductible plans, as these encourage free market principles as well.

We recently saw Rachael Ray prepare a beef tenderloin, and decided to try it ourselves for our Christmas meal. Much to our surprise, we found that beef tenderloin was selling for $23 per pound at our local Hy Vee. We later discovered Sam’s Club was selling it for about $13 per pound. However, the cuts at Sam’s Club didn’t appear to be trimmed as close, and at Hy Vee we could buy less than the full-size cut. Since the meal was for a special day, we opted to splurge and try the $23 per pound tenderloin.

How did it turn out? Well, we just finished our Christmas dinner and (most of) the cleanup, and my, was it good. While Christmas dinner isn’t the highlight of the day, today’s meal was a special treat.

• Beef Tenderloin
• Roasted Vegetables
• Watergate Salad
• Rolls and Jam

I don’t often delve into cooking advice and recipes, but some of these are good enough to pass along.

Lu prepared the tenderloin by drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil, (or EVOO as Rachael Ray would say) then adding some grilling spices that we often use. It was baked at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 350 for another 30 minutes. The result: a nice, firm outer edge and a pink to red interior — just the way I like it! It was so tender, and very tasty. Plus, we’ll have some leftovers to try later.

The roasted vegetables are a great addition as well. You can use whatever vegetables you like: squash, potatoes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, peppers. Just cut to bite-size and place in a roasting pan. Drizzle with EVOO and sea salt, then bake at 425 for about an hour, depending upon your mix of vegetables. We’ll often start with just the “hard” vegetables, such as brussels and potatoes, then add the “soft” vegetables, such as onions and asparagus about half-way through. The result is a simple but tasty vegetable dish!

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. However, today was a business holiday, not a typical Friday. So my family and I enjoyed lunch out together. Today’s choice was Cranky Hanks.

Cranky Hanks is a pizza place, located on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids in what used to be Donutland. It has recently opened a second location in one of the lower levels of Lindale Mall, in the location that might be best remembered as the home of Happy Joe’s for many years.

On the Friday before Christmas, I expected Cranky Hank’s to be doing brisk business at their Lindale Mall location. So, when we arrived about 11:30, I was surprised that we were the only guests present. A few more trickled in as we ate, but it’s apparent that mall visitors aren’t yet aware of this new alternative to the food court.

Cranky Hanks features a lunch buffet and drink for $8 (including tax).

I have difficulty describing Cranky Hanks pizza. Everything about it is a little different.

• The crust isn’t thin, but it isn’t quite thick either.
• The outer edge rises to become almost bread-like; so it’s like having pizza in the middle and bread sticks on the edge.
• My wife says that the crust is sweet.
• The pizza isn’t sliced into wedges or squares, but instead is sliced length-wise.

My daughter says that it is one of her favorite pizzas, but my wife prefers Thomaso’s Detroit Style and I prefer Thomaso’s New York Style. (We all agree that Zoey’s Pizza is right up there, too.)

When you’re ready for something different than the traditional American pizza, give Cranky Hanks a try!

As Christmas day approaches, we begin to ponder anew the Christmas story, that good news of great joy. This past Sunday, some youth at church wrote part of the Christmas story from the perspective of one of the participants. Here’s what they came up with; I think you’ll enjoy it.

Gabriel:

I am Gabriel, Mighty Messenger of the Lord. I serve God Most High, and am always ready to obey His every command. I’ve been patiently waiting for the day when God would send us out to crush our enemies, our fallen angelic brothers who followed that cursed traitor, Lucifer.

So, imagine my joy when God called me into His presence and said, “Gabriel, the time has come.” Surely, it was time for the mighty army of God to go out and smite our enemies.

But God had a different plan. Instead of leading His armies into battle, I was to take a message to a lowly man, Zechariah. I memorized what I was to say and, empowered by God, left for earth.

I found Zechariah in the temple and gave him the message. But Zechariah didn’t believe me! I used my power to strike him dumb; then returned to God.

“Gabriel, I have another job for you!” God said. At last! Maybe this time I would lead God’s army!

But, instead, God had another announcement for me. This time, I was to visit a young, pure, unmarried girl and tell her that she’d have a baby and that he would be called the Son of God!

Finally, I began to realize that it wasn’t yet time for God’s army to defeat his enemies. Instead, God had another plan to rescue the frail humans. I decided that I needed to study this mystery more.

Zechariah:

Hi, my name is Zechariah. You can call me “Zach”. So, I’m like a priest at the Temple, and 9 months ago I was doing some of my duties and stuff, right. When all of a sudden this angel walks up and tells me my wife’s gonna have a baby. Naturally, I’m skeptical, right, because my wife’s like really old, you know. So I kinda doubt the angel a little bit. Bad move. The angel makes me unable to speak, okay?! Not good.

But then I find out it’s totally true! My wife IS going to have a son, and the angel said his name is going to be John.

So, I was pretty much unable to speak until just yesterday, when John was born. Hooray! The angel told me that John was going to prepare a way for the Lord, which is a really cool thing. I’m so proud of my new son — and I’m also pretty glad I can talk again.

Zechariah:

So, here I am, Zecharias — priest of the temple — of the descendents of Aaron. I spent years and years training to be a priest — to get a chance to offer incense to the Lord — and what do I get for it? I get stricken dumb! I mean, who does that angel think he is to take away my speech just because I wouldn’t buy his phony baloney about Elizabeth having a son. Like, angel-man… Hello! The lady’s a total oldy. And, I’m not too young myself. The worst part is that I can’t even tell my friends about the angel and all that!

Elizabeth! Will you keep it down in there! I’m trying to rant. Oh, that’s right, I can’t talk. What is she bawling about anyway? Wait, that doesn’t sound like Elizabeth! It’s almost… if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was a…

“What shall we name him, Zecharias?”

“His name shall be John.”

Elizabeth:

God still answers prayers. It might not be exactly in our time, but it turns out even better than how we planned it. Hi, my name is Elizabeth, and these past days I’ve wanted to tell everyone how God answered my husband Zechariah and my prayers.

We had prayed for a son for it seems like forever. Since we were married more than forty years ago, it got harder and harder to trust that God knew best. Then one day our lives were changed forever. Zechariah is a priest at the temple, and this year he was chosen to offer the sacrifice. The other priests later told me that he had been in the Holy of Holies for the longest time. When he came out, something was wrong — he was stricken mute! He looked like he had seen a ghost. Some said that he had seen a vision; others said he was being punished by God. I didn’t know what to think. Then Zechariah wrote on a tablet that an angel said we would have a son! And it turns out I did!

A shepherd:

So there I was watching sheep and falling asleep when all of a sudden — boom — a really bright light with angels were in the sky. I almost fainted; it was so scary to see. Yet, it also felt warm and happy.

The angels said: “There is born today in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” I was freaked out when they started singing.

So all the shepherds and I went to Bethlehem where I saw that little baby boy wrapped in cloth and laying in a manger. It made me cry because I was so happy.”

A shepherd:

So there I was, playing tiddlywinks on the hillside. I was losing to a sheep. It was a pretty awful time. It gets dark out there in the country side, not like the city where there are lamps and torches lit in the streets. The only light out there was the starlight.

Anyway, so there I was, losing in tiddlywinks to a sheep — the other shepherds were having a good time at my expense, too — when all of a sudden, there as a great big hot pink glow that covered the hillside! It was an angel! It didn’t take long for me to forget about tiddlywinks.

The angel said, “Whoa! Good news! Today, over there beyond that hill in the hamlet of Bethlehem, the coolest thing ever has just happened. A baby has been born — and he’s Christ the Lord! Talk about groovy!”

That’s when the whole hillside went psychedelic and there were angels everywhere! We decided we couldn’t pass this up, and hurried on over to Bethlehem — and what do you know, there the little dude was!

Joseph:

When the angel came to me and told me that Mary, my fiancee, was pregnant, I was speechless. I didn’t know what to think. I knew that I loved her and knew that if word got out that she had been pregnant before marriage, she would be greatly looked down upon. Therefore, we kept everything low key. In a way, I was in disbelief, for it seemed impossible. I was also overwhelmed with joy because I knew I would be a father-like figure to the Son of God. I was also fearful that I wouldn’t raise him right, but knew God never made a mistake. Therefore, I knew that I would raise him as God planned.

King Herod:

So there I was, sitting on my glorious throne, myself looking gorgeous, by the way. I am awesome, magnificent… King Herod!

So, back to the story. One day, I was sitting as usual when my peeps came in to tell there were three magi waiting to come in to see me. And I was like, three magi? What are they doing here? I have no business with them. “Send them in anyway,” I said. The doors opened, and with trumpet fanfare, the three magi came in.

They knelt before me, then asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews, for we saw His star in the east and have come to worship him.”

I was like, “A king? Above me? Preposterous. There is no king who is above me.” Good thing I didn’t say that out-loud. Instead, I said, “I don’t know where this king is. After you find, would you let me know?”

Simeon:

My name is Simeon. I live in Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. I am a devout believer in God and the Holy Spirit is upon me, in fact. The Holy Spirit once revealed to me that I would not die until I had seen the Lord’s Christ.

One day, the Spirit prompted me to go into the temple, which is in Jerusalem, and there I saw a family with their son. They were there to circumcise the baby. I knew at once that this was the Christ, the one whom I had waited for. I picked up the baby and praised God for fulfilling His promise to me. The baby’s parents were amazed that I knew who their son was. Then I prophesied about the child’s coming life and also about his mother’s coming sorrow.

I now feel that I can die in peace, knowing that God’s salvation to the world has finally come.

A Wise Man:

When Christ was born, I didn’t know what to think. But I was told by God about this. I followed a star to Bethlehem, and brought gold and other gifts. I set this treasure before Him, and knelt before Him and praised Him. We traveled through deserts for months and months to see this King. I wondered a lot about what He would be like.. When we did finally reach Him in Bethlehem, I was overwhelmed with surprise and joy. I was in the presence of a child of God.

For the real, unabridged account of the birth of Christ, read Matthew 1:18-2:18 and Luke 1:1-2:40 in the Bible.

Here’s something you don’t see every day: my friend Craig performing Silent Night on a Theremin.

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. Today’s choice was Phong Lan.

Phong Lan is a Vietnamese restaurant located near downtown Cedar Rapids (8th Street SE between Second and Third Avenues, to be exact). While the atmosphere and decor are Spartan, the menu offers many exotic choices that are not found at many Asian restaurants. If you’d like Asian food, but would like to try something different, then try Phong Lan.

The restaurant appears to do a brisk lunch business on weekdays, and the parking lot is not sufficient. Fortunately, there is usually ample on-street parking available.

Some of our party teases me for referring to them as “part of our party.” What is more germane, though, is that five of the six in our party chose to order from the spicy section of the menu. There were six selections in the spicy section, and we tried five of them. (If you’re curious, the choices are S.15 through S.20; no one chose S.16.) I opted for the S.20, a combination featuring beef, pork, chicken and shrimp. It included sticky rice and a colorful assortment of marinated cucumbers and carrots. While the S.20 is on the spicy portion of the menu — which usually means hot — I didn’t find mine to be particularly hot. It was perhaps hotter than a “non-spicy” dish, but it could easily be enjoyed by some one who doesn’t often enjoy hot and spicy food.

The appetizers of spring rolls and egg rolls were excellent.

While I still prefer Thai Moon’s “Evil Jungle Prince” and “Lemongrass Chicken”, Phong Lan is a nice alternative when you’re looking for something different.

Tonight is the annual Homeschool Christmas Concert featuring the homeschool choir and two bands from the homeschool assistance programs. (The Marion HSAP invites students from the Cedar Rapids HSAP to participate in the bands.) The concert will be held at Franklin Middle School and will begin at 7:00 PM. A voluntary admission of $1 will be accepted. The concert is a “kid-friendly” event, and all are welcome to attend.

The choir includes 45 homeschooled students from Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area, and will be singing four Christmas pieces tonight. For this concert, I selected two very difficult, challenging pieces to stretch our abilities. The students have worked hard, though, and are prepared to offer a great concert!

This is the sixth year of our homeschool choir, a completely volunteer endeavor. The purpose of the choir is to provide homeschooled students with the opportunity to learn choral music, and the opportunity to sing for our community. Though we practice only once per week (most school choir programs practice many times per week), we do a good job meeting our goals.

If you’re able to join us for the concert, I’ll think you’ll enjoy it!

(If you read this after the concert, and were able to attend, leave a note and let us know what you thought of it.)

There are many distractions during the Christmas season: presents, Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Grinch. Parties, concerts, and holiday events. White Christmas and other traditional favorites all day on the radio. The Christmas tree and decorating to be done.

Plus, for many of us, the Christmas story is very familiar. We’ve sung the Christmas carols telling of the angels announcement to the shepherds. We’ve heard of the virgin birth. We know about the star in the sky that led the magi to the new king. Our familiarity with the amazing story of the Savior’s birth causes us to forget to be amazed.

The Nativity Story, a movie currently playing in many theaters, can help restore some of the awe, amazement, and thanksgiving that we should be experiencing at Christmas. This film relates the story of Jesus’ birth in a very real and earthy way. It reminded me of the social (and potentially criminal) incriminations that would have been directed at Mary, an unwed pregnant teen, and Joseph. It reminded me of the difficult, 100 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the wickedness of Herod. It reminded me of the grueling trip that the magi undertook to travel from the east to find the newborn king; it wasn’t an impulsive trip that these men took. It reminded me of the hope for the promised Messiah, and the injustices of life. It reminded me of Joseph’s noble character, and the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth. It reminded me of the bloodiness of the Jewish sacrificial system, and the biblical teaching that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. (I don’t understand it, but I accept it.) And thus, it reminded me of the ultimate purpose of Jesus’ birth — his sacrificial and atoning death.

The Nativity Story was largely true to the biblical account of Jesus’ birth, though a few liberties were taken. For instance, a single angel, rather than a host, announced the Savior’s birth to the shepherds. The magi were present on the night of the birth, when, in fact, they likely visited later. So, The Nativity Story matched our nativity scenes — with Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, and various animals. Don’t let these minor deviations deter or distract you from the message — good tidings of great joy!

I look forward to making this film a part of my Christmas tradition.

I recently learned that the Cedar Rapids Kernels have changed logos. You can see the new logo at the Kernels web site. Based on the logo, I’m guessing that the team colors are changing, too.

If you don’t recall the old logo, you can see it at my Internet start page.

Let me know what you think of the new logo by leaving a comment.

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. Today’s choice was Chili’s.

My choice today was the Baby Back Bonus, a special feature for the next few days. It includes a dinner salad, a half-rack of ribs with your choice of sauce, seasoned fries, and any dessert from the dessert menu, all for $9.99. Since most of the desserts are priced at over $5, this is a pretty good deal. The only down-side is that it’s a lot of food. I’d recommend planning to share your dessert with your special some one, who probably doesn’t like ribs anyway.

Though I was sorely tempted to try the Kentucky Bourbon ribs, I opted for the Memphis dry-rub. Though it was good enough, it wasn’t good enough to keep me from trying the Kentucky Bourbon next time.

While the ribs were good, they weren’t as good as Jimmy Jack’s ribs from Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack in Iowa City. Chili’s, though, is much closer to home.

When at home, I usually drink water (with lemon) or hot tea. We don’t stock pop (also known as “soda” or “coke” in some circles), but I do enjoy it when we go out.

Lately, “go out” has included dinner in our church basement.

On Wednesday afternoons, I lead the homeschool choir in late afternoon. We then have Awana Club on Wednesday evening. Between the two, we have about an hour. Though there’s enough time for a quick trip home, it’s more relaxing to bring a light dinner with us and eat at church between these two events. So, we “eat out” at our church basement.

Since we’re eating out, I often splurge and buy a can of pop from the pop machine. And here’s what I’ve learned: 12 ounces of pop is not enough. It gets me through most of the meal, but there isn’t any left at the end. I need about another 4 ounces.

Thus, the conundrum: buy another can, though I don’t need another 12 ounces, or switch to water and whine about it.

Perhaps it’s a vast conspiracy, otherwise known as savvy marketing. Perhaps market research shows that 12 ounces is close, but not enough, for the typical consumer. Perhaps the cola cartels know that 12 ounces will whet my appetite, and I’ll return for another satisfying can. So, instead of increasing the size from 12 to 16 ounces, thus satisfying my soda desire with a single can, the cola cartels continue to offer me 1 (or more!) 12 ounce cans via the pop machine.

Or perhaps I should just be satisfied with water!

My typical Friday includes lunch with my Laridian associates. Today’s choice was Red Lobster.

Red Lobster is a well-known commodity, serving seafood and American faire in a comfortable environment. The menu includes several varieties of fresh fish as well as various combination meals.

While my faithful readers know of my affinity toward fried food, today I enjoyed the New Orleans Salmon with steamed vegetables and rice. That sounds like a healthy choice, doesn’t it? The salmon was seasoned with a Cajon-style seasoning and very good.

I was tempted by the Big Island Seafood Grill, a combination of shrimp, scallops, and salmon featuring a sweet glaze and served with grilled pineapple. Having never before sampled grilled pineapple, it was an opportunity to try something new! However, it wasn’t available in a lunch portion.

The Red Lobster dessert menu is always tempting, but rarely indulged in. I’m especially partial to the Key Lime Pie, though today the Apple Overboard also looked very good. Many years ago, while working at Parsons Technology, my friend Craig and I would often (well, at least a few times) buy a couple of Key Lime Pies to share with our co-workers. Ah, those were the days!