Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Great Pickle Experiment!

Those of you who know that I moved to Florida from New York City also know that one of the things I miss down here is food. As an example, I can't seem to find a good, sour garlic pickle. Criminal! Worse, Ba Tampte and Schoors have stopped making them, or at least they're not stocked in Publix. What the... Surely I can't be the only one who loves these sour, garlicky treats with a sandwich, or as a snack.

Dire situations call for drastic measures! I have done extensive research and found a sour garlic pickle recipe. I made my first batch today, but won't have the results for about a week. I will report back on my success, or lack thereof, and be happy to share this recipe once I'm sure it's a success.

Stand by pickle lovers!! More to come!



Comcast delivers

I've been holding off on writing this post because I thought my good experience with Comcast customer support might just be a one-time event. It turns out, it isn't. These guys are damn good at it.

It starts with answering the phone. Such a simple thing, folks, but these people actually answer the phone promptly.

Once they do, they solve the problem. From placing an order to replacing my cable box with a PC card (I own a Tivo HD), or installing a cable modem, they've been helpful every time.

A few months ago I sent an e-mail inquiring when more HD channels would be available. I got a personal phone call from HQ to discuss what they're doing and when to expect more HD programming.

Last night I was unable to get a few of my premium channels, I called, they reset the cable connection remotely and everything was fixed! Time spent: under 3 minutes.

I know I'm quick to rag on someone when they do badly, but I want to make sure that I acknowledge best-in-class service. I don't know what it's like elsewhere in the country, but in South Florida, Comcast customer service is the clear winner over DirecTV.