How to Give Yourself a $240 Raise

A lot of people have written about this particular subject over the last few years. The issue is comparing the cost of sending/receiving a text message vs. the cost of data sent over a wireless carrier's data network. If you have a smart phone, chances are you have a data plan that is about $30/mo for either unlimited data or at least 2GB. And if you text you probably pay anywhere from $5 for a small amount of texts to $20 for unlimited texts.

Here's where the gripes come in. A text message can be a total of 140 bytes per message at a maximum of 160 characters. If your text is more than 160 characters, one text is sent per each set of 160 characters. This is protocol standard. That means that for 140 bytes per message, it would take 7.14 texts to equal 1 kilobyte (KB) of text based data. All texts are sent over the wireless carrier's cellular network and not the data network. That doesn't seem horribly bad until you do the math of the cost to the consumer.
So let's see how many people get upset at their carrier about the math I am about to show. I will use my plan as an example. I pay $30/mo for 2GB of data for email and web over my 3G network. As far as real data size translations go, there are 1000 bytes in 1 kilobyte (KB). There are 1000 kiloybytes in 1 megabyte (MB). Finally, there are 1000 megabytes in 1 gigbyte (GB). That means my $30/mo costs .00015 per byte, or $1.50 per MB when I surf the web and download email. To compare that to text messaging I would have to send 7,140 text messages to equal 1MB. I pay $5 for 250 mesages plus .20 ea message after that. That same 1MB in text messaging would cost me $1,378/mo. Not only that, sending and receiving 7,140 texts in a month means I have to send a text every 12 minutes of every day of every hour. Assuming I send a text and receive an answer. If I'm the only one communicating it would one text every 6 minutes of every day of every hour. If I take time out to sleep I have to send a text every 4 minutes of a 16 hour day. That leaves me no time to do anything.

Look at the cost difference here. 1MB of text messaging costs me $1,378, while 1MB of web browsing and email costs me $1.50! And I can send way more than 160 characters in an email.

Think about how the numbers increase when you're paying for unlimited messages and trying to get 2GB of text messages to equal your data plan. No we're talking 2000 times (1MB x 2000 = 2GB) the number of messages that need to be sent to equal 2GB of texts from my example above. Simply put, there is not enough time in the day for me to send 2GB in text messages in one month, not to mention money. That would cost me $2,756,000!! Talk about a deficit.

So the question is why is texting so much more expensive? The technology has been around for ages. Texting pagers back in the 1990's used this protocol. The technology is not new and is not expensive to maintain. It's all been paid for by the wireless companies. Every penny earned by the carriers is nearly all profit. So that $20/mo for unlimited text messaging in your phone bill is mainly profit for the wireless carrier.

How do you avoid paying the texting fees? There are many applications that allow you to use your data network to send text messages. Google Voice for instance can send text messages to your GMail account instead of your phone, thereby avoiding the cost of the text. You can reply straight from GMail which only uses your data connection. Remember that only costs .00015 per byte. There are other services out there that do something similar. Blackberry Messenger uses the data network instead of the cellular network. The iPhone has a messaging app that allows texts to go over the data network instead of the cellular network. Look in you phone's app market and see if there aren't at least 5 to 10 applications that use the data connection for sending and receiving text messages. Think of it like VoIP for texting.

Give yourself a $240 raise. Cut off the unlimited text messaging and use the data connection you're probably not using up anyway. If you're worried your friends will forget or you get spam texts that cost you money, have your wireless provider turn off texting for your phone. Texts will be blocked from coming in and going out of the phone. The data network is still in full effect and costs way less.

Lonnie Q's - The Best Bar-B-Que in Topeka

I went to a place called Lonnie Q's today in Topeka, KS. It's a local Bar-B-Que joint that is independently owned and operated. I was able to meet Lonnie on my visit today and he is a great guy that cooks fantastic food. Being from Dallas, I get all kinds of flavors of Bar-B-Que from Sonny Bryan's to Spring Creek. Lonnie Q's ranks right up there in both value and taste.

I ordered the combo plate with a sandwich and two sides. I had the pulled pork sandwich, "World Famous" cheesy taters, and baked beans. There was no shorting the serving size here. The pickle spear barely fit on the plate. My sandwich was piled high, the beans were plentiful, and the "World Famous" cheesy taters showed and tasted why they were "World Famous". If you haven't heard of them, you're not alone. I had never had or heard of them before I got there. However, once you have them it's impossible to stop talking about them.

The sandwich was simple, but full of flavor. I have had buns that were dry tasting and airy making the food taste dry overall. Refer to my Kravers review. This was not that kind of bun. It was a good moist bun with a ton of pork in between. I had a couple of home made sauces to choose from. I really liked the spicy Bar-B-Que sauce. The sauce was a little too watery in texture for my liking, but the taste was great. I like Bar-B-Que sauce to be a little thicker so that it doesn't drain off the sandwich too much. The taste of the sauce was full and spicy, so it was a conflict of likings for me. I have to give it a good grade overall, though.

The baked beans were pretty good. I don't know if they were canned or made from scratch, but nonetheless they tasted great. Now, on to the "World Famous" cheesy taters. These taters are a great change up to normal mashed potatoes. From what I could see and taste they consisted of shredded potatoes mixed with plenty of butter, cheese, and I believe a coating of corn flakes. It's an unlikely combination that is fantastically great. I could hurt myself eating those chessy taters. At the very least I could eat enought to where I'd have to rolled out the door once I was done.

I loved Lonnie Q's. If I could eat Bar-B-Que everyday without consequences, I'd eat there every opportunity I get. Those "World Famous" cheesy taters are definitely a crowd pleaser. His menu is simple and effective. You can;t go wrong with anything you choose. If you want Bar-B-Que, you get Bar-B-Que. From fall-off-the-bone ribs, to juicy pork, to tasty brisket, he's got it all.

For about $10 I got a drink, a sandwich, and two sides. You can't go wrong here. You better check the hours before you go, Lonnie's isn't open every day. Some days of the week are lunch only and some are lunch and dinner. Whenever you decide to show up be prepared to wait in line. The word is out about Lonnie's among the locals. Now, I am trying to put it out there for the tourists. Go to Lonnie Q's for some fantastic Bar-B-Que.

I'm going to be back in Topeka in a couple more weeks. Guess where I'm going to have lunch at least once while I'm here?

West Virginia is the $600 Smart Phone Equalizer

I started my trip landing at Dulles International Airport and picking up my rental car. My car was clean on the inside, but not on the outside. It was fairly dirty with some dried up bird dung near the door handle. The counter inside was filling up, so I thought, screw it, I'll live with it and move on. I plug in my phone and put in my destination. The time frame says about an hour to get about 45 miles. Since, I am heading north, I am heading into the mountains a little, hence the longer time for 45 miles.

I hit my exit and turn off the highway. I have just over 20 miles to go even from my exit off the highway. Time for the mountain road driving. My GPS is still functioning and I am still receiving email. That's a good thing. As I got further into the mountain road, I noticed a message on phone. "No Data Connection Available" What!? Oh, right. I'm in the mountains, it will probably pick back up later. My GPS is still working, though, so at least I won't be totally lost.

Now I am getting out of the mountains and close to my destination. Still no data signal. My super smart phone that can do the work of 10 major personal electronics has just met the equalizer. A no data zone. I have arrived at my hotel in Ranson, West Virginia, a place close to Charles Town, West Virginia. When I got to my room, I pulled up my carrier's data coverage map. Based on what I saw, it looked like the carrier had been barred from the state. All around the state lines the carrier had very limited if any data coverage. They were serviced by roaming data coverage only. I discovered shortly afterward that AT&T was the major carrier in the state that provided data coverage. Their main competitor, Verizon, had only about 10% of the state covered.

My phone had just been equalized to a phone that simply texts, makes calls, and takes pictures. It became the most expensive feature phone I had ever owned in my life at that point. The wireless coverage in the hotel, was okay, but not great. The funny part of this story was reading the Best Buy ad. They had 4 major Verizon phones on sale at the store that were 4G capable. Wait! 4G!? I can't even get a 3G signal and they are selling 4G phones in an area where the carrier has almost no coverage!? I bet Best Buy has its own Verizon tower that fails to connect once you leave the parking lot.

One nice piece of information that came out of this is my battery life. My battery life has been increased dramatically. I have about 90% of my battery left even after nearly 8 hours. I could probably let it go over night and use it all day tomorrow without even sweating about losing power before the end of the day. How long has it been that one can go without charging a phone for more than a day? I have to charge my phone every night, and on busy days, after about 14 hours of use.

So, in my opinion, West Virginia is the place where my phone met its equalizer. Outside of West Virginia it is one of the most powerful phones around even though it's a 3G phone. It can record video in HD, take 8 MegaPixel pictures, take panoramic photos, and listen to FM radio, play graphically intense games, act as a hot spot for others, manage my email, calendar and contacts for both personal and business, gets me from place to place with GPS navigation, keeps me up to date on my social circles, and let's me search for things like the best restaurant in the area or where to find the cheapest gas, and can do hundreds of other things. Without data, 80% of what I use it for becomes unavailable. No GPS mapping, no email or other types of updates, I'm out of the social circle, I have no clue where to eat, and I will probably pay too much for gas. I have a $600 phone that can text, do phone calls, and takes nice pictures and video. Welcome to West Virginia on Verizon's network.

Bypass 45 Deli - Columbia, TN

I had lunch the other day at a local deli called Bypass 45 Deli. It is an unassuming little place with personal service and opportunities to get to know people around town. Not to mention a satisfaction guarantee. More on that in a minute. This was recommended to me by my customer to check out.

Pulling up to this place, I wasn't sure what to expect. It is not flashy by any means and is right next to a liquor store. Walking in I saw there was not a lot of independent seating and there was also a place to stand and eat if you desired to do so. Bypass 45 Deli makes sandwiches and fresh hamburgers. It's a nice and simple menu. When I attempted to pay, I was told to wait until I was done eating. If I didn't like I wouldn't have to pay. Really!? Great! I'm in! So I got my meal just a few short minutes later.

I must admit, I think I had just had one of the better hamburgers I had ever had. It was juicy, cooked just right, and not too greasy. The seasoning was pretty well spot on. I got curly fries with my meal. These were definitely fully seasoned and tasty. While sitting I was able to meet some local people as the tables were very close together. When I go out to eat on the road I almost always by myself unless my customer goes along with me. In this case I was by myself and was able to have some friendly conversation with some local people of Columbia, TN

When it came time to pay, because I enjoyed my meal, there was a small problem. Their credit card machine was broken and that was all I had. The owner was kind enough to let me go across the street to get some cash and come back to pay. I, of course, came right back and paid for my wonderful meal. Less than $10 for a great hamburger, a ton of fries, and bottle of coke. I'd be glad to it again. Great job Bypass 45 Deli!

Gmabling with the Weather in Colorado

So, here I am in Colorado this week and I'm gambling with the weather to see a baseball game tonight. I bought tickets to the Rockies vs. Brewers game for tonight. All week it has started to rain in the afternoon and has been getting pretty violent after 5pm. Last night, I went to meet a friend for dinner I hadn't seen since high school. On my way, I thought I was going to have abort and turnaround. The rain started, then hail started. Cars were scarmbling for cover under anything they could find. Even under the 75 foot overpass that was about 10 feet wide. Have you heard what hail sounds like on a car when you're driving at at 55mph? Try this. Put a metal bucket over your head, get four or five friends to pound on the bucket with the handles of screw drivers. See if you don't freak out from the sound. Lucky for me, the hail lasted all of about five minutes and I was able to conitnue on.

Fast forward to today, and the rain starts up again like clockwork at about 3:30pm. It is just pouring down. People in the downtown streets below were running for cover. One poor lady ended up with a broken umbrella from the 40+ mph winds. I checked the weather on the 'Net and found the rain was supposed to stop around 6:30pm. Game time is at 6:40pm. I'm within walking distance, but I don't want to get stuck in the rain nearly a mile from my hotel. That would suck and probably get me sick.

So here I sit in my hotel room after getting off from work waiting and watching to see if the weather will break enough for me to get to the stadium. I've got my chips on Black. The ball is slowing down and bouncing bewteen Red and Black right now.

--Live update-- I see sunlight hitting a building nearby. The online weather radar is showing there will be a break in the next few minutes and stay that way until much later tonight. I think I see the ball settling on Black. Winner, winner! Chicken dinner!

Let's go see a Rockies game sitting in the 2 row from the edge of the left field foul line. This is gonna be a great seat to watch a game in a stadium I've never been to. I'm hoping for a foul ball to come my way. Wish me luck.

How to Make Cabbage with Lettuce

So here’s a question. If you opened a restaurant and served only salad would you expect to hit it big or be laughed out of town? Here’s the answer… You’ll hit it big. I went to a place called Green Fine Salad Company in Denver, CO for lunch today based on the recommendation of one of my customers. The menu was nothing at all like Kravers in Wisconsin. Now, Kravers was pretty good and had a ton of selections. Green’s has a 12 item menu with the option of creating your own healthy salad. The twist is you can get them in a bowl or a wrap. The portions are plentiful and all salads are prepared fresh right in front of you. A couple of slicers, some dicers, and a tosser, and voila! You have a freshly prepared salad of your choice with your name on it. Literally, they put your name on your salad. Now you can respond, “Yes, it does have my name on it!”

I think this restaurant is a fantastic concept. It offers healthy food choices, drinks from local companies, and an easy price on the wallet. Oh, yeah, the food is pretty good, too. It’s not often you get to enjoy a healthy food choice. I certainly enjoyed mine.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

Tokyo Joe’s – Japanese Cuisine to Go

When in Denver you don’t typically think – “Hey! I got an idea! Let’s get some sushi in Denver, because they should have some great local seafood to offer.” Well, I did. Well, it didn’t really happen like that. I actually found some restaurants nearby my location in downtown Denver and found Tokyo Joe’s filtering towards the top of the list. Google Maps places this in categories of Japanese Restaurants and Fast Food Restaurants. Isn’t that an oxymoron? Whenever I have sushi, it’s never considered fast food. Well, consider this. I ordered an 8-piece sushi roll and it was at my table in less than 5 minutes. That’s some fast sushi. Joe’s was an easy walk away from my client site down through the 16^th street mall.

I had the Joe’s Roll – Shrimp, Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Cucumber wrapped in seaweed and finally in rice with sesame seeds. Presentation was typical of something related to fast food. I got my wasabi and ginger on the plastic black plate, but my soy sauce cup was a small plastic cup covering my wasabi and ginger. So far, this is nothing exciting and nothing I would call home about. Well, I probably would call home, I would just make sure to have something else to talk about, since the conversation night last about 18 seconds. The roll looked pretty good and tight. Everything looked fresh and smelled good. The wasabi was pretty potent. It’s kinda hard to screw that up, though. So I take my first piece and dip it into the sauce, carefully mixed with some wasabi, and my roll began to fall apart as soon as it hit the sauce. Man, that sucked. The sticky rice was not soy proof. My pretty soy sauce cup with wasabi now has floating pieces of rice and sesame seeds. Oh, well… I scooped up what I could and hoped this was just a one off. It tasted pretty good so that encouraged me to try again with another piece and it was better. It held steadfast and I didn’t lose anything this time. That bite was pretty tasty. I mowed through the rest of remaining pieces having to utilize my chopstick martial arts to get out some portions that broke up in the soy sauce.

Overall, I liked the sushi. I didn’t like having to use ancient Japanese chopstick martial arts to get at the pieces that broke up easily in the soy sauce. I didn’t like that fact that they were out 2 of the 4 Black Tea options when it was just barely past 1pm. I did like the fact I was able to enjoy some pretty good tasting sushi for less than $10. I would probably return, but I might get there a little earlier since anytime after 12:30pm seems to be problematic for getting what you want to drink. I found out about another sushi place nearby that is not considered fast food and is supposed to be better. For under $10 I can’t really complain too much. If it stuck together better I’d gladly pay a few dollars more.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

Marriott Courtyard - Brown Deer, WI

So as you may have guessed, I am in the Milwaukee area this week. This is my third trip to the area in the last 8 weeks and my third hotel. The first one was awful. A Hampton Inn that got left back in the mid 1990's. The second one was the best. A Hilton Garden Inn that had nice amenities and decent food. The third ranks very close to the Hilton Garden Inn.
The staff is nice and attentive to your needs. I happened to forget my toothbrush and they gave me a new one. No, it's not the newest Colgate tooth brush that whitens teeth, removes tartar and plaque, and can jack up a pickup truck by putting a rock under it, but it does the basic job of cleaning the crud from my teeth. They have a nice mixer later in the evening with drinks for everyone. I just missed the end of it when I got in from seeing my movie at the Fox Bay Cinema Grill. Maybe I'll partake in it tomorrow night.
The parking lot is well lit and there's really not a bad parking spot on the premises. The hotel provides easy access to the main road going in either direction out front and there plenty of restaurants within easy driving distance. The Interstate is just a few miles away and Mitchell Airport is about 25 minutes away. So far the hotel has been quiet even though there has been quite a few partiers out front and roaming around the lobby for the past two nights.  Being right by the elevators I thought I would be subjected to a lot of loud noises. It has been pleasantly quiet.
I think overall, I would give this hotel a thumbs up. I will be coming back here again in the next few weeks and will probably stay here if the Hilton Garden Inn is booked up again. If you need lodging in the northern region of the Milwaukee area, check out the Courtyard. You might like it.
This is the Nomad Consultant providing a review while on the road. Keep checking back for more updates. I might review a spot in your town.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

Kravers Handled my Cravings

I went to a place called Kravers Frozen Custard for lunch today. This is a local restaurant in the Milwaukee area. It boasts over 100 items on the menu and good size portions at reasonable prices. One of the first impressions I got was cleanliness with plenty of sitting room. The other impression I got was that it was hardly any kind of custard shop. The menu board looked fairly intimidating spreading across about 25 feet of overhead space covering foods from Europe, Mexico, and the US, but I managed to get through the selections and find something that appealed to me, the pulled pork sandwich. This was a strange beginning to a restaurant considered to be fast food.

My food was served in about one minute. It was a good looking sandwich sitting in the black plastic platter plate next to a heaping helping of fries. I think I would have liked to see a little more pulled pork or a less bulky bun to make it a tad better, but it was pretty good as it was. The sauce had a good mixture of spiciness and tanginess, and was not too messy. The pork was pretty good, too. It was tender and the sauce certainly boosted the flavor. The bun was large and fluffy, and had a little of the sauce subtly seeping into the bun from the inside. It made the bun seem thinner than it was, which was helpful. The fries were nothing spectacular visually or taste wise, but were plentiful. They were just your typical Orida type wrinkle cut fries. The drink selections were the usual suspects of soft drinks.

The cool factor was the plasticware dispensers. Forks, knives, and spoons were held in lever activated dispensers. Pushing down a lever on the appropriate dispenser kicked out a fork, knife, or spoon. Out of all of the restaurants I have ever visited, and trust me there have been a lot, I have never come across something like these dispensers. The knife dispenser was the coolest. It actually jettisoned a knife out with gusto. I had to fight the urge to pick up the dispenser, face it outward, and start pushing on the lever like it was a semi-automatic weapon yelling like Rambo and swinging it around in slow mation. I think that would have been pretty fun. Even the drink lids were held in a nicely organized dispenser. Tables were well spaced and the booths had plenty of room. Unfortunately, the drink dispenser area gets a little crowded due to patrons waiting around for food to come out. The pickup area and drink dispenser are very close to each other leaving little space for congregation and those wanting to get a drink. That’s when you grab the knife dispenser and start shooting to get people to back off.

Ultimately, my meal was rather inexpensive, about $8, for what I got. I liked the pulled pork sandwich, but the bun could have been a little thinner. It didn’t overpower the sandwich, but it could have come very close rather easily had the sauce not slightly seeped into the bun and the bun not be as fluffy as it was. Those stiff, thick buns that I run into from time to time at other places would have ruined this sandwich. I would consider this a fast food restaurant with a choice for everyone. If you are craving anything from gyros to quesadillas to burgers to bbq, Kravers can satisfy the craving. The combination of selections, price, and time bring back memories of the old Sizzler commercials in the early 90’s. “I don’t have a lot of time. I don’t have a lot of money. I want a lot of choice.” You will have no trouble meeting that expectation at Kravers. You can judge for yourself on what you like the best. For me, the pulled pork sandwich was good, but I might try a quesadilla next time. I love quesadillas.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

F-Troop on Patrol in Terminal D at DFW Airport

Even the TSA is not immune to getting a review. On Tuesday, July 5th I got to DFW Airport Terminal D with just over 90 minutes to get to my gate. Plenty of time. When I got to security, no one was waiting in the holding line and there were about 15 people in the security line waiting to get their stuff into the x-ray. In my past experience this process should no more than about 5 minutes to get through. The x-ray line went to a dead stop for at least 5 minutes and the line began building in the holding area. There did not appear to be any major security problems afoot. There was one traveler waiting for articles on the other side and there were three TSA agents looking at the x-ray screen. Really?? It takes three highly trained professional TSA agents to figure out what's in the colored picture on the TV screen?? It must have been training day. Here’s a suggestion, take the bag out and open it. That is an option the TSA has at their disposal. Not only to speed up the security process for others, but to perform necessary checks when "what's that in the bag" questions come up.

It took 30 minutes to get to the point of putting my articles into the x-ray machine. Remember there were only 15 people in front of me. I have been through other check points at DFW where 30 people took 15 minutes. I have even been through a check point in Philly where it took 40 minutes to get through over 100 people. Today, they most definitely put the F-Troop on Terminal D. I think TSA now has a new meaning – Totally Slowing Aviation.

There were seven TSA agents manning this security entry point with only one x-ray machine operational. One was checking passes and IDs. Two to three were reviewing the screen on the x-ray. One was shuffling totes back and forth. One was manning the metal detector. And one was holding the floor down. This was government waste at its best. If I performed like that on my job, I would have been written up, fired, and prevented from getting unemployment.  It should take no more than four or five to run a security check point. One to check IDs and passes. One to man the x-ray. One to man the metal detector. And two to float between points for male or female checks, shuffle totes back and forth, or check IDs.

I know I’d be taking away jobs, but I would much rather see seven people manning the fast food shops in the airport so it doesn’t take 10 minutes per person to order a sandwich. After all, it’s not like there would be much in the way of a salary change, right? I would much rather see it take 30 seconds per person to get through security, and 60 to 90 seconds person to get a sandwich.

I don’t think I want to see the TSA or any kind of security check points go away. They serve an important purpose. Some of the rules are a little extreme, but when you choose to fly you are essentially signing a contract that you are accepting the procedures and policies of not only the airlines, but also the TSA. I just think it can be done much better and more efficient. I’m sure everyone else has an idea on the subject, as well.

At any rate, feel free to comment on this. Even if you fly once a year the TSA affects your experience, too. I am a big believer that feedback is important to improving a service. Of course, that only works if the people providing the service are willing to hear it.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

Movie Night at Fox Bay Cinema Grill

Tonight I am at a local movie theater that is independently owned an operated in Milwaukee, WI called the Fox Bay Cinema Grill. It was originally opened in 1951 and then remodeled many years later. This theater holds quite a bit of charm and nostalgia just in the entry way alone. They left the original box office out front and the lobby has one of its original movie projectors. The reels it holds are about 22" in diameter. That projector is a monster.

I walked into the theater for my movie, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon 3D, and it is definitely a modernized theater, but still holds some of that Hollywood Golden Age feel. There was a large red velvet curtain covering the screen. Three dimensional art work was delightfully mounted on the side walls about half way up the 40 foot ceiling to keep the cavernous space appealing.

The concept of a theater and grill is not new, but this place is better than the chain places I have been to. The food is all made to order and the wait staff is on top of it from the get go. I wasn't sitting more than 3 seconds before I had someone taking a drink order. I got the Buffalo Chicken sandwich for dinner. It was rather tasty and definitely had that homemade taste. It was worth the price.

So how does this theater stack up with a new 3D movie that was supposed to be seen in 3D? It did very well. The sound was fantastic! It easily filled the theater, but was not over powering like most eat-in theaters are. Their sound system has true power that doesn't have to over compensate by nearly blowing out underpowered speakers. It sounded well grounded and full. The 3D was state of the art. I had no complaints about how this theater presented the movie. It was smooth and bright.

If you are in the Milwaukee area and you have a chance to catch dinner and a movie go to the Fox Bay Cinema Grill. You will not be disappointed. The food is great, the wait staff was attentive and invisible when needed, and the atmosphere was how a movie should be enjoyed. They are located at 334 E. Silver Spring Dr., Whitefish, WI 53217.

This has been a traveling review brought to you by the Nomad Consultant. I review all kinds of places wherever I stay during my travels. Stay tuned for more travel reviews.

The Nomad Consultant

Hi. I'm the Nomad Consultant. I travel the country as an IT Consultant helping companies plan for and implement service desk and computer asset management software. It's a pretty fun job as I get to see the country and meet great people in different industries.

My intent for this blog is to document my travels providing everyone my experiences at different hotels, local restaurants, airports, and even airlines. These are all areas considered part of the service industry as they all provide customer service at the front end. Some will provide it better than others.

I encourage your comments to this site. I know there are plenty of other blogs out there doing the same thing. I hope that I can provide a real review to the places I visit so that if you go to the same location, you can say you heard it here first.

Talk to you soon.