Uncle Sam's, Tools in Delmar and Planet Fitness

Since I stumbled upon Uncle Sam's Candy on Albany Street in Schenectady about 6 weeks ago, I was more than eager to drop in over the holiday for my wife who has a chocolate loving staff at work and asked me to get "something that looked nice and was not cheesey". I succeeded by with the medium size Chocolate Christmas Trees, but could have failed big time items ranging from the choco manicure/pedicure set (who knew) an edible computer monitor or the always popular white chocolate cross (the church kind of cross). Regardless, this place is a gem - I have my coworkers hooked on the mocoa/expresso beans. Forget Proctor's and all the hype they give Phillip Morris (deserved) check this place out on the other side of town.

My wife and I decided it was time to take out life back and go have breakfast out for the first time in a LONG time. Funny what taking your life back means when you have a 5 month old and her 24 month old big sister. I'm eating bacon and eggs dammit! We decided on a local place since it appear the oldest was approaching nap/melt down stage. We hit the very local- Tools on Delaware ave in Delmar. It appeared that the after church, strongly 60+ crowd made this place a regular stop on Sundays. I order the coffee just for kicks, predicting, correctly, that it would be like 99% of restaurant coffee, weak, tastless and in too small a mug. Aside from that, we enjoyed a meal that was surprisingly light on grease, had crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes, a decent egg white omelotte and average scrambled eggs. Speed of service, which is HUGE now for us and all other parents, was better than most, but could have been a little quicker. Don't go our of your way to make the trip, but if you live near by, it is not the worst place to fill you stomach. NOTE: for your waitstaff friendly patrons, the server hinted that tips in cash are appreciated when paying by credit card as the owner is not quick to pay them out. Well it was more than a hint, I saw desperation in her eyes and obliaged her.

Planet Fitness - the anti gym. You join here because it costs $10 a month. I joined in August and have one each near my home and office. I just today dropped in to get my ID card. I am a former hym junkie and I really underestimated what have two young kids would do to that aspect of my life.