Lincolnite

Would anybody care to do a little analysis of the proposed changes to the firefighter pension plan for us? The basics are these: Lincoln's firefighters don't receive social security benefits, and their pensions don't increase annually to keep up with inflation. That means the longer a firefighter is retired, the less his monthly pension is worth. The proposal before the City Council would initiate cost of living adjustments (COLAs) in 2010 of the lesser of (a) 1.5% or (b) the Consumer Price Index (CPI). That's all pretty easy to understand. What's much more difficult to understand -- and what the Council is currently trying to figure out -- is whether it's a good deal for the City. I don't know. I'm also curious as to whether it's a good deal for the firefighers. A maximum 1.5% annual increase sure doesn't sound like much given the CPI's history. Recent year-to-year changes in the CPI have been roughly in the 2.5% - 3.0% range, on average. And what if the CPI decreases? That hasn't happened since the 1950's, but the possibility exists. Should the City accept the proposal?

Normally I love cold weather. I love snow and ice, and I even enjoy shoveling the driveway. And sleeping is so much better in cold weather than in the summer. Despite all that, I absolutely protest tonight's frost advisory. I'm not ready. Can't we hold off another couple weeks? Pretty please?

Mr. T and I had lunch at Roost on Friday. I had received a coupon for their new noodle bowls earlier in the week, so we intended to check them out. I'm a big fan of Roost's sandwiches. Would their noodle bowls match up? For $5.95 you get a decent serving of cavatappi noodles in one of a variety of styles:

• BANGKOK PEANUT: Peanut curry sauce, topped with fresh cilantro. Delicious with Chicken added.
• CRAZY MAC™: Fresh cream with a splash of our own wing sauce then topped with bread crumbs & cheddar-jack cheese. Try with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• VODKA BELT™: Cream based marinara sauce, vodka style! Topped with fresh basil. Tasty with our chop-chop™ Chicken added.
• CHEESY CHEESE: Fresh cream sauce topped with cheddar-jack cheese. Great with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• JALAPEÑO CREAM: Diced jalapeños mixed with our fresh cream sauce. Try with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• SWEET CURRY: Sweet curry sauce. That’s all we can say, the rest is a secret. Delicious with Chicken added.
• PESTO CREAM: Homemade pesto cream sauce. Great with our chop-chop™ Chicken added.
• FRESH BASIL MARINARA: Our house marinara topped off with fresh basil. Delicious with Chicken added.

Adding chicken runs an extra $1.79 (if I remember correctly), bringing the total close to $8. The serving size should satisfy most people. On the whole it's not a terrible value, but I do think the price is too high for the Downtown lunch crowd. To me, a lunchtime meal and drink should together come in under $8. Alternately, Mr. T suggested that adding a breadstick might give the diner more bang for his buck. Pictured here is the item I ordered, a jalapeno cream noodle bowl. Note in the description above that the item promises jalapenos mixed into the cream sauce. That wasn't the case in the bowl I was served. And that's what was most disappointing to me. The bowl consisted of four very distinct ingredients: noodles, cream, jalapenos, and chicken. Each of the four ingredients was fine, but they didn't really do anything for each other. There was no teamwork, if you will. Mr. T opted for the pesto cream noodle bowl. He said it was "very good" and compared it favorably to a similar item available at Noodles & Co. He commented that the noodles and the sauce were prepared very nicely. So how do Roost's noodle bowls grade overall? I admire their attempt to reach out and grab more business in the hyper-competitive Downtown dining market, but in my opinion the noodle bowls are average and unexceptional. Note that I'm not -- repeat not -- saying they are bad. They're fine. But when I crave noodles Downtown, I'm still going to go to either Noodles & Co. or Spaghetti Works. Roost hasn't done anything to break me out of that habit. Meanwhile, when I want a sandwich Downtown, Roost sits comfortably among my top picks. Then again, I didn't care for Roost's sandwiches the first time I had one, whereas now I crave them. Roost has shown both a willingness and an ability to adapt and evolve. With a little work, perhaps the noodle bowls will make a name for themselves.

Mr. T and I are meeting at Roost today at Noon. We are going to give their new noodle bowls a try. We would like to invite you folks to come along. Please stop by and join us for some good food and conversation. If you don't know who we are, look for the bald guy in khaki shorts and a faded blue polo.

Omaha recently passed a new batch of dog ordinances. I wonder if any of these will soon come to Lincoln. One in particular would affect me. The new laws bar tying up dogs outside for longer than 15 minutes unless an adult is outside with the dog. We put Daisy outside on a leash all the time. During the day while I work in the basement I often put her outside for longer than 15 minutes at a stretch. I figure hanging out outside is better than laying on the couch all day. When she wants inside she barks and I go get her. That's likely not what the ordinance is trying to prohibit, but it is prohibited nonetheless. The act of letting my dog sleep on the front porch rather than on the couch could make me a "reckless owner", according to the ordinance. Which of Omaha's new laws would you like to see enacted here? Do you think it's likely the City Council will bring up this sort of legislation in the near future?

Senator Chuck Hagel and former Senator Bob Kerrey will speak today at Kimball Hall on the topic "Ensuring Health and Financial Security for All: Can We Identify Reasonable Solutions to These American Challenges?" The event takes place from 10:00am until 11:30am and is moderated by NET's Rod Bates. Later this evening, Mr. Kerrey will speak at Nebraska Wesleyan University at 7:00pm in O'Donnell Auditorium on the topic of public leadership.

According to Animal Control, the first "official" (dead) armadillo was found in Lincoln in September. But armadillos have been in Nebraska for at least a decade. In fact, according to Game and Parks another dead armadillo was found not far from my house back in 2000. The Missus told me this morning that she saw one once near the bike trail at 33rd and Calvert. Have you ever seen an armadillo in or around Lincoln?

I have really grown to enjoy Roost, so I was awfully intrigued when earlier this morning I received an e-mail announcing Roost's new noodle bowls. They're so new, they're not even on the menu (PDF). It's yet another step in the restaurant's interesting evolution as it tries to stay relevant in the competitive downtown dining market. Roost began with pretty much one thing on the menu: cold diced chicken. Now they offer cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, salads, soups, and apparently as of today, noodle bowls. Please let us know if you give the noodle bowls a try!

According to various sources on the web, Lincolnites are:

• ...now armed against harmful chemicals from terrorists
• ...distressed to learn that during their 24 hour shift Firefighters also require nourishment
• ...generally reluctant to pay taxes to fund new projects
• ...sitting quietly in the classroom, while the boisterous kids get all the attention
• ...alcoholic, methadone addicts who because the city is so poor that they have few treatment options
• ...proud of their “state-of-the-art” downtown
• ...encouraged to read Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale
• ...the most self-referential people he's met
• ...so friendly, chances are they'll quietly watch from afar and then offer their congratulations after your ceremony is over
• ...doing things for the betterment of Lincoln

Share your own list about Lincolnites, Lincoln, or a related topic. Just go to your search engine of choice and search for a quoted phrase (e.g. "lincolnites are"), then use the search summary to make your list. Just be sure the snippet refers to Lincoln, Nebraska and not one of those impostors out there.

After a year out of commission, Harris Overpass will reopen on Friday to a full four lanes of traffic. That's just over one month ahead of schedule, which means the contractor will see a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of incentive payments. A question for those of you who were most affected by the bridge's closure: Was the closure as bad as, better than, or about the same as you thought it would be?

I stopped in at Fred Wilson Jewelers earlier today to confirm what I had feared....my old Ellesse watch of 14 years had finally dropped dead due to internal water damage. Condensation had finally made its way inside through the seal. This watch had a lot of sentimental value to me. I purchased it in Singapore a long time ago on the famous Orchard Road, and have worn it virtually everyday since then. One of the problems I have had with it however is that being an Italian-brand name watch sold in Singapore, replacement parts and repairs are hard - at times impossible - to come by here in Lincoln. Now its a rusting piece of junk inside, so I won't have that problem anymore. If anyone has good tips for a vendor in town that sells watches - or just tips on good watches - please drop me a note. I'm looking for something under $120, preferably water resistant to a certain degree, made by a "known" manufacturer for which repairs and replacement parts would be easy to find, with a solid warranty, and something light enough to go jogging or swimming with, but also wear it to the office.

More love from the New York Times: Current home page "above the fold" story about perceptions of the election entitled "In Bellevue, Neb., ‘Mad About Everything’". Sheesh! And we thought Lincolnites were complainers!

Lincoln police are on a roll when it comes to catching bank robbers. The latest robbers hit the Tier One just north of 56th and Highway 2, only to be nabbed an hour later. [tongue in cheek]Although the trio's capture is good news, there is reason for concern. As recently as July, police were capturing bank robbers in as few as ten minutes. A six-fold increase in capture time in only three months is very alarming. Let's get with it, LPD![/tongue in cheek]

After years of fuss, the area around 48th and O takes another step forward today with the opening of the new Hy-Vee just northeast of the intersection. Now if we could just get those last few empty spots filled in ... That reminds me, is the old Guitars & Cadillacs building (previously a movie theater) still vacant? I don't travel O Street between 48th and 56th very often so I haven't noticed.