Anthony and I tried a new (to us) restaurant tonight: The Taco Shop.
There are a number of restaurants that serve the same Mexican style food in the Tucson area. Nico's, Los Betos, The Taco Shop... all dish up similar food with the same formula.
The location we went to is on Speedway Blvd east of Craycroft next to an eegee's in the same strip mall. It hasn't been open that long.
Its a pretty plain restaurant. A handful of yellow booths covered in Formica, lots of brown tile, a small exposed kitchen, and a difficult to read menu. Food is served in styrofoam containers and on paper plates or paper wrappers. There is nothing fancy about the food served at The Taco Shop (or Nico's or Los Betos for that matter).
I had a carne asada burrito. It was $4.50. Anthony had a $7 order of super nachos. Add drinks and our bill together was $16.25. I was worried that I wouldn't get what I ordered because the nice woman's English was difficult to understand. But, she nailed it so she's obviously a professional.
You get a decent sized portion and it tasted ok. My burrito had pico de gallo and guacamole. The tortilla was the best part actually. I am a sucker for a good tortilla.
They do have a salsa bar with four kinds of salsa and a fifth choice that was labeled as "jalapenos and carrots". I'm not an expert on Mexican food so I can only guess as to whether that is something which is popular or not.
I've usually only eaten at this type of restaurant after a night of drinking. It always seems like a good idea after half a dozen beers and then I pay for it with a rapid exit from the other end the next day (you get the idea).
I hear the toilet calling my name.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
25 year anniversary in broadcast media
Today is the 25th anniversary of the start of my career in broadcast media.
My first day on the radio was July 5, 1987 in Kearney, Nebraska from midnight until 6 a.m. It was a station that was a hybrid of top 40 music and classic rock. My first night on the air at Power 99, I drove there on my motorized scooter after watching fireworks and anchored a show called "The All Night Album Replay". I hadn't gone to school for broadcasting and had no prior skills. But, I apparently interviewed well enough with the Program Director of the station (Jeff Stevens) that I got a shot. I made my debut on the air three days after my 21st birthday.
It was the beginning of an unbelievable 25 year odyssey.
My career has taken me to cities large and small. I was on the air in a variety of dayparts, voiced thousand of commercials, done thousands of personal appearances, and even moved into management including the titles of Music Director, Assistant Program Director, and Program Director.
I have met thousands of interesting people along the way and had the chance to do things most people dream of. From stage announcements in front of crowds of thousands to interviews and meeting some of the world's best known celebrities, its been amazing. I've signed autographs and posed for pictures. It still amazes me that I'm remembered for work I did years ago. Guests who visit the Morning Blend regularly recognize me even though I'm not on the air anymore.
More recently as I've moved into the world of television, I've had to learn new skills and make adjustments to take on roles as news producer and now executive producer. The adventure hasn't stopped. This week I wore a Spiderman suit on TV!
I've also added social networking to my career skills. At more than 11,000 friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter plus readers of this blog, I'm fortunate that I continue to have many people who find my content interesting / entertaining.
I have a long list of people to thank for the chance to learn, grow, and contribute. If you're a person I've worked with, you've listened to me on the radio, or watched on television, you've been a part of my career. I couldn't have done it without you.
Here's to another 25!
My first day on the radio was July 5, 1987 in Kearney, Nebraska from midnight until 6 a.m. It was a station that was a hybrid of top 40 music and classic rock. My first night on the air at Power 99, I drove there on my motorized scooter after watching fireworks and anchored a show called "The All Night Album Replay". I hadn't gone to school for broadcasting and had no prior skills. But, I apparently interviewed well enough with the Program Director of the station (Jeff Stevens) that I got a shot. I made my debut on the air three days after my 21st birthday.
It was the beginning of an unbelievable 25 year odyssey.
My career has taken me to cities large and small. I was on the air in a variety of dayparts, voiced thousand of commercials, done thousands of personal appearances, and even moved into management including the titles of Music Director, Assistant Program Director, and Program Director.
I have met thousands of interesting people along the way and had the chance to do things most people dream of. From stage announcements in front of crowds of thousands to interviews and meeting some of the world's best known celebrities, its been amazing. I've signed autographs and posed for pictures. It still amazes me that I'm remembered for work I did years ago. Guests who visit the Morning Blend regularly recognize me even though I'm not on the air anymore.
More recently as I've moved into the world of television, I've had to learn new skills and make adjustments to take on roles as news producer and now executive producer. The adventure hasn't stopped. This week I wore a Spiderman suit on TV!
I've also added social networking to my career skills. At more than 11,000 friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter plus readers of this blog, I'm fortunate that I continue to have many people who find my content interesting / entertaining.
I have a long list of people to thank for the chance to learn, grow, and contribute. If you're a person I've worked with, you've listened to me on the radio, or watched on television, you've been a part of my career. I couldn't have done it without you.
Here's to another 25!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Monsoon rain on July 4 Part Two
Not long after I posted the first monsoon rain photos from today, a real storm rolled through Tucson's east side.
The east side typically gets less monsoon storm action than the south, west, and northwest sides of the Tucson metro.
I've mentioned this multiple times... but rain is a big deal here. Its the desert. We get rain basically two times a year... during the winter and for about an eight week stretch in the summer. It also doesn't drop nearly as much as other places so seeing a puddle is more unusual than you might think.
I'm listening to the police scanner right now and there are multiple locations in the Tucson area with flooding issues. I hope they don't have to do too many swift water rescues from washes and roads due to people deciding they can drive through areas that are too deep for their cars.
Back to my apartment... I still had my camera out, so I gave it go to take more photos.
The east side typically gets less monsoon storm action than the south, west, and northwest sides of the Tucson metro.
I've mentioned this multiple times... but rain is a big deal here. Its the desert. We get rain basically two times a year... during the winter and for about an eight week stretch in the summer. It also doesn't drop nearly as much as other places so seeing a puddle is more unusual than you might think.
I'm listening to the police scanner right now and there are multiple locations in the Tucson area with flooding issues. I hope they don't have to do too many swift water rescues from washes and roads due to people deciding they can drive through areas that are too deep for their cars.
Back to my apartment... I still had my camera out, so I gave it go to take more photos.
Monsoon rain on July 4
I have the day off today. Happy July 4th to me!
Its also forecast to be the coldest July 4 on record in Tucson. Its not supposed to break 90. Its also raining.
I stepped out onto my apartment balcony and thanks to the 18x digital zoom on my Lumix camera, I was able to get a couple of photos to share of rain on a puddle in the parking lot about a hundred feet away. I could have walked down to get it close up... but that defeats the purpose of being lazy on my day off.
Its also forecast to be the coldest July 4 on record in Tucson. Its not supposed to break 90. Its also raining.
I stepped out onto my apartment balcony and thanks to the 18x digital zoom on my Lumix camera, I was able to get a couple of photos to share of rain on a puddle in the parking lot about a hundred feet away. I could have walked down to get it close up... but that defeats the purpose of being lazy on my day off.
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| Puddle in the Ridgepointe parking lot |
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| Splish splash -- a cab drove through the puddle. This cab driver has no idea he's now famous on the internet. |
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
SpiderKEN
I've made myself look like a fool many times in my career. I did it again today.
Carl's Jr. is doing a promotion for the new Amazing Spiderman movie. If you wear a Spiderman outfit into a Carl's Jr. on July 4 you'll get an Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger free.
I was asked to facilitate a segment on the Morning Blend for this promotion. I knew I'd have to wear a Spiderman costume and I also realized I'd look ridiculous. The guys who've played Spiderman have had to undergo serious weight training to look as awesome as they do in the Spiderman suit (ask Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield). I looked more like a fluffy cheeseburger eating Spiderman. But, it got done and no real actors were harmed in the making of the segment.
Behold, the amazing SpiderKEN.
Carl's Jr. is doing a promotion for the new Amazing Spiderman movie. If you wear a Spiderman outfit into a Carl's Jr. on July 4 you'll get an Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger free.
I was asked to facilitate a segment on the Morning Blend for this promotion. I knew I'd have to wear a Spiderman costume and I also realized I'd look ridiculous. The guys who've played Spiderman have had to undergo serious weight training to look as awesome as they do in the Spiderman suit (ask Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield). I looked more like a fluffy cheeseburger eating Spiderman. But, it got done and no real actors were harmed in the making of the segment.
Behold, the amazing SpiderKEN.
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| SpiderKEN, Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers, and Ann on the Morning Blend. |
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| Little known fact: Spiderman wears Chucks with black socks. |
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| Look! Eyeholes! |
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| SpiderKEN on the KGUN 9 news set. If Guy Atchley or Jennifer Waddell ever want to go on vacation, I'm ready. |
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| Sitting at the KGUN 9 news desk. Breaking news: I look ridiculous. |
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| My spidey sense tells me if I don't stop trying to climb on the KGUN news set.. I'm going to get fired. |
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