First visit to Popeye's Chicken

It's Sunday, the day that Anthony and I have dinner and go grocery shopping.

Today we decided to try Popeye's for the first time. We've both seen the multitude of commercials on TV and thought we should give it a shot. He's been in a mood for chicken lately and that's the focus of what they serve there.

There is only one Popeye's location in Tucson. It's in the southeast part of the city on 22nd Street near Kolb Road.

It reached about 103 degrees in the Tucson area today and it was apparent to us moments after we walked in the door at Popeye's that their air conditioning had failed. It was almost as warm inside the restaurant as it was outside. To the credit of the employees there, they were stuck with working in those miserable conditions and yet they managed to be very pleasant.

We both had chicken strips and Cajun fries, and I also got a biscuit. The only thing that turned out to be a positive about eating in a restaurant that warm inside is that the food never got cold through the entire eating process. I'd eat there again, the food was pretty good. Anthony said the same thing. One amazing part of the meal was watching Anthony eat because he literally inhaled his dinner. He revealed near the end that the reason he was eating so fast was that he was beyond warm and wanted to get out of there. If I knew that's what it takes to get him to eat faster, I'd bribe every restaurant we visit to turn up the furnace.

I hope they are able to get the air conditioning fixed quickly there. Working in those conditions over hot fryers and hot food has to be the most miserable thing imaginable for the crew that is employed at that restaurant. It's not fun to eat in the dining room when it's that warm either.

We grabbed our groceries at the nearby Walmart Market at Golf Links and Kolb. It's similar in it's layout to the location at Broadway and Camino Seco, except some items are at the opposite ends of the aisles... but the aisle layout in the store is the same. At least the air conditioning was working in that store.

Popeye's in Tucson on 22nd Street
103 degrees outside, 95 degrees inside

A few other brave souls were in
the incredibly warm dining room
eating their dinner

Our chicken strips, fries, biscuit

Anthony had to eat with a spork.
We both hate sporks and wish
the person who invented these
indigestion the rest
of their lives.

Cheerios + Ancient grains
at Walmart Market on
Golf Links Road at Kolb Road.
I prefer my grains fresh
thank you very much.

Oscar Mayer Bun Length Wieners
If a wiener is shorter than
bun length it won't be
as satisfying.

I'm running out of stupid products
to try to give Anthony while
taking a photo.
Oh well... yoooooo Anthony.
I found something to relieve
your mucus.

Reduced calorie chicken sandwich

When I got home from work today, Anthony said "If you're hungry, there's a chicken sandwich in the refrigerator."

Then, he proceeded to tell me that he had taken a bite out of the sandwich and was full. He didn't want anymore of it so I could have the rest of the sandwich.

This is one way to offer me food with lower calories. One bite worth of lower calories.

I did eat it. I'm not one of those people who says no to a sandwich from McDonald's. Even if it is missing a chunk out of it.

I feel thinner already.

Chicken sandwich with a bite taken
out of it.
My father once said:
"Never turn down a free meal."
He never mentioned whether
it was okay if it was missing
a bite worth though.

Now that's a mouthful

Another addition to my collection of eating photos thanks to a big bite of a Durango Burger from Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and the TV show.

Tina takes a giant bite of a burger
on live TV while I score
another eating photo for my collection

Meaty!

Anatomy of a car accident at Kolb and Rosewood

There are two streets to choose from when I leave work and head out of the commercial park the TV station is located at. One is onto Speedway Blvd and would take me in the wrong direction to get home, the other is onto Kolb Road so I can turn right and then make a left a block north to head west on Speedway.

The station is located on Rosewood Street. Kolb and Rosewood is the most dangerous and difficult intersection of my drive to and from work. It often has a blind spot depending on what size vehicle is attempting to turn left onto Kolb, and I have to get over three lanes in less than a block to get into the left turn lanes once I make a successful right turn onto Kolb.

Bottom line: The intersection at Kolb and Rosewood sucks. I've seen a few accidents there and I spotted another shortly after it occurred today. I decided to stop about half a block before the intersection and put a long lens on my camera to take a couple of pictures.

The man driving the blue Toyota pickup banged into the beautiful expensive looking Mercedes.

That's one of my concerns driving -- getting into an accident with an extremely rich person who could sue me into submission. I'd be so poor after the lawsuit that I'd consider a bowl of Ramen the most extravagant meal I could afford. I also am a bit worried about being rear ended (that's happened multiple times in my driving experiences) since I'm at the mercy of someone remembering to push the brake pedal before they slam into me. I'm a fairly aware driver the rest of the time and have been fortunate that the handful of accidents I've had over the 32 years I've been behind the wheel have been minor.

Back to the accident I photographed: It looked like both vehicles attempted to turn left in the same space and the Mercedes was in the way of the little blue pickup truck. Fortunately, it appeared to be a minor fender bender. Mercedes are stupidly expensive vehicles to repair regardless of whether it's body damage or mechanical, so that poor Toyota driver's insurance will probably pay about twenty grand for paint damage and a tail light that would cost $500 to repair on any other car.

I'll always prefer to be the person taking the photo than the one in the accident.

Traffic accident at Kolb Road and Rosewood Street
with a Mercedes and Toyota pickup involved

Drivers of the two vehicles
exchange information

Damage on the passenger side bumper
of the Mercedes and the tail light.
They can probably buff that out.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Automatic External Defibrillator

An announcement was made today that a defibrillator is installed on each floor of the building I work in.

The AED "Automatic External Defibrillator" can apparently be used by non-medically trained personnel if someone is going into cardiac arrest.

I would imagine it's fairly easy for someone who is not trained in medical treatment to use. I couldn't really see inside the case hanging on the wall but I'm imagine the instructions read something like this: "Step 1: Put the little pads on the patient's chest. Step 2: Make sure you're not standing in a puddle or holding your cell phone so it doesn't interrupt your Wi-Fi signal. Step 3: Scream in terror. Step 4: Press button to administer shock."

I began wondering what having this installed means. Is it because there is concern that one or more employees is in danger of having a heart attack? Is it meant to reduce some sort of insurance premium the company pays? Could it be used like a tazer if someone becomes unruly? And the most important question, why is the word defibrillator so damned difficult to spell?

I suppose it is better that they are available just in case. The old "better safe than sorry" trick rarely has a downside.

AED Automatic External Defibrillator
May not be used to grill meat
or melt cheese.