Fried pickles and fresh meat

This weekend was one of the hottest we've had this year and it's been miserably warm inside the house due to whatever cooling we can get coming from a swamp cooler. At some point, it just doesn't make much of a difference -- that difference is usually when the outside temperature is over 100 degrees. It's been nearly 110 each day since Friday so it's been a challenge being comfortable.

The extreme heat motivated me to take the Ken Carr car 2.0 (poomobile) to The Specialists and get the windows tinted to reduce the heat level in the car when it's sunny. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes in an area like southern Arizona where the sun is so strong. The air conditioning in the car instantly became more efficient and cooled it down much faster. I spent $200 and it seems to be worth it. However, it's not dark enough that I could drive naked and someone would still point and laugh.

What we did this weekend: Saturday night we went to the Tilted Kilt for some dinner (where our buddy Payton works) but he wasn't there. Food was good, fun outing.

Today's dinner was at Arby's followed by grocery shopping at Walmart Market.

I'm posting this at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night and the house is still miserably warm. We have portable fans, ceiling fans, and the swamp cooler and I am trying to resist the urge to go spend money to buy more fans. If I sleep as poorly tonight as I did last night due to the warm conditions, we'll be the owner of a few more portable fans. Cause that's how I roll.

Anthony's fried pickles at Tilted Kilt
with cayenne ranch dipping sauce

My chicKEN strips and onion rings

Anthony was watched by the
creepy guy in the photo on
the wall while he ate.
It reminded me of Scooby Doo
where the eyes moved
(in the cartoon, they didn't
in the Tilted Kilt)

Anthony ordered a loaded Italian
sandwich at Arby's.
Does it look as fabulous as
it does in the signs behind him?

Sandwich minus one big ol' bite.
He said it was tasty.

I had a ham and brown sugar bacon
sandwich and homestyle fries.
Not homostyle, homestyle.

What do you get when plums
and apricots have sex?
Plumcots

Anthony left this plum with the bananas.
I'm sure they caught him on the
security cameras and now there's
a warrant out for his arrest.

They make cheese slices
in my image.

Yoooooo Anthony!
Look what I found!
And, it can squirt on you!
P.S. I hate to break the
news to you, but standing
under the "fresh meat"
sign won't get you a date.

Heather and Greg get hitched

My co-worker Heather and her man (Greg) got married yesterday. We (Anthony and I) were invited to the reception at Playground in downtown Tucson.

The requested attire was black and white (with an allowed splash of red). We did a little shopping over the weekend so we'd be ready.

It was on Playground's upper deck and exposed to the outdoors so it was plenty warm (just like Tucson always is in August). We didn't know very many people but it was a nice affair and we stayed for a couple of hours. My co-worker Tina also went and we enjoyed some social time.

Anthony and I haven't been downtown in a long time. It's really impressive to see what new places have opened since the streetcar has been in operation in the downtown area. We both decided that we'll have to go down to that area more often.

Best wishes to Heather and Greg!

Outside shot of Playground.
The reception was on
the upper deck.

Selfie.
Holy crap I have a fat head.

Let 'em eat cake

Guests at the reception

More guests at
the bar ordering drinks

Anthony schmoozes.
I shoot photo.
The end.

More guests

Anthony and Tina chatting



There's a strong chance that whatever
Anthony was laughing at was
at my expense

Bill is Crystal Stark's ottoman

Guests listen to speeches
made to the bride and groom

More speeches

Even more speeches

Heather and Greg
with their first dance
as bride and groom.
Congratulations!

You'll love a little sexy

This week has flown by. It seems like I got nearly nothing done that I wanted to.

This weekend included giving Lucky a bath, getting quite a bit of sleep because I wasn't feeling that great yesterday, a trip to Ross to buy a few dress shirts, a trip to Target to buy towels for Anthony's bathroom, and our usual dinner and grocery store Sunday night run.

We had dinner at Burger King at Grant and Craycroft in an empty restaurant for most of our meal, and shopping at Walmart Neighborhood Market.

This upcoming week is going to be challenging because two of my co-workers are taking vacation time off and that will create extra work for me. At least one of them is out every day and two out on Tuesday. I expect them to come back from vacation early because they'll miss me so darned much. I'm a dreamer.

Dinner in an empty Burger King
at Grant and Craycroft

Big King sandwich
that looks like it
was in a fight and lost

The aerial view of the Big King
does make it look better...
hanging out with it's friend
the French fries

Be. Flirty wine
at Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Drink the whole bottle and
you'll Be. Slutty

Woats
"Humble Oats with Ambition"
They want to go to college
but are worried their grades
aren't good enough to get in.

Someone left a screwdriver
and an open Red Bull
with the garbage bags.
Sounds like a date I've had.

Colgate Minion toothpaste
for ages 5 and older.
Breaking the hearts of
four year old Minion fans
who want fresh breath.

Colgate Minions toothpaste.
I wanted to buy some to find
out if it tastes like banana.
If you haven't seen a movie
with the Minions then you
won't get that joke.

Yo Anthony!
I found something for you.
You'll love a little sexy.
And I'll love that it's
on clearance.

Finger Rock fire is a flamer

The Finger Rock fire, which was lightning caused and started on July 29, has burned approximately 150 acres (so far) in the mountains north of Tucson.

The fire had been in the smoldering stage for days, and kicked back up today creating smoke that could be seen from many parts of the Tucson area. Social media (Facebook, Twitter) was insane today with Tucsonans posting photos of the smoke from their vantage points.

It's in pretty rugged terrain and the forest service is indicating they are monitoring it but are likely going to let it burn itself out. We're supposed to have rain chances from monsoon storms return tomorrow so there's a possibility that rain will fall to help put the fire out.

I had to drive to a client's location today for a meeting related to the show, and got a couple of photos while in the poomobile as well as a couple while driving home from work. It's also directly north of our house and I can see it well from the backyard.

The orange glow of the flames are also visible in the dark.

I kind of want to grab some marshmallows, a stick, and drive up there to make s'mores. I suppose that wouldn't be one of my more brilliant ideas.

Driving north on Swan Road
with smoke visible from
the Finger Rock fire

Speedway and Swan:
Driving back to the station
Shot this photo looking north
while at the stoplight

Heading home from work.
This photo shot while
driving north on Rosemont
from Speedway Blvd

Pima Street and Rosemont
(approximately 6 blocks from home)
looking north

Finger Rocks fire
as seen looking north
from my backyard



Finger Rocks fire at night
as seen from my backyard

Alex goes to Infiniti and beyond

My co-worker Alex got a new (to him) car.... an Infiniti M35.

His fancy car makes my recently purchased car (the poomobile) look plain. But, I purchased what I could afford and it's more important to be excited for someone else's good fortune than it is to be disappointed with my own stuff. He works hard and deserves something nice to drive as a symbol of his success.

Alex's car has a gorgeous interior with leather seats and all kinds of gadgets including air conditioning controls for the back seat, a fancy touch screen, and it's a pretty champagne color. He'll be able to enjoy the trappings of that car for a long time.

I went with him and co-worker Heather to take a look at the car in the station parking lot. I sat in the back seat which, if we had been moving instead of parked, would have been the perfect spot to be a back seat driver. Instead, I was a back seat sitting in a parking space person... not as exciting sounding, but it's roomy and comfortable and he didn't charge me for sitting in the car.

Congratulations Alex on your new ride. Vroom.

Alex and Heather getting into
Alex's new Infiniti M35

Front view.

My view as a back seat
sitting in a parking space
person while they take
a look at the interior.
I wonder if he'll notice
that I peed back here.