Ken Carr Photo Art: Stunner of a sunrise

The spectacular sunsets and sunrises in Tucson never cease to amaze.

I had to head to work plenty early this morning and shot a photo before I got into my car to drive. A lot of pink in this morning's sunrise.

Sunrise on December 14, 2016 in Tucson, Arizona

as seen from the front yard at my house.

It's purrrrrrrrrrrrrdy.

No editing on the photo - came straight out of my

Sony HX80 camera

Another year, another sales department holiday potluck

I wasn't hungry, but I couldn't resist heading to the second floor at work today to shoot a few photos of the sales department's annual holiday potluck lunch. They're kind enough to feed the whole staff each year and the food is always awesome... if you like pizza, cheese, pie, pasta, vegetable trays, and a random selection of stuff you would probably not assemble for yourself at home.

Om nom nom.

The conference room becomes a buffet for one day every December.

Alex, Seth, Greg, Jennifer and Jason are feasting.

Jennifer combines pies

Alex shows us how to eat a chip with cheese on it.

There's an art to it, you know.

Goo Goo Dolls at Desert Diamond in Tucson

Anthony's birthday was November 15th, and one of the gifts he wanted that he had casually mentioned in a conversation one afternoon was tickets to see the Goo Goo Dolls.

I had a flashback to the first time I had seen them perform in 1996 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Goo Goo Dolls were one of three bands on the bill, the headliner being Bush and the opening band was No Doubt. Q99, the radio station I was the Program Director of at the time, did a giveaway where we did a rather large meet and greet party event with No Doubt. We had 25 station listeners meet the band backstage and we did the usual picture and autograph thing.

Gwen Stefani along with the other members of the band spent about an hour with the listeners and the Q99 staff chatting and hanging out. That would be unheard of these days with the level of fame that she and the band have but at the time Spiderwebs and Don't Speak were the two songs that had received airplay. You never know without time unfolding afterward (years!) what a successful band they turned out to be and what a superstar Gwen Stefani is today. If I recall, she must have told me half a dozen times how grateful they were that the station was playing their music and helping their career. She, along with the rest of the band, are very gracious and wonderful people.

Back to the present, I purchased the Goo Goo Dolls tickets in early November and we attended the show last night. During my radio dj days I played a crapload of their music on various radio stations I worked at so I knew 90% of the songs they performed.

It was a nice evening to go do something like that with Anthony because we each work about 60 hours a week so it was good to find time to go.

Safety Suit was the opening band at Desert Diamond

Selfie of Anthony, Anthony's duck face, and my giant head.

See the random blonde guy behind Anthony in this photo?

The blonde guy couldn't stop playing with Snapchat filters during the intermission

Our view of the Goo Goo Dolls performing
We were about ten seats from center, 2/3 of the way back in the theater from the stage

Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care

A few balloons floating around during the performance of "Little Black Balloon"

Guy in the row in front of us shooting photos.

One of the video screens at Desert Diamond is in the background.

Tried to do an artsy shot behind Anthony's head of his view

Goo Goo Dolls performing "Broadway" near the end of the show

ChicKEN strips and abandoned bobby pins

End of another weekend. I pushed myself a little too hard this week apparently, because I slept quite a bit over the weekend. Just when I think I'm a little caught up on sleep... it's back to work tomorrow.

I ended the weekend on the usual Sunday dinner and grocery run. Anthony worked earlier today at his second job at the library so he wasn't up for going, so I went alone.

It's ok though because I learned how to walk to and shop at the grocery store alone when I was eight years old and traveled three blocks to get my mom stuff to make dinner including across a busy street with a stoplight. I carried everything myself and learned how to count money early so I wouldn't get screwed by the cashier. I started being independent early in life. Reeeeeal early.

Dinner alone at Raising Cane's.

If Anthony had come with me, he would have been sitting here.

ChicKEN strips, toast, fries, and that weird brown dipping sauce

they give you at Raising Cane's

Twizzlers left with chips at Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chips Ahoy left to die with the Oreos

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo

Someone's going to have tragic hair later.

Hair pins left in the cookie aisle.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Timeless Joy Sparkling Spruce air freshener

left with Western Horse and Gun Magazine.

That's one way to make a horse smell fresher.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Return to Cosmic Bingo

Lucinda Holliday, the regular host of Cosmic Bingo at Casino Del Sol, asked me to make a return fill-in appearance to emcee the event while she was out of town over the weekend.

I haven't emceed many events since my departure from working on the radio to being a TV producer. I'm regularly asked by various organizations but I turn most down because it doesn't work well with my current workload and schedule. However, I did say yes to Cakes For Causes event a few weeks ago and I have always had a fondness for Cosmic Bingo, so I said yes to this event.

The night included an ugly sweater contest with cash prizes, and I bought one on Amazon so I would be properly dressed.

I had a lot of fun doing it. The people who were playing bingo didn't boo me out of the building so I think I was good enough to fill in for a hilarious drag queen for one night.

Cosmic Bingo players at Casino Del Sol on 12/3/16

One of the many things that was exciting to see
was the return of the money machine (on the far right of the photo).

Someone took home $460 by having grabby hands.