The Godfather, Part III, Senor Frog's, The COVID Blues & Happy Holiday Wishes

As promised, here is the last thing I'll be writing in this miserable year of 2020. Normally, right now I'd be in the Midwest on the customary vacation to see various members of the family. However, the pandemic is so bad it was the prudent decision to not make the long journey this year; at least most of those family members were seen back in August when mom was buried. Earlier in the year I mentioned how 2020 was awful even before the pandemic as mom was sick starting in January. Other prudent decisions were made: another yearly tradition was attending the auto show in Orlando at the Convention Center, where many manufacturers displayed their new product. Believe it or not they held it last weekend. Due to The Plague being especially bad in Florida and the thing being indoors, it seemed like a bad idea for me to attend. Mecum in Kissimmee is early next year and as I would never have to go in any building if I did not want to... expect me there.

There isn't too much that's happened in the past few weeks. The Chicago Bears took an even worse nosedive than what I expected when I mentioned back in late October that their good record (at the time) was a real misnomer. They'll likely end up 8-8 once the season ends-good thing I hardly paid attention to them. I did go to the cinema more than once-the highlight there was seeing the new edit of 1990's The Godfather, Part III. I never hated it like many people do, even if the movie is not a classic like the first two. This 2020 cut is a little bit better than what was shown 30 years ago-I am glad that since 2010 all three of those movies I've been able to see theatrically.

I've been to more than one restaurant-Senor Frogs will be specifically mentioned as I had never been to one before. It's a loud tourist sort of place (no surprise as it's on International Drive) and it may be a place only visited once... that doesn't mean the food was bad. At least the burrito I had tasted fine, but it's priced like a tourist sort of restaurant. 2021, one thing I should do is visit more local establishments in the area as there is no shortage of those.

To close this out, I will wish everyone a Happy Holidays and a better 2021 for everyone-it couldn't possibly be much worse for me. On the other side of the coin, I really shouldn't complain: several people I know “got the COVID” recently and another was in a car accident-thankfully everyone ended up fine. Let's all hope next year isn't the dumpster fire this year was.

Thanksgiving, The Hunt for Red October, Space Mountain & Shrimp Dinners

There is not too much to write about since the last time I did one of these. Due to how “the plague” has been ravaging much of the country-Florida being one of the hotspots-it has been wise to not be out all that often unless I am at a place like a grocery store or Walmart to get some essentials. Of course I still once in awhile see a fool without a mask on in a grocery store or Walmart; it just makes me shake my head. Don't worry, I do not confront them... instead, walking away as far away from them as possible is what happens. Anyhow, Thanksgiving was for certain different this year than any previous year in my life... there is no complaints as it was still went with family and that's the important thing.

Otherwise, among the things I can discuss here, there is not too much else to say. One afternoon was spent at the Magic Kingdom; I have an annual pass-thankfully it won't renew until two months from now-and it might as well be used. As they temperature screen everyone and rigidly enforce the mask rule, there were not too many worries about being at WDW. The crowd was not heavy so Space Mountain Early last month I saw The Hunt for Red October on the big screen as it was a tribute to the late Sean Connery. Viewing it that way was a good time. Last week, I went to a Joe's Crab Shack as it's been too long since a shrimp dinner was had. It was good and the place being the opposite of busy was fine with me in terms of health concerns.

Right before Christmas I'll return and post something new. There actually is more than one activity planned for the rest of the year so there will be things to discuss. Hopefully by then I'll be feeling like it is the Christmas season.

Halloween, Total Recall, Psycho, Gaelic Sports & BubbaQue's BBQ

I wanted to write one of these before the month concluded as after tomorrow, Facebook won't have a Notes function any longer. Never fear... I've always concurrently posted these on a Blogspot page so in the future, I'll link these in a Facebook post whenever I do one of these.

The past few weeks have not been too eventful; at least I've been able to see a few films on the big screen. One was the original Total Recall-that movie is great so it was awesome seeing it theatrically for the first time. Another was the original Psycho-I've been lucky in having seen that theatrically a few times now. There was also The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was only my second time seeing it... and both were revival theatrical screenings. Another night was a new one-Honest Thief. Not the best Liam Neeson motion picture of its time but still fine and I've seen far worse starring him. Before seeing Psycho, I stopped at a Florida chain I was not even familiar with until recently: BubbaQue's BBQ. I now regret not having gone to one before as they have decent food and especially in this time, it's nice to support local businesses. Another place I visited was in Kissimmee one day: Miami Grill. In the past when I was near Miami one afternoon I ate there under its former name Miami Subs & Grill; they also have decent food.

Concerning sports, I won't list all my opinions of those currently in action or just concluded... I can't be mad that the Dodgers won the World Series as I know someone who is a big fan of the team. The NFL, that's hardly been paid attention to. The league is still not fun to watch anymore and it is pure luck that the Chicago Bears are 5-2... I am sure they will lose their next few games. Via YouTube I finally got to see the Irish sister sports of Gaelic football and hurling. I now wish those two could be seen on American television as they both are a lot of fun from the few games I streamed. At least I was able to recently watch the championship games of the Australian Football League (that's Australian rules football) and the rugby league they have in the Land Down Under.

While the Halloween season does seem different from previous years, I still have done my best to feel in the proper mood; at least I've watched plenty of horror movies. I will return sometime in November.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Tremors, 42 & Mountain Dew Maui Burst

I've been thinking of awhile of doing another one of these; I am sure everyone can understand how I am still in a malaise due to everything that has gone on in 2020 and how everything is just different now. The fact that as of late several people I know have had COVID scares (all of them tested negative, thankfully) and it's easy to feel “blah” sometimes. Still, I do try my best... also, while nothing was said by me to this person, I was appalled recently when I was in a Publix grocery store and not only did a mom not wear a mask, so didn't her two small children. I will list some highlights:

Last month I did go to Walt Disney World for the first time since February. It was at Hollywood Studios so I could finally go on the attraction that replaced The Great Movie Ride (Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway)-it was a good time and I enjoyed the look & feel of the attraction. Sometime later this month I'll return to the park. Pro tip: apparently it is a part of the collective unconscious that now you need to make a reservation before going to any of the WDW parks. I certainly never heard that beforehand; it led to an awkward situation at the gate but a nice lady employee helped me there.

On another note, since the last time I wrote I had several sodas new to me. This includes Crush Sour Patch Kids Berry-thankfully not that sour-Mountain Dew VooDew II, and Mountain Dew Maui Burst... actually introduced late last year at Dollar General stores but I never could locate it then... and a few weeks ago stumbled upon it at a different Dollar General from the ones I tried at the time. Nothing new when it comes to trying new restaurants, although last weekend I went by Oviedo so for the first time in a long while I had Mooyah, which has decent fast food. The only other thing to mention is that I went to the cineplex a few times since the last I wrote. The first highlight was 42, the 2013 sports biopic they brought back to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman-that was pretty good. I am glad I finally saw that as his death was as shocking to me as it was to everyone else. The other one was Tremors; while it is melancholy that mom would have found it great that I would be able to see it on the big screen, it was still an experience I appreciated-it's a movie I've loved since I was a kid. Hopefully cinemas can survive the pandemic but that is definitely uncertain with how things have gone the past few months... I know for certain that not too many people have gone back yet.

Sometime later in the month I'll return; what interesting events I'll discuss, now that's up in the air.

Mountain Dew Spark, The Empire Strikes Back, Derechos & Kissimmee Summer Specials

Not to start this off on a sour note, but I'll just mention one thing I have noted this summer: those who drive with their masks on in their cars are the worst drivers! While I am glad they do wear masks, this at least gives me a warning to try and avoid them if possible. As for derecho, that is a term I had never heard of before a terrible set of thunderstorms hit Northern Illinois soon after I left there and returned to Florida. Thankfully no one I know was adversely affected.

To mention a few random things since the last time I wrote one of these: 2020 being miserable has even impacted the soda manufacturers. The variety of pop (at least in 12 packs) has been lacking as of late. At least last month there was the unexpected revelation that at Speedway convenience stores only is Mountain Dew Spark, which tastes like raspberry lemonade and I am in favor of the flavor. Another thing I did was return to the cinemas; while a risk, I am willing to accept that risk and believe that each chain's measures will be enough. One thing I saw which wasn't good as Peninsula, a horror/action movie from South Korea that was a sequel to the awesome Train to Busan. Unfortunately, Peninsula wasn't too good... an attempt at being a mindless modern Hollywood blockbuster, only with terrible computer graphic effects. At least the week prior was being able to experience The Empire Strikes Back theatrically, which was awesome. For certain it was MUCH better than the last few Star Wars movies... and to deliver a hot take, recently I finally watched The Mandalorian-Baby Yoda is cute and all but the whole thing was just meh and dull to me, among other issues such as there being too much humor... one of the main problems I had with the last few Star Wars movies.

The past few weeks haven't been too terribly exciting so it was nice that Mecum returned to Kissimmee; each January I discuss the largest auto auction in the world (at least 3,000 vehicles) and because of The Black Plague canceling some of their scheduled events, they had to have another one in this area of Florida. While they had “only” 1000 vehicles and nothing was in 7 figures like their usual auctions here, it was still nice seeing a wide variety of different cars... even with how hot and humid it was. After that, on the way home I ate at a BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse as my last visit to one was ages ago and I have always enjoyed their food; the same was true on this day.

When I return sometime later in the month, who knows what will be discussed. Hopefully everyone has a nice Labor Day today.

Video Slots, Ticketless Parking, Wetzel's Pretzels & Ukrainian Cheddar

Yes, there is such a thing as Ukrainian cheddar; it wasn't until yesterday that I realized it was a thing. The taste is on the bland side so I'll rate it as “alright” but at least it isn't something like Limburger. Anyway, now I will fully be caught up on last week's brief trip and what little else I've done since then. It does have to be mentioned that it was great how in Belvidere some institutions downtown are still around... I am referring to both Sam's Pizza and Lung Fung's; both received plenty of orders from my parents when I was a kid. The biggest impression I had of Illinois while I was there: video slot machines were everywhere. I am talking about the airport, gas stations, buildings in rural areas... considering that the state has been broke for years-due to corruption and other reasons-no surprise to me they would have this as an attempt at a revenue stream. Another impression I had: people in Illinois ignore the directional arrows in stores as much as people do in Florida! I don't want to go into a giant spiel here but while acknowledging it can be a hassle, I am unlike a lot of individuals in that I actually do follow those arrows as it does help me stay away from people. I won't rant either about people whose masks don't cover their nose and mouths.

Sunday the 9th, I flew back to Florida in the morning. On the flight I had to sit by both two little kids and a guy who reeked of marijuana who was acting like a tool. Both gave me a cause for concern. Thankfully, I hardly heard much from the kids and the stoner was either asleep or at times giggled nonstop. The frustration did not kick in until I tried paying for long term parking and leaving the airport. Orlando Sanford Airport now has a ticketless parking system and it just did not work for me (or anyone else), whether it was at the pay booth indoors or at the exit gate itself. No kidding, that whole rigmarole delayed me from leaving for at least ten full minutes; as it may be years before I am on another plane flight, thank goodness it may be a long time before I have to deal with that again.

Back home, I realized how much worse traffic and driver behavior was down here compared to Illinois; that's always a realization after returning home from being out of state. Not much has been done in the past week... fast food was purchased from a PDQ one night, I went to get groceries twice, and my dad has canceled the credit cards and bank account that my mom had. To add some excitement, last night I returned to Disney Springs. Unlike the last two times I was there-hardly anyone was around-a decent number of people were present. I ate food at Blaze Pizza and also purchased lemonade from Wetzel's Pretzels; their pretzel bits are also pretty good... the food there isn't the cheapest so that's why I only make purchases there once in a long while. 

The next time I do one of these... who knows for certain.

Meijer, Port Edward, Beef-A-Roo, Doc Soda & Fanta Shokata

Or: My time this past weekend back in the Rockford area of Illinois.

From Thursday morning August the 6th to Sunday morning the 9th, I returned to the northern half of Illinois for the burial of my mom. It felt especially melancholy because the last time I was in the region, it was with my parents as one of my two sisters was visited for the Christmas holiday last December. It was a time right before things went to hell... my mom's health was fine and there was no Black Plague illness all around-yet I tried my best to not be crestfallen the entire time so I was able to do some things as I had access to a vehicle the entire time. Unfortunately I was only able to visit a few pals but due to all the circumstances... many people I know have families anyhow so trying to coordinate even a brief visit would be difficult.

Thursday I flew from the Sanford airport to Rockford; believe it or not, it was my first plane ride since December of 2009. Air travel is about the same as I remembered it, except for the whole mask thing. It was on low-buck Allegiant Airlines and they were so desperate for customers, the price for a round trip ticket was only 65 dollars! No wonder it was about half-full at the crack of dawn. That day was rather quiet; the only thing of note was that dinner was had with the family at a Smokey Bones restaurant, a place I had never been to before. Both the service and the food were fine. 

Friday was the service itself; due to the pandemic it was not a big event. Instead, only the immediate family, my mom's best friend and her husband were in attendance. Everyone was glad that she was buried in a nice, peaceful place right by where her dad and grandma were laid to rest. After that was lunch at Port Edward, a fancy restaurant in the city of Algonquin I have known about since I was a kid, yet somehow had never gone there before. Remember when I just said that I was trying to be nice to people that had to work jobs like this during the pandemic? This day and the next would test that theory. It took a long time for the food to come out and it was not that busy; only the outdoor patio seating right on the Fox River was open so it was not like there were dozens of parties present. Thankfully the food itself was rather tasty. On this day I had Doc Soda; it was something I noticed last December but just now was able to try. This subsidiary of Pepsi-only available in the Midwest-makes a decent soda, similar to both Dr. Pepper and Mr. Pibb.

After that things were free for me; in Rockford I visited a few places, including one in a small chain of grocery stores known as Valli Produce. It was actually an international market and the wide variety of obscure products was right in my wheelhouse. My dad drove back home a few days ago so things could be transported... I could have gone hog wild there but he had things to bring back himself so not that much was purchased. What I did buy was some oddities otherwise not easily found in the United States. For example, a Fanta drink from Bosnia (!) known as Shokata; I don't know what the name means as it sounds like a band of samurais from feudal Japan-the flavor was a mix of elderberry and lemon... pretty good. Another drink was known as Fanta Green and was from Thailand; it's a mix of fruit and I'll try it later in the month. Dinner was had at a local fast food chain which has been a favorite since I was a kid: Beef-A-Roo. It's not even their beef sandwiches I have there, but rather their burger and fries... I know, I know. Both taste great and the drink to accompany that was a milkshake.

Saturday I hung out with some people for a short amount of time and I was able to kill time before eating dinner at Japanese restaurant JMK Nippon (think a local version of a Kobe Japanese Steakhouse) by visiting a Meijer. The name I knew but before I entered there was no knowledge by me that it was a version of Walmart, except that they apparently did it first. It was a huge place with a lot to look at; thankfully there was no rush. One of the items I got there was a variety of French Soda; I don't know what that is either but it was pretty good. At Nippon, the waiter me and the family had was a real buffoon; thank heavens the actual chef did his job rather well and the meals were very good.

As this is running long, I will have to return in a few days and finish the story; once I do that I'll mention what little I've done since returning home. While the circumstances were unfortunate and some things would have been different if it was not for the Black Plague, it was nice to see family & friends and drive around that part of Illinois on my own for the first time since August of 2009.

Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Ole Red & Elysian Pumpkin Beer

I do have some tales to tell on this random Wednesday. As I hadn't done much this summer until my mom passed away, being stir crazy meant I should do some things. Before I get to that, though... before 2020 my mom did not watch too much of the Food Network. For whatever reasons, that changed. It was almost always on when she was in hospice so I saw plenty of Guy Fieri, whether it be “Triple D” or Guy's Grocery Games. I hate to rip on a guy who has done many charitable things and helped others but “Triple G” comes off as rather fakeand it is irritating how the show seems to do a lot to make the contestants look bad. Personally I prefer the similar Chopped as it comes across as less phony and it is interesting to see how four wholly different ingredients are used differently by all the chefs.

Two evenings I did go into the Orlando area as I hadn't really done that since way back in March. The Total Wine & More liquor store in Altamonte Springs was a wise place to visit; aside from a few days in 2020 I haven't had much alcohol all year. As I polished off the oldest beer I still had, that needed to be replenished. The main thing I bought was a 12 pack which had four different pumpkin beers from Seattle's Elysian's Brewery. They are Night Owl, The Great Pumpkin, Dark O' The Moon, and Punkuccino.. yes, that one includes some coffee. Sometime later in the month I'll taste all of those.

This past Saturday I returned to the area that has already had several names despite not being around for that many years... now it is ICON Park. That is where the giant 400 foot Ferris wheel is. Some things have closed since my last visit yet one thing new was the Ole Red restaurant. That is a restaurant owned by Blake Shelton. Modern country music I don't listen to (especially the pop-country genre in general sounds rather atrocious) but I was interested in the food. Thankfully the restaurant was nice and I enjoyed their food... it is a place I'll visit only once in a blue moon as it isn't the cheapest restaurant around. At least I had a good experience there and there were no complaints with the waitress or anyone else working at the time. Not that I should get too upset at anyone working at a place like a restaurant, the supermarket, or other stores during this pandemic as this whole mess is not easy for anyone. Anyhow, I was relieved that there were no putrid modern country songs played during my time there.

I will return next week, where things quite different from the norm will be discussed.

The One Time I Wondered Why 2020 Was So Miserable

First off, I would like to thank everyone for their condolences during this difficult time. As I stated on Saturday, my mom had not been well since early January. Late that month it was discovered what the issue was (which is a private matter that won't be shared in public) and since then it was an arduous experience for me and everyone else who loved her. She was in and out of hospitals with that problem and other medical maladies. The last time I did one of these-back in the middle of June-I alluded to some things that can finally be revealed now. Mom was the person I visited in the hospital back in March; when I stated that for a few days in May I went out to restaurants with various people, it was with my dad, two sisters, and mom's friend that she had literally known most of her life. They all came down because we were told at the time that she only had days left, and just entered hospice. Somehow, my mom lasted for over two months until Saturday was finally the day. Starting June 1, I was able to see her for a few hours a day, which was comforting.

In case anyone had any doubt, having to deal with this AND the horrible events of this year (the pandemic, civil unrest, riots, and much general anger) has not been easy for me or my family. Still, we are trying our best. I am just glad my mom never got COVID-19 as that would have also been an unpleasant experience; since the world changed in early March, all I've done (in essence; I won't reveal everything) is visit Disney Springs twice, go to grocery stores/Walmart/Target, get fast food or pick up food from places like Chili's & Olive Garden, and visit mom either in the hospital or in hospice. Considering how prevalent The Black Plague is down here, it's for the best I have not been in more locations than that. 2020 has been a real blur; today being the last day of July does not seem possible. 

Honestly, this would have been posted earlier in the week... except that it's been a struggle figuring out how to close things out. OK, here goes nothing... like everyone else I do have regrets in life and in hindsight some things would have been done differently. Thank goodness I said everything that needed to be said to my mom while I could. She was a nurse for 33 years and knew many people throughout life-I know from the Internet alone that there are plenty who are broken up over this. It will always be upsetting the manner which the last few months of her life turned out yet I realize many did not have a mom as long as I did or had nice relationships with same... that said, knowing this was coming does not make the ordeal any better. Thankfully I have plenty of friends and family that can provide assistance if needed. She was a great mom and will always be missed by me.

The One Time I Gave Everyone an Update

I realize, it's been three months since I've written one of these. There isn't too much for me to write now; I'll just say that 2020 has been an awful year and not just for all the chaos revolving around the pandemic, the protests, and other calamities. The next time I write one of these (which may be in a matter of days, or it could be longer) I will explain what I am referring to. For now, my mental health has thankfully been OK considering the impact the pandemic has had on everyone. Back in March I did scoff at how serious it was going to be. I don't know if it was the media's awful job at covering it, my naivety or other factors. I do apologize for that. Thankfully no one I know has contracted the virus.

There have not been too many activities I have done in the past three months. Thank goodness for such things as movies, podcasts, YouTube, and videogames. There's also been television... shoutout to such random digital channels as the Justice Network and the new Court TV, which is nice although not quite the same as what unfortunately changed to TruTV. The lack of sports hasn't bothered me as much as I thought it would. Earlier this month I did have lunch at Disney Springs and as I had heard beforehand, the area was far less populated than usual. At least it was nice to see that place again. I have gotten takeout from several restaurants in my town and due to reasons I'll explain next time, last month I ate with some people at other restaurants. Otherwise it's been some trips to the hospital to visit someone, trips to another place I'll mention next time, and journeys to such places as Target and grocery stores. Considering Florida is suffering either from the second wave or is still in the first wave of the virus-I've glanced at articles that have said both-I do still wear my mask in public even though plenty of people aren't doing so, especially in June. No surprise then that there have been many new cases as of late. After all, the way people drive down here is still rather atrocious.

Anyhow, I will be back sometime soon and be able to provide more details of why 2020 has been especially awful for me... to clarify, no one has to worry about me or my mental health.

The One Time I Realized This Will Have To Go On Hiatus

I have to start this off with an announcement: due to what's going on in the world now (which I definitely have opinions about but this isn't the time to share those), the plan for now is that I won't write another one of these for a few weeks. There is plenty for me to do that doesn't require going out-from YouTube to podcasts to various electronic distractions-it's just that this won't provide me with anything to discuss here. I'll be fine and I won't worry about the people I know who are most susceptible to this virus. Of course I do feel bad for everyone that has it... including Idris Elba, which I just saw on Twitter. If anything major happens to me it will be discussed ASAP... however, that will be highly unlikely.

To mention what I did do in the past week...last Monday I went to two locations in the Orlando region new to me. I ate at Cafe Rio, a Mexican cantina that has locations across the country. To me, the tacos tasted fine, although the rice that was offered I was more nonplussed about. The price was a few bucks more than Chiptole and well, I rather stick with Chipotle instead. I then went to Rock & Roll Heaven, a record store which also has cassettes, CD's, movies, and random bric-a-brac all over. Furthermore, I understand they have a hell of a band... anyhow, I purchased three CD's, the most interesting of which was a release of Miami Vice music. It was from 1989, which isn't so unusual... until you hear it was from Germany.

Otherwise, Wednesday I went to the Mall at Millenia for food and other places I stopped at for food were Shake Shack and Wawa. I did have to go to the grocery store on Friday night, and I am glad it wasn't as horrid as it could have been. That said, some shelves looked as if they were attacked by a swarm of locusts as they were completely empty. This includes... toilet paper. I know this is a worldwide problem as I heard about fights over TP in Australia about a week ago. I wish I knew why this became a precious commodity; at least I was able to get most of what I wanted, and nothing that was essential was missed out on. This is all that I'll share about what I've done in the preceding week.

I will wish everyone good luck under these bizarre circumstances, and the best of health also.

The One Time I Got Sick & Tired of Everyone Being Sick & Tired

This will be different from usual. The first week of March was pretty sour overall and I only did a few things of note. Monday the 2nd was spent recovering from the rancid case of food poisoning I suffered from late on the 1st due to pizza I got at a cineplex. Wednesday, there was an upset stomach due to what I realized later was food at home I immediately then tossed out. I otherwise haven't done much aside from such mundane activities as going to stores in town as being low-key felt like the thing to do. Now, one day I did go get pizza in town and another was me and some people at the local Oakwood Smokehouse & Grill... mainly because right by it was a Publix grocery store which they needed to visit. Saturday I was in Orlando and the one thing I'll mention on that day was my return to Smashburger as I hadn't been there in awhile. When I was there it was mostly just me and two other customers so that's not a great sign.

Another thing I've had to do was visit the hospital; someone I know is there... all I'll say is that this was not unexpected and they will be fine. Yet of course it is still something weighing on my mind so this is a big part of why March was so uneventful for me. I think that will change when I return next Monday. It was nice seeing them and they were happy to see me. Now, let me mention the coronavirus (technically, COVID-19) and how that has lead to a worldwide hysteria. I could go on for paragraphs over this whole kerfuffle but I won't. Instead, I'll just shake my head at people price-gouging essential items, TOILET PAPER being the object that people are hoarding instead of medicine, food... or especially SOAP-when washing your hands is the best way to prevent being infected, or how people are acting like it's the bubonic plague if it's caught when that couldn't be farther from the truth... asinine, really. I feel sorry for places like China and Northern Italy as it's hit those areas hard yet the way the media has treated it and several big events in the United States has needlessly be cancelled and it was even used to postpone the new Bond movie until November when the movie (probably) being bad is the reason I suspect it was moved...

When I return next week, being in a cheerier mood is one of the things I am hoping for.

Cherry Vanilla Coke, Sprite Ginger, Woody Woodpecker, a2 Milk & The Invisible Man

Here's a recap of what I've done in the past week. Monday I did nothing at all but Tuesday, I was out and about in my town; in a grocery store, I purchased both a 12 pack of Cherry Vanilla Coke-which I had heard about beforehand, and it does taste good-and a 20 ounce bottle of Sprite Ginger, which I did not know of beforehand. While ginger is not my favorite flavor, I can't complain as it tastes exactly like it should. Wednesday, I went out to dinner with a few people; a friend of the family is down here on vacation so we went to the local Bob Evans, which went fine. The highlight was that a woman there had a laugh which could best be described as Woody Woodpecker! When I was a young kid, there briefly was a Woody cartoon show in the late 80's and I do know that my mom would rent me at least one videotape that had some of the old cartoons from way back when, although I've only seen one of those cartoons as an adult. Thursday, I did make a purchase that was long overdue.

Thursday, I went to one of the outlet malls in Orlando-Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, to be specific-in order to look for a new pair of shoes. The ones I have were all literally falling apart and honestly, this should not have been put off as long as it was. There was a surfeit of choices and I decided on Puma, as the blue and white kicks looked pretty cool... the price being greatly discounted was nice too. I don't need to spend in the 3 digit figures to acquire shoes, nor do I need many different ones either; a “sneakerhead” I'll never be, as I couldn't care less. Friday I did nothing so I'll mention that Saturday I went to a Publix and purchased a few items, including a2 milk; I've been interested in awhile to try it. I don't have digestion issues with milk but I can say that it tastes fine.

Sunday, that unfortunately was a pretty rotten day aside from the movie I saw. Traffic in February was even worse than usual, and I got pretty mad on Sunday due to some atrocious behavior I saw behind the wheel. As I had a giftcard from AMC, I decided to use it to get dinner there as I saw The Invisible Man. I saw the director's Upgrade, which was an awesome movie; this and high praise made me want to give this a shot. A thing or two could be nitpicked but Elisabeth Moss was fantastic as the lead girl and there are great moments throughout so I am glad I viewed the movie. I am not glad I got dinner at AMC, though; I've had the flatbread pizza from there before and it was OK... this time, I got food poisoning! I'll spare the gory details of what happened once I arrived home; it was a restless night with not a lot of sleep, I'll put it that way. Besides being exhausted, I don't feel that bad now. Before anyone asks, while the coronavirus (COVID-19, to be exact) is now in Florida, that is NOT what I have and it's not a thing I'm even going to worry about, although of course I feel awful for everyone who has such an illness.

March started off on an inglorious note; with any luck it won't be a sign of how the entire month will go.

White Claw, Flippers, My Birthday Week & Forensic Files II

This week had even more ups and downs and due to circumstances beyond my control, not everything I had planned came to fruition. Still, my birthday was on Saturday so I can't be too upset about events in general. Plus, from Sunday the 16th through the wee hours of Sunday the 23rd, my parents had guests, which included a 10 month old baby; that was different from the norm. Monday, all I did was visit some spots in town, including Target. Tuesday had more action; first, I went to Walmart in order to pick up a toy for the 10 month old, which they thankfully did enjoy. Getting the toy from Walmart was a matter of convenience; as correctly predicted by me, their selection for infants was rather limited. After that I returned to Hurricane Grill & Wings as I hadn't been there for awhile. I had The Perfect Storm, which wasn't a high-powered liquid concoction... rather, it was firecracker shrimp (where were eh), but the mozzarella sticks, few pieces of boneless wings and fries w/ garlic & Parmesan were good. Once I got home, for the first time I tried WHITE CLAW; I got a can of it awhile ago. After drinking it... not awful, but not for me. I do know the reasons why many drink it-and that I am far from the first middle-aged man to consume the beverage-so I'll just stick with what I usually drink instead.

Wednesday, I could not think of any better place to visit so I returned to Disney Springs, where nothing of note happened; it was a popular location on this night. Thursday, I still had a giftcard from Zaxby's to use, so there is where I went. Nothing was done on Friday, so onto Saturday, when I turned thirty::coughcough:: years old. For various reasons it did not feel like my birthday yet I do not want to dwell on the negatives of 2020 and instead mention that I did have some alcohol at night, even if it was the Rose hard cider from Angry Orchard that someone I know bought long ago but for other reasons are unable to finish anytime soon. Plus, I went with several people to the local location of a Central Florida chain known as Flipper's Pizzeria; I've gotten food from there before way back in the day, but had never eaten in the restaurant itself. While the pizza I ordered wasn't exactly what I ordered, the food at least tasted fine and everyone enjoyed their meal. The other people chose the place, which was fine.

Sunday, I do not want to carp and complain about the day as I don't want this to be too negative. There were just traffic issues (as it has been all month long) and not everything went as expected. At least I had food at a Wawa then purchased several of the unique food & drink items available at World Market, such as Australian licorice and Italian wafer cookies. In the evening I viewed Forensic Files II on HLN. I can't explain why Headline News became HLN, or why they might as well be known as the Forensic Files Network as most of their programming is reruns of that. I viewed it at the time on what was known then as Court TV (which for most of the first decade of the 2000's was my favorite and most-watched network) before they completely changed to Tru TV and became unwatchable with “reality” television and loathsome prank shows. I laugh that they actually are calling Forensic Files II... if only I would have thought it worthy of the original. For me, it was just not the same, and just not good. I'll just skip II and when I want, revisit the original on HLN... or YouTube, which has most of the episodes.

Next Monday, who knows what I will be discussing.

Grimm's Fairy Tales, Hangry Bison, Horrid Traffic & Fantasy Island

Thankfully I have several interesting stories to tell about the preceding week, even if not all of them are positive. Monday, I had the free time to visit a few spots in Orlando & the suburbs, including some soda and taffy from Rocket Fizz; it wasn't the plan yet I ended up at a restaurant I herd about before but finally had the time & motivation to try on this day: the Hangry Bison. For certain it's my type of place: burgers & craft beer. Both were pretty good. Tuesday, I went to Walmart for a few items, and had a bad experience there. I know, that's what I get for going to Walmart... but as elaborated upon before, one reason I go there is to put money on giftcards so they can be used at the various gas stations found at some of their stores... that was my main reason on this evening, actually. Well, the woman checking everyone out in the line I was in, she was so incompetent that she struggled and needed assistance with most of the people paying for items... including me. I was royally unhappy, so I don't plan on visiting this location again anytime soon.

Wednesday, I ended up seeing Gretel & Hansel. Why not see a movie directed by the son of Anthony Perkins? There are mixed reviews but I heard some things which sounded appealing to me. Well, it was nice visually and aurally, which helped make up for the story being on the simplistic side. There are weird moments throughout, so the mixed reviews do make sense. Thursday, I had to make... another run to the airport! Someone was picked up in Sanford; on the way there I stopped at a KFC for a meal that was at least cheap, and I killed time somewhere else when I found out that the flight was delayed. Also on Thursday, the logical movie for me to see next was the 2013 flick Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters; that was a 180 from the previous night's film... that was over the top and campy, yet fine. Friday I did nothing, so onto Saturday...

Saturday, I had the time to see a film, and several factors led to me choosing something I heard was bad: Blumhouse's Fantasy Island. I haven't used the AMC A-List App as often in the past few months (for the most part) so I better get back to that. The movie was indeed poor, a gigantic mess. After that, I ate at a Wawa as it was the best option available for where I was at when it was time to stop & eat. I tried their new chicken strips; while not the worst I've ever had, I'll stick with their turkey sandwiches. Sunday, I went to Publix to purchase various items; on the way there I almost got sideswiped by a fool, was tailgated more than once, and had way too many dopey moments happen to me that I don't want to get into as it could go on for paragraphs. 

When I return in a week... who knows what I'll discuss.

City Works, XFL, Stryper, Creepy Men & The Oscars

Once again it wasn't the most eventful of weeks, although I still have a few things to discuss and it was nice to visit a restaurant new to me. Monday through Wednesday, not much at all occurred. I went to Burger King in order to use a giftcard I got over a year ago but never used... otherwise, I doubt people want to hear me carp again about how the Burger King restaurants nearest to me have all given me problems before. Thus, I'll mention that at an ungodly hour of the night I took someone to the airport in Sanford, which was as uneventful as expected. On the way back I stopped at a Denny's; I would have preferred if some weird dude did not stare at me and multiple people did not LOUDLY play videos on their phone... it was not my previous occasion at a Denny's, when some young adult woman was being a “sushi snob” to her guy friend and in general was hilariously blunt about most things.

After that, there are bits to mention before I briefly mention last night's Oscars. Friday I had the free time to make my return to Disney Springs, the first time I've been there in like 6 weeks. The day before, City Works Eatery & Pour House opened right by the NBA Experience. They have locations across the country but I did not know of them until they started building it. It has what I'll call “Disney Prices” yet the food was tasty and they have NINETY beers on tap. It's right across from the House of Blues, and I don't know what was more surprising to me: STRYPER playing that night, or there being a big crowd waiting to get in. Stryper is “the Christian metal band from the 80's” and their songs are fine examples of the genre. I did not even know they were still a thing.

Saturday, I went to Planet Smoothie to get a drink for me AND someone else... after that was a trip to the Publix grocery store. They were doing good business at the time; as I put the cart away after the bags were in the vehicle, I saw that some unintelligent person was backing up his car for no good reason and it took a prolonged horn honk for the tool to stop. That wasn't the only dumb thing he did, but I need to instead explain what happened in the store. I was in line and in front of me were several older men. One of them tried paying and as they were a member of the club that Publix offers, they also had to enter their phone number... only it didn't work. The cashier-who was maybe 18-mentioned this. This old men then asked, “Can I have your phone number?”... the silence was astoundingly uncomfortable! That issue was soon then resolved but I imagine that (especially in this day and age) she did not like hearing such a thing from a man that was part of a group of men who all looked old enough to be her father. I am not going to “cancel” those guys as “cancel culture” is not the best way to handle such things... but times are different now.

Anyhow, also during the weekend I saw parts of the XFL games; I still can't believe it came back 19 years later. I remember being at a pal's apartment during my college days at ISU, the debut game being on TV there. Soon after the league folded the first time, I got an XFL shirt from Spencer's Gifts for only a few bucks and when I've worn it to places like comic cons, it's received popular and positive buzz. Wearing that in 2020, I know it will get even more attention. I also had the Academy Awards on, although it was on mute... as I've done for years now. The results were overall better than last year and I was pleasantly surprised Parasite did so well. It was a movie seen three months ago, and it was discussed by me at the time. It does deserve all those awards, IMO.

Who knows what I'll discuss when I return on President's Day.

Coca Cola Energy, Gringos Locos, Zaghrouta & Super Bowl Olivia

The preceding week had its ups and downs; details won't be provided by me, except that nothing is wrong with me mentally or physically. I received news that at first could have been real but but at least for now, things are fine. More than once I did help someone out by going to the grocery store and getting items for them. One time I went to a Publix that opened just last year about 7 miles from me. It was nice so I should frequent that place more often. An item I picked up that beforehand was unknown to me was Coca Cola Energy; I've only had the Original so far and eventually I'll taste the former. Original is... fine.

I actually have to give a shoutout to those random Facebook ads that show random posts from random accounts. Sometimes I discover new things or hear news that way. For example, this was how I knew that Lucky's Market was going bankrupt; this makes me sad as I always enjoyed going there and Florida does not need less grocery store options. Another site which popped up does various lists, which has been the popular thing online as of late. A list contained local Florida chains and one was Gringos Locos, which I had never heard of before. As I wanted to do something out of the norm, I went to downtown Orlando and tried this establishment. It was a wise decision as I liked both the tacos and the chips & salsa I received. Eventually, one night will be spent in downtown Orlando as it's been ages since I've had one of those evenings. I am not so old that fun can't be had by me at such dens full of debauchery.

The last thing I have to discuss is Super Bowl LIV... or as I started calling it, Super Bowl Olivia. For the second year in a row I did not view the game and instead spent time at Walt Disney World. Unlike last year (where bogus calls in both conference championship games resulted in the wrong teams winning and the big game itself was apparently one of the worst in NFL history, making me glad not a second was viewed by me) I had no problem with either team in the Super Bowl, yet I couldn't be more apathetic and ambivalent about the National Football League so why waste my time with that. While I laugh that a coach twice in the past three SB snatched defeat from the jaws of victory w/ atrocious play calling in the 4th quarter, it's a nice story that both the Kansas City Chiefs won for the first time in 50 years and a great coach in Andy Reid finally winning his first Super Bowl. The halftime show, I should watch on YouTube eventually as I know it's received a mixed reception; I just know Shakira did a zaghrouta (the thing she did w/ her tongue) and I got to learn a new term. The commercials... reading a recap of them, most I will go out of my way to never see as they just sounded like atrocities and millions of dollars being flushed down the toilet.

Yet I do not want to sound miserable about Sunday, and not just because I spent it at a theme park I haven't visited in a few months; while I was at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom, I came across some miserable people! There are always gigantic grumps at WDW but they went a step above. Epcot I saw some nice paintings due to the Festival of the Arts and at the Magic Kingdom, I walked around and something new was what I saw while eating dinner at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe: the Happily Ever After show, where fireworks are set off as various images are projected on Cinderella Castle. The parks were popular yesterday, although it was that case last year. I did not even look up the score to the game until I was in the Epcot parking lot about to head home... this is as as a few times I overheard people give out the score.

Next Monday, who knows for certain how much I'll discuss or how many activities I'll be involved with.

Susuru, Ashfall, Kobe Bryant & A Sad Anniversary

As January winds down, I've realized that this month has not been great for me or some people I know. One person is now suffering from a virus right after they started to recover from a gastrointestinal issue. I've not always felt like myself this month, and I am hoping that February is better and things can return to a state of normalcy. Monday I did nothing but Tuesday I had free time so I went on a little journey and viewed a Korean movie called Ashfall. It was not a wild adventure like The Good, The Bad, The Weird or a dark intense ride like I Saw the Devil; rather, it was like one of those 70's disaster movies which China has been making a lot of as of late. The movie's way of stopping a volcano that has been activated by earthquakes? Why, detonate A NUCLEAR BOMB in a mine shaft right by said volcano! Neil Degrasse Tyson should never know of this movie but to me it was silly fun and of course there was melodrama and such Korean tropes as a pregnant lady and a crying child. I had a pizza meal right by the cineplex so the day was fine overall even if the traffic there and back was worse than usual.

I did nothing on Wednesday so let's skip ahead to Thursday. That evening, I went to a restaurant I found out about awhile ago but finally had the time and motivation to visit. It is a unique spot in Orlando known as Susuru; it's an izakaya restaurant... as I know only the types that love anime and manga will know what I'm talking about, it's an informal Japanese bar where booze and snack-sized portions of food are offered. This one in particular is retro-themed, meaning the interior is covered w/ wood, most of the chairs are converted beer crates, and vintage ads/toys/posters are all over the place. The aesthetic is pretty awesome and the food was good. One day I definitely will return.

I do have to end this on a somber note. The only other day I'll discuss is Sunday. I went to the city of Inverness as that day was the 1st anniversary of someone I know passing away; I talked about it early last year as I attended her visitation. I have known her, her sibling and parent for years from back in the day when I used to attend local wrestling shows so as I had to attend their visitation, when there was an informal get-together at a Dunkin' Donuts, it was something I had to attend. Several others attended and of course I won't share what was discussed but I unfortunately hadn't seen that sibling or parent in a year. Shame on me, and it won't be another year until I see them again. Dunkin' Donuts had a TV tuned to a Tampa news station and imagine my shock when I randomly looked at it and saw the Kobe Bryant news. I haven't paid much attention to the NBA since Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls but that was horrible news; 9 people passing away in such a manner will always hit me hard. I do not know if I ever brought it up years ago... one day in the future I'll explain why you'll probably never see me on a helicopter again. Anyhow, on the way back home I stopped at a Walmart for a few items and I had dinner at a Hardee's.

When I return a week from today... hopefully I will have cheerier topics to discuss and the health of various people finally improve.

Underwater, Margaritaville, Black Cherry Soda & microSDXC Cards

The preceding week was less eventful than expected. In part, this was due to someone I know experiencing bad health at the time; it was nothing serious, don't worry. It was a serious form of stomach flu that became better once they went to the doctor's office and received medication. People I know have had worse medical scares as of late, including some guy I know from a messageboard needing emergency surgery for his stomach issues. I am glad that everyone is fine now. What I did do was visit a few stores to help assist the person I know who was incapacitated at the time. It also allowed me to buy some black cherry soda, which was a wise idea on my part.

At least I do have a few other things to discuss. Monday I went to the cineplex to see Underwater. I heard some rave reviews and as I've seen some of the many 1989 B-movies that were underwater creature features (like Leviathan and DeepStar Six) it seemed worth a shot. The movie was... fine. It is not a must-see but the movie was not bad as it offered enough entertainment value for me. After that I went to a nearby Rock & Brews to see parts of the college football championship game between LSU and Clemson; the latter being in the championship game AGAIN was not appealing to me but I had a feeling LSU was the better team and well, they were. I had food & drink and both were tasty. 

Before I skip ahead all the way to Sunday, I will once again bring up what was known in the past as an MP3 player and is now commonly referred to as a Digital Audio Player. The one I have is something random I found on Amazon and isn't something high end like Astell & Kern or Pioneer, yet that is OK; as mentioned before, it can play lossless audio files too (at least some of those formats, not all), meaning files that are higher quality than MP3. There is a slot for microSD cards and well, I do need one as I've put plenty of CD's on there and I've also downloaded tracks from online... only legally, of course. It was the first time I've used a microSD card, believe it or not. I've still had no issues with that player, thank heavens. Having both music and podcast audio on there, being able to listen in the vehicle and multiple other locations: I am happy I made this purchase.

Now, onto Sunday. I only saw parts of the two NFL conference championship games; I was happy to see Kansas City and San Francisco win. The former hadn't been to a Super Bowl in 50 years and better San Francisco win than Green Bay... no offense, Packers fans; even I can admit that Aaron Rodgers is such a great talent, he should have been to more than one Super Bowl in his long career. Anyhow, I went to Universal Studios CityWalk as I hadn't been there in a few months. Things hadn't changed; the first restaurant I wanted to eat at was busy so instead I went to Margaritaville where I consumed a beverage along with the excellent food known as their Cheeseburger in Paradise. They made among the best burgers I've ever had. Besides that I just walked around & enjoyed the nice cool weather on this night.

Next Monday, I already have plans to just have more to talk about as I will be engaging in more activities.

Mecum, Bullitt, Zagato Perana, Penne Pasta, 1917 & Saltwater Taffy

The preceding week definitely had some interesting moments. Monday, I ended up at the local Lucky's Market and purchased a few items, chiefly some saltwater taffy; you bag it yourself so you can pick from a variety of flavors and I chose a nice mix. Taffy usually tastes good and this was the case here. Tuesday, I got a haircut and yea, it was long overdue. Wednesday was the most intriguing day. As has become tradition now, I attend the Mecum auto auction in Kissimmee. Several thousand cars are sold each year so it's the largest auction of its kind in the world. Parking was not as much a cluster as last year but it was still a mess compared to previous years. 

As typical, there were many muscle cars for sale and those relics from the 60's and early 70's are always neat to look at. Although, it's also neat looking at the wide variety of different vehicles, from a rare 6 wheel Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV to an AMC Pacer, John Wayne's 70's Ford pickup truck, a 40's Jeep used on the show M*A*S*H, an obscure Italian/South African car known as the Zagato Perana (which is on a Corvette body), million dollar rides from the likes of McLaren and Porsche... but the star car was the only one encased in a glass both and always had a security guard nearby. Feared missing for years, recently the Ford Mustang from the 1968 classic Bullitt that was the one used most in a legendary car chase scene... it was made public as it was privately owned for decades and the family decided to sell it. The car sold for 3.74 million dollars on Friday! While I was there I had dinner at one of their food booths; it offered Italian food and while everything was prepared beforehand, I had the penne pasta and it at least filled my stomach.

Thursday through Saturday I really did nothing of note so I'll skip ahead to Sunday. I had free time so instead of focusing on the NFL (as blergh) I saw a movie. Before that I ate at a Wingstop, which was popular so it took a little longer than expected but the food was still tasty and there was still plenty of time for me to arrive at the cineplex and check out 1917. It's a World War I movie that sounded intriguing, and that was even before I heard it was made to look like one long take and was (almost) in real time. Thankfully I found the movie to be excellent, one of the best in 2019. The way it was filmed made the whole experience incredibly intense as it always seemed like a German soldier could be hiding anywhere, ready to kill the two soldiers tasked with delivering a message that will prevent 1,600 soldiers from an ambush. The Oscar nominations that were announced this morning had some questionable decisions but 1917 receiving so many nods-including Best Picture-is deserved.

I have a few ideas concerning what I'll be discussing when I return next Monday.

Ruby Red Squirt, Chicken Fries, Texas Prison Rodeos & Claendars

There is a reason why I misspelled “Calendar”, which I'll explain at the very end.

The preceding week had only one interesting day of note, although I do have several stories to tell. Ruby Red Squirt (which I remember having somewhere a long time ago) was one of the sodas that I picked up when I was at a Walmart in Kansas... as has become customary. It was purchased as it was way in the past that it was sold in Florida so might as well get something unique, right? I did not do too much besides Monday and Sunday, unless people want to hear about me visiting Target, get food from establishments in town or note how I was disrespected by an employee at the local Chipotle (long story; I wasn't in the position to argue or tell him how rude his behavior was). I was not 100% for the entire week although I thankfully was back to normal by the time the weekend rolled around. Via a coupon I did pay only 3 bucks for chicken fries and a large order of regular fries, which were not the best... but it was only $3. 

Monday was one of the days that I used a giftcard I received for Christmas; it was for Buffalo Wild Wings so that is where I went... only it wasn't the one a few miles away from me. Rather, it was the one at ICON Park on I-Drive; the location by me I have had issues with before and I wanted to go on a longer drive, even if it meant busy traffic, which there was. That went fine and their advertising was correct: their boneless wings are new and improved. New Year's Eye I did nothing at all; it was just another day and night and no drop of alcohol was even consumed by me. At least Sunday had some excitement and this is because... I went to the airport! The person who normally would have done that is not at 100% health themselves so I did them a solid and drove all the way to Sanford. On the way, I had lunch at the Which Wich in Lake Mary, as it's an establishment I only rarely go to despite them making decent sandwiches. The trip there and back went as expected, with a stop at the local Publix right before this person was dropped off. Turns out, a little later I had to go back to Publix on my own as a parent was making tacos for dinner and much to their surprise, the soft shell tacos that were in the fridge, they went bad. Yes, that apparently is a thing. Anyhow, before that I did think of going out tonight but instead I realized I had been out too often today-at least by my standards-and it was best to relax at home instead.

Thus, let me mention a few random things to close this out as I listen to my MP3 player, which thankfully has still given me no problems and because I can put so much music on it, various albums I haven't listened to in years are on it so it's been great to hear those tunes again after all that time. While on vacation my dad shared an interesting story that was new to me. I won't get into the particulars of why, but at the time he was in Houston, Texas (this was the mid 70's) and one night his friends brought him to Huntsville to see the Texas Prison Rodeo; from the 30's to 1986 each Saturday night in October there was a rodeo where the participants were Texas prisoners. As long as they were model prisoners, they could participate in any event, regardless if they had any prior experience in the event. I imagine it was a good time, and they had country performers in a halftime segment. On this night... Dolly Parton! I will presume that the entire crowd either enjoyed her music or enjoyed... her physical appearance.

One last thing as I promise that I'll have more to discuss next time: I helped a parent set up a cheap electronic compass that they got from who knows where which also lists the time and temperature... I will presume it was made in China. It was easy enough to set up the date and time, although I noticed something amazing. On the back is a switch that you use to set up the calendar and it was SUPPOSED to be labeled as such, only it said “claendar”;  somehow, I do not have the highest of confidence in its quality or reliability. Anyway, the upcoming week should have some good times.