Here's a recap of this past week. I did not do a thing on Monday so let me mention something I do have planned for the fall months. Remember how I went to a small college football game down in Lake Wales between the colleges of Webber and Warner? Well, I wanted to go to more than one but it didn't work out. This year-unless unexpected things happen-I'll be going to more than one. There are several small schools which have started up football programs in recent years and to me it sounds like fun to support them by giving them a few bucks and checking out their games. I wrote down the home games for all the schools so it'll make things easy to figure out.
Tuesday, I went out and about. I finally decided to take advantage of the AMC Theatres promotion where this summer, Monday through Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM they are showing movies from like 6 months ago and tickets are only 3 bucks and all proceeds go to charity. That seemed like a nice idea so I chose the AMC at Universal CityWalk. I returned there sooner than expected, but it happens... Going there was a swell idea, as besides having an alcoholic concoction while watching the movie and having no issues with the (small) crowd-which has unfortunately happened at that location more than once before-some new places opened at CityWalk. I had a bite to eat at a place known as Bread Box. It's like a 50's diner... designed by damned hipsters. While the design is just odd, I enjoyed their food, which is mainly sandwiches. No kidding, I had a grilled cheese sandwich there and it was good. I'll return there sooner or later to try out some more of their food.
The movie I saw was the 300: Rise of the Empires which I wasn't too interested in before it came out as I always thought 300 itself was on the overrated side. Whatever merits it has, it also has a douchebag meathead fratboy vibe and that sort of thing isn't really for me. I then heard a lot of positive buzz and I changed my mind; getting a chance to see it on the big screen: I had to take it. I actually think the sequel is better; I enjoyed the story more and Eva Green as the main villain is great as the character is so crazy and she's perfect for the role.
Wednesday, I went out with someone to Olive Garden, as we hadn't been there in a long while. The food was fine. The real noteworthy thing is that in the parking lot was an Aston Martin Vantage convertible, red in color. It must be nice to have one... I think Aston cars are great, personally. Thursday, I did nothing so I'll mention how on this day it was made public that someone leaked a full copy of The Expendables 3 a few weeks before it even got released on the big screen. For awhile now I've had serious reservations about the film (and I really enjoyed the first two) for a variety of reasons. The fact that it's PG-13 is really stupid to me; why make the change now? I've heard a lot of bad buzz about the film and my fears about it appear to be true, sad to say.
Friday, I dropped off someone at the airport in Sanford; this was in the late morning. I decided to spend some time in Sanford before returning home. I went to a shopping plaza and visited a few stores, including a World Market; among other things they sell unique food and beverages; I got some of both, including a bottle from a Louisiana beverage known as Swamp Pop. They offered up a flavor known as Satsuma Fizz; I'll be honest and say I hadn't heard of that fruit before. I now know it's from Asia and it is popular in Louisiana. It's real good, so I'll have to get it again when I'm able to.
Saturday, I didn't do a thing, which was fine with me. I did see the UFC show on Fox and well, the last four fights were at least interesting to watch. Sunday, I went to Wendy's for the first time in awhile and besides noticing the location in town is completely remodeled, I had their new pretzel roll bacon cheeseburger. It was good. When I return next week, I don't know what I'll be talking about as nothing is on the agenda... yet.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Tales Of Funfetti Cake Batter Oreo Ice Cream & Beachin' Day Trips
To clarify, a Funfetti Cake Batter Oreo Ice Cream is not a concoction I actually had... unfortunately. It happened to be a trending topic on Twitter for a few minutes late one night, and seeing such a trend made me laugh so much I had to use it here. As for the preceding week, it wasn't too eventful aside from two days. Monday, me and someone went to Bob Evans, as the restaurant is real close by and that person had a coupon for the place. By the time we left it had stopped raining and was clearing up, which was good; so was the food.
Tuesday, I didn't do anything, so let me skip ahead to Wednesday. I had to go back to the dentist, but just for a minor thing. The coast wasn't minor, but alas... I don't have to return there until December for a check-up and to clean my teeth, so I am glad for that. After the dentist I went someone to have dinner and as I hadn't been there in a few months, I decided to return to Twin Peaks, the restaurant which is Hooters-esque except that it has a rustic theme. I do enjoy their food, and the scenery isn't bad either... as a Barnes & Noble was on the way I stopped there for a bit. I looked around but didn't get anything. The restaurant experience was fine; the food was tasty (along with the frosty cool beverage I had) and I tried my best to ignore the odious and loudmouth vermin who were there.
Thursday and Friday I didn't do a darn thing. Really. I didn't feel like doing anything and while the weather finally improved and it stopped raining, staying at home and doing random things there. At least Saturday was a noteworthy day. I was thinking of things to do and I realized that I hadn't been to any sort of beach since November of '11, when I went for a night with my parents to a timeshare owned by a friend of theirs; it was on the beach a little south of Cocoa Beach; I hadn't been in Cocoa Beach on my own since like at least a year before that, so I thought it was about time I did that.
The drive to Cocoa Beach started off fine, aside from the expected idiots in traffic. I took a shortcut to get there (which required driving in a rural area for like 15 miles) and it was then I realized I maybe was cutting it awfully close with making it to town before I ran out of gas. It got to the point where I did start to worry, and finding a random Chevron station out in the middle of nowhere was a relief. I hadn't gotten gas from a Chevron or Texaco station due to a kerfuffle that happened back in '10. Maybe one day I'll tell some tales I haven't told of the bad time in my life from August of '09 to August '10, but not now. It was just a bad time overall. Anyhow, after I pumped gas, I did realize I came too close to comfort to running out of gas. While pumping, some bros on Japanese bikes (what I like to call “crotch rockets”) came in, and one of them... did a gratuitous wheelie! I always laugh when I see in older movies when characters on dirtbikes or sportbikes from Japan do wheelies out of nowhere because it looks “cool”, even if they're chasing someone or being chased. Seeing one in person was hilarious to me.
After that I went to Cocoa Beach and I found a space to park that was right by the two stores known as Ron Jon Surf Shop and Cocoa Beach Surf Co., which are places I always visit whenever I am in the town. I got a shirt from the latter. I then spent a decent amount of time on the beach, whether it be in the water or sitting on the beach towel. There's no wacky stories to tell, but it was a nice time there. I left and tried to find a local place by the beach, but all were busy so I decided to head home and hope to find something on the way. In Merritt Island I saw a Hooters along the road and as I needed to eat something immediately, I decided to eat there. It was exactly how you'd expect things to be at that establishment. I did see they had new fries in addition to their curly fries; these ones are known as the Big Dipper, due to how they are shaped. They were tasty.
Sunday... I'd like to say it was a dull day where nothing happened, but real life got in the way. It's always very sad to me when someone I knew from my old home area up in Belvidere, Illinois, pass away at way too young an age. When it's happened before-no matter how it happened-it made me sad and unfortunately I got the news on this day that someone who graduated with me passed away. I had talked to him before, had him in some of my glasses and I was even over with some other people to where his family lives, so even though I hadn't seen him in years I was still upset when I heard the news.
Hopefully when I return next Monday to blog again, I don't have to talk about any awful news such as that. Nothing is on the agenda as of yet so I really don't know what I'll be writing about in general.
Tuesday, I didn't do anything, so let me skip ahead to Wednesday. I had to go back to the dentist, but just for a minor thing. The coast wasn't minor, but alas... I don't have to return there until December for a check-up and to clean my teeth, so I am glad for that. After the dentist I went someone to have dinner and as I hadn't been there in a few months, I decided to return to Twin Peaks, the restaurant which is Hooters-esque except that it has a rustic theme. I do enjoy their food, and the scenery isn't bad either... as a Barnes & Noble was on the way I stopped there for a bit. I looked around but didn't get anything. The restaurant experience was fine; the food was tasty (along with the frosty cool beverage I had) and I tried my best to ignore the odious and loudmouth vermin who were there.
Thursday and Friday I didn't do a darn thing. Really. I didn't feel like doing anything and while the weather finally improved and it stopped raining, staying at home and doing random things there. At least Saturday was a noteworthy day. I was thinking of things to do and I realized that I hadn't been to any sort of beach since November of '11, when I went for a night with my parents to a timeshare owned by a friend of theirs; it was on the beach a little south of Cocoa Beach; I hadn't been in Cocoa Beach on my own since like at least a year before that, so I thought it was about time I did that.
The drive to Cocoa Beach started off fine, aside from the expected idiots in traffic. I took a shortcut to get there (which required driving in a rural area for like 15 miles) and it was then I realized I maybe was cutting it awfully close with making it to town before I ran out of gas. It got to the point where I did start to worry, and finding a random Chevron station out in the middle of nowhere was a relief. I hadn't gotten gas from a Chevron or Texaco station due to a kerfuffle that happened back in '10. Maybe one day I'll tell some tales I haven't told of the bad time in my life from August of '09 to August '10, but not now. It was just a bad time overall. Anyhow, after I pumped gas, I did realize I came too close to comfort to running out of gas. While pumping, some bros on Japanese bikes (what I like to call “crotch rockets”) came in, and one of them... did a gratuitous wheelie! I always laugh when I see in older movies when characters on dirtbikes or sportbikes from Japan do wheelies out of nowhere because it looks “cool”, even if they're chasing someone or being chased. Seeing one in person was hilarious to me.
After that I went to Cocoa Beach and I found a space to park that was right by the two stores known as Ron Jon Surf Shop and Cocoa Beach Surf Co., which are places I always visit whenever I am in the town. I got a shirt from the latter. I then spent a decent amount of time on the beach, whether it be in the water or sitting on the beach towel. There's no wacky stories to tell, but it was a nice time there. I left and tried to find a local place by the beach, but all were busy so I decided to head home and hope to find something on the way. In Merritt Island I saw a Hooters along the road and as I needed to eat something immediately, I decided to eat there. It was exactly how you'd expect things to be at that establishment. I did see they had new fries in addition to their curly fries; these ones are known as the Big Dipper, due to how they are shaped. They were tasty.
Sunday... I'd like to say it was a dull day where nothing happened, but real life got in the way. It's always very sad to me when someone I knew from my old home area up in Belvidere, Illinois, pass away at way too young an age. When it's happened before-no matter how it happened-it made me sad and unfortunately I got the news on this day that someone who graduated with me passed away. I had talked to him before, had him in some of my glasses and I was even over with some other people to where his family lives, so even though I hadn't seen him in years I was still upset when I heard the news.
Hopefully when I return next Monday to blog again, I don't have to talk about any awful news such as that. Nothing is on the agenda as of yet so I really don't know what I'll be writing about in general.
Monday, July 14, 2014
iPod Touches, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes & Roddy Piper Bubblegum Soda
The first half of the week was indeed very dull, and yet I was OK with that. Monday, I did not do a damn thing; it was nice to relax. Tuesday, an issue arose with my cable; it wouldn't work properly. Sparing everyone the details, it was something that required going into town to get it resolved. Thankfully the issue is fixed now. Oh yeah, and on that day I was greatly amused that Germany destroyed Brazil 7-1. I don't usually talk about my heritage here but the main two nationalities are English and German. Wednesday was another day where nothing noteworthy happened. That is good as during all these days it was overcast and at various points it rained... which happened all throughout the week.
At least this second half of the week things were more interesting. Friday the 11th I relaxed but the day before I finally got out and about. I returned to Winter Park and I first went to the gourmet soda shop known as Rocket Fizz. They have locations all across the country but this is the only Florida one. I had read recently in a messageboard thread that those stores now carry a Rowdy Roddy Piper All Out Of Bubblegum Soda, which is a reference to a classic line in the great 80's film known as They Live. I had to have it. Thankfully they did have it and I got it along with other unique beverages. I then went to the nearby Winter Park Village outdoor shopping plaza for dinner then movie watching. I had dinner at the sandwich shop known as Crisper's. As there is one in my town, I am not sure why I hadn't eaten there in months as they make decent food.
Even though it was another rainy day, I stuck around and I watched a pair of movies in a double bill. I saw Rise then Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Rise is quite entertaining and better than you'd expect, especially considering how I understand how bad the Tim Burton remake with Marky Mark is. But Dawn is great and it'll be one of the top films I see this year, even at the end of December and with all the films from this year I see from now till then. I give it my highest recommendations and it's notably better than Rise. And thankfully the small crowd there ended up being fine and there was no big issues.
As I stayed in on Sunday and I did half pay attention to the World Cup Final (I am glad Germany won, to state the obvious) let me talk about Saturday, which of course was another rainy day and I didn't want to do it so soon but the battery on my iPod Touch (the older 4th generation) got pretty bad and it was time for me to get rid of it. I discovered online that you could turn in those to Gamestop for store credit, which is what I did. I am glad I got 50 bucks for it, and I used it to get a card to add that cash to my Xbox account. I was sad to see it go as it rarely gave me problems and it was very handy for me on many occasions. On the way to my next destination I stopped at a Big Lots store in the area. I mainly only get food and beverages there, and that indeed was all I got this time.
I then went to the Florida Mall to their Apple Store to get a new iPod Touch. It was only 16 gigs but that is fine with me as I don't put music or games on it; I just use informative apps, such as weather, gas prices, movie times, that sort of thing. 16 gigs is more than enough for me. I got the red one, which is unique as part of the profits go to a fund to fight AIDS in Africa. I walked around the mall and peaked in a few stores to see what they were offering. I then drove home.
While this past week wasn't as exciting as the preceding week I had, I don't even have much of any plans for the upcoming one. I am sure that when I return next Monday some adventures will practically fall right into my lap and I'll have something to write about.
At least this second half of the week things were more interesting. Friday the 11th I relaxed but the day before I finally got out and about. I returned to Winter Park and I first went to the gourmet soda shop known as Rocket Fizz. They have locations all across the country but this is the only Florida one. I had read recently in a messageboard thread that those stores now carry a Rowdy Roddy Piper All Out Of Bubblegum Soda, which is a reference to a classic line in the great 80's film known as They Live. I had to have it. Thankfully they did have it and I got it along with other unique beverages. I then went to the nearby Winter Park Village outdoor shopping plaza for dinner then movie watching. I had dinner at the sandwich shop known as Crisper's. As there is one in my town, I am not sure why I hadn't eaten there in months as they make decent food.
Even though it was another rainy day, I stuck around and I watched a pair of movies in a double bill. I saw Rise then Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Rise is quite entertaining and better than you'd expect, especially considering how I understand how bad the Tim Burton remake with Marky Mark is. But Dawn is great and it'll be one of the top films I see this year, even at the end of December and with all the films from this year I see from now till then. I give it my highest recommendations and it's notably better than Rise. And thankfully the small crowd there ended up being fine and there was no big issues.
As I stayed in on Sunday and I did half pay attention to the World Cup Final (I am glad Germany won, to state the obvious) let me talk about Saturday, which of course was another rainy day and I didn't want to do it so soon but the battery on my iPod Touch (the older 4th generation) got pretty bad and it was time for me to get rid of it. I discovered online that you could turn in those to Gamestop for store credit, which is what I did. I am glad I got 50 bucks for it, and I used it to get a card to add that cash to my Xbox account. I was sad to see it go as it rarely gave me problems and it was very handy for me on many occasions. On the way to my next destination I stopped at a Big Lots store in the area. I mainly only get food and beverages there, and that indeed was all I got this time.
I then went to the Florida Mall to their Apple Store to get a new iPod Touch. It was only 16 gigs but that is fine with me as I don't put music or games on it; I just use informative apps, such as weather, gas prices, movie times, that sort of thing. 16 gigs is more than enough for me. I got the red one, which is unique as part of the profits go to a fund to fight AIDS in Africa. I walked around the mall and peaked in a few stores to see what they were offering. I then drove home.
While this past week wasn't as exciting as the preceding week I had, I don't even have much of any plans for the upcoming one. I am sure that when I return next Monday some adventures will practically fall right into my lap and I'll have something to write about.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Snowpiercer, Trader Joe's, Road Rage & Danish Khan
Oh, what an eventful past 7 days I had. Last Monday I mentioned in my last blog what I did, which was go to the dentist. So, onto Tuesday. It was the birthday of someone I know (and I'll leave it at that) and the group decided to return to the local Cracker Barrel restaurant. I won't speak for everyone but my meal was good; I had breakfast by consuming some large pancakes.
Wednesday, what a wacky day it was. I did quite a bit. Thankfully the rain wasn't too big of a factor with Hurricane Arthur being in the Atlantic region and thankfully not coming anywhere near Orlando. I went to two different Barnes & Noble stores to see which Criterion Collection discs they have. Yes, that's those fancy high-brow and/or foreign films (usually) and usually the discs are on the pricey side so when they are 50% off each July and November many people online are happy. I did get some discs; they're of obscure stuff, at least to the common person. I ate at a Wingstop, a restaurant I've been to a few times before. They make pretty decent food so I am happy to go there once in a blue moon. Indeed on this occasion it was a fine meal I had of boneless wings and fries.
The last time I was in the Winter Park area I noticed that they were building a Trader Joe's. I never saw word 1 about it on their website so I was actually did not fully believe it when someone told me they were going to build two around Orlando. Turns out that someone was right. It opened just last weekend and I rolled the dice and tried to go in it despite knowing it'd be a madhouse and real crowded. It only took me a few minutes but I did finally find a space. I went in and bought some items; yes it was a madhouse and crowded but not as bad as it could have been. I then went home. Oh, and there were two notable cases of horrible driving. I noticed some idiot driving rather rudely and poorly in general. Believe it or not for no real good reason he gave ME the finger. Later, I had to honk at someone; again he was driving poorly. That guy turned into a psychopath (he stuck his head out and yelled; he looked deranged!) and he almost rammed his car into mine. No kidding. I very well could have called the cops on him but he floored it and got out of there (this happened on Interstate 4) so I was nice and did not make the call.
Thursday and Friday were rather boring. I did not go out to see any fireworks. I've said this for years now but it isn't the same as when I was a kid and every 4th my family and I would go to a nearby town to see the night sky get lit up colorfully. I was actually worried for myself Thursday night as I misunderstood something and almost had a panic attack as I thought something got screwed up badly... but in actuality it didn't. I was embarrassed as this sort of thing rarely happens and this wasn't the first time this year. I can't explain it but I'll try not to worry about it. It's not like I'm losing my sanity... at least I don't think I am!
Saturday, I had a busy day. I left home in the mid afternoon to return to the Altamonte Springs area (I was just there on Wednesday) in order to see a foreign film, one that is highly regarded. It is the Korean film Snowpiercer, which has some Hollywood stars like Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt. Controversy happened when the American distributors wanted to edited it for American release. People got pretty mad about that. They didn't do that, but it isn't a wide release so there was only 3 theatres among all the theatres around Orlando which were showing it, and the best one was the AMC in Altamonte Springs, so there I went. There were definitely more people there than I expected for a film I didn't think that many in the general public knew about. Unfortunately, despite the popular online opinion of it being great, I thought it was pretty awful and insufferable, for the most part. I don't know how many people care for a detailed breakdown so I won't deliver one here but I just thought it was bad and it made zero logical sense.
After that I tried to go to a sports bar but it was too crowded so I found another one (the Ale House restaurant that is in Winter Park) and I had dinner and a beer, which were at least fine. What wasn't fine... the weather. It was like a monsoon. When it's pouring rain, you likely know what happens with signals from satellite dishes... by this point I just did not feel great and it wasn't just that movie. I said “the heck with it” as who knows how long they'd be experiencing those problems and I didn't want to drive around and try to find a place to watch it.
I just decided to relax at home and from what I heard, aside from a great main event and the Vine-length fight that Ronda Rousey had (which I actually did see after the fact) the show was weird and skippable, which is unfortunate as it was supposed to be one of their biggest shows of the year. Sometime in the future I will watch that main event.
Sunday was a day where I did nothing. That was satisfactory with me. I do have to mention two spam e-mails I found in my Yahoo Mail folder recently. The first one had a real vulgar plug for Viagra but it made me laugh. I quote, the subject line is “Viagra, The Quicker Dicker Upper”. Amazing. Unexpected was getting a message in Cyrillic. I used Google Translate and it was a Russian message asking for money. The translated name was Danish Khan, which did make me laugh.
Come to think of it, the past week for me wasn't so good. It was what I mentioned already and some little things; I don't want this to sound like a pity party so I know that when I return a week from today I'll have a cheerier happier blog. No way could I have two lame weeks in a row.
Wednesday, what a wacky day it was. I did quite a bit. Thankfully the rain wasn't too big of a factor with Hurricane Arthur being in the Atlantic region and thankfully not coming anywhere near Orlando. I went to two different Barnes & Noble stores to see which Criterion Collection discs they have. Yes, that's those fancy high-brow and/or foreign films (usually) and usually the discs are on the pricey side so when they are 50% off each July and November many people online are happy. I did get some discs; they're of obscure stuff, at least to the common person. I ate at a Wingstop, a restaurant I've been to a few times before. They make pretty decent food so I am happy to go there once in a blue moon. Indeed on this occasion it was a fine meal I had of boneless wings and fries.
The last time I was in the Winter Park area I noticed that they were building a Trader Joe's. I never saw word 1 about it on their website so I was actually did not fully believe it when someone told me they were going to build two around Orlando. Turns out that someone was right. It opened just last weekend and I rolled the dice and tried to go in it despite knowing it'd be a madhouse and real crowded. It only took me a few minutes but I did finally find a space. I went in and bought some items; yes it was a madhouse and crowded but not as bad as it could have been. I then went home. Oh, and there were two notable cases of horrible driving. I noticed some idiot driving rather rudely and poorly in general. Believe it or not for no real good reason he gave ME the finger. Later, I had to honk at someone; again he was driving poorly. That guy turned into a psychopath (he stuck his head out and yelled; he looked deranged!) and he almost rammed his car into mine. No kidding. I very well could have called the cops on him but he floored it and got out of there (this happened on Interstate 4) so I was nice and did not make the call.
Thursday and Friday were rather boring. I did not go out to see any fireworks. I've said this for years now but it isn't the same as when I was a kid and every 4th my family and I would go to a nearby town to see the night sky get lit up colorfully. I was actually worried for myself Thursday night as I misunderstood something and almost had a panic attack as I thought something got screwed up badly... but in actuality it didn't. I was embarrassed as this sort of thing rarely happens and this wasn't the first time this year. I can't explain it but I'll try not to worry about it. It's not like I'm losing my sanity... at least I don't think I am!
Saturday, I had a busy day. I left home in the mid afternoon to return to the Altamonte Springs area (I was just there on Wednesday) in order to see a foreign film, one that is highly regarded. It is the Korean film Snowpiercer, which has some Hollywood stars like Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt. Controversy happened when the American distributors wanted to edited it for American release. People got pretty mad about that. They didn't do that, but it isn't a wide release so there was only 3 theatres among all the theatres around Orlando which were showing it, and the best one was the AMC in Altamonte Springs, so there I went. There were definitely more people there than I expected for a film I didn't think that many in the general public knew about. Unfortunately, despite the popular online opinion of it being great, I thought it was pretty awful and insufferable, for the most part. I don't know how many people care for a detailed breakdown so I won't deliver one here but I just thought it was bad and it made zero logical sense.
After that I tried to go to a sports bar but it was too crowded so I found another one (the Ale House restaurant that is in Winter Park) and I had dinner and a beer, which were at least fine. What wasn't fine... the weather. It was like a monsoon. When it's pouring rain, you likely know what happens with signals from satellite dishes... by this point I just did not feel great and it wasn't just that movie. I said “the heck with it” as who knows how long they'd be experiencing those problems and I didn't want to drive around and try to find a place to watch it.
I just decided to relax at home and from what I heard, aside from a great main event and the Vine-length fight that Ronda Rousey had (which I actually did see after the fact) the show was weird and skippable, which is unfortunate as it was supposed to be one of their biggest shows of the year. Sometime in the future I will watch that main event.
Sunday was a day where I did nothing. That was satisfactory with me. I do have to mention two spam e-mails I found in my Yahoo Mail folder recently. The first one had a real vulgar plug for Viagra but it made me laugh. I quote, the subject line is “Viagra, The Quicker Dicker Upper”. Amazing. Unexpected was getting a message in Cyrillic. I used Google Translate and it was a Russian message asking for money. The translated name was Danish Khan, which did make me laugh.
Come to think of it, the past week for me wasn't so good. It was what I mentioned already and some little things; I don't want this to sound like a pity party so I know that when I return a week from today I'll have a cheerier happier blog. No way could I have two lame weeks in a row.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Pina Coladas, Limited Edition Sodas, Brick Houses & Cracker Barrels
I had one crappy Saturday night; I'll get to that later. At least the rest of the week wasn't so horrid.
Last Monday, after dinner at home I had free time so I went to a familiar place, that being Winter Garden Village. I went to the Gamestop & Barnes & Noble to browse about then I went to Planet Smoothie and I had one of their Pina Colada drinks as it's a limited edition thing. It's not my favorite flavor but I still wanted to try it out. As I got it I did think of “that song”, a kitschy classic from the late 70's. Guess which song I heard as I got into the vehicle to drive home? Yes. It was literally the song playing as I turned it on and got ready to leave there. I laughed at that bit of cosmic fate.
Tuesday nothing happened so let me mention two quick things: the first is that the iPod Touch I've had for a few years is having battery issues and it really doesn't hold a charge anymore. I know I could get the battery replaced but as it's old I might as well get a new model and experience such things as iOS7. I just don't know when that purchase will be. I do know of the deal where you can turn in your old iPod Touch for store credit. I did not want to spend the cash now but if I have to... the second thing is that while I was driving I spotted a BMW on the road, and he lived up (or down) to the stereotypes out there of BMW drivers. But, besides it being a 3 series wagon (Americans don't like wagons or hatchbacks in general, which I think is unfortunate), its license plates showed it was from... Alaska! What a long drive. It's not the first time I've seen that license plate down in the continental United States; I've actually seen it in Florida before, and more than once I've spotted a Hawaii plate besides the times I saw them when I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii back in 2000.
Wednesday, I went to Walmart in the hopes they would have the limited edition Pepsi drinks I saw advertised in a commercial. It was regular Pepsi, Wild Cherry Pepsi and Pepsi Vanilla, all made with real sugar. For some reason drinks like that aren't always easy to find down here. Thankfully, I found all of them at Walmart... and more. There were 16 ounce cans of Sprite in English and Spanish of the regular flavor, cherry and tropical, which was pretty good.
Thursday, me and someone I know went to Cracker Barrel. That place was decided upon as a few days prior, that person saw an ad for something new that was being offered by the restaurant. That meal... they thought it was alright but we hadn't been there in a long while so it was nice for something different. My almost always of a burger and fries were good, at least.
Friday I did not do a darn thing so let me get to Saturday, and things were normal... until the evening. I could do anything I want. I decided that after what may be a few years I should return to the kitschy place in Kissimmee known as Old Town. The last time I tried going there, the parking lot situation there was so messed up due to their stupidity I did not actually stop and walk around there. I figured that by now the situation had changed so out of the kindness of my heart I decided to give them one more chance. Things changed... for the worse. It was even more of a headache to try and find a spot to park so I mentally said to myself that they could F off and now I don't know if I'll ever be there if they do stupid crap like that and treat their customers horribly. I then decided to drive to Downtown Disney, as it was close by and while I didn't want to go back there until the construction that's all over the area was closer to being finished, with the circumstances... well, I drove there and close by the area, the entire road was blocked off to work on a bridge (really, on a Saturday at 6 PM) and there was no signs telling people how to get there via detour (I knew how, but it would really be out of the way) and I really got rankled and I decided to drive on the horrid Interstate I-4 until I got to the horrid International Drive and I finally got to a place I could have dinner at.
I hadn't been to Brick House Tavern + Tap in months so that seemed like a good place to revisit. At least my time there went fine and I had no headaches or issues with traffic-I dealt with that on the way there and the way back. I had the chicken and waffles; they were good. I also had an alcoholic beverage or two, as I needed one. I'll try to return there sooner than “who knows how many months”.
Yesterday, I did not do anything of note at all. I was fine with that. I was dead tired and Saturday then this night I literally experienced a pain in my neck. I can't explain it. Today I already did the only thing I have on the agenda, which was return to the dentist. I wish I didn't have to go, but at least I got to experience some nitrous oxide.
I'll return a week from today and I do know if some things I'll be doing and talking about. Will I do anything for the 4th of July? We'll see.
Last Monday, after dinner at home I had free time so I went to a familiar place, that being Winter Garden Village. I went to the Gamestop & Barnes & Noble to browse about then I went to Planet Smoothie and I had one of their Pina Colada drinks as it's a limited edition thing. It's not my favorite flavor but I still wanted to try it out. As I got it I did think of “that song”, a kitschy classic from the late 70's. Guess which song I heard as I got into the vehicle to drive home? Yes. It was literally the song playing as I turned it on and got ready to leave there. I laughed at that bit of cosmic fate.
Tuesday nothing happened so let me mention two quick things: the first is that the iPod Touch I've had for a few years is having battery issues and it really doesn't hold a charge anymore. I know I could get the battery replaced but as it's old I might as well get a new model and experience such things as iOS7. I just don't know when that purchase will be. I do know of the deal where you can turn in your old iPod Touch for store credit. I did not want to spend the cash now but if I have to... the second thing is that while I was driving I spotted a BMW on the road, and he lived up (or down) to the stereotypes out there of BMW drivers. But, besides it being a 3 series wagon (Americans don't like wagons or hatchbacks in general, which I think is unfortunate), its license plates showed it was from... Alaska! What a long drive. It's not the first time I've seen that license plate down in the continental United States; I've actually seen it in Florida before, and more than once I've spotted a Hawaii plate besides the times I saw them when I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii back in 2000.
Wednesday, I went to Walmart in the hopes they would have the limited edition Pepsi drinks I saw advertised in a commercial. It was regular Pepsi, Wild Cherry Pepsi and Pepsi Vanilla, all made with real sugar. For some reason drinks like that aren't always easy to find down here. Thankfully, I found all of them at Walmart... and more. There were 16 ounce cans of Sprite in English and Spanish of the regular flavor, cherry and tropical, which was pretty good.
Thursday, me and someone I know went to Cracker Barrel. That place was decided upon as a few days prior, that person saw an ad for something new that was being offered by the restaurant. That meal... they thought it was alright but we hadn't been there in a long while so it was nice for something different. My almost always of a burger and fries were good, at least.
Friday I did not do a darn thing so let me get to Saturday, and things were normal... until the evening. I could do anything I want. I decided that after what may be a few years I should return to the kitschy place in Kissimmee known as Old Town. The last time I tried going there, the parking lot situation there was so messed up due to their stupidity I did not actually stop and walk around there. I figured that by now the situation had changed so out of the kindness of my heart I decided to give them one more chance. Things changed... for the worse. It was even more of a headache to try and find a spot to park so I mentally said to myself that they could F off and now I don't know if I'll ever be there if they do stupid crap like that and treat their customers horribly. I then decided to drive to Downtown Disney, as it was close by and while I didn't want to go back there until the construction that's all over the area was closer to being finished, with the circumstances... well, I drove there and close by the area, the entire road was blocked off to work on a bridge (really, on a Saturday at 6 PM) and there was no signs telling people how to get there via detour (I knew how, but it would really be out of the way) and I really got rankled and I decided to drive on the horrid Interstate I-4 until I got to the horrid International Drive and I finally got to a place I could have dinner at.
I hadn't been to Brick House Tavern + Tap in months so that seemed like a good place to revisit. At least my time there went fine and I had no headaches or issues with traffic-I dealt with that on the way there and the way back. I had the chicken and waffles; they were good. I also had an alcoholic beverage or two, as I needed one. I'll try to return there sooner than “who knows how many months”.
Yesterday, I did not do anything of note at all. I was fine with that. I was dead tired and Saturday then this night I literally experienced a pain in my neck. I can't explain it. Today I already did the only thing I have on the agenda, which was return to the dentist. I wish I didn't have to go, but at least I got to experience some nitrous oxide.
I'll return a week from today and I do know if some things I'll be doing and talking about. Will I do anything for the 4th of July? We'll see.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Cold in July, Pizza-Flavored Beer & The Pee Terminator
Here's a recap of what I've done this past week. I did nothing on Monday the 16rd. The week before was rainy (which was alright with me) and this day was also rainy. At least the weather was better on Tuesday (albeit pretty hot) so I made my return to Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom. The main reason was to experience the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride again, this time during daytime instead of at night like my first time on the ride. The main thing I did while I was there was walk around and get exercise (always something I could stand to do), have dinner at the park at one of their quick service areas, and yes I did go on the ride during the day and there were some nice views of the park while you're going around on the rollercoaster.
Wednesday was dull, but Thursday was more interesting, for sure. On Friday, some guests were at the house for the night. I don't know how much they want me to say about them here so I'll just say it was a young family of parents with two young children who are down here on vacation from Illinois and stayed here for the night before going to another destination for a few days. I figured the parents may have some alcohol to consume while on vacation so while I had some already, I figured getting more of a variety wouldn't hurt, so after dinner I first walked around the Mall at Millenia for a bit, for some exercise. Then, I went to the nearby Total Wine & More store. I've been to the one in east Orlando a few times but not this location. I spent some time there and wow what an odd experience it was.
First off, I found a rather odd beer from Wisconsin. It was Mamma Mia Pizza Beer. Yes, beer that tastes like pizza. It was so bizarre I couldn't help but get it. I had it the next night and well, it wasn't terrible... I was able to finish it without pouring it down the drain, so there's that. It actually sort of does have a pizza flavor. Then, two of my fellow customers-who I had seen walking around for a bit-suddenly were right by me and what weird people they were. Out of nowhere, the guy starts humping the air! Yes, it was pelvic thrusts but without the arm motions. He didn't do it AT me but I was still uncomfortable with how close he was to me while doing such a strange thing. A minute later a Billy Joel song came on in the store and I heard the immortal phrase, “Billy Joel is up in this bitch!” Were those people drinking BEFORE they got to the store? I do not know. They then started babbling on at me about certain beers and I tried to play it cool but I was thankful when they finally left me alone. Anyhow, I did get a good amount of booze.
Friday, that's when the guests showed up for the night. Again, I don't know how much they want me to say; I'll just mention that it was nice to see them all (including the kids, who I had never seen in person before) and everyone had a good time with the dinner that was made at home then hanging around and relaxing afterwards. Alcohol was consumed and what I picked out was appreciated, which was a relief. Sure, there's now quite a bit of beer around the house... I guess I'll have to drink it then!
Saturday night, I had free time so I decided to head to Maitland to the area's local arthouse/independent cinema, known as The Enzian, where there's only one screen but you get to sit in comfy seats and you can eat fancy food and drink alcohol while watching a film. I've been there a decent number of times over the year but it's been too long since my last time there. I sat outside at their open-air bar and had a beverage before heading on in to see the film Cold in July, a film noir sort of thing set in Texas, 1980's (yeah, comparisons to Blood Simple have been made and it's appropriate) starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson. The movie's great, so it's unfortunate what happened at the screening...
Sad to say, even at arthouse joints like that, horrible people can show up and be incredible rude and loathsome. There has been an occasion or two where someone in the crowd at the Enzian was not being that nice but nothing compared to the hell of dealing with that crowd. From the lady behind me constantly complaining about her seat and other things, to some guy on my 5 o'clock who I had to stare at more than once or twice-I don't think he ever saw me stare, though-as he loved exercising his vocal chords... from the old woman on my left who liked yapping despite her husband's pleas to shut up and of course she was so stupid she thought it was OK to shout at the screen for a character to do a certain action (this isn't a slasher movie, for crying out loud!) to a quite frankly bizarre-looking dude who sat right by me right as the movie was about to start; I have no idea what his mental issues were but he had to have some. He made bizarre noises and I don't know if he was speaking gibberish, talking to himself, or what, but with all of that, I was REALLY unhappy I had to deal with that rubbish; for a few years now I had little problems with that sort of thing (after dealing with some issues before that) but this year there's been other occasions where this BS has happened and it's really disheartening.
But anyhow, at least I got to see a quality film while eating dinner and while driving home I got quite the lightshow as there was a lot of lightning in the sky flashing about. Sunday, I didn't do anything which was fine with me. Instead, I'll mention a commercial I saw a few days ago which made me laugh. It's for some sort of wacky product where you place a pad down and via pheromones a pet is guaranteed to urinate on it. That is funny enough but they also offer in the deal a product that cleans up pets' messes and it's known as the Pee Terminator, which is a hilarious name.
For my next blog (which I'll post a week from today) I do not know what I'll be talking about, as there's really nothing on the agenda yet.
Wednesday was dull, but Thursday was more interesting, for sure. On Friday, some guests were at the house for the night. I don't know how much they want me to say about them here so I'll just say it was a young family of parents with two young children who are down here on vacation from Illinois and stayed here for the night before going to another destination for a few days. I figured the parents may have some alcohol to consume while on vacation so while I had some already, I figured getting more of a variety wouldn't hurt, so after dinner I first walked around the Mall at Millenia for a bit, for some exercise. Then, I went to the nearby Total Wine & More store. I've been to the one in east Orlando a few times but not this location. I spent some time there and wow what an odd experience it was.
First off, I found a rather odd beer from Wisconsin. It was Mamma Mia Pizza Beer. Yes, beer that tastes like pizza. It was so bizarre I couldn't help but get it. I had it the next night and well, it wasn't terrible... I was able to finish it without pouring it down the drain, so there's that. It actually sort of does have a pizza flavor. Then, two of my fellow customers-who I had seen walking around for a bit-suddenly were right by me and what weird people they were. Out of nowhere, the guy starts humping the air! Yes, it was pelvic thrusts but without the arm motions. He didn't do it AT me but I was still uncomfortable with how close he was to me while doing such a strange thing. A minute later a Billy Joel song came on in the store and I heard the immortal phrase, “Billy Joel is up in this bitch!” Were those people drinking BEFORE they got to the store? I do not know. They then started babbling on at me about certain beers and I tried to play it cool but I was thankful when they finally left me alone. Anyhow, I did get a good amount of booze.
Friday, that's when the guests showed up for the night. Again, I don't know how much they want me to say; I'll just mention that it was nice to see them all (including the kids, who I had never seen in person before) and everyone had a good time with the dinner that was made at home then hanging around and relaxing afterwards. Alcohol was consumed and what I picked out was appreciated, which was a relief. Sure, there's now quite a bit of beer around the house... I guess I'll have to drink it then!
Saturday night, I had free time so I decided to head to Maitland to the area's local arthouse/independent cinema, known as The Enzian, where there's only one screen but you get to sit in comfy seats and you can eat fancy food and drink alcohol while watching a film. I've been there a decent number of times over the year but it's been too long since my last time there. I sat outside at their open-air bar and had a beverage before heading on in to see the film Cold in July, a film noir sort of thing set in Texas, 1980's (yeah, comparisons to Blood Simple have been made and it's appropriate) starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson. The movie's great, so it's unfortunate what happened at the screening...
Sad to say, even at arthouse joints like that, horrible people can show up and be incredible rude and loathsome. There has been an occasion or two where someone in the crowd at the Enzian was not being that nice but nothing compared to the hell of dealing with that crowd. From the lady behind me constantly complaining about her seat and other things, to some guy on my 5 o'clock who I had to stare at more than once or twice-I don't think he ever saw me stare, though-as he loved exercising his vocal chords... from the old woman on my left who liked yapping despite her husband's pleas to shut up and of course she was so stupid she thought it was OK to shout at the screen for a character to do a certain action (this isn't a slasher movie, for crying out loud!) to a quite frankly bizarre-looking dude who sat right by me right as the movie was about to start; I have no idea what his mental issues were but he had to have some. He made bizarre noises and I don't know if he was speaking gibberish, talking to himself, or what, but with all of that, I was REALLY unhappy I had to deal with that rubbish; for a few years now I had little problems with that sort of thing (after dealing with some issues before that) but this year there's been other occasions where this BS has happened and it's really disheartening.
But anyhow, at least I got to see a quality film while eating dinner and while driving home I got quite the lightshow as there was a lot of lightning in the sky flashing about. Sunday, I didn't do anything which was fine with me. Instead, I'll mention a commercial I saw a few days ago which made me laugh. It's for some sort of wacky product where you place a pad down and via pheromones a pet is guaranteed to urinate on it. That is funny enough but they also offer in the deal a product that cleans up pets' messes and it's known as the Pee Terminator, which is a hilarious name.
For my next blog (which I'll post a week from today) I do not know what I'll be talking about, as there's really nothing on the agenda yet.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Tales of The World Cup & The World of Beer
In the past week, I did have some interesting experiences. Last Monday wasn't really one of them. I went to Steak & Shake with someone I know and having dinner there was a mundane nothing out of the ordinary experience. Tuesday, though, I finally went to my first Tampa Bay Rays game of the season. It was against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was an interleague game; without giving a detailed explanation for those that know little about Major League Baseball, these teams only play once every few years. I have seen the Cardinals live before, way back in the late 90's. The attendance at the game wasn't bad for a Rays game... except that there were many St. Louis fans in attendance. No surprise as I know many people from the Midwest end up in Florida... me included.
Before the game I went to a mall I don't think I've been to in a few years, that being the West Shore Plaza. I took a different way to get there and the traffic was still aggravating (a them for the week, really) but it was still preferable to dealing with the ever-constant annoyance and stress of I-4 traffic. I did not spend as much time there as I expected but it's largely the same as when I was there last. I then ate at a PDQ for the first time since late March; I really dig their food and I wish they had a location closer to where I live than an hour's drive away.
At the game itself, the Cardinals beat the Rays 1-0. This year Tampa Bay has been a real lousy team for a variety of reasons; as of now they literally have the worst record in all of Major League Baseball. It's just like the days when they were the Devil Rays and each year they were the crappiest team. Their offense in this game was offensive. They had opportunities to score but they could not convert and it was frustrating. Don't be fooled, even though it was just 1-0 I was still entertained by the game. I sat in the upper deck again, but this time in the first row, which was a pretty nice view. One of these days I'll sit in the lower deck of Tropicana Field closer to the field than the outfield area... one day. Thankfully I had little trouble with the people I was sitting by. That hasn't always been the case. Also, it was a rainy thunderstorm night there so I am glad the team plays in an indoor stadium. You could hear the thunder booming and the rain hit the roof. Hilariously, before the game they had a weather report from a local meteorologist and he proclaimed there “might” be some slight rain. Boy
Wednesday and Thursday were dull, so onto Friday. On that day, I did several things. For too long now, my pillow case had a big rip and I finally decided not only to replace it but also get new bedsheets and a light blanket for all times in Florida except winter. I went to Kohl's and I got one for a fair price; it was microfiber so it's pretty comfortable. After that I decided to go to the World of Beer again, but this time up in Lake Mary. Each WoB location has various differences in the beer they have on stock so there is a reason why you should visit different locations. They have up menus for all their locations so that helps in picking one in particular to visit. It was located in an outdoor shopping plaza I hadn't been for more than a year. It's largely the same as it was during my last visit. I ate at a Lime Fresh Mexican Grill as my last time there had to be months ago. After I ate there I walked on over to the nearby World of Beer.
While I was there, I had a Pilsen beer from Uruguay (as when else can I have such an opportunity?), a Tiger beer from Singapore, and a Flensburger Weizen from Germany; I've never had a hefeweizen beer before and it has a different taste; all 3 were fine. Not all the beers I wanted were in stock; alas. The main sporting event on the televisions was the World Cup game between Australia and Chile. I do know some people who have played-or still play-the sport; I'll say that I'd like to enjoy the sport and watch it frequently. However, I am turned off by how corrupt the sport is (and that doesn't even count all the World Cup controversy) and especially the gross trend of players flopping and faking injuries. That's just horrible and a real good reason for me not to follow it too closely. Anyhow, my time there went fine and Chile won the game.
Saturday and Sunday I did not do anything at all. It was fine with me. It was rainy all this past week, but especially the past two days. I did not even go out to see the UFC pay per view, as the card did not look so hot. I only saw some of the fights there were for free on TV. I heard that the pay per view portion was not a lot of fun to watch so I ended up making a wise choice.
This upcoming week, I actually do have some things I plan on doing; also, some special guests are visiting from elsewhere, so it should be a nice and not unexciting week for me.
Before the game I went to a mall I don't think I've been to in a few years, that being the West Shore Plaza. I took a different way to get there and the traffic was still aggravating (a them for the week, really) but it was still preferable to dealing with the ever-constant annoyance and stress of I-4 traffic. I did not spend as much time there as I expected but it's largely the same as when I was there last. I then ate at a PDQ for the first time since late March; I really dig their food and I wish they had a location closer to where I live than an hour's drive away.
At the game itself, the Cardinals beat the Rays 1-0. This year Tampa Bay has been a real lousy team for a variety of reasons; as of now they literally have the worst record in all of Major League Baseball. It's just like the days when they were the Devil Rays and each year they were the crappiest team. Their offense in this game was offensive. They had opportunities to score but they could not convert and it was frustrating. Don't be fooled, even though it was just 1-0 I was still entertained by the game. I sat in the upper deck again, but this time in the first row, which was a pretty nice view. One of these days I'll sit in the lower deck of Tropicana Field closer to the field than the outfield area... one day. Thankfully I had little trouble with the people I was sitting by. That hasn't always been the case. Also, it was a rainy thunderstorm night there so I am glad the team plays in an indoor stadium. You could hear the thunder booming and the rain hit the roof. Hilariously, before the game they had a weather report from a local meteorologist and he proclaimed there “might” be some slight rain. Boy
Wednesday and Thursday were dull, so onto Friday. On that day, I did several things. For too long now, my pillow case had a big rip and I finally decided not only to replace it but also get new bedsheets and a light blanket for all times in Florida except winter. I went to Kohl's and I got one for a fair price; it was microfiber so it's pretty comfortable. After that I decided to go to the World of Beer again, but this time up in Lake Mary. Each WoB location has various differences in the beer they have on stock so there is a reason why you should visit different locations. They have up menus for all their locations so that helps in picking one in particular to visit. It was located in an outdoor shopping plaza I hadn't been for more than a year. It's largely the same as it was during my last visit. I ate at a Lime Fresh Mexican Grill as my last time there had to be months ago. After I ate there I walked on over to the nearby World of Beer.
While I was there, I had a Pilsen beer from Uruguay (as when else can I have such an opportunity?), a Tiger beer from Singapore, and a Flensburger Weizen from Germany; I've never had a hefeweizen beer before and it has a different taste; all 3 were fine. Not all the beers I wanted were in stock; alas. The main sporting event on the televisions was the World Cup game between Australia and Chile. I do know some people who have played-or still play-the sport; I'll say that I'd like to enjoy the sport and watch it frequently. However, I am turned off by how corrupt the sport is (and that doesn't even count all the World Cup controversy) and especially the gross trend of players flopping and faking injuries. That's just horrible and a real good reason for me not to follow it too closely. Anyhow, my time there went fine and Chile won the game.
Saturday and Sunday I did not do anything at all. It was fine with me. It was rainy all this past week, but especially the past two days. I did not even go out to see the UFC pay per view, as the card did not look so hot. I only saw some of the fights there were for free on TV. I heard that the pay per view portion was not a lot of fun to watch so I ended up making a wise choice.
This upcoming week, I actually do have some things I plan on doing; also, some special guests are visiting from elsewhere, so it should be a nice and not unexciting week for me.
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