No I do not play Pokemon GO; heck, I've never played a single second of any Pokemon game. I just have to mention that I am amazed at how incredibly popular it's become. For some reason, that has gotten a lot of people bent out of shape and I really am not sure why; to me why is it even a big deal if it's a fad? It won't be too long before that fad dies down. I've heard it's helped people with depression issues by getting them out of the house. While some people have lost their jobs due to it... they were bound to lose them anyway if they would be so obsessed with it while on the clock. As for Dr. Perfect Biotics, that was the sender of one of the many spam e-mails I received in the past week, and it made me chortle.
On the 11th, I was out and about. All I'll bring up is that I returned to Disney Springs. I was going to eat dinner there but plans changed and I ended up eating fast food at home. I did try out the Sprinkles confectionery and it was quite tasty. I ordered at the counter and not at the cupcake ATM (that's right) on the outside. I got some ice cream and a cupcake, the latter of which I had at home. Tuesday, all I did was go to Walmart to purchase a few items. Wednesday, all I did was spend some time up in Sanford and I had some delicious PDQ as a meal; as I've said several times before, I wish one of those restaurants was closer by me.
Thursday, I went to a cineplex to see a movie. For the first time since last December I was at Cinepolis in Davenport, a little bit south of where I live. Aside from the first time I was there last summer, I hadn't had any problems with the place. I probably couldn't hide my befuddlement when I was told that the menus they have displayed may have food that they don't actually offer there because all of their locations have to display the same menu (?) but other than that... I went and saw The Infiltrator, as it sounded like something right in my wheelhouse, and it was. I know not everyone has loved it, but I do rate highly that based on a true story of a federal agent in the late 1980's going undercover and becoming involved with Pablo Escobar's drug trade. I laughed when I saw that a scene was set at the famed Tampa “adult establishment” 2001 Odyssey-yes, it's one of those places where women dance around and take off their clothing-even though I don't think that place was open at the time. I've driven by it before but never went in there... honest!
Friday through Sunday the only activities I did of note was make another airport run up to Sanford (this time to drop someone off; they will ride back in an automobile on the way back so I don't have to make another one of those runs for at least a few months), go to the Walmart up in Sanford in the wee hours of the morning, be forced to use a self-checkout lane-I am not a fan of those; they are too much of a hassle. Still, I got through it-and Saturday night I went to the high class establishment known as McDonald's to get some fast food to bring back home. It was a quiet weekend and I am OK about it.
When I return next Monday, it should be a more colorful week than the one I just had.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
UFC 200, Coca-Cola Stores, Michael Landon & Saskatoon Berry
Here's a recap of what I've done since last Monday; on the 4th of July I did not do a darn thing except watch the fireworks on TV and I got to hear idiots in the neighborhood shoot off their cheap fireworks. Tuesday, that was more interesting. I had a dentist appointment, but it was only to get my teeth cleaned. That went fine and I don't have to go back there for 6 months for another cleaning. A little later, I got food at Arby's; ever since I moved down here way back in 2004, the closest restaurant of that chain was like 15 miles away. Finally, a matter of days ago one opened a few miles from where I live. I went there for food not just for me but also for someone else. That someone else got the correct order. Me, before I left I took a glance at my order of a turkey & Swiss sandwich as I figured that'd be sufficient before I left and went home as a confirmation that my order was correct. Once I actually got home, I realized I was in error. I was not happy. I tried to make due to what I had, but I was not happy my order was wrong despite the receipt on the sandwich being correct. It does not make me want to go back there anytime soon, that is for sure. At least on Tuesday I got in the mail something I ordered from Amazon. It was a Canadian energy drink I had when I was in Canada was back in 2009. It was Beaver Buzz Saskatoon Berry; it's real good, IMO.
Wednesday the only thing I did was end up at Denny's for a bite to eat when I was out & about, let me skip ahead to Thursday. On that day I was out and about again. I won't get into the particulars until I talk about how I stopped at a random grocery store (Gooding's; from what I saw things were overpriced and I saw something on the shelf long past the expiration date but I got some items that are hard to find elsewhere so that's why I spent money there, although I likely won't do so again) then returned to the Sea Dog Brewing Restaurant; I went there once before in May. Yes, it's that Maine brewery and they have several restaurants around, mostly in Maine but there are two in Florida. I had some chicken tenders for dinner and washed it down with a tasty beverage. On the way back I decided to stop at Disney Springs as it was right by. A new Coca-Cola store opened. It mostly has cheap crap but on the top floor is an open air deck where you can order various beverages, and while I had to hear this on random websites and have random people explain it there (as it's not explained on any signs there), there is an option to sample 16 different Coke beverages from across the world and there's another option where you can have 8 different floats. Solo, sampling those 16 was rough, as that's a lot of liquid. One day I'll try those floats. Hopefully the next time I am there I won't see any tools doing the sadly popular thing of making stupid faces at the camera as they take selfies or pictures with their significant other/squad.
Friday I stayed in, so onto Saturday. Saturday night was UFC 200, which was a huge show not only for the nice round number but because they always try for huge shows around this time of year. Even with Jon Jones being Jon Jones and being pulled from the show from doing some recreational or performance enhancing drug, it was still a great-looking card. In actually, the show wasn't better than it being “fine”, but it was a decent time at Twin Peaks, where I saw it. I had a late dinner along with something to quench my thirst. I tried to ignore the meatheads there and I guess I shouldn't complain as most people stayed around after the semi main event involving Brock Lesnar and did not leave because it was women who fought in the main event. In fact, they loved that exciting fight. One interesting sight that night was a fellow customer: he looked a lot like 1980's Highway to Heaven era Michael Landon! Talk about something you don't see every day.
When I return next Monday, I do have some idea of what I'll be talking about.
Wednesday the only thing I did was end up at Denny's for a bite to eat when I was out & about, let me skip ahead to Thursday. On that day I was out and about again. I won't get into the particulars until I talk about how I stopped at a random grocery store (Gooding's; from what I saw things were overpriced and I saw something on the shelf long past the expiration date but I got some items that are hard to find elsewhere so that's why I spent money there, although I likely won't do so again) then returned to the Sea Dog Brewing Restaurant; I went there once before in May. Yes, it's that Maine brewery and they have several restaurants around, mostly in Maine but there are two in Florida. I had some chicken tenders for dinner and washed it down with a tasty beverage. On the way back I decided to stop at Disney Springs as it was right by. A new Coca-Cola store opened. It mostly has cheap crap but on the top floor is an open air deck where you can order various beverages, and while I had to hear this on random websites and have random people explain it there (as it's not explained on any signs there), there is an option to sample 16 different Coke beverages from across the world and there's another option where you can have 8 different floats. Solo, sampling those 16 was rough, as that's a lot of liquid. One day I'll try those floats. Hopefully the next time I am there I won't see any tools doing the sadly popular thing of making stupid faces at the camera as they take selfies or pictures with their significant other/squad.
Friday I stayed in, so onto Saturday. Saturday night was UFC 200, which was a huge show not only for the nice round number but because they always try for huge shows around this time of year. Even with Jon Jones being Jon Jones and being pulled from the show from doing some recreational or performance enhancing drug, it was still a great-looking card. In actually, the show wasn't better than it being “fine”, but it was a decent time at Twin Peaks, where I saw it. I had a late dinner along with something to quench my thirst. I tried to ignore the meatheads there and I guess I shouldn't complain as most people stayed around after the semi main event involving Brock Lesnar and did not leave because it was women who fought in the main event. In fact, they loved that exciting fight. One interesting sight that night was a fellow customer: he looked a lot like 1980's Highway to Heaven era Michael Landon! Talk about something you don't see every day.
When I return next Monday, I do have some idea of what I'll be talking about.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Heads Up, Midnight Espresso, Sugar Daddies, & Flapjack Johnny's
Here's what I've done since last Monday. On that Monday the 27th, I returned to Walt Disney World, this time to Epcot. In the past few weeks several changes were made there. They changed the Soarin' ride to where it doesn't just cover California but now the entire world, and there is a Frozen ride. When I arrived at Soarin', between the lines and hearsay I overheard, that ride wasn't working. I soon then ended up at Frozen. I waited in line for awhile and it was standard, until it was announced that they were not in operation either. I was not too happy about this, especially considering the last time I was at Disney, I also had a problem w/ a ride breaking down. You'd expect better from Disney, you know. Still, I waited in line and during that long time period, I saw several groups of people playing a game on their phone that I had no knowledge of before, due to me being lame and all. Later I discovered it was the game Heads Up; someone has to guess what name or thing is on the phone screen via clues someone else gives. Anyhow, they finally got it going again so I was able to ride it. I've never seen the movie and it's really best for those that are fans. Still, it was at least done to a high quality and standard. I then had a late meal right by the ampitheater where they had a Tina Turner cover band, of all things.
Tuesday, I did not do anything so let me skip ahead to Wednesday. That evening I first went to the Artegon Marketplace; that was pretty much the same as usual. Most of it is arts & crafts things of little interest to me. However, I did have a delicious chocolate chip cookie from the amazingly named Sugar Daddy Bakery. Then, I returned to the good old Twin Peaks. That was the same as usual, and I had a local porter beer. It was Motorworks Brewing (out of Bradenton) Midnight Espresso, which to me is a great name. Despite the name it's heavy on the coffee flavor. Still, it tasted fine, even as someone who doesn't drink coffee. I then went to the nearby Bahama Breeze as I hadn't been to that particular location in years. I had a tropical drink then went home. I did not have food at either, despite thinking both are pretty good at that. Next time...
Thursday was dull; Friday, someone I know had their birthday. Me, that person and someone else went to a local restaurant. The person of honor decided to try out a place in nearby Groveland called Flapjack Johnny's. The name is amusing to me. They just started serving dinner Friday and Saturday evenings. I thought my food was fine-enough; thankfully the birthday meal for that person (haddock fish) was rated as “excellent”. Saturday, I decided to go down to the outdoor mall in Davenport, as I hadn't been down there since last December. It's the same old same old there. I got gas at a new Love's gas station in the area; as I rarely go on that particular route, I'll only rarely visit that station.
As I relaxed on Sunday, I will say that I'll be back next Monday and I actually do have some plans for the upcoming week. I won't do anything on the 4th of July but I will still have plenty to talk about, I reckon.
Tuesday, I did not do anything so let me skip ahead to Wednesday. That evening I first went to the Artegon Marketplace; that was pretty much the same as usual. Most of it is arts & crafts things of little interest to me. However, I did have a delicious chocolate chip cookie from the amazingly named Sugar Daddy Bakery. Then, I returned to the good old Twin Peaks. That was the same as usual, and I had a local porter beer. It was Motorworks Brewing (out of Bradenton) Midnight Espresso, which to me is a great name. Despite the name it's heavy on the coffee flavor. Still, it tasted fine, even as someone who doesn't drink coffee. I then went to the nearby Bahama Breeze as I hadn't been to that particular location in years. I had a tropical drink then went home. I did not have food at either, despite thinking both are pretty good at that. Next time...
Thursday was dull; Friday, someone I know had their birthday. Me, that person and someone else went to a local restaurant. The person of honor decided to try out a place in nearby Groveland called Flapjack Johnny's. The name is amusing to me. They just started serving dinner Friday and Saturday evenings. I thought my food was fine-enough; thankfully the birthday meal for that person (haddock fish) was rated as “excellent”. Saturday, I decided to go down to the outdoor mall in Davenport, as I hadn't been down there since last December. It's the same old same old there. I got gas at a new Love's gas station in the area; as I rarely go on that particular route, I'll only rarely visit that station.
As I relaxed on Sunday, I will say that I'll be back next Monday and I actually do have some plans for the upcoming week. I won't do anything on the 4th of July but I will still have plenty to talk about, I reckon.
Monday, June 27, 2016
The One Time I Finally Saw The Movie Independence Day
Yes, until this past Thursday I had never watched the movie in full. I swear this is true.
Here's what I've done since last Monday; as I did nothing of note on Monday the 20th, let me skip ahead to Tuesday. That evening, I returned to Disney Springs. I walked around and saw it was largely the same as my last time there a few weeks ago. I went to the AMC Theatres there and what I saw was not a movie but rather a sporting event. It was the Copa America Centenario soccer match between the United States and Argentina. Despite not being a huge soccer fan, the novelty of seeing it that way plus getting out the house was an enticing mix for me. It took some time for the people there to properly turn on the game for viewing but it finally was figured out. As for the game, even I could see the obvious difference in skill between the two teams. Argentina looked so much better and it was proven as they won 4-0. Messi's talent was also proven.
Wednesday, I did nothing to note so onto Thursday, which was an interesting day. I finally saw the movie Independence Day in full; that's right, I somehow never watched it in the 20 years it's been out. I saw some scenes and I did know Bill Pullman's epic speech, but that's about it. To be frank, the movie looked too dopey and ridiculous to me and well, it is quite dopey and ridiculous. I saw it in Orlando; places across the country had a double bill where on the big screen they played the original and then at 8PM it was Resurgence. It has its charms but I usually don't watch such things... as snobby as that might sound. As for Resurgence, despite what most everyone thinks, I actually liked it a little more; the fact that there weren't as many annoying/stupid characters helped in that regard. I saw it in 3D; as for most 3D movies of modern times, you can watch it in 2D and it's probably better that way.
Friday, I went with someone to the local Outback Steakhouse as the neither of us had been to one in ages. That went fine, and it provided a great comic moment where a woman pulled a Buford T. Justice from Smokey & the Bandit and walked out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to their foot. Saturday, the only thing of note is that late in the evening, something I ate earlier did not agree with me, and as I know no one wants to hear those details, I'll move onto Sunday. That evening, I made another airport run, this time to pick someone up in Sanford. They were delayed about an hour, but that only meant I left an hour later. On the way there I stopped in Lake Mary to get cheap gas then I went to a Tilted Kilt, as I hadn't been to one of those in ages. I had a Fire Rock Pale Ale beer from Kona Brewery in Hawaii, and from having a few of their beers, Kona makes quality brew. The trip back home was uneventful, which was nice as this past week I had to deal with some heinous traffic. I mean, even worse than usual. At times I had to let them know what I thought of what they were doing... even know I am sure that most of the time they are too dumb to know why I am angry at them.
I will be back a week from today even if it's the 4th of July. I do have an idea or two when it comes to activities.
Here's what I've done since last Monday; as I did nothing of note on Monday the 20th, let me skip ahead to Tuesday. That evening, I returned to Disney Springs. I walked around and saw it was largely the same as my last time there a few weeks ago. I went to the AMC Theatres there and what I saw was not a movie but rather a sporting event. It was the Copa America Centenario soccer match between the United States and Argentina. Despite not being a huge soccer fan, the novelty of seeing it that way plus getting out the house was an enticing mix for me. It took some time for the people there to properly turn on the game for viewing but it finally was figured out. As for the game, even I could see the obvious difference in skill between the two teams. Argentina looked so much better and it was proven as they won 4-0. Messi's talent was also proven.
Wednesday, I did nothing to note so onto Thursday, which was an interesting day. I finally saw the movie Independence Day in full; that's right, I somehow never watched it in the 20 years it's been out. I saw some scenes and I did know Bill Pullman's epic speech, but that's about it. To be frank, the movie looked too dopey and ridiculous to me and well, it is quite dopey and ridiculous. I saw it in Orlando; places across the country had a double bill where on the big screen they played the original and then at 8PM it was Resurgence. It has its charms but I usually don't watch such things... as snobby as that might sound. As for Resurgence, despite what most everyone thinks, I actually liked it a little more; the fact that there weren't as many annoying/stupid characters helped in that regard. I saw it in 3D; as for most 3D movies of modern times, you can watch it in 2D and it's probably better that way.
Friday, I went with someone to the local Outback Steakhouse as the neither of us had been to one in ages. That went fine, and it provided a great comic moment where a woman pulled a Buford T. Justice from Smokey & the Bandit and walked out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to their foot. Saturday, the only thing of note is that late in the evening, something I ate earlier did not agree with me, and as I know no one wants to hear those details, I'll move onto Sunday. That evening, I made another airport run, this time to pick someone up in Sanford. They were delayed about an hour, but that only meant I left an hour later. On the way there I stopped in Lake Mary to get cheap gas then I went to a Tilted Kilt, as I hadn't been to one of those in ages. I had a Fire Rock Pale Ale beer from Kona Brewery in Hawaii, and from having a few of their beers, Kona makes quality brew. The trip back home was uneventful, which was nice as this past week I had to deal with some heinous traffic. I mean, even worse than usual. At times I had to let them know what I thought of what they were doing... even know I am sure that most of the time they are too dumb to know why I am angry at them.
I will be back a week from today even if it's the 4th of July. I do have an idea or two when it comes to activities.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Blueberry Cobbler Beer, Ali, Macarons & Orlando Strong
Here's what I've done since last Monday. On that Monday the 13th the only thing of note I did was go to a local wine store for the first time; it is called Wine Regions and while they had more of a selection of wine and hard liquor than beer, the beer they had at least was some nice choices. I got the Einstok Toasted Porter (it's from Iceland, actually; it's good) and the Queen Bohemian Rhapsody Lager. It's from the Czech Republic and it was fine. Tuesday, I returned to Universal CityWalk. I had no worries about being in Orlando after the events of the previous weekend... still, I never felt more glad that they use metal detectors. I had dinner at the Burger King Whopper Bar-that was fine-then saw a movie before having a drink at the NBC Sports Grill & Brew. The movie I saw was 2001's Ali; yes, they were showing it. As I had heard for years, that movie is good rather than great, although Will Smith in the title role was tremendous.
Wednesday, I did nothing so I'll just mention how horrible it was at Walt Disney World at a resort where someone I know used to work at, that a 2 year old boy was dragged into the water and drowned by an alligator. From Friday the 10th to Wednesday the 15th, what a stretch of time for everyone in this area... I mean, just awful. Thursday, I went with someone to the local Chili's restaurant; that went as expected, and our meals were fine. Friday, it was a different sort of day. I originally wasn't planning on seeing another Tampa Bay Rays game until later in the summer. However, the team announced that the game on this day would have all available tickets for only 5 bucks and all the money would go to a victim's fund for you know what massacre; while I haven't done any of the many nice things that people have done in this community to try and help those people (from blood drives to volunteering as translators), giving them a few bucks is the least that I could do. In a rare moment, Tropicana Field will actually be full of people instead of the typical small crowds that they almost always get. That's why I went and saw them play against the San Francisco Giants on this night, in the lower bowl of the stadium on the side.
The drive to Tampa was about the same as usual... meaning there were plenty of dumb people on the highway and rude behavior exhibited. I thought about places to go to before Tropicana Field, and I decided on the International Plaza, a high-end mall on the West side of Tampa. It was largely the same as before. I had a pair of macarons from a nice confectionery there and both were tasty. After that I drove to the stadium and got a decent parking spot. As I've said before, the crowds at Rays games usually don't even fill half of the stadium, so it was quite rare to be at a game which was announced as sold out. Not all the seats were filled but many were and that was a unique experience, along with all the nice ceremonies to pay tribute to the victims in Orlando; everyone who attended got a nice free t-shirt as well. I was glad I went there, even if some people were drunken buffoons and there were also some annoying kids. Both things are not so rare at sporting events, to be honest. The drunk young male who I saw macking on a random woman and embarrassed his friends... he mentioned something about driving his car there; I hope he wasn't being truthful there as he was quite intoxicated and he did not need to be behind the wheel.
As for the game itself, San Francisco won 5-1. Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija is either pretty good or pretty bad on the mound; on this night he was an All Star, pitching the entire game and it was only a random home run that did not make it a shutout. The Rays aren't as good of a team now as they used to be; looking at the records of both teams, it's no surprise Tampa Bay lost.
Saturday and Sunday I stayed at home. I was OK with that arrangement. Saturday night I had a few more beers, including from Florida's Funky Buddha brewery, Blueberry Cobbler beer. While it does sound odd, it actually did taste good. Sunday, I have to say that Anton Yelchin's death was both unexpected and sad. Cleveland winning the NBA title... I am no fan of LeBron James by any means and I would have preferred Golden State; however, those poor Cleveland sports fans haven't had a major team in their city win a championship since the early 1960's, so it is nice for those people and I can't get too mad about it.
When I return a week from today, I do have some ideas in mind for what I'll be talking about.
Wednesday, I did nothing so I'll just mention how horrible it was at Walt Disney World at a resort where someone I know used to work at, that a 2 year old boy was dragged into the water and drowned by an alligator. From Friday the 10th to Wednesday the 15th, what a stretch of time for everyone in this area... I mean, just awful. Thursday, I went with someone to the local Chili's restaurant; that went as expected, and our meals were fine. Friday, it was a different sort of day. I originally wasn't planning on seeing another Tampa Bay Rays game until later in the summer. However, the team announced that the game on this day would have all available tickets for only 5 bucks and all the money would go to a victim's fund for you know what massacre; while I haven't done any of the many nice things that people have done in this community to try and help those people (from blood drives to volunteering as translators), giving them a few bucks is the least that I could do. In a rare moment, Tropicana Field will actually be full of people instead of the typical small crowds that they almost always get. That's why I went and saw them play against the San Francisco Giants on this night, in the lower bowl of the stadium on the side.
The drive to Tampa was about the same as usual... meaning there were plenty of dumb people on the highway and rude behavior exhibited. I thought about places to go to before Tropicana Field, and I decided on the International Plaza, a high-end mall on the West side of Tampa. It was largely the same as before. I had a pair of macarons from a nice confectionery there and both were tasty. After that I drove to the stadium and got a decent parking spot. As I've said before, the crowds at Rays games usually don't even fill half of the stadium, so it was quite rare to be at a game which was announced as sold out. Not all the seats were filled but many were and that was a unique experience, along with all the nice ceremonies to pay tribute to the victims in Orlando; everyone who attended got a nice free t-shirt as well. I was glad I went there, even if some people were drunken buffoons and there were also some annoying kids. Both things are not so rare at sporting events, to be honest. The drunk young male who I saw macking on a random woman and embarrassed his friends... he mentioned something about driving his car there; I hope he wasn't being truthful there as he was quite intoxicated and he did not need to be behind the wheel.
As for the game itself, San Francisco won 5-1. Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija is either pretty good or pretty bad on the mound; on this night he was an All Star, pitching the entire game and it was only a random home run that did not make it a shutout. The Rays aren't as good of a team now as they used to be; looking at the records of both teams, it's no surprise Tampa Bay lost.
Saturday and Sunday I stayed at home. I was OK with that arrangement. Saturday night I had a few more beers, including from Florida's Funky Buddha brewery, Blueberry Cobbler beer. While it does sound odd, it actually did taste good. Sunday, I have to say that Anton Yelchin's death was both unexpected and sad. Cleveland winning the NBA title... I am no fan of LeBron James by any means and I would have preferred Golden State; however, those poor Cleveland sports fans haven't had a major team in their city win a championship since the early 1960's, so it is nice for those people and I can't get too mad about it.
When I return a week from today, I do have some ideas in mind for what I'll be talking about.
Monday, June 13, 2016
The One Time Where I Wonder What's Going On With Orlando
I figured I should start this off by mentioning what has been going on in Orlando since late Friday night; it makes me wonder if a portal to Hell suddenly opened in the area. Concerning what happened on Friday, I had heard of Christina Grimmie way back when but even if I hadn't, a singer being shot and killed at a meet and greet after performing is very sad. I've never been in the venue where it happened-although I have driven by it many times before-so I don't know how security is... I'd complain about how Florida is terrible and yada yada yada... I know it could have happened at any place. Saturday night, I was actually in Downtown Orlando; I had the itch to go there and despite it being in the back of my mind, I did not think that anything would happen. A tragedy two nights in a row... that seemed incomprehensible. My time in the area went fine and I'll explain where I went later... I will say that on the way back I almost literally had a brawl between two idiots knock me on my ass and I had to run to avoid them crashing into me. I have no idea what the fight was about but I thought that'd be the worst thing about the night. Oh no.
Imagine my horror when a few hours after arriving back home I hear about that shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which was like 2 miles south of where I was parked and about 3 or so miles from where I ended up. Before the news I figured I was too old to be out in Downtown Orlando so that's why I figured I would only do it once in a blue moon. Now... I even have trepidation of doing anything in Orlando for the next who knows how many days... not that I am going to let some A-holes ruin what I want to do, as they would love for people to live in fear like that. But what a tragedy this past weekend has been in the area.
Here's what I've done since last Monday. That day I stayed in as doom & gloom were predicted what with Tropical Storm Colin traveling in the northern part of Florida. Well, Monday night we got some wind and rain but otherwise it was not as bad as people thought it was going to be. I know people who got hit worse by the storm, so I don't want it to sound like I am bragging. Tuesday, I ended up getting a haircut and it was at a new place. For a long while now I've had it done at the Sportclips in Winter Garden but via a mailing advertisement I discovered there was a new Sportclips right in Clermont, only a few miles from where I live. That's definitely more convenient for me. That went fine and best of all, that aforementioned advertisement had a coupon for a free haircut for anyone to use for their first time there.
Wednesday, I went with someone to the local Cracker Barrel restaurant. I had a decent time there, as my Maine Blueberry Pancakes meal was good. Thursday, I went out and about. The traffic there and back was pretty bad but “Typical Florida” is what I should probably say about it. For the first time in years I saw a movie at Regal Cinemas The Loop; I've been to The Loop outdoor mall occasionally but the cinema not so much; there are other closer venues for me to see films. What I watched on this day was a double bill of the two The Conjuring movies. I rate both highly as they are great at what they do. I am not sure if Ed & Lorraine Warren have done everything that they said they did when it comes to the paranormal and the events of 2 are rather hard to believe as being what could realistically have happened... I still enjoyed it. Afterwards I had a late night bite to eat at the nearby BJ's Brewhouse and Restaurant. For the first time I tried their home brew Hefeweizen and Porter; I enjoyed both. I am thankful that in the past few years my tastes when it comes to beer has expanded and now I am fine with drinking more than just pilsners or lagers. I think I should drink more Porter beers, as the ones I've had tended to be good, and that applies to the one at BJ's.
Saturday night, drinking more beers made in the Porter style is what I did. I accomplished that feat by returning to Downtown Orlando; it's been a very long time since I went there on a Friday or Saturday night to visit a club and have a good time. I did see that there's now a German-themed place in the building that once housed the legendary Mako's; what an incredible bar/club that was, and I'll always cherish the good times I had there. I did not walk by there but I understand the Ghost Bar & Lounge (the place I went to after Mako's went out of business) is out of business themselves and a different bar now occupies that space; I'll have to try both out one day in the future. I instead went to the World of Beer that's by Lake Eola, meaning I had to do some walking to get there and back. It was a typical WOB and I had no issues to speak of... except that I wish they would have had two of the Porter beers they advertised that they had. I had to go with the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, Funky Buddha Nib Smuggler, and JDub's Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter. All three were good in different ways and the last two were from Florida so at least I was supporting local small breweries. A random multi-ethnic reggae band from Jacksonville played and they were fine; most of the crowd there didn't seem to care about the band and that was unfortunate; they deserved more respect than that.
Sunday, I did not feel like doing anything, for understandable reasons. When I return a week from today... this area returning to normal would be nice; it'd be refreshing to only have to complain about nincompoops on the highway rather than be disturbed by incidents from terrorists who commit horrific acts way too close to home. As is, not much is on the agenda as of now.
Imagine my horror when a few hours after arriving back home I hear about that shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which was like 2 miles south of where I was parked and about 3 or so miles from where I ended up. Before the news I figured I was too old to be out in Downtown Orlando so that's why I figured I would only do it once in a blue moon. Now... I even have trepidation of doing anything in Orlando for the next who knows how many days... not that I am going to let some A-holes ruin what I want to do, as they would love for people to live in fear like that. But what a tragedy this past weekend has been in the area.
Here's what I've done since last Monday. That day I stayed in as doom & gloom were predicted what with Tropical Storm Colin traveling in the northern part of Florida. Well, Monday night we got some wind and rain but otherwise it was not as bad as people thought it was going to be. I know people who got hit worse by the storm, so I don't want it to sound like I am bragging. Tuesday, I ended up getting a haircut and it was at a new place. For a long while now I've had it done at the Sportclips in Winter Garden but via a mailing advertisement I discovered there was a new Sportclips right in Clermont, only a few miles from where I live. That's definitely more convenient for me. That went fine and best of all, that aforementioned advertisement had a coupon for a free haircut for anyone to use for their first time there.
Wednesday, I went with someone to the local Cracker Barrel restaurant. I had a decent time there, as my Maine Blueberry Pancakes meal was good. Thursday, I went out and about. The traffic there and back was pretty bad but “Typical Florida” is what I should probably say about it. For the first time in years I saw a movie at Regal Cinemas The Loop; I've been to The Loop outdoor mall occasionally but the cinema not so much; there are other closer venues for me to see films. What I watched on this day was a double bill of the two The Conjuring movies. I rate both highly as they are great at what they do. I am not sure if Ed & Lorraine Warren have done everything that they said they did when it comes to the paranormal and the events of 2 are rather hard to believe as being what could realistically have happened... I still enjoyed it. Afterwards I had a late night bite to eat at the nearby BJ's Brewhouse and Restaurant. For the first time I tried their home brew Hefeweizen and Porter; I enjoyed both. I am thankful that in the past few years my tastes when it comes to beer has expanded and now I am fine with drinking more than just pilsners or lagers. I think I should drink more Porter beers, as the ones I've had tended to be good, and that applies to the one at BJ's.
Saturday night, drinking more beers made in the Porter style is what I did. I accomplished that feat by returning to Downtown Orlando; it's been a very long time since I went there on a Friday or Saturday night to visit a club and have a good time. I did see that there's now a German-themed place in the building that once housed the legendary Mako's; what an incredible bar/club that was, and I'll always cherish the good times I had there. I did not walk by there but I understand the Ghost Bar & Lounge (the place I went to after Mako's went out of business) is out of business themselves and a different bar now occupies that space; I'll have to try both out one day in the future. I instead went to the World of Beer that's by Lake Eola, meaning I had to do some walking to get there and back. It was a typical WOB and I had no issues to speak of... except that I wish they would have had two of the Porter beers they advertised that they had. I had to go with the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, Funky Buddha Nib Smuggler, and JDub's Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter. All three were good in different ways and the last two were from Florida so at least I was supporting local small breweries. A random multi-ethnic reggae band from Jacksonville played and they were fine; most of the crowd there didn't seem to care about the band and that was unfortunate; they deserved more respect than that.
Sunday, I did not feel like doing anything, for understandable reasons. When I return a week from today... this area returning to normal would be nice; it'd be refreshing to only have to complain about nincompoops on the highway rather than be disturbed by incidents from terrorists who commit horrific acts way too close to home. As is, not much is on the agenda as of now.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Muhammad Ali, Safeway, The Magic Kingdom, & Magic!
Here's what I've done since last Monday; on that Memorial Day, where I live was a sweathouse. I tried to make do the best that I could. It was no fun and it made me feel real listless. At least in the evenings I could open the windows and use a box fan that may be almost as old as I am (no kidding) to blow in cool air and that helped a little. That evening I got food from Culver's, and I appreciated the tasty meal. Tuesday, the air was finally fixed in the morning and it was much appreciated. It was not as expensive as I expected, at least; putting in a capacitor is not a difficult task, apparently. In the evening I went to the PDQ up in Sanford and as always I enjoyed the food. I still wish there was one closer to where I live. The reason why I was up there was to make another airport run, this time to pick up both of my parents. On the way back, part of the drive was through a monsoon... sort of like how the weather was supposed to be in this area today, only we have gotten just some wind and some rain and it isn't anything but a random ugly rainy day. I drove more carefully; I don't need to say that there were plenty of people who didn't drive carefully or that the traffic is as bad as ever down here, with there being a time or two where I wonder if someone was impaired or if they really were that stupid.
Wednesday, I had free time so I returned to Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was packed with people but what was a bigger hindrance was it being as hot and humid as the surface of the sun; I was sweating like a Kardashian or Jenner in church! It was a day where at the park several things did not work, and I did not enjoy that. Eh, at least I got some exercise, had lunch there (and a little later, ice cream) and I saw that the place was largely the same as the last time I was there, which was months ago. I will end up going back to a WDW theme park this summer as Epcot has some new attractions opening this month and in August I have to renew my pass (the pricing scheme for the parks is completely different now; I understand that the best option for me is the pass where only a few dates a year are blocked off and they are the busiest dates of the year that I wouldn't want to be at anyway); I tend to try and avoid the parks during the summer, for obvious reasons.
Thursday I did not do anything but Friday I went to a restaurant I hadn't eaten at in months: Uno's. Thankfully aside from one horrible night where a few hours after I had eaten there I got the worst case of food poisoning in my life, I have had little in the way of problems there, aside from the portions not being as large as before. By the way, do not ask why I know for certain why it was the worst case, as you don't want to hear the details! That time there went fine, and an amusing moment was when an older couple asked about a musical act performing before a soccer game and it took multiple people and Google to figure out it was the band Magic! I had heard of them before and I tried to forget about them after hearing the song Rude as it was lame white people trying to do reggae, but then again for I don't know how many years now I don't even pay attention to Top 40 radio and I only hear a small percentage of those songs and I am OK with that. Anyhow, I had no idea that band was still relevant in the middle of 2016. Late that night I heard about Muhammad Ali passing away. Boxing still isn't my favorite sport but it doesn't mean I wasn't saddened by the news.
Sunday, the only thing I did was be ticked off by the incompetence and stupidity of others. I won't go into the details except that people being dumb and not being able to get things working right caused me unneeded stress and frustration. Saturday, as I felt like doing something before the bad weather rolled in, I went to the Total Wine & More up in Altamonte Springs and I got some beverages. I then went to a new grocery store in the area: Safeway. I had heard of them before but I never had been in one before. It's a nice-enough place and there were nice touches like the aisles being named after local streets. I did not go and see that night's UFC PPV, and I am OK with that, despite some surprising results. I was planning on seeing UFC 200 on July 9 even before the shocking announcement that Brock Lesnar is making a one time only return... now I know that will be an insane show and an insane night at Twin Peaks or wherever I go to see it.
When I return a week from today, I do know of some activities I'll be doing, so that is always good and hopefully it will be more relaxing and less taxing for me as well compared to this past week.
Wednesday, I had free time so I returned to Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was packed with people but what was a bigger hindrance was it being as hot and humid as the surface of the sun; I was sweating like a Kardashian or Jenner in church! It was a day where at the park several things did not work, and I did not enjoy that. Eh, at least I got some exercise, had lunch there (and a little later, ice cream) and I saw that the place was largely the same as the last time I was there, which was months ago. I will end up going back to a WDW theme park this summer as Epcot has some new attractions opening this month and in August I have to renew my pass (the pricing scheme for the parks is completely different now; I understand that the best option for me is the pass where only a few dates a year are blocked off and they are the busiest dates of the year that I wouldn't want to be at anyway); I tend to try and avoid the parks during the summer, for obvious reasons.
Thursday I did not do anything but Friday I went to a restaurant I hadn't eaten at in months: Uno's. Thankfully aside from one horrible night where a few hours after I had eaten there I got the worst case of food poisoning in my life, I have had little in the way of problems there, aside from the portions not being as large as before. By the way, do not ask why I know for certain why it was the worst case, as you don't want to hear the details! That time there went fine, and an amusing moment was when an older couple asked about a musical act performing before a soccer game and it took multiple people and Google to figure out it was the band Magic! I had heard of them before and I tried to forget about them after hearing the song Rude as it was lame white people trying to do reggae, but then again for I don't know how many years now I don't even pay attention to Top 40 radio and I only hear a small percentage of those songs and I am OK with that. Anyhow, I had no idea that band was still relevant in the middle of 2016. Late that night I heard about Muhammad Ali passing away. Boxing still isn't my favorite sport but it doesn't mean I wasn't saddened by the news.
Sunday, the only thing I did was be ticked off by the incompetence and stupidity of others. I won't go into the details except that people being dumb and not being able to get things working right caused me unneeded stress and frustration. Saturday, as I felt like doing something before the bad weather rolled in, I went to the Total Wine & More up in Altamonte Springs and I got some beverages. I then went to a new grocery store in the area: Safeway. I had heard of them before but I never had been in one before. It's a nice-enough place and there were nice touches like the aisles being named after local streets. I did not go and see that night's UFC PPV, and I am OK with that, despite some surprising results. I was planning on seeing UFC 200 on July 9 even before the shocking announcement that Brock Lesnar is making a one time only return... now I know that will be an insane show and an insane night at Twin Peaks or wherever I go to see it.
When I return a week from today, I do know of some activities I'll be doing, so that is always good and hopefully it will be more relaxing and less taxing for me as well compared to this past week.
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