Washed the Murano. Saw movie Avatar again, this time in IMAX 3D. First time I've been to the IMAX theater in Tempe. Very nice. I didn't notice the extra 9 minutes of footage. During Thursday Black Belt class we used live swords to do test cutting. I didn't do well. Definitely need more practice. Went to my new Dentist. Made appointments to get some work done. Have you ever noticed in commercials when they show a dude shaving in the bathroom/locker room he is wearing a white towel wrapped around his waist? Got a new Brian 4.com shirt from Brand X Store. An article in local newspaper said 2 of the top 15 sellers for Arizona Lottery tickets are in my zip code: 2 grocery stores that I shop at. Nightmare of the Week: I had an argument with a husband and wife that I knew and had to beat down their 20-something year-old son. Got food from Smashburger. I entered an online contest and got a free Cactus Vanilla milkshake with my Arizona Smashburger. While in Tempe a homeless person talked to me twice. We weren't far from a Subway so I offered to buy her a sandwich. She told me she needed cash so she could travel to a place that would let her eat and stay there all night.
Tuesday I voted in the Arizona Primary. Since I'm a registered Independent, I had my choice of Democrat or GOP ballot. I chose Republican so I could vote between McCain v. Hayworth for the Senate. Nightmare of the Week: I was wrestling Terry Funk and he got REAL MAD at me. Squadron Booster Club bought bagels for Friday breakfast. Got TV show Lost the entire series DVD set. Went to Homeowners Association meeting. Saturday got about 80% done with cutting 2 bougainvillea when my electric saw died. Bought some shirts from JC Penney online. Movie Avatar was rereleased with an extra 9 minutes? Mr. James Cameron: my bladder hasn't gotten any bigger in last 8 months! Now you expect us to stay in there for 171 minutes? Participated in a Bully Protection seminar at the Karate school. Also helped out at a Nerf Gun party. 40 kids shooting foam darts. We had fun and nobody got hurt.
I managed belt testing at the Karate school. Overall it went well and we ended on time, but things could have gone better. I was out running errands, my car battery died. I got a service technician to give me a jump then went to Goodyear Tires and got a new battery. Went to happy hour at Mexican restaurant On The Border. Got a new printer. Took an Air Force Electronic Records Management class. Read the cover story in Time magazine where a young Afghan women had her nose and ears cut off by the Taliban. Nightmare of the Week: I was still in the Air Force and had to deploy to Antarctica. Went to happy hour at McFadden's Irish Pub. Went to a birthday party for a 10 year old boy who goes to the Karate school. Went to IHOP for breakfast. Sad news: my favorite bar, Auld Dubliner, closed. It was close to my hour and the people were friendly. I could always go there and get a Black & Tan.
A quiet week. Dropped vacuum off at Oreck store to get annual tune-up. Got some Negro League Baseball stamps from the post office. Looked at the NBA schedule and Detroit Pistons come to play Phoenix on New Year's Eve. I should go but there are too many crazy people out that night. Helped out with a Back to School party and bonus training class at the Karate school. Lots of yard work over the weekend. Went to R.T. ÒSullivan's to watch WWE Summer Slam. Since they don't have Bass on tap, had to get a BlackSmith which is Guinness mixed with Smithwick's. I had a great time.
Went to see movie Salt. I liked it because there were several plot twists. Went to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. Good food but too expensive. Good week of Karate classes. Got a free strawberry-banana smoothie from McDonald's. Good but too expensive. Nightmare of the Week: there was a death in a friends family. Very sad. Got my desktop computer back. It would cost $300 to get my hard drive and power supply replaced. I'm thinking about it but probably won't do it. It would cost a minimum of $500 to get the data off the hard drive. The last time I backed up the drive was 10 June. There was some data that I would like to have back, there wasn't any critical documents or pictures.
Big news of the week is that I took a trip! Thursday I went to the Nissan dealer to get an oil change. My timing belt was worn so also got that replaced. I got two audio books from Peoria library: Acts of Malice by Perri O'Shaughnessy and Sudden Prey by John Sandford. Audio books are a great way to kill time while driving. I liked Acts better. Friday was the big day. Drove to I-10 and headed west to San Bernardino, California. Didn't encounter much traffic and got there less than 5 hours. Checked into La Quinta Inn, the same hotel I stayed in last year during a Karate tournament. After getting some rest, headed to Little Tigers Tang Soo Do school to attend a seminar. The event was being led by our Grandmaster Darryl Khalid. We started with basic blocks, strikes, punches and kicks. We continued with doing 18 different Hyungs/Katas/Forms. Afterwards I went to KFC for dinner. The cashier liked the interior color of the Murano. Saturday morning we went over falling down safely and how to control an opponent using pressure points. Our instructor was Master Robert Price. After lunch Grandmaster Khalid led Qi-Gong breathing/energy exercises. We finished the Forms we didn't complete Friday night and discussed sparing/fighting techniques for tournaments. Saturday I night I was invited out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Ate rack of lamb and it was great. Had a chance to spend a few minutes speaking alone with Grandmaster Khalid. He's a great man. After dinner I swam in the hotel pool. Then I walked across the street to El Torito Mexican Grill. I got a "Flight Sampler:" 3 shots of 1800 tequila. I ordered another Flight Sampler and a Dos Equis beer and ate chips and salsa. On Sunday I relaxed.
Wednesday my desktop hard drive died. I'm not sure the time I backed up the files, but I think it was in June. I ordered a new laptop which, of course, arrived on Friday. Spent a big chunk of the weekend configuring the laptop. Watched an Air Force civilian give an Equal Opportunity brief. He was good. Went to lunch at NYPD Pizza and had spaghetti & meatball. Found a nail in the Murano's left rear tire. Went to Discount Tire for the repair. Saw movie Inception and I really liked it. Had to pay attention throughout, but at 148 minutes too long. Enjoyed a Black & Tan before the movie. Not sure I how did it but smashed my fingers in my front security door. I'm officially addicted to local restaurant Carolina's butter tortillas. So good. Was exiting the freeway and saw a guy on the ramp trying to push his car. I pulled over and helped. Ended the week listening to Our Daily Bread devotional and eating Baskin Robbins America's Birthday Cake ice cream.
Overall, I had a nice week. Picked up my new glasses. Thursday we lost electricity at work 4 times. We get rolling black outs every summer. It didn't happen last year. Went to Estrella Mountain Community College to have a discussion with my web scripting teacher. We had a good meeting and he helped clear up some problems. On Saturday attended an open house at the Karate school. Our Grandmaster Darryl Khalid was there.
I ordered a new pair of glasses. Of course, it has to be totally different than my 2 other pairs. Moon Valley nursery workers delivered and planted my Tipuana Tipu tree and Queen Palm. They were done in 15 minutes. More proof I'm losing my mind: I opened a bag of potato chips and forgot to put some in a ziplock baggie before resealing it. Went to IHOP for breakfast and got French toast. Luckily I was in Karate class when LeBron James made the announcement that he was joining the Miami Heat. Several online friends said that Cleveland Cavaliers owner put a curse on LeBron like Celie did to Albert in The Color Purple! Finally got the Murano washed. Also got the tires rotated. Took Phoenix Valley Metro Light Rail into Tempe so I could pick up new Brian 4.com apparel from Brand X T-Shirt. While I was out, got a Black & Tan from George & Dragon English pub and Rúla Búla Irish pub. Ate a Philly Cheese Steak at Corleone's. Nightmare of the Week: a sick-looking woman kept asking me did I have any "cigawettes?" Attended a Black Belt class with Grandmaster Khalid. A street vendor said he had a beaded necklace for me and its power would help me find a wife.
Took a CPR course. Learned a lot. Watched the movie trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 and it looked good. Went to Auld Dubliner twice for a Black & Tan. Co-worker gave me one of my favorites: chocolate cupcake with white icing and candy sprinkles. Went to Vee Quiva casino. It's on a reservation. This is the closest casino to my house. I just happened to be not that far away so went for the first time. I played some slots and left. It didn't have a restaurant, only a deli so I didn't stay and eat. Went to a Chinese buffet and it was good. Busy Saturday: went to a local nursery and got a Tipu tree and Queen Palm for my front yard. After an instructor meeting at the Karate school, got on Phoenix Light Rail. Of course, stopped at George & Dragon to get a Black & Tan. Arrived at Brand X T-Shirts and ordered 6 new Brian4.com shirts. Afterwards, ate at Five Guys Burgers. I liked it but it was expensive. On the way back, the train filled up with people leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. I gave up my seat so a female could sit. Spike TV played all 6 Star Wars movies back to back. Watched a lot of Empire Strikes Back, which is easily my favorite. Spent a nice quiet day at home celebrating my country's 234th birthday.
Went to Off Da' Hook soul food restaurant in Phoenix. Had smothered pork chops, yams, rice & gravy, cornbread and sweet tea. Enjoyable. Made me miss my Mom and Grandma Mary's cooking. Went to Lis Doon Varna Irish pub and got a Black & Tan. Bought some shirts online at JC Penney. Watched the trailer to the new Green Hornet movie. Hated it! Speaking of movies, at first I wasn't interested in seeing the re-release of Grease. As you know Grease is one of My Favorite Things. I read an article in magazine Entertainment Weekly. I'll go but won't like the edits, like they are going to erase cigarette smoking. The new shoes I got don't squeak! After a student graduation at work, I had a donut with white icing and rainbow sprinkles, love them. Nightmare of the Week: someone stole the wheels and doors off of the Murano. I saw several car accidents on Saturday. Helped out with Karate testing. I gave blood. Funny: my Phlebotomist name was Brian and his work room was number 4. We laughed about it.
Nightmare of the Week: I was married but decided to separate from my wife. She wasn't happy. I returned some shoes and a hand stamp that I bought on my birthday. As you know, my birthday is on 29 May. Arizona implemented a new tax on 1 June. I had to pay 55¢ difference to exchange for a new pair of shoes. A rep for my Dentist called. She proceeded to tell me what the Dentist will/won't be paying for. When I asked her for her name, she wouldn't repeat it and hung up on me! Stopped by It's A Grind coffee house to study. When I was in school, I used to go there every Sunday. Sent a review of movie The Karate Kid to Arizona Republic newspaper and they published it. Went to Auld Dubliner and got a Black & Tan. Wore a shirt that a good friend gave me on Juneteenth. Spoke with my Dad on Father's Day.
Friday night our Karate school went to see the new Karate Kid. We wore our Karate uniforms. All of the students loved the movie. Afterwards got pizza at Red Brick Pizza. Went to Auld Dubliner and got a Black & Tan. There was a small owl standing near one of the doors at work. It looked sick. I've never seen an owl around work. We called the base animal control but after we came back from a meeting it was gone and hasn't been seen again. Attended squadron change of command. For some reason, my right shoulder was hurting so bad I could barely raise my arm. There wasn't an event where I can remember injuring it. I must have slept on it wrong. Saturday I went to a Masters and Black Belt seminar at our Grandmaster Darryl Khalid school. Of course, I got halfway there and realized I left my Karate jacket at home so I turned around to go get it. We did Qi-Gong exercises, forms/Hyungs/katas, energy/Chi, and our second knife/dagger form. Afterwards I went to El Pollo Loco and got a chicken dinner.
On Memorial Day, I took the time to think about all of the service people who died defending this great country. I followed the news on Detroit Tigers Armando Galarraga getting a perfect game but umpire made a bad call. Even though I'm a Tigers fan, I don't think Major League Baseball should overturn the decision. The video card on my computer died. I replaced it without a problem. Went to Boomer's Sweet Home Chicago restaurant and got 4 double cheese Jalapeño slides. Not as good as White Castle but close. Nightmare of the Week: I found a bag full of money. The shoes I got for my birthday squeaks when I walk. Taking them back and getting other pair. Attended an instructor meeting at the Karate school. I wasn't surprised that car company Ford is cancelling the Mercury brand. If Ford wants to bring back a Mercury name (like Cougar) just make it a Ford. Walked around with brian4.com shirts and several people asked me about the website. Washed the Murano in my driveway. Had a craving for pizza, but I never got one. Had a not-nice conversation with my dentist. There was a butterfly in my yard. Tried to get a picture but it wouldn't settle down. Tuesday there were 2 and neither wanted to land.
Saturday was my birthday! Started off by going to Denny's and got my free Grand Slam. Then I went to DSW and used my $5 off coupon for new shoes. While I was in DSW tried on Skechers Shape-ups ($90) and Reebok Easytone ($130) shoes. I could feel both set of shoes working. Went to Cold Stone Creamery to get free ice cream. I took Valley Metro Light Rail into Tempe. Since my going/return trip bookended the Suns/Lakers NBA game and Light Rail passes in front of U.S. Airways Center, there were a lot of Suns fans on the train. First I stopped at George & Dragon Pub to get a Black & Tan . Arrived at Brand X T-Shirts and got 3 new Brian 4.com shirts. While I was waiting, for the first time ate at Smashburger. I got an Arizona Smashburger. Liked it and their Smash Fries. In other news, stopped at Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabrics and got stamps. The Karate kids like to get their hands stamped. Ate lunch at Boston Market. Great food. Did a ton of yard work. Made blueberry muffins, one of my My Favorite Things. Went to a going-away lunch for our squadron commander. It was held at Verrado Grille golf course, which is about 40 minutes from my house. Nightmare of the Week: I left something in the oven and it caught on fire. My kitchen was full of smoke. I registered for a summer class at Estrella Mountain Community College: Web Scripting. Need to tighten up my web code.
On Tuesday I voted. The only thing on the ballot was a temporary statewide half-cent sales tax. The polling place was in a permanent trailer park-neighborhood. Several older female workers were flirting with me, asking how tall I am and did I play the piano. I told them my "piano story" which needs to be a Random Thoughts event. Had a breakfast gathering at Wildflower Bread Company. I had the sausage and egg on ciabatta sandwich. Nightmare of the Week: I was taking a trip to Detroit and missed my flight. Is that my subconscious trying to tell me something? I went to Pete's Fish & Chips for dinner. Friday night I was sparing/fighting with another Karate student. I threw a right kick at him. He blocked it and his elbow hit a pressure point. It's called Spleen 9, which is between the shin and calf. Painful. Went to Elephant Bar for a Black & Tan. Also went to Auld Dubliner for a Black & Tan. Went shopping at Walmart and saw a parked Chrysler Sebring convertible with the top down. I wouldn't get a convertible because I don't like driving with my sunroof open. Also I wouldn't leave the top down and go shopping. So I would constantly be lowering and raising the roof. Attended my Homeowners Association Meeting. There were only 7 of 527 houses represented. One of my neighbors nominated me for the Board of Directors. I politely and sincerely declined the invitation.
Got Coney Islands hot dogs from Wienerschnitzel. I really could care less about what team LeBron James goes to, but I hope he stays in Cleveland. I don't like when players leave their long-time cities. Saturday helped out with Karate testing. We did it outdoors at Rio Vista park. Afterwards we had a picnic. Switching channels and watched the end of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. While I generally disliked all three prequels, I should watch them again. A co-worker gave me a compostable Sun Chips bag. I also got a lot of fruit for my compost pile. Went to the Endodontics and he gave me some good advice. Nightmare of the Week: a bunch of birds attacked me. I woke up swinging my fists in bed. Over the weekend I ironed a mountain of clothes.
Went to see Iron Man 2. I thought it was good, not great. Afterwards went to Carolina's Mexican for lunch/dinner. Really good tortillas. Detroit Red Wings eliminated from NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Nightmare of the Week: my Karate Grandmaster and I broke into the Banks house, a family that lives next door to my Moms house in Detroit. Ate breakfast at Peoria Cafe. Pancakes were good. I shaved off my mustache. No real reason other than to make a change. Makes me look at least 7 years younger. Bought some clothes from JC Penney, both their store and website. Went to Subway and had one of their new breakfast sandwiches. It was okay. Went to see my old dentist AKA the butcher. He gave me a referral to an Endodontics. Went to a local Ford dealer to take a look at the Fusion and Escape Hybrids. I told the salesman I was only looking and will not be buying a car. However, I gave him a business card. Went to Quiznos for lunch. I hate when I think I left my garage door open. I stop in my driveway, watch it go completely down, and 5 minutes later I'm not sure if I closed it. Went to KFC and got a Double Down. Different. Unusual. I liked it but probably won't get another one.
An ordinary week. Work was good. Detroit Red Wings beat Phoenix Coyotes in NHL playoffs. Good season Coyotes. Got a Black & Tan, one at Auld Dubliner and another at Tilted Kilt. Cleaned my kitchen and bathroom floors. Watched ABC TV show Happy Town and I liked it. Watched a special on Detroit on NBC TV show Dateline. Halle Berry is separating from her latest relationship. She's very unlucky in love. Ate dinner at Long John Silver. Bought some stuff from Amazon. I like their service but haven't shopped there in years. Nightmare of the Week: I had to cross a frozen river. I jumped over a soft section and made it. However, I left several items on the other side. Ate dinner at Red Robin. Went to the library and read a book. Had to get a household repair done and used a Peoria-based business.
Saturday went to Shawn and Lynn's wedding. I was one of the groomsmen. It was an outdoor ceremony held at a mutual friends house. It started at 7:00 PM. The weather was perfect but it was a little windy. The reception was at the same house. Catering was an authentic Mexican taco bar. The wedding cake was red velvet. I had a couple Margaritas before the event. I was very happy that I could be a part of the festivities.