Week of September 13th, 2013

Betty hit the road yesterday.  This has been the longest we've all been together for about 2 years...nearly 2 months straight.  When people ask what it's like having this kind of schedule, we usually reply that we have to get used to getting used to each other.  It was a nice run this time and don't remember having too many arguments.  One thing that didn't cause an argument, but is a source of concern is her new found addiction to the game Candy Crush.  She is running games on three different devices and it's taken over her mind.  I appreciate that it is a source of relief and comfort from a long day of work, but worry that it is affecting her sleep.  On Monday, I woke up at 1AM to watch the opening weekend in the NFL, and who is sitting by the edge of the bed playing her game?  I could see the colorful candy pieces moving in her glazed over eyes.  I went back to check in on her later and found her still jonesing on it at 3AM.

I guess the NFL is one of my joneses...but it is so great.  We discovered that the NFL offers a season subscription to residents outside of the US called Game Pass and it has pretty much changed my life.  Not only can you dial up any game you want to see live, but you can also watch the Red Zone channel, which happens to be the greatest invention since Candy Crush.  And you can go back after the games are over and watch replays of any game both in broadcast mode or in a condensed version.  The condensed version shows only the action and one can watch an entire game in about 35 minutes.  I love you Game Pass.  Add this to the MLB season winding down (with the Dodgers being relevant for the first time since Mannywood), and the playoffs in full swing in the greatest sport on the planet...Australian Rules Football, good on ya Freo...and you understand why this is the best time of the year.  For me anyway.

I finally took the advice of people that know a thing or two about great TV and started watching Breaking Bad.  Am about half way through season 2 well into season three and have been blown away by every single episode.  It's not for everyone, but holy shit is it great.  Those that watch it will nod and say, "what took you so long".  The rest of you can go on with your life of ignorance, but it's not too late...find it on Netflix and start binge watching now.

We had a short stretch of reasonable weather, but the brutal heat came back a few days ago with a vengeance.  The simplest of forays outside saps every ounce of energy and the urge to hide inside all day is strong.  And it doesn't get much better at night...hot, humid and not the slightest leaf blowing breeze to cool off the sweat running down your neck.  Yuck.  I reek constantly and am completely unsure sure how the locals can wear suits and stockings all day and be in the mood to make babies at night. 

Did you see this article on Yahoo the other day about adultery being illegal in Taiwan?  This woman was facing a possible 298 year sentence for doing it with the neighbor.  The law states that each "act" is good for 4 months in jail, and doing the math (298 x 3), that's 894 visits.  The dude in question was freed when his wife forgave him and dropped the charges.  Am dying to get a look at this crew, and how have they not been summoned to appear on Maury.

This week's summer vacation installment will cover our SoCal time.  Only spent a few days there, but did manage to hit Betty and my favorite Thai restaurant. 

The food is good all around, everyone loves the orange rice, spicy pork and green beans, and the crushed ice in the Thai iced teas gives it a slushy consistency, but the reason for the repeated pilgrimage has always been for the spicy seafood soup.  Full of fish, clams, mussels, shrimp, crab and squid, and seasoned to perfection.  One of those dishes that I find myself craving often and has led to a search around the world for something that comes close (to no avail).

Another food spot that is visited on each visit to my hometown is for a combo burrito at Taco Lita.

I've been going there since High School (a stones throw from Arcadia HS) and the food is exactly the same.  And it's not only the food.  The place looks exactly like it did 30+ years ago and the SAME WOMAN IS STILL SLINGING THE BURRITOS.  She is about my age and started working there in high school and has never left.  I am a member of the Taco Lita fan club on Facebook and the owner says that his prices are a bit higher so they can not only provide a superior product, but offer their employees better a career rather than minimum wage.  We call our old friend  Red as she had red hair (we were so clever).  The hair is not as red as it used to be, and eating that stuff every day has added to her weight, but she is keeping the dream alive.  Went there with some of my Arcadia boys and we had to give up trying to figure out how many burritos she has rolled in her day as it made our heads hurt.  I always want to get a photo of her, but still avoid eye contact as we used to torture her after a night of drinking.  Not "we" really, but would go with our boy Andy, and he and Red would get into it.  Not really Red either, but Andy would go in drunk and feel the need to harass her for whatever reason, culminating one night when he hurled a combo burrito at the glass that separated us from the back.  Andy had some anger management issues to be sure and I always felt bad about what he did that night.  Still, I hope there are no hard feelings with Red.  I really should take step 9 and make amends to her...

Anyway, got to go to Taco Lita twice...once with the fellas, and another time with the family.  They don't "get" it as much as me obviously, but they humored me and think they are starting to enjoy it as well.  Carolyn in particular is now a fan of their legendary sauce and now have competition for the stash that I always bring home.

When in town, always get together with the boys, James, Ched and Bill.  Not only for a run to Taco Lita, but for an afternoon of gun and car talk, booze swilling, playing a game of 'do you remember so and so', and Obama bashing (at the time regarding his comments on Travon).  James just bought a sweet VW bus and we spent a lot of time comparing it to the one Bill has, and wondering in what condition Ched's was in since it went into mothballs 20 years ago (but he claims it is a week away from hitting the road). 

This year, Bill had installed a pool table in his garage and we shot stick while Jack FM cranked out hits from the 80's, providing the perfect soundtrack for reminiscing.  This isn't the kind of reminiscing you see on a Dockers ad...we still flip shit like we were in high school, complete with mother jokes and questioning of each others sexuality.  There aren't any other people in my life where the no holds barred reality checks and sheer stupidity of thought and action are still possible as we close in on 50 as it is with these guys.  And love them for it. 

Paul and I decided to catch an Angels game with my buddy Norm one night...we met at a place down the street from the Big A that Norm suggested called Angelo's.  Check out the marquee as to what is new at Angelo's...Norm is all class.

I will say that the bathrooms were nice.  The game was fun (Angels lost in dramatic fashion-good for a Dodger fan), and it's always a good time talkin' sports with Norm.  He was working over Paul to become a Dodger fan, and we got into a back and forth as to who could name the most Blue Jays from their back to back World Series teams.  As we pulled into the parking lot, Norm looks around and says "it's gonna be a real Bro-fest here tonight".  I've been to many an Angel game, and as the stadium is situated in one of the whitest areas of California, I know there aren't going to be many black folks out at the game and tell Norm he's crazy.  He then informs me that a Bro is now a term that is used to refer to SoCal white trash dudes that drive raised trucks and have sleeve tattoos.  I knew immediately the type of guy he was referring to and the moniker is so perfect.  These are the older versions of the dudes in high school that had the tiny baby mustaches, jacked up Camero's, and listened to Sammy Hagar.  Apparently, there is no term for his woman, the sun burned bubble headed (and butted) bleach blond, but there needs to be.  Working on that.

Other highlights of LA was staying at Betty's sister Alice's house (equal parts fun and frustrating as always) and watching for the first time the 1997 Travolta/Cage thriller Face Off with the kids.  How did I not know about this film before?  Immediately entered my top 10 good/bad films list.  We were all laughing so hard and I had to wipe tears from my eyes by the end.  If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor, but make sure you go into it with the right frame of mind.  Another thing I checked off my bucket list was eating at Chik-fil-a.  Not sure why it was on it, and it was fine, but am not craving another.  And finally, there is nothing like driving on the freeways in LA.  Got stuck in traffic a couple of times, but one can avoid that for the most part and just fly.  Ripping from Arcadia to Irvine on the 210-605-10-57-90-55-5 with the windows cranked all the way down and the tunes cranked all the way up is Zen.