Seven Rad Group/Family Costumes

Hey!

Still digging Halloween week?  Me too.

I like to watch other people dress up in costumes and pull off elaborate things and themes and stuff. 

I love when creative people blow my mind.  Today I am posting a list of themes I have seen, but no photos to go with, because I'm too lazy to find and resize them.

True dat.

Seven Rad Group/Family Costumes

• The Jetsons - Parents, kids and a dog.  SO ADORABLE.  The ones I saw had made their costumes by hand.  Hopefully youngsters know who The Jetsons are...
• The Simpsons - Yellow body paint and lots of plastic facial pieces.  Crazy rubbery wigs and hat things and great clothing.  Another cartoon family costume theme done well.
• BLT - The sandwich - mom and dad were bread, three kids(bacon, lettuce, tomato).  I saw this online and they looked like store bought costumes but its hard to say. 
• The Flinstones - Fred, Wilma, Pebbles so cute!  Quite a commitment for the mom and dad too, thats a lot of orange hair and a lot of body hair...
• Legos - A big red and blue brick for mom and dad and then a smaller yellow brick for baby!  AMAZING!
• Pac Man and family - Mr and Mrs Pac-Man and the four ghosts.  Somebody with four kids must do this!
• S'mores - Mom and dad as graham crackers, kids as marshmallows and chocolate bar.  I have a thing for the food combos like this, too cool. 

Have you seen or done something cooler?  TELL ME! 

Seven Excellent Concerts

Do you like music?

Do you like concerts?

I do.  I've been to a few concerts in my day. 

Not as many as I wish, thanks to the ridiculous prices of tickets these days.  I do splurge every once in a while and am always scouring the web for bargains or deals.  What's up with 50$ tickets?

Also at the most recent concerts I have been to, 75% of people had their phone out.  25% were texting, and the rest were taking videos and photos.  You can't just enjoy a concert in the moment? You have to watch it through your camera screen or maybe miss a special look because you were texting.  Its distracting for me to see so many people with their glowing phones out. 

Despite that, I have seen some really great concerts and look forward to seeing more.  Here is a quick look at 7 of them.

Seven Excellent Concerts I've Attended

• Kiss.  Fire, Rock, Fire, and more Rock.  This is what this concert meant to me.  My family and I all went to this together in Tucson.  An excellent concert all around and the pyrotechnics were amazing!  I remember when one of them flew above the audience on some sort of rig and thought that was the coolest thing ever, until I saw Gene Simmons blow fire.  Then they did "Beth" and I saw hundreds of people holding their lighters up.  Real life.  It was fantastic!
• Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and those other guys.  This was my first concert I ever attended solo.  Oct 2005, Mesa Amphitheater.  It was an awesome show.  I went for Fall Out Boy and learned of panic and was an instant fan.  To attend alone, it was quite a step for me as the lone wolf I like to be.  Also Fall Out Boy was a really great live act!  I also met the Panic! guys behind the venue at their bus cause I was wandering around lost looking for where I parked my car.
• Dwight Yokham.  A favorite of my dad's, my family and I came to see this show a long while back at one of the amphitheaters here in Phoenix.  I am familiar with his music and acting but this concert experience was definitely an eye opener to me.  People were drinking beer *gasp* and smoking *YIKES* and making out all over the place.  The music and performance was really great, but not what I took away from this concert. 
• Motion City Soundtrack, Ok Go, and those other guys.  This was during my college year.  I treated myself and my three friends to this show and we had a really good time.  It was at the Marquee Theater in Tempe and remains my only general admission standing room only style concert.  It was four bands, but I only remember two of them.  We went to see Motion City and discovered OK Go at this time.  I love concerts where I discover new favorites. 
• John Mayer and Maroon 5.  Saw this when I was in high school with Agent Z herself.  Was really unfamiliar with Maroon 5 at the time and really enjoyed this unknown band and have been a fan ever since.  Then Mr. Mayer came on, and this was around the time Heavier Things came out when he was that cool sexy singer songwriter with that song about my body being a wonderland.  It was a wonderful show, and remains one of my favorite concert shirts ever. 
• The Band Perry.  Just this week I saw this cute country family band at the AZ State Fair.  Two brothers and their sister sure know how to put on a show.  The brothers should really consider wearing pants that are less tight though, in this girl's opinion.  The sister is also really pretty and can play guitar and sing live!  A win.  Get into this band, it will be worth your time. 
• MC Hammer.  Now, I do not remember this concert at all.  I am told I went with my parents and that I was a big MC Hammer fan when I was young.  I do remember my favorite pajama shirt of many years, and that was my concert shirt from this show.  I wonder if my parents still have that in a box someplace...

What are your favorite concert memories?  I bet Herc could write a post of his own on all of his favorite concerts....Tell me your faves and least faves in the comments!

Seven: Gumby Edition

Art Clokey created a masterpiece known as Gumby.  Behold:

 

Aren't they awesome?

Today would have been Art Clokey's 90th Birthday.  Sadly he passed away in 2010 on Elvis Presley's birthday. 

See that connection?  I was MEANT to love Gumby.

My dad really enjoyed Gumby.  He passed that love onto my brothers and I.  My youngest brother loved him the best. We used to watch the episodes on VHS over and over again, together.  It was so awesome.  I remember it with such fondness, my brothers will probably tell me I'm crazy. 


Seven Gumby Characters

• Gumby.  The finest stop motion animation clay character around.  The slanty headed green dude is the star of the show.  His voice is crazy, his feet are big and he is awesome!  Nicest guy around and always looking for an adventure.
• Pokey.  Gumby's faithful sidekick.  This red horsey is probably the only horse I have ever liked.  He is a bit of a skeptic but appreciates Gumby's adventures I think.  Silly horse.
• Goo.  The blue blob of goo with hair and a bow on her head.  She is like a mermaid on land.  She is very cool calm and collected and always looking out for her friends Prickle, Gumby, and Pokey.  She was never my favorite though, sorry Goo!
• Prickle.  The little yellow dinosaur guy!  I love when he acts like a detective and puts that hat on and smokes a pipe.  So cute!  His voice is awesome and so perfect for the character.  Him and goo roll together, maybe they were in love?  One can hope...
• The Blockheads.  The evil dudes, twin blockheads.  K and J? G and L?  Something like that...they are bright red which is obviously an evil color.  They are always trying to mess with Gumby and his pals.  Good thing good always wins. 
• Minga.  She's the pink one with green hair!  She is actually Gumby's little sister.  I don't really have much to say about her.  She was kinda just there for me. 
• Gumba and Gumbo.  These are Gumby(and Minga's) parents.  They are red.  Why? Who knows.  Also they have amazing names!  Their voices were also top notch.

Now, go watch Gumby, I'm off to go watch the best episodes!!!

Seven Shopping Havens

Who doesn't enjoy shopping? 

I do.  I probably enjoy it more than most and I surely enjoy more than my wallet does. 

Oh well, life is short, cliche cliche cliche.

I don't do the 5th Avenue luxury shopping thing though.  I don't like designer things, I don't care to dress any nicer than my uniform of t-shirts and jeans.  I don't carry nice purses.  I can't wear jewelery at work and don't much care for it.  I'm low maintenance. 

I do like sales.  I actually love a bargain.  I love when that box on my reciept says:

Total Spent:  $50.00

Total Saved: $150.00

...or something amazing like that.  My dad always tells my mom not to even bother coming home unless she saves more than she spends.  She takes it very seriously and its awesome. 

I love the rush.  Who doesn't like a bit of adrenaline? 

Here are some of my favorite places to shop.

Seven Shopping Havens

• 99¢ Only Stores - I fell in love with this store when I lived in Las Vegas.  I was making lucrative amounts of money, but I loved to spend it at the dollar store.  I have never enjoyed ANY dollar store as much as this one.  Everything is only 99¢ or like 2/99¢ or 3/99¢.  Its easy to know how much you're spending and is really fun to just see how far $10 will take ya.  (hint: ITS REALLY FAR)
• Home Depot - Do I really need to explain this orange heaven?  Have I not explained my massive love enough to you?  Guess not.  Look forward to that post tomorrow then, I guess. 
• Target - My first love.  My first job.  A dream come true, really.  Allow me to explain the ways I used to and still love this place:
  
  • I look amazing in red.  That said, I hate khaki.  
  • I am an excellent ambassador for Target.  Both when they employed me and since then.
  • I still shop there, years after employment.  I know a lot of people who avoid places they used to work as something was ruined for them
  • Normal folks(non target employees) don't know how to read the clearance tags and tell if they are really getting a deal.  Most have caught on as to where to find the clearance shelves though, which is awesome. 
  • Smells the same no matter where you are.  I've been to a target almost everywhere I've traveled and its always a great way to feel like I was back home.  Is that weird?
  • They have the best Black Friday sales, I have been every year for 4 or more.  It is always my first stop and the one I look forward to the most.  
  • You can get everything you need there.  EVERYTHING.  Food, rugs, clothes, drugs, furniture, candy, cat litter, paint rollers, lightbulbs, alcohol, toothbrushes and so on.
• Home Goods - A cousin store to Marshall's.  I've never been to a stand alone Marshall's...I don't think.  I don't even know how I met this store.  I do know that I love it.  I go sporadically to catch the new waves of their stock.  I have so many incredible finds from there.  Stuff I never knew I was looking for but totally needed!  I don't know how to explain my love of this store with mere words.
• Goodwill/Thrift Stores - I like Goodwill.  It has always been my favorite.  I venture into the others but the snob in me really appreciates a certain level of cleanliness and standards.  I find incredible things here and enjoy looking for them even more. 
• IKEA - Haven't I explained this before?  I love this Swedish Yellow & Blue Kingdom.  I think their furniture is great and affordable and allows you to change your style with your lifestyle.  They have bomb-a$$ cinnamon rolls that are ¢heap!!!  Hot dogs too, and mac and cheese and of course those Swedish meatballs.  I'd guess that 80# of my furniture hails from this Mecca.
• Bookmans - A Tucson original with outposts here in Phoenix, this is the best place to go book hunting.  You will never pay full price, mostly about 50% and books are in good condition and there is absolutely something for EVERYONE there.  They have expanded past books into media and other vintage and antique items.  Please, refrain from telling me if you have never been.  I don't even want to know.  You may find more, here.  They also support a lot of great causes and are anti-censorship.  I'm down.

I gotta know where you love to shop!  Tell me all of your secrets!!!  Hit the comments right away!

Seven Reasons I DESPISE Bananas

Hoy es Martes!

That's "Today is Tuesday" for you non-Spanish speakers.  Don't tell me I never taught you anything.  Now you know.

Remember back when I started this little blog? For those that don't have 7 w/D's birthday in your planners like me, it was June 30, 2011.  That was:

2955 page views ago...(holy sh*t!)

158 human written comments ago...(lots of spam, like 40 or so)

88 posts ago...(longest streak I have ever attained - yay!)

3 followers ago...(actual subscribed followers...)

All that time ago, I wrote the first post and promised you seven different sevens.  I recently checked in on that first post and evaluated myself.  SPOILER ALERT: I am not doing very well!  Take a look at the initial seven, I've crossed out my accomplished topics...

• Seven Reasons I Despise Bananas
• Seven Ways To Avoid Having A Social Life
• Seven Arguments For Boxed Brownie Mix (...from a pastry chef)
• Seven Television Shows You Must See & Why
• Sevyn Reasons Why My Name Is Better Than Yours ('cause it is...)
• Seven Things I Would Rather Do Than Watch/Listen To Rachel Ray
• Seven Reasons Not To Buy A House (maybe a point/counterpoint piece)

...yeaahhhh...

88 entries later I have ignored 6/7 topics that I promised to write!  I have claimed to have nothing to write about to my family and friends.  I now freely admit that I AM A LIAR.  I aim to fix this.  Some of these topics are kind of silly and not in the direction I want to take the blog, but I refuse to break my promise to the entire interwebs. 

Did you see that I wrote the fifth bullet point as Sevyn with a Y?  I am so clever.  I just amazed myself.  I'm awesome and way too obsessed with my own name.  Thanks a lot Ma and Pa, you created a legend monster.

In the spirit of keeping my promise, I want to tell you about my disdain of that yellow fruit.  I'd like to warn you, if you have never heard this rant in person, you are in for a treat.  I am very passionate about my hatred for this yellow "fruit".  I don't know why I hate them so.  I don't know when I started hating them so(used to like them as a kid) but I don't see that going away any time soon.  Last food around?  I'll starve thanks. 

image from here

Seven Reasons I DESPISE Bananas

• That damn peel & its stupid strings! You know what I mean.  What other fruit has a peel that is useless?  Oranges(citrus) have peels, but they are full of delicious essential oils and that magical zest that we use in everything to make it better.  Most other fruits have skins that aren't so damn nasty.  Just look at the picture, the peel is in full view and is just really gross looking.  Where do the strings come into play?  Why do they need to be there?  They ruin banana foods.  Yes, despite my supreme hatred of bananas I still cook with them and can respect their delicious factor to people other than myself.  But the strings bother me so bad, they get in between my fingers when I'm trying to chop a million bananas up at work and its not a pretty situation.  Ask all my coworkers, there is generally profanity and a colorful spread of it.  
• What the FRAK is up with the slime factor?  No seriously, can somebody explain this to me?  Open up a banana and its pretty dry(not wet?).  Then as it sits or as you handle it while cooking it or like when a kid manhandles it, it gets so so SO slimy.  Knives get this residue all over them and it takes some real elbow grease to get rid of.  Its nasty.  Slime + Strings = Worst.Combination. Ever.  I can't even talk about it anymore, I'm getting too worked up about it. 
• No need for all the colors, Mr. Banana.  They start off green and then morph into the yellow bananas people enjoy.  Next they start to take on freckles and people still like them.  The freckles take over the bananas and turn them completely brown.  This is where you make banana bread or banana muffins or just throw them away.  If you let them continue down their chosen path they will be black before they take on the various colors of mold.  Why do they have to be so fancy and flaunt all these colors and stages?  They are rude and boisterous and I hate them for it.
• Why so mushy?  I like apples and pears and peaches and they all have some texture and structure to them.  Oranges have the little bits that hold it all together which provides this texture variation.  Grapes, melons, and even berries all have something to them you know? You can eat bananas with no teeth.  I like my teeth, they have cost me (and my parents) a fair chunk of money, so can you blame me for wanting to use them to eat???
  
• The smell that lingers.  My coworkers and roommates laugh at me because I can ALWAYS tell when bananas have been used.  Even if they are put away and cleaned up after, I can tell.  Without seeing them in the garbage or seeing it crossed off the list I can smell tell.  Baking banana bread really lingers too but I'll tell you why I can't hate that and its all my grandma's fault.  She makes banana bread for as long as I can remember.  Its nothing fancy with nuts or anything.  Just bananas and a quick-bread recipe.  It has a texture that I love and spreading butter all over it makes it so supreme.  It is the ONE banana infested item that I can eat and not want to spit out.  Its a really simple treat but rooted so deep in my memories that I will always enjoy it.  Funny how that works, huh?
• All of the artificial banana flavored/scented goods in the entire WORLD.  Candies, candles, air fresheners, fluorides, scratch and sniffs, beverages, etc.  You can get banana ANYTHING.  They all suck.  They don't taste like banana, they smell so fake it makes me sick, and they are no bueno.  You know how upset the smell of real bananas make me?  This turns me into the incredible HULK. 
• Taste. I taste any food I make with bananas and every once in a while (every year or two) I try a raw banana to check if anything has changed.  It never changes.  They just don't taste good to me.  Guess what, that's my prerogative as an American: I can hate bananas for no reason(except I clearly have seven).  And so I do.  

If you've stuck around this long, on my longest post EVER, please pat yourself on the back.  You deserve that pat, ya'll.  Anyone wanna fight me on this?  Anybody have any other completely rational hatred towards inanimate objects?

Seven Life Goals

'Ello!

Do you have goals in life?  I think everyone does, right?

Some people aim to pay the bills.  Some want to get to the next level  in that video game.  Some want to have x amount of kids by x age. Some wanna climb that corporate ladder! 

I have a lot of goals, way more than 7.  I have a revolving list that is completely intertwined with my own personal bucket list.  Its complicated.

Every year right about this time near my birthday I evaluate some goals.  I have taken some of my goals and narrowed them down to 7 that I'd like to accomplish in the next year(or so).  Crazy things to do before I get to that strange age I'm headed to!

Ready?

Seven Goals For The Next 365 Days:

• Canning.  I gotta try this.  I cook food for a living and this is right up my alley.  I have never canned anything.  I've made jams and spreads and jellies but never for long term preservation.  I read several blogs about this and I feel like I need to make my own pickles this year sometime.  Its also aligns well with another goal...
• Live A More Sustainable Life.  This is for the betterment of myself and the world I hope to one day bring kids into.  I have cut back my plastic bag usage by 80% and that's a big goal.  Its a challenge to remember, its sorta annoying to the employees, but I am saving thousands of bags from hitting the landfill.  I am trying to eat healthier and buy organic and or local as I can afford or where its available.  I want to cut back my hygiene products this year(baking soda and vinegar shampoo anyone?).  Every renovation I do to my house is eco-minded too.  Basically when I have the option of living more "green" I am going to take it.  It just feels better.
• Ride A Motorcycle.  Yes, I have never ridden a true motorcycle.  A mini bike once.  But never a scooter or a motorcycle.  This year, I'm gonna.  I'm gonna ride one.  Maybe it'll scare me away from them or maybe I will have a new goal next year of driving one.  We shall see. 
• Gardening.  I am going to get rid of some of the lush landscaping on my property this year and move or re-purpose some irrigation and build a raised bed garden.  I'm gonna use cedar wood, its gonna be about 6" above ground level, and I'm gonna grow some veggies.  This goes with sustainability too, but mostly because I want that pride.  I kept the roses alive this year, good job Dev, now grow a garden!
• Soda Maker.  I want to make my own carbonated beverages.  I don't think I want that silly soda stream machine, just a co2 charger and limitless flavors!  I love soda, I love carbonation and I want to make my own.  I am actively drinking much less soda because of the HFCS and sugar contents.  I see a Devyn named soda coming up folks.
• Skydiving.  This has been a goal of mine for years.  Since I was about 17 I think.  It might just kill my parents.  I wouldn't tell them until after...but I'd totally do it.  I think one of my brothers is down too, so maybe a partner in crime will inspire this dream to become a reality.  
• Spanish.  More than ever I feel compelled to take advantage of my heritage as a part Mexican and learn the damn language!  Its a beautiful language, a valuable skill and just something I NEED to do.  It would make my grandma very proud, I know and would make me very happy.  Daily I use words here and there but I need to make those sentences happen!  I need to learn Spanish.  

Know what I just realized?  By putting this out here I have just built myself some accountability.  I feel accountable to all of you invisible millions of readers.  Make me achieve these goals, ya'll!

Do you have any goals I should help you with?  Tell me in the comments!

Seven Things I Do Not Miss About Apartment Life

Its the first weekend of the month.  Wanna know how I can tell?  Moving trucks.  Everywhere.  Lots of neighbors leaving my 'hood.  Today is extra special too! 

Not one, but both of my brothers are moving out of my parents house.  One for the first time and one has just been an extended summer stay.  That will leave 0 children in my parents house.  I am very curious to see what that is going to be like.  Anyways I am in Tucson to help them move and offer my services as a general expert on moving.  I have moved more times than I want to mention and once it was twice in the period of 5 days.  I am very glad to not be moving this time, and happy to help my baby brothers! 

I own my house now, but lived in apartments for many years.  My brothers aren't renting an apartment but they are renting a house.  For two college aged boys, this is pretty awesome.  I mean, obviously my brothers are going to be awesome, duh.  In honor of this monumental occasion, I have put together today's post!

Seven Things I Do Not Miss About Apartment Life:

• Stairs.  Upstairs apartments were always cheaper so I lived on the second floor all but one time.  I do not miss stairs one bit.  Shared staircases that you can hear your neighbors clunking up and down on.  Moving your furniture up and down staircases with corners.  I almost bought a three story condo.  So glad that didn't actually happen!  
• The Trash Parade.  I hated hauling my garbage around.  Out of your apartment, lock you door, traipse out to the dumpster, toss your bag in.  Hopefully you didn't accidentally fling your keys in  like I did once.  Its not fun to try and get them back...  Also I didn't like seeing other people's trash.  Yes we all create waste but no I do not want to see yours.  I was unlucky in my apartments too that none of them recycled, which reduces my trash by 75% at my house.  Recycling Rules!
• Neighbor Proximity.  I was always the over cautious neighbor who was afraid that my neighbors could hear any and everything I was doing.  I walked softly, I always checked the time before doing anything noisy and even closed my doors super quietly.  Unfortunately I am one in a million.  I lived above a fussy baby, several smokers, party animals, cat people, loud Farsi speaking folks, drummers and even snoring people.  Yep. Thin walls I do not miss you.
• Paying the MAN.  I hated rent because it was always just paid to "them"  It did me nothing.  Also it constantly grew at the end of each lease.  Now I pay my mortgage which is basically an investment in my future( and cheaper than our rent was in a smaller apartment).  Damn the man!
• Grocery Shopping.  Groceries are a part of life.  Hauling them across the complex, up your stairs and into your apartment shouldn't have to be.  Forget it when you buy more than a couple bags worth, multiple trips back and forth used to suck the life out of me.  
• No customization.  In most apartments you are not allowed any freedom to customize.  No paint, no holes in the walls, no changing knobs on cabinets, no FUN! You can probably guess that I have painted every wall, surface, trim, and door in my place.
• Maintenance.  This may not make sense to most people but I hated having an issue and waiting for the MAN's minions to come fix it.  I much prefer handling my own issues.  Yes I have to pay for the broken things and whatnot, but I also get the satisfaction of fixing a lot of things myself! I also take better care of everything because it is MINE.

I hope all of you have the chance to buy a home and ditch the MAN!  It was the greatest thing I have ever done(most days).  In the meantime, do you have any fun apartment/dorm stories? I wanna hear them!

Seven Cars I've Wanted For My Entire Life

Cars.

Can't live with them, can't live without them.  Not here in Arizona at least.

Mine has been causing me nothing be trouble this week.  I have half a mind to sell it.  Too bad I happen to own my dream car and can't imagine buying anything else.  Too damn bad for you, Dev. (high brow problems)

Does anyone else call themselves by a nickname?  Like when you talk to yourself and stuff?

No?

Just me, huh?  OK.  Back to cars we go!  These are my dream cars, not to be confused with these cars that I hate.

Seven Cars I've Wanted For My Entire Life:

• Nissan Murano.  I'll take one in black please.  At an amazing deal, when I wasn't planning on buying a car too please.  Oh wait, that has already happened to me.  Yay me!  Now I just need a little extra cash to fix it up a little bit.  All cosmetic issues, but annoying ones!  Hatch doesn't open, CD doesn't eject, has never played iPod, visors don't stay, drivers seat rocks, door actuators are intermittent and most recently the fuel gauge is acting up.  Fix all this, and this girl is living the dream - literally.
• Dodge Ram 1500.  This one I'd like to be dark purple with a rugged bed liner and a chrome diamond plate toolbox.  Sparkly and rugged. For hauling and stuff but also for looking cute.  I wanted one of these since I was at least 12.  Who knows why?  I've always danced to the beat of my own drum.  
• Nissan 350Z.  Burnt orange, please! Sitting very low to the ground.  To fully enjoy this car, I need to learn to drive a stick shift I think.  Come on, brother! Teach me already. I like to tell myself the only reason I don't already have one is because I like to haul things around.  Truth be told, I will probably never own one, but a girl can dream!
• Toyota Prius. I really want a hybrid.  I really want one.  I normally don't follow trends especially with cars, but I would really like a Prius.  They aren't my favorite exterior look, but the inside and the capabilities are pretty awesome.  I want my Prius to be ironic slightly in that I want it to be black and completely blacked out.  Rims, lights, windows, everything.  This is a feasible dream, just need to find that sugar daddy!
• Ford Mustang(1965).  Red with white accents.  This is a very cliche dream but I still hang on tight.  I would love to learn how to restore and also restore it myself.  I have had dreams of finding one on craigslist at the absolute best bargain ever and buying it on impulse.  Could that dream come true?  Please and thankyou.
• Chevrolet Camaro(2011).  Green! Have you seen these on the road?  The green ones steal my breath away every.single.time.  Sure they are nothing like the sports cars from back in the day - too much plastic.  But boy does that plastic look sexy.  I want to drive one of these. How do you test drive a car?
• Audi R8.  I have always wanted an Audi, for two reasons.  First of all I have always admired the geometric and perfect logo that comes with Audi.  I have a major thing for lines and perfect shapes and the four ringed logo is perfection.  Also the name.  I love how it is pronounced.  I enjoy their sedans and even their crossover type cars but seeing Iron Man made me realize this was the car for me.  I just want it in a mirrored tinted silver chromed out package.  So much so that it is almost a danger to drive in sunny Arizona because of all the reflections.  

I need to be better at fixing my own car.  They need to be better at being DIY'd.   Let's meet in the middle, carmakers.

Everyone has dream cars, what are yours?  Do you think my list is ridiculous? Tell me about it. 

Seven Best Pizzas I've Eaten

Silly question: Who doesn't like pizza? 

Everyone has their preferences.  Everyone has a favorite pizza.  Deep dish, thin, saucy, no sauce, cheeses, herbs, vegetables, fruits, meats, crusts, baking method, well done, underdone, etc etc. I have tried a lot of pizza and have compiled a list of my favorites as of this moment.  My list varies from gourmet to cheap frozen pizzas, but they are all delicious.

I love pizza.  I will probably never turn it down.  I don't like beer, but would take a six pack of Dr. Pepper and any one of these pizzas as my best easy meal.  If I ever go on a date ever again, I want to have a weekly pizza date.  So casual.  Some of my favorite moments happened over pizza or with pizza involved.  Birthdays, moving, family time.  Pizza might just be one of my faves. 

The Seven Best Pizzas I've Ever Eaten:

Barro's Mega Meat - Barro's is an Arizona phenomenon.  I was only introduced to their magical thick crusted pies about two years ago, but I have long since made up for the years I never knew it existed.  This pizza has every meat on it, along with plenty of cheese and sauce.  Their crust is thick and sturdy and can handle all of the meat and still taste great.  I love it.  Meaty goodness.


Peter Piper Pizza's Bacon Double Cheeseburger - This pie is a go to staple in my family's house in Tucson.  I have only had it once outside of Tucson and not in the company of my family and it didn't taste the same.  It must be Tucson magic at work again.  Beef, cheddar cheese AND mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, bacon bits all atop their thinner crust.  So.Darn.Good.  Peter Piper does carry out too.  We used to have our birthday parties at PPP for YEARS, but now its like a circus in there and I'd rather eat my pizza sitting on the curb and using my jeans as a napkin. 

Pizzeria Bianco's Wiseguy - This is one of the most popular restaurants in Phoenix.  Its tiny, they don't do carry out or take reservations and sometimes you can wait HOURS just to get a table.  Luckily there is a bar next door to help pass the time.  PB has been named best in the country many times.  Chris Bianco, owner/chef of this joint is so dedicated to quality that it puts others to shame.  Let me give an example: Ships his water from NYC, makes his own cheese, makes his own dough, makes his own sauce, makes his own sausage, grows all herbs right there on property and OH YEAH still can be seen at the restaurant every night.  The wiseguy pizza is one of only 6 pizza offerings.  It has caramelized onions, that homemade fennel sausage, smoked house made mozzarella cheese and no sauce all on their amazing chewy crust.  I am drooling all over my keyboard thinking about this pizza right now, I kid you not.  Please come visit me here and I will take you to this place.  My treat.

Kirkland Signature Frozen Cheese Pizza - Yes, this is the Costco house brand.   At that great big warehouse, $9.99 will buy you 4 ten-inch pizzas from the freezer section.  KM and I can polish off one pizza in a sitting together, so that's dinner for 2 @ $2.50.  SOLD.  Its a four cheese blend, on a better than average crust that has panko breadcrumbs on the bottom as opposed to cornmeal.  A pleasant surprise, and the very best part, I must say.  Costco has its flaws in our society, but this is definitely a step towards world peace, I just know it. 


 Red Baron Four Cheese Pizza - Another frozen delicacy.  This one hails from my childhood and I am pleased to say it still exists.  Its a boring thin crust pizza, with supposedly 4 cheeses on top of some tangy sauce.  The magic here comes from the green herb sprinkled all over the top.  Until I discovered that Costco pizza brand, this was my go-to.  Sadly it is not anymore, but I still have the memories from back in the day.


Mama's Pizza Supreme - This joint is hidden behind a shopping center, and adjacent to a high school in Tucson's east side.  My family has been going here for as long as I can remember.  They serve pizzas as big around as you can imagine.  Huge ones that a single slice of equals three regular slices.  They make this traditional supreme pizza that is just perfect every single time.  I really only go here for the doors that lead to the restrooms, they are swinging western saloon style doors.  I get such a kick out of barging through with my hands on my holsters, getting ready to go wrangle up some cattle just as soon as I finish my pizza. 

Pepperoni Pizza From That Bowling Alley - When I was in grade school, we had hot lunch every Thursday.  It alternated between pizza and either McDonald's or Eegees every other week.  The pizza you could order cheese or pepperoni and it cost $1.50.  You had to bring an envelope with your money, your name, your classroom and your order on it every Thursday.  Mom and Dad would write our envelopes out for us and help us decide our order and we would proudly carry them to school.  Then at lunch time, we got our treat.  The pepperoni pizza was always just a little too greasy but always DELICIOUS.  Guess where this pizza came from?  From the little cafe in the bowling alley across the street.  A bowling alley.  Go figure.

Runners up include: KM's vegetable pizza, Hungry Howie's anything, Papa John's garlic butter, and Pizza Hut's Pan pizza/lunch buffet/dessert pizzas

Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Time With Your Family

Yesterday was the 4th of July.  Happy Birthday America!

I was busy spending quality time with my family and never got around to writing a post on the holiday...so today, on July 5th I give you Seven Magnificent Ways to Spend Your Time With Family!

• Take a defined shopaholic to The Container Store for the first time.  Hours of fun! Did you know they make containers for EVERYTHING?  Just browsing is quite entertaining.  Let me just say that my family is well on its way to pure organized bliss.
• IKEA.
• Standing on the back porch with rain pouring down every which way, while getting soaking wet and pummeled with micro-hail.  Kind of like a massage, but not.  So much fun, makes all of your cares slip away temporarily.  I highly recommend it. 
• Scrapbooking.  You tell your whole family about your trips and adventures which leads to them telling you theirs.  Next thing you know, you learned something new about your grandmother, your aunt, your supposedly angelic cousin and your own parents even.  All because you went to Boston.  Oh and now I know my one cousin who has always had an extensive wardrobe was wearing the same shirt for two school photos in a row! 
• Sitting around staring at each other.  Often the best way to just hang out with family.  Staring lovingly into their eyes and having your soul examined through your own eyes.  Deep, right?
• Eating a meal.  Laughing, hilarity and delicious home cooked food.  Steaks on the 4th of July? Yes please. 
• Road Trippin'.  The single greatest family moments I have take place in the back of a minivan or front seat of some car.  Similar to that annoying "what happens in vegas..." phrase, what happens in a car on a trip is your carload's business.  You don't need to discuss it with the caravan, you just live in the moment and get a little closer to those you are riding with.  You feel old cause your baby cousin is now driving you around, for example.

There you have it.  These are all great things that I love to do when I am home which I have done the past few days.  I really enjoy family time.  I apologize for being so mushy-gushy and promise that the blog will return to full speed ahead after one more day of r&r.

I shall leave you with three words: Harry.Potter.Week.