A date with Tarzan

It's Friday. We both had interesting days. Tarzan called me and asked if he could take me out to dinner. I, of course, said "yes."

We got in the car and started out. He asked, "Where would you like to go?"

Once again, I was sucked into answering that dreaded question. "Rubio's" I said.

"Oh, I was thinking Applebees."

"Okay. That's fine with me. Let's go to Applebees."

We headed west to the Applebees on 51st Avenue. There were people everywhere waiting in line. Tarzan said, "I'm not in the mood to wait in a line like that. Let's go somewhere else." He began to drive again and stared down the road to our house.

I asked, "where are we going?" Thinking he had decided to just go home.

"The Casino. I feel like a good steak." We headed south on 51st Avenue.

At the Casino, the smell of cigarette smoke was overpowering. They no longer had a "restaurant." They only had a deli. What? You can always get good food in a casino. Well, apparently things have changed. We coughed our way out to the car and I, stupidly, made a second suggestions.

"There is a new Bistro on 16th Street and Baseline. They were featured in the South Mountain magazine."

"Okay, Let's try that." This should be fun, Tarzan and I love to try new things. We headed east to 16th Street.

We pull up into the parking lot and I notice it was an Italian Restaurant--no steaks there. I mentioned that to Tarzan, but it was too late, the saga had begun. Tarzan was complaining about the parking. He thought it was not well lit. The parking lot had about 30 spaces and we were in the parking lot a full 15 minutes trying to get the best spot (there were only 2 empty spots). We finally parked and I got out of the car, with my neck muscles pulled tight, like that girl in As Good As It Gets, I think her name is Helen Hunt. As I stepped to the back of the car, two cars pulled out, right up by the front door. I suggested Tarzan move the car and he jumped at the chance.

We went into the restaurant and Tarzan started to sulk. We had to wait about five minutes and he said he would wait outside. I should have known right them that we should turn around and walk out. We were in the restaurant about 1 hour while I heard about the fact that he was not in the mood for italian food, the music was too loud, they didn't have booths, we had to sit at a table, the woman at the table next to us had an ugly nose and he couldn't stop looking at it, the family that came in with a child who was metally challenged and how miserable that must be to have to take him on every date. I thought they were probably having as much fun as I was. He even commented on the fact that it was obvious this place had not been built to be a resaturant. Whatever.

So Tarzan ordered just an appetizer and I ordered a pasta dish. I said, "that's not going to be enough food for you." He said, "I plan to stop at Kentucky Fried Chicken on the way home." I asked why we didn't just leave and he said he didn't want to always go to the places he wants to go, but that I should be able to pick the place sometimes.

I told him never to do that again, I don't care where we eat, I'm not picky. I would rather have hot dogs at Circle K than have him be miserable at a fancy restaurant. Well, we ate and I had most of mine put in a to go box so we could get out of there.

We got in the car and headed to Kentucky Fried Chicken. We were both laughing by then at what a lousy experience that was. It was certainly not romantic or relaxing. We pulled into the KFC parking lot and I contemplated staying in the car (Tarzan doesn't do drive through). I decided to be a good sport and go in.

As we started in, Tarzan said, "I hope you don't ruin my choice of eating establishments with a bad attitude." We both started to laugh and I turned my nose up and said, "Yuck, that guy is spraying for bugs outside the restaurant." "Euwww, the floor is dirty." "Gag, the place smells like grease." By then we were both nearly in tears with laughter. We stepped up to the counter and no one spoke to us. We waited about 5 minutes while the employees argued about their private lives. Then Pedro, a young man stepped up to the cash register and say "Yo, man wachu want." Tarzan made his order. Then we waited while he put hand cleaner on his one hand that was not bandaged and started to get the chicken, we both started to say something about sanitation, when the girl he had been talking to stepped up and got the chicken for us. They continued their personal conversation and she put the lid on the bucket and brought it up to the counter and plopped it on the counter without looking at us, without saying "have a nice evening," without saying "drop dead" or anything.

Tarzan said in a loud voice, "Thank you for the chicken." She looked up in surprise and Tarzan asked to speak to the manager. Leaving out the details here, let me just say the service was like that because the manager could care less about our complaint.

We got in the car with our chicken and started home. About one block away we began to laugh again and decided that next time we would just buy steak at Bashas and grill them. So, here we are staying up late watching movies while we still have free HBO and Show Time. We have to stay up late because it took us so long to get food that we can't go right to bed or we will both get heartburn.

SPT I've been meaning to do that for the longest time

My whole life I have hated to miss out on anything!!! I hate to leave the room because you will have fun when I leave. I hate to be sent to bed early because you will have fun as soon as I fall asleep. I hate to miss church because they will have the best sermon and the best music on the day I miss. I hate to be left out when someone has a party, they will surely have a good time without me.


My mother jokes (to my embarrasement) that when I was a little girl and we lived in Germany, no matter where we were you could find us by asking if anyone had seen the American family with the little girl who has her hands between her legs. She will then demonstrate what a little girl, needing to go to the bathroom, does.


Nothing has changed, I will put it off until I am miserable and when I finally give in, I am so glad to complete a task I have been meaning to do for the longest time.

I love red

http://metaatem.net/words/

When to Wash Your Hands. SPT

Ignore the date, the battery died on my camera. I need a pedicure! Don't you think washing your hands after handling your feet is a good choice here?

I personally wash my hands all the time. Since I was treated for HCV, I am a nut about it. Also, I work on computers and it is SO GROSS to work on someone's computer when the keyboard has enough food in it to feed the hungry and you can tell they never wash their hands because the keys are so filthy.

Okay, I have been snake proofed. LOL. If you look closely at this picture you will see that I am wearing chaps, and I don't mean the Ralph Lauren scent. These are bonified snake chaps. We took the dogs out this weekend to try them out and I didn't get bit by one snake, they must have worked.

Dottie is the "orange" one and Suzie is the "liver" one. They can't wait for quail season. We missed dove season because we didn't have the chaps.

Since I am writing this, I may as well tell you that I am the sucker in this foresome. Dottie and Suzie find the birds and point, I flush them out of the bush and Tarzan shoots over my head. Hmmmmm, I think maybe I need to rethink this activity.

Sandi School Pics

I had to dismantle my photo album to do this so you got a few extras. Notice one in particular taken in Germany, note the chain around my neck, I'll blog about it later. As for first day of school memories. I have to say that is one memory I don't have, I can tell you all kinds of other things about school days, but not the first day back, ever in all 12 years K-12.

I lead an interesting life

I went to Labcor to have a blood test. Since I had to fast for the test and I had a RS Presidency meeting at 8:30, I arrived early. There was a sign up sheet in the hall for those who arrived early to sign up in order of their arrival. When I got there, 2 men were standing in the hall and 1 man came up right after me.

They informed me of the procedure for signing up. I stepped up to the sign in sheet and without thinking, signed my name SANDI HEYWOOD. The 3rd man, stepped up to sign his name and I suddently realized what I had done and told the men in the hall with me. We all laughed and I corrected it. SANDI GRANDBERRY.

Now, I only tell you this because it was a lead in to what happened next.

One of the men started to tease me saying that I must still have a crush on my first husband, which brought up the subject of his wife.

"I have been with my sweetheart for 30 years." He bragged. "I even went to prison and I came back to her."

I tried to be light with such new found information and said, "Did she send you there?"

He came right back with, "Hell, no, I would have kicked her out if she had been the cause of my going to jail."

Now, the 3rd man spoke up. "Hey man, where did you serve? I just got out 2 weeks ago. Maybe I know some of your people."

1st Man, "Oh, man, I was in Florence, 15 years. My brother is in prison in California now. He started here in Phoenix, and they transferred him all over the place. He was out for 1 week and he got put back in for killing a cop. He's doing life now."

3rd Man, "What is your brother's name, maybe I know him."

1st Man sayed his brother's name and 3rd Man replied that it sounded familiar.

The 2nd man in the hall gave me a sideways glance at this point and looked a little nervous. I just stood there and listened while they bragged about their prison experiences. 1st Man had been in prison for hauling a truckload of drugs. 3rd Man had been in prison for a serious assault (translated later to "I nearly killed the guy.") I just stood there and tried to think of something appropriate to say. Nothing came to mind.

1st Man went in to get his blood test and the 2nd Man came over and sat by me. It seems that the 1st Man had Hepatitis C. I told him that I got Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion with blood given by a man just like him. He was very sympathetic.

I bet I am the only Relief Society President who has had two such interesting experiences. The first time, I was riding the city bus when two young men got on a full bus and stood holding on and leaning over me when one said, "Hey man, it stinks on this bus, it reminds me of prison. Everyone lined up and it smells like stinky feet."

Yes, I lead an intersting life.

End of Summer Self Portrait--SPT

It's the end of summer and it's still hot and I have a scar on my neck and feet from having moles and warts removed and I haven't lost any weight because it has been too hot to move and we went a couple of weeks with an air conditioner that limped along and Tarzan got bit by a snake which put me into an ice cream eating frenzy and sleep deprivation. But now it is going to be fall soon and the weather will cool down and everything will be better.