Spending Black Friday at Sun Devil Stadium

We almost missed last night's football game because neither one of us remembered that we had bought the Groupon for the game until just a few hours before kickoff.  Luckily, we remembered in time to walk down to Will Call and pick up our tickets.  The Groupon was for side line seats not too far up - and we weren't disappointed.  My husband was quick to point out that our seats were right in front of the cheerleaders...

I love to people watch, and the game didn't disappoint.  There was a couple behind us having a pretty serious relationship discussion (the only thing that makes me smile more is when couples have very private fights on one another's facebook wall). 

We live about three miles from Sun Devil Stadium, so we like to walk down to Tempe when we are going to a show or game and then catch a cab back home.  We walked down to the stadium stopping at Quick Trip to get me a pumpkin cappuccino - my one vice.  The game was a good game even if the Sun Devils tried hard to lose (and ultimately succeeded).  Then when we went to catch a cab, we tried to get one of the cool green cabs, but there were none to be found.  We ended up riding back home in a cab that had the cab thingie on the roof, but absolutely no cab equipment on the inside.  (It was also more expensive than usual...live and learn, I guess).

We will be looking for free things to do in the next month around Tempe.  I lost my job and want to save all the pennies we have until I start working again. 

Black Friday

Who among us hasn't had the dreaded alarm no-show?  Yep.  We had big plans to get out on Black Friday and pick up a few things we needed for the house.  The hubby and I lay down last night at midnight, and he set his watch for a very Black Friday respectable ...0330.  Then we awoke to the lights shining in our window at 7.  Epic Fail.

Not ones to let adversity (or over sleeping) get us down...we packed up the Mustang and headed to Tempe Market Place.  I was expecting a mad house - especially since we were getting there 5 hours after the shopping started.  There weren't many people there at all.  He left his gift certificate at home, so we ran back to get it, and I decided to stay home.  Aspergers means that I don't do so well with crowds.  He was able to get what he wanted with a minimum of fuss - although he said it had started to get crowded at 10 or so when he left. 

I didn't get anything...being laid off means that I don't know when I'll have money again, and I don't want to spend it on things that aren't absolutely necessary...you know: electricity...food.

Living lean, doesn't mean living lonely.  One of our friends came over to get help on her motorcycle and I made brunch.  Turkey and Broccoli Quiche.  Look for more recipes from me that include the star of our Thanksgiving dinner...we have two gallon sized zip bags worth of left overs.  mmm mmm

I have hopes to hear from Foothills Academy since they want their new teacher to start Monday, but I am a little frustrated by the job search.  Ok. I am a lot frustrated by the job search.  It seems like everyone has an ad out looking for help, but I haven't even gotten a call back from the retail stores I applied with (and it has officially started the busy shopping season).  It's all I can do not to take it out on my hapless spouse.  We moved here so he could go to school, and I left a tenured position to do it.  Since I had no intention of killing a student, I basically left a guaranteed job for one that ended after six months and left me with no income and a crap ton of bills. 

Music on the Mill

So...as you know if you are someone who follows along, then you know that I was laid off from my job as a curriculum developer in Scottsdale.  I've been frantically trying to find another position either in curriculum design again or back in a middle or elementary school classroom.  (Shameless plug alert: I'm awesome...hire me!)
My husband in a last ditched effort to make me feel better took me to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants...the Mellow Mushroom (http://www.mellowmushroom.com/).  The Hawaiian calazone that we always split was delicious as usual.  The really nice part of the evening was our walk up and down Mill Avenue in Tempe.  We didn't know that there would be lots of street musicians down on Mill.  I heard two who were really nice.  It was really enjoyable to walk hand and hand and look at all the of college-y shops while the pizza was digesting. 

Canned!

If you aren't a MapQuest or Goggle map junkie, it is 2,178 miles from Fayetteville, NC to Tempe, AZ.  I know this because recently I made the drive to take a new job as a curriculum developer for a Scottsdale company.  Six months later, I was told (with several other departments) that the company was "restructuring" and my services were no longer needed.  So, I find myself in a new city, a new state, and looking for a job. 
I spent yesterday trying to figure out where to go from here.  What to do and how to do it.  I applied for all of the jobs that I could think of - from other curriculum developer jobs to a position at the local Target. 
This is the first time in my life that I have ever been "let go" or "laid off" - somehow, neither title makes me feel any better. 

What I learned from GWAR

Monday, I went to my very first heavy metal concert.  It was, to say the least, an eye opening experience.  My husband has taken it upon himself to broaden my horizons, and apparently this includes having a large alien like creature jack-off on me.  So...let's be honest.  I don't listen to heavy metal and didn't know anything about GWAR.
I was expecting the dread-locks and the questionable wardrobe choices.  I watched with a kind of egotistical detachment.  I'm nothing like "those" people.  Then I watched a very theatrical show.  I watched a group of people having a great time.  I watched my husband jumping up and down, loving life while the band sprayed synthetic bodily fluids at him.  I also saw a group of people come together in support of a fallen friend.  At the end of the show, there was a tribute to Cory Smoot - the recently fallen member of GWAR.  People came together and remembered.  In that moment, they weren't people who wouldn't be able to have a professional job...(unspoken - like me)...they were just people who were experiencing the universal emotions like sorrow and loss.

As for the touristy stuff:
The marquee theater was a gritty venue that seemed to mesh well with the music.  It was the first time I had been anywhere to see a concert where there were no seats.  I highly recommend seeing one of their shows.

Getting a little culture

After a grumpy Friday night we were more than ready to get out Saturday. We had been invited to go out by some of John's friends that ride motorcycles.   They are all art students at ASU so the downtown art museum was the suggested venue.  I really enjoyed seeing their collection of fashion ...i enjoyed making fun of some of the outfits as well.  I was surprised by how small the collection was. 

Phallic Fair Foods & Good Soup

Have you ever walked around a state fair and looked at all of the foods?  Thursday, the hubby and I went to the AZ state fair (http://www.azstatefair.com/) to see the Sublime concert.   As we ate our way from one side of the fair to the other (my favorite way to see any thing), I couldn't help but notice how many phallic looking foods there were.  Everywhere we turned there were foot long corn dogs, roasted ears of corn, or bananas on a stick.   I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh at all of the little girls (well, teenagers) that were using the food to get attention.

The concert was a wonderful chance to people watch.  I didn't know who Sublime was before the concert.  I broke the number one rule of concert going by putting their name into Pandora to see what they sounded like.  Luckily, I liked what I heard.

The concert had one drawback for me (since I am allergic to pretty much everything).  People were enjoying themselves more than is technically legal.  Meanwhile back at the ranch, I woke up feeling like a gargled with glass.  (It's a shame that I get sick and don't even get to enjoy a secondary high.) 

On Fridays, the hubby and I have a standing lunch date.  Since I didn't feel good at all...I suggest soup.  I am a huge fan of Panera Bread.  There is only one small problem...Phoenix isn't a fan since there isn't one here.  We found a more than suitable stand in with The Wildflower Bread Company.  I had the roasted corn soup that was delicious.  We had a little bit of a wait, and the manager came by to make sure that we were happy.  We will definitely be eating there again. 

My husband wants me to add that the meatball sandwich was really good, too.

Unique date experience

I get groupons.  I'll admit it.  I'm mildly addicted to them.  I love to open my email in the morning to see what cool deal I can find.  Usually, the deals are for things that I don't need, don't want, or can't use.  Sometimes, however, I get a groupon for something that makes my breathless anticipation worth while. 

I used a Groupon last week to buy how-to pottery classes, because I thought that it would be a fun and unique date activity for my husband and me. (www.allthehands.com) I didn't know how much fun it actually going to be until I got there and started playing with the clay.  We arrived at the class a little late - warning! the studio is off the beaten track and 17th Ave doesn't look like a road since it isn't paved and doesn't have a sign - but we decided to take the class anyways even if we missed the start.  I'm so glad that we did.  After showing us basic techniques, the instructor let us go to play.  I made three pieces and the last two were pretty good.  The first one looks like a child's attempt at an ashtray - so I'll be sending it to my mom for Christmas.  Every parent needs a badly designed, hand-made ashtray from their child...even if the child is 30.

Since I don't consider it a date unless he gets me ice cream.  We left the class - laughing about how dirty we were (How did I get clay, there?! ) and had a pumpkin pie Blizzard from Dairy Queen.  I am going to be really sad when they stop selling those blizzards after Thanksgiving.