The Moutholution...

OK, here's the latest from Free Range Studios. Pretty funny:

Remember, since they don't label GMOs in the U.S. - you have to buy organic to be sure!

A Royal Pain in the Eye

Seems I'm having some significant eye troubles. I've been having a lot of irritation and light sensitivity recently, along with degrading vision in my right eye. I went in (again) to the eye doctor today and seems that I have abrasions on the surface of my eye.

They don't know (yet) if it is from the contacts, or due to a defect (I'm sure if he knew me better, he'd assume defect). So, I am supposed to try and not wear my contacts for as much as possible until Monday when I'm to bring in my glasses frames and have them grind some new lenses for me.

Until then, they say I'm at significant risk of eye infections, so I'm on TobraDex eye drops (free trial at least). Here's some info on them:

Pronunciation: toe-bra-MYE-sin/dex-a-METH-a-sone
Generic Name: Tobramycin/Dexamethasone Eye Drops
Brand Name: TobraDex

TobraDex Drops - used for:
Treating eye infections and associated symptoms, including redness, irritation, and discomfort.

TobraDex Drops is an antibiotic (tobramycin) and a corticosteroid (dexamethasone) combination. The antibiotic works by slowing the growth of, or killing, sensitive bacteria in the eye. The corticosteroid works by reducing inflammatory reactions.

So, they found the problems by sticking some sort of dye in my eyes that glowed under certain light. And the dye is attracted to 'wounds' in the eye. So evidently I have a fairly mild abrasion over the edge of my pupil in the right eye (therefore the blurred vision and pain from eye stress as it tries to focus through it all day). Then I have significantly worse abrasions on the left eye (thus the pain) but since they aren't over the pupil they don't affect my vision.

So they think it might be caused by the stiffness of the lens material, so we are going to try a different brand. But, no guarantees; so, we'll see how it goes.

The Search for Apartments...

The time of my lease expiration is rapidly approaching (end of March) and so I've begun to look around for apartment options. To me, the size doesn't matter as much as the quality does. Unfortunately, the majority of the Valley appears to be chock full of the same ol' hackneyed cookie-cutter apartments of plebeian suburbia you find everywhere else. I'll keep looking for some hidden gem, but I don't think I'll find one.

The closest I've discovered so far is Grigio at Tempe Town Lake. (To visit their site, click here) It has the correct urban feel, more like something you'd find in a city such as New York, or LA.

Here are a few pictures of the lobby:


But, there are some shortcomings. They are a bit overpriced for the quality of the units. Don't get me wrong, the member's center and multi-use community facilities are top-of-the-line. High in quality.

However, the suites don't have the same standards. Yes, they are better than standard apartment fare. But, they want top dollar for them, and they charge hefty prices for any "upgrades". For example, to have bamboo flooring instead of carpeting in the studio you have to pay an extra $100/mo. Want a pool view? Better tack on another $100. So, for a studio apartment just under 600 sq. ft. w/ bamboo floors... you're looking at $999/mo. or $1014/mo w/ tax.
Prices are a little more reasonable if you're looking at two bedrooms (of course this would require a roommate). I can get a 800 sq. ft. 2 bedroom w/ bamboo and pool view for about $1500/mo. That's a more reasonable. Still high - but more in the price range I'm looking for. And you can sign for up to 2 years. But as I said before... r-o-o-m-m-a-t-e. Oh well, decisions decisions.

I'll keep posting other communities that I tour and let you all know.

A Blip on Boba

OK, so I'm hooked on a new drink (new to me, that is). In general, its called boba. So, since I've mentioned it to many of you, I figure I should put provide some explanations that are more informative than my cryptic descriptions over the phone.

Bottom line is boba means bubbles, and the 'bubbles' or boba, are small balls of tapioca. It's added to a lot of different beverages, commonly teas or milk teas. Some of my favorites are Boba Milk Tea, Coffee Milk Tea, Almond Milk Tea, Honey Milk Tea, and Thai Tea. (I tried Thai Tea w/ Egg pudding instead of boba last night... that was interesting).

Turns out, it came from Taiwan. Anyways, click here for an article on boba milk tea found on Wikipedia - which gives pictures and a much more interesting description of its history (go wikis!)

The place where I go is called Lollicup. It's in Tempe. Click here for their official site or here for a link to its location from Google. By the way, they also have really good steamed pork buns... and other food that's good if you're in a hurry.

So, the next time you are looking for something to drink that isn't the same 'ole thing (that means you "meat & potatos" types), go for boba!

Yum... Saigon Pho for lunch

There is a really good Vietnamese resturant on Alma School south of Warner... it's really cheap. And their soup is really good (my shredded chicken & rice noodles with fresh basil, beansprouts, and lime is shown above). It's called Saigon Pho. Click here to pull up the map, address, and phone number from Google.

Snow!

Talk about a strange winter... We never get snow here in the Valley of Sun, but we managed to get some last night. Although it didn't stick, even downtown Phoenix had snow falling yesterday during the early evening. In other parts of the city, the snow actually stuck. The news here is filled with pictures of people building snowmen in Mesa and having snowball fights in the West Valley. I personally know of snowfall recorded in Ahwatukee, North and East Mesa, Glendale, Avondale, Carefree, Gilbert, and Maricopa.

Here's two pictures I thought were pretty neat...

Photos courtesy of Jane Babineaux and John Harmon

It's really crazy, especially for a guy like me... who hasn't bought a coat this winter...

Salsa!

Here's a poor shot of what I do on Sunday nights... salsa lessons in Tempe. Now if I can just get the dang beat...

Beat the clock...

Well they are finishing the last wall of stucco and it will be just in time. Looks like the rain is coming again... in fact I just felt my first drop...

Here comes the sun...

Well the sun is now out, and its finally warming up. Here's a picture of a few people in the stucco crew working on the South side of the building, to texture the first coat.

Guess who I found?

Here is a picture of me and Colleen Nelson at the Westridge Build in Avondale. Yes its very wet, rainy, and cold. But still lots of fun!