Beer — check!
Wine — check!
Groceries — check!
Daycare? Yep — check!

How convenient!

Now, they are NOT all housed in the same location. The Easy Mart is directly on the corner, the daycare, I believe it’s called “Lil’ Angles” is off the corner, kinda beside the mart. They only share a sign.

But, I still think it’s just about the funniest thing. I drive by it at least once a day and laugh out loud.

AND…this is a nice neighborhood. Houses on this street are about $400K for 1500 sq. ft. Now, people who can afford that wouldn’t send their kids to Beer Wine Daycare would they?

Enjoy the laugh!

The weather is great. And the food is fab! Don’t miss a plate lunch. The best food vendor is Aloha Kitchen from Mesa. Yummy. Huli Huli Chicken, Kalua Pork, rice and mac salad. Delish. And don’t miss the manapua. A steamed pork bun. Similar to char sui bao if you’re familiar with dim sum.

The dancing is great too! So fun. It’s particularly fun to watch all of the little kids in the audience try to imitate and hula.

Lots of great goods. I love the crack seed shop. Li Hing Mui and Li Hin Pineapple. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

If you can’t head to the islands for a long weekend, I highly recommend the AlohaFest!

More details at Arizona AlohaFest.

Unfortunately, we’re spending a long weekend in San Diego and will mis AlohaFest. Have a shave ice for me!

I grew up eating the best home-cooked gumbos, courtbouillions, sauce picantes, etc. Now, I cook them, but I’d love to find a place here in town with Cajun/Creole food.

I’ve not been impressed with Baby Kay’s and, as far as I know, Justin’s Ragin’ Cajun is closed. I’m sad.

I guess I’ll just have to keep cookin’. No fun, when I’m cooking for just two of us.

I hope that you take this day, Mardi Gras, and keep New Orleans and the entire Gulf in your thoughts and your pocket books. There are so many worth while organizations doing great work in the area. It’s been six months, but there are years of work to be done.

I’ve listed a few organizations for you to consider supporting. And remember, you can make a donation by APril 15th and get credit for your 2005 taxes:

www.arcno.org – Red Cross Southeast Louisiana
www.habitat-nola.org – Habitat for Humanity
http://www.cowboymouth.comCowboy Mouth Relief Fund for Musicians in New Orleans, and don’t miss some amazing music too
www.jlno.org – Buy a Junior League of NO cookbook and support the cause
www.commongroundrelief.org – The Common Ground Colletive, short term, immediate assistance for displaced citizens

So many great options, follow your heart. God Bless the great City of New Orleans!

America West. America Worst. US Airways. Whatever you want to call it.

I had a meeting in Dallas at 6:30 tonight. Actually, a training class. 100 people waiting for me.

I head to the airport at 8 a.m. for a 10:15 flight. Arrive without incident, breeze through security in an easy 20 minutes, which was pretty good considering it’s Presidents’ Day. Wait to board flight. And wait.

And wait. And wait.

At 10:15 they announce that the flight is delayed. No SH_T Sherlock! Maintenance delay. Ok, fix it and let’s get on with it.

We board about 10:50. And then, we wait. And wait. And wait.

At 11:40 they announce that we’re delayed. Really? I never would’ve guessed. Maintenance delay. We must now deplane and wait.

And wait. They tell us they’ll have more info about 12:30.

I wait. At 12:30, they announce they’ll have more info at 2:30. At 1:00 I get to the desk and change my flight tomorrow. I’ll never make it in time for my class tonight, but hopefully I can get there for the second class tomorrow night.

We love our hometown airline!

There are some great bakeries here in town. My favorite is Tammie Coe Cakes. Her cakes are available for sale at La Grande Orange at Campbell and 40th Street. She also has her own shop in that same strip mall. She does special orders with 48 hours notice.

My favorite is the Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse. It’s an “almost” flourless chocolate cake with layers of a thick mousse. Delish.

I highly recommend you try her out the next time you have a need for a fancy cake. Heck, even if you’re just having a little birthday party or the girls are getting together. You know how girls love cake — Especially chocolate cake.

Bon appetit!

Last night when I arrived home from a 2 hour delayed flight, I head to the very long taxi queue. Seriously, about 40 people long. I finally get to the front and explain to the lady managing this situation that I need a cab that will accept a credit card. You see, I expense my cabs and it’s just easier not to co-mingle funds. She says, “you are in the wrong line, this is the line for credit cards.” And HOW would I know that? There’s no sign, nothing. No biggie.

Anyway, the North Curb is the long way out of the airport when you’re headed to just about anywhere except Scottsdale. The cab picks me up and has to loop the airport to get onto the 10 N to get to the 51 N to take me home to 16th Street and Glendale. The fare is $8.10 by the time we get out of the airport. What the heck?

The entire cab ride TO the airport on Monday cost me $18. The return home last night was $24.30. With a maniac cab driver by the way. 80 MPH on the on ramp to the 10. 45 MPH on my residential street which is posted as 20 MPH. That’s a whole other topic.

I think the move of all the cabs to the North Curb is a conspiracy to increase the cab fares. Maybe?

It’s so nice to see the houses and the trees. All of the other joggers, walkers and dog walkers are always friendly and say “Good Morning!” Sometimes it’s easy to forget you’re in Phoenix with the varied architecture.

We always park at the church on the SE corner of Bethany Home and Central. It’s actually a park and drive location. It’s so funny that the church is the North Phoenix Baptist Church. Imagine, Bethany Home and Central used to be North Phoenix!

Anyway, some Saturday or Sunday morning when the weather’s nice, i.e., before it’s 100 degrees, get some physical activity by taking a walk on Central and enjoy the scenery!

So, I go to the LA Fitness at 20th and Camelback. What a scene. It’s hilarious. I wish that I could be invisible and observe more.

I love gay men and gay men love me. I’ve been called a gay magnet on ocassion. We love each other. I think that this location of LA Fitness is the official gym of the gay men in Central Phoenix. Gay men at the gym are a hoot. They are so dedicated and serious about being at the gym. And they always look good doing it. They never get all sweaty, sticky and blotchey and red like I do. Nothing like someone of the opposite sex who has absolutely no interest in you making you feel inadequate at the gym.

But best, I love the little old ladies and men who are truckin’ away on the treadmill set to go .5 miles an hour. That’s heart, man. I always try to chat up the little oldies and get the scoop. It’s always a good story. But at the rate that they’re walking, they’ll never make it to the parking lot.

I know the gym is going to be nutty for the entire month of January, because, much like myself, everyone in Phoenix will be on a health kick! Go to the gym, hike Camelback, drink protein shakes, walk, walk, walk! Fortunately, since I work from home, I can head to the gym after 9 a.m. and before 4 p.m. when the rest of the Phoenicians will be there.

If you’re at the gym, stop by and say hi! I’ll be the one huffing and puffing with a cocktail and a snack. Hey, at least I won’t have a cigarette!

Have fun at the gym, folks!

Gone! It left when the mercury soared to 82 degrees (so says my car, and I know it’s not acurate, but, man that kills!)

Yesterday we were pitiful lumps of Christmas coal and needed some cheering. We headed to the Espanade to see Chronicles of Narnia. It was so good! Awesome even. I loved it. I cried, it was fabulous! You must go see it. But, after the movie, I was just a more emotional mess (never mind the PMS) and had a mini breakdown. So sad that we weren’t in Louisiana with my family, or in Chicago with my boyfriend’s family that I just couldn’t function. My boyfriend was a little bah-hum-buggy too. We resorted to our comforts…

I wanted a cocktail and he wanted to shop. So off to Biltmore Fashion Center we go to accomodate both of our needs. Macy’s first and then we got a call from our friend Mike, a super cool, Superior court judge here in town. Man, he’s a nut, you’d think he was an inmate more than a judge! Anyway, drinks were consumed, joy and the Christmas spirit arrived and we were good to go.

Next stop, the Apple store. Shopping with a buzz. Nothing’s better. Two new iPods and a bunch of accessories later, it was time for food. Stopped into Christopher’s Fermier for subpar service, a cold bowl of soup and that’s all.

We finally headed home about 11:30 and crashed.

Spent all day at our desks, playing with our new toys and not really talking to each other. Ahhh….Christmas at our house. How sad.

Off now for Chinese food (my family’s Christmas Eve tradition) and a get together with friends.

I hope Santa come despite my bad attitude.

Merry Christmas!

Check it out at Valley Ho http://www.hotelvalleyho.com. The website is cute, I like the music and the little slide show at the beginning.

Chef Charles Wiley formerly of the Golden Swan at the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch, elements at The Sanctuary on Camelback and The Boulders, is the new Executive Chef of Trader Vic’s, which will open next month.

Long live the Ho!