Eating Nemo was amazing

After turning down a job last week I've been a train wreck. When I was 20 and my first boyfriend broke up with me, I couldn't eat for days. Anytime I tried my stomach was just a big mess. Five years later, I had that feeling again. Not regret for having turned down a job after interviewing for 21 in this economy, but more so that disgusting sick feeling inside, like you know you've done something totally wrong you can't take back.

Clearly, I need to lighten up. But finances are a BIG deal when you don't have any. However, this week I've been lining up a few more part time gigs and interviews. I think something is bound to fall into my lap one day soon. That being said, I'm starting to eat again.

And man did I ever eat yesterday. J.D. and I went to the Arizona State Fair and then kept the day going by celebrating the 3rd of the month, which we do every month for obvious reasons, at a fancy-looking sushi place near our house. Thank God my boyfriend has a job...

We kicked the fair's festivities off with some lunch, a compromise between disturbing fried stations (for J.D.) and something healthy (for me). BBQ it was!

Then we made our way to the midway and I desperately wanted to search for the livestock area to catch a glimpse of the -- wait for it -- WIENER DOG RACES!

Eeeeeeee they were so cute!!!!!(#*&&#^@%%@!!!!!!! The wieners were dressed up in hot dog costumes, just like little Woodstock was for Halloween :) There were also tiny piggy races too. The guy running the show explained to us that pigs are the fourth smartest animals in the world, behind humans, primates and dolphins. Dogs were all the way down to No. 9 or something like that. So basically, anything you could teach a dog, he could teach his pigs in half the time. Man those suckers were fast. Just wait a couple of months before they hit the 1,000 lb. mark....

They were so fast I couldn't even get a decent picture. Oh well.

After seeing the country's largest Ferris wheel on wheels -- no way I'm getting on a ride that can be taken down and shipped off in a day -- we finally made it the livestock area.

And in the petting zoo area they had kangaroos! I really wanted to go in and pet one, but I would have felt weird being the only person over 8 without a child in there.

After the fair, we went home to feed Woodstock and cool off for a little bit since it had been close to 90 degrees outside. J.D. looked up a local sushi/martini bar and discovered it features a 50% off menu from Tuesday until Saturday during Happy Hour! By the time we made our way over, there was still over an hour left! :)

We sat down at our table at Blue Wasabi and checked out the drink menu while they actually brought us blue wasabi for the sushi.

As much as I had wanted to order the Nice Melons, it wasn't half off for Happy Hour. So I went with the Berry White instead. Good Lord that thing was dangerous and tasted like a Jolly Rancher.

Then back to the menu we went to figure out our dinner:

While I would have loved to order the Dirty Sanchez or Me Soy Horny rolls just for the sheer comedic value of saying those in public, at a classy bar no less, I wasn't too thrilled with the ingredients. So instead we split the Eating Nemo and the Wango Mango rolls. Along with a slew of appetizers.

We had two 8-piece rolls, three appetizers and three drinks for under $40 (and enough leftovers for a third lunch/dinner)! I think if we'd paid full price beyond Happy Hour it would have cost over $70 without the tax. Yikes! If ANYONE ever comes to visit me in Arizona, we're going to this place between Tuesday and Saturday, no questions asked!!! It was really amazing sushi. And it led to waaay too many inappropriate jokes.

Now I think it's time for me to get back to my writing. I'm at 2,080 words with a long road ahead of me....

A day in Scottsdale

We live kind of far from Scottsdale, but it's an area I absolutely loooove down here!! I had to go down there on Saturday, so J.D. tagged along with me and waited patiently so we could shop, play and eat in Scottsdale.

After I finished getting things done, we wandered around the Fashion Square mall and delved into what it's like to live a high-end lifestyle. However, I left having only spent about $35. Truly, I was a fish out of water. We did wind up in a puppy store (shocking) and found some toy ideas for Woody that might have to be purchased at a smaller, cheaper, pet store.

Like this toy, it's a blue kitty called iSqueak Monique! What the heck?!? Really?? I might have to find this soon.

Overwhelmed by all the Bebes, Bloomingdales and Coach stores, we concluded our shopping trip (since I was in heels all afternoon long) at H&M. Man, do we know how to luxury shop or what??? While J.D. ventured downstairs to the men's floor, I waited in the 20-minute line for the dressing room, yikes. I found quite a few outfits I loooved but since I'm on a budget and no income, I promised myself I'd only leave with one thing. I'm really digging dresses right now, for when I finally do land a job. I don't really ever see myself wearing pants down here in the Southwest!

The lighting was kind of blah... but this dress sure wasn't!! I bought it immediately and then we went back into the maze that was the parking lot to find my car. Sidenote, if it was that packed during the summer, I can't even begin to imagine the winter when all the retired snowbirds come down.

Next up, we headed a few miles down the road to the adult playground. Crackerjax is a large complex of mini golf, batting cages, driving range, bungee jump and go carts. We were set on hitting some balls in the batting cages. First of all, it was super hot. And the price wasn't bad either! After seeing a few and getting a feel for the speed, I roped a few out of the complex :) I think the last three I hit in my round were definitely homers. Awesome.

Could this batting stance BE anymore awkward?!?! I blame it on the purse. And also messing around. Obviously that's not for real since I didn't have my helmet on. Oh yeah, and I am a PRO at discreetly changing in cars. Notice I'm no longer in dress and heels?

Unable to stand the heat any longer, sweating out of our minds we were working up an appetite. I remembered loving Old Town Scottsdale from my Spring Training trips I'd taken to Phoenix in college so we set on out in that direction for some dinner and more window shopping.

Following the walking tour, we made our way into some super touristy shops. And let me tell you, I was thiiiiis close to buying and rocking a cowboy hat haha. Maybe next time.

Anyways after the second round of shopping (sans actually purchasing anything) we passed a neat looking Mexican bar with an adjoining dive bar featuring cheap beer pong. The restaurant, called Cien Agaves, featured what else but 100 tequilas on the menu!! I've had a fair amount of Mexican-inspired food at home, but was telling J.D. that morning how unfortunate it was we hadn't had authentic Mexican food in the Southwest quite yet.

Neither of us bit at the menu, however. I mean, it was happy hour after all, so we indulged in some margaritas! A Cadillac for J.D. and a prickly pear blended margarita for moi. I seriously considered that $200 shot at the bottom of the picture though, because that's how I roll (NOT).

Oooh, they were good! Outside on the chalk board, the restaurant touted its very large taco bar. So I had to go with what was good. I opted for the two taco menu with black beans and rice. My tacos included blackened mahi mahi and pork al pastor with a pineapple salsa.

Yummy!!! Saving room for dessert, I had a surprise left for J.D. So we walked off dinner and dropped the leftovers off in the car just in time to check out something that's becoming a favorite of mine: desert sunset! A large storm was about to roll through, so the clouds were beautifully illuminated in the twilight sky. And then I noticed that strings of light were run across all the streets, beginning to light up and really adding to the ambiance!

And now for the surprise. Last time I was in Old Scottsdale with my parents, we found an old-fashioned soda jerk run by the original owners who established the place in the 1950s.

After much debate, we decided to split something called an "Orange Raft." It was in the section that featured the likes of root beer floats. The orange raft was a refreshingly light glass of Sprite with two scoops of orange sherbet plopped right in!

Um and we even got to channel our inner 50's selves and sipped it out of two straws, while sitting at the soda counter. SO FUN!!!

After dessert, we wandered around the night-lit streets a bit longer before coming home to the puppy.

Such a fun night!!

And now, I'm exercising all the self-restraint in the world as the smell of chocolate wafts around the kitchen. Expect a post tomorrow of my brownies with peanut butter frosting! :)