The Second Edition of the Restaurant Quiz

As much as I'd love to be in the tropics right now, I don't feel bad about being stranded in Tucson, Arizona.  Online Canuck friends are complaining about -42 C temps.  Holey moley!  We're having a gorgeous winter with highs in the 70's and lots of the yellow stuff.  An arctic blast on Friday is supposed to drop the temps into the 60's.  This is our eighth winter in Arizona and so far, the warmest!

Enough bragging about the weather.  I've probably jinxed it and we'll see snow tonight!  Here's the second edition of the restaurant quiz.

 The quaint interior of which popular loncheria?

Hint -- one type of food dominates this restaurant's menu.

I'm eating in the first stall at the market which is _____________?

My favorite restaurant to sit with a frappe and watch the island pass by. 

I'll admit I've never sat on this porch or purchased a drink here, but I find this man fascinating.  The most puzzling man in the world (or at least on Isla).  Name this cantina!

If this is my view, where am I eating?  I think these people hid behind the sign because they didn't want to be outed in my photo.  What the heck's a piano bar?  That's another interesting topic.  Tee hee.

These colorful tables are located at _______________?

Here I'm dining with friends at one of my favorite restaurants on Isla eating delicious baked shrimp.  The famous owner is in the background.  What's his name?

Where's this head?  Or should I say whose head is this?

Petey was a fixture for years in this popular Isla restaurant.

Name this beach club.

We're sitting on the front patio of which popular El Centro restaurant?

Can anyone guess what's made here?

Okay, this is a gimme, but I've always liked this mural.

And here's another freebie.  Next time you're on Isla, stick your head through the menu board for your photo souvenir!  I obviously did, so it's my profile pic.

The sniffles are gone, so I can no longer award that viral prize for guessing all the restaurants in the second edition correctly.  Maybe I could throw in my two unused tickets to Cancun from November, but the fraud police would come after you since we opted for the full refund.

Stay warm my friends!

Answers in order of the photos:
 

La Lomita, Pita Amore, Alexi&Giovanni's, Mogagua, Hemingway's, Basto's, Mamacita, Fredy's, Bahia Tortuga (that looks like Danny to me!), French Bistro, Capitan Dulce, M&J's Cazuela, tortillas, Don Chepo's, and Poc Chuc.   And don't dock me any points on my spelling!

Name That Restaurante!

This one's practically a gimme.

Hint -- it's off Hidalgo.

This photo was taken year's ago, but the view from the tables remains virtually the same.

This restaurant's closed, but old-timers might recognize the door.

The view's a dead giveaway on this popular bar.

Gone, but not forgotten.  The original Cool.  My first sampling of Cool gelato occurred in December 2005 not long after Hurricane Wilma.

Name this popular restaurant!

Bean soup, bean soup, bean soup.

 

This one's obvious, so tell me the location.

Gone now, but do you know the name and where it used to be?

Easy peasy.  Everyone will recognize these tables!

Definitely an oldie, but goodie!  What's new pussycat!

This is the view!  Where am I eating?

Get all the answers right and the grand prize winner gets my sniffles.  Smirk smirk.  To be continued -- because I have a lot of time on my hands right now.  : )

Taaa-daaaaaaa.  The answers:

 

Soggy Peso, Victor's Cafe Havana,  Almar Lounge, Playa del Sol (kitchen door), Bahia Tortuga, the original Cool, Jax (upstairs deck), La Lomita, Susanita on Juarez, Loncheria Chely across from the market/post office on Guerrero, the Mango Cafe, Mininos (means pussycat), and the view from that coveted table at Bally Hoo.  Aaaaaaaa-chooooo!  

Late Night Easel Work

I've been felled by the dreaded la grippe.  Actually I'm being dramatic.  The sneezing and runny nose started late yesterday and hopefully it's just the common cold.  Anyway, last night suffering from insomnia induced by cold pills, I picked up my cellphone and noticed my entire Picasa gallery had somehow migrated to my phone.  What to do?  Paper Artist!

Among the many sculptures that have popped up on the island in the last five or six years, this one's my favorite.  I call it the Fish Arch!

Side street shrine.

I love bolsas.  My favorites feature Day of the Dead Katrinas and Frida.

 

Sometimes you can only see this doggie's nose when you're strolling down Juarez.  Someday I'd like to tour the interior of his casa.

The much photographed Casa Esperanza on Juarez.  Wonder what's behind those colonial Yucatan doors?

 

Passing vendor on Playa Norte.

An oldie but goodie, circa 2006.   Vendors at Playa Lancheros used to drape the palapas with pareos.  After the daytripper boats departed for the day, we'd order guacamole and shop.

Everyone loves a parade.  I missed this one in November.  Maybe 2014?

Aaaaaaaaa-chooooooo!  I bet you're happy I can't spread this virus through my blog.  : )

Driving While Dilated

Driving while dilated.  We had no idea when we went to our eye doctor in Chandler on Friday that we'd both get dilated.  We thought we could avoid that with the x-ray they take now.  And basically, we didn't anticipate the problem since we're used to driving five miles home and vegging until the drops wear off.

I wish that lens in my eyeball could click photos.  Every little piece of chrome on the cars on I-10 (with my eyes shielded by my Ray Ban prescription sunglasses) turned into a huge gleaming flashes of pain.  We were the blind leading the blind trying to make out interstate and street signs.  I'm hoping I wasn't seeing my future since I have the beginning of macular degeneration in one eye.

The stressful drive was worth it.  Home is where your friends are, and after the frantic blinding drive in rush hour traffic, we met friends for dinner we hadn't seen in the eight years since we left Seattle.  With friends that close, it's like you haven't missed a step.  We were suddenly home.

Craig was the designated driver that night.  His right shoulder may be bad, but he always sees better than I do at night, and I was not seeing well at all!  At first I didn't get it.  Huge floating Christmas displays hovered in the sky over Phoenix.  Oh my God!  What is that?  Craig laughed.  They were jets waiting to land at Sky Harbor.  Every headlight on every car was a gigantic beaming Star of Bethlehem for both of us!   You don't have to be in Texas for the stars at night to be big and bright!  Old eyes evidently don't recover quickly.

We're thinking about a long overdue reunion trip back to the Northwest in July.

Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Random Orange

I'm a little late, but Happy New Year!  I've decided to not look back and do any year in review.  This one was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, so hopefully 2014 will be better!  Here's to a Happy Healthy 2014 for everyone out there in cyber land.

Manana, I will once again plunge back into the pool of life for water aerobics with the local drill sergeant.   Onward and upward!  I have no idea why orange is today's theme. Let's face it -- I'm reaching!  LOL