Trip to Arizona Day 1

So this past weekend I went to Arizona, Phoenix/Tempe , to watch the Anaheim Angels participate in spring training. I went to this event with my college friends Deanna and Jessica. The day started out bright and early, well I shouldn't really say bright as it began at 4AM on Saturday. Let me tell you, when you wake up earlier than you do for work, it is quite an experience.

This was the first road trip for Timmerie and I was nice to actually have a car that can make a long road trip without it dying you in the middle of it. I was going on about 4 hours of sleep for this drive and honestly the drive wasn't that interesting. Once you leave Riverside area it is nothingness followed by more nothingness. I finally got to see a place called Desert Center, really not interesting. This entire Deanna was sleeping in the back, no pictures of that. Crossed the Arizona border at 9ish and saw how cheap gas got, decreased by 25 cents a gallon. Don't you love the additive and tax we add in California?

Got to Phoenix and attempted to go to a restaurant that is part of Triple D or Diners Drive In's and Dives, but the line was incredibly long. Instead we went to a farmers market. For being 700 miles from San Francisco this place seemed incredibly hippie.Here are Jessica and Deanna in the farmers market, where we got some really overhyped tamales. I am sorry I don't really see what the hype was about them. Apparently Arizona has legendary Mexican food...don't really see that. So, it was off to Tempe Stadium to see Game 1, Giants vs Angels. The thing about Arizona, you hear about cities, Tempe, Glendale, Phoenix like they are separate, but no they are right next to each other. It was like saying there is a great difference between Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, and Orange in terms of distance. Way to be cool Arizona.

Game 1, we sat in the lawn area and it was crowded as hell and yes, Arizona gets warm during March. It did not help that my shorts are dark and that there was no shade. I think that my legs got burnt more than my face. The game was cool, although the only Web Gem was done by Panda, it was fun none the less. A funny moment was where a bunch of kids got carded and escorted away. However, there was one girl who I guess went to the bathroom and came back to find her friends gone. I could see her mouth "Are you fuckin serious?" Great moments, still refuse to pay 5 bucks for a Coors. It seems a spring training that is the main selling point, beer at ball parks.

We left the ball park to go grab some dinner at another place that I saw on Triple D that was only 7 miles from the stadium. However, due to the intellegence of my GPS and Arizona's need to have construction when Wrestlemania and spring training is going on, it took about 45 minutes to find the place, Chino Bandido.

What if I told you that a place served Mexican, Chinese, and Caribbean food all at the same time? I would told you at would AI (UCR Dining Hall) on a Tuesday night. Yet, this place exists and it was pretty good. I had BBQ in a quesadilla, which is 10 times better than beef or chicken quesadilla. There mascot is a Bandido Panda, how PC can you get over here in Arizona?

Here is a picture of me with the mascot. It is apparently carved and then set off to Arizona. While I was taking a picture of the food, a bunch of Arizonians, were like "You take pictures of your food?" Guess I just perpetuate an Asian stereotype. Well enjoy your "large" city! LOL. Seriously this area has an Ontario/Riverside vibe to it.

Got to the hotel where Deanna and Jessica were talking about going out. I was fucking exhausted at this point and the best I could muster was fake excitement. Stayed at La Quinta Inn, not bad except when I was trying to sleep. Apparently they did not have a large enough bottom sheet and I felt the mattress pad. Now this sounds really stupid, but it is one of the strangest feelings. I guess it has more to deal altered expectations. I will add in Day 2 later.