Geeky Bob

I can be somewhat adventurous when it comes to food; I've been to lots of places around the world, and I'm generally willing to try the local cuisine - even though I've sometimes wound up sick from doing so. But that being said, anyone who knows me well should know that my favorite fare is Mexican food; this is due in large part to growing up in Arizona. As a direct result of my southwest-inspired cultural and environmental surroundings during my formative years, most people who know me are also aware that when it comes to salsa, I can be quite picky. I have been known to leave a restaurant because of bad salsa, and I have brought my own salsa to other restaurants.

It is also common knowledge that I like my salsa hot - somewhere between Habanero Peppers and Ghost Peppers is my ideal temperature range. If my sinuses haven't been cleared up by the time I'm done eating, it wasn't hot enough. That being said, a good salsa is not just about scalding what is left of my taste buds; anyone can make a sweltering salsa, but it has to have enough flavor to make the heat worth the pain. It takes skill to make a salsa hot and delicious at the same time.

One of the many reasons why I loved to have lunch with my friends and co-workers Keith Moore and Wade Hilmo in Seattle was that they shared my affection for a good salsa; any two or three of us would drive around to all of the Mexican restaurants in the Seattle area and judge their salsa. It was kind of amusing to watch us, because we would discuss the merits of various salsas like wine connoisseurs contemplating a rare vintage: "Hmm... I detect cilantro, a touch of garlic, minced onions, with just a hint of pineapple..." (Seriously - one restaurant used pineapple to counter the heat in one of their salsas, which was better than it might sound.)

Needless to say, I was quite happy when the Salsa Fairy arrived with a box of Mrs. Renfro's salsas earlier today... which you can plainly see in the following image. A second box of salsas arrived at the same time, and between the two boxes I had several jars of Mrs. Renfro's Habanero Salsa, Tequila Salsa, Chipotle Salsa, Pomegranate Salsa, and Mexican Hot Sauce.

Because I live in Arizona, I celebrated this momentous occasion with a half-dozen or so tacos - each with a different salsa.

Yup, life is good and all is well in the world...

I was sitting at the desk in my office when I heard scratching on my window, so I opened my blinds and I saw this guy trying to get in.

For those of you who have never seen one before, this is a Desert Spiny Lizard, and apparently he was confused by the window glass. Based on the fact that the slats in my window blinds are 1.75 inches apart, that places the length of this big guy at somewhere between 10 and 11 inches in size.

I am reminded daily that living in the desert is kind of an adventure...

Note: A friend had reposted the following list on the Internet... I love these kinds of lists, because they always provide you with a chance to laugh at your surroundings in a way that only someone with intimate knowledge of the area can appreciate.

You Know You're From Arizona When...

1. You can say "Hohokam" and no one thinks you're making it up.
2. You no longer associate rivers or bridges with water.
3. You know that a "swamp cooler" is not a happy hour drink.
4. You can contemplate a high temperature of 120 degrees as "not all that bad, after all it's a dry heat."
5. You have learned to expertly maneuver your vehicle under any traffic conditions using only two fingers; a skill usually learned initially in July.
6. You know that you can make sun tea outside faster than instant tea in your microwave.
7. You have to run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so that you can use your fireplace.
8. The water coming from the "cold" tap is hotter than that from the hot" tap.
9. You can correctly pronounce the following words: "Saguaro", "Tempe", "Gila Bend", "San Xavier del Bac", "Canyon de Chelly", "Mogollon Rim", "Cholla", and "Tlaquepacque", "Ajo".
10. It's noon on a weekday in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one single person is moving on the streets.
11. Hot air balloons can't fly because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
12. You buy salsa by the gallon.
13. Your Christmas decorations include a half a yard of sand and 100 paper bags.
14. You think a red light is merely a suggestion.
15. All of your out-of-state friends start to visit after October but clear out come the end of April.
16. You think someone driving while wearing oven mitts is clever.
17. Most of the restaurants in your town have the first name "El" or "Los."
18. You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.
19. You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
20. Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.
21. People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.
22. The pool can be warmer than you are.
23. Most people will not drink tap water unless they are under dire conditions.
24. Monday Night Football starts at 7:00 instead of 9:00.
25. You realize Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
26. People with black cars or have black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out-of-state or nuts.
27. You know better than to get into a car/truck with leather seats if you're wearing shorts.
28. Announcements for Fourth of July events always end with "in case of monsoon..."
29. You have to explain to out-of-staters why there is no daylight savings time.
30. When someone asks how far you live from a location, it's always in terms of minutes/hours, not miles.
31. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
32. You can say "haboob" without giggling.
33. You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

Ah, so true, so true... ;-)