I'm a code monkey and I've been writing web code for over twelve years. People often think that because I work on the Web that I can fix their broken computers. Sure, I probably know how to fix them, but I would really rather not because I know that most people suck. MONKEYS RULE!
This past weekend, an old friend asked me if I wanted to go to the first Amine convention in Mobile, Alabama. Being the Anime fan that I am, I decided I would check it out on Saturday. The convention was held at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel from June 5-7th.
All in all, the event seemed humbly small. It wasn’t as grand and elaborate as some of the convention that I had been to in the past, but it was a good freshman effort. Hopefully, they’ll get much better next year.
When I attended on Saturday, they were having the costume judging. Lost of kids were dressed up as their favorite anime characters and sci-fi characters.
If you want to learn more about the event, you can visit http://www.animealabama.com/ for more details.
Below is a quick video that I took from the event. More pics are available in my Photoblog.
Before going to the Anime convention in Mobile, AL, my friend decided to show me the Bass Pro Shop in Spanish Fort, AL. Imagine a gigantic store devoted to the outdoor sports and recreation. Below are some photos I took while we were there. The rest should be posted in my Tumblr photoblog.
After briefly loitering around at UWF's Festival on the Green, the gang and I decided to grab some grub at Pensacola Beach. We started off with a plan to get some hot wings at Hooters, but somehow ended up going to Crabs Seafood Restaurant. To be honest, I can't really remember what made us change our minds but we ended up there somehow.
At the restaurant, I realized that of all the times I have been there I had never ordered crabs from Crabs. For years, I had been limiting myself to the appetizers or the fried seafood baskets. Well, I decided that I would fix this major oversight and ordered some crabs.
Now, one of my main character flaws is that I can get somewhat indecisive on things that are very similar. Often, I try to do a lot research when I have to deliberate on things. This time, I didn't have the luxury of knowing what kind of crab was good, so I opted for the Combo Crab Platter which had a little of Alaskan Snow Crab Clusters, King Crab Legs, Dungeness Crab from San Francisco. There was some coleslaw, boiled potatoes, and corn on the cob also thrown in there for good measure.
To say the least, it was very good meal. Although it was pricey at about $30, I felt it was worth every dime. I don't make a habit of spending that much when eating out, but I'm a firm believer in treating yourself every once in a while.
Remember that you only live once. Don't die with any regrets of not having tasted something. If it looks good. Why not treat yourself and give it a try!
I was looking through my emails and something dawned on me. There are people that I know that only contact me when they have computer problems.
These people refer to themselves as my friends but to be honest, I realize that I don't really know them that well. Honestly, I can't really consider these people friends because I really don't know them that well. I'd say they're more like acquaintances.
They tend to drop off the radar for long periods of time and out-of-the-blue they email me for help with their computer. It usually turns out they've been carelessly surfing the Web without protection and that their lack of discretion has led them to contract some nasty online virus.
Most of the time, I end up helping these poor saps. I try not to be judgemental, but it does make me wonder who are my true friends and which ones are those who just want me to fix their computer. I guess this is the curse of being a techie.
Over the weekend, I spent some time catching up with an old friend in Mobile, AL and we decided that we would drive out to New Orleans to see the fish at the Aquarium and to Biloxi for some crab legs and gambling.
Here are the lessons learned from my short trip. They are in no particular order:
• No one in Mobile should ever starve. They have a lot of places to eat at compared to Pensacola, FL. I think they have as many food places (or more) as Pensacola has churches.
• My TomTom GPS will freak out when driving through the underwater tunnel in Mobile.
• The “Tuesday Morning” stores in Mobile seem to be better stocked than the ones in Pensacola.
• A Super Target is huge. They have 32 cash registers and a complete grocery store inside. It’s like a normal Target store ate a Winn-Dixie.
• Super Targets have store sections that are not red! They also have blue ones and green ones.
• The best Chinese food places look like dives, but their food is totally awesome.
• A machine that washes dogs and cats automatically does exists. It is in Mobile’s B&B Pet Shop
• If you’re not a fish, it very easy to find Nemo.
• Part of New Orleans smell like an unflushed urinal.
• Bourbon Street during the day smells like an unflushed urinal or a really nasty wet sock.
• There are clothes that you can only get away with wearing in public if you are in New Orleans. For example a shirt showing your fetish for bondage.
• Some bronze statues are actually painted street performers
• Some silver statues are actually painted street performers.
• It is not a good idea to wear jeans if you plan to walk all day around NOLA in the sun.
• Alcohol is available everywhere in NOLA.
• The BubbaGump restaurant has music that will drive you insane.
• There is a full service bar inside the malls in New Orleans. Yes, they have Bushwhackers there.
• It’s a lot more fun to tour the Audobon Aquarium backwards!
• Jellyfish swim look like umbrellas opening and closing. They can also glow!
• Not all penguins are cute. Some are rather homely.
• All sea otters are cute and fun to watch
• Stingrays feel slimy to the touch.
• Hand sanitizer is available for your convenience.
• I am more afraid of sharks than albino alligators.
• I can be easily hypnotized by watching a gigantic aquarium full of sharks.
• You may think you are staring at the fish, but they are also staring at you.
• In Biloxi, signing up for the $10 power play points at a casino does not mean you will get the other free $10 points they advertised that you would get if you bought a buffet. You have to wait until the next day before you can do that.
• You can get a New York strip steak added to your buffet for only $3.99. But you shouldn't expect much from it.
• You can get crabs at the buffet in Biloxi casinos. The delicious kind. Not the itchy kind.
• You can tell it's time to leave the buffet when your melted butter sauce starts to congeal.
• Spending time and catching up with an old friend is priceless.
There is nothing like having to go back to work the next day, to appreciate the amount of fun you had the night before.
Last night, the gang and I went to Carrabba’s Italian Grill to cash in a couple of gift certificates that an “industrious” angel dropped into our laps. I don’t think I’ve had so much fun (and wine) in such a long time.
It was “Wine Wednesdays,” and any bottle of wine was $10 dollars off which is a great deal if you’re a wine lover. Regrettably, my group did not inform me until we were at the restaurant that they had no intention of imbibing. So, I ended up tacking a bottle of Chianti by myself. Yes, this monkey loves the wine.
I ordered the Seafood di Venezia as my meal. It was awesomely wonderful. I’ll be posting a review of that dish on www.PensacolaFoodCritic.com sometime this week, but for anyone planning on going to Carrabbas any time soon, I’d definitely recommend it. I think the dish is not a typical menu item and it’s only available until September.
I finished the meal off with some Tiramisu. I say to you, that this is Monkey Kryptonite. If you’ve ever made me mad, you can make amends by either buying me aa yo-yo, a transforming robot, or some Tiramisu.
Amongst the highlights of our dinner, Rodney somehow managed to earn the nickname “Chocolate Dream.” Our resident paranoid schizophrenic freak, Schwab, revealed to us that he lives in area that is tantamount to being in a war zone. As for Jen-o-Saurus, she revealed that she prefers beer over wine and any red sauce is not her thing. As for me, I revealed to everyone that I really am the Batman. I was pretty buzzed with the wine, so I probably said a lot more things that I can’t remember.
That’s all from me right now. This is Bat-Monkey signing off.
