My Plans for February 14th, aka Arizona Day.

[Kanalah]

Happy Arizona Day!!!!

[sms001]

have a Four Peaks Kiltlifter

damn! Wish I could, they were awesome. (Although the Raj was the highlight of my visit. And their Oatmeal Stout was pretty good too.)

In any case, Happy Arizona Day Jester!!! I'm sure you're having a great time. I've gotten a lot of "Likes" on my FB status today for announcing it. Quirky enough to catch on.

[XCashier]

Happy Arizona Day!

Got my centennial T-shirt yesterday, was very happy with the speed of service. Wished my son's teacher a Happy Arizona Day. He was amused.

[Jester]

Had a surprisingly busy day at The Bar today. Yesterday was somewhat cold and windy, and I expected it to be busy, and it was. Very much so. Today the weather was gorgeous, so I figured we'd be dead, as generally speaking, when we have a few crappy weather days and then the weather turns nice, people don't come into an inside bar. But for some odd reason, I was just as busy as yesterday, and made about the same money, which was fantastic.

Also amused some of my customers with my Arizona Day stuff...while I was wearing a bar t-shirt, I was wearing my Centennial hat, and did have my mini flag and my copy of the 2/14/1912 Tucson Star front page with me.

Then after I got off work and changed into my Centennial shirt (and got a beer to put into my Centennial coozie) and was sitting enjoying myself, started talking to some of the people at the bar, and the next thing I know, about half a dozen of them are drinking toast to Arizona and the Centennial. It was AWESOME!

And reflective of Key West...any excuse to drink.

My coworker felt the need to tell me that no one would really care about this here, and I said, duh, I know that...this is all about fucking with people's heads. I know full well that residents and tourists in Key West, for the most part (as in 99.9%), couldn't give two flying fucks for Arizona's birthday. Which is what makes this silliness, as opposed to that OTHER silliness, so damn amusing.

My friend Photo Dude and my coworker Curvy agreed that if I had a girlfriend this wojld not be what I'd be doing today. I say they are both completely wrong. Fuck that other holiday. I am a romantic, and that day is a piece of crap. (And I know many women who agree with me on this.)

Back on track, after I leave here, I plan on bar hopping tonight and spreading the good word of the Centennial celebration. Should be...interesting.

damn! Wish I could, they were awesome. (Although the Raj was the highlight of my visit. And their Oatmeal Stout was pretty good too.)

In any case, Happy Arizona Day Jester!!! I'm sure you're having a great time. I've gotten a lot of "Likes" on my FB status today for announcing it. Quirky enough to catch on.

Really? That's kind of cool. People didn't question it?

And when were you at Four Peaks?

Happy Arizona Day!

Got my centennial T-shirt yesterday, was very happy with the speed of service. Wished my son's teacher a Happy Arizona Day. He was amused.

You got a t-shirt? No shit? Are you from Arizona, or are you just being goofy like me? (I have an excuse...I am from the place, as y'all know.)

[Caffienated_Caramel]

Wished my relatives happy AZ day.

And happy AZ day to you :P

[dalesys]

I guess we have to let the kid brother in the bottom bunk celebrate.

(But once per century is enough!)

[BeenThereDoneThat]

It's getting late but it's earlier in AZ so...Happy Arizona Day!!

[XCashier]

You got a t-shirt? No shit? Are you from Arizona, or are you just being goofy like me? (I have an excuse...I am from the place, as y'all know.)

I am originally from Arizona (made a post earlier in the thread). Most of my family is still there.

[Jester]

The rest of the night went pretty damn well. Actually ran into a guy I had met previously who had spent quite a bit of time in Arizona, had gone to the University of Arizona (nobody's perfect), and even had the U of A logo tattooed on his arm--again reminding us that nobody's perfect, but he more than most people appreciated what I was doing, and jumped right into the fray, going with me to spread the word.

Of course, shortly before I bumped into HIM, I had gone by another bar where I was understandably shocked to hear someone loudly proclaiming "Happy Arizona Day!" Naturally I poked my head in, to see one of the regulars from my bar, Hat Man, who I had given a flag to earlier, being HIS usually goofy self and running with my idea. His friend with him was quietly bemused by this--however, the tourists he was "spreading the cheer" with looked pointedly UNamused, and actually rather....disturbed. Actually, the one woman had a perpetual catbutt face on, and seemed to be missing the point entirely. Or she had no sense of humor. At first I thought it was just that she didn't like Hat Man, but she bestowed her catbutt face on both me and Hat Man's friend, who were simply talking to Hat Man and waving our little Arizona flags. Clearly this woman did not understand or appreciate the true goofiness of Key West.

And that really was the theme of the night. Wherever me and the Wildcat went, we were met with more openness and acceptance of our silliness and Arizona Day than we ever would have expected, and quite a few people wanted their own flags. Luckily, I had purchased two dozen, so I was able to hand many of them out. Many people loudly toasted to the wonderful state of Arizona, as many of them had either been there and enjoyed their visit, lived there at some point, or wanted to go there because they had heard such good things about my home state.

I did not confused nearly as many people as I would have expected, but the day was a far bigger success than I ever would have hoped, and by the time I went home (at around 2 am), I had a big goofy Arizona Day smile on my face, knowing that I had brought some joy into people's hearts, especially those (and there were many) who had nothing but contempt and disdain for that other silly holiday going on, and even some of those who enjoyed that other silly holiday.

Would this have worked in other places? I don't know. Key West is a strange place, and in weird places like it, I think it probably would have gone over swimmingly as well. I dare say, oddly enough, that I don't know how well this would have gone over in the Phoenix area, despite that being in Arizona itself. Phoenix is not known for its weirdness, and I can certainly picture a lot of catbutt faces there for a stunt like this.

But who knows? Maybe I am selling my fellow Zonies a bit short. Obviously in any crowd there are going to be a few catbutt faces who don't get it and a few lunatics who run with it. The trick is reaching the people in between, the majority, those who aren't quite sure what he hell you're doing, but come along for the ride of foolishness anyway.

And with that, Arizona Day is just about done.

With one singular and notable exception.

Saturday is another chili cookoff, and for the first time ever, I will have a pretty good stage for showing off my chili....Duval Street itself. For this cookoff is being held in the 200 block of Duval Street....the main strip of the main drag in town.

And one bartender/bar owner gave me a brilliant idea for the name of my chili, which as some of you may know, I have struggled with. In honor of my home state's birthday, he suggested I call it Centennial Chili. And that really DOES have a good ring to it. I'll be wearing my Centennial hat and shirt once again, will have on hand my remaining miniature Arizona flags, and will have hanging behind me my full-size (3'x5', I think) Arizona flag. And my buddy and I will be drinking ice-cold Pacificos, which is always a taste of home to me.

One final hurrah to my Arizona Day festivities, and I plan to make it a good one. Despite them using a judging system I don't care for (whoever gets the most "tasting tickets" in their box wins), I plan on winning over the public with my silliness, my charm, my love for my home state, and most of all, my chili. And will NOT utter the name of Arizona's governor at all, and will NOT get drawn into any political discussion by anyone who has any issues with anything going on in my home state. I have my opinions on the matter, but a chili cookoff in which I will be continuing my celebration of Arizona Day is NOT the place for such discussions.

Happy Arizona Day, folks. And remember, love Arizona, but don't hug a cactus.

[Victory Sabre]

I'm glad it went over pretty well. We did talk about it in chat a bit yesterday.

[sms001]

(re: FB status)

Really? That's kind of cool. People didn't question it?

Nope. About half were the type to just see it as some kind of alternative to V-Day, the rest no doubt looked it up and figured it out.

And when were you at Four Peaks?

Have been there every time I visit my buddy in Scottsdale as per your recommendation here the first time I went out.


Glad to hear the rest of the day went over about as expected. Looking forward to the 101st!

[Jester]

Very cool. Hope you tried some of their food, too. Because they just rock it at Four Peaks!