QVC Intervention

I hate QVC.  But my dad... he really hates QVC.  He was very troubled when he learned that one of his friends might be falling into the QVC abyss.  Friends don’t let friends watch QVC!  This is a repost from an “intervention” to a friend who was observed engaging in QVC-activity twice in one week!  Feel free to use the following to those loved ones you think might fall prey to QVC’s evil ways:

This is how "it starts." You'll think, "Ahhhh QVC is a nice channel, relaxing, good products, friendly, kind hosts." The next thing you know their evil subliminal messages will have you ordering early Mayan faux jewelry, seven (of the same) Wolfgang Puck sauce pans, multiple panini-makers, and the EZ-Lift so you can lift your furniture onto plastic disks and move them around the house. Your house will fill with boxes and boxes of QVC items that you have bought using the "three easy pay" installments. Subsequently your credit cards are maxed out; as a result you can no longer afford to go out and drink martinis, so you sit in your house looking at your VitaMix, Sean White Snowblower, and all your other QVC junk. Then you begin to call the QVC 800 number to chat with their Indian support people.... because them and the UPS driver (who is now delivering six boxes a day) are the only people you talk to anymore. You can't move your QVC boxes to get out of the house, nor can you invite anyone over since your half put together Super Ab-cruncher machine is laying all over the couch. You become "that" crazy QVC woman that people post about on Facebook. And it all started because you fell asleep to the evil whisperings of QVC hosts talking about contour waste pants.

Arriving at my New Home!

The sign speaks for itself.  We busted down Route 10 from San Antonio all the way into Los Angeles!

We arrived at home at Pasadena, CA on May 26, 2011 at 9:45pm, concluding the Zack Attack Across America.  I had so much fun with my dad, and this trip will be something to always remember.

A few fun facts about the Zack Attack Across America:

Amount of time:  19 Days

States Visited:  21

Number of miles driven:  5475 miles

Number of special guests:  18

Number of times dined at Chik Fil A: 11 (once ate three meals in a row there!)

My Favorite Moment:  "Eating Mickey Mouse ice cream at apricott (Epcott)"

Daddy's Favorite Moment:  "Watching the Space Shuttle take off. Second, seeing Zack's face when he saw the Epcott Ball."

Most listened to music:  Matt Dusk - Live From Las Vegas!

Most drunk beverage:  Orange Drank... errrr, Orange Soda.

Best Little Known Fact Not Posted on the ZA3 Blog:  I ran away from a scary skeleton in San Antonio.

Worse Moment:  Sunburn on shoulders in Texas

Red State/Blue State Ratio:  11 / 10

Fastest Speed (where): 95 mph - Arizona

Slowest speed (where): 10 mph - Route 95 in Virginia (just South of DC)

Best Julie McCoy:  A - for showing us around NYC.

I hope you enjoyed reading this.  I am going to take the summer off from blogging and then start posting once I start going to school.  Yes!  I start Kindergarten in September!

Remember to comment on my posts ... I will write back!

-- Zack

ZackAttackAcrossAmerica (ZAcubed)

Aunt Bert

My Great Aunt Bert is turning 93 years old in July.  Her birthday is only 4 days before mine!  She grew up in San Antonio and has lived in the area most of her life.  She has some great stories about my granddad, who I never got the chance to meet.  I would have had a great time with him playing tricks on Nana!  HA HA HA! 

We met Aunt Bert for lunch and also dinner.  We took a break in between so that I could go back to the hotel and swim in the pool.  Here is a photo of me and Aunt Bert.  She doesn’t even look close to being 93!



Me and my Great Aunt Bert!



Before we met up for dinner, we decided to go to the backyard of Aunt Bert’s house and check out the river.  The river was pretty low, and it was hard to imagine this river rose up 50 feet and flooded her house back in the early 2000s. 



Standing by the river at Aunt Bert's house



I was throwing rocks in the river and learning how to skip stones.  The flat ones are the best!  It was super hot and humid outside and I got a big red face.



I had a big red face after throwing rocks



My dad told me the story that when he came here in 1978, he and Uncle Mickey would fish right here on the bank, so I pretended to fish too!



I caught a gigantic 45 foot fish!!!!!



I had a great time hanging out with my dad at Aunt Bert's house.  I had to take one last photo so I will always remember it!



River running through Aunt Bert's property in Castroville, TX



Castroville

Great Aunt Bert lives in Castroville, Texas, which is about 25 miles outside of San Antonio.  We decided to stay in Castroville and found an awesome place, and I even got to swim a few times because the Castroville Inn had a nice pool.  I was surprised it wasn’t scary like those old school 1960s Motel 6 pools.

Here are some pictures of the hotel we stayed at in Castroville, TX.



Me and my shades at the Castroville Inn







Here I am playing in the Castroville Inn backyard. 
See the cactus in the background!





Remember the Alamo!!!!!

After we checked out the Riverwalk, I went to see the famous Alamo… no, not the car rental place, but the fort where a few guys fought off a lot of guys from Santa Ana’s army.  Here I am with Elephant in front of the Alamo:



In front of the... ummm, oh yeah, I remember now: The Alamo!



There have been a number of comments and tweets about my cool shades.  Those are actually my poker playing shades.  I used to use them at the.01/.02 Hold ‘Em game at the daycare center in Ashburn.  I’ve been playing a lot and built my stack up to about $4.22!

I just wanted to take a picture in front of the place because I thought, “it looks too old in there.”

The San Antonio Riverwalk

My Aunt Bert, well I suppose she would be my Great Aunt Bert, lives in Castroville, Texas.  Luckily, Castroville is right outside of San Antonio.  If I had to go to two places in Texas I would go to San Antonio or Austin. 

My dad and I went to San Antonio and did a bunch of cool things.  We went to the Riverwalk and floated on a boat down the river.  I brought Elephant with me!



Excited Elephant on the boat at the
San Antonio Riverwalk







On the boat floating down the river in San Antonio





After the boat ride we walked up and down the Riverwalk.  I was looking for some cool puppets.  We stopped at a place to eat.  I got some good cheese quesadillas, orange soda, and a great view of the river.



Salt plus orange soda = yummy!



While I was eating these people came over and started playing the Texas-two-step, so Elephant and I went out there and started dancing.  A lot of people found me very entertaining and the musician people were getting lots of tips.  I was like that guy who Kid Rock used to tote around, or the dancing guy from the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones!

Since I am moving to Southern California, maybe I will go to Venice Beach and try out my other career… but I probably shouldn’t play any Texas music… I might get run out of the State!



Dancing







Flat Texas

Today we are off to visit my Aunt Bert in Castroville, Texas.  The worse part about this is that I have to drive through ARKANSAS, and TEXAS!  Luckily, I did not have to talk with anyone in Arkansas.  We stopped for gas and took off.  When I was one year old, I had more teeth than everyone at that gas station!

Another thing about driving through Texas... or as my friend DAVEELLIS says, "Texass" ... is it is boooooooooooooooooooooooring and the scenery sucks!  See for yourself:



Flat flat flat