Introducing Timed Lights at the Andy Andy Residence

Living alone certainly has its perks, but one of the most challenging (and frightening?) notions can be safety and security.  You may recall one of my blog posts about a security webcam I installed to help me monitor my home while I was away.  While this is effective when I'm on it, I can't be on it all the time, especially when on vacation.

Usually when I leave for trips, I like to leave the lights on in the house to give the illusion that there is someone home.  However, it's obvious to anyone paying attention that I actually turn these lights off at night when I'm home and asleep.  Any proficient burglar could recognize these patterns if they just stake out my home for a week.

Thus, I was recently recommended to install timed lighting at my home.  I ordered a couple timers off Amazon.  The first was a timer for a wall switch by Honeywell for the dining room area in my house.  This is the light that stays on most of the time in my house, as it lights up just enough of the kitchen and the great room, ensuring maximum light protection.

The programmable switch seems like a lot to learn at first, but it's actually quite simple.  Once you have it set up, it's easy to enable and disable.  The most challenging part was the installation, since the box is fairly large and you really have to squish all the wires in to fit everything inside the hole in the wall.

The second timer is one by GE that you can attach any electrical device with a plug.   I use this for a lamp in my bedroom, since I am often in there at night as well.  It's got similar functionality as the wall switch in the dining area, the only problem is that I have it under a nightstand which makes it a little difficult to access.

Regardless, both get the job done and I have increased my peace of mind ever so slightly for whenever I go leave town.  Definitely worth the $30 investment.  As for now, I think I am good with just these two timers and won't be installing additional ones anytime soon.

And so, the challenge of living alone goes on.  Now I just have to figure out what to do if I ever get severely hurt or knocked out at home accidentally...since there could be no one around to find me for days... *GASP*

Andy Lin's Lickity List (Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson)

Welcome to Andy Lin's Lickity List!  Only restaurants that are unique to Tucson can be found on this list.  The other great part is that it's all very cheap - around $10 for an amazing meal!  I usually stick to the same item off the menu at these places to satisfy the craving of a meal I haven't had in a while.

This list will be a running log that I will update whenever I go to one of my several favorite restaurants in Tucson, so be sure to check back for my latest recommendations via the link under my Hot Topics section!

Andy Lin's Lickity List
Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson

Indian Frybread - Manna from Heaven
1118 W St. Mary's Rd
Tucson, AZ 85745
Date Visited: December 23, 2015
Style: Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Indian Taco, Wednesday special (with ground beef, no beans, and red/green chili)
Price: $7.84 including tax

Raves: I've lived over on the west side of Tucson near St. Mary's and Silverbell for over a decade and I've driven by this little restaurant all the time, but never did I actually see what it offered inside.  It wasn't until earlier this year that a friend and I decided to give it a try for the first time.  Once we did, we were amazed!  We walked in on a Wednesday and saw that their daily special was the Indian Taco going for $5.50.

I ordered one with ground beef and asked for no beans (since I can't stand refried beans in anything).  It was unlike the usual burritos and tacos made of tortillas...this "shell" was all delicious Indian Frybread.

I've since gone to "Manna from Heaven" several times afterwards.  For an extra $1.50, I've also tried adding green or red chili to the taco and both add much flavor and meat.  Neither are spicy, but beware, if you add chili to the taco, it will get messy and the bread has a higher chance of falling apart while you eat it.  As for red versus green, both are great and I haven't tried either enough to make a recommendation on one over the other yet.

And despite the key ingredient being Indian Frybread, I would have to say this place falls under the Mexican flavor of food.  Truly a great find in a city that already has so much great Mexican food.

Be sure to check if they are open on the day you visit, as they are not open everyday.  According to Yelp, they are closed Sunday and Monday.


Sher-E-Punjab
853 E Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85719
Date Visited: September 24, 2015
Style: Indian
Go-To-Lick: Lamb Vindaloo with Basmati Rice
Price: $12.44 including tax
Read this Review.


BK Tacos & Hotdogs
5118 S 12th Ave
Tucson, AZ 85706
Date Visited: August 21, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Large Caramelo Asada
Price: $6.78 including tax 
Read this Review.


Saing Thai Cuisine
9136 E Valencia Rd
Tucson, AZ 85747
Date Visited: June 19, 2014
Style: Thai
Go-To-Lick: Pad Kee Mao
Price: $8.59 including tax 
Read this Review.


Frog & Firkin
874 East University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719 
Date Visited: May 12, 2014
Style: English Pub
Go-To-Lick: The Firkin Burger with Cheese
Price: $9.13 including tax 
Read this Review.


El Guero Canelo
2480 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85705 
Date Visited: May 3, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: 2x Carne Asada Burro Jr. with Extra Cheese
Price: $9.27 including tax 
Read this Review.


Andy Lin is your typical Tucson resident and is a not food connoisseur.  He is simply a man who knows what pleases his tastebuds and belly.   Special thanks to Nate M. and Matt H. for help with coming up with a title for this list.

Kitchen Sink Repair

I've been living in my house in Tucson for over 10 years now and it came with a nice brand new set of stainless steel appliances.  One of those included the stove/oven that I replaced last year.  Lately, my kitchen sink had been leaking.  Whenever I turned it on, water would seep out the back and onto the counter.

I've never replaced a kitchen sink before, so I was a little intimidated at first.  I went to Home Depot to collect all the supplies, not really sure what I would actually need or not.  I found a Delta sink similar to my older one (which was Kohler) for about $70.

Removing the old sink was the most challenging part.  The knobs controlling the flow of water to the sink were rusty and hard to turn at first.  Removing the nut off securing the old sink was also difficult, as it was only accessible via a small wrench and was never loose enough to unscrew via hand.

After about an hour, I finally was able to remove the old faucet.  It was quite exhausting working under the sink and I had to alternate which arm I used to unscrew the nut due to the awkward position, but eventually the old faucet was all gone!

Installing the new faucet was much simpler, although the water lines they supplied were much longer than my sink required.  I didn't feel the need to cut the lines in case I messed up, so I just routed them in a way that they would still operate.  I hooked everything up in about 30 minutes and now I have a brand new faucet that doesn't leak.  Woohoo!

Overall, it wasn't too bad to repair my sink and it was very rewarding to do on my own!

Mike's Wedding in Prescott

My friend Mike got married this past weekend and held a unique wedding at a campground near Lynx Lake in Prescott.  Apparently, small and intimate weddings are becoming more popular, but kudos to him for having a wedding that the newlyweds would personally enjoy.  It is for them anyway and not anyone else!

I rode up with Jeff, Ashley, and Tree on Friday morning and we arrived in Prescott around noon.  I have never been to Prescott before, so this was all a new experience for me.  We were worried about the rain, but figured we'd take the chance to set up camp a day early since we were requested to by the groom.

That Friday afternoon, Mike was pretty busy getting set up for his wedding the next day.  So our group set up beer pong underneath the campground's ramada.  While we were playing, it started pouring.  The rain was so bad that we were pretty much forced to play beer pong all afternoon.

Friday was mostly drinking and relaxing, and eventually the others there started to cash in around 7:30pm when it started to get dark.  The four of us decided it was too early to call it a night, so we decided to check out the nightlife in Prescott.  When we arrived downtown in an area called "Whiskey Row", we immediately noticed that the population was 100% older white people.  Late 30's to early 40's, not a single minority in sight.

My friend Tree is a tall, black man and instantly felt the pressure of racial perspectives in this town.  At the first saloon, random strangers came up to him with comments such as "I'm glad you were able to come out tonight.", "Can I get a picture with you?", and finally, "Can I get a hug before you leave?"  He instantly viewed all these comments as racist and I can't blame him.  I wouldn't be surprised if they said other things to him that he just didn't feel comfortable sharing with us.

We eventually made our way to another saloon, which yielded better results.  It was a country bar, again with no other minorities, but at least this time Tree was accosted by many older women who wanted to talk to him and dance with him...teach him how to two-step and such.  Yours truly avoided this scene altogether, and was content just getting drunk among friends and just watching people make fools of themselves.

The next day was the wedding day.  Mike had a pretty cool setup for an outdoor wedding at a campground.  Altogether there were about 30 people, mostly family and relatives.

Overall it was a nice a wedding and it was good to see Mike who I don't get to see as often anymore despite being one of my first friends in high school.  I wish the best of luck to him and Tabitha in their marriage!