This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy?

The last snappy or crappy, a groovy Volkswagen bus, was definitely cruising on snappy.

The latest snappy or crappy may not be so snappy for some: positive reinforcement graffiti.

This graffiti was snapped at Lakeside Park, right before I had to put the camera away to chase Sawyer and Phoebe out of the water.

Happy graffiti at Lakeside Park/Photo Ryn Gargulinski

While it’s not very artistic per se, it is kind of refreshing to see a positive message scrawled on cold concrete amidst debris.

Yes, graffiti is illegal and often very crappy. No, I did not paint this.

Some graffiti, like those really cool murals that once graced many New York City subway trains, can also be quite artistic.

Whee!/Ryn Gargulinski

We’re not talking swear words or illegible tags, but graffiti that actually enhances a structure or mood.

Positive reinforcement messages, which some of us chant or tape to our bathroom mirrors, can really change your attitude and outlook.

Does this graffiti do it for you?

What do you think?
Please vote and leave comments below.

Have you ever dabbled in graffiti?

What’s the coolest/stupidest graffiti you’ve ever done or seen?

Our backyards can be just another place for the dog to poo – or we can turn it into a heavenly haven.

Pepe/Art and photo by Ryn Gargulinski

Mine happens to serve both functions, and it was snappily captured on video by the extremely talented Eric Heithaus.

Heithaus doubles as the dad of Mr. Angel, the cutest dog in the world, and also runs HeithausProductions.com. He’s good.

Having a backyard full of art is also wonderful, although it does have a couple of detriments.

One is the folks who think they have carte blanche to peek their nosy noggins above the fence just because they see a skeleton flapping in the wind.

Another is the HOA that gets cranky if any of the colorful stuff is visible enough to mar the overall beige-ness of the neighborhood.

My backyard wonderland was inspired by Valley of the Moon, although the style is quite different. It was also born of necessity, as I had no more room to put art inside the house.

Please enjoy TucsonCitizen.com’s debut video:

Please note: Video quality suffers due to the high compression currently necessary to view videos on the site.

Please take the poll and add additional comments below.

Also – I am eventually going to add video regularly to my posts, which means less time for writing. Do you care?

What kind of videos do you enjoy: Stories? Quick snippets? Clandestine shots? Fun stuff set to music? Comedic commentary? Horror?

P.S. You know you’re gonna get animal stuff.

This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy?

The last snappy or crappy, a gun-toting mailbox, got mixed reviews. Folks liked that it was an effort at cleverness, but not that it was unkempt.

Several folks also voted crappy on a bugged-out VW bug posted many moons ago – but now we got the Volkswagen’s big sister: an awesome Volkswagen bus.

Judging from my calling it awesome, you can bet I think this thing is groovy. Check out the slide show, featuring six ways of looking at a VW bus.

Slide 1 of 6.
Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski
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Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski
Slide 3 of 6.
Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski
Slide 4 of 6.
Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski
Slide 5 of 6.
Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski
Slide 6 of 6.
Six ways of looking at a VW bus/Ryn Gargulinski

The couple that owned this beautiful bus was also fun – and definitely full of the hippie vibe. When I told them I’d send them a link to their VW when I posted it, they said they had no computer.

One of my friends, too, has a VW bus decked in peace signs. He may not have the hippie vibe, however, as his bus is parked between his Harley Davidson motorcycle and an old Ford pickup outfitted with a gun rack and NRA stickers.

What do you think?
Please vote and leave comments below.

This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy?

The last snappy or crappy, the hind end of some animal decked out to look like a face, was voted crappy, snappy and mixed. One commenter said it crossed the crappy line to become snappy again.

The latest snappy or crappy may also give us pause.

Snappy or crappy? The gun-totin' mailbox/Ryn Gargulinski

My first reaction to this gun-totin’ mailbox in the El Cortez Heights Neighborhood was a chuckle. So that makes it snappy.

But the more I thought about it, I realized how rude it was to outfit a mailbox with a gun pointing at the letter carrier (since we’re not allowed to call them “mailmen” anymore).

Wonder if these folks’ mail ever gets lost?

What do you think?
Please take the poll and leave comments below.

Spiders and snakes weren’t the only thing on display at this past weekend’s Tucson Reptile Show – we also got an eyeful of some terrific tattoos.

We are not sure why many folks who dig reptiles are also into body art, but the two go together as well as a skink with a bowl full of meal worms.

And we’re not talking about a microscopic butterfly tattoo hidden down by an ankle bone. We’re talking big, bold, beautiful artwork that covered arms, legs, stomachs and probably other places the camera didn’t get to see.

Check out what we did get a peek at.

Slide 1 of 19.
Sarah Rascon's evil bunny was done by Steve in Wisconsin
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Sarah Rascon
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Arm art
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Tribal
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Tummy turtle
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Steve Crean's arm was done by Jon Lewis at Tucson's 4 Forty 4
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Steve Crean's family was so cute we had to include all of them: wife Elisha with Alexia, Tessa and Myla
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Johnny Knuckles from Mesa had arms done by Rick Godzey from Tempe's Club Tattoo
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Johnny Knuckles from Mesa had arms done by Rick Godzey from Tempe's Club Tattoo
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Johnny Knuckles from Mesa had arms done by Rick Godzey from Tempe's Club Tattoo
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Johnny Knuckles legs were courtesy of Shane Terrell at Imperial in Glendale
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Johnny Knuckles legs were courtesy of Shane Terrell at Imperial in Glendale
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Brooklyn tattoo artist Michelangelo had work that showed up at the Tucson Reptile Show
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More from Brooklyn tattoo artist Michelangelo
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More from Brooklyn tattoo artist Michelangelo
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More from Brooklyn tattoo artist Michelangelo
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More from Brooklyn tattoo artist Michelangelo
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Delicate back piece
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Allen's work was done by "a guy named Jason" on the West coast.

Names and artists are included in some, while others wished to remain anonymous. Or at least as anonymous as you can be with a bold tattoo. All photos by Ryn Gargulinski.

This dude was not snapped at the reptile show, but we had to include his tattoo/Ryn Gargulinski

Take the tattoo poll

Please leave additional comments below.

Which pictured tattoo is your favorite?

What tattoos do you have?

Any theories on why many reptile folks also dig tattoos?

This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy?

The last snappy or crappy, a gorgeous T-Rex, was a giant snappy.

The latest snappy or crappy can go either way – vanity license plates. I became addicted to looking at license plates after years of playing the alphabet game on road trips, where you need to find letters of the alphabet in their correct order all over the road.

Photos Ryn Gargulinski

Some vanity plates, like ICUFFEM can be snappy and fun, perhaps proclaiming an occupation as a police officer or shirt maker.

Others, like MAMMERS or METLIKA, are not immediately apparent in their meaning.

Still others are simply good ole fun.

What do you think?
Snappy. It’s great that folks can extend their personalities to their license plates.
Crappy. They are called vanity plates because people who get them must be vain.
Snappy – but I wouldn’t pay extra for one.
Crappy. I don’t even notice them because I’m too busy cutting off the people in front of me and driving 22 miles over the speed limit.

What would your vanity plate say if you had one?

What’s the dumbest/coolest vanity plate you’ve seen.

After dozens of detours, hordes of headaches and folks finding themselves stuck at a dead end, the Fourth Avenue underpass is reopening with hoopla, hype and a brand new look.

Kitschy stuff, even when misspelled on a Reid Park garbage can, makes Tucson charming/Ryn Gargulinski

Some may say hip-hip and hooray but I have another thing to say: I liked the old one.

I am in no way downing the renovation or the fact that the new underpass is safer, more practical and – yaay! – finally getting rid of that dead end.

Nor am I trying to throw a wet towel on the celebration, which sounds like a gas.

I am simply lamenting the passing of another chunk, albeit crumbling, of Tucson’s past.

I fell in love with Fourth Avenue’s creepy, cavernous underpass during one All Souls Procession, when the masked and bone-clad creatures frolicked out of its mouth like a throng of glorious souls from the depths of the Earth.

Our Logical Lizard blogger, Geoffrey Notkin, agrees. In fact, I think he’s the one who pointed out that phenomenon at the event.

Frolicking out of shiny new tile just won’t have the same effect.

Sure, the previous underpass may have been ready to crumble and was so low it may have possibly behead someone, but it was also quite charming.

Part of what drew me to Old Pueblo was its ancient buildings and dilapidated underpasses. Let’s call it Tucson charm.

Not that I’m against progress – some things need updating. But it would be wise to ensure we keep that primitive feel that makes Tucson so alluring.

"Progress" in action on the desert patch/Ryn Gargulinski

Other “progress” around town includes new construction tall enough to block mountain views in Feldman’s Historic Neighborhood, as outlined in a letter by resident Kathleen Williamson.

A fine rambling patch of desert near the Rillito River along my daily dog walk was once haven to coyotes, lizards, rabbits and twisted debris that made for great art supplies.

Now it’s a parking lot.

While my dogs do enjoy the water fountain the parking lot came with, I’m still wondering if it will ever house more cars than the usual zero to three I see there.

I’m also still wondering why an open-topped, concrete garbage can that gets stuffed with dog doo was placed mere inches from the water fountain.

See, sometimes “progress” can really stink.

What do you think?

Should developers try to retain Tucson’s kitschy charm?

Should all the old stuff be razed to make way for newfangled buildings?

Should we all just move to Phoenix?

This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy?

The last snappy or crappy, a happy mustard face on bread, generally got an all-around snappy. It also elicited fond memories of triangular pancakes and other foodstuff we make into funny faces or shapes.

The latest snappy or crappy is also smiling – but with a toothier grin. Meet the giant T-Rex (as if a T-Rex could be anything but giant).

Snappy or crappy?/Ryn Gargulinski

This dude stands on the corner of East Tanque Verde and North Kolb roads in front of a McDonald’s.

Even though he’s not as funky as some other Tucson art, he is handsome and fun. He gets a snappy from me.

What do you think? Please respond:
a. Snappy. Dinosaurs bring back fond memories of visiting natural history museums.
b. Snappy. Dinosaurs bring back fond memories of being mauled by large-toothed dogs and other creatures.
c. Crappy. Just another hunk of junk marring our gorgeous landscape.
d. Crappy. Although I like the dinosaur, I don’t like that my kids insist on going to McDonald’s every time we pass it.

An easy recipe for feeling like crap by Sunday night is to stay up too late all weekend, refrain from adequate napping and eat too much restaurant food.

Bum Steer decor/Ryn Gargulinski

The food itself may not be to blame, as many Tucson eateries are simply delightful, but switching to fab fare from a usual diet of cereal and plain turkey sandwiches might have had something to do with it.

And I will lay some blame on the undercooked burger with its grease-sponge bun. I won’t name the place from whence it came but I will warn it tastes even worse cold. The place is not listed below.

When taken in moderation, some Tucson eateries can be tops.

Best pizza: Roccos Little Chicago, 2707 E Broadway Blvd
The pizza debate rages in households across the country: deep dish versus thin crust. Roccos Pizza offers both, with the deep dish and cheese so thick you a single slice serves as a seven-course meal, especially if you get six toppings.

Best Indian food: Sher-E-Punjab, 853 E. Grant Road
Curry everything and spicy everything else. Only caveat is sometimes it’s so crowded getting your delish dish can take some time. Also don’t go for lunch around 2 p.m. as they take a break and close prior to the dinner rush.

Best Thai: Char’s Thai, 5039 E. Fifth St

Lot’s of interesting stuff in this place, from the exotic food combinations to the snazzy table collages featuring pictures of elephants and Princess Diana. Warning: Do NOT order extra spicy or you will actually break out into a sweat so thick it can blind you.

Best ambiance: Bum Steer, 1910 N. Stone Ave
I’ve only tried two sandwiches at this crazy looking place and both were delish. Besides, I was so enamored with the funky décor that I didn’t really care what I was eating. From rifles to deer heads, street signs to suspended old-time wagons, the place is outfitted with some of the zaniest and most fun stuff I’ve seen since I last looked in my backyard.

Cheers!/Ryn Gargulinski

What’s your favorite Tucson restaurant?

Did any of them ever make you sick?

Which has the best food? The best ambiance?

Where do you take visitors from out of town?

Bum Steer decor/Ryn Gargulinski

Bum Steer decor/Ryn Gargulinski

Bum Steer decor/Ryn Gargulinski

Bum Steer decor/Ryn Gargulinski

KoreyK's elephant hanging from the rafters/Ryn Gargulinski

Unless someone hands me a plane ticket to Paris tomorrow, my time off this year is going to be spent indulging in a staycation.

This trendy term pops up every time the country’s economy nosedives and folks don’t have the cash to travel. It can be a very healthy, happy and harmonious thing.

Angry plane traveler at La Guardia/Photo Ryn Gargulinski

Avoiding travel means avoiding high gas prices, car leg cramps and roadside diners where the food is so greasy it seeps through to the placemat – even through a ceramic plate.

We get a reprieve from airport delays, showing off our bad pedicures for the metal detectors, and the high cost and even higher calories of airplane food. We’ll also miss out on the inevitable respiratory infection that always seems to hit after airplane travel, regardless of how many Airborne tablets we chew.

And we won’t have to cry ourselves to sleep at night in some foreign country because we so miss our dogs.

We’re off to a good start already.

To fully enjoy the staycation, of course, we have to fully understand what it is. A writer named Tightwad Tod at ConsumerReports.org defines the term for us as “a vacation in which the vacationer stays at home, or near home, while creating the environment of a traditional vacation.”

True reading/Ryn Gargulinski

Sounds easy enough. That means we should leave the bed unmade for maid service, call someone for coffee and eggs and buy a bunch of crappy trinkets we’ll never do anything useful with but like too much to give away.

To complete the vacation environment, we should also strew sand on the floor, hang our damp and dirty clothes on the shower rod for days and lie around reading true crime all afternoon.

This all sounds like my typical week, anyway.

To avoid that trap, we need to break out of the normal routine, warns Tightwad Tod, so the staycation is markedly different than our daily lives.

The toughest move may be to unplug. Since I never answer the door and rarely answer the phone, I’ve got that part down pat.

Too much Internet?/Ryn Gargulinski

But the suck of the Internet is a hard one to defy.

The longest I’ve gone without Internet was three days at my brother’s in San Diego last summer. I ended up missing a freelance revision deadline I received at the last minute and re-entered daily life with an inbox full of some 482 e-mails. But while the computer was down, it felt like a ball and chain had been lifted, even if I couldn’t check my daily Old Farmer’s Almanac weather and fun facts.

Instead we can find joy, and a break from our regular routine, by trying some funky stuff around town we neither seem to have the time nor wherewithal to enjoy.

Kid on javelina at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum/Ryn Gargulinski

Like a ride on the Fourth Avenue trolley to nowhere or, if we beg nicely enough, perhaps behind-the-scene tours of the zoo, the county morgue or the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

We can find out, once and for all, where the rest of that long, winding trail goes after it leaves our usual path. You know the trail, it’s the one you see daily but never have the time to take. Take time to explore, uncover and indulge. Just bring lots of water.

And bring a sense of adventure. Even treks you regularly enjoy, like a thrift shop spree or a dog park romp, can be enhanced during a staycation. Make a day of it. Pack sandwiches. Linger longer. After all, with your computer shut down, you suddenly have 20 unspent hours during the day.

The other staycation option is to say to heck with the world altogether and spend our time going absolutely nowhere but the bubble bath.

It may still not compare to Paris, but I’ll bet it’ll be more soothing, even, than all the gargoyles of Notre Dame.

Ryn Gargulinski is a poet, artist, performer and TucsonCitizen.com Ryngmaster who plans to bubble bath, yoga, create art, take walks and devour true crime during her upcoming week off – hey! that sounds exhausting. Listen to a preview of her column at 8:10 a.m. Thursdays on KLPX 96.1 FM. Listen to her webcast at 4 p.m. Fridays at www.Party934.com. Her column appears every Friday on Rynski’s Blogski. E-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com.

Have you ever indulged in a staycation?

Did you love it?

What is the most memorable vacation or staycation you ever had?

What was the most miserable?