Hello all and greetings from sunny Tucson! Between errands today I found the time to make a random rambling post. The casino I work at is very serious about Easter and closes the whole place down for four days over Easter. The only time of the year they ever close. And I find it very kool---although boring. And I am only on day one of my daze off. No joke to any of this---I tried explaining this whole closure to many of my friends, on April Fools day--plus they generally know betterer than to believe most of the things that come out of my mouth. Since it is sunny out, imagine that---I hope to type some blogs from our car port and one of the many chairs on it. The other day I was making fun of Arizona, and how much the Devil loves it here. OK let me clarify---on my blog pages, I was making fun of all of this. I talk about the heat quite a bit. So much in fact, while I was crawling back up the steep side of the Grand Canyon --more than ready to be done with the heat and the walking----the people with me, were trying to edge me on, reminding me that "at least it was only a dry heat we were dealing with, or it would REALLY be hot. Such a pet peeve of mine---but I was to tired to argue with them about it all. Here is a collection of ways to know you live in Arizona, our are visiting the state in summer sent to me by my parents. Enjoy!
You know you live in Arizona when:
You buy salsa by the gallon.
All of your out-of-state friends start to visit after October but clear out come the end of April.
You think someone driving while wearing oven mitts is clever.
Most of the restaurants in your town have the first name "El" or "Los."
You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.
You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
Your house is made of stucco and has a red clay tile roof.
You can say Hohokam(?Hohokam (HO-ho-ko'm) and people don't think you're laughing funny.
You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.
You see more irrigation water on the street than there is in the Salt River.
You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.
You can say 120 degrees without fainting.
Every other vehicle is a 4x4.
You can be in the snow, and then drive for an hour and it will be more than 100 degrees.
Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.
You have to go to a fake beach for some fake waves.
People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.
You discover, in July, it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
The pool can be warmer than you are.
You can make sun tea instantly.
People will drive over 100 miles just to see snow.
You run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so you can use your fireplace.
Most people will not drink tap water unless they are under dire conditions.
People with black cars or have black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out-of-state or nuts.
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
You realize Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
You can finish a Big Gulp in 10 minutes and go back for seconds.
The water from the cold water tap is the same temperature as the hot one.
You can (correctly) pronounce the words: "Saguaro(?Saguaro (suh-WA'R-o)
An arborescent cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)
"Tempe," "Gila Bend," "San Xavier," "Canyon de Chelly," "Mogollon Rim," "Cholla," and "Ajo."
It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is moving on the streets.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
Sunscreen is sold year round, kept at the front of the checkout counter, a formula less than 30 SPF is a joke, and you wear it just to go to the Circle K.
Some fool can market mini-misters for joggers and other fools will actually buy them.
Hot-air balloons can't go up, because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car.
You eat hot chilis to cool your mouth off.
You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.
You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window.
You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. before work.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
Speaking of things that annoy me--This
"mini rant" of mine has been posted before.
Mainly when I was going out to coffee all of the time.
Eager to get to my coffee--and than start in on a blog post.
I really do not enjoy most of the coffee shops here and am either at work
or it is to hot have any coffee by the time I roll out of bed in the mornings.
**"At least my coffee won't go cold in hell"** Or in the heart of the desert!
I believe Dave Berry and other greats talk about this also:
**Mini Rant Flashback This one really ticks me off! For more like this and just random rambling check out my first blog page at www.wyomingjack.blogspo...t.com
In case you have not gotten the memo from past blogs--I enjoy coffee. Maybe an un healthy enjoyment. I try to have coffee at home, but one has to get out, and it is way more an mini adventure if you go to a coffee shop. I am easily amused so yes, this counts as a mini adventure to me. Shut it! A major draw back to all of this, is that I do not really like people. Possibly enforced by always having customer service jobs thus far in my life. I believe that the worse part of any coffee joint, no matter how great the spot, is their coffee bar. Were you add sugar and creamer and all that jazz.
I intake a great deal of coffee in the morning, and have long ago learned to not also add sugar to each cup. You can form your own conclusions to why, especially if you are a reader that has seen my great coffee highs! So my creamer addition usually takes ten seconds-tops. I have found that S bucks napkins rock so usually grab one or two, adding maybe two seconds at the bar. The napkins are great for messy people like myself, and also double as a great snot rag. That said, or written, I have yet to meet someone remotely close to that speedy at the coffee bar. Most people I try to remain patient behind, as my coffee smells great and starts going cold, mix such a concoction in their drink, it is like they are making a freaking cocktail.
Add some creamer, sugar, milk-taste, wipe mouth, add sugar again, creamer, stir, stare at drink, stir, taste spit some out---too much sugar! Dump out some coffee, because it is now way to full of condiments. Add more to the concoction. Ask the barista for more coffee because you now dumped out just a little to much, and than start all over again. Even if you are doing all this at three in the afternoon, it is way to early in the morning for me to endure. I just want my coffee! Fifteen minutes after waiting for three customers to mix the perfect, mind bending, rocket scientist approved drink, I dump in cream and walk away. Take notes if that helps, but please don't write them at the coffee bar!
I intake a great deal of coffee in the morning, and have long ago learned to not also add sugar to each cup. You can form your own conclusions to why, especially if you are a reader that has seen my great coffee highs! So my creamer addition usually takes ten seconds-tops. I have found that S bucks napkins rock so usually grab one or two, adding maybe two seconds at the bar. The napkins are great for messy people like myself, and also double as a great snot rag. That said, or written, I have yet to meet someone remotely close to that speedy at the coffee bar. Most people I try to remain patient behind, as my coffee smells great and starts going cold, mix such a concoction in their drink, it is like they are making a freaking cocktail.
Add some creamer, sugar, milk-taste, wipe mouth, add sugar again, creamer, stir, stare at drink, stir, taste spit some out---too much sugar! Dump out some coffee, because it is now way to full of condiments. Add more to the concoction. Ask the barista for more coffee because you now dumped out just a little to much, and than start all over again. Even if you are doing all this at three in the afternoon, it is way to early in the morning for me to endure. I just want my coffee! Fifteen minutes after waiting for three customers to mix the perfect, mind bending, rocket scientist approved drink, I dump in cream and walk away. Take notes if that helps, but please don't write them at the coffee bar!
Recapping these old posts does not mean I have ran out of things to talk about
OR complain about---don't panic.
I just enjoy reading the old stuff for sure.
With my time off and such I will have some time to BBQ, Explore, and post in all of my blog pages! Tons of new pictures and posts in the works. Especially for this very page, and for
my local and newest Exploring page. Please check it out!!
Lots of Exploring the Tucson area posts in the works.
As well as our family trip further down the road to
Salem Oregon.
And of course my long but amazing hike through The Grand Canyon.
So please keep checking back, and sharing this page!!
In an attempt to give a sneak peak of some of the many Canyon pictures,
here is a quick cliff note version of the hike.
You can see by my face that the statements are true.
I do believe if you place all the pictures together it would become a very short
very sad flip book!
I do not have the last --logical picture in the chain of events---the one where I was
passed out in bed at the motel.
Right off the bus and ready to hike!
We could not get the fancy hotel coffee maker to work so stopped and grabbed some
Mc Coffee on the go.
I have many pictures like this with coffee cups in the forgrownd just looking for them all.
So 18 miles on this day this is when I was still happy and not in great pain. Got to the trail on the south rim at about 6 AM hit the Colorado River at the bottom. Up Bright Angel Trail not so bright 9 miles up and at the lodge/restaurant on top just after 5pm not to shabby for being so out of shape! Blog post to come. Where are you Exploring today??
"Ohhh Ahhh Point Grand Canyon We stopped and yelled Ohhh Ahhh for a long while. Good times.
Over the Colorado River in the middle of the Grand Canyon. Where are you Exploring today>>?
This was about the 3rd mile mark up --only 6 more uphill miles to go! I was determining if we made enough $ for me to just rent a Dam helicopter and zoom back to the motel. Full picture filled blog post in the works.
"Ohhh Ahhh Point Grand Canyon We stopped and yelled Ohhh Ahhh for a long while. Good times.
Over the Colorado River in the middle of the Grand Canyon. Where are you Exploring today>>?
This was about the 3rd mile mark up --only 6 more uphill miles to go! I was determining if we made enough $ for me to just rent a Dam helicopter and zoom back to the motel. Full picture filled blog post in the works.
My buddy Professor Getty also wondering-for a time
why he had come on this hike.
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