Hi Grandma!

After a few weeks in California, navigating over what felt like every square inch, I pointed the car east and headed to Arizona for some much needed rest and relaxation. A head cold had started to settle in, giving me a sore throat for a couple days and a runny nose. I’d gotten rid of the sore throat by the time I left California, but the congestion and sniffles kept with me. I’ve driven from southern California to Phoenix a number of times in the past few years, so I didn’t make any stops unless I needed fuel or a bathroom. The southwest has always held a special place in my heart, and it felt good to be back there. I made it to mom and dad’s Friday afternoon and after some hugs and talking, I took some cold medicine and passed out until morning. When you’re sick, there’s nothing better than being at home and not having to think. When you’re sick and away from home, the next best thing is being able to unwind and recover at mom and dad’s for a few days. It was nice to sit and chat with them about the news and goings-on around their community, catch up on some laundry, and work on my car with dad. A heat shield on the bottom of the car had come loose, so we jacked the car up and got under there with some tie wire and screws to hold it back in place. On Sunday, we headed over to see the new addition to the church that they’ve been helping with for the past year. I was there last spring and helped dad mark out some stuff for the contractors. Now, there was a brand new community center where we put those marks. They’re really proud of how it turned out, and the church is looking forward to getting an occupancy permit so they can start moving in furniture and making use of the new space.

Tuesday, I loaded up the car and headed south to Tucson to see my buddy Bill and some other friends. I’ve known Bill for almost 20 years. We worked together at a software training company, and one day he asked if I wanted to go skydiving with him. A group of us made plans to go jump and I was the only one from the office who actually showed up with him. The rest is history, and I’ve been jumping ever since. We became good friends while working together and skydiving, and have kept in touch after he moved to Arizona. I don’t know if I would have jumped a second time if I wasn’t friends with Bill. The first jump was a lot of fun, but the community of friends that he introduced me to was the reason that I went back again and again and eventually got my license and moved to Ottawa. It was mid afternoon before I got down there, and found Bill and Debi working on some art that Debi is making. I grabbed a chair and sat back while they cut, screwed, sanded, and painted boards. After Debi left, Bill and I headed to dinner then sat on his porch catching up a little. I was planning to spend about a week there, but something came up and he had to leave on Wednesday, so I’m going to fly down there in the next few weeks so we can catch up.

After Bill left, I went into town and grabbed brunch with Debi at a hipster restaurant that I can’t remember the name of. We sat and talked for a few hours over some of the best food I’d had in a few weeks. Debi had Huevos Rancheros that she said were cooked and seasoned well, and I had an open face eggs, sausage and biscuit sandwich that just exploded with flavor in my mouth. One of my favorite parts of this trip has been all the new dishes, desserts, and flavors I’ve gotten to try. I love sampling local cuisine, and every time I try something new, I first think “I have to get some of this to take with me!” before remembering my motto to sample it where it is, and don’t bring any extras so I have room for the next local flavor. After brunch, I filled up my gas tank, grabbed some beverages for the road, and headed east. I was out of Arizona in the blink of an eye, and was enjoying New Mexico when, before I knew it, I was passing out of that state too. Then came Texas. I’ll tell you about that next time.