So Princess Hotcakes was nice enough to go with me on a trip to some of my old haunts growing up in northern Arizona.
Our first stop was Prescott, Arizona, home of the oldest Rodeo! Yeeeee haw!
We headed out from L.A. at about 6 A.M. and we made it into downtown Prescott about 6 hours later. We walked around the square with the crisp northern air making me feel really nostalgic for home (Prescott home), yet also made me utter prayers of thanksgiving for the perfect year round weather in Southern California.
See this fountain?
My Brother Seadog and cousin Clint coerced me into jumping into it to fish out peoples wishes (aka money) for themselves. I was pretty much desperate to be able to hang out with them that I didn’t mind that my cut of the profits received was probably close to 5%, their rationale being “It’s our idea†they’d say, as if I should just be happy with what I’ve got.
This is Elliot. Elliot was one of my first Sunday School teachers (grade 3 I believe - You’d often hear the FWAP of a bible on the head if you weren’t paying attention) and it was his house that we stayed for the night.
Elliot, much like me, has a booming voice, and not like me, uses it often to “explain†his views on things in a Oh-so-colorful manner. It’d been a few years since I’ve seen him, but he was welcoming, took us out to dinner, and then drove us around to show us the changes that have occurred in my hometown.
Prescott has changed to be sure. There are all sorts of malls and corporate shops that have opened up between Prescott Valley and Prescott proper. I have to say though, the main town hasn’t changed as much as I expected and it still smacked of a Mayberresque quiet mountain town.
The next morning after Elliot cooked us breakfast we were on the road again to show PHC Sedona, which if you haven’t been, might be one of the most beautiful places you could see.
Here we are right above Jerome (yes…where I was arrested in college).
This is Sedona and sadly the pictures don’t do it justice.
We spent a few hours playing around by the creeks and touristy spots before we headed down to see Skedoozy in Chandler.
We had such a great time with Skedoozy and Amanda, they looked AMAZING and they also introduced PHC and I to our new crack cocaine addiction called ROCKBAND. Oh man that was fun.
We went and saw Iron Man after that with Amanda’s Sister and her husband (both are super - super sweet nice peeps) and then for a late dinner at Ye Olde Johnny Rockets.
That night we drove down to Casa Grande and spent the night at my Mom and Pat’s place. Mom was still away cooing over the lovely Isabella, but Pat was awake when we arrived and we sat around talking for a bit before I hit the bed.
The next morning the best stepdad in the planet made us some steak and eggs that was truly out of this world and then we were off to go hang with my Sister and Brother in Law.
It was great to see her and him, their new house, and just be in Tucson again, plus we got to hook up with my old college Roommate Attila and his wife Laura with a more recent friend Matt and Jamie, it was a blast, though Attila stared down PHC and began to give her the third degree “where are you from?!” “What do you do?!”
After that Tab, Andy, Amy and I basically went shopping hitting Bookman’s ( a used bookstore where you can trade in books for money or credit, along with games, dvd’s etc – it’s a better version of Amoeba), and then the used CD store Zia.
We said our goodbyes to my sis and bro in law and met up with one of my best friends from college Sean and his wife Tawny. I hadn’t seen the dude in about 9 years and it was so cool just to catch up and say hi.
After that we drove back up to Casa Grande to my Grandfathers house where he had about 30 guns strewn on his bed. He was prompting me to pick one, but I deferred, no more debacles like last time thank you.
Plus, most of the guns were loaded and at times during the “show†they were pointed at me…eeek!
We got back to Mom and Pats, where my Mom was, back from doting on her granddaughter and now doting on me!
Pat made some more steak (thank you Pat) and we chatted before PHC and I hit the hottube for a bit before we went to sleep and then back up early for a trip over to IHOP to meet my Dad, Aunt, Uncle and Grandpa for breakfast.
It was fun to see them again, I think the most joy was that PHC GOT to meet them.
My Aunt LINDA was also at IHOP, just by coincidence. It was great to see her, if just so briefly.
So that ended our trip, we had a long drive back and all the behind the wheeling started to hit me. Luckily the Lord created red bull and a couple of vanilla latte’s which put me back to rights and we rolled back into Los Angeles in the late afternoon.
I had a great time.
It makes me miss my family more, just having so much fun with them. It makes me miss my brother and sis in law. I wish they were closer to me, to Skedoozy, to mom and tab, etc.
It makes me miss my childhood a bit as well. I did after all, have a grand one.
But, but I’m excited for my future as well, and I was reminded that the adventure isn’t over…it’s just begun.
BOOOOOOO!!!!