Goodbye AZ!

We had a simply wonderful trip!  Lots of reading, which I never seem to find time to do at home, a great spa trip with my mom, a couple of great rounds of golf for Chris with Dave, and lots to eat and drink.

My physical weight is a few pounds heavier, but my stress weight is 1000 pounds lighter.

Goodbye sun, goodbye warmth, goodbye lizards and roadrunners (which I finally saw this weekend), goodbye little hummingbird babies in the nest outside the window, goodbye mama and Dave (see you in three weeks!).

See you soon.

Saturday Night Out!

Saturday was a great day - lazed around the house, went for a nice long walk, read my book (The Invention of Wings - it was really good!), and then went out for the night.

We started off having a drink with one of my old Directors at Target, who now lives in Phoenix and works at GoDaddy.com.  It was super fun - she looked great, so happy and energized about the new job.  Had a great time catching up!

We then went for dinner at an Italian Place in Scottsdale called Taggia - wowsa, wowsa, wowsa.

AMAZING.

I had this wonderful pasta with pancetta and green peppercorns, and Chris had a really fab pizza.  That was after we started with a Caesar salad and a meat and cheese plate.

Then!  THEN!!!

We had the tiramisu for dessert.  Well, it wasn't just tiramisu...it had a chocolate shell like some kind of souped up Ho-Ho or Ding-Dong.  And then he poured warm chocolate sauce on it.

Needless to say...we'll be back.

Bummer

I just came outside to read and it is unbelievably beautiful outside.  And we head some tomorrow...and it is going to be back in the 40s.  Super suck.

Fate Brewing

Had lunch at Fate Brewing after Taliesin -  but the beer was...just OK.

But it was a beautiful day and tasty eats!!

Taliesin West

We went back to Taliesin West this trip, and it proves to be as cool as it always is.  It was a good tour, and the weather was perfect - sunny, breezy.

They also had a scale Lego model of all of Taliesin West - see the last picture!  Very cool.

Friday!

Heading to Taliesin West this morning for a tour - haven't been in a long time.  Then to Fate Brewing for lunch, and the grocery store.

The weather is again gorgeous today - will be sunny and about 80 degrees.  If not for the sucking dryness causing my skin to shrivel, I could do this.

Benetar

Is it scary or awesome that we know all the words to this? 

AWESOME!!!!!

Texts with Mom

This is the text exchange I had with my mom tonight (they went to a party, we came out to Scottsdale for dinner).

Two Brothers

We're baaaaaccccckkkkkk...

Yes, came back for beers and food. 

Happy happy life.

Union Barrelhouse

Enjoying these two lovely beers:

Sonoran Saison amd the Bruery Mischief (Belgian Golden Strong).

Also eating this.

"Serial"

Ok, this podcast was really great.  Listen to it.

Thursday

It just occurred to me that I haven't blogged about anything.  Because nothing is happening, except laundry and sitting around.  The perfect vacation.

Chris is golfing, will be back soon, so maybe something will happen then.

Dragoon Brewing

One last brewery stop in Tucson.

From left to right, with commentary:

- Dragoon IPA:  decent IPA.  I'm getting to be a hop snob and only like certain ones.  What will become of me???
- Saison Blue:  really nice, fabulous per Chris.  I might want a growler of this.
- Daily Berliner-Weisse:  not a huge, big, crazy Berliner-Weisse, more for the masses in my opinion.  But it's still tasty.
- Canadian Tuxedo:  Pretty good, not the best tripel we've ever had but good nonetheless.

Barrio Brewing

We came here probably six years ago when our Arizona side trip took us to Bisbee.

It's a super cute place and their beers are pretty good. 

Here are the beers...and us...that last one is the Hefeweizen...I'm so happy it is spring.

Tucson Tamale Company

When I was a kid, on Christmas, my brother would sometimes go to his friend Joe's house, and Mrs. Guerra would send him home with a huge tray of tamales.

They were amazing, and before today I didn't have Mrs. Guerra - worthy tamales.

If you are wondering why to come to Tucson, it is for these tamales.  I had one chicken and one pork, and chris had one pork and one beef with peppers.

They.  Were.  Phenomenal.  And it is fast food!!

Oh, and they had diet RC cola from the fountain.  It was just like being back in Hammond again.

Kartchner Caverns

If you are ever in Arizona and near tucson, you must go visit these caves.  I am claustrophobic and the idea of going caving scares the shit out of me, but I can appreciate how finding this cave system must have made the two caves go out of their minds!!

Definitely go.  Worth it.

Here is a Kartchner selfie for you.

BTW...

The podcast "Serial" is super good!!

Wednesday!!

Had breakfast at Prep & Pastry.  It was...fabulous.  This was hanging on the wall.  I like them here.

Off to Kartchner Caverns, then back up to Tucson for lunch, breweries, and Saguaro National Park. 

Should be a good day!!

El Charro Cafe

Totally awesome!  And I think I will now explode.

Simply an awesome night.

Just the right amount of hot, breeze, beef jerky, and beer.

Sunset at La Paloma

Perfect snack for sunset with Chris ... Jack Links jerky, Sculpin and Miss Vickies chips.

Thunder Canyon Brewing

From right to left...And our observations...

- Sandstone Cream Ale: 6.5 out of 10
- Windstorm Wheat: ok...certainly not as good as Chris's
- Orange U Glad Wheat:  tasted like orange cola, and not in a good way
- Thunder Canyon IPA:  pretty good
- Little Red Ryedinghood IPA:  better than the other one, nicely done
- Good Vibrations IPA:  lacking flavor, in my opinion...

Checked in!

At the Westin La Paloma in Tucson.  God I love reward points.  This is the view from our room - perfect for the sunset later.  We will now be in search of somewhere to grab beer since we didn't bring any.  D'oh!!

This is...

...what the sky looks like in my world.

1702

Beer bar, 46 on tap.  Enjoying this IPA from Alpine Brewing.

I asked Chris where it was from and he said, "San Diego.  Remember when we were at Toronado and you asked for something local and we kicked the keg?"

Really?  He remembers THAT?

We need this fan

This was the fan-slash-mister at Gentle Ben's.   Oh and me.

Lunch in Tucson

Well, we decided to do lunch first and I think we will swing by Saguaro National Park tomorrow. 

Had an excellent lunch at Pasco Kitchen and Lounge.  Good tap list and really great farm to table food.

Then came across the street to Gentle Ben's Brewing.  Awesome awesome awesome Hefeweizen, and you know I don't say that lightly.  Their white IPA gave me a sore throat and had so much coriander I think I'm having a reaction.

Tuesday Side Trip

Another beautiful day...really, it is.

Got up, went down to the club for a good weight routine (thank you Gretchen!), and now are leaving shortly to head down to Tucson overnight.

Hitting Saguaro National Park on the way down, hitting a few breweries, then dinner.  Tomorrow we go to Kartchner Caverns, then breweries, then home (hitting Total Wine in Scottsdale to pick up some Funkwerks).

Oh!  And we are going to start listening to the podcast "Serial" on the way down - supposed to be good, so I'm excited!

Should be a fun day!  We are working on more pictures, but I can't figure out how to get the Wi-Fi camera to work so that I can easily blog the pictures.

Simply GORGEOUS Arizona evening

Confidential to Lisa

We did NOT go to Teavana when we were shopping.

Spa Day!! And Shopping...

My mom and I had our spa day to day - went to the Agave Spa at the Westin Kierland.  It was good - I had a massage, much needed, and a facial, also much needed.

The massage was a little odd, but good.  It was kind of like a traditional massage, but then they used a rain stick for extra pressure.  It was this long wooden stick and they kind of used it like a rolling pin.  It was good, but good grief, she used a lot of oil.  I just about skated down the hallway to wait for my facial.

The facial was good, and she used this Blueberry Detox mask that basically felt like someone poured acid on my face.  I've had it before and today even after she took it off, I could feel my pulse...in my face.  But my skin feels like a hundred million dollars.

Then we went shopping at Kierland, or some such place.  Had lunch and has an AMAZING farro, beet, greens, and orange vinaigrette salad.  Wowsa, so good.  And they had Anchor Steam on tap - it's been probably 15 years since I've had an Anchor Steam on tap.  Good lunch and good day for me and my mama.

Chris and Dave went golfing, and Chris shot a 93 (44 on the front, 49 on the back + a birdie).  Not bad for the first time he's been golfing since we were here two years ago.  They are going again later in the week.  He'll probably shoot a 146.

Reply to Brutus

I was reading the book club book, Beyond the Beautiful Forevers.  I finished it, but in keeping with book club rules, I will not comment on my vote.

Sent you an email regarding a book club ruling on The Invention of Wings and the status of it as a future book club book.

Later!

Vacation rules.

We got up today, I read my book, we went for an hour walk, and I took a 45 minute nap.

I got up, read my book, took a shower, ate lunch and had a few of the beers from the growler we bought yesterday, and took an hour and a half nap.

Now I'm up, watching the Masters with everyone else.

I'm pretty sure I will be sleeping again in no time.

New sandals #1

Let the coveting commence.

FUNKWERKS!!!

So eagle eye spotted a bottle of Funkwerks King in the fridge at Two Brothers.  It was yummy!! 

We will have to drive to Colorado again and go back.

Two Brothers!

Waiting for our table at Barrio Queen so we stopped at the Two Brothers new joint in Scottsdale.  Got some samples.

Out for dinner.

Headed to Scottsdale for dinner.  Everything takes an hour to get to here.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.

Lovely lovely lovey IPA and Pale Ale.  The Red Ale and Stout are pretty awesome too!