31 July 2008

Oh...And Did I Mention The Pesto...


Welcome to another
installment of the cooking blog, as I just can't seem to get away from the good home made around here...I've decided to just give in. Luckily, I am leaving in less than two days for another adventure (that would be the day after tomorrow to you and me) so there may be no food pictures for a while...you'd better stock up. I figure there there will be no cooking on this adventure...only eating. Lots and lots of good eating. Until Dina and I make our great escape, there are a several odds and ends to wrap up here in town...as well as a lot of fun things to do between now and then...one being a bar-b-q at the Airstream tonight. Well, I have been bragging about my cilantro pesto now for quite a while to Megan, as one of her specialties happens to be very good Southwest cooking, and I keep thinking this pesto would compliment her dishes amazingly well...Pesto is so easy and quick to make...and this happens to be the best recipe I've ever tried for cilantro pesto (it's the cinnamon you know, which makes for a very surprising flavor)


1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tightly packed
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use a soy blend)
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I use pine nuts)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Process cilantro, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and seasonings in a food processor or blender until finely chopped and blended. While blender or processor is running, slowly add oil until blended and absorbed.


I love this recipe on rice, pasta, vegetables and sandwiches or burgers. Try it...you won't be disappointed...and please let me know if you do!

30 July 2008

What's Cookin' Wednesday...


I swear this is not turning into a cooking blog...I just happen to be turning into a person who blogs and who cooks. It's the Farmer's Market and the new diet combination that's doing it to me...So the other night I made up potato, leek and squash tacos with soy cheese, cabbage and home made guacamole. They were divine, light and filling...they may have even been low fat, but I was past counting at this point. And since I find it near impossible to cook for just one person, I have enough to have the entire meal over again...Which I will find time to do before I jaunt off on my Weekend Abroad with Dina...

What are you eating this summer??

29 July 2008

Summertime Reading...

I am voraciously reading my way through the summer...which now explains why I haven't been sewing my heart out, eh? (that and I couldn't possibly use another skirt...well, unless I find that perfect fabric...)

Among all the books
I've been devouring, my mother also found and gave me a wonderful vintage Cosmo magazine...coming direct to you from October 1957. It is the special law issue...with such highlights as "When to Sue" and "Model Prisons"...the one thing I notice that's lacking is any kind of wild girl sex tips or how to catch/keep a/your man. Not to mention the Cosmo Quiz...there's no Cosmo Quiz?!?! Then again, there's hardly a Cosmo Quiz now...a group of us used to go over to Dina's once a month to all take the Cosmo Quiz, and they've just cut it down to about four questions now anyway...

I love that the cover is a hand painted picture instead of a photograph (that's Kim Novak by the way...apparently she's Sinatra's Pal in "Pal Joey") and the advertisements in the magazine are priceless. The whole back cover is full of Pulp Fiction Books you can get for free just by sending in the coupon! (that's $16.90 worth of books folks...in modern prices adjusted for inflation and collectible value, I figured that would be about $107.98) There's an ad for Martini & Rossi Imported Sweet Vermouth (and I didn't even know they made that...but I highly recommend their Austi Spumanti) There's also various body slimmers (one even being called "the magic button" hee hee) push up bras, chin straps and wrinkle fixers...you can also buy Colored Burlap, because apparently it's Gone Modern (free samples on request) There's even an ad for Columbia...but instead of them sending you free CD's to join their club...it's free records instead!!

My favorite ad is the one for the RelaxAsizor...not only did I read about it in Vogue (apparently) but I can reduce my hips, waist, and tummy...with No Diet! I just lie back, read my magazine and let it do its work. Not to be outdone by Mr. Stauffer's "magic couch" of course!

Funny as well are the amount of advertisements for baby things and one slant board to give you "the body you had when you were 21!" So, I think they're target market has changed somewhat within the last few years, wouldn't you say? I mean, sometimes when I look at more recent issues of Cosmo...I actually feel a little "old" to be reading...

But, it's still a fun and sassy magazine indeed...no matter what the era is.

And, there is this tiny part of me that really wants to send the coupons in the ads in to the addresses posted...just to see if I could get more of a part of the past back...This would probably explain why I love to hunt to find all things vintage, eh? A constant love affair with a part of life that I didn't have the chance to see...Thank goodness for old magazines!

28 July 2008

Buckets Of Pesto...

Having absolutely no plans whatsoever going into two entire days off is a lovely thing...it really opens you up for all sorts of surprises!

Saturday found me
up and about early to yogurt with my favorite instructor...helping me set the pace for the rest of the time I had to myself. I had juice at the health food store with a friend, and then off to the Farmer's Market...making plans for dinner and a movie later that night...(that would be Mexican and Handcock...both good!)

While I happened to be at the Farmer's Market innocently looking at some peas, the lady who was running the stall for some reason thought it would be a good idea to tell me they happened to have tons of basil, and did I like to make pesto? I asked her how much it was, because fresh basil can be a little pricey...she turned to a cooler and proceeded to fill up a grocery sack and let me have it all for $4...

I quickly added make pesto to my weekend plans.

I ran to CostCo to gas up cheap (well, a little cheaper that is) and to grab some pine nuts and vacuum sealed food containers (I needed some anyway to store all the fresh food I like to keep chopped and made in the fridge and freezer so that it's easy for me to make my salads and other meals...I've been eating mighty fresh and good food this summer. The storage containers I got are hard plastic and the one's I've been using are quite old and oily...) Since I was planning on making up some big batches of pesto...I figured I needed more room than my Cuisinart small chopper...

I grabbed my step stool and peered into the storage space above the hallway until I spied a big big box. A few years ago, I decided all I needed to be a totally complete person was to have a Cuisinart food processor. You see...I had always wanted one. My mother in law at the time thought it would be a great holiday present and gave me one...she used hers all the time, and gave me a tiny Cuisinart chopper (which kind of permanently smells of garlic) an extra 11 cup bowl, and a Cuisinart Cook Book...Wellll, with one thing and another happening and the subsequent dissolution of my marriage and clearing out the kitchen, the unused and then unpacked Cuisinart food processor went into that storage space.

I lugged it out, blew the dust off the box and convinced myself that it hadn't been that long that I had it and hadn't used it, so I didn't need to feel all that bad...There was a receipt taped to the outside of the box. 2004...oh, well...time certainly flies doesn't it? Ahem...I opened up the box and carefully removed all the goodies inside including the Video on how to use this thing.

Sigh.

I didn't really want to sit and watch a video explaining a kitchen gadget, so I did a quick flip through the booklet and hoped that was enough prep for just pulsing (I'm sure the shredding and whatnot is a lot more complicated...) promised to try not to chop off any extremities with all the crazy sharp blades and went to work. It took me longer to figure out how to get the thing apart than anything else...there are no instructions on how to do that in the huge booklet, if you can believe it...but I figured it out, proceeded to wash and then dry each piece, and added all the goodies into to the mix. Now...the food processor is so easy to use, I almost feel embarrassed to have waited this long to use it. I have a feeling I will be using it even more often at that.

When all was said and done, I made 3 separate containers of basil pesto...2 to freeze and 1 to use this week on something lovely (and this was after dropping off several stalks of pesto to my mother) I also happened to stop by the grocery on the way home from CostCo today and picked up 2 bunches of cilantro to make cilantro pesto. I have an amazing recipe that I have been bragging to Megan about, and I am thinking it is high time I bust it out and share it this Thursday after yogurt (since I usually go over there) That way I can bribe her to show me how to make the amazing salsa she always has on hand...

And, you can believe that the Cuisinart is here ready and waiting...

27 July 2008

A Most Lovely Giveaway...

You absolutely have to check out this giveaway...The patterns, fabrics and bags? I dare you to choose a favorite...I have been wanting to try a quilted bag for so long now, and I am feeling more inspired once again...

25 July 2008

The End...

Of yet another week...

sigh.

Is time somehow going faster or is it just me?

I have nothing on the palette this weekend...no downsizing or decluttering or cleaning...now, these may be things that need to happen this weekend, but we'll see.

I am planning on hopping over to the Airstream tonight to visit with my favorite Rich, who has been so busy that most of our recent communication has been via phone, so a face to face visit is very welcome...It will happen sometime after he deals with some photo clients (which means I do have time to work out the gym if I want to seeing as I slept in and whatnot this morning.) I am also planning on cruising to the gym for yogurt Saturday morning, as my very favorite teacher is going to be there that day, and somehow it helps to set the tone for the whole weekend. Maybe make another appearance at the Farmer's Market as well? Who knows...

I know I'll be keeping my eyes on the skies at sunset...we have been having the most beautifully colored sunsets lately...often turning our world pink and purple...it's breathtaking.

What are your plans this weekend?

24 July 2008

With all of the lovely rain that we've had this season comes fun new lawn art...

Heck, along with all of the lovely rain that we've had this season comes fun new lawn. Period. I'm in Arizona, I don't spend a lot of time trying to keep my lawn alive, so it is always a plus when it grows at all...and usually it's super healthy only during the spring and fall...but, it's been mightily green lately...

Which means the fairies like to come out and dance at night...

Especially under the full moon...

And make fairy rings among the mushrooms...

And I can imagine that the rather large mushroom right across from the fairy ring would be perfect for the band...

I find myself peeking out through the curtains to see if I can catch a tiny foot or a bit of a wing...trying to spy them dancing in the moonlight, hoping that they will invite me to come dance and play with them some wild summer night...

23 July 2008

A Case of Identity Theft...


A good friend and customer came into Snap Snap to sell me mass quantities of clothes last week...this happens a few times a year and has been happening for many years now. We know all about each other's families, and lives...and all the goings on in between...In fact, we're always planning on visiting each other in our off hours (sometimes it even happens) She mentioned casually that she is taking a rather large and amazing trip soon. I told her while I was very excited for her, I was also wildly jealous. She threw it out there that I could come, free place to stay etc. etc...I laughed it off.

Well, except for the small part of me that whispered...we could do that you know.

There's nothing standing in my way...the small problem of finding someone to watch Snap Snap aside, money, etc. etc. Oh, and the teeny fact that I've overlooked renewing my passport. Or more likely, as I dug out the dust covered paperwork that I've moved to no less than 4 places in my house since I filled it out...I've failed miserably at renewing my passport.

I decided since I've heard the turn around for passports is now about 2 weeks, I certainly have time to run around like a maniac on Monday and get this taken care of (finally). Looking over the paperwork I noticed I signed it on the eve of when it expired in 2006. Ahem...I was at Snap Snap, so I snagged my White Out and took care of that problem, and I am happy to say that all the other information is the same...I packaged it up in an envelope I found with the fee written in check form (which I realized is now more than what was printed on this vintage passport renewal form I possessed, according to the website...LeSigh...so, now I have no idea if I will even get said passport) took it to the Post Office, and even paid extra to have the entire thing tracked. All the while, I'm thinking to myself "boy am I excited to get a new passport photo, because in my previous passport I was about 60+ pounds heavier..."

That is, until I got the picture back from the photographer.

Damn.

How could it
possibly be that I look tired, confused and heavily chinned? I mean, technically I had not even been traveling in a foreign country before I went to get this photo taken (because this is just sometimes how you look when you're in a place where you can't communicate well, or have no idea where your hotel could have gotten to...) I've just sat on a stool and tried to smile and be my charming self, totally confident that any picture was better than the previous picture. Boy am I wrong. Could it be that fact that in every passport photo they use a flash, all while setting you against a white backdrop? This immediate use of artificial light washes out any kind of contrast on your face...except now my make-up and hair looks like it was done by the Junior High version of myself. Why is it that we can't just submit a picture of ourselves that we happen to like, maybe one we've taken while we were somewhere exotic? I mean, as long as you're not wearing sunglasses and you can see your facial details, who cares? That would be so much better than hoards of The Dawn of the Living Dead zombies that are vacationing from America...

It has to be a government conspiracy to keep the people who's job it is to stamp the passports active and interested...I know it can't be fun to sit in a cramped little Plexiglas box on a tiny stool all day and ask people, who are on vacation (while you are not) why they're visiting your home town/country and then stamp some random page with whatever fancy stamp is legal...unless you get to see the most horrible and comical pictures of that person ever taken...and then used as a very legal form of identification that they then have to wave about if they're to get anything done at all on their vacations.

Well, someones stolen my identification then...

I can't possibly have that many chins or look that fat or apply my make-up quite that badly...

22 July 2008

The Caulk Master...

This weekend, among many other fantastically exciting things In The Life of a Sort of Single Gal (only because Rich was working the. whole. flipping. weekend. Otherwise you can bet we'd have been up to no good together...plus, I know you're all just dying to know what sort of single girls do these days...I also know you're thinking it's mostly all Sex and the City around here. ha.) things such as going to the Farmer's Market then out to brunch for some Mexican Crack (what's Mexican Crack, you ask? That would be the best blue cheese dressing this side of the border...I know, it's strange, Mexico is probably not usually known for its blue cheese...but Casa Sanchez has the best hands down) napping, reading, napping...running errands with a friend, napping...and then came the bathroom face lift.

Or maybe that should be the bathroom butt-lift.

What?

That's usually what's going on in the bathroom isn't it? More butt-type things. Ok, you have a point, I do actually get ready in the morning to go out and face the day and put my face on using the mirrors in there...but, you know what I mean.

I love my bathroom. It's dead center in the middle of the house, and there's only one of them...in a 1925 craftsman style house, what do you expect? Upon moving into Foolsewoode lo those many years ago, we noticed that the original battleship gray linoleum (holy cow. I am doing some major drooling on the selection of vintage linoleum they have...) was coming up in several places. This could have been due to the large holes in both the pipe of the sink in the bathroom and the pipe in the toilet...every time you flushed, clean water poured out onto the floor. Ditto with running the water in the sink (clean water=no good for flooring) We had not overlooked this when buying the home...it's just something that needed to be replaced before we could use the bathroom (note to self: Plumbing is very expensive. No major life altering decisions like "should I replace the non working trap in the original vintage wall sink, even though it's quaint to use a plug on a chain instead...and then watch as the plumber rips the sink out and realizes that he can't repair the trap or put the original sink back in the wall...and then you have to get some HUGE ugly new sink put in that you overpay for, and rips up your beautiful wall tile and then have to replace with a vintage pedestal sink in the near future, only not the tile because you don't know how and now you live with that, because you've just moved into a new house and no one but your ex husband [whom you happened to be married to at the time] showed up to help you and you were so tired you didn't know what kind of decisions you were making only you wanted to just use a sink at some point?" yeah...)

Um.

Oh.

So, we
(and I use that term lightly because it was my project that my ex had to come in and help with because I couldn't do it...which means it was 2 days of full contact stripping of linoleum off the floor with a furniture scraper strapped to his foot to get to the original wood) removed the linoleum and then when I got feeling back in my extremities, I managed to design a stencil modeled after William Morris' Blackberry pattern and hand paint it over the edges of the floor, and then put about 10 coats of non-gloss all over the floor. (you should have heard the fight my ex put up about that one...he wanted super extra glossy, but as we didn't play basketball in the bathroom, I thought something not as slippery would be better, plus I want to be able to walk around my house without worrying if I have non-marking soles on my shoes...sigh) I also have a cute vintage cupboard that hangs above the toilet...and the original tub that is backed or rather, sided with glass bricks...

But the caulk around the tub was icky. Icky caulk is not something that one wants to look at when they're in the bath trying to relax. There's no amount of bubbles that will hide something like that. And the caulk? It's been like that for some time. Saturday dawned and I had an industrial razor blade in my hand stripping off the old caulk (and yes, even when I was talking to Rich on the phone, our only mode of communication this weekend. Did I mention he was working all. flipping. weekend? I used the word caulk so much that I know he was worried that I now have a form of Tourettes that will leave me yelling the world caulk into polite company for no reason...that and I have a naughty teenager living inside of me) getting out my bleach pen to douse all the ickiness and scrub and clean so I could let the entire caulkless tub dry for 24 hours before I applied spanking new caulk (heh) White to be exact.

It looks damned good, if I may say so myself. I am a caulk master (too far? sorry) But, the problem is now solved, and my bathtime is much more relaxing. Only now all the necessary bath crap that litters up the sides of the tub looks too messy...

Le Sigh.

I also noticed that my oak toilet seat is needing to be replaced, because oak toilet seats tend to get a bit funky around the edges after a while...Let me tell you something about my toilet. It is from 1925 and totally original to the house...which means it flushes a crazy amount of water when it's time to do things like that (I should put a jar of sand in the tank right?) but that's not the worst of it. The worst thing is it's shaped funny. It's an odd shape for new toilet seats and the holes for the screws that hold the seats on were drilled not quite even...so it's cockeyed as well. Which means that the toilet seat that was on there was always a little slidy aroundy when you sat on it, and no amount of tightening those fantastic plastic screws that came with the toilet seat helped secure it in the least. One wrong move while sitting down and wheee! You either ended up hitting your head on the sink or hitting your head on the towel rack (why else do you think I hung those cute pin-up vintage towels on it? Padding...and yes, their little skirts lift up and they have applique panties on...swoon)

I thought I'd outsmart the toilet seat thing though and spring for the "seat that fits long toilets" or some such nonsense...and you can believe that the oval toilet seat is certainly more expensive than it's smaller counterpart.

Well.

It certainly fit on the toilet, but look at how much it hangs off there in the front. Good grief. This also means that there's a lot of porcelain hanging around the front when you sit on it...but, you'll be happy to know it's totally sturdy and doesn't slide around anymore, which was worth every extra penny I paid for the oval toilet seat...I think anyway, we'll see as time goes on.

And look at all that sense of accomplishment I have now! The caulk master and home owner extraordinaire...

Lord my life is sad when Rich is working. all. flipping. weekend.

21 July 2008

All Organic...


After dancing on Friday night with the gals...

Well, OK...not so much dancing as putting the feet up and relaxing with both Ms. Dina and Megan under the summer night sky and lit candles all about, I was off to visit the sandman. I had lovely fantasies of waking up for early morning yoga, but decided to sleep through instead (which I almost did, but I usually get a lovely wake up call from my sweetie around that time, which is the perfect way to wake up in the morning) After that, I was up and at 'em...

You see, Megan and I had an early morning date.

A date to go to the farmer's market up here...

The farmer's market used to be right downtown one street over from Snap Snap, but some funeral home and a law office that wasn't open on that street, complained about the parking problem when they closed half of the street from 6 - noonish...on Saturdays. I'm not sure what the Funeral home's problem was (I mean, I wouldn't think that their clients necessarily needed the parking anymore, since where they're going they're probably not driving so much as floating around with wings and strumming stringed instruments...and the parking for the rest of the alive people? Well...they seems to have been issued these nifty little signs they get to put up wherever they want whenever they have services...and I don't see anyone else being able to complain that they're taking up the parking spaces, on regular business days even...) Or the Law Office (seeing as they have a huge parking lot which they kindly block off during the weekend, restricting usage...and did I mention they weren't open anyway?) But whatever...this then has forced the farmer's market to relocate. Well, sadly the downtown lost this wonderful attraction to the parking lot of Yavapai College instead. Which means that I haven't really gotten out there as much as I used to...

Of course, after be-bopping around with both Megan and her wonderful husband Matthew this Saturday morning, I decided that I absolutely have to remedy this. And since I started this new diet anyway, I am eating so many more fresh vegetables and fruits than I used to...

While we were walking around checking out all the offerings of the local (and sometimes not so local) vendors, I noticed a little girl standing close to me at the tomato stand. She was staring off into the distance with one of her hands in a huge pile of brightly colored cherry tomatoes...she was gently caressing them with a small satisfied smile on her face, letting them fall through her fingers with a very dreamy look in her eyes as she was doing so...the tomatoes were pert and warm...freshly picked and about as aromatic as a tomato can be. I realized with an amazing amount of clarity right in that moment how important it is for children, and possibly all sizes of humans, to have this connection with things grown from the Earth...I've often found that for me, both the smell and texture that soil has when you turn it over or run your hands through it, or the individual and often subtle scent that each living growing plant gives off when you brush against them are very therapeutic to the human condition...being able to dig into soil and tend to plants is usually a very relaxing past time. Farmer's Markets may actually be as close to growing your own food as a lot of people get nowadays (I mean, being in AZ and not having a huge flat clear lot...plus a lot of pine trees here at Foolsewoode, I don't have a vegetable garden anymore...My ex and I used to have a huge garden years ago) I, in fact grew up with my mother and father growing huge gardens in California...maybe because they were hippies...but maybe because it was so easy to grow things in California...I just remember they were both very very good at growing things.

Plus? I am a total tomato junkie. As I've gotten older I've found that pesticides seem to be freely sprayed on everything, making it so that I can't eat all tomatoes...only organic or hydroponic...the rest just tear my stomach up. My mother tells the story of me at a young age (3 perhaps) when she would let me play outside in the huge backyard...when it was time to find me, she usually only had to look in one place...the middle of the tomato garden, stuffing cherry tomatoes into my mouth as fast as I could with the seeds and juice dripping down my chin and neck and covering the front of my striped overalls. To me, there are not many things much closer to heaven then a fresh ripe tomato picked off the vine, still warm from the sun's rays (well...to be fair, I think the ocean's nice too...and so is spending time at the Airstream) I watched the little girl at the tomato booth out of the corner of my eye for just a few moments before I caved into her subtle suggestion...and decided to run my hands through the box of colorful red, yellow, orange and purple cherry tomatoes as well and pick out enough to fill a small container for myself to take home. I immediately turned to Megan after buying the tomatoes and said,

"You do realize that we're going to be lucky if we make it to the car with these..."

I also bought scallions, leeks (which I also dearly love), purple roasting onions, orange and yellow carrots, basil, sweet corn, and a head of garlic that is so aromatic, juicy, and fresh that it surprised me a little bit when I cut into it. I almost bought some Zucchini blossoms as well because I've been wanting to try them...maybe stuffed? I'm not too sure, I will have to look up some recipes before next weekend. Since the rest of Saturday was spent napping, reading and watching movies...there was no more going out of the house and I treated myself to an amazing dinner...

Potato and onion Pierogies with olive oil, leeks, garlic...fresh tomatoes and scallions topped with a bit of a soy Italian shredded cheese mix...It was divine. Truly gourmet and one of the tastiest meals I've had in quite some time, the flavors perfectly complimented each other...

I'm off to make a salad now that includes the raw sweet corn and almost everything else that I can think of, including the organic mustard greens and zucchini that have been hanging around the refrigerator here as well...

I am very lucky...

I am truly spoiled.

18 July 2008

Buried Alive...


Under the pile of my life.

Well...
that was the scene yesterday if you happened to walk into Snap Snap beginning at a rousing 8:30 am...and ending...well not ending really. I met with a supplier/friend early early, and spent the rest of the day pricing clothes, only taking a break to lean against the pile for lunch...well, and to help customers...I didn't even turn my MacBook on until just an hour ago (that would be over 24 hours in case you're counting...did you miss me??)

I'm not done pricing yet.

No, I'm not.

I have more hours of pricing ahead of me today...and cleaning this place up and whipping it into shape for the weekend, for my mother to be here (I'm like one of those people who clean before the maid comes...not that I'm comparing my mother to a maid) So I can enjoy the weekend...I'm planning on resting and catching up with myself as well (I spent a while this morning after hopping to the gym, cleaning the house so that I don't have to worry about that this weekend as well...now, if I fold the laundry and change the sheets on the bed, we're big time here)

I'm kicking off the weekend in style with a little soiree at Foolsewoode...it's time to utilize that outdoor porch of mine...time to light up the candelier, break open one of those dusty bottles of wine, and strike up the band...get my summer entertaining on.

After all, It's been a long time since I've danced...

Surely there will be dancing there?

I know there will be candles and laughter...

And lots and lots of relaxation.

15 July 2008

Get Your Kicks...

On route 66...

Sunday dawned quite early, and groggily by my standards...usually I'm up that early but as this was such a busy weekend, I'm not exactly sure how much more sleep would have been required to make me feel both rested and non-puffy-eyed (the 2 hour nap in the afternoon helped to make a dent) Rich told me I looked cute, but I'm not too sure...

Rich has been talking about shooting certain things on Old Route 66 for some time now, and we being here in Arizona happen to have some parts of the Mother Highway still intact and considered destination spots as the residents of these little places are fighting to hang on to their corner of America. One of these spots is Seligman...which by road trip standards, is right up the street from Prescott...and yes, I've never been (honestly, what was I doing here in AZ before Rich came along?)

This is such a cute town...full of Old Route 66 gems, including historic cafes and several curios shops...one which has a ton of new/old stock for decorations: Vintage original Maybeline make-up, Kodak cameras, car decals...advertisements for Coppertone and Film...you name it! And a lot of the old shipping boxes they came in, there were a million things to see...It smelled wonderfully old as well...I was in heaven. It also made me want to collect more things vintage...Only it's not that easy to find these things anymore.

We stopped to have lunch at the historic Delgadillos Snow Cap Drive-In...apparently the original owner died a couple of years ago, but he was quite a character...telling jokes and swiping customers wallets only to turn around and give out their change to other customers. I can't say that I missed that particularly...

I did miss drinking a vanilla malt though...but I made up for it by indulging in the wonderful crinkle fries instead. I know, a small concession for neither of us being able to drink dairy...and promised instead to make Rich and I some vanilla malts with Soy Dream soon instead.

There were so many wonderful signs decorating the cafe...I was dying to see them all lit up in their neon glory (neon has steadily been disappearing from Arizona for quite some time now...which is a shame. To loose all the things that distinguishes this part of American history because someone thinks its gaudy? It's very sad indeed.) There was so much to look at on the cafe...Rich pointed out a sign that made us both giggle...you see apparently they serve "Dead Chicken" and I was busy chuckling over the sign that said "Cheeseburgers...With Cheese..."

Seligman
was apparently
one of the places that inspired the sets for the animated Disney movie Cars...and true to the movie Cars, when they put the interstate highway through Arizona, the locals that were used to 9,000 people coming through daily, watched the traffic totally stop as they came into the streets and realized that the world was now passing them by...


In back of the Snow Cap Drive-In, someone parked a bunch of vintage cars and painted them to look like the cars in the movie...we loved it. There were also several vintage cars parked along the main drag in town, and in the businesses including 2 Edsels! I mean, whoa...where else are you going to find this many cars used purely for the enjoyment of display? I loved it!!

It really was like walking back in time for a bit...reliving a bit of nostalgia, for a time that neither of us were on the planet, but have heard about, read about, and seen pictures of. Almost instantly after you turn off I-17 to Old Route 66, you start to spy the Burma Shave signs. Now, I happened to know about Burma Shave, but Rich did not...and I watched him be a little amazed at the 5 sign rhymes and sayings. Amazement turned to delight as we both watched eagerly for the next set so we could read them outloud and laugh...they are located both in and out of the town all along the old Route 66. They are quite witty, and I was just floored that they still have them up (I suspect that they are reproductions...but, can you see the care that's been taken to make this a fun destination? Plus, if you click those links up there you can see how many years that Burma Shave was making these witty quips and what they all are...there were some great ones!) As we were leaving Seligman, Rich decided that it would be fun to stop every few feet and photograph an entire series...which had us both laughing and giddy...parking along the mostly deserted highway and running back and forth...yeah, this is the stuff we love...we're dorks, it's how we roll (I'll save that series for tomorrow)

This road trip was so entertaining...we had long meaningful conversations, sang songs and watched the world pass by, with no time-line holding us to a specific schedule. This kind of driving makes me want to drive and see more of the USA...I want to drive the parts of Route 66 that are left, and relive that part of Americana, before it's totally gone...it's disappearing, and with gas prices rising, we were both wondering how long it will survive. Most of these places rely heavily on tourists that want to see this part of American history.

I remember taking a trip with my sister and father years ago with found us touring Indian ruins in this part of the country. We were up towards the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert and there was signs for miles about "The Thing!" What was it? Come see it!! We didn't, and that still bothers me in the back of my mind...We saw the tepee village motel (a bunch of tepees that you could stay in for the night...let's go Rich!) Heck, when I lived in Flagstaff, which still has Route 66 running right through it, there used to be a wonderful hotel called Andy Womaks Flamingo Motor Hotel...It was breathtaking, with a larger than life neon flamingo...we always swore we would stay there someday. They tore it down and built a Barnes and Noble.

This kind of thing should be illegal...Were destroying American history for chain stores...were becoming homogenized.

It makes me sad to think that this part of our history may soon be gone, and the only way we'll be seeing it is in books and movies (I have a few books waiting for me at the library about the Mother Highway as we speak...I want to map this out) We talked about how most cars have DVD players in them, or most kids have iPods or GameBoys...which takes you out of the experience of a true road trip...the chance to talk and know your family, sing songs together, annoy each other, or just stare out the window and imagine life...thinking through the big things.

Then again, it may cut down on the ever popular, "are we there yet?!?!"

That phrase was not uttered one time on our trip on Sunday...Not once.

13 July 2008

Fast Cars and Expensive Yo-Yo's...

Phew.

Now that was a weekend...as a matter of fact, I packed so much into the last 2 days (well, almost 3 if you count Friday night as a day) that it may take me an entire week to blog about what went on...so, you'd better just pull up a chair and plan to stay a while.
(thank you cardata.com for the Corvette photo)

As you may remember
me mentioning, my 20 year high school reunion was this weekend, and I had planned not to go, as I found the cost prohibiting (that and I'm wanting to spend all that dough on the girls weekend out in a few weeks...because that's how I roll) Well...after my high school friends started arriving in town, I received a few calls...and decided that I would try to stay up late Friday night and jump downtown to meet up with everyone after the cocktail evening...Luckily I was at the Airstream, and Rich was committed to helping me stay up.

It worked...and I saw a lot of old friends later that night.

The next morning I woke up early with a sleep hangover (that would be lack of sleep as I got home at about midnight...without even drinking any alcoholic beverages...yawn) with plans to go to both yoga and the farmers market with Megan...but, those plans changed when I got a call from my friend Shaker inviting me out to breakfast.

After catching up, we decided to attend the family picnic together...he wanted to drive. Apparently there was some horrible mix-up at the rental car agency which resulted in him getting a bright yellow convertible Corvette to drive for the weekend. Well, there's nothing wrong with that, now is there? I felt all Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion pulling up to the picnic and was about to tell everyone that I had invented Post-It's, when I realized that most of the people I was seeing were people that had known what I've been doing since high school...so that wouldn't work. They also told me that I should just come to the big event at the reunion that night after dinner was served...

So, what the heck?! I mean, I'm up for an adventure...sneaking into the reunion...which is when I roped both Dina and Charlie in as well.

Seeing as Charlie and I graduated the same year, and people were asking about him...they were immediately included in on our evil plans. Oh yes, did I mention that Rich was jumping at the chance to come to the reunion as well? (He was, which surprised me, seeing as he didn't even go to his own reunion...having him there was wonderful...not only did I have my very own personal photographer and paparazzi, but I got to introduce him to my crew...oh we girls had fun at school) There were also several people that have been reading our blogs that we didn't know about before the reunion...One friend (Hi Chris!! It was so great to see you again!!) accidentally found my blog through Rich after researching HDR photos...and my friend Rene has been following both of us for quite some time...and they both wanted to meet Rich...

It was also perfect to have Rich there, because the four of us could only stay for about an hour (Charlie and Dina because of the sitter...Rich and I because we had big plans for Sunday that started early in the morning) and Rich kept me on track (and I swear, that is not my beer I'm holding up there...honestly, I was holding it for a friend, I couldn't both drink and visit with everyone)

It seems like one hour was the perfect time to catch up with everyone that I could remember knowing in high school that was at the party...we had the largest graduating class to go through at the time (450...I know, a very small number compared to other places) and not a lot of people came back for this reunion...and every once in a while I saw someone that I couldn't remember knowing...the band that performed that night was actually Kurt King's band, and they were good, but a little loud. I was wishing that there was some 80's music to go along with the evening, but it was not to be (although the band played some Black Sabbath and ACDC...but sadly, no Depeche Mode or Tears For Fears)

As you can see, I am wearing my glasses in these pictures as well...which is quite unusual for me to do in pictures...but, I didn't remember to take them off, and besides, if I had? I probably would not have recognized a whole lot of other people...and I may have hurt myself bumping into things, or embarrassed myself by talking to chairs...

So, there's that.

There were several people we missed a lot: Amy McG, Suzie, Shawna, Doug, Arthur, Chris Lane, Chris Cupcha, Gretchen...and a whole slew of others...and there were a few Hottie McHottersons that were pointed out to me (yes, they were also cute in high school) but I think I was with the cutest guy there...

Also, the most forgiving one after I unsuccessfully juggled some of Rich's lenses at the wedding we were photographing...I scared myself to death as I watched the bag I was carrying open up and then I watched the lenses roll away onto a concrete floor, and I didn't feel any better after picking one up and heard the sickening tinkle of broken glass either (it was only a shattered filter...thank all that is holy...go team filter...and on a lens that Rich hardly uses, so he was totally calm about it...can you tell that I still feel horrible about it??? I just know how important Rich's photography equipment is to him and I would never intentionally do anything to damage it, or anyone's belongings for that matter, plus? Photography things are quite expensive to replace) I was on the verge of tears for quite some time before the reunion while also nursing a continuous sinking feeling that wouldn't go away and Rich jollied me out of it by letting me know that everyone has accidents and I was still a great assistant, and of course we will still be a team in the future. It is so reassuring to know that even though we enjoy spending time together, after looking at the pictures we took, we make also make a great photo team (I will be buying him a new filter as well before our next gig...although he let me make it up to him immediately by buying a soy pizza for dinner) We got some wonderful shots of the wedding...and finished in time to eat and change and run downtown, as we kind of had the matchy-matchy outfits going on...white shirt, tan skirt and black shoes...well, except that I was technically wearing the skirt, and Rich opted to wear pants (although, you know he has the legs to pull off a skirt!) and since Rich had remarked earlier that we looked like the hired help (or more like the waitstaff) we decided to dress a bit differently for the reunion...cause' we had to represent...

Plus? Apparently attempting to use someones camera lenses as expensive yo-yo's tends to make one sweat a lot...

and it would have worked if I knew how to tie knots!!

(Too early to joke? Yeah...I think so, I still have that sinking feeling...ugh)

11 July 2008

Rain...Yo...

Last night on the way to the gym I found myself driving through a rainstorm. This would be the same rainstorm that not only hurled pea sized hail into Snap Snap that afternoon, it was also the same storm that made the electricity go out as well.

It was only for 5 minutes, but...it was indeed out.

I decided to brave
the rain that was still pouring down out of the sky and go for some afternoon cardio and yoga (it's inside, so I was safe from all the thunder and lightning that was still surrounding us) On the last road I turn down before I get to the gym I saw a young man struggling as he was walking through the rain. Well, he was actually trying to strut all cool like...acting as if walking in a downpour was an everyday thing. But, as I was passing him I noticed a few things:

  • He was wearing a zip up hoodie...he was not wearing the hood.
  • He did have a hat on...but it was backwards with the brim on the back of his head.
  • He was wearing big baggy pants with about 2 feet of very wet denim material dragging out behind him.

I was chuckling
to myself a bit. Here he was, in a downpour, walking outside with all the things on his person to protect him from the elements...only homie wasn't willing to use any of them. I'm thinking it was in the name of fashion (Now, that's dedication to the cause) but I'm not sure...

I'm sitting at
Foolsewoode right now looking out at the dark clouds again today...listening to the thunder. I know I will be bringing the umbrella to work...and I'll use it when I'm out walking.

My 20th high school reunion
is this weekend, and I've decided not to go. I thought the cost was prohibitive (specially since Ms. D and I are off to our big weekend soon...I thought the money would be better spent in Sephora or Anthropologie instead) Plus? Rich and I are shooting a wedding tomorrow night...and I'm using that as a happy excuse not to go. I keep waiting to feel bad about not going, but I actually don't. I still keep in touch with a lot of my friends from high school, and if they're in town, they all know where to find me (plus? I've heard of a party and I know where to find everyone after the events if I'm so inclined)

I hope you all have an amazing weekend...

10 July 2008

A Walk in The Dells...


Last evening, after reading and chuckling to all of your comments about Crocs (I think we've got divided yay's and nay's...as to be expected, but you guys are all good sports and we all have different tastes in footwear, which makes it that much more exciting to foot watch) I popped out to the Airstream for a little evening visit.

Rich had decided to host a little hike into The Dells for Josh and invited me to come along. Well, I hate to miss the chance for even more exercise during the day...OK, actually I haven't been out hiking in The Dells with Rich for quite some time, as we've been quite busy this summertime.

So, out into The Dells we went.

It was quite cloudy in the distance, so it looked as if someone was getting rain...which made it nice and cool for all the hopping around on the rocks we did...which didn't keep me from sweating.

It also made me wonder with all the working out I do at the gym...why in heavens name was I huffing and puffing so much scaling all these rocks?

good grief.

Rich was trying his best to reassure me that working out in the gym is different. I don't know though...I still sweat and huff and puff as much...whatever.

We made it back to the Airstream just in time to witness a wonderful sunset. I suppose I could be tired of the sunsets here, but honestly? I haven't seem to see many this year...and with all the busyness it was a wonderful treat...

good friends, rock hopping...sunsets...

Who could ask for more?


(see more pics at my Flickr)

09 July 2008

Eavesdropping...

Synopsis: Sometimes you've just got to wonder why you choose your particular career.

Setting: Random Resale Clothing Store
*downtown*

Wife: "Do you think _______ (insert appropriate picky teenager's name whom all of a sudden has more taste than anyone else in the known world here) would like this top?"

Husband: "I don't know...I really don't...I guess I just don't know about those things anymore..."

Clothing Store Owner: (using her inside the head voice) (and her inside the head roll-of the-eyes) Well, let's see here...you're wearing green crocs and by the smell of it...a bottle of self-tanning lotion, so in this instance, I'm thinking the young lady in question may be right.

I know these are popular shoes...and I may have just offended someone...but, as these are described as beach clogs and we're in Arizona, far from water...I just wonder. Plastic enclosed shoes in the desert seem like a strange choice for footwear to me...yes, I see that they have air holes, but unless you're using them to store snakes, I still wonder about the plastic-ness...although they come in a range of rainbow colors...

I suppose though, one should be happy that the man was not wearing those little charms in them.

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