Dreams, Moments, Travels
Citizens of Phoenix, Arizona, know nothing about the Giant Cactus Robots that control the lives and actions of their conformist drone existence. With great care I secretly photographed one of the mind-control beacons with its head off – fortunately for me, I was wearing my tin-foil body armor and helmet. If anyone tells you these are stealth 40-foot cell towers camouflaged as saguaro cacti, don’t believe them, they are part of the conspiracy.
Meow…HAH, made you look. Sitting outside a cafe a man with a bird is hanging out. The cockatoo had nothing to say. I tried coaxing her to tell me her name, but her feathers were ruffled and her beak was sealed. The guy told me she was upset because she wanted to sit on his shoulder. He on the other hand didn’t want another slimy bird poop dripping down his back.
This isn’t literally my neighbor, it is from one of his Labradors. Maybe the neighbor sees his two dogs as making poops in the image of their master and hence they must be seen by all. Could my neighbor have a poop allergy and would break into hives coming into contact with this pile of canine scat? The dog did unload next to another neighbor’s Harley; maybe he, too, hates that noisemaker as much as we do and was leaving him a message? No matter what, I will get my revenge. I have been watching this neighbor and am training my cat so when next summer comes around and he leaves a window open, I’ll shove Murphy the Cat into his apartment to leave one of her special Seafood Captain’s Choice bombers that have been known to force Caroline and me out of our own front door.
The taste and smell of a local flavor or aroma can be one of the best reminders to bring forth memories of good times past. From Hawaii, we frequently buy Stone Cookies, the smell of Eucalyptus soap from Big Sur takes us back to the coast, the wish for a Key Lime Pie on a Stick keeps our memories of Key West alive and well. Pralines from The Praline Connection in New Orleans are like pralines from nowhere else. The Belgian Hot Chocolate at the El Tovar Dining Room on the rim of the Grand Canyon may be the greatest in the world, but you can’t mail order it, nor can you mail order fresh strawberries from Oxnard, California – yum. While in San Francisco we picked up a sampler of Scharffenberger chocolates to bring our sweet memories rushing back.
This is Sharon, she has been renting Caroline and I cars for our long road trips for more than five years now. Sharon is the franchise owner of a local outlet of Budget Rent A Car at 17023 N. Black Canyon Highway in Phoenix. Living in Phoenix, It is a rarity to do business with the same person for such a long period of time and we are super appreciative of it. Our car was due yesterday but I was so exhausted and short of time that I requested an extra day for the same rate and sure enough, lucky me, got it. Unless Sharon is planning on retiring early, we will continue doing business with her long into the future.
I’m so tired. Home at 2:30 a.m., up again at 7:00 – we slept in. The litter pan is full, the mailbox is full, but my head is empty. The rental car will have to be returned tomorrow. I am going to have a bite to eat and go back to sleep. Slept most of the day and went to sleep early in the evening. Nothing unpacked, didn’t listen to voice-mail, couldn’t cook. Maybe there is some truth to those words people keep telling me, that as I get older we won’t be able to travel as we have been. Right now those nearly 1500 miles (2430km) in two days of driving are taking their toll.