Conversational...

 

"Are you chatting up people in the neighborhood, again, Jim?  Shaking some hands and doing some campaigning?" 

No, but thanks for asking.  Joan wanted to go to Sprouts to get some fruit, so I proposed a lunch date at In & Out Burger - we have a new one pretty close to us, and just across the road from Sprouts.  And by "pretty new," I mean it opened last month.  The crowds after their opening were crazy; to the point where they had people directing traffic for the drive-up lanes.  We waited a couple week, then went inside for burgers mid-afternoon... and it was pleasantly not crowded.  Well, except for the number of employees they had roaming around.

Today was much like that previous mid-afternoon visit: we didn't have to wait in line to order, and there were more tables open than occupied.  Easy.  While waiting for our order to be called, a young man employee came by and asked how our day was going.  And then, he didn't leave.  It was clear that he didn't have anything else to be doing, so I would imagine his boss told him to be friendly and chat up the customers.  When we got beyond the "How are you doing?" stage, he started asking us things like "How long have you lived here in Phoenix," then eventually on to "How old is your daughter?"  I think he was stuck for a good reply when I said, "She's just a youngster - only 52."

Looking at him, I would guess he was 14, but they probably have rules about minimum age for hiring... and maybe it was his clean-cut look (seems to be what In & Out looks for in their employees).  He told us he was here for the opening of this place and that they brought him here from northern California.  We visited right up until they called our number, then he went to pick up our food for us.  Nice touch; not necessary.  I was getting concerned that we were going to have to bring him with us when we left so he'd have someone to talk to.

Yeah, kidding.  Sorta.  Mid-meal, a young lady employee came by to see how we were doing.  While we were chewing.  Nice young people.  I know they had a LOT of extra employees while getting open and getting everyone trained, and read that they were bring in people from other In & Outs... I just figured it was from other ones in the Phoenix area, not that they were bringing them in from out of state.

This may be where the next generation of census takers comes from.  ;-)

    

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A Blast From The Past...

I got a phone call this afternoon; the caller ID said it was from Pocatello, ID.  I didn't answer it.  The voice mail came from a friend I haven't visited with since 2011: Captain Brent, one of the captains I worked with in the Tetons.

Brent and I visited for over a half hour, just catching up.  He is 13 years older than I am, and he considered going back to work this summer in the Tetons.  Until he found out he would have to live in a dorm... yeah, with a bunch of (expletive deleted) kids.  Well, that and the fact that he would have to go through the whole process again to get his Master Captain License.  Like me, he let it lapse when he thought there would be no interest in running boats again.  Well, unlike me, 'cause I won't be doing that again.  

Still, it was fun to visit with Brent again.  He was checking to see if "we were still alive and how we're doing."  Answer: yes, and fine.  He still lives in Idaho and was surprised to hear that we moved from the Tropical Tip to the desert: "So, no boat?  Or, are you keeping it somewhere when you need to get away?"

Answer: "No boat, just fine with that, and we have our Roadtrek for if/when we need to get away."  Brent lived on his boat at the marina in Colter Bay when we were both working there.  His kids convinced him that the boat was too much (at his age) and he sold it... thus, why he would have to stay in a dorm if he actually went back there.  I suggested he could buy an RV - we did great with our HitchHiker 5th wheel when we were in the Tetons... pretty comfortable living, actually.  But, I digress.

It was a nice visit.  Brent and I got along well when we worked together.  He invited us to swing by his place if we ever make it back to the Tetons (it is on the way there).  Who knows?  It could happen... I really do like the Tetons.  But, a short visit there wouldn't be the same as getting to spend spring to autumn... but, it is so beautiful there.  And, cool.

A look back...

If nominated, I will not run...

 

If elected, I will not serve.

If you said, "Pat Paulson, from the Smothers Brothers TV show, during the 1968 election," you are my people, and you get 30 bonus points.  If you said, "William Tecumseh Sherman, 1884," you are more scholarly than I am, but you still get 30 bonus points.

The developer of our community has sold out all the lots and is finishing the last of the builds.  In the next month or two, they will be turning over the HOA responsibilites to a Board of Directors to be elected by the homeowners here.  I have already been involved in discussions with the lady who serves in that capacity (put in place by the developer) regarding things we've done in our yard (pergola, shed, pavers) and some community concerns.  She suggested that I run for that board.

I have decided to throw my hat in the ring.  And I rarely wear a hat.  I mentioned this to Mark yesterday, and he said... "Watch what you wish for - a lot of work for no return."  I get that.  No one seems to like their HOA, especially if they are in violation of any of the community rules, or when they write the check for the HOA dues.  There is already a lot of "What do we get for our money?" comments on social media.  My reason to run for the board is to keep it from becoming a petty association that fines you if there is a weed in your yard or you haven't trimmed your plants "to community standards."  I expect it to be regular complaints and no pats on the back.

In the past, I have said I could fix a lot of the world's problems if I were made Emperor of the World, by unanimous proclamation.  I'm not seeing any movement in that direction.  We'll see how this plays out.

A Truly Amazing Concert...

 

Last night, we met Mark and Cindy at MIM (Musical Instrument Museum) for a Tommy Emmanuel concert.  Joan and I have seen him live before, but he was even more animated for this crowd.  Just TE and 3 different guitars.  He had his own people running lights and sound, but it was a sparse stage setting...

 He had the crowd going from the start of his first song.  If you aren't familiar, TE is one of the most talented guitar players... ever.  He plays his own arrangements of popular songs, as well as originals.  You don't have to be a guitar player to appreciate his playing... but, if you are a guitar player, you will be even more impressed.

I was concerned that I may have "over sold" what to expect to Mark... and he was just as awe-struck as I was.  Joan and Cindy were impressed, too (Cindy said, "That is one of the best concerts I've ever seen!").  Take the 3 best guitar players you've ever heard; have them play together... that is what Tommy Emmanuel sounds like playing solo.

During intermission (TE did two sets), Joan went to the "merch table" and got us each a t-shirt and got me a guitar pic.  I told her the talent does come with the pic, and not to expect improved playing on my part.

The second set was equally impressive - the energy built, then he ended with a softer Paul Simon song.  Of course, the crowd wanted an encore (not sometime I've often seen at MIM) - he came out and did an acapella song.  To be fair, when you can play guitar like that, singing is secondary... he sang that last song with a lot of heart.

What a great evening's entertainment!  And a spectacular venue at the MIM Theater.

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Music with the guys today at Mark's house.  Of course, there was some discussion of last night's concert.  And then, we made some music.  One of the guys, Tom, who lives in Iowa but spends winters in Scottsdale, is here now.  Two of the other guys couldn't make it today, but there were still 5 of us there.

Portable Dressing Room...

 

I am not what you'd call a fashionista.  Pretty much the opposite.  My wardrobe generally comes from Sam's Club and Costco.  Today, Costco was on the list of places we planned to visit.  I didn't have anything in mind, except maybe a couple sleep t-shirts.  Alas, they did not have the short sleeve version of the brand I like... Joan was doing a sales job on the long sleeve version that they did have.  And, a 2-pack instead of a 3, 4, or 6 pack.

While looking around, I found another flannel shirt I kinda liked.  Joan was extolling the virtues of flannel-lined jeans when she saw them in the men's section.  Less than $20 and they were lighter weight than the two pair of flannel-lined pants I gave to the Goodwill after declaring "no more fun summer jobs."  Yes, there will be some cooler weather ahead, and these will be comfortable on the motorcycle.  Sold.  Joan found a couple things for herself, too.

Now, if you've ever bought clothes at these warehouse places, you know that they don't have dressing rooms.  If you get home and it doesn't fit, you have to make another trip back for a refund or an exchange.

Today, we drove the van to run our errands...

 Yep - it makes a good "dressing room" when you're day-tripping with it.  Everything fit, so we didn't have to go back in.  That wasn't the purpose of taking the van today; I just like to drive it.

And while we're on the subject of Costco, another first for me: I have never had one of their $1.50 hot dog combos.  Yep, my food tastes are pretty similar to my clothing choices.  It was a good hot dog; better than the similar offering at Sam's Club.

I would call this a pretty good day in the desert.  39º when I got up this morning, but it is supposed to get to 72º for a high.  And, sunny.  We have a concert planned for this evening: Tommy Emmanuel at MIM.  We've seen him before - a guitar player extrordinaire!  We'll be meeting Mark and Cindy there; I think this is their first time seeing TE.  I am tingly with anticipation... TMI?

Outdoor Time...

 

"Are you rubbing it in for those in the frozen northland?" you ask.  No.  I spent plenty of time in the cold and snow, and I feel for for those still in it... whether by choice or necessity.  The Facebook Memory from 11 years ago was us driving north to Nebraska for Joan's Mom's funeral... and bitter cold temps (well below zero).

Today here in the desert is closer to the average temperatures, with a predicted high in the mid to upper 60s.  An overnight low this morning of 38º.  But, bright sunshine and blue skies.

It was after noon before Murphy got to go outside.  He walked alongside me while I took garbage around to the far side of the house.  Steph and Dan were outside, trimming Rubina's nails... Murph looked on, with curiosity.  Then, he swung by their patio door to say "Hi!" to the boys...

 That's Alfie and Tango inside... they don't get to go outside, but they like to visit with Murph through the screen.  Then, Murphy watched Steph, Dan, and Rubina playing with a couple of her toys...

Rubina wanted to show her toys to Murphy - he was not a big fan of that big dog coming playfully close.  Rubina is playful, Murphy feels the need to establish his male alpha-ness.  He will open one of those big front claws while Rubina "dances" around him.  Neither does the other any harm.

It was 67º when Steph and Dan were sitting outside in short sleeves.  At 2:00 in the afternoon.  Life in the desert.

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A pretty sunset to wrap up the outdoor time today...

Editing...

 

Another test.  This time, the video we shot yesterday, taking the Roadtrek to the White Tank Mountain Regional Park.  This was a test for editing two different cameras and the wireless mics.  Not ready for "Prime Time," but it is a proof of concept that this will work.  The toughest part of this project was syncing the audio with the video... life would be SO much easier if I could connect two DJI mics with the DJI Action 4 Camera.  But, noooooo.

Joan hasn't seen this video, yet, but she lived it, and said, "This would be the most boring video for anyone but us to watch."  And that is why the only place you can see this video is through the link on this blog post...

This is considered "unlisted" on my YouTube channel.  There will come a time when we actually go somewhere with the van (hey, stuff comes up) and I will be ready to get some (hopefully) more interesting video.

If you click on this video link within the next hour or so (it's 5:17 pm Mountain Standard Time here), it will be more compressed than usual - YouTube is taking its time to process it up to HD.  On the bright side, it only took a few minutes to upload in this compressed state.

In the meantime, I have to say that I really enjoy driving the van.  It isn't fast or sporty, but I really like the driving perspective... and it rides a lot better than the Aspect.

To The White Tank Mountains...

 

Not to be confused with the White Mountains, which are a much larger mountain range in eastern Arizona.  Today, we went to the White Tank Mountains Regional Park, in the far western valley.  If you are thinking, "Hey, didn't you two circumnavigate the White Tanks a time or two on your scoots?", you have a good memory.  And even though it has nothing to do with music, you get 10 bonus points.

We were looking for someplace to go, with a plan of using the new Sony camera and the DJI Action 4 for video, along with the two DJI Mic2 wireless microphones.  This is another experiment... one that resulted in a LOT of video to wade through, and the discovery that the new Sony camera is not as well suited to video in the van as the DJI Action 4 is.  Hand-holding the Sony, there is a lot of shaky footage... not a failure if we learn from it (and we did).  Plus, we got the opportunity to explore a Maricopa County Regional Park that I've been wanting to check out.

Leaving from home, I was driving while Joan was getting video of the view out the front of the van...

 That image was taken the DJI Action 4 clipped to the driver's side sun visor.  It's a wide angle view, so it works pretty well.

We took the Loop 202 to I-10 to the Loop 303, then west to the park.  Once into the park, we drove around a bit to look things over; it is a fairly narrow 2-lane road through the park.  Rugged terrain.  There are 3 campgrounds: one is a group tenting area, another for trailers less than 16' long, tents, and no hook-ups; there are showers and decent bathrooms.  The one that I liked best is their "family" campground - it can accommodate almost any size RV (depending on the site) and has power (30 and 50 amp) connections and water; there is a dump station campers can use near the entrance to this loop.

We swapped drivers for a while...

 We stopped for some snacks and to stretch our legs...

There is a $7 per vehicle entrance fee, which we paid when first getting there.  It does not include camping (and we weren't going to camp today), but gives you access to all the trails in the park; we plan to come back another time and do some of those trails.

We decided to stop at the Visitors Center on our way out to check on an annual pass...

The Visitors Center is very nice; connected to a large library.  We looked around...

 

Apparently, mountain lion sightings happen here.  We then visited with a lady at the desk; got a senior discount on the annual pass, plus she deducted the $7 we paid today... such a deal...

 

The pass is good for a year at any of the 12 Regional Parks in Maricopa County; this will give up places to go, 'cause the price is right!

Back to the Loop 303 and onto I-10, where we pulled off on Litchfield Road for a late lunch.  Then back down I-10 to a Pilot Travel Center, where we filled up the gas tank for $2.75 per gallon (with our Flying J/Pilot Good Sam card.  We are all about the discounts today.

A beautiful day here in the desert: it got to 81º for a high today (yes, another record); and 135 days since any measurable precipitation.  It was interesting to see how much the area along Loop 303 has grown: scads of housing developments as we went north, and a bunch of huge warehouses and fulfillment centers (Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Boeing, etc, etc) in the miles north of I-10 along the Loop.  We have stayed in this area quite a few times when we'd bring the 5th wheel, then the motorhome, to spend a couple months here in the winter.  It used to be farms (cotton and dairy), different nurseries (plants, flowers, palm trees), and a lot of mostly barren desert... and now looks like this massive development has always been here.

I'll sort through all the video we shot today to see if there is anything to add to the post.

We added this front plate to the van yesterday (Arizona doesn't issue front license plates)...