What A Weekend!
So the trip, also known as the unofficial 20 year reunion, that was planned on a way advance whim is now over. Friday morning I boarded a plane to Phoenix. The trip was planned for Hallowe'en weekend because it should have been down to a reasonable temperature by now. When I landed at PHX, 3pm on Friday it was 95 degrees.
From the airport, I caught a shuttle to the car rental building where I had a difficult time finding the agency (note: do not EVER rent from Payless car rental). My $12 a day car wound up costing me $171 (and I thought Seattle fucked travelers). They did "upgrade" me to a Chevy Cobalt (a filthy, grimey, smelly Chevy Cobalt). From there I got on the highway and faced traffic that was vaguely reminescent of Los Angeles. I arrived at my friend Warren's apartment at 4:30. I actually made very good time but Stacy hadn't arrived yet. She arrived about an hour later with a bottle of wine. We drank, eventually it cooled down and we got costumes on. I dressed as a pirate and she as a naughty angel, with the assistance of Warren's daughter and one of her friends, we dressed Warren as a bearded lady. We finally got to dinner around 9. I was lit, starving and tired but the food was good and I had caffeine. From there we drove around looking for places we lived (visited the house I had bought when I was 18, it's an even bigger dump now than it was then). We ended the evening with some ice cream. Warren and I stayed up talking until 4:30 he then woke me at 8 so I could head to my sister's house.
I drove my very tired ass across town and arrived at Jenn's 11ish. I met her soon to be husband and two of her children (she has four). Eddie is a wonderful man and her kids are both outgoing without being obnoxious. A very nice change from what I generally encounter with kids. That evening we met up with Stacy and her husband Jason, Warren and Craig for dinner at a restaurant that is in a building I used to work in. After that most of us (Jenn and Eddie had to get home) went to Jason Mark's house. I finally got to meet Jason's girlfriend Julia (who has the most incredible body I've seen an a woman her age). We stayed there talking until midnight then Stacy drove Warren home and I drove Craig home (and we're both trying to figure out why our male friends don't drive). I also got a much needed massage from Craig (it's good to have friends in the healing arts) and met his cats, Trouble and Kirby.
Sunday was family day. We went to the zoo where Stacy, Andy and his daughter Aurelia met us. Aurelia is probably the most intelligent and polite child I have ever met (she asked questions about the animals that most adults wouldn't think of and you could see her process the information as you responded). It was still a little too hot for me but I survived. Shade and water are good things. I had dinner with Stacy that evening then Andy met us for a drink. Monday morning Stacy met me at the car rental return and we had breakfast at the airport. About halfway home I realized I was in the early stages of a cold.
It was an incredible trip but I'm now trying to reconcile the fact that the people I love most all live in places I hate while I live in a place I love surrounded by people I can't stand. It made me finally realize when you are born with the soul of a gypsy, your heart has many homes.
Here are some photos of my chosen family:
(L-to-R: Warren {quite possibly my future husband}, my soul sister Stacy {Space Kitty}, me, Craig {Psycho} - aka my partners in crime in high school)
With my baby sister (bio & chosen) Jenn (yes, that skinny, little thing has four children)