Still here.
Here’s a horrible thought. If you’re not good enough in life, when you die, will you know? Or will you just keep doing the same things every day, the Zoom meetings, the spreadsheets, the reports, the lame TV repeats, and on and on an on? I make snarky comments about this being Hell, but what if one day it really is?
That would suck.
Filed under Paul, Photography, Travel
At the humongous mall in Arizona where the IMAX theater was where we watched “Project Hail Mary,” there was a carousel.
They’re bright, colorful, and full of whimsical art.
There’s often upbeat, cheezy music, not unlike that used by ice cream trucks, and we know how much I love ice cream trucks.
I did not ride the merry go ’round, I just watched it. I’m still emotionally compromised by Ray Bradbury’s carousel in “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” and the one in “American Gods” didn’t help. For all of their beauty and whimsy and child-like wonder, both Gaiman and Brandbury recognized the underlying current of horror.
Ooooooh! That took a turn!
Filed under Art, Photography, Travel
I do like going to see different ballparks, both the big, MLB parks and the smaller, more intimate, minor league and spring training fields. Three weeks ago we got in three games at Spring Training in Phoenix.
We were supposed to have a 1:00 afternoon game at Surprise Stadium, but the forecast was for 108° at game time and in the interest of not killing the players, the fans, or the stadium staff, MLB moved all games at all parks in Arizona to start at 18:30. When it was only like 102°. Balmy!!
Tempe Diablo is the Angels’ home park and this is something like the fourth or fifth game I’ve been to there. Again, 105° at game time, but we played on. They said our seats would be in the shade “after a couple of innings.” They lied through their teeth. In the sun the whole game, sizzling like bacon on a pan. Most of the sane fans went and found a spot to stand up on the concourse in the shade.
On Saturday the Angels were off, on their way back to LA for the Freeway Series against the Dodgers, so we went to American Family Fields to watch the Brewers. Again, nice seats near the front, right behind home plate – IN THE SUN. I asked one of the ushers about the shade situation, he said it would reach our seats “soon,” but in the meantime, there were plenty of empty seats in the shade a few rows back, so feel free to move to one of those and DON’T BE STUPID. That seemed like good advice, so we moved.
We’ll see when we get to a game here. When we were in West Hills we usually tried to get down to Anaheim for an Angels game once or twice a year, and maybe to a game at Dodger Stadium. That may or may not happen from Hesperia.
However, there are two nearby minor leage parks out here. Rancho Cucamonga is only 30 minutes away and the Angels have a single-A affiliate there, the Quakes. Nearby, this is the first year for the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Dodgers’ single-A affiliate. It shouldn’t be too hard to get to a game or two at one or both of those sites.
Play ball!
Filed under LA Angels, Photography, Sports, Travel
Back when we were in Arizona for some Spring Training baseball games and a birthday celebration, we stopped at some random deli in Temp for breakfast on the way to the Angels’ game at Tempe Diablo.
This was outside our window, next to the drive through lane. The saddest, scraggliest, most abused stump of a palm tree that I had ever seen.
Other trees along the driveway were healthy and doing fine. This one was on its last legs.
I felt so bad for it. I wanted to run out and dump my large Diet Coke & ice on it to give its roots the tiniest bit of moisture to help it start its comeback. I wanted to go find a nursery and get a gallon of Miracle Gro to set up an IV. I wanted to go home and come back with my really excellent stick to lash to it to prop it up, to give it a crutch to lean on.
I did not do any of those things.
But I can’t help but wonder. If it had been a puppy or horse that was tied up outside in the 108°F heat without food or water, the ASPCA, the police, and Channel 7 Eyewitness News would be all over a rescue. But a palm tree? Nada.
It’s probably just me.
Filed under Flowers, Paul, Photography, Travel
When we were in Phoenix two weeks ago, we were in a third floor room and just outside was the parking lot flagpole. Which at one point I found occupied.
Your standard issue, Mark I, common pigeon.
There were a lot of them around. This one got the best seat in the house!
Filed under Birds, Photography, Travel
About 15 1/2 years ago, I believe we were on the Mariner of the Seas. The Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta 7-day tour of the Mexican west coast.
This was the grand staircase onboard. Very grand. Very staircase-y. Just ever so slightly tilted and off-center. Much like me.
I’m whiny and pissed off tonight, stewing about many frustrating things. A couple of deadlines met, a couple of goals reached, all good – offset by several things that make me wish I had a punching bag to work out on.
I have a gym membership.
They’re open 24/7.
I wonder if they have a punching bag.
I wonder if it would actually help, or just leave me with two broken hands.
I know the answer. The way today has gone…
Filed under Paul, Photography, Travel
We’re home. Four and a half days was wonderful, but not nearly long enough. The problem with staying away any longer is how hard it is to come back. Somewhere out there is a breaking point (or a healing point) where you don’t. And I probably have to.
Eight hours across the Mojave again, rest stops in reverse order, 105° and worse. Hissy was a champion!
Do you have any idea how long the lines are to get breakfast anywhere in Phoenix on a Sunday morning after church has let out? 45 minutes to an hour or more at one restaurant after another…
Filed under Photography, Travel
Go see it. Soon. Often. Repeatedly. On the biggest screen you can. It’s outstanding.
I’ve been waiting to see it since I first started hearing that it was in the works, but I knew it was opening while we would be in Arizona for my birthday vacation trip. But something in my online activity to get hotels and baseball tickets got some algorithm triggered about AZ, and I saw a post of some sort somewhere about a Phoenix theater that had a full-sized IMAX screen and was showing it.
That’s a BIG freakin’ screen!
If you’ve read “Project Hail Mary” and loved it, you’ll adore the movie. If you’ve read it and didn’t like it, why are you reading my site?! If you’ve read haven’t read it, I envy that you get to read it for the first time, you’re going to love it and love the movie.
No spoilers, but all of the things I heard folks worrying about before the film came out, particularly regarding potential changes in the plot, are not legitimate concerns. It’s wonderful.
Oh, and we went to our third Spring Training game earlier today, the Padres against the Brewers at the Brewers’ facility. It was 105° AGAIN, we had great seats in the sixth row and in the sun, so we bailed and moved back about twenty rows to some empty seats in the shade.
Now to try to get some sleep so that I’m not falling asleep tomorrow when driving back home. This might not be THE noisiest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, but it’s on the short list!
Filed under Movies, Photography, Sports, Travel
Day Two of the Spring Training birthday vacation road trip. Today at the Angels’ home stadium for spring training, Tempe Diablo.
Emphasis for the day was “Diablo”!
It got up to 104° and we were in full sunlight for three-plus hours, the Anvil of God!
It was crowded up on the concourse in the shade – not so much out in the sun. Mad dogs, Englishmen, and Angels fans, apparently.
The good news is that we won again, beating the White Sox 4-3. Sweet!!
Filed under LA Angels, Photography, Travel
And winning! Well, the Angels got a nice win, turned 70. It was a group effort. We all had to do our part.
The dangerous, extreme heat across the Southwest messed a bit with our plans – we originally were going to have the baseball game in Surprise at 1:00, then go down to Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa afterward. But all MLB games got moved to 6:00 to avoid killing anyone (fans or players or coaches or umpires) in 108°F (44.2°C) conditions.
So dinner was a baseball hot dog, soda, and ice cream. The fundamentals!
Surprise Stadium, spring training home of both the Texas Rangers and KC Royals was lovely. No lines for food or drink all might, except for the ice cream, which had a line over 20 minutes long.9
8° still at 19:45. One ice cream stand. You do the math. But really good ice cream!
It was nice to see the Angels come back late and win, a couple of kids with no names on their uniforms came through to tie it in the 8th and then go ahead in the 9th. ⚾️ They probably still won’t make the big club next week, but they might end up in Salt lake City instead of Rancho Cucamonga, and come September, who knows??
70 isn’t so bad so far!
As for the ‘do, I got a “cool hair!” from a pre-tween who was immediately shooshed by his mother. At one of the AZ rest stops yesterday I got a double take from a macho, stud muffin, manly man truck driver on the way back to his parked rig, followed by a stare, sideye, and what I assumed was an overtly homophobic sneer and snarl. (I waved 👋🏽 HI!! 💋) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
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We Love The Stars Too Fondly 