When I lived on the East Coast, I wanted to move back to Phoenix. For 7 years, I droned on about the grandeur of the west - the spirit of Arizona. When I finally decided to leave Richmond, I told everyone that I was coming home. I wandered through the streets and my favorite places in my mind's eye. I desperately wanted to be there - here - in the desert, in my perfectly photoshopped memories of mountaintops and summer swimming pools. I told my friends, my family who cautioned that "you can never go home again," that I knew my new life in Phoenix would be different - that I didn't want it to be like when I was growing up. And, I truly didn't want it to be the same. I just wanted to be in the place that I loved.
Upon my return to 115+ degree summers and plum colored dusk, I plunged myself into new surroundings with new people, new ideas. I rarely visited the places I used to visit - hardly saw the friends I used to see. I came back to the grown up version of my hometown.
When did it all change? Was it when I went to college? The years I spent in Tacoma and Seattle finding my voice and expanding my mind didn't make the rest of the world stand still. And though I continued to dream of my home - the Phoenix of the 1970's & 80's - when I moved East, it truly didn't exist anymore and I was too far away to notice.
Today, I left my office in Northwest Phoenix to get lunch at a place I liked when I was younger. I drove past my growing up places - Cortez Pool, Cholla Jr. High, Moon Valley High School, the dirt field we weren't allowed to cross, soccer fields, my grandparents neighborhood, houses of friends long gone and rarely remembered, my brother's baseball diamond. In less than the hour it took for my round trip, I had thought a thousand memories of the things I loved about Phoenix.
I used to think that I missed Phoenix the place. Now I live here...and I still miss it. The reality is that this city of 5,130,632 people is completely different than my memories of childhood.
I feel a little ridiculous now, knowing this obvious fact never occurred to me before today. I never longed for Phoenix while living far away. I just wished for slower days, the long drawn time of youth, peach hued sunsets, slumber parties, hot nights with friends, diving into a cool pool, watching the morning light filter through my bedroom window, stewing in my dark teenage thoughts as a monsoon climbed over the horizon.
Missing Phoenix was my way to miss childhood. I created this place as part of me. It was the only way to feel safe like I did when I was young and invincible. I'm no longer invincible - and the Phoenix part of me is in the past.
I'm ready to go home now.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
"A Las Vacas," part deux
Because there are so many pictures of Prague and Paris, I'm posting the second half of our trip in a few different parts...
Day 8 (Saturday, 3.6.06)
At Prague castle we admired the view:
saw St. Vitus Cathedral - both outside
and inside -
visited tempting castle alleyways,
and St. George's Basilica.
After a nap - we went to the Astronomical Clock,
Starometske Namesti plaza & Tyn Church,
Charles Bridge,
and spent the night lost in Bohemia.
Day 9 (Sunday, 4.6.06)
A little shopping and some final pictures before bording the flight to France.
Saw the Milka cow at the Prague airport - promptly took a picture.
Arrived St. Germain Des Pres hours later and went to the hotel:
Soaked up the view of the Seine and Notre Dame at a late dinner:
to be continued...
Day 8 (Saturday, 3.6.06)
At Prague castle we admired the view:
saw St. Vitus Cathedral - both outside
and inside -
visited tempting castle alleyways,
and St. George's Basilica.
After a nap - we went to the Astronomical Clock,
Starometske Namesti plaza & Tyn Church,
Charles Bridge,
and spent the night lost in Bohemia.
Day 9 (Sunday, 4.6.06)
A little shopping and some final pictures before bording the flight to France.
Saw the Milka cow at the Prague airport - promptly took a picture.
Arrived St. Germain Des Pres hours later and went to the hotel:
Soaked up the view of the Seine and Notre Dame at a late dinner:
to be continued...
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Honorary Queen of The Universe for the Day
Today in Roxyland, I dub thee, Amy Delisa, Queen of the Universe for the Day.
Why does Amy, aka Amu, deserve such an honor?
BECAUSE SHE IS SENDING ME A VIDEOTAPE OF THE SEASON FINALES FOR SOPRANOS & BIG LOVE.
She dug through her dusty storage room to locate her even dustier VCR and then proceeded TO FIGURE OUT how to hook the damn thing up to her television and record from her highly coveted OnDemand channels (because Comcast is so much more evolved than Cox). Do ANY OF YOU know how to hook a VCR up to a TV anymore? Yeah - me neither.
Not only that, but then she MAILED THE TAPES TO ME. No one goes to the post office anymore - do they? No one except the exceptional Amu - and she did that FOR ME.
To all the people who are not Amu, I'm disappointed with you.
Amu's true friendship is my beacon in an otherwise dark and Sopranoless community.
Why does Amy, aka Amu, deserve such an honor?
BECAUSE SHE IS SENDING ME A VIDEOTAPE OF THE SEASON FINALES FOR SOPRANOS & BIG LOVE.
She dug through her dusty storage room to locate her even dustier VCR and then proceeded TO FIGURE OUT how to hook the damn thing up to her television and record from her highly coveted OnDemand channels (because Comcast is so much more evolved than Cox). Do ANY OF YOU know how to hook a VCR up to a TV anymore? Yeah - me neither.
Not only that, but then she MAILED THE TAPES TO ME. No one goes to the post office anymore - do they? No one except the exceptional Amu - and she did that FOR ME.
To all the people who are not Amu, I'm disappointed with you.
Amu's true friendship is my beacon in an otherwise dark and Sopranoless community.
Monday, June 26, 2006
I Demand
I realize there are many problems in this world. Vast suffering, hopeless people, terrible fates, disease, starvation, treachery, violence, and unspeakable horrors.
Because I know this, I shouldn't bitch about the fact that Cox Cable doesn't have OnDemand service.
I'm going to anyway.
COX CABLE DOESN'T HAVE ONDEMAND SERVICE! WTF?
What? What's that you say? How is that possible?
I. haven't. a. damn. clue.
While other cable companies catapulted into the 21st century with the addition of OnDemand years ago, Cox is taking its sweet, let's-see-how-long-we-can-continue-to-screw-people-out-of-this-service time in introducing this necessity.
So you say, "Roxy, your monthly cable bill must be so much cheaper than mine because your cable company obviously and completely sucks harder than a whore on Van Buren."
To which I respond, "Au contraire! Cox has their greedy little fingers on my wad of cash AND I pay more for less than what I used to receive - just like a pimp during Sunday morning payouts."
When I asked the Cox representative if they would be getting OnDemand anytime soon, he informed me that he doesn't know anything about OnDemand - what it is, how it works, or if his company would be providing that service soon.
Again - I ask you - DOES ANYONE ON THIS PLANET HAVE A RECORDING OF THE SEASON FINALES FOR SOPRANOS AND/OR BIG LOVE THEY CAN SEND ME? I'll pay you for the damn thing.
And perhaps I can pay for it by canceling Cox.
Because I know this, I shouldn't bitch about the fact that Cox Cable doesn't have OnDemand service.
I'm going to anyway.
COX CABLE DOESN'T HAVE ONDEMAND SERVICE! WTF?
What? What's that you say? How is that possible?
I. haven't. a. damn. clue.
While other cable companies catapulted into the 21st century with the addition of OnDemand years ago, Cox is taking its sweet, let's-see-how-long-we-can-continue-to-screw-people-out-of-this-service time in introducing this necessity.
So you say, "Roxy, your monthly cable bill must be so much cheaper than mine because your cable company obviously and completely sucks harder than a whore on Van Buren."
To which I respond, "Au contraire! Cox has their greedy little fingers on my wad of cash AND I pay more for less than what I used to receive - just like a pimp during Sunday morning payouts."
When I asked the Cox representative if they would be getting OnDemand anytime soon, he informed me that he doesn't know anything about OnDemand - what it is, how it works, or if his company would be providing that service soon.
Again - I ask you - DOES ANYONE ON THIS PLANET HAVE A RECORDING OF THE SEASON FINALES FOR SOPRANOS AND/OR BIG LOVE THEY CAN SEND ME? I'll pay you for the damn thing.
And perhaps I can pay for it by canceling Cox.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Paris Preview
I'll post the second half of our trip later today or tomorrow morning. In the meantime, enjoy Paris!
Le Tour Eiffel
On the Seine
Outside Musee d'Orsay
Le Tour Eiffel
On the Seine
Outside Musee d'Orsay
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Good Lord!
Does anyone on this Earth have a recording of the season finale for Sopranos and Big Love that they can let me borrow?
I'm beginning to thing that I'm totally screwed and will NEVER see these finales!
I think I'm the only person on the planet that doesn't have a freakin' TiVo.
I'm beginning to thing that I'm totally screwed and will NEVER see these finales!
I think I'm the only person on the planet that doesn't have a freakin' TiVo.
"A Las Vacas," the first week...
Leave Phoenix on Friday 26.5.06
Day 1 (Saturday, 27.5.06)
Arrive Siegburg. Stay at cute Hotel Zum. Party with friends and drink all five selections on the bevvy menu plus champagne, a glass of wine, and some beer. Stumble back to hotel.
Day 2 (Sunday, 28.5.06)
Shop Siegburg.
Go to lovely palace on Rhine.
Husband professess it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Spend time with friends.
Go to Dom in Cologne.
See some windows.
Go to biergarten.
Drink Kolsch. 
Day 3 (Monday, 29.5.06)
Catch metro to Cologne from Siegburg and do some shopping at H&M, my favoritest store. Drink coffee with hubby & Heather.
On the way back to Siegburg, fall UP the flight of stairs while trying to catch the train. Whine a bit about my finger, leg, and ankle.
Go to Bastei,
drink a Kir Royale and a bottle of wine, feel better.
Day 4 (Tuesday, 30.5.06)
Finger is completely f-ed, though ankle feels fine. Go to Apotheke in Siegburg to try and get a splint. No such thing. Instead, get Heparin syrum for swelling. Begin finger exercises as instructed by Physical Therapist friend Heather. Practice flipping people off, ice it down. Tape on mock splint
and go to airport to fly to Berlin. Take pictures of gnomes at the subway in Cologne airport. 
Fly to Berlin and go to KaDeWe. Go to dinner at lovely, traditional German restaurant in East Berlin. Eat great food and drink wonderful wine. Walk through city. Touch the Wall.
Feel monumentally sad at the way the human race destroys itself.
Day 5 (Wednesday, 31.5.06)
Visit Checkpoint Charlie,
see some awesome domes,
Charlottenburg,
, have coffee at cafe at Charlottenburg, 
and go to KaDeWe again. Have incredible evening with friends speaking German, Spanish, and Italian.
Thumb-press orechiette.
Eat mozarella, honeydew and fig vinegar salad, orechiette/gnocchi with sauce from scratch.
Polish off 5 bottles of awesome red wine and a couple of shots of hooch from Sardinia.
Completely love everything about life.
Day 6 (Thursday, 1.6.06)
See the Reichstag,
the Brandenburg Gate
and Die Drei Musketiere at the Berlin Opera House.
Day 7 (Friday, 2.6.06)
Wake up, take cab to Berlin train station. Notice awesome cleat sculpture in front of station. Read stories of World Cup teams and players. Take train to Prague.
Hotel Opera,
Vaclavske Namesti,
and dinner with wine at "Hot".
Win Kc3000 (around $100 American) at casino in Wencelas Square (Vaclavske Namesti).
Later this week - Part Deux including Prague Castle, Paris, and World Cup Stuff!
Day 1 (Saturday, 27.5.06)
Arrive Siegburg. Stay at cute Hotel Zum. Party with friends and drink all five selections on the bevvy menu plus champagne, a glass of wine, and some beer. Stumble back to hotel.
Day 2 (Sunday, 28.5.06)
Shop Siegburg.
Go to lovely palace on Rhine.
Husband professess it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Spend time with friends.
Go to Dom in Cologne.
See some windows.
Go to biergarten.
Drink Kolsch. 
Day 3 (Monday, 29.5.06)
Catch metro to Cologne from Siegburg and do some shopping at H&M, my favoritest store. Drink coffee with hubby & Heather.
On the way back to Siegburg, fall UP the flight of stairs while trying to catch the train. Whine a bit about my finger, leg, and ankle.
Go to Bastei,
drink a Kir Royale and a bottle of wine, feel better.Day 4 (Tuesday, 30.5.06)
Finger is completely f-ed, though ankle feels fine. Go to Apotheke in Siegburg to try and get a splint. No such thing. Instead, get Heparin syrum for swelling. Begin finger exercises as instructed by Physical Therapist friend Heather. Practice flipping people off, ice it down. Tape on mock splint
and go to airport to fly to Berlin. Take pictures of gnomes at the subway in Cologne airport. 
Fly to Berlin and go to KaDeWe. Go to dinner at lovely, traditional German restaurant in East Berlin. Eat great food and drink wonderful wine. Walk through city. Touch the Wall.
Feel monumentally sad at the way the human race destroys itself.
Day 5 (Wednesday, 31.5.06)
Visit Checkpoint Charlie,
see some awesome domes,
Charlottenburg,
, have coffee at cafe at Charlottenburg, 
and go to KaDeWe again. Have incredible evening with friends speaking German, Spanish, and Italian.
Thumb-press orechiette.
Eat mozarella, honeydew and fig vinegar salad, orechiette/gnocchi with sauce from scratch.
Polish off 5 bottles of awesome red wine and a couple of shots of hooch from Sardinia.
Completely love everything about life.
Day 6 (Thursday, 1.6.06)
See the Reichstag,
the Brandenburg Gate
and Die Drei Musketiere at the Berlin Opera House.
Day 7 (Friday, 2.6.06)
Wake up, take cab to Berlin train station. Notice awesome cleat sculpture in front of station. Read stories of World Cup teams and players. Take train to Prague.
Hotel Opera,
Vaclavske Namesti,
and dinner with wine at "Hot".
Win Kc3000 (around $100 American) at casino in Wencelas Square (Vaclavske Namesti).
Later this week - Part Deux including Prague Castle, Paris, and World Cup Stuff!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)