Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Tucson

We went to Tucson yesterday morning to get our Dyson Animal repaired. With two incredibly hairy, and shedding dogs, we can't go more than a few days without vacuuming. So we set off about 7:30 a.m., vacuum in the back of the truck, and the long ice chest in the back seat.
We were really looking forward to it, mostly because we weren't going up there for a doctor's appointment. The vacuum repair shop said they could probably repair in the same day since we had to drive 75 miles. Yes, an hour and a half to repair the vacuum. That's at 75 mph, which is the speed limit on Hwy 10! Evidently, no one in our little town has a contract with Dyson. When we called locally, they said, "Oh, you paid a lot of money for that machine!" Well, yes we did. A lot! However, as I mentioned before, we are a hair factory here. I swear, there was a time I thought of spinning that dog hair into yarn and creating sweaters! I went as far as to picture two dog prints on a label!

So first thing this morning we passed the border patrol check point.

Sometimes, if you're in a hurry to, like, get to the airport, if there is any traffic, and I say that kind of in jest, this is annoying, but I have to tell you, we are happy to have the border patrol working diligently to stop these crazy coyotes! We have so many really awful accidents on our highways because of them. Recently, we had a bad one that killed 5 people, and severely hurt many others, because there were 27, yes, TWENTY-SEVEN humans stacked like firewood into a Ford Excursion, that flipped on the highway, sprawling people over a very large area. I could go on and on about this...but I won't.


We passed by the Pima Air Museum. Hundreds of planes, lined up on one side of the street, and plane parts on the other. In our five years here in AZ, we've never gone to the museum, but it is on our list of things to do.

Look, not even 9 a.m. and it's 85*

The place where we took the vacuum was incredibly nice enough to have the vacuum repaired on the spot and we had the rest of the day to putz in Tucson.

Here's another place that tops our to do list. Never been there. When it's 100* in Tucson, it's in the high 70's up on the mountain. Maybe this summer, camping!

We went to lunch at a place called Feast. Kind of reminded me of a small restaurant in San Francisco, with some brick walls and teeny little lights strung around the room on a wire that wound it's way from one side to the other. The lunch was fabulous! An herbed chicken salad on a bed of lettuce with sweet potatoes and nuts. I had the most tender calamari that was cooked with chiles and sweet corn. We walked out totally sated & doggie bag in hand.

Off to my happy place: Joann Fabrics!

Why, oh, why can't we have one in our town? What really struck me about being in there was, of course, all the FABRIC!, but also how happy I felt to be in there. And it wasn't just me. Everywhere I looked, women were smiling at one another...no, it's okay, you go ahead...looking into each other's carts, "Oh that's really beautiful, isn't it?" So it's alot of people's happy place.

A shot of the Catalina Mountains,


I wish I could show you how these change colors throughout the day and into evening they'll turn all shades of purple. Gorgeous.

We also "did" our usual Costco & Trader Joes shopping, and a stop at Camping World for some tire covers for the building on wheels.

It's always good to get home after a trip to the big city. Home to our doggies that are always overjoyed to see us, and us them!

11 comments:

NanU said...

gawd, I miss Trader Joe's!

a girl said...

Trader Joe's...you just had to mention it!!! :)

shabby girl said...

I KNOW!!! We do that 75 mile drive JUST to go there! I make an absolute fool out of myself groveling for them to open a store down here. They laugh in my face! Humph!

Janice said...

Hmm... Trader Joe's. Maybe I'll go at lunch today.
Ha!

septembermom said...

We have a Trader Joe's about 45 minutes from us. I really haven't been there in ages. A dog hair sweater factory! There have been crazier ideas :) You know there is a market for everything!

Anonymous said...

Our Trader Joe's finally opened here last month. I was so excited when I learned they were opening a store here. I haven't managed to get over there yet. Great shot of the Catalina's.

Cynthia L. H. said...

Oh! JoAnn's Fabric! Haven't been to one in ages! (Partly because I felt the need to back off on my motto of many years, "She who dies with the most fabric wins...")
:^0
Love it!

amuse me said...

I love Trader Joe's but there isn't one close to us -- maybe someday. Also, I love our Dyson also. Definitely great for dog fur. I'm glad to see you posted an article about it because my family got a chuckle out of the fact I did the same when we got our new vacuum!

Dan Felstead said...

Shabbygirl...
Soundsl like a great day! Actually, we were thinking about getting a Dyson but didn't know if all the features were just marketing hype but it sounds like you really like yours! Also the mountain changing colors...I have seen that Arizona color change as the day progresses to a deep almost burnt sienna as the sun sets...I love that about Arizona. I have seen that color before up in Sedona as the sun sets. A beautiful sight to behold.

Dan

Anonymous said...

I had no idea the little 'coyotes' were so bad.

After being in Texas, I know heat - it was hot like that really early too, and it never cooled down. It was high eighties all night!

Michigan is FREEZING by comparison.

Photo 4 is one of my faves as well, but there is another one that I really love too - I think it's 9. I should have some up with more clever names for each photo in the series.

Oh, and I hear you on the pet fur.

Crazy Mo said...

Visiting by way of Pictures, Poetry and Prose. Loved your lady bug piece!

We visited Tucson last year and positively fell in love with it. Being a sewer, The Husband always includes a stop at Joann's so I can pay homage. Our equivalent up here in Canada is Fabricland, although it really doesn't come close to being as good as Joann's! I smiled when I read your comment about how we all look into each other's carts and comments. We all get excited and start talking about our projects and sharing ideas. It's like a family reunion sometimes.

Flora & Fauna

Books I have known & loved

  • Life of Pi
  • A Hundred Years of Solitude
  • Kite Runner
  • The Way the Crow Flies
  • Fall on Your Knees
  • Poisonwood Bible
  • East of Eden
  • Shantaram
  • I Know This Much is True

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