Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Arizona. (Subtitled: My weekend, by the numbers)
I visited lovely Tucson, Arizona this weekend to celebrate the nuptials of an old college friend. I found it to be too short of a visit -- of course -- and wished very much I had more time to explore the area. I haven't been to Arizona since I was a very small child -- and barring that trip -- I have never seen such amazing scenery. Don't get me wrong, Virginia is a great state with diverse scenery. If I have my way, I'll say goodbye to my nomadic ways and settle right here. But as much as Virginia is green and grassy, Arizona is brown and prickly.
Here is my weekend -- in short:
11 -- hours of sleep I had in the 72 hours I was in Tucson. Believe me, I'm still recovering.
7 -- number of old college friends (coincidentally also Gamma Phis) I hadn't seen in years and was so delighted to see again.
4 -- Arizona historical land marks I visited: 1) Mysterious "Mexican White Sands" that the pilot pointed out on the way there. Because I was snoozing on the plane, there's a solid chance I completely misunderstood what he said. I'm still counting it, though, so bite me. 2) Sabino Canyon. A lovely 45 minute tram tour up the canyon admiring the vegetation and hoping all the mountain lions they had warned us about in the tour map were all sleeping. Fun Fact: Part of "Three Amigos" was filmed here. Be confident that I searched long and hard from my tram seat for the singing bush. 3) El Charro -- apparently the oldest Mexican eatery in the United States. They made a hell of a margarita. 4) The "Z" Mansion. Scene of said nuptials. Because I arrived early I had a chance to nerd-it-up and read all of their literature.
3 -- All-time high mileage run while I was in Tucson. (Hooray!)
2 -- Incidences of my wry sarcasm confusing waitstaff at local eateries.
1 -- Run-in with a roadrunner at 3AM while driving to the airport. We're both lucky I noticed him in my extremely drowsy state. Sadly, no coyote or acme ton-weights.
0.25 -- Tacos eaten. Sadly, they were too spicy -- and by too spicy I mean a smidge above regular Doritos-spicy. Though in the southwest, I clearly brought my bland, Virginian stomach with me. Never leave home without it.
0 -- Arizona Iced Teas. Though plenty of Crystal Light (thanks, N!)
0 -- Mountain lion attacks. Though fully warned by the devoted rangers of Coronado National Forest, I managed to escape with all my limbs still attached.
# posted by Cathy @ 7:07:00 PM 
