The Massive Grid That Is Phoenix

Phoenix: the last stop before home.  And it's hotter than the blazes here.  Seriously.  It's like 100 degrees still in Arizona.  And I thought New Mexico was hot!  I hear report that it's a balmy 80 degrees in NM and I am looking forward to experiencing that before the cold sets in a month or two later.  I almost want to give all my closing thoughts right now, but first let me tell you about Phoenix, and I'll put a wrap on it all once I actually get home.  Sound good?  Brilliant.

So I got in to Phoenix Sunday night & got to hang out with Lindsey and her roommates & study buddies and make dinner for them, but the next day they were all back at med school taking tests and listening to lectures and stuff.  I, however, being neither that smart nor that motivated, spent the morning sleeping in and taking my time eating breakfast.  I even put on a movie (Becoming Jane; not the best movie for a variety of reasons, but cute nonetheless) and generally just didn't bother to rush.  The only thing I had to do on Monday was write my blog, so that's what I did.  First, I made a stop at In-N-Out for a late lunch (because like any self respecting New Mexican, you can't pass an In-N-Out without eating at it) and then after I went to Starbucks with my computer, got a massive cup of iced coffee (Phoenix is far to hot to drink hot coffee in the middle of the day in September), and spent the next hour or two writing that last blog post.  (Incidentally, I never would have thought that blogging would take so much effort and time but it does.)  

After my run at Starbucks (I have had an obnoxious amount of Starbucks on this trip, haven't I?), I ventured over to the Target that was in the same parking lot.  Now I can't really remember why I was going to Target, but I ended up buying a few things (necessary things, maybe?) and then I was off to the grocery store again.  Lindsey and her study buddies are far too busy with all their studying to make dinner.  So I offered for the second night that I was there to cook for them!  Lindsey seemed very excited about this arrangement.  I went to the grocery store to get all the fixings for dinner (ground beef, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, beans, and other veggies all sorta stewed together... like Texas Chili but without the chile....) and headed back towards the house.

Lindsey & her roommate beat me there, apparently they had gotten out of class earlier than expected, and they were starving.  I immediately started cooking, frying potatoes, browning the beef, chopping veggies, and eventually throwing it all together into a big pot where I let it stew for a few minutes.  And it was delicious.  I needed a little big of a kick, so as a garnish I put fresh cilantro and fresh jalpenos, and served the stew (stuff) with tortilla on the side.  Dinner was well received, and I had made enough to feed an enormous army.  But it was Monday Night!  How I Met Your Mother was premiering on CBS that night!  We all huddled on the couch and barely managed to get the station on Lindsey's TV (but only if we all sat very still on the couch and didn't get too close to the tv... it's rather temperamental).  And it became a tv night after that.  How I Met Your Mother, Two And Half Men (never liked that show, but we all wanted to see what all the fuss was about Ashton Kutcher being on it), and 2 Broke Girls.  If you are a server, I would recommend 2 Broke Girls.  I was laughing my head off, but Lindsey didn't seem to think it was that funny; I'm guessing it's because she's never worked in a restaurant.  But I digress.  Before bed, Lindsey & I got to do a little more talking.  I got to play the guitar a little more, and she painted her toe nails and told me all about the stuff she's learning in med school.  It's genuinely incredible how much doctors have to learn.  I am in awe.

Then it was bed time.  I slept like a rock once again. (I think I'm just in a constant state of exhaustion right now.  I reckon that'll last til I'm home.)  That morning, I was lazy once again.  Well, sorta.  Shower, cleaned up some dishes, ate some left overs, watched some TV, folded my bedding, that sort of stuff.  And I was off. I was to spend the next two nights with some of my friends just south of Phoenix, in Gilbert.  BUT, I had to stop at H&M first.  I've been trying to shop at an H&M this entire trip and every time I've been near one, I haven't had the chance.  I got hooked on H&M when I lived in England and I was dying to get some of their clothes.  There's 2 H&M's in Scottsdale, which was kinda on my way, so I stopped there.  I was in all my glory!   Clothes everywhere!  I decided not to really hold back: I'm only on vacation for a couple more days! (To be fair, my version of "not holding back" is still fairly conservative.  What can I say? I'm my my mom & dad's daughter.)

My H&M craving satisfied, I was headed toward Gilbert, AZ, about half an hour south of Scottsdale.  I was going to stay with my friends Gavin and Amanda and their little 6 month old daughter, Molly.  They lived in Albuquerque until a few months ago, and I was very excited to see them!  Molly is super duper cute.  She has a big toothless grin that's just too cute to describe.  I rolled in to their house at about 2pm, and got to say hi to Amanda and her mom (they're staying with her parents while they get settled here) and Molly.  It was really really really nice to see them.  As awesome as it is to have friends all over the country that I can stay with, I miss having all of those people in Albuquerque.  

That afternoon we spent chatting and playing with Molly.  Gavin got home from work not too much later, and we went out to dinner at Joe's Farm Grill.  It's this little restaurant in Phoenix that is attached to it's own little farm.  All the vegetables that this restaurant servers are grown right there on that farm, so the menu changes with the seasonal vegetables.  Most of the seating is outside on picnic benches.  And the place was packed!  It was also delicious.  Amanda got a pretty tasty vegetable pizza, Gavin got a tuna sandwich (ew), and I got a burger (no wonder I've gained weight on this trip!).  We also split some of the best onion rings I've ever had and a side of fried zucchini.   All was very good.   That night we came back to the house, they put the baby to bed, and we watched Saving Grace on Netflix.  Also good! 

Today was relaxing as ever.  Well, for me at least.  Molly didn't sleep so hot, so neither did her parents, but I slept like a baby on the 21st bed of this trip (yikes).  This morning I got to have a nice chat with Amanda's mom, she's lovely!  And Scottish!  And then it was time for me and Gavin to make pancakes (Amanda was still sleeping)!  They were not the most awesome pancakes ever (the search is still on), but 4 cups of coffee later we were able to call it a very nice breakfast.  That afternoon we went to IKEA.  This was highlight #1 of the day.  IKEA is the most awesome thing in the world.  Well maybe not the most awesome thing, but just about.  We walked around, got a little food, and I bought a handful of colorful picture frames to put pictures of this trip in!  (Did that sentence make sense?)

We came back to the house for a little while, Molly got a nap, and afterwards we set out for dinner at the Cornish Pasty Co!  More familiar things from England!  The last time I was in Phoenix we went to this place and it's exactly what the title says.  It's a place where they sell genuine Cornish Pasties.  (Remember the pasties I was trying to make in Dallas w/ my cousin?  Yeah, this is the proper version.)  I got a lamb & mint pasty, and some hard cider.  So delicious.  (I've had a great deal of delicious food on this trip!).  

And that was today.

Sorry this blog was very parenthetical, and a bit short, and pictureless!  But I'm running out of steam!  I promise to have one more blog once I'm home to put a nice pretty bow on this trip, but before that happens, thank you all for reading!  See you this weekend when I get home!!