a day in Phoenix

I really am behind on this blogging thing, I know.  Here I am, in the United Club at Phoenix Airport, and finally I am blogging.  I had a lot of work to do these past evenings at conference, truly, and that left me no time or inclination to do more writing just for fun.  But now that my exile to Arizona is coming to an end (don't jinx it, Peter), I can jot down a couple of entries.  So, shall we?

You may or may not recall that when we first got to Phoenix, I was feeling less than great.  36 hours later, and I was alright.  Ready to head out, walk a little, eat some food.  It was a lovely, sunny Tuesday, so the three of us ambled around the downtown Phoenix area near us.

Through the ASU downtown campus.

Into the Civic Space park with its Echelman installation and views.

Down 1st Ave. and past older buildings and new,

admiring them, heading to the Maricopa County Old Courthouse

and the nearby modern county and court buildings.

Past and into the Luhrs Tower,

then up Central Ave.

toward the hotel.  And then a bit of a rest for all of us, but especially the guy who was a little less than 100%.  We had dinner plans that night to get to, after all.

Jose and April live in Phoenix, and since we try to meet up with them for a meal whenever we're at conference, we happily scheduled a dinner. 

They suggested Ocotillo, and we met them there for a bite.  A mocktail for me,

some conversation, some dinner.  It was tasty food, but I will say that the pasta was a little dense and perhaps undercooked.  Ah well.  Still tasty enough!

That was our day in Phoenix.  Poor Conrad and Van - we had hoped for a nice AZ escape before my conference, but that wasn't to be the case.  They headed back to California the next morning, I hopped onto a meeting, and the room was mine for six more nights.

Nice enough to visit here, so much better to get to come home!

a getaway, curtailed

Hello from Phoenix!  It's been two nights here so far, and I have seven to go.  Ah yes, a long haul in Arizona.  Alas, not the long haul that we were hoping for.

I will post from the Grand Canyon, for sure, but what I cannot do is post from three nights there as planned.  We left after one night there because Van was having so much difficulty with the altitude and his sleep.  Conrad and I were unaffected, but Van was not doing well.  We were heading to Phoenix eventually, so we managed to get the hotel room two days early, and on Sunday we came on down.

And by the time we got here, I was not doing so great.

No, not altitude.  A stomach bug?  Mild food poisoning?  I spent all day yesterday in the hotel room

getting over it, missing dinner with a friend on Sunday night, missing out on Saguaro National Park yesterday.  But I did get work done.  Hooray?

I am better today.  Still being careful about what food I eat, but better.  I actually made it down to the lobby this morning with Conrad as he grabbed breakfast for him and Van.  Did I say Conrad?  I meant Conrun, clearly.

I will get myself showered and out on foot a bit today.  Dinner with other friends tonight.  Conrad and Van drive back to California tomorrow and leave me here for my conference.  And so, yes, I will be having a week that is essentially one small part of downtown Phoenix. 

Ah well.

Better photos to come, I promise.  Happy Tuesday, everyone, as much as you can given the awful regime that was just installed.