Personal Day - Day 21

Following the running-out-of-gas fiasco, I decided it was high time to get to the Treason's in Phoenix, AZ. I awoke at 5:30 AM and set out on the direct route. It wasn't until at the Arizona tourist information center just over the border that I learned that I had in fact crossed another time zone in NM, and I had really left at 4:30 AM. I arrived at the Treason's at high noon, decked out in my official AZ wear that I picked up at a cheesy tourist shop along the way. I don't know who was happier that I was there, Treason Pal or me.

A little background on the Treason's: Mr. Treason and I were the best of friends in high school. We played soccer for the Bulldogs, and Treason Pal was our team manager. While Mr. Treason went off to defend our country in the Marines, Treason Pal and I attended colleges in Philadelphia, and also became the best of friends. When Mr. Treason returned from his duty, Treason Pal snatched him up and they eloped to Tennessee. For years, or a decade and a half, their couch became my home-away-from-home when I visited my parents in South Jersey. A little more than a year ago, they made good on their threat to move, and they threw all their stuff in a truck and became Phoenixians (Phoenixites? I'll have to ask.) Prominently among the numerous reasons I decided undertake this trip was both the pride and the envy I felt about their move.

For the last seven days, I had not seen a face of anyone I knew. Can any of you think of a time where you went seven days without either seeing at least one person you know or as in my case, not even meeting anyone that I saw a second time.

So it was long past when I was welcomed here to Casa Treason (I'll describe more about their fantastic home and property in a later post). I was welcomed with home-made Reubens and homemade lasagna for lunch and dinner...Treason Pal isn't a master chef, but the things she does cook, she makes extraordinarily well. They also welcomed me with a room, a bed, a stocked refrigerator, a stocked liquor cabinet, my own bathroom and towels, a basket full of toiletries, a slobbering dog, a place to do laundry, a place to unload, a place to unwind, a place to be me: a Home! We settled in to talking about the days long past, the last year, the last 3 weeks; and the days, weeks and years to come. And we got drunk.

I'm not sure how often I will be updating this blog while I am here, probably not every day, but as often as I can. Fortunately, the Treason's share my love of beautiful scenery, fine food, and road tripping. And there is a lot to see here.

Slobbering Scully Treason and me: