Precious H2O

Good water is still hard to find in the desert. The stuff that comes from our faucets is bad-tasting and chlorinated.

So we travel to the oasis to fill our gallon jugs (25 cents each). This great machine is located at the Walgreens a block away, and there is one at the gas station 2 blocks away as well.

You are lucky if you can get a great-tasting glass of water right from your very own faucet.

AZ on the Rocks and #9

I want to talk about #9 first because it's pretty exciting. B & C had their second child (my parents ninth grandchild) this afternoon, and named him Cutler Brett. He was 8 lbs 9 oz, and 19 inches. I don't know any other details, but I'm pumped to have another nephew!!

An and I went indoor rock climbing (with half-off coupons from REI!) on Sunday morning. It's like the climbing wall at Dick's Sporting Goods or REI on steroids.

An, hooking herself up to the rope. While she climbed, I stood on the ground and belayed for her, then she did the same for me. The person who belays is pretty important, as they're the one who prevents the climber from falling.


The room was full of ropes and different paths to the top, each marked with a different color tape. It was a challenge to stay on one color, without using any handholds of a different color.

It was a lot of fun, and we climbed until our fingers could no longer grip. We both want to go back and try more courses. They also had a bouldering wall, which is essentially the same thing as climbing, but without a harness and rope. The wall was a lot shorter, and there were pads on the floor in case you fell or wanted to jump down.

Afterward we ate brunch. I snapped this picture of An playing with a syrup drip.

It was another good Sunday. Definitely made up for my earlier bad day :)

Terrible, horrible, no good

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and the cloudy sky didn't make me feel any better (it's never cloudy here!).

I remembered that it was Friday of SLW. Our ladies "deer hunting" weekend, and I wasn't there. Wasn't there experiencing all the excitement and company.

The frozen yogurt I ate for comfort made me feel sick.

At work, I had a guest apologize for interrupting my dinner, then proceed to yell at me for not giving him a better rate (who supports us during our slow months, huh??).

My boss came in unexpectedly (which is not good when you're reading a magazine in his comfy chair), and told me that not only did I do something wrong, I most likely couldn't have the weekend that I wanted off.

When he finally left and I got to sit down and eat, a guest called with a leaking toilet. After this was resolved, a different guest freaked me out by pushing the emergency button on his phone. Luckily, no emergency.

When my shift finally ended, I rushed out.

I called MK, and he made me feel so, so much better. He was amusing and comforting, and just like that, my very bad day was not so terrible and horrible anymore.

City stuff

We got to go to church again (!) at Elaine's. Richard E came down, and a total of 20 adults attended this time. It was really nice. Elaine even let me pick oranges and grapefruit from her trees :)

Afterward, we went bowling, then out for pizza. It was the best kind of 'za, New York-style. Sarah's boyfriend Tom (who is visiting from MI) paid for all of us, which made it even more delicious ;)

An Bun getting a strike.

There's Tom, and Sarah.

And An and I, having a grand time.

It was the perfect Sunday.